by Erin Osborne
“You sure? Psycho’s not gonna pick you up?” she asks, curious about why there’s been almost no contact with the man in question for days now.
“I’m good. I’ll get home one way or another. Psycho isn’t answering his phone. It’s all good Callie. I’m not upset that I haven’t heard from him and I’m not going to force myself on the man,” I tell her, knowing that there’s no way in hell that I’ll ever force myself on a man. If someone doesn’t want me, that’s their fucking loss because I’m fucking amazing and I know it. I’m the queen of the badass bitches.
“Okay. I guess we’ll go car shopping and then have an early night. I’m tired as hell today,” Callie tells me, trying to hide a yawn.
“Well, if you weren’t up all night fucking your man and then getting a piece of ass at work maybe you wouldn’t be so damn tired,” I counter, not bothering to contain the laughter from erupting.
“Ha Ha. Very funny!” she retorts, hanging up on me as I take care of the customer that just walked through the door.
The night is finally over with and I’m ready to take a long hot shower and hit the bed. I’ve never had to do inventory the way that Ink does it before and it’s fucking tiring. We all split up and take a section of the shop. Every single item has to be counted and marked down on a sheet. Anything that’s expired or looks damaged gets marked down separately and thrown away. I may not have had as much to inventory as the rest of the crew, but what I had was fucking more than enough.
“Everyone out,” Ink hollers out as he gets ready to alarm the security system and lock the door.
I walk out after making sure I had my bag and phone. Chris left about five minutes ago, and Tatum is going on a date. Ink has to get to the clubhouse for something, so it looks like I’m gonna be walking across town and home tonight. It won’t be the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last. So, I tell everyone good night and take off toward the side of town where Callie’s house sits.
It’s dark with the moon hiding behind clouds tonight. There’s an eeriness that makes me jump at every little sound that I hear. Wind is making crumpled up garbage roll across the street while animals get into garbage cans looking for food. Every time I hear a car or see the flash of headlights heading my way, I have to fight the urge to run behind anything big enough to hide me and cower like a weak bitch. Sarah has assured me that it doesn’t make me weak; my reaction is perfectly normal and will lessen over time. I’ll have to take her word for it at this point in time.
Before too long, I hear the rumble of a lone motorcycle heading my way. When I was kidnapped, there weren’t guys on bikes. It was a few men in a blacked-out van that looked like any independent contractor would use. I speed up just a little bit, no one watching me would even notice my movements it was that slight just as the biker stops behind me. The bike shuts off and I wait a few seconds before turning my attention to the man that’s behind me. I know who it is before I get a glance of him.
Psycho is standing behind me, close to his bike under a faded street light. He’s pissed off and I can tell that he’s recently gotten out of a shower with his hair still damp. If he’s been riding his bike, I know that he must have barely dried off or the wind would’ve dried his shoulder-length dark hair. There’s a day’s worth of growth on his pissed off face and I rub my thighs together as I recall how that stubble feels between my thighs and along the rest of my body. My traitorous body still wants the biker no matter what I try to tell myself.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doin’ Hadliegh?” he asks, walking closer to me and becoming part of the shadows.
“Walking home,” I answer him, turning my back toward him and continuing to walk home.
“You need a fuckin’ ride, you call me,” he growls out, reaching out and grabbing my arm to stop me.
“Don’t need you. I know what this was when it started, and you’ve clearly reached the end of your time with me. I’m not going to chase after you Psycho,” I tell him, not backing down from the man standing in front of me.
“You. Fuckin’. Call. Me,” he growls out one more time before pulling me flush against his body and slamming his lips down on mine. There’s nothing gentle or loving about the kiss that we’re sharing. It’s all about the need that we both feel for one another whenever we’re in the same room. The need I feel almost consumes me with its intensity.
“Not your whore, your girl, or your ol’ lady,” I tell him once I’ve finally broken free from his kiss and I can think straight once again.
