by Carol Lynne
Peggy turned her attention to Santana. “Do you see how poorly my worthless son treats me?”
Santana straightened and squared her shoulders. “From what I understand, you deserve it,” she shot back.
Pride and something else, he couldn’t put a finger on, filled him. Had Santana just stuck up for him against his mom? Everyone in the club knew Peggy Wills as Queen Bitch. Because of her close relationship to Cecil, his mom had always felt she could do or say anything she wanted without reproach, and she’d gotten away with it for the most part until two seconds earlier.
“Watch yourself, sweetheart,” Peggy sneered.
Santana stepped out of Stake’s embrace, putting herself nose to nose with Peggy. “I could say the same to you. I haven’t forgotten the way you laughed when you saw Smash take a willow branch to me at the Easter picnic.”
“You were a brat,” Peggy said in an attempt to excuse her actions.
“He beat me until I was fucking bloody!” Santana screamed, drawing attention.
As much as he wanted Santana to get her anger out, he stepped between the two women, knowing she’d only feel worse if she realized others were listening. “That’s enough,” he told his mom. “Go on back to your beer and Jerry, and leave us the fuck alone.”
Peggy shook her head. “Trash. Just like her parents.”
Stake wrapped his hand around his mother’s throat. “Give me a fucking reason to snap your neck,” he warned.
Eye wide with shock, his mom sputtered, “Stake? What has she done to you?”
Stake squeezed, making his hold increasingly uncomfortable but not tight enough to really hurt her. “She’s taught me how it feels to be loved,” he ground out between clenched jaws. “And I will kill you if you so much as look in her direction. You got me, bitch?”
“What the hell’s going on over here?” Cecil demanded.
Stake released his grip on his mom’s throat, but didn’t back away. “Stay out of it, Prez. This is between me and Mom.”
“What the fuck’s wrong with you, boy?” Cecil growled. “That’s your mother.”
“We both know she’s never been a mother to me, so there’s no way in hell I’m gonna stand by and let her hurl insults at Santana.” He stared at Cecil, ready to take the old man on if he needed. “Take your sister, and tell her to either get the hell out of here or stay away from me and Santana until we can move the fuck out of this town.”
“Stake,” Santana said, putting her hand on his arm. “Let’s just go.”
He reached back and hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. “No. Last I checked, I’m the one with the cut, not my mother.” He stared at his mom again, willing her to walk the fuck away because he had an entire arsenal of shit he’d held inside for too long, and it was begging to get out.
“We need to talk,” Cecil said.
“Yeah, we do,” Stake agreed. He needed to call Gypsy and find out how things were progressing on his end. Transfers didn’t happen automatically, and he prayed the Fayetteville brothers liked him enough to accept him as one of their own. “Find me in a few hours,” he told Cecil. “In the meantime, get her out of here.”
“Are you going to let him talk to me like that?” Peggy asked, still rubbing her throat.
“Enough,” Cecil said, steering his sister away from Stake and Santana.
“Shit.” Santana hugged him. “That was bad.”
He shrugged. “That was a long time coming.”
“Yeah,” she agreed.
Turning to pull her against his chest, he leaned down and kissed her. “No one’s ever stood up for me like that.” God, he’d already believed he’d fallen in love with her, but that one action had sealed his fate. “I love you,” he admitted for the first time.
Tears filled Santana’s gorgeous eyes as she smiled up at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed.
“I love you, too.”
His heart swelled at the proclamation. He’d known she’d first fallen in love with the idea of him, but after she’d not only witnessed his exchange with his mom, but she’d supported him, he knew she loved the real him. “I’m not the kind of man most women want to make a life with. I live hard, and I do things that aren’t always within the law, but I will cherish you until the day I die.”
“I’m good with that,” she said, drying her tears.
