Chapter 20

“You and Easy need to make peace. Your feud is breaking up your chapter and spreading to the club. The Brute Force MC is looking to move into our territory and this will give them the perfect opportunity,” Speed said, anger sharpening every word.

Storm’s face and neck heated with embarrassment and annoyance. It had been years since Speed had used that tone with him. He didn’t have the right. The Skull wasn’t his foster father anymore.

“This isn’t some fucking feud.” Storm jabbed his finger on the top of the desk. “I hate the bastard. You weren’t in our home when I was a kid. I remember the times he slapped us around just because he had a bad day. Or he’d sink his fist into Mom’s stomach and then throw her against a wall when she didn’t bring in enough money to suit him. We would scream for him to stop, and he’d pop us a good one. You weren’t there. You don’t know. But I sure as hell remember what the fucker—”

Before Storm could say more, Speed butted in. “It’s in the past. You’re big, strong, and young enough to beat his ass. Everyone knows that, including Easy, though he won’t admit it. You need to fucking grow up and forget that shit. Be a man and the president of this fucking chapter. Show everyone that you’re a true Brother. We don’t let personal shit get in the middle of club business and that’s what you’ve been doing.” Speed sat back and eyed him. “Just as important, forget that bodyguard bullshit. No Mayhem Brother takes orders from anyone outside the club.”

Storm wanted to argue more but knew it was senseless. Speed was a stubborn bastard and wouldn’t change his mind, even when the business was bringing much-needed legal cash into the club. There was no way the Skull would kick Easy out of the Brothers of Mayhem, unless the old man killed another Brother or was a snitch. Chances of Easy being the latter were lower than Storm forgiving him, and that was so damn low as to be nonexistent.

Speed stood and Storm did too.

The older man nodded. “I know you’ll do the right thing. Time for us to go into the other room and talk about how we’ll take out the Thirty-Second.”

“So you feel the same way as Easy?” Before Speed answered, Storm said, “We can’t afford to lose any more men. All of this killing isn’t solving a thing. We need an agreement, a treaty.”

“We tried that before. It didn’t work.”

Frustrated, but willing to try one more time, Storm said, “Something happened that caused them to break the last one. We need to find out what. The reason they are shooting at us now is that we took one of their own and beat the shit out of him. That I blame on Easy.”

“Don’t start that fucking shit again. You need to get off it, boy!”

Boy? When did Speed start thinking of him as a boy again. His eyes narrowed. “I understand that you and Easy have been friends for more years than I’ve been alive, but he’s crazy.”

“I guess we all are.” Slapping him on the back, Speed offered, “Let’s go back to the bar. I’ll drink for both of us.”

Storm nodded. He regretted that Speed wore rose-tinted glasses when it came to Easy. What would it take for him to see the danger the club was in by letting Easy stay?

As he reached for the office doorknob, an earsplitting scream brought the partying to a stop. What the hell happened? His stride lengthened, and in seconds, he entered the barroom.

It took all of Storm’s self-control not to laugh, but damn if the scene wasn’t satisfying. Karma was a bitch and came in the form of his old lady. Damn, he was proud. But he’d better get Mary Jane the hell away from there.

Curled in a ball, Easy held his crotch and rocked back and forth on the floor. Mary Jane stood near his old man. Her hands relaxed and opened at her sides as she watched the room full of Brothers while trying to keep an eye on Easy. It was apparent Easy had done something to set her off.

Shit! His common sense stepped up. This wasn’t good. He moved into the room, drawing her attention. That was when he noticed her torn blouse and the wildness in her eyes. Whatever the asshole Easy had done had spooked her badly.

“Are you all right?” He waited for her response as he glared at the Brothers standing around.

“Easy and I had a misunderstanding,” she said with a slight tremor to her voice.

“Misunderstanding?” Must have been a hell of a misunderstanding, for Easy had tears in his eyes and his face was an interesting shade of red.

“He thought I was here for him to feel up and make crude jokes about. I can ignore the jokes, but touching was crossing the line.” Her voice became steady. He loved that about her. Damn! She made him proud. The old man fucking deserved it. No Brother should touch another’s old lady. Not a smart move.

Then the realization hit him. He did love her. She meant more to him than he could ever imagine.

A crash of despair darkened the room. She didn’t deserve to be mixed up with the life. He had to get her away from there. No matter how talented she was in protecting herself, Easy would go after her. Storm already knew his old man had no principles when it came to killing a woman. She’d embarrassed him in front of the whole club, and he would come after her. Besides, the Brothers never allowed a woman to bring down another Brother.

“Mary Jane, let’s go,” Storm said, holding out his hand.

She took it, her fingers trembling, and he led her through the crowd. As he opened the door, the music started. The grumbling from the Brothers floated out the door with Storm and Mary Jane.

The tide was turning against them.

Mary Jane pressed her breasts to Storm’s back. She felt him growl as she tightened her hold. Unlike in the beginning, he didn’t stiffen; instead he nearly arched his back to press harder against her. He liked her touch. A glow warmed her from the inside out. The muscles beneath her fingers shifted as he shoved the motorcycle off the stand and started the engine. What a sexy, hot feeling. It took her breath away.

The late-evening ride was surreal. A nip in the air proclaimed fall had embraced the night and more was to come. Stars followed overhead as the streetlights slipped by with even snaps of sound. A low-lying fog drifted near the edge of the interstate. At times, the traffic broke and they were alone. She only wished, dreamed, they didn’t have the pressure of the club and the Thirty-Second hanging over them.