“You’re on my bike,” Psycho says, grabbing my arm once more as I continue to walk away from him.
“What’s your problem?” I ask, turning around to face him as I yank my arm from his grasp. “You’re done fucking me and there’s plenty of the slut brigade at the clubhouse to take care of your needs. I’m not gonna chase you or wait around for the spare seconds you have to share with me Psycho. Now I’m exhausted and want to take a shower and go to bed. Let me fucking leave.”
“Get on the fuckin’ bike and I’ll get you there quicker,” he replies finally striding angrily back toward his bike.
I stand still for a few seconds. Long enough for me to way my options. If I take a ride from him, I’ll get home quick as hell. Or, I could walk and spend the next half hour or so on my feet when they already hurt. Reluctantly, I head for Psycho’s bike so that I can get home. What’s a ride when I’ve had a long day already? It’s not like he’s going to come in and fuck my brains out one more time or anything like that.
Too bad Psycho has his own plans and he follows me inside once we pull up to the dark house. The only light on is the porch and I know that Callie only leaves it on for me. I quickly unlock the door and turn the alarm off so that Psycho can shut it behind me before setting it again. Without waiting to see what he’s going to do; I head upstairs and to the room I’ve been staying in. There’s an en suite bathroom and I head straight in there so that I can shower and get ready to fall into bed. Psycho is already lying under the covers when I come out of the shower fifteen minutes later. I do my best to ignore the man that’s slowly crawling under my skin.
Chapter Fourteen
Bear
I GAVE CALLIE THREE MONTHS TO PLAN our wedding. She swore that she didn’t need that much time because she just wanted something simple. I gave her input on anything that she asked, but I tried to let her and Hadliegh do their thing. They’ve picked out everything and the club girls have helped her get everything set up in the back of the clubhouse. That was my only stipulation. I don’t want to get married somewhere that anyone can get to us. This is our day and I refuse to have it ruined by a bunch of cumquats that don’t belong here.
Hadliegh even made me stay away from the house last night. I wasn’t gonna give in on that shit because Callie and I are in bed together every single night. But I saw the look on my girl’s face and decided that I’d give her this one last night of ‘freedom’ before she becomes my wife. She also didn’t want to have a bachelorette party because she doesn’t have anyone besides Hadliegh and she’s pregnant, so she didn’t think it’d be any fun to go out and try to party. On the other hand, the guys threw me a party at the clubhouse. It was just an excuse for them to party and let loose again. The girls stayed away from me, even Rusty. The only time she came near me was to apologize and tell me that she’d apologize to Callie for her behavior as soon as she saw her again. I appreciated the gesture and I hope that Callie does to.
So, after waking up this morning I walked out back to where the wedding would take place to see what was going on. Rusty took over and made sure that every girl was up and outside helping to set everything up. There has been a major difference in her since Legs is no longer around to fill her mind with bullshit. Rusty, Silk, and Foxy are setting up the area where we’ll say our vows. There’s an arbor standing there filled with roses and garland. They’re making sure that there’s no holes that need to be filled while the rest of the girls are setting up the chairs the club will s
it in. I watch as they put a white cloth over them and tie a red ribbon around the back. The prospects, other than me, are busy setting up the picnic tables that we’ll sit at after the wedding and covering them with the same white cloths. Bishop is placing either red or black runners down the center of each table and then placing the flower arrangements that Bentley picked up earlier today.
“Callie just got here,” Renegade says walking up to stand next to me and watch all the activity taking place. “She was lookin’ for you. Told her she couldn’t see you until it was time to walk down the aisle.”
Renegade laughs as I glare at him. I can’t wait to lay eyes on her, it’s been too long already. Standing next to him, I look at my watch and see that in just under an hour I’ll be standing there watching my soon-to-be wife walking toward me. I guess it’s time for me to head in and start to get ready.
