Roxy could not understand why someone with such good-looking, chiseled features would choose a life of crime when he could obviously be making major bucks with a modeling agency.
Companies would fall over themselves to offer this guy a contract. No need to rob lowly meat shops and kidnap waitresses.
The ugly-faced named Anthony scowled at Roxy. "Dude, she witnessed us commit a crime. What's there to think about?"
"Yeah, we can't simply just let her go back and flab her fat lips to the cops or whoever will listen," chimed in one of the thugs as he dug into his coat pocket and produced a cigarette.
Jackson looked up from the ground and gazed at Roxy. Even though this man was responsible for her capture, Roxy felt a surge of desire burn through her chest.
He just kidnapped me dummy, she scolded herself. And only God knows what they did to Sergio back at the meat shop. What's wrong with you?
Though Jackson wore a leather jacket, she could only imagine the hard muscles that lay underneath. Having worked so hard to open up her business, her love life had suffered and she was surprised to see emotions long-buried, coming back to life.
Hormones. That's what. I need to give myself some slack. I really do need a man.
Considering that, she should be forgiven for lusting after her sexy kidnapper.
Jackson continued to stare at her, his eyes roving along the curves of her body. Roxy had no idea whether he was looking at her because she disgusted him or if he was just thinking hard about what to do with her.
I can't look that bad, can I? she wondered, glancing down at her sexy waitress outfit. Sitting on the back of the Harley, her legs were on display. Several holes caused by the rough ride over riddled her fishnets, displaying parts of her flesh along her large thighs and lower legs. Jackson eyes seemed to glue to the spots where her skin was laid bare.
Why the hell is he looking at me like that?
She squirmed in her seat. His intense gaze was doing funny things to her internal thermostat. He needed to stop soon. Her thighs were becoming extremely warm and sweat was starting to bead her forehead.
"Yo Jackson, hurry up," Anthony chided. "We only got a short time before the town is crawling with cops."
Roxy let out a sigh of relief when Jackson tore his gaze away her body. He walked over and stopped in front of the Harley that held Roxy and her driver. "Move, so I can help her off the bike," he commanded.
"Come on Jackson—" the thug began to complain.
His eyes blazing, Jackson roared, "Move!"
Grumbling, the thug jumped off the bike and Roxy fell forward. For a moment, it looked like she would hit her face on the bars, but Jackson quickly caught her in his arms.
I was right, Roxy thought as she was enveloped by muscle.
Jackson's arms felt strong...and surprisingly comforting. And his scent. He smelled...feral. It was the best way Roxy could describe it. Much to her frustration, it excited her and turned her on all at once.
Grunting softly, Jackson helped her off the bike until she was standing on her own. When he stepped away, Roxy felt a slight pang.
This guy and his gang of heathens kidnapped me and I'm over here having hot flashes instead of wanting to claw his face off.
But how could she help herself? His chiseled jaw, bad-boy look and impressive physique sent thrills of excitement all through her body.
Jackson reached forward and gently removed the tape that bound her mouth and Roxy sucked in a mouthful of air.
Jackson's gaze was penetrating. "If I let you go, will you run and tell the police about what you saw?"
"Dude, are you kidding?" Anthony snorted before Roxy could open her mouth. "Of course she is going to go run and tell the police! Are you fucking dumb?"
Jackson snapped his dangerous gaze around. "Shut the fuck up and let her speak."
"But—"
If Jackson's eyes were blazing before, they were burning embers now. "Do you want to challenge me?"
The rest of the pack shifted on their bikes, their faces coming alit with a strange excitement. To Roxy, it seemed as if Jackson's words held some sort of special meaning. What that meaning was, she had no idea.
Maybe he's the leader of this gang and they fight each other for the top position all the time, Roxy wondered.
"I'll be happy to settle this once and for all. Alpha to wanna-be Alpha."
Jackson held Anthony's gaze and the tenseness in the air stretched on for what seemed like an eternity to Roxy until Anthony dropped his gaze to the ground and muttered, "Fine, have it your way."
