Pepper (Freedom MC)

by Ren Parris

  “Thanks, I fucking like it, too. I need to go talk to my men and see what the fuck is going on. The bathroom is right through the door over there. Help yourself. Are you hungry? I can have something sent up for you to eat.”

  “Yes, that would be great. I'm a little hungry. Hopefully, Tanya will sleep for a little while. She'll probably want to see her dad when she wakes up,” I reply.

  “I’m sure she will; I hope I can get a hold of him before then. He's on a run for us. Her granny should be here in the morning. I'll be back in a little while to check on you two,” he tells me as he walks to the door.

  Chapter Four

  Wolf

  I’m lost in thought as I make my way downstairs. This woman is going to be the fucking death of me. I've had it bad for her ever since I saw her standing in the store. I've had a hard on since she spoke the first time. Talk about fucking blue balls. I'm going to have to get some relief. Maybe I'll get one of the girls to suck me off. No, I'd rather get her to go down on me.

  First things first, we need to get to the bottom of this snatching of my niece. And then I'll get to work on Pepper.

  On my way to the dungeon, I stop by the kitchen and shout, “Cook, could you take some food up to my room for our guest, Pepper, and my niece?”

  “Not a problem. I will make them a ham sandwich with chips and a drink.”

  “Thanks, man, appreciate that.”

  I search around to see if Shooter's back, but I find Dog and Slick at the bar instead. I walk over to them. “Have we heard from Shooter yet?”

  Dog speaks up, “Yep, Prez, we just got back. Shooter is with that fucker, Moose. We were waiting on you to come back down before we go to the basement.”

  “Okay, let’s go see what he has to say. I'd like to know what the hell is going on.”

  I follow the guys down to the basement—also known as the dungeon. Halfway down the stairs, a mixed scent of blood, piss, and mildew permeates the air and instantly churns my stomach. Blood is usually spilled in the dungeon, and more often than not, the person being interrogated pisses himself. Beating the fuck out of someone is no big deal in our line of work. Even if we don't like it, we will kill someone if they cross the line. The evidence is hidden so well, nothing can ever come back on us.

  Shooter already has a shirtless Moose shackled to a chair by his hands and feet. The steel chair is bolted to the cement floor. He isn't moving from there. His eyes are rolled back in his head—not from the taser. "Did you fucking start without me?" I bark at Shooter.

  "No, he got a little wild on the way here, so I gave him a good hit to the head. He's a big motherfucker and shook the whole SUV when he started jerking around." Shooter shakes his head. "Fucking asshole. Kidnapping a child like that."

  From the way Moose's eyes are rolled back in his head and the slobber running from his open mouth, I figure it will be a while before he gains consciousness. “Do any of you know where the fuck Brenda is?” I ask no one in particular.

  We haven't heard from her in a while, and the last I knew, Bull hadn't heard from her either. I have to get in touch with him first. Roxie is close with Brenda, but she hasn't mentioned hearing from her.

  Tank comes in, interrupting. “I just got off the phone with Bull, and he’s ready to rip Moose apart. He won't be able to get here for another two hours. He said that Brenda called him a month ago trying to get him to let her see Tanya. Tanya had a stomach virus, so he wouldn't let her go. They got into a huge fight. Brenda threatened him with the custody papers again.”

  Everyone knows Brenda has full custody, but Bull doesn't let Tanya go anywhere near people if he doesn't know them. She used to be a good mother until she started hooking up with different men. She doesn’t give a fuck if Tanya stays with Bull until she's ready to spend time with her. Even if it's an inconvenience for everyone else.

  The guys and I continue shooting the shit, trying to determine our next move, when we hear a grumbled curse from Moose.

  "What the fuck?" He looks around, still out of sorts. He tries to move, but the cuffs jerk back in place, firmly restraining him to the chair. "Why the hell am I tied up to this motherfucking chair? Where is my fucking shirt and cut?”

  "Shut the fuck up!” Shooter responds. “Why in the fuck did you think it was okay to kidnap the kid? You scared her to fucking death! You know we're not going to let you get away with this shit. Were there any other piss ant Dwellers involved?”

