by A. C. Bextor
“I’m an idiot.”
“You’re human.”
“I’m in love with Gypsy,” she whispers, as if this is the first time she’s saying those exact words aloud.
“You are,” I agree. “Now what do you want to do?”
“Do?”
Smiling, I give her the choice. “I can stay with you in here, wait for you to feel better, or we can go pester the guys while they’re playing their game.”
Cricket smiles back. As I stand, she reaches out to grab my wrist. “But one more thing.”
Giving her my attention, I lift my brows and wait.
“Elevent,” she says. “Did you and he… umm…”
“Oh no,” I return, now grabbing her arm and pulling her from the couch. “One man drama at a time. Let’s go find the others, and you can keep me company until Elevent gets back.”
“But he…”
“Really,” I cut her off. “One drama at a time.”
“But, I have to tell you—”
“Not now,” I counter, walking through the door.
As I attempt to continue our way, Cricket grabs my hand. Her focus bores into mine with determination. She needs to say whatever’s been weighing on her mind.
“What’s wrong?”
“I told you before, Elevent is good.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“He’s really good, Mia.” Her voice is quiet, its tone sincere as she continues.
I smile and nod because oddly I do know what she’s intending.
“If you’re only with him because you know…you’re bored being here or whatever, please tell him where you are.”
“Elevent and I aren’t anything,” I assure, the words coming out with unease.
“I love him. We all love him. Elevent is a kind person. And growing up, no one ever showed him how to be that way. He just is.”
“I understand,” I comply.
“Thank you.”
“Now can we go ruin the guys’ video game fun?”
Smiling brightly and nodding profusely, she agrees, “Definitely.”
“Mama Mia!” Ziah chides. “Are you sure you’ve played this game before? ‘Cause it doesn’t look like you’re trying very hard.”
“What do you mean I’m not trying?” Mia returns tersely, pointing to the game playing on the television. “I just shot that guy, didn’t I?”
Vante, sitting on the couch at Mia’s side with Ziah at her other, barks a laugh as he takes in the screen. His arm rests on the couch, across Mia’s shoulders. His fingers hang limply at her back, every few minutes her hair falling around them.
Lane is here as well, leaning her hip to the oversized chair Advay is seated in alone. His face is to his phone, his thumb mindlessly flipping through the screens. And he’s trying not to smile.
Cricket’s sitting ass to floor, knees drawn up, game remote held tightly in her grasp. She’s studying the screen, pushing the buttons of the remote with natural ease. In profile, I see her eyes are puffy and her cheeks are swollen and red. Neither Leglas nor Gypsy, who could likely be the cause, are anywhere in sight.
“You’re a good shot, Mia,” Vante bids on a grin. “But you know that was Cricket you were shooting at, right?”
Cricket giggles, continuing to maneuver her animated character around the screen.
“What?” Mia gasps, turning to Vante where he’s lazing in admiration under her attention. She looks down to her feet where Cricket sits, still enveloped in the game. “I’m shooting you?” she whispers to Cricket. “I’ve been shooting at you for the last ten minutes.”
“Yeah, well, if you don’t focus you’ll get us both killed.”
At that, the screen explodes. Ziah flips back on the couch, hands to thighs and shakes his head. He takes these games seriously, more than anyone here. If he loses, he feels a personal loss. Obviously he’s disappointed in Mia’s lack of virtual expertise.
When Lane catches me standing at the bar. She smiles small.
I haven’t spoken to her since I called whatever we had off. Women talk. I’m sure by now she knows my feelings about not only her, but for Mia. She won’t argue the point. She won’t fight for us at all. Only because we were never ‘us’ to begin with.
I smile back at Lane and she relaxes further into the chair.
“I died,” Mia announces.
“You’re dead,” Ziah includes. “You went down fightin’ though, Mama. Got you four kills before they took you out.”
Mia turns to Ziah and sighs heavily. After she catches me standing at the other end of the room, her smiling face turns to something else.
