Wild Nights(32)

He climbed out of the truck, flipped the back seat forward and let me out, immediately grabbing my arm the moment my feet touched the ground.

“Remember,” he murmured into my ear. “Don’t do anything stupid. Stick with me the entire night. I don’t want you out of my sight. You’re my girl. I want them to know that.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry,” I said as I tried my hardest to reassure him. I knew, though, that if I had the chance to flee or ask for help, I was going to take it no matter what.

We walked into the bar and were greeted with clouds of cigarette smoke and music booming from speakers in every corner of the place. I could barely think straight, it was so loud.

I glanced around to see nothing but a sea of black leather jackets with “Hell’s Highway MC” embroidered across the backs. This must have been Blaze’s club.

He jerked me by the arm and led me to a booth in the corner, pushing me in so I was trapped between him and the wall. I wasn’t going anywhere.

“I have to pee,” I said as we sat down.

“Are you fucking serious?” he asked. “We just got here. What is it with you and that bladder?”

I didn’t have to go that bad, but I figured the ladies room was someplace he couldn’t go with me or stand in the doorway. It was a chance I was willing to take.

He rolled his eyes as he climbed out of the booth and pulled me towards the bathroom. There was a line about five people long, and much to my dismay, it was a one-person, unisex bathroom. He would totally be able to go in with me.

So much for that plan, I lamented.

“Shall we order some drinks while we wait?” I asked, trying to distract him. “Old times’ sake?”

His eyes locked in on the bar tender.

“We’ll lose our spot,” he said. “I thought you really had to go.”

“I do, but it can wait,” I said. “I can stay here or I can go get the drinks. It’s up to you.”

“No, no, no,” he said as he shook his head. “I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight. Not for any reason.”

“Okay, fine,” I replied, pretending to act like it didn’t bother me at all.

He looked torn for a bit and then suddenly pulled us out of the line and towards the bar.

“Yo, Jonah!” he yelled out as he slapped his hand on the bar. “What’s a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?”

He sounded like he was suddenly from New Jersey or something. His accent came out of nowhere that was for sure.

“Ay, Big Blaze, what’s crackin’?!” the bar tender said, replying in what I could only assume was a genuine Jersey accent. Maybe it was their thing? “What can I get ya?”

“Gin and tonic for her and whiskey sour for me,” he said as he pulled cash from his wallet.

“Ah, your money’s no good here,” Jonah said as he mixed up our drinks. “At least let the first round be on me. Pretty ladies always drink free anyway.”

He winked at me, though it was a friendly wink. He seemed nice. It made me wonder what someone like him saw in someone like Blaze. They were from opposite ends of the spectrum. Jonah wasn’t creepy at all. He was a big, friendly guy from New Jersey who tended bar in Tulsa. That was all.

He placed our drinks on the bar and carefully slid them towards us.

“Enjoy guys,” he said as he moved onto the next patron.

Blaze grabbed my arm and pulled us back over to our booth, pushing me in by the wall once again. My urge to use the restroom had suddenly disappeared after realizing it was a unisex room. I crossed my fingers that Blaze would forget. I didn’t want him to call my bluff. That would be the worst that could happen. All trust would be shot for sure.





CHAPTER 17





“Everyone’s checkin’ you out,” he said with a proud smile. “They haven’t stopped staring at you since I brought you in here.”

I wanted to say that maybe it was due to the fact that he was parading me around and not letting go of me. I wondered if that’s what they were really staring at, but I didn’t say anything.

“They all want what I’ve got,” he said in the cockiest tone I’d ever heard.

“Hey, buddy,” a short, blonde guy in a motorcycle jacket said as he walked up to our table. My heart sunk down into my stomach when I realized it was Ace, from the weekend before. My face instantly turned ten shades of crimson, and I looked away.

“What’s up?” he said as he looked at me, wagging his tongue out like some sort of dog.

“Hi,” I said, still avoiding eye contact.

“I, uh, think, R.J. wants to have a word with you,” Ace said to Blaze in all seriousness. His smile from a few seconds ago had left his face in an instant with those words.