by Chiah Wilder
“I bet.” He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her chin up. “I had a great time tonight,” he murmured.
She nodded. “Me too.” As he bent his head, she lightly pushed away from him. “Isn’t the moon beautiful?” she said, her head tilted back.
He came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “You’re beautiful.”
She bit the side of her cheek. “Thanks.” Kylie sprinted forward. “I’ll race you to the car.” Then she was running, the cool night wind caressing her cheeks. The rush of adrenaline was the jolt she needed. She didn’t want to cross the line with Ricky. She liked him a lot, and she’d had a great time, but the flutters in her stomach weren’t there, and there was no slow burn heating her body like there’d been with Jerry. It didn’t react to him the same way. She wished it did, but there was nothing there.
“I win!” Breathlessly, she leaned against the car, hearing Ricky’s soft chuckle as he came over to her. “You let me win.”
He smiled, unlocking and opening the door. As she slid into the passenger’s seat, Ricky leaned in, brushing his lips against hers. She jerked her head back, squeezing his hand when she saw his crestfallen face. “Let’s go slow, okay?”
“I really like you.” His eyes fixed on hers.
“We’ve been friends for a while. I don’t want to jeopardize that. Finals are around the corner, and then school will be out. You’ll be going to Denver and I’ll be in Pinewood Springs. Let’s not rush into anything, okay?” I wish I felt for you the way I do for Jerry. It would make my life a helluva lot easier.
Ricky nodded, his face glum. He closed her door and slipped into the driver’s seat, switching on the ignition. “Do you want to listen to 96KIX?”
“I love that station.” She touched his forearm. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No. Disappointed, but not mad.”
“We still good?”
“Yeah. I’m not giving up, though.” He turned to face her. “I want you to know that.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
As they drove out of the eatery’s parking lot, Kylie spotted a purple Corvette across the street, the beam from the streetlight bouncing off the driver’s sunglasses. She gasped, the hairs prickling on the back of her neck. As Ricky drove past, her gaze locked with his mirrored one.
It’s him. He’s watching me, and he wants me to know it.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Chapter Six
“What the fuck are you looking at?” Jerry pushed his chair back.
“I don’t like the way you’re gawking at my girlfriend,” a tall man said as he took a step toward the biker.
“I’m not looking at her, but if you want to start something, asshole, I’m all in.” Jerry leapt to his feet. At six-foot-two, he made an imposing figure.
The guy turned to his girlfriend, a blonde woman who had a small smile on her face. “Are you sure he was staring at you, baby?”
The blonde’s close-set blue eyes widened. “Yeah. He was making me feel uncomfortable.”
Jerry heard the man blow out a long breath and rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t staring at your bitch. She was the one staring at me. I can’t help it if she’d rather be with me than you.”
“Fuck, Jerry, take it down a notch,” Chas said as he rose from his chair. “We’re not in a biker bar; we’re in a citizen’s bar. Banger won’t like it if you hurt this jerk over a bitch who isn’t worth it. Come on.” He placed his arm on Jerry’s, who jerked away.
“So, you want something or not?” Jerry snarled, his hands forming into fists. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bartender pick up a phone. “Let’s take this outside, asshole.” He marched to the door.
“Aren’t you gonna follow him?” he heard the blonde ask her man. “You ain’t chicken, are ya?”
“I just don’t want to have the cops called. I got enough trouble with them. I’m on probation, remember?”
“That didn’t stop you from punching out that old man who leered at me the other day. You ain’t nothing but—”
The door slamming behind Jerry tuned out the bitch. He slammed his fist against the metal newspaper stand on the street corner. “Fuck! I should go back in there, drag the sonofabitch out here, and beat the shit outta him. Asshole!”
He whirled around, heading for the bar’s door when Chas pulled him back. “What the fuck’s your problem? You don’t want to start a fight with a citizen. The fuckin’ badges will be all over it.”
“He’s an asshole.”
“Agreed, but he’s an asshole who backed down. If you go back in there and beat his ass, you’re going down on it, and Banger will be beyond pissed.”
