Riders Of Tyr 5: Ironhand

IRONHAND

Bjorn looks at me, concern etching his face. “Everything okay, bro?” he asks.

I give a nod, bending down to tighten a bolt on my bike. It’s not that the bike needs fixing, but it’s a good excuse to hang out with Bjorn.

“You’re quieter than usual, Ironhand,” he observes. “You didn’t drop by last night.”

“Just went for a ride,” I reply, shrugging off his concern.

“To your cabin?” he asks, a knowing smile on his face.

I can’t help but return his smile. My cabin is one of the few things that bring me joy. I bought it and renovated it myself. It’s my sanctuary, my haven, my sacred space. Only Bjorn has ever been there. I invited him after he discovered his wife had been shot in the head.

I shrug again, not wanting to give too much away. “I just went for a ride, nowhere specific, just enjoying the solitude.”

Bjorn is about to say something else when a car pulls into the garage. It’s a black truck, and I’m expecting a tattooed muscle man to step out, the usual type of customer we get. But instead, a woman emerges.

She doesn’t just step out, she unfolds. Her long legs are the first thing I notice. She’s wearing tight jean shorts and leather sandals. It takes me a moment to drag my gaze up to her white, sleeveless shirt, tied at the waist to reveal her stomach. Damn, I curse under my breath.

“Can I help?” Bjorn asks, wiping his hands on a rag.

She turns to face us, her light brown hair falling in loose curls over her shoulders. Her face is elegant, with sharp angles and a graceful nose. Her lips are full, her mouth slightly too big for her face, but it suits her. Her eyes are large and hazel, with flecks of green.

When she sees Bjorn, she smiles broadly, and my stomach flips. I need to get out of here, I think, but I don’t move. I just stay where I am, hidden behind my bike. There aren’t many women who can catch my attention, but this one? Damn, she does.

“Hey,” she says, walking toward us with her hands in her back pockets. “I’m new in town and need some work done on my truck. I heard this is the place to go.”

“Who told you that?” Bjorn asks, frowning.

If he finds her as attractive as I do, he doesn’t show it. But then again, Bjorn is so in love with his wife, he might not even realize she’s a woman.

“Some guy I met at a bar,” she replies. Her tone is suggestive.

I grip the wrench in my hand so tightly my knuckles turn white. She doesn’t seem like the type, but her smile is seductive, and she’s looking at Bjorn like he’s the only thing that can quench her thirst. Bjorn notices it too and tenses up. He was never one for random women, and now he’s completely devoted to Ava.

“You’ll want Iris. She’s the best damn mechanic in the state,” Bjorn says, turning to me. “Have you seen Iris across the street, man?”

I stand up and look at Bjorn, avoiding the woman’s gaze. But I can feel her eyes on me, and I can’t resist a quick glance in her direction. I frown. She’s dropped the seductive act and is looking at me with a mix of intensity, desire, and…fear. I clench my jaw and shake my head in response to Bjorn’s question.

“She must be at the tattoo parlor,” Bjorn concludes, turning back to the woman. “You can wait here until I get Iris, or you can leave your truck here.”

“Okay,” she replies, her tone casual again. “I trust you. Can I use your bathroom before I call a cab?”

“Sure, but not here. We’re doing some upgrades in the back, and the phone’s down. You’ll have to go across the street.”

“The bar?” she asks.

“We own the street,” Bjorn replies, scowling. “Didn’t your friend tell you that?”

“We didn’t do much talking,” she says, looking at both of us.

Just another one of them, I think. But the thought makes me uncomfortable, even angry. I study her openly. She’s got the looks, the body, the attitude. ~But there’s something more,~ my instincts warn me. She acts like a loose woman, but is she really one?

“Ironhand, will you walk her over to the bar?” Bjorn asks.

