CHAINS (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 18) Read online

  “His name is Chains,” Star offered as a consolation for not spilling any gossip. “I wonder what that’s all about.”

  Renee shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,” she said as she placed the liner down and started to smooth lipstick over her lips.

  “I’m not going on stage tonight,” Star said. “I just want to work the room. Is that okay with you?”

  Renee looked at her in the reflection of the mirror as if she were trying to figure her out.

  “Are you okay?” she asked her.

  Star nodded. “Of course I am, I just don’t fancy it, it’s been a busy couple of days.”

  She thought back to all the manual labor she had endured lugging her belongings across Slate Springs to her new home. The last thing she wanted to do was physically exert herself any more. Her arms and shoulders were aching, and she didn’t want to make them any worse by lifting herself up on the pole and twirling within an inch of her life.

  “It’s fine by me,” Renee smiled. “See if any of the boys have an issue with it.”

  Star sighed. She would deal with them if it came to it.

  “Thank you so much.” She blew a kiss across the room to Renee, who pretended to catch it in the palm of her hand.

  Star pulled the robe around her shoulders and looked one last time at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t help but hold out a small whisp of hope that Chains would be out there.

  As she walked down the hallway, she felt the familiar thump of music beneath her feet and felt herself getting psyched up. She had a long night ahead of her, but she was ready for it, and she was actually looking forward to having some fun conversations and being around people after her few days of practical solitude.

  The only person she really had any contact with for a decent length of time was Chains, and that had been so unexpected she had thought about it pretty much constantly since it had happened.

  She was trying to push him to the back of her mind. She didn’t want him to dominate her thoughts, and yet he was. He had worked his way in at every available opportunity and was becoming a regular feature. Even in the middle of the night when she was in the depths of sleep, his face had appeared in her dreams. When she awoke, he had also been the first thing she thought about.

  “You don’t want to go down that road,” she whispered to herself as a warning as she approached the swing doors that led outto the club. “It could surely only end in disaster.”

  It had been a long time since Star had dated anyone. She had promised herself the next guy who came along would have to be pretty damn special to make her give up on the single life.

  She had always been secretly drawn to the idea of settling down and having a family, but had always seemed to end up with the wrong men. Her track record wasn’t great when it came to that. She had dated liars and cheats, con-artists and sociopaths, and it had put her off the idea of ever finding someone for keeps. She had thrown her energy and efforts into the other side of life. She had focused on finding her place in the world, of settling into Slate Springs and building herself a home. So far, it had all been a good distraction from the main thing she was missing, but also the thing she would never admit she truly needed.

  Love.

  Star knew it was absent, and yet she still refused to acknowledge the fact.

  She pushed through the swing doors and the heat, music and smoke hit her once again. She smiled her well-practiced smile and held her shoulders back as she walked tall and proud across the room toward the bar. She could already see Jill and saw Ax leaning over the countertop, whispering into her ear. She regularly saw how affectionate he was with her, but it still would never change Star’s mind.

  Bikers were bad news... she had to remember that.

  She reached the bar and gave them both a wave. When Ax saw it was Star, he grinned widely and turned to face her.

  “So, I hear you met our new guy last night,” he said with a small smile. “Sorry about that.”

  “You don’t have to apologize,” Star said genuinely. “I appreciate you helping me out. I just feel awful for him. I hope he wasn’t disappointed he didn’t get the house.” She wondered if she should offer to move and let him have it instead, but the moment quickly passed.

  “Nah it’s cool,” Ax said before he took a sip of his whiskey. “It was just a misunderstanding, but it’s sorted now.”

  “So I believe,” she agreed. “He said he was going to be taking a house across the street?”

  Ax nodded. “The club house is full,” he said as he clicked his teeth. “That place will do him for now, but eventually he’ll come and be with us up at headquarters.”

  Star felt a little pang of disappointment. She secretly hoped that he wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

  “Right, I’m heading out back,” Ax said as he winked at Jill and slid away from the bar.

  Jill watched him leave and smiled coyly, her heart obviously full of affection and love.

  “You two are far too cute,” Star said as she fluttered her eyelashes playfully. “I can’t wait for the wedding.”

  “Hey,” Jill said as she threw a bar mop across at her. “Don’t joke. I’m holding out hope he’ll propose soon.”

  Star raised her eyebrows approvingly. “Really? Well, that’s great!”

  “Shh,” Jill whispered. “I don’t want him to know I’m thinking that. He has to come to the conclusion on his own.”

  Star clapped her hands together with excitement and then sat down at the bar, reaching over to grab herself a bottle of water.

  “So, what has Ax said about this new guy then?” she asked nonchalantly.

  Jill noticed her interest in him straight away and turned to face her with a look of amusement playing across her face. “Interested huh?”

  “I’m interested in his back story, yeah,” Star said. “The guy turned up at my house late last night and now he’s living right across the street. I want to know I’m not neighbors with some kind of maniac.”

