by A. J. Downey
“I haven’t graduated, I don’t have my accounting license yet,” Everett snorted.
“If it doesn’t stop you from doing the club’s books…” she trailed off and rose her eyebrows giving me a pointed look. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.
“Reaver’s the club’s Treasurer,” I started and Mandy and Evy exchanged another look. Everett looked at me like she wasn’t impressed.
“Please, Reaver hasn’t touched a single damned one of the club’s ledgers. Everyone knows he’s treasurer in name only, that you’re the one that does the books.” She sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. Mandy leaned forward.
“Please? Neither one of us has the skill, or know how, when it comes to the numbers like you do. We really don’t and we’re not asking you to do it for free.” She looked so earnest.
“That’s right, we’ll put you on the books as a barista, I mean it’s only a barista’s salary to start, but once you’re graduated and you’re square with your license and all of that then we’ll make the switch.”
I leaned back and took a sip of my cooling coffee which was just the right temperature to drink. It was phenomenal! I could see the pride in both their faces at my reaction and it made me smile.
“I’m in. Show me to my new brain trust,” I said. I couldn’t keep living off my cousin and Hayden’s charity forever. Mandy yipped and threw her arms around me and hugged. Everett stood up.
“You won’t be sorry!” she promised me. Honestly it was almost too good to be true. I loved parsing through numbers and balancing books. It was relaxing to me. Numbers didn’t lie or lead you on or break your heart like people did. They brought me a laptop with the software installed that I would need and led me into a back office full of filing cabinets loaded with daily receipts and drop numbers and I think I died and went to heaven. It was warm back here, so I pulled off my sweater and hung it on the back of the office chair before I dove in.
A knock at the door brought me out of my torpor hours later and I looked up and blinked owlishly at my cousin.
“What ‘cha doin’ Runt?” he asked me. I felt a serene smile paste itself on my face.
“Numbers,” I said.
“Yeah and how is that going for you?” he asked searching my face.
“A whole hell of a lot better than waitressing ever did.” I made a face. He nodded slowly and sat down in the chair by the desk.
“How are you feeling?” he asked and for once the question didn’t piss me off or irritate the crap out of me.
“Good,” I ventured and blinked at the time on the laptop screen. The shop had long since closed.
“The girls say you’ve been in it to win it since you sat down,” he said grinning.
“I guess so,” I said dubiously.
“Feel like going to the club?” he asked. I looked over the screen a little longingly and he laughed.
“You can’t hide under a bunch of numbers all night Runt. Save it, it’ll be here waiting in the morning.” He stood up and stretched.
“Okay.” I nodded and saved everything and put what needed to be put away where it belonged.
“C’mon, I’ll buy you a drink,” he said, slinging an arm across my shoulders. Mandy was in the kitchen working away when we emerged. She looked up and smiled.
“Hey you! You look refreshed,” she looked at me funny as she said it.
“What’s that look for?” I asked.
“I’m kind of jealous,” she said laughing.
“Oh. Everett leave?” Mandy nodded, “Dray came and got her. I wanted to play with some new recipes in the kitchen, I’ll see them at home.” She made a face, “If they come home.”
I smiled, “Thank you for thinking of me,” I said gently and she smiled sweetly in return.
“No problem.” She wiped her hands on her apron and picked up a chocolate.
“Try this.” She held it out to my mouth and I laughed, opened up and she popped it in. I bit down and the rich chocolate shell cracked and my mouth was flooded with spicy rum. I blinked in surprise. It was a-freaking-mazing!
“What is that!?” I asked. Mandy smirked at my big cousin.
“A Kraken rum filled chocolate starfish.” Reaver lost it, just howled with laughter and I blinked.
“Why is that funny!?” I asked, remembering too late.
“Hayden’s been telling stories,” Reave said and I blushed kind of hard.
“Ewe gross! Forget I asked, I don’t want to hear about you doin’ it!” I cried.
