Accelerate

by Kay Marie

  “Fight!!” he shouts, and it’s on. Shifter bounces from foot to foot and starts moving around the octagon. I move too, keeping my distance and my eyes trained on him. He starts to move toward me, so I take a few steps in his direction, making sure I’m away from the cage. The last thing I want is the fucker thinking he can pin me against it.

  He throws a right hook, and I duck out of the way. He lets out a growl. He’s getting pissed. I take a step back, and he follows, attempting another punch, but he hits the air. I take the chance to put out a front kick and connect with his chest. It knocks him off balance enough for me to run up and get in a couple of strong hits, knocking him to the floor. The ref runs up to check on Shifter, and I back away to my corner. He calls the fight, coming to my side and lifting my arm.

  “Winner . . . by KO . . . Hellraiser!” he shouts, and the crowd goes nuts. My eyes find Minx, and she’s looking at me with a mischievous smirk. I need to be with her. I need to get her out of here. We hold eye contact even when Sketch runs into the octagon.

  “There’s been a sighting of some Iron Lords hanging around. We gotta get out of here,” Sketch tells me.

  “Go tell Saint and Buster to get Minx and Rivet out of here and somewhere safe. I’ll grab my shit, and we’ll meet them wherever they go,” I tell him. He takes off, and I see him out of my peripheral talking to Saint. Minx breaks eye contact first when Saint starts talking to her and I take off to the locker room.

  Chapter Six

  Savannah

  I can’t lie and say that Raze is anything but sexy as sin. Watching him fight was definitely the highlight of my day. My week, actually. Sitting in the front row gives you a great view. The look he gave me after his fight had me squeezing my legs together. For a brief moment, I wanted to go into the ring to congratulate him, but I didn’t. Right after the ref called the fight, Saint was telling me we had to leave.

  We make our way back out to our cars. There are a couple of tire biters with Diesel and Clutch. Riv and I look at each other and grin.

  “There you are!” I yell at Diesel. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, and you’re out here with some skank?” I pretend to be hurt by his actions.

  The girl looks at me, confused out of her mind, and Diesel is glaring at me. I see Rivet out of the corner of my eye, fighting back laughter.

  “Umm . . . well, maybe we’ll see y’all around some other time,” the girl says to Diesel as she grabs her friend’s arm. “Sorry,” she mutters to me, and they take off. Rivet and I double over laughing.

  “Ha, ha. Real fucking funny, Minx!” Diesel says, annoyed.

  “Aw come on, D. You didn’t really want her,” I say, nudging him with my elbow.

  “I wanted to get my dick wet,” he tells me.

  “Well, we gotta go, and tire biters ain’t welcome at our house,” Rivet says to him, and he makes a face at her. She sticks her tongue out.

  “Enough fucking around. Let’s get on the road,” Buster chastises us. “Raze and Saint will meet us there. We’re going straight to your house.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Rivet and I say at the same time, both of us mock saluting him. He shakes his head at us and goes to his car. We load up and head to the house. The lights are on, which means Tink or Lolita is home and awake. We all park our cars and head inside.

  “Look what the cat dragged in!” Tink yells when she sees Rivet and I walk in. She gets off the couch to come greet us when she stops. Her eyes practically bug out when she sees the guys walking in behind us.

  “Well, well. Who are these fine gentlemen?” she purrs out, and Riv and I chuckle. Tink has always been a bit of a flirt.

  “These are some of the guys from Arizona. Buster, Shade, Diesel, and Clutch.” Rivet introduces the guys. “Guys, this is Tink.”

  They all say hi, and she grins. I wonder which one she’ll flirt with first. The thought makes me giggle. The guys are all standing awkwardly around the door.

  “Come on in and make yourselves at home,” Tink says to them.

  “Y’all want anything to drink? Water? A beer? Some whiskey?” I ask them as I walk into the kitchen.

  “I’ll take a beer,” Buster calls out.

  “Yeah, me too,” Clutch says. I see him checking Tink out. I smile and shake my head. She’s going to eat him up.

