The Last Check (Hell's Phoenix MC Series Book 2)

by Kristine Dugger

  “Well… I have to go away again. Will you fly down and get Max?”

  “Another one. That boy is never going to know his daddy if he keeps leaving.”

  “This is my job. It provides for him.”

  “I know. I hate when you have to leave. I am always on edge until you get back. And mom, she makes it worse.”

  “Can you fly down here?”

  “Don’t I always?”

  “Thanks, sissy.”

  “God, I hate it when you call me that. You’re lucky I love you so damn much.”

  “Pres, can we be serious for a moment?”

  “Here we go.”

  “Remember, you have my will. Everything is for Max. Whatever decisions I’ve made in my documents needs to be carried out.”

  “Then let me read it.”

  “Nope!”

  “Fine! Well, you are coming back. Safely at that.”

  He smirks, “I love you.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I will see you soon.” We ended our video chat. I hate when he has to go on a mission. I know they are dangerous. Let alone, Logan is an explosions expert. He had to choose tampering with bombs as his career choice in the Navy. My prayers are in full force when he departs. Max does not quite understand what is going on when his dad leaves. I try my best to act normal for him. My mother, on the hand, is a different story. Church every day and then numerous glasses of wine each night. Her alcoholism comes out full force and she is a fucking mess. I get it. Her baby boy could get himself killed. I just do not know what I would do if I lost my best friend. Logan is the only one in the family that does not judge. He is accepting of whatever choice I have made for my life. I can tell my brother anything and everything. Granted, he gives me his two cents, as always, but he lets me live my life. I love him.

  Chapter 6

  Presley

  Getting off the plane, my stomach is a ball of knots. Excitement overload. I get to see my brother and my nephew. However, I hate knowing why I am coming to get Max. One of these days, I will get to come to Norfolk, Virginia for a better reason than picking up my nephew so my brother can leave and detonate bombs or some shit like that. The only plus side of this travel is seeing Max. My oh so adorable nephew with bright red hair and freckles. No clue where the red hair came from but it’s so his personality. Full of energy and life. If I was not such a selfish bitch at times, he would stay with me. Logan has stated it numerous times before, he would prefer it. But I enjoy not being tied down to responsibility. Max stays with my parents. Since my father works all the time and my mother is unstable, one of my friends from high school, Ava, agrees to watch Max for us until either my father gets home, or I can come over. Yeah, we are lucky because she is just like me and really does not have to work but chooses to work to keep herself busy. It also helps that she has always had a huge crush on my brother. Mister debonair in his navel outfit.

  I shake my head to the memory of my brother showing up to my college graduation in his Navy uniform. All my college friends were swooning over him. I would just shake my head in annoyance. Logan knows he is a looker, especially in uniform.

  My brother and I could be mistaken for twins, except he is a lot taller. Both of us with dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. Still to this day, I look up to him. I wish I had the balls it took to stand up to our parents and say I want to do something different with my life. I would give it all up to live my life the way I want. My mother was more distraught at his decision compared to my father. Having a family where perception is everything does not work in your favor with life. But my father basically said if you are going into the service, you need to get an education and be an officer. He still wanted the status of my brother to be up there.

  Then, there is me. My dream was to become a graphic artist and design whatever came to mind. Instead, I chose marketing with a background in design work. It was a happy medium for my parents. This meant I could stay in the family business. My father allows me to make the decision on how to market and design work. But I miss getting my hands dirty with drawing on the computer.

  I have no clue how my life would be without everything my parents have provided for me. Would I be the same person? Would I be considered a fucking princess to Avery? Would Avery even be a thought in my mind? Why the hell am I thinking about Avery?

  I head down to the baggage pickup area. That is when I see a bright red-haired little boy looking around for me. A smile instantly appears on my face. My pace picks up down the stairs. Max spots me and runs. Tears start to form in my eyes. I love this little man with all my heart. My brother standing behind him smiling. At the bottom of the stairs, with my arms open, Max runs into my embrace. He squeals, “Aunt Pressie.”

