by Leela Ash
“We’ll be fine,” Lexi sniffed with a smile.
Tammy left her for a moment to collect her thoughts and went to her bedroom. She quickly yanked open her closet and rooted through it to uncover the most badass outfit she could find. After having such a sheltered upbringing, she was going to have a hard time finding something even remotely risqué, but she had to give it her best shot.
Her hands closed around a low-cut black tank top and a tight pair of jeans.
“These will have to do,” she said to herself as a little smile flickered across her lips. Even though she was worried about Lexi, she knew everything would work out in the end, and her curiosity was reaching a boiling point just thinking about stepping inside The Bleeding Bullet.
3.
The more Tammy thought about Lexi’s situation, the more she wanted to remove herself from it, but that was going to be practically impossible now that they were in her car and driving to the other side of town. As the turned down each street and the familiar sights of Slate Springs gave way to ones that Tammy had never seen before, her pulse quickened and her skin prickled with nervous heat.
She was so curious and yet so afraid. What if she walked in there and felt like a complete fool? She didn’t want to stand out in a crowd of tattoos and nose piercings with her clean skin and silky blonde hair. She twirled a strand of it around her index finger as she looked out at the road and wondered what would happen if she walked in there and wanted to leave… The last thing she could do was abandon Lexi in her hour of need. She bit her lip with frustration and turned to Lexi and smiled.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Lexi sniffed. “I’ll be even better once I’ve got some answers.”
They rounded another corner and a wall of flashing blue lights seemed to puncture the darkness ahead of them. Cop cars swarmed the streets and as the women crawled slowly through, the officers shone flashlights in at them.
“Is it always like this?” Tammy asked with concern.
“I’ve only been here twice,” Lexi admitted. “Seems pretty normal to me from what I’ve seen…”
“Great,” Tammy said sarcastically, her nerves reaching new heights.
She parked the car amongst the cop vans and they both got out and onto the sidewalk. The Bleeding Bullet was standing tall and proud in the night ahead of them, drenched in red strobe lights and lasers, with motorcycles and big burly men covering the front steps. Tammy noted how they seemed to be the only people in a car, and she looked at the other women who were outside, wearing ripped fishnets and leather miniskirts.
“They look rough,” she whispered to Lexi, but she didn’t seem to hear her.
Tammy carried on moving, but she was tense. Even though she was desperate to see what was inside the bar, she could feel her nerves overwhelming her.
Lexi pushed the door open and went inside, and Tammy took hold of her hand as they made their way through the crowd together. The bar was dark and dingy and completely crammed. People swung from the ceilings and danced on tables. Rock music blared from the speakers so hard it vibrated through the floor beneath them and seemed to work its way into Tammy’s throat. The girls who worked there danced on the bar and poured liquor into men’s mouths straight from the bottle.
“Is this what you do?” Tammy asked Lexi with amazement.
“One shift down, hopefully many more to go,” she said.
Tammy’s eyes were wandering everywhere. Men and women were in tangles of lust in every corner of the room and the atmosphere in there was electric. It was like she had stepped into another dimension that oozed sex and sin, and she was right in the center of it all. She didn’t know where to look. She knew she was blushing and her heart was racing. She turned to find Lexi in the crowd and saw her speaking to a girl working behind the bar. The girl pointed over her shoulder, and then Lexi reached for Tammy’s hand and pulled her around the side of the counter and down towards a hallway at the back.
As they wandered down the dark hallway, Tammy’s nerves were escalating. For a girl like Lexi, being in situations like this might be the norm, but for an innocent girl like her, it was terrifying. She had no idea what any of the people in The Bleeding Bullet were capable of, and she feared she would get caught up in some kind of fight or worse. She stuck to Lexi’s heels as she marched down to the end of the hallway and stopped outside of a large black door. Lexi raised her hand and knocked. They seemed to be standing there forever, until finally the door creaked open and a man came into view and instantly took Tammy’s breath away.
She wasn’t aware of what he was saying; all she knew was that he was incredible. His shoulders were broad and his eyes were piercing blue. His big, rough hands gripped a cigarette, and as he sucked on it, Tammy suddenly found herself thinking how smoking had never looked sexier. She shook her head quickly and snapped herself back to reality.
“You after King?” he asked Lexi in a deep, gruff voice before his head turned and his eyes fell on Tammy.
Tammy felt the heat rise in her cheeks again, and she exhaled to calm herself down. Lexi nodded and the man disappeared back behind the door. Tammy’s palms were sweating as she whispered quickly to Lexi, “Who is he?” but there was barely a second before he appeared at the door again with King by his side.
Lexi launched herself at King, and he soothed her before taking her off down the hallway. Their voices were hushed and hurried, and Tammy turned back to stare at the man in front of her as he eyed her closely with a smirk on his face.
“You look so lost,” he said finally, and Tammy didn’t know how to respond. He laughed a little and moved closer to her, making the hairs on her arms stand on end.
“Maybe I am…” she finally managed to whisper.
