by Sierra Rose
Bringing the bike to a full halt, I stopped outside of the garage. There was nothing identifiable about the place to an outsider’s eye. It was a run-down garage with a green door that was in desperate need of a paint job. On the door, just above the handle, a black clover had been painted there the day we got it. It matched the one on my wrist from our first night of actually speaking to one another. So many years in high school of passing each other and wanting to talk, but never saying a fucking thing.
Such a waste.
As I climbed off Lucky’s bike, I adjusted my brown leather jacket and shivered against the chilly morning air. I pulled out a set of keys from my pocket, inserting a long gold key into the lock and turning slowly as I smiled. I was silly, but I felt like I was getting to unwrap some grand and glorious package each time I visited the place.
After stepping inside, I hung the keys up on a hook on the wall and glanced around. It smelled like Lucky’s cologne and appeared as a cozy bike shop with a small office tucked into the back. I unlocked the garage door and swung it open with more force than was necessary. It groaned in protest.
Looking both ways, I wheeled the bike inside, making sure no one was watching me. Sure enough, the coast was clear. Securing the bike, I took a seat behind the office desk, and planted my feet on the surface. I couldn’t help but glance over at a framed photograph of me and Lucky from a few years back. It was a picture we’d taken out at the lake together, his arms tightly around my waist and face pressed into the crook of my neck. We’d been through a lot together, and although it felt like there was a maelstrom brewing because of my choices, I had a feeling we’d come out of the storm stronger. I knew that no matter how hard it was going to be to bring my father’s organization down, I was going to have to be the one to do it.
Lucky and his best friend, Dane had been cooking up a plan for years, but only in the last two had I gotten involved. I had no choice after some of the heinous shit my father exposed me to during my pledging period. There was no way I could allow him to continue to take and take from the good people of Pleasant Valley. It was time to stand up, and I was honestly scared shitless.
My thoughts took me miles away from the cozy garage where I rested, and it wasn’t until my cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket that I was pulled from my daydreams.
Romeo: You sure did it now, didn’t ya? ;)
Quickly, I texted Lucky back with a big grin on my face.
Juliet: Didn’t have a choice. One of the bar tarts spotted me, so I had to think of a way that me being there wouldn’t come back on you.
Romeo: Well it worked. They’re all assembled outside your Dad’s club.
Juliet: Business as usual. You know where I am. Find me when you’re done.
Romeo: Bye, baby girl
Juliet: Later
Chapter 5
LUCKY
“C’mon Lucky!” Rusty yelled as he gave me an amused look. “You can ride in the bitch seat!”
Rolling my eyes, I followed the old man out, quite mortified that I had to ride shotgun on Rusty's bike until I reclaimed my own hog.
“I guess it beats riding in the cage,” I grumbled out loud, referring to my aversion to riding inside of a car. My mood darkened as I followed Rusty and took my place beside him.
The ride over was pleasant and I had to keep reminding myself not to smirk or chuckle too much. Thank God I had a helmet on, or everyone would have been poking me to better understand the humor I was feeling. I was too old for Selene’s shit, and yet knowing that she would do it forever was something I couldn’t help but treasure. The pretty thing was going to keep me young at heart, no doubt.
We pulled up to the back of the Black Hearts’ oversized clubhouse as Viper moved to the front of the pack.
“Yo, Delgado!” Viper yelled out. “We got business!”
All of the Stone Wolves had assembled in the parking lot of the Black Heart Motorcycle Club. Some sat on their bikes, revving their engines, others stood at the front line, waiting for the onslaught to come.
A few moments passed, but no one opened the front door of the clubhouse.
“What the fuck? Is no one home?” I asked, knowing full well that Rafael Delgado hurried for no man.
“Yellow bellies!” Rusty howled, trying to bait Delgado and his Black Hearts out of their club.
Rusty always seemed to know what he was doing though, because just a few seconds later, the front door of the Black Heart clubhouse flew open with none other than Rafael Delgado darkening the doorway.
