Riot: A Hell's Heathens MC Christmas Story (Older Man, Younger Woman MC Romance)

by Raven Dark

  I round on him, fists clenched. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap. I shove at him, and when the regret on his face turns into a smirk, I shove his chest harder. It doesn’t do any good, he doesn’t move, and that makes me madder.

  “You boneheaded, ham-fisted asshole,” I shout.

  “Red, calm down,” Riot says in a rational voice that enrages me.

  A lot of the guys behind him are snorting and chuckling. Devil’s leaning against the door now, his shoulders shaking.

  “Calm down?” I hiss. “Calm down? You just broke my friend’s nose.”

  “Aw, come on, now. He’ll be fine. I was protecting you.”

  With all the guys and Devil standing there, he’s careful not to say it, but I can see it in this eyes. He was protecting what’s his. I hate the affection that tries to bubble through my anger. If I wasn’t so pissed at him, and if I wasn’t worried about Dave, this would be funny.

  On some level, I get that he was defending me against a man he thought almost landed me in jail and messed with my life. But as angry as I am right now, I can’t help seeing this as another bid to control me. To drive away anyone who might get close.

  I put myself toe-to-toe with him and put my finger in his face. “You listen to me, Riot. I didn’t ask for, and I don’t need your protection. You stay away from my friends, and you stay away from me.”

  “Red, let’s talk about this.”

  “Not a chance.” I stomp past him, up the steps, and past the guys gathered there. Near the doors, Badger passes me, walking toward Riot.

  “Way to go, new kid,” Badger says, and I hear what sounds like him clapping Riot on the shoulder. “Way to go.”

  Still at the door, Devil bursts out in a fit of laughter, as if he’s been holding it in the whole time. He lets me pass, and when I glare at him, I see him clapping Riot on the back.

  “Well, at least now I won’t have to worry about keeping you away from my sister. It looks like you did that all on your own, Nicky.”

  As close as I came to punching Riot, now I’m almost as close to punching Devil as he roars with laughter.

  “Fuck, I am so out of here,” I snap, rounding on Devil and Riot. “I’m not even going to wait until January. Tomorrow, I’m gone.”

  The next evening, I’m changing my flight back to California from the beginning of January to tomorrow, booking my ride to the airport for the morning, and helping out with the rest of the preparations for the toy drive as much as I can before I leave.

  I’ve also been trying to get hold of Gabby, but she hasn’t responded to my messages or calls.

  Ordinarily, I’d be worried that she hasn’t replied, but she’s probably out at her dad’s farm, and there is zero reception out there. She’ll probably get back to me sometime tonight, at which point I’ll be telling her I’ll be coming back to Cali a lot sooner than originally planned.

  All day, I’ve tried not to think about Riot and what happened yesterday. Doing so only tears me up inside. How is it that my heart still squeezes at the thought of leaving him? He had no right to do what he did yesterday, and it should serve as a reminder that he’s exactly like the kind of possessive, controlling guy I’ve spent my life trying to avoid.

  I’ve also tried to call Dave a few times, hoping to apologize for Riot’s behavior, but he isn’t returning my calls, either. He’s probably pissed at me. That doesn’t do much for my mood.

  I’ll have to stop by his place later. We’ve been friends since long before I left for California. I’m not leaving before I at least get a chance to talk to him.

  After I finish packing my bags for the trip and booking a hotel in case I can’t arrange to stay with Gabby and her dad, I head downstairs. It’s going on six. According to the guys, Devil’s taken Riot out on a toy run.

  Thank god. I’m not ready to deal with either of them right now.

  Devil’s tried to talk me out of leaving, but I’m not changing my mind.

  In the kitchen, I find Anne and Sandra boxing up a few more batches of cupcakes for the guys to run out to a shelter tomorrow.

  “Maybe you’d better do this,” Sandra says, taking a rack of cupcakes from Anne and handing them to me. “They look kind of deformed.”

  “Thanks.” Anne punches her playfully on the arm.

  In spite of my mood, I laugh. What should be elegant swirls of frosting Anne’s squeezed on top of three of the cupcakes instead look like mutant growths. The frosting’s run all down the sides.

