It was a strange experience to wake up in front of a roaring fireplace at the end of June. But that’s what Mariah did. After all the sex, Mariah awoke absolutely stress-free. It was delicious.

Cody’s head sank against her chest and he groaned.

“What?” she asked sympathetically.

“I gotta get up and go to work in the morning.” He nibbled on her bare breast. “I had so much fun, it felt like Saturday night. Not Sunday night.”

“Oh my goodness,” she teased. “Sleeping in is going to be lonely without you.”

“You don’t have a day job?” His head popped up to look at her, his eyes bright and gorgeous, reflecting the fire.

“I know it’s hard to figure how a local singer could buy a house. I did have a day job for a while until…” she hesitated.

He pulled her snugly against him. He was so warm and smooth and hard all at the same time. “Until what? Or do I have to tickle it out of you?” His fingers grazed her rib cage.

“No!” she laughed. “You’ll never have to tickle anything out of me. I cry uncle upfront. You’re gonna laugh. It sounds silly but I won a pot of money on a scratch-off. It was enough for the house. I have the payments low enough so I can just sing, which is what I really like doing.”

“That is wild,” he said. “But it explains the fancy car.”

“That, I bought second-hand. I love the car but the replacement parts are ridiculously expensive. Speaking of, I should have my car back this week. Yay me,” she said, clapping quietly.

“It’s four a.m. you know.” He stirred against her. Mariah could feel him against her thigh. He was hard as a fence post.

“Want to sneak upstairs and try out my bed springs?” Mariah gathered up the throw once more, like a toga, and headed up the stairs to her room. She made it as far as the middle step when she heard the unmistakable sound of fists landing… someone pounding on her front door.

Before she could stop him, Cody threw on his jeans and headed out the back door, obviously planning on surprising the night disturbance.

Mariah multi-tasked; hurrying to her room to throw on clothes and dial 911. She fished for the gun in the drawer of her nightstand and, even though she kept the safety on, she carefully ran downstairs. She spied out the front window. Cody was fighting a Robinson Street biker. She opened the door and shouted, “Freeze! Stop right now!”

They didn’t stop, so she fired a shot into the lawn. That got their attention. She aimed it at the Robinson Street biker.

“Cody, back here with me!” She spoke slowly and deliberately, nearly choking on her rage.

The Robinson Biker scoffed, and it made her blood boil.

“I know...how...to use this,” she said. “I hate Nelson Primeaux so much that killing you right now would feel as good as killing him because he sent you.”

“Mariah!” admonished Cody. He came round beside her and moved behind, wrapping his arms around her, taking the gun from her. Mariah didn’t mind it so much, but she was a great shot and if she had to she could defend herself with a gun. No way was she going to let Primeaux try to frighten her.

Sirens rang out and suddenly the police packed the street, thwarting the attacker’s departure – at least on wheels.

“If I have to have every last one of you arrested, I will!” she shouted at the dumb-ass biker with the bloody nose. She lost it. She broke free of Cody’s hold and squeezed between two police. She slapped the biker hard and went to do it again.

A cop had to physically lift her and move her away. “Stop,” he warned, “or you’re going in the squad car as well.”

She glared at him but managed to calm down slightly. “I’ve a restraining order against a friend of his. This idiot thinks sending other biker thugs to scare me is going to work. I’m being harassed by this guy because of Nelson Primeaux,” explained Mariah through gritted teeth

“That may be, but right now all I see is you acting out,” said the police officer.

The Robinson Street biker laughed.

Cody had quietly moved behind her and gripped Mariah’s shoulder to remind her to restrain herself.

“What happened here?” asked the cop.

“I was leaving the lady’s house and I was jumped by this guy,” said Cody.

“Whose gun?” the cop asked suspiciously.

“Mine,” said Mariah boldly.

“Got a permit?” he asked.

“Yes I do,” she said, and then she lied, “This all started when the captain of the Robinson Street bikers and I had an intimate encounter and he couldn’t get it up.”

