Jake’s Angel (King’s Of Fury MC #2)

Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

AVERY

I don’t know where to go, but I took the chance he wouldn’t follow me and headed down the alley for a few blocks. Using the burner phone Sadie gave me, I texted her and told her I was going to go for a walk. She’s texted back that she’s going with those guys back to their clubhouse, whatever that is. Skyler, her friend, whose husband was standing sentry behind her, is also going to the clubhouse.

Oh my God. I kissed him. I kissed the biker. I. Kissed. Him.

And what a good kisser he is. NO. No. Stop it, Avery!

What the hell was I thinking?

Shit. He’s going to think I’m the world’s biggest slut. I just threw myself at him.

My cheeks heat with the realization. I lean against the brick wall of a building, cradling my head, and take in a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

Why did I do it?

I was thinking Bethany and her band of bottle blonde idiots were going to recognize me and turn me in. If they hadn’t walked in, none of this would’ve happened. I had to do something, so I used kissing Jake as a distraction, hoping they wouldn’t recognize me.

What the hell were they doing in Oak Ridge, anyway? There’s nothing in this town for rich girls like them. There are no large fancy hotels or country clubs. No Saks Fifth Avenue or Bloomingdale’s around here for them to spend their daddy’s money in. There’s no foreseeable reason for them to be here, unless maybe they’re just passing through on the way to somewhere else.

That’s got to be it.

All I know is I saw them, and I had to take action.

Whether it worked, I have no idea, but… I freaking kissed him. And then I ran away.

He probably won’t even remember you, Avery. A guy like Jake, can get any woman he wants. It was just a kiss. He’s probably already forgotten all about it. Or he’s pissed I ran out on him. “Ugh,” I sigh, raking my hand down my face. What the hell was I thinking?

I feel my backpack vibrate. Pulling it off my shoulder, I dig around and find the burner phone at the bottom. I laugh at the name flashing on my phone. She put her own contact information in for me after she told me to do a hard reset and then drop my personal phone in a cup of water before we left Baron’s Edge.

Badass Bestie: Stay close. Out of sight. I’ll see if I can get Skyler to come get you, but she’ll have to lose her tail first.

I assume by tail she means Skyler’s husband. He didn’t seem like he wanted to be away from her at all by the way he kept touching her shoulder or playing with her hair. He seemed sweet, but also somewhat obsessive.

Me: Where will you be?

Badass Bestie: Going with Jake to get Loretta and find out what my uncles want.

Me: Uncles? Plural?

Badass Bestie: Mack isn’t my real uncle. It’s just what I call him. He’s my guardian. Gabe IS my real uncle. He’s also the MC President. You’ve never met him. The clubhouse is where they meet and hangout. Loretta is parked there.

I still don’t understand any of this. I try to make sense of it one more time.

She’s going to go meet with an MC President. I’m not sure what that even means, but apparently, he’s important. She said he’s her real uncle. I guess that means he's safe enough.

If my family is any kind of example to go by, maybe he’s not.

Shit, I don’t know.

Badass Bestie: If anything happens, you get ahold of Skyler. She’ll get you the help you need.

A screenshot of a phone contact with Skyler’s information comes through on my phone.

Badass Bestie: You’re safe here. Go inside one of the shops along the main road. Keep to yourself and don’t talk to anybody, got it? Blend in. It’s what you’re good at. Be back soon.

I’m safe. But is she?

Blend in? She means to be invisible. It’s my superpower.

If I judge by the three guys we just met, I will have to assume Sadie’s all right. They all seemed pretty rough around the edges, but Sadie seemed to be comfortable around them. Enough, she was smarting off to them and they didn’t react other than to give it back to her.

Skyler seemed comfortable with them, too. When she melted into her husband, I’ll admit to feeling a little envious. The way she described his over-protectiveness when she spoke about him in the bathroom—at first—I thought she might need help. Someone to get her away. But when I watched them together, I got it. He is protective of her, but not in a way that she would be in any danger from him. He cares about her, and it shows in every touch, and the way he spoke to her.

I’ve never had anyone who cared so deeply for me.

