Primal Fury by Piper Davenport
Indigo
I awoke the next morning with a raging headache and a craving for something stronger than my overworked coffee maker could produce. I decided I’d splurge for a real coffee and headed to Flick’s Beanery.
As I walked toward the door, I lost purchase on the handle, looking up to find Jekyll smiling at me. “I’d know the sound of that fanbelt anywhere.”
I grimaced even as my heart raced. “It’s getting worse, huh?”
“Yeah,” he agreed as I stepped into the shop.
“Are you leaving?” I asked.
“Nope, just got here. You got time to sit for a bit?”
On your face?
Goddammit, Indigo, get a grip.
I forced a smile. “Um, sure.”
He smiled and I shivered. It was like he knew my thoughts. I shook off my ridiculous fantasies and stood beside him in line.
“You want a muffin?” he asked as we gave our coffee orders, and I shrugged.
“Sure. Blueberry, please,” I said as I rummaged in my purse for my wallet.
“I got this, GoGo,” he said, and I looked up at him.
“Ah, no, that’s okay.”
He leaned down so we were eye-to-eye. “How ’bout you go find us a table? I got this.”
“You don’t scare me, Hyde.”
“Not tryin’ to scare you Indigo. Just trying to buy you a fuckin’ muffin.” He raised an eyebrow. “You gonna let me do that?”
I wrinkled my nose, turning on my heel, and stalking to a table as I mumbled under my breath, “Bossy alpha male biker thinks he’s all bossy and crap. Wants to buy me breakfast and be all sweet even though he’s a bossy biker.”
“You done?”
I jumped a little, spinning to find Jekyll right next to me. “How much of that did you hear?”
He grinned, setting the food and drinks on the table. “That’s for my bossy ass to know.”
“Right. Ah. Sorry.” I took my seat and pried off a piece of muffin. “Thank you for breakfast.”
He chuckled, sitting across from me, and leaning his arms on the table. “How’s Leo feelin’ about the job?”
“Outside of his hero worship of you?” I asked.
“No shit?” He cocked his head. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Does that surprise you?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re a successful, grown-ass man who’s paying attention to him, of course he’s going to worship you,” I grumbled.
“You don’t like that?”
I sighed, setting my muffin back on the paper. “I don’t know how I feel about it. He’s a trouble magnet, and you’re part of a… gang—”
“Club.”
“Legal?”
“Sure.”
I frowned. “Well, either way, your club is notorious, and if he gets caught up in something outside of Potion or gets in the middle of something you’re doing with your club, then I’m scared to death he’s going to end up on the wrong end of a gun.”
“You really think I’d let him get shot?”
“I don’t know you,” I said. “I don’t know what you’d let him do. I can’t get a read on you yet.”
“How so?”
“Well, you seem like an honest, hardworking, and nice person, but you’re also part of a gan—club, that may or may not be entirely legal. I’m trying not to judge, but when you’ve been working with at-risk kids as long as I have, your radar’s up for any kind of bullshit.”
“I get that,” he conceded. “How’d you get into it?”
“Classic case of heading to college having no idea what I wanted to do, then I found myself on the wrong side of town because my GPS glitched out and ran into a group of kids who were ‘working’ a corner. Once I got past being both disgusted and scared shitless, I took a minute to talk to them.”
“Jesus,” he hissed out. “Do you have any fuckin’ idea what coulda happened to you?”
“I’m very aware, hence the scared shitless part of my experience. But I had nothing for them to steal—”
“You coulda been killed… or worse.”
“The oldest kid was fifteen, the youngest twelve. Sisters, who’d picked up a couple of boys about fourteen or so. It was broad daylight, and we were close to a little diner, so I took them out for food, and they helped me get back on the right road. The rest is history. After that experience, I changed my major to social work and discovered Walker House. I got those kids into the dorms. Unfortunately, the boys didn’t stay in the program, but the sisters did, finishing school, and we are still close. Emery even volunteers at our outreach events, sometimes dragging her sister, Toby, with her. They’re awesome kids. No, not kids. They’re adults now, but you know what I mean.”
Jekyll sat back and studied me.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothin’,” he said. “Just don’t like you put yourself in danger. That’s all.”
“Why would you care?” I asked, genuinely surprised by Hyde’s concern. “Besides,” I continued, “I wasn’t in real danger. I mean if it had been dark, I would get it, but it was all good.”
His response was a quiet grunt, then he sipped the coffee and dropped the subject.
“What about you? How’d you get into tattoos?” I asked.
“I’ve always drawn. It was a natural progression.”
I cocked my head. “That’s it?”
“There’s not much to tell. The club helped me start the shop, I’ve been doin’ it for about ten years now. It’s good. So, yeah, that’s it.”
