Page 10 of Holly's Christmas Biker

“You’re kind of bossy, Rebel,” she teases.

“Only with you, Holly. You’re wiped out and I don’t know how you’re still standing,” I reply. “Did you get your tips sorted already?”

She grins at me. “What do you think?” she retorts. “That’s the first thing I do when we close so the kitchen crew doesn’t have to hang around waiting for us to complete our end of the night tasks.”

“Then let’s go, I’ll follow you home.” The need to see her home and walk through her front door is riding me. Not because I think anything is lurking in the shadows of her home, but because I’m a man who’ll do whatever it takes to see my woman safe behind her walls and locked in for the evening.

“You don’t need to do that,” she rebuts around a yawn.

“That right there is why I’m gonna do it,” I state, not backing down no matter how much she chooses to debate with me about it.

Instead of arguing, I watch her put her apron in her locker, grab her purse and slip the wad of cash from her pocket inside, then she closes and locks it before turning to me. “I’m ready!” she sing-songs, smiling at me.

“I think I understand more why your girls are so friendly, they get it from you,” I tease as we walk through the back door to the employee parking lot.

When we took over the bar, we did a complete overhaul, putting in more lights, cameras that are around the building, as well as inside, plus a security system that probably rivals those on government buildings. It might upset those looking to hook up in the back alley, but there was no way the club was going to allow those under our employ to get mugged or hurt. They may not be in the club per se, but they’re still ours and if nothing else, we protect those we consider friends.

She hits the key fob and I open the door for her, causing her to give me a startled look. “I could’ve gotten the door,” she says, giving me a dumbfounded look.

“Not when I’m around, Holly. If I’m in the same proximity as you are, I’ll always get your door for you,” I reply, holding it open so she can slide into the driver’s seat.

“Wow,” she whispers to herself. Then, smiling up at me, her cheeks pink, she says, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’ll follow behind you.”

She doesn’t even try to argue; maybe it’s because I used a firm tone, and she recognizes this is an argument she’s not gonna win. Instead, she nods, I close the door then wait until she’s buckled her seatbelt and starts her SUV before I toss my leg over my saddle and get seated on my bike, then I follow her toher house, honking my horn when she steps onto her porch and through her front door.

I don’t stick around, however, since it’s so fucking late. Or early depending on how you look at it. I only followed her to make sure she got home safe and sound.

Back at the clubhouse, I head to the bar for a beer to relax and unwind with. It’s nearly three in the morning, but I’m not slated to go into the shop until later this afternoon, so I’ll hang in the main room with a few of the brothers who are still up then get some sleep.

“Beer, Neesie, please,” I tell the club bunny who’s tending our bar.

“Coming right up, Rebel,” she replies, turning to the beer cooler. She places it in front of me and I turn to Data once she’s stepped away.

“Need you to do some research for me, Brother,” I tell him after taking a long pull of my beer. “I want a background check done on Holly, last name is Barnes, plus I also want one done on her ex. Don’t have his last name, but his first name is Devin, his mother’s name is Myra, and he died about six months ago after an accident. Think you can find him?”

“Fuck, that’s gonna be a piece of cake,” Data replies. “Small town, remember? And I think I know the douchebag you’re talking about. He was a real tool if memory serves. Should have something later today for you, Pres.”

“Appreciate it. We need to have church once you get that information. Because Myra is making Holly’s life a living hell.”

“Someone’s captured your attention? I thought after Paula you vowed to never get serious with anyone again, Reb,” he murmurs so that Neesie doesn’t hear.

“Holly’s different, Data. Can’t explain it, but she’s the one,” I reply, finishing my beer. “Thanks for checking into all that for me. Gonna hit the hay.”

Once I’m in my room, I take a quick shower then slip into bed, grabbing my remote to find the game I recorded earlier. That ability is one of the better things to come out of technology advancements. I may end up knowing the end scores, but I can still watch my favorite teams whenIwant to watch them.

“She’s nothing like Paula,” I whisper to myself.

Paula was a temptress and I very nearly fell for her machinations. She saw dollar signs since all the club businesses do extremely well, and each of the brothers, depending on their role in the club, is wealthy in their own right. As the president, my cut is the largest, but what the brothers make is nothing to sneeze at. I actually had a ring and planned to propose to her and make her my old lady when Ash told me he had overheard her talking to a friend when she didn’t realize anyone was listening.

She had planned to systematically switch things from my account to hers until I was virtually broke, then she was going to leave. At the time, since I thought I was in love with her, it damn near broke my heart. Instead, I ended the relationship with her, banned her from all of our businesses, and vowed to never let another woman get close to me again.

Then I met Holly in the produce section of our local grocery store. A woman who is raising two little girls, working what amounts to two jobs, and she still has a smile on her face. Granted, it doesn’t quite meet her eyes unless she’s with her daughters or talking about her grandparents, but one day, she’ll smile at me like that, and I can’t wait.

I know it’s going to take some time, though, because of whatever her ex did to her. But I’m a patient man and one of the attributes I learned from being in law enforcement as long as I was, is that anything worth having is worth working and waiting for.

And Holly is my game changer.

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