Chapter 9
Avery
I don’t know what the hell’s going on around here, but something’s obviously up. These guys are prowling around like they’re going on a top-secret mission. I wish I could find out what it was. It’s not like I can snoop around or anything. There’re members or family in every room.
As soon as Niko gets here, I’m going to ask. I can usually break through his wall and get him to let me know stuff he wouldn’t normally tell anyone else. I’ve become sort of his American sister. I don’t say that out loud, though, considering what happened to his real sisters in Russia. I can’t think of that stuff right now though. I have to keep trying to eavesdrop.
I find London planted on the sofa holding Jamison while he naps and join her. Kid ran around like crazy and as soon as he sat on her lap to relax, he conked out. Like literally ten seconds and he was fast asleep with his little mouth hanging open. London swears Cain sleeps the same way, but if Cain’s not naked then I don’t really care. I’ve told her that in the past, and she thinks it’s hilarious.
Little guy pretty much runs the club when he’s here too. Every member pays attention and plays around with him. It’s adorable seeing a bunch of big, burly bikers chasing around a miniature Cain and feeding him a grip of junk food. I bet Jamison loves coming here. I wouldn’t be surprised if that kid heads up the club one day.
“Hey, chickadee.” She beams a, bright smile.
“Hi, lady,” I sit next to her.
My leg still hurts badly so I’ve been sitting a lot and trying not to walk around much. I know I’m a weenie, but I’m not admitting to anyone that it hurts. “So, it’s driving me crazy, but do you know what’s really going on?” I try my hand at gossiping. London’s like Fort Knox, though. These Oath Keepers have no clue just how loyal she is to them.
“No, Cain told me we needed to be here and stay inside. I trust him though. I know he’s protecting us.”
“Yeah, it just drives me crazy that 2 won’t tell me. I mean, I’m new to this so some details would be nice.”
“Well, if you really like 2 Piece then get used to it. That’s club business and this is club life. They don’t share anything with anyone. Maybe a little more than nothing if you’re an ol’ lady.”
“Ha, yeah right, I won’t be anyone’s ol’ lady or wife anytime soon. So, does that mean Cain tells you more?”
She shrugs. “No, he doesn’t, and I don’t ask either. I’m telling you, Avery, if you plan to stick around; you have to fight through that need to know everything. You’re an inquisitive person, but they’re protective men—each one of them. They’ll only do what needs to be done.”
“How can you be so okay with everything and the not knowing part?”
“I’m fine with it because I love Cain and have accepted his way of life as my own.”
“Ugh, I’ll try to not be so nosey. It may drive me nuts, but I’ll try because I care for 2. I also don’t want to be known as a busybody or a nagger. He already joked about me acting like a ‘wifey’. I thought I’d pass out with that word, but surprisingly it didn’t affect me like I thought it would.”
“I’m surprised; you know 2 Piece doesn’t usually hang with the same chick like he’s done with you.” Jamison stirs in her arms and she rocks him slightly. He goes back to his cute baby snores after a few minutes.
“Well, we haven’t hung together or anything. I mean, just when I visit,” I admit quietly.
“That’s what I’m talking about. He doesn’t see chicks over and over. Just you, so that means you’re special to him.”
“I don’t know about all of that,” I scoff, waving her off.
“It’s true. You may not see it, but we do,” she acknowledges, and I smile.
Does he really feel strongly for me? I hope so, but I’m scared he doesn’t. I don’t want to be that attached anyhow. I love my freedom. I wonder how it’d be, since he’s different than the other guys I’ve dated. I wonder if he’d stay thoughtful and spontaneous or even be faithful. Who knows?
We watch TV for about thirty minutes then Cain and 2 Piece come walking over with serious expressions. 2 might be dressed like he’s going to rob someone, but he still looks completely smoking hot. His chest and arms are well defined in his plain T-shirt and his black jeans hug his ass nicely. His tattoos snake out from all directions and it’s a pleasant reminder of what I got to see in the shower earlier today.
