Chapter 1 Snooki
“Ican’t believe you talked me into this,” I joked, stuffing more Halloween decorations into the basket of my cart. “This is obscene.”
In truth, it wasn’t. Not really, if you compared it to previous years.
The Crossroads celebrated Halloween every year to the fullest extent.
It was a month-long party that ended on All Hallows’ Eve with a massive celebration that reminded me of a carnival.
It happened to be one of my favorite traditions. I looked forward to it every October.
Trish snickered. “Well, I’d be with you right now, but I have babies napping.”
Trish, Grim’s ol’ lady, and the club president’s wife, had become one of my closest friends. Me. A club girl who used to sleep regularly with several of the members. Most notably, Rael. That was before he met Nylah.
Was I bitter? No. I genuinely liked Nylah, and Rael adored her. They were a perfect couple. Besides, it had been years since he fell for the blonde nurse. Their little family had grown to three babies now. I hadn’t thought of him in that way for so long that it felt like ancient history now.
“True,” I replied. “I don’t have that excuse.”
I meant it as a joke, but my voice cracked.
Damnit.
“Hey, Snooki. It’ll happen to you. The right guy is going to come along and sweep you right off your feet.”
I snorted. “Right.”
“I bet it happens when you least expect it.”
I hated that phrase. It was so... I don’t know... falsely hopeful.
“Well, I’m not actively looking. Besides, Tonopah doesn’t have a lot to choose from,” I pointed out as I picked up a few boxes of purple and orange lights and placed them in the cart.
Tonopah, Nevada, was a small town in the middle of the desert—three hours from Las Vegas and four from Reno. Most people who passed through wanted to visit The Clown Motel, stargaze, or check out the haunted Mizpah Hotel. There weren’t a lot of single men moving to this old silver mining town.
“I guess you’re right,” she conceded. “I just want you to be happy, Snooki. You’re family. We all love you.”
It meant a lot to hear her say that, but she didn’t need to remind me. I already knew my place at The Crossroads and with the club. My role had changed since I stopped sleeping with the members. I’d become an employee and indispensable as a cook. It was a change I welcomed and loved.
I loved meal planning, prep, and feeding the club members as well as their families. It gave my life purpose and meaning beyond caring for the members in other pleasurable ways.
“I know. I feel the same.”
But... I was lonely. I could admit that.
Trish understood and didn’t press the subject. “What have you piled in the cart so far?”
“Lights. Giant spiders and rats. Oh, spooky candelabra that scream.”
“They scream?”
“Yep. Motion detected.”
“Oh, that’s perfect. What else?”
I went through the list, naming everything I stuffed into the cart. Trish planned to reimburse me once I brought her the receipt. “Last thing. I found a giant reaper.”
“No way,” she breathed. “How big?”
“Eight feet tall. He’s got an enormous scythe and his eyes glow red. Listen.” I pushed the button on the display and nearly jumped when the reaper’s screech filled the air, followed by sinister laughter. “What do you think?”
“I don’t care how much it is. Pick it up. We’ve got to have it.”
I didn’t point out that we already had several different reapers we used for Halloween. The club loved them. There was a reason for that, which I didn’t bring up over the phone, where anyone around us could overhear.
“I’ll get it. I still need to stop for groceries, too.”
“Take your time. You good for funds?”
It wasn’t insulting that she asked. Shopping for the club produced hefty bills. I appreciated that she wanted to know and didn’t want to put me in a position where I’d be strapped for money. “I think so.”
“If you take a pic of the receipt, I’ll send you cash right away.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Text me if you need anything else.”
“I will.”
We ended the call, and I pushed my cart to the front of the check-out lane, adding the Grim Reaper to the final purchase.
As I left the store and approached the SUV I’d borrowed, I realized I didn’t think this through.
The reaper was gigantic. And heavy. How the hell was I going to move this box by myself?
I decided to save the reaper for last. After unloading the shopping cart, I attempted to lift the box and grunted, nearly dropping it as the cart tried to roll away from me.
