Page 17

Storm, my best friend, stands in the doorway.

She’s a petite Asian woman with long black hair streaked with purple, full sleeve tattoos—courtesy of myself, a small waist, and an awesome set of all-natural C-cup breasts.

Storm knows how to defend herself from the time she spent living on the street.

She may be a stripper, but she will never let a man get the upper hand again.

Apparently, she learned a painful lesson and quickly found someone to teach her how to defend herself.

In three-inch stilettos with her gun pointed straight at him, she stands her ground in front of this monster of a man.

“Viper, why don’t you take your little cronies and leave?” She’s deadly calm in the face of this man and for a moment, I envy her confidence. I haven’t moved from my spot on the floor and simply watch their exchange like the coward I have become.

“You know good and well that your kind isn’t welcome around here. Or do I need to make a call?” She appears calm while taking her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans.

Viper tries to charge at her again but the blond man steps between them.

“Time to go,” he says, and the other two men start pulling Viper toward the door on the other side of the diner.

“I’m gonna get you. You and your little waitress friend. You’re gonna pay. You hear me, Storm? You and that little cock tease!” he bellows as he’s dragged out. “That pussy club ain’t gonna save you.”

As soon as they are on the motorcycles and roaring into the distance, Storm puts her gun back in her purse and rushes over to me. “Oh, sweetie. Are you okay?” she inquires while pushing my hair from my face to inspect the damage.

“Hurts like a bitch but I’ll live. Gonna be blue tomorrow and I’ll probably have an egg on my head later, but I’ll be fine,” I assure her as I push up from the floor. “Thanks for the help.”

Storm looks at me with sympathy in her eyes, something I despise more than I can ever explain.

I hate being seen for the weak, broken, scared little girl I become once I am faced with something that triggers my past. My past affects me more than I would like to admit, even to myself.

So many things can trigger me and have me turning back in on myself.

For years, I have secluded myself from people except for a select few.

My friendship with Storm often pushes my boundaries and I feel like she is helping me rejoin the world again, one little push at a time.

As she opens her mouth to respond, Mary comes shrieking around the corner.

“You stupid bitches. Do you know what you’ve done?”

Her face is blood red from the lack of oxygen during her rant and her over-styled, bleach-blonde hair flies all over the place.

“Those assholes are gonna burn my place to the fucking ground because of the two of you!”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Storm turns a glare on her. “One of your staff members was just attacked, and all you can worry about is your business? What kind of person are you?”

Mary stares daggers at Storm as I pull myself to my feet.

“What’s wrong with me?” Mary continues shrieking. “Do you know who the fuck those guys were and how bad it can get when you fuck with them?”

“Yes, I do,” Storm says calmly. “Those are the limp-dick Mongrels MC and ain’t shit gonna happen to anyone. Pope is gonna lose his shit when he hears they were in his territory.”

Mary pales when she seems to realize Storm actually knows what she’s talking about.

“Now,” Storm says, looking back at me over her shoulder, “I am gonna take Hadley home and get some ice on her face. You’re gonna cover her tables and still pay her for the hours she’s missing. Because that’s what a good boss would do.”

“Oh, go choke on a dick, Storm. You won’t be telling me how to run my goddamn business. Why don’t you and Hadley just get her shit and get out because I don’t need to draw any more attention.”

She calmly turns to me and, looking me in the eyes, says, “You’re fired.”

Before I can think it through or contemplate my actions, my fist flies out and connects with Mary’s nose.

She gives an undignified shriek as she cups her nose. “You cunt! You broke my fucking nose.”

I stare at her before regaining my footing. Today may have been my breaking point. I have never—and I mean never—in my life laid hands on another person. “Oh, bite me, Mary. You’re a fucking bitch and I quit.”

Between hitting Mary, telling her to piss off, and quitting my job, I feel like I’m on top of the world. For the first time I can remember, I stood up for myself.

With what I’m sure is a seriously crazy smile on my face, I turn away from her.

I head to the back of the diner where my personal effects are in a locker and change out of my shitty uniform.

Taking a deep breath, I realize what I have just done.

I stood up for myself but in the process, I’ve quit the only job I have.

How am I going to pay rent, buy food, or pay for my damn car repairs? I am so fucked.

Instead of lingering on that, I square my shoulders and walk out to the front.

People are crowded around Mary while Storm is smirking from her spot at the front door.

Looking back at Mary, I smile. As I walk out of the diner, I give a single finger salute in farewell, light up a smoke, and walk home.

End of sample chapter