Chas's Fervor: Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 3) Read online

  “Why don’t you meet me at the Harley, okay, champ? I’ll be there in a few minutes. We can get dinner and ice cream before we head home.”

  “Oh, boy, Dad. That’s great.” A pink blush dusted his cheeks as his eyes shone. Looking at his teacher, he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, Ms. O’Leary.” Scooping up his backpack, he dashed off.

  “Wait, Jack, you forgot your book for tomorrow.” Addie started after him when a strong arm pulled her back. Startled, she lost her footing and fell back against something hard and solid. Whirling around, she stared into the chiseled face of Jack’s father. “Oh,” was all she could muster.

  “I’ll take the book and give it to him. Does he have to read it for tomorrow?” he asked in a gravelly baritone.

  “What? Oh, yeah—I mean, no—I mean, he has to read some of it.” She turned away before he saw her cheeks flushing a bright red. She hated her fair skin because it revealed every emotion she was feeling.

  A deep chuckle rose from the depths of his throat. “I didn’t mean to make you nervous, but I like that you are bothered by me.”

  “You didn’t make me nervous, nor am I bothered by you. I’m tired because I had to wait for an errant parent to pick up his son.” With her back to him, she went over to the reading table to gather the strewn books she’d have to re-shelve before she left.

  A large hand grasped her fleshy arm like a vise. “Don’t ever fuckin’ call me an errant parent again. What the shit do you know about me? Also, don’t chew me out in front of my son again.” Flashing eyes scanned her taut face. “And I don’t give a shit if you are his teacher. You wanna say something to me, say it when he’s not around. You got that?”

  His scorching hand on her skin unnerved her, and tiny shivers traveled from her stomach to her inner thighs. Mad at herself for her body’s response, she jerked her arm out of his grasp and faced him. “Don’t bully me. I’m not in the mood to debate your family situation. I felt sorry for Jack because he was so forlorn and didn’t think anyone was going to pick him up. My anger for that is probably misdirected at you. Please, in the future, make sure either you or your wife is on time to pick up Jack.”

  “It’s my ex, and apology accepted, teach.”

  “I’ve had a long day, and I have to straighten up before I close the library. It was nice meeting you.”

  Skimming her body with his eyes, Chas looked at her, took her hand, shook it, and said, “It was nice meeting you.” He leaned in close and whispered, “You look pretty when you’re embarrassed.” Then he winked at her and swaggered away, shrugging on his leather jacket.

  With her hand still burning from where he’d touched it, Addie looked at his retreating back and noticed his leather jacket had the words Insurgents on the top and Colorado on the bottom, and an emblem of a skull next to two smoking pistols in the middle. When he turned sideways to exit through the glass doors, she saw the diamond 1%er patch and a skull with the number 13 underneath. Throwing her a half-smile, he walked out of the library.

  Addie watched him leave. She had no idea Jack’s father belonged to the Insurgents Motorcycle Club. A person couldn’t live in Pinewood Springs and not know the Insurgents were an outlaw biker club who didn’t mess around if someone got in their face. Yeah, Jack’s dad is a real badass, and from the minute he walked in, I was a bundle of nerves. What the fuck?

  Mad at herself for acting like a sixteen-year-old girl, Addie absentmindedly touched the spot on her arm where Chas’s hand had just been. The thrill that coursed through her body when he touched her, left her craving for more. Never had she been so drawn to any one person as she was to Chas. Even though she knew she was entering the danger zone, she wanted to see him again. What’s my problem? He’s just a good-looking man with a helluva lot of sex appeal. A chick magnet, that’s all.

  The loud rumble of an engine jerked her from her thoughts. When she gazed out the window, she saw Chas straddling a big-ass Harley, the streetlights bouncing off its chrome, and Jack snuggled behind him wearing a safety belt and helmet. The iron horse jumped forward, then roared into the traffic. Leaning against the windowsill, Addie watched them until they disappeared. I have to stay away from Jack’s dad; otherwise, I’ll be so screwed.

