Hold Me Close (Devil's Chariots Motorcycle Club Book 1) (7 page)

“Bethie!! How have you been?” The brunette was talking and it dawned on him that the worst had happened. No need for introductions. They already knew each other—all through Dan, through the club.

“Oh I’m just great,” she sneered, and Johnny knew he was in trouble.

Beth was an old lady. Liza wasn’t. Beth had more power in the clubhouse than this Liza ever would. She could behave any way she felt towards the club girl. And there wasn't a damn thing he or the girl could do about it.

At this point Johnny had to teeter carefully. He could not ignore the club girl for Dan’s old lady. The brothers would see that. It would be a clear sign something was wrong. But Beth knew the hierarchy in the club. She knew what was and wasn't okay. And he had a feeling she'd play her cards if she felt inspired to.

“What are you doing here?” The brunette smiled almost as if she were surprised to see Beth in a place like this. “I didn’t know you were a...”

“Bethany isn't a club girl,” Johnny began, and saw Liza’s smile falter. “She belonged to Dan.” The word
belonged
rang again and again in his head.

“You're an…” Liza stopped and Bethany finished.

“Old lady? Yes, I suppose I am.” And the smile that flashed across her face showed a mixture of satisfaction and wicked thoughts. Johnny couldn't help but chuckle.

***

Great,
Bethany thought to herself. Liza Williams had to be at the clubhouse. The two of them had gone to school together. They were never friends, but Liza liked to act as if they were. She would never have been friends with Liza. But the entire football team and most of the basketball team had been friends with Liza. Apparently, now, so was the club.

Bethany's blood began to boil. She hated club girls—club whores, because that’s what they were in her mind. She was one of the few old ladies that'd never been one. She didn't like that they were so fucking… easy. The lucky ones got nabbed permanently, but most spent years at minimum fucking all the single guys and liking it. What trash!

Beth knew many of them had tried with Dan. He'd tell her stories. She wondered if Liza was one of them. Had she been all up on him when he was away from her? Most likely. After all, she was nothing but the same club whore as the rest of them.

As she stood there in silence, Bethany realized it was much the same thing as high school. Liza was practically riding Johnny right there in the bar. There was a reason she'd never liked the club girls. Prior to tonight her reason had been Dan. Tonight he was still a portion of the reason. So was the guy who sat beneath her well-worn crotch.

Steph was standing behind her, mostly huffing and puffing at the sight of them, and she worked diligently to try and hide the raging anger that was taking over. She managed to calm her breathing enough to portray a normal state of mind, but she wasn't positive that emotions weren't showing all over her face.

“Johnny,” she acknowledged. “Second wind?”

The question wasn't meant to be answered. It was more to let him know that she wasn't dumb. He'd left her house with the intention of coming to the clubhouse and hooking up with the first girl he found. Judging from the way Liza was all over him, it had been smooth sailing.

***

She was trying to hide it. She was faking a smile, but he could see it on her face. The pain in her eyes. The way her jawline was tense. The way her hands were clenched together in front of her. The angelic look he'd enjoyed only moments before had disappeared and she resembled a raging demon that was ready to take out the brunette that he couldn't seem to get off of him.

Beth knew her. That's the part that kept going through his mind. Were they friends? Did he almost bed one of her friends? How fucking stupid could he be? Of course they'd know each other. Everyone in this godforsaken town knew each other. Another of the many reasons he and Beth would never work.

Unless he committed and stuck to it. But could he? Should he?

“Didn't realize you wanted to be here,” he said.

He couldn't help but wonder why she
was
there. What was she out for? What was she looking for? He'd never seen her look like that. So dressed up. So sexy. That made him forget about the jealousy on her face and deal with his own. The thought of her coming to out to meet a man, and even worse, possibly succeeding, made his blood boil.  What the fuck was she thinking?
If
she was even thinking.

But he saw the brothers tense up. They were watching them. Her being here was okay. More than okay. She came where she was safe. They would look highly upon that. But he couldn't be bothered by it. He couldn't question her. He couldn't look at her as though she were as sexy as she was. But god damn, she looked hot. And it played with his head. He wanted so badly to know her more deeply. But it wasn't acceptable. He was abiding by that. But looking at her and her looking this way, it made it damn near impossible to keep to his expected code of honor.

“Didn’t think I
would
be here.” She didn't really answer the question.

Johnny needed to blow her off. He didn't want them to discuss any of this. At all, preferably. But especially here. Publicly. Where the brothers were watching his every movement.

“Well, it was nice seeing you both,” she added, and with that she turned to her friend and they walked off. Johnny sat there, suddenly hating his decision to stop at the clubhouse, and tried to figure out just what he was going to do now.

The guys seemed to approve of his actions. Beth did not. He didn't understand why she'd expect any different. Did she not know how it went with this sort of thing? It wasn't easier because Dan was dead. The two of them being close would make the brothers think something worse. That maybe Beth hadn't been the kind of old lady they'd thought. Maybe she'd cheated. Or worse, maybe he'd been eying her the entire time. Either way, they'd both be fucked.
 

