Chapter 45: A Beautiful Mess

Open Road, Temperance, South Dakota....

The wind beating against Brick's body and making his cut flap in the distance had been quite the sight as the leather clad brute of a man made his way down various winding roads as he took his leave of Layla's family home. He couldn't hide the smile that was filed across his ruggedly handsome and bearded face as he thought back to the past few hours when he'd been on the road with the young waitress and how she clung to him. He'd even liked when she had her hair all over her head. The rugged biker found himself leaning more and more into the notion that the old timers had been right about him, and the issue with imprinting. Layla had been unlike anyone he'd ever known and she had yet to even go out and experience the world for herself. Crossing state lines had been something he'd done the moment he was able to hit the road. His quest to see as much of the country he'd shipped off to defend was what had initially driven him to taking to the road. Being a war had taught him to appreciate life and live it more abundantly no matter what had been going down.

With respect to most of the veterans before him, Brick had made up his mind to put his time in the service behind him. He had hit the road with his foot on the gas and never looked back. Even with his decision to venture out and see the country for himself, he had not really been living given his tendency to get blind drunk, get into fights, and transport illegal substances across the states for profit. He'd fallen into the seedy underworld and it had been self inflicted. Being born from a long line of werewolves whom had known whom they were ever since birth, he'd always been wild at heart so much so that no one ever believed there would come a day when he'd be so tame.

He had not believed it himself until he met Layla Quinn for the first time.

In the old days, he saw a woman he wanted there was no stalling when it came to taking her to bed and once he had his fill he'd leave her in the dust with the smoke exhaust from his bike to remember him by. The oldtimers had been correct when they warned him that a day would come when the imprint would put a hurting on him, he had not been much for skirt chasing and downing bottles since becoming closer to Layla.

He had some concerns about her when first they met, but every moment he got to spend with her didn't seem like it would ever be enough as the time seemed to fly by without being noted whenever they were together.

Brick had a brief moment of recollection about their time down at the creek and smiled once again as his bike neared Earl's diner where he knew the rest of the crew to have been lingering as they awaited their time to head out after the newest target in the form of a bail jumper. It promised to be a fun occasion given how close they were to the target's location.

The black motorcycle turned down the last winding road and headed toward the front of the diner where Brick parked it along with the rest of the bikes from his crew. He headed inside after wiping his face for the first time since his time at the creek and grinned like a mad man when he thought back to Layla and her reaction to his interesting brand of play.

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The Bathroom, The Quinn Residence, Backwoods, Temperance, South Dakota....

Steam filled the bathroom as Layla Quinn found herself easing into the newly filled tub as she took a moment to clean up from not only her long day of work at the diner but the events at the creek. She couldn't help but picture Brick's half naked muscular body towering over hers as they tumbled about amid the dying grass and bushes along the creek. She had been quite sure she wouldn't have been able to stop herself nor him in that moment as the pull had been much too strong then. While Brick had been a good kisser to start, Layla had been pleasantly surprised about all the other things the arrogant jerk could do with that silver tongue of his.

The water had been welcomed against her sore and aching muscles and the soft and foamy bubbles provided a side bonus of entertainment as she wiggled her toes and watched a few bubbles that floated above her head pop before her after taking in too much air. She leaned back against the cool porcelain of the tub and sighed as she recalled the events that led to her chaotic day. She felt in the end, the day had not turned out to have been so bad, all things considered when she looked back at the time she spent with Brick.

Still giving herself over to her state of relaxation, Layla sighed letting the warm water relax her muscles and her memories of Brick lull her into a contented and quiet slumber amid the soft and aromatic bubbles. She had been so relaxed in her bath that she had not heard the front door, nor Brutus barking up a storm when his master had returned from whatever binde he'd gone on the past few nights. Jarrett Quinn had been quite drunk as he shuffled about the house and toward his little used bedroom as he stripped out of his filthy attire and stripped down to his white tank top shirt and dark boxer shorts before shuffling back into the living room where he plopped down into his usual chair and turned on the television that had been off since he left it.

Jarrett Michael Quinn, fitted himself into his preferred seat before fishing a cold beer he'd sat beside the chair before venturing to the room upon his arrival and popped the top. He took long slow sips from the cold dark brown bottle as he stared at the black and white images that filed across his television set.