Professor X

by Kiki Leach

  "I needed to clear my head and hung around Lake Hefner until the sun went down. I had to control how I was feeling at the moment to keep from driving back to ACE'S and losing it."

  "You know I ain't watchin' you hook up with that asshole or anybody else, Mariah -- ever," he said. "The only way I'll ever see you sittin' on top of his cock is while cuttin' up his goddamn throat mid-fuck."

  "He knows that truth as much as I do. So why ask it?"

  "A goddamn death wish. Or he hoped me losin' my shit and goin' down there would somehow get me fucked with the Devils or Kings."

  A shallow beat passed before I could respond.

  "... What do you plan to tell the club?" I asked him.

  "Everything you told me tonight, darlin' -- every goddamn word. Gonna get Big Tech on some of this other shit and see what happens after lettin' the boys know what's up at church tomorrow night."

  "He said that he wants an answer on all of this by Friday."

  "And he's gonna get the shit he wants to hear. But not at ACE'S."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I want him down at the club or my place when you tell him what's up," he told me. "That motherfucker can't be trusted on his own turf."

  "If I tell him what he wants to hear, what's to stop him from wanting to move forward before I'm even finished talking?"

  "He ain't gonna push for that shit outside of what the fuck he knows anymore. The club ain't been home base since he checked out and my house has been mine since he burned the goddamn grass. Tryin' some shit with you out there would get him fucked up the ass more than dead and he knows it."

  "Okay. So say that he buys what I'm selling and backs off on you watching us together, I still need to get back to work in order to start earning for school. He meant what he said in having me again beyond your voyeurism."

  He groaned through a sigh and sat back, folding his hands. "Ain't no kinda way for you to fuck with his head?" he asked. "Make him understand that gettin' you back on stage 'fore landin' on top of his cock would be more beneficial to him than not? Tell him that if you fuck him first, there's still no guarantee of you gettin' that job back -- so how the fuck can what he say be trusted?"

  "He could dismiss me for that question alone if he wanted to, X."

  "He won't," he shot back. "That asshole wouldn't have thrown all this shit in your face if it wasn't what the fuck he was lookin' to get since learnin' you needed his help." I lowered my head to the pillows and lifted my feet to the couch, allowing the edge of my skirt to fall across my stomach. X looked over at me and tenderly brushed my hair from my face. The softness of his touch despite the roughness of his skin set my own on fire and pushed my sex into overdrive. "You want me stayin' out here with you again tonight?"

  "If I said yes?"

  He grinned and removed his jacket, dropping it on top of the coffee table. I stood up as he took off his shoes and found a more comfortable position on the couch, then reached for a blanket and draped it across us as I settled between him and the cushions. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television, flipping through channels while rubbing my lower back with his other hand and locking my legs between his own.

  The feeling between us was all too familiar; domesticated.

  Safe.

  I stared into his face as his eyes remained focused elsewhere and snaked my fingers across his throat and jawline.

  "You can't keep doin' that kinda shit to me, darlin'," he muttered. "Got my mind goin' through all kinds of turbulence right now."

  I slid my hand across his face and turned his head, forcing him to look directly into my eyes. "Once this is over, I don't want you out of my life again, X. I might've left in fear, but I'm not willing to make the same mistake twice."

  "I wouldn't be lettin' you go so easily this time around. Not without a goddamn fight first. One my ass would win on sight."

  A smile wide enough to remain in place for years to come parted my lips as I climbed on top of him and pushed my fingers through the thickness of his hair as it fell across his shoulders. He stared into my face without reservation and slid his hands inside of my tank, unhooking my bra and sliding his fingers along the straps to help remove it.

  After tossing it to the floor, I returned to my place on top of him and confiscated the remote, turning to an old black and white film with subtitles.

  Xavier turned back to the television and groaned. "Christ -- I'm too goddamn tired to read all that shit out, darlin'."

  "It's not for you to read, it's to help us go to sleep. It's all I want to do after today, X. You and this television are the only two things that have managed to make me feel safe enough to do so through the night."

  "Yeah?" I nodded. He wrapped his arms around me and bent forward to kiss my forehead. The feeling was intimate enough to make me shiver against him. "I'm with you all goddamn night, darlin'. A motherfucker ain't goin' no place else anytime soon."

