by Sadie Savage
“I have some business to take care of,” her uncle called, the porch door swinging shut behind him. “Don’t wait up. As if you would.”
Ari opened her mouth to reply, the urge to tell him about the strange car at the convenience store strong. However, when she spoke, she was surprised that the only word out of her mouth was, “Okay.”
Her uncle’s beat-up old car sped off down the road and Ari’s eyes returned to the mysterious car parked down the road. She tore her attention away from it and brought the laundry basket inside, and before she knew it she was walking down the street toward the convenience store, her fists in tight, determined balls at her sides as she walked.
“Morning, Ari,” Mel said genially.
She looked around the store, but saw nobody else inside. That was strange.
“Good morning, Mel. Do you guys have the new issue?”
Mel’s eyes glittered. “Of what, darlin’?”
Ari pursed her lips. She went in to Mel’s every month for an issue of her favorite fashion magazine, but she had already picked it up this month.
“Never mind,” she said, smiling quickly at him and disengaging from the conversation. She roamed up and down the low shelves of the convenience store, half-heartedly looking at the merchandise as she contemplated the strange vehicle outside. Whoever owned that had to be around there somewhere.
Finally, she grabbed a pack of gum and walked back to the counter.
“Is that your car out front?” she asked casually. “I guess I thought you walked to work.”
“Nah, it belongs to my new employee. He’s in back watching training videos.”
“New employee?” Ari asked, surprised.
In all her time living on her family’s land, she had never heard of Mel taking on extra help. The whole store was named after him!
“Yep. Fella by the name of Arrow. I’m sure you’ll see him around.”
“I didn’t even know you were hiring,” Ari said quietly.
“I’m getting old, darlin’,” Mel said, smiling kindly. “It would be nice to work half-days instead of whole days at some point.”
“I never thought of that,” Ari said, handing him the money for her gum. “Thanks.”
Mel nodded graciously and Ari left, walking slowly down the road back toward the ranch. Mel had been running that store since Ari was a child, probably even longer. It made sense that he would want to take it easy now that he was getting older.
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story than he was letting on. When she reached the house, she sat down on the front steps of the porch, her eyes glued on the car parked outside.
Whoever that was, she was going to have to resign herself to accepting that time passed quickly and things changed. It was a sad fact of life.
Whether she was burning with curiosity to meet the new person at Mel’s place or not, that wouldn’t change the fact that she had chores to do. And so, the convenience store quickly went to the back of her mind as she let herself into the house. There was cleaning to do, and she was the only one around there who would do it. It was better to get to work and leave well enough alone.
***
That evening, Ari went outside to take the clothes off the clothesline. She had forgotten about the mysterious new worker at Mel’s by then, but when she glanced over, her heart jolted in her chest. It was twilight, but she could see the silhouette of a tall man standing in front the lamppost, looking in her direction. Even from that distance, she could tell that the man’s eyes were intense.
Ari slowly lowered the shirt she was holding into her laundry basket and walked tentatively toward the stranger. Why she felt so drawn to him, she couldn’t say. All she knew was that she had to see his face.
She felt his eyes upon her as she made her way across the large empty yard and toward the dirt road that led to Mel’s, her heart hammering as she drew nearer to the mysterious stranger. Everything in her upbringing told her that what she was doing was wrong. What kind of decent young woman approached a man like this alone and in the dark? It was stupid, is what it was. She should turn right back around and head back to the house and finish dealing with the laundry, she thought.
But it was too late for her now. She could already make out the firm, strong muscles of the man’s bicep, and hear the clanking of keys as Mel rustled around inside locking everything up. Then she was standing in front of the man, whose face was shadowed by the light above him. When he peered down at her, studying her quietly, a thrill surged through her body. He was handsome. And so familiar, somehow.
“Can I help you?” he finally asked, his voice a deep, delicious velvet.
Ari pursed her lips in thought. Now that she was there, what was she going to do? She had no reason to be there. No reason to want to speak to this man. And yet…
“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug and a nervous smile. “I live down the street. Guess I was just curious about the new guy at Mel’s.”
The man didn’t say anything. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and placed one in his mouth, studying her skeptically as he lit it. He remained quiet until Mel came outside and locked the front door.
“Good night, Arrow. Night there, Ari.”
“Good night,” Ari said softly.
“Take her easy,” Arrow replied to Mel. Then he turned his sharp eyes on Ari. “So, you got your gander. You satisfied?”
Ari opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. She was hardly satisfied. Who was this man, and why was she so drawn to him? He was handsome, sure, but he was also twice her age if he was a day. It seemed wildly inappropriate, and not to mention unusual, for her to be acting this way. But Ari was curious.
“My name is Ari,” she said finally, offering her hand out to the man. He raised his brow before reaching his hand out and taking hers firmly in his own. Arrow’s hand dwarfed hers, and she felt the fluttering of her heart when he gave her hand a pump and then released it, his calloused fingers trailing down the soft flesh of her palm.
“I kind of figured from when Mel said bye to you, kid,” Arrow said wryly.
