CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Friday evening, Marcel arrives at my apartment a few minutes after me. I can’t lie, I’ve been freaked out about this trip all week. But I packed my backpack last night, and I’m ready for a weekend away with him.
“Where is everyone?” I ask, locking up my apartment behind me. Not that I expected the whole club to rumble down Lark Street, although it would be impressive.
“Waiting for us near exit twenty-three.”
“Everyone’s held up because of me? I’m sorry.”
He picks up one of my braids and flicks the end over my cheek. “It’s not a problem. We all ride together.”
I slip my backpack over my shoulders and hop on the bike behind him, clinging to his body.
We ride out of downtown Empire and meet up with everyone at a gas station next to the Thruway entrance.
“You good?” Marcel shouts.
“Yup!”
He circles the parking lot and pulls up behind Z. When there’s a break in traffic, Rock signals everyone to move and we roll out.
It’s a cool summer night, but I’m still sweaty when we arrive at the downstate club two hours later. My ass is numb and my legs don’t seem to want to move for a minute. “You all right, Sunshine?”
“My butt fell asleep.”
“I’ll help you wake it up.”
Chuckling, I use his shoulders to balance myself while I climb down.
He takes my helmet and sets it on the bike. “I’m all sweaty and gross. I’m going to make a terrible impression,” I grumble, undoing my braids and finger-combing my hair.
He snorts. “You’re surrounded by bikers.”
Hope hurries over and wraps her arm around my shoulders. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
I take Marcel’s hand and I’ll admit, the confident way he swaggers across the parking lot is a huge turn-on.
We receive a respectful greeting from two prospects at the front door before entering the downstate clubhouse.
Now this clubhouse atmosphere is more familiar to me. Naked girls laid out on the bar top, the sweet stench of pot in the air, and a lot of drunk bikers. Sparky pushes past us, diving into a group of brothers gathered around a huge skull-shaped, glass water bong.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I mutter. Teller squeezes my hand, the only warning I receive before Tawny arrives.
Yes, the woman in the skin-tight leopard print pants and six-inch heels can only be the president’s old lady.
Hope takes over and introduces us.
Tawny reminds me of my mother in the early days. Or who my mother could have been if my father hadn’t died, leaving her broken and unable to cope. In other words, she’s a tall, stacked, helmet-haired bitch on wheels. Although the patch on the front of her “property of” vest says Queen B. I assume the B stands for bitch. And I don’t think my assumption would offend her one bit.
“Go on boys,” she says, waving the guys off with a regal flick of her wrist. “Sway’s waiting for you in the chapel. Let me catch up with the girls.”
Teller raises an eyebrow, and I give him a brief nod. I can do this.
Once our men leave, she holds out her arms and gives me a welcoming hug. “Aren’t you pretty?” She turns, her gaze landing on Teller across the room. “Seems like you’ve managed to turn his frown upside down.” Her lips twist in a teasing way.
“How was your ride?” she asks Hope.
“Not bad. Thanks for having us again so soon,” Hope says in a perfectly gracious manner. She’s basically the opposite of Tawny and yet they seem to get along.
Trinity remains quiet during this exchange. Tawny finally seems to acknowledge her with a quick hello. Hope, who very obviously doesn’t like anyone showing a hint of disrespect to Trinity links her arm through hers. “I’m dying for a drink, do you mind if we go raid your kitchen?” Hope asks. She doesn’t really wait for an answer. Tawny stops me from following them by wrapping her arm around mine and turning us to face the room. “You stay here so I can get to know you better.”
Oh goodie!
Tawny zeroed in on Charlotte the second we arrived, which I kind of expected.
Wrath chuckles as he watches the two of them. “I almost feel bad.”
“Don’t lie.”
He laughs harder, not offended at all.
Sway pulls us into the chapel. “Thanks for coming down. Smoke’s been a mess since he got out of the hospital. I was hoping a big party with a couple chapters would lift his spirits.”
Sway doesn’t know us all that well, or maybe he does but just doesn’t care. From what I’ve seen, since Rock settled down with Hope, he’s over his partying days. Same for Wrath, so I’m not sure how the two of them are going to cheer up anyone.
