by Avery Abbott
She’d lain back, hands acting as a pillow beneath her head, her tanned legs stretched out in front of her, and without even giving it a second thought I found myself standing over her. Her eyes were closed to the music playing from the teens at the bonfire twenty feet to the right, so she didn’t hear me coming. I was just about to head back to the club and leave her be, when a tear rolled down her cheek. I shut my eyes and held a quick solo argument, a lame attempt at convincing myself that she was a big girl and her problems were not mine.
But, when I opened them to take a step backwards, my laces from my boot tripped me up, almost face planting me into the sand. “Shit,” I mumbled, trying to straighten myself upright.
“Scout?” She bolted upright, the mascara slightly smudged under her eye. A giveaway she’d been crying for longer than I had noticed. It tore at my heart and I wasn’t sure I liked how she fucked with it.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you. I thought that was you down here, and wanted to check to see how you’re making out?”
She shifted nervously and stared out at the ocean, and although she seemed to not welcome the sight of me, I sat down next to her. “You’re a little overdressed for the beach, aren’t you?”
I peered down and realized I was in my usual; jeans, a white wife beater, and my leather boots. “I was on my bike.” I didn’t wear my kutte in front of her on purpose to avoid frightening her, or even questioning me about The Rebels. People had a weird notion when they saw us, that leather—that every one of us was full of piss and vinegar, ready to kill at will. That reputation was so off from who we were now, although, none of us was afraid to bleed or kill for the right cause. Hell, we already sort of gave a big middle finger to the police in town whenever they tried to fuck with our club and any of our businesses.
“Where’ve ya been?” She changed gears, ogling me, and I was like a deer caught in headlights the moment her eyes met mine.
“Around,” I mumbled, scratching my head.
“Oh, I haven’t seen you,” she said quietly.
“I’ve seen you and that’s all you need to know.” Well, didn’t that sounded creepy as fuck? “I meant, I’ve been keeping my eye out on you. Fiona loves you, says you’re doing great.”
She smiled, and my somewhat murky heart literally skipped a beat. With nothing to be said, I fell back onto the sand, my arm covering my eyes, slightly turning my head to see her. She stayed upright, but her body was slightly turned, the moonlight hitting her just right that it almost seemed like those glorious greens were twinkling like the stars above.
“Tell me something about you?” she asked me.
Bad territory. Don’t even like to talk to the boys about my past, so I went with something basic, wanting to throw her a bone. “Have a thing for homemade tamales. There’s this guy and his son who sell them from an igloo cooler every day for five bucks right off the beach a block down. I’ll buy you one someday.”
She rolled her eyes as expected, but left it be.
“And you? What are you doing out here all alone?”
She shrugged one shoulder then lay back to join me. “That’s an easy one. Because I am.”
“Your choice?”
She remained quiet, but after a full minute or two she answered, “No, I left home. My mother’s gone.” It was like a gut punch, but I hid my emotions by gazing up to the sky like it was the most interesting thing in the world at that moment.
“No brothers or sisters?”
“No?”
“Father?”
“Definitely, no,” she whimpered. I couldn’t help but notice the way her voice cracked, so I decided not to pry for now.
I sighed, unsure of my next move. She seemed so lost and insecure. “You feel like grabbing a beer? I’m a good listener.”
“No, I’m good. Going home, but thanks,” she whispered, and I found I wanted to cover that whisper with my mouth and take away whatever it was that was making her seem so somber and lost.
“At least let me take you back to your place. It’s dark out and I don’t want you walking alone.” I didn’t, but truth be told, I wasn’t ready to stop the evening, to leave her alone in that shitty motel room.
She managed a smile, even if it was just a slight one. “I’m a big girl. I can manage.”
I stood, brushing the sand off my jeans and held out my hand. “What kind of gentleman would that make me?”
“I’m not even sure you are one yet.”
That got a grin out of me. “Don’t peg me too soon, Darling. Now c’mon give me your hand and I’ll ride you home.”
She and I walked quietly until we were onto the concrete. She shimmied her body, releasing pebbles of sand from her hair and skin, causing my dick to react and then her eyes landed on my bike parked right there on top of the boardwalk.
“I never rode on one before.”
“I’ll go slow. It’s not far anyway.”
“You know where I’m staying?” Her voice was so small, tense, frightened even, it took me aback for a second.
“Hey,” I reached out to her hand, tugging it until she relented and came forward. “I won’t hurt you, Shaw. It’s just a ride. I promise.”
“I’ve heard that one before.” Her statement threw me. I knew she’d been hurt by someone from her black eye, but she didn’t seem eager to talk about it before, but now she’d opened a can of worms and curiosity started to get the best of me.I didn’t know why but I had the urge to protect her.
“Who hurt you?” I asked her as nonchalantly as I could, handing off my helmet to her, hoping it would cause enough distraction for her to be honest. She studied it before placing it on her head. I tightened the straps until it seemed secure and snug.
“No one you know, and trust me he’s not worth mentioning.” She prompted me to get on my bike, so I did. I held my hand out, which she took to get on behind me. My hands automatically hooked behind her knees, tugging them to me.
