by Nicola Jane
“Anna,” Bonnie smiles awkwardly, “I don’t suppose you could help me get him to his room?”
I inwardly groan. The last thing I want to do is be close to Riggs when he’s about to get naked with Bonnie. “Sure,” I shrug.
We each take an arm and struggle to help him stand. He’s a big guy, but we eventually manage to guide him to his room. He stares at me the entire time, and I feel so uncomfortable that I’m relieved when we get him into his room. “Thanks, Anna,” says Bonnie. “Goodnight.”
She follows him into his room and closes the door. I roll my eyes. Riggs’ words from earlier today about me seeing the real him come to mind. It didn’t seem like he was acting just then. Besides, none of the guys were around to hear him when he said he needed skin, so who was he pretending for?
I go back to bed with images of Bonnie and Riggs naked together and my heart hurts, but at least this confirms that I made the right decision. I have enough problems right now without making things more complicated.
It’s been a few days since we came to stay with the Reapers. I’m becoming more settled as the days pass and I can’t deny that I love it here. It’s the first time I’ve felt like part of a family. Eva and Esther have always treated me like I belonged with them, but there are so many more people here and everyone is so welcoming. Malia looks so happy that it warms my heart. When we have to leave here, it’ll be hard.
Since my midnight encounter with Riggs and Bonnie a few days ago, I haven’t seen him. He’s around, in his office mainly, but he’s avoiding me, and I know it’s because I turned him down.
Eva sits down next to me on the couch. Malia is staring at the large screen television in the main room with Ziggy by her side. “These two are so cute,” she says, nodding towards the kids.
“She hasn’t asked once about school. I thought she’d miss it, but it seems as long as she has Ziggy, she’s happy.”
“Do you think he’s her soul mate?” asks Eva wistfully.
I laugh. “Maybe. I don’t believe in all that.”
“Anna,” she gasps. “You have to believe there is someone out there made for you.”
I scoff. “With my luck? No way. My soulmate is probably a drug addict with no teeth and bad body odour.”
“Blade, do you believe in soulmates?” Eva asks him as he shovels cereal into his mouth. He pauses and thinks over her question. “No.”
She gasps again. “I feel so sad for you both. Please tell me you believe in love at first sight?” she wails. I scoff again and she cries out with mock distress.
“I believe in lust at first sight. I felt it when I met you, Evalyn,” Blade grins.
“Umm, I think you feel that with most women you meet, Blade,” she says.
“You mean you don’t look at me and wonder what’s under these clothes?” he asks. “You don’t feel the need to rip off my shirt so you can run your hands over—”
“Finish that sentence, I dare you!” growls Cree from the other side of the room.
Blade winks at us and presses his lips together. “Soz, VP. Just kidding.”
“Go wash my bike,” says Cree without looking up from his laptop.
“Come on,” cries Blade. “That’s the prospect’s job.”
“And now it’s yours. Get to it.” Blade mutters under his breath and stalks out of the club.
“Check out Mr. Jealousy,” I whisper to Eva.
“Are you kidding? The most the guy’s ever said to me is that I’m not to look at any of his brothers in any way other than as friends. He’s odd. He growls at me. He had the chance to kiss me when we first came here, and he didn’t. Mixed signals.”
“I still think he’s shy,” I say.
“No, he’s not,” she scoffs. “I think he’s weird. I need a man to tell me straight exactly what he wants. Cree can’t put words into a proper sentence.”
I raise my eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t know about that. He was pretty clear to Blade just then.”
“My mom loves him. Says she gets good vibes from his soul,” says Eva with a smile.
Leia joins us. I like her, and although there are five years between us, you wouldn’t know it. She opens her nursing revision book. “Riggs has paid my tutor to video call me so I can watch the lecture on my laptop,” she says. “Can you believe that?” She sounds outraged.
Eva smirks at me. “Gosh, what a beast. How do you put up with him looking out for you like that?” she mocks.
“I know you think I’m ungrateful, but it’s not the same. I want to go to college and see my friends.”
