Glory

by Ana Jolene

  It was so easy for her to make friends and integrate herself into any situation. That was always one of the things I admired about her. In this, I wished I were more like Seven, able to fit in wherever instead of feeling like an outsider.

  Another customer settled at the bar. I started to serve them when the familiar rumblings of engines made me smile. As the roaring grew louder I quickly served up the latest order and tried not to wait like a panting dog for Hastie’s arrival.

  The other night had been simply amazing and the most fun I’d had in a while. Not once did I feel out of place or self-conscious. I felt absolutely carefree and wicked.

  The rumbling escalated until everyone in the dive could hear the blaring sounds from outside. Even Seven shot a questioning glance at me. It was difficult to ignore the ticking of my pulse as it kicked up in excitement.

  The sounds suddenly cut off one by one and Glory MC walked in through the doors. Most of them I didn’t know by name yet. The ones I did remember had crazy nicknames that didn’t quite suit their appearances. Like for instance, the vice-prez was Newt, yet he was the biggest of them all!

  I kept my eyes downcast, trying not to show my eager interest, but as soon as I saw the familiar breadth of Hastie’s shoulders, my gaze shot up and met his. Those intense green eyes found mine as if connected by some invisible line. I smiled as he strode towards me, that lopsided grin of his making my insides curl in excitement.

  Hastie settled onto the stool beside Seven’s vacant one and tipped his chin towards me. “I like what you’ve done with your hair, babe.”

  My hand immediately went to my high ponytail. I smiled, surprised that he even noticed.

  Another member of Glory MC joined Hastie, settling in Seven’s seat. I opened my mouth to say the seat was taken, but thought better of it. Seven would be playing pool for a while and I didn’t want to get on Glory’s bad side.

  Figuring they both needed a refreshment to stave off the heat, I dropped a beer before the both of them. Hastie nodded his thanks before taking a long sip. “Indy, baby, this is Lucky. I don’t think you’ve been introduced.”

  My gaze shot to the other Glory member. He was big like Hastie except he had blond hair to Hastie’s dark. Cornflower blue eyes stared back at me kindly. A heavy dusting of facial hair covered his strong jaw, but the most prominent aspect of his face was his wide smile. I had no doubt that that smile was the cause of many wild nights.

  Lucky offered his hand and I shook it. “Nice to meet you.” As his large hand engulfed mine, the leather gloves he wore —the kind that were fingerless —were hot to the touch.

  “Likewise, baby.” Yeah. His grin was a definite panty-dropper material.

  “How can you stand wearing all the leather?” I asked. “Especially in this kind of heat.” Outside the sun was a fireball in the sky.

  Large shoulders lifted in a shrug. “You kind of get used to it after a while. It’s part of being in Glory MC.”

  What would it feel like to love something so much that you’d sacrifice something a little each day just to be a part of it? For so long, I focused on trying to be happy that the idea of sacrificing anything, even for a little while seemed confusing to me.

  Hastie whacked Lucky’s arm. “What the fuck, man?” Lucky rubbed his arm.

  “Don’t call her baby. She’s mine.”

  “Okay, okay,” the blond biker laughed, holding his arms up in surrender. “Possessive much?” Those last words were shot in my direction.

  I grinned, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. Two nights ago, I’d never imagined that Hastie would be possessive of me with his brothers. But I found perverse pleasure in it.

  “Come here.” Hastie unleashed his full panty-melting gaze on me. “Lay those lips on me.”

  Still with that grin in place, I dropped the rag I was holding and jumped up over the bar, sliding straight into Hastie’s arms. He chuckled as he planted a chaste kiss on my lips. Even a slight brushing of his lips on mine sent sensation crawling up my spine. I turned to catch Lucky grinning at us like we were fools.

  Behind him, I could see my best friend approaching. “Seven! Get over here. I want you to meet Hastie.”

  Seven dropped her gaze to Hastie’s hand resting on my hip. “I see,” she muttered with a soft smile.

  “See what?”