  “Here, I’ll fix them.” I set the rack down.

  Sitting on a stool beside the island in the middle of the kitchen, Anne shrugs. “My mother would never let me live this down. I work at a successful restaurant with her, I graduated from culinary school, and yet I can’t decorate a cupcake. I don’t understand what I did wrong.”

  “The frosting’s too thin,” I explain, getting a bowl to prepare a fresh batch.

  “Oh. Duh. I’ve forgotten how to count. Sorry. Pregnancy brain, I guess.”

  “No worries. Listen, I don’t want to leave you ladies high and dry with the rest of this toy drive. Are you sure you can handle it all yourselves?”

  The girls exchange a look. “We’ll be fine,” Anne says, and Sandra nods. Anne reaches out and squeezes my hand. “Are you okay, though? That mess with Riot…”

  I shake my head, the image of Riot hauling off and hitting Dave like that fanning my anger all over again. “It’s just, where does he think he gets off pulling that shit?”

  For some reason, the girls exchange knowing smiles.

  I thump the bowl down, hunt up the ingredient for frosting, and bang those down, too. “I get that Dave and Clutch sort of look alike, but he didn’t even try to make sure he was beating on the right guy. He’s such a typical man. It’s just strike first and ask questions later.”

  Sandra chortles. Anne is grinning.

  I put my hands on my hips. “What? What’s so funny?”

  “Well…” Anne pauses, leaning over the counter, seemingly listening for something. She’s making sure Devil’s not about to come back in, I realize. “Don’t you get it, girl?”

  “Get what?”

  Sandra shakes her head. “Red, Riot’s in love with you.”

  “Yeah, I know. He already gave me the whole ‘I wanna spend the rest of my life with you,’ speech. But that doesn’t give him the right to—”

  “No, you don’t understand,” Anne says, waving her hands. “I’m not talking about that sweet, happily ever after love you see in Hallmark movies. I’m talking, head over heels, can’t sleep, can’t eat, completely lose your head, love.”

  Sandra nods. “Barbie tried to make his favorite, steak and mushrooms last night. He didn’t touch it. And he hasn’t slept in two days. We know, because Devil keeps lecturing him about it. He’s so crazy for you… When he saw someone who looked like Clutch, a guy who’s messing with the woman he loves, he probably couldn’t think about anything but giving said guy a good thrashing.”

  It’s my turn to shake my head. “No, see, guys. You didn’t hear what Riot said to me before I left him at that motel. He said he wasn’t going to let me go back to Cali.”

  “He wanted you to stay with him,” Sandra says.

  “He doesn’t want to lose you,” Anne adds, getting up to get a drink until I wave her back down to get it for her.

  I roll my eyes. “It’s more than that. It’s just…he sounded so controlling. Like he rules my life. He’s just like…”

  “Like Devil,” Anne’s voice is soft as she takes the water I poured her.

  “Well, yeah.”

  “Not every guy in a cut sees a woman the way you think, Red.” Anne sets the glass down.

  I cock my head at them.

  Sandra puts up her hands. “I know, I know, you were born into this life, and we’re the new blood. And we’re not saying the guys aren’t hugely territorial. A guy even looks at me and Gar growls at him. I get it. They can be a little intense, but that’s what hap
pens when they fall hard.”

  “Look, I don’t know the history between you and your brother,” Anne adds. “And I know he’s a difficult guy to get along with. But I do know he cares about you. And Riot is head over heels for you. Trust us on this.”

  I sigh. “You guys have it all wrong. When Riot saw Dave, he saw another man trying to poach on his property. That’s what he saw. That’s what these guys see when they look at a woman. Property. That’s what Devil sees, and it’s what Riot sees. Neither of them wants me to have my own life. That’s why I want out of this life, and out of this club.”

  Sandra closes her hand around mine. “Look, we get it if you want to leave. But this whole club adores you. Devil loves you, and so does Riot. You have friends here.” Her eyes are warm with the promise of friendship, making my heart swell with regret. “Riot made a mistake. Give him a chance to make it right before you give this all up, that’s all we’re saying.”