She had no idea what she was doing or what she even wanted from this situation; all she knew was that she suddenly didn’t mind waiting around in the darkened hallway at the back of The Bleeding Bullet anymore.
“I’m Lynx,” he said confidently as he held his cigarette up to his lips and sucked on it.
Tammy watched the way the smoke danced up around his nostrils in delicate waves.
“I’m Tammy,” she said, shyly glancing at the floor.
“You work in the diner on the highway?” Lynx asked her.
She looked up, surprised that he would even know anything like that. She nodded.
“How did you know?” she asked.
“I’ve seen you around,” he grinned.
The tension between them was instant and she barely knew where to look or even how to hold her hands. Suddenly her whole body felt like it had been awakened and was out of control. She felt awkward and gawky, like she needed to be doing something with her limbs or she would look uncomfortable.
Lynx smiled and leaned in closer.
“Relax,” he hissed and exhaled a plume of smoke down the side of her neck.
“Sorry,” she blushed. “I just, I…”
“You’ve never been here before?” he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Tammy shook her head and smiled sheepishly.
“I’ve only met Lexi twice, but she seems pretty wild,” he said. “You don’t seem like that to me at all… You’ve got an innocent quality about you.”
Tammy felt the blood rush into her cheeks, and she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She dug her toe into the ground and twisted it.
“Maybe I should get going,” she said before she looked down the hallway to find King and Lexi, but they had disappeared.
“No way,” Lynx said, taking another step towards her. “We don’t get pretty little things like you in here every day.” He winked, and Tammy suddenly didn’t feel so intimidated by him anymore.
“Well, what’s in it for me if I stay?” Tammy challenged as she popped her hip and looked up at him with a grin. She had never been so brave before and didn’t know where her nerve had come from, but there was something about Lynx that appealed to her wild side, and she was eager
to let him coax more out of her.
“How about I get you something to drink?” he suggested as he pulled the door to the room behind him closed and reached into his pocket for a set of keys to lock it.
Down the end of the corridor, Lexi and King appeared from a closet and called to them.
“I’m taking Lex over to the clubhouse,” King said. “Let Sasha know she won’t be on the bar tonight.”
Lynx nodded and Lexi called down to Tammy, “Will you be okay?”
Even though she didn’t want her friend to leave her there, there was no way she was going to pass up on the opportunity to have a drink with a good-looking man.
She smiled and giggled, “I’m sure Lynx will look after me.”
Lynx looked down at her with a wide smile on his face and hooked an arm around her shoulder.
“She’ll be safe with me,” he called down to King and Lexi.
When Lexi and King left, Tammy felt her pulse quicken again. Now she really was alone there, and even though it was the last thing she’d been expecting, she was determined to enjoy it.
“So,” she smiled shyly at Lynx, “how about that drink?”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her through the bustling crowd. The men and women who were in The Bleeding Bullet all seemed to have a dark edge, and she moved between them all cautiously, not wanting to make eye contact in case she angered any of them. Tammy had lived such a quiet life, and she had been so innocent and sheltered that stepping into this kind of world was completely alien and nerve-racking.
Lynx pushed his way through the crowd and pulled Tammy in front of him so she was wedged up against the bar. He slammed his huge hands down on the counter top in front of her, and it was like she was in a cage. He had her pinned there, and although it felt strange to be so dominated by someone she had just met, it also made her feel unbelievably safe. She felt a rush of desire roll through her, and she bit her lip as Lynx leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Tammy… Tammy… Tammy…”
She couldn’t help but smile. Just hearing him say her name was driving her wild, and she had to squeeze her legs together to stop herself from being overcome with lust.
“Whiskey?” he whispered. “It’s pretty much the only thing we drink around here.”
“I’ll trust your judgment,” she replied without turning her head.
He was sniffing the side of her neck, and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She was desperate to turn to look at him properly, but she knew the second they locked eyes, something would change between them. It was such a strange feeling for her to feel so instantly connected to another person. Especially a man. Tammy had spent most of her life avoiding the opposite sex, but it seemed that the second she had opened her heart up to the possibility, she walked into the most unlikely place and met someone like Lynx.
“So,” he said as he motioned to the girl behind the bar and ordered their drinks, “where have you been hiding? And what made you come down here tonight?”
She felt herself blushing again and knew she couldn’t avoid his eyes for much longer.
“I guess I’ve never really had a reason to come over here before,” she whispered.
“Well, sweetheart,” Lynx said as he took hold of her chin lightly with the tips of his fingers and urged her face up gently to his, “you sure as hell do now.”
4.
As she stared into his eyes, she realized she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone. That scared her, but even if she had wanted to run away, there was no way he was going to let her. Lynx was so strong, so powerful, so dominant… He pinned her there against the bar, and the scent of his cologne mixed in with the booze and smoke was the biggest turn-on Tammy had ever known. He gripped her chin and moved his mouth closer to hers so their lips grazed… Was this actually even happening? Was she dreaming?
