“I told her that I would,” I admit.
Apparently I can’t say no to some pretty brown eyes and a nice smile.
A nice smile that is very taken.
By a biker.
“Well, then I guess you’ve found yourself your next job.”
It’s that easy, and that complicated.
I drive back to the hotel and close up everything for Constance’s case, still thinking about Cara. I wonder when the last time was that I was so easily swayed by a woman, and can’t even remember, because it’s been that long.
If ever.
I go out to get something to eat when I pass a club called Rift, with loud music and lots of people standing out front, and decide to make a stop.
One more drink wouldn’t hurt. I’m on vacation, after all.
When I step inside, I can see why the club is so packed. It has a really cool vibe to it, is stylishly decorated, and the DJ clearly knows what she is doing. I sit in front of the bar, order a beer and scan the dance floor.
“You following me?” a woman asks, and I turn and see the redhead from the beach.
“Small towns, right?”
She laughs. “Yep, and this is the only good place to go to on a weeknight. Every night is a Saturday night here. I’m Becca, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you,” I reply. “How come every time I see you, you’re by yourself?”
She points over to one of the booths. “My friends are all there. Want to come and sit with us?”
“Sure.” Why not?
She brings me over to a table of five beautiful women.
I’ve had worse nights.
“Ohhh, you are sexy,” one openly says to me. “Why do you always find the good ones, Becca?”
Becca smirks, seemingly loving the attention. “I have good luck, I guess.”
I spend the next two hours talking shit with my new friends, and decide fuck it, I can just taxi it back to the hotel and get my car in the morning. Becca has been eying me all night—I know she wants to fuck me, and I can’t think of a reason to say no. She’s pretty, and I know she will be wild in bed. A man can just sense these things, and I don’t miss the look in her eyes.
“You ready to go, Decker?” she whispers in my ear, and I nod.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
We head outside Rift, and I stop in my tracks when I see none other than Cara. She’s standing on the other side of the club entrance with a man, and the two of them are yelling at each other. He’s wearing a cut, so I know it must be her partner, Rhett. Biker or not, I tell Becca to stay put and walk over to Cara to make sure that she’s okay. I can see that she’s crying, the closer that I get.
“Why do you do this to me? We are done, Rhett. I’m so done with being second to the MC, and second to the life you want to live. Go and fuck your whores, because I am so fucking done!” she yells at him.
“Cara,” he growls, grabbing her wrist as she tries to walk away.
“Cara, are you okay?” I ask, standing next to her.
“Who the fuck are you?” Rhett asks me, a muscle ticking in his jaw. Yeah, he was already angry, and now he’s going to try to take that out on me. But you know what? I could take him. As long as no other MC members come and try to save his ass.
“Decker?” Cara whispers, confused to see me. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just going home, like I should have from the start.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.” Again.
“The fuck you will.” Rhett seethes, trying to move Cara out the way to get to me.
“Leave him alone, Rhett,” she says, standing between us, facing him. “Just go back to the woman you were here with in the first place.”
Oh fuck.
Who in their right mind would cheat on a woman like Cara? I’m pissed at Rhett, for Cara and just in fucking general, because how stupid can he be?
Things are about to get real messy, and I’m about to tell him exactly what I think of him when a familiar voice says, “What the hell is going on here? Decker? What are you doing here?”
I turn around and see none other than Felix. “What are you doing here?”
I look next to him and see his wife, Clover, looking surprised and confused. Right, Cara and Clover know each other.
Cara runs to Clover and the two of them embrace. Felix pulls me aside. He opens his mouth, then closes it. “You know Cara?”
I shrug. “I called you, but then I got a little distracted.” By Cara herself.
“That’s right. My bad. I was off yesterday and today, so we came to town for her uncle’s birthday party. Clover wanted to drop into Rift for old times’ sake on the way there. Why are you here?”
“I’m here on a case.” I decide to tell him the truth on how I know Cara, since I was going to tell him anyway. “It has to do with Cara. Why are you here?”
“This is Clover’s hometown. She and Cara are best friends. So I’m going to need to know what you want with her,” he says, looking toward his wife. “Or Clover is going to kill me.”
What a small fucking world.
I give him the rundown on the client who has been looking for her. I don’t tell him too many details because that is Cara’s information to disclose. “Okay. I get all of that. But why were you just about to get into a brawl with Rhett? That part of the job, too?”
I glance away, wincing. “I came to Rift, randomly saw Cara, and she was crying so I came to check on her. You know I’m not going to say no to a fight if one finds me.”
Felix laughs and slaps me on the back. “You haven’t changed at all.”
“Maybe not, but from what I gathered, Rhett was here with another woman, so he deserves whatever he gets.”
Felix’s eyes widen. “Oh, fuck.”
“Exactly.”
“Come on,” he murmurs, and I follow him back over to Clover. Cara and Rhett are speaking together quietly a few feet away from us.
Clover’s brows rise as we approach them. “I don’t think this biker bar has seen this many cops since it got raided.”
I laugh. “Not a cop anymore.”
“You and me both.” She grins and leans in to give me a hug. “Hey, Decker.”
“Do you think she will be okay?” I ask, watching Cara stand with her arms crossed and her chin tilted as Rhett tries to calm her down.
“She will,” Clover assures me, nodding. Sadness flashes in her eyes. “I love Rhett, he’s family to me, but I can’t believe he’d disrespect and betray her like this. I’m fuming. Wait until I get him alone.”