Reckless

by Franca Storm

  “What are you doing?” she asks.

  “You’re sick. I’m putting you back to bed. I’ll bring you some water,” I tell her, laying her down on the bed.

  “No, I’m okay now. And before you ask, no, it wasn’t my cooking.”

  I cock an eyebrow and grin at her. “You sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure, asshole. The other two would be sick as well, right? Besides, fried breakfast isn’t a massive cooking accomplishment. That I can cook, so don’t look so surprised.”

  I hold up my hands. “Fine. I hear you, babe. But you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah,” she insists, pushing off the bed and getting to her feet. She walks back into the bathroom and starts brushing her teeth. Good thing I keep a bunch of spare toothbrushes, soaps and shit around. With the boys always showing up here unannounced, I learned to be prepared long ago.

  “Much better,” she says with a smile when she finishes.

  I notice her hair’s soaking wet, but she’s dressed already in those cock-teasing leather pants of hers, her leather jacket and a tank top that gives her a delicious cleavage that gets my dick hard every time I look at her perky little tits.

  She makes her way to the door, but I step into her path.

  “Neil,” she protests.

  “You’re sick. Dry your hair. It’s soaking wet, babe.”

  She stares at me, bewildered. And then she says with a smirk, “While I appreciate the concern, baby; I don’t need this much interference. I can take care of myself.”

  Ugh. Stubborn ass woman! “Rox—”

  “Do you have a hair dryer here then?”

  “What? No, but—”

  She grabs her hair. “Then there’s nothing to be done, okay?”

  With that she brushes past me and makes her way downstairs.

  “Just tryin’ to help, babe. Got your best interests at heart,” I call to her as I follow her down.

  She looks over her shoulder. “I know. Thanks,” she says, smiling sweetly.

  When we reach the kitchen, she heads straight to the sink and pours herself a glass of water. She takes a few sips and then asks the boys, “Enjoying breakfast?”

  “Yeah. Thanks,” Smiter tells her.

  Runner gives her a thumbs up, but don’t bother even making eye contact. Dickhead.

  A buzzing sounds and I watch her pull her phone from her jacket pocket. She glances at a message there. She frowns and types back a response and then stuffs it back inside her jacket.

  “Neil, I need to head back to Brockford. Today. Sorry to cut our weekend short.”

  “What’s up, babe?”

  “Business,” she answers. “Trigger’s bringing your guys in to takeover the businesses under my protection, per our deal. Some of the owners are reacting. I need to sort it before your guys show up.”

  Yeah, I knew the handover was going down soon. Trig sent a message to the entire club ‘bout it.

  I nod to the door.

  She heads over there and I follow her out, shutting the door behind me. She leans against the porch railing and asks, “Yeah?”

  “I’ll drop you home, but then I gotta head back to the club.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “What you talking ‘bout?”

  “Your secret conversation with the boys? I thought you were leaving the club and now you’re saying you’re headed back in, right after they show up here.”

  “I can’t just walk suddenly, Rox. And what me and the boys talked ‘bout is club business. Can’t tell you that shit. Sorry.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Urgh.”

  Hell, no. She wants to go there, we will. “Yeah? You wanna tell me ‘bout your deal with us?”

  “What about it?”

  “I know you, Rox. You hate Black Thorns. Yet you handed over half your territory. What’s the catch?”

  “I stay in control.”

  I shake my head. “Nah, it’s more than that. You got something; a failsafe.”

  She breaks eye contact and folds her arms across her chest, defensively.

  “Yeah. Thought so. You won’t tell me. So, we’ve both got our secrets then.”

  “We wouldn’t if you weren’t a club member.”

  I blow out a breath. She’s right. “I know.” I step into her and run my finger along her jawline. “I’ll call you, yeah?”

  She pulls away. “Neil, I’m a big girl, okay?”

  “What?”

  “This was a good time, you and me. But I’ll never be an Old Lady, never be with you at the club. I don’t want that life. So, let’s chalk it up to a fling, or something.”

