One week after meeting Kim, Knight walked into her bar. Despite the fact Mulligans’ was within walking distance from Blush, he’d never been there before, but the call of the pretty and feisty waitress couldn’t be ignored. Damn, she was gorgeous, not to mention funny as hell, had a passion for horses that just might rival his own. Plus, she was protective of her friend... all qualities he felt important.
She caught his eye and her smile widened as she set drinks on a table by the bar. He gave her a chin lift and headed to an open stool at the bar.
“What can I get you, handsome?” someone asked, pulling Knight’s focus from Kim.
He turned his smile toward the pretty red-headed bartender waiting for his order. “Jack, neat.”
“You got it.” She grabbed a glass and a bottle of Jack Daniels, giving him a little more than a pour. “Six bucks,” she said with a wink. He dropped a ten on the bar and she beamed when he refused change. “Thanks, honey.”
He tipped his glass toward her and then sipped.
A gentle hand landed on his back. “Hey, Knight.”
He turned to face Kim with a smile. “Hey, sugar.”
“What are you doing here? Is everything okay with Dani?”
“You’d probably know more than me,” he admitted.
“Oh, good, ’cause I just talked to her.” Kim relaxed. “You scared me a little.”
“Sorry about that.”
“So, if Dani’s good, what are you doing here?”
He grinned. “I’m here, ’cause you’re here.”
“Oh, yeah?” she said. “Trying to steal me away?”
Knight chuckled. “From Mack, yeah, from here, no. You’re too good for Blush.”
“FYI, Mack doesn’t have me, so I can’t be stolen from him, and I personally think the servers at Blush are really good.”
Their ability to sling drinks wasn’t really what he was referring to. Blush was a favorite for escorts and johns, and as long as their activities didn’t draw negative attention for the Dogs, Mack and Booker allowed them to do business. “I’ll tell Booker you said so.”
“Miss!” someone called and Kim grimaced.
“I better get back to work,” she said, but she seemed reluctant to leave him.
“I’m gonna finish my drink and do the same. I’ll find you when I’m ready to go.”
“Sounds good.” Kim squeezed his arm and then headed back into the fray.
Knight finished his drink but couldn’t quite bring himself to leave, so he waited the two hours it took for Kim to finish her shift. He offered to walk her to her car, which she readily accepted. He held the door for her and followed her out the back.
“So, what’s a nice girl like you working for an asshole like Doug?” he asked.
Kim chuckled. “I needed something to do that would piss my parents off, but then I realized I actually really like the job. I need something to do with my days, and I’m not really the office worker type, you know? Plus Doug’s not so bad. He pays us well and doesn’t give us grief when we need a day off.”
They arrived at her Mercedes and he opened her door for her. “I’m surprised you work at all.”
Her expression turned guarded as she said, “I don’t like being lazy.”
“Admirable,” he said. “Drive safe, sugar.”
“I will,” she promised as she climbed in and took off.
Knight wondered how the hell he’d measure up to a woman who owned a Mercedes and worked because she wanted to. She was out of his league, but, damn if it didn’t just make him want her more. He had a feeling she’d be worth the risk of putting himself out there.
Kim
Six months later...
I SMILED AT Train as he allowed me entrance into Blush. Gorgeous, tatted, but very, very young, Train was a recruit for the Dogs of Fire Motorcycle Club and I adored him. He was huge (hence his nickname) and gruff which scared most people, but he looked out for me and I loved him for it. Blush was owned by the Dogs and run by Mack and Booker.
Ever since meeting Mack, I’d been inducted into the Dogs family.
Technically, that happened when Dani and Booker hooked up too, I suppose, but Mack had gone the extra mile and assumed the role of big brother... annoyingly so. The club might not be outlaw, but they protected their women like they were (to the point of irritation sometimes), and that meant he cramped my style far more than I liked.
