Colt (Desert Sinners MC Book 2)

by Rachel Lyn Adams

  Even though I was supposed to play hostess, I wouldn’t dare ask my brother who was coming or why. I didn’t need to trigger his curiosity. Not that he’d actually tell me anything. For now, I focused on the task at hand, getting everything prepared for our guests’ arrival.

  “Looks like everything is ready. Thanks, ladies.” I placed the final tray of food on the counter and wiped my hands on the dishtowel hanging near the sink. The women helping me rushed out of the kitchen, anxious to get ready for the festivities.

  “What are your plans tonight?” I asked, looking over at my younger sister, Phoebe, who was leaning against the counter and sipping from her bottle of water. She’d apparently raided my closet and stolen an old dress of mine. In it, she looked like a younger version of me. As for me, I’d long since given up sexy dresses for simple and clean: killer shoes, jeans, and a simple top.

  “A few of us are going to the movies,” she said, now texting away on her phone, “and then Marissa is going to spend the night.”

  “Do her parents know there won’t be any adults home?” On nights like this, James and I would both spend the night here at the clubhouse, and with our mom in New York, Phoebe was on her own at our house. At least that’s what she thought. With the modified lockdown James put the club on, Phoebe was well guarded without her knowledge. There was no need to make her worry about things out of her control.

  Phoebe rolled her eyes and let out a loud huff. “Marissa’s eighteen and her parents wouldn’t care anyway.” She took a breath, and then in the sweetest voice she could muster, she asked, “Do you think we can swing by here after the movie?”

  “You know that’s not happening.” I shook my head, chuckling at the absurdity of her asking a question she already knew the answer to. “You’re only seventeen, Phoebe. Dad would be rolling in his grave if we let you hang out at one of these parties.”

  I’d only been allowed to attend parties once I turned eighteen and that was short-lived. James had the same philosophy as our father when it came to Phoebe. Family events were okay, but what was occurring here tonight was a completely different story.

  “So I’m old enough to stay at the house by myself, but not old enough to hang out here?” she shot back, dramatic as hell. “You guys suck!”

  I couldn’t help but laugh as she stomped out the front door. I could see things from her point of view, but she didn’t know the lengths both of us went to make sure she was protected. She was lucky that James hadn’t sent her away with our mother like he wanted. She was pushing it by asking me for any leeway. Not having Mom around made things tougher, but she was struggling with Dad’s death and I wasn’t sure how long she’d grieve. He’d been the love of her life, and vice versa. Even though the idea of losing your spouse was awful, I still wanted to find that kind of love for myself as much as for my siblings one day.

  Just as I thought that, Colt’s face popped in my head. I remembered him having a great smile and laugh, but then I remembered his expression two weeks ago that made me wish that the ground had opened up and swallowed me whole.

  Shaking off that ugly feeling, I walked into the next room and I could feel the clubhouse buzzing with energy. The bar was fully stocked, a member, who moonlighted as a DJ, was setting up a computer and speakers in the corner, and plenty of girls were roaming around in outfits that didn’t leave much to the imagination. The business the guys needed to deal with would be addressed tomorrow. Tonight was all about having a good time.

  Whatever the issue bringing the guys here from Vegas, it was the first major problem James was dealing with since taking over for our father. My faith in my brother’s ability to handle whatever situation came his way never wavered, but knowing the Las Vegas chapter had Reno’s back gave me peace of mind.

  Glancing at the clock on the wall, I realized I only had about thirty minutes to get myself put together. Racing up to the room that I stayed in more often than not, I started rummaging through the closet to find something to wear. I settled on a pair of black skinny jeans, a gray open-back blouse, and the sexiest pair of red stilettos I could find. Pulling down the messy bun from the top of my head, I left my hair hanging in natural waves around my shoulders. If I was going to play the role of biker girlfriend, I was going to look hot while doing it. And if Colt happened to show up here, I wanted to look good. I was swiping on some red lipstick when I heard a knock on my door.

