Chapter Thirty-six
Fuckin’ knew that old bastard was dirty. “He’s at the cabin. He’s expecting me alone.”
“No way, Prez.” Hound shakes his head.
“You remember the place. You’ll need to park at the bottom and go up the backside of the mountain. I’ll ride up alone. Gotta play this shit smart and safe.”
He gives me a chin lift. I dial East to update him on the situation. “How is she? Grudge called and asked to meet.” I relay the details of the phone call. Wylla Mae is shaken but trying to stay strong. East wants to meet to ride with us, but there’s not enough time, and I’m not waiting. “I want this done. Let’s roll.”
We put our knees to the breeze. Each mile of pavement bringing me closer to Alexa. Closer to finishing this business with Ruthie once and for all. Letting her go was a mistake. Trusting Grudge to do his God damn job was an error that I’ll never repeat. He’s going to ground, but I’ll give the honor to East. I got a score to settle with my cunt of an ex-wife.
I signal for Hound to go up the other side. Not taking any damn chances. I go through the creek and up the dirt path Grudge’s old man called a driveway. At the top of the path I pull up next to Wylla Mae’s jeep. Stole her kid and her car. Scummy son of a bitch. I get one foot off my bike when a gunshot fires.
“That’s far enough,” Grudge yells from the porch. “You alone?”
“Just me and the fucking turd I got in my pocket. The fuck you think. You see anyone else?” Stupid fuck.
“Toss your weapon out.”
“Look, man, I did as you asked. I’m here. Alone. No weapon. Where’s my Old Lady and grandkid?”
“You can have Alexa if you do what I want.”
“What’s that?”
“Ruthie and me need money for our fresh start.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me.”
“Paid my dues to the club. I think I’ve earned a little kickback.”
“Only thing you’ve earned is a bullet in your skull.”
“No money. No bitch.”
“How much?”
“Three hundred.”
“Thousand?” I have to bite back my laughter. He knows the club doesn’t have that kind of cash laying around. All our shit is tied up in property and the guns we run.
“That’s right. For her, me, and the kid.”
Now he’s really starting to piss me off. “You and I both know you won’t leave this mountain alive.”
“I’m ready to go to hell if that’s what it takes for Ruthie to get what’s hers, but are you ready to send Alexa there with me?”
Fucking hell. Where’s Hound? I need to keep this fool talking. “Let me see her then we can talk money.”
“Bring out the bitch,” he hollers over his shoulder, right at the time I see Hound crouched at the left corner of the cabin. He gives me a nod then points to the cabin before disappearing again. He’s going for the baby. Alexa’s rescue is on me.
The front door opens, and Ruthie drags Alexa out by her hair, they have my pretty girl bound at the wrists and gagged. I flex my fists. I’ve never wanted to hit a woman, but Ruthie makes me want to pop her right in the damn mouth to knock her fuckin’ teeth out.
The baby cries and Ruthie turns her back on us. Alexa shoves up off the porch using only her legs and throws her shoulder into Grudge sending him toppling down the stairs, travelling with him. He loses the shotgun as Ruthie cries, “They’re taking the baby.” I rush forward, planting my foot on Grudge’s neck while taking possession of the shotgun. I don’t give him any chances. I aim at his head and blow the motherfucker to chunks. His brain matter splatters all over Alexa’s face and my pant leg.
Ruthie tries to run but trips over a rock, going down face first in the dirt. I grab her up by her hair just like she did Alexa, but I’m a lot rougher about it.
She looks up at me with dirt and tears streaking her cheeks once I get her facing me. “Please, James. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. All I wanted was a baby. I’ll go away. You’ll never see me again.” She hiccups, looking bewildered. “I’ll do anything. I miss Rochelle. I want a baby. I don’t have anything or anyone. Please I’ll leave you and Alexa alone.”
“No you won’t. You’ll just keep on with more of your lies and bullshit. You’re done for. Turn around and get on your knees.” I shove her down. I press the barrel of the shotgun against the back of her head.