“You ready?” I prompt.
Ziah’s head whips around in my direction where his excitement fades.
“Ready for what?” he asks.
“El’s taking Mia on a ride,” Cricket answers.
Lane stands, crossing her arms over her stomach, and holding her elbows tightly.
Vante and Advay share a look, each knowing I’ve never, in all my time here, had a woman on the back of my bike. Not one woman in or out of the club. Especially not Lane.
Mia stands, moving an errant piece of hair behind her ear as she looks to where she’s about to walk. Ziah whistles low and Vante focuses on what I do.
Mia Zanders, the sweet, church-working woman, who’s only been seen so far in dresses is fitted in a pair of tight jeans, black leather chaps secured over them. Her small waist is wrapped in a black belt. Her chest is covered in a plain white tee shirt, clinging tightly to every curve.
Christ, I never imagined she’d ever look like she fit in, but here she is. And she most certainly does.
Vante’s focus moves to her ass as she walks her way to me. He smiles to himself, but when his gaze meets mine, he’s smart enough to stop.
As Mia makes her approach, she rests her hands on my chest and studies my expression.
“Ready?” I ask.
Nodding with enthusiasm, she grins. “Totally am.”
“Well, guess that’s that then,” Cricket states, standing and wiping her ass. As she passes Mia and me on her way out, she looks back and says, “Find me when you get back. We’ll try this again.”
“Okay,” Mia replies. “See you then.”
With that, I take Mia’s hand in mine. She follows closely as we head out to my bike.
Once we got back to the club, Elevent was pulled the moment we walked in the door. Rather than go shower, which I badly needed, I went in to find Cricket. My intention was to check in, see how she was.
I found that Cricket was fine.
By this I mean, she and Leglas were in the throes of a massive tangle while standing in the kitchen. She was sitting on the counter, legs apart. He was standing between them, one hand up her shirt, the other violently fisting her hair. She was smiling, happy and giggling at whatever he was whispering in her ear.
I backed away, deciding to give her space. This didn’t mean I wasn’t thinking of all I had to say about her relationship with both Leglas and Gypsy, but technically, it wasn’t my business.
Once Elevent made it back to his room, he stripped off my riding clothes, tossed me a pair of boxer shorts still in their package, and told me to change. I complied without a word. I was too tired to argue.
“Gypsy loves Cricket,” I goad, cheek to pillow, looking out into the room. In the dresser mirror, I make out Elevent and I lying in his bed. He’s holding his head with one hand, the other on my back. He’s bare-chested, and I focus on his tattoos while prodding, “But Gypsy doesn’t want Cricket?”
“Fuck knows he loves her,” Elevent assures. “But he fucked her over.”
Finally.
Someone around here who knows the story of Cricket’s tears. I could ask her, push her to explain, but I’d rather not. Seeing her in tears once was enough. Being the cause because I was curious—definitely not.
“How’d she get here?”
Elevent sighs, running his hand through his hair. He’s hesitates but gets ou
t, “When Cricket was a kid, Gypsy walked in on a deal about to go bad.”
“How so?” I question, lifting my head and resting my chin on my folded hands.
“Long story,” he returns.
“Go on.”
Likely exhausted by my effort, he sighs but kisses my shoulder. “Gypsy was a new recruit. He was also young. Nineteen, twenty, I’d guess. He was on a run for the club. Cricket’s dad, Tyler Roberts, was pushing Saint’s some decent product at the time.”
“Saint’s deals drugs?”
“Not anymore and hasn’t for a while.”
“And?”
“Cricket had been hanging around while the deal was goin’ down.”
“Seriously?”
Elevent nods. “Gypsy asked what a kid her age was doing in a club like theirs. Roberts didn’t answer. Gypsy pushed harder, pissed him off. Roberts offered to sell Cricket to Saint’s right there on the spot.”
“How old was she?”
His jaw clenches and he grinds out, “Eleven.”
