Hammering on the door startles me awake. I rub my knuckles across my eyes as I try to work out what the hell is going on.
“Nate, open up,” the voice bellows and I know it’s coming from the door. Trying to clear my dry throat, I swing myself off the bed, grimacing at the pain that throbs in my legs.
“Just a minute, man,” I reply gruffly, stalking slowly toward the door. Turning the key, I brace myself on the wooden door, peering through the gap. Eyes hard on me, a serious look on his face, he says, “Prez is expecting you at church in ten minutes.”
“I’ll be there, Jimmy,” I reply with a nod, exhaling hard as I attempt to close the door. But I can’t. My eyes glance toward the floor, his foot jamming the gap, stopping the door from closing.
“What the hell, Jimmy?” I growl. “I said I’ll be there.”
“Prez wants you to know we are expecting guests. A new joiner and a pretty little ass just arrived. He says get down pronto!”
“Sure thing.” I shoot him a fleeting smile, widening my eyes, indicating he should move his foot.
“Oh, sure.” He backs up, sliding his foot out of the way and I slam it shut. Rolling my eyes, I head straight over to the closet, pulling out a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt. Sliding off my leather cut I drop it down on the bed. Stripping myself of the remaining clothes, I slip the clean shirt on. Pulling on my cut, I reach for the jeans, dropping down on the bed, slowly pulling them over my tender lower legs, while rushing to get ready. I have to please Dad, remove myself from his radar. If I play the part well, it will buy me time. Time to work out how I’m going to take him down. Pushing my keys, phone, and wallet back in my pockets I tip the cigarette packet out, grabbing one between my teeth and lighting it. I push the packet and lighter in my pocket as I make my way out of the bedroom and to the main room. The faint sound of music does nothing to hide the loud voices. It’s clear that whatever is happening is in full swing. Strolling into the room, I take a drag on my cigarette, my eyes finding my father propped up against the bar. Jenny, a regular biker whore, is hanging from his arm. In front of him is a guy. A guy I don’t recognize. I tilt my head a little, resting against the frame of the door as I people-watch. Suddenly, I feel a body bang into me, catching my attention.
“Steady there,” I say, resting my hands on her elbows, positioning her straight.
“Oh, jeez, I’m so sorry.” She looks up at me through huge lashes. Raking my eyes over her barely covered body, I know she’s new here.
“You’re not one of the usual whores we have here,” I say with a flick of my eyebrows.
“I’m not a whore at all actually.” She snaps her elbows from my hold, crossing her arms across her chest as if trying to hide all that she has on show.
“Then tell me.” I tilt my head, grabbing my cigarette between my finger and thumb. “If you’re not a whore, what are you doing here? Not the kind of place an innocent girl just hangs out.”
“I came here with him.” She points her finger at the guy talking to my father. “He picked me up on the way here. Told me he was coming to hang with you guys and invited me along. I thought it could be fun.” I blink rapidly at the unsuspecting girl standing in front of me. She’s stunning. Long red hair hangs down to her ass. She wears a pair of shorts that would probably fit a six-year-old and a tank top that shows off her tits perfectly.
“Follow me,” I whisper, tugging on her arm a little. Shrugging, she follows me out of the room and into the hall. “Listen, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into here.”
“I just came for some fun.”
“This is a clubhouse. Being here and having fun means obeying the orders of the president and any other fucker that might want to lay their hands on you.”
A twinkle of excitement flashes in her apple-green eyes. “What about you?” she asks, pressing her hand flat against my chest. “You seem nice.”
Grabbing her hand, I remove it from my chest, gently letting it fall beside her. “I’m not the guy you’re looking for.”
“You’re easily the hottest guy here,” she replies, pouting her lips a little before her tongue darts out, wetting them.
“What do you know about the MC life, huh? Of what is expected of you if you stay here? Because let me tell you, those guys in there will eat you alive. You are fresh meat. Really tasty fresh meat.”
“What if you claim me?”
“Wouldn’t make a difference. I have to obey the president, just like everyone else here.”
