Devil’s Vengeance (Devil’s Disciples MC #6)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

MARIAH

The doubts crept in the closer I got to when Trick would pick me up for our date. I could ignore Chase’s comment and just assume it was jealousy, but Regina was a different story. I’d known her for a long time, and I didn’t think she’d lie to me. She also had no loyalties to Chase, so she wouldn’t just be backing him up. So what the hell was I missing?

Their comments made me more on guard when Trick showed up. He leaned against the door frame, his usual cocky smile on display. I thought he was just flirtatious, but now I wondered if he really was being disingenuous, like Regina said. Where was the line between trying hard and trying too hard?

“Hey, gorgeous. Ready for a good time?”

I forced myself to smile. I was being ridiculous. It was just a date. And I liked him. Regina and Chase were wrong about him.

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Something flickered on his face and his gaze trailed over me, his lips pursed in a frown. “You sure? You don’t want to change?”

Stunned, I looked down at my outfit. I didn’t see anything wrong with it. It was more subtle than what I wore to the club party, but this was a date, not a night at the club.

“Tell you what. Why don’t you go change and I’ll wait here. We’re not in any hurry,” he said, pulling my attention back to him .

Indignation swelled in my chest and I felt my cheeks heat from the anger. “Excuse me? Why would I need to change?”

His eyes trailed over me again, and I could tell he wanted to comment, but he held back, giving me that sugary smile that made me blush the last few days. It wasn’t as effective now.

“You’re right. My bad. You look great.”

It felt a little like he was placating me, and a part of me wanted to drop the date completely, but I had to wonder if I’d be so up in arms if Regina and Chase hadn’t gotten into my head. He made a suggestion and backed off when I said no. I didn’t need to cancel the whole evening over one comment.

“Ready?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at me. “I figured we’d take my bike. You ever been on one before?”

Pushing aside my discomfort, I followed him out, locking my apartment behind me. “A few times. My dad has an old classic, and he’s taken me out a few times.”

He said it was the best kind of freedom after being stuck in a semi cab for days on end. Mom pretended she hated it but never said no to going for a drive with him. Pretty sure it was just her need to fuss over everything that made her protest.

“An old classic, huh? He doesn’t feel comfortable with something newer?”

Was that judgment in his tone or was I just imagining red flags because I was being paranoid?

“I never asked,” I answered, forcing myself to stop overthinking. Trick had done nothing to deserve my suspicion. And once this date was over, I was going to give Chase a piece of my mind for getting in my head. Regina I’d let off because she was my friend and just looking out for me. Once she heard that the date went well, she’d realize she was wrong.

“Yeah, well, not everyone can handle a beauty like this,” he said with a grin, stopping next to a bike parked on the sidewalk. There were parking spaces not far down the street, but apparently he didn't care about that. The bike itself was nice. Not what I was used to seeing. It was more like a racing bike or something. I wasn’t at all knowledgeable about the different kinds of motorcycles. But this one was sleek, the kind where a rider practically had to lie on it while driving, and the seat in back was small enough to make me nervous.

“Relax,” Trick teased, like he could see the anxiety on my face. “You’ll be fine. Unless you’d prefer to stay here and just go back upstairs?”

Trick’s flirtation had been over the top since we met, so I thought I’d be used to it, but something about the way he said that made me feel icky. Like he didn’t care either way if we went on the date or not, as long as we ended up in bed together. That was not happening. I may have gotten into bed with Chase without getting to know him first, but that was a drunken mistake. I didn’t make it a habit to sleep around.

“No, I’m fine. Is there anything I should know about riding with you?”

His expression flickered with a hint of annoyance that he masked pretty quickly. He swung a leg over his bike, patting the seat behind him. “Nope. Just hang on tight and enjoy the ride.”

Stepping where he showed me, I carefully climbed on and put my hands on his waist. Grabbing my hands, he pulled me tighter against him, so my arms were wrapped around him. That familiar flutter in my belly helped me relax a little.

“You know, I don’t let just anyone ride with me. You’re something special,” he purred over his shoulder.

