One
Holly Bell
Holly, this is the last interview you have. You’ve interviewed at every restaurant in town and none of them think you’d be a good fit for their perfect little townie restaurant. Fucking townies. You have to ace this one chick. Whatever you do, you have to get this job, or you’ll be moving on to yet another town. Let’s be real, you don’t have money to move again. That would be the third time in six months. Aren’t you tired of moving?
My conscience is a bitch. She’s the tough love angel on my shoulder that I need, but hate listening to. I know she’s right, but damn, lighten up a little C, I don’t need the pressure. I can do this. I can get out of this car and pretend I have my shit together and I’m a normal person.
I park in the back of Spanky’s Bar like the guy on the phone, Ryker, told me to do. Makes sense, party in the front, business in the back. This parking lot is like a freaking mullet. I laugh out loud to myself and my awful attempt at humor. God, I really need to find some friends.
I get out of my car shoving my phone in my back pocket, my keys in my front, and grab my wristlet. I’m not a purse kind of girl. I slam my door, and give the old girl a quick tap. I love this beater, we’ve been through a lot together in the last few months.
I start walking toward the back entrance of Spanky’s when I notice an asshole holding a struggling woman by her neck. He’s got her shoved up against a truck and by the looks of it, he’s not about to stop.
“Hey!” I scream out. I don’t think twice in intervening in whatever is going on between them. No way in hell am I going to watch someone hurt another. I run over to them, but the chick has some fight in her and gets the bastard down to the ground before I can assist. By the time I’m standing next to her, he’s rolling around on the asphalt grabbing his dick and crying because she just obliterated his balls with her boot.
I look her over checking to make sure she isn’t seriously hurt, but all I can see is her trembling body staring down at the man.
“Sweetie are you okay? Hey hun, look at me. Are you hurt?” I ask trying to snap her out of it.
“Yeah. No. I’m not hurt badly.” She says with a scratchy voice.
Now that she’s turned toward me I get a better view of her. She’s a beautiful little blonde dressed in skinny jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt, with the Spanky’s Bar logo on the side. She must work here. When I finally look at her neck it’s already purple and swollen.
“Why don’t you go inside and get some help.” I suggest, knowing she’s going to need ice and a stiff drink to get through tonight.
“I’m not leaving you alone out here, not with him.”
I smirk and shrug my shoulders, she has no idea the things I’ve been left alone with. “I’m pretty sure I could take him.”
She’s tough and sweet and reminds me a lot of me. Maybe not the sweet part, but definitely the fight I sense in her.
I watch over the guy, while she searches around the ground and finally finds what she’s looking for. She picks up a phone and makes a call.
“I need you outside. I’m in the back lot.” She says to the person on the other end.
Less than a minute later three men come running out the back door of Spanky’s, guns drawn and looking seriously pissed off. One of them runs over to the woman and pulls her into his arms.
The way he’s looking at her hits me deep. I’ve never had a love like that, never known anyone that could make me feel half of what they’re showing for each other. This isn’t for show, this is raw and pure.
Two men, wearing matching leather vests come walking over to me. Actually, everyone is wearing the same leather vests with matching patches. Fuck me. Did I just land myself in a biker bar? Of course, I did. Like I don’t have enough trouble following me around, now I’m in the middle of God knows what with a couple of bikers.
“What the hell happened?” A man with dark messy hair and a few day’s grown beard asks brashly. The second guy, equally sexy with reddish blonde hair smacks him in the chest.
“Easy Rash. She didn’t do this. Did you Doll?” He asks and then beams his panty melting smile at me.
Shit. I look at the two men who are vastly different, but connected at the same time. They’re both staring at me intently and I can’t decide if it’s because they’re pissed at me or they want something more.
I hold my hands up and the pissed off looking one flares his nostrils. I can’t help but giggle. He’s so angry.
“Look, I get it. Someone close to you is hurt and you’re taking names. But honey, mama is not the one who did the damage. That would be the asshole rolling around on the ground.”
“Sorry Precious. No one hurts mine, and she’s one of them. What did you see?” The growly one tries again.
I pause, stuck on the fact he called me Precious. Has anyone ever thought that about me before? “It was quick, he had her up against the truck, strangling her and I shouted at them. I think it distracted him enough that she was able to get free and take him down.”
“Chelsea’s a tough little shit.” The redhead, who can’t stop smiling mumbles.
“What’s your name?” Tall, dark, and spank my ass asks.
“Ever hear of manners big boy?” I ask, and he quirks his eyebrow at me, but stays silent.
I sigh and shake my head, “I’m Holly. Holly Bell. It’s nice to meet you. And you are?”
“My road name is Rash. You Precious, can call me Quinn. This is Jasper, but everyone else calls him Jester.”
“It’s nice to meet you two, but I have to get going, I’m late for-”
“Yeah, that’s not happening. You aren’t going anywhere.”
I stand tall. Who the hell does he think he is? ‘You aren’t going anywhere’ like he has any right to be part of that decision. I’m about to blast him when Jasper squeezes Quinn’s shoulders. The tension seems to leave Quinn immediately at Jasper’s touch and I can’t help but wonder what is going on between them.
“I think what my friend here is trying to say is that you’ll be needed if the police show up. To answer questions.”
That makes sense, but I still don’t like the way he told me what to do.
“I’m just going inside. I’m here for an interview with Ryker. Do you know Ryker?”
“Yes Doll, we know Ryker. Go in through those doors over there and make your first right. He’ll be in his office. Tell him to come on out here for us will ya? His old lady is in there and will keep you company.”
“His what?” I ask, but they’re already turned around and walking toward the other dangerously sexy guy who came out with them.
I make it ten feet from the door when Quinn yells for me to wait.
“Don’t you leave Precious. We’ll be in shortly, after we take care of this.” He says and nods to the guy who has now passed out on the ground, then goes back to his conversation.
I make it to the office and find a curvy brunette settled on an older guy’s lap, while he stares at his computer. I knock on the open door waiting for someone to tell me to come in.
The beautiful woman looks up at me, and tries to get up from his lap, but he holds her tight and growls “Stay.” She smacks him on the arm and he laughs. She huffs out a sigh before turning back to me.
“You must be Holly.” She says kindly.
“That’s me. Before we get started Ryker, the guys I just met in the parking lot, Grumpy, Happy, and Soldier need you outside. There was a woman getting hurt-”
I don’t get to finish my sentence before he’s sliding his woman off his lap and walking toward the door. Before he walks out, he turns to us. “Emersen you stay your ass inside. Do you hear me?”
“But Chelsea.” She sobs.
“She okay?” Ryker asks me.
“She will be. It looks like her boyfriend or something is with her.” I tell them.
He looks back at Emersen. “Stay inside. I’ll bring her in as soon as I can figure out what’s going on. Holly, don’t leave. I’ll need to speak with you.”
I nod and watch him close the door. I hear a lock engage from the outside and the need to escape captivity wars with the knowledge that these guys are doing what they need to. Sheesh this guy is protective. I see Emersen sitting back in his chair with her arms wrapped around her knees. I walk around the desk and put my hand on her shoulder, but she flinches away.
“Hey, she’s okay. She’ll need ice but she’s definitely going to make it. She got that guy down on the ground all on her own. She’s going to be okay.”
She clasps her hand over mine that I left on her shoulder. “Thank you for being there.”
“I’m glad I was too.”