“Today is my first day, actually.”
“Welcome to the only shifter bar in the state.” Carrie raised an eyebrow. Shifters? Carrie had never met a shifter before. She had heard of them, hell, who hadn’t? But never before interacted with one. She supposed even if she had met one, she probably wouldn’t know. Even though the existence of people who could change forms had been common knowledge for more than fifty years, they mostly just kept their abilities out of the conversation. There were laws that made sure they couldn’t be discriminated against, but if a company didn’t ask, no one had to say anything.
“Oh! I didn’t realize that it was a shifter bar.” She felt naïve. But it didn’t bother her. It didn’t change her attraction to the man in front of her. She inspected him, wondering if there were markers suggesting what he turned into.
He laughed. “You can ask me.”
“Ask you what?”
“What I turn into. It’s not like a faux pas or anything.”
Carrie couldn’t help but be curious. She wondered how young shifter kids dealt with everything. Were they home schooled? She wished she had her old job back because suddenly she wanted to put together a program for shifter kids. “Okay, what are you then?”
“I shift into a bear.” At his words, Carrie snorted. She couldn’t help but imagine a bear riding a motorcycle. “What’s so funny, darlin’?” His golden eyes were sparkling, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“I just imagined a bear riding a motorcycle.” Brian grinned at her pronouncement.
“He looks like a bear on a motorcycle even in his human form!” Brian turned to one of his friends, who had come to the bar with empty tankards.
“You’re the best wingman I’ve ever had, Tyler.”
“I do my best, bro. We’re going to head out.” Brian nodded, and Tyler turned to go back to the table. Brian drained the rest of the beer, and turned to Carrie.
“It was good to meet you, even if the circumstances were a bit…wet and sticky.”
Carrie laughed. “I promise not to spill anything on you next time.”
Brian grinned. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when his friends shouted for him. “Until next time.” He fixed her with a look that made her knees weak, then turned around to join his buddies.
Brian showed up at the bar every night she was scheduled to work, which was most nights. He would often be there with his friends, his burly biker gang, but sometimes he would come alone. Those were the nights she liked the most. He would order food and a beer, and watch her. She found herself putting an extra wiggle in her step as she crossed from the bar to the tables. He would sit centrally, so she often had to pass him, and when he did his hand would brush against her arm and he would nod his head towards her and mutter, “Sweetheart.”
She didn’t even have to pretend to smile at bitchy customers, because she couldn’t keep a smile off her face. He was gorgeous and she was a little smitten. Okay, a lot smitten. She had never fallen for the bad boy before, and Brian was the epitome of bad boy: he was in a motorcycle gang, was covered in tattoos, and was a shifter.
It was nearing the end of her shift a week after she ran into Brian, and he was still sitting at the table. Carrie and Jeanette finished cleaning down the bar and turning off the televisions. When she turned back to Brian’s table, he was gone.
Her heart sank a little, but she finished taking care of everything and then let Jeanette know she was heading out. She grabbed her purse, and her keys, and left the bar.
Her car was the only car in the front lot. But there was a motorcycle. And an enormous man seated on it. Her heart thumped uncomfortably before she realized it was Brian. She took a deep breath and headed in his direction, instead of towards her car.
He sat on his motorcycle, his legs wide. When she was close enough, she said, “Hey, I thought you left.”
“Nope, waiting for you.”
She took a step closer. “Why?”
He pulled Carrie between his legs, she stumbled a bit but he kept her steady; his hands settled on her hips. Carrie rested her hands on his shoulders. Even when he was sitting, he was still slightly taller than she was. “To do this.” And then his lips crashed down on hers.
When they finally pulled apart, she was breathing heavily and he looked oh so smug.
“Now what?” she said as she touched her lips. They still felt raw from the kiss.
“You go out with me; I show you an amazing time. You fall madly in love with me.”
She laughed. “Is that all?”
His hand moved up to her hair. The feeling of his fingers moving up the back of her neck made Carrie shiver. “Maybe. But maybe there will be more.”
His lips brushed hers again. He pulled her closer; her chest pressed against his. She could feel the muscles in his chest, in his arms. She felt so safe with him, as if nothing from the outside world could even touch her with him around.
“Tomorrow we’ll go out on a real date,” he muttered against her ear.
“I thought you staring me while I worked counted as dates,” Carrie joked.
Brian rolled his eyes. “Hardly.” He broke away from her and reached into her pocket for her phone. He quickly imputed his number. “Text me when you get home, so I know you’re safe.” She nodded. He brushed his finger against her swollen lower lip. “Goodnight sweetheart.”
She stepped away from the bike as he revved it. He drove away, leaving her trembling with desire.
The next morning she woke up to a text from Brian, telling her what time he would pick her up. She texted her address and rolled out of bed. Time was doing funny things. At first it felt like ages until Brian was going to arrive, but once she started to get ready, time sped by, which left her a little annoyed at the state of her eye makeup.
The doorbell rang and she rushed to open it. He wasn’t wearing his cut, and she couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. For some reason, it made her even more attracted to him. A checked blue and white flannel shirt adorned his muscular chest. The sleeves were rolled to the elbows, revealing his tattooed forearms. Tight jeans clung to his muscular legs.
