by Nicola Jane
“Where are you going?” he asks, clearly pissed by her smartass answer.
“Again, it’s none of your business, but we’re going to the salon to pamper ourselves.”
“Who’s watching over you?” he pushes.
“Christ, is Anna my ol’ lady or yours?” yells Riggs from inside his office, causing Anna to giggle. “If you’re so fucking worried, you can go watch them along with Brick.”
“You were sending Brick?” shouts Storm. “He’s got the attention span of a fucking fly. How will he keep them safe?”
“That ain’t a fucking problem no more cos you’re taking your moody ass along for the ride. Maybe you can drop by Lake’s club later and get laid, see if some rough sex can’t sort that mood out?” Riggs retorts.
Storm shakes his head. “I’m all good in that department, Pres.”
I frown. What the hell does he mean by that? I don’t get time to analyse it because Anna takes her car keys and grabs me by the hand. “Come on, the others are meeting us there.”
It’s been over a year since I last visited a salon. The hairdresser lifts my lank hair and examines the split ends closely. “I had a kid,” I mutter feebly. “I haven’t had time to get it cut properly.”
She smiles at my reflection in the mirror. “What sort of colour were you thinking?” she asks. I’ve spent years colouring my hair and haven’t been back to my natural strawberry blonde colour since I was a teenager.
“As long as I leave here looking better than when I walked in, I’ll be happy,” I say, smiling.
“Let’s go for a dark reddish-brown. You have a lovely skin tone and it’ll freshen up this drab, washed-out colouring.”
While my hair colour takes, I sit next to Leia to get my nails done. “You okay?” I ask, and she nods. “I feel like you need to talk about Raven,” I add because the girls shut her down last night and I think she feels like Raven is some kind of threat.
She shrugs. “Since having Grace, I feel crap about myself. I know it’s my issue, but I can’t help stressing that Chains will look elsewhere. They have a connection. Chains saved her life.”
“But he isn’t with Raven, he’s with you.”
“What if that’s because of Grace? He came back with Raven and they were sleeping together. I kept Grace a secret from him. Maybe he only got with me because of her.”
“I think it’s normal to worry like this,” I reassure her, “especially after having a baby. I feel like a great big flump most days, but I really think Chains is mad about you. Plus, Riggs would gut him if he messed around with anyone else.”
“She’s just so . . . perfect,” she mutters. “I don’t mean it in a bitchy way—I’m genuinely in awe of her. She’s brave, she doesn’t take any shit from the guys, they turn to her for advice, they even take her out on runs.”
“Everything you’ve just said makes me feel sad for Raven,” I say, and Leia looks confused. “The guys see her as one of them. None of the guys see her as ol’ lady material, and isn’t that the reason most of the women stick around the club? Don’t they want to be an ol’ lady?”
“Not everyone,” says Leia.
“From what I’ve heard, she’s had a few crushes on some of the guys. That tells me she’d jump at the chance to be an ol’ lady. Seems to me she gets friend zoned a lot. You’re sitting here wishing you were more like her, while she’s probably doing the same about you. If you feel crap, dress up, stick some makeup on, dance sexy for your man behind closed doors . . . do whatever it takes to make yourself feel great again.”
Leia nods. “Maybe you could show me how to dance?”
“I would love to. Chains won’t know what’s hit him.”
I stare with my eyes wide at my reflection as the hairdresser stands behind me, smiling proudly. “You like?”
“Oh my god, I love it.” I run my fingers through the bouncy, deep reddish-brown curls.
“You look amazing,” says Anna. “I can’t wait for Storm to see you.” I glance through the window. It’s reflective glass, which means I can see him sitting idly on his motorcycle chatting to Brick, but he can’t see me.
“Right, ladies, we have to dance,” says Leia, shaking out her own fresh curls and wiggling her ass. A few of the beauticians stand eagerly. Riggs booked the shop out to us for the morning, so there are no other customers as Leia cranks up the music on her mobile. “Lottie’s gonna show us some sexy moves, right?” she adds.
