by Jessie Cooke
“What is this about?” he asked Jimmy. “Where’s Cody?”
“Out back…unless he decided to take off while I was looking for you.”
“Take off where? Is this about Macy?”
“No. This is about something a lot more serious.” Jimmy looked around the crowded room and said, “But we have to talk about it in private, Dax. I’m sorry.”
“Get Cody and meet me in the meeting room. You’ve got ten minutes and this better be worth my time.”
Jimmy only nodded and went to get Cody. Dax sighed and headed for the meeting room. Sometimes he felt like he was running a ranch for wayward kids, and it drove him fucking crazy. He wished just once he could walk away from one of them and let them handle their own shit. Angel kept telling him the fact that he couldn’t meant he’d be a good dad someday. Taking care of the messes these little shits kept getting themselves into made him wonder if being a dad was ever something he wanted to be.
He’d just sat down at the head of the table when Jimmy and Cody came in. Jimmy was still on crutches. Dax had been down one man in the small circle of people he trusted on this deal with Mayhem, thanks to Jimmy’s hot head. Now as he looked at Cody’s face, Dax knew he was in for something else that would rock the boat hard enough to throw a few people over. “Close the door and sit down and start talking,” he said. Cody dropped down into one of the seats. He looked like he was about to be sick. Jimmy closed the door and hobbled over to take a seat a few away from Cody. “What’s going on?”
Jimmy looked at Cody and when he didn’t start talking Jimmy said, “Cody might be in some trouble.”
Dax rolled his eyes. If he had a fucking dollar for every time he’d heard that in the past fifteen years he’d be a fucking millionaire. “What kind of trouble?” Jimmy opened his mouth again and all it took was a look from Dax for him to close it. He stared hard at Cody and said, “Talk!”
“I killed someone.”
Dax hadn’t been expecting that. He thought the kid might have gotten a DUI or even had one of the girls, maybe Macy, knocked up. “You killed who?” he said, with all the patience he could muster.
“Stitch.”
“Fuck! Irish Mayhem Stitch? Liam’s sergeant at arms?”
“Yes.”
“You stupid little bastard! What the fuck did you do?” Dax rarely talked to anyone that way, much less Cody. Cody was like his son, and Dax wasn’t into verbal abuse. But he could envision all his plans going up in smoke, thanks to some fool-headed idea Cody got into his head, and he was pissed.
Cody started talking, and it was all Dax could do to keep himself from getting up and kicking the boy’s ass. Cody had made a deal with Stitch, without talking to Dax about it. He lied to Dax about his intentions with his friend Brew and his father, and then of course when things went all bad, he used his fists…and now he had more blood on his young hands. Worst of all, once again Dax would have to clean it up or his club would suffer for it. When Cody got to the part where he and Scalper were back at the clubhouse, he stopped talking. Dax was still staring at him. He could see the emotions running amok on Cody’s face and in his big, hazel eyes. He looked so young to Dax sometimes. When Dax was twenty-four he was running the club, and doing a kick-ass job of it. But he had to remember that Cody was still emotionally and mentally the same age he was when he got locked up. Dax was dealing with a teenager. He at least took some comfort in the fact that Cody seemed remorseful. He was at least not dealing with a sociopathic teenager.
“So what now?” Dax asked him, calmly.
Dax could see the vein in Cody’s temple and the one in his throat both pulsing wildly. The poor kid would probably sit there and have a heart attack, or piss his pants if Dax made him sit there long enough. He was a kid in a man’s body and he didn’t know how to handle that. “I don’t know,” Cody said. “I’m sorry, Dax. I’m sorry I’m an idiot.”
“You are. You’re a fucking idiot and you may have just ruined the biggest deal this club has ever seen. What the hell happens when Liam and the rest of those guys out there find out you killed one of theirs? Should I put this club at risk to defend you? Or should I hand you over to them to do with as they see fit?”
“I don’t want the club at risk for me,” Cody said, softly.
