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Blade: Chapter 1
It’s official. I was a damn stalker, and I needed to turn myself in to Jake. I wondered if I did, would he lock me up and throw away the key? As a prospect, he was obligated to do whatever I told him to do—since I was a member of the Archangel’s Warriors MC—no matter what the task was. As an officer of the law, he was sworn to do the same if he discovered a stalker and had proof.
Why was I a stalker, when in all my thirty years, I’d never been tempted to be one before? It was all because of one woman who had stolen my wits and scrambled my brains when I first laid eyes on her. Not that she had a clue she affected me that way. I couldn’t get her to look at me longer than a second, and only a couple of times have I gotten the briefest word before she scurried away to hide. A few exchanged words were all I had to live on, but those, along with the sightings of her, fed my obsession.
It was her hiding and refusal to talk to me, so I could get to know her, that had me following her when she left work. I’d followed her home, then sat outside, trying to think of a way to convince her I wasn’t out to harm her or whatever it was that had her so afraid of me.
Afraid wasn’t the right word. She seemed to be leery and something told me she’d been badly hurt and was closed off to protect herself. The thing she didn’t know was I’d never be able to hurt her. She was the safest person in the world when it came to me. If I did hurt her, my own heart would probably shrivel up and die. Every protective instinct bred into my DNA came screaming to the forefront when it came to her. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to ensure she was safe and happy.
Who was the woman? She was the beautiful, sweet, and shy Cassia Parrish. This whole thing started a month ago when I saw her for the first time. I’d gone into the bakery in town to check that they were satisfied with the new security system we’d installed for them recently. The owner had been delighted and insisted on giving me a dozen pastries for the office as a thank you.
I’d heard such good things about the baked goods there, that I’d accepted them. I decided to sit and taste one for myself and have a coffee before heading back to the office. One bite and I was in love. I’d never tasted anything like it and I’ve had the stuff the old ladies in Hunters Creek make in their bakery, plus what Alannah and some of the others made here.
They were super busy, and I’d been lucky to find a table. I was enjoying my coffee and blueberry Danish, as I watched the huge crowd mob the store. People were so determined to get their treats, I’d seen two women almost get in a fistfight over the last chocolate muffin. It was that fight that had the woman at the counter yelling toward the back for someone to bring more chocolate muffins while she tried to calm the two women down.
A minute later, out came another young woman carrying a big pan filled with what I assumed were those chocolate muffins. She quickly went to the display case and started to put them in their correct place, as the customers clamored for their picks. That’s when I saw her.
She was gorgeous and my eyes quickly cataloged all her attributes. Her straight, thick hair was pulled back in a high ponytail which, as she turned her head, I could see it hung almost to her waist. It was dark blond with lighter golden streaks in it. I was so close to her that when I saw her eyes, I could tell they were an unusual color. They were a pale silverish gray with a darker gray ring on the outside of her iris. Add to that they were slanted like a cat’s eye.
Her skin was a golden color that complimented her eyes and hair, along with her pixie nose and wide, generous mouth. Those lips begged to be kissed. She was of average height and had gentle curves. They weren’t super lush, but showed she was more than a woman. She looked young. I’d guess in her early twenties. I usually stuck to women a bit older, but in her case, I’d make a damn exception. I got up from my seat and hurried to the display case. Her gaze jumped to me and her eyes widened. I gave her my best smile.
“Hi, I’m Blade. What’s your name? I want to thank you for the delicious pastry I’m eating. I presume you made it. Do you make all of them? If so, you’re a treasure.”
My charm always worked with the ladies. Only this time, I was left stunned as she hurried off to the back without saying a word to me. A look of fear was on her face. I was about to call out to her when the other lady who’d called her out to bring more product stepped closer to me.
“Don’t waste your time on her, sexy. She doesn’t like men, but I do.” Her voice held interest and was suggestive. I saw her look me up and down.
Now, any other time, I’d gladly take her up on what she was so eagerly offering me. Why not? As long as she knew nothing would come of it other than sex, we’d have fun. Except this time, no desire whatsoever rose within me. Her offer left me cold.
“What’s her name?” I asked, ignoring her bold offer.
“Her name? Why do you need to know that? I told you, she doesn’t like men. She’s not going to give you what you want. I can.”
