Knees in the Breeze (Kings of Vengeance MC Book 3), page 1
Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author
Winter Travers
Copyright © 2020 Winter Travers
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduction, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) utilization of this work without written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
For questions or comments about this book, please contact the author at winter@wintertravers.com
Also by Winter Travers
Devil’s Knights Series:
Loving Lo
Finding Cyn
Gravel’s Road
Battling Troy
Gambler’s Longshot
Keeping Meg
Fighting Demon
Unraveling Fayth
Skid Row Kings Series:
DownShift
PowerShift
BangShift
Fallen Lords MC Series
Nickel
Pipe
Maniac
Wrecker
Boink
Clash
Freak
Slayer
Brinks
Kings of Vengeance MC
Drop a Gear and Disappear
Lean Into It
Knees in the Breeze (March 29th)
Powerhouse MA Series
Dropkick My Heart
Love on the Mat
Black Belt in Love
Black Belt Knockout
Nitro Crew Series
Burndown
Holeshot
Redlight
Shutdown
Sweet Love Novellas
Sweet Burn
Five Alarm Donuts
Stand Alone Novellas
Kissing the Bad Boy
Daddin’ Ain’t Easy
Silas: A Scrooged Christmas
Wanting More
Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Coming Soon
About the Author
1st Chapter of Nickel
Chapter One
Rhino
What the hell…
“How?”
Everyone looked around the table.
“Fucking how?” Quinn thundered.
“We don’t know,” Dyno replied. “Someone is always here.”
“Then it must be someone sitting at this table, then.” Quinn slowly glared at each of us. “If someone was always here, then there is a traitor sitting with us.”
“They had to have snuck in when we were working or something,” I reasoned. “The back of the clubhouse isn’t secure yet.”
Hell, we were still building goddamn walls. The front of the clubhouse was secure, but I could think of at least four areas where someone could make entry without much effort at all.
Quinn turned to Dyno. “You’re in charge of the construction. Wanna tell me why the hell the back of the clubhouse isn’t secure.”
Dyno leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “Shit is padlocked and secured the best it can be. I won’t sleep until we get to this place like Fort Knox.”
“That doesn’t really help us now, seeing as someone already got in,” Quinn gritted out between clenched teeth.
Dyno sat back in his chair and sighed. “I can’t go back in time, Quinn. It won’t happen again.”
If it did happen again, I was sure we would all get our asses kicked by Quinn.
“It has to be the Devil’s Rebels,” Quinn grunted. He turned his gaze on me. “You’re the one who has been watching Petra. What has been going on with her?”
I shrugged. “Not a damn thing. She goes to work and then comes right back here. Hell, don’t even think she talks to anyone at work.”
“Where does she work?” Sledge asked.
“Docu Shred,” I replied.
“There’s a fucking place that shreds documents?” Point laughed.
I nodded. “I thought it was fucking crazy, too, but they shred government documents and shit. It’s a very high-security place.”
“We need to start there. Figure out if anything is going on. I’m assuming whoever did this is somehow keeping tabs on us and figured out Petra was one of the girls promised to them.” Quinn shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck.
“How many people know Petra is staying here?” Sledge asked. “I mean, she doesn’t seem to have many friends, and I doubt she told her employer where she’s living.”
“We’re basically the only ones who know she’s here.” I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. “Unless someone is watching the clubhouse.”
“Yeah, it’s not like we’re being secretive with anything we’re doing here. Anyone driving by can get a good look at the improvements.” Zephyr pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in the side of his mouth. “Maybe we need to somehow tighten shit up around here.”
Quinn pointed at Dyno. “Get the walls secured.” He nodded to me. “Stick your nose around Petra’s work. That’s the only logical place I can think of to start.” Quinn stood and looked down at all of us. “The rest of you help Dyno and Rhino as much as you can. I’m going to get back in touch with Jet and see if they have any more information they can give us about the Rebels. Whoever they sent to come into our clubhouse and do this is going to fucking pay.”
*
Petra
I clutched my pillow to my stomach and willed the sobbing to stop.
Kimber and Fancy were busy cleaning up the closet, but I couldn’t move my butt off the bed.
After my blood-curdling scream, all hell broke loose. I didn’t think it was possible, but every member of the Kings of Vengeance fit in my room, along with Kimber and Fancy. It was a whirlwind of people talking at once and Quinn thundering over everyone to get the cat down and then head to church.
Another sob escaped my lips, and I closed my eyes.
Oliver was gone.
