Burning Ember (6 page)

Close to a dozen men and at least five women, are here in the main room. Two of the girls are dressed like Lily, more rocker chic, where the other three look like call girls, dressed in revealing clothing, like the girl with bleach-blonde hair wearing a leather miniskirt and a red bra covered by a black mesh top. Or the other Spanish-looking girl with tattoos sitting on a biker’s lap at the bar, her yellow dress looks as if it might work better as tooth floss.

Moans draw my eyes to the left. A huge male with messy mohawked brown hair sits on the couch. He’s massive and covered in tattoos from his face to his fingers. His head is kicked back and his eyes are closed. And if it wasn’t for the moaning and girl rocking back and forward over his hips, and his death grip on her waist I’d almost mistake him for being asleep.

It’s clear they’re having sex. However, the other occupants of the room seem unfazed by it.

It’s a shock to my system. I expected to walk into a den of sex, smoke, and unsavory acts, but anticipating it and seeing it with my own eyes, are two very different things.

“Who you got there, Lil’ Bird?” someone shouts from across the room. My muscles tense involuntarily as I feel the weight of a room full of stares. My breathing accelerates, but I fight the flight instinct telling me to run back out the way I came.

“About fuckin’ time, babe.” A handsome biker with peppered hair shouts from his stool at the bar. He leaps up and crosses the room with rapid, purposeful strides.

Lily’s face transforms with glee an instant before he grabs her face and claims her mouth with his.

A sound best left for the privacy of a bedroom emanates from him. Half-growl, half-groan. His large hand slides around her waist and gropes her ass.

Lily’s body melts against him. Then as if she suddenly remembers I’m there watching, she slaps his hand away and tries to wiggle out of his grip.

“Goose, baby, stop!”

“Hell no, woman. You were gone for fuckin’ ever.” He places quick kisses up and down her neck.

“Stop. Please, baby. Let me introduce you to my new friend. She needs a place to stay for a few days.”

The man grunts but doesn’t stop his assault.

“I brought her in because I thought the guys would like her. Maybe she can be my replacement. What do you think?”

At that, Goose lifts his eyes from her neck and gazes at me over her shoulder. His irises are azure blue and, good God, he’s a stunner. His tan and weather-beaten face is handsome and is accentuated by long hair that’s somewhat greasy. He has a mustache that circles down to a goatee and this rugged, sexy, older man vibe that’s appealing as hell.

The corner of his mouth lifts as he says, “She’s mighty fine, babe. But I’m pretty sure you know this is a bad idea. You know how Ricky Boy feels about outsiders, particularly redheads.”

My heart sinks.
What?
What’s wrong with redheads?
They can’t turn me out now. Davis is out there.

“Come on, babe. It would be nice to have someone new and normal around the club, not all of these . . .” Her hand flutters as if encasing the room. In a quieter voice, she continues, “ . . . used up rags.”

He chuckles in response.

“Mav said he wanted to do something special for Edge.”

He grins and says, “Yeah, but I don’t think a little redhead is what he had in mind.”

“Baby, she’d be a perfect welcome home gift. And with the party and everything, we’re gonna need some new blood around here. We can’t throw a party with just the four clubpieces on tap. Even if we invited a couple of the girls from Wet Tips, that’s still not going to be enough. And not enough girls equals trouble. Talk to him. See if he’ll give her a chance. A few days. That’s all.” She rubs her hands up and down his arms.

“I don’t know, Little Bird.”

“Please . . . Finn.” She brushes her lips over his.

He visibly shudders. Then closes his eyes for a second and does that growl/groan again.

She places her hands on both sides of his face. “If we get the guys on board, Maverick will listen. He’ll have to. I’m tellin’ you, she’ll fit in perfectly. The guys will love her. I know it, baby.”

Goose pulls back and studies her for a moment. Then shakes his head. “You’re right about us needing new blood. But Mav wanted to wait until after the vote.”

“And that will be too late. Pleaaassseee!” She leans forward and whispers in his ear for a moment.

He sighs, “Fine.” Then smirks at her. “You’re gonna be the fuckin’ death of me.”

With a giggle, she hugs him and gives him one quick, deep kiss on the lips. When they break apart, she turns to me and yanks me forward. “Pumpkin, this is my old man, Goose. Goose, Pumpkin.” I inwardly wince at the tragic new name I’ve been given.

He pumps his chin once. “Hey.” To her he says, “Mav’s not gonna go for it, but maybe if you talk to Dozer and get him on board . . . But if Dozer says no, there’s nothin’ I can do.”

