by Erin Trejo
“Jersey, I can be carin’. I can be gentle, calm, hell, I can even be romantic if I want to be. The one thing I can’t be, is doubted. If you fuckin’ doubt my love for you darlin’, there is nothin’ else I can do. I kiss you; I tell you I love you. I goddamn hold you all the time. I married you. TWICE!” Holding up two fingers, I need her to understand this.
“We have a daughter for fucks sake! Figure it out woman!” Standing up, I storm out of the room. I need a goddamn break, and I just came home.
Chapter 21
Tank
I watch Ryker storming from the side door with a pissed off look on his face before Jersey comes out of the room. I know this shit is hard on all the girls. This life isn’t for everybody.
“Want to talk about it?” Jersey looks up at me before shaking her head. I can see she’s hurting.
“He loves you sweetheart. Stop doubtin’ it. You’re only hurtin’ yourself.” Patting her on the shoulder, I turn and head back to the main room.
“What the fuck is that?” Pointing at some kind of game machine Joey and Bo are dragging through the door, I don’t know if I really want the answer to that.
“Pinball. Got a good fuckin’ deal on it.” Closing my eyes, I have no words for those two.
“What are you doin’ with it exactly?” Joey sets his end down before wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“Hookin’ it up, Tank. What the hell did you think I was doin’ with it?” Bo chuckles before I cut my eyes at him.
“You two need to grow the fuck up.” Shaking my head, I can’t believe they bought a pinball machine. On second thought, it is Joey.
Walking around the main room, it’s loud. Too loud. I know its party night, but fuck if I’m not getting too old for this shit. I miss the quietness.
“You ok?” Cher wraps her arms around my waist. Grabbing her hands in mine, I hold them tightly.
“Take a walk with me, sweetheart.” Cher lets go before moving in front of me leading me toward the door.
Stepping outside, I take a deep breath of the cool air.
“I always loved the cool nights you know? It was somethin’ peaceful.” We walk toward the edge of the tree line before I lean against a huge tree, crossing my arms over my chest.
“What’s wrong Tank?” I look down before my eyes come back to rest on hers.
“I feel like the family aspect of this club is comin’ apart, Cher. We got old lady’s shootin’ at each other. Guys not payin’ attention to them. I know we’re all tryin’ here, but fuck. Jada is pissed all the time. It stresses Creed out. I try to pick up his load when that shit happens. Ryker is so fucked in his head. The motherfucker threw a finger at me.” Cher’s face scrunches up when I say that but hell, the man is gone.
“That’s life. You know as well as I do that nothing works out perfectly. I think with all things considered, we are doing a pretty good job.” Nodding slightly, she may be right.
“I just feel like I’m gettin’ lost in this club again. Yeah, it’s changin’, but so am I. I don’t know how to do that Cher.” Cher steps in closer to me before her hands rest on my arms.
“You have had a lot going on lately. Maybe you need a break. Maybe the whole club needs one. You said we we’re going to the lake right? Things will calm down. It’s a new direction Tank.” Grabbing her and pulling her into my chest, I savor her warmth.
I can’t help the feeling that I have inside of me. It’s consuming. As much as I want to think that everything is going as planned, and maybe it is, I still can’t stop the feeling of dread that floats over me. Something bad is coming; I just don’t know what it is yet.
“Stop thinking about it so much. You’re torturing yourself.” Looking down at the only woman that ever really understood me, I smile.
“You know you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at me. I never want to lose this with her.
Holding Cher here, feels right. I know something is coming. I can feel it. I hate it when I feel it, too. It never ends well, and I don’t know how much more I can handle.
Chapter 22
Creed
“Tell me again why the hell you have me climbin’ this goddamn tree like a monkey?” Ryker hangs off the tree, putting up the new security cameras that I bought.
“Because I fuckin’ told you to. Shut up and hook them up.” Holding the ladder still, I can hear him grunt.
As I watch Ryker work, I hear the rumble of bikes, I know it isn’t our guys.
“Son of a bitch.” Ryker jumps from the top of the ladder, and lands on his feet like a fucking cat.
