There’re bike pieces everywhere, as well as blood. It’s so bad, the carnage. I find myself turning away as to not get nauseous at what could’ve been us had we not been paying better attention. People have no idea how lethal riding a motorcycle can be, and well, some just don’t give a fuck. They’re the ones who usually end up on the side of the road like this guy.
Ruin strides towards me after we’ve pulled off to the side and he’s checked everything over. “The driver’s fine, just shaken up. It’s Gary from Uptown transport.”
I offer a jerky nod. I’d assumed it was. We see the company a lot. “I saw it, man…before we were even close, I knew it. I wish I could’ve stopped it from playing out like that…somehow.”
He dips his chin. “I know. As soon as you honked, I watched it play out in my mind too. Good lookin’ out.”
“Yeah, not good enough apparently.”
“Hey, that asshole was fucking crazy. We both know it. The sheriff’s department will be out here soon. You need to go.”
“I’m not leaving you alone with this shitshow. They’ll have questions no doubt.”
His brows rise as he nods adamantly. “Yeah, you are. I know you have a few pieces in your bags. You can’t get popped over being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Fuck. He’s right. I usually have one or two firearms filed down and hella illegal in my bags for sale. I’d just put in a few new handguns from our run to Louisiana. We’d brought them a load, but I also picked up a few smaller pieces that I knew would sell quickly around here, and the cops would pop me if they found them. “I’ll figure it out.”
“Bullshit, Spade. I have my sister’s ass to think off. She’ll be on me like a pissed-off chihuahua that I let you get popped when it wasn’t needed. Bash will be here soon anyhow. I’m guessing you called him already.”
I nod. He knows me too well. “What if they take you in?”
“Bash will have my back. Besides, you know Chaos won’t let me stay locked up.”
“Fuck!” I curse. “I don’t like this shit.”
“Go! If you wait then the law will know you were here. Hurry the fuck up. I’ll catch you at the club when this is cleaned up.”
I bump his fist and eventually take off. He’s right, if I waited any longer then the cops would’ve shown up and they probably would’ve searched all of us. I’d go to jail in a heartbeat on weapons charges, and I help bring in too much cash for the club to get popped when it’s not necessary.
Another rider approaches a beat later, and I realize it’s Dad. I swear I see the relief on his face. I lift my fingers to him and gesture behind me as I pass. He lifts a few fingers in response, and I head straight for the club to catch Chaos up on everything. I’m sure he’ll have the CliffsNotes version from Ruin, but he’ll want every detail; it’s just how he is.
When you learn to survive without anyone, you can survive anything.
- www.livelifehappy.com
“I can’t believe you two are together-together. Finally,” Magnolia comments as she drinks from the smoothie I just finished making for her. I’m quite sure at this point I make the best smoothies in town. I may be a bit biased, but everyone always asks for more eventually.
I sip from mine, having just got off work and sat in the booth across from her. My feet are tired, but I’m excited to spend some time with Sterling. “I know. I’m still randomly pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”
“When you came back from Atlanta and told me you two were a legit couple, I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first. I thought it was going to be more of you getting your heartbroken, but things seem to be good with you guys. Right?”
I nod, beaming. “It’s been over two weeks, and he’s been wonderful to me. I always knew Sterling was a sweet guy, but it’s an entirely different level now that we’re together.”
“I thought you were crazy for wanting him for so long, but maybe you knew what you were after all along.”
I smirk. “He’s one fine hunk of man meat. That’s exactly what I was after,” I admit, making her laugh.
“He may be good to look at, but he’s crazy like the rest. He just hides it well, and those are the ones you should be scared of.”
I shrug. Her comment doesn’t bother me in the slightest because I’m used to their brand of crazy. “I started bringing some of my stuff to his place, He hasn’t complained, so that’s a win.”
“Oh Lord, should’ve known you’d already be leaving a toothbrush on his sink. Marking your territory?” she teases. It’s partially true though. Sterling is mine, and I’ll do whatever I have to, to make sure everyone knows as much.