Not to mention, word that’s spread through the club—because yes, bikers gossip as much as any group of women—is that Smoke laid down his bike because he was drunk.
Having seen a lot of carnage in the early days of the club, Rock’s always had strict rules about drinking and riding. It only made sense, so no one in our club’s ever fucked up on that one. If one of us pulled what Smoke did, we’d be on the receiving end of an ass-kicking, and possibly a temporary patch-stripping, not a party thrown in our honor.
“Yeah, no problem. Where is he?” Rock asks.
Sway cocks his head, a filthy smile in place. “With a couple girls. Shoulda left your ol’ ladies at home.”
“We’re good,” Rock says.
“Oh, Christ.” Sway turns to me. “This new girl of yours got your dick in a cage too?”
“Nah,” I answer with a big grin. “Couldn’t find one big enough.”
Sway sends us back to the rest of the party. Charlotte’s red hair catches my attention, and I lift my chin. She waves and blows me a kiss.
This is different. I’ve never brought a girl who was one-hundred-percent mine with me on one of these trips. Besides loving the way it felt to have her at my back the whole way here, knowing who I’m going to bed with leaves me free to concentrate on the conversation around me.
I lose sight of Charlotte in the crowd, but I’m reasonably sure she’s safe with Tawny, Hope, Trinity, and my brothers looking out for her. Rock bumps my arm. Leaning over he says, “She’s fine.”
“Do I look that worried?”
“Worried? No.”
Before he has a chance to expand that thought, Sway joins us. “You free next month to escort Stella around?”
Because he’s standing so close, I both hear and feel the irritated groan emanating from my president. Somehow I manage to keep a straight face.
“Z’s on board,” Rock answers. “I don’t think it’ll be hard to find a couple other brothers to help out.”
Escort the hot porn star while she picks up random dudes to fuck in her hotel room as part of her “film project?” No, I don’t think Rock will have trouble filling that job at all.
Sway’s normally sleazy-jovial mask slips and he adopts a more serious expression. “I’d really feel better if I have the president watching her. I got a lot of money tied up in this project and I know you’ll make sure she’s safe.”
Rock’s expression turns to stone. “None of my guys are sloppy. If you’re that worried, why aren’t you going ‘on tour’ with her?”
Sway’s eyes stray to somewhere behind us—Tawny if I had to guess. “Not everyone gave the green light for this project and it’s caused some friction, so I need to be here.”
Holy shit. Is Sway admitting his ol’ lady gave him some sort of ultimatum? I’m not sure why she’d choose now to put her foot down. The whole organization knows they’ve fucked around on each other for years. It’s not a well-kept secret.
Rock seems to have drawn the same conclusion. “Tawny got your nuts in a cage now?” he taunts—not a level Rock would normally stoop to, but Sway’s earned it over the years.
“Steel vise is more like it,” Sway admits.
I choke and sputter, trying not to laugh.
“Listen,” Rock says, finally taking mercy on Sway’s situation. “Z and Dex run Crystal Ball tight. They’re not gonna let anyone mess with your girl.”
Sway flicks his gaze across the room. “You’d trust them to watch Hope?”
Jesus Christ, is Sway in love with his little porn star?
“Without a doubt,” Rock says.
“You’d trust Wrath more.”
Oh, hell. We all know this isn’t a job Wrath wants to be signed up for. Rock snorts. “Yeah, I trust Wrath to look out for my wife. I wouldn’t trust him with Crystal Ball. He’s got no patience to sort out glitter thong thefts among the girls.”
“Fair enough,” Sway says. “Thanks for this. I’ll make sure you’re compensated.” He flashes a dirty grin. “Stella will too. If you ask her nicely, she’ll even do it off-camera.”
Gross.
Sway takes off, leaving Rock and I shaking our heads. “Someone needs to cut off his Viagra prescription,” Rock mutters.
“Someone needs to cut off something of his.”
Rock’s mouth curls into a smirk and he gives my shoulder a push. “Surprised Tawny hasn’t by now.”
We’re interrupted from mocking our brother’s love life by a brother from our charter in Virginia.