  “We’ve seen the way you two look at each other,” Anne says. “It’s like the whole world disappears, and there’s only him and you. When you love that hard, there has to be a way to work it out. Nothing that’s worth fighting for is ever supposed to be easy.”

  I sigh, leaning on the counter. Could they be right? Could Riot have just been so wrapped up in me that he wasn’t thinking? Maybe, and I’d be lying if I said part of me didn’t love that Riot clocked a guy he thought had messed with me. But if he cares about me as much as they’re saying, then why would he want to keep me here and force me to give up my dreams? Why would a guy do that unless he only cares about himself and what he’ll lose?

  I turn to them. “Guys, I—”

  My phone buzzes in my back pocket and I fish it out, hoping it’s Gabby.

  “Hello, is this Red?” A polite male voice I don’t recognize asks when I answer.

  I step away from the girls. “That’s me. Who’s this?”

  “Hi, Red, this is Greg Portman, Manager of Toys and Stuff. Listen we have a few boxes full of toys for your drive if you want them.”

  I recognize the name. I’ve never spoken to Greg personally, but Devil gave his name the first time I went out there. I suppress a sigh. The last thing I want to do is run around doing errands today, but the girls can’t do this all themselves especially with Anne pregnant, and Whiskey is my district. Besides, it’s better than sitting around in my room sulking over Riot.

  “Okay. I’ll be there to pick them up in a couple of hours.”

  “Perfect. I’ll have a couple of staff members waiting for you with them at the loading dock.”

  I hang up and tell the girls about the trip. “Anyone want to come?” I’m not in the mood for a two hour drive by myself.

  “I’ll go,” Anne says, climbing slowly off of her chair. “I’ve been craving ice cream all morning, and Badger ate the last tub of. Haagan-Dazs. Relax,” she adds when I start to refuse. “No overexertion, and no heavy lifting.”

  I grin. “Who am I to get between a pregnant woman and her Haagan-Dazs? Let’s go. Sandra? You coming?”

  I hardly need two women to help me load a few boxes of toys, but Anne and Sandra go everywhere together, and it’s fun being with them. They’re just what I need to get my mind off of things. As long as they don’t keep trying to talk me out of leaving.

  “Can’t. Gar’s taking me out for a ride this afternoon, and I should keep working on the baking. You two can take my car, though.” She finds her keys and tosses them to me.

  Anne and I head out to the store, Anne in the passenger seat while I drive. I stop at an ice cream shop a half hour away from the clubhouse, and Anne and I share a large tub of chocolate fudge ice cream while we drive the rest of the way to Whiskey.

  It’s almost nine when I drive down the slushy lane at the side of the store, toward the rear loading dock. Darkness lays over the town, cloaking it in a quiet, peaceful shroud. The store is closed, so the parking lot is empty.

  “You drive like Vicious,” Anne says when I slow down. “When you get him in a car, that is.”

  “Sorry. Did I bump you around too much?”

  “Uh uh. I like it. It’s nice not to have someone baby me all the time.”

  “When is that baby due, anyway?” I throw a glance at her while driving carefully over a patch of ice on the lane.

  “Three weeks, but it feels like a year. We’ve already had a few false alarms. I swear, if we have to go running out to the hospital again only for the doc to tell us the baby’s not ready yet, Vicious is going to break the doctor’s nose.”

  I give a nervous laugh, picturing him going off on the doctor like Riot did on Dave.

  I pull around the corner toward the loading dock. “It’s so cool the way Vicious loves you. I’ve never seen men look at women the way he and Gar look at you and Sandra.”

  “I have.” Anne’s glance is full of meaning. “Riot—”

  The sound of wheel’s skidding startles me and I jolt. Headlights switch on in front of me, blinding me through the front window.

  “What the hell?” I hold up my hand, trying to see through the glare.

  Anne curses, shielding her eyes, too.

  I crank down the window and stick my head out. “Hey, do you mind?”

  I can barely make out the large black van taking up the lane.

  The driver opens the door and gets out. There’s so much glare, I can hardly see him, except to make out that he’s wearing dark clothes, and he has his hoodie pulled up.

