Strays (Red Kings MC Book 1)

by Eliza Marsh

  “I get paid tomorrow, gas for the bike will be the first thing we buy.”

  He shook his head, cradling the cup of coffee in his hands. “You don't need to spend your hard-earned money on my stuff.”

  Tyler had been finding it difficult to keep a job, always bouncing from one place to the next. For a while, he worked in the kitchen of a restaurant in the center of town, washing dishes and helping the cooks, but it didn’t last long. Then, he was a sales associate at a clothing store, but after being yelled at for twenty minutes by some rich snob, he decided it wasn't for him. He had tried a bookstore, a souvenir shop, tending bar, and even doing laundry for one of the hotels near their building. Each and every one of those jobs had ended in disaster.

  Currently, he was helping out at a music store downtown, filling in for one of the employees that was stuck in the hospital with a broken leg. He was looking for something more permanent because he knew the gig would soon come to an end. He didn't get many hours, and as grateful as he was for the few shifts he could pick up, they were far from enough to put food on the table, pay the bills, and fill up the tank of his precious bike.

  When they had first left Chicago, Tyler’s savings were what helped them get through the rough patches. Now, all they had to rely on was Jackie's earning from the diner and the little he brought in from the store. Jackie felt for him, and the thought that she couldn’t do more weighed heavily on her.

  She heard the kitchen bell ring, signaling an order was ready. “I'll bring you something to eat soon. I gotta get back to work.”

  Half an hour later found Jackie alternating between serving families and cleaning recently vacated tables. Since Tyler had arrived, the customers hadn't stopped flowing in. It was like every person in Macon had decided to eat at the diner. She didn't stop for more than a few seconds - to refill someone's cup, give Elaine another order, or drop food off at a table. The place was full of chatter and laughter, the scraping of forks on plates occasionally breaking through the noise.

  So engrossed in her work, Jackie missed the roar of motorcycles approaching from down the road. She also didn't hear the tinkling chime of the bells above the door. She did, however, notice the temporary lull in the conversations around her. The sound of heavy footsteps on the diner floor hit her ears, and she turned around to see the group of bikers that had just entered. When her brain was able to catch up to what was happening around her, Jackie froze, nearly dropping the dirty plates she was holding.

  Turning around quickly, she made her way over to a smiling Beth and told her to take the bikers' table, then headed to the kitchen. Putting the plates in the sink, Jackie leaned against the counter and took in a deep breath. They weren't here for her. They couldn't be. After all, she hadn't seen anything. She hadn't told anyone about that night either, not even Tyler.

  “Are you okay, dear?”

  The question startled her, as in her panic, she had forgotten that Elaine would be in the small kitchen. The older woman peered at Jackie's ashen face, her eyes kind and filled with worry.

  “Y-yes, I'm fine." Jackie steeled her voice, trying to prevent it from shaking, and gripped the sink harder to steady herself. "I just needed a second. It's crazy out there.” She gestured to the general area of the crowded room, hoping Elaine would believe her.

  “Well, the rush seems to be just about over.” The cook went to the stove and filled a plate high with roasted chicken and potatoes. “Here, take this to Tyler. I know he's probably starving. I'm telling you, that boy is getting too skinny. He needs to eat more.”

  Jackie took the plate from Elaine's hands and gave her a grateful smile. She went over to the kitchen door and took a few deep breaths, then put on a happy face and headed back into the dining room.

  She started the walk to Tyler's booth, noticing that Beth had put the bikers nearby. Thanking her lucky stars that they didn't seem the least bit interested in her as she passed them, she calmed down. This was a diner after all; maybe they were just here to eat. Besides, the one who had spoken to her that night was deeply engrossed in a conversation with the guy next to him.

