Mark stood in front of it, cut on, holding his own bag. “Where we going, Goof?”
“Home.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rock
I woke with a start, stomach protesting all the alcohol I’d poured in it. I focused on calm thoughts, but my stomach would have none of it. I rushed to the bathroom and threw up twice. Rinsing out my mouth, I stared into the mirror, I looked like shit. Why had I gotten so fucking drunk again? Oh yeah, that fucker Jericho. I stumbled back to my bed—no Avery. I squinted at the alarm clock—9 p.m. She should be with me.
My phone rang and my head screamed with pain. I ambled over to where I’d set it on the night stand. My name was on a note by the bed. Dread fill me and I didn’t know why. I chewed the pills on the night stand, and slid the answer button.
“Fuck, glad I finally got you,” Mark said by way of greeting. I drank the water and sat on the bed, I had a feeling what he said next would knock me on my ass. “Avery’s with me at a hotel in town, I convinced her to stay tonight but she wants to go to Barden tomorrow.”
“What the fuck?”
“Didn’t you read her note?” I picked up the paper and read. She’d left me. My body went numb, my brain refused to believe the words written on the page.
“What the fuck?” I repeated as the fogginess from the booze cleared with the works.
“Everyone’s drunk or gone, and Ren strolls out, tells me to go, but I used Dare’s command to stay with Avery.”
Fuck, we’d left them both exposed. What a protector I am.
“He proceeds to tell us about the bylaws that say you will own Black Label, through you the Brotherhood owns it.” Mark gulped in air. “Avery freaked the fuck out and was on the run, I went with her, but man, she’s fucked up. I got her to drink, she’s passed out—three shots and gone. But tomorrow she plans to go home, she says she’s done with you. Done with the club.”
“Fuck,” I bellowed and the walls shook, no doubt everyone in the house heard. I dropped to my knees, I’d lost my soul, my almita.
“Go get that shit fixed, get here before she wakes up in the morning, fix it fast or you’ll lose her,” Mark warned.
“Haven’t I already?”
“I don’t think so, she was drunk and sobby but she kept saying it had to be a mistake, you loved her. But in the morning she’ll be hungover and pissed. Once she makes her mind up it takes a minor miracle to change it.”
“Oh it’ll change or I’ll tear this club apart.” I hung up pissed. I began knocking on doors and shouting.
Dare strolled in with Lila about an hour later, everyone but he and Jericho sat around a table. While I waited, my stomach churned. Fuck me. I’d forgotten about the property transfer, I mean it was really a formality, but Avery wouldn’t see it that way. And no way Jericho had forgotten the shit.
“What the fuck’s wrong?” Dare studied us all.
“Ren struck again, and it’s a doozy.” Viper frowned.
“My girl’s gone because the fucker confronted her with the property clause in the bylaws.” I gritted my teeth and tried not to start punching.
Dare’s gaze skittered away.
“You knew?” Mama yelled. “What the fuck, Dare?”
“Jericho was supposed—”
“He fucking didn’t,” I yelled.
“What didn’t I do?” Jericho walked into the room, rubbing his head.
“Tell me about the Brotherhood taking a cut of Avery’s business. You fuckin’ had time to get me fucked up. But not time to tell me.”
“Do I look like a fucking babysitter? It’s clear in—”
“Try again,” Dare growled. “We talked it through and you.” He pointed at our prick of a leader. “Agreed to talk with him today, but instead Ren talked to Avery. She’s gone—left him.”
“And you.” I turned to Dare. “You stayed sober, so what, you could fuck your woman, well you fucked over both my woman and Mark.”
Mama turned red and glanced away. “Ren could have pushed Mark, hurt him, when he refused to leave Avery alone.”
Dare’s jaw tightened. “Fuck it all. I’m sick of that bastard. I’m going to fucking beat him senseless.” He turned on his heel.
