First Ride by Tara Oakes Page A

…” I can see her searching for some way to explain this. “Kinda like a pack of wolves. There’s a leader. An alpha. That’s Dawson. All the other little wolves fall in line and things run smooth. Both on the inside and on the outside. But, once the smallest little things goes outta balance, once the wolves think their alpha isn’t strong enough to lead them, to protect them, or if another pack of wolves thinks there’s a weak moment to attack … then everything goes to hell.”
    Other than a few colorful words, her explanation reads out like a bedtime story, and both Sasha and I are intrigued, eyes glued to her to finish the tale.
    “Dawson needs to present himself as the strong leader of the wolf pack at all times. His woman needs to help him do that, for her own safety too.” Baby ends the lesson.
    I swallow hard.
    For my own safety, too?
    What the hell have I gotten us into?
    As soon as we open the truck doors, the men closest to us take the shopping bags from the back seat, without us even having to ask. At first, when we stopped at the market after leaving Lana’s place, I thought Baby was insane for buying as much food as we did.
    Now, looking at the crowd of people, I’m wondering if we even bought enough.
    Everyone near me smiles, says hi, introduces themselves with some funny name or other that I know I won’t be able to remember. There’s a Bandit, Monty, Esè, Shooter, Hops, and too many more to recall.
    Each of them finds some way to say hello to Sasha, who’s hiding behind my legs, whether by pinching her cheek, pretending to steal her nose, or patting her head.
    Surprisingly, they each know my name. Well, Angel. They all call me Angel, and it’s only going to make this already confusing situation even worse if I try to correct them by asking them to call me Molly.
    Dawson watches from above, leaning against the railing of the porch, sunglasses on, almost as if I’m being tested and he’s proctoring the exam. The only thing is, I don’t know any of the right answers.
    “Here’s the little lady now!” An older man with some grey mixed into his dark hair rises from his seat in one of the wicker seats. “How you doin’, Angel? Name’s Uno.”
    Some of the men’s names seemed a mystery to me, but this one? This one I get right away. He’s got a black patch covering one eye. Without waiting for an invitation, he leans forward and gives me a big hug, kissing me on the cheek.
    “Are you a pirate?” Sasha asks shyly, peeking her little eyes out from behind my thigh.
    The men erupt into loud laughter. Even Dawson grins, while taking a sip of the green glass bottle in his hand. 
    “Argh! Matey!” Uno busts. “Shiver me timbers. What would ye be knowin’ about pirates, now?”
    Sasha steps out a little bit more, engaged in her knew friend. “Maw read me the story.”
    “I got me some pirate stories I’ll be tellin’ ya, if ya like.” Uno bends down a bit.
    Sasha nods her head up and down quickly.
    “Angel, welcome home.” Gryff is the next to stand. “Don’t think this is gettin’ you outta working at the club. I’m not gettin’ behind that bar again.”
    I laugh. I’ve gotten to know Gryff perhaps the best out of all the brothers so far. Chase introduces himself next. I’d seen him last night, but other than serving him a beer or two, he’d been too wrapped up in one of the strippers to take much notice.
    The only one left is Dawson, leaning back, ankles crossed, waiting.
    He doesn’t come to me like the rest had, He’s clearly expecting me to come to him. Everyone stands by and watches. It’s another test.
    I drop Sasha’s hand so she can stay and talk to her new pirate friend and I walk forward. Each step seems to cause my heart to thud louder.
    Dawson sets his beer aside on the railing to his left.
    “Hi,” I speak softly. Should I say something else?
    He doesn’t reply, though I see his eyebrow lift. Most people watching us are silent and still. I see his mouth