“I’m not, but I’m tired of seeing another man’s club across your fucking tits,” I growled.
“Another—” She glanced down, then tore the hoodie over her head and tossed it to the floor. I groaned.
“That’s not much better,” I said as I covered my mouth and ran my hand down my beard. The shirt was tight across her tits and had a pin-up style stripper on a pole. Above it read “I got lucky at the Shamrock.”
Again, she dropped her chin to look at what she was wearing and then startled to giggle. “Oh my God. I didn’t even look at it when I dressed.”
Then she got serious. “Enough with the distractions. You better explain that shit to me right the hell now.”
“First, I need to know that I can trust you. If not, I’ll have to have Bruno come in here and wipe your memory.” Inside, I laughed my ass off. We had no Bruno and no one in the chapter with that kind of ability, though she didn’t need to know.
Her eyes grew comically wide, then hurt filled them and made me feel like a real ass. “Decker, you saved my life at least three times. I’d never betray you.”
“Babe, I’m sorry. There’s no Bruno, but seriously, I need your word.” I snickered, and she swatted me.
“I promise. On our baby’s soul, I’d never intentionally betray you. And I’d do my best to never unintentionally betray you either,” she added as an afterthought.
“You know how Snow has his motorcycle club? Well, I’m part of one too.”
“Okay. You’re in a motorcycle gang?”
“Club, babe. It’s a club, not a gang.”
She gave me a calculating once-over. “Mm-kay?”
I sighed, praying I was doing the right thing. “Some of us in my club have certain, uh, abilities.”
“Go on,” she encouraged, still disbelieving.
“You need to know, because there’s a good chance my abilities may get passed on to junior there.” I motioned to her abdomen where said junior was incubating.
“So she might be able to heal herself?” she asked incredulously. My head reared back in surprise at her question.
“You know it’s a girl already?”
“Well, no, not exactly, but I wanted it to be,” she replied with a shrug. Her dark-fringed lashes fluttered as she dropped her gaze.
“Well, I’ll be happy with boy or girl as long as it’s healthy—and I mean that. But no, my ability isn’t to heal myself. That’s someone else’s ability, to heal me, I mean.”
“Angel!” she excitedly exclaimed. “That’s why he was insisting on looking at your wound and why you said it could wait until we were here!”
She seemed so pleased with her deductions that I couldn’t help but chuckle. Most people might be freaked out that a human had the ability to heal, but she was excited. She also didn’t immediately jump to what he could do for her or someone she knew.
“Yeah, but you cannot breathe a word of this to anyone. It could put people’s lives in danger.” I grew serious.
“I understand,” she said softy as her palm cradled my cheek. “So what’s your ability, if it’s not healing?”
“Well, I can manipulate people’s emotions,” I hesitantly told her. I saw when the possible scenarios registered with her.
“So you made me care about you? You made me have… feelings for you?” Again, hurt and disbelief colored her eyes.
“No,” I firmly responded. “For some odd reason, I can’t manipulate you.”
Waiting for her to think about everything, I watched her incredibly expressive face. For a moment I worried that I’d fucked up with what I’d revealed. Then she ran her tongue along her bottom lip and pulled it between her teeth.
When she released it, I was focused on her glistening bottom lip so I missed what she said. Refocusing, I looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry, I drifted off. What was that?”
“So does that mean we’re like soul mates or something?” she repeated with a crease between her brows. “I read something like that in a book once.”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t really care. I want you and our baby in my life.”
Her next words blew me away.
“Freak Flag”—Ice Nine Kills
Guilt started eating at me when he told me everything about him and our situation. If we were going to give being together a shot, he needed to know everything about me.
“I found the background check in your truck,” I mumbled.
“Mmm” was his non-answer to that. It didn’t give me much to go on, so I forged ahead.
“When I’m done with my story, you may change your mind, but I hope not.” I took a deep breath and gave an emotional exhale. Then I sat back on my heels and began.
