by Ali Parker
“We can be a bit rowdy, and sometimes, it gets pretty intense around here, but it’s all worth it. And that’s kind of what you get for working in a macho man’s world.”
“I had wondered about that,” Jamie said. “Lots of testosterone all in one place. It was such a relief to see you on my first day. I was so worried I would be the only girl around.”
“I was the only girl around for a while,” I said. “It had its perks. They all treated me like a princess until they realized I was more like them. Then they started treating me like one of the boys. Minus the roughhousing. Thank God.”
“Roughhousing?” Jamie asked, tilting her head to the side again.
I nodded. “Yep. Sometimes you’ll be lucky enough to have a show on your lunch break. Like you said, testosterone. One thing leads to another and all of a sudden, there’s a brawl. Just stand back and watch. They’ll get it out of their systems.”
Jamie swallowed and laughed nervously. “What have I gotten myself into?”
I wanted to tell her she had lucked out. Somehow, she had fallen into the best job she could ever get, in my opinion. In time, she would learn how fortunate she was. Once she got past Johnny’s abrasiveness and Axel’s sour attitude, she would see the shop for what it was.
Our home.
Chapter 15
Axel
The incident of the black car driving by the shop had me rattled. I needed to tell someone about what had happened. This wasn’t the kind of thing an MC member shoulder carry around by himself. This was knowledge that needed to be shared because, first and foremost, it had been a threat.
A very bold, public threat.
I knew it wasn’t a coincidence the mock drive-by had happened after Watson’s name started coming up in conversation. If he was the new leader of the Black Hearts, like Jax had said, then I had bigger things to worry about than setting up the new shop.
I was sitting at the same table I always sat at in our usual joint. I had my back to the corner, and when Derek showed up, he headed straight for me. He didn’t stop at the bar to order a drink.
I had called him after the driver passed by the shop and told him I needed to see him immediately. Whatever he was doing had been dropped, and he met me at the bar half an hour later. I had also called Jax and Johnny. I knew Johnny would be late, but that didn’t matter. I wanted to speak privately with him anyway.
Derek pulled out the chair across from me and fell heavily into it.
“I’m surprised you made it on time,” I said.
“Fuck off. I’m never late.”
“You’re always late. Get lost on your way over again?”
“No.”
A waitress came by, the same brunette Jax had been flirting with the other afternoon. We ordered beers, and she returned with them shortly. “Enjoy boys,” she said before continuing her rounds of the other tables.
Derek watched her leave and then turned his attention back to me. “All right. What’s the deal? It’s not like you to want to meet up in the middle of the day like this.”
“I need to talk to you about some shit that’s going down. I have a bad feeling.”
Derek disguised his reaction smoothly. He leaned back in his chair, took a mouthful of beer, and then gestured for me to proceed.
“This morning, a car drove by the new shop. Tinted out windows. Never seen it around before. No plates.”
“Black Hearts,” a new voice said.
Derek and I both looked up to see Jax standing behind one of the other chairs. “May I?” he asked, nodding toward the open chair in front of him. Derek and I both nodded, and Jax took a seat. “The car you saw this morning. I saw it, too, outside the old shop a few days ago. Flashy thing, right?”
I nodded. “Custom chrome grill. Blacked out windows.”
“That’s the one.”
“Well, the bastard did more than just drive by this morning. He rolled the window down and had the nerve to look me in the fucking eyes as he pretended to pop one off.” I copied the gun gesture the man in the car had made with his hand. “Two fake shots, right at me.”
“If that’s not a warning, I don’t know what is,” Jax muttered. “Where the fuck is that tight little brunette? I need a damn beer.”
“Tight?” Derek asked, wrapping his lips around the neck of his beer as if to point out that he had what Jax wanted. “You fuck her already? She’s only been here a couple weeks.”