I turned to Mandy, “Those are really good but I kind of hate you right now,” Mandy grinned, an impish gleam in her eyes. I unfortunately knew the story of Hayden’s first threesome, I had been with all the girls when the story came out and I hadn’t been near drunk enough to hear it. I’d done my best to block it out. Some of the funny of the situation right now lost its edge a bit when I remembered that it was just before the Lake Run that we’d all had that night out.
“Still, I thought you might like to start your night out right, how can you go wrong with booze and chocolate?” she asked. I smiled.
“You can’t, you really can’t,” I said.
“What’re these for?” Reaver asked, picking one up and inspecting it.
“Your wife’s bachelorette slash birthday party. Your wedding, while romantic, robbed us girls blind of the bachelorette party tradition so we decided to make up for it.” Mandy nodded her head once, proudly and almost a little defiantly at my cousin which was cute, really cute because out of all of us Mandy was the meekest right behind Ashton. She didn’t really spend that much time with the club despite living with the VP and his Ol’ Lady. I think that had more to do with Revelator than anything though.
I looked up at Reaver who smiled down at me even though we weren’t that far away in height, just enough for him to be able to do it.
“Ready?” he asked. I nodded.
“Yeah,” I agreed, “Night Mandy, I’ll see you tomorrow?” she nodded.
“Yeah I’ll be leaving in a little bit,” she smiled brightly and we went out into the main café. I blinked at Rev who was in the seat the other Sacred Heart man had been in earlier.
“Uhhhh,” I started, Reaver grabbed me by my upper arm and towed me towards the front.
“Night Shelly,” Rev said with a chuckle. I looked up at Reaver who looked down at me, his blue eyes so like my own gleaming with calculation.
“Not our business Runt,” he said simply. I worried my lower lip. I half wanted to go back and give Zander a what for… He’d left Mandy hanging pretty hard back when Dray and Ev first hooked up. Reaver didn’t give me the chance though, he propelled me out through the darkened store front and out into the soft autumn drizzle outside. I shivered.
“I forgot my sweater!” I protested, and he grunted.
“Forget it runt. You’re not going back.” He pulled off his jacket and cut and pulled his hooded sweatshirt over his head and handed it to me. I pulled it on with a frown and he shrugged back into his jacket.
“You good?” he asked. I scowled back and he laughed.
“Get in the truck,” he said and got in on his side and I was startled to realize I’d forgotten to get my own door. Ghost was having an effect on me, so it seemed. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet and tried not to think about it too hard. I got in to Reaver’s beat up old work truck and we set off.
“Club or home? Speak now,” he said as we approached the highway. I thought about Ghost for a split second but he was quickly overtaken by the image of Grinder lasciviously looking me over and I just wasn’t up for that.
“Home, if it’s okay. It’s been a long day and I feel it catching up with me,” I yawned just then and realized it was true. I was tired.
“No problem Runt. Hayden and I might stay in my room back at the club, you gonna be cool by yourself?” he cast a side long look filled with worry at me.
“You know better than anyone that you can’t run from the things that live inside
your head Big Cousin. You can’t save me from myself all the time, I need to learn how to cope on my own.” I sighed and Reaver’s lips pursed in what looked like defeated resignation.
“I’m sorry Shells. I never wanted you to know that kind of burden,” he sounded pained when he said it which hurt me, too. I reached out and folded both my hands around one of his larger ones.
“I hear you Cuz, but the big bad is here, and I need to start standing on my own eventually.” I swallowed around the hard lump in my throat.
“I love you Shelly,” he said and it took me aback. Reaver was a shower not a teller. He didn’t say things like that often. He raised my hands up and smacked a kiss on the back of my hand and squeezed it a little.
“I love you too Reaver,” I said choking up a little. I turned to gaze out the window so he wouldn’t see but he knew.
“You’ll call me if you need me. Promise?” he glanced at me. I nodded mutely. Sleeping was the toughest part of my day anymore.
“Promise,” I lied. I wouldn’t. He and Hayden needed a night off from babysitting me. I smiled in a way that I hoped was reassuring and Reaver smiled back but I could see the mistrust sliding through his gaze.