  This five-year-old steals my heart every time I see him. Especially when he calls me Aunt Pressie. He struggles with saying my name. The water works are flowing. Logan walks toward us and hugs the both of us.

  When he lets go, he looks at me and says, “Hey, sissy. It’s good seeing you.”

  I roll my eyes at his lovely nickname for me. I comment, “I miss you, brother.” I look down at Max and say, “I especially missed you, Maximus.”

  Max hugs me again while squealing, “Eeennnn.”

  Logan interrupts, “Max, what did I say about baby talk?”

  I hit my brother. “He is five.”

  Logan glares at me. “He starts school in the fall.”

  “Really? That is like several months away.”

  “Whatever.”

  I make a stupid face at him. “Whatever.”

  He laughs, “Oh sister of mine, I missed your childish ways.”

  “Well, I’m the baby of our family. Well, except for Max.”

  “Which explains why he adores you so much!”

  “Because I’m awesome.” I pause and ask, “Can we get lunch before Max and I hop on our plane tonight?”

  Logan smiles, “Yeah, we have time. But it will have to be somewhat quick. My plane leaves tonight as well.”

  I sigh at the fact he is going away again. Hopefully, it is a short mission, but they never are. He will be gone for months. We will be lucky if he is back in time for Max to go to school. If that happens, Ava becomes his teacher and will home school Max. I hate that Max has to live life like this. He was a huge surprise for my brother. Logan’s girlfriend at the time was all about reaping the benefits of being a military girlfriend until she got pregnant. I knew something was not right with her. It was as if being pregnant was a burden to her. When she had Max, she lasted only a year of his life. My brother had to leave them when Max was three months old. When he came back from one of his many deployments, they had their homecoming. The next morning, she left, saying she is not fit to be a mother or future wife. My brother was devastated. He was in love with her, but he was left without knowing what to do. Logan has great support on base when he works but when he does these missions is when things get tricky. I told Logan, no matter what, I will come and get Max and have Max stay with our parents. Logan had no choice to agree to the terms. Almost every time I would get Max, Logan would ask me once more if I will have Max live with me while he is gone. It is a lot for my brother to ask me to do this, but he understands why I say no. I am not ready to be someone’s caretaker. I will be thirty soon and I am not ready for it. At least with Max being with my parents, he has my father at night or me, and Ava during the day with some support from my mother.

  I cannot wait until the day my brother is home and out of the service.

  Chapter 7

  Avery

  We got the call for another veteran’s funeral. This one is a Vietnam vet. This is what I love about being a part of Hell’s Phoenix MC. Honoring those who fight for our country. They deserve the best treatment one could give. We plan to make sure they receive it.

  I pull my bike up next to James and Smith. Both of them wearing their cuts representing our club. We greet each other with knuckles.

  This one is a particularly big funeral. Other members from across
the Midwest are showing up for this soldier’s funeral. He was a purple heart recipient. Anyone who pays the price or gets hurt doing their job for our country gets the very best. It is always nice seeing other Hell’s Phoenix MC organizations show. The Nebraska group is good sized, but not compared to our Missouri brothers. Iowa and the South Dakota groups are here as well.

  All of our bikes line up in front of the hearse. Smith is to the side of me with his low rider bike. An American Flag sways in the wind on the back of the bike. My dog tags hang from my neck. I rub them, reminding myself of the brothers I have lost. One too many. I do not talk about it much. I loved serving my country but, at times, I wonder if I made the right decision going into special operations. The nightmares continue to play in my head on a daily basis. I am not the same person I was when I joined. I portray a false persona to everybody. I do not want to discuss what I went through in the service. All the deaths I witnessed. Not only of my band of brothers but women and children. Syria is one fucked up place.

  Smith revs up the engine, distracting my train of thought. He looks at me and asks, “You okay?”

  I nod, “All good.”

  “Let’s do this.”

  I turn my head over my shoulder to see Frankie and James. They both nod in agreement to get this preceding on its way.

