Damon doesn’t like to kill anyone, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t do it if he feels like he has to. He’s a Prez now, which means he has to set an example.
The door to the club opens and shuts, but I don’t bother to turn back and see who just came through. They’re one of us, and if they aren’t, they’re an ally. “Oh, look who finally decided to show up. What’s this … the third time?” Amara says, coming into my view. She looks to Damon and then down to Vinny. “We don’t like people who waste our time, Vinny, but from the fear that’s spread across your face … I’m guessing my dear brother already expressed that.”
Vinny nods his head very quickly, “Yes, ma’am, and no Sir. I don’t enjoy wasting time. Had my own mess to be cleaning up the past couple of days and it’s gotten outta hand a bit. For that I apologize.”
“I don’t care about your issues, or want your apologies. When you say you’re gonna do something, you fuckin’ do it. What good is a man if not for his word?”
“Understood.” Vinny mutters, placing his hands underneath him, he stands up. “What can I help you with today?”
“I need passports, obviously they need to have fake names and look legitimate.”
Vinny nods at what Damon’s said. “How many of you are going?”
Damon and Amara share a look, one that tells me they’ve come to a disagreement on this. “Six.”
“Okay, I need pictures for everyone who’s going.”
“Okay, I’ll get those over to you.” Amara says.
“Oh, no, sweetie. That’s not how this works. I have my gear and backdrop in the back. I just need the six that are going, and I’ll grab the images now. Give me a few hours and a place to set up and I’ll have them for you.”
“You plan on doing all this here?” Damon asks him.
“Sure do, unless you’d like me to leave and come back in a few days. How pressed are you for needing them?”
Instead of answering the question, Damon answers, “Here is fine. Widow, I’m gonna have you and I go first. Amara, will you grab Chaz, Cobra, Hawk and Dixon and let them know that they’re needed in about twenty minutes?”
“You got it.” She responds. I know she’s already left when I hear the door open and shut to the clubhouse. Internally, I’m counting the number of men that Damon just listed. That means that Amara is going to be left at the club by herself, with the exception of the new prospect, Mouser. Truth be told, I don’t know how I feel about that. I know we can trust the Jackal’s … but I have the feeling that they won’t be around. If we’re going, it has to mean that they are as well.
“Can I talk to you … while Vinny here gets set up. Say, how long you gonna be?” I ask Vinny, who’s already walking over to his Jeep to get his shit.
“At least ten minutes. I’ll walk in and get situated. Come over to me when you’re ready.”
I nod at him and glance back to Damon. “Let’s go talk in private.” I walk into the clubhouse and head for the one place I know we can get a few words in without anyone eavesdropping. Opening the door to where we hold church, I go inside and Damon follows suit. “The Jackals are coming with us … right?”
Damon furrows his brows, “Of course they are. We need all the manpower we can get.”
“Alright, so who’s gonna stay here with the ladies and protect the club while everyone’s in Mexico? That just leaves Amara and Mouser. That’s two of our fuckin’ people, brother.”
“Three, actually.”
Damon either can’t count for shit or he’s got something up his sleeve that I don’t know about. “Care to elaborate?”
“We’ll have three members of the club here. Booger should be on his way back with Camila now. I know we’re not out of the woods when it comes to our issues with the Vibora, however, I think that we’ve weaned them down enough to the point where they can come back home. Obviously, Boog will stay here with Amara and Mouser. We need a few trusty shots to watch over the club, and while I won’t admit this to their faces … they’re pretty solid.”
“Alright, so we gonna handle that last compound they have soon, or what?”
“We sure are. Pharaoh and I have been working on a plan that we think will work. We have to remember that getting Onyx’s remaining girls out of that compound alive is a huge priority. I’ll prep you all on it later today. We’ll be attacking tomorrow night.”
“Got it.” I respond. I can’t wait to hear whatever it is that Damon and Pharaoh have planned. It’s going to be a blast. That I have no doubt about.
