Page 47 of Evil Beautiful

They were bad enough as it is. But I needed to talk to somebody and a therapist was the best option.

I couldn’t talk to Deon about it, he was blaming himself already. He didn’t need to have more shit piled on top of that.

I was lying there with dark thoughts taking up space in my head when there was a sharp knock on my door and three men in leather kuttes came strolling into the room.

I’ve met Kid before but not the two men with him. He walked up to the side of the bed and his eyes narrowed as he took in the state of my face. It was much better than it had been but still spectacularly bruised with several healing cuts and some swelling.

“Jesus, Kell, you look like shit.” Kid said giving my shoulder a pat.

I tried not to flinch but I didn’t succeed. His eyes flared but he didn’t say anything, just withdrew his hand and sat in the chair Pixie had been in not so long ago.

“This is Spider and Wrath. I don’t think you’ve met them. I’ve made arrangements with Gideon, they are going to hang out with you today, giving you time to get to know them. It will be easier if you knew more of us when you move into the room at the clubhouse. Your room is on the same floor as Wrath’s and between him and Spider they will help you settle in and introduce you to the brothers and the women.”

As he explained the reason he had come to see me I looked at the men with him. Spider was tall, broad shouldered with shoulder length blonde hair, very blue eyes and a dark blonde scruffy beard. Wrath was taller than him and broader but not by much. He had short dark hair, hazel eyes and a short dark beard. Their eyes were on my face and neither one made any moves to get closer to the bed. I appreciated the gesture but I knew I had to get over the uneasy feeling I now had around men.

“Good to meet you.” I nodded at them before looking back at Kid.

“Thank you for letting me stay at the compound while Gideon takes care of shit. My brother offered to take me to his house but I don’t want to drag him into my mess. And Gideon vetoed it anyway. I won’t be causing problems for you by coming to your compound will I?”

That’s what worried me the most. Dragging innocents into this mess I was in with Gideon.

The bikers grinned. And those grins were totally predatory.

“No, not at all, we’re happy to have you staying with us.” Kid said through an evil looking grin.

It was as if the three of them wanted trouble to come looking for me while I was at the clubhouse.

I opened my mouth to reply but the words never materialised.

My surfing buddy interrupted.

Strange bounced into the room, stepped around the men staring at her, came to my bed and pressed a soft kiss to my mouth.

Her asymmetrically cut blonde hair stood up in salt encrusted spikes and the slight redness on her nose and cheeks told me she had been on the beach all morning. A wide smile curved her mouth as she straightened.

“You’re looking better today, that makes me happy.”

Seeing her smile made me smile. “I feel better and it makes me happy too. Have you been surfing all morning?”

She gave a quick nod then wrinkled her nose.

“We’ve been prepping for the competition next week and it’s going great. Only shitty part was some asshole crashed our group and kept asking questions about you. He spouted some shit that he was going to be your partner at the big wave event this winter. Brody and Adam chased him off after I told him you were my partner not his. Stupid ass.” She gave a disgusted snort. “And now I’m pissed off all over again.”

I knew exactly who had been bugging them. Gary.

With a groan I pushed my too long hair away from my face.

“Was his name Gary? Average height, well built, short dark hair, clean shaven and with a full sleeve on his left arm?”

She frowned as she leant closer and growled. “Yes. Who the hell is he?”

First Pixie and now Strange. It didn’t give me a good feeling at all.

“A client who won’t take no for an answer. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was happy to do his ink but that I wouldn’t be surfing with him. The bastard is an adrenalin junky. He saw Adam’s photo on the wall of my cubicle and has been bugging me ever since. He even called Pixie.”

“You’re a surfer?” The one Kid had introduced as Spider asked but he wasn’t looking at me, he was looking at Strange. And there was a lot of interest in those blue eyes of his.

Strange turned and for the first time since she bounced into the room she looked at him, really looked at him.

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