by Nicola Jane
“Well, a few of the guys have gone out on a run. Club business,” explains Queenie. “Bear was up at the crack of dawn, he woke me up. I was so annoyed.”
“That explains it. Bear is out, so it’s quiet,” I joke, and she smiles.
“The Pres is in an awful mood, though, today; stay out of his way,” says my mom, handing me a coffee. “You seem to be rubbing him up the wrong way lately.”
Piper exchanges a smirk with me. “He’s always shouting about something.”
“He was in a good mood this morning,” says Angel, not looking up from her cell. “When I left him to shower,” she adds innocently.
I whip my head around to face her. “Shower?” I repeat without thinking.
“Yeah, it’s that thing you do to stay clean,” snaps Angel sarcastically.
“Why do you always gotta be a bitch?” huffs Piper.
“It’s just I thought you two had fallen out. I heard Hulk say something about Ace being pissed at you?” I’m lying, but I need more information without it looking obvious that I’m upset.
Angel gives me a pitying, condescending look. “Oh, honey,” she sighs, “Are you still hung up on him?” I feel Queenie and my mom’s eyes burning into me.
I give a nervous laugh and splutter. “Don’t be stupid, Angel, he’s a friend.”
“So, then you’ll know that me and him are as solid as ever. He spent the night inside me, so I guess it means I’m forgiven!” She scrapes the chair back as she stands, a smug look on her face. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep me from wailing like a heartbroken child. Piper gently squeezes my leg under the table and I give her a weak smile. Why wasn’t I prepared for this? It’s Ace, of course he was never going to commit to me.
“Mae, help me choose an outfit for the weekend. When the club gets off lockdown, we need a night out.” I let Piper take my hand and lead me from the kitchen. We head for the stairs when I hear Ace’s office door open. I don’t look at him, but I feel him standing there. Piper continues to pull me past him.
“Mae, I need a word.” His voice is low and gravelly. There is no way I can hear the words come from his mouth or worse, still, have him lie to my face. I have to go and get myself together first and let my brain process this utter heartbreak that’s ripping through me.
“Actually Pres, Mae isn’t feeling too well. I’m just taking her to lie down,” says Piper.
“It’s important, Mae. I just need a minute of your time, please.”
I shake my head, still avoiding eye contact. “I need to lie down.”
“Do you need me to get the doc?” he asks. I wonder why he sounds so concerned when he’s about to break my heart into pieces. Maybe it’s guilt. I shake my head no and then let Piper lead me away.
CHAPTER NINE
Ace
I don’t understand women. I never have. Mae has spent the entire day avoiding me. Whenever I go to her room, Piper is there. She’s like some damn pit bull telling me Mae isn’t well enough to see me. I feel bad for not turning up last night, but I got a call to say that Lorenzo had been spotted. I had to go and check it out. It proved pointless. The shack he’d supposedly been seen at was empty with no sign of anyone ever being there.
This only serves to remind just how complicated women can be. If she’s upset, she just needs to tell me. I hate to be ignored.
Scar pops his head into the office. I’m rolling a pen back and forth across the desk. “You okay, Pres?” he asks.
I sigh and still the pen. “Just pissed that we didn’t get him. I want this to be over with.”
“We all do, brother, we’ll get him. Everything else okay?”
I frown at him. “What are you asking me, Scar?”
He steps into the office, closing the door behind him. “I came down to get a drink last night. I couldn’t sleep. I thought a glass of something strong might knock me out.”
My heart rate picks up. “So?” I snap.
“I just wanted to say, I don’t blame you. She’s a beautiful girl and I’m not judging. Glad I didn’t take her out, though,” he says, adding a smile.
“Get to the point, Scar,” I growl, unsure of how much he knows. Anyone could have been on their knees behind that bar and I’m not about to be tricked into putting Mae’s name out there.
“Well, Mae is hot and loads of the guys wanna-”
I stand abruptly. “Don’t fucking finish that sentence. I find any of you dumb asses near Mae and I’ll kill you all.”
Scar smiles wide and holds his hands up before him defensively. “Hey, I’m not treading on your toes, Pres. I just wanted to say I’m happy for you both.”
