So imagine my confusion when Adam shows up in my ER and I begin to salivate! I really thought I had become immune to biker charms but evidently not. At least I have not gone on any dates with him and have never spoken to him on the phone so I think I have done pretty well.
Saturday Night at the Bronze…
I rarely go out unless it’s with Jenny. But with Jenny still giving me the cold shoulder I was restless and ready to have some fun when one the doctors from my hospital called and invited me to join her and a couple friends at The Bronze, and local nightclub; the most popular hangout in Cave Junction. Once a month on a Saturday night they have live music and tonight one of my favorite local bands was performing. They call themselves Krokus and they’re supposedly doing covers for Metallica, who along with AC/DC are my favorite band. How can I refuse?
It’s nearly eleven when I finally get there. Krokus is just about to begin playing when I get in and begin looking for my group. I find them in the corner ordering another round of drinks. My doctor friend Melanie, two other doctors I just know by site and a couple nurses from ICU are enjoying the evening out. Two stiff drinks later and I have already forgotten that I’m actually out on the town without my best friend. When the heavy guitars riffs from Enter Sandman begins coursing through my body I can barely stay seated. Thankfully Michael an ICU doctor asks me to dance and I am happy to oblige. There’s just something about metal music, alcohol and dancing that just gets me going! I promise myself that I am going home alone. Having set that boundary I am fully ready to party the night away.
By the time the band plays their last tune, Hero, I am ready to go home. It’s nearly two in the morning. As a group we head for the door when Michael corners me.
“So…I’m not at all tired, and if you’re not I’d love to show you my new place. We could have a drink and unwind…”
I knew this was coming, and despite my earlier promise to go home alone I am ready to live a little. I take a step closer to him and inhale his masculine scent. It’s a heady combination of cologne, a little sweat, and his natural manly musk. One whiff of him and I feel it all the way from my lips to my… my other lips. My clingy panties are proof to my arousal. One of his hands moves from my low back where it was resting and moves down to my ass giving me goose bumps all the way to my crotch. I let my own hands do some exploring as I slip my hand inside his button down shirt and explore his smooth chest. Oh my…this is going to be a fun night.
Suddenly his lips are whispering in my ear sweet nothings before moving down my jawline and to the most sensitive part of my neck. I catch my breath as my body begins to respond. My heart pounds against his chest as I press my body to his. Did I say I’m attracted to power? Not only does Michael have a strong body, but he’s a brilliant, respected doctor who’s known for his critical thinking and fast acting when lives are in the balance. And tonight I’m going to experience the other side of the man and it can’t happen soon enough.
I look up at his face. His eyes are shinning with desire. He has short curly brown hair and several days’ growth on his strong jawline. I wonder absently if I’m gonna get a rash. His dark lips form a sly smile as he moves in for another kiss. Instead I grab his arm pulling him towards the front door.
“Let’s have those drinks,” I breathe into his ear.
We decide to leave our cars in the long term parking lot and take a taxi to his house. We’ve both been drinking and do not want a run in with the police to spoil a perfect evening. As we wait for a cab we continue our little courtship ritual heedless of an oncoming disaster until it’s too late.
I am so caught up in Michael the deep rumble of Harley Davidson Motorcycles don’t even register until they are right up on us. I look up and the blood literally drains from my body. Getting off his huge black motorcycle is none other than my ex- boyfriend Shadow! It’s been so long since I’ve seen him I guess I just figured he and his club was busy somewhere away from Cave Junction. Michael feels me stiffen next to him and gives me a questioning look. Michael is not a small man. He is easily several inches over six feet and he has a fighters build. Unfortunately so is Shadow. And Shadow fights for a living while Michael practices medicine for a living. If this gets physical Michael doesn’t stand a chance. I look both ways down the street praying for our cab, but I don’t see it anywhere.
I catch my breath as Shadow saunters up to us and looks Michael over like he’s sizing up his next meal. To Michael’s credit he holds the bikers gaze and doesn’t look away in fear.
“Who the fuck are you?” Shadow growls.
“I’m someone who’s not looking for any trouble. We’re just waiting for a cab.”
Then Shadow actually smiles at us. I can feel Michael’s body relaxing. Maybe this won’t end badly after all.
“Well then,” Shadow begins. “Catch your cab, but the girl’s coming with me!”
“Excuse me?” Michael clearly didn’t expect this. He also doesn’t know this guy is my ex and I’m not sure I want to tell him either.
“I think you heard me little man. The whore comes with me.”
I can feel my date tense up. I look down and see his fists clenching. This is not good. I have to intervene or Michael is going to get hurt.
“It’s okay Michael. We can do this another night.”
“Are you serious?” He replies. I can tell by his expression he is clearly shocked. “Do you know this guy?”
“I used to…to uh…” I just can’t say it.
“She’s my old lady.” Shadow clarifies.
