Dawn was just breaking when Cole decided to wake Angel up. She lay on her side, and he had his arms wrapped around her from behind. He pressed soft kisses along her neck, working his way up to her ear. He whispered, “Wake up, baby doll.”

She stretched like a cat and rolled to her back. He leaned over her and continued nuzzling her neck. Her hands slid up his warm back, and she moaned.

He rose up and smiled down at her. “Mornin’, babe.”

“Good morning.” She squinted. “What time is it?”

He glanced at the bedside clock radio. “Six.”

She groaned. “It’s so early. Do you have to leave again?”

“Why?” he asked.

“I just thought maybe we could spend some time together.”

“Maybe we can.”

“Maybe?”

He smiled devilishly. “Convince me.”

She ran her hands over his chest and leaned up to kiss his neck. “Like this?”

“You’ll have to do better than that, babe.”

“Is that a challenge?” she whispered in his ear.

“Maybe.” He grinned.

She smiled, pushed him over on his back and straddled him. He tried to reach for her, but she grabbed his hands and pushed them down on the pillow next to his head, pinning him there.

He grinned, playing along. “I’m all yours, baby. Now what?”

She smiled, lowered her head and kissed his mouth. Her lips moved down his neck, his chest. She slithered down, and his eyes slid closed.

It was a long time before either one of them thought about getting out of bed.

Hours later they laid wrapped in each other’s arms. Cole was on his back; Angel was draped across his chest. He was kissing her, over and over, his mouth gentle on hers.

“Hmm,” she moaned. “Your kisses are sweet as candy and very addictive.”

Cole grinned. “Hooked yet?”

“Oh, yeah. Big time.”

“Good, because I don’t plan on you going through withdrawal anytime soon.”

She grinned back.

“Come on, babe. Time to get up. Let’s go,” Cole said, reaching down and playfully slapping Angel’s ass.

“Ow! Go where?” she asked, sitting up.

Cole stood and pulled on his jeans. Then he reached back and pulled her to her feet. “Breakfast to start. Then we’ll see. Maybe drive down the coast for a few days. Would you like that?”

She smiled. “Really? Just us?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“You can go?”

“Yeah. Come on.” He tossed her a paper bag. “Throw a change of clothes in there, and I’ll stuff it in my saddlebag.”

“Nice luggage.”

He grinned. “Smart ass.”

 

***

 

Twenty minutes later they were pulling into a diner for breakfast. Angel noticed people turn to stare as they walked in. There were two cops sitting at the counter, their eyes following every movement.

Cole steered her to a booth by the window. A waitress came over with two mugs in her hand and a thermal carafe.

“Coffee?” she offered.

“Thanks, darlin’,” Cole replied, smiling up at her.

Angel noticed the way the young redhead returned the smile.

She poured their coffee and left the carafe on the table. “The usual, Cole?”

“Give us a minute, Mona.” She glanced over at Angel.

“Sure thing, sweetie.” She walked off, Cole’s eyes flicking over his shoulder to watch.

“I’m sitting right here,” Angel reminded him.

He scoffed, “What?”

Her eyebrows rose.

“Come on. She’s Red Dog’s kid sister.”

“Yeah. So?”

“So, she’s off limits. Besides, I’ve got my hands full with you, baby doll,” he purred.

“So what are you checking her out for, then?” she teased.

“No harm in lookin’, is there?” Cole grinned, sipping his coffee. He took two plastic coated menus from behind the condiment holder next to the window and slid one across to her. “I recommend the blueberry pancakes.”

Angel opened the menu and studied it.

“Aw, shit,” she heard Cole whisper. She followed his gaze, turning to see the two cops walking toward them. They stopped at the table.

“Morning,” the first one said.

“Morning,” Cole replied, leaning back and resting his arm across the back of his seat. The cop looked them both over. He leaned down on the table and looked at Cole.

“This isn’t your side of town, is it?”

“Just havin’ breakfast, Officer.” Cole stared back at him.

The cop nodded, then he looked down at Angel. He ran a finger over her wrist. “Those are some bad bruises, ma’am.”

She pulled her hand away.

“Did he do that?” he asked, nodding toward Cole.

