Strays (Red Kings #1) (6 page)

7

June 16
th

“Be careful, I mean it. If you get hurt, I'm going to kill you.” Tyler rolled his eyes at the threat and hugged Jackie again for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour.

“I'll be fine. It's just a quick thing and I'll barely get involved. Besides, we'll be driving most of the time anyways.” Tyler tried with no avail to console his friend, who was worried that he would get hurt on the club's latest run.

“Relax, princess,” Mack said, sauntering up to the pair. “I'll be with him the whole time.” He slapped Tyler on the back, causing the smaller man to stumble forward slightly.

“Oh yeah, that's really comforting, thanks,” Jackie replied sarcastically as the large man moved down the line of motorcycles. 

Tyler wrapped his arm around her shoulder and directed her towards his own bike. “I'll be home before you know it.” He kissed her cheek and got on his bike, sliding his helmet over his shaggy blonde hair and securing it. "I'll be fine," he stressed, hoping she would stop worrying about him.

“I know, I know. I'm sorry. Have fun.” Tyler cranked the motorcycle and joined the group leaving the lot. Jackie stood there until they were out of sight, only moving when Nash came up behind her.

“You can go hang out in the clubhouse until they get back if you want. But I don't want to see you and I sure as hell don't want to hear you.” Jackie smiled and couldn't resist hugging him, her grin getting even bigger as he cautiously pat her on the head like a child. “Now scram.”

She walked quickly towards the building before he could change his mind. Watching her disappear inside, Nash shook his head and grunted, knowing that sooner or later she was going to cause someone in the club some serious trouble.

Shutting the door behind her, Jackie was glad to see that the bikers who usually occupied the room had all gone on the run. She walked over to the empty bar and sat on a stool, wondering what she was going to do to pass the time. She grabbed a magazine off the counter top, noticing the detailing of the bikes on the front cover. Hoping to get some ideas for Dean's decal, she pulled out her sketchbook and began flipping through the magazine.

“Let me guess, TJ said you should wait here.” She jumped and spun around on the stool, surprised to see Dean leaning against the end of the bar. She absently wondered how a man as large as him could move so quietly, since she hadn't even heard the door open. A clock on the wall told her it had been over an hour since she'd taken her seat, and she was amazed at how quickly the time had passed.

“Actually, Nash said that I could stay as long as I didn't bother him. TJ told me to go home and stop worrying.”

“TJ was right.” She looked at him, trying to figure out if that was his polite way of telling her to get out.

“I can leave if you want.” She moved to get off the stool, but a calloused hand landed on her shoulder and kept her from leaving the seat.

“Nah, it's fine.” He then backed up and Jackie was afraid she had somehow offended him. She started to say something, but then realized that he had only moved behind the bar.

“So what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be out causing trouble with the rest of the Kings?”

“Someone had to make sure the place didn’t burn down while everyone was gone.” He bent out of sight and she heard the sound of glass clinking together. “You look like you could use a drink,” he said as he stood upright and placed an open bottle of beer in front of her, his other hand holding a bottle for himself.

“Oh, I don't really drink.”

Dean snorted as he moved back to the customer's side of the bar and sat down, leaving an empty stool between them. “You should start.” Jackie eyed both him and the bottle wearily, knowing she really didn't need to be drinking in the middle of a biker bar, especially near this man. “Go on, one beer won't hurt you. It'll just knock the edge off your nerves and help you relax.”

After weighing her options for another moment, she picked up the cold bottle and poured the amber liquid hesitantly down her throat. She coughed slightly as she swallowed and grimaced at the taste. “That's disgusting,” she muttered, putting the bottle down gently.

Letting out a rough laugh, Dean turned towards her and propped his feet against the bottom rung of the stool next to him. “It's the price we pay for a little peace,” he said, before taking a sip of his own drink. “So, you and Tyler are really close, huh?”

“We've been best friends since we were eight. His family moved into the apartment a few doors down from mine.” She took another gulp of her drink, the taste not quite as bad as before. “He's just always been around.”

