11. Here’s to strong women.

May we know them.

May we be them.

May we raise them.

“Nice of you to join us,” Prez grumbles as I get comfortable and set my beer down on the large table. “In session,” he states and slams the gavel down. The wood landing on the table is loud enough that the sound bounces off the walls and I have to hold myself still not to cringe. The brothers would give me a ton of shit if they witnessed me jump from the damn gavel.

“The three Fists we brought in have been talking. Leisurely, unfortunately, but at least we’re getting some kind of information from them. We have two confirmed locations for their compounds so far, and until we get any others out of them, Ruger is actively searching between the areas.”

Viking’s cousin, Blaze, speaks up. “So you believe they’ll all be close together.”

He nods. “Yeah, it makes sense. It’d be easy enough for them to get to each other but safer to be spread out.”

Prez has a point. The other Oath Keepers charter is about twenty minutes away from here; it’s convenient for the brothers to go back and forth. It’s also just far enough away from each other to deter a rival club trying to take us all out at once. The Iron Fists tried at one time but most of the club was gone and missed the hit, so in the end, the Fists failed.

“Once we find the locations and know for sure there are no others close enough to dole out immediate retaliation on us, we’ll hit. We have to be certain though. This is us calling for war once we hit them, and I, for one, have breathed a bit easier having this supposed truce.”

Nightmare’s fist slams on the table. “Fuck the truce. I want their lives. Puppet’s death is mine for the taking, and I want to see the motherfucker filleted and burned to ash for touching my family.”

Viking winces at the outburst and agrees. “Yes brother, I gave you my word you’d have your revenge. When it’s time, we’ll coordinate with Ares’ club.”

“How will we get close enough to them?” Odin asks.

“Ares will split up his brothers and set one of the Fists’ compounds on fire then hold back to catch any remaining stragglers that may make it out alive. We’ll take whatever necessary precautions and storm the main clubhouse. Unless we can get ahold of Puppet, the Iron Fists’ head president, another way. If that happens, then we just sit back and blow the third clubhouse sky high somehow.”

Torch grunts. “And the cops?” He’s always the one thinking about repercussions from the law.

“The sheriff will look the other way if it’s in his jurisdiction. He wants the Fists gone. They’ve caused too many problems, and he’s been friends with my ol’ lady’s pops for far too long. His loyalty lies with the club if it gets rid of one of his problems.”

Torch shakes his head. “You can never trust the cops.”

Prez sighs. “Relax, T, I’ve taken care of it.” He turns to the brothers across from me. “Saint and Sinner, I want you both to ride up to meet with Ruger. He’s caught wind of someone following him, and he may need some backup.”

“Bet,” Sinner agrees.

“About time we get to have some fun,” Saint grins manically.

Prez turns to Smokey. “Make sure to send them with some extra cash for the hotels and shit. Keep me posted on the books.”

Smokey nods, taking a drag of his cigarette.

“Odin and Torch, you both need to hit The Pit tonight.” They agree, and he continues. “Anything else?”

We stay quiet.

“Do your fucking job and get the hell out of here. Church is over.” He slams the gavel down, and we all rise. “Mercenary.” The Prez calls my name before I take a step.

“Yeah?”

“Hold back a sec; I need to have a chat with you.”

This can’t be good. We’re bikers, we don’t ‘chat.’ “What’s up?” I sit back in my spot at the other end of the table. I’m the newest here, so I sit the farthest away from him.

“You need to sit tight tonight.”

“Excuse me? I have a race.” I’m not staying at the club; I have to protect Chevelle.

He shakes his head. “I’m sending Torch in your place.”

My throat nearly closes up thinking of him with Chevelle. I choke out, “Excuse me?”

With a shrug, he lets out a sigh. “I spoke to Chevelle earlier.”

“And?” When was this? It had to be when I dropped her off. That was the only time she was out of my sight besides when she showered.

“Well, she wants you out of The Pit tonight.”

“You have to be fucking kidding me.”

“I’m not.”

“Did she say why?”

“You told her you didn’t want her to race?”

I nod. “Of course, I did, it’s too dangerous. She could be in the next car that explodes.”

