Her gaze flicks to Nickel.
“You heard the man.” He pushes her up from his lap.
The dumb cunt moves off toward the bathrooms. Someone slides my bottle of Bud in front of me.
I snort. “Where’d you find that one?”
“Poker game.” He grins slicking his dark hair back into a ponytail.
“Fuck. I think you were cheated.”
“Nah. Her daddy’s big money. Fancy plastic surgeon or some shit.”
“You getting your pecker enlarged?” I chuckle.
“Fuck you. My dick’s plenty big enough. Just ask your Old Lady.”
“Watch it.” I take a hard drink of my beer. “On second thought, you want her? Bout’ sick of her shit.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
“More like the pits of hell. Started her same shit again. Took Ro to her Nan’s for the weekend.”
“She’ll be back in a day or two. I don’t know how you do it, man. One bitch since fuckin’ high school. You know any woman in here would be happy to oblige. Most of them take offense you won’t take them to your bed.”
“Shit. Ruthie’s got eyes and ears all over. One wrong step and she’d take Rochelle and turn her further against me.”
“You’re fuckin’ paranoid. What she got on you anyway?”
“Now why would I tell you? Then you’d want something too.” Her father’s our club Prez that’s what she has over me. Nickel knows that but he won’t say shit all against Lion. Not to mention the secret we share. The one the cunt likes to hold over my head and keep me in line.
“Well fuck you too, brother.” He flips me off.
“You wanted to see me?” Banks pulls up a chair, flipping it backwards before taking a seat.
“Yeah. Need your eyes on my house. You see any cars that shouldn’t be there, or any foot traffic let me know. Got a houseguest.”
“On it.” he jumps up.
“And Banks.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t go in the house, just call me if there’s anything to report.”
“Will do, Murder.” He struts out the door. Fucker better not go near Alexa.
“Who you got at the house?”
“Ro’s friend showed up. Folks kicked her out.”
“You expectin’ trouble?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“It ain’t that pretty blonde with the big tits is it?”
“What would you know about Ro’s friends?”
“Shit. I got eyes, man. Better lock Rochelle up soon. Won’t be long before brothers start lookin’ at her too.”
“Not if they want to keep their eyes.”
“I hear you. But is it the blonde?”
“You’re a real sick bastard. You know that.”
“Hell. Don’t even try to tell me you ain’t looked at her and thought about it even for a second.”
I shake my head and finish my beer, signaling for another.
“You have.” Nickel punches me.
I stay quiet because we both know he’s right. Asshole.
“You sure Banks is the guy you want to put on her?”
“Something I should know about him?”
“Just saying if I had a pretty little thing like that at my place all alone for the weekend, I wouldn’t be here. I’m sure Banks will keep it in his pants.”
“Fuck.”
I pull my cell out and dial Banks. “Never mind, man. False alarm.”
The jukebox starts up and one of the hangarounds gets on the pole. Her tight body gyrating against the cool metal. Myla is gorgeous like an exotic flower in her bright orange bikini glowing against her tan skin.
“Hey, Murder,” a voice like velvet purrs in my ear, as a beer appears in my hand. I look up and see Kristen, another muffler bunny.
“Thanks, darlin’.”
“Anything for you, handsome.” Her fingers caress mine.
“Fuck off with that shit. You know better,” I grit.
“I just...you look tense.”
“She ain’t wrong,” Nickel tacks on.
I rub the back of my neck feeling another headache coming on. Fuckin’ Ruthie. Shit is her fault. If she didn’t give me Rochelle, I’d killed her ass years ago.
Patting my pockets, I pull out the joint I confiscated from Alexa and Nickel gives me a light.
I sit back and smoke my joint, drinking my beer, watching the girls on stage but only thing on my mind is Alexa in that damn cheerleader uniform. Fuck me. I’m fucking fucked in the head. I must be crazy, and sex deprived. I keep telling myself to make things work with Ruthie and I’ve tried. I’ve given her and Rochelle everything they ever wanted since I got out of prison.
