Even with the uncertainty surrounding my father, the last week had been filled with ease and a sense of contentment. Maybe I didn’t need to mess with that by seeking out a man I knew nothing about. The possibility of being rejected was more than my heart could handle right now.
It was a little after ten, and I’d just finished my shift at the restaurant. I was bone tired, but Jonathan and I had plans for another movie night after I got home from work. I just hoped we could make it past the first scene this time.
When I walked into my room, I was surprised to see Jonathan already reclining on my bed, a bowl of popcorn next to him.
“Hi, there,” I greeted.
“Hey! Glad you’re home. Thought I would go ahead and get everything ready,” he said, stating the obvious.
“Thanks.” I grabbed my pajamas out of the dresser drawer and walked across the hallway to the bathroom so I could wash my face and change.
When I came back into the room, I climbed in the other side of the bed and snuggled under the covers, ready to watch whatever movie he’d selected. When it started playing, I was shocked he’d picked a romantic comedy. Usually, I was subjected to some action flick when it was his turn to pick what we watched.
“This is different.” I elbowed him in the side, laughing at his selection.
“Yeah.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I thought I would change it up a bit.” He was acting a bit strange, almost like he was nervous. I decided to not worry about it and settled in for a relaxing night with my friend.
An hour later, we’d finished the popcorn, so Jonathan moved the bowl over to the bedside table. I snuggled further down into my blankets as my eyes started to feel heavy. I was comfortable and sleepy, but determined to stay awake and finish the movie.
Without warning, Jonathan turned toward me and slammed his lips against mine.
I pushed at his shoulders and turned my head away. “What the hell are you doing?” I growled at him.
“Come on, Katie.” He leaned over the top of me, but I pushed him away once again. “I don’t get it. I’ve given you space, but lately, you’ve been spending all of your free time with me. We fell asleep together almost every night this week. Why are you fighting this?”
I sat up, trying to put more space between us. “We do those things because I thought you were my best friend. We tried this before; it didn’t work.”
“Seriously? I do everything for you!” he said, clearly frustrated. “You’ve put me in the boyfriend role, but I don’t get to reap any of the benefits. I’ve turned down other girls because I figured you just needed some time.” He jumped out of bed and ran his hand over his head. “You’ve been leading me on this whole time.”
I couldn’t contain the shocked gasp that left my mouth. “What are you talking about? I’ve never led you on.”
“Oh, really?” he shot back sarcastically. “You’re always holding my hand, cuddling with me at night. You’re a giant cocktease.” He was starting to shout at me, and I was afraid he was going to wake Louise.
“I think you need to leave my room before either of us say anything else we might regret,” I said as composed as I could manage. For the first time since I’d known Jonathan, he was scaring me.
“Whatever,” he snarled back, and spun around. He, of course, made sure to slam my door as he walked away.
Trembling, I flopped back down on my bed. I wasn’t sure where his outburst had come from. Jonathan had never acted that way toward me before. Calling me a cocktease was ridiculous. I wasn’t acting any differently than I had during the past several years of our friendship. Even if he’d mistaken my acts of friendship as more, he had no right to try anything on me. He was the one person in my life who felt stable, and now that was all gone.
What hurt me the most, though, was when he said he did everything for me. Sure, in the last couple of months, I was the more needy friend in our relationship, but friendships often went through phases where one person needed more support than the other. There had been plenty of times when I was the one helping him. Like when his father decided to leave him and his mother, or the month that I pushed him around in a wheelchair after he had broken both of his legs in a skiing accident. Since when had he expected something in return, when all he should have expected was a friend when he needed one—and vice-versa? It seemed, no matter what, I couldn’t catch a break, and it was starting to wear me down at every level.
As I pulled the covers over me, I couldn’t help but think it was going to be damn hard for our friendship to recover from our argument. Not only was I sad about that, but I also realized I needed to find a new place to live, sooner rather than later. We clearly couldn’t continue living under the same roof. Apparently, I would be spending my day off tomorrow searching ads for rooms to rent. I closed my eyes, recalling my mother’s words of her watching over me. I hoped it was true, and that I actually had someone in my corner, no matter what. Lord knew I needed it.
That night, I had slept so poorly, that when I woke the next morning, I had a pounding headache. The words from my fight with Jonathan were running through my mind, and I was trying to figure out why everything was going horribly wrong. I’d hoped Jonathan would come by this morning to apologize, but judging by the time, he’d already left for work. Same for Louise. At least there wouldn’t be any awkward questions to make things worse.
Maybe it was better he wasn’t here. I could come up with a plan and then talk to him later. I glanced over at my bedside table, the folded up piece of paper catching my eye. Everything suddenly clicked into place.
After I got dressed and had breakfast, I logged on to Louise’s computer and did a general search for “Desert Sinners.” I was relieved to find they really did exist, but, to my unease, I mostly found newspaper articles about their dealings with the law...and they seemed to always be on the wrong side of it. There was no mention of a “Samuel Andersen,” which gave me pause. Even if he wasn’t a part of their organization, though, I figured someone would have heard of him and could point me in the right direction.
