Ghost

by Mackenzie, Carson

  “Oh, yeah, we should have called you Happy.” Flirt’s sarcastic comment made me laugh harder.

  “Did you call to harass my ass, or is there a point to this phone call?”

  “Where you at now? Home?”

  “Nah, I had some time this morning, so I’m at Buy and Sell. I put the extra shelving up in the back that Roscoe needed.”

  “If you’ve finished, come to the clubhouse, we want to talk with you.”

  “You got it. Won’t be long, only need to sweep up,” I said and grabbed the broom out of the small utility closet.

  “See you a few, brother,” Flirt said, and the phone clicked, signaling he had disconnected.

  It hadn’t taken long for me to clean the storage area. And after I let Roscoe know I was leaving, I was out the back door and on my bike and headed to the clubhouse.

  As I rode up to the gate at Black Hawk, the newest prospect stepped out of the guard hut. Lock pledged in right after Devil, Jag, and I had gotten back from San Jose. Now that had been a fucking trip. I hadn’t been the only one who had a life-changing experience that week. Devil came back to the compound with a sister he hadn’t even known existed.

  I slowed the bike enough to give Lock the time to roll the gate open. After a chin lift, I hit the throttle and rode through. The short stretch of road to the clubhouse hadn’t taken long and I was parked and dismounted.

  By the time I reached the building, squeals and laughter stopped me in my tracks. When I turned my head in the direction the sounds came from, Ally and Neely popped into sight from the side of the clubhouse. Ally on her bike and Neely pedaling her little legs to keep up as she followed behind on a pink bicycle with training wheels. They spotted me and smiled.

  “Hey, ladies. How’s it going?” I asked as they stopped and got off their rides. I smiled when I got a good look at them.

  Ally wore jeans, little biker boots, and a black t-shirt with a blue jean vest that had Spider Monkey stitched where a name tag would be. Neely wore tiny Keds, a fluffy skirt with a ton of colors, and a pink t-shirt with the same blue jean vest over it, but her stitching said Lil’ Sis.

  “Hey, Ghost,” Ally yelled from the spot they parked their bikes. I had to give them points. The bicycles sat in a spot between several other bikes. The ones that ran on gas instead of leg power and would have tipped if the girls hadn’t taken care with parking theirs.

  I squatted as they approached me. “Nice day to for a ride.”

  “Yeah, ‘cept I had to ride my bike ‘cause Neely can’t have a motorcycle yet,” Ally said, then looked over her shoulder at Neely.

  “I’s learning. Then I gets a bike like yours. Dev said,” Neely answered Ally, but looked at me when she said the last part.

  Neely might have been shy in the beginning, but it sure hadn’t lasted long. Seemed being with Devil and Bailey, she was coming out of her shell. Her speech was improving, too. She had a rough start to her life living with her mom. That was until Devil found her in that house dirty and in clothes too small, with his mother’s pimp, drug dealer, or whatever the creep was to the woman. Neely’s life definitely took a change for the better that day. Never want to imagine what would have happened if Devil hadn’t come across her that day.

  Especially, after the scum wanted to sell her to Devil, and Devil found out she was his sister. The asshole paid for that physically by fists, then later when he was picked up for having kiddy porn on his computer. I figured now, he probably wished he’d chosen better in his life since most prisons’ population wasn’t known to have much tolerance for those who messed with kids.

  As for the mom, she’d signed her rights away to Devil since she was on her way to being incarcerated on drug charges and wouldn’t be out anytime soon. Not that I figured Devil would ever let the woman around Neely again.

  “If you hurry up and learn, you can get rid of them baby wheels.”

  “They ain’t baby wheels. Dev said it’s so I donts get hurt when I’s fall.”

  I fought the twitching of my lips, not wanting to laugh and chance hurting Neely’s feelings.

  “Dev said, huh?”

  “Yep. Bailey said no, but me needs a real bike if me gonna be a bikers baby. That’s what Dev said.”

  I wasn’t able to hold in my laughter any longer.