  “Rox, how many times do I gotta tell you that I fucking love you before you get it through your head? And I know you love me too. Told me yesterday for fuck’s sake. Yeah, we both know this is way more than a fling. And I got no plans to bring you into the club, so ain’t nothing for you to worry ‘bout, yeah? You feel me now?”

  “You can’t do both.”

  “Fucking watch me.”

  “Neil, come on.”

  I grip her arms and pull her into me. Lowering my voice, I tell her, “Once Skinner’s gone—once I kill him—I’ll make my way out, okay? But I gotta do it right this time. No one just walks away—not without hell raining down on ‘em.”

  “No. I don’t want you doing that for me.”

  “Ain’t, babe. Told you earlier, I’m tired of all this shit. Ain’t the brotherhood it was. It’s…changed.”

  “Neil. The club is who you are. It’s—”

  “No! Who I am is a biker. A rider. Riding’s my fucking freedom, babe. Ain’t never gonna stop. But club member? Nah, not no more. Right now, Thorns is clipping my wings. Whole reason I joined, whole reason all the boys joined, was to live on our own terms outside of society’s rules and the fucking shackles they slap on your wrists, you know? But the club ain’t that way no more. Trig’s screwed it up. And I ain’t gonna let no one control me. Right now, I gotta play the game, yeah? But freedom’s coming, babe. And you’re a big part of that. I love you. I fucking want you and I’m gonna have you. Don’t give a fuck what no one says, who or what gets in my face, cuz I’ll pound it all into the ground. Pay the price to make damn sure I can always live free—we can always live free. You feel me?”

  “But, I—”

  I shake her. “But fucking nothing. I swear it, Rox. I’m gonna walk. Are you?”

  Our eyes lock.

  “Yeah,” she says.

  I wrap my arms ‘round her and whisper into her hair, “Good. We’ll start a new life together away from all this shit; all this darkness and death. Just us, babe.”

  “Just us,” she murmurs against my chest.

  Chapter 28

  ~Ax~

  Jesus, leaving her place tonight was hard. Fucking painful. I don’t wanna be away from her. Especially, when I got no clue when I’ll be back. My business in Brockford is done with, seeing as all the leads she gave me on Broker and Bulldozer are dead now after the fuck up of her tryin’ to go after one of the Mavs’ shipments. They woulda moved ‘round by now, so all that intel’s useless. The club still has business in Brockford, but Trig’s already chosen the guys to take care of that and I ain’t a part of it. Unless Skinner rides into the city, then I got no business being there. Yeah, if that psycho makes an appearance, I’m there in a fucking flash putting a bullet between his eyes.

  Hell, after our blow up before I took off, Trig’ll probably pull me from the entire thing just to make sure I don’t go after Broker on some rogue mission.

  Lights up ahead on the road at the city border catch my eye. Hazard lights. As I get closer, I see a Hummer right in the middle of the goddamn road; ain’t pulled over. Just right there blocking my way. Ain’t a good sign.

  I eye the field to my left. Looks boggy as shit. Nah, it’s too risky on a bike.

  I hit the brakes, stopping a few feet away. I pull off my helmet, put it on the saddle and dismount quickly, pulling my Desert Eagle as I walk over t
o the blockade up ahead. What the hell is this bullshit?

  “Ax!”

  A guy rounds the hood and I can just ‘bout make him out in the shitty dim lighting on the road. Ralph Taylor. Rox’s former business partner.

  “What’s this?” I demand, walking up to him, my gun aimed right at him. He might be a friend of Rox’s, but he ain’t mine, so I ain’t taking no chances.

  “You can put that away. I’m not armed,” he tells me. I watch as he pulls out the pockets of his denim jacket, opens both sides to show me there ain’t nothing there. He lifts it. No holsters. Then he pulls up the legs of his cargo pants. Again, no holsters.

  “There someone else in the car?” Does he really think I’m fucking stupid?

  “Look, if I wanted you dead, I would have come prepared and shot you as you rode up here. I’ve been monitoring Rox’s surveillance around Brockford. I knew you were headed this way ten minutes ago.”

  Fine.

  I holster my gun.

  “You need to leave Rox alone,” he tells me.

  I fold my arms across my chest. “What?” I bark.

  “You’re putting her in danger by being with her.”

