“Thanks, Rianne. You’ve been awesome.”
“Aww, thanks! See you tomorrow.”
She waves at us both, practically jogging out of the room. I slide the towel around my neck, using the ends to dry my face.
“Hey, darlin’.” Without missing a beat, he leans down and plants a kiss on my lips. I blush, looking around the room to see if anyone noticed. “Ashamed to kiss me in public, Em?”
Horrified he thinks that’s what the action meant, I step back. I’m about to protest when I look up to see the smile on his lips.
“Asshole.” I smack his chest. “I really thought you were offended.”
“But I am. Lucky for you I know how you can make it up to me.”
“Let me guess, it involves us being naked.”
“Oh, it involves a whole lot more than that. Come home with me and I’ll show you.”
“You weren’t kidding about that frequency thing, were you?”
“You’ll quickly learn, Em. I never joke when it comes to fucking.”
“Trust me, I have. My body is feeling the effects of my… um… education.”
“Good.” He takes my hand, leading me out of the room. “Maybe it’s time you graduated.”
“Graduated?” I stop walking, making him jerk back. Does that mean… is he ending this?
“Em? What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean”—he presses against me—“it’s time to take you to another level.”
Whew.
“What level is that?”
He doesn’t answer my question, only asking one of his own. “Want to go to a party?”
“Sure. Where?”
“At the clubhouse. The old ladies are doing a whole Christmas thing.”
“But I thought women weren’t allowed?” I ask, confused.
“Old ladies are the brothers’ women. They’re not members, but that doesn’t mean they’re banned from the premises.”
“And I can go there?”
“You’ll be my guest, so yeah.”
“Okay.” This is exciting! Other than getting food, we haven’t really been “out” together. Plus I get to see a part of his life that I have no clue about. “I’d love to. When is it?”
“Tonight.”
“Tonight! That’s a little last-minute, don’t you think?”
“It’s a good thing you have all those outfits to choose from, then.” He winks, helping me into my jacket. “You can shower and get ready at my place.”
“Okay.”
The drive to his house goes by in a flash because my mind is occupied by this party. I haven’t been to one in ages. Not to mention this isn’t just some party—it’s a biker party. I have no idea what to expect, but if the other members are anything like Venom, I know I’m going to enjoy myself. What do I even wear? The only leather I own is a jacket. Isn’t that what biker chicks wear?
“You can use my shower. I’ll use the other bathroom,” Venom says when we walk through the door.
“Okay,” I answer, distracted by thinking about my outfit.
By the time I’ve showered and washed my hair, he’s already in the bedroom getting ready. He’s also laid out an outfit for me. It’s cute, but he picked a skirt. A short one.
“Um… I’m gonna freeze my buns off in that.”
His gaze flicks between me and the skirt as if he’s contemplating which takes precedence—fashion or comfort.
“It’s not that cold. Besides, the party is indoors.”
“Venom.” I tilt my head to the side, eyes begging him to be reasonable.
“Wear the skirt, bring a pair of jeans. If you get cold, you can change. How about that?”
“Why do you want me to wear it?”
“Easy access, darlin’.” He winks, his grin devilish.
“Are you planning a show or something?” I joke.
“Maybe.”
I instantly stop what I’m doing, spinning on my heels to stare at him. Laughter erupts from him, head falling back, chest shaking. While he enjoys himself at my expense, a thought begins to take root. I mean… public sex… that’s a fantasy-type thing, right?
“That intrigues you, doesn’t it?” His tone is serious as he moves to stand before me.
“Maaaybe.”
“What are we talking here? Full-on sex, or do you just want to come in public?”
“You’re serious, aren’t you? You’d do it?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” He shrugs. “Something you want to cross off your list?”
“You’ve done it before?” I ask in a barely audible voice, surprised yet fascinated.
“Why are you whispering?”
“I don’t know. With who?”
“Does it matter, Em?”
