by Shyla Colt
“Okay. I’ll never push you, but I’m always here if you want to talk,” Ariel said placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Thanks. It’s nice to have friends. You and Fancy make me feel almost at home.” Summer smiled and then glanced up. “I’ll be right back. Duty calls.” She turned around, dug a few beers from the fridge and walked from behind the bar. Ariel watched Summer go, wondering what she hid behind her quick smiles and easy banter.
“Hey girl, how long you here for?”
Ariel glanced up and greeted Fancy with a smile. “Not sure. Probably awhile, church has been pretty intense lately.”
“Yeah lots of murmurs of heavy shit going down around here these days.” Fancy shook her head. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mayhem this riled up.”
“How long have you been here, Fancy?” Ariel said.
“Shit, feels like forever, but five years.”
Ariel opened her mouth to ask why and closed it, not wanting to offend.
“You’re wondering why, right?” Fancy arched a delicate eyebrow.
“No. Well, kind of. I mean you’re gorgeous, and funny, and smart.”
Fancy laughed. “With a rap sheet as long as my arm, nowhere to go, and no one who gives a shit. The streets are mean, baby girl. Being here with Mayhem gives me more cushion than you could imagine. I’d rather give it up by choice to people I know and genuinely like for the most part than be forced, or controlled by some heavy-handed pimp. There are not a lot of options out there for a girl like me. This suits my purposes just fine.”
“H-have you ever had to do any of that?” Ariel whispered.
“I’m not ashamed of surviving. I did what I needed to, but that’s over. I found a way out I can live with.” Fancy shuddered and looked into the space above Ariel’s shoulder, clearly back in a dark time in her life.
“Do you want to be an old lady?” Ariel said.
“Maybe someday with the right guy, but I hold no grand illusions. I’ve been with most of the people here. It’s a harsh truth for a possessive man to swallow, and trust me most of the men here are damn possessive.”
“I’m sure plenty of them think you’re worth it,” Ariel said, reaching out to grab her friend’s hand.
“You’re a sweetheart, you know that?” Fancy said.
Ariel rolled her eyes. “I don’t know about that, considering they used to call me Harpy behind my back before I gained the name Ariel.”
Fancy smiled. “You’ve changed a lot since then.”
“I’m trying. Fearing for your life has a way of making all the other petty issues seem real small and ridiculous.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” Fancy said.
“Yo, Fance, come here,” Casanova called.
“Duty calls. I’ll come back in a bit to keep you company,” Fancy said as she stood from the stool and sashayed her way over to the attractive blond. Fancy made the phrase poetry in motion come to mind. She had a rhythmic way of moving her body that made Ariel wonder if she’d ever been a stripper.
Summer returned, rubbing her ass. “Some of them get so handsy when they drink,” she said shaking her head.
“They’ll be in church soon, right?”
“Yeah,” Summer took a seat beside her. “It’s been busy for a weekday with the meeting. Usually everyone’s off doing their own thing. A lot of them work legitimate jobs during the day, which makes shit pretty boring around here for me.”
“How do you pass the time?” Ariel said.
“Cleaning, shooting the shit with the girls or running errands. I’m the one who keeps the kitchen stocked, and sometimes they need help in one of the shops. I can do secretarial type of things too.”
Ariel took in her words, and the wheels in her mind began to spin. These girls deserved to be happy. Maybe she could help them along a little. She bit her bottom lip. Hawk didn’t like questions, but she could work in some inquiries about her girlfriends.
“You look like you’re plotting. New twist for your story?” said a familiar voice behind her.
Ariel glanced up and grinned. “Juliette!” She jumped from the stool and hugged her friend tight. “I feel like I never get to see you.”
“I know. I miss you too. Being without my voice of reason right now is tough with Joey on a hormone rampage, and Evonne being…new Evonne.” Juliette shook her head and Ariel snickered.
“That entertaining?”
“Girl, it’s like we fell into a time warp and landed back in senior year of high school,” Juliette said as they parted and she took a seat to Ariel’s right. “Hey, Summer.”