“Just your friends?” asks Eva, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Trust me, when you have a bunch of over-protective guys who all treat you like their little sister, there are no boys on the scene. If these guys get a whiff of a man, they’re like ravaging dogs.”
“I think that’s sweet,” I muse. “I always wanted a big brother to protect me.”
“It’s not sweet. It’s annoying. How am I ever going to lose my virginity?” she whispers, and we laugh. “Nineteen and I live like a fucking nun.”
“Leia said a bad word,” says Ziggy, and Leia sticks her tongue out at him playfully.
“If I was a boy, it would be totally different. I’d have lost my V-card years back!”
“I hate that it’s different for men and women. Equal rights are bull,” says Eva. “It’s the same argument that men can sleep with as many people as they like and they’re heroes, but girls do it and they’re hoes. I hate inequality.”
“Eva, please. You once turned a guy down because he wanted to go halves on the dinner bill,” I groan. “You can’t pick and choose when to be equal.”
Eva laughs. “He invited me to dinner, he should pay.”
“Would you have paid if you invited him?” I ask.
“And that’s why I don’t invite men to dinner.” She laughs again.
“And you once said you wanted to meet a man who would take care of you so you could live the life of a rich woman and shop all day instead of work,” I remind her.
“I’d work hard for my man! It would be worth his while to keep me home, where I’d walk around naked so I was always ready to service him.” She giggles. “I can’t be a working woman during the day and a whore in the bedroom at night. That shit takes it out of you.” We all howl with laughter. Cree growls from where he’s sitting, his eyes burning into Eva. She grins playfully. “You like that, Cree?” she asks. “The thought of having your woman waiting around for you, naked?”
He gets up from the table and stomps out of the room. Eva laughs harder. “You’re so cruel,” I whisper. “He’s clearly shy.”
“Stop saying he’s shy.” She laughs again. “Look at the size of him. He’s just grumpy. Whenever I laugh, he growls. I think I irritate him.” I exchange a knowing look with Leia. It’s only Eva who doesn’t see the way Cree’s gaze heats whenever he looks her way.
Esther seems to have become friends with Frankie, and they take the kids off to the kitchen to bake, two proud grandmothers working together.
I take the opportunity to sunbathe around the back of the clubhouse. I borrow a bikini from Leia, and she decides to take a break from studying to join me. “You complain about being here, but I think you’re so lucky. I wish Malia had a family like this,” I say lazily. We’re both on our stomachs with our heads resting on our arms, facing each other. “I don’t really see my mom and I have no siblings.”
“I am lucky,” she admits. “I complain, but secretly, I love it. I love all of them. And Malia does have a family. You’re part of us now.”
I smile sadly. “This is temporary. Riggs doesn’t want me around to remind him of the war I’ve caused for his club. Cree looks like he wants to stab me every time he sees me.”
“You’re wrong,” says Leia. “My brother would not go to war without good reason. He must think you’re worth it. I haven’t seen him so invested in a woman since . . . well . . . why don’t you see your mom?” she asks.
“We don’t get on. I grew up in care, and by the time I was sent back to live with her, we were resentful of each other. She didn’t want me there, but my aunt forced the issue, I think. I was at that age where I thought everyone was against me and I sensed she didn’t want me around.”
“What happened to your aunt?”
I roll onto my back and close my eyes. “She passed away. Cancer. I think it was her dying wish to see us together because I came home at fifteen and she died six months later.”
“That’s sad,” mutters Leia. “Here at the club, I have loads of aunts, Non-blood related though.” She laughs. “You kind of forget who’s a blood relation when you all live under one roof.”
“I have trouble remembering everyone’s name,” I say. I open one eye. “Obviously, I know your mom, Frankie. The only other one that I remember is Bonnie and that’s because I helped her get your brother to bed a few nights ago when he was drunk.”
“Drunk?” asks Leia, raising her head slightly to look at me.
“Yeah. The first night I was here. She struggled to get him up the stairs.”