“Ready to go?”
“Yep!” Carrie locked the door, shoved her keys in her purse, and followed Bri to his motorcycle. She even shamelessly checked out his butt, which was gorgeously displayed by the tight denim. She blushed. She had never been this sort of girl, the sort of girl who ogled attractive men, and rode motorcycles.
Brian handed her a helmet and then helped her put it on. “Put your arms around me, and hold on tight.”
She nodded, and followed his instructions. He started the bike and took off down the street. It was such a thrill! The wind brushed past her, her chest pressed into his back. She was almost sad when they stopped.
Brian got off the bike and helped her with her helmet again. They walked into the restaurant. They ordered quickly, and then Brian turned to her.
“So why are you working at Jeanette’s?”
Carrie picked up a roll and spread butter on it. “I used to work at this really fantastic start-up that worked with schools in low income areas. It was a literacy program. We organized volunteers to tutor kids, we had publishing houses donate books that kids could take home. But then we ran out of money, and I had to find other work. I’ve been applying to other things, but for now I’m at Jeanette’s. What do you do?”
She was curious. She couldn’t quite imagine Brian doing anything but riding a motorcycle. She wondered if he had an office job. “I’m a paramedic. And I help out at Brett’s car shop sometimes.” She remembered Brett from the bar. He was one of the guys in Brian’s motorcycle group.
“What made you decide to be a paramedic?”
“My old man always rode bikes with his buddies, and every once in a while, something would happen and someone would get injured. It was always such a rush to me when I got to help fix people up.” He took a bite of his roll. “Your job sounded amazing though.”
; Carrie looked away wistfully. “It really was. I loved it. I just wish I was able to figure out what my next step is.”
“I’m sure you will. You seem like a girl who goes after what she wants.” He winked at her, and she laughed.
Brian’s sense of humor made the time fly by. By the time they finished desert, Carrie was wondering if it would be weird to order another slice of cake just to keep them at the table. Brian paid for the meal and took her hand as they left the restaurant.
She reached for her helmet, but Brian stopped her. He pulled her in for a kiss that made her toes curl. His tongue slid against hers; his hands cradled her limp body as he made love to her mouth. Kissing him was quickly becoming her favorite activity.
When they finally broke away from each other, Brian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He climbed onto the bike and she followed suit.
She threw her leg over the bike, but before she could put on the helmet, a group of bikers pulled into the parking lot. Carrie could tell that these guys weren’t part of Brian’s gang. The design on their cuts were different. “Fuck,” Brian muttered.
“What’s wrong?” Carrie leaned against Brian’s back and tried to peak over his shoulder to get a good look at his face.
“Tribe bikers. Anti-shifter assholes.” The bikers pulled up near them, and they took off their helmets. One of the men, a tall good-looking blond, stepped towards the two of them.
“Bear shithead. Is that a human girl?”
Carrie looked at him, surprise painted on her face. How could this guy even tell if she was human or not? Shifters looked exactly the same as other person in their human form.
“Fuck off, Dempsey. It’s none of your business.”
“It is my business if you’re defiling human women.” Carrie had never seen such disgust on anyone’s face. Why would this guy say something like that? He didn’t know her, and he clearly was prejudiced against shifters. Carrie knew people like that existed, just like racists, but she had never encountered anyone who hated shifters like that. And hate was the right word. The man looked livid.
She tugged on Brian’s sleeve. “Bri, let’s go.”
The man looked at her, as if stunned she could even speak. “You don’t have to go with him. We can help you, sweetheart. If you’re under duress just tell me, and I’ll take care of it.”
The word “sweetheart” rang in her ears. Whenever Bri called her that, her stomach did little flips. Coming from this man’s mouth, the word burned her like acid.
“I’m fine. Your concern is unwarranted.” The man’s eyes narrowed, and she could almost feel the hatred pour off of him.
“Hush, Carrie,” Brian’s voice was soft but harsh. She knew he wanted to handle it, to keep her out of the line of fire. He turned to the biker and spat, “Fuck off, Dempsey. What I do is none of your damn business.”
“It is when you are fucking human women, half-breed scum.” Dempsey pulled a knife from his boot and Carrie’s heart leapt into her throat. Brian steadied her as he slid off the bike. He took a few long strides to where the other biker was standing, and Dempsey brought the knife down. Carrie saw it connect with Brian’s arm, but he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he knocked it out of the man’s hand and then his fist connected with Dempsey’s face. Carrie heard the crunch and closed her eyes, trying hard not to be sick.
“Leave her the fuck alone. Are we clear?” She couldn’t hear Dempsey’s reply over the roaring in her ears, but she felt Brian get back on the bike. He revved the engine. She took two deep breaths, and the motorcycle began to move.
She could hear Dempsey’s voice over the roar of the engine. Filled with vitriol and violence. “We’re going to find you bitch. And then we’re going to show you just what it means to betray your kind.”
By the time Bri pulled into her driveway, she was shaking. She felt him help her off the bike, find her keys in her purse, and get her inside. He gently placed her on the sofa. She took a deep breath and looked at him.