A light rap comes to the door, “Damon, Widow … Vinny said he’s ready for you two.” Amara says through the door.
“Be out in a minute.” I respond to her, waiting to hear her walk away. Once she does, I continue. “Fist up to date about everything?”
“Yep, he sure as hell is. He’s our National Charter Prez, brother. I’m not gonna hide anything from him.”
“So, there’s been some talks about Utah then I’m guessing.”
Damon nods, “Yeah. Nothing’s been decided besides the fact we’re keeping the charter. I see the Reapers growing, though. I see us growing for a long time.”
I smile to myself, thinking how nice it is to be at a club where I don’t have to worry about the intentions of my Prez. Everything was so different when I was with the Brotherhood. I constantly have to keep reminding myself that I’m not under Roman’s rule anymore.
He wasn’t as bad as Rage … but he wasn’t the man I’d imagined myself following. Instead, I’m now staring at the right person, the one, who was meant to lead, and the one I was always supposed to follow. Damon may have voiced that he never wanted to be a Prez for Brotherhood, but when he patched into the Reapers I knew it was the right choice.
He wanted to be a Prez, just not for the club his father had. He wouldn’t continue to be a pawn for him, and I understood that.
I understood it more than anyone will ever know.
24
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.
-Mahatma Ghandi
Rebel
“Are you sure about this?” Nikolai asks me for a final time.
I turn in the passenger seat to give him a stern look, showing him just how sure I am. “If I wasn’t sure about coming here with you tonight, I wouldn’t have taken an hour to get all dolled up for you. I surely wouldn’t have caved and let Widow watch Zoe alone while we went out, and I don’t think I would’ve made you drive all the way across town to come here.”
He slightly smirks, bringing his hand up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “I just want to make sure you’re comfortable. That is all.”
“Niko, if I wasn’t comfortable, we wouldn’t be here. It’s that simple.” I say, putting my hand on the door, I open it and exit the vehicle. He follows suit and places his arm around my waist as we walk towards the lobby.
As we get further into the lobby, people stare. I’m not sure what they’re staring at. This is Vegas after all. Some women around here decide to walk the streets covered in fishnets without pasties on underneath, and I think that saying covered is completely inaccurate, because we can see everything.
I’m wearing a tight fitted bodycon dress. It kind of has this hologram-ish vibe to it, changing colors, whichever way you look at it. My hair is pinned half up, half down and I’m excited to be out on an official date night with Nikolai.
Sure, we might be going to Crave for one of the infamous parties, but it’s bound to be a good time.
We both enter the elevator and I scan my keycard, gaining us access to the floor we need to be on. I see a couple people stare at me a little bit, and hear a man whisper lowly. “She must be one of those whores.”
Immediately, my eyes widen, hoping and praying that Nikolai didn’t hear it because I don’t want him to make a scene. As his hand slides from around my waist, I know that he’s heard him alright. He brings his hand in front of him and cracks his knuckles before turning back to the two couples who were in the elev
ator when we came on board. There’s a club underneath the hotel, so they’re probably drunk and loose lipped.
“I will ask this once. Who just called my girlfriend a whore?” Nikolai stands strong, crossing his arms, looking like he’s about to fuck someone up. Even in his suit, you can tell that he’s ripped. It might even him out a bit, but his suit clings to every muscle on his damned body. It’s probably part of the reason I’ve wanted to lick him to bits.
I want to stay facing forward, but there’s this urge inside me that wants to know who said it. Even more than that, I want to confront the coward who hides behind hushed whispers. Until now, I didn’t have that courage. Maybe it’s because I’ve never felt strong enough to demand answers, but I do now, and I think that speaks to how I feel whenever I’m with Nikolai. I don’t feel super human or any of that shit, however, I do feel strong, like a fierce Viking princess. “If I were you, I’d tell him. He get’s angry rather quickly and doesn’t like to wait around.”
