by Ann Grech
Awareness set him on edge. Her mix of heat and vulnerability made him want to reach for her, hold her tight. Instead, he clenched his fists and stared down at her, eyes hard. But before she even spoke, he knew there was a connection.
Once more his need to protect her surged through him. With Blade sniffing around, there was only one thing he could do to ensure her safety. While he hated the idea that was brewing, he couldn’t lie to himself completely. The thought of getting closer to her eased the growing anxiety shifting through him.
* * * *
He was built to perfection. Not tall, dark and handsome, but tall, dark and freaking perfect. Almost black, longish hair, which he obviously didn’t try to style but naturally sat off his face, probably because of the frustrated way he ran his hands through it was perfection. His two-day old stubble and impossibly long, thick lashes only intensified his grey eyes. Defined muscles under a loose wife beater made Chloe’s mouth water. Every single muscle looked like it had been carved from granite modelled off the anatomy texts that she’d studied at college. And his tattoos… Holy hell, they were beautiful. Black and grey, angels and demons battling for humanity’s souls formed full sleeves on his arms. Every strand of hair, every shadow and lit element of the intricate design and every crease on their robes were marked on his skin with precision. The detail was exquisite, breathtakingly beautiful. Whoever did the initial drawings was supremely talented and whoever did the ink was a master.
Chloe’s eyes continued their trek down his body. His jeans fit him better than any jeans should ever fit a man. A tight ass that she’d got an eyeful of when he was dragging her into the back room and thick, strong thighs. It was obvious that he rode a bike from the chunky boots he wore. Mmmm, yummy. He was so tall and totally hot that her thoughts scattered when she was near him. The only thing she’d managed to do was snap at him, and that was hardly any way to show gratitude to the man who had literally put his body between her and danger.
“Thank you, Timmy. For saving me and for being so sweet that night. It meant the world to me but I didn’t get a chance to say it,” she said quietly, her voice breaking as emotion overcame her and she felt the familiar drowning sensation when she thought about the loss of her parents.
“Don’t thank me. You won’t be here for long,” he muttered and walked out. What? Why won’t I be here for long? Dumbass. Hot, ridiculously sexy dumbass.
Dakota joined her almost as soon as Timmy and Rake had left. Chloe and Dakota were completely different: Chloe was a blonde, curvy and with clean skin. Her daddy would have flipped his lid seeing a tattoo on her. Dakota was nearly a head taller than Chloe with a willowy frame, bright blue hair and tattoos on every part of her. Chloe thought she was gorgeous.
They spent a few hours in the back, Dakota showing her where all their supplies were stored and organized, and the resources they had set up in the drawing room. Rake had come in once Blade left to let them know Chloe had the all clear to come out again, but they’d continued until Dakota had finished her extensive tour. Chloe knew everything she’d need to so that she could clean and reset the chairs for each of the three artists in the studio.
“So who’s Blade? Rake and Timmy were pretty insistent that I don’t go anywhere near him.”
“Do you like him?”
“So not my type. He’s…scary.”
“Good, keep that attitude. He’s the president of the MC that moves through town. He was getting another branding. Who knows what that one stood for; kills, rapes, drugs, it could be anything. He’s a scary son of a bitch. Timmy and Rake can’t stand him but Timmy can’t exactly refuse to tattoo him given Timmy’s history with the club.”
“Shut. Up. Timmy’s a biker?”
“No, his brother used to ride with them before he died. Timmy doesn’t want to be a member but he still talks to them. It’s not like he has a choice. Blade doesn’t let him forget his brother was part of the Fury. But at least they respect him. There aren’t many other people who can get away with his complete disdain for them and not lose their head.”
“So why do you all call Rake, Rake?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He’s nearly seven–foot tall. The guy looks like a stick insect.” Chloe couldn’t help her giggle snort when Rake yelled out, “I heard that,” and Dakota gave her a wicked grin.
“See you tomorrow,” Chloe said as she went to walk out of the studio. Rake had assured her that she did have a job there despite Timmy saying earlier that she wouldn’t be there for long. Thank God.
