Hard Escape (Notus Motorcycle Club Book 2) Read online

  "Don't open the door." Glen walked into the kitchen. "Wait until I get food. It'll run off if you go empty handed and if you have something, she'll bite you."

  "Oh." Heidi squatted down and tapped on the glass, trying to get the cat's attention. "Aren't you cute?"

  Glen returned to her side. "More like a hellcat."

  The doorbell rang. Glen poured a handful of kitty food on the table. "I'll be right back."

  As soon as he left the dining room, Heidi picked up half the amount of food and unlocked the sliding glass door. Going down to her knees, she stuck her hand through the six-inch space she'd created and fed the cat.

  "You're not a hellcat," she whispered, stroking the soft fur. "Glen just doesn't know his cats. You're a hungry cat, yes, you are."

  Glen also appeared to have a habit of taking in strays and feeding them. She sighed, wishing she could stay longer. It was comforting to be around him, doing nothing, but her laundry would be done soon, and she had to leave. Even though he asked a lot of questions and tended to try and tell her what to do, she found herself relaxing because it wasn't often that she had the time to sit in a home and not worry about the outside world.

  But, spending more time would only make her soft and tempt her to put down her guard. She needed to be gone by noon. That was the sweet spot to survive living on the streets when the homeless could blend in with normal people intent on enjoying their lunch break. They never paid attention to the homeless in their hurry.

  She needed to ask around to find out if there were any vacancies within the groups of homeless. Much like the motels, the homeless groups handed over space by who you knew and what you could provide for the group. She'd been on the streets long enough to know the majority of people. She only had to find a connection to hook her up for tonight.

  The spin of the washer stopped. She tapped on the glass and smiled when the cat refused to raise its head from the food, then walked into the laundry room. Switching the clothes to the dryer, she put her sleeping bag in the wash and started the cycle.

  It'd only take a little over an hour and she would have her belongings back in her pack and could leave. She went into the kitchen, looked at the time on the stove, and relaxed a bit more. She had plenty of time.

  A male voice drifted into the room. Heidi walked toward the living room looking to find out if Glen had called her and stopped. A policeman stood inside Glen's house. She stiffened, caught unprepared when the officer lifted his chin to her and stopped talking. At recognizing the cop from last night who'd been at the apartment and the one who'd interviewed her old roommates, she looked away and found two bikers also in the room looking at her.

  "I'm sorry for interrupting," she mumbled, stepping back.

  "Heidi?" Glen motioned her into the room. "This is Lieutenant Gomez with the St. John's Police Department, and the President of Notus Motorcycle Club, Wayne Shaw, and my MC brother, Thad Bowers."

  She swung her gaze around the room, flitting over each one without connecting to them, only seeking out the mood. "Hello."

  The men nodded, acknowledging her, and then the police officer handed over a piece of paper to Glen. "Here's the parents' address. I've already informed them Notus would be in contact. They're looking forward to having more help in finding their son."

  All three bikers stayed in the room while the Lieutenant left the house. Heidi used the distraction to walk back into the laundry room. If she had some way to carry her sleeping bag, wet and now heavy from the wash cycle, she'd leave.

  With an ear toward what was happening in the house, she paced the small room. If the officer came back inside, she'd escape through the sliding door, cat or no cat guarding the deck. The last thing she wanted was for the police to discover her true identity or for Glen to find out how she lost the ability to sleep at the apartment last night and lose even more respect for her.

  She had little to be proud of, and she liked that he knew she worked at Pauly's Peddlers. It wasn't a lie or a front. She was employed, and she wanted to stay working.

  "Heidi?" said Glen.

  She jolted and turned around. "The laundry is almost done. An hour tops unless you want me to leave now. I can do that, too."

  "No worries. Stay." He motioned her to follow him.

  She closed her eyes, dreading the confrontation that would come if she walked back out into his living room and the police officer let Glen and the other bikers in on what he knew about her.

  "Heidi?"

  She opened her eyes and stepped toward him. Her heart raced. Each step brought her closer to crumbling, and in defense, she could feel her temper rising to protect herself.

