The Originals (Ghosttown Riders #10)

Chapter Ten

“And I’m going to have seven bridesmaids, all in pink chiffon with lace and tulle.”

It sounds hideous. Meg forced herself to smile while all the women gathered around Vivian, admiring her engagement ring. When Linda had invited her to come out to dinner with friends, she’d had no idea it would be an impromptu celebration for her high school friend who had recently gotten engaged. Linda profusely apologized, but Meg waved it off. As much as coming off a breakup was hard, Vivian’s future was never the one Meg wanted for herself anyway.

“I need you all to mark your calendars for next Saturday for the dress fitting.”

One of their friends, Sheryl, cocked her head, “You said seven bridesmaids.” She glanced around the table, looking uncomfortable as she shifted in her chair. It wasn’t until she brought attention to it that Meg realized, aside from Vivian, there were eight girls at the table.

Vivian smiled with a nervous chuckle, staring directly at Meg. “Well, we wanted to pair couples, and since you aren’t dating any of Mitch’s friends, and um…” Vivian blinked incessantly. “I’m sorry, Meg. Maybe we can have you…”

Meg instantly held up her hand. “Vi, it’s completely fine. I understand.”

To her credit, Vivian looked remorseful, and her apology was heartfelt. It was a relief to Meg anyway. While it was some girls’ dream to be in a wedding with all the planning and catering to the bride, it wasn’t Meg’s. It actually sounds like a nightmare.

Apparently, Meg wasn’t the only one sharing that thought.

“I’m tempted to break up with Eddie just to get out of wearing that dress,” Linda whispered under her breath.

Meg tightened her lips to keep herself from smiling. It was ironic. She hadn’t so much as smiled in the last two weeks, and this one time she had to stop herself. It was a good sign, though. It meant she was returning to the living. Barely.

Today marked two weeks since Mick had driven off from her house, taking her heart with him. It may have been dramatic, but it summed up exactly how she felt. She constantly had to remind herself it was the right decision. Mick’s life was not hers.

“You okay?” Linda whispered.

Meg grabbed her soda, took a sip, and gave a quick nod.

The dinner lasted another two hours until the restaurant basically flickered their lights. Meg was happy to leave. They said their goodbyes, and she and Linda headed down the street where she was parked. Just as they crossed the street, she heard the rumblings of motorcycles. Meg spun around to see three sets of taillights. They weren’t Ghosttown, and she immediately felt a pit in her stomach. It was yet another reminder of how much she missed Mick.

“So?” Linda said, bumping her shoulder and walking down the sidewalk. “Are you going to tell me how you’re really doing minus the I’m fine bullshit?”

“I am fine.” Even to her own ears, Meg heard the doubt. And the lie.

“Oh right, barricading yourself in your room for two weeks only to come out to shower, eat, and work is the new ‘I’m fine’. Silly me.”

Meg sighed, digging her hands into her pockets. “I miss him.”

Linda stepped in front of Meg. “Then call him.”

Meg dragged her hands down her face in pure frustration. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It won’t change anything. He’s still the man who beat the ever-loving hell out of some guys, along with the whole club. You weren’t there, Lin. It was brutal, and when I tried to talk to him about it, he dismissed my concerns. He said it was his club, and that’s how they do things.” Meg sighed, reliving the night’s events in her mind.

“Ask yourself. Was it brutality with a purpose? Maybe in some sense, Mick’s right. You had been around the club for one month. But this is his life. Maybe he saw a future potential threat you didn’t.”

Mick had been so adamant about the violence being necessary, and that thought hadn’t crossed her mind in the last week.

“Maybe,” she whispered.

“Has he called you?”

Meg drew in a breath. “Four times last week. None this week.”

Linda wrapped her arm around Meg’s shoulder. “I got my brother’s car for two more hours. We can drive over to Ghosttown? You can talk to Mick, and I can” —Linda grinned with a playful glint in her eye— “well, I’m sure I can find something to occupy my time.”