“Maybe.” I grin.
Her brow kicks up. “What are you going to do about the porn? There’s no way you can be jealous if that’s his job.”
“Oh, I had a very ‘come to Jesus’ talk with him and my brother.”
“Why am I not surprised?” She chuckles, shaking her head. “Good for you.”
“I told them both that the only way Sterling is doing any porn from here on out is if it’s with me.”
Her mouth drops. “No way! Damn, girl, I knew you had that feistiness in you somewhere! Start calling you Luscious Leigh.”
I burst out in a laugh, not expecting the last little comment from her. “That is not going to be my name! And I’m not a stripper down at Centerfolds, thank you very much.”
“Wait, they agreed?! I can’t believe it! And those killer hips of yours would get you hired at Centerfolds in a heartbeat. Those curves are what men dream of.”
I hold my hands up, still quietly chuckling a bit. Usually, she’s the one saying stuff to catch me off guard, and I thoroughly enjoyed having the drop on her this round. “They didn’t exactly agree to me doing porn, but they did agree that I’d be the only one with Sterling if he does any more porn. And I’ll only be doing dances for my man. These hips better hold all of his interest.”
“How’s he going to make money though? Plus, he has a lot of fans. I agree with you on him not sleeping with anyone else, but he shouldn’t stop completely.”
I can’t exactly admit to her that he’ll be taking on more club responsibilities and take a cut home from it. Even I’m not supposed to know much about it. I only do because I’m a club brat, the prez’s daughter, and with Sterling. Most members tell their women squat when it comes to club business. “We’re going to play around with some different ideas and see if we can find something that works. Ruin isn’t on board with me in videos, but if I was to be in a full suit to whip Sterling or something fun and kinky, then he can deal.”
“Holy shit, it’s like dominatrix Barbie and biker Ken on camera.” She giggles, and I can’t help but follow along. “I never dreamed in a million years we’d be having this conversation.”
I nod, my eyes wide as I say, “Trust me, me either!”
“I’m going to live vicariously through you with this whole ‘maybe porn scenario.’ I hope you realize as much.”
“I figured.” I wink and she grins. We finish our smoothies, and I hug her as we say our good-byes. She has homework to do for her classes, and I can’t wait to see my man. It’s still surreal thinking of him as mine. For a beat, I wasn’t sure it was ever going to happen, and now, I can’t imagine my life any other way. I’ve never been happier than I have been these past two weeks.
I had a heart-to-heart with my parents and they agreed to back off and give me some space. I still want to see them a lot, but there have to be some boundaries in place. Once I brought it up to them, they respected my wishes and told me their feelings on it as well. Eventually, we reached an agreement we are all okay with.
The only person with access to tracking my phone is Sterling, and in retrospect, I can with his as well. He promised to only track mine for safety, and I promised I’d check with Bash before I just show up at a random location in case it’s dangerous. Luckily, I’ve known Bash my entire life, and if I thought Ster was at a woman’s place, Bash would be mo
re than willing to drive over there with me while I lay into them both.
I promised to text my dad a lot, especially when I work nights, so he won’t worry so much. My mom’s the most understanding. I was kind of surprised, but she just mentioned that she knows I’m in good hands. I’m glad she has faith in me and in Sterling, but I was expecting a little reluctance from her. Ruin has always been protective over me, and I doubt that’ll never change, but he’s also always been upfront with me. I know if he has a concern, he’ll bring it to me straight away so we can deal with it. Sterling did warn he’d take back his house key, though, if Ruin decides to barge into the bedroom unannounced again.
Sterling’s patched and we’ve been spending a lot of time at the club, which I love. I get to be around my family and extended family so it’s always a good time. One thing it has brought to the center of my attention, however, is the prospect of being an ol’ lady. Sterling and I haven’t been official for long, but I still can’t help but wonder if he’ll make me his ol’ lady. I want to be, one hundred percent I do. I won’t mention it though. I don’t want to push already when we’re in a really good spot. I’ve been asking the others how long it took until they were asked to be ol’ ladies and it wasn’t too long for them. I’m hoping that stays true in my case as well.
