Page 5 of Her Mysterious Biker (Savage Kings MC #5)

five

Stevie

M y cheeks start to burn from the fake smile I’m wearing. I can’t let my boss or any customers see that I’m a nervous wreck, thanks to the unsigned note I found in my work locker today.

The day started off badly when I woke up and saw that Orion was gone. I’m not sure what I was expecting. It’s not like we’re dating — he was in pain, and I let him stay at my house to sleep it off.

Unfortunately, gossip in this town spreads faster than the blink of an eye. I’ve already heard the rumors from my coworkers and some of my customers that Orion and I are dating, all because they saw his motorcycle parked in front of my house all night.

Most were words of congratulations, with a few ‘You get it, girl,’ comments and only one disappointed look from Pastor Wilkens. I’m not sure I’ll be able to show my face at church on Sundays ever again.

I didn’t have the heart or the energy to correct them. Besides, it feels good to have a boyfriend—even if the relationship isn’t real.

Maybe if the rumors spread quickly enough, the person who left me the threatening note will be scared off by me dating a big, tough biker.

The idea doesn't hold up for long when a man I’ve never seen before walks into the store.

His long, greasy blonde hair hanging over his shoulders looks like it hasn’t been washed in weeks, maybe even months.

I look around the store and realize we are the only two up front—no one else is in sight, not even my boss. My heart races. Is this how it will end? Shot point-blank in a grocery store. Dying a virgin.

He reaches for a bottle of whiskey from the top shelf of the liquor display before turning his full attention on me.

“You could be fucking the whole lot of those asshole Savage Kings, and we’d still be coming for you.

” He slides the whiskey bottle inside his battered leather jacket with a ragged-looking patch that reads, ‘Sons of Decimation.’ “You might want to watch your back and your front.” He snickers, leering at my chest. “I’m going to fuck those big, fat, tities before I kill you.

Maybe I’ll be generous and stick my cock in all your holes before I end you.

” With a humorless laugh, one that will haunt my nightmares, he turns and walks away, leaving me shaken.

Run.

The word flashes in my mind, but I realize I have nowhere to go and no reliable transportation.

Sure, my scooter was parked outside my house this morning, with a new tire and everything.

I’ll need to figure out how to contact Diesel so I can pay him for fixing my tire.

But that’s the least of my worries right now.

I blink back tears. I finally found a place where I belong, and I’m going to fight for the life I deserve. I just need to come up with a new plan. One that doesn’t involve getting killed or fucked by the creep that was just here or any of his friends.

***

My hands are still trembling an hour later when Orion approaches my checkout counter with a bouquet and hands them to me. “These are for you.” The right side of his cheek flushes pink, while his left side tilts away from me, hiding the scars from my view.

“Stargazer lilies.” I accept the flowers offered to me, bring them to my nose, and breathe deeply. A wave of calmness washes over me as I inhale the scent of the flowers. “My favorite.” I sigh, realizing it’s the first time I’ve ever received flowers from anyone.

How pathetic.

Orion shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Can we go in the back and talk?”

The tone of his voice sends a shiver down my spine, and not in a good way. No, this is the same feeling I always got right before I was sent to a new foster home.

“Sure, we can go to the storage room.” Before I can find one of my coworkers to replace me while I talk to Orion, Richard steps up behind the counter next to me.

“Go on, and talk to your young man in the back.”

Now it’s my turn for my face to flush pink as I feel my cheeks heat up when my boss calls Orion my young man, even though he’s not anything to me.

I give Richard a small smile, not wanting to lie to him about my relationship with Orion, but not ready to give up the fantasy created by the rumors floating around town that he’s mine and I’m his.

Orion follows me into the storage room, shutting the door behind us.

I grab a vase from under the sink, left there by one of my coworkers after her husband sent her flowers a while ago.

I fill it with tap water from the sink and place it on the small table in the corner.

I unwrap the flowers from the decorative paper and place them in the vase, taking my time to arrange them before I finally turn and face Orion.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” I paste a smile on my face, knowing this isn’t going to be a good conversation.

Orion runs his fingers through his hair with a frown. “We know you’re in trouble—that some guys want to harm you.”

“H-how do you know that?” I stumble over my words. “I haven’t told anyone.” Which is true. I haven’t told anyone about the feeling of being watched, or now the note and the confrontation with that grease ball this morning.

“Your boss called Rock--he’s the president of our club. Richard is worried about you, so I was sent to act like your boyfriend and protect you until we catch the guys after you.”

My shoulders slump in relief until I realize the flowers were just part of the fake boyfriend act. “Why you?” I ask, choking back the lump in my throat, silently praying he’ll say, because he volunteered to be my fake boyfriend. Instead, I get the ugly truth.

“Because of last night, the whole town saw my bike parked in front of your house all night. It makes me the perfect person to pretend to be your boyfriend.”

“I see.” I swallow the lump in my throat that now feels like a boulder. “So, how are we supposed to act to fool people into thinking we’re hopelessly in love?”

Heat flashes in his eyes, causing me to step back—not out of fear, but because I’m afraid I’ll do something stupid like throw myself at him and beg him to be my boyfriend for real. I still have some dignity left.

“I’m going to stay with you while you work. We’re going to be seen at different places around town, like the bookstore and the Hollow Creek Park. We’ll go out to eat at Bottles & Bites.” Everything he’s saying sounds wonderful, even if it’s not real. “And of course I’ll be moving in with you.”

“Wait? What?” There is no way I can have him move in with me, fake dating or not.

He studies my face for a long time before saying, “Don’t worry. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“No, it’s not that,” I say quickly. How am I supposed to tell him that if we end up sharing the same bed every night, I’ll become addicted to him?

How my heart will shatter into a million pieces when all this comes to an end.

Instead of telling the truth, I say, “It’s fine.

We can live together and share the same bed for however long it takes to catch the guys…

” I trail off, not wanting to add the guys who want to kill me.

He nods, accepting my answer. “We should also practice touching and kissing.”