  “I think you mean biker babe.”

  Neely and Ally both looked at me and frowned, then Ally placed her hands on her hips.

  “That’s what she said.”

  I stood and shook my head. No way was I going to argue with two females. Even small ones.

  “Your daddy and the others inside?” I asked Ally.

  “Yep, Daddy sent us out ‘cause my papa was on the phone yelling at him.”

  “That so? Well, you two—”

  “What’s a...a unchic?” Ally cut me off and asked.

  “A what?” I frowned down at her.

  “My papa said if Daddy don’t marry my momma soon, he’s gonna make him an unchic.”

  I chuckled when I realized what Ally was trying to pronounce. The two little girls looked up at me expecting an answer that I was in no way going to give.

  “Well, umm...it—” The door opened, and Flirt and Speed stepped outside, saving me.

  “We heard you pull up and wondered what was taking you so long to come in. Now, I see. You’re out here chatting up the babes,” Flirt said, and Ally and Neely giggled.

  I shook my head. Flirt had always had a way with women. Evidently, it was just females of all ages.

  “Nah, Ally was just asking me what a eunuch is,” I said, and Flirt and I laughed when Speed groaned.

  “Don’t worry about that. And for God’s sake don’t tell your mother that.”

  “Okay,” Ally said and kick at the ground.

  “Now, are you two staying out of trouble?” Speed asked.

  “Uh huh,” Ally answered, then bit her lip.

  “You sure about that?” Speed asked and lifted his brow. Ally nodded. I looked at Flirt and his lips were twitching as he looked between the two.

  I had no idea what they were going to be busted for, but to witness the interaction would be enjoyable. It always was.

  “Neely?” Speed turned away from Ally and focused on Neely. Neely looked up at Speed and smiled but didn’t say a word.

  Speed looked between the two girls, then shook his head. Something was definitely up.

  “Alright. Let’s go about this differently. Have you two been inside the clubhouse? Maybe the kitchen?”

  Watching the girls closely was the only reason I caught the slightest break in Ally’s expression and then it was masked just a quickly. Damn, Speed and Sami were in for some long, rough teenage years.

  Father and daughter had a brief stare down until Ally smiled.

  “Neely had to go potty. And we was hungry.”

  “So you ate half a plate of cookies even though your momma told you they were for after lunch,” Speed said, then sighed heavily.

  “That’s why we didn’t eats them all,” Ally said triumphantly, then she looked at Speed and sighed heavily. “Do you gotta tell Momma about the cookies?”

  “I should because you didn’t listen to what she told you,” Speed said, and Ally pursed her lips and nodded.

  “Okay, I’ll listen better,” Ally mumbled.

  “Good, it will keep you out of trouble.” Speed ran his hand down Ally’s hair and pulled on her ponytail.

  “Is that why papa wants to make you an unchic, ‘cause you didn’t listen?” Ally asked.

  “I don’t think it has anything to do with not listening,” Flirt said under his breath, and my lips twitched.

  Speed closed his eyes, pinched his nose between two fingers, then rubbed his hand down his face.

  “Ah hell, just stay close and out of trouble and I won’t tell your mom about the cookies,” Speed said with a sigh to the girls. Ally smiled, then both girls nodded and ran back to their bikes.

  We watched them get on the bikes before w
e turned to go inside the clubhouse.

  “Christ, I may not live to see that girl reach adulthood,” Speed said, and Flirt and I laughed as we walked in.

  “She’d make a helluva negotiator. She can take over as the club attorney when Jag wants to step down.” Flirt laughed. “On a good note, fifty percent chance you get a boy this time,” Flirt said and slapped Speed on the back.

  “I’m sure that’s comforting, brother. He had fifty percent the first time, too,” I said and then laughed when Speed glared at Flirt.

  “Fucker, I hope when you have kids that your ol’ lady fills your house with girls. See how you and your dominant ass deals then,” Speed said.

  “They’ll listen to me just like their mother will,” Flirt said and tapped on the door to the prez’s office, then opened it.

