Havok: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance - Riley Rollins Page 0,110

they might've unleashed on me.

I was still laying in bed when there was a loud rap on the door. I pulled myself out of bed with a sigh and answered it.

"Mornin', sunshine! Sleep well?" said Big Mikey. He looked back to his jolly self today. Either he had total confidence in Axl to take care of business, or he was hiding his actual concern.

I smiled. "Hi, Mikey," I said. "Just fine, thank you."

"You just let me know if you need anything. At all," he said. He gave me another cheerful smile. "Head down the hall and to your right to the mess hall when you're ready. One of our cooks will whip up somethin' tasty for you."

"I really appreciate it," I said. "Hey, Mikey," I continued.

"Yeah?"

"Axl's gonna be good. Right?"

He nodded slowly and replied in a tone that inspired genuine confidence in me.

"Known him since he was a kid. No one I'd trust more to make it out in one piece."

I mustered a smile. "Thanks again, Mikey. I'll be by the kitchen soon." He gave me another smile. "See ya."

I changed out of my pajamas and followed the directions Mikey gave me to the compound's mess hall. It looked like a diner, with a grill behind a long counter with stools, and a bunch of booths and tables. The place was mostly empty, with only a couple tables occupied. The kitchen, though, smelled divine. I caught a whiff of burgers cooking. I'd been planning on asking for a stack of pancakes, one of my favorite comfort foods, but now I was torn.

I sat down at the counter and realized there was a laminated menu tucked into the napkin holder. I giggled softly. The idea of a biker hideout having its own chef and a real menu was cracking me up. I wasn't complaining, though. It was way better than the Sons clubhouse, where the only thing to consume was alcohol.

An Italian-looking guy in a chef's hat came out from the kitchen. "Whatcha having?" he asked.

"Pancakes?" I said. I had to go with pancakes.

"You got it," he said, and disappeared again into the kitchen.

As I sat waiting for my food, a pretty but plain-looking blonde girl entered the mess hall. She was wearing a blouse, jeans, and high heels. Much more dressed up than I was. She looked around the room, and I thought she seemed nervous. Then she walked up to me at the counter.

"Anybody sitting here?" she asked.

"Nope," I said. She pulled out the stool next to me and sat down.

"I'm Ashlynn," she said, and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

I shook it. "Holly," I said. I was trying not to look completely out of my element. "Are you an old lady?" I asked her.

Her eyes widened and an amused expression came over her face. "Dammit," she said, "Knew I should've put on more foundation this morning."

We both cracked up laughing. "Sorry," I said. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Just playin'," she said, giving me a wink. "Nah, I'm not an old lady. Not yet, at least. You think I'd be wearin' this ridiculous get-up if I didn't have to?"

I had a feeling this girl was what the bikers called a "hanger-on." But I wasn't about to say that to her face.

She continued. "What about you? Haven't seen you around before."

"Yeah," I said, trying to sound casual. "I'm Axl Archer's old lady."

Her eyes widened again, and she looked visibly impressed. "Axl Archer from the Sons of Chaos?"

I nodded yes.

"Damn, girl," she said. "Every biker chick this side of the border wants to hook up with Axl Archer."

That was news to me. But I wasn't exactly surprised. I had no doubt that Axl caught women's attention wherever he went.

"Well," I said, doing my best to sound modest, "I happen to believe they're the lucky ones." I grinned at Ashlynn.

She giggled just as the chef came back out of the kitchen with my pancakes. They were topped with a square of butter just like in movies. They were picture perfect, but for some reason I wasn't feeling very hungry anymore. "Thanks," I said to the chef.

"Ooh," said Ashlynn, "I'm gonna get some too, they look so good."

"Help me with mine," I said, pushing the plate toward her. "No way I can finish them."

I sat there chatting with my new friend, nibbling on the pancakes, but my appetite seemed to have left me. I pulled out my phone from my pocket a couple times during the meal, checking it