by Bella Jewel
“Your brother?” I ask, eyes wide. “Really!”
“Yeah.”
“Can I meet him?” I chirp, and then slam my mouth closed. “I mean, no, sorry ...”
“You’ll see him, no doubt. He’ll be helpin’ watch out for you. Can meet him, if you want. I’m sure he’d like that. He’s a fan.”
I flush. “He’s a fan?”
“Think most of America is, babe.”
Right.
He has a point.
“Well, I’m glad you’ll have your brother with you. That must be good after so long on the road, by yourself.”
“Don’t mind bein’ by myself, to be honest. But it’s been a while since I’ve seen him, and after your shows I have to go home, so I guess now is as good a time as any to get back into the swing of things.”
I nod.
He reaches over, cupping my jaw. “Time to go, sweetheart. The sniffer dogs will get let out soon.”
I smile.
But my heart is already sinking.
Because I don’t want to go.
I just want to stay here forever. With him.
And that scares the hell out of me.
-12-
SCARLETT
We arrive in Seattle earlier than expected, so I have a good few hours before the preparations for the show begin. Maverick said his brother and another member are arriving today, and he’ll be meeting up with them at a bar down the road close to where I’m staying so that they can discuss security. Other than that, I haven’t heard from him. That bothers me some, because I feel like the kiss made both of us a little distant.
Which is completely understandable, but it sucks all the same.
I only have a few more shows left before I can finally go home to my ranch and breathe for just a little bit. It isn’t entirely quiet, but it’s better than living on this bus and in hotel rooms.
A knock sounds at my door and I call out for whoever it is to come in. I’m in my hotel room, but I’ve got the door open. I look up to see Amalie coming in, smiling. “Hey!” I beam. “Are you excited for tonight’s show?”
She nods, rubbing her tummy a little. “I’m a bit nervous,” she admits.
“Don’t be,” I say, standing and walking over, putting my hands on her shoulders. “You’re amazing, and I’ll be right there with you. We’re going to smash this out of the park.”
She nods, but I can tell she’s nervous. I know how that feels. I still get nervous before a show, but it’s comfortable for me now. I remember how it felt to be sick before a show, wondering how you were every going to get through it without vomiting all over the stage. I also know the best distraction for it.
“We have a few hours before the show, want to go for a walk?”
She narrows her eyes. “Are you allowed out?”
I grin. “What they don’t know, won’t hurt. We won’t go far. Maverick is at a bar down the road, we could go and say hello, if you’d like?”
She grins, and I’m starting to see that my Amalie has a little bit of a wild streak buried deep inside. “Okay.”
I clap my hands and rush around, grabbing my purse, a hat, sunglasses, and my phone. This hotel is a lot easier to get out of due to the set up, and I already figured out a way to duck right past security. Besides, they’re too busy watching who is coming in, not who is going out. I take Amalie’s hand and we take the elevator down to the lobby. Security have been waiting out front of the hotel, but the best part about this hotel is the three massive sliding doors. If we sneak out at the end one, and walk off quickly, sticking close to the wall, they won’t notice.
“You check first; wave to me when they’re not looking,” I say to Amalie.
She nods and goes outside, waving to security. He waves back, and when he turns to glance down the street, she frantically waves me forward. I do a runner out the front door and quickly duck behind a large phone booth. Amalie keeps acting casual, as if she’s glancing around, wondering where to go. When security looks away again, she urges me forward and we rush onto the sidewalk and into the masses of people.
“Oh, my god.” She giggles, looking at me. “That was insanely fun.”
“It is, right!” I grin.
I look left and then right. “I know the name of the bar, I’m just not sure where it is.”
“What’s it called?” she asks. “I went for a walk earlier.”
I give her the name and she nods, taking my hand and pulling me in the direction of the bar. I notice as she walks, she watches everything, her head is always moving, taking in her surroundings. I guess it would be hard not fully being able to her what was going on. There have been a few times now I’ve forgotten and spoken to her only to realize she’s not facing me and doesn’t know I’m talking. Her voice is clear, considering she struggles to hear well, but unless she is directly focused on you, she’s unlikely to know what you’re doing or saying.
