by April Lust
I had to laugh at my own mistake. “That’s what I meant. I knew that.”
“He was right, you aren’t. I mean, not the typical old lady anyway. You’re just as fierce, but you have much softer edges. That’s not going to change. You aren’t joining the club, I am. You’ll be at my side every step of the way, but you aren’t going to have to deal with club shit. Not like most of those guys’ girls need to. You’ll keep going to school. You’ll get your fancy job and build all the skyscrapers you want. None of that changes.”
“You won’t care if I make more money than you?” I teased. I had no idea how much money he made, and nothing so far indicated he was struggling. Not like me, anyway.
“Babe, if you want to bring home the bacon, I’ll just keep tinkering away in my garage.” He laughed.
“You’ll get to keep your garage if you join the club again?”
“I don’t see why not. A few members are already working for me; I’m far enough away to not be competition for the club’s garage. Besides, just because I’m putting my leathers back on, doesn’t mean I’m moving into the clubhouse. I’m staying right here, with you.”
I stared at him open mouthed.
“Once this shit is all done, you’re moving in. And not into the guest room, into my room, in my bed.” He didn’t seem to want to argue the point because he stuffed the last of his eggs into his mouth and carried his plate to the sink.
“What about Asya?” I asked from the table.
“I’m going to drop you at the clubhouse. Johnny will hang with you this afternoon. Tony will be with me at the apartment. I’m going to meet her, see what she really wants. Hopefully, it’s just her. If it’s not, if Dean’s there, I’ll have Tony as back up. You are to stay where I put you. Do not leave that clubhouse.” His voice deepened as he drew closer to me in the kitchen. I felt his hands on my shoulders and his warm lips press against my neck. “If you don’t, I promise you that little spanking I gave you the other day with my belt will be a warm up to what you’ll have coming to you.”
“You can’t keep threatening me with a spanking.” I sighed, letting his hands massage my shoulder as he stood behind me.
“Babe, I never threaten. I mean it. If you leave that clubhouse today, I’ll tan your ass so raw you won’t be sitting for a month.”
I wanted to argue, to point out that I got along just fine without him for years, but the look I saw in his eyes when I turned made my mouth clamp shut. I held no doubt the man would do exactly as he promised if I were to go against him about the issue.
“Can I ask you a question, a serious question?” I turned in my chair to look up at him.
“Of course.”
“If I told you I never wanted you to do that again. That I wouldn’t stay with you if you spanked me again or raised your hand to me, what would you say?”
He pulled out the chair next to me and sat, facing me, holding my chin in his hand. “I would never raise my hand to you in anger, Lauren. Never. But if you’re asking me if I would agree to not punish you for breaking my rules, then yes. I’d agree to that. I think I showed you the other night there are just as many ways to punish you without spanking you.”
“And if I said that I didn’t want the rules, any punishments at all. What then?”
He let go of my chin, wiped a few strands of my hair back behind my ear and leaned back. “If that’s really what you wanted, I’d do it. I’m not saying it would work out that great––I’ve gotten really used to being the one in charge, and I really hate it when you don’t listen to me––but for you, I’d do anything.” He brought my hands to his lips and kissed them gently. I’d never seen him behave so tenderly, it took me off guard. “Is that what you want? Me to promise never to spank you or punish you again?”
I searched his face for a long moment and realized he could never be anything like my stepfather. Too much love resided in his eyes for me, too much need and care for me. Just me. I knew he’d been with a lot of other women, but none of them mattered, none of them held a spot in his heart like I did.
“No…I don’t think so. I mean…it’s a bit dated, don’t you think? The man in charge, the little woman toting the line?”
“That’s not how it is with us,” he corrected me. “I want you to have everything you want in life, and I sure as hell don’t want you turning into some deadhead follower. You challenge me, you make me want to be better, do better, I don’t want that to stop. Every now and then I may have to drag your ass back in line, but never to be an ass, never to beat my chest and show you how powerful I am. Only when you put that cute ass of yours in danger, or when you break my easy to follow rules.”
I laughed. “You make it sound like an infomercial.”
He grinned. “I mean it, though, if you ever want that to change—”
I put my hand over his lips. “I just want you, Michael. Even when you’re being an overprotective bully I want you. But I’m not sure about this club thing.”
He pulled my hand back to my lap. “This is one area you don’t get to decide what happens. The club is my call. I wouldn’t do it if I thought for once second it would put you in danger. You’ll just have to trust me. Can you do that?”
Was there anyone in the world I trusted more than Michael? Hell no. He had given me everything when we were younger, and when he returned to me he continued to give. I knew there would be no safer place in the world for me other than in his arms. Or over his lap.
“I’ve always trusted you,” I whispered, feeling tears start to build in my eyes. That man made too many emotions rise to the surface. “If I bring my laptop to the club, think I can get some studying done?”
