Page 7 of Phoenix

“They both meet at the bar, but on alternate nights. Tonight is a special night because both clubs are using the bar tonight for a joint party. It’s going to be so much fun,” Juno squealed. She pulled into the same parking lot that Phoenix had been stranded in just weeks ago when Riggs rode into her rescue. She had a feeling that he wouldn’t do the same for her again, given the circumstances.

They parked in the back of the lot, and all got out of the car. Phoenix could feel her friends’ excitement and all she could feel were butterflies in the pit of her stomach because she was suddenly so nervous. They walked into the back door of the bar and Phoenix felt about ready to throw up. She wasn’t usually this nervous to go to a bar, but for some reason, tonight she was.

“I’ll go find Savage, and you stay here,” Vixen ordered.

“We’re doing that now?” Phoenix asked.

“Yep, because we planned on getting you shit-faced and you won’t be able to interview for anything then,” Vixen said. They were going to be the death of her, but Phoenix needed a job and if Savage had one to give, she’d do as Vixen ordered. She waited in the back hallway until Vixen appeared with a giant man covered in tattoos. “Savage,” he said, holding out his large hand to her. She slipped hers into his and it looked as though it had completely disappeared.

“Um, I’m Phoenix,” she squeaked.

“I hear you are Aggie’s granddaughter,” Savage said, “and that it’s your birthday.” She glared at Vixen who just shrugged as though it wasn’t a big deal to tell a total stranger Phoenix’s personal business.

“Yes, and it is,” Phoenix said.

“Well, happy birthday. Your drinks are on me tonight,” Savage said.

“Oh, I couldn’t let you do that,” Phoenix insisted.

“Sure, you can—it’s already done. And I hear that you have waitressing experience. Would you like to work here?” he asked.

Phoenix tried to look around him and Vixen but had no luck. “Um, I think that I would, but I haven’t seen the place yet.”

Savage’s deep baritone laugh filled the hallway, and he led the way out to the bar. The place was packed and rowdy as hell. She knew that it would keep her on her toes, being a waitress there, but it seemed like a pretty fun place to work.

“You have a great place,” she shouted over the music.

“Does that mean you’ll take the job then?” Savage asked. She nodded her agreement, and he shook her hand. “You can start tomorrow,” he said, “be here at seven and wear comfortable shoes.” He looked down at her heels and shook his head. “Not those.” She smiled up at him and nodded again.

“Thank you,” she shouted.

“Go have fun, but not too much fun. You have to work tomorrow night,” he ordered. Phoenix gave him a mock salute and he laughed again. “I like her,” he said to Vixen. They talked for a few minutes and Phoenix stood there feeling like a third wheel. She looked around the bar, noting that everyone there seemed to be having fun, and she wondered if it was always that way. At her old job, they had a lot of fights, usually between rival gangs. Savage Hell seemed like a great place to work.

Phoenix decided to venture to the bar on her own while Vixen finished her conversation with Savage. That was when she saw him—Riggs. He was sitting at the end of the bar, staring her down, and from the scowl on his handsome face, he wasn’t too happy to see her. Well, two could play that game. Phoenix was just fine drinking at the other end of the bar with her friends. She didn’t need Riggs to pay her one bit of attention—and yeah, that was a total lie.

Riggs

Riggs couldn’t take his damn eyes off Phoenix as she celebrated her birthday with her friends. He had forgotten that she grew up in town, living with Aggie, and she had friends before she left town. She and her three friends seemed to be living it up, dancing with each other and drinking way more than any of them could handle. And yet, he sat in the corner just watching her. He should have stopped her from drinking so much because he knew from experience that she was going to have a wicked hangover in the morning.

What mystified him was that Phoenix talked to Savage for a few minutes when she first got there, and it was killing him not knowing what they chatted about. Savage appeared as though just thinking about him would summon him. He handed Riggs another beer over the bar and looked him over.

“You look pissed and annoyed all at the same time. Does your bad mood have anything to do with my new waitress?” Savage asked.

“Wait, your new waitress?” Riggs asked. “You hired Aggie’s granddaughter?”

“I did,” Savage said, “you know how long I’ve been looking, and not a lot of women, or men, for that matter want to work in a biker club. She has experience, and I hired her. She starts tomorrow.” He watched Savage walk down to the other end of the bar as he thought about leaving. He needed to go because sitting there watching Phoenix wasn’t working out for him. Shit, the last thing Riggs needed was to have to stare down Phoenix every night at his club as she waited on the other guys. It was bad enough that he wanted her—God, he wanted her. But she was almost ten years younger than him and a single mother, not that her having a kid bothered him. In fact, she thought that the kid was pretty darn cute, but that didn’t mean that he should cross the boundary of dating a woman who was way too young for him. How would that look to everyone in town? He’d look desperate, like a cradle robber, or a dirty old man. Plus, going out with a woman ten years his junior wouldn’t help her reputation around town, and Phoenix didn’t need that.

A slow song came on, and one of his club brothers walked up to the group of women and Riggs found himself holding his breath, waiting to see which one he was going to ask to dance. And when he reached for Phoenix’s hand and she took his, he actually groaned out loud. Savage shot him a look and smiled, knowing what Riggs was thinking.

He stood by Riggs again and he knew that Savage was going to give him some hell. “So, Aggie’s granddaughter,” he said.

“What about Aggie’s granddaughter?” Riggs grumbled.

“You like her,” Savage said. He wasn’t asking—he could probably see the truth all over his face.

“She’s too fucking young for me,” Riggs shouted, garnering more attention than he wanted.

“She turned twenty-one today,” Savage said. He knew exactly what today was—her birthday, and he was still kicking himselffor not accepting her invitation to have a drink with Phoenix on her birthday.

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