  “Ember, people are starting to show up,” James yelled from the other side of the door. “Get your ass out here!”

  I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. I loved my brother, but he could be a bossy jerk sometimes. Checking myself out in the mirror one last time, I was pretty pleased with the result, seeing as I didn’t put much time into getting ready.

  I opened the door and started following my brother, who was already halfway down the stairs. When we stepped outside, I scanned the parking lot and locked eyes with Torch. He was leaning against his bike, talking to a few guys. It wasn’t hard to spot him in a crowd. He was six-five, with hair as dark as the night sky, and piercing blue eyes. His good looks were what first caught my attention and they disguised the evil that lurked inside the man.

  I spun around when I heard the low rumble of more engines and watched as two Desert Sinners with Las Vegas patches drove in and parked their bikes across from my brother and me. I squinted my eyes, trying to get a good look at which two were joining us.

  A huge grin spread across my face when I realized it was Hawk and Fitz. Hawk’s father was one of the founding members of the Desert Sinners. He was around when I lived in Las Vegas, but Hawk was five years older than me, so we never really interacted. He’d spent the last ten years in the Army and only returned a short time ago. Fitz and I, however, had a friendship that began years ago when we were just kids. He didn’t join the club until long after my family moved away, but his sister was one of my best friends from grade school, so a lot of my childhood memories included him. In fact, I think my family even influenced his decision to join the Desert Sinners. Once he patched in, he made trips up here for club business.

  Hawk walked over to my brother and shook his hand. “Hey, Ice. Thanks for having us.”

  I hung back as the guys talked for a minute. But, as soon as they were done, Fitz made a beeline for me. We’d only been able to say a few words to each other in passing during my short trip to Vegas, so I was happy at the prospect of having him around so we could catch up. When he was close enough, he reached out and pulled me into a bear hug, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around a couple of times.

  “How’s it goin’, Red?”

  It’d been years since anyone called me Red, and his use of my old nickname caused a big grin to spread across my face.

  I smacked his shoulder so he would put me down, but I couldn’t deny the happiness I felt in his arms. “Everything’s good,” I replied. “Working a lot and making sure these guys don’t get themselves into too much trouble.”

  “Well, you look good.” I could feel the blush creep up my cheeks. It always felt good when a man, especially one as hot as Fitz, complimented you.

  Most guys who held Fitz’s position were scary motherfuckers, and his size, at least six-two and sizeable muscular frame, left no doubt he could handle his own if the situation called for it. However, Fitz’s good looks and disarming smile could make someone forget how lethal he could be. I’m sure that worked to his advantage.

  Before I could respond, I felt Torch wrap his arm around my waist. “Babe, don’t you need to go inside and help with the food?”

  His smooth voice sounded calm on the surface, but I knew what Torch was doing. The way his fingers spread over my hip, pulling me into his body—he was making sure Fitz knew who I belonged to. He didn’t need to worry about Fitz though. He saw me as nothing more than a little sister, and any feelings I carried for him were strictly platonic.

  When Torch leaned in for a kiss, I felt my entire body lock up, and it took everything in me to not
pull away. I hoped no one noticed my reaction, but when I looked at Fitz, I knew it hadn’t escaped his attention. He tilted his head and quirked a brow, but I ignored the silent question and headed back inside. A few of the club girls were already setting the food out. I grabbed the remaining tray and took it into the back yard where several picnic tables were set up. We were lucky this week with the mild, mid-September temperatures allowing us to enjoy the outdoors before the sun went down.