Cain bends down to talk softly to London and embraces her lovingly.
“Hey, Shorty, you good?” He pulls me up from the couch, helping me stand in front of him.
I give him a small smirk and nod. “Yes, I’m fine. Are you okay? Is everything all right? You look so serious.”
“Everything’s straight, Avery. I told you, don’t worry. You’re so curious all the damn time.”
“I know and I don’t mean to be, it’s just my nature. I can’t help it if I want everything to be kosher and you to be happy.”
“I know, free bird, don’t sweat it. I’ll be back soon, you be a good girl, yeah?”
“I will.”
“Promise me.”
“I do.”
“Good,” he mutters against my lips, and I melt a little inside.
This man is so delectable; I just want to eat him up. He places his hands on each side of my face and lavishes kisses on me. The guys all start teasing in the background, but I ignore it. It’s in this kiss that I feel it for the first time.
It’s as if he’s pouring his whole heart into this kiss and it’s a truly serene feeling. I run my hands under his shirt over his firm muscles, until I rest them on his chest and kiss him back with the same passion. If he’s going to show me his soul, then I’ll show him pieces of mine in return. I’m falling and I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing.
Eventually he pulls back pausing with his face close to mine, our noses touch and we exchange breaths. He lazily opens his eyes, peering straight into mine with wonder. There’s so much we need to say, but hold back.
Our spell’s broken when Ares calls to him. “Hey, 2, time to roll out, brother. Pack it into Loretta.”
“Cool,” 2 Piece replies and turns back to me. There’re unspoken words screaming at me from his eyes, and I know this isn’t over. Hopefully it’s merely the beginning, if that kiss is any indication.
Licking my lips, I give a nod, never breaking eye contact.
He blinks and I see it register that I’m on the same page as he is. “I’ll see you soon, free bird.” He gives me a chaste kiss then turns and walks toward Ares and the other brothers.
That was surreal. I’m still processing everything that just happened in that brief kiss we shared.
And why the hell are they taking Cain’s car, Loretta? They’re bikers. What do they need with a car?
2 Piece
“You already got everything loaded up?” I ask Ares and Cain as I sit in the back seat.
Loretta rumbles loudly as Cain starts her up and gives her gas. Car is a fuckin’ beast. I don’t even think you can classify this thing as a car anymore. It’s just awesome.
Ares’s riding in the passenger side and Cain’s driving. Twist and I are sitting in the back and the other guys are following us in the van.
“Yeah, brother, we have all the stuff ready. We just have to get close enough to their club to execute the plan,” Ares hollers over Cain’s music. Cain’s blasting Korn through his badass sound system.
“If we’re worried about getting close, why in the fuck are we bringing Loretta? This bitch is loud as fuck. You can hear her from down the street and that’s not even when Cain stomps on it.”
“The other van took a shit earlier,” Twist supplies.
“Well that blows. Hope we can fit all those serpent fucks in one van. We should’ve brought my truck.”
Cain calls over his shoulder. “Nah, brother, we can fit like four of them in my trunk if needed; don’t worry about it.”
Well fuck it, if they’ve worked it out, I’m going to sit back and relax before shit gets real.
Twist turns to me and sneers. “I can’t wait to put the gas in their air vents. Those Snakes won’t ever see it coming. Stupid bitches.” He snickers and I grin at his excitement.
Truth is, I can’t wait until we do it either.
We’ve got to get close enough to their club so we can run the toxic gas straight through their air duct. None of them will see it coming until it’s too late. It’ll be when they’re all passed out and sitting ducks too, so even more perfect.
“Have any of you tried this before? Prez said he pulled it off with no issues but have y’all actually done it?” I glance at everyone in the car.
It’s silent except for the radio blaring. Cain chews on his bottom lip, Twist stares out his window, and Ares taps his fingers in rhythm to the music.
“Fuck, seriously? I hope this shit pops off without any issues. I won’t be getting shot on this little outing. I already know from first-hand experience those assholes will shoot first,” I grimace, a touch nervous now.
