“Interesting name,” I said as I held my hand out to the other man. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, Dog. I'm Ghost,” he stated.
“Okay, I know there has to be a story there.”
“Long one, Dog, we’ll tell you one day,” Ghost replied.
“Sounds good. And damned nice bike by the way. That blue and silver paint job is sweet.”
“Thanks. She was stored at a Harley dealership. They kept her in top form when I wasn’t Stateside. Had them do a new paint job on her about a year ago.”
I lifted my chin at him, “It’s hot out here and you guys must be thirsty, so let's get you out of the heat and find you a beer to drink.”
“That sounds fanfuckingtastic,” Casper commented.
“I agree with him,” Ghost uttered.
I turned and headed back toward the front door of the Clubhouse with them following me.
~*~
After introductions had been made, we all settled in to chat for a while, then the docs went to check in on Zoey. They said she was still sleeping. Jace had somehow managed to get loose from the death grip she had on him and had taken the time to go shower and eat, but asked me if it was okay if he stayed with her. He wanted to be there when she woke up.
He didn't want her freaking out and if he was helping her at all, he said he'd like to continue doing so. I told him I was grateful to him for helping her, but double checked with Karma to make sure he was okay with it. His response had been if Jace didn't mind staying with her, he didn't have a problem with it, especially since Zoey seemed to be uncomfortable with anyone else right now.
Karma had his hands full with his son. Noah still felt like it was all his fault, so Karma was at Cueball and Lillie's house trying to get him to settle down. Both those kids needed counseling thanks to fucking Jade. We needed to find the bitch.
I sent Axel and Streak to her house when Brick and Creed took over their prospect duties. They came back and said it looked like Jade had been back but left. Said drawers from her room were empty and half her closet was missing clothes.
So now the bitch was in the wind. Just fucking great. And no one had seen hide nor hair of Chloe since she left after the barbecue. She wouldn’t pick up when Karma called her, so not sure what to think about that at all. Did Jade take off to where Chloe had disappeared to? Something else for us to have to figure out.
As I listened to Ranger and the guys chatting, my damn stomach rumbled. I felt like I hadn't had a good meal in days, it had been this hit and miss shit and I wasn't a small man. I needed my food, dammit.
“Hungry, are you?” Ava asked as she nuzzled my neck.
“I'm fucking starving. I'm getting ready to either eat the sole off my damn boot or fix myself a few PB & Js. I need food,” I growled. Yeah, I tended to be a little cranky when I was fucking hungry.
Ava popped up off my lap, leaned over for a quick kiss and headed toward the kitchen.
“You don't have to do that,” I said loudly behind her.
She just waved her hand backwards at me and never turned around. The docs came in from the stairway having been to check on Zoey again, they saw Ava going toward the kitchen and followed her. The damn club girls should be in there cooking, but apparently most of them were being kept busy, because besides Creed who was behind the bar, it was only Ranger, Casper, Ghost and me in the Great Room.
I sighed. I knew it would be like this for the first couple of weeks or so. For the time being, the men would act like raving madmen at the chance to be with new women.
I sat back and studied Casper and Ghost. I was going to do what Shadow had asked, but I needed to make sure that they understood what they were about to be in for. As they caught me intently studying them, both men became quiet.
“Have you guys truly thought about what is involved prospecting? You have to do anything a Brother tells you. It can be anything from detailing bikes, cleaning restrooms, cleaning puke up off the floor, to guarding Old Ladies, running for groceries, stocking the bar, in general, grunt work.
“Do you truly understand what it's going to mean for you? Because you are both men who've seen serious action and are used to being treated with respect and dignity, not saying you won't be treated with that here, but being a prospect can be humbling and sometimes downright humiliating.
“Going to be honest with you here. I've talked to Shadow, I know you were Delta and on his team. While he hasn't told me what happened, something did, and I don't want you to be here thinking this will be a way of coping with the shit you must have encountered.
“Not saying we won’t have your back, just saying you need help, gotta ask. No way we can tell if you’re sinking until we get to know you better. I don’t want that happening here, don’t want you to get that far. But we can only do as much as you’re willing to let us do.”
I watched as the two men looked at each other, silently communicating between themselves.
Ghost spoke up, “I didn't know anyone knew Shadow's name outside his team.”
I smiled at Ghost, “Who do you think gave him that name? From the time Matt was big enough to walk, he followed every footstep I took. One day I told him that it felt like he was my fucking shadow, and ergo, Shadow he became known as. But he didn't start using Shadow outside of here until he became the leader of the special unit you were in. So, yeah, we know who Shadow is. Did the fucker even tell you that I'm his older brother?”
“No, he didn't tell us you’re his brother and I don't think either of us knew that he had his handle before he went into the military,” Casper muttered and looked at Ghost for confirmation.
Ghost shook his head.
“Damn, I didn't know that,” Ghost stated.
“I knew, but then again, I grew up with him,” uttered Ranger.
“Probably a lot you guys don't know about him, hell, there is shit I don't know about him. He is a closed mouth motherfucker for sure. I know he can't talk about what he does now, but even as a kid, he kept his mouth shut. He's one of the most intense men I've ever come across for sure.”