Tonight, however, neither Booker nor Mack were working, so technically I shouldn’t be here, but I needed a distraction. I’d been dealing with some strange phone calls of late, along with notes and gifts left on my car at work. I’d asked Mack and Knight about them (in passing) and neither of them knew anything about it, so I dropped it, but now the gifts were getting weird and starting to freak me out. Sexy lingerie, sensual oils and such, and sex toys were left in obvious places for me to find. It was creepy.
On top of the weird stalker, my mother was doubling down on her phone calls and harassment. She was up to something, but I wasn’t entirely sure what, and since she wasn’t sharing, I had to keep my guard up.
Maybe getting laid would help me relax and take my mind off things for a bit.
This thought brought me to Knight and whether or not he’d be here. Now that’s a man who’d be able to take my mind off everything.
His presence was a crapshoot, but I knew he’d had some group vet class out in Salem today, so he probably wouldn’t be back until way late. Fine by me since I wanted to have a little fun, and if he (and/or Mack or Booker) were working, that would be greatly squashed. Partly because he was also protective, but mostly because I’d be distracted with how much I wanted him in my bed instead of whomever I chose tonight.
I’d pretty much decided Knight and I wouldn’t work. Chalk it up to my many issues with intimacy (sexual and otherwise), the fact he was down to earth and sweet and, quite frankly, I think I would more than likely devour him. I liked him way too much, which was new to me. I’d never been this interested in a man, and damn it if it wasn’t his face I saw when I came. In fact, it had gotten so bad; the only way I could come was to imagine him there. I hadn’t slept with anyone in months, even my vibrator had let me down. Ever since I met Knight, every man was compared to him and they never measured up. Pathetic.
Tonight that was going to change, however. At least, I hoped it would.
I pushed my way through the crowd and slid up to the bar. Cricket was pouring and I grinned as I climbed onto a stool. The pretty blonde was relatively new to the club... her brother was a newly patched Dog and they’d just moved from the San Diego chapter.
“Hey Kim,” Cricket said, setting a margarita in front of me.
“Hey.” I sipped my drink and sighed. I loved that I didn’t even need to ask and it was always perfect. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
I handed her my credit card to start a tab and took another sip. “Busier than normal, huh?”
“Fuckin’ conference. It’s douchebag central tonight. Watch yourself... wedding rings are off.”
“Oh, I love cheaters,” I droned sarcastically.
Cricket nodded. “I’m messin’ with ’em. Don’t tell Mack.”
I giggled. “Secret’s safe with me.”
Cricket checked her phone and gave me a sympathetic look. “Speak of the Devil…Mack wants you in his office.”
“What the hell?” I choked on a sip. “He’s not supposed to be here.”
“Yeah, there was an issue, so he had to come in. Sorry, hon.”
“I’ll just sit here for a bit.”
“Your funeral.” Cricket smiled and left me to help a group of men at the other end of the bar. She returned a few minutes later and handed me a bottled water. “Hydrate.”
I giggled. “Don’t talk to me like you know me.”
She chuckled and grabbed her phone again. “Second request from Mack.”
“I don’t care.”
“He just sent a girl home and she looked happy. If sh
e’s happy, he must be happy,” Cricket said. “Maybe he’ll loosen the reins a bit?”
Mack loved sex almost as much as I did... however, he slept with far more women than I did men. There had been moments in the past when I wondered what it would be like to partake and see if he was as good as his discarded women swore, but sleeping with Mack would probably screw up my chances of bedding the man I actually wanted.
“Not likely,” I grumbled. “He and I apparently need to have another conversation about boundaries.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Thanks.” I sipped my drink as Cricket did her job and I tried to avoid the inevitable.
I was given enough time to finish my margarita and take two sips of water before Pug shoved a guy away from me and smiled. Pug’s nickname fit him perfectly because he looked like a pug. He was bald and tatted pretty much everywhere (that I could see) and like most dogs, it would probably take a good neutering to get his aggression issues under control. “Mack wants you.”
“I heard.”
“You gonna come now?”
