Diablo

Working in a bar, you get a few assholes. I’m glad to know Diamond can take care of herself. Her reaction was faster than I could move though. She had already slammed his head twice before I made it over to the little prick that grabbed her.

I got a sick satisfaction out of hearing his flesh hit the wood bar top. It’s the same satisfaction I feel when my fists land against flesh. My dick twitched at her swift action, the combination of her sweet face twisted in anger and disgust. Plus knowing she can take care of herself fills me with pride and makes me hard.

Now that the assholes are gone, I see that his grip really hurt her. She’s favoring her wrist even though she is trying to hide it.

“Are you okay?” Tipping my head down, indicating her wrist.

“Yep! I’m great. Can I get you another drink?” she says. Her fake happiness coupled with her avoiding my eyes pisses me off.

“Don’t lie. I know you’re hurting. You’re babying that wrist.” I know I look scary as fuck, but I want her to be honest with me. I want her to trust me.

“Yes. It’s hurting,” she concedes. Her reply pisses me off more. I want to go outside and find the bastard to deliver some real damage, much more than a broken nose. I took his ID so I have his address. I’ll pay him a visit later this week. I’ll wait a few days because I want him afraid and expecting me. Then I’ll deliver the damage he deserves. Despite what people think about bikers, many of us have more respect for women than citizens. We protect women and shield them from the club’s business, ensuring their protection. At least, in Havoc we do. I can’t speak for other clubs, but we don’t fuck over women.

That’s why Loco is no longer breathing. I brought the rape allegation to church, and the brothers voted. It’s against our charter. Rape is an offense that will get you snuffed out. Most brothers have enough pussy thrown at them every day that forcing someone to sleep with them is unnecessary. So after we cut the Devil’s tattoo off of Loco’s back, I burned him alive. His screams still fill my ears, but I don’t care. He’s been exterminated like the rabid animal he was.

“Come on, babe, let me take you home.”

She freezes at my words. “No!” Her eyes are wide and wild, panic is rolling off her in droves. She wants me to leave her alone. She’s had to deal with two assholes, a near rape, and here I am trying to get her on the back of my bike. I should be ashamed, but I’m not. It’s too fucking bad, she’s mine.

At least for now.

I don’t like her reaction, but I ignore it. Turning to my brother, I say, “Skull, get someone back here to tend bar. I’m taking Diamond home.”

With a slight nod of his head, Skull strides toward the back office.

“No, I have a ride. Thanks anyway, Diablo. And plus, I need to sanitize the bar, blood got everywhere,” Diamond says. She is still clutching her wrist and has a grimace on her beautiful face. She catches her bottom lip between her teeth. She’s trying to put on a brave face, but she’s terrified. “I got it. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m sure you have something, anything better to do than dealing with me, and taking me home.”

“What could be more important than taking you home, Diamond?”

“Savy.”

“What?”

“Uh, please call me Savy. Diamond is my club name.” The look on her face tells me she didn’t mean to give me permission to use her real name.

A ghost of a grin crosses my lips. Savy doesn’t realize how much we have in common. I know she has demons. I see the shadows in her eyes. I have demons too. Hell, my road name is a testament to my past. I am the fucking devil. I earned the name, but I don’t tell her that. I want to keep her safe. I want to soothe her past hurts. And it’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.

“Well, Savy, you ever been on the back of a bike?”

“No, but look, I’m fine. Thanks anyway. I’m just going to clean the bar, then I’ll tell Donny I’m leaving for the night and I’ll get home. Don’t worry about me.” Flashing a nervous smile at me while she rounds the bar. She pulls off her apron and tucks it underneath her arm.

In a stern voice I say, “Savy, don’t make me haul your ass out of here. Get your shit and get on the back of my bike.” My tone is even, but firm. She’s getting a ride home, from me. I know she’s been taking the bus, and that shit ends today.

Her entire body tenses, and I don’t like it. There is something about her. Something causing her to hesitate, and I don’t know what it is. I’d never hurt her, but she doesn’t know that.

Her reaction pisses me off.

She only knows what she sees. A scary as fuck biker and most days that suits me fine, but with Savy, I don’t want her afraid of me. I don’t know what is so alluring about her, but I want her, even if I’m aware I can never have her.

I’d just fuck her life up too.

I quickly shake off the thought. I haven’t thought about Katie in years, no sense in living in the past now.

“Come on, darlin’. Let me take you home. I just want to make sure you’re all right.” I smile, trying to ease her worry. I don’t want her to think I’m the devil I’m named after.

One.

Two.

Three beats pass before she answers, “Fine.”

She sounds defeated, but I don’t care. She’ll be on the back of my bike. And something inside of me settles.

She rushes off to the employee section of the club to grab her bag from her locker. I don’t follow her even though I want to. And I could. I can go into any area of the club I want, but I don’t. I’m giving her space, even if it is just for a minute. Havoc owns this club until Donny pays us back, and from the look of it, those payments won’t be coming anytime soon. That little fucker only paid part of the missing money. Wolf paid him a little visit and made it clear that we are not joking about the missing money. Just two days after Wolf beat the shit out of him, Donny paid all the missing money. So far, he has been on time with the payments, but I don’t have faith that he will stay on track.

