Faith’s Temptation (Dueling Dragons MC Book 1) (4 page)

Putting my pen up to my lips, I start to think of his lips again. His lips all over my body, kissing my neck, biting my ear. Oh, maybe even kissing his way down my…

Buzz.

I jump halfway off the bench I am sitting on and look down to see my phone vibrating. Seeing the screen flash Beau’s picture, I roll my eyes and swipe the phone to ignore the call.

Will he ever get the hint?

Heading back into the diner, I hope and pray to God that Ryder and his friend have left. The last thing I want to do is get all hot and flustered again before this interview.

I shake my hands out and take a few deep breaths to center myself. I approach the bar where the waitress from earlier in the day is standing. Now that I can get a good look at her, I realize she has brown hair with blonde and what seem to be purple highlights. She is thin but not too crazy thin.

“Are you ready for your interview?” She turns toward me smiling with two stained front teeth. “Follow me.”

Nodding, I follow her through the swinging doors to the kitchen. “I’ve filled out the application, and if you need any references, I have some listed.” I answer her in the most positive tone I can muster and a politeness that normally makes me sick in other people.

“Honey, you’re at a truck stop diner wanting a job to serve food to some nasty and grubby men. These guys have been driving for hours, some haven’t showered for days. If you can handle it past a week, I will give you a raise. So, ya don’t need any references.” She laughs and continues toward her office.

“I’m Layla. I’m the manager-owner of this truck stop here. It was opened by my great memaw and papaw back in the 1950s. We have 12 gas pumps, six truck-washing stalls, eight studio apartments, a rec room and, of course, the diner. Oh, and a laundry room for the guys to do their laundry, but half of them don’t know how to use it.”

She turns, giving me a once-over, lifting her eyebrows. “So, be prepared for them to ask you, and then give them this.” She hands me a piece of paper. I turn it right side up and read it.

I chuckle. It’s a diagram of how to do your laundry. With pictures and all. “Are you serious?” I ask her questioningly.

“Honey, you would be surprised how many of these guys went from either having their mommas take care of them, or their wives babyin’ them, to driving a truck. Some don’t even know their asshole from a hole in the ground,” she says as she takes a seat at her desk.

“So, let’s peek at your information.” She grabs my application and sits back in her chair to start reading it over.

“Mobile, Alabama?” she says. “What on God’s green earth brings you to Calvert City, Kentucky?” She puts her arm down on her chair waiting for me to answer.

Feeling the instant heat rise in my body, I start wringing my hands together, looking down one last time trying to focus.

All right, Faith, get it together.

“Change of scenery,” I say bluntly, hoping she won’t question it any more.

She clicks her tongue. “Fair enough,” and continues reading over my application. She stares at it for what feels like hours.

Wonder how often Ryder comes here?
Wonder if I’ll ever see him again.

When she finally talks again, I jump back from thinking about him. “So, most of the guys we get in here are regulars. You’ll get used to waiting on the same guys, and most will expect you to know their orders the second they pull on the lot,” she says, leaning forward, setting my application on the desk.

She stands up from the chair and walks to a file cabinet in the corner of the room. Opening one of the doors, she pulls out an apron and a booklet of tabs. “Here’s the stuff you’ll need to get you started. We would like you to use the carbon copy in the middle for each ticket, this way you always have a copy of the tabs you write.” She shows me the little carbon sheet in between the actual check I give the cook and the one that stays in my booklet.

I smile and nod at her. “This seems pretty simple. I just got to get used to the menu.” I run my fingers through my hair.

“Oh, honey, that is one thing that we can’t be caught doing. Playing with our hair, face, or body.” She frowns down at me.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know. I just wanted to let you know. The guys can be as nasty and grubby as they want, but we want to be prim and proper for them.” She shrugs. “So, you’ll start tomorrow morning. Be here to open with me at 4:00 a.m.,” she says as she walks out of the office.

Sheesh, that is early. Guess I’m going to have to get used to being an early bird. “Okay, I will be here.”

“Your schedule won’t change much for the most part right now
.
It will just be you and me working. We can cover it, I think,” she says as she saunters through the kitchen. “That right there is your line cook, Charlie. And over there is your fry cook, Joe.”

