Page 53 of Bolt (Iron Thunder MC 1)
“Would you like me to make a recommendation? What kind of coffee do you like?”
He grunted something under his breath and looked at me shiftily. Finally, he said something again.
“You Bolt’s ol’ lady?”
That made me blush. It was weird admitting to that, I was still getting used to the idea of being someone’s ‘old lady’, but that was how they referred to me around there.
“Yes, I am,” I replied, and the man proceeded to lean on the counter with his arms folded.
That was when I saw his patch. I hadn’t been paying attention before. I’d automatically assumed he belonged to the Iron Thunder MC, but now I recognized the Silver Knights logo on his patch. I felt my heart skip a beat.
He must have seen the look on my face. Did he know I recognized him?
“Your guy is responsible for the death of my best friend,” he said. This time he spoke in a hiss. His voice was threatening and like a growl. I looked over his shoulder nervously. Nobody else had overheard our conversation. They didn’t know what we were talking about.
I looked back at him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You should take this up directly with the Iron Thunder Club.”
“No, I’m fuckin’ taking this up with you!” he growled. A little louder this time.
“Bolt didn’t kill anyone, not recently,” I whispered, and the man clenched his jaw.
“My friend died the night of the raid, and he was responsible for it.”
It suddenly dawned on me what he was talking about. Maybe it was the guy Flash had shot. The one who was about to strangle Bolt to death if Flash hadn’t intervened. But there was no point fighting over the details with this guy.
“I’m sorry you’re hurting but you should talk to the Club about your grievance. I’m sure they would like to hear about it,” I said. I knew I had to be firm, to show no weakness.
“I have no intention of talking to anyone. I’m going to make that bastard pay for what he’s done,” the man growled.
In a split second; I knew what he was about to do. I whipped around, trying to slip away before he could get to me, but he jumped over the counter and caught me in a chokehold.
I screamed and so did people around me. Now we were the center of attention. He had me in his tight grip, choking me with his arm and I could feel my breath slowly beginning to diminish from my body.
I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear him, smell the beer on his breath.
“Bolt is going to fuckin’ pay for Johno’s death. He’s going to know what it means to lose someone he cares about.” He was grunting right in my ear, tightening his grip on my neck. I struggled, trying my best to hit him, but I couldn’t get free.
Nobody else had approached yet, everyone afraid of what this man was capable of. I couldn’t get words out of my mouth. I was breathless. I couldn’t even scream for help or beg for mercy.
This man wasn’t about to let me go.19BoltI’d spent all morning on the phone. Going over and over some details about a contract I was organizing for our security business. By lunchtime, I seriously needed a break. While I hated working at the office, it was handy being this close to Cassie’s cafe.
I shut shop the moment my last phone call ended and headed over to the cafe.
I didn’t realize something was wrong till I was walking in through the door and realized people were rushing out screaming past me.
“What the fuck?” I grunted under my breath and sped in.
I saw them then.
The motherfucker with his arm around Cassie’s neck in a chokehold. I recognized his patch immediately and knew this was about revenge. He had his back to me and didn’t see me coming.
I pushed through the crowd and leapt on him, pulling him apart from Cassie. She fell away screaming and he growled as he spun around to me. I didn’t have time to reach for my gun first, so I headbutted him.
His lip split open and he staggered back, but he wasn’t giving up very easily. He looked up at me with fire in his eyes and charged me again.
This time, it was me pinned to the wall. He grabbed me by my neck, pushing me up against it and I was reminded of the way his friend tried to choke me that night.
Behind him, I could see Cassie screaming her lungs out at the counter. Her friends were holding her back while she struggled to get away from them. It took me a moment to get my bearings and then I kicked him in the gut.
He howled in pain and released me. I slid down the wall and jumped on him again.
