BULL: MC ROMANCE (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 6) (3 page)

The drive across town was quiet and she left the radio on low. She rolled the windows down, and let the warm breeze flow through her hair as she hummed along to the tune.

She still couldn’t believe that Reid was gone. But maybe after she was told all of the details, all of it would seem more real.

Sasha turned the corner and headed down the street to where the bar was standing proudly at the end. More cars and bikes had arrived and she could tell that inside there was activity. It looked completely different to how it had that morning. She could hear the sounds of life and low music was thumping again.

She pulled up against the curb and reverse parked between two black trucks. As she climbed out and slammed the door to the car behind her, she flicked her hair over her shoulder and looked up at the shadowy figure of the bar.

It was so tall and impressive, and the way it loomed over the entire street with its blacked out windows and heavy gun metal sign always made her smile. It was like she was stepping into another world when she went there, and she loved feeling like she was part of something that not many others were privileged enough to see.

She climbed the steps up to the front door and pushed it open. Inside the bar was lit with its low lights, and groups of men gathered around the tables near the front. She smiled and nervously stepped in, not wanting to look as if she was imposing.

Steel looked up and smiled at her and nodded, and she could see King was still drifting around, milling from table to table and in deep discussion with various members of the club. There was music playing quietly from the jukebox and Sasha made her way over to the bar where she slipped behind the counter and placed her purse at the back of one of the lower shelves, out of sight.

She turned around and looked at the scene in the room in front of her. She could tell that the men were all low and subdued, and even though she was there to work, she kind of felt uncomfortable being there. She pulled out a rag and started to clean the countertop. Across the room she could hear a deep discussion going on between King and some of the other older members of the charter and she could tell instantly that King wasn’t happy. His body language was tense and aggressive. He began to pace back and forth between the two tables of men and he slammed his fist down on one of the table tops, scattering drinks off and across the ground.

Sasha jumped. She hadn’t been expecting to see him so angry on a day like this. She had thought that they would all be in shock and upset, but King seemed genuinely enraged. She turned around and reached down under the bar, trying to look as if she was busy concentrating on something, when really she was straining to hear the details of the discussion.

King’s voice was hissed and low, he was growling at one of the older members of the Forsaken who had been close to Reid for many years, and he was clearly unhappy about something.

“It’s a fucking disgrace,” King spat as he slammed his hand down again.

“It’s what was agreed,” the old man said, “And nothing can be done about it now. He will have done what he thought was right for all of our futures…”

“But what’s right is
me
!” King said meanly. “I was always the one.”

“But now you’re not,” another one of the old timers said. “You should have some goddam respect for your elders…
and
his decision.”

“But!” King began before he was cut off.

“But nothing,” one of the old men said getting to his feet. “The decision has been made and there is no changing it. Be thankful for the place you have King, and don’t overstep any boundaries. We’ve disposed of much bigger fish that you.” The old man sneered at him and Sasha’s heart began to race. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

She had always thought that King was held in such high regard, especially considering his close proximity to Reid and Lexi. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what they were talking about.

Unless…

Maybe King had been passed over as the next leader of the Forsaken Riders…

What if Reid had honored someone else before he had died?

Her mind raced. She didn’t know much about the deep inner workings and of the politics attached to a gang such as theirs, but she was sure that something like that would cause a lot of bad feeling and make all the wrong kinds of waves.

But with Reid gone… And it looking like King was no longer the chosen one to take over the reins… Then who would be stepping in to fill Reid’s shoes?

Her mind ticked over and she found herself gazing off into space as she turned it over in her mind. She looked from table to table, and from face to face, she scrutinized each and every one of the men sat in the bar and couldn’t for the life of her think of who it could possibly be… until she realized who was missing…

No
, she thought,
could it be?
  

The idea both frightened and excited her. Because she had always known there were great things to come from a man like him. But could he really be the next chosen one to take the club forward and lead them through this tumultuous time?

Her skin prickled with anticipation at the exact same time the front door to the bar opened and he walked fearlessly inside. The room went silent and King’s face twisted into a more uncontrollable rage.

It was Bull…

He was in charge alright, Sasha could sense it the second he walked in, and she didn’t doubt him or his authority for a second.

