by Erin Osborne
Their house is big enough for the three of us. When you walk in the door, you walk into the living room. There’s a giant leather couch and recliner sitting in front of the biggest TV mounted to the wall I’ve ever seen. The only thing separating the living room and kitchen is an island with four barstools sit at.
Their kitchen is big with lots of cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. Down a hallway on the left are the bathroom and four bedrooms. On the right side of the house are the laundry room and stairs leading down to the finished basement. They’ve turned the basement into a gym, complete with mirrors on one wall and more equipment than I’ve ever seen outside of an actual gym.
Hawk’s room is at the end of the hall while Chains’ room is the very first one you come to. I’m sandwiched between the two rooms. With the decision to move me in being such a surprise, I know this is the way they’ve always had their rooms. Still, it’s reassuring to know I’ll be in between the two men if anyone finds out I’m here. No one will be able to easily get to me.
The only concern I have now is fighting my growing attraction to the two men. Living in the clubhouse, it was easier to avoid them. Now, not so much. We’re all under the same roof and they’ve been staying home more and not going to the clubhouse unless there’s club business.
They tend to walk around the house without shirts on and only wearing baggy sweats or shorts. The urge to lick every ridge of their bodies along with tracing their tattoos with my tongue is becoming a problem. I even have dreams about what it would be like to be with both men.
My only focus is healing from the abuse and getting my life back on track. I’m not sure if that includes going back to school or not yet. It’s a decision I can make later on down the road. Before I make that decision, I want to get divorced from Craig. I don’t want him to be able to take anything away from me in the new life I’m creating— including my money. So, I think I’ll hold off on worrying about school until I get that taken care of.
I want my divorce so bad. I’m not stupid enough to think I’m strong enough to go through it right now. I need to know I can stand on my own two feet and not want to lean on Hawk and Chains for everything. They’re already doing so much to help me get back on my feet. They won’t even let me pay bills or help them with bills.
Emotionally and mentally, I need to be strong enough to face Craig and get that piece of paper telling him I’m no longer his punching bag. If the guys in the MC haven’t convinced him of that yet, I know he’ll try to fuck around and put off the divorce to get whatever he thinks he can get from me. He doesn’t deserve a damn thing from me, though. Not when he’s already taken so much.
“You gotta work today?” Hawk asks, walking in the living room with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Yeah. I have to be there in a half-hour,” I answer, looking up from the magazine I’m reading.
“We’ll take you. I don’t want you goin’ alone until we get a handle on this situation with your ex. It’s not safe for you to go anywhere alone,” he tells me, turning around and heading back down the hallway.
I can feel the blush covering my face and neck. Whenever either man is around, I seem to blush uncontrollably. It’s not like I’m a virgin, dammit. These men affect me no matter what I do and it’s unnerving, to say the least. I really need to get a handle on my reactions to them. It’s only going to make them think I’m ready for more than I am.
In a few minutes, Hawk makes it back in the living room with Chains following him. They’re both dressed, thank God. Hawk grabs his stuff off the counter where he left it last night while Chains grabs his boots and sits down to put them on. As soon as Hawk is finished putting his things back in his pockets, he grabs his boots to put them on so we can head out.
I grab my bag and slide it on my shoulders. Since I never know if we’re taking the bikes or their truck, I always make sure what I’m taking fits in my bag. Part of me knows this is learned behavior from my time spent with Craig. My goal is to never make these two men wait or feel like I’m using them in any way. I don’t want them to feel like I’m a complete drain on them or the club.
“Ready?” Chains asks, pulling me out of my head.
“Yeah. Thank you.”
The three of us head out and I follow them to the bikes. Hawk holds out a helmet for me, letting me know who’s bike I’m riding. Hawk’s bike is a dark navy with airbrushing on the tank. Chains bike is a cherry red with the club’s logo on the tank. Both bikes are powerful pieces of machinery that scared the hell out of me the first time I got on one. But, these two men handle their bikes as if they’re extensions of themselves and they’re in complete control.
