Page 10 of Pike’s Redemption

CHAPTER

FIVE

NATASHA

I wasn’t sure what upset Pike when he’d left dinner, but something was. He grumbled and complained through the game that Hollis had set up, looking uncomfortable. Granted, Ronnie and I hadn’t had much in the way of familial game nights, but it was nice. Pike fidgeted and squirmed as if he couldn’t wait to escape. When he took off, I was driven to follow, watching from the shadows as he stood by his bike, running his fingers through his hair until it stood on end. When I’d finally spoken, he’d snapped at me but was instantly contrite.

I’d never ridden a motorcycle, but when he’d made the offer, I’d instantly said yes. The thought of the wind against my face and my body pressed against his was too good to pass up.

We’d ridden for hours before Pike finally stopped. I would have said I was tired, but instead, I was exhilarated as he pulled over into the dirt in the middle of nowhere. There was cactus and desert. I suppose if he were the killer, I would be in trouble. Somehow, I wasn’t concerned.

He lowered the kickstand, the bike leaning precariously as he swung a leg over and dismounted. It gave me no option other than to get off, and I was grateful for the steadying hand he gave, even if he had removed it immediately. Awkwardly, I landed on the desert floor, my legs wobbly from the ride. He was a hard man to figure out. Maybe he was conflicted like I was.

“What are we doing here?” I asked, brushing the dust off my jeans. The vast, open landscape stretched out around us, the horizon painted with hues of purple and black, stars spattered against the mountains. It was one of the things I loved — that you could see the stars away from the city. The beauty was not lost on me, and I felt a sense of peace out here in the quiet of the desert that I didn’t feel in the bustle of the city.

Pike didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he walked a few steps away, his hands in his jacket pockets as he took in the view. Finally, he turned back to me. He shrugged and said offhandedly, “I thought you might enjoy it.”

I smiled, appreciating the gesture. “It’s beautiful out here. Peaceful.”

He nodded, his expression softening. “Yeah, it is. Sometimes I come out here to clear my head.” His vulnerability in that moment was palpable, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of empathy towards him.

We stood silently for a moment, both lost in our thoughts. Finally, Pike broke the silence. “So, what were you up to all day? You seemed pretty busy.”

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “I went to the Odd Duck to talk to Daisy. I needed to verify your alibi for the night of the murder. Had some onion rings and a shake.”

Pike raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. “And?” He watched me with those dark eyes of his.

“She confirmed everything,” I said, a hint of triumph seeping into my voice. “She even pulled the receipts to prove it. It’s a solid alibi. Then, I went to the alarm company and pulled the work order for the door. Got a copy of that, too.”

A look of relief washed over his face, though a hint of skepticism quickly replaced it. “And the cops? What about them?”

I shrugged. “It’s something concrete. You were never charged, but I spoke to the DA today. Your alibi is rock solid. Based on what we gathered today, they could never bring a case against you for Porter. I provided the DA with copies of everything. Daisy and Mr. Sims from the alarm company are reliable witnesses.”

He let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Wow, I can’t believe how quickly you took care of this, Natasha. I really thought I was going back.” Pike let out a shaky breath as if he were envisioning the thought of going back to prison or relief that he wasn’t. It was hard for me to tell which. His jaw ticked; he was clenching it so hard.

“I’m glad I could help,” I paused, studying him for a moment. “You know, Ronnie does most of my back office work for me,” I started trying to figure out how to phrase this so it was most palatable for him. He nodded for me to continue. “I had her pull the video for me around the Duck before and after you were there just to firm up that alibi if we needed it.”

“Ok.” His eyebrows knit together in a frown. Pike wasn’t one of the slick Bratva men in suits that I had become used to with pomade in their hair. The ones that would try to buy me dinner at the popular restaurants with food so tiny I craved a burger afterward. He was the whole package, and that made him so irresistible — the angsty energy he gave off, the danger, that bad-boy feel. I could practically feel him vibrating from here with how “not ok” it was.

“It’s a just-in-case backup,” I soothed.“If they question the other items or the statements from Mr. Sims and Daisy, I can always have them check the traffic cams. I know that the video shows you clearly.”

“Okay. I’m okay with Ronnie looking at the video. There isn’t anything there that she shouldn’t see.” He gave me a confused look. “Is there something else that I don’t know?”

“The video shows something else. It shows that someone is following you, too,” I added. “I just found out.”Ronnie had given me this information just a few minutes before I left the house, but I hadn’t had time to look at the video myself. She’d seemed a little off, her face scrunched up when she’d told me about it like she did when trying to puzzle something out. We hadn’t had much time to process things in this new place.

“Following me, why the fuck would someone be following me?” Pike paced the area around the bike, scruffing his boots in the dirt and stirring up small dust devils as he went. He whipped towards me suddenly, “Is it a cop?”

Pushing back against the bike. “No, Ronnie didn’t think so. The person knew where the cameras were, but she was sure it wasn’t law enforcement.”

“I’m going to want to look at this video. I wanna see this fucker.” He moved closer.

“Sure, no problem. It’s probably a rival or something,” I managed to mumble. My brain was shorting out as he crowded me against the Harley. My body seemed confused. Instead of being afraid, I was turned on. Hot liquid seemed to be running through me, and the inside of my thighs were suddenly damp.

“Probably.” He was so close now. “What else did your sister find?” He pressed against me, his erection hard against my stomach. Well, what do you know? He wasn’t unaffected either.

My thighs clenched together, my knees weak. That feeling of emptiness in my core was building, and I would give almost anything to have him slide into me, fuck me right here. He was feeling it, too — we were both suspended in that slide of honeyed lust. Trying to keep myself grounded, I focused on the question and my answer.

“I had her start digging into the past. Jail records.” My eyelids closed as his lips found my neck, nipping against the skin, licking it.

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