I jumped to my feet and plowed my way through the crowd. My brothers flooded from every corner of the room to be at my back. A fight was brewing, and we all knew it.
Rider stepped to my side and cracked his knuckles, then grinned. “Let’s do this shit and get on the fuckin’ road.”
3
Erin
The moment I spotted Alice and Razor walking into the bar, I knew my time was up. There was no missing how angry my sister was as she hurried over to me. I set the tray of food I’d just picked up back down, worried that I’d drop it while we argued. A quick glance at Vinny told me exactly why she was so angry—the jerk had tattled on me. My only saving grace was that Razor had stopped to talk to a couple of his club brothers instead of following Alice, so I’d only have to deal with her for now.
At least I was only going to have to endure a telling-off from Alice in front of the packed bar. I’d already been embarrassed enough by what Vinny had said, especially since the hot guy who’d stepped in hadn’t missed a single word. Including the fact that I was a virgin.
Not that what he thought about me mattered, anyway. He’d been wearing a cut from another club, the Silver Saints. I didn’t remember ever hearing about them before, which meant Patriot—his club name along with his position as Captain had been sewn onto his vest—wasn’t from around here. Razor mouthed off about the rival clubs a lot, so I’d heard way more than I’d ever wanted to know about the other MCs in the area.
I’d probably never see this tall, muscular man with buzzed, light blond hair, clear blue eyes, and tattoos on most of his visible skin again after he paid his tab and walked out of Hell’s Kitchen, which bothered me a whole lot more than it should. I already had enough to deal with after the bombshell Alice had dropped on me before my shift. The last thing I needed was more trouble.
As soon as my sister was close enough, she lit into me. “What in the hell were you thinking, talking back to Beast like that in front of so many people? You know better than to disrespect a club member in public.”
“I didn’t say anything to Vinny”—I refused to call the guy by his road name because the thought of how he got it creeped me out—“except that I was working. I swear, Alice.”
“Are you calling him a liar?” she hissed, her green eyes narrowing. “Because that’s not what Beast told my old man when he called and said we needed to get our asses over here. What I heard was that you put up a big enough fuss over Beast showing his interest in you that some asshole from another club butted in.”
“I’m not saying that Vinny lied to you.” Only because things would go very badly for me if I did. “I don’t know how the story got mixed up. I barely had the chance to say five words to Vinny before that guy stepped in, and I have no idea why he thought it was necessary. I didn’t ask for his help, and I’m sorry you had to come here to talk to me about all of it.”
“If you really meant that apology, you’d do what I told you earlier today.” Razor came up behind her as she swung her arm around in a big circle, glaring at me over her head. “If you don’t want to take Beast up on his offer, pick one of the other guys. Give him your cherry and accept his property patch. Then we wouldn’t have trouble like this because assholes from other clubs would know exactly who you belonged to.”
I’d been so focused on my argument with Alice—and worried about what Razor was going to do about the incident—that I hadn’t noticed what was happening around us. Not until the guy from earlier tugged on my arm while one of his club brothers who he’d been sitting with grabbed Razor’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?” I hissed as he dragged me away from Alice, who’d whirled around to look at Razor when he’d let out an angry roar as fists started to fly. I wasn’t sure how it had happened, but the Devil’s Jesters were surrounded by men from the Silver Saints, and it looked as though they were outmatched. Nobody stopped us as he led me out of Hell’s Kitchen, keeping an arm wrapped around my shoulders so I was protected from the battle that had broken out around us.
When we were standing on the sidewalk in front of the bar, he finally answered my question. “I’m saving you from a bad situation, Cherry.”
“Cherry?” I yanked my arm from his hold and took a step back, crossing my arms over my chest. “So you heard that jerk call me a virgin and decided that would be the perfect nickname for me? Let me guess, you’re going to try to convince me you’re the perfect guy to pop my cherry since you just rescued me. Right?”