“Hey sexy pants,” I greet as Sterling wraps me in his strong hold.
“Boo,” he murmurs, leaning in to kiss me tenderly. “How was your day?”
“Same as usual. Magnolia came to chill for a bit.”
“Sweet. Nobody sketchy coming around?”
I shake my head. “You need to stop worrying so much. You said there were only two guys from that bad club and that one went west, right?”
He squeezes me tightly before relaxing his arms and saying, “One, and I don’t care how many fuckers are out there. I still need to know every single day that you didn’t have an issue.”
I offer him a soft smile. “You realize there’ll be days I have that aren’t good, right?”
He shrugs. “Doesn’t mean I won’t try like hell to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
He’s seriously the sweetest man I’ve ever met before. He may be a bit wild and rough around the edges at times, but Sterling has a heart of gold, and it’s all for me. Waiting for him, no matter how long it took, was the best decision I ever made. “I love you, Sterling. I always have and I always will.”
His smile blooms as he leans in, his forehead lightly resting against mine. His silver gaze meets mine, as his scent envelops me in comfort. “And I love you, Leigh. Never have a doubt in your mind about that. You’re mine, baby.” His mouth meets mine in a slow, passionate kiss that has my toes curling. I want to peel him out of his cut and jeans, but I can’t yet.
Loud catcalls emerge, and I pull away, cheeks red. He chuckles, his face lit up with happiness as he yells at the brothers to mind their business. This is exactly where I was meant to end up—in Sterling’s arms, surrounded by friends and family. In love and happy.
I love seeing people walking by with little smiles on their face because something small happened that made them happy. Maybe they got a cute text, maybe they got laid, maybe they killed a man. You will never know.
-Pinterest Meme
We got lucky with everything, though I won’t worry Leigh by telling her that. Many stories don’t end up like ours. We caught one hell of a break with the Twisted Snakes coming across the Oath Keepers. Had they been able to either recruit new members or get some backup involved, there’s no telling what could’ve happened the next time they rolled through Uprising. Leigh made an easy target being Prez’s daughter, living alone without Duke to help keep her safe. Once the Snake came back to town, it was effortless to convince Prez to be on board with Leigh moving into my place. The trailer park is off the beaten path, and I can protect Leigh. My life is hers when it comes to her safety being involved.
Everybody around this place knows how much I love that girl, and those feelings get stronger with each day. It’s been a few months since everything went down, and we’ve been settling into our version of normal. I look at her now and I don’t know how I ever missed her devotion towards me, along with her unquestionable attraction. On the upside, once word spread around town that she’s my girlfriend, the majority of the asshats backed off her. Sure, I’d always been right at her back, ready to defend her, but now I can shout it from the rooftops that she’s actually mine.
“Hey, Boo,” I greet her as soon as she steps her sexy body through the club doors. She’s in my arms in a flash, wearing a pleased smile. Having her this close makes everything feel right in the world, even when it’s not. She was meant to be mine, by my side. There’s no doubt about it in my mind. Magnolia traipses in behind her, taking her sweet-ass time. “Didn’t know you were bringing your hoodlum friend with you.”
She grins, her eyes sparkling with humor as she smacks my chest. “She’s not a hoodlum.”
“Mm, if you say so,” I tease and am rewarded with a delicious kiss. I could stay like this for forever with her and never get enough.
Magnolia butts in, “Ugh, save it for later. I’m tired of you two always sucking face.” I flip her off behind Leigh, so my sweet sugar doesn’t see it. I still can’t stand Magnolia much, but I tolerate her for Leigh. She’s a good friend to her, and that’s all I care about.
“Where’s Saint?” Magnolia asks, and I roll my eyes.
“Not with you,” I mutter automatically.
“Fuck off,” she grumbles, peering around the club.