  Glen stopped in the kitchen. "When you're done, where do you want me to drop you off?"

  "I'll walk." She listened for any noise coming from the other room. Hearing none, she said, "It's my day off. Exercise is good for me."

  Glen's brows remained pulled down, and his mouth thinned. "Let me see your phone."

  "Why?"

  He held out his hand and crooked his fingers. "I want you to take my number and call me when you find a place to stay tonight."

  His broad hand fascinated her. He was gruff, hands-on, and nothing about him was polite. There were times she wondered if he believed he could move or make her do whatever he wanted. He never asked. He bossed. Yet, he played the host like a pro. Maybe he always brought stray women home. And, cats.

  "I don't have a cell phone." She folded her arms in front of her. "My part in saving the earth and my health...brain cancer from the battery, you know."

  The wrinkles around his eyes deepened. "You planned to sleep in an alley with no cell on you?"

  She straightened. "I'll just check on the time left on the dryer and be out of your way."

  "Why do you do that?"

  "What?"

  "Every time I ask you a question, you change the subject or want to leave." He reached out and grabbed her upper arms. "I'm not trying to get rid of you."

  "You should be," she whispered, unable to stop the trembles that rocked her body when he touched her.

  He brought her even closer and lowered his voice. "What's that mean, Blue?"

  "Don't call me that." She jerked against his hold.

  "Don't push me away." His grip on her tightened. "I swear, every time I move right, you move left."

  She couldn't move away. She couldn't ignore him. She couldn't come up with any reply to force him to let her go.

  Glen whistled softly and brought her forward to his chest. His hands left her arms, and he palmed the back of her head. The awkward position of her feet that hadn't moved made her tilt. To push him away, she'd need to touch him—which she couldn't do, or she wouldn't stop.

  "We need to trust each other if you stay here," he whispered, holding her close. "Finish your laundry. I need to ride out. There's a sixteen-year-old boy who has run away from his home again. Notus needs to go find him. You can stay, or you can go. It's up to you."

  He was leaving her alone in his house after believing her sole purpose was to steal from him?

  "Why are you doing this for me?" she whispered against his chest.

  His chest expanded and his exhale blew softly over the top of her head. She brought one hand up and held on to the back of his vest. He made her weak.

  "You're a beautiful woman." He cupped her head and pulled her back and made her look up into his face. "And, you're scared. I guess I have a soft spot for women who need help. I'm not sure what to do with you."

  "Nothing," she mumbled. "You shouldn't help me."

  He kissed her forehead and let her go. "Stay."

  She shook her head because she couldn't trust herself if she spent any more time with him.

  "Think about it." His gaze intensified. "There's food in the fridge."

  She stared at him in disbelief. Why was he trusting her now?

  Glen turned around and whistled as he left the room. The front door banged shut. She hugged her middle. It was crazy for her to even con
template staying.

  A motorcycle roared to life outside. Her heart thrummed with the low rumble. The policeman obviously hadn't told Glen about her. If Lieutenant Gomez had, Glen wouldn't be trying to make her feel welcome by hugging and kissing her forehead.

  What was she supposed to do? Leave or stay?

  Chapter 7

  Shane Hollis jumped over the guardrail. Glen whistled his amusement as Thad hurdled after the kid, followed by Chuck dragging behind. They'd been following the runaway for the last hour through St. John's.

  Glen chuckled. "Should we end the chase?"

  "I want to say no." Wayne grinned. "But, I don't think Chuck and Thad are going to last much longer. They're getting slower."

  "Hell, compared to the scrawny kid, we're all old and fat." Glen motioned for Wayne to pull out of the side street. It was time to take the kid home.

  One day, Shane would stop running. He had a decent homelife. No problem with drugs. He only wanted to grow up faster than his parents wanted him to and he used every opportunity to grab his freedom. Someday, he'd be glad his parents gave a damn about him. In a couple years, when Shane turned eighteen years old, he'd miss the carefree adventures of youth and the joy of spreading his wings. The real world would knock him upside the head, and he'd realize nobody cared anymore whether he wanted to take a joy-run through the city.

