Ride Me Into Ruin: Iron Reapers MC

Small Fires

LEXIE

The morning at the drug store felt normal, just like every other day. I moved between the shelves slowly, stocking bottles of vitamins and cold medicine.

The air smelled faintly of soap, paper boxes, and something sweet from the cough syrup aisle. My shoes made soft sounds on the clean floor as I went back and forth.

Mr. Harlan was in the back like always, doing his paperwork. I could hear the light sound of papers turning and the pen scratching sometimes. A few regular customers came in and out, greeting me with small smiles and simple questions like nothing in the world was wrong.

I tried hard to focus on each thing in front of me. I kept my mind on the bottles, the shelves, the labels. I smiled at Mrs. Ellis when she came in for her usual pain cream. She moved slowly like she always did, holding her bag close. I even joked with her a little about the weather.

“Another sunny day in Harlow,” I said lightly, placing the cream in her hands. “Makes me wonder if the town is showing off or just trying to trick me into staying.”

Mrs. Ellis let out a warm laugh, the kind that made her eyes crease. “You’re fitting in nicely, Sara. The customers like you.”

I smiled back at her, but inside, my mind was not calm. It kept drifting away. It kept pulling me back to Raven’s face from the night before.

I pushed the thought away again and again, like it didn’t belong in my head. I told myself I was here to do my job, just stay invisible enough not to cause trouble, nothing more than that.

The afternoon passed in the same quiet way. The store stayed calm. I helped an older man find allergy pills, reading the labels slowly with him so he would not get confused. I rang up a young mother holding a sick child on her hip, the child looked tired, resting his head on her shoulder.

But every now and then, I caught myself pausing. My eyes would drift toward the door without meaning to. I would stand a little still, half expecting something bad to walk in like it belonged there.

It never did, but the feeling stayed anyway. By the time my shift ended, I felt tired in a quiet way, not the kind of tired that comes from heavy work, but the kind that sits inside your chest. Still, I felt a small pride too.

I had made it through another day without breaking. I walked back to the bar with slow steps. My head was a little higher than before, even if I didn’t notice it at first.

The bar was already starting to fill when I stepped inside, the usual noise greeted me, the smell of drinks and wood and smoke mixed in the air.

A few club members sat at tables, leaning back like they owned the space, some talked, some just watched. Raven was there too.

She stood near the pool table with three bikers I recognized from around. She looked relaxed in a way that felt practiced and confident. Her long dark hair fell over one shoulder like it was placed there on purpose.

I tried to slip past quietly toward the stairs. I kept my eyes forward, I wanted no attention, but Raven’s voice carried across the room anyway.

“Oh, look who’s back,” she said loudly enough for people to hear. “Our mysterious new girl. Sara, right? Still hiding upstairs every chance you get?”

The room felt a little quieter, like people were listening more now. I stopped walking. Slowly, I turned toward her. I gave a calm smile like nothing she said could touch me.

“Not hiding,” I said. “Just working, some of us have actual jobs, you know.”

Raven laughed softly, like she found it funny, but her eyes stayed cold and she leaned a bit on the pool table with her arms crossed.

“Working at the drug store? How sweet,” she said. “But tell me, Sara… why does a girl like you show up out of nowhere with almost nothing and decide to stay in a place like this?”

She tilted her head slightly, like she was studying me. “You hiding from something dangerous?”

I felt my stomach tighten, but I kept my face still. I made sure my voice stayed light when I spoke.

“Hiding?” I said, stepping a little closer. “That’s a big word. I prefer ‘taking a break from bad decisions.’ You know, the kind where you learn not to trust people who smile while they stab you in the back.”

I saw a few of the bikers shift in their seats. One of them looked at me longer now, like he was thinking about my words, the air felt heavier, but I didn’t move back.

Raven’s smile stayed, but her eyes narrowed a little more. “Cute,” she said. “But people are starting to talk. A pretty girl with no real story, no real past… makes you wonder what she’s really running from. Or who she’s running from.”

One of the bikers gave a small chuckle. Another nodded slowly like Raven’s words made sense to him.

I stepped closer again, just enough to show I was not backing down. My shoulders stayed relaxed and my chin stayed up.

“You know what’s funny, Raven?” I said. “You talk a lot about me being dangerous, but you’re the one spilling coffee on people and spreading whispers like it’s your full-time job.”

A few people around the table laughed under their breath. I heard one of them say, “She’s got a point.”

I kept going, my voice still calm but a little firmer now. “If I’m so scary, why are you so focused on me? Afraid I’ll steal your spotlight?”

Raven’s cheeks changed slightly, just a small flush, but her smile did not break. She held it tight like she refused to lose control.

“Just looking out for the club,” she said. “We’ve seen girls like you come and go. Usually they bring trouble with them.”

I gave her a soft smile, almost sweet. “Good thing I’m not like most girls,” I said. “I clean up my own messes, and I don’t need to tear other people down to feel important.”

For a moment, Raven looked like she wanted to say more, her mouth opened slightly, but I didn’t wait. I turned away before she could answer.

I walked toward the stairs with steady steps. My body felt controlled, even if my heart was beating faster now. I could feel eyes on my back the whole way up.

When I reached my room, I closed the door behind me, the sound felt louder than it should have. I leaned against the door and stayed still.

My hands were shaking a little now that no one could see them. I let out a long breath and slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor.

The room was quiet except for the low sound of the bar below. My chest felt tight, like I had been holding everything for too long.

I hugged my knees close and rested my forehead against them. I stayed like that, thinking. My mind moved slowly through everything I had seen since I arrived here.

Mia’s kindness. Mr. Harlan’s rough but honest words, the way Chaos never pushed me away, even when he did not ask many questions. The way he gave me space but still made sure I was not alone.

I was starting to care about not disappointing them, especially Chaos. That thought made something tighten inside me. It scared me in a way Raven’s words never could.

“What am I doing here?”

My voice did not answer me, only silence did. I stayed there a long time, just thinking. The night outside grew deeper without me noticing right away.

Then slowly, I stood up. My legs felt a little weak at first, but I steadied myself. I walked to the window and looked out.

The town lights were glowing softly in the dark, like nothing in the world was wrong out there and for a moment, it almost felt peaceful.