by Jenika Snow
“Well, shit,” she said softly, the words tumbling out of her mouth.
Looking down at her watch, she saw it was time for her to get ready for work She’d only been there for a few days, but she was getting used to it, and today was the first day she’d actually be on the floor. Up until now she’d had to do corporate training, which meant watching movies about the employee rules and regulations.
She headed into the bathroom to clean up. Once in the bathroom she turned on the light and stared at her reflection.
“No rest for the wicked, and all that shit.”
****
Jakob sat in his car, a bottle of beer in his hand, the radio on low, and a joint between his lips. The sun had set hours ago, and after the ride through town he’d hung low and just felt like getting that adrenaline fix.
Taking another hit from his joint, he stared out the windshield, a few cars passing by on this strip of deserted road. He pulled back onto the road, knowing where he wanted to go, what he wanted to do. Anymore he was looking for that rush of life, that adrenaline kick that made him feel alive, if only for a second.
He drove for only about five minutes and took a left. The back road would take him into the mountains and to a spot that overlooked the town. It was a place plenty of the Patches who had old ladies, even the Originals, had gone because it had a good view. But Jakob wasn’t going here because he wanted to check out Steel Corner and part of River Run.
Once in the spot he cut the engine and got out of the vehicle. The clearing wasn’t natural, and there were empty beer bottles scattered around. Not only was this a perfect spot to see the town, but a lot of people also came up here to party.
Even though the moon wasn’t full and it was dark, Jakob could see clearly. His bear was right there, pacing, wanting to feel that spike of endorphins as well.
He moved toward the edge that overlooked Steel Corner. He was only a few feet from the ledge, the wind picking up the closer he got. He came out here a lot anymore, and at first it was just to get away, to try to make out how to fix himself. But as time passed he came to the conclusion he may not need to fix himself, or if something was really broken inside of him he may never be able to repair it.
Moving even closer to the edge he stopped when the tips of his boots were over the ledge. The drop below was a big one, and if he fell not even being a shifter would save him. But right now he didn’t give a fuck. Another inch he stepped until he was barely balancing on the very edge of the cliff. The wind whipped around him, the trees parting and showing the town below him. He looked down, the drop steep, the rocks jagged, but that rush, the idea of nothing holding him back aside from his sheer balance, made him feel alive and free.
He closed his eyes and held his arms out, rocking back and forth, the wind making him feel like he could topple over the edge without little effort. He stayed like that for longer than he even realized, just feeling that rush move through him. He did this more often than not, the very real threat of not being secured, of not able to stop himself if he did go forward, making this the perfect jumpstart he needed. He also didn’t risk physically hurting anyone else.
Although he’d never jump, never take his own life, this was something that didn’t make him so dead inside. The rocks beneath his feet crumbled when he swayed, falling over the ledge and echoing off the mountain.
His heart started racing, his pulse jumping in his throat. Just as he swayed forward and back again his cell went off, bringing him out of the zone. Taking a step back he breathed in and out slowly.
After grabbing his cell, seeing it was Gabe, a Brothers of Menace MC Patch, and the son of Lucien, the club’s president, he answered.
“What’s up?” Jakob moved back toward his vehicle, got in, and started the engine.
“Dude, I need a rescue, and I can’t get a hold of anyone close by.”
Jakob found himself smiling after Gabe spoke.
“I’m in a coyote ugly situation.” Gabe had dropped his voice lower, and Jakob could only assume he didn’t want the chick he’d just fucked to hear.
“Had your beer goggles on?” Jakob asked.
“You have no clue.” Gabe’s words were slightly slurred, and after Jakob exhaled the smoke he cranked the engine.
“Tell me where you’re at.”
Looks like he had to pull Gabe from a situation he shouldn’t have gotten himself into in the first place. But that was the life of the Patches in the MC.