  “Keep telling yourself that, brother. I hope you have a sense a humor because I’m going to sell tickets so everyone can watch your daughters run over your ass. And you will have daughters because I firmly believe in Karma,” Speed said as we walked in and the others glanced up at us.

  We joined Crusher, Devil, Coast, and Jag at the table that sat off to side.

  “A sense of humor about what?” Crusher asked and leaned back in his chair.

  Speed caught the others up and when he finished, they were laughing, too, and Flirt glared at us.

  “If, and I mean if I have girls, you brothers will see how it is done,” Flirt said, sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, which only made us laugh harder.

  “Oh, brother, gonna so enjoy watching,” Speed said and sat beside me, then turned to Devil. “And next time you can go deal with my daughter and Neely.”

  “Please, when Neely doesn’t want to answer, she just smiles at you,” Devil said, then chuckled. “Why ya think I let you go out to handle it in the first place?”

  “Okay, let’s get this meeting started and just agree that no matter what age the females are we’ll never have control,” Crusher said, and we laughed, but not one of us disagreed.

  Crusher’s phone rang as he opened a folder in front of him. When he answered his phone and started talking, the rest of us sat back and listened. Taking in the one-sided part of the conversation, it sounded as if the meeting was going to be delayed a little longer.

  Chapter Four

  Luna

  The other Lady Riders and I listened as Creed informed us of security measures the club implemented to ensure there wouldn’t be a hit on the compound. Since the Black Hearts were already in California, it was just a matter of time before they came knocking on our door. After the shit with Rebel, it was only going to piss them off more, which meant when they came here, it was going to get bloody. I wondered if we were ever going to have peace again.

  As the men asked questions and continued to talk, the less I listened, and the more I focused on not tossing my lunch. The club had too much going on to add my little issue to the mix. Especially, since I wasn’t ready to share the information.

  When I heard Sledge mentioned, I shook my head. It was still hard for some us to believe that he used his old club to advance himself within the Black Hearts leadership until he held the president spot. Because of that asshole, Fork’s half-brother was shot in the mix and had to be transferred out of the town. Our men still hadn’t found a trace of where the club went, it was as if the wind carried them off. The only good thing to come out of it all had been getting Raven back. Even after it all was said and done, we still had no clue what the hell set the Black Hearts on our tail in the first place. But whatever it was, it wasn’t over.

  “A few of their members have been spotted outside of San Diego,” Creed said, then raised his hand to stop Harmony who was prepared to speak. “I know what you’re going to ask, and no we didn’t grab them. But it does mean they’re getting closer.”

  “Why the hell did you not grab their worthless asses? We could be torturing the bastards right now, and that would send a message to the others that we aren’t just going to sit around and wait to see what happens. Fuck that!” Harmony crossed her arms over her chest and sat back against the chair.

  Rebel leaned forward and held out her hand to Harmony to give her a fist bump, then said, “Hell yeah, we could have. I don’t mind adding, that I do not like this whole, women remain in the background shit.”

  I was surprised the meeting hadn’t gotten out of hand then. But I had no doubt it would before it was over. No meeting with the women and men together ever end peacefully.

  I saw Shark’s eyes roll before he pulled Rebel back in between him and Blade and then he snapped loudly, “Dammit, we are not discussing this anymore.”

  “It is going to be some long ass months with Harmony’s hormones. You know that, brother?” Fork leaned over and mumbled to Creed, but it wasn’t low enough, and Harmony glared at him while a few of the men tried not to laugh.

  I’d been a part of the Ops Warrior MC for years, and still, it amazed me that the men had no clue about their women. Paybacks came in many different ways, and Fork and Creed would pay in spades by the time Harmony got done with them.

  “Enough! Can we get through this meeting without all the bullshit and drama? And would you quit saying that, Fork, you know she wants to stab you in the eye every fucking time you repeat it. And she won’t do it while you sleep either,” Creed said and pinched the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb.

