“No need to thank me.” He smiles and walks out of our bedroom, leaving me to process everything he’s just said. I fall back on the bed and stare at the ceiling, completely in shock at the happiness he’s bringing me.
I’m falling for this man so hard and I doubt he even realizes it. I need to tell him how I feel sooner rather than later. Maybe when he gets back from his trip out east.
Chapter Twenty
Who needs cocaine when human emotions can fuck you up just the same?
~ Unknown
Zorro
Shutting the door behind me, I go down the hallway and the stairs until I’m on the first level of the club. Immediately, I hear Noelle’s laughter echoing through the club. She’s playing with Neo and Fist while Ashley and Octavia sit a few feet away on the couch. Jordyn and Nova are at one of the tables with Roxy, drinking coffee or hot chocolate from the looks of it.
“Hey, brother, you have a minute before you head out?” Zane questions, placing a hand on my shoulder.
Turning toward him, I nod. “Yeah, not leaving for the airport for a bit.” There’s still about two hours before I need to leave for the airport.
“Cool, follow me.” Zane leads me around the stairwell toward the back door, opens the door to the room where we have church, and we both go inside. He shuts it behind me and clears his throat, “I’m tellin’ you this shit before I make it known, but by the time you come back here things may seem a bit different. Cheyenne told me Bull’s gonna be down for the count for a few weeks, so I’m pullin’ Chaz up here permanently. He’s no longer gonna go down to be Amara’s VP. I don’t have someone to put there yet, but I’ll figure that shit out. Hell, might even talk to Chaz. He knows some nomad’s who might be lookin’ to change their life. Just wanted to give you a heads up, ‘cause he’ll be here before the end of the month. Maybe around the twenty-fifth. So, the day after you get back.”
I nod, appreciating the fact he told me what was goin’ on and I didn’t walk into a shit storm. “Thanks, I appreciate that. But since I have you here, I’d like to get a cut made up for Ruby. One that declares her as my property, to make it official. You know what I mean?”
Zane smiles widely. “Shit, you are serious. Congrats, man.”
“That I am. I know it’s tradition to get a tattoo here with the Reapers, so when I get back I’ll see if it’s something she’s open to. Ruby doesn’t have any tats.”
“She’ll have one soon, that’s for damn sure,” Zane comments, and while he’s probably not wrong, I’m not going to be overly optimistic.
Chuckling lightly, I decide to change the subject. “I’m still plannin’ to stop by Boss’ club. What did you want me to check in on again?”
“The usual, make sure we’re still being welcomed. It doesn’t hurt to check in with them either. Rumor has it that cult is making its rounds again. I’m pretty damn sure Boss is starting that regent program with the Devil’s Riot MC. Honestly, I wanna know more about that shit, so go handle what you need to at Stonewall and the day you come back from there you make sure to stop in at the Iron Vex MC’s clubhouse.”
“You got it. I never mind seein’ them. They’re a fun bunch.”
“I think you mean rowdy as hell, not fun,” Zane cackles, heading toward the door and opening it for me.
As I walk through it, I respond, “Maybe a little bit of both.”
“I can’t argue with you there,” Zane comments as I head further into the club. I’d set my carryon bag in the back of my SUV last night and asked Frost to do the same, so hopefully she has. This way we can just roll in a couple hours.
I kind of want to head over to the barn and get some blood on my hands, but I’ll be getting plenty of blood soon enough. Hopefully later tonight when we touch down in Albany. I’ve been at Stonewall before, so I’ll be heading there in disguise with Frost. We won’t be wearing our cuts, but instead we’ll be wearing Stonewall University sweatshirts and have brochures, posing as students who’re looking to start their graduate programs. Frost had mentioned to me last night that she’d need to get some Kat Von D concealer to cover up my facial tattoos. I couldn’t believe the audacity she had thinkin’ I’d willingly wear makeup, but she quickly reminded me that grad students don’t typically have facial tattoos.
Frost sees me from the corner of the room and comes walking right up to me. Zane walks around us and heads toward his wife and son, but the way Frost stares at me with a sparkle in her eyes tells me she’s up to something.