After a twenty-minute drive Jakob pulled up to an older apartment building just right outside the square of town. A few kids ran around outside, their screams and giggles loud despite the late hour. Grabbing his cell, he dialed Gabe’s number, not sure exactly what the Brother of Menace Patch had gotten himself into, but assuming he’d been a little too drunk today and had gone home with someone he normally wouldn’t have.
Contrary to what a lot of people thought, not all bikers were man-whores. It was true a lot of them fucked any willing woman, especially the club whores that hung around, but not all the bikers were that way, at least not in the Grizzlies or Brothers. Jakob was one of the guys that didn’t stick his dick in just any warm pussy.
He’d had his fair share of fucking, true, but over the last few months he hadn’t been able to find any kind of desire to get that empty pleasure, no matter how many sweet-butts offered themselves to him.
“Dude, you coming out or going round two?” Jakob asked, holding the cell to his ear and staring at the front of the apartment building.
“I’m coming out now,” Gabe said on a whisper.
Jakob disconnected the call and rested his head back on the seat. The front doors of the apartment building opened, but it wasn’t Gabe that came out, but a curvy as fuck dark haired female. She was digging around in her purse, her focus on whatever she was trying to get. The Grizzly in Jakob rose up instantly, and he couldn’t help but be a little shocked that his bear had taken such an interest in the female.
When she lifted her head, a cell phone in her hand now, his cock instantly jutted out, getting hard, insistent. Her dark hair was blowing around her face, and even though it was dark out, and there was only a soft yellow glow from the street lamp, he could see with his heightened senses her eyes were this crystalline blue color.
She started talking to someone on her cell, and Jakob followed her with his gaze all the way down the street, not able to talk his gaze off of her until she’d rounded a corner and he couldn’t see her any longer. Just then the passenger side door opened and Gabe got in, breathing heavily and lifting his lower body off the seat to zip and button up his pants.
“Dude, fucking go,” Gabe said with urgency, and just then the front doors of the apartment building opened and a half dressed female came running out, screaming and waving her hands in the air.
“What the fuck?” Jakob said, not able to stop from laughing. He pulled away from the curb just as the female threw the shoe she’d been carrying at his car. It made a clunking sound as it hit the back window, and Jakob cracked up louder.
“Gabe, what the fuck man?” Jakob asked between bouts of laughter.
“Not funny, Jakob. Not funny, man.” Gabe finished zipping and buttoning his pants, and rested his head back on the seat, breathing out. “I’m still drunk. Fuck.”
Jakob grinned and ran a hand over his face.
“Went out with some of the other Brothers, and ended up at a bar in Steel Corner,” Gabe said, his eyes now closed, this grimace on his face.
The stench of beer and liquor came from the other Patch, as well as strong perfume and sex. Despite Gabe not being a bear shifter or Grizzly member, the Brothers of Menace and Grizzly MC had been close for decades, ever since the Originals of both clubs had been in their prime.
Both males were in their mid-twenties now, thick in the club life, and patched in members. Gabe and the other next generation of Brothers were like family, family and brothers to Jakob and the rest of the Grizzlies.
“Needless to say I starte
d mixing, man. I was throwing back the shots and then doing bourbon and tequila tours.”
Jakob chuckled.
“Not funny, Jakob.”
“It is because you sound like a novice in the drinking game. You don’t mix, Gabe.”
“Yeah,” was all Gabe said.
“So, what happened after that, aside from the obvious?”
Gabe groaned before speaking again. “She was all dancing by herself, her clothes tight, and she was eye fucking the hell out of me.” Gabe ran a hand over his mouth and groaned again, as if in pain. “All I saw was some pussy. I woke up hours later, saw her wrapped around me, and realized this was not good.”
“She that bad?”
“Not really bad looks wise, although her makeup was half-off and smeared, and it was clear she looked totally different au natural.”
Jakob grinned.
