Origin of Jewel (The Restless Kings Motorcycle Club Book 3) Read online

I take off my apron and toss it over the back of their booth, before moving to the next table to start stacking up plates and cups.

  The bell on the door jingles and I spin around. My mind whirls with fear about who it could be. Zed’s holding the door open with his shoulder, sizing me up from head to toe. “Come with me,” he says.

  “I’m not done cleaning up.” As opposed to I don’t know you, no thanks, I’m busy, my biggest concern is that I’m not done doing my job. I have absolutely no ability to keep myself safe. It’s a miracle I survived this long at all.

  Zed cocks his head to the side again. “So?”

  “So, I have a job to do. I’ve only been here a few days. I can’t lose my job.” I won’t make it long in this city if I can’t keep money consistently flowing in, and not having a good reference from my first job as an adult is not going to bode well for my future.

  He doesn’t answer, just holds his hand out for me, offering me the chance. I know not to do this. I know better than this. I know I just barely escaped with my life from the last guy, but this one… he’s different. I can feel it. He’s a totally different breed. And I give him my hand.

  This makes him smile, and if I hadn’t already decided to go along with whatever he asks of me, the smile would have convinced me. He squeezes my hand and pulls me closer. His back pushes the door the rest of the way open and tugs me in the direction of his motorcycle.

  Public places, Jewel. Bad things hide in the darkness. “Where are we going?” I ask at the last second, stopping just short of getting on the back seat.

  “You’ll see,” Zed tells me with a smirk.

  My stomach would tell me if something was wrong. I believe I have good instincts. Sometimes. So, when I don’t get any warning signs from my body, I accept the offer and get on the back of the bike behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and fitting him between my thighs.

  Zed is warm and strong under my hands and between my legs. The sound of the engines revving up makes me tense and I lean my cheek against his back to avoid the cutting wind that whips through my hair. I may have made a mistake agreeing to this, but the president is still with us and he seemed trustworthy. Zed scared me initially, but I think everything will be okay.

  The desert is beautiful as the sun sets. I’ve never seen something quite so amazing. It’s cold though. Not as cold as Salt Lake was when I left, but colder than I expected it would be. Some of the mountains have snow-caps and everything is painted in a fading orange light.

  I’ve also never seen this part of town that we’re going into. I’ve been staying in an area that’s pretty rough, but this place looks really nice. We park outside of a building with very loud music playing and Zed looks at me over his shoulder. “You drink, sweetheart?”

  “Yes.” I could definitely use a drink or two to loosen up. I’ve been so tense for as long as I can remember, and it’s time to shake some of that off.

  Chapter Two

  Zed

  The waitress is an adorable little thing. Pres said if I looked at her any longer he was going to take her home himself, so I decided to bring her out with us. She’s not Pres’s type, but I think he said that just to piss me off. It worked. It got me to invite her out with us. I made it seem like a choice, but I would have waited at the door until she finished her shift and agreed to come with me.

  I open the door to the club for her and she sandwiches between Pres and I as we go inside. The sound seems to shock her, because she backs up against me, then looks up at my face and continues forward. Her long brown hair got messed up on the bike and her pale cheeks look flushed, but that might be from the wind too.

  The crowd is bigger than I expected, so I sling my arm over her shoulder to keep her from getting lost. She’s been jumpy since the moment I saw her. I know if I lose track of her here, by the time I find her she’ll be in a panic. Her nerves don’t seem like they’re just from moving to a new place, but I don’t even know her name yet so I’m not digging deep into her history and fears.

  I steer her to the bar, taking a spot near the wall and blocking the rest of the patrons from her with my body. “What do you want to drink?”

  Her amber eyes flick up to mine with concern, but then she licks her lips and gives me a grin that’s all teeth. “You pick.”

  She’s flirting with me? I think she is. “Do you want to get drunk or just look like you’re drinking?”

  She shrugs and gives me a look that says I dare you.

  “Okay.” Challenge accepted. I wave down the bartender, angling my body a little closer to hers to see if she backs away- she doesn’t. “Two shots of vodka. And you better get her something to chase it with.”

