The prospect dives into the refrigerator but comes up empty. “I need to go get some from the storage room.”
Crane sighs, “Well, run along then.”
The prospect rushes away toward the back of the clubhouse where the storage room is.
Ronin chuckles. “Regretting the whiskey from last night, huh?”
Crane snorts. “I only had three glasses. I fucking hate sleeping without my Old Lady. My bed is cold and I can’t get enough hours of sleep I normally get.”
“I think you mean you’re missing the fucking…draining away the energy so you sleep better,” Bark chuckles. “Same here man. But they’ve been planning this girl’s week for months.”
“I know,” Crane is about to say something else but there’s sound of glass shattering, followed by loud stumbles coming from down the hall.
“The prospect?” Crane questions.
“Fucking doubt it,” Ronin grunts and palms his gun, as do we all.
A few other brothers of mine rush into the main clubhouse, guns drawn. The prospect comes out of the storage room the same time I see the door of my room swing open. My heart is pinned with a knife the same way one is keeping Paisley in place on her damn throat, as a guy behind her moves forward with her. Seems like her hands are tied behind her back and in this moment I’m thankful she grabbed one of my shirts to sleep in after we had another round of sex early this morning.
“Ronin,” the guy snaps as two other men appear behind him. One of them grabs the prospect in a chokehold.
“Ugo,” Ronin snaps, “what the fuck are you doing in my fucking clubhouse uninvited and holding one of my brother’s Old Ladies…a damn knife to her throat? Let her go and leave while you’re still breathing.”
Ugo shakes his head. “I’m not the one who stuck his nose into someone else’s fucking business, Ronin. Now I’m here to discuss this mess we’re in so the both of us can get out of each other’s hair.”
“Don’t try to pin this shit on me,” Ronin growls. “I remember walking into a damn motel room—in my fucking town—and stumbling into two of your guys molesting an Old Lady who’s under the protection of Lost Valkyries MC.”
“I should have notified you we needed to pick up one of our own who ran off, I’ll give you that. But it doesn’t diminish the fact you killed two of my guys. I fucking heard it myself, I had one of them on the phone when you two barged in there. Payback is a bitch, like the one I’m holding.” The corner of this fucker’s mouth is twitching, as is my finger on the trigger to blow a hole in his head.
But he’s holding Paisley at knifepoint. Never in my damn life has fear taken root in my bloodstream. Not while dismantling a fucking bomb set to blow any damn second. But putting Paisley’s life at risk? Leaving shit in the hands of others? Fuck. I can’t lose her. But I need to let my Prez deal with it, even if it’s slowly killing me with every passing heartbeat.
“I hate repeating myself, Ugo…but you need to let the lady walk. Only then am I willing to discuss shit.” Ronin’s voice is icy.
“Gale,” Ugo snaps.
The fucker behind him—holding the prospect at gunpoint—steps closer. In one smooth move Ugo pushes Paisley forward and replaces her with the prospect.
Paisley crumbles to the floor and I’m both filled with relief about the fact she’s not the one with the knife at her throat, but fucking furious that he threw her to the floor. Not to mention I want to run to her, and drag her away from those fuckers, but I need to stay in place.
“Come here, darlin’,” I croak, unable to keep my fucking emotions at bay when it comes to her.
Fuck. I promised to keep her safe and she was still ripped from my own fucking bed to be dragged out of my room with a fucking knife to her throat.
She pushes her shoulder against the floor to get to her knees and scrambles up to rush toward me. I wrap my arm around her, pulling her flush against my body while my other arm is still taking aim at Ugo, the President of Helios Darkness MC.
Normally we don’t run into or have any issues with other MCs. Mainly because they don’t stumble into our town without letting us know. It’s more of a courtesy when they have business here. Mutual respect, that kind of thing. Ugo knows very well he fucked up first.
“Now, as I was sayin’,” Ugo sneers. “You need to make up for the two brothers you killed. Here’s my first demand…I want you to deliver Keegan.”
“Keegan?” Ronin snaps. “What the fuck? He’s not one of mine.”