  She placed the food in front of Tyler and sat down across from him, hoping to get a few moments to talk. Peering past him, Jackie quickly glanced over to the group of bikers. There were five men in total, all various levels of intimidating. The one from before was speaking with a stoic-looking man with short dark hair, who nodded patiently as the other spoke. The third of their group, a smaller blonde, was laughing loudly at the last two bikers as they argued playfully. One was young and skinny, the other a pretty boy with a cigarette in his mouth. As Beth went to serve them, Jackie averted her eyes; the last thing she wanted was to get caught staring.

  Tyler was nearly halfway through the food in front of him, a satisfied look on his face as he shoved another piece of chicken into his mouth. After he chewed and swallowed, he leaned closer to her and turned serious. “So, I was thinking. I mean, I know you don't like it and all, but...” He leaned as close as he could and lowered his voice. “I thought I could hack into a few-”

  “Tyler Davis! What have I told you about that?” The accusatory tone of her voice didn't escape him or some of the nearby patrons, namely the motorcycle club seated not far from their table. “You remember what happened last time you decided to break the law?” He'd ended up in jail for six months, and they'd spent most of their savings on court fees and fines to keep him from serving hard time for hacking into a company's bank account in an attempt to steal money. She looked around and lowered her voice. “I don't want a repeat of that.”

  He took in her expression and cursed himself. “I know, Jackie, but it won't be like last time, I swear.” Her doubtful look had him backtracking. “It'll be a one-time thing. You know we need the money.”

  “Yeah, well, there are other ways to get it! Legal ways.” Jackie stared at him incredulously, not believing that he would try to convince her to resort to theft, given his history.

  “Like what? I don't want to spend my life working for minimum wage in a shit job and living paycheck to paycheck.” He scoffed, shaking his head and sighing as he looked at her. “I can't do that. We need to think of something.”

  She smiled softly at him and replied, “I know, we will.”

  Tyler heaved out a long sigh and looked at her again. “Fine, it was just an idea. We'll think of another way to get some cash. Maybe we can win the lottery!” He tried to lighten up the mood, reveling in his success when she grinned.

  “You have to actually play the lottery to win it.” She joked with him, knowing his hacking urge was satiated for the time being. “Besides, you're the most unlucky man I know. No way would you win anything.” He mock-glared at her, feeling relieved that she wasn't upset with him. Jackie sighed, getting ready to go back to work. She squeezed his hand and then picked up the empty plate he'd all but licked clean.

  “Just... just don't do anything stupid, okay?” She threw him another worried look and got up from the table; she had customers to serve, tables to clean, and a paycheck to earn. Jackie just hoped that he would heed her warning. She didn't like the thought of having to visit him in another jail or being thrown in one herself. That wasn't appealing to her at the moment, nor would it ever be.

  So lost in their own troubles, Tyler and Jackie didn't notice the bikers at the nearby table sending each other curious looks. They'd heard enough to wonder if maybe he had some skills that would be useful to their club.

  Two hours later and the diner was finally closed. Jackie's shift had ended uneventfully as the clock struck ten. She cleaned quickly, and they were out the door fifteen minutes later.

  “Gimme your keys,” Tyler demanded as he waited impatiently for Jackie to lock the door to the diner.

  “Why in the world would I let you drive my truck?” The pair started their journey across the parking lot towards the light blue Ford pickup that desperately needed a new paint job. It was the only vehicle she could afford after she was forced to replace her
old Honda many years back. However, it had gotten them all the way to Georgia with no problems, and it was still going strong. The heat didn't work most days, but that wasn't a necessity with the warm climate of the south.

  Tyler grunted and rolled his eyes, slowing his pace for Jackie's sake. “I'm driving because-” he yanked the keys out of her unsuspecting hands, “-I'm older and therefore in charge. And I want to drive.”

  Jackie smiled as she arrived at the passenger side of the truck, waiting for Tyler to get in and unlock her door. “You're only older by a few months, jerk.” She looked around the lot, her eyes landing on a single motorcycle sitting in a shadowy parking spot. Naturally assuming it was Tyler's beloved machine, she turned to him and asked, “Are you just going to leave your...” She trailed off, recalling his earlier statement about how long it took him to walk to the diner from the music store. Her breath left her as she realized one of the bikers from the other night was probably about to kill her for being a witness to their criminal activity. “Oh God...” was the only warning she could get out before a large shadow appeared behind Tyler. Her eyes went wide with fright, and she opened her mouth to scream, but one glare from the same eyes that had intimidated her into silence a few nights before made her snap her jaw shut.

