Bitter Kind of Love: Prairie Devils MC Romance (Outlaw Love)

by Snow, Nicole

  Without saying anything, he closed the notebook and tucked it underneath his arm, shooting Saffron a protective glare. “I'll get you a new one for the bar. Gotta keep this shit safe 'til things calm down around here.”

  Saffron stuck her tongue out. “I'm one step ahead of you, Sting. Already told her I'd show this thing to Blaze after Moose's situation stabilizes.”

  “Yeah,” he said, a little more sadness in his voice. “One thing's for sure: soon as he approves it to go up, we'll have something to look forward to again. Besides the wedding, I mean. It's been a rough fucking few months.”

  All three of us nodded. Then Stinger grabbed my coffee mug and drained the last dregs in it.

  “Hey!” I slapped his arm, turning to Saffron to beg for a refill.

  Too late. Stinger lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder again, heading for the bedroom. Saffron laughed as she watched him carry me off, kicking and squealing the whole time.

  “A morning fuck's the least I can do, baby. And not just because I'm hot for getting between your legs again myself.”

  “What're you talking about?” I whispered, feeling the familiar heat running through me as I ran my hands across his bare tattooed chest.

  “You lit a match in a dark fucking hour with this badass piece of paper. Reason one million I'm going out later today to see about your jacket, and then we're having my brand tattooed on your sweet ass.” He grinned, kicking the door shut behind him and setting me down. “Better start thinking about where the hell you want it if it's not gonna be on your ass for real.”

  I threw myself at him, slapping his chest. Big mistake. But it was also the best goddamned one I'd made for the new day when he pulled me in, ripped off my clothes, and slammed me down on the bed.

  One Week Later

  The tension was unholy.

  Em was at my left side next to Tank, and Sting on my right, and they were both so tightly wound I felt like the pressure was going to break my bones. We stood just outside the ICU, waiting to see Moose, who'd finally regained consciousness after a week long battle.

  All the other brothers plus Saffron were behind me. Everybody except Roller, who Blaze kept next to the family as a constant guard. Thank God there wasn't any sign yet we needed it.

  My old man was tight-lipped as ever about club business. But it seemed the Slingers threat was over, and all the men who'd caused so much mayhem for me and the club were nothing but charred ash.

  The big metal doors swung open. My heart dumped adrenaline. A nurse whispered something into Em's ear, and then waved us all forward.

  I squeezed Stinger's hand tight as we went into the pale white room. Moose's big body was propped up in the blue and white bed, his beefy arms at his sides, a band going around his head to hold in the gauze or whatever the hell they'd given him to encourage healing.

  “You all here to gawk at me like I'm a fucking Cyclops, or what?”

  “Moose...” His old lady Connie darted up, a disapproving look on her face, one that also feared getting in the way of her old man's suffering.

  Sting pulled his hand away from mine and stepped forward with Blaze. Across the room, Moose's daughter Becky nudged her face into Roller's shoulder, trying not to cry. The younger brother looked up, surprised, folding a firm arm around her.

  “No, brother,” Blaze said. “If I wanted to see a fucking freak, I'd go dig up all the motherfuckers we've put down over the years. And with your help, we dug a few more graves for the trash. I would've called church for this, but seeing how you're cooped up in here, I thought a family affair was more appropriate. Stinger?”

  The two men locked eyes. I watched Sting reach into a little black box and pull out a patch made by the same place that did the leather jacket sitting heavy on my shoulders. That PROPERTY OF STINGER patch felt like cool steel on my back, and I had a feeling its weight a lot more as time ticked by.

  The whole damned world had gotten heavier around these men.

  “This is yours, brother. This club doesn't have a patch to recognize a lifetime of half the shit you've done. But you earned this. You earned it with your life.”

  He leaned down, giving Moose a manly hug after he laid the patch out next to him on the stand. BLOOD SACRIFICE, it read, something I'd only seen on Tank's cut as the only other guy wounded for the MC.

  “I'll have Em's mom take care of it for you, bro. I'm not gonna see you in your cut again 'til that things sewn where it belongs.”