“Pretty sure he’s at Porn Kings getting his dick sucked.” He’s here, but I want to fuck with her a bit, since she has a hot spot for him.
“Still no patch yet?” Leigh asks, and I shake my head. “Not yet, but I have a feeling it’ll be soon for him. He’s a good dude and would fit well with the Kings.” She nods, rubbing her fingertips over my member patch.
“He’d fit well with me,” Magnolia comments, undeterred by my earlier comment.
“Sorry to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure he’s met someone.”
“Who?” They both peer at me.
I shrug. “Not any of my business or yours.”
Magnolia sends Leigh a look, silently claiming she thinks I’m full of shit. She can think that all she wants to, but it’s the truth. I learned long ago to keep my nose outta shit, and I like it that way. Besides, I didn’t ask Leigh to come to the club to discuss prospects or brothers, but something else. It’s taken a while to get Chaos on board, but I wanted to have his support. After this step, the only thing left is buying a ring, and I’m not ready for marriage yet. Not that I’m not committed. I am, one hundred percent. It’s why I want her here tonight and why we live together.
Ruin comes strolling out from the back, Tyra by his side. That’s another thing I enjoy about having Leigh now: I’m no longer feeling like a third wheel around my best friend and his chick. “Damn, it’s taking you long enough.” he says, his gaze flashing between me and Leigh.
“I just got off,” she smiles.
“Gross, not trying to hear that shit. You’re my sister.”
She huffs, “Do you guys ever stop?”
Grinning, I shake my head. “We never stop giving each other shit, babe. You should’ve realized this by now.”
“Yeah, yeah…So what’s going on tonight, anything?”
I’d asked her to come here instead of home, but didn’t give her any details. I chin lift to Ruin, and he takes the hint. “Come outside with us, Magnolia,” he orders, not giving her any room to argue.
Leigh’s curious gaze takes me in after they’ve gone. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s more than okay,” I reply, taking her hands in mine. “Just wanted to ask you something.”
“Oh?”
“You know damn well that I love you and I’d do anything for you.”
She nods. “You’ve made me feel that way from the moment you said you were done wasting time away from me.”<
br />
“Good. Well, I wanted you to come here, ‘cause it felt right that I ask you here.”
“Okay?” she draws the word out, brows bunched.
“Will you be my ol’ lady, and not just my girl?”
Her face transforms with the wide smile overtaking her mouth. She does this adorable squeal thing and jumps at me. I manage to catch her before she plows me over and her legs wrap around my hips. She peppers excited kisses all over my face. “Hell yes! I thought you were never going to ask!”
I chuckle at her excitement, my heart pounding with the way she always manages to twist me up in knots over her. “Love you, Boo,” I murmur, eagerly accepting all the affection she’s showering me with. I’ve never met another woman quite like Leigh, and I’m one lucky sonofabitch to be able to call her mine.
I wrap my arms around her tightly and begin to walk towards the back of the clubhouse. “Where are you taking us? We can’t fuck here. My father will know somehow.”
“Damn right I will,” Chaos booms, making her jump.
I can’t help but laugh. I know her ass is going to be flaming with embarrassment. “I’m taking you out back. Everyone’s waiting on us to celebrate.”
“They all knew?” she asks, eye level while in my grip.
“I knew,” Chaos grumbles, tossing her a smirk. “Boy was smart enough to talk to me first. I gave him a little shit and told the brothers about it. Made him sweat it that you’d say no.”
“Dad!” she exclaims, but I smile and shake my head.
“Nah, it was fine. Everything worked out in the end, and I have you.”
“Yes, you do,” she promises, and I tote her outside.
Everyone’s kicking back, enjoying some beer and barbecue. When they notice us come out, they all start cheering, making my girl’s cheeks flame all over again. She’s fucking adorable. I set her down next to a long table, reaching for the small piece of leather.
“Is that…” she trails off, eyes growing wide.
Sterling: Kings of Carnage MC - Prospects (Kings of Carnage - Prospects Book 2) Page 15