Sinful Protector (Roughshod Rollers MC 2)

“My ex-boyfriend almost assaulted me the other night, and some stranger that I met and had sex with overheard him threatening me, so I’m sure it has to be him!”

Yeah, that’s not going to go down very well. And even if the police did happen to believe Allison, what could they do then? There wouldn’t be any evidence that Jesse was there; the apartment Allison is living in doesn’t even have a camera - something I hope she’ll speak to the landlord about.

Then there’s the question about what would happen next. So, Jesse spray-painted a building and made some empty threats. So what? At most, he’s acted like a child. As such, even if we could get past the first two problems, there was no way the police would treat this as anything more than a bout of mischief.

They wouldn’t think there’s any cause for concern. And the more convinced the police are of this, the more convinced that Allison would also become. She already doesn’t think Jesse was a threat, but the words on her building and my warnings from the night made her waver enough to decide to call the police this morning.

I have every intention of making sure she stays wary.

I pull up in front of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and look up at it with a grimace. The lawns are freshly mowed, the paths are perfectly clean and the windows are gleaming. It’s exactly the sort of place that I wouldn’t feel like I belong.

But it’s where Allison belongs, and that’s why I’m here. I remembered that she had said she had class today, and I snuck a look at her calendar while I was getting changed to see that she finishes at six tonight. I’m going to be here when she leaves and make sure she gets home safely.

I don’t have to wait very long. Soon, I see a small group leave through the doors, and I sit up st

raighter on my motorbike, taking my helmet off so that Allison will recognize me. Before long, I see her. She’s walking next to another woman with dark skin, in deep conversation with her. I wait until they reach me.

“Allison,” I say.

Startled, Allison looks up. She obviously wasn’t expecting to see me here. The woman she’s with stares at me with unabashed curiosity and interest.

“Kyle!” Allison says. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” It feels stupid now that the moment to explain myself has come. I clear my throat. “I wanted to know how it went with the police.”

“Ah.” Allison’s expression darkens. “They’ll get someone to come out and take a look, but…”

She shrugs. It’s all I need to know that the police aren’t going to do something about this. I narrow my eyes. Then I’ll do something about it.

“I see,” I say evenly.

Allison shoots me a suspicious look.

“How did you even know what time I finished?” she demands.

“I saw your calendar this morning,” I confess. “After everything that happened, I didn’t want to take the risk, and I don’t really trust the police. Do you want a ride home?”

Allison’s expression abruptly darkens.

“No,” she snaps. She glances at her friend. “I’ll see you later.”

Then she turns on her heel and stalks away. She’s mad, but I don’t really know why. Does she feel like I’ve invaded her privacy? To be fair, I probably shouldn’t have snooped, even if I do want to keep her safe.

“She’ll take the bus home,” her friend offers, eyeing me. “So, you’re Kyle? I’m Jacqui.”

“Good to meet you,” I say, shaking her hand. “I think I’ve upset her.”

“Yeah, but probably not for the reason you’re thinking,” the woman says with a shrug. “Allison’s not a fan of motorbikes, so you showing up on one wasn’t the best idea.”

“Oh.” That is something I can understand; there are many people that take a look at my bike and my jacket and then turn their noses up. It’s oddly painful to realize that Allison is one of those people who will judge me just because of the club I belong to. “I see.”

“Actually, you really don’t,” Jacqui says with a small smile. “Allison has a very personal reason to dislike motorbikes. But…” She eyes me. “If it’s you, maybe she’ll calm down a little.”

I frown.

“What do you mean by that?” I ask.

Jacqui shrugs, though there’s a small smile curving at her lips. Then she leans forward, her face alight with mischief. She reminds me a little of Ethan, who always has a ready smile and joke to cheer someone up.