Chapter 1 - RACHEL
“My feet are killing me!” I grumble as I take off the 6 inch patent black heels I’m required to wear for work. I’ve done an eight hour shift on my feet in these things.
“Try dancing in the 6 inch heels honey” Becca says as she laughs and pulls on her grey crop hoodie. She looks stunning up there on the pole and always has every eye in the building on her. She’s done this for a year now but she has danced all her life from what she’s told me.
“Oh god no! I can barely walk in them, never mind dance!” I chuckle as I fling on my jeans over the tiny shorts and pull on my Nikes.
“How you finding it now? Are the grabby men and sleazy boss starting to become second nature?” Becca asks me as we head outside and I take a deep breath of the early morning air. It’s 5am the sun just starting to rise. We work from 9pm every night to 5am in the morning and it’s tiring, but I just keep telling myself I need the money.
“I mean I don’t think it’s something I will ever get used to but I’m sticking with it. How else will I get enough money in eight months to support me and this little bean” I rub my belly and smile at my new friend who has quickly became my life line down here in Florida.
“You will be fine honey, don’t you worry. I will help you out. Come on you hungry?” She heads across the road to the 24 hours diner that we go to after every shift.
“Im starving! Although not sure if it’s worth eating breakfast just now when I will be bringing it back up in a few hours” I smile at her as we enter the diner and grab our regular booth in the corner next to the window.
“Well you need to eat to keep up your strength for you and little bean. Come on my treat this morning, a big shot businessman was in last night and tipped big!” She wiggles her eyebrows at me causing me to laugh as the waitress comes over to take our order. I order french toast with some fruit since I’m not sure my stomach could handle much more.
We’re sitting eating our breakfast and chatting away when there is a rumble that slowly approaches from outside. I know that noise well. It’s a motorbike and I can’t help but look out the window. Even though I know there’s no chance in hell its Saint. Not that I should want to see him. He treated me no better than a whore, and broke my heart. I won’t ever let him do it again.
Outside there is a group of bikers who have all pulled up at the diner and are getting off their bikes. They are all big and brooding, reminding me of the Devils Dare MC and I get a twinge in my heart from missing the crazy group of men.
I watch them as they enter the diner loud and imposing. One of the men catches my eye. He’s tall, dark hair, dark eyes and a scar down his cheek. The scar that should take away from his handsomeness instead adds to it. Stopping him from being to perfect. I’ve obviously been staring for to long because Becca stops talking and turns around in the booth to see what has my attention.
“Oh no! Don’t even look at them girl. The Hell Hounds are trouble with a capital T and trouble you don’t need”
I look at her and blush “I wasn’t thinking anything. They just remind me of friends”
Her eyes bluge as she take a sip of her coffee “you know guys who are in an MC?!”
“Yeah I told you my sister is with the VP of the Devils Dare MC in Montana, I stayed with her for a few months before I came down here so I got to know the guys pretty well” I shrug.
“Ahh, I wondered who the daddy was. Now it makes sense” she says as she tips her head down towards my still flat stomach.
“I don’t know what your talking about” I say looking down to my plate and picking up a strawberry with a smirk.
“Yeah ok whatever you say. Just promise me if you ever go to visit your sister I can come! I need some hunky biker in my life” she fans herself with her hand and laughs.
We continue talking and I try to ignore the men who have sat over to our right. I can feel their eyes on us now and again but I do my best to ignore it. As we are paying the bill I catch the eyes of the guy I noticed when they came in, the one with the scar. He smirks and tilts his head to the side as I struggle to look away, I blush and look down. A guy is the last thing I need right now. I need to concentrate on me and bean. No men allowed.
While I was busy convincing myself I wasn’t interested in a stranger. Said stranger had made his way over to our booth and was now standing at the end of the table.
“Ladies” he says in a smooth deep voice
“Hi” Becca says smiling up at the man but when I look up at him he’s not paying her any attention, his focus is fully on me. I just smile at him shyly and then go to grab my bag from the seat next to me.
“Names Reap, I just had to come over here and say how stunning you are” I glance up and realise he is talking to me which causes me to blush more.
“Oh well thank you, but I find that hard to believe when I’ve just done an eight hour shift and I need sleep” I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear and then stand. He doesn’t back away so I end up a lot closer to him than I want to be “excuse me” I smile at him trying to be polite.
“Yeah sorry but we have sleep to catch up on before we start work again” Becca steps in and tries to help.
“Of course sorry. Where is it you both work?” He asks
“Across the street” Becca says nodding to the sleazy looking strip club.
The guys eyebrows fly upwards “no way your both strippers” he says smiling
“Well she is, I’m not I just waitress” I say pointing to Becca
“Well there is an excuse to visit a strippers if I’ve ever needed one” he says smirking at me again.
I look down again and the start to walk away “was nice meeting you Reap, maybe see you around” Becca says she she follows me outside laughing.
“Damn he was into you!” She says
“Yeah well im not into him! I have enough going on without a man mixed up in everything as well. Plus when he found out I was pregnant he would run for the hills” I smile at her as we jump into my little red fiat 500. My parents got me it for moving to Florida to make it easier for the move. I packed up what little I was taking with me and left thinking I had a brand new future to look forward to. I still do but it’s just going to be completely different to the future I had planned.