Jake and Hawk, however, those two were something else. Other than Mack, I have never seen Sadie let anyone command her to do anything and her follow through. She doesn’t even obey Mack half the time.

I walk along Main Street, taking in all the small businesses. My mind drifts back to Jake and that scorching kiss we shared. I’ve never done anything like that before. Truth be told, that was my first proper kiss. Well, the first one that I wanted to happen, anyway.

I continue down the sidewalk, passing a convenience store and a small bookstore. There’s a little coffee shop called the Blonde Roast. It smells amazing. I chuckle to myself at the clever name when I see a woman with blonde hair wiping down the counters through the window.

I stop in my tracks when I notice a long black curtain with the same design as the one on the back of Jake’s leather vest in the window of the shop next door. It’s a skull with devil-like horns wearing a tilted crown. It immediately brings my thoughts back to the two handsome strangers from the diner.

I wonder if this is their shop.

They must be close with Sadie somehow. Maybe they are friends with her family, because I have never seen Sadie let any man talk to her like that. He didn’t even ask her if she wanted to go with them, he just demanded she leave with them. Sounds familiar.

They do have her car, but still, he could’ve asked instead of being an ass about it.

Looking back at the sign, I could see Hawk working in a place like this. He seems like he’s good with people. The more adventurous of the two. His enthusiasm for a kinky girls’ night was proof of his idea of a good time. I could see him being the artistic type.

Jake seemed like he was all business. The way he studied everyone around the table, especially me. He was contemplative and hard to read.

Until he had me pinned against the wall with his hands on my skin and his tongue in my mouth. There was no mistaking his thoughts then. The evidence was pushing up against my belly.

I can feel myself blushing.

When he caged me against the wall, he wasn’t angry, but still there was a commanding presence about him. The strange thing about it, though, is I didn’t feel threatened by him in the least. When he asked if I was afraid of him, I was honest when I said no. Usually, when a guy has been that close to me, especially someone of his size and build, I feel terrified. With him, I found myself excited and turned on. A lot. What the hell is that all about?

Jake is gorgeous, but not in the rich, preppy-boy kind of way I’m used to seeing in Baron’s Edge. I’m certainJake couldn’t find a cardigan to fit his torso. With his broad shoulders, short black hair shaved close at the sides and a little longer on the top. Deep, suck-you-in blue eyes, and strong jawline. The black T-shirt he was wearing was protesting, stretched tightoverhis biceps, and taut across his chest. I have no doubt he works hard to look that good.

As we were pressed together, I could feel the hard surface of his muscles under my fingers. I wanted to explore every ridge and valley with my tongue. I almost wish we could’ve had just a little more time to let me explore them more thoroughly.

Whoa! Where the hell did that thought come from? I am not one who fantasizes about licking men’s bodies. Well, this isn’t men. It’s one man, and he is worth the fantasy. I laugh to myself.One kiss and I’ve lost my damn mind.

His faded jeans hugged and hung in all the right places. Much better than those disgusting skinny jeans the boys in Baron’s Edge think are attractive. I couldn’t help but notice all the intricate details of his forearm tattoos when he leaned on the table. I never knew forearm porn was a real thing until today.

Jake’s a very attractive man, but he’s still an ass. And what a kisser. I can still feel the ghost of his lips on mine. But he’s still an ass Avery! I wonder if every girl he kisses feels this way afterward. There’s no doubt there have been a lot of girls because practice makes perfect, and that kiss was damn near perfect.

Everyone seems to know them. When they walked into Magpie’s, everyone’s attention immediately fell on them. Both of them. Like they were royalty or something. Their presence seemed to suck the air out of the room.

Hawk is extremely handsome himself. He’s tall with shoulder length sandy blond hair, gray eyes, and a couple of days’ worth of scruff on his face. Wearing a white T-shirt and jeans with a black leather vest just like Jake’s except for the patches. Hawk’s said Road Captain while Jake’s says SAA I liked the silky feel of the stitching under my finger and the smell of the worn leather that mixed with his own scent of cedarwood and mint.