She looked at Cole. His body language said he was relaxed, unconcerned, but his eyes said something different. She could tell he was trying to hold his temper. “No. He didn’t,” she snapped.

“What caused them?”

“Police handcuffs,” she replied flippantly.

“You want something?” Cole asked, diverting the officer’s attention from Angel. She could tell that he didn’t like the way the man was looking at her. The cop turned to him.

“When you’re done with your breakfast, you should get back to your side of town.”

Cole stared him down. The cop straightened up, and they both headed for the door.

Angel turned to watch them leave. When they were gone, she turned back to Cole.

He took a sip of coffee. “Assholes.”

“Does that happen often?” she asked.

“Once in a while,” he admitted.

Mona came back to the table. She looked out the window at the cruiser pulling out. “Jerks.”

Cole smiled at her. “It’s no big deal, Mona.”

“You ready to order, Cole?”

“Blueberry pancakes, darlin’,” he replied with a smile.

She turned to Angel. “You, honey?”

“Same.”

After she walked off, Angel drank her coffee and studied Cole over the rim of the mug. He was looking out of the window. He must have felt her eyes on him, for he turned and looked back at her. He reached for the carafe and topped off both their mugs.

“How old were you when you joined the club?”

“About your age,” he replied, setting the carafe down.

“Why did you join?”

“Is this twenty questions?”

She looked down at her mug and stopped talking.

Cole shrugged as if he was sorry he’d snapped at her. “My dad was a trucker. Long haul. Wasn’t around much when I was growing up. To make up for it he got me a dirt bike for my twelfth birthday. When I turned sixteen and most of my buddies were saving up for muscle cars, I wanted a bike. Started hanging around with other guys who liked to ride. Met some club members when I was old enough to hit the bars. I liked their lifestyle, the brotherhood. One of them agreed to sponsor me. Did my time as a prospect and a year later I was in.”

Angel studied him for a moment, wondering if he wanted to talk about it. “Is it everything you expected?”

He looked at her, and then looked out the window. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

She nodded. “And you’re happy?”

“Sure.”

She looked out the window.

“What about you?” He raised his chin toward her. “What’s your story?”

“My story? I don’t really have one.” She looked down, running her finger around the rim of the mug.

“Sure you do. How’d you end up in California?”

She sighed at the window. “I don’t know. I guess I’m too old to call it running away. Escaping, maybe.”

“Escaping?” he scoffed. “From what?”

She shrugged. “A domineering father. A stepmother I can’t stand and who can’t stand me.”

Cole watched her, and she knew he could see her face change as a wall came up and her smile disappeared.

“Sorry,” he said. “I guess we all have family issues.”

She shrugged again. “It’s no big deal.”

“Any brothers or sisters?” he asked.

“Just me.”

“And your mom?”

“Died when I was little.”

“Sorry. That’s got to be rough.”

She looked down. “It’s okay. I’m fine now.”

He nodded. “Sure. I can see that.”

Angel looked up at him, hearing the sarcasm in his voice. He stared back at her. She couldn’t hold his gaze, and so she looked away and drank her coffee.

“Why did you pick California?” Cole asked.

She shrugged again. “I don’t know. The ocean, I guess. Something different from the desert.”

He nodded.

“Ever been there?” she asked.

“Where? The desert?”

“Yes.”

He shook his head.

“You’d like it. Phoenix is on the edge of the mountains. It’s really rugged and beautiful. Kind of makes you feel like you’re on a Western movie set.”

“So what’d you do as a teenager growing up there?”

She smiled. “I wasn’t riding dirt bikes.”

“I figured that.” He laughed. “So what did you do?”

She shrugged. “Different things. A lot of times a group of us would drive out and tube down the Salt River.”

“Tube?” Cole frowned.

“Float down in one of those big inner tubes. Sometimes the guys would put a cooler of beer in one of them.”

He nodded and smiled. “Sounds like fun.”

The waitress returned and set down two plates full of food. “Need anything else?”

“No. Thanks, Mona.” He smiled up at her.

“Enjoy.” She walked away.

Cole poured syrup all over his pancakes. “Ever been down the coast?”

She shook her head. “No. I’ve only been here a couple of months. Spent most of it near San Jose.”

“I think you’ll like it.”

