by Ada Stone
Michael sat at the round table with his brothers and thought on that for a moment. Would Belle be able to deal with that? Would she throw a hissy fit the first time he told her he’d be gone for a few days on club business? Though he couldn’t really see her throwing a hissy fit over anything, he wasn’t sure exactly how she’d respond if the situation arose.
He already knew she wasn’t like the other girls in the club or the wives of his brothers. She had her own thing going, her own job, her own life. He didn’t like her apparent lack of a social life, but she didn’t seem to care about it. Some of the members didn’t like their women working. They wanted them home, cooking and cleaning, right where they knew they’d be. Michael saw the appeal in that, but he didn’t think for one second Belle would let him dictate her time. Although with the baby coming, they should talk about that.
As captain, he brought home enough cash to support them both and the baby. Plus, his work in the garage gave him a legitimate income, so there was no need for her to work. He’d have to bring up the subject carefully, not bombard her with the idea. Maybe he could let it be her idea to stay home. He had to shake his head. Playing games wasn’t his style. An open conversation was what would happen, and if she didn’t want to stay home, if she really wanted to keep working, they’d make it work.
“Now that everyone’s settled, let’s get this started.” Craig pounded the gavel on the table, sending a hush over the room. “We’ve known that the fucking Devil’s Nest crew was moving into our territory, bringing hard drugs and shit with them. They keep it up for much longer and we’re going to be feeling the heat from the sheriff’s department. We can only donate so many baseball fields to keep them on our good side. If that white powder starts showing up in classrooms, they’ll start cracking down everywhere. The docs over at Medi-Clinic on Main Street are wanting to double their order. I talked with the farmer last night and he’s good with the quantity, ready to ship. Sniper and Token are going to make the run next week for the pickup and delivery. I’m also wanting to send three more guys with them. I don’t trust those fucking Devil’s Nest pricks to stay the hell out of our business. Especially since they got the jump on Michael the other day.”
Michael looked around the table at the faces of his brothers. Everyone was intent on listening to their president.
“That fucker who jumped me nearly pissed his pants when he saw my tag.” He pointed to his title displayed on his kutte. “That makes me think he was low level, either prospect or just got patched. Not sure what their beef was, and I don’t give a fuck either.”
Several nods went around the table.
“They want our business, is my guess. Why not add the medical marijuana to their menu of drugs?” Craig’s chair creaked as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, giving a pointed look at everyone at the table. “So from now on, we double the men on our runs. I’ll try to get a sit down with Kenzie, their president. If we can keep this shit from spilling blood, I’d rather go that route, but I’m sure as fuck not giving up our turf or our dealings with the clinics. This stuff brings in healthy cash for the club, but we know it’s good, and we know it’s going to people that need it.”
More grunts of approval went up in the room.
“Michael.” Sniper spoke up. “Your girl’s mom. How’s she doing?” The club had helped pay for the medical treatments. They had every right to know how the money was being spent.
“No change, not really. I guess the chemo and radiation have shrunk the tumor enough for her to have the surgery. She’s going through a bunch of tests first, then they’ll set a date. Probably within the next few weeks.”
“And your girl…she gonna be your old lady soon?” The implication was there, not well hidden. Taking money from the club for family expenses such as medical bills was encouraged. Doing so for a piece of ass a member was currently fucking wasn’t looked upon with such grace.
“Soon enough. She’s carrying my kid. Isn’t that enough for now?” Michael turned his stare on Sniper across the table.
Sniper put his hands up in the air and shrugged. “For me, yeah. But from what I see, this procedure and all the bills…this is going to add up to a shit ton of money.”
“You saying I have to get a ring on her finger?”
“No. He’s not saying that. No one’s saying that. We don’t force brothers into marriage. Fuck, if you never marry her, that’s fine, but we need to at least meet this girl, don’t you think?” Craig leaned over the table. “That is, if she’s real. I mean, your story is a little…” He started laughing before he could finish, Sniper right along with him.
“You fuckers!” Michael cracked his own grin. “You think I made this shit up?”
“That some hot number walks up to you in the hospital and asks you to get her knocked up?” Sniper nodded. “You bet your sweet ass I do.”
Michael waved a hand through the air. “Fine. I’ll bring her around tomorrow night. Time she met you assholes anyway.”
“Candy’s not going to like that.” Sniper shook his head. “I’ll have to find some way to console the poor girl.”
“Okay, okay! That’s enough of the pussy shit. Let’s close this meeting up. Next week, we’ll do numbers, so everyone bring your fucking thinking hats.” The gavel hitting the table marked the end of the meeting. Chairs were folded and put back on the rack along the walls and non-board members headed out to the lounge to have drink or two.