“Then you shouldn’t have put me in this position! You have been around here your whole life, Cody. You know that we work as a team. We do not go off half-cocked on our own and try and take on the fucking world. Everything you do, short of taking a shit and fucking a club girl, should be run by me! That’s why I wear this patch! This is a club, not a fucking solo flight! What is it about that you don’t understand?”
“I understand it,” he said, still softly. He hadn’t been looking at Dax, but he raised his head and looked the president in the eyes and said, “But I can’t stop thinking about that man, living his life, after what he had done to my brother.”
“Then you should have come to me. You think you can take on Johnny O’Toole by yourself? You’ll end up just like Keller.”
Cody’s face went from remorseful to angry as he said, “I did come to you a long time ago and you made promises to me that you never kept!”
Dax gritted his teeth. “I told you we had those men in our sights…the ones you went off on your own to kill. You got in the way, Cody, and after that I had to change my focus. Getting close enough to O’Toole to take him out was less important than making sure his guys didn’t get close enough to you in prison to do the same. If I had gone after him while you were locked up, it would have only made things worse for you.”
Cody continued to stare at him, but Dax could see that he was trying to process what he was telling him. Dax wanted O’Toole as much as, or maybe even more than, Cody did. He had old scores to settle with him, even before what he’d had done to Keller. But O’Toole wasn’t the kind of guy you just walked in and took out. He had a fucking army protecting him and a police force or two on his payroll. Something like that would take a lot of men and a lot of money and a lot of planning. None of which Dax had while Cody was locked up. They were in a war then with another club—money and men were tight to non-existent, and the time to pull a plan together the same. He hadn’t forgotten about Keller and he never turned his back on Cody, and it pissed him off that the boy thought he had. Finally, Cody said:
“I’m sorry, Dax.”
“That’s a start. Now, I’m going to tell you exactly what to do, what to say, and how to act until my deal with the Irish Mayhem is finished and they’re gone and the police finish sniffing around, trying to solve the murder of a man they don’t give a shit about, okay?” Cody nodded, and Dax proceeded to tell him and Jimmy what he needed from them. He knew Jimmy would do what he said, exactly, to the letter. He’d worked hard to prove himself and he’d turned into an asset. Cody was the wild card, but one that Dax just couldn’t seem to toss out of the deck. If he screwed this up, however, it might just mean the ruination of them all.
25
Cody somehow managed to make it through the rest of the day and night without having anything more to drink and without losing it. About dinnertime Liam began to get worried about where Stitch was at. He wasn’t answering his phone and he should have shown up hours ago. “Mitch, Gunner,” he told two of his guys, “Ride out to that Roadside Inn and find out what’s up.” Cody cut his eyes over at Dax, but his face was completely neutral. Cody wondered if he’d ever learn to be so calm and cool under pressure like that. He doubted it.
“Did he have a meeting out there, or…?” Dax asked.
“He was supposed to be meeting with an old friend,” Liam said. “He asked me a week ago if he could set it up. Since it was at a motel I figured she was some married piece maybe, you know?” Dax nodded. “I’m sure he’s fine,” Liam continued. “Stitch is one of the meanest, toughest guys I’ve got. Let’s not interrupt the party for it.” He still looked worried, and Dax still had that cool, neutral look on his face. Cody was afraid to look at either of
them, for fear that his face would give something away.
Dax hollered at everyone to eat then. Some of the guys had helped Tank and they’d barbecued up a feast of ribs, tri-tip, chicken, and hot links. Tank had made up a bunch of side dishes and everything looked delicious, but Cody didn’t have an appetite. When everyone seemed distracted enough, he slipped out the back and took his phone out of his pocket.
Less than an hour later he was in the shop with Harley and she was on her knees with his throbbing cock in her mouth. Yeah, he thought, this was what he needed in order to relax and damn, she was good. “Jesus, Harley, where the hell did you learn how to suck a dick like that?” She mumbled something around his cock and he pressed the hand he had on the back of her head in tighter. He didn’t want her to answer his question, he wanted her to keep doing what she was doing, especially when she reached up with her hands and used them to massage his balls. He groaned and leaned further back into the wall. He closed his eyes for a while and just let the pleasure of her hot, wet mouth and tongue consume him. It was better than a fucking Valium.
