CHAPTER TEN
LIP
My hands choke my coffee cup. Zane and Addie are already up and screaming their fucking heads off. My head feels clouded. Seeing her in that damn dress and the way the guys were eyeballing her, I went mad. The look on Cherry’s face yesterday when I went head-to-head with Stunt fucked with me above all else, seeing her care for me even after everything that’s happened. I know I have some feelings for her; the orders have been lifted and the cloud of what was business and what I honestly feel for her are displayed out before me. Do I tell her how I feel exactly and risk her rejecting us? I close my eyes, fucking confused. I don’t know what I want.
“Give it to me, brat!” Addie screams, running past me. I wince and take a small sip of my coffee. Seconds later, a Barbie flies past me, a small pink shoe falling into my cup.
“Dude, you fucking cheated!” Tom Cat yells at Kane over a game of cards.
I sigh and push up from the stool.
“Fuck. This,” I grit. I’ve been stuck in this fucking club too long. Shadow is taking his fucking time, I tell you. I need out of here. I stomp down the hall and into my room. Cherry is on the bed, her foot tapping as she listens to music. God, she’s beautiful. Her reddish-orange hair is down and fans out along her freckled shoulders. I love it when she wears red; it makes every freckle on her body stand out. Her head slowly trails from the window to me, and my stomach feels like it’s been fucking punched.
“Wanna get out of here?” I ask. She pulls an ear bud from her ear.
“Huh?”
“You wanna get out of here?” I repeat.
Her eyes give this weird look, and her brows furrow.
“Um, I thought we couldn’t leave. We’re on lockdown,” she responds.
“I gotta get out of here, I’m going to go nuts,” I state. She laughs and looks down at the iPod.
“I don’t know,” she mutters.
“Come on, come with me,” I insist.
Her eyes peer up from under her lashes, a small smile curling the corner of her lips.
“Okay, just one ride.”
***
Cherry’s arms are tight around my waist, the smell of her wafting around me is making my dick press against my jeans. I miss the smell of her. I miss everything about her.
I don’t know where the fuck I’m going; I just drive. Sometimes, just driving without a destination is what the soul really needs. No boundaries, no limitations—just freedom.
Clouds pour in overhead, and thunder booms. Cherry’s arms choke my abdomen, so I pull off onto some gravel side road. I haven’t seen a house or store for miles. Driving up the graveled passage, I spot a willow tree at the bottom of a hill.
I pull the bike over and park it.
“What are we doing? It’s about to storm, Lip; we should head back,” she encourages. Rain splashes off her cheeks, making her hair curl at the ends.
“We’d get hammered in the storm if we turned back now.” I point to the tree. “That’s our best option for now.” I press on the small of her back and walk toward a small barb-wire fence.
I push the wire down and she leans on my shoulder as she climbs over.
Lightning strikes with a loud crack, and she squeals. I laugh, grab her hand and sprint toward the tree.
“Oh, my God.” She laughs as we make it out of the rain. She bends over, throwing her hair down in front of her and shaking it loose of rainwater as I lean against the tree and smirk. She’s fucking beautiful. That red top is soaked and her nipples poke through her tiny bra perfectly. Little beads of rain slip down her long legs and my cock rises in my pants. I have to look away and adjust myself. Fuck, I miss her.
“Cherry,” I start.
She turns, pinning me with bright gray eyes.
“When I took that job to be your protector, I didn’t know what I was walking into.”
She throws her hand at me, dismissing me. “Lip, I don’t want to talk about it. It’s done.” She purses her lips and crosses her arms. Her stubbornness pisses me off. I grab her by the elbow, turn her and slam her against the tree trunk.
“You are going to fucking hear me out, damn it. You don’t want to be with me, or have anything to do with me afterward, that’s fine. But goddamnit, you will hear my side.” I rest both of my hands on either side of her head. “I thought it would be easy to walk away when I signed up for the job, but that was hardly the case when the only girl I’ve ever cared about walked away from me.” Her mouth snaps shut and her face goes still. I look her in the eye and know I’d better spit out what I gotta say.
“I was still a kid when I agreed to be your babysitter, I was only nineteen. But when I found you, you were hot and feisty and not at all what I expected. I was immediately attracted to you. Looking at you, and comparing you to me, I knew you wouldn’t want to be with me if you knew who I really was. A monster, insane, a fucking devil. Bull knew it, too. So I became that guy, the one my mother raised and my father hated. The one women dream about and guys despise. It wasn’t a front, it wasn’t a lie—it was me. It was a small piece of me, however. A part I never thought I’d see again.”
She turns her head and clenches her eyes shut, like she doesn’t want to hear anymore. But I’m determined to break through that barrier she’s trying to protect herself with, that barrier she made in promise of never forgiving me.