“And you're afraid the club is going to take him from you?” Dean said this as more of a statement than a question. She looked up at him, wondering if he actually understood how she felt. “I'm not gonna lie to ya, the club will take up a lot of his time. And should he decide to prospect, it will basically become his life.”

Jackie nodded, drinking her beer in the hope that she could shake some of the anxiety she was feeling. “It's not that I'm upset that he's in the club. I mean, he's found something that is like a family and he really enjoys it here. I'm just afraid that he's going to get mixed up in something and get hurt.” She took another mouthful of the alcohol and turned her head towards Dean as she continued. “I can't live without Tyler. I need him more than I care to admit.” Jackie swallowed hard, breaking the eye contact and fighting back the tears that were threatening to form. “I'm sorry,” she said shakily. “I didn't mean to get all emotional on you. I just really care about him.” She scoffed and shook her head. “Of course, you're a bad ass biker, so you probably think I'm stupid.”

She tossed back the last of the liquid from the bottle in front of her, failing to notice that Dean had closed the gap between them until he spoke. “Contrary to popular belief, us bikers aren't only about sex, violence, and mayhem. Not all the time anyways.” He took a moment to drain half his beer, contemplating whether or not to grab something stronger. “I'll do my best to look out for Tyler when I can.”

Dean was blindsided as Jackie threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders in a tight hug. “Hearing you say that means more to me than you could know.” Dean sat there awkwardly, thankful that none of the other guys were in the clubhouse to witness this rare moment of kindness. He was surprised by how much the small promise had affected the girl that was now clinging to him. Hesitantly patting her on the back, he hoped that would be a sufficient amount of comfort from his end. He had never been good with physical contact unless it was of the sexual kind.

“Okay, maybe I should grab us some more drinks.” Dean gently pushed the dark-haired woman back onto her stool and headed to the other side of the bar. He was definitely going to need something stronger.

“Do you have anything besides this nasty stuff?” She lifted her empty bottle and shook it at him.

He laughed and turned to the back wall, which was lined with various bottles of liquor. “Let's see if we can find something decent for a lightweight like you.”

A few hours and multiple shots later, Dean was beating Jackie at pool for the third game in a row. The usually-coordinated woman was now more than a little tipsy, while Dean was just starting to feel the effects of the alcohol.

Jackie drained the contents of her cup before making her way over to the bar. “What have I been drinking? I need more of it.”

“I don't think you need any more,” Dean said, joining Jackie and taking a bottle of vodka from her hand. “You can't be that drunk. You've been downing mostly orange juice.”

“Well, I'm feeling fantastic!” She threw her hands up in the air for emphasis. “So fix me another one!” She tried to take the bottle back from Dean, who used his ten inch height advantage to keep it out of her reach.

“What? You want this?” he teased, laughing as Jackie jumped to gain some height. Her last jump was particularly powerful, and the alcohol's effect on her sense of balance caused her to lose her footing. She grabbed on to Dean for support, making him stumble slightly from the sudden shift of weight.  Jackie giggled as he braced himself against the counter with one hand and brought the bottle in his other to an average height. They stared at each other briefly before Jackie ruined the moment by snatching the bottle and cackling in triumph, turning away from him and back towards her cup.

Her success was short lived as Dean came from behind her and pushed her forwards, turning her around so that she was facing him. Without his eyes leaving hers, he gently pulled the bottle from her hand and set it on the counter.

“You think you're real cute, don't you?” He placed a hand on either side of her, effectively trapping her between him and the bar's back counter.

She smirked up at him, the alcohol coursing through her body giving her more courage than she would ever normally have in his presence. “Well duh.”

He grinned devilishly down at her in response, pool games and drink refills long forgotten. Ending their staring contest, Jackie pushed off the bar and up against Dean, her lips meeting his in a sudden kiss. He stood there in shock, not moving even as she pulled back moments later. She rocked on the balls of her feet and bit her lip, a giddy smile on her face as she stared up at him. A few seconds passed before Dean reacted, kissing her roughly while lifting her up to his height for better access. Two sets of hands began to roam, Jackie's finding the muscle hidden under the fabric of his shirt, while the other ran across jean-clad thighs and a supple backside. He moved his lips from her mouth to her throat, finding a secret spot near her collarbone that had her shivering in delight. She giggled as the stubble on his jaw ran against her neck as he trailed kisses back up to her lips.