“Can’t do that brother.” He chuckles and takes a sip from the tumbler in front of him.

“The hell I can’t.” He may be the President of this club, but he’s no one to tell me who I can and cannot fuck. I’ll decide that on my own.

He waits for a few beats, thinking over what he wants to say before speaking again. “You don’t tame a wild bitch by holding her down. You set her free and give her strength. You try to snuff out her passion for living, and she’ll never stick around. You take control and show her you have her back and she flourishes, standing beside you.”

That’s probably the most poetic shit I’ve ever heard come from the Prez’s mouth. “I won’t let her kill herself because of stupid arrogance. The woman is bullheaded and is going to be the death of both of us.”

“She probably thinks you’re acting the same way.”

Huffing, I get to my feet.

“I mean it, Mercenary. Torch goes in your place tonight.” He points, and I bristle.

“No disrespect Prez, but this is between her and me, not Torch. I can’t believe she called you. I’d just had my damn tongue in her mouth yesterday.”

“You’re wrong. This is about my club dealing with their enemy. You have one thing on your mind, which is fine, but you need to take your blinders off. This is bigger than your cock wanting some forbidden pussy.”

“I’ve gotten you the Fists to question so far, not anyone else.”

“And I’m grateful for it, but what happens if ten of them showed up? Could you make the right moves and think long enough to call in your brothers and also protect yourself? They could fuck you up and demand information out of you. Can you honestly say you can do what is needed or will she have you so distracted you risk your neck for her first?”

Fuck. He has a point.

“So, have Torch and Odin in the stands again like last week. I’ll be down on the track to protect Chevelle. Then it all works out, and everyone’s straight.”

“She doesn’t want you there at all. You’ll step in and attempt to stop her from racing and you can’t. That’s her damn track; she’s the one letting us be there in the first place.”

“I’m not one to usually go against orders, but I’m at least having a conversation with her ass about this. I won’t let her hide behind a phone because I’m not there in person to talk some sense into her stubborn head.”

“Don’t fuck this up, Mercenary. We need to have a spot there to get our info, and if you screw with that, you’ll have me on your ass.”

“Noted,” I mutter with a huff and head for the door. My muscles are coiled extra tight with irritation. I have to see Chevelle; she needs to realize she can’t call the Prez every time we disagree on something. I can’t believe she took it that far rather than fighting with me about it. She must’ve realized I was serious when I told her I didn’t want her in those damn cars tonight.

I pay no attention to any of my brothers as I storm through the bar for my motorcycle. The machine can’t carry me fast enough it seems, and my anger only grows with the longer it takes me to reach her. The woman fights me at every turn, and now she believes she can get her way by going through my Prez.

I’ve never met a female who didn’t give into me by now. Normally I’d have fucked them, and they’d be doing whatever I asked until I got tired of them. I’ve barely kissed this bitch, and she’s put me on my ass. It’s gotten to the point where I even spanked her, and she didn’t fully submit. She’s going to be the death of me one way or another.

I shake my head, pushing my bike’s speed up higher. The scenery off on each side of the road passes in a blur. I don’t pay any attention to it anyhow. I’m too distracted, thinking of only Chevelle and how I can get her to finally listen. The Pit comes up on my left, and I lower my speed, pulling into the parking lot and going around to the backside.

I’m met at the large silver bay door as I roll it up. My gaze instantly falls to the man lying at Chevelle’s feet, draining any irritation I was harboring on the ride over. “Where’d he come from?” I nod to the unconscious man on the floor.

His leather cut gives him away as being another Iron Fist. Odin was right; they’re like damn cockroaches never going away. It makes me wonder just how large their club really is. Odin said most likely fifty to a hundred members, and that’s just in this general area. That’s a lot of damn bikers for any club.

She shrugs, tucking her dark hair behind her ears all innocent like. “When you left they just showed up.”

“They?”

“There’s another knocked out over by the front. He was too fat for me to drag him to this door.”

“Damn it.” I flick my eyes over her. “You fight them? They hurt you?”

“No.” She shakes her head, and I let out a relived breath. I’m very aware that she’s tough, but they could’ve ended up hurting her. Thinking of these fuck faces showing up to do who knows what to her, has my chest swelling, wanting to dole out punishing blows to keep her safe. “I shot them with the tranq darts. I was looking out the window in my place when I first noticed them walking toward the front.”

