CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

“Hot damn, does the Queen have a sister just as feisty?” – Preacher

 

 

 

      It was utter chaos inside the clubhouse, understandable chaos yet the deafening decibels were bouncing off every surface like a steel drum, that’s what a lockdown for less than twenty-four hours was doing to men who were highly wound over the senseless and brutal murder of one of their own.

      And about that, Zara discovered earlier while she’d inhaled her first cup of coffee of the day like a religious experience curled around the white porcelain cup, that Rider, nor Tiny’s family, would be involving the law in his murder, there would be no investigation or sentence handed down by a judge in power, not any legal sentence anyhow, the MC had connections everywhere, one such connection being a funeral home that even now were taking care of Tiny in the best possible way. No one would ever know Tiny died in suspicious circumstances. No cops meant it was Rider and his brothers in arms who would dole out the punishment for this, the Renegade Soul boys were judge jury and the devil himself.

      No bad deed goes unpunished, especially against one of Rider’s men.

      Confused, she’d questioned him at first about it, it was murder, justice for Tiny. Maybe she hadn’t been with the MC for long, she couldn’t grasp their laws and ways, she didn’t want Rider getting hurt or worse, she’d happily pass this along to the police, let them deal with Hades, she’d divulge her shame and torture if it meant Rider was safe. In his frame of mind right now he was dangerous, reckless.

      Rather than being angry with her questioning his methods, he’d slipped the t-shirt over his head, followed by his cut, took her coffee cup from her, downed what was left, dropped a kiss to her forehead and told her MC business was dealt in-house, no cops, ever. She didn’t have to like it to understand. Her biker man was a force to be reckoned with. She'd trust he knew what he was doing and would take care of himself.

      A lot of RS members from different chapters began arriving a few hours later, none of whom she knew.  Rider held a ton of meetings behind closed doors, they'd emerge with serious faces, her gaze all about Rider looking for signs as to what was going to happen.                

      He truly was in his domain as the president, the others revered him, trusted him, would die for him.

      He’d left his hair down when they’d woke, so now he looked magnificent, masculine, she'd yanked it so hard when he’d made slow love to her, so tender she wanted to cry afterward. Death was a killer, literally, but to those left behind it felt as though every scrap of life had to be savored, she understood Rider needing to feel as close to her as he could, when he’d pumped his climax into her, she’d held him tightly, felt the shudders take him, his starved groan of her name was her own catalyst. No one knew when their ticket was punched, a death so close brought to light how precious time was. And god, she would enjoy every moment with him and pray he kept himself safe for her because if anything happened to Rider, a sharp jolt to her heart.

     Slipping unnoticed through the crowd, she smiled across to Uncle Jed before sidling up to Rider’s hip, his hair brushed his shoulder, she touched the ends lightly. His jaw was tight, mouth pulled into a thin line, tanned arms crossed against his chest. He was surveying his kingdom. "Everything okay, Rider, can I get you anything?"

      “No. I’m good, baby.” his arm came around her shoulder, pulling her tighter into his ribs, a place she found she fit perfectly. “Did you eat yet?”

      “I will soon. There’s a lot of new faces around,” she noted absently. A few were looking their way, observing the president with the new girl. Were they wondering what the fuck Rider was doing with someone like her? Because same. But whatever, she was here and he was hers.

     “Yeah, few out of towners passing through wanted to pay their respects. Everyone feels it when one of our own falls. I had word from the presidents of the other chapters.”

      “I’ll miss Tiny. He was nice to me.” speaking of tall, unwashed and hostile and definitely not nice to her, Hawk slunk by, giving Zara the evil eyes and a grunt for Rider. That man was beginning to piss her off. What, was he in love with Rider and so damn jealous she was in the bosses bed for fuck's sake? His unwarranted surliness was beginning to grind on her last nerve.

     “What’s his issue with me?” Rider cast a look in Hawk’s direction, a speculative tightness to his jaw but didn’t speak right away, like he knew the answer but decided against sharing. “Did I do something wrong, step on his pet scorpion, pee in his coffee?”