“Once upon a time I was a good kid. Straight As, held down a job, plans to go to college.” He nodded, telling he was listening.
“My senior year, I met this guy. He came through my line at the grocery store. He was cute, had that bad-boy thing going and all.” At that, Decker snorted, and I gave him a look.
“Sorry, continue,” he said, placing his broad hand on my thigh. It left me momentarily distracted before I shook it off and resumed speaking.
“It started out as smoking a little weed.” My gaze nervously flitted away and around the room. “It quickly progressed. A little Xanax, a Perc here or there, maybe some coke to keep me awake for class. Everything, he supplied. At first.”
The grip on my leg tightened infinitesimally.
“Before I knew it, I needed those drugs. But they weren’t free anymore. There was a price. First, it was stealing from my parents, then my friends. My parents were at a loss. They didn’t know what was going on. I was distant, moody, skipping school, barely graduated. They tried to help me when they found out, but it was a dismal failure because I wasn’t ready for the help. You see, I didn’t think I had a problem.”
A self-deprecating laugh escaped me as I thought about how ignorant I’d been. Decker patiently waited as his hand made soothing circles over the fabric on my thigh.
“Eventually, they washed their hands of me. They couldn’t trust me. By then, I’d lost their backing, lost my friends, hell, I lost myself. He—” I swallowed with difficulty as my mouth went dry. “He started, um, selling me—for money.”
That I’d prostituted myself in exchange for drugs left me filled with such shame that I couldn’t say the actual words.
“By then I’d nearly ceased to exist. My next fix was the only thing that really mattered because it was the only way I could survive what I was doing without losing my mind. It was a vicious circle. Until one day, he went into the gas station for smokes and some food.”
Pressing both palms to my face, I worked up the nerve to finish my shitty story.
“He had me wait at the pump after we got gas. Told me to start the car because it was hot and he wanted the AC on when he came out. Suddenly, he was climbing in and telling me to hurry. I panicked.”
I dropped my hands and tipped my head to stare at the ceiling.
“The next thing I knew, the cops were chasing us. I was freaking out. I was screaming, he was yelling, the sirens, still being a little strung out from the night before, I—” Tears spilled, silently tracking down my cheeks. A stuttering breath calmed me enough to finish.
“I wrecked the car. We got arrested. He’d committed armed robbery in the gas station. I got charged with accessory after the fact. Judge felt bad for me because I was only eighteen, had previously been a good kid, was obviously manipulated, and he had mercy on me.” Jesus, it was hard telling my story. I hadn’t had to do it in years.
“I ended up going to state prison in Gatesville, Texas, for seven years. Mandatory drug rehab program while I was serving my time. After two years, I got out early for good behavior and all that shit. Five years parole, then I hightailed it to Iowa for a fresh start. Only I quickly found out that my past would always follow me.”
“How’s that?” Spoken softly, the words should’ve thrown me for a loop. I’d ex
pected more judgement, so I was surprised when he seemed supportive.
“A few of the cops back in Grantsville. They found out. It was little things. Harassing me, pulling me over for no reason, making innuendos, threats, offering veiled requests for bribes.”
At the grinding sound, I looked down at him to see his jaw clenching. Sorry that he was getting pulled into my mess, I reached out and softly stroked his cheek and over his beard. “Say something,” I whispered.
“Besides me now wanting to murder your stupid fucking ex and the dirty goddamn cops back there, I really don’t know what to do or say,” he finally growled out.
“Nothing for you to say, I guess. I just thought you might want to consider the ramifications of my past on your club. Which I didn’t realize you were part of, by the way,” I said in apology. He appeared to consider it, then he absently pulled on his lip piercings with his teeth before he spoke.
“I’m not worried about your past. Not the way you think I am. Jesus fucking Christ, you were a kid. How old was that guy?”
“He was twenty-seven,” I mumbled.