I wave at both the men. “Hi, guys!”

“Hi,” they both say in unison. They’re both young, and they look petrified.

“Well, honey, see you tomorrow morning. And welcome to Layla’s.” She smiles down at me and watches as I leave the kitchen.

Walking out of the diner, I feel like I’m on cloud nine. I’m so happy and excited that I actually have a job now. Soon I will be able to say that I take care of myself, that I do my own shit.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I slide my finger across the screen and pull up Nate’s number. I press
Call.
His phone rings several times and then he picks it up.

“Nate Landon.” He sounds so professional.

“Hey, Nate.” I give it my best fake chipper tone.

“Faith, how are you?” Nate is always very straight and to-the-point when he is around business associates.

“Well, I will make this fast since it sounds like you’re busy.” I run my teeth along my bottom lip and sigh. “I got that job. So, hopefully soon, I will be able to afford to make it home.”

“Good job, kid. I knew you could do it if you just put your best foot forward.” The phone muffles and I hear, “Kid sister on the phone, just got her first job today.”

Oh, how he infuriates me like no other. Exhaling loudly into the phone, “Well, I guess I will go.”

Nate asks about the job, but cuts me off mid-sentence. “Well, it was good to talk to you again.”

“Um, yeah, it was. I guess I’ll call later?” I breathe into the phone.

“Thanks, bye.” He hangs up the phone.

He has always had this God complex, like everyone in the whole world owes him something. He and my whole family should know that I don’t let that shit fly. You start acting like an asshole, and I will fire back with a bitchier attitude than you have ever seen.

Deciding not to stress over whatever issues my brother is having, I walk over to the little grocery store to pick up a few food items that I’m going to need for the next couple of days. I’m sure that Layla will let me eat at the diner, but I am not about to get fat eating all that fake and processed food that comes out of that kitchen. No, sir, thank you very much!

Ryder

TOWELING MYSELF OFF
after what was the most interesting shower I have had in a long time, I find myself thinking hard about Faith, and one thing leads to another…

***

She looks up at me with those crystal-blue eyes of hers. “Ryder, fuck me. Make me come.” She squirms around underneath me.

“Shhh, now, now. Don’t struggle. You’ll only make this worse for yourself.” I drag my hand over her plump bottom. “Such a wonderful looking ass you have, Faith.” I continue rubbing.

Then the next second, she’s no longer tied up in front of me but is on a bed panting commands out at me.

“Ryder, fuck me. Make me come.”
Faith has a limited vocabulary when she’s aroused
, I imagine.

“Oh, Faith, you don’t know how long I’ve waited for you to say those words.” I drop my lips down to hers and invade her mouth with my tongue. I move the head of my cock around inside her wet folds.

She whimpers at me.

“Is this what you want?”

***

The thoughts about Faith have invaded my whole psyche since I saw her again. Her cocky little attitude when she tried to push past me. Her out-in-space look—the one she gets when you know she’s thinking something and looking right through you.

She is amazing. I want to get to know her better. I hear a door open in the other room. “So, bro, how many more runs do we gotta do,” Ziggy calls out to me from the other room.

“Man, you don’t have to yell that shit.” I walk out of the room with my little bag over my shoulder. “We have this drop to do and then one last run, then we’re through running shit for these fuckin’ Mexicans!” I drop my bag on the floor and lace up my boots.

“Big question is, are you gonna finally take a seat at the table?” He gives me a questioning look. “You know, a lot of us would feel a lot better about shit if you would take your seat.”

I finish lacing up my boots. I think about my past and what it would truly mean to take a seat at the Dueling Dragons table. A lot of shit would lie on my shoulders. I would be responsible for making choices that could and would affect every single member of the MC.

Lacing up the last boot, I stomp my foot and stand up. “At this point, dude, I don’t fuckin’ know. I really don’t know if I want that much responsibility. Shit could pop off tonight, tomorrow, next week. Hell, even next month.” I throw my arms up in the air, “We never know in this life that we lead, but all I know is today I am taking that load to Arizona and then maybe find a piece of ass or two and calling it good.”

