Betting on Forever (Battle Born MC Book 1)

by Scarlett Black

  “Jenn, fucking seriously?” I’m frustrated and feeling exposed from seeing Blade, and I don’t know why. So I tell her angrier than I feel, “Why did you invite them to dinner and drinks? What if we all, and when I say all, I mean me and Dana, don’t want to get to know these guys?” Dana is coming out of the storage room to jump in on this conversation too, now that Axl is gone.

  Jenn stands a little straighter. “You know what?”, she yells back at me, “Someone needs to get you out of your emotionless, romance-less world. Who gives two shits about what happened with Derrick? That prickless wonder hasn’t been bugging you and you’ve had two years to move on!” Jenn’s voice gets a softer, sincerer tone. “By not living in these moments and chancing to trust with another man, you are letting him win. Who really loses here, Vegas? You. Please not you! Fight your fears and pride to trust again. Please.”

  Dana stands between us, her hand on each of our shoulders. She looks right in Jenn’s face and says, “Payback’s a bitch, Jenn. When you’re not expecting it, I will pay you back for all of that,” she says seriously with a straight face.

  We fall into a fit of laughter as James walks in. “What’s so funny, ladies?”, which only makes us laugh harder. “What? Seriously?” He walks away more frustrated, mumbling, “Crazy ass chicks.” I look Jenn right in the eyes and she blinks and nods in understanding. I’ll try if you do.

  Chapter 5

  Blade

  The boys and I step outside from our meeting with Alessia and her crazy as fuck crew. We light up a smoke before we head out and take a drag to calm my nerves. I don’t know who this fucker Johnny is, but I’m going to find out. Why the hell does it piss me off that Alessia has a past? Ignoring my thoughts, I flip my shades down and look toward Axl. “Axl, call Spider, have him...”

  Axl cuts me off, “On it, already texting Spider about Johnny,” he talks out loud while he types, “Get a last name, full background, including ALL relationships, especially with Alessia,” Axl winks at me, the asshole, “bank accounts. Anything else, Prez?”

  “Yeah, call Johnny’s office and set up an appointment for us,” I smile back as I’m thinking of showing that fucker my face.

  Tank snickers, “You gonna cut off his dick, too?” I like the thought of using my blades on that fucker since he probably put his hands on Alessia.

  “No, not yet, Tank, but maybe we’ll keep an eye on him, yeah?” The look on Tank’s face says he loves that idea as much as me.

  James pulls up in his Chevy truck and parks next to us. Walking up to us, he nods his head and moves on. “Let’s go drive around, take in what goes on around this area. Also, we need to go check in with the Club, see if the guys have any new information.”

  “Aye”, they both say. Stomping out my spoke in the dirt, we head over to our bikes, get on and crank the beasts on.

  Out of the Black Rose’s parking lot, we turn right and head up around the park, making our way up west on the freeway to the Truckee River. We end up riding for about forty-five minutes, longer than I initially planned. You really wouldn’t think you would have found such a beautiful mountain ride so close to the city. I didn’t want to stop, the open road, a new road to conquer, it called to the beast within me, and I kept going.

  Looking up ahead, I see a diner and truck stop right over the border into California, and I’m thinking we could grab some food and head back. Pulling in, we jump off to walk into the small diner when a truck pulls in. It has a painted devil on the side, Hellfire Trucking, Inc wrapped around the logo. Halting my hand from pulling the diner’s door open, I nod towards the truck to direct Axl and Tank’s attention that way. “This possibly can’t be that fuckin easy,” Axl echoes my own stunned thoughts.

  Motioning with my head for Axl and Tank to move with me, I step back behind the wall, grabbing my gun and tucking it into my cut. “We need to see and not be seen, stay back.”

  Tank, that pig headed motherfucker, tosses his cut and t-shirt at us, leaving his wife beater on. He picks up an empty coffee cup out of a trash can and starts walking out there, talking on his phone like he’s checking in with his bitch. “Yeah, babe, no worries, I’ll be home in time for David’s soccer game. Wait, you’re breaking up.” He pulls his phone down like he’s trying to redial her back. After a couple of tries, he pockets his phone and nods to a few other truckers saying stupid shit along the way. “Howdy… Good Afternoon… how’s she haulin’ today?”

