Chapter 6
“I’m sorry, you what?”
Rayna’s eyes were wide as pies as she eyed Laney, her blue gaze intense.
Laney rubbed a hand over the curve of her face, her lashes fluttering closed.
“I let the man spank me like a dirty, wanton, slut!”
Rayna started to laugh so hard she almost slipped out of her chair, her long blonde hair falling into her pretty face.
“You let Axel, Axel, of all people spank that ass? Jesus, girl! You’re a little kinky, ain’t ya?”
Laney groaned and Rayna laughed again. She glanced around the clubhouse, fully aware of the fact that there were men scattered all over the place, any of whom could hear them at any time.
They were having a lot party, and after Laney and Esme had made up, all the ladies decided to enjoy their evening by getting absolutely wasted with each other at the bar.
Esme started to laugh too, and soon Scarlett and Emily were following suit.
“Stopppp! I know how it sounds, but I really can’t stand the man. He thinks he knows everything, and I absolutely hate him!,” Laney said with a laugh.
Rayna snorted and glanced at her ol’ man who was hanging with Axel and Ox across the lot, all of whom were laughing with a drink in their hands.
“Yeah, at one point Fury and I didn’t get along either, so that won’t stick for long, baby.”
“Don’t you fuckin’ jinx me,” Laney gigged.
Her and Rayna were drinking tequila while the other ladies were drinking whiskey, a choice Laney was completely happy with.
“So, what now? Ya’ll haven’t discussed the spanking incident since?,” Scarlett asked.
Laney slowly shook her head, her eyes finding Axel once more.
“Nope.”
“Me thinks that shit is awkward as fuck,” Emily chirped.
Rayna started laughing again, nodding her head yes.
“What am I supposed to do? Say, ‘Thanks sir, may I have another?’”
All the girls laughed at the same time, Emily almost falling off her bar stool.
Rayna eyed Laney, watched the way her gaze strayed to the giant across the lot, studied the expression on her pretty face. With dark hair and light eyes, she was a veritable goddess, no wonder Axel couldn’t keep his hands to himself, except…
“Axel doesn’t take to women very easily, ya know.”
Laney stilled, her drink held halfway to her mouth.
“I don’t want a man.”
“None of us did, sweetheart,” Esme said.
“What I meant to say, is that Axel doesn’t even entertain the tagalongs,” Rayna clarified.
Laney put her glass to her mouth and swallowed the rest of its contents in one go, her eyes closing momentarily.
“Don’t tell me things like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because, I don’t want to hear about he keeps his hands to himself. I don’t want hear about how he doesn’t ‘entertain,’ other women. I don’t need to know.”
“Women would kill for a man like him.”
“I’m not one of those women, Rayna.”
Rayna’s eyes narrowed in on Laney, her mouth lifting slightly as her lips parted.
“You’re scared.”
Laney didn’t say anything for a minute, her hair falling into her face before she swept it aside and tucked it behind her ear.
“Of?”
“Axel. Of finding a man you didn’t even know you were looking for.”
Laney laughed then, a sad sound, a morbid sound that had Rayna’s skin crawling.
“How can I be afraid of one man when they’re all the same?”
Rayna felt a deep sadness well up in her belly, a throbbing ache at the truth of what Laney said.
“I used to think that, too. I did. I was wrong, though.”
Laney shook her head, her shoulders tense.
“I don’t want a man, Rayna. I don’t need one. And, Axel? He don’t need me, either.”
Scarlett cleared her throat before she gestured lightly towards the group of men they’d been eyeing all night.
“I wouldn’t speak for Axel if I were you, girl. He’s been watching you for the last ten minutes.”
Rayna nodded her head slowly.
Laney seemed to relax for the barest of seconds before her spine snapped straight and she sighed heavily.
“Who needs a refill?”
✽✽✽
Drunk.
How the fuck did I get so drunk?
Laney wobbled towards the back of the lot, ready to see the end of the fight that was happening. Axel was apparently in the cage with Fury, the number one reason that she and Rayna were headed that way. Rayna was just as drunk as she was, but she had a better grasp of the lot than Laney did. Laney had no idea where she was.
“You good?,” Rayna slurred.
Laney barely nodded ‘yes’ before they both tripped over each other. All the other old ladies had gone home early with their men, but Rayna and Fury had a babysitter for the first time in weeks for the night, so Rayna had demanded that Laney be her partner in crime for the evening.
Laney had no objections.
“Look, there’s my mannnn,” Rayna practically purred.
Laney giggled, for literally no reason at all, as she wrapped her arm around Rayna’s and followed her closer to the cage. There were still a lot of people milling about, many of whom were female, but Laney didn’t let them get in her way.
She wanted to see the man she’d been avoiding fight in the cage.
“Fury’s gonna win,” Laney said.
Rayna’s gaze snapped to hers.
“What makes you say that?”
Laney placed a hand over her chest and rubbed.
“Nothing, just somethin’ Rider used to tell me a lot.”
Rayna’s questioning gaze softened and she hugged her closer, her grip as hard as steel.
“Yeah, I miss that man a lot.”
“Me too,” Laney breathed.
A resounding cheer from the crowd caught their attention and suddenly Laney’s gaze fell on Axel as he stood over Fury, one hand extended.
Rayna’s mouth fell open.
Laney blinked in confusion.
“No. Fuckin’. Shit!”
Rayna looked at Laney and started to laugh.
