“Oyster can handle her.”
Kit shakes his head, his smile disappearing as he sits on the bench beside Day. “Any news from Jono.”
I keep my gaze on the river as I swig my beer. “No. He’s been quiet for a few days.” I scan the area. There’s still no sign of Mia or Cole. “The sooner Mia is on Demon’s Lair, the sooner he’ll show his hand.”
“Are you sure that’s the reason you want her on the riverboat?” The snigger in Day’s voice rolls off my back. I want Mia. I let her slip away before. I’ll not make the same mistake again. As I watch the gates, Bastian and Eve arrive, and behind them is Mia’s red Corolla, and my heart skips a beat as my fingers clench around my beer bottle. I force my body to stay where it is as I watch the car park beside Bastian’s bike. My sunglasses balance on my head, and I pull them down to rest over my nose as the driver’s door opens and my heart slips when Data climbs out of the driver’s side. My gaze shifts to the passenger seat. My scowl deepening as Poppy unfurls her body and steps on to the grass. Then she’s closing the door. The lights flash, signifying Data has locked the doors. I keep my gaze on the gates. There are three brothers watching the entrance and the road. “Are you expecting Jono to show up today?”
Day shrugs. “Mia’s not the only honey trap he could be waiting on. There’s a lot of important people about. It’ll be easy to discredit us with a bit of trouble.”
“Not if he wants to get on their good side.”
Day takes a long drink of his beer. His gaze lingers over the crowd. Then he stands, looks at me. His blue eyes empty. “I don’t trust him, Alex. And I’m not sure about Mia.”
“She lives with Poppy.”
“Only because Firebird and Poppy insisted.” Day’s smile deepens. “Keep your enemy close, Alex. That’s what I intend to do.”
An icy chill stabs at the base of my stomach. “Do you see me as your enemy?” I had stood by Day on the day of the failed coup.
His eyes are glacial. “No. Neither are Firebird or Poppy. But their father is. When he strikes. I’ll be ready.”
“And Mia?”
Day’s laugh is dry. “Fuck, Alex, she’s Hank’s and Jono’s sister. And a journalist who’s playing you against another journalist. Tell me what there is about her to trust.”
“I trust her. She’s loyal.” My smile deepens. “Besides, once she’s in my bed. She’ll no longer be interested in the Johnson.”
“I hope you’re right, Alex. That you’ve not overplayed your hand.”
As Day turns from me, a 2005 Harley and rider with a passenger ride through the gates and my fingers tighten around my bottle as I watch the couple pull up beside the other parked vehicles. My gaze is steady as I drink my beer, watching the passenger dismount, and remove her helmet. The pulse in my throat throbs as heat surges through my body as she frees the zipper to her jacket. Mia’s gaze sweeps the compound, then clashes with mine. I hold her gaze before she turns away to talk to her companion. My teeth grate as my jaw clenches when Cole Johnson leans forward and kisses Mia on the lips. Although the kiss is brief, Mia hadn’t rebuffed him. When I get her alone, I’ll be laying down some ground rules. If I’m not having sex with the woman, neither is Cole.
Bastian’s chuckle raises the hair on my spine, and I flip him the finger as I lean over and kiss Eve. “When are you taking your next trip to New Orleans?” The question is caw in my throat. There was that minor matter of Dale to deal with.
“At the end of the month.” Eve’s eyes laugh as she slips her hand into Bastian’s and I smile at his growl. five months ago, the women had started taking trips to New Orleans about every six weeks. Until the discovery of NOLA Boy’s existence, I hadn’t paid much attention to the trips. Why should I, when it was just a girl’s trip. I scan the area until I find Data by the pool talking to Patch. He went on those trips. When I quizzed him about NOLA Boy and the trips to New Orleans, he’d sworn he’d never met the man. That he was unaware of his existence until he read Mia’s blog. I head towards the young biker, and as I pass the temporary bar, I grab a couple of beers.
“Scram, Patch. Go rescue TJ from Firebird.” Patch glances at me, then disappears into the crowd. “You know you’re wasting your time with her.” Data nods as he accepts the beer I offer him. Patch only fucks the officers but doesn’t mind teasing the other bikers. She’s been with The River Demons for about ten years and after being used as a train for the first three years, she now believes she deserves a better ride in the club. “This next trip to New Orleans. Track down NOLA Boy.”
“Shit, Alex. I’ve been trying. According to Mia’s blog, they met at college. But there’s no reference or record of anyone going by that name attending when Mia did.”
“She might not have met him at college. Check out the local bars.”
“I’ll have to take Pond with me. You know the rules regarding Poppy.”
“I’ll sort it.” As I glance over Data’s shoulder, Mia walks into my line of vision and I step away from the young biker.
“Hello, Mia. Aren’t you going to introduce us?” I turn to Cole. He’s an inch or two shorter than me, yet his gray eyes remain steady as I watch him. Most men either step or look away from me when they see me. This