  She always went for the bad boys, and her poor parents had had their hands full when she was in high school. Trying to cure herself of the bad boy syndrome, she’d accepted Ian’s invitation to dinner after she’d met him at a friend’s party in her last year of college. Thinking he was the kind of guy she needed to take care of her, she was happy to tell her parents she had met a responsible man who was the CEO of Minecorp—one of the largest gold companies in the world.

  Shaking her head, she snorted at the irony of her life. Ian turned out to be way worse than a bad boy. A calculated killer who murdered for profit, Ian had destroyed her life, and put her on the run from the law and him.

  It had been two years since she’d arrived in Pinewood Springs with a new name, profession, and life. Everything so far had been wonderful; she loved the small town of nine thousand people, and she adored her job and the kids she worked with. Life was peaceful for her, and she’d even begun to relax a bit and quit looking over her shoulder every time she heard a noise. Her life in Chicago seemed more and more like nothing but a bad nightmare as time passed.

  The last thing she needed in her new life was a badass. Addie appreciated a handsome man with raw sex appeal, though, and it had been two years since she’d been with a man. As a matter of fact, Chas was the first man to have touched her since she fled from Ian. Even though Chas’s contact with her body was most probably inadvertent, it seared right through her, reminding her how good it felt to have a man’s touch.

  As lonely as she had been over the past two years, she wasn’t interested in being involved with another bad boy. She’d had her fill of them, and she was doing just fine without a man. Running the library and the pilot after-school reading program took up most of her time. She really liked the children, but her favorite—before she’d laid eyes on his sexy dad—was Jack. He was a good kid who struggled with his reading, but never gave up. He was a bright, curious, and ambitious boy. Making a mental note to call his mother and ask her if she could set up one-on-one reading sessions two times a week, Addie went into her office to clean off her desk before she headed home.

  Locking the big, double-paned glass door, Addie walked down the library’s front steps and made her way to her car, parked in the adjacent lot. The sun dipped behind the mountain peaks, and the scent of pine drifted around her. Tall evergreens looked like narrow cones silhouetted against the darkened eastern sky. As she walked on the pavement, leaves crackled under her black pumps, and a thin mist sprayed around her. Picking up her speed, she wanted to make it to her car before the sprinkles turned into a downpour.

  Parking in front of her apartment building, Addie turned off her windshield wipers, cut the engine, and settled back, hoping the rain would dissipate enough so she wouldn’t be drenched if she made a run for it. Sheets of water bathed her Ford Taurus, and the lightning’s jagged designs crisscrossed the darkening sky. After fifteen minutes of pouring, Addie—plastic bag covering her head—dashed to the entrance of her building.

  Opening her apartment door, Addie switched on the overhead light and a warm glow filled her small place. She loved the character of her one-bedroom abode. Because the building used to be a Victorian mansion built in the late 1800s, the crown molding, the tin ceiling, and the stained glass windows lent her apartment the charm she loved. At first, she’d taken it because it was on a quiet tree-lined street near the library, but after a few months of living there, she had come to love it. Her place was one of five in the converted house, and the quietness of the building was a welcoming change to all the chaos and noise she had lived with when she and Ian resided in their Chicago high-rise penthouse.

  The ring of her landline made her jump, and she held her breath until she heard the canned voice of a solicitor trying to sway
her to purchase life insurance. Every time the phone rang, a cold sweat broke out over her neck in anticipation of hearing Ian’s deep voice over the receiver. Even though she was becoming more relaxed the longer she went undetected, she still had pins-and-needles moments, and she longed for the day when she could shake off her past once and for all.

  Going underground was harder than she’d thought it would be, but Addie was able to create a new identity for herself using her maternal grandmother’s last name and her paternal great-aunt’s middle name. Amazed at how easy it was to purchase a new social security card for the right price, she became Addie O’Leary in less than four weeks after running away from Ian. Hoping a small town in Colorado would be the last place Ian would look for her, she laid down her roots in Pinewood Springs and was pleased by how well she liked it and the town’s residents.

