3. Melody
MELODY
The bonfire licks at the night sky, sending up showers of sparks every time a bit of wood sputters in the inferno.
With the sun gone, the air is cool enough that it feels nice.
Music plays from several different directions, a blend of heavy metal, rock, and a thudding dance beat.
There’s a constant hum of people talking, laughing, and having a good time.
Every once in a while, a bike roars to life.
If either Red or my Dad are looking for me, I haven’t noticed, and right now I’m happy where I am.
We claimed a spot on the ground a little ways away from the fire, and I’m using Mad Dog’s leg as a backrest. I lick a spot of barbecue sauce off my finger and throw my last chicken bone into the pile before taking a sip of beer.
“You old enough for that?” Riptide asks.
I side-eye him. “You’re asking now? Do you really care? Or is this your roundabout way of finding out if I’m legal?”
Rebel’s cutting apart an apple with a knife that appeared from nowhere and is probably illegal in at least a few states. He pops a wedge into his mouth and chews. “College girl?”
“Nope,” I answer, popping the P.
Mad Dog shifts. “High school?”
I let my smile grow long enough that they start to look a little nervous.
“God, your faces. I’m turning twenty in a couple months.
So no, technically I shouldn’t be drinking this.
” I raise the bottle and take another swig.
“But also no, nobody’s going to haul you off for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. College just isn’t my thing, I guess.”
“So how’d you end up here?” Riptide’s voice is rich and smooth, with just a hint of Southern California.
In a different life, I could picture him as a lifeguard on a beach, or with a surfboard under one arm, but he’s too rough for it.
His edges are a little too sharp. “You’re too…
” He gestures my way, searching for the word. “Cute for a slut.”
I blink. “What did you just say?”
“Relax, baby.” Mad Dog’s fingers trail down onto my shoulder, his calluses rough against my sensitive skin. “It’s what we call the girls who become regulars at the club. Hell, it’s what they call themselves to make a point of who belongs to us and who’s just a tourist.”
“Belongs?”
“Not literally,” he clarifies quickly. “But if a girl enjoys the lifestyle and the benefits of our protection, and the brothers enjoy the benefits of her company… Well, sometimes they stick around for a while and everyone—”
“Benefits?” I suggest.
“Exactly.” He taps a knuckle on the top of my head to emphasize his point.
I roll my eyes and hide my smile behind the beer bottle. “So you’re all in the same club?”
“The Screaming Eagles? Yeah. Best fucking bunch of misfits you could ask for,” Riptide says proudly.
“Are there a lot of members?”
“We’ve got a few guys,” Rebel says with a smirk. “You must not be local.”
I shake my head. “I live a couple hours away. Near Lake City.”
“You’re a little out of your way, then. So what’s your story?” Riptide asks. “This isn’t the sort of party you accidentally wander into.”
“No, I—I was invited. I came with this guy I didn’t really know, but he basically started ignoring me as soon as we were here, so I ditched him. My dad really loves motorcycles, so I thought it would be fun.” Not the whole truth, but not exactly a lie either.
I might not know much about Dad’s life, but I know how private he is about it, and how important it was to him that me and Mom were kept away. I grew up being told not to talk about him or his friends, and those lessons sit deep.
“Your daddy, huh? I don’t think anyone would want their little girl wandering around here on her own. Never know what kind of dangerous criminals you might run into,” Mad Dog says with a chuckle.
I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s been pretty tame so far. I’m starting to think all the warnings are just to make it seem scary and cool.”
Riptide laughs. “Tame?” He nods at a group just a couple yards away. “Maybe before dark, but now that the sun’s gone down, the fun’s getting started.”
I follow the direction of his nod. The details are obscured by the darkness, but the flickering light from the bonfire flashes often enough to make out a female form straddling someone on the ground, and from her movement, I’m pretty sure she’s not just giving him a lap dance.
My mouth goes dry, and something tightens in my chest, warming me all the way through.
Once I’m looking for it, it’s clear they aren’t even the only ones.
Faint sounds of moaning and gasping break through the talking, music, and crackling of the fire.
