Love's Choice (2 page)

Haleigh gasped. “That's a biker bar. You didn't go in there?”

“I did.” Magnus had warned me off when he first spotted me on the side of the road. “I wanted to use their phone.”

I explained what happened inside the bar. An asshole named Talon had tried to assault me. He wanted to take me upstairs and have his way with me. I was scared. I struggled and fought, but the man was bigger than me.

“That's horrible,” Haleigh gasped.

“And then Magnus strode in.”

My smile grew as I remembered how strong and handsome he was. He had no fear. He punched the asshole in the mouth, grabbed me, and we ran out the bar's back door. I hopped on his bike and held on tight to his strong frame as we were chased through the foggy night.

“Luckily, we lost the bikers,” I continued. I burned with the excitement of the chase and the very romantic thrill of being rescued by a hunk as I retold the events. “I didn't fight my desires when we stopped at the motel. I was eager for the passion.”

“Wow,” Haleigh sighed. “So romantic.”

But it was just far more passion than I counted on. I wanted more. But Magnus was a biker. He was too dangerous and wrong for me. I couldn't be with a man like him. It was impossible. I had to stay away from him. He didn't hesitate to hit Talon. And all those bikers knew Magnus. They were rival motorcycle clubs.

But those eyes, his strong arms, and the words he whispered. “You walk with the beauty of the night,” I repeated to Haleigh. “He said it right when we entered the motel.”

“Wow,” she whispered. “Strong and poetic?”

“Then he said something like 'beauty can stir even a beast's heart.'”

Haleigh squealed, “What are you doing here? Why aren't you over at the motel?”

“Because I have a life. I need to get to work in a few hours. And he's a biker.”

“I know,” Haleigh sighed. “Strong and willing to fight for you. He didn't know you. He had only a passing glimpse of you, and yet he walked into the Blood Eagles' bar and fought for you.”

“Exactly,” I groaned. She was off in her fantasy world of motorcycle club romances. “He's a biker. He's dangerous. The man had scars on his body.”

“Sexy scars?”

My cheeks blushed. “Yes, sexy scars. Everything about him was sexy. That's the problem. I want to go back across the street and see him.”

“Do it! Oh, don't be afraid. Embrace this.”

I shook my head. “But it can't end well. This...this will only get me hurt. Those Blood Eagles will be out for, well, blood. I bet his club, the Black Wolves, will be fighting them. He could get hurt. I could get hurt. No. I don't need to be involved in this.”

Haleigh looked at me. “Is that really what scares you? Or is it just the fact that you finally let loose and were wild last night?”

I blinked in shock. “No. It's what I said.”

Right? I never wanted to be wild. I liked my simple life. I had a nice apartment, an okay car, and a job I enjoyed. I lived in Seattle with all its culture and excitement. I had friends, a community I belonged to. Sure, I didn't have a boyfriend right now, but he was out there, a nice guy, maybe with glasses, who would make me laugh and who I could share things with. He would be smart, well-read, always quoting poetry.

Magnus quoted poetry, a traitorous voice whispered.

“I like my simple life. And I'm eager to get back to it.”

“Fine,” Haleigh said, shaking her head, her face hurt, like I had betrayed her by not letting her live out her romantic fantasies through my life. “Be boring.”

I shook my head at her as I finished my breakfast. She was boring. Kris was just the sort of guy I would love to date, and Haleigh was happy with him. So happy, she moved out to the middle of nowhere to live with him. I wouldn't be surprised to hear they were engaged in a few months.

“Let's go rescue your car,” Haleigh said. “I should have brought Kris, but he was still sleeping.” She yawned. “We were up for hours cleaning the house last night.”

“He helped you clean?”

Haleigh nodded. “My man likes a tidier house than me. He's been rubbing off on me.” A smile crossed her lips.

“I know how to jump-start a car,” I said. “And if it needs more than that, then I am in trouble. I do not have the money to fix it.”

Haleigh patted my hand. “Well, either way we'll get you back to civilization.”

I snorted a laugh.

After I paid for breakfast, Haleigh drove me to my car. I didn't know this part of Washington and was surprised how close Maple Valley was to Covington. Last night's chase had been a blur. I felt like Magnus and I had driven for miles and miles as we wound through streets. I figured it meant we were miles and miles away, except where we ended up was only a five minute drive from where we started. We passed The Bear and Eagle, the bar closed this early, and no bikers were around. My car was broken down a few hundred feet past the rundown tavern, still sitting on the shoulder of the road.