Patriot shook his head as he reached out to tug on a lock of my hair. “You earned the nickname way before that asshole gave you a hard time. Although, now I’m thinking maybe Flame would’ve been a better choice because you have the temper to go along with your red hair.”
“Oh.” His gaze dropped to my lips, and the color in my cheeks wasn’t just because I was embarrassed about jumping to the wrong conclusion. The heat in his eyes had a lot to do with it, too. “I, uh, guess sometimes I do, but it’s been a long time since I’ve let it fly like that.”
“I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to show me your true self.” He tugged on the end of my hair before releasing it. “You will always be safe with me, Erin.”
My head felt as though it was spinning, and my voice was shaky as I asked, “What do you mean ‘always’?”
“Hop on the back of my bike and find out.” Patriot pointed toward a row of motorcycles on the edge of the parking lot closest to the road. “We can be out of here in under a minute. All you have to do is tell me you want to go.”
“You’re a complete stranger. I can’t just ride off with you,” I protested softly, stunned to discover that I was actually considering his suggestion.
“I get that you have reason to be cautious, but I can’t be any worse than the assholes you’ve been dealing with in there.” He jerked his chin toward the bar. “My club isn’t anything like the Devil’s Jesters. Our president would beat the shit out of any member who pressured someone into sleeping with them. Then he’d take their cut and kick them out of the Silver Saints. That shit doesn’t fly with him—or any of us. If it did, I never would’ve gone for a patch because no way in hell would I ever be okay with a club who treated women like shit.”
A kernel of hope took flight inside me. I doubted that his club would really kick a member out just for disrespecting a woman, but I could almost believe that they had more respect for them than the members of the Devil’s Jesters. He could’ve just ignored what was happening between Vinny and me, but he’d chosen to step in instead. “Even if I agreed to go with you, it wouldn’t do any good. As soon as the fight is over, my sister is going to notice I’m missing. Razor will come after me, and he won’t be alone.”
The grin he flashed at me sent butterflies swirling in my belly. “I might not be as good of a mechanic as Dom, but any biker worth his patch knows how to disable a hog.”
Before I could ask who Dom was, Patriot crouched next to the bike closest to us and yanked some wires out. I clapped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from making any noise while he moved down the line until he’d done the same to all of the motorcycles parked in the spots reserved for members of the Devil’s Jesters. Then he jogged to the corner of the building and tossed all the wires before returning to my side.
“What did you do to the bikes?”
“Pulled the spark plugs. I wanted to make sure they couldn’t follow us without causing any permanent damage. If I had, there would be no avoiding war between our two clubs,” he explained.
Being the member of an MC, I figured he already knew, but I felt as though I should offer a warning anyway. “Taking me with you might be enough to cause one.”
“Not how it works.” He shook his head. “You’re not a member’s old lady, and you can’t be a club bunny if you’re still a virgin. The Devil’s Jesters have no claim on you.”
I rubbed my hands up and down my arms to ward off the chill that went up my spine at the thought of what my life would be like if I took my sister’
s advice. “I’ve lived with Alice and Razor for five years. Claim or no claim, they’re going to come after me.”
“I’m more than willing to face whatever happens next if you are.” He held his hand out to me. “What do you say? Wanna get out of here?”
4
Patriot
Erin stared at my hand, her face filled with conflicting emotions. It was the hope that kept me from backing off. If I’d thought she really didn’t want to leave with me, I would have respected that. But I saw the spark of desire when she looked at my body, and the hope swimming in her pretty green eyes as she looked from my hand to my face.
It took a fuck ton of control to stand there and wait when all I wanted to do was toss her sweet ass on the back of my bike and take off. Which was exactly what I would do if she said no. I couldn’t leave her behind to face the wrath of the Devil’s Jesters. They’d blame her for the fight if she was the only one around to take the heat.
The door to the club slammed open, and my brothers began to pour out wearing giant grins as they jogged to their bikes. “Left enough of a mess to give us a lead,” Breaker told me as he climbed onto his motorcycle, parked next to mine. “Gotta go, though.”