Ghost sighed heavily, “Permission to speak frank, sir?”
I laughed, “One thing both of you are gonna have to learn is that you are no longer in the military. There's no reason to call me sir, when you say that shit, I start looking for Sarge, our dad. Not saying you don't respect my position, you do, just that you don't have to worry about being able to speak as an equal here or ask anything for that matter. Is that understood?”
Both men nodded at me.
Ghost cleared his throat, “I can't tell you much if anything about our last mission, but I can say that some of our intel was not complete and things went FUBAR. People died that day that shouldn't have.”
He glanced at Casper again and I watched the pain and agony that went across both their faces. “Only things that kept us safe and sane were the men we had at our backs.”
Casper broke in, “We both realized after that mission that we couldn't stay in and keep doing what we were doing. It was taking too much of our souls. Not gonna lie to you, there were times taking a bullet sounded like the way to handle it all. Thankfully, the men at my back kept it from coming to that.
“Not gonna say I'm not still haunted about what went down, because I am, hell, Ghost is too. But the one constant, the one thing we knew we could rely on was our brothers. While we couldn't stay in, we fucking miss the brotherhood and the knowledge that we had brothers who had our backs.”
Ghost took over, “We've wandered around since we've got out and we've felt fucking lost. We've had no direction, no support system and we seriously miss and need that shit. We were invited to other MC’s, but we knew as soon as we pulled up at each one that it wasn’t the place for us. Here however…” he shrugged, “it felt different immediately.”
I nodded at him, damn it must have been seriously fucked up to make two obviously highly trained men want to leave the job they had worked their asses off to achieve and the men who had
their backs.
“Shadow called about a month ago to check in on us, we didn't tell him a thing, but I guess he must have heard it in our voices. He told us to call Ranger and ask for an invite. For him to call you, yeah, he must have been worried about us,” Ghost added as he ran one hand over his head.
That sounded like my brother. One thing I had always gotten from him was how much he cared about the men under his command. I think they messed with his mind more than any of his missions ever had.
“Ranger told us everything we would have to do and we realize that we’re going to be low man on the totem pole and that there are Brothers younger than us. I won't say some of it might not be hard, but I need this,” Ghost told us quietly.
“Not just you, Brother,” Casper said looking at Ghost. “We both need this. And don't forget what we swore to each other.”
I sat and watched as two men who had been through fucking hell and back, backed each other up. That was fucking Brotherhood at its purest. At the same time, they both spoke out, “We ride and die together.”
Fuck, that was enough to make grown men swallow hard, because those of us who have experienced having someone have your back no matter what comes up, it fucking touches something deep inside your soul and never leaves.
“All right, one last question then I'll have Ranger show you where the single men bunk, you can pick out whichever empty room you like. How do you think your families are going to react to you being a member of a 1%'er MC?”
“Won't be any trouble for me, Dog. I don't have any immediate family,” Ghost stated.
“I have family, but it won't be a problem for me either. I lived on and off with my dad and younger brother until I joined the military. Pretty sure my dad is retiring this year or early next year. He's been in the Army for thirty years, he's a Master Sergeant, munitions expert.
“He would understand my decision more than anyone would. My mom remarried when I was a kid and has this whole separate family. We don't speak. My younger brother Zane is a SEAL through and through, but now works for a private contractor. He’s a computer geek. So there won't be anything to worry about on my end.”
I lifted my chin at them, “Sounds good. Ranger, go get them sorted and by the time y'all are through, I fucking hope dinner is ready.”
~***~
Chapter 15
Roads are long; make them short with good company!
~Mehmet Murat ildan~
Mad Dog
May 31st, 1998
During dinner, I had several questioning looks sent my way when the Brothers saw the prospect cuts on the backs of Ghost and Casper. I'd explain during Church, but ultimately it was my call to make. Although normally it took a unanimous vote to prospect for the MC, I did have the right to make decisions like that without having to get the approval of the Brothers. I also could shoot down a potential prospect, even if the rest of the club voted him in, or I could send one packing without having to justify myself if I felt the prospect wasn't working out.
After dinner everyone gravitated back to the Great Room. Ava and I were sitting at a table with Ranger and the docs enjoying some down time. Others were scattered around tables, playing pool, sitting at the bar chatting, and some of the club girls were dancing.
I seriously thought about taking Ava to our room and fucking her senseless. But I knew if I did that now, I'd have problems staying awake and alert for the upcoming Church we were having in a little while and it was simply too important not to be fully alert for it. I would just have to hold off until after Church, then her ass was all mine. It felt like it had been forever since I had been inside her tight pussy.
Son. Of. A. Bitch.
Why the hell did I keep doing this to myself? I thought as I shifted uncomfortably again. Being balls deep inside Ava was a constant thought that kept intruding into other things I needed to keep my mind on. I swear, once some of this shit was handled, I was going to spend a full day of doing nothing but fucking her in every way I could think of. I damn well deserved it and so did she.
As I glanced around the room, I was seriously relieved to see my Brothers happy and content. I think we had lost a little of this before Viper and his crew joined us. The mix of new men and new women was livening things up, and that was a good thing.
