Hell's Flower

by SL Schiefer

  Squeezing my hand harder than necessary, he replies, “You see, you don’t understand what parents think or do when it comes to their children. If you ever have kids, you’ll understand that no matter what you tell me, I’ll always worry for her. Especially if she’s with you.”

  He lets go of my hand after that and I turn to leave. Well, that went way better than I expected it to. Hopefully, he’ll keep to himself about who hurt him and our connection to him. Raven doesn’t need to know all of that.

  Now, on to planning on how I’m going to get my Angel back at the clubhouse.

  Chapter Twenty-One – Raven

  FOURTEEN HOURS.

  That’s how long it took from the last time I talked to Mace for him to reach out to me. Well, kind of.

  I left my dad a message early this morning, letting him know Jazz and I wouldn’t be in today. Because I had woken him before the sun even started to rise, he didn’t bombard me with questions. Dad’s always been nosy. He always supports both of us, but he likes to be kept in the loop. Hiding anything from him has always been hard, especially since we all work together on a daily basis.

  He eventually saw the bruise on my face, and that was hard enough to keep him from freaking out. “Nobody hurts my girls.” That’s his motto. He pressed for details, but eventually either bought, or caved in, and accepted the ‘bar fight’ excuse. I hate lying to him—despise it, really—but what was I supposed to say? The truth? The truth may have gotten him killed if his temper got the best of him.

  I spent the day watching comedies and eating ice cream with Jazz, snuggled up together on my couch. I don’t think her rib is broken, but I’m pretty sure it’s bruised. She’s pulled herself together like I knew she would, but I think she’s mostly embarrassed of what happened. And scared. I don’t blame her one bit. I’m scared, too.

  She threw a shit load of questions at me, wanting to know why it happened and what I knew. What the war is about and how it started. I told her everything I knew. And after all of that, she still thinks I should give Mace a chance. I’m starting to think she’s just as crazy as he is.

  Around seven tonight, Dad called me. He started off the conversation letting me know what work got done and what’s waiting first in line for tomorrow morning. Then the firing squad of questioning came at me full force. How did I know Mace? What was going on between us? Did I really know who he was and what he was about? Obviously, I stuttered and gasped. I was shocked he even knew anything about Mace and his existence in my life. When I asked him how, he stated Mace had come down to the shop to introduce himself and discuss our possible relationship. He didn’t give any specific details, but chastised me for lying to him about Jazz being jumped and my bar fight. Apparently, he respects the dedication and loyalty Mace showed, but he doesn’t like the guy and would ‘appreciate if I moved on from him.’ I’m trying. But in all honesty, the past fourteen hours have been hard not having any communication with him at all. My heart wants Mace, but my head is telling me it’s a death wish.

  ***

  Forty-eight hours.

  It’s been forty-eight hours since I’ve last talked with Mace. No texts. No calls. No surprise appearances. Nothing. I know he’s probably just trying to give me my space until I come around, but honestly, it hurts knowing he doesn’t even want to try. He’s probably forgotten all about you and is fucking some club slut. Ah! I need to hush these thoughts. He wouldn’t have gone to Dad if he was forgetting about me. Right?

  “Just call him,” Jazz groans from the couch.

  “What?” I look over at her. Her brows are pinched together, her eyes hard.

  “You’ve been staring at your damn phone for the past two fucking days, Rave. Call. Him! You know you want to.”

  “Ugh. I do! But he’s not good for me. He’s dangerous, and into some shit, and I don’t know if it’s safe for me or anyone I care about. I mean, look at you!” I wave my hand in the air, motioning to her battered face and body.

  Rolling her eyes, she grunts to sit up. “You like him, right? More than you’re willing to admit? Just because he’s dangerous doesn’t mean he’s not good for you. Your life has always been a bit… monotonous. It’s okay to live a little, Rave. He’ll keep you safe.”

  “Yeah. Like you were kept safe?” I ask sarcastically.

