Hell on Wheels (Four Horsemen MC Book 6) (20 page)

Beauregard was having none of it.

She needed to sell the hell out of this. Charlie placed a hand on her hip and thrust out her chest, striking a seductive pose. Hitting on him was a huge gamble but she couldn’t think of any plausible explanation. So a distraction was in order.  It would be harder to think with the big head if the little one was preoccupied.

Charlie grinned. “I have a confession to make. I’m…curious about you.” She got closer and placed a palm on his chest, smoothing her fingertips up and down the length of his silky tie.

 “Are you comin’ on to me?” he asked. He seemed curious, but not captivated by her.

“Maybe,” she said coyly.

Charlie wanted to run away screaming, but she kept it together. Dear God, she didn’t want to bed down with her father’s killer, but she might not have a choice.

For what felt like hours, they stared at one another. Was he going to…ugh…kiss her? Or accuse her?

And then, Beauregard stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Did Axel assign you the task of seducing me? Is that why you’re hanging around my office, hoping for an opportunity?”

 “No, of course not.”

Beauregard crossed to the bar. “Sure.” He poured himself a clear drink from a bottle with no label. Vodka? “What’s wrong? Did your plan to seduce
him
fail? Maybe you figured I have more money. More power.”

Oh, yeah, he has some serious issues with women. Mommy didn’t love him enough.

“Like I said. I’m just curious.”

He cocked a brow. And from his skeptical expression, it was clear he didn’t believe her. “It isn’t that I don’t appreciate the offer, darlin’. You’re a very beautiful woman, but I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

Charlie smiled tightly, letting her discomfort show on her face. It was a natural reaction to being shot down. “I understand.”

“If that was your
true
aim,” he said, eying her over the rim of his glass.

Charlie had a feeling this wasn’t over. She didn’t like the way he looked at her. He was suspicious, but he wasn’t calling her on it. Not yet.

 He gestured to the door. “Run along now. I have business.”

Charlie had a ticking time bomb on her hands. Being caught by the safe had made her look suspicious. Could she get to the loot and the evidence before he figured out what she was up to?

***

Charlie considered going to Hades to see Voodoo, but she was shaken up and needed to see Axel. Even if it was awkward between them right now, she wanted some comfort.

 When she arrived at Seventh Circle, she found Axel with an industrial broom in his big hands, pushing it around the floor. Dani was nowhere to be seen and the shop was empty.

When he saw her, he stopped, and his brows drew together.

 Evidently the panic showed on her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, dropping the broom and hurrying over to her.

“Everything went to hell today,” she said, shaking her head. “I tried to input some numbers and he found me in the study.”

“Fuck. What happened? Are you okay?” He took her by the shoulders, searching her features. He ran his hands along her arms, as if he were checking for injuries.

“I’m fine and I think I covered myself. I made up an excuse and then I distracted him.” Her heart was still pounding hard. She’d been worried the rest of her shift, jumping at noises, peering around corners. Charlie feared he’d have the guards scoop her up any second.

“How?” he asked.

She paused wondering if she should tell him. “I came on to him.”

His face clouded. “You did
what
? You seduced him?”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “No, I
tried
to seduce him. But I didn’t succeed.”

“Why the hell would you do that?” He walked away from her and picked up the broom again, gripping the handle so tightly, she thought it might splinter in his hands.

She’d expected comfort, not anger. “I panicked. He found me in the study and he came out of nowhere.” She shivered. “I swear to God that man’s part cat. I needed to change the conversation before he got suspicious. Nothing muddles a man’s mind more than an offer of sex.”

“I see. You offer yourself to just anybody then?”

Charlie glared at him. He’d gone too far. “That isn’t fair and you know it.”

“He’s a psychopath, you know,” Axel grated out. “He’s killed a dozen or more men.”

“Yeah, I got that memo. He killed my father, in case you forgot.  And I never said I
wanted
to sleep with Beauregard. I’m not signing on to be his girlfriend or fuck buddy.”

Axel started sweeping the floor this time, swiping at the concrete savagely. “That was a stupid plan. It could’ve blown up in your face.”

“Really? Because I think it might’ve saved my ass today.” She paced back and forth. When she’d come over, she wanted sympathy and advice. She hadn’t expected him to be such an ass.

