Mayhem Madness: Reckless Bastards MC Series Books 1-7

by KB Winters

  Tate laughed and lifted up one of the headphones. “You have to aim if you want to hit anything besides trees, Cover Girl.” He ducked when I threw both hands in the air, gun waving like a flag. “Hey. Don’t ever wave a loaded gun around. Rule number one, okay?”

  “Shit, my bad. Yes. Got it. No waving a gun around like I just don’t care.” I flashed a toothy grin at him. “Seriously, sorry.”

  “Now you know and you won’t forget it.”

  “Definitely not with the death stare you just sent my way,” I told him as I squared my shoulders and turned toward the target. “Now help me kill something.”

  “You’re gonna have to spread those legs.”

  Oh fuck. I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I shivered when his big, warm body pressed behind me, his rough hands sliding down my arms to make sure my elbows were just right when I held the gun. “I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”

  His deep chuckle rumbled behind me, rattling my spine but I kept my shoulders squared and back straight. Just because Tate was a hot piece of man didn’t mean I needed to hand over my panties. “Funny.”

  I looked over my shoulder at him and, holy shit, I really shouldn’t have. The man had that whole rugged outlaw biker sex appeal on a good day, but when he smiled my panties just...incinerated. “I can be,” I told him and spread my legs. “This good?”

  His hands skimmed my hips. “A little more, but keep your hips squared and bend your knees just a bit. Drop this elbow,” he told me, his hand once again gliding over the area in question. “All right, now the gun shouldn’t knock you on your pretty little ass.”

  I wiggled for good measure. “I did feel kind of unsteady before. Maybe I shouldn’t shoot in stilettos?”

  “No, you definitely should.” His voice was thick with desire and lightly flirtatious. “Maybe we should do a half-off deal for girls in bikinis and heels.”

  I laughed. “Now that’s a good marketing plan, Golden Boy.” I snorted a laugh. “Hey you could be one of The Outsiders, remember that movie? Shit, I haven’t thought about that in forever.”

  “The Outsiders? That old ass movie with Tom Cruise?”

  “One and the same. You could’ve been Pony Boy’s brother or his cousin from out of town,” I told him, barely able to contain my laughter.

  “Are you obsessed with that movie or something,” he asked and stepped back so I could line up my shot.

  “Nope. One of the foster homes I stayed in, the parents were always gone and they would lock us in the basement with tons of VHS tapes. My favorite was The Outsiders.” I waited for the pity or some trite remark, but the fucker laughed. Laughed!

  “Don’t tell me, you discovered yourself as a woman to that film?”

  This time I put the gun down and doubled over with laughter. “Oh, Tate. Who knew you were such a funny fucker?”

  He shrugged. “I’m an acquired taste.”

  “Hmph,” was all I could reply because my mind rolled a few images I had no business thinking about. I got myself under control and picked the gun back up, whispering each step to myself. “And squeeze,” I said and pulled the trigger. My eyes whipped open and I squinted. “Oh shit, I actually hit it!” I jumped up and down, wrapping an arm around Tate. “Die fucker!”

  Tate chuckled and shook his head. “All right, Annie Oakley, let’s see if you can do it again.”

  I did. Again and again. Mostly my bullets clipped the outer edge of the paper, nowhere near the human silhouette, but it felt damn good. “So in about two years, I’ll be ready to protect myself,” I told him an hour later.

  “Nah, you’ll be ready way sooner. But you need to do this a few more times. I’ll even give you a discount for the open carry class. It’s six classes but you’ll know how to shoot, clean and load your weapon. Plus, overall safety.”

  I couldn’t help but grin. “Look at you, being all business-like.”

  He grinned and rolled his eyes. “Quiet, Cover Girl, let me show you what to do next.” Tate stood close, showing me how to check the chamber without shooting myself in the face. “We’ll do cleaning next time.”

  “Eager to get rid of me?”

  “Hell yeah. I hate beautiful women who smell good. Yuck,” he added with a shiver.

  “Whatever.” I shoulder checked him as we went inside so I could pay for today’s lesson. I insisted. “Thanks for this Tate, I’m no safer but I don’t feel so...victimized.”

  “That’s a start. Just call for your next lesson.”