  I corral the drinks in front of me as the bartender passes them over. “I’ll let you have this if you answer a question for me.”

  Her eyebrows raise. “So ask it.”

  “Tell me your name.” This is not a question, but she perks up to answer anyway.

  “Jewel,” she tells me quickly.

  “I’m Zed.”

  “I already know that.” Jewel reaches over my arm and grabs the shot glass, downing it and following with the soda. Her eyes squeeze closed and she glares up at me. “That burns!”

  A laugh bursts free of my chest. “Is that your first shot?” The way she’s reacting to it makes it seem like it might be.

  The smile dies on her lips before she gets to respond to me.

  Shit, don’t tell me I’m being a creep with an underage girl. “You are over twenty-one right?”

  Her head bobs side to side. “I’m twenty-one.”

  “Just twenty-one?”

  “Yeah.”

  I take my shot and look around for Pres before turning back to her. “Honey, I’m almost thirty.”

  “So?” she says, copying what I said to her back at the diner.

  So? What’s the problem with that, Zed? “So nothin’. Just letting you know. You want another drink? Something a little gentler maybe?”

  Jewel nods. “Yeah, maybe something not so strong.”

  I put my hand up for the bartender.

  “And then we can dance?” she continues.

  “Dance? Uh, shit. I don’t-”

  Jewel looks at me disappointedly. “Don’t tell me you don’t dance.”

  “I don’t.” I never have. I don’t understand the point.

  “Almost thirty years on earth and you’re still afraid to dance?”

  “I am not afraid to dance. I choose not to.”

  “So stop choosing not to. Choose to dance with me. Unless you’re bad at it.” She’s goading me, and definitely flirting.

  The bartender reappears and I ask him for two more shots of vodka and more soda. When he brings it back, I pour half a shot into her soda before drinking the rest and taking the other shot. “You’re trying to peer pressure me.”

  Pres’s hand lands on my shoulder and he moves me aside. “I’ll dance with the pretty lady.”

  “Aht! I got it. I’ll dance with her.” Damn Pres! “Go meddle in your own business,” I tell him as Jewel and I walk by. He’s got his own shit to worry about. He doesn’t need to be involved in mine. He’s starting to believe he’s got some kind of power since Knuckles and Maya hooked up, and now Tree’s got something going on with Nell- which is weird to me but that’s none of my business. I know how to mind my own business, unlike Pres.

  Jewel is tense again as we sway into the crowd. Her fingers dig into my forearm, clutching me like she’s going to die. She’s worried about something. I want to ask, but it’s too loud in this part of the club and the swinging lights won’t allow her to read my lips. She closes her eyes and blows out a breath, and then the fear disappears from her face.

  She turns around, drawing my hands over her hips, and grinds her ass against me. This isn’t the kind of dancing I pictured, but I’m not sure why I thought I was expecting it to be a slow dance when the club is full of fast-paced, thumping music. This is exactly what I should’ve imagined- her ass rubbing against my groin, my hands on her hips, her hands at the back of my head, bringing me down so close I could taste her.

  If I hadn’t given in, would Pres have his hands on her right now? The thought makes my hands slip, and I press my palms to her belly, tugging her closer. I need her closer. I can feel the heat of her body through our clothes and I want to feel more.

  The smell of her perfume has me running my nose along the side of her neck. I want to kiss her. Hell, I'd fuck her right here in the middle of the club if she wasn't so flighty already. Public foreplay is not usually my thing, but that’s what’s happening right now with her ass grinding against my cock, and it’s working for me.

  My hands roam over her hips and ass and thighs. I begin to move with her and my thumbs brush against the bare skin of her belly. She jerks, stilling instantly. Fuck. I crossed some kind of invisible line between us. I put my hands back on her hips, trying to be good, but it’s too late. I broke through the boundary and I can’t take it back.

  Jewel turns around and grips my forearm again, hauling me back to the bar. She slips in beside Pres and steals his drink, downing it with eyes squeezed closed and a puckered face.