  He finally makes his way back over to us. Irritated, I whisper shout at him, “What the fuck was that?”

  “Well, Prez, how else was I gonna get ugly dick pics for Spider and a license plate number? It really hurts my feelings when you doubt me like that.” He frowns at me and pretends to wipe a tear away.

  I flip him the bird, and so much for eating. Guess we should follow this truck till I can get a few men up here to help.

  Pulling out my phone, I pull up the contact number for the California chapter of the Battle Born Prez, Fuego. He’s Hispanic, and fiery as hell. I’ve only met him a handful of times. He’s a crazy demonic fucker when he’s mad. Strong, almost reminds me of the devil himself in appearance. Stryker always dealt with the clubs up north in the past, while I was concentrating on my runs and crew in the south. Me being up here was another strategy by my old man to strengthen our ties up here. He also wanted to trust who was up here. His VP and other members he trusted and offered the Prez title to didn’t want it. They’ve been with my old man for so long, none of them wanted to break up their crew. I took about ten members total with me to Reno.

  “Yeah,” is all I get in greeting from a gruff tone. “Fuego, it’s Blade, I ran into a truck up here in Verdi. I want to keep eyes on it. Can you send some men this way to take over the tail? We’re on our bikes, man. I don’t want to spook this trucker.”

  “Si, they are on their way. I’ll be in touch,” is all he says before the line goes dead.

  Paranoid fucker, I think to myself, pocketing my phone. Axl and I both roll up our cuts. Walking over to our bikes, we stuff them into our saddle bags. We ride up the road, pulling off to the side. The trucker passes us, and we follow him farther down the freeway.

  Finally, after another hour on our bikes, a couple of cars pull up to us showing us their cuts and tossing them back down next to them. I nod in understanding and am relieved they got here to help. I hate California traffic, and, as soon as we can, we take the ramp off the freeway and head back to Nevada, thank fuck.

  After a few too many hours on our bikes, I’m freezing my balls off from being up there in the higher altitudes. None of us dressed for a long ride, let alone a cold one. As soon as our California chapter had a few prospects relive us in what looked like some bitches’ cars, they took over the tail for us.

  Tank, Axl and I jump off our bikes and haul ass inside the club for a hot shower. First, we should check in if any progress has been made with the dick pics courtesy of Tank. We nod over to Spider who has CC, that stupid cunt hanger-on, giving him a BJ on her knees over in the booth.

  Two other bitches are up on the table licking each other’s pussies in a sixty-nine, all you can eat buffet. I swear that bitch, CC, only gives the guys head. Stupid bitch is clueless as to why no man here would touch that pussy even when double wrapped. She’s been passed around so many times that the guys have spread word from down at the old Mustang Ranch that their dicks itched, and she was fired. True or not, not a man alive wants to find out.

  Spider grabs her hair and forces his hips forward, slamming the cunt’s nose to his stomach. Her spit and tears hit the floor. He fucks her face unrelentingly, taking anything he wants from her. Spider knocks CC back on her ass with a boot to her shoulder. Standing up, he jacks his cock off over the two other bitches on the table and comes all over one’s ass and the other bitch’s face. He zips his pants up and walks back to my office where Tank and Axl are holding back a laugh at Spider’s antics.

  “Spider, you think CC’s figured out her name yet?”

/>   Spider shrugs back at me, “Don’t know and don’t care. If a man can’t get that shit running down her face, making her Clarrisa the Clown, then he isn’t fucking her face hard enough.” Spider shrugs like the true asshole that he is, “She fucking takes it, so why the fuck would I care?”

  Axl looks up at Spider, “Jesus, man, there’s not a man in here that doesn’t like his cock sucked, and sucked well, but she took a beating with what you were dishing out.”

  And with that, I’m done talking about this shit. I ask Spider, “So, what’s up with the plate and pic Tank got for you?”

  Spider sits down next to Tank. Tank jumps up to sit on the other side of the table. A rumble of laughter pops out of me and my VP. Tank shouts, “I ain’t sitting next to your jack off hand, dude, seriously! Go wash your hands, fucker!” Tank’s throwing his hands up towards the bathroom.