"I will."
A look of extreme satisfaction came over Jackson's face and he turned his attention back to Roxy.
"I won't tell the police," Roxy said immediately.
Jackson opened his mouth to reply, but Anthony hawked and spit on the ground and grumbled, "Bullshit."
Before Jackson could unleash his rage on his fellow gang mate for daring to interrupt once again, anger rose from the pits of Roxy's stomach and she found herself boldly stepping toward the ugly thug. "Look, you pasty-faced asshole! My place of business got trashed earlier this week by some stupid biker, possibly by one of you jerks here, and I have a bunch of unpaid bills piling up on my shoulders that has forced me to take a job working with insufferable skinny bitches! The last thing I need right now is a bunch of biker thugs coming after me!" She turned back to Jackson and gave him a pleading look. "I promise you, if you let me go, I won't say a word."
Suddenly, Anthony threw back his head and laughed. "So this is the chick whose shop you wrecked Jackson?"
Roxy shot an incredulous glare at Jackson. "You're the one who crashed his bike into my cafe?" Roxy was grateful for the anger that overtook her body, muting her irritating desire for her kidnapper.
Surprisingly, Jackson looked guilty and embarrassed all at once. "I didn't mean to do it."
"Didn't mean to do it?" Roxy half-yelled. "Didn't mean to do it? How about learn to watch where you're going? Or better yet, not up and leave the scene of accident like a friggen coward." A second later something occurred to Roxy. "How did you get up and leave like that anyway? You were bleeding pretty bad and looked like you were on Satan's doorstep."
Jackson shrugged. "I wasn't that hurt. Just a couple of bruises."
"Just a couple of bruises? Me and my friend risked our lives to save your worthless ass!"
You mean sexy ass.
When Jackson did not offer a reply, Roxy asked as calmly as she could, "Do you have any idea how much work I put into opening my business?"
No, cause he probably has never had to work for anything in his entire life.
In the distance, police sirens could be heard—a sign that the authorities were on to the robbery. It filled Roxy with hope.
Cassie's probably put two and two together when I did not come back and called the cops.
If she could stall a little longer, maybe she could be rescued.
"Or how much money it's going to cost me to get out of the mess you created?"
Jackson looked away from her accusatory stare. "Look, I'm sorry I wrecked your joint, but I also lost my prized bike. It meant a lot to me."
The breath nearly left Roxy lungs. His prized bike? He destroyed her life's work and he had the nerve to mention his stupid motorcycle?
Before Roxy could vent more of pent-up emotion, ugly faced chimed in again. "Look, who cares about this tub's place of business. Do you hear that? Those pigs are out there looking for us and we don't have much time. Let's just waste the bitch and go."
"Yeah, Jackson," one of the other thugs growled, fondling the handlebars of his Harley. "Let's get out of here."
To Roxy's horror, the rest of the rugged men began demanding that Jackson let them have their way with her before they dumped her in the junkyard. Jackson stood there staring at Roxy with a strange look on his face before finally giving a slight nod to his followers.
Roxy's heart began to pound as the men got off their bikes and began slowly
circling her. She looked around frantically for a point of escape, but she was surrounded.
Besides, with my hands tied behind my back, and these big thunder thighs, there is no way I'd make it half a block.
The men holding her looked like born athletes, not a one of them had an ounce of fat on their body. They would chase her down like a wolf chasing a rabbit. There was no escape.
Roxy casted a pleading look at Jackson who was watching the men surround her."Please don't let them do this."
Jackson did not respond as the men closed in around her, their faces a lit with grim anticipation, their eyes taking on a strange amber color and sending shivers down Roxy's spine.
What the hell? What's up with their eyes?
Roxy had no time to dwell on the strange phenomenon. She was going to be dead soon. She assumed they were going to shoot her and then dumb her body in the junkyard, but none of the men had weapons.
"Somebody help!" Roxy yelled, struggling against her binds as they closed in.
