Treasure
Three Card Monte

The next morning, Dr. Chase Nygaard tracked down his attending before morning rounds. “I want to release Miss King to her mother,” he said. “She doesn’t meet the requirements for remaining on hold, and I don’t see the value of continued inpatient treatments. She can follow up with her doctors back home,” he said.

Dr. Bach reviewed his notes, and they discussed his plans. “I have to agree she isn’t a danger. With her medications, she’s been stable. If we knew her full history when she arrived at the ER, we would have released her then,” he said. “Start the paperwork, and I’ll sign it.”

“Yes, Doctor.” He went over to the computer and typed up discharge instructions, including the need to continue her drug therapy and follow up with her doctor. He brought it back, getting his signature, and immediately called her mother. She said they would be there in an hour, so brought a nurse with as he opened the door and found Rori still sleeping. “Miss King,” he said as he shook her arm.

Rori smiled; she was dreaming, and the feelings shooting up her arm just helped. Her wolf was forward, luxuriating in her mate’s scent and touch. “Ooooh, yeah,” she let out with a low moan.

“Miss King! Wake up.” She opened her eyes and looked up, a little surprised to see him. “You’re getting discharged this morning; your mother said she would be here in an hour. I thought you might want to shower and get ready.”

She stretched, her tongue sticking out a little as he watched her. “I don’t have clothes,” she said.

“Your mother brought some last night thinking you might be coming home. I left them by the door,” he said. “I’ll be back with morning rounds. When your Mom gets here, we’ll go through your release paperwork.” He walked back out the open door, secretly dreading what would happen after she left. He didn’t want her out of his sight. The longer she stayed here, the worse the need for each other would become. He just hoped she and her Mom would trust him enough to stop the medication and seek him out.

Ninety minutes later, he was wheeling Rori out to the curb as her Mother doted over her. “Thank you, Doctor,” she said as they arrived at the car Nuke was driving for them.

“Call me if you have any questions,” Chase said. Rori was standing by the door when he called her name; she looked at him and wondered what would happen now. Her inner voice, the one who said she was a wolf, basically wanted to pull him into the backseat and screw him in front of everyone. Rori struggled to understand why she felt like she could trust him. No other doctor knew about the physical changes she had kept secret, and his advice was so different from her old doctors. He reached out to shake her hand, and she took it, the tingles and warmth traveling up her arm to her chest. “Trust her,” he said.

“We’ll see.” She let his hand go and got in, and he closed the door before they pulled away. She looked back at him standing there, looking as lost and sad as she felt right now. How could this be? Why did she feel like leaving him was a mistake?

“Where are we going, Mom?”

“Back to the Clubhouse.”

Her mouth dropped, that was about the LAST place she thought she’d be going. “What about the guys who were after me? They might see me.”

Nuke just laughed. “We want those bastards to see and follow you. We’ve got groups from six different chapters up here now, all of whom came to help when you got taken. They’re all leaving later today.”

“So? They can watch for me.”

“You ever play three-card monte? Trust me, Rori, you’ll be fine. It’s a beautiful day, and how long has it been since you’ve been on your motorcycle?”

“Three hundred and eight days. Not that I’m counting.”

Roadkill snorted. “My God, I’d be going nuts if I was off a motorcycle that long.”

“It wasn’t by choice,” she complained. “I couldn’t even go out in full helmet and leathers.”

With the morning traffic, it took an hour to get back to the Clubhouse. Security was tight, prospects and patches were visible behind the fences, and were all armed. A crowd was waiting for them when they stopped. Dozens of Steel Ladies surrounded Rori as she got out. It took her a good ten minutes to make it into the Clubhouse and the breakfast buffet. She loaded her plate with scrambled eggs, biscuits, and gravy, then went to sit down at an open spot.

