Fuel and Fire

CHAPTER 3

The Rusted Axle finally emptied close to midnight while my feet screamed at me and my patience had already died somewhere around hour nine of my shift and I was wiping down the counter when the front doors opened again.

Knox walked inside with Crow and Torch behind him and honestly at this point they showed up so often it almost felt weird when they weren’t there.

“Well, look who survived another shift.” Crow said while dropping onto a stool.

“Barely. If one more trucker called me sweetheart tonight, I was gonna start throwing forks.” I muttered while grabbing the coffee pot.

Torch laughed while Knox leaned against the counter watching me quietly again.

That man watched people like he was trying to memorize them. It should have been creepy but instead it mostly pissed me off because I noticed every damn time.

“You closing?” Knox asked.

“Unfortunately.” I said sarcastically.

“Come with us.” He said nodding.

“That sounded vaguely threatening.” I said looking at him.

“That’s just how he talks.” Crow grinned.

“Come where?” I asked.

“The clubhouse.” Knox answered.

“Why?” I asked staring at him suspiciously while tossing the rag over my shoulder.

“Because you’ve accidentally become entertaining.” Torch snorted.

“f**k off.” I said.

“See? That mouth right there.” Crow pointed at me dramatically.

“You inviting me into biker territory after your psycho ex already wants to skin me alive?” I asked looking back at Knox.

“She won’t touch you there.” He assured me.

The confidence in his voice irritated me almost as much as how safe it made me feel.

Which was deeply f*****g annoying.

“Fine. But if one of you tries to sacrifice me in a cult ritual, I’m gonna kill you all.” I said grabbing my bag.

Crow nearly choked laughing while Knox’s mouth twitched slightly again.

God, that tiny almost smile was becoming a problem.

“The Devil’s Hollow clubhouse sat outside town surrounded by old trees and rusted fencing. The second Knox’s bike rolled through the gates I realized this wasn’t just some hangout spot.

This was their entire world. Bikes lined the gravel lot while music blasted from somewhere inside and groups of men stood around drinking beer beneath covered awnings.

Several people looked up when we arrived and I felt the attention hit me straight away.

“Relax. Nobody’s gonna hurt you.” Knox muttered while climbing off his bike.

“I’m deciding whether that’s comforting or insulting.” I said.

Touch laughed while leading the way inside.

The clubhouse smelled like whiskey, smoke, grease and leather. And honestly, it looked exactly how I imagined a biker clubhouse would.

Pool tables, neon signs, women sitting on laps and prospects running around carrying beer like exhausted unpaid interns.

A huge Devil’s Hollow patch painted across the far wall.

“Welcome to paradise.” Crow said spreading his arms dramatically.

“It smells like bad decisions and testosterone.” I said.

“Exactly.” Torch replied proudly.

“I already like her.” A brunette woman said while she was sitting near the bar grinning at me.

“Alright. Quick lesson before Roman scares you off.” Torch said pointing around casually.

“Oh good. There’s homework.” I muttered but he ignored me.

“Patch members. Old ladies over there, prospects running around trying not to get murdered and church room stays off limits unless invited.” He said.

“Church?” I asked glancing toward the closed wooden doors at the back of the clubhouse.

“Club business.” Crow grinned.

“Which means illegal shit.” I translated.

“Which means not your business.” Knox said walking beside me calmly.

“That definitely means illegal shit.” I said.

Before Knox could answer a tall dark haired man stepped toward us from near the bar.

It was Roman. Even I knew who he was. Vice President of Devil’s Hollow and professional human thunderstorm by the look of him.

His eyes landed on me first and unlike Crow and Torch, Roman didn’t look amused.

“This her?” He asked Knox.

“Nice to meet you too, sunshine.” I said crossing my arms.

Torch snorted while Roman ignored him.

“She shouldn’t be here.” Roman said.

“She’s fine.” Knox said.

“Troucle follows people connected to this club.” Roman said looking at me carefully.

“You saying that while standing in a room full of armed bikers feels ironic.” Roman said looking at me carefully.

“You saying that while standing in a room full of armed bikers feels ironic.” I said raising my eyebrows.

“Jesus Christ.” Crow muttered under his breath while Knox actually smirked this time. But Roman didn’t.

“She smartasses everyone?” He asked.

“Pretty much.” Torch answered proudly.

Before Roman could reply another biker walked toward us carrying beer.

Massive shoulders and heavy beard and hands that looked capable of snapping necks casually.

His name was Bones and he handed Knox a bottle before glancing down toward my bruised knuckles. Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

“You fight?” He asked.

“Sometimes people annoy me.” I said looking down at my hands before shrugging.

“That ain’t from one fight.” He said.

Something about the way he said it made me still slightly and Bones noticed that too.

“So someone taught you.” he said.

“Maybe.” I said meeting his eyes.

Before the conversation could go further a loud crash echoed from the kitchen area.

Everybody turned instantly.

A prospect stood frozen beside shattered beer bottles looking absolutely horrified while another patched member shoved him hard.

Crash, the youngest prospect in the club from what I’d heard.

Poor bastard looked about two second from death.

“What the f**k did I tell you?” Roman roared as his expression darkened.

“Sorry. I slipped.” Crash said quickly.

“You slipped carrying one f*****g case?” Roman yelled.

The room went quiet fast and Crash swallowed hard while Roman stepped closer.

“Prospects don’t embarrass the club. You understand me?” Roman snapped.

“Yes, sir.” Crash said.

“Then clean it up and start over.” Roman demanded.

Crash moved instantly while another patched member shoved cleaning supplies toward him and nobody in the room looked remotely surprised.

I watched quietly while Crash knelt on the floor picking glass from pilled beer with red ears and shaking hands.

Discipline. Clear and immediate and nobody questioned it.

Honestly, that part fascinated me more than it should have.

My phone suddenly started vibrating in my bag and I already knew who it was before checking.

It was my mother again and I declined the call immediately.

“Everything alright?” Knox asked.s

“Just family.” i said.

“You ignored it pretty fast.” He said.

“Rich people love pretending money fixes emotional neglect.” I said grabbing a beet from the counter nearby.

“That got dark real f*****g quick.” Crow said but I just shrugged while taking a drink.

The clubhouse noise slowly picked back up around us while music echoed through the building again and for the first time in a while I actually relaxed a little.

Which probably meant I was losing my damn mind.

Hours later Knox walked me outside while cold night air hit my skin and the gravel crunches beneath our boots while bikes gleamed beneath floodlights.

“You survived.” He said.

“Barely.” I said.

“Roman’ll come around eventually.” He said keeping his eyes on me for a second too long.

“Not worried about him.” i said.

“No?” He asked.

“I can handle assholes.” I said.

Knox laughed quietly while opening my truck door for me.

The sound hit me strangely because Knox Mercer didn’t seem like someone who laughed much.

“You always this charming?” I asked.

“Only when I’m trying.” He said.

Heat crept into my chest again and I hated it immediately.

I drove home sometime after two in the morning while exhaustion dragged at me hard and by the time I climbed the stairs to my apartment all I wanted was sleep.

Then I stopped cold and I saw my apartment window was shattered.

Glass covered the sidewalk beneath it and sitting in the middle of my living room floor was a brick wrapped in black cloth.