In a moment of panic, I shouted a few obscenities, clutching the sides of the box and trying to use my foot to keep the cart from slamming into the back of the SUV.
Just as my fingers began to slip, I heard a deep voice offering help.
“Let me get that for you, darlin’.”
My head snapped up, and I met the rugged, amused gaze of a stranger. He slid his hands around mine and over the box corners, using his body to keep the cart from slipping away.
“You can let go now.”
Um. Okay. I released the death grip I had on the box and stepped back, ducking under the thick, corded muscular arms of the stranger. Damn. Fucking arm candy.
I had a thing for veiny, muscular, inked arms. His tattoos covered every inch of his skin in black ink. I didn’t even pay attention to what they were beyond a skull and headstone because he spoke to me again and snared my attention. “Huh?”
A chuckle escaped that was half grit, half humor. “I said it’s secure now, darlin’. Need help with anything else?”
Speech? My racing heart? My fucking neglected clit? Nope. I decided not to say any of that out loud. Smart choice.
“Um, thank you. No.”
My gaze swept over him from head to toe, and I stared right back, not the least bit shy about it.
No one should look that good in dark jeans, a black shirt, and a leather cut.
I’d been around enough bikers to know what they called the leather vests they wore.
It was sinful how the material of his jeans hugged his crotch and upper thighs.
Shit. I was staring at his bulge. Before I knew what I was doing, I was licking my lips. Smooth, Snooki.
“Darlin’, you gotta stop looking at me like that before I throw you on the back of my Harley and ride off somewhere private.”
Yes! Wait. No. Bad Snooki. Get a grip, girl.
“Sorry.” I blinked. Wow, I should have been mortified, but I was stuck on his offer. Okay. Not an offer. Just a declaration.
Can I still accept?
My vibrator was definitely not doing its job properly. We’d have to discuss this later. In depth.
A low growl erupted from the stranger’s chest as he stepped closer. “Damn, sweetheart. I just got into town, and you make me never want to leave.”
Was that my hand plastered to his chest? Palm flat against his abdominal muscles as he stared at my mouth?
What the hell was I thinking!?
I pulled my hand away and took a step back. “I’m just far too neglected,” I blurted. Shit. “Um, I mean. Uh,” I stammered.
His almond-colored eyes lifted from my mouth, and I swear I saw them darken with unnamed emotion. “I can help with that too, darlin’.”
I swear I processed what he said in less than half a heartbeat, considered it, and was ready to raise my hand like a good girl and tell him to take me hard and wild. In the dirt. On his bike. Wherever he wanted.
Shit. I need to stop reading spicy romance novels.
Of course, I replied with the only logical thing that made sense. “What’s your name?”
He grinned. This sexy as fuck biker flashed white teeth like a wolf scenting prey. “Pagan.” His head dropped as he hovered above my ear. “I’m staying at The Clown Motel. Room 108.”
My head bobbed in response. Wait. I just nodded like I agreed to some secret hookup in a haunted hotel and planned to ride him wilder than his Harley’s engine.
You’re too horny, Snooki, I told myself. It didn’t change facts.
“See ya soon, darlin’.” He kissed the pulse point beneath my ear and strode off, dropping onto the seat of the prettiest bike I had ever seen. It was dark blue and black, sleek, and the chrome sparkled in the waning afternoon sunshine.
He had parked only a few spaces away from me on the left. My thighs squeezed together as I caught his wink and the promise brimming in his eyes. He watched me before he started the engine and rode away.
That hot as fuck biker never asked my name. I couldn’t decide if that pissed me off, insulted me, or turned me on. Ugh.
“I need a good dicking,” I mumbled to myself as I shut the back of the SUV. My toys just weren’t cutting it anymore. I had needs that weren’t being met.
Was it really such a terrible idea to hook up with a sensual, handsome stranger? Someone who didn’t know me as a club girl. Who didn’t have expectations or heard rumors. Just a guy who wanted to fuck and promised pleasure.
