Clutch (Burning Saints MC)

by Jack Davenport

  Clutch

  “You’re out of your fucking mind! That’s it, Clutch. You’ve really gone all the way off the motherfuckin’ deep end this time. There’s no other explanation,” Minus shouted as he paced his office floor.

  “Love.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? Love? With a woman you’ve been with for a month? How is that not crazy talk, man?”

  “It’s not just about her, although I’d still be making the same decision even if it was.”

  “This is not right, Clutch.”

  “I called the officers and told them all to meet us here at ten o’ clock,” I said.

  “Goddamnit, Nicky.”

  “I’ve made up my mind, Minus. I’m choosing Gina and I’m choosing my family, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get them back.”

  * * *

  Gina

  Miraculously, I was able to catch up on my patient load and close the clinic by a little after eight forty-five when I received a call from an unknown number. I answered the phone and was surprised to hear Cricket’s voice.

  “You need to go to the Sanctuary now,” she said the moment I answered.

  “Cricket? What’s going on?”

  “Gina, get to the Sanctuary right now. It’s Clutch.”

  The tone in Cricket’s voice caused me to hang up immediately and drive faster than I’d ever driven before.

  Clutch

  Minus, Ropes, Warthog, Elwood, Mayday, and Wolf stood in a circle around me. The great hall was dark, except for light from a single lamp and the glow of a two-inch piece of steel that had been heated with an acetylene torch to over 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

  Minus cleared his throat before speaking, “The Burning Saints have gone through a lot lately. Cutter dying, me becoming president, everything that went down with Grover and Los Psychos. Not to mention the shit I’ve been putting all of you through lately with the club’s direction change. It’s been... well, a lot.” Minus walked to me and put his hand on my shoulder, pausing briefly before continuing, “This isn’t my choice, this is Clutch’s. A Burning Saint has never voluntarily patched out of the club, but Clutch has assured me that he’s made up his mind, and that his decision is final. He also understands that patching out means removing all club ink.” Minus, turned to me and pleaded, “Jesus, Nicky please don’t do this. You don’t have to. I can grant you mercy.”

  “I have to, or the club will never respect you. You stood up to Wolf in front of everyone and told him the only way out of this club was with the brand. If you go light on me, they’ll never see you as a man of your word. If I go, my wings go, that’s the law,” I said.

  “I can’t do it, Nicky,” Minus said, tears forming in his eyes.

  “Make Wolf do it. He’ll probably enjoy it,” I laughed softly.

  Minus nodded to Ropes and Elwood and they each took hold of one of my arms. Fortunately, I only had one club tattoo. It was my only tattoo in fact. Minus and I had gotten the same one, but on opposite sides of our chest, the very day we patched in. To me, it was my family crest.

  Mayday gave the brand final hit with the torch and handed it to Minus.

  “C’mon, Man don’t be a pussy,” I said, but instead of taking the bait, Minus just looked sick.

  “I swear to you, brother, this is what I want,” I said softly. “The only way Gina is going to know that I’m ready to be a father and a husband; the only way I can show her that her and the baby are the most important thing that has ever happened to me, is to let go of everything that stands in our way. I have to leave my old family in order to have any kind of chance with my new family. My true family.”

  Minus eyes met mine, and the brand hit my chest.

  The putrid smell of burning flesh penetrated my nostrils and my hands and feet contracted into tight balls as I screamed in agony. I had only moments to collect my thoughts before the bar was pressed, once again, against my bare skin. Ropes and Elwood supported my weight as I spasmed in pain, before blacking out.

  Eldie yelling, “What the fuck is wrong with you people?” and the sound of clanking metal were the first two things I heard when I came to.

  * * *

  Gina

  Cricket pulled up to the Sanctuary just as I was arriving. I parked diagonally over the lines, flung my car door open and practically lunged at her as she exited her car.

  “What the hell is going on? Where’s Clutch? What’s wrong?”

  “Eldie, Clutch is planning on patching out tonight,” Cricket said in a tone that sounded far too serious too me.

