Chapter 5

My stomach isin knots as I watch the clock tick. Steel should be here soon for our shopping spree. He's obviously into me, so I'm not sure why I'm more nervous than normal, but I feel like I'm going to be sick. It's like a swarm of bees buzzing around in my belly. Sweat is dripping down my back and beading on my forehead even though it"s not hot. I should have asked what time he is coming, so I"m not jumping to look at the door every time the buzzer dings.

"Hi, is there anything I can help you find today?" I ask the elderly man who just walked in.

"Yeah. I'm looking for a gift for my grandson. He's fifteen and not really into toys anymore, so I"m not sure what to get," he tells me as he walks with his cane down an aisle of Legos.

"Okay. Well, kids his age are into games over toys. Do you know if he has any gaming systems?"

"I know he spends a lot of time on an Xbox of some sort. My daughter is always yelling at him to get his chores and homework done and get off of the damn thing." He chuckles.

"An Xbox. Perfect." I clap my hands together. "Let me take you over there to the case with all the games and you can pick one out. I can even show you which ones are newer, so we can make sure he doesn't have the game." I walk toward the electronic section slowly so he can keep up. When I get to the case, I stop and turn to him with a smile. "Okay, everything on the first shelf is new this week."

"Well, how do I know what he doesn't have? My daughter spoils the hell out of him ever since his dad died," he mutters, talking more to himself than me. "I'll call her and ask. She should know." He fumbles with his phone as he pulls it from his jacket pocket and clicks the buttons a few times before he holds it to his ear. "Blair. It's Dad. I'm here at the store and I need to know what games Landon has for his box." He pauses for a minute, nodding his head. "Now hold on honey, I can't remember all of them. Does the kid even need another game if he has all those? Okay, start again."

I motion to get his attention and he pulls the phone from his ear. "May I?" I ask, holding my hand out for it. "Hi, Blair, was it? This is Ignatius from Howards. I'm helping your dad today find the perfect gift for Landon. Mind if I just ask about the new ones and you tell me if he's mentioned wanting any of them? And it is an Xbox, correct? Perfect." I rattle off the five new games we got in this week and once I know which one to pick, I hand the phone back and unlock the case.

"Thank you, young man. I'm Keith, by the way."

"You're welcome, Keith. I'm happy to help. Now let's get you checked out so you can get home, huh? Unless you have more shopping to do." I move to the register with the game still in hand.

"No." He laughs. "Just the one grandson for now. I hope Blair gives me more, but she's not found someone since the boy's father passed."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Love always finds you when you least expect it though, right? So I bet her time is coming." I scan the game and remove the anti-theft device. "Alright, Keith. Your total today is sixty-two dollars and five cents." He hands me a credit card and I process his payment before bagging up his purchase and handing him the receipt. "Thank you. Merry Christmas!"

I go over to the Barbie aisle and begin to straighten the dolls. Ever since the movie came out, this has been our busiest section and dang, all the little girls and boys tear up my displays multiple times a day. Lost in the music pumping through the speakers and putting all the little Kens, Barbies, and Skippers back where they go, I don't notice anyone entering the department.

"Iggie," a low voice calls and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as a shiver rolls through me.

Slowly, I straighten and look up into Steel's piercing eyes. "Hi, I'm glad you made it." A smile takes over his face as he looks at me. "I see you brought friends." I look behind him at the four men watching us curiously. Two have the same leather vest as Steel, the only difference is one has an Enforcer patch, and the other a Treasurer patch. The other two are younger; fresh in their twenties it looks like, wearing black shirts and jeans.

"Yeah, there was no way I could shop for all the families alone, even with your help. So Viper and Zero are here to help with the shopping, and the other two are Nate and Chad. They're here to be bag boys and to cross shit off the lists as we find it. Our assistants, you could say." He chuckles and the sound goes straight to my cock. A tingle in my balls moves its way up my body and I shiver.

Clearing my throat, I pull myself together.

"Well, let's get started then. Who is first on your list?"

"We don't get names, it's all anonymous, but first up is an eight-year-old little girl. She wants the Barbie movie, a skateboard, and a purple winter coat," he tells me and my heart breaks. I can't even imagine being eight and wanting a winter jacket. Something so basic that most people don't think twice about having, and it's what this little girl wants as a gift.

"We're gonna head out and get our stuff. We have a couple of older people who want candles, robes, and blankets," Viper grunts. "Prospects, you stay here and help Pres. We got our end handled."

Prospects? I know the dictionary definition of the word, but why would these two guys be called that? Why not just call them Nate and Chad? I'm missing something, but it's not my business; I'm here to help find gifts and that's it.

"I can see the wheels turning in that pretty little head of yours. They're prospectin' to be in our club. We call them prospects, but since you're not a member of the club, you call them Nate and Chad. That's why when I introduced them, I told you their legal names. Same as they'll call me Pres and Viper and Zero by their road or club names and not our legal names," Steel informs me.

My eyes widen and I reach a hand out to the shelf next to me to hold myself up. I feel like a total moron right now. A giggle bursts free before I slap a hand over my mouth.

