Bowser (Dragon Riders MC Book 2) Read online

  Bowser(Dragon Riders MC #2)

  Savannah Rylan

  Copyright © 2020 by Savannah Rylan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Bowser

  2. Hope

  3. Bowser

  4. Hope

  5. Bowser

  6. Hope

  7. Bowser

  8. Hope

  9. Bowser

  10. Hope

  11. Bowser

  12. Hope

  13. Bowser

  14. Hope

  15. Bowser

  16. Hope

  17. Bowser

  18. Hope

  19. Bowser

  20. Hope

  Sneak Peak at Ash

  More Books by Savannah Rylan

  About the Author

  1

  Bowser

  “Aye, Knuckles!”

  He looked up from the bar. “What?”

  I snickered. “You greet anyone else as harshly as you greet me?”

  “Got a problem with it?”

  I shrugged. “Not if you’ve got the books I need.”

  He grumbled to himself as he dipped down behind the bar. The past few weeks had been a doozy on all of us, Knuckles included. Not only was he in charge of half the bars we owned as a crew, he was also responsible for balancing the books. Knuckles was our numbers guy. He didn’t like that we called him as such. Not as “tough” as he wanted to be known for. But his numbers were impeccable every single time.

  Even though I went over them.

  Every. Single. Time.

  “Here,” he said.

  Knuckles dropped a stack of books on the bar before he yanked a rag off his shoulder.

  “Try not to hurt yourself with those numbers now,” he murmured.

  I smiled. “Ah, and finally we have words other than ‘what,’ ‘uh huh,’ and ‘yeah.’”

  He grumbled to himself, but I didn’t catch what he said. It never bothered me, anyway. Out of all the men in the Dragon Riders, Knuckles was one we could all count on. He was there when we needed him, he never said no to a decent-enough proposition that made him money, and he always kept his mouth shut. I mean, unless someone stepped on his toes.

  I saw that happen once.

  And it ended in bloodshed.

  “Thanks, Knuckles!”

  “Yeah, yeah,” he murmured.

  With the beginning of the week came the beginning of my weekly responsibilities. Mondays were centered around traveling to the bars we owned in our area in order to check in on things. Then, I had to head back to our command center bar, the Iron Horse, and look at all of the security feeds. Every bar had one. And while I could watch them in the individual bars, I enjoyed watching those tapes as well as going over Knuckles’ numbers for the month.

  Then, I set up everyone to get paid.

  Every week, the same shit: numbers, books, bars, and beers. Inventory had to be ordered and overtime had to be paid on time. Direct deposit routing numbers had to be double-checked because one of our bars had an oddly-high turn-over rate with bartenders and waitresses alike. I still hadn’t figured out why that damn bar tore through employees so quickly.

  Still, it brought us in a lot of money. So, I jotted that issue down for another time.

  Another week.

  Another month, before I dealt with it.

  “Hey, Bowser.”

  I sighed. “Make it quick, Sly. What’s up?”

  “Got another waitress that quit on me.”

  “Did you hit on her?”

  “Nah. Too thick for me.”

  I chuckled. “Did you otherwise make a pass at her that could’ve been misconstrued as you wanting her pussy?”

  “Uh, see my prior answer.”

  I peered over my shoulder. “Did you stop scheduling her because you didn’t want to look at her?”

  He paused. “I mean, she put in for two weeks of vacation. Might as well give it to her now.”

  I sighed. “Sly, you can’t hire, fire, and decide not to book someone. The bars have procedures for a reason. Don’t make me regret putting you in charge of this damn bar. It’s already got the highest turnover rate with—”

  “I know, I know. She’s a bitch, though, dude. She slapped me in the middle of my bar a few nights back.”

  I blinked. “And you didn't fire her, then?”

  He grinned. “You know I like ‘em feisty.”

  I had a feeling I found the issue with the bar. “You’ve got a month to show me you can retain the same staff week after week. And if you can’t? Knuckles takes over your bar, too.”

  “He’s got enough shit on his plate.”

  “And he’ll have more if you can’t get it together. Don’t make me regret this.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Okay. I’ll go apologize.”

  “Yes. Go apologize, then let her know that assaulting the owner of the bar won’t be tolerated. Then, fire her.”

  “I can do that, too.”

  “And for fuck’s sake, Sly. Don’t sleep with her!”

  He walked out of my office. “See original comment!”

  I barked with laughter as I slid my glasses off. I hated that I needed to use them to read. I mean, I wasn’t old. Why the fuck did my eyes treat me that way, then? I tossed them onto the books and pinched the bridge of my nose. I loved what I did. I loved my men, too. But sometimes? I wanted to go home, pack my shit up, ride up into the mountains, and hunker down with some books and the local newspaper.

  What? I was an old soul at heart.

  “Knock knock,” Link said.

  “Come in,” I said mindlessly.

  He inched my door open. “Do I want to know why Sly’s storming out of here?”