“I guess not. The second one, then,” I answer before I can change my mind. “No one can know, though. I mean, public but no audience.”
“You got it, darlin’.”
He goes back to getting dressed, like we just decided on having chicken instead of beef for dinner. O-kay then.
To keep my mind off what I agreed to, I grab my toiletry bag from my purse, trying to figure out what I’m going to do with my hair. Thankfully I have some makeup with me. Since I’ve been here every night, my little bag has been my lifesaver.
“You can leave that here, you know.”
“What?” I turn to face Venom.
“Your bag. No use in taking it back and forth.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s just deodorant and shit, darlin’.” He chuckles.
“It’s just…. Okay. Thanks.”
“No prob.”
After putting the final touches on my makeup, I find him watching me from the bathroom door. Our eyes meet in the mirror and his approval shows in his smile.
“You look gorgeous, Em.” He saunters over, wrapping his arms around me from behind and dropping a kiss on my neck. “Smell good, too.”
He’s wearing his customary T-shirt and jeans. His eyes seem to have a steely blue hue tonight, which goes perfectly with the long-sleeved blue shirt. His hair is down, beard trimmed, and if we’re talking about smelling good, he has that one in the bag.
“Thank you.”
“Listen.” At his sigh, I turn in his arms, disappointment washing over me because I know he’s about to cancel our plans. “There are a few things we need to go over.”
“Like what?”
“Like what to expect. The old ladies will be around, so things will be pretty tame, but you might still see some things that could”—my brows knit when his smirk transforms into a chuckle—“offend your delicate sensibilities.”
“My sensibilities are not delicate!” I exclaim, pouting.
“Try to keep an open mind. These men and women aren’t your regular crowd. Whatever you see or hear doesn’t leave the clubhouse. You come to me if you have any issues. Understand?”
“Keep my mouth shut. Got it.”
“Right. You need anything, you can talk to one of the women. I’ll introduce you when we get there.”
“Yes, sir!” I salute him, matching his smile with one of my own. “Anything else?”
“No, darlin’. Come on.”
I’ve never seen the clubhouse before. It’s quite secluded and looks like a fortress from the outside with the high gates. When Venom pulls up to them, they open and we enter. We could be in Narnia for all I know, because we drive into a whole new world. Bikes and cars are scattered around, music loud, voices louder. I take in the sights and scents, my senses on overload. There are women wearing much less than me; I wonder how they’re standing around like it’s the middle of summer. Inside the building is no different. Venom’s hand tightens around mine as we weave through the crowd. It’s the ultimate man cave with a pool table, video poker, pinball machine, and several flat-screen TVs mounted on the walls.
“Over there.” Venom points to the bar. “Those are the old ladies.”
There�
�s a group of five women, two of whom look young enough to be my daughters. Definitely nothing “old” about them. They’re all wearing cuts like the men, but with different words on the back. The ones I can see read “Property of Reaper,” “Property of Einstein,” “Property of Motor,” and “Property of Crow.”
“The Latina with the dark hair, that’s Raven, the prez’s old lady. You need anything, you talk to her. Ellen’s the one with the brown hair. She’s the VP’s woman and the prez’s sister. You can’t find me or Raven, you go to her.”
“Okay. What does that ‘property’ stuff mean?”
“The names are their old men.”
“So they’re property of their boyfriends?” I ask in shock. What century is this?
“They’re not bought and sold, Emily. It’s actually a sign of respect.”
Yeah… right. As we approach the women, I paste on a smile. They may be owned by men, but they look pretty happy. I watch them talking and laughing, longing hitting me in the gut. I don’t have that—female friends. Hell, I don’t have any kind of friends. Once I started my second job, all the women I used to hang out with faded away. I didn’t even miss that until now.
“Hey, ladies.”
“Venom!” the dark-haired girl, Raven, shouts happily.