  Tyler turned around quickly, his eyes growing large at the sight of the fierce biker. “Y-you can take whatever you want, man,” he stuttered quickly, holding up his hands in surrender. “You want my wallet?”

  The taller man's face remained hard and impassive, his cold eyes stuck to Tyler in a harsh glare. “I don't want your stuff.” The raspy sound startled the pair, the rumble chilling them straight to the bone. Jackie shuffled her feet nervously, the gravel in the lot crunching loudly as she shifted her weight. The dark eyes rapidly moved to stare her down, and she stopped fidgeting in an attempt to not anger him further. Tyler turned his head to the girl on the other side of the truck, trying to signal her to run. The rough voice made him snap his attention back to the front. “I don't want your girlfriend either, relax.” The man placed a hand on top of the truck, looming over Tyler with a sick expression of amusement. “I hear you're a hacker.”

  Tyler looked around nervously and swallowed, not expecting anything other than a typical mugging. “Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about. Where'd you hear that?”

  The outlaw's face quickly clouded with frustration and anger. It was obvious that he hated people who didn't tell him the truth. Jackie silently pleaded with Tyler to not upset the guy. She had seen exactly what happened to people who upset him.

  Dean grabbed the back of Tyler's neck and yanked the younger man forward. “I heard it from your big mouth earlier today. Wouldn't be surprised if the whole damn restaurant heard you two arguing about your illegal habits.” Tyler at least had the decency to look embarrassed at being so easily overheard. “Let's talk.”

  3

  Ever since she was little, Jackie had tried her best to avoid awkward situations. She steered away from things she didn't know and went to familiar, comfortable places where she could blend in. Safe places.

  But now she was in the middle of the Eastside Mechanics parking lot, surrounded by bikers and sticking out like a neon sign.

  This was the last place that she wanted to be at, but Tyler had dragged her along for moral support. That horrible night at the diner was the reason she was here, nervous and fidgeting.

  As scared as he was then, Tyler couldn't imagine refusing the biker, so he obediently followed him away from the truck. Jackie watched in horror as the two talked quietly for a few minutes. She wasn't sure if she should try to intervene on her friend's behalf and risk the wrath of the tattooed criminal. Much to her dismay, Tyler's expression quickly changed from petrified to interested, and it had been downhill ever since.

  Tyler had spent many days and nights the last few weeks in the wrong company at the Red Kings' clubhouse, located on the property of Eastside Mechanics auto shop. They started him on simple things like finding information about competitors and rival gangs until they got comfortable having the newcomer around. It didn't take long for him to start to feel at home, now free to do the hacking he enjoyed while making a little money. Jackie continued to be firmly unsupportive of his new career, despite his pleas that she come check the place out to see that it wasn't as bad as she thought.

  She had Dean Rockwell to thank for her best friend's return to the crime world. The man was a rude, no-good, arrogant jerk with an incredibly limited vocabulary, in her opinion. He was a stereotypical biker – violent, tattooed, ill-mannered, and angry. He had absolutely zero redeemable qualities that would make him pleasant to be around.

  Jackie managed to dodge Tyler's pleas for her to visit him at the clubhouse over the weeks. She found all kinds of excuses and means of escape, going as far as feigning illness and taking extra shifts at work. But she couldn't say no to him forever and, so today, she found herself standing in front of a building situated next to the automotive garage.

  She was not one to judge a book by its cover, but if the inside of this place looked as bad as the outside, she would need to reschedule with Tyler so she could get her shots before she went in. It was an old brick building that had definitely seen better days. All the bricks looked chipped and aged, and the roof was a little crooked. Three steps were leading up to the door, and the windows were each a slightly different size and shape. Some of them looked like they had been broken and replaced numerous times, and the ones that didn’t had bars on them. Jackie wasn’t sure if she was at a clubhouse or a prison.