When she took a break to breathe, she still didn’t stop completely. She moved her mouth up and covered his stomach with soft licks, nibbles, and kisses. Cody took her hands in his and guided her up his chest, slowly. He liked her mouth on him. She was so damned sexy. When she was all the way up on her feet he smiled at her and slid his hand down the front of her and slipped it under the little black skirt she was wearing. He wasn’t surprised when he touched her wet pussy. She wasn’t wearing underwear. She’d come as soon as he texted, knowing exactly what he wanted…he wasn’t sure how he got so lucky, but he was damned sure going to enjoy it. He rubbed her wet lips with his fingers and then slipped one finger up inside of her. Her moans were like music to his ears. He loved the sound of it. “Mm…I need to be in there.”
“Yes, you do,” she said with a wink. “Trade me places.”
Cody stepped away from the wall, and Harley faced it and flipped up the back of her skirt. Her ass was perfect—Cody grabbed a handful of it and massaged while he just admired it for a few seconds. Then he slid his hands under her shirt and up to her bra. He unhooked it and slipped his hands around in front to take hold of two handfuls of gorgeous, firm tit. Her nipples were hard as rocks and pressed into his palms as he massaged and kneaded them. She whimpered and he took one of the nipples between his thumb and forefinger and tweaked it, hard. She whimpered louder and pushed her ass back into him and wiggled it. She wanted him inside of her, and Cody was happy to oblige. He took his cock in one hand and reached down and opened her up with the fingers of the other. He let himself slide into her slowly, enjoying every delicious inch of her as she took him in. He started fucking her then, and each time he pushed forward, she would push back. She reached up underneath them, between their legs, and once again began to manipulate and massage his balls. Being with her was like being with two or three women at once. Between her mouth, hands, and pussy, she was always working his body from different angles, and it was like an explosion of sensations that overrode everything else in his brain. Who would have thought his homely little friend would have turned out to be a beautiful, sexy, sensational lover? Not Cody, that’s for sure.
She slid her hand up from his balls and found her own clit. As she rubbed it, she moved faster and urged him to fuck her harder. He loved how into it she was, and it turned him on like crazy for her to rub herself. Cody leaned his body into her and kissed across the exposed part of her neck and shoulder. She reached back with her free hand and grabbed his head, pressing it into her neck harder. He started to suck and bite, and she started making those crazy, sexy animal noises he loved so much. She rubbed her clit harder and he moved his hips faster, and it wasn’t long before she screamed out in ecstasy and, only seconds later, his whole body convulsed with a mind-blowing orgasm. He had to reach out over her head and press his hand into the wall to stay upright; his knees were shaking like crazy. They were both out of breath, and Harley was the one that straightened up first and let Cody’s cock slide out of her. He missed being inside of her immediately. She was becoming addictive. Cody was sure that was all bad, considering who her boyfriend was…but when he was naked with her, he didn’t care.
Once they were both upright she slipped up on her toes and pressed her lips into his. They kissed, deeply, and when she pulled back she said, “Sorry it’s just a quickie tonight. Kyle will be home soon and we have dinner plans.”
Cody wasn’t sure how he felt about that. This was all so new and strange to him. But he didn’t want to do or say anything that would guarantee she wouldn’t come the next time he texted her so he just nodded, kissed her lips again, and said, “Thank you for coming. Quick or not, it was fucking fantastic.”
She smiled broadly. “For me too,” she said. With another quick peck and a shimmy to straighten out her skirt, she was off to get into the Mustang she was still “borrowing” from her uncle and head back to her boyfriend…the cop.
Jimmy stood to the side with his new vest on with the Southside Skulls patch in all its glory where the prospect patch had formerly been, as Cody slipped on his new one. It was denim, not leather, and it said “Prospect” in the big circle on the back; there was a small patch on the front that identified the club. At that moment, Cody let everything go for just a few seconds. All his life he’d looked forward to this moment. He’d always imagined Keller would be there and even though he wouldn’t exactly approve, he’d be proud. He looked around at all the faces in the crowd around him now and his eyes landed on Macy. She was smiling at him and clapping along with the rest of them. He smiled back at her. The sex with Harley was incredible and hot and addictive, but it hadn’t changed the way he felt about Macy. She would probably always be the one that he wanted most, even if she was always the one that got away.