“Yeah, run away—again,” I shot back. Looking from one biker to the other. “I didn’t think this family fucked over its members, but then, I guess we are called a family.”
“Brother.” Jericho strode straight to me. “You best—”
I clocked the mother fucker. “You both best sit your asses down and make this right. We got a majority with Viper, Rebel and Bear, plus us three. The Council makes it right.” I vibrated with anger. “Repeals this shit, whatever, or you can have my fuckin’ cut.” My voice shook but I never meant anything more in my life.
“Rock,” both Dare and Jericho said at the same time.
“Tell me what’s Mama pay for her business, or Hawk’s old lady in Ardmore with the beauty shop?” Bear entered the conversation.
Both of them stopped and just stared at him.
“What a cluster fuck. You planning on doing in all our women? Is this some kind of gauntlet for old ladies?” Bear spoke into the silence and his words cut through all the posturing. “Sit your asses down and let’s figure this shit out.” He narrowed his gaze at Mama. “Skedaddle girl, we got business.”
Just then Vex slunk through the door. “Get out. Council meeting.” I wanted to plant my fist in the weasel’s face, again.
His eyes popped wide and he hurried back out. “Dare, get Ollie to watch the door,” Bear said. “He’s outside already.”
Dare stepped out and was back in a second. He opened his mouth to speak, but just shut it again.
“So, we’re together,” Jericho grumbled. “Why do you deserve an exception?”
“Jericho, calm your ass before I beat it,” Bear growled. “You’re wrong, not Rock, and after Mama, I’d think you’d want to do more than right for our old ladies.”
Dare grunted.
“We can’t repeal a fucking by-law—that’s a full membership vote.” Jericho scrubbed his face. “And I’ll admit we’ve been lax in collecting, but it doesn’t make the rule go away.”
“Fix it.” I stared into the eyes of every brother, Dare wouldn’t even meet my gaze.
“Reading the by-law, the property, all of those old ladies’ property belongs to the biker, but there’s not percentage laid out and it says ‘may collect’—so to me that says we may collect zero,” Viper spoke into the tense silence. “We can vote to do that.”
“Should we?” Jericho stubbornly eyed the brothers. “What does that do to the club long term?”
Bear threw his head back and laughed. “Keeps you alive and in charge, by my thinking.”
They both stood braced to fight. “You fucking with me?”
“Nah, bro.” Bear’s deadly calm voice shook me out of my rage. “You go strict by those bylaws and we can call for your replacement, put it up to a membership vote.” Bear leaned even closer. “You think you can win it?” His cynical chuckle was dark, but he was right. Jericho wasn’t a club favorite right now. “With our support you’ll be lucky not to be called out with all the shit at Bound.
“I’m sick of you fucking everyone else over while you go head over ass down your path of vengeance, so pull your head out or step aside,” Bear sneered, challenging Jericho to keep going.
Fuck, I’d never meant to put the leadership at odds, but Bear had a valid point.
“We can go there.” Dare leaned back, suddenly calm. “Or you and you,” he pointed to both brothers, “can sit your asses down and listen to me.”
After a long staring contest both sat back down, turning to Dare.
“We don’t have to change the law, or change practice.” He held up
a hand to me. “We can offer exemptions case by case—’cause you all will be doing that for Red, Avery, and whoever else—there’s no long-term bad—and it’s what we’ve been doing.”
“That would work.” Viper nodded. “We’re the only ones who see the detailed books, it’s no one else’s business.”
“That sounds right,” Rebel added. “I say we do that, and we give exceptions to all the ladies with businesses now—ain’t like Maverick’s been collecting from anyone.”
“You sure you even need me?” Jericho was beyond pissed but then so was I. “Maybe you should vote me out.”
I wasn’t pulling punches. “You did good getting rid of the Old Man. But you fucked up with Lila and now this—”
“And your plans for Renegade aren’t going anywhere,” Viper threw in.