As the day wore on, I battled with the pros and cons of my decision; but, deep down, I knew there was no other path for me. Grandma’s death, coupled with the recent development with Jonathan, was exactly the push I needed to go out on my own and find what would make me happy.
After lunch, I checked my bank balance on my phone app. I had enough saved up that I could afford a cheap motel for a couple of weeks. Given the number of restaurants in Las Vegas, I figured I could find a job relatively easy if I wanted to extend my time there.
I re-packed all my stuff, and then wrote a note to Louise and Jonathan explaining my plans. I knew it was awful of me not to wait the few hours until they got home to tell them in person, but I knew if I waited, one of them would convince me to stay. I explained that in the letter, and hoped they’d be forgiving and accepting of my decision.
Once I put my stuff in the car, I got behind the wheel, and took a deep, steadying breath to calm my nerves. I looked out the window. The sky was blue and the sun, warm and bright.
“Here I go, Mama,” I whispered before starting the car and pointing it eastward. “Please watch over me...”
Like the last time, I didn’t look back. I had no choice but to keep moving forward.
5
Mac
It was a usual Friday night at the clubhouse. Tons of people, loud music, and enough alcohol to ensure none of us would end the night sober. Earlier in the day, we had a barbeque for the families. After we ate, the old ladies and kids headed back home. Some of the brothers did as well, including Viking. He didn’t give a shit what kind of debauchery was going on, but he didn’t participate in it.
Viking and his wife, Meredith, had been together for almost twenty years. They were the real deal, and he wouldn’t think of fucking that up by messing around with a piece of club ass.
As the night progressed, some of the local chicks had come out to party, so there was plenty of pussy to go around,
but I was bored. Michelle kept approaching me, but I’d fucked her twice in the last week. Anything more than that and she would start thinking we were in some sort of relationship.
Fuck that.
“See anything worthwhile?” Wolf slapped me on the back and sat down on the barstool next to me.
“Not yet.” One of our prospects, Zeke, was bartending tonight. I signaled for him to come over and ordered two more shots. “A few more of these and I’m sure something will catch my eye.”
“You ready to ride out in a few days?” my friend asked as we continued to scan the crowd.
I nodded, picking up the pack of smokes lying on the bar, taking out a cigarette, and lighting it with my Zippo. “Absolutely.”
Our next trip was going to be our first weapons run. One of our brothers, Spike, had been working on the deal for a while. A rival club, the Phantoms, was heavily involved in the gun trade, and they were trying to make a move on our territory. If we could secure the gun market, then we could protect our territory and ourselves.
Wolf and I continued to shoot the shit for a while before we were interrupted by TJ, one of our other prospects.
“Anyone seen Colt around?”
“He’s probably in his room fucking his first girl of the night,” Wolf informed him. “What’s up?”
“There’s some chick out front looking for Viking. Figured since he already left, maybe Colt could deal with her.”
“What do you mean by some chick?” It didn't make sense to me that a woman was here looking for Viking. He stayed clear of any kind of drama, especially the kind involving crazy bitches.
“I don’t know, man. She’s pretty young, and she wouldn’t tell me what she needed to speak to him about. That’s why I didn’t let her in.”
“Good man,” I said as I stood up and walked past him. “I’ll go check it out.”
Usually, Colt would handle things when Viking was unavailable, but as the secretary of this club, I could deal with some girl.
I opened the door and was hit with a blast of cold air. We may live in the desert, but it was cold as fuck at night in the winter. I looked around but didn’t see anyone.
I was just about to go back inside when movement off to the right caught my eye. Whoever was there slowly made their way closer to me. Once she was standing under the glow of the porch light, I could make out most of her features.
She was tall for a female, at least five-foot-nine. She had long, blonde hair that almost reached her waist. Her bright-blue eyes were huge, and she looked like she was ready to bolt at any minute. That wasn’t surprising. The clubhouse didn’t exactly have a welcoming vibe to it.
Even though she looked scared, I couldn’t ignore how hot she was. Her sweater and jeans couldn’t hide the fact she had big tits with a tiny waist and the longest pair of legs I’d ever seen. I had no idea what someone like her would want with Viking, but I was willing to let her wrap those sexy legs around me.
She took two more steps toward me, and that was when I noticed how young she looked. I wasn’t sure if she was even legal. That was enough to quickly kill any thought I had of making her mine for the night.
“You’re the chick looking for Viking?” I asked, not caring if my gruff voice scared her more than she already was. We didn’t need anyone causing trouble for the club.
“Viking?” she asked, her voice shaky, giving me a confused look.
I squinted at her, my guard up. “Yeah, the president of this club,” I said, slowly. “That’s who you were asking for, right?”
Her eyes darted around like a caged animal. “I don’t know who Viking is. I’m looking for a Samuel Andersen.”
What the hell? No one ever referred to Viking by his legal name. I had no clue what this girl was up to, but I wasn’t going to give her any information until I found out.
“Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but there’s no one here by that name.”