  By the stress reflected in Creed’s face, I was surprised he hadn’t snapped before now. When the entire room went quiet at his tone, I knew he wasn’t the only one on edge. The seriousness of the situation could be gauged by the dangerousness radiating off the men in the room. Like the ones who looked as though they stood casually leaning back against the wall, to someone who didn’t know them, they could pass as men without a care in the world. An observant person would notice the men stood in strategic places around the room: off to each side of the windows, beside the two entrances into the room. Even the ones who sat in chairs were positioned to see through the doorways or out the windows. I also noticed that each man was positioned to where the other women and I were surrounded and covered if a threat occurred.

  I saw that each man’s eyes shone with knowledge, awareness, and danger that, if unleashed, would destroy anything in its path. My stomach rolled again at the thought, and I rubbed my hand across it, then tuned back in to listen to Creed.

  “When the Black Hearts hit Ricco’s place, they depleted the club’s numbers, but not totally. Intel shows Sledge was able to build the club back using every piece of scum he could recruit. Black Hearts outnumber us even with the Furies added into the mix. If we leave half of our men back to protect the compounds, the Black Hearts will outnumber us two to one. We already know they had those men in LA who have disappeared, so more than likely they are either here or close by. Considering the number of men, it would have to be a large place they’re hiding in. Or they split up. Either way, we need to find them if we want the upper hand. Any questions or thoughts?” Creed asked and looked around the room.

  “We could help secure the compound to free up some of the men, Creed,” Shady commented and all eyes cut to her. From the looks, I knew not one of the men would agree to let the Lady Riders fill in. “What? We can handle a gun or knives,” Shady looked at Harmony and winked before she continued, “as well as some of you.”

  “That won’t be happening, Shay,” Cajun replied from his spot across the room, and I saw Shady stiffen, then her mouth open. Thank God, Creed noticed too because he raised his hand and stepped in before the meeting took another turn. At that point, I just wished they would finish because my stomach refused to settle down.

  “Shay, no man in this room questions that you and your girls can’t take care of business, but goddammit, we won’t take that chance. Ever. Now several of you are carrying the next generation, so give us a fucking break and let us take care of you without giving us shit over it,” Creed said and looked at each woman.

 
“Fine, as long as you know we won’t be locked away while the crap’s hitting the fan.” Shady relaxed back in her seat.

  “No one would expect anything less,” Creed said, and the men in the room chuckled.

  That had to have been a huge worry off the men’s shoulders because the air in the room actually felt lighter. I almost felt bad for my part in some of their distress over the years until Fork opened his mouth.

  “We could even up the odds if Black Hawk would lend some support,” Fork said and cocked his brow.

  “They did take great care of Jas, brother. A lot of their members have specialized training like us, too,” Cajun brought up.

  “Black Hearts wouldn’t be expecting it,” Kink added.

  Other shit was said, but after they had mentioned Black Hawk, their voices sounded as if they were in a tunnel. Before I had time to think, I was up and on the move. When I reached the bathroom, I kicked the door shut and dropped to my knees with my head bent over the toilet. I realized the time I wanted to get used to my situation had run out.

  The door opened, and the water turned on and off, and I was thankful for the cold cloth that was placed on the back of my neck. After I finished and rose, Harmony handed me another cloth to wipe my face. The coolness felt good on my skin and settled the last of my upset stomach.

  “How long have you known?” Harmony asked.

  “A couple weeks when I missed my period, but I didn’t want to believe it. I mean, come on, one time without a condom. Then the morning sickness started, and I couldn’t deny it.” My voice sounded almost defeated to myself.

  “Sweetie, are you scared whoever it belongs to won’t want it?” Boo asked and frowned.

  “Tell us who, and we will make damn fucking sure they take responsibility. Not using a fucking condom, the asshole should know better. Who the fuck is it?” Shady ranted, and I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to light one of the men up for being so careless.

  “Shay, it, well...” I started, then stopped. I blew out a breath to relax, but I didn’t get to finish before Harmony jumped in.