TWELVE
New Brother
Seven
I stayed in my bedroom until Lucky left. What was his problem? Lucky and I always fought, neither one willing to let the other one win. But this time, instead of standing my ground and yelling back something equally insulting to put him back in his place, I scampered away like a hurt little puppy.
Now that the initial shock was wearing off, anger simmered within me. If Lucky had still been around, I’d march down those stairs and deliver a roundhouse kick directly to his larynx for saying such a thing.
Was that all he thought of me? As some slut who had no other purpose other than being a nice piece of ass for him and his friends to leer at? I wasn’t a sweet butt. I didn’t sleep my way around the club and I didn’t get off on the idea of lying with a Glory brother.
It was no secret that the men of Glory MC slept around, sometimes taking on two or three at a time. Did that mean I also did the same when I went home for the night, indulging in the same dark fantasies that became stories of accomplishment the next morning?
No. I wasn’t a whore. Sure, I liked sex. Loved it, even. But I would never use my body to get something that I could earn with respect instead.
It would be too easy, biting your lip and spreading your thighs wide. And when it was all said and done, what did you have to show for it? The bite marks on your neck would only last so long. And then you’d be back there again, lying on your back, crying out a name you didn’t even care about.
Been there, done that.
My obsession with Glory MC began because of the sense of protection it entailed. Imagine being lost all your life, being tethered to nothing and belonging to no one.
I wanted to find a home, a place where I could let my guard down. I just so happened to find that kind of peace in a group of big, intimidating bikers.
Most people were afraid of the dangerous aura that Glory MC emitted. Leather, chrome, and big engines intimidated others, but it only secured me more. The way I saw it, the more people feared Glory MC, the less likely they would mess with anyone associated with them. That kind of protection was unprecedented for a girl living in a post-flare world without any family.
Maybe I was the fool to think that I could find a little niche for myself in this world. While the rest of Glory MC had welcomed me with open arms, Lucky had been the only one to reject me.
I realized too late that he was just using my knowledge of food to benefit the club. It reminded me that I was still an outsider, a person not belonging to their group. Someone not to be trusted.
Again, I was cast aside, not having any choice in the matter. I was tired of it. Tired of others making decisions for me. Tired of being seen as a burden.
The shrill sound of the phone ringing startled me out of my thoughts. The power was back on! “Hello?”
“Are you still talking to me?” My best friend’s voice held a tinge of worry.
I grinned into the phone, glad to be hearing Indy’s voice over the line. “Well, I am now, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, but you don’t sound too happy about it.”
“I’ve had a bad day,” I admitted. “Actually it started when my best friend decided to throw me to the wolves.”
“Oh, please. We all know that if you really didn’t want Lucky to stay with you, you would have told him no. Nobody can force you to do things that you don’t want to do.”
“Yeah, but the offer was proposed before I even got a say in it.”
Indy sighed heavily. “You’re right. I’m a bitch. Do you forgive me?”
I smiled. “Always.”
“Now,” Indy went on. “Answer me honestly. On a range from one to ten, how much is Lucky driving you crazy?”
Well, considering what just happened . . . “Fifteen.”
She barked out a laugh. “That bad?”
“Worse than you think.” But I wasn’t going to tell her what Lucky had just said to me.
“Come on, we’ve spent time with him before. He’s really not that bad.”
“He’s okay in small doses,” I allowed reluctantly.
“What’s he doing that pisses you off so much?”
I settled into the couch. “Where do I fucking start? First off, he has no sense of decorum. He has turned your old room into his personal man cave. Weapons are littered about. His clothes are hanging off things. I don’t know why because he doesn’t even wear a shirt half the time.”
“I’ve seen him shirtless once,” Indy cut in, her voice going all dreamy-like. “Nice ropey muscles. I’d say that goes in the extra benefits category. A little man candy never hurt anyone.”
“Hey! Whose side are you on?”
More laughter. “Look, Lucky is just a little tougher to win over, I guess.”
“Are we talking about the same guy who can easily be bought by a quick flash of tits and a big smile from a willing woman?”
Indy snorted. “Have you tried that tactic already?”
“Indy!”
“What? It was just a suggestion!”
“I’m not a sweet butt.” Ward Four would experience a blizzard before that ever happened.
“He does still seem to be on edge ever since he returned from his little hiatus,” Indy mused. “Did you ever find out where he went?”
No. But I figured it was a touchy subject given that Lucky had put so much effort in keeping it under wraps. “We argue more than we really confide in each other, Indy. I doubt he’ll tell me.”
“But have you ever asked him?” I paused, considering this. Would he really tell me if I asked? “Ask him. And maybe you’ll understand him more.”
“Why does this feel like you’re suddenly giving me dating advice?”
“I wasn’t. Not unless you’ve harboring some secret infatuation with him or something. But that would be ridiculous, right?” Her tinkling laughter froze me in place. “Right, Seven?”