“Hey, Juliette,” Summer said.
“Good lord, makes me glad I’m locked away in my tower like Rapunzel.”
“Must be the Tangled version because in the original I don’t think Locks of Plenty was getting it on with anyone, but that Flynn…” Juliette rubbed her chin like a comic-book villain.
“You’re freaking terrible, dude,” Ariel said.
“I’m going to do some restock guys,” Summer said effectively excusing herself.
Juliette turned to face Ariel. “I’m happy you’re happy, even though everything is a bit insane right now. Before all this, I felt like we were losing you.”
“Never that. I just wasn’t sure where I fit anymore, or what I was doing. The divorce between Mom and Dad keeps getting uglier, and they use me as some sort of referee. I didn’t want to let either of them down, but it was tearing me in two.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because I knew…I was allowing it to happen. How could I complain about the very thing I was doing to myself? Only stupid people do that, and I’m not stupid, but I was very stuck,” Ariel admitted.
“We had no clue it’d gotten this bad.”
“I know. I tried to play it off as more bothersome than anything else. It was embarrassing having the golden couple crash, burn, and turn on one another like cannibals.” Ariel shuddered.
“What happened to change things?”
“Honestly, it was Hawk. He opened my eyes to a few things. Being a good child doesn’t mean I have to suffer through this with them. They were wrong for placing me in the position in the first place. What they need is a mediator.”
“What did you tell them about suddenly dropping off the face of the planet?” Juliette said.
“I told them I was taking a trip to get my head together, and I’d call them when I returned. They’re so deep in their divorce battle and constantly being scrutinized by lawyers and private eyes trying to dig up dirt, it’d be stupid for the assholes to go after them the way they did with Evonne’s family.” They went silent thinking about their friend.
“How’s she doing?” Ariel said.
“As well as anyone could expect, really. She has her bad days. I know her father is still being an asshole, and her mother has yet to grow a spine. Evonne’s still seeing a psychologist to help her deal with what happened. It’s been helping.”
“Good. After what she went through, she probably needs it. Hell at this point, we all do.” Ariel shook her head.
“What about you?” Juliette said.
“Nightmare, uneasiness at the oddest times. I’ll never feel safe in a library again after the drive-by happened there.”
“I’m glad you have Hawk and Evonne has Rocky. He’s been amazing for her. She’s come out of her shell a lot.”
“I don’t have anyone, and I’d say that went both ways for those two. I never saw Rocky as the settling-down type before Evonne she entered the picture. Did you?”
“No. I think they shocked everyone.” Juliette eyed her knowingly. “It seems to be a running trend.”
“Don’t you put that voodoo on me,” Ariel said.
“What’s the joke?” Joey asked appearing beside Juliette.
“Nothing,” Ariel snapped.
“Oh, just telling our friend, Ariel here, statistically speaking she and Hawk are next on the hook-up list.”
“It’s t
rue; bets are being taken,” Joey said.
“Wait, what?” Ariel turned to face her friend.
Joey laughed. “Yeah Moose told me there’s a pool going on how long it’ll take.”
“That’s bullshit,” Ariel spat.
“Nope, that’s Mayhem shit,” Juliette said deadpan. “Trust me, you get used to the freakish brotherhood mentality, and it becomes old hat.”
“Well, it won’t for me,” Ariel said.
“Hmmm,” Juliette and Joey tilted their heads toward each other.
“You guys fucking suck,” Ariel said.
“I definitely missed the first part of this conversation,” Evonne said taking a seat beside Ariel.
“They’re giving me shit about Hawk.”
“Oh, there’s a you and Hawk now?” Evonne arched a brow.
“What? No. that’s what I’m trying to explain.”
“Aaah, I see, so you’re still in denial.” Evonne pattered her shoulder. “Don’t worry, it’ll come out in the wash soon enough. The man looks at you like you’re a buffet and he’s starving.”