“What’re you up to?” I’m half afraid of whatever her answer’s going to be.
“You know Ruby’s friend is here right, Portia?”
I nod. “Obviously. Not much of a fan of hers.”
“Whatever, you don’t have to be. What you do need to be is thankful because we’re going to make our cover work now. She gave me her friend Ian’s number. He’s already a grad student at Stonewall and said he’d show us around a little bit if we wanted. It’s the perfect cover. How else are we going to fit in better than by being doted around campus by one of their most notorious students?”
I shake my head. “I should’ve figured you’d find your way to weasel us into something like that.”
Frost puts a hand on her hip. “I’ll have you know I’m quite the resourceful fucker, and you’re glad I got this sorted out, so don’t even try to get that sassy attitude with me, mister.”
She’s right. I’m glad she thought outside of the box. It’ll make what we’re trying to achieve much easier. “You said you rented us a cabin ten miles away from campus?”
“Yep, and I got us a rental van from this shady place on the wrong side of town. They let us pay in cash and don’t require ID.” Sounds like they’re a bit shady, but that works for us.
“Sounds good. We still need to make sure to grab cleaning supplies. I don’t want them finding any fibers or blood in the back of the van.”
“You act like this is my first rodeo, Zorro. Relax, I got us covered,” Frost cackles and pauses for a minute. “When’re we leaving again? I need to give my girl some extra lovin’.”
“Two hours. Meet me out at the SUV, and if you’re not there I’m leavin’ your ass.”
“Fine, I’ll be there.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I have a happy personality with a heavy soul. Sometimes it gets weird
~ The Idealist
Ruby
“The snow’s melting a bit today and it’s not too cold out. You wanna take a stroll out to the back of the property?” Grim’s voice comes up from behind me. I turn to face him and cock a brow, glance out the window and see it’s bright and sunny.
“I’m gonna need boots, aren’t I?” My question almost seems idiotic, but I’m not fucking around with him.
“Yeah, but Nat’ told me you and her were the same shoe size so I grabbed you a pair from the store in town.” Grim hands me a bag, and I pull the cardboard box out from inside the bag. Peeling back the lid my eyes instantly land on a deep plum colored boot. Grim could’ve just bought me some plain Jane black ones, but nope, he got me a pair with a bit of flair.
I smile lightly and look up to him while taking off my flats. “Thank you for this. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s not a big deal. Figured you’re gonna need ‘em if you’re so determined on staying here.”
“I am, determined on staying here.” I confirm his thoughts, knowing he’s digging for information.
He nods once, accepting what I’ve said and clears his throat. Obviously, this is a bit awkward for him. “Are you going to do your classes online and stuff? I mean, you’re not dropping out, right?”
I blink at him like he’s lost his mind, because he damn well might have. Why would I drop out of school after everything he and Axel have helped me with? It would be a huge slap in the face to disrespect them like that. “I’ll be able to finish my degree online, remember? My professors know I’ll get the work done. I’m only a few credits away from graduating, Grim. I’m
not going to screw that all up.” He’s worried I’m throwing it all away to be here with Zorro. Or maybe he’s worried I’m throwing it all away because of what happened on Halloween. I’m not sure, but the important thing is that he knows I’m okay.
“Okay, cool. Just making sure.” Grim dips his hands in the pockets of his jeans, acting nonchalant. “I’ll go wait outside for you. Hell, I need to sneak in a cigarette anyway.”
Narrowing my brows in at him, I’m instantly intrigued. “Since when did you smoke?”
“It’s a bad habit I’ve always had, bein’ stressed out makes it worse and Nat’s on my ass for me to stop. I mean, with three kids she wants me to be around for a very long time.” He can’t even blame her. Natalie loves him so much, and her three girls, and the baby she’s carrying right now. My brother might not be the girls’ father, but he loves them like he is.
“Fine, go be a choo-choo train outside. I need to go chat with Portia anyway. I haven’t really seen her since the shooting.”
