by Jenika Snow
“What are you two doing?” Lucas smirked wider and lowered his sunglasses just below his eyes. He and Nico looked exactly alike, even down to the way their hair fell over their foreheads. Tarren, Dallas’s daughter, was the same age as they were, but she looked nothing like her biker father. Maybe it was the bear genetics that won out most of the time, and that was why most of The Grizzly kids looked like their fathers? The males took after their fathers’ physical attributes, while the female grizzlies were more built like their human mothers. It was strange and something Alexis used to wonder about.
Ugh, why are you thinking about this right now? Because you want to get your mind off of the obvious, and that is that Lucas keeps smiling even wider, and he knows exactly what the two of you have been doing.
“Dude, shut the hell up,” Nico said with a bite in his voice. Whereas she felt how hot her face was, and knew it was redder than a tomato, Nico was calm, cool, and collected, aside from the clear annoyance reflected in his voice. “What do you have in the cooler? Cokes?” Nico asked and cocked an eyebrow.
“Cokes, man?” Lucas started chuckling. He set the cooler down and popped the lid. Right on top of a pile of ice were some Cokes, Sprites, and other non-alcoholic drinks. He pushed the ice and the cans away, and underneath all of that were cans of cheap beer. “Todd Delany hooked us up, brother.” Lucas grinned and grabbed two beers. He tossed one to Nico and then to her.
“If any one of our dads comes back here you know they will raise hell,” she said but still popped the top and brought it to her mouth. She didn’t even like beer, but right now she needed some help in calming her frayed nerves.
“Alexis, you think any of our dads didn’t do this shit when they were our ages?” Lucas said and opened a beer for himself. “Shit, I bet they partied so hard they couldn’t even see straight.”
“I’m sure they did, but it’s different because it’s us and not them, and that is exactly what they will say to us.”
“I’m ready to go for a swim,” Tarren said and put her beer on the deck. “And done talking about whether our dads will catch us.” She took off her tank and shorts. Now in nothing but a bikini she stretched her arms wide high above her head and grinned over at them.
“Damn, Tarren, when did you get so curvy?” Lucas said. He was staring at her in a totally lewd manner, and brought his can to his mouth to take a long drink.
“I’m not a little kid anymore, Lucas. I mean, look at you and the other guys.”
Lucas glanced down at himself.
They were all pretty muscular from playing high school sports, but it wasn’t just about them all being athletic, but because of their genes, too. “Yeah, but I think you got that way overnight,” Lucas said through a grin.
All of the guys liked girls, and in school they were known for their indiscretions with them. The Grizzly MC had a reputation for being trouble and that people should stay away from them, and that trickled down to the kids of the MC as well. But no one screwed with a Grizzly kid, and not just because they had bikers for dads. They were a force to be reckoned with in themselves, and were not afraid to get into fights to prove their point—and Nico and Lucas were the worst of them all.
Alexis looked over at Tarren, who was watching Lucas speak to Nico. The other girl had a thing for Lucas for sure. That much was clear by the way she stared at him when she thought no one was looking.
“Come on, I’m ready to get in.” Odin took off his shirt and tossed it aside He went to the edge of the deck, right between her and Nico, and dove right in.
The squeal that came from Tarren had Alexis and Nico looking at her and seeing Lucas pick her up right before he tossed her in the lake, too. And then he cannonballed right in the water, which had it spraying all over her and Nico. It was cold despite the heat outside, but everyone started laughing. Nico grabbed his beer and finished it off before he stood and chucked off his shirt. All she could do was stare at the hard, defined, and lean muscles that graced his chest. He certainly was a piece of work.
He turned and glanced down at her. “Well, come on, Alexis.” He grinned. “Let’s get you wet.”
Oh God, did he know how dirty that sounded? Judging by the way he winked and how his grin widened, she knew he had said that on purpose. He held his hand out, and she took it. Once she was standing he still hadn’t let go of her, and in fact pulled her in so close that their breath mingled together once more. The other guys in the water weren’t paying them any attention as they laughed and splashed each other, but she and Nico were out in the open like this, and that had a little thrill moving through her.