I stay close to her as we move down the sidewalk toward the bar.
I see the sign right away and there are heaps of people milling around outside, drinking and chatting around tables. I hope nobody notices me. I pull my cap down lower and push my sunglasses up on my nose, and then I search for Maverick. It takes me a few moments of sifting through people to see him and two other men at a table right up the back of the outside drinking area.
My stomach flips.
And I’m nervous all of a sudden. What if they’re doing business and we interrupt? What if they don’t want girls to join them? Worse, what if he doesn’t want me here and I have to explain, lamely, why I’m here? I look to Amalie, and she’s staring, wide-eyed, mouth agape. She looks to me, and says in a low tone, “There’s three of them.”
I nod.
“They’re ... Wow.”
I nod again.
“I don’t think ...”
“Scarlett?”
Both our heads whip around and I see all three bikers looking at us. My heart starts pounding so fast I can feel it in my head and, embarrassingly, my knees tremble to the point I wonder if I’m able to take a step or if I’m going to just pass out right here on the ground. I can’t back out now that he’s seen me. So, I smile and raise a hand, reaching over and tugging Amalie with me as we make our way closer to the three extremely gorgeous, extremely terrifying men.
As we near, I take in the other two, and holy lord, they are equally as gorgeous as Maverick. The one I am assuming is his brother, due to their similar looks, has the same green eyes as Maverick only his dark hair is longer, sitting down on his shoulders, curling slightly at the ends. He’s the same type of build as Maverick but looks a whole lot scarier and has more tattoos.
The other man has the kind of looks to stop you in your tracks. Olive skin, eyes the color of warm honey, and dark blond hair that’s messy atop his head. He’s bigger than both of the men, which is saying something because they’re not small by any stretch of the imagination. He has ink covering both his arms, and there is something about him that would make anyone pause and wonder if he’s about to pull out a gun and throw down. He’s terrifying.
“Hi,” I squeak, glancing at Maverick who is studying me, and then flicking my eyes toward the other two bikers.
The blond one is staring at me, a smirk on his face, but Maverick’s brother is looking at Amalie, his eyes intense, his mouth slightly agape. She’s blushing furiously and steps closer to me. Oh, my. Someone has taken a liking to her.
“I’m sorry, to, well, barge in. We just wanted to go for a walk and thought we’d pop in and say hi.”
“I’ll be damned,” blond biker murmurs. “Scarlett Belle as I live and breathe. I’m a fuckin’ man, so I have to keep my shit together, but darlin’, you got the voice of an angel, and I’ve spent many times listenin’ to your music as I ride.”
I flush and smile.
“You goin’ to introduce us, Mav?” his brother says, finally dragging his eyes off Amalie to look over to me and flash me a killer grin that makes my knees feel a little weak.
I look to Maverick, and his face is hard to read. I have a feeling I interrupted something, but I’m not entirely sure what. Maybe they were discussing business and he is still in serious mode. Either way, I flash him a warm smile, hoping it’ll ease him up a little. He gives one back, but it isn’t fully there, and my heart sinks a little, but I don’t say anything or push, I just wait.
“This is my brother and the President of the Iron Fury MC, Malakai, but you can call him Mal, or Fury. And this is VP of the club, Koda. You can call him Koda.”
Amalie giggles softly, and Mal’s eyes swing back to her, and he gets that hungry look on his face again. Goodness me. His look is making me squirm, I wonder how it’s affecting her?
“Scarlett,” Mal says, extending a thick, ringed hand, “Pleasure to meet you, darlin’, fuck knows we’ve all seen your face a time or two. You’re as pretty up close as you are in the pictures. Our boy here is taken with you, must be doin’ somethin’ right, yeah?”
I beam and take his hand, he squeezes just slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to ... what ... give a little warning? I’m not really sure, to be honest, maybe it’s just an “if you hurt my brother, I’ll hurt you” warning, or maybe he’s just got a tight grip. Either way, I keep the smile and say, “Thank you, and yes, I like him very much, too. This is my friend, Amalie.”
