Coop (Reckless Souls MC 1)

Eli lets out a bark of laughter, but with this dude, it’s all about the show.

“What needs to be done,” he growls at Cannon, “is that you need to put your boy on a leash before something bad happens to him.”

Cannon holds up his hands in a placating gesture that pisses me off. You can never, as the head of an MC, give in. You can’t give up, not fucking ever.

“No,” I bark. “You need to stop with the bullshit, Eli Sanchez, or I’ll find out what you’re really up to. I’ll dig and dig until I know everything about you, and then I’ll use that information to tear you down, brick by motherfucking brick.”

He smiles, but I don’t miss the fear that flashes in his dark eyes.

“Watch your back.”

I nod. “Stay the fuck outta my face, or you won’t get a chance to live to regret it.”

I make a shooing motion at the men and take a step forward until they back up out of the saloon. “Adios, assholes.”

I turn back to Cannon with a wide grin. “Yuma is gonna be fun.”

Three weeks later, a trail of busted heads in my wake, my work in Yuma is done. There’s a cot in LA with my name on it. Time for a break.

Angel Harbor, here I come.

Chapter One

Kelsey

“Oh no, girl. That look won’t work at all.” My best friend and partner in crime, Ruby, stares at me with a disapproving smile on her face, hands on her hips as she shakes her head at me.

“You said you wanted to do something fun. Something dangerous. This outfit looks like we’re going to play BINGO. It’s your damn birthday. Change.”

I sigh and roll my eyes. “What’s the big deal? We’re going to a bar to have too many drinks, Ruby. A short skirt is a short skirt.” It’s my twenty-first birthday, and my plan is to drink a little too much, kiss the wrong kind of boy, and maybe wake up in a stranger’s bed. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

“First of all,” Ruby leans in and tugs on my black shirt, “this isn’t short. It’s grandmotherly.”

“And second?”

Ruby blinks in confusion before she’s back on track. “Oh, right. And second of all, we’re going out to have tequila and fun, and your outfit says White Zinfandel and mild amusement, Kelsey. We’re only gonna be twenty-one once. Let’s not fuck it up.”

I laugh at her frustration and shimmy out of the knee-length black skirt I put on just to fuck with her. “It might help if you told me where we were going.”

“It might,” she concedes with a shrug as she takes in my purple thong and black tank top. “But I’m not here to hand out itineraries. We’re going out tonight, someplace a little dangerous and a lot of fucking fun. So dress for that,” she commands and turns towards the door. “I’ll wait downstairs. Ten minutes, Kelsey.”

I laugh at her threat. “Ten minutes or else what, Ruby?”

Her wicked laugh sounds from the living room. “Or else I will take us to The Blue Sax. You know that bar right off campus where all the music majors hang out?”

I suck in a breath. “You wouldn’t.”

“Let’s not find out, Kels. I’m not in the mood for that shitty jazz that makes me feel like I’m on the verge of a mental breakdown.”

“All right.” I pull the red leather dress I bought for my birthday celebration out of the closet and toss it on the bed. The tank top and black bra end up on the bed too, and I shimmy into the red dress, admiring my curves from every angle.

My long blonde hair is in sexy waves that hang down my back, hiding most of my bare back. Ruby’s makeup skills give me a sexy and sophisticated look that no college girl I know can carry off.

Tonight, I do, and I look incredible. My blue eyes are lined with a thick black line that gives me a sultry appearance.

“Damn, I look hot.”

The smiling reflection in the mirror agrees, and I meet Ruby in the living room. She stands and waves her hand in the universal sign of ‘hey hot stuff,’ and then she circles me. Slowly.

“Damn girl, now that’s what I’m talking about. You look hot as fuck. No doubt you’ll end the night with a ton of free shots and a hard one.”

“Ruby,” I groan and shake my head.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m so gross. We’ll see about that in the morning.”

Her knowing look makes me smile, and after some last-minute primping, we’re in Ruby’s car, going to an unknown location to celebrate my birthday.

Joe’s Tavern isn’t what I expect for my birthday. It’s a rundown old dive bar run by two old-timers in biker outfits. The wood is scuffed, the drinks are cheap, and then men are…well, pretty damn hot.