Meg chuckled remembering Linda’s last visit to the clubhouse. The night I met Mick. Meg briefly considered the offer. But if she was going to see Mick, she wanted it on neutral ground. The last thing she needed was to show up unexpected at the clubhouse and find him with another woman. He wouldn’t be at fault. After all, she was the one who’d ended things. He was single. A burning heat rushed through her veins at the thought of him with someone else. It wasn’t a risk she was willing to take.

“Thanks, but maybe I’ll call him when I get home.”

Linda bounced on her toes, grabbing Meg’s forearms. “Yes, call him and make up. I hate seeing you miserable without him.”

Me too.

Linda grabbed her keys from her bag. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.”

Meg looked down at the empty street. “I think I’ll walk. It’ll give me time to think about what to say to him.”

“You sure?”

Meg nodded and watched Linda get in her car and take off down the street. Meg started walking through the crosswalk and felt a chill race over her skin, pebbling her flesh. It was almost eerie, and she glanced over her shoulder, spinning around while hurrying her steps. She didn’t see anything. As she continued down the road and prepared to make the left off Main Street, she noticed three motorcycles on the opposite side of the street near the park. They were side by side with their lights shut off, but she could see the riders were on them. She half wondered if they’d been the same three from a few minutes ago.

Turnersville wasn’t necessarily a hub for bikers, but there were quite a few seen around town. Maybe they were waiting for someone. Meg turned the corner to her street. With only four blocks, she’d be home in less than ten minutes. It was after eleven, a little late, and she contemplated waiting ’til tomorrow to make the call. Who am I kidding? Mick would still be up.

She was mid-step when she heard the roaring engines racing down her desolate street. She looked back and saw three single headlights cruising down the road. Meg expected them to pass, but at the very last second one of them made a sharp turn into the driveway just ahead, stopping directly in front of her as the other two pulled up alongside the curb.

She jumped back, pressing her hand to her chest, trying to calming her racing heart. It was threatening to beat out of her chest. Meg eyed the three men.

“Oh shit.” The one directly in front of her laughed. “Did I scare you?”

Meg swallowed the knot in her throat and licked her lips. “Considering you almost ran me over? Yes.”

The corner of his lip curled in a sneer. “Just wanted to get a better look.” His gaze lowered down and up her body. “Alright, I get it now.”

His words were cryptic but nonetheless creepy, especially the way he was looking at her like she was his next meal. Meg pointed past him, noticing her arm shake slightly.

“I have to go. I’m going to be late.”

He cupped his mouth, staring down at her breasts. “I don’t think so. Not done with you yet. In fact, we all haven’t even gotten started.”

Her stomach dropped, and she darted her gaze to the men seated on their bikes by the curb.

“Yeah, I mean, you gotta at least show us what the big fucking deal is with you. If Mick’s willing to take on our club and start a fucking war for pussy, we should at least all get a taste.”

It suddenly clicked who these men were.

Oh God.

One of the guys on the curb started to get off his bike, and she saw the patch on the back of his cut. They weren’t the same guys from the night at the festival, but they were members of the same club. Meg swallowed the knot in her throat, and just as the man stalked toward her, she turned, running back to Main Street. She would have never made it past the biker blocking her, and even if she had, she didn’t want to lead them back to her family. There was no telling what these men were capable of.

When she heard the motorcycles, she ducked down a small alley, running as fast as her legs permitted. It was narrow but still big enough for the motorcycles. They would’ve had to be paying close attention to see her slip down the alley. Seconds later her worst fear came to fruition. Lights beamed down the pitch-black passage, and the rumbling engines were gaining on her. There was a smaller backstreet between the restaurant and jewelry store that she turned down. If they wanted her, they’d have to get off their bikes and chase her. It bought her time.

When she popped out on Main, it was dark and completely empty except for the lights on at Families Restaurant. Meg could hear the motorcycles in the distance, knowing she only had a minute to find refuge. She ran to the front door at Families and tried the handle, but it was locked. She started banging on the door until the owner came to the window and pointed to the sign and mouthed, “We’re closed.”

Panic set in when she saw the headlights turn the corner headed straight down Main Street.

“Please let me in.” She slapped her hand on the door and begged. “Please.”

The owner furrowed his brows and walked over. He unlocked the door, and she rushed in, not stopping until she was halfway across the diner. The owner ducked from the window and shut off the lights.