  And I believed him.

  So much more than he should have been willing to believe me three years ago.

  Chapter Eleven

  Xavier

  The following night, chapel damn near ended in a pool of blood.

  "FUCK!" Tractor slammed his fist on top of the table and eyed his brothers with enough fire in his belly to melt the room. "That motherfuckin', son of a pansy ass BITCH!" He gnashed his teeth and wagged his head until it damn near popped from every inch of his neck. "That ASSHOLE got us fucked up the ass with a spiked pipe just like I knew the fuck he would after turnin' in those patches. How the fuck do we know he ain't workin' for the Kings right goddamn now through LapDog?"

  "It's obvious as fuck that he's workin' for 'em in some capacity, brother -- or with 'em," muttered Coco. "If he's tellin' the truth about havin' a seat at their goddamn table without bein' patched in, that is some major shit."

  "Yep." Rugger nodded. "And he wanted us to know all about it beyond just tryna get back inside Mariah's goddamn panties."

  "No doubt that shit's part of it," replied Cheddar. "Tellin' her in the hope of gettin' his cock sucked again? Knowin' she'd say or do whatever the fuck she could to help X and the club stay afloat, some pretty smart shit." He peeked at an already pissed off Xavier, who tapped his fist against the table and snarled as his face colored. Cheddar sat up straight and cleared his throat, then dragged his eyes to the front of the room and stared at Prez. "That bein' said, we need to get Big Tech on this shit too. Make sure that asshole ain't full of it and that the Kings are in fact the ones bankrollin' those mini-dick fuckers on that campus to bounce us outta Pink and make a goddamn home for themselves."

  "We ain't goin' any goddamn place no matter who the fuck tries what." Sniper crossed his arms and sank into his chair. "Goddamn Kings ain't the first that's ever tried to usurp us 'cause of what the fuck we built down here and they won't ever be the goddamn last. It's the price bein' paid when you're on the goddamn top."

  Scooter shook his head. "We ain't never had some shit like this to deal with, though, Snipe. Other motherfuckers tryna take us down or move us out didn't know how the fuck we operated -- didn't know enough about our inside shit to fuck us over like the Kings have been able to do from jump."

  "The Kings havin' Rocka as their snitch bitch is what got us fucked," said Tractor. "Outside of locals and motherfuckers lookin' for some quick fix, our shit has been kept under the goddamn radar -- we've said that shit over and goddamn over again. This asshole runnin' his mouth off to Mariah about 'em bein' behind this shit is proof positive how much he let 'em know what the fuck was up with our dope; only asshole to break outta here upright and know enough to leak it elsewhere to benefit himself. They found out how the fuck we managed to have a lock on the whole goddamn town outside of pussy, booze and cars and snatched up the one thing they could snake their way into. Only a matter of time before the stuff starts leakin' on the inside and they're pullin' the same shit on Pink that those big asshole developers are pullin' on Bartlesville."

  "Pink wouldn't believe some mo
therfuckers from the outside," said Rugger. "Not even from the goddamn Kings."

  "You give some asshole enough cash to make their case," said Xavier, his eyes focused on the table as he swallowed, "they're willin' to believe any goddamn thing you tell 'em. Mention the sky bein' red after handin' over a few hundred and they'll let you know in a goddamn heartbeat that the shit looks like it's bleedin' without even lookin' up. If the Kings finish us off with the dope, we're done out here."

  "How the fuck do we know that asshole ain't told us this shit 'cause the Kings wanted us to know and only tossed in the part about backin' 'em off if Mariah fucked his brains out for himself?" asked Chopper.

  "Good point, 'cause the shit sure as fuck sounds like somethin' his selfish ass would do just to get laid by her." Poke shrugged. "Make her think she's helpin' by bein' on his cock when the fact is she's a goddamn pawn..." He paused. "What if the Kings actually gave the green light for this shit in the hope they'd learn our next move before we even fuckin' made one?"

  "More shit we need to find out," said Cheddar. "But not from that asshole."