I take a calming breath and lower back into my seat. Scar sits across from me. “You don’t think it’s weird?” I eventually ask.
He shakes his head. “No, why would I?”
“Well, because it’s Mae. I’ve known her a long time and the age difference is...” I leave the sentence hanging between us.
“She’s an adult, so are you. Mae’s a great girl and she knows what she wants. You can’t pass up someone like her. She knows this life and you don’t get that often.”
“I don’t know how everyone else will take it,” I let out.
“Fuck everyone else, boss. Trust me when I say that if you’ve found the one then you have to hold on to her. No one’s opinion matters.”
I’m not sure Queenie or Bernie would agree with that and at the thought of the two important women in this club, my heart squeezes. I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially not them. They’ve seen me through some tough times in this club. “Actually Scar, can you do me a favor? Come with me and see if the pit-bull, aka Piper, will allow you into Mae’s room.”
Scar shrugs, clueless to what I mean but he follows me anyway. I stand to the side and watch as he knocks on the bedroom door. Piper answers it. “Hey, Scar.”
“Hey baby, I came to see if Mae’s okay. Pres said she was ill?”
“Come in,” she says, opening the door wider.
“I knew it!” I step forward.
Piper glares at Scar. “You traitor,” she hisses.
“Sorry babe, he’s the President,” says Scar, like that is the only explanation he needs to give. I step into the doorway, pissed that I’ve been refused by Mae and she hasn’t even had the decency to tell me why. If she’s having second thoughts, then the least she could do is tell me. Not that it will make a difference. She sealed her future last night.
“You can’t just barge in like this,” snaps Piper and I glare down at her.
“This is my fucking club. Get out of here,” I snarl. She hesitates, glancing at Mae. Any other day, I’d be proud that Piper was protecting her friend. But not today. Today, I need her out of our space so I can talk to Mae.
“It’s fine, Piper, I’ll be fine,” mutters Mae and I resist the urge to do something childish like stick my tongue out at Piper.
Piper holds my stare as she leaves the room. It’s brave; not many people would stare me down, but I guess she’s pissed with me too. It’d be nice to know why, exactly. It occurs to me that Piper may be against us. She might have talked Mae out of trying any sort of romantic relationship with me. The thought of Mae trying to break things off before we’ve had a chance cuts me deep. I feel my defenses going up. “So,” I sigh, placing my hands on my hips and staring down at Mae, who sits on her bed with her legs curled under her. “You gonna explain what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” she huffs, and I’m reminded that she’s younger than me. I hate the reminder.
“This shit right there is exactly why I don’t date!” I growl.
“We’re dating?” she asks, almost looking surprised. “’Cause I don’t remember going on any date with you, Ace.”
“So, you want a date? Is that what’s up?”
“No, I don’t want to date. God, I’m such an idiot.” She scrubs her face with her hands.
“You’re making no sense, Mae. I don’t know why you’re mad at me. Just tell me straight. I can’t
deal with this bullshit.”
“It’s fine. Yah know if you’re not invested, I get it. I’m young, you’re…” She pauses and then shrugs before adding, “Old.”
“Ouch, get straight to it.” I wince, wondering how the hell this all turned so quickly. Just a few days ago, it was me giving these excuses.
“I shouldn’t have come on so strong. It’s embarrassing and very unlike me. We can’t exactly spend the rest of our lives sneaking around. You know Queenie and my mother will sniff out the lie soon and then all hell will break loose. I get that it’s too much. We should never have started it.”
I take a step back. I expected Mae to tell me that she’d been talked out of us by Piper or that she’d felt nervous about others finding out, but I didn’t expect her to blow me off like this. She seemed so into us and now, it’s like she can’t stand to look at me. “Right, well, your call. Gotcha loud and clear, Mae.” I pull open the door and take a look back at her. “Sorry if I got it twisted.”
Mae remains silent, watching me from her position on the bed. The fact that she doesn’t bother to correct me or tell me what changed her mind confirms that we really were a mistake. One that I won’t be repeating.
