Long Way Down (Fallen Angels MC) Read Online Free
Author: Laura Day
date as she tried to think of how to ask the questions she needed answers to. “Look, I need to ask about your business.”
He nodded acceptance, pulling a barstool around so that he was sitting perpendicular to her. He still hadn’t touched his coffee. “Okay.”
“You’re a biker. Are you in a club?”
He nodded.
“Is this the club’s business?”
Another nod.
She took a deeper breath. “Is the business legitimate? Or is it laundering funds for illegal sources?”
His nostrils flared for a moment, but his voice was calm when he spoke. “The club does have off–the-books interests, yes, but the garage is legitimate and the funds are kept completely separate. I’m not showing you anything that you’d have to testify about. You could look at every detail I’ve brought you and swear in a court that you never saw evidence of illegal dealings.”
She doubted that, she seriously doubted it. No one was that good outside of the freaking mob, but she was also no forensic accountant, so if there were small details, she probably wouldn’t notice them anyway.
She put her fingers to her temples and rubbed for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. If she screwed this up, it could put the entire credit union in trouble. They were a small organization, and she was high enough up that getting caught up in something illegal could cause problems for everyone there. But there was also this guy in front of her, his posture open and honest, his hands neatly folded, and his eyes were still smoldering.
Was he looking straight down the front of her shirt? Shit, she needed to not lean over so much. Or maybe lean over more.
Caroline shook herself and forced her mind to focus a bit. “Drugs? Women?” Another long breath. “Kids?” If there were kids involved, she’d castrate him herself, and then call the police. After she’d fed him his testes.
“Absolutely not.” His eyes were burning with a different kind of heat now. “I don’t know what you think about me, or why you let me into your house if you think this shit, but no. No, we don’t deal in women, and we sure as hell don’t hurt kids.
He paused and took a deep breath. "Yeah, there’s some dealing on the side, soft shit that helps work-a-day folks get through their week, but we don’t deal to kids, and we don’t deal hard stuff that gets people killed. We sell high quality product at reasonable prices. And yeah, maybe if a guy turns up at the shop and needs to sell a bike quickly with cash, maybe my guy doesn’t ask too many questions about where exactly it came from, but if the cops come around later asking, we also give them the answers they want.”
He ran his hands through his hair, and she wanted to apologize, to kiss him again, to make it better.
“Why me?” Those were not the words she’d expected to hear coming out of her own mouth, but then they were out there. “Why the hell did you bring this to my doorstep?”
“I am almost sure that I’m getting set up. There aren’t many people I can trust right now. I asked one of them who he knew, outside of the club, who was good with numbers. He told me to find Caro Lewis at Second Chances. Said you were solid, and honest, and you’d help if you could.” He shrugged. “It took me a minute to catch on. Somehow, I thought Caro would be a dude.”
She leaned back in her chair, giving him a raised eyebrow. “Are you disappointed?”
His eyes traced over her, the feeling nearly as tangible as his hands on her. They coursed over the curve of her neck, the swell of her breasts, the turn of her hip, and she sighed, letting her knees fall apart as if his hand had fallen heavy on her thigh. She knew just how he would feel, pressing close to the core of her, grasping her ass to pull her close. “No,” he said. “No, disappointed is not how I would describe how I’m feeling right now.”
“Tell me then,” Caroline
He nodded acceptance, pulling a barstool around so that he was sitting perpendicular to her. He still hadn’t touched his coffee. “Okay.”
“You’re a biker. Are you in a club?”
He nodded.
“Is this the club’s business?”
Another nod.
She took a deeper breath. “Is the business legitimate? Or is it laundering funds for illegal sources?”
His nostrils flared for a moment, but his voice was calm when he spoke. “The club does have off–the-books interests, yes, but the garage is legitimate and the funds are kept completely separate. I’m not showing you anything that you’d have to testify about. You could look at every detail I’ve brought you and swear in a court that you never saw evidence of illegal dealings.”
She doubted that, she seriously doubted it. No one was that good outside of the freaking mob, but she was also no forensic accountant, so if there were small details, she probably wouldn’t notice them anyway.
She put her fingers to her temples and rubbed for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. If she screwed this up, it could put the entire credit union in trouble. They were a small organization, and she was high enough up that getting caught up in something illegal could cause problems for everyone there. But there was also this guy in front of her, his posture open and honest, his hands neatly folded, and his eyes were still smoldering.
Was he looking straight down the front of her shirt? Shit, she needed to not lean over so much. Or maybe lean over more.
Caroline shook herself and forced her mind to focus a bit. “Drugs? Women?” Another long breath. “Kids?” If there were kids involved, she’d castrate him herself, and then call the police. After she’d fed him his testes.
“Absolutely not.” His eyes were burning with a different kind of heat now. “I don’t know what you think about me, or why you let me into your house if you think this shit, but no. No, we don’t deal in women, and we sure as hell don’t hurt kids.
He paused and took a deep breath. "Yeah, there’s some dealing on the side, soft shit that helps work-a-day folks get through their week, but we don’t deal to kids, and we don’t deal hard stuff that gets people killed. We sell high quality product at reasonable prices. And yeah, maybe if a guy turns up at the shop and needs to sell a bike quickly with cash, maybe my guy doesn’t ask too many questions about where exactly it came from, but if the cops come around later asking, we also give them the answers they want.”
He ran his hands through his hair, and she wanted to apologize, to kiss him again, to make it better.
“Why me?” Those were not the words she’d expected to hear coming out of her own mouth, but then they were out there. “Why the hell did you bring this to my doorstep?”
“I am almost sure that I’m getting set up. There aren’t many people I can trust right now. I asked one of them who he knew, outside of the club, who was good with numbers. He told me to find Caro Lewis at Second Chances. Said you were solid, and honest, and you’d help if you could.” He shrugged. “It took me a minute to catch on. Somehow, I thought Caro would be a dude.”
She leaned back in her chair, giving him a raised eyebrow. “Are you disappointed?”
His eyes traced over her, the feeling nearly as tangible as his hands on her. They coursed over the curve of her neck, the swell of her breasts, the turn of her hip, and she sighed, letting her knees fall apart as if his hand had fallen heavy on her thigh. She knew just how he would feel, pressing close to the core of her, grasping her ass to pull her close. “No,” he said. “No, disappointed is not how I would describe how I’m feeling right now.”
“Tell me then,” Caroline
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