by Kasey Krane
Flash and Spike exchanged looks.
“Fine, fuck it. Do what you need to do, but cut it short. We have a war to wage with the Silver Knights. Don’t forget about that,” Flash said.
“Bring her car to the cafe in town. I’ll get her to write the address down,” I said and walked away from them.
Even before I got anywhere close to them, I could sense the prospect chatting her up. Cassie was snappy with him too, but the guy was relentless. I grabbed her elbow and yanked her to me.
“We’re going,” I growled.
“About time,” she murmured under her breath.
“Someone will bring your car into town.”
“So how will we get to my cafe?” she asked. We were leaving the Clubhouse now. I had a firm hand on her, wasn’t taking any chances.
My bike was parked outside, and she saw it. “On your bike?” she shrieked.
“How else?”
“But I’ve never ridden on one before. Chip never let me touch his.”
“Well, you can touch this one,” I said.
For a moment, a smile crossed Cassie’s face. Did I hit the jackpot? Was I able to make her happy for a second by offering to give her a ride on my bike?
I got on my bike and then gave her my hand to help her up. I felt her settle down behind me.
“You’ll have to hold me if you don’t want to fall off,” I said. Slowly, I felt her arms wind around me, her hands knotted around my stomach. She was holding me gently.
“Tighter,” I said.
She did as she was told. I felt her inch closer to me when I kicked the bike start. I could feel her body against mine. Her breath was soft and sweet as it fell on my shoulder. I could smell her, feel her warmth—the way I had at night when she’d snuggled up to me.
I rode the bike out of the parking lot and a slow gasp released from Cassie. This was her first bike ride, the wind in her hair. Was this exciting for her? I could still remember the first time I’d ridden a bike and how thrilling that had been for me.
I had that moment again—where I imagined what it would be like to always have her on my bike. Always have her arms tightly wound around me.
What was wrong with me? Why did I keep thinking of this girl like that? What was so different about her from every other chick I’d ever met? Why was Cassie messing me up?
Neither of us spoke as we rode into town. I had the address of her cafe where I was taking her directly. For some reason, I couldn’t wait to see her at work, couldn’t wait to see what a normal life with her might look like.
8
Cassie
When we got to the cafe, it was too early to open up for business.
“I have a change of clothes upstairs. There’s a small apartment I keep some of my stuff in. I’ll be back in fifteen,” I said, trying to make a smooth exit. Bolt caught my arm before I could go anywhere.
“Sure, no problem, I’ll go with you,” he said. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from shrieking at him. I had to do everything in my power to not yank my arm away from him too. But I was trying to handle the situation differently now, trying not to piss him off. Maybe some good could come from having him on my side for a change.
“Okay, that’s cool. I have no problem with that. You’ll see I have nothing to hide.” I even added a sweet smile at the end of that. Bolt’s eyes were firmly fixed on me, but he let me go.
The cafe doors remained shut while we went up the short staircase to the apartment upstairs. I unlocked the door while he stood directly behind me. I could feel his hot breath on the back of my head. That reminded me of how closely we’d spent the previous night.
When I’d woken up, I’d found myself literally in his arms with no idea how long I’d been there. He was staring at me when I opened my eyes, grinning like - I told you so. I knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off me.
That thought sent a shudder through my body. The realization that something could very easily have happened between us. I should’ve been focusing on Chip. Not on Bolt’s magnificently sexy body.
Once inside the apartment, I went straight for my wardrobe. It had a small stack of clothes and other essentials for the nights I spent here when working late. I pulled some clothes out and turned to him.
Bolt was looking around the small space of my apartment.
“I need to change,” I said.
“Okay, go ahead.”
I glared at him. Didn’t he know what I was telling him?
“Can I use the bathroom? Alone?” I asked.
Bolt clenched his jaws tightly, like he was considering the idea. Was he actually thinking of telling me to strip right in front of him? Would I do it? Did I want him to see me naked?
“Yes, you can use the bathroom alone. Just don’t be long. I’ll be waiting right here for you.”
I gulped, nodded and went in. I changed quickly, splashed my face with water and brushed my teeth. As I stood in front of the mirror, combing my hair and putting on lip gloss, I couldn’t help but feel miserable about the situation I found myself in now.
Bolt was going to keep a close eye on me today, the whole day, while I worked. Nobody else would likely even realize what was going on in my life right now. What about Chip? Where was he?
There was a knock on the door while I was lost in my thoughts for a few moments.
“It’s eight. You need to open up,” he called from the other side.
I opened the door and found him standing there. His eyes roamed all over me, checking out my change of clothes. For a second, I thought he was going to compliment me, but then he changed his mind.
“Let’s go,” he said gruffly, bringing me straight back to Earth.
The rest of the workday passed with me constantly on the edge of my nerves. I couldn’t do anything, talk to anybody or go to any corner of the cafe without having Bolt’s eyes on me, watching me like a hawk.
