“Oh look, it’s the cookie chick,” Jigsaw says, his voice a little harsher than it should be. His dark gaze rakes down me again, stopping on the seven pies in my hand. “Whatcha got there, sugar peach?” Like most of these bikers, Jigsaw towers over me, standing at least six four with a lean mass of muscle that’s spattered with tattoos. His long reddish-brown hair is tied back in a ponytail, and I notice there’s a perfectly etched scar abovehis left eye, like he purposely placed it on his eyebrow. At least he looks cleaner than the last time I saw him.
“P—Pies,” I stutter, unsure of what else to say.
He takes another long drag, eyeing me curiously. “What kind?”
Nervous jitters jolt through me. He makes me uncomfortable, and I’m not sure why.
“Two p—pumpkin, two p—pecan, apple, peach, and chocolate.”
He smirks. “I love me a good peach pie. I hope yours is worth it.”
I try to paint on my best smile but fail. “Everyone usually gushes about my peach pies.”
That smirk spreads wickedly across his face, more smoke curling around him like an ominous cloud of rejection. “I bet your peach tastes divine when it gushes.” He licks his lips, obviously not referring to my pies.
“Back the fuck off, Jigsaw,” Krampus exclaims, appearing out of nowhere.
The other biker straightens, but doesn’t leave. “I can see why you’re so into baked goods lately, VP. I’d be getting a sweet tooth too if my dealer looked like this.” Jigsaw’s eyes dart to me, and he grabs his crotch. “I bet your mouth taste as sweet as your pies, sweetheart.”
Krampus grabs him by the shirt and throws him up against the wall. “I said stand the fuck down! That’s a fucking order.”
Jigsaw holds up his hands and smirks. “I haven’t seen you like this before, Krampus. She must be something pretty special if you’re ready to throw down with your brother over her… pie.” That smirk only widens further.
“If you so much as even look at her again, Jigsaw, I’ll cut off your dick.”
My eyes widen.
Jigsaw immediately takes notice. “Careful, VP, you’re going to scare the poor girl off before you even have a chance to taste her.” His gaze turns to me. “If you ever decide not to be into charity cases give me a call. Unlike him, I’m not some disfigured freak.”
That’s all it took to break him. Krampus’ fist flies without warning, a punch so strong it sends the guy to his knees, blood pouring from his nose in rivers.
The scuffle almost makes the pies go flying, but Gremlin suddenly appears, taking the pies from my hand. “I’m here to save the pies,” he announces, before disappearing inside.
Amber appears a few seconds later, and quickly grabs my arm. “Come on, Mindy, before you get hurt.”
“But what about Rich?”
“He’s fine. Trust me, I’ve known the guy for years. Rich can handle himself. Let the guys duke this out. It’ll be good for them.”
She drags me unwillingly inside as Krampus and Jigsaw continue their grapple. “Jigsaw’s a bit of a hot head,” she murmurs as she pulls me toward the kitchen, the instant smells of a massive Thanksgiving feast hitting me like a cloud of smoke.
“Oh goodness, everything smells so amazing!”
There’s a few girls loitering in the kitchen, preparing different side dishes for the meal. Amber stops in front of one of the girls and taps her shoulder.
“Hey, Autumn, I have someone I’d like you to meet.”
The girl whips around all smiles and holiday cheer. She’s got that earthy vibe to her, that always cool and collected in touch with nature type of vibe. Her hair reminds me of chestnuts and fireplaces, but it’s the spattering of freckles lining her nose, and a smile that could light up a room that makes me less afraid of meeting her. She sticks out her hand, fingers slightly dusted with seasoning, and grins.
“So, you must be the infamous pastry girl.”
Amber only smiles in response. “This is Mindy.”
Autumn looks me over, her smile only widening. “Figures it would take a glorious beauty to tame the beast.”
“Beast?”
“Yeah, Krampus. The girls here call him the beast.”