He stopped scrubbing at the floor, his jaw clenching. “The bastard actually turned you down?”

“Yeah.” Her lips twisted bitterly. “Like you, he wasn’t interested.”  

Axel didn’t reply. “Move,” he grunted, picking up the broom again.

She backed off and he attacked the area she’d vacated, dragging the broom across the floor with such force he left bristles in its wake. “Why are you so angry?” He was the one who said he didn’t want a romantic relationship and then left her out in the cold.

“I’m not,” he snapped.

“Where’s Dani?” She could use a friendly face.

“She’s on an errand, so you got lucky. You shouldn’t run around here dressed like that,” he said, gesturing to her ridiculous maid uniform. “She’ll start asking questions.”

 “Just admit that you’re jealous.”

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” Axel refused to look at her.

“Yes, you do. You’re pissed because I made a pass at Beauregard.”

“Yeah, well, he’s rich and handsome.” He kept on punishing the poor broom, dragging it across the floor. “He wines and dine women, show them a good time before he shows them the door. So, don’t get any ideas about him. He’d use you and toss you away.”

Charlie tossed her hair “Again. He’s my father’s murderer. And besides that, what I do with my body is my business.
You
turned
me
down, remember? What gives you the right to act so crazy?”

Axel stepped closer to her, his chest heaving. “So, you’re going to fuck anyone you want, huh?”

“What if I do? What business is it of yours?” She raised her chin and didn’t back down. She didn’t care if he had a foot and seventy pounds on her. Charlie Nash didn’t intimidate so easily.

“Uh, why are you guys shouting at each other?” Dani asked.

They both turned to see Lex and Dani standing in the garage.
Dammit.
How much of the argument had they overheard? She and Axel were so preoccupied, they hadn’t heard them pull up or walk in Seventh. A quick glance at Axel confirmed he was just as startled. Charlie really needed to be more aware. It might save her life one day.

Charlie backed away from Axel and tried to think of a good lie.

 “Dani, why don’t you knock off for the night? Charlie and I have club business to discuss,” Axel said.

“Yeah, so you two can have World War Three? I don’t think so.” Dani grabbed Charlie and pulled her aside. Lex huddled up with them.

Lex stared at the maid uniform.

“Okay, I give. Why are you dressed in a maid outfit?” Dani asked, tilting her head to one side. “Halloween’s long gone.”

Dammit.
Charlie zipped up her hoodie as though it could somehow conceal her uniform. She glanced at Axel for help, but he’d gone back to sweeping the garage.
Fantastic.
He expected her to get out of this all by herself.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell Lexi and Dani. Axel had been very clear about the club rules on discretion. And the fewer people who knew, the better. Loose lips lead to jail time.

They leaned forward, faces eager.

… And she sold the biker out without any twinges of guilt. “Axel bought it for me,” she whispered.

“Axel bought it for you?” Dani asked, eying the maid outfit then shooting a glance in Axel’s direction. “Why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. But he asked me to wear it while I helped him sweep up the garage.”

At that, they both turned and stared at him unabashedly. Their expression said
eww.

Axel stopped working. “Why you lookin’ at me like that?”

They both turned to Charlie again. And she barely resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him.The look Axel shot her was murderous. Not that she gave a damn.

“What the fuck?” Dani asked in hushed tones. She surveyed Charlie’s get up. “Uh, he didn’t, like, touch you or anything?”

“No. Of course not.” Charlie could’ve lied about that, too, but that would’ve been a step too far. The sweet spot with lies is to keep them believable. “But he’s been checking me out.” And to mix a lie with the truth.

Lexi slanted her head sideways and placed a finger on her chin. “You know, he never makes time with any of the hellions. And he hasn’t had a girlfriend since high school.”

Dani shuddered. “Gross. What if he’s gathering up material for the spank bank?” Her nose wrinkled. “It’s always the quiet ones.”

“Maybe he has a fetish? You know, like a roleplaying thing,” Lexi murmured. “I studied those in class.” They all slowly turned to gape at him some more, as if he was on display at a museum.
Behold, hetero-erectus.

“You don’t say?” Charlie kept a straight face, but she didn’t know how she managed it.

