...or something: Ronacks Motorcycle Club

by Debra Kayn

  Chapter Fifteen

  Mel sat on the ground, cradling his head, letting the blood from his nose drip onto the grass. Battery struggled against Rod, Grady, and LeWorth holding him back from punching the prospect again. The rage in him over finding Bree missing exploded and he wanted to beat the living shit out of Mel.

  "You were responsible for her." Battery threw his arm, breaking away from Rod and quickly found himself pinned between Grady and LeWorth.

  "I know, Prez," Mel, said, holding his nose. "I tried following her, but she's nowhere."

  "She's fucking somewhere, and when I find her—"

  "Found her," shouted Duke, jogging toward the group in the yard.

  Battery flung himself out of the others' hold. "Where?"

  "At Pine." Duke looked at him for his next order.

  "Jesus Christ," bellowed Battery.

  The Pine Bar and Grill was the last place she should go. He stalked to his motorcycle before it was too late.

  Rod and LeWorth followed suit and got on their bikes. He nodded at each one of them to ride out and started his bike. If it took the whole club to bring back Bree, he'd call in everyone.

  As it was, the first step Bree made inside Pine Bar and Grill altered the course of her life, again. He couldn't risk anymore changes.

  Twenty minutes later, he cut his speed in half and entered the one-street town with one gas station, one family restaurant, and one bar—Pines Bar and Grill, one shitty single-level motel, one laundromat, one antique store, and one school set back from the road.

  The savory scent of hickory filled the air, and he turned at the end of the block and parked beside the grill behind the bar. He waited for Rod and LeWorth and forced himself to calm down. The bigger the scene, the worse it would be on Bree. Though at the moment, he'd like to spank her ass for pulling such a stupid stunt. She had no idea what she'd done.

  Rod climbed off his bike. "I'll take the front."

  "I'll stay out here," said LeWorth.

  Battery nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He wanted in and out without any troubles and had to go in the bar under control. And, right now, he was anything but in control of himself.

  The bar wasn't one of the businesses under their watch. Ronacks Motorcycle Club had no agreement or push when it came to dealing with them. Though at one time, a different owner, a different time, the Pines Bar and Grill was the clubs' livelihood.

  That all ended before Battery became president.

  He glanced at the cook at the grill and walked through the back door. Knowing his way around, he cut through the kitchen and behind the bar without anyone stopping him. He stood letting his eyes adjust to the dim lights. After seven o'clock, the place was packed.

  It took him several seconds to find Bree, and when he had, fear replaced his anger. He had to get her out of here without drawing attention to her. He swallowed over the tightness in his chest. She'd already done a good job at making a statement wearing her bikini top and a pair of cutoffs he banned her from wearing around the club.

  "Well, well, well, if it isn't the president of Ronacks Motorcycle Club standing behind my counter, eyeing one of my waitresses." An older lady with gray hair stood beside him frowning at his patch on his vest. She obviously wasn't happy about a biker showing up in her establishment.

  "Name's Battery," he said, lifting his chin. "I'll be out of here in no time."

  "I'm Patty." Patty turned her back to the crowd at the bar and said, "The way you're looking at Bree makes me think she belongs to the club and the lies she gave to obtain the job came from her need to leave one of the members. Or, you."

  "It'd be me." He kept his eyes focused on Bree, who had yet to see him.

  Bree wasn't the only one who could lie her way out of a tight spot. There was no way Patty would allow him to drag Bree out of the bar without calling the cops unless she believed they were together. The owner had nothing on him, considering Ronacks cut all ties with the business years ago before Patty took over as the new owner.

  "I'm sure if you dug a little deeper on the application she filled out, you'd find out her social security number is fake. Bree's eighteen years old and not legal to serve beer in your establishment," he lied. "I don't think either one of us wants trouble, but I need her to leave with me, and I have no problem calling the cops and informing them that you've hired someone under the legal age of nineteen to serve alcohol."