“Is that like a normal occurrence with you? Assholes threatening you?”
Brian shrugged. “Sometimes. The Tribe is full of absolute assholes. They hate everyone who doesn’t look like them or share their idiotic ideology.” He put his large, warm hand on her knee. “They’re all bark, no bite.”
“That was no bite?”
“Carrie, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.” Carrie took a deep breath and let Brian’s words wash over her.
“I trust you.”
He smiled. It made him look almost boyish. “Good. I had a great time today. I’d like to do it again sometimes.”
Carrie leaned forward and fused her lips to Brian’s. When they broke apart she was practically panting. “Absolutely. Now I need you to go. I need to get ready for my shift.”
Brian pouted but let her direct him out the door. Before he left, he kissed her one more time. Once the door was shut she leaned against the wood, her legs almost too weak to hold her up.
Carrie’s shift at Jeanette’s passed quickly and without a hitch. It was busy but not overwhelming. She finished cleaning up and headed out to the parking lot. There were two bikers with the Tribe cut sitting on their bikes on the periphery of the parking lot. She slid her keys between her fingers, creating a makeshift weapon. She watched them carefully as she went to her car. She unlocked it and started it quickly, but they didn’t make a move. When she pulled out of the parking lot, they followed her. They weren’t very close, and only followed her to the main traffic light near the bar.
Carrie’s heart was pounding as she drove through town. She took the long way to her house, making sure she wasn’t followed. When she got home she locked all her doors, set the alarm and grabbed a massive knife from the kitchen.
She wasn’t some damsel in distress and as scared as she was, she wasn’t going to let some asshole bikers with a chip on their shoulders know.
The bikers weren’t back at the bar the next night but Carrie couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. She would look over her shoulder at the grocery store, and there one of the Tribe bikers was. They never got too close, or did anything overtly menacing. She wasn’t sure if the cops could even do anything if she called them. She didn’t even mention it to Brian, even though they saw each other every day. She didn’t want him to get in a fight.
Finally, two weeks after her first date with Brian, they made a move. She was putting groceries in her car, when Dempsey, the guy Brian punched approached her. She could still see the hint of a bruise along his jaw line.
“Hello Carrie.” Hearing her name on his lips made her skin crawl.
“What do you want?”
“There is no need to be rude. I just want to talk.” He leaned against her car, blocking her way.
“I don’t want to talk to you,” she hissed. “Leave me alone.”
She turned to go back into the store, somewhere where there would be people to see this, but he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, doll.” He pressed a small knife against the small of her back. “Stop fucking around with the bear, and all this will go away. Find some nice human boy. Settle down. Have a kid.”
“Fuck you.”
The knife pricked through her shirt. “Behave.” He leaned down so his lips brushed her ear. She felt sick. “Leave the bear. I’d hate to see your pretty face all bruised and bloodied.” A sob rent through the air. It took Carrie a moment to realize that it was her sob.
He let her go. “Are we clear, doll?”
She nodded. Hot tears streamed down her face. What was she going to do? She liked Brian a lot, but was her safety worth being with him? She wasn’t sure. She sagged against the trunk of her car. “Have a good day, sweetheart,” he said before he turned and walked away.
It took her a few minutes to stop shaking and get in her car. It even took her a few tries to get her seatbelt buckle into the slot. When she arrived home, she unpacked her groceries
, and touched her face. She was still crying.
She called Jeanette and told her that she was sick. She apologized profusely and promised to keep her updated. Then she turned off all the lights in her house, set the alarm and crawled under the sheets. She was cold, despite the thick duvet. She took deep breaths and tried to decide what to do.
Her phone vibrated, startling her out of her thoughts. She pealed the sheets back and looked at the caller ID. It was Brian.
“Hello?” her voice had none of its usual pep.
“Carrie? Sweetheart, are you okay? Jeanette told me you were sick.”
“Um, I’m okay.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I’m fine. I promise.” Better to keep Brian at arm’s length, it would protect them both.
“You don’t sound fine.” His voice was gruff. He was in alpha-male protective mode. She knew it would be hard to shake him. “Do you want me to come over? I can bring you soup or something.”
“I, uh,” her voice wavered. She wanted Brian with her so much. She wanted him here to hold her, to keep her safe. She wanted to tell him about the Tribe’s threats.
“I’m coming over. I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” he growled into the phone. “Stay on the line with me.”
“Okay,” Carrie whispered. She pulled the covers back over her head and brought the phone with her. She listened to his voice as he talked to her. He told her about some of the funny calls he’d been on. He told her about the time Will flipped his bike over and the kickstand went through his calf. It was a gory story but he made her laugh.
“I’m outside, darlin’. Let me in.” She slid out of bed and padded to the front door. She looked out the peephole to confirm that it really was Brian. She turned off the alarm and let him in.
He scooped her up, and held her tightly. “Brian,” she whispered his name against his chest. He closed the door and walked to the bedroom with her. He kicked off his shoes and climbed in. He pulled her close, and she cuddled into his warmth.
“Tell me what’s going on,” the demand was soft, but still a demand.
Knox (BBW Bear Shifter Moonshiner Romance) (120 Proof Honey) Page 92