“Hell, yeah! There’s the Ryder we know and love.” He laughs, clapping my back as I walk by him.

“I’m gonna go do my pre-trip and get ready to hit the road. You almost ready?”

“Yeah, just gotta take one last piss and then roll up my bedroll. Then I should be good.” He runs his hand over his cleanly shaved head.

“All right, we leave in half.” I look him in the face to make sure he understands.

“Yep.”

We bump fists and I walk out the door. I head over toward my truck. She is sure a beauty. Despite being forced into this life of running drugs and guns for the Mexicans, I’ve been able to demand quite a few things.

Like my rig for instance. She is custom-made, 100 percent. She’s a shiny black Peterbuilt with a twin turbo Cat motor pushing 1,200 horsepower. She is my pride and joy.

I hit the button on my key fob. All her lights turn on and doors unlock.

Since I haven’t had a girlfriend or a life for the past five or so years, I’ve focused on the runs and my truck. I open the door and am instantly greeted with the black and purple fabric that covers the seats.

Hoisting myself into the truck, I throw my bag in the back on the bed and turn to start up the rig. Putting the key in the ignition, I flip switches and pull out plungers. Everything in this semi has an on-off switch or button. She shakes and roars to life. God, I will never forget the sound of pure horsepower.

After she’s good and running, I hop out to do my pre-trip inspection. Something you have to do for the cops and all those legal guys. I walk around kicking the tires and checking to make sure they hold plenty of air. Then I make sure all my lights are shining bright. Then the last thing I need to do is fuel her up. I hop back in the cab and pull her over to the pumps.

Going to the back of my rig while the diesel pumps, I spot her. She walks out of the diner like she doesn’t have a care in the world. She puts her cell phone to her ear and smiles as she says something to the person on the other end.

God, she is beautiful
. I need to talk to my sister and find out some information about her. Like I told her, I don’t give up on things I want. And, in the end, she will be mine.

I find myself instantly hard again by just seeing her and thinking of the dirty little girl that she was in my thoughts. Wonder if I could actually make that happen?
Oh, pull your head together, Ryder!

I shake my head and get back into the current and turn around toward the front of the truck again to take the nozzle out of the tank.

“So, fuck stick. You ready to fly low?” Ziggy yells from his chopper that he has pulled into the pump next to me.

“Yeah, let’s get the fuck outta here.” I shake the nozzle and return it to the pump. “Are we going to bomb on through to Yuma?”

He cocks his head to the side and straddles his chopper. “Yeah, I might have to stop and take a piss halfway or something. But I should be good.”

“All right, well, let’s get this shit going.” I pop open the door on the rig and hop up into the cab.

Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I plug it into the cable attached to my stereo. Scrolling down on the screen, I find some Stone Sour. I sling on my seat belt and press on the clutch and gas pedal. The truck jumps to life and we’re off.

***

I’m so sick of being in this damn truck all the time. Running my fingers through my hair, I turn the wheel to the right and pull into the fenced area of the Dueling Dragons Clubhouse in Yuma. I look down and see Filthy. He’s been a patched member of the MC for about five years or so.

Nodding, I drive past the main gate. Looking in the rearview mirror, I can see Filthy and one of the prospects close it behind me. We have had to take shit pretty seriously since we only have a couple of runs left.

See, my father thought it would be cool 20 years ago to get in with the Leyba Crime Family from Ciudad Morelos - the biggest crime family in North Mexico. The Yuma chapter of the Dueling Dragons was just a baby chapter at the time, and my pops gambled—and gambled big.

Well, about 15 years ago, there were a couple of huge police raids in So-Cal and Arizona. A lot of MCs and brothers were taken down. I went to prison for three and a half years, hemmed up on a dope charge. The MC, well, took it hard. Half of the patched members ended up in prison, and they left my pops to run things while people were gone.

Pops decided to double down with the Mexicans, and one thing led to another and now here we are.

“Ryder! Ol’ boy, how you doing?” Axel says as he walks toward me. Axel is the current President, and he was Pop’s best friend. Until Pops fucked his ol’ lady.