“What?” asked the Robinson Street biker, pulling a face.

“What?” Cody’s voice carried the same tone.

She couldn’t retract the lie at the moment, because she wanted to ruin Nelson’s reputation. She’d have to explain it later to Cody. “Yep,” she confirmed. “He was all embarrassed and got hostile. He started smashing my flower pots, and slashing the tires of anyone visiting me. He broke my axle the other night. You should check your car,” she told Cody.

“You drove a car?” asked the biker. “Whose bike is that over there?”

The Robinson Street biker drew their attention over to a bike that was all but demolished.

“How the fuck should I know?” said Cody angrily. “Not my bike, not my problem.”

He wouldn’t even look at her. Mariah knew she’d screwed things up because of the limp dick comment, but now was not the time to explain things. Shit! Damn you, Nelson!!

“You might want to look into that,” Cody said to the cop about the motorcycle. “Someone’s going to be upset when they come out and see this mess.”

“Do you want to press charges?” asked the cop.

“Right now, I really want to be at work on time.” There was no hint of the good-natured man who stopped to help her, or of the gentle guy who so passionately loved her the night before.

“He attacked you,” the cop confirmed then he turned to Mariah. “Did you see it?”

“I heard it but I didn’t see it.” She wasn’t going to lie about this part. Ruining a reputation was one thing, fucking with the law was completely different.

“There you go,” said the biker.

“What’re you doing here?” the cop asked the biker.

“Just leaving from a friend’s house, same as him,” said the biker. “He can see what bike club I belong to. Happens to be a rival of his. So he attacked me.”

Mariah shook her head.

“No, no, no. He’s lying. Check it out. This thing with Nelson Primeaux is been long- standing,” she said.

“Oh yeah, the stalker. The guy you didn’t have a relationship with?” asked the cop incredulously.

Mariah was actually torn between recanting her story to fix things with Cody and sticking to it so that it would get out and humiliate Nelson.

“So if I had a near relationship with him, would that justify his vandalizing my property?” she asked the cop pointedly. “Following me? Stalking me? Harassing me?”

“I’ll look into the reports, but what I’m getting a sense of is, wherever you go, ma’am, drama isn’t too far.”

With that, he motioned the other cops to go.

“There was a physical altercation. If one or both of you wants to press charges, go down to the station to make it. For now, I’m issuing you a verbal warning, both of you. And you too, miss. No more trouble or I’ll be issuing you the complaint.”

“Yeah, right, whatever,” said Cody, taking the cop’s card.

“Nice ride,” the biker goaded.

Cody cut his eyes at him so coldly that Mariah took a step back. She had never seen even a hint of this part of him before. She saw he could be hell to deal with if he was crossed. He didn’t say he would call her later or even look at her when got into his car and left.

Mariah asked the cop if she could go back inside before scurrying away. She locked her door and headed straight for her phone. She sent Cody a text. The response she got knocked the wind out of her. Cody had already blocked her. She couldn’t call or send a text.

She’d just screwed up royally.

She had gotten involved with a man she didn’t really know anything about except for his phone number and his favorite spots to be touched during sex. She didn’t just get involved. She fell. Hard. Now she really hoped like hell the rumor she started took off. She was so pissed off at Nelson Primeaux, she felt like finding his bike and slashing his tires.

When it was barely six a.m., Mariah was sending messages to her band. Cody thought that she’d slept with Nelson and she had to correct that. The band was fed up with the fallout from all the Nelson nonsense. Getting a text before they had had all their beauty sleep was not going to sit well.

“What the fuck, Mariah?” Lenny grumbled as he called her.

“I know; I’m sorry. I need you to send a text for me please, Lenny. I hate to use this card, but you know I’d do it for you.”

Despite the crap going on at the moment, the band members and Mariah were loyal.

“Alright,” he complained. “What’s his number? And what do you want me to tell him?”

