Road Bears

By Becca Fanning

Carrie Dalton needed this job. She needed this job bad. But even she couldn't kid herself: she stuck out like a sore thumb in this biker bar, full of men who had more warrants than kind words. Right as she thought she was getting the hang of things, she went tail over teakettle with a full tray of beers. Thankfully she was caught by the best looking six and a half foot mistake she'd ever seen. Nothing wrong with a little fun, right? Not like it could last. And those golden eyes...
Brian Cross didn't come to the bar tonight for distractions. He just wanted to handle some Iron Fur Clan business and maybe drink away a little sorrow. Then the new waitress almost killed herself on her first night on the job. Brian always had a soft spot for the underdog, and for her to come into this den of bears showed some backbone. It didn't hurt that his eyes were constantly drawn to her thick hips and ample curves.
Before they can get to really know each other, a rival motorcycle club threatens their relationship and their very lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gizmo Media
• Release date: May 23, 2021

Book preview

Fanning

Chapter 1

Carrie was screwed. It was her first night on the job and she had no idea what she was doing. It wasn’t like she hadn’t gone through the training. She even took notes! But something about moving through a training scenario and actually dealing with customers and their orders and the rush and loud music just made her feel frazzled.

A week ago she had applied as a waitress at a dive-y bar. She had no previous waitressing experience, and the woman who took her application looked at her resume dubiously.

I, uh, don’t have a whole lot of experience. Carrie, who was usually the epitome of cool, calm and collected, felt ill. Her stomach rolled as the tattooed woman looked down the list of jobs.

I can see that. The woman’s voice was rough, like she was a big smoker.

I do have a lot of customer service experience though! She tried to sound positive. Carrie had been working a fantastic administrative assistant job for the last three years. They hired her when she was fresh out of college and she loved the company. It was a start-up that worked to promote literacy in low income areas. She got to talk to publishers to convince them to donate books, she convinced authors to donate time to go to schools and read to kids, and she helped organize tutoring programs.

It was a dream come true for an education major with a desire to change the world. And then it ended. Three weeks ago all of the major investors backed out and Carrie was left jobless. She needed to pay rent. So there she was. Applying for a job at what was basically a biker bar.

The woman pursed her lips. Yes, you do. She put the paper on the bar top and Carrie could see her long, talon-like finger nails. They were painted bright red. Here’s the truth, darlin’: I need a waitress immediately, and you’re the only person who has applied. So I’ll take you on only if you promise to take your training really seriously.

Carrie nodded enthusiastically. Absolutely. Thank you so much. You won’t regret this!

In retrospect, perhaps she shouldn’t have said that. She must have jinxed herself.

From almost the moment her shift started people kept walking in. And Jeanette, the woman who had hired her, wasn’t lying. The bar really was understaffed. Jeanette was at the bar, and an enormous man named Tiny was the line cook. Carrie was the only waitress. She hadn’t had a minute to catch her breath during her whole shift. She was only three hours in and her feet were aching, her back hurt, and her cheeks were sore from all the smiling she was doing.

She loved being busy but this was a whole new type of busy. The bar was large, probably the biggest one she’d ever been in. There was the bar counter top at the far end of the room, away from the door. Between the door and the counter, there