“Oh, my God.”
“Yeah.”
“So, Gypsy bought her?”
“Fuck no. He fuckin’ took her.”
Sitting up and pulling down my shirt, I admonish, “He took her?”
Elevent turns to lie flat on his back but doesn’t take his gaze from mine. “Not right there. He came back to Saint’s, told Pop what he saw. Pop got pissed, talked to Pyke. The decision was made. They were goin’ in after her.”
My love and care for Pyke doubles. Pop, I could see siding with Gypsy. He was president at the time and his son was adamant. Pyke was along for the ride, but accepting that risk for a little girl in need of saving.
I’m going to kiss Pyke the next time I see him.
Elevent moves an errant piece of hair from my cheek while stating, “Cricket’s been with Saint’s ever since.”
“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” I tell him. “Not the part about her being here, but her going through that.”
“Happy ending, Angel,” he reminds. “Once she got settled and knew she wanted to stay, Mom and Pop adopted Cricket. Kind of,” he tells me.
“I don’t understand.”
“A legal petition was never filed. But that didn’t matter. They loved Cricket as their own. They made sure she was safe, cared for, and loved, even while being raised inside the club.”
Well it’s no wonder Cricket claimed to love all these men as brothers. They’re all she’s ever known. This life is all she understands. They’ve done as they said they would. They protected and loved her.
Of course, there’s more.
“Shit is, Cricket’s old man was cooperative, working with the Feds and copping to a lesser charge, which in turn reduced his sentence,” Elevent explains. “He’s out of prison now, and we expect him to come back for her. At the very least, we expect him to take revenge against Gypsy.”
At this, I startle.
Elevent takes my nervous cue and assures, “Roberts will get neither.”
“Thank God.”
“But,” he keeps going, “on top of dealing with him, we’re also still having to deal with your shit.”
“My shit?”
“Your ex,” he gives, eyes narrowed and body tense. “Not sure what the fuck Toby’s up to, but I’m guessin’ he’s workin’ somethin’.”
“You humiliated him,” I note but not on a slight. “He’s a good man, a good person.”
“Don’t give your ex credit while you’re in my bed.”
I bite my tongue to avoid lashing out. Elevent and I may have only been together like this for a matter of days, but I could supply that I have memories of he and Lane I haven’t let go of.
“Some of the guys and I are taking off soon.”
“I heard.”
Before Elevent brought me to his room after our ride, I ran into Sunny, who was wearing the first frown I’d ever seen her with. She said Sty was taking off at the end of the week. She was upset.
“Leglas is hangin’ back. So is Advay. You’ll be safe with them.”
With Leglas that’s debatable. Advay, I agree.
“Do you have to go away a lot?”
“More now than before, yeah.” Elevent wraps his arms around my waist, positioning my body on top of his. His holds me to him, face-to-face, chest-to-chest. “Mom and Pop will be back in the morning. If you need anything Sunny can’t help with, ask Mom.”
“Where are you going?”
Elevent’s hand glides down my back, across my ass, where it stops. He smirks, lifting his head from the pillow to kiss my nose.
“You’ll sleep in here or in your room,” he orders, not answering what I asked. “You sure as fuck won’t drink or get up to trouble with Cricket or any of the others.”
“I’ll go with the flow,” I mark, now not answering what he’s ordered. “The girls are taking me shopping while you’re gone.”
Elevent shoves his hand inside the boxer shorts he gave me, and pulls them down. Heat flushes my face, hoping he’s taking this to where we’ve only been once before.
“If they do that, you all go during the day and you take the guys with you.”
“Toby won’t bother me,” I assure, but leave out any compliment to his character.
“Still, I’m askin’ you to do as you’re told and not be a pain in the ass.”
“I’m never a pain in the ass.”
He smirks, rolling us up until I’m straddling his thighs. He then goes for the hem of my shirt. Once lifting it over my head, he tosses it to the floor and moves us until I’m beneath him. Without delay, his hand glides down my stomach until his finger brushes over my clit.