“They’re chasing you?”

Meg was shaking and rubbing her arms, walking deeper into the diner.

“Who the hell are they?”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth. She had no idea who they were. They weren’t the same guys from the night at the festival. But they were obviously affiliated. “Are they still there?”

The owner slyly crept to the window and peeked out. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded.

“They’re parked across the street.”

Shit!

“Should we call the police?” Meg asked.

He cupped his mouth, angling his head. “They’re with an MC.”

Meg had put that together. The owner walked back to her, eyeing her carefully.

“Saw you in here a couple weeks ago with a Ghosttown Rider. You wanna call him instead of the police? You call the cops, that’s gonna bring a lot of heat to you and both those clubs. Trust me, you don’t want to get on Turnersville PD’s radar.”

Meg hadn’t even considered that. She bit her lip, weighing her options. A police presence was sure to scare them away. But for how long? They obviously knew she lived in Turnersville. It was only a matter of time before they found out her address. Calling Mick to help her was her best option.

Meg nodded, and the owner led her to the phone. She still had the main line to the clubhouse memorized. The first time she dialed, she nearly broke down in tears hearing the busy signal. This was her only way to get through to Mick. He didn’t have a private line. As far as she knew, none of the brothers did at the clubhouse.

Meg grasped her leg, forcing her body to calm as she tried his number again. A sense of relief washed over her when she heard ringing on the other line.

“Yeah?”

“Is Mick there?” Meg blurted, tightening her grip on the receiver.

“Who wants to know?”

“Meg.” She twisted her finger around the cord, shifting her gaze between the phone and the window. Thankfully, she wasn’t alone. But realistically, if the bikers broke in she wasn’t sure how much help the seventy-year-old owner would be.

“I don’t see him. Call back later.”

Later? What? No! She might be dead later.

“No wait, can you ask Jack or Grain? Or Tully if he’s there?”

A heavy sigh echoed on the line. “Look babe, he’s probably in his room getting his dick sucked. But when I see him, I’ll let him know you’re looking for him. This is Meg, right?”

Her heart sank to her stomach and rolled in a painstaking ache. The last thing she should be thinking of or concerned about at the moment was Mick moving on and being with another woman. Still, it stung. She drew in a breath, prepared to hang up and come up with a plan B. Then she heard voices in the background, and she pressed the phone closer to her ear.

“Give me the phone,” There was some rustling before another voice came on the line. “Meg? It’s Colleen.”

Thank God. It was as if she was hearing the voice of an angel.

“Yeah, Colleen, it’s me. Can you find Mick for me? I’m in trouble.”

“Are you okay?”

“N-no.” Meg’s voice shook, and she covered her mouth.

“Stay on the line, okay? Don’t hang up. I’ll find him.”

Meg glanced up at the owner and forced a smile. She wasn’t safe yet, but hopefully Mick could help her.

****

Mick was just about done for the night. It was pretty low-key for the clubhouse. He’d spent the last hour out back around the bonfire with a few brothers. A lot of the members, including himself, were leaving in a few hours for a two-day run across the state. He wasn’t originally assigned the job, but he’d traded with another brother. Staying home had become a mini-torturous prison for the last two weeks.

He’d gotten a lot of advice since Meg broke it off. The consensus was to find a woman that would make him forget her. The brothers didn’t get it. No one would ever replace Meg. She’d gotten too deep into his heart and soul. There was no coming back from her. And Mick wasn’t interested in trying.

His calls had gone ignored last week, so he refrained from calling this week. If time was what she needed, then that’s what he’d give her. Mick would wait.

He chugged the last bit of his beer and tossed the bottle in the garbage.

“I’m done, brothers.”

Grain scoffed. “It’s barely fucking midnight.”

“Yeah, and we’re heading out in five hours. Gotta get some sleep.”

“Pussy.” Grain snorted, shaking his head. “Doing it all wrong, Mick. You hang out for another hour, get your dick sucked, pass out, and take an hour to sleep. Wake up like a new fucking man.”

Mick shared a look with Jack, then his president turned to Grain. “Says the motherfucker who had to stop for a fucking nap on the last run.”

