Page 2 of Sweet Revenge for the Bikers

The old runway has been turned into a makeshift racetrack, and a huge crowd has gathered around to watch. Unfortunately, the average biker is way taller than the average me, and the closer I get, the more my view turns into nothing but the backs of an endless sea of leather jackets and vests.

“Need a boost?” The rich voice is so close to my ear that I nearly jump out of my skin.

I whirl around, finding myself face-to-chest with yet another leather jacket. It hangs open, revealing a black T-shirt stretched tight over a muscular chest. The kind you mostly find in photoshopped images and on romance novel covers.

Wetting my lips, I drag my gaze upward until I’m staring right into a pair of mossy green eyes, their corners crinkled in amusement. He’s probably only a few years older than me, with thick brown hair in a wild halo around a rough-cut face. His stubble-shaded jawline is so sharp it could draw blood.

He cocks his head, a teasing smile curving his unreasonably full lips. “Don’t you wanna watch?”

His flirting feels totally different than the barbecue guy’s, but I find myself just as tongue-tied. “Um…”

Great job, Melody. First Red thinks you’re too chatty, now this guy’s going to think you can’t string two words together.

“Who’d you find here?” a second voice asks, deep and gruff. “Doesn’t look like one of our girls.”

The second man’s beard is dense and black, his eyes hidden in shadow. The sides of his head are shaved, and a stray black lock of hair hangs almost low enough to hide the scar cutting through his dark eyebrow. He must’ve left his jacket somewhere, leaving him in a white shirt with the arms cut off. A full sleeve of colorful tattoos winds its way up his left arm and disappears beneath the shirt, making me wonder how far down it goes.

Not all bikers are shockingly handsome, but when they are? This whole dangerous look does more for me than I would’ve expected. Up until recently, my only first-hand experiences were of my father and a few of his friends. Not exactly a good sample size or anyone I’d want to think about like that.

“What do you mean, one of your girls?” I finally find my voice, a little insulted on behalf of the women they’re apparently here with, because the way they’re looking at me doesn’t feel very taken.

The second man laughs. “Put your claws away, baby. Jealousy looks cute on you, but it’s not like that. I just meant you aren’t one of the girls who came with our crew.”

“Oh. I’m not jealous. I don’t even know you,” I scoff.

The man with the green eyes gives me a crooked smile. “Maybe we should fix that. You can call me Mad Dog.” He nods toward his friend. “He’s Rebel.”

One day I’ll meet a biker who just goes by Dave or Mark or something and it’ll blow my mind.

Rebel grins. “What’s your name, honey?”

Is it smart to tell them? I don’t recognize their club logo, but they don’t seem dangerous. Besides, I was told that there’s a strict no violence policy at the rally, and family is allowed tonight. “Melody.”

“Melody, a sweet name for a sweet woman. Rolls off the tongue.” The way Mad Dog flicks his tongue after saying it makes me suspect he thinks I’d roll pretty sweetly off his tongue, too.

“So now that we’re not strangers, how about we help you get a better view?” Rebel asks. “Our friend Riptide’s up soon.”

I give him a skeptical look. “View from where?”

He pats his shoulders. “You’ll have the best fucking seat in the house.”

I glance toward the track, where someone is announcing names. Being able to read the back of all the jackets is a great way to learn the names of motorcycle clubs, less interesting if I want to see what’s actually going on.

“You’re kidding, right?”

His laugh is deep and infectious. “Would I joke about getting my head between your thighs? Come on.”

Nervous butterfly wings flutter in my chest, and I feel my cheeks flush, but I find myself nodding anyway. I wanted to experience this thing for real, right?

“Okay.”

2

MELODY

Rebel’s strong hands go around my waist. “On the count of three. One, two…”

I squeal in surprise as he lifts me before even saying three. “Hey!”