Chapter 9: Uncanny Heroics

The Back Alley, Earl's Diner, Temperance, South Dakota...

Grey eyes met those of terrified blue only briefly as Brick found himself quickly approaching the scene where Layla Quinn found herself held at knifepoint following her decision to get some much-needed air outside the nearby diner after attempting to sort through feelings that seemed to spring upon her out of the clear blue sky shortly after coming into contact with Brick for the very first time. The fury that filled the newly arrived werewolf had been so intense that his grey eyes shifted into an eerie and dangerous red glow, as he rushed over toward the distressed Layla catching the knife-wielding psychopath off guard and ramming him via his neck into the hard metal surface of the nearby dumpster and proceeded to pound the already thin frail man, into the ground with raging fists. He had not recalled much aside from the blood oozing from the bastard who had dared to attempt a robbery, and the sheer terror that was filed across the face of the young woman who had been distressed to the point of freezing in place, it was apparent to him that her terror had not been due to him and his vicious beating of the bastard that tried to bring her harm.

Layla came to the startling conclusion that the handsome biker, Brick was willing to outright kill this horrid man if she left him to his own devices for too long and rushed toward him instantaneously throwing her arms around him and attempting to pull him back as he froze for a few moments taking in her sweet scent as his rage began to subside. There were no words between them as he'd gone from kicking and stomping the formerly conscious attacker to turning to face her as his eyes returned to their normal grey hue and he suddenly found himself compelled to take her in his arms.

Without warning he scooped her smaller frame into his own and their lips crashed together like two warring ships at sea, Layla had been caught off guard by the feverish kiss from the older man but she found herself giving in to it the longer it went on. The onset of the familiar heat that filled them as well as the magnetic pull that compelled them to seek out a means of touching one another inside the diner had returned full force leading Brick to carry her toward the diner where he pressed her back against the nearby wall as he trailed heated kisses down her neck and shoulder as she gripped him while his powerful arms held her up off the ground. Having nothing to do with her dangling feet, Layla found herself wrapping her legs around his well-toned denim-clad waist as they continued to kiss in the alley with the bloodied drug addict not far from them.

She didn't know if it was from the shock or the fact that they had something of an odd connection since their first encounter, but Layla had not been able to wrap her mind around why she was into kissing the handsome older man as much as she was and she knew hardly anything about him. He seemed to be struggling with himself as he pressed his muscular body against her slightly crushing her youthful breasts in the wake of their collective chests being pressed so closely together in the wake of their mutual thunderous heartbeats. He didn't seem to mind the kissing much either, as she took note of his apparent arousal threatening to burst from the lower half of his jeans as he continued to hold her young body against himself and the wall on the side of the diner behind her.

The sensation was intense and the heat almost unbearable as he let out a low growl against the flesh of her neck before coming to his senses and putting her back down before pulling away. They both stood there for quite some time as the shock passed between them and the magnetic pull began to inch them closer to each other.

"A-Are you alright?" he asked panting as he attempted to catch his breath.

Layla nodded winded herself after such an intense round of stimulated kissing with a handsome stranger.

She had never kissed anyone before, let alone an older man.

From the look on her face, Brick seemed to gauge that it had been her first kiss as well and smirked rather smugly.

"Not bad for a first kiss was it?" he asked with an arched brow.

Layla's face turned red as she attempted to get ahold of herself.

"How did you know it was my first kiss?" she asked not wishing to look him in the eyes.

Brick continued to smirk before running his hand across her cheek, finding it pleasant that she didn't seem to resist his touch as their eyes met once more.

"If it's any consolation, you kiss like a pro," he said in a way of complimenting the young waitress. "It wasn't my intention to come out here and get you all hot and bothered I just couldn't sit back and watch that twisted fucking druggie do you any harm."

Layla had been grateful and nodded as she looked over at the still-blooded attacker who had not moved an inch since being rendered unconscious via Brick's powerful fists. She sighed and set to work adjusting her attire.

"T-Thank you...by the way," she said turning her attention to Brick at last. "I mean...if you hadn't come along..."

"Don't mention it," replied Brick smoothly.

He suddenly began going through his pockets and pulled out a nearly empty pack of cigarettes in a white pack with a picture of what looked to be a camel on it. He put one of the thin white sticks to his lips and flicked a silver cross-engraved liter, igniting the end of it before taking a drag from it and putting the liter away.