I was right. This girl is young. It makes me wonder how old the president is, since she’s also heavily pregnant. Her stomach is bare, a bandeau the only thing under her cut.
“Emily, meet Raven, Ellen, Marlowe, Renae, and Chrissy. Everyone, this is Emily.”
We exchange pleasantries before they chase Venom off. I silently beg him not to leave, but he winks, takes my jacket, and disappears into the throng.
“So, Emily,” Raven says. “I don’t know if Venom told you, but I’m Gage’s old lady. Ellen is with Dr. E, Marlowe and Renae are with Crow and Motor, and Chrissy is with Charger.”
“Yeah, he mentioned that,” I reply, not wanting the other women to feel left out.
“How long have you been seeing Venom?” the caramel beauty asks. Chrissy, that’s her name.
“Not long. I’ve only been in town a couple weeks.”
“I knew I hadn’t seen you around here,” one of the older women says. I think she’s Marlowe.
“Well, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of you from now on.” Ellen winks.
I avert my gaze, cheeks no doubt turning red when I realize what she’s alluding to. “Oh, it’s not like that. We’re just hanging out.”
“Emily, mira.” Raven lays her hand on my shoulder. “One, he brought you to the clubhouse, and two, he put you with us.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re at the good-good table. We’re all old ladies here.”
“Oh.”
I look around the room, noticing more of those scantily-clad women. They don’t seem to be here with anyone specific, bouncing from man to man.
“Those are Hounds,” Ellen tries to explain. “They’re basically here to take care of the men.”
“Oh. I see.” She doesn’t need to be more specific. I think I know exactly what she means.
The women go quiet for a beat before Marlowe pipes up. I get the feeling she’s trying to change the subject.
“I’m going to ask the burning question I’m sure we all want the answer to. Give up the goods, Emily. How’s the snake man?”
“Huh?”
“The bedroom,” Raven clarifies. “I already know Venom’s got a big dick, but does he know how to use it?”
All eyes turn to Raven, especially mine.
“Ugh.” She rolls her eyes. “I saw it last year. I was on my way to the kitchen and he was over in that corner”—she jerks her head in the general direction—“getting a blow job from one of the Hounds.”
Okay, then. Now I understand what Venom meant about keeping my mouth shut about what I might see. At least it was last year and not last week. I also now know he has no qualms about public sex.
“Well?” Ellen prods.
I’m not really comfortable telling these women about my sex life, but I can’t stop the blush from creeping back into my cheeks. They burst out laughing, Raven and Ellen high-fiving each other. That’s when I notice Ellen is pregnant, too. The women’s laughter is infectious, and I can’t help but join in. My nerves vanish. I lean on the bar, thanking Renae when she orders me a drink from the young man behind it. When he turns around, I notice there’s no logo on his cut, only the bottom patch with the state. As he hands me my drink, I see the small one on the front that says “Prospect.”
“Thanks.”
“Name’s Tyler, ma’am.” He tosses his shoulder-length, dirty blond hair out of his face. “You need anything, let me know.”
“Um… okay.”
My eyes meet with the pair belonging to the other person behind the bar, a pretty brunette. I assume she’s one of the Hounds Ellen told me about.
“Sweet prepubescent Jesus,” Raven mumbles, bringing my attention back to her.
I follow her line of vision, mouth falling open at the sight of the two men emerging from the back. They’re both shirtless and sweaty, hands wrapped as if they were boxing. The blond is ripped and hard, covered in tattoos. His friend with the dark hair and black-rimmed glasses is not as bulky but still defined, only one visible tat. Holy shit, they’re hot!
The blond steps between Raven’s thighs, dropping a kiss on her lips, then one on her stomach.
“Need some help washing my back, babe,” he says with a smirk, rubbing her belly. I breathe an internal sigh of relief that he’s not some old geezer.
“Hey, beautiful,” the other piece of man-candy greets Ellen before turning to the rest of us. “Ladies.”
