Angry at her knee-jerk reaction to an unwanted attraction, she shifted her gaze back to Caleb, trying to divert herself from the scrutiny she still felt on her. She began discussing the case they had just fought over while putting the large group out of her mind. It wasn’t easy; they were a boisterous group and Diamond was relieved when they stood up to leave the restaurant.
Her relief was short lived as the group made their way to her table. She could tell from Caleb’s expression he wasn’t pleased when they stopped at their table.
“Hello, Ms. Richards. How are you doing?” Winter asked curiously, looking at Caleb.
Diamond gave Winter her patented, lukewarm smile. “I’m fine, and you?”
“I’m doing well. I’m enjoying my new school.” Winter gave her a smile in return, however Diamond could tell that the intelligent woman hadn’t missed the snub of not being introduced to Caleb. Hell, Diamond was doing her a favor, but Winter had probably taken it as an insult.
“I’m glad you were able to work things out with the school board.” Diamond had been relieved that both Winter and the school board managed to work out an agreement. Winter had fought the school system to keep her job, and while not retaining her position as the principal of the local high school, the school board had agreed she would be acceptable to replace the one that needed to retire at the alternative school.
“It’s good seeing you again.” Diamond gave her another cool smile. This time, The Last Riders got the message. They all stiffened while Viper gave her a hard look at her snub of his fiancée. Winter didn’t let it faze her, merely ignoring their angry glares.
“You’ll have to come to lunch with Sex Piston, Killyama and Crazy Bitch sometime. It was good to see you again, Diamond.” With that parting shot, Winter and The Last Riders moved to leave the restaurant. Barely managing to keep her face from showing her embarrassment, Diamond met the angry glare of the large man as he threw a contemptuous look at both her and Caleb.
“Who’s Sex Piston, Killyama and Crazy Bitch?”
Diamond skillfully evaded the question. “We better finish; we have to be back in court in thirty minutes.”
Caleb looked as if he was about to ask the question again, but she quickly took a bite of her salad and Caleb began eating his lunch while he threw her several inquiring looks. Afterwards, they each paid for their own lunch before returning to the courthouse.
Diamond’s next case was another DUI. This time her client received a stint with rehab and a device placed in his car that he would have to breathe into for the ignition to start. She wasn’t upset about getting those requirements; he hadn’t been given jail time and he would get some help with his drinking problem. That was what she called a win-win situation.
Diamond drove home afterwards, tired after the long day. Her mind kept wandering back to the episode in the diner. Winter had witnessed her rocky relationship with her sister, Sex Piston. Diamond was the first to admit she deserved the set down for her behavior, yet she had felt uncomfortable with the large group surrounding the table. She had been well aware that the judgmental townspeople as well as Caleb were eavesdropping on their conversation.
As she passed the local motel, she saw the local sheriff and the coroner’s car. Wondering what had happened, she almost pulled over, but didn’t. She was sure she would read about it in the local paper tomorrow.
Chapter Two
Knox woke to someone shaking his shoulder hard. “Leave me alone.” He felt Evie raise up on an elbow next to him.
“Knox, wake up. Something’s going on downstairs. Viper just called and wants you to come down.”
Groggily sliding out of the bed, he stood up and grabbed his jeans from the floor before pulling them on. Turning back to the bed, he saw Evie going back to sleep. She always ended up sleeping in his bed with one or more of the other women members. His bed was the largest in the house and he liked waking up in the middle of the night with a woman available.
“Don’t get too comfortable. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Evie merely gave a mumbled reply to that.
Already wide-awake by the time he pulled on his boots and t-shirt, he left the room and headed towards the downstairs when he heard loud voices from the top of the stairs. Looking down, he saw Viper and Shade arguing with the Sheriff.
“This is bullshit. Knox didn’t touch that bitch!” Viper was yelling at the Sheriff.
“Calm down, Viper. Let’s hear him out,” Knox heard Shade’s calm voice.
Knox went down the steps and everyone turned to watch his approach. Knox began getting a bad feeling in his gut when he saw the grim looks on his friends’ faces.