“Please, I need to find him. I have something important to tell him.” She stood there, looking at me with pleading eyes.
“I’m going to need more from you before I help you out,” I responded, standing back with my arms crossed over my chest while I slowly eyed her up and down.
A loud gasp escaped her as she moved back quickly, and I knew what she must have thought I was insinuating.
“Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. You’re not my type,” I lied.
Her shoulders slumped, and I couldn’t tell if it was in relief or disappointment.
“Are you going to be able to help me or not?” she asked in a huff.
I had to give her credit; she wasn’t backing down, even though I was acting like a dick. “That’s up to you. Are you going to tell me why you’re looking for Viking?”
“Um…” she started, her bravado gone.
I turned away, opening the door to walk back into the clubhouse, but she reached out and grabbed hold of my arm before I could step through. I looked down at her small hand on my bicep and then back at her. She turned white as a ghost when she realized she had touched me. She pulled her hand back quickly like I’d burned her.
“I…I’m sorry. It’s just”—I could tell she was struggling with whether she should level with me or keep her secrets—“he’s my father.”
“Bullshit!” I yelled while she stumbled back, the door slamming closed behind us. There was no way Viking ever cheated on Meredith, and he definitely didn’t have a kid out there that no one knew about.
“It’s not bullshit!” she shouted back, almost hysterical. “I just found out a few days ago, when I was going through some of my grandmother’s stuff. There was a birth certificate that had a Samuel Andersen listed as my father. A letter from my mom said he was a Desert Sinner.”
“How old are you?” I asked, keeping my bark to a minimum, though she still jumped a little.
“I’ll be twenty-one next month.”
Well, shit. She would have been born before Viking got with Meredith. Maybe the girl wasn’t full of shit. She also wasn’t as young as I thought, not that it changed anything if she was Viking’s daughter.
“So...can I talk to him, please?”
I went still, hesitating a little. It was the desperate way she said “please” that caught me off guard somewhat. I hadn’t heard that kind of despair since I was a kid myself, begging for my own parents not to toss me aside like Sunday’s garbage.
“I can’t promise anything, but come on inside, and I’ll see what I can do,” I offered, not sure why I was being nice, even though I didn’t like the situation at all.
“Okay,” she agreed, but didn’t make any move to enter the clubhouse when I opened the door again.
“I’m not going to stand out here all night,” I said, my voice low, getting irritated and not bothering to hide it.
Before she brushed past me, I gripped her upper arm firmly, stopping her. She winced and looked at me. “What now?” she asked, a mix of weariness and fear in her tone.
“What’s your name?”
“It’s Kate,” she said after a long pause.
“Kate…” I repeated. Pretty name, pretty girl. Why I’d asked, I didn’t really know. I loosened my grip and gestured with my head for her to continue inside. She didn’t hesitate this time. I followed her in and rather too closely when she suddenly stopped. I had to place my hands at her narrow waist to stop my momentum from crashing into her, and I couldn’t lie, I didn’t mind the contact. It was obvious she was more shocked by the loud party going on in front of her than me touching her.
“Maybe I should come back another time,” she said.
I squeezed her waist and pushed her forward. “Not so quick, you’re already here. Might as well get this settled now.”
I directed her over to the bar where Wolf was still hanging out, albeit now with a chick grinding her ass against his dick. Kate’s eyes were wide as she took in the activities happening all around us. There was a couple having sex on the pool table, another girl dancing on the p
ole, and a couple of people getting high over in the corner.
Wolf looked at the girl standing next to me, then gave me a what the fuck look.
“Go sit there,” I ordered, pointing to a lonely chair by the bar. She gave me a look but did as I instructed.
I motioned for Wolf to come talk to me. He got up, much to the disappointment of the chick still vying for his attention.
I explained quickly what I’d learned outside. He seemed as shocked as I was.
“What are you going to do?” he asked me, but kept his eyes on our visitor.
“I’m going to go pull Colt out of whatever hole he’s found himself in, and I was hoping you’d call Viking.”
“On it,” he said as he walked toward the front door.
I eyed Kate, who was keeping her shit together for now, but she looked completely out of place. I motioned Zeke over. “Watch her and don’t let anyone mess with her. I’ll be right back.”
I ran upstairs to Colt’s room where I banged on the door.
“Go away!” our VP yelled.
“Dude, we have a situation.”
I could hear some angry mumbling before the door was thrown open. “This better be good,” he grumbled while zipping up his pants.
I peeked around Colt and saw Michelle and one of the other club girls sitting naked on his bed. The one whose name I didn’t know was glaring at me, pissed I had interrupted her good time. When I glanced at Michelle, she had a little smirk on her face. I didn’t know what kind of game she was playing, but if she thought I was going to be jealous of her fucking Colt, she had another thing coming. I didn’t give a shit who she was with.
I turned my attention back to Colt. “Wolf’s calling Viking, but I thought you should come on down for this.”
That got his attention, and his demeanor quickly shifted from pissed to alert. I filled him in on what was going on as we made our way down the stairs.
Mac (Desert Sinners MC Book 1) Page 3