As Savy dawdles back to the front of the club, I see her wince when she moves her purse over her shoulder. I don’t know if she will be able to hold on while on my bike.

“Little bird, are you going to be able to hang on?”

“Of course, it only hurts a little. And please, call me Savy.”

Fuck that! I’ll call her whatever the hell I want.

I know she’s lying about her pain, but I say nothing because I want her on the back of my bike. The muscles around her eyes are constricted with pain. She’s tough as shit and I’m impressed with her pain tolerance. I’ve seen grown men cry for less.

“Come on, little bird. Let’s go.”

She narrows her eyes with irritation, and then she walks in front of me toward the exit. Placing my hand on the small of her back, I guide her out the front door toward my parked bike. I feel a tingle when I touch her back where her shirt exposes her skin.

Fuck.

I know she felt it too. I need to get her home and get the fuck away from her before I get too caught up in her. I can’t have her, even though she is mine. I want to make sure she gets home, and that’s it.

Stop lying to yourself.

Sitting on my bike, I look over my shoulder and watch as Savy looks at my large metal beast like it will eat her. She’s fearful, but I see a hint of defiance sparkling in her eyes.

That’s my girl.

“Come on, just throw your leg over.”

She does as she’s told and it pleases me more than it should.

“Now, wrap your arms around me.”

Not saying a word, she moves to wrap her arms around my waist, but her grip is weak. If she plans to hold on like that, she’ll fall right off the back. Grabbing her arms, I tighten her hold, but take care to be gentle with her injured wrist. The moment our hands touch, a current rolls through me, and I pause, unsure of what to say. I recover and decide to ignore the current running between us both.

“Hold on tight, baby. I don’t want to see that lovely ass of yours hit the ground.”

She maintains her hold and shakes her head.

“Give me your address, little bird.” I should already know her address, but Axel wasn’t able to find one. It seems she doesn’t want to be found. She lives in one of the worse parts of town. There isn’t much in the neighborhood, other than drugs and gangs. I don’t like where she lives, but I’ll take her home and make sure she gets inside safe. I keep telling myself that I just want to make sure she is all right, but the little voice in my head keeps saying, “That’s a lie.” I know I want her. I’ve been drawn to her since she walked into the office.

“All right,” I say. Kicking up the stand I take off, and Savy tightens her grip, holding on for dear life. She squeezes my waist as I shoot off from The Jungle parking lot.

More like it.

It has been a long time since I’ve had the desire to have a woman on the back of my bike. Savy is the first since Katie. Riding down the highway, I think about the girl holding me from behind. After I cranked up my bike, the tension I’ve felt over the last few hours fades. Being on the road calms me. The rumble of the pipes and the breeze in my face puts me at peace. But the brown-eyed beauty I’ve thought about since the day I saw her brings me more peace. It makes no sense.

I drop Savy off at her small house. It isn’t much, but you can tell she’s done work on the property. The flowers out front are the only beauty on the whole street. She takes pride in her surroundings, and I like it.

“Thanks, Diablo,” she says. She gets off my bike, unbuckles the helmet she’s wearing and runs her delicate fingers through her wild hair.

“Careful. You’ll have shaky legs for a few minutes,” I say.

She stumbles with her hands still in her hair. Reaching out to catch her before she falls, I wrap her into a strong embrace.

“Shit.” Once she’s steadier, she pulls from my arms and says, “Thank you for the ride.”

“Let me get the door for you.” I slip the keys from her unsteady hand and walk up the path to her small porch.

“Thank you. Again.”

“You’re welcome, again.” She gives me a puzzled look.

“What?” I say giving her a smile. “I do have manners, Savy. Despite what I look like.”

“Sorry,” she says. Embarrassment flashes across her face, and she looks away from me. She looks back at me as if to speak, but I take this opportunity to slam my mouth down on hers. At first, she doesn’t open to me, but when I tangle my fingers in her thick hair, she allows me entrance into her sweet mouth, and a moan escapes her lips. The raspy sound caresses my ears, and my shaft stirs.

Her hands snake up my back, and she clings to my cut. The fact that I’m allowing her to touch my cut means something. I like this girl a lot. My cut is my most prized possession, and I never allow women to touch it. It’s sacred.

She tears her mouth from mine, and a growl escapes my lips. I don’t want this kiss to end. I look down into her beautifully flushed face with hooded eyes.

“Um,” she starts, while shifting from foot to foot, still clinging to me.

“Shh. It’s okay, baby.” I want to reassure her. She’s perfect, and I can see the doubt in her eyes.

“Uh, okay. I should get inside.”

“You should.”

She lets go, and I unlock her front door, moving out of the way so she can get inside.

“Lock the door, baby,” I say, and hand her the keys.