“Emily,” my father calls to her. I look past the girl in front of me and at my father as he approaches. “I see you met my son, Nate.”
“Sure did, sir.” She smiles widely at my father.
“Hey, go fetch him a beer, will ya?”
“Of course,” she sings, clapping her hands together, turning on the spot and marching back into the room. My father’s eyes never leave her ass, watching as she sashays over to the bar.
“Surprise!” he says holding his hands up, glaring at me as if waiting for my reply. “Isn’t she a peach?”
“Who? The redhead?”
“Of course. She came in with Ozzie.”
“Ozzie is the guy you were just talking to at the bar, right?”
“That’s right, kid. He could be a real asset to the club. Known the guy for years, now he wants in the club. Said we’d let him in and see how he goes. If he proves himself, then we’ll patch him in.”
“And the girl?” I ask, my voice quiet but my eyes on her as she stops and chats with Roach, his eyes practically fucking her neat little body.
“Stray he picked up along the way. I reckon she’d make a great old lady. What d'ya think?” he asks, as if he genuinely wants my opinion.
“I reckon she has no idea what she’s getting into.”
“I’ll get the others to show her the ropes. She has forty-eight hours to prove she’s got what it takes to be in. Lucinda, Jenny, and the rest of the girls will lay it all out on a plate for her. Will be my decision if she stays or goes.”
“Fair, I guess,” I say to my father, his arm wrapping around my neck, landing and squeezing my shoulders. But I know there’s no going back for her. Once she stepped through those clubhouse doors, she was an accessory. My father never lets anyone out once they are through that door.
“You two would look good together,” he says with a suggestive raise of his brows. His words cut like a fucking razor blade at my heart. She may be a ten, but she ain’t Tara.
“She’s fucking hot,” I reply with as much fake enthusiasm as I can muster.
“I knew you’d like her.” He nods. “I’ll call the others off if you are going to make a serious play for her, but I have them chomping at the bit to have a taste of her.”
“First refusal.” I play along. “Nice. I appreciate it, Dad.”
“Just looking out for you, boy. I think having some pussy here will get you to focus that goddamn mind of yours. Always was wandering.” He laughs, tapping my shoulder lightly. “Let’s introduce you to Ozzie.” He guides us back into the room, Emily makes her way toward us, drinks in hand.
“Here you go,” she says with a cute smile, and I can’t help but fight the smile that spreads. Grabbing the bottle from her hand, I tip my head back, letting the cold, refreshing liquid pour into my mouth.
“Fuck, that’s good,” I inform her as she stands in front of me like a little puppy dog, waiting for her next instruction. “Got some things to take care of, but thanks for this,” I say, holding up the bottle and nodding a little.
“Sure, I’ll be waiting for you over there.” She points over to where Jenny is standing. I give her a nod, stepping closer to the bar and resting my elbow on the countertop. I lean against it, facing the newest recruit.
“So, you’re the prez’s son, right?” Ozzie asks, offering me his hand. I reach forward, taking it and shaking. A handshake always tells you a lot about the person, and straightaway I know he’s a try hard. He shakes my hand a little harder than n
ecessary as if trying to prove a point.
“Welcome to the club,” I say, dropping his hand and holding up my beer. He tips his toward mine and the glass connects clinking against his.
“Thanks, man. I know your old man is taking a chance on me, but I really appreciate it.”
“What about the girl?” I ask, trying to get a feel for what’s going on with this guy, my eyes flashing over to where she’s standing, talking to the other girls.
“I picked her up at the gas station. She’s a runaway in need of some attention.”
“Well, she’s getting plenty of that here,” I say, looking around at all the eyes that are fixed on her.
“Call it a little present from me to you guys.” He lifts his eyebrows suggestively and laughs as he grabs his beer, emptying the remainder of the contents in his mouth. I can’t help but feel sorry for the girl. She seems so innocent and unknowing of what she’s letting herself in for. I shake my head as I realize how stupid my own thoughts are. I can’t save every whore that tries to join the club. And right now, I need to focus. Focus on working out a way to make sure I don’t lose Tara. I can’t lose her. It’s about the only thing I’m certain of.
