FEARLESS: Standalone

by Simone Elise

"All I know Tyler is that woman has more attitude than any convicted criminal I have put away. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had killed me on the highway that night for just asking her for her ID. The last I saw of her, was her black hummer driving down the highway out of town and I hope and pray I never have to see her again."

  Well at least I knew we were talking about the same person. "Thanks for your help."

  "Tyler I don't ask for anything but please whatever you have with this female let it go, for your safety and the towns."

  "I'll keep it in mind; in the meantime I need you to keep an eye out for her. Call me if you hear anything?"

  "Okay." Foster nodded "And Tyler tell your members to stay out of the local pub. The fight last week cost the pub owner a lot of money. It took a lot of talking to stop him from pressing chargers."

  "Glad to hear I'm paying you for something." I closed the door behind me. My members could ruin as many bars as they wanted, I didn't care.

  Now all I had to do was wait for someone to find her.

  5

  Alexis

  Trust. That was the foundation of my relationship with my parents. My parents trusted me. My dad trusted me. Well that was what I was made to believe.

  I slowly poured myself another glass, of the hotels cheap and nasty wine. I suppose to a lot of people, finding out your parents didn't really trust you wouldn't be a big deal. But to me it was huge.

  I continued to ignore the knocking on my hotel door. Did they not get the point? I wasn't interested in answering. I suppose I should have turned the lights off, that least they would have thought I wasn't in.

  Angrily I got up, the non-stopping knocking finally forcing me to answer.

  Flinging the door open— I could honestly state I wasn't expecting Danielle to be standing on the other side.

  "What are you doing here?" I was stunned to see her standing at my hotel door, though more importantly I was interested in how she tracked me down.

  "Sorry about just turning up like this." She looked nervously at the ground, "Especially after kicking you out."

  I crossed my arms, not sure what else to say. I wasn't in a fit state to be talking to her.

  "What are you doing here?" I might as well jump to the point. Clearly she wanted something, or else why would she be here?

  "Tyler's been looking for you all day and well the boys too."

  They were looking for me? Why? I thought Tyler would be glad to see the back of me.

  "This is your problem how?"

  "Look I know I haven't been nice to you and I know that you don't owe me anything."

  "Damn straight I don't owe you anything." I lean against the doorway frame. I was becoming mildly interested in why she was here.

  "Tyler's phone went off, and it was Ethan saying they tracked you to this hotel."

  "And Tyler was okay with you coming here?" I hardly doubt that he would let her out to get me. That is if his plan is to drag me back— for what reason I don't know. Perhaps he was hoping this would make sure I didn't at all.

  "No he was in the shower." She smiled shyly. "Look can I come?"

  Against my better judgment, I stood to the side and let her in. "Just because I let you in, doesn't mean I won't throw you back out."

  "Right. Look Alexis, Tyler needs you to go back. I don't know why but I do know that you should."

  "Should?" I automatically arched an eyebrow "I don't have to do anything."

  "That's a lie or otherwise you wouldn't be here in the first place. Look Alexis, I'm sorry so just please just go back and do whatever it is that Tyler needs you to do."

  "Why do you care?"

  "Because I care about him," Her answer was simple and straight to the point.

  She cared for him.

  "Tell Tyler I'll come around tomorrow but I'm not making any promises." I didn't look at it as giving in to her request.

  "Okay." She knew she wasn't going to get any more from me. "You know Tyler isn't that bad once you get to know him."

  "I'm not planning on hanging around long enough to get to know him." I crossed my arms.

  Danielle sighed before closing the door after her. I knew she would think I was just being difficult, and I was.

  6

  Alexis

  I felt my stomach fall slightly before I walked into Tyler's house. After I opened the door and walked in, it occurred to me that I should have knocked.

  "Oh Alexis, you're here," Danielle greeted me right away. I was surprised to note an actual happiness tone in her voice. Automatically my gut was telling me she was up to something.

  "Tyler, Alexis is here?" She sung out, and closed the door politely after me. "Sorry about the mess, it's been a busy week." She stepped over the vacuum cleaner.

  I aimlessly followed her into the small lounge room. It amazed me Tyler lived in a small house. I knew for a fact he had money, from his father not to mention his own. Yet he lived in a property owned by the club. It made no sense to me. Then again, I didn’t own a property either.

  "I didn't think you would show." Tyler's voice was rough and my eyes go to him, standing in the doorway. I can’t not take in his upper defined body as he pulled on a shirt.

  "I told Danielle I would." I said the words while Tyler’s and mines eyes were locked. I couldn’t not look away from him. He just had this attraction, and it had something to do with his body but more to do with his personality. I liked my men bad, and rough. Tyler ticked both those boxes.

  "Excuse me if I don't take you at your word." He scoffed.

  "I'm here Tyler so I suggest you get to the point." I was going to be friendly. I wasn’t a nice person. That everyone should know by now.

  "Um well I'll go and let you guys talk." Danielle excused herself quickly and I was going to say she didn't have too but it seemed she was more than happy to leave.

  "Your dad called." Tyler put a cigarette in his mouth, lighting one up, and his eyes were on me.