  Prez leaned forward and dropped his elbows on top of the table. He folded his hands together and rested his chin between his knuckles. "We need the Kings out here to find out what the fuck they know and don't."

  The room erupted in a fit of grumbles and sets of waving fists.

  "Nah, nah, nah, Prez," hollered Poke.

  "You fuckin' serious with this shit, Prez?" Shadow bent forward as his brows pinched and his eyes darkened with fear. "Invitin' 'em out here -- givin' 'em the goddamn chance to fuck us over right in front of our own goddamn faces?"

  "We need to see how the fuck they operate from the inside," he replied. "We can't head out there and start pissin' all on their shit without lookin' suspicious as fuck -- riskin' retaliation up front."

  "Won't matter if they wanted us to know in the first goddamn place." Tractor leaned back and sighed. "We invite 'em out here, they'll know we've been told what the fuck is up."

  "If they know that asshole spilled to Mariah." Xavier made a face. "I ain't too goddamn convinced they wanted him sayin' shit to anybody about what the fuck they've done."

  Tractor glared. "You don't think there's a chance they wanted him runnin' off at the goddamn mouth to see where the fuck we'd go -- learn what the fuck we'd do? You don't think there's a chance that asshole only wants back in your girl's panties just to piss you the fuck off and get himself laid the way he wants again?"

  "If anybody told all this shit to Rocka," Xavier continued, "it was LapDog, just like he ran to him 'bout us bein' down there at Wexley. T-Bone might be tryna take us out to maintain the Kings' status as an MC, but I don't see him givin' that asshole the green light to run off at the goddamn mouth 'bout it."

  Tractor lifted his hands from the table before dropping them back down to the edge and lifting his shoulders. "Why the fuck not?"

  "'Cause the shit would give us actual time to prepare for what the fuck is comin' next from those assholes more than it would give us time to look like motherfuckers in retaliatin' without a solid plan first," he shot back. "The shit ain't goddamn rocket science -- they wanna undercut our asses, not give us a goddamn reprieve."

  "He's right." Scooter looked to his brother and agreed with a nod. "The Kings can't know shit about Rocka runnin' his mouth -- least not yet. Ain't no goddamn way when we could easily take him out for it and where the fuck would they be without a snitch-bitch all too willin' to give intel on us?" His eyes shifted to Prez. "I also think we need to invite 'em back down here like Prez suggested."

  "Jesus. Christ -- Your dumbass would." Tractor rolled his eyes and threw his head back in aggravation; he grunted. "That roommate pussy has got your brain more fucked up than usual, brother. Maybe it's proximity 'cause I remember this one" -- he pointed at Xavier and sneered -- "forgettin' who the fuck he was for a hot minute after finally givin' Mariah the taste she's always begged him for. Pussy, pussy, pussy gettin' you assholes twisted as fuck."

  "Ain't no amount of pussy around that could get me more fucked than you'd be if you were still gettin' some on the regular." Scooter chuckled. "But it's okay, brother -- it's alright; not everybody has to pay for a cock suck or only see the inside of a sweet, tight cunt with the help from a pile green sitting next to 'em on the goddamn nightstand. You rub a bill on her clit to get her revved up and that shit's okay too."

  "Shit." Rugger covered his mouth and snickered as Xavier and the remaining brothers did the same.

  Tractor clinched his fists while turning back to Prez; he gulped and shook his head. "When this asshole comes up missin' after church, don't ask why the fuck it happened, just know that it fuckin' did."

  "Alright." Prez glared at his VP, then lifted his gavel from the table and slammed the base inside his other hand. "I ain't backin' off on the Kings makin' their way back down here. We throw a pussy party -- invite 'em with a few other charters. We make the shit general to keep from tossin' heat one way or another."

  "What's to keep one of those assholes from diggin' their holes even deeper into what the fuck we've got goin' on down here, Prez?" asked Chopper. "For all we know, they could throw a plant down here just like LapDog at Wexley from an invite alone."

  "They already know our town inside and out," said Scooter. "They don't need extras roamin' around for shits and giggles. It was the 'gettin' in' part that made the shit difficult; the dope is makin' it easier than it should be to stick around."

