Crossroads (Wind Dragons MC #6)
Chantal Fernando
To my sons,
for showing me what love truly is
Acknowledgments
First of all, I’d like to thank all my readers for wanting more from the WDMC world, and for Gallery Books and Abby Zidle for making it a reality.
To my agent, Kimberly Brower, I’m so lucky to have you! Thank you for everything you do. As always, I know I can always count on you, and I’m so grateful.
Arijana Karcic, thank you for all you do for me. You’re seriously the best and deserve the world.
Natalie Ram, thank you for being the most versatile best friend ever, from helping me proofread to making me swag, I appreciate everything that is you. I know I can always count on you to have my back, or help me when I need you. I kind of adore you, and I don’t know how I survived before I had you by my side. You’re my one-woman army, and I love you heaps.
Thank you to my parents and sisters for helping out whenever I need more writing time, and to my three sons for being patient when they know their mama has to work. I love you all so much.
FMR Book Grind, thank you for everything; I appreciate all the hard work you all do for me!
Rose Tawil, I really don’t know what I’d do without you. I can’t say thank you enough for all the work you put in to support my dreams, and you never ask for anything in return. You truly are one of the best people I’ve ever met. Love you infinity.
The way to make people trust-worthy is to trust them.
—Ernest Hemingway
ONE
Ranger
“NO,” I tell her, for what must be the millionth time, even though the word doesn’t fall easily from my lips. I can see why no one says no to this woman. Not only is she unbelievably sexy, although I’d never admit that out loud because Sin will fuckin’ kill me, but she also has this charm and charisma about her that just makes you want to do whatever she asks.
No doubt, her team is always the winning team, so why wouldn’t I want to get on board? It just happens that what she’s asking—to help her with some fuckin’ case she’s working on—doesn’t appeal to me at all. Working with the cops and the feds? No fuckin’ thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever been around a cop without the words “you have the right to remain silent” being said shortly thereafter, and I have no intention of voluntarily being around them now.
Do I feel bad about what’s happened? Sure. A woman is missing, after all, but I’m not a hero and I’m not going to pretend to be. If I had any type of hero complex, I’d have joined the military or some shit like that—hell, maybe I’d even have become a cop.
But nope, I’m just a biker. Don’t expect shit from me.
“Ranger, why the fuck not?” Faye continues, pursing her lips. I can see the determination in her hazel eyes. She wants me to help her, although I have no idea why. “I could really use your brain on this case. Don’t you want to be challenged? To do something good, to give back to the community? To help this poor woman, because who knows where she is right now or what’s happening to her!”
All valid points. I just don’t see why out of all the men she knows, she’s so adamant about having me be the one to help her.
“Come on, Ranger, you can at least look at the case before you say no again. You might pick up on something we’ve all missed, who knows. Anything you can think of will help. I’m at a dead end right now. You’re a fuckin’ genius, Ranger!” When I raise a brow, she adds, “I know exactly how high your IQ is. Talon told me.”
I groan and shut my eyes. Only Talon knows about that, and as far as I know he hasn’t told anyone, until now. Fuckin’ Faye. Looks like she got to him—he’s already spilling secrets to her.
“No one ever tells you no, do they?”
“Not without changing their mind,” she replies, not sounding smug, just stating a fact. “Especially after I was kidnapped.”
I open my eyes and look at her. I mean really look at her. “I didn’t join this MC to help you on your missions to save the world, Faye. I don’t want to work for the feds, or the cops, or for anyone for that matter. Yes, I’m smart. So are lots of people. I don’t really see how I can help though. It’s a missing-persons case. I don’t even know why they put you on it—how is a lawyer supposed to help?”
She slams the file down on the table, obviously losing her temper, the contents spilling out.
It’s the picture that gets my attention.
“Elizabeth Chase is a good woman, Ranger,” she says, softening her tone. “She volunteers to feed the homeless, she babysits her neighbors’ kids for free because they can’t afford a babysitter, and she sends all the money she can to help her younger sister pay for college.”
In the picture, Elizabeth is smiling, her long blond hair tumbling down her slender shoulders. Her blue eyes are looking right at me.
Judging me.
I pick up the photo, then glance at Faye, my expression giving away nothing. The thing is, I already know that Elizabeth Chase is a good woman. I know this firsthand. “Tell me everything.”
Her eyes dance with satisfaction.
She won. Like she usually does.
This time though, it’s not about Faye. The only reason I’m helping her is the woman in the photo.
Faye can be as smug as she likes.
All I care about right now is saving a woman I once used to know.
Six Years Ago
“Hello,” the girl says to me, tucking her hair back behind her ear. “You’re Cameron, right?”
I nod, smiling at her. I’ve seen her around the last few days but have never spoken to her. I came on this tour alone, a cruise around Scotland and Ireland, before all of us in the tour group head off to continental Europe, and it’s been one huge party from the second I got here. Everyone on board is young and looking for my kind of good time—no strings attached, just enjoying the right now and not worrying about tomorrow.
“Yeah,” I say, lighting up my cigarette and inhaling.
“I’m Elizabeth,” she says, smiling and then ducking her head, like she’s shy all of a sudden. I’m not a person who ever feels shy, so for some reason it amuses me. It’s an emotion I don’t really understand. I’m usually confident at best, comfortable at worst. I don’t generally give a shit what people around me think. If I did, there’s no way in hell I would have survived high school.