by Jayne Blue
“Knock it off, asshole,” Tiny said, but he was smiling.
“We needed this,” Colt said. He couldn’t be more right. The last couple of months had brought some turmoil that could have hit us in the bank accounts hard. Tiny had been shot right outside the Den. Thank God no one had been more seriously hurt and it had happened when the bar was closed. But word got around. We weren’t exactly a family joint, but this place thrived on the singles crowd. If women didn’t feel safe here, we were dead. So far, we hadn’t suffered too much from the bad PR and Colt’s marketing plan had helped save us on that score. He was good. Maybe too good for the role he served in the club. There might come a point soon where we might have to have a conversation on where best to use his talents. But, for now, with Dex gone, that could wait.
“Quitting time,” I said. “Let’s go out and celebrate.”
The door to my office swung open and Big John poked his head in. John was five foot four with a slight build. He was also one of the toughest sons of bitches I’d ever met. “Prez,” he said. “Sawyer told me to give you a heads up. There’s a chick out here he thinks came for you.”
I smiled and hooked my hands behind my head. “They all come for me, don’t they?”
Big John smirked and Colt coughed some asshole remark under his breath. Tiny just wheezed out a laugh. “Sawyer said you guys ran into her the other day, over at Benny’s.”
Heat flashed through me and the smile left my face as I shot a look to Colt. I nodded to Big John. “Thanks, man. I’ll be out in a second. Tell Sawyer to keep an eye on her and come get me if she tries to leave.”
The mention of Benny’s made me uneasy. I hadn’t learned anything new about who might have tampered with my bike. Benny couldn’t tell me how long his security cameras had been out and none of his employees had anything helpful to add about anyone snooping around. I had a friend in the sheriff’s department running some off-book background checks on everyone who worked for Benny in the last six months but so far nothing had turned up. We’d reached out to a few of our ally M.C.s and no one knew anything. The Pagano family had moved out of Green Bluff for good and I just had a gut sense they weren’t involved anyway. For now, I tended to trust it.
“Go ahead,” Colt said. “Like you said, it’s quitting time. Time for you to blow off some steam and celebrate my financial genius. Tell you what, first round’s on me.”
I stood up and gave Colt a good smack on the arm. Then I headed out into the bar. We were packed with a good Saturday night crowd. There was a fight on later, the undercard for which the club sponsored. This was our biggest money maker next to the Wolf Den. The Great Wolves Gym was now a nationwide chain and we had a few solid MMA fighters about to contend for a 21st Century Fighting League title.
But none of that interested me just at the moment. Instead, my eyes were drawn to the front of the bar. Sawyer was in the process of leaping over the bar one handed. The girl from Benny’s was in the middle of two guys and she didn’t look right. Her head lolled to the side. Then she started to go down.
Fuck.
I shoved three guys out of the way and upended a table before I got to her. Sawyer and I got there almost together with Colt right behind. The girl managed to land a wicked right hook on the bridge of one of the asshole’s noses before she went down. I caught her and pulled her out of the melee as Sawyer and Colt went to town on the guys who’d manhandled her. A couple of the patrons paused to look but not for more than a second. This was nothing more than a small curiosity. They were a hell of a lot more interested in the fight on the screen and everyone who knew me understood this would be over in about two seconds.
I let out a sharp whistle but the other bouncers were already in motion. One of the assholes tried to make a break for the front door but Colt dove for him and grabbed him around the knees. The guy fell down hard, smacking his chin. Damn. Colt could have a career in the cage if he ever got tired of dealing with beer distributors.
I held the girl in my arms. Her breathing was strong, but she was out cold. When I saw her the other day at Benny’s she’d been stunning. Tonight, it was like the air had left the room. Her thick hair hung straight down her back and brushed the floor, like a real-life Rapunzel. She’d traded her cutoff jeans for a red dress that hugged her curves and showed off her toned arms. She came into a place like this looking like that? Chum for sharks. That said, she didn’t deserve any of this. I felt sick thinking what might have happened if Sawyer hadn’t spotted her.