The two men in the back of the elevator each has a typical Vegas girl with them. Big tits, big hair and I’m sure there are big egos to match. While the women are gorgeous, the men are mediocre. I want to giggle because they look like two deer caught in headlights. Nikolai is standing in a pretty intimidating stance if you ask me.
I want to add in some crazy shit like they do with Khalessi on Game of Thrones just to make him sound even worse than he is, but I don’t. Instead, I keep my yapper shut as we wait. We have at least another minute on the elevator anyway.
“My friend here talks too much. Sorry, he’s a bit drunk.” One of the men says, while his girl holds onto him tight.
I look her up and down, “Relax, sweetheart. My boyfriend doesn’t plan on beating the tar outta you two ladies.”
“Oh fuck. See what you’ve gotten us into now, Levi?” The sober friend snarls over to the other. Levi on the other hand, he just snickers and boy does he like it.
He moves his head down and follows my body all the way up. He’s either trying to assess me, or eye fucks the living hell outta me. “Look at that body, with those t-tattoos and that hair. Shit, look at this dude. He probably paid her five g-grand just to go on a date with him. W-wonder how much it’s gonna cost him to sink his cock in her later.” He slurs on a few words, showing he’s further off than we initially thought.
Nikolai looks over to Levi, “I don’t care that your friend is drunk. I will not tolerate any disrespect against my girlfriend. Sweetie, you may want to move.” The girl standing beside Levi rushes over next to the other two. No sooner as the moment she’s out of the danger zone, Nikolai goes to town.
We all watch as he plummets his fist into Levi’s face again and again, showing him how inappropriate it is to ever disrespect a woman like this. I doubt he’ll ever do it again after he wakes up tomorrow feeling pretty shitty from both the hangover and the beating.
I hear the elevator beep, signaling us that the doors are about to open. I grab Nikolai’s arm and he stops. We both walk through the doorway and wait for the doors to close. No way in hell do I want these people trying to sneak into Crave.
“Okay, that was kind of hot.”
Nikolai chuckles lightly, “You’re only saying that because I got violent and I have an accent.”
Alright, so he’s got me there. This accent of his … goodness gracious. The man makes me lose my mind. “You have a point, but that’s not all of it.” I start off, taking his hand in mine, I look up into those eyes of his. The ones that hold so much pain and heartache behind them. I know he’s only told me part of his story, and I want to know so much more. All in good time, though. “I think it was super hot that the guy I’m falling for wanted to defend my honor. Even though I don’t have a whole bunch of it. I’ve done some awful shit, Nikolai … so it means a lot to me that you wanted to protect me.”
He brushes the back of his hand against my face, “Oh, you silly woman. I will always defend your honor, even if you are wrong, or have done awful things. You and I are a team, and I will always stand by your side, regardless.”
I stand up on my tippy-toes, even though I’m in four inch heels and press my lips against his. Our kiss starts out slow and passionate, but turns into something demanding. A kiss that expresses just how much we crave the other. It’s primal, animalistic and shows that we own the other.
When I was with Widow all those years ago, I had to accept that women are viewed as property. I didn’t understand it at first, but I never viewed it in a derogatory way – because it isn’t. It’s their way of showing that they value their women and families above all else. It’s what unifies them. Now, here I am, kissing a man who owns my soul as much as I own his. It’s equal, and I think there is something special about this type of love.
In fact, I know there is something special about the two of us.
“So, what would you like to do now?” He asks as we pull away from our kiss.
“There are so many options, but I’d really just love to grab a drink and nestle away with you in a quiet corner.”
He smiles widely, “Whatever my girl wants, she gets.”
25
Don’t be scared to walk alone. Don’t be scared to like it.
-John Mayer
Rebel
“You ready to leave?” Nikolai asks me and I nod. Over the last hour, I’ve felt like I was just going to keel over from exhaustion. He had to pull my tail to get me out tonight, but I’m so glad he did it. We needed a night out on the town, even if it was hiding away in the private areas of Crave.