  “That wasn’t his fault. I was the dumbass for going off with Jake alone. Especially after what happened last time we went there. I never should have gone. Let me ask you this… Do you love him?”

  “Love him?” I snort. “No. Definitely not. It’s way too soon for heavy shit like that.”

  “Oh? I didn’t know the heart had rules. Where’d you find them?”

  “There aren’t any, I just… I mean, it’s only been… I mean, I like him, a lot, but love is just—“

  “Scary? Yeah. It can be. But it’s like that saying, ‘the heart wants what the heart wants’ and all that.” She throws me a wink.

  “When did you turn into such a sap?” I laugh as I put the soles of my feet on the edge of the couch cushion, pulling my knees to my chest.

  “When I watched my best friend be miserable for the past two days while she tried to act like she was okay to take care of me. Just think about it, okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Enough with the heavy, okay?”

  “I can do that.” She nods. “So, umm… Creep. He’s pretty hot, huh?” She grins.

  “Well, you know the President and all that. Maybe he can hook you up.”

  Laughing, we both jump at the sound of a hard knock at the door. Who the hell would be coming here? Everyone normally calls first. And by everyone, I mean Luke and Dad. Getting up, I march over to the door, pausing before looking through the peephole. I hesitate, contemplating on whether opening the door would be a smart move.

  “Who is it?” Jazz whispers as my eyes are glued to the door handle.

  Ignoring her, I take a deep breath and swing the door open. Please don’t let this be a mistake.

  Chapter Twenty-Two – Mace

  SEEING HER STANDING just a foot away, knowing I can’t touch her, is like a punch to the gut. I’m not a real patient guy, so the fact that I’ve stayed away for a couple days should make me a saint. Her eyes widen as she sees the guys behind me.

  “You had to come with reinforcements? What are you planning?” she asks wearily. I look past her to make sure Jazz is still here with her. Once I make eye contact with her, I turn around to Creep and give him a nod.

  He walks briskly past me into the house and has a hushed conversation with Jazz, leaving me on the porch to explain to this stubborn-ass woman what is going to happen.

  “Are you going to invite me in or do you want to have this conversation out here?” I raise an eyebrow and observe as she chews on her lips nervously. After a few beats of her deciding, she stands back to let me in.

  “Who is this guy?” She throws her thumb in the direction of Drill.

  “This guy is going to be your personal bodyguard. If I can’t be with you, since you refuse to stay in one fucking spot, he will accompany you to wherever you need to go.”

  “Does he come in here or is he going to sit out there all night looking suspicious?” she asks, near the door, unsure whether to close it or not.

  “For right now, he’s going to stay outside, unless you want him to know our business?” I get my answer when she slams the door shut. She stalks into the living room area and sits down on a chair, making sure to sit in a place that will put some space between us.

  “Hey, Rave… I’m going to go back to the clubhouse with Creep,” Jazz interrupts our staring contest. She starts to gather all of her things that have been thrown carelessly around the living room.

  “Can you stay out of trouble this time?” my Angel asks, only half joking. I’m sure there is genuine concern for her friend, even though she lets her walk out of the house with a guy she probably assumes is just like Jake.

  “Hey! How about you try to keep your ass out of trouble! Or get in
trouble, don’t forget to live!” Jazz lets out on a huff. Oookay. Apparently, I’m on the outside of an inside joke.

  The door closes behind them as Jazz and Creep leave the house. Sitting in silence, I stare at Raven. She’s trying her best to look everywhere but at me.

  “Angel, we have a lot we need to talk about.”

  She finally focuses her attention on me, fixing me with a stare that makes me feel like she sees right through me. “And what do you think we really need to talk about?”

  “Well, somewhere in all this, even after I explained you were mine, you still left. And since you refuse to listen to me, I’m coming to you. We’ll play by your rules for right now, and only for right now. But the muscle will stay. No matter what argument you can throw at me, you will not change my mind.”

  Again with the staring. “I’ll be staying here, as well, to keep an extra eye out in case anything were to happen.”

