by Zara Teleg
“Kai? Baby, where are you? I see your bike outside. You can’t hide.” I heard drunken laughter out in the hallway. Fucking Angelica. Someone must have forgotten to lock the main door again. It was two-thirty in the morning. She must really want it bad. I got back into my apartment and closed the window. I didn’t want Paige to hear and wake up.
“There you are.” She swayed and slurred.
“Shhh. Angel, keep it down. I got tenants sleeping.”
“What are you doing on the fire escape?”
“Smoking.”
Her face scrunched. “Since when do you go outside to smoke?”
“Since when do you pop in without an invite?”
She removed her long jacket, revealing her completely naked body. “Do I need an invite now? Baby, I have been thinking of you all night…”
Her hand dove straight to my pants. Her other hand pushed on my chest, backing me over to the sofa. Her smoking bod was enough to have me ready instantly. I pulled her hair as she dropped to her knees, stripping off my jeans. Grasping me, she was eager to please.
“Not so fast.” I guided her head, slowing her pace.
Chapter Four
Paige
“Paige, you are going to love this place! It has such a homey, family vibe. The Ridge is where all the locals go, except band nights, then you get a crowd from Black Rock too,” Ivy said as she drove us there.
“I’m excited to work again. Thanks for putting in a good word for me to get this job. I spent most of my time in Austin selling my CBD at different farmer’s markets, but I thought I could do this and then just sell my CBD online.”
“I can’t believe you gave up nursing. I can remember you’ve wanted to be a nurse since you were a little kid, bandaging your dolls, but I’m glad you found your passion.” Ivy kept her eyes on the road as she reached for her coffee.
“Once I figured out that the medical industry wasn’t what I’d thought, I needed to find a way to help people who needed an alternative to the prescription pushers. My hydroponics gardening class was where it all started. My parents were happy. You know how holistic they are.” My stomach soured thinking of them. My parents—who were they, really? Nothing made sense.
I turned my attention to the tree and mountain landscape that flew by as we zoomed to the outskirts of town in Ivy’s vintage Fiat Spyder.
“How does anyone from out of town even find this place?” I scrunched my nose, still seeing nothing but trees in the distance. “You said it wasn’t far from town.”
“We have only been driving for ten minutes. It’s another mile up on the right, which is close, considering most places are forty-five minutes from Sugar Maple.”
I watched Ivy adjust the rearview mirror when the roar of bikes sounded in the distance.
“Sweetie, lock your door.” She pointed to the manual button that looked like a golf tee protruding from the door.
“Why am I locking the door?” A slight flutter swam through my stomach.
The bikes got closer. Ivy watched them more than the road. Suddenly two bikes went around us so fast we felt the draft against our tiny vehicle.
“See the orange on their jackets?”
I squinted, looking ahead where they were quickly fading in the distance. “Yeah, what about it?”
“Those guys are not Stained Souls. Most clubs are not like our boys. Most of the others can be really dangerous. This is Souls territory. But there has been quite a bit of biker activity around here in the past few months.” Ivy bit her lip the way she always had when she’s about to say something she shouldn’t.
“I kind of accidentally overheard Hawk talking to Rage and Kai about this other group of bikers who are real wild cards and have been hanging around Black Rock lately. They are having some kind of meeting about it when Colt gets back to town.” Ivy’s hand waved in the air like it was no big deal.
“See, there it is.” She pointed to the large log cabin–like building up ahead.
It sure was beautiful. The lot was mostly gravel with just a few cars. They were not open for business yet. Ivy took a spot right up front next to the wrap-around deck’s entrance.
“Isn’t it gorgeous?”
I admired the impressive woodworking. The floor decking was made of shiny stained wooden planks with hand-carved rails and tree-trunk pillars. There was a second story with a small deck that also wrapped around. “It is impressive.”