The sound of giggling interrupts my thoughts. I lift my head a little, giving a sideways glance to the girls standing beside me.
“You guys need another drink?” Emily asks in a sweet voice. Her head is down but her eyes are firmly on me. She grabs a few loose strands that have fallen beside her face, twirling them in her finger, her tongue swiping across her lips. Before Tara, I wouldn’t have thought twice about taking her upstairs and fucking her until she was begging for me to stop. But now, somehow, it’s different. Different in a way I can’t even begin to understand. I look at her standing in front of me, desire in her eyes. But I ache. Ache so bad for Tara.
“I’ll get another,” Ozzie replies cheerfully, his hand reaching down and slapping her ass. Hard. She leaps forward a little and I instantly hold out my hands to catch her. Falling against my chest, I feel her rapid breaths against me.
“Steady,” I say, gently pushing her away from me and back onto her feet.
“Shit,” she exhales sharply, “I’m so damn clumsy.” She swipes her hair away from her face, adjusting herself.
“So, do you want another beer?” Her head tilts to the side as she stares at me waiting for my answer.
“Sure,” I reply with a dip of my head. Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out my cigarettes and lighter. Snapping open the packet, I flick my wrist, tipping out two cigarettes. I open my mouth, grabbing the tip of one between my teeth.
“Smoke?” I offer Ozzie, holding the packet out to him. Grabbing the other cigarette, he hastily pulls out his lighter, flicking his finger over the wheel, lighting it and offering it to me first.
“Cheers, brother,” I say, placing the tip to the flame, taking my first drag. I lift my head, blowing a smoke ring above me.
“So Prez tells me we ride tomorrow?”
“Really? I wasn’t aware, but then I’ve been a little out of it.” I glance down at my legs, pulling them up just enough to show the mess they're in.
“Jesus fucking Christ, man.” He sucks in a huge breath.
“Accident with a gasoline tank,” I quickly add dropping the leg off my jeans as my father turns his attention back to the two of us.
“Guns. Real fucking good guns.” He smirks, his eyes crinkling as he does. “I have an agreement with the Deathseekers that I’ll take them off their hands.”
“You have got to be kidding me?” I reply. “The Deathseekers haven’t always had our backs. Remember the trouble we had with them over that motherfucker Lambert?”
“I want to work with them, Son. Show it’s all in the past.”
“But what if this is another one of his tricks and he’s trying to set us up?”
Rolling his eyes, he nods his head. “Believe it or not, I’ve weighed up the options. I don’t believe they knew about Lambert being FBI.”
“But what he knew about us… that all came from Toledo and his crew. We were lucky. Lucky that we got to him before he could report anything back about us.”
Leaning on to the bar, he tips his head toward Emily and lets out a piercing whistle. All of the girls dart their eyes toward us, all of their attention on my father. With a glint of excitement in his eyes, he waves her over. She looks between the girls she’s standing with as if unsure what to do. With a gentle shove on her back, they urge her to walk over to us. Looking at her, I can’t help but bite the corner of my lip, mentally willing her to come over. This girl needs to step it up and act the part or she will find herself in trouble, or worse, at the bottom of the ravine. Curious eyes of the crew flicker between us and the girl who slowly walks over, her hips swaying naturally as she does. Her eyes display the nervousness she feels, and I can’t help but resent Ozzie a little for bringing her here. So unsuspecting. So out of her depth. Shit, there’s a bunch of girls knocking on the door, desperate to be someone’s old lady. But Emily, she has no idea. Totally unaware of the lion’s den she just walked into.
Shuddering, she stops just inches from my father. His hand jerks toward her neck, and within a millisecond he has his hand around her throat, her feet leaving the floor. A squeal of panic escapes her and I have to stop myself from intervening.
“I whistle, and you hurry on my command,” he says pulling her closer to his face. The prez does not like to be kept waiting. Got it?”
Dropping his hand, she coughs loudly, her hands holding her neck as she tries to control her fit.