“It’s a long story which, if you really want to hear it, I’ll tell you, but for now could you please tell him I did not sleep with Nelson? Ever?”

“What?” he replied, shocked.

“I said it’s a long story,” she sighed. “I’m sick he thinks it’s true. Please just text him.”

“Fine.” A big yawn echoed through the phone. “I’m getting off now.”

Mariah stared at the phone and then at the fireplace. It was still on. She moved to turn the thermostat to a decent temperature and shut the fireplace off. She needed to do something. There was no way she’d be able to sleep.

She settled on a run. She changed clothes and checked her phone… no reply or anything from Cody.

It was warm outside. The cool morning air had given way to summer heat. Mariah dressed in cotton running shorts and a racer-backed tank. She put her long hair up in a high ponytail. She tried to put one foot in front of the other though her body was wracked with nervous agony over what she had done. How could she upset Cody so badly? She hadn’t meant to. She just wanted Nelson away… forever.

Mariah could not get Cody out of her head. As she stutter-stepped down the stairs, he was there with her. She was not going to start crying because then it would just take over her day. Too many days had been ruined already by Nelson Primeaux.

It was gorgeous outside, and a few hours ago, she would have been dancing down the street. Now she was just acting as if. Pushing herself to move. She moped as she trotted along her regular jogging route. She decided to go for the long trail run she sometimes used. She had to exorcise this mood, and hoped like crazy that Lenny’s text convinced Cody that they had not been a mistake.

Mariah tried to wrestle with reason inside her head. They had only just met. It was only one night. She didn’t own Cody; neither did he own her. They weren’t dating. One date and sex. That was it. If he couldn’t be bothered to listen, and wanted to act like a stubborn kid and block her, then so be it. It might hurt for a few days but the pain could not last, since it was all so quick and new. But then images of Cody and his amazing body, shadowy and perfect, played through her head.

“Damn!” she muttered and pushed her pace harder. Cody was movie-star good-looking. Not a physical flaw about him. She had no idea what he did for a living, though, whatever he it was, it kept him in phenomenal shape.

She replayed how his thick hair fell forward and framed his face as he hovered over her. She knew it was an emotional mirage, but it hurt as bad at the moment as though she had lost the love of her life. “That’s impossible,” she scolded herself.

As she continued running and headed down another road, she heard the distinct rumble of a motorcycle. Mariah’s heartache converted instantly to excitement. Maybe Lenny’s text had worked, and Cody had tracked her down to smooth things over. She spun around with a huge smile on her face. The motorcyclist continued past her, riding on. It wasn’t Cody.

Mariah staggered and then began running again. She needed to head back, and finished her run. Screw Cody. She was going to tick off the things on her To Do list. After the run, she would shower and see if the band wanted to do an early rehearsal. She would get one of the guys to help her pick up her car.

Except Cody kept sneaking into her thoughts.

She surrendered to the moment. It was what it was, and she couldn’t do anything about it except walk through it. When Mariah reached the corner down the block from her house, she cooled down, walking the rest of the way and replayed the night with Cody, starting when he arrived at her house and stopping up to the point in front of the fireplace.

A boxwood was in the way or she would have seen sooner that she had a house guest waiting on her front porch. She saw the Harley parked on the street in front of her house, and once again she thought of Cody. She cautioned herself to be careful and not get excited. She was wrong last time. What if one of Nelson’s damn biker brothers was waiting for her?

The corners of her mouth crooked upward when she caught sight of Cody on the porch. She bounded through the gate of her picket fence, up to him. She tried not to assume he was there on a peace mission, but her body reacted, along with the quickening of her heart, to tell her she wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Hi.” She paused at the bottom of the steps.

“Hi there.” His smirk told her he was no longer mad. The quirk of his eyebrow told her that she was about to get scolded. “You made it up?”

“Yes, I did. And I am sweaty by the way,” she said, pulling her wet shirt away from her chest.

“I don’t care,” he said softly, but confidently. “I’ve seen you sweaty before.” He eyeballed her.