With all of her might, she pushed away the negative thoughts and just immersed her senses in holding him.

Several minutes passed and they pulled up to her house.

Deep inside, she expected Jimmy to come out and greet them. The man would’ve been so happy that she was in love with a member of the club that had fascinated him. Jimmy loved living on the edge. The again, he probably would’ve warned her. A woman would always be second place to the club.

So much had changed since meeting Storm and becoming involved with the Mayhem Brothers.

He stopped the bike under one of the security lights near the kitchen door, but didn’t make a move to dismount. Instead, he looked over his shoulder toward her, his gaze not meeting hers.

When she didn’t move, his eyes finally met hers, a cool dead look in them.

“Give me a word-for-word account of what Easy said and did to you,” he said as he slipped off the helmet and hung it on the handlebars.

She wanted to say nothing. Those two had enough between them, but on the opposite side of the same coin, she couldn’t lie.

“Easy said that the club wasn’t in the bodyguard business any longer and that if I wanted their protection, I must show how much I need that protection to every Brother. That meant I was club property and I should give everyone what I was giving you.” Her chest constricted. The sick feeling from the way Easy eyed her twisted inside her stomach.

With both hands, Storm slicked his hair back, clasping the back of his head.

“What else did he say?”

“It wasn’t so much what he said next as he continued on the same rant, but he grabbed me and shoved his hand down my blouse.” She shivered with disgust as she thought of how his fingers felt crushing one breast. The unexpectedness of it had been as terrible as the pain.

“He hurt you.” He knew the truth without her saying another word. “Show me.”

“No.”

“Don’t make me get off this bike, Mary Jane. Show me now. It’s not like I haven’t seen your tits before.”

Why did he think it was necessary to get a visual? She stared back at him. From his expression, it was to ensure Easy hadn’t hurt her too badly.

“Can’t you come inside?”

“Now,” he said in a no-nonsense tone.

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes and began unbuttoning her blouse. Opening it wide she stood there. Two round bruises dotted her skin on her left breast, just above her bra.

“Take your bra off or pull your tits out.”

She stared hard at him. Did he really expect her to do it? At that moment? The silly urge to stomp her foot came over her, but she resisted. Being a lover of peace, she sighed and dragged her bra down beneath her breasts.

Dark spots of bruising circled her left breast. Easy had dug his fingers into the tender flesh.

“Fix your bra and button up.” Each word was punctuated with a hiss of fury.

“What are you going to do?” Considering the mood he was in, she knew there was no hope of talking him out of whatever he planned. But if she could make him verbalize it, he would be able to control his temper to some extent.

“Time for you to go inside.”

“Storm, tell me.”

“Go inside.”

She preferred his ranting and raving to the cold, soft-spoken response. Without checking how everything was situated, she adjusted her bra and buttoned up.

“Now, Mary Jane.”

Closing her eyes for a second, she sighed again. She was doing that a lot lately with him.

He watched her. Dismay pulled at his sexy lips.

“You’re not coming back,” she said, trying to hide the misery in her voice, but failing horribly. She’d sensed the last few days he’d been trying to place a wall between them, and Easy’s open attack had sealed it.

“Once you’re safe inside, lock all the doors and windows and set the alarm. I’ll have Twofer here in a few minutes. Tomorrow, the Thirty-Second will be leaving you alone for sure. With your closing of the two stores, they won’t be bothering you. I’ll make certain.” His tone was as unemotional as if he spoke with a stranger.

“Can I kiss you goodbye?”

His head slowly turned toward her. He studied her lips a couple seconds. She needed him to say yes.

“No.” Without explanation, he turned away and pulled on his helmet. “Go inside.” When she didn’t budge, he softly said above the idling motor. “Go on. Everything’ll be okay. It’s time we move on.”

“You’re going to meet up with them. From what Easy said before I put him on the floor, Mayhem Brothers plan to wipe them out. What changed the Skull’s mind?”

Storm shook his head and glared at the ground. Then he cut his eyes to her. “You need to stay out of club business. That’s why you need to separate yourself from us. You’ll be safer.”

“Safer for you.” She raised her eyebrows as she taunted.

He sat straight. A stark look of desolation came into his eyes.

“Yes,” he said and began to slowly edge his bike around the drive.

She watched the taillight disappear down the road.

Closing her eyes, she prayed he would survive the next few days.

In robotic mode, Mary Jane did as Storm asked. Turning knobs, punching in numbers, and flipping locks, she made it all the way to her room before throwing herself onto the bed and staring up at the ceiling. The tears would come. But for the moment, she wanted to sleep, to forget about the last few weeks, to forget about the man like no other.

For the first time in a long while, she wished she had a friend. Someone her age who would understand what she was going through.

Warmth trickled down her temples. Well, hell. She was crying again. She hated the feeling. The helplessness. Why would anyone want to suffer through something like this? She understood her love for her parents and Jimmy. They cared for her and never purposely hurt her. If Storm had loved her, he would have fought harder for them.

Stupid club. For men who wanted to be free, they had so many rules; they restricted their life choices.

She’d seen how happy Storm had been in the mountains.

Using the corner of the sheet, she patted her eyes dry.

Of course! That was what she would do. She would leave in the morning for the mountains. At least her mom and dad loved her. She needed a little time with nature and the people who loved her unconditionally. She needed time to push the memory of Storm to the back of her mind.

Tears pooled and trickled over again. She turned into her pillow and let them soak in.