“I could kiss you again, Alexis.” He lowered his gaze to her mouth. “I want to really damn badly.”
Her heart started pounding again like a freight train was moving through it. “Someone would really see then, Nico.”
“I don’t care anymore, Alexis.” He tightened his hold on her hand. “I have tried to act like we are just friends.” He shrugged. “But I haven’t been trying that hard, because honestly I don’t care if I get slack for wanting a girl that is off-limits.” They were both breathing fast and hard now, and he leaned in another inch. “I know you’re not blind to the fact that I stare at you.”
She shook her head.
“But your dad watches you like a damn hawk, and the way he looks at me…” Nico grinned, but it was one of those sexy ones that only had the corner of his mouth lifting.
“He watches you?” She looked at his mouth. She had been too focused on Nico to realize that her dad stared at him, probably giving him the “Back the fuck off” look.
“Yeah, that look.”
She had said that last part out loud, and that had them both laughing. They had been through a lot together, and if not for him, she would have felt so lost even when family always surrounded her. Maybe it was because she tried to push away her feelings for Nico that she felt like this little part was missing from her. Did she believe in soul mates, even at her young age? Yes, she did, and the longer she stared into Nico’s eyes, that more that cemented the fact that sometimes people were just born to be together.
“Get a damn room,” Lucas yelled and splashed water on them.
Alexis turned and looked at him. The sun caused a swatch of golden color to slash across the water, and made it look like there were a million little diamonds on it.
“Just ignore him. There only needs to be you and me, Alexis,” Nico said.
She looked back at him, and just staring at him had Alexis’s heart racing. There wasn’t a girl in Steel Corner, and maybe even as far as River Run that didn’t want Nico Landon, but here he was, saying he wanted her. “It’s hard to ignore them when I can feel them staring at us.” She laughed this almost nervous one, and then she felt her cheeks heat again from being embarrassed over the sound. Being around Nico seemed to cause the wires in her brain to malfunction all at once.
He tipped his chin toward the lake, and they both turned toward it. The sun was so bright, and she lifted her hand to shield her eyes. She could see Tarren on Lucas’s shoulders, and Odin was trying to pull her off.
“One day we won’t have to worry about anyone’s rules, Alexis. We will be free to live our lives the way we want.”
She turned and looked at him, but he kept his focus on the water. He tightened his hold on her hand and pulled her closer to his side.
“You ready, Alexis?” He turned and grinned down at her.
She knew he wasn’t just speaking about jumping in, but about all the shit they would probably go through if they did give this forbidden relationship a chance. She squeezed his hand and took a deep breath. “You’re by my side, so I am ready for anything.” She smiled, and before she knew what he was doing he leaned down and kissed her hard and passionately. There was a round of catcalls from Odin and Lucas, and she broke the kiss and felt her cheeks become hot as fire.
“Come on, babe.” And then he pulled her off the deck, and they crashed into the water together, still holding han
ds.
****
Brick stared off as his baby girl and Jagger’s son splashed together in the water. He had come back here to make sure they were okay because he had seen Lucas carting off a cooler. Brick wasn’t born yesterday, and knew enough about the teenage years from his own reckless ones that the cooler had not been filled with only pop. But he had seen them only drink one each, and he didn’t have a stick up his ass to go and stop them from experimenting with a little harmless beer. But he did watch them to make sure they were safe. And then he saw Nico kissing his little girl—and even at sixteen she was still his little girl—and it took everything inside of him not to go smack Nico around for touching her. It didn’t matter that this was Jagger’s kid, because any boy that touched Brick’s daughter would have to deal with him. Hell, he wasn’t even against the idea of cleaning his guns in front of a guy she brought home. He wanted anyone that wanted to date Alexis to be afraid, because if she were hurt because of some little asshole he’d turn into the bad motherfucker that everyone knew him to be. He’d tear shit up without thinking about the consequences.
“You stare at them any longer and you might have an aneurism,” Jagger said in his deep, take-no-shit voice from behind him. Jagger stopped beside him and tipped his beer back to his mouth for a long swallow.