      Rider snorted and she loved that noise. She wound her arms tighter around his middle, saw evil-daggers and false lashes glaring at her from across the room, two of the groupies had come in with the stragglers and didn’t seem like they were going anywhere anytime soon. Whatever. Let them look. Zara wasn’t ashamed of being with Rider, nor would she hide it if bitches were jealous.

      “It’s not you, Icy. Hawk is… it’s just not you, he’ll come around, he’s only used to the club groupies hanging around, he’s never seen someone so fuckin’ beautiful as you before.” His voice smiled and she ducked her head embarrassed, elbowing his ribs.

      “Oh, shut the hell up. You don’t have to tell me, but if he glares at me again I’m going to punch him.”

      “Are you now?” Hot blue eyes pierced her, she felt that heated look in places that were already sore and tender from his lovemaking earlier. “Might wanna see that. My Icy girl takin’ my VP down a peg or two. Fuck, that’s sexy.” Rider growled and nuzzled his face to her temple.

      With Zara, barely in the five foots, and Rider way over six feet tall, they probably looked ridiculous next to each other. A hobbit leaning into a skyscraper, but her biker man made it work, his ribcage cushioning her perfectly.

      Any second now he was going to notice how she loved his teasing, his attention. An addict didn’t always need drugs, for Zara a smile from a bad biker did it for her every single time.

      “Yes, I am. And if he glares after that I’ll punch him again and his damn scorpion, too.” She was more than half sure she’d actually do it. After all, Hawk the scariest thing she’d seen in recent weeks, there was legroom to back out of her threat if he snarled at her.

     “Damn, woman. Where did this tough little shit come from? Might wanna see her in my bed later.”

     Heat blossomed between her legs leaving behind that flash of lust in a terribly vicious pulsing way.  She craned her neck back to look up into those molten eyes burning down at her with sexual longing right there for her to see.

      God. What a drug he was.

     “Wasn’t she there earlier when you woke me from a sound sleep because you just couldn’t wait another minute? That’s what you said. Made me miss two more hours of sleep, cruel man.”

      “Mmm, that was my sweet Icy who let me do the nasty to her, got her good and crazy didn’t I?  But now I want this tough as shit Icy in my bed.”

      “Rider...” her cheeks reddened, she zipped her gaze around to make sure no one else was eavesdropping.

      “Mean it, baby.”

      “Your sexual advances are noted but going to have to wait. You need to eat something, don’t be telling me no. What can I bring you?” She had a need to do something, anything to help this man, to alleviate the anger and grief.

     “Sweet girl.” Rider dropped his head, bracketing her in his hair, and kissed her lips. ”I’ll take a sandwich, have to go talk to some people.”

      Zara went to do that.

      It took precisely fifteen minutes for a groupie to be plastered to Rider’s chest. Zara came to a dead stop over by the bar, a plate in hand carrying a super packed sub sandwich filled with beef, two type of cheeses and thick cut tomatoes with a pile of BBQ chips on the side, in her other hand, she’d grabbed a bottle of the root beer Rider liked.

      Are you fucking kidding me? Right in front of me. I’m stood right here, bitch.

She was getting sick and tired of this bullshit. It was about to stop right now. Dropping the plate on the bar top she took a step and was stopped by Jed's voice.

     "Girlie?" she flashed her annoyance at him. If the old man dares tell her this was the club and to turn a blind eye to that bitch rubbing her tits on Rider again then he had cotton between his fucking ears. Zara was a lot of things, non-confrontational being one of them, she'd heard those women a few times already call her nun behind her back like it was the biggest insult their ratchet hair could come up with. Please, she'd dealt with the Raging Rebels boneheads, hadn’t she? a few bitchy women were a cake-walk. Now they were all about to see what the fucking nun could do.