My fingers trailed the custom tree limb railing that had large potted mums in gorgeous shades of yellow and burnt orange lining the large stairs. The doors swung open and a woman stepped out, carrying a tented sign. Her auburn hair was twisted up in a bun.
“Amber, hey, need some help?” Ivy leaped into action and grabbed the side of the sign. I jogged over, holding the heavy door open wider.
“Thanks, Ivy.” She let out a deep breath and wiped her forearm across her head. “That sucker’s heavy. Angelica was supposed to be here ten minutes ago. We usually carry it out together, but that little witch called in saying she would be late. Again!” She rolled her eyes and made a sour face. “What are you doing here this early? We don’t open for another hour.”
“I brought your newest help.” Ivy placed her arm around me and pushed me toward Amber. “Sully said you could use more bodies to get through the holidays.”
Amber’s golden eyes met mine as I extended my hand to her. “Hi, I’m Paige.”
“Amber.” She nodded, evaluating me immediately.
“This is Juliet’s baby sister. She is new to town. She has plenty of waitressing experience, don’t ya?” She nudged me like she was selling a defective car.
“I spent two years waitressing in a crazy-busy college bar,” I said.
Amber’s lips formed a line as her eyes swept over my body before meeting my eyes.
“If Sully said so, we could definitely use the help. He’s in the back office. I’ll tell him you’re here.” Her voice was flat. She didn’t seem pleased.
We followed her in through the exterior saloon-style doors. The bar was even more impressive inside. Everything was made of wood. Several long bars with separate stations lined the walls. There were doors to the center, which lead to the kitchen. The vaulted ceiling had warm barn lighting that was a perfect match to its rustic style. Country music played low through the speakers. There was a massive stage at the back of the bar, elevated in the dark.
“Ivy, my favorite customer,” an older man with a slight southern drawl called out as he came down a metal spiral staircase from the second floor. His boots clicked with an echo through the empty bar.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite bar owner.” Ivy hopped off the stool that she was leaning on and skipped to the man and hugged him tightly.
He wore a cowboy hat with white hair poking at the sides. His white mustache and goatee would make Colonel Sanders jealous. His look was completed with a sports jacket over a crisp shirt adorned by a bolo tie and well-worn jeans.
“How ya doing, sweetheart?” His finger tenderly lifted her chin.
“I’m good, old man. How are you?”
“I can’t complain.” Sully grinned as he noticed me. “And this must be Juliet’s sister.”
I stiffened at the mention of my sister’s name again. The growing resentment was becoming irritating. Of course, everyone knew my sister. She was able to have a life, not like me who had to constantly move from place to place with Mom and Dad.
“Hi, sir. I’m Paige.” I reached my hand out to him, which he shook.
“Sir?” He smiled and nodded. “Now this is a girl with manners. I like her already.”
We spent the next forty minutes going over rules and expectations before he finally handed me paperwork to fill out.
“While you fill these out, I will get you a uniform.” His eyes made a quick appraisal. “Extra small?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Ivy was chatting with Amber when the saloon doors opened again. A tall woman with Peg Bundy–style blond h
air walked in, carrying the biggest suede fringed purse I had ever seen.
Her face beamed. “Hi, is someone helping you?”
“Yes, thanks. Sully is getting me a uniform.” I looked at her tight white T-shirt that said The Ridge over dark-blue jeans. Her ankle boots had a small heel.
“Oh awesome! God, do we need help! I’m Tracy.”
“Nice to meet you.” I shook her hand.
“I bartend most nights, so if you need anything, just give me a whistle. It can get rowdy nights and weekends, but the lunch crowd is pretty tame.”
Tracy chatted on as she got her station ready. She even gave me her number in case I needed a ride or had any problems getting Sully.
I left with mixed feelings. I had handled college kids before, but the bikers and locals had me a little anxious. Ivy read me like a book. She assured me I was in good hands and the tips were worth the hassle. Easy for her to say, she’s the only yogi I know with a mouth like a trucker and no freaking fear.