Layla watched the thin white puffs of smoke flare from his nostrils and mouth as she stood there in amazement. She had not liked smokers herself due to her father being one, but she found something relatively sexy about how smooth this handsome man had been when the smoke filed out of his flaring nostrils.

"Sorry about that," he said noting her distaste for cigarettes as he took one more drag before putting the thin white stick out against the nearby wall and then stuffed the recently snuffed-out cigarette into his back pocket for safekeeping. "Just needed a little something to calm my nerves, if you know what I mean."

Layla nodded giving him that at least.

"If you don't mind me asking, just how old are you?" he asked with an arched brow.

"Sixteen," replied Layla folding her arms across her chest and meeting his eyes. "Fine time to ask after I've had your tongue down my throat."

Brick chuckled at this as he leaned against the wall with one hand while looking her over with his hypnotic eyes of curious grey.

"It figures, only a teenage girl would be so inclined to wear cherry chapstick," he said touching his lips briefly as he reflected on their recent kiss.

Layla rolled her eyes at this.

"Sixteen is legal around these parts I'm told." he continued with a wicked smirk spreading across his ruggedly handsome face. "All the benefits of youth and the perks of being a grown woman....must be nice."

"It's my turn to ask, how old are you?" asked Layla feeling slightly insulted by being asked her age.

Brick's smirk only seemed to widen.

"I'm thirty-one by most accounts," he replied smugly. "All the benefits of being a grown man and none of the responsibilities."

Layla shook her head.

She had never met anyone as unseemly and as arrogant as Brick, but she found it both amusing and annoying at the same time.

"It figures, it's a wonder you taste like cheap booze and cigarette smoke." she countered his recent brand of insults about her chapstick.

Brick chuckled some, his deep baritone drawl impressive and enticing at the same time.

"You're quite a feisty one," he said amused. "That's good...should serve you well as you get older, the world ain't' such a kind place once you get out there in it."

Layla would beg to differ, but she had been out of her element so to speak about what the world had been like as she had never left Temperance a day in her young life since her initial arrival with her parents at the age of six years old. She had not even recalled where they lived beforehand, it was almost as if her life seemed to have always begun in Temperance.

Brick reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded silver switchblade knife and offered it to her.

"Take this," he said in a gruff but serious tone. "Might need some protection if you're gonna go about all half-cocked, next time you might not be so fortunate to have interference."

Layla looked at the folded silver knife for a moment before reaching for it. She slowly took it out of Brick's hand as he seemed to relax a bit leaning against the wall with one hand again as his gaze once more met hers.

"You know how to use it?" he asked with an arched brow.

"I'll figure it out," she replied clasping the knife in her hand she met his gaze with her blue orbs.

"Well...at least I ain't gotta worry about you getting into any trouble," he replied casually.

Layla smirked wondering why he'd been so concerned but guessing correctly that it had something to do with their rather strange connection.

She noted that it was getting to be late and that she was due back inside to finish her shift.

"I should be getting back," she said. "Got a shift to finish and all that."

Brick nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." he said, "I should go see if I can find the sheriff."

"Sheriff Tillman is about three blocks from here on Turnpike Road," Layla informed him. "You could walk or take your bike, but it isn't that far just turn right on Hedgemont Ave, and the building's right there."

"Thanks," replied Brick this time owing her a bit of gratitude.

"Don't mention it," replied Layla with a smile knowing she'd used his own words to her at that moment.

Brick seemed to notice as well and treated her to a smile in return.

"I guess I'll see you around then, Brick?" she said before heading toward the back door of the diner.

"Something like that," replied Brick as he already began fishing his cigarette out of his back pocket and putting it to his lips. "Layla."

She ventured inside to finish out her shift still thinking of what might have happened had the handsome leather-cut-wearing man not taken an interest in her. Of course, she'd only been out there to get away from him after the strangeness of their initial introduction, but he more than earned his keep saving her the way he did.

Brick lit his cigarette once more and took a long deep drag before turning his attention to the bloodied druggie he left lying on the ground beside the dumpster. He pulled the still half-conscious and rancid-smelling man up via the collar of his tattered shirt and marched him toward the direction of the nearby sheriff's office.

He still would have preferred to kill the apparent lost cause after all he'd done to prove what a waste of life he'd been, but Brick knew all too well that Layla would not have wanted it that way.

As he walked the druggie to the jail, he thought it strange that he even bothered to care about what she wanted in the first place.