  We ride to the cemetery in honor of one of our country’s finest veterans.

  ***

  After the funeral, a night at Dirty Jay’s was in order. I love what I do for our soldiers, but it always brings back memories of the friends I have lost to the war on terrorism. Not a day goes by that I wish when the bomb hit our truck, that I would have died with my boys. I do not talk much about it. My family knows I struggle with guilt. The lovely scar on the side of my torso never lets me forget what happened that day.

  Working at the family establishment helps. My father keeps me stay busy with the accounting at the bar. It helps keep my mind off my time in the Army. It is always on my mind. I told myself after leaving, I will continue to serve this country but not as a solider, as a veteran. One would say I am a little unstable.

  Sitting at the bar with Smith and Frankie, I skim the crowd to see who is here. In ways, this is how I keep things in order when it comes to the bar. Devil’s Reject MC was once again here. Uneasiness tightens in my gut. Something does not seem right. Thank God, Dallas is not working tonight.

  Then, my mind goes to Presley. She has been clouding my thoughts lately. It has been a few weeks since I last saw her. Maybe, she got what she wanted from her conquest with me. I am okay with it. I have texted her a few times. She is always so quick to get back to me. I like it. However, I am not one to chase. Clearly, she is not either. But there is something about her. I cannot quite put my finger on it. Nothing will ever come of us. Two different worlds, for sure. Granted, I would not mind colliding with her world again.

  I smirk as I take another sip of my beer, listening to Smith and Frankie giving Gibson shit behind the bar.

  Presley

  Finally, I am getting a night off from being Aunt Pressie. I love my nephew, but I enjoy my zero responsibility life. Max tends to go through some detachment issues after Logan leaves. It is rough. Like any child who misses their parent, he acts up and gets himself into trouble. My mother has completely shut herself out from the world. My father is still the workaholic due to baseball season going into full effect. Ava and I have been pulling double duty lately. I wake up early in the morning and head to my parents’ house to get Max up in the morning. We wait for Ava to come over and then I go to work. After work, I am back at my parents’ helping Ava with getting dinner ready for everybody. Dad would show up sometime between six and ten at night, depending on if there is a game. It is a bumpy road, but we get through it.

  I tuck Max into bed. With his big blue eyes looking up at me, he says, “I love you, Aunt Pressie.”

  I smile, “I love you to the moon and back.”

  He sighs, “Can we pray for daddy?”

  “Of course.”

  Max sits up and puts his hands together. I put my hands over his. This is how we pray together. He always runs the show with prayer. He prays, “Dear Lord, please protect my daddy. I miss him.”

  It is the same prayer every night. And every night, I choke up listening to his soft words to God asking for him to protect his father. Overwhelming emotions come over me, selfishness for leaving Max when he clearly needs a familiar face.

  Max looks up at me and continues, “And Lord, please give my Aunt Pressie strength while my daddy is gone. She is the best aunt ever.”

  I lean over and kiss Max on his forehead.

  He adds, “Amen.”

  I weep, “I love you, Maximus.”

  Max wraps his little arms around my neck and says, “Have fun with your friends.”

  “I will. See you in the morning,” I respond, squeezing him tight.

  ***

  After putting Max to bed, I walk down the stairs to the entryway. Becks and Rosy were waiting for me. I wave at my goofy friends. Becks pursues, “You ready to let loose tonight?”

  Rosy nudges Becks and says, “Give her a break. She’s been playing momma Pres.”

  I laugh, “Yes, I’m ready to party. And yes, I’ve been playing Auntie Pres. I’m exhausted but ready. What is the plan?”

  Rosy comments, “I’m thinking of Dirty Jay’s. Tommy J will be there tonight with his club. I kind of want to experience him again.”

  Becks starts laughing. I roll my eyes. Since our first night at Dirty Jay’s, Rosy has been hooking up with one of the guys from Devil’s Reject. I have given up on hearing anything from Avery. Honestly, it is for my best interest. I could get in trouble with a man like him. However, seeing Avery at Dirty Jay’s is inevitable. His family owns the damn bar. To be honest, I am okay with that.

