by Bella J
“You care for her.”
“Stop. Stop right there.”
“It’s the truth. You had a connection with her.”
“Listen,” I pushed myself off the wall, “I am not one of those pathetic little fucks who wants everything his big brother has. I don’t envy you. I don’t want your fucking life. And I sure as hell don’t want your woman.”
Granite pulled his pack of cigarettes from his jeans pocket. “You were there for Alyx when I couldn’t be. You took care of her when I couldn’t.”
“Because it was the right thing to do.”
“And since when do you give a fuck about doing the right thing?”
I stepped up to him, looking him straight in the eye. “Ever since you no longer do.”
Seconds ticked by, and I refused to back off. Granite stared at me like he was searching for answers, but he wouldn’t find any. I didn’t have anything to hide. Whatever was between Alyx and me was nothing but a man caring for a woman who needed it. I backed off the second Granite had the balls to do right by her, and I hadn’t given it a second’s thought after that.
Granite lit a cigarette, puffing out some smoke. “Think about it. We’ll discuss it some more in the morning.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
Granite stomped past me, and I turned, watching him walk away. Love sure had changed him. Ever since Alyx came into his life, he was no longer the man who had nothing but hate and vengeance in his heart. But I still did. I still wanted revenge for our father’s murder, not to mention what they’d done to Neon. And nothing would change that. Sure as fuck not love—or any woman.
I hated what it was doing to Ink, this infatuation he had with Neon. The bloodlust was starting to control him, and it would end up clouding his judgement, letting him make stupid mistakes.
The same went for Granite. This newfound love he claimed to have with Alyx was fucking with his mind, hence the reason he came up with the stupidest fucking idea ever.
I was vice president, and my role was to take his place when we either buried him or he was no longer able to perform the president’s duties. None of that was applicable to this situation, so I refused to let things change around here simply because he gave his word to an immoral motherfucker.
Chapter Two
Onyx
There was nothing like the smell of onion rings, burned steak, and spilled alcohol to make some tension roll off your shoulders. The last few days had been insane, and while emotions were running high back at the club, I needed to get the fuck out of there.
I glanced around, all the unfamiliar faces going about their own business. This wasn’t exactly a top-notch bar and grill, but it was the next best thing whenever I needed to get away from everything and everyone back at our place. Some days, I would rather sit here and pay for my beer than drink it alongside a few of those assholes. Especially with Ink acting like a fucking vampire lately, only wanting blood.
“Can I get you anything else?”
I looked up at the pretty waitress smiling down at me with her please-fuck-me eyes. If it was any other day, I probably would. But my thoughts were crowding my dick, hence the reason I’d be keeping it in my pants tonight. “Just a refill.”
“You got it.” She took my empty beer bottle, winked at me, and turned on her heel. Her short skirt bobbed up, flashing the bottom of her ass cheeks, and her long legs accentuated by the black heels she wore looked really enticing. Maybe tomorrow night.
I popped a fry into my mouth, more than happy to keep to myself here in the corner booth. People were buzzing, glasses were clinking, and the bell above the door kept chiming as people walked in and out. It was almost ten p.m., and the music started to become louder.
One more beer, and I would leave this joint before the party really started. Intoxicated women seduced by tequila, and drunk men strengthened with copious amounts of beer was not the kind of crowd I was looking to hang with tonight.
The pretty waitress placed a new ice-cold beer in front of me then continued to hover.
I glanced up at her just as I was about to take a bite from my burger. “What?”
She smiled, blowing a bubble with her gum before rolling it back into her mouth with her tongue. “You gonna ask me out?”
I stuffed my mouth with a big chunk of cheeseburger, thinking that would momentarily leave me occupied and unable to answer her very direct and very presumptuous question.
“So?” She batted her eyelashes, conveying her inner thoughts of sex and sin. See, I liked my women confident and in touch with their sexuality, but I didn’t like tramps thinking they owned the unicorn of all pussies.
