Page 38 of Burning Ember

I need a distraction. A way to clear my head. A drink maybe. Some fresh air. For a second I consider finding a clubpiece. Draining some of this built up sexual tension might help. But the very idea makes my stomach roll.

Stop being a pussy. She’s out there. And she will be for the next twelve fucking days. Man. The. Fuck. Up.

I suck in a deep breath and hold it until I get to my feet.

Twelve days is nothing. It’ll be over in a heartbeat. That’s all I need to remember.

After opening my door, I make my way across the main room, wading through hang-arounds, old ladies, clubpieces and my brothers. I ignore the slutty women vying for my attention and push them one by one to the side as they come into my path.

First things first, I need a drink.

I nod to my brothers and get an occasional back pat. I just need to make an appearance and then I’m out of here.

The music’s loud as hell. Pretty much everyone’s trashed. Bodie’s on the stage with a stripper and he’s all hands and mouth. He looks to be three sheets past the wind. The liquor’s evidently been flowing for a while. Half the women here have lost all sense of modesty, not that a lot of them had any to begin with. But my brothers look like they’re having a good time, so all’s good.

At the bar, it takes about ten seconds for Lita to finish her other orders and notice me. She knows what I like, and soon enough, she pours me a JD and Coke. Light on the Coke. I toss it back and tap the bar. The first and second burn as they skate down my throat. But the third goes down smooth. Anymore and I won’t be steady enough to ride, so I flip over my glass and slide it back to her.

Turning, I survey the room. My eyes bypass the circus going on before me and immediately find her. Her fiery mane easy to spot. Everyone and everything else are merely shades of gray. Where she stands out like a ruby in a coalmine.

Is it me or is she standing right under a spot light?

Because I can’t seem to pull my gaze away from her.

It’s evident to anyone looking at her, she’s uncomfortable and doesn’t belong here. She’s fidgeting, biting her lip, and her gaze shifts to the floor every few seconds. A couple is having sex not six feet from her, and it looks like she’s doing her best to avoid looking in that direction.

She’s standing behind the pool table, next to Lily and Goose. Dozer’s bent over, lining up a shot.

A few seconds later, she brushes her hands up and down her arms as if she’s cold and fighting off a chill. Then she must sense my eyes burning into her from across the room, because she turns a bit and her eyes find me.

Just like before in my office, there’s this unspoken dare to look away, though neither of us gives in to it.

Her eyes are the color of robin eggs. And so much like the ocean I visited once when I was a kid. As they bore into me from across the room, my blood heats to a low simmer.

Someone calls out to her and pulls her attention away.

I follow her gaze to Dozer. He’s saying something to her as he circles the end of the pool table and walks up to her. My chest constricts as I observe their interactions and the smile she gives him.

The permanent ache in my sternum screams a little louder than normal. For whatever reason, I suddenly can’t fucking breathe in here.

She peeks over at me shyly for a split second and the ache cools a bit.

When Dozer looks over too and finds me staring, he gives me a chin lift. I do the same. He hands off his pool cue to Doll and walks toward me.

“Hey. We good?” he says as soon as he’s in front of me. With his body, he blocks her from my view, and it grates on my nerves a bit.

“Yeah. We’re good. Twelve days and then we’ll see.” Of course, I don’t mean the last part. I want her gone at the end of the twelve days. My life would be a whole lot easier if she was already miles and miles from here.

He nods. “Met with the Cap’s doctor. Surgery went good. He’s breathin’ on his own, but still out.”

I slap my hand on his arm. “He’s gonna pull through this. Your dad’s one tough fuckin’ bird. He’d never let the reaper pull him down without a fight.”

“Yeah.”

“How’s Nick?”

“Mom’s good. Sick of Whiz and Grinder followin’ her around, though. She hates that shit. Makes her feel like we’re babysittin’ her.”

It’s my turn to smile, because I know how feisty Nick can be. She’s definitely earned the title of head bitch around here. I bet she’s making Whiz and Grinder fucking miserable.