“Who’s walkin’ her down the aisle?” I ask, knowing that she’s trying to choose between Renegade, Psycho, and Grave. She knows that I want Psycho to be my best man though and that Smokey will be standing with me as well.
“Not sure. All I know is that it’s down to Grave or me. We’ll both be ready to walk her down to you. And make sure that she knows she has another shot to run away from you and we’ll help her get away,” my President says, trying to get me out of my head.
“Funny asshole,” I say, a smirk covering my face to let him know I appreciate him right now. “Can’t wait to watch you fall so we can all fuck with you.”
“Not gonna happen, brother,” he says, turning serious as he watches everyone work before turning to head inside again.
There’s a story there but none of us know what’s happened to him. Obviously, someone broke his heart and made him have no faith in the opposite sex when it comes to himself. He’s happy with his friends and brothers finding love and being in relationships; just not himself. Renegade is more than happy to let the Satan’s babe fuck him and take care of his needs when he needs a release. They all know the score and won’t try to overstep their bounds with him. If they do, they’re out of the clubhouse with no remorse shown.
Since everything is being taken care of and I’m not needed out here, I make my way inside. Psycho, Smokey, Grave, and Ryder are all standing at the bar getting ready to take a shot. I walk over and wait for the shot glass filled with Jack to be passed to me so I can do one with my brothers. Then I’ll go get ready to head outside and wait for my woman.
“To Bear and his final moments of freedom!” Psycho hollers out before we all down the shot and the men clap me on the back.
“See you guys in a while,” I say before heading to one of the empty rooms to get my shower and get dressed.
Callie didn’t want us dressed in suits or a tuxedo. She was happy to let me wear jeans and my cut. The same with the rest of the guys. Callie’s not one that would make us wear something we weren’t comfortable with. So, I bought a new pair of dark blue jeans with a button-down black shirt. I’ll be wearing my cut over it with a new pair of boots. Psycho bought new clothes for today too. He’s going to be wearing a red button-down shirt instead of the black one to match me. I also know that Grave and Renegade bought new clothes for the day because at least one of them will be walking Callie down the aisle and they want to make the day good for her.
I take a quick shower and get dressed. The only thing I want is to go to my room and see Callie, so I make myself stay put. Psycho comes in to sit with me because he knows that the nerves are starting to kick in and that I’m ready to crawl out of my skin. We make small talk as he sits at the desk while I sit on the end of the bed. Once that runs out, I turn and look at my best friend for a few minutes. He’s changed in the months since Hadliegh was brought here.
“How are things with you and Hadliegh?” I ask, wanting to know where his head’s at regarding Callie’s best friend.
“I don’t know. She’s tryin’ to be so strong and independent and she’s cool with the whole no strings attached thing. But, there’s just somethin’ more with her. I don’t know what to do about it,” he admits, letting me know that he’s tied in knots over Hadliegh.
“What do you want to do? You thinkin’ of claimin’ her?” I ask, wanting to know where his head is right now.
“I never thought about claimin’ anyone. I don’t know if she’s goin’ to stick around long-term no matter how much she wants to be there for Callie,” Psycho tells me, dropping his head into his hands for a brief second. “Anyway, enough about Hadliegh and what might or might now happen. Let’s get a move on and get you married.”
Psycho and I walk out to the common room where all the guys are waiting. With a nod of his head, Psycho lets everyone know that it’s time to get a move on as we all head outside and to the back of the property. It’s nice back here and I’m glad that my girl agreed to be married here. The gates were closed as soon as she arrived and no one else can get in here. Unfortunately, that means that Chris won’t get to witness the wedding or party at the reception because someone has to stand guard. As I take my spot along with Psycho and Smokey, the rest of my brothers and Satan’s babes take the seats filling the make shift aisle. It’s just a matter of time before Callie meets me down here and I can’t wait as the nervous energy flows through me and a lone bead of sweat slides down my back as the heat from the sun beats down on us.