“That’s all sexual. It’s a need that gets fulfilled and you move on with your day,” Ariel huffed. Her face heated and she rolled her shoulders.
“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much,” Evonne said.
“You guys are starting to piss me off,” Ariel said.
“Look we don’t want to rile you up. We just want you to open those brown eyes and see what may just be in front of you,” Evonne said.
“Point taken. Now can we move on to something else?” Ariel said. “Joey’s pregnant; how’s that going?”
“Way to throw me under the bus,” Joey said, delivering a playful wink. “It’s good. I’m less sick now, still crazy as hell thanks to hormones. I figure it’s training for when the little one arrives.”
They all laughed, and the mood lightened as they played catch-up and waited for their men to finish up with business.
* * * * *
“I called you here because we got some interesting news from the prospects,” said Tiny. “The Angels of Death our now under new leadership, due to mutiny. The vice president rose up, put Riker down and decided to change their entire operation. They’re out for territory, by any means necessary. They’ve already rolled a few of the smaller M.C.s and now they’re circling us like sharks. The dealing they’re doing is a test to see how strong we are.”
“Do they know we have the Eights behind us?” Hawk asked.
“No, and I think if word gets around they’ll back off. Now I’m not afraid to go to war, but we all know we got our hands full at the moment. At the very least let’s put this shit off until later,” Tiny said.
“I hear you. What do you have in mind?” Hawk said.
“I want to keep the prospects with the Angels of Death feeding us info from the inside. We’ll put the word on the streets Eights and Mayhem have declared one another brother charters. That should make them think twice,” Pres said.
The men barked out their agreement.
“Another thing…your girl’s house got ransacked last night,” Tiny said, looking at Hawk.
“I figured they’d pull some shit like that,” Hawk said. “Anything else going on?”
“We’re bringing the witnesses in. I know they wanted to hold off on that, but it can’t be helped. I told them Mayhem would keep them safe. I stick by my word. I can’t do that when they’re not properly protected. We’re going to put them up in a cabin together. They can come and join us, or keep to themselves.”
“Fair enough,” Hawk said.
Tiny turned back to the boys. “Anything looks halfway suspicious, I want to know about it. The shit just hit the fan. It’s about to get a lot messier before this over. These guys don’t want to be exposed for the sick fucks they are. But they messed with the wrong people. I know you’ve been waiting patiently for a change to get revenge for that setup with the Russians. I haven’t forgotten by a long shot. We’re doing this legit to take the heat off Mayhem. Let’s not forget we have friends in many places.”
Hawk nodded his head. The Lords were going to order a hit on them after shit settled down.
“They’ll pay for their transgressions with blood and go down begging for mercy, my brothers.” A roar rippled through the crowd. Men stomped their feet in approval. Tiny lifted his hand. The noise stopped. “We’re all on the same page, so I’m going to dismiss you. Go have fun and enjoy your freedom while you can. Because when I call you to go to war, I want you ready to be in the trenches.”
“Yes, Pres.” The unanimous response made Hawk damn proud. They had a good group here. After weeding out the weak and disloyal over the years, he trusted every of these men to have his back, barring prospects. They still had to prove themselves. It was just a part of how shit went. None were allowed inside church, unless they were doing something special for the brothers, like the boys they had in bed with Angels of Death. If they played their cards right, two cuts with patches would be waiting for them after this.
“All right boys, church is over. Get the fuck out of here. I know I will.” They all stood and began to flood out the door as Hawk turned to Tiny. “You think I should tell Ariel? You know we aren’t going to let her go by her place.”
“I wouldn’t jeopardize the trust between you two. Seems like shit is going better than okay right now.” The curiosity in Tiny’s gaze made Hawk laugh.
“Yeah, you could say that. When she’s not giving me hell, we get along.”
“Long as she keeps her act right in front of people.” Tiny paused. “Besides, I think you like that shit.”
“Maybe so.”
“So yes.” Tiny snorted.
“Asshole,” Hawk said.