My sweet, loving kitten I had for close to nine years was brutally killed.
Gone forever.
“Jesus. I don’t know what’s going to take this stain out,” Kimber said quietly.
Fancy replied, but she wasn’t as quiet as Kimber had been. “Cold water is supposed to take blood out, but how do we do that with carpet? Can’t really soak it in the sink.”
I rolled over to face the closet and was thankful that when I opened my mouth, a sob didn’t come out. “Just leave it.”
Kimber and Fancy’s eyes snapped to me. I hadn’t been very helpful the past hour or so, and I could tell they were both surprised I actually spoke a coherent word.
“You’re…not crying,” Kimber whispered.
“Kimber,” Fancy scolded.
I wasn’t crying right now, but who knew how long I had before another jag of tears hit me.
Kimber pulled a phone out of her pocket. “Here’s your phone. You left it on the floor.”
I wrinkled my brow and shook my head. “That’s not mine.”
“Yes, it is,” Kimber insisted.
I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my phone. “No, this is my phone.”
Kimber looked at the phone in her hand. “Then whose phone is this?” she mumbled. She pressed the screen and swiped to the left. “Maybe it is one of the guys’?”
Fancy snatched the phone from her. “Then maybe you shouldn’t be snooping through it.”
Kimber rolled her eyes. “I’m not snooping. I’m just trying to figure out who the phone belongs to.”
A light knock sounded on the door, and we all turned toward it.
Dyno and Rhino stood there sheepishly.
“Need any more help?” Dyno asked.
Fancy held up the phone. “One of you guys lost your phone?”
“From the 80s,” Kimber grumbled. “I can’t remember the last time I saw a flip phone.”
Dyno held out his hand.
Fancy forked it over. “It was in the closet where…” She trailed off and motioned in the general direction of the thing I didn’t want to think about. “It was in the closet.”
Dyno flipped open the phone, and Rhino watche d him over his shoulder.
“Whoa, shit,” Rhino gasped.
Dyno shoved it in his pocket and nodded to us. “Thanks.”
The guys spun around and disappeared.
“What the hell was that?” I asked.
Fancy propped her hands on her hips and sighed. “Not a clue.”
Kimber tsked. “I bet there were some raunchy nudes of one of the guys with a flamingo or something.”
Fancy pursed her lips. “A flamingo, huh?”
“Or something like that,” Kimber replied flippantly. “Guys are weird.”
Fancy shook her head, and even I wondered what the hell Kimber was talking about.
“I’ll send one of the guys to take the carpet out of the closet. I’m sure Dyno has some laying around he can put in there. God knows they’ll forever be remodeling this place.” Fancy grabbed a garbage bag and slung it over her shoulder.
“And we’ll figure out what was up with the phone we found.” Kimber pointed at me. “Is there anything we can get you right now?”
I shook my head. The only thing I wanted was Oscar, and that wasn’t possible. “I think I’m just going to lay down for a while.”
“Okay. Just call if you need anything.”
Kimber and Fancy walked out and shut the door behind them.
I reached under the bed and pulled out Oscar’s toy he always left under there when he wasn’t playing with it. I squished the little gray mouse to my cheek and laid back down.
How had that four-legged fur ball snuck in and stolen my heart then taken a piece of me with him when he died? I was a blubbering mess, and I didn’t know how I was ever going to feel whole again.
*
Rhino
This is only the beginning.
“What in the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Dyno asked, frustrated.
Quinn tossed the phone at Sledge. “See if you can find anything more.”
Sledge grabbed the phone. “Looks like a fucking burner. Doubt I’ll be able to get anything off of it, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Devil’s Rebels?” I asked. They were the only ones we had beef with.
Quinn shrugged. “I let a couple of the prospects go, but those guys had nothing invested in the Rolling Devils. I was the only one that felt a connection to the club. It has to be the Devil’s Rebels. We knew they were gunning for us.”
“Before the Rolling Devils dropped your ass in a ditch for dead,” Point mumbled.
“I don’t need a fucking reminder of what happened,” Quinn grumbled.
Point held up his hands. “Sorry, boss.”
“But why would they go after Petra’s cat?” I wondered.
“It was a message. It was a definite message that more is coming.” Quinn stood quickly, and his chair skidded back into the wall. He ran his fingers through his hair and paced back and forth.
“So we have more now, but we still have no clue what the hell is going on.” Dyno slammed his hand down on the table. “Fucking hell.”