“What in the hell? You some kind of ninja?” Looking over at him, he already has his gun drawn.
“Oh yeah. I’m the fuckin’ dick ninja.” Moving toward the edge of the road, we see the four bikes coming toward us.
“See that. That’s why we’re puttin’ those cameras up. I want to see these motherfuckers comin’ a mile out.” With a slight grunt, Ryker steps out in the middle of the road waiting.
“Fuckin’ Dusts’.” I hear the low tone of his voice. He’s pissed, but we can’t just shoot them all right here. This technically isn’t our land.
“Don’t drop any of them right here.” Ryker chuckles as the bikes slow down in front of us. Here we go.
“What is it you boys need? Seems you’re on the wrong side of town.” Ryker narrows his gaze on RIt. I can feel the tension, and hatred, this man holds inside of him. Sometimes I wonder how he does it. How does he live day to day with all that pent up inside of him?
“We have a business opportunity to discuss. Seems I can’t get a phone number on any of the Angel’s.” Ryker looks over his shoulder at me as I shrug. I know nothing about that shit.
“We don’t have anything to discuss.” Ryker steps back as I come up next to him.
“You ain’t the President now are you?” Rit throws off one of those vicious glares, but I’m afraid to look over at Ryker.
My nerves are on edge as my heart picks up a beat. I try to keep an eye on all the guys at once, but I need to focus on Rit and what the hell he wants.
“My brother here’s right. We don’t have anything to discuss. In fact, I think you should get on over to your side of town. We wouldn’t want any accidents now, would we?” Clenching my jaw, I want to explode. I hate when someone comes to our territory demanding shit.
“We want to run half of Willow’s Creek.” RIt announces without another word. Did he just demand half of Willow’s? Who the hell does he think he is?
Taking a step closer, I feel the anger boiling inside of me.
“You ain’t runnin’ shit near Willow’s. That’s a safe haven. Nothin’, and no one, runs through it.” I can feel my temperature rising. Every club knows this, and everyone agrees to it.
“Well, that’s what we want to change. We only want half. The other half can be your own little Mayberry.” The tone in his voice just works my nerves over. I feel like Ryker right now.
“Mayberry huh?” Chuckling, I look over at Ryker as he speaks. He clearly isn’t amused by what’s happening in front of him.
“Get your ass back on that motherfuckin’ bike, and leave. I don’t want a war on this end, but you are pushin’ your fuckin’ luck with me. I don’t want to keep remindin’ you.” I’m damn near screaming. I’m trying to control the rage that boils up in me. I’m losing it. We have been doing so well around here, and this one motherfucker wants to ruin it all.
“This ain’t done Creed. You want to be Fallen Angel’s; I can make that happen.” Growling, he walks backward climbing back on his bike.
Ryker and I watch as they rev up the bikes and leave. Shit is getting close to home again.
“GODDAMN IT!” Ryker screams into the air. He’s pissed. He wants them, and now they are threatening us. This isn’t going to end well.
“Let’s get these cameras done. We need to talk.” With a quick nod, we get back to work.
Chapter 23
&n
bsp; Ryker
“I want them dead. Every one of them motherfuckers. I don’t care if I have to take them all myself.” Slamming my hands down on the table, I’m pissed. I want these assholes dead, once and for all.
“We ain’t wagin’ a war.” Creed hollers above us all. He might not want to, but I sure as hell will.
“He threatened us! What the fuck, Creed!” Shoving myself up, I glare at him. My body is tense, every muscle corded tightly. Between this shit and Jersey, I may just lose my fucking mind.
“Sit the fuck down! We’re goin’ to get them, just not now! We need to plan this shit out! We ain’t goin’ in there blind. We’ve lost enough good guys to this shit!” The room grows quiet as I let that sink in. He’s right, but I don’t know how to control what I feel.
Dropping back into the chair, I light up a cigarette. Something has to calm the way I feel right now.
