Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“Why are you so far away?” he asked.
I jerked my head toward my bike. “Fancy neighborhood, not fancy vehicle.”
He tossed me his keys. “Drive mine. I’ll come get it from you in the morning and switch.”
I traded keys with him and then reached for the bug that was… “A bottle cap?”
“It’s one of those things that gets overlooked. And it’s something that almost everyone has in their home. This one is small and clear, so you can probably just slide it under the couch and it’ll go unnoticed for a while.”
I thought about Bernie’s non-cleaning habits that she’d had when we were together and knew that this would work out well, actually.
The woman couldn’t clean to save her life.
Neither could her sister.
Between the two of them, their place had always been a fuckin’ mess.
“Got it,” I pushed the lid into my pocket. “I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
He snorted. “I’ll know before you even know.”
With that, he headed for my bike and took off.
I got into Apollo’s fancy Audi and drove to Bernie’s place and got out.
Pocketing the keys, I headed for the door and knocked.
Bernie opened the door, but a small kid followed right at her heels.
He definitely looked like me, but I knew he wasn’t mine almost instantly.
I wasn’t sure why I was so sure of that, but I knew it in my gut.
Bernie sucked in a breath and stared at me in shock.
“Wh-what…” She drew in a deep breath. “Jasper, what are you doing here?”
She pushed the kid behind her, and I snorted. “I’m not going to hurt him.”
She pressed her lips together.
She knew that I was part of a motorcycle club.
She’d always been wary of them for some reason, but hadn’t ever felt like sharing that reason.
“Your sister broke into our club president’s shop today, and I want to know why.”
She blinked, then turned to look at the kid. “Gavin, go to your room.”
Gavin looked at me, then looked at Bernie, then nodded. “When’s Mama coming home?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Go.”
Gavin left, and Bernie waited until he was enclosed in his room before she opened the door wider and said, “Come in.”
I did, taking a look around at the home before saying, “Since when do you have the money for this?”
“I don’t,” she said. “Max does. Gavin’s dad was wealthy, and his child support is outrageous.”
“Ahh,” I said, though I didn’t exactly believe that.
Bernie was honest to her core.
Her sister, on the other hand, not so much.
I’d bet my left testicle that Max got this place because the FBI provided it for her.
It wasn’t lost on me that the location was rather close to the clubhouse.
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “Why’s your sister here?”
Bernie frowned. “She wanted a fresh start. After her ex.”
I snorted. “She’s not here because of her ex, Bernie. She’s here because of me.”
She blinked. “What? Why would she be here because of you?”
I saw no point in lying, so I told her.
“I left the PD, quit the FBI, and ended up patching into the MC I was supposed to be infiltrating,” I said. “And Max knows me. I didn’t think she’d ever make it through the FBI training, though. So I’m surprised to find that she’s here.”
Bernie blinked.
Just as she opened her mouth to disagree with me, the door opened, and Max walked in looking frazzled.
She froze when she saw me standing there.
“Max,” Bernie said quietly. “What did you do?”
Max looked from me to her sister and back before saying, “What are you doing here?”
I studied her for a second, taking in her tall form, her intense eyes, and the scowl on her face.
“You were caught leaving the shop,” I said. “Why were you there?”
I, of course, knew why.
But I wanted her to tell me anyway.
I’d trusted her once.
“I…” She hesitated. “I’m not sure who you saw, but it wasn’t me.”
I shook my head. “Max, I know it was you. We saw you getting into an SUV just down the road, after we tracked you using our security cameras.”
“That’s impossible,” Max refuted. “I didn’t get caught by your security cameras.”
I rolled my eyes. “You were. And you did. Now, I know why you are here. You want to infiltrate the Truth Tellers. But let me tell you this, Max. You won’t make it. And whoever is helping you, they’re lying to you.”
“What?” Max feigned innocence. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
I laid it down for her.
“You’re working for the FBI,” I said. “In an official capacity, but you’re not FBI. I’m guessing you work as some freelancer. You never passed your peace officer’s licensing.”
Max’s face scrunched up.
“They’re using you to get close to us because of your connection to me,” I told her. “They don’t care about you. They don’t care what happens. They don’t care if you come back to your kid.” I looked at the child’s door. “And let me tell you something, Max. We don’t, either.”