Bash

by Sapphire Knight

  She rewards me with a wide smile. “Sebastian,” she repeats, tasting the word over before claiming, “I like it.”

  My mouth kicks up. “Yeah? It’d be a little awkward if you felt differently, ‘cause I like your name too.”

  She nods, and I can no longer hold myself back from leaning in to press a peck to her pointy little nose. Bitches pay for noses like hers, and I can tell that not one thing on her is fake.

  “And I also like you, Angel.” She blushes, her eyes hitting the ground. “I’m up here, Savannah,” I murmur, reaching in to tilt her face back up. I meet her gaze, noting the desire reflected in her gorgeous hazel irises. Fuck, I want her.

  “I see you,” she whispers.

  “Do you?” I murmur, and she nods again. I step back, flashing her a smile. I don’t want to push her too hard. “I mean it. Anything.”

  “Are you going by the diner tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” I immediately lie. I wasn’t, but I damn sure am now that she’s brought it up.

  “If you wouldn’t mind, would you give me a ride too?”

  “Of course. What time, and I’ll swing by to pick you up.”

  “My shift is at two. I have to work the dinner shift again.”

  “It’s a date.” I wink and head for my bike. I swing my leg on, starting the beast up. I let the engine idle as I watch her get inside safely. Once her door’s securely closed, I walk my bike to turn it around, then hit the road, headed to my club. This time I don’t even feel my ribs protesting. I’m too busy thinking of Savannah and that perfect mouth.

  “Heard you had an extra rider with you tonight, brother.”

  I shoot Jinx a look. “You and Sly been talkin’, I take it?”

  He shrugs, not perturbed in the slightest with my brusque response. “He may’ve mentioned it when he brought me my sandwich.”

  I snort and take a hefty gulp of my vodka tonic. “It was the angel, man. She was stranded again. That damn car’s a piece of shit.”

  “You didn’t fix it for her? I’m beginning to think you’re not so much a mechanic.” His lips tilt with the easy razzing.

  “Hm, I fixed it. The stupid thing is dying, though.”

  “So why didn’t you bring the chick along tonight? She afraid of the club or something?”

  “She was beat from working all day. She was damn near sleeping standing up. Trust me, brother, I tried. The bitch is so fucking sexy. I need to get her a burner or something in case she’s stranded again and needs me to swing by. Definitely don’t want one of the backwoods motherfuckers swooping in on her. She’d wind up hog-tied in an old house or something crazy.”

  Jinx nods. The brothers know she’s alluring, just as much as I do. I told the fuckers after my little lunch date with her yesterday that they better not get any ideas either. Just ‘cause I had a little fun with her and flashed them doesn’t mean I’m down to share. She doesn’t seem that kinky anyhow, and it’d scare her off, no doubt. I don’t have to worry about Chaos, but I’m not sure if the other brothers are seeing anyone significant. They haven’t brought a chick around in a minute.

  He changes topics. “You end up getting rid of the rest of your stash?” Jinx and I have that in common, the drugs. It works in our favor, cause if one of us is short or a supplier falls through, we have a backup plan. On the other side of the business, if we aren’t pushing a product quickly enough, we can always go to each other for help. It gives us a reason to be closer than the others, even though I’m usually around the prez the most.

  “Yeah, some rich fucks out in Atlanta hit me up, you know, the usual. It’s time for me to call my guy for another shipment. How’s business been on your side? Did the number I give you pan out?”

  “Fuck, yes, a big payday. I owe you a beer for that one.”

  I lean in, bumping my fist to his. “Bet. I’m glad to hear it, brother.” Sly pulls the opposite seat out beside me, some nameless club gash sidling up to his arm. No matter where we go, the bitches are always trying to cling to him. “‘Sup man.”

  “Where’s Savannah?” he inquires, making my jealousy overreact and flair. I know he won’t go for her since I told them all to kick rocks, but something about her makes me turn all overbearing alpha and shit. Not that she needs it. The woman has a spine that I admire. She’s not bitchy about it or anything, just not too meek to hold back if she has something she thinks is important to say. I can’t help but be a touch wary around the brother when it comes to women. I mean, I’m decent looking and all, but chicks gaze at Sly like he hung the moon, and that’s when he’s busy ignoring them.

