by M. N. Forgy
“You didn’t.” Lip’s voice comes cocky and self-assured as he grabs the paperwork.
I gently close the door and sigh. He’s so arrogant, and such a smart ass. I can’t tell if I love that about him or absolutely hate it. He bought me a fucking car even though I’ve only known him for a few days. What the hell? Things are moving way too fast. He’s so persistent and comes on so strong at times. I roll my eyes, fighting with myself. But if he didn’t come on so strongly, would I have even given him the time of day?
The door opens and I shuffle forward to keep out of the way.
“Forgot the paperwork,” Lip informs, tossing it on the end table.
“Lip, about that. You don’t think this,” I gesture my hand between us, “is moving too quickly?” Lip bites at his lip ring, his brown eyes find mine, and his brows pull together.
“Maybe, but it makes sense to me. You’re sexy, you’re fun, and despite that spitfire attitude you portray, when I look in your eyes, I can see you cracking under that hard shell. You’ve been strong for so long you just want to be weak for one goddamn moment. You crave human contact, but are too afraid to trust anyone enough to let them in. Well, you can trust me.” His eyes go hard and his body puffs out. I draw in a deep breath as my chest constricts with adoration. “You don’t have to be strong around me. You don’t have to look over your shoulder when I’m around.”
I blink rapidly, trying to keep from crying. He steps forward and grabs me by the back of the neck.
“You’re with the Devil’s Dust now, Cherry; we do things out of the social norm. We make our own rules, we run our own society. We live fast and ride hard. Think you can live like that?”
My eyes trail from his hard chest to his eyes. “I know nothing about your rules or society, Lip,” I answer honestly.
“It’s easy.” He shrugs. “Respect all members, including ol’ ladies. Have each other’s back no matter what. No lying, no stealing, and no cheating on one another. Live free, ride daily, fuck often.”
I smile; it sounds like a fucking dream. My head is buzzing with all this info. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, trying to process it all.
“I’m starving. I’m going to whip us up something,” Lip states, obviously done with this conversation.
“I’m going to shower then.”
Later that night, Lip made some kind of amazing pasta. I don’t know what the hell was in it, but oh my God, it was good.
***
My eyes begin to get heavy with sleep as we watch TV, and I yawn loudly.
“I’m beat, let’s get some sleep,” Lip suggests.
“Sounds like a great idea,” I mutter, untangling myself from the couch. I zombie-walk toward my room, but when I’m a few feet from my door, Lip grabs my hand, tugging me toward his. Butterflies swarm my stomach as a smile creeps along my face. He tucks us into bed and pulls me into him. Man, falling asleep next to him every night sounds fucking amazing. Living his life sounds amazing. I frown, realizing I don’t know much about the club.
“Lip?” I whisper.
“Yeah?”
“What happens if someone doesn’t follow the rules of the club?”
“For you, not much. For me, it can be brutal. Could be anything from getting my ass kicked, to having Bull fire a round into my leg, or the worst: being out-banned.”
“What is-”
“Out-banned is me getting my colors stripped and thrown out of the club.” Lip’s face goes pale, and his eyes look grave. “If that ever happened, they might as well kill me. Devil’s Dust is all I know.” His tone is incredibly somber.
“How long have you been here?”
“I dunno; a while, I guess. My brother hates it ‘cause he thinks I’m going against the family being here. In a way, I am.” He smirks and runs his hands through his hair. I don’t respond in fear of him shutting up and not telling me anymore. “My father has an MC he wanted me to be a part of based out of Las Vegas, but I’d never join it. It’s sinister and immoral. It knows nothing of the word family, and the fucked-up part is it’s mostly my family,” he explains. “Growing up, I was no stranger to the criminal way of life. When he got caught moving coke, he tried to get my mother to take the fall. That was the separation of our father-son relationship. My mother was his ol’ lady, but she was my mom. She refused to take the fall for my father, said he’d been sleeping around with her best friend and wouldn’t go to prison for someone who had no respect for her. My father was killed before he ever had a hearing and my uncle took over, making my brother Zeek president of the Sin City Outlaws.”