“One of your guys has his sister as an Old Lady. Like I said, you fucking owe me so deliver him to me. How? Your fucking problem. Now I’m done here and will expect you to pull through within twenty-four hours or I will take four of your men, and the woman, to make up for the two I lost.” Ugo doesn’t wait for Ronin to answer him but backs up the same way he came, his two buddies stepping in front of him as he drags the prospect along with him.
The door to my room slams shut and I hear Ronin curse along with Bark, Crane, Titan, and a few others. I lower my gun, tucking it away to wrap both arms around my woman. She’s shaking and it’s no damn wonder with the shit that just went down.
“Crane,” I bark. “Hand me your knife or some scissors, anything to get this zip tie off her wrists.”
Crane rushes toward me and I bury Paisley’s head against my chest and put my mouth next to her ear. “Stay still, darlin’, Crane is gonna free your wrists.”
I barely finish my sentence when Crane grunts, “Done.”
The next thing I feel is my woman pushing me away. “Fucking asshole!” she seethes.
Wait…she’s mad at me? Fuck. I’m mad at myself for not protecting her, but come the fuck on.
“Calm down, and don’t call me a fucking asshole,” I growl, unable to contain my own frustrations about this fucked-up situation.
She punches my shoulder, her cotton candy colored hair waving from the action. “I didn’t call you a fucking asshole. I meant my brother. He’s the one who pulled us into his MC ramifications. And I can’t believe I let myself get close to you. You! Another MC. Look at where it gets me!”
I lean down and get right in her face. “Don’t ever compare me to your asshole brother or compare one fucking MC to the next one you run into, because we’re nothing like the one your brother belongs to. But you really want to, right? Well how about this…your brother fucked-up, I fucked-up by not protecting you just now…but,”
“Gust,” Ronin snaps from behind me. “Back off, brother, before you say shit you can’t take back.”
Ignoring my Prez, I continue, “What does it get you? It gets you fucked, that’s what. By me. Multiple times a day while I keep you locked in my room and fuck every other cunt in this clubhouse before and after I rip your cunt apart. And while I have some time in between I’ll go around town to deal some drugs, kill some innocent people, and fuck some more,” I seethe.
My heart plummets as I see all the blood drain from her face. Her bottom lip quivers but with her next breath she throws her shoulders back and steps away from me. One fucking step and it feels like a whole continent just slid in between us.
CHAPTER 06
***Paisley***
I might have had a knife pressing against my throat mere minutes ago, but August’s words are the ones that are slicing through me, cutting away my ability to breathe.
“Calm the fuck down, the both of you.” Ronin’s words enter my brain.
And though I would like nothing more than to aim my fury at August…Gust. I have to remind myself he’s nothing like the boy I knew. He’s the biker known as Gust. Entirely different, such a damn contradiction from the kindhearted man I shared a bed with last night.
“Would it make a difference if I calmed the fuck down?” I give Ronin a sweet fake smile. “I don’t need to remind you I’m not one of your men who you can order around.”
“Don’t be fucking disrespectful,” Gust snaps. “He stood up for you two fucking times to save your ass.”
My attent
ion swings back to the man who just stated he’d fuck anything. “Oh, well, excuse me, Gust. Am I supposed to give him a thank you fuck too?”
There, implying I only fucked him last night as a way to say thanks instead of making more out of it than it was, since clearly, I am nothing more than a piece of property. Screw him. As soon as I see a chance to get out of here, there won’t be anything holding me back anymore.
Gust’s fingers wrap around my throat, shoving his face back in mine, our noses touching as he growls, “There’s only me. No one else will ever touch what’s mine.”
This makes me snort. “I beg to differ, with your plans to screw everything with a cunt, you taint me…dipping your dick in other people’s dirty shit.”
“All right, you two.” Ronin steps in between us and pushes Gust away. “This is a heat of the moment discussion that’s turning uglier by the fucking second. Seeing all our other Old Ladies are out of town…dammit, I need my woman right the fuck now to talk some sense into you, Paisley, while I let my fists talk some sense into Gust. But me is all you have right now and that means I’m pulling you two apart. Bark, take Paisley to the kitchen.”