They finished eating and headed out to the parking lot. They had gotten a late start on breakfast, and it was about noon by the time they headed out to the bike. As they got on, Cole’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open.

“Yeah?”

Angel sat listening to the one-sided conversation.

“Shit. That’s today? …Yeah. Okay. Where you at? … What time’s it start? …You headin’ there now? …Yeah. Okay. See ya there.” He flipped the phone closed and turned back to Angel. “We’re gonna have to postpone this trip, darlin’.”

“Something come up?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“That’s all right.”

“Maybe tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure. So, now what?”

“I gotta meet up with Crash and some of the guys. The War Dogs are having a big gathering and cookout today. I forgot all about it.”

“War Dogs?”

“They’re a lot of ex-military guys. They don’t carry the MC patch though.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re not outlaw. Just a riding club.”

“I thought you didn’t have anything to do with clubs like that.”

“These guys are different. Mack served with several of the older guys. They’re okay. Anyway, Evil Dead needs to make an appearance. It’s an annual party they throw.”

“And me?”

Cole thought about it for a minute. “Hell, I guess you’re comin’ with me.” He turned back to her. “You okay with that?”

She nodded.

They headed back across town. About a half an hour later, Cole pulled into the gravel lot of an old junkyard. There was a chain link gate that was open. He pulled through and around an old building that was covered with hubcaps. There were several rows of bikes already parked in the gravel lot in back.

Cole spotted the guys from his club standing near their parked bikes. He pulled up to them and parked. They dismounted.

Angel noticed Crash and several of the other guys. She could smell the aroma of something being cooked on a grill. There was a fenced off area, running the length of the back wall of the building and beyond that, an eight-foot-high wooden privacy fence. Music was blasting from inside.

“Sounds like the party’s started,” Cole said to Crash.

“Yup. They got a full house already. I think they started a couple of hours ago. Mack’s inside already,” Crash replied, turning to head over there.

Cole put his arm around Angel, and they followed the rest of the guys into the area. There was a guy sitting on a barstool at the gate that led inside. He nodded to them, and they walked on past.

Angel looked around. The area was huge, going back a good ways. There were a bunch of picnic tables, a big, long bar improvised out of cement blocks and planking set up along the left side under an overhanging roof that jutted out from the building. There were tiny colored lights strung along the bar and all along the top of the fencing. Way in the back, Angel noticed a huge stone grill that ran about ten feet across. A couple guys were flipping burgers.

Cole stopped to greet several members of the War Dogs. They chatted briefly, and then Cole led her over to a group of Evil Dead that were standing by the bar. Several of them she had never seen before.

Angel could hear the group talking as they walked up. She noticed one of them had a Scottish brogue when he spoke. He had his back to them. Angel heard someone say, “Hey, Kilt Boy, look who just crashed the party.”

The one with the brogue turned around. He was dark headed with long hair and a close cut beard. Angel thought if he did have a kilt on, that he would look every inch the part of a highlander.

He looked at Cole and smiled. “Fookin’ hell. Ye ol’ bastaird. Haven’t seen ye in ages.”

Cole smiled. “Who’re you callin’ an old bastard?”

He and Cole slapped each other on the back.

“What are you doin’ down in this neck of the woods?” Cole asked him.

“Came to see your sunny southern coast. Tired of the bluidy rain up north.”

“I thought it rained all the time in Scotland. You should be used to it.”

“Aye. But it had a wey of makin’ me homesick.”

Someone slid them a couple bottles of beer, and Cole turned to hand one to Angel.

Kilt Boy turned to Angel and asked Cole, “And who’s this lovely lass?”

Cole put his arm around her. “Don’t even think about it.”

Kilt Boy smiled. “What? Ye don’t trust me, Sonny-boy?”

“Nope.” Cole smiled back.

“Come on, introduce me to the wee lass.”

“This ugly mutt is Ferguson. Better known as Kilt Boy. Kilt Boy, this is Angel.”

He flashed a crooked grin. “He’s just jealous of my sensuous Scottish brogue and the wey it drives all the lasses wild.”

“Shit. Half of ‘em can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

“Aye. But as long as they nod their head in agreement, I don’t care verra much if they know to what they’re agreein’.” He turned to Angel and waggled his eyebrows.

She couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. She liked him immediately.