Even though he was clearly teasing her, somehow, she still enjoyed his scorn.
He wasn’t unkind about it, just straight-forward and to the point.
“So, what are you doing out so late anyway?”
“I thought it would be nice to welcome you to your new job,” Ari lied quickly.
What had gotten into her? She hated lying. In fact, she had given up many friendships because of people who lied too much, even if those lies didn’t directly affect her.
“Well, ain’t that nice of you,” Arrow said, raising a brow. “And here I thought that the little girl down the street just come to check up on me. Keep an eye on old Mel.”
“Well, it is strange that Mel just hired someone out of nowhere, without even posting a sign or anything,” Ari admitted.
“Were you hoping to get the job yourself then, sweetheart?” Arrow asked.
The way he said sweetheart was clearly platonic, but for some reason it set butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
“No,” Ari said, “the thought never really occurred to me.”
“Well, okay then,” Arrow said.
Their eyes lingered upon one another for another excruciating moment before Ari sighed.
“I guess I had better be going then,” she said. “It was nice to meet you. Kind of.”
“It was kind of nice to meet you, too,” Arrow said, with an exaggerated bow.
She laughed despite herself and shook her head as she turned away from him. What in the hell was wrong with her, approaching such a brawny stranger like that? It was clear from the tattoos up and down his muscular arms that Arrow could spell trouble, but there was something kind in the way he spoke to her, even if he would rather die than admit that he had a soft side.
Ari returned to the clothesline, glancing up just in time to watch the taillights of Arrow’s car back out of Mel’s parking lot. Th
e car sped past her house with a brief honk and again, her heart soared. There was just something about this man that she couldn’t help but like.
She finished her chores and went inside, her mind and heart full. It was always interesting to meet new people. That was all. It didn’t have to be anything different.
Chapter 5
“So, what did you guys find out? Anything?” Arrow demanded as soon as the group was gathered back at the MC.
Marcus was nowhere to be found, and Arrow and the others were crowded at the bar, each of them bristling at the nerve of Hawk and his men. But their time would come. Arrow would see to it.
“He’s got a couple of pushers down by the mall,” Boa said darkly. “Targets mostly young girls and the kinds of men who look like life has given them hell. Them and the homeless people by the bus stop. They usually wait there for people to show up and just chat them up waiting for the 70 bus to arrive; it takes about 45 minutes so they get a chance to have a long conversation.”
Arrow glowered. People like Hawk and his crew were the scum of the Earth. It was shocking that he’d been able to stay put rather than burning the asshole’s house to the ground. He probably would have too, if it weren’t for that pretty little girl living with him. The same girl he had taken to the movies. Just what was her story?
“Right. Anything else?”
“There’s an old abandoned caboose out by the trainyards. A bunch of addicts hang around there waiting for their supply. Hawk’s guys, of course. Even heard one of them talking about him.”
“Did anybody see Hawk himself today?” Arrow asked. “I’m staking out the spot near his house so I saw him leave but didn’t stick around for when he came back. It was late though. He’s up to no good.”
“I saw him,” Thatcher said grimly.
His mouth was tight and Arrow felt a pang of trepidation.
“What happened?” Arrow asked.
“He’s got a new girl working for him, the way he had Marcia.”
“A new girl?” Arrow’s mind immediately went to the young woman who had approached him at the convenience store.
He hadn’t been sure what to make of her. She almost seemed sweet, in fact. But there was a possibility that she was another one of Hawk’s projects, left at home to guard the house from anyone who might figure out where he was and strike back.
“Yeah, she’s tall. Brunette.”
Well, that ruled out Arrow’s girl. Ari was smaller than him- petite, about up to his shoulder. And her hair was blonde; at least it looked that way in the dark.
“I see,” Arrow said. “Where were they?”
“On the edge of town,” Thatcher sighed. “He was talking to some young guy that his girl lured in. Seems an awful lot like what happened to you, Arrow.”
“They know how to spot people who want to give up, that’s for damn sure,” Arrow agreed. He had been a mess after what had happened with his wife. And sure, the MC had been there for him, but all the alcohol in the world wasn’t enough to make him feel better. His mistake had been thinking that anything in the world could do that but time.
“They do,” Thatcher agreed grimly.
“So, what do we do to get rid of these guys?” Boa demanded. “I’m sick of hearing about people who think they have a right to be here ruining people’s lives!”
Although Boa was hot-headed, Arrow admired his conviction. Boa would probably never make the top ranks of the MC, but he would be a loyal blood brother to the Pythons.
“We’re going to take them all down,” Arrow said. “Don’t you worry about that. But we’re going to need a little bit more time. I’d guess by the end of the month, we’ll be able to set them up. I have a plan.”
The group fell into silence and Arrow took a deep breath.
“We’re going to go undercover,” he said. “Set up a big bust so we have them all where we want them. Then, and only when we have the advantage tactically, do we strike.”
“Are we aiming to kill? Or you think maybe a prison sentence would do the job?” Boa asked.