  “Woah, relax.” Jill laughed as she shook her head. “I’m pretty sure he’s decent, don’t worry.”

  “What’s Ax said about it all?” she probed.

  “Nothing much.” Jill scrunched her lip up to her nose. “But I think he’s here as some kind of secret muscle.”

  “Secret muscle?” Star asked with confusion. “What the hell does that mean?”

  Jill leaned over the bar so only the two of them could hear what she was about to say. “You know they’re still freaking out over these Russians?” Jill asked with wide eyes.

  Star nodded and urged her to continue.

  “Well, with them all going quiet, a few of the bikers think something big is up and want someone unknown to come in, someone with a fresh set of eyes. Someone who might look less threatening than the rest of them but is actually more dangerous than a few of them combined.”

  Star felt her heart race.

  “More dangerous?” she asked with a gulp.

  Jill’s eyes widened even more, and she nodded her head.

  “Apparently,” she leaned in closer. “He’s some sort of physical weapon. But, I don’t know anything else.” She pulled an imaginary zipper across her mouth, then turned and wandered to the other side of the bar to serve a customer.

  A physical weapon.

  The thought made a tingle run right up the length of Star’s spine and she felt herself growing hot under the skin. His eyes and his looks were so intense, she could already imagine him having power. He was the sort of person who walked into a room and commanded it. He was so striking to look at; it was as if his presence would slice open the atmosphere and make everyone around take notice.

  Star thought back to how he had come into her home the previous evening, and even though it should have scared her a little, all she felt was excitement.

  There was something about this new blood, this secret muscle, that was peaking her interest in so many ways. She knew it was dangerous. She also knew she was play
ing with fire, and yet she still couldn’t get enough. She wanted to know all there was about him and wanted to see him again so badly it was alarming.

  She turned around and looked out into the crowd and felt herself becoming annoyed with her sudden need.

  “You’re a goddam fool,” she whispered to herself. “How can you think about someone like this who you don’t even know? And not even that, but a goddam biker!”

  She ran her hands through her hair and looked either side of her to make sure no one had caught her talking to herself.

  You’re going to have to pull it together, she thought. You’re going to have to push him to the back of your mind and concentrate on your own life, not what he has going on in his.

  She pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. She began to work herself up to leaving the bar and heading out into the crowd to try and get some of the truckers to part with their cash.

  She took one step forward, then felt a breeze rush against her bare legs from behind her.

  She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. She knew it was him.

  When she turned and saw him walking in through the main doors, their eyes locked and Star’s heart began to pound, her breathing became short and rapid.

  Chains smiled at her and raised his eyebrows. He began to walk toward her.

  6.

  It seemed to take a decade for him to cross that room, and Star for the first time in her life was completely unable to move. She was frozen to the spot as she watched him, held there by his gaze, and by those intense eyes.

  He stopped when he was about three feet away from her and stared at her with a dark smile.

  “Hi neighbor,” he said.

  Star felt a chill run up her spine, and she wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

  “Hello,” she smiled. “It’s a surprise to see you here.”

  Chains’ harsh composure broke and he smiled warmly. “How was your first night in your new home?”

  As Star stood looking at him, she could see there was an edge to this man. She could tell that below the surface, he had demons.

  “It was fantastic.” Star smiled. “And what about you?”

  Chains considered her for a moment, his eyes never breaking hers, then he flashed her a wicked smile. “Mine was fantastic too.”

  They stood and looked at each other for a moment. Star didn’t know whether she should speak or let the silence build. Being this close to him was both unnerving and exciting and she felt a little twinge between her legs as he looked over her, his eyes drinking her in.

  He was turning her on, and he hadn’t even touched her.

  She swallowed hard and had to look away.

  “This is the first night I’m in here properly,” he said as he turned and began to walk away. “You’ll have to show me the ropes.”

  He looked at her over his shoulder as he disappeared into the crowd. Star’s heart beat so hard she thought it may leap out of her chest.

  When he was out of sight and she had a moment to compose herself, she ran towards the back of the room, out of the swing doors and down into the changing room. Her hands were practically trembling. She didn’t know what the hell was happening to her, but she couldn’t keep a coherent thought together.

  Since Chains had walked into the club a few nights before, he had played on her mind, and since she had spoken to him properly the previous evening, he had done nothing but dominate her thoughts. She had hoped she was going to bump into him again, but now that she had, she felt torn and conflicted inside, because she knew exactly what was happening to her.

  “You like him,” she whispered to an empty room. “Oh man, you’re in so much trouble Star.”

  She put her head in her hands and cringed. “Now you really are screwed.”

  As the night wore on she found herself looking for him at every available opportunity. Every time the door that led out toward the office opened, she would instantly flick her eyes up to see if it was him emerging. She felt such disappointment when it turned out to be one of the other bikers.

