“He’s trying to, but I’m ignoring him,” Casey stated the obvious.

“That must be new to you, Max,” Grace teased him.

“Not really. She’s been doing that since her ma married my dad.”

Grace laughed at Max, reaching her hand over the counter. “I’m Grace, Ice’s wife.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Casey.”

The beautiful blond gave her a smile before moving out of the way for her to continue to check out the customers. Gradually, the store emptied out except for Max, who tore open a Twinkie package and shoved one into his mouth.

When the bell over the door rang as the last customer left, Casey was unable to put it off any longer. She stared at Max in frustration.

“Your friends are waiting.”

Max shrugged, putting the other half of the Twinkie into his mouth. Casey wanted to grind her teeth; instead, she left the counter to go out back to grab a box of hotdogs. Carrying it back out front, she began to refill the now empty carousel.

When she turned to throw the box away, she bumped into Max. Hastily taking a step back, she then moved to the side. However, Max reached out to take her arm, preventing her from going back behind the counter.

“You think I’m being a pain in the ass? What are you going to do when someone comes in and really wants to give you a hard time?” His eyes went over her shoulder to the back room.

“Call the police!” Casey snapped, jerking her arm away. “It’s none of your business what I do. I don’t stick my nose in what you have going on, so I expect the same in return.”

“Any time you want to come by the clubhouse, you’re more than welcome.” Max grinned, staring at her breasts before skimming down the length of her body then moving back up to stare into her eyes.

Casey stiffened, her green eyes glaring back at him angrily. “No, thanks. I’ll pass.”

She went back behind the counter, throwing the empty box down behind the trash can. She would throw it in the recycle bin after he left.

“Why? Your mom enjoys coming around.”

Casey stiffened, studying his face to see if he was trying to be ugly about her mom’s behavior. When she didn’t see any ridicule in his expression, she relaxed. She had been used to her mother’s actions being thrown up in her face since she was a child.

“My mother and I are nothing alike.”

“That’s for fucking sure,” Max snorted.

Casey began stocking the cigarettes. “I’m fine, Max. This store is half a block away from the police station. It’s never been robbed. I checked it out before I applied for the job. The owner is looking for someone to take the job over. As soon as he hires someone, I’ll quit.”

She had met Ned when he had come into the bank to make a deposit three years ago. One day, he had moaned that he had to pull double shifts because his third-shift employee had gotten married, and Casey had offered to work at the store.

“So, what do you need the money for?” Max leaned against the counter.

Casey blew out a breath, trying to keep her temper in check. “It’s personal, okay?” There was no way she would tell him. It would defeat the whole purpose of her working there in the first place.

“Listen, Max. It’s nice that you’re concerned, but I have it under control.”

Max straightened, narrowing his eyes on her. “What time do you get off?”

“Six, why?”

Max shrugged. “It’s none of your concern,” he mimicked in a snooty voice. “You have two weeks. If I see you here a day past that, I’ll make it my business to find out what in the fuck has a woman who’s too cheap to buy anything without a coupon working two jobs.” With that, he turned on his booted heel, leaving the store.

Casey stared after him. She would talk to Ned in the morning when he came in for his shift. The last thing she wanted was Max snooping into why she wanted the extra money.

She released a frustrated sigh. She should be trying to draw him closer; instead, as always, her guard had been raised by his attention. She hadn’t anticipated seeing him and had been unprepared to lower her guard. If she was going to succeed, she was going to have to loosen up around him. All her plans had been well thought out yet had gone flying out the door when he had walked in. She could kick herself for letting the opportunity pass. She didn’t have much time to achieve her goal, and she had just trashed the one opportunity she was looking for. Next time, I’ll do better, she promised herself, firmly ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind that was telling her it would be easier said than done.

Chapter 2

Casey watched the television as the on-screen couple shared their first kiss, bringing her back to the first time she'd had any real interaction with Max.

She was a month away from graduating high school and had spent the day at the library. Exhausted, she felt as if she had sand in her tired eyes from reading for such a long time. Casey stopped in the doorway, seeing her mom and her two friends, Roni and Ginger, trying to clean up the mess from the party they'd had the previous night.

It was the same scene she had lived through numerous times during her lifetime. Her mother was on the prowl for a new man, so there would be numerous parties and one-night-stands until a new boyfriend settled in to stay.

“Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to help?” Renee snapped, holding a trash bag while Roni and Ginger tossed trash inside.

“I told you before I left for the library that I have finals tomorrow.”

“Helping for ten minutes isn’t going to hurt you.”

Her angry glare had Casey dropping her books onto the chair. She was too tired to argue with Renee. She would lose more time fighting with her than it would take her to clean.

“Give the girl a break. She might end up being a doctor as smart as she is.” Ginger winked at her.

“The only job she’ll ever have is working twelve hours a day behind a counter just like me.” Renee handed her the trash bag then took a seat on the couch, flipping on the television.

Casey almost asked her when she had ever worked, much less worked a twelve hour day.

“I don’t think so. I see Casey making something of herself.” The pretty strawberry blond continued to help clean while Roni settled down next to Renee.

Roni and Ginger were both younger than Renee. Casey often thought they used her mother for the free booze and the parties that provided them with a variety of men to choose from. Ginger was only a few years older than Casey. She was nice, whereas Roni made no attempt to be friendly with her.

Casey was in the kitchen doing the dishes when Renee’s friends began arriving with a few of the Predators. They had stopped coming by when Renee had broken up with Mason, but her mother must have found a new target that belonged to the deadly club.

Ice, Jackal, Fade, and Mugg were all dressed in jeans and leather, and their intimidating presence made Casey nervous. It didn’t take long for the small house to fill, the yard and driveway covered in motorcycles.

Casey finished the dishes, going through the living room to her bedroom at the back of the house.

“Where are you rushing off to?” one of the neighbors Renee had invited placed an arm around her shoulders, keeping her from leaving despite her trying to pull away.