The Queen of Carnage

by Wright, Candice

  “Give it some time, Luna, you’ll get used to it. We don’t treat our women badly. We treat the woman we love like queens, but the MC is a man’s world and that won’t change any time soon.”

  I don’t answer. What’s there to say? I offer him a small smile, vowing to enjoy every single moment with him, just in case I end up having to say goodbye.

  Chapter Five

  We make our way back to the compound in relative silence. When we pull up outside, I spot the row of bikes I failed to notice on our way out.

  “Is one of those yours?” I turn and ask Orion as he parks and turns the engine off.

  “Sure is. Come on, I’ll show you.” He hops out and helps me down before leading me over to a jet black and chrome Harley.

  “Wow. She’s pretty.”

  “That she is. Have you ever been on a bike before, Luna?”

  I nod my head.

  “Your brothers ride?” he guesses.

  “They do. My grandfather used to ride too. I think it’s in our blood.” I smile, remembering how much I love to feel the wind in my hair as the world whips by at dizzying speeds.

  “I’ll take you for a ride tomorrow, how’s that sound?” He slides his hands around my hips and pulls me in for a quick kiss.

  “Sounds perfect.”

  We grab my bags from the truck and head inside. It’s bright outside, so it takes a minute for my eyes to adjust but when they do, I notice there are more people here than yesterday and a few more scantily-clad women mingling about. I spot one of them making a beeline for Orion the second she sees him. She’s pretty in an overly-made-up kind of way. I suspect she is younger than she looks with her heavy makeup, bright red lips, and over-teased bleach blonde hair aging her slightly. She’s wearing a red sequin bra and tiny denim miniskirt that would no doubt flash what she had for breakfast if she bent over.

  She ignores me completely as she stops in front of Orion and trails a red-tipped finger across his chest. I look around and see most people have stopped what they were doing to see how the scene unfolds. I snort out a laugh and head for the bedroom. If they’re after a smackdown catfight, they will be sorely disappointed. It’s not that I can’t hold my own, that couldn’t be further from the truth, but I don’t react to petty shit. If Orion wants me, then he needs to prove it. I’m just at the door that leads to the bedrooms when Orion calls my name.

  “Yo, Luna!” I turn to face him, one of my bags thrown over my shoulder, and notice he isn’t paying the girl any attention but he hasn’t removed her hand from his chest.

  “Yes, Orion?” I answer him in a bored tone, checking out my pink nails, noticing that some of the paint is chipped and remind myself to pick up some nail polish next time.

  “Aren’t you going to protect my virtue?” The guys around him laugh but he keeps his eyes on me. Is he trying to get a rise out of me or is this some kind of arbitrary test I was unaware of?

  “Orion, if I thought you had some virtue worth saving, I would kick her scrawny ass. But we both know you’re big enough and ugly enough to look after yourself. I don’t play games, Adonis. If you want her, have her. She’s offering herself up to you on a silver platter. Enjoy.” I turn toward the door when he calls out my name again. I ignore him and push the door open but I’m stopped by the woman’s voice this time, making my anger spike.

  “Round here we fight for our men, sweetheart.”

  I turn and face her, ignoring her smug smile. “Where I’m from, real men fight for their women and don’t use them as toys in a game they never agreed to play. Besides, he’s not my man. If he were, he would have removed your hand the second you touched him and he would be standing by my side instead of yours. Have fun.” I finally walk through the door and pull it closed behind me. Fuck him and fuck her too.

  I make my way up to his room, dump my bag in the corner, and let out a frustrated breath as I throw myself down on the bed. To think the morning had started out so well. The door slams open and bounces off the wall behind it. Orion stands in the doorway looking like a pissed off bull.

  “What the fuck was that?” he shouts at me before stomping inside and slamming the door closed behind him.

  I just roll my eyes at the overdramatic fucktard.

  “What was what, Orion?” I reply sarcastically.