I stand, pushing my chair out of the way. “Let’s go.”
STORM
“What the fuck takes so long?” mutters Brick.
“Women like to look good,” I say, shrugging. It’s been hours and I’m curious as to what the hell’s going on in that place. The faint sounds of Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and the women laughing and yelling have piqued my interest. “Let’s go check it out,” I add, getting off my bike.
“Now, we’re talking,” says Brick, grinning and rubbing his hands together. I open the door and stop. I’m met with women, bent over, their arses in the air, all gripping their ankles. “Let me see,” whispers Brick, and I step inside with him hot on my heels.
Lottie stands, smiling wide. “Ooo, men, can we show you our dance?”
I sigh, taking a seat. I feel like I’m about to witness carnage, a bit like when Malia and Molly want to show off a dance they’ve learnt from some Disney film. “Okay, girls. From the top,” orders Lottie.
Shania Twain begins to play again, and I exchange a glance with Brick when the women begin to move. This is no ordinary dance. I suddenly feel like I’m back in Vinn’s strip bar, watching the women onstage. They sway and dip, biting their lips and shaking their asses. I shouldn’t be watching the brothers’ ol’ ladies dance like this, but damn if I can peel my eyes away. When the song comes to an end, they all bend over with their asses in the air, and I glance back at Brick, who looks just as uncomfortable as me.
Lottie stands, smiling. “So?” she asks.
“Are you trying to get us killed?” I ask.
“Were we good?”
“Good enough that I shouldn’t have watched it. Fuck.” I stand and point my finger. “If any of you women breathe a word of that to your old men, we’ll deny it. As far as I’m concerned, we didn’t even step into this place today,” I say stiffly. I head out with Brick right behind me.
“Jesus,” he mutters. “Why the hell did we go in there? Now, I gotta go find me a woman.”
I snigger. “If you’d seen some of the things I’d witnessed today, you’d have balls dragging on the ground right now.” I shake my head, trying to get rid of the image of Lottie in the shower this morning. Seeing her with her head thrown back in pleasure, that shower head doing the job I’m desperate to do . . . shit, I’m a walking bag of horny right now.
The girls begin to file out of the salon. Lottie heads straight for me. “We’re going for lunch,” she says.
I reach for a curl and twist it around my finger. “I like this,” I say, and she blushes.
“Are you following us to lunch?” she asks.
“Damn right,” I mutter, kicking my bike to life. She smiles and walks to Anna’s car. Not having her on my bike is something else I’m struggling with.
I take a seat at the bar along with Brick, while the women are seated at a booth. “Are you and Lottie—” begins Brick. I shake my head before he’s finished. “Is she free?” he adds, sipping his whiskey.
“What kinda fucking question is that?” I snap. “Does Lake know you wanna fuck his sister?”
“Whoa,” says Brick, holding up his hands. “Who said anything about fucking anyone? I was just asking a question. Wondering what your plans are, like if you’re gonna make her yours again?”
“She’s not available,” I growl.
“Easy, tiger, I wasn’t trying to step in there.”
We sit in silence, but his questions rile me. When a woman isn’t claimed, it means she’s free for the brothers. I can’t kill anyone for la
ying a finger on her because she isn’t mine. Usually, she’d be expected to join the club girls and do jobs around the place as well as have sex with the brothers, but cos she’s Lake’s sister, it’s different. She’s gonna be around the club for a few months yet and she’ll turn heads of the brothers. They’ll see her as ol’ lady material because of Lake and she’s got a kid. I run my hands through my hair and glance over to where she’s chatting with Anna. They laugh, and she throws her head back, exposing her throat to me. My cock twitches. Being around her is fucking killing me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
LOTTIE
“I don’t think going to Vinn’s club is a good idea,” I say to Anna.
She scowls. “It’s Saturday night, and we have babysitters. What’s your problem?”