“Your kid kissed my girl.” Brick growled low in his throat.
Jagger looked over at the kids in the lake. “Which kid?”
Brick glared at his President. “You know which fucking kid I’m talking about.”
Jagger started chuckling, which had Brick glaring harder and curling his fingers harder into his palms. “You and I both knew that this was bound to happen. I mean they have been giving each other the googly eyes since they could walk.”
“Googly eyes? Did the president of The Grizzly MC actually just say googly-fucking-eyes?” Brick would have laughed if he weren’t so damn worried about Alexis getting involved with Nico.
“Brick, you need to chill. Alexis is a smart girl, and wouldn’t take shit from anyone, least of all one of my sons.”
Brick grunted and looked at his daughter again. She was laughing as she splashed water at Tarren. “Jagger, your kids are just like you when you were that age, and have one thing on their minds, just like every fucking asshole boy out there.”
Jagger stayed silent for a moment. “I can’t argue you on that. Shit, we were like that, man.”
Brick didn’t even respond to that. That still didn’t ease the parental side of him that wanted to protect and shelter Alexis.
“It’ll work out for the best, because whereas I don’t think Nico would ever break Alexis’s heart, if things did end up being sour between them she’d be the first to kick his ass.” Jagger grinned at Brick. “Besides, there is a slew of big brothers and bikers that are like her uncles to her and will put anyone that hurts Alexis in his place.” Jagger clapped him on the back. “But I trust my boys, and I trust your girl. I know that those two are meant to be together.”
Brick looked at Jagger, knowing that what he said was true, but not knowing if he could ever fully be on board with Alexis being with a bad boy—and Jagger’s sons were definitely that.
Chapter Two
Alexis and Nico, eighteen years old
High school had been like stagnant water. The smell of it was toxic, and the people moving up and down the hallways like larva that had been freshly laid on the top. But thank fuck that was over with as of five hours ago. They had walked across that stage, gotten their diplomas, and then flipped off the building that they had gone to for the last four years. It hadn’t just been he and Lucas who had graduated, but also Alexis, Tarren, and Bodhi. The graduation party being held was at The Grizzly clubhouse, and although some thought it a bit too “adult” for this purpose, it had the most space, a kitchen, pool table, and a big ass back yard that held the tent and food. Besides, the clubhouse had been used for many family gatherings and parties.
He brought his bottle of water to his mouth and took a long drink as he watched Alexis over the rim. Ever since that kiss they’d shared back at the lake two years ago they had been seeing each other. In fact, they were inseparable. But aside from some heavy groping and making out they hadn’t done anything else. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to, because fuck him he did. In fact he was sporting a semi-hard on just from looking at her in that short jean skirt and tank top that showed off her curvy body. She wasn’t thin like most of the girls they had gone to high school with, but had curves that went on for miles. She had a body on her that made him imagine gripping onto her thighs, or her wide hips, and sliding into her deep and hard. To say Alexis had an hourglass figure would have been an understatement.
“Keep looking like that, boy, and I’ll make it so you can never see again.” Brick’s voice was deep, low, and filled with fatherly warning. He pulled a chair beside Nico and sat down, but he kept his focus on Alexis. “You guys have been going out for a while now,” he stated flatly.
“Yeah. Two years, sir.” Maybe if he played the polite boyfriend card right now Brick wouldn’t bust his balls like he had been the entire time Nico had been dating his daughter.
“It’s sir now?” Brick looked over at him and cocked an eyebrow. “Come on, Nico, you know I’m not a fucking sir.” Brick glared at him for a moment and then grinned. But it wasn’t one of those “I’m just messing with you” smiles, but a “watch your fucking step, kid” one.
“I don’t want to be disrespectful, but it’s kind of hard not to look at her.” At the low growl Brick gave him Nico lifted a hand in surrender. “She’s a beautiful woman, Brick.” They might both be bear shifters, but Brick was a full-grown male, a biker in one of the meanest and toughest MCs around, and he was the Sergeant at Arms. He was bred to be a bad motherfucker that could tear a man in two. No way was Nico fucking with him over his daughter.