“What’s up?” Knox asked the Sheriff.
“Samantha Bedford’s body was found this afternoon at the motel,” The sheriff replied while watching his reaction to the news.
Knox stiffened, already sensing where this was going.
“Knox has had nothing to do with that bitch since she attacked Beth; none of us have. She wasn’t allowed back here at the clubhouse, and after the stunt she pulled with Winter, Beth and Lily at the diner, we haven’t seen her.”
The sheriff didn’t say anything, just continued staring at Knox.
Knox could tell by the sheriff’s reaction that he already knew that Knox had spent some time with Samantha the day before.
“I saw her yesterday. She stopped her car after I crashed my bike.” The silence in the room became tangible.
“What happened then?” The sheriff probed.
Knox debated keeping his mouth shut, but by the look in the sheriff’s eyes, he already knew that Sam and Knox had been in the motel room.
“We went back to her hotel room and fucked. When Viper called, I left. She was breathing just fine when I walked out that door.” Knox stared back at the sheriff.
“Damn it, Knox,” Viper said angrily.
“You’re not going to say anything I didn’t say to myself.” Knox felt the anger of his brothers directed towards him.
“There are enough women here that you didn’t need that bitch. What were you thinking?” Viper asked the question on everyone’s mind.
“I wasn’t. She pulled out my dick and went down on me,” Knox said wryly.
“I have to take you in for questioning, Knox. There’s no way around it; the newspaper is involved. A witness saw you leaving her room and told the reporter.” Of course someone saw him, Knox thought wryly. Treepoint was full of busybodies.
Knox nodded, stepping forward. “Let’s go.”
Viper took his arm. “Don’t answer any more questions. I’ll get you a lawyer.” Knox nodded his head and went out the door with the sheriff following him closely.
As the approached the squad car, the sheriff held the passenger door to the front seat open for Knox. He ignored it, and instead he opened the door to the backseat, getting in. “No sense in giving anyone the chance to say that you didn’t do everything by the book.”
Sighing, the sheriff closed both doors before getting in the car. Knox stared out the car window as the sheriff pulled out of the club’s parking lot. As he leaned his head back against the seat, he had a sick feeling in his stomach that things were about to change, and not for the better.
Her relief was short lived as the group made their way to her table. She could tell from Caleb’s expression he wasn’t pleased when they stopped at their table.
“Hello, Ms. Richards. How are you doing?” Winter asked curiously, looking at Caleb.
Diamond gave Winter her patented, lukewarm smile. “I’m fine, and you?”
“I’m doing well. I’m enjoying my new school.” Winter gave her a smile in return, however Diamond could tell that the intelligent woman hadn’t missed the snub of not being introduced to Caleb. Hell, Diamond was doing her a favor, but Winter had probably taken it as an insult.
“I’m glad you were able to work things out with the school board.” Diamond had been relieved that both Winter and the school board managed to work out an agreement. Winter had fought the school system to keep her job, and while not retaining her position as the principal of the local high school, the school board had agreed she would be acceptable to replace the one that needed to retire at the alternative school.
“It’s good seeing you again.” Diamond gave her another cool smile. This time, The Last Riders got the message. They all stiffened while Viper gave her a hard look at her snub of his fiancée. Winter didn’t let it faze her, merely ignoring their angry glares.
“You’ll have to come to lunch with Sex Piston, Killyama and Crazy Bitch sometime. It was good to see you again, Diamond.” With that parting shot, Winter and The Last Riders moved to leave the restaurant. Barely managing to keep her face from showing her embarrassment, Diamond met the angry glare of the large man as he threw a contemptuous look at both her and Caleb.
“Who’s Sex Piston, Killyama and Crazy Bitch?”
Diamond skillfully evaded the question. “We better finish; we have to be back in court in thirty minutes.”
Caleb looked as if he was about to ask the question again, but she quickly took a bite of her salad and Caleb began eating his lunch while he threw her several inquiring looks. Afterwards, they each paid for their own lunch before returning to the courthouse.
