The Biker’s Property (An Alpha Motorcycle Club Romance) (Ghosts of the Prairie Motorcycle Club Series Book 1) (5 page)

His voice was like honey. It always had a touch of flirt in it that stirred her insides and made her come alive.

“I just need some really strong coffee and then I’ll be good,” she said. “And maybe a big glass of water.”

The alcohol that she had the night before left her a little worn. She wasn’t accustomed to drinking at all.

Danny fished his arms around her waist. “You know what else you need?” he asked suggestively. “You need a big ol’ piece of cake. Wrangler’s got three-layer strawberry cake with buttercream frosting. That and a cup of coffee will do you till we get to New City.”

She had packed an overnight bag before she napped. She stepped outside with Danny thinking she would just see his bike parked out front of her motel room door. Instead there were a handful of bikers from his club.

“Boys, this is Penny Dunlap. Penny, you met Trenton this morning. You know Cady from the Wrangler. She’s riding with Murray, who’s this big guy. And then we have here Pike, Bull, and John.”

Penny nodded and shook hands with each one. She gave Cady a very friendly hello but Cady only sort of made a sound back. Penny had the feeling that Cady thought there was some sort of dibs she had on Danny.

“Are you all going to New City too?” asked Penny.

“Yes, they are,” said Danny. “One for all and all for one. We thought we would go have us a steak dinner in New City and maybe sit in the motel hot tub if they have one. But when one of us has a thing, we all have a thing.”

“Yes, but this is my thing,” said Penny, so touched at the support and the thoughtfulness.

“And a sweet thing it is,” Danny winked. “But now this is our thing. New City is about forty-five minutes over. Do you think you can hold out till then or do you need to have some coffee now?”

“I’m not tired anymore,” she beamed at him. “Let’s go.”

“Let’s ride,” he said, kissing her.

The guys hooted, making kissing noises and grunting. Danny laughed and shook his head. Penny burned. She noticed that Cady glared.

The road to New City was the color of sand. It pierced flat endless lands under a sky dotted with cotton ball clouds. This had to be the prettiest country Penny had ever seen. But because of the never-ending sameness of the landscape, it felt like they were not making any progress. Then, suddenly the horizon changed and there was a town.

The bikes sliced by half-built buildings. Penny guessed that Parshall was no longer the hot spot, that New City was. As if in tune with an agreed-to plan, the riders all veered into the Holiday Inn Express. 

Right across the street was a restaurant called The Bison. It looked like the place to be. The sight of the restaurant started chatter among the riders. Everyone wanted to go get something to eat. They settled into their rooms and headed over. It didn’t take any time for them to get a table, even with the large party. The place was basically empty.

As Penny looked at the menu she asked, “So do you think Wayland is building that office building or whatever it is that we saw on the way in? He said he was a developer.”

The table laughed. Penny didn’t know why her question was so funny.

Danny explained. “That building isn’t being built, baby doll. That’s been that way for at least a year now.”

“Isn’t that why he came here, because this was where the boom moved to? New City?” she asked.

Again they laughed.

“Oh, so you thought because this is called New City it was just being built?” he asked. “New City is about a hundred years old. There’ve been things to come and go to bring folks in and send them packing. I imagine that Brill Wayland moved here, if he is here, temporarily to hide.”

Penny didn’t like that at all. It occurred to her that maybe it was something that she should just let go. Take a day or two, collect herself and go home.

“Oh,” she said, very disappointed.

Danny lifted her chin. “We’ll find him. We’ll get him. And you’ll get some satisfaction.”

“Guarantee it,” said Trenton.

The waitress appeared to take their order. Everyone ordered some kind of red meat. Penny no longer felt like eating. She ordered a salad. Everyone scoffed.

“No, no,” they protested in tandem.

“What?” she asked. Everything was starting to wear on her.

“You can’t come to these parts and eat like a rabbit. That’s like going into the whore house for a kiss. You sure you don’t want a burger?” Danny asked.

Penny shook her head. Danny whispered in her ear.

“Do I need to take you back to the Holiday Inn and work up an appetite?” he asked.

Before he could get his answer, Trenton tapped him on the arm. Trenton’s face was flared and he tilted his head in the direction of the door. Danny smiled from ear to ear.

“You’re going to feel like eating the entire animal in just a second. Excuse me, Pretty Penny. Boys?”

Brill Wayland entered The Bison with a young woman on his arm and three members of the Riggers Motorcycle Club. Trenton, Pike, Murray, Bull, John and Danny rose from the table and greeted them. Brill Wayland’s expression was so arrogant.

“Can I help you, chief?” he said to Danny.

Danny’s eyebrows nearly flew off of his face. “Chief?” he said flamboyantly. “Thank you for the promotion but no, I am not a chief. But there is something I would like for you to address.”

“I am busy, chief. I have a website. Drop me a note there,” he replied and tried to pass.

“Well now, I believe someone already did contact you. Several times. You met her on online chat. You met her in Washington DC and hired her to be the nanny for your children? You were supposed to meet her yesterday when she arrived in Parshall to start her new job. You know, the one you gave her?”

“I am the nanny for the Wayland family,” interjected the young woman.

“Well, now, I am no nanny but seems like you should be where the kids are. Or are these guys your kids, Mr. Wayland?” Danny asked of the Riggers.

The Riggers took a threatening step towards Danny, who didn’t even flinch. Wayland and his guys were outmatched and they knew it.

Trenton snapped a picture of Brill Wayland with the woman on his arm.

“So maybe you can hire two nannies,” Danny proposed. “The one you promised a job to. The one who leased her home in Virginia so she could come out here and make the new start you promised her. And this one, who can go to restaurants and suck your dick.”