  After kicking off her heels, Addie went into her tiny kitchen, poured herself a glass of red wine, and made up a small plate of cheese and crackers. Opening the French doors, which led to a small balcony, Addie let in the cool, autumn air as she inhaled deeply the scent of pine needles riding on the light breeze and the rich, earthy smell which accompanied a good rainstorm.

  Since the rain had let up, she took her wine and cheese plate and went out on the balcony, sitting on one of the chairs around a small table, the bright yellow awning keeping her dry.

  The cool air made her shiver in spite of the warm wine coursing through her body. Looking out at the street, she watched the rustling leaves skip down the wet pavement, and her mind wandered back to Chas. The disillusionment in her marriage and life on the lam had made her suppress her urges; but when she’d seen Jack’s father, her strong reaction to him had stunned her. Never had she experienced such a pull toward another person as she did when she shook his hand, and the way he cocked his eyebrows told her he’d experienced the intensity of their encounter, too.

  Addie, you’ve got to get laid. It’s been too long, and you’re thinking all kinds of shit. You need to sleep with someone, but definitely not Jack’s dad. That would be a disaster. She had to stay away from him—he was bad news. Belonging to an outlaw club wasn’t a mark in his favor, either, since he was probably into all kinds of bad things. One thing was for sure: Addie was not interested in starting up with a carbon copy of her husband. One mean man was enough for a lifetime; but then, Chas was so sweet and tender with his son. Someone cold and calculating couldn’t be that loving with his kid.

  Could he?

  Popping another cracker in her mouth, Addie shook her head. Who was she kidding? Chas dripped sex, and she’d love to have his hands all over her body, his mouth on parts of her that made her heat up just thinking about it. But even if he were a great guy, she didn’t know when she’d have to take off again. Her life was destined to always be one step ahead of staying alive.

  No, the best thing was to minimize her contact with him, even though she’d like to taste him and have him explore her body. Chas had to be relegated to her fantasies only; anything else would be insane.

  An ache gnawed at her as she watched the lights wink on around the neighborhood as people came home from work. Normally, she loved sitting by herself, enjoying the solitude after a long day at the library, but that night, for the first time since she’d come to Pinewood Springs, she was acutely aware of how alone she was. She would love to share the moment with a man—a dark-haired, tall man dressed in denim and leather whose ass looked very hot on his Harley. He’s your student’s father. Get a grip, Addie.

  Sighing, she poured herself another glass of wine and gazed out vacantly at life as it passed her by, while she nibbled on a slice of cheddar cheese.

  Chapter Two

  Scooping vanilla ice cream on his spoon, Jack opened his mouth and shoveled it in, grimacing as the coldness slid down his throat.

  Chas laughed. “Better take smaller bites. You don’t wanna get brain freeze.”

  With bulging eyes, Jack took a gulp of water, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and shoveled in another scoop.

  Chas grinned widely as he watched his son devour his banana split. Maybelle’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street was Jack’s favorite place—at least, for the time being. The previous few months, when Jack was in his hotdog craze, it had been The Last Mustard Stand. Chas was glad Jack changed his tastes, because he didn’t think he could eat another hotdog for a long time.

  Snuggled in a booth for two in the popular ice cream parlor, Jack’s brown eyes sparkled as he looked around to see what the other customers ordered. The large, round light fixtures outlining the counter, the windows, and the back wall made the room bright and cheery. White, wrought-iron parlor chairs around circular glass-topped tables filled the middle of the ice cream shop, while black leatherette booths hugged the walls.

  Seeing a friend from school, Jack waved vigorously then recanted a story about how his friend had taken all the substitute teacher’s pencils, erasers, markers, and she was so mad and flustered that she’d run out of the classroom. Eyes wide, Jack covered his mouth to quiet his snickering. Chas laughed after telling Jack the friend shouldn’t have done it, though he didn’t think he sounded all that convincing because the story was funny, and boys will be boys.