It made her squirm – in a good way. “I just wanted to embarrass him. Get him where he lives. It’s going to ruin his image as the captain of that stupid biker club,” she said, venting.

“I hope it works.” He watched her walk up the steps. “Stupid biker club as stupid club or stupid biker,” he asked. “If you have any reservations about bikers—”

“Are you kidding me?” she interrupted him. “None! At all. It’s just that his boys have to make a name by being criminals. Robinson Street’s one of the worst streets in Baltimore.”

“How well I know,” he said, more calmly than Mariah expected. “They’re our rivals. Like, centuries’ old. West Side Story but in biker mode.” He shook his head. “Not pretty.”

“I’m sorry I said I had sex with Nelson,” she said, her flushed face burning more. “I would never. Ever.”

He shrugged. Then, just when Mariah thought she didn’t stand a chance of convincing him, he shrugged again. “Honestly, I had no business getting that pissed. I’m still not quite sure why I did. If you and he did get together, it was before me. Just the thought of you with another guy…” he confessed. “That’s totally unfair of me. I had no right. I’m sorry I blocked your number. I went nuts.” His eyebrows went up and his eyes rolled upward as he scolded himself.

“Really?” She could not contain her smile. “I would throw my arms around you but I don’t want to wreck your clothes. Are you on a break or something?”

“I told work I had an emergency dentist appointment. I should get going,” he said and then smiled. “That’s a first. Me lying to work.”

“I’m sorry I’m a bad influence.” She did feel really bad. Guiltier because she wished he would suggest stepping inside for a few minutes to strip her down and help her shower. “The cop was right. I am a drama queen.”

“It’s not your fault this asshole is dogging you. I’m doing something about it. The Dark Riders are fixing this problem good.” The biker in him hardened his features, and she knew he meant business.

“Don’t risk getting yourself hurt,” she said. “And I don’t want you to lie to work. I have to shower and change, then go get my car.” She forced a smiled so he wouldn’t worry about her. “Then head to rehearsal.”

“You’re not playing anywhere tonight?” he asked as though he liked that idea.

“Nope. We rehearse on Mondays typically. Tuesday through Saturday we play. I have Sundays off once in a while, or as much as possible, and Mondays are always off.”

“That’s a little too technical for me,” he teased. “Off, off and off. Okay.”

“So where do you work?” she asked curiously. “In case I get the urge to bring you cookies.”

“Or maybe have sex with me on my lunch hour?” A single eyebrow rose. “Let me play with your cookie?”

“You can have my cookie anytime,” she said with a lisp, which she couldn’t help; her voice did that when she was aroused.

“Deal,” he said, his voice growing husky.

They stared into each other’s eyes. Mariah carefully kissed him.

“I’d better get going or I’ll have to call in to work for the rest of the day,” he sighed, as if tempted to do exactly that.

“The rest of the day?” she teased. “Did someone have his vitamins?”

“Vitamins? I don’t need no stinkin’ vitamins to help me out,” he laughed. “I’ve half a mind to show you.”

“Promise?” she asked, entranced by him.

“Definitely.”

She didn’t want him in trouble at work. She wanted to show she was a good girl… when she needed to be. She grinned at the wicked thoughts running through her mind. “Text me when you finish work?”

“Can’t.”

“Pardon?” She didn’t get why he wouldn’t. Hadn’t they just cleared the air?

He pulled his phone out. “I blocked and deleted your number. Going to need it again.”

She grinned. “That’s something I can remedy,” she sang and put her phone and name, followed by Xs and Os. She handed it back to him.

He leaned in as he stuffed it back into his back pocket, his lips brushing hers as he did so. “I’ll text you, gorgeous. Stay out of trouble until then.”

She laughed and swatted his butt as he turned to go. “I’ll try.” She watched him mount his bike and waved at him as he drove off. “Way too sexy for his own good.” She needed a cold shower, and hurried inside to cool her desire.