And nobody seems the least bit bothered that people are literally having sex right out in the open where anyone could walk by.
“You like to watch?” There’s a touch of teasing laughter in Rebel’s voice.
I wrench my eyes away from what I’m pretty sure is a mini orgy. “No, of course not.” I hope it’s dark enough to hide my expression, because the lie is probably written all over my face.
No such luck. “Liar,” he teases.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, okay?” I mumble into my hands. “It’s like watching a train wreck. Hard to not stare.”
Rebel snorts. “It’s a train all right.”
“Not your scene?” Riptide edges a little closer. “I bet you’re at least a little curious. Aren’t you?”
“There’s like five of them,” I whisper. “That’s crazy.”
“A good kind of crazy. If you’re up for it.”
I’m staring right at my empty beer, too nervous to make eye contact because I’m not sure what would come out of my mouth.
What’s it like to have the complete freedom to do whatever you want?
However you want? They don’t seem to give a crap about what anyone sees or thinks.
And apparently that goes for the women here, too.
Mad Dog shifts. He settles me between his legs and puts an arm across my shoulders, pulling me back into his chest. “We don’t have to talk about the wild fucking over there. Not if it makes Melody shy.”
I snuggle into his hold. “You’re making fun of me.”
“Only a little,” Mad Dog says with a soft laugh. “There’s no pressure, baby. It’s not a good time unless everyone’s into it.”
The funny thing is, they don’t know me, and I don’t really know them, but I believe him. I could change the subject, and the night would just carry on. I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about group sex before, but only as a fantasy.
The way they’re so casual about it feels—am I seriously considering this?
A fight breaks out to our left. Someone gets punched hard enough for the sound to carry.
Nearby bikers rush toward it, but in the dark I can’t tell if it’s to stop the fight, join it, or just circle around to watch.
Rebel and his friends shift us farther away without a word, keeping one of them between me and the fight the whole time.
The people in the mini orgy don’t even look up.
“Told you it gets a little wilder after dark,” Mad Dog says as we sit back down. “Now where were we?”
This time it’s Rebel’s chest I’m leaning against.
“You know,” he says quietly, “a lot of girls would be nervous about slipping out into the dark with three Eagles.”
Riptide nods. “They’d think we’d have ulterior motives.”
I wet my lips nervously. “Do you?”
Riptide puts his hand on the ground and leans forward. The tattoos on his arms and chest shift in the firelight as his muscles flex under his skin. “Yes.”
As my eyes adjust, I realize there are a lot more people out here than I thought.
A lot of them are making out, or more. Others are talking and drinking.
Here and there, tiki torches dot the area, creating little pools of light for people to sit under.
We’re just another little group, anonymous in the crowd.
Rebel’s hand strokes down my arm. His warmth is comforting behind me. “Question is, how do you feel about a wild night beneath the stars?” His voice is deep and full of the promise that what they’re offering would be worth my while.
The warmth that’s been pooling between my legs this whole evening agrees. I’m just not sure if I’m daring enough. “You haven’t even kissed me yet.”
Riptide smiles down at me and winks. “I can fix that.”
He inches closer, and I find myself reaching up and letting my hand trail over his close-cropped beard.
When his lips touch mine, they’re hotter and softer than I imagined.
I let out a tiny gasp, and his tongue slips into my mouth, sliding alongside my own.
Rebel brushes my hair to the side, and his breath ghosts over my ear as he leans in to kiss my neck.
I’m not as innocent as I might look, but getting kissed by two men at the same time is definitely way outside my realm of experience. I glance up and find Mad Dog watching the three of us with a sly smile. There isn’t an ounce of jealousy in his gaze. He seems content to enjoy the show.
For now, at least.
“Where would we—”
“Anywhere we fucking want, sexy.” Riptide grins. “You think anyone here’s going to give a shit?”
“Well, no, but—” It’s still pretty wild to think about. A foursome? It sounds like something from a porno.
“We’ll be gentle,” Rebel whispers into my ear. “Mostly.”
A shiver races down my back, more from anticipation than fear. “Promise?”