Chapter Sixteen

Megan

 

 

 

 

As the alarm goes off, all I want to do is ignore it. Having Ryder here next to me feels like home, and I don’t want to get up and risk everything going back to the way it was before.

I reach over and turn it off, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. A strong arm catches me around the waist, pulling me flush against his body. “Stay home today. We have years to make up for.” His lips press against my neck. As much as I don’t want to get out of our little bubble, I have work to do; work that won’t get done with my lazing in bed all day.

“I have to go. I need to stop by the office and pick up some paperwork, then I need to get started on the work I left at the garage.”

I turn, giving him a kiss on the lips, then stand up and just look at him for a moment. Seeing him in my bed, the sheets only covering the bottom half of his body . . .

It’s almost enough for me to say screw it and jump back in bed.

He stands up grabbing his clothes from last night and I can't help but watch his strong, fluid movements. There is nothing unsure or shy about him. He’s a man who knows who he is and he’s comfortable with that.

He pulls his T-shirt down over his stomach and catches me looking, shooting me a wink and a crooked smile. “I'll give you a ride in.”

“Um, no, it’s okay.” My clothes hang over the chair so I grab them and sling them over my arm. “I’m going to grab a shower and then take my car today.”

I give him a quick kiss and make my way to the bathroom. If I didn’t get out of there quick, the little bit of willpower I had would have been gone.

I keep the shower slightly cool, needing it to wake me up properly. I’m exhausted. Being with Ryder last night was better than I could have imagined, but it’s been a while since I stayed up most of the night with a guy. Coffee will be second up on the agenda. I hear the bathroom door open.

“I’m kinda surprised you can even walk after your sex Olympics last night.” Chrissy laughs. “I mean, damn, I almost got off listening to the two of you.”

I peek out from behind the curtain. “Eww! Really?”

She shrugs and reaches over to the sink to grab her toothbrush. “Maybe you should be a little quieter next time if you don’t want me listening.”

I roll my eyes, ducking back behind the curtain, listening to her gargle and spit. She’s insane, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Can we do dinner tonight?” I call out over the sound of the shower. “I wanna tell you some stuff. Oh, and maybe we can get you a pair of headphones to drown out the screaming because if I have anything to say about it, there’ll be a lot more of that.”

“Oh really?”

I freeze.

Chrissy’s voice isn’t that deep. And I don’t get goose bumps when she talks, either.

Slowly peering around the shower curtain, I see Ryder.

Alone.

Damn Chrissy.

Of course, why wouldn’t I completely embarrass myself? My silent prayer for the floor to swallow me whole goes unanswered.

“No need to be embarrassed, princess, I absolutely love making you scream. I’ll see you in a little bit.” He shoots me a smile before walking out of the bathroom.

I finish getting ready, the entire time feeling lighter than I ever have before. The hurt from before hasn’t vanished, but I don’t blame Ryder anymore. If I hadn’t already decided to cut my parents off long ago, I certainly would right now.

I go in search of coffee, finding Chrissy pouring herself a cup. I grab a cup of my own and hold it out to her. As she fills it up, she shoots me a smile. I glance around the room, making sure we’re alone, before I hiss, “You could have told me when you walked out of the bathroom, then maybe I wouldn’t have made a total ass of myself.”

“Yeah, but where would be the fun in that?” She laughs putting her cup in the sink. “So I’d ask how last night went, but given the fine piece of ass that just sauntered out of here, dressed in the same clothes he was wearing last night, I think I can figure it out on my own.”

There isn’t time to go into detail about everything that happened, but I quickly fill her in on my parents and what they did. With each word out of my mouth, her jaw drops lower and lower, and by the time I’m finished she’s taken a seat at the kitchen table. For the first time in her life, I think she might actually be speechless.

Spoke too soon.

“I cannot believe that.” She reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. It’s a small gesture, but she knows me well enough to know that anything more will just open a can of worms. “So I’m guessing biker boy will be a permanent figure around here then?” She cocks an eyebrow.

Ah, humor.

That I can deal with.

“I think I might keep him around for a while.” I shoot her a wink and grab my purse and keys. “I’ll see you later. I have a ton of work to do today.”