  I nodded, grabbed my purse and walked through the elaborate structure that finally spit me out onto the blacktop parking lot. I slid my Chanel glasses down to shield my eyes. I loved these sunglasses, they were classics and they were the first major purchase I’d made with a modeling check. It had been a fantastic feeling and the fact they were still in one piece made me feel like less of an asshole for dropping so much cash on a pair of sunglasses. Though here in sunny Nevada, they got a lot more use than when I was based in New York.

  “Hey bitch, just because you used to be somebody don’t mean you can come in here and take what don’t belong to ya!” A stringy-haired blonde with bad highlights and high-waisted acid washed jeans stopped right in my path. She was a little shorter and a little rounder than me, but she looked mean as a junkyard dog. “Fucking slut.”

  “Look bitch, I don’t know who you think you are but if you have a problem you should probably take it up with the dick that’s got you acting like a damn fool, and not me. Because I’m not in the fucking mood.” I could tell I shocked her and I was damn proud of that. People, especially women, thought they could intimidate me because they didn’t know that I was a bitch on wheels with just enough hell in me to make them regret it. “And while you’re at it, you should get those split ends checked out.” I skirted past her and kept walking toward my car, feeling a little amped up by the encounter with the eighties barfly.

  “Stay away or I’ll make you pay, bitch!” she screamed and seconds later I felt air whizz by my head as a beer bottle sailed past me.

  “Learn how to throw, hooker!” I laughed and unlocked my car with my key fob as I approached it, shaking my head at the foolish woman. Why was it that women always wanted to fight over the one thing in this world that didn’t mean shit? Men, yeah right. My career, Jana, my life...yes. Men weren’t even worth the effort of balling up my fist.

  And definitely not the bruised and bloodied knuckles, because I didn’t slap. I jabbed.

  I refused to let that woman ruin my good mood and decided to head to Jana’s house. Maybe some alcohol therapy and girl time would make me feel better about everything. I parked behind her Prius and walked around the back because it was a nice day and Jana loved her backyard. I found her staring off into space like something was terribly wrong. “What’s up? Is it Max? Do we need to kill him or something, because I will totally be your alibi.”

  Jana turned to me with tears swimming in her eyes but slowly enough to torture me, her mouth pulled up into a grin. “Nothing as bad as all that. Teddy, I’m pregnant.”

  I gasped at the idea that I’d have a little niece or nephew to spoil rotten, then a frown appeared. “Oh, I get it. You’re in love with a big handsome man who thinks the world was created just for you, an awesome career and the bestest best friend ever. Your life totally sucks.”

  She smacked me playfully. “Shut up.”

  “You’re happy about this. Right?”

  Jana nodded, flicking her long blonde hair out of her face as she sniffled. “I am, Teddy. I really, really am. It’s just, well I’d given up on thinking this would ever happen for me, you know? And what if Max isn’t happy?”

  I shook my head and smacked my lips, giving her a what the hell look. “You know Jana, doctors frown on pregnant women smoking crack.”

  “Teddy,” she whined.

  “Look, Max thinks the sun shines out of your pussy. He’ll be so happy that he’s probably going to smother you with love and overprotectiveness. You’ll be wrapp
ed so tight in cotton that you’ll want to kill him before you even start showing.” She laughed and I wrapped my arms around her. “Seriously, you should probably jump up and down, maybe run up the steps two at a time and carry a big box before he finds out.”

  Jana’s body shook with laughter and I felt better too. “Thank you, Teddy.”

  “Don’t worry. I love you and you’re going to be an amazing mother, trust me.”

  “Teddy,” she began nervously. “What if...what if my face scares my baby?”

  My heart instantly broke for Jana. Not because of the jagged scar on the right side of her face, but because she really didn’t see how incredible she was. “That’s never going to happen. You’ll love that little tyke so much, take such good care of it that it’ll think something is wrong with the other moms who don’t have a hero mark.”

  “Oh, Teddy,” she cried and then sobbed so hard her body shook.

  “Well now that you’re already a blubbering mess, I think I should tell you about something.” I sucked in a deep breath and put a few feet of distance between us as I finally told her all about the gifts. “They started a while ago. I think it’s Kip Riley.”