  “I now see why you were out late the other night.” There was a flash of amusement in her eyes before she could disguise it. She extended her hand in greeting. “Hi. I’m Seven. Don’t be fooled by my appearance because if you ever hurt my best friend, I will kill you in your sleep.”

  Hastie slipped his hand into hers, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Name’s Hastie. And I don’t ever plan to hurt her.”

  “Good.” Seven released his hand, turning to her seat but finding it occupied.

  “And this is Lucky,” I drawled. “Also a member of Glory MC.”

  Seven didn’t even miss a beat. “Nice to meet you, Lucky, but you’re in my seat.”

  Lucky turned and unleashed the full effect of his women-destroying smile on her. “I don’t recall names being assigned to seats, darling.”

  But clearly Seven was immune to it. Her tone turned wintery. “A true gentleman would happily give his seat up for a woman.”

  “Ain’t claiming to be a gentleman, sweetheart. But you can sit on my lap if you like.”

  “No thanks, big boy.” She moved to his other side and gave him a look that would incinerate a lesser being. “And don’t ever call me sweetheart again.”

  Lucky’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, you’re a little feisty. I like that. Can I buy you a drink?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Lucky shrugged and reached for his beer. “Your loss.”

  The next hour went by quick. As I worked, I chatted with Seven, Lucky, and Hastie. Lucky continued to make advancements towards Seven, but her mind was occupied with something else because none of the tricks that would have other women already naked and waiting worked on her. I could tell that it frustrated Lucky. His innuendos and come-ons were getting more direct as the night wore on, his tongue getting looser because of the booze. Still, Seven remained unfazed. By the time my shift ended, Lucky had fallen into a bad mood.

  “All right, I’m heading out,” he finally said as he pushed off the bar and turned to face the crowd. Eager eyes from the dive bar sparkled with interest, hoping to be the lucky one that he brought home.

  “Do all the women just flock towards you like that?” Seven asked with a look of disgust on her face.

  Lucky grinned at her. “You act like you aren’t interested.”

  “I’m not.”

  With a shrug, Lucky disappeared into the crowd just as the electricity suddenly went out. For a moment, Neptune’s was engulfed in total darkness. Several startled noises came from the crowd. “Not again,” someone complained. A second later the generators click on. Sudden light poured down on us again. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the change in lighting. The backup lights weren’t as bright as the original ones, but at least we weren’t in total darkness anymore.

  Hanna passed by with several big candles in her arms. “Another flare?”

  “Yeah.” She sighed. “Who knows how long this one will last? Can you help me with these?”

  I nodded and grabbed a couple of the large candles from her arms. Since there was no more music playing, the bar lost some of its appeal. It didn’t matter much since there wasn’t much time until closing anyway. As patrons gathered their things and left, Hanna and I began strategically placing the candles all around Neptune’s, lighting them with matches. It would give us some illumination for clean up later on.

  The dark had never scared me. I kind of liked it actually. It was good at hiding things that you didn’t want others to see. And in the dim light of the dive bar, I felt like my secrets were safe.

  One by one, Glory members dispersed into the night, heading to who knew where. But Hastie and Seven remained, waiting for me. Aft
er a while, Lucky returned to their side. What had happened? Could he not find a woman for the night?

  Most people stayed away from Glory MC because they were seen as troublemakers. But in the short time I’d worked at Neptune’s, I learned that not all of them were mean bastards. As long as you didn’t confront them about Glory business or threaten them, most were actually quite friendly.

  “Be back in a second,” I told them as I disappeared into the backroom to gather my things. This time, I didn’t bother wearing my jacket. With the sun down, I didn’t have to worry about radiation and sun sparks. Tucking it over my arm, I came back out and found Seven sitting on the bar top, her legs dangling off the edge.

  Her short skirt rode up high on her thigh, no doubt showing off her toned, tanned legs. As she pulled it up higher, I realized what she was doing.

  “Hurt like a motherfucker,” Seven said as I approached. There was still enough light that you could make out the black and white tattoo of a prowling tiger high on Seven’s thigh. One dark head, Hastie’s, and one light head, Lucky’s, hovered over her as they eyed the artwork.