  I just stare at the back of her head as pieces start to click together and enrage me. She’s scared of loud noises and jumpy. She said she just came to town this week and hasn’t explored the new city at all. She freaked out when I touched her wrong- I’m not a genius but I’m not fucking blind either. And I’m pissed. I practically forced her out here just to scare the shit out of her, and now she’s drinking recklessly to try to soothe the pain from my fuckup.

  No, the night’s over. We’re done for now. I’m too mad to keep from doing something worse, like trying to intimidate her into telling me who hurt her so I can track
them down and kill them. I don’t care if she’ll never be mine. I’m not okay with someone putting their hands on a woman- any woman- but especially this one after seeing the way it’s affecting her.

  Pres must see it on my face because he nods once at me.

  “Time to go,” I tell her in her ear.

  Chapter Three

  Jewel

  I survived. That’s the first thought that goes through my mind when we pull back into the diner. Zed led us out of the club pretty quick after I stopped dancing. He didn’t say anything before we got back on the bike either so I’m not sure if he’s upset with me or not, but I’m a little tipsy and not worried about it.

  I have those knots in my stomach again coming back to the diner. I’ll be going back to my shitty motel soon. Being with Zed was like an escape. It made me feel safe to be with him and his president for a few hours. It let me take a breath for once. Until Zed’s hands brushed over my skin and it made me remember Alec all over again.

  Alec would kill me if he saw me dancing like that with another man, especially a rough one like Zed. He would be so mad I let Zed touch me, let him feel me up. Alec would pinch me until it hurt and whisper about me embarrassing him, until we were out of the public eye again and he could hurt me for real.

  “Thanks,” I mumble awkwardly as I get off the bike. “It was fun.”

  Zed nods tersely and the anxiety winds tighter around me. We were having fun until I ruined it by being a traumatized baby.

  I spin on my heel and head back inside. My tables are still dirty and the door is still unlocked so I wonder if Barb has gotten back or not. I was gone for almost two hours so-

  "Hey hey hey!" the president shouts from the parking lot, making my head snap up.

  "What the fuck?" Zed yells. There's a car speeding into the lot, throwing gravel against the guys as the car slides sideways. Alec's car. The bright red of the Camaro leaves no room for error.

  He found me.

  I duck behind one of the tables as he jumps out of the car. The bell on the door jingles as he comes in. I feel my heart stop for a second as his eyes fall on me. "Hello, darling," he says with a terrifying grin.

  I cower back against the brick wall, trying to find a way out. I'm not sure I can jump the half wall beside the booth, but I'm going to have to try. I’ve come too far to back down without a fight.

  "I've been looking for you," he chides, taking slow steps closer to me. His black button down shirt is in perfect order, his pants are pressed, his shoes are shiny. He looks like the perfect wet dream, but he's a fucking nightmare. He runs his fingers through his hair, pressing it back on his head. "You weren't easy to find, until I remembered my little secret."

  I clamber onto the booth, trying to get to my feet on the table so I have a chance to escape. I'm shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. I can barely find the strength to breathe, let alone run.

  "I was so worried about you when I got home from my trip and you were nowhere to be found. You have no idea how scared I've been. I thought you might be hurt, but that GPS I had installed on your car led me right to you."

  I'm stuck. I've been paralyzed by fear caused by the look in his eyes. Gulping, I slowly put my foot on top of the table. If I move too fast, he'll catch me. If I can get over the wall, I can probably get to the back door before he catches up to me and then… well, I'll just fucking run. I get both feet up onto the table but stay in a crouch.

  "It's time to come home, little girl."

  I'm not going anywhere near this motherfucker's home. The only way he's getting me back in his town is in a coffin. I jump, twisting my body away from him to get over the wall, but I don't make it. Fear grips me tighter than his hand around my ankle. My chin slams the wall first, then the table, as he yanks me toward him. I only know I'm screaming because of the blood pouring out of my mouth onto the floor as he drags me down the walkway.

