by Zara Teleg
Oh. My. God.
Kai was drop-dead gorgeous. His long hair was pulled into a tight ponytail at the base of his neck. He left a small bit of stubble on his sharp jaw line. He had on a soft black long-sleeve tee with a V-neck, making the deep line from his chest even more prominent. His sleeves were pushed to his elbows, revealing heavily tattooed forearms that were the size of my calves. He had some black strap bracelets on one arm and a copper one on the wrist. His leather Souls jacket was flung over his shoulder as he strutted in the room, dwarfing it in his presence. His black jeans were accented by a silver chain. The air quickly filled with the scent of his cologne and faint smell of leather.
“Tink? You okay, doll?”
I realized I wasn’t just staring but practically drooling with my mouth hanging open. I could feel a flush rise up my cheeks.
“Mm-hmm.” I cleared my throat. “All ready for the party, I see.”
“Oh, what drink are you making?” He stole a cherry and a few orange slices, stuffing them in his mouth.
“Louisiana Hurricane. Stop eating all my garnish.” I laughed, slapping at his hand.
“Can I have some? See if you are a good bartender?”
“I guess.” I handed him the tall glass filled with the rum and juice mixture.
His lips puckered after a long swig. “Damn, girl. That is fine.” His hand lightly smacked my butt.
“Glad you approve.”
“We need to have these next movie night.” Crumbs were falling off the piece of okra that he popped in his mouth.
“And these,” he said with his mouth full. And then the spice hit him. His eyes grew big and began to water.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Ghost pepper powder. I like it HOT,” I said, bursting out in laughter as he grabbed a water bottle and chugged the whole thing.
“Tink, I’m going to get you for not warning me.” He coughed and pounded his chest.
His phone buzzed, and he quickly checked it. “I got to go. Have fun tonight, and be careful with those.” He pointed to the pile of spicy okra.
“Have fun too. And you be careful with that.” I pointed to his crotch. “I heard all about your New Year’s parties from Amber.”
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, stealing another cherry as he walked to the door.
“Lock this behind me, Tink,” he yelled over his shoulder.
I followed him, inhaling his trail as he left. The door clicked and I leaned my back against it, hating myself for crushing on him so bad. I could never have someone like Kai. He would never want someone dull and boring like me. I was going to drown myself in Hurricanes and movies. Yay me, ringing in the New Year with style.
Kai
I wanted to be okay with leaving Paige at home on New Year’s Eve. I knew if she came to the clubhouse, I was going to be distracted trying to keep other guys’ paws off her. But when I stopped by to give her the key and say goodbye, something in me actually wanted to stay. I felt like I would enjoy a movie night with Paige more than a party night. Watching her cook in her old New Orleans Saints jersey she always wore as PJs, with pigtails in her hair, she looked like a doll. I hated that I found myself more attracted to her every day. Beauty aside, she was smart, witty, funny, and had a sweetness that poured out from under all her layers. I put girls like that behind me after my heart had been ripped out, stepped on, and thrown in the shredder by one.
I kept telling myself I had to spend less time with her now that she’d made some friends; us together was not a good idea. Tickling her today had me so hard like a freaking teenager, I had to hide behind the counter before leaving her place. Her attitude, perseverance, and sheer will made me want her even more than her smoking body and gorgeous face. But whatever I felt about her, it was something I couldn’t—shouldn’t—explore. In another life, maybe.
When my bike approached the clubhouse, the two prospects that were guarding it were quick to open the gate.
“Kai,” Bodie tilted his head. “Have fun.”
Bikes lined the driveway and front lawn. Two of the club girls were collecting keys. The party would be out of control before we knew it, and we didn’t want anyone getting fucked up and leaving.
Leann sauntered over. Her flaming red hair was in a long braid over her shoulder. She was wearing leather from head to toe. The boots that skimmed the inside of her thighs were only inches from her micro skirt.
“Kai.” She placed her hand on my thigh, giving it a squeeze. “Keys.” She pointed to the practically full bowl.
I dropped them in and gave her a wink. “You know where Colt is?”
