“Okay, fine I’ll change them.”
She flashes me with a megawatt smile and practically skips out to our tiny apartment kitchen. Minutes later, I can smell the coffee before she hands me a cup.
“Here. Get going, missy. We leave in thirty!”
I step into the brightly painted bathroom. It’s the cheeriest color of yellow and a stark contrast to my waning energy level.Turning on the shower, I slip under the warm spray. This is going to be fun…right?
Ugh, I don’t even believe me.
Marley drives like a Bat Out of Hell towards a side of town I’m not as familiar with. We both recently moved to Cranson Creek, so I’m still learning the area. Music blasts from the speakers, and we sing our hearts out to every pop song that plays. Even though I would never admit it to Marley, I’m happy she dragged me out tonight. I need a night with my girl.
“Where is this party at Mar? I don’t recognize anything here.” I say, while turning the radio down. She quickly makes a sharp right turn off the main street down a dirt road.
“Okay, don’t freak out please.” She squeaks as we drive closer to a tall gate with barbed wire swirled on top. My stomach tightens as I look over at my sweet, smiling best friend.
“Marley May Janson, where the hell have you taken me?” I glare at her as she keeps driving, never once looking over at me. We roll up to the gate and a man with a very large gun steps out of a small house-like booth. Slowly he bends down and rests his forearms on the windowsill, coming eye level with both of us. My palms start to sweat and the coffee in my stomach churns.
What is this?
“Hey Marley, Blaze is waiting for you in the parking lot. Who’s your friend?” The large man drawls as he juts his chin in my direction.
He’s actually quite handsome with shaggy blonde hair and a short beard, but the giant gun strapped to his chest brings me right back to reality.
“This is my bestie, Jenna!” She says with that smile still plastered on her face. Is she crazy? Does she not see his gun? Or the barbed wire? And who the hell is Blaze? Weren’t we here to meet Max?
The giant man smirks at me. “Pleased to meet you, gorgeous. Go on in you two. Enjoy the party.”
With that, the gate slowly opens up to a large parking lot filled with motorcycles and cars. A huge black industrial building sits at the back of the lot and a few other garage-like buildings sit on either side. People mill around the parking lot and buildings, seemingly oblivious to our arrival.
Marley slowly drives into the lot but maneuvers around cars to a specific spot, almost as if she has been here before.
“Okay, last time I ask, Mar. Where are we and who is Blaze? Where’s Max?”
Her face is bright red by the time she actually turns to look at me. It only turns that particular shade when she’s nervous. Marley releases a heavy breath.
“We are currently at the Hell Chasers’ Clubhouse and this is a welcome home party for one of the brothers. Blaze is Max’s road name and F.Y.I. you are only allowed to call him Blaze when we’re around his brothers or actually anywhere, really. And he’s the Vice President of the motorcycle club.” She finishes so quickly I barely have time to process the information
I look around the lot and upon further inspection notice almost all the men are wearing black leather vests with patches on the back and front. Turning back to my best friend, I take a moment to center myself before I explode. I mean, what the hell is she thinking bringing us here? I try to take steady breaths and count to ten slowly, but it doesn’t work.
“What? You brought me to a biker clubhouse without giving me a warning. Marley, take me home!”
Out of nowhere, a man taps on her window, startling both of us.
Before I can get a look at the guy, Marley squeals and practically leaps out of the car, jumping straight into his arms. The two of them latch onto each other’s mouths and for a moment my heart squeezes for Marley. She looks so happy with this man, something I can’t say I’ve seen before.
After what feels like ten full minutes of having to watch them play tonsil hockey, the tall man sets my best friend down.
“Jenna, get out of the car, let’s go have some fun. I didn’t tell you because I knew you would say no,” Marley says into the open car door.
Well, she has a point.
She turns back to the man standing behind her watching our interaction with curiosity, “This is Blaze, well Max, but remember, we call him Blaze.” She says as she raises her eyebrow to drive home the point.
The man standing next to Marley practically bends in half to address me in the car. “Hi there, you must be Jenna. And based on your facial expression, I’m guessing you’re surprised to be here?”
“You could say that,” I grumble, pulling the door handle a little too hard, trying to take my frustration out on the car and not my friend. Stepping out of the vehicle, I once again scan the crowd around me, immediately noticing I am extremely overdressed.
Every woman here is dressed in either a micro skirt or booty shorts and a tiny cropped top. And those are just the women who’d chosen to actually wear clothes.