Brick turned and looked at Alexis once more, and Nico did the same. She was standing over by Mason, Court’s son who had graduated a year before them, and Cain, Jagger’s younger son, who was now a junior in high school. Dakota, Molly’s son with Malice from the Brothers of Menace, walked up to them and immediately started talking to her. He had graduated three years before them, and whatever he said had Alexis laughing. But it was the way the human was looking at Alexis that had Nico’s bear rising. Maybe it was nothing, but either way Nico was a territorial asshole, and Alexis was his. He didn’t care if Dakota was three years older than he was, or built like a fucking tank like his old man. Nico did not like the way he reached out and brushed a strand of hair off of Alexis’s shoulder, innocently or not.
“Easy, boy,” Brick said and placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him as he was about to get up and kick Dakota’s ass.
“He’s putting his hands on my girlfriend.” The words came from Nico on a low, very animalistic growl.
“You go over there now and bust open Dakota’s head you’ll look like a jealous fool, and start shit on my baby’s graduation day.” Brick patted him on the back and went to stand. “Besides, Dakota is a member of this family, and not just some fucker making a move on what’s yours.” He looked down at Nico and finished off his beer. “I think you may be thinking things are there when they really aren’t.”
“You bust my balls that I’m looking at Alexis, but Dakota can put his hands on her?”
Brick stared at Nico. “And that’s what it is …breaking your balls. I trust you with my daughter, or you wouldn’t be fucking dating her. Besides, Dakota just brushed her hair away. Now, if he would have gone any further I would have personally gone over there and cracked his skull.”
“Why don’t you give Dakota a hard time then? You sure as hell give me one.” Why are
Brick shook his head and leaned in close. “I love you like you were my own son, Nico, but I know how you were before you got with my daughter, hell, how a lot of guys are at that age.”
Yeah, Nico had slept around before he made it official with Alexis, and tha
t wasn’t to say he wasn’t ashamed of the girls he had been with before he got with his girl. But that was two years ago, and even though he had loved Alexis for longer than he could even remember, that didn’t mean he thought it was best to pursue her, or that he had a chance. She was off-limits to the guys in the club, to the guys associated with the club, to the kids of the club—fuck, to the male population in general.
“She loves you with all of her heart, and you love her with a fierceness that even my bear recognizes.” Brick stared at Nico. “And that scares the shit out of me, Nico.”
“You, scared?” It was almost laughable, but the look Brick gave him told Nico to shut the fuck up.
“I just don’t want to see my little girl hurt. That’s all, and I know you’re the only person that could really do that.”
Damn, he had never seen this side of Brick before. “I’d never hurt her. I’d rather rip my own fucking heart out.”
Brick grunted and nodded. “Good.” He clapped him on the shoulder and turned to head back to the MC members. Dallas, Stinger, Court, Diesel, and even Nico’s dad were all in a semicircle sharing old “war” stories. Nico looked back at Alexis, saw that she was watching him with an almost worried expression on her face. He knew she had seen him talking to her dad. He shook his head and stood, about to show her how much he loved her in the most basic of ways.
****
The music was loud, the voices all around her boisterous, and the beer she was drinking made its way through her body. It had to be one in the morning, and all the parents had gone into the clubhouse to let them party. Maybe they knew they were drinking, but if they did they hadn’t come out and busted them. Then again it wasn’t like Alexis or the other kids that had stayed behind for the party were doing it out in the open, or going anywhere. Most of them were inside the massive garage right now. There were a few Harleys that were on blocks and partially torn apart, and a couple more that were in the process of being restored to their original condition. The members of The Grizzly MC didn’t just kick people’s asses if they crossed their paths, but they also did “normal” things like rebuild cars, trucks, and bikes, spend time with their families, and even something as mundane as having a picnic at the lake. While others looked at them as thugs, criminals, and violent bear shifters, Alexis and everyone who really knew them knew that they were good men that took care of their families.