“I suppose I do…” she whispered, desperate for his lips to lock with hers.
He seemed to hold her there for an eternity, teasing her with the promise of a kiss she so badly wanted but was too afraid to ask for or take for herself. A wicked smile danced across his lips and his blue eyes pierced into her own. She felt her knees trembling and she gripped onto the bar top, redirecting her energy out through her fingertips so she wouldn’t hurl herself at him.
“No Lexi tonight?” the girl on the bar called to Lynx from behind them.
He let go of Tammy’s chin and moved away from her slightly. Her heart instantly hit the floor, and she turned to glare at the girl behind the bar.
“Hey, Sasha,” he said. “No, King had to take her somewhere.”
The girl nodded and returned Tammy’s evil gaze. For someone timid and nice, she sure was feeling angry and protective over having that moment with Lynx taken away from her.
“Hey,” he said, grasping hold of two glasses of whiskey from the side of the bar. “How about we go and sit down?”
Her heart was pounding, and she suddenly had the overwhelming urge to be as far away from Sasha as possible.
“Sure,” she smiled.
She followed him through the crowd and to a table in a quieter corner of the room. Tammy waited for him to place the drinks down and let him pull the chair out for her. She sat down and he sat opposite her, but he pulled her chair close to his so their legs were almost entwined.
“So,” he said before taking a sip of his drink, “tell me something about you.”
Tammy gazed off into the distance. It was so loud in there, she was finding it hard to gather her thoughts, and she had no idea what she could tell him that wouldn’t instantly bore him and make him wish he were speaking with someone a lot more exciting.
“There’s not much to tell…” she admitted.
“I don’t believe that for a second.” He slipped an arm around the back of her chair so they were even closer.
Her mind raced. What could she say?
“Honestly, I live a very quiet life,” she smiled sheepishly.
“But you’re friends with wild Lexi?” He raised an eyebrow as if he was mocking her.
“Well, they say opposites attract,” she shrugged.
“Don’t they just…” Lynx grinned.
She felt herself blushing again and she combed a strand of hair behind her ear with her fingertips.
“Well, okay, I work as a waitress…” she began. “My dad owns the hardware store in town. My mom died when I was little so he and my brother raised me. I’ve lived here my whole life… Not much more to say.” She took a sip of the whiskey and nearly gagged at how strong it was.
When she looked up and met Lynx’s eyes, she saw something in them that she could only recognize as sadness. She waited for him to speak, but he didn’t. She was sure that she could see tears clouding his vision, but he blinked them away.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she reached out and rested her hand on his knee.
He blinked again and smiled. “Sure,” he said quickly, and then he looked over his shoulder and into the crowd.
She didn’t know what she had said or done, but something had changed between them.
“I’m sorry,” she said with confusion. “Did I say something?”
Lynx smiled and got to his feet.
“Listen,” he said, “I better get back to the office…” He scratched the back of his neck, and Tammy felt fire roll through her. He was brushing her off.
She got to her feet too, and they stood face to face for a moment before she turned on her heel and began to shove her way through the crowd.
She felt so stupid… So goddamn stupid… What was she thinking? She was nothing like those people! Of course a man like Lynx wasn’t going to be interested in a boring little good girl like her!
She pushed her way between some people and found herself being shoved back in return. The tears were welling up behind her own eyes, and her vision was blurry.
She had to get out of there.
The booze had made her dizzy, and after she finally reached the doo
r and pushed it open, she gasped and breathed in a lung full of cool, outside air to try and revive herself.
She felt as if the whole world was looking at her, and she staggered down the steps in a haze of embarrassment and fear as she jogged quietly between the swarm of bikes, bikers, and cops and made her way quickly to her car.
She fumbled for her keys, and when she found them, she jabbed them into the lock and opened it as fast as she could. When she climbed inside and locked the doors behind her, she sighed and realized she was shaking.
“What the hell just happened?” she said as she looked at her hands. They trembled in front of her, and she knew she was going to have to wait a moment to compose herself. Her head was spinning, and she had no idea what she had done wrong or why she had freaked out so much when Lynx seemed to be giving her the brush off… All she knew was that she was so embarrassed and she would never have anything to do with the bikers ever again.
She ran her hands through her hair and exhaled loudly before she slipped the keys into the ignition and started the engine. She pulled away from the curb and began to turn around in a mess of bikes and cops as they gathered in the road and seemed to be building towards some kind of confrontation. Tammy started to panic as she fought with the steering wheel and desperately tried to get the hell out of there.
As she finally managed to turn the car around and put it into drive, she took a quick look over her shoulder and to her surprise, she saw Lynx. He was standing on the steps of the bar, watching her pull away.
She turned and ignored him as she drove off into the night. Her heart was still thumping and her mind was racing with confusion and embarrassment. She had thought that he had been interested in her… Everything he had done and said pointed to that, but then it was like a switch flipped and he couldn’t wait to get away.
She reached for the radio and turned it on just to take her mind off it all. She felt so mortified. How could she have been so stupid?
