Undercover Heat [Men of Iron Horse 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4

  His background said he was no different from them, but that was a tremendous lie. The only thing they had in common was their manner of dress and the steel horses they rode. That might have been the main reason he was chosen for the assignment. He loved riding. Had been doing so since he was a teenager. A total gearhead, he loved working on his bike and could speak the language.

  He needed to get his ass up to the shop today. Even after a few months, he hadn’t bonded with anyone in particular, hadn’t made an inside connection. If he planned to figure out who was pushing drugs that had to change. He had to do something. What that was, he had no idea, and he only had a few hours to figure it out.

  Chapter Five

  The clubhouse was actually a mechanics shop Cappy owned and both Tank and Dozer worked at. As Quinn rode up, he spotted Randy talking to a customer. He gave him a curt nod as he pulled around front and into the gated yard.

  Once he stopped, he hopped off his bike and placed his helmet on the saddle. Then, he made his way inside. Tank and Dozer were nowhere to be seen, but Cappy was in the main office behind his desk.

  “Well, look what the damn cat drug in,” he said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest. “I was starting to wonder if we scared your pussy ass away.”

  Quinn was many things. A pussy wasn’t one of them. “I’ve been busy. But I told you last night that I’d pop in today.”

  “That doesn’t mean shit,” he replied, burying his scruffy face back into his paperwork.

  Quinn leaned against the doorframe with his arms across his chest and his foot crossed over the other. “Any new bikes to work on?” If there was a way he could build rapport, it was by fixing motorcycle engines quickly. As a business owner, Cappy would appreciate that.

  Cappy’s dark eyes shifted back in his direction. “Randy finished the last one a little while ago. He’s got a real knack for fixing shit. Fast, too. Maybe if you could drag your ass in here before noon, you’d get to work on something.”

  As if on cue, Randy entered the office. “Hey, boss,” he called out. “I’ve got a live one.”

  “Another motorcycle?”

  “Yep,” he replied, wiping his hands with a grease-covered rag. “Do you have any issues if I start work on it now? It might take me after hours.”

  Cappy’s mouth curled downward. “Why don’t you wait until tomorrow?” His attention shifted from Randy back to Quinn. “With the increase we’ve seen in motorcycle repairs, Quinn can help out. Unless you’ve got other places to be,” he added to Quinn.

  Quinn was being tested and he couldn’t help but lay down a smooth, cool grin as he said, “No plans. I’ll be here at eight.”

  Randy interjected, “That’s okay, boss. I don’t think I’ll need any help with this one. It’s just an oil change and a few other things.”

  That got a sharp look from the club leader. “I’ve already asked Quinn to help out. You can knock it out faster with the two of you working on it.”

  “I don’t need help,” he repeated.

  With a snicker, Quinn fired back, “What, afraid I’ll show you how it’s done?”

  Randy’s eyes narrowed on him, his lip curled in a sneer. “Hardly, old man.”

  Old man? When did thirty-six become old? “Then I’ll see you tomorrow at eight, kid,” he replied sternly.

  With the roll of his eyes, Randy left the room muttering something under his breath. Quinn hiked his thumb in the direction he had left and asked, “What the hell’s his problem?”

  “Just young with a chip on his shoulder.” Cappy snickered as if remembering an inside joke. “Didn’t you, at his age?”

  Quinn thought back to his early twenties and honestly couldn’t remember being that much of an asshole. “I don’t know. Probably.”

  Cappy chuckled. “Take my word for it. You did. Most likely, a big chip.” He picked up a pen. “What do you think of Iron Horse?”

  That was a question out of left field. Quinn furrowed his brow, considering that the bar might be where the group was moving the drugs. “Why do you ask?”

  “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that it’s fucking rude to answer a question with a question?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe.”

  With the shake of his head, Cappy eyed Quinn. “Did you ever visit the place before the fire?” He held up the pen to get his attention. “And you answer with another damn question, I’m going to shove this right up your ass.”

  Quinn smiled as he pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. “No.”