***

“Liza,” Steph had said her name three times. “Of all people,” she huffed.

Bethany didn't want to hear the name again, but she couldn't say that without revealing that she had some sort of feelings for the man that was with her. It wasn't something she'd felt comfortable sharing. The guilt was still too strong.

“I know,” she agreed, and found a table in the corner next to a couple of attractive guys.

“I mean I guess the guy is what he is, but it’s a small town,” she kept rambling.

Bethany wanted to slap her friend and make her shut up, but it seemed a bit much. Part of her had planned to discuss Johnny and the “obviously not a date” the following day with her best friend. Then she'd seen him with the woman and realized it wasn't a good idea. Especially considering the looks she'd seen on Steph's face.

The truth was that no one was going to accept her feelings. Johnny was everything they  would want her to stay away from. After losing Dan in such a horrible way, no one that loved her would be okay with this. Not only would she be with another of the gang, but one that lived far more recklessly. They wouldn't want to see her get hurt all over again.

Not that it mattered. He was sitting on the other side of the bar with the biggest slut she'd gone to school with. He obviously didn't care about her feelings. Damn him. He'd made her think that it was going somewhere.

“Beth?” Her friend's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Everything okay?” She looked concerned.

There was nothing to say. It wasn't like she could tell her that she was falling in love with a man that was bad for her and didn't love her back. Steph wouldn't understand the way she felt. No one else saw Johnny the way she did. They saw the hard and rough biker. They saw the guy downing whiskey and rubbing up against tramps at the bar.

Bethany saw the kind eyes that looked at her when she was hurting. She saw the smile that melted her heart. She saw the man that showed up just when she needed him most. The pain that mirrored her own. The lonely guy that wanted nothing more than to feel a little less alone.

But was it real? Was he the person she knew? Or was he the guy they all saw? That was the question that burned in her mind as she watched Liza lean in close like she was going to kiss him.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Beth looked up at the sound of the voice.

He was cute. Tall, young, sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.  A biker from another charter. Someone she hadn't met, but someone who was still welcomed here. She had no interest, but she recognized an opportunity when she saw one.

“Only if you join me to have it.” She smiled at the guy and gave him false hopes for how this night would end.

***

Johnny could barely stop himself from walking over and asking who the hell the guy was. He saw him approach her. He watched as she smiled and invited him to sit. Now he was glued to them as the guy sat way too close to her and draped his arm around the back of her seat.

He was from a different club. He knew that by his clothing choices. The colors. The design on the jacket. He was from Del Rio. Real pieces of works out there. Good on runs. Better on hits. The perfect guys you want backing you up and the last person he wanted anywhere near Beth.

The guys were watching too. Disapproval showed on their faces, but he'd bet not nearly as strongly as on his.

The anger he'd seen on her face earlier burned deep inside his soul. Which only pissed him off further. He wasn't supposed to feel this strongly. It wasn't a good thing. The two of them would never work.

He kept repeating those words in his head as he watched her sip on a drink and lean towards him, laughing at whatever he'd said. The guy who didn't belong to the same charter as her dead husband. The one to whom Beth was only passively off-limits.

Although judging from the look of his brothers, even that was wearing thin. They were protective of their own and by proxy she would always be one of them.

But that didn't make it any easier. He still felt hurt. And angry. And frustrated.

“You smell so good.” Liza was talking and trying to kiss on him.

Johnny didn't notice. He just ignored what she said. He was too busy trying to control his desire to kill a random man at the bar. No matter what, it was important to keep his cool. At least, that's what he told himself. Until the moment he saw the guy take her hand and lead her to the virtually empty dance floor.

His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her in close. The song playing was slow. His body was pressed against hers. Johnny couldn't help but see how she'd looked earlier. Wet. Smiling. Eager. Wanting his kiss.

She tilted her head towards the guy. Much the same as she had him in the water. Before it could go any further Johnny stood and walked towards the couple. The entire way he was berating himself internally. Asking himself what the fuck he thought he was doing.

The guys watched him. This would be a big cue. How he reacted would decide what they would do.

***

He was going to kiss her. After a few drinks, she was kind of okay with that. She wanted someone to want her. And he did. His head leaned in. She closed her eyes.

“Mind if I cut in?” The voice jolted her eyes open.

Johnny was standing there. Beside them. On the dance floor. Asking to interrupt. Was this real? Had he really stopped the kiss?

“We were sort of busy.” The guy—he had said his name was Adam—seemed bothered.

“You're fucking with another man's old lady, brother.” Johnny nodded his head in Bethany's direction. “That's frowned upon around here,” he finished as the rest of his club gathered around them both.

“Is she yours?” Adam looks at him with doubt. He knew the answer. Something told Johnny he already knew too much.

“No,” he answered, and saw the flinch of Beth's arm. “But she ain’t yours either.”