Cruel Vows

PAISLEY

Iwipe down the bar, groaning internally as another pig eyes my cleavage. This place is a shit hole and I hate that my brother, Rick, forced me into this life. I haven’t got a choice now. He’s in too fucking deep, which means I am too.

The roar of heavy engines outside of the bar sets me on high alert, as it’s a warning that the boss has arrived. Axel King is the president of the Devil’s Alpha MC and the owner of this bar that I’m forced to tend day in and day out. The twelve-hour shifts I pull around here are ridiculous, especially for barely minimum wage, but Axel won’t hire more staff.

Rick insists it will get better as he climbs the ranks of the MC, but I’m not stupid. The members see women as a commodity to the club and they never get treated any better than I am now, not unless you marry one. And there’s no way in hell I’d ever marry any of these down-and-out bikers. I don’t want to end up like my mom, but it feels like Rick has dragged us both back to rock bottom.

It’s why I save what little I earn, hoping to buy my way out of Chicago. Not to mention Elijah freaks me the fuck out. It’s only a matter of time until his flirting with me turns sinister. I’ve seen it before. He gets an obsession with a girl and won’t leave her alone.

“Can I get another round, doll?” One patron asks.

I nod. “Of course, coming right up.” I pour him a double whiskey on the rocks and slide it over. “Four dollars, please.”

He smiles, but it’s not friendly. The patrons here rarely are. A flurry of whispers echoes through the room as Axel enters in his riding leathers, followed by my brother Rick, Elijah, Dante, and Jax. All of them are wearing the same club jacket as they approach the bar.

Axel is attractive, if you’re into the rough biker guy look. He has light brown, messy hair, and a neatly trimmed beard. And tattoos cover every single inch of his body.

“There you go, doll.” He slides a five-dollar bill into my hand, drawing my attention away from the club members. “Keep the change.” He winks.

I smile, but it feels forced. “Thanks.”

“Hey Paisley, how is it tonight?” Axel asks, piercing blue eyes burning into me.

I shrug. “Not the busiest, but it’s been okay.”

He nods. “Nothing eventful?”

I shake my head. “Not yet.”

His eyes narrow as he makes a grunt and then leads the members out to the back rooms, where they play poker.

Rick smiles at me as he approaches the bar, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He knows I resent him for the shit he dragged me into here. “Can you bring us the usual?”

“Sure,” I say, breaking eye contact with my brother. There’s been a change in our relationship since he joined the MC, as at one time we were inseparable. Now, I hardly know the boy I grew up with, as he’s disappeared entirely. I get the drinks ready and set them on a tray, hating the idea of taking them back there when Elijah is with them.

Clearing my throat and getting my shit together, I walk confidently into the back rooms of the bar, where the men are already seated around the card table. Elijah’s eyes fall on me and slowly drag down the length of my body, making my skin crawl.

“Here you go, boss,” I say, setting the tray of drinks down on the table.

Axel smiles at me briefly and nods. “Thanks, sweetie. Can you get Juan to rustle us up some burgers, too?”

I bite the inside of my cheek, as he knows how much I hate being called sweetie. It grates against me in ways I can’t put into words. “Sure thing,” I say, making sure I don’t look at Elijah again. The least attention I pay him, the better.

Rick gives me an apologetic look, but I’m fed up with his bullshit apologies. He told me this was temporary, but everyone knows once you’re a member of the Devil’s Alpha MC, there’s no escape. You are in for life and there’s no getting out, not for most.

I walk out of the room and head for the kitchen, knocking on the door.

Juan smiles when he sees me. “Hey, Paisley. What can I get you?”

“Axel’s here, with four of his guys.” I flick the hair out of my face. “Can you get five burgers and fries done for me?”

He nods. “Of course, coming right up.”

Although Juan is an alright cook, I wouldn’t eat anything out of this rat infested kitchen. It’s dirty as hell and would probably be shut down if we had an inspection. Axel chased the last inspector off before he could get his foot in the door and since then, I think they’ve given up.

“Give me a bell when they’re ready,” I say before walking back to the bar and sliding behind the counter, where a crowd has suddenly emerged.

Alice, the only other bartender, is slammed. “Where were you?”

“Sorry, the boss had an order for the kitchen.” I grab the cloth off the bar and turn toward one of the patrons. “What can I get you?” I ask, plastering on the best smile I can muster.

The guy looks pissed at being made to wait. “Two double Jack’s on the rocks. I’ve been waiting for five fucking minutes.”

“I apologize. We’re a little short-staffed tonight.” I turn and grab the bottle of whiskey, pouring the Jack Daniels and sliding the glasses onto the bar. “That’s fifteen bucks, please.”

He grumbles and hands over the cash, before grabbing the two glasses and disappearing.

“Paisley, grubs up,” Juan calls through from the kitchen.

“Fuck,” I mutter, glancing at Alicia apologetically. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

She waves her hand dismissively. “Don’t sweat it.”

I rush away from the bar and into the kitchen, where Juan has piled the plates onto two trays. “Thank you for getting them done so fast.” I flash him a smile and disappear with the first tray, heading into the back room.

As if Elijah has a sixth sense or something, his eyes land on me the moment I enter. It sends a shiver down my spine. “Here’s half the food. I’ve got to go grab the rest.” I set it down on a buffet base nearby and then rush off again for the other tray.

The men, other than Elijah, are too engrossed in their card game to answer me as I walk back down the corridor to grab the other tray. Once I return, I’m surprised to find that they’ve stopped playing cards and are grabbing the plates off the tray.

Elijah hasn’t grabbed one yet, and he approaches me, setting the hair on the back of my neck on end. “Have you got one for me, darling?” he asks.

I hold out the tray between us to stop him from getting too close. “Sure, take one.”

He leans toward me, his alcoholic breath wafting over me and making my stomach roll. “There’s something else I’d much rather take,” he says, eyes moving to my cleavage.

Rick clears his throat and approaches, clearly noticing I need help. “Is there a problem here?” he asks, glaring at Elijah.

Elijah holds his hands up, shaking his head. “No problem at all.” He snatches a burger off the tray and takes a bite, eyes lingering on me. “Catch you later.” He winks, and I struggle not to puke.

Rick looks guilty as he glances between me and the asshole hitting on me. “Let me take those. You can go back to the bar.”

I pass the tray to him and hightail it out of there as fast as I can without another word.

Once I return to the bar, it appears it’s quietened down.

Alice sighs heavily when she sees me. “I hate this fucking place.” She too has been forced into this job by association, being the girlfriend of Jax, who doesn’t treat her so well.

“Tell me about it,” I say, glancing around to ensure there are no members of the club lurking nearby to overhear us. They don’t like us badmouthing this place or how lousy they are as employers. “Elijah won’t leave me alone.”

Alice frowns. “He is creepy.”