  “That surprises me.”

  Not that he hadn’t heard of Iron Horse. All the cops had. He just hadn’t had the opportunity. He was still new in town. “Why’s that?”

  “Everyone knows about Iron Horse. And that redhead you nailed last night sure did seem like she knew you.”

  He shifted in his seat at the mention of Brynn. No matter what he did or where he went, she was somehow a memory he couldn’t escape. “Last night was the first night I’d ever spoken with her. She had an itch. I scratched it.”

  Cappy laughed. “And if you’ve got any brains, you will again.”

  His brains had nothing to do with it. She’d blown him off just as easily as she’d taken him to the storeroom. Chances were she had her fill of him. Not that it squelched his desire for her. “What about Tank and Dozer? They seemed … interested.”

  The fucking jerks.

  “They were busting your balls, boy, and when you disappeared with her … they got the message.”

  If that were the case, why did he still feel like they were a threat to her? Why did he need to protect her? “I’m not so sure about that.”

  “Face it, Quinn, you’re a lot prettier than they are.”

  Now it was his turn to chuckle. “Don’t tell them that.”

  After a moment of laughter and a long pause, Cappy’s eyes fixed on him. “Are you meeting us up at Iron Horse tonight? I’ve got something to discuss with the club. I’d like it if you were there, too.”

  Quinn cringed. Not at the idea of finally having a real sit-down with the club, but he needed to figure out what to do about Luke before he accidently ran into him at the bar. Now that he knew Luke was involved with a bartender, he had to cover his ass.

  “Yeah, I’ll be there. I just need to run a quick errand first.”

  “Need a part for that motorcycle of yours?”

  Standing up, he grinned crookedly. “No. Condoms.” He winked and Cappy chuckled.

  “I knew you had a thing for Red. Go. Get out of here.”

  As he left, his thoughts were on Brynn and seeing her again. They were also on calling his director. A few blocks down the road, he pulled into a fast-food restaurant, yanked out his phone, and dialed his number.

  “We’ve got a problem.” He paused. “A detective by the name of Luke Mackenzie.”

  * * * *

  “New boots?” Sam asked, sliding up to take the seat beside Brynn at the bar.

  Iron Horse wasn’t open yet, but everyone seemed to already be at work, eating and drinking.

  She smiled, swallowing the last bit of her delicious cheeseburger. “I did a little shopping today.”

  “I see that.” Sam glanced at her from head to toe. “Hoping to see a certain biker hottie tonight?”

  She feigned ignorance. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Sam laughed. “Right,” she said in a long breath. “And I’m pregnant.”

  She gasped, playing along with the sarcasm. “Congratulations, Sammy Poo. Who da baby daddy?”

  Sam shifted her gaze nervously, as if she’d hit a nerve with her comment. She let it go, returning to finish off her drink.

  “Thanks for covering for Layla tonight.”

  “I’m glad to help. I need the money anyway. This outfit—” She blew out a long whistle, expressing the cost.

  “That much, huh?”

  She rounded her eyes, surprised at herself for making the purchase. She wasn’t
frugal by any means, but the outfit she’d purchased far exceeded her budget. “Oh, yeah. Way more than I should’ve spent.”

  “You must like this guy,” Sam pointed out. “Either that or you didn’t get enough of him in the storeroom.” Her voice became sterner as she continued her thoughts. “Which will never happen again, right?”

  She held up three fingers as if to make a pledge. “I promise. Never again … in the storeroom.”

  Sam eyed her. “Brynn,” she muttered in warning.

  “What?” she asked with laughter in her voice.

  “Layla told me that you saw him again.”

  What the hell? Does Layla not keep anything to herself? “Does she tell you everything?”

  “Yep,” Zerina chimed in, sliding Sam a beer. “That little hussy rats me out, too, so don’t feel bad.”

  “If you two didn’t get into so much trouble, there would be nothing for her to tell me.”

  She scoffed. “But what fun would that be?”

