by Erin Trejo
“If I changed anything, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I wouldn’t have any of this,” He says nodding toward the clubhouse. I suppose he’s right. I don’t regret shit but Taby. She was the only thing in my past that made sense.
“Guess you’re right. Hey, I want Ratt on this run.” Smokey’s eyes meet mine and I can see it. He knows what I want with him. Everything about that little girl he has here screams outsider. I don’t like her. She might have tits that could fill your hands and lips that were made to suck dick but that doesn’t mean she isn’t dirty.
“Don’t give him too much shit. I don’t wanna have to listen to the bitch whine.” Smokey grabs the joint from my hand and inhales as I chuckle.
“He needs a transfer,” I tell him grabbing a cigarette out of my pocket and lighting it up.
“He needs his ass beat. You hear he fucked up the count last week? Motherfucker couldn’t even count money. I told Hawk he needs to stick his ass back in the stock room,” Smokey says chuckling.
“Heard that.” I slap my hand across his chest before walking toward Shay. I saw her coming out of the clubhouse a second ago to smoke.
“Shay! Come here,” I holler. I watch as she turns on her booted heel and walks toward me. She looks like she’s pissed off which is no surprise.
“I need a favor,” I tell her. Her eyes widen but that isn’t the favor I need. I shake my head and chuckle before I say, “You only got dick on the mind? Can’t think outside that pussy of yours?” She regains her composure quickly and does something that surprises me. She turns to walk away from me. From me! Of all the motherfuckers in this place! I take two large steps grabbing her around the back of her neck before pulling her back in front of me.
“You ever walk away from me like that I’ll make you regret breathin’,” I growl in her ear. Shay jolts slightly only making me smile. “Now, that new bitch, Lia. I need you to see what the fuck she’s here for. I want to know every fuckin’ thing you can get. Rough her up if you need to.” Shay turns her head to look over her shoulder at me. Her eyes sparkle in the moonlight. She likes the sound of that.
“You want me to fuck her up?” She asks licking her lips. Look at her. The little hellion likes it when I let her play rough.
“I want you to get the information I want. Let Mona help out.” I wink before placing a rough kiss on her forehead. This bitch truly likes it when I let her get rough with the new girls. I think the whore gets off on it. If it gets me what I want, I don’t give a shit how it’s done. I walk away from Shay and head back toward where the guys are all standing and right there in Ratt’s arms is my target.
Go ahead, snuggle up to your man because once I find out who you are and what you want, you are mine.
Chapter 5
The bike rumbles beneath me. The machine and man become one. That’s the way you ride a Harley. You become one with what you want. You become so in tune with your bike that you don’t know where you stop and the bike begins. It’s the thrill of the action. The thrill of knowing you are in charge of such an amazing piece of machinery.
I glance around at the guys as we ride. The way we flow with so much precision. The world isn’t ready for us. They aren’t ready to endure all that we stand for. Our world isn’t theirs. Our world has its own rules that we learn to play by. The real world, their world is full of greed and lies. Deceit dances around every corner. Inside our world we hold power. We distribute it so that we can function as a unit without regrets. We know who we are and what we are expected to do. Does one stray from the pack? Of course, they have. My eyes fall on Ratt as he rides a little too close to the front line. He’s the stray sheep that wants what isn’t his to have. He’s the one that craves that little taste of power. He doesn’t have it. Never will. We all see him for what he is. He’s the weak link. He makes mistakes. Stupid mistakes that shouldn’t even be made. If you live in this lifestyle long enough, you learn things. You learn your place. If you can’t follow rules you will never make your way up the ranks. Ratt will never be more than what he is right now. I refocus on the road. I check my mirrors. I check the road ahead. All seems clear. I know the van of drugs is only a few miles behind us, followed by more soldiers. Hawk wanted this to be the safest run we’ve been on and it sure as hell is unless one of them fuck up. Then I step in. Then I take charge.