Mae
I suck in a breath. Hurt is piercing my heart. How did I get it so wrong? I just assumed, with all the little comments he made, that he wanted more from me. That he wanted to see where we could go. I know he never said we were exclusive and I’m stupid for thinking we were. I bury my face in my hands feeling like a moron. Piper comes in without knocking and when she sees me, she instantly rushes to wrap me in her arms. I burst into tears, unable to keep the pain inside any longer. “I feel like such a fool,” I wail.
“Seriously, this is not your fault. You like him, of course you’re gonna throw yourself in one hundred percent. I mean, look at him. Add in that he’s the President and phew,” Piper wafts her face. “H.O.T!”
I smile through my tears. “I brushed him off. I kept it light and shrugged it off like it was no big deal. I didn’t tell him I knew about Angel. I didn’t want to sound needy or foolish because he never made a promise to be exclusive.”
Piper strokes my hair. “He looked pissed when he came downstairs. He slammed his office door and the whole main room went silent. It was intense.”
“He needs to learn he can’t have his cake and eat it, too.”
“I think we need a night out,” suggests Piper with a mischievous smile.
“On lockdown, remember?”
“Lockdown shmock down,” she says, waving her hand. “We’ll get out of here somehow.”
“Yah know what? For once, I’m listening to your stupid plan. It’ll get us into trouble, but I need a little danger in my life to forget about Mr. tall, dark and handsome.”
Piper grins excitedly. “Then let’s pamper ourselves all day. Get dressed to kill. Have a few drinks downstairs and then sneak out to a club?” My heart hammers in my chest. If we get caught, we’ll be in so much trouble, but I need to feel alive instead of this painful regret. I nod my head and Piper squeals happily.
We do exactly what Piper suggested. We spend the day in my room applying face masks, relaxing, listening to music and then eventually, choosing killer outfits for tonight. I settle on black skinny pants that show off my curves, according to Pip, and lord knows I need to feel sexy tonight. It’s teamed with a red, low cut top that enhances my dark curls. Piper gives me a smoky eye make-up tutorial. I'm feeling confident and beautiful. As I look in the mirror to paint my lips red, Piper comes back into my room looking just as hot in a fitted pair of jeans and a top that barely passes as clothing and could actually be mistaken for underwear. I raise my eyebrows. “Damn, Hulk might bust a blood vessel when he sees you dressed like that.”
Piper smiles. “Good, let him know what he’s missing.”
I slip into my heels and we head downstairs. As we enter the main room, a few of the guys turn to look. “You girls know we’re on lockdown, don’t yah?” asks Bear.
“Nothing wrong with feeling pretty, Pops. We wanna dress good and feel good,” smiles Piper and her father gives her a warm smile. She has him twisted around her little finger.
“Okay, just as long as you stay in the club.”
“Got it,” Piper shouts over her shoulder, saluting.
Lucy is sitting at the bar looking annoyed. She stares us both up and down and whistles low. “Damn, you ladies are looking hot.”
“We are dressing to kill. Mainly your brother,” says Piper, glancing around the bar until she finds her target. Hulk is staring straight at her, his eyes burning into her bare flesh.
“Well, he looks mighty pissed right now,” points out Lucy. She then turns her attention to me. “And who are you impressing tonight, Miss Mae?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Just coming along for the ride.”
“Pity we’re on lockdown because I think you’d find yourself a man tonight dressed like that!” Lucy flicks one of my bouncy girls and winks. I smile; if only she knew that the only man I want is her father. The thought brings on that aching feeling again, so I order us all a drink to take the edge off.
We take a seat, ignoring Hulk’s burning glares from across the room. I’m not sure why he won’t just admit that he likes Piper way more than he lets on. He has serious commitment issues, but it’s written all over his face that he wants her bad. Maybe he’s just like his father, wanting the best of both worlds.
“Tag is driving me insane,” sighs Lucy. “How come I have to stay here on lockdown and he gets to go out?”
“Go out where?” I ask.
“To a fight. I hate it when he fights, but he says he can’t give it up. He loves it too much and without it, he can’t cope. Thinks he’ll go crazy and start being all aggressive. I mean, what the fuck?”
“Well maybe it helps tame his inner aggressive beast?” shrugs Piper. “He deals with a lot of violence.”