Now, I just feel free and like I can conquer the world when I’m behind one of them. Hawk straddles his bike and holds out his hand to help me get on behind him. I’m still a little awkward when it comes to getting on and off the bikes. They don’t seem to mind, though.
Wrapping my arms around his waist after getting on and making sure the helmet is secure on my head, Hawk and Chains start their bikes. The rumble of the engine sends a thrill through me and it’s a feeling I hope I never have to leave behind.
Within seconds, we’re pulling away from the house and heading toward the tattoo shop. Logically, I know the ride will only last a few minutes, but I can’t help wishing it were longer. That we could just point the bikes out of town and never look back. It’s not feasible considering the club and members are Hawk and Chains’ family. Plus, I would never ask them to give up their lives for me. If I leave here, it will be on my own.
I’m so lost in my own head; I don’t realize we’re already at the shop until Hawk taps me on the leg. I look up and immediately try to get off the bike. If it weren’t for Chains standing there waiting to help me, I’d have fallen directly on my ass. Looking up into his eyes, I fear he can see the thoughts of getting away plaguing me. Of just disappearing from this area and starting over somewhere away from everyone— especially Craig.
“We’ll be back to take you to lunch, Cass. Stay here and inside the shop,” Chains tells me, leaning down and placing a kiss on my temple.
“Okay,” I answer him, butterflies kicking up in my stomach at the quick contact.
“We’ll go to Corrinth’s diner for lunch,” Hawk says, pulling me closer and placing a kiss on the opposite temple.
Waving to the men, I make my way inside to find a huge bouquet of flowers sitting on the desk. They’re long-stemmed roses paired with baby’s breath. A card is sticking out of the holder situated in the middle of the arrangement. Suddenly, I’m hit with a feeling in my gut that I’m not going to like what this card says.
As I walk closer to the desk, I look around the shop to see who’s about to witness me having a meltdown if these are from Craig. No one is around as I walk around the desk and set my bag on the chair. Noises are coming from Ink’s office so I know he’s here already. He’ll be getting ready for his first client of the day and it makes me feel a little better knowing someone is here if I need them.
Pulling the card from the holder, my hands are shaking as I open the small envelope and read the words on the card:
I will get you. It’s just a matter of time before they leave you alone and then you’re mine. I’ll have fun breaking you and training you this time.
Your Loving Husband
What the actual fuck? I take the card and lay it on the desk as if it were a snake waiting to attack me. The flowers are another story entirely. I grab the fancy vase and walk back toward the bathroom. After draining the water, I carry the vase back out to the front of the shop and throw them in the garbage. The vase shatters in the garbage can which brings Ink from his office out to the front of the shop.
“What the hell is goin’ on?” he asks, looking in the garbage can where my gaze still lingers.
“Um, I didn’t want the flowers,” I say, finally looking up at him.
“I guess not. They from the ex?” he asks, pulling his phone out.
“Sit down in the chair, Cass. You look like you’re about to fall the fuck over,” he tells me, typing a message out on his phone.
It’s not long before I hear the roar of bikes pulling up in front of Anarchy Ink. More than just Hawk and Chains too from the sounds of it. Ink barely has time to hand me the water he got for me before the door is slammed open and two very pissed off bikers fill the doorway. On impulse, I shrink back from them even though I know their anger isn’t directed at me.
“What did the card say?” Chains asks.
“I don’t know. Been makin’ sure she didn’t pass out or somethin’,” Ink tells him.
Hawk makes his way over to me. He only stops to pick up the card and read it before handing it over to Chains. Their faces are beet-red and filled with barely contained rage. However, Hawk kneels down next to me and I watch in fascination as his face transforms. Instead of the rage, his eyes are filled with guilt and something else I don’t want to read into.
Chains stands behind Hawk and places a hand on my shoulder. I don’t jerk back from his touch or shrink away from him. I want to feel his hands on me, making me feel safe and protected from the asshat that thinks he can control me and get me back because that’s what he wants.
