The Handler (Noir et Bleu Motorcycle Club #2) (7 page)

Chapter Six

The black SUV was parked at the curb in front of the radio station waiting for us. Tim took the lead, and I shielded her to push through the crowd of people. Once Lincoln and I were in the vehicle, Tim hit the roof to signal the driver. Even though Tim was asking people to move off the street, we had to start and stop about ten times because guys with cameras kept jumping on the hood.

Fifteen minutes later, he dropped us off at the upscale restaurant. A manager showed us to a table near the window, and we waited for the songwriter. Lincoln played with her napkin, then bounced her spoon off the table. After a few minutes, she chuckled.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m not used to waiting. I’m usually running late for everything.”

“Well, get used to it. I work fast.” I drank some water and glanced around the restaurant. It felt like everyone was staring at us.

She raised her eyebrow and said in a breathy voice, “I hope you don’t do everything fast.”

I shook my head and studied the menu to ignore her provocative comment. I definitely shouldn’t have hugged her in the elevator. She obviously got the wrong idea, or the right idea, which was wrong for the situation.

Undeterred by my lack of reaction, she continued in the same flirty tone, “You know those pictures of us are going to be in the magazines all over the world by tomorrow.”

I glanced at her, and panic shot through me as I realized what that meant.

“Everyone is going to assume you’re my boyfriend.” She smiled. “I hope you’re prepared for that.”

“Shit.” I pulled out my phone and stood up. “I have to call Liv.”

Lincoln’s posture deflated. “Call her from here. You can’t leave me sitting alone.”

“You’ll be fine. I’ll be right back.”

Her eyebrows angled together, and she bit her bottom lip as she looked around the restaurant. “Hurry.”

I wandered out onto the patio and paced for a while to come up with what I wanted to say. No matter how I phrased it, she was going to be pissed, so I called Huck first since it would be easier.

“Wow, twice in one day,” she said as soon as she picked up the phone. Then she realized it might be bad news. “Wait. Is everything all right?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. I’m calling to tell you something exciting.”

“You’re coming home?” she shrieked.

“No. I got a job working for Lincoln Todd. I’m going on tour with her to Europe.”

“Oh my God. Shut up!”

I laughed. “Jealous?”

“Yes.” She squealed and gave me a rapid fire list of everything she knew about Lincoln before she gave me a list of questions to ask her. “You have to send me pictures,” she said and finally took a breath.

“I will. I need to go, though. I’m supposed to be working right now.”

“Cool. Call me every day.”

“I’ll try. I love you.” After she said good bye and hung up, I paced a few more times and then dialed Liv’s number.

She inhaled in way that sounded irritated before she said, “Hi. What’s up?”

I looked through the window at Lincoln. “I have something to tell you. You’re not going to like it, so I’m just going to say it.”

“Okay,” she said hesitantly.

“A music executive offered me a job to be Lincoln Todd’s handler.”

“What’s a handler?”

“I don’t know really.”

“A job like that seems kind of permanent. Does that mean you’re planning to stay in L.A.?”

“No. It’s only for six weeks. He wants me to go on tour with them to Europe and hang out with her.”

“What does that mean? Are you a fucking gigolo?”

“A babysitter. He’s going to pay me ten thousand dollars a day.”

“A day?”

“A day.”

“For babysitting? That sounds more like what you pay a gigolo.”

I laughed. “She’s high maintenance. They have to pay that much for babysitting or nobody would do it.”

“Why does she need a babysitter?”

“She’s stressed out and on the verge of a breakdown. Her manager wants me there to keep her from freaking out so she’ll be able to do all the things he has planned for her. She wants me there because she’s lonely.”

“Was it her idea to ask you?”

“Uh, yeah, she asked me, but he’s the one who offered me the job.”

“Why?”

“Because she listens to me for some reason.”

“So, she likes you?”

“She’s sixteen, Liv.”

“Yeah, exactly.” She was quiet, and I could feel the tension through the phone. “This whole long distance thing is hard enough without you taking a job babysitting a beautiful girl.”

Being hired to babysit a teenage pop star seemed like less of a strain on the relationship than her hanging out with a guy in her class, but I didn’t want to fight, so I said, “The money will help me support Huck and my mom—if she survives.”

