Nero (Made Men #1)(98)
Beth watched from her car as the large group walked into the store. The men were all dressed in jeans and leather jackets with their emblem on the back. Everyone in the small lot gave them a wide berth, not wanting trouble. Seeing others panic as she had made Beth feel guilty, they had not acted any different than any other shopper going into the small store.
Several women were interspersed throughout the men. As one of the young women laughed, it drew Beth’s attention. Mrs. Langley's granddaughter, Samantha, was walking with her hand through one of the larger men’s belt. His arm was casually draped around her shoulders as he walked beside Samantha while talking to another biker, totally ignoring the scattering patrons. Sam was dressed as Beth had never seen her clothed before, and she had already developed a reputation before the bikers had made their presence known in town. She wore tight jeans that left her hips and stomach bare with a glinting belly ring that drew attention to her flat stomach along with a skimpy top, which left the globes of her breasts bare. Motorcycle boots completed the picture of a biker babe that Beth was sure would give her grandmother heart palpitations.
Sam was several years younger than her and, at nineteen, her body was lithe and firm, unlike Beth’s own short, chunky frame. Beth was not overweight, but because of her small, five-foot stature, the weight seemed to pack on no matter what she ate. Thankfully, her job and exercise kept her from being a pudgy mess. When they entered the store, Beth carefully pulled out of the lot. She was worried for the young girl, though being well acquainted with Sam, she knew she would not appreciate any concern. Beth knew Mrs. Langley would be worried sick if she knew whom her granddaughter was hanging out with while Sam’s father would be furious.
Vincent Bedford was president of the local bank. He was aloof and arrogant, saving his charming demeanor for the upper class of Treepoint society. Beth had talked to him when his mother-in-law had hired her when Mrs. Langley had surprised Beth by asking her to keep up with her finances; her son-in-law had agreed without a second thought. Vincent Bedford was not interested in what little his mother-in-law had, instead he kept busy kissing the ass of every rich and widowed woman in Treepoint. Beth turned onto the small lane that led to Mrs. Langley’s house to drop off the few groceries she had requested. She was already planning ahead to the next assignment awaiting her attention; hopefully she would make it home before dark.
*
“Did you see that?” Razer asked the girl hanging on to his side.
“How could I miss it? She practically jumped into her car she was so scared. I bet she pissed herself.”
Razer laughed and the others close by joined in, having also seen the luscious little blond scurry to her car.
Inside, they split up, gathering supplies for the coming week. Massive amounts of meat, chips and beer filled the three carts to overflowing.
“How are we going to get all this back to the house?” Sam questioned Razer as he pulled out the large denomination bills to pay the exorbitant checkout ticket.
“Maybe we should hire your granny’s scared little mouse to deliver them,” he joked.
“Don’t joke. I bet she ran right to my grandmother’s to tattle on me. Nosy bitch.”
Train walked up behind her, running his hand over her ass and pulling her close to his jutting crotch. They ignored the gawking customers and sales clerk who were not used to such blatant sexual behavior in public.
“What’s she gonna tell, Sam? That you’re fucking one of us? What ya worried about? It’s not the truth.” He snickered, pulling her even closer.
“Don’t worry, Sam, it wouldn’t occur to that old woman that you’re fucking them all,” Evie muttered snidely as she pushed her to the side with one of the overloaded grocery carts and moved toward the sliding doors. “Put the groceries in my car,” she directed the bikers, ignoring the angry glare directed her way from Samantha.
Sam turned bright red at the disrespect shown from the popular Evie. Feeling herself under scrutiny by the open mouthed clerk she snapped, “What are you staring at, bitch?”
“That’s the way, Sam.” Train eased his tight grip before dropping a kiss on her mouth, providing a show for the stunned people at the checkout. Angrily, Sam pulled herself away, stalking away from the audience that had formed in the busy store.
*
Beth let herself into Mrs. Langley’s house, juggling the groceries carefully. The large home was more than the older woman could handle anymore. The formal furniture and decorative ornaments required constant dusting. The gourmet kitchen had long lost it’s usefulness with no one to cook for but herself.
Quietly, she put them away before going in search of the older woman. She found her lying on her couch, taking a nap.
“Mrs. Langley?” Beth was about to turn away and leave her to her nap when she heard a tired voice respond.
“Beth?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Beth moved further into the room so that she could be seen without making the woman rise from her reclining position.
“I thought you might be Samantha. She was supposed to stop by for a visit this week.” Sadness shone from her pale blue eyes. Beth felt a lump in her throat, so many of her clients suffered from loneliness.
Feeling compelled to sit for several minutes, Beth listened to several anecdotes of Samantha as a child. As she listened, she found herself wishing to shake the girl in question for ignoring her grandmother, yet she knew it was useless to feel anger about something that was beyond her control. She was simply following her father’s example; Sam’s mother had been Mrs. Langley’s daughter and had died in a car accident when Sam was fourteen. Waiting until the woman wound down, Beth interrupted her between stories.