Hammer's Pride by E.C. Land (brene brown rising strong TXT) 📕

landing on my ass. So, from this angle, he’s like a giant. Standing directly in front of me, glaring down to where I’d fallen, is a man whose looks make me forget how to breathe. Jeans hang low on his waist with a chain looped on the side. The white t-shirt he’s wearing fits him perfectly the way it molds to his biceps and his wide chest.

Holy smokes, this guy looks like a Viking with his piercing dark eyes. Doesn’t matter if he’s glaring down at me.

“Shit. Avery, you good?” my neighbor asks, coming to stand next to Mr. Hottie, who hadn’t said anything. I didn’t even know my neighbor knew my name.

How does he know my name?

“Um, I . . .” I take my gaze from Mr. Hottie’s to look at my neighbor and nod. “Yeah, I’m okay,” I murmur, feeling more than slightly embarrassed by the fact I’m on the floor still. Doing my best without making more of a fool of myself, I clamor to my feet. “I . . . uh . . . I’m sorry about that. I mean crashing into you.” Great, can I sound more like a dork?

Mr. Hottie grunts then storms off out of my coffee shop without so much as a word.

“Don’t take it to heart, Avery, he’s in a foul mood,” my neighbor says, coming to stand in front of me with a scornful look on his face. Meeting his gaze, I nod, unsure of what else I should say. “You sure you’re okay?”

Again, I nod and glance down and find the name of his club says Devil’s Riot, and that it’s got the words Enforcer under what I’m assuming is his name, Gunner. I’d seen the Devil’s Riot emblem on the back of their vest whenever they’ve been in here and know he’s a part of a motorcycle club or gang, whatever they’re called.

“Listen, been meaning to say something to you. If you need your car fixed, bring it by the shop, we’ll take a look at it,” Gunner states. His words whip around in my head, and my gaze snaps right back up and focuses on him.

“Um, I’m good. My car’s fine,” I stammer.

“Didn’t sound that way this morning when the engine took a minute to crank,” he grumbles and crosses his arms over his chest as he stares at me.

Wait, he saw me?

No way. There wasn’t anyone up at that time of the morning. At least I don’t remember seeing anyone that early when it’s still pitch dark out.

“My car’s fine; I’ll get it to a shop when I have time,” I mutter defensively.

“Sure you will.” Gunner grins, mesmerizing me with the curl of his lip. “Look, we’re having a party at my house tomorrow night. You should come by.”

Holy smokes.

What do I say to that? I don’t have time for parties. Tomorrow being Saturday, I still have to be in here Sunday, even if it’s half a day. Plus, I also still have laundry to do and a house to clean.

“Thanks, um, Gunner, but I’ll have to decline,” I mumble and start to turn away.

“That’s alright, just do me a favor then and get some motion lights for your house, so you’re not walking in the dark,” he says out of the blue.

I don’t bother asking him why or anything else. Instead, I head back behind the counter and toward the back of the shop. Thankfully, Willow had come in, so I’m able to go into my office and get some work done for a bit back there.

In my office, I close the door and lean against it. My mind not thinking of Gunner’s words but of the man who I’d bumped into.

He’s a beautiful man but also a dangerous one. It’s written all over him. I definitely need to stay off his radar for sure. Even if he fascinates me.

Shaking my head, I tell myself to get back on task. I have too much to do and not enough time to do it. If I did have the time, I’d use it wisely by catching up on sleep that I’ve seriously been lacking. This must be said, considering the way my body reacted to Gunner’s friend.

Pulling into my driveway, I bite my lip as I look out the rear-view mirror to the group of men standing outside Gunner’s house. With it being dark, I can’t make out who the men are or if I’d seen any of them around. What am I thinking? I don’t need to be wondering if I’d seen any of them before. I humiliated myself enough as it is. After everything that happened yesterday at the coffee shop, I stayed busier than normal, not wanting to think of any of them, least of all Gunner’s friend. The man I crashed into.

I’m just thankful none of them came in today. Though with the crowd we had today, I feel even more exhausted than ever. This probably has to do with the fact I slept like crap the night before due to the dreams of a certain man haunting them with his chiseled jaw and dark eyes.

How can a man I’ve never seen before yesterday consume my thoughts? Let alone my dreams.

Sighing, I turn the car off and open my door without giving the guys across the street so much as a glance; I rush into my house more than ready to fall on my bed. Inside my house, I sigh in relief, but that relief is short-lived when I notice the state of my living room.

Someone’s been in here and ransacked the entire place. I don’t have to go further into the house to see that. From where I’m standing, you can see the destruction that goes through my little house.

Fear courses through my veins, and I have to swallow past the lump forming in my throat.

What if they’re still here?

Grasping the doorknob, I twist and throw the door open and back out as quickly as I can. Turning on