I see our exit and take it accordingly. The drop location isn’t far off the exit which is exactly how I like it. In the case of an emergency we can haul ass out of here if we need to. I maneuver my bike through the roads until the abandoned diner comes into view. I motion to the guys to spread out as we pull in. We form a circular formation around the other van. They never bring in more than needed but I know they have shooters out there somewhere. I’m not a naive person.
I kill the engine and climb off my bike, glancing around at the guys to make sure they are all in position. I flick my finger at a few to get them where I want them as I walk toward the back of the van. The door pops open but my hands on my gun already. I’m ready for anything. I watch as Gomez climbs out looking a little leery of having to deal with me again. I know he puts in a request to meet with someone else but it never gets approved. Hawk likes that it’s me.
“You again, I see,” He grumbles as he climbs from the back, adjusting his shirt when his feet hit the pavement.
“It’s always me, Gomez. You know Hawk always sends his best man,” I antagonize him slightly. I can’t help myself. His hands fist at his sides when I say, “How’s your kids?” Yep. Piss him off a little more. I warned him once before that if he or his family fucked us over again, I’d kill his whole family. I wasn’t joking.
“Fuck off, Draven. Where’s the shipment?” He snarls making me chuckle slightly.
“You think I’d drive that shit up in here without checkin’ shit out again?” The growl that rips from my chest startles him slightly. “I figured after your last gift you wouldn’t mind.” I add for good measure making reference to his brother. His teeth grind together, his jaw clenching.
“Go have a look. It’s all there,” He grunts. I smile as I walk past him and shove one of his guys out of my way. Reaching into the back of the van, I pull the bags toward me. Once I’m satisfied that the money is all there, I nod to Crow. He pulls his cell out and makes the call sending the guys in with the van. Gomez seems a little on edge which doesn’t bother me at all. I want him on edge. I want him to fear all that I am. He has no reason not to. We all watch the van pull in. The atmosphere is thick with tension. It should be. They should never underestimate me. No one knows what runs wild inside my head. Hell, most days I don’t either.
“Check it out if you don’t trust me, Gomez,” I tell him. Crow pops the back of the van open and Gomez checks the product. He glances over to his guys, giving them a nod. They move to get the product out of our van while we get the cash out of theirs.
“Nice doin’ business with you. Glad it all went smoothly this time,” I grunt. Gomez watches me intently but doesn’t say a word. I just chuckle and head back to my bike. I lean against the beast and watch the guys finish loading up the van.
This was an easy one. Could have been worse.
Chapter 6
Round after round I fire shots into the target. I like to keep myself armed and ready. I like my shots to be on point. I make practicing a normal part of my day. I handle my gun with pride. It’s an extension of me. It takes a capable hand to do what I do.
“Why are you picking at me?” I hear a little voice come from behind me. I turn my head and see Lia standing there with a bloody lip, her arms crossed over her chest. I smirk at the sight. I turn back to my target and fire off a few more rounds when I feel her hand on my arm. She jerks me roughly but I don’t move.
“You keep touchin’ me, darlin’ and that lip isn’t gonna be your worst problem,” I warn her. She doesn’t listen. Her little hand stays clamped around my upper arm. I turn slowly as I watch the look in her eyes. She looks a little scared but not like you would expe
ct her to be.
“I want to know why you had your little whores jump me,” She snaps. Her eyes stay on mine which is unusual for me. Most women don’t like looking me in the eyes. Maybe I intimidate them a little.
“Now why would I do that?” I play the coy dumb type. She doesn’t know shit. She’s pulling at shit that isn’t going to get her anywhere.
“Did you think the idiot wouldn’t tell?” She asks, mocking me. Shay isn’t that stupid. Or is she?
“And what is it that she said?” I ask my eyes burning into her.
“She said you told her to get information from me. What’s wrong? Big tough guy like you can’t ask yourself? You have to send your little whores in to do the job?” She asks with her head held high. She’s testing my patience and that’s never something you want to be on the receiving end of. I turn fully toward Lia, walking her back a step. Her fingers tighten around my arm. I wonder if she even realizes she’s still holding onto me?