“Relax, 2. Everything will work out accordingly and we’ll have us a hog fest, the way we plan to.” Ares attempts to reassure me. “I wouldn’t let them get to you anyhow.” He admits a moment later, much quieter.
Not sure how reassuring that is, I mean, so he believes in the plan. That’s good, but that doesn’t mean I do. I had way too much shit in life go wrong, for me to suddenly start having faith in random shit. I don’t fucking think so. I’m one of those fools with not only a Plan A or Plan B, but I have a Plan C in the works as well. Tonight, though, if this goes south, my ass is straight up shooting these clowns.
We drive for about two hours before we pull up close to their clubhouse. They’re not as secluded as our club, but there are still plenty of trees for us to hide behind. Cain parks his Challenger behind a cluster of bushes so it won’t be seen easily.
We climb out as the van pulls in behind us. Cain pops the trunk and it’s half full of random supplies. I check my weapons to make sure they’re loaded and ready to go. Ares hands me a backpack to carry, full of blindfolds and zip ties.
I put it on and pace restlessly.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Spin declares and pulls his hoodie over his head.
He’s good at putting machines and various things together, so he’s going to be the one to hook everything up. We creep to the side of a building next to the club. It appears as if it might be an old abandoned garage. Surprisingly there’s no one around outside, but it sounds like they have a huge party going on inside.
We watch as Nightmare cuts through the metal fence, bends it back and follows Spin through the gaping hole. No missing that cut job, it’s like five feet tall and two feet wide. The only thing we seem to be lacking is a large yellow flag to put next to it. My heart is beating so fast, watching them creep through the Snakes’ compound yard.
Shit, I hope there aren’t any dogs or anything.
A sudden “Hey,” gets yelled out and then there’s silence again, besides the music pounding through their walls. This is ideal. Spin has to drill a small portion on the roof to get to the AC. All the noise from the music will provide adequate cover for the guys to do their job.
“Crazy fuckers, I hope this works,” Cain whispers and Ares shoots him an irritated glance.
Ares’ phone vibrates after a few minutes and he checks the message. A look of relief sweeps his features and he glances at us. “Hole’s drilled in the roof, they were in the wrong spot so they had to drill a second hole. They got to the AC air duct line and are about to attach the tube inside it and turn on the gas. Spin said to watch for anyone coming outside feeling’ funny and shit.”
I stare at the building, waiting for anything at all to happen. Twist lets out a joyous snicker, excited. It sounds creepy as fuck. I’m counting my blessings I’m not his enemy.
“Night is going to text when the gas tanks are completely empty. We’ll meet them in front and out back of the club. Just like we’d discussed, we’ll split up into teams. We bust in the doors and collect our dues.”
I breathe deeply. Shit’s about to get real. There’s a crunching sound behind us and we all turn as one to investigate. I have my hand on one of my pieces ready just in case.
“What? I get nervous and have to piss,” Cain says with his hands up in a position of surrender. Then he whips his cock out and starts pissing out in the open.
Twist plucks at his shirt and you can see his chest heave with deep breaths. Guess I’m not the only one feeling antsy.
“Hurry up for fuck’s sake,” Ares growls, and I grin at Cain.
He returns it and flips me off. Dumb ass. It’d be funny to see Ares drop kick the shit out of him though.
Ares’ phone vibrates again and he quickly checks it. “All right, brothers, it’s time. Cain, put your cock away. Twist, calm the fuck down, and 2, quit your goddamn pacing. You fucks are getting me wound up and we have to be focused to execute this perfectly.”
“I’m calm,” Twist mumbles. Cain gets back to the group and gives Ares a big smile just to fuck with him.
“You all go to the front. I’m meeting Spin and Nightmare out back. We’ll meet you guys in the middle. Exterminator, back the van up as close as possible to the front door.”
“Yep.” Ex nods and heads for the van.