Arrow chortled. “You’re asking me whether I’m going to let the man who ruined my life live? He’s the scum of the Earth, man! We’re going to fuck him up until there ain’t nothing left of him! Is that clear to all of you?!”
The men cheered and Arrow felt a small surge of excitement. It had been a long time since he’d been in a position to lead a group of men like this. He hadn’t realized just how much he missed it. But now that he had a taste of the power he’d lost, he became even more determined than ever to do this right. Every single step had to be well-planned and strategized. Otherwise it would all be for nothing.
“Starting tomorrow, I want Thatcher to try to start mingling with the addicts at the trainyard. In about two days, Boa will do the same thing. You guys will need to watch each other, keep an eye out. And whatever you do, don’t actually take any drugs! You know how to fake it, so fake it. And don’t fuckin’ get caught.”
“Well then what are you going to do?” Boa asked Arrow.
Arrow grinned.
“I’m going to make sure that piece of shit regrets ever being born.”
***
“All right, you think you can manage this on your own?” Mel asked.
Arrow grinned.
“I ain’t a stranger to work,” he replied.
Mel nodded. “Well okay. In that case, I’m heading out.”
Arrow watched him go, and then gazed out the front window of the tiny store at the dark house down the road. Ari had come from that property just the day before, leaving him with more questions than answers. Would she recognize him as one of the Pythons? Had she told Hawk about him? She hadn’t seemed suspicious so much as curious, though if there was one thing Arrow knew, it was that when someone wanted to, it was easy to put on quite a show.
But as hard as he stared, the house stayed dark and he saw no sign of the girl from the night before, and no sign of Hawk either.
The latter wasn’t surprising in the least. Hawk operated his best at night, going from dive to dive to peddle his drugs and seek help from young addicts who could serve his greedy agenda. They didn’t care what he stood for as long as they got their next fix. Was Ari one of those girls?
Somehow, he doubted it. The way she had studied him, her clear eyes full of quiet intelligence, made him think twice. Yes, she was young. Far too young for him, maybe even for Hawk, but she had to be there for a reason. And if she wasn’t involved with Hawk, why had he seen her coming out of the movies with him? It didn’t make sense.
“Good evening, stranger.”
Ari’s gentle voice wafted through the store, followed by the jingle of the bell as the door struck it. And there she was, under the golden glow of the single bulb dangling from the ceiling of the convenience store, beaming at him like a vision.
“Where’d you come from, honey?” Arrow asked.
As suspicious of her as he was, for some reason the sight of the beautiful young woman gave him quite a thrill. She was well groomed, from head to toe, with long, wavy blonde hair and ocean-blue eyes that seemed to see right through him. But that couldn’t be true. She didn’t seem to see anything she didn’t like.
“You know where I live,” Ari said, folding her arms across her chest and staring at him. “Don’t play dumb.”
“Well, all right,” Arrow said with a short laugh.
But if she was working for Hawk, he couldn’t let his guard down. She was a pretty little thing, but that didn’t make her harmless.
“I actually had a question,” Ari said, holding his gaze firmly. “It’s been bothering me since I saw you last.”
“Oh yeah?”
Now it was his turn to fold his arms over his chest. Ari smiled when he mirrored the action and let her arms fall to her side.
“Yeah,” Ari said. “I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before. Where do you live?”
“Where do I live?” Arrow asked, caught off guard by the question. “That’s a m
ighty bold thing to ask a stranger.”
“You already know where I live,” Ari said. “Fair is fair.”
“Well, I live in town. Pretty good ways from here, really.”
“So, why get a job with Mel of all people?” Ari asked, frowning. “Isn’t it out of the way?”
“I like the drive,” Arrow said. “It clears my head.”
He was telling the truth, but Ari looked at him, quiet suspicion apparent on the perfect features of her face. If she was on to him about being a Python, then he would have to find a new cover.
“All right,” Ari said, seemingly satisfied for the time being. “I don’t suppose you had anything healthy to eat the whole time you were here, did you?”
Arrow was caught off-guard by the statement. Nobody had given a damn about his health at all – not since he had lost his wife. And truth be told, he had been letting himself go. Sure, he was solid as a rock, full of muscle and piss and vinegar, but he was also a bachelor now. Cooking wasn’t his forte.
“Well…” he said, shifting uncomfortably.
“That’s what I thought,” Ari said, shaking her head sadly. “You have some long hours, and I was thinking to myself back home about how all you poor men have to eat in there are those gross hot dogs that twirl around in that box all day…”
Arrow snorted and Ari caught his eye, sending a surge of fire through his loins. She was a spitfire, that one. She was quiet, but he could see her true colors just below the surface.
“Well, anyway, I had to cook dinner anyway so I thought I’d bring you this. We don’t usually eat leftovers.”
Ari offered him a small container and he studied the contents. It smelled like heaven, but he would have to be a fuckin’ idiot to eat anything that came out of Hawk’s place.
“I’ll leave it up to you whether you eat it or not,” Ari said, seeming to sense Arrow’s reluctance. “I mean, most people don’t mind hotdogs that taste like cardboard. It’s really your choice.”