Wow, I thought my life was Hell, but it seems Lip was from the same part of Hell where I was raised.
“Damn,” I whisper. “My mother left when I was a baby. My father wasn’t father of the year, either. He hit me. A lot. Eventually, I left, and while I was gone, he did us all a favor and ran off with some woman.”
Lip grabs my chin, making me look him square in the eyes, his sudden movements catching me off-guard.
“If anyone ever touches you like that, you come to me. Do you understand?” he questions, the colors of his eyes turning a shade darker.
“Ye-yeah,” I stammer nervously. “Sure.” He exhales an angry breath, his hand swiping through his hair. I cross my arms, not sure what to say.
“You said something about ol’ ladies. Is that what I am now, why you call me Cherry instead of Lindsay?”
Lip’s chest stills like he stopped breathing. “Um, no. Being a brother’s ol’ lady is like marrying a chick in our world.”
My eyes widen. “Oh.”
“I need my colors before I can have an ol’ lady anyway,” Lip continues.
“I call you Cherry ‘cause I like it. And as much fun as our world may sound, it comes with a price. It can be dangerous, and it’s just safer to go by a nickname than your real name.”
My heart stammers. I don’t need more danger, that’s for sure.
“Being an ol’ lady isn’t like being a wife in the normal world. Your man is gone for unexpected periods, you don’t get to know what your man is up to ‘cause club work is not to be discussed.”
“What’s so different from being a girlfriend to a brother then?” I laugh.
“Well,” Lip hesitates, “When a woman is claimed by a Devil, she is his property. There is no escaping him. She is his until he releases her.”
My lips part in shock. Holy shit. But my chest tingles from the idea, too. To have that kind of security and affection from someone, it’s not something you see in the world anymore. I kind of like it.
CHAPTER FIVE
CHERRY
2 Weeks Later
The last two weeks have been filled with sweet, mind-blowing sex. All I can think about is Lip. All I want to think about is Lip. I managed to leave the house yesterday for the first time. Aside from my brother hounding to see me and make sure I was indeed okay, I just needed some air more than anything. I wasn’t shot at, and I returned back to Lip’s place without a scratch. I still need to tell Lip about Piper. A piece of me, a very sad piece of me doesn’t want to in fear that he may not take it well and he’ll end whatever it is we have. But the way he looks at me, the way he touches me like I’m the only thing he’s seeing, maybe he wouldn’t.
A hand slides along my hip and cups my tit, catching my attention.
“I gotta go, babe,” Lip rasps from behind me. I groan and roll over in his hold.
“When will you be back?”
Lip shrugs. “A day or two.”
I nod. I know this run is something he’s been looking forward to. This might be his big moment in getting his patch.
“I’m going to miss you and our late-night sexcapades,” I wink. Lip smirks and sits on the bed. He’s sweating¸ nervous.
I lift up on my knees and rub his hard shoulders.
“You okay?” I whisper into his ear. His head lolls back and a staggered breath escapes.
“Everything I know rides on this.” His words are raw a
nd emotional; this clearly means so much to him.
“You got this, babe.” I run my hands up his neck and into his hair.
“I got this, I do,” he repeats, standing from the bed. He gives me the sexiest smile I think I’ve ever seen as he swipes his hair back with his fingers.
“I’ll be back before you know it.” He winks.
I stand up and run my hands through his silky hair. “Be safe.” I smile, pressing my lips against his.
“No promises,” he teases. He kisses me back and rolls me onto my back before getting up. I pull the sheet up over my chest and watch him surf through the dresser for clothes. He shuffles on some jeans and a gray fitted shirt, his toned, tattooed arms stretching the material. He stops, his eyes dragging from the floor to me. I tilt my head to the side, curious at what he’s thinking.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. He opens his mouth, like he wants to tell me something, but he closes it again and shakes his head.
“Nothing. See you when I get back,” he replies on a heavy breath. He grabs his cut off the back of the door and leaves. I frown. He seemed like he really needed to tell me something, like it was bothering him. I nibble on my fingernail, curious if it was good or bad news.