Ares turns to us, serious now. “If the gas doesn’t work, kill them all.”
I nod and pull both of my Glocks out to be ready. Twist unsnaps his blade holder so he can easily whip his knife out if needed; Cain grabs his Glock as well. Cain heads for the front door with us following quietly. Ex passes us in the van driving slowly with the lights off.
The Snakes should be fucked up from all the toxic fumes, but it’s best to still be careful just in case. As we make our way to the front door the only sounds are from the music inside, no voices of any kind. I check in one of the windows, but can’t see anything. It’s probably covered with black paint. I feel like we’re about to walk into a den full of vampires or some crazy shit like that.
“Bro, I feel like we’re on the set of a horror movie,” Cain whispers, reading my mind.
“No shit, man, it’s creepy. Just remember these fuckers will shoot you; it ain’t a fucking movie.”
“You pussies, man up,” Twist sneers, and I scowl at him.
“You call me pussy like it’s a bad thing. I fuck ‘em, eat ‘em, and enjoy looking at ‘em. Ain’t a fucking thing wrong with pussy, brother,” I snarl back at him, and Cain steps between us.
“Seriously, you guys are going to do this shit now? Save it for later. Y’all are going to get us killed.”
I roll my eyes, brushing it off and head for the door. I’m sick of fucking around already. I have no patience for Twist’s moody ass.
The front door flies open and we jump back about a foot. We each have our Glocks pointed in front of us, ready to shoot whoever poses a threat. Nightmare pokes his head out and grins menacingly at us. Dude’s scary as fuck with his long dark hair and dark eyes.
Cain grabs his chest dramatically. “Fuckin’ A, brother, you about gave me a goddamn heart attack and shit!” he inhales a few deep breaths.
Exterminator walks past us with an eyebrow raised. He’s probably bored with Nightmare by now since they’re always around each other.
Twist swaggers past us and shoulder checks me. “Come on, bitches,” he says snarkily.
That’s it. I’m so tired of this little motherfucker and his mouth. He may be crazy, but I’m no fucking punk. I smash back into him and shoulder check him hard enough he bumps into the doorway.
“The fuck?” he yells and slams his hands against my chest.
Motherfucker wants to do this, we’ll fucking do it. I’m already on edge looking forward to fucking up this Joker character.
Cain jumps in front of me quickly. “Calm down, brother. Not here, it’s the wrong time to do this. Chill, man,” he holds my shoulders.
No getting past this asshole; he’s strong as fuck always training to fight. “I’m sick of his motherfucking comments. He wants to see a bitch; I’ll make him my fucking bitch.” I promise.
Twist sticks his tongue out and licks up his arm sickly. “Bitch, huh? You’ve never done any fucking time. What do you know about making a bitch? I can teach you, I’ll train you just like I did my last bitch. Bitch…” Twist cackles and it’s like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.
Nightmare snatches Twist around the arm and drags him into the clubhouse before I can say anything. The stupid fucker; I’ll get his ass later. I thought Capone was a fucking pansy ass, but clearly it’s Twist.
Cain shakes his head sternly. “Dude, calm down, Twist will go fucking manic.”
“I don’t give a shit if you’re all buddies with his ass because of London. I won’t let him disrespect me.”
“I know, 2, trust. I don’t blame you, not here though. We’re on a mission and could get ourselves killed because you two are acting like dipshits.”
I nod. Yeah, yeah, I get it. This isn’t over though.
“How about you go sit in the van and drive that. We’ll get these dicks loaded, and then you can take some anger out on them at the ranch. Ex was supposed to stay out here, but he took it upon himself to go inside instead,” Cain suggests rationally.
“All right, guess I’ll cool off and get my head on straight.” I agree, not wanting to get anyone killed by me being stubborn. I’ll save it for the bastard Snakes.
It’s times like this; I wouldn’t mind having a smoke.
Avery
I wonder what they’re doing and why I couldn’t go with them. They’re up to something and Niko’s ass never showed up either. I hope 2’s okay and safe.