“Oh, I'm sure you'll be workin' it.”

I give her a wave, ignoring the shimmy she chases me down the hall with, and head out to my car with a definite spring in my step. Even the journey to work feels better today. Traffic is light, the radio plays some of my favorite songs, and I manage to avoid every single red light.

The office is fairly quiet. I head to my desk and gather up everything I brought back from the garage. I don’t know why I thought I could do everything I needed to here. I got some stuff done, but nothing close to what I could do when I was there, and that’s even with Ryder to distract me.

On my way out I stop at the reception desk, letting Andrea know I’ll be out for the rest of the day, and possibly the remainder of the week.

“Megan, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

I turn to see Connor sauntering up the hallway, his shirtsleeves pushed up to his elbows, his hair sticking up like he’s just run his hands through it. I give him a smile but he doesn’t return it.

“I had to pick up some papers before I went back to the clubhouse.” He nods once but then his eyes drop to the floor and weird silence ensues. “I’ll see you later?”

I say it like a question but I know I won’t see him. Things are so awkward, and that’s all my fault. I don’t blame him for being a little “off” with me.

The drive to the clubhouse is quick and as soon as I’m through the door, I get to work. I still want to impress Mr. Duncan. I’d really like a promotion when this whole thing is over.

The door opens and Jaz walks in. “Thought maybe you could use some help again.”

“I’d love some.” I smile as she sits down.

I expect her to get right to work, so when she doesn’t I turn my head. She’s studying me. “How are things? I know you were shocked when you found out Tracker claimed you. Have you spoken to him about it?”

I’d actually forgotten all about that. We were so focused on working through our other issues, that one kind of slipped right through the cracks.

“Things are actually really good. We worked through a bunch of history we had last night.” I can't control the huge smile on my face.

She smiles back, then reaches over to grab a file from the mountain I brought back from the office. “That’s great, at least you guys worked it out. How do you feel about being an old lady?” She glances up at me.

Wait, what?

“An old lady?”

“Oh yeah.” She laughs. “That's what you're called once a brother claims you. We all secretly hate it, but it’s a sign of respect from the guys.”

I blink twice, and then shake my head and shrug. “That is definitely something I’m going to need to get used to. I honestly have no idea what I’m doing. The boy I knew is nothing like the man he is today.”

Warm fingers slip over mine and I look up. “How about you have lunch with me and the girls today? We can give you a crash course on the dos and don’ts.”

“I’d like that.” It makes me feel good that the girls have been so accepting of me, from lunch the other day, to Jaz helping me out here, and then offering to take me under their wing. I feel like a fish out of water, but Jaz is making it easier. I appreciate that more than I can tell her.

Ryder walks in, nodding at Jaz before his eyes come to me. “Hey, you wanna go grab a bite to eat?”

“Sorry, she’s already taken.” Jaz looks up from her phone, where she’s been furiously tapping away, and stands up. She loops her arm through mine and we walk out of the garage.

Jaz walks with me to the clubhouse. I see Lucy, Nikki, Izzy, and a girl I’ve never met before. She lifts her chin in greeting and I smile. “Megan, this is Tracie.” Jaz pulls out a chair for me, taking the one next to it.

The girls have some sandwiches, sodas, and chips on the table. It’s nothing fancy, but the way my stomach is feeling, I doubt I’ll eat much anyway.

“Hey, guys, thanks for having lunch with me.”

“No problem. Jaz told us you were going to need the crash course.” She gestures around the table. “We’ve given that a time or two.” Lucy laughs.

“Okay, grab yourself a sandwich and we can jump into this,” Nikki says, popping open a can of soda. “Jaz said she already told you about the dumbass nickname they stick us with, but one of the big things you need to know just coming in is that there are going to be times when Tracker’s doing things that he just can't tell you about. It doesn't mean he doesn't trust you, but you aren't a brother, and club business is club business. You can't take offense.”

I nod, getting what she’s saying and trying to absorb it.