Mal lets go of my hand and extends it to Amalie, who is half tucked behind me, staring at him with big, doe eyes.
“Don’t bite, sweetheart,” he murmurs.
Maverick taps him on the shoulder and leans in, murmuring something into his ear, my guess is that he’s telling her she has trouble hearing. Mal’s eyes swing back to her, and he looks her right in the eyes and says, “Swear, I don’t bite.”
She steps forward and takes his hand, and I can see her little flinch when his curls around it. She bites her bottom lip and looks up at him, and God, no wonder he can’t take his eyes off her, she just looks so ... innocent, and pure, and beautiful. I wish I held that kind of innocent beauty still. Amalie is as pure as they come, and her soul matches.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she says, her voice low.
Mal smiles and lets her hand go. “Believe me darlin’, the pleasure’s all mine.”
Her cheeks burn and she steps back again. Koda claps his hands and says, “You ladies joining us for a drink?”
“She probably has to get ready for the show,” Maverick says, glancing at me.
It feels like a punch to the gut. He doesn’t want me here. I don’t understand. Everything was fine earlier. Is he regretting the kiss? Or is he just trying to distance himself because he too realizes that this isn’t going to end well for either of us? I’m not entirely sure, but my heart stays sunken, all the same. Still, my stubborn determined side plays up a little and I say to Koda, “Yes, we’d love to stay for one.”
Koda jerks out a stool. “Sit by me.”
I laugh softly and take a seat by him. Amalie sits by me and Mal drags his stool closer to hers, which makes her shift a little, unsure what to do. Maverick sits across from me, and I can feel his eyes burning into me. God. What the hell have I done wrong? I swallow and focus on Koda. “Well,” I say, putting my hands on the table. “Ya’ll aren’t as scary as I thought.”
Mal and Koda burst out laughing.
“Trust me, sweetheart, this is us being nice. Come by the club one night, we’ll give you a real dose.”
I smirk at him. “I’ll do that.”
“Still wonderin’ how the fuck I came to sit next to Scarlett Bell at a bar in Seattle,” Koda says, studying me. “What’s gonna happen if you take that hat and those glasses off and give me a good look at your face? Gotta have something to remember that ain’t a picture.”
“What’ll happen,” Maverick growls, “is she’ll fuckin’ get trampled with fans and it’ll be your sorry ass carryin’ her out of here.”
Koda grins at him. “I’ll happily carry her out, bro.”
Maverick’s jaw tics and he stands. “I’ll get some beer.”
He walks off, and I watch him go. I glance over to see Mal and Amalie talking, she’s smiling softly, her cheeks pink, and he’s grinning at her. My god. Adorable. I look back to Koda. “Is your name Dakoda, by any chance?”
Koda grunts. “Let’s not go there.”
“I wrote a song called Dakoda once ...”
His scowl is replaced with a grin. “In that case, I’ll own it.”
I laugh softly. “It’s a nice name.”
“It’s a fuckin’ girls’ name.”
Mal chuckles behind us, and Koda scowls at him.
“Got any new songs up your sleeve, Scarlett?” Mal asks me, and I turn a little so I can face him easier.
“A couple. Amalie is helping me to come up with some right now. She’s an absolutely incredible artist and can play the piano better than anyone I’ve ever met.”
“That right, darlin’?” Mal asks, looking at her lips.
She nods, those damned cheeks still adorably pink.
Maverick comes back with a pitcher of beer and pours a few glasses. We all take one, sipping lightly.
“Lookin’ forward to gettin’ in on one of your shows tonight,” Koda says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette. He lights it, and damned if he doesn’t look like the most dangerous man I’ve ever laid eyes on. He has a scary edge. A terrifying one, actually. He might have a seemingly fun attitude, but I imagine if Koda got serious, you’d run for cover.
“I’ll be glad to have you there. Did Maverick give you some tickets?”
Koda nods. “Front and center, baby. I’ll be there watchin’. You wearin’ a dress?”