The room fell silent as Bull walked further into The Bleeding Bullet and the door swung closed with a bang behind him. Sasha’s heart was rapidly beating, but not just because of the tension, but because of how incredibly handsome Bull looked. He had always managed to catch her eye, but now, as he strode in with confidence and authority, he wasn’t just turning her head… he was also turning her on.

She swallowed hard and fanned her face as she tried to rein in her desire for him. Bull took another step further into the bar and the men at all of the tables bowed their heads in respect.

All of them, except King.

Bull stopped and eyed him. King was standing with his legs wide apart and his muscular arms crossed over his chest in defiance as he stared Bull down.

Sasha could literally feel the anger and the tension seeping towards her. It was thick and heavy in the air and although she wanted to keep watching and see how everything was going to play out, she also didn’t know if she could stand the atmosphere. Bull’s eyes were wide and menacing and the way he was looking at King suggested he was going to blow.

Sasha felt a little twinge in her sex. The power radiating from him was intense and real. He was domnating the entire bar and it was obvious that all of the other Forsaken Riders were worried about the outcome of King’s bad attitude. Sasha tore her eyes away for a moment and looked down at the floor.

She counted to three inside her head and then she looked back up again, but they were still engaged in the tense standoff and it looked as if Bull was about to strike out at King.

Sasha watched as the rest of the charter moved back to form a circle and left King on his own in the middle, with Bull in front of him. Bull took a step forward and lifted his huge hand up and balled it into a fist before he punched it against his other palm. He was so big, so tall and so brutish, it was as if he were a monster. The only way Sasha had ever been able to think of him was her wonderful monster.

She remembered the first time she had seen him. When she had come into the fold and she had met him for the first time, her heart had raced and her palms had become sticky with anticipation. She still remembered how he had walked into the bar on her first night, pulled up a stool and sat there like a giant in front of her. His hair was longer than most of the guys, it hung down around his shoulders in thick, jet black waves and his eyes were intense and fiery as he watched her intently.

She had smiled and tried to engage him in conversation, but he had dismissed her and her advances. Sasha was a beautiful girl, and had never been ignored like that before. And it made her like him all the more. He was quiet and brooding… He always seemed to be lingering in the back ground of whatever was happening within the club, but occasionally she had seen him speak up and had noticed the way Reid responded to his suggestions.

Reid had respected him; that much had always been obvious.

She bit her bottom lip as she snapped herself out of her memory and turned back to the scene in front of her. King was standing with his fists raised and he was obviously ready to fight. His eyes were flicking from Bull to the doorway, and then to the rest of the gang who were slowly backing even further and further away.

The tension was intense and Sasha could barely take it any longer. Bull was flexing his huge, thick arms and he took another step forward, closer to King. King faltered for a moment, as if he was rethinking what he was about to do, and then after what seemed like an agonizingly long wait, he suddenly dropped his fists and took a step back.

He sighed and looked down to the floor, and it felt as if the whole room sighed with him, letting out their relief at the sudden break in tension and King’s obvious wise decision.

Sasha looked from Bull to King and then back again around the room. The rest of the bikers were all starting to relax but Sasha could still sense the fire and anger that was brewing between them and she didn’t like it… It felt as if everything was about to come crashing down.

“Get out of here until you’ve calmed down.” Bull said slowly in a deep gruff voice.

King looked up at him and it seemed for a moment as if he was going to argue, but then he turned and marched towards the doorway. He slammed his palms up against it and it went careering open and slammed off the outside wall. A beam of sunlight shone in as King disappeared into the brightness and then the door closed quickly behind him. He was gone.

Sasha looked back up to Bull and could sense that everyone else in the room only had eyes for him. They were all watching him closely, wondering what was going to happen next…

Bull took a step further into the room and slowly approached the rest of the Forsaken Riders. He looked down on them all for a moment and breathed deeply out of his nose.

“Does anyone else have anything they would like to say?” he asked challengingly.

The room fell silent and all of the men looked at one and other. The old boys who had been putting King in his place watched on proudly and one of them stepped up to Bull and rested a hand on his arm in affection.

“No one has any qualms here Bull,” the old boy said. “All of us welcome you as our leader with open arms.”

