Heart of Steel: A Satan's Savages MC Novel #1 (12 page)

Toward Willow…

Knowing Steel will be here soon, I’m in the bathroom at the child care centre applying a quick coat of lip gloss and some extra mascara. Trent, my ex, never liked how I looked. And even though he was a goody-two-shoes, he never looked at me the way Steel does—and I’ve only seen him twice. But there’s something about this bad boy biker that instantly sets my heart into flutter every time I see him. Whether it’s his broody look, his chiselled features or just the bad boy thing he has going for him I’m not sure, but he’s the total opposite of Trent. And that’s what I’m after, something with an edge, something that’s exciting, and Steel has all those characteristics.

A bit of darkness is what I need to brighten my life if that even makes any sense?

It’s nearly closing time for the centre, and there’s only a minority of kids still here. Tina is closing tonight, so as soon as Steel arrives I can leave. I want to be ready and waiting outside for him when he arrives. I don’t want him coming into the centre to scare the kids or Tina, especially if he’s wearing his biker vest. I know that can be intimidating for some. Hell, I was a little taken aback when I first saw it, but knowing him a bit better now I’m not scared at all.

“Willow?” Tina calls out to me, her voice breaking like she sounds a little scared.

Furrowing my brows, I place my lip gloss back in my bag and head out the door back to the main area to see why she’s calling me. As I walk out, I notice Steel standing there, looking deliciously handsome. His short brown hair sitting perfectly on his head, his chiselled jaw defining how masculine he really is. His tall stature, taut with muscles, makes be bite my bottom lip as I stand in awe of his perfection. The brown beard he sports suits him, some would call it scruff, I think it makes him manlier. His ocean blue eyes capture my attention as I stare into their deep depths. He’s wearing a leather jacket and jeans, and he’s bending down at Jackson’s height and smiling widely as he looks at me. There’s a sparkle in his eye as he looks me up and down, and I bite my bottom lip while a shiver runs over me just at the way he’s looking at me. Jackson quickly gathers Steel’s attention again, and he looks down to him and they start to chat.

I smile and wander over to Steel and Jackson, who’s smiling brightly showing Steel his toy bike and Steel is pointing out the various parts of it. I’m a little in awe as I approach.

“Hi,” I say.

Steel looks at me but Jackson quickly shoves the toy bike in my face. “Miss Willow, Miss Willow, he came back and now I’m showing him my bike.”

I smile and nod. “I can see that, Jackson.”

“He says it’s fuckin’ awesome, and when I grows up, he’s gonna teach me how to ride a real one.” I open my eyes wide as Steel flinches and purses his lips standing up straight.

“Jackson, don’t use naughty words. And Steel, don’t promise things you can’t keep.”

“But I wanna learn to ride Miss Willow and naughty words are fuckin’ fun.”

“Jackson, stop!”

Steel chuckles not helping my situation at all. “Hey kid, just ‘cause I say
naughty words
…” Steel says the words with a slight chuckle, “…doesn’t mean you’re allowed to. Okay? They’re for adults only.”

“What’s an adult?”

Steel furrows his brows and exhales. “Big people, grown-ups. Big scary men like me.”

Jackson shakes his head. “You’re not scary. You’re super cool. I wish my dad was like you… he’s a bad man.”

Steel frowns and looks at me as I bite my bottom lip.

“Jackson, sweetheart, go and play with your toys while I talk to the nice man.”

Jackson leans in hugging Steel’s leg and then he turns running off.

“Sorry, you had to hear that,” I say. Steel takes my hand gently and looks in my eyes. His eyes hard and cold as his jaw clenches tight.

“What was he talking about? What’s the deal with his father?”

Wincing, I look over at Jackson, he’s such a gorgeous little boy you’d never know to look at him the type of life he’s lived.

“I don’t know details, only what Jackson says.”

Steel breathes harshly out of his nose. “What does he say?”

“That his dad is a bad man. His mother always comes in heavily covered in makeup, but the blackness around her eye is still evident. The bruises on her arms are visible, though. I wish there were something we could do. I’ve tried to get Nikita to talk to us about her husband, but she clams up and won’t discuss it. But she does say he doesn’t hurt Jackson, so I guess that’s one good thing.”

“Fuckin’ hell!” Steel murmurs under his breath and starts to pace the floor. He looks over to Jackson just as the door opens and Jackson yells excitedly running over to Nikita, who walks in with a slight limp and visible black bruises on her arms and chest.

Shit!

Steel spots her and storms to her. I swallow hard as Tina and Nikita both tense up at the bulk of a man racing toward Nikita like he’s in a rage.

“Steel, ease up,” I call out as he reaches Nikita. She puts her arms up in defence like she thinks he’s going to hit her, but he pulls her to him and wraps his arms around her tightly in an embrace. I raise my eyebrows high in shock. He leans in his mouth against her ear and whispers something. I can’t hear him, but her body relaxes and she falls limp into his arms whispering something back. Tina is staring at Steel and then looks at me like she has no idea what the hell is going on. I step up to Nikita to see she’s crying and thanking Steel. For what I have no idea. She looks down at Jackson and picks him up. He cuddles into her and Steel smiles at him and puts his fist out to bump. He does, and they both chuckle as Nikita smiles and thanks him again then turns and walks out of the centre.

