Sons of Hellfire: Origins by Fiona Flask

Everyone in town knew the Sons of Hellfire MC. They were impossible to miss, rolling down the main drag with their well-worn leather jackets and vests emblazoned with their fiery sigil. The sight of them always made my heart speed up and my face flush. Something about the MC excited me. The danger, the leather, the look of them on their powerful machines. Men and women rode among them, but I never thought I could be one of them.
    I had heard whispers about what their initiations involved. Sex with the whole MC, I'd heard... And these whispered rumours also made my heart speed up. Made my cheeks flush.
    So when I saw a group of Sons of Hellfire members at the Silver Spoon, I felt both scared and intrigued at once. They were both alluring and frightening to me.
    The three leather-clad men stood at the bar, knocking back beers and clapping each other on the back, clearing having a hell of a time. There was one with a thick, wiry, brown beard and short hair. Another with slick blonde hair and blue eyes. The third was a skinny, rat-like man with a goatee. My eyes kept darting to the bearded man. I'm a sucker for beards.
    I tried to keep my attention on my girlfriends, Rachel and Karen, who I was drinking with. Vodka and ginger, whiskey sours, and tequila shots flowed, leaving me unsteady on my feet. I kept shooting looks over my shoulder toward the MC guys at the bar every few minutes.
    "Who are you looking at?!" Rachel said finally.
    "What?" I said, in a fuzzy voice.
    "You keep looking over your shoulder. Is it those biker guys?" Rachel asked.
    "What biker guys?" Karen chimes in, standing on tiptoe to look over my head.
    I put my hand on Karen's noggin and shove her back down, hissing, "Don't!"
    "Why?" said Rachel. "They haven't noticed you staring, why would they notice Karen?"
    "I haven't been staring," I said, blushing.
    "Which one do you like?" Rachel asks, elbowing me and peering at them.
    "Ew," said Karen, finally get a look. "They're all dirty. Look at that ugly, skinny fucker."
    I turned to look at the ugly, skinny fucker and decided he didn't look all that ugly or dirty. But Karen's always been more into v-neck sweater-types. My eyes went back to the bearded one. And in that moment, the bearded guy's eyes made contact with mine. I quickly looked away, hoping he didn't notice.
    "Hey, those guys are all looking over here," said Rachel.
    "Shit," I said.
    "The blond one is approaching," said Karen.
    "Fuck," I said.
    "Hi," said a man's deep voice behind me.
    I turned around and smiled. "Oh, hi!" I looked into the blue-eyed biker standing before me. He was smiling, too.
    "Want a drink?" he asked, ignoring the full drink in my hands.
    "Uh, sure."
    "Come on," he said, grabbing me by the elbow and leading me away from Karen and Rachel. I looked back at them and mouthed, "It's fine."
    The man didn't bring me over to his friends, but instead to the opposite end of the bar. He leaned over to the bartender, smiling, and ordered two beers. His manner was self-assured. He put the bottle of beer in my hand and maintained eye contact as he took a swig.
    "What's your name?" he asked.
    "Eve," I told him.
    "My name's JT," he said.
    I nodded. "Nice to meet you."
    "I noticed you looking over at me," he said.
    "Oh," I said. I decided not to mention I was looking at his friend.
    "Those are my buddies from out of town. You've heard of the Sons of Hellfire?"
    I nodded.
    "All good things, I hope?" he said.
    I nodded again.
    "They're from another chapter," he said, gesturing back toward his friends. "Just passing through, you know."
    "You're in the chapter here in town?"
    "You know it," he said. "So what's your story?"
    I took a breath. "I don't know. I work retail. I'm just out with some girls from work."
    He leaned in closer to me. "That's not your story. What do you like? What do you like to do?"
    "I like to... dance. I like to read. Movies..."
    "I like to go fast," he said. "Do you like to go fast?"
    My heart certainly liked to go fast. I bit my