by Kay Maree
I crouched down in front of her and ran my thumb over the injury that marked her beautiful face. “Babe, whoever did this wasn’t mucking around.”
“How so?” she whispered.
“The skills involved in hitting you like this without blowing your head off is epic. It was a warning.”
“You sound like your fan boying, a little bit there Leo,” she smirked. “I thought you were supposed to make me feel safe. You know, sugar coat all the gory details, make me feel safe. I’m a girl, you know.”
“Babe, you’re a lot of things, but a girl is not one of them. If you want me to lie and tell you everything is going to be fine and you’ve nothing to worry about; I can do that. You can go on believing it until you get your ass shot off, or I can tell you the truth.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “There was a time when your enemies and rivals would walk up and shoot you – to your face – you know, like a man. Not this sneaky hiding in the crowds, using snipers bullshit.”
“What have you done so far?” I asked sitting back on my haunches.
“I’ve ordered the executive to look into the raids. I didn’t tell them my suspicions. So far they haven’t come up with anything.” Danger refilled our glasses and slumped back in her chair.
“Which means one of two things. Either there is nothing to be found, and it has just been a run of bad luck or…”
“It’s someone in my inner circle.”
She looked lost and angry but most of all she looked betrayed. Someone she trusted tried to destroy her reputation and put a bullet in her head. I couldn’t stand the look in her amber coloured eyes and right then I made my decision.
I am taking the assignment.
I am going to find out who was behind this.
I am going to make them pay.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Danger
Six months ago, I patched Leo in as a member of Knights Fury.
Anyone would have thought I told the boys we were getting new cuts made of purple leopard print the way they carried on. They bitched, moaned and fought me on it, but in the end, they agreed with me.
****
6 Months Ago
“Leo is joining Knights Fury.”
“The asshole from the gate?” Bullet asked.
“Yes.”
“Dafarq,” Roach growled. “Wolf you cool with this?”
“Yes. I am with the Prez and back her play a hundred percent.”
“Roach, why are you questioning Wolf?” I asked my voice like ice. “I am the President. Me. Not Wolf. You dare question me, in church, in front of the full executive?”
“I am the executive.”
“So that makes it ok?”
“Sorry Danger,” his tone on the sarcastic side. “I didn’t mean any disrespect,” he raised his hands submissively. “It’s just, what do we even know about this guy? Has he even been checked?” He said deflecting.
“Yes.”
“By who?” Ace asked, there wasn’t anything threatening in his tone, he was just asking a question.
“Me.” Ace nodded; my answer enough for him.
“You? No offence Danger but since when do you background check a new prospect?”
“Roach,” Wolf warned.
“No, I’m on the executive. I have the right to question the President when she has made a decision that affects this club. So, what, we’re just letting any old pretty boy asshole join now?”
“Wolf, Tank, did Roach just sass me while questioning my authority? ‘Cos it felt like he sassed me while questioning my authority.” My eyes stayed on Roach while I spoke.
“It felt a little sassy,” Wolf said.
“There’s definitely a sass vibe,” Tank added.
“It seems to me y’all need a reminder of who the fuck is in charge here. Especially you Roach.” I am so sick of these assholes running everything by Wolf to make sure I haven’t lost my mind. It was time these fuckers learned you couldn’t disrespect me without consequences. “Get out.”
“What? Why? I’m the secretary, we’re in church. I’m on the fucking executive, I need to be here!” He bellyached.
“I am kicking you out because I am in-motherfucking-charge. Yes, you have the right to question any decision I make, to ask for clarification. But I am the Knights Fury President and I will not abide disrespect. You were warned. Now, get out and be thankful all I’m doing is kicking you out of church.”
Roach sat mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, looking around the table for support.
“Guys c’mon, are you really going to let her do this?”
No one answered him.
“Roach, Danger gave you an order,” Tank held the door open.
Roach slammed his notebook closed, gathered up his crap and stormed through the door. “Must be that time of the month again,” he stupidly muttered.
“Roach you don’t know when to shut the fuck up. You’re on gate duty for the rest of the month.”
“You can’t….”
“Motherfucker stop talking before I put a bullet in you,” Tank barked. Roach kept muttering under his breath but kept his voice low enough that none of us could hear him. He threw daggers at Tank on his way past. Tank slammed the door behind him retaking his seat. “Any of you other fuck heads have a problem with Danger?” Everyone stayed quiet. “The floor is yours Prez.”
“Thank you, Tank. Like I said, Leo is joining Knights Fury.” I looked at each man around the table in the eye daring them to say something. “Leo is a friend of Aries. You know, you don’t get to be Aries’ friend without him knowing everything about you, including what your parents ate the night you were conceived. Also, he served with him in the SEALs, so we know he has skills.”
“Does Lambert the Sheepish Lion have any experience in our line of work?” Bullet asked. As with Ace there was no challenge in his tone. I knew that if I had Wolf, Bullet and Tank on board the others would soon fall into line.
