The Falcon Ridge Series Book 3 If Looks Could Kill

(Chapter song ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ by Guns ‘N Roses)

LUKE

"TO CALI!!!"

The bar is banging as we raise our beers and clink them together over the table.

I'm sitting at a high-top table in a bar downtown called Claws. It’s not a very good bar. You can bet on the fights happening here, but the alcohol flows and the women are fine.

The sexy brunette in my lap, adjusts her little ass on my thigh as I hold her waist. Her name is Candy, I think. I don't really care. She’ll be the entertainment for the night as I drink this town away and prepare for a much hotter future.

I push my empty to the center and grab a fresh beer. With a seductive smirk, I raise the bottle to Candy’s plump, pink lips. "Blow on this, Baby."

She smiles, puckers her lips and blows air across the top of the bottle.

I pull her face to mine. "Mmm… You do that so well. I have something else you can blow later." I grab her chin and shove my tongue down her throat.

Gavin slaps the table. "Luke. Hey, Luke.”

I break the kiss and swig my beer as he captures my attention.

He points his beer to me. I can tell he’s catching up to me in the buzz department. “Remember the hottie in Morgan?"

Oh, yeah. He’s drunk. There’s no way he'd talk about that with other guys around. I can’t help but chuckle, hang my head and shake it.

Evan looks between us with his brow up.

I grab Candy by the waist and pull her closer to my junk as I start laughing. I pick up my beer and point it at him. "That's first and last time I ever fucking share with you. Dude, you're fucking embarrassing."

“It was my first threesome, ok. I was nervous.” He scowls.

“Thank God, she was pro.” I shoot him a stupid grin.

I slam my bottle down and slide my hand up in between Candy’s boobs, pulling her into my chest. I lick her neck and bite her earlobe. Gotta keep her hot.

Bobby finishes his beer, searches for another then waves down the waitress for six more. "You two are sick fucks, you know that?"

I stop biting Candy's neck and look at Bobby as I arch a brow. "No. We're honest. There's a difference. The girls know what we want. Don't you, sexy?" She moans with a cute smile as I continue nibbling her ear.

Gavin laughs. "Dude, just take her out back and fuck her already." He tips back his bottle.

I wipe her lip gloss off my lips and pick up my bottle. "Not drunk enough yet. I don't think Candy is either. Are you?"

She shakes her head and looks at me through slit, dreamy eyes. "Not yet."

I stand her up on her heels and slap her tight ass. I wave her to the bar with both hands. "Well, get your pretty ass up there and get a drink, on my tab."

She smiles seductively as she walks away.

The look she gave has my dick swelling so fast, I have to adjust it in my jeans. "I hope she goes for the hard stuff." I smile as I watch her swaying hips disappear into the crowded bar.

Bobby leans on the table. "So, what's so important that you need to take off now." He arches a brow.

"Nothing." I lean back and shrug. "Just sick of this place."

The waitress arrives and she drops six beer on the table. She picks up the empties as I lean to her with a smirk. “What time you off, gorgeous?” I bounce my brow and lick my lip.

She side eyes me. “Fated.” She taps her shoulder and my eyes find her mark by the strap of her tank top.

“Damn. He doesn’t have to know.” I chuckle and sit back.

“Dude, the mark tells on you. He can feel everything.” Gavin snickers.

My brows shoot up. “It can?”

The table nods.

“Shit. No wonder he was so pissed.” I mumble.

The table groans.

I look up at the waitress. “Worth a shot.” I smile and she shakes her head. I order eight shots of whiskey and pick up my beer.

Bobby leans on the table toward me. "You say you’re sick of this town, but you've spent the last six months drunk. How can you possibly be sick of that?"

"Well, Mr. Sloan. If you have to stay drunk to enjoy a place, it's not a good fucking place." I nod my head at him. "You'd leave, too, if you knew what's good for you."

The waitress comes back and drops my shots in front of me. I pass out six and pound two back before picking up my bottle.

As soon as she leaves, Bobby glares at me. "Fuck you, man."

My jaw goes slack as I blink at him with my bottle hovering in front of my mouth.

"No, really. We try damn hard to keep this fucking town livable and what do you do? Bitch and whine about how we're not good enough for you. Well, honestly, I'm fucking sick of it. So, why don't you be honest and admit that you're not man enough to fucking step up and take care of your pack like you should." He sits back and crosses his arms.

The entire table turns to me and I stare right back at him. One thing I can’t stand is being called out. It ups my snark to level 1000.

"Fuck, Bobby, tell me how you really feel." I snort and pound back half my bottle.

Gavin rubs his head. "Jesus, Luke. Don't you see yourself?"

I drop my bottle. “Yes, I do, Gavin. I know a lost cause when I see one. If you all weren’t blind to it, you’d see it, too.”

“The crimes too high, Luke. You’re dad can’t take care of all of it himself. He needs help.” Evan says as he nurses his drink.

“My dad is a lazy fuck who cares more about the money these degenerates bring in than the pack. Why should I help that?” I glare and swig my beer.

“Have some respect, Luke.” Gavin scowls. Always the loyal Gamma.