Kai
“Why are we meeting on a Friday?” I scrubbed my hands down my face trying to wake myself up. Three-day-old scruff reminded me I ran out the door this morning without shaving. Colt, our club president, insisted we be here at the ungodly hour of 10 am.
A hand slapped my back. I would have whipped around and sent a punch back, but the smell of coffee made me pause.
“Stop whining, princess. You can catch up on your beauty sleep tomorrow.” Hawk’s tattooed hand thrust the coffee in front of my face. “Caroline sent over a whole vat with me this morning when she saw me up in the studio so early.”
“Awww, this is from Roasted? That girl is such a fucking doll. Dan’s a lucky man.” I inhaled deep and took out a smoke while I watched the others take their seats around the large maple table.
The clouded window in the back of the room overlooked the back lot. Colt’s bike was pulling into the lot. Hot on his ass was a little red beamer. His ex jumped out and was yelling at him, pushing at his chest and pointing fingers in his face. She was loud enough that the other guys began to gather behind me, all of us watching her talk to Colt like no one else would dare.
“She may be a bitch, but fuck, Chyanne is a piece of ass.” Hack shook his head whistling as he watched the tiny woman still going at it while Colt stood still as a statue. I thought that pissed her off even more.
All our members crouched at the window, watching. A collective “ahhhh” was heard when Colt reached in his pocket and handed her a wad of cash before walking away to go inside.
He greeted us with his middle finger as he crossed the lot. Everyone scatted back to their chairs. The sound of Little Miss Priss squealing out of the lot meant we were in for a moody Colt.
A few minutes later, with a shot and a coffee, Colt stalked into the room. “Did you all fucking enjoy the show?”
“Sorry, Prez,” almost everyone said under their breath.
“Everyone, sit down and shut up. I want to get this shit over with, so I can start my weekend.” He banged the gavel, bringing the meeting to session.
“The reason I called y’all in today was to talk about a potential problem that needs investigating.” He lit his cigarette and reached into his bag, retrieving a map.
“You see this?” He spread it on the table and pointed his finger to Torrentsville, a town just south of Black Rock. The colored lines on the old map were long-established by original club members.
“Torrentsville is open territory. Why should we care?” Rage asked.
“We should care because it is now being bought up by the Cajun Kings MC.”
“Wait, aren’t they from the New Orleans area?” Rage looked confused.
“They are, but because of their rivalry with the Devil’s Damned, they are expanding. They have a few chapters in other areas of the country, but none this way. The Devil’s always kept them at bay. The red here marks the Devil’s territory.” He traced his finger around the lines. “Before this becomes a problem and we’re sitting in two towns between nasty rivals, I need to find out why the Kings are here and what their motive is.”
Colt’s cobalt eyes met mine. He rested his hands on the back of his black, silver-streaked head. “Kai, you know you’re the man for the job.”
“Fuck, Colt. You’ve had me running for the last two months. Maybe Hack or Ledge could take this one.”
His angry gaze leveled at me. His famous arching eyebrow made me feel like I just insulted my mother. “No, Kai, this is your task. I suggest you remember how you earned that,” Colt’s finger pointed to my sergeant-at-arms patch, “and do as you’re fucking told.” His voice was low and commanding.
I huffed and swore under my breath. I guess someone else was going to be checking in on Paige while I’m gone. I didn’t like that idea at all.
“I don’t know how many of you remember the stories of the Kings and the Damned, but I don’t want that shit landing at our door. You check it out and we’ll discuss it again next week. In the meantime, I want you all looking out for other patches around the area. Put out the word with your contacts and keep us up to date. Anyone else have any business to discuss before we start our weekend?” He began to fold the map. “This meeting is adjourned.”
Exiting the room, I saw a few of the girls that hung around the club waiting. Leann sat at a barstool fussing with her nails. I was surprised to see Jonah walking over to her. Leann used to be so hooked on Rage.