“I say you have one more chance, but you block this, or continue treating women like your Old Man did, then yeah, I’d be the first to suggest it.” I stared at Jericho letting my words sink in.
He bent his head. “Yeah, I’ve been fucking shit up.”
“Just share the load, Prez, we’ll get it done.” Dare clapped him on the back and Bear nodded his agreement. “And I owe both you and Bear an apology. I was on recruit duty and I chose pussy duty. Mark shouldn’t have been put in that situation.”
I nodded, but my focus was on my woman. “And I want this shit in writing, all of us signing it.”
Dare frowned along with Jericho.
“Dunno about the rest of you, but Avery isn’t about to believe me or you.” I nodded to Jericho.
“And if she shows it around, it hurts the club.” Jericho’s chin jutted.
“She’s family after tomorrow, if I can fix this shit, you trust us or we’re not family.” I laid it on the line. “We have much more reason to trust her than she does us.”
Several others nodded.
“So the vote.” Viper met each gaze. “We grant exceptions to Avery, Lila, Cheryl, now and give their old man the signed exemption.”
“Vote.” Jericho nodded his agreement.
It was unanimous. I got up and scrounged until I came back with notebook paper. “Write it up and we all sign, you can wait on the others—”
“Red will be on a warpath, better make it two.” Dare sighed, weariness creased his face.
Once I had a signed sheet, I jetted, needing to get to my woman and convince her to still be my old lady. I parked at the hotel and made a beeline to their door. Before I even knocked he opened the door.
“Thanks, Mark, I owe you.” I clasped his hand in our club hand shake. “I’ll take it from here, you head back to the party.”
“You make this right.” He searched my face, for what, I had no clue.
“I’m not leaving here until I do.”
I stripped and pulled back the covers to climb in beside my girl who’d passed out fully dressed, which was a good thing. No matter how close of friends they were, I didn’t want anyone, even Mark, seeing her bare ass.
I lay next to her smelling citrus and honeysuckle thinking about her, and what I’d been willing to give up without even a second thought. Tonight I’d easily declared my cut was less important than my almita, and even now that I was calm, I’d been deadly serious. Avery had given and given, more than I’d ever asked. Without a single doubt I’d done the same for her—no way I’d let her sacrifice the only thing she’d ever built, nor would I give her up. Love—that must be what it meant. And no one, not even the Brotherhood, had sacrificed and given me as much as she had. I’d do the same for her. My chest constricted and it hurt to breathe, I just hoped I wouldn’t have to choose because I loved my club, just not as much as my almita.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Avery
I woke warm and snuggled into Rock. My ass, with a will of its own, scooted against his groin. His big hand pulled me back into him while he kissed my neck. The pleasure of his touch contrasted with my pounding head and dry, nasty mouth. What had possessed me to drink last night?
The night before crashed down on me pushing the breath out of me. Renegade’s words. Rock unconscious. Mark taking me away. Mark getting me drunk. Where was the sneak?
I jerked away from Rock’s embrace though I wanted nothing more than for him to hold me and tell me it was all a bad dream, but I wasn’t a little girl and my business was on the line. The lying bastard almost had tricked me.
I tensed and pulled away, but he held me tight.
“Let me go, you bastard.” I tried to make my voice hard.
“Almita, give me a chance to explain.”
I jerked again and he let me go, I tumbled out of bed. “There’s nothing to say.” My head pounded, almost bringing me down. “I’m taking a shower and you should be gone.”
My heart broke as I said it, but what choice did I have anyway. I swooped up my purple bag and stomped to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I dug in my bag and found Tylenol, which I crunched in my mouth, and then stripped from yesterday’s clothes. Turning the shower to hot, I climbed in and let it scald my skin, burn away my love for Rock, as if I could ever do that. I stayed in the shower until the hot water ran cold. As I toweled off, I was almost normal, hangover mostly gone. I delayed getting dressed by brushing my teeth three times, trying to lose the heavy, funky taste in my mouth.