“Rori, get your young ass up here and bring you Mom with,” Mighty Elk yelled from her table. Rori took her plate and set it at an open spot as Elk put her arm around her. The table held Steel Ladies Presidents from six different clubs. “We meant to have this the day after you got back from Florida, but you had to go off on your own,” she said. “I can’t believe you ended up naked in a Seattle alley, and you didn’t invite ONE of the Ladies to party with you.” Everyone laughed, the circumstances of her disappearance and discovery were becoming Steel Brotherhood legend. An unarmed woman fought her way past a half-dozen armed kidnappers? They could respect that, and waking up naked and confused happened when you partied with bikers.

“I didn’t expect the old guys to hang out, but I thought maybe Nuke would be able to hang with me,” she said with a grin.

“No matter. Rori, you’ve become dear to us over the last two months, just like you have with other Chapters you’ve visited. We hate to see you move on. However, since FINALLY turned eighteen, we can give you this.” Two other girls held out a Steel Ladies cut, showing her the patches on the back. Turning it around, she saw what they had picked for her road name.

“CANVAS? What kind of road name is that?”

“Simple,” Mighty Elk said as she slipped the leather vest on her. “When you set your sights on someone, they end up on a painting on the wall or knocked on their ass in the ring. They meet Canvas.” The crowd roared, as she had done both here in Renton. She couldn’t get good odds anymore, but she had no shortage of sparring partners. She was small, quick, and deceptively strong. Her skills continued to improve to the point some had talked to her about going professional.

Rori pulled the vest around in front as everyone stood and applauded. She rubbed the leather with her fingers, happy it was finally hers. She would have had it a year earlier if not for her age. The bylaws were strict; no one under eighteen could be a patched member. She felt loved and accepted, and it was time to hug them all. By the time she got to her seat, her food was cold. A prospect grabbed it and heated it back up. “Congratulations, Canvas,” he said as he set it back down.

At nine, they were heading out. Six clubs, six support vans, and almost eighty riders were going to take a drive through the Cascades, circling Mount Rainier before the Renton club would return home. “Where am I going,” she asked as she pulled on her riding gear in her empty room. Her possessions were packed in one of the vans, leaving some clothes in her saddlebags. The Club had cleaned, tuned, and topped off her Harley. It was waiting outside for her.

“We’re going to Portland chapter,” Possum said as she put on her gear. “I’m looking forward to the run; it’s so beautiful out here. It has trees and hills, unlike Florida.”

“You’re staying?”

“Of course, baby. We do need to finish our honeymoon. Roadkill has a company to run, but he needs time off as well.” They left the room and went outside; the sound of Harley exhaust as they fired them up was intense. When everyone was ready, the Presidents led the way out, led by Wolfman and Mighty Elk. Willie and Colt rode next to him. Willie was the Renton Road Captain, responsible for planning and executing Club runs. The next five Presidents or VP’s followed, then the officers from the clubs. Nuke motioned for Canvas to pull out next to him, and Roadkill and Possum were right behind her. They tucked in the middle of the formation, with the six support vans trailing them all. They headed southeast on Highway 169, away from the city, and then onto the two-lane winding roads that were so much fun on a motorcycle.

They stopped for lunch in Greenwater, taking over a diner. Willie had made arrangements with them, so they were open and ready with a buffet spread for all the riders. An hour later, they were back on the road. “How are you doing, Canvas?” Nuke was still next to her, tasked to keep her safe.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “We’re so close to the mountain, and the roads are so much fun!” She didn’t have to yell since Nike had synced their Bluetooth communicators so they could talk during the drive.

“I wish I could you out alone, there are some amazing rides I know, and some great places I’d like to take you.” He left it unsaid, he’d been hinting around his interest in her, and now that she was eighteen, asking her out might not end up with him in an unmarked grave. “Club runs are fun, but I love opening it up on these back roads.”

“I’d love that,” she said as she blushed a little. “So many things I want to sketch and paint.”

He had made sure she had his number, and he assured her he might be able to see her again soon. “Portland isn’t far away,” he said.

Nuke was a good friend and had been hinting about wanting to date her for weeks. Suddenly, his attention didn’t feel right. Her gut was telling her not to commit, so she didn’t say anything to him.