  “Teddy, you have to call the cops.”

  I scoffed. “Yeah, I did that and they were no fucking help at all. Laughed, if you can believe it.” That still made me angry enough to cause bodily harm, but it wasn’t worth it so I shrugged it off.

  “Teddy,” she began but I held up my hands to stop her.

  “I’m doing all that can be done, Jana. Don’t worry about me and please, don’t tell Max.” She hesitated but I looked right through her. “Please.”

  She nodded. “As long as you’re not in any danger, I won’t say a word.”

  “That’s good enough for me.” For now, anyway. I didn’t want Max getting involved and especially not now, with a kid on the way. “It’ll be fine, don’t worry.” I would worry enough for the both of us.

  She listened as I told her about the randomness and over all sexual tone of the gifts, nodding as her gaze was set on a fixed point in the distance. “You should stay with us.”

  “Yeah, right. Because I want to catch you christening every part of this place? No thanks, but thank you for the offer. Besides, you and Max are still getting used to living together.”

  “It’s been six months,” she reminded me with a roll of her eyes.

  “Still. You’ll be nesting, or whatever, soon. I’ll be fine and even if I’m not, there’s no way I’m putting you in the vicinity of harm’s way.”

  I groaned when Jana began to tear up again. “You are too good to me, Teddy. I love you.”

  “I love you too, honey. Now you need to go rinse that face and put on something sexy when you tell Max he’s gonna be a daddy. There’s a bottle of wine at home calling my name.”

  And thankfully no gifts waiting for me when I got there.

  Chapter 7

  Tate

  Running my shop was easier than I’d thought it would be. Hell, getting the paperwork done for a business license had been harder, plus all the health and safety shit the state and the city required. The job itself was easy — scheduling the guys, booking appointments and disinfecting between customers — but the days were still long with inventory logs and bookkeeping. As I closed up late on a Friday evening, I started to think that maybe I should take Jana up on her offer to help.

  I knew I wouldn’t, not yet anyway. So far none of it was too difficult, just time consuming as fuck. But it’s not like I had a lot to keep me busy other than GET INK’D and the Reckless Bastards. Sad fucking life, but I wasn’t ready to do much more yet. Prison life was very regimented and even if I hadn’t needed that kind of structure, it stuck with me. Some guys had gotten out and come back in less than a year because freedom made them go buck wild and they ended up right back in a cage. I refused to let that shit happen to me.

  No. Fucking. Way.

  I’d just finished locking up when I felt a pair of hands grab me from behind. Instantly my instincts kicked in. Six years of being locked up with murderers, rapists and con men, I learned not to let anyone get the jump on me. I turned quickly, grabbing the asshole by the throat and slamming him against the steel gate. Only it wasn’t a him. I blinked at the familiar blonde-streaked brown hair and growled. “Sheena? What the fuck, I could’ve fucking killed you.” Fucking woman had no sense of self-preservation, did she? “I’m sure I told you to stay away from me.”

  She stuttered as I let go of her and took a few steps back, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “I-I’m sorry, Golden Boy. I just wanted to come see if you wanted to go to my place and order a pizza.”

  “I don’t.”

  Her lips shifted to a pout as she crossed her arms, doing her best to bring her tits to my attention. “Why?”

  It seemed the Reckless Bitches had gotten bolder in my absence and I didn’t fucking appreciate it. “Because I don’t want to, that’s why.”

  Hurt flashed in her eyes for about a second before it turned to anger. Arms once propping up her tits shifted to her hips as she leaned forward to glare at me. “It’s that hoity-toity redheaded bitch, ain’t it? She’s no more special than the rest of us, ya know.”

  “Goddammit, Sheena,” I roared and took a step forward, checking myself when she took a wary step back. “What, or who, I do is none of your fucking business. Get that shit through your thick skull or next time, I won’t be so nice.”

  She stumbled back and I took a few more steps away from her as a middle-aged couple walked by the front window. “You wouldn’t know fun if it ran up and kicked you in the nuts.”

