Fallen Lords MC: Books 4-6

by Winter Travers

  I slowly moved closer to Raven, but she didn’t even pay me any attention. She was going to have one hell of a kink in her neck, and I’m sure once she actually took a breath from her computer, she was going to be starving.

  “Nose to the grindstone, huh?” I pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

  Raven blinked a few times and turned her head to look at me. “When did you get back?”

  “Just now. Actually, a couple of minutes ago. I was talking to Freak, but you didn’t even know it.”

  She leaned back in her chair and raised her arms over her head to stretch. “Surprising I didn’t realize you were back. I must be getting used to you looking at me all of the time now.”

  I shook my head. “You may not have caused any trouble for Freak, but I see you are still sassy as ever.”

  She looked at her watch. “You were gone for a few hours, Clash. Did you expect a miracle or something?”

  “Would have been nice, but no.” I ruffled through her papers sitting next to her. “What you got going on here?”

  She grabbed the papers and set them on the other side of her computer. “Work.”

  “What kind of work?” All I had managed to see were rough sketches and scribbles.

  “Rebranding. Stuff you wouldn’t get.”

  I sat back in my chair. “I think you might have just insulted me, Raven.”

  “You’re so sharp, Clash. Can’t get anything past you.”

  “You hungry?” I wasn’t up for bantering back and forth with her. I had a good morning hanging out with my parents, and I didn’t need her to wreck it.

  “I could eat.” She looked in the kitchen and frowned. “I had left a pack of Oreos in the kitchen, but it looks like they’re all gone.”

  There was an empty blue package lying on the counter with two half-drunk glasses of milk.

  “Yeah, you really can’t leave food laying around and expect there to be some left when you want it later.”

  That was something to be learned right away. With up to ten guys in the clubhouse at all times, it was a given that food didn’t last long around here.

  Raven sighed. “I really don’t feel like cooking. I’m in the middle of this. Order a pizza.”

  “Nah, I’m over pizza. We had it last night.”

  She looked back down at her computer. “You may have had it last night, but I didn’t.”

  “That’s because you grabbed a bottle of booze instead of a slice of pizza.”

  “Just embracing the biker life,” she mumbled.

  “Never thought those words would come out of your mouth.”

  Raven was constantly putting down anything that had to do with the club and the lifestyle.

  She grunted but didn’t say anything more.

  “Chinese instead of pizza?” I suggested.

  She shrugged. “That’ll do. I want three egg rolls, egg foo young, dumplings, and those sugar coated donuts.” Her hands rested on her computer, and she bit her bottom lip between her teeth.

  I pulled my phone out and placed the order for all the food she wanted and just doubled it for me. “Twenty minutes.”

  She nodded. “Good. Now, leave me alone until then. I really do need to get this done today.”

  “Wow, you really are behaving today.”

  She flipped me off, but her eyes didn’t move off the screen in front of her. “Sit and spin, warden.”

  And we were back to her calling me that. I almost preferred her calling me biker boy instead. Almost…

  “I have plans tomorrow,” she said absently.

  I tilted my head to the side. “Uh, come again?”

  Raven hadn’t had any plans since she came into the clubhouse. Suddenly, she had a life and needed to go somewhere?

  “My hair is driving me crazy. I’m getting it trimmed, dyed, and then maybe a manicure too if I have enough time.”

  “No.”

  She looked up. “Say what?”

  “I’m not sitting in a fucking salon for hours while you get shit done to your hair.”

  She smiled wide. “Oh yes, you are. I mean, you could just let me go alone if you don’t want to come with.”

  Wrecker would fucking kill me if I let Raven go off on her own. The odds of her actually coming back were slim to none.

  “You know damn well that’s not going to happen. Not after you pissed off The Ultra.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Not hard to do with those assholes.”

  They were a bunch of assholes, but Raven was good at pushing people’s buttons. “Seriously, can’t you just do all of that shit here?”

  She shook her head. “No. I wanna try something different and need a pro to do it. At least, the first time.”

  “What happens after the first time?”

  A sly smile spread across her lips. “I watch what they do the first time and then I figure out how to do it myself.” She shrugged and closed her laptop. “I want it done the right way, but I’m also not made of money.”

  I hung my head. “What time?”

  “Nine.”

  “So that means it’s going to take all fucking day.”

  She scrunched up her nose. “Possibly.” She stood up and cradled her laptop in her arms. “I’m going in my room to finish this since you can’t stop talking to me. Let me know when the food is here.”

  “You mean I get to come in your room?”

  One time, I had gone in Raven’s room, and she about had a shit fit.

  She looked over her shoulder at me. “No. Knock, warden.”

  She traipsed down the hallway, and I watched the swing of her hips until she ducked into her room.

  “The fucking salon?”

  I jumped, startled, and spun around to see Pipe in the kitchen. “What the fuck?” I hollered.

  Pipe walked out of the kitchen, a cup in his hand and a shit eating grin on his face. “You were so into Raven, you didn’t even notice me walk into the kitchen?”

  “My back is to the fucking kitchen, asshole.”

  “Raven saw me, though.” He sat down in the chair she just vacated.