“Who's with Viper,” Ava asked me as she stared at the dining room entrance.
I looked over to see Viper and his Old Ladies coming into the Great Room. I smiled over at him and motioned him to come sit with us. He nodded and murmured to his women.
“Y'all pull up a seat and join us,” I said to them as they got close to us.
After they were all sitting, I made introductions to everyone and soon the women were chatting among themselves. Ava and the docs were on their third drink of the night, some fruity concoction that I had no clue what it was, but it seemed to be making them very relaxed and happy. I lazily rubbed Ava's shoulder as I drank my beer. This was part of what I was missing, easy companionship.
“Brother,” I said in a low tone to Viper. “Want you to ride with me in an hour or so to pick up KJ. We'll be taking a Mule.”
He tilted his head at me.
I turned my head back to Ava when I felt her get up. I turned to see the docs and her headed toward the dance floor. With a huge smile crossing her face, Jennie followed behind them. I glanced at Mia and she seemed settled in to watch.
“Not gonna dance?” I asked her and she shook her head.
“I've had a tiring day. Not sure where Jennie is getting her energy from. It's like we traded symptoms in our pregnancy. She was always tired and sleepy and now she's full of fucking energy while now I’m tired all the time and all I want to do is sleep. I guess it's a good thing that at least one of us has the strength to be up and cooking, if not, Viper would be down here eating all his meals and the kids too.”
A bittersweet smile crossed my face. I remembered how Beth used to be, one day overflowing with energy and the next sleeping all day long.
“So, my happy ass is gonna sit here and just watch.”
“If it gets too much for either of you, send them down here. It's not a problem for them to eat here,” I said.
“We may take you up on that, especially once we hit the third trimester. We'll be as freaking big as a barn by then. And I personally have no desire to be on my feet cooking while I haul around two kids. Brenna could do all the cooking, and she's doing some, but I don't want her to have to do it all the time,” she remarked.
“I getcha, and the offer is open whether you're pregnant or not. Understand me?” I commented as I took a drink of my beer.
“I understand and thanks,” she flashed a smile in my direction.
As she turned to watch the women dancing, I glanced at Viper to see him watching Jennie intently as she danced sensuously to some damn song one of the girls had played on the jukebox. I looked at Jennie and she was deliberately trying to provoke Viper as she ran her hands up and down her body as she stared at him the whole time.
When the first notes of the next song came on I watched as he sat up straighter, his eyes locked on her. As soon as the first line of the song was sung, he got up, as the second line was sung, I heard him mutter, “Yeah, I'll show you something that will set you on fire.”
And the damn man literally stalked over to Jennie, got behind her and started running his hands up and down her body. Then they started putting on a show for all of us to watch. The women were all hooting and hollering as they danced around the couple.
Ava and the docs came back to the table and sat back down, laughing and fanning themselves. I was unsure if the redness on their faces was from the exertion of dancing or was from watching Viper and Jennie turn everyone on with their mad dirty dancing skills.
I heard Doc say to Ava, “that's fucking sexy as hell.” Ava nodded back at Doc, her eyes never leaving Viper and Jennie.
I looked at Mia and asked, “Is there anything he's bad at? Seriously, he seems to do every fucking thing good.
”
She laughed and said, “Viper's mom used to have him dance with her when he was a kid, so he's always known how to dance. I enjoy it every once in a while, but Jennie has always loved dancing. I've seen her dance for hours at a time. She's got rhythm down deep in her soul and it flows out of her when she dances, and seductive songs like this, she's exceptionally good at.
“When Viper realized how much she loved to dance, he made it one of the things he could do with her that was just theirs. They are fucking hot to watch when they really get going. If more songs like this come on, he'll stay out there with her for a while.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth when another sexy song came on. The girls must have stacked them to play back to back.
Doc leaned closer to Mia and asked, “Doesn't it upset you to see them like that?”
“What?” Mia questioned back. “Basically making love out there in front of everyone? Or me seeing my man with another woman and know that he fucks her?”
I looked at Ava and even though she was still watching the show they were putting on, she was listening intently to the conversation taking place.
“Both,” Doc murmured.
“You know when Viper and I married, we had no intention of having a ménage relationship. But circumstances changed that, and it wasn't his suggestion to bring Jennie into our marriage, it was mine. And while I worried about the same thing at first, it has never been an issue because I love Jennie as much as he does. Seeing them happy and enjoying each other makes me happy. Plus, it turns me the fuck on and when we get home later, well let's just say the sex will be out of this world.”
She paused for a moment like she was collecting her thoughts. “No, it doesn't bother me to watch them have sex together, because we are all together most of the time it's happening. But there are times when it's one on one and I think that keeps our relationship healthy. That lets Jennie and me have our own piece of Viper.
“See, while Viper does this for Jennie, for me, he takes me to a track and we race each other, me driving my 1970 Camaro SS and he will usually drive one of the vehicles he is rebuilding. He knows that I love to race, so he does that with me.
Mad Dog (Angel’s Rebellion MC: #2) (Angel's Rebellion MC) Page 23