  Before Moose can answer, I punch him in the face so hard, blood and spit sprayed all over the place. “That is for Tanya, man! She’s only five-years-old. If you ever do anything to her again, I will personally kill you, and it'll be a very fucking slow death.”

  Moose spits out blood from the corner of his mouth and shoots a furious glare at me. “It’s none of your damn business what the Dwellers do, but I needed the kid to get Brenda back. She stole from another club, and there’s a hit on her. I thought if I could get to her first, I could get the drugs and money back. Maybe the club wouldn't be too hard on her. There's not much I can do about it now. As far as the kid is concerned, I didn't mean to scare her at all. I thought you all might know where Brenda was, and I could use the kid as leverage.”

  “I guess you figured out that we don't know where she is, either!” I shout, the fury rapidly coursing through my veins. He attempted to kidnap my niece to save that lowlife piece of—

  “We need to know if you were alone or did you have backup?” Shooter speaks up, not caring that Brenda stole from another club.

  I let him handle things, afraid I'll take shit too far. I can't take that away from Bull.

  Moose bites—“I have nothing else to say!”

  “You will tell us one fucking way or another. Then we'll wait on Bull to get here and see what he wants to do about you taking his kid.” Shooter grins as if picturing the outcome.

  “That’s right. We will find out what we need, then leave the rest for Bull,” Tank adds, obviously thinking the same thing. Staring at Moose but speaking to Shooter, he adds, “Go ahead and get your tools so we can see what this ass knows.”

  We walk out of the dungeon and into the soundproof room, while Shooter goes to get his tools.

  “Did anyone else pick up that Moose has it really bad for Brenda?” Tank asks.

  “Not sure what he sees in her. I know we all thought she was a fucking psycho bitch. She gave Bull hell for the three years they were together. I bet he's glad he never made her his ol’ lady.” Slick grimaces as he thinks about the bitch.

  I nod. “I agree, but right now I'm more interested in knowing if he had anyone with him. If so, they can identify Pepper. I'm going back upstairs to check on the girls. Come get me if you need.”

  “You got it, man, but I think we got this covered. Before you go, I have a question. How far do you want us to go with Moose?” Tank gleefully asks while rubbing his hands together.

  “See what Shooter can get with the iron torture, and then we will see how much farther we need to go. We might have to put in a lot of effort on this one.”

  I shoot Tank the look that says to make sure this fuckin’ business is taken care of. As I turn to leave, I hear Shooter telling Moose what’s going to happen. I stop and watch him walking closer to our prisoner. The shit will have Moose screaming and crying like a fucking baby. I listen to Shooter.

  He holds up a blowtorch and a branding iron with the letter F. "After this heats up just right, I'm going to brand your ass. I'll start on your back and then move on to other body parts."

  Most people talk before he makes it away from the back. Moose glares at him, but doesn't look so tough.

  With an evil look on his face, Shooter sadistically challenges, “Are you ready for this?”

  Moose looks at him defiantly, blood dribbling down his chin as he says, “Do your worst, because I will not tell you a fucking thing!”

  Shooter grins. “Okay, but remember, you asked for this,” he replies in a sing-song voice.

  Shooter b
lindfolds the asshole. He pulls out a piece of meat, dropping it on the ground with a heavy slap. I grin and make my way upstairs, picturing what’s happening now. First, he'll heat the iron, letting Moose smell and hear it as it burns hotter. When it's hot enough, he'll take the tongs that hold a piece of ice. At the same time, he'll press the ice to Moose's back and the iron to the meat on the ground. The ice causes a burning effect and the sizzling of the meat fucks with his head.

  I hear Moose scream. Chuckling to myself as I reach the top of the stairs, I stop at the bar. After this fucked up day, I need a damn drink. “Cherry, give me a shot of whiskey.”

  I slowly sip the amber liquid, letting the smooth heat melt away the stress of the day. Some of the BB’s—bar bashers, the women who come to the clubhouse looking for a good time—sidle up on the barstools next to me. They will service any brother who wants pussy, head, or just fucking. I lean back and count to myself each BB who’s taken a seat, and it looks like a new basher has joined up. She's a sexy blonde, around five-foot-seven with a great rack.