Tiny laughed. “Eh, you got incoming. I’m going to find myself a drink or two. Pregnant bitches are crazy.”
Hawk laughed. “This from Mr. It’s Time to Start on the Next Generation.”
“That shit might be true, but I forgot about this stage. You know Katie’s grown. It’s been a long time since I had to deal with this shit. I think I blocked it out.”
“Probably ’cause her mother is a raving bitch.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Plus I was young then. I had more patience, I think.” Tiny shook his head. “Anyways, drinks for me.” Tiny walked out the door and Hawk turned to meet Rayen’s cautious gaze.
“What’s up, brother?” Hawk said.
Rayen shrugged. “It’s weird being back, seeing everyone.” He shook his head. “I don’t know man. So many new faces and changes.”
“All for the better,” Hawk said, studying him carefully. “You solid?”
“Yeah, just weirded the fuck out.” Rayen shook his head. “They try to prepare you for the outside, but after having someone to tell you what to do every minute of the day for the past seven years… It feels wrong to make all my own decisions.”
“Hey, we’re all here for you. Come on, I think you need to relax, and I know just the woman to do it.” Hawk wrapped his arm around his brother’s shoulder, ignoring the slight tension in his muscles, and led him from the room. He scanned the crowded clubhouse and grinned when his eyes rested on Fancy. Pretty, funny and flexible as shit, she’d loosen his brother up with a gentle touch.
“Fance, I need you over here for a minute,” Hawk said.
Fancy glanced up and grinned. “On my way! Sorry, ladies.” She waved at Star and Jewel, switching her way across the room. Hawk bit back a laugh. Star and Jewel had been around the clubhouse for a long time, and all but worn out their welcome. They’d probably be gone if they had somewhere else to go. Ten years of hard living hadn’t left them in any shape to get back on the strip club stage, and some of the older men had a soft spot for them. It didn’t stop them from hating on the younger girls like Fancy.
“What can I do for you, V.P.?” she said popping the last letter.
“My brother here, Rayen, needs to lighten up. I know of a few women here who could offer
up such a fun time.”
“Well I’m flattered, Hawk. I’ll do your boy right. What’s a matter sweetheart, cat got your tongue?” Fancy said.
“Been a long time since I saw anyone as pretty as you,” Rayen whispered.
“Oh, I like him.” Fancy grinned and took his hand. “Come on, handsome, show me your room.”
Hawk clamped his brother on the back and laughed as he walked away with the cat-that-ate-the-canary grin on his face.
“You look pleased with yourself,” Ariel said.
Hawk glanced down at Ariel and frowned. She looked flustered. He wrapped his hand around her neck and massaged. “Walk with me.” She opened her mouth, and he added a slight pressure. “Now.” She huffed but clamped her jaw shut. “I don’t know what’s got you all worked up, but now isn’t the time.”
They walked to his room. He guided her inside. “Before you get all hot under the collar, you need to zip it and take a seat.”
She looked up at him, paused and sat down on the edge of his bed.
“Pres told me your house got ransacked.”
“What?”
“They came at night and tore the place up. One of our guys happened to notice the door ajar during a drive-by and he called in backup to go inside.”
“Son of bitch.” She jumped off the bed. “I have to go clean the place up and see if they took anything.”
“You know that’s not going to happen.”
“So I should just leave it a wreck?”
“No, we’ll send someone in to clean it up. They expect you to come running so they can either grab you or tail you. Luckily we’re not that stupid.”
She balled her hands into fists. “This isn’t some game; it’s my life.”
“You think I don’t know that? Everything we’re doing right now is to keep you alive, so you’d better watch how you come at me with that mouth of yours.”
She glanced away. “I want these guys.”
He stepped toward her and placed his hands on her biceps, feeling the fine tremors going through her body.
“And we’ll get them. But you can’t rush off half-cocked and fuck up everything we’ve been working on, or misdirect your anger ‘cause, babe, I’m no one’s punching bag. You get too wild with that shit and I’ll put you in your place.”