  Wayne motioned Glen to cut through the back street. Reading his MC president's thought process, he sped down the block, turned right, and stopped his motorcycle in the middle of the entrance to the alley and got off his bike.

  He heard Chuck and Thad's heavy steps growing louder before he picked up the slim shadow heading his way. Glen grabbed his jeans at the thighs, hitched his pants, and bent his knees at the ready. There were twelve feet on each side of him that the kid could go through. He had to stop him.

  Shane came into view. Baggy jeans. Tight shirt. His snapback sat cockeyed on his head. Glen shifted his weight from one leg to the other, following Shane's pattern, knowing he was slower than the kid. Glen grinned in competition. But, the kid had never played football.

  The slight hesitation, the fake flick to one side, put Shane off his rhythm. Glen dove to the right. On contact, he wrapped his arms around Shane's slim waist, and took him down, rolling onto his side to keep from damaging the kid.

  "You're done running for the night." He hefted himself to his knees, holding on to the kid's shirt. "You've broken the ten o'clock curfew put on by the city. I can hand you off to St. John's Police Department and let them deal with you, or I can call your parents to come pick you up. Your call."

  "Dude..." Shane groaned. "I'll walk back home."

  "Yeah, that's not going to be happening." Glen let go of him as Chuck and Thad arrived out of breath and Wayne brought his Harley to a stop. "This is the third time we've found you in the last year. When are you going to grow up?"

  Shane's long, lank arms hung at his sides. "It took you longer this time."

  "I wouldn't go off the time. We're wearin' you down, boy." Chuck pointed his finger at Shane. "You've got a death wish going through traffic on foot after dark."

  Shane shook his head. "In your fucking dreams, old man."

  The kid loved the negative attention. In that way, he wasn't any different than any teenager who felt invisible in a world that seemed too big at times.

  Wayne stepped away and brought out his cell phone. Glen stayed where he stood, making sure the kid wouldn't run again. Thad, still sucking wind, bent at the waist and held his knees, gagging.

  He wouldn't be surprised if Thad hurled. He was no longer young and his partying days had caught up with him.

  Glen took in the scene and Shane's acceptance that his fun was over. He enjoyed the lighter challenges of catching runaways such as Shane. The cases that ended with returning a teenager to the parents for them to start over or a wayward spouse who only left to get some air. It was a nice high from the searches that ended in murder or the missing person never found.

  "Your parents are on their way." Wayne returned to the kid. "I'm thinking this is your last time you're going to be a little asshole and run away."

  "Right." Shane took off his cap, tossed his hair back out of his eyes and pulled the brim down again. "You can't tell me what to do."

  Wayne's hand shot out and grasped Shane by the neck, lifting him to his toes. "That's where you're wrong. Listen carefully."

  Shane gurgled for breath.

  "You're wasting Notus Motorcycle Club's time. For the hours we're chasing your ass, a woman could be in danger. A little girl could be in the hands of a man who doesn't think she should be protected." Wayne lifted the kid's one-hundred-and-twenty-pound body off the ground. "I rather end you, than miss a chance on saving someone who actually needs help."

  Glen stepped forward, having heard and even given the speech to others before. "It's his third time. I vote for making this his last warning. What do you say?"

  "Last warning," said Chuck.

  Glen looked over his shoulder at Thad. "What say you?"

  Thad shrugged. "He's sixteen?"

  "Yep," said Glen.

  "Last warning." Thad scowled. "I'm not too happy about having to walk back to my bike."

  Wayne let the kid go. Shane dropped like a rock, rolling on the ground, coughing and gasping for air. "You should sit down there until your parents come for you."

  They all walked a few yards away, letting Shane know that one wrong move, he'd have his ass handed to him. If the parents couldn't control him, Notus MC would.

  Glen pulled out his cell phone. It was almost midnight. He'd tried to put Heidi's location out of his head while he'd been out on a search but he'd failed. Everywhere he went, he looked for her. She was on foot. Hopefully at a motel or she decided to stay back at his house.

