“Turnip wine not your thing?” Maggie grinned. “If you talk nice to Digger, he might share the Scotch that he denies he has.”
Digger gave her the finger. “It's medicinal, Mags, but I'll share with Nitro. He's family, now.”
Mouse was still twitchy. She poked his thigh and hissed. “We?”
“Got a job first thing, but after we're done there, we've got the day clear. Thought we could go out, like for a date, or something.”
“A date?” Her eyes narrowed. “And what's this job? I'm not doing something that'll get me busted.”
He handed the kid to his mom, then leaned over and kissed his woman. “Yeah, a date. It's what people who dig each other do. An' I ain't gonna ever involve you in anything shady—reckon you've got that shit already sown up. My brother's ol' lady wants some new ink, so I'm going round to their place in the morning. It won’t take more than an hour, an' Josie's cool, you'll like her.”
“I dunno...”
“If we're together, we're gonna have to get to know each other's families. I'm not asking you to come to a party, just to spend some time with a couple of cool people.” He kissed her again. “Kinda important to me, punk.”
Nitro was aware of the conversation dying around them, as everyone waited for her answer. He ignored them and focussed his attention on Mouse. “Not gonna push, Mouse.”
“I know.” Sometimes he wondered if she knew how beautiful she was when she smiled. “Where're you taking me?”
He grinned. “Not much of a planner. Thought we'd just see where the moment takes us.”
14
If Mouse had been asked to describe a biker's house, this would be it. Even as they'd approached along the street of similar, unremarkable, slightly rundown houses, she would have been able to pick it out. It wasn't just the three bikes under plastic sheeting on the concreted-over front garden, or the big scratch-built workshop tacked onto the side of the house; the whole house just screamed 'biker'. She wasn't sure why, but Mouse knew that even if there were no bikes outside, she'd still want to give this house a wide berth.
She took a deep breath as Nitro killed the engine. “Is there anything I should know before I go in?”
Nitro grinned. “Yeah, he eats babies.”
“Don't take the piss, Nitro.” Mouse sighed and took off her helmet. “That's not what I meant, and you know it. I don't want to go in there and commit some terrible biker faux pas because there's a rule I don't know about.”
“You could just try acting like you would in anyone else's home. That usually works.”
“Okay, be a twat about this, but don't moan at me when they do some biker punishment on you cos I was disrespectful without meaning to be.”
He shook his head. “Biker punishment, right.”
A loud barking from what sounded like a pack of extremely large dogs announced their arrival. Mouse's chicken shit hand slipped into his. “That sounds like a lot of big scary dogs.”
He kissed her head and laughed. “Yep, it does, doesn't it.”
The door was opened by a huge man in a beater. He'd been at the birthday party, but he'd been wearing a cut and she'd been too intimidated to look anywhere but the ground. Mouse swallowed. Jesus, he looked like he'd been hewn from granite. Nitro squeezed her hand and laughed as the man mountain looked down at her. “Stop staring, punk.”
“I'm...” She felt a blush rising up her throat. “Hi.”
Man Mountain laughed and flexed his pecs. “You can touch if you like.”
Nitro sighed. “Go ahead. Everyone does. Just don't start bitching at me to spend more time at the gym.”
Mouse wasn't sure how much time he spent there, but Nitro had got it just right, and his body was perfect. She smiled and stuffed her free hand into the pocket of her jeans. “I'm good, thanks.”
“Fuck, yank. You'd better hang on to this one. She's prepared to settle for second best.” Man Mountain opened the door wider. “Josie's waiting in the kitchen.” Mouse began to unlace her boots and he frowned. “S'okay, sweetheart, you can leave them on. The dogs paddle mud through here all the time, your boots won’t make a lot of difference.”
Nitro touched the spot between her shoulders. “Was me leaving my boots on an Anarchist faux pas?”
“Yeah, it kind of was. But we're nice people so we didn't say anything.”
“You're not nice, Mouse.” He ran his hand down her back and squeezed her arse. “It's one of my favourite things about you.”
Man Mountain—no one seemed bothered about introductions—put his hand on a door handle. “You okay with dogs, lover?”