Her eyelids fluttered. She had thick lashes and a full, sexy mouth. She wore gold hoop earrings in her small, delicate ears and I had the urge to taste her there. Her chest heaved up and down and I couldn’t help it: my balls tightened a little as I watched her breathe. But, thank Christ, she was breathing. I got her on her feet and tried to help her stand. She took a wobbling step forward then crumpled in my arms. I slid my arm under her knees and lifted her. She wasn’t completely out. She sighed and her head dropped against my shoulder.
Sawyer was at my side. “Sawyer,” I barked. “What’d you serve her?”
She slumped against me, her luscious curves pressed against my chest and it was all I could do to focus on the trouble at hand. Even half in the bag she pulled off sexy. Sawyer ran to the end of the bar.
“That was her second beer,” he said.
I didn’t like what I was hearing one bit. It didn’t add up for it to be affecting her this quick and this hard. Unless ...
“Son of a bitch. They fucking roofied her. Did you throw those guys out?”
Sawyer shook his head. “Colt and Big John took them into your office.”
I nodded and adjusted my weight to keep the girl from slipping out of my arms. “Good. Keep ’em there. Tell Colt he needs to get ’em to tell him what they gave her. If she doesn’t come around in a minute or two we need to call an ambulance.”
Seriously, fuck. We were starting to draw a crowd and it was the last thing I wanted. Shit like this and my clientele would find somewhere else to spend their money. I shot a look to Sawyer.
“On it,” he mouthed. He crossed the bar and opened the door next to my office that led to the upper apartments. Sawyer kept an eye out as I carried her up as fast as I could. Luckily the main event was just about to start on the big screens so most of the patrons had made their way to the back.
I heaved the girl’s limp body higher in my arms and got her up the stairs. Sawyer held the door open to one of the spare rooms. I didn’t live here, but I kept a room anyway. You never know when you’re going to need a safe place to hide out. I set the girl on the bed. She was upright but listing hard to the left. I snapped my fingers in front of her face. My heart raced. God, if those pricks did any serious damage, I was going to kill them.
“You with me, beautiful?”
She lifted her head. I snapped my fingers again. She had trouble keeping her neck straight but her eyes were on me.
“Mr. Cullah Cullinan.” Her words slurred but her eyes were focused. That was a damn good sign.
There was commotion at the door. Mo McGillivray stood in the doorway with her hands crossed in front of her. Mo was pretty much the club matriarch. She dated Charlie Brogan. Retired now, Charlie was the last of the Great Wolves originals. He’d founded the club with my uncle, Blackie Murphy. Mo, like most of the rest of us, was full-blooded Irish except she’d actually grown up there. She’d survived Belfast in the sixties and seventies and there wasn’t a whole lot that shocked her or she couldn’t handle.
Mo came to kneel next to me and she put a gentle hand on the girl’s face. “You in there, dearie? You know where you are?”
Her pretty nose wrinkled as she took in Mo. Hell, even on a good day, that might give someone pause. Mo was four foot eleven in heels, had a shock of red ringlets framing her face and a high-pitched voice that never quite matched her drill-sergeant demeanor.
She looked from me to Mo then back again. She giggled. “Pack of wolves,” she answered before her head lolled
back. I caught her just before she keeled over the edge of the bed.
“Get her feet up,” Mo said.
I picked her up again and laid her down on the bed. She looked up at me with a dreamy expression and I had the thought I wouldn’t mind waking up to that face under better circumstances. She arched her back as I settled her against the pillow and I couldn’t help but ogle her perfect, round tits. They were only about two inches from my face. The other day I thought they might be fake. But up close I knew they were the real deal.
“Ease up, ya beast.” Mo slugged me in the arm. She pushed me aside and got in the girl’s face. “Darlin’, you feel like going to the hospital or doing this the old-fashioned way?”
“Huh?” She tried to sit up but clutched at the sheets like she thought she might float off them.
“Get the bowl, Samuel,” Mo barked to me. She only called me by my real name when she wanted to brain me. Colt came back and he was already on it. He stood in the doorway with one of Mo’s big plastic salad bowls. He thrust it in her hand and Mo got a hand behind the girl’s neck.