Craig called out to Michael, who was starting to head out the door. “She really pregnant with your kid? I mean, you’re sure it’s yours?”
“I know it is.” Michael tapped his chest. “I know it.”
Craig nodded. “Okay, then. Of course, anything she or her mom needs…but she needs to surface around here. Not just to appease your brothers, but so she knows what she’s getting into. It’s not fair to drag her into this life without knowing what it is. She needs to see it, to feel it.” Craig spoke from experience, Michael knew that. He’d lost a woman, a girl he dated before his wife. He’d been crazy about her, wanted to give her the moon, but he’d kept her from the club, sheltered her as best he could. Once she finally started to see what his life really was about, she couldn’t stomach it. Even after seeing the good the club did, she could only see the bad, or what she considered bad. She left Craig, not even willing to listen or make it work. Just stuck her nose up in the air and walked away.
Belle wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t do that. But Craig was right—it was only fair to let her see what his life really was like, what her life was really going to be like.
Because he wasn’t letting her go.
No matter what.
CHAPTER NINE
Morning sickness couldn’t account for the butterflies wreaking havoc in Belle’s stomach. No, it had everything to do with being dragged to Michael’s clubhouse for the night. The several weeks they’d been together, she managed to keep from having to go there. Michael had been patient, but now he wasn’t asking anymore. He was ordering her to go with him.
When he first explained how traditional he was in relationships, she’d internally scoffed at him. She didn’t need him telling her what to do, and there was no way in hell she was going to give up her independence, even for him. But over the past weeks, he’d shown nothing but caring and compassion when it came to her. Mostly he was protective of her, making sure she got enough rest, ate enough, and made her doctor appointments. He hadn’t been pushy or overbearing at all, until he asked for the fifth time that she accompany him to the clubhouse for the evening. When she tried to come up with another excuse, he’d shaken his head at her. “You’re coming with me, no more excuses, babe. It’s where my life is, and you’ll have to come to terms with it sooner or later.” When he’d asked her what she was afraid of, she couldn’t readily admit there was anything like fear keeping her back.
Except there was. Fear she wouldn’t measure up to the other women there. Fear that she was getting involved with a life that didn�
��t have room for girls like her. But she couldn’t vocalize any of that, not yet. Because that would mean admitting she feared losing what she and Michael had started to build—a relationship. After a long shift at work, she felt revitalized the second his lips touched hers. Her body woke up the moment she laid eyes on him. She didn’t want to lose that, not yet.
“Everything’s going to be fine.” Michael reached over and squeezed her hand. He didn’t take her on his bike anymore, stating he didn’t think it was safe enough with her being pregnant. She had tried to point out it was no less safe than before she was pregnant, but he’d given her a hard look and said no. They’d be taking his truck until the baby was born.
“I know.” She didn’t look at him, though, her nerves were too rattled.
“They’re just people, Belle.” His voice dipped.
“I’m not nervous that I won’t like them,” she clarified, finally looking over at him. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other grasped hers in her lap. His hair was bound in a rubber band at the base of his neck, giving him a sterner look than usual. His chiseled features only seemed more intense in the low light of the evening.
“What? You think they won’t like you?” He gave her a grin that was probably meant to calm her but only reminded her of how handsome he was. Any of the girls in his club would want him. Why should he be with someone outside that life? “Babe, that’s not possible. And, if anyone so much as looks at you cockeyed, they’ll deal with me.”
“You can’t go around punching people because they don’t like me,” she admonished.
“Who said punch? I said I’d deal with it.” His casual shrug did little to ease her nerves.
“What do you do exactly, as the captain?” She hadn’t asked him before because she wasn’t sure she wanted to know exactly.
“Well, we have a few captains. Each in charge of a particular thing. I handle meet-ups. When we have club business that needs to be discussed outside the organizations, I set up the meetings, handle the location of the meetings, that sort of thing.”
“So you’re the club liaison?” That didn’t seem so bad.
He laughed. “Yeah, something like that. Only I’m not getting no tea cakes ready or bullshit like that.”
“You make sure it’s a safe venue and that both parties agree to the terms of the meetings?”
“Yeah, like that.” He gave a noncommittal grin. She decided she knew enough about his club job and changed the subject to something he could be more open about and she’d be more perceptive to listening to.
“And the garage. You work in the garage.”
“Yeah. We just started taking on work that isn’t bike related, like a real mechanic shop. That’s why I’ve been so busy this past week. Some guy came in with his 2013 Camaro Limited Edition and wants a full rebuild of his engine and some body work. Normally I wouldn’t touch it; limited editions aren’t a joke. But he was adamant, and he waved more cash at me than I could say no to.”