Grim widens his eyes. “Yeah, you’d better go check on her.”
It’s adorable to me how Grim automatically seems concerned. He shouldn’t be. Portia is an ice queen. Okay, scratch that. She’s a privileged ice queen. Honestly, she’s probably the most least shaken person after a traumatic event like that.
Portia’s been staying with Cheyenne and Frost, I have seen her a little bit around the club but she’s kept her distance from me and vice versa. I know we’re doing it because both of our emotions are a bit high right now, but I expect sooner or later things will be easier.
After I finish putting my boots on, I walk around the club until I find her in the kitchen, talking to Rosa. They’re both day drinking from the looks of it and the moment I walk in the kitchen the air immediately intensifies. My eyes lock on Portia’s and Rosa reads the energy in the room. “I’m gonna go. I have to shoot some content later anyway. See you girls later,” she says as she struts out of my view.
“I’m shocked you haven’t spoken to me until now,” and here she goes with the instantaneous bitchy attitude.
“I could say the same.”
Her mouth drops open and she looks right at me. “You’re kidding me, right? You have barely spoken to me in months. Granted, I know why now but, I mean, I’ve been here for days. Instead you’ve been off with your boy toy.”
Anger boils in the pit of my stomach at what she’s called Zorro. “He isn’t a boy toy.”
“Really? You’re always off doing things with him and you’ve barely seen me at all. How long have you been here, in this club, surrounded by him? Oh yeah, months.”
When she puts it like that maybe I have been neglecting her a bit. Portia did come all the way here. “Sorry, I should’ve made more time to . . . to talk to you. The last few days have been a lot.”
“Fuck, you can say that again.” Portia finishes off her clear liquid and sets it down on the counter behind her.
“Zorro’s going to be away for a few days on some club business, if you wanna hangout. I don’t know how long you plan on staying, but—”
“Um, I’m staying until school starts back up and I’m required to go back. You’re my best friend, Rub’, why the fuck would I be going back?” School starts back up around the end of January at Stonewall, so we have another few days. Good. Maybe we’ll be able to repair our snappiness and turn a new page.
Her reaction causes me to laugh. “Good point. I should’ve figured as much. I’m going on a walk with Grim, but want to spend the whole day together tomorrow?”
Portia smiles brightly. “Hell yeah, especially if it means getting drunk tomorrow night.”
“Obviously.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
And in the end, it’s you against you, fighting for yourself
~ Anjali Chaturvedi
Zorro
“We diving straight into things, or what?” Frost asks from the dining room.
“What do you mean by that?” I ask, cocking a brow.
“Ugh, you men who always need to answer a question with a question. I’m talking about the plan.”
“Plan?”
“You do have a plan, right?” Her tone is aggravated, yet scared.
Releasing a held in chuckle, I answer her. “Of course, I have a plan. I just enjoy fuckin’ with you a little bit.”
Frost rolls her eyes and puts a hand through her cherry red hair. “Alright, so what’s the plan then?”
“We’ll meet up with that Ian guy in our disguises and then we’ll go around campus a bit with him. He’s taking us to places like the library and around some of the dorms, the park, stuff like that. My plan is for us to act like normal, upstanding citizens, the typical graduate students and then I’ll make it a point to break off while we’re in one of the public places. I’m hoping he’ll introduce us to some other students. Even though their winter semester hasn’t started yet, I fully intend on getting as much information as I can. With any luck, someone will warn me if there’s been some sort of sexual assaults on campus. Especially after I tell them about her history, that tragic day in California at her alma mater.”
It’s a lie, but it’s a damn good one and women should find sympathy. I’ll play the part of an overprotective brother, wanting to make sure we’re both going to a school where we’re both safe, not just me.
“Okay, Mr. Innocent, if we’re playing that game, you’d better get your ass over here so I can cover up both of our facial tattoos.”
“You’re going to enjoy this too much.”
“Damn straight. Never did I think I’d be doing your makeup,” she cackles lightly, opening up a small makeup bag. She pulls out a tube with a cap, about the size of my thumb. “Come on, I need to prime your face.”