  Of course, she fucking had. “Good for her.”

  “So now, you’re headed to the salon to get your hair and nails done tomorrow?”

  I rolled my eyes and tossed my phone on the table. “Yeah. Maybe I should ask Nikki if she wants to go and then you can take them.”

  He shook his head. “That shit ain’t going to happen. Besides, Nikki works tomorrow. You’re gonna have to try to pawn this shit off onto one of the other guys.”

  I pointed a finger at Pipe. “Mayra.”

  Raven would definitely rather go with her friend than me.

  “Boink and her just left.”

  “What?”

  “Some trip or something. They’ll be back in two days.”

  Fucking shit. “Of course.”

  “And before you say Karmen, Wren, or Alice, know that if you get all three of them to go, you are going to have a shit-show on your hands because you’re still going to be the one going because Wrecker isn’t going to be caught dead in some salon.”

  “You sure? Maybe he could get his beard trimmed or some shit like that.”

  Pipe chuckled. “Pretty sure Alice takes care of that shit for him. One of the perks of having an ol’ lady.”

  “That and getting laid on the regular.”

  Pipe held his cup out to me. “True that, brother.”

  “So now I’m not only a babysitter, I have to spend all fucking day at the salon.”

  Pipe shrugged. “Guess that’s better than dodging bullets, right?”

  It was, but not by much.

  “Wrecker needs to figure out what the hell he wants to do with Raven.”

  I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life following her around while she got her hair done.

  “The Ultra, man. Things may seem to be smooth at the time, but we really can’t get complacent with these guys.”

  “I know that, but there has g
ot to be something better we can do with Raven than keep her locked up in the clubhouse.”

  A knock sounded on the front door.

  “Who the fuck is that?” Pipe asked.

  I stood up and pulled my wallet out. “Chinese.”

  I paid the guy at the door and gave him a hefty tip for bringing the shit-ton of food.

  “Damn, brother. You should have told me you were ordering us all lunch. I wouldn’t have eaten.”

  I rolled my eyes and started pulling out containers. “This is just for me and a Raven. You or any other of these assholes want some, they are going to have to order their own.”

  “Brutal,” he chuckled.

  I grabbed an eggroll and munched on it as I walked down the hallway to Raven’s room. I pounded on the door and waited for her to open it. She had some shit music playing that made it hard to believe she could even hear herself thinking in there.

  The door swung open, and she stood there with her long hair pulled up into a messy bun on the top of her head. She was now wearing a large, oversized sweatshirt.

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re the one who told me to knock on the door when the food was here.”

  She pursed her lips. “Sorry, I didn’t think it would be here already. I figured you were just coming to bother me since you hadn’t seen me all day.”

  “Nah, babe. It was a nice break this morning. One I thoroughly enjoyed.”

  “Of course,” she mumbled. She planted a hand on my chest and pushed me backward. She pulled her door shut behind her and flounced down the hallway. “Thanks.”

  “You just apologized and said thank you.” I stood there dumbfounded.

  “Don’t get used to it, warden,” she called.

  Raven was grabbing all of her food and piling it into her arms when I finally came out of my stupor and headed back to the common room.

  “You’re not eating out here?”

  “God no,” she laughed. “I still have about six hours of work left to do, and I can’t do it with you guys hanging around.”

  “I’m slightly offended,” Pipe scoffed.

  “Uh, am I supposed to care?” Raven settled the last container in her arms and moved into the kitchen. “I’m taking this fancy basket,” she called.

  “What?” I looked at Pipe, and he shrugged.

  Raven walked out of the kitchen with her food piled into a basket, two beers in her hand, and a plate tucked under her arm. “Karmen or one of the other chicks probably brought it to try to organize shit in the kitchen, but it works pretty good for a food caddy.” She held up the basket. “I should have been a girl scout or some shit like that.”

  Pipe chuckled. “Yeah, putting your food in a basket is totally girl scout worthy.”

  Raven stuck her tongue out at him and headed back to her room. “Leave me alone, warden. I promise to stay in my room for the rest of the day,” Raven called.

  Her door slammed, and I’m sure she locked it as soon as she set down her basket full of Chinese food.

  “Still with the warden shit, uh?”

  I grabbed a plate and fork from the kitchen. “Yeah.”

  “You sound thrilled with it.”

  I set my plate down and loaded it up with food. I set the half-empty container of egg foo young in front of Pipe. “Hate it. Not that she fucking cares.”

  Pipe grabbed the container and looked in it. “What in the fuck is this shit?”

  “Egg foo young, dipshit. Try it.”

  He wrinkled his nose and set it back down. “Think I’ll pass on egg foo of some young guy.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  He shrugged and snagged an eggroll. “Whatever you say, warden.”

  He swiped the egg roll through the sweet and sour sauce and shoved half of it in his mouth.

  “Didn’t you say you ate already?” I sat down and shoveled a forkful of rice into my mouth.

  “Did. But you just offered me some of your egg shit so I figured I could take this.”

  I moved my plate away from him. “You were wrong.”

  He shrugged and sat back in his chair.

  “Nikki working?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Yeah. Gotta pick her up in a couple of hours.”