“The last time I saw Riggs drunk was after Michelle left with Ziggy. He was broken.”
“Why did she leave?” I ask.
A shadow falls over us. “You wanna know shit like that, you can come and ask me.” Riggs’ gruff voice washes over me and I realize I’ve spent the last few days missing it.
“I would, but you’re never around,” I say. “So, why did Michelle leave?” I only ask because he’s clearly caught me, and I feel embarrassed. I try to pass off a carefree expression like I’ve done nothing wrong.
“None of your business,” he mutters. “Leia, can you spend some time with Ziggy and Michelle? I’ve got church and she wants to spend time with him, but he still doesn’t want to be alone with her.”
Leia nods. “Of course.” She stands and pulls a t-shirt on over her bikini. “See you later, Anna.”
“I don’t appreciate you digging for information,” he grates out.
“I wasn’t,” I protest. “We were just talking.”
“You were talking about me. Don’t.” He’s so cold and expressionless that my heart sinks. This is how he was the first night I met him. “Your husband is causing me some real problems, Anna. He’s sent his thugs in to smash up my bar.”
I stand. “The Windsor? Shit.”
“He’s taken full advantage of us all being here.” He makes his way back towards the club and I follow.
“So, what happens now?”
“I get a plan together. Don’t worry about it.”
“What about visiting on Sunday? He’ll want to see Malia.”
Riggs stops suddenly, causing me to crash into his back. My hands go to his waist and I feel the energy the moment our skin touches. I drop my hands and step back. “Are you fucking insane? You can’t take Malia to see him.”
“But there’s a court order. I’ll be breaking it.”
“That’s the least of your worries. You leave here and he won’t let you come back. You’ll be dead and he’ll have Malia to himself.”
“If I stop him from seeing his daughter, I’ll be dead anyway.”
“What’s really going on here, Anna?” he growls. He steps closer and I back up until I hit the side of the building. The bricks scratch against my back. “Do you want to take Malia so she can see him or is it you who needs to see him?”
“I don’t want to see him,” I say. “But he’ll make my life hell if I don’t go.”
He laughs sarcastically. “He’s already making your life hell. You’ve come to a point now where your choice is hell or death. I’ve given you a third option. Don’t fuck it up for the sake of a visit.”
He’s so close, I can smell the bourbon on his breath. His eyes fall to my breasts and I’m very aware of my nakedness and the fact that my chest is rising and falling at a rapid rate. “I’m offering you your life back. One for you and Malia. It doesn’t include Reggie. If that’s not what you want, then say it now before I go into church and plan his downfall.”
I swallow and his eyes move to my throat. “Church?” I whisper. “You go to church?”
His mouth comes closer and I hold my breath in anticipation of a kiss. Oh god, I want him to kiss me so badly.
“It’s not that kind of church, darlin’. Put some fucking clothes on before you go back in there or I’ll end up killing my own brothers.” His eyes sweep over me one last time and then he’s gone. The door slams closed, and I release the breath I’m holding.
Chapter Twelve
Riggs
I wait for my brothers to settle around the large oak table. Cree sits to my left and Chains to my right. My VP and Enforcer want Reggie’s blood, but it’s a decision we have to make as a club. When everyone is seated, I bang the gavel on the table and silence falls across the room. “You all know why we’re here. The Windsor is a fucking mess. I went to see Pinky earlier today, and she escaped with cuts and bruises, but fuck is she mad.”
“She’s a tough bird,” says Trucker, and we all nod in agreement.
“Damn right,” I say. “She was cleaning up when I was there, determined to open up again as soon as.”
“But that’s not the point,” snaps Cree. “Reggie can’t get away with this. It’s a direct hit to the club, and if we don’t act, then we look weak.”
“Pres, is this girl really worth it?” asks Rock and all eyes turn to him and then come back to me, waiting to see my reaction.