How is it I’m on the outside and still feel locked up. Gave everything to this club. Gave up my daughter for seven years. Went in when she was five. Got out when she was twelve. Came home to a wife who hated me and a kid who didn’t know me.
Been trying since the day I was released to make it up to them. Both of them, but no matter what I do, I make shit worse.
Chapter Two
I’m dancing around the living room waiting on my pizza to arrive. Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith, belts through the speaker. It feels weird being at Rochelle’s with everyone gone but there’s no way in hell I was staying home with my bitch of a mom in that prison. I can’t breathe in that house. My parents expect perfection. Not a hair out of place. Everything neat and perfect. My father is a psycho who thinks allowing me to use a tampon makes me a whore. If I stayed there another second, I’d suffocate.
I take another drink of my hotter than piss beer. I hate the stuff but right now I need an escape from my shitty life crushing me down. Rochelle has no idea how lucky she has it. Her parents are cool as hell. Her mom is a bit uptight but still she’s cooler than mine. Her father is a different story. I don’t know how I feel about him, but sometimes I think I catch him looking at me. Not in a creepy way. The man is way hot. He doesn’t even look old enough to be her dad, but he was like sixteen or something when she was born.
Headlights flash through the living room window. I go to the kitchen and grab the money James gave me. I’m freaking starving. I’ve not ate since dinner yesterday. I was five minutes late to breakfast this morning and my father refused me my plate. Said I should be on time if I want to eat and dared my mom to give me any lunch money. I was too embarrassed to ask my friends if they could loan me five bucks. I lied and said I was on a new diet. I know Ro would have gave it to me no questions asked, but we don’t have the same lunch period because I’m two grades above her. Flicking the porch light on I open the front door.
“You here alone?” Todd mumbles like he has rocks in his mouth, sweeping his hair back from his forehead, revealing his busted-up face.
“Jesus. What happened?”
“Fuckin’ told you I needed that weed. This is all your fault, cunt.” He shoves me and kicks the door shut as he enters the house.
“I’ll get you your money. I promise. I’ll make it up to you. I’m sorry. Okay?”
“You’ll do more than that.” His fingers dig into my arm.
“Stop. You’re hurting me.”
Todd laughs. “Hurting you? Look at my face,” he snarls, bloody spit flying at me.
“Do you want some ice?” I try to jerk out of his hold, but this only serves to piss him off. His hand flies back. Thwack. His palm connects with my cheek. I bite my tongue as my skin burns and stings from the slap. “Please, Todd. I swear. I’ll make it up to you.”
His fist connects with my eye and I scream. “You can start now.” His hand slides up my arm, squeezing my shoulder, and pressing me to my knees so that I’m kneeling at his feet.
I swallow the bile that creeps up the back of my throat. My stomach clenches and I grind my teeth. Jerking his belt, he undoes the button and zipper of his dark blue jeans. Tears gather in the creases of my eyes as he looms over me. Todd’s always been a bit of a dickhead, but I never expected this from him. Grabbing
me by the back of my hair, he yanks hard, forcing me to glance up at him. Lips puffy, eyes swollen and bruises forming, Todd glares at me as though he wishes I were dead.
“Always a cock tease. Not anymore. Tonight you’re gonna pay up.”
“No. Please don’t. I’ll get you the money.”
“Shut up, bitch,” he growls in my face and knocks me on my ass. I roll to my stomach and try to crawl toward the kitchen. There’s a set of butcher knives on the counter if I could get to them, I’d stab his eyes out and cut off his dick. Todd grabs hold of my hips and drags me across the carpet, the friction rubbing the exposed skin of my belly. Jerking the bottoms of my uniform down he bears down on me, his weight pinning me in place.
I choke out a sob. “Oh, God. Please no.” I feel the heat of his skin poking against my back side. “Stop it, Todd. You don’t want to do this. Not like this.” Fear bubbles in my chest as he continues to ignore me, forcing me to spread my legs for him.