Jackie broke the kiss to pull Dean's shirt over his head, tossing it somewhere to the right. In response, Dean moved her over to the bar and sat her on top of it. He growled as she bit at his neck and ran her fingertips lightly over the tattoos on his shoulders.

Just as things began to get really heated, Dean pulled back, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. Looking up at her moments later with dark eyes, he asked,  “Do you really want me to fuck you on the bar?”

“I would prefer something with a bit more cushion, but I'm not picky.”

Dean grunted as he threw her over his shoulder and headed down the hallway towards the back of the clubhouse, Jackie squealing the entire way. Alcohol had washed away any chance of rational thought the pair might have had, leaving nothing but lust and a sense of need to drive their actions.

Arriving at the room he'd been inhabiting as of late, Dean threw her onto the unmade bed, not bothering to turn any lights on. He positioned himself above her and continued their lip-locking, blindly moving his hands to the buttons on her shirt. He pulled the cloth from her body, trying hard not to rip it in his haste, and then moved on to her jeans. Before he could finish his task, Jackie shifted her weight, attempting to roll them over. He allowed her to flip them, curious as to what she would do now that she was in partial control. She kissed her way slowly down his chest, following the lines of his dragon tattoo and looking up at him under her lashes. He grinned wickedly as she got to his jeans, her nimble fingers unfastening his belt at a tortuously drawn-out pace. He lifted his hips as she pulled it from the loops, growling when she grabbed both ends in one hand and swung the belt around in circles above her head like a lasso. Her hips rotated with the motion of her hand, causing her to grind into his crotch and make him groan.

“Quit being a fuckin' tease,” he snarled, clenching his hands around her waist to stop her movement.

She snickered, running her hands back down his chest to the button on his jeans. “You got it, boss.”

8

June 17
th

Jackie awoke the following morning in a room she didn't recognize with a serious headache. She was thankful for the thick curtains over the windows that were blocking the harsh sun from entering the room. She laid still momentarily, trying to recall the events of the previous night. Realizing that the pillow her head was laying on was a pectoral muscle, Jackie groaned as the memories came flooding back. “Fuck,” she muttered, unconsciously burying herself into the body next to her.

“We've already done that, sweetheart.” The deep voice startled her, and she picked her head up to see that Dean was looking quite alert. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” she squeaked, causing him to smirk and her to blush a deep pink. She moved off of his body and hid her face in an actual pillow. “Please don't ever let me drink again.”

“Was I that bad?” She blushed again, all kinds of dirty images invading her mind.

“No, no. You were... ahem, very good.”

“Then what's the problem? We're two consenting adults. Nothing wrong with a little casual sex.”

She peered at him with one eye as he grinned lazily at her. “I was talking about the headache.” She smiled as he let out a husky laugh.

“You're real cute.”

“Yeah, I know.” They shared a look before Jackie sat up slowly, hoping the room wouldn't spin too much. “I know this was a one time thing, just comfort sex. Really good comfort sex.” She turned her head to look at him, knowing he wouldn't make a big deal out of the night. “But thank you. I really needed the distraction.”

Dean watched her for a moment, then folded his arms behind his head. “What can I say? Just doing my civic duty.”

He smirked as she smacked his chest. “Jerk,” she said as an uncontrollable smile formed on her face.

He grabbed her hand and began pulling her on top of him, his expression growing more devious by the second. “You know, if we get a quick fuck in now, it'll only count as round two of last night. So technically, it would still be a one time thing.”

She used her hands to brace herself against his chest, glaring at him as he tried to pull her closer. “You expect me to fuck you now that I'm sober?”

“C'mon, you know you want to.” He wiggled his eyebrows and she tried not to laugh, distracting herself by tracing over his tattoos with her fingers. It was hard to think clearly, as she was nakedly straddling an equally unclothed Dean.