“Got some news,” Crash interrupted, moving to stand next to Cole. Cole dropped his arm from around Angel and lit a cigarette. He turned to Crash, blowing the smoke out.

“Yeah. What’s that?”

“Mack invited the Devil Kings here.”

Cole pulled the cigarette from his mouth. “What?”

Crash nodded. “Yup.”

“What the hell for?”

“Didn’t he tell you?”

“No, man. He’s been pissed at me since that shit with Ling.”

Crash nodded, glancing over to where Mack was sitting at one of the picnic tables. “Yeah. Well, seems he wants to make some kind of alliance. I think he’s hoping to get a foothold in Arizona.”

Cole shook his head. “Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“Bluidy hell,” Ferguson added.

Cole looked over at him and smiled. “Looks like you showed up at a good time, Kilt Boy.”

He smiled back at Cole. “Aye. Looks that wey.”

They all stood around talking and drank several bottles of beer.

One of the War Dogs walked over to Cole.

Angel thought he looked young, probably still in his twenties, with an athletic build. He had a buzz cut, revealing a face and neck red from the sun. He wore a pair of desert camouflage pants and a black t-shirt. A pair of sunglasses were pushed up on his head and dog tags hung around his neck. If he’d been in the service, Angel imagined he hadn’t been out for very long.

“Hey, they takin’ care of you?” He nodded toward the girls tending bar.

Cole looked at him. “Yeah. Thanks. You throw a nice party, Rusty.”

“Glad you could come by.” They shook hands.

“You hear who might be showing’ up later?” Cole asked him, taking a hit off his cigarette.

Rusty looked back at the picnic table where Mack was sitting, deep in conversation with the leader of the War Dogs. “Yeah. I did.”

Cole followed his gaze. “He good with it?”

“JP? Yeah. I guess. Of course, I don’t think he’d say no to Mack on anything.”

Cole nodded.

“You expecting trouble?” Rusty asked, setting the sunglasses back over his eyes.

“Don’t know,” Cole answered honestly.

“Fuck. Looks like we’re about to find out.” Rusty nodded toward the gate.

Cole turned to look and Angel followed his eyes.

“Fucking Devil Kings,” he snarled as the men walked in. Angel noticed the first man through was a big mountain of a man. He was followed by a mean looking man.

“Is that their President?” Rusty asked.

Cole nodded. “Big Ed, and the mean looking son-of-a-bitch with him is Taz. I’ve had run-ins with him before.”

Angel watched as about six more guys followed. Then she caught Cole glance over at Mack, and saw Mack look over at the gate and then nod to Cole.

Angel looked back at the group coming in and a chill went down her spine. She had a bad feeling.

Cole threw his cigarette down and turned to head over to the group. He looked back at Angel and pointed at her. “Stay there.”

She watched him walk over toward the Devil Kings. He moved to the biggest guy and blocked his path.

“Christ. What’s goin’ through his bluidy brain?” Kilt Boy asked Crash.

“I think he’s lookin’ for trouble,” Rusty replied.

“Aye. Well, I think he just found it.”

“Cole wouldn’t start a fight,” Angel insisted.

Kilt Boy turned to her with raised eyebrows, and then turned back to Crash. “The wee lass hasn’t fookin’ known the mon verra long, has she?”

“Come on, boys. I’m pretty sure he’s gonna need backup,” Crash said.

“Aye, let’s make it a fair fight.” Kilt Boy threw his beer bottle into an oil drum. The glass shattered with a crash.

“Hey, Cajun. Stay with her.” Crash nodded toward Angel.

“Yeah. Sure, ‘dat.” He turned to Angel. “How ya doin’, sugar?”

Angel watched as the other four walked over to where Cole was talking to one of the Devil Kings. They formed a semi-circle behind him.

Mack noticed and walked over. He said something that diffused the situation.

Angel watched as Cole glared at Mack, but stepped back. Mack shook the big man’s hand, turned, and led him to a table. But she didn’t miss the look the big guy slid Cole as he walked by him.

Half the Devil Kings followed Mack and the big man to the picnic table. The other half headed to the bar just a few feet from where she was standing with Cajun.

“Just stay next to me, sugar,” Cajun whispered to her.