  As a tailor, Emma's mother did all the patches and modifications for the club. She was hard at work right now on Saffron's wedding stuff, changing up an old dress that belonged to her grandmother. I wondered how it was going to go with those bitch heels she'd picked the day we got captured.

  “You all right, brother?” Stinger asked, pulling away and giving Moose a heavy look.

  Moose gazed out his one good eye at all of us, running down the line, from Blaze to Sting to everybody else. When he got to me, the sadness hit, an avalanche that made me wonder if one day I'd be looking at my man in a bed like this, torn up in ways I could barely imagine.

  No fucking way, I thought. He's too hard, too lucky. And if somehow his luck deserts him one day, I'll be there, just like Connie.

  I haven't figured everything out about being an old lady yet, but I know half the job is being a rock. I'm going to be the best damned stone Stinger's ever had.

  “I'm good,” Moose said slowly. “Just quit looking at me.”

  Awkward. Everybody turned their eyes away, except for Connie and Becky, staring at their husband, their father, in horror.

  “Look, this club's suffered far worse shit than me losing a fucking eye,” he said finally. “Let's stop dwelling on it and get on with our lives. Another week or two and I'll be outta this place, and then I'm gonna go back to work. Tax prep's coming up for all the club's business, and I'm gonna be there, one eye or none.”

  Several brothers looked up hopefully. Sting slapped him on the shoulder and smiled. Blaze gave an approving nod.

  “Prez promised us brighter days not so long ago, right? Last thing I'm gonna do is let any fucking darkness around me blot out the sun we all deserve. You brothers with your old ladies, your girls...” He paused, reaching for Connie's hand and giving it a squeeze, forcing the tears from her eyes.

  “You hold 'em fucking tight, and I'll do the same. You guys who haven't claimed a girl yet – keep on drinking. Keep on fucking. Keep on being free.” He stopped, clearing his throat to cover up the way Connie whimpered. “Now, like I said, quit gawking at my half-blind ass. Keep my bike tuned up for me when I get home. We got ourselves a wedding in a few weeks, and I'm gonna be there. Don't give a shit if I show up stumbling around like a drunken pirate.”

  Blaze grinned. “There's gonna be a lotta that anyway, bro, whether you've got two good eyes or none.”

  Finally. The tension was cut and everybody laughed. Each of the brothers passed by his bed one more time, patting him on the shoulder and making small talk.

  I couldn't help but smile. Yeah, their world was twisted, frightening, ruthless at times. But when I saw Stinger coming toward me, a flood of emotion in his rich dark eyes, I knew I wouldn't trade it for anything.

  I'd grown up in the middle of Dad's schemes, as fucked up as anyone. But for the first time ever, I had a family to go with the endless, violent bumps on the road. For the first time, I was really, truly happy. My heart soared when Stinger pulled me outside and tipped me down in his strong arms, stamping fresh lightning on my lips.

  I love you, baby, and I'm gonna fuck your brains out. I read the message in his kiss loud and clear.

  We kissed for a long time while the other brothers filed past. Not to be outdone, I heard Em squeal as Tank grabbed his old lady and flattened her against the wall, whispering rough promises in her ear.

  “You know I love you so fucking bad it drains the life outta me, baby girl?” Sting pulled back, running his fingers through my long black hair, tender and seductive simulta
neously.

  “Not half as much as I love you, Lucas.”

  I smiled into the next kiss. It was all I had to say to feel his strong pulse pumping with mine. We lingered a little longer at the hospital before we rode home.

  With any luck, nobody would ever have to make the sacrifice Moose did again. But if it came, I was ready to pay it a thousand times over, a fair price for loving the badass enveloping me for the rest of my life.

  XII: Outlaw Kind of Party (Stinger)

  One Month Later

  The wedding was the craziest shit I'd ever seen, even by club standards. Honestly, I wouldn't have expected anything less.

  It was Blaze getting married, after all, and it was time to show the whole Prairie Devils MC how big his dick was as Montana Prez before he gave it to Saffron during their week long honeymoon.

  We all departed on a cold day in late February. Had to rent a couple trucks to haul the bikes 'til we crossed the Nevada border, but then we mounted them, just me and my girl surrounded by a whole lotta brothers riding into arid country.