“Last I saw him, he was halfway down a bottle of Jack in the main room.”
“Geez, he started early.” I lit my smoke and offered the pack to her. She declined.
“I heard Chyanne was here earlier, giving him a bunch of shit. He was pretty wound up after seeing her,” she said.
“Fucking bitch. She’s always trying to keep him from having any fun.”
“Well, if you are looking for any fun, you know where to find me.” She leaned in, placing a peck on my cheek, making sure her tits brushed against my chest.
“Thanks, sweetheart. I will keep that in mind.”
Juliet would rip my balls off if she saw me with Leann. After the trouble she’d caused between Juliet and Rage, she laid low for a while, but now she was always at the clubhouse trying to dig her long red nails into anyone she thought could make her an “old lady.”
I found Colt sitting in an armchair in the corner of the room, sulking. His vibe said, “Stay the fuck away.” He gripped the bottle of Jack like it was a life preserver and he was drowning. His scowl remained even as he sucked on the joint he held in his other hand. Maybe now wasn’t the best time to talk to him.
I grabbed a bottle off the bar and headed to where the DJ was set up outside. The weather had really cooperated for a party this size. The music got louder as I approached the courtyard. Barn lights were strung through the trees and around the whole area. Large speakers were blasting some kind of electronic club music that had the females dancing and grinding all over each other. The strobing lights were on the makeshift dance floor.
Rage sat on the edge of the wall. I followed to where he was staring off. He was watching Juliet and Ivy dance. They were the sexiest pair on the dance floor. I guess it was the yoga that had them moving their bodies like that.
“Kai, where are you going?” a blond whined, pulling on my arm as I passed by.
She looked familiar. Shit, I’d brought her home before but had no idea who she was.
“Doll, I gotta talk to Rage. I’ll catch you in a bit.”
Rage didn’t even notice my approach. I took a seat next to him and waved the bottle in front of his face. He just snatched it in the air and took a long swig before finally acknowledging me.
“You talked my future sister-in-law into coming tonight?” he spoke without taking his eyes off his woman.
“Nah, she’s home watching a movie.”
“Good.” He took another long drink before passing the bottle back.
“I didn’t want to come. I hate having to watch every fucking asshole from other chapters try to hit on my woman. Ivy won’t even let her look this way. They’ve been dancing like that too fucking long,” he grumbled.
I looked out to where the pair was moving their bodies. They stuck out among the usual club women who wore leather and not much more. Ivy was her own brand of biker-chic sexy, her lace shirt tied around her neck and left the back open, displaying her large tattooed wings. Stilettos were on her feet, and her black jeans fit tight and were held together with laces instead of seams. She tossed her platinum hair back and forth to the music. Juliet was a different kind of sexy. She had this whole gypsy vibe with a low-waisted long skirt with a high slit showing off her toned legs. Her belly ring and body chain glowed under the lights. I could tell Rage didn’t like her tits practically jumping out of the small, tight cropped tank as she danced barefoot.
The only thing I could think of while I emptied the bottle was pigtails and sexy legs under an old jersey. I took a longer swig trying to erase Paige’s cute little face from my mind.
“What’s wrong with you two? Why aren’t you partying?” A heavily tattooed hand holding a cigarette waved in front of our faces. Hawk took the bottle from my hand and followed our line of sight.
“Fucking Ivy. What the hell is she doing?” Hawk grumbled.
We watched as she grabbed the old flag pole and danced around it. She began showing off her yoga skills by hanging upside down, holding herself up by one leg. A group of men took notice and started cheering, encouraging her.
“Aww fuck, here we go.” Hawk flicked his cigarette and pushed his way through the crowd. Rage immediately stood, keeping his eye on Juliet as we watched Hawk try to talk Ivy down.
“For someone who swears they’re just friends, Hawk seems awfully concerned about Ivy giving attention to other men,” I told Rage.
“What would you know? You barely sleep with the same woman twice.”
“Thank fuck, I don’t want to be pussy-whipped like you two.”
