by Kim Jones
“If you ladies don’t mind, I would like to introduce Dallas to the guys. Personally,” Luke said, walking past me and hugging Brooklyn, then Red. They both laughed at his comment and I felt like I was missing out on an inside joke. Red sensed my discomfort and eased my mind.
“He just don’t want anyone to get the impression that you’re available,” she said, rolling her eyes and placing her hand on her hip. She was dressed much like me and Brooklyn, but the top she wore was bright orange. Her cleavage bulged out of her thin shirt and her tight jeans fit perfectly around her curves. She stood even taller in a pair of thigh high boots that covered her faded jean clad legs. Diamond hoops swung from her ears along with a diamond bracelet, a diamond studded watch and a diamond ring on almost every finger. She caught me looking at her jewelry infested hands.
“Don’t get too excited there, sugar. They’re only CZ’s. I only break the real stuff out on a special occasion.”
“This is a special occasion! I’m here,” Brooklyn chimed in next to her. Luke grabbed my hand and pulled me away, obviously knowing that this conversation could go on for days.
Chapter 5
Dallas
We walked down the pathway that led to the large clubhouse, and I wanted to jump up and down when I heard all the familiar voices coming from inside the closed doors. As if they were expecting our arrival, the double doors were opened and I was immediately greeted with cigarette smoke, loud music, and two PROSPECTS.
“Welcome home, brother,” the first PROSPECT said to Luke as we entered. I recognized him from the house, but I didn’t know his name. PROSPECT didn’t seem like it was the right way for me to address him, but I was relieved of my worry when Luke introduced us.
“Dallas, this is Tommy. Tommy, this is my girl, Dallas.” My girl. Every time he used that term I got butterflies. My full mega watt smile was still in place, and I placed my hand in his.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he said, his look serious, but his eyes very appreciative. The look didn’t go unnoticed by Luke.
He took a step closer to him, his eyes darkening and his voice stern, “mine.”
Tommy’s face went grave and it was like Luke was sucking the honesty out of him. I would have lied and said I didn’t know what he was getting so worked up about, but Tommy spit the truth without even breaking eye contact.
“Sorry, Pres, but I couldn’t help it. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
Luke’s face softened a little, and I think he regretted being so hard on him. To smooth things over, he grabbed him on the shoulder and let out a deep breath.
“Yeah, PROSPECT, she is quite breathtaking,” he said, in what I assumed was in an attempt not to seem like such an ass.
“Thank you, Tommy. You are very kind. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me,” I said, my fingers tightening in Luke’s hand. I hoped he would get the “you’re a dick” message I was sending him. Luke smirked and looked at me, not at all affected by my attempt.
“Yes, ma’am. My pleasure.” The appreciative look in his eyes was gone, but I knew his words were genuine.
“Hello, Miss Dallas.”
I turned to see a young guy who couldn’t have been any older that eighteen standing behind me. He stuck his hand out in front of me, forcing me to let go of Luke’s to shake it. Luke let go of my hand and let out and exasperated breath.
“Dallas, meet Kid.” Kid was short and wiry, giving me the impression that he was a little nerdy. I mentally scolded myself for stereotyping him, something I promised myself I wouldn’t do, and flashed him a smile.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Kid.”
“Kid is our little nerd. He helps us out with our computer and security systems. He is a genius and he knows it.”
Kid’s smile widened at Luke’s description of him, not at all offended by Luke’s “nerd” comment. I wanted to fist punch the air, because I had hit the nail on the head with my uncanny ability to profile people, but I thought that might be a little much.
“He is too young to PROSPECT, but we let him hang around here in exchange for his services,” Luke said in a way that let me know he had to explain Kid’s reasoning for being here more than once.
“It helps me out with the guys at school. They are fucking dickheads, but they don’t mess with me anymore, now that they know I’m protected by the club,” Kid said, rocking back and forth on his toes making me dizzy. He must suffer from some kind of ADD.