“Chloe,” Timmy called out. His tone was harsh making her eye him warily. “You’re to be escorted from here to your car every shift you do by Rake or myself. Give me five minutes and I’ll walk you out.” Seeing her angry shock he added, “Don’t even think about arguing.”
“Sure, okay,” she replied, resigned. Chloe couldn’t be bothered disagreeing with him. It was easier to let him have his way.
Chloe raced to keep up with Timmy as he ambled toward her beat-up old Jeep, his long strides ate up the short distance easily. When she found herself a couple of steps in front of him, Chloe turned. He was wearing an odd look and his pace slowed considerably. Chloe could almost see the cogs turning. He was thinking hard about something. Is it uncertainty in his eyes? Chloe didn’t think he was one for mincing words. Her impression so far was of a man who would always take control of a situation, but he did seem uncertain, like he expected her to run from him.
“What is it? What are you thinking, Timmy?”
“Blade’s dangerous. You’re gonna be mine, my old lady, so I can protect you.”
Chloe gasped and stared at him with wide eyes. “Like hell I am. You can’t be serious. You think making me your old lady is gonna protect me? So what, I sleep with you so I can avoid sleeping with Blade?” She huffed and shook her head. “I can protect myself, thank you.”
“Chloe, I’m not joking on this. You can’t be alone. At least not while Blade’s got you in his line of sight. You have no idea what he’s capable of. I won’t risk that happening.”
“Timmy, listen to me and really take in what I’m saying. I appreciate you risking your life to save me from what went down at my parents’ house, but I’m not some helpless little girl. I’m not some possession you can get off with in exchange for protecting. Blade will forget about me as soon as he gets back to the clubhouse and he sees the bar flies willing to spread their legs for him. I’m not beautiful. I’m not model material. I’m just a normal girl. I want to make a decent enough living to move out of my sister’s house and get through this horrible chapter in my life. Please treat me like any other employee.”
“Fair enough.” He stared at her coldly for a moment then wrapped one of those strong arms tightly around Chloe, his grip leaving no room for argument with his actions. She hated to admit it, but she couldn’t help snuggling into his warm embrace as he steered them toward the parking lot.
* * * *
Chloe was anything but normal in Timmy’s opinion. And she was not forgettable. She absolutely needed his protection from Blade. He kept telling himself that was all it was: an innate need to protect her. He knew that sooner or later, Blade would come after her. He didn’t give up easily, and until the MC knew she was off limits, Chloe was at risk. When Timmy pulled her body against his, he mentally dared her to object. She glared at him and he barely hid his smirk. As much as he knew he needed to resist her, holding her close was damn good. “What? Dakota would expect me to see her to her car and make sure she’s safe.”
The gravel crunched under their feet as they walked across the parking lot. Every muscle in his body tensed as he listened. They were not alone. There it was, the odd crunch at different times to their synced steps that was getting closer each time he heard it. “Get your keys ready, Chloe,” he murmured against her temple as he leant down to whisper in her ear. Was it Blade stalking them? A sinking feeling hit him. Of course it was. Fuck.
She pressed once on the remote, opening the driver’s sid
e door and Timmy held it open for her, pulling her in close and pressing a whisper soft kiss to her lips. He intended it to be reassuring to Chloe, but he was fighting the need to stake his claim on her. His head told him to show her that he wasn’t a complete ass and yet, the alpha male in Timmy wanted to beat his chest and holler to anyone listening that he owned her. All thought fled his mind when his lips touched hers. A fire ran through him igniting awareness in every cell. The hand he had splayed across her lower back balled her lose loose dress into a fist as Timmy fought every instinct he had in him. His body was screaming for him to ravish her, to press her up against her old Jeep and fuck her senseless. His hands speared into her hair as she followed his mouth, seeking another kiss when he pulled away. Unable to resist their connection, he pulled Chloe closer again, their lips melding, pressing together once more. Timmy’s tongue traced her bottom lip hoping to get a better taste of her when she stiffened and pushed on his chest.