“Damn straight, I already got in there. She’s a biter.” Jax winked. “I didn’t expect that. Thought she would just be a sweet, innocent little thing. Not the case. She sucks cock like a—”
“Can I get you a drink?” The brunette waitress had appeared over Jax’s shoulder. She looked pleased with herself and not upset Jax had been discussing their fuck session so shamelessly.
Jax ordered a beer. She patted his shoulder and then slipped away. Jax leaned in close. “She sucks cock like a goddess.”
“Just had to get the last word in, hey?” Derek asked.
Jax shrugged.
“Can we get back to the issue?” I asked, looking from one of them to the other. “We have more important things to talk about than Jax getting his dick wet.”
“We do?” Jax laughed.
Derek rolled his eyes.
I sighed and rested my elbows on the table. “There’s more I want you to know. Those Black Hearts who were beaten up at their clubhouse last week? That was me and Johnny. We went in with baseball bats after the shop burned down. We were pissed. We gave them what they deserved and nothing more. We lied because Johnny didn’t want the MC to act rashly. There’s more going on than we think, and Johnny wants to play it smart.”
Derek and Jax exchanged a look.
“You’re sure Johnny would be okay with you telling us this?” Derek asked.
“He won’t give a fuck. He might run his mouth about it a bit, but it’ll pass. I’m making the right call.” I was making the only call there was to make. “I’m telling you because this changes things. I want you guys to keep your heads up. Jax, have you heard anything else about Watson?”
Jax shook his head. “No. Not a peep.”
“Right.”
“Listen, Axel. You should tell the others. If this is as big of a deal as you’re making it seem, the boys need to be united on this. The MC has to stick together.”
Derek nodded along to what Jax was saying.
“I’ll tell them. As soon as I tell Johnny, we’ll tell the others. All right?”
Both men nodded.
Then Jax’s beer arrived. He wrapped his fingers around the bottle but didn’t take a sip. “Things are starting to feel like old times.” He lifted the bottle to his lips. “I always think I want a fight until I have one. Then, I just want things to go back to normal.”
Derek and I didn’t say anything. All I could think about was Ellie and how different I felt about the danger looming over us. If she wasn’t in the picture, and if I wasn’t starting to have real feelings about her, I might be looking forward to a bit of action.
It had been a while since I broke a knuckle on some poor bastard’s jaw. It had been even longer since I tasted my own blood on my lips.
I called Johnny on my way back to the shop and told him to meet me there. He agreed, and I pulled up in front of the new shop. The doors were open, and Ellie was chatting with Jamie. I stayed in my car for a moment, enjoying watching her in a brief moment of solitude.
Then, I got out of the car and marched forward.
When Ellie heard me coming, she spun around and gave me a cheerful smile. It chased away some of the storm clouds in my mind.
“Hey,” she said, hopping up from her seat and rushing toward me. She stopped with her hands resting on my chest. “I think I’m going to take off early with Jamie? Is that okay? We really hit it off, and it’s been a long time since I got along with another girl.” Her eyes were bright, and her smile was big. She wanted this.
“Yeah, sure thing.” It might be bes
t to have her out of the way when Johnny showed up. Then, she wouldn’t ask questions she shouldn’t be asking.
“Great. Also, I’d love to have dinner with you tomorrow. Are you free?”
I knew that now was not the time to make dating commitments. I had a lot on my plate. Things with the MC were about to get serious as we considered what our move should be to handle the conflict with the Black Hearts. But I couldn’t say no to her. The prospect of a date with her was like a bright light at the end of a very long, narrow, dark tunnel.
“Dinner sounds good to me. I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Yes!” she said happily. Then she spun around and waved Jamie over. “He said we can go. Come on!”
Jamie leaped up from the Ford stool she was sitting on. She rushed by me, and the two women hurried off the property. I could hear them giggling as they made their way down the street. I remembered that Ellie’s car was at my house and wondered how they were going to get there.
She was a grown woman. She could handle it. Worst case scenario was she’d call a cab.