  “I’ll just take water please,” Shade says as he follows me into the kitchen.

  “Grab me water too,” Diesel says to Shade.

  We set out to get everyone's drinks. I point Shade in the direction of the beer, while I get the waters and my own drink. I mix up some Jack and Coke and add a splash of grenadine. I take a sip and let out a small sigh.

  “Everything alright?” Shade asks me. He and I got pretty close while I was in Arizona. Nothing ever happened between us besides a little flirting here and there. We talked a lot. Buster told me that I was the first person that’s been able to get Shade to open up and talk. He’s always been easy for me to talk to, and I guess the feeling is mutual.

  “Just got some heavy shit on my plate right now,” I tell him with a weak smile. He holds up a finger telling me to hold on, then takes the drinks out to the other guys. I’m about to sit at the table when he walks back in.

  “Let’s go outside. Get some fresh air,” he says as he walks straight for the sliding glass door. There are just a few lawn chairs and a small table out here, but it works. We both sit down. Neither of us says anything for a minute. Sometimes, this is all we need— each other’s company and a quiet spot. Neither of us ever pressures the other to talk, and I think that’s what makes it so easy for us to talk to each other. No pressure, no judgment.

  “You know you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Just remember we’re all here for you. I know the MC is your family, but we’re your family too,” he tells me. I smile at him and pat his arm.

  “Thank you, Shade. I know y’all are, and I appreciate it. I’m happy I have y’all in my life,” I say. After a few more minutes of silence, we hear the rumbling sound of multiple Harleys.

  “Sounds like your man is here,” Shade jokes. I look at him with wide eyes.

  “Raze is not my man!” I whisper-shout at him, and he laughs. This fucker laughs.

  “Funny how you knew exactly who I was talking about,” he replies. “I saw the way he was lookin’ at you, Savi.” I act like I’m ignoring him. Raze didn’t really say much to me tonight. A man of few words I guess. He always looked pissed off too. I’m not sure what Shade thinks he saw, but I’m sure he’s not interested in me. Not that I care either way. I’m not on the market.

  “I better go get the guys so we can head back to the hotel. Text us in the morning with your plans for the rest of the weekend. We’re down for whatever,” he says as he stands up and holds his fist out to me. I give him a fist bump.

  “Yeah, for sure. Drive safe,” I say to him as he walks inside. I stay outside and finish my drink. Texas summer nights are my favorite. I love sitting outside and just gazing at the stars.

  Chapter Seven

  Raze

  As we left the warehouse, there were no signs of any of the Iron Lords. Rascal, Sketch, Kicks, and Hollywood all headed back to the clubhouse while Saint and I headed to Tink’s house where Minx and Rivet are staying.

  I’ll admit, I’m looking forward to seeing her again. I hope I get a chance to talk to her with no one else around. I can’t shake this pull I have toward her so I’m just giving in and we’ll see where it leads.

  We pull up to their house and see that Buster and the guys are still here. They better not plan on staying now that we’re here. They seem like good people, but I want Minx to myself. We walk up to the door and knock. A few seconds pass and I hear someone walk to the door. It opens and I find myself face to face with Tink.

  “Don’t you know to ask who it is before opening the door?” I scold her. She rolls her eyes at me and opens the door further so we can come in.

  “I have four Viking-sized men in my living
room. I think we’re safe,” she sasses back and sits back down on the couch. At the same time she sits, all four of the guys stand up and start telling the women bye. That’s when I look around and notice Minx isn’t in here.

  “She’s outside on the deck,” Shade tells me with a grin. He must have noticed me looking for her. Not sure what the grin is about though.

  “Thanks, man,” I say to him and walk through the kitchen to the sliding door. Before I open it, I watch her. She’s leaned back in the chair, looking at the sky. I would think she’s sleeping if I hadn’t seen her tapping her foot. This girl and her little quirks do something to me. I open the door and step out. I’m instantly assaulted by her scent, and it’s intoxicating.

