Beyond the Horizon (The Sons of Templar MC Book 4) (16 page)

I gave him another smile. “Nothing interesting,” I told him on another grin.

Luckily any further conversation was drowned out by more patrons needing their drink orders filled. During the course of the night my mask stayed on, helped by the fact I downed every shot that was brought for me, so everything began to blur around the edges.

“Holy shit on a cracker,” Skye muttered under her breath, her eyes glued on the entrance.

I was focusing on pouring a cocktail, so I didn’t follow her eyes. I should not have had that last shot, I decided. It was trial and error figuring out how much I could take, how much I needed to stop the big sad, but still make me stand upright.

“How about your number, along with that drink?” the man asked me when I pushed the drink toward him.

I was a little shocked. The dude just ordered an Appletini. I’d been certain he was gay—my gaydar was malfunctioning.

My shock gave me pause, and so it gave time for someone else to answer for me.

“You can’t order a decent drink, you definitely can’t handle a decent woman,” a voice declared from behind Appletini dude.

Appletini dude turned around, Skye and I both followed his gaze.

Asher stood there, something ticking in his jaw, his arms crossed, eyes firmly focused on me.

“Excuse me?” Appletini dude asked, seeming affronted.

Asher stepped forward, not saying a word. Then again, when your muscles bulged out of your tee shirt, your jaw could cut a bitch and your cut communicated your connection to a well-known motorcycle club, maybe you didn’t need words.

My guess was confirmed as soon Appletini paled, darted his eyes to me, then pushed through the crowd.

Skye, who had been watching the whole exchange, darted her eyes between Asher and me.

“You know this dude, Lily?” she whispered to me, despite Asher stepping up to the bar, well within earshot.

I let out a little giggle. One that sounded foreign to my own ears. I didn’t giggle. Well, not until recently.

“You could say that,” I replied, not taking my eyes off him.

Skye looked generally amazed. I guess I couldn’t blame her, she knew the before Lily. The before Lily didn’t giggle, didn’t take shots on shift, and she certainly didn’t have hot bikers visit her and scare off men asking for numbers.

“Skye, Asher, Asher, Skye,” I introduced, filling the silence.

Asher gave her a chin lift.

Her mouth was still agape so she managed a little wave.

Asher turned his focus back to me. His brows were knitted as he took in my outfit. Again, this was something new Lily chose. It was conductive with the outfits I’d been wearing for two weeks. Tonight, I’d gone for tight jeans, heels and a cropped top which showed off a lot of midriff. His gaze flickered with desire when he finished his top to toe inspection, though his jaw was tight.

“You’re early,” I pointed out, leaning against my side of the bar. It helped stop the swaying.

Asher frowned. “Yeah,” was all he said.

“You want a drink?” I asked finally after he didn’t give me more of an explanation.

“Yeah. Beer please, babe,” he replied, his voice soft, even though he had to raise it to be heard over the music.

I handed him a beer, the brand I knew he liked, what I had seen him drink the limited times I’d been in his presence. Those torturous times in the beginning when Gwen or Amy had dragged me along to some gathering he’d be at. Where I’d have to put on my mask of indifference and pretend my heart didn’t bleed every time his chocolate eyes touched mine. I shook myself out of the past and the demons it held. The present had enough for me to battle with.

“You didn’t have to pick me up,” I told him after he’d taken a pull of his beer.

He regarded me. “Yeah, I did, flower,” he replied tightly.

I chewed my lip, not knowing what else to say. We didn’t exactly do small talk, which the only kind of talk we could have in a crowded bar.

He frowned, eyes on my lips. Without warning, his beer crashed down on the bar, and his hand tagged the back of my neck. His mouth fastened on mine before I knew what was going on. He kissed the ever living hell out of me for long enough that a few catcalls sounded in the distance. I say the distance because the background seemed to melt away with Asher’s lips on mine.

He finally released me and rested his forehead on mine before he let me go and leaned back on his stool, taking another pull of his beer.

I gaped at him, touching my tingling lips absently. “What was that for?” I strangled out.

Asher’s desire-filled gaze rooted me to the spot. “I wanted to kiss you,” he said simply.

My gape stayed firmly in place until I jumped when my name was called.

“I’ve got to....” I gestured with my thumb.

Asher nodded tightly. “I’m not going anywhere, babe,” he told me firmly.

I stared at him a second longer, then rushed to the other end of the bar, feeling his eyes on me. They didn’t leave me for the whole night.

“Bye,” I shouted to the girls and Jude who watched Asher, and I leave with something akin to amazement.

He wove us through the crowd effortlessly, though most people, drunk or sober seemed to move for him anyway. It might be close to closing, but the place was packed. Always was. Jude had let me go home early with a soft look on her usually hard face.

“You get some sleep, darlin’. You need it,” she had rasped and squeezed my hand. That was the closest to kind and fuzzy my tough as nails manager got. She wasn’t unkind, just brisk but fair.

Asher had seemed more than happy to drag me off. The only reason I managed to stay upright was because of the firm hand at my waist. I didn’t think much about anything else, apart from the warmth that emanated from his hand, and the desire that intensified with his touch. We made it into the parking lot, which was well lit and mostly empty. A few people loitered around, smoking or waiting for taxis, I guessed.

“Asher, can we slow to a brisk walk? I’ve been on my feet all night, I’m not really prepared to break the land speed record to make it to your bike.” I pulled back slightly, surprised at the fact I was slurring my words slightly.

