It was only a few moments before her coffee and muffin arrived, and as she bit into it hungrily and took a swig of her steaming hot pick-me-up she found herself sighing with pleasure.
She couldn’t remember the last time anything had tasted so good. It was comforting to remember that there was stuff that could bring her back to life. She looked out the window and even though she was resisting, her mind wandered back to her relationship with Matt, and what a disaster it had become.
He had never been the best boyfriend. In fact, she had probably stayed with him out of habit more than anything else, but she had loved him. There was no way she could deny that. When she had found out he had been seeing someone else behind her back she had even contemplating forgiving him. After all, they had been together for two years and her whole life was with him in the city. But as the days passed by and his mood worsened, Ashley began to realize something… He didn’t want to be with her. His apologies were false and he had been pushing her all along. She wouldn’t even have been surprised if he had set up the scene for her to find out. It seemed entirely plausible that he had left his cell phone out on purpose knowing that ‘Clarissa’ would be texting him at any moment.
She shuddered.
The memories of that night were ones she was keen to forget. It had been brutal and heartbreaking, and she had truly felt as if her whole world was falling apart.
“Oh come on, Ash,” Matt had said. “You know she doesn’t mean anything to me, you’re the girl I want to be with.”
And she had listened to him and tried to rationalize that they weren’t married, so therefore, technically still single… But it just was pointless. He had been living a completely different life behind her back and he was treating her like a fool.
When she had told him she was leaving all he had done was shrug. She had honestly thought he would try and stop her, but he cast his eyes down to the ground and scratched the back of his neck as if he just felt uncomfortable about the inevitability of it all. Almost as if he couldn’t believe it had taken her so long to come to that conclusion and it was a relief to him.
Prick.
She found herself clenching her fists.
Now come on Ash, she coached herself. You’re stronger than this. And this is your fresh start. You’re in a new town, hundreds of miles away from Matt, and nowhere near your lousy parents. It’s time to put all of that shit behind you and focus on the present.
She took another sip of coffee and felt the buzz run through her. She was determined not to let herself waiver and succumb to her fears. She was a strong, confident woman, and she was capable of anything.
A magazine in the rack on the wall caught her attention and she rose to her feet and went to pick it up. She looked at the glossy front cover and at the model looking perfectly put together and airbrushed.
“Maybe I could do with a little TLC,” she whispered as she sat back down and started to flick through the pages.
She stopped on a section all about hair and instantly felt excitement start to roll through her. She had long been thinking about bleaching her hair platinum blonde and changing her look, and what better time to think about it than when experiencing a big life change…
She bit her lip and grinned. The models on the pages in front of her all looked so gorgeous and demure, their blonde tresses were almost mermaid like in quality and it made her instantly crave her own long, white locks.
She ran her fingers through her mousy brown, limp hair, and sighed. She never seemed to have time to pay much attention to her appearance when she had been so busy working in the city, but now she had all the time in the world. She had never let herself go, and she still noticed the way men looked at her when she walked down the street. She was more than capable of grabbing attention, especially with her incredible figure and long, long legs. But she could feel how ready she was for a change. She was eager to shake things up.
She looked down at her nails which were tidy and painted a cute shade of pink, but they didn’t look expertly manicured, and they did look a little childish.
“Hmm,” she mused as she flicked to the next page and started looking through the fashion pages. “I think a whole new Ashley is waiting in the wings and is ready to burst free.”
She downed the rest of her coffee in one and rose to her feet. She left cash with the barista and headed back out into the glorious sun.
While she had been sitting inside the coffee house she had noticed a salon across the road, and she was now hotfooting her way there as if her life depended on it. She was far too excited to slow down and as she reached the doorway and threw it open, the girl who was working there jumped and held her hand over her chest.
“Jesus,” she gasped. “You scared me half to death.”
“Sorry,” Ashley said with embarrassment. “I got a bit carried away.”
The girl smiled and looked at her and then they both burst out laughing. She was short and toned with long black hair and dark brown eyes.
“Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance,” she said as she put down the selection of nail polishes she was holding and stepped toward Ashley.
“I’m Kady.” She smiled as she held out her hand and Ashley shook it. “I don’t recognize you, are you from out of town?”
Ashley nodded.
“Yeah,” she said. “I’ve only been here since this morning.”
“Just passing through or planning on staying a bit longer?” Kady walked around the back of the reception desk and opened up her diary.
“I’ve got a room in the motel,” Ashley said as she followed her. “So it’s open, really.”
Kady smiled and waited for Ashley to speak.
“So, erm…” she began, “I was wondering if I could book in and get my hair and nails done. As soon as you can.”
Kady smiled a big beaming smile and nodded her head obligingly.
“Sure,” she said as she flicked through the diary. “Believe it or not the women of Slate Springs don’t seem to want to go mad on maintenance at the moment, so I’m free as a bird all of this week. I can do you today or tomorrow, is that soon enough?”
“Wow,” Ashley laughed, taken completely by surprise. “Of course, that would be fantastic.”