“When I was thrown in prison, I thought you’d leave, that it would be over. I hoped it would, ‘cause my feelings were blurring with what I was told to feel and what I was really feeling. But you didn’t leave, didn’t walk away even though I wished you had. I had to face you, and lie to you, to someone I was truly falling for. You deserved better than that. You deserve better than me. When I was in prison, you’re right, I did change, because you weren’t there to ground that better side of me. That good guy was buried, and that monster I used to be came out tenfold. I’m more devil than saint, and I led you to believe the opposite, Cherry. When I got out, I couldn’t lock that side of me out anymore, and I sure as hell didn’t want to make you believe I was better than I was. I knew you cared about me, loved me even.” I brush my lips against her cheek. “But I wanted you to love who I really was and not who I was told to be.” I cup the back of her head and bring my lips to her ear. “I want to love you, and have your undying love without the club in my ear, without the fear of you running from your crazy ex. Just us, Cherry. ‘Cause goddamn it, you got in under my skin and I can’t get you out. You’re like a fucking poison. I’ve had a taste, and now I’ll never be right again.”
She slowly turns her head, tears running down her face.
“You really hurt me,” she mutters, her lips trembling with emotion. My chest constricts and I grab her face, bringing it close to mine.
“I know, and I’ll never do it again, Cherry,” I promise.
Her fingers dive into my hair, and her legs clamp around my waist.
“I’m sorry, too, Lip. I wanted to tell you. But I was too afraid of not only losing you, but putting myself and Piper in danger,” she murmurs.
“I know. We both fucked up,” I add, circling the apple of her cheek.
The wind gusts, blowing her hair around her face. I kiss her sugary lips and slip my tongue inside her warm mouth, tasting her. Hands slip under my shirt, and her nails dig into my skin. The pain makes me hiss, but the wolfish look on her face has me lowering my head and smirking at her.
“I know in my head I should give you up, walk away. But my heart wants you, and I can’t for the life of me turn my back on you,” she whispers, a raindrop sliding down her face and finding purchase right on the edge of her upper lip.
“I told you when you met me, I’d damage you for any man left in my wake.”
I grab her by the thighs and push her back against the tree. My hands slip under her wet top, grasping her firm tits. She leans her face in and sucks my earlobe into her warm mouth, and my cock throbs painfully as it strains against my jeans. I turn us and lower her feet to the ground gently.
Grabbing her wet top, I pull it over her head, leaving her in nothing but her white lacybra. She looks so innocent in it, so I leave it. She grabs the hem of my shirt and tears it off my head, her arms shaky, movements rushed. I grab her by the wrist and pull her close to me.
“Don’t rush,” I demand.
She blinks, the raindrops weaving through the vines of the tree, planting themselves on her freckled skin. Her hands fumble with my jeans, and she shoves them down. My dick springs free, and I moan with relief. I undo my boots and kick my jeans off the rest of the way.
Cherry lies on her back on the ground, and her chest rises as she takes a large breath. I crawl on all fours over to her and hover over her, right in her line of sight.
My hand slips up her soft thigh, the pads of my fingers soaking up the raindrops. The feel of her silky skin against my palm nearly makes me blow my load. I undo her shorts and find her white lacy thong under it. I swipe my index and middle finger along the thin fabric and pull the dainty material down her legs.
Pushing her knees open, her wet, pink pussy is ready and waiting for me. I thumb her clit, and she bucks against my touch. A sly smirk crosses my face at how well her body responds to me. Leaning down, I kiss her clit, suck it into my mouth, and then nip it hard. She moans and squirms her hips along my face. The taste of her is sweet with a tone of musk. I love it. I could eat her pussy all day. The swirl of her hips as she rides my face is something I’d never get used to.
I push myself up and plant a kiss right above the apex of her thighs. Grabbing her hips, I flip her onto her knees, and she catches herself before she face-plants right into the green grass. Having her on all fours is fucking exotic. I rub my palm along her right ass cheek, my fingers nearly touching her wetness, teasing her. She flips her head back, her hair splaying across her back.
“Jesus, Cherry,” I mutter, caressing the skin of her back with one hand and her ass with the other. “That day I picked you up from the side of the road, I never intended on letting you go.”
She turns her head, her mouth pouty and eyes heavy. I can’t help it; I grit my teeth and smack her ass. She lolls her head back and moans, “Yes!”
“Don’t you ever leave,” I mutter, rubbing the red handprint staining her skin. “Do you hear me? You’re mine; you can’t escape me.” She doesn’t reply, so I slap it again.
“I won’t,” she moans. I grab the base of my dick and position it right along her wetness. Swiping the head of my cock back and forth through her lips, jolts of pleasure pulse through it with the simple contact. I can’t take the torture any longer, so I push the head in and her back lifts as I fill her tight cunt.
I close my eyes and relish in the feel of her warm, tight pussy. It’s like I’ve never felt her before, like it’s our first time together. Maybe it is; now that we don’t have burdens breathing in our ear, we’re free to feel and do as we please.
Thrusting into her hard, she moans loudly. The storm thunders all around us, and I drive my hips into her once more. I notice her fingers dig into the grass and her body trembles with pleasure. I lean over her, my chest on her back, and grab both of the damp cups of her bra as I pound into her over and over. Pressure builds in my balls, and my cock is as hard as it gets. She moans, pants, and growls, sounding like a fucking animal as I give her everything I got. I give her Phillip fucking DeLuca.