“She’s not leaving my fucking sight,” Gust growls.
I narrow my eyes at the big baboon before I morph my face into a sweet and welcoming one for Bark. “Lead the way.”
I hear commotion behind my back. Gust growling, Ronin and Crane cursing. But I ignore all and follow Bark into the kitchen. The rough, inked up, bearded biker, grabs a cup and pours coffee into it before placing the steaming cup in front of me.
“He’s a good man, when he’s thinking straight,” Bark tries.
I grab the sugar and add a scoop to the coffee. “He’s an asshole.”
“True. But he means well. He wouldn’t be such an asshole if he didn’t give a fuck about you.” Bark crosses his arms in front of his chest while leaning against the counter.
“Funny way of showing it. Besides…it doesn’t matter anyway, and I couldn’t care less,” I sigh, hoping Bark leaves the issue alone. I’m done talking.
“That’s a lie. You do care, as does he. He’s been wanting an Old Lady for a long damn time, and when you returned into his life he didn’t even have time to blink but claimed you on the spot. Or so I heard.”
“Great, he wanted an Old Lady so he grabbed the first one he knew. Oh, and let’s not forget he kinda had to or he couldn’t save me from those other idiots. Thanks for the talk, I’m feeling so much better now.” I glare at Bark over the rim of my cup.
“Ronin’s right…we do need the Old Ladies back. Though it’s a good thing they’re not here when we’re dealing with this shit. And let me give you some club business intel so you’ll understand better.” I’m about to snap for him to save it, but Bark flashes me his palm and continues. “Lost Valkyries MC are basically mercenaries. We don’t accept all jobs, just the ones that need to be handled. Clearing the world of scumbags who have it coming so to say. But I won’t paint a pretty picture because black and fucking white…we kill for money. But there’s a huge difference between MCs and certainly between us and Helios Darkness MC. They don’t care if they deal drugs to kids; as long as they earn a buck, it’s all dandy. Every single thing they do is for their benefit. They have no conscience.”
“And you guys do?” I raise my eyebrow in question. It’s hard enough to process the things he just said.
“Didn’t I just mention we do? If someone wants us to kill his wife, we look into the fucker who places the hit. Make sure the woman is safe. But if the woman turns out to be someone who steals his money while feeding the fucker poison so her husband dies a slow death…then yeah, we do accept the job.”
I feel my eyes widen. “That has happened? For real?”
Bark shrugs. “I could tell you more, but then I’d have to kill you…club secrets and all.” The funny man winks as if he’s joking, but I’m seriously wondering if he is.
A chill runs up my spine. “All of you are killers, I don’t see how that’s any different from the MC my brother is a part of,” Now Bark is about to interrupt me but I’m the one holding my palm up. “Let me finish. Six years ago, my brother had to do some kind of initiation thing where he went from being a prospect to a sworn in member, or whatever you guys call it. He had to steal a bag of money, or drugs, whatever, from a gang. He succeeded but the idiot didn’t notice he was followed. Leading them right to our house. They drove by,” I take a gulp of air to swallow down the bile of remembering that day. “My mother was about to leave for work. I always followed her out to her car but I was late putting my shoes on…I heard the gunshots…I rushed out to see Keegan hiding behind his car…my mom…the blood…her eyes…she was dead when the first bullet hit her head and a few more entered her body…his fault. All his fault.”
My vision is blurry when I see someone squatting in front of me before strong arms wrap around me.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” Gust croaks.
I start to push him away but he doesn’t let me, his grip tightens and I lose myself in the anger, sadness, powerlessness, despair, weariness…every single emotion is overwhelming as I let myself sink down into his embrace and start to cry uncontrollably.
CHAPTER 07
***Gust***
I’m a fucking moron. I’ve claimed the one woman who’s it for me, but who hates MCs. And has every fucking reason too. At least she’s not pushing me away and is crying in my arms. I’m sure it’s also because of everything that’s happened today, yesterday, six damn years ago, and not to mention her father dying recently.