I don’t know if Michael knows what the term old lady means, but he clearly doesn’t like me being called old lady. Michael lets go of my arm and takes a threatening step towards Shadow. Bad move.
“I can tell you’re not a fighter,” Shadow begins, “so I’ll let you take the first shot.” He sticks out his bearded chin taunting my date. “Come on pretty boy, what are you afraid of?”
“Well I’m a doctor and I know how much time and money it’s going to cost you to have your jaw rebuilt after I destroy it.”
Color me shocked…and impressed. I would have never expected Michael to respond like that. Maybe this won’t be such a one-sided fight. Of course Shadow is not alone. He’s got two other brothers that are just sitting on their bikes watching the whole thing. And who do we have in our corner? Our group has long since departed so it’s us and no one else. The doors to the club have long since been locked so any bouncers or security personal are already gone or are inside closing up.
When Michael doesn’t punch Shadow right away, he steps towards Michael and gives him a hard shove backwards. Michael goes with it, stepping backwards and keeping his balance. I step off to the side to stay clear of flying fists. My date takes a step forward and takes a swing at the biker who easily blocks it with his left hand. Shadow is not the fastest there is but he way outclasses Michael and before I can cry out in alarm he is reeling from three quick punches in the face. Michael’s nose explodes with a shower of blood. I close my eyes for an instant as my face gets a splatter of his precious fluid. I hear a thud and open my eyes again just as Michael kicks Shadow right between the legs. Any other man would have dropped to his knees from the force of the kick but it barely phases Shadow. When you fight so much you become immune to most pain unless it is really severe and debilitating. A simple kick to the groin won’t even register until the fight is long over.
Shadow pounces like a demon with a flurry of strikes and Michael goes down hard! This is no contest, it’s a massacre! I open my mouth intending to shout for help when out of nowhere a leather clad blur charges into the middle of the action. He grabs Shadow by the back collar of his jacket and actually pulls him back away from Michael and spinning him around. And that’s when I recognize who Michael’s rescuer is; Adam. Before Shadow can wrap his head around what just happened Adam cracks the other biker across the jaw with his elbow then follows it immediately with a right upper cut to his stomach. Unable to help himself, Shadow bends over gas
ping for breath and it would have been over for him if it hadn’t been for Shadow’s two brothers who decide it’s time to get in on the action.
Adam sweeps Shadow’s legs and the big biker drops to the ground on his back but before Adam can pounce the other two bikers attack with a barrage of fists and elbows. Suddenly I see Michael struggling to get to his feet. His face is a bloody mess. This is one night he’ll not soon forget. I run over to help him to his feet when strong hands grab my legs and with a powerful yanking motion I’m completely swept off my feet. I hit the ground hard and I can’t help from my head hitting the cement with a teeth clattering bone jarring thud. Some part of me knows that if I pass out now I may never wake up but it’s hard to keep grounded in reality. My head is spinning from too much drink and from having been bounced like a basketball off the sidewalk. Before I can completely collect my scrambled wits Shadow is crawling on top of me to do what I don’t know.
I kick and squirm trying desperately to dislodge him but he is far too heavy. Suddenly his face is in mine and his putrid hot, smelly breath washes over me causing my stomach to rebel.
“So nice to see you again.” He hisses.
I squirm around trying to position myself so I can knee him in the balls but he’s too savvy a fighter to allow someone to actually do that,
“Nice try honey, but I’d hate for you to damage the goods before you get a chance to sample them. Although I’m sure you remember how much fun we used to have together.”
It’s totally surreal, lying on the pavement being crushed by the Devil incarnate and talking while there’s a vicious fight going on just feet from us. Not to mention Michael is still struggling to stand next to me. Shadow grunts and his full weight collapses on me as another biker lands square on top of him before rolling off. I turn my head to the side to look, hoping the biker that landed on us isn’t Adam. One look at the man’s bloody, wrecked face and I know it’s one of Shadow’s brothers. Thankfully Shadow rolls off of me and gets to his feet. Signs of battle surround me. From my vantage point of being on my back I can just see three sets of boots and legs from the knees down. I squirm around trying not to get stepped on. It’s bad enough that I have to have sweat and blood raining down on me, but I also have to keep from getting my ribs broken or my face mashed. Finally squirming around like a little worm on my elbows and knees I manage go get away from the dance of death surrounding me. I stand up just as Shadow and his one biker brother still able to walk makes their way over to their bikes. Adam lets them go. Right now he is focused on helping Michael stand up.
“You okay man?” He asks Michael.
“Do I look okay to you?” Michael asks bitterly.
“Naw, you look like shit but you got balls, standing up to Shadow and his gang. You really got balls man.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure they’ve been crushed along with just about everything else. But thanks for the help anyway.”
“No worries man.”
Adam turns to me as sirens split the night air. “You hurt?” He asks me, his face a mask of concern.