“Okay, cool.” I sighed. I wanted more. I wanted him to bare his soul to me. Partly because I wanted to put my mind at ease by knowing Leo’s new mentor wasn’t a psychopath. I also wanted him to drop his guard and open himself up to me specifically. I don’t know why I wanted it so much, but I did.
My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts and I let out a quiet, “Shit.” Pushing back from the table, I stood. “Sorry, I have to go. I’m late for a meeting. Shit. Sorry. Really. Bellamy’s gonna kill me.”
I didn’t wait for a response, rushing out the door to my car.
* * *
Jekyll
I watched Indigo’s heart shaped ass run out to her car, admiring the view. I waited a few minutes, and when she didn’t come back, I grinned. She’d left her wallet on the chair beside me, which meant I had a reason to return it.
I had an hour before my first client, so I finished my coffee, and headed to my bike. It took me less than fifteen minutes to get to Walker House, and I parked out front in a ‘fifteen minutes or less’ spot.
Sliding my keys into my pocket as I walked through the front doors, I had to press a button for entry into the lobby, which was, in my fucking opinion, a little too easy to get through.
A young woman, barely a girl, really, sat behind a counter and her eyes widened as I walked toward her. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here to see Indigo,” I said as I glanced at the nameplate on the desk. It read ‘HARLOW - RECEPTIONIST.’
“She’s in a meeting.” Harlow asked. “Is she expecting you?”
“No. It won’t take long. Just tell her Jekyll’s here.”
She bit her lip, before picking up her phone and dialing. “Hey, Bellamy. Um… there’s a guy here for Indigo. He says his name’s Jekyll.” She glanced up at me, then at her desk. “Sure. Okay.” She hung up and smiled at me. “You can go on back. Bellamy will meet you.”
She buzzed me through the door behind her and I walked into another room of sorts. Windowless, small, but big enough for a sofa and coffee table. I didn’t see a way out which suddenly made me feel incredibly claustrophobic until a portion of the wall appeared to split in front of me and a kid about sixteen or so walked through it.
I didn’t think he was who I was expecting, but with the liberties folks were takin’ in namin’ their kids these days, anything was possible. “Bellamy?”
He smirked. “Dude. Do I look like a girl?”
Little shit.
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t think you want me to answer that.”
“Dude, you’re funny,” he said, but gave me an obviously forced laugh before cutting himself off and shrugging. “Bellamy’s busy. I’m JJ. I can show you to Indigo’s office. Follow me.”
I nodded, stepping through the secret door and into a large, bright space, where a few cubicles were set up near the windows. JJ continued through the slight maze, stopping in front of a large door, and knocking.
“Get off of me!” Indigo’s muffled voice growled through the door.
I shoved JJ out of the way and pushed open the door to find some asshole pushing Indigo up against the wall. I didn’t hesitate, grabbing the back of his neck with one hand and his arm with my other. I pulled him off Indigo, tripping him over my boot so he fell flat on his ass. Once he was down on the ground, I settled a knee into his chest and wrapped my hand around his throat.
“What the fuck are you doin’?” I growled, then glanced at Indigo who was rubbing her arms. “You okay?”
She nodded, tears sliding down her face which intensified my rage, so I focused back on the asshole now gasping for breath.
“I can’t breathe,” he bit out.
“That’s the least of your problems right now,” I snapped.
“Let him up, Hyde,” Indigo whispered. “Cliff was just leaving.”
Instead of releasing my hold, I dug my knee harder in his chest. Cliff squealed like a pig.
“Jekyll,” Indigo pressed. “Seriously. Let him up.”
I eased up and glared at him. “Consider this your first and final warning. If you ever come near her again, I’ll finish the job.”
I stood, letting Cliff get his own ass off the floor. He did it slowly, his hand on his throat. “You can forget any future donations from me or my company,” he threatened.
“I’ll put a note on my calendar to cry tomorrow,” Indigo retorted.
By the time Cliff got to his feet, an overweight security guard arrived, out of breath, but ready to do his job, escorting Cliff from the building.
“Who the fuck was that?” I demanded.
“Clifford Thayer.”
“Who the fuck is Clifford Thayer?” I hissed.
“No one,” Indigo said, ushering JJ out of her office, and closing the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Apparently what your so-called security can’t,” I growled.
“I had it under control.”
“Babe, you need to fill me in on what the fuck just happened here.”
“Cliff thought I owed him a date because he sent me more flowers. It’s so not a big deal.” She crossed her arms. “What are you doing here?”
I handed Indigo her wallet. “You forgot this.”
“Oh, shit. Seriously?” She took it from me and set it on her desk. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I crossed my arms and studied her. “Who was that?”
“No one.”
I stepped closer to her, pinning her to her desk. “Baby, who was that?”
She continued to rub her arms as she met my eyes. “Clifford Thayer. He’s a hedge fund manager who donates a good chunk of money to Walker House. Well, he used to, anyway.”