There was a hushed chatter of agreement that filtered out around the circle and the rest of the men began nodding their heads.

“Yes,” Steel spoke up. “You know you’ve always been my brother and now I’m honored to have you as the head of this charter.”

“Here, here,” Lynx agreed with a nod.

“Well then,” Bull said with satisfaction. “Let’s get started shall we?”

Sasha’s ears were open wide as she pretended to be busying herself with her duties behind the bar. All of the bikers were pulling their chairs up to gather around Bull and he was taking center stage, standing in front of them at the side of the bar. She had never felt more nervous and more on show, but she couldn’t face leaving and going out the back to gather more stock when there was so much to hear and so much going on.

Bull stood with his huge tanned arms crossed over his chest and he waited until he was sure everyone was listening.

“We’ve lost a lot in the past twenty-four hours,” he said sternly. “A great man has been taken from us and we’ve been left in uncertain times without the guidance of the one person who has always led us down the right path.” He paused for a moment and took a breath. The rest of the men around him were nodding with solemn looks on their faces, and Sasha was sure that one or two of them had tears in their eyes. For all that these men were ruthless and mean, they all had a hidden softer side which sometimes burst free.

“As all of you now know, Reid called for me whilst he was dying and he gave me the highest honor anyone in this club could wish for. I did not ask for it. I did not expect it. But I am determined to embrace it and do him proud.”

He slammed his fist down on the table next to him and Sasha jumped slightly. She wasn’t even pretending to be busy now, she was just stopped, watching it all unfold, with her mouth lolling slightly open.

“I know a few of you may think I’m not the right person to take this club forward… I know all of you probably have some kind of opinion of Reid’s decision one way or the other… But for now, whilst we grieve and we learn to live without him, keep it to yourself and respect his wishes.”

“Agreed,” Lynx spoke up and nodded strongly.

“What about King?” one of the older men from the back called.

“I’ll speak with King in private,” he said as he looked around the room. “If any of you would like to talk to me about it, don’t hesitate, I’m here and I’ll discuss it all with you. But what I don’t want is nasty whispers and people talking shit, okay?”

“Okay,” the men all chimed out.

“Good,” he crossed his arms over his chest and then he turned and his eyes met Sasha’s. He smiled for the briefest of moments and Sasha was sure that in that second her heart stopped.

“Sasha,” he smiled. “Please can you bring us all over some whiskey?”

She looked at him, her mouth agape and her heart now fluttering in her chest; Bull had not spoken to her for such a long time, and now his whole attention was on her, she almost couldn’t take it.

“S-sure,” she stammered as she smoothed her hair behind her ears and reached down for a large silver tray and a stack of tumblers.

The men all started talking amongst themselves and Sasha dashed around the bar, filling up an ice bucket and finding the perfect bottle of unopened whiskey for them. As she moved the only thing she could focus on was the fact that she could tell that Bull’s eyes were still directly on her and only her. He was watching her every move and it was making her even more nervous.

She slid everything onto the tray and stepped out from behind the counter before she picked it up from the bar and wandered over to them. Bull’s heavy, intense eyes were on her the whole way and he looked at her menacingly and with amusement as she lay the tray down with shaking hands.

He reached out and stroked her wrist, and when she looked up at him he was smiling.

“Thank you,” he said softly, before she smiled and then scurried away.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could only hear the throb of rushing blood in her ears. She was so nervous and so turned on. As she climbed back behind the bar and watched them all take a glass and pass the ice and whiskey around she realized that she had never even heard him say her name before. Before then, she hadn’t even really been sure that he’d known it, or that she was the same barmaid who served him in there most nights… that was how little attention he had given her.

Now, she seemed to be one of the only things interesting him - and she had certainly got his attention. She felt herself blushing and she looked down at the floor, unsure of what to say or do.

“To a great man,” Bull said as he raised his glass high in the sky. “To Reid, one of the first and best members of The Forsaken Riders… Gone, but never ever forgotten… We will miss you brother…”

All of the men mumbled and agreed and then Bull knocked back his whiskey in one and reached straight for the bottle again. All of the other men took his lead and followed suit and Sasha watched as they emptied the bottle in seconds and were motioning to her for another.