A set of arms with dangling bracelets came around my waist. Her floral perfume gave her away.
“Hi, Kai. You aren’t leaving so soon, are you? You got time for a little fun?” Emmy rested her head on my back.
I gently pulled her arms away and gave her hand a slight squeeze. “Nah, sweetie, I wish. I got some shit to wrap up today before I take off.”
“Alright, but next time I’m not letting you leave so easily.” She pulled on the ring of my jeans before she sauntered up to the next member.
“Hey, Kai.” Rage’s deep voice boomed. I stopped and gave him a nod and waited for the barrage of questions I knew were coming.
“How’s Paige doing? Is she settling in fine? Did ya’ make the place any nicer for her?”
“Slow down, Rage. Paige is fine, and she made the place pretty nice herself. I did everything you asked before she moved in. She seems happy with it. Although…” I began to chuckle, which earned me a scowl from Rage, “she may have had some words with Angelica and, man, she held her own. It was pretty cute.”
“Can’t you keep it in your pants for just a night and let the girl settle in?”
“And what, give her unreal expectations?”
“I thought you were done with Angelica. You said she was a bitch and was so loud she woke the other tenants.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna fuck her. Just means the playlist gets a little louder.” My grin said it all.
“Moron.” He rolled his eyes. “Hack is going there to meet Paige later tomorrow. He is hooking up her internet. Maybe if they get along, I’ll have him checking in on her while you’re gone.”
“Hack? Really? Why not a prospect?”
“You got a problem with Hack?”
“No, man, whatever. Just wondering, is all.”
Rage looked at me, then squinted, like he was trying to summon all his self-control.
“You better not be touching her, man. If I get wind that you’re messing around with her, if you ever hurt Juliet’s baby sister, brother or not, I swear to God—”
“Will you calm the fuck down? I ain’t touching her. God, you’re such an asshole sometimes.”
“Good. I’m glad we understand each other.” He slapped my shoulder.
“Fuck off.”
“Yeah, yeah, you too.” He slid on his shades and headed out. “Catcha later, Kai.”
Fucking pretty boy Hack was going over there tomorrow. Great. And he was probably just Paige’s type too—the brains of Tony Stark with the looks of Jensen Ackles. Hack wasn’t one to kiss and tell, but I
knew all the ladies loved him. The ladies loved me plenty too, sometimes several times a day, in fact. But Hack’s different. No, I didn’t like the idea of Paige spending time with Hack. Not even a little bit. Maybe it was my insecurities, since I didn’t know what fucking language he was speaking half the time, or if Paige would find the man attractive as most women did.
Chapter Five
Kai
“What are you girls doing taking so fucking long to get ready?” I took another drag of my cigarette as I waited. “If you all ain’t ready in the next three minutes, I’m leaving without your sorry asses,” I yelled through the screen door.
We were headed to ladies’ night at The Ridge. Once a month, the place was wall-to-wall women. Ready, willing, and able women. They all got in for free and gorged on the dollar drinks and shots. I loved watching them cut loose on the dance floor.
“Keep your pants on, Kai. You’re not leaving without us and taking all them chicks for yourself,” Colt shouted.
Colt, Hawk, Bodie, and Jonah shuffled out. Three kinds of cologne hit me at once. I coughed and gagged from the assault on my nose.
“Jesus, you guys take a bath in that stuff?” I waved my arm, trying to keep the smell away from me.
“The bike makes it wear off. I like to smell good,” Bodie said before getting a punch in the arm from Hawk.
Twenty minutes later, our Harleys were pulling into the lot where a few spots were always left open for our bikes. Women on the porch watched with heat in their eyes, while the men glared, wishing they were us. Our authority in this town made the shit we take being in the club worth it. Respect was something you couldn’t buy.
Sully had a full house tonight. Even the front porch was jammed. I handed the bouncer $50 to cover the five of us. The big guy gladly took it and nodded to a roped-off table in the back.