Diamond’s next case was another DUI. This time her client received a stint with rehab and a device placed in his car that he would have to breathe into for the ignition to start. She wasn’t upset about getting those requirements; he hadn’t been given jail time and he would get some help with his drinking problem. That was what she called a win-win situation.
Diamond drove home afterwards, tired after the long day. Her mind kept wandering back to the episode in the diner. Winter had witnessed her rocky relationship with her sister, Sex Piston. Diamond was the first to admit she deserved the set down for her behavior, yet she had felt uncomfortable with the large group surrounding the table. She had been well aware that the judgmental townspeople as well as Caleb were eavesdropping on their conversation.
As she passed the local motel, she saw the local sheriff and the coroner’s car. Wondering what had happened, she almost pulled over, but didn’t. She was sure she would read about it in the local paper tomorrow.
Chapter Two
Knox woke to someone shaking his shoulder hard. “Leave me alone.” He felt Evie raise up on an elbow next to him.
“Knox, wake up. Something’s going on downstairs. Viper just called and wants you to come down.”
Groggily sliding out of the bed, he stood up and grabbed his jeans from the floor before pulling them on. Turning back to the bed, he saw Evie going back to sleep. She always ended up sleeping in his bed with one or more of the other women members. His bed was the largest in the house and he liked waking up in the middle of the night with a woman available.
“Don’t get too comfortable. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Evie merely gave a mumbled reply to that.
Already wide-awake by the time he pulled on his boots and t-shirt, he left the room and headed towards the downstairs when he heard loud voices from the top of the stairs. Looking down, he saw Viper and Shade arguing with the Sheriff.
“This is bullshit. Knox didn’t touch that bitch!” Viper was yelling at the Sheriff.
“Calm down, Viper. Let’s hear him out,” Knox heard Shade’s calm voice.
Knox went down the steps and everyone turned to watch his approach. Knox began getting a bad feeling in his gut when he saw the grim looks on his friends’ faces.
“What’s up?” Knox asked the Sheriff.
“Samantha Bedford’s body was found this afternoon at the motel,” The sheriff replied while watching his reaction to the news.
Knox stiffened, already sensing where this was going.
“Knox has had nothing to do with that bitch since she attacked Beth; none of us have. She wasn’t allowed back here at the clubhouse, and after the stunt she pulled with Winter, Beth and Lily at the diner, we haven’t seen her.”
The sheriff didn’t say anything, just continued staring at Knox.
Knox could tell by the sheriff’s reaction that he already knew that Knox had spent some time with Samantha the day before.
“I saw her yesterday. She stopped her car after I crashed my bike.” The silence in the room became tangible.
“What happened then?” The sheriff probed.
Knox debated keeping his mouth shut, but by the look in the sheriff’s eyes, he already knew that Sam and Knox had been in the motel room.
“We went back to her hotel room and fucked. When Viper called, I left. She was breathing just fine when I walked out that door.” Knox stared back at the sheriff.
“Damn it, Knox,” Viper said angrily.
“You’re not going to say anything I didn’t say to myself.” Knox felt the anger of his brothers directed towards him.
“There are enough women here that you didn’t need that bitch. What were you thinking?” Viper asked the question on everyone’s mind.
“I wasn’t. She pulled out my dick and went down on me,” Knox said wryly.
“I have to take you in for questioning, Knox. There’s no way around it; the newspaper is involved. A witness saw you leaving her room and told the reporter.” Of course someone saw him, Knox thought wryly. Treepoint was full of busybodies.
Knox nodded, stepping forward. “Let’s go.”
Viper took his arm. “Don’t answer any more questions. I’ll get you a lawyer.” Knox nodded his head and went out the door with the sheriff following him closely.
As the approached the squad car, the sheriff held the passenger door to the front seat open for Knox. He ignored it, and instead he opened the door to the backseat, getting in. “No sense in giving anyone the chance to say that you didn’t do everything by the book.”
Sighing, the sheriff closed both doors before getting in the car. Knox stared out the car window as the sheriff pulled out of the club’s parking lot. As he leaned his head back against the seat, he had a sick feeling in his stomach that things were about to change, and not for the better.