  "How funny he called me too."

  "He's angry."

  "Let me give you some nice advice, he's always angry."

  "I think it's time you filled me in on why you're here Alexis."

  "I'm here to do a job and I don't have to fill you in."

  "Your dad told me to tell you to tell me what the hell is going on." He took the lit cigarette from his mouth. Giving me this expression like I was testing his limits.

  "A lot of tells in that sentence. Pity I have no plans on telling you anything."

  "You really know how to push my buttons."

  "It's not my fault you're so touchy."

  "You know what's wrong with you?" He leant against the pillar, examining me with his sharp dark eyes. "You're a bitch."

  "Cold hearted one." I added, not giving him the satisfaction of insulting me.

  "Fine, well just do what it is you're here to do and stay out of my way. Settled?"

  "That was the plan all along, so why not." I shrugged my shoulders.

  "On one condition." He stopped and took a step closer to me "You call your protective dad and tell him your fine. The last thing I need is him here."

  "Agreed." At least I could say we agreed on one thing.

  I stared at the computer screen. Could this get any worse? Unlikely. From all the information I was getting, whoever was the rat was had strong connections to the top of the food chain and by that I mean, police wise.

  They clearly were working from the inside, but fucked if I knew who it could be. I realized I was going to have to do something I really didn’t like doing and that was finding out the hard way. I shut down my laptop. Didn’t matter who I ran through the system of Tyler’s chapter, they were all dirty. But the good kind of dirty.

  But one of his members could have been planted, which means their profile is going to be screaming criminal— when really they were a rat. So I had to get my hands dirty. At least I considered this getting my hands dirty.

  I had to get to know them, then pick up their flaws. See if any
of them cracked under pressure or if they had any character faults- see if their performance was just that a performance or real.

  Tyler

  Today was just not my day. I wanted to fast forward a few hours when the party was in full swing and I could get drunk. After the week I’ve had— in fact since Alexis arrived up, my life turned to shit.

  Danni was threatened and sure she got Alexis to come back but the bitching and complaining I was putting up from Danni for doing it- it was literally driving me to drink.

  "I don't see why she's back." Ethan growled under his breath. "You know she took my beer."

  "Well grab a new one." I snapped back at him. Here I am sitting at the bar trying to drown some of today's events out of my mind and all I hear is Ethan whining.

  "She parked her car in my bloody spot too." Andy joined the party with his complaints. "Told her to move and she reversed back straight into my bike on bloody purpose!"

  "You shouldn't have parked behind her." I pointed out. Why was it I seemed to be sticking up for Alexis more lately? Why was it since she got back, I just felt- weird. Yeah weird. When I was around her.

  I knew something had caused her to disappear the other night, but I just couldn’t bring myself to ask her what had happened. Cause let’s face it, her and I aren’t friends- or anything.

  "Funny she said the same bloody thing, with that evil smirk on her face." Andy glared at me. "She's paying for the repairs." He pointed a finger at me, as if I could enforce it.

  "Whatever you say Andy." I got up from the bar, "I'm heading home, be back later."

  "Take the bitch with you."

  "Call me that again and I'll take that empty bottle and give you some cosmetic surgery." Alexis walked in, zipping up her leather jacket.

  I didn’t expect her to even glance at them, but she did while opening up her handbag. She then threw a wad of cash at Andy.

  “That should cover the repairs, if it doesn’t just give me the bill.” Then she walked towards Ethan, putting a box in front of him. “If you are going to smoke cigars at least smoke the best.”

  Both men who hadn’t shut up bitching about her, were now speechless. Was Alexis high? Cause what she was doing right now, was not in her personality— well not in the personality she had been showing us.

  She began to walk away from the boys, she hadn’t even glanced at me. I guess we hadn’t really spoke since I told her to say out of my way.

  “Hey Alexis?”

  She turned around, her eyes going to Ethan, who had got up off the bar stool- which he had been glued to all day. At least since he found me drinking.

  “Yep.” She replied, her tone actually friendly.

  “We are having a club party tonight, you should come.” Ethan was actually fucking giving her a smile.

  “Yeah come Alexis, maybe after a few drinks we will see a new side to you.” Andy had a grin on his face and joined in on Ethan’s idea.

  Was I hallucinating? Both these men had been complaining about her all day! Drowning my ears with their complaints! Now they were inviting her to a club party.

  “I tend to get messy when I drink.” Alexis had a small smile on her face. “Maybe it’s best you guys don’t see that side.”

  Well that was all she had to say. She basically had sent their minds wild with fantasies. Let’s face it Alexis is fucking beautiful. It wasn’t just her looks, which you would think an angel had sculptured to torture every male on earth but then there was her body. Again like her, it was beautiful- and fucking perfect. Alexis was the whole package.

  I wouldn’t lie and say I hadn’t day dreamed about seeing what she looked free of clothes. After all I had seen her in her bra twice

  “I’ll think about it.” She was still giving them small smile, when she turned around nearly walking into me. “Sorry Tyler, didn’t see you there.”

  She went to walk around me, but I stepped back in her way.