  “So true,” Zerina added, clanking their glasses together.

  Sam slammed down the half empty bottle of beer and stood. “Well, finish up, ladies. It’s about that time again.”

  Standing, she straightened her short body molded dress with its V-neck plunging line and thigh high boots. The heels were more than three inches, which made her almost six feet in height. Not quite as tall as Quinn, but close enough.

  She took a glance at the mirror behind the bar and teased her red hair a bit with her fingers, making it more wild and untamed. The black eyeliner emphasized her hazel eyes and her ruby red lips sealed the deal. There was no way Quinn would be able to walk away without begging her for another night. The crotch-less panties she wore was an added bonus.

  A shiver rocked her as she pictured his masculine hand reaching down to tease her pussy, his warm breath on her neck. Desire flooded through her as the vision escalated with her spread wide on a pool table, his face buried between her legs, licking her and driving her over the edge.

  “He doesn’t stand a chance,” Sam said, swatting her on the ass.

  She jumped, startled from her thoughts. Her body tingled with need. She inhaled deeply, finding her words. “Again, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Right,” Sam murmured, nodding her head and walking to the doors to unlock them.

  The night started fast and ended the same way. It seemed everyone wanted to grab a drink at the bar, which was great for tips. As Brynn had hoped, Quinn showed up. But he was only there long enough to drink a beer, talk with the biker group, and then split. He hadn’t even looked her way more than once and that was only to flag her down for a drink.

  What the hell was that about? Had she missed the opportunity when she’d driven home from the market? Was he pissed that she’d done that? She was confused by his lack of interest. The longing in his eyes had been intense, primal. Had she tried too hard to look sexy?

  Catching a glimpse of herself in the bar mirror, she wondered if her efforts had been too little, too late. Or perhaps it was too much, too late.

  The last customer left and Jason locked up the doors. Sam and Zerina began cleaning up the tables and picking up the chairs. Jason swung around the bar to collect the trays from the registers, while Brynn started restocking the cabinets and washing glasses.

  With each glass she washed, she couldn’t get Quinn out of her mind. She wished that his dismissive behavior hadn’t bothered her, but it had. She should be grateful that he didn’t seem clingy or want more from her. He was doing her a favor by acting as if they hadn’t slept together in the storeroom. Relationships weren’t her thing. They couldn’t be. Not anymore.

  But still, there was something about him that had her questioning why she was dangerously attracted to him. His eyes didn’t match the man she saw mixing it up with the other bikers. They were rough and rude. He was—different. A sex-on-a-stick-with-a-mysterious-past different. He wasn’t rough with her. In fact, he’d been just the opposite. Maybe that’s what confused her most, made her want him when she shouldn’t.

  “Too much thinking will rot out your brain,” Jason said, gently bumping up alongside her. “You’ve been more distracted than I’ve ever seen you. What’s going on?”

  She sighed. Someone who was never at a loss for words suddenly was. There was no way to explain what was going on with her because she didn’t have a clue. She was confused and distracted.

  “I’m fine,” she replied, flashing him a fake smile.

  “Bullshit,” he barked, eyeing her. “I know you, Brynn. There’s something going on.” He reached out and stopped her hands from moving in the dish water. “Ah, shit, you’re going to give me your notice, aren’t you?”

  She smiled. “No, Jason. I like working here. I don’t want another job.”

  His shoulders sagged. “Oh, thank God. I’ve already lost Layla and Zerina to fewer hours a week. I really don’t want to see you bail on me, too.”

  “We’re not bailing on you,” Zerina snapped, with her hands on her hips. “We’re branching out. We’re living our dreams.”

  “I know. I know. I still miss my family,” he said, wrapping an arm around Brynn’s shoulders. “And because we’re family, if you ever need to talk …”

  He let the words go unspoken, but Brynn knew he would be there to listen should she ever need it. She hugged him back and wiped her wet hand on his jean-covered ass and gave him a gentle squeeze.