Rafael was a businessman first, and a biker by night. Stepping out of the doorway in a sharp black suit and a crimson red tie, Rafael had a cold look in his eyes. With a wave of his hand, ten of his men flooded from the doorway.
The men were all Delgados, and all slightly unhinged in their own right. I often wondered if the insanity gene skipped the women in the Delgado family, because as crazy as Selene’s father, uncles and cousins are, Selene and her grandmother are just the opposite.
Sure they were feisty, but they had to be. Selene and her grandmother, Flora, or Grandma, as Selene referred to her, were kind and looked out for people, but they knew how to stick up for themselves, too.
I wasn't sure how Selene's mother had been. She had died tragically and even though I’d questioned my girl about it, she was rather tight-lipped on the subject. Something told me that her momma’s death had more to do with her father than even she was aware of. All I knew for sure about her mother was that Selene had inherited her mother's bright green eyes.
Where the Stone Wolves were brash and loud, the Black Hearts sly and lethal. They were not men that you wanted to sneak up on you. Strike first, hit hard, and move fast, because if you didn’t, they’d get you when you least expected it.
With a bemused smirk on his face, Rafael Delgado surveyed the crowd.
“Business? What business? All I see are a bunch of grease monkeys in desperate need of a shower,” Rafael said snidely.
The Stone Wolves were chomping at the bit for a piece of Ralph. Surrounded by ten of his nephews, Rafael didn’t seem to fear the men who stood before him in the least. I hated the bastard.
Gabriel, Paz and Elec Delgado stormed the crowd, shit talking and throwing shade toward any Stone Wolf that looked their way.
“Numbers a little low, Ralph? Whatsamatter… Can’t keep your club manned?” Blade asked, baring his crooked teeth in a cold smile.
Rafael laughed as he glared out at the crowd. Stretching his neck, Rafael adjusted his silk tie before acknowledging Blade’s question.
“Well, Blade…” Rafael began, saying Richard Pike’s nickname with disdain. “Some of us actually have to work to keep our families afloat. Not that any of you heathens know shit about that, seeing as how you all camp out in that warehouse you call a club.”
“Work? Is that what you call it?! Peddlin’ drugs in Soko?!” I snapped, needing to remind him what a piece of shit he really was.
Despite my ties to Rafael’s daughter, there was no way I was holding my tongue when it came to Selene’s father’s shady dealings, which include dealing drugs in South Kohl, a neighboring mountain town.
“Well, Lucky,” Ralph said, spitting out my name as if it was bad medicine. “Last time I checked, what I do to keep cash flowing through my club is none of your fucking business.”
“Thought you said family…”
“My club is my family!”
Never mind the welfare of your daughter, asshole.
“It is my business when teenage girls and boys are going missing and kids barely old enough to drive are OD’ing off of your supply of bad crank!” I spouted back as fury rose up inside of me.
Rafael glared at me with intensity as he took a deep breath. His nearly black eyes held a death glare that could cause most grown men to shit themselves. He could truly be a scary man when he was pissed off, but I’d never backed down from a fight, especially not when Selene’s old man was involved.
“You got no
proof! Don’t come pointin’ your dirty fingers at me and my club! I’m a businessman! Unless you come to me ready to handle business and hand over the rights to your club, fuck off! What my clients do with my product once they have paid for it is none of my business!” Rafael snapped snidely. “Now what is it that you sorry pack of grease monkeys want from me?! Hurry up. Time is money and you’re fucking wastin’ mine.”
“You can forget about the rights to the club,” Rigg called out. “We're not for sale, and neither is our clubhouse.”
“Seriously, Delgado. Haven't you noticed by now? We're not going anywhere,” griped Rusty. He shook his head with disdain. The old man gripped the handles of his ape hanger tightly and let out a disgusted sigh.
Despite their strong show of arms, the Black Hearts still managed to surprise us.
I stiffened as Alec pushed a gun to the back of my head while several of the raunchy bastard’s cousins held up random members of the Stone Wolves. Mateo held a knife to Rusty Grier’s neck, which was a bit more than concerning, and Blade went fist to fist with Santino Delgado.