I want to punch Bjorn right now. The last thing I want is to be near her. There’s something about her I don’t like. Or maybe I like her too much. Either way, it makes me uncomfortable. Bjorn smirks, reading my reaction. He knows me. I don’t like being around people, especially not when they’re a damn attractive woman who could stop traffic just by flipping her hair. I don’t say anything, just walk out of the garage.

For a moment, I think she’s stayed behind to call a cab. But then I hear the sound of her sandals on the asphalt, and I clench my jaw.

“Hi, my name’s Erin,” she says, catching up to me.

I quicken my pace, not in the mood for small talk. But she’s either stubborn or clueless because she keeps up with me.

“Ironhand, right?” she asks.

I stop so suddenly she almost trips. I give her my most intimidating look, the one I use to scare off troublemakers. Normally, they back off, scared. But she doesn’t. She meets my gaze, and for a moment, her facade drops, and her eyes seem to say, “You’re not tough enough, buddy.” But then she’s back to her carefree self, smiling and narrowing her eyes.

I push open the door to the bar and walk in, not waiting to see if she follows. She does, and for a moment, she just stands there, taking in the place. Jab is behind the bar, and Tor is in with Vince. They both turn to look at her, their eyes roaming over her body. I want to grab her and hide her from their lecherous gazes. And if they don’t stop, I can always rip their limbs off. What the hell?

“Well, Ironhand, aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” Vince asks, standing up and walking over to us.

I raise an eyebrow, clench my jaw, and cross my arms over my chest as I lean against the wall. Of all the people who could be here, it had to be them. Between them, they could put porn stars to shame with their numbers and depravity.

“Ironhand’s not much of a talker,” Vince says, invading Erin’s personal space.

She grins at me, her eyes sparkling. “I got that much,” she says.

“Need a hand, sweetheart?” Tor is next in line to speak.

“I parked my truck across the street. I’ll just use the restroom and then I’ll be out of your way.”

“Are you in a rush?” Tor steps closer to her.

They remind me of a pair of wolves circling an innocent deer. Innocent? My gut instinct protests as I watch the scene unfold. I’m the biggest badass here, but people often forget I’m even in the room.

I like it that way—I worked hard to be invisible. It’s my secret weapon—I gain power by watching people, without giving anything away. So, I take in the scene playing out before me.

Erin keeps up her act. She licks her lips, places a hand on her hip, puffs out her chest, and tosses her hair. She speaks in a low, sultry tone, her naturally deep voice adding to the allure.

She tries to put on an accent, but I can tell she’s well-spoken, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. Her eyes dart around the room, her gaze urgent.

She runs her hands up her neck at the exact moment her eyes lock onto the hallway at the back of the bar. The brothers might be distracted by the cleavage she’s flaunting, but I see it.

Who’s really the predator here? I wonder if I should be more worried for my brothers than for her.

“See you at the party, then, sweetheart.” Vince’s voice pulls me back to reality.

The party is tomorrow night. Vince’s birthday. It’s always a big deal for the Riders.

Between birthdays, engagements, weddings, new babies, near-death experiences, and getting out of jail, there’s always a reason to celebrate.

“I’ll be there,” Erin promises, her smile warm. “I need to start making some friends.”

“Sounds good, sweetheart. And don’t worry about bringing a gift. Just…show up.” Vince’s words are dripping with innuendo.

I’m surprised Erin doesn’t throw up right in his face. Instead, she turns to me so quickly her hair spills over one shoulder.

I let out a low hiss when her eyes meet mine, and she holds my gaze for a moment. So long that Tor has to clear his throat to get her attention.

She then heads for the restroom, leaving me alone with my brothers.

“What’s up, boss?” Tor grins at me.

He calls me “boss” just to annoy me. When his dad brought me home, I lived with them, and little Tor wasn’t thrilled about his new sort-of adopted brother.

He made it his mission to irritate me from day one. He gave up soon enough when he realized nothing gets to me, nothing can shake me.

Except for her… I find myself looking down the hallway she disappeared into.