LOGAN (BAD BOY BIKER ROMANCE) (9 page)

When the man noticed Oliver looking at him, he stopped.

Logan?

No. This guy was wearing a baseball cap, pulled down tight on his head. His clothes were different, too.

As Oliver's eyes became more focused with the lighting he caught his breath.

Oh, God. Oh, no, no, no! It can't be.

The man stared at him intently, locking his gaze.

Oliver knew that look all to well. His world started to spiral around him.

It was Gavin.

Chapter 10

Oliver

Oliver stood stunned, frozen like a mannequin on the stage.

The crowd was still applauding, but he no longer heard them. His entire reality come down to one thing.

Gavin.

Oliver looked at him in amazement. How could he be here? This can't be happening.

The elation he felt from finishing his dance evaporated instantly, replaced by a cold vice which squeezed at his heart.

Gavin watched him, perhaps enjoying his confusion.

Oliver was struck with another thought. Didn't he realize the danger he was in? Sneaking around as a full patched Silver Hound in a rival club's territory was a guaranteed way to get himself killed.

"Clear the stage for the next contestant, please," called the announcer, snapping Oliver out of his thoughts.

Quickly, he picked up his discarded clothes, feeling almost numb. As he headed off stage he looked back but could not see Gavin anymore.

Back stage he tried to get himself together. He sat on a chair clutching his costume to his naked body, shaking. Another dancer appeared in a slinky cowboy outfit, and the announcer sent him onto the stage. Music blared, mashing against his thoughts.

There was no way Gavin could have just stumbled across him. Someone had to have told him. A spy? Someone local who knew his connection to the Hounds, and to Gavin?

But who?

When he realized who his heart stopped in his chest.

Logan.

He was the only one he had told, that he could remember. Oliver had been careful. Even his mother didn't know, or any of his old friends back home.

It could only have been Logan.

His chest started to clench, and he found he was crying. Logan did this? But why? How could he?

The bar crowd was now cheering the cowboy, the music thumping loudly.

He had to think. But he didn't want to have to deal with Gavin. He would be waiting for him.

He quickly put on his office costume again, while trying to look out past the curtain for Gavin in the crowd. He couldn't see him anywhere, but knew he wouldn't leave without confronting him.

Or maybe he had left, to follow him once Oliver was outside. In here, he was safe. Wasn't he?

But if Logan had snitched on him, perhaps as some deal with the Hounds, it wouldn't matter where he was.

Logan. He was all business after all.

Tears streamed down his face. He couldn't think of that. No. It was just too much right now for him to deal with.

Uncertain of where to go he moved out from behind the stage. All eyes were on the cowboy, who was now shaking what God gave him for the hungry eyes of the crowd.

Oliver pushed his way past people, and only glanced in the direction of Logan's table. He was still sitting there, talking with the Evil Master. Neither looked in his direction, lost in some sort of business dealings.

This only served to confuse him more. Wouldn't he be smug now? Wouldn't Logan want to rub his face in his gullibility. Using him as a pawn in some Biker Club deal?

Not wanting to even look at him anymore Oliver moved past the bar, and toward the back exit. He noticed two people looking at him. He turned and saw both Eddie and Ryder standing side by side. Watching him. Neither moved, nor tried to speak with him. They were just watching.

Oliver ignored them, intent on leaving. When he approached the hallway that lead past the bathrooms and the rear exit he saw him. Gavin.

Oliver stopped. Gavin was leaning casually against the wall at the entrance to the hall. He was looking at him. Eyeing him with that awful nasty grin of his.

Oliver turned and made for the change rooms, for lack of anywhere else to go. He would dress, head for the front door this time and grab a taxi real quick.

Telling a Macabre Jester member of Gavin's presence was a possible option. It would be bad for Gavin, but would give him time to escape.

He shook his head. But if Logan had actually told Gavin he was here, would the Macabre Jesters even lift a finger now?

Crying, he entered the change room. It was empty, everyone was now out by the stage watching the auditions or waiting for their turn.

He went to the farthest stall and sat down in front of the mirror. His reflection spoke volumes. Mascara ran down his face in wet smudges. His lipstick was smeared at one corner of his mouth. And his expression was that of a hunted animal. A hunted animal who had just been caught.

When he grabbed his bag, he started to get up to leave.

To hell with it. He would make for the front door. See if Gavin was around and try and avoid him as best he could.

It was all he could do right now. He had nothing else. He had no one he could trust. Just the urge to run.

The change room door opened.

He looked over, knowing who it would be. Dreading it.

Gavin walked in. He saw Oliver immediately.

"Hi, honey," he said with a grin. "Long time no see."

He looked exactly the same. Not that he really expected him to have changed. But Oliver really felt he would never have seen him again, and the last memories of him would have been it. Which would have suited him just fine.