“Goodnight, Diablo.”

“Caleb.”

She looks at me with startled eyes.

“You call me Caleb.”

“Goodnight, Caleb.”

“Get inside and ice that wrist.”

She turns to close the door, her head peeking out until the closing door blocks her view. I stand on her tiny porch until I hear the locks engage. Two locks, a dead bolt and a latch on the handle. I’ll have a prospect install better locks and a better door in the morning. I adjust my hard dick before getting on my bike to ride back to the Compound, where I sleep alone and dream about the curly haired beauty with the dark, haunted eyes.

* * *

Savy

For the life of me, I do not understand why I agreed to let Diablo take me home. I mean his name is the devil for goodness sakes! What the hell is wrong with me? Diablo is the type of man I need to stay away from. He reminds me so much of Tyler, and everything I’ve been running from, but he’s different. Where Diablo is rough and rugged, Tyler is refined and well-manicured. But Tyler is dangerous too. He is the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. And I fell for his tricks.

Because I’m an idiot. I can’t let that happen again.

But there is something about Diablo that puts me at ease. If I’m honest with myself, I know he’s different from the rest of the men I’ve known. Different, but I still need to protect Ena so I need to stay away from anything or anyone that can put us at risk.

I hate thinking about Tyler because I let him in and it backfired on me. That was one of the lowest points in my life, other than my childhood. Nothing can compare to the fucked up childhood I had. That’s another side of myself that I try to hide. The scared, little abused girl, who just wants to be loved. So I put up walls around me and I let no one in. The only time I tried to let someone in, backfired in my face. So I can’t let Diablo in now. What if it fails again? What if he hurts me? Or worse, what if he hurts Ena?

These thoughts are dangerous on the back of a bike. Tightening my hold, Diablo gently pats my tense hands as we make our way toward my street. His touch is reassuring, and I feel a spark whenever our flesh meets. I don’t live in the greatest neighborhood, but it could be worse. My neighbors are friendly, and we look out for each other. When I gave Diablo my address, his eyes flashed. I wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something there for a split second.

As we turn onto my street, I loosen the death grip I’ve had the entire ride, point to my little house at the end of the drive, and he pulls into the small driveway. It’s not much, but I love my house. I don’t own it, but it’s mine.

As I dismount from the bike, I stumble, and Diablo is there to catch me, “Careful. You’ll have shaky legs for a few minutes.”

With a rueful look, I say, “Thanks.” My heart beats faster as he holds me, making sure I don’t fall. Taking care of me without being asked.

How can someone like this be the devil?

After a minute, I feel steadier and pull away from him, not realizing I was holding my breath. “Thank you for the ride.” Turning to walk away, I grab my keys out of my purse, trying not to wince from the pain in my wrist. Of course, he sees the small show of pain and is immediately at my side.

He sees everything.

Slipping the keys from my hand, he says, “Let me get the door opened for you.”

“Thank you. Again,” I say and Diablo grins a sexy little grin.

Sexy bastard.

At the top of my porch steps, Diablo unlocks my door. “Thank you. Again.”

“You’re welcome, again.” His politeness catches me off guard. I never expected it from a biker.

“What? I do have manners, Savy.”

His chastisement embarrasses the hell out of me. Of course, he does. I guess I let my expectations and prejudices override what I know about Diablo.

“Sorry.”

Then Diablo’s thick, soft and oh so delicious lips are on mine. I’m stunned and wishing I didn’t smell like stale liquor, but a moan escapes my lips, and I allow Diablo entrance. My core pools with my need for this sexy man who has taken control of my head and has deepened our kiss. I realize I’m holding onto him for dear life, but I don’t care. It’s the most amazing kiss I’ve ever experienced.

I tear his lips from mine and shuffle from foot to foot. The wetness in my black jeans is uncomfortable. I need friction to alleviate the ache his kiss has caused.

“Um.”

“Shh, it’s okay, baby.”

Letting Diablo go, he unlocks my door.

“Goodnight, Diablo.”

“Caleb.”

My breath stills.

Did he just tell me his real name?

“You call me Caleb.”

Yep. He told me his real name.

HE TOLD ME HIS REAL NAME!

From what I’ve learned about bikers, and that is not much, bikers rarely allow people to call them by their given name. And in one night, this sexy biker that I wish I could have, even on a small level, went from Diablo, the big bad devil, to Caleb, a sweet and caring man that helped me home.

WHAT. THE. FUCK?

“Goodnight, Caleb.”

“Get inside.”

I move into my small foyer and close the door, keeping my eyes on Caleb until the door closes, blocking my view. I engage the lock and deadbolt. Then turn my back to the door, sliding down until my butt hits the floor, my hand touching my lips. I still feel the tingle of his kiss.

Then I get into bed and touch myself, imagining it’s Caleb’s fingers instead of my own giving me a much needed release. I fall asleep, and for the first time in a long time, I don’t have a nightmare, but sweet dreams of a black-eyed biker.