by Khloe Wren
She shook her head as she sat heavily on the side of the mattress.
“I knew it was him.”
Walking over to her, I dropped down to my knees in front of her. “You mean your stalker? Did he leave you a note?”
She finally looked up from the paper she still held and into my eyes. The agony I could see in their depths hit me like a sucker punch to the gut.
“Can I see it?”
“Do you have to?”
I cupped her face between my palms, stroking my thumbs over her cheeks, trying to decide how to handle her in this situation. She’d told me she wanted my dominance. On top of what Natalie had told me, I’d been doing some Googling so I had a better idea now what she was asking for. But this wasn’t a sexual situation, would she want me to take control outside the bedroom? She looked so completely lost and broken right now, I was willing to try just about anything to put her back together again.
Putting a hard edge to my voice to indicate I wasn’t negotiating here, I wanted that letter, and she was going to give it to me, I held her gaze as I spoke.
“I need to know as much about this fucker as I can. The more we know, the easier it’ll be to catch him. So, yes, you need to hand that over and let me take care of it. To take care of you.”
She closed her eyes and winced, so I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“We will catch him. And no matter what he says in that note, it won’t change how I feel about you. Let me be who you need me to be—to be strong enough to take this from you and deal with it.”
Her body relaxed as she seemed to finally understand what I was telling her. I reached for the envelope and letter she was still holding and she allowed me to take them from her just as someone started banging on her front door.
“Go have a shower and get ready for our ride, babe. I’m going to let the boys in and see what we can do about this.”
After giving her another quick kiss, I stood and headed out of her bedroom with the note in hand. Twisting the lock, I opened the front door and let my brothers inside.
“What’s happened now?”
That was Arrow, direct as always.
“Not entirely sure, but she stopped to grab her mail and when she opened this in the elevator, she shut down. She’s only just handed it over so I haven’t read it yet.”
“It from her stalker?”
“That’s what she said.”
I lifted the note so my brothers could read it as I did. It was clearly written in a rush, the handwriting rough and entirely in capital letters.
“That’s one angry fucker.”
I grunted at Keys’ observation as I read the words. My own anger built with every new word. Yeah, this fucker was mad as hell, and furious that Cindy was defying him. I hated that this shit had cost my girl her grandma’s shop.
“He’s escalating, and he’s going to keep escalating now that I’m back.”
I didn’t make it a question. We all knew it was the truth.
Keys took the envelope it came in and examined it. “This wasn’t posted but delivered. There’s no postmark or stamp on it. When we get back to the clubhouse I’ll look at the video feeds and see if I can work out who delivered it. Never know our luck, this might just be the break we’ve been waiting for. How long till we’re ready to roll out?”
I glanced at my watch. “I told her to take a shower. I’ll go check how she’s doing. But I want to get moving ASAP.”
Leaving the letter with Keys, I strode back to Cindy’s room. When I didn’t see her there, I continued on to the bathroom. She was standing at the vanity, leaning her weight on her hands that were on either side of the bowl, with her head hanging forward. She’d wrapped a towel around her middle and in the steamy room, she looked so defeated. The thought she’d let this fucker win after all this time had my temper flaring, but I pushed it down as I walked up behind her. She didn’t need my anger. Gathering her hair in my hands, I moved it to the side before I leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her shoulder, then the soft skin of her neck.
“Don’t let this beat you, Cin. You’re stronger than this bastard.”
Cindy
I had no intention of letting this asshole beat me, but losing Retro Funk was a deep wound to my heart and soul that I needed more than a second to be able to process.
“I just needed a few minutes. Trust me, I have no fucking intention of laying down for this bastard.”
Turning around, I wrapped my arms around Nitro’s neck, letting my fingers run through the shorter hair at the base of his skull. I desperately wanted to change the subject, to not talk about, or even think about the stalker who was so insistent on ruining my life.
“You know, this’ll be my first ride on your Harley. That’s kind of a big deal for you MC boys, isn’t it?”
He frowned at me for a moment before his expression cleared and he smirked down at me with a scoff.
“Yeah, babe. Having my old lady on my bike for the first time is a fucking big deal, and you can’t do it wearing a towel.”
“Not sure I like the whole ‘old lady’ thing.”
With a laugh, he wrapped his palms under my butt and when he lifted me, I wrapped my legs around his waist before he moved us back into the bedroom and over to my closet.
“Just about every old lady I know didn’t like the term to start with. Just like them, you’ll get used to it and realize it really isn’t a negative title. Quite the opposite.”
He’d explained to me before about how it works, how an old lady is the property of her man. Sounded all very old-fashioned to me, and I wasn’t completely sold on it. But that was part of what today would be about. I’d get to hang out in Bridgewater for the day with the Charon MC and meet some of the other old ladies. See if it would be possible for me to find my place in Bridgewater.
“Okay, well, if you really don’t want me going in a towel, you need to put me down and let me get dressed. Because at this point, it’s kinda you holding us all up, babe.”
With a shake of his head, he lowered me down until I could put my feet on the carpet. Then when I turned to face my closet, he gave my ass a solid smack. Just hard enough for me to feel through the towel. Even though it didn’t really hurt, it was a surprise and I turned to glare over my shoulder at him.