  “So mister tough guy biker has feelings?”

  I place a hand over my chest in mock hurt. “I’m thrilled you think of me that way,” I say with sarcasm dripping from my voice.

  Raven hops up from the couch and starts to walk to her bedroom but pauses at the opening of the hallway. She looks over her shoulder and says, “You can sleep on the couch. I will lock my door if you think you’re coming anywhere near my room.”

  I smile at the “concession” she thinks she’s giving me. Even if she locks her door, I will be sleeping next to her every night. She’ll have to get creative to keep me out.

  ***

  A couple hours later, I bribed Raven to come out on a bike ride with me. I didn’t really give her details about where we’re going, but I figured it’s time for me to finish my tattoo. When I pull up to the front of the tattoo shop, she hops off the back of my bike and hangs the helmet off of one of the handlebars.

  “You getting a new tattoo?” She eyes the front of the building with distaste.

  “No, I’m getting one finished. Actually, it’s one that got interrupted because of you and Jazz.”

  “What? How did we interrupt you getting a tattoo?’ Her nose is wrinkled in confusion. That just makes her look adorable.

  I smile. “When you guys tried sneaking into the back of the club, I got called to come take care of you guys. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of getting this tattoo done.” Leaving the key, I get off my bike, knowing no one in their right mind would dare touch her.

  Grabbing her hand, I lace my fingers through hers, leading her to the front of the shop. I usher her in the door first and when Bub sees me, a giant smile ends up on his face.

  “Mace, dude, you’re finally gettin' your ass back in here to finish the ink? It’s about god damned time! Come on back. And who is this pretty little thing you got with you tonight?” He eyes Raven up like he’s looking at his last meal.

  I growl and my Angel turns and gives me a bemused look. “Keep your eyeballs in your motherfucking head or I will rip them out myself. It would be shame, since you need eyes to be able to do your job.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Whatever, hardass. Just get the fuck in my chair so we can finally get your tat done.” He turns, shaking his head at me.

  Rolling my eyes, I place my hand on the small of Raven’s back, walking in the direction of Bub’s room. There is an extra chair already situated in the room, so I tell Raven she can sit there. I pull my leather off and hang it on the back the chair. When I pull my shirt off, I make sure I’m standing right in front of her so she has no choice but to look at what she’s missing out on.

  No way am I going to make it easy on her.

  When I fold the shirt in half and hand it to her, she has her lip in between her teeth and she’s looking to the right of the little room. I just chuckle at her obvious attempt at trying to ignore me.

  “Alright, man. Sit down. No one needs to see your body on display. You make me look like a gorilla when you’re in here.” That gets a reaction out of her; she smiles at him.

  “Yeah, yeah. You remember what we’re doing?”

  “Do you think I’ve ever forgotten anything I’ve drawn up or planned? Fuck off.”

  I sit down in the chair that reminds me suspiciously of a dentist’s chair and place my arm on the arm rest he’s attached for me.

  After he’s done getting everything ready and sterilized, he picks up his gun and dips it in the bright red ink and starts filling in the letters on my arm.

  Leaning my head back, I get lost in the high the needle provides. I don’t know how much time has passed before Raven speaks.

  “What does it say?” she asks with her attention on my arm.

  “Non Ducor Duco. It means I am not led, I lead,” I tell her without opening my eyes to look at her.

  “That seems fitting. Have you always been one to do your own thing, or is that just recent?” My Angel is full of questions now.

  I open my eyes, turn my head toward her, and decide to open up to her a little more about life growing up in an MC. “With my dad being the former President, it was always assumed I would take over for him. So I was taught at an early age to not be a follower. My dad had high expectations for me, and clearly that hasn’t stopped, because he’s still meddling even when his expertise is no longer needed.”

  The gun stops humming for a minute for Bub to grab more ink, making it seem oddly quiet in this little room.