I looked for the glowing man when I climbed out. I saw no one lying on the shoulder and there still was no physical damage to my car. I must have...hallucinated him. It was so foggy, maybe it was just an oncoming car's headlights. I did lose consciousness for a few minutes.

And how had that happened? I didn't crash into anything.

“Okay, so how do we jump-start a car?” Haleigh asked as she pulled her car in front of mine.

“Pop your hood,” I said as I walked around my car, ostensibly to check my trunk, but really I was trying to spot...something. This stretch of the road was surrounded by forest and thick brush. We were on the outskirts of Covington. The bar where Magnus had rescued me was nearby, the first building on the edge of town.

“Done!” Haleigh called.

“And keep your engine running,” I added, walking down the road. There had to be some clue left behind.

Gravel made up the road's shoulder, and my car's tires left clear tracks from the street to where I had rolled to a stop. I went a good distance from my car and paused. My heart tightened. I had been unconscious the entire time my car rolled to a stop. I was lucky I wasn't hurt or killed.

“Raven?” Haleigh called, jogging up. “What's going on?”

“I'm just...trying to figure out what happened,” I told her. “I...blacked out and rolled off the road.”

“Oh, my,” she gasped.

“And...I thought I saw something.”

“What?”

I shrugged. I couldn't tell her. It was too crazy. “It must have been around here,” I said, noticing were the road bent. I peered into the brush on the other side of the road. That's where it looked like the glowing figure had stumbled out from.

“What's this?” Haleigh asked. “It's sparkly.”

A trail of glittery wet spots crossed the road from the bushes. Something had leaked, splattering the glitter across the road and into the bushes. I peered through the thick brush. Not far from the road was a steep drop into a small ravine. I moved to the edge and peered down. I spotted nothing except for more glittering splatters.

“This is weird. I've never seen anything like it,” Haleigh muttered.

“Yeah,” I frowned.

A crow cawed. The bird perched on a power pole, bigger than most crows I had witnessed. His head cocked, his beady eyes staring at me. Maybe he was a raven. They were like bigger crows. I stared back. He cawed again before taking flight.

“Do you think this...glittery stuff is why your car died?” Haleigh asked. “Is it...like some sort of fluid from your car?”

I blinked and shook my head. “No. It's probably not related. Let's get my car jump-started.”

“Yeah,” Haleigh nodded.

~   ~   ~

Magnus

Raven's car was gone. I pulled my Harley off the road and stopped where it had broken down. Up the road, The Bear and Eagle bar stood empty. It would be hours before it opened. It was dangerous for me to be here alone in Blood Eagles' territory after last night. Talon would be out for blood. He was the Vice President of the Blood Eagles. They didn't like my club. The Black Wolf Motorcycle Club was new. We were fresh and hungry, treading on the Blood Eagles' territory.

I pulled Raven's name tag out of my jeans pocket. It was the only clue I had to go on, left behind when Raven snuck out of the motel room. There was a logo of a boar drinking a cup of coffee. I traced the indents of her name and the logo with my thumb. My body still burned with her passion. She wasn't like the girls that hung out at biker bars. Raven wasn't fawning or weak. She had backbone. She fought against Talon last night.

Raven was a warrior.

I recognized her strength the moment I saw her walking in the fog. It was why I made the stupid decision to walk into the Blood Eagles' bar and rescue her. I had to tame her. No, it wasn't a stupid decision. It may have been the best decision I had ever made.

“For I must love because I live,” I whispered, remembering Christopher Bennan's powerful poem.

A romantic lurked in my heart. It was buried deep beneath hard flesh. I had been shot and knifed. I had spilled blood and broken bones. I suspected many outlaws had romance lurking in the shadows of their hearts. Why else did we yearn to be free of society's shackles and blaze our own paths? It was what drove us to love and fight and drink and play the way we wanted.

And I wanted her. Raven's scent lingered in my nose. A lot of women had graced my bed, but none before had given me such a taste of passion. I had lived last night. Now I felt empty. All my freedom seemed for naught but an empty birdcage.

“I'll find you,” I promised, revving my Harley. I roared off, the wind whipping at my hair as I hunted.