“Now?” Kady mused, testing the air with her palms held out and up.
“That would be incredible.” Ashley clapped her hands together giddily and grinned.
“For me too,” Kady laughed. “I’ve been twiddling my thumbs all morning. You’re like an angel coming to save me from an afternoon of boredom.”
Ashley laughed and smiled. She hadn’t had many girl friends in the city and she had forgotten how nice it was to have a girly chatter.
“Take a seat,” Kady said warmly. “I’ll be right with you.”
Ashley walked across the room and sat down at a cosmetic station with a big mirror in front of it and she looked at her reflection.
“Goodbye dull and drab Ashley,” she said to herself. “And hello bright, shining and new Ash of Slate Springs.”
She giggled to herself and then snuck a little look over her shoulder, just relieved that Kady hadn’t seen or heard the little moment she had just had with herself.
She couldn’t help but smile. It hadn’t been long, but she had a good feeling about this place. She could tell she was going to fit right in.
4.
“Have you ever been this light before?” Kady asked her as she plastered the blue colored whitener all over her hair.
“Never,” Ash admitted nervously. “But I’ve always wanted to do it.”
“Well, why not, you’re only young once, right?” Kady laughed.
“Exactly,” Ashley nodded. “I’ve been holding back for too long. I just want to give it a go and see what it’s like. If it looks terrible, I can always cover it over with something.”
“It’s not going to look terrible,” Kady reassured her. “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it if I didn’t think it would take and look fantast
ic.”
The girls both smiled at each other in the mirror and laughed.
“And the nails are next?” Kady asked as she motioned toward Ash’s hands with the hair brush.
“Please,” Ashley replied as she too looked down at the chipped pink that now looked terribly childish and out of place amongst all of the new and bright colors that Kady had samples of dotted around.
“We can do it while this lightens,” Kady said as she set down the bowl and the brushes she had been using. “Come on, hop on over to this table.”
She helped Ashley to her feet and led her over to a table and chairs on the other side of the room by the window. The girls sat down on opposite sides of it so that they were facing each other and Kady reached out and took hold of Ashley’s hands.
“You have really strong nails,” she said as she looked them over. “You can tell you haven’t messed with them much.”
“I just do them myself,” she admitted. “I kind of enjoy it, believe it or not.”
“I do believe it.” Kady grinned as she held up her own hand and flashed her manicure. “I know it’s what I do for a living but I wouldn’t let anyone else do them. You’d think I’d be sick of the sight of nails and hair, but I just have to be in control. You know?”
Ashley nodded. She did know the feeling all too well.
Kady began to take off the pink polish and Ashley tried not to keep staring at her reflection and getting nervous when she could see how light her hair was turning underneath the blue. She wanted ice white and ethereal, and she just hoped she managed to achieve it instead of looking as if she had seen a ghost or been struck by lightning.
As Kady filed and began to paint Ashley’s nails, the two talked about life in Slate Springs and Iron Hill and the potential differences.
“I’ve never even been there,” Kady said. “Which is mad considering it isn’t really that far.”
“Yeah, it’s only about an hour’s drive,” Ashley confirmed.
“So why stay here when you’re so close by?”
“I was done with that town,” Ashley admitted as she exhaled deeply. “Done with everything I’ve ever known before, to be honest with you.”
Kady gave her a knowing and sympathetic smile.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “It’s good to have a new girl in town, and one I get on so well with. Hey! We should head out one night and I’ll show you the sights of Slate Springs.”
“That sounds like a great idea!” Ashley beamed.
“And you can show off your new hair and image, really start out as you mean to go on.”
Ashley laughed and nodded.
Just as the silence crept in between them, suddenly there was a deafening roar out on the street. A sound Ashley knew all too well.
Bikers.
She instantly flicked her eyes up and out the window to scan the streets and within an instant, she saw them coming around the corner. All revs and silver glinting in the desert sun.
She felt her stomach clench.
“Oh god,” Kady rolled her eyes. “Here come the assholes.”
Ashley looked back to her half stunned but also couldn’t help but laugh. It was funny to meet someone so outspoken and confident, and she liked it.
“Assholes?” Ashley asked.
She looked back toward the bikers and counted four of them in total. All tall and broad with tanned, muscular arms poking out of their vests. Tattoos rocked them and thick silver rings adorned their knuckles like a second skin. She knew their type all too well after Tyler had introduced her to a couple of the brothers in his gang. But these men were different.
She could tell instantly that they weren’t Iron Riders.
Whoever these guys were, they were a different breed altogether.
“I’m being mean,” Kady said as if she were confessing to a terrible crime. “They’re not so bad, I suppose.”
Ashley looked out at them again and felt her eyes get lost in all of them. She didn’t know where to look first. They had pulled up directly across the street and were all climbing off their bikes and slipping cigarettes between their teeth before lighting up.
Eww, Ashley thought.
“Who are they?” she looked back to Kady.
“Some of The Forsaken Riders,” Kady rolled her eyes. “They practically run this town. They think so much of themselves it just drives me insane.”