“No, it’s everybody’s blood but mine.”
“Your knees.”
“Well, I did get a little scraped but it’s nothing. Thanks for bailing out me and Michael.”
“You and Michael?” He asks. His concerned smile is starting to turn down.
“Yeah that was my date that you just rescued back there.” I reply.
Adam seems truly surprised. “I didn’t know he was with you. If I’d have known that I’d have just let it go and driven on past.”
Shocked, I search his face for signs that he’s just joking but he looks completely serious so I decide to just let it go.
“I can’t believe you just took on three bikers. What happened to your crew?”
“I’d love to stay and chat but those sirens sound awfully close.”
He turns back to his bike but Michael intercepts him. “Thanks man. I don’t know what we’d have done if you hadn’t come by. I don’t know how I can repay you. But-”
“Stay away from my old lady. That’s how you can repay me.”
“Excuse me?” Michael looks at him confused. “You’re the second person that’s called her an old lady. How young does a woman have to be to be…to just be a young woman?”
“It’s a biker term Michael.” I explain. “When a biker refers to a woman as his old lady it means he has claimed her as his own and she’s off limits to the other bikers.”
“What a terrible thing to call an attractive young woman,” Michael says.
“Just stay away.” Adam repeats.
“Why should I?” Michael asks defiantly.
“She’s bad news bro. That guy who kicked your ass was her boyfriend. He’ll be back for more and if you’re around you’re just gonna get hurt. You heard the saying before, if you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen right?”
Michael nods.
“Well I’m here to tell you I can stand the heat so I’m staying in the kitchen.”
“So you’re a chef then,” Michael replies with a sly smile.
“No I’m a-”
“Baker then.” Michael says interrupting Adam. “It’s kind of a step down from a chef but whatever keeps you in the kitchen right? Or maybe you’re just a short order cook at Mac Donald’s?”
“For the love of god, it has nothing to do with cooking, chefs, or kitchens man so let it drop will ya?”
Adam is clearly getting frustrated by Michael’s little word play. I should probably intervene here but I’m kinda enjoying the battle of wits in front of me now. Suddenly three police cruisers round the corner down at the end of the street.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Adam announces, and without another word he hops on his Harley and drives off.
I grab Michael’s arm and tug him towards a waiting cab. “Come on, if you want to go to the hospital I’ll go with you.”
He gently extracts his arm from mine. “Look Kari, I think I’m going to chalk this one up as a huge mistake and learn my lesson from it. You’re too entangled with the biker world for my tastes. I enjoyed spending time with you but…”
He trails off and turns to go. I let him. After tonight it would just be too weird, too strained to be dating him. I get into another cab and go home alone once again. It has been a fun night up until the point where it wasn’t a fun night anymore. I have this feeling that things are going to get really ugly with Shadow back in town and thinking I’m still his old lady. And then there’s Adam who has also staked a claim on me as well and I don’t like that either. He couldn’t have just intervened and then just walked away. Oh no, he had to claim me and try to humiliate my date as well; par for the course when it comes to the outlaw biker element.
CHAPTER FOUR
I Make a New Friend and Lose an Old One
It doesn’t really hit me until I’m safe at home and washing the blood out of my clothes. Not only does it appear that my ex from hell is back in town but he managed to find me. Now I’m not sure he was looking for me, but he still managed to show up and ruin a perfectly good evening. What’s even weirder is that Adam also showed up and just in time to play hero to me and Michael. It’s a good thing for Michael too because he was getting a serious ass kicking. I just hope his face isn’t too swollen and black and blue the next time I see him or guilt is gonna kill me. Not that it was entirely my fault, but somehow it sure feels that way.
It’s nearly four by the time I venture out to find something to eat. I’m just sitting down to a pleasant meal at Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers when Mr. Unpleasant takes the seat opposite me.
The curly fry I’d just popped into my mouth pops back out as my jaw drops into my lap.
“What the hell?” I exclaim.
“And a great big hello to as well love.” Adam replies, eying my fries.
“W-what are y-you doing h-here?” I stammer.
“Are you-” He starts to ask, then just reaches across the table and snatches a curly fr
y from my plate and pops it into his mouth which causes me to look at his lips.
It’s a bad move, ‘cause if I’m going to stay angry at him I’m going to have to refrain from doing some things, and looking and fantasizing about his mouth is one of those things.
He catches me staring and touches his mouth self-consciously with his thumb.
“I’m sorry do I got something on my face?” He asks.
“Yeah, it’s your face so if you could just politely remove it we can all breathe a little easier.”
“Well you’re all full of piss and vinegar today aren’t you?” He replies sarcasticly.
“No this is me reacting normally to your presence; get used to it.”
“Wow…and you’re not even going to thank me for saving you and your leach last night? That’s cold Kari, even for you that’s cold.”
Edge of Ashes (Sons of Ash Motorcycle Club) Page 3