  ***

  Walking into the bar, I try my best not to look at the bar. I know he is here. I can feel his masculinity from across the room. I must stay away. He was my checkmark. Done and moving along. I am just going to sit back and have fun with my friends and their chosen men. Maybe, I will meet somebody new. But honestly, none of these men will compare to Avery. I had my taste. Deep within me, he is all I want to experience from this stereotype.

  My dumb ass looks toward the bar. There he is, talking with his sister. He was smiling and not looking so grumpy. Avery is the type of guy who gets grumpy at little things for whatever reason. I kind of like it about him. Avery turns his chair and spots me. His eyes narrow as he sips his brown bottle. My attention quickly diverts to my friends.

  I follow my friends to Devil’s Rejects’ table of hooligans. I can feel Avery watching me like a hawk. I glance in his direction. No longer smiling, he is all stoned face. The look makes me feel guilty for not going to him. He has made the comment that he claims me. His hazel eyes are angry. His so called princess looking for another knight. I can feel the intensity from his pissed off stare.

  I turn my attention to my friends who squeal when they see their latest mission. Samson is here. He notices me. Now, approaching me. He asks, “Can I get you a drink, sexy?”

  I shyly smile, “Yeah, a beer would be nice.” I really do not want him buying me a beer. But I do not want to walk up to the bar either. This is my option for right now.

  Samson winks at me. “Be right back, sugar.”

  I cringe.

  As the night continues, Avery has not once come over to me. We both are constantly looking at each other but not doing a damn thing. Samson continues to gear his attention toward me. I try to be friendly and flirt back. But I have no desire to hook up with him. I remember Avery saying Samson is someone not to screw around with.

  After a few beers, I need to break the seal. Bathroom time. I walk down the dark hallway toward the restroom. A cool draft blows through the vent above me. It was an eerie chill. Something does not feel right. I do not know what it is, but I continue to the restroom.

  Once I am in the restroom, I look at m
yself in the mirror. Meh. I look like the living dead girl. Helping my parents with Max and working full-time is taking a toll on me. Is this what being a parent looks like? Drained with bags under your eyes from lack of sleep. Fan-freakin-tastic.

  I head to one of the stalls to do my thing. The door opens to the restroom. Then the sound of the lock clicks. That is weird. I hurry up and finish.

  When I open the stall door, I jump. Samson is standing in front me, grinning. Trying to be bold, I say, “Um, I think you’re mistaken. This is the ladies’ room.”

  I push by him to wash my hands. I turn the faucet’s chrome knob and pump soap onto my hands. Nervous as hell, I begin to lather my hands. Why is he in here? Samson comes up behind me, looking in the mirror while he wraps his arms around my waist. I take a deep breath. I question, “What are you doing?”

  “Taking Ajax’s girl.”

  I squirm from his hold to face him. “I’m no one’s girl. Please take your hands off of me.”

  “You’ve been flirting with me all night.”

  “Your point?”

  “This is going to be fun fucking you. You’re a feisty one.”

  “Let go of me.”

  He shakes his head no and tightens his grip on me. Samson lowers his head toward mine. I try to push him away, but my strength is not enough. I demand, “I said, let go of me!”

  “Not until you give me what I want.”

  He leans down and forces his lips onto mine, his tongue invading mine. My hand turns into a fist and I try to punch him. Fail! I pull my mouth away from his. I yell, “I said, let go of me.”

  Samson smirks while he turns me around to face the vanity mirror. “You’re going to be fun to watch as I fuck you.”

  Still trying to maneuver out of his hold, I become frustrated. He is so much stronger than I am. Fuck, I can’t believe this is happening. I scream, “Stop. Let me go, fucker.”

  One of his filthy hands grabs a hold of one of my breasts and starts to roughly knead it. He comments, “These plump tits.”