Taking a gulp of beer to wash down the burger, I wiped my mouth. “I, uh—”
“Move along, sweetheart.”
I looked to the side at curvy hips filling out a pair of leather pants perfectly. I dragged my attention up her body, a poison ivy tattoo stretching along her side and disappearing under the cropped white shirt.
“This one is already taken.” She looked down at me with big blue eyes before turning back to the waitress. “So, take your little skirt and go find another guy’s cock to ride. ’Kay?”
I snorted, unable to suppress an entertained smile. The waitress scowled at both of us before she turned on her heel and stomped off.
I leaned back in my seat, peering up at my heroine in leather pants. “Thanks for the help, but I actually had it handled.”
“Yeah, and that’s why you merely sat there with a mouth full of cheeseburger.” She slid into the seat across from me, and I narrowed my eyes while taking in the fine, delicate features of her face. High cheekbones, dainty nose, and enticing as fuck, thick, tempting lips.
She held out her hand over the table. “Wraith.”
“What?”
“My name. It’s Wraith.”
I cocked a brow, hesitant but intrigued, and shook her hand lightly. “Onyx.”
“Is that your real name, Onyx?”
“Is Wraith your real name?”
Her lips curved at the edges. “I don’t usually disclose such personal information on a first date.”
I let out a mild laugh, amused as fuck. “I don’t remember asking you out on a date.”
“You don’t?” She feigned a look of hurt, placing her palm on her chest. “It’s bad manners to hurt a girl’s feelings on the first date.”
My gaze dropped to her hand, her pinky and thumb touching the swell of her perfectly palm-sized tits. Her arm was covered in ink, a sleeve tattoo of different shapes and images stretching all the way from her wrist to her shoulder.
“So, why, exactly, are you sitting here with me?”
“I just told the trampy waitress you’re already taken.” She shrugged. “It would look odd if I didn’t sit with you.” She flipped a few strands of ink-black hair out of her face, the rest tied in a high ponytail, with a white bandana wrapped around her head.
“Ah. Right.” I nodded, my mouth still pulled up in an amused grin, her eyes fixed on mine. “I guess I need to buy you a drink as well, you know…to make it seem legit and all.”
“Hold on, cowboy. All I did was save you from that walking STD over there. This ain’t a date.”
“But you just said—”
“Look at that,” she glanced at her wrist with no watch, “three minutes have gone by. I bet that’s enough to make our trampy friend believe my little lie.”
“Wait, wh—”
“See ya, Onyx.” She slid out of the seat and strolled off, leaving me with nothing but the perfect view of her curvy, firm ass.
The door chimed when she walked out, and for a second I thought about going after her. God knew it had been a long time since a woman only needed three minutes to amuse me in the way she just did. But something told me she wasn’t the type of woman who would appreciate being chased after.
I finished my burger and beer in peace, my thoughts swirling back and forth from Granite wanting me to take his place, to Ink, who wa
s on the verge of declaring World War Three on the Pythons.
How did things get so fucked up so fucking fast? This was not how shit was supposed to go down. We were supposed to avenge our dad’s death, make the Pythons pay for what they did. Instead, Neon got hurt, and Alyx got kidnapped. Now our entire fucking club seemed to hang by a goddamn thread.
The feeling of amusement I had a second ago vanished, and I shoved the napkin to the side, dropped a twenty, and walked out. This place was getting too crowded, anyway.
As I stepped outside, the warm summer breeze wafting against my cheeks, I immediately glance over to my V Rod. Two men were standing next to it, laughing while trying to keep their drunken asses standing up straight.
“Yo, step away from the wheels,” I yelled as I walked over. They turned around and faced me, eyes red, foreheads sweaty and creased.
“This yours?” One with a scar above his lip glared my way.
“Yeah, so back the fuck up.”
“Oooh,” he mocked. “A bit overprotective, there, wouldn’t you say?”