"What?" Steel asks.

"I thought Steel, Viper, and Zero were all your real names. I was questioning why all your parents named you such… umm… interesting names." I laugh at how silly I feel. "So, I call them Chad and Nate. I call you Steel, but since I'm not in the club, do I call the others by their club names, or do I need to learn their legal ones?" I ask.

He looks at me with a brow raised and then a deep barking laugh comes from his mouth. "You call them Viper and Zero. To call them anything else, including the names their momma gave them, would be disrespectful since they're in Hell's Mayhem. If the prospects become full-blown members, they'll get a road name like the rest of us and we won't call them their legal name anymore."

"I feel like an idiot," I groan.

A growl comes from Steel before he has me pressed against a shelf. "Don't ever call yourself an idiot again. You can't be ignorant of something you don't know. I won't have you talking or thinking about yourself like that again, you hear me?"

"Yes," I murmur, looking up at him and seeing how serious he is.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Sir?" I squeak and my cheeks heat at the sound that just came out of me.

"Good boy," he praises, and sweet lord, if my dick doesn't jerk in my pants at him calling me such a thing.

"Now, we better get back to shopping. We haven"t even crossed one name off our list yet." He smirks.

"O-o-okay." He releases me from the shelf and I spin, heading down the aisle to grab a few Barbies before making my way to the movies. The whole time I'm trying to discreetly adjust my dick so my erection isn't so pronounced and easy to see.

"Why Barbies?" Steel asks as he follows close behind me.

"Well, I know you said you like to get a few extra things for each kid. So I'm guessing if she wants the new movie, she'd like some dolls too."

"Smart and pretty, I see."

Yup. That's it. My cock is never gonna be soft again. I"ve never heard anything sexier than this man and his gravelly voice calling me pretty and good. Who knew I liked that? Who knew I liked to be called pretty or good? I'm learning new things about myself today as well.

* * *

It'sclose to the end of my shift and I've just run the last item over the scanner, smiling as the register beeps.

"Alright, that's the last of it. Umm, I have to admit I've never seen a total this high. Should I even read it out loud?" I ask as I place the baby doll I just scanned into a bag.

"Yeah. The guys will ask tonight when we have church, and Zero will hoard the receipt." He rolls his eyes and gives Zero a pointed stare.

"Ten thousand five hundred seventy-one dollars and thirty-two cents."

I gasp as he pulls a stack of money from his pocket and hands it to me while undoing another stack and counting out six more. The corner of his mouth turns up as he hands me the six hundred dollars.

Quickly I count it and put it in the drawer, making a mental note that I'm going to have to call and schedule a pickup before I can cash out my drawer. I hand him his twenty-eight dollars and sixty-eight cents in change and watch as he and the other guys haul all the bags and boxes out of the store.

"I'll see you in a bit, Iggie. Just gotta get these guys squared away and then you and I are going to dinner. Yeah?"

"Yeah," I whisper.

He nods as he grabs the last six bags and turns. I watch as he walks out of my department and a few seconds later, the door beeps as he leaves the store. I rush back over to the phone by the register and call Susan so she can come to do a cash pickup before I have to balance my drawer and clock out for my shift.

Weirdly enough, she gets to me in no time and my stomach rolls at her stinky fish smell. My God, does the woman ever think to bring something else for lunch? Have a fucking PBJ or spaghetti? I don't know.

"Ignatius, I'm so glad I was free to head over here right away. I'd hate to leave such a large amount of money in the drawer. That is just screaming for someone to rob us, huh? It must have been busy over here today. Look at you, playing Santa's elf and making sure all the gifts are bought." Susan smiles, but her tone is dripping with sarcasm. "And you even dressed the part. Adorable."

Today's shirt is a red Hawaiian print shirt, but the whole front is covered in an elf with no head. My head is its head. I think it's hilarious, cute, and still dressy when I pair it with slacks and my dress shoes.

"It's been pretty slow today. That money was all one transaction," I tell her with a shit-eating grin.

"You're telling me you had an over ten thousand dollar transaction in this department?"

"Yes, ma"am. A local club came in and did some charity shopping and got everything they needed," I tell her truthfully.

"Interesting. Is that whose phone is on the counter?" she questions, pointing at a black iPhone lying face down. Shit! Steel forgot his phone.

Snatching it up, I hurry away from Susan and toward the exit, hoping to catch him before he leaves the parking lot. I burst through the doors and onto the sidewalk at the front of the store, but see no sign of any of them.

Hurrying around the corner to the side street where there is more parking, I stop short when I hear shouting in the alley. Turning to see what is going on and to make sure no one is being robbed or mugged, I suck in a sharp breath of cold air when I see Viper with his hands around another man's throat while Steel is yelling in his face.

The guy is gasping for air and shaking his head back and forth rapidly. I drop the phone in shock and the sound of it hitting the pavement has all six pairs of eyes snap my way.

"Iggie. I can explain," Steel calls.

I don't give him time to say anything else, simply just turn and run back to the store. I need to clock out and go the hell home. I can't believe I was going to go to dinner with him. He's a bully, a thug. I'm so fucking stupid.