  “What? What the hell? I thought Clutch had been in an accident or something,” I said, annoyed that Cricket had gotten me worked up. Although, it was strange that the mere possibility of Clutch being hurt sent me hurtling toward the very people I wanted to avoid.

  “I don’t think you understand Eldie. Clutch is patching out. That means he’s leaving the club.”

  “Clutch is leaving Portland?” I asked, my heart now feeling like it was lodged in my throat.

  “No, Eldie. He’s leaving the Burning Saints, forever.”

  I giggled nervously. “Nooo.” I said, smiling. “Minus and the Burning Saints are his family. They’re all he ever talks about. He’d never leave.”

  “He told Minus that you and the baby are his only family now, and that you’re his only priority.”

  “He told Minus that?”

  “Yes, Eldie. He’s patching out for you. To show you what you and this baby mean to him.”

  “Oh my god.” I burst into tears. “I love him so much. I can’t believe he would do that for me, for us.”

  “Eldie,” Cricket said, directing my focus back to her. “Patching out means branding off Clutch’s Burning Saints tattoo.”

  “What? Would they do that?” I asked, shocked.

  “That’s the law. I know Minus doesn’t want to, but Clutch told him the he insisted it be done.”

  “That’s crazy. Why would he do that?”

  “I don’t know, but if we can find them maybe you can stop Clutch before it’s too late.”

  I followed Cricket as we made our way inside and the smell of burning flesh assaulted my nose.

  Ropes and Elwood held Clutch up as Minus pulled a hot iron away from Clutch’s chest and he went limp. I made a running leap for Minus, hitting him as hard as I could in the jaw and he staggered back.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you people?” I screamed, wrapping my arms around Clutch as he started to come to. Ropes and Elwood helped to steady him, so I could check out his wound while Cricket tended to her man. “What have you done?” I growled at Clutch. “Someone needs to get my bag out of my Jeep.”

  “Big Pecker,” Cricket directed, and I lifted Clutch’s head.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he rasped.

  I stroked his chin. “What are you doing, Clutch?”

  He gave me a goofy grin. “I’m making you my priority.”

  I blinked back tears. “Nicky.”

  “I love you, Gina.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m gonna prove I’m worthy of you, baby. Both of you.” He swallowed, grimacing as he pulled his arms from Ropes and Elwood’s hold. “Even if it takes me the rest of my life. I’m gonna prove it.”

  Big Pecker returned with my medical bag and I took the distraction, rummaging through it to find salve, gauze, and tape. Despite my watery eyes, I bandaged Clutch’s wound and cupped his cheeks before rising to my feet.

  Minus had a bag of peas against his cheek and Cricket forced him to sit in one of the chairs next to one of the pool tables.

  “Everybody listen up!” I bellowed, then slipped my finger and thumb into my mouth and let out a whistle no one could ignored. “Shut the fuck up!”

  All eyes were suddenly on me and I crossed my arms and glared at each and every one of them.

  “I have never seen a bigger group of idiots in my life,” I ground out. “All of you are nothing more than ignorant assholes, and I’m ove
r it. All of it!” I threw my arm toward Clutch. “This man is your brother! But you’re all standing here, watching as Minus shoves a hot poker against his skin to burn any memory of you away. None of you is objecting. None of you is standing up for him. None of you is man enough to do the right thing. I’m disgusted.”

  “I tried talking to sense into him. No one wants him out of the club!” Minus protested.

  “But you mutilated him anyway, didn’t you? Why? Because some douchebag tough guy with a handlebar mustache wrote a rule down in some book back in nineteen seventy-three?”

  “Eldie,” Clutch warned.

  “You shut your mouth,” I snapped. “You’re the biggest idiot of them all, Clutch. God! I can’t believe you’d do that to yourself! You could have died.”

  “I was in no danger―”

  “Let me tell you where you’re wrong, Nicky. You could have gotten an infection in the wound, this could have spread to the rest of your body, not to mention your bloodstream, where your body could go into sepsis and then death. This whole practice is barbaric, not to mention stupid.”