“You watch your mouth, chief,” snarled Wayland.

“I am not the one who should watch it. Trenton, know what the penalty for adultery is in North Dakota? Chief here is a lawyer,” said Danny with a wink.

“It’s a misdemeanor. Up to a thousand dollar fine,” he said, to which Wayland scoffed. “And a year in jail.”

“Oh, I like that,” said Danny. “He has a website Trenton. Make sure to send that picture to the contact information there. I am sure Mrs. Wayland would be very interested in seeing how well you get along with your nanny.”

“What do you want?” Wayland sighed.

“I want you to meet the young woman you lured out here and then ditched. I want you to make arrangements to reimburse her for the costs she incurred to take the job with you, and then we will all be on our way,” said Danny.

“Right now?” he asked, like it was an inconvenience.

“Five minutes of your time to set up the next meeting, which you will make, and you can go have your dinner,” said Danny.

“Look chief,” Wayland said one more time.

Danny lunged and hoisted him up by the collar. Penny could see the fear on his face from where she sat.

“Danny White Feather,” Danny snarled. “Say it.”

“Danny White Feather,” Brill Wayland strained.

Danny released him.

“Why the fuck do I pay you guys?” he said to the Riggers.

The woman who was the purported nanny tried to soothe him. He smacked her hand away. He smoothed his clothes and walked over to the table to address Penny.

“Which one of you is the woman who traveled for the nanny position?” he asked.

Cady made a face. “I thought you said you met this man,” she remarked to Penny.

“I did. I spent an afternoon watching his children while they toured our nation’s capital,” said Penny.

“Oh yes.” Wayland pinched a card from his wallet. “Here is my card. Come to my office, address is right there. Come by reception tomorrow. I’ll have a check waiting for you.”

“You don’t even know how much she has been put out,” remarked Trenton.

“Take it or leave it,” Wayland replied arrogantly. “And I am talking to her, unless she’s your client,
counselor
.”

“Well, maybe we will leave it. That will be up to her,
asshole,”
replied Trenton.

“Nice. Typical. Well, I am done,” he said and he and his entourage departed the table.

The Ghosts of the Prairie took their seats at the table.

Trenton laughed. “What did he mean by ‘typical’?” he asked.

Danny replied. “I think he was calling you an Injun.”

“I guess so,” said Trenton.

“Do you feel better?” Danny asked Penny.

“Thank you,” she said.

She actually did not feel better. Her nerves were now set on edge for Danny’s sake. Penny had a feeling that something was about to happen. She wasn’t sure what, but she could feel it.

Trenton fooled around with his phone before setting it down.

“The good news is,” said Danny, “business is out of the way. Tonight is all about pleasure.”

The bikers and Cady clinked the necks of their beer bottles together. Penny lifted her ice tea to join in. She and Trenton just happened to look out the restaurant window to see police cars lining up in front.

“Shit,” said Danny. “Well, it was going to be about pleasure.”

The sheriff and two deputies entered The Bison. Brill Wayland called them over to him from across the restaurant.

“Officers, over here,” summoned Wayland. He and his group were in a semicircular booth.

The sheriff was an enormous Native American. Penny guessed he could be closer to seven feet tall than to six.

“No, over here,” the sheriff responded. “You come to me.”

Brill Wayland dabbed his mouth and waved his guys impatiently to get out of his way. He rushed over and started reiterating what had happened. The sheriff put up his hand.

“Talk when I ask you to talk,” he said.

“Oh,” said Wayland and he made a face.

“I take it you’re the complainant,” said the sheriff to Wayland.

“Yes,” he replied, not so excited anymore. “But I am thinking there isn’t any point now.”

“Why is that?” asked the sheriff.

Wayland searched for the words but he didn’t have the nerve.

“Go on,” Danny grinned. “I dare ya,” he taunted Wayland, then to the sheriff he said, “I think Chippewa got his tongue.”

“Oh, is that so?” said the sheriff. “Well, if he isn’t talking, how about you? This man said one of you assaulted him.”

Trenton spoke up, “Not responding to the assault. But they had a conversation in which that gentleman continually referred to this gentleman as ‘chief’.”

“Are you a chief?” the sheriff asked Danny.

“No,” replied Danny.

“Ohhh,” scolded the sheriff, shaking his head.

“Okay, let’s drop the whole thing,” protested Wayland.

“You don’t get to ‘drop the whole thing’,” said the sheriff. He called the waitress over. “Miss, did anyone here assault that man there?” he indicated Wayland.

“I didn’t see anything. Everyone started talking. No raised voices so I thought they were friends. I went in the back until they were finished,” replied the waitress.

“What was the discussion about?” asked the sheriff.

Trenton very briefly summed up the discussion about Penny and explained how Wayland had already filled the position with the woman who he was having dinner with.

“I see,” noted the sheriff as he glanced at the young woman at the table. “Filling that position but good, mm.”

“I think I would like the name of your chief,” demanded Wayland. Penny thought he looked just like a spoiled baby.

The sheriff grinned. “I am the chief. Whether you mean of police or of my tribe, I got it covered. So, if you call me chief, I am cool with that.”

The sheriff ripped off what appeared to be a ticket from his book, and handed it to Wayland.

“This is just a warning. You’re new in town, I understand that. But we don't call the police to settle scores. We don’t call the police to one-up our foes. We call the police with a legitimate need for help. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have one of those.”

The sheriff gave everyone a quick nod. “Be cool,” he said and he and his deputies left.

But Wayland could not hold back. He flew into a rage, reached onto their table, picked up a beer bottle, and threw it. The sheriff and his deputies did an about face and tackled him to the ground.