“I’m sorry baby,” Chains says. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I was just startled is all. Ink didn’t need to call you guys in,” I say, looking over his shoulder at my boss and the rest of the guys filling the shop.
It feels like there’s no room in here with everyone. The guys are huge and take up so much room. I can get lost in them all and no one would see me. It’s the first time I’ve been around this many guys and not felt intimidated or unsafe. I know each and every single one of the men in Anarchy Ink will die to protect those they care about.
Since it seems Hadliegh, Callie, Hawk, and Chains are concerned about my safety, the rest of the guys care too. It’s a nice feeling to know so many people care about what happens to you— one I’m not accustomed to, but could get used to. Hopefully, Craig doesn’t make it disappear anytime soon.
Chapter Two
Hawk
TODAY WE’RE LEAVING Cassidy at work before we head to the clubhouse. We’ve got Church, and it’s imperative we be there. No one can miss, no matter what’s going on in our lives. It’s what we signed up for when we joined Satan’s Anarchy. Every member knows this and is expected to be there unless he’s in the hospital.
Ink can’t even miss the meeting. So, Cassidy will be at the tattoo shop with Bentley and Bishop. They’ll make sure no one fucks with her and that no one causes any shit because Ink isn’t there. He’s usually in high demand and clients get pissed when they can’t get an appointment with him.
Chains and I already talked to them about Craig and threatened them if he gets anywhere near her. There’s no way in hell we’ll allow something to happen to her just because we have obligations to fulfill. The two Prospects assured us they’d keep an eye on her.
Pulling into the clubhouse, Chains and I park our bikes in our designated spots before making our way inside. I walk through the door of the clubhouse and see the men sitting around the tables in the common room. Renegade must be busy still and hasn’t started Church.
I sit down at a table with Bear, Smokey, and Psycho. Chains pulls out the seat next to me after grabbing us a few beers.
“How are things goin’ with Cassidy?” Bear asks, taking a sip of his own drink.
“Okay, I guess. It’s hard to tell how they are when she’s still so closed off. Craig really did a fuckin’ number on her,” Chains answers. “The closest we get to touchin’ her is when I work with her on self-defense moves.”
“It’s not just about that, though. Not with her. If I wanted a loose piece of ass, there are several babes here to take care of that for me, for us. I want her to be comfortable openin’ up to us, not shyin’ away from any form of contact, and not gettin’ nervous as hell when we step toward her,” I say.
“I understand that. It’s not somethin’ you can just get over. It sounds like she was with Craig for a long time. It’s goin’ to take a long time to overcome that shit. Have you guys talked to her about possibly startin’ therapy or counselin’ of some kind?” Psycho asks.
Out of everyone here, Psycho would know more about Cassidy and her situation because of Hadliegh. The girls seem to be getting close and I’m sure she talks to Psycho about Cassidy. She won’t go to Callie about it because she’d feel like she was breaking a confidence or something like that. Psycho won’t say a word to anyone because he’s used to not sharing information. Partly because of the club and partly because that’s just how he’s always been.
“Everyone in Church. Now!” Renegade calls out, handing his phone and gun over to the new Prospect, Trenton.
We all leave our beers on the table for the babes to clean up while we’re busy. As we get to the door of the chapel, we all hand over our guns and phones before going in. It’s not long before we’re all in our seats and Renegade is slamming the gavel on the table and calling an order to Church.
“Alright, I’ve got new intel on Snake’s Revenge. My contact south of the border tells me he’s down in Mexico trying to come back to the states. All he needs is the cash to get back inside and we’re on his radar. They’ve been callin’ him Diablo. That’s the name he wants to go by from now on. We took out all the members of Snake’s Revenge, but he’s been recruitin’. He’s got enough guys now for a club and he wants revenge against us. They’re comin’ and we don’t know when it’s gonna happen. I want riders out around the clock and no female, ol’ lady, or babe, is to go anywhere alone,” Renegade says.