Angel kept her eyes on the bar as they ordered their drinks. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed one of them turned back from the bar with a beer in his hand, and his eyes swept up and down over her body. She couldn’t stop herself from looking over at him. He was a good-looking guy with brown hair and a close-cut beard. His eyes were a bright blue and stood out against his dark skin.

He smiled at her, and she quickly looked away.

Cajun must have caught it, because he grabbed her by the upper arm and walked her forcefully down to the other end of the bar.

She pulled her arm free. “I don’t understand why you have to drag me around like that.”

“Mais, yeah. I bet there’s lots here you don’ understand, Cher,” Cajun drawled, leaning over her. “But let me set you straight on one. You need to steer clear of dat bunch. Him especially.”

Angel looked back down the bar.

“Dat one, he’s one bad crazy son, him. You hear me, sugar?”

The man was still watching her. He winked at her when she looked at him. She glanced quickly away and nodded at Cajun. She looked toward the table where Mack was sitting across from the big man.

Cole was standing at the end of the table. Mack said something to him. Angel could see him look from Mack to the big man and then nod. He turned and headed back toward the bar. Crash was right behind him. Angel noticed the big man’s eyes followed Cole as he walked away. She didn’t like the look in his eyes.

 

***

 

Mack leaned in close to Big Ed. “Sorry, he’s got a damn broad got him all turned around.”

Big Ed looked back at Cole as he walked away. “Run her ass off.”

“It’s not that simple. She did the club a favor. A big one.”

“Maybe I could help you out with that.”

Mack looked at him, and then grinned. “Yeah. Maybe you could.”

Big Ed returned his wicked grin.

 

***

 

Angel saw Cole glancing around looking for her and Cajun. He spotted them where they stood down at the other end of the bar and headed over to them.

“Everything okay?” Cole asked Cajun.

“Yeah. Just don’ like da look dat crazy son givin’ her. Smilin’ at her like da croc dat seen his next meal,” Cajun explained, nodding toward the guy at the end of the bar.

Cole followed his eyes.

Angel could see their eyes connect. There was no love lost between the two.

Cole looked back at Angel. “Well, we’re leaving anyway.”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

Crash waggled his eyebrows at her. “Downtown, baby, where the big boys rock.”

Cole grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

Crash followed them.

Angel couldn’t help but glance over at the man at the end of the bar. When she did, she found his eyes on her, tracking her movements all the way to the exit.

Cole and Crash got on their bikes, and Angel got on behind Cole. They fired the engines and pulled out, the bikes roaring down the highway. They drove across town, finally turning into the parking lot of what looked like a nightclub.

Angel glanced up at the neon sign that read, Sonny’s Gentleman’s Club.

Cole pulled up to the front door and parked.

Crash pulled in next to him.

They dismounted.

“What are we doing here?” Angel asked.

Cole turned to her as he was pulling his helmet off. “Mack sent us over to make a pickup.”

“Pickup?”

“The less you know, the better, baby doll. Come on.” Cole reached for her hand.

“Can I wait out here?” Angel asked, pulling back.

Cole turned back to her. “Not in this neighborhood.”

Angel looked nervously at the door.

Cole smiled. “Never been in a strip club?”

She shook her head.

He hooked a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to him for a kiss. “Come on, you’ll be fine, darlin’.”

She looked up into his eyes. He smiled down at her and gave her a wink. Then he caught her hand, turned, and headed toward the door. There was a guy collecting money. He turned when he saw them walking up.

“Hey, Cole. How are you?”

“Not bad, Bobby. Is Ronnie here?”

“Yeah. I’ll tell him you’re here.”

“Thanks, man.”

Bobby held the door for them, and they walked in like they owned the place, Angel noticed. She followed Cole over to the bar. There was one guy sitting at the other end. Most of the customers were at tables.

Cole slid between two barstools and leaned on the bar.

Angel stood behind one of the barstools and looked around. There was a girl up on stage dancing. Crash moved to Angel’s other side and slid in between two stools. She watched as a cute blonde girl, who was apparently tending bar, came toward them.

“Hey, Cole. What can I get you?” she asked.

“Just need to see Ronnie. You don’t usually tend bar, Heather,” Cole observed.