“So again, I ask, what the hell do you heathens want from me? I have a business to run!” Rafael Delgado demanded, the cool on his face breaking way to a sinister glare.
“You have something of ours!” Blade called out.
Rafael scoffed as the other members of the Black Heart MC laughed loudly.
“Somehow, I doubt that!” Rafael said with a cruel laugh. “You have nothing of value to me!”
Several members of the Stone Wolves snarled. I thrashed in Elec’s grip, trying to break free. Baring my teeth, I growled at my girlfriend’s father and imagined the day when I could set Selene free from his hold on her.
Rafael chuckled as if he just remembered a private joke.
“So you see, fellas… I don’t need a fully packed club at 9 a.m. to keep you boy scouts under control!”
“Oh, fuck off, Ralph! Where’s Lucky’s bike?” Knife screamed, his fury breaking free of its cage.
“Yeah!” Rusty hollered, cosigning his President’s demand.
Rafael looked at the Stone Wolves with a confused look on his face.
“I have no idea what you crazy sons of bitches are talking about!” Rafael admitted.
Cut the shit, Delgado!” Snake yelled out from the crowd with a hostile look on his face. His face was red with anger, and the look in his eyes foretold his intent to maim a Black Heart or two.
“Do you believe this guy?!” Rusty said to me and Snake as he shook his head in disgust.
“No really,” Rafael continued. “I have no fucking clue what you pansies have your panties in a bunch about. We don’t have Lucky’s broken down piece of shit bike. We have a whole warehouse full of pristine, just waxed Harleys… What the fuck would I want his bike for? Elec… Santino… Do you know anything about this?”
Both men shrugged their shoulders; they wore the same confused look as their uncle.
“Your daughter lifted Lucky’s bike right out of our parking lot this morning!” Rip Hegelman roared at Rafael.
“My daughter?” Rafael laughed as he dismissed the men. He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and chuckled darkly. “My sweet Selene?” Rafael asked with an amused look on his face. His smile curved up into an evil smirk.
“Sweet! Ha!” Blade bellowed in laughter.
Sweet as a Georgia peach, Blade. Better watch your mouth. I bit my tongue to keep my mouth from flying open and telling Blade where he could shove his statement.
Keep it together, Luck. Don't be an idiot.
“My little bella rosa is in classes all day long. She’s studying to become a doctor. She’s so smart, she could run circles around all of you.”
“Clearly she can run circles ‘round you, too, because she wasn’t in no classroom this morning!” Rip responded gruffly.
“Are we done here? I have business to tend to… and I’m sure you all have a hoopty to fix.”
“No! Not til you give us his bike!” Rusty yelled.
“He don’t have my bike. Clearly,” I said. “This shit will come out in the wash. You’ll see…”
“What about your bike?” Rusty asked in an exhausted tone of voice.
“I’ll just borrow one of Ralph’s,” I said quietly with a wink. I had a plan. I always had a plan.
We watched as Rafael retreated back inside his club with his nephews at his back. Santino tucked his gun back inside his holster as he pulled on his pressed shirt collar.
“Later, losers…” he said in an arrogant tone.
As the last of the Delgados crept inside, I skulked off to the back of the clubhouse. Approaching a potted plant at the back of the property, I fished out a set of keys. On the purple keychain, was the name Selene in bright white letters. With a devious smirk on my face, I twirled the key ring on the tip of his index finger as I shot a brazen look at Rusty and Blade.
They laughed quietly as they kept watch, making sure none of Delgado’s men were standing watch. Ninety seconds is all it took for me to get in and out. As the garage door lifted, I ripped out of the warehouse on the back of Selene’s bright pink motorcycle.
My brothers in arms howled in laughter. Rip doubled over, his stomach hurting from laughing so hard. It had to be funny as hell. Seeing me, with my tough-guy appearance and burly attitude, straddling a hot pink Harley. It was just too much for the men to handle. Even I had to smirk a bit.