  “Decided to stay a while longer, huh?” She laughs. I’m not sure who she thinks she was talking to but a wave of jealousy washes through me.

  “Just got here, Kitty. Think I’ll stay a while,” I tell her and her body stiffens. She wasn’t expecting me. She turns around to look at me. The light from the kitchen catches her eyes causing her light grey irises to shine.

  “Mind if I sit down?” I ask her and she nods. She turns back around and I sit down next to her. I look at her and she still seems a little tense. After a minute or two, she stands up and leans into the railing. I give her a confused look, forgetting that she can’t see me. Then I smirk. I must have some kind of effect on her like she has on me. If I get her talking, maybe I can get her to confess she’s attracted to me.

  “So, how often do you race?” I ask, trying to get her to talk. She turns around to face me, leaning her back against the rail.

  “I try to race every Friday night.” I have to fight from running my eyes down her body. The top of her tits are peeking out, and there’s a sliver of her stomach showing, just below her belly button. Her skin looks so soft. I would love to grab onto her thighs and pull her closer to me. I would . . .

  “How often do you fight?” she asks me, tearing me away from my dirty thoughts.

  “Every week. Sometimes every other week. Just depends on what’s going on with the club. You like watching the fights?” I ask, already knowing the answer. I saw the way her face lit up when I mentioned the fights after her race.

  “It’s not bad,” she says trying to sound nonchalant. “They didn’t have fights like that in Arizona.”

  That right there sounds like she missed being able to watch them. I smirk at her and stand up, moving to stand next to her. She takes in a sharp breath. I don’t think she expected me to get so close to her.

  “Do I make you nervous?” I whisper in her ear. She shudders so subtly that I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t so close to her.

  “Nope,” she responds popping the p. She looks me right in the eyes, “Not at all.”

  I throw my head back laughing. She glares at me.

  “What the hell is so funny?” That sassy attitude makes my cock throb.

  “You’re not a very good liar,” I tell her with a smile. I lift my hand up and cup her cheek. She leans into my touch. I have no idea what I’m doing. I just needed to touch her, and her body is so responsive. I’m aching to have her under me— to taste her. I lean my face down to hers.

  “Go get some sleep, Kitty. You’re going to the clubhouse in the morning,” I say against her lips. I move away and sit back down. Her face looks like she snapped back to reality. She gives me a look that I can’t quite read before she storms off into the house. I let out a heavy breath and relax into the chair. She may not have verbally said it, but her body gave her away. She’s just as attracted to me as I am to her. I hear the sliding door open again.

  “You doin’ okay out here, brother?” Saint questions as he comes to stand in front of me.

  “Yup, just getting some fresh air,” I respond. I prepare myself for him to start peppering me with questions.

  “How into her are you? Don’t even think about making a move on her until you’ve thought about what could happen. She’s not a cut bunny. This club is her family as much as it’s ours but more so,” he says, practically lecturing me. These are things that have been on my mind all night. I give him an annoyed look. He gets this look on his face like he’s put pieces together.

  “She’s the girl from the diner, isn’t she?” he asks me, already knowing the answer. He’s the only one I’ve told about that. Saint and I were prospects at the same time. Patched in together. Out of all the brothers, I’m closest to him. Close enough to share an apartment with the fucker. I don’t even respond to him and he keeps going.

  “Your attitude tonight makes more sense now. I mean, you’re always an asshole, but you seemed a little possessive. From a distance even, and she didn’t even know!” he says, laughing. He’s amusing himself.

  “You just don’t know when to shut up. Do you?” I ask him. He smiles like the fucking Cheshire cat. I shake my head at him. “What were the girls doing when you came out here?”

  “Doing what girls do. Talking,” he tells me. “Now they’re probably talking about you.”

  He grins again and I smack him upside the head.

  Chapter Eight

  Savannah

  I’m not paying any attention as I walk through the kitchen. I just keep going over what just happened with Raze. How infuriating he is. He just played me, making me think he was going to kiss me— only to order me to go to bed. I’ve never been one to take to be ordered around well. The only person who has ever been able to get away with it is my Pops.