“Right.”
“Oh my God,” Indy cried. “You’re fucking kidding me!”
“What?” I hadn’t said anything.
The muffled sound of Indy settling into a chair carried through the phone. “Tell me everything.”
“There’s nothing to tell!”
“Wrong, bitch. I know you well enough to know that there’s something you’re not telling me. Spill it or I’ll trek my fat ass over there and make you tell me.”
The old Indy wouldn’t have spewed threats like that or been so direct. Her confidence had grown, but I almost wished for the old version of my best friend in times like this. I spoke fast. “Therewasakiss.”
Indy didn’t miss a beat. “A kiss?” she exclaimed. “When?”
“That drunken night when he borrowed your Chevelle and drove me home.”
I heard a gasp. “Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”
“Because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
Indy’s voice softened. “Seven, liking the kiss doesn’t mean anything other than the fact that there might be sparks between you two.”
I huffed. “Sparks?”
“Better sparks than hellfire. You know, if this works out, we’ll both be considered part of Glory MC. How cool would that be? Isn’t that what you always wanted?”
“Whoa! Don’t go planning a wedding!”
“I just want you happy. And if Lucky’s it, then I’ll support it.”
“You’re getting way too ahead of yourself. I’ll admit I might’ve masturbated to the thought of him in the bath once or twice, but it doesn’t mean wedding bells are in the future!”
Choking laughter filled the line. “Well, I hope you at least got a good orgasm out of it.” Indy laughed again like she could see my wide smile through the phone. “You never know what surprises you could find once you get to know him.”
“He’s quite adamant about keeping his secrets to himself,” I argued.
“Just try.”
“Fine.”
With that, Indy hung up, but her advice still swirled in my mind. What would happen if I gave Lucky the chance to explain what happened that night? Would he open up or would we have another fight like the one we just had?
When the phone rang again, I picked it up. “Hello?”
There was no response.
I pulled the phone away from my face and checked that it was working. “Hellooo? Indy, is that you?”
Silence.
Giving up, I put the phone down and meant to start on dinner when the shrill sounds of the phone ringing rented the air once again. “Dammit.” Who the hell could it be? “Hello?” On the other end of the line, there was a soft sound, as if someone had placed his or her hand over the mouthpiece. “Is anyone there?”
More silence followed. Creepy. Just like the last time in the street market when I thought someone was watching me, a crawling sensation skidded across my spine.
When I was eighteen, wild nights at the club were quick ways of learning how to trust your gut. If something was about to go down, there was a small two-second window where your instinct knew. That was how I felt now. I knew something was going on. I just hadn’t figured out what yet.
Filing that under “Seven has lost her mind” in the back of my head, I busied myself in the kitchen, hoping that the next time I saw Lucky, we could finally settle the shit between us once and for all.
Lucky
A smile spread across my lips as Bronson sat before me, this time flanked by two men. I guess he’d smartened up and had brought bodyguards.
Knuckle sat at the head of the table, the rings on his knuckles reflecting the light from the candles. This meeting would potentially become one of the most important ones we’d have, depending on how the voting would go.
Everyone had had time to think about Bronson’s proposition. Though Glory MC hadn’t encountered anything like this before, there was no question that there was more to lose if we didn’t do this.
The prez cleared his throat loudly before addressing the crowd. “Let’s cut straight to the chase, yeah?” He glanced at everyone in the room, gaze settling on Bronson and his men. “All in favor of merging with Ward Three?”
My eyes locked on Bronson before me. His military-style cut and hard eyes gave him a “don’t mess with me” vibe. Naturally, it made me want to poke at him some more. See what got him to twitch. Lots of guys put up a front, but when it came down to it, kittens had more courage than these pussies.
A question lingered there in his eyes. His steely gaze silently asked, are you strong enough to take us on? Hell, if he was asking that now, it was a little too late.
Glory MC had received its fair share of hits. Losing Newt in the battle against the Phantoms had started it all, initiating a series of attacks on one another with escalating severity. Bronson’s men wouldn’t hold a fucking candle to the light that Newt brought into Glory MC, but there was no doubt that the former vice-prez of Glory MC would’ve seen the vital importance of strength in numbers.
I’d been the latest to become a fully patched member. Years of being a prospect and having my hide taken out of me had gotten me to this spot, but I had earned it. Now here were these men, hoping to join forces with us in name, without any proof of their loyalty. Maybe it should be me asking Bronson if they were strong enough to run with us.
However, the undeniable truth was that without Ward Three, we would suffer, as would they. Though this alliance seemed completely off the tracks of normal procedure, it was the smartest move for all parties involved.
Eyes still locked on Bronson’s in challenge, I raised my arm, only realizing later that I’d been the last to place a vote. My brothers around me nodded in agreement when Knuckle reached out a meaty forearm and clasped palms with Bronson. “Welcome to Glory MC, brother.”