I scowled. “No.”
“Babe, don’t fuckin’ do that, yeah?” Pug ground out. “I don’t have time for you asserting your independence right now.”
“Piss off, Pug.”
“Kim, seriously.”
I let out a frustrated groan and slid off my stool. There was no point in arguing, I had no power here and I’d just drive myself crazy trying to dispute the great and powerful Mack. I squared my shoulders and headed toward Mack’s office at the back of the club.
Flea stood sentry, but smiled as I approached and leaned down to kiss my cheek. “Hey, gorgeous,” he said.
“Hey.”
He didn’t say anything else as he pushed open the door and let me walk through. I heard the door close behind me and glanced back, grateful Pug didn’t follow.
As I continued down the hall, Mack stepped out of his office, crossed his arms, and frowned. “Why are you here alone, Kimmie?”
“I’m not alone. You’re here.”
“Fuck me.” He dropped his head back with a frustrated sigh.
“No thanks,” I said, brightly.
“Babe, I get that you’re independent and shit but tonight is the worst fuckin’ night to be here alone.”
“Why?”
“You’re seriously asking me that?” he snapped.
I waved my hand dismissively. “Club business, whatever. Outside of your forced protection of me, I have no ties to the Club, Mack, so I’m a free agent.”
“That’s total bullshit.” Mack scowled. “So, I’m gonna ask you again. Why the hell are you here when you knew I wasn’t scheduled?”
I chewed on my lower lip trying to come up with a valid argument.
“Kim—”
“Mack, I love you. You know I do, but you can’t tell me what I can and cannot do,” I said. “If someone tried to tell you who you could sleep with, how would you react?”
“That’s different.”
I scowled. “Screw you, Mack.”
He glared at me. “Kim, you’re fuckin’ out of control, babe.”
“Because I love sex?” I snapped.
“You don’t love sex, Kimmie, you just wanna piss me off.”
I threw my arms up in the air. “Are you serious with this shit? Forget it. I’ll leave.”
He laid a hand on my shoulder. “It’s dangerous to be here lookin’ for sex, babe. It’s dangerous to be lookin’ for it anywhere random. You wanna find a guy to take your mind off your troubles, you got good men in your life who’ll do right by you. Pick one of them.”
“None of this is any of your fucking business, Mack.”
I blinked back tears of irritation and he hugged me. “I’ll have someone walk you to your car,” he offered.
“I took a cab,” I grumbled.
“Then I’ll have Pug drive you.”
“I’d rather have crows peck my eyes out.”
He chuckled. “You still dealin’ with notes and shit?”
“Nope,” I lied.
“Kim, why’d you come here? Really? I know your past shit, and I thought you were dealing with it.”
Mack knew a little about my past sexual abuse. Not all of it...that was reserved for Dani, but he’d guessed (because he was smart) that something had happened to me, and offered a soft place to land if I needed it. I’d never taken him up on the offer and had been glad he didn’t bring the subject up again.
“I needed a little stress relief,” I snapped.
He studied me for a few seconds and then sighed. “You don’t wanna tell me, don’t tell me. Pug’s gonna get you a cab, though.”
“Tell him not to bother,” I snapped as I pulled away from him, stalking out of the office and back down the hall. I stormed past Flea and detoured onto the dance floor, then toward the bar. If I was being forced home, I was goin’ home drunk.
I slid up to the bar and Cricket handed me my credit card. “He cut you off, hon.”
“Son of a bitch!”
Cricket grimaced. “Sorry.”
“You alone?” a deep voice asked from behind me.
I turned, seeing he was kind of cute in a tight-ass, businessman kind of way, and smiled. “Yeah.”
“Buy you a drink, beautiful?”
I bit my lip, then nodded. “I would love a drink.”
Before he could order, Pug sat on the stool beside me and shook his head.
“Seriously?” I hissed.
“Walk away, man,” Pug ordered.