“I promise!” I cried and he nodded slowly.
“Okay,” he said and I was relieved that he sounded like he believed me.
“Okay,” I murmured softly.
Okay. I could do this. They were just bad dreams after all, I mean, right?
Chapter 6
Ghost…
It was cold as fuck and bound to just get colder but I bundled up and rode my bike to the club anyways. I needed the ride to clear my head and it was just the thing. I pulled up into the lot and felt refreshed, energized and I was really looking forward to seeing if Shelly was inside. I pulled off my gloves and undid the Velcro behind my head, pulling off the neoprene-like protective mask from the lower half of my face. It did the job and kept me warm which was all I cared about. Who fucking cared if it made me look like a ninja?
I went into the club and smiled. It was warm and crowded already and the first thing I did was scan the room for that shock of bright, platinum blonde hair. I think my heart sank a little when I didn’t see it. Raw disappointment weighing it down. Big hands slapped me on the back of my cut and gripped my shoulders with a near-bruising force. I was shook back and forth a couple of times and it threw me off balance. I scowled but it disappeared when Trigger’s smiling face appeared next to mine.
“Hey Sir,” I said with a rueful grin. Should have known it was him. He punched me in the shoulder and I frowned, rubbing it.
“Stop calling me that,” he said but he was smiling.
“Force of habit man. Fuck!” I frowned harder as my shoulder gave a throb and he laughed.
“Grab a beer and join us.”
“Yeah sure, you seen Shelly?” I asked.
“Naw man, just Reaver and Hayden tonight,” he said and looked me over.
“Trying?” he asked simply like he was afraid to pry.
“Yeah.” I sighed, “She’s complicated,” I said.
Trig’s eyebrows went up and he asked, “What was your first clue?”
“Yeah, I know right?”
I skipped the beer for now and threaded my way over to where he was headed. Ashton smiled up at him beatifically. Once upon a time I’d told her to look me up if she ever wanted to remember what it was like to have a man touch her in a way that was pleasurable. Trig had slammed the door in my face. I’d done it mostly to get his goat, because everyone could see that those two were made for each other… and let’s face it, I didn’t share. Which had been my biggest issue when it came to Shelly.
I didn’t share and she did it with anyone, at any time whenever she wanted. As a man raised a good Christian boy out of Midwest farm country? That just went against my grain so hard and in so many ways… Then there was the whole potential for cheating. I mean fuck, if I wasn’t enough for her she’d just go find it somewhere else. Right?
I shoved those thoughts away; pulling out a chair at the table, and dropped into it. Hayden smiled at me from where she was perched in Reaver’s lap, his arms wound around her waist, holding her tight against him. I smiled back and gave Reaver a nod.
“Should have seen it today man,” I told him.
His eyebrows went up, “Seen what?”
I told him all about Shelly on the highway and Reaver grinned. He rocked Hayden back and forth on his lap idly and nodded.
“Shelly never could stand a bully. She was the same, all growing up. Her mouth would write checks her ass couldn’t cash constantly. I swear to Christ I got into more fights because of it,” he grinned wide, “Which wasn’t a bad thing. I liked to fight, she just gave me the excuse to do it.” His smile was totally feral at this point and I had to chuckle.
“You two were probably holy terrors growing up,” Hayden said flatly.
“You know it, Doll,” he said and kissed the side of her neck.
“She stay home?” I asked.
“Yeah, said she was tired. She got her head full of numbers at Soul Fuel. Ev and Mandy hired her on to do their books.” Reaver smiled and I was pretty sure he’d planted the initial suggestion in Irish’s mind.
“Good deal, she needs something to keep her mind busy.”
“I could use help sorting through the mess left behind from the shop,” Ashton murmured.
“You should ask her,” Reaver said.
“I will.” Ashton smiled.
“Shit, we could roll that right into having her sort out the startup costs and budgeting for opening a new place,” Trig sighed.
