Never Kiss an Outlaw(31)

“Easily.” Her face darkened, and she turned around, walking toward the little office she used for running the place.

Something urged me to follow her. She didn't shut me out, and waved me into an empty chair when I followed her into the small, cluttered brain controlling the Ruby Heel.

“What happened to you?” It just came out of my mouth. “I see the kind of clothes you wear and the way you talk...you're a rich, educated woman. You're a misfit in this world, just like I am, aren't you?”

“I was thrown into it, the same as you. My family gave me everything. Easy, when you're born to the most powerful businessman in East Tennessee. I grew up spoiled, and acted out plenty. It got me in deep shit when I ran into the wrong man in the mountains.” She looked down at her finely painted nails, always hot red or jade green, except they were a little chipped today.#p#分页标题#e#

“He took me. Enslaved me. Forced me to do despicable things with strangers. I was going to be auctioned off. The bastard whored me out, ruined my hope, made me wish every day I'd die in my sleep. Until one day a big, beautiful biker man came, and promised me the world. Skin saved me, Cora, in more ways than one.”

My heart sank. I hurt for the pain in her voice, the half-forgotten agony just oozing out of her.

I bled for myself, too.

Suddenly, I had an inkling how much worse it could be. My tragedy wasn't unique, and I hated it.

Nobody was looking out for me. Nobody cared. Dust, he made a lot of moves to keep me from dying because of his promises to my father, but he didn't know me.

He didn't care, beyond carrying out his mission. No one did, save for one man.

“And you decided to stay?” I asked. “After he helped you, I mean?”

“Well, obviously.” Meg smiled. “This is my world now. Sure, growing up in a nice family and screwing around without a care in the world seemed like heaven, a long, long time ago. But this is where I really belong, running my own life, at the side of a man I love and owe my life to. We're engaged to be married soon. It's going to be the best day of my life.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

She folded her hands and leaned forward, staring into my eyes. “Because I want you to be more than just a drone. There's more to this life than just working and going home with the same sour look on your face, Cora.”

“Uh, it's not like I'm able to go bar hopping all over town with the target that's on my back. Supposedly.”

“I know,” Meg said quietly. “But it won't be forever. One day, you'll be a free woman. You can hang this up, go back to teaching, and forget all the punches you've taken this past month. Or you can own this world, carve a piece of it for yourself, and find out what you're truly made of. You can kick ass, but you don't have to do it alone. The choice is yours.”

I fought the urge to stand up, walk right out of her office, and slam the door so fucking hard my wrist snapped. I didn't come here looking for sisterly advice from this woman who was barely older than me, and wasn't much closer than a stranger.

Still, I respected what she'd suffered. I promised myself I wouldn't leave making a scene.

“Are we done here?” I said slowly, tasting the bitter cut of every word.

“Yeah. Go finish your shift and ride home with the man who's protecting you. If anything I said here today matters, don't tell me about it. Show me.”

I stepped outside and gently closed the door behind me, resisting the urge to smash it. It would've been a nice substitute for the urge to obliterate all the screwed up shards of my life.

I wasn't fooling anyone, though. Not even myself.

Being a bitch to Meg after she'd tried to have a heart-to-heart wouldn't make things easier. It wouldn't drain the feelings I had for Firefly, or set me free.

That was up to me, and nobody else. My shift went by in a blur, hustling the girls out to the firefighters and the other drunks. By the end of the night, I was smiling.

I couldn't wait for him. Almost looked forward to hearing the growl of Firefly's motorcycle, or maybe just the rumble of his voice.

We'd sort this out, little by little, just like the mess in my own head.



“Ma'am, I only had one backstage, honest!” A skinny brunette named Velvet clutched her cigarettes to her chest, as if I'd reach for her bare tits and snatch them away.

That's exactly what I did a second later. The girls had all bought my legend since I'd lashed out at Trig. I stuffed them into my pocket and let her tumble backwards before I shot her a sharp look.#p#分页标题#e#

“Take it up with Megan. You know the rules – no junk, not even the legal stuff, while you're on the clock. The club could also get fined. Employment regulations, and all that. I'll keep these for now. If Meg says you can have them back, well, that's up to her. Go!”