After the little ceremony was over, everyone bought Jimmy drinks while Cody was shown how to make them. He was a prospect now and he’d have to spend his days and nights doing what he was told to do by the other guys in the club. The only thing that would supersede that would be when Dax told him to do something. Cody hoped that would happen for him as much as it seemed to for Jimmy. Dax trusted Jimmy and he didn’t think he was an idiot. Cody hoped he would think as highly of him someday. He knew that he’d have to prove himself, and he thought that he was ready to do that.
“Hey kid,” Cody was torn from his thoughts by the sound of Liam’s voice. “Where’s that friend of yours, the Commie?”
Cody looked around. He didn’t see Brew or Scalper, either one. He wondered if they’d left and if they did, how did Scalper explain it to Brew? “I don’t know,” he told Liam. He had to yell over the loud music that was playing now. People were dancing and a few of them looked like the might be fucking, to the sounds of heavy metal.
“Where did the two of you go earlier, before we got here?”
Shit. Cody looked around for Dax. He saw him across the room and tried to make eye contact with him. He sent him a pleading look, but it was so quick that he wasn’t sure Dax would pick up on it. “Just for a ride. He was getting stir-crazy.”
“A ride where?” Liam said.
“Just a ride. Why are you interested?”
Liam leaned into the bar and got close to Cody’s face. “I’m interested because I just got a call from the guys I sent to look for Stitch. Guess what? He’s dead.”
“Jesus,” Cody said, hoping his look was sympathetic and not remorseful. “I’m sorry. What happened?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out. Did you and the old man go to the motel earlier?”
“What’s going on?” Dax was suddenly standing over Liam’s shoulder.
“Stitch is dead. Someone bashed his head in and left him to bleed to death in a motel room.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Liam.”
“Yeah, me too. I was told your boy here and his friend from the Commies took a ride earlier. I’d like to know where they went, but this boy doesn’t want
to tell me.” Cody thought if Liam called him a “boy” in that condescending tone one more time, he might lose it.
“They ran an errand for me,” Dax said. “I sent them to make a drop. They took some of the porn tapes that get distributed overseas. The guy met them at the Roadside Inn.”
Liam narrowed his eyes at Cody and said, “Why didn’t you just tell me that?”
“Because no one talks about club business without my okay,” Dax said. “Now, I’m sorry about Stitch, Liam, I really am. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t let your anger out on my prospects.”
“Why did you send a Commie with him if your business is so private?” Liam wasn’t ready to let it go. Dax had an answer for that one too.
“Because one of the reasons the Commies are here is to scope out the porn business. He went to meet this guy. He’s looking to make contacts and I’ve got no problem helping him out. Can I go with you into town or is there something else I can do for you?” Dax asked him.
“The police have that place completely surrounded, my guys said. They’re doing their police shit. But I tell you what, if I find the motherfucker that did this, there will be a hell of a lot bigger mess for them to clean up. I aim to watch him bleed out…slowly.”
Liam walked away and Dax waited until he was much too far to hear, even without the music, before saying to Cody, “Good job.”
“Thanks, but I’m not sure he’s going to let this go. If it comes down to me or the club…”
“You are the club, Cody, that’s part of what we talked about earlier. You’re the club, the club is you. Right, wrong, or indifferent, we stick together. Just keep doing what you did just now and we’ll get through this.”
“Thanks, Dax.”
Dax didn’t say anything else. He wiggled his eyebrows and then made his way back through the crowd to the other side of the room where old Hawk was telling some big, probably bullshit story. Everyone seemed to be having such a good time. Cody hoped that someday he could get to that place where the anxiety didn’t rule his life and he could relax and really have fun. “Hey, prospect! Six beers over here!” That day was not going to be today.
