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He leans back and rests his hands on the bar behind him. “No thanks needed. I’m just glad you allowed me to help you. I hope you know that if you ever need anything, all you have to do is let me know.”
I’m beginning to believe that what he says may be true. It’s such a strange feeling, knowing there are people around to help me if I need it. Of course, there’s no way I could ask him for the help that I really need. First, there’s nothing he can do. Second, even if there was something he could do, I wouldn’t put him, or anyone else, in that situation. It would only put them in danger. There’s no way Steven will give me up without a fight. And when Steven fights, he does it dirty. He fights to win, no matter the cost or who around him gets hurt.
Jaxon walks over to me, and to my surprise, I don’t feel the sudden need to run or hide. I guess my mind and body are starting to recognize he’s not the enemy. He lifts his huge, tattooed hand and rests it on the side of my neck. Although I may not have the urge to flee, my body still stiffens when he leans down and places his lips against my forehead. His lips linger, and I swear I hear him take a deep breath, like he’s taking in my scent.
“See you later, angel,” he whispers against my forehead, and then turns and walks away.
I stand there staring after him. What I wouldn’t give for Jaxon to be the guy who was at The Bryler the day my life changed. I know deep in my heart that he would be the type of man I would never have to worry about inflicting pain on me. Under different circumstances, I know he would be a man I could easily fall in love with. He can be so very gentle at times, but he also has a fierceness to him, a fierceness I’m slowly learning not to fear. I know he would protect me, or anyone he cares about, with his life. I just don’t understand why he wants to protect me. I’m nobody to him, just a drifter that rolled into town with no money and only a car packed with secondhand stuff. What makes me so special for him to feel the need to keep safe?
A sudden knock on the bar brings me out of my thoughts, and I turn around to find an enormously built, exceptionally tall, and extremely intimidating biker standing there looking at me.
He’s not as tall as Jaxon and Andrew, but he definitely has some height to him. He has his long light-brown hair pulled back into a braided ponytail. He’s wearing the standard leather vest that most bikers wear, with several patches on the front. His arms, which are bare under the vest, are heavily muscled and sporting multiple tattoos. His face is covered with a thick, slightly darker brown mustache and beard.
“Well, hey there, Miss Kitty. Why don’t you grab me three bottles of Bud and head on over to my table with me and my buddies and plant that sweet ass down on my lap.” The look on his face while he’s blatantly molesting me with his eyes causes me to shiver. Bile starts to rise in my throat.
He obviously mistakes my repulsive shiver for arousal because he lets loose a toothy smile while he reaches his hand down beyond my view to his pants. I may not be able to see what he’s doing because the bar is in the way, but I know he’s either adjusting himself or rubbing himself. Either way, it causes the bile in my throat to come up even farther.
“Come on, sugar, what are you waiting for? Come on over to Shady’s lap and shove those titties in my face.” His eyes gloss over, and he licks his lips while he looks at my breasts.
I knew this was a mistake. There’s no way I can be around guys like him and not hyperventilate. My breathing has already become ragged, and it feels like I can’t get enough air in my lungs. I’m scared, and I have no idea what to do. I’m obviously not going to do what he wants, but I’m also afraid of what he’ll do if I don’t. He doesn’t seem like the type to take no for an answer. Although we’re in a place filled with people, and in reality he can’t do anything with so many people around, it doesn’t help stop the panic starting to rise.
As I’m standing there contemplating what I should do, Mia slides up next to me and says, “Hey, Bailey, Andrew needs you to help him with something down at the other end of the bar.”
I sigh in relief when I realize she saw me down here all alone with a big hulking biker harassing me. I turn toward her, and I can’t help the lone tear that crawls down my face. I’m eternally grateful for her interference. This is the second time she’s rescued me from an uncomfortable situation.
“Wait just a damn minute,” Shady says, banging his fists on the counter, causing me to jump. “Me and Miss Kitty here were just getting acquainted.”
Mia turns to face the irate biker, places both of her hands on the scarred dark wood, and leans over it.
“That’s just too fucking bad, Shady. Bailey’s off-limits. Go find some other unfortunate soul to play with,” she says with a sneer.
“Says who?”
“Says Jaxon. And if you’re smart you’ll leave her alone. Understand what I’m sayin’?”
“Yeah, well, Jaxon can’t always have what he wants. He likes to think he’s the hotshot in this town. I think it’s time someone puts him in his place.”
Oh God, what have I caused? Because of me, Jaxon will get hurt. That’s the last thing I want. He and his two sisters have been so kind to me. I can’t stand the thought of any of them being harmed because of my lack of courage.
I want to say something to defuse the situation, but the words are stuck in my throat. Even the thought of one of the three getting hurt, which is unbearable, doesn’t give me the daring to face Shady. I just hope that Shady’s bluffing.
Shady stays standing there with his fists on the bar and Mia is still leaning over it as far as her short body will allow.
“And who’s going to put him there, Shady? You?” She starts laughing. “You can certainly try, but I can guarantee Jaxon won’t be the one put in their place. You know this.”
Mia turns to me and pushes me lightly. “Go see what Andrew needs help with, Bailey.”
I know that I won’t be any help, but I really don’t want to leave her alone with him. There’s no telling what Shady will do. I’m sure he doesn’t take too kindly to being put down, especially by a woman. Yes, we’re surrounded by people, but it only takes one well-placed fist to the face to do significant damage, specifically to a girl of Mia’s size.
“I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. He won’t do anything.” She gently, but forcefully, pushes me again.
I take a last look at Mia and see determination and anger in her eyes. My eyes flicker briefly to Shady, before I turn around and walk over to where Andrew is serving a couple of people. I briskly go to him with the intention of telling him about the situation, and hope that he can help Mia.
“Andrew, you’ve got to help Mia. There’s this guy named Shady and he’s threatening Jaxon. She came up to help me when he was harassing me and she told him that Jaxon said I was off-limits, whatever that means. He seems really angry, and I’m worried he’ll hurt Mia. Please, Andrew, go over there and help her.” I’m out of breath by the time I get done. I’m so worried about Mia that the faster I get it out, the faster Andrew can make it to her.
Andrew looks up and over my shoulder. He clenches his jaw and his eyes turn to the color of onyx. I have always been able to tell if someone was angry or not from their facial expressions. It’s a skill I was forced to learn to gauge Steven’s moods. He was so unpredictable that I had to find ways to figure out what he was feeling. Right now, I can see that Andrew is beyond livid. He may like to pick on Mia, but it’s clear that he cares deeply for her.
Andrew takes a step in their direction, but stops. I turn to look at what’s going on and see Shady making his way over to a table that has two other bikers. Mia steps from behind the bar and walks through the crowd. For a minute, I think she’s going to Shady’s table to confront him again, but she veers clear of them and walks determinedly into the darkened hallway.
