Page 8 of Jigsaw
“To the party or to the Rally?” I asked then answered, “Party, I’m alone. Rally, I’m with my brother’s club, but only because he didn’t think it was safe for a woman here without backup.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“Your brother’s right,” he said.
I sighed and looked at Violet. “Good luck taming the caveman. It was nice to meet you both.”
Without another word, I stepped around them and continued on my quest to find Dean. Grabbing a beer from the cooler, I slapped three singles from my pocket onto the table and a prospect took the money. I moved to the side and took a drink, needing it to steady my nerves.
This was crazy and reckless, and would probably blow up in my face. Hell, I’ve already overstayed my welcome here, and I’m positive I’m going to hear about it from Ghost when I get back to the campgrounds outside of town. The Phantom Renegades trucked over a few campers, a bunch of tents, and sleeping bags, and we all stayed there overnight.
Just as I was about to turn to leave, I heard someone yell, “Jigsaw,” and my attention was drawn in the direction it came from. When I followed their line of sight, I saw Dean walking up, looking like the sexy beast I remembered from my fantasies. He stopped in front of another man, and I moved behind someone, not wanting him to see me just yet.
Stalkerish? Definitely, but I couldn’t stop myself.
He walked inside the building, and I waited to see if he came back out. A few minutes later, he emerged, looking around the party. Stepping down the stairs, he walked to an area off to the side and sat down with a man and woman and began speakingwith them. Not able to see him clearly, I moved while trying to blend in with the party without it being obvious I was watching him.
After a few minutes, they all stood, and I turned away from him as he walked through the crowd, barely brushing against my ass with his hip as he pivoted around someone behind me. My knees shook from that almost touch, and I realized I wasn’t going to stop until I could look into his eyes. So far, I hadn’t seen anyone with a shirt proclaiming them to be his, nor had I seen him looking for anyone, so I hoped my instinct was right. If not, I was going to get my ass kicked, and she’d be right to do it.
He walked around the far side of the bonfire and looked out at the party as people danced, swayed, drank, laughed, and partied like it was the last night of their lives. A normal night for bikers, basically. When I saw him moving to the other side of the bonfire, swaying a little on his feet, I decided it had to be now or never.
I kept watching him and tried to move through the sea of bodies until I was on the other side. He had been looking down, but when he finally lifted his eyes, I knew he’d seen me. I felt it in my soul. Everything was right again as I let my hips sway with each step closer to him.
Stopping in front of Dean, I smiled at him as he happily sighed my name. “Willow.”
His eyes ran down my body, and I caught an eyebrow twitch when he saw my tattooed arms. Then, his gaze settled on my shirt. Realization must have hit him at that moment because his expression changed from happy to a mix of disappointment and confusion. It was at that exact moment that I knew I’d made a mistake.
Whatever I felt for him was obviously one-sided, and I needed to get the fuck out of here before there was trouble. Someone yelled the name ‘Jack’, and Dean snapped his gaze tothe side. I used that distraction as my escape, but I gave myself one glance back as I pushed through the people gathered close by. He had a little dog in his arms as he appeared to search for me in the mass of people.
The pain in my chest wasn’t unexpected, but it was worse than I thought it would be if I ever saw him again. Having to walk out of the party, using other people to hide myself until I could get to the road and get onto my bike, made me feel like a coward. I’d never backed down from anyone or anything, but seeing him and then seeing his expression had me thinking I was disrupting his life.
I’d done that once to him, and no one deserved it twice.
As I mounted my bike and kicked the motor over, hearing the high scream of the powerful motor, I reminded myself that he’d forget about me as quickly as I pulled down the road. And as I did just that, I realized I’d never be able to forget about him.
How could you forget the one person who shifted your world in the space of one night?
Chapter 4
Jigsaw
Iwoke up before sunrise and looked down to see I’d fallen asleep last night in my clothes. Pushing off the bed, I scrubbed my hands down my face, trying to shake off the dreams that bombarded me all night long. After using my connected bathroom, I changed shirts, pulled my cut on, and walked out of my room. The sound of snores coming through a few of the doors as I walked down the hallway to the staircase was confirming that I was the first one awake.
As I walked down the stairs and into the bar, I looked around to see how much needed to be taken care of before the club met up for our ride over to Sturgis today. Our friend, Nick, had a singing gig today, and we tried to support our friends at every turn, so I had to make sure we were moving out by eleven.
Seeing the clock behind the bar read five-thirty, I tried to be quiet as I started a pot of coffee. While it perked, I grabbed one of the large trashcans on wheels and began to push it around, tossing empty bottles, overflowing ashtrays, and various bits of trash away. It wasn’t my job, but I needed something to keep my mind occupied. I was finishing up on the far side of the bar when I heard the faint beep from the coffee maker, letting me know my caffeine was ready.
Another few minutes, I was pushing the full trashcan toward the back door for a prospect to take outside when they started showing up in a few hours. Being in the Sin Den alone was creepy, but I shook off the ominous feeling and returned behind the bar to pour myself a cup of coffee.
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs echoed through the bar as I took a swallow of the hot coffee, feeling its magical powers spread through my addled brain. Glancing to the side as I propped up against the back of the bar, I saw Raven joining me as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.
“I knew I smelled coffee,” he remarked as I grabbed a cup and poured some for him. Pushing the cup across the bar, I watched as he took a seat and held the cup with both hands. “What has you up so early?”
I didn’t want to talk about it, but I still had the feeling I was losing my mind. There was no way Willow had been here last night, and I was worried I was going crazy. Raven was a good friend and a solid brother, so I decided to ask him a question.
“Did you see a blonde walking around last night with a shirt that said ‘Property of Willow’?” I inquired before taking a sip of coffee.
“I’m not sure. Why? Did some chick give you the slip last night?” He chuckled as he spoke.
“Forget it,” I remarked, and he released his cup and sat up, giving me his full attention.