***
I eventually crawl out of bed and make my way to the kitchen. I have been cooking up an egg storm since Lip taught me how to make them. He showed me how to make grilled cheese with apples and bacon, too. My God, it’s delicious, but I don’t think that would be too great for breakfast. He promised to teach me to cook French toast when he gets back from this run. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
I tried to defy my attraction toward Lip, but now that it’s here—now that there’s no denying I want him, and he wants me—I need to tell him about Piper. I need to clear the air.
My phone chimes on the counter, catching my attention. I still can’t believe Lip got me a phone, I’ve never had one before. I set the spatula down and open the message.
LIP: I have something I need to tell you when I get back.
I knew he wanted to tell me something. My forehead wrinkles with concern. This is it, though, my sign I need to tell him about Piper. He obviously has something serious he needs to tell me, and this is my chance to tell him, as well.
CHERRY: I have something to tell you, too.
After dinner, which consists of a pizza being delivered, I flip on the TV and relax into the couch. Dozing off, I hear a motorcycle. My eyes pop open, and my heart flutters. Lip. He must be home early. I kick the throw blanket off and excitedly pitter-patter toward the door. Opening it, I find Bull standing on the front step, his back facing me. He turns as I flip the porch light on, his face wrinkled with a grievance.
“Bull?” I thought he went with Lip and the boys on the run.
“Cherry, dear.” The words leaving his mouth are filled with more grief than my heart can process. My body goes into pure panic, little hairs rising on the back of my neck.
“What happened? Where’s Lip?” I look around, like maybe Lip will pop out, surprising me, but he’s nowhere. It’s just Bull and me.
“Something happened on our run today.” Bull looks down, his hands gripping a leather cut.
“Fucking say what happened.” My nostrils flare with unease. Bull’s eyes flick to mine, clearly surprised by my outburst.
“Lip took the fall for something on our run. He was taken into custody, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it. He ain’t getting out for a while.”
My eyes fill with tears instantly.
“What?” I croak. My heart sinks, and my nails dig into the doorframe.
Bull steps forward and grabs me by the elbow to hold me upright, making me aware of my unsteadiness from my emotional state.
“What did he take the blame for?” I manage to spit out, both of my hands clutching the doorframe.
Bull shakes his head and looks off.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, Cherry. It’s club business, which means it’s not your business.”
“What do you mean you can’t tell me?” I sneer, my anger replacing my sadness.
“Our club has rules, regulations. It’s not personal; it’s to keep not only you safe, but the brothers, as well.”
I shake my head, pissed. Lip told me club affairs are just that—club only. I never thought that would affect me… ‘til now.
Bull hands the black cut out to me. I scowl, not sure what it is. Maybe Lip got his patch for taking the fall for the club. I take it from Bull and when I open it, a giant sob escapes my mouth.
Lip’s Ol’ Lady is written along the back of the cut, the Devil’s skull patched right under it. Lip must have gotten patched in, and now he’s making me his property.
“You’re family now, Cherry. We’ll take care of you while Lip is away. He did something very brave today, and I will forever be in his debt.” I just nod and sob some more. Do I want this?
“I’m sending some of the ol’ ladies over tomorrow. They’ll help you through this, darling.” Bull leans forward, the smell of booze and cigarettes strong, and kisses my cheek.
“Hang in there,” he whispers before turning to leave.
I just stand here, unsure of what to say, or what to think. This life, is it for me? I run my finger along the skull. He said I was family now. I never really had a family. My family has been taken from me, over and over. Lip claimed me; I’m his now. A small, pathetic laugh escapes from my mouth, and I pull the cut next to my chest. I’m his now, and the Devil’s Dust will always have my back.
***
The front door swings open and I hear a lot of chitter-chatter fill the house. I swipe at my tears, and my heart races. I know I locked that door.
A plump, redheaded lady waltzes into the bedroom, and I shrink into the comforter. Her hair is pinned up and she has on a tight black blouse and blue jeans.