  Patty's mouth tightened. "She's taken one of the rooms upstairs."

  "I'll send in one of my men to gather her things after I get her out of here." He finally broke his gaze from Bree and looked at Patty. "She won't be stepping foot in here again. I'll make sure of that."

  Patty nodded.

  Battery wasted no time and stalked across the room and intercepted Bree as she turned to wait on another table.

  She gasped at the sight of his chest in front of her and slowly raised her gaze to meet his eyes. "Don't do this, Battery."

  "Let's go home," he said, ignoring the desperation in her eyes.

  "If you care even a bit about me, you'll leave me alone and let me move on," she whispered. "Please."

  He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "It's because I care that you need to leave with me right now, without making a scene."

  She tucked her chin down in compliance. He grabbed her hand, led her across the room, behind the bar, through the kitchen, and out the back door.

  Bree stopped walking. He turned to her, prepared to haul her over his shoulder and put her on the back of his bike before anyone took notice.

  "Why are you doing this?" she asked.

  He gritted his teeth and looked up into the sky. The last place he wanted to talk through their problems at was outside the bar. He never planned for Bree to fight him every step, and he got sloppy.

  "You're going to have to trust me that you belong at home." He tugged her to his motorcycle.

  "I don't understand." She held the helmet he thrust into her hands. "You don't want me the same way I want you, and yet you put limits on what I can do. That's not right, Battery. You can't have me one way and not the other. It's unfair to me."

  "Right now, I don’t care what is fair. It's the way it needs to be." He pushed the helmet higher, nudging her to get ready to ride. "You won't understand because it's none of your business."

  "Is it the club?" She slid the chin strap through the D-ring. "Is something going on with Ronacks?"

  "Yeah." He left her believing the MC needed her home because she cared about everyone and sat the bike. "Get on."

  She climbed on behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and he held up one finger to LeWorth and made a circle in the air to roll on out. Then, he pulled out of the parking lot. Turning at the front of the building, he pulled up to the sidewalk beside Rod.

  "Get ahold of the lady behind the bar named Patty. She'll let you get Bree's things from upstairs. Then get back to the house. Make sure nobody is following you." He waited for Rod to okay his command and pulled away from the curb, getting back into traffic.

  For the first several miles, he watched his side mirror more than the road. He'd grown up here, knew the land by heart, and understood the dangers that could sneak in and hurt Bree. Unsettled over Bree leaving, he took the long way home, backtracking before he felt comfortable making the turn toward the house.

  He pulled into the yard and spotted Rod, LeWorth, and the rest of the Ronacks' members. His pulse remained fast, though his breathing came easier with his club surrounding Bree. She was safe again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  A fish jumped beyond the surface of the pond, rippling the water. Bree sat at the end of the dock, her toes barely in the water. The crickets stopped chirping, and she looked behind her finding Raelyn walking toward her.

  Bree waited until Raelyn sat down beside her before she spoke. "He sent you out here to check on me."

  It wasn't a question. She'd had years of Battery's overprotective tendencies thrust upon her for no reason ot
her than he wanted to keep her to himself. Though the last week even made his normal strict rules look like fun. She could only go to the pond, around the yard, and she had to stay out of the trees and could no longer drive her car without him in the vehicle with her.

  "Are you okay?" Raelyn leaned back on her hands. "Duke said you're miserable being back here."

  "I'm miserable because Battery is being a complete asshole." She sighed. "I was only gone for a day. Not even a complete day. He's essentially grounded me as if he's forgotten that I'm an adult, and I could walk away if that's what I wanted to do. I'm pretty sure that validates my reasons for being miserable."

  Not to mention she was sexually involved with Battery when he decided he wanted her, but that was none of Raelyn's business, no matter how well she got along with the other woman. Raelyn, at twenty-five years old, was the closest to her age within the whole club. Even the women who hung around the house during the parties were older than her.

  "Maybe he'll ease up on you once he settles down." Raelyn sat forward and brushed her hands off on her thighs. "He's been a little high-strung lately."

