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Since the manufacture and sale of new combustion engines had been outlawed, some of the Horde had bought electric bikes, but most were fighting the change like their lives depended on fossil fuels. She knew of only one patch who rode electric as his primary ride: Zaxx Bello. He rode a LiveWire.
Knew of him, didn’t really know him. Zaxx was the newest patch in the club. He lived in Signal Bend now but hadn’t grown up here, and he’d signed on to prospect while she was at Mizzou. She hadn’t been around enough after that to really become acquainted. She knew him to say hi to, basically. But that didn’t mean they weren’t family.
Gia’s mind worked quickly; only a second or two had elapsed since Deere had made his threat and the voice behind her had answered it. This whole encounter was probably less than a minute old. Now, still holding Deere at the edge of losing his thumb, she said, “Zaxx?”
“Hey, Gia,” Zaxx answered. Then, to Deere, he said, “It’s not me you should worry about. Gia here will rip your arm off and beat you and your friends unconscious with it before I can cock my fist.”
That was an insane exaggeration; a few seconds ago she’d been preparing to get the snot beat out of her. Gia laughed despite her intent to look as dangerous as Zaxx advertised.
Apparently her laugh had a villainous timbre, because Deere and his buddies paled, like they suddenly believed her capable of all that.
“Sorry,” Deere mumbled, his posture sagging. “Let go. Please.”
Gia let him go.
Chapter Five
As soon as Gia released her hold, the asshole in the John Deere cap took two reeling steps back, cradling his hand to his chest. His buddies, still standing there like mannequins, finally swiveled their focus away from Gia and over to their humbled friend. For another ten seconds or so, they stood there, staring at each other like they were having a mind-meld meeting.
Zaxx guessed the agenda of that silent conference was Are we really gonna let this chick get away with that? Still behind Gia, and her attention still absolutely locked onto her target, Zaxx made himself as big as he could and sent a threat over with his eyes. These assholes needed to understand that she was not alone.
Whether Gia needed a rescue was an arguable point. Everybody in town knew she was tough, like her mom. Some of the younger patches talked about her like she was Wonder Woman and Galadriel and Medusa packed into the body of Aphrodite, beautiful and terrifying. Some had seen her spar with her mom in the clubhouse ring, and made raunchy observations—when Isaac or any of the Horde Gia called ‘Uncle’ weren’t around—about how useful the memory of Gia Lunden fighting in tiny workout clothes was for certain private activities.
Zaxx had not seen her in the ring. He hadn’t seen that much of her, period. Scant few of their interactions could even be said to rise to the level of ‘conversation.’ Even so, he believed most of the hype. She vibed like somebody who could handle her own shit. However, three farm-strong drunks turbocharged on outrage and dented masculinity against a single unarmed (he assumed; guns weren’t allowed in the bar) woman, made for shitty odds for the woman, no matter how tough she was.
He'd come onto the lot and noticed Gia approaching the door almost at the same time the door opened and these guys surged out. His attention had landed on her first because he thought she was hot as fuck, like everybody else, but then, almost before he saw it happen, Gia had the guy in the Deere hat in an arm twist/thumb lock move.
With two equally big dudes standing right there, Zaxx saw many things that could go wrong in many really wrong ways for Gia. He didn’t know what the guy had said to provoke her, but whatever it was, he would not call her response thoughtful.
So he’d vaulted off his bike and jumped in. Hadn’t even bothered to take off his helmet.
Finally, with only the muttered word Bitch to serve as his farewell, the guy, still holding his arm to his chest, led his minions onto the parking lot. Zaxx and Gia both turned and tracked them all the way to a lifted twenty-year-old GMC truck with a big grille guard and an ostentatious light bar mounted to the roof. The whole Penile Compensation Package.
When the guy in the Deere hat, who’d climbed into the driver’s seat, fired up the engine and turned on the lights, Zaxx finally looked to Gia. She was already focused on him, her bright green eyes sparkling in the lot lights, her dark brows slashed with curiosity.
Remembering the helmet still on his head, Zaxx removed it gave his head a brisk shake.
Now he had a chance to get a real look at her, and damn. Done up for Saturday night, she was even more gorgeous than usual. Dark makeup rimmed her eyes and made them seem even brighter, and she was dressed in snug black leather from her shoulders to her soles. Her hair fell over her shoulders and down her back like a cape.
Wonder Woman and Galadriel and Medusa packed into the body of Aphrodite.
Making anything that could even be construed as a move would be profoundly stupid right now, and Zaxx had never considered Gia Lunden to be in play like that anyway.
“Hey,” he said. “You okay?”
“Obviously.”
Her tone was on the chilly side. Or maybe not chilly, but definitely not warm. Though he wasn’t sure he’d expected gratitude, it would have been nice. Well, she hadn’t asked for backup, and he hadn’t provided it for cred, so whatever.
“I know you probably had that, but—”
“I didn’t. When he reached for me, I reacted without thinking, and with three guys I’d’ve been in some trouble.” After a beat, like she had to dredge up the will for it, she added, “Thanks.”
“Yeah, sure.” A roaring engine, the grind of gravel, and squealing tires trying to grip asphalt pulled their attention toward the lot entrance, where their recent acquaintance was making a big show of leaving. He shoved his arm out the window, middle finger extended, and sped off down the road.
Zaxx went to his bike and locked his helmet down, then returned to Gia’s side. She was still watching the truck.
“You want a beer? I owe you one,” she said when those assholes were nothing more than a pair of shrinking taillights.