They entered the National Forest, and the ride became slower as they caught up to traffic. “Get ready, we’re making the change up here,” Nuke said. Riders had gone ahead to block oncoming traffic, while others dropped back to make sure no one got too close. Rori and Roadkill pulled over to the side as one of the vans pulled in front of them, then stopped. The cargo van’s back door opened, and a ramp pushed out. Rori drove forward, and the Prospect inside helped stop the Harley into the back. As she tied it down, Roadkill was pushing his in. A minute later, the doors closed, and the formation started moving again. Nobody outside the Club saw the change, as they didn’t let any cars get close enough to see them.

She sat on pillows in the back, next to boxes of her. Roadkill was riding shotgun while she sat behind the driver’s seat with her Mom. Things were tight with the two motorcycles and her stuff. “Welcome to the Portland Chapter, I’m Slick,” the prospect who was driving said. “Keep your head down. We’re going to break the formation when we get to 123.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve got six clubs, right? The Renton and Vancouver chapters are going to turn around and head back on 410. The Moscow and Butte chapters will head up to the pass and out east, while the Portland and Sacramento chapters keep going south. Since we’ve got you hidden like a ball under a cup, anyone trying to follow us won’t know which of the three groups to follow. Even if they guess right, we’ll have stragglers watching our back, and the Sacramento chapter will break off later. Willie and Colt’s idea; it’s fucking genius if you asked me. Nobody’s going to be able to track you, Rori. You just disappear.”

It went just as he said; the long formation broke into three smaller ones, then the Sacramento chapter broke off. As they exited the National Park on the southwest side of Mount Rainier, they turned onto a gravel drive and disappeared into the woods. “What’s going on?”

“Another surprise,” he said. “Let’s say they didn’t follow us, and they just watch our clubhouses. You’re staying here for three days. It’s a cabin owned by a Club member. I’ll pick you up and bring you back after everything has cooled off.” We had stopped in front of a log home that looked cozy and warm. “He stocked the fridge and bar, and there are rifles and pistols in the gun safe,” he said as he handed them a piece of paper with the combo on it and the key. “Hop out. Canvas, take your saddlebags. The rest of your stuff will go to your room in Portland.”

They piled out, and the van left, joining the road only two minutes after they had turned off. “Nice place,” Roadkill said as he walked to the porch. The metal roof overhung a large front porch with a hanging seat and rustic chairs. Inside was just as cozy; there was a large master bedroom, a smaller guest room upstairs, and a big fireplace. She pulled out her phone, no bars. “This place is remote, isn’t it,” she said.

“It’s very nice of them.” Possum walked into the kitchen and checked the fridge, grabbing them each a beer. There was a note on the kitchen table, it had a map of the property and showed where it backed up to the National Park. There were hiking trails not too far away, and Rori was glad she had boots and sneakers available. They settled in, eating steaks and au gratin potatoes for dinner, then they walked the property before sitting on the porch to watch the sunset over the hills. “This place is as nice as our place in the Keys,” she said. “Different, but just as romantic.” She started snuggling into his chest, her hand going under his shirt.

“I’m going to my room, you guys have a good night,” she said as she hugged both of them goodnight. She could smell how aroused her Mom was, and the last thing she wanted was to be around her as she banged her Old Man. She went up to her room, unpacking the few things she had in her saddlebag, and opened the window to let in some fresh air.

In the distance, a wolf howled. Rori’s heart filled with sadness and longing, her mind going back to the handsome doctor. She had her medication along, but she left it in the bag. For some reason, she trusted him, and she didn’t want the side effects.

He had told her she wasn’t crazy and that she was like him. She closed the window and laid on the bed, thinking of what he might mean as she sketched a scene from the day in her book. She felt a little homesick, which was funny since she was with her Mom now. “We should be with our mate,” the voice said.

“There are other men out there,” she said. “Nuke likes me.”

“He is not ours,” it said. Rori could hear her Mom moaning her pleasure and the squeaking of the bed in the other room. Giving up on the drawing, she took a quick shower and started a playlist on her phone. With any luck, they’d stop screwing after a few hours, and she’d get some sleep.

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