“Generally, yes. As long as they're not ripping out my throat.”
He laughed—it was a good laugh—and pulled open the door. Three of the biggest dogs she'd ever seen, pushed past him and rushed towards her and Nitro. Man Mountain laughed again as Mouse took an involuntary step back. “They won’t hurt you. They've already been fed.”
Nitro crouched down and grabbed the biggest dog's head. “Hey, buddy. Try to keep the drool to a minimum, okay?” He looked up and grinned. “They're cool, Mouse.”
“They're... big.” Mouse tentatively patted one of the monsters on his huge head. “What are they?”
“Neapolitan Mastiffs.” Man Mountain clicked his fingers, and all three dogs sat down. “They're Josie's babies.” He rolled his eyes. “Big, expensive babies. You wanna see the pups?”
~oOo~
While Biff led Mouse into the laundry room to see the pups, Nitro ignored her death glares and joined Josie at the dining table. “So what have you got for me?”
Josie clicked onto an image of a dragon on her laptop. “Something like that, but I don't like the colours and I think it needs to be longer and narrower.”
He opened a sketch pad and started to draw. “Do you want the tail to curve round your back? If I do it longer, like this, it'll look cool.”
Josie nodded. “Yeah, that works.” She looked over to the laundry room door. “Not your usual type, Nitro.”
“No, I don't suppose she is.” He grinned. “More clothes for a start.”
“You serious about her?”
“I think so. You want the wings outstretched, or folded like this?” Nitro had expected the third degree, and he guessed Mouse would be getting the same. There was a reason he'd brought Mouse here: The club was notoriously suspicious. It might've seemed to outsiders that they were welcoming, and on a superficial level, they were. But he wanted to bring Mouse into his family, and given his track record, the club wasn't exactly going to welcome another of his women with open arms.
It was a risk dropping her into the lion's cage like this—Biff would push her for details she might not want to share, and Mouse had a temper—but if she kept her cool, the big SAA would love her, and he held an awful lot of sway in the club.
Josie clicked on another image. “I quite like the wings on this one. So, how did you meet?”
“Long story.” Nitro sketched the outstretched wings onto the rough outline. “Like this?”
“Oh, I like that. So, I've got all day. How did you meet?”
~oOo~
She was going to kill Nitro. Slowly and painfully.
Mouse crouched down as the fattest of the six pups waddled towards her. “Oh, god. They're adorable. Can I pick him up?” She eyed their mother. “I don't want mum to savage me.”
Man Mountain grinned. “Knock yourself out, lover. She's cool.” He crouched down next to her. “I don't bite either.” The pup licked her fingers and he scratched it on the head. “I'm Biff.”
Of course he was. “Mouse.”
“Do you have a proper name?”
Mouse dared to meet his eyes. “Do you?” She took a deep breath; she really didn't want to piss him off. “I don't like to give people my birth name. My friends—family—and I are activists. Some of the stuff we do pisses off the authorities. I... I know you're okay—Nitro wouldn't have brought me here if you wasn't—but I'd rather you just called me Mouse.
”
Biff took the pup from her arms and straightened up. “Is what you do gonna be a problem for Nitro?”
“I don't know.” She stood and tickled the mastiff behind the ear. “I think the problem is the other way round.”
“Is that why you split from Jules' party?”
She nodded. “I like Nitro, and I like spending time with him, but I'm uncomfortable around the Freaks.” He didn't look angry, so she risked a smile. “Sorry.”
There was a door that led to the back garden. Biff pushed it open. “Smoke?”
Oh joy. Another lecture. “Okay.”
~oOo~
Nitro had finished what he needed to do before Mouse and Biff returned to the house. Josie had offered to cook them lunch, but the look on Mouse's face told him that it would probably be a good idea to get out of there as quickly as possible.
He didn't have much idea how they were going to spend the rest of the day. He'd figured they'd go for a ride and then fuck, but now it looked like it might take more than a few miles on his bike to get her to open her legs. Nitro pulled an extremely stiff Mouse into his arms and glanced up at his brother.