  “She’s mine, brother,” I rasp, and he flashes me a shit-eating grin. “Fucker.” I gripe, causing both of my brothers to chuckle. “All right, shitheads,” I huff out, tired of having my dick in a wad. “I’ll catch you later. I need to speak with Prez.”

  They nod, letting me off the hook. It won’t be for long, though, as we always give each other shit.

  Five

  I know my worth. I’ve paid dearly for every ounce of it. - Alfa

  Sebastian had my car towed to his clubhouse, by a friend of his. All I know is they didn’t ask me for any money when I was silently hyperventilating about it and that he’s been trying to fix it. So far, he hasn’t had any luck, and it’s looking worse with each passing day. It’s been over a week, though I can’t complain. He’s offered to check it out for free, which is more than any shop will do, considering I can’t afford to pay anything right now. At this rate, I’m going to have to look for another job to help foot the bill. That’s hard because I need a place that’ll pay me under the table like the diner does. My boss was more than happy when I asked, as it’s less tax hassle for him. I wonder if he knows of another business I could apply for since I can’t pick up any more shifts at the diner. I’ll have to ask him the next time he’s there.

  It’s been a little over two weeks since I met my new biker friend, and so far, he hasn’t let me shake him off. Surprising, considering I keep piling up my problems, it seems. He’s been rolling right along with them, and that has me pausing to seriously consider taking another step with him. I know he wants me; the flirty remarks and kind gestures when he’s around have clued me in. I’d have to be completely blind not to notice the way he stares at my breasts and behind when he thinks I’m distracted. Not like I have any room to talk. I’ve done my fair share of gawking at him as well. The man is insanely good-looking—in that bad boy outlaw sort of way.

  To top it all off, Sebastian has been giving me a ride to work every day and picking me up in the evenings as well. That’s something I wasn’t expecting in the slightest and tried fighting him on after the second day. He’s done so much for me already, and I don’t like feeling as if I owe him past fixing my car. Besides, I’m already in debt to him where his old motorcycle is concerned. Every time I bring it up, he shakes it off like it’s not a big deal. I’m afraid that it’ll all add up and he’ll want something I can’t give him. I’ve caught glimpses of the little baggies and vials of white powder and pills he pulls out when he’s digging in his pockets for stuff. I’m not a fool. I know he deals, and that’s not something I could ever see myself doing, no matter how much I owe someone. I’m not judging him for it. It’s just not for me.

  Not that I have any room to talk. I may not deal any drugs, but I have my own demons. I came to the outskirts of Atlanta for a reason, thinking I’d be easily overlooked. I work for cash under the table, so I don’t leave a trail, and I bought my car with cash. I don’t want people to know where I am after my father’s death. He was purposely bankrupted and murdered, and I was never able to find out why it all went down. I know I’m not safe, so I have to keep a low profile. While I’m growing more comfortable around Bash and would love to have the chance to maybe become more with him, I need to be careful. I didn’t move out here looking for my life partner. It was just the opposite. I came here for my personal safety and cash—nothing more.

  I’m so torn when it comes to the
MC. Those guys are dangerous, and I kind of feel safer when I’m around them. That’s stupid, I know, but I can’t help the way I feel, especially around my biker. I don’t expect him to protect me by any means, but my heart wants to believe he would if I ever needed it, and that’d tether me to him even more. It’s probably going to end up being the very thing that gets me killed. The MC could possibly have ties to the man who murdered my father, for all I know. It’s not like I can come right out and ask them or anything, for fear of finding out they are the bad guys.

  Atlanta isn’t far from here. I should’ve gone farther away, but I haven’t had the funds to make it anywhere else. The plan was to stop here long enough to work and get some more money. Once I saved up enough, I was going to leave and head up to Oregon. I figure I have a better chance of making it out of the country if I’m way up north near the border. What do I know, though? I’ve never been on the run or hiding out from anyone before.

