Page 5

Tempest

I pushed through the heavy doors of the sports bar, the sound of the TVs and chatter so loud it made my damn head hurt. My eyes locked onto Kasen immediately, her hair catching the dim light as she leaned in close to Connor, laughing at something he’d said.

Red clouded my vision as I strode toward their table, patrons scattering out of my path. The crowd parted like the Goddamn Red Sea, whispers and curious glances following in my wake.

“Fuck,” I mumbled under my breath, trying to rein in the jealousy threatening to explode out of me.

Kasen. I kept reminding myself she was Tank’s daughter, and totally off-limits. But seeing her with another man made my blood boil.

I balled up my fists. The urge to grab Connor by the throat and throw him across the room was almost overwhelming.

“Get it together,” I muttered to myself, drawing in a deep breath.

But it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside me. Every step closer to their table stoked the flames of my anger higher. By the time I reached them, I was a powder keg ready to blow.

I slammed my hand on the table, making their drinks jump. “Connor,” I spat, my voice sharp as a blade. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

I wouldn’t have had a fucking clue who this prick was, except I’d done a little digging. After I’d seen Kasen with him more than once, I’d decided it was best to find out who the hell she was hanging out with. We’d run across too many guys who looked like upright citizens only to find out they were total scum.

The kid’s eyes widened, fear flashing across his face. Good. He should be afraid.

Kasen’s head snapped up, her blue eyes meeting mine. For a split second, surprise flickered in their depths before being replaced by a steely defiance that made my blood sing. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Tempest,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension I could see coiling in her shoulders. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

I ignored her question, keeping my gaze locked on Connor. “You got business here, boy?”

My fingers itched to wrap around his scrawny neck. I flexed them against the tabletop instead, the wood creaking under my grip.

Kasen’s eyes narrowed. “He’s here because I invited him. Do you have a problem with that?”

The challenge in her voice sent a jolt through me. Part of me admired her fire, while another part wanted to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of here.

I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “Yeah, I got a problem with that.”

Connor squirmed in his seat, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he couldn’t seem to meet my eyes. The kid knew he was out of his depth.

“I… uh… I didn’t mean any disrespect,” he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

I ignored him, my focus zeroing in on Kasen. Her defiance only stoked the fire in my gut. I leaned in close, my breath hot against her ear.

“You’re Dixie Reapers’ property,” I growled, each word dripping with possessiveness. “And it’s time everyone knew it.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and charged. I felt Kasen stiffen beside me, her breath catching. For a moment, the world narrowed to just us two -- the heat of her body, the scent of her perfume, the sexual tension sizzling between us.

“I’m not anyone’s property,” Kasen hissed back, but I caught the slight tremor in her voice.

I fought the urge to grab her, to show her exactly what she meant to me, to the club. Instead, I straightened, my gaze never leaving hers. “We’ll see about that,” I said, my voice low and full of promise.

The tension in the air snapped like a live wire. Conversations around us stuttered to a halt, leaving an eerie silence in their wake. I could feel dozens of eyes boring into us, hungry for drama.

A glass clinked against wood, the sound echoing in the sudden quiet. Chairs scraped across the floor as patrons shifted for a better view. The air grew thick with anticipation, making it hard to breathe.

From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Viking and Sticks at a nearby table. Viking’s massive frame was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, taking in every detail. Sticks twirled a drumstick between his fingers, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Fucker carried those things everywhere these days. After not playing in forever, he’d taken the hobby back up several months ago.

“Well, well.” Viking’s deep voice carried easily across the room. “Looks like our Sergeant-at-Arms is laying down the law.”

Sticks chuckled, his eyes dancing with amusement. “About damn time, if you ask me.”

I met Viking’s gaze, seeing the approval there. He gave me a slight nod, the gesture speaking volumes. Despite our talk the other night, it looked like he’d back me if I decided to go after Kasen. Good to know.

My gaze swept the room. Most patrons quickly looked away, but I could still feel the weight of their attention. I turned back to Kasen. The fire in her eyes only fueled my determination. This wasn’t over -- not by a long shot.

Kasen’s chair screeched against the floor as she shot to her feet. “Who the hell do you think you are?” Her voice cut through the silence, steady but filled with anger.

My blood boiled, but I held my ground. “You know damn well who I am, Kasen.”

“Oh, I know exactly who you are, Tempest,” she spat, leaning in close. “You’re the asshole who’s ignored me for years, and now you think you can just waltz in here and claim me like some piece of property?”

I fought to keep my voice level. “I believe I already made my move. You’re the one who turned tail and ran.”

“I know that! Then I tried to explain things to you. Then you were the one who walked off.”

“What the hell are you talking --”

Kasen’s laugh was sharp, bitter. She cut me off before I could finish my sentence. “Yeah, and you didn’t exactly chase after me. From where I’m standing, you’ve made it pretty clear how little I matter to you.”

The words stung more than I cared to admit. My chest tightened, a mix of anger and something dangerously close to regret. “You’ve always mattered, Kasen. More than you know.”