     "Go get 'em." Jed winked, grinning from ear-to-ear, she nodded her chin, slammed the bottle down and marched to the middle of the room, already Rider had clocked her movements and had risen his brow, in the process of shoving off the horny shrew, holding her by both arms, Zara couldn't hear what he was telling her, didn't care either, her tolerance for this had reached its limits. She'd put up with a lot, she'd keep her mouth shut about not poking her nose into the MC hierarchy that had nothing to do with her, but touching Rider blatantly in front of her face, that she wouldn't meekly crawl away from. This was her fucking business now.

      She felt the boil of blood in her eyes. Pushing by one of the new bikers, Zara used her annoyed momentum to plow through the crowd, to step up onto one of the coffee tables littered with ashtrays and empty beer cans. Two fingers in her mouth, her whistle blistered the air and grabbed everyone's attention all at once. Not one for standing out in a crowd this would have ordinarily had Zara slipping back into the shadows not wanting to cause a disturbance. Fuck. That.

      Not now. She was too pissed off glaring her annoyance at the older woman dressed in head to toe black, so skin tight Zara could clearly tell the woman was not wearing underwear.

      It rhymed with hamel-moe

      What a classy broad in mourning she was.

      Take it easy, a small worried voice said in her head when every pair of eyes, Rider's included, hit her waiting for her to speak.

      Nope, not this time. Screw that, I won’t be made a fool of.

      She was already on top of the low coffee table; it was going in big or not at all. Zara went all in all at once.

      She narrowed vicious eyes for the woman ...Yeah, bitch, I’m looking at you right now. Shandi her name was. That was right. Fucking trampy Shandi. It suited her.

      "Can I have your fucking attention. If you haven't noticed, the MC is going through something pretty damn serious right now. Having lost a great man last night, one of the nicest I ever met, but if you think you can use that excuse to slide your skank asses against my man, and I'm talking to all of you now that have tits." Zara's pulsing gaze slid over snickering bikers and found every female face in there, holding her stare so they knew she meant it.  

      "Let me set you on the correct path since all of you seem to be completely fucking blind to the facts. Or just plain dumb about it.  Either way you’re pissing me off.  You see him there?" She pointed a long finger towards Rider. Noticed his lips were twitching, his trained gaze alive with amusement. He widened his stance, winked at her, arms folded across his massive inflated chest, ignoring the needy-greedy woman at his side who was also staring at Zara. "I think you all know the president; you've probably even fucked him once upon a time." Snickers and guffaws went around the room again. Every set of biker eyes watching the show avidly now. "I don't care. What I give a flying fuck about is you disrespecting he has someone. Me. So, you can take this as your first and only warning I will give; Try to touch my man’s crotch one more time, you proposition him in any way, and I will drag you out of here personally by your slutty fucking hair and it'll be the last time you get through those doors.” Someone clapped.

     Shandi's eyes narrowed, blazed with rebellion for being told what not to do.

      That's right, come at me, bitch. Zara urged her silently, holding the stare with a bitchy one of her own. She'd only take so much and this was her hard limit.

     "You can't talk to us like that, you don't own Rider or this club, you've only been here a minute! you'll be gone soon enough." As a comeback, it was weak. Zara smiled her supremacy.

     Standing her ground her gaze pierced.

     "And yet you all heard I just did. If you don't listen, that's on you. I warned you what will happen."

     "I got fifty on Z-girl, who's in?" She didn't see which gruff voice was offering up money, but she loved the support nonetheless.

     "What Zara says goes. You got it?" Rider's husky tone reached through everyone, commanding their attention. She felt it stroke her heart, backing her up against people he’d known much longer, going along with her claiming him.

       “Yeah, sure thing, Rider." the agreement was echoed by the others and Shandi shuffled off to stand by an old guy toking on a cigar, he winked when he caught Zara looking at him.

But she found she was on a dictator roll when she called out to a young girl in skin tight jeans and an 'I do it for bikers' T-shirt. I just bet she does.

     "You, what's your name?

"Me? Marietta..." she was twirling a lock of dark hair around her finger and snapping gum, propped up against one of Rider's prospects.