  When they got there, Tyler was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. He dragged her around the place so fast that it made her head spin. The way he was doing things, she didn't have time to pay close attention to the people he introduced her to. All of the bikers looked the same to Jackie: huge, heavily tattooed, and scary as hell. She was never good with names, so she was thankful that some of them wore work shirts with name tags. That way, she could go over them again once she got a chance to breathe. When Tyler's frantic tour was over, he told her to sit while he talked business. Before Jackie could say anything, he was deep in conversation with a bear of a man, and she was left to look around aimlessly.

  The central part of the clubhouse was a single, spacious room. Near the entrance was a sizable bar, at which she was currently seated. Beer bottles littered the place, and the air was thick with cigarette smoke, making it hard for her to breathe. There were a couple of old tables spread about, a man on his cellphone seated at one. A tattered leather couch and a couple of armchairs surrounded a wooden coffee table with magazines scattered on top.

  A pool table, worn from use, blocked an ominous-looking door marker with a logo from the rest of the room, but Jackie didn't know where it led. On his tour, Tyler didn't go anywhere near it, and neither did the other occupants of the clubhouse. Jackie imagined that it was locked, off-limits to anyone outside of the club. She would even go as far as to guess that the rumored illegal activities were planned behind that door.

  A long corridor was to the left, and Tyler told her that the bathroom and a few rooms were in that direction. If he became a prospect like he wanted, he would probably spend most of his nights crashing in one of the rooms. That would leave Jackie with an apartment all to herself, an idea she wasn't sure she liked very much. He would force her to visit him here at the clubhouse, which so far seemed like at least an okay place.

  Jackie was brought back from her thoughts by a giant hand landing on her shoulder. She jumped, her own hand flying to her heart in surprise. When she spun to the left, she was met by a towering man grinning down at her.

  “Easy there, princess.” He chuckled, and she gave him a strained smile.

  “You just startled me is all.”

  “You want a beer?” He held one out to her, and she looked at him carefully before she even considered taking the bottle. His massive form was made even more significant by the dark green work shirt he wore, which was a litt
le tight across his chest and slightly protruding gut. The sewn-on name tag of the shirt read 'Mack.' Light brown hair was cut close to his head, and that, coupled with his clean shave, gave him a distinctive ex-military look. His friendly blue eyes and bright smile seemed at odds with his outlaw biker status.

  Mack lightly shook the beer bottle in front of her face to gain her attention. Jackie hesitantly reached for it, and he flashed her a grin with a quirk of his brows. She mumbled her thanks and took it from him, staring cautiously at the bottle as she wondered if it was safe to drink.

  Tyler snickered at her expression as he sat down next to her. She turned to scoff at him, but her tirade was cut off by a loud giggle coming from the hallway that led to the back rooms. The three of them turned to the sound just as Dean came into view. Shirtless, with his arm wrapped around a blonde woman and a scowl on his face, he looked tired and unamused.

  He escorted his flirty and nearly naked companion to the door. With a long kiss and a squealed 'call me!', the girl was out of the clubhouse with a flourish. The biker made his way to the bar and situated himself on a stool next to Tyler, accepting the beer passed his way. Mack chuckled as the man rested his face against the cold bottle with a sigh.

  “Long night?” Mack asked sarcastically, having little sympathy for his friend.

  Dean groaned and took a swallow of his beer before looking up. “She was not worth the effort.”

  “So, you won't be calling her any time soon, huh?” Tyler piped up, which caused Dean to turn his head and glare at him.

  Movement behind the young blond man caused his gaze to fall directly on Jackie. Dean looked at her silently for a heartbeat, his eyes not straying from hers. “You're not gonna last long here,” he said gruffly to her, then stood up, beer in hand, and made his way to the pool table.