by Erin Osborne
“You lyin’ bitch!” he shouts. “How dare you hurt Emersyn that way. You’ve been tryin’ to become an ol’ lady since the day you walked through the door. Not just any member though, you want an officer so you can assert your dominance. Well, let me tell you that none of the men here want a scheming bitch for an ol’ lady. Much less as a wife or mother of their children. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“That bitch comes in here and you’re all flocking to her like her pussy is paved in gold. She’s nothing especially with that snot nose little brat of hers in tow. I’ve been here, paid my dues, and put my time in. She just fucking got here and is treated like royalty,” Lynne spouts off.
“How dare you fuckin’ talk about her like that!” I say, losing my shit. “Dad, I want her fuckin’ gone and gone now!”
“You can’t do that to me!” Lynne shrieks as my mom comes through the back door.
“And who did you get to hit you?” my dad finally asks.
“I did it myself. See, all I had to do was look in the mirror to see what I was doing. It wasn’t hard at all,” she says, the smirk back in place.
My mom hears the tail end of her words and doesn’t hesitate to turn the bitch around by her arm before planting her fist straight in Lynne’s face. I hear the bones crunch and know something’s broken in her face. Mom doesn’t stop there though. She proceeds to beat the shit out of her until my dad pulls her off the slut on the ground.
“Colt, go to Emersyn. She’s hurting and believing the worst. Our girl needs you right now,” my mom tells me.
Nodding my head, I start to walk away before I hear my dad issue the order to remove Lynne from the club’s property. A smile covers my face as I realize we won’t have to worry about her any longer. Lynne won’t be here, and Emersyn will have to hear what I have to say to her when we get to the apartment. I have never been with Lynne and I wouldn’t ever touch her. She’s a cut chaser and we can spot them a mile away.
That’s not to say I haven’t been with my fair share of women because I have. But Emersyn is the only one I’ll be with from now on. One taste of her is all it took for me to become addicted to her. Emersyn will have all of my truths tonight and I just hope she still wants me when I have my say.
Chapter Eight
Emersyn ‘Sky’ Wilkes
LAST NIGHT AT the clubhouse turned to shit. Tonya took me to the truck and I finally broke down and told her what happened inside with Lynne and Colt. She held me and told me nothing had ever happened between her son and that whore. Her words, not mine. I waited out there for a while as they did whatever needed to be done.
As I was waiting for Colt to come out to the truck, I looked around the outside of the clubhouse. It’s not like I can see much because it’s dark out, but I see a large building off to the side of the clubhouse. There’re several bay doors which lead me to believe it’s a garage for the men to work on their bikes or whatever else. Other than the two buildings, there’s not much else here. I guess that’s the way they want it.
Out back there’s a large yard with a playset that looks extremely new. Instead of regular swings, it has baby swings in it. Blood actually put Zoey in one earlier and gently pushed her back and forth. She loved it. Which made me realize it’s one more thing I don’t have for her but I should. My heart breaks at what my daughter is missing out on by having me as a mother.
When Colt got to the truck, he was more pissed off than I’ve ever seen him before in my life. I don’t even know what to do about the situation right now.
“Emersyn, what you heard in there is not what you think. I didn’t leave your apartment other than when I went to get groceries. I’ve been with you when I’m not on club business. Lynne is a sweet butt and she’s tryin’ to catch a patch. That’s the only thing she cares about,” he says to me, not starting the truck or taking his eyes off me. “She saw you standin’ there and doesn’t want a guy taken away from the sweet butts. It’s not like I’ve ever been with her.”
“I know, your mom told me. But it doesn’t change the fact you have been with women in there and they’re going to say hurtful things to me whenever I show up. So, I think it’s best for now if I just stay away. You or your family want to see Zoey, you can come to the apartment. I’m going to work and concentrate on Zoey,” I tell him. “Now can I please go home? You don’t owe me any explanations. You have a life here and I’m just here for now.”
“What do you mean you’re just here for now?” he asks me.
“It means as soon as I’m healed up and figure out what I want to do, I’m going to leave. I can’t be here all the time when I don’t even know what I want to do with my life,” I tell him.
“Why can’t you stay here and figure out what you want to do and where your life is takin’ you? We just got you back in our lives and you’re ready to run already?” he asks me.
“Because I’m not going to be in the way of you all living your lives. This is the first time I’ve willingly been away from home and I have no clue what I’m doing. I can’t even get the necessary things for my daughter. But, right now, I just want to go back to the apartment and get some sleep,” I plead with him.
Colt nods his head and turns the truck on finally. He takes us to the apartment and then helps me get Zoey inside with her bag. As soon as we’re inside, he leaves and makes his way back to the clubhouse. Or wherever he spends his time. What Colt, or anyone else does is none of my business.
I put Zoey to bed after checking her diaper. She’s already got her pajamas on because it’s past her bedtime and I changed her in Colt’s room earlier. Once she’s settled in, I grab a book out of my bag and sit down on the couch to read for a little bit. I need to get out of my head before I can even think about going to bed.
Looking at the cover, I see it’s Braxton by Liberty Parker and Darlene Tallman. I’ve never heard of the book before, so Kari must have put it in my bag. Though I start laughing when I realize it’s a book about a man in a motorcycle club. It probably wouldn’t be funny, but now I’m surrounded by bikers.