  “Let’s just say I think I know what’s wrong with that bar.”

  “What?”

  “Sly’s not doing that bar any good.”

  “Well, to be fair to him, the bar wasn’t doing well before we put him in charge of it.”

  I spun around in my chair. “Putting him in charge of it was supposed to fix it. If anything, he’s made it worse.”

  “Did you give him a timeframe in which he had to fix it?”

  I nodded. “A month to show me he can retain staff.”

  “Then, after a month, give him something else to do. Hand it over to Knuckles or try out Ash.”

  “I’m more prone to taking it on myself, at this point.”

  He grinned. “Good luck. There’s a reason why I have you doing what you do throughout the week.”

  “Because I’m the best vice president this club’s ever seen?”

  He chuckled. “Because you suck at the bar business, too.”

  I waved my hand at him. “That was years ago. I’m sure I could do it now.”

  “Uh huh. Anyway, how are the books coming along?”

  “Perfect, as always. You know Knuckles is always good for them.”

  “I don’t know how he does it. I hated math in school.”

  “Same. Here.”

  He sighed. “Any update on Hope?”

  I shrugged. “Still at the clubhouse. Still in that same room. Still asking for books and magazines and not having a damn thing to do with anything else.”

  “I suppose it’s for the best.”

  “She’s been cooped up for weeks, Link. She’s going a little stir crazy. I had to get on her yesterday because I found her standing on the side of th
e lake.”

  “She left the clubhouse?”

  I nodded. “Can you blame her, though?”

  He licked his lips. “I suppose I can’t.”

  “But anyway. She’s fine. We’ll get her through it. How are you and Joanna?”

  He grinned. “We’re great?”

  I smiled. “How great?”

  He chuckled. “Great enough that details would be disrespectful at this point.”

  “My man! Way to go. I’m happy for you.”

  “Me, too. Moving her in wasn’t just good for her safety; it was good for the both of us. I’m lucky to wake up to her every morning.”

  “How’s her business coming along? She still getting into the office?”

  “She’s been working from my place. I got her set up with her own home office until further notice. She’s still on the ball with clients while using her down time to help us. She’s been hauling ass. I’m really impressed.”

  “Well, make sure we’re paying her for it, too. Just because she’s attached to you—”

  “I know, I know. Trust me, I’m making sure she gets paid.”

  I grinned. “With money, Link.”

  He paused. “Oh. Well. With that, too.”

  I threw my head back in laughter before I turned back to the computer screens in front of me.

  “Let me get all of this shit done, then I’ll go relieve the guys at the clubhouse for the night.”

  “You sure you don’t want me to take a shift? Joanna’s itching to get back over there anyway,” Link said.

  I shrugged. “If you want to take it, go ahead. But Joanna’s welcome there even if you’re not taking the night shift. The night shift suits me well, so I’d rather not torture anyone with it.”

  “Still dealing with the insomnia?”

  I swallowed hard. “Not sure I’ll never not deal with it, Link.”

  He walked over and clapped my shoulder with his hand.

  “If you ever need anything—”

  I peered up at him. “I know, Link. I know.”

  He squeezed my shoulder. “Good.”

  He stared at one another for a few beats before he cleared his throat.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”

  I nodded. “I’ll let you know when I get to the clubhouse.”

  As Link closed my office door in the back of the Iron Horse, I shoved the books off to the side. I clicked around the security footage and wound it back, trying to find what Sly was talking about. I squinted my tired eyes as I propped my chin against my hand. I clicked through hour after hour, until I found Sly standing in the middle of the bar, he managed with a woman who was, indeed, pretty thick.

  “Still sexy, though,” I murmured.

  A few minutes ticked by and the woman flailed her arms in the air. Sly had that grin on his face, which was exactly how he got his fucking nickname with us. He stood back with his arms crossed over his chest. Just letting her verbally wail at him.

  Then, his lips moved before her hand cracked across his cheek.

  “What I wouldn’t give for audio,” I whispered.

  I zoomed into Sly’s face to see if I could read his lips. It was a talent of mine that Link utilized more than I cared to admit. I zoomed in and turned up the resolution of the picture. I zoomed in again and focused on his lips. I had to replay it a few times before I understood what he’d said. And when I figured it out, I reached for my cell phone.

  Dialing his number immediately.

  “This is—”

  I interrupted him. “You will never tell any of our staff again that they ‘are lucky to be working in the shape they’re in.’ Do you understand me?”

  He paused. “Yep.”

  “I won’t say it again. Do what I’ve asked you to do. Have you fired her yet?”

  “Not yet. She doesn’t work until tomorrow night.”

  “Good. Don’t fire her.”

  “But she—”

  I sighed. “You deserved it, Sly. Somehow, you always deserve it. Tell her she’s being relocated and send her over to Dragon’s Bend. They’re down a waitress and could use the help. Knuckles will treat her better, too. You know, while you’re learning what that means.”