“Hey, girl, would you be a doll and get me a Dr. Pepper from the bar?” London asks sweetly.
“Yeah, of course. Can I go back there or do I ask one of the guys?”
“No, you can go back there and get whatever you want. If there’s a bartender then ask, otherwise help yourself.”
I nod and go behind the bar. I’m filling up London’s soda and my Sprite, when Capone comes sauntering over.
“Hey, suga’. Whatcha’ doing?”
“Hi. I’m not your ‘sugar’, I’m Avery and I’m seeing 2 Piece. As for what I’m doing-I’m getting London a drink. Would you like me to get you something while I’m back here?” I try to be polite, but I’m not some saucy ass he can call pet names.
He scrunches his nose, “I thought you were club ass. I heard Ares talking to 2 Piece about you. So, you’ll fuck them both, but not me?”
“Seriously? You really just asked if I would fuck you? No way, I won’t sleep with random men. And to set the record straight, I did not fuck Ares.” I’m flustered and that irritates me even more, letting this ass get me wound up.
“You couldn’t handle my shit anyhow. 2 Piece likes to fuck a lot, so don’t get too comfortable,” he utters rudely as Prez walks up behind him.
He shoots Capone an irritated look. “‘Pone, go chill with Smiles and leave 2’s bitch alone,” he barks out, and Capone walks off without a word. “Sorry about that, doll. He’s a little jealous of 2, I think.”
I give him a friendly smile. “It’s okay. Would you like me to get you something?”
“Yep, that’d be good. How about a Corona and some water.” He takes a seat at the bar and I go to work finding what he wants. “Nice having a makeshift bartender here. Usually I have to see one of these guy’s ugly mugs serving me.” He smirks.
“Well enjoy your drink; I have to drop this off with London. Poor thing’s stuck under a heavy, sleeping baby.”
He nods. “Real fast, ignore Capone, he’s an ass. I wanted to let you know that I’m glad you came for a visit. 2’s been lonely a lot, he’s had a rough life growing up. Most probably don’t see it, but I notice more shit. Anyhow, he’s happy around you.” He finishes and takes a pull from the beer.
I beam at his words, “Thank you, that means a lot.” He returns my smile and I take the drinks to go sit back by London. She was watching the whole thing and it doesn’t surprise me when she instantly starts peppering questions.
“So, what was that about? Why did Capone look pissed and why were you smiling at Prez all goofy.”
I recount what happened and she shakes her head, rolling her eyes. “Capone’s a douche. I’m surprised Cain hasn’t throttled his ass yet. Listen to Prez, he’s a smart guy.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured. I’m just glad that someone notices I make 2 happy. He makes me very happy. I’m scared how I’m starting to feel for him, you know?”
“I get it girl; Cain swept me straight off my feet,” she murmurs wistfully.
“It’s hitting me now. I think about him nonstop when I’m not around to be honest. I feel like he’s becoming more of an obsession each time I visit. I don’t want to get my heart broken though. I guess the only reason I’m not too scared to get serious with him, is I know he likes his freedom as much as I do. We both love to just take off and not be tied down or anything. Not to mention, he’s also a little wild which fits me perfectly. We all know I love to party when I’m in the mood.”
She starts nodding and laughing. “Yes, I specifically remember the first night I met you. We got bum-ass drunk and you puked the next morning,” she recounts through her giggles.
I laugh loudly thinking about us all waking up naked and Emily freaking out. “That was such a blast. But God, I thought I was going to die.”
“Ugh, me too. Emily definitely needed some fun before dealing with all that craziness with her ex.” I get quiet and look away. “You know he’ll be fine. The guys will make sure he’s safe.”
“I know, but I can’t shake this feeling I have for some reason, and then we bring up that situation with Emily.” I hold my stomach and swallow a few times, trying to make it go away. I glance around the room at everyone and watch Capone as he steps out of the club and the door slams closed.
Good, I at least won’t have to deal with him for a while.