“Shut up. You’ve been teasing my cock for months, you fuckin’ slut. Tonight you’re gonna give me what I’ve been waiting for. You owe me.”
Trembling beneath him I stare at the end table next to the couch. Beside the lamp is a picture of Rochelle’s dad and her mom in a pretty white frame. It’s their wedding day. Both baby faced and not much older than I am now. James wearing this beautiful smile on his face and probably one of the only times the man has been in a suit. He’s holding Rochelle on his hip. I imagine him gazing at me like that. Full of love, adoration, and hope for a brighter tomorrow.
As Todd’s body slams against mine, I pretend I’m in that photo in place of Ruthie, and I get lost in the fantasy. Pretending I’m somewhere else. That I’m someone else with each brutal thrust as my stomach slides over the carpet. “That’s it. Take it, you whore.” The heat of his breath fans along my neck. Bile churns, in the pit of my belly, clawing its way up my throat.
Todd bites and nips at me like a savage animal. His teeth digging deep enough to draw blood.
I hear the front door open and pray its Murder.
“What do we have here?” A gritty voice growls.
I hear the bones in Todd’s nose crunch, and he cries out.
I try to see who my savior is, but one eye is swollen, and my vision is hazy. “This the little bitch who got off with the product?”
“You broke my nose,” Todd whines.
“Make yourself useful and tie her up.”
I try to crawl away from them but it’s no use. I’m no match for the two of them.
Chapter Three
Two Weeks Later
“What are you looking at?” I step up behind Grudge who is staring hard at the gate to our compound. The Devil’s Playground.
“That’s the third time she’s walked past the gate in the last ten minutes.”
I move to stand next to him to see who she is.
One look at her blonde braids and the way her skirt swishes when she walks, hinting at the curve of her ass cheeks, and I know exactly who she is. Alexa. My daughter Rochelle’s friend. “I got this.”
“You know her?”
“Yup.” I leave off the unfortunately. Fucking Alexa showed up at house two weeks ago in need of a place to stay and then she vanished. No one has seen her since. Her folks and the police been leaning on me for information, but I didn’t know what the fuck to tell them. I pointed them in the direction of that stupid fuck she was dating. Little prick Todd but he’s been missing too. I figured she skipped town with him.
“Looks like jailbait, brother.”
“She is.” I climb on my motorcycle wondering why she’s wearing her cheerleading uniform still and Grudge opens the gate. I roar onto the main road and her red and black skirt flies up exposing her black lace thong and tanned ass cheeks. Jesus. I look away. I idle and wait for her to approach me. When I see her face, my blood runs cold. “What the fuck happened?” I glare at the black and blue bruise circling her left eye.
Alexa wraps her arms around her middle and shakes her head. “Nothing. I just...I don’t want to be alone...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here.” Her pearly whites graze her plump cherry stained lips. Her thick black lashes flutter as she blinks away her tears. She swipes them away quickly, sniffling. “I should go. I’m not your problem.”
“Well you’ve made it mine by showing up here,” I snarl at her. “Who gave you the shiner? You didn’t have that shit las time I saw you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”
“Asked you a question. I expect an answer.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Just don’t ask me any questions. Please.”
“Get on.”
“Umm.”
“Now,” I bark, and she startles, but climbs on. Her arms go around my middle, holding on for dear life. Her tits smash against my back, and I speed away hoping no one other than Grudge saw me putting another woman on the back of my Road King who isn’t my wife. Politics within our club are fragile. Shit is split down the middle. I don’t need any trouble with Lion right now.
As they say between the legs is between the legs and the only bitch who rides bitch should be your Old Lady, but this is an emergency.
Banks better not have had shit all to do with this. I’ll deal with him later. Right now, finding out what in the hell happened to Alexa is my priority. She was under my roof when she disappeared. Motherfucker.
I drive to a safehouse the club owns but rarely uses. Alexa can sleep here for the night, and I can get her story before I turn her back over to her folks. I cut my bike off and Alexa climbs off. I push the kickstand down and lead her to the porch.