“You don’t know what it is that I want. Tell me her name, or do I need to tell your boss how you like to come on to the customers? I don’t think he’ll like that.”
She huffed out an angry sound and rolled her eyes as she flipped her hair. “Whatever. If you want to try to chase that rather than a sure thing like me, that’s your loss. Her name is Cassia Parrish. I wouldn’t hold my breath. She won’t put out, not even for a biker.” She stomped back to the register. I noted that her name tag said she wasJan.
Jan wasn’t an unattractive woman, but my whole being was attuned to Cassia. I loved her name. Her looks, her reaction to me and every other tiny thing that had happened set up the next month of obsession for me. I returned to the bakery numerous times. Every time I did, I found a way to get at least a glimpse of her. A few times, I lucked out and spoke to her.
I found that she mainly stayed in the back. On rare occasions, she came out to refill the display cases or to work the register if they were swamped. She spoke softly and gave people timid smiles. When it came to me, she wouldn’t smile and she would barely speak to me. I tried charming her then just being friendly, but it didn’t help. I wasn’t discouraged. I would find a way to get her to speak to me and for me to find out about her.
Sure, I could’ve had Smoke or Everly run her name. They could find out anything about anyone, but that felt like cheating. I wanted her to tell me about herself. And I’d tell her about myself. That’s how normal people building a relationship did it.
Yeah, I said it, the dreaded R-word—relationship. A word that I never thought would pass my lips. Even if most of my brothers were in one and seemed happy with it, I figured I was one of the few who wouldn’t settle for one woman. Even one of the others I thought destined to remain single along with me, my brother Tiger, had shocked us all recently by settling down not with one, but two people. And not two women, but a man and a woman, another one of our club brothers. Thorn and Tiger had been having a secret relationship for a couple of years. It all came out when they met and fell for Neriah. I’d thought before that, Tiger would remain single forever. Guess that goes to show you what making assumptions gets you.
Since Cassia wouldn’t talk to me, I started to watch her. I was looking for something to help me break the ice with her. Plus, it might help me find out more about her. What I found out so far was she was a recluse. Other than working at the bakery, she spent almost all of her remaining time holed up in a tiny apartment. She only left to pick up groceries. She didn’t go to the movies, go out on dates, thank God, or to any other places around Dublin Falls. No one visited her either. She seemed to be completely alone. Maybe she wanted it that way, but something told me that she didn’t. She was forced into that behavior and I had to find out why. She was a mystery I had to unravel.
Jump forward a month and I was no closer to figuring her out than I had been on day one. I was frustrated and on the edge of saying the hell with it and telling Smoke to investigate her. Walking into Frost Me bakery, I was ready to be ignored again. However, the pastries were too good to say no to. I’d restricted myself to not going in more than twice a week. My waistline thanked me for it, even if my heart and another part of my anatomy didn’t.
The bell rang, announcing my arrival. I’d learned when to come in. There was a lull in customers around one o’clock in the afternoon. I could sit and enjoy my coffee and pastry longer, since no one would be eyeing my table, and maybe get that glimpse of Cassia I was dying for. Today, I noted the owner, Ian Webster, was at the counter, which was new. I’d never seen him working here. I went to the counter. He smiled and greeted me with a handshake.
“Hello, Blade, it’s good to see you again. Here for another check-in? The new security system is working beautifully. I have no complaints. I’ve been telling all my other business owner friends about Salvation Security. I hope you’ve received new business.”
“Hello, Ian. Yes, thank you. We have been getting a lot more calls thanks to you. I can’t thank you enough. However, it’s not the security system that brings me here. It’s your pastries. I can’t get enough of them. I have to ration myself or I’ll be spending more hours in the gym. I have no idea what goes in them, but they’re addictive.”
He laughed. “Ah, that would be the magic that only my head baker, Cassia, knows. Since I hired her, she’s been making this bakery shine. My wife was the baker before that, but even she couldn’t do better than Cassia. I have no idea where she learned it, but I’m grateful she did. It would have killed my wife if this place closed after we lost her.”
I knew from earlier talks with him that his late wife, Freya, had been the one who ran the bakery. It was her life’s work. When she died a few years ago, he’d stepped up to try and keep her dream alive.