I gasp, eager to have his hands there again.
He works the hot flesh until he senses I’m close. Then whispers in my ear, “Remember what I told you about Hank and Runner.”
Closing my eyes, I remember.
“Elevent,” I get out, arching my neck and reveling in every pass of his finger.
I’m so close.
As his hand cups my sex, his raspy voice says in my ear, “When I’m gone, I’ll fuck my fist thinkin’ of this.”
Oh, my God.
My body tenses, so close to the edge only Elevent’s ever taken me.
His finger slides inside, and he uses his thumb to continue the initial assault. My mouth falls open and Elevent takes advantage. His tongue caresses mine, not sweetly or gently. Rough and tumble. Passionate and wanting.
He takes my ass from the mattress, tilting my hips until he’s able to remove my shorts. Once he centers himself between my thighs, he makes quick work of his jeans.
Before pushing forward, he glares down. The intensity behind his contemplation rivals nothing I’ve ever seen—not from him, not from anyone.
In one, long, powerful thrust, he enters on a hiss.
A dark and possessive growl echoes. With no space between us, Elevent’s body takes mine. Again and again without remorse.
Violent thrusts become savage as he buries his face in my neck, sucking the already sensitive skin.
“Wait for me,” he orders, biting the lobe of my ear.
When he finds exactly where I need, my body tenses. The anticipation becomes more than I can bear.
“You’ll wait for me,” he says again. “You’ll be here when I get back,” he pushes further.
A culmination of thoughts cross my mind.
Elevent wants me in his bed.
He wants me on his bike.
He wants me for him.
My release hits, no way to hold out. I cry out into the room as Elevent finds his own, driving in deep until he’s seated as far as he can go. Taking us both.
Together.
“Elevent hasn’t always been with us,” Mom says and I nod, hanging on every word, anxiously waiting for more.
Thirty minutes ago, I’d been in the kitchen, rifling through the cabinets for something to eat before my bar shift started.
As Mom was walking
by, she stopped just inside the door. She saw I was alone and didn’t delay her entrance. It was clear her mind was working when her mouth opened to say something, but shut just as quickly.
For the last two weeks, Mom and Pop have been in and out, visiting old friends who still live in the area.
Sunny’s been busy making arrangements for the up and coming club party. She explained this party was a club ritual. This ritual being that after a ride out on business, it’s customary the boys at Saint’s are welcomed home.
Since I still don’t understand all that transpires here, or what a ride out on business officially means, I went along with all she said. I also offered to help, but was denied at every turn.
Ziah explained how things run when Elevent and the others travel out on the road.
Most remaining members disappear. They take advantage of the time off, including the women I know, along with Pyke and Ziah.
Sunny’s off with friends she knew from her old job. Cricket’s gone too, but didn’t share where she was headed. Ziah and Pyke took a trip, which would include man-to-man talks. That’s what Ziah told me, anyway. Pyke explained they were heading out only to get away. He offered me to go, saying I was safe in the woods where no one could find me. However, the idea of camping didn’t appeal so I politely refused.
Mom’s company has been welcome.
Elevent’s never been one to share his past. I know because when I asked about his parents, he shut me down before explaining anything more.
Mom, however, is an open book. And being that Elevent took off before I woke up this morning, I plan to read whatever chapters of hers she’ll share before he returns.
“If he wasn’t here, where was he?” I prod.
The air in the room swings. Mom straightens her posture. Her face contorts to pain.
“Bad men found my boy,” she hisses first. “Elevent’s father hurt him when he was a child. Elevent ran away and lived on the streets.” She shakes her head and goes back to the cutting board. “Then that monster, Palleshi, found him.”
“Palleshi?” I recall the name I’ve heard rumored around town. Ciro Palleshi being the one Vlad Zalesky had a hand in killing.
If this is true, if this Palleshi man hurt Elevent, I’m going to shake Vlad’s hand.