Now her brother almost got her killed too. And yeah, I’m pretty sure those two who were about to rape her wouldn’t have left her alive if they were done with her. With Ugo demanding Keegan from us? Pretty sure the fucker screwed up enough for them to wipe out everyone connected to him.
Which also leads to his last days to roam this fucking earth because he’s as good as dead with the way Ugo wanted him. Another loss Paisley’s life will be tainted with, though I’m pretty sure she hates his guts with what she just said. Him being responsible for her mother’s death? The fucker hiding behind a car while his mother took the rain of bullets while she watched it happen? Yeah…fuck.
I was seventeen when I joined the army and moved out of my parents’ house nine years ago. “My parents never told me what happened. Not one fucking word. I didn’t know. I wish I fucking did... I would have come to you. I would have,” Fuck...what I wouldn’t give to turn back time and take away all the bad shit she had to endure in life. “And I’m fucking sorry for acting like a jerk. I’m such an asshole lashing out like I did. You don’t deserve that shit I said. I just...I’ve never had a girl, okay? So, bear with me. I know I’m gonna fuck up a lot more in the future, but you need to hang in there because I’m all about keeping us together, okay?”
“You just want an Old Lady and it doesn’t matter who she is...you just want one,” she sobs.
What. The. Fuck? My eyes go to Bark and he fucking shrugs. Asshole.
“You’re right about me wanting an Old Lady for a long while now. And no, it does fucking matter who she is because I’ve met so many damn women in my life and there’s just one who can make my blood sing, one who tightens my gut, one who makes my cock throb with need, and one who connects to my sanity and makes me hope for a bright and better future. That one...that’s you, darlin’. It’s always been you.” I now realize myself.
No wonder I never found the perfect Old Lady...she wasn’t living here, she left. “The one woman destined to be mine was run out of town by her fucking brother. The same fucking brother who brought you back here. Again, risking your life. It’s fucking time we grabbed hold and make our hometown safe again for you to stay. Because I need you here, Paisley. I just found you again and I ain’t ever letting go. No matter how many times I fuck up or how much you hate the MC I’m a part of. Even if you make me take a regular job, I’ll...fuck, I can’t lose you…I…Paisley, please, say something.”
>
She’s still sobbing in my arms but her eyes are staring into mine. Hope starts to light my heart and starts to pump through my veins when she presses her lips against mine ever so softly before pulling back.
“You really are an asshole, and I’m still mad at you.” Her voice wavers.
Shit. All hope plummets because the way she’s looking at me? She’s shutting the door on us.
“You’d better be good at groveling because the things you said about screwing around,” she starts, but I kiss her hard to silence her.
“Didn’t mean a word, darlin’. When I’m pissed I throw out words where they hit the hardest. My cock is yours, no other woman grabs my attention. It’s only you I want and need.” And I mean every damn word with fierce ferocity.
She rolls her eyes. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she says over dramatically, making me fucking laugh.
I squeeze her tight against me, hoping to fuck we’ve cleared the air between us.
“I really hate...”
I’ve got her pressed so tight against me, I can’t hear the rest of what she says, making my heart halt. “You hate me?”
She groans. “No, you’re an overreacting asshole who needs to grovel to get back on my good side. I’m talking about Keegan. I really hate him. You can’t understand half of how much.”
“Oh, I’ve got a pretty good idea,” I mutter, mainly to myself because I hated the fucker before I left for my own reasons, which also tangled with the fact he didn’t look out for his sister. Back then, and fucking now.
“How are we going to find him? We need to save the guy that Ugo guy took. My brother needs to turn himself in.” Paisley’s eyes are pleading.
“It’s club business now, darlin’. Let my Prez and my brothers worry about this. You didn’t do shit to deserve any of it. Like last time and many times before, when he was chasing chicks instead of making sure his little sister got home safe. All the fucker ever cared about is himself. Let go, Paisley, let go and think of you from now on. It’s what he does. You can only give a person so much of yourself until there’s nothing left to give. You’ve reached that point, sweetheart. Let others deal with it and leave Keegan to face the sins he ungracefully made in his own fucked up world.”
Gust: Lost Valkyries MC Page 3