“He just won…Axel just won! Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waitin’ for that?! And, then you show up, and all of a sudden boom! Fury’s down for the count!”
Laney didn’t exactly know about any of that specifically, but if Rayna was that excited, it had to be a big deal.
Rayna let go of Laney long enough to greet her ol’ man, almost knocking Laney over. She grappled with the empty air for a moment before she fell backwards, crashing into someone behind her. Bare skin and a hard expanse of chest met her palms as she looked up into Axel’s face.
“You’re fuckin’ tanked,” He muttered.
“I am,” She said as she smacked against his chest.
His bloody mouth slowly lifted into a smile that had her confused for longer than a second.
“Why the hell are you smilin’ like that at me?,” Laney demanded.
Axel chuckled under his breath as he shook his head, his long hair falling into his eyes, sticking to his slick mouth.
“Because I like the way you look right now, woman. Damn, do you gotta give me a hard time about everything?”
“Yes,” She said defensively.
Axel rolled his eyes heavenward and nodded towards the clubhouse.
“Get on inside so I can clean up. We’ll head out after that.”
Laney looked around the lot, noting the fact that her ride, Rayna, was nowhere to be seen.
“How am I supposed to get home?”
Axel’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at something behind her, and one look told Laney it was his bike.
“I guess you’ll have to ride bitch on the back of my bike.”
Laney scoffed.
“I’m no one’s bitch.”
“You could always walk, but I bet you’ll like the feel of wrapping those sexy legs around me.”
Axel’s voice had gone all husky and warm and for some reason Laney liked it more than she figured she should.
Especially because she didn’t like him.
At all…
“No.”
Axel grinned, his eyes alight with humor and happiness as he pointed to the clubhouse again.
“Go, I’ll be ready to leave in a few minutes.”
Laney sighed and turned towards the clubhouse, mumbling under her breath the whole way there. She really didn’t want to listen to him, but under the circumstances, she didn’t have a way back to her tiny little room on the Lone Ranger’s lot.
As she stepped inside she noticed that more than one member of either club was sprawled out, some still drinking, some with a woman on their lap. Anyone she knew personally was already gone, and the hour was late, so she supposed that was to be expected.
“I’m gonna head to the bathroom and wash off my face. Stay out here and wait for me, I shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.”
Laney nodded and took a seat at the deserted bar, her hand propped under her chin. She was tired as all hell and all that whiskey she’d imbibed was bubbling in her belly. As she closed her eyes to get the room to stop spinning, she felt the warmth of a body behind her.
“Fancy seein’ you here, all alone.”
Laney opened her eyes to see Pierce watching her, his blue eyes trained on her face.
“I’m just waiting for Axel,” She murmured.
Pierce’s upper lip lifted slightly, or maybe she was just imagining it.
“Figures. You like our president, Laney?”
The question had her spine stiffening, because the implication of what he was saying and how he was saying it couldn’t be more wrong.
“I’m not lookin’ for a powerful patch, thank you.”
Pierce did smile at her then, but it looked more like a snarl than anything else.
“Really? Could have picked anyone else to fuck on the side, Laney. A piece like you ain’t bad on the eyes, and that tight little body would suit any one of us just fine.”
Laney’s eyes snapped all the way open at that as she eased herself farther away from the offensive giant.
“My ‘tight little body,’ suits whomever I fuckin’ please, and that sure as shit ain’t none of your business.”
Pierce started to laugh, one hand outstretched towards her.
“Don’t be like that, sweetheart. It was a compliment.”
Laney smacked his hand away.
“I don’t want any of your compliments, Pierce. Leave me alone.”
Pierce grunted under his breath as he closed his open hand around her thigh, squeezing so hard it made her gasp.
“Listen here, you little bitch! You’re playin’ in my territory, and a man like me always gets what he wants. If I want you, I’ll have you, and Axel will gladly give you to me.”
Laney hissed as under her breath as he tightened his grip on her momentarily.
“A man like you, more specifically, you, will never have me!,” Laney snapped.
She wrapped her fingers around him and pried his hand away from her thigh. She wouldn’t admit she was terrified of Pierce, not to him at least.
“Pierce!”
Both heads turned as Axel stepped forward into the light.
“Get on your bike and go back to the clubhouse. We’ll discuss this tomorrow. Laney, come here.”
Pierce didn’t say a word, but Laney could tell he wanted to. She could tell he wanted to argue until he got his way, or her, but instead he turned and left her and Axel alone.
“Are you okay?”
Laney dipped her head.
No.
I’m fucking terrified of that monster.
Laney wouldn’t bother telling Axel she knew the difference between a good man and a monster because it didn’t really matter.
“Don’t lie. He rattled you.”
Laney focused on his bruised face, his spilt eyebrow, the way his dark eyes seemed to see everything she wanted to hide.
“I don’t want him to have me.”
Axel wrapped a stray strand of curly hair around his finger and tugged. He tucked it behind her ear and caressed her chin gently.
“Pierce is the last person on earth who will ever touch you. I promise.”
Laney swallowed her fears, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, baby. I’ll handle him in the morning.”
Laney didn’t ask what that meant and she didn’t really care.
“Don’t make that face, Laney. Look at me.”
Laney did as he said and looked up at him, still scared, still shaken.
“I won’t let anyone else hurt you. I swear it.”
With a shaky breath, she asked, “Just you?”