“Oh, my God, Lip!” she shouts, but nobody can hear her screams of pleasure, so I don’t let up.
My knees slip on the wet grass, and my toes anchor themselves into the dirt beneath. I nip on her back before kissing it softly. I slip my hand up her chest and onto the base of her neck.
Her legs open up and her pussy becomes wetter—she’s getting close. As I reach around her hips, swirling her clit, her sex clamps down on my dick and I can’t hold back anymore. My knees give out and I fall on top of her, causing her hands and knees to collapse. I thrust into her a few more times as I reach the end of my release.
Realizing I might be crushing her, I roll over and look up at the tree’s vines.
“Oh. My. God.” She pants between each word. I just nod, out of breath.
She rolls over and I watch her out of the corner of my eye. Her hands and knees are grass-stained, her skin flushed from coming. She rolls over onto her stomach, her red ass glowing amongst her soft skin.
“The storm passed,” she says, pointing to the sky. I look out into the distance and see the sun splitting behind the dark clouds. Sitting up, I grab my briefs.
“We’d better get back. They’ll be looking for us.”
Her head hangs. I can tell she’s over-thinking something.
“What?” I ask, pulling on my clothes.
She shakes her head and sits up. “What does this mean?”
I bite at my lip ring, unsure. I know she means us having sex. What does it mean for us? Where do we stand?
“I’m not sure.” It’s the truth.
She gives me a pained look; I hurt her feelings again. What did she want me to say, that we’re a happily-ever-after couple? It would be a lie.
“Look, I could lie to you, tell you what you want to hear. I don’t know where we stand, but I know I want to move forward with you, Cherry. Lies breed resentment, and we’ll be right back where we were.”
Her face relaxes with that, and a smirk crosses her face. “You’re right.”
“Come on, let’s get back,” I hold my hand out and she grabs it. My hand tingles as if it’s the first time she’s held it. Maybe I can actually feel now that I’m not told what to feel.
***
Pulling into the club parking lot, I notice Shadow backing his bike into his spot. I pull in right next to him, and Cherry’s arms tighten around my waist. She’s been waiting for Shadow to return. Turning my bike off, I take my helmet off and eye him.
“You get anything?” I question.
Shadow takes his helmet off and swipes his hand through his hair. “Yeah. Eric and the judge are working together, it seems. Let’s find Bull and figure out how we should proceed.”
“And Piper, is she okay?” Cherry blurts.
Shadow nods. “Yeah, she’s fine from what I can see.”
Cherry’s body sags in relief. I help her off the bike and brush hair from her face.
“Let me take care of this,” I state.
Her hands cup mine and her gray eyes look right through me, telling me I’d better not fuck this up.
***
“Boys!” Bull hollers, waving us all to the chapel. All the patched-in brothers head toward the table, sitting in our regular spots.
“What did you get, son?” Bull questions Shadow.
“Well, Eric met up with Judge Calhoun twice. They’re working together to find Cherry. I tailed one of Eric’s goons and cornered him; he was easy enough to get information out of. He said the judge wants Cherry dead and is paying Eric to find the highest bidder. Between Eric’s shady friends and the judge’s high-profile resources, it won’t take them long to find her,” Shadow informs us.
Bull runs his hands along the scruff on his cheeks.
“I say we go visit this judge, put an end to this order. Then we go retaliate on this Eric fuck, show him what happens when you fuck with ours. We owe that much to Cherry,” Bull suggests. “All in favor?”
Everyone around the table agrees.
“Let’s get this done tonight, before they figure us out and we’re ambushed.” Bull knocks his knuckles on the top of the table and stands.
When the doors open, Cherry is outside pacing back and forth.
“What happened? What’s going on? What are you guys going to do?” Cherry rambles. I grab her upper arms to calm her.
“We’re going to end the hit, and I’m going to teach that Eric fuck a lesson. You need to stay here with Kane and Tom Cat,” I explain.
“Piper, what about Piper?” Her voice cracks. I bite my bottom lip and tighten my grip on her arms.
“I’m going to bring her back, Cherry. I will. I’m going to do right by you, show you that you’re safe with me, no matter what kind of monster you may think I am.”
She cups my cheeks and purses her lips. “You’re not a monster, Lip.”
“Stay here, Cherry. I mean it.” I demand.
“Lip! Let’s go!” Bobby hollers.
I pull from Cherry’s grip and point at Kane. “You protect her, or I’ll break your face,” I threaten. Kane smirks, not fazed at all by my promises.
“You got it, brother.”
LIP
We follow Shadow for what seems like forever, passing the ramps I met Cherry on until eventually we pull up on a nice, three-story house. There are lights shining upon it, and the landscaping looks expensive as hell. This must be the judge’s house. Shadow stops a block away, turning off his bike.
“There’s no other way in. He has the place armed, and I can’t seem to hack through it.” Shadow shrugs.
“So what, we just go knock on the fucking door and say ‘excuse me, but we’re here to fucking break your knee caps’?” Sarcasm drips from my voice.
Bull laughs.
“Pretty much.” Shadow chuckles.