  “Telling me to fuck Stacey. Is that what you want? For me to climb into bed with you smelling like some club whore?” I grimace at the word whore. So much for treating women like queens.

  “Are you kidding me with this, Orion? What, you’re pissed because I refused to play your little game?”

  “No,” he growls, stomping toward me. He climbs on top of me and grips my wrists, pinning them above my head.

  “What I want is for you to fucking stay,” he says between gritted teeth.

  “Then stop giving me reasons to leave,” I tell him softly. His anger drains out of him as his body relaxes into mine. He presses his forehead against mine and breathes me in.

  “Shit. I fucked up,” he admits.

  “Yup,” I agree, not giving him an inch. He buries his head against my shoulder, placing a feather-soft kiss against my neck.

  “Luna,” he implores.

  “What would you do if I pulled that kind of stunt?” His body locks rock-solid as he lifts his head, his fiery gaze blazing into mine. “Yeah, exactly. Not nice, huh?”

  “Shit.” He rolls off me but when I start to get up, he pulls me back toward him and wraps his arms around me so my head is on his chest and my leg is hooked over his.

  “I’m a dick. I knew when we left the diner you were going to leave me as soon as the month was up. I didn’t know what to say or do to change that, so when Stacey approached me, the idiot part of my brain thought making you jealous might work. I don’t know.” He sighs, turning so he’s face-to-face with me.

  “I’ve never really thought about wanting anyone longer than to get myself off and I know that makes me sound like an even bigger dick, but it’s true. When I saw you facing off against my father yesterday, I knew it was because I was just waiting for you to show up.”

  I soften at his words. Damn him.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to take a chance on you, Orion, I do, but staying here means giving up a piece of myself in the process. I’m not going to make you any false promises. We literally only met yesterday and by the time this month is up, we could be sick to death of each other. So I propose we just do what comes naturally and let it run its course. Forget about time limits and expectations and let’s just see how it all plays out. If it’s meant to be, Orion, it will be.

  “Sounds good to me. I promise you now, though, while you’re here and we’re figuring out what’s going on between us, there won’t be anybody else. I don’t want you worrying that every time you turn your back, I’m taking someone else to the bedroom. I’m not that guy, Luna.”

  “So prove it.” I lean forward and nip his bottom lip then soothe it with my tongue. He opens his mouth, granting me entrance, and fights his natural instinct to take control and lets me explore. I slide my tongue against his and grip his hair hard, pulling him close to me, feeling like a goddess when he groans in surrender. I pull away panting and look up at him through my lashes.

  “I need to ask you something,” I tell him as I bite my lip.

  “If I can answer, I will.”

  “What’s the deal with you and Halo? I don’t want to get caught up in some game of tug-of-war between you.”

  He sighs and looks at me like he’s expecting me to flip out at his answer. Oh boy, hello red flag. “You haven’t had a chance to see much of the club yet but you will at my father’s party. We do things a little differently here.”

  “Differently how?”

  “It’s hard to explain.”

  “I’m far from dumb. Try me.”

  “Fuck, okay. Most MCs work as a whole right? One solid unit that works to protect its president always, to keep each other safe, and for everything to keep running smoo
thly. Well, this MC is pretty big so it’s hard to always know where everyone is. If you don’t know, then you can’t protect them.”

  I nod. I get that. Still not answering my question though, big guy.

  “So, we have smaller groups, or teams if you like, within the group. They only have to focus on each other’s safety. This way everyone has at least one person to watch their back when they need it.”

  I glare at him, wondering if he is ever going to get to the point.

  “As a result, they get pretty close as they do most things together…” He trails off, leaving me to fill in the—Oh.

  “Women? You share women?” My eyes widen at the thought and a rush of warmth has me squirming in my seat. “Wow!” I don’t know what to say to that.

  He watches me before nodding. “You going to run now?” He looks like he expects me to.

  “I’m not sure you understand the buzz us shoppers get when we come face-to-face with a two-for-one special,” I whisper.

