Wirth (Dirty Aces MC Book 5) by Lane Hart (carter reed TXT) 📕

cut off communication with everyone, probably because they’re worried about someone inside being a rat.

And they would be right.

But the reason I want to know how the men are doing is not to go and report back to Cormac. I’m genuinely worried about them. I never meant for this to happen, for anyone to get hurt. Cormac said they were just going to try and scare the Knights out of town, not attempt to murder them all.

Too nervous to sit still and with no car to ride around in, I’m stuck pacing near the front door, trying to decide if I try and catch a bus to…anywhere. Staying here alone is driving me crazy. That’s when my phone suddenly begins to ring for the first time all day. I scramble to pull it out of my back jean pocket.

It’s a number I don’t recognize from Carolina Beach.

“Hello?” I answer quickly.

“Maeve?” a man’s deep, rumbly voice asks.

“Yes? Wirth?” I take a guess, remembering I gave him my number last night when we were on the side of the road. If I had his, I would’ve already called him.

“Yeah,” he says, sounding slightly annoyed for some unknown reason. “I just wanted to let you know that I had your car towed to my shop. I’ll start working on it tonight.”

“Thank you,” I say in relief, glad to hear another human being’s voice, one so kind and considerate. “But you don’t have to work on it tonight,” I tell him. “I’m guessing you’ve had a pretty stressful day. How is everyone?”

I hold my breath while I wait for him to respond. He’s silent for an incredibly long time before he finally says, “Recovering.”

“Good,” I exhale in relief. “That’s good. I’m so glad.”

“Well, I just wanted to tell you I hadn’t forgotten about your car,” he says.

“I’m sorry about last night,” I blurt out before pursing my lips to slow down before I say too much and end up getting myself killed along with my brother. “What I mean is, I’m sorry I was so rude to you when you were just trying to help me with my flat tire. There’s no excuse for it. All I can say is that I’ve had some bad experiences with men over the years.”

“Yeah, I don’t doubt that,” Wirth responds, sounding slightly less agitated. “Do you need a ride anywhere tomorrow?”

“No, I don’t think so. Nowhere I have to be. I just, I hate being alone.”

“You missing your guys? They won’t be home for a while.”

“Where are they? Is Hunt with you?” I ask.

“Can’t tell you that,” he says quickly, and I get the feeling that he doesn’t trust me. He’s a smart man as well as kind and hot as hell.

“Well, if you talk to them, tell them I’ve been praying for them.”

“Really, you’ve been praying for them?” he scoffs like he thinks I’m lying or just giving him lip service.

“I have. I went to church today and also lit a candle for the three men that were injured.”

“That’s, ah, that’s nice of you, I guess,” Wirth stammers. Then, he goes on to ask, “Are you the only girl Hunt fucks?”

“What?” I ask since the question is so off topic and out of nowhere.

“Were you trying to be his old lady?” he rephrases.

“No. Of course not. Hunt isn’t going to settle down with anyone ever. I may not have known him long, but I’m certain of that.”

“What about the other men?”

“Just spending time with them. Having fun,” I respond before I finally go and sit down on my sofa, giving my feet a break. “I’m sure you’ve had plenty of your own fun as a hot biker in the original Dirty Aces.”

“Not as much as you think,” he says, which I find incredibly hard to believe.

Wirth

I’m starting to feel like an enormous dick for thinking badly of Maeve.

She sounds honestly concerned about how the guys are doing. The woman actually went to a church and prayed for them today.

Unless…what if she went to pray because she’s feeling guilty? Isn’t that what some church-goers do – go to church to ask God to forgive them for their sins?

“Well,” Maeve says after declaring that she isn’t serious about any of the Knights. “I think you had fun with me.”

“I did,” I agree. So much fun that I’m jealous of Hunt when all she did was mention his name. She’s probably right that he doesn’t want more with her. Hunt seemed happy enough to offer her up to me, even when his boy tried to take her upstairs last night.

“Do you maybe want to do it again sometime?” she asks.

My dick swells against the zipper of my jeans at just the thought, giving me his answer. The rest of me, especially my head, knows it’s not a good idea after everything that went down, not until I know Maeve is trustworthy.

“Guess we’ll see,” I reply.

“Yeah, I guess we will,” she agrees.

Fuck, this woman has had too much power over me since the second I saw her on her knees trying to change a tire on a goddamn hill. If I don’t hang up with her soon, her sexy, raspy voice will have me getting on my bike and going to see her in the next five seconds.

“I need to go,” I tell her. “I’ll call you when I know more about your car.”

“Oh. Okay,” Maeve says, sounding surprised by my sudden attempt to end the call. “Thanks for everything, Wirth.”

“Yeah, no problem,” I respond. “Take care of yourself, Maeve.”

“You too,” she says softly before I end the call.

Staring at her banged up car under the bright lights of the empty, silent garage all afternoon makes it impossible for me to stop thinking about her.

I need to get out of here. Get some air.

Outside, I climb on my bike and race off toward Joanna’s house to check on Fiasco and Hunt. I haven’t heard from Malcolm or anyone in a few hours.

I’m not surprised when I pull up