  She could tell Jill had noticed the shift in her mood and she was half-waiting for her to say something. However, she just quietly observed and let Star go about her evening without a grilling.

  As the last of the truckers trailed out and the sun began to rise again over the desert, Star retreated to the changing room to gather up her things. It had been an average night, but she had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Chains it had flown by and had all been a bit of a blur.

  She pulled on her jeans over her bikini bottoms and a t-shirt over her top half before she hung up her robe and tied her hair into a ponytail.

  Renee and Candy had long gone. They had left after a night full of dancing at around three am. Since then, it had only been Jill and Star wandering the floor of the club, Star urging the men to buy drinks and Jill serving or clearing them. She was tired and ready for bed. She heaved her bag up onto her shoulder before she flicked off the lights before stepping out into the hallway.

  The hall was dark, but the pink glow from the sunrise was filtering in through the small window in the door. As she pushed it open to step out into the morning light, she heard the slam of a door behind her, which made her jump.

  She looked over her shoulder and saw Chains standing there.

  “You keep scaring me,” she said with a little laugh. “That’s the second time you’ve made me jump.”

  “When was the first?” he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

  “Last night,” she said. “When you hammered on my door and I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “Well, technically, I thought it was my door,” he said as he stopped a couple of feet in front of her.

  He was so tall, and he dominated the space. It made her take a little step back so that she didn’t feel so caught beneath him. He exuded power, and it was intimidating. However, it was also more than simply capturing her attention.

  “Do you have a car here, or do you need a ride home then… neighbor?” he asked in his deep tone of voice. It was raspy and so incredibly sexy, it made her shiver. Her heart skipped a little beat. She hadn’t expected him to suggest anything like that, but she suppose it did make sense.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t form. She watched how his face twisted into a kind of amusement, as if he knew what kind of affect he was having on her and was enjoying watching her squirm.

  “I don’t have a car,” she stammered. “But I don’t mind walking.” She went to turn to leave him standing there, but he was right behind her, marching towards the door and stepping out into the light with her.

  “Well, it’s up to you,” he said with a flash of amusement. But you know the offer is there.”

  He began to walk away and Star watched as he approached his big, glistening bike. He lifted his leg and sat astride it before he brought it thundering to life and revved the engine. It was so loud it made the ground tremble beneath them. Star stepped back a little, trying to hide how intimidated she was.

  Come on Star, she said to herself. You’d be a fool to walk home. You’re exhausted, he lives right near you, and he’s hot as hell.

  She thought on it for a moment and then lifted her hand to signal for him to wait.

  “Okay,” she called to him over the roar of the engine. “It does make sense. You’re right.”

  She crossed the dusty ground to stand beside him and the machine and he nodded his head back over his shoulder to motion to her to climb aboard.

  She put her hand on his leathered shoulder as she swung her own leg over while he helped her get into position. She wrapped her arms around his waist and she could feel the ripple of abs beneath his t-shirt. It made her pussy twinge and her heart flutter with desire.

  She had never been on the back of a bike before. To be sitting on one with a man like Chains, it was almost too much to take in. She bit her lip and tried not to show how nervous she was. She kne he couldn’t see her face, but her body language w
as screaming nerves. She was stiff and rigid, and every time she tried to act natural, she found herself stiffening up even more.

  “Hold on to me tight,” he said over his shoulder as he revved the engine. She was tempted to tell him she had every intention of holding onto him, but she found herself blushing into his back instead.

  The bike surged, and it felt as if they were gliding on air. As they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway, Star had never felt so free and alive.

  She clung to him and breathed him in. He smelled of the club; a mixture of booze, smoke and sex, but he also had the underlying tones of gasoline and cologne. All of this mixed together was sexy and erotic, making her entire body swoon. The bike was flying down the highway and toward Main Street. Star knew they didn’t have far to go. She wanted to savor the moment so she could remember it for the rest of her life. Up until now, she never thought that she would be seduced by the life of an outlaw, but while she was riding with Chains, she really could see the appeal, and also why it was so addictive.

  It was liberating, and it felt dangerous. Not only that, there was also so much power in the machine and in the person controlling it. It was the biggest turn-on she had ever known.

  By the time Chains pulled onto their street, Star’s heart was pounding harder than ever. She could barely catch her breath. She was completely consumed by desire and her head was a mess of want and need. She had never had this kind of reaction to another person before.

  Sure, there had been boyfriends, but this attraction was on another level altogether. It was powerful, it was deep, and it was alarming her. She didn’t want to feel this way. She knew it could only lead to her to having her heart broken. Still, there was something that made her want to embrace it anyway.

  He stopped the bike at the bottom of her driveway and he got off before she had chance to, then held out his hand to help her climb off too. She knew his eyes were on her and she wanted so badly to look up into them, but she forced herself to look down at the ground as she clutched her bag to her shoulder and turned to walk to the house.