by Nicole Snow
“My father was a lot like them once. Different branch of public service, sure, but he wore a uniform and would probably sneak off to places like this with his friends back when he was on the force. After my mother died, I mean.”
Jesus, what the hell was wrong with me? Why was I thinking about what daddy did in his off hours, much less going to strip clubs?
“That's the way it goes with real men. They might wear different uniforms, but if the heart underneath it's true, then that's what really matters.” Meg nodded sagely, as if she had a burning need to reinforce her own words so I'd believe them. She eyed the small ring on her hand.
Yeah, about that...daddy hadn't been true underneath. He'd gotten himself in deep trouble, handed me to these rough men who wore a different sort of uniform before I got killed, and left this world like a coward.
It still hurt to think of him that way. I hadn't even asked about his ashes, or what happened to our old house after I'd heard about the men on my trail ransacking it. Everything hurt too much.
“I'm talking about the outlaws,” Meg said, studying the pain in my eyes. “They're good men, even Firefly. I wouldn't be walking around wearing Skin's name if it weren't true.”
“These are the guys I was always told to stay away from. I respected the badge, and always did what my father told me.” I shook my head, turning toward the loud hollers coming through the curtain. “I still can't believe it sometimes, the fact that I'm stuck living like this. Can you think of anything worse?”
“Easily.” Her face darkened, and she turned around, walking toward the little office she used for running the place.
Something urged me to follow her. She didn't shut me out, and waved me into an empty chair when I followed her into the small, cluttered brain controlling the Ruby Heel.
“What happened to you?” It just came out of my mouth. “I see the kind of clothes you wear and the way you talk...you're a rich, educated woman. You're a misfit in this world, just like I am, aren't you?”
“I was thrown into it, the same as you. My family gave me everything. Easy, when you're born to the most powerful businessman in East Tennessee. I grew up spoiled, and acted out plenty. It got me in deep shit when I ran into the wrong man in the mountains.” She looked down at her finely painted nails, always hot red or jade green, except they were a little chipped today.
“He took me. Enslaved me. Forced me to do despicable things with strangers. I was going to be auctioned off. The bastard whored me out, ruined my hope, made me wish every day I'd die in my sleep. Until one day a big, beautiful biker man came, and promised me the world. Skin saved me, Cora, in more ways than one.”
My heart sank. I hurt for the pain in her voice, the half-forgotten agony just oozing out of her.
I bled for myself, too.
Suddenly, I had an inkling how much worse it could be. My tragedy wasn't unique, and I hated it.
Nobody was looking out for me. Nobody cared. Dust, he made a lot of moves to keep me from dying because of his promises to my father, but he didn't know me.
He didn't care, beyond carrying out his mission. No one did, save for one man.
“And you decided to stay?” I asked. “After he helped you, I mean?”
“Well, obviously.” Meg smiled. “This is my world now. Sure, growing up in a nice family and screwing around without a care in the world seemed like heaven, a long, long time ago. But this is where I really belong, running my own life, at the side of a man I love and owe my life to. We're engaged to be married soon. It's going to be the best day of my life.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
She folded her hands and leaned forward, staring into my eyes. “Because I want you to be more than just a drone. There's more to this life than just working and going home with the same sour look on your face, Cora.”
“Uh, it's not like I'm able to go bar hopping all over town with the target that's on my back. Supposedly.”
“I know,” Meg said quietly. “But it won't be forever. One day, you'll be a free woman. You can hang this up, go back to teaching, and forget all the punches you've taken this past month. Or you can own this world, carve a piece of it for yourself, and find out what you're truly made of. You can kick ass, but you don't have to do it alone. The choice is yours.”
I fought the urge to stand up, walk right out of her office, and slam the door so fucking hard my wrist snapped. I didn't come here looking for sisterly advice from this woman who was barely older than me, and wasn't much closer than a stranger.
Still, I respected what she'd suffered. I promised myself I wouldn't leave making a scene.
“Are we done here?” I said slowly, tasting the bitter cut of every word.