  After the guys got their food, I prepared a plate for myself then made my way over to sit between James and Torch, which put me across from Hawk and Fitz. I listened intently as they filled us in on their ride up here and things happening back in Las Vegas. Fitz and Hawk’s younger brother, Wolf, seemed to be close and it sounded like Fitz had taken him under his wing while Hawk was away, serving his country. Most of the stories revolved around the three of them with the occasional anecdote about some of the others I knew. There was no mention of the Phantoms or any other club business since there were a lot of people around, but listening to the stories about Las Vegas made me a bit nostalgic. I spent the first eleven years of my life living there and still had friends that I kept in touch with, including Fitz’s sister, Melissa. It wasn’t easy when we were younger and had to rely on writing letters to each other, but once we had cell phones and social media accounts, we found ways to stay connected.

  “How’s Melissa doing?” I asked Fitz. “I haven’t talked to her in a couple of weeks.”

  “She’s doing good. She and Mark have been busy moving into their new place. You should come back for a real visit soon; I know she would love to see you.”

  The idea was tempting, but I knew it wouldn’t happen. I was about to respond when Torch decided to chime in. “Ember’s pretty busy these days with work and all. Don’t think a trip is in the cards.”

  Fitz looked between Torch and me, and I could see the confusion in his eyes. I’d never been one to let other people tell me what to do, except maybe my father and James.

  “Well, the offer stands,” Fitz added before getting sucked back into conversation with my brother.

  “You can forget about going to Vegas unless I’m with you,” Torch whispered in my ear.

  Turning toward him I plastered a fake smile on my face. “I know.” He didn’t need to remind me that he was the one who controlled what I did, no matter how much I wished that wasn’t true.

  The party got louder and rowdier as the hours ticked by. I indulged a bit more than usual, needing to relax and wanting to have some fun despite the fucked-up situation I was in. Torch was caught up in a conversation with my brother, so I headed to the bar for another drink.

  “Everything okay, Red?”

  I spun around to see Fitz standing right behind me.

  “Yeah. Why?” I asked as I stumbled over my own feet.

  He reached out to steady me. “Don’t bullshit me, Ember.” Fitz never used my real name, so I knew he was serious. “I know it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, but I’ve known you forever. Something’s off about you.”

  I knew what he was digging for. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t going to get anything out of me tonight. I also needed to be more careful around him, as I didn’t need anyone to notice how repulsed I was by Torch.

  Glancing around the room, my eyes stopped on Torch. His gaze was boring into me, staring at the hands braced on my hips. Looking back at Fitz, I smiled and hoped it looked genuine. “Seriously, everything is good, Fitz. I’m just tired. It’s been a busy day.”

  With a fresh beer in my hand, I stepped out of his hold and began to walk away, but Fitz matched my steps and whispered so only I could hear him. “I’m always here if you need me, Red.”

  He squeezed my arm and walked away. It meant a lot that Fitz not only recognized that I was in distress earlier, but that he was also willing to help me, even though I wouldn’t be taking him up on the offer. Ultimately, my problems were my own to deal with. I wouldn’t put a member of the club in a position to help with a situation I created for myself. I needed to figure this one out on my own.

  4

  Colt

  I spent my morning at The Red Door, the strip club we owned, making sure everything was running smoothly, and now I was at The Den doing the same thing. While the club had their hands in plenty of illegal activities, we also owned legitimate businesses that helped us maintain some integrity within the community. I oversaw the operations for both The Den and The Red Door, my affinity for business making me a natural fit.

  Shutting down my laptop, I leaned my head back against my chair and closed my eyes. Most of the time, I loved my job, but today I couldn’t get my mind off the shit going on both here and in Reno.

  Truth be told, I was starting to become impatient with how we were dealing with the Phantoms. I wanted to go after them with guns blazing, while Viking wanted all the facts before acting. I knew playing it smart was a better course of action, but this was just another thing in my life that was weighing heavily on me.

  As VP of the club, I felt responsible for protecting my brothers and all those associated with my club. I would lay down my life for any one of them. But lately, I felt as though I was being pulled in a million directions, and nothing was getting the attention it deserved.

  I was packing up for the day, looking forward to a ride so I could clear my head when there was a knock at my office door.