Callie
I’ve been pampered and dressed in my wedding dress. It’s a simple dress that falls to my ankles so that I can wear my flip flops without anyone noticing. The dress is an A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline that dips low between my breasts. A black ribbon has been tied below my chest and sits above my belly where our baby rests safe and sound. Hadliegh did my make-up light and almost non-existent and she’s just put the finishing touches on my hair. She’s left it down except for the sides and curled it so it flows down my back. Where the sides are pulled back, she’s placed small red roses in my hair so that the club colors are represented.
“Have you made your mind up yet between Renegade or Grave?” Hadliegh asks me as she steps back so she can see the final results of her hard work.
“No. I think I may just have them both walk me down the aisle. That way I don’t have to worry about falling over with my fat ass,” I murmur as I walk over to the mirror on the back of the bathroom door to finally see what I look like.
Tears fill my eyes as I take in what I look like. Hadliegh made me look beautiful and I can’t help the flow of tears that threaten to spill over and ruin her hard work. Before I can really thank her, there’s a knock on the door and she rushes over to open it up. Standing there in the doorway looking as flawless as ever with her nose turned up in the air is my sister, Anna.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, not being polite or nice as I step back.
“I came to see you get married,” she answers as I take in her appearance in a white summer dress that looks stunning and rivals my own wedding dress.
“The fuck you did,” I say, watching as shock and disgust cover her face as my tone and language. “You want to be here to upstage me and make a mockery of my wedding. So, I’ll kindly ask that you leave and never show your abusive, snarky face here again. I don’t want, or need, you in my life.”
“I’m truly here for you,” Anna says, trying to play a role in front of Hadliegh. Looking over I see that she’s not buying my sisters act either.
“No, you’re really not. I haven’t seen you since the day I left the house. You couldn’t even come to court to support your parents when I got a restraining order against them. Now, all of a sudden, you show up and want to be here for my wedding? Nope, you can leave and go tell your parents that I’m happy and they’ll never know my baby,” I say, letting more anguish and rage out as I step closer to her with my fists clenched at my side.
“How could you? I don’t understand how you’d associate yourself with such trash and common whores,” Anna says, turning her attention toward Hadliegh.
“These people are be
tter than you’ll ever hope to be. They’re loyal, caring, not abusive, protective, and I know would die for me. The same that they get from me in return. This ‘whore’ as you call her, put her ass on the line and took beating after beating for me when you were the one that has always abused me. All so you could look better for mommy dearest. Well, Anna, fuck you. Get back in your car and never show your face here again,” I yell, getting in my sister’s face for the first time in my life.
“You’re no better than a slut, Callie. I can’t believe that I drove all the way down here,” she says, going to turn on her heel and walk away. “You’re going to lose everything one way or another. I’ll help them make sure of that.”
“Hey Anna,” I call out, getting my sister to stop and turn her attention back to me.
Before she can say another disgusting word, I raise my fist and let it fly. I hit her square in the nose and watch as blood gushes out. The crunching of bones lets me know that I more than likely just broke her nose. Good! Bitch deserves it after everything that she did to me when I was growing up and then having the nerve to show her nasty face here today. I’m done with them all. Maybe now she’ll get the hint and won’t come back around.
“You broke my nose! What is wrong with you?” Anna shrieks out, running from the doorway to Bear’s room.
I hear clapping from behind me and turn to see Hadliegh standing there clapping with a smirk on her face. “Way to go Callie! So proud of you,” she says, wrapping me in a hug before Grave and Renegade show up in the doorway.
They’re standing there with a look of shock on their faces. “Um, anyone wanna tell me why some bitch just went runnin’ out of the clubhouse with blood drippin’ down her face?” Renegade asks, stepping through the doorway.
“That was my sister. Don’t know how she found the clubhouse or what her intentions were, but she’s gone now,” I answer him, shaking my fist out as the pain begins to radiate up my arm.