  “That’s a wicked tat,” Hastie commented.

  “Thanks!”

  Lucky just looked at it with mild interest.

  “You got any tattoos?” Hastie asked as I approached.

  “Nope. How many do you have?”

  “Twenty-six.”

  My eyebrow shot up. Impressive. And hot. “Can I see them?”

  A wolfish smile appeared. “I’d have to get naked for you to see them all.”

  “Please, don’t,” Lucky cut in and I laughed.

  Seven hopped down from the bar. “Ready to go?”

  “Yeah, I’m just going to say bye to Hanna.”

  “Got to be somewhere after this?” Hastie bit down on his lower lip, giving the effect of a diamond shining as his piercing caught the light. My gaze locked onto it and as if he knew, he ran his tongue over it.

  “No,” I said, a little too breathlessly.

  “Good.” Hastie held up a flashlight. “I’ve come prepared.”

  “Nice thinking,” Seven said with an impressed nod.

  “Whenever you’re ready.”

  After I said my goodbyes, we left Neptune’s together. In the darkness, I became acutely aware of my surroundings and the people around me. Hastie’s presence was a burning source of heat beside me. The inner child in me suddenly sprung to the surface, eager to play and cause mischief as long as we were veiled in shadows.

  It was so dark the night might as well be solid for all the flashlight did. I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. Lucky turned to face us, walking backward to his Harley as he spoke. “How much do you pack?”

  I let my confusion show in my expression. “He’s asking how much experience you have on a bike,” Hastie translated.

  “Oh, not much.”

  “First time for everything, right, babe?” Hastie threw his leg over his black Harley.

  I’d seen Harley-Davidsons before but the bike in front of me was clearly one of a kind. It was head-to-toe black. Matte, not gloss. None of that shiny shit for Hastie. The words Glory MC were painted nice and sleek on the gas tank. There were chrome accents that when you looked closely enough were actually exquisite details of a skull. Spikes sticking out from everywhere made this thing look like a beast. It fit the man perfectly.

  Lucky’s bike, in contrast, had flash. It was a little rock n’ roll and a little ghetto fabulous. Instead of the classic black, his was decked out in white and was thus a shining beacon against the night sky. It was clear that Lucky wasn’t a member of Glory yet because his bike didn’t conform to the sea of black Harleys whenever Glory MC rode together.

  “Hop on,” Hastie said with a tilt of his head.

  Grinning over at Seven, I caught the glimpse of excitement shining in her eyes. As much as she disliked the driver, there was no question that she liked the idea of riding on one of Glory’s bikes. Decision made, she threw her leg over the bike before wrapping her arms around Lucky’s middle. A family of butterflies suddenly took flight in my stomach. Holy crap. Was I really going to do this?

  The summer I turned seven, I learned how to swim. I remembered that first jump into the water clearly. On my arms were a pair of those obnoxiously orange inflatable swimming aids that let everyone know I was a newbie. Decked out in a teal blue bathing suit and goggles because I didn’t like the feeling of water in my eyes, I remember looking over the edge of the dock into the water below. It looked deep and very, very wide. I knew without a doubt that because of the swimming aids, I’d be safe, but that didn’t eliminate the fear that nagged at me despite the insurance.

  That was how I felt now. As the engines of both Harleys revved like they had trapped a beast inside, I felt that same irrational fear. But instead of retreating, I did exactly what I had done when I was seven. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped.

  The leather seat felt hot to the touch beneath my ass. I immediately felt the jolt of power between my legs as Hastie revved the engine and kicked up the kickstand. As my balance went off, I instinctively wrapped my arms around his torso, plastering myself against his back. Hastie was warm. And he smelled delicious. Like leather and male.

  On a loud roar, Lucky took off first. Before I could change my mind and hop off, Hastie gunned it, sending us forward in a rush of warm air. My hair flew behind us like a scarf in the wind, and as I got used to the feeling, my body began to relax.