“Yeah, let’s go. I miss my baby.” I mumble, rising from where we’ve been sitting for a bit. As he stands, I catch a glimmer in his eye. “What?” I ask, knowing he’s thinking something.
“You’re beautiful inside and out, but the most beautiful part of you Rebel is the fact you’re a mother.”
I blink a few times as what he just said registers in my mind, trying not to let emotions come over me. This, what has just happened, is why I am with Nikolai. “Are you trying to get me to fall more in love with you?” I ask, giggling.
He doesn’t answer, but simply smiles as he takes my hand and we walk down the hallway towards the elevator.
“Rebel, wait up!” I hear Harlow’s voice and turn around, noticing how she looks a little different. I can’t really tell what’s up with her. She looks a little pale, almost like she’s nervous and immediately I become worried. A sickly feeling washes over my body. I’m one of those people, where their anxiety has just ravaged them until they get an answer.
“What happened?” I ask, hoping she’ll tell me straight away.
“You alright?” Nikolai asks from beside me, and I nod my head.
“Yeah. I’ll meet you at the car.” I kiss him chastely on the lips and approach Harlow, needing this bitch to tell me what’s up.
“So, I got the results in today.”
“Really? That quick?” I thought it took at least a couple weeks to get anything back … but when I think about it, it’s been a while. The days have just been flowing together.”
“Yeah, I know. I just … look, it’s all in here.” Harlow reaches into her pants pocket and hands me a paper. Immediately I open it and read. There’s a disclosure in the beginning and then it goes to tell us how each of the DNA samples that were gathered is a 99.9% match to the other, confirming that these would belong to identical siblings.
“Holy shit,” I can’t believe it. I thought that nothing would come of this. I didn’t expect that something like this would have happened, but alas, it did.
“Yeah … so, I’m going to be fucking your twin sister. That’s not going to be weird or anything. Nope. Not one bit! You’re only my best friend.” Harlow mumbles, looking up at me. I wrap my arms around her and give her a big hug. It might be a little weird, but she doesn’t realize how she’s given me a sense of family. Something that I’ve always craved and yet have never had. This is priceless to me.
“Thank you so much.”
&n
bsp; “I couldn’t believe it myself when I first saw. It blew my freaking mind!”
I release her, taking a step back. “When do you meet her?”
“She said a couple of weeks, depends how her work schedule goes. So, when do I tell her about you?”
“You don’t. Not yet at least. Just do your job and we’ll figure out that shit later. There isn’t any need to rush, and honestly, I need to wrap my head around all of this too.”
I take the elevator downstairs and meet Nikolai at his car, getting in the passenger side. As he pulls out of the garage, I turn and look at him, telling him what I’ve just discovered. “Niko … I have a twin sister.”
“You do? You never told me about her.”
“No, I mean … yes, I have a sister, but I just found out about her. I’d put in a request to get my birth records a few weeks back but didn’t hear anything about it. Now, though, now I’m just wondering how I never knew. My grandpa had told me I had a twin sister, and another one, but I thought the Alzheimer’s had gotten to him. It turns out he was telling the truth.”
“Are you going to see her?” Nikolai asks, weaving through the streets of Las Vegas until we’re at home.
His question weighs heavy on my mind. I've been on my own and have survived for so long, so part of me wants nothing to do with her ... but the other part wants to get to know my sister. That part wants me to have a big family, bigger than just Zoe and I. Maybe, just maybe my family is growing one by one, or two if you ask Zoe. She has her father and I now have Nikolai.
Nikolai has been staying at my house more over the past few days versus at his. Because Zoe has school most days, he wants to be with us since it’s easier for her. When we get home, he pulls into the driveway and parks. We both exit the car and head for the front door, while I get out my key. Once we’re inside, I see Zoe on the floor with some sort of puppy.
“Oh my God …” I whisper, glancing over to Nikolai. “Did you do this shit or was it Widow?”
Widow (Reapers MC Book 4) Page 11