Page 5

CHAPTER

THREE

HARLOWE

T he sun is still up at nine thirty when I lead Fezzik out to my truck.

I don’t want to leave him alone in the hotel room, and I might need him.

I spent a lot of time getting myself ready, making sure I look good.

I doubt anyone will recognize me. The last time anyone who matters saw me, I was twelve.

Now I’m a grown woman with curves and boobs.

I styled my hair in two long, loose Dutch braids down each side of my head, twisting the ends up into a bun at the back.

My makeup is minimal, just enough to highlight my features.

My lips are painted a soft brownish pink, and my cheekbones are defined with a touch of shimmer. But the outfit is the key.

I’ve never been to an MC bar before, but I remember what the girls in college wore when they went out, so I emulated that look.

Daddy never let me go to bars, so this is a first for me.

I’m wearing a black cropped tank top that shows off my cut abs, a product of all my hard work.

My full C-cup breasts swell over the top just enough to catch attention.

My jeans fit like they were painted on, with ripped knees completely exposed.

Tan high- heeled boots that look like work boots and a waist-length leather jacket complete the outfit.

I open the back door and help Fezzik inside before climbing into the driver’s seat. My ID, credit card, and some cash are tucked into the inside pocket of my jacket.

I want to fit in but also stand out enough to be a distraction. I don’t want to cause a scene, though. It takes me about twenty minutes in the light traffic to get from downtown Wasilla to the northern part of Meadow Lakes near the Big Lake turnoff.

Rock music pounds through the walls of the bar, and the parking lot is full. I forget that it doesn’t get dark here in the spring like it did back in Texas. I roll Fezzik’s window down all the way so if there’s an issue, he can jump out.

Stepping out of the truck, I notice the men watching me. Several wear Granite Peak Grizzlies Motorcycle Club patched vests, while others wear vests or don’t. The bar caters to MC members and other bikers.

I move through them as if I belong, my head held high as I step onto the porch. I click the fob to lock my truck and set the alarm.

Pushing through the doors, the smell of reefer hits me hard.

I know smoking isn’t allowed in bars, but people must be vaping.

There’s also the smell of stale beer and sweaty bodies.

These scents unsettle me and set my nerves on edge.

I squeeze my hands into fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms, then I take a deep breath and move across the crowded room.

I head for the bar where one of the bartenders looks familiar.

I avoid him and sit where a woman is serving drinks.

Shit, I don’t even know what to order when she asks me. I’ve tried different beers with my father, but they aren’t my favorite. I spot a woman near me with a White Claw and point at it. “I’ll take one of those.”

“Got it, girly.” She reaches down and grabs the drink. She pops the top and hands it to me. I take a swig and feel the warmth spread through my body. For dinner, I DoorDashed some food but mostly picked at it, so I’ll have to be careful with how much I drink.

For hours, I sit off to the side of the bar, watching people mingle, dance, and shoot pool.

I’ve turned down several offers because I’m not here to make friends.

I’m here to check them out. Only the patched members head toward the back of the building.

No one else. The bathrooms are down a different hallway.

“Hey, Red. How about I get you something a little stronger?” a deep voice says beside me.

I turn to see a fairly good-looking guy standing there. He’s young, maybe my age or a bit older. His brown hair is shaggy, and he has a barely-there beard and mustache, like he hasn’t shaved in a couple of days. He’s wearing a vest that marks him as a prospect.

“You’re new here.” His observation skills are stellar.

“Nope. I’m good. Thank you, though,” I say, trying to brush him off.

He raises his hand, and the male bartender I thought looked familiar walks up. I know him. His name flashes through my mind, and I silently pray he doesn’t recognize me. If he does, this little recon mission will be a bust.

“What up, GB?” His voice is deep, and memories of his father flash through my mind.

My cousin Aksel is almost a complete replica of him, even his voice. I don’t see much of my aunty in him. His dark brown hair is curly, and I can just make out hints of auburn that match my hair color. He got that from his mom.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he says to me with a smile before turning back to the guy.

Something in his smile makes me question his nonchalant attitude. He must recognize me.