I glowered at them and grabbed my lid. “Just move along.”
“Or what?”
Jesus Christ. This was not the kind of shit I was in the mood for right now. “Listen, walk away, man.”
“Or what?” One guy wearing a baseball cap and a dirty pair of jeans stepped right up to me, not blinking once. I didn’t even try to make myself taller, bigger, more intimidating…because I already was.
“Back up before I make you,” I warned. On second thought, maybe this was the exact kind of shit I was in the mood for. Maybe picking a fight and dishing out an ass-whooping was exactly what the fucking doctor ordered.
The baseball cap douche shoved me back, and in that second, that exact moment, the one thing I could always rely on kicked in.
Instinct.
I reared back. I swung. I scored. Fucker was on the pavement eating dirt within a split second. It wasn’t even hard, and I didn’t need to break a sweat.
There was a tap on my shoulder, and I turned around just in time to see a fist coming my way. I pulled back, balling my fist when a hand reached over scar-face’s shoulder, making him turn. The second he did, I heard a loud thwack and saw the fucker sway to the side.
I grabbed his shoulders and pushed him into the gravel, where he stayed. It didn’t take much to whoop their drunk asses.
I looked up and found Wraith hovering over the guy, shaking her fist. She smiled. “Seems like I saved your ass twice tonight.”
I smirked. “Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart.”
“I’m not your sweetheart.”
I nodded to the bar. “There’s a waitress in there who thinks you are.”
The corners of her mouth curved as she picked her backpack off the ground, swinging it over her shoulders. “It was a pleasure saving your ass. Onyx.”
One of the fuckers on the ground tried to get up, but I shoved my boot against his jaw, sending him back down. “Will I see you around?”
“Don’t bet on it.” She sashayed that curvy ass of hers to a navy Harley Softail.
I could swear to God, I almost came in my fucking pants when I watched her get on it. She clutched that piece of hard metal so damn tight between her legs, and when I heard the roar of the engine, my cock twitched.
Wraith put her helmet on, fastening it before gripping the drag bar. “Try to stay out of trouble,” she said over the beautiful noise only a Harley could make.
I shot her a cocky grin. “Don’t bet on it.”
She pulled out onto the street, and I stood frozen and stared at her taillight as it disappeared. I shook my head and let out a laugh while making my way to my bike. The second I got on it, I contemplated going after her again. And this time, I did.
Only…I never found her.
Chapter Three
Onyx
I leaned forward on my bike, crossing my arms. “One would think that the motherfucking police commissioner would know how to be punctual.”
Dutch flicked his dead cigarette my way. “Since when do you know the meaning of the word punctual?”
“Since you were dumb enough to get shot.” I flipped him off and gave him a sly grin.
“I really want to say ‘fuck you’ right now.”
“Don’t.” Granite smiled while placing his lid in front of him. “He’ll take it as a compliment.”
“I love how you know me, big brother.”
A black SUV stopped on the other side of the road, and we waited until the PC got out before we approached.
“Granite,” he greeted with an icy tone. Seemed like daddy dearest still needed to warm up to his future son-in-law.
“Commissioner.” Granite crossed his arms.
“How is my daughter?”
“She’s fine.”
“Is she happy?”
Granite shifted from one leg to the other. “Yeah. Seems like it.”
“Good.” His voice was clipped, firm.
“Is there a reason you summoned us out here in the middle of the night? You have a job we need to take care of?”
The PC looked in the other direction, his expression unreadable. “Listen, Granite. We can no longer do business.”
“What?”
The commissioner pulled out a brown envelope and held it out toward Granite. “This is everything I owe you. But as of now, we part ways.”
Granite righted himself, eyebrows furrowed. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
“There’s too much heat on you right now. After Alyxandria’s kidnapping, and this war with the Pythons, the feds have you on their radar.”
“Fuck,” I cursed, kicking at the asphalt.
