Page 22 of Link (Dragon Riders MC 1)
“What was that for?” she whispered.
I grinned. “A kiss to seal the deal, of course.”
She giggled, then sighed. “What am I going to do, Link?”
I tucked her head against the crook of my neck as I pulled her even closer against me.
“I’ll help you. My crew will help you. But I’m going to need to speak with Hope. I have to ask her some very pointed questions you might not think to ask right now, and those answers are imperative to crafting a solution. All right?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Can you do that for me? Can you get Hope in the frame of mind to talk with someone like me?”
She lifted her head, gazing into my eyes. “I can do that. Definitely.”
I grinned. “Good.”
“But she’s going to want information on you guys. Information on who she's speaking with. Because if you’re another motorcycle club or whatever, I’m going to have to find a way to frame this so she’s not squeamish about it. So she doesn’t feel like she has to lie.”
“I don’t want you worrying about that. Ash? My enforcer? He comes with me everywhere. And on top of being one of the best fighters I’ve ever witnessed, he’s a walking lie detector. He’ll be able to help.”
“I don’t want my sister to feel cornered, Link.”
I cupped her cheek. “And she won’t feel that way. I promise.”
She sighed. “So, you want to start by telling me what you and those other guys call yourselves? I’m assuming with the bikes out front and the leather jackets that you’re a crew as well.”
“You’d be right, yes.”
“So, your crew got a name?”
I smiled. “The Dragon Riders. And we’re here to help.”8JoannaAfter Link escorted me out to my car, I felt better about things. Not much better, but a little better. And now, I had to convince my sister to meet with yet another crew that was somehow better than the one she had come into contact with. I shook my head about it all the way back to my office. I dove into work, researched, and tried to take care of some of my other clients knowing damn good and well I wanted nothing more than to throw all of my energy into my sister’s case.
But a chilling phone call came through my phone that forced me to close my office down early.
“This is Joann—”
“They’re here,” Hope whispered.
I shot up from my chair. “Who’s where?”
“Your house. They’re here. I see shadows in the tree line. They know I’m here. They’re watching me, Jo.”
I gathered my things. “Okay, Hope. I want you to listen to me.”
Panic mounted in her voice. “I can’t let them take me. They’ll kill me, Jo. I’m their property, and they won’t stop until—”
“Hope. Listen to me. Are you listening?”
She sniffled. “What do I do?”
“Remember how I taught you to shoot last week?”
“You can’t really expect me to use a gun, can you?”
“If you want to stay alive, you won’t have a choice. I’m leaving my office now, but I’m still twenty minutes away. Remember where I put it?”
She drew in a broken breath. “Y-Y-Yeah. It’s uh, up in your closet.”
“Right. Go get it and keep it by you. And don’t you open that door for anyone or any voice other than my own. Got it?”
“Pineapple, right?”
I tossed my bags over my shoulders. “That’s right. Pineapple. If you hear me say that word at any point in time, what does it mean?”
“That you’re under duress and to not do anything you say.”
“Exactly. I’m heading home. Hope, get that gun and stay in my room. I’m heading out of the office now.”
She lowered her voice. “Please, hurry. I think they’re coming.”
I hung up my cell phone and rushed out of my office. I barely remembered to lock everything as I ran to my car. I kicked off my heels and picked them up before tossing everything in the back seat. And after cranking the engine to life, I sped home.
Driving clear through yellow lights in order to shave some time off.
“Come on. You can go faster than this,” I murmured.
I kept my eyes peeled for anything that looked weird. Motorcycles in random places. People watching my house. Anything that signaled to me that something was amiss. I pulled into the driveway and scrambled out of the car. With my bare feet screaming in pain from the random rocks and twigs in my way, I bounded up to the front door. I reached for my purse to get my keys, but I didn’t have it at my side. I looked back at my car that was still running and decided to keep pushing on.
So, I banged on the door.
“It’s me! Open up!”
Hope scrambled behind the door before her voice sounded.
“Joanna?”
“No alert word here. Open the door. My purse is in the car.”
She peeked out the window and look around before she nodded. She flipped the lock and I pushed my way inside, quickly slamming the door behind me. Hope had the gun clutched firmly in her hand. So tightly, in fact, that I thought it was going to go off.