  “What’s got you all twisted up?” Tink asks. I look toward her, and she and Riv are giving me questioning looks. I shake my head not wanting to talk about it. I don’t even understand what’s going on between Raze and I. I know there’s some kind of spark, but I’m sure it’s just a physical attraction.

  “It has something to do with Raze. Doesn’t it?” Rivet digs.

  “Yes. No. I don’t know!” I say flustered.

  “I knew something would happen the next time you saw him. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of you except for when he was fighting. Even then, I’m sure he found a way to sneak a peek at you,” Rivet says, and Tink’s eyes go wide.

  “The next time you saw him? I thought y’all had been avoiding seeing anyone from the club?” Tink questions us. Rivet grins, knowing I’m going to have to talk now.

  “We were avoiding them. He came into JJ’s the other day. He didn’t know who I was and I didn’t tell him. We didn’t even really talk. He had a coffee, said a couple things, then left,” I explain to her.

  Rivet scoffs. “He couldn’t keep his eyes off her then either!” she exclaims. “Looking at her like she would be his next meal. I’m surprised he didn’t take her right there on the counter.” She laughs, making Tink laugh too. I just shake my head at them.

  “Just be careful,” Tink warns me. Like I don’t know how the brothers are. They all swear up and down that they’ll never settle down. Not that I’m ready to settle down right now, but I don’t want some meaningless fling either.

  “Don’t worry, T. I’ll be keeping my distance. I’m not interested in him anyway,” I lie. Rivet rolls her eyes and I just ignore her. It’s late and the activities of the day are catching up with me. “I’m gonna head to bed,” I say to both of them with a yawn. The sliding door in the kitchen starts to open, signaling that the guys are headed inside.

  “Yeah, me too,” Rivet says standing up. We walk down the hall to our rooms and I hear Tink talking to Raze and Saint.

  “One of you can sleep on the couch. The other can sleep in the recliner or on the floor. Y’all decide. Blankets are in the closet,” she says to them as I close my door. I quickly change into my pajamas and lay down. I’m out before my head even hits the pillow.

  The next morning, I wake up and smell bacon. I stretch out before climbing out of bed. Throwing on some sweats, I slowly make my way toward the kitchen. Saint is still passed out on the couch and Raze is nowhere to be seen. Some dishes clatter in the kitchen and turn the corner to go in. Raze stan
ds at the stove. He’s got bacon, eggs, and pancakes all cooking at once. Who knew the big bad biker could cook? I stand in the doorway and watch him for a beat. He must sense me watching him because it doesn’t take long for him to turn and see me standing there. The corner of his mouth slightly lifts up.

  “Good morning, Kitty. You hungry?” he asks before flipping the pancakes. My stomach lets out a loud growl before I get a chance to respond and Raze laughs. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he says, grabbing a plate from the stack he has on the counter. He puts some food on it, and then hands it to me. “Butter and syrup are on the table.”

  “Thanks. This looks fantastic,” I say to him. I sit down at the table and look at the clock on the microwave. It’s only nine o’clock. By the time I eat and get ready for the day, Pops should be up and around at the clubhouse.

  Most of the brothers are sleeping until at least ten, if not later on the weekends. Pops gets up around eight, but he’ll sit in his office drinking coffee until ten. I’m not sure what else he does during that time. I’ve never bothered to ask. I butter my pancakes and drench them in syrup. Then I notice there’s coffee and get up to make myself a cup.

  “Would you like some coffee with your creamer?” Raze asks as he watches me pour creamer in my coffee.

  “You can keep your bean water. I like some flavor in mine,” I say to him with sass. He lets out a light laugh. Saint stumbles to the door of the kitchen. He looks half asleep still.

  “Please tell me there’s coffee,” he whines. I laugh and sit back down. I take a bite of the pancakes and moan. Holy shit these are good. Then I remember we don’t have any pancake mix.

  “How did you make these? We don’t have any pancake mix,” I say to Raze. He still has his back facing me.