by K E Osborn
“Hey, Candy.”
“Hey! So I have good news.”
“You do? I’m getting you wrapped in a bow for Christmas?” he asks, and I chuckle.
“Well, that can be arranged, but that’s not what I was gonna say.”
“Oh right! Well then, do continue, madam.”
I shake my head and let out a small laugh. “Right, well, you and the guys are free to come to the clubhouse tonight. If you still want to? The feast starts at like six or so, but you can come around five-ish if you want, and meet everyone and kiss me and shit.”
“Kiss you and shit?” he questions and I smirk.
“Yeah, if you wanna?”
“Oh… I wanna. I’m just wondering what the and shit entails exactly?”
“Just you wait and see, it’s my Christmas surprise.”
“Shit Lunar, you know how to get a man’s imagination running wild.”
“Don’t get too excited now, big guy.” I let out a laugh.
“Oh… nice way to ruin my wild imaginative fun.”
“I like to be a spoil sport.”
“Okay, we’ll be there five sharp.”
“Great, can’t wait to see you. Oh, and wear something red, it’s Christmas after all,” I tease and he chuckles.
“Yes ma’am, see you soon.”
“Later.” I hang up the phone and smile wide as my door creaks open and I look toward it, my smile falters. Normally when a club girl’s door opens it means only one thing. It’s a brother looking for a good time. And if there’s one rule you don’t break it’s turning down a brother when he wants sex. My muscles clench and my breathing quickens when Skye pops her head through the door. I clench my eyes tight and breathe in a sigh of relief.
“Shit,” I murmur, and she chuckles as I hear her walk in.
“Sorry, did I scare you?”
I flop back onto the bed opening my eyes and nod. “Yes you did, slut face. I thought you might have been Penetrator or someone equally as horrendous looking for me for… you know. No one has tried yet, but I know it will come sooner or later now Steel has Willow.”
She winces and nods. “Yeah, I’ve heard the guys talking about how they would love to get back in with you, but Steel is telling everyone to keep away.”
My eyes open wide and I gasp. “What? Why’s he doing that?”
She shrugs. “Says it’s something to do with Danger. He doesn’t want the club to fuck things up for you.”
Slumping my body, I huff. “Well, fuck me... he does care.”
Skye tilts her head and rolls her eyes. “Lunar, of course he cares, he just wants to see you happy. Yes, that’s not with him, but if you can be happy with Danger, he’s not going to let anyone fuck that up for you. He wants the best for you. Even though your relationship with him is a weird one, you were still his girl for a long time… that still counts for something.”
“Well, that’s really nice of him. ‘Cause the last thing I want to be doing is servicing the brothers, no offense.”
She smiles. “None taken. It’s not my ideal job either, but it’s part of being a club girl, it’s all part and parcel of this life.”
“We can leave you know. There’s more out there than this club. Sure we’re stunningly gorgeous and men love our bodies, but we have brains, we’re smart too and we can use those brains to better ourselves.”
She smiles and grabs my hand. “I think you need to do that, your time here is coming to an end. I have to stick it out for a little while longer, but now… now is your time to shine. You just have to find the right time to leave. Get some money saved, find the right path to get some money behind you for Stuart and your mum and then don’t you dare look back. You get out of here with your rock star and make something of your life.”
“I think I’m going to. I just have to find the right job to set up Mum and Stuart, then I’m gone. But you make it sound like you can’t do the same, Skye. You can… you’re strong, you’re smart, you’re beautiful… you can do anything.”
She smiles and nods. “I am and I can, but not yet. It’s not my time. I’m not ready to leave, not yet. FIM is here and he’s… interesting.”
I raise my eyebrow and smirk. “You and FIM? The new prospect?” I ask and she shrugs and nods.
“Yeah, he’s kinda cool. I mean nothing dramatic is happening, but I like him, he’s different. Gentle, not like the others. You know?”