I didn’t know what I was capable of. Would I make a run for it if his attention was diverted? Would I call 911 if he wasn’t looking? I wasn’t so sure anymore. Despite the angst I felt about the way Chip was being treated, I didn’t want anything bad happening to Bolt either.
Why did I care about what happened to him?
Was it because of the way he watched me? My every move. My body like it was a piece of art to be admired. When Bolt looked at me, he really looked. Not just at my breasts or my lips or my butt. He looked into my eyes, read my lips as they moved. He tried to interpret my gestures.
I knew I was a fool for thinking he was protective of me. He was just concerned about my motives. It wouldn’t take him a second to choose his Club and his friends over me. So why did I care?
Some of my staff asked what he was doing here. It was so obvious that he stood out, that we knew each other, because of the way he was watching me. I fielded their questions by insisting he was just an old friend waiting to catch up with me.
In the meantime, I didn’t go anywhere near him, didn’t want to make any contact with him. As much as I wanted him, I couldn’t forget about the fact that we belonged to opposite sides of the fence. He was here because I was a liability.
At the end of the day, it was safe to say I didn’t have a very productive day at work. I managed to push through and keep up appearances for the sake of my staff and customers, but that was it. After the last person left the cafe and Bolt was the only other one there, he finally stood up and came over.
I was tallying up the cash register when he leaned his elbows on the counter.
“You have a pretty successful business here,” he said.
I didn’t reply, just continued to work. I didn’t want to meet his eyes or encourage small talk. We weren’t suddenly going to turn into friends. He was still keeping me away from my brother.
“You have twenty minutes to finish up here and then we’re going to head back,” he added.
“Head back where? I need to go home. I want to sleep in my own bed tonight, take a shower, cook myself a warm meal
.” I was trying not to snap and remain calm as I spoke to him.
“You know I can’t allow that,” he replied.
I had to do everything not to try something. Run. Cry for help. Hit out at him.
I knew if I angered him in any way, it would reduce my chances even further of finding out information on Chip.
“Well I can’t spend tonight the way I did last night. I need some stuff. My own clothes and toothbrush and other such things.”
He remained silent, watching me closely, like nothing I was saying made sense to him.
“Do you mind if I pack a bag?”
“Yes, you can pack a bag for tonight, but make it quick. I have to attend church.”
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t have pegged you for a religious man. You want to go to church and take me with you?”
He drew in a deep breath.
“Church is what we call our official Club meetings. It’s headed by our President, Drax, where important decisions are made.”
I listened to him carefully. He looked serious enough while he spoke. This was important to him and I was curious. Did it mean I might be able to see Chip? Would he be there at Church? Were they going to discuss him? I had so many questions—but I knew Bolt wouldn’t answer any of them.
I’d just have to wait and watch.
“I’ll pack myself a bag and then we can go,” I said.
Once more, he followed me up to my apartment. He watched as I freshened up again and packed myself an overnight bag. Once I was done, he took the bag off the bed. It wasn’t heavy, but he made it clear he was going to carry it.
It was strange how rough and grizzly he could be with me. How he could literally threaten my life one moment and the next act like a gentleman.
Was he toying with me on purpose? What was his plan with me?
“Let’s go,” he said gruffly, and I followed him out of my apartment.
I locked up the cafe and we went to the bike. Just like in the morning, I would have to ride sitting behind him, have to hold him tightly, our bodies pressed together. He’d be able to feel me closely. And just like this morning, I wouldn’t be able to help but enjoy it.
When we arrived at the Clubhouse, Bolt led me straight to the bar. Most others from his Club were gathered there already, drinking, even though it was only early evening yet. I looked around for Chip, but he was nowhere in sight. I could feel the others’ eyes on me. They were watching me the same way they had the night before when Bolt carried me to the room upstairs.
The looks were of judgement bordering on disgust. It was obvious to me that they all hated Chip, and therefore hated me by association too. I licked my lips nervously while Bolt spoke to them.
From the little of the conversations I overheard, I could sense Bolt was respected around here. People listened when he spoke, and even though I could see the rage against me in their eyes, they didn’t actually dare say anything to me directly as long as Bolt was around.
Even though I was technically his prisoner, he’d also assumed the role of my protector somehow.
Finally, after he’d spent some time talking to his friends and I’d followed him around, Bolt turned to me.
“You have two options now; you could go up to my room and stay there by yourself, or you could help Sophie at the bar.”
“Who is Sophie?” I asked.
He turned to look, and I followed his gaze. There was a redhead behind the counter serving drinks, laughing with the guys talking to her. She had striking pale skin and very big breasts. Her clothes were skimpy and tight. Even from a distance, I could see the fake eyelashes on her. She’d put a lot of effort into her makeup. The guys were falling all over her and she divided her attention amongst them equally. From how comfortable she was in her surroundings, I sensed she played a role in the Club somehow.
Bolt was watching me study her.
“You should know, you can’t try any funny business with Sophie. Trust me when I say she can take care of you,” he told me.