  There were always a few firsts that you would always remember—your first car, the first time you had sex. I knew I’d remember this ride like all the other memories ingrained in my head. I squeezed Hastie a little tighter, grateful for his sturdy presence. This wouldn’t have been so exciting if I had done this with someone other than him.

  But then Seven’s high-pitched scream broke the moment, startling me and probably Hastie, too. I flashed her a concerned glance as I felt Hastie’s chuckle roll through his body. She was a vise around Lucky, squeezing him as if he was a tube of toothpaste and she wanted that very last drop. Her eyes were shut tight and her body was pressed to his as Lucky increased speed. As he did, Seven let out another wail, which caused Lucky to laugh so hard his head tilted back in total reverie.

  I grinned even as I thanked God Hastie wasn’t speeding like Lucky was. Otherwise, I’d no doubt be joining Seven in her cries. I curled my arms around Hastie tighter and let my cheek rest against his cut.

  Though it was dark, the headlights gave us some illumination. Despite the obnoxiously loud roaring engine, I allowed myself to enjoy the scenery that the solar flares made as we rode by. No more foliage lined the roads we were on, just bare trees and a few boulders dotting here and there. At any other time during daylight hours, I would’ve seen the exact same scene and thought how desolate the world had become since the flares. But in that moment, as the star-cut sky acted as a veil over us and the wind blew through my hair in a refreshing caress, I couldn’t find a single fault in what lay before me.

  It was beautiful. Fucking perfect.

  I got so used to the purring between my legs that when we started to slow down to pull into the gas station, I had to hide my disappointment from the others. Out here, there were only a few lights illuminating the area. The ground beneath our feet was cracked with age and sun-exposure, making the asphalt uneven as we rode in. Reluctantly, I pulled away from Hastie as we came to a full stop. Lucky rode in, his headlights shining directly into my face.

  “Augggh!” I used my arm to block the intense rays and hopped off the Harley. Just like that, paradise was over.

  “Sorry, running low,” Hastie said by way of explanation.

  As Lucky’s Harley came to a stop, Seven jumped off it like it was on fire. “What the fuck, you asshole!” She followed that with a heavy punch to Lucky’s arm. “Are you trying to kill me?” Lucky winced as the blows continued to rain down on him, but that ever present shit eating grin was on his face as he laughed. “Stop lau
ghing at me,” Seven cried out. “You did that on purpose!” She punctuated that with a kick to Lucky’s shin.

  “Ow!”

  “Dick,” she spat.

  Lucky grinned back with a wink.

  Seven’s gorgeous eyes narrowed to slits. “Easy, girl,” Hastie chided as he pulled her as far as he could form Lucky. Seven fought his hold, kicking, using her elbows as weapons. By everyone’s actions, it was clear that the drinks earlier were starting to take effect. I couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that escaped my lips.

  I stepped forward to grab Seven’s hand before she decided to punch Hastie. As I hauled her to the gas station’s convenience store, Hastie went to fill up on gas.

  The lights in the store flickered above us. One lone customer was buying a pack of cigarettes at the counter but other than him, the clerk was the only one person inside. Even in the late evening, the air was as hot as dragon’s breath. My hair felt sticky against the back of my neck. The clerk shot me a dark look as I weaved through the measly stocked aisles, looking for something that would cool me down.

  Packages of stale cookies filled one section while the next aisle was completely bare of stocked items. I checked out the freezer aisle, hoping to find a bottle of soda but the only two things left were two battered orange fizzy drinks. I turned to the clerk. “Got any other drinks around here?”

  “I’ve only got the slushie machine.”

  Following his gaze, I caught sight of the slushie section I had missed earlier. I guess that would do, except I had no idea how I’d be able to keep it while riding on the bike. Seven beat me to it and was already making one for herself.

  That was when Hastie walked through the door to pay for his gas. I quickly made a slushie for myself, figuring lime would be the safest option. Seven was more adventurous, mixing the raspberry, lime, and whatever the blue shit was to make one that looked like a rainbow.

  As we were leaving, my eyes landed on a small fireworks stand by the door. “Wanna light some fireworks?” It could be fun in the blackout. A good way to make most of the night.