Read Rebel Heart for Free Online

her. She uncapped the bottle and took a long drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
    “And forget about Kade!” Mel continued.
    “He’s a player. You know this, Stel.”
    Stella groaned, changing the subject.
    “It’s too earlyyyyy.”
    Noon was much more Stella’s style. Waking up at the ass crack of dawn had never sat well with her and on top of that, it was a Saturday. Saturdays were reserved strictly for all-day sleeping in. But Mel’s father was head Organizer of Blessing of the Bikes, which meant that her presence at the festival was non-negotiable. And since Stella owed her a long line of favors, neither was hers.
    It wasn’t that Stella had anything against catering to outlaws. She had grown up in her father’s club and was used to dealing with rowdy men and their egos. Hell, most of them, including Kade, were pretty damn nice to look at. It just wasn’t her ideal way to spend a Saturday.
    Especially now.
    As the last of the men, most of them Veterans, rode into the venue, the crowd of people who had gathered on the sidelines erupted into a round of applause that echoed all the way down the street. Dice greeted each man with a firm handshake and a slap on the shoulder as they parked their bikes and climbed off. Stella spotted Maddox and nudged Mel in the side. She blushed and picked a piece of lint off her dress, trying to appear distracted.
    Mel had been partaking in an on-and-off again thing with Maddox for the past month, a reality made difficult by the fact that he was already in a long-term relationship with a woman he had children with.
    Dice snapped his fingers in front of his daughter’s dazed face and tore her from her thoughts.
    “Ay! Earth to Mel, the boys are thirsty!”
    “Add another bag of ice to that cooler and prepare for incoming.”
    Mel sighed and stood up from the grass, wiping dirt off her legs. Stella did the same, following her over to where three bright orange coolers sat undisturbed.
    A leather clad man swatted Stella on the ass in passing, looking back at her with a wink and a well-timed whistle. Stella scoffed and arched her arm, ready to toss the last of the water in her bottle at him, but Mel stopped her, nodding over at Dice.
    “Behave,” she warned evenly.
    “He’s pissy enough as it is.”
    Stella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest in defeat. Dice’s domineering attitude had gotten old a long time ago, but as usual, there was nothing she or Mel could do about it.
    Mel bent down and dragged the cooler over to where a dense pack of men were waiting. They made catcalls when she approached but Dice cooled them down, noting that she was his daughter. Stella followed with another cooler and gave the man who had swatted her ass the finger when Dice wasn’t looking. He snickered and turned his attention back to his boys. It was then that Stella noticed the familiar Sons patch on his jacket.
    Stella gave Mel a nude.
    “Is he a new recruit or something?”
    Mel looked over at the man and shrugged.
    “Maybe...”
    “I don’t recognize him from the last meeting though. Maybe he’s from a different branch.”
    She dragged the final cooler over and opened it. Stella shrugged and began handing each man a beer.
    “Looks like we’re done here,” she said about twenty minutes later when the coolers were finally empty and the men had retreated into the shade with their old ladies by their sides.
    Mel yelled after Stella as she made a beeline for her car.
    “Wait!”
    “I still need your help! What about when it comes time to feed all these guys?”
    Mel was frantic. Stella looked down at her watch. It was noon. She had told Mel and Dice that she had another obligation to tend to in the afternoon. In truth, her only intention was to go home and sleep.
    Still, Mel was visibly desperate.
    Stella groaned in defeat and relented.
    “Fine, fine.”
    “But when all this is finally over, I want you to promise that we can go out for Margaritas.”
    Mel,