  Without me accidentally meeting Bash a few weeks ago, there’s no telling what sort of shape I’d be in right now. I’d be walking to and from work each day, leaving me out in the open for anyone to find me. It’s scary when you try to only rely on yourself. Not even my best friend could’ve dug me out of these problems. She makes enough money to support herself, not to give me a handout whenever things are tough.

  I’ve always been somewhat intelligent, or so I thought, but this is turning out to be tougher than I’d anticipated. I got beyond lucky when Bash wrecked that he was okay and didn’t call the cops to report it. Now my luck seems to be running out because a broken car won’t get me where I need to go—work or otherwise. I could attempt to steal a vehicle, I suppose, but then the cops would hunt it down the moment it was reported and take me straight to jail. While I pride myself on being strong-willed and independent, I don’t think I’d fare well in prison.

  Like it or not, Bash has become some sort of rock for me. I shouldn’t lean on him, and I don’t want to, but I can’t seem to help myself. With each passing day, I grow happier to see his handsome, smiling face. We talk, and I find myself opening to him a touch more with each encounter. It’s to the point that my favorite part of the day is seeing him when I should be concentrating on making it farther away from here. Instead, I’m spending time with Bash whenever I’m offered the chance and find myself returning his flirty looks and comments. I’m a scatterbrained mess. No matter how smart I may be, my heart will lead me however it sees fit.

  I wish my father were here and still alive. I wouldn’t be dealing with any of this headache right now if the circumstances were different. It’s astonishing how quickly your life can change from one side of the spectrum to the complete opposite. It felt like a blink to me, and bam, everything was ruined. I can still hear the officers’ voices in my mind as they’d told me about my dad. It was all white noise to me…none of it making sense. My father was a thoughtful and generous man filled with love and always willing to lend a helping hand. There was no justifiable reason for him to die.

  Perhaps that’s why I’m drawn to Bash more than anyone else I’ve come across here. Minus the flirty looks and such, he reminds me of my dad in a few crucial ways. There’s his willingness to help and not ask for anything in return. Then the small glimpses I’ve been privy to showing me that he has a fierce sense of loyalty to his brothers and his club. That has to count for something, and maybe in time, I’ll be able to open up to him about my past and the burden I’ve been carrying around on my shoulders. It’s a struggle to bear it alone, but I know I must be wary of entrusting people so quickly. My father trusted, and he ended up dead for it. If there’s one lesson to be learned from this horrifying experience, it has to be that.

  “Angel?” Sebastian waves his hand in front of my face, bending down a bit to catch my gaze. I was staring off into space, wrapped up in my torturous thoughts of my dad. I can’t believe I lost myself like that in front of him. I was relaxing watching Bash, and in the next minute, I was trapped in my mind.

  “Oh, what were you saying?” I meet his azure irises, feeling a bit shaky and thrown off-kilter. He must already believe me to be a needy loser; I don’t want to add scatterbrained crazy person to that list as well.

  “I asked if you’re all right.” His hand moves to lift my chin higher.

  I’d had it tucked into my chest as I’d been immersed in my head. He does that a lot, having me meet his eyes when we talk. Not that I mind. I like it, but it also makes it harder for me to keep things from him. In another life, I like to think that I could be completely honest with him, and he’d accept me for all my flaws. Maybe he’d tell me everything would be okay and seal it with a kiss? A girl can dream about such comforts, right?

  “Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  His thumb tenderly caresses my cheek. “You whimpered, baby. I thought you were upset, and it caught me off guard.”

  I swallow, my throat feeling dry suddenly. Jesus, the things this man does to me with a simple, innocent touch. My lashes flutter as I attempt to get myself together and not be so easily affected by him. We’ve almost kissed nearly every day this last week, and it’s been freaking torture to not give in to the natural feeling. At least, I think it’s natural. I don’t know what it is, but something about Bash pulls me to him. “I was, uh, thinking about my father. I miss him. I miss him really bad; it hurts my heart.”

  His worried stare softens, and he pulls me into his chest, wrapping his strong arms around me. I’ve come to discover that Bash is a hugger. I didn’t realize how badly I needed his embraces until they started happening a couple days ago. “I’m here if you need me. I know I’m not your dad and all, but I got you, Sweet Pea. You can talk to me about anything, at any time. Even if it’s late, you know where my place is. Don’t hesitate to stop over…I mean it.”