“Who are you, and how’d you get in?” I question, sitting up on the bed. The lady scrunches her face like I’m being ridiculous and holds up a set of keys.
“Bull gave em to me,” she explains. This must be an ol’ lady he was talking about. I sniff back the snot and nod.
“Baby, you best wipe those tears away and get out of that bed,” she sasses. I wince, a little taken back by her forwardness. “You can’t lie around here moping,” she continues, sitting on the edge of the bed as she pushes my hair from my face.
“I finally found a good guy, and he’s taken from me in a blink of an eye,” I mumble.
“You look like shit,” the lady blurts. My fingers tangle in my hair and I smirk. I can tell she is an outspoken person. I like her already. “I didn’t sleep a wink last night; all I could think about is Lip being in jail, or prison. Is he okay? Why is he in there?” I ramble, pulling my legs up and wrapping my arms around them.
“I know it’s hard. I do. I’m Babs, by the way, cause I talk a lot. I’m Lock’s ol’ lady. He’s been to jail a time or two, and you get used to it. From what I’m told, Lip admitted to everything, so he’ll be on his way to prison and serving his sentence before you know it.”
“They won’t tell me why he’s even locked up,” I state, my tone coming off irritated.
“Yeah, that’s part of it. This life can be rough, and some can’t handle it. We women don’t get to know much about the inside of club things. Think of it as Lip’s in the CIA, and everything he does is top secret.” She smiles and pats my back. I can’t help but laugh at her explanation.
“There you go, there’s a smile.”
I push myself off the bed and run my hands through my hair.
“But you’re family now. Our loyalty to one another is thicker than blood. You need something, you get us and we’ll take care of it.” I sniff the snot back again, taking in everything she’s saying.
“Now, how about we get you a shower, and maybe go have a girls’ day,” she suggests.
“I don’t know,” I hesitate.
“So, this is the new lady, huh?” A woman with brownish hair walks
in, her lips so bright red it’s the first thing my eyes land on. She has on black ripped-up shorts, a white shirt, and a leather cut.
“Yup, she’s depressed,” Babs replies, crossing her arms. Wow, they make me feel bad for caring.
“Suck it up, buttercup. You wanna be an ol lady, you better grow a fucking backbone. Our men do what they need to do. They don’t need a sobbing bitch back home. They need a strong woman taking care of things while they’re away,” the brownish-haired lady snaps. I swallow the lump in my throat and stand.
“Damn, Vera, back off a little bit, will ya?” Babs frowns.
“She needs to know now,” Vera smarts, rolling her tongue along the bottom of her lip.
“Thanks for the advice, but I got this,” I sneer. I don’t need some bitch walking in here telling me how to feel.
“Clearly.” She stares at me, and I look down at myself. My hair is a tangled mess, I’m wearing the shirt Lip wore the night before he left, and I need to shave my legs badly. I look a hot mess. The only thing missing is the bag of donuts I offed at midnight last night.
“Well, if you got this, then let’s go. I really need to get my nails done.” Babs pulls her hand up, examining her red nails.
I attempt to run my fingers through my hair, not sure what to do.
Vera sighs loudly and stomps her black-booted feet at me. I fist my hands, ready to punch her if she gets harsh.
“Look.” Vera stops right in front of me, her face a tone softer. “Lip is a good kid. I know it sucks, trust me. We all have been here, eating donuts in bed.” I look at the bed and notice remnants of the powder donuts. Shit. “Not showering, not doing shit ‘cause we miss our man so much. That’s why we’re here. We’re your support system. We may be tough, but we’re only like that when we need to be. Bull told us you’re Lip’s property, and he told us Lip took a big hit for him too. You and Lip are like the fucking prom king and queen of the club right now.”
Babs laughs, and I can’t help but smirk. That’s an image.
Babs grabs the cut off the bed and throws it at me. “Wear that property patch with pride, girlie. Your man did something very honorable, and not only Bull but the whole club will have a high amount of respect for him. You gotta tough cut to fill.” I catch it and caress Lip’s name. I miss him; he makes me feel things I never have before. But if he picked me to be his property, I’ll make him proud.