But now I had nothing to delay me, time to face the man. Because one thing I knew about Rock, he wouldn’t leave—he’d be waiting to try and convince me, but I couldn’t be swayed. I’d worked too hard to give my business over to the Brotherhood.
I stared into the mirror. “No giving in. Protect yourself. Protect your business.”
Flinging open the bathroom door I strode out with confidence I didn’t feel into an empty room. Rock had gone. No. He couldn’t have gone because he loved me. Did he think we weren’t worth it? Heart heavy, I crumbled and fell onto the bed, curling up into myself. He’d checked to be sure I was okay, then left me. I’d told him to leave me.
Refusing to let the tears fall, I cleared my throat three times before the lump was small enough to breathe. I forced myself to sit up and gather my things, no doubt someone would be along to collect me and return me to Barden. Just once, I wanted to be loved so much that the man would burn down the world before he let me go.
With a heaving sigh, I stood and collected my few possessions and repacked my bag before I sat on the edge of the made up double bed, waiting for someone to take me home. A single tear escaped but I wiped it away, straightening my spine. Why had I expected more? I was the one to run away, the one who refused to give up my business for him, so what, had I thought he’d come to me without his cut, ready to make a normal life in Barden—to give up his brothers, his job, all for me?
Stupid Avery, why would he do that when you wouldn’t?
The door rattled and a knock came.
I stood, squared my shoulders, and opened the door to whoever would drive me away from the man I loved, ending us.
Rock stood there, hands full of bags. Bacon and pancake scents overwhelmed me and made my stomach growl. I stumbled back until my knees hit the bed and I slumped down.
“Why? Why are you here?” I managed to say.
He frowned and strode in, kicking the door closed with his foot. “Didn’t you see my note? I left it on the desk.”
A note. The desk. I shook my head. Relief poured through me, washing away all the numbing sorrow. He hadn’t left me.
“I figured a hangover needed food, so I brought you bacon, pancakes and hash browns.”
My eyes teared up and I pushed words over the huge ball of emotion in my throat. “Thanks.”
He handed me a Styrofoam container and moved to the little table with his own container. He opened it and dug in, saying nothing. The room was crowded with unsaid thoughts.
All too soon the food was gone and I’d stuffed my container in the small trash can in the corner. Rock did the same.
“Read this.” He handed me a piece of notebook paper.
I scanned it and then read it again. Basically it said the club would never make a claim on my business’s profits, I’d never have to pay a percentage to the club or even be listed as a Jericho Brotherhood business.
This changed nothing, not really. I let the paper fall to the mauve carpet.
“Almita.” He bent in front of me. “It says you own your business. We have no problem.”
A choked laugh escaped me and I pressed fingers to my closed eyes to keep the tears at bay. “Yeah, we do. One—you lied by omission or by design. Two—this says nothing about you not owning my business in the Brotherhood’s eyes. Three—you left me unprotected, Mark at risk, and how’s that okay?” My words sped together but the emotion lay hidden under the blanket of numb, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Rock grimaced and held both my hands. “Yeah, I fucked up with you and Mark, I won’t do that ever again.” He cursed and stood. “I forgot about the damn bylaw, we haven’t enforced it in a while, Ren was trying to cause trouble.” He chuffed. “And he did. Don’t let him tear us apart. I love you.”
I squeezed my eyes tight as his words shot holes through my numb and emotions poured out—anger, hurt, longing, love, regret. I shivered with the enormity of the feelings coursing through me, overriding me.
“And the ownership?” I barked out the question.
“Technically, not legally, the Brotherhood would consider it my property, as they consider you my property.”
I stood and slammed my hand into the metal motel door. “That’s not good enough. You can own me, my heart, my very essence, but I’m not some fucking nobody—I’m not my mom—and I won’t let there even be the suggestion that you own my company. I will not let you take away my say there.”
Release Page 24