“I heard something.” She looked at him with wide eyes. Timmy sucked in a breath. He’d lost himself in a kiss that he’d move Heaven and Earth to do again. One touch, one kiss and he’d thrown all responsibility to the wind, disregarded the promise he’d made only a moment ago to protect her. Irresponsible, Timmy. Dammit, think with your head not your dick. The girl’s in danger and you’re kissing her in a deserted fucking parking lot. Granted, it wasn’t late but the sun was setting and the few shops they had on Main Street closed early. Most of the employees of the nearby businesses had already headed home. The lack of people and the long shadows created a sense of eeriness. Timmy’s protective instincts kicked in and flared even brighter with the embers of desire that had ignited between them. He had to get her away from Blade.
“Get in the car, lock the door and drive away. I think Blade is here. If you hear bikes following you, don’t stop. Call me or Rake, no one else. Otherwise, go home and lock the doors. Stay safe, pretty girl. See you tomorrow.” Timmy waited until she slid into her seat then slammed Chloe’s car door closed before she could argue with him. It was only when she’d relocked it and started the engine that he managed to look away from her.
“Blade, you might as well come out in the open. I could hear you from a mile away.”
“Walkin’ my night’s entertainment to her car? You tryin’ to ruin my fun? I might get pissed off with that and this truce we have might go up in smoke.”
“She’s mine, Blade. She’s off limits.”
“You sure about that? You didn’t say so earlier when I was describin’ the nasty things I plan on doin’ to her.”
Unable to stomach Blade at the best of times, Blade had just pushed Timmy too far. She was his. Well, technically she was Rake’s apprentice, but she was his. It was his job to protect her. He’d do it for any one of his employees. Hell, Dakota would expect him to follow her home. The only reason he intercepted Blade rather than staying with Chloe was that he wanted Blade as far away from her as possible. Sending Chloe on her way and keeping Blade busy to stop him was the only thing he could think of in the moment. Timmy knew Blade always liked to have first bite. Keeping him away from Chloe would mean she’d be safe from Blade and the other members of Ares Fury, at least temporarily. Apparently, Blade was the connoisseur when it came to unwilling girls. From what Timmy had gathered from his chats with the veep of the club, no one really targeted girls without Blade initiating it. Rape was Blade’s thing. Once he’d finished with the girl, he would call the other members onto her, but not before. Then they’d have their go – some twisted sense of brotherhood. He knew Blade wouldn’t have told the others about Chloe yet; he was selfish like that. Chloe was safest if Timmy could convince Blade to keep away from her and declare her off limits to every other biker in town. It wasn’t like they could rely on the Sheriff. In every case that Peterson had investigated either, the evidence hadn’t stacked up, the witnesses had changed their minds or the victims withdrew their complaints. Ares Fury MC didn’t exactly rule the town, but it sure as shit helped that the Sheriff couldn’t make a case stick against any of them.
No matter how much Timmy tried to persuade himself he was protecting Chloe out of obligation as her boss, he couldn’t help but acknowledge that she was different. He’d never kissed Dakota; had never even wanted to despite her many flirtatious offers. There was something about Chloe that drew him in. It didn’t matter though. His cock might have been standing on end, but he’d never touch Chloe again. She was right; he couldn’t dominate her like he needed to. She was way too young. Sure, he’d slept with girls her age before; there were quite a few that he’d had over the years. There seemed to be a line-up of them who wanted a ride on his bike and a ride on him. He capitalized on the ‘Daddy, I fucked a bad boy’ attitude that quite a few twenty-somethings developed when they realized that binge drinking over the age of twenty-one didn’t hold as much appeal anymore. But they didn’t know all of him. His darker side begged to be released; a dominant side that couldn’t be satisfied with a vanilla girl. Vanilla one-night stands with women were getting old and left him decidedly bored. He was looking for more, but there was no way Chloe could be into the same things as him.
Blade moving into Timmy’s personal space snapped him back to reality quickly. “Answer me, boy. You sure she’s yours and you’re not just tryin’ to be a hero?”
