Chapter 8
I snuck out of bed and stood there watching her. Something about the way she lay there, all curled up, looking small in my big ass bed has me wanting to never let her out of my sight again. However, I have to go and talk with Chris about this before someone else tells him.
I get my phone out and shoot a couple texts while I quietly get dressed. I make sure to leave a note on my pillow so she doesn’t worry, but this is something that can’t wait. If you want trust in this MC, you have to be honest with everything. All the time.
I walk out into the living room and slip my boots on and open the door to watch for T. I hear him cut his engine down the street before he pulls up in front of my house. I lock the door to the house before I walk down to meet him.
“Hey, brother. Thank you for doing this on such short notice,” I tell him.
“It’s alright, man. I got it. After all, I am into security,” he laughs.
“That you are, bud. Alright, I shouldn’t be gone long. Remember, she isn’t a prisoner in my home. If she wants to leave, let her. Just make sure there isn’t any danger following her.”
“Damn, already having someone watch her. Must be important.” His eyes are assessing, not judging.
“Got that right. Remember how your brother was a few months back?” I ask with a tilt to my brow.
“That bad, huh?” he chuckles.
“Yeah, brother. That bad,” I say as I look back to the house. “Protect her with your life, man.”
“You know I got this. Go. Deal with your shit so you can get back to her.” He nods to my bike.
I nod back and mount my girl. I will never get tired of this feeling. The excitement, the way my whole body just revels in the feeling of being on my motorcycle. All of the pent-up energy settles as my body focuses on the ride and road.
I start up my beauty and take off down the street heading back to our clubhouse. I shot a text to Chris letting him know I’ll be in and to block off a slot for me.
As I pull into the clubhouse, I see the same bike that was there yesterday. My blood starts to pump with the need to know what he’s doing here.
I park and jump off wasting no time going into the clubhouse.
As I walk in the member doors, I see his back walking out the guest doors. As much as I want to go after him, I can’t because I need to see what he’s doing here and to see if he told Chris anything.
“Stanton.” I hear Chris call my name. I look over to him standing in the door of his office.
“Coming, Prez,” I tell him and turn walking to his office.
He shuts the door behind me and walks to his chair behind the desk.
“So, what’s up?” he asks, giving me his attention.
“Who was the guy that just left?” I ask, trying to control my anger. Anger knowing the man had put his hands on Schuyler.
“Some guy looking for you.” He sits back and props his feet up on his desk while lighting up a cigarette.
I blow out a breath, unsure where to start. Do I start with Nathan? Or do I start with the fucking Strykers?
“I don’t know where to start with this. It’s a pretty fucked up situation I’m dealing with. Well, we’re dealing with.”
“We’re?” he asks, blowing out smoke.
“I met this girl,” I start and he chuckles.
“It always starts with a girl, doesn’t it?” he replies.
“That it does,” I chuckle back. “I met her a few months back. I started to eat at this little diner after my shifts to wind down. And she is the waitress on shift most days I stop in. At first I thought she was a just a poor girl who was trying to make a living. Innocent, black and white kinda living. No grey areas like us. So, yesterday I had a shit fucking day. My mom calls me begging for help with an issue she has. Of fucking course, right?” I huff a humorless laugh. “I don’t exactly tell her what’s going on, but tell her the short version. And for the first time in the five months I’ve been going there, I couldn’t just leave and go home like I do every other time.”
“Where you going with this?” he asks, not rushing me but genuinely interested.
“So, I ask her if she wants to go on a ride with me when she gets off work, but I had to go to my mom’s first. When I get there, she dumps one of her fucking ashtrays on me. Then when I go pick up Schuyler, we gotta come here first. I needed to change my fucking shirt. We pull up and come inside and when we are leaving, I feel her tense behind me. I don’t think nothing of it really, you know, maybe she’s never ridden before and is a little nervous.”
“Right,” he says, while putting his cigarette out.
“When we get back to my place, she’s white as a fucking ghost. So fucking scared, I had to nearly pick her ass up off the back of my bike.” I run my hand down my face knowing we are getting to the point of this.
“She don’t like motorcycle rides?” he asks, wanting more information.
“The guy that was just here. He was here yesterday too. When we left, he made eye contact with Schuyler.” My knee is bouncing as I try and keep calm.
“The way you’re bouncing that knee and trying to control your anger is confusing me here, Stanton. All because he made eye contact with the piece of ass you’re fucking with right now?” Before he even finishes his sentence, I’m up and out of my chair halfway across his desk.
“Don’t ever fucking call her that again. She is much more than that. The only reason I haven’t punched you is because one, you’re my president. And two, because you’re a fucking friend. But consider this your only warning, Chris,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
He leans back and raises his arms in surrender. “Point made, Stanton. Now chill the fuck out. Okay, it’s serious. However, I’m still fucking clueless. Sit the fuck back and keep talking.” His deep voice rolls off my skin.
After I sit back down, I blow out another breath.
“Okay. So, he made eye contact with her. She knows him.” I get up and pull out a USB drive from my pocket and place it on his desk.
“What’s this?” Chris asks as he picks up the drive.
“Her case file. The guy that keeps coming here is the guy her father wants her to marry. She has her own reasons for saying no, and I won’t tell you them. I’ll leave it up to her. But once you find out who her father is, I’m pretty sure you’ll figure it out. I’m only showing you this file because I want you to know she has nothing to do with him anymore. I’m asking you as your second to believe me, us, on this. I’m also asking as your friend to trust me on this as well. We both know trust is hard to come by unless you earn it. If she is lying, I’ll take the fall for it.”