  Clutch rose to his feet and made his way toward me. I wrapped my arms around myself as my body started to shake without warning. Clutch pulled me close and kissed my temple. “Come with me, baby.”

  He guided me out of the Sanctuary and into one of the private rooms where he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. I sobbed into his chest, careful to avoid his wound, and burrowed into the warmth of his body as he whispered sweet promises to me and our unborn child.

  “Shh, baby, I’ve got you.”

  “Why would you do that to yourself?”

  “It’s part of our code. Part of our culture, Eldie.”

  “So is female circumcision in Somalia... doesn’t make it right.”

  “I don’t think you can compare this to that kind of mutilation.”

  I met his eyes. “You don’t think so?”

  He smiled, cupping my face. “I’m serious, Gina. I will give all of this up if it means I have any chance with you.”

  “Apparently.” I slid my hand to his neck. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “You’re going to marry me and have my baby.”

  He was right. I was. But he didn’t need to know that just yet.

  “How are we going to make any of this work?” I whispered.

  “How does anyone make it work, baby? We put one foot in front of the other and figure it out.”

  “I need you to promise me you won’t kill anyone ever again.”

  “I promise.”

  “No beating anyone close to death either.”

  He slid a lock of my hair behind my ear. “I’m workin’ on my anger issues, Eldie. Gonna prove that to you, I just need you to give me a chance.”

  I bit my lip and stared at him for several seconds. “I love you. More than I’m probably willing to admit. I think that’s why all of this is so scary.”

  “I get it, Doc, but we’re in this together. I love you and I promise I’ll be the man you and our kid needs. I love you, Gina.”

  “I love you, Nicky,” I said, and he kissed me with more than I’d ever felt him, or any man give me. Somehow, even amidst this strange chaos I knew I was in the safest place I could possibly be.

  Gina

  “I still can’t believe you actually bought us tickets to the theater,” I said, taking off my heels.

  “I told you I’m willing to try new things,” Clutch said, smiling as he hung up our coats.

  “So, you liked it?”

  “I liked seeing you in that dress,” he replied. “And now I’d like to see you out of it,” he said, kissing my neck. Clutch led me to his bedroom and wrapped an arm around me, kissing me gently. “I got you something.

  I raised an eyebrow. “You did?”

  He grinned, grabbing a wrapped box from his nightstand and handing it to me.

  I ripped it open and smiled slowly. “Clamps? You bought me clamps.”

  “I bought you the best fuckin’ nipple clamps on the market.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “Hatch’s woman used to sell these.”

  I widened my eyes. “You asked Maisie what clamps you should buy me?”

  Clutch laughed. “No, baby. I asked Cricket what it was like working for Maisie back in the day and the conversation kind organically went there.”

  I blushed. “Does she...?”

  “No, I didn’t tell her anything.”

  I handed him back the clamps and pulled off my shirt and bra. I held my hand out, but he shook his head.

  “Let me.” He kissed me and then rolled my nipples between his fingers before securing each clamp and tightening the little screw. “How’s that?”

  “More,” I said, my body already on fire.

  He tightened them more and I groaned, reaching for his jeans and undoing the fly. I slid my hand under his waistband and wrapped my hand around his already hardening cock.

  “Jesus, Eldie,” he rasped, tugging gently on the chain between the clamps.

  I groaned, kissing him again.

  Pushing my jeans and panties from my hips, I grabbed his hand and guided it between my legs. “Feel what you do to me.”

  “Total perfection,” he whispered, and kissed me again.

  Lifting me onto the bed, he laid his palm to my chest and held me where he wanted me, kneeling between my legs and covering my core with his mouth. I squirmed against him and he raised his head with a frown. “You keep squirmin’ like that, I’m gonna tie you to the bed.”

  I licked my lips and begged, “Tie me.”

  He grinned, stepping off the bed, and heading into closet. He brought back two of his belts and ran the end of one across my belly. “Head on the pillows, Doc.”

  I shifted so my head was up by the headboard.