We pull into his driveway and park. I shake my head; I can’t believe we are just going to walk up to his front door. As we go, we pass a koi pond and a camera on the side of the house.
“Should I just knock?” Bobby shrugs.
“Nah, ring the doorbell.” I smirk, jutting my head toward the lit-up doorbell button.
“This is humiliating.” Bobby shakes his head and rings the bell.
Minutes later, the door slowly opens, and the judge is scowling at us. He’s bald and has on little glasses. He’s sporting a beer gut, with a white shirt and suspenders attached to some black slacks.
“The Devil’s Dust, I’ve been expecting you,” he greets. “Come in.” He turns and Bull steps into the house.
“Have you now?” Bull states.
“Seems someone went back on their deal,” Judge Calhoun scoffs, sitting down in a high-backed brown leather chair.
“Yeah, well, I know the girl and just couldn’t do it. I tried to keep her out of your hair, but what can I say—she’s a mother wanting her daughter.” Bull shrugs. Judge Calhoun nods and looks at the floor.
“Right, I understand. That’s why I hired out this time. She will be dealt with,” Calhoun threatens. I step forward angrily.
“Sorry, but that’s not going to work.” Bull sits in a chair across from the judge and crosses his legs.
“Well, I’m afraid that’s not up to you. She is a threat, not only to me, but also to my brother.” Calhoun looks up from Bull to us. “My brother is Senator Calhoun, and if word gets out that I’m dirty, he’s ruined.”
I sigh heavily. This cannot be happening.
“I advise you to reconsider your options. Cherry doesn’t want to burn you, she just wants her kid,” Bull tries to negotiate. The judge laughs and reaches for a tumbler filled with amber liquid.
“No deal. Now get out.”
I grab my knife from its holster and step toward Judge Calhoun.
“I’m about to make you reconsider,” I snarl.
“Whoa!” Bull jumps up and grabs my arm.
“You kill him, you’ll go down. He has cameras everywhere, and we drove up to his fucking house. Witnesses, Lip.” I flick my gaze from Bull to the judge.
“I’m not about to walk away,” I inform.
Bull scoffs. “Me either, son. I’m not saying we aren’t going to do what we have to. I’m just saying we need to go into this slowly.” Bull smiles wickedly. He doesn’t want to kill the judge; he wants to torture him into reconsidering.
I nod, getting his point. The judge laughs a full belly laugh, thinking he’s won. I step forward, grip the butt of my knife and slam it into the top of his hand, anchoring it into the arm of his chair.
His mouth pops open, his eyes wide as saucers. His hand releases the glass of amber, and it shatters into a million little shards as it collides with the floor.
He jumps upright in his seat and starts to heave in excruciating pain.
“All right, let’s try it this way,” I taunt.
“Kill the hit on Cherry,” I suggest. He heaves again and tries to grab the knife, but whimpers when his fingers apply more pressure. Looking down, he shakes his head.
“No, I won’t do it,” he croaks.
Bobby walks up and pulls a knife that looks damn near identical to mine out of his pocket.
“You wanna try again?” Bobby smirks. The judge looks up and his face goes pale with fear, but he doesn’t give in.
“Your loss.” Bobby shrugs and thrusts his knife down toward the judge’s other hand.
“Wait!” Judge Calhoun screams and Bobby stops, the blade of the knife a hair’s width away from the judge’s palm.
“Oh, did we have a change of heart?” Bull grins.
“Fine, I’ll lift it,” the judge pants. “But you’d better keep her mouth shut or the deal is off. She’ll die before she ever sees a trial against me.” His brows furrow.
“The kid. We want the kid, too,” I add. Bull turns his head, looking at me like I’ve lost it.
“I can’t, that’s all I got.” Judge Calhoun shakes his head.
I step forward and push down on the knife, enjoying the sound of the blade crunching through tendons and veins. He hollers out and tries to grab my hand to stop my assault.
“We want the kid,” I repeat.
“Okay, o-okay. I’ll draw up the pa-paperwork, I’ll—” he stammers. “I’ll get you the damn kid, just get this fucking knife out of my hand!” he screams.
I hunch down, my eyes meeting his dull ones. Grabbing the knife and fisting it hard, I twist the blade sideways, making sure it leaves a scar.
“I want this to be a reminder the next time you slam that gavel down. Make sure you’re being honest and doing what you think is right by law and not by greed. This scar will remind you of why you’re on that stand, and what your duties really are, and that greed will only grant you pain and scar your soul in the end.”
Just when I think he’s about to pass out, I pull the blade out and wipe it on my jeans.
“So, we’re good?” Bull cocks his head to the side, eyeing the judge.
“We’re good. Now get the fuck out!” Judge Calhoun points at his front door.
“Great.” Bull smiles wolfishly.
Walking out, Bull cups my shoulder and smiles at me. “You did good, kid. It takes a man not to kill another who wronged his family.”
I smirk, but inside I’m on fire. I want to kill that bastard, and as much as Bull doesn’t want me to, I will one day. That’s a promise.
CHERRY
Pacing the floor, I bite on my nails. They’ve been gone a long time. Worry sears through my chest like a hot blade.
