Fuel and Fire

CHAPTER 2

The motorcycle headlights stayed fixed on me while rain poured down hard enough to soak through my hoodie in second and my hand tightened around my keys.

I was tired, cold and one shitty mood away from punching someone.

The biker finally killed the engine before climbing off slowly and relief mixed with annoyance immediately when I recognized Ryder ‘Torch’ Quinn stepped out of the shadows.

“You seriously enjoy creeping people the f**k out, don’t you?” I asked while heading toward my apartment stairs.

“You looked nervous there for a second.” Torch smirked while lighting a cigarette.

“I was deciding whether I had enough energy left to stab you.” I said.

“Good know romance isn’t dead.” He said.

“What do you want, Torch?” I snorted while unlocking the apartment building door and his expression shifted slightly.

“Black Reapers were asking about you tonight.” He said.

“That supposed to scare me?” I asked laughing tiredly.

“They know Knox was watching you.” He said.

“Knox watches everyone.” I said rolling my eyes.

“Not like that.” He said.

The way he said it made heat creep into my chest again and I hated that reaction immediately.

“You people are so f*****g annoying.” I muttered.

“Yeah, probably.” Torch laughed quietly.

I started toward the stairs again before two loud voices echoed from the alley beside my building.

“Well damn, there’s a pretty little thing.” One of them grinned when he spotted me.

I sighed heavily while Torch stayed beside the bike watching.

“Please don’t.” I muttered.

“What’s the probably sweetheart?” The second guy asked stepping closer anyway.

“My problem is that I worked twelve f*****g hours and now I gotta deal with drunk idiots.” I said.

The taller one laughed while reaching for my arm.

His fingers barely brushed me before instinct kicked in automatically.

I grabbed his wrist, twisted hard and drove my elbow into his throat while his friend shouted beside us.

The first guy gagged instantly while stumbling backward and the second one lunged toward me drunk and sloppy.

I slammed my fist into his nose hard enough to send blood sprayed across the sidewalk and then I kicked his knee sideways while he screamed.

The first guy charged again and I stepped aside before smashing his face against the brick wall beside the stairs.

Both men ended up groaning on the pavement while rain hammered around us.

Torch lowered his cigarette slowly while staring at me.

“Well. that was f*****g hot.” He said after a second.

“Men say the weirdest s**t after getting punched.” I said picking up my bag while breathing hard.

Torch started laughing while the two drunks staggered away swearing under their breath.

“You trained?” He asked.

“A little.” I said.

“That wasn’t a little.” He said.

“Goodnight Torch.” I shrugged while climbing the stairs.

“Slep tight, Maze.” He grinned.

“f**k off.” I said.

I slammed my aparment door behind me while thunder rattled the windows again and honestly, part of me hated how normal this s**t already felt.

The next afternoon dragged slowly at the Rusted Axle while tuckers filled booths and country music crackled through old speakers overhead.

I was refilling coffee near both four when the diner bell ran again.

Knox walked in alone.

Several people glanced toward him automatically before pretending not to stare and Knox ignoring everybody while his eyes landed directly on me.

“You stalking me now?” I asked while grabbing a mug.

“Thought I’d get lunch.” Knox said sitting at the counter.

“You know there are other diners in town.” I said.

“None of them have you.” He said.

That response caught me off guard hard enough that I nearly spilled coffee everywhere.

Knox noticed too because amusement flickered across his face briefly.

“Careful. Wouldn’t wanna ruin my boots.” He murmured.

“You flirt like somebody who got dropped on his head repeatedly.” I said pouring his coffee.

“And you smile like you don’t mean it.” He said.

That made me pause and most people noticed my mouth first. But Knox noticed things underneath it instead.

“You always this smooth?” I asked leaning against the counter.

“No. Usually women are too scared to insult me.” He admitted.

“That sounds boring.” I said.

His eyes stayed on mine while tension curled through the air between us.

“You got a nice smile Maze.” He said.

I blinked once because that somehow hit harder than flirting should have.

Then the diner doors slammed open violently. For f**k’s sake.

Sabrina stormed inside wearing sunglasses despire cloudy weather and the second she spotted Knox sitting at the counter her expression turned murderous.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” She snapped.

I immediately grabbed a pie tray behind me because instinct felt appropriate right now.

“Sabrina.” Knox sighed.

“No. You embarrass me for this f*****g waitress.” She barked while marching toward us.

“You came in here looking like a vodka commercial exploded and I’m the embarrassing one?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

Several truckers started watching opening while Sabrina ripped off her sunglasses angrily.

“You think you’re cute?” She asked.

“No. I think you’re unstable.” I said honestly.

She grabbed a glass from a nearby table and threw the drink directly at me.

Cold soda splashed across my shirt while silence hit the diner instantly. Then I grabbed the fresh blueberry pie beside the register.

“Bad choice.” I said. And then I launched the entire f*****g pie at her face.

The diner exploded into chaos immediately.

Truckers started yelling while Sabrina shrieked covered in blueberries and whipped cream. I almost respected how fast she recovered before trying to attack me across the counter.

Knox caught her around the waist before she could reach me.

“Jesus f*****g Christ.” He growled.

“She threw a pie at me.” Sabrina yelled.

“You threw a drink first.” I shot back.

Sabrina struggled violently while Knox dragged her toward the doors.

“You think this is funny?” She screamed at me.

“A little.” I admitted.

One of the truckers started clapping while another laughed hard enough to nearly fall out of the booth.

Knox shoved Sabrina outside finally while she continued screaming in the parking lot.

“Maze.” My boss said walking out from the kitchen looking horrified.

“IN my defense, she started it.” I said.

“You assaulted a customer with a pie.” He said.

“She assaulted me with Sprite.” I said.

“That sentence shouldn’t even f*****g exist.” He said.

I snorted while grabbing towels to clean the mess.

About ten minutes later Knox walked back inside alone while rubbing exhaustion across his face.

“She gone?” I asked.

“For now.” He said.

“Your ex needs therapy.” I said.

“Probably.” He said.

I glanced toward the windows where rain started again outside.

“You sure she’s not gonna come back with a knife?” I asked.

“She won’t touch you.” He said.

The confidence in his voice made something shift strangely in my chest again.

“You sound real certain about that.” I said.

Knox looked at me steadily while lowering his voice.

“Because I’d stop it.” He said.

Neither of us looked away for a second too long.

Then a customer yelled for a refill from booth six and reality snapped back into place.

By the time my shift finally ended that night, my feet hurt and my shirt still smelled like soda and all I wanted was sleep.

I walked into the parking lot while digging through my apron for cigarette’s before noticing something tucked beneath my windshield wiper.

A folded piece of paper and my stomach tightened instantly while I pulled it free and unfolded it slowly.

‘Stay away from him or you’ll regret it’

No signature and no explanation. Just those words scratched across the page hard enough to nearly tear through the paper.

And somewhere across the dark parking lot a motorcycle engine started.