  “Fuck if I am.”

  “You make her reckless. I thought she was past all that from years ago, but you bring it out in her. She’s back on her bike. Hadn’t ridden it for years until you came along. Her impulsive attack on the Mavs. Making a deal with your club. Spending time with you and a bunch of your biker buddies. Taking you to her actual home. Reckless.”

  “She ain’t a kid. She knows what she’s doing.”

  “That’s just the start of it. There’s shit you don’t know.”

  “Then fucking enlighten me, cuz I ain’t hearing nothing that justifies the shit you’re saying.”

  “You won’t listen to me? Maybe you’ll listen to someone from your world.” He lifts his chin at the Hummer. On instinct, I reach for my holster as the passenger door opens and someone steps out. I can’t see shit as he slams the door shut. It’s too dark where he’s standing.

  But then he rounds the hood and joins Ralph, stepping into the light.

  “Fucking hell,” I choke, taking a step back in complete shock. No way. No fucking way. “Dealer?”

  “Ax. Long time.”

  “You…died. The crash. You and your wife,” I fumble, tryin’ to think and get a grip on what I’m seeing.

  “She is. I survived. Went to ground.”

  “You knew he was alive?” I thunder at Ralph.

  He nods.

  “What ‘bout Rox? You didn’t think she deserved to know her old man was alive all these fucking years, asshole?”

  Ralph goes to respond, but Dealer grips his shoulder and shakes his head at him.

  “When I went to ground, I had Ralph watch out for my girl, Ax, so watch your mouth. He’s just doing what I asked; what’s best for her. Roxana don’t take no for an answer. You might’ve noticed. She woulda come looking for me, putting herself in danger. Couldn’t risk it. I’m better off dead to her.” He closes the distance between us and growls, “And she’s better off without you in her life too.”

  “Give me a break,” I scoff.

  He fists his hands in my cut and jerks me towards him. “Our life ain’t for her!” he roars. “Last time she got mixed up in it, Skinner nearly raped and killed her! My daughter, Ax! The shithead had his fucking hands on her! You think that ain’t gonna happen again if you stay with her? You’re gonna bring it to her doorstep! The son of the Mavs Prez and the daughter of the former Black Thorns Prez? Fuck. Don’t you get it? It can never happen!”

  “She. Is. Mine.” I rip his hands off my cut and push him back.

  “My daughter ain’t biker trash!”

  “Damn straight she ain’t!”

  He flinches at that, clearly not expecting it. “She ain’t an Old Lady either, if that’s what you’re telling me.”

  “What I’m telling you, is I fucking love her, all right? And I know she sure as fuck ain’t Old Lady material. Ain’t gonna be a problem soon cuz me and the club…” I motion a slicing motion across my neck.

  “You’re cutting and running?”

  “If I do it proper, I ain’t gonna be running, but yeah, I want out.”

  He studies me for a couple of seconds. “But you’re waiting for Skinner. I got eyes on my club, Ax. I know you’re tryin’ to find him to take him out.”

  His club? Fucking egomaniac.

  “To get to him, you gotta go through Broker. And you can’t take down Broker,” he tells me. He glares hard at me. “The asshole trained you. Taught you how to fight. Every move you make, he’ll see it before you even make it. Plus, you got a temper on you. He knows it and he’ll use it.”

  “Bullshit. If there weren’t no way to get at Skinner, why would Trig even set me up on that mission?”

  “Cuz he’s always had his eye on you, dickhead!”

  “What?”

  “No secret that all the boys are gunning for you to take on the Prez role. Even when Broker was there as VP and you were Sergeant-at-Arms, Trig was always shit-scared you’d take it from him. Cuz you’d do a hell of a better job than that pussy. As Prez you gotta know when to hold back and when to make a goddamn move. He only knows how to hold back. You got all that in you.” He grimaces. “Got it in your blood, right?”

  My eyes narrow. “Never fucking say that again. Me and Skinner ain’t nothing alike. You got me?”

  “Fine.”

  I shift my weight. “You’re saying Trig knows there ain’t no way I can really get at Skinner? That he set me up on a suicide mission?”