I still sent her a text to offer her a ride, just in case.
She replied that they were fine and told me she was excited to see me tomorrow.
Just then Johnny pulled up on his motorcycle. He cut the engine and stepped off the bike as he undid his helmet. He hung it on the right handlebar and raked his fingers through his thick, dark hair.
“All right, Axel. What’s got your panties in a bunch?”
I invited Johnny into the shop, and we went into the office. We each sat down, and Johnny sized me up. “What the fuck is the matter with you?”
“Some guys drove by the shop this morning,” I said, and then I gave him the same details I had given Jax and Derek. I told him about the gun gesture. “It wasn’t a joke, man. They mean business. Serious business.”
“Fucking Black Hearts pieces of shit,” Johnny growled.
“I’ve already told Jax and Derek. They think the whole MC should be brought in on it, Johnny, and I agree. We can’t keep people in the dark on this one. It’s bigger than other things we’ve had to deal with. We need everyone to keep their eyes peeled. I wouldn’t be surprised if another attack hit us sometime soon.”
“I’ll call a meeting and tell the others.”
“Tell them about what we did too.”
Johnny arched an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Secrets don’t do anyone any favors at a time like this. Don’t leave any opportunities open for the Black Hearts to get the upper hand. Tell the boys everything. It’s better in the long run.”
Johnny leaned back in his seat and kicked his heels up on the office table. “Something tells me you’re not giving me all the details, Axel. Come on. What’s getting under your skin?”
I scratched the back of my neck. I had to tell him. At least, I had to tell him something. “Rumor has it the Black Hearts have a new leader.”
“I’ve heard the same thing,” Johnny said. “I think I should arrange a meeting with him. See what he’s all about.”
“No,” I said a little too quickly. I tried to recover by talking more slowly. I didn’t want Johnny to think anything of it. “No, let me do it. I know the new guy. They call him Watson.”
“You know him? How?”
I gave Johnny the same answer I gave everyone. “We ran in the same circles for a while. Our paths split, and I never looked back. He wasn’t the kind of guy I wanted to be associated with anymore. I think it would be best if I was the one to talk to him. Maybe I can make him see reason where the MC is concerned, and he’ll back off.” My words sounded unconvincing to my own ears.
“Whatever you think is best, Axel.” Johnny held his hands up and then let them fall to his thighs. “I have your back, brother. You know that. If you need anything, just say the word.”
“You worry about telling the MC what’s going on. I’ll worry about Watson.”
“Deal,” Johnny said.
And so, it was beginning.
Chapter 16
Ellie
I had spotted the dress in the shop window from across the street but held my tongue as we ducked into a nail salon. Jamie had booked us each a manicure and pedicure appointment, claiming that if we were going to do this, we were really going to commit. She wanted to show me what it felt like to bask in the lap of luxury for just one day, and I was more than open to it.
I had never had my nails done by a stranger before.
It was a little awkward and more than a little uncomfortable, but we left the shop an hour and a half later smiling. My toes and fingernails were ruby red, and the way the sunlight caught them had me admiring my own hands.
“I can’t believe how much of a difference nail polish makes,” I said. My hands looked like the hands of a woman for the first time in my life. My nail tech had scrubbed out the grime and grease from my nail beds and exfoliated my calluses.
“My palms are smoother than a baby’s ass.” I laughed.
Jamie giggled and admired her own glittery pink polish. “Right? Nothing better than a mini spa day.”
My eyes roamed back over to the shop window across the street. It was a cozy, little boutique, and it certainly was not the kind of place I would ever set foot in of my own volition. I could see small chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and twinkle lights were wrapped around the window display. It made the dress look even more magical.
It was a deep navy blue with long, formfitting sleeves. The collar was wide, reaching the end of each shoulder, and the neckline plunged downward in a dramatic V-cut. At the waist, the dress flared outward and ended at the knee. Little bits of black crinoline peeked out, giving the dress an almost gothic, elegant sort of feel.