  I laughed, shook my head and walked toward my bike that was parked out front. Jumping on my bike to put some distance between us, I decided I wasn’t ready to head back to an empty house. Now that Max and Jana were basically living together at Jana’s, the house felt bigger and emptier. Like another cage holding me in. I passed a noodle shop and figured being surrounded by strangers was better than being surrounded by silence. I didn’t know what the hell a noodle shop was, but I suspected some type of Asian based on the décor.

  “Table for one?” a very petite Asian woman asked and I nodded. “Big man needs big table,” she offered with a pat of my arm in a maternal way that reminded me of my mom.

  “Thanks,” I told her and stopped at a familiar halo of red hair. “Cover Girl?”

  Teddy looked up and smiled. “Tate, fancy meeting you here.” She gestured for me to join her and the older woman smiled as she set the menu at the empty seat.

  “I’ll get you a place setting,” she said with authority. “Drink?”

  “Beer. Something dark and creamy.” She smiled, nodded and walked away.

  I took the seat and drank Teddy in. She was always dressed up but tonight she had on jeans and a plain black t-shirt that still made her look like sex on stilettos. I inhaled and it felt like fire invaded my nose and eyes. “Holy hell woman, is that how you keep your body so hot, just scorching off the extra calories?” That shit in her bowl had to be illegal.

  Her head fell back, sending a cascade of waves across her shoulders as she laughed. “Nah. I just have a major noodle addiction and these are so fucking spicy there’s no way I can pig out on spring rolls and dumplings too.”

  My eyes must have bugged out my head at the way she laughed.

  “You can eat that much?”

  She nodded. “Oh yeah, which is why I limit myself to the spicy noodles or the other stuff.”

  “Worried about getting fat? Because from here it looks like that’s a long way away.”

  Her smile softened. “Thanks, but the truth is that I just don’t want to gain so much that I have to get rid of the clothes I’ve gathered over the years. They’re nice and these days I only splurge on shoes, handbags and jeans.”

  I barked out a laugh and picked up the just delivered beer. “What else is there?”

  She rolled her eyes with an affectionate smile. “Men. You know n
othing of fashion.”

  “You wound me,” I deadpanned.

  “You’ll live, Golden Boy.” She shook her head. “I love that name.”

  Her glee was interrupted when the older woman, May, according to the name on her shirt, came to take my order. I ordered a bowl of seafood and noodles, plus a bit of the other stuff out of pure curiosity. “Now Teddy, tell me something about yourself.”

  “Like?” While she waited for me to specify, she used her chopsticks perfectly to scoop noodles in her mouth, totally unconcerned with the drops on her chin until she was done chewing.

  Staring at her like this, dressed down and indulging in her favorite food, it occurred to me that she was as real as she was beautiful. Teddy didn’t try to be tough or sexy, she just was. She was able to laugh at herself without demeaning herself, and she spoke her mind. A rare trait in women in my experience. “Why did you grow up in foster care?”

  “Straight to it then, huh?” She dabbed her mouth with her napkin, as ladylike as you please, then smiled to show she wasn’t bothered by my question. “My mom overdosed on heroin one times too many and when she died there was no one. She hadn’t spoken to her family in years, changed her name and moved a dozen times, so it was easier for the state to put me in the system rather than actually try to track them down.”

  Damn. “Did you have one family or were you like Jana?”

  She scoffed. “Yeah, that was one of the things that bonded us. Our inability to find a family. Now it’s your turn.”

  I shrugged and told her all about our mom. “She was the best. Tough as hell but tender and all mom-like, you know? The woman couldn’t cook a bird to save her life, but she was absolute magic with potatoes. And she was so proud of Max, then me for enlisting.” Just thinking about Mom made my chest tighten, tears sting my eyes.

  “It must’ve killed her to see you locked up,” she said with no pity, just sincerity.

  “It would have, but she died before that shit storm swept in.” I shook my head, hearing the bitterness in my words. “She was everything to us, both of us, and yet we let some fucking war keep us away when she needed us the most. There was no one to fight for her, to make sure she got the care she deserved.” That shit still ate at me even though I’d stopped thinking about it about eighteen months into what turned out to be six long as fuck years. “At first I just tried not to think of her when I was locked up because it made me angry and that’s a sure-fire way to get dead or a life sentence. Then, it just made me sad.”