Page 23 of Harley's Hex
“So,” he said, breaking the silence, “what’s your story, Belle? You always been stuck bartending for a bar full of bikers?”
She lifted an eyebrow at the word stuck. “Not stuck. I chose it, really. I needed a job, and this place seemed to fit the bill.” She actually was lucky that she had found the job in the first place. A woman named Harley had moved to New York with one of the bikers—Hex. They left just around Halloween, and she got the job about that time. She was about to give up and move on, hoping that she’d find a job and place to live in another town, but bartending at Savage Hell had saved her the trouble of having to pack up her shit and start over.
She had inherited her grandmother’s little house after she passed, and she had to admit, selling that place was at the top of her list of things to do. She hated that house, and every night she went home to it just made her sad. There were no happy memories for her there. Her grandmother had been a recluse and basically made her one, too. For years, she stayed in with Grandma Minnie, not wanting to seem ungrateful by asking her if she could go out with some friends. Her last two years of high school were lonely ones. Once her friends realized that asking her to go to a party or hang out at the bowling alley wasn’t going to happen, they moved on. By the time she graduated, she had no one except Grandma Minnie, and that plain sucked for her. When her grandmother got sick, she was the one to take care of her, and when she passed, everything was left for her to figure out. And all she wanted to do was sell that God awful house that she had been trapped in for way too long.
“It’s not a bad place to work, really. As long as the guys don’t give me crap, it’s pretty nice working here,” she admitted.
“You don’t seem like the type of woman to take crap from anyone,” he assessed.
“Not twice,” she replied, meeting his eyes. It came out steadier than she felt. There were things she didn’t talk about anymore, things that had taught her to stand her ground, especially around Savage Hell. He didn’t press, just looked at her like he saw more than she was willing to share, and she was thankful that he left it at that.
She changed the subject, nodding toward the window. “Savage will call someone to check your rig in the morning. One of the guys here, Cillian, owns an auto body shop in town, and might be able to get you fixed up—unless he has to order the tires, then it might take some time to get them in. It was probably some local kids trying to make a name for themselves. Happens all the time around here, unfortunately.” There were rival clubs, too, that would have no issue with stepping onto Savage Hell’s property to do something reckless to prove their loyalty to their club. She had learned the hard way that their rivals didn’t give a fuck who they hurt in the process of making a name for themselves.
“Yeah,” he said slowly, tracing the rim of his cup. “Or maybe it was someone with a reason to keep me here.”
That made her pause. “You think you were targeted?”
He gave a small shrug. “Seems a hell of a coincidence, don’t you think?”
Belle studied him, trying to read what was behind that calm, quiet exterior. “Maybe,” she said softly. “Or maybe fate wanted you to slow down for once. When was the last time you slept in a real bed or had a hot shower? You said that it had been a while.”
He huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. “If it’s fate, then she’s got a twisted sense of humor. I’ve been on the road most of the year,” he admitted. “But I was planning on taking some time off to spend with family, once this run was over. They live upin New York—Yonkers area, and I was going to drive North and spend some time up there until the New Year.”
“Well, maybe fate’s sense of humor isn’t as twisted as you think,” she countered, surprising even herself. “You might find something worth sticking around town for.” His gaze met hers, steady and unguarded, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. The music had stopped, and Belle looked around, realizing that they were the only two people still left in the bar. All the other guys had left, and she was sure that Savage was wrapping things up back in his office, as he had every night that he helped to close the bar.
Belle broke the silence first, “I think everyone’s gone home. It’s getting late. You want another cup of coffee?” she asked.
“You have anything stronger?” she smiled at him and nodded. “Unless you want to close up and kick me out.”
“Name your poison,” she breathed. “I have some time, and nowhere to be.” That was the truth. She’d go back to the house that she hated and spend the night thinking of all the things she’d do once she sold the place. Maybe she’d even travel with some of the money, but that wasn’t something that was in her comfort zone. She wasn’t kidding when she said that she couldn’t live life on the road. Her anxiety wouldn’t allow it—not that she usually let her anxiety get the better of her.
“How about some scotch?” he asked. “The brand doesn’t matter. I’m not picky.” She pulled a bottle of scotch from under the bar and handed it to him. His hand brushed hers as he took it—rough and warm. It was the kind of touch that sent a small spark straight up her arm. She pretended not to notice, though, but her heart beat a little faster anyway, and she was sure that she was blushing.
As the night stretched on, Belle realized she wasn’t in a hurry to close up. Something about the way Beast looked at her—quiet but sure, like he saw her instead of just another woman, madeher feel a little less anchored, and for once, she didn’t mind the idea of someone new sticking around and taking up space in her boring little world.
Universal Link->https://books2read.com/u/bzRNoj
Beast’s Christmas Belle (Royal Bastards MC: Yonkers, NY Chapter Christmas Novella Book 4) Coming in December 2025!
Don’t miss the rest of K.L.’s Royal Bastards! Here is the reading order for the
Huntsville, AL Chapter:
Savage Heat
Whiskey Tango
Can’t Fix Cupid
Ratchet’s Revenge
Patched for Christmas
Love at First FightPossessing Demon
Mistletoe and Mayhem
Bullseye- Struck by Cupid’s Arrow