The spare key is in the black metal letterbox that hangs next to the front door. “Shouldn’t be anyone here,” I tell her as I unlock it. I flick the light switch just inside the door, but nothing happens. Shit. Bulb must’ve blown. The house is in a bad neighborhood, but everyone knows it belongs to the club, so no one bothers it.
Alexa stays close to my side, pressing into me, a hand wrapped around the sleeve of my leather jacket. Guiding her further into the house, I kick some empty beer bottles out the way and find the switch to the kitchen light. Luckily, it still works.
“What is this place?” Her gaze moves around the bare room. There’s the usual appliances and a small table with one chair. The others are stacked in the corner, broken.
“Safehouse. You should be fine for the night. There’s a bed or a couch. You got a way to get home in the morning?”
Her right shoulder lifts slightly. “Don’t worry about me. No one else does.”
I wince at her words. Someone should give a damn about her, but it can’t be me. I’ve got enough on my plate.
“Where the fuck you been the past two weeks?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Please don’t make me.”
“Police been breathing down my neck for two weeks sticking their noses in my business. I need to know where the fuck you were. Don’t pull no shit with me. Rochelle thinks you’re dead. Hell, your folks too. Do you have any idea how worried sick we’ve all been?”
“You were worried about me?”
“You ready to tell me where you were?”
“I can’t. I need time to think of what to say to my parents. You don’t understand. If I talk, I’m dead.”
“Right. Sure.” I call bullshit.” Bet she went off with that fucker and he beat her. She’s trying to protect him. If she wants to go down that road its none of my business. “If you need a ride home, I can swing by in the morning. No big deal.” Fuck. What am I doing? I shouldn’t have even brought her here.
“Okay. Thanks.” She shoots me a smile so big and bright that the hell I catch might be worth it.
“You need anything before I go?”
Alexa chews on her thumbnail. “Don’t guess so. But could you stay until I fall asleep?”
“No can do. Got my own shit to deal with.”
“Your wife?” she quirks a brow at me.
I grunt i
n response. What the hell would she know about my wife?
“It’s just Ro told me her mom is kind of a bitch and that you guys fight a lot.”
“Rochelle should keep her mouth shut.”
“Calm down. Don’t be hard on her. She worries about you. Says you deserve better. Says you and her mom are all wrong for each other.” Her gaze catches mine. Pretty green eyes sparkling with something I can’t get a read on. But one thing I do know is I need to get on home. And yet my feet stay planted where they are. “So, do you...” Alexa opens the fridge, peering inside.
“Do I what?”
She smirks over her shoulder. “Deserve better?” Closing the fridge, she holds up two bottles of Budweiser.
“Not discussing my marriage with you.” I accept one of the bottles. I shouldn’t let her have the other but fuck if she doesn’t look like she couldn’t use an escape. I know all about that. “I don’t think I should need to say this, but you don’t tell Rochelle shit all about your ridin’ on my bike or me bringing you here tonight. Or anyone for that matter. You need to get your story straight whatever the fuck it is before you go home.”
Alexa pops the cap off the bottle on the edge of the counter. The cap clinks on the dirty floor. “I can keep a secret.”
I touch the puffy knot on the side of her temple. “I don’t doubt that, sweetheart, but still I need your word.”
Her lips wrap around the bottle, those green eyes burning through me as she takes a hard pull. “You can count on me. Don’t worry.”
“Right.” I grab her beer. “That’s enough. Take your ass to bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.” I know the last thing I should do is stay, but I’m afraid if I leave, she’ll disappear again.
“Thanks, Murder.”
“Yeah. Yeah. First door to the left down the hall. It’s not the Ritz but it’ll do for the night.” I don’t wait for a response. I find my way to the old worn-down couch and collapse with both beers after shedding my jacket. I bring the one Alexa was drinking to my lips, tasting her cherry lip gloss. Fucking sweet and pure trouble.
Tempting The Biker (Royal Bastards MC: Charleston, WV Book 3) Page 2