My phone chimes, and I glance at it.
Rebecca: I’ve been thinking about you.
I shove my phone in my pocket and slap my palm on the bar, standing. “I’m gonna take off now. Nice seeing you, Angel.”
“Hey.” Cole grabs my arm and pulls me in, dipping his head to my ear. “Need you to find out how much Hot Wax knows about our friends.”
I straighten and meet his eyes. Goddamn it. I nod. “Sure, Prez.” He lets go of my arm, and I stalk outside. Fucking hell. Last thing I want to do is see Rebecca again. I light a cigarette, pull out my phone, and text her.
Me: Where r u
Rebecca: On patrol
Me: Got time to meet
Rebecca: I always have time for you, handsome
Me: Meet me at the convenience store on the corner of Capitol and Berryessa, 10 minutes
Rebecca: See you then
I take one last drag off my smoke, flick the butt across the parking lot, shove my phone in my pocket, and climb on my bike.
Ten minutes later, I roll into the parking lot of the quick mart. Rebecca’s not here yet, so I take a spot away from the building and wait. Five minutes later I spot her squad car coming up Capitol. She swings in and backs into the spot next to me. I’m sitting sideways on my seat, smoking a cigarette as she powers down her window.
“You’re late.” I squint through the smoke I exhale toward the twilight sky.
She grins. “I was across town, sweetheart. How are you? You look damn fine sitting there.”
I ignore her question and comment and look across the parking lot. “Heard you made a big bust the other day.” She stays quiet, so I meet her eyes.
“Did you, now?” Her voice is a whisper.
“Satan’s Slayers.”
She opens her door, but I shut that down quickly, glancing around. “Stay in your car.”
Her eyes scan the lot. “Why?”
“Because I said so. What made you stop those two the other day?”
Her brows lift. “It helped you, didn’t it?”
“That why you did it?”
She looks away. “Is this the only reason you wanted to meet? Just to ask me about that arrest?”
“How’d you know about them, Rebecca?”
“I...” She shrugs. “I hear things.”
That has my chin pulling to the side, and I’m suddenly wondering if she’s planted a bug somewhere on my bike. “What’d you hear?”
“A little birdy told me they firebombed your club’s business.”
I stand up and lean my palms on her open window. “What fucking birdy, Rebecca?”
“Don’t get so upset, Jake. It was a friend in the fire department. Why do you care?”
“I’m in the business of caring about club information getting out. If you’re smart, you’ll stay out of our business, Rebecca.”
“It helped you out, didn’t it? You think I want them to hurt you?”
“I can take care of myself. I don’t need you getting in the middle of whatever happens with that bunch, understand?”
“You do care about me.” Her face lights up at my words.
I shake my head. “No. I don’t. I wish to God I’d never met you.”
Her chin lifts, and her eyes narrow. “You’re just saying that, just playing the tough guy. I get it.”
“I’m not playing anything. That’s what you don’t get.”
She puts her car in gear. “You want to know how I found out about the Slayers, then meet me at our spot tonight.” She hits the gas and pulls away, and I back away from the squad car as she peels out.
“It’s not our fucking spot,” I yell after her like a fucking idiot. I drag a hand through my hair, knowing I’m going to have to meet her to get that information. “Goddamn it.”