“Ronnie just caught one of the bartenders stealing. He’s out back dealing with him, if you know what I mean.”

“He need any help with that?” Cole offered, ducking his head to light a cigarette. Angel noticed Cole didn’t seem to care about any no smoking ordinances.

“I think he’s got it covered. He should be with you in just a minute.”

“No problem, darlin’.”

Heather slid three bottles of beer on the bar. “Compliments of the house.”

“Thanks, darlin’.” Cole smiled. Turning, he handed one to Angel.

They waited about fifteen minutes and were on their second beer when Crash tapped Cole on the arm and nodded toward the door. “Trouble just walked in.”

Cole jerked his head around to look over his shoulder. “Fuck.”

Angel turned to look and saw the eight Devil Kings that they’d left at the party, walking through the door. She noticed the older man, the one Cole had said was their leader, and behind him was the one that Cajun had warned her to stay clear of.

“Here comes Ronnie.” Crash nodded toward the end of the bar.

Cole swiveled his head around and saw Ronnie walking toward them behind the bar. “Good. Maybe we can get the hell out of here.”

Angel watched the man walk up.

“Hey, Cole. Sorry. I had some shit to take care of.” He slid an envelope across the bar. Cole picked it up and tucked it into the inside pocket of his vest.

“You get that worked out?” Cole asked.

“Yeah.”

Cole nodded. “Good.”

Angel saw a big hand slide up his back and tighten around the back of his neck for a moment before falling away. They both turned sharply to look. It was the leader of the Devil Kings.

Cole turned to face him. “Big Ed.”

“Cole.”

Angel looked nervously over her shoulder. They were surrounded. The one called Big Ed was a huge man with a beard and big meaty hands. Angel thought Bear would have been a more suitable name.

“Party over already?” Cole asked, his voice carefully controlled.

“Naw. Just thought we’d check out Mack’s investment.”

Cole nodded. He rested an elbow on the bar and leaned back on it, taking a drag on his cigarette.

Big Ed’s gaze drifted over to Angel. His eyes traveled slowly over her body. “This some new talent? Bet she could really wrap around that stripper pole.”

“She’s with Cole,” Crash informed him.

Big Ed’s eyes cut to Crash, and then back to Angel. “Is she now?”

Before she knew what was happening, Big Ed reached and flipped the back of her shirt up, looking at her lower back.

Cole instantly straightened from the bar.

“I don’t see no stamp on her.” Big Ed stared at Cole.

Cole stared him down.

“Which is it? She’s either yours or she’s up for grabs,” Bid Ed challenged.

Cole knew what that meant, even if Angel didn’t fully understand what was happening here. Bid Ed was making a point, and he was using Angel to do it. Either Cole claimed her as his or Big Ed was going to take her. And do God knows what with her. Cole stepped in between Angel and Big Ed. “Just haven’t gotten that taken care of yet.”

Big Ed gave him an evil smile and called his bluff. “Well, hell, boy. No time like the present. It’ll be my treat.” He pulled a couple of large bills from his pocket and held them up between two fingers. “Escort them down to Stumpy’s, Taz. Make sure it gets done right.”

The one he’d called Taz reached up and took the money, looking at Angel with a wide, evil grin. “You got it, boss.”

Angel swallowed. It was the guy that had been checking her out at the party. What was happening? What were they talking about? Getting what done?

“That’s kind of old school these days, Big Ed. The lady’s with me.”

“Well, I’m an old school kind of guy. You wouldn’t want any of my guys to think she was available, would you?”

Cole’s gaze moved to Taz.

Big Ed smiled. “Didn’t think so.” He turned and walked over to a table along with three of his guys. The other four stood waiting.

 

***

 

The muscles in Cole’s jaw worked as he grabbed Angel’s hand and headed toward the door. Crash and the four Devil Kings followed them out. Cole and Crash had parked right in front of the door. The Devil Kings headed toward their bikes, which were parked in the row beyond.

Cole turned to Angel and said in a whisper, “Look, I’m gonna get you out of here.”

Crash looked at him and said in a low voice so the others wouldn’t hear him. “Are you insane? You do that and Big Ed will slit both our throats. Besides, there’s no way you’re gonna get her out of here. I’m with you, Brother, but there are eight of them. And you piss on the Devil Kings, Mack will have your ass. What’s left of it, anyway. You’re lucky Big Ed’s even giving you this out.”