“He’s been a member of Dragons Wrath for years.”
“I know Duke, he’s a good man. Fair Prez. He doesn’t allow slack jawed assholes in his club. If Duke approved of him, then Leo is good people.” Tank knocked his knuckles on the table confirming his agreement. His agreement wasn’t required, but it was good to know he had my back.
“So how is Lambert going to fit in with all this?” Bullet asked.
“Lambert?”
“Leo, Lambert the Sheepish Lion. Lambert. What? Lion was just too obvious,” he replied.
“You can be the one to tell him his new road name,” Wolf grinned.
“So, yeah, how is Lamb going to fit in?”
This is the part I argued with Wolf about.
“I’ve been in discussions with Duke and Leo…”
“Lamb,” Bullet interjected.
“Lamb,” I nodded smirking, “has agreed to turn in his Dragons Wrath cut and transfer here. There is no bad blood between the two clubs, and he is not being kicked out. Duke thinks it would be good for Lamb. A run went sideways, all six men were shot. Lamb had four bullets in him and was still trying to protect his brothers until backup arrived. Lamb survived, they didn’t.”
Leo told me about an incident that led to him leaving the SEALs. It wasn't as black and white as I made it out. Leo almost died, drowning in his own blood due to the bullets shredding his lungs. He fought to keep his men alive long enough for the extraction team to make it to their location. In the end, the rescue mission became a recovery and four SEALs were sent home in flag covered boxes, two missing limbs and then there was Leo, bullet riddled and broken.
What I told my men, was an altered version of his story.
A lie, hidden within the truth.
The guys fought me but eventually they saw what I did, there was something about Leo.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Danger
Honestly, I thought Leo coming in would have been a lot more painful than
it was.
The boys still gave him shit and tested him six ways till Sunday, but he fit right in. He didn’t take any of their shit, but he followed orders, he did what he was told. It didn’t matter what was thrown at him; he caught it with both hands and ran with it. He passed his one-month trial with flying colours and not one member protested his patching in. Even Roach gave a yes vote, albeit after a little encouragement from Tank.
Leo has been going on runs from two weeks in. Every time, every single fucking time I sent him on a run it was like I held my breath until he came back, and I could see with my own two eyes he was safe and in one piece.
I kept telling myself it was because he’s Aries best friend and if anything happened to him Aries would kill me, but it's more than that.
He is more than that.
“Your pacing again,” Maggie sang.
“What?” I asked grabbing a coffee.
“Huni, you have been pounding down the cookies, and you’ve had a slab of carrot cake in front of you that I’m sure you haven’t even tasted.”
“What?” I looked down to find a folk full of the cakey goodness halfway to my mouth. “Shit.”
“I don’t know what it is about that boy that has you so twisted,” she sighed.
Maggie was kneading small balls of dough, setting them aside to bake for the evening meal. I loved being in the kitchen when Maggie was baking, there was something calming about watching her work. It made me feel, if only for a moment, normal.
“Maggie you know I worry about everyone when they’re out on a run. I want them all home safe is all. We may be an MC but we’re family.”
“Huni, it’s just us talking. Everyone else is out. You know I’m talking about one particular person, and you damn sure don’t act like this with any of the others.”
“Maggie, I don’t know what you're talking about,” I muttered picking at my cake.
“Yeah, you do. Baby, you can talk to me, you have to talk to someone.”
I want to Maggie, you have no idea how much I want to talk to you, but I don’t know if I can trust you. The only person I can trust is Leo, and he’s not here!
Maggie was right though; I need to talk to someone. Tell them how I feel, even if it’s just to get out of my own head for a while. Leo has me messed up and I don’t know what to do. If I was going to talk about boys with anyone, it would be Maggie.
“Ok, so, you don’t want to talk, then maybe you’ll listen.” I looked up at Maggie before returning to pushing cake crumbs around my plate. Maggie took my silence as an agreement to listen. “I have seen many sides of you my sweet girl, but this one is new. You’re a woman who has proven you can rule in a man’s world, but you have forgotten that you are in fact, a woman. You have needs, you have desires and I don’t mean they're the same as those horney bastards out there,” she raised her chin towards the common room.
“Then what do you mean?” I asked softly.
“You want what everyone wants. You want to be loved, my darlin’. You want to find someone who can be your equal, who can handle your lifestyle. You want to find happiness.”
“But what if I can’t?”
“Oh, my sweet Willow. I believe you already have.”
My phone beeped with an incoming message.
Lamb: Mission accomplished. We’re on the way back.
Me: Good.
Lamb: Maggie’s kitchen is clean.
Did that mean she had been cleared, that she had nothing to do with what’s going on?
Me: How clean?
Lamb: Spotless. Just thought you might want to know.
Me: Thank you.
Lamb: See you in an hour.
Me: See you soon.
Lamb: See you soon.