The sign above the building says, “Kustom Armor Tattoo.” I walk inside and am met by a dark-haired guy who looks to be not much older than me. He’s got on a black T-shirt with the shop name written across his chest and faded blue jeans, and ink and piercings everywhere the eye can see. And probably some I can’t. I keep the thought to myself.

“You lost, sweetheart?” he asks, leaning across the glass case showcasing piercing equipment and jewelry.

“No. I mean, not really. Are you the artist?”

“One of them. You looking to get some work done?” I don’t miss the curve of his lips as he checks me out unabashedly.

“Um, I’m not sure.” I’ve never really thought about getting a tattoo before, but maybe this is just what I need. Something to erase the past and help me move on. “Can scars be tattooed over?”

“I’d need to see what I’m working with. What have you got hiding under that hoodie?” He lifts his chin. I don’t answer or make any move to remove my shirt. I just glare at him, waiting for him to continue. He sighs, dropping his arms at his sides. “It depends on the scar and the tattoo. I’d need to see what you’re looking to get covered up.” Duh, Avery.

I can't show him anything now. Not with the marks my grandmother’s henchman, Chuck, left on me the other night. There's no way he wouldn't notice the bruises.

“Um, well, they’re small marks on my hips, about the size of a nickel, maybe smaller. The other is about four inches long. It’s a raised line on my inner thigh. Nothing too drastic.”

“You want to walk to the back room and show me? I can give you a better idea once I see them for myself.”

Taking the offer into consideration, I don’t know if I’m ready to show anyone else the marks on my skin yet. I don’t know him. I don’t know if I could trust him not to tell anyone. Not that he would care. Hell, for all I know, he could take me in the back and once I’m undressed, take advantage of me. There doesn’t seem to be anyone else in the shop either, which means no one would hear me scream if he did. But maybe I could do something else. Something just for me.

“Um, you know what, on second thought, I think I’ll wait a little longer on the tattoo.” I move to look at the jewelry he has in the case. “I-I-I don’t even know what I would want to cover it up with,” I stammer. “But what about a belly ring? Could you do that for me?”

His smile widens. “Hell yeah. Pick your jewelry and I’ll be back with the forms for you to fill out.”

I fill out the forms with a fake name, thankful when he doesn’t ask for my ID I’m sure he was supposed to, but I’m not about to argue.

He takes me into the back room and places my backpack on the chair in the corner.

“Have a seat while I get shit ready. Lay back and lift your shirt so I can clean the area.” I do as he says. While lying there staring at the ceiling, I imagine the look on my grandmother’s face and her harsh words when she discovers I have a piercing. Her unforgiving scowl. The screech in her voice as she screams at me about my insolence toward her and Gramps.

I can hear her words in my head. “What have you don’t to yourself? You let a stranger touch you! Poke holes in your skin.”

“You want to take the hoodie off?” The piercer motions with his hands. “You might get too hot with it on while we do this.”

I reluctantly remove the sweatshirt, but pull down my sleeve to cover the marks on my bicep. He places my hoodie on top of my backpack and continues to grab the necessary tools and place them on his tray beside the table.

I busy my mind by looking around the room for anything to focus my attention on. I’m nervous. My heart pounds rapidly, but I’m determined not to chicken out. Breathe and focus. Focus and breathe. I can do this.

There’s beautiful framed artwork all over the walls. This room is covered in flowers, butterflies, and pixies. I’m admiring the art while he preps my skin with alcohol and marks the spot with a Sharpie.He hands me a mirror so I can examine the spot. When I give the okay, he takes the mirror and places it on the tray.

“Those pieces are beautiful. Did you draw them?” I ask, distracting myself from the sharp needle he’s unwrapping.

“No. The owner did.” He pinches the skin above my belly button with a clamp, then tells me to breathe in, then out. On the exhale, the needle pierces through my skin with a sharp sting. He watches me closely as he places the little diamond jewel on the curved barbell.

As he cleans up and I lay waiting for a minute, he rattles on about the shop. “Jake hasn’t decided on all the rooms yet, but this one he wanted to keep colorful and pretty. I guess he thinks it helps relax people while they’re getting stabbed with a needle.” He shrugs his shoulder.“Chicks dig it. So, I guess maybe he’s right.”