“You really do have a thing for older guys, don’t you?” he said, and I opened my mouth to argue, but he placed a finger over my mouth. “Easy, babe. I was teasing you. Look, we can keep you safe here. There are things that are club business that I can’t get into with you, but trust me when I say your past is of no concern to me.” He reached up and gripped the back of my neck, pulling me down.
“Why didn’t you just ask me about my past? Instead of running a background check?” I asked when our lips were a hairsbreadth apart.
“Oh, I planned to ask. But Snow had that background check from when you worked at the Shamrock. I’d only briefly scanned it before I headed to your house. Now, you gonna keep running your mouth? Or are you going to kiss me and make your man happy?”
“My man?” I asked incredulously, but his lips met mine and anything further I had to say was swallowed by his kiss. It was a good hour before we made it out of bed.
The past several days had been pretty uneventful, but enlightening. I’d found out that most of what I believed about the world was wrong.
I’d thought that everyone was, well, human. Turns out, some are human but with a little something extra. Decker’s club is full of those kinds of people. Sort of like anti-superheroes, if you will.
From what I’d pieced together, they did what some people would term bad things, but for good reasons.
I’d gotten duplicates of my driver’s license and credit card from Hacker when they delivered my truck to us the day before. I wasn’t sure how they got it all so fast, but I wasn’t going to question it.
“Hey, Decker?” I asked as I peeked in the door of his office. He looked up from some papers he was going over with a questioning gaze.
“Yeah, babe? What’s up?” The term of endearment seemed to flow seamlessly from his lips, but it threw me for a loop every time.
“Umm, I was wondering if it would be okay for me to go shopping with the girls,” I asked, though it grated on me to ask permission to go somewhere.
There were two other women around my age who’d come to the clubhouse to meet me, and we’d hit it off great. Kira was one of the local veterinarians, and her man was Voodoo. The other was Korrie, and her guy was Angel. Lynda was older and of course with one of the older guys. She was nice, but I really only saw her once that first day when Korrie brought Trace to hang out.
I found out that she’d pretty much adopted Trace as an honorary grandchild.
Kira and Voodoo had two German shepherd dogs that were amazing. Zaka was all black, and Sasha was a traditional color. They were crazy smart and made me really want one.
Kira had the cutest baby named Parker, and Trace was Korrie and Angel’s son.
Then there was Jasmine. She was Angel’s sister. I really liked her too, but she was always a little haunted-looking.
“Come here,” he said and pushed his chair back. I went around the desk and sat on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck as he looked up at me. “You know why I’m worried about you leaving here? I’m not trying to be a dick.”
I sighed. “I know. But it’s Christmas Eve, and I want to get you a gift.”
“You don’t need to get me anything. You’re my gift,” he said with a grin as he buried his face in my neck and nibbled. I giggled when his beard tickled my skin.
“Cut it out,” I squealed. He pulled back, and the gentle smile made my heart skitter. “I also want to get a gift for Ms. Margaret. Please?” I asked while I batted my lashes at him.
He sighed. “Let me see if anyone is able to go with you. You’re not going alone. That’s nonnegotiable,” he added when I started to protest. I ran my hands through his dark hair, then down the silver at his temples.
“Thank you,” I whispered as I leaned forward to kiss him.
I rushed back to the room I was sharing with him to grab my new purse and wallet he’d gifted me with when I got my shit from Hacker. Thankfully, he’d had the girls help him pick it out. I’d been irritated when he gave it to me early, though. It was supposed to be a Christmas present.
I hadn’t had one of those in ages. I hadn’t really known Ms. Margaret last Christmas, so she hadn’t gotten me anything. And the fruit basket from Mel didn’t count.
When I returned to his office, a prospect, Raptor, and the guy they called Jigsaw were there. He scared me a little, though he was very nice to me. He had a flair for the macabre, for sure. His tattoos on both of his leanly muscular arms were horror flick related.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” I said in apology as I started to back out.
“No, you’re fine. Jigsaw offered to go with you along with the prospect. I spoke to Angel and Voodoo. They said their ol’ ladies would love to go with you. Angel said Jasmine agreed to go too,” Decker said, causing me to smile.