  "Maybe," she mumbled.

  "Want to go swimming and cool off?" Raelyn leaned to the side and bumped her shoulder against Bree.

  She flinched at the contact and scooted away. "Battery has all my bikinis hidden someplace in the house and won't let me have them, even though he says he has no idea where they went. Admitting that to you makes me wonder why I'm sitting here. I should be far away."

  "Come on." Raelyn stood and peeled down her shorts to reveal her bathing suit. "Wear your shorts and tank."

  "No, cause then I'll need to walk through the house wearing wet, dripping clothes to get dry clothes upstairs, and I don't want to go inside yet." Bree slapped her hand down on the deck. "Never mind. I'll take my clothes off and skinny dip. Everyone is inside at the meeting anyways."

  "I'll watch the house while you get in the water." Raelyn turned her back on the pond and Bree.

  She undressed, leaving her clothes in a pile, and slipped off the end of the deck into the water. The shock of the coolness soon settled over her as she dipped her shoulders in the water and swam out into the middle of the pond.

  "You can turn around and get in." Bree dunked her head, arching her neck, and resurfaced. Her hair laid down her back.

  Raelyn joined her after a little shriek at entering the pond. "I wish Duke had a pond or even a river going through his property. Without air conditioning in the house, I'd love to have somewhere to cool off. I bet you go swimming all the time."

  "Most days." She floated on her back and stared up at the moon already showing up before dusk. "Do you ever hate the fact that Duke is part of Ronacks?"

  "Only when he's gone a long time and I don't know where he is. It gets lonely at the house by myself." Raelyn tread water. "I think it's different for you. You're more like Battery's daughter than involved with a member."

  "Maybe." She righted her body and swam back to the dock, pulled herself out of the water, and sat on the edge to let her body dry before she dressed.

  Crossing her arms and holding her shoulders, she watched Raelyn swim back and forth and then when she was dry enough, she dressed. By the time Raelyn pulled herself out of the water, Bree had finger combed her hair and already felt the warmth from the summer night again.

  "The guys are starting to come out." Raelyn slipped on her tank top over her wet swimsuit.

  Bree spotted Battery watching the dock and her. She turned to Raelyn. "Thanks for keeping me company. I'm going to go upstairs now."

  "Sure, catch you later." Raelyn bent down to pick up her flip-flops.

  Bree walked back on land and ignoring the members, went to the front door of the house. She turned the handle, and the door flew out of her hand with a loud bang.

  A heavy force knocked her off balance, and strong arms tackled her from behind and propelled her into the house and onto the floor. She stared at the wood with her ears ringing, confused over what happened.

  "Stay down," shouted Battery.

  Only then, she knew it was Battery's weight on top of her, and that was the reason she couldn't breathe. She gasped and fought against him.

  "Damnit, carny-girl. Settle down. It's me." Battery rolled to her side, and she panted for her lost breath.

  "What happened?" she said, trying to look behind her.

  It was when she noticed the two holes in the door that she felt the pain in her body. She glanced down and found blood running down her arm.

  "Battery?" she said, panic rising in her chest.

  "Fuck, Bree. Hang on, carny-girl." He grabbed her and carried her deeper into the house.

  He sat her on the pool table. She cradled her arm. The stinging gone, she couldn't feel anything. All she could do was stare at the bright red trails of blood running clear down to her wrist and dotting the green felt on the table.

  Battery hurried back to the door and shouted, "Swiss, get your ass in here. Everyone else spread out in twos and find the person who did this."

  He returned to her side. She gazed at him straight in the eyes, the first time since he dragged her out of the bar a week ago. His concern stared intently back at her.

  "Have I been shot?" she asked, wondering if he could hear her. Her voice sounded different and far away.

  "Don't know. This is going to hurt." He used his hand to wipe over her bicep.

  She winced.