“Please, James. Don’t. You don’t want to hurt me. I gave you Rochelle. You promised me for better or worse.”
“Stop your sniveling. It’s pathetic.”
“At least look me in the eyes. Don’t be a coward.”
I look back to see Hound putting the baby in the jeep. I need to see to Alexa and blowing this bitch’s head off would be too easy. “Come on.” I jerk her back to her feet.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
I snort. “Don’t thank me, cunt. I’m still gonna fucking watch you take your last breaths. Only thing that will make me happier is finally marrying the woman I really love and starting our life together. Keep an eye on her.” I shove Ruthie into Hound and tend to my woman. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” I remove the bandanna that’s tied around her mouth, use it to wipe some of the shit off her face, then work on releasing her wrists from the rope they bound them with. I carry her inside the cabin and put her in the shower clothes and all.
Alexa says nothing and I dial East. “Got’em. Tell my girl she’ll be holding Mila soon. Yeah far as I can tell. Right. See you soon.” I end the call and shift my focus back on Alexa.
“Can you find me something to wear?”
“On it.” I leave her to finish washing off and pilfer through the cabin. There’s a suitcase of Ruthie’s shit next to the bed. Bitch has been hiding here. I know Alexa don’t want to wear a damn thing of Ruthie’s, but she can’t afford to be choosy right now. Back in the bathroom Alexa’s stripping out of her wet, ruined clothing, and I hand her a towel and the jeans and t-shirt I confiscated. “Put this on. East and Wylla are coming for you and the baby.”
“What are you going to do with Ruthie?”
“You really want to know?” She nods. “Setting this place up to look like a Meth house gone wrong. Ruthie will burn with it.”
Alexa goes pale but makes no comment.
“C’mere.” I stroke the bruise forming on her jaw and she winces. “Grudge do that?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
“Makes me want to blow his head off all over again.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible.” Her lips meet mine. I kiss her hard, deep, and fast. “Get dressed.” I slap her ass and go back out to check on the baby before I grab Alexa and fuck her in the bathroom.
Hound has Ruthie tied to a tree with the rope that was used on Alexa’s wrist.
“How’s Mila?”
“Sleeping.”
“Didn’t know you were good with kids.”
He shrugs. “Got nieces and nephews.”
“All right, man. Need to stage the scene. Grab the prospect. You two load the van. Want it to look like a Meth lab, brother.”
“You good here?”
“East’ll be here soon, and I got Alexa. Come back at nightfall.”
Hound gives me a chin lift and jogs back the way he originally came from. There’s not much traffic out here but one never can be too careful.
“I hate you,” Ruthie seethes.
I look straight through her as if she’s not sitting here. She wants attention, but I’m not wasting another breath on the lousy bitch.
“You won’t get away with this. You’ll go down. You’ll see.”
Alexa walks out the cabin and goes straight to Ruthie. No words pass from her lips she straight up rears her fist and lets it fly at my ex-wife’s face. Not once but three times. Ruthie cries as blood drips from her nose and split lip. “First one was for taking my grandkid. The second was from me, and that third one was for Wylla Mae.” My crazy assed woman doesn’t stop there
. She grabs her by the hair then spits in her face. “You’re nothing. After today James nor will I ever think of you. We won’t speak your name. No one will. You’re dead.”
Ruthie laughs. “He used to fuck me before he’d come to you. Hope you liked tasting my pussy all these years.”
“Maybe but whenever he was inside you, he was thinking about me. It’s the only way he could get off. We’d laugh about it behind your back.”
“Fuck you,” Ruthie spits out.
“Yeah. My man is gonna take me home later tonight and he’s gonna fuck me hard while you burn in hell.” Alexa smirks and blows Ruthie a kiss.
“God damn, pretty girl, you’re damn sexy when you’re pissed.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, but I need you to stop getting kidnapped when I leave you alone.”
“Oh fuck off.”