“Where’s D?”

Goose peers behind him, points to the far side of the room. “At the bar. See that big ox, Pumpkin? He’s the man you gotta
persuade
to let you stay.”

My nerves ratchet up as I search for Dozer.

At the end of the bar stands an enormous man. A man that does in fact resemble a bulldozer . . . if a bulldozer had flesh and muscles upon muscles, and dirty blond hair. The guy has to be close to six and a half feet. He has overly broad shoulders, pecs and ropy biceps, which stretch his gray T-shirt and a black, leather vest to their max capacity.

“That’s Dozer? The big blond?” I don’t know why I bother asking.

Lily laughs, “Fitting, right?”

Yeah, fitting.

Dozer raps his knuckles on the bar. Rigor who’s now serving drinks, places a beer in his hand. After taking a swig, Dozer surveys the room. His gaze stops on our little group, possibly because we’re all staring at him. His brows pucker, and his head tilts slightly. Goose waves him over. After a second, a grin spreads across Dozer’s face and he crosses the room.

As he approaches, I do my best to fight my instinct to flee.

In no time, Dozer stands in front of me. A giant wall of muscle and testosterone. “Well, well, well, look at what the little bird dragged in.”

I force a tentative smile to my lips. Not that he’s not gorgeous with his slate blue-gray eyes, clean-shaven face, and flawless bone structure, because he is. It’s just . . . I’m not usually attracted to guys who tower over me, who can easily overpower me. He’s more Sunny’s type than my own.

I do like that he’s blocking my view of the rest of the room.

“What’s your name, babe?” he asks.

“It’s um . . .” I’m so intimidated by him I nearly spit out my real name.

Thankfully, Lily tightens her hold on my arm and interrupts me by saying, “D, meet my friend Pumpkin.”

He arches an eyebrow and his smile widens. “Pumpkin, huh? Whatcha doin’ in a place like this, Pumpkin?”

Pumpkin. Ugh.

Goose lightly smacks Dozer’s arm, getting his attention. “She’s lookin’ for a place to stay for a few days. Lil’ thinks she’ll make a good replacement for her. Wanted to see if we’ll let Pumpkin stick around. Long enough to see if she fits in.” He shrugs. “Think the boys would like her and she’ll make a nice welcome home gift for Edge.”

Dozer eyes meet mine. “Gift for Edge, huh? Not sure I’m on board with that. What if I wanna keep her all to myself?”

The hairs on my arms rise.

Goose chuckles. “Yeah, well, first we got to get Ricky Boy to agree to let her hang for a bit. I was hoping you’d go to bat for her.” Goose lowers his voice and leans in close to Dozer. “The transition’s been rough for Lil’. She needs this. A friend around until the old ladies stop givin’ her hell and let her in their little circle.” Goose rubs the back of his neck. “Consider this me callin’ in that favor you owe me.”

They stare at one another, and some type of silent communication flows between them. Dozer looks over at Lily.

“The old ladies still givin’ you shit?”

Lily says, “No,” but looks away, raises her hand and inspects her nails.

Dozer sighs and his gaze comes back to me, but this time it feels like I’m being examined for something. “This really where you want to be, pretty girl?”

I push a “Yes” past my lips.

His eyes travel up and down my body. He takes a few steps and walks around me. When he stands at my back, he sets his big hands on my shoulders.

My wall of muscle is now gone. I’m forced to see my new environment and the inhabitants of the room. The men I’ve been sent here to seduce and spy on. I look at all of the other women in the room. They appear happy. They seem to be enjoying themselves. Nobody’s being forced to do stuff against their will.

“Boys,” Dozer hollers. “Meet Pumpkin.”

Heads turn. I’ve instantly become the center of attention. Like a heat wave, their stares hit me and I feel hot all over. Uncomfortable in my skin. I wave weakly, and then scold myself for not showing more confidence.

Comments ring out, but they’re said so fast and coming from all directions that I’m not sure who’s saying them. At least not at first.

“Hot damn. Dozer’s got himself a ginger snack.”

“Fresh fuckin’ pussy.”

“Amen, brother.”

“You bring me cherry pie for dessert, Lil?”

“I call dibs.”

“Looks to me like dibs have already been called, asshat.”

“Mav’s going to go ballistic. She looks just like—
ouffph.
” This part is said by the handsome blond biker with the nice smile at the pool table. The blond snaps at the biker next to him, “Fuck, man! What the fuck was that for?”