“Yeah. Go finish your shift and ride home with the man who's protecting you. If anything I said here today matters, don't tell me about it. Show me.”
I stepped outside and gently closed the door behind me, resisting the urge to smash it. It would've been a nice substitute for the urge to obliterate all the screwed up shards of my life.
I wasn't fooling anyone, though. Not even myself.
Being a bitch to Meg after she'd tried to have a heart-to-heart wouldn't make things easier. It wouldn't drain the feelings I had for Firefly, or set me free.
That was up to me, and nobody else. My shift went by in a blur, hustling the girls out to the firefighters and the other drunks. By the end of the night, I was smiling.
I couldn't wait for him. Almost looked forward to hearing the growl of Firefly's motorcycle, or maybe just the rumble of his voice.
We'd sort this out, little by little, just like the mess in my own head.
* * * *
“Ma'am, I only had one backstage, honest!” A skinny brunette named Velvet clutched her cigarettes to her chest, as if I'd reach for her bare tits and snatch them away.
That's exactly what I did a second later. The girls had all bought my legend since I'd lashed out at Trig. I stuffed them into my pocket and let her tumble backwards before I shot her a sharp look.
“Take it up with Megan. You know the rules – no junk, not even the legal stuff, while you're on the clock. The club could also get fined. Employment regulations, and all that. I'll keep these for now. If Meg says you can have them back, well, that's up to her. Go!”
I pointed toward my boss' office. Velvet pouted, but she moved, clicking her high heels against the wooden floor.
The clock overhead ticked on. Fifteen more minutes.
“Holy shit. Cora fuckin' Chase?”
I whirled around and faced the gravely, slurred voice. A tall, older man I didn't recognize at first stood backstage, a tall beer in his hand.
Not his first, judging by the way he swayed while he looked at me.
“Tony Pearson?” I squeaked, vaguely recognizing the deadbeat dad. Mister Fisher had a lot of trouble with him in class, always getting into parent-teacher shouting matches over the phone when his kid, Billy, flunked quizzes.
“Yeah, fuck yeah. When did you turn into such a big slut? Shit, Billy said you'd disappeared, stopped teaching altogether. Real big mystery...”
I pursed my lips. “That isn't what's going on here. Hey – stay back!”
I held out my hands. The drunk wasn't deterred. He moved, coming towards me, backing me against the tall dresser Velvet had just abandoned.
“Hot little cunt. Always knew you had a nasty side when I saw you, coming to the school to deal with that prick over Billy's shit. Fuck, how 'bout a couple kisses, princess? We'll call it payback for all those times you made me shit my pants over those fuckin' Fs you slapped on his papers!”
“You shouldn't be back here! Get out, before I call security.”
The bastard grabbed me. His hands went all over, moving rough and sloppy. He went for my breasts, between my legs, through my hair.
Help! I looked around desperately, but I was all alone. The girls were all on break or else out on the floor, doing their acts.
He reached und
er my shirt, tearing at the blouse so hard I lost several buttons. I screamed, but the beat of the music through the curtain was too loud, drowning out everything except raw bass and wailing guitars.
“Get. Off!” I pushed him as hard as I could, but there wasn't any leverage. He'd thrown me across the dresser and his gut was too big, holding me down, slowly pushing his way between my legs while he felt up my skirt.
“Shuddup. You like it rough, we can play rough!” He pulled my hair so hard it nearly ripped.
Goddamn it. This was going to ruin everything.
Even if somebody came back here and stopped him before something awful happened, I'd lose everything I'd built with the girls. Gossip ran deep in these circles. They wouldn't listen to a woman who'd been shredded by a drunken, stupid, dirty old bastard like him.
I wasn't going down like this. Hell no!
My teeth sank into his arm. He reared up, shaking me off with a roar, bringing his entire arm into the blow that landed on my cheek.
He hit me three times – or at least that's what I could count before I felt myself being dragged under.
Then the heavy weight against me lifted. I blinked, staring through the darkness, and saw Tony's bulk lifted high into the air like he had wires pulling him up from the ceiling.