“Oww! What the fuck?”
He was smirking again. “Just giving you want you want, Cin. Don’t make me wait long or I’ll be back in here and you’ll be over my knee for a lot more than one.”
With that, he strode out of the room and I was left standing there with my mouth gaping open in shock. What just happened? Did Nitro just go all Dom on my ass?
With a smile, I reached into my closet and pulled out my biker boots. I wore them to Titanium sometimes, but it would be fun to tease Nitro about why I had them. The spanking threat was intriguing, but I didn’t want to keep the guys waiting, or wait any longer for my first ride on the back of Nitro’s wheels. So I rushed to get my underwear before tugging on a pair of jeans, fitted long sleeve shirt, and a jacket. After grabbing a pair of socks, I took my boots over to the bed and got them on as quickly as I could.
Then, after a quick trip back into the bathroom to dump my towel, brush out my hair and put it in a messy braid, I was grabbing my bag and striding out of my room toward the voices I could hear in the living area.
“We ready to go?”
Silence greeted my question, then I got a couple of low whistles as Nitro prowled over to me looking like he was on the hunt.
“Fuck, Cin.”
“What? Don’t you like what I’m wearing? Is it not suitable?”
I looked down at myself. My jeans were a pair of fitted ones and they hugged my legs and hips perfectly. I’d gone with a plain, black, long sleeve shirt under my vintage-look green leather jacket. The jacket was biker style, with the front zip off to the side and the collar high around my neck.
“You look fucking amazing. But I had no idea you owned actual riding gea
r. Who’s taken you riding before? Natalie?”
I reached up and ran my nails through his scruff, one of my new favorite things to do.
“I kinda want to string this out because you’re getting all jealous and being adorable, but I really want to go for this ride.” I paused to lick my lips. “I’ve never been on a bike before. I wear the boots at Titanium every now and then, and I bought the jacket because I love vintage stuff and fell in love with it when it came into the store last year. But it’s not a proper bike jacket with all the extra safety stuff built in.”
“What you have on is perfectly fine for being on a bike. Damn, it’s gonna be a hard ride.”
One of the men snickered. Arrow, I think. “Don’t you mean you’re going to be hard on the ride?”
I bit my lip to stop from laughing when Nitro turned a dark glare his friend’s way.
“Shut the fuck up, Arrow. Let’s roll out.”
Cool. I had it right. Allowing the excitement of my first ride on a Harley to fill my thoughts, I forgot all about that fucking letter as we made our way back down to the garage. At the bikes, Nitro produced a second helmet from somewhere and secured it on me.
“Let me get on first, then hop up behind me. Put your foot on this peg, and swing your other leg over the back. Once you’re on and settled, wrap your arms around my waist to hang on. Okay?”
“Sounds good.”
I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. I wanted to get on and go already! To be so close to Nitro, to feel the engine beneath us. He chuckled a little as he swung his leg over and settled on the seat.
“C’mon, Miss Excitable, get your sexy ass saddled up.”
With a little squeal that had all the men laughing, I hopped up and plastered myself against Nitro’s back. Feeling cheeky, I slipped my palms up under his shirt so they were resting against his six-pack. The muscles tensed beneath my touch and I grinned like a loon when he started the engine and we all headed out of the garage.
I took a deep breath and smiled as Nitro expertly weaved us in and around traffic until we hit the highway. By the time we rolled into Bridgewater about an hour later, I was addicted. I loved the feel of the bike under me, the wind in my face, Nitro so close. It was perfect. I started to wonder if Nitro would let me have my own ride. Did old ladies do that? Or do they have to stay on the back of their man’s bike? I shook the thoughts free as I started to see familiar buildings. I’d ask Nitro later about getting my own bike.
I hadn’t returned to Bridgewater at all since I’d left. A lot of the town was the same, just with fresher coats of paint. There were a few newer homes and shops, but it looked like the town hadn’t had the growth spurt some other cities had experienced over the past nearly two decades.
We pulled in through the big gates that certainly hadn’t changed at all. I suspected, other than an occasional new coat of black paint, they hadn’t changed at all since the day they’d been installed. The wrought iron was thick and strong, and had “Charon MC” over the top of the gate in an arch. I’d never really seen the actual clubhouse before, other than briefly as I went past on the road, so I couldn’t remember anything about its past appearance.
The building itself wasn’t anything special to look at from outside, especially when you got an eyeful of the bikes that were sitting in front of it. There were only a couple, but they were gorgeous, gleaming in the sunshine. They were clearly well looked after machines. Nitro turned in front of them and I was so busy checking them out, I nearly missed him tapping my hand to indicate I needed to hop off. After I was free, he shuffled back so his bike was neatly in the line-up. His golden yellow machine was just as perfect as the others. It made sense that MC members would take care of their rides. But this was more than merely maintaining them, these bikes were clearly their owners’ pride and joy.
“You want to come in, or do you just want to stand out here all afternoon?”
There was a heavy dose of humor in Nitro’s voice.