Once the Jack and joint kicked in, I was able to relax and began enjoying the party. Paige was still on my mind. I felt so guilty she was home by herself. The warm evening had the already scantily clad women losing more clothes as they danced. Random half-baked conversation was all I was capable of. I couldn’t take the techno sounds any longer; I needed to go inside.
I noticed none of my brothers were around. “Where are all the brothers?”
I spotted Leo sitting on the oversized chair with Shelly on his lap.
“You alright, Shelly?” Her gorgeous face looked like she was going to be sick.
“Ivy. Juliet. Dancing. Upside down. Too many drinks,” she slurred.
She rested her head back on her man’s shoulder. The badass MMA trainer that struck fear in the hearts of many was gently stroking her hair.
“She doesn’t drink often. Ivy pushed some crazy shots on her.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head before taking a pull of his nearly empty beer.
“I was looking for Hawk and Ledger. Where is everyone?”
“Downstairs, watching the Angels dance.” Shelly tightened her grip on Leo’s arm.
“Leo, please don’t go down there,” Shelly protested.
“Baby, they got nothing I want.” He kissed her head.
“The Angels? I’m in.” How did I not know the Angels from Heaven’s Gate were dancing here tonight? Those bastards didn’t tell me. I plucked a beer from a cooler and took off for the stairs.
“Ahh, fuck! Kai found us!” Ledger yelled to Hawk, who held a twenty between his teeth for the topless dancer’s G-string.
“Leave some for us.” Ledger slapped my back and lit his smoke as he leaned against the wall watching the hard, oiled-up bodies dancing to “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”
Glitter coated the floor. The mix of perfume and smoke filled the basement. Men gathered at tables that had a woman dancing on it. Cash was being waved, thrown, or tucked everywhere I looked. I reached into my pocket, but before I even had a chance to get my money out, a hand covered mine.
“Your money is no good here,” someone whispered in my ear before gently biting my lobe. Indigo was Heaven’s finest dancer. Gorgeous black hair with shades of electric blue and purple running through it. Her smoky eyes met mine as she pressed her body against me and sucked my lip into her mouth and reached for my crotch.
“Kai, it’s been too long.”
I might be an asshole who didn’t remember half the women he’d slept with, but Indigo, she was unforgettable. Memories of our three-day sexfest had me hard in seconds. She pushed her hands against my chest, moving me to the closest wall.
She was nearly six feet tall with her five-inch heels. Her lips were perfectly aligned to mine. Her tongue slid in my mouth and made all doubts about my being here disappear. My hands went to her waist and slid down her tan ass, grabbing a firm handful as I pulled her in as close as I could.
“Want to find a room?” She snagged a bottle off the bar, pulled my collar, and had me following her toward the exit.
“Kai, you’re such a lucky bastard,” Ledger yelled over the booming music.
Indigo was on her knees, unbuttoning my jeans when one of the prospects began rounding our drunk asses up.
“Kai, it’s The Ridge. Some bikers from the Damned are there tearing the place up. Sully is hurt, and Amber just called, crying.
“You are not going anywhere.” Indigo’s hand squeezed my wrist.
“Sorry, babe, I gotta go. Another time, I hope.”
“No one leaves me, Kai, no one. You are not fucking going,” she demanded, stomping her heel.
“There’s a first for everything.” I gave her a peck on the cheek. “Sorry, babe.” I could feel my body sobering as the adrenaline coursed through my veins.
Paige was all I could think about. If Amber called here, she might have also called Paige, who undoubtedly would go to her friend’s aid. Everyone was fishing keys from bowls. Hawk, Ledge, Hack, Colt, and the rest were arming up.
Juliet was pulling on Rage. “Paige isn’t answering for Ivy or me, I’m going to check on her.”
“Stay here, babe. We’ll make sure Paige is okay.”
I pulled out my cell. It rang once, twice, three times, voice mail. “Fucking hell.”
“You all can’t drive. You have been drinking and smoking and God knows what else,” Juliet insisted as she tried to stop the men from getting on their bikes.