Asher stopped us completely and twisted so he faced me, both his hands went to my waist and he looked down at me. No, he glared at me.

“You’re drunk again,” he stated flatly, his jaw hard.

I squinted at him. “No, I would use the term appropriately liquored,” I answered with a grin. Although, without the lack of noise and tasks to distract me, coupled with the fact I was seeing two of him, I realized Asher might have been closer to correct.

He looked up into the sky for a moment then back down to me. “What are you doing?” he asked quietly.

I tilted my head in confusion. “Well, I thought we were going home, but now we’re standing in the middle of the parking lot, having this conversation.”

His gaze didn’t move from mine. “No, flower. What are you doing? That,” he nodded his head at the doors, “the drinking, partying, dancing on fuckin’ bars. That shit ain’t you,” he declared firmly.

With his words, my drunkenness seemed to wash off like dirt. Clarity settled into my mind. As did cold fury.

I ripped out of his arms, able to do so because he wasn’t expecting it. “You don’t know me,” I yelled suddenly. “Who I am. How are you meant to know me when I have no fucking clue,” I continued to scream and scuttled backward when he tried to step closer to me. “You don’t get to ride in here after three years, up on your high Harley and dictate who I am, tell me what actions are appropriate for the Lily you thought you knew. The one you thought you had figured out after one fucking night. She’s gone,” I choked out, breathing heavily. “Maybe she never existed, I don’t know. But I know you’re not saving me. You’re not
‘taking care of me.’
I do that for myself. I always have. Always will. And if you want this,” I waved my hand between us, glad he kept his distance, “you have to realize I’m not going to cling to your leather cut and let you figure out life for me. Shield me from it. Tell me what to do. I’m not an Old Lady. I can’t give you that,” I whispered, surprised at the wetness on my cheek. I angrily swiped the tears away. I didn’t need them at this moment.

There was silence after my shouting. Well, not really silence, since the dull thumping of music in the background was pretty loud. Asher just watched me for a second, his face still soft, not showing an ounce of anger that had been there before. He stepped forward slowly.

“Flower—”

“Is there a problem here?” a voice interrupted.

Asher didn’t even turn. “Fuck off,” he muttered, his eyes on me.

Because I wasn’t a rude alpha male, and because I recognized the voice, I turned my voice to look at the figure who had stepped close to me.

“Aiden?” I asked, his attractive face was moved into a hard line.

“You okay, Lil?” He tore his gaze from Asher, who made a noise when he came to my side, touching my elbow lightly.

“Yeah, I’m-I’m fine,” I stuttered.

Aiden frowned, then glared at Asher, which was pretty brave considering the murderous glint on Asher’s gaze.

“I don’t believe you. How about I take you home?” he suggested softly.

Asher stepped forward. “I’ll be taking her home, and I’d appreciate it if you take your hand off her,” he bit out.

Aiden stepped slightly in front of me. “I don’t think I’ll be letting her go home with the biker she was screaming at in a parking lot with tears streaming down her face,” he told Asher, looking at him with disdain.

I put my hand on his shoulder hoping to defuse the situation. “Aiden, we’re fine, really,” I reassured him. “What are you doing here anyway? This place isn’t really your... scene.” I put that lightly. He had routinely urged me to find other employment since he found out I worked here. His upbringing made him unable to fathom the idea that I could stomach working somewhere like this. He didn’t understand that people like me didn’t get a choice.

Aiden turned his head, frowning at me. “I haven’t seen you in weeks. You weren’t at home and I knew you’d be here. I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he explained.

“By lurking in a fuckin’ parking lot?” Asher clipped, standing like a stone.

Though I didn’t like the cursing or the general aggravation in his tone, I had to agree with the sentiment.

“You’re right,” Aiden spoke to me. “This isn’t my scene. I also knew you would be finishing about this time, taking the bus home. That’s not safe. Not to mention your state of mind. I was waiting in my car to take you home.”

“Right, man, that’s firmly in stalker territory, so I’d greatly appreciate it if you stopped and stayed the fuck away from Lily,” Asher ground out, fists at his sides.

I raised a brow at Asher. “Pot, meet kettle….” I gestured at Aiden, reminding him of the night he stayed outside my apartment.

He glared. “That was different and you know it, baby. This fucker needs to realize who you belong to,” he sneered at Aiden as if I hadn’t just informed him I belonged to no one, not moments ago.

“Asher, I’ve got this,” I snapped.

Asher gave me a look but stayed silent.

Aiden looked between the two of us. “This is why you dumped me, Lily? You get a taste for biker?” he asked, a cruelness I didn’t recognize creeping into his tone.

I said, “No,” at the same time as Asher said, “Sure as fuck is.”

I glared at Asher. “Shut up,” I hissed.

Aiden’s eyes flared. He took in my attire, the way I swayed slightly. His jaw turned hard and he turned to face Asher.

“So you think you can take advantage of a grieving girl, get her to drink too much, show too much skin, turn her into some kind of biker slut?” he accused, and I gasped at the last of his words.

I also gasped when Asher’s fist plowed through Aiden’s face, causing him to tumble to the ground.

“Holy shit,” I yelled, bending to check on Aiden, who was bleeding from the nose.

I glared at Asher. “You really had to punch him? Really? Can you keep your testosterone under control long enough not to use your fists?” I snapped at him.

Asher ignored me and stepped over Aiden. “You ever refer to Lily like that again, I’ll make sure that pretty face is messed up so much even Mummy’s best plastic surgeon won’t be able to fix you,” he promised coldly.