  "What's wrong with you?" asked Chuck.

  He looked up and caught everyone looking at him. "Nothing. Why?"

  "You're not whistling." Chuck hooked his hands in his pockets. "Are you giving up the habit?"

  "I got other problems to think about. The woman who works over at Pauly's Peddlers stayed at my house last night." Glen ran his tongue over his teeth. "I caught her trying to sleep in the alley behind Vavoom's and took her home."

  "Yeah, Wayne and Thad filled me in. I've never known you to worry about the homeless before." Chuck raised his brows. "Is she sexy?"

  "That's usually how Chuck gets his women." Thad flung his arm out, slapping Chuck in the chest, and laughed. "He's running out of chicks with homes."

  Glen's lip twitched in irritation. "She's not..."

  Wayne cleared his throat. Glen shook his head, letting everyone know to drop the subject. Heidi was currently homeless, but she wasn't a damn woman off the streets. Notus members had each other. If one of them found themselves without money or needing to find a place to live, they'd rely on each other. Maybe Heidi had no family or close friend she could lean on for help.

  "Go ahead and take off, Glen. We got things covered here." Wayne glanced over at Shane. "We'll be out of here within twenty minutes. Take care of things at home and enjoy the rest of your weekend."

  "See you all on Monday, if not sooner." He wasted no time and rode off on his Harley.

  All the way home, he kept his attention on what happened around him. The late-night traffic, the pedestrians, the establishments still open for business. It was routine to be aware of his surroundings, except this time he looked for a small woman with a blonde crew cut carrying a too-big-for-her backpack.

  When he pulled into his driveway and cut the engine, he'd accepted that Heidi had taken off. The only consolation came from knowing she worked at Pauly's Peddlers, and he'd make sure to check in on her and validate that she found somewhere to stay. Whether she wanted it or not, he felt responsible for her.

  He'd only felt that kind of duty when asked to search for missing persons. It wasn't as if he rode down the road looking for people to take care of.

  He tried the front doo
r handle and found it locked. Using his keys, he let himself into the dark house. Tuned to any noise, weariness hit him at the silence.

  She'd left.

  He dropped his helmet and gloves by the front door. The incessant meowing of the cat out back started before he hit the stairs. Needing a shower, he walked up the steps and stripped down. The cat could wait until he knocked the road dust and sweat off.

  Naked, he stepped under the shower. He soaped his hair, his beard, and lathered his body. Scrubbing his head while turning around, he hit the faucet handle as soon as the water ran clear of suds. He brushed his teeth. Put on a pair of boxers. Turned on the television hanging on the wall opposite his bed, then walked down to the kitchen.

  The cat had stopped calling for food. He scooped a handful of Kibbles and opened the sliding door. Squatting down, he dumped the food in case the cat came back and faintly heard a muffled meow.

  He peered out into the darkness, stood, and flipped on the outside light. A large bundle lay in the middle of the deck, under the roof. He flipped the light off quickly, recognizing the sleeping bag. No longer tired, he stared into the dark letting his eyes adjust. She'd stayed.

  Why would she choose to sleep outside when he'd given her the spare bedroom upstairs?

  Had she hung around all day?

  He slid the glass door open fully and stepped out onto the deck. Quietly approaching her, he bent down and found the end of the bag and pried it loose until his hand found the soft fuzz of her hair.

  "Heidi?" he whispered.

  She jolted. "Get away from me."

  The sleeping bag failed to contain her. She was on her feet, facing him down, in one fluid movement. The ease at which she went from a deep sleep to combat mode was like someone tossing a bucket of cold water on him.

  He backed up, hands in front of him. "It's okay. It's me. Glen."

  "God..." Her shoulders sagged forward, and she fell to her knees, rifling through her bag and extracted the stray cat. "I, um, didn't know it was, uh, you."

  Heidi cradled the hissing cat to her chest. He stepped back to the door. Not many people knocked him straight on his ass without a fucking good jab. Heidi took the air he was trying to breathe. Even highly aware of his surroundings, she'd taken him by surprise.