“Gimme’ that smart mouth.” I pull her in for a kiss, squeezing her ass, not giving a damn that Ruthie is watching. Let the cunt enjoy the show. “Just so you know she’s full of shit. I haven’t had my mouth anywhere near her pussy since I first tasted yours.”
Alexa rewards me with her smile. “You sucking up to me.”
“Nope. Just wanted you to know that I reserved that for you.”
“Hmmm,” she muses. “I don’t want to talk about the past anymore. I’m ready to plan our wedding. Don’t think you’re getting off easy. I want the fairytale.”
“Whatever you want, babe. It’s yours.”
“Good.” She kisses me again.
East and Wylla Mae come flying up the hill in his truck. He barely has it in park before my daughter is jumping out and rushing toward us. “Where’s my baby?”
“Right here.” Alexa opens the back passenger side door of the jeep. “She’s fine.”
Wylla checks over her daughter then stares at me with tears burning in her eyes. “Thank you, Daddy.” Her arms swing around my neck and her lips hit my cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you too, princess.” I give her a pat on the back. “You and your mom take the jeep back to the clubhouse.”
“I’m not leaving till that bitch is dead,” Alexa says.
“Me either,” Wylla Mae digs in. “I’m tired of her hurting our family.”
“Guess you do take after me more than I thought, but its best if you aren’t here. Anything goes sideways I want it to land on me. None of this shit touches you.” I release her. “Go on. Take Mila out of here. You too, East. Get them to safety. You got a family to think about. Your mom and me got this. Ruthie is our problem.”
“You sure, Prez?”
“Isn’t this sweet. Look at you one big happy fucking family,” Ruthie smarts off.
My daughter storms toward her. “You’re poison. You’ve always been toxic. I’m not a violent person but you deserve whatever you get. I would say I hope my father cuts out your heart, but you don’t have one. You’re hollow.”
“Let’s go, baby.” East guides her toward the driver’s side of the jeep. “You good to drive?”
“I’m fine.”
“Let me know when you make it to the clubhouse,” I tell him.
“Will do, man.” East starts toward his truck then turns back around. He stalks toward Ruthie. “Didn’t get to kill Grudge,” he mutters then unsheathes the hunting dagger he keeps strapped to his boot. Ripping open Ruthie’s shirt, he stabs her in the chest, carving out the shape around her heart. She screams, but he caps a palm over her mouth. “Guess you have a heart after all.”
Epilogue
I can still smell the fumes from the fire embedded in my nostrils days after I helped Murder and other members from the club stage the cabin like a homemade Meth lab. As for Ruthie...she got what was coming to her. Bitch passed out when East took his anger out on her. James put her in the bed of the cabin and put Grudge’s body on top of hers. Both of them stripped naked. Put her fingerprints on the shotgun and placed it in the bed next to her.
Ruthie came to as we doused them in gasoline. She cried, begged, and screamed for mercy but there was none to be found. Not for her. Not after everything she had done. There was no redemption to be had. The woman was pure evil. The daughter of a true demon. She was truly her father’s daughter. Everything she did was to keep us apart. She didn’t want a baby. She wanted to hurt us. And now...now there is nothing left of her but charred skeletal remains. In this life you reap what you sew. I lit that match and know one day I will pay for my sins, but it won’t be today.
When I close my eyes, I can hear her screams as she burned alive before the cabin exploded. The flames dance behind my eyelids and the heat of the fire licks across my skin like a forbidden lover. I shouldn’t smile at the thought of anyone dying, but I fucking hated her.
James grins at me as he slides onto the bar stool next to mine. “What are you so damn happy about,” I ask.
“I talked to your doctor.”
“What?”
“Yeah the surgeon who handled your gunshot wound.”
“Why?”
“You’re full of shit. He never said you can’t have any more kids.”
“James...”
His finger goes to my lips to silence me. “Babe. I want to make another baby with you. I want it all. My brand inked on your skin, my ring on your finger, my baby in your belly. Gonna give you the life I promised.”
My heart skips a beat. Tears burn in the backs of my eyes.
“So.” He removes his finger. “You gonna save yourself the trouble and agree to it all now or do I need to take you upstairs, tie you to my bed, and take what I want?”
