Page 6 of Bolt (Iron Thunder MC 1)
‘Fifth Gear’, it announced on a dilapidated board with one bright bulb illuminating it. It didn’t look too inviting, but even from this distance, even though I had no idea what it actually looked like, I was sure this was the place Chip had come to. I could feel in my bones that he was in there.This was not the kind of bar I would ever walk into on my own. It was a dive bar; I could tell just from the outside. But it was exactly the kind of place where Chip would hang out.
Rows of bikes were parked outside and a few guys hanging about around it, beefed-up men with beards and tattoos. I didn’t know much about biker gangs, but got the feeling they belonged to one like that. I could sense them keeping a close eye on me, discussing me as I parked up on the gravel lot outside the doors of the bar.
Thankfully, they didn’t approach right away.
In the darkness, I sat in my car, trying to think of things to say.
Pep talks came to me fast and furious.
It’ll be fine. I’m just here to look for my brother. What harm can I possibly do to them? I’ll buy a few drinks, take on the role of a paying customer if I have to. They can’t deny me access then, can they?
Even as I sat there in my car, I could sense them studying me. Was one of them taking down my license plate number? Were they going to follow me out? Everything was so eerily suspicious that I was tempted to turn around and drive away. It wasn’t like Chip would be thrilled if he saw me walk in. But I couldn’t go now; I’d come so far, needed to talk to him.
I opened the door and stepped out. One shaky foot at a time.
Three men turned to face me square on, standing in a row a few feet in front of the door, as if challenging me to break through their barrier.
I forced a plastic smile on my face and marched forward.
This definitely felt like war.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” I said in my chirpiest voice, even managing to flip hair over my shoulder in an attempt at keeping it casual. Nobody replied. Their eyes seemed to burn holes in my body as they examined me, looking me up and down.
An idiotic attempt to walk around them failed when the guy on the edge caught me by my elbow, roughly yanking me back.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going, miss?” he asked. His voice was deep and threatening, and my stomach flipped. Even though I knew Chip hung out with men of this caliber, I’d never come face to face with someone like him. My legs trembled.
“Just here to get a drink,” I replied sweetly, but there was a tremor in my voice.
He exchanged a look with his pals, and they continued to glare, their silence foreboding, making me want to explain myself. To convince them of my innocent intentions.
“Okay, look, I’ll be honest. I’m not here for a drink. Why would I drive all the way up here, in the middle of nowhere, for one beer, right?” I added a nervous chuckle, but nobody else was laughing. “I think my brother is in there and I need to talk to him. Maybe you know him?”
“If I were you, little girl, I’d get right back in that car and drive away,” one of them said. Another threat. Was my life in danger? Would anyone find me if something happened to me out here?
My skin was covered in goosebumps.
“Chip? His name’s Chip. He’s my older brother and… and I need to see him.”
The moment I said his name, recognition showed in their eyes. But still none of them said anything. That was all it took for me to know for sure they were embroiled with my brother in some way.
“Is he okay? Is Chip okay?” I tried.
“Get back in your car!” The guy who growled at me took a step toward me and I backed away. I had no choice. I knew I couldn’t out-muscle them.
“Go get Spike,” another said. I didn’t exactly want to stay to find out who Spike was. I turned and started walking to my car. Over my shoulder, I saw one of them walking around the side of the building, headed to the back of it. There had to be an entrance through there somewhere.
I opened my car door and slipped inside, sitting again behind the wheel, dazed. The other two men were still glaring and I waved, even smiled, trying to diffuse things. Finally, they looked away, as if annoyed. I kicked in the ignition. My car buzzed to life and I gave it a moment to settle.
The two men weren’t looking at me anymore.