She was quiet for a long time. When she finally spoke, all she said was, “I don’t want to do this anymore, Jamie.”

She hung up, and I stood there with my eyes closed, listening to the dial tone.

When I looked up, ten people were swarmed around the table asking Lincoln for autographs and snapping photos. I jogged over. “Okay, everyone. Thanks. Give her some space.” I escorted them away, then sat down. “Geez, they’re like vultures.”

“I tried to warn you, and you didn’t believe me.”

“Sorry.”

“How did your girlfriend take the news?”

I massaged my neck. “Uh, about as well as I expected.”

Lincoln fidgeted with the napkin again. “So, you guys have a pretty serious relationship?” She looked optimistic that I would say no, but even with my relationship on the rocks, I wasn’t going to encourage hope. Nothing was going to happen with her.

“You know this is just a job for me, right?”

“Sure,” she muttered. “What else would it be?”

“I just want to be clear right now. I’m only doing this for the money. If you have any other ideas, you need to get rid of them. If you can’t, I shouldn’t take the job.”

She tilted her head to look at me with contempt. “Don’t flatter yourself, Cain. I just don’t like to be alone.”

“Okay. Good. So, we’re clear.”

“Yeah. Crystal.”

“And we’re cool?”

“Totally cool,” she snapped. She looked over her shoulder and shouted, “Can we get some service over here?”

The manager came over immediately. “Sorry, Miss Todd. We were giving you and your companion time to talk. I would be happy to take your orders.”

She raised her eyebrows as if she wanted me to go first. “I’ll have the salmon,” I said.

He nodded and then looked back at Lincoln.

She flipped through the pages of the menu. “What do you recommend?” she finally asked him.

“The beet and goat cheese salad is light. The curried chicken is popular if you want something a little more hardy.”

She thought for a while before she said, “I’ll have the salmon.”

He nodded and walked away. Lincoln’s cheeks turned red, and her eyes became teary. I didn’t say anything. We sat in awkward silence for about fifteen minutes before a woman in a long rainbow-colored skirt walked up to the table. She looked like a hippie throwback with the layers of wood bead necklaces and her hair woven in one long braid that rested over her shoulder.

“Lincoln, darling, you’re early. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” She leaned over and kissed Lincoln on the cheek. “Is everything okay?”

Lincoln forced a smile. “I’m just really tired. How are you, Gayle?”

“Fabulous.” She sat down and looked at me with interest. “You must be the mysterious C.”

“This is Cain,” Lincoln introduced us. “He’s just a handler. Nothing more,” she said with a bite to her tone. “In fact, he doesn’t need to be here for this meeting. Excuse us, Cain.”

I made eye contact with her for a second, then chuckled. “I’m glad we’re cool,” I mumbled as I moved to sit at the table right beside them. A waiter brought over our salmons and asked Gayle what she wanted.

The meeting was still going on two hours later. Lincoln looked over at me frequently, but I pretended not to notice in order to keep the relationship professional. Each time someone came over to ask for an autograph, I stepped in and told them she was working. While I sat staring out the window, two bikers wearing full patch cuts from the Boomslangs motorcycle club pulled up in front of the sports bar across the street. They unassed and lit cigarettes. The one guy appeared to be about my height, just over six feet. His hair was long and blond. He had a braided beard and a tattoo that ran up the right side of his neck. The other guy was shorter and had a big gut.

Neither was the one I was looking for. I watched them disappear into the bar and noticed the twenty other bikes parked along the side of the building. That many Boomslangs in one place meant there was a good chance the third guy might show his face. The Noir et Bleu, who had eyes everywhere, would likely be making their presence known. I needed to get Lincoln out of the vicinity in case something erupted.

I stood and clasped Lincoln’s elbow to make her stand. “Sorry, Gayle. We have to go.”

“We’re not done,” Lincoln said with indignation.

“Yeah, you are.” I dropped cash on the table, then clutched her arm tightly to guide her toward the door. We stepped out under the awning, and people pushed to get close to Lincoln. I strained to see over the crowd of heads. Flashes from cameras went off and created a disorienting strobe effect. “Where’s the SUV?” I asked and pulled her by the hand toward the curb.

“I have to text the driver.” She typed on her phone with one hand.