“He fuck with you on the regular?”
She shook her head. “Not physically, no.”
“Let me see your arms.”
“I’m fine.”
“GoGo, let me see.”
She rolled the sleeve of her T-shirt up and I saw red. Her red arms, and my hot rage. I narrowed my eyes and nodded. “Right.”
“I’m fine,” she whispered.
“Yep. Okay, I’m gonna let you get back to work.”
She nodded, her eyes filling with tears again, and I stamped down my fury as I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close.
“You’re okay,” I assured her, and her body shook as she buried her face in my chest.
“I was so scared,” she whispered sliding her hands up my back, under my cut. “God, it’s so dumb.”
“Why’s it dumb?”
“Because he couldn’t do anything to me here.”
“Baby, he did do something to you here, so you feeling scared is a perfectly acceptable response.”
She sighed, nodding. “Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
She took a deep breath and slid her hands down my back, releasing me but I took a little longer to do the same.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“About what?”
“I never cry. I mean, not about this kind of stuff. I cry at those stupid videos where dogs reunite with returning soldiers, or coffee commercials during Christmas, but not when I’m nervous or whatever.” She bit her lip. “I have to deal with difficult people and situations all the time. I don’t have the freedom to break down.”
“I get that.”
“This shouldn’t have bothered me.”
I smiled, reaching out to stroke her face. “Don’t ever be sorry for feelin’ shit, GoGo. Not with me.”
She closed her eyes and leaned her face against my hand, then nodded and stepped away. “Thanks for… well, everything. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
“You sure you’re okay?” I asked as she stepped to her door and pulled it open.
“I’m good.”
I followed her back through the secret room where she left me in the lobby. I headed out to my bike, pulling my phone out as I walked.
“Hey,” Scrappy answered.
“I want everything you can find on Clifford Thayer. If we need to go deep, call Rabbit.”
“Dogs of Fire Rabbit?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed.
“What do you want to do with this info?” Scrappy asked.
“I want enough to bury the asshole.”
I heard the smile in his voice as he said, “Roger,” and hung up.
I threw my leg over my bike and made my way to Potion.
* * *
Indigo
After leaving Jekyll in the lobby, I rushed back to my office and closed my door leaning against it as I tried to catch my breath.
What the fuck was that?
I settled my palm against my cheek exactly where Jekyll had. He’d shown a great deal of tenderness which belied his near maiming of Cliff.
God, he was an enigma.
I knew I should be afraid of him, but I wasn’t.
Not anymore.
Not only that, in fact, I was quickly realizing I liked him.
I shook my head and walked toward my desk just as my door burst open.
“What the hell is this about some biker beating the shit out of Cliff?” Bellamy demanded, closing the door behind her. “And why did no one come and get me so I could watch?”
I rolled my eyes as I sat behind my desk and opened my laptop. “It was nothing.”
“Bullshit,” she hissed, flopping into the chair across from me. “JJ said he threw Cliff to the ground and stomped on his head.”
“Okay, that is not at all what happened.”
“Well, you better start talkin’, missy, or I’m gonna fill in my own blanks.”
I told her everything, and I mean, everything. Bellamy was not the girl to hold back on, mostly because she knew me better than myself, which meant I literally could not lie to her.
“Okay, so he almost kissed you,” she mused once I was done.
“What? No,” I squeaked. “How the hell did you come to that conclusion?”
“I know men.”
“Because you’ve slept with two more than me?”
She snorted. “Because you don’t see your pure sex appeal.”
“Fuck off,” I retorted.
“See?”
I pulled up my email and frowned. “See what, weirdo?”
“Oh my god, you’re a lost cause.”
I focused on her again. “You’re probably right. But for now, I have to find out how we’re going to make up Cliff’s funding because I will never take another dime from him. Not that he’s offering.”
She sighed as she stood. “Fine. Be oblivious. But mark my words, woman, that man wants you. And I need to meet him A.S.A.P.”
I waved my hands, shooing her out the door. “Whatever.”
Bellamy walked out and I set about trying to find some hidden money.
* * *
Jekyll
I pulled up to the cabin, backed into my spot, then headed inside. I walked into the kitchen for a beer where I found Scrappy already halfway into a bottle. “You find anything?”
Scrappy pointed to the paperwork on the metal island. “I found what I could. Rabbit was able to get more.”
“Jesus, he’s quick,” I remarked, shuffling through the stack.
“No doubt.”
I read one particularly revealing piece of information. “This guy’s a real piece of shit.”
“Seems like it,” Scrappy agreed.
“Feel like teaching him a lesson?”
He grinned slowly. “Fuck yeah.”
“We’ll ride at ten.”
“I’ll be ready.”
I nodded, grabbed a beer, and took the stack of paperwork to my room.