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing again. “Bullshit. You can’t just decide I’m yours when it’s convenient for you.”

I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “This ain’t about convenience. This is about keeping you safe.”

“Safe?” Kasen’s voice rose, drawing more attention. “I don’t need your protection, Tempest. I need you to back the hell off and let me live my life!”

The tension between us felt volatile. Despite the fact I knew everyone was hanging on our every word, all I could focus on was Kasen, her chest heaving with anger, her eyes challenging me to make the next move.

I squared my shoulders, meeting Kasen’s fiery gaze head-on. “This ain’t a game, Kasen. You’re Dixie Reapers, whether you like it or not. That means something.”

“It means I’m trapped,” she spat, her words laced with venom. “Trapped by a club that thinks it can control my every move.”

“It’s for your own good. You don’t know what’s out there.”

Kasen’s laugh was hollow. “And you do? You think you can protect me from the big, bad world?” She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear. “Or are you just scared of what I might find if I look elsewhere?”

The insinuation hit me like a sucker punch. I fought to keep my expression neutral, but inside, I was seething. “You’re playing with fire, little girl.”

“I’m not a little girl anymore, Tempest,” Kasen retorted, her chin jutting out defiantly. “And if you think you can scare me into submission, you’ve got another thing coming.”

She straightened, her voice rising so everyone could hear. “In fact, I think I’ll go on that date with Connor after all. And maybe I’ll find a few more guys to keep me company while I’m at it.”

The words hung in the air, a challenge I couldn’t ignore. My vision blurred red at the edges, but I forced myself to stay still. “You don’t mean that.”

Kasen’s eyes glittered dangerously. “Watch me.”

I caught Viking’s eye across the room. His expression was a mix of amusement and concern, one eyebrow raised as if to say, You’ve really stepped in it now, brother . Beside him, Sticks tapped his drumsticks on the table, his nervous tic matching the tension in the air.

The entire place was watching and waiting, eager to see how the Dixie Reapers’ Sergeant-at-Arms would handle this challenge to his authority. Part of me wanted to tell them all to fuck off, but they weren’t important right now. Kasen was.

I turned back to Kasen, my voice low and dangerous. “You think this is a game? The club isn’t something you can just ignore when it’s convenient.”

She stood her ground, fire in her eyes. “And I’m not a possession you can claim whenever you feel like it.”

My knuckles turned white with the effort of restraining myself. The urge to grab her, to shake some sense into her, was almost overwhelming. But I knew it would only push her farther away.

“This isn’t over,” I growled, stepping closer until we were nearly nose to nose. “You want to play with fire? Fine. But don’t come crying when you get burned.”

Kasen’s breath hitched, but she didn’t back down. “Is that a threat, Tempest?”

“It’s a promise,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re ours, whether you like it or not. And sooner or later, you’ll realize that’s exactly where you want to be.”

Kasen’s eyes blazed with defiance. Without another word, she spun on her heel and strode toward the exit, her posture rigid with anger and hurt pride. I wasn’t even sure if she noticed she’d left her precious Connor behind.

I watched her go, my chest tight with a mix of rage and something dangerously close to longing. The sway of her hips as she walked away was like a taunt, reminding me of everything I couldn’t have -- not yet, anyway.

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair.

The bar door slammed shut behind Kasen, the sound echoing like a gunshot. I fought the urge to go after her. To grab her and make her understand.

Connor cleared his throat, reminding me of his presence. “I should probably go…”

I whirled on him, my voice a low growl. “Yeah, you should. And if I catch you sniffing around Kasen again, we’ll be having a very different conversation.”

He scrambled out of his seat, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to leave. The bar patrons parted for him, their eyes darting between me and the door.

Viking’s hand landed heavy on my shoulder. “Easy, brother. You made your point.”

I shrugged him off, my skin crawling with pent-up energy. “Did I? Because from where I’m standing, all I did was push her away.”

Sticks piped up, twirling a drumstick between his fingers again. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Give her some space, let her cool off.”

I rounded on him, teeth bared. “And let her run off with every Tom, Dick, and Harry in town? Not fucking likely.”

Viking stepped between us, his bulk forcing me back a step. “Think, Tempest. You go after her now, you’ll just make things worse. Let her stew for a bit. She’ll come around. Besides, did you notice the way she lit out of here? She didn’t even pause to look back at that kid. He wasn’t even on her radar.”

I wanted to argue, to push past him and hunt Kasen down. But the rational part of my brain knew he was right. I took a deep breath, forcing the tension out of my shoulders. The fact she hadn’t given Connor a second glance did soothe my anger a bit.

“Fine. But I’m not letting this go. She needs to understand her place.”

Viking’s eyes narrowed. “Just remember, brother. She’s not some club whore. She’s Tank’s daughter. Tread carefully.”

The reminder was like a bucket of ice water. Tank. Shit. If he found out about this…

I nodded curtly, already plotting my next move. This game of cat and mouse with Kasen was far from over. And I intended to win.