Page 20 of Viper

“I”m a court reporter. And no, I won’t tell you anything about the cases I oversee. I’m sworn to secrecy, and I don’t need to go to jail for having a big mouth,” I warn.

“Wasn’t going to ask. But that sounds like an interesting job. So you’re the one in the courtroom taking the notes of everything everyone says?”

“I’m one of them, but yes. Anything that is said I record. And when I’m not in the courtroom, I’m either working on cases behind the scenes, or I’m one of the court approved guardians of children that can’t be in the courtroom.”

“So you like kids?” he asks me curiously.

I nod and smile. “My mother used to run a daycare, and I just grew up around them and I find them refreshing most of the time. You get the little shitheads that need to learn the hard way, but for the most part, kids are honest and aren’t weighed down by adult worries and prejudices.”

He smiles back at me. “You’re right on that.” He chuckles low in his throat and adds, “My club brother has a little girl and she’s going to be a total heartbreaker when she’s older. She’s only six now, but the sass is strong in her. It’s hilarious. She’s going to keep him on his toes as a teenager. Hell, you remind me of her. She’s just the right amount of sass, and with not much of a filter.”

“And you only have the one son?” I ask curiously.

He nods. “Maggie and I divorced not long after Archer turned one. Archer is a damn good kid though, and with the way the relationship with his mother is, I’m glad we only had him and didn’t subject any more kids to our fighting and bickering.”

“He seems like a well adjusted kid, though,” I point out. I want so badly to ask about their relationship, but that’s getting into territory of not my business. Not to mention, I’m not sure where the lines blur when it comes to my job. Still, I wasn’t in the room during the court case, so I don’t know what was discussed between the two of them.

“He is,” Viper says proudly, finishing his burger. “Maggie and I, we were young and stupid when we got together, and I was in the military so I was gone a lot. Shit fell apart, but without her I wouldn’t have him, so I’ll be forever grateful to her for that, even if we can’t be a couple. I won’t lie that the first couple of years after we broke up were hard, and we fought constantly. Then someone told me I needed to set an example for Archer, and I wouldn’t want him to talk to a woman like I did to his mother at times, so I worked damn hard to stop. I stopped the name-calling, the threats of taking Archer, all of it. Archer needed stability, and to do that, I needed to work on myself. It’s never really gotten better on her side, but at least I know that as soon as Archer was old enough, he saw an example of how to treat women to emulate as he got older.”

I’m starting to get the picture that Viper isn’t all that he appears. I can’t say the idea of a biker being this complex is what I pictured, but he’s certainly different. And seeing so many men try to turn their kids against their mothers, and vice-versa, it’s refreshing to know that not all hope is lost. “And it seems to be working,” I say with a slight smile. “Archer, from the limited time we were together, seems well adjusted and impressed the judge with his attitude and what he was saying.” I glance at my phone again. Shit, I need to start heading back. “I need to get back to the courthouse,” I tell Viper, reaching for my wallet.

“I got it,” he says with a shake of his head and pulling out his wallet from his back pocket.

I give him a narrowed-eyed glare and pull out my money and lay it on the table. “No,” I say firmly. “That makes it date territory. So you can pay for your meal and I’ll pay for mine. Simple.” I make sure I’ve left more than enough to cover my portion and a good tip, and then I slide out of the booth.

Surprisingly, Viper doesn’t argue with me, and just puts cash on the table and slides out to follow me, an amused smile on his face. Once we’re outside and heading back for the courthouse, he asks, “Ever been on a bike before?”

I slide my gaze up to his before looking forward. The food has helped my mood, but I’m still a bit snarky as I reply, “Yep. Even have one with a pretty pink basket on the front too.”

Instead of getting annoyed, he laughs. “Spitfire, I’d pay good money to see you on one of those.”

“A thousand bucks and I’ll add in one of those ugly yappy dogs in the basket too,” I smirk. He makes a production of stopping and reaching for his wallet. I roll my eyes and keep on walking. “Idiot,” I chide.

He laughs and hurries after me. “Spitfire, any time you offer me something like that I’m happy to pay up.”

I roll my eyes, but I don’t stop the smile that twitches my lips. “To answer your actual question, no, I haven’t. And before you ask, no I’m not getting on the back of your bike. I’ve seen Sons, and read biker romance, so I know what that means.”

“Wait, you read that smutty stuff?” he asks, instantly intrigued.

I lose my smile and narrow my eyes up at him. “There is nothing wrong with reading romance,” I warn him.

He holds up his hands in surrender. “Hold on, I’m not saying there is,” he assures me. “But one of my brother’s old ladies takes pictures for the covers of those kinds of books, so I am wondering if you’ve read where she’s supplied the cover image.” He grins wickedly. “Because some of them are of her Old Man, and she took them without him knowing, and that shit is a huge joke at the clubhouse.”

There’s a story there, but we reach the courthouse parking lot, so it’s going to have to wait. “What does he look like?” I ask him curiously.

He whips out his phone and shows me a picture of a group of men, all in their cuts, except for a few on the edges, and points to one hot guy in the center, laughing. “That’s King.”

I narrow my eyes as I study the picture. “I don’t recognize him.” I study the other men in the picture, and my gaze snags on one of the men on the outskirts. Now he looks familiar, but I can’t remember where from. “Is he the only one on book covers?” I ask of the other brother.

“Yep,” he says with a chuckle. “She’s been after all of us to do it, but we’ve managed to out smart her.”

“Well, if I see him on a cover, I’ll let you know,” I say with a smirk. “Now, I need to get back to work, and you need to get back to whatever it is you need to do today.”

“I’ll see you later, Spitfire,” he says with a warm smile down at me. “But before you go, how about your number? You know, in case I decide you need some workout tips after all.”

I have to bite back a laugh, because God this man is ridiculous. “Or, you can give me your number and then I’ll decide if I want to message you at all,” I suggest. “We’re not going to be a thing, Viper, remember?”

“Maybe not, but can’t get to know someone if you have no way to contact them,” he points out. He pulls out a piece of paper from his wallet and then a pen from another pocket. The man seems to be prepared. He scribbles something down and hands it to me. “So make sure you call me, baby girl, so we can get to work on that,” he says with a wink as I take it.

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