“Your finger or mine, sweet cheeks?” Mo said. She had enough of her faculties to raise her brows in horror, then nod with understanding. She leaned over and stuck her finger down her throat. Mo patted her on the back. She wretched just once and that was all it took. Mo was ready with the bowl.
Things moved pretty quickly after that. Mo thumped her on the back again but she raised her head and nodded. “What’s your name, honey?”
“I’m okay,” she said, her voice raspy. “It’s Scarlett.”
Scarlett. It was perfect.
“Thatta girl,” Mo said. “You’ll be feeling right in no time. Now, we’re gonna get some broth in you. You wait here.”
Mo shot a withering stare at me. “Can I trust ye not to molest the girl for five minutes while I whip up my hangover soup?”
Mo’s hangover soup was legendary. None of us knew exactly what she put in it. Broth, for sure. And something she called “special vitamins.” I suspected it was part hair of the dog and God knows what else. But whatever it was she’d brought many a drunk biker around over the years. Scarlett was in good hands.
I raised my palm. “She’s safe, Mo. I’ll keep both feet on the floor.”
Mo raised a brow and put a hand on her hip. “I’m thinking you can get into a hell of a lot of trouble that way too unless you’re doing it wrong. I’ll have to trust you for the time being.”
She gave me another swat on the arm and charged back out of the room.
I went to Scarlett. She’d more or less heaved herself into a sitting position. She slid her long legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand.
“Whoa there, cowgirl,” I said, getting my hands on her shoulders and gently helping her back down. “Why don’t you take a minute and let Mo come back and do her magic.”
“Magic Mo.”
“You sure you’re all right?” I squatted down so I had her at eye level. Scarlett’s were clear and focused on me. They were lovely. Hazel. Green with brown and gold flecks. Her mascara smudged a little under her lashes. I lifted the corner of my shirt and wiped gently under her eyes.
She smiled and put a light hand on my arm. “I don’t want you to get the impression I need that much saving.”
“I’m having a hard time thinking you do. I saw your right hook.”
Scarlett’s sultry laugh turned into a belch and I couldn’t help but chuckle. She raised the back of her hand to her mouth. “Did I hit him? I thought maybe I did. Was it a good one?”
I laughed. Relief washed over me. Whatever they’d given her seemed already mostly out of her system. Mo was a fucking guardian angel. “I think you broke his nose. I’ve got ’em downstairs in the office. We’ll talk about what to do with them in a minute.”
Scarlett nodded and belched again. “You think maybe Magic Mo could also hook me up with some mouthwash?”
“We run a full service shop here,” I said. “I’ve got you covered. Bathroom over there is stocked better than a hotel.”
“Great.” She put a hand to her forehead. “I don’t know how that creep did it. I never left the bar. Never left my drink.”
“I’m going to see if there’s anything on the security tapes. We’ll file a police report.”
Scarlett put up a hand. Her eyes went wide. I didn’t know her well enough to read her, but if I had to guess the idea scared her. “Thank you. But won’t that be trouble for you? I mean ... Green Bluff is pretty small. Wouldn’t something like that make local news or at least get around? That can’t be good for your reputation or the bar.”
I shrugged. “That’s nothing you need to worry about.”
“Well, all I’m saying is you don’t have to put yourself out, or your business out, on my account. I’m okay. No harm no foul.”
“So Scarlett, huh?” I said. “Seems like you already know it, but my name is Sly.” My cock stirred as she ran her hands down her hips, smoothing her dress. Shit. Even in her current condition she oozed sex appeal. Her breasts strained a little against the top of her dress and she leaned forward a little, pulling the fabric even tighter. I shook my head and blinked hard. This was not the time to be having those kinds of thoughts. Except it was damn hard not to.
“So what made you stop in Green Bluff?” I asked. “Most people just tend to pass through.”
“I don’t look local?” She hiccupped.
Mo came back carrying a steaming mug of her hangover soup. She narrowed her eyes at me in warning as she set it on the nightstand next to me. With just the set of her stern jaw, I took her meaning. Hands off tonight. I shot her a look back. I’m not an asshole.