I followed him to the bar. It was obvious I wouldn’t want to stay locked up in his room all evening and night. Besides, maybe Sophie would show some female solidarity toward me. Maybe I could try and make friends with her.
“Sophie, this is Cassie. You know the deal? Spike brought you up to speed?” Bolt said. She finished pouring a drink into a glass. She slid it over the counter to a guy at the other end.
I blushed as she looked me up and down, like she was assessing me for size. Judging my clothes.
“Yeah, sure. Don’t worry, Bolt, I’ll look after her.”
Bolt told me to walk around the counter to join her and then he was walking away. I watched him go, realizing this was the first time in nearly twenty-four hours that we had been apart.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that exactly. Would I miss him?
9
Bolt
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d spent this much time sitting in one position. Today, I had no choice. I had to be in the cafe watching Cassie work, and I’d managed to do it from the perfect vantage point in the corner of the cafe. I’d watched her all day. Her every move. And even though I felt jumpy and frustrated—itching to go to my bike and ride away—I stayed put.
Strangely enough, I was far from bored despite the circumstances. I’d spent the day watching Cassie and learning a lot about her. I knew she was self-conscious because she knew she was under scrutiny, and yet, she interacted with her customers and staff with dignity and friendship.
It was easy to tell that they all loved her. There were tons of regulars at her cafe who kept walking up to her and asking how she was doing. They were genuinely interested, and I guessed it was because she’d carefully fostered a good relationship with them over time.
Not only was she good at maintaining relationships, but I could see she was running a successful business here.
I didn’t know how old Cassie was exactly, but if she was younger than Chip, who was younger than me, she had to be in her mid-twenties at the latest. Given her age, she ran a solid business likely turning in a profit. As far as I knew, the food and beverage industry was a hard one to crack but it seemed like she knew some secret to make it work for her.
Was I really surprised? Probably not.
In the short time that I’d known her, she’d managed to get under my skin. I had to keep reminding myself who she really was. What Chip had done, because I found myself repeatedly hoping I could keep her safe and out of harm’s way. I shouldn’t have cared what happened to her.
But I did.
And now she was in Sophie’s lair.
I was headed to Church in the Club room. The others were gathered there already, waiting for Drax to arrive and start the meeting.
When Ghost and Skip spoke to me, their conversation faded away in my mind. All I could think about was whether Cassie was okay. What she was doing now. If she was scared without me.
What the fuck was happening to me?
“You look fuckin’ exhausted,” Flash commented when he found me. I ran a hand through my hair and shook it out.
“Haven’t slept much. Keeping an eye on this girl is hard work,” I replied. Flash nodded.
“Well, hopefully, it won’t be for too long. We’ll figure out what to do with Chip soon and then we can figure out what to do with his sister too.” Flash meant business when he spoke about Cassie, and yet, I couldn’t help but feel protective toward her. I clenched my jaws and nodded at Flash, hoping he wouldn’t see the anxiety in my eyes.
Drax walked in moments later and Church began.
“What’s the update on the kid? Chip?” he asked first as one of the girls handed him a bottle of beer. He lit a cigarette with his other hand, the fat rollie hung from between his chapped lips.
“He’s still in the black room downstairs. We’ve had our turns with him, he keeps asking about his sister, but other than that he’s taking it like a champ.” It was G
host supplying the information. Something like concern for Chip entered my body and I had to push it out forcefully.
Why did I keep forgetting what he’d done to us?
Was it because of Cassie? Was I really willing to forget and forgive it all for her sake?
“Yeah, fuck him. Keep him there till we sort out the shipment and then we can figure out what to do with him,” Drax said. Then he looked at Flash. “What are we doing about our shipment?”
Flash shook his head. He was about to deliver some bad news. “According to my informers, the Silver Knights are planning to sell half of the inventory this week.”
“Fuck!” Spike growled beside me.
“So we need to get it back before that,” Drax said. A collective buzz rang out in the room. We all knew a war would have to be waged against the Silver Knights, but maybe we all hoped we’d have some time. But by the sounds of it now, we’d have to attack in the next few days.
“We need to set a date for the raid,” Flash continued.
“Two nights from now,” Drax said.
Spike and I glanced at each other. That was too soon. We had a lot to prepare for. The prospects would have to be trained, weapons would have to be arranged, we’d have to come up with a plan of attack. All in a short period.
Silver Knights were our archrivals for a reason. They were not to be taken lightly.
“Yeah, we have to move fast,” Flash said.
“Two nights,” Drax reiterated.
Everyone was talking amongst themselves now. Spike was raising questions with me about the attack.
We need to mobilize the prospects. Do we have any info on the holding cells of the shipment? How many men do we need exactly? I can have the prospects ready by tomorrow night if we have a solid plan.
Spike’s brain was buzzing, and I watched him speak at a mile a minute. I was trying to wrap my brain around the situation too, unsure what the implication on Cassie would be if the attack went ahead. Who would watch her?