He flew through the air and hit the floor. His body made several loud snaps. The broken ribs must've winded him. When he opened his mouth to scream, nothing would come out, and it was too late by the time Firefly's boot started ramming his gut.
“Drunken sack of shit! You stay the fuck off her and apologize if you wanna crawl outta here alive!” His hatred was the only thing harsh enough to cut through the music growling all around us.
The deadbeat choked, sputtered, and wrinkled his face into a brutal grimace with every kick. Against my better instincts, I ran up, desperately wrapping myself around Firefly's neck, trying to reach him before he killed the asshole.
“Firefly, don't! You'll get us all in deep trouble if you don't just let him go.” I pulled on his shoulders hard, digging my nails in, trying to get his attention. “You hurt him. Bad. That's what he deserves. I'm satisfied.”
“Yeah? Well, fuck, babe, I'm not!” Another brutal hook hit in the drunkard's gut.
Tony was barely conscious now, staring up at me over Firefly's shoulder. Begging, without words.
Please. Stop him. He's gonna fucking kill me.
“What the hell is going on out here?” Meg came storming out with Velvet at her side, her phone in one hand. “Jesus, Firefly, stop! This man needs an ambulance.”
“Stop kicking the shit outta the sorry, stupid fuck who tried to hurt Cora, you mean?”
My boss' eyes went wide. She looked at me while the stripper at her side wisely slunk away.
“It's true. He snuck backstage. Asshole was already drunk by the time he wandered back here. He recognized me. His kid used to be in one of the classes I helped with...he pushed me up against the dresser over there, tried to force himself on me...”
Firefly's fists twitched. I could tell he was just a second away from tackling the beaten demon on the ground, finishing him off. I grabbed his arm, jerked it into me, and mouthed a phrase when he finally looked at me, his blue eyes on fire.
No! You've hurt him enough. Please hold back, Firefly. For me.
I couldn't find the strength to say the words. So, I thought them, and hoped he'd understand, if only I touched him the right way.
With a growl, he nodded. Meg's shoe hit the ground with a resounding whack, and we both looked at her.
“God. Damn. It!” She furiously tapped her phone, eyeballing us every other second. “I'm going to have to let Skin know. It won't be easy talking our way out of this one, if this man decides to press charges, or does something worse.”
On the ground, Tony groaned, rolling into a fetal position. Firefly crouched, gave him a slap across the face, and looked dead into his eyes.
“You hear the woman, asshole? Huh?” He wrapped his fingers around the asshole's neck, and didn't let up until Tony nodded. “Good. I'll tell you exactly what's gonna happen here. We'll have you hauled off breathing in a little bit. You'll have some down time and some big fucking bills for me busting you up. I swear to Christ, you'll smile at every one of 'em, without so much as a peep about how you can't handle it. You're never stepping foot in this club again, motherfucker. If you so much as see an attorney for a free consult, you will see me again. I'll finish everything we started tonight. And you'll lose your chances to drink another fuckin' drop of booze when I cut your tongue out, or jack that worthless little stump between your legs when my blade takes it off, too.”
Firefly reached near his belt. In a flash, his switchblade came out. He held it firm, cold, and menacing against the drunkard's throat.
“We got an understanding? Tell me now. I need to know, before the medics our girl's calling make their way here. Hurry the fuck up!”
Tony nodded, vigorously, his eyes bulging. I'd never seen panic dancing so wildly in anyone's eyes before. Not since daddy, but this time there was no sympathy. No mercy.
Satisfied, Firefly put the knife away, and stood up, giving the beaten animal on the ground one more look of utter contempt.
“Best fucking timing in the whole damned world. Showed up a little early to pick you up, trying to smooth things over.”
I nodded, and walked with him past Meg. They ushered us away with a furious wave, desperate to get us out of there so she could handle the backstage mess we'd left her.
It wasn't until we were outside that I noticed I still had my arm linked tight with Firefly's. He'd saved me for the second time. All the worries and fears I'd had just hours ago melted away in a shot of adrenaline and a chaser of warm, manly body heat.