“When I want information, the way I go about it is way different, sweetheart. I don’t think you could handle what I’d throw your way.” Lia sucks in a breath before she looks up at me. Her eyes narrow, her spine straightens.
“You’d be surprised what I could handle,” She snaps. Why the hell is she pressing me like this? Why does she want to unleash the beast in me?
“I don’t think you can. In fact, if I was to back you against a wall, I’m pretty sure you’d break,” I tell her, stepping into her space a little more. Her breathing kicks up a notch. Her fingers tighten even more. I groan this time, letting her know that I’m in charge, not her.
“You wanna bet that pretty little ass that I can break you, darlin’?” I ask her with a growl. Lia watches me as I take another step. She steps back until her body slams into the post behind her. Her eyes widen as she gazes up at me.
“Now, tell me who you are,” I say, lowering my voice. I want her on edge.
“Lia South.”
“Where did you come from Lia South?” I ask her, closing the space between us.
“Sacramento.”
“And what the fuck are you doin’ around my club?” My lips are near hers. Her body seems to quiver the closer I get.
“I’m here with Ratt. He asked me to stay,” She says softly, watching my lips.
“What about your family, Lia? Don’t they miss you?” I ask her, letting our breathes mingle between us.
“No.”
“No?”
“I don’t have family anymore.” Her eyes steel. Her body tenses. Whatever it is she’s hiding I will find out. She thinks she can come in here and run through my club without us knowing who the hell she is, she is crazy.
“Well, Lia South from Sacramento. I can tell you that if I catch you lyin’ to me, I will slit that sexy little throat of yours.” I brush my lips over hers. Her body trembles the closer I press against her. When I pull back, she’s breathless. I didn’t kiss her. Just softly touched our lips so that she knows I mean business.
“You won’t find shit,” She smarts off.
“You say that now but I have my ways.” I brush a piece of her hair behind her ear before turning back to the range. I start to fire a few more shots when I glance back and see her walking away.
Good. Now she knows I mean business.
Chapter 7
I puff on my joint as my feet rest on the table in the clubhouse. I watch the guys wander around. Life has been pretty silent for the most part. I can’t say that that is a good thing because I get stir crazy. Me sitting idle isn’t always the best thing for me. I watch the side door fly open and Ruger stomp in. His eyes are wild which means somethings off with him. I watch him storm to the bar grabbing any beer that’s in reach and taking it down. He looks around the room when his eyes land on mine. With a quick jerk of my head, he walks toward me. Dropping into the chair next to mine, I glance over and ask, “You gonna make me guess why you look like you want blood?”
Ruger turns his gaze to mine. “You know I talked with the Northern Bastards, yeah?” I nod my head. I remember him going up there not too long ago.
“Those fucks we ran into are traffickin’ girls. I didn’t wanna say shit but Angie is gone. I thought she was out with that little bastard of a boyfriend of hers.” He grits his teeth. This isn’t the first time his sister has done this but I can understand his worry.
“You got anybody lookin’ into it?” I ask perking up a little. Shit, put me on it!
“Yeah. She’s been usin’ her credit cards down near Mexico. I assume he’s with her.” Ruger’s eyes glaze over. That look that says I will snap the little bastard’s neck when he gets back.
“You wanna ride? You know I’m game,” I tell him, taking another long drag.
“You’re always game. No. I’m sure she’s fine. That shit up north just has me on edge. Hawk’s gonna throw me on lead as soon as we get word on that Angel’s shit.” Ruger reaches over taking the joint from fingers and bringing it to his lips. At that moment, Ratt walks in with Lia right behind him. I cock my head to the side and study her. She’s been around for a while now and I still can’t pinpoint what’s off with her. She glances over and gives me one of the dirtiest looks she can muster up. Ruger chokes on the smoke in his lungs trying to hold in his laughter.
“Goddamn, Draven! I’d say she hates your ass,” He says nodding toward Lia. I shake my head and turn back to look at her. The way she holds her head high, the way she doesn’t give a damn that I will be the one to break her down. She doesn’t even see it coming but I will ruin her life.