“Girl, you’re making me dizzy watching you go back and forth. Sit down and have a shot or something.” Dani sighs, sitting on a stool.
I shake my head. “I can’t. I can’t stay here any longer.” I head toward the door, and Dani jumps from her seat.
“Cherry, you can’t leave. Orders are you have to stay here!” Dani yells, following close behind me.
I push the doors open and walk toward the club’s SUV. Seeing that my car was blown up, it will have to do.
“Cherry!” Dani screams, walking out of the club. “You can’t go by yourself, it’s not safe!”
I turn to look over my shoulder at Dani and slam into something hard. I trip backward, nearly falling on my ass. Looking at what I ran into, I find a man. He’s hard to make out with the shadows of the night smothering his features. An evil laugh sounds from behind the figure, and I look toward it, noticing a bunch of motorcycles and other dark shadows.
“Cherry, is it?” The voice is eerie and raw. I don’t respond, trying to crawl backward. The figure steps forward, grasping my forearm harshly. I twist and pull from his grip, but he’s too strong. “She’s right, you know; there are bad guys lurking around at night.” He chuckles, the sound menacing.
He snaps his fingers and two guys step forward, grabbing me by the arms and lifting me from the ground.
“Dani!” I scream frantically, fear constricting through my chest.
“Kane! Get out here!” Dani screams.
“Put her down now, fucker!” Kane hollers. A nervous sweat builds along my spine as I look over my shoulder, finding Kane pointing a gun at the guy I ran into.
“You shoot me and my men will kill you, take your women, and burn your club to the ground,” the guy threatens, his tone cool. His silhouette outlines his muscled body, and the fear I felt before turns into terror. Who is this guy?
“What do you want?” Kane questions, lowering his gun when he sees he’s outnumbered. My heart sinks that he’s giving in and my hands tremble, terrified.
“You tell your president that the Sin City Outlaws want to do business and, when he agrees, Lip will get his bitch back.” My eyes go wide. How does he know Lip? “Lip knows my number when he’s ready to talk.”
The guy holding me turns, and two guys standing by an unfamiliar van open the back doors.
“No! No!” I scream, trying to get free.
“Stop fighting, bitch,” the guy growls, practically throwing me into the back of the van. I land with a hard thud; the wind knocked out of me, I gasp and wheeze. Before I can sit up, my hands are pulled behind my back and zip-tied. I try to protest but seeking oxygen is more important. A man with a thick beard and defined cheek bones grins wildly, placing a bag that feels like wool over my head, sealing my vision into nothing but complete darkness.
LIP
My hands strangle the handlebars of my bike, anger fueling my reason. Someone will pay for the hurt Cherry’s lived with the last six years. I can feel the demise of someone’s soul heavy on my shoulders as I ride into the night. I will become the reaper tonight, taking what I want, what I crave: blood.
We pull into a closed gas station and back our bikes into the shadows of the building.
“There, that’s the trailer park.” Shadow points across the way. Jesus, it looks like a dump. A piece of me saddens knowing this is where Cherry grew up, that this is where her little girl is growing up. Guilt shifts through me. I wonder if she would have told me she had a little girl if I had never said I didn’t want kids.
“Where does Eric live?” I question, pushing my shame to the side.
“The nice house at the end of the circle drive,” Shadow informs. I nod, surveying the house. It’s nicer than the trailers, but not by much. The roof has shingles missing and black tires anchoring tarps to the roof. The door is hanging off its hinges, and there’s trash littered all over the porch. It’s a dump.
“Right, so let’s go around the side and enter the house from the back. Surprise this fucker,” Bull instructs.
“You got it,” I mutter, adrenaline rushing through my veins.
We head across the street, sticking to the tree line skirting around the trailer park. Dogs bark and cats hiss as we pass, but nobody even glances our way. Finally making our way to the back of Eric’s house, I spot a little girl sitting on the back steps, sniffling into her hands. I stop in my tracks and put my hand up, stopping the boys.
“What the fuck?” Bobby whispers, eyeing the little girl.
“That’s Piper. Cherry’s daughter,” Shadow tells us over my shoulder. My eyes widen, and my heartbeat stutters. As if the little girl could hear my heart stopping, she looks up, and I’m pinned by this little girl who looks identical to Cherry. I never thought I wanted kids, but to see someone so small, so innocent, and holding a piece of Cherry in her, I rethink that. I feel the need to protect the little girl, to harm whoever caused her tears to spill.
I step forward, my hands up in the air to show I mean no harm.
“You okay?” I ask. She wipes her tears and nods.
“Who are you?” she whimpers.
“I’m Lip,” I introduce. I look over my shoulder at the guys, and they’re all watching the interaction with wide eyes. Glancing back at the girl, she cocks her head to the side, looking me up and down. I look down at myself, curious at what she’s looking at.
“You’re wearing one of those jackets like Cherry wears.” Her eyes perk up. “Is Cherry with you?”
I smile at her excitement that I may have Cherry with me. “She’s at our club. I’m her friend,” I inform.
Her excitement fades. “Oh, well, I’m Piper.” She smiles shyly.