“T-Bone,” Rock says, shaking his hand. “How you been? You can’t drive the extra two hours to come visit us?”
“Fuck that. Too fucking cold.”
“It’s summer,” I say.
“Your crew was supposed to come to us.” T-Bone pulls Rock aside and as I lose track of their conversation, a soft hand grazes my arm. Thinking it’s Charlotte, I turn with a smile.
And find Serena.
Shit.
“Sorry,” she says, glancing away. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to say hello.”
“No problem,” I answer. Is it too much to ask for her to hook up with T-Bone so she leaves me alone?
No such luck. Rock and T-Bone move their conversation to the bar so I guess I can’t count on them to distract Serena.
“So, you’re riding again?” she asks.
“Yup. First run since the accident.” I shift, uncomfortable with where our conversation might lead. While I’ve never fucked her—at least I don’t think I have—she and Murphy were pretty tight for a while after Heidi got married. And I just know she’s dying to ask—
“Did Murphy come with you?”
There it is.
“No, he’s home.” Fuck, I have no way of knowing what Murphy’s said to her. But I want her to understand my best friend is forever off-limits. “You know he’s with my sister now, right?”
“Oh.” Her eyes widen as she digests the news. “Heidi, right. I remember her. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Before she can ask her next question—which I’m pretty sure will involve an offer to warm my bed tonight—Charlotte slides her arm around my waist, tucking herself into my side.
“Hi, Serena? Right?”
I tip my head in Charlotte’s direction. “Serena, this is my girl, Charlotte.”
To be fair, Charlotte isn’t catty. She holds out her hand and after a second Serena takes it. I’m probably an asshole, but I really like how it feels having Charlotte assert herself this way. The sweet but confident expression on her face clearly says “he’s taken” and it gives me an unusual jolt of satisfaction.
“Nice to meet you, Charlotte.” Serena lets out a bit of nervous laughter. “I guess it’s not a good time to ask if I can come hang out upstate?”
I lean over and kiss Charlotte’s cheek. “I’ll be at the bar.”
After Teller leaves, Serena flicks her gaze around the room. I guess I don’t blame her for being nervous. I practically ran over here and peed on Marcel’s leg to mark him as my territory.
“How did you know who I was?” she asks with an almost hopeful eyebrow raised.
“Tawny.”
“Let me guess. She told you to come over and get your man before I blew him.”
Now I’m the one with the nervous laughter. Yes, Tawny ended up being the kind of ol’ lady I expected. “Sort of.”
“That’s exactly why I was thinking about moving back upstate.” She flashes a quick smile. “Hope’s always been nice to me. And I guess word has spread through some of the LOKI chapters, that upstate has the nicest president’s old lady.”
Something about that strikes me as both sweet and sad. “Hope’s good to everybody from what I’ve seen.” I hurry to add, “But I’m pretty sure she’ll kill anyone eyeing her man.”
Serena laughs. “Probably. Can’t blame her.” She hesitates, then tilts her head. “Teller said his sister and Murphy are together?”
At once it clicks who this chick is, Murphy’s sort-of ex. That’s a relief. When I first saw her talking to Teller, I assumed she was a bunny he used to shack up with when he visited this clubhouse.
“They’re engaged, yes.” I’m not sure how much I should say, but surely that’s common knowledge.
“Wow. Never thought. Wow.” Her gaze strays across the room to Teller. “He probably forced that, huh?” Another nervous giggle rolls out of her.
“Uh, not really. I don’t think Murphy was going to let anything stand in his way.”
Her pretty smile falters and I have a small twinge of regret for my words. But I also feel protective of Heidi and don’t like this stranger making assumptions about their relationship.
Before the conversation turns any more awkward, a rough looking, dark-haired Lost King walks up, grabbing Serena around her tiny waist. “Where’ve you been, sweetheart?” he asks, slurring each word.
Serena’s mouth turns down. Maybe he’s not her favorite of the Lost Kings, I don’t know.
“Hi, Shadow,” she says. “Have you met Teller’s old lady Charlotte?”
Busy licking Serena’s neck, he barely throws me a greeting. Serena wiggles her fingers at me as he drags her way. “I’ll catch you later, Charlotte.”