“Now, those girls over there.” Tracie nods her head to the couch where a group of half-dressed girls have collected. “Those are the club girls. They are here to keep the brothers happy and because of that we have to respect them, to a point.” She stresses the last part of the sentence. One of the girls looks over, as if feeling our eyes on her. Even though it’s only lunchtime, she has a full face of makeup and her hair is teased like she just walked out of an eighties movie. Tracie lifts her chin and with a flick of her hair, the girl turns back to her friends.

“If one of them gives you shit, you don't take it. You're an old lady. Your status holds a hell of a lot more weight than theirs. Don't start problems, but if you want respect around here, you need to finish them.”

I’m not a person who really likes confrontation. Trying to digest the fact that I might have to get into it with these girls is rough. They don’t exactly look like the type of girls to back down.

 Lucy snaps her fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to our conversation. “Aside from that, if you have any questions just come ask one of us. You know our names but let me tell you a little more. I’m with Whip, he is the sergeant at arms. Tracie is with Torch, who is our VP. Nikki is with Twisted, who is the president.”

I’m trying to keep up with all the names and faces, cataloging them in case there’s some kind of test at the end, but it’s so hard. It’s not like they have ordinary names.

“Izzy is Twisted’s sister, and she’s with Lady.” She turns to Jaz. “Last but not least, Jaz is with Cutter, and he is the treasurer. We all have our roles and we try to help out as much as possible. Nikki and I usually have our kids running around, but we’re here if you need us.”

Lucy reaches across the table, taking my hand in hers. “We’re family now, and family takes care of each other.”

Sitting here with them, I feel like I actually belong. I haven’t felt like that in a long time.

“I thought you were only working here, why are you in the clubhouse?”

A voice from my past shatters my happy mood.

Alison. Standing there with a smirk on her face.

Tracie looks between us. Lucy’s eyes go wide, and Jaz . . . she just gives me a dig in the ribs. I stand up and turn around, facing Alison and her cronies. I might not know them, but I know their type well.

Same bitch, different day.

I hear a shuffling behind me and when I glance over my shoulder, the other girls are standing behind me. It may not be much, but it makes me feel braver than I ever did in high school. “I’m here because I was invited.”

She rolls her eyes, jutting out a hip. “Hmmm, if you say so. I think we know you can't handle Tracker, though. I mean, come on, Megaton.” She laughs, turning around to her girls, who snicker and sneer at me.

Hearing that name again makes my blood boil. It brings me back to every time in high school that her and her friends would torture me. Every lunchtime I spent hiding in the bathroom. Every sick note I had to fake. Every time I had to scrub my locker clean while tears burned the backs of my eyelids.

“Remember what I said. Everyone is watching,” Tracie whispers in my ear.

My hands fist at my sides and I remind myself that I am not the girl I was in high school. I’m stronger. I won’t be bullied. “Don’t ever call me that again.” My voice is hard, and rough as gravel.

“Or you’ll what? Eat me?” Her finger twirls in her bottle blond hair.

Something inside of me snaps and I slap her across the face.

Her shock is only momentary. Seconds later her expression twists and she lunges at me, screaming. Before I know what’s happening, she has a fistful of my hair and I’m swinging my hands trying to connect with any part of her I can. A pair of strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back, and when I look around I see a man I don’t recognize.

“What the fuck is going on?” His voice is strong, filled with authority.

“T, this is Tracker's old lady, Megan.” Nikki walks over to him and my mind goes back to the names Tracie mentioned earlier.

T . . .

T . . .

Twisted? Isn’t he the president?

“Seems one of the club girls thought running her mouth and trying to antagonize her was a good idea.”

His gaze turns away from me and onto Alison. “You know better than to mouth off to an old lady, don’t you?”

Alison glares at me, a large red handprint glowing on the side of her face, her heavy makeup smeared under her eyes. “She isn’t an old lady. She’s just some pathetic girl from my high school.”

Twisted steps toward her. “She is an old lady. She belongs to Tracker, and one more word from you and you'll be out on your ass.”

She nods silently.

Twisted walks out of the room.

When I look toward the door, Ryder stands there, a shit-eating grin on his face.

“What’s that look for?”

“Just think it's hot to see you bitchslap, someone.” He winks, grabbing me and pulling me to him. “I think you'll fit in here just fine.”

Me, too.