Mo rolled her eyes and shook her head as she walked out. She left the door to the hallway open.
“Is she your mother? She seems like your mother.”
I laughed. “Call her a den mother. Mo kind of comes with the place.”
I reached over and handed Scarlett the mug. She looked skeptical at first but I tipped the bottom up and she brought it to her lips. Her eyes widened as the warm, soothing liquid went down. She peered into the mug before she set it back down.
“Some kind of Irish witch’s brew?”
I laughed and took a seat on the bed next to her. “That sounds pretty fucking close to accurate. Works like crazy though. It’ll clear your head in no time.”
I raised a brow at her. I wanted to keep her talking. One, because I was growing to love the smoky quality of her voice. Two, the more she talked, the more she seemed able to shake off the effects of whatever drug was left in her system. “So you didn’t answer the question about what why you stopped in Green Bluff. Not too many new people come in or out of here that I don’t know about. So, you could be visiting someone. Or maybe you’re really just in the market for a ride, like you said. In which case somebody tipped you off that Benny’s is the best place to go in the whole state.”
Scarlett nodded and downed the last of her broth. “Boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend. Dragged me out here for some business deal in Sacramento that never happened. We were headed up to Portland afterwards and I wanted to take the scenic route.”
“Ex?”
She shrugged. “Tired of his business deals never happening so I cut him loose. He’s the one who wanted to check out Benny’s on the way up the coast. For himself. I figured getting something for me would be a little piece of sweet justice now that it looks like he’s going to be broke for a little while longer.”
“Is that candy red Mustang you drove his or yours?”
Scarlett arched a brow at me. “You don’t miss much. No. That was his.”
I shot her a smile.
“What?” she said. I liked the way her nose wrinkled as she looked a little perplexed.
“I’m just damn glad you do have a killer right hook. I don’t want to think about what might have happened if you didn’t catch Sawyer’s attention.”
She gave me that low laugh again and it set my blood humming.
Then she shot me a bashful smile and raised her shoulders. “Girl’s got to protect her virtue somehow. There aren’t always going to be strapping men like you around to rush in and smolder.”
“Smolder? Baby, I’m just getting started.”
She winked and nodded at me, swaying a little on the bed. “I think maybe you better call me a cab.”
“No chance. You got jacked up in my club. We’ll take care of you. Better than any hotel, just like I said. I’ll get you a toothbrush and something to sleep in.” I had to damn near bite my tongue not to express my next thought. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see just what Scarlett slept in. What I wanted to sleep in was her. My jeans started to feel uncomfortable and I shifted on the bed.
A huge cheer rose up, vibrating through the floorboards. A sure sign that one of our MMA fighters was having a very good night. I pumped my fist. Scarlett put a hand on my knee. Her eyes searched my face. I don’t know what she was looking for but I hope she found it.
“Are you one of the good guys?” she asked. The moment she said it, the color left her cheeks and I had the impression she hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Her eyes searched my face and something haunted her behind them. I wanted to kiss her. Bend her over. Make her stop thinking about anything but me. But it wasn’t right. Not yet. I wanted her sober and begging for it.
“Probably not,” I finally answered. She leaned forward a little and cocked her head. I swear I think she was working out whether she wanted to kiss me. Fuck. The things I wanted to do with that mouth of hers.
Even with her eyes a little bloodshot and most of her makeup on my shirt, she was gorgeous. Fuck, give me a chance and I’d have her moaning my name. Except if I tried it tonight, Mo would brain me and I’m not that big a dick. Strong as she seemed to be, those shit heels assaulted her in my bar. I didn’t need to join their ranks. I curled my fists at my side. She didn’t want cops and that was fine. I’d make sure Colt and Sawyer taught them the lesson they needed to learn in broken bones and a little bit of blood.
Scarlett cradled my jaw with a light hand and searched my face with her eyes again. Her brow furrowed but then her face relaxed into a smile. It took every ounce of restraint I had not to pull her against me. But I was careful to let her control everything. She finally let me go, her sweet lips curved into a smile.