  “Yeah, kid. Even with you outta the club, there weren’t no guarantee you wouldn’t come back one day. He couldn’t kill you without all the boys finding out ‘bout it. You were too close to ‘em even as a civilian for those couple of years. So…he sends you after your old man.”

  “Shit,” I breathe.

  “This is what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna help you kill Skinner. In exchange, you’re gonna walk away from Roxana.”

  “You just said—”

  “I’m gonna draw him out.”

  “How?”

  “By letting him know I’m still alive.”

  “Why would he care? You ain’t Prez no more.”

  “Cuz, kid, he’s the guy who tried to kill me fifteen years ago.”

  This is news to me. It was ruled as an accident by the cops and the club. “Why?”

  “Cuz I was ‘bout to take him out.”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose. Too much shit to process. “I don’t get it. You guys were in business together. Lucrative shit. The clubs weren’t rivals back then as bad as they are now. Why the hell would you try to bury each other?”

  His eyes lock with mine.

  “Cuz I was in love with his wife.”

  My chest tightens. I feel sick. “No,” I say shaking my head. “I remember you coming to our house when I was a kid. You always disrespected her.”

  “Keeping up appearances, Ax. All bullshit.”

  I turn away and rub my face roughly. “Fuck me.” Dealer was in love with my mom? This is messed.

  He grabs my arm and jerks me back ‘round. “You see? It’s always the women who get caught in the crossfire of all our bullshit. My wife. Your mom. And now, my daughter. Ain’t gonna let it happen, Ax. She ain’t gonna end up like them.”

  “I’ll fucking protect her.”

  Pain flashes on his face. “We all think we can, kid. But life ain’t that simple.”

  “I ain’t leaving her,” I seethe.

  “Yeah, you are. If you really do love her, you will. You’ll take this deal—Skinner for my daughter—and that’ll be that.”

  We stand there staring one another down.

  Fucking hell.

  Chapter 29

  ~Roxana~

  I watch the five bikers of Black Thorns talking with Halle, the owner of Temptress, a strip club in the city under my protection—as of today, unde
r theirs.

  So far so good. They’re not pissing her off. They’re actually being gentle for a bunch of bikers. No issues. Good.

  This is the last of the businesses that I ceded to Trigger, so after this one we’re done. The handover is finally complete.

  As I slide onto a stool at the bar, a sudden wave of nausea hits me.

  “You okay?” the leggy bleached-blonde behind the bar asks me.

  I manage to swallow it down. Gross. “Yeah. Fine. Thanks.”

  “Morning sickness? Been through it myself. Nasty stuff. It passes after the first trimester for most women though.”

  “What? You think I’m…pregnant?”

  “Oh sorry, I just assumed.” She looks me over. “You really don’t look it. I didn’t mean—”

  I wave my hand dismissively. “I know. It’s fine.” I flash her a friendly smile. I don’t wanna be a bitch to everyone. Only people who cross me. Mostly men.

  She smiles sheepishly and then turns away to go about her business of getting the bar ready to open later tonight.

  And then it hits me…pregnant?

  “Sweetheart!” a cheery, throaty voice calls, pulling me out of my unsettling thoughts. “Rox!”

  I turn on my stool to see Smiter making his way over to me.

  I slide off the stool and approach him. “Hey. Long time, no see.”

  As soon as I’m close enough, he wraps his arms around me in a tight bear hug.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask, pulling away.

  “Trig wanted me to check out security for all the businesses under the handover. Told me to wait ‘til you were done with the diplomatic shit.” He eyes his guys talking with Halle. “I’m good with the timing right? This is the last place?”

  So sweet. “Yeah. You’re good. The boys are probably gonna be a little while yet. We just got here and there’s a lot to go over.”

  “Owner don’t seem to mind,” he says, watching Halle flirting with his guys.

  I roll my eyes. “She has a biker fetish.”

  He cocks an eyebrow. “That right?”

  “I’ll introduce you later.”

  He grins. “I’ll owe you.”

  I chuckle. “Well, you know I do deal in favors and the Sergeant-at-Arms of a notorious MC owing me one sounds pretty good.”