Biff gave the tiniest of nods and Nitro almost sagged with relief. He bent and whispered in Mouse's ear. “Wait until we're outta earshot before you start yelling.”
Josie stood and closed the sketch pad. “You'll have a cuppa before you go.”
“Another time.” Nitro gently pushed mouse away, and kissed Biff's ol' lady on the cheek. “I'll swing by with the finished drawings in a couple of days.” He grabbed Mouse's hand and practically dragged her out of his brother's house.
When he was pissed, Nitro would go for a long ride. A few hours on his bike was usually enough to restore his good mood, but somehow he didn't think it would work with Mouse; it would just give her longer to stew and rehearse in her head what she needed to say. So instead of heading out of town, he took her back to his place.
He was slightly concerned as she followed him up the stairs to his apartment. She still hadn't said a word. “You can yell now.”
She shook her head. “Not going to yell, biker boy.”
“You're pissed, though?”
“Yeah.” She wandered over to the sofa and sat down.
He joined her, and took her hand in his. “Just yell, Mouse.”
Mouse sighed. “I get why you did what you did. My friends are as suspicious of you as yours will be of me. But you threw me to the wolves back there.”
“Wolf.”
“Semantics.” She frowned. “I was really intimidated, and you knew it. That wasn't fair, Nitro.”
No it wasn't. “I knew you could handle Biff.”
“No, you didn't.” She yanked her hand away from his and stood up. “I might not like your club, but I'm not a grass. And if it was so important to know personal stuff about me, why didn't you just ask? So yeah, Nitro. I'm pissed off, and insulted. And now I'd like you to take me home.”
Nope, that wasn't going to happen. “Okay, but how about we have something to eat first. There's a cool place nearby. My treat.”
The corner of her mouth turned up. “If you're going to stick with me, biker boy, everything is going to be your treat.”
There was always a danger of getting scratched by his prickly little punk, but Nitro didn't care. He loved her, and he needed to kiss her. He stood and pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Mouse. Gonna stick to you like glue.” The were no prickles as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck. He grinned and threw caution to the wind. “I s'pose a fuck's out of the question.”
~oOo~
Fighting Nitro was like pissing in the wind, and Mouse knew that no matter how hard she tried, he'd end up getting his own way, so she'd allowed him to buy her lunch. And although she'd told him she wanted to go home, when he'd suggested they spend the rest of the day at the seaside, she hadn't put up a fight. Mouse was tired of fighting. She understood why Nitro had taken her to Biff's place. He'd not gone about things in the same way as her, and her friends were more gentle in their interrogation, but it was the same reason she'd taken him to Hope Farm. And as the big Sergeant at Arms had pointed out, it was preferable to the clubhouse.
It didn't mean she was going to give Nitro an easy ride, though.
She'd shot down his request for a fuck in flames, even though it did feel like she was cutting her nose off to spite her face, and she'd been quiet as they ate their lunch. But as they'd ridden through the Somerset countryside towards the coast, she'd found it harder and harder to hold on to her bad mood. And by the time they pulled up outside a hotel a few miles from Weston-Super-Mare, it had dissipated entirely.
She raised an eyebrow as he dismounted, and he grinned. “Thought we could stay the night.”
“It's a bit posh, Nitro.” She squinted up at the ornate facade.
“Only the best for my girl.” He unbuckled her helmet and brushed his lips against hers. “C'mon. Let's go an' freak out the receptionist.”
The receptionist didn't disappoint. Faced with six foot plus of long-haired, bearded biker, who even minus a cut was an intimidating sight, and a scruffy little punk in a misshapen Dead Kennedys tee shirt and jeans that were more hole than denim, she couldn't quite hide the look of horror on her face.
She recovered quickly and flashed them a smile. “Can I help you?” Already, Mouse knew that she was going to tell them that no rooms were available.
“Hi there.” Nitro looked down at her badge. “Jessica.” He leaned on the desk and turned the charm all the way up to eleven.
The poor girl didn't stand a chance.