I grab Steel’s elbow and he turns to look at me. His nostrils are flaring and his jaw tight. I think I even see a vein pulsing in his neck. “Are you okay?”

He turns to me, his hands come up either side of my face as he looks into my eyes. The warmth of his rough hands against my skin is sending goosebumps all the way down my body. He leans in and presses his lips to mine roughly and a spark shoots right through my very soul. I melt into his arms and forget where I am as I move in closer and run my hands up to his biceps and grip hold tightly.

“Uh-hmm,” Tina clears her throat and I suddenly remember I’m at work, and there’s still a couple of children present.

I pull back and look at Tina biting my bottom lip. “Sorry Tina,” I say as Steel smirks at me.

“It’s okay I was enjoying the show, but I think you two should leave before I make you take me with you.”

Steel laughs and pulls me to his side and I giggle and nod looking up at him.

“Okay, thanks, Tina. See you tomorrow.”

“Have fun guys.”

Grabbing Steel’s hand, I walk with him to the front door turning back to peek at him. The tension in his face seems to have ebbed now since our kiss. We stride through the door and then the security gate stepping up to his bike.

He stops looking down at my skirt and shakes his head pursing his lips. “What the fuck is this?”

I smirk trying not to laugh at my attempt to be a badass. “I’m being naughty.”

He tries not to laugh and raises an eyebrow at me. “Bein’ naughty?”

Shrugging, I kick out my foot showing him my red heels. “Disobeying one of your rules as punishment for blowing our first date. You were so demanding about me wearing pants and red heels, so I thought I’d be disobedient and wear a skirt, but meet halfway and wear red heels.”

He tilts his head to the side as his eyes gaze up my naked legs, and he shakes his head with a groans. “Jesus woman! It’s never a good idea to disobey a biker. If you want to be with me you’ll have to know what rules to listen to, and what rules to break. Ridin’ on a bike for the first time in a skirt that short is not good. I know you were doin’ it to piss me off and it’s worked, just make sure you keep your legs away from the exhaust, okay? That shit will burn your skin right off, and it’ll be no one’s fault but your own,” he conveys shaking his head. Leering at my legs once more, before handing me a helmet he steps over his bike and sits down.

I bite my bottom lip wondering now if I should get on at all. I really don’t want to burn myself. Being stubborn seems like such a stupid idea now.
God, I can be such an idiot sometimes.
Strapping on the helmet, I do up the buckle and then get on the bike behind him. He looks back at me and finally smiles.

“Hold on tight, Miss Willow.” He chuckles and I smile wrapping my arms around his toned waist. Feeling my front against his muscular back is only helping with the excitement. And as he starts the engine the vibration resonating through my legs, I can’t help but feel a whole lot delighted about our date tonight.

He kicks back the stand and brings the bike upright. I hold on tighter as I bring my legs out wide purposely avoiding the exhaust pipes. He revs the engine and I inwardly scream out in excitement as he pulls back and we take off into the traffic.

As we pull into a pub the smile on my face is so wide I don’t think anything could wipe it. He pulls the bike up to a stop and sets the kick stand out moving the bike to the side then starts to remove his helmet. Keeping my grip on him, he turns and looks at me chuckling.

“You can let go now, babe.”

I open my eyes wide and release my firm grip while shaking my head slightly as I move off the bike. He pulls off his helmet completely and smirks, as I undo my helmet and remove it then swirl my hair from side to side. An audible growl erupts from his throat and I look at him wondering if I actually heard that, but when I check he’s looking away from me and I shrug placing my helmet on the seat.

“Dinner?” he asks. I smile and nod.

He takes my hand and a spark shoots between our interlaced fingers. Gnawing on my bottom lip, I follow him inside the pub. We sit down and order some food. The conversation is pleasant, but something is playing in the back of my mind and I really need to ask him about it before I blurt it out and make a fool of myself. So I wait for a lull in the conversation to strike.

“So, what did you say to Nikita when you hugged her?” I ask as nonchalantly as possible.

He stiffens taking a sip of his drink. “That’s not for you to worry about, babe.”

I slump my shoulders and huff. “Well, if you want us to have any sort of relationship then we need to be honest with each other—”

“Honestly, you don’t want to know,” he says blasé and stares off in another direction.

I tense up and swallow hard as my tapping foot under the table is moving so fast you would think it’s on steroids. I decide to just ask what I’m thinking—and dreading.

“Do you like her? Like, do you want to date her?”

His glare shoots up at me and he furrows his brows and flares his nostrils, the shade of red his face turns doesn’t go unnoticed either. “What? You’re being stupid. And no, definitely not.”

Nodding I wrap my arms around myself wondering why it affects me so much the thought of him liking another woman. My bottom lip is hurting from how harshly I’m chewing on it and he huffs at the stale silence between us.

“I just want to look out for Jackson and Nikita. I’m gonna try and stop her husband from hurtin’ her… that’s all you need to know.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as a shiver runs down my spine. “How?” I ask not really wanting to know the answer if it’s what I think the answer will be.