“She’s mine. She’s off limits. If you touch her, your life won’t be worth living. Lorena Bobbitt will look like a fuckin’ saint compared to what I’ll do to you.”
“You’ve bitten off more than you can chew this time, Timmy,” Blade sneered. “You’d better keep your eye on that one if you plan on keepin’ me away. I’m gonna enjoy breakin’ her. A lot.”
“Back the fuck off, Blade.”
“We’ll see.” Blade glared at Timmy. “I like you, but not that much. You might find yourself on the wrong side of my piece if you get in the way.” Blade turned on his heels and stalked away. Timmy breathed out a sigh of relief and clicked the safety back onto the gun Rake had surreptitiously handed to him as he left the store. Timmy hated violence. It had claimed his brother’s life, but until he knew for certain that he and Captain Taylor would be able to bring down Ares Fury, it was reality. At least he could keep feeding the police information that he gleaned from this ‘friendship’ he had with Blade. It was ridiculous how much the president gave away when he got stoned at Twin Jesters, the biker bar on the shitty side of town. And the veep and sergeant at arms were no better. They may have been mean bastards, but they were as loose-lipped as the president when they got tanked.
When Chloe opened the front door, she found her sisters curled up on the couch together eating ice cream and crying. “What’s wrong? Well, apart from the obvious.” Holding her breath, Chloe darted her eyes between her sisters, waiting for one of them to answer her.
“The Sheriff said Momma and Daddy will be released to us by the end of the week. We can have the funeral on Saturday.”
“Oh.” Chloe crumpled down onto the sofa next to them. The high of her first day at a new job and the kiss to end all kisses dissipated like a raindrop in a Texas summer. There was no denying they were on their own now. Momma and Daddy would both want the three of them to be happy; but how could they possibly be? Chloe didn’t even know where to start. Her parents would want them to make successes of themselves, find loving partners and have families of their own; raise their own children based on the morals that their parents taught them and had lived every day of their lives. Putting that into practice was going to be challenging.
“Pastor Brennan is coming over tonight. He’s going to help us with the funeral arrangements.” Chloe nodded and scooped a dollop of Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby into her mouth with Claire’s spoon.
“I need to shower and change. I can’t sit here. I…I can’t do this.”
Walking into her bedroom, Chloe sat down on her bed, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her emotions swamped her again and she fought to get herself back under control. Her sisters need
ed her strong. She needed to be strong too. The only way she was going to make it through this pain was to fight it back down. Opening her eyes, Chloe squared her shoulders, gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep moving. Most of the clothes that she’d ordered online had arrived while she’d been at work. Pulling them out of the packages, she put each of the new items away. Chloe set aside the most comfortable of the things that she’d bought to wear while they met with the pastor: yoga pants and a loose fitting t-shirt.
Climbing into the tub under the hot spray, the water melted the exhaustion and stress that had overtaken her. A lack of sleep, the shock of losing her parents, her first day of learning the ropes at Ink’d Up, Blade, her spat with Timmy, her kiss with Timmy…Timmy. It was all too much. She wanted to crawl under a rock and not come out until her heart and her head stopped hurting, but she knew that was impossible. Her world would go on, even though all she wanted to do was pause and hide. The water was cooling when Chloe found the strength to open her eyes and pull herself together. It wasn’t long after that that Cleo knocked to let her know Pastor Brennan was due to arrive five minutes later.
When she walked out, Cleo was moving a giant cushion into one corner of the room and there were doggie biscuits and food sitting on the kitchen counter. A giant dog that looked eerily familiar sat patiently at the foot of the sofa enjoying the ear scratch Claire was giving him.
“What’s going on?”
“A guy named Timmy came over. He said he was your boss. Apparently, you need a protector so he dropped him off. This is Mohawk.”
“Why do you need a protector?” Claire asked. Chloe knew Claire would never let her out of the house again if she knew what had gone down in the studio. Chloe just hoped her not-so-little white lie sounded believable and wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass.
“Timmy thought it’d be good for me to have some company. Mohawk’s friendly so he’s coming to stay with us for a little while.”