  “Did you ever resent your dad for raising you in this life?” Her attention is solely on me now. And now that I have her focusing on me, I can show her she doesn’t need to be afraid of me.

  “Yes. A lot more than I care to admit. He ran the club in a bad way, and there is a certain level of illegal activities we’re expected to participate in now because of him. When I took over as President, I weeded out a lot of the shit I didn’t like. Turning stuff around to where we still make money but we don’t hurt people in the process. The only people who get hurt are the ones who deserve it.”

  She blinks a couple times, trying to decide on what question to ask next, but surprises me when she doesn’t ask one.

  Raven reaches her hand out and grabs on to my free one. “You put on this great act for everyone you’re around every day. I saw it for the little time I was at the club with you. When you’re in “president mode” you have this aura of authority surrounding you. But when you’re with me, you let your guard down. You’ve shown me exactly who you are beneath being a badass biker. You’re extremely rough around the edges, but your heart is always in the right place, even though you don’t go about things in the right way.”

  She is shocked just as much as I when Bub laughs at her; she seemed to have forgotten he was there.

  “This boy sure does have a lot to learn about wooing the ladies. Maybe I can teach him a thing or two for you, sweetheart.” He winks at her then gets back to inking my arm.

  “You know, I just may have to take you up on your offer,” she tells him and they both laugh at my expense.

  Not wanting to lend any more to the conversation, I lean my head against the headrest with my eyes closed, perfectly content in this moment to allow them to talk if they choose.

  This girl continues to blow me away at every turn. I know she isn’t going to make this all that easy on me. I’ll just have to pull out the romance tricks on her.

  Chapter Twenty-Three – Raven

  OH MY GOD. I’m so freakin’ hot right now. Did one of those fools turn the damn heat on during the night or something? My head is a bit foggy, but my internal clock’s alarm says it’s time to get up. Wiping sleep from my eyes, I roll to my back. That’s when I feel the strength of an arm squeeze my waist.

  I scream and try to jump out of the bed, but his hold is too strong. When I let my eyes roam to the left of me, I not only hear Mace laughing, but I see him with a bemused expression. What the fuck?

  “Didn’t I lock the door? I’m pretty sure I locked the door,” I mumble, answering myself.

  “Yes, it was. And yes, you did.” He laughs again.

>   “So what the hell are you doing in here? You should have taken that as your cue that you weren’t wanted in here,” I snap. Does he not know what boundaries are? Does he think that rules don’t apply to him? Of course he doesn’t.

  “I’ll never tell my secrets,” he grins. “And I know you don’t mean that, Angel. Your body reacts to me just as much as mine does to yours. Your head is telling you this is a bad idea, but I know you well enough to know that’s not where your heart is.” His fingertips are tracing lazy circles from hip to hip, causing my skin to break out with goose bumps. If I’m honest with myself, part of me is glad he slept next to me last night, but the other part of me is pissed he didn’t listen.

  Removing his hand from my body, I quickly jump out of bed before he can grab me back again. “Mace! You can’t do that! It’s not fair, and it’s not cool.”

  “All is fair in love and war, Angel.” He tosses a wink at me.

  “You’re impossible,” I groan as I head to my dresser to grab my workout clothes. I slip into the bathroom and slip on my yoga shorts and a workout bra. As soon as I step out into the bedroom, I swear I can hear the drool from his mouth drip onto the bed.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Jazz and I signed up for a pole dancing class.”

  “What? Pole dancing? Oh, hell no!”

  “Excuse me?” Turning toward him, I cross my arms over my chest and pop an eyebrow in his direction. “Since when do I take orders from you?”

  “Right fucking now. You are not pole dancing in front of other people. If you want to do shit like that, I’ll buy you a damn pole and you can do it for me, not strangers!” He’s fuming. His face is beet red and a vein that I’m pretty sure is ready to burst protrudes from his neck. I can’t help but laugh.

  “What is so damn funny?” he growls.

  “Chill out, Mace. It’s a workout class down at my gym. I’ll be back in about an hour and a half.”