“More than ready for the rest of the tour. I was just taking a few moments to relish in the knowledge that I’m just realizing how much I love Harleys.”
The other men chuckled at me as they made their way ahead of us through the front door of the clubhouse, which was being guarded by another club member. I gave him a smile when he nodded our way. It had to be the most boring job ever, but he seemed content standing there, keeping guard. I wondered what the fuck he must have done wrong to have landed the job.
Once through the door, it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. It was a gorgeous, sunny Texan day today, so even though the clubhouse was well lit, it was still more dull inside than out. The room had a bar along one side, with the rest of the area filled with various tables, chairs and couches.
“This is the main room. It’s a lot busier in the evenings, especially if we have a party going.”
“Great, you made it back. You must be Cindy, I’m Scout, president of the Charon MC. It’s good to finally meet the woman who’s had Nitro in knots for so long.”
I felt my face heat and had no clue how to respond to his comment.
“Shut the fuck up, prez. Quit embarrassing my old lady.”
My breath caught as Scout’s eyebrow went up and he lifted a hand to stroke his beard.
“That didn’t take long.”
Nitro’s arm snaked around my waist and pulled me tight against his front. “Yeah, well, I ain’t letting her run off on me again. I want my patch on her back and my ring on her finger.”
I turned my face so I could glare at him. “Were you planning on actually asking me if that’s what I want?”
He winked down at me and kissed the top of my head. “I already know it’s what you want. But if you’re good, I might ask before I slip a ring on your finger. Or you know, you might just wake up one day with a ring on.”
I shook my head and chuckled. He was so ridiculous. And I was very glad that he was all mine.
Chapter 10
Nitro
I had no doubt it wouldn’t be long before Cindy was wearing my patch and my ring. I refused to accept anything less. Maybe I should talk to Natalie about learning how to tie her up so she couldn’t get away from me ever again. That had me grinning. The more I thought about the BDSM thing, the more I liked it. I mean, it’s not like I haven’t been doing some of it forever, I just didn’t realize what it was called. Or that there was so much more than the little bit I’d tried. I couldn’t wait to go to the training session at Titanium on Sunday.
“When you get a minute, I got something for you in my office. Not sure if you want it now or later.”
I cocked my head to the side trying to work out what he was talking about. He wrapped his hands around each side of his cut and gave it a small tug and I grinned in understanding.
“I was hoping your habit of reading the future would hold true for me. Thanks, prez.” I paused to look around at who was still hanging around in ear shot. “Keg! Can you take Cin down to the kitchen and make her a coffee?” I turned Cin around and kissed her fast and hard. “I’ll be five minutes max, okay, babe?”
She shrugged and I could tell that brain of hers was working overtime.
“I promise, there’s nothing for you to worry about, and you’ll be safe here in the clubhouse.”
The fact Keg had been guarding her so much over the past week should help her feel at ease. But she really didn’t look sure.
“Nah, don’t worry about it, brother. I’ll have one of the boys take it up to your room while you show your girl around. Welcome to the Charons, Cindy. You’re family now, and we take care of what’s ours. You ever need anything, just let me know.”
With that, Scout ducked back down the hallway and Keg followed after him.
“Right, okay, well, I guess we’ll continue the tour.” I pointed at Scout and Keg’s retreating forms. “The offices are down there.” Leading her down another hallway, toward the rear of the building we passed a closed door that I hadn’t wanted to mention, but
I should have known better than to try to slip it past Cin. Of course she was going to be curious about everything in this place. Most people were, initially.
“What’s in there?”
“That’s nothing you need to worry about. It’s the whore room. The club whores aren’t allowed to wander around the clubhouse til after ten pm. If there’s kids around and they’re caught outside that room, they get booted.”
She winced but didn’t say anything. I hurried her further down the hall and into the kitchen.
“It’s pretty quiet at the moment―this is probably the emptiest you’ll see this place. Normally old ladies only come here in the evenings or during the day on the weekends when we have a family barbecue. Not really much reason for the ladies to be here outside of those times. Whenever you’re here, you’re welcome to eat and drink whatever you want. There’s always at least a few of the prospects and brothers living here, so the kitchen is stocked with all sorts of food and beverages.”
“Prospects?”
I winced a little, kicking myself for not having already explained all this shit to her.
“Ah yeah, there’s levels within the club. If a man wants to become a Charon, he starts off being a hang-around, which is literally just that. They come to the parties and maybe the charity runs or poker runs we do, then if the club likes them, they move up to being a prospect. Keg and Jazz are prospects. They have a cut, but they don’t have all the patches on the back yet.”
With a nod she added, “I noticed that.”
“Generally speaking, you spend about a year as a prospect. Sometimes they get in faster, sometimes slower, it’s not a specific amount of days or anything like that. Both Keg and Jazz are actually about due to patch in as full members.
“Once they’ve done their time as a prospect, it gets taken to church for a vote, and assuming everyone is cool with it, they get patched in. Then they can call themselves a brother, and wear the three patches on the back of their cut, or vest. Once they’re a full, patched in brother, they can get voted in as one of the officers. There’s the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, road captain and sergeant-at-arms.”