“Are they bad guys?” Ashley asked as she turned back to watch them through the window. Her heartrate quickening by the second.
“Well, they’re not traditionally good, that’s for sure,” Kady said as she continued to paint Ashley’s nails. “I’ve heard some awful stories about fights and crime that go on in this town and it’s all down to them.”
No surprise there, Ashley thought and smiled to herself.
“I just don’t get it,” Kady continued. “Some of the women that come in here literally go crazy for them. I mean crazy. A lot of them come and get all dolled up on the weekends for the specific reason of looking their best to try and bag one of these outlaws. I just think it’s insane.”
Ashley couldn’t help but cringe as she thought about her brother and how much he must love it. She could just imagine him lapping up the attention off the women of both towns and bedding a different woman each night. She just hoped she didn’t have to run into any of them at the motel. She didn’t think she’d be able to keep her mouth shut and the last thing she needed was another argument with Tyler.
“I just don’t know what they see in them, do you?” Kady asked. “I mean, they’re dirty looking and kind of wild… Give me a clean cut man in a suit any day.”
Ashley smiled and nodded but she knew she didn’t wholly agree. Matt had been a clean cut man in a suit… and just look at how that had turned out. Ashley felt her curiosity rising.
She watched as the bikers swarmed together and she felt her heart begin to pick up its pace even more. They were all hot as hell, but she supposed Kady was right, they were all kind of dirty looking. And they were criminals, for Christ’s sake.
Plus, was she forgetting that she was the kid sister of one of The Forsaken Rider’s supposed enemies? She had to stop herself from laughing. She was really getting ahead of herself. First the hair and now this…
“They take care of the town though, I suppose,” Kady sighed. “They keep everyone in work and all of the businesses ticking over. When it comes to it, I suppose they have loyalty in that regard, know what I mean?”
Ashley looked at her with wide eyes. That certainly didn’t sound anything like Tyler and what she had gathered he and his gang were like. From what she had heard, they were as ruthless as they come.
“They keep people in work?” she asked with intrigue.
“Well, yes, in a sense,” Kady said as she moved on to the other hand. “They own most of the property along Main Street. They lease them out at a much lower price to the residents so that their businesses can thrive. They know what it means to encourage small enterprise and all of that. I mean, I lease this from them.”
“You do?” Ashely’s ears pricked up even more.
“Umm hmm,” Kady said as she found a Q-Tip and started to tidy up around the edges of each nail. “And I guess they’re pretty relaxed. In fact, that’s probably what they’re down here for right now. It is rent day.”
She rolled her eyes and yawned.
Ashley felt her stomach clench with nerves.
What if they come in? she thought. Will they know I’m Tyler’s sister? Will it matter? Or would they want to drive me out of town? Goddam it, Tyler, why couldn’t you have just filled me in this morning on what the hell is going on?
She found herself looking outside again and she watched as the four men split up and went off in pairs in separate directions.
And just as Kady had predicted, two of them were heading their way.
“Oh, here we go…” Kady said as she got to her feet and motioned for Ashley to join her. Ashley just wanted t
he whole ground to open and swallow her up. She was standing there in a cape and her hair covered in blue hair lightener. If those men walked in, she was going to be so embarrassed.
She felt her cheeks flushing red.
“Shall I go to the basin?” she asked Kady in a flap. “Are you taking this off now?”
She could see the two bikers approaching ever closer through the window and she knew there was obviously no time for her to get the bleach off her hair before they entered. But she couldn’t let them see her like this.
“Yeah, just go and take a seat, doll,” Kady smiled. “I’ll be right over when I’ve given them their cash.”
Ashley felt her cheeks burning up and she spun around just as the bell on the door tinged and signaled the entrance of the two bikers. She bit her lip and debated darting out toward the back but that would only draw more attention to her and her blue covered head. So instead, she decided to grin and bear it as she sat down near the basin and tried not to catch their eye.
But it was impossible. Because the second they were in the room, their presence was undeniable. They were so tall and imposing, it was like they were giants. Two goliath’s that had burst into their quiet girly world and were about to turn it upside down with all of their testosterone.
Now, Ashley wasn’t blushing because she was embarrassed. She was blushing because she was burning up.
“Hey, Kady,” one of them said. “You good?”
“Sure am.” Kady smiled cheerily. If she really didn’t like them then she was doing a perfectly good job of disguising that fact.
“We’re just doing the rounds,” the other guy said, and Ashley found herself unable to tear her eyes away from him.
He was the taller of the two and he was so chiseled and defined it had to be illegal. She had never seen a man like that before, in all of her years of scoping guys out in the gym or at the bar, this one was different. This one was too good to be true.
He felt her looking and turned to stare back.
Ashley almost squeaked and shot her eyes down to the floor. She could feel the crimson start to flash over her again and she tried to turn so that her back was toward him. She knew he had caught her, though and she could feel his amusement even from the other side of the room.
BREAKER (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 14) Page 3