“We take our goddamn trip to the lake. We come back fresh, and ready to handle this shit, yeah? We’ve got Spawns comin’ out too. We can get shit talked over.” Creed slams the gavel down, but my body vibrates with rage. I can’t control it. I don’t know how to stop it.
Standing up, the chair slams to floor with a thud before I stalk out of the room. I need to be away from everyone right now. With the way I feel, there is no telling what I might do.
Stomping past everyone and straight toward my room, I slam the door as soon as I’m inside.
Jersey damn near leaps off the bed, I scared the shit out of her.
“Why don’t you go check on Ansley, or help the girls?” Dragging my shirt over my head I drop to the floor and start doing some push-ups. I need to work off this pent up energy.
“What’s wrong?” I don’t answer her as I push myself harder and faster. The feeling of exploding is overwhelming me.
“Ryker.” Pushing myself up until I’m standing, I look over at her.
“Look. I’ve had a shitty couple of days. If I tell you to take a walk, do it!” Grinding out the words between my teeth, she jolts slightly. I’ve never talked to her like this before. This is fucking great. I can’t control my attitude either, and now I’m scaring the shit out of her.
Moving toward the wall, I press my hands against it as I hang my head. So many things run wild in there. So many things I can’t control.
Jersey ducks under my arms before her hands run up my sweaty chest and around my neck. Her head tilts up and her lips find mine. Slowly, and gently, she kisses me. I don’t kiss her back though. I can’t move.
As if her lips are magic, my dick springs to life. The need to own this girl consumes me. It eats away at everything else that swirls around with the demons in my head.
Grabbing her roughly, I pull her body against mine.
“You don’t know what you’re askin’ for right now.” With my hands digging into her skin, she shakes her head.
“I know exactly what I’m asking for.” Why does she do this to me? How? How can she calm everything?
Slamming her body against the wall, I drag the little t-shirt she’s wearing up her body, and toss it to the floor. My eyes roam over her body. Shivers roll through me as I take in her beauty. She’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
Dipping my head, I suck her nipple into my mouth. Biting a little harder than normal, I taste the metallic blood drip into my mouth. Jersey cries out softly as her head falls back.
Running one hand between her legs, I feel just how wet she is for me. She’s always ready for me.
I slide a finger roughly inside of her as her body arches into my touch. I want so much from her. Why is it so hard for her to understand that I need her?
Kissing between her breasts, I move up her chest toward her neck. My fingers work that little pussy over as I slide them in and out.
“When will you see how much you mean to me?” Whispering against her neck, she shivers. I nip her earlobe as soft moans float from her mouth.
“You mean everything to me Ryker.” Her voice hitches. I love it. Turning her head, she captures my mouth with hers. The harder she kisses me, the harder I pump my fingers into her.
Sliding them out quickly, I lift her, and toss her onto the bed.
“Hands and knees.” Growling at her, she does as she’s told. I quickly strip out of the rest of my clothes before climbing on the bed behind her. With my belt in hand, I grab her wrists securing them to the headboard.
“You’re goin’ to take all of me darlin’. Every last pent up emotion I have, is all for you.” Slapping her ass roughly, I look at it, it’s glowing red. Her moans just harden my dick.
Positioning myself behind her, I slam into her. Jersey screams as I grip her hips. Thrusting into her, I let out all of the frustration I have in me. Every last piece of dread, and hate. I slam inside of her with so much force, I feel like I’m losing control of myself.
My balls slap her clit, hard, and rough. The sound of our naked body’s slapping against each other nearly chokes me.
“Make me cum Jersey!” Slapping her one last rough time, I roll my hips into her. Her body locks up as I cum gripping her hips in a death grip. So much emotion floods me. I don’t know where I would end up without her.
“GODDAMN!” I let it all unleash on her. I fill her so full, I feel dizzy. Sliding out of her, I untie her hands before dropping onto the bed.
Jersey climbs on top of me before laying her head on my chest.
“I’m so sorry, Ryker. “Wrapping my hands around her, I hold her close to me.
“I’m sorry too.”
Chapter 24
Tank
“Their movin’ closer again. This shit is wrong.” Sitting at the bar with a beer in my hand, I glance over at Creed.