      "Right, Marietta, if you want to stay then you damn well do something useful for the club and in Tiny’s memory, unglue yourself from that boy. People are going to need food and lots of it once they start arriving for the wake, go back to the kitchen with Ellie over there and fetch a case of beers from the pantry, bring them out here and I'll find something else for you to do."

      "Ye--yes ma'am. Sure thing." she moved quick. Maybe later Zara would ask her where she got those jeans from because they were gorgeous.  She always did love rhinestones. For now, she stepped down from the table. Her stare found Shandi's. "And Shandi... you can collect the empty glasses from in here and take them over to Uncle Jed. Make yourself useful or go home. This is a party for Tiny, not a singles night hook up."

      With that said, Zara moved through the crowd, bikers getting out of her way this time, winking and grinning at her. She’d well and truly put herself in the spotlight there. God.  Hawk she saw was a glaring statue, leaning up against the bar, face unreadable, probably hated her more now she'd claimed his BFF in public, but whatever, she was on an adrenaline rush she'd take him on as well. Maybe.

     "Hot damn! Anyone else just got turned the fuck on by our motherfucking queen? or just me? daaaamn, that was smoking hot. Lucky Prez."

      Rider growled a low warning shooting Preacher a dangerous glare. Preacher unfazed by the silent reprimand from his president only just threw his dark head back and laughed raucously.

      Zara flushed and when she caught heated bad biker eyes her nipples immediately went really stiff. She could feel them chafing against her sweater. Claiming her man, putting covetous ho’s in their place had turned her on. Who knew.

      Rider and his wild behavior showed to be rubbing off on her, she wouldn't have done that in her most avid of dreams once over. Now though ... she was living the biker life, it was dog eat nun … eh dog and she wasn't about to let herself get snapped up by anyone. Pumped full of vim and vinegar she headed back towards the kitchen, she wasn't lying when she said there was a lot to do. Tiny had been the predominant cook of the MC.

      A hand caught at hers and she found herself flat against a wall, Rider all up in her business. Hot breath and heated eyes.

      "That---"

      "If you're going to tell me I was out of place you can just shove---"

      "----was sexy as fuck, Icy. If I didn't have a meeting right now you'd be fucked over my desk until you couldn't walk, fast and hard, baby. You claimed your man in front of everyone."

Zara groaned resting her forehead on his chest. A bit of embarrassment leaching in. Only a bit, because she'd meant every word of it.

      "I did, didn't I?"

      "Damn right. Pleased as fuck, Icy. Kiss your man."

      "Rider..."

      "Kiss your fuckin' man, baby. Wanna taste all that sweetness on my tongue, take it with me until I see you again."

      She practically fell into his mouth, sucking on his tongue, giving him everything he wanted while she shoved fingers through his hair. Her nipples ached for attention from him, aching between her thighs, that place was no better either, shamelessly wanting Rider's fingers there rubbing her to the finish line. When he pulled back Zara was panting and Rider looked like the cat that got the cream, smirking gorgeously smug.

     "Go do important things, bad biker man. I left your food on the bar, go grab it.  I'm getting some sort of order in the kitchen. I'll be around if you need me, okay?"

     "Same goes, Icy." another long unhurried kiss pressed to her lips and she watched the backside of him stride away.

      So, so so hot. Damn, she was going to be stuck with hard nipples all day long.

      As she walked off in the direction of the bustling kitchen, she could hear;

“Pay the fuck up, asswipe. Didn’t I tell you our Z-girl would find her backbone and be fierce as a hell kitten when she snapped? Yup yup…Pay me!”

     “Motherfucker. I was one day off with the pool, Preach. Come on!”

     “Bawl it out to your mama, pussy. I want paying. I won.”

      Money exchanged hands. Zara grinning to herself, a little cock to her hip walking down to the kitchen.

      She only wished Tiny was here so she could share her small victory with him. In some ways, she probably wouldn’t have stood up for herself without him being responsible for it boosting her confidence in her place within the MC. Her smile turned a little sad, she would miss that giant, the first one to be kind to her.

     “Thank you.” she whispered and got to work.