Page 77 of Chaos Bound
“It’s water.”
“In a highball glass?” He reached for her drink. “Mind if I have a sip. I’m parched.”
“I’ll freshen it up for you.” Skyler reached between them and grabbed the glass. “Actually, I’ll just get you a new glass.” She smiled at Michael. “And you, too.”
Michael’s lips quirked amused. “My apologies. I didn’t think it would be untoward since we’re friends.”
“We’re not friends,” Naiya snapped.
“Hmmm.” Michael stroked his chin. “Well, I hope we’re not enemies. We had such a nice chat the other night in Trenton. You were wearing that cute Bolton Beaver sweatshirt. You know, I liked it so much that I drove down to Bolton so I could buy one for my nephew. It’s his twenty-second birthday next week.”
Naiya drew in a deep breath, gritted her teeth. He was still fishing for information, but there was no damn way he was getting anything from her. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“Well, it would have been.” Michael sighed. “But I couldn’t get one the right size. It seems the only place you can buy them is at the Yates Motel, and they sold the last of their supply to a woman with dark hair and hazel eyes who was the exact same size as my nephew.”
“That’s a shame.” Her hand trembled. Banks poured a glass of water and pushed it across the counter, his fingers brushing over hers in a fleeting gesture that did much to calm her nerves.
You are not alone.
TWENTY-FOUR
“Holt! Holt!”
Holt parked his bike outside Rider’s Bar and gestured to Shaggy to wait as Ally ran across the street with a pasty-faced dude in tow. Where the fuck was Doug and why was he letting his woman run around in a biker town unprotected?
“Who the fuck?” Shaggy muttered.
“Naiya’s best friend. Don’t know the guy she’s with. Her husband is a cop, but he’s a good guy. Not someone who’ll rat us out.”
“Have you seen Naiya?” Ally’s face creased with worry. “We were supposed to meet her at the hotel and then she sent me a text telling me to meet her at this bar, but the bouncer at the door says it’s a private club and he wouldn’t let us in. He said he’d never heard of you or Naiya.”
“Who’s on the door?” Holt asked Shaggy under his breath.
“One of Banks’s new hires. Civilian. Doesn’t know all the brothers yet.”
The dude tugged on Ally’s arm, and pulled her to the side. “I don’t think you should be talking to them,” he said, making a poor effort at keeping his voice low. “They’re bikers. Real bikers. They are the last people Naiya would ever hang out with.”
“I know Holt.” Ally pulled her hand away. “And so does Naiya. He’s a good guy, Maurice. He helped her escape.”
Maurice.Holt hissed under his breath as he took in the pathetic excuse for a man in front of him. Christ, the dude looked like that geek fromThe Big Bang Theory,except his forehead was even bigger, his head even rounder, and his hair so pale he almost looked bald. Although he couldn’t be more than thirty, his shoulders slumped forward, he had arms like sticks, and he had the beginnings of a paunch. And those fucking thick glasses… Where had she dug this loser up? Geeks R Us? And what the fuck was on his legs. Were those… cords?
“Thank you for looking after Naiya. She means a lot to me.” Maurice stuck out his hand, but Holt made no move to shake it. Like fuck she meant anything to him. If she did, he would never have let Naiya go alone to the cemetery. He would have been the first one out to rescue her. He would never have had an affair or sent his friends to tell her and break it off. And, although Holt couldn’t even bear to think of Naiya with another man, this cord-wearing freak would never have satisfied her the way a real man could.
Shaggy glanced over at Holt. “Is this her boyfriend?”
“Was.”
“Is.” Maurice corrected him, proving just how stupid he was. “That’s why I’m here. Naiya called and begged me to come. She’s alone and afraid and she needs someone to protect her.”
Ally frowned. “That’s not really what happened.”
Shaggy snorted a laugh, speaking as if Maurice wasn’t standing right in front of them. “He’sgonna protect her? From Viper?”
“Seems so.” Holt pinned Maurice with his gaze. “She must have real faith in your ability if she called and begged you to come. Let’s see what you got.”
Maurice glanced over at Ally for help and received a smirk. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“What are you packing?” Holt pulled out his Smith and Wesson Model 500. “I carry this, along with a Glock 17 and a SIG P226. I also got a Ruger P Series across my chest, a .22 on my left leg and an assortment of blades.