“Hey!” Luke snapped, causing Kid to stand stock still. His face took on an expression of fear and I wanted to smack Luke for hollering at him.
“Language. What did I tell you about cussing? Especially in front of a lady.”
“Sorry, Luke. I just got excited,” he said, hanging his head in shame. I wanted to hug him, but I refrained. I didn’t need Luke snapping at me too. Luke let out another exasperated sigh. He now seemed aggravated with himself for being too hard on him.
“Why don’t you hang out tonight? Crash on one of the couches. I’ll make sure you make it to school on time in the morning.” At this, Kid’s head shot up and he became excited once again.
“Cool! Thanks Luke!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just don’t piss anybody off.” Kid pulled a phone from his pocket and disappeared through the crowd.
“Well that was mighty nice of you, Mr. Carmical,” I said laughing. Luke rolled his eyes at me and shook his head.
“I’ve never had a soft spot for nerds. You are turning me into a pussy.” I threw my head back, laughing hard at Luke’s comment. There was nothing “pussy” about Luke.
“Damn boy!” boomed a voice from somewhere in the room. We had made it through the doors and for the first time, I was able to take in my surroundings. It looked like a mixture between a bar, a gentlemen’s club, and a bike rally. Not that I had ever been to a bike rally, but I had seen them on T.V.. My eyes scanned the room for the voice when they landed on two men standing at the bar. The tall, lean one wore glasses and had legs that bowed, giving any cowboy a run for their money. The shorter one was well built in the arms and had white and gray hair that covered only the sides of his head. His skin was very tan and I thought he might have some Native American in him.
Luke’s lips turned up on his face and parted revealing two rows of perfect, white teeth. He placed his hand in the small of my back and led me towards the two men that were propped up at the bar drinking beer.
“I’m gonna say it again. Damn boy!” the shorter man said laughing. I smiled at him, falling in love with his laugh and the lines that formed at the corners of his eyes. He was everything you expected from a biker. From his rugged look to his dusty black boots.
“Dallas, this is Possum. He is the Vice President of our Lake Charles chapter.” I stuck my hand out for him to shake. He laughed his throaty laugh once again and stared down at my hand shaking his head.
“Baby, I want to feel big tits on my chest and I can’t do that if I shake your hand.” Before I had time to react to his comment, he pulled me to him and wrapped me in his arms. “Damn you smell good.”
I put my arms around his neck, patting him on the back, not sure what to do or say. He had completely taken me aback with his “tits” comment. When he released me, his demeanor was much more serious, but also sympathetic. “We are here for you, baby. You are a fighter. We are proud of you and we are glad to see Luke finally settle down with a good woman.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the tall man nodding in agreement. I was humbled at his comment, and was sure that I would start crying at any moment. I got the impression Possum was the type of guy even the ladies went to when they just needed to talk. He was fun and flirtatious, but it was just a mask to conceal the passionate, understanding guy underneath.
“We are gonna take care of you, hun.” I turned to my left to face the tall man who spoke lightly, but with clarity. “Everyone in this room is here for you. I’m just glad to see you have roped in this one,” he said, clapping Luke o
n the back and pulling him in for a hug. Roped… hmm. Maybe he was a cowboy.
“Ronnie, I want you to meet my Brooklyn. I hope in years to come we can say we have a relationship as strong as the two of you.
This was Ronnie. This was Brooklyn’s Ronnie. I was Luke’s Brooklyn. I was gonna lose it.
“Oh, is she a crazy bitch, too?” Ronnie asked laughing.
“I heard that shit!” Brooklyn yelled from down the bar. We all laughed and my emotions were back in check.
“Come ‘ere, girl.” Ronnie pulled me to him and I slid my arms around his back. He was much taller than me and my head landed somewhere between his stomach and his neck. I wasn’t sure where, because along with his bowed legs, Ronnie had the longest torso I had ever seen.