  “Fine! Fuck you, you little pansy assed pussy!” Spider gets up to make a stop in the bathroom, thanks to Tank. Tanks turns to yell at us now, “Stop fucking laughing! I don’t wanna sit next to or be around any man’s hand that may or may not have jizz on it. Besides, don’t you dumb asses wash your hands after you take a piss? This shit is not funny!”

  “Okay, okay, Tank, yes I always wash my hands like a pansy assed pussy,” I chuckle back to Tank. Tank is glaring at us now. We can’t seem to stop the laughter. Spider finally walks back in to sit down and glares Tank’s way who’s still glaring at us.

  “Alright, Spider, what did you find?” I try to get this over with so I can get to my hot shower.

  “Well, the plates are shit, of course they’re stolen. The only thing I could find from that was that the plates were originally registered in Las Vegas and reported stolen a week ago. So, I’m guessing these guys dump their plates for new ones every week. But we know they’re heading north from Vegas, might be why Buck got caught up with these fuckers. Either he caught them in Texas or Las Vegas. I have the dudes you got on the pics to Cuervo, and he’s checking around for names down there, close to Del Rio first. I’m working on the timelines of Buck’s calls and death with this truck’s timeline. Maybe he’s the one that got him?”

  Taking a deep breath, I rub my hands over my face and head. “We followed that truck up over into California where the California chapter finished the tail. We couldn’t follow him long without him catching on. We’ll see what the Cali chapter has for us in the morning. I’m fucking beat, we’ll figure this shit out tomorrow.”

  Heading back to my room exhausted, I shower and lie down. Grabbing my phone, I call my old man. “Heard you were chasing tail up there in Reno,” Stryker says in his way of a greeting.

  “If by chasing tail, you mean that truck we followed into California, then yeah.” I continue updating him on what happened today.

  He hums along and says, “I’ll call up Cuervo and give him an update. We’ll see what Fuego’s crew comes up with. I actually wasn’t asking about that tail though.”

  I must be hella tired because I’m lost. “What are you asking me, old man?” I’m impatient and loud in my response.

  My dad just roars back a laugh. “Rough day, huh, kid? Well, I’ll come out with it. Heard you have your dick set in on claiming a hot little firecracker who’s giving you lip.”

  I can’t see his face, but I know this asshole, and he’s toying with me, so I don’t respond. “Silence says it all. Take care of her, son, it’s about time. Your mom was a firecracker too, she sounds good for you. Don’t fuck it up.”

  If he was here, I would be tempted to deck his ass. “Stryker, why the fuck would you tell me not to fuck it up?”

  Stryker takes a moment like he’s thinking back on the past and tells me, “Blade, I wasn’t always the best man to your mother when we were younger. I made choices that hurt her that I wish I could take back. She stuck by me though, her love for me was stronger than the weak-minded choices I made. Be the man your mother and I raised you to be.” My old man hangs up with that convoluted information. I’m too tired to think on what he could possibly mean by all that and fall asleep.

  Chapter 6

  Blade

  Tank, Axl and I park around the back of the bar and walk up to James who’s standing by the grill. “What’s up, shit heads?” James smirks our way. “You here to piss off the girls some more?”, he asks us, but doesn’t look too happy we’re here.

  “Nah, man, I’m looking to work out this business deal with Alessia.” I try explaining, but his stance is telling me something is off with him. “Blade, just so you know, that woman in there has had enough shit from limp dicks in the past, so if you’re serious, go on in. If not, leave her the fuck alone.” James puts the lid down on the BBQ and squares his chest at me.

  He’s obviously dealt with some shit and is loyal to Alessia, but no fucker squares off with me. I step closer facing James, looking him in the eyes. “Look, James, don’t judge me and make me look like the asshole you don’t know me to be. So fucking keep your big brother talks for the next fucker who gives a shit to listen to them.” Jesus. What’s with James and Stryker telling me not to be a fuckup for?

  “Just sayin’, you’re not only here just for business, so don’t sell me that shit either, just be upfront with her, man. Be the man she needs or walk the fuck on and leave her alone.” James and I are still staring each other down when Jenn walks out with a plate in hand, stepping between me and James, her back to me.