“Oh, Selene. Just wait,” I muttered and drove out of the parking lot atop Selene’s bike. As I roared out of sight, the front door of the Black Heart Motorcycle Club burst open as the Delgados bolted out.
At the top of his lungs, Pax Delgado screamed, “Mother fucker! Just wait, Lucky! We’ll see how lucky you feel when we’re done with ya!”
Chapter 6
Selene
There had to be an amused look on my face as I pecked at the keys of my white MacBook Air. The thoughts racing through my mind were comical at best. Just thinking through how in the world Lucky would get himself out of the mess I’d caused was hilarious. My manicured nails clicked against the keys as the incredible feeling of rising victoriously to the top filled me up. I tapped my foot along to the beat of the radio as Third Eye Blind belted out “Semi-Charmed Life.”
That’s what this is, for sure. A semi-charmed, semi-fucked up life.
Continuing to type at my laptop, I was quite happy with the progress of my plan as it began to unfold. My father wasn’t the least bit wiser about my willingness to help Dane and Lucky in their plan to stop his nefarious reign. My online journal wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to have, but I wanted a record of everything to remind me of where I’d come from and where I was going.
I am the daughter of the king. Rafael “King Pin” Delgado is equal parts business man, Mafioso, and MC boss. He is handsome, charming and lethal. My father is not a man you want to cross, but as I type this, I’m doing exactly that. I’m betraying his wishes. I’m walking away from the family that raised me. I’m walking away from the family that broke this town.
I’m supposed to be in a classroom thirty-five minutes away. Instead, I’m here at the garage connecting puzzle pieces to Pleasant Valley’s violence problem. The equation is simple. Remove the violent MC’s, remove the crime. Violent crime would plummet without the MC’s in town. It wasn’t so much the Stone Wolves. They acted solely to protect the town, and irritate the Black Hearts. Solving that problem wouldn’t be quiet so easy.
I have to keep my guard up. My father and cousins can’t find out what I’m doing. If they ever called the school to access my student records, I’d be screwed. I never so much as stepped foot onto East Stroudsburg University’s campus, let alone cracked a book. The money and my time went towards more important endeavors. They can’t find out. They wouldn’t understand. They would think I betrayed them. I guess in a way I am betraying them. I love my family. I hate the things they do, though. They are bad men and they do terrible things. People have gotten hurt. Pe
ople have gotten killed. Families have fractured. The town has been broken. If I ever hope to have a family of my own, and raise my children in Pleasant Valley, I need to clean up after my family. I need to fix what the Delgados have done to this town.
My father has no idea of my plan. He thinks he has a strong grip on the President’s gavel. Truth be told, he only has a matter of a year or two before one of my greedy cousins overpower him. That would be breaking the chain of command, though. The President’s seat always goes to the next of kin. Hate to break it to you boys, but that would be me… And I have no plans of keeping up the family business of peddling drugs through this town.
The sweet purr of a motorcycle revved outside the garage causing my heart to race. It would be Lucky; it had to be. I smiled at the sound of the engine purring softly. It was my damn bike he had. I’d know the hum of my baby anywhere. I broke out in laughter as the garage door rolled up to see Lucky standing there on my Barbie pink Harley. Pursing my lips, I cooed at the sexy mother fucker.
“Mmmm…. Lookin’ good there, baby,” I said slyly and bit down on my well-glossed bottom lip.
With a broad smile on his handsome face, Lucky shook his head as he wheeled the bike inside. He parked it next to his vintage Harley, and gave me a piercing look.
“What am I gonna do with you?” Lucky asked with a mischievous expression.
“Something naughty I hope,” I said and awarded him a quick wink.
He approached me without saying another word, but the look in his dark gaze told me that I was in for a world of hurt. He bit down onto his bottom lip, and let his eyes move down the length of me slowly as he let out a low groan. “So bad…” he scolded me.
“That’s right. Baddest bitch in the land,” I said as I reached for him and pulled him in tightly. Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed my breasts to his chest and lifted up on my toes to press my lips against his. The kiss was sweet and soft, but quickly turned into something incredibly intimate as the hunger built between us.