“That’s awesome! Thank you so much,” I said to the four men in the room.
I’d learned that the prospects in their chapter didn’t get a road name until the day they were patched, so everyone called them by their first name or “prospect.” I wasn’t calling someone “prospect,” because it reminded me too much of being in prison when we were referred to as “inmate.”
“What’s your name?” I asked the younger-looking guy.
His cheeks actually flushed deep red, and he ducked his head as he said, “Roscoe, but you can call me Train.”
Decker snorted. “Your name ain’t nothing ’til we say it is.”
His startled gaze darted back to Decker. “Roger that, Prez. Sorry. I didn’t mean nothing by it.”
Decker gave him a flat stare. “See that you don’t.”
The kid excused himself, saying he’d go get the SUV and bring it around front. When I turned back, I caught Jigsaw, Raptor, and Decker grinning. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“I’m going to go wait in the common area for the girls.”
As I turned to leave, Decker called out to me, and I turned around. He motioned me over. Belligerently, I stepped past Raptor and behind the desk. Jigsaw and Raptor excused themselves.
Decker’s big hand cupped my ass cheek, and he pulled me closer. “Give me a kiss,” he demanded.
“What’s the magic word?” I asked with an arched brow.
“Now,” he growled.
“Mmm, bossy. I like that,” I said with a sassy curl to my lips. Then I kissed him. What was supposed to be brief ended up deepening as he pulled me to straddle him on his chair.
When he broke free, I was breathless and panting with need. “Dammit, why’d you do that?”
He ground his now hard cock up against me, causing me to whimper.
“So you won’t be gone long,” he replied with a nip to my jaw. Then he swatted my ass and nudged me up. “I have work to do now.”
With a happy little grin, I crawled off him, straightened my clothes, and stood to go. As I walked out the door, he said, “Nice ass.”<
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With a scoffing laugh, I rolled my eyes and blew him a kiss. By the time I got to the common area, the girls were all waiting. Jasmine had on a puffy white coat that set off her rich, dark hair and golden-brown eyes to perfection. Too bad, she didn’t seem to be worried about what anyone thought about her.
I hoped that we might become good enough friends that she’d eventually open up to me.
“Let’s go do some shopping, bitches!” Kira announced as we poured out of the clubhouse and into the waiting SUV. Roscoe was driving, and Jigsaw was in the front passenger seat. Jasmine and I crawled in the very back seat, Kira and Korrie in the center.
We drove to the mall, laughing and talking about everyone’s plans for the holidays. We even got Jasmine to smile a little.
Once there, it didn’t take me long to find a white gold bracelet. It was thick and looked like a snake. The clasp was the snake’s head, complete with fangs. I’d learned that Decker’s road name was Venom because he’d been bitten by a venomous snake when he was in Afghanistan.
That was the other thing I’d had to learn. Road names and basic biker lingo. Who knew they almost had their own language?
“That’s going to be perfect,” Korrie said as she watched the lady take the bracelet to box it up. It was a little out of my price range, but I had my credit card, and I’d have to find a job and pay it off slowly.
Jasmine was looking longingly at some thick silver chains. “You should get one,” I encouraged. “Treat yourself.”
She shook her head. “Oh, it wouldn’t be for me.”
My head cocked, I studied her. “Who would it be for?”
She rolled her lips between her teeth and shrugged as she kept her gaze locked on the display case. There was obviously a story there. When a different saleslady stopped in front of us to see if we needed help, I thanked her. “The other lady is packaging my purchase up.”
When she was about to walk off, Jasmine stopped her. “Um, could I look at that one?” She pointed to a thick, flat silver chain. It reminded me a little of a dog chain. It was kinda cool.
Jasmine slid it through her fingers thoughtfully before she shot a nervous glance over her shoulder. Korrie and Kira were absorbed in one of the displays of pretties and weren’t paying us any mind.
A Very Venom Christmas: RBMC: Ankeny IA Page 11