“Get us a couple shots of tequila,” GB says.

I’m about to stop him when Aksel turns to me. He looks past me, his eyes scanning over my head. I want to follow his gaze, but that might draw attention. So I sit still, praying he’s not trying to flag down my brother. I’ve already scanned the room more than once and haven’t spotted him.

“Gorgeous, do you want to do a body shot with GB here?” Aksel’s voice washes over me, and I feel the blush creep in. My belly tightens. “Don’t chicken out. You’ll hurt his feelings,” he adds with a chuckle.

I sit up straighter on the stool. Oh no, he didn’t. If he knew it was me, there’s no way he’d be encouraging a body shot.

“I’m game,” I say, needing to prove I’m not scared.

Aksel’s low chuckle as he moves around gathering lemons, salt, and two shots of tequila makes me question my decision.

GB is vibrating with excitement next to me. I turn toward him and find him focused on my cleavage. He’s practically drooling.

Shit, what did I get myself into?

I’m about to put a stop to this when the atmosphere around me changes, distracting me.

The shot glasses land on the bar in front of us.

Aftershock

W e step out of the office and make our way to the bar. I’m in the lead and notice Loki trying to catch my eye. There’s something sinister in his grin, and when his eyes focus on the chick in front of him, my body stills.

Her long hair is in braids twisted into a bun.

I make out the hints of red in her hair, and my long legs are in motion as I watch GB.

He leans forward, and she tilts her chin back, exposing her graceful neck.

From this angle, and the way my body is responding, I know who she is.

Loki does too. Kodiak has moved to my side but hasn’t figured it out yet. He’s going to kill GB if I don’t first.

GB places a hand on her waist and starts pulling her toward him, salt at the ready in his other hand.

I grab his wrist and bend it back, twisting it to the breaking point. If either of us shifts just right, it’ll snap.

“Get your hands off my girl,” I growl loud enough to make everyone stop. The music scratches to a halt.

Loki laughs from behind the bar, but I don’t take my eyes off her.

I’m completely focused on those beautiful pale seafoam green eyes.

They widen in shock at my words, but when those eyes move over my face, her lips curl into a slight smile.

Full, kissable, fuckable lips that I’ll be hard-pressed not to shove my cock across soon.

She licks her bottom lip and pulls it between her teeth, and I groan.

“Starlight,” I say softly, using her nickname.

Her eyes go liquid in front of me. I gave her that nickname years ago. The green in her eyes reminded me of the Aurora Borealis one night. Since then, she’s been my starlight, guiding me like the North Star.

“Shock, let him go,” Kodiak barks from behind me. “She’s just some chick.” He chuckles but chokes to a stop when I turn and focus my eyes on him.

“Some chick?” I repeat, flexing my hand slightly as GB’s wrist nears the danger point. “It’s Harlowe,” I growl.

Gasps ripple through the room.

Fuck, what have I done? First, I shocked the crowd by claiming her, and now I’ve identified her. But I had to make it known she was mine. A deep-seated need to claim her burned inside me.

“Let him go, Crue,” she says softly.

Her voice has a slight accent it didn’t have before, but it calms me and gets me to do what others have been unable to do. I let go of GB. Only when I focus on her do I finally hear GB begging me not to break his arm. I drop it, and he falls backward.

Moving closer to her, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into my body with her back to my chest. She fits perfectly, like the other piece of my puzzle.

My hand slides across her warm skin, and I realize it’s exposed.

I want to cover it so no man sees those sculpted abs of hers. I look down at her neck.

“Aftershock,” Kodiak barks, but my eyes zero in on where GB was about to lick.

I lean my head down, making her shiver when my lips brush the shell of her ear. My cock punches against my zipper, and she squirms against me. My hand tightens against her abs, pulling her even closer.

“Did he touch you more than what I saw, Starlight?” I demand.

She shakes her head, looking over her shoulder up at me.

“I wouldn’t have let him actually touch her, Shock. I saw you coming,” Loki says, and both me and Kodiak swing our heads toward him.

“Loki, you instigated this?” Kodiak asks.