“He’s the one that’s most in danger and he gets to leave the club. It makes no sense.”
“He’s Mafia, Luce. He’s protected,” I say.
“Well, he wasn’t protected the last time his father tried to have him killed!” She makes a good point and I decide to close my mouth; she’s clearly pissed off at the moment. She finishes her drink. “Anyway, I’m going to bed to sleep off this mood. I love you both. Enjoy the rest of your night. If that’s even possible when you’re stuck here.” She kisses us both on the cheek and then leaves us.
“I hope Tag has a lead about his father. It’d be nice to be off lockdown,” says Piper. Lucy is new to this life and it’s quite possible that Tag is following up a lead, and the fight is a cover up so that she doesn’t worry. I glance around the room. There are a lot of bikers missing, so it’s a possibility.
We relax, finishing a bottle of wine between us. So far, the night is going well and although I feel nervous about us sneaking out of here, I’m also excited. Usually when Piper comes up with these stupid ideas, I’m the one to talk her out of them. I’m done with being the sensible one.
I know the moment Ace comes out of his office because my skin prickles like it does whenever he’s near. My breathing quickens. I try to calm myself. Piper confirms that he’s around by whispering and nudging me. I drink the rest of my wine and force myself to stare at Piper so that I don’t look for him. “Oh my god,” hisses Piper.
“What?” I ask desperately. She looks so annoyed, but I resist the urge to follow her gaze.
“Nothing, don’t look,” she whispers but the expression on her face makes me stop resisting and I scan the room.
Angel is following Ace and she is fastening her shirt up. It’s clear from their flustered faces and the ruffled hair what’s been going on in that office. “Oh, Mae,” mumbles Piper sympathetically. “Try not to get upset.”
I square my shoulders and give her an unconvincing smile. “It’s fine. We aren’t together, remember?”
“I know, but…” I hold up my hand so that she doesn’t fi
nish her sentence.
“Honestly Piper, it’s fine. That’s what I call a lucky escape.”
I watch as they approach the bar laughing together. Angel takes every opportunity to lean into him as he orders her a drink. Once they both have one, Ace turns and scans the room. Our eyes meet and for a second, I think I spot a look of guilt, but it passes quickly. He pushes off the bar and heads my way. He looks my outfit up and down, but the heat I wanted in his gaze is replaced with irritation. “Don’t leave this club!” he orders.
“We’re not going to. We’re looking for a good time here tonight, Pres,” smiles Piper. She adds a wink to get her point across.
Ace turns back to me. “Anyone in particular, Mae? I can put a good word in for you?”
“Like she needs a word putting in. Have you seen how nice that ass looks in those pants?” snaps Piper. “Anyhow, you wanted to keep Mae as your dirty little secret. You can hardly recommend her.”
“Yah know, Piper, your mouth keeps running off at me and I’ve let it slide but if you continue, I might have to remind you who the fuck I am!” growls Ace, glaring down at her. I stand, scraping back my chair and bringing Ace’s attention to me. His eyes fall to my breasts. My top pushes them up. It's hard not to notice them.
“Sorry Pres, she’s had a drink. I’ll get her some air.” I take Piper by the arm, all the while feeling Ace’s eyes on me. I walk with a little more sexy, making sure my ass sways. “You really have to stop pissing him off, Piper. There are other ways to get to Ace,” I whisper in her ear.
“Well, he pisses me off too,” she pouts, and I smile.
“Let’s get Scar inside and make a run for it. Scar!” I yell, and he steps from his guard box by the gate.
“What’s up?”
“Can you run inside and get me a glass of water? This one’s had too many wines,” I say.
He laughs. “Yeah, no problem. You want a bucket too, so I don’t have to wash away the puke?”
I laugh and nod my head. “That’d be fantastic. Thanks, Scar.” We wait until he heads inside and then make a run for the gate, pushing the release button. The second there’s enough space for us to get through it, we squeeze past. It has automatic closing after one minute and there’s no one hanging around to slip in. We take off our heels and run to the end of the road, waving like crazy until a cab pulls up and lets us in. Once we’re safe in the cab, we relax, giggling and panting for breath.