“Now or never, Cherry.” She swallowed hard, then squared her shoulders and took my hand.
I winked and pulled her closer to me. Someone tossed Breaker an extra helmet, and he handed it to me. I placed it on Cherry’s head and secured it, then I reluctantly let her go and swung my leg over the seat so I was straddling my hog. “Hop on.” Breaker took her hand to help her, and I almost snarled at him to get his fucking hands off my woman, but I didn’t want to scare Erin when she’d finally agreed to leave with me.
Dash rode up and idled in front of a few Devil’s Jesters bikes. He leaned over to look at something and then laughed as he righted himself again. “Did Dom proud, Patriot.”
I grinned and backed my bike out of the parking spot. “Hold on tight, baby,” I yelled over the roar of my engine. Her hands were hesitant as they circled my chest, but her hesitation faded a second later. She scooted forward, plastering her body against my back and locking her arms around my waist. I stifled a groan at the feel of her thighs cradling my ass. It would’ve been so easy to turn around and drop her onto my steel cock. The image of her riding me hard filled my head, her small, perfect tits bouncing while her pussy squeezed the fuck out of my dick. I vowed right then to make that happen one of these days.
Reluctantly, I pushed the fantasy from my mind. It would be a very painful ride if I didn’t calm the hell down. My boys were waiting for a sign, so I swirled my finger in the air to indicate they should round up—get in position. Then I twisted the throttle and headed out onto the open road. Once Dash signaled that he’d take up the rear and everyone was accounted for, I lost myself to the ride.
With Cherry glued to my body, the wind blowing around me, and the familiar rumble of my engine, it was the best ride I’d ever experienced. It amazed me how much more I enjoyed it with my woman behind me.
Cherry was a fucking trooper. She didn't make a peep on the long trip home, even when I checked to see if she needed a break. Her arms tightened, and she shook her head before resting it against my back.
We rode up to the entrance to the Silver Saints compound just as the sun was setting. Dax, our sergeant at arms, was manning the gate. He didn’t immediately open it, so I slowed to a stop when I reached him. His eyes strayed to the woman on my bike and back to my face, but his thoughts were unreadable. “Prez wants to see you first thing.”
I figured, so I nodded in acknowledgment, and Dax went to the security booth to open the gate. There was a lot on the left side of the clubhouse, just beyond the garage doors that led to our shop. I brought my motorcycle to a halt in an open spot and kicked down the stand. After shutting off the engine, I grinned when I had to pry Cherry’s arms from around me. After a second, she seemed to realize what I was doing and dropped her hands to her sides.
Carefully, I dismounted first, then turned and grasped her waist to lift her off the bike. I continued to hold her, suspecting she wouldn’t be able to stand on her own yet. She grabbed my biceps and tried to find her balance, her expression a little shell-shocked. I cocked my head to the side and followed a hunch. “You ever been on the back of a hog, Cherry?”
Her cheeks bloomed with pink, making her freckles stand out and my cock swell. “Um, no.”
“Five years living in a club, and you never once went for a ride?”
She cleared her throat and looked at the ground. “I was afraid they’d expect a...different kind of ride. And I tried to stay away from the guys as much as possible.”
A rush of pleasure flooded my body when she admitted that I’d been her first ride. And it didn’t hurt to hear that she hadn’t been interested in any other men.
I put a finger under her chin and lifted her face up. “I’m honored that I popped your motorcycle cherry, too,” I drawled with a wink.
Her nose scrunched up adorably, and her green eyes filled with the flame I’d seen earlier. “Just because I agreed to come with you doesn’t mean I’m going to fall into bed with you.”
Knowing where she’d be sleeping, I smirked. “We’ll see.”
She huffed but couldn’t quite hide her interest in the idea. I loved that she was so honest in her emotions and reactions, and that she wore them so plainly on her face.
“Patriot. Get your ass in my office.”