I zone out as I read, though the baby monitor is right next to me. I’ll always hear her. The book is so good, I can’t help but stay up until I finish it. By the time I finish reading, not only do I want the next book in the series, but Zoey is waking up. So, I walk through the house to make sure the apartment is locked up, make a bottle for my daughter, and then head into my room.
After taking care of Zoey, I keep her in bed with me. As I watch her sleep, I think about everything I’m feeling right now. The only thing I can think about is Colt. He’s invading my mind and everything I used to feel for him is resurfacing. Only this time it’s tenfold and I don’t know what to do about it.
Yeah, he seemed upset when I told him I was leaving once I figured out what I want to do with my life. But he’s got a life here and I’m not going to disrupt that in any way. As far as I’m concerned, he’s just my best friend and I’m going to handle it the same way I did before; cherish the time we have together and when it’s over; it’s over.
I’ve been in love with Colt since I knew what a crush was. He was my first crush and I can say now, I’ve loved him since I was twelve years old and he was fourteen. At first it was because he was always there for me, then it became the way he treated me no matter who was around. Colt never pushed me away or ditched me for his friends the way Logan did. Well, not until he discovered what a female could do for him. Then I was all but forgotten about.
I let the thoughts of Colt and my feelings for him lull me to sleep as Zoey sleeps cuddled up next to me. Her body heat seeps into my body and I relax into her comfortable weight when she burrows in deeper to me.
Waking up, I look down to my daughter and see her still sleeping next to me. She’s got one little fist by her mouth while her other hand is wrapped in my shirt. Zoey looks so peaceful and angelic as she sleeps next to me.
On the other hand, I feel as if I’m being torn in two. Part of me wants to know what could hap
pen between Colt and me while the other part of me doesn’t want to invade his life. And everything I’m feeling is selfish on my part.
I want to be a part of Colt’s life as his woman. There’s always been some sort of connection between us and we’ve never explored it or where we could take it. That’s one of my regrets in life. Not taking a chance with Colt and seeing where we could’ve gone. Of not staying in touch with the Johns family.
Yesterday, Tonya gave me a different burner phone and there’s one voice I need to hear right now; Kari. It’s only been days but that’s the longest we’ve ever gone without talking since meeting. Well, when Jeremy wasn’t home.
Dialing Kari’s number from memory, I put the phone to my ear and force thoughts of Colt to the back of my mind for now. I’ll have time later to figure that situation out.
“Hello?” Kari asks, her voice hesitant.
“It’s me,” I say, keeping my voice low so I don’t wake up Zoey just yet.
“Why are you calling me, babe?” she asks, excitement and fear in her voice now.
“I needed to hear your voice. A lot’s happened since I left you,” I respond.
“Here too. Jeremy’s pissed and he’s looking for you,” Kari says. “He’s not going to stop until you’re back with him. Or dead.”
“I know. But, remember the family I told you about, the Johns?” I ask her.
“Yeah. They were your neighbors until they suddenly moved away,” she responds.
“Well, they’re here. The dad is the President of a motorcycle club,” I tell her. “I’m living in the apartment over their garage now. They know about Jeremy and what happened to me.”
“So, you’re safe?” she questions.
“Yeah. Doesn’t mean I’m not scared to death of Jeremy finding me when I’m alone or it’s just Zoey and me because I am. But I also know I’m the safest here where I am right now. I just need to know you’re okay,” I tell her.
“I’m okay. Jeremy came around and tried to scare me. Thankfully Cooper was here, and he took care of the situation for me. I’m not dumb enough to believe he’s not going to come back again though. My only concern is for Zoey and you,” she informs me.
“We’re okay. Please, don’t let him get to you without someone with you. If anything happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“I’ll be fine. For now, tell me what being close to an MC is like,” she tells me.
So, for the next few minutes, I fill her in on working in the strip club and waiting to start. I tell her about Colt and my feelings for him. She tells me about Cooper and how she wants him, but he only sees her as a friend. We laugh, cry, and talk about everything. Before I know it, our conversation is over with and I instantly miss my best friend; my sister from another mister and partner in crime.
Laying the phone on the bed beside me, I watch as Zoey begins to stir. Today is all about her and that’s all I need in my life. Colt is kept firmly in the back of my mind and there’s no room for him as I get my daughter up and take care of her. We’re going to play, relax, and just veg out for the day. Unless someone comes to see me, and I doubt that’s going to happen. I’m sure they’re all nursing hangovers and having fun with last night’s bed partners. All of which is not my concern.
After changing and feeding Zoey, we head into the living room and I turn some music on softly. Putting her on the floor, she needs tummy time, I watch as she plays with the few small toys I have for her. My thoughts fill with what I need to buy for her and how long it’s going to be before I can do everything I need to do. Honestly, I want to cry because I know it’s going to take me forever to get Zoey everything she needs. But, I suck it up and push the thoughts from my mind.
There’s nothing I can do about getting her things right now. I’ll be able to when I start working and then I won’t have to worry anymore about it. For now, I’m simply going to focus on my daughter and ignore everything else. There isn’t much more I can do about it right now, so I don’t want to think about anything other than my precious daughter.
Chapter Nine
Emersyn ‘Sky’ Wilkes
AFTER GETTING OFF the phone with Kari, I called