“Any luck finding one?” I asked.
“Rev is looking, I’m looking, and we’ve both been looking together but not yet. Your last place gets blowed the fuck up terrorist style by a pissed off rival motorcycle gang and the place needs tore down? Well it’s not the best thing to have on your rental history,” he said ruefully.
“I hear you,” I said quietly. The table was uncomfortably silent for a while. All of us thinking the same thing if I had to wager. Thank God the place was empty and Disney didn’t go inside.
“So what –“Ashton’s question was interrupted by Dragon coming to the table.
“Women, find someplace else to be,” he grated. Silently Hayden and Ashton rose and met up with Chandra and Everett and disappeared toward the back. Once Dragon was sure the women were out of earshot he cleared his throat and started in.
“Hate to be the bearer of bad news but we got some information,” he jerked his head towards Data who pulled up a chair and sat with us.
“Why the cloak and dagger Pres?” Reaver asked, suspicious.
“Data,” the name dropped from Dragon’s lips like a stone. Data scooted forward and all of us leaned in to listen.
“Dragon set me to the task of figuring out The Suicide King’s dynamic a while ago. Specifically, why Grizzly, their Vice President would follow a man like Sparks,” he started.
Trigger snorted, “Been wonderin’ that myself since I first laid eyes on ‘em back at the campground, that first meet and greet,” he sniffed and put his hands on his knees, leaning in.
“So what’s the story?” he asked.
“Seems this is a lot worse that just killing a President from a rival club,” Data winced.
“Spill it man,” Reaver demanded.
“Sparks was Grizzly’s nephew, Griz raised him,” Data said.
“No shit?” I blurted out in surprise. I don’t think any of us saw that coming.
“Griz has been around the block a time or two,” Dragon sighed, “He’s smart, he’s feeling us out with these hit and run attacks on our businesses. Seeing how we’ll respond. I’m afraid he’s planning something.”
“I did some more digging, piggy backed some of their wireless carriers, hacked into their email and some of their other shit, bank accounts and that sort of thing trying to establish some patterns and they’re smart, really smart. They mostly use burners w
hich is standard operating procedure but one of them fucked up today and sent a text from their personal cell. I’m not sure why…” Data was prattling and the men around him grew tense, me included.
“Get to the fucking point Man!” Dragon snapped, irritated.
“They’re watching the girls!” Data blurted. Everyone went still, Reaver and Trigger’s mouths set into grim lines. Dray approached and turned a chair so he could straddle it.
“You tell them?” he asked and he looked as pissed off as I had ever seen him.
“Yeah,” Dragon said darkly. No one asked what we were going to do. It went without saying: We were going to protect them.
“Jesus Christ these guys are fucking animals, worse than I thought,” Trigger muttered.
“Twenty four hour escort,” Dragon said judiciously.
“I had guys posted at the businesses already, we need to double it,” Trig said.
“They’ve had us under surveillance since we got back from the lake, from everything I’ve been able to piece together, Open Road Ink and Garage, those were some enterprising younger members out to impress. Griz is more interested in hurting us where it counts. In his mind that’s our women.”
Reaver scrubbed his face with his hands, his expression going wintery.
“Should we tell them?” I asked and all of them looked at me blankly, a couple of their expressions turning decisive. It was Dragon who spoke.
“No. Not for now, we don’t want to worry ‘em. They’re spooked enough with having us as a presence while they work, escorting them back and forth is gonna flip some switches and I don’t wanna deal. Trig, pick some guys that are better with stealth. Let’s keep this on the DL until we know for sure the threat against the girls is real and not just a ruse. They could be trying to misdirect but better safe than sorry. I’ve never heard of any club going after the women or families intentionally. Shit goes down and they get caught in the crossfire,” he paused and the pain was clear. Dray dropped his eyes to the scarred table top. Dragon cleared his throat. “Never heard of it being intentional, that’s just not the way we operate and it’s just not the way it’s supposed to go. Cartel’s and shit do that kind of thing.” He shook his head.