A smile bloomed across my face. Thanks to Leo, I knew I could trust Maggie. I could tell her anything and knew it wouldn’t go any further.
“Someone got some good news.”
“The delivery went off without a hitch, the boys are on the way back,” I said sliding my phone back into my pocket.
“You mean he’s on the way home.”
“Yes Maggie,” I sighed sitting on one of the stools at the bench. I wouldn’t dare disrespect Maggie’s kitchen by sitting on a bench. Butts do not belong on benches. “I mean he’s on the way home.”
Maggie went about her baking singing softly to the radio. I sat watching Maggie work for a while.
“Maggie can I ask you a question?”
“Sure Huni, you can ask me anything. Whatever you say stays with me, it goes no further. You know that.”
“I know.” It felt so good to say that and mean it and know she did to. Just knowing for certain, there was one person who was on my side lifted a massive weight. “How do I know what I feel, if I feel anything at all, that it’s real?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s… it’s nothing.” Oh, shit I can’t do this. I can’t vocalise what I feel. I can’t say it out loud, that would make it real. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I went all teenage girl on you,” I laughed standing.
“Willow, Baby, please don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I huffed, stomping my foot.
Maggie wiped her hands on her apron walked over to the kitchen door and shut it.
“I know I’m not your mumma, but I have always thought of you as my daughter.” Maggie guided me back to the stool taking the stool beside me. “I know both your dad and I wish we could have given you a normal life, one with ballet recitals and princess themed birthday parties. Instead you got karate gradings and lessons on how to field strip a weapon.”
“Maggie, you may not be my biological mother, but you are my mum. You and dad did the best with what you had, and I love my life.”
“I know you do Huni, but we didn’t equip you to deal with the important things in life. We were severely lacking in the love and romance department.”
“I think you did alright.”
“Huni the fact that you had to ask me if what you feel for Leo is real proves we didn’t.” She smiled cupping my cheek lovingly. “Tell me, what do you feel?”
“God this is so embarrassing,” I muttered burying my face in my hands.
“Just think of this conversation as all your teenage years all rolled into one,” She grinned. “Instead of having years of embarrassment and feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, you only have to suffer through a few minutes.”
I went to public school for two years until dad had a fight with the headmaster and decided I would be home schooled along with Wolf, Ace, Tank and any of the other members kids who didn’t fit in with the traditional school system. Because of this, I didn’t have a normal school life. I didn’t have girlfriends who I could do all the normal girly stuff with, like talk about boys and who I had a crush on. Tank and Wolf giggled their way through telling me about sex with the visual aid of a slutty magazine stolen from Tank’s older brother Dozer. Ace would gag if I said a boy was cute, so I just stopped talking.
“I feel stupid when Leo is around.”
“Stupid,” Maggie laughed.
“Yes stupid, it’s like he turns my brain to mush and I get all hot and giggly. I keep looking over to see if he’s watching me. I’m taking extra time in the morning to make sure my mascara and eyeliner are perfect. I’ve started wearing lip-gloss. I caught myself wondering if Leo would like my top and whether he thought my legs looked better in my black or dark blue jeans. I’m grinning all the time. I accidently picked up his tee with my towel the other day. He was already in the pool and I was going to get some sun, but Tank called me in to go over the run schedule. I found it when I dumped my towel in my room and instead of giving it back to him, I’ve kept it.” I buried my face in my hands again hiding my blushing cheeks from her view. “I’ve been sleeping in it because it smells like him.” I groaned. I took a breath feeling a deep blush spreading, my entire face burning. “Anytime you would like to kill me Ma
ggie and save me from dying of embarrassment that would be great.”
“Oh Baby, it’s worse than I thought,” Maggie sighed, her eyes sparkling.
“What is?” I groaned looking at her through my splayed fingers.
“Willow Robertson, my sweet girl, you’re in love.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Leo
It had been a quick run; the goods handed over, payment received, and everyone went their separate ways.
With the job finished everyone relaxed. Tank decided to take a detour back to the compound via the beach. The day was hot, the ocean breeze brought a welcome reprieve. We parked our bikes facing the ocean, watching the waves roll in. Tank and I would have been happy to sit watching the surfers until the moon rose, but the others bitched until we left. Pepper wanted to get back, it was getting close to dinner and Maggie would need his help. Bullet wanted to get back for the pool party that was undoubtedly underway, and Roach just kept bitching about how it was hot as fuck and he wanted to go home.
Pulling into the compound the parking lot was already full. It looks like once again my warnings to not let in anyone who just rocked up to the gate, were ignored. I didn’t want to deal with the crowd. Parties were part of club life, but they get old real-quick. Don’t get me wrong, I like a party as much as the next guy. I got sick of turning down drugs, of turning down whores, of drinking to excess.
I joined the party. Had a few drinks, played beer pong, went for a swim, ate BBQ. I did everything I was supposed to do, laughing and partying with the guys, when all I wanted to do was leave.