  "Let's say we call 'em up," Rider mumbled. "Pussy ain't gonna be enough to lure 'em down here anymore when they still got the pick of their own out there."

  "It'll be enough when we convince 'em that it's in honor of ACE'S bein' revamped with fresh pussy on the horizon..." He glanced at Xavier and arched his brow. "And old pussy bein' made new again."

  Xavier grimaced as his shoulders fell; the agony in his voice surpassing his anger. "You want Mariah dealin' with that asshole again? 'Fore she even gets her goddamn job back?"

  "We got no choice, brother." Xavier whipped his head around to Scooter and locked his jaw. His eyes widened as he blinked without emotion. "You said she told you that asshole wants an answer on this shit by Friday, yeah? You tell her to let him know, he has an all out pussy party with the Kings and other charters invited, he'll get one with her right after."

  "He wants an answer on her fuckin' him."

  "I know that shit. Nobody ever said she needed to go through with it -- I'm sure as fuck not sayin' that shit, X, not at fuckin' all -- and we can figure out how she can get outta spreadin' for his cock. But we need her goddamn help to remain on the inside with this prick. She's like his Achilles heel or some shit."

  "He'd have to care 'bout her as a goddamn person and look beyond the pussy for that shit to be a fact," he returned.

  "Maybe he does, X -- in some sick ass, twisted way. Motherfucker ain't ever been good with that kinda shit -- not even with his own goddamn kids."

  "He burned her shit on my goddamn front lawn after findin' out what we'd done."

  "Yeah, brother, I know that shit too. And maybe you shouldn't have fucked her raw in his goddamn sheets." Scooter paused. "You know that Mariah would do any fuckin' thing to keep you and this club from goin' under -- especially you, brother -- especially you. The goddamn way she still looks at your ass, the shit hasn't changed. All we're askin' is for you to tell her what the fuck is up to this point; tell her to let him know this party needs to happen at his place; he needs new pussy and might need her out there too. If he thinks he's helpin' us, he'll think he's still in good with the club as much as the Kings. Can't nobody else convince him of that shit but her."

  "Hate to say this shit, X," muttered Cheddar, "but Scooter's right. Mariah continues to be our biggest way into gettin' this shit shut down sooner before later. Maybe you seein' her that night was fate for the club as much as it mighta been for you."

  Xavier wiped his face, internally wincing at the idea of asking Mariah to put every charm she
could muster to good use in the hope of getting more of what they needed from an asshole he was still too goddamned eager to see choking on dirt before going under by his own hand.

  He mumbled a string of profanities to himself and sat back. "She could say no to this shit."

  "She didn't say 'no' to the other," replied Tractor.

  Xavier glowered. "The asshole spilled 'fore she could ask him anything."

  "'Cause he wanted pussy. She's got what the rest of us don't and needs to use the shit to her own goddamn advantage with that motherfucker from here on."

  "The club's advantage," he returned.

  "Her own; just like what the fuck I said if she's bein' honest in wantin' her goddamn job back out there. Unless that shit was just about spendin' more time in the clubhouse to be with you again."

  "Talk to her, brother," Scooter interjected. "She says 'no', we'll figure out what the fuck else to do instead, like always. But she needs to know what the fuck is up with this shit just like everything else, regardless. 'Cause no matter the outcome, she's back now; which means she's gonna be affected by what happens to us either way."

  Xavier looked over at him and nodded, though skeptical, then eyed Prez and lifted his chin. "I'll let her know the deal. But I want the word of the club that if she says no, we back off and find another way into snipin' the Kings."

  "Goddamn deal, brother." Prez gripped the arm of his gavel and looked across the room. "Anybody opposin' this shit? Mariah gives us what we need, we move forward. She doesn't, we look elsewhere, yeah?"

  The brothers agreed with nods and quiet mumbles of 'Yes'.

  "She needs to head back out there ASAP," said Tractor. "Tomorrow, maybe, get this shit cookin' -- if she happens to say yes." He snickered. "And if she does, tell her to get the tits out and put the pussy on deck. Gotta make that asshole drop to his goddamn knees, keep him all too willin' to tell her any fuckin' thing she needs to hear. Doesn't mean she's gotta do shit to get it, just keep lookin' the goddamn part."