  The Nomads rode behind our Montana crew, a buncha mean sons of bitches with a dude named Maverick in the lead, their Prez and Blaze's brother. Also the only guy I'd seen wearing our colors who got away with calling Blaze asshole to his face. His old lady, June, rode with him, another girl who'd taken some seriously fucked up blows before our Montana charter formed last year.

  But fuck, wasn't that the test every man and his girl went through?

  The sweet thing with her hands around my waist all the way to Reno wouldn't have met me if her life hadn't been a clusterfuck. And if I'd never gone after her, she'd be too dead to love anybody.

  Lady Luck slapped the back side of my head every time I pressed my lips to her, reminding me how damned lucky I was. And each time I fucked her, I let her know with every touch, every thrust, every screaming release how much I loved her.

  My promise to never, ever fuck this up was written in flesh and blood, and I intended to keep it.

  Sure, Blaze had his Saffron and Tank had his Em. Me? I had Alice, and that was all I needed besides my patch and my bike, an entire universe I'd been chasing without even realizing it 'til this sexy dark haired spitfire got her hooks beneath my skin.

  Arriving in Reno wasn't all roses. There were always thorns.

  The newer brothers kept guard while we settled into our hotel, a fancy ass place connected to a casino and one helluva a resort. It was chilly, but the low fifties without any snow outside the mountains was a big fucking improvement over the frozen wasteland we'd left behind.

  The trip started off right. One long night of drinking, fucking, and gambling had all of us feeling refreshed. Even Moose was smiling again with his old lady and his daughter, chilling at the bar and stuffing himself on the best whisky and shrimp the club could buy.

  Alice was at my side the whole time. She appreciated the shit outta the weird clash of ritzy and gaudy travelers find in this city, and it was damned good to see her so excited again. I could tell her sweet head was swirling with fresh ideas.

  Throwing the mural up in the clubhouse over the last month only fed her muse. She was talking about picking up work in town as soon as shit thawed. Missoula had a perfect niche market with tons of rich dudes looking for the artsy stuff she could deliver.

  And fuck, could she deliver.

  She's sketched her tattoo design herself, a raven and thorns wrapped around the only part that really mattered to me: PROPERTY OF STINGER. Poor Tank had to go nice and slow to do it right when he put it on her lower back, right above her ass.

  I'd never, ever get tired of seeing my name there while we fucked, whenever she swiveled her hips into me and rode my cock. And it was only getting better the more our bodies worked, two magnets meant to fit together in non-stop lust, tighter and better with plenty of practice.

  The girl had a real knack for driving me wild. Did I mention how fucking hard my cock jerked in the getup I was screwing with on the big day?

  She came out wearing this red, sleek number all the old ladies picked out. Fucking thing was modest enough for a cocktail party, but it accented her curves perfectly, clinging to her ass and tits so good I started to wonder what they'd look like in lily white. Good thing I had some heavy shit in my pocket, waiting for the right moment, because it helped anchor my cock and dissuade his greedy balls from doing anything stupid before the ceremony.

  Couldn't stop myself from running up to her and pinning her to my chest. “Fuck, baby. You look gorgeous. Hot and beautiful.”

  She gave me her lips, and I sucked them hard, running my tongue across them several times to show her how bad I wanted her later. Fuck me if it didn't make things worse down below, but I had to push through it. There'd be plenty of time to suck and tease and fill her soft wet velvet all night after the reception.

  Alice had to fight to break the kiss. Laughing, she gave me a little push, narrowing her eyes and looking me up and down.

  “You're not bad yourself. Still think all you guys would look better in suits.”

  I snorted. “This is a biker wedding, girl. Not the flowery prim and proper shit that puts a dude to sleep in the civilian world. Dressing up's for the ladies. All the brothers are here for the party.”

  “Yeah? Is that why your cut's looking cleaner than I've seen it for months?” She leaned into me and inhaled. “I can't even smell the motor oil! Who the hell are you?”

  Growling, I grabbed her ass, pulling her in tight. “You know damned well who the fuck I am, baby. And if you don't, you'll figure it out later when I rip that thing off and fuck your sweet ass.”