“This is Emily.” Ellen tugs me forward. “She came with Venom.”
Both men’s eyebrows almost touch their hairlines. They recover quickly, shaking my hand.
“I’m Gage,” the blond says, his blue eyes lighting up. “This is Einstein. Glad you’re here, Emily. You need anything, or if Venom’s being a dick, you let us know.”
“I will. Thanks.” I like these two already.
“I really do need a shower, so I’ll see you later, Emily.”
“Yeah, later.”
Gage and Einstein drag their women behind them, and that’s when I see the tattoos on their backs. The bit peeking out from under Raven’s cut seems to match her husband’s.
“They all do that,” Marlowe explains. “Kind of a club thing to get their old ladies tatted on their backs. Those two women are the first to get matching ones, though.”
I nod, taking a deep breath and a sip of my drink, settling in. That’s so sweet how they’re willing to display their love for their women so openly.
I think I’m going to like it here.
“Well, my night just got a lot better.”
I turn at the sound of the voice, bumping into a solid wall of man. My eyes widen, slowly panning up until I meet the eyes of the giant in front of me.
“Whoa. You’re huge.” Shit. Did that come out of my mouth? He’s wearing a cut like Venom’s, with “Sergeant at Arms” printed on one of the patches, “Razor” on another. His size, the mohawk, the leather and chains should instill fear in me, but there’s a kindness in his hazel eyes that calms me.
He winks, giving me an impish grin. “All over, babe.”
“Um… yeah… I… I don’t doubt that,” I stammer.
“Wanna go back to my room and be certain?”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
A deep voice booms behind Mr. Sergeant at Arms. “Because she’s mine.”
CHAPTER 12
***Venom***
“Damn, who’s the blonde?”
“That’s Emily,” I answer Razor’s question without even looking. I know she’s the one he’s talking about.
“Your Emily?”
“Yeah, my Emily.”
“Fuck, brother. Now I see why that trip was necessary.”
; “Yeah.”
I finally turn in her direction, watching her. She’s more relaxed now than she was earlier, and I’m glad. I don’t know why, but I’m fucking happy she’s fitting in.
“I also see why you didn’t want to bring her here.”
“What, you think one of you assholes can take my place?”
“Hell yeah. I’m Razor, motherfucker. You know what that means?”
“You’re tiny and flat?” I chuckle.
“I’m sharp.” He pops the “p” and his collar.
“Okay, go ahead.” I motion to Emily. “Take a shot.”
I trust my brother. He knows I’m joking, and I know he wouldn’t try anything. Besides, it might boost Emily’s ego if another man shows some interest. I don’t know why she thinks I only compliment her because I want to keep fucking her. It couldn’t be any further from the truth.
“I will. Get ready to go home alone, brother.”
“Good luck.”
I watch him saunter over, throwing a grin over his shoulder. When Emily spins to face him, I start making my way over there, too. I’m curious to hear what she’ll say. She fumbles over her words at first, but her voice is steady and clear when she tells him she can’t go to his room.
“Because she’s mine.”
The choice of words stuns me, but I find the notion doesn’t. Shit.
Razor turns slowly, amusement lighting up every part of him. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, it is.” I push past him, claiming the free spot next to Emily. “Isn’t that right, darlin’?”
“I came with Venom,” she tells Razor, leaning in to my side.
“Then you, dollface, need a drink to cope with that asshole. Marisol!” He motions to the girl behind the bar. “Tequila shots!”
We down the first round and I order a couple more, each one sending Emily closer to me. Her eyes are glassy, and there’s a constant smile on her sweet lips. I’m not trying to get her drunk, but I need her loose in order to give her what she wants. Taking her hand, I lead her down the corridor to my room. On the way, we bump into Gage and Raven leaving theirs.
“You guys heading in? I was thinking of making a fire,” Prez says.
“Nah. Just need a few minutes.”
Renascence: Death Dealers MC Book 5 Page 14
