Page 6 of Whispers of Fire

I stick to my bike, my brothers, and keep moving forward.

I met Ares after the accident. He found me one night after watchin’ me fight a guy in the street. The fucker had tried to rob me so I knocked him down in two punches. And next thing I knew, Ares was there, askin’ me if I wanted to make somethin’ out of my life.

He was the enigmatic president of The Raven Sons, with a presence that commanded respect and a reputation that preceded him. I had heard of him. Ares was like a shadow in the night, drawing people to him like moths to a flame.

He took me under his wing, recognizing whatever the fuck he found in me that others hadn't seen. Showed me the ropes, taught me the code of the club, and made me feel like I belonged.

A mentor, a friend, and a leader all rolled into one.

Over the years, I climbed the ranks of the club, earning my spot at Ares' side as his right-hand man. The club became my refuge, a place where I could turn the chaos in my head into a fierce drive to protect those I cared about, letting me rewrite my story.

That’s why I had to stay away from the girl.

This blonde angel, looking like temptation incarnated and wrapped in an innocent disguise.

As the evening went on, only one thought remained in my mind. I needed to know more about her without fucking up the balance I had worked so hard to maintain.

The pull toward her is strong, but I can’t afford to let my guard down and, as much as it pains me to admit it, gettin’ involved with her is out of the question.

With every glance in her direction, I felt the weight of my past bearin’ down on me, remindin’ me of the pain I had endured and the scars I carried.

The road I have chosen is a lonely one.

So, as the night wore on and her bedroom light turned off, I made a promise to myself.

I would keep her at arm's length and try my best to ignore the spark she had ignited in me.

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I wake up with the sun hittin’ my face, squintin’ at my new place. There's still a few boxes that need emptyin’, but everything’s pretty much settled. Not big on procrastination, there's enough chaos in my head, I don't need it around me as well.

I stroll out of bed in my black sweatpants, heading to the kitchen to make a much-needed coffee. Glancing out the window above the sink, I spy my neighbors in their living room. The mother's knittin’ while the father's reading a book.

Where is she?

I’m glad I’ve put curtains on my window, don’t want them to see my place.

Before I doze off to the club, I order a few cameras online to stick in her room.

Old school method but I’ll be enough to quench my thirst for her. For now.

I'll set them up when they're out of the house. That way I can learn more about her while keeping my distance.

Grabbing my cup of coffee, I stride to the garden and plop into a chair, soakin’ in the morning air.

Fuckin’ great feeling.

A small noise jars me from my thoughts, and I snap my head toward it immediately. Reflexes matter when you're always expecting a rival gang to put a bullet in your head.

There she is.

Kneeling in the dirt, planting flowers. She hasn't seen me yet. I can tell by the way her body moves, effortlessly bouncing her curves as she meticulously tends to her garden.

Could look at her all day and never get tired of it.

"Good mornin’," I greet, waitin’ for her reaction. Her body jerks, and she turns toward me, her eyes widening with each passin’ second. A nice flush spreads across her face at the sight of my bare chest, and it makes me smile.

So innocent.

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