Our hugging party was interrupted when a gorgeous blonde with teased hair, a leather mini skirt, and fishnet stockings appeared. “Drinks?” she asked, flashing a smile and giving me a wink. I thought my reaction would be to punch her in the face, or at least want to, but instead I smiled and requested a vodka and Redbull.
“Great choice. I’m Linda,” she said, sticking her small hand out for mine while battling the tray with her other. Luke grabbed the tray from her and she smiled sweetly at him, but not in an inviting way.
“Thanks Luke,” she said, never really making eye contact.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Linda. Luke and I appreciate you being here.” Where the hell had that came from? Luke beamed beside me, obviously pleased with my comment.
“The pleasure is all mine.” She sashayed away, shaking her perfect ass as she went, and giving me time to admire and appreciate her. Her long, slender legs were toned and muscular. She walked with so much grace you would think she wore flats instead of platform heals. She was, for lack of a better word, hot.
“You like what you see, babe?” Luke asked from beside me. I snapped back into the conversation to find the three of them staring at me with an amused expression.
“What?” I asked, not knowing what was so amusing. “She’s hot.”
Luke laughed and shook his head, “Here I was thinking it was the guys I was gonna have to watch out for. Looks like it’s gonna be the strippers.”
“She’s a stripper?” I asked, but now that he said it, I could see she had the body of one.
“The best stripper,” Possum chimed in. “You need to come down tonight and watch her in action.”
“Oh hell naw,” Luke said, shaking his head vigorously.
“And why the hell not? I think it would be fun.” I had never seen a stripper in action, other than on T.V. I could handle it.
“Brooklyn’s gonna be here,” Ronnie informed us, smiling at Luke, pleased with his discomfort.
“We’ll see. Come on, babe. I have some more people I would like you to meet.”
Luke pulled me away and through the growing crowd of people. The clubhouse was swarming with men and women of all different ages. From those who looked like they had just graduated high school to those that were carrying oxygen machines. Luke introduced me to everyone we encountered. All of them were gracious and kind and seemed to have the need to reassure me that they were here to protect me. I had never felt more loved.
The bar was lined with women and PROSPECTS behind it, serving drinks and making sure everyone was taken care of. Several women floated around carrying trays of beer, chips, and liquor-all dressed in skimpy attire and wearing platform heals. The pool tables were crowded with people throwing their bets down on who was the best. Tables, chairs, couches and barstools were all taken, and even the meeting room was full of patch members who looked to be in deep discussion. I told Luke I needed to go to the bathroom and for the first time since we had entered, he allowed me to leave his side. I had been introduced to almost everyone, so there was no doubt about who I was here with.
The bathrooms were set up much like what you would find in a bar. There were four sinks that lined the counter, along with a mirror that stretched the length of the wall. The stalls were made of wood, and the doors of them had the Reaper emblem carved out. Along the counter, every beauty product and toiletry you could imagine was available to you. From makeup and hair spray, to tampons and condoms-they had thought of it all.
The bathroom was just as alive as the clubhouse. It was full of women, all hogging the mirrors and re-applying makeup. A window on the back side of the bathroom was open, helping to vent some of the cigarette smoke. It smelled like Marlboros and cheap perfume. The excitement that had been bubbling inside me died when my eyes met Maddie’s in the mirror.
The last time I had seen her was at my house, after my assault. Maddie and I didn’t have a very good relationship, but she had been there and that was more than I could have asked from her. Flanking her were Monica and Jennifer, the twins I remembered from my first night at Luke’s. Next to them were Jenn, Baby, and Jugs-all of whom I had met.
“Slap a pair of jeans on her and she almost looks like a biker babe,” Maddie said, eyeing me in the mirror as she applied a coat of lip gloss to her already red lips.
“Don’t be a bitch, Maddie. She is a biker babe,” Jenn said, walking up to me and wrapping me in her arms. She smelled good, and her hug was motherly. Her embrace gave me reassurance and I let Maddie’s comment roll off my back. She walked up to me until she was in my personal space. Not a good idea. I cocked my eyebrow at her and stood my ground, letting her know that she did not intimidate me.