His lips cracked into a wide grin and he kissed me—a quick, hard kiss. “I’ll find you a quiet place to work. No one will bother you.” He looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. “We have to get going. Tony’s meeting me at the clubhouse. But tonight, when we are back here, I want you naked. I want you sprawled out on my bed with not a stitch of clothing on, and I’m going to show you those ropes I was talking about.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Michael
Leaving Lauren in the hands of Johnny and a few other guys at the clubhouse, I hopped onto my bike. Mick had my leathers out on his desk when I arrived earlier with her in tow. Johnny appeared happy about the news of my return, but seemed more than a little skeptical about Mick’s promise to step down as president when it was all said and done.
“What’s to stop him from reneging?”
“I’ll walk if he does, and the newer members will walk with me. Like you said, there’s a lot of mistrust between the members and Mick. He reneges on this, that trust will be completely broken. They’ll walk out with me, and maybe even go over to the Fallen.”
“As much as I hate the fucking Fallen, I’m not sure they are all tangled up with this mess. Seems too personal for them, and they don’t get personal—even with their members.”
“I don’t think it’s the club. I think it’s just this Dean. Not sure how he got picked, but he seems to have some connection to the Leonard group. I asked Bixby to do some digging on him, he’s trying to find the connection. Lauren said she didn’t see the driver of the car when she got hit, he came at her too fast, but I’m willing to bet it was Dean. Probably acted too fast, though; Matthew hadn’t gotten to her yet.”
“Seems like a lot of bullshit for a little shortage in product,” Johnny argued.
“Tanner cut him off that night. Sent him to some other dealer who didn’t have the quality. Spent more for shittier supply—Leonard blames Lauren for that. You know these types. Think the world revolves around them and no one should get in their way.”
“Yeah, I get that. I’ll watch your girl for you, but you better be fucking careful today. She won’t be taking it too well if you get yourself dead. Understand?” His fierce gaze could crumble a brick wall, but I saw it for what it was. Concern. “I’m happy to see those leathers on you again, but if it comes at a pric
e, I don’t want it. Got it?”
“Don’t worry about it.” I adjusted my kutte, getting used to the feel of the leather on me again. The weight of it on me reminded me of how much I missed the brotherhood that came with it. Leaving it behind had been the hardest thing for me to do, aside from leaving Lauren behind. At the time, I left to protect myself and my future, and now I put it back on to do the same thing.
Only this time I had Lauren to think about, too. That woman turned my life upside down the moment her car had been dragged into my garage. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I had her back. I had my girl back, and she would be mine forever if I had anything to say about it. Thinking about a future with her didn’t turn my stomach the way it did when I had tried picturing it with other girls. The hair on my neck stood at attention when the thought of losing her again crossed my mind. That wouldn’t happen. Couldn’t happen. I’d die before I let it.
After I set Lauren up in one of the spare bedrooms with her laptop and a full cup of coffee, I headed out. I was sure to remind her of what would happen if she tried leaving the clubhouse, and her blush made me hard for her again. Tonight. I had told her when we got home that night I’d have her tied down and at my mercy. I just needed to get through the afternoon.
Riding out of the courtyard and heading toward her apartment with Tony riding at my side, I wondered again about Dean’s connection to Daniel Leonard. From what I could piece together, the guy was just a regular asshole. Worked in the garage for the Fallen, never been in any real trouble, so what was his angle? Did he get close to Lauren through Asya for Leonard or was he picked because he knew her? Too many questions without enough answers.
Bixby was digging, but some things couldn’t wait. Asya was expecting Lauren any minute to show up at the apartment. She’d be surprised to find me, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find Dean there, too. She’d been adamant that I not go with Lauren to meet her. She wanted girl time, and promised they’d just hang at the apartment, nothing for me to worry about. The more she stressed that I stay away, the more I knew I’d be the one going.
My hope still remained that she was trying to warn Lauren of what was coming. I didn’t like the idea of having to tell Lauren the only friend she’d had for the past few years had betrayed her in the worst way someone could betray another person.
Tony signaled me to turn down an alley, and I let him take the lead. He knew the back roads around Lauren’s apartment a bit better than me, so he took point. As he came to a stop several houses from her building, we cut our engines.
I pulled out my phone to check my message. The damn thing had been vibrating my ass more than my bike. Seven messages from Bixby.
One charge of drug possession with intent to sell for Dean was dropped six months ago.
His attorney was Jacob Masters.
Same attorney that helped Leonard out of a DUI years back.
Dean named Tanner Hunt as his supplier. Nothing came of it.
No investigation into Tanner.
Tanner’s priors long list—all drug related.
