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1
ELISE
Working on Christmas wasn’t my idea of a good time, but the money was too good to pass up. My brother hadn’t been happy about me spending the day at the bar owned by his motorcycle club, the Iron Rogues, but I finally managed to talk him around. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable celebrating the holiday at the clubhouse with him and his club brothers because I’d only met a few of them since I came to Tennessee a couple of weeks ago. Plus, I needed the money to help cover my expenses because I wasn’t comfortable having Gideon pay for more than my tuition. Something we argued about all the time.
My big brother felt guilty about taking off when he turned eighteen, but I didn’t blame him for leaving me behind with our crappy parents. I was just grateful that Gideon had kept in touch over the years, sending money when he could. And that he had stepped in to make sure I could leave for college when I hadn’t thought it was possible.
I didn’t want to take advantage of him, like our parents had tried when they realized he’d done well for himself. They hated that Gideon had become a biker, but that hadn’t stopped them from asking him for money. Which only made me feel worse foraccepting his help. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was anything like them.
Pulling into the parking lot of The Midnight Rebel, I shook off my thoughts about my family and focused on the Christmas song playing over my radio. I’d only worked a handful of shifts at the bar owned by the Iron Rogues and spent yesterday with my brother instead of working, so I wasn’t sure what to expect on a holiday. I had assumed it wouldn’t be too busy since drinking at a bar wasn’t really a Christmassy pastime, but I realized how wrong I was when I had to park all the way in the back of the lot because the place was packed.
Since I had gotten there early, I sat in my car and listened to some more Christmas carols to psych myself up for my shift. I had turned off my headlights and wasn’t near a light pole, so it must have seemed as though my vehicle was empty because when I opened my door and climbed out, one of the guys who were standing a couple of spots over from me looked startled by my sudden appearance.
“Shit, man.” The tall, thin man facing me dropped a small baggie of white powder on the ground, his hand shaking as he bent over to pick it up.
I gasped as I realized what I had stumbled across—a drug deal.
The dealer glanced over his shoulder to see what had spooked his customer, his beady eyes narrowing and filling with menace when his gaze landed on me. He clenched the cash the other guy had given him in his fist before shoving it into the back pocket of his grungy jeans and muttering, “Don’t worry about this. I’ll take care of her.”
Not liking the sound of that, I swiveled on my foot and jumped back into the driver’s seat of my car. And not a moment too soon because as I slammed the door shut, the drug dealerwas close enough to pound his fist against the window. “Get outta there, bitch! You’re not gonna fuck this up for me!”
No way in heck was I going to step foot out of the car while he was anywhere near, especially when he was screaming at me like that. Jabbing my finger against the ignition button, I thanked my lucky stars that Gideon had insisted on buying me a reliable used car for my high school graduation gift. The engine roared to life, and I quickly put the vehicle into reverse to back out of my parking spot. Slamming his palm against the hood of my car, the dealer yelled for me to stop. That was not going to happen.
Instead, I pressed my foot against the gas pedal while watching in my rearview mirror to make sure I didn’t hit anyone as I reversed all the way to the exit of the parking lot. Then I switched into drive as fast as I could and jerked the wheel to turn left onto the street. I wasn’t very familiar with Old Bridge, but Gideon had driven me from the clubhouse to the bar on the day I’d gotten the job. Luckily, I was good with directions and remembered the route he had taken.
My hand trembled as I reached over to the passenger seat to pull my cell phone out of my purse. Unfortunately, my distraction cost me because it gave the dealer the chance to catch up to me and slam into the back of my car. My stuff spilled out of my bag and onto the floorboard of the passenger side, making it impossible for me to call Gideon to let him know what was happening.
The Midnight Rebel was only two miles from the Iron Rogues clubhouse, so I stomped my foot against the gas pedal and tried my best to get there before I got hit again. But I only made it a few more blocks before the other vehicle pulled up alongside me and rammed into my door. I gripped the steering wheel as hard as I could, my knuckles turning white, but it didn’t do any good.
On the third swipe of the drug dealer’s car, I was forced off the road and into the ditch to my right. My airbag wentoff, protecting my head from hitting the steering wheel, but the contents of my purse that were still on the passenger seat flew up, and something hit my forehead. My engine cut off, and there was a fine dust in the cabin of my car, along with an odd smell in the air.
It took me a moment to shake off my disorientation before I realized the man who had been chasing me was yanking on my door, trying to get it open. If it hadn’t been for the roar of a motorcycle driving toward us, he probably would’ve had enough time to smash in my window and get to me. But when the bike got close enough for the headlight to illuminate the dealer’s face, he hissed, “You better keep your mouth shut, bitch. Or else I’m gonna make you pay for fucking with my business.”
He slammed his fist against my door before racing back to his car and taking off. I slumped in my seat, taking a few slow breaths to settle my racing heart. But my pulse jumped again when I heard a deep voice call, “Need help?”
Blinking up at the man climbing off his bike, I lifted my hand to my forehead and winced as I brushed my hand against the cut above my brow. My breath caught in my throat when I saw the blood on my fingertips. My eyes widened, and he muttered, “Shit, you’re hurt. Can you open the door for me? Gotta check you over to see if you need an ambulance.”
Looking through my window, I saw the leather vest he was wearing and heaved a sigh of relief. My rescuer was one of my Gideon’s club brothers, Whiskey. I knew he couldn’t be connected to the guy who’d been chasing me because Gideon had told me that the club refused to have anything to do with drugs.
I reached out to unlock the doors with a slight nod. Opening it, he crouched down next to me.
“Can’t believe that bastard had the fucking nerve to hit you and run on our territory.” I winced at the fury in his voice, andhe shook his head with a grimace. “Sorry, sweetheart. You don’t have anything to worry about. I get that you have every right to be scared of being around a big, strange guy after what just happened, but you’re safe with me. I swear it.”
“I know.” I offered him a weak smile. “I’m Elise Ayers, Gideon—um…Storm’s—little sister.”
His eyes widened. “No shit?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’m doubly glad I was running late to the Christmas bash at the clubhouse.” Whiskey undid the buckle on my seat belt and gently lifted it away from my body. “So I was in the right place at the right time to help you. But I shoulda gotten that asshole’s plate number. Your brother is gonna want his head for causing your accident and driving away like that.”
“It wasn’t an accident,” I whispered.
His brows drew together as he echoed, “Not an accident?”
“He followed me from The Midnight Rebel,” I explained. “I thought if I drove fast enough, I could make it to the clubhouse before he forced me off the road, but he was right behind me. I thought I was going to die, but then you showed up and scared him off. I owe you my life. Thank you.”
“Fuck,” he bit out, glancing over his shoulder to glare in the direction the drug dealer’s car had taken off. Then his concerned gaze returned to scan my face. “Are you hurt anywhere other than the cut on your head? I don’t like us being out in the open like this. Want to get you to the clubhouse, where I know you’ll be safe.”