She froze momentarily, followed by a quick suck in of her breath as I felt the warmth of her skin, making me think she either liked it, or perhaps I went a tad too far, too soon with her. “Hey, Shaw?”
“Yeah?”
“Hold on, tight, honey.” We were off. Her knees caved in, her arms gripped my waist as tight as she could and her head plowed in between my shoulder blades like she was diving for cover from a sniper. I told her I’d take it slow, but once the engine got going and the wind was in my face, I forgot about all else but riding, and to be honest, I wanted her to grip me tighter.
Weaving in and out of cars, she clutched me tighter and I found I liked the way her arms felt around me. I liked her warm hands gripping underneath my Hanes tank, her nails digging into my stomach making me feel something…anything. It wasn’t until I turned off the bike and she loosened her arms did she seem to realize we had even stopped. “You all right?” I asked her, hauling my leg over, careful not to kick her. She undid the strap quickly, removed my helmet, tossed it to me and shot me a look that let me know she hadn’t enjoyed the ride as much as I had.
“Maybe next time you could just walk me home.” She yanked a key out from her back pocket, spun and marched toward door nine on the first floor. I knew this, but now it pissed me off that she was living alone in a shithole motel where people rent rooms by the hour, mostly, and to top it off, first floor meant easier to break into.
I got off, jogged after her. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
She smirked and I had to force myself to stay outside, although I peered in her room, checking it out.
She sidestepped me, closing the door, but left it slightly ajar. “Maybe next time.”
I wet my lips with my tongue. “So, there is going to be a next time?”
She looked back with a smile plastered on her face. “Well, you do owe me a tamale.”
This garnered another smile, one she didn’t see since she’d already gone inside and shut the door. Instead of getting on my bike and going to the club, I headed into the m
ain office. A middle-aged man looking up at me with what looked like taco sauce was running down his chin after he took that huge bite of his burrito.
He wiped it away with the back of his hand and swallowed. “Can I help you?”
“Shaw.” Was all I said.
“What about her?” He stood up, immediately going into a protective stance, which almost had me almost laughing out loud, but I found it rather stoic and glad there was someone else who seemed to give a shit about her.
Still, it warranted a chuckle, and then I grinned. “You too, huh?”
“What?” he asked, confused.
I shook my head. “Nothing. Listen, the first floor is not gonna work out. You got something up top?”
“She’s fine. I keep an eye on her. What are you, her boyfriend? She told me she don’t got one.”
“Let’s just leave it at… not yet,” I looked at his nametag. “Jerry.”
“Don’t got nothing up there,” he stated. I peered outside and counted four cars, my bike, and a bicycle propped up against the stucco wall that needed a seriously good power wash.
“Let me rephrase for you, Jer.” I picked up the stapler on his desk and studied it like I was trying to figure out how to kill him with it. “The Rebels would really appreciate your help if you put her on the top floor first thing tomorrow. I don’t care how you do it or what you say to get it done. Just do it. And, Jerry, don’t you dare fucking mention The Rebels, or me, when you do. You got me?”
His face grew paler as I spoke. He nodded, mouth slightly ajar, which was good enough for me. I placed the stapler back down. “Thanks, Jer. I knew you’d see it my way. Carry on.”
And then I was gone. Like I said, people were scared of the patch, the cut, the name and everything they thought it entailed. The Rebels at one point were as badass as any club, but we went straight after losing too many guys to the prison who never made it home.But sometimes I wondered the lengths I’d go, if need be.
Chapter 5
SHAW
I was horribly aware how flipping alone I felt after slamming the door on Scout’s invitation. I was also painfully aware how dark and dreary it was inside, even with the lights in the parking doing their best to brighten the place, and I started to regret not inviting him in. Instead of basking in my loneliness, I turned on the old TV, which only generated a little fuzz and some background noise. Stupid thing. I banged my fist on it several times until finally the station came in enough to watch. Some lady was prattling on about some perfect hard-boiled egg maker for twenty dollars. Who the hell would pay that when you can just plop them into some boiling water to get the same exact result?
While contemplating eggs and money, I listened for his bike until finally the loud rumble revved in the parking lot outside my door a few minutes later. Closing my eyes, I held my breath until it was faded into the wind. The ride scared me, but it also thrilled me to the point I almost started laughing at how free I felt in that moment. Now, I finally got a glimpse as to what my mother was referring to when she spoke of feeling free on the back of a Harley. It was liberating, and if Scout hadn’t been in front of me to hold onto, I may have just let go and spread my wings to see what would happen.
I’d been in my new room on the third floor for three days now, a room which Jerry said was nicer. It wasn’t, although the TV worked. When I heard the loud rap at my door, I would have assumed it was Jerry, but once I heard the familiar rumble of a motorcycle, I knew it had to be Scout, since besides only he and Fiona knew where I lived.
Hastily, I yanked on my shorts and buttoned them up, then slicked my still-wet-from-the-shower hair behind my ears. I had slept in some today, unprepared to see anyone, so I hadn’t had time to get myself ready and then opened the door.
His most brilliant smile and twinkling blue eyes like he held the most precious secret took me surprise. His gaze roamed from my head down to my toes until they finally settled on my eyes. “I want to take you somewhere.”
