Page 14 of Bride for the Bikers

“So what do you want?” snarls Outlaw.

“You’re going to help me nail Mesner’s ass to the wall. The Screaming Eagles seem to have a bone to pick with him, and so do I, so think of it as a cooperative effort that will benefit us both.”

I look at the others, and a whole conversation passes without saying a word. This guy has us over a barrel, so we’re at least going to have to hear him out. “What do you want us to do? Kill him?” Wouldn’t be the first time a law abiding citizen used us to do their dirty work. Or at least tried.

Harper gasps, but Carnell lets just the hint of a smirk touch his lips. “Nothing nearly that violent. Give us a minute, will you?” he asks his flunkies.

“You sure, sir?” the one that was in charge when they picked us up asks. He doesn't look thrilled at the idea.

“I'll be fine.”

“Yes, Sir. We’ll be right outside.”

And then it’s just the six of us. “Taking a chance aren’t you? We’ve already taken one hostage,” I note, working my shoulders to loosen them.

“I've gotten to be a pretty good judge of character over the years. Are you going to give me trouble?” He raises a questioning eyebrow. Fuck, this guy is annoying.

“Nah.” Thunder shakes his head. “Too much to lose, and you know it. If you don’t want him dead, whatdoyou want us to do?”

“Wait.” Harper swallows nervously when we all turn to look at her, but she puts on a determined expression.

I don’t like that she’s here, listening to us ask if this cop wants us to ice her fucking father. She’s gotta be in her early twenties, but she looks so fucking young and vulnerable right now. I'm not sure why I feel so damn protective. Probably because she's gotten a raw fucking deal growing up, and fuck, I can appreciate that. And now she's right into the middle of this shitstorm when all she wanted was someone to talk to about her mother.

“You’re all talking like I’m not even here. I know he isn’t the nicest guy in the world, but what has my father done to deserve all this? Maybe he’s just misunderstood. I mean, he did step up and help make sure my mother was taken care of.”

“Harper,” I say, trying to keep my tone gentle. “Do you know how your dad makes his money?”

“Real estate? He owns the casino, right? I did some searching before I came out here to meet him. It seemed like pretty normal business stuff.”

Thunder nods. “Oh, he does all that, but that’s not how he got started, and it’s not what keeps the money flowing. Your daddy’s behind about a fifth of all the drugs distributed on this side of the country. His network is huge.”

Her eyes widen and her face goes pale. “Drugs? But… why would he need to… No. That doesn’t make sense. I thought he might be doing some funny tax stuff, but he’s not some kind of crime boss.”

“It’s true.” Outlaw snaps. “Didn’t you wonder why guys like us were here to send him a message? Your daddy got greedy, even for a drug lord. We usually ignore it, but his quality control has been slipping lately. People are fucking dying. He didn’t listen when we warned him, so someone had to come make sure he knew we weren’t going to let it slide.”

“Outlaw…” Lightning warns.

“Doesn't matter. I'm done.”

I shake my head. “He’s right. Your father has a lot of lives on his conscience. He's not a good man, Harper.”

She looks at me, at Outlaw, at Thunder and Lightning, before she settles on Carnell, the cop in the room. “Are they telling the truth?”

“I wish they weren't. I'm sorry you’re caught up in this, but I can't let this opportunity slip through my fingers.” Carnell pushes off the desk to pace. “For the first time, I’ve got something that he truly wants and cares about, and that's you.”

“I don't know if I can be a part of this.” Harper looks away, obviously conflicted. I wish I knew what the fuck was going on in that pretty head of hers. She's not stupid, but even if she hated his fucking guts, Mesner still has a grip on her through her mother.

“You already are,” Carnell says with what sounds like honest sympathy. “As far as Mesner’s concerned, you were kidnapped as part of a plot to hit him where it hurts. He’ll be waiting for someone to get in touch with a ransom message or some sort of demand.”

“Which is where we come in,” Thunder says, nodding.

“Exactly. I've been after Mesner for years and years. “Carnell’s eyes turn fiery and his voice goes tight with sudden passion. He fucking wants this. “But it stops here. So here's the deal. You contact him and set up a meeting. I’ll handle the details. What I need is for you to get him talking so we have enough to bring him in and start taking him down. Do that and you're free to ride home. But if you fuck with me, I'm going to bring down the full fury of the law. I have the resources to put all of you behind bars for a long, long time. And don't think running away is going to save you. Is that clear?”

Lightning and I nod. “Crystal,” I say.

Carnell turns to Harper. “And Miss, I hate putting you in this position, but your father is a very dangerous man, who has more lives than I can imagine on his conscience. I realize this might be hard for you, but he belongs in a cell. Is this going to be a problem?”

“Was that a threat? Because I don’t like your fucking implication that she’s an issue to be taken care of.” We barely know her, and she’s not my woman to defend, but Harper wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for us, and I’m not the kind of man who can forget that.

---