It’s been a week since Storm caught me in the shower and I’ve not touched myself since. Mainly because I’m terrified he’ll walk in on me again. So now, I’m ridiculously horny, not helped by the fact that everywhere I turn, I see that big, handsome, tattooed bastard. “You saw how Vinn was. He goes out his way to annoy Storm, and we’re getting on so well, I don’t want to rock the boat.” It’s true that Storm and I have come to a comfortable truce. He even helps with night feeds when he hears Elsie cry.
“Are you going to stay home? Sit with Frankie, Esther, and the kids? Because Storm is coming to the club. I heard Lake ask him.” That’s even more of a reason to not go, but I find myself snatching the dress she’s holding out for me to try on. Damn my hormones.
The dress is short, barely covering my arse. “Perfect,” says Anna.
“If it’s perfect, why aren’t you wearing it?” I ask.
“Cos Riggs would kill me. Storm can’t say anything to you, not unless he claims you.”
“You’re obsessed with that,” I say. “Why?”
She shrugs. “I guess I want you two to sort your shit out. You belong together.”
“I don’t think he sees me like that anymore, Anna. You’re wasting your time. This is the longest time we’ve spent together without arguing.”
“And you think that’s because he doesn’t love you anymore?”
“Maybe. He looks at me differently. The fire in his eyes is gone.”
Anna smiles. “He sees you as the mother of his child. His love has changed. It’s deeper. There’s a respect there now that wasn’t there before.”
Anna’s words play on my mind as we head to the club. A few weeks ago, I would never have thought I’d be back at the MC clubhouse, let alone getting on with Storm. I kept a huge secret, and he forgave me. When I see him with Elsie, it does something to me. I see him through different eyes too.
Vinn greets us the second we step to the bar and tells the bartender to get us champagne. “You had your hair done,” he says, taking it between his fingers. I shift my head away, noting that Storm is watching from across the bar where he stands with the other guys. Vinn smirks. “You and him a thing again?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“Stop trying to get under Storm’s skin,” says Leia, taking the bottle of champagne. “One day, Mr. Romano, you’ll meet your queen. Until then, stop trying to steal someone else’s.”
He grins playfully, “We both know you were supposed to be my queen until that oversized biker stole you,” he says warmly. It’s no secret Vinn has a thing for Leia. “Enjoy your evening, ladies. Keep your beasts under control.”
“Has he always been like that?” I ask Gia, his sister, and she rolls her eyes.
“He’s an idiot. Ignore him. He could flirt his way out of anything.”
We join the men, and even though I’m talking with Anna, I feel Storm’s eyes on me the whole time. Leia nudges me. “It worked,” she whispers. When it’s clear I have no idea what she’s talking about, she smirks. “The dance. I chose my best underwear, no mummy pants in sight, and shook my ass exactly how you showed me, and I felt great. He couldn’t get enough of me.” Chains’ eyes are watching her every move, and I smile. I’m glad she feels good about herself.
“Can I buy you a drink?” A man I don’t know approaches me, and I look around awkwardly.
“Can we help you?” snaps Lake, stepping forward.
The guy rakes his eyes over the group of bikers. “Oh, are you with those guys?” he asks me.
“No, she isn't. She’s free and single, and of course, she’d love a drink,” says Leia, shoving me towards the guy. I look at her helplessly as she gives a little wave.
“Wine?” he asks.
I nod. I feel so uncomfortable and I glance back to the group. Storm is chatting with Riggs, and I’m relieved he hasn’t seen me. Leia marches over and hisses in my ear, “Will you relax? Storm needs to realise you won’t wait forever.”
“I don’t want him to get upset with me,” I snap. “And I’m happy as we are.”
“I see the way you look at each other. I feel like banging your bloody heads together,” she mutters. “You’ll never get back together if someone doesn’t give you a little shove.”
“This is not the way,” I snap.
The guy turns back to me, handing me a glass of wine. Leia grins before heading back over to the group. “You look amazing,” he says. “I’m Colin.”
“Lottie,” I answer. I glance over to Storm again, and this time, he’s watching me with those brooding eyes of his.