  “Thanks, Jason,” she said with a snicker. “But I don’t want to be related to you. I couldn’t cop a feel like this if you were my brother. That would just be awkward.”

  “Two words, Brynn … sexual harassment,” he warned, with a laugh.

  “Oh, right. I forgot about that.”

  Zerina and Sam joined them as they exchanged a laugh. She needed that. Focusing too much on why she wasn’t enough for Quinn left a hollow pit in her stomach that she didn’t want to feel. Laughter was the best medicine.

  “Anyone up for darts and getting drunk at my place tonight?” Brynn asked, scanning the room for interested takers. No one raised their hands. “Looks like it’s just me again then.”

  Chapter Six

  Quinn paced the parking lot. He hadn’t wanted to risk seeing Luke at Iron Horse until he was sure his director had been able to inform him of his undercover status. So without acting too suspicious, he’d met with the group and discussed something that had nothing at all to do with drugs or illegal activities, and left.

  The news Cappy shared did put a crunch on things for him. He was taking a vacation. He and his old lady were going to get hitched in Vegas in two weeks. Alone. And if Cappy was the one moving the drugs, he had to find evidence fast. Hanging out at the motorcycle shop should help. He’d really have to start snooping and not get caught.

  One thing he noticed was that Randy hadn’t made it to the bar. The fucking toddler was still pouting over having to work with Quinn on the motorcycle. He’d like to smack some sense into him, but he didn’t think it would do much help. The kid was stubborn. Just like Brynn.

  She’d practically given him a heart attack when he’d entered the bar and saw her dressed in that body-hugging dress with her beautiful breasts exposed. All the blood had fled from his body and went straight to his cock. What the hell was she thinking, dressing like that? Did she not know how fucking hot she was? How was he supposed to think when all he wanted to do was take her back to the storeroom and have at her? More importantly, how was he supposed to keep all those other men from touching her when she looked so damn tempting?

  When he’d left the bar earlier, he told Cappy it was because he had plans with Brynn. He wasn’t lying. He did. She just didn’t know it.

  An hour passed as he waited for her next to her motorcycle. The woman was sexy as hell. She’d dressed scandalously and had ridden her motorcycle to work. His cock was so hard for her, he could barely walk.

  “Planning on stealing it?”

  Her sultry voice sped up h
is already pounding heart. He inclined his head to look at her from over his shoulder. She was gorgeous, standing there with a fierce attitude.

  “I’ve got my own. But I couldn’t help admiring … you and the bike.”

  She shifted nervously. “What are you doing here, Quinn?”

  He took a step toward her, his gaze wandering from her eyes, past her lips and straight down to the valley of her breasts. “Please tell me you dressed like this for me.”

  She locked her jaw. “And if I didn’t?”

  “I’ll be very disappointed.” He inhaled her fragrance, so sweet and sexy.

  With a huff of breath, she shouldered her way past him. “Sounds like a personal problem to me.”

  He came up behind her. His body pressed against hers. With his hands on her shoulders, he whispered into her ear, “I can’t get you out of my head.” He pressed his pelvis forward, showing her just how much she’d been on his mind. “I want you, Brynn.”

  He heard the hitch in her breath as he trailed his hands down her arms. When she turned to face him, she smirked. The shift in her expression surprised him.

  “Why didn’t you hang around the bar tonight? Why the secret meeting in the parking lot?” The muscles in her jaw flexed, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. “Embarrassed to let your gang see us together?”

  Damn, did she really think he was that shallow? “I want you. Not an audience. But if you’d prefer to sit on my lap in the bar, while I’m like this …” He took her hand and placed it over his erection. The warm press of her hand on him caused his hips to arch forward. “I can do that, too.”

  Instead of pulling her hand away, or simply letting it drop, she squeezed him. “I don’t want anything more from you than this … and your mouth and hands. But that’s it. Do you think you could handle that, biker boy? Because I don’t do clingy.”

  She’d just offered him every man’s dream. No commitments. No emotional attachments. Only sex. “You don’t do clingy. Got it.”