I shoved a few fans who jostled her. “Tell him to hurry.” A flash went off right in my face and temporarily blinded me. Lincoln got bumped off balance and screamed. I lunged toward her and tucked her into my chest. “Back off!” I yelled and pushed the photographers to give us some room. It was claustrophobic, and the strobes disoriented me.

It seemed to be taking forever for the driver to show up, and a nauseous feeling bubbled up in my gut when I felt the vibration in my feet. Windows rattled and car alarms went off. I knew right away that it was the sound of more Harleys coming. Everyone else paused and turned to figure out what was causing the rumbling sound. I took advantage of their distraction to weave Lincoln through the crowd and down the sidewalk. Twenty bikers riding together rolled down the street. There wasn’t one person on the sidewalk who didn’t turn to look. Little kids pressed their hands against their ears. The reverberation of the engines bounced around in my chest and drowned out my heartbeat.

Even if the member I’d been searching for was with the approaching group of bikers, there was nothing I could do about it. Especially not with Lincoln right next to me. My urgency to get her out of the situation ramped up to a panic level. Lincoln watched as the bikes slowed and parked in front of the bar. Then she spun and looked at me.

The SUV pulled up to the curb and nearly hit us. I swung the back door open and jumped in after her. “Go,” I said to the driver and checked over my shoulder.

Lincoln studied my expression. “Those guys had different patches on their jackets than your roommates.”

I raised my left eyebrow and sat back against the leather seat, relieved that we got out of there, but still tense. Skipping town was definitely necessary if she and I were going to be hanging out together. I didn’t want them anywhere near her. “Did they?”

“Yes. Who are the Boomslangs? Do you know them?”

“I don’t think so.”

Not buying the lie, she frowned and spun around to peer out the back window until we turned the corner. She could obviously tell I was rattled, because she was quiet for the rest of the drive.

When we arrived at the studio, she waited for the driver to get out before she asked, “What was that all about?”

I shook my head to play it down, slid out, and held the door open for her.

“Why did you make me leave? Did you know they were coming?”

“I just didn’t want you to be late for the photo shoot.”

She frowned again as if she wanted to ask more, but realized it was futile to wait for me to answer. She reluctantly followed me inside the studio.

A team of five people surrounded her for an hour of hair, makeup, and wardrobe. While she posed for the photo shoot, I sat on a leather couch at the back of the studio thinking about what might have happened if any of them had spotted me. I was the only witness scheduled to testify against the two who were already in prison awaiting trial, and besides Liv and Huck, I was the only one who could ID the third one. We called him Fireball since I only knew what he looked like, not who he was.

It was the first time since I’d arrived in Los Angeles that I had seen that many Boomslangs together at once. I got antsy thinking about what the Noir et Bleu would do if they found the guy. I hadn’t wanted it to go down their way because I promised Huck I wouldn’t turn into one of them, but the Noir et Bleu way of doing things was faster and more permanent than the judicial system. The photo shoot was taking forever, and I was feeling adrenalized, so I stood and paced.

“Are you okay?” Lincoln appeared beside me and rested her hand on my back.

“I think I need some water.”

“Water!” she shouted and guided me to sit back on the couch. “What’s wrong?”

I rested my elbows on my knees and rubbed my temples. “It’s complicated.” An assistant showed up with water and opened the cap for me. I drank the entire bottle at once.

Lincoln waved the assistant away and watched me. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I’m fine. You can go back to work.”

“There’s no rush.” She bit at her lip nervously for a second, then said, “Sorry I was acting immature at the restaurant.”

“That didn’t bother me.” To lighten the mood, I teased, “I’m used to it. I’ve got a little sister who can be a brat sometimes.”

The teasing didn’t lighten anything. She was dead serious when she asked, “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

Her sincerity was sweet, but I really didn’t want her to be pulled into my problems, so I said, “I’m fine. Go back to work so we can get out of here.”

After a minute, she frowned with concern, then stood and walked back to the set. I debated about whether I should call Digger to find out if he already knew that almost the entire Boomslangs chapter was out at a public place. It wasn’t going to happen again anytime soon. If the guy was there, it wasn’t like they could walk up and kill him in front of everyone. They wouldn’t even be able to get close enough to kidnap him with his whole crew around. That was assuming he was even there.