“Jake? Tall guy. Dark hair. Wears a leather vest with the same symbol as your shop sign. That Jake? He owns this place?” Curiosity has gotten the better of me and apparently taken over my mouth.

“Yep. You know him?” He looks up at my face, smiling. “Yeah, I’m not surprised. Most of the women coming through Oak Ridge know Jake. Or they know of him at least. Dude’s a legend of sorts. All the men wearing that cut are known in this town. ”

Ew. Did he just suggest every woman in this town has slept with Jake? My stomach rolls at the thought.

“Uh, not exactly. My friend knows him.”

“Yeah, like I said, not surprised,” he says, smiling, nodding like he knows something or thinks he does.

“Listen, um …”

“Jesper.” He tosses the needle into a red sharps container and begins rolling up the paper towels and plastic on the tray.

“Jesper. Thanks for this. Uh, how much do I owe you?” I stand, pausing a moment while my head spins a little.

“Whoa. Hey, easy,” Jesper coaxes, grabbing my arm to steady me. I wince at his touch, and he immediately drops his hand. “Sorry,” he says, his brow pinched. “Look, uh, it’s sixty, even. You sure you don’t want to sit for a minute? You look a little pale.”

I’m sure I do. But not for the reasons he’s thinking. I need to get out of here before Jake comes strolling in and sees me. I’m sure he’s going to want answers after the way I ditched him.

If he’s as popular as Jesper says, Jake won’t care. Why should you?

“Um, no. I’m fine. I think I just stood up too fast.” I hand him a one-hundred-dollar bill from my backpack and throw my hoodie back over my head. “Keep the change,” I offer, not caring I gave him a forty-dollar tip. I just want to get out of here. Once I’m out the front door, I breathe in the fresh air and start speed walking as fast as I can away from the shop. After nearly three blocks, I stop at the corner and lean against a building to catch my bearings.

Way to go, dummy. No one is chasing you.

When I’ve finally got myself under control, I take a look around and realize I’ve stopped next to a bookstore. Bells ring above the door as I open it, alerting the old man behind the counter of my presence.

“Come on in. Can I help you find anything in particular?” He hollers, his voice kind of raspy, like he’s smoked for years.

I glance around the place. There are rows upon rows of books and knick-knacks. Along the far wall is a long stretch of magazines. A woman on one cover with caramel colored hair and blonde highlights catches my eye.

“I think I’ll just have a look at your magazines.” I tell the older gentleman. He points his finger to the rack I’ve already spotted, then sits back down in his chair, opening the newspaper.

I thumb through the pages of various types of hairstyles, cuts, and colors. While flipping through, a memory flitters through my thoughts.

“I love it when you wear your hair down. How long and silky it is between my fingers.” He wraps the strands around his hand and gives a sharp tug, pulling my head back as he licks my cheek. “It’s also a great way to maintain control. Keeping you right where I want you, as I do all the things I’ve dreamed about to this disrespectful mouth of yours.”

“Hey, honey!” The old man’s voice calls out, bringing me out of my internal moment of hell. “If you’re not going to buy it, how about you don’t crumple it up, huh?”

Letting loose of the magazine, I start smoothing the edges. “Sorry. I got lost in thought.” His only response is to grunt and grumble to himself.

Continuing to thumb through the pages, I find the woman on the cover’s transformation photos of her before and after the cut and color. I hear my grandmother’s voice in my head stating, “You will cut your hair over my dead body.”

Well, if that’s not an incentive, I don’t know what is.

“I’ll take the magazine and directions to the nearest hair salon, please.” Laying the magazine on the counter along with the cash to pay for it, I feel a little rush of adrenaline.

The man’s instructions were easy to follow and place me in a quaint little salon one block over. When the young girl behind the desk calls my name, I follow her into the back to the hair washing station, filled with excitement and anticipation. I point to the woman on the cover of the magazine and tell the stylist, “I want my hair to look like hers.”

Me: I’ve made a few decisions today. I’ll be at Just Off the Top when you or Skyler are ready to get me

Badass Bestie: HELL YES!! Be there shortly