A wide grin grows on my face, despite the danger. “You shot them both?” I didn’t know she could shoot. Jesus, can this woman not do anything? If my cock wasn’t so enormous, she’d have me questioning my manhood. She makes everything seem easy. It’s hard being so tempted by a woman who knows how to do everything you do and do some of it even better than you can.

She nods, a sheepish smile taking over. “You had that damn gun, and I wanted to shoot it. They finally gave me a good enough reason to use it without ruffling your feathers.”

A loud laugh escapes me, and I pull her to me. “You know somethin’?”

“Hmm?” She hikes an eyebrow up and tilts her head to meet my eyes.

“You’re a bad bitch, Chevy. I’ve never met another like you,” I admit and a blush steals over her cheeks.

She lets the nickname slide with my compliment. “I hope that’s a good thing?” she whispers, and I lean in, so my lips nearly touch hers.

“It’s a damn good thing, sweetie.” With my hands on her shoulders, I pull her the last step to me and plant my mouth on hers. She meets me with so much fervor in return that my body screams for more. I walk her backward to the wall, my hands reaching down and sliding up the backs of her thighs, never breaking our kiss.

My palms lift her, spreading her legs and her arms clutch onto my neck as I rest my cock against her center. Holding her up against the cement wall, I kiss her roughly. My body’s beyond turned on, knowing she knocked these guys out and drug them inside and she didn’t even freak out about it at all. Chevelle really is a badass, and that’s so damn sexy.

Grinding into her core, my palms slide from under her ass up along her thighs and under her tank top. They glide along her ribs, my thumbs only pausing when they can rub across her breasts and play with her nipples. My fingers move back and forth, caressing and squeezing her breasts until she moans in pleasure and arches her back, pushing into my hands even more.

“I want you. I need in this pussy,” I confess with a gruff voice, thick with desire. My heavy cock pushes against her, grinding in circles. I love having her like this, panting and needy. She wants me as badly as I want her. I have to make her give in to me.

With another groan into my mouth, her hands push my chest with enough force, I break away, blinking a few times to clear my lustful haze she’s drowning me in. “What is it, Chevelle?”

She clears her throat and licks her lips. The action has me growling with longing, yearning to sink into her heat and not stop until I’ve had my fill and my cock can no longer stand firm. I lean in to nibble on her bottom lip, coaxing her to let me have more of her. I want to taste her needy pussy so badly it makes my mouth water thinking about it.

“The other guy is still up front, and the employees will be here soon. They can’t see him knocked out.”

“Damn it,” I grumble, and she nods, agreeing with my frustration of having to stop. The other time I had her like this we were interrupted by Ace. Now it’s these stupid Iron Fists. I push another kiss to her lips and promise, “This isn’t over.”

She hums, with a teasing smirk. “Bossy biker, I’m not that easy.” Her hand trails down my abs to brush over the hardness in my pants making its presence clearly known.

“You want it just as badly. Admit it,” I murmur and adjust my dick after her teasing graze against my shaft.

Her gaze watches my every move full of longing. “You’re right, I do.” I groan, and she continues. “Doesn’t mean I’m giving it up in a hallway with a knocked-out shithead at our feet.”

With a huff, I openly admit, “I don’t do romance.” Ever the romantic, I should shut my fucking mouth if I want any semblance of a chance with this woman. I just can’t seem to do it whether it makes shit harder for me or not.

She shrugs. “Neither do I, although I’m not one to turn down chocolate syrup, or in your case, some peanut butter. If that’s your version of romance, anyway.”

“Fuck,” I breathe the curse. She had to bring up the peanut butter, and that makes me think of her fucking tongue and how it swirled around my finger when we had those pancakes. I want her head bobbing below me as she works peanut butter clean from my cock. God, the thought of it has me groaning low in my throat.

“Come on, cupcake. Time to grab this idiot from the front. You should probably call your MC brothers.”

“I can shoot them a text. now show me where this other guy’s at.” The sooner they’re out of my way, the sooner I can get back to touching her.