Mac’s gruff command came from the side door to the garage, and I twisted my head around to see him standing with his arms crossed, scowling at me. I nodded respectfully and grabbed Cherry’s hand, taking her with me as I followed my president inside.
“Did I get you in trouble?” Cherry whispered, her voice trembling with worry.
I could understand her trepidation. Mac was a scary motherfucker with his ripped physique, full beard, and almost as many tattoos as me. Not to mention the air of authority that hung around him, one that promised unimaginable pain to anyone who fucked with him or his people.
However, even though that shit was legitimate, what people outside the club didn’t know was that he was a giant teddy bear when it came to his wife and kids.
“No worries, baby,” I assured her. “Remember what I told you about my prez?”
She nodded, and some of the fear in her expression ebbed.
We entered Mac’s office, and he indicated for us to sit. I was tempted to pull Cherry onto my lap, but Mac wouldn’t appreciate it until I’d cleared things up, and I didn’t think she was ready for it. Instead, I led her to one of the chairs in front of the desk and then took the one next to her. Just as I sat, Scout—the Silver Saints VP—strolled into the room and shut the door behind him.
He dropped down onto one of the couches in the corner of the room, and his eyes locked onto my woman before meeting mine. “This the Devil’s Jesters woman?” he asked.
I growled and clenched my hands into fists. “Those assholes have no claim on Cherry.”
Scout’s eyebrows rose. “Cherry?” He scanned my girl again—it was almost clinical, though, so I didn’t jump out of my chair and blacken both his eyes. “Fitting. I like it.”
“No one calls her Cherry but me,” I told him in a hard tone.
Scout held up his hands in surrender. “Noted. Hmm, okay then, how ’bout I call you cinnamon?”
“Um…” Cherry looked at me in confusion.
“Erin, this is Scout, our VP. He likes nicknames.” I rolled my eyes then glared at my VP. “This is Erin.”
“Okay, but, um, why cinnamon, exactly?” she asked Scout.
He grinned. “That sprinkling of brown freckles reminds me of the cinnamon sprinkled on my old lady’s frilly lattes.”
Cherry giggled, and I smiled at the sound. This was the first time I’d seen her face light up, and it was fucking gorgeous.
“Shut your trap, Scout,” Mac finally barked, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Got a call from an
irate Razor,” Mac continued, his gaze on me. “Seems he’s of the opinion you busted up their bar and stole the property of a patch.”
“That’s an outright lie,” Cherry suddenly insisted, her body rigid and her face twisted with disgust. “I don’t belong to them. To anyone.” I was proud of her backbone but not happy with her statement.
“That so?” Mac asked, his tone curious as his eyes strayed to me. He watched me for a moment, asking a silent question.
A slight dip of my head gave him the answer. Cherry might not know it yet, but she belonged to me.
She responded to Mac by telling him about the death of her parents and the last five years with her sister and her old man’s MC, ending with how I’d stepped in and saved her.
Mac listened quietly, giving no indication of his thoughts. When she was done, he picked up his phone and sent a text message before putting it back on the desktop. “I’ll work things out with Razor’s prez,” he told me. “You put us in a spot by exiting so noisily. There a reason you didn’t just sneak her out later that night instead?”
“Didn’t think she’d make it to the end of the night without being assaulted,” I explained. Mac was smart enough to put together what I meant from Razor’s claim and my actions.
He nodded, accepting my reasoning. Then he looked at Cherry. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need, Erin. If we have to help you disappear”—I was about to snarl at him for suggesting she leave, but he held up a hand and gave me a hard look that had me snapping my mouth shut—“we can do that. Whatever you need.”
Mac eyed me, and I understood the point he was making. It would be my job to convince her that I was what she needed.
Another small redhead entered the room and walked over to Mac. A gentle smile spread across his face, and he palmed her neck to pull her head down so he could kiss her. Cherry’s gasp prompted me to glance at her, and I was surprised to see her watching the couple with her jaw slack and wide eyes.
Patriot: Silver Saints Page 2