Cole grimaced. “Goddamn it.”

“Cole?” Angel whispered questioningly. “What’s happening?”

He turned to her. “I’m sorry I got you into this. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

“A little late for that,” Crash added.

Cole glared at him.

The Devil Kings sat on their bikes, waiting. The one called Taz hollered over to them, “Let’s go!”

Cole looked back at him. Crash was right. He didn’t see anyway out of this. It was a fight they couldn’t win, and once the fight was over there would be no one standing between these animals and Angel.

They mounted up and pulled out of the parking lot. They rode down the street, followed by four Devil Kings.

 

***

 

In a few minutes, they were turning down a side street and slowing up in front of a line of rundown businesses. They passed a Vietnamese grocery, a pawnshop, and a couple of boarded up buildings. They rolled to a stop and Cole backed up to the curb. He cut off the engine, and they dismounted.

Angel looked up at the neon sign in the storefront window. Stumpy’s Tattoo Parlor.

Cole slid his hand to the nape of Angel’s neck and pulled her close. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. “Just do what I tell you and everything’s gonna be okay. Don’t put up a fight. You understand me?”

Put up a fight? What was going to happen? She looked in Cole’s eyes. She didn’t have any choice but to trust him. She nodded.

Cole took her by the wrist and pulled her along.

Crash bent and pulled a bottle of whiskey from his saddlebag.

They entered the shop, followed by the Devil Kings. A bell tinkled over the door, announcing their entrance.

Angel looked around. There was no one in the place, and then a voice from a back room yelled out.

“Be with ya in a minute.”

“Hey, Stumpy! Get out here. Cole needs to get his ol’ lady stamped,” Taz yelled. The four guys leaned against the counter. Taz looked over at Angel and grabbed her right wrist. “Come on, darlin’.”

Cole yanked on her left wrist.

“I got it.” He glared at Taz. Angel stood between the two, wondering what was going to happen. Taz stared Cole down, and then smiled.

“Okay. Go on.” He nodded toward one of the tattoo stations.

Cole led Angel over to a long padded table. He pulled her sideways over the table on her stomach. She tried to pull back, but he wouldn’t let go of her. He sat down on a stool near her face. Holding her by both wrists, he looked into her eyes and could see she was scared.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

Cole shook his head, silently telling her to be quiet.

“Stumpy! Let’s go,” Taz yelled.

“What’s he going to do?” Angel whispered softly to Cole. He looked at her a long moment.

“He’s going to put a tat on you that says you belong to me.”

“A…a tattoo? But that’s permanent.” She tried to pull away. Cole tightened his grip on her wrists, holding her where she was.

“Quit.”

“If she’s too much for you to handle, I’ll take her off your hands,” Taz offered with a grin, watching her struggle. “There’s nothing I enjoy more than breakin’ a woman’s spirit.”

Angel turned to look at him. He smiled back at her, and she could see the evil in his eyes. She turned back to Cole and whispered, “Why are you doing this?”

Cole leaned forward and said in a low voice, “It’s the only way to protect you from all of them. Do you understand? So they won’t touch you.”

She started to tear up. Cole saw her eyes pool.

“Hey, look at me. You are not going to cry in front of them. Understand? Don’t give that asshole the satisfaction.”

She studied the look in his eyes and nodded, blinking away the tears and taking a deep breath.

Stumpy came out of the backroom. He was in his sixties and covered with tattoos.

“Hey, Cole. Taz. Boys. What can I do for ya?”

“We need to get her stamped,” Taz said, nodding toward Angel. He tossed the bills down on the station counter. Stumpy looked over at the woman being forcibly held down across his table.

“She don’t look too willin’, Taz. We got rules about—”

“Just fuckin’ do it, old man,” Taz snapped threateningly.

“Yeah. Okay.”

Angel could hear the snap of surgical gloves being put on. She tried to turn to look behind her, but Cole turned her face back to him.

“Just look at me, baby.” He turned to Crash and held out his hand. Crash passed him the whiskey bottle. Cole handed it to Angel. “Drink this.”

She shook her head.

“Do it,” he insisted, his eyebrows raised. She took the bottle and tilted it up for a drink, and then handed it back. Taz didn’t miss the exchange.

“You need to teach her to do what she’s told.”

“She’s learning,” Cole snapped back at him with a deadly look.

Taz smiled. “Bet there’s lots of stuff she needs to learn. Fuck, I’m getting hard just thinking about it.”

Cole passed the bottle back to Crash and whispered, “Get them the fuck out of here.”

“Come on, guys. Let’s go drink this whiskey while they get this done.” Crash led the way out the door.

Angel looked over. The three others followed Crash out. Taz remained, leaning against the counter, watching her with a smile. After a long moment, he straightened and followed the others. They all stood by the curb, drinking and laughing. Angel could see them through the plate glass window.

Cole nodded for Stumpy to get started.

Angel could hear the buzz of the tattoo machine as he turned it on. She put her head down.

 

***

 

Cole kissed the top of her head, wondering how she was ever going to forgive him after this. He’d fucked up, big time. He should have never taken her to that party. Should have known better, but hell, he’d had no idea Mack was going to invite the Devil Kings. What was he thinking, wanting to make any kind of alliance with these assholes?

Cole knew this was payback for the disrespect he’d shown them at the party. Knew, too, that they’d purposely followed them to Sonny’s. Big Ed wanted him to know just who he was messing with. This was all about dick size. Cole wasn’t afraid to fight, but Crash was right. They didn’t stand a chance against four of them. Mack would shit if he messed up this deal he was trying to work. Besides, didn’t Mack already give him shit about Angel? He wanted her gone.

 

***

 

Angel’s back was burning. She wondered how much more of this she could take and how long it would go on.

Cole bent and kissed the top of her head again. She noticed he still hadn’t let go of her wrists. She didn’t understand any of this. She’d trusted Cole, and now she didn’t know what to think. Why was he letting them force this on her? She looked out the plate glass window at the men lounging on their bikes and saw the answer. They were a mean bunch. And they had him outnumbered.

When Stumpy finally told them he was finished, Cole nodded to him and said, “Give us a minute.”

“Sure, Cole.” He pulled the surgical gloves off, tossed them in the wastebasket, and walked into the backroom.

“Look at me.”

Angel looked up.

“You okay?”

She didn’t say anything, just pulled on her arms, trying to break his hold.

Cole let go of her wrists and took her hands in his. He brought them to his lips and kissed them. “I’m sorry, baby. For all of this.” He reached a hand up and cradled the side of her face in his palm, his thumb stroking over her cheekbone.

Just then, Crash leaned his head in the door. “Hate to break up this tender moment, but the whiskey is gone, and we need to get the hell out of here before they start lookin’ for trouble.”

Cole helped Angel up. He took her by the hand and led her outside.

The Devil Kings were standing by the curb. Taz was slouching on his bike, his ass sideways in the seat, leaning back on one elbow, his legs out straight, crossed at the ankles.

“Well, girlie. Let’s see.” He took a drag off his cigarette and blew the smoke out, his eyes never leaving hers.

Angel looked up at Cole.

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward him so that her back was facing them, then he lifted the hem of her shirt up.

“Now see boys. She’s learnin’. Did you see how she looked at her man for permission and instruction?”

They all snickered.

Taz studied the tattoo.

Cole glared at him.

Angel felt humiliated and put on display.

“Stumpy does nice work,” Taz observed, smiling. He tilted his head sideways, his eyes sliding over her ass. “Real nice.”

Cole noticed and barely leashed anger flashed in his eyes. He let her shirt drop.

Angel winced when the fabric brushed against the new tattoo.

“So we done here?” Cole bit out.

Taz looked at him, and they stared each other down. Taz took another slow drag off his cigarette. He nodded finally. “Yeah. We’re done. We’re headed back over. You comin’?”

“No. We’re going back to the clubhouse.”

“Suit yourself. See ya ‘round.”

Cole nodded.

Cole, Crash, and Angel stood there while the Devil Kings mounted up and pulled out, the engines roaring as they gunned it down the street.

“Fuck, man!” Crash exhaled, looking at Cole.

Cole hooked his arm around Angel’s neck and pulled her close to kiss her forehead. “Let’s get out of here.”