understand what was going on here.
“I really need you to start explaining yourself. I really don’t want to get the police involved but I will if I have to.”
Ash shrugged his shoulders at her. “Seamus Quirke was a friend of the club. Before he passed he asked us to keep an eye on you. If you want to know more than that you’ll have to take a ride with me.”
Maggie jerked at her father’s name. Who was this guy?
“A ride? What, on your motorcycle? Is this some kind of joke? I’m not going anywhere with you. You’re a complete stranger, who has been stalking me, and now I find you sitting out here waiting for me after my class and you want me to go on a ride with you? What am I supposed to say to that? I mean how do you honestly expect me to respond?”
“Well when you put it like that… I guess I expect you to say yes, get on my bike, and let me take you for a ride. I promise I’m not here to hurt you Maggie. Your father did ask the club to keep an eye on you. And if you go for a ride with me I’ll be able to answer all your questions.”
Maggie turned away from him and walked a few steps. She didn’t know what to do. This man scared her. He had definitely been following her, but he knew her name, and knew her father’s name. Reef could have told him that information though. She absolutely would NOT get on that bike with him. Period. Decision made she turned back to him.
“What’s your name?” She asked.
“Ash Moreno.” Ash held his hand out. “Pleased to meet you.”
Ignoring Ash’s hand Maggie kept her distance. “You can’t honestly expect me to get on the back of a motorcycle with a complete stranger who’s been following me around for weeks. However, I would be willing to follow you in my car. If I am uncomfortable at any point I will leave. Is that acceptable?”
Ash stood for a moment and considered her, then nodded, turned away to place his helmet on his head, and swing a leg over the bike. “Ok. Follow me.”
Maggie turned and raced back toward her car. She rushed to start the car and drive to the entrance of the parking lot where Ash waited for her. She followed him through downtown and around the park where the library sat at the edge of the duck pond.
They passed the barbershop that her father used to get his hair cut at and made their way into the seedier part of town. Ash slowed down, put on his left blinker, and pulled into a parking spot at the end of a long line of other motorcycles in front of a bar.
Maggie chose to park across the street from the bar in front of a small catholic thrift shop. The little old lady that peaked out of the window as she pulled into the spot made her feel slightly better. She wasn’t sure what she expected the old woman to do, but at least someone saw her face before she entered the dark bar.
She waited until Ash was off his bike and standing by the door before she made her way across the street. He held the door open for her, but she stood back and waited not wanting to have him at her back.
“Oh no. You go first.” She said as she smirked at him and waited.
Ash shrugged and walked inside. He let Maggie catch the door behind him and walked about ten feet into the bar before stopping and turning back to see her standing just inside the door, letting her eyes get used to the dimness. When Maggie was ready she moved her eyes back to him and nodded following him toward a wall at the back that was covered in photos. She stepped up to the wall, keeping several feet between herself and Ash.
“What are we doing here?” She asked after a long moment of silence.
“Answering your question.” Ash nodded to the wall.
“What am I supposed to be looking at here? You’re pretty pictures? They’re great, but they aren’t answering any of my questions.”
Ash lifted his right hand and tapped a finger on the glass of the large central most image. It was an old photo of a group of rough looking men all standing in a line in front of their
“I really need you to start explaining yourself. I really don’t want to get the police involved but I will if I have to.”
Ash shrugged his shoulders at her. “Seamus Quirke was a friend of the club. Before he passed he asked us to keep an eye on you. If you want to know more than that you’ll have to take a ride with me.”
Maggie jerked at her father’s name. Who was this guy?
“A ride? What, on your motorcycle? Is this some kind of joke? I’m not going anywhere with you. You’re a complete stranger, who has been stalking me, and now I find you sitting out here waiting for me after my class and you want me to go on a ride with you? What am I supposed to say to that? I mean how do you honestly expect me to respond?”
“Well when you put it like that… I guess I expect you to say yes, get on my bike, and let me take you for a ride. I promise I’m not here to hurt you Maggie. Your father did ask the club to keep an eye on you. And if you go for a ride with me I’ll be able to answer all your questions.”
Maggie turned away from him and walked a few steps. She didn’t know what to do. This man scared her. He had definitely been following her, but he knew her name, and knew her father’s name. Reef could have told him that information though. She absolutely would NOT get on that bike with him. Period. Decision made she turned back to him.
“What’s your name?” She asked.
“Ash Moreno.” Ash held his hand out. “Pleased to meet you.”
Ignoring Ash’s hand Maggie kept her distance. “You can’t honestly expect me to get on the back of a motorcycle with a complete stranger who’s been following me around for weeks. However, I would be willing to follow you in my car. If I am uncomfortable at any point I will leave. Is that acceptable?”
Ash stood for a moment and considered her, then nodded, turned away to place his helmet on his head, and swing a leg over the bike. “Ok. Follow me.”
Maggie turned and raced back toward her car. She rushed to start the car and drive to the entrance of the parking lot where Ash waited for her. She followed him through downtown and around the park where the library sat at the edge of the duck pond.
They passed the barbershop that her father used to get his hair cut at and made their way into the seedier part of town. Ash slowed down, put on his left blinker, and pulled into a parking spot at the end of a long line of other motorcycles in front of a bar.
Maggie chose to park across the street from the bar in front of a small catholic thrift shop. The little old lady that peaked out of the window as she pulled into the spot made her feel slightly better. She wasn’t sure what she expected the old woman to do, but at least someone saw her face before she entered the dark bar.
She waited until Ash was off his bike and standing by the door before she made her way across the street. He held the door open for her, but she stood back and waited not wanting to have him at her back.
“Oh no. You go first.” She said as she smirked at him and waited.
Ash shrugged and walked inside. He let Maggie catch the door behind him and walked about ten feet into the bar before stopping and turning back to see her standing just inside the door, letting her eyes get used to the dimness. When Maggie was ready she moved her eyes back to him and nodded following him toward a wall at the back that was covered in photos. She stepped up to the wall, keeping several feet between herself and Ash.
“What are we doing here?” She asked after a long moment of silence.
“Answering your question.” Ash nodded to the wall.
“What am I supposed to be looking at here? You’re pretty pictures? They’re great, but they aren’t answering any of my questions.”
Ash lifted his right hand and tapped a finger on the glass of the large central most image. It was an old photo of a group of rough looking men all standing in a line in front of their
Similar Books