Grain squared his jaw. “That happened one fucking time, Jack.”

Mick snickered and stood, stretching his arms over his head.

“Mick?” The voice was faint, but he recognized it. He turned toward the door, and Colleen was weaving through a small group, whipping her head side to side. Then she screamed louder. “Mick?”

“Right here.” He waved and she halted, her eyes wide as if in complete panic. She rushed toward him, and when a brother got in her way, she pushed at him to move.

Mick raised his brows, smirking, and glanced down at Jack. Colleen was the least aggressive person he’d ever met in his life. This was a new side to her. Jack stood next to him, watching her as she came barreling toward them.

“What’s going…”

Mick never got to finish. She pointed to the clubhouse, and through heavy breaths started talking fast. “Meg’s on the phone. I don’t know what’s wrong, but she needs to talk to you.”

Fucking finally. Mick barely registered the rest of what Colleen said. He was solely focused on ‘Meg’s on the phone’.

“What makes you think something’s wrong?” Jack asked, and Mick turned to Colleen.

“Because she said she’s in trouble, and when I asked if she was okay, she said no.” Colleen gulped. “And she sounds scared.”

Fuck! Mick rushed past Jack and Colleen toward the back door and hurried to the bar. Even from a few feet away, he could see the phone receiver lying on the bar. He grabbed it.

“Meg?”

“Mick, I need you.” Her voice was riddled with panic, and her breath was labored.

“Where are you?”

“Families. The owner let me in.” Her voice was shaky, and he felt his own panic set in. “There’s three bikers outside waiting for me to leave, I think. They followed me halfway home, and cornered me. They got really aggressive and talked about you. Saying they wanted to know why I was so important to you. I ran, and they chased me, and now I’m in the diner.” She sniffled. “But Mick, I’m afraid they’re going to come in and get me. What do I do?”

Oh fuck.

“I’m coming for you right now.” There was a long stretch of silence, and his heart began to pound. “Meg!”

“They have the same patches as the guys from the festival.”

Mick could feel the blood draining from his face, knowing the extent of the danger she was in. He shared a look with Jack, and noticed a dozen brothers were gathered around the bar staring at him. Mick needed to get to her. He also needed to stay calm for her sake and lock down his own panic and rage.

“I was going to call you when I got home.” Her voice was low, he could barely hear her. But he did. “I was out with Linda and told her I was going to call to talk, and…”

Meg sounded lost in her thoughts as if reliving the night. And regretful. It was the last place she needed to be.

“Alright baby, I’m gonna come get you, and we’ll talk. Coming right now for you.”

“Okay,” she muttered.

“I’ll be there in ten.”

“It takes twenty minutes to get here from Ghosttown.”

He resisted the urge to snort. He’d make the twenty-minute ride in ten, maybe less.

“Ten, Meg.” He slammed the phone down and spun around to face his brothers. The music had been shut down and everyone was waiting on him.

“What the fuck is going on?” Grain snapped.

Mick relayed the story Meg had given. Her details were minimal, but considering their altercation with Satan’s Hex and her recognizing their patch, everything pointed it to them.

Mick pushed past his president, but Jack grabbed his arm.

“This sounds like a setup,” Jack warned.

Mick furrowed his brows.

“If they were just looking to scare her, they would’ve done that and taken off. Them still waiting there? They’re waiting on you to come for her.”

Mick yanked his arm away. “I can handle fucking three of them.”

“There won’t be just three, Mick. They’re gonna wait until you show up, then the rest will come.”

Mick hadn’t even considered an ambush. He wasn’t thinking of anything else other than Meg and her safety.

“We all fucking ride in,” Grain said.

Jack shook his head. “And have a shootout on Main Street in Turnersville?”

“I’m not fucking leaving her there, Jack,” Mick snapped.

Jack gripped his shoulder. “You want her in the middle of a gunfight? That’s what it will come to. Got to be smart about this. I’m gonna call her back. Tell her I’m sending the van for her and…”

“I’ll call her…”

“No. The second you hear her voice, your ass will be outta here and on your bike. That only puts her in more danger. I got a plan. You ready to fucking listen?”

What other choice did he have?