  He finished the egg roll and reached for another one.

  “Get off my shit.” I grabbed everything and moved it all to the other side of the table.

  Pipe laughed. “You suck at sharing, brother.”

  “I was an only child. Fuck yeah, I suck at sharing.”

  Pipe held up his hands. “I hear you loud and clear. I gotta go work on my bike anyway. Nikki and I were on it the other day and the brakes felt a little soft.”

  He stood up and made one more reach for my food.

  “I will stab you with this fucking fork, asshole.”

  “Touchy, touchy. I think Raven is rubbing off on you a bit.”

  I flipped him off.

  “See.” He shook his finger at me. “That’s Raven right there.”

  “Go fix your bike,” I mumbled.

  Pipe headed out to the garage, chuckling under his breath.

  I set my fork on the plate and sat back.

  I was not acting like Raven. If that were the case, I would be holed up in my room right now not talking to anyone.

  “Fuck that,” I grumbled.

  Fuck that, indeed.

  *

  Chapter Three

  Raven

  “You like?”

  I turned my head to the side then faced the mirror. “Like is not the word I would use.”

  Michelle sniffled and took a step back. “If you don’t li—”

  I held up my hand and cut her off. “I fucking love it, bitch. I don’t know how the hell you managed to make it look like this, but I am never going to another salon. Ever.”

  Michelle, the hairstylist I had just met this morning, clasped her hands in front of her and spun a circle. “Thank God,” she sang out. “I was terrified you were going to hate it.”

  I gently shook my head and watched the light reflect off my hair. “I don’t know how anyone could hate this.”

  When I had walked into the salon, I had an idea of what I wanted, but Michelle had taken my idea and ran with it. My roots were still pitch black but about four inches down, my hair ombred into a dark maroon color then to bright, fire engine red ends.

  It was fucking amazing.

  I fluffed my hair with my fingers and smiled wide. “Just the kind of change I was looking for.”

  “Should we wake up Warden and show him?”

  I stifled my laugh at Michelle calling Clash, Warden.

  When we had walked in, Clash hadn't been on his toes so when Michelle asked him his name, I was able to sneak in and say Warden. I managed to keep a straight face, and Michelle had completely bought that being his name.

  Now good ol’ Warden was sleeping in the corner of the salon in one of the chairs that wasn’t being used by customers.

  “I still say we should have frosted his tips.”

  Michelle wrinkled her nose. “Girl, that is so nineties.” She whipped the cape off and draped it over the chair next to me. “You’re good to go.”

  I looked down at my nails and smiled. It had been months since I had them done. They were now painted pitch black with lace overlay on two of them. “You are a goddess when it comes to nails and hair.”

  I followed Michelle over to the front desk and kept my eye on Clash who was still sleeping away.

  “Thanks for the tip, girl.”

  I winked at Michelle and shoved my wallet back into my purse. “You earned it.” I had taken up most of her day, and she had been pretty cool to talk to. “I better go wake up sleeping beauty since he’s my ride.”

  “He’s gonna be shocked when you wake him up.”

  I rolled my eyes and headed over to Clash. He wasn’t going to care what I looked like.

  His feet were sprawled out in front of him, and his legs were cocked open. His head was tipp
ed back, and his mouth was hanging open.

  “So sexy,” I whispered.

  I kicked his boot, and he sprang up out of the chair.

  “What the hell?” he shouted. He looked around frantically until his eyes landed on me.

  “Easy, warden. You were taking a little siesta there.”

  He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “No, I wasn’t.”

  I rolled my eyes and hitched my purse up on my shoulder. “Right. You were just trying to catch flies.”

  “You done?”

  I waved my nails in his face. “All girlied up.”

  He grabbed my hand and held it still in front of him. “Nice. Black and lace. It’s oddly fitting for you.”

  I yanked my hand out of his grasp. “How nice of you to notice.”

  His hand reached up, and he wound a strand of hair around his finger. “This is what you had up your sleeve?”

  He studied the strand of hair, and an odd sensation washed over me. I was worried he wasn’t going to like it.

  What the hell?

  Since when did I care what Clash thought about me? Let alone anyone for that matter?

  “Yeah, it’s what I wanted. You got a problem with that?”

  He dropped the hair and took a step back. He looked me over, and I fidgeted under his gaze.

  “Let’s motor, warden. I’m starving.”

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me close. “Not so fast.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Give me a second to wake up, woman.”

  I huffed and rolled my eyes. “Wait until I tell Wrecker you slept on the job today.”

  “He’s already impressed that I even came with you today. I doubt he would care I fell asleep.” His thumb gently grazed over my wrist. “Your hair is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

  “Then you really haven’t been paying attention to anything. At least, not chick’s hair.”

  He shook his head. “Yeah, gotta say, I’m not really looking at girls’ hair all of the time.” His eyes connected with mine. “Seems to be you’re the only chick I notice these days.”

  “Only because you don’t want me to light the clubhouse on fire.”

  “Yeah,” he chuckled. “That’s got something to do with it.”

  I looked over his shoulder and tried not to think about the way it felt when he touched me. “I’m starving. My stomach is literally trying to eat itself right now.”