“Hello to you, too.” I leaned back on the frame of the door, arms crossed, slightly suspicious of his gesture.
He held out his hand. “Come on, now. Time’s a tickin’.”
“What if I have plans already?” I asked.
That full radiant smile suddenly disappeared. “Do you?” He frowned.
“No, but…”
He sighed in what I assumed was relief, but I was afraid to go with him, not because he was dangerous to my life, but dangerous to my heart. He was devastatingly handsome, thrilling, sweet and badass at the same time. And, quite possibly he held the Guinness Book of World Records for greatest smile I’d ever laid eyes on.
All of this sent my lately-inaccurate radar askew. “I can’t,” I said firmly.
“Can’t or won’t?” he fired back.
“A little of both.”
Ignoring me, he handed a helmet. “Trust me, you can, and you will, Shaw. You won’t regret it.”
His outstretched hand lingered, the weight of the helmet not seemingly registering one bit. “Where?” I asked.
And then the corner of his perfect mouth lifted. “It’s a surprise. Trust me.”Trust me? Where had I heard that saying before? Garrett used to ask me to oblige by those two fateful words all the time. And look where that had gotten me?
While in my deep trance of his looks and my own thoughts, I hadn’t even noticed he’d slapped on my helmet, until he secured the strap around my chin, tapped my nose and yanked me outside.
“Scout?” I called out barely a whisper. His stare lifted from my mouth to my eyes. “Hmm?”
RULE # 9 Don’t be afraid to fall in love. If he’s the right one, he’ll catch you. If he’s not, the right one will.
“Promise me you won’t hurt me. I could really use a friend right now.”
“Shaw,” he stepped closer, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Not only will I promise you that I won’t hurt you, I’ll also promise you no one else will either. Not on my watch.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss on my nose.
I gnawed on my bottom lip contemplating the seriousness in his tone and the sincerity in his eyes before coming to the ultimate conclusion that I needed him. Not him per se, but a friend; a friend like Tommy, whom I trusted with my life.
I breathed out. “Well, I do like surprises.”
This garnered an even bigger grin from Scout. A grin a girl could get fall in love with, and unfortunately my naïve heart would most likely fall. Hard! He had two things that were deadly to a girl like me: looks and charm. I wasn’t quite sure which one would do me in first.
His hand shot out, pulling me along with him.
“Keys,” I croaked out. He paused briefly, letting me back inside to grab them and lock up before he had us practically jogging to his bike parked out front.
Once my hands firmly wrapped around his waist, my knees locked to his thighs, and then the engine revved loudly, he peered back over his shoulder. “Ready?”
I barely had time to nod my agreement when we were off, flying down the main drag. Houses and stores passed by until he hooked a right onto the highway, him going faster than I could imagine. Instead of panicking, I buried my head between his massive shoulder blades, praying for the ride to end, or at the very least to slow down a notch or two. It was exhilarating, but scary as hell for me to have nothing keeping me safe on two wheels except his body.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the ride, or him, but there was something about his confidence and demeanor that pulled me in faster than I cared to admit, knowing my trusting heart surely would let down in the end.
We came to a halt. He stuck his hand out to assist me in dismounting. I swirled, in awe. “Wow!” I gasped as I turned and saw cliffs, with waves crashing into rocks and beautiful sandy beaches below in a cove.
“We’re in La Jolla—in Spanish it translates to ‘the jewel.’ People call this spot Seal Beach. Pretty cool, huh?”
There had to be at least twenty to thirty seals lying on the rocks, basking in
the sun, with several scattered on the sandy beach, pelicans dove into the water, looking for their meal.
It was as breathtaking as it was peaceful. “This is amazing, Scout.” I ripped off my helmet and flung it toward him. His hand flew up and nabbed it mid-air. Without thought my body moved toward the railing overlooking magnificent view below me.
I lost track of how long it was until I felt him come behind me. His front to my back, arms spread beside mine, his thumbs grazing my pinky fingers that were gripping on the railing. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone so excited to see seals before,” he whispered in my ear, causing me to shiver.
“I’ve never seen them like this before,” I admitted, unable to wipe the smile from my face.
He pulled back. “Seriously?”
I peeked over my shoulder to find his face right there watching me. “Yeah, my mom wasn’t big on the ocean or the zoo. I once went on a school field trip to a small zoo and I remember just feeling so bad for them all caged up like that, but this…this is incredible. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Don’t go thanking me yet. Day’s not over.”
I turned back around, taking the scene all in.
“You want to get closer?” he asked me.
“Is it safe?’
“Yeah, they’re used to people. After that, I have some place in mind to take you for a late lunch before we head back.”
I turned, and he engulfed me in his arms. “Scout?”
“Yeah?” his gaze was glued to mine.
I swallowed. “Is this your idea of being a friend, or are you looking at this as a date?”
He sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I’ll look at it any way you want me to. It’s your call, Sunshine.”
Neither of us said a word. I bit the inside of my lip wondering what he would choose, until I finally ducked under his arm and out of the intense stare down we were having.
A stare down that had my insides quaking at the thought of an us.“Maybe we can see how the day goes before I decide.”