Page 22 of Harley's Hex
One of them looked up—a big man with silver threaded through his dark beard and a cut that said Savage—President stitched across the chest.
Beast stopped beside him. “You Savage?” he asked, feeling like a fool. Anyone who could read would know that the guy was Savage.
The man looked him up and down before nodding once. “Depends on who’s asking.”
“Name’s Beast. I’ve got a rig out in your back lot with two slashed tires. Figured I should let someone know before I start throwing around accusations.”
Savage leaned back in his chair, assessing him. “You passing through town?”
“Yeah,” Beast breathed. I stopped in for coffee, not trouble, but that seems to be what I’ve found. It looks like someone slashed both my tires.” Beast stood over the big biker and waited him out.
“Trouble’s easy to find around here,” Savage said, tone calm but pointed. “You piss anybody off tonight?” He had kept to himself tonight, like most nights, so pissing someone off hadn’t happened as far as he knew.
“Not unless your bartender over there is going to get me jumped for ordering caffeine,” he joked, but Savage didn’t seem to find his joke funny at all.
That earned him a low chuckle from Belle, who’d come around the counter to stand near them, arms crossed. “He’s telling the truth. Guy’s been nothing but polite. And up until ten minutes ago, he’s been sitting at the bar drinking that sludge we pass off as coffee.”
Savage looked between them, then nodded. “All right. Probably some punk was just looking to make a statement or something. You’re not going to get those tires replaced ‘tilMonday, though.” Beast already figured that he was stuck until sometime on Monday.
Beast blew out a frustrated breath. “I figured about that much,” he admitted. He chanced a look back at Belle, who was still watching all of them. She seemed interested in his circumstances, and he wondered why that was.
“You can crash upstairs in one of the empty rooms above the bar,” Savage said after a pause. “We keep a few rooms open for patch members and friends for when things get a bit too rowdy around here. You’re neither, but Belle says you seem like a good guy, so that’s good enough for me.”
Beast wasn’t sure who he should thank—Savage, or the sexy bartender. “Appreciate it,” he said. I’ll pay for the room.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Savage said. “Just don’t bring any heat here, and we’ll call it even. I don’t need any trouble in my club. My guys seem to find enough of that on their own.”
Belle tilted her head toward the hallway behind the bar. “Come on, I’ll show you the way,” she said.
He followed her through the narrow corridor, up a set of creaking stairs that smelled faintly of smoke and old whiskey. The upstairs hall had a row of doors; each marked with a faded number, and she stopped at number three. “It’s not fancy,” she said, handing him a key, “but it’s clean, safe, and warm. You have fresh sheets and hot water—you just have to give it a few minutes to warm up.”
He met her gaze and nodded. “It’s more than I expected,” he admitted. “Thanks for putting a good word in for me with Savage. I’m not sure why you did that, but I appreciate it.”
Belle smiled a little, that same soft curve of her lips that had caught his attention earlier. “Guess it’s your lucky night, Beast. And no problem about putting in a good word with Savage for you. We might not know each other, but I’m a pretty good judgeof character. I think I’m right about you, Beast—you’re a good guy.”
He huffed out his laugh. “I don’t know if getting my tires slashed qualifies me as lucky.”
“Maybe it does,” she said, eyes steady on his. “Depends on what happens while you’re stuck here in town.”
Belle
Belle was almost done wiping down the bar when she heard boots on the stairs. The sound was heavy and deliberate—too steady to belong to one of the drunk regulars who sometimes crashed in one of the rooms upstairs.
She looked up just as Beast stepped into the light. He looked the same as he had earlier—broad-shouldered, road-tired, and carrying that air of quiet watchfulness she’d noticed the moment he walked in. But now, with most of the guys gone, and the music on the speakers humming something low and sexy, she could take the time to really study him. The shadows softened the sharp edges of his face, and there was something in his eyes that didn’t quite match the rough exterior. She wasn’t lying earlier when she told Savage that Beast seemed to be a good guy. She could see it in his eyes, not that she’d tell any of the guys that, for fear that they’d never let her live it down.
“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked, tossing the bar rag aside and nodding to the barstool in front of her.
He shook his head, sliding onto a stool. “Guess I’m not used to sleeping in a real bed. I’ve spent most of the last month in mytruck. The hot shower helped, though. I don’t get too many of those on the road. By the time I get to the truck stop, most of the hot water has been used up, and I end up taking a cold shower and grumbling about it all the way back to my truck.”
She smirked, “I’ve known a few truckers in my time, and they all liked to tell me about where they could grab the best hot showers. You have it mapped out, too?” she asked.
He shrugged, “Not really. I just know how nice it is to have hot water on your aching muscles after a long drive.”
“That’s why I couldn’t handle that life,” she admitted. “I spent most of my childhood never staying in one place as an Army brat. So, now that I have a say in where I live, I kind of like staying in one place.”
He gave her a crooked grin, the kind that hinted at a story he wasn’t telling. “Yeah, well, some days I can’t handle it either, but it’s not too bad, for the most part. I do miss seeing my parents and sisters’ families—sometimes. Especially during the holidays.” As an only child, Belle had always dreamed of having siblings to spend the holidays with. She imagined big Christmas dinners and kids running all around, but that was not in the cards for her—especially after she lost both of her parents in a house fire when she was just a teenager. Her elderly grandmother had taken her in, but she was on her own for the most part.
Belle poured him a fresh cup of coffee. He hadn’t asked, but somehow, she knew he wanted it. His hands wrapped around the mug like it was something solid to hold onto. “I thought you might have trouble sleeping after tonight’s events, so I brewed a fresh pot. Hope it’s better than what I gave you earlier.” He took a sip of the hot coffee and nodded his agreement, even letting a soft groan of approval escape his chest. She wasn’t sure why that noise turned her on, but it had. Maybe it was because it had been a damn long time since she had found a guy sexy enough to takeher to his room, but Beast sure fit that bill. Sure, she could chalk it up to just being lonely, but there was something about him that made her girl parts stand up and pay attention.