Quinn stopped pacing and dropped his hands to his sides. “We stick to the plan we already have. We at least know now this isn't all. There is, unfortunately, going to be more shit going on until we figure how to stop them.” Quinn pointed his finger at me. “Stick to Petra and find out everything you can about her. This doesn’t have anything to do with her personally, but I don’t want to leave any rock unturned.”
I nodded. “You got it, boss.”
“Is that what you assholes are going to call me now?” Quinn asked.
A chorus of grunts went up.
Quinn grumbled under his breath and stormed out of church.
“Shit just got real fucking interesting,” Sledge mumbled.
That was the fucking truth. I thought with all the shit simmering down with the Rolling Devils bullshit I would be able to just ride my bike and live the MC life.
Looked like having my knees in the breeze and relaxing wasn’t in the cards for me just yet.
*
Chapter Two
Petra
Back to normal? Hardly.
“I can feel you staring at me.”
“Your eyes aren’t even open.”
I cracked open my right eye. “I could feel it, and I was right.”
Rhino stood over my bed with his arms folded over his chest. No one should be able to look that attractive this early in the morning. Denying Rhino’s good looks was impossible.
“You going to work today?”
I pulled the covers over my head, but I could still feel him staring at me. “Yes.” Did I want to? Not at all.
“Really?”
“Yes, really, Rhino.” I tossed the blanket back and glared at him. Still handsome. Damn man.
“You could call in. You’re kind of in mourning.” He shrugged his shoulder.
“Pretty sure my supervisor wouldn’t care that my cat was murdered. Bereavement pay doesn’t cover pets.” Though it freaking should. Oscar was the most important thing in my life, and he was gone. I was going to need a lifetime to get over losing him.
He eyed me closely. “You up for working?”
Did he not hear a word I had just said? Even though I didn’t feel like working, it didn’t matter. I needed to get paid, so I needed a job, and my employer wasn’t going to pay me if I didn’t show up and do my work.
Cycle of life.
It sucked, but there it was.
“I’ll be fine.” I could always sneak into the bathroom or wait ‘til my breaks to cry like a baby. I glanced over at the clock on my bedside table. “Did you really have to wake me up before my alarm went off?”
I could have slept for another half an hour, but now, I was wide awake.
Rhino shrugged. “I thought you were going to tell me you were calling in and then we both could have gone back to sleep.”
I rolled my eyes and swung my legs out from under the covers. My feet touched the cold floor, and I sat up. I piled my hair on top of my head and grabbed a hair tie from the nightstand. “No such luck, Rhino. You’re gonna have to take me to work and then you can come back and take a nap.” I tied my hair into a sloppy bun and glared at him.
He shook his head. “No such luck,” he mimicked. “You go to work; I do, too.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Come again?” Rhino had been dropping me off at work for a few weeks and while he always picked me up, I knew he wasn’t sitting out in the car waiting for me. Now, suddenly, he was going to wait outside all day? “Sitting in a car for eight hours can’t be how you want to spend your day.”
Rhino shook his head. “It’s not, and that’s not how I’m going to spend my day.”
“Uh, so you got a job?” What else could he mean when he said if I go to work so does he?
“Don’t worry about it. Just get ready to go.”
He turned to the door, but I grabbed his hand before he took a step.
“You’re making no sense, Rhino. What is going on?”
He shook off my hand and glanced over his shoulder at me. “You think Oscar managed to climb up in the closet and hang himself?”
His words were harsh and struck me right in the heart. For a second, I had forgotten that Oscar was gone. I had slipped into thinking that I hadn’t seen his body hanging in my closet yesterday. “I mean, well…of course not.”
“Then we need to figure out who it was, Petra, and until we do that, you aren’t going to be alone.”
I tipped my head back and looked him in the eye. “You think whoever hurt Oscar is going to hurt me next?”
The idea seemed crazy to me. I didn’t know anyone who would want to hurt me.
“We don’t know why they hurt your cat, Petra, so we’re not going to assume anything. Everything is a fucking mystery right now.”
Not only did I have to deal with Oscar being gone, now I had to worry that maybe whoever killed him was going to hurt me. I had spent all last night lying in bed sleeping and crying on and off. “Surely this has to be a fluke or a one-off, Rhino.”
He shook his head. “Just get ready for work, Petra, and I’ll meet you out front.”
Rhino walked out the door, and I was left alone just wondering what was going on.
Yesterday, everything was turned on its head, and I was still trying to figure out which way was up. I was too wound up in my own feelings to realize this could be something bigger than Oscar.