“She doesn’t know what’s gonna happen to her is all,” I tell him truthfully. I’ve thought it over. I know there is something about her that isn’t right.
“And what is gonna happen to her?” I glance over my shoulder when I hear Crow’s voice. His hand lands on my shoulder as he eyes her now too. I follow his gaze back to her and I can tell she’s nervous. She should be considering there’s a group of big ass men eyeing her right now.
“That’s still up for debate,” I tell him. Her eyes scan over the three of us quickly before stopping on mine once again. Ratt catches my gaze. His head cocks to the side, watching me? Or is that a warning glare? Either way, I don’t think I like the glint in his eyes. I shove out of my chair as Ruger and Crow chuckle behind me. I know they like to see me in action. Stalking over to where they both stand, Ratt has turned his back to me. Mistake number one. I reach in and grab his girl around the waist, jerking her into my body with an oomph.
“What the hell?” Lia snaps, her gaze shooting over her shoulder to mine. I give her a wink right before Ratt turns to look at me.
“What the fuck now, Draven?” Ratt grits his teeth with a snarl on his face. God, it’s so easy to rattle this little bastard.
“I was wonderin’ if you’d be opposed to lettin’ me play with your little toy, Ratt.” Lia tenses in my arms when the words leave my mouth. Ratt narrows his eyes at me knowing damn good and well he has no fucking say in the matter. I think I was being quite the gentleman asking him. He brought a girl into the clubhouse and strangely no one has tried to lay a finger on her that I know of. What kind of coincidence is that? Women that are not old ladies are typically fair game around here and Lia is now on my prey list.
“She don’t want you, brother.” Ratt chuckles trying to pull her from my grasp. I hold on a little tighter.
“Since when is what the lady wants on the table?” I ask, pinning him in his place with an evil smirk. I’ve never really liked this little fucker. There’s always been something about him that pushes my buttons and not in a good way.
“Fuck off, Draven. This one’s mine,” Ratt growls yanking at Lia’s arm once more. The more he pulls, the closer I jerk her into me. Her hearts pounding in her chest. I can feel it. I love it.
“You claimin’ her?” I ask with a smirk on my face. We all know the answer to that. He isn’t claiming someone that’s a fucking rat. He knows it as well as I do that this girl doesn’t belong here an
d that there is some sort of purpose for her being here. A goddamn purpose that I am hell bent on finding out and I will stop at nothing to get the information I want out of her.
Chapter 8
Our standoff is becoming a little more heated. It’s starting to escalate to a level that has my dick getting hard.
“I repeat myself way too much for you, Ratt. Are you claimin’ her?” I ask once more when he doesn’t make any more moves. I want this motherfucker to break. If he says no, this bitch is in my bed tonight.
“No. I’m not claimin’ her. She ain’t up for grabs either, Draven.” He grinds his teeth painfully together which makes me wonder what kind of hold he has on her, or vice versa. Something isn’t clicking here.
“She ain’t yours, Ratt. Tonight, she’s mine!” I growl. Lia’s body shakes in my arms. I like that. I like that she’s scared and on edge. I want her that way.
“You can’t do that.” Ratt steps toward me, gripping her wrist. I watch the little exchange between the two of them.
“Watch me,” I say as I take a step back. Lia trembles in my arms but her eyes stay glued to Ratt.
“I’m warnin’ you, Draven!” Ratt takes another step and my grin slowly fades. He’s warning me? I don’t fucking think so. I glance over my shoulder and see Ruger and Crow in the same position I left them in. Laughing and watching the scene unfold in front of them.
“Hey, Crow! Come over here a second,” I yell to him. Crow stands with a grin plastered across his face as he strolls toward us.
“What do you need, brother?” He asks in a cocky ass tone.
“Hold her.” I pass him Lia’s quivering body and ball my fists at my sides.
“Now that she’s outta the way. Tell me again that you are warnin’ me.” I grind my teeth as I watch Ratt. He looks between me and Lia. I need to find out who the fuck she is and what the hell is going on between the two of them. Just as I step closer, I hear the overhead go off.