"Whatever. You guys are killing my buzz." I finish my beer and stand, swaying on my feet.

"I'll see you guys... whenever. I'm out. Candy's all yours and send the bill to my old man." I push off the table and the bottles clink together.

Evan stands and tries to steady my staggering body. "You want me to drive you home?"

“Get off.” I wave him down and continue to push my way through the crowd.

I fall out the front door of the bar and almost onto the sidewalk.

I stumble around and get my bearings or at least try to. I’m seeing triple at this point.

I brace myself on the brick walls of Red Rock’s downtown buildings as I make my way up the street to my bike. I can’t remember where it’s parked, but it’s probably a good thing because I shouldn’t be driving at all.

I clumsily avoid the night life walking up and down the sidewalk around me. I try to walk straight and look cool as ladies pass. I smile and almost fall over.

“Shit.” I growl as I hit a wall.

We have a lot of bars here and although most are seedy, it’s still a good place to party.

You’d think in a town of 1500, there wouldn’t be much to do, but the private money flows here. The Alphas coffers are stuffed with it.

My triple vision tries to navigate my way to the pack house, but I’m really too drunk to know.

As I stumble past an alley entrance, I stop dead. My lips shrink and I look back over my shoulder. A noise of cans comes from the dark and I stagger backwards, my eyes not leaving the entrance.

I stop and face the alley. My eyes try to focus as I step between the buildings.

Sounds of grunts and punches come from the back.

I walk to a dumpster, brace myself on it and try to focus my beer goggles to make out what’s happening in the black of the alley.

As I sway on my feet, I see a shadow standing over someone on the ground. I hear more punches and conclude some poor schmuck is getting his ass handed to him.

I move along dumpster, thinking, I should stop this.

Alcohol is a funny thing. It sometimes makes your balls bigger than you believe them to be because normally, I’d just walk on when I’m drunk, but seeing this guy getting his ass kicked seemed wrong to me all of a sudden.

“Hey.” I groan as I shake my head to try and focus.

The fighting continued. Apparently, they didn’t hear me.

I let go of the garbage can, try to puff my chest out and take in a deep breath. “HEY!” My drunk voice shouts. “Leave ‘em alone!”

As I blink my eyes and grab the dumpster again, the fight stops. I probably should have thought this through a bit more because the guy doing the punching turns my way. He’s wearing a long black coat with a hood. I can’t make out his face, but I can’t really make anything else out either.

The guy on the ground gets up off the pavement and runs to the other exit of the alley. He doesn’t look back. The guy in the hood watches the other leave then he turns back to me.

“YOU’RE FUCKING WELCOME!” I growl. My eyes float back to the hooded guy who hasn’t moved. “Douche.” I say under my breath.

Hooded guy starts to step toward me and I try to give him my scariest warning look as I burp and fall on the dumpster.

“Hey, man. Just walk away and I won’t hurt you, alright.” I wave my hand at him indicating to go away and eye him.

He doesn’t say a word as he continues to take slow steps toward me. He’s not taking my warning? Fine.

“This is how it’s gonna be?” I push off the dumpster and try to hold myself up.

I ball my fists as he stands in front of me. I see his hood move up and down like he’s checking me out.

“Like what you see, asshole?” I smirk.

He swings at me and I block it. He takes another swing and connects with my jaw.

I stumble back, catch myself on the dumpster and run the back of my hand across my busted lip.

The pain in my head and blood on my hand, has me slowly raise my eyes to him. I’m sobered up a bit now. I’m also pissed.

I push off the dumpster with a growl and rush him, swinging lefts and rights at his head.

He arches back at each of my swings and I comeback with a back hand to his jaw.

He takes a couple of steps back, pauses to rub his jaw and raises his head. That’s when I see a pair of glowing green eyes.

My eyes widen as he comes at me, throwing punch after punch. I block each one, backing off as he relentlessly attacks.

“That all you got?!” I shout as I block an uppercut.

I was doing surprisingly good in my drunken state until he lifts his leg and plants his foot on my chest. He kicks me and sends me crashing to the asphalt. I groan on my back as he stands tall with his chest out and fists at his side.

I cough as I roll onto my elbows and knees. I feel like I’m about to puke as I try to get the strength to stand up. My eyes turn to his thick boots stepping toward me. When he closes the gap, I look up at his hood just as he delivers a swift kick to my gut, sending me to my back.

“Fucker!” I choke as I rock and wheeze. I hold my ribs as I grit through the pain and thump my head on the pavement.

I raise my head and watch his boot float over my chest. He straddles over me, reaches down with a black gloved hand and grabs my shirt.

He lifts my shoulders off the ground and I shoot daggers at him. I snarl as I fist his coat. My other hand pulls back his hood.

My eyes widen when I realize I’m surrounded by fire red, long curly hair and I’m staring at the most gorgeous face I have ever seen in my life.

My brow stitches up as I connect with gorgeous green eyes. They’re also very pissed.

I watch her arm raise.

“No wait!” I hold up my hand just as I feel the sick crack of my cheekbone.

My face is dealt several more blows until I’m left in a complete black out.