  I gave her a playful swat. “Come on. Everybody's waiting for us down below. Might have to fight a few guys today to keep 'em off you. Christ, you're hot.”

  My cock strained the whole time while we stood, waiting for the elevator. Tank and Em were in there waiting when the door opened.

  Shit. Seeing his big stupid smile deflated the insane wood going nuts against my trousers.

  “Going down?” Tank asked.

  “You fucking know it. I'd ride a thousand floors to find out if the Prez sheds a tear or two today when he kisses the blushing bride.”

  Alice swatted my arm. Em and Tank laughed.

  At the bottom floor, the door slid open, revealing the spacious casino hallway we had to walk through to get to the chapel. The man right across from us, leaning near the fountain, instantly made me choke.

  I had to reach up and rub my eyes, wondering if I was hallucinating. But if I was, Tank wouldn't have flipped his shit and ran for the fucker, tackling him and pining his ass to the ground.

  “What's wrong?” Alice's breath caught. “Who is he?”

  Em pulled her back as soon as we stepped outta the elevator, making sure she didn't follow me. I hadn't seen that wormy little shit in the Grizzlies cut for months, not since the night we rescued Saffron from the rogues, wearing the same patch who'd gone traitor against their own club.

  It was Saffron's brother, an asshole named Brass. The little shit had gone west with the Grizzlies since then, and now he'd wound up here, the last fucking place in the world he belonged.

  I barely stopped Tank from knocking his teeth out, pulling him outta the giant's path just before his huge fists crashed into Brass' face.

  “Start talking!” I roared. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “I'm alone!” He roared right back. “Calm the fuck down, you fucking Prairie –“

  He stopped just short of saying it. If he breathed out pussies, I sure as shit would've let Tank have at it, adding a few of my own kicks to the storm.

  “I just wanna see my sis get married. That's all. There's nobody else here wearing this patch. And even if there were –“

  Tank growled. I suppressed my own, rolling my eyes instead, relaxing my grip on the asshole on the floor.

  “Yeah, yeah. We know. Reno and Vegas are neutral cities. Doesn't mean we won't kick your ass for snooping so close to our cl
ub when you're not welcome.”

  He stood up, dusting off his cut. I eyed Tank. We had to be damned careful here in this place. The ceilings were crawling with security cameras. Scuffling with this asshole wasn't worth getting ourselves pulled aside by some do-right with a badge and missing the most important day of Blaze and Saffron's life.

  “You can't go in there wearing that thing,” Tank said, folding his arms. “You do, and we won't be the only ones threatening to kick your ass. There's a couple dozen dudes wearing this patch, and one with yours – if you're telling us the truth. What's it gonna be?”

  Brass looked from side to side, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “What if it was you? Would you throw your colors off if some asshole from my club asked you to?”

  Tank and I stared the fucker down. I was ready to wring his fucking neck, teasing us on our own damned turf like this. Damn, if it wasn't for those fucking cameras...

  “Boys!” There was a flap of bright red and Alice was between us, Em at her side. “Why don't you just put him in the back where nobody can see him? Everybody's going to be looking up at the altar anyway. Who'll notice he's even here if he stays sitting and covers up after it's all over?”

  Tank's face tightened. Em shot pleading eyes at him, a little less fierce than my girl's.

  Why she wanted to fight for this piece of shit was beyond me...

  “Baby, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but there's a lot you don't understand about what goes on in our clubs –“

  She waved a hand. “I understand I owe Saffron big for helping me get my shit together and make sure this thing goes off without a hitch. She'll be thrilled just to see him here, whether he's wearing his own colors or a bearskin suit. Do you really want me to be the one to break the news that you guys beat the hell out of her little brother when he was trying to be nice?”

  “Fuck,” Tank growled. “Nice isn't a word I'd use anywhere near that sneaky little mother –“

  With a heavy sigh, I turned to my brother and reached up, slapping my hands on his big shoulders. “She's right, brother. I don't like it either, but if I give Blaze a call, I'm sure it'll be fine after he gets over the shock. I think this shit's telling us the truth for once – if the Grizzlies are looking to kick our asses out here, they sure as fuck wouldn't have sent this sloppy bastard to lead us into a trap.”