My admirer did exactly what Pug told him to do and stupid me (after Pug walked away), I accepted another offer for a drink. Pug showed up again and that man walked away as well.
Damn Mack and his interfering. “Call him off, Pug,” I snapped.
“Not gonna happen,” Pug said, and gave me a smug smile.
“You’re such a dick, you know that?”
“Yep.” He crossed his arms. “Come on, I’ll get you a cab.”
“I’m going to hit the little girls’ room first.”
“Knock yourself out.”
I scowled at him and headed to the bathroom, pissed that my night had been totally ruined. As I dried my hands, my phone buzzed, and I sighed. It was Knight, so I answered his call. “Hey.”
“Hey, sugar. You okay?”
I put on a fake smile and said, “Yep. What’s up?”
“Just checkin’ in.”
“Really? Did Mack call you?”
“Pleadin’ the fifth, sug.”
“Well, I’m leaving, so y’all can relax.”
“We’re keepin’ you safe, Kimmie, you get that right?”
I bit back frustrated tears. I don’t know why I expected him to be different that the others, but I wished he’d have a little more faith in my ability to keep myself safe. “Whatever.”
“Want me to swing by and pick you up? We can go get a bite.”
“No, I’m going to grab a cab and head home.”
“You sure?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay, honey.” My voice was sweet, but I was secretly flipping him off in my mind. “’Bye.”
I hung up and slipped out of the bathroom. Pug was talking with a cute girl who obviously wanted free drinks, so I used the distraction to head outside. I was quite capable of calling for a cab without him breathing down my neck. As I stepped onto the sidewalk, I heard my name and followed the sound.
“Kim! Hey!”
I frowned when I didn’t recognize the guy waving at me.
He caught up to me and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hi,” I said. Now that he was closer he seemed faintly familiar, but I couldn’t place him. He was about an inch shorter than me, blond hair and hazel eyes, nothing really to write home about, but cute.
“Brian Combes,” he provided. “I worked for your father four years ago.”
My father owned the largest (and most prestigious) law firm in Po
rtland. All of Oregon, truth be told. He was a fifth generation attorney and had expected me to follow in his footsteps, but after I found out about his multiple affairs, I decided I was going to do whatever the hell I wanted and he could go screw himself.
I was so disgusted, and wasn’t entirely sure who I was angrier at... him because he was a pig, or my mother who turned a blind eye to his roaming. Unfortunately, I was not so brave to completely cut them out of my life. They had a way of making my life a living hell, so I played the game when it was necessary... like parties and such.
Recognition dawned. “Right, weren’t you a junior associate? I met you at a holiday party the year you got hired.”
“Good memory.” He smiled. “I can’t believe I saw you on the side of the street. Small world.”
“Indeed.”
He took my arm. “Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.” I tried to pull away, but he gripped me harder.
“I’d really like you to let me go,” I ordered, but I felt a prick in my arm and gasped. “Ouch. Did you just… pinch me?”
“Must have been my pin. Here, let me help you,” he said.
Pin? The word blended together in my mind and I stumbled. “What the...?”
He dragged me into the alleyway behind the bar and sneered as he slammed me against the wall. “Hey!” I squeaked.
“You don’t even know who I am, do you?”
“Brian… Combes,” I slurred.
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” His hand grasped my throat and I couldn’t breathe. “Fuckin’ bitch.”
He squeezed harder and I scratched at his arms, the adrenaline forcing a little of the haziness away, but my arms still felt like rubber flailing in water. Clothing ripped and something hard was between my legs, pressing against me. I cried out but he squeezed my throat harder with one hand and grabbed my breast with the other. Pain registered somewhere in the back of my mind as the cool night air told me I was now naked from the waist down.
Then suddenly, Brian was yanked away. With nothing to hold me up, I slid down the wall, crumbling to the to the cold cement ground. Then everything went black.
* * *
Knight
Thirty minutes earlier...
Road to Victory (Dogs of Fire Book 5) Page 2