“Make yourself useful and get me a beer,” he demands, and she nods, hurrying to turn and make her way behind the bar. With a slap to her ass, she lets out another squeal, scurrying to get the drink my father just ordered from her.
“You know she ain’t a whore, right?”
“Not yet,” he says with a lift of his brow. “Soon will be.” Leaning forward on both elbows, I lean into my father. “How about cutting her some slack until she’s learned the ropes, huh?” I smile at my father, grabbing the bottle and resting the neck of the bottle against my lips. My eyes are on him, hard and waiting for his reaction. You never really know what reaction you might get from him. He’s such an unpredictable character. In fact, the more I observe my father as a leader, I realize that it’s fear that drives this club. It isn’t his fantastic leadership skills, or his desire for the brotherhood. It’s his passion for violence and his love for crime that drives him and this club.
“Maybe you're right, Son,” he quips, leaning against the bar beside me, arm to arm. “You wanna call dibs on her? Like, is she old lady material for you?”
“Fuck, Dad.” I scowl at him jokingly. “I literally just met the girl. How can I possibly tell you if she’s old lady material?”
“Nate.” He sighs loudly. “I think having someone here, as part of the club will focus you. You’re not focused on the club right now, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.” Glancing over my shoulder, I can’t help but stare at the crew, wondering who has been adding fuel to my father’s fire. My eyes land on the vice president, Silver, and I can’t help but feel anger towards the asshole. He’s playing a dangerous game.
“After the Alvrez shit went down and you and the crew brought back the money and our drugs, well, boy, I thought you’d stepped up.”
“I proved myself that day…”
“But it needs to be every day, Nate.” His voice deepens and his nose scrunches as I can tell his anger grows.
“And you then gave Silver VP status. I led that crew.” I stub my finger down on the bar. Sometimes I’m intimidated by him, but not now. Not here, in front of the rest of the crew.
“Oh, come on, Nate,” he says with a lazy drawl, accentuating my name. “He was voted in. You think the guys would’ve voted you in after one big win for us? You have a long way to go, and first and foremost, you need to prove yourself one hundred percent loyal to the club.”
“I’ve never given you a re
ason to doubt me.”
“You’re a boy, Nate. When you are a man, then we look at your status in this club. Until then, you show your worth, build a place for yourself here in this club.”
“My age has nothing to do with this. This club has been my life. You should never doubt my dedication.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that for a fucking second. But what I do doubt is your loyalty to me and the decisions I make.” He points his finger at his chest as we are face-to-face.
“Uh, here you go.” Emily interrupts us, pushing the bottle of beer in front of him. He snaps his hand out, grabbing the bottle while holding her hand there. Her eyes widen, flitting between me and my father. Her eyes glaze over with the unmistakable look of fear. She has the look of a lamb going to slaughter. Her lip trembles and my gut churns as I want to help the girl but feel like I can’t. Glancing at my father, his expression is hard and emotionless.
“What took you so damn long, darlin’?” He speaks through his gritted teeth, tightening his hold on her hand. She twists her wrist as if to loosen the hold he has on her.
“I, uh, I didn’t want to interrupt you two,” she offers with a smile.
Snatching the bottle out of her hand, she staggers back, holding her hand and trembling a little. “You okay?” I ask, not giving a shit about my asshole of a father.
“Of course she’s okay,” he cuts in, throwing his hand in the air, dismissing my concern. I tip my head to the side, indicating she should leave us be.
“Well wasn’t that sweet.” He reaches up, grabbing my cheek and tugging playfully. “Go enjoy her, Son, I can see you want to. I see the twinkle in your eye.”
I chuckle and pat him heavily on the back. “Thanks, man,” I say with a snicker. Grabbing my drink, I turn. Leaning my back against the bar, I cross one arm over my chest as my eyes roam the room, searching for the girl. I ain’t going to do jack shit with her, but if it gets my father off my back, I’m all for it. I let out a short, sharp whistle, causing her to spin on the spot, her eyes wide and waiting. Then I tip my head and she rushes over, stopping nervously in front of me, clutching her arms in front of her.
In love and ruins Page 11