“She started murmuring shit about loving me, and I knew I had to get the fuck out of there. It was when she started waking up after I called you, and saw me getting dressed, that she freaked and demanded I stay. I was like fuck no.”
“And that’s when you got the fuck out of there.”
Gabe just nodded.
“You want me to take you home?”
“Yeah.” Gabe rubbed his hand over his jaw again. “I’ll crash at my folks’ place since they’re out of town and it’s closer.”
“Where’s your car?”
“I was riding with one of the Brothers and apparently left with her after the last bar.”
“And none of them would pick your ass up?” Jakob chuckled again. “Not that I care, but seems kind of fucked they left you.”
“Nah, they were either too drunk, balls deep in pussy, or too far away to come back over.”
“Well, no trouble, but I’d say you know if a female looks fine when you’re drunk there might be some issues.”
Gabe snorted. “You’re telling me. I’ll say the next set of females I go after will be natural as fuck, no makeup, plain Jane, and innocent looking. I don’t need any surprises.”
Jakob reached Lucien and Callie’s house, and pulled not the driveway. He parked next to Ava’s car, cut the engine, and debated whether or not to go back to the club or his place and get trashed, do a little back alley fighting for that adrenaline rush, or actually try to fuck and take the “safer” route to getting high.
“What the fuck is that?” Gabe asked and tipped his chin toward the crotch rocket parked off to the side by the curb.
Before Jakob could respond Gabe was cursing.
“Hell fucking no. If she has some motherfucker in there I’ll beat his ass, wasted or not.” Gabe was out of the car and stumbling toward the front door, and Jakob got out and followed. He knew Gabe could handle himself. The brother was well over six foot, and had enough muscle to rival a Grizzly, but he was also still drunk, and his coordination was shit.
Gabe was pushing open the front door just as Jakob stepped up behind. They entered Lucien’s house together, and it was the scent of male arousal that filled Jakob’s nose instantly. He turned his head in the direction it saturated, and that was when he saw little Ava Silver and some pierced and tattooed punk groping her. She was making noises, sounds that told Jakob the guy was being too fucking rough. The guy even had his hand around her neck, and Jakob saw red, his bear coming out and wanting blood.
Gabe was on the human a second later, pulling the fucker off and tossing him aside. Jakob went over to Ava, helped her up, and saw her quickly adjusting her clothing.
“He was getting a little out of hand,” she said softly, but out of breath.
“Just stay behind me.”
He’d known Ava since they were little, and although she was eighteen now, he saw her as a younger sister, as did all the guys in both clubs.
Gabe starting pounding on the guy, but the pierced human got a few good shots in given the fact Gabe was drunk and he was sloppy with his movements. Jakob went over to the human, grabbed him around the throat, and lifted him easily off the ground. He stared right in his bloodshot eyes, could smell the drugs coming from the piece of shit, and felt the power and energy move through him. He felt that strength he always had when he was fighting, when he was finding that rush of life.
“I could crush your windpipe right now, just crumble the bone like it was nothing.” The bear in him rose up, demanded that he take over, reign supreme, and take this fucker out.
The human gasped, trying to claw Jakob’s hand away. Jakob looked over at Gabe, saw him talking to Ava, and turned his focus back to the human.
“You think it’s okay to try to take something from a female when they don’t want it?”
“She wanted it,” the fucker wheezed out.
Jakob tightened his hold around his neck until the human’s face turned red and then blue as he started to lose oxygen.
“Jakob, let him go. He’s not worth it,” Ava said.
Jakob stared at the human again, and after another second released his neck and let the asshole fall to the ground. He stayed down for a few seconds, and then stood up, holding his throat and trying to breathe.
“Get the fuck out before I change my mind,” Jakob ground out, needing to take out the fucker, but taking a step back and letting him go. The guy didn’t even look at them as he rushed out of the house. A few seconds later his crotch rocket came to life, and the sound of the engine revving faded away.