“I don’t give a shit about Banger. He’s president of the club, not my goddamned life.”
Chas threw his friend against the wall. “Whoa, man. Just fucking calm down. You need to cool way the hell off before we go to church. You can’t be saying shit like that about Banger. You know damn good and well that if you mess up this citizen, it puts heat on the club. And that is Banger’s business.” Chas rubbed his hand over his face. “What the hell’s going on with you? You’ve been in fight mode for the past week. What the fuck?”
Jerry pushed off from the wall. “I’m just tired of the way Banger thinks he can tell everyone what to do in their personal lives. I’m getting sick of that shit. And that asshole in there—” he gestured to the bar “—needs my fist in his face for starting something and not finishing it.” He walked toward his Harley.
Chas followed. “You know, the asshole was right. You were staring at his bitch.”
Swinging his leg over his bike, Jerry shook his head. “She’s not even my type. If I was staring, I didn’t realize it. I wouldn’t have had anything with her, but if I wanted to, I know she would’ve fucked me in an instant. These sluts are all alike.”
Chas nodded. “You heading to the clubhouse?”
“I’ll be there for church. I got some things to do. See you.” Jerry pulled away from the curb and headed out of Pinewood Springs.
As he rode on the backroads, he sped up, loving the rush of spring air around him. When he was on his Harley, it was as though he were alone in the world, just him and nature. During his solo rides, he became one with the earth, the sky, the trees, and the wind. It was the most liberating feeling he’d ever known.
He veered off onto an old path that wound around the side of Pine Mountain. Finally, he stopped and stretched his legs. To his right, he heard the gush of water and he walked toward it, his boots sinking into the soft ground littered with pine needles and dandelions. As he rounded a curve, he saw a creek coiling around the mountainside, its water cascading over the rocks in haste. Moving closer, he stared at the fish darting through it. Ribbons of sunlight spilled into the alcove, and from where he stood, he could see the creek bed’s smooth-edged stones glowing amber and bronze. With ease, he sat on the ground, a cool, spring wind ruffling his hair. He leaned his head back, listening to the trees creaking in the breeze.
Jerry needed to be there, by the water, surrounded by the mountains, trees, and wildflowers. All of it was like a salve for his soul. He’d come real close to beating the shit out of a guy who had every right to be pissed at him. He had been staring at the guy’s woman, but not in a sexual way. When he’d come back from the bar with another beer, she’d had her back to him and he’d noticed her long, blonde hair. For a heart-stopping second, he’d thought it was Kylie, but then she’d turned around. He’d stared through her, Kylie’s sweet smile filling his thoughts and punching him in the groin. He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind since he’d hung out with her two weeks before. The way she’d felt in his arms, and her lips on his, were burned in his brain and his dick. He had to see her again, hold her, breathe in her lavender scent, and kiss the softest, sexiest lips he’d ever tasted.
He picked up a stone and threw it in the creek, watching the current engulf it and take it away. He had it b
ad for Kylie, and not being able to have her the way he wanted made him crazy. Jerry knew he’d been in a mood since he’d come back from Crested Peak, but he couldn’t help it. Knowing how she tasted and felt made his lust simmer, and the fact that she was off-limits made his blood boil. He was so damn pissed he’d started at least four fights with a couple of the brothers and some other bikers at a bar he’d gone to the previous Friday.
Jerry stretched his denim-clad legs and took out his phone, scrolling until he found Kylie’s number. For a long while, he stared at the blank screen, debating whether or not he should text her. He wanted to, but then he remembered that she’d told him she had no memory of anything except him taking her to her dorm room. She’d been dead-drunk, so it could’ve been anyone or anything kissing her and she wouldn’t have known anything different. If he contacted her right then, he’d start something he knew he shouldn’t. If he didn’t text her, she’d be none the wiser, but he’d end up with a hard-on for a while. The club whores could relieve that, but since he’d tasted Kylie’s lips, he didn’t want any of the other women. In time, that would pass—he was sure of it.