All charges dropped each time- same attorney. Jacob Masters
Fuck. If Tanner had something to do with all of this, he played Lauren and me real fucking good. It was he who caused Leonard to be so damn pissed in the first place, his mistake, his error.
“What’s up?” Tony asked, walking over to me. I gave him my phone to let him read the messages. “Fuck. You think he’s organizing all this shit?”
“If he is, there’s a good chance we’ll find him up there with Dean.” I felt the Glock I had stuffed in my waistband. It had been a few years since I last pulled out my gun from its hiding spot, but I had no doubt it would come in handy now. “Let’s get up there and get this over with.”
We walked through the gangway from the alley to the front door of her building, keeping an eye out for anything that didn’t seem right. The heat of the summer kept a lot of people indoors with their air running on high, which meant less people to see us entering the building.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lauren
How could I study knowing Michael was at my apartment confronting Asya about her part in all this mess? I closed my laptop, giving up on getting anything done, and moved out to the TV room in the clubhouse.
Johnny sat on the couch with his wife snuggled up against him, watching a home makeover show. I smiled over the absurdity. The mammoth sized biker watched, with interest, as a back room of a house was converted into a home office for a middle-aged accountant.
“We should do that with the spare bedroom. Jimmy’s never gonna move back now that he’s got his own place,” I heard his wife say.
“No.” He shook his head.
“Maybe we could turn it into a sewing room.”
“You don’t sew.”
“I could start if I had a sewing room.”
He let out an exasperated sigh that sounded all too familiar. Michael made the same noise when I pushed an issue he considered closed. “I’ll think about it.” The gruff voice was more for show than it was sincere. He’d cave, that was easy to see by the smile on his wife’s face. She’d won, and she knew it.
“Hey, Lauren.” Johnny moved his arm from around his wife and stood up to greet me when he noticed I’d entered the room.
“Hey. I was stretching my legs for a few minutes. I’m gonna walk in the courtyard for a bit. Get some fresh air.” I slid my hands in the back pockets of my jean shorts, trying to look casual.
Johnny’s eyes narrowed. “It’s ninety-five degrees out there. Just stay in here where it’s cool.”
“I love the heat,” I lied. “Just for a few minutes. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
He didn’t look convinced but he gave in anyway. “Fine. Five minutes. If you’re not back in here, I’m coming out there to drag you back in.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second.” I patted his arm as I walked past him, giving his wife a wink. She laughed, but didn’t tell Johnny what she found so funny.
Once I was outside with the sun beating down on me, I found spot to sit. I needed to call Asya. I needed to hear from her what was going on, but if I did that and she really was betraying me I could have been putting Michael in danger. As I pulled my phone out it buzzed a few times.
A message from Tanner.
We need to talk. Can you get away from your babysitter long enough?
I got up and looked through the window at Johnny in the TV room. He was back to watching the show. He’d never let me go if I asked him to take me. Tanner was safe. If he needed to tell me something, it was important.
Remember the warehouse on Ogden? Half hour.
My pickups were done from that warehouse most of the time. Tanner owned a small office inside that he used to conduct his business. I shot him a quick text and looked around the courtyard for a ride. I’d never driven a motorcycle before, and I didn’t think it should try on my own just then. Bikers were a little touchy about that sort of thing.
My car had to be ready by now. I called the garage to confirm it was done, and decided to head over there. It would be faster than trying to catch a cab, and no way was I gonna ask Johnny to help me. Casually as I could, with my heart beating hard against my ribcage, I walked out of the courtyard. Once outside the gates, I took off in a run. Michael’s garage was a few miles away. If I were lucky, I’d catch the bus.
As soon as I took my seat on the CTA bus my phone started ringing. I didn’t recognize the number, so I let it go to voicemail. But it rang again and again. Each time I declined the call, but finally decided to listen to the message left.
“Sweetheart, your ass better have just gone for a walk around the block. Get back here now.”
“Lauren, get your ass back to the clubhouse. Now.”
“I’m calling Michael.”
Tattletale. I looked at the time on my phone. By the time Johnny got a hold of Michael, he’d be busy at my apartment.
Luckily, the guy working the desk at
Michael’s shop hadn’t met me yet and didn’t know my relationship with his boss. He handed over my keys with no trouble and even brought the car around for me. They had replaced the entire body of the car, rebuilt the engine, and put in new brakes. Even the air conditioner worked. It would have been easier to buy a new car, why did Michael put so much man hours into it?
I thanked the guy again, then peeled out of the garage, heading to the warehouse. When I got there, Tanner’s beat up pickup was parked in the usual spot. Taking my keys with me, I headed into the warehouse.
His office light was one, but nothing else was lit up. The other offices in the place must actually close on Sundays. “Tanner?” I called out to him as I walked toward his office.
“Here, baby girl,” he called back. The door didn’t open; he usually met me outside the office, always with a grin and a hug.