Harlowe shifts in my arms, trying to push away. But I won’t give her the space she wants.

“He didn’t. I could have said no, and I didn’t,” Harlowe says, but it doesn’t stop me from staring Loki down. “Crue, stop it. You too, Rylan.” Hearing her use our real names puts a stop to the stare-down. “Aksel was just playing around, and I didn’t stop it.”

Her voice is so sweet and breathy. I can’t wait to hear her moaning my name.

“You knew who I was?” she asks Loki.

He smirks at her. “It took me a moment, but I did.”

“Low Low, what are you doing here?”

Her body stiffens, then she shifts, and her heel slams into the top of my boot. It hurts a little and surprises me enough to make me let go. She steps away from me and turns to face me before moving back again, running right into Gunny. I reach for her to pull her away, but she pushes back further.

“I was told you knew I was coming,” she says to Kodiak, the hurt clear in her voice. “Forget it.” She turns and rushes from the room, but Kodiak’s booming voice stops her. She pulls something from her pocket, and I watch her clench it tightly.

“Harlowe, stop.” She does, but suddenly there’s a commotion at the entrance and a large dog barrels into the bar.

It goes straight to Harlowe’s side and stops.

The dog positions itself directly in front of her, shielding her body.

It’s huge, black with a tan brindle pattern across its coat.

Some kind of mastiff mix. That explains what she pulled from her pocket. Somehow, she called him to her side.

Kodiak moves toward her, and the dog shifts, curling his lip and growling to warn us he’s going to protect her. His deep growl resonates around the room, which is entranced by what’s happening right in front of them.

“Good boy,” I tell him as I move to flank Kodiak. “You’re a very good boy for protecting your mistress. I’m not going to hurt her.” I speak to him as if he understands me. His ears perk up, but he doesn’t move. He relaxes as soon as she rubs her hand along his head.

“Fezzik, aposyromai,” Harlowe says. The big dog leans into her body and settles. She looks at me briefly before her gaze shifts to her brother. I want to demand she keep her eyes on me. “Rylan, I came here tonight not to cause problems. I just wanted to see you. It’s been so long.”

“Stop,” he orders, holding up a hand. “This doesn’t need to be aired out here.” He gestures around the bar.

She glances at the room, realizing everyone is watching us. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“No, wait. Let’s talk about this. Come this way.” He motions toward the back where our clubhouse is located.

She nods and reaches down to grab the harness strapped around the dog’s body. That’s when I notice the vest marking him as a service animal.

My eyes move to Harlowe, watching the sway of her hips in those high-as-fuck heeled boots, then trailing over the rest of her. She’s not physically hurt, but when I think about everything she’s been through these past few months, it hits me. Shit, my girl has some PTSD from the attack.

I move up beside her as we walk, placing my hand on the small of her back. She trembles and turns to look up at me through those dark lashes of hers. Her light eyes framed by the dark fringe are mesmerizing.

Kodiak leads us to our secure room for church. Harlowe must understand the significance of what’s going on because she pauses in the doorway.

“What did you say to your dog?” I ask, curious what language he’s trained in.

“I told him to stand down in Greek.” She continues to stand there, not wanting to go into the room. “I’m not allowed in here,” she says in that breathy voice of hers.

“You are now,” Kodiak says as he makes his way to the head of the table.

She finally steps into the room. Members file in behind us, but men like GB stand outside the door.

“Who is she?” GB asks Loki.

He smiles with that devious fucking grin of his. “She’s the princess.” Loki laughs before stepping into the room and closing the door.

Several of the members shift in their seats after hearing what he said. Kodiak stays where he is, and I remain beside Harlowe with Loki on her other side.

“As I told you all before, Anvil was murdered and my sister, Harlowe, was heading this way. Most of you know there’s a price on her head. Until further notice, she’ll have a two-man team with her at all times, along with either Loki, Aftershock, or me.”

“Stop,” Harlowe says, doing the unthinkable and interrupting him.

Here I thought Anvil had been teaching her the rules, but now I wonder.

“I know I’m not supposed to speak. I know I shouldn’t interrupt you, but this is my life too.”