A smile tugged at my lips as I rested my chin on his shoulder. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Are you kidding? Have you looked in the mirror lately? I know plenty of guys who’d be pissed at seeing you on my hog.”

Letting out a startled laugh, I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you seriously call it a hog?”

He lifted a shoulder, his grin smug. “I mean, I call it my baby, but then the ladies get jealous.”

“Oh my god, you’re awful,” I snickered.

“You’ve got no idea, babe. Now hold on tight. I like to get rough.”

I didn’t miss his innuendo. I got the feeling I was going to have to be really clear with Trick about my boundaries for sex. Hopefully, he wasn’t one of those guys who got bent out of shape when a woman told him no.

The drive itself was nice. I was glad I thought to wear a jacket, since the wind was a little chilly. I still felt a bit self conscious about my outfit after Trick’s comment, but I pushed that aside. If I’d worn anything other than jeans, I would’ve been freezing. And the cute tank top underneath my jacket was really flattering on my figure. Combined with my heeled boots, it was a good date night outfit. I wasn’t sure what else he was expecting.

I figured we’d head for a restaurant or something, since it was close to dinner time, so when we pulled up in front of a shady-looking biker bar in the city, I was confused.

“What are we doing here?”

Trick waited for me to slide off his bike before climbing off after me, tossing his arm over my shoulders. “We’re having a drink. Don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not a white tablecloth and candlelight kind of guy.”

True, and I didn’t expect that from him. I guess I should’ve asked beforehand what we were doing. I didn’t want to come off as a diva by complaining now, so I let him lead me inside and came up short when I saw who was inside.

“Who–”

“Relax, babe. It’s just my crew.”

Alarm bells went off in my head. Chase specifically warned me to stay away from Trick’s crew. I might not have believed him about Trick himself, since they obviously had issues with each other. But I trusted his judgment on other biker clubs. He knew better than I did which ones were dangerous.

Dozens of eyes looked our way, and I got a few interested perusals that made me nervous. It wasn’t like when I went to the party at the Devil’s Disciples. They proved they didn’t hurt women when they went out of their way to get me to safety after we escaped that truck.

I didn't know a single thing about this club. And I just walked into the snake’s den.

Trick led me forward, unaware of my uneasiness. He clapped someone on the shoulder when he walked past and lifted his chin in greeting to someone else. These were obviously his people, and he was comfortable here. I was the one freaking out.

“Hey, Trick! Gonna share?” someone called out .

“I call next!”

“No way a pussy that fine is slumming it with you! What’d you bribe her with?”

The cat calls were disgusting and only made me more uncomfortable. Especially because Trick seemed to enjoy them. He didn’t defend me or ask them to stop. He just laughed, flashing them all his cocky grin.

“Now, now, boys. Keep it in your pants. I’m on a date .”

A bunch of them laughed, like the idea was hilarious. The alarms got louder, and I felt my stomach tighten as I got farther away from the front door. I felt trapped. I would have to go past half of them to get out, and with the way they were looking at me, I wasn’t sure they’d allow that.

“Trick, I–”

“Hey Rex! Get us a couple shots, huh? My date needs to loosen up,” he called out to the bartender, ignoring me completely.

I was nervous, but not that stupid. I shook my head quickly. “No, thank you. I haven’t eaten yet. I don’t want to drink on an empty stomach.”

“Oh, come on,” Trick wheedled, flashing me that charming grin again. I was starting to see what Regina was talking about. He did look a little slimy when he did that. “It’s just a couple of drinks. You need to relax, babe.”

I wasn’t a shy woman. I didn’t bow down to peer pressure. My mom raised me to speak out and stand my ground. No amount of whining from Trick was going to get me to agree with him. I crossed my arms stubbornly and gave him a look that said it wasn’t happening.

“No, Trick. I’m not looking to get drunk.”

This time, he didn’t hide his irritation. He made a tick sound behind his teeth, dropping his arm from my shoulders. And when a woman in a skimpy outfit brought him the shots, he tipped them both back with a scowl. Great. Now I had to watch his intake or find another way home.

This was turning out to be one of my top ten worst dates. I should’ve listened when people warned me off. I was feeling like an idiot now.