His friend replies, “Because Mav hears you say her name, and he’s gonna rearrange your fuckin’ face, dipshit. That’s a no go. Don’t go gettin’ your heart set on tasting that treat. There’s no fuckin’ way he’s lettin’ her stick around.”

Blondie replies, “That bastard needs to get his fuckin’ head checked. That is sweet-ass tail right there. I don’t give a fuck what he says. We’re not turnin’ that shit out.”

I put on a mask of indifference, but inside the revulsion is churning in my gut. I’m nothing but a fresh piece of meat in a room full of carnivores.

Dozer leans down and breathes into my ear. “If you think this is bad, you’re not gonna be able to cope when it gets real wild. This ain’t shit.”

“It’s fine. I’m fine,” I say.

“You sure? Because these men aren’t good or patient or kind.” Dozer’s words tickle my neck. “They’re dirty, crude fuckers; and once you’re considered HOC property, they’ll demand everything from you. Your respect, your time, your body. Your sweat and blood.” His voice deepens and rumbles. “Doesn’t mean you won’t get back somethin’ in return, but we don’t make any promises. If you’re here, you’re here for us. No bullshit. No drama. You do what we say, when we say. Doesn’t matter what it is. You follow our rules or you’re out. Simple as that.”

He pulls my chin up, so I’m peering into his face. The nice Dozer I met a moment ago is gone. A terrifying mammoth in leather stares back at me. “You feel me?” His tone is deliberately harsh. His face stern and serious.

Message received loud and clear.

“Yes.”

“If you got any doubts, now’s the time to listen to them and leave. Because I’m not about to stick my neck out for you, to have you turn and run when shit gets crazy. Makes me look bad.”

This is it. My last chance to leave before things get real. I quickly weigh my options one last time. Davis or the club. Prison or Freedom. Handcuffs, imprisonment, and Warner, or staying here in a clubhouse full of bikers, which possibly means I’ll have to give them a bit of myself until I can find a way out of here without being scooped up by Davis.

I can’t live locked in a tiny space for who knows how long and depend on someone else’s mercy. I won’t give up that kind of power over my life again. The thought alone causes my hands to shake and makes my skin crawl as if a thousand tiny ants are doing a rain dance across me.

This place allows me some freedom, and it buys me time to figure out what to do next. It’s temporary.

With my mind made up, I tell Dozer, “I can do this. I want to. If you do, you won’t regret helping me. I’m a hard worker. I’ll pull my weight. Cook. Clean. Do whatever the club needs me to do.”

A wide smile flashes over Dozers face. The flirty Dozer is back. His other hand squeezes my hip. “Good answer, babe.” He lets go of my chin and turns to Goose and Lily. “All right. I’ll go to bat for her. But I’m tellin’ you right now, Rick the Dick is gonna blow a fuckin’ gasket when he sees her. Bodie’s right, she looks like her. This ain’t gonna be easy.”

Goose smiles and pat’s Dozer on the back. “Well, if anyone is gonna light his fuse, it should be you.”

Dozer lets out a loud guffaw and shakes his head. “I guess it’s about time he deals with his shit, yeah? We’ve let him stew about it for too damn long. Fuck. I was hopin’ I wouldn’t have to be the one to do it.”

Lily speaks up. “There’s something you should know, D, before you go in there.”

He kicks his chin up. “Yeah? What’s that?”

Lily leaves Goose’s side and sidles up to Dozer. She rises up on the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear. In no time, Dozer’s eyes dart rapidly to me, and lock on my face. They become heated as a lazy grin spreads across his mouth.

My brows pinch together.
What in the world is she saying?

As Lily backs away, Dozer says, “Like I said. Not likin’ this idea that she’s a gift for Edge, but you’re right, Bird. He might just go for it. Fuckin’ scary how your woman’s mind works, G.”

Goose throws his arm around Lily’s shoulders and pulls her against his body. A show of possession if I ever saw one. “Don’t I fuckin’ know it? This woman plays me like a fuckin’ fiddle.”

Dozer’s solid arm curls over my shoulders. He tucks my body into his side. He’s so big and his arm so heavy, I feel like I’m being pinned down by a colossal boulder.

“Come on, babe. Let’s go piss off the gatekeeper, yeah?”

Then he rasps in my ear, “Do me a favor and ignore everything I say from here on out until I tell you otherwise.”

Together we cross the room. But Dozer addresses the bikers at the bar as we pass. “Looks like Lil’ Bird found Edge a nice ripe cherry. I don’t know about you boys, but I’m not sendin’ this sweet thing away. At least not ’til I’ve had a taste for myself. It’s about time we got some new flavors around here.”