Jerry sat on the ground, staring at his phone, while nature played its music all around him. When the sun dipped further in the western sky, he pushed himself up, jammed his phone in his back pocket, and sauntered over to his Harley. Normally he’d feel refreshed and calm when he’d leave his favorite spot, but right then, he was horny, pissed, and confused. He revved his engine and began the journey back to the clubhouse for church.
* * *
Throwing back his fourth shot of Jack, he knew he’d be crashing at the clubhouse. Jerry had lived at the clubhouse for a couple of years after he’d patched in, but he’d craved a place of his own, so three years before, he’d rented an apartment. He only crashed at the club if he were shit-faced or having too much fun with the women.
“You look like you need some company,” Wendy said, wrapping her arm around his neck as she gave him a small nip.
“I’m good, Wendy,” he deadpanned, wishing she were Kylie.
“You’ve been avoiding all of us. What’s up? You not feeling well?”
“Something like that.” He gently unwrapped her arms from his neck. “Go have a good time. I’m not up for anything tonight.” A dull vibration pulsed against his leg. Pulling out his phone, his blood pumping when he saw Kylie’s name flash across its screen, he turned his back to the crowd and faced the bar.
Kylie: Hey.
Jerry: Hey.
Kylie: Whatcha doing?
He motioned for another shot. Blade placed it in front of him. I’m thinking about you like always. I want to be with you, feel your naked skin against mine, taste your sweet lips again. He threw back his Jack, the whiskey smooth and scorching.
Jerry: Doing shots at the club. What bout u?
Kylie: U’re at the club? Who’s with u?
He smiled. She wanted to know if he was with a club girl. Oh, yeah.
Jerry: Most of the guys & women r here.
Even though it was true, technically, he knew she’d think he meant he was with one of the whores. Making her sweat gave him a perverse pleasure. He knew he was acting like a bastard because he couldn’t have her; he wanted to punish her for her dad’s edict.
Kylie: Oh. Rosie or Wendy?
Jerry: All the whores r here.
Kylie: U’re outdoing urself. I gotta go.
He’d gone too far. He didn’t want to lose the connection to her.
Jerry: Don’t go. Like talking to u.
Kylie: Ricky just came in. We’re going to a concert. Bye. Have fun with ur women.
Then she was gone. He’d fucking blown it. She’d reached out to him, and he made her feel like shit. And why the fuck was Ricky in her room? Jerry didn’t like that one bit. That kid was trying to get in her pants. He’d seen it that night, and he’d be damned if he’d let Ricky anywhere near Kylie’s pussy. Narrowing his eyes, Jerry decided he needed another road trip, and Crested Peak was the perfect destination.
He had to rid his mind of Kylie, and the only way he knew how to do that was to drink himself to oblivion.
He motioned for another shot.
Chapter Seven
Kylie flung her phone across the room, not giving a shit if it broke. Grinding her teeth, she stomped over to her closet and shoved her clothes aside, searching for her jean jacket while she cursed Jerry under her breath. The asshole could fuck whoever he wanted. Dad’s right—he’s such a man-whore. He didn’t even say anything nice to her, like he missed her or he’d been thinking about her. All he did was tell her he was with a bunch of women. What a bastard! She’d bet he was annoyed when he saw it was her texting him. He still thought of her as that twelve-year-old girl who had a crush on him.
She tossed her jacket on the bed and slammed the closet door shut. Pacing back and forth, Kylie berated herself for texting Jerry. She’d been missing him so much, and all she wanted was a tiny connection to him, so she’d weakened and contacted him. And he’d acted like she was a nobody! Red streaks crept across her cheeks when she replayed their “conversation.” Her stomach dropped when she pictured Jerry with Rosie’s lips around his dick and Wendy’s boobs pressed against him. He probably couldn’t wait to get rid of Kylie. That was probably why he told her about the women—he was busy when she’d texted. Her ears and face felt impossibly hot.