  “Come in,” I called, hoping whoever was here wasn’t going to keep me from leaving. Relief washed over me when I saw it was my dad. “Hey, Pop. What’s up?”

  “I just finished lunch, and Noah mentioned you were back here. Got a few minutes?”

  Now he had my attention. Our relationship hadn’t always been an easy one. He was former Air Force and lived his life on the straight and narrow. After he retired, he started up his private security firm and had been doing that ever since. As a teenager, I never felt like I could live up to his expectations. And since my mom left us when I was a kid and an only child, I’d had no buffer and we’d constantly butted heads. In high school, I got hired on by the Desert Sinners and worked at The Den after school. I’d loved everything about the club and got to know the members pretty well. And since Falcon’s son, Hawk, and I were roughly the same age, we hung out a lot. As soon as I turned eighteen, I started prospecting for the club, and my father had a hard time understanding why I would choose this life for myself. It took us a while and a few life-altering events to help us find a place of mutual respect.

  “Yeah.” I sat back down, trying to think of what he could need to talk about. “What’s going on?”

  He took a deep breath. Seeing his anxiety put me on edge. “I’m going to ask Lydia to marry me.” When I didn’t say anything, he added, “I want you to be my best man.”

  “Are you sure?” It was an asshole thing to ask, but knowing that still didn’t stop the words from leaving my mouth.

  He shook his head and I could see the disappointment in his eyes. “Not everyone is like Jenna or your mother. You can’t live your life expecting people to let you down.”

  I wasn’t in the mood to listen to him lecture me again about how it was better to forgive those who hurt you so you could move on. He may have been able to live his life that way, but I wasn’t so quick to forgive. I also wasn’t so much of a jerk that I couldn’t at least muster a little congratulatory spirit for my old man. After Mom abandoned us for the guy she’d been cheating with, he hadn’t dated much until he’d retired. From what I could tell, Lydia made him happy, and I wouldn’t ruin that by acting like a dick.

  “If you’re happy, then I’m happy for you. Of course, I’ll be your best man.” I stood up to shake his hand. “Let me know the time and place and I’ll be there.”

  Dad smiled. “Thanks, Colton. That means a lot to me.”

  I locked up the office, and we walked out to the parking lot together. The late afternoon sun was bright and still hot. I couldn’t wait for some cooler weather.

 
“Tell Lydia I’ll see her tomorrow for dinner,” I said as I climbed on my bike.

  “Are you bringing Jett and Jasmine with you?”

  The mention of those two brought a smile to my face. “That’s the plan.”

  After saying goodbye, I revved my engine before pulling onto the road and making quick work of the ten-mile drive to the clubhouse. There were only a couple of bikes out when I arrived, so maybe I would have a few minutes to relax.

  As I made my way up to the door, I heard the loud rumble of another bike pulling in. I turned around and saw Wolf driving up the gravel driveway. He’d been on a run out west the last couple of days. We may have wanted to keep a low profile due to the Phantoms, but we still had clients that were expecting us to keep them supplied in the top quality product we were known for.

  “Hey. How’s it going?” I asked as he approached.

  Wolf exhaled, running a hand over his scalp. “Crazy trip, man. I’m fucking exhausted, and I could use a drink.”

  “Hear from Fitz or Hawk yet?”

  “Nah, but they weren’t going to call unless they had something big.”

  We walked inside and headed straight for the bar. Since it was a weekday, no one was manning it, so I grabbed a couple of beers from the small fridge and sat down next to Wolf.

  Mere seconds passed before Amy and Tara, a couple of the club girls, sauntered over to us. Without any hesitation, Tara climbed onto my lap and wrapped her body around mine. She was a new girl, brought here a couple of weeks ago by a friend of hers, and I’d caught her attention the first night she partied with us. I didn’t mind. She was hot, down for pretty much anything, and knew all about my no-relationship stance. It was a situation that worked for me.