“Why are you so sad, darling?” Bull whispers, stepping up beside me. Her smile fades, and she looks over her shoulder.
“My daddy burned all my clothes Cherry got me.” She points behind us and we all turn, finding a barrel smoldering. “Daddy doesn’t like me looking like a girl, and I’m not allowed to talk to Cherry again.” Her dad sounds like a guy with anger problems, taking his frustration and fury out on Piper.
“Does your daddy hurt you?” I ask, my chest puffing out on its own accord. She looks down and her head falls, but she doesn’t answer.
“Why don’t you come with me, and let us have a talk with your daddy?” Shadow offers. I plan on doing way more than talking to this fucker.
Piper shakes her head. “Oh, no. I can’t go with strangers. Daddy would be mad.” Her eyes widen with fear.
“It’s fine; Cherry knows us. We’re here to take you to her, sweetie.”
“Piper!” a voice yells from inside the house, and Piper tenses.
I hold my hand out. “Come on, you’re safe with us. Promise.”
She looks over her shoulder once more, and the screen door is slammed open. She jumps from the bottom step.
“Get your fucking ass—” he stops. The tall blond-haired guy looks us over, his face turning into a deep scowl.
“Who the fuck are you?” he snarls. His button-down shirt flaps in the wind, and his jeans are unbuttoned.
Bobby holds his hand out to Piper, and she walks toward him.
“Don’t you think about it, Piper,” Eric sneers.
“Come on, Piper. You’re okay, sweetie,” I encourage. Her eyes peer at me nervously. She’s scared to go with us ‘cause she doesn’t know us, but she’s terrified to go back into that house.
“I got you,” I whisper. She nods strongly and grabs my hand with force.
I lean down and brush her hair from her ear.
“Go with Bobby; he’ll keep you safe,” I whisper.
“Piper, get in the damn house!” Eric hollers.
Bobby grabs her other hand and they walk away together, Piper looking over her shoulder at us every couple of steps.
Eric stomps down the steps, but Shadow and I step in front him, stopping him.
“Going somewhere, brother?” I scowl.
“You better get out of my fucking way!” he growls. Having enough of this, I grab my knife and shove it in his gut without warning. His eyes widen, and his puffed-out chest deflates. Slowly, he lowers his gaze to my knife, buried deep.
“How about we go inside, huh?” I ask, pulling my knife from his flesh. He shakes his head, fear surfing in the depths of his eyes.
“You ain’t got a choice, I’m afraid.” Bull chuckles.
Shadow and I drag Eric into the house, and he starts to holler for help.
I punch him in the mouth to shut him up, his teeth colliding with my skull ring. He quiets instantly and starts to whimper. Bull pulls out a kitchen chair and I kick Eric in the chest hard, throwing him into it.
“You tried to hurt my property,” I begin. His brows furrow in confusion. “Cherry is my property,” I clarify. His eyes recognize the name, and his brows scowl.
“You mean Lindsay? Yeah, I know the little gutter slut,” he growls. I grit my teeth at his insult and stomp forward. Pulling my fist back, I slam it into his nose, a loud crack sounding from impact.
“You won’t talk about her like that,” I warn. He groans with pain, his nose busted all to hell and bleeding down his chin and chest.
“You know what happens when you fuck with ours?” Bull questions, pulling his gun from his holster.
“Look, man, I didn’t know she was with some gang,” Eric stammers, and I smirk.
“Doesn’t matter if you knew or not. What you did was shady, and maybe the law around here won’t deal with you because they know your daddy, or your last name is respectable, or they think you’re better than Cherry. But where I come from, our justice system has a way of dealing with those who may escape.”
“Wha- what’s that mean?” He looks between Shadow and me.
“That means, you’re going to die tonight.” I lower my head and glare.
“Please, no,” he whimpers, but it sounds fake.
“The little girl, why do you dress her like a boy?” Shadow asks. I furrow my brows.
“Do what?” I question.
“The little girl. Every day I’ve seen her, she’s in boy shit.” Shadow shrugs.
“Because she reminds me of her fucking momma,” Eric spits, doesn’t even hide the hatred in his voice.
“I don’t get it, why do you hate her so much?” I cock my head to the side.
“Cherry reminds me of my no-good mother. Getting knocked up on purpose, just so she can live off my paycheck for free. Well, not this guy. Fuck Cherry; she ain’t getting shit from me, including the kid she got knocked up with.” My chest rises and falls rapidly, anger burning my veins to the point I can barely breathe.
“Cherry ain’t like that,” I manage to say. My vision doubles with the amount of fury poisoning my blood.
He scoffs, and my jaw clenches.
I hold my hand open to Bull, requesting the gun. He obliges without haste.
“Please kill this piece of shit before I do,” Bull growls, sharing my amount of hatred for this motherfucker.
Taking the gun from Bull, I turn to aim it at Eric. Suddenly, he hollers out and jumps from the chair, slamming right into me before I can pull the trigger. We fall to the floor, the gun knocked from my hand. A fist smashes into my eye, ripping skin and causing blood to pour, distorting my vision. Pulling my fist back, I punch him as hard as I can in his broken nose. He screams with pain and flies off me, hitting his head on the kitchen cabinet. I scramble to my feet and grasp the closest thing near me, the kitchen chair. I slam it over the table, breaking off a leg as Eric drags himself from the floor, huffing and puffing.