“Hmph, you like working with your hands.” She smiled at him over the expanse of the truck cab. He laughed, gave her hand another squeeze, and then let her go.
“Something like that.” He turned the truck into a driveway and drove them through a gate into what looked like a small compound.
She looked around at several buildings surrounding them and the people standing around in front of them. Not much different than when she’d driven past during her normal drive through town, but something was off; something felt different. Maybe because she was inside the compound? Because she was sitting in one of their captains’ truck, carrying his baby?
Her heart beat faster, and she needed to take several deep breaths.
“Hey. Hey.” He threw the truck into park and grabbed her, sliding her over to him and onto his lap. Between his size and the steering wheel, there wasn’t much room, but he made it work. “It’s okay. C’mon, relax.”
“I’m fine.” She tried to shove away, but he’d already captured her face with his hands and pulled her toward him. His lips crashed down on hers, taking away all coherent thought or worry. The only thing in the world happening at that exact moment was his kiss. She melted into him, feeling his warm hands on her face, his body pressed up against hers. The world could spin off its axis at that moment, and she wouldn’t even look up to see it happen.
When he pulled away, he grinned. “Now you’re better.” He pinched her hip and opened his door. Keeping her in his arms, he slid out of the truck and deposited her on her feet right in front of him. She quickly went about straightening out her dress. The little bump that was her belly was easily hidden with the light summer dress she’d put on for the night. Nothing too conservative but hid enough that Michael stopped glaring at her when she came out of the bedroom. The man loved her tits—loved kissing them, sucking them, and pinching them, but did not like sharing them. Even when it was just the view he was sharing.
He tucked the keys into his jean pockets and checked for his cell phone before shutting the door. “God, you’re beautiful tonight.” He pulled her in for another kiss before linking their hands together and pulling her toward the largest building, where music was pouring out the front door, along with half a dozen women standing on the front porch smoking.
“Hey there, Michael.” A few of the girls eyed Belle as she was pulled past them. Michael gave them polite nods but didn’t stop to introduce her.
Whatever she expected when she walked into the clubhouse, it was not what she saw. The lounge was set up in the same fashion as any other bar she’d been in. The center of the room was taken up by the bar itself—four counters full of people standing or sitting, waiting for their drinks. Bottles of liquor, top shelf stuff, all lined the shelves in the middle of the bar. Music played overhead, and couples were even dancing. Off in the back corner, a group of people played pool while others threw darts. She couldn’t even say the women were dressed any skimpier or sexier than the regular bars she’d been in.
What she didn’t see were people walking around with big guns strapped to their hips or fist fights taking place in the back corners, and there wasn’t a single woman bent over a table being rammed like she had imagined in her mind. Although, she was pretty sure one of the guys at the bar was getting a blow job, but they were tucked far off in the back, behind so many people she couldn’t be sure.
A new fear tingled her spine. What if Michael expected something like that from her? She’d never done more than give a kiss to her date in public. She couldn’t imagine doing something so intimate, so private, in front of the large group in the lounge.
As if sensing her worry, Michael’s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to him. “You’re gonna make yourself puke if you keep worrying like you are. This is a safe place, babe. Nothing will hurt you here.” He pressed a quick kiss to her temple just as two large men walked up to them. The baldheaded one she recognized. He’d been the one she thought was getting head at the bar. She looked past him, back to the corner, where a woman stood running her fingers over her bottom lip and glaring in her direction.
“Finally! Been waiting all night for you to show!” The baldheaded guy slapped Michael on the shoulder and turned to Belle. “You must be Belle.” He gave her a handsome grin, one that mirrored but did not match up to Michael’s, and gave her a little bow.
She tried to smile, but she could feel the woman’s glare harden on her. Her eyes went back over to the corner, where the short woman still stared at them. “Nice to meet you, uh…”
“Sniper.” His white teeth flashed as his smiled grew larger.
“Let go of her, Sniper,” Michael growled when he didn’t let go of Belle’s hand. He gave her a wink then dropped her hand, turning his attention back to Michael. “What’s up with Candy?” Michael asked, nodding to the woman still giving Belle an eerie feeling.
“Candy? Nothing.” Sniper shrugged.
“I thought you agreed not to let her work the room.”
“She’s no
t working the room,” Sniper bit back. “She’s with me.”
“What do you mean, she’s with you?” Michael’s grip intensified around her waist. Who was this woman, and why would Michael care who she was with?
“I mean, I’m taking care of her. Don’t worry, we’ll talk later.” Sniper gave Belle a quick glance then turned to the guys standing next to him. Nearly as tall but not as built, the long-haired man stared at Belle. “Turnkey, you gonna say something or just keep staring all night?” Sniper slapped the man on his chest and laughed.