Raising my eyebrow, I know exactly what she means. Danger is nothing like these bikers. Sure he’s similar in the way of being protective and dominant, but he isn’t like them in personality, not at all.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m so glad we’re both finding decent guys finally.”
She giggles. “I know, right. It’s only taken… how long?” She laughs and flops back on the bed next to me. “I think you’re gonna be just fine, Lunar. You’re gonna be one of the lucky ones.”
I turn to look at her. “You will, too. Trust me. We’re both gonna make it.”
***
I glance over to see Techie and Steel sending an authorize message to the gate, so I know that Danger must be here as they exit out the black door. I jump on the spot just a little and put down my drink as I race outside. I’m super excited to see Danger as I run out the heavy black door to watch the van pull in. I glide past Techie and Steel toward the driver’s door and wait bouncing on the spot for Danger to get out. He’s grinning widely as he opens the noisy door. He steps down and I can’t contain my excitement jumping straight into his arms. Pressing my lips to his, he chuckles against me and kisses me back as his hand moves to my hair holding me firmly in place and time just slips away. I have no idea what’s happening around us as I melt into his arms, just being one with Danger and his kiss.
I hear the Recoil boys talking to Techie and Steel, but I don’t care what they’re saying. I just need to get my fill of Danger.
“Don’t worry, she’s like that with everyone.” Steel’s voice creeps into my ears and I know he’s talking about me, so I bring up my arm and flip him my middle finger as I continue to kiss Danger. Steel laughs as I finally slow the kiss pulling my lips from Danger, and he smirks then looks over to Steel.
“Sorry. Hey man, how you doing?” Danger asks.
“Good… good. How’s the gigs goin’?” Steel asks.
Danger smiles while pulling me to him possessively. “Not as good as a packed out stadium. But hey, if we have to start from scratch again and work our way up we will, and we’re happy to do it.”
“Yeah, well, if we didn’t have to take so much time off we might’ve been able to stay on top—”
“Nate, shut it!” Matt says to his twin, and Ryan and Danger furrow their brows.
“Let’s go out the back, sit down and have some bevies before dinner, hey?” Steel asks breaking the tension.
I link my arm with Danger and we head off around the side of the compound down toward the burning tree, to sit by the unlit bonfire. We all take up seats and Techie sits next to Danger, who’s eyeing Nate suspiciously. I had no idea Nate was angry at Danger, and by the looks of it, neither does he.
Chapter Thirteen
DANGER
We’re sitting just generally chatting. Techie is talking to me about some record labels which you think would be very interesting to me, but all I can think about is Nate and what he said. Obviously, he isn’t happy and it’s bugging me. I know me leaving the band for Ella was a big thing, but the band’s been back together now for a bit, and we’ve been gelling really well. Well, I thought we were so I don’t understand where this is coming from. We’re playing gigs. Luke, our agent, is talking about starting a headline tour around Australia. Our songs are playing on the radio, and Techie’s talking about recording contracts. I think things are going as well as can be expected.
Nate and Matt stand up and walk over to the makeshift bar area, and I turn to Techie who’s halfway through one of his fact spiels and blow him off.
“Sorry, I’ll be back
,” I say. He furrows his brows as I stand up and start walking off.
“Danger?” Techie calls out.
I ignore him and keep walking over to the bar where Matt and Nate are standing talking. Taking a deep breath, I walk up to Nate. “Do we have a problem?” I ask.
Matt slumps his body and shakes his head. “Danger… don’t!” Matt warns as Nate grits his teeth and flares his nostrils at me.
“Yeah… yeah, we do,” Nate confirms.
Matt puts his hand on Nate’s chest. “Nate, stop it! No, we don’t. Just walk away, Danger,” Matt says.
I shake my head in confusion. “Okay, so this is really left of field for me ‘cause last I knew the band was doing great. We’re selling out our club and bar shows. Luke is looking at getting us a tour. So I’m not sure what the problem is?”