After she showered and dressed, Lenny met her at her house to go pick up her Passat.

It was a good thing that Lenny was with her. Mariah had no aptitude at all for car stuff. The mechanic went over everything. He confirmed that the shop believed the car was tampered with.

“But she purrs like a kitten now,” said the mechanic. “She’s good to go.”

“Yeah, I guess. Were the cops by at all to inspect the parts that were questionable?” asked Mariah.

“Yeah. We weren’t allowed to touch it until they did their once-over. I’ve got their card if you want to talk to them about it. That’s why it took a little longer than it ordinarily would. And then, of course, your boyfriend was by, wanted to take a look for himself,” said the mechanic.

Lenny and Mariah looked at each other.

“Boyfriend?” they asked together.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” said Mariah. Would Cody have come by? She had a sinking feeling it wasn’t Cody. Anger flowed through her until she was wound up tight. “Was this a guy with reddish blond hair? A little taller than him?” she pointed to Lenny.

“That would be the guy,” he said, and looked back and forth between the two of them. “That a problem?”

“When did he come by to look at my car?” she asked.

The mechanic scratched his bald head. “I don’t know, Saturday maybe? Couldn’t have been yesterday, because we were closed. Wasn’t today.”

“What do you think?” she asked Lenny. “I shouldn’t drive it, right?”

“I didn’t know it wasn’t your boyfriend,” the mechanic protested.

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “This might be a blessing in disguise. Don’t touch the car. Can I have the card? I am going to give them a call and see what they say.”

“Oh, brother, here we go again,” Lenny rolled his eyes. “Should I just take you back?”

“You’re not taking the car?” The mechanic looked at them like they were crazy.

“No, she’s not taking the car,” answered Lenny flatly. “Not till the cops check it out. That guy who said he was her boyfriend has a restraining order to stay away from her. He’s the one who jacked her car in the first place.”

“Well, sorry, but I’m gonna have to charge you a storage fee,” said the mechanic. “Cops don’t care what it costs me and then I’m the one screwed.”

“Fine,” she said, and pointed at the car. “But don’t touch it until the cops come.”

“Okay, whatever, lady,” the mechanic said, becoming increasingly agitated.

“Why don’t you go get that card for her and I’ll wait here,” said Lenny. “Hey, do you have a flashlight I can borrow? I’m going to have a look at the car myself.”

“Don’t touch it, though.” Mariah shook her head. This again?

“I won’t,” Lenny replied.

The mechanic complied. He handed Lenny a light while he fetched the police contact for Mariah.

The cop of the case confirmed that she should not drive the car until they looked at it. They also confirmed Nelson had been released from lockup, and they were going to re-arrest him on a restraining order violation. Coming near the car constituted a violation, since he was not allowed to come near her or her property.

“Sorry,” said Mariah to the mechanic. “But they said I have to leave it. They’ll be by.”

“When?” he asked belligerently.

“Do I detect an attitude?” asked Lenny. “This is not her fault. The poor girl’s being hounded by a rough biker. We’ll take the car as soon as the cops are through with it. And I can promise we’ll never bring it here again.” He glared at the mechanic.

“Whatever.” The mechanic turned, not even bothering to express an ounce of sympathy for Mariah.

“How about we go?” Lenny grabbed her hand. “Let’s go to the diner, my treat, and then head on out to rehearsal.”

“Rehearsal?” asked the mechanic. “You guys in a band of some kind?”

“Yes. Gravel,” said Mariah.

“Oh, yeah. You play around here. I’ve seen you. You’re good.” The guy suddenly smiled and started acting friendlier. “Okay, well, I guess we’ll be in touch about the car. But whether or not the car is good to go after this next police inspection, you’ll have to settle up.”

“Fine, but it’s really critical that I have a super itemized invoice. I’m taking this guy to court,” said Mariah.

“He’s a pretty scary dude,” laughed the mechanic. “Just so you know, I did tell him that seeing the car was against policy. He’s just intimidatin’.”