The prospects pulled up in trucks.
“I’m checking on Paige,” I hollered to Rage, who was loading his gun that he tucked in the back of his pants.
I jumped on my bike, not listening to the others. My gut was telling me all night I should not have left her. I flew down the road and squealed into the lot. The old building was completely black; an unfamiliar car and bike were parked in the back.
I saw the flash coming from Paige’s apartment window. I busted through the main door and heard screams and the sound of shots being fired. Drawing my gun, I couldn’t get up the steps fast enough.
Paige
It was nearly midnight when I caught up on work and YouTube. I didn’t know how I lost so many hours catching up on several weeks’ worth of vloggers’ worlds. I looked at the clock and thought of Kai again when I saw the wrapped plate of okra.
I didn’t mind hanging out by myself on New Year’s Eve. That was until Kai walked in. Now, no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop thinking of him.
I needed a movie to take my mind off that gorgeous man. He’d set up the TV and insisted on this giant speaker; it would be rude not to use it.
It felt bizarre letting myself into Kai’s place. I turned the key and opened the door into a pigsty.
The few times that I had been in here, he had cleaned up first, thank God. How did he get girls to stay here? There were clothes everywhere. His cologne and faint smell of smoke still lingered in the air. Stacks of empty pizza boxes and takeout containers covered the small counter and table. His bedroom door was closed.
I stepped over the trail of crap he had everywhere and made it to the only neat area in the apartment—his entertainment center. The 75-inch TV was mounted over an old fireplace. Both sides had DVD storage units. There must have been hundreds of movies, all meticulously standing in alphabetical order. I started with A and looked through the titles. He had so many action movies. James Bond had its own two shelves, as did the Bourne series and an entire shelf dedicated to the Marvel Universe. I promised not to watch those without him. When I got to R, I considered Rocky, I had never seen the classic and thought I might be able to get through a few tonight. Then I saw it: True Romance. Kai had a romance movie? Oddly enough, it stuck out because it wasn’t in the pristine cases like the others. It was in a case, its title on the side in writing. I didn’t know what it was about, but I was going to find out. God, I hope he wasn’t lying, and it w
asn’t porn.
Once back at my apartment, I turned off my phone and every light, setting the mood. I filled my glass again, grabbed the bowl of freshly popped corn, and a blanket from my bed.
Holy shit! I nearly spilled the popcorn when the roaring sound came through the newly hooked-up speakers. Well, at least I didn’t have to worry about waking anyone. My neighbors were away, Kai was out for the night, and the other apartment had just become vacant.
Over an hour in, I was loving every second of the movie. I was taken completely by surprise by the story: A man with no confidence meets a newbie hooker whom he falls instantly in love with and he wants to save her from her crazy pimp. When the dangers of her past come to collect, he reaches inside him, overcoming his shyness to be the ultimate alpha male. Their love was so intense. I was crying my eyes out as I watched Alabama fight for her life and her man. I refilled my glass and pulled the blanket tighter as Clarence and Alabama walked into the hotel where all hell was about to break loose. I had to keep from putting my nails into my mouth.
“Don’t do it! Don’t do it!” I yelled at the TV.
I was on the edge of the sofa when the firing started. Screams, bullets, bodies. I began to cry hysterically when Clarence was shot. Alabama was screaming, guns were firing, and I was bawling my eyes out. She loved him so much, he couldn’t die. Reaching for the tissues, a scream ripped from my throat at the sound of my door being kicked in. It flew open, and Kai’s arm and gun were the first things I saw. He stood there, aiming it around until his eyes landed on me.
“What the hell, Kai?” I screamed, clutching my chest.
“Paige, are you okay? Who’s in here?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” My heart was nearly beating out of my chest. “No one is here.”
He put his gun down, running to me. He placed it on the table and kneeled in front of me. He put a hand on each side of my face. Examining me like I had been shot.
“Tink, what’s wrong?”
I pointed to the TV where Clarence was lying on the floor and Alabama was trying to revive him. He let out a huge sigh, grabbed the remote, and paused the movie.