Pagan sure looked like he could give me what I wanted.
I sighed as I drove to the market, picked up the items on the grocery list I made earlier that morning, and stuffed the bags into the full vehicle. Once again behind the wheel, I stared at the sun dropping lower to the horizon, thinking of Pagan.
He wore a cut, which meant he belonged to a club.
I caught the Graven Bastards MC logo on the back as he rode away.
The GBMC had clubs all over the U.S. There were quite a few nomads, too.
It didn’t surprise me that Pagan rode into Tonopah, but it did make me pause and wonder why he didn’t ride to the clubhouse. Why stay in a motel?
The Crossroads was always welcome to members, even the nomads. Was Pagan only passing through? Did he have business that didn’t have anything to do with the GBMC?
It was possible. I’d never met him that I could remember. Had he never visited The Crossroads? That could answer the reason he didn’t ride to the clubhouse right away. Maybe he hadn’t met Grim yet.
I left the parking lot and merged onto the road, turning right as I approached an intersection.
The traffic picked up while I was shopping, and the streets were crowded.
Tonopah’s rush hour, which wasn’t much when compared to larger cities, congested the area.
I idled close to the curb in a long line of cars and waited for the light to turn green.
The rumble of a motorcycle engine caught my attention as I moved forward, and I stopped as the light flipped to red again. Across from me, astride his Harley, Pagan also waited for the light to change. He didn’t notice me yet, glancing at his phone before shoving it back inside his cut.
The light changed again, and I took my foot off the brake.
Just as my car inched forward, I noticed movement out of the corner of my left eye.
A truck was speeding far too fast toward the intersection, weaving around cars as they moved, pushing its way through to reach the light before it turned red.
Pagan picked up speed on his bike as the truck approached. I knew they would collide. Pagan wasn’t looking at the traffic on his left. He was focused on the road ahead of him as he moved with the traffic.
I slammed on my brakes and threw the car into park, flinging my door open as someone honked at me.
I shouted Pagan’s name as I stepped out, and everything seemed to slow down to an agonizing pace.
The breath sawing in and out of my lungs.
Someone flipping me off as they drove around my stopped car. The screech of tires behind me.
Pagan’s gaze cut to mine. Surprise flitted across his face before he frowned. He still didn’t notice the truck careening toward him. Frantic, I waved my arms and pointed toward danger.
The truck reached the intersection as Pagan’s bike passed through, colliding with the back tire.
The impact spun the biker before he was hit a second time and tossed into the air, flipping over as the Harley landed on the hard asphalt.
The bike smashed into the corner of the nearest building, dragging its rider across the unforgiving terrain.
The crunch of metal and shattering of glass hit my ears as I screamed. “Pagan!”
Oh, fuck!
Was he alive? Dead?
I rushed toward him, not even pausing to consider the other drivers and vehicles as I pulled my cell from my pocket and called the only person I knew could help.
Nylah answered on the second ring. “Hey, Snooki. I’m at work,” she began.
“I know! I need you! I’m at the intersection of Main and Fifth. There’s been an accident. Someone struck a biker!”
“Shit! Call 9-1-1. I’m on my way!”
She hung up, and I dialed again, blurting the emergency into the phone as I gripped it while dropping to my knees beside Pagan.
“He’s not moving,” I told the dispatcher. “His eyes are closed.”
Tears stung my eyes as I dropped my gaze to his chest. A slight rise and fall confirmed he still breathed. Blood covered the dirt and asphalt as I noticed a tear in his jeans. Blood spurted from a wound in his thigh as he groaned.
“Hey! I’m right here, Pagan. Help is on the way,” I assured him as I lifted my hand and pressed down on his wound, applying pressure. I could feel the artery beneath my fingertips as I dragged air into my lungs. “Please don’t die on me,” I begged as I heard sirens in the distance.
This wasn’t how I planned to meet Pagan a second time.
Fate was an asshole.