“If it gives me more rope to hang him with, it’s a good thing,” said Mariah. “Thanks again.” She shook hands with the guy, even though part of her wanted to tear a strip off of him for letting Nelson touch the car.

She and Lenny headed over to Paper Moon Diner, their favorite place to eat with the band. The route to get there took them through iffy streets which were fine in the daylight. Lenny’s creeper van, as Mariah called it, because it was all white and what they hauled the equipment in, maneuvered slowly through the narrow streets.

By the time they arrived, Mariah’s belly was growling at her. Lenny parked on the road across from the entrance of the colorful, fun diner.

Mariah climbed down out of the passenger side and Lenny came around from his side. She was halfway across the street when they were rushed by a pack of bikes. The roar slowed her movement but she didn’t know where it was coming from. The bikes rounded the industrial end of the street and appeared.

She dashed towards the diner, not wanting to get hit by a biker. She screamed in horror as she watched Lenny go down on the ground not far from the van.

Two guys had jumped off their bikes and rushed at Lenny, whaling and beating on him before he had a chance to get up of the ground.

She yelled at a couple standing nearby, “Call 911!” She immediately called Cody and screamed into the phone, “They’re killing him!”

“What the hell? Mariah?”

“I’m at the Paper Moon. Please come,” she begged, and hung up before he had a chance to respond. She had to get over and help Lenny. They were going kill him or come close if someone didn’t stop them.

She raced into the street and began shoving the bikes, making them crash onto the road.

“Fucking bitch!” a biker called out, coming toward her.

Mariah’s plan to detract the attention from Lenny worked for a moment. At least she led a swarm of bikers away from him.

One of them called out, “That’s her!”

They followed as she sprinted back across the street towards the diner. None of them ran, as if they knew they were zeroing in on their prey and didn’t need to. The screams of sirens and the rush of vehicles filled the air, as did Lenny’s moans. He was begging the two holding him down to stop.

Cops shouted through their bullhorns for the bikers to put their hands in the air. Some drew their weapons, ordering them off of Lenny. The two guys hovering over Lenny stepped back when the cops moved in on them.

A second mass of riders packed the street, boxing the Robinson Street bikers in against the cops. Mariah had no idea who was who. Were they more of the Robinson pack, or another group? Through the haze of fear, she could barely make out the emblems on the jackets and the heavily tattooed arms.

An ambulance wove through the police as the stand-off continued. A pair of EMTs tended to Lenny, immediately performing CPR on him.

Mariah screamed. The realization snapped her into action. She raced forward through the crowd of restaurant bystanders now gathered. She went straight for the closest Robinson biker she could get her hands on. Arm drawn back, she slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

Her hand stung like it was on fire, but she didn’t care; she drew back and slapped him again, even harder.

The biker swore and threw a punch.

Mariah saw it coming and tried to react, but couldn’t move fast enough. His fist connected with her jaw, and a zinger of a jolt went through her cheek, around her head. Her neck jerked as her head swung. She dropped to the ground, not even realizing she was falling until her body made contact with the pavement. She rolled to her side, observing through half-closed eyes, a magnificent form leaping over her and whaling on the biker who had struck her. The form was relentless, beating on the biker until the cops intervened.

Cody. She tried to call his name, but the massive headache pounding against her forehead seemed to tell her to lie still.

The cops drew Cody’s hands behind his back, and did the same with Robinson Street biker who could barely stand.

An EMT crouched down beside her. He assessed her and spoke quietly to her, “I’m going to roll you onto a stretcher. We need to make sure you don’t have a concussion or a neck injury. Let’s get a neck brace on you.”

She was going to the hospital. All she could think about was her bandmate. He was hurt because of her. Cody was now in custody because of her.

The EMT rolled her onto her back and slipped a brace around her neck. She tried to twist away and get up so she could see Cody and Lenny. Pain blurred her eyes as black spots grew larger in her vision. Everything blacked out before she could say anything.