~oOo~
Mouse bounced around the room like a kid in a candy store. “I can't believe you got us a room with a four-poster.” She swung on one of the posts. “And have you seen the bath? You could fit a football team in that. And there's bubble bath and posh towels and everything.” She threw herself onto the bed and picked up the phone. “Can I order room service? Something proper posh, like champagne and caviar.” She wrinkled her nose. “No, not caviar, maybe some poncy sandwiches, and cake. Yeah, we should definitely have cake.”
Nitro mentally waved goodbye to the new forks he'd had an eye on. “Sure. Order what you want.”
“Nah.” She replaced the receiver. “There's bound to be a decent chippy in town, we'll get something later.”
He sat next to her and picked it up again. “Order what you want, Mouse.”
Mouse shook her head. “I'd probably hate champagne. Don't waste your money on me.” She unlaced her boots. “Wanna take a bath?”
Sometimes being with her was like being lost in thick fog. He had no point of reference, no way of knowing if he was heading in the right direction. He didn't know how to make her happy, couldn't figure out what it was she wanted from him. But every so often the fog would clear. Nitro pulled his tee shirt over his head, and leaned over to kiss her neck—he hadn't realised that necks could be so hot—his little punk had no qualms about letting him spend money on her if he wanted to, but she didn't care if he didn't. Grand gestures and lavish gifts were wasted on her. Not because she wasn't worth it—he'd happily spend his last penny on her—but because they meant nothing to her.
He loved the way Mouse smelled. She might not always have access to hot running water, but she was surprising fastidious, and the soap she used smelled of lavender. Nitro pushed her back onto the bed and buried his face in her hair. “You smell like summer. Wanna fuck you before you wash it away.”
15
“Go get me some more change.” Nitro handed Mouse another ten pound note.
“Nitro...”
“You want the bear, you're getting the bear.” He slammed his fist on the glass as the grabber dropped the bear again. “Fuck. Get some more change.”
“You've already spent a tenner, Nitro. I don't want the stupid bear.” Mouse tugged on his arm. “Can we go, please?”
“Sure, baby. Whatever you want.” He fed another pound coin into the slot. “Just as soon
as you've got your bear.”
This was how it had been all day. After fucking in a four-poster and in the bath—twice—they'd hit the town. A chance remark as she'd watched a family building sandcastles on the beach, about how she'd never had a family holiday, had meant that he was determined that she'd experience all the things she'd missed out on. They'd had an ice cream on the pier and taken a million photos. Then he'd decided that they should build sandcastles, which, because this was Nitro, had attracted a bunch of kids. He'd been very quiet and pale on the big wheel, and had needed to sit down for a while when they got off, but he'd quickly bounced back and insisted that they had to eat fish and chips on the promenade. And now they were in an amusement arcade, spending a fortune on a two quid teddy.
“I really don't want the bear, Nitro.” It was too loud, too frenetic in there and she needed to get out.
Finally, the grabber picked up the bear and dropped it into the chute. “Yesss!” Nitro triumphantly thrust it into her hand. “Now you have a memento of your day at the seaside.” He turned for the door. “C'mon, what are you waiting for? We gotta get a stick of rock 'fore the rock shop closes.”
Mouse allowed him to drag her to the little shop. She'd never seen the appeal of rock. It was too sweet and sugary for her tastes, and she couldn't afford the dental charges if she broke a tooth on a stick. But Nitro was having fun, so she said nothing as he checked out the different flavours and flirted with the old dear behind the counter. He was having so much fun, in fact, that he didn't notice as she walked back into the sunshine.
~oOo~
“Mouse? Jesus, I turn my back for two minutes...” He dropped a five-pound note on the counter, and picked up the bag of stupid candy. “Thanks, keep the change.”
She was sitting on the sea wall, staring out across the huge expanse of sand. Nitro sat next to her and opened the bag. “I got you a black one, cus you're an Anarchist, an' a pink one cus you're a girl.”
“What are all the others for?”
“Presents. Gotta take the folks back home a stick of rock, it's tradition apparently. I got a real good deal, an' the old girl threw in some candy that's shaped like tits.” He frowned and pushed her hair away from her face. “What's wrong?”
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