  Something about the way he’s moving toward the car causes alarm bells to go off in my head. He has his hand down low at his side, and that hoodie is pulled forward, his face downcast, as if to hide it. He walks closer, and my blood turns to ice.

  The light from the van catches his eyes. There’s a mask over his face, leaving only his eyes showing.

  “Reeeed,” Anne’s voice shakes with fear.

  “Shit.” I grab the gear shift to throw the car in reverse, but it’s too late.

  The guy’s already at the window. His familiar voice is nearly identical to Dave’s, but not as deep.

  “It’s about time, sweet cheeks.”

  Oh, fuck.

  “Get out of the car. Now.” Clutch points a gun at my face.

  11

  A Light in the Dark

  Jesus fucking Christ.

  For what is probably only a couple of seconds but feels like an eternity, terror freezes me in place and slams on the brakes in my brain.

  Someone I’ve known for years, someone I once considered a friend, is now pointing a gun in my face. I have no idea what’s possessed him to do something so batshit crazy, and the thought of what he might be planning to do to either of us causes my throat to tighten with panic, but right now, none of that matters. The only thing that matters is that all he has to do is pull the trigger and my brains will be splattered all over the car.

  I’d always considered myself tough, able to deal with the worst that might come at me. I’ve grown up in an MC, where every member knows how to take care of himself and his business.

  They all know how to shoot, and a lot of the guys carry a piece at all times. Some of the women do, too. I’m used to having firearms around me. But here’s the thing—Devil has always refused to let me near a weapon, and even if he had taught me to handle one, I’ve never had a gun pointed at my head.

  “Out of the fucking car now, or I’ll put a bullet in your brain.”

  Only when Clutch speaks again do I realize I haven’t moved. And that Anne is still sitting beside me. A very pregnant Anne, sitting less than two feet from me.

  I’m not an expert on pregnancy, but I’ve heard stories about how stress can cause an expectant mother to go into premature labor. Fear for her speeds up my pulse.

  My brain desperately tries to comprehend what’s happening here. The man pointing the gun at me sounds like Clutch, but it can’t be. With the lights from his van still shining in my face, I can’t see him well. He’s just a hooded shadow, and I can barely make ou
t the mask covering his face.

  My breathing fills my ears, and my mind scrambles for a way out. I could open the door and slam it into him. He might drop the gun, giving me a chance to drive off. But it also might go off by mistake, and if it does, the shot could hit Anne or me. And if I try to go for my phone or yell for help—if I piss him off—I could get myself shot or put Anne in further danger.

  Much as I’d love to knock him to the ground, I can’t. Until I can figure out how to get him away from Anne and get that gun out of his hand, there’s nothing for it except do what he wants. Fucker.

  Moving slowly, making sure he can see my hands, I open the door and push it wide. Clutch steps aside to give me room, but keeps the gun trained on me.

  Buying myself time, I slip out of the car and stand up slowly, allowing a quick glance around the loading dock area. The store’s lights are off, the windows black shadows, and I don’t see any other vehicles. The van’s muffler is making an obnoxiously loud rumbling sound, drowning out any noise from the nearby street.

  The sound is like the death rattle of a giant beast.

  Oh, shit. That’s the same sound I’d heard that night with Riot at the hotel.

  I peer at the van. The huge black van, just like the one I’d seen in the motel lot.

  My heart gives a wild leap.

  Clutch was there. It was him…

  That puts his being there in a whole new light, doesn’t it? My stomach drops with the implications.

  Somehow, I force my thoughts to stop racing and focus on him. “Clutch, my friend is pregnant. Let her drive away.”

  “I don’t care about your friend. I’m here for you.” His voice is muffled slightly by the mask over his face, but I see his eyes veer to Anne for a second. “Hands in the air, Mom. Keep them where I can see them and don’t move.”

  Protectiveness for Anne has me stealing a glance back at her.

  At first look, Anne appears calm. She has her hands in the air, her eyes on Clutch. Only the sickly paleness of her face in the van’s blaring headlights and the trembling in her hands tells me she’s scared out of her mind.