“Fuck, Stanton.” He rolls his eyes to the ceiling. “Do I even want to ask who the fuck her father is?” He looks back at me.
“No, Prez, you don’t. But you need to. Because since that guy is coming around here, I know it’s going to get back to him and trouble will follow,” I say honestly.
“Who is she?” he asks after a second.
“Schuyler Gulier,” I reply.
“Okay,” he drawls out.
“Her father’s name is Dalton… Stryker.” I add quickly.
Chris flies out of his chair and spins to me. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he asks as he’s holding his hands out. “Not only do you go find an ol’ lady who is going to stir up a bit of trouble, but you go find one who is the daughter of the motherfucking president of the Strykers. That guy who came in here yesterday, that’s not his second. His VP is Derrek.” His face is so blank right now, trying to figure out what is happening. He’s lost it, I’m sure.
“Derrek was their VP until a year ago, when he was shot in the back of the head in a drive-by. Nate took over and apparently we missed the memo.” I blow out a breath of frustration.
I look up when I hear him start to laugh. Not just a chuckle, but full stomach-doubled-over laughing so much it hurts.
“Uhh… Prez?” I ask with a lift to my brow.
He holds his hand and waves it all around.
“Oh God!” he breathes as he walks over to his desk. He grabs the USB drive and inserts it into his computer while still laughing a little and wiping his eyes. He turns his attention to the computer screen and the smile on his face falls once the documents load. “Holy fuck,” he breathes.
“Yeah,” I say soberly. “This is the hit her father ordered on her’ his own fucking daughter,” I growl out.
My phone vibrates in my pocket and when I pull it out, an instant smile stretches my face when I see it’s from Schuyler.
Schuy: Hey Vice, I drove your truck to the clubhouse. I just wanted to hang out until you were done. One of the Angel members was outside of the house and gave me directions on how to get here. I’m in the lobby. Xx.
Me: Okay baby, I’ll text T to come get you so you don’t have to sit out there. T was the guy who you saw outside. I’ll be done with this meeting in a of couple minutes. Xxx
I shoot T a text telling him the same thing, and that’s when I noticed him already texting me that she was coming here.
“I don’t know what to say about this, Stanton,” Chris says, still looking at the case file. “It makes my blood boil to see this shit. But I will grant you the borrowed trust. She’s on you, but personally, my gut already believes this girl. The Angels have your back from here out on this. We will need to call a meeting and bring them up to speed though.”
“I agree. Thanks, brother. She’s out there now. Do you want to meet her?” I ask.
A smile spreads on his face and he nods. “Yeah, I want to meet the girl who nearly had you punching me in the face.” He chuckles.
“I wish I could say sorry, but she’s mine, Prez.” I shrug.
“Well then, you know what you need to do because all the fucks out there are going to be thinking she is just another curb monkey.”
That thought alone has my blood boiling. “Yeah, I’ll get it today.” I nod to him as I open the door.
He puts a hand on my shoulder before we walk all the way out. “Also, brother, we need to make her official, too.”
“Whenever you’re ready for that, so are we,” I say as I start walking.
He follows me out and when I round the corner, I see the most gorgeous woman perched up on a stool at the bar with T standing a few feet away with his arms crossed watching her. However, what has my hackles raised is the two other members on each side of her crowding her.
“You know, it is customary to pay for motorcycle rides with oral sex, sweet thing,” One, soon to be dead, member says.
“Well, it sure is a good thing I have my own motorcycle then, huh? Because between you and me, I don’t want to choke on any small parts in the near future.” She smiles the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen.
Chris hits me in the chest when he notices my facial expression and barks out a laugh.
“Ha! You should see your face right now!” he laughs while pointing at me.
“Come on, Vice, tell the pretty lady I’m the shit around here.” He smugly smiles.
T is covering his laughter with his hand and shaking his head. I’m glad someone finds this humorous.
“Nahhh, Eric, I don’t think I can,” I tell him right before I spin Schuyler’s stool that she’s perched on to face me. Her eyes meet mine and as soon as that tongue sweeps out to lick her bottom lip, I grab her by the chin and crush my lips to hers.
She opens right away, giving zero shits that we are in a room full of people watching us. Her tongue slides across mine like silk, and she gives as much as she demands from me.
I end the kiss and rest my forehead to hers and she smiles. I’ll never get used to the way she makes me want to strip her bare and have my way with her just from her kiss alone.
“Hey there, sweetheart.”
“Hey, Vice,” she whispers.
“Well, holy shit. I think I understand why you’re willing to go to war now,” Chris snickers.
“What does he mean?” Schuyler asks.
“Nothing we need to talk about right now, baby.” I tell her as I stand up and look at Eric, who is standing there with a dumb look on his face.
“Eric, I won’t kill you this time, since you were unaware, but let me make my point now,” I boom out. Everyone on the first floor stops what they are doing and looks at me. “Schuyler,” I put my arm around her, “is my ol’ lady, and if I hear any of you try to fuck with her or make her uncomfortable, I can assure you, you will wish you never stepped foot in this MC. Clear?”
One by one, each person nods their head and says clear. Making eye contact with me first and then her.
“As president of this MC, I hereby declare you are under our protection. If anyone tries to bring harm upon you, they are bringing it upon us.” Chris pauses, and looks around to the brotherhood, making eye contact with them all. “The Fallen Angels now declare you as an Angel.” He stands in front of her. I forgot about this part. Her eyes go from him to me, questioning. I smile at her knowing what is coming, and a little unsure how she will take it. Will she accept it or will she fight it?