  The bell rings again and Alec releases me to shout at whoever came in to "stay out of our business!"

  I take a gasping breath before letting out another shout as I crawl away on my forearms the second he releases my ankle. I'm so sore all over and horrified down to my bones. The president drops down from a table in front of me and I scream, jumping backwards again.

  "You're okay. I won't hurt you." He holds his hands out in front of him, like showing me his palms is somehow going to make me less afraid.

  I hear a cracking sound and turn around to see Zed has one of his hands around Alec's throat, the other in his hair, kneeling on Alec’s back, slamming Alec’s face against the tiles. Blood sprays from Alec's dented skull every time it gets hit against the floor.

  When I scream again, Zed looks over at me. I snap my mouth shut, afraid of what he's going to do to me next. He looks like a feral animal and I really feel like prey now- wounded and bleeding, surrounded by circling sharks fighting over who gets to eat. Zed drops Alec's limp body and stomps over to me. Crouching in front of me he puts his bloody hand under my chin and pulls my mouth open. "Your lip is busted," he says. "We should get that cleaned up."

  I think if my eyes were open any wider, my eyeballs would probably roll right out of my head. I crawl backwards like a crab until I bump into the president behind me. I let out a blood-curdling bellow and wrap my arms around my legs to protect myself, squeezing my eyes shut so I won't have to see what happens.

  "Fuck it! Grab her! I'll call the prospect for a clean up!" the president shouts over my head.

  Zed pulls me to my feet and holds me against his body. I push my elbows against his chest trying to break free, but his grip doesn’t loosen. He’s a lot stronger than me. He ducks his head to make eye contact with me. "We're going to take your car," he says slowly. "Where are your keys?"

  "No. No no no!" I shove harder but he holds tight. "He'll follow me." I look over at the battered version of Alec. "He found me. He can track the car. He'll follow me. Not my car."

  "He's gone," Zed says softly, coaxing my gaze back to him with his fingers on my jaw. "He can't follow-”

  "No!” I shout, still fighting against his hold even though I know he’s not going to let go. “No, he wasn't supposed to find me. He found me. I can't take my car. He'll find me again."

  "Okay. You're okay. You're okay." He looks over the top of my head. "I need a cage, too. Tell the prospect to hurry."

  "My boss, Barbara! You can't let him hurt her,” I beg Zed, looking up at the bottom of his jaw. “You have to help her. She'll be back."

  His brown eyes swing back down to me. "He's not going to hurt her, okay? Or you, or anyone else ever again. He's gone. You're safe now."

  "No, no. I'll never be safe. He'll always find me. He'll always come for me. He told me no one would ever keep him from me. I should have known better. I thought I could run." Alec spent countless hours over the years battering that into my head and I still thought that I could do it. I was wrong. I was so wrong.

  "What's your name, honey?" the president asks, standing between Alec and us.

  "It's… Jewel. Do you think if I'd changed it he wouldn't have found me?"

  The president has soft eyes that are turned down in a pitying look as he shakes his head. "No, I don't think that would have made a difference."

  "Maybe I'll change it when I move again." I sag into Zed’s arms as I stare at what's left of the man who's been abusing me for the past four years.

  "You don't have to run anymore,” Zed murmurs, holding me tighter to his chest where I can feel his heart racing just like mine. “You're safe now."

  He’s wrong. I’ll never be safe. I know that now. Nothing I ever do, no amount of distance, no level of cautious planning will keep me out of Alec’s grip. He has money and connections and access to technology. He thinks I’m his property, and he’s not going to let me go.

  Chapter Four

  Zed

  So, that was an unexpected turn the night took just there.

  Jewel sighs against my chest. "I'll never be safe," she whispers wistfully. "I'll never be safe again. I thought he wouldn't find me down here. I'm not safe here. I'll never be safe."

  I rub the soft brown hair at the back of her head as I look over her head at Pres. He lifts his gaze to the ceiling for a moment before turning back to me and shrugging. "Shhh," I whisper into her ear, staring at my president for any idea about what the hell we do now.