A wolf always found his prey.

Chapter Two

I tried to forget about Magnus, but two days later he was still seared into my mind. I had whole minutes where I berated myself for at least not getting his number. Now I would never see him again. Which was good.

And yet it was bad.

My thoughts bounced back and forth like one of those small, rubber balls that, when thrown hard, ricochet off of everything in a room, careening off walls, floors, and furniture in a blur of red or blue or another stupid, flashy color.

Magnus is bad for me.

Magnus is the most passionate man I've ever been with.

He is dangerous.

He is hot.

Magnus would only hurt me.

It hurts not being with him.

My life was calmer without him.

My live was boring without him.

I walked to work, the Monday morning bright and cheery. Pedestrians streamed down the sidewalks of downtown Seattle and cars crawled up and down the streets. The buildings rose high above us. Music drifted through the air as street performers played catchy, staccato beats on steel drums. The city was alive and bustling.

I had all the excitement I needed right here. I didn't need a dangerous, hunky, handsome, passionate, poetic biker to give it to me. I just had to go outside and experience the vibrancy of Seattle. There was always something new to see and experience.

I passed three Starbucks and two Seattle's Best Coffees on my walk to my far superior coffee house. Those corporate stores didn't have the delicious perfection that Freddy and Gerdie put into their brew. Theirs was a craftsmanship that only personal love could create. I wore my waitress uniform—black pants and a green polo shirt with a white boar drinking a cup of coffee—my new name tag pinned to my breast.

The Boar Coffee and Cafe sat on the corner, its friendly mascot painted on the large window, a tusky grin beaming at the crowds. It was such a cute sign, and what had first attracted me to the cafe. The flowers were out on the sidewalk before the door, along with a sandwich board sign with today's specials written in florescent chalk. Inside, it was well lit, and each table had a vase full of wildflowers in the center, the floor made of a darkly polished hardwood. There was a rustic feel to the bar, like it belonged in a small town like Maple Valley instead of the heart of the largest city in Washington.

“Raven,” Gerdie greeted. The tall woman stepped out from behind the bar. She had the look of a German milkmaid who had matured into a beautiful matron, with long, blonde hair she kept in two braids and a warm smile. I looked up at her and returned her smile. She was tall, over six feet, but perfectly proportioned. She could still be a model with her figure. “How are you today?”

“Just fine,” I answered and gave my boss a hug.

“Well, aren't you looking just pretty today,” Freddy smiled, striding out of the back room. He wore a conservative skirt and blouse, his brown hair cut short. Freddy was a cross-dresser, his face painted up with rouge, and a big smile on his lips. “Doesn't she look pretty today, dear?”

Gerdie smiled at her cross-dressing husband. “Yes, she does. She looks pretty every day.”

They were a strange couple. I didn't mind that Freddy liked to cross-dress, though his deep voice rumbling from a rather pretty, feminine face was disconcerting the first time I heard it. He made no attempt to hide his masculine voice even as he walked around in cute dresses, perfect makeup, and a stuffed bra.

That was what I loved about Seattle, you met the most interesting people.

“Hi, Freddy,” I said, giving him a hug. He kissed both my cheeks. “Anything special I need to tackle?”

“No, everything's going A okay,” Freddy nodded.

I strode into the back room and dropped off my purse before grabbing a clean, white half-apron and tying it around my waist. I clocked on and stepped back out into the cafe, surveying the scene. Gerdie puttered around behind the bar and Freddy was out front cleaning the windows.

Only one customer was in right now. It was between the early morning and the lunch rush right now. I walked behind the bar, grabbed the pot of coffee, and carried it to our only patron. He would be wanting a refill.

“Hey, Owen,” I smiled as I bustled up to the grizzled veteran sitting at his usual table in the corner of the cafe. “How're you feeling today?”

Owen grunted. He was a lean man, almost all bone and no muscle, his flesh worn away by the burdens of age. Scars crisscrossed his face with creased, white lines. One ran across his left eye, covered by a black eye patch. Long, gray hair fell in a wispy tangle around the collar of his green army coat. It was frayed and worn with unit patches decorating both sleeves. Vietnam had broken the old man. He clung to his identity as a soldier, still wearing the stylized raven symbol, resembling a figure you would see on a Native American totem, of the 81st Armored Brigade Combat Team.