“I know. That’s why I wanted those cameras put in. I don’t want them sneakin’ up on us.” I get what he’s saying, but it’s not technically sneaking when they just show the fuck up.
“What do you want to do? I don’t know if takin’ the lake trip is such a good idea now.” Creed shakes his head as I take a drink. I don’t want to argue with him but hell, he has a mind of his own.
“I think we need it brother. We’re all so fuckin’ wound up.” Pulling out a cigarette I light it up before looking around.
“I might hang back on this one. I don’t like leavin’ the clubhouse, or the shop open like that. We haven’t even started work yet.” I can see the pissed look in his eyes. I don’t care right now. Creed is right on one thing. This shop and store are our futures. We need to keep shit running right to secure that future.
“What’s with you these days, Tank?” Shaking my head again, I don’t want to talk about my personal shit with him, but on the other hand Creed is my best friend, my second in command.
“I don’t know brother. I just feel like I’m bein’ sucked down. Somethin’ feels off and I can’t shake that shit.” Creed sets his bottle on the bar before turning completely toward me.
“If shit feels off about goin’ to the lake, we call it. You never steered us wrong before, Tank. I take what you feel to heart, yeah? If it’s off, it’s off.” Slapping a hand on my shoulder, maybe it is a good thing that I told him.
“Somethin’ is for sure off.” Creed nods before he stands, and looks at me.
“Then we call it. We can always go later.” With a quick nod, he walks away. I sit back with my beer in hand, trying to be reasonable. It doesn’t make sense to ruin everyone’s plans for the lake, but I sure as hell don’t want to be there.
“Got company!” I hear Joey hollering before I stand and walk toward him.
“Who the hell is that?” Making my way out the front door, I see a car pulling in. I wonder who the hell that is. We weren’t expecting anyone.
I step outside with half the guy’s behind me. Crossing my arms over my chest, I watch the car like it might fucking explode at any second.
The door opens, and a small elderly woman steps out looking nervous as shit. She should be, she doesn’t know what kind of place she
just pulled her little Buick into.
“Lookin’ for someone?” Her eyes come to meet mine, and I can tell she’s scared. Her eyes dart around as the rest of the guys follow my lead.
“I’m looking for my granddaughter.” Looking over my shoulder, Creed shrugs before stepping up next to me.
“And who would that be?” The woman looks around a little more before she swallows hard. It kind of strikes me as funny that we are all standing here on guard with this woman. She has to be in her seventies, but then again, stranger things have happened.
“Candy Thomas.” My heart stops. I never met her grandma before. I didn’t know she had one to be honest. My arms fall from my chest, to hang at my sides.
“I take it you never met her?” Creed leans into my side as I swallow hard.
“Nope. Didn’t know she had a grandma around.” My eyes never leave the old woman’s, but those blue eyes of hers should have been a dead giveaway. They look just like Bella’s.
“What do you want to do here brother?” Shrugging my shoulders, I’m fucking clueless.
We stand there in a silence that can’t be described with words. I didn’t think I would have to face anyone for what I let happen to Candy. The thought never occurred to me that she may have had other family.
“Give me a few, yeah?” Looking over at Creed, he nods before turning and ushering the other guys back inside.
I walk toward the woman before she smiles.
“I remember you. You wouldn’t know who I am though. I’m Anna, Candy’s grandmother.” The small woman extends her hand to me as I stare at it in shock. How does she remember me?
“I’m sorry, how do you know who I am?” I swear I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest.
“I saw you when you were with Candy. I helped her move away when she left with Bella.” Snatching my hand out of hers, I scrub my hand over my face. Did she just admit to helping Candy take my daughter?
“I didn’t know anything at the time. She said she was leaving, and asked for help. I offered. She was my granddaughter after all. She called me many times after that. Every few months she needed money for something. It grew old after a while. I hired a private investigator. This is the place he came up with.” Shaking my head again, I don’t know what to say to her. How do I tell her I let her granddaughter get killed without a second thought?
