The Biker's Chaos (Ghosts of the Prairie Motorcycle Club Book 5) (3 page)

“What were they doing or going to do?” asked Trenton.

“Me,” she answered bluntly.

Her answer made the bikers stagger.

“They ripped my clothes, and then started arguing over who got first dibs. I hauled ass away from there,” she said.

“So you are certain without a doubt that the cop was the guy among the others?” asked Trenton.

“Positive,” she answered.

“It was dark. How do you know?” asked Trenton.

“He has that little white split on his lip,” said Hannah.

“I saw that,” said John. “Like someone bitch slapped him.”

Trenton had a strange look on his face. She couldn’t tell if that meant he didn’t believe her.

“I’m telling you the truth,” she insisted. “It’s over. I’ll never go back there. And I’ll never go near my brother-in-law again.”

“I think Billy Weston will have something to say about all of this.”

“What’s up?” asked John.

“Billy is investigating possible human trafficking. The team working on it thinks the only way any trafficking could be done in such small town settings is with the help of someone on the inside. Sounds like Hannah here may have found that someone,” said Trenton.

“Wow,” said John.

“Wow is right. From what the sister said, this dude Cranston is aggressive and domineering. He has a history of coercing younger women to marry him. Unfortunately, the people he’s been associated with in the matrimony department are not to be found,” said Trenton.

“They’re missing?” asked Hannah shocked. “His ex-wives are missing?”

Hannah’s sister Melinda slowly walked down the hall.

“You’re not going back to that guy ever,” said Hannah.

Like he was waiting impatiently for her sister to wake, Bull appeared right in the thick of the conversation as soon as Melinda joined them.

“When is this sheriff coming?” asked Melinda.

“I can call him and ask him that question,” said Trenton.

“I’m ready to talk to him about things I’ve seen. I think you’ve all hit the nail on the head. I think I married a real asshole.”

Chapter 3

Dinner was brought in doors and set out on the bikers’ long country table. The table had to seat thirty people if it had to. It stretched the length of the family room, complete with a fireplace. All who were familiar had the routine down pat. The table was set and dinner ready to serve in no time. Everyone took their place at the table.

Hannah thought it was heartwarming how Bull was careful to sit next to Melinda and John next to her. She kept reminding herself it was probably unhealthy to go so fast and to get hopes up so high but sitting next to a man who had his business together felt awfully good.  And though nothing exactly was said to that effect, she believed John was as interested in her as she was in him. If her feeling proved to be wrong, so be it. She was having a good time in the moment, and that was enough for her.

“Everything is wonderful,” said Hannah. “It’s like Thanksgiving.”

“Yeah,” said Melinda. “Thanks for having us.”

“Our pleasure,” said Danny. “Anytime we can host a couple of crime stoppers, why we feel blessed.”

The table chuckled softly.

“Better than being on the other side of the law, that’s for sure,” said John.

He put his hand on Hannah’s and helped her with her struggle against the steak.

“Cut like this,” he said softly. “It’s all in how you hold the knife.”

“So my people tell me,” said Danny with a wag of his eyebrow.

John fed her the steak. It melted her mouth as his touch made Hannah melt. The combination of senses was intoxicating.

The unmistakable sound of a police radio in front of the house made John rise to his feet. He dabbed his mustache and answered the door. It was the sheriff as expected.

“Come on in,” John said. “We just sat down.”

“Well, I wish I could,” said the sheriff walking with John back into the kitchen. “I’m actually here on official business. I had some communication with a sheriff’s office out in Billings County, which would be where you all were camping last night.”

“Yes,” said Trenton.

“Well, the son of a bitch you said was in on the kidnapping ran all the names of your club through the system for any hits,” said Billy.

“Of course they found nothing,” said Danny.

“Well not exactly,” said Billy. “John, you have a warrant outstanding for a traffic stop from over a year ago.”

“What?” asked John. “I took care of that on time. I didn’t have any warrant. That’s got to be a clerical error or they’re trying to make crap up to frame me.”

“Then send an email showing payment,” said Billy. “If you got that or some proof this was taken care of, I can let this go.”

“Can’t you let this go anyway?” asked Trenton. “I mean until tomorrow. Let him go in and square it away. We’re having dinner here.”

“I wish I could. But according to some of the guys in the other camp, shall we say, you may or may not have used physical force?” asked Billy

“I never went over there,” said John. “I stayed with Hannah back at our camp.”

“Well, they took one look at your picture and identified you as the guy who broke one of their guy’s jaws. He’s in the hospital now,” said Billy. “I have to take you in.”

The sheriff turned John around and slipped the cuffs on.

“You’re cuffing him, William?” asked Trenton.

“I’m doing this so that they can’t come back and say I didn’t do my job. Because I turned the heat up on them with regard to some missing person cases. This is their red herring. Sorry John,” said the sheriff.

“No problem,” said John.

John looked down at Hannah whose face was heavy with guilt. This was her fault. He winked.

He winked. “Don’t even worry for one second. I’ll get this taken care of.”

“This is bullshit,” Danny protested. “This is fucked up. Can’t he pay a fine?”

“Do you have a phone we can access your accounts with?” asked Billy.

“Yes,” said John.

“Bring it with you. We’ll fix this. I’ll have you out ASAP,” said Billy.

“Can we take our dinner to go?” asked John. “Are you allowed to have some cow?”

“Damn it,” said the sheriff. “I better not, but you go ahead and bring it. I got no problem eating it while I book you.”

John laughed.

“I’m coming with you,” said Hannah, jumping up.

She fished the cabinet drawers for foil to wrap his plate up.