“What my face?”
“P-r-i-m-e. It means the makeup won’t come off if you have super oily skin or sweat like a pig on a hot summer day. Now get over here.” I get up from the couch and go over to the dining area and take a seat in the chair beside her.
Frost leans my head back and completely covers my face with this shit. “Whoa! Hold up. You’re just putting makeup over my tats, right?”
She blinks at me blankly and narrows her eyes slightly. “So, do you want to look like a fucked up clown, or do you want to look like you have no makeup on at all?”
“If any dude sees me with makeup on, I’ll lose my man card,” I tell her, though my tone is a warning.
“Then let me do what I do best, mkay?” She smiles with the most sass I’ve ever seen from her and rubs this prime into me, though as she brings the tube closer to me I see it’s called ‘primer’, not ‘prime’.
Frost goes through her bags, bringing different products and brushes out. By the time she’s done and puts a mirror in front of my face, I’m shocked. I can’t see one fuckin’ tattoo and my skin looks normal. The only difference is how it’s evenly toned. She dips down into her oversized bag and pulls out another bag, but this one isn’t like the first. It’s a drawstring made up of a cloth material. She loosens the rope and pulls out a fishnet thing, and inside it I see a blob of chocolate hair. The next thing I know she’s wrapping some sort of band around her head, bobby pinning her hair up and pulls the brown blob over her. As she pulls it and adjusts it, I realize it isn’t in fact a bob. It’s a fuckin’ wig. Well, someone’s taking her disguise a bit seriously.
Over the next hour I watch as Frost transforms herself into a completely different woman. The wig was only the first of many things to come. She primed and did all her makeup, then added things to turn her cheek a peachy shade, even adding some sort of soft pink lipstick.
The moment she finished doing her makeup she changed from her usual attire to something more business casual and I did the same thing. We opted to leave our cuts here at the house considering I’ve been here before with Axel and Grim. Some of the students and faculty have seen our insignia and I don’t want to raise anymore red flags. Hopefully, my disguise is enough to conceal my identity. After
all, the last time I was here I looked like a criminal. Now I’m a sophisticated son of a bitch.
We get in the van which isn’t as shady as Frost said it was. It’s probably a 2010 or later, not some sort of creeper van from the 1980s. It’s all black so I hop in the driver’s seat while Frost puts in the school’s address. In a matter of minutes, we’re leaving the back roads and are on a major New York interstate. Frost speaks the entire car ride, but I won’t even lie. I haven’t processed a damn word she said. My main focus is on what I’m gonna do to these motherfuckers who hurt Ruby.
I have tons of twisted, fucked up ideas, and we still have three and a half days to get the job done. Which only means one thing: I’ll be able to have my way with them.
“Keep going down this road and make a left into the parking lot. It’s called the Wallflower lot. We’re meeting Ian there.”
I nod and do exactly as she says. We pull up next to a tall dude who’s leaning up against the hood of his car. Frost waves her hand dramatically, like one of those super preppy girls. Ruby made me watch Legally Blonde with her the other day and it reminds me of that chick, Elle Woods.
“Ian! It’s so lovely to finally meet you.” Frost practically jumps out of the van and I’m stuck catching up to her. “I’m Frankie and this is my brother, Vinny.”
Oh, so I guess we’re going for the Italian look . . . only problem is I don’t look Italian. I look Meso-fucking-American.
“Hey guys, nice to meet you too. Portia said you two are thinking about attending here next fall?”
I nod. “Yeah, we’re looking at a few schools. That being said, we need to find the right fit for both of us.”
“Alright. Well, what’s the most important thing for you both, on campus that is?”
Frost looks over to me, urging me to speak first. “Now, you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’m being serious. I’ll have zero time to cook with my workload and completing my graduate program. If I go to school here, I’m going to find an apartment to share with my sister close by. However, I need to make sure you have good, affordable restaurants nearby. That will really be my dealbreaker. I don’t care about much shit, but when it’s about food . . . it’s deal or no deal.”
Zorro (Reapers MC Book 16) Page 10