Axel glowered as he leaned against the broom. “What’s up, ladies? What the hell’s going on?”

“Nothing,” they all said in unison.

Dani grasped her hand and started towing her towards the garage door. “Charlie’s coming with me and Lexi.”

Charlie didn’t protest. Coming over here had been a big mistake. One she wouldn’t repeat.

“No, she isn’t. We weren’t finished with our conversation,” Axel said, striding towards them.

Dani and Lexi booked outside and Charlie put her cheetah running skills to good use.

“Yes, you were, creeper,” Lexi threw over her shoulder as they headed for her car. Dani threw open the rear door and Charlie climbed in before Dani took shotgun. Lexi slid behind the wheel.

“Creeper? I’m not a creeper.” Axel hustled over to the car. He locked eyes on Charlie. “What did you tell them?”

“The truth!” Charlie said, and finally stuck her tongue out at him as they pulled out of the lot.

***

“Okay, then,” Dani said a few hours later. “It’s time for a game.”

They were seated at a table in Perdition. Fittingly, it had biker bar vibe–Harleys, posters of girls on bikes, and the line of underwear, of course. Something about the bikers and panties tickled her memory, but she was too drunk to give it the sort of attention it deserved.

 “A drinking game?” Charlie asked, because thinking right then seemed to be difficult. She’d already tossed down four longneck beers, and a biker aptly named Pretty Boy had slipped her a quart-sized Mason jar full of freaking fantastic strawberry moonshine mixed with lemonade.

According to the girls, Eddie made the stuff herself, and Charlie planned on begging Eddie to sell her a case or two of it before she left town. Speaking of Eddie, Charlie was grateful she didn’t see her around the bar tonight. She could skip another round of awkward questions.

Lexi finally answered, after taking a long drink of her own moonshine. “It isn’t a drinking game, per se, but it’s a lot more fun once you’re drunk.”

 “We’re playing Murder, Marry, Kiss, or Shag,” Dani explained, leaning forward to shout the words over the racket going on around them.

Perdition was crowded that night. The mob was a mix of townies, the brothers, and hellions, according to Lexi and Dani.

In the corner of the room, a band covered “Whiskey Lullaby”. A woman with blue and blonde hair sang the duet with a handsome blond man in a black muscle shirt. A few other band members played instruments behind them. Charlie couldn’t quite decide if the group was country or blues. Maybe somewhere in between. Regardless, they were mesmerizing to watch. Even in a drunken state. They had a Mason jar on the stage filled with tips and Charlie planned on making a donation before she left.

“Who are they?” Charlie asked Dani.

“The Crossroad Crows. One of the brothers, Jag, is in the band,” she explained.

“And the woman?” Charlie loved her voice and her hair, too.

“Her name’s Blue,” Dani said with a shrug. “Don’t know much about her. But let’s not get distracted. You heard of the game?”

“Nope,” Charlie said with a shake of her head. Then she stopped because the room was doing a spinning thing. At least she wasn’t angry or scared anymore. Today had been crapilicious and she was grateful it was ending well.

 She thought about going to the bathroom and praying to the porcelain god for a minute. They’d wolfed down burgers and fries earlier at Hades and while the food was delicious at the time, it currently threatened to crawl out of her stomach and up her windpipe. Charlie hadn’t had this much to drink in….well, ever. She should probably slow down, but nah, she was having a blast. Good food, better alcohol, great music, and terrific company. She actually had friends now.

“Most people play with celebrities, but we use Horsemen. We’ll point out brothers to you and then you can tell us whether you’d kill, marry, kiss, or shag them. ‘Shag’ is English for ‘screw’,” Lexi said sagely. “In case you didn’t know.”

Charlie frowned. “I thought ‘screw’ was English for ‘screw’.”

“I mean British English. Lexi thinks it sounds nicer than fuck. Got it?” Dani informed her.

“I guess.” She took another drink of moonshine. Though, she didn’t want to shag any Horsemen. They were all big, dumb men. Who hated brooms. Charlie shot a glance at Axel who stood across the room with a pool cue in hand.

 He’d been there when they’d arrived and he hadn’t approached the group, but she could feel his eyes on her. And his disapproval. He probably thought she was corrupting Lexi and Dani.
Well, screw him.