  “What?” It’s his turn to look shocked. Oh, and now he looks horny. Nope. I jump from the bed and grab the door handle.

  “Come on, hot stuff. I have a present to get ready for your father.”

  He groans but gets up. “We are not getting my father a hooker for his birthday.”

  “I know. It’s too short notice anyway. But I do have an idea. I need to nip into town and collect a couple of things but the rest I have in my truck. Want to come with me?”

  “Will it make you happy?” he asks, clearly looking to earn himself some brownie points.

  “Well, yeah.”

  “Then let’s do this.” He snags my hips and ushers me out the door with him. “The things I do for you, Luna. I fucking hate shopping.”

  “I appreciate your sacrifice, Adonis,” I reply, laughing and pulling the door closed. I’ll be gentle with him.

  * * *

  “Never again, Luna. The next time you want to go shopping, take a prospect with you.”

  I can’t help but laugh. The guy catches assholes for a living, but he can’t handle a little shopping.

  “Stop your whining. There.” I finish tying the ribbon on the gift basket I’ve just put together.

  “What do you think?” I ask him as he peers over my shoulder at the finished project.

  “I think he’ll love it. You going to be okay up here for a bit? I’ve got church in ten minutes.”

  I wave him off. Lucky for him, I had my laptop in the truck with me, so I’m good.

  “No worries.” When he doesn’t answer me, I look up to see him studying me.

  “What?”

  “You don’t want to know what church is and you’re not bothered about being up here when there will be sweet butts downstairs?”

  “I’ve read a biker book or two. I might not be an expert but I think I get the gist of what church is all about. As for the sweet butts, what’s that got to do with anything? You said while you were with me you wouldn’t touch anyone else, so what’s there to worry about?”

  “Just like that?” he asks.

  “Just like that.”

  “Fuck, what did I do to deserve you?” He presses a hard kiss to my mouth before dragging himself away.

  “Just luck, I guess,” I tell him, admiring my handiwork.

  “Damn straight. I won’t be long.” He’s gone before I can answer.

  I take a quick shower and slip on some clean underwear and one of Orion’s Harley T-shirts before grabbing my laptop and crawling into bed. Time to make some real money. When Gramps passed, he left his business to me. A lot of it I can take care of online. It fits perfectly around my gift basket making, and I have to admit, I enjoy it. I spend the next hour doing what I do best, taking hard-earned money from men who think girls don’t know what they’re doing. It’s a lesson I’m all too happy to teach them. By the time I’m finished, I’m struggling to keep my eyes open. I wipe my history and shut the laptop down, popping it on the chair by the window. I snuggle under the covers, breathing in the scent that is all Orion and drift off to the sounds of laughter and music below.

  The next few days pass far more quietly than I would have expected given where I am. But then again, I’ve spent most of it up here either working or being lazy. I’m starting to go a little stir-crazy but with it being King`s party tonight, I’m looking forward to letting my hair down.

  Every morning since the first, I wake up knowing exactly where I am and just who’s morning wood is pressed against me. Today, as much as I would like to stay here wrapped in Orion’s arms, I need to pee even more. I manage to climb off the bed without disturbing him and head to the bathroom to take care of business. A glance at my watch reveals that it’s seven o'clock. The trouble is, once I’m awake, I can never fall back to sleep again. I slide my jeans on, slip the T-shirt off to put a bra, and pull the shirt back on again. I tug on the tennis shoes I picked up yesterday and head downstairs to scrounge up some food.

  The compound is eerily quiet at this time of morning. I notice a couple of sleeping bodies sprawled out on the beat-up old sofas in the sitting area but pay them no attention as I head into the industrial-sized kitchen. I find the fridge well-stocked and remembering what King said about pulling my weight, decide to cook breakfast for everyone. I keep breakfast simple, not knowing what time people get up to eat around here, and make a huge batch of pancakes I can keep warm in the oven. I fry up a whole pig`s worth of bacon, scramble two dozen eggs, and call it good. I’m just downing my second cup of coffee when a sleepy-looking Joker walks in with a somewhat more alert canine King in tow. I drop to my knees and rub the dog behind his ears, slipping him a piece of bacon. I stand up and face the vice president I haven’t spoken to yet.