“I’m afraid I can’t risk any involvement with you right now, Granite. It’s enough to have my daughter involved with you. I can’t risk any more ties to the Kings. But let me say this. As far as my daughter is concerned, I’m worried.”
Granite remained silent, but I saw the way his jaw clenched, nostrils flaring. I could practically feel the anger vibrate off him. “You don’t have to worry about Alyx. I’ll keep her safe.”
“Like you kept her safe from Tanit?”
“That was different.”
“How?”
Granite stepped forward. “I let my guard down last time, and I can fucking promise you it won’t happen again.”
Dutch moved closer, keeping his eyes etched on the PC’s bodyguards. The tension was sharp, and it made me hyperaware of the gun tucked behind my back. It would take me two seconds to grab it and aim. Those fuckers would still be balling fists by the time I had bullets flying.
The slightest movement of my hand caught Granite’s attention, and he shot me a warning glare before turning his attention back to the PC. “There is no place safer for Alyx than at my side. You know me well enough to know how fucking serious I am right now.”
I studied the commissioner, wondering if he’d have the balls to tick Granite off even more.
“Fine.” The PC sighed. “My daughter seems to care for you a lot, which is the only reason I’m respecting her decision in this. But know this, Granite. If anything happens to my daughter, I will come after you…and I’ll bring the feds with me. I swear it.” He straightened his suit jacket. “But as for our business arrangement, it’s off the table. At least until the heat dies down. Until then, I’ll do what I can to keep the feds off your ass, but I’m not doing it for you.” One of his bodyguards opened the back door of the SUV. “I’m doing it for Alyx.”
He held out the envelope of cash, and I grabbed it, as Granite clearly had no intention of taking it. The man was probably too busy trying to keep his shit under control. Kicking his old lady’s dad’s ass probably wouldn’t go down well back at home.
Granite nodded, and the PC got into the SUV. All three of us stood there as they drove off, until I finally broke the silence. “I’d say that went well, wouldn’t you?”
Granite stomped past me, and Dutch flicked me on the head. “Moron.�
��
“You see,” I called after Granite, “he gets it. I’m a moron and clearly incapable of being president.”
Granite turned and faced me, his expression stone. “This is exactly why you need to step the fuck up, Onyx, so we can end this war with the Pythons once and for all.”
“Seriously? That is what you got from that conversation?” I moved closer. “While you were standing there doing a pretty good job at keeping your anger under control, I was imagining a hundred and one ways to kick the PC’s ass. You see the dilemma, right?”
“All I’m seeing is my little brother who refuses to acknowledge his place in this club. You are the vice president. You are my successor. Surely, you knew this day would come sooner or later.”
“Yeah, well, I was bargaining on later. Not fucking sooner.”
Granite grabbed his lid. “Things don’t always work out the way we plan, Onyx. It’s time you realized that. I know me giving that piece of shit my word seems trivial to you, but I won’t stoop to their level. I will not become the same immoral fucker Slither is. I made a deal. And now I have to live with that. And unfortunately, so do you.”
“All of us do, man.” Dutch revved his Harley, the low rumble thundering through the night. No matter who, where, or what, that fucking sound always grabbed me by the balls.
I had always known Dutch had this direct line to Granite’s thoughts. I’d swear to God, Granite could give him half a glance, and the fucker would know exactly what Granite wanted him to do. And that was probably why Dutch decided to ride off without us, since Granite sent him some telepathic fucking message to give us some privacy.
I groaned, already knowing the discussion that was about to take place.
“Listen, Granite—”
“You need to do this, Onyx. We don’t have a choice.” He sounded grave, serious. Desperate.
“I disagree. We always have a choice, man. I told you, you don’t have to keep your word to a piece of shit like Slither.”
“And I told you it’s not just about him.”
“I know. God!” I kicked at the dirt, my pulse racing as rage burned its way through my chest. “I know you’re protecting Alyx. I get that. But as much as she’s your woman, this club is supposed to be your home. Your life.”