Page 1 of Cowboy

1

Cowboy clenched his teeth as he watched the hot little blonde across the room. He hadn’t wanted to come out tonight, but he’d let Deacon talk him into it. ‘Relaxing’ and ‘destressing’ Deke had called it.

Cowboy didn’t really find blasting music and gyrating bodies in a hot, sweaty crowd all that relaxing, but he’d gone along with it because he’d needed time with his brother and since when had he turned down a chance to pick up some chick and get laid?

Well, aside from the last six months. He’d struggled for the last six months to hold the Kings of Destruction together. They’d lost a quarter of their membership since he’d taken over. Part of them to prison, which was why he’d taken over, and the rest following the men who’d been stripped of their patches for misuse of club resources.

He pushed thoughts of the club, and his struggles with it out of his mind as he watched the woman take another drink then flit out to the dance floor. He’d had his eye on her for most of the last hour.

“Looks like you got your eye on someone there, brother,” Deke shouted over the music.

“You paid any attention to her?” Cowboy tilted his head toward the blonde.

“Which one?” Deke turned to watch the dance floor as he picked up his glass of Jim Beam.

“The blonde dancing like she’s hunting for the last available dick on earth.”

“I hadn’t noticed, but she should be an easy pick up if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Cowboy didn’t say anything, just narrowed his eyes as another man approached her. They spoke for a minute, but in contrast to what he’d thought about the way she danced, she turned him away. The expression on his face made Cowboy think she hadn’t been nice about it.

“Well, that’s interesting. I thought she was looking for a dick to jump on.” Deke tilted his head to one side as he continued watching the woman, obviously seeing what Cowboy had.

“Maybe not. I wonder what’s up.” Cowboy continued to watch her, as well as the guy she’d brushed off.

A few songs later, Deke jumped then pulled out his phone.

“Crap. I have to go.”

“Need help?”

“Nah, I got it. Besides. It looks like you’ve got a lead on some pussy.”

Cowboy barely reined in the urge to roll his eyes.

“You okay here or should I send someone to cover your back?”

That he couldn’t let go. Cowboy turned and pinned his brother with a don’t make me kill you look until Deke held his hands up in surrender, then shoved his chair back and left.

Cowboy watched the blonde for a while longer. Watched several more men approach her and were rebuffed. He shook his head and decided she must not be looking to hook up, more likely she was coming off a breakup, possibly a bad one. Chances were she was cutting loose and not looking to go home with anyone but herself; unless someone took advantage of her.

In his peripheral vision, Cowboy noticed two of the men she’d turned down standing near a tall table, chatting while both men kept looking back at her. Something about the way they moved and the looks they shot her set off warning bells in his mind.

He abandoned his table, went to the bar, and ordered an orange juice. Anyone who saw him with it would assume it was a screwdriver, but he wanted to be clear headed. Especially if these two were up to what he suspected they were. He kept his eyes on her on the dance floor, but eased his way to where the two men still stood, eyeing her.

The booming music made it next to impossible to hear everything they were saying unless he was standing at the table with them, and maybe not even then. But he caught a word here and there. Things like stuck up and asking for it. No way these two were up to anything good.

Cowboy knew better than to try to pick up the girl, even if she were interested, he wasn’t into taking advantage of drunk women. Instead, he hung around until she was ready to leave, then caught her just outside the door as she staggered to the wall beside the door and paused, bracing herself against the wall as she regained her balance before taking a few more steps.

Something wasn’t right. Had she drunk enough she could barely walk, or had she been slipped something? He stepped heavily so she wouldn’t be startled by his arrival as he came up behind her.

“You look like you could use some help. Let me help you get home.” He was careful not to touch her as he offered her a hand.

She paused and blinked at him. Cowboy wasn’t sure he’d managed to not startle her, but she didn’t panic. He gave her credit for that.

“I don’t know if I should,” her words slurred.

Almost certainly too much to drink. It was possible she’d been slipped something, and he wouldn’t put it past the pair who were so pissed at her, but he didn’t think so.

---