* * * *
Santana covered her ears as Stake aimed his gun at the target and fired. “Yes!” she pumped her fists into the air when the bullet pierced the center of the red bull’s-eye. For as long as she could remember, the club had held shooting competitions whenever they got together, and she’d always loved to watch Stake shoot. Not only was he the best, but there had always been something so sexy about watching his muscles as he took aim and fired.
Stake gave his brothers a wicked grin before walking back to her.
She threw her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a deep kiss. “You’re still the best,” she whispered against his lips.
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t hurt to remind the young’uns about that on occasion.” He flattened his palms against her ears as Iggy stepped up to the line to shoot.
She wasn’t surprised when Iggy’s shot barely hit the target. The man was so drunk he could barely stand. “Why do you guys let Iggy shoot in that condition?”
“Because he’s always in that condition,” Stake replied. “If we don’t let him compete, he shoots shit up once he gets really sauced. Better to have him do it under a controlled environment.”
“Last one,” Cecil announced.
Tiny made a show of kissing his 9mm before taking aim.
“He’s always been a showoff,” Santana said.
“He’s good,” Stake said before covering her ears again.
Tiny’s shot hit just below Stake’s. “Damn good,” Stake said with a shake of his head.
Santana spotted Rachel eyeing them and pressed her body against Stake’s. “Kiss me.”
With a wicked grin, he bent and covered her mouth with his. She opened for his thrusting tongue and delighted when she felt his hands grope her ass. Take that, Rachel.
* * * *
With Santana seated in his lap, Stake pulled out his phone. “I need to call Gypsy before my meeting with Cecil.”
“You want me to get us another beer while you do that?” she asked.
“No. I want you right where you are.” The last thing she needed was someone else confronting her, and Rachel had been circling like a vulture for the last twenty minutes. He rested his hand on her hip and made the call.
“Hey, ya bastard, how’ve you been?” Gypsy answered.
Stake grinned. Gypsy was one of the few people who could get away with calling him that particular name, but then Gypsy was a bastard as well. “Typical shit,” he grumbled.
“Still have that lady you told me about?”
“Hell, yes, and I’m not about to let her get away, so you need to give me some good news.” He moved his hand to cup her ass, reminding himself, once again, why he needed to get the fuck away from Broken Ridge.
“Fifty-fifty. Some of the brothers are worried you’ll come in and try to take over,” Gypsy explained.
“I don’t wanna take over anything. I’m trying to get away from drama not create it. All I need is my ride, my woman and a steady gig that’ll help pay the bills.”
Santana leaned in and gave him a kiss, slipping her tongue inside to tease him before pulling back. “I need another beer, and I think I’ll look for Tiny while I’m at it,” she told Stake.
He nodded and gave her ass a squeeze before releasing her. “Go ahead and grab me a fresh one, too, and if you don’t see Tiny right away, come back.”
“Will do,” she said before walking off. She’d taken off her heels, and although her legs didn’t look as sexy, she was much steadier on her feet.
“Sorry about that,” he told Gypsy. “Now that I can speak freely, I need you to s
hare with your club why I need to get Santana away from this fucked up town. I’d rather the brothers didn’t tell their old ladies about the details for Santana’s sake, but I think it’s important they understand the situation.”
“Thought you said you were gonna kill the fat fuck.”
“I am, but Cecil hasn’t given the green light yet, so I need to be smart about it. I don’t mind defying my Prez on this, but the cops are still patrolling the stretch of road in front of Gordon’s place on a regular basis. I may want the fucker dead, but I won’t risk leaving Santana alone if I get sloppy.”
“Makes sense. You know, the offer’s still open if you want me to come down and take care of that problem for you. I don’t know him so I wouldn’t even be on the cops’ radar.”
“I appreciate the offer, but if anyone’s going to take the risk, it needs to be me.” He still cursed himself that he hadn’t arrived at Santana’s house earlier on the night of the attack. Had he found Gordon, the fucker would already be dead and his body dumped in a pit somewhere.
