Enough(90)
His grin turned into a sexy smile. “A specialty of mine.”
Zayn joined us on the dance floor and in minutes he peeled Glory away, with his bad-boy smile and dance moves I envied. Avery scowled at me and shouted her demand for her own biker in my ear. Why did everyone but me like the Brotherhood’s attention?
Songs changed and I danced, purging the sadness with movement. I spun around and Rock moved in front of me. Fucking all I need.
Dancing toward Avery, I mouthed, “Yours.” He might only be a one-night thing, but maybe more.
I bumped her ass forward and she went willingly. While Rock was distracted, I hurried off the dance floor straight into Vex. He pointed to the alley, but I shook my head, not trusting him there. Instead, we went out front.
“What’s the game?” His smile crooked into a mischievous grin. “You look ready for a new rider.”
Did I say it now? I’m Bear’s property.
“I’m out with my girls forgetting my troubles.” I met his gaze. “No game, not ready for anything.”
“If we were at the club—”
“I’d be Bear’s property. You going there?”
He gave me a knowing wink. “Definitely better money in his harem. And he’s damn possessive for a queer.”
I kept my mouth shut, letting him jump to his own conclusions.
“You change your mind, let Bear know. He’s got my number.” He strutted down the walk to a row of motorcycles. Six bikes? Were they all from the Brotherhood?
The night lost its appeal. Hemmed in by bikers wanting Red, I felt claustrophobic. Three bikers in less than an hour. I needed to get out of here. Time to think about my starting-over plan. I absolutely couldn’t keep dodging bikers.
I met Frankie and her boyfriend on my way to the table. They planned to leave and agreed to drop me home. I interrupted Chet, who was kissing a strawberry blonde girl at our table, to tell him I was leaving with Frankie. He nodded and turned back to his conquest.
My ears rang in the quiet of the car. First I texted Avery and Glory, letting them know where I went. I stuck my finger in my ear, trying to stop the ringing. Buckled in the backseat of their four-door sedan, relief flooded through me. Another biker catastrophe avoided.
“Thanks for the ride home. It was getting crowded in there.”
“No problem, the Brotherhood are everywhere.” Frankie smiled at me. “All the townies know they’re fine for a wild ride or a fling, not that you’d know.”
I bit my lip and tried not to be offended by her condescending words.
“But never a relationship. No, they’re white trash.” She almost whispered the last two words. “You’re better off without that.”
Who the hell was she to judge my boys? I swallowed the words pushing to flow free, like judgmental bitch, prissy know-it-all, or ice queen who wouldn’t know a good man if he fucked her. Maybe I’d lost Dare, and maybe my relationship with the bikers was touchy, but I was loyal.
* * *
Pounding woke me the next morning, so I stumbled out of bed to the front door. My muddled mind shouted Dare, and I rushed to unlock it. I threw it open and Bear’s gaze met mine.
I stepped back and let him inside before I dropped on my couch. Dare was never knocking on my door again.
Get real, Braham. You’re a memory.
The smack of my door closing made me glance up. Bear stalked toward me while looking all around my apartment. Was this the first time he’d been here? No, he’d been here before furniture, I think.
He hadn’t brought coffee. If he was going to wake me up, at least he could bring coffee. Jericho always did. I forced myself up and trudged to the kitchen to pour Folgers in my Mr. Coffee and started it percolating.
A scraping made me turn. He’d dragged my chair around so it faced the couch.
“Make yourself at home,” I groused. “Redecorate if you want.” When the coffee finished brewing, I poured a steaming cup and sniffed its aroma. My brain started working. “Coffee.”
“Hate it.” Bear’s flat voice was cold.
I arched an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Tucking my legs under me on the couch, I sipped my java. His deep brown hair wasn’t contained in a ponytail but flowed down his back in waves.
Then he scowled, and the smooth planes of his face turned hard.
What have I done? I drank down more coffee, hoping the caffeine started working. I should gather my wits if he planned to chew my ass.
The silence stretched while he shot lethal glares at me.
His lip curled, but I wouldn’t call it a smile. “Don’t fuck with me.”
“Okay.” I hadn’t been.
“You using me to twist Dare up?”
He surprised me, and I set my cup on the end table. “What the hell?”