  He tugged me down a little and took a nipple, clamp and all, in his mouth. He pressed the clamp tighter with his teeth and I felt the heat pool between my legs. My pregnancy hormone laced nipples were ultra-sensitive and I thought for sure I’d come right then and there.

  He secured one wrist to the headboard and then the other and I tested its strength.

  “Too tight?” he asked.

  I shook my head, and he pushed off his jeans and knelt between my legs again. This time, he lifted my hips and slid into me, falling over me and covering my mouth with his. I wrapped my legs around him, the only way I could touch him.

  Clutch broke the kiss with a grin, sliding out of me and then in again slowly. Then he moved faster, rocking into me as he tugged on the chain between my clamps and I hissed with need. He was going far too slow. I lifted my left leg, so I could control my lower body and arched against him.

  He tugged on the chain again, sending a shot of desire between my legs again.

  “Yes,” I breathed. “Faster, Nicky.”

  He cupped my bottom and squeezed. “You want it harder?”

  “Yes,” I panted.

  He smacked me, and I threw my head back with a sigh. For the next several minutes, he tugged, slapped, and drove into me while I came apart in his arms. His final thrust, combined with pulling the chain down, and I shattered.

  Clutch released me from my ties and I wrapped my arms around his neck and sobbed into his neck.

  “Shit, baby, did I hurt you?” he whispered, pulling me close.

  “No. It was amazing,” I whispered. “Oh, my god, it was amazing. I think I’m just pregnant and hormonal.”

  He chuckled and held me tighter. “I love you, baby.”

  “Love you back.”

  He removed one clamp, sucking gently on my nipple, then did the same to the other. “How do they feel?”

  “Like we’re gonna use them every time.”

  Clutch laughed and climbed from the bed. He put the clamps back in the box and slid them back into the nightstand. “If we keep goin’ like this, we’re gonna need an extra closet. A drawer ain’t gonna cut it.”

  “Technically
, I really only need your dick.”

  He slid back onto the bed and kissed my belly.

  “How many kids do you want?” I asked.

  “As many as you want to give me,” he said. “But we can start with this one and go from there.”

  I rolled onto his chest and kissed his neck. “I like that answer.”

  Clutch pulled the covers around us and settled his hand on my bottom. “Love your ass, Eldie.”

  I wrapped my hand around his hardening cock. “Love your dick, Nicky.”

  He grinned. “It loves you back.”

  “Prove it.”

  “Again?” He pushed me onto my back. “You act like you’re tryin’ to get pregnant or something.”

  I giggled as he shimmied under the blankets and kissed my stomach. He kissed one breast and then the other before moving between my legs.

  “I want you to act like you need to put another baby in me,” I demanded.

  Clutch pulled the covers down, so I could see his face and grinned. “Your wish is my command.”

  As he worshiped my body all over again, I realized just how much I loved all of this. All of him. Good and bad. He loved me with everything he had, and I was damn lucky to have his adoration. He might be working to prove his worthiness to me, but the truth was, I had just as much work to do to prove my worthiness back to him.

  Lucky for me, we had our whole lives in front of us and I couldn’t wait to see what the future held.

  Clutch

  Three years later...

  “Use the jab, use the jab!”

  I wasn’t sure if he was battling nerves, or if he couldn’t hear me from the crowd noise, but Alejandro “The Kid” Christakos, was gonna be kissing the canvas for the first time if he didn’t start listening to my instructions.

  Ding, Ding.

  The bell signifying the end of round one sounded, and I set Alejandro’s stool in the corner of the ring.

  “Deep breaths,” I said. “Remember to regulate you breathing between rounds,” I instructed my young fighter.

  “He hits a lot harder than me,” Alejandro said, between breaths.

  “Maybe he does, but you’re faster and slicker, son, so use your jab. Stick that left hand right in his face and leave it there if you have to. Impose your will on this guy. Use your jab to control his distance. Then, once you’ve got him within striking range, unleash that right hand. But until then, I want to see you stick to throwing the left.”