“Damn, can I get a vote?” Pam starts in. “Because fuck me that was hot as hell. Girl, tell him no and enjoy the punishment.” She cackles.
My filthy talking biker chuckles.
I cup James’s face. “I love you.” I plant a kiss on his lips.
“I would too if I were you.”
“Asshole.” I kiss him again then lean in to whisper in his ear. “What if I want you to tie me to your bed and to say yes to negotiating this baby fever you seem to have?”
His eyes go big and he says nothing. Hoisting me out of my seat and over his shoulder, my filthy biker takes me to bed to get started on all his demands.
Keep reading for a note from the author!
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed Tempting The Biker. Alexa and Murder’s story doesn’t end here. Save the date, coming February 2021 Keeping The Biker, a Royal Bastards MC, Charleston, WV wedding novella available for pre-order. And I have more books in the series on the way. Viking, Holy, Sandman, Hound, and Rio could all possibly get their own books too. More to come about them at a later time. If you want to know more about Papa you can read his story Papa Noel by Nikki Landis.
Thank you for reading,
Glenna
Playlist
Wanna know what songs I listened to while writing Tempting The Biker? Check out my playlist on Spotify
Acknowledgments
Writing Tempting The Biker was a true labor of love and about drove me insane. No joke. I love these characters so much. I lived and breathed all their heartache for the past six months. I poured all I had to give into this story and the days I wanted to give up, all my people were there to cheer me on and push me to keep going. Of course my main man, Brett is always my number one supporter. I couldn’t do any of this without him by my side and picking up my slack in the real world while I exist in my fictional one.
This was a challenge, as I started writing this book amidst the Covid19 outbreak. The world changed for us all. Home schooling, trying to juggle life, and all the changes thrown at us—my oldest child beginning college and sharing my office with my youngest child. It’s been an adventure I won’t forget.
Nikki Landis thank you so much for allowing me to collaborate with you for Papa and Colter.
To my awesome friends. Thank you. Tina and Andi this book would have never gotten completed had you not checked in on me and gave me the push
to write the ugly, raw, beautiful book that is Alexa and Murder’s love story. Andi keeping me sprinting till the end. Tina talking and messaging for hours with me over the fine details. Nickie and Tempi for being part of my support team and just being there when I needed a friend on the hard days. Dawn my partner in crime kept me stocked with all my favorite snacks all summer she will never admit it, but she is one of the most caring and thoughtful people in this world. Morgan who has been with me for every single book hearing every vent and crazy idea with our much needed daily phone chats. She’s the only person who can get me on the phone, ha.
To all of my fellow Royal Bastards MC authors for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing world, many thanks to you guys. The bloggers and readers who share, review, and buy my work ya’ll are the best, and I am so glad to have you be an integral part of my village. Jennifer and Jessica the excitement you two had for this book made me smile so much, thank you for loving my words.
I know I have missed someone, and I promise it is not intentional. I blame my writer brain. All these places and characters take up so much space in my head I do good to remember my own name some days. But I hope you know I value you.
ROYAL BASTARDS MC SERIES SECOND RUN
E.C. Land: Cyclone of Chaos
Chelle C. Craze & Eli Abbot: Ghoul
Scarlett Black: Ice
Elizabeth Knox: Rely On Me
J.L. Leslie: Worth the Risk
Deja Voss: Lean In
Khloe Wren: Blaze of Honor
Misty Walker: Birdie’s Biker
J. Lynn Lombard: Capone’s Chaos
Ker Dukey: Rage
Crimson Syn: Scarred By Pain
M. Merin: Declan
Elle Boon: Royally F**ked
Rae B. Lake: Death and Paradise
K Webster: Copper
Glenna Maynard: Tempting the Biker
K.L. Ramsey: Whiskey Tango
Kristine Allen: Angel
Nikki Landis: Devil’s Ride
Tempting The Biker (Royal Bastards MC: Charleston, WV Book 3) Page 22