"Ain't no one around to hear you fatty," Anthony growled, baring his teeth that looked suspiciously fang-like. He held his hands out before him as he advanced, his fingers bent slightly as if he was ready to claw her with his long fingernails.
Despite her predicament, Roxy felt a surge of anger. "Go fuck yourself limp dick!" If they were going to kill her anyway, Roxy might as well get in words.
Anthony's ugly face twisted into a mask of rage as he looked up at the moon, crouched and howled....then leapt at Roxy.
Oh no.
Her heart pounding like a jack hammer in her chest, Roxy quickly dove to the side, slamming her large body against one of her captors. She heard a satisfying grunt of surprise as she tumbled to the ground and then a shuffle of feet and angry snarls behind her.
Clawing the ground to get away, Roxy felt more holes run up along her fishnets as the rough ground scratched her bare skin. She had bareley crawled a foot when she felt clawed hands grab her ankle and pull.
Another howl, this one deeper, tore through the air, followed by a strangled cry of pain. Instantly, Roxy felt the hands leave her ankle.
"Jackson, what the hell, man?"
Jackson was suddenly at Roxy's side, helping her stand. He stood protectively between Roxy and her assailants."Get out of here," he growled at them. Like the others, his eyes had taken on a strange amber color.
Anthony, who had had a bloody claw mark on his face, growled, "You can't be serious. You attack one of your pack in defense of a human?"
"You heard me!" Jackson roared with fury. "Get out of here!" He looked around at the rest of the men. "All of you!"
The gang members glanced uncertainly at each other until Anthony snarled, "Come on guys. Let's leave this turncoat with this whale before the pigs arrive."
Slowly, they all made their way to their bikes and fired up their engines, but Anthony lingered to cast a sneer Roxy's way. Roxy did not know if it was the dim moonlight or if her mind was playing tricks on her, but it appeared that the claw mark was slowly disappearing from Anthony's face. "Wait until Hunter hears this shit. Even you being his brother won't stop you from being kicked out and marked."
Jackson's face was like stone. "Go ahead and tell him. That still doesn't change the fact that you're my lesser."
Anthony's face twisted with rage. "You're dead Jackson. Just wait and see."
"Sure."
Growling in anger, Anthony went over and got on his bike, fired up his engine and pulled off. The rest of the men followed and they were soon out of sight, leaving Roxy alone with Jackson.
Immediately, Roxy turned on Jackson, her mind filled with questions. "What the hell just happened? Why did your eyes turn orange? And who the hell is Hunter?"
The sounds of sirens were getting much closer.
Jackson shook his head. "None of that matters right now. We need to get out of here." There was urgency in his voice.
Get out of here? After you just robbed a meat shop and kidnapped me? You gotta be crazy.
Jackson stared at her. His eyes had returned to their normal color. "Do you know a place where we can hang out so I can explain everything?"
The sirens were closer now, just a block away.
It was obvious now that Jackson was not going to hurt her. All Roxy had to do was stall for a few more minutes. But there was something about the way Jackson looked at her. That intenseness. That hunger. She had to figure it...and him out.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
"Yeah," Roxy said finally. "I kinda do."
Chapter 7
"So why did you crash your bike into my cafe?" Roxy asked for the third time that night.
Jackson leaned back in the kitchen chair and glanced at his plate that contained a lick-cleaned steak bone, all that was left of his meal that Roxy had made for him.
Roxy had watched him devour the meat like it was the last morsel of food on the planet. It was no small wonder that Jackson and his gang had robbed the meat shop. They must have been loved meat like Roxy loved bon bons. Whatever the case, Roxy had been turned on by the way Jackson ate—his powerful jaws chewing and gnawing.
Jackson stared at her. To Roxy it seemed like his eyes kept straying to her breasts, but she could not be too sure. It also did not help that she hadn't had time to change and was still dressed in her sexy waitress outfit. "I wasn't watching where I was going. I told you that."
Roxy still could not get over his gaze. It was so penetrating, making her feel like he was trying to look inside of her and see her most deepest thoughts.