I tap my fingers on the table. “Reggie is using Anna to start the war. It’s an excuse. From what I hear, he’s got a new piece of ass living with him. Reggie would have begun the war with or without Anna being involved. He tried to get Marshall Ankers to take his business over the tracks. Marshall is one of our biggest dealers. If he took his supply from the docks, it would have an impact on our income.”
“Are you claiming Anna?” asks Blade.
“Why all the fucking questions about Anna?” I snap. “This is about Reggie. I’m paying him a visit. Going to his side of the tracks to let him know we aren’t scared. Everyone who’s in, say I.” I look around the table and one by one the brothers vote. Once I have everyone’s vote, I bang the gavel to mark the end of church. Looks like I’m paying that motherfucker a visit.
We pour out of church and Bonnie’s waiting for me. I try to hide my annoyance. “I don’t have time now, Bonnie. We’ll talk tonight.”
“That’s what you’ve been saying for the last few nights, and each time you fall to sleep. I want clarity. I need to know what you want,” she snaps.
I nod and give her a chaste kiss on the cheek. “Later.” Anna watches us from her seat on the couch, too far away to hear what was said. As I pass her, she makes eye contact.
“Did you come up with a plan?”
“Club business, sorry.”
“It involves me,” she says, looking puzzled.
“It involves your husband. I don’t know if you plan on telling him what’s going on,” I say, and the moment the words leave my mouth, I regret them. I know she’d never tell Reggie anything, and the hurt shows on her face. She holds out her cell to me. “I don’t want that,” I mutter.
“Take it. No one calls me on it anyway apart from him. Take it and you’ll see that I never respond to him. He texts me every day and I never respond.”
I take her cell, not because I don’t trust her but because I want to see what the messages say that he sends her. I tuck it into my back pocket. “I have to go. I didn’t mean that. I trust you,” I add, but she doesn’t reply.
I kick the stand down on my bike and look back as my brothers park up behind me. I pull out Anna’s cell and check through the messages while I wait for the brothers to gather. There are messages from Reggie, mainly asking her to answer his calls, but Anna was right, she didn’t reply to him.
Reggie’s hangout is a casino. We cross the street, and as we get closer to the doorway of The Casino, one of the security team steps
forward. He takes one look at the patch on my kutte and shakes his head. I don’t give him a chance to speak before my fist connects with his face, then I grip his head and pull his face down to connect with my knee. He falls to the ground and I head inside, leaving one of my guys to take care of him.
It’s still early, so the place isn’t busy. I know exactly where Reggie will be because we’ve met here before. He looks up from his cell as we approach. He smiles wide and relaxes back in his chair. “Who knew you had so many friends,” he quips.
I sit down in the chair opposite him. Another of his security team steps forward, but Reggie shakes his head and he steps back into the shadows. “You should think about upping your security,” I say.
Reggie glances over at the twenty or so bikers positioning themselves around us. “And you should really think about downsizing. How will you ever take anyone by surprise with a whole load of buffoons behind you?”
“I don’t go in for surprise. I’m more of an upfront kinda guy. When I come for you, I want you to see me.”
“Tragic news about your bar,” he says and smiles. “Hope no one was injured.”
“I don’t think you’ve thought things through, Reg.”
He laughs. “Says the person who walked into my casino.”
“This is me showing you I’m not fucking scared and I’m not bringing her back to you. I’m keeping her and Malia.” I smirk.
Reggie’s fists tighten and his jaw ticks. “Then be prepared for me to rip your town apart, brick by brick, person by person, until Anna is back by my side.”
“Why do you want her so bad, Reggie? I hear you have a pretty blond hanging off your arm these days. What’s the big deal?”
He leans forwards and a smile plays on his lips. “Now, if you’d have fucked my wife, you’d know exactly why I want her back. All the blonds in the world cannot take her place.”
“You’d still want her back knowing I’ve been there?” I ask with a laugh.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I miss the way her pussy grips my cock and the noises she makes when she comes. I could beat her with one hand and fuck her with the other and she’d still come. I miss biting the tattoo of my name right next to her . . . ” He grins. “Well, I’m sure you’ve seen it.”