“You can’t ride in the car with me, honey,” said the sheriff. “Trenton, give her a lift?”

“Yes, I’m right behind you,” answered Trenton.

He kissed his wife and took one last sip of beer, and he and Hannah were out the door.

Chapter 4

The sheriff’s department was not far from John’s, though Parshall was so small that nothing was far from the sheriff’s department. The plate was still warm when Trenton parked. Trenton, Billy and John were so big and tall. Hannah felt so short compared to them. When they entered the station, Billy, and John went straight to processing. She couldn’t believe this was all for an outstanding warrant that John was sure he took care of.

John fished through his cell phone, through his email for the receipt of payment for the outstanding ticket. He wasn’t having luck, but he was sure it there. Meanwhile, Billy gathered what he could from Hannah about Cranston Cox. He had her tell the story from start to finish about her relationship with Cranston.

“I think we probably should have had Melinda accompany us down here,” said Hannah.

She delighted in feeding John his dinner even though the sheriff took his cuffs off. She cut his food painstakingly, and slowly held the loaded fork to his lips suggestively. He flirted. She returned the sensuality. She was completely turned on feeding her biker.

“I’m sorry,” said Billy. “Am I getting in the way?”

“We’ll knock it off,” said John. “But it’s sure fun.”

“Where did you meet Cranston?” the sheriff asked.

“Melinda and I met him in a grocery store. We’d just lost our parents.”

She had to pause because emotion choked her up. She swallowed hard and pulled herself together.

“We had just lost our house. We were basically squatting in our parents’ house because it had been foreclosed. She was twenty-two, and I was nineteen. So this is like three years ago. We had no money for utilities because like dumb bunnies, we worked like mad and paid the bank what we could, and they took it, but it still wasn’t enough. And we ended up with no utilities and no money for food. Enter Billy. He bought our groceries. He was all lovey dovey to Melinda. Took us in. Saved our parents’ house. It was his. We were no longer able to go into it, but he would let us have the next best thing. His apartment. Only there was something he wanted us to do for him.

“Prostitution,” guessed John.

Hannah looked at John directly.

“I never caved. I’m not sure whether or not my sister did. I do know he had her head turned a couple of times. Got her all confused. He hit her,” said Hannah.

“I don't know maybe I shouldn't be listening to this,” said John.

"Why is that?" asked Billy.

"Because if this dude winds up dead, I can be placed at the top of this list. I feel like I'm going to explode. Every part of me is screaming to get him. I want to bash his ass in."

“We want him too,” Billy said. “We've been tracking him for a long time we just can't link him to anything. We’re thankful for this breakthrough."

"Give me five minutes with him. I'll break through to him," said John.

"I didn't hear that. These guys know we are on to them. They'll use everything they have like fucking with a computer and creating a phony warrant to get you arrested," said Billy.

John’s thumb glided over his phone screen, again and again as he searched for proof of the paid ticket. He sat up straight.

“Found it!” he said.

He showed Billy the screen. Billy wrote something down.

“Can you email that to me at this address?” asked the sheriff.

“Yep, I sure can,” said John.

“So what do you think that was?” asked Trenton. “An oversight? How can he show a ticket as paid and then the system reports a warrant? Can the system be manipulated?”

Billy was quiet. He clearly looked embarrassed.

“Yes,” he answered. “The same way I’m entering this warrant as satisfied right now because clearly this is the right receipt for the ticket, someone can go in and reverse it.”

“I want a forensic examination of your system. Let me know if I need a warrant. If I find one of those fuckers tampered with the system and had my client hauled in, we’re suing. And we’re pushing for an arrest. A real one,” said Trenton.

Billy threw his arms up in the air. “Hey, I was just doing my job.” 

He tucked a paper in John's vest.

"Keep this on you," Billy advised. “I've got it cleared. But in case you get stopped, you can show this."

He gripped John’s shoulder and lectured.

"Now listen. They've already pegged you as the guy to eliminate to get to Hannah back. Watch your mouth and watch your back," he said.

Hannah’s mind swirled with so many emotions. Bad for the trouble she brought on John. But warm for the sweet way he wanted to defend her. No one except, of course, her big sister had ever been there for her. Not since her parents died. But Melinda was in need of chivalry herself. Bike chivalry, and Hannah hoped she was getting some now.

“Well, I’m going to check out the paperwork on your home tomorrow. I’ll going to work on getting that house back from him, that’s for sure,” said Trenton.

“You can?” Hannah’s eyes widened.

“I think I can, little lady. That is, if I’m not in jail for kicking Cranston’s ass myself,” said Trenton.

“You and me both,” said John. “Come on, Billy. Let me out of here.”

"You're free to go," said Billy. "Let's go eat."

Chapter 5

Now that the business of the outstanding warrant was concluded, John’s eyes gathered darkly as he turned to Hannah. They smoldered as he loomed over her, standing up from his seat. When Hannah returned her gaze to him, the jail, the sheriff, and even the gigantic attorney Trenton, seemed to disappear. It was just the two of them, and the powerful chemistry that traversed between them.

Hannah second-guessed it a lot. Was her attraction to him because she needed his help?  Was it the romantic way in which he and his fellow bikers just saved the day and provided the safety she had longed for these many years? 

Hannah laughed at herself. What heterosexual woman would not find this sensual, gorgeous, rugged man more than hot?  He stepped out of a movie screen. She chalked it up as the one thing that told her that her faculties were totally in order. That being the fact that she had a pretty strong crush, John McCarthy. It was really nice to have strong positive feelings for another human being, especially a man, for a change. Feelings that didn’t involve fear, hatred, and a need to hide.