I’m not alone for long. An older Lost King swaggers over, but before he opens his mouth, Teller’s at my side. “She’s with me.”
“No disrespect, was just coming to say hello. How you been, T?”
My gaze and mind wander while they talk, leaving me in the perfect position to notice the biker at the door pulling out a gun.
“Marcel!” I can’t miss the anxiety in Charlotte’s voice.
Before I determine what caused it, a blast silences everyone in the room. “Get behind me,” I say to Charlotte. She doesn’t argue or hesitate. In seconds, her soft warm body molds to my back.
At the front door, an older brother who I recognize waves a pistol around. My only concerns at the moment are keeping Charlotte safe and locating my president.
I don’t have to say anything to her. She follows my lead and slowly backs up toward the bar with me. I slip into a spot next to Rock, leaving Charlotte protected between my body and the thick wooden bar.
“Jesus Christ,” Sway says. “It’s Smoke. Told you he hasn’t been right since the accident.”
“He need to blow off steam or is he an actual threat?” Rock asks. I don’t see any sign of Wrath or Hope and Trinity, so I assume they’re safe somewhere else in the clubhouse. Rock hasn’t lost his shit, so he must be certain Hope’s okay.
I drew my pistol at the first shot and have it at my side, pointed at the floor, waiting to see how Rock wants to handle this. We may be standing in Sway’s clubhouse, but I’ll still take my directions from my president.
Z quietly slips in the front door while Smoke’s busy ranting a bunch of nonsense. While’s Smoke’s distracted, Z wraps one thick arm around the old guy’s neck, keeping him in a chokehold until two of Sway’s crew disarm the wild biker.
“Take him downstairs!” Sway shouts.
Sway slaps my arm. “Always something exciting down here, right? I need to take care of this, you two hang out.”
“Show’s over, people. Party on!” Sway shouts as he moves through the room.
Rock meets my stare. “You all right?”
“I’m fine.” Reaching behind me, I pull Charlotte forward.
“Well, that was exciting,” she says.
“Wrath has the girls in one of our rooms,” Rock explains. “I need to go find them.”
“Yeah, go ahead.” I nod at Charlotte. “I think we’re done for the night.”
While she put on a brave face for Rock, Charlotte’s trembling body says she’s not okay. “Let’s go to our room, Sunshine.”
“Boy, Trinity wasn’t kidding about your club being unique,” she mumbles.
“Sorry about that,” Tawny says, joining us.
Inwardly I groan. I’m ready for this night to be over and not in the mood to force polite conversation with the Queen B of our downstate charter. She rakes her nails through my hair, which is creepy as fuck with Charlotte holding my hand and Tawny old enough to be my mother.
Instead of being annoyed by the older woman’s fake-as-fuck display of affection, Charlotte looks like she’s trying not to laugh.
“It’s certainly lively down here,” she says to Tawny.
“We do our best.” She finally stops touching me, but she opens her mouth which is almost worse. “You’ve grown into such a handsome young man, Teller.”
For the love of fuck. Why?
“I’ve known him since he was a teenager,” Tawny says to Charlotte.
“I’m sure he was a handful.” Charlotte nods.
“Well,” Tawny taps her finger over my lips and I barely fight the urge to shake her off. “This mouth of his almost got him in trouble more times than I can count.”
“Oh, it still does on occasion,” Charlotte says.
I narrow my eyes and raise an eyebrow at her.
Tawny laughs and pats my shoulder. “I like her,” she whispers in my ear. As if she thinks I’d been waiting for her approval.
“Me too.”
Satisfied that she’s done her ol’ lady duties, Tawny saunters into the rest of the crowd. When I glance down at Charlotte, she’s shaking.
With laughter. Not fear.
“Are you laughing at me?” I ask in a low voice.
“A little.” Her gaze strays to Tawny. “She’s so predatory.”
That’s a good word to describe Tawny.
“Did you two ever…?” her voice trails off without finishing the question, but I don’t need her to complete the thought. Let alone say it out loud.
“Fuck no.” Internally, I shudder at the idea. Slipping my arm around her shoulders, I steer her toward the hallway. “I think that’s enough fun for the night.”