The thunder in his eyes flashed again as he reluctantly let go, helping me onto his bike. We'd have words at the apartment, no two ways about it.
Unlike before, I was ready.
Lord, I was ready for anything.
* * * *
“You hungry? Saw this morning we're running low on groceries. We can stop off in town and pick a few things up, if you want.”
I shook my head, hugging him close as we rode down the dark, shadowy streets. It seemed like summer would never come. These spring nights still chilled me to the bone.
I'd have frozen if it weren't for his body heat. I put my face into his shoulder and breathed his rough, masculine scent, wondering what the hell I was doing.
None of this was right. Sheriffs' daughters weren't meant to savor outlaws' heat.
No matter how crooked daddy was, I shouldn't have been riding so close, imagining all the ways he could fling my body around on the bed. I'd never craved anyone as badly as I did Firefly that moment, and it scared the hell out of me.
The ride went by in no time flat. When I opened my eyes, we were back at the apartment, his engine rumbling to a cold stop. He stood up, reached for my hand, and yanked the helmet off my head.
“Last call for better food, or it's pizza tonight, babe.”
“Whatever works.” I felt like a schoolgirl with a stupid crush following him inside.
Damn, why did I feel anything after he'd tried to push me away earlier this week? After he jerked down my pants like he owned my body, smashed his hand against my ass, growling in my ear...
Wet didn't begin to describe the ache between my thighs. No, this desire leaked out of me, caused me to lick my lips secretly while my pussy throbbed, praying to be filled.
Everything pulsed open, slick and wanting, even when I watched him do something mundane like climb up the stairs in front of me. The big, beautiful biker always towered over me. I watched his muscles flex while he climbed, his skin scrawled with the menacing inks I'd see in my most feverish dreams.
Jesus, girl. Keep it together, I told myself. You were almost taken against your will back there.
Nothing sexy about it. I don't care if the sexiest man alive just saved you from getting tainted by
a nasty goblin...
Aw, shit. Maybe it matters after all.
Yes, yes I do.
I care. I care about feeling him, tasting him, having him, dammit. More than I'll ever admit.
Down the little hallway, Firefly stopped, jamming his key into the lock and popping the door. He gave me a sharp look, caught me chewing my lip.
I wanted to sink right through the floor. My veins were still swimming in adrenaline, all the shocks I'd suffered over this unbelievable month stacked against me, plus the latest humiliations tonight.
The door jerked open, and he ushered me in. I headed right for the couch while he pulled out his phone, trying to find somewhere to grab dinner from.
He snorted, and I stared, causing him to look up. “Text from Skin. Says that worthless piece of shit I stomped at the Heel's been carted off. Stupid motherfuck had better remember what I said about keeping his damned lips shut...”
“You did plenty, Firefly. You saved me.” I only realized how big and watery my eyes felt when he gave the floor a soft kick.
“Shit, I'm no hero, Cora. Quit looking at me like that.” He paused, locking my eyes with his. “Did the only decent thing a man should when he walks in on something like that. If Skin's old lady hadn't showed up in time, I'd have killed the fuck and dropped his sorry carcass in the woods. Wrong timing.”
“No.” I stood up, walked over, and put my hands gently on his shoulders. “You did everything you could, Firefly. The timing was perfect. You've given me a second chance, or maybe this is my third. Honestly, I've lost count, but I appreciate all you've tried to do for me. I know I haven't been the most pleasant...”
“Babe, you've been fine.” He reached up, grabbed my hand, and pulled it to his face.
Before either of us knew what was happening, his stubble grazed my skin. He kissed my hand, pressing those lips I'd wondered about a thousand times on my flesh.
A jolt ran through me.
Crazy. Electric. Sensational.
I'd never believed in love at first sight, much less first kiss, and that definitely wasn't happening here. Lust, on the other hand...
His teeth grazed my tender skin before he pulled it away, thrusting my hand back against his shoulder. Oh, God.
