Hostage (Predators MC 3)

“Dammit, I know I sent them. I’m on my way.” Penni disconnected the call, hurrying to her car.

By the time her key went into the ignition, she had a niggling feeling she had forgotten something important. Had she forgotten to send the contracts?

Oh, well, she would be at her office in five. It wasn’t like it was a mistake that couldn’t be fixed.

1

Penni snatched the coffee from the cup holder.

“Dammit!” She slammed down the empty coffee cup into the hapless cup holder. That wasn’t the only thing on empty. The red light was flashing in the dim lighting.

Hearing the phone ring, Penni pressed her hand to the steering wheel, answering the call.

“Hello?”

“How did the concert go?” Grace’s voice filled the interior of her car.

“Great. It went off without a hitch.”

“Where are you now?” Grace asked.

“About three hours away from home.”

“You’re making good time. Why didn’t you just catch the bus back?”

“Too many roadies.” Penni squinted at the gas gauge. Was it her imagination, or was the red light becoming brighter in the dim lighting of the car?

Grace’s voice sharpened. “Kaden warned the men no women were allowed on the tour bus. He said the roadies should drive their own cars.”

“It’s easier said than done,” Penni commented wryly.

“Not when Kaden hears about this. He’s going to be furious.”

“He’s not going to know. Sawyer and Kaden wanted a small vacation. They’re on their way to Kaden’s cabin, which is why I’m driving my own car.”

Grace laughed. “When are you going to get tired of keeping the band out of trouble?”

“I don’t know. Maybe about the time I can stop renting and buy myself a big home. Even better, when someone buys me an even bigger diamond ring,” Penni joked. “Or when Kaden fires me.” This time, she was only half-joking. While she was considered friends with him and his wife, he expected the business to stay separate.

“You should tell him before he finds out on his own,” Grace warned.

“Nope. I’m not a stool pigeon.”

“You’re not going to listen to me?” Grace muttered then changed the subject. Penni’s friends were all too familiar with the stubborn streak that would make a Rocky Mountain jackass proud. “I need to be off Monday. I’m sorry about the notice—”

“Thank God!”

“Penni?”

“Sorry, I found an exit. I’m almost out of gas.” She gripped the steering wheel as she drove the lonely road.

“How many times have I told you to fill up your car before you drive?”

“Hindsight is a pain in the ass!”

“Where are you?”

“Calm down! Jesus, I’m fine.” At least, she thought so.

The red sign hanging in front of a bar glinted through her windshield then turned off as she drove closer. Her prayers had been answered. She wasn’t stranded on a highway during the middle of the night, but the uneasy feeling brushing at the back of her neck had her vowing to delete the numerous True Nightmares shows she loved to watch.

She reluctantly slowed to a stop in front of what seemed to be an old saloon.

“What’s going on?”

Grace’s demanding voice had her nearly jumping out of her skin.

“Nothing. I need some gas and, if I’m lucky, some coffee. Take whatever time you need. I’ll talk to you when I see you Tuesday.”

“Wait … Why are you being so nice? You were just bitching at me last night because I came in late yesterday.”

“Because you were late since you were boinking Ice.” Penni stared around the empty parking lot. Despite what her misgivings were telling her and all the hours of watching True Nightmares had shown her, she ignored the folly of what she was about to do. “I need to go. The bar’s closing.”

“Bar?” Grace shrieked. “What bar?”

“Actually, I think it’s a saloon.”

“Call me back as soon as you get back on the road.”

“Don’t be such a worrywart. Get to bed. Give Oceane a kiss for me and another one for that handsome father of yours.”

“She heard you.”

Penni smiled, hearing feminine laughter that relieved the stress of the situation she had found herself in, all because she had been too stubborn to ride the bus with the band.

“She said to be careful,” Grace passed on her mother’s words.

“Tell her I’ll be fine. What could go wrong at a saloon called Hay and Fiddle?”

Jackal didn’t miss the glances that came his way as he entered the clubhouse. Ice’s mouth had dropped open at the rough appearance of his clothes. Even Max was stunned by the dirty condition of the clothes Jackal couldn’t hide as he limped into the packed clubhouse.

“Give me a whiskey!” Jackal snarled at Rave who wasn’t able to hide her reaction to the rank smell that had reached her before he had.

She nearly dropped the whiskey bottle before hurriedly pouring his drink and escaping to the opposite end of the bar.

“What the hell happened to you?” Ice, as club president, didn’t make it a habit to stick his nose into the brothers’ business, but this was one thing he couldn’t ignore.