What the hell am I doing with this criminal in my house? For God's sake Roxy! He crashed my cafe and kidnapped me!
It had been a constant war since leaving the junkyard. Roxy half-wanted to run to the next door neighbor and tell them about what happened and the other half wanted to hear him out.
Am I keeping here because I want to hear what he has to say? Or am I just a sucker for a handsome face?
It was probably the latter.
I should be steaming mad. I should be gouging his eyes out and demanding him to apologize for what he did.
But no, all she felt was a strange desire for this person who she should hate.
Roxy tore her eyes away from his handsome face and glanced down her plate of half-eaten food, mashed potatoes and mac & cheese. There had been only one piece of meat in her freezer and Jackson had been adamant about getting it. "Well, you picked a fine time to do that."
A slight look of disappointment came over Jackson's face. "You're telling me."
Roxy's inner conscious would not shut up.
I should do it right now. Call the police on his ass. He is a criminal.
Roxy had been a law abiding citizen all her life. Why did she even care about anything he had to say? If he was going around robbing meat shops, a crappy place to get money of all places, then it was obvious he had no job. He would never be able to pay for her cafe or any of her bills...at least not with actual worked-for money. He was total useless to her.
She glanced at the wall phone she had suspended on the kitchen wall. Her cell was back in her locker at Harvey's.
I could do it now. Call Cassie and have her tell Ben that there is a criminal in my house.
A powerful urge came over her to rush to the phone to call for help, and she was about to do just that, when she heard an odd grunt.
"Rocky stop that!"
Rocky, who had strangely stayed out in the living room while the two had ate, was standing on his hind legs, vigorously licking Jackson's face.
Jackson chuckled and rubbed Rocky's back. His back strokes were surprisingly gentle and affectionate."It's alright."
I don't know why I'm telling Rocky to stop, she thought. I should be telling him to rip his face off. But it would be such a crime for such a handsome face to be maimed.
Frustrated with her conflicting emotions, Roxy motioned sharply with her hand. "Rocky! Down!"
The dog ignored her and continued to lick Jackson
. She growled at the dog's disobedience and got up from her seat. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away from Jackson. Roxy pointed a finger at the living room. "Go back in there Rocky."
Rocky stared up at her and let out a whine.
Roxy stabbed her finger harder. "Rocky go now!"
The dog let out a few more odd whines and then reluctantly left the kitchen. Roxy turned back to Jackson who was eyeing her with amusement.
"I'm sorry about that," Roxy apologized and went back over to her seat. Rocky had never disobeyed her like that. "He's never acted that way to someone he's never met before. It was almost like he knew you."
Jackson smiled. "What can I say? I have a special bond with dogs."
If there was one thing Roxy loved more than comfort food, was dogs. "Really?"
Jackson's smile grew wider. "Yeah, I grew up with them...a lot of them."
Staring at his smiling face, an errant thought occurred to Roxy. She considered Rocky a very good judge of character. If Rocky liked someone, they were usually a good person, but if he didn't, they weren't worth their weight in salt.
It must have meant, that despite all his obvious flaws as some gang member and underneath that rough exterior, Jackson was a nice person.
Oh come on Roxy! Rocky is just a dog. He can't possibly know all the good and bad Jackson has done in his life.
There was a sudden pounding at the front door that set Roxy's heart to racing and she stood up.
Jackson started. "Who do you think that is?"
Probably the police.
"I don't know."
"You can't let anyone in here."
You ruined my cafe, kidnapped me, and now you're telling me what to do in my own house?
Roxy placed her hands on her hips. "I can let whoever I damn well please in here. This is my house."
With that said, she spun around and made her way to the front door. She cursed once when she nearly tripped on Rocky on the way there. Roxy glanced out of the window next to the door.
A police vehicle, its flashing lights turned on, was parked in her drive way, painting her living room blue, red, then back blue again.
Shit.
Captured By The Alphas (BBW BIKER ROMANCE) Page 6