Gavin glanced at the change room door. There was a latch which he engaged. Locking Oliver in here with him, alone.

He regarded Oliver again. "Have you enjoyed your little vacation? I would have expected someplace tropical. Not this dump of a town."

As he spoke he never lost his grin. That grin, which had inflicted more suffering and fear than Oliver wanted to remember. And here he was, grinning at him again.

He was wearing clothes which were meant to not draw any attention to himself. A simple long sleeved flannel shirt, jeans, boots and a dark baseball cap which caused his dark hair to stick out at the sides. This was all intended to hide his myriad of tattoos, and to reduce the risk of being recognized as a Silver Hound.

Again, Oliver was hit with confusion. If Logan had sold him out, why the average joe getup? A side deal the Jesters were not suppose to know about?

"Not so talkative now, huh?" Gavin said. He walked toward him, slowly. Just like a predator enjoying the last terrified moments of its prey. "But I'm not here to argue with you honey. I'm here to take you home."

Despite his terror, shaking, and tears Oliver heard himself say, "No."

It was more of a whisper, than a firm statement.

Gavin's brow furrowed. He had used that expression many times before with him, whenever he was mocking him, or putting him down. "No? But, sweetheart. I came all this way for you. I love you, you know that, right? Why else would I be here?"

Oliver backed away from him until he was up against the wall and couldn't go any further.

This isn't happening, this can not be happening, his mind said over and over again.

Gavin stopped a few feet from him. He was in no hurry. Enjoying this. "Babe, I love you. Why else would I risk my neck... my very life to come here? You know what they would do to me if they knew who I was?"

Beat your ass, Oliver thought. But he couldn't verbalize it. It would only make Gavin angry. He was like a coiled snake. It wouldn't take much to make him strike.

"They would hurt me, sweetie," he said, and stepped within arms reach of Oliver. "They would hurt me because of you. Because I came here for you. Tell me that you understand."

Oliver found himself nodding a little, but he couldn't tell what he was nodding about. That Gavin would be hurt, or that he was there to take him away? Tears continued to blur his vision.

"How did you know? How could you have..." he started to say.

Gavin was watching him intently. Then finished his sentence for him. "How could I have found you?" He laughed. It was an easy going laugh. It sounded genuine. But for the life of him, Oliver could never remember a time when it never disguised a deep malice.

Gavin slowly reached forward, and clasped both Oliver's shoulders with his hands. His grip was gentle.

"Honey, I've connections everywhere," he said as if speaking to a child. "It's not like you being here has ever been a secret."

Through the fear that clouded his mind, Oliver felt doubt over his words. If he knew he was here the whole time, he would have come earlier to collect him. Of that Oliver was almost completely certain. Also, why would he have called his parents to try and trick them into revealing his location?

So many doubts. But there was two certainties he had to deal with right at that moment. Gavin was here, and there was no way on Earth this guy would leave without him. And the other was that Logan had betrayed him. It was the only logical thought he could come up with.

There was a knocking at the change room door. Someone tried the knob, but the latch held firm.

Gavin looked over at the door with naked concern, but quickly regained his cocky composure.

So, Oliver thought, he was worried. There was some small satisfaction he could take from that.

Gavin looked at him again, practically pinning him to the wall with the intensity of his eyes. "Well, you've really done it now. It looks like I'm not going to leave here without some serious problems. And all because of my love for you."

Oliver was past the point of terror, riveted in the spot. Unable to speak. Things were ratcheting up, and only getting worse.

And Gavin was right about one thing, as much as Oliver hated to even admit it. This was all because of him.

His so called love for him may be true, or it might just be a game to keep him under control. But Oliver didn't care which right now. He just knew he no longer had any friends here. He had no where else to go. No one to turn to.

No more Logan.

There came a harder bashing at the door. Someone was now kicking it.

Gavin looked almost resigned to his fate. As if this truly was how he expected things to end up when he came here.

"Remember honey," he said, turning to face the door which shook even harder. "When they hurt me, it's because I love you so much."

The door flew open.

Instantly, two, then three, then five very big men entered the room. The bouncers looked very similar to the the Macabre Jesters that employed them - enormous.

The head bouncer, the biggest one pointed a large finger at Gavin. "What the hell is going on in here?"

Gavin raised his hands. "We're just talking. That's all. We locked the door for privacy." He seemed to realize just how bad the situation was. "I'm not looking for any trouble."

The bouncers inched forward. Their expressions were of wild dogs moving in for a kill. Gavin was in for a serious beating, at the very least.

The head bouncer looked at Oliver. "You know this dick-head?"

Oliver knew that his answer would seal Gavin's fate. His mind flashed to Logan the night before, during a moment of their passionate love making. It had not been real. It had all been a game. He had been played.

Now he just needed to survive.