She wasn’t stupid—weak, perhaps, but not dense. She learned her lesson: never contact Jerry again. No matter how vulnerable she felt, she’d rather die alone than ever call or text him again. She pounded her fist on her desk. Never again.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Kylie opened the door and Ricky, in blue jeans and a Megadeth T-shirt, smiled at her, raking his gaze over her form. “Hiya.”
Still fuming over Jerry, she grunted her hello and with a quick wave of her hand, gestured him to come in. With a quizzical look, he came in and leaned against her desk. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Why?” she snapped.
He shrugged. “You just look really pissed. Did I do something to make you mad?”
Ricky’s earnest face melted her frosty anger. It wasn’t fair to be mad at him because of the way Jerry treated her. If she were smart, she’d forget about him altogether and concentrate on Ricky, who actually liked her and treated her well. But she was pulled to Jerry—the bad boy. And why not? All her life, she’d been surrounded by them. They were exciting, sexy, and dangerous, and she’d grown up in the biker life, even though her dad shielded her from a lot of the violence and darkness that was a part of his world.
“Well, did I?” His question brought her back to the present.
She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. I’m just having a bad moment, but it’s over. I’m ready to rock. This concert’s going to be so much fun.” As Kylie feigned an enthusiasm she didn’t feel, Ricky’s wide smile replaced his furrowed brow. “Are your friends meeting us?” She picked up her jean jacket on the bed and slid it over her black crop top.
“In the parking lot next to my car. I’m driving.”
Bending over to pick up her phone, she inspected it to see if it had broken during her fit of anger. No, it was still intact. “I’ll text Taylor, Mary, and Ari to meet us. It’s parking lot A, right?”
He nodded. “Right next to the laundry room.”
As they ambled to the car, Ricky took her hand in his. She wanted to pull away, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, especially since she’d been bitchy to him when he’d come to pick her up. They walked hand in hand, and as they approached their group of friends in the lot, Kylie’s skin prickled. She had the strangest sensation that someone was watching her. Looking around, nothing seemed amiss, but she couldn’t shake the feeling.
“Are we ready to rock?” Taylor said as she lifted her arms in the air and shook her hips. They all laughed. Then the six of them climbed into Ricky’s SUV, and they were off.
The Black Sheep was in the middle of the block on Prospect Ave. in downtown Crest
ed Peak. Its capacity was six hundred people, and when popular bands played at the venue, it was usually sold out. That evening was no exception. Black Stone Cherry was a popular band and had never performed in Crested Peak before, so when the group got there, a long line had already formed. Since it was standing room only, they’d arrived early, hoping to be among the first in so they could secure a good spot on the floor.
Black Stone Cherry was one of Kylie’s favorite bands; she loved their hard-edged, southern metal songs. She’d waited a long time to see them, having missed them two years before when they’d performed in Denver. She should’ve been excited to the max, but thoughts of Jerry with Rosie, Wendy, Lola, Kristy, and the other club women dampened her exhilaration. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t shut out the images, and it pissed her off because she was sure he wasn’t thinking about her at all. What a fucking jerk.
“This is going to be awesome,” Ricky said as he tugged her close to him. “Are you feeling it?”
Even though she was overwhelmed by a hollowness in her chest, Kylie smiled. Ricky had purchased the tickets as a surprise for her. Taylor had told him how much she’d loved the band, and it was sweet that he’d done that. She didn’t want to ruin his night, so she leaned in and whispered in his ear, “I can’t believe you made all this possible for me. You’re a good person.”
He skimmed his lips over her cheek. “I’d do anything for you. I’m happy we’re here together.”
Turning her face away, she gave him a quick hug, wishing she were as into him as he was into her. Before she could muse further, the doors opened and the group of them moved forward, following the crowd.
The venue was packed, and Kylie and her friends found their spot right in front of the stage. Telling the guys to guard their territory, the girls went up to the bar to order sodas. “This is a great show so far,” Taylor yelled over the music. “The local acts are kicking ass.”