Maverick reaches over and thumps him so hard on the arm he grunts, turning and giving him the stink eye. “Fuck, bro, calm down.”
“Stop fuckin’ hittin’ on her, Koda.”
Maverick’s tone is like a whip, a deadly warning. Even I can hear the edge behind it. Oh, boy. I bite my bottom lip, because it feels nice that he’s acting a little jealous. Five minutes ago, he was acting like he didn’t like me at all.
“Do whatever the fuck I want, Maverick, and if you hit me again I’ll cut your fuckin’ balls out right here.”
“Try it, you little fuck—”
“Enough,” Mal thunders and we all go silent.
Holy shit.
He’s scarier than the both of them combined. “We’re in the presence of two fuckin’ ladies. If you two little fucks don’t pull your god damned heads out of your asses, I’ll pull my gun out and shove it down your throats. Now, shut the fuck up and enjoy your beer.”
Maverick glares at his brother, but he doesn’t argue.
Oh, boy.
You could cut the tension with a knife.
So, to break it, I say softly, “I think tonight, I’ll wear jeans.”
Everyone, even Maverick, bursts out laughing.
Thank god.
~*~*~*~
MAVERICK
“What the fuck was with your mood?” Mal asks me as we walk back to the hotel to get ready to watch out for tonight’s show.
“You’re fuckin’ kidding me, right?” I growl, stopping and glaring at my brother.
“No, I fuckin’ don’t. Want to tell me what the problem was?”
“Five minutes before she got there, you told me that all the leads you have keep leading back to her, and movin’ from fuckin’ city to city, wherever she goes, which makes me wonder if she’s involved and is playin’ us for a fuckin’ fool, and you want me to be happy about that?”
“Never said she was in on it, I just said whatever fuckin’ show is bein’ run, they’re followin’ her. I don’t know why, but she might not have a god damned clue. So, settle the fuck down.”
My fists clench, and I glare at him. “She has no clue? Are you fuckin’ with me? Why else would they follow her?”
“Maybe because you are, ever think of that? Maybe they’re keepin’ tabs on you. I don’t fuckin�
�� know, Maverick. Haven’t figured it out yet, but when I do, I’ll let you know. Until then, stop treatin’ her like shit or you’ll never get in close enough to find out if she has something to do with it.”
I shoot him a withering, icy glare. “You’re kidding me, right? You want me to get in closer, knowin’ I want to fuck her so hard I can barely think straight when I’m around her?”
“You want to do more than fuck her,” he mutters, lighting up a cigarette. “And you’re fuckin’ worried about bein’ near her because you know you’ll get attached.”
“You know fuck-all.”
He raises a brow.
“Get fucked, Malakai.”
He flashes me a grin. “I’m on her side, for now. She’s a fuckin’ sweet girl, doesn’t seem like the impure type, which makes me think whatever they’re followin’ her for she has no idea about it.”
“Not convinced,” I mutter, feeling my chest tighten with rage, and anxiety, and fucking disappointment.
I like that girl.
But if she has something to do with drugs, and playing me and my club, it won’t end well. That fucking kills me, because I don’t want to see a single hair on her head harmed. I can only pray to fucking god that she’s telling the truth and is pure as I’ve seen her when we’re sitting alone, talking. Better yet, when her mouth is all over mine. Fuck.
She better not be dirty.
“Got somethin’ else to tell you before we go to this show. Don’t flip your lid, because fuck knows you’re already in a filthy mood now.”
I glare at my brother. “What else are you about to drop on me?”
He nods over my shoulder and I turn, and everything in my world stops. Koda is walking toward me with Boston-fuckin’-Rhayne beside him. I see red. Everything in my world blacks out for a moment, everything except pure, raw, hatred. That motherfucker is the reason she’s dead. He’s the reason my world turned upside down. He’s the reason I am out on this fuckin’ road alone.
A hand grasps my shoulder, Mal’s, and I hear his voice vaguely in my ear. “It wasn’t his fault, Maverick. You fuckin’ know that. You gotta put this shit behind you and blend with the club again. Only way to do that was for me to bring him and get this shit over with.”