  “Want a ride home?” I can’t believe I was asking her this, but yet here I was. Suddenly I wanted to pull down the walls she had put in place in between her and I.

  She frowned. “Aren’t you staying for the club party?”

  “Need a shower.” That was a load of bullshit, I just wanted to drive her home. But I did promise Danni I would see her some time tonight. It was her night off, so I said I’d see her.

  “Ok Hunter. Sure.” Alexis nodded her head but I noticed how she wasn’t giving me a smile, like she had done with the boys.

  7

  Tyler

  Danni was in the mood for a fight. As soon as I walked through the front door, she was in fight mode. Didn’t help that Alexis walked in behind me. It also would seem Danni didn’t care either, cause she still was ranting at me.

  Always going on about the club and how I could do better, how I needed to get out. She still didn’t get it, the club and I were the same. I knew that. But I was still trying to have the woman and the outlaw life.

  And it was starting to fail.

  I left Danni crying in the lounge room and went and actually did have a shower. Clean clothes, vest, I was ready to head back to the club.

  I knew Danni needed me to hear her out. She wanted to make the next move in our relationship, she wanted the ring, the wedding but it would seem she still had this dream that one day, I wouldn’t be who I really was.

  Could I ever be the man she wanted?

  I walked out into the hall.

  “You can’t stay home crying.”

  I frowned. That was Alexis’s voice. I froze in the hallway. Was she on the phone?

  “Well it’s not like Tyler is going to stay home with me is it?” I heard Danni’s voice speak back to Alexis.

  The two were talking? I walked up the hallway a bit more, listening.

  “What do you expect from him Dannielle?” Alexis’s voice was softener than normal. I heard her sigh. “Do you know anything about Tyler’s Dad?”

  Danni scoffed. “It’s his fault we are in this mess!”

  “Do you love Tyler?” Alexis’s voice was firm. “Put aside the club, what everyone thinks of him aside. Do you love him, just him?”

  There was silence.

  “Yes.”

  “Then you need to realize who you want to spend the rest of your life with. I don’t usually do this.” Alexis’s voice had some hesitation to it. “If you love him. Then you need to love what comes with him. Bikers have this invisible string connecting them to the club.”

  I frowned listening to Alexis. Was she sticking up for me?

  “The club is the family they never had, they’ll die for it, and if anyone threatens it- they take it personally. Now in Tyler’s case, he brought up to be in the position he is in.”

  “What a criminal?” Danni snapped, I could hear in her voice she was still crying.

  “Depends how you look at it. He is like the father to all these lost souls. My Dad says, being president means, you are responsible for your men and the club’s reputation. What Tyler does, is similar to what a CEO would do being a head of a company.”

  Danni scoffed. “I doubt that.”

  “Look at it. A CEO is responsible for all employees, he pays them, he cares for them and gives their life somewhat of a purpose. Tyler doesn’t have employees in a sense, he has brothers and if anything that is more intense than just an employee. He is pays them, he cares for them and he gives them a home and a purpose.”

  “But he is a criminal. You keep missing that part.”

  “That’s just how society sees what he does.” Alexis said matter of fact. “I personally see investors as criminals. Taking peoples hard earned money and gambling it on stocks. Do you know how many people are ripped off every day by a straight cut citizen?” Alexis scoffed. “The way the club earns money might be frowned upon but you have to remember that bikers are their own culture and not all cultures get along.”

  The room went silent.

  “So what are you suggesting I do?” Danni sighed. “I just want Tyler n
ot all the crap that comes with him.”

  “That’s your problem. The things you consider crap, are things Tyler can’t live without. You need to decide, if you love Tyler, you learn your place in his world. And I don’t see Tyler ever looking in a direction which isn’t your way.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “End of the day, you can’t split him in half and only take the things you like of him.”

  They went silent again and I decided now was the time to stop eavesdropping and walk out.

  My eyes were going to Danni, till I got a glance of Alexis and then immediately my eyes were glued to her.

  She was…

  She is…

  I gulped. Jesus Christ, men were going to be following her around all night wearing that! The dress itself wasn’t over the top, if anything it just sent a burst of lust through your blood as well as want or need.

  Like I needed to slip my hand down the open back, to feel her skin and I wanted so badly to push those straps off and down her arms, letting that dress fall to the ground.

  “Tyler?”

  I was still staring at Alexis, then I glanced up, seeing her eyes on me. Which one of them said my name?

  “Um yep?” I answered not sure of which one I should be looking at. So my eyes jumped from both. Though I wouldn’t lie I found it harder to tear my eyes off Alexis.

  “How long are you going to be?” Danni asked, seems it was her that had said my name. Why did that disappoint me? Why did I want it to have been Alexis?

  “I don’t know.” I was honest when these parties started it really depended on how you paced yourself with the liquor. “Why?” I looked back at Danni. Before my shower she wouldn’t even look at me, after ranting at me for a solid hour- not getting a response out of me.

  “I just wanted to spend some time with you.” Danni’s eyes dropped to the ground, like she had been ashamed to admit that to me.

  I sighed. Maybe I should just stay home. As much as I was looking forward tonight, I didn’t want Danni staying here all night upset.