  A lone tear trails down my face. I can’t allow myself to sob in grief like I so desperately desire to. It’ll invite too much attention, and that’s the last thing I need. My hands smooth over his strong middle, my grip lightly resting on his sides. Even when I’m distressed, I can’t help but notice how sexy he is. He’s had his ribs wrapped up since his wreck, and I’ve selfishly ignored the pain he must be in. He’s been riding his motorcycle every day to give me rides and fixing my car. It wouldn’t hurt me to offer to help him out, even if it’s getting him to take it easy at times. I need to stop making everything about me when it comes to Bash because he always thinks of others. He deserves to have that as well, whether we’re only friends or not.

  “Thank you, Sebastian.” I sigh. “That means a lot. More than you realize.”

  He plants a kiss to the top of my hair. Pulling away a little, he peeks down at my face and uses his thumb to wipe my warm salty tear away. “How can I make you happy? You’re too beautiful to cry and me not fix it somehow.”

  I shrug. I can’t believe what he’s asking me. It’s more than anyone else has done since I left my home and everything else behind. I stuffed a duffle bag full of my essentials and left the rest of my possessions behind. I had to keep my best friend safe from Jerome’s family, and the easiest way to do that was to leave.

  Inhaling, I manage to question, “You ever have those days when you’re just sad?” Bash doesn’t reply, but rather, he squeezes me to him tighter. “I think it’s one of those days for me,” I end up acknowledging.

  “Fuck, Savannah. Honestly, I don’t know if I can handle you being depressed over shit. I don’t want to freak you out, but it’s messing me up inside to see someone so innocent, like you, dealin’ with it. I wish there was someone physically messing with you, so I could fuckin’ strangle them for you, babe. It’d make it a hell of a lot easier for me to fix. You’re too damn good and pure to be feeling out of sorts. It’s not fucking fair. You deserve the world, sweetheart, and life’s dealt you a shit hand.”

  His words make my heart squeeze. Some women may be put off by his violent declaration and brash words, but it does the opposite for me. This man is one of a kind,
and for me to stick with my plan, I have to leave him behind and never turn back. That’s becoming harder with every minute I spend in his presence. “You’re so good to me, Bash. I don’t understand why…I haven’t done anything right to deserve you.”

  He lifts my chin again, this time dipping down to rub his nose to mine in an Eskimo kiss. It’s the sweetest thing, and through my sadness, it brings a tender smile to my lips. “There she is…my little angel. So fucking beautiful.”

  I move to argue, to tell him I’m far from being an angel. I’m the opposite, in fact, and I don’t deserve anything he’s doing for me. Nor the way he treats me, but I don’t get the chance. He dips in, his full lips finally coming in contact with mine. I’ve waited for weeks for this. My eyes slam closed at the sensation. I’ve thought of kissing him ever since he told me his name. He was lascivious and forbidden and had just gone through a small bit of hell alongside me. I should’ve known I was already falling for him right then, but I was clueless.

  His mouth moves against mine, caressing, coaxing, but not forcing. He’s doing this at my pace, letting me control how fast and far we take this. His lips meet mine a third time, and I exhale as desire spirals through my veins at an insane pace. Need for this man nearly consumes me, having him this close, holding me and kissing me. I want him to strip me bare and put that mouth all over me. I want him to taste me.

  “Sebastian…” I release his name on a breathy moan, and it’s all the confirmation for more that he needs. He dives in, nudging my mouth open with his own. His tongue plunges inside, searching for mine. I meet him head-on, our tongues caressing and testing the other out as our lips seal.

  I take in his smell, the leather from his cut, and the grease from my car. There’s a hint of exhaust leftover from our ride earlier and mixed with his soap, it smells like freedom and sweet promises. He tastes of lemon, lime, and sugar from the Sprite he was drinking earlier, and the flavors are even better on him. He cups my cheek in his palm while I move my right hand to rest over his heart. I feel it beating strong while I grip his side with my opposite hand, holding me in place. I have to grasp on somewhere, or my knees may end up giving out, with the way his kiss rolls over me and tugs me under.