  “Who's the new girl?”

  Cherry looks over at the girl in question. “The new BB is Crystal. She supposedly just moved into town about a week ago.”

  Roxie is already glaring at her, trying to show her who is the top BB. Most of the women live in town except for Cherry and Roxie, who stay at the clubhouse. Some of the women have normal jobs, and some work at Freedom’s strip club, Foxe’s.

  I spare a passing glance at the BB’s, but decide I’ll worry about the new basher later. I want to get upstairs to check on my girls. Fuck! I mentally chastise myself. I know I need to quit thinking that Pepper is mine. She won’t be here long. Probably doesn't belong here, either. She's too innocent, maybe sheltered by her family. Not that my lifestyle is exactly easy for most people who weren't raised in it. Of course, one should never judge a book by its cover. I might need to open the cover and see what’s inside.

  There's something about her. The way she takes care of things on her own. She took down a big ass biker to save an innocent child without even knowing Tanya. Selfless. Hot as hell. Not like the BB's. She's natural, isn't trying to win a man over by sleeping with him.

  Wolf, get the fuck over it. She's never going to happen.

  I turn to go back upstairs to my room, nearly running smack into two BB's.

  “Wolf, do you need anything? We could go to your office for a quick three-way.”

  “Thanks, ladies, but not right now. I have too much going on. Maybe another time, I'm sure there are plenty of brothers who would love a threesome.” Having had a lot of them over the years, I won't miss out on much. I've used both of them before and have no desire to use them again or any woman. At least not one who isn't the beautiful woman currently occupying my room. My bed. Fuck, I need her!

  My parents would be overjoyed if I finally settle down. I never thought I'd ever want to and then Pepper stumbles in and has my mind in chaos. She's different from any of the women I'm around. This isn't her world though and I need to get the fuck over her. Get her out of my system and on her way back to her life.

  Chapter five

  Pepper

  My eyes peek open and adjust to the dim lighting as I look around, trying to remember where I am. The large room comes into focus and I roll over on the bed to take in the small sleeping form of a little girl. She looks so peaceful and angelic in her sleep. It’s then that I remember the look of fear and terror marring her face when the mountain-like man held her captive—so I remember where I am. The clubhouse. The memories of the day come rushing back in a flood, and I bolt upright.

  After Travis brought my things to Wolf's room, I ate the sandwich Cook brought up. I should've taken a shower, but I was too exhausted and decided to get in a quick nap with Tanya. I stretch my arms above my head, twisting the kinks out of my back on a yawn. A soft knock echoes through the hardwood door, and I slowly scoot off the bed, trying to let Tanya sleep longer. I would've opened the door, but Cook fussed at me earlier for opening without finding out who it was. I thought it wouldn't matter considering where we are.

  Even so, I did as he instructed. "Who is it?"

  "It's me, Wolf." The sound of his voice causes me to blush. I open the door and take a step back to give him room to enter. The room shrinks with his entrance, and I take an extra step back, pressing my body against the wall.

  A yawn hits me mid-sentence. "Have you been out here long? I just woke up."

  "No, I just came back up. The clubhouse is starting to get busy, and they'll get louder the longer they drink. The music, too. I hope it's not too much for you." He sounds concerned. Then he speaks up again … that mouth of his doesn’t know when to stop. "You have to stay up here. Don't leave this room unless you're with me."

  "Why? I'm not a prisoner, and you can't make me stay here if I don't want to. And why is there already so much drinking at five in the afternoon?" I snap at him, maybe still a little groggy from sleep.

  “I know you're not a prisoner here, sweetheart, but if you go downstairs, the brothers will think you are fair game. They'll be all over you, wanting to fuck you. You are gorgeous and have a perfect body. You look like you are made for loving. As far as drinking, most of us drink whenever we feel like it, no matter what time it is. And it's almost eight, not five.”