  Jack rambled on with other stories. Chas listened intently, a smile around his lips, loving the way his son’s brown eyes sparkled with excitement, and the way his voice became high-pitched when he told stories about what had happened at school with Tyler, his best friend. Watching him, Chas couldn’t believe the boy was all his. Jack was the only good thing to come out of the disastrous pairing with his ex—he was everything to Chas.

  After finishing his story, Jack looked hard at his dad and said, “Dad, why can’t I live with you all the time? Don’t you want me to?”

  Chas’s heart squeezed and a gnawing ache clenched his insides. His son’s earnest eyes scanned Chas’s face. More than anything, Chas wanted Jack with him all the time, but he knew it was important for a boy to have his mother around, even if she wasn’t the best one, like Brianna. Since he and Brianna had divorced two years before, they had agreed to split time with their son: Chas had him every other weekend and three weeknights every other week. This week was his weekend visit. If he had to do club business or a bike run, his parents and sister took care of Jack.

  When his son was with him, Chas barely blinked before their time together was over until the next week. Jack had become Chas’s little shadow. He helped him mow the lawn, clean out the garage, and work on the bikes. Jack was the only eight-year-old Chas knew who had put new brake pads on a motorcycle.

  Taking a deep breath and breathing out, Chas said, “I’d love to have you all the time, but your mom wants you, too, so that’s why we’re sharing you—so we can both have you.” He reached over and raked his fingers through his son’s hair, hating that he had to divide his time between them. A twinge of guilt stabbed Chas’s heart. He had grown up with both his parents in the home. They’d stayed with each other through thick and thin, and it tore Chas up that his son didn’t have a loving family unit. The disappointment in Jack’s eyes hit Chas right in the pit of his stomach.

  Jack tilted his head sideways and said, “I don’t think Mom really cares if I’m there. She’s always having Tilly stay with me because she’s busy with work.”

  “Work? Does your mom have a job?”

  “Yeah, a night one. She goes out and comes home late. She dresses up and always wears some girlie perfume that makes me sneeze.” He shoveled in a large bite of ice cream and banana.

  A scowl darkened Chas’s face. “I’ll talk to your mom about it. Just enjoy your ice cream.” He’d agreed to split time with Jack so his son would have the semblance of two parents in his life consistently. He didn’t agree to it so his fucking ex-bitch could whore around. When he dropped Jack off at home, and he was out of earshot, Chas would talk to Brianna to see what the fuck was up. If she couldn’t take care of their son or was tired of it, Chas would glad
ly have Jack live with him full-time.

  “Oh, yeah, and Mom has to talk with Ms. O’Leary about me going more for my reading, and her helping me with that.”

  “The librarian I met today?”

  “Yeah. She told me she could work with me two days a week extra, but only if my parents said it’s okay. I wanna do it ’cause I wanna read better. I don’t like being stupid.”

  “What the fuck? Who said you were stupid? You’re a sharp kid, and you know lots of shit others don’t know.”

  “Like what?”

  “You can build a small engine for a go-cart, and I don’t even help you much. You can shoot steady, and always hit the target dead-on. You know a lot about Harleys, and you did a killer job installing the brake pads on the Glider. I couldn’t have done that when I was your age.”

  With wide eyes, Jack said, “For real? You couldn’t have done that?”

  “No, and I’m not just saying that. I bet you know more about Harleys than anyone in your class or even in your school. Don’t think you’re stupid ’cause you’re not. Who told you that shit? Your teacher? Classmates?” He wanted to beat the shit out of whoever told his son he was stupid.

  “Mom, and I know she’s not gonna take me for extra reading help.” Jack’s voice hitched slightly, and a veiled mist covered his eyes.

  A darkness covered Chas’s face as his jaw tightened. “She doesn’t know shit. No worries, I’ll talk to her and make sure you go for your extra reading lessons.” Gazing at Jack’s sweet face, with a few freckles dotting his nose, Chas’s own softened. He reached over and wiggled Jack’s chin with his fingers. “Finish up your dessert. I’ll take care of this shit. Just remember, you’re not stupid, okay, buddy?”