“I’m not gonna pretend I like you. I’m sorry about what happened with Frankie, but that doesn’t change anything,” she said to me, not even looking me in the eyes, only examining her fingernails. Bitch. If I was going to be around, maybe it was time we just got this over with. “Maddie, why do you hate me so much? Is it Luke? Do you want him or something?” So maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I felt the air in the room shift and you could cut the tension with a knife. Apparently, I had struck a nerve. Maddie closed the distance between us, until she was so close that when she spoke her warm, peppermint breath tickled my nose.
“You don’t know shit. This is my family. That includes Luke. I love him, but not in the way you think.”
“Well, maybe you should enlighten me, because right now I don’t know and I don’t care who you are. I love him and it’s in the way you think. This is my family too, so if you have a secret to share or something to say, now is the time to do it. Ever since I have been around, your place here has been a big secret, so if you expect me to know shit and have a little more patience with your fucking attitude then you better start talking.”
I was now seething. My nostrils flared as I stared down Maddie. She was just as stubborn as me and not backing down. I had a feeling this was about to come to blows. My best plan of action was to just wait for her to make the first move. I didn’t need Luke saying I was starting shit and I didn’t want the other girls to jump on me for hitting her first. My head was pounding. My pulse was racing. My eyes had blocked out everything in the room but her. My ears were not as easy to tune out the noise and I could hear the other girls in the room trying to calm us down. Monica had stepped to my right and her voice was in a fog, but I could make out the words, “please, just let it go” that were whispered close to my head.
When the door swung open and a loud “Hey!” was shouted, neither of us budged. I knew it was Luke and the thought pissed me off more. If she let her beady little pathetic eyes sway the slightest in his direction I was going to cut her fucking throat. Arms that I knew could belong to no one but Luke grabbed me and hauled me out of the bathroom and through the crowded clubhouse. He pushed me through the group of people that had formed outside the door, forcing my feet to move. People got out of our way without hesitation and I could feel every eye in the room on me. This normally would have been embarrassing, but I was so pissed that all I could think about was ripping Maddie’s head off. The noise had died down and I was beginning to remember who I was and what was happening.
Everyone here was hiding something when
it came to Maddie. Red had told me that her story was for Luke to tell. It seemed that I was the only one out of the loop which pissed me off even more.
We neared the doors and they were opened for us as Luke escorted me outside with his hand wrapped tightly around my waist. He never broke stride as we crossed the sidewalk, into the carport and entered the house. I could hear laughter throughout the house and noticed that kids were here. They didn’t seem to notice us, and I didn’t have time to get a count of how many of them were there. Luke steered me through the kitchen, living room, and into his bedroom. Once inside, he let go of me and turned to lock the door.
Chapter 6
Dallas
“What happened?” he immediately asked, once the door was closed and we were alone.
“She fucking happened. This is the third time, Luke. The third fucking time that I have had to deal with her shit. What the fuck is going on? Who is she and why is she here?” My body shook slightly with the anger that was coursing through my veins. Luke ran his hands through his hair and paced the room. I watched him as he walked from one side to the other. He looked to be trying to figure out what in the hell to say to me. “The truth, Luke. The truth is the best way to go with this. I can handle it, just tell me. I don’t care if she is your ex, but I need to know. I look like a damn fool! Everyone knows what is going on but me. If you have had your dick in her, that’s fine, but I deserve to know.”
“She’s not my ex, Dallas,” Luke snapped. He sat on the bed and let out a deep breath. What was so fucking hard about this?
“Dammit, Luke! Just tell-”
“She’s your sister, Dallas.” I looked at Luke dubiously. What?
“What did you say?” I whispered. I must have heard him wrong.
“She is your sister,” he said softer this time. My blood ran cold as his words sank in. My legs buckled beneath me and I dropped to my knees. This wasn’t happening.