  He holds nothing back, and I don’t know how to respond to him. My face burns. I didn't think I slept that long. “Oh, thank you, I guess. I didn't plan on going downstairs without you since I don't know this place, but I don't like to be told what to do.”

  “I'm sorry you feel that way, but my house, my rules.” Wolf smirks at me. "Plus, most women like when I tell them what to do, so I'm used to getting my way."

  "Man, you're kind of a control freak." And cocky, my mind relays, but leave it out.

  "Not a freak. I just like to be in control of my life and my people." He looks over at the bed and Tanya’s tiny little body barely taking up any room. She’s swallowed up by the covers. "I came up to check on both of you and to see if you need anything. I'm going to head back down to see if there's been any progress on getting the info out of Moose. I need to know that no one else saw you at the store."

  "What if I was seen? What then? I can't stay here more than a few days. I'm on my way to a meeting. I have to be in Springfield, Illinois by the seventh." This is nuts. I know I wanted adventure and all, but now I'm in over my head.

  He shrugs his large shoulders as if this were an everyday event. Each movement stretches the shirt tighter under his vest. I shake my head, hoping he doesn't notice how much he affects me. Especially since it doesn't make sense. I don't want a control freak. Even with that on my mind, I can't get past my attraction to him and need to be closer to him. I jerk my gaze back to his green eyes and hate I did so. I’m going to be in trouble if I don't get out of this place.

  "You may have to postpone your meeting until it's safe to leave. I don't want anything happening to you—not on my watch. We'll see what Moose has to say and go from there."

  Postpone my meeting? This man is crazy to think I'll put my life on hold. I've dealt without enough crazies in my life and I'm not going to let anyone win. I let him know how I feel when I narrow my gaze on him and then roll my eyes once he seems to get my feelings. "I guess we shall see."

  I know from the scowl now on his face, I pissed him off, but I don't know who he thinks he is that he believes he can control my life. I didn't let my ex or my stalker do so, and I'm not about to let him. Even if I wanted to climb his body and kiss that scowl off his face. Pepper! Stop it!

  "Hand me your cell. I'm going to put my number in it. While I'm downstairs, you call me or text if you need anything. I'll be back later tonight to sleep on the couch. You and Tanya can share the bed." He waits while I walk over to the bedside where I left my phone.

  I hand it over and speak a little nicer since he’s been generous enough to watch out for my safety and is now giving up his bed for me. "Okay, but I don't want to pu
t you out. I can sleep anywhere. I don't have to take over your room."

  "It's not a problem, sweetheart. Go ahead and take the bed tonight. You can hang out here and watch some TV or something. Tanya's dad will be here soon and her granny, too." He hands my phone back to me and looks me up and down as he does, not even trying to hide his assessment of my body. "If I don't make it back up before you go back to sleep, goodnight."

  "Night." After he leaves and I can breathe again, I walk over to the bed and check on Tanya. She's adorable with dark brown hair like her uncle and when awake, she has velvet brown eyes. She's sleeping peacefully, so I try to hurry and get in a good shower in case she wakes up and doesn't want me to leave her alone.

  I check my overnight bag and don't see the t-shirt and shorts I usually sleep in. I might have put them in the other bag I had left in the SUV. I’d hate to call Wolf for that, so I decide to chance snooping in a drawer for something I can borrow for the night. Luckily, I open the right drawer on the second go. The first one held underwear, so I closed it quick. I felt like a child. The second drawer holds some shirts, and I grab the top one with Freedom on it.

  Grabbing some panties and my toiletries from the bag, I make my way to the shower.

  "Oh my…" The shower is large enough for four or five people and still plenty of room to move around. It's made up of beautiful ceramic tile and has a rainfall showerhead. I might never want to leave this bathroom. I grab my shampoo, conditioner, and body soap and set them inside the stall and adjust the water until it's nearly scalding hot. Nothing better than a hot shower.

  I step inside and take my time enjoying how the water feels hitting my body. The warm water is so relaxing, massaging muscles I didn't realize were as tense as they are. All the driving and the stress from the crazy day has been hell on the muscles. My mind wanders to Wolf and what he’d look like without his clothes on, standing in this shower.