  “Morning, Joker. Coffee?” He ignores me and walks over to the pot, pouring himself a cup and sitting down at the end of the counter. Guess he’s not a morning person. I make him up a plate of food and slide it in front of him before sitting down with a plate for myself. We sit in silence as we eat, both in our own little worlds. I’m halfway through when he finally speaks.

  “You shouldn’t be wandering around here without one of your men.”

  I sigh. I thought he was just the silent type. I guess not. “Neither Orion or Halo can be with me twenty-four-seven, Joker.” We both know this.

  “Then you need to stay in your room. You can’t be gallivanting around here if you aren’t an old lady. People will think you’re a sweet butt or a hanger-on.”

  “Locking me up in Orion’s room makes me a prisoner and I was told I was free to come and go as I wanted. Are you saying if I said no to one of your men, it wouldn’t mean anything?”

  “The women that come here who aren’t old ladies come here for one thing and one thing only—a good time. They know the score.” He sips his coffee without looking at me.

  “And if they change their minds and say no?”

  “Like I said, they know the score,” he repeats. What a load of utter horseshit. Rape is rape. It doesn’t matter how you dress it up. Losing my appetite and knowing I won’t win against this particular boss man, I decide to leave him to it.

  “Don’t make those boys any promises you can’t keep. You and I both know you’re too soft to deal with all the shit that goes along with being a member of an MC. What you three get up to is down to you but if you mess them up, you’ll have me to deal with.” He has no idea what kind of woman I am and with an attitude like that, it’s doubtful he ever will.

  “Pretty judgmental for a biker, aren’t you?” I walk around the counter and bend down to give King one last fuss before I stroll out of the kitchen and head back upstairs. There’s a part of me that understands the appeal of the MC—the comradery between the brothers, knowing there is always someone there to have your back. It’s the archaic views toward women that I can’t get past.

  It doesn’t change anything. I know the best thing for me will be to walk away. So why, when I walk into the room and see a sleeping Orion, does my chest twinge at the th
ought? Fuck. I said I would give this month my all and I meant it. It will either be the start of something or a wonderful memory to look back on. With that thought in mind, I strip out of my jeans and shoes and crawl back in beside Orion. He wraps his arms around me tightly, breathing in deeply when my hair falls on his face.

  “Mmmm… You smell like pancakes,” he mumbles without opening his eyes.

  “That’s because I just made breakfast.”

  “What?” He opens one eye to look at me. “Next time wake me up and I’ll come with you, okay?”

  I lower my head and rest it against his chest. I’m not going to have the same argument I just had with Joker. There’s no point.

  “Okay,” I whisper, hating myself a little bit for giving in so easily.

  “Is there any left?” He’s perked up somewhat at the thought of breakfast. I snort. All men are the same when it comes to food.

  “There was plenty but I could hear people waking up as I was coming back here.”

  He throws himself out of bed and yanks on his jeans, pulling the door open before disappearing, all without saying a word. He comes back five minutes later with a plate piled high. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as he tucks in.

  “Good?”

  “Hmmm… So good,” he mutters around a mouthful. “I got there just in time. The vultures had started to descend.”

  I shrug. “Just pulling my weight.”

  “Well, you can cook for me anytime you want,” he offers, shoveling the last of it into his mouth.

  I smile at him, my eyes roving over his bare chest.

  “If you keep looking at me like that, these pancakes won't be the only thing I eat this morning.”

  I snort out a laugh and smack him over the head with his pillow.

  “Calm down, Casanova, I was just thinking this was the first time I can remember you leaving this room without your jacket on.”