I took Jamie’s elbow and pointed across the street at the window. “What do you think of that little dress in the shop window?”
Jamie’s eyes widened, and she looked up at me. “I think you’d look like a total hottie in it.”
“You’re sure? I don’t want Axel to think I’m, I don’t know, trying too hard?”
Jamie rolled her eyes and rushed toward the sidewalk. “Oh, please,” she said over her shoulder. “You think a man ever has a thought like that? If you showed up in that, he wouldn’t even remember where his own cock was, let alone have the presence of mind to think you were trying too hard.”
Her bluntness surprised me. “He’d better be able to find his cock. What other reason would I have to get all dressed up?”
We hopped up onto the sidewalk and made it to the shop front. Jamie took the door and pulled it open for me. “I’m sure you have other reasons besides sex. You’ve known each other for a while, right?”
I blushed.
Jamie didn’t comment on my bright shade of red when she stepped into the store behind me. Her eyes swept the place until she found a sales associate. Then, she asked to have the dress from the window found in my size and brought to a fitting room.
At the back wall of the store was a massive shelving unit of shoes. They were all high heels.
“When was the last time you wore heels?” Jamie asked as she plucked a black pair with a hot pink sole from the shelf. Definitely not my cup of tea.
“Probably senior prom.”
Jamie spun around to face me with her mouth hanging open. “Are you serious?”
I nodded and tucked my hands into the front pocket of my jeans. “I don’t dress up, Jamie. That’s why I asked for your help. I literally have no clue what I’m doing.”
Jamie put the black heel back on the shelf and then scanned it with her forefinger resting on her chin. She reached for a red pair. They weren’t as high as the black ones she had just been inspecting, and the heel was a little bit wider. She held it up in front of my eyes. “What do you think of something like this? The heel height is a bit more practical. We shouldn’t put you in a six-inch pair if you don’t wear heels. That’s a recipe for disaster.”
I took the red shoe from her. “It’s pretty.”
&nbs
p; Jamie asked the sales associate to grab the shoes in my size and bring them to the fitting room. “Okay,” she said, taking my elbow and guiding me through racks of glittery dresses and sleek jackets. She pushed me into the fitting room where the dress was. “Let me know if you need help zipping it up. I’ll be right outside your room.”
“Okay,” I said, feeling nervous for some bizarre reason. I was trying on a dress, for crying out loud. There were no stakes involved with this. It was shopping. It was supposed to be fun.
I stripped out of my jeans and gray sweater and took the dress off the hanger. The fabric was incredibly soft, but the dress weighed more than I had expected. I unzipped the silver zipper down the back and stepped into it. I fed my arms through the sleeves, which were so tight, it looked like my arms had been painted with navy ink, and then reached for the zipper resting at my lower back. I was able to get it halfway done up before calling Jamie into the room to finish the job.
After pulling the curtain open, both of Jamie’s eyebrows lifted with enthusiasm. “Holy shit, Ellie. You’re such a babe.”
I still hadn’t seen myself. The damn fitting rooms had no mirrors. What sort of establishment sold clothes without a mirror in their fitting rooms?
Jamie opened the curtain once she had zipped up the dress. She stopped me before I could follow her out and bent down to fetch the red pair of heels that had been placed outside the fitting room. She put them down in front of my feet, and I stepped into them.
“Wow,” Jamie said. “This is stunning. I think you’re going to like it.” She motioned for me to come out so I could see my reflection.
The girl looking back at me looked like a stranger. She had a small waist and long, graceful legs. The neckline cut gave the illusion that my breasts were a bit bigger than they actually were, and the heels made my calves look sharp with muscle.
“Holy shit,” I said.
Jamie giggled. “Yeah. Holy shit is right. Axel is going to lose his fucking mind.”
My stomach fluttered with butterflies. He was going to lose his mind.