“Give me your best shot,” he pants, taunting me.
Gripping the busted leg hard, I swing it, slamming it against the side of his head. The impact vibrates through the piece of wood into my hand and his head whips to the side as he falls into the kitchen sink. Stepping forward, I grab him by his neck and slam his head into the tiled counter. The bright letters of a Drano bottle catch my attention, and I grab it.
“Hold him!” I order Bull and Shadow. They both step forward and grab his arms. “Turn him,” I instruct, opening the bottle. They spin his body so he’s facing me and pin him against the counter.
Eric’s eyes widen when he realizes what I’m about to do, and he clamps his mouth shut.
“That won’t help.” I chuckle. Gripping the side of his jaw, I apply pressure to his pressure points, his mouth slowly opening as he begins to yell. I shove the bottle in his mouth, his teeth catching the sides, and I squeeze it as hard as I can. Instantly, he starts choking and gagging on the chemical. I squeeze it one last time and notice blood sputter from his mouth. I pull back and Bull and Shadow let go of his arms. He falls to the floor, choking and vomiting, his hands clawing at his mouth as he sways back and forth on his knees. Black chunks of blood spill from his mouth as his nose begins to bleed and his eyes cry crimson. The chemical is eating him from the inside out. It’s fitting, really—his toxic threats and shameful greed burned Cherry from the inside out for years.
“Finish it.” Shadow hands me the gun. I grasp the cold metal and aim it at Eric’s cold heart. “This is for Cherry,” I croak and pull the trigger. Eric’s body jumps as the bullet collides with his heart.
My phone rings, and I growl in frustration.
“Jesus,” I curse, grabbing my phone. “Yeah?” I snap.
“We got a problem, brother,” Kane nearly yells in my ear.
“What?”
“Cherry was taken. Some club called the Sin City Outlaws took her, and said we ain’t getting her back ‘til we agree to do business with them.” My eyes widen, and my heart stills. “The way the man talked, sounded like he knew ya,” Kane continues.
“He wouldn’t.” I look up at Bull, who eyes me curiously. “You just let them take her?” I snap at Kane.
“Dude, Cherry stormed out of the MC and walked right into the barrel of his gun. I tried to step toward her, but he was going to kill her,” Kane breathes heavily into the phone. I clench my jaw in anger.
“We’re on our way.” I hang up the phone. “My brother took Cherry,” I inform Bull.
“I’ll get this cleaned up of any traces and meet you at the club,” Shadow states, and I nod. Shadow is the best at cleaning up DNA and traces of evidence..
“Thanks, man.” I pat him on the back as Bull and I practically run out of the back door and race toward our bikes.
“Your brother, as in the one from the other motorcycle club?” Bull questions as we hurry.
“Yeah,” I reply.
“Thought you said he wouldn’t be a problem?” When I first joined the club, I told Bull about my family, and he said as long as they weren’t a rival club he didn’t care. As far as I knew, they weren’t. ‘til now.
“Well, he wasn’t but lately, he’s been asking me to go into business with him, or to trade clubs. I thought he was just being a pain in the ass,” I tell him honestly.
“Well, now he’s a problem.” Bull shakes his head and I stop in my tracks, eyeing Bull.
“A problem I will deal with. He’s crossed a line,” I grit.
Bull places his hands on his hips and inhales a large breath. “So you’re saying you’d go head-to-head with your brother?”
I take a deep breath, the thought of brother vs brother, club vs club, surfacing through me.
“You know that’s blood against blood,” Bull interrupts my thoughts.
I nod. “I know where my loyalty lies, and it’s not with my flesh and blood,” I scowl.
Getting closer, I notice Bobby hopping in the shadows.
“No, that’s not how you play hopscotch.” Piper giggles.
“We gotta get to the club, brother,” I tell him, getting on my bike.
“What’s up?” I look at Piper and then to Bobby, second-guessing telling him Cherry is in danger in front of her.
“We got a problem, is all,” I inform, starting my bike.
Bobby hands Piper a helmet that is way too big for her and helps her on. I think about telling Piper to get on my bike, but rethink that idea. I’d be too nervous with her on my bike and likely kill us both. It’s best if she rides with Bobby. He’s ridden Doc’s daughter around before, so he knows how to handle a kid on a bike.
“You go slow with her, goddamn it.” I point at him, my tone threatening. Bobby smirks and starts his bike. Who knew I’d like a kid, that I would be protective of her as if she were my own.
“No problem.”
CHERRY
The van rocks back and forth, and rock music is blasting loudly so I can’t hear anything. I have no idea where I am. My heart beats rapidly in my chest, the adrenaline pulsing through me, making me high. I clench my eyes shut, tears threatening to spill. Lip will come for me. The club will save me. I will see Piper again.
The van comes to a stop, and the music is shut off. Silence fills the air and is more deafening than the rock music. My body trembles in fear as I hear the doors to the back of the van being opened. Hands grab me and pull me from the van but I fight back, kicking and screaming to get free.