There’s complete silence around the table. Not a single man sitting in this room knows what to say right now. We knew the man was alive, he escaped before we could get to him. But, we had no clue he was actively recruiting members to ensure he could start another charter of Snake’s Revenge. This is insane. We have more than enough going on here without the added worry of Diablo and his fucks coming after us.
I’ve done my own research on this Diablo fuck. He’s been in and out of prison since the age of thirteen. He attempted to murder his dad because he wouldn’t let him smoke and drink in the house. From there, he’s been suspected in several murders but there’s never been enough evidence to convict him, or witnesses recanted their stories.
He’s also been charged with several rapes and beating on women. Something we don’t condone at all. Diablo does drugs and the women he hooks up with usually end up on one drug or another. I can’t prove he’s the one getting them hooked, but we knew Snake’s Revenge dealt in drugs so it didn’t surprise me to learn he’s an addict and getting anyone else in his circle addicted as well.
“Grave and Psycho, I want you both goin’ over all our guns and ammunition. Let me know immediately if we’re low on anythin’. I want to get new stock as soon as possible. I’m goin’ to call Slim in on this in case we need back-up. I’ll also call in Stitch to give him the heads up too. I’m not sure how far Diablo is willin’ to go to get us. As information comes in, I’ll keep you all updated. Hawk, keep lookin’ for anythin’ you can find on this fucker,” Renegade tells us.
For the next hour, we go over finances, upcoming runs, and any other business we need to go over. All of our legal businesses are doing good. We’re actually thinking about revamping the domestic violence compound. Make it a better place for the women and kids living there. So, we spent some time going over possible ways to make it better for everyone involved.
“Any other business we need to take care of before I close Church?” Renegade asks, looking around the table.
I look at Chains before speaking up.
“Yeah. The fucker Cassidy was with, Craig, is out for her. He’s sent her notes and flowers at the tattoo shop. While we’re out lookin’ for Diablo and his fuckwads, I want everyone to keep an eye out for Craig too. We’ve got a picture of him and Psycho knows what he looks
like. This asshole hurt Cassidy for a long time and he needs to be stopped before he gets his hands on her again. Or hurts some other unsuspectin’ woman.”
“Alright. Everyone look at the picture and keep an eye out for Craig. I want him brought in if any of you find him. Chains and Hawk will be the ones to take care of him, but we’ll be there. Hawk and Chains, don’t go out on the same team as usual. I want you two on separate shifts so someone can be close to Cassidy at all times. Psycho, get a list set up for runs and let everyone know when they’re to head out. Chains and Bear, you’re out first.” Renegade says. “Church dismissed.
As soon as the gavel slams on the table in front of Renegade, we all make our way out to the common room. Knowing Chains will be heading out with Bear, I head to my room to do some more research on Diablo. I’m trying to figure out the names of the men he’s been recruiting into his new ‘club’.
I don’t consider Snake’s Revenge as a club because he uses it to commit crimes, and as a front for whatever else he has going on. See, I have a gut feeling after looking into him there’s more to Snake’s Revenge than meets the eye. At the end of the day, I believe he’s into the skin trade.
Wherever Diablo seems to go, young girls and women seem to go missing. Today, I’m going to work on tracking more victims now that Renegade knows he’s south of the border. If I can catch this motherfucker in the skin trade, we’ll have every single support club and friend looking for these sick fucks.
My gut feeling is telling me Diablo takes these young girls and women, uses and abuses them before selling them off to the highest bidder. He probably gets them hooked on drugs and pimps them out for a while to earn even more money. Diablo is all about the bottom line and how much he can drain out of every single person he comes into contact with.
I’ve been working so long on the computer, I don’t realize the time until my alarm goes off. If I didn’t have anything pressing to do, I wanted to go to lunch with Cassidy. It doesn’t matter to me if we eat in the shop or go somewhere. I just want to spend time with her. So, I shut everything down and make my way out to my bike.