Nate scoffs. “Of course, you don’t.”
“Then tell me.”
He looks over to where Ryan and Lunar are talking and laughing with each other then back to me. “Lunar… she’s Ella all over again,” Nate chides, and Matt clenches his eyes shut and winces.
My teeth squeak as they grind together and a harsh breath is forced out of my nose. “What?”
“Admit it… Lunar is another piece of pussy you’re going to fall for and when the time comes to go to America and make the band bigger, you won’t. You’ll choose her because that’s what you do, you choose the pussy over your band mates, over your future.”
“Shit,” Matt murmurs.
I stiffen my posture and shake my head balling my fists at my side. I really want to smack Nate out right now so badly that my blood is pumping so quickly I can hear it pounding in my ears.
“One… Lunar is not a piece of pussy. And two… we’re not even a couple. So when we leave Australia she stays here, and we go on to do whatever we need to do. I’m helping her leave…” I lower my voice, “…this place. And she is helping us with our promotion and sales. Yes, I might be involved with her, but she isn’t clouding my judgment, Nate. I know me leaving the band last time was a fuck up of epic proportions, but it’s not going to happen again. I’ve learned my lesson, believe me.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Sorry dude, but once bitten twice shy. I don’t believe you, and unlike my brother and Ryan, who you have wrapped around your tiny cock, I don’t fall for bullshit twice. You’re going to be the downfall of Recoil. And I know, I just know, it will be when we’re starting to make it big, just like last time. You will be the reason we fail again, and it will all be because of her.”
Clenching my fists so tightly together that if I had long fingernails I would be drawing blood in my palms. I breathe harshly out of my nose as Matt watches on helplessly.
“Listen here you fucking ignorant little shit, drummers can be replaced… singers aren’t as easy... just you remember that.”
Nate lunges forward to grab me and I don’t flinch as Matt jumps in between us and pushes his brother back. “Hey, hey, stop it! You’re acting like a fucking dick head. Walk it off,” Matt says.
Nate pushes his brother making him take a step back and then grunts and walks off in the other direction away from us.
Shaking my head, I run my hand through my hair and puff out a gust of air through my lips. “Fucking hell, I had no idea he was holding on to that.”
Matt shakes his head. “Nate’s always been a hot head, but he’s really worried this band is going to fail again. He’s put everything on the success of Recoil this time. Danger, we need to make it. We need to pull all our energy into the band if this is going to work.”
Nodding, I hear his underlying message—don’t get wrapped up in women. I’m hearing it loud and fucking clear. But Lunar and me, we’re not like Ella and me. I gave up everything to be with Ella, fucking everything. I left, moved countries, put up with her best friend being in love with her and them being in the same band, I put up with so much. I changed myself and I was royally screwed over.
My heart is damaged, I don’t think I can just give it out again. Sure, I like Lunar, I like her a lot. But loving someone, that’s a whole other ball game, and someone who’s from another country, that’s near on impossible. Long distance isn’t happening for me again, and anyway, I don’t think I could ever love someone the way I loved Ella. I don’t even know if I’m capable of love anymore. Once you’re so broken by someone and so irreversibly, can your heart ever truly be repaired? I’m not sure, and I don’t know if I’m willing to take that risk either. I just hope that Lunar is on the same page as me. Otherwise, I could end up looking like a royal prick.
Shaking off the last two minutes of my life, I head back over to Lunar and she grabs my shirt pulling me to her with a smile so wide it twists my stomach into knots.
“I saw there was a bit of a heated discussion with you guys, everything okay?”
I don’t want to tell her it was basically about her, so I lie. “Yeah, just Nate being a cunt about me leaving, nothing a bit of time won’t heal.”
She smiles and nods. “Okay, well if you need to vent, or fuck your frustrations out, I’m your gal.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “You really are something good.”
She shrugs and tilts her head to the side with a cocky smirk. “I try. How ‘bout we get some food? There’s a full spit roast and all the trimmings.”