“Jesus Christ, this one’s squirrelly,” a man says, his voice thick with an accent.
The bag is ripped from my head and I blink a couple of times, my vision blurry from sitting in the darkness. A rusted, metal building sits behind a bunch of guys, one streetlight shining barely enough to see in front of me.
“Do you know who I am?” a rough voice asks. I squint, trying to make out the man standing in front of me. He has scruff lining his tanned cheeks and the top of his hair is pulled into a ponytail, with the rest of his head shaved. He’s big and tattooed. “Well?” he continues.
“No,” I mutter, eyeing him from head to toe. If I didn’t hate him so much right now, I’d be attracted to him. He’s sexy in a menacing kind of way.
He pats at his patch. “Zeek, the name’s Zeek,” he informs. I shrug, still not knowing who the fuck he is.
“Really, lil bro never told you about me? I’m hurt.” He laughs, sarcasm dripping from his voice. I shake my head confused. Lil bro? My eyes suddenly perk. Lip. Zeek is Lip’s brother. My eyes shoot to his.
“Aw, so you do know who I am.” He grins. Lip told me how much he disliked his brother, how his brother was like his father. Evil. My heart sinks further into the pit of my stomach. I’m screwed.
“I’m the president of the Sin City Outlaws, and right now, I own your ass,” he sneers, pointing at me.
I scoff. “Fuck you,” I grit bravely.
His brows furrow in and his jaw clenches. “You will respect me, bitch,” he seethes.
I scowl, but I don’t say anything.
“I think she needs to learn her place around here, brother.” Another man chuckles, walking up beside Zeek. He has thick, black hair and really tanned skin.
“Bow to my president.” He points to the ground.
“I don’t bow for any man,” I whisper, swallowing hard.
“Wrong answer,” the thick-haired man growls. He stomps forward and kicks me hard in the back of the knees. My legs give out and I fall knees-first into the ground. I want to holler out with pain, but I won’t give them the satisfaction of knowing they hurt me.
“Looks like you’re bowing to me now, but I’m not just any man.” Zeek squats in my line of sight and smiles hard. “I’m the fucking king of Las Vegas, baby,” he states proudly. I turn my head, not wanting to give him eye contact.
“You’re going to be a dead king,” I mutter, staring off into the darkness. Hands grip my chin, pulling me to look into Zeek’s dark eyes.
“You sure do have a mouth on you, putana.” His teeth grit together. I jerk my head from his fingers, nearly falling over in the process.
“What now, boss?” one guy asks.
“We wait. Lip will call soon.”
The guys stand around smoking, some talking in English, others in another language. I hear a familiar giggle, and my eyes shoot toward the crowd. Two guys shift on their feet and my eyes land on Dolly. That fucking traitor. She smiles and looks my way. Her grin quickly fades, and she purses her lips as she walks toward me.
“Well, well,” she taunts, sashaying.
“You’re a dead bitch,” I snarl.
She flips her hair over her shoulder and laughs.
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, honey. I don’t think you realize who you’re messing with.”
“You’re a fucking traitor, club-hopping like the whore you are.” I smirk, but she just smiles wider.
“You don’t get it, do you. I’ve been with the Sin City Outlaws this whole time, relaying info about Lip back to Zeek.” She tilts her head to the side and gives me a sympathetic smile. “I’d do anything for Zeek,” she mutters.
“I hope you like dying for him, ‘cause when I get a hold of you, I’m going to stuff your mouth with those fake-ass hair extensions,” I threaten. Her eyes furrow in with anger.
“Get!” Zeek snaps at Dolly as he walks up beside her. She turns, glaring at Zeek, and he grabs her face hard.
“Don’t mouth me; do what you’re told,” he scolds. She pulls her face from his grip and stomps off.
“You thirsty?” Zeek asks me.
“No,” I reply seriously.
He squats in front of me.
“Aw, don’t be like that. This,” he waves his finger between us, “it’s just business, nothing personal.”
My lip curls. “Gee, that makes everything better,” I respond, sarcasm lacing in my tone. He nods, a half-laugh escaping.
“I don’t get why we have to go through all this trouble, Pres,” a man with a big gut states, his hair curly and long.
“I told you, Uncle wants Lip in the family business, one way or another. This is the only way,” Zeek announces, looking at his shoes.
“Fucking family, they’re nothing but problems.” The guy shakes his head, walking away.
A phone suddenly rings, and Zeek jolts upward.
“You better hope that’s your Prince Charming. I’m getting tired of waiting,” he tells me.
Someone hands him a phone, and his eyes lift.
“Phillip, so nice of you to call,” he greets casually. I can literally hear Lip hollering into the phone.
“Brother, brother. She’s good, no harm. But that will change real quick-like if you and your club don’t want to be friends.” Zeek chuckles, the sound menacing. His face suddenly falls, and he rubs at his chin.
“Yeah, we’ll see you soon.” He hangs the phone up, and I swallow hard. Hope surfaces in my chest that I won’t die today, that Lip loves me enough to save me, and I’ll see Piper again.