“Well, let me know if you change your mind. Found a place you might want to look at when you get here. It’s not fancy, but it has potential and you said privacy was more important than the house, and this one’s as private as they come. Sits well off the road and is completely surrounded by trees. Hell, if you didn’t know it was there, you’d probably never find it.”
“Sounds perfect,” Stake agreed. “How much land?”
“Only thirty-two acres, but the closest neighbors are damn near a mile down the road.”
“Is the house livable?” He wouldn’t put Santana back into a home like the one she’d grown up in.
“It’s a big farmhouse, so I’m sure you’ll need to do some updating, but the structure’s solid and it’s had a new roof within the last two years. I figured you could work on the rooms a little at a time until you’re satisfied. You’re basically paying for the land so any improvements will only make the property value go up.”
Stake grinned. Gypsy sounded like a real estate agent, which made sense since he was the brother who’d negotiated the Fayetteville chapter’s headquarters. It had once been a summer camp, but the Kings had purchased it and turned it into one hell of a compound. “Send me some pictures, and I’ll wire you enough money to hold the place until we get there.”
“Sounds like a plan, and I’ll talk to the brothers again. It’ll help once you get out here. Although the older members remember you, some of the new patches have never met you.”
“I understand.” He hung up the phone before shoving it back into his pocket. Getting to his feet, he decided to find Santana and make sure Tiny was with her before he left for his meeting with Cecil.
He found Santana standing near the grouping of coolers. “Hey, bug.”
She smiled. “I didn’t find Tiny, so I’ve been waiting to get to the beer.”
He glanced at his brothers who were standing around the coolers bullshitting. “You should’ve asked them to move.”
Biting her lower lip, she wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t want to do that. I kept hoping they’d wander off.”
Stake chuckled. “They’ll never get far from the beer.” He took her hand and led her to the gathering. “The lady needs another beer,” he announced, nudging Grips out of the way.
The brother moved to the side, creating an opening for Santana. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
She opened the cooler and removed three bottles. “Thank you,” she said as she returned to Stake’s side. She handed one of the beers to him. “I got two for me in case I need another while you’re in the meeting.”
“Good idea.” He hooked his arm around her neck and rubbed the ice cold bottle against the keyhole opening in her dress. She shivered at the contact, but he was pleased to see her nipples harden against the thin material. Unable to resist, he transferred the bottle to his other hand and ran his fingers across the soft skin of her tits. “Shit. We’d better find Tiny before I say to hell with the meeting and fuck you against the pickup.”
Tiny stepped out of the shadows and headed straight for them. “Looking for me?”
Stake was drunk enough that he didn’t stop fondling Santana’s breasts at the question. “Yeah. I need you to keep Santana company while I talk to Cecil.”
“Would you stop trying to molest my best friend right in front of me!” Tiny winced. “Shit. I can’t believe I said that.” He looked at Santana. “I’m sorry.”
Santana fisted her hand and punched Tiny in the arm. “You do not get to apologize for trying to defend my honor.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave Stake a deep kiss. “Go have your meeting while I set my friend straight on a few things.”
Stake grinned. “I was dreading this meeting, but now I think I’d rather be me than you,” he told Tiny.
“Yeah, I think I might agree,” Tiny replied.
* * * *
Settled in twin lawn chairs on the outskirts of the party, Santana took another drink of her beer. She was already tipsy, and Tiny’s persistence that she share sips from his bottle of whisky would no doubt have her drunk in no time. She eyed her friend warily. He’d been quiet since they’d found the spot to sit, and she could tell something was bothering him. “Okay, I’ve been patient long enough. What’s wrong?”
Tiny upended his bottle and poured an ungodly amount of alcohol down his throat. “You’re leaving.”
“Yeah.” She suddenly understood. “I’m sorry, but this town, the people, they’ll never see me as anything but trash.” She reached for his hand. “I think it bothers me now more than it used to because Stake’s shown me what it feels like to be treated like I matter.”