I relax and nod. “Now you’re talking, show me to the pig.”
She laughs grabbing my hand and leads me over to the food table.
LUNAR
It’s the day after New Year and I spent last night with the Recoil boys. They did a concert at the Entertainment Center in Adelaide with a bunch of other performers for a New Year’s spectacular. Techie and Luke lined it up, but of course, Techie couldn’t be there as he had to be at the clubhouse for New Year’s—biker code and all that. But Luke was there, and it went really well.
It was for a charity and it’s gotten me thinking. I know that doing the merch stand is working well, it brings in limited cash, but I need more if I’m going to leave the club for good. I have to keep supporting Mum and Stuart, and as I lay here in bed with Danger I have a hangover but my mind is clear.
“Hey, how hard would it be to set up a charity foundation? Where the funds from what you do go to help raise the awareness about autism, and then could help people go to schools to instruct teachers and students about children with autism?”
He shifts beneath me and raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think it would be that difficult to set up. We could talk to the right people and get something underway I’m sure. Are you thinking of starting something?” he asks, and I nod with a smile.
“Yeah, it could tie in with how music can be a relaxant for autism sufferers. Recoil could be like a major supporter of the foundation?”
He smiles wide and nods. “Let’s do it. You could form a Foundation, have employees and pay wages, but the primary proceeds all go to the Foundation. It could raise our profile too, a win-win. We’ll need to run it past the boys, make sure they are happy, but I can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be.”
“This could be amazing. I’m going to talk to Techie, ask him to help me get it all started. He’s good with business planning and he’ll know what to do.”
“I agree, he seems to know everything about everything. See Annalise, I told you, you were smart and you’d figure it out.”
I smile at him and nod. “Thank you. This is only happening because of you.”
“If you need support with anything let me know, and I’ll help where I can. We can talk about it on stage every time we perform, and promote it on our posters. When we record our next album, we could possibly have some of the proceeds go toward it.”
Sighing, I shake my head. “You’re amazing, thanks for supporting me.”
“Hey, you can do this.”
Nodding, I get up to get dressed. I need to see the boys to discuss, before going off to talk about it with Techie.
***
Walking into the club room
s there’s a strange vibe in the air, everyone looks weird like something’s happened. It’s unsettling. I look to the bar and notice Techie so I walk over to him, he spots me and nods his head in acknowledgment.
“What’s going on? Why is everyone… um mopey?”
“Willow left Steel last night.”
My eyes open wide in shock. “What? Why?”
He rolls his shoulders. “Club stuff. You know I can’t say.”
I scoff. “So he killed someone and she found out?” I joke.
Techie winces which instantly stops me laughing. “Oh shit! He did, didn’t he?”
Techie nods and opens his eyes wide. “Yeah, but keep it quiet. He’s really down about it. You know what she meant to him.”
My chest feels heavy for him and instead of looking at it like it might be my opportunity, I’m now thinking it’s just sad because I have my path and he… he’s lost his. “Yeah, I do. Should I go check on him?”
He shakes his head. “I think he just needs to be alone for now.”
Nodding, I sigh. “Well, I wanna talk to you about something. I have an idea and I need your help.”
“Oh God, there goes the neighborhood.”
I smirk. “Shut up and help me,” I demand and he smiles and nods.
A MONTH LATER
The Foundation is up and running, and with the concerts becoming bigger and better for Recoil, the publicity for my foundation is growing. We even had the Channel Seven news do a story on it one night. Mum and Stuart were so proud of me that I’ve now quit my job at Strapless. I needed to do it as we’ve been venturing further and further out around South Australia for concerts. Recoil’s popularity is growing. They have regulars that attend their gigs now, and Danger’s certainly a hit with the ladies, which I’m slowly getting used to. It still bugs me, but again we’re nothing official, so I can’t let it get to me. Even though I’m spending more and more time with the band and minimal time at the club.