She was going to have a long night ahead, but she didn’t mind. It was time to finally find out what had happened to Reid…

***

The bar was a lot quieter than any other night she had ever worked. Sasha figured that out on the streets and through the town, word must have spread about the loss for the Forsaken Riders. Normally on an evening, every night of the week, the place would be packed to the rafters, full of men and women, drinking, smoking, dancing and loving… But tonight, she was the only woman in sight and the only men in there were the bikers themselves. She watched as they all huddled together and told each other stories of their favorite memories of Reid… It was almost as if he were in the room with them. Sasha smiled and felt warm inside. Reid had been a good man, they were right. And from the sounds of their stories, it was clear he was never going to be forgotten.

Sasha moved around the tables and cleared their empty glasses away, she smiled and spoke back to them when the men engaged with her, but otherwise she just wanted to keep a low profile. She had seen girls who had worked there before overstep boundaries. Nothing was ever said to them when they started working there, but it was as if the girls were just supposed to pick up on it and not make too much drama. Sasha had figured it all out in her first week and guessed that was probably why she had lasted so long there and was so well liked. She let them get on with their business, stayed out of any discussions and was discreet and courteous when something bad was going on. And now, with the death of Reid, there could be no exceptions. No matter how much she may have wanted to walk right over to their tables, pull up a chair and get heavily involved. She had to stay away and wait for them to invite her in, or to tell her themselves. 

She bent down and started to stock the refrigerators when suddenly she was aware that there was movement next to the bar. She carried on shoving in the warm bottles of beer and then she rose to her feet and turned around.

To her complete surprise, Bull was standing right there in front of her. He had pulled one of the high stools up to the counter and he was leaning over on his elbows lighting up a cigarette as his hair fell sexily down around his eyes. Sasha felt her stomach tighten. He was so handsome and so intimidating… She had been waiting for a chance to get close to him for so long, and now, in the strangest of circumstances, he had chosen to come and sit right next to her.

“Hey,” she smiled. “Congratulations on… you know…” she looked down, slightly embarrassed.

Bull looked up and smiled at her. His cigarette was smoking and clamped between his teeth and Sasha honestly didn’t think he had ever looked sexier.

“Thank you,” he exhaled out two long plumes of smoke from his nostrils. “Shame it had to come at a price…”

“I’m so sorry about Reid,” she said. “I have a lot of good memories of him… He was a very, very well loved man…”

Bull looked up and locked in on her eyes and smiled.

“I know,” he said. “And thank you.”

Sasha smiled sheepishly and stood fidgeting, unsure of what to do with her hands. His presence made her so nervous, and now he was actually paying her attention, she almost didn’t know how to take it. He held her gaze and smiled at her, and she was like a deer caught in the headlights, completely frozen and shocked.

“So…” he said. “A drink?”

“Shit!” she laughed, “Of course, sorry, what can I get you?” she started flapping, instantly feeling totally stupid with her mistake. She had just shown a total lack of job ownership in front of her new boss.

“No,” he laughed as he shook his head and held up a full of bottle of beer that he was cradling in his hand. “I meant, a drink for you…?”

Sasha felt her mouth drop, but she quickly pulled it up into an embarrassed smile. She brushed her long blonde hair behind her ears and beamed at him. She could tell that her cheeks were flushing pink and she started to stammer.

“Th, that would be… erm… lovely, thank you,” she smiled.

“Well why don’t you take five off and come and sit around here with me?” he said with a wicked grin. “Not like we’re busy is it?”

Sasha felt as if she was dreaming. How could this even be real? Bull… the man she had lusted after but had seemed invisible to, had just asked her for her time. There had to be another reason. He’d barely looked in her direction before and now suddenly he wanted to talk with her and was asking her to take a break…

She bit her bottom lip and smiled up at him, aware that she was turning an even deeper shade of red as she started to untie the apron from around her waist.

“Okay,” she smiled. “That would be great.”

She reached down into the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of beer and then she climbed out from behind the counter. Bull stood up and held out his hand, Sasha carefully slid hers inside of it and let him lead her away from the bar and to a table in the far corner.

Even though she was aware of the whole room watching, she felt as if she was walking on air. Bull had finally noticed her, and she couldn’t have been happier.