Jakob turned and faced Gabe and Ava. She was standing by the window, and Gabe was a few feet from her, his hands in tight fists by his sides, his face red, and the scent of his anger clear.
“What do you think would have happened if Dad walked in on that bullshit?” Gage asked through his teeth.
Ava just shook her head.
“I’ll tell you what would have happened, he would have fucking flipped and killed the motherfucker, which is what I should have done.”
“He got out of hand, I won’t lie about that.” Ava wiped her forehead and breathed out.
“Ava, that fucker would have raped you if we hadn’t gotten here.”
“Gabe, man, she’s been through enough without you bringing that up,” Jakob said, his focus on the other biker. He could see Gabe was barely holding onto his control, but that was expected given the fact on what he walked in on concerning his little sister.
Gabe reached out and pulled Ava into a hug, and he cupped the back of her head, saying something low to her. Jakob tuned them out, because even though he could have picked up on the exact words spoken, he didn’t want to pry into whatever Gabe said to her.
“I’m going to jet,” Jakob said.
Ava pulled away from Gabe and walked up to Jakob, giving him a hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He hugged her back. “You have to stop trying to give your old man and brothers a heart attack,” he teased, and although she chuckled, he could see it was strained.
“I know.”
He gave her a kiss on the top of the head, tipped his chin to Gabe in a bye, and headed out the door. Yeah, after this incident he needed to let off a little steam, and a good bloody fight seemed like just the thing to help him. The only thing he needed to decide was if he wanted to brawl in human form, or shifter against shifter.
Chapter Three
Saya didn’t mind working at the bookstore. In fact even if she hadn’t gotten the discount on her textbooks, she would have enjoyed this place. It had this old, musty and age-filled scent to it, one that reminded her of times gone by. It also allowed her to study and drink as much coffee as she wanted. Not that she’d ever been big on coffee, but after graduating high school she’d gotten this taste for the flavored kind.
She sat behind the counter, her textbook in front of her, and the cup with the vanilla caramel coffee steaming. She hadn’t actually started school yet, but would in the next couple of weeks. This was the first and only textbook she’d gotten, a cheap one she’d found on sale and snagged it up. With a store full of books surrounding her
, here was Saya reading her schoolbook when she hadn’t even started class yet.
The bell above the door dinged, and she looked up to see Trist, the other employee and Saya’s “trainer” for the next week. Even though Saya had only known Trist for a few days, the two of them had hit it off right away. Though total opposites personality wise, she found Trist to be genuine and not putting up with any shit. Saya liked her, and because of that it didn’t feel like they’d only known each other for a few short days.
Trist had a bag of donuts in her hand, the brown bag riddled with grease stains, but even from the distance Saya could smell the sweet, delicious scent.
“I hope you have your appetite, because they gave us the greasiest donuts they had,” Trist said, her black hair in a ratty birds’ nest style around her head. She had on white foundation, and this light rose and maroon colored eye shadow had framed her eyes. The small hoop through her septum showcased a tiny skull, and the labret piecing caught the light for a second, the silver metal glinting.
She set the brown bag on the counter, and the concentrated scent of powdered sugar filtered up to Saya. Just as she reached for the bag Trist’s phone went off. As she answered it, Saya opened the bag and grabbed greasy, powdered sugar covered goodness.
“No shit? Yeah, I’m down.” Trist turned around and looked at Saya with a smirk. “Can I bring someone?” Trist lifted a pencil-thin black eyebrow. Once she hung up the phone Trist just stared at Saya for a second.
“What?” Saya asked, wanting to eat this damn donut, but sensing this mischievousness coming from the other woman.
“You want to get down in the trenches and see something really wild?”
“Wild? You mean more intense than the bookstore?”
Trist started chuckling. “So intense you’ll feel it cover your skin.”
That sounded intriguing. “I don’t know. Sounds kinds of crazy,” Saya said, but she smiled. “But then again I’ve always lived a crazy life, so what the hell.”