  Jenn puts her hand on James’ arm and rubs up and down. “James, those steaks done?”

  “Yeah, they’re done.” He’s looking at me when he says that, then turns toward her and the grill and places his hand on her hip, kissing her head.

  Taking a step back, I turn to go find Alessia. Walking through her back door, I head toward her office. Deep laughter fills the air through the bar, and something about that laugh makes me want to smile. It calls to me. Helps me to relax a little after wanting to ram my fist down James’ throat. I know he looks out for her, but I answer to only one man, and that’s my Prez and old man.

  Alessia spots me walking through her office, her eyes squinting my way. “Do you walk through all offices and forget your manners?”

  “Nah, babe, just yours.” I smile at her, flipping the chair around to sit next to her with my arms on the back of it.

  Looking at her pretty blue eyes, I ask, “Did you look through the papers, how are we looking?”

  “Pretty damn good.” Axl snickers pulling his chair up next to Dana’s. Dana turns and looks at Axl like the little shit she would love to throat punch. Axl makes it worse by saying, “Brought some cherry pie…” He’s smiling a mile wide while sliding a boxed pie across the table with Dana glaring hate his way.

  Dana stands up and punches the middle of the box muttering, “Motherfucking, dick headed asshole.” She stands and continues with her rant through the back office.

  Axl scoots in closer to the table to us. “She’s in love with me, just doesn’t know it yet.” He’s still smiling about it when she walks back to us.

  “Can we get real? Settle some business before you get us thrown out, asshole?” Now I’m glaring at my VP.

  “Yeah, boss, all business from here on out,” he replies in all mock seriousness.

  Dana walks back with a folder which she hands over to me, then hands Alessia a plastic fork. I’m totally caught off guard at what the fuck is going on here. Are they going to eat the smashed pie? Alessia pulls the box over, opening the lid. Dana and Alessia start eating the smashed pie right out of the box. Alessia has a smile in her eyes that I didn’t notice before. Axl and I stare in fascination at this, neither one of us making a single move.

  “Mmmm, so sweet.” Dana is licking her fork, and for the life of me I’m at a loss here and can’t stop watching this train wreck. Axl is so lost in thought staring at Dana eating the smashed pie, and my eyes are bouncing between all three of them.

  I focus my eyes on Alessia, and she winks at me. Mind is blown, something is really off here, my i
nstincts are screaming at me. I’ve been caught in some crazy situations, but this is a game I’m not sure of what is going on.

  Dana asks Axl, “You want a bite?” All sweet and sultry. Don’t do it, brother, it’s a fuckin’ trap, I think, but no, he goes for it.

  Disappointment washes over me when Axl leans in closer and whispers back into her ear, “Yeah, princess, I want more than a bite.” Axl backs up just a bit to look at her face.

  Shit, he’s not seeing this is a set up. Dana’s sweet voice says, “Mmmkay”. She digs her fork into the pie, turns her fork around, then flicks pie right in his face. A stunned Axl flinches at the flying pie hitting his face, but recovers pretty good.

  “Fuck, babe, I love your pie in my face,” he tells Dana, then licks a piece off the side of his cheek. I think the tongue maneuver is supposed to be sexy, but he looks like a damn cow trying to catch flies.

  Alessia is full on laughing with her head back, hands over her chest, and I can’t help but laugh right along with them, shaking my head at Dana and Axl. I catch a small glimpse of Alessia out of the corner of my eye. She’s trying to hold herself back from looking at me.

  She grabs a few napkins and tosses them toward Axl. Dana looks mighty proud of her pie flicking aim and sits back enjoying the mess she made. I have to agree that it was a kill shot of the pie variety.

  Tank, Jenn and James walk in and sit down with us. “What the hell happened to the pie!” Jenn is upset and reaches over the bar, grabbing enough forks to pass around. I grab Alessia’s fork and take a bite of pie. I look deep into her blue eyes, wishing I could tell her all the dirty as sin thoughts I’ve had about her this week. Gut feeling tells me, though, that if I push her too fast, I’ll end up pushing her completely away.