Tiny opened his mouth, but before he could speak, she held up her hand. “I know it probably won’t last between us, so if that’s what you’re going to warn me about, don’t bother. I’m not stupid. I know a man like Stake could have any woman he wants. He’s with me because he feels guilty about what happened, and I think he has a misplaced sense of loyalty to take care of me because of my father.”
“You’re so full of shit,” Tiny cut in. “I don’t think you realize what he’s willing to do for you. Leaving Broken Ridge is a big move for him. If the Fayetteville chapter doesn’t accept him, he’ll be a man without a club. If that happens, he’ll no longer be allowed to wear his cut and he’ll have to remove his Kings’ tat. For a brother, that’s huge.” He cupped her cheek so tenderly it almost made her cry. “That’s not loyalty, squirt, that’s love.”
She lifted her cup to her mouth and held it there for several moments as she considered the prospect of Stake being in love with her. He’d said the words earlier, and she’d accepted them because they made her feel good, but she hadn’t genuinely believed them. The thought of him giving up his club for her started an ache in her chest. “He can’t give up the club. It’s his life.”
Tiny shrugged. “I doubt you can talk him out of it, especially after what happened yesterday.” He took another nip from his bottle. “I’m leaving for Oklahoma City tomorrow with Magic and Hog. There’s some trouble with rival club, and they’ve asked for our help. I don’t know how long it’s gonna take, so I might not be back before you leave.”
She blew out a breath and reached for the whisky. “You’re telling me this may be goodbye, aren’t you?”
He nodded. “I hope to finish in time to make the ride to Fayetteville. It’s always a good party when all the chapters get together, and this year, you’ll be there.”
After taking a drink, she passed back the bottle. She hadn’t confided her fears about moving to Arkansas to Stake, but she needed to tell someone. “What if…” She tried to swallow the lump of emotion that was slowly cutting off her air supply. “What if it’s not just Broken Ridge that sees me as worthless?”
“Huh?”
Crap. She tried again. “What if I move to Fayetteville and they treat me like the people here have always treated me? Maybe the problem is me and not everyone else.”
“Fuck,” Tiny growled, throwing the near-empty bottle as far as he could. “This motherfucking town.” He shook his head. “This town doesn’t know where to put someone like you. Everyone’s so busy trying to lump people into categories that when they get to you, they’re lost. You’re by far the prettiest, sexiest woman in Broken Ridge. Unfortunately, your kind and unassuming nature has allowed people to beat you down because they know they can. There’s not a goddamn man in town that wouldn’t love to fuck you, and every wife and girlfriend knows that.”
Although in her heart, she didn’t believe Tiny, she loved him for seeing the best in her.
“And as far as Stake?” He chuckled. “He’s the meanest bastard in the club, when it comes right down to it, but I’ve seen the way he treats you, and if I hadn’t witnessed it, I never would’ve believed that lion could be tamed.”
Santana blushed. “Thank you,” she whispered, reaching for his hand again. “Do you think you could visit us more than just once a year? I’m sure my ego’s going to need regular doses of Tiny to get me through.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Now that I have you back in my life, there’s no fuckin’ way I’m going to let you go again.”
* * * *
Stake had no doubt Cecil wanted to discuss the confrontation he’d had with his mom, but no amount of talk was going to rebuild that bridge. He found Cecil, Hog and Magic seated in their usual spots around the large table they used for club business. He stopped in the doorway and stared at Hog and Magic. “I wasn’t aware we’d have company.”
“Sit,” Cecil ordered.
Stake took his chair as far from the others as he could get. “I know I have two weeks left on our agreement, but in light of what happened yesterday in town, I’d like to get Santana out of here as soon as possible.”
The three men exchanged glances. “That’s what we want to talk to you about,” Cecil replied. “The girls are having a fit, and disgruntled whores don’t make as much money. We need you to stay a while longer. If you want to send Santana to Arkansas do it, but we need you here.”