  "Thank fuck," he muttered. "It's a wood sliver off the door, not a bullet, carny-girl. You're going to be okay as soon as we get it out of your arm. I'm going to have Swiss fix you right up."

  "Can you hurry?" she said, staring at the blood on his hand.

  "You'll be fine, Bree." Battery leaned his face close to hers and kissed her temple. "You're safe."

  She swallowed air and yet she couldn't feel her lungs expanding. "I don't feel well."

  Swiss rushed in, took one look at Bree, and ran back outside. Bree looked up at the concern in Battery's eyes, and the lines etched on his forehead. His set mouth made his mustache one with his beard and hid his expression.

  "You hate me," she whispered.

  The hand at the back of her neck tightened and he brought his head forward to kiss her forehead. Against her skin, he said, "I don't hate you."

  A slight tremble in his voice had her raising her head to see him. "You threw me away."

  "I never threw you away," he mumbled. "You're mine."

  "Doesn't feel like it, Battery." She flinched and looked down at her arm. "Someone tried to kill me."

  "Nobody is going to kill you." Battery moved to the side without letting go of her neck. "Let Swiss dig the piece of wood out of your arm and get it cleaned so we can stop the bleeding."

  Swiss stood in front of her, set the first aid pack beside her, and proceeded to tie his long hair behind his neck with a thin leather strip. "Best not look at your arm, Bree. I'll try and be fast."

  She looked up at Battery. "Don't leave me."

  "Not going anywhere," he said, his voice gruffer than usual.

  She panted. "I-I don't like seeing blood."

  "Me, neither," whispered Battery. "Not yours."

  At that moment, Battery belonged to her again. His focus, his pledge, his presence filled her clear down to her bare feet. Her body shook, and her teeth chattered.

  "Hold her still and be ready to lay her down if she passes out." Swiss's grip on her arm tightened. "The wood is stuck in there good."

  Battery leaned over and pulled her head to his chest. She closed her eyes, safe in his arms again.

  Then all her worries and sadness disappeared, and everything went black.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Battery stood in front of every member of Ronacks after calling a meeting when those he sent out to find the suspect who shot at Bree returned empty handed. Tension mounted around the room. Used to protecting others and putting themselves in front of a gun or fist while out on a job, his MC brothers were taken b
y surprise by a personal attack at the house.

  While they'd had grudges against the club from those who had a grievance that came with their job, and new motorcycle clubs often pushed to test them on their stance with the territory, tonight marked the first attack made on his home, on their clubhouse, on Bree.

  He was the only one with an idea of who was behind the shot and why the attack happened.

  "I'd like to know how a car can park at the end of the road, and someone can get close enough to the house without anyone noticing?" Rod crossed his arms over his chest. "That shit doesn't blow. We need to at least put a prospect out on the road to give us a warning."

  Battery's gaze swung to his vice president. "Members were leaving. Four of the women who hung out waiting for brothers to follow them home drove their cars right by the person or people. The sound of a vehicle would've been covered in the activities happening here. My guess is there were at least two people that were in on the attack. One on foot to get close enough to take out Bree and another to pick the shooter up and get him out of here before any of us could organize riders to go after them. As we know, once they hit the main road a mile away, their escape could go in ten different directions."

  "Why would someone take aim at Bree?" Swiss, who'd worked on Bree for a half hour to get the chunk of wood out of her arm and all the little slivers out, leaned against the pool table. "She was gone for one day. Prez brought her back to the house before it got dark. What could one girl do in that amount of time in Haugan?"

  "It's not Bree," said Battery.

  "Sorry, Prez, but I'm not seeing it. If not Bree, then what is the reason for the attack?" Duke looked around at the others and brought his gaze back to Battery. "There's been no trouble out of the ordinary toward us, or the owners at any of the businesses we work at and no clubs have tried to move into the area. All the general warnings from around the states warning of gang activity and clubs trying to expand their territory hasn't reached this corner of Montana, yet. Either someone or some club has it out for us, or Bree is the answer to our recent problem."