“Come with me, birthday boy,” says Vinn, approaching Storm. “I have a gift from your brothers. She’s waiting up there,” he says. I watch as the guys laugh and pat Storm on the back. He didn’t tell me it was his birthday. I down the wine as Storm makes his way to the stage. He climbs the steps and sits on a chair already placed centre stage. The guys have moved front stage, cheering loudly.
“Looks like he’s getting lucky tonight,” Colin comments, smirking.
“Actually,” I say, handing him my empty glass. “Thanks for the drink, but I’m here with my friends. I should get back to them.”
Leia scowls, but I ignore her. I know Storm, and I know he wouldn’t appreciate me flirting with other men, even if I am single. I’m still the mother of his child and that means not annoying him. I clap along to the music and a stripper enters the stage. She does her thing, dancing and shaking around him, getting the crowd whipped up. I miss the buzz from that. “You should totally get up there and dance for him,” says Leia excitedly.
“Christ, no one wants to see my saggy tits,” I scoff. Since having Elsie, those days are well and truly over. The dancer begins to remove clothing. It’s his birthday gift from the guys, but it’s hard to watch another woman all over him like that.
“Something tells me he’d welcome your saggy tits any day,” says Leia. I look to where she points and find Storm is watching me. I bite my lower lip, a move I know he loves, and his eyes darken.
“I need to pee,” I whisper to Leia before disappearing to the bathroom. I’m washing my hands when the door opens, and Storm appears behind me. “This is the ladies’,” I say, turning to face him.
He places his hands either side of my body, resting them on the wash basin behind me. “I can’t get you out of my head,” he says, his voice low. “I keep picturing you in the shower.”
“You didn’t tell me it was your birthday,” I whisper.
His eyes go to my lips, and I lick them subconsciously. “I don’t celebrate birthdays.”
“I would have got you a gift, from Elsie and me.”
“There’s only one gift I want from you,” he mutters.
He carefully moves his lips closer, giving me a chance to back out, but when it’s clear I’m not going to, he gently cups my face with his large hands and presses his mouth against mine. When he pulls back, I whisper, “Happy birthday.” He gives a crooked smile before slamming his mouth back to mine. I push my fingers into his hair, enjoying the way his hands roam my body while he thrusts his tongue into my mouth like a starved animal. I wrap my legs around him as he lifts me onto the counter.
“Fuck, I’ve missed this,” he growl
s.
STORM
The second I come, I feel a weight lifting. Being with Lottie feels right. This is right. She cries out, digging her nails into my shoulders. I welcome the sting. Fucking her in the bathroom of Vinn’s club was not the way I wanted to get back with Lottie, but shit happens, and I couldn’t control myself around her for a minute longer. I pull out of her and tuck myself away. “Let’s finish our drinks so we can get the fuck outta here. I need to feel you naked against me,” I say, grabbing a handful of toilet paper and wiping between her legs.
“It’s your birthday, shouldn’t you stick around and celebrate?” she asks, arranging her clothing back to its former state.
“It’s no fun when you’re the only one drinking orange juice,” I say, and her smile fades. “I’d rather be with you alone,” I add, kissing her on the forehead.
I feel like a boring arse, but when I tell the guys I’m heading back to the clubhouse, they all decide to call it a night too. “We can party back at the club for cheaper,” jokes Chains. I don’t bother to tell them I’m taking Lottie straight up to bed.
Lottie rides on my bike and it feels fucking amazing to have her wrapped around me again. When we step into the clubhouse, I automatically push Lottie behind me. Something feels off and the rest of the guys aren’t back yet. They jumped in cabs and the bike’s way faster. I press my finger to my lips, telling Lottie to keep quiet as I carefully take a step forward. It’s dark—no one ever turns the lights out in this place. “Don’t take another fucking step,” comes a female voice followed by the click of a gun.
The light flickers on, and Laura is standing a few feet away with a gun aimed right at my head. “What the fuck?” I snap. I take one step, and she fires the gun at the ceiling. Lottie screams as a bullet ricochets off and hits the wall.
“I told you not to fucking move,” screams Laura, waving the gun around.