  “Hey, now. I didn’t ask for—”

  “Yes, you did!” I bellowed.

  The phone call fell silent as I hung my head.

  “Yes, Sly. You did ask for this. You did ask to take on more responsibility with the bars. And if you can’t get your shit together, you’ll be stuck shining guns and bulletproof gear until you’re old and gray. Understood?”

  He growled. “Yeah.”

  “Good. Don’t step out of line again. You’ll regret it if you do.”

  He hung up on me and I placed my phone onto my desk. Some days, I wanted to chuck it against the wall and run away to a cabin in the woods. But the peacefulness of the clubhouse in the middle of nowhere by the lake was all I’d get. In our defense, it was a pretty nice place. If it weren’t so damn big, I’ve move in there permanently and upkeep it for whenever the crew needed it.

  But it was big. And I didn’t like big, enclosed spaces.

  Too many vulnerable points.

  I finished up in my office and locked the door. I headed through the bar, waving at people as I walked out the front doors. Hiking my leg over my bike was therapeutic, but I wasn’t done with my daily duties yet. I still had one more thing I had to do. One more thing before I could get back to the clubhouse.

  I had to ride around and talk to our contacts.

  I dipped into other businesses we invested in and exchanged a weekly allotment for our monthly payouts as well as any information they’d heard. We invested in a lot of places: ice cream shops, a local movie theater, several public parks and recreational places. Anywhere that people might go and think they weren’t being overheard. But even after exchanging money and taking our monthly cut of things, we didn’t have much information to utilize.

  And by that, I meant we had virtually nothing.

  “They’re covering their tracks well,” I said to myself.

  Either that or some of our people had been bought off.

  I chose not to entertain that thought right now, though. I rode to the bank and deposited things so paychecks would go out without bouncing. The guys would be happy to see a little extra in their accounts, and I knew that would lift everyone’s spirits until we figured out what the hell the Golden Jags were doing next.

  It had been radio silence for weeks, though.

  And none of us were sure what to make of that.

  I turned my sights toward the clubhouse and away I went. I sped down the road, feeling the wind whip around my body as the fresh air of the wooded area around upstate New York tickled my nose. I loved it out here. The town of Rome, where we occupied, held anywhere between thirty-five and forty-five-thousand people. It was as alive as any town could get. But two miles outside of the city limits and it felt like the countryside. It felt like home out there. With sprawling fields and rows of trees and patches of land that hadn’t been developed yet. It was splendid, and one day I wanted to purchase my own place out here.

  But for now, it was bachelor living in some rundown apartment across from the Iron Horse.

  You know, to be closer to work.

  I pulled off to the left and slowed down. The dirt road eventually caved to gravel as I got just beyond the line of the trees, and already I saw the lights of the clubhouse through the thick brush. This place was well-hidden. Even the dirt road was hard to see. And since it wasn’t even a developed dirt road, most people simply thought it was a trail carved out by some teenagers looking for trouble. What used to be an old, rundown estate became the basis for our clubhouse. A room for each of the core members, plus enough rooms to house any children or families that we might have to hide as well.

  The place was fucking massive.

  And it sat right by a beautiful, icy lake.

  I watched Ash stand from the porch and I chuckled to myself
. That man was a hulking piece of muscle if I’d ever seen one. Easily the biggest man I’d ever come across in my fucking life. He lumbered off the porch with a dead look on his face. But even behind that blank stare, he looked relieved to see me.

  “She cause you any trouble today?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “The usual.”

  “So, she tried to get out to the lake then locked herself in her room?”

  “Before trying to sneak out a window.”

  I paused. “Her room doesn’t have a window.”

  His eyes held mine. “I know.”

  I swallowed my laughter. Hope was a spunky one, I’d give her that. Link had put me in charge of her safety while she was at the clubhouse under our care. Which was one of the reasons why I wanted to be on night watch. Day time wasn’t as vulnerable as nighttime. And for once, my insomnia could be utilized for something positive.

  “Tag, you’re it,” Ash said as he settled his hand onto my shoulder.

  Then, a few seconds later, I heard his bike crank up.

  As his bike fell behind me off into the distance, my eyes danced along the cabin. I drew in a deep breath of fresh air before making my way to the porch that faced the lake. It was my favorite spot on this entire property. Fifteen acres of land we owned with this damn thing, but the porch view of the lake was breathtaking. I enjoyed gazing out at it while drinking my coffee in the morning. It was one of the few things in life that still filled me with joy.

  “Come to chain me to my room?” Hope asked.

  Her harsh voice pulled me from my trance. But she’d never be harsh on the eyes.

  Thank fuck Link set down a rule that she was off-limits to anyone in the crew. Otherwise, she would’ve already been mine. With those beautiful eyes and her honey-highlighted brown hair, she had thick curves that called to my palms. She had a fight in her—a strength that superseded anything I’d ever found in a woman. And once this was all said and done with the Golden Jags, I wasn’t too sure I’d leave her alone.