Looking down at the eyes that promised her nothing but a good time, Jackie threw caution to the wind once again and said, “What the hell.”

Dean wasted no time as he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck to pull her down for a deep kiss. She enjoyed her position over him for only a few moments as he quickly rolled them over, loving the control that came from being on top. His hands traveled slowly and deliberately over her bare skin, his gentle kisses momentarily surprising Jackie.

The sound of a door opening stopped anything else from happening and Jackie quickly pulled the sheet up to cover her body from any unwanted stares.

“Hey Dean, Luke is looking for...” the voice trailed off as his gaze landed on the naked pair in bed.

Jackie's eyes grew wide as she peered around Dean's arm to see Tyler standing in the doorway, an incredulous look on his face. “Tyler!” she said in surprise, pushing herself from the bed so she could grab her clothes off the floor.

“Uhm, Luke is looking for you,” he said quietly in Dean's direction, before taking a final glance at the pair and exiting the room.

“Tyler, wait!” Jackie cried, sliding her clothing on as quickly as she could.

Dean rolled his eyes, annoyed that they had been interrupted in the middle of round two. “Wait a sec',” he said, trying to grab her arm and pull her back on the bed to finish what they started. She evaded his grasp as she yanked her jeans up and fastened them. “Jackie!” He tried again to capture her, but she ran out of the room after Tyler, sparing only a second to glance back at Dean. “Son of a bitch!” he growled, falling back against his pillows, angry and with a massive hard-on.

“Tyler!” Jackie was hurrying after him, trying to button up her shirt in the process. She never knew Tyler could walk that fast. “Tyler, wait!”

He looked behind him and shook his head. He'd stop and give her a chance to explain herself, but not before they were out of the clubhouse. He passed through the main room and headed to the door, Jackie still hot on his heels.

Slamming the door behind her as they exited the building, she yelled after him. “Tyler, would you stop already? I'm trying to talk to you!”

He stopped abruptly and whirled around to face her, almost causing her to collide with him. Jackie took a few steps back and looked at him, trying to collect her thoughts before speaking.

“Well?” Tyler prodded, impatience and irritation clear in his voice. “You wanted to talk, so talk.”

“Not that it's any of your business, but what's your problem with Dean and I sleeping together? It's not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal? I know these guys, Jack, and I know how they treat women! You think you're gonna be his one and only now? He's not gonna ask you to dinner or show up at the apartment with flowers and candy.”

“Jesus, Tyler, I'm not stupid. I know he won't do any of that stuff. I don't expect him to!” Jackie yelled and took a step closer, the two of them coming toe to toe.

“Dean is not a guy that you want to get involved with. He's dangerous.”

Last night was a one-time thing. She knew it, Dean knew it, and now Jackie had to make sure that Tyler knew it too. “It was just casual sex. I needed it, he was there, we were both willing. It happened and I'm not expecting anything more from him.” Tyler opened his mouth to object again, but she stopped him. “Look, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Dean knows that it's not going to happen again. I'm absolutely sure that he's thrilled that I won't be on his case when he doesn't call. Just stop making a big deal out of it, because it's not.”

He huffed and threw his hands up in exasperation. “Fine! If you're okay, then I'm okay too.”

"I'm okay," she hastened to reassure him again, a smile on her face. Suddenly, she launched herself at him, hugging him tightly. “I missed you and I was so worried!”

Returning the hug, he rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I can tell,” he replied sarcastically, then softened his tone. “I'm fine, Jack. The job was a piece of cake and I didn't do much anyway.” Placing her feet back on the ground, he took a step back.

“Well good. I don't even want to think about you getting hurt.” She put her arm around his waist as his settled comfortably around her shoulders. “C'mon, walk me to the car.”

“Don't tell me you're making an escape after your one night stand? Isn't that supposed to be done while the other person is still asleep?” He teased her, a goofy grin on his face.

“Ha-ha. You were yelling about it a few minutes ago and now you're making jokes? Hilarious.” She squeezed his side and smiled up at him. “I have to go to work and I want to stop by the apartment first. Take a shower and change.” With a mischievous grin on her face, she continued. “Why don't you come by today? I'm sure Beth would love to see you!”

Tyler opened the door for her, a pained expression on his face. “I thought you didn't want me to get hurt? That girl's going to kidnap me if she sees me!”

Jackie laughed at him and got into the truck. “Are you going to be home for dinner tonight or should I eat without you?”

“I'll see what I can do.” A sheepish look made its way onto his face. “I'm not promising anything though. The guys might need me!”

Rolling her eyes, Jackie shut her door and put the keys into the ignition. “I've heard that one before.” Starting the old truck, she pulled out of the Eastside Mechanics lot and was on the way to her apartment.

After she was gone, Tyler put his hands in the pockets of his jeans and started his walk to the clubhouse. He was going to talk to Dean to make sure he was perfectly clear that there would be no more one night stands occurring with his best friend.

***

Dean laid in his room, sprawled across the unmade bed in frustration. Going to see Luke in his current state was out of the question. He would never live down the humiliation of showing up to a meeting with the charter's president with a hard on. Especially not a president like theirs. Luke was a balls to the wall bald man in his early fifties that had never faced a challenge he couldn't handle. No nonsense and a bit off his hinges, loyalty was the quality the man valued most and he would personally end the life of anyone that dared betray him.

As a teenager, Dean had always been the one other parents warned their children to stay away from. From drugs and booze to multiple stints in detention centers, he constantly stayed in trouble, hanging with the wrong crowds and never really worrying about his future or the consequences of his actions. In a way that was still the case, but at least now the people he surrounded himself with had his back. But growing up, the only thing that had kept him from completely going down the dark path was meeting Luke, who had taken him under his wing and given him a job at the garage at the age of seventeen, holding him accountable and giving him responsibility when everybody else had counted him out. It had set him on the right track to bettering himself, at least in his own eyes.

Dean lifted himself off the bed and looked at the open door, willing Jackie to walk back in and finish what she started. When she wasn't back a few minutes later, he sighed and thought of his options. The fastest way to get rid of his problem would be a cold shower, so he decided to head towards the bathroom, hoping Luke wouldn't mind him being a few minutes late.

Just as he had worked up the energy to move himself out of bed, he saw a flash of blonde float past his door, the sound of high heels clicking on the floor echoing in the quiet hallway. A biker groupie was just what he needed to take care of his hard on, so he strode with purpose out of the room and after the girl. She was swaying unsteadily on her feet, using the wall for support. Apparently he wasn't the only one to enjoy some female company the previous night, as that was the only reason for the girl to be in the clubhouse this early in the morning.

She was fairly tall with long, tan legs and a nice ass. Wearing a short skirt that could pass for a belt and a tight pink top, there wasn't much left to the imagination. When the blonde heard his footsteps, she turned around and Dean was able to see her face. She would have been quite pretty if it wasn't for all of the make-up that was caked on her skin. Her fake breasts displeased him, but as long as she was talented with her mouth, he had no problems using her to get himself off.

Upon further examination, he realized she had spent an evening in his bed a few weeks back after a typical Saturday night party. She had performed well, but not well enough for him to seek her out again, nor for him to even try to remember her name.

“Hey there, handsome.” Her sultry voice was full of invitation and made her intentions quite clear. “You need some company this morning?” She eyed him up and down, her eyes lingering on the bulge in his boxers. He was already next to her, so she was able to run her hands over his naked chest and lean in to whisper in his ear. “Are you excited to see me, baby?”

“Very.” His raspy voice went right through her, causing a shiver to run down her spine. He caught her under the elbow and took a few steps down the corridor, guiding her to a door on the left. He wasn't going to take her to his room, but the hallway bathroom would do well enough.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, she was on him – pulling him closer, kissing him. Her hands ran up his chest as she roughly scratched him with her nails. His hands were running over her curves, grabbing her ass. Dean leaned against the door and closed his eyes. With his hands on her shoulders, he shoved her to her knees. She unbuckled his belt and pulled down the zipper on his jeans. Burying his hands in her hair, he anticipated the moment she'd have her mouth around him, desperately needing the release.