Chapter Four
1723 Words
Chapter Four
Gray watched Kristie drive off, confusion filling him up like a balloon. What the hell had they been doing? He had completely lost his head there. Pressing Kristie against the car like that had brought up urges that were better left in the dark, not out in the open in a goddamned parking lot. He was sure that she had felt him against her leg. Yet she hadn’t pulled away. Her own face had been a mirror to his – desire and confusion, with an undercurrent of irritation.
With a groan, he kicked the ground and turned around. Luckily, Kristie had parked all the way in the back, far away from anyone being able to see them. The crowd outside the bar had thinned out. It was a little after midnight. The only people staying at the bar now were the people really looking to party. All Gray had wanted was a drink and then a motorcycle ride. He wanted that ride now.
Gray marched over to the rest of his g**g. Rick was talking to Kristie’s friend. The look on his face was one he hadn’t ever seen before. He looked like a sick little puppy over this girl. It was incredibly annoying.
“We’re heading out,” Gray snapped. “Armand will call us once he knows how much bail will be.”
The group nodded, suddenly all business as Gray slid on his bike. He looked at Rick. “Are you coming?”
Rick nodded and turned to the girl, clearly giving her his number before jumping on his motorcycle. Gray turned his on and felt the motorcycle come to life underneath him. The engine hummed and shook. Gray pressed on the gas and shot off out of the parking lot, with his club following behind him.
This was what he had always loved. The feeling of the club near him – his friends were loyal to him – and the sound of the engines roaring in his ears. It made his heart thrum. He loved everything about it.
The cool air whipped through his jacket, cutting him to the bone as they headed toward the main drag of town. People walking along the street stopped and openly stared at them. They would ride on the highway tonight, Gray decided. He wanted to only see the endless road in front of him. No stop signs or street lights. Just the highway.
He looked down and sighed. First, it looked like he would have to get gas for the bike.
>>
Kristie normally didn’t like to smoke. But when she was stressed, it was a bad habit she had picked up in college. It was only about one cigarette every couple of months. It was either that or a crying fit and she didn’t feel like having one. She already stunk of smoke, so she figured why not? Kristie turned into the gas station just off the main street of town and parked her car, letting out a deep sigh.
As she stared at the neon sign of the gas station store, Kristie wondered if there was some way that she could leave town early. She was in over her head. She had wanted to do things to Gray. It was ridiculous. She got out of the car and walked inside the gas station, buying a pack of cheap cigarettes. As Kristie paid for them, there was a roar of engines. She turned to look out the glass door to see a group of five men on motorcycles pulling up. The woman behind the counter sighed.
“Might as well call the cops now,” she mumbled to Kristie, reaching for the phone.
They weren’t Gray’s men, Kristie noticed as she left and lit up her cigarette. She just wanted to get home. Hopefully, if she avoided their gazes they wouldn’t take notice of her. Kristie tried not to look at them but she realized who they were – the rival g**g that had just gotten into a fight with Gray’s club. Their jackets all said Infernos on them in big lettering. She held her breath as if it was going to give her good luck and was halfway to the car when one of them shouted at her.
“Hey, girl!”
Kristie bristled at the name.
“You were at the club tonight, weren’t you?”
She ignored them. Almost there. She took a puff of her cigarette.
“Hey!” The man was jogging over now. He was large and tall and could probably snap her in half if he ever felt like it.
“What?” she finally replied, knowing she couldn’t ignore him anymore.
“You were there when our boss got punched by your boyfriend’s little pup.”
“Gray isn’t my boyfriend.” She fought down the urge to add i***t at the end.
The man towered over her, his eyes flashing. “He sure seemed to listen to you.”
Kristie moved back a foot, trying to put on a brave face. The men were crowding behind this beast, and she felt suddenly aware of the size of all of them.
“Why don’t we talk somewhere private? You can tell us all about Gray.”
“No, I’m actually okay. I think I’m going to head home.”
The man reached out for her arm and grabbed it, yanking her forward. Kristie struggled when suddenly there was a roar of motorcycles. She turned her head to one side, trying to see who it could be. Her heart beat wildly in her chest.
“f**k, it’s Gray.” A smaller man said.
>>
At first, Gray thought he was just seeing things. Otherwise, the sight in front of him didn’t make any sense at all. The Infernos were here, crowded around Kristie. As Gray pulled his bike up next to one of the pumps, he shut it off and leapt off, walking purposefully toward the group. His blood was pumping again and a low hum seemed to fill his ears.
“What the f**k are you doing, Gale?” he called out to the big man who was second-in-command to Ben.
Gale’s hand still gripped Kristie’s upper arm. Gray could see the side of her face as she tried to see him. She was pale and scared. It just made him even more pissed off.
“Just talking to your girlfriend here, Gray. Wanted to ask her a few questions. Like what she did to make sure you didn’t get arrested back there.”
Gray pushed Gale hard. He barely moved, but it was enough that he let go of Kristie, who took a step back and gingerly rubbed her arm.
Gray’s breath came hard and fast. “Get the f**k off of her. Do you understand?”
Gale opened his mouth to retort when the lights of a cop car went off again.
“f**k,” Gray mumbled as he turned around to watch a car drive up.
“The girl inside,” Kristie whispered, “She said she was...”
The cop pulled up close to the group. No one tried to run away. There was no point. They hadn’t technically done anything wrong. Gray was just upset he wasn’t going to be able to punch Gale in the face. To his dismay, it was John who got out of the car, walking over to them.
“Great,” someone in Gale’s club retorted.
“You guys again?” John asked in mock surprise.
Gray had never liked this guy. The cop was constantly up his a*s about every little infraction and it was irritating. He had a smug look on his face whenever he saw Gray that rubbed him the wrong way. John clearly thought he was better than Gray, when he was just a pencil-pushing jerk.
“Thought I told you boys it was time to go home. Then I get a phone call about you two clubs getting into it out front.”
Kristie stepped forward. “I’m pretty sure the lady called when these guys showed up.” She pointed to the Infernos. “And Gray happened to show up later.”
Something crossed John’s face that looked almost like annoyance. “Was there a problem here, miss?”
“Yes, I was being harassed. Gray was helping me.”
“Is that so,” John replied, posing it as a statement rather than a question.
It took all of Gray’s willpower not to say something smartass. But Kristie had defended him again to the cop and to blow it seemed like a waste. So he bit his tongue and stood next to her as John looked at them.
“All of you, leave now. And if I see any of you again tonight, I’m arresting you, got it?” John finally said.
Gale’s club slunk off almost instantly, heading toward their bikes, shooting glares at Kristie and John.
John looked at Kristie. “You might want to reconsider sticking up for your boyfriend like this. He’s down a path that won’t lead him anywhere.”
Gray saw red and took a deep breath.
“He’s the former ward of my step-dad. I told you already. Thanks for the help,” Kristie said quickly.
John glanced at Gray one last time and then turned to depart, getting into his car.
“That guy is such a d**k,” Gray said.
Kristie watched John go and then looked at him. “Thanks for your help.”
Gray cleared his throat, not wanting her to get sappy on him. “You’re welcome. I’m leaving now.”
All he wanted to do was pin her against her car and kiss her violently. He imagined her underneath him as he took her, begging him for more. He could make her feel things she had never felt before. Stop it. Stop it. You heard her – I’m nothing more than the former ward of her step-dad. He slid back onto his bike and departed off into the night.
>>
By the time Kristie finally got home, she was utterly exhausted. Her mom and Lionel were fast asleep. It was past one in the morning and all she wanted to do was go to bed. But all she could think about was Gray. She thought about how he had burst in there at the last moment and saved her from Gale. She saw John’s face as he told her to stop sticking up for him. The way that John had looked at her – it was impossible to miss his interest in her. Was she interested in him?
She thought again about how Gray had pinned her against the side of her car, his breath coming fast as they were pressed against each other. What if she had kissed him? Would he have kissed her back? Kristie saw an image of them on her bed, her legs wrapped around him as he thrust into her. An overwhelming warmth grew between her thighs. Kristie told herself to stop thinking about him and try to get to sleep.
- Writer
