Chapter One
“You look fucking jealous,” Skull said, taking a seat beside Ape.
Tipping his beer back, Ape averted his gaze, not interested in having to deal with any of his club brothers right now. They’d been traveling for four days straight and this was their first real break. Hanging out around a beat-up motel that had seen way better days, with free pussy and lots of drink, he wasn’t feeling it. Sure, his dick ached to be inside a woman, but he couldn’t do it.
His prez, Colonel, had carried his old lady into one of the rooms where they would no doubt stay for a couple of days. Whenever there was a long time spent between rests, Colonel and his woman always needed a few days catching up and fucking each other. Running a hand down his face, he slammed his fist against Skull’s arm. “Fuck off. I don’t want the company.”
“Either you’re jealous of the prez, or you’ve got a thing for his ass, or maybe you’ve got a thing for Piper.”
Ape stood and walked away, Skull laughing as he went. It wasn’t like they weren’t used to having a woman on the road with them. He was. After throwing his bottle into the trash, he headed away from the motel. There was no way he was going to enjoy a night’s sleep. The place looked like it had roaches.
As he walked down the street, the quiet of the night washed over him. The town itself looked all right. He’d clocked the big houses on arriving and there was also a small town center.
He loved small towns. People were constantly entertaining, especially some of the “posh” people. They often behaved like they wanted to be rid of them as if they carried some disease. Then there were always a few of the groupies who believed riding with the club was the key to a good life. Most of the time, the women got bored of being on the back of a bike. Sure, they liked having the men’s undivided attention at night, but it was getting to that point when the pull of the road and freedom of riding won against pussy. For him, his bike would always win against a woman.
Women were good for sucking and fucking, but nothing permanent. He wasn’t jealous of Colonel and Piper, more curious.
They’d been together for a couple of years, married, and they were still going strong. When Piper first came with them, he thought she’d last a couple of weeks tops. Instead, she took the road and the nomadic way of life easier than he expected. She didn’t seem to mind if she didn’t have a bathroom for a couple of days. Whenever they stopped, she always took time to refresh in a bathroom.
He shook his head. The road wasn’t a place for a woman.
Ever since Piper had entered the scene, Colonel hadn’t strayed. What was it about the one woman? He didn’t get it.
Sure, Colonel had been instantly attracted to her, but that shit would fade.
He kicked a stone as he passed a large school that looked more like a prison. Ape had dropped out of school many years ago, never finished. Never needed it in his line of work.
Coming to a stop at the edge of the long strip of town, he shook his head again. In all of his years of traveling, he’d come to the conclusions that many places were alike in so many ways. Always the divide between rich and poor. Long town streets. People’s views of them.
The only differences were usually the wealth that held them.
It wasn’t too late, and he saw a diner open and a couple of other nearby restaurants still aglow. Walking down the main street, he came to a stop as a woman and man exited a building.
“You’ve got no cause to shut this place down, so don’t even think about it, Calum.”
“Your place is an eyesore. People don’t like what you do, Charlotte.”
“What I do? I’m not a damn brothel. I bet if I was, there would be a hell of a lot more of a battle to keep me open. People can’t stand to have art on their flesh but swinging tits would win out.”
“You’re being crude.”
“Don’t even try me. You think I don’t know what you get up to in your free time? Spare me the condescending bullshit where you pretend to be on some kind of pedestal that you don’t deserve. That ship sailed a long time ago.” Charlotte stepped up into Calum’s face.
Ape, with her back to him, was turned on by her stiff spine, curvy ass, and that mouth on her.
“Let’s face it, you’d be happy to fight for my place if I’m willing to give a little back. Isn’t that right?” She ran her hand down Calum’s body.
Calum didn’t move. He merely groaned as she grabbed his dick, but that the look of rapture turned to pain as she clearly squeezed him a little tighter.
“Get the fuck away from me, you disgusting pig.”
She spun on her heel and took several steps away. Calum went to his knees. “You’ll regret this.”
“Whatever.”
Ape got a good look at her, and fuck him, he was in love. Dark red hair, green eyes, nice big tits, and curves. The clothes she wore emphasized all of her assets, and he couldn’t find a single fault with her. The shirt she wore was cut low, hinting at the tops of her tits. Generous hips. Ink teased up her arms, and he got a hint of something on her chest that disappeared into the shirt. Jeans hugged her body and he wanted nothing more than to remove every item of clothing and admire her, worship her.
“It looks to me like you could use a drink,” he said, stepping out of the shadows.
She turned her gaze toward him. “You’re one of the bikers that just got to town.”
“One of them.”
Charlotte glanced up and down him, pursing her lips.
“I won’t hurt you.”
“Please, all men hurt, it’s if women let them or not.”
“Can I buy you a drink?”
Again, a pause and then a heartbreaking smile. “Sure.”
****
Charlotte couldn’t believe she’d accepted a drink from a total stranger. That was what he was. Sitting at the bar, she tipped the beer against her lips, taking a swig. She’d had a shitty day and it had only gotten worse when Calum had turned up. He wanted her out of town, and she wanted nothing more to go, but he’d pissed her off, and so she was staying, making herself miserable in order to make his life difficult.
He was a cheating bastard, but rather than call him out on his shit, she’d ended it and ignored him since. She wasn’t a cheater, hadn’t even known he was engaged to another woman when they were together. That little surprise had happened when he came to town bringing the perfect wife for mommy and daddy.
She’d felt dirty and disgusting.
Apparently, it had been all over social media, but she didn’t have any accounts. He thought she knew and was on board. Not a chance. She’d ended it with him a few years ago, and since then, he’d made it his mission to make her life a misery, and she’d done exactly the same with him.
This was getting them nowhere, though. He was threatening to kick her out of town.
“You okay?” the biker asked.
“I don’t know your name,” she said. “I’d rather know the name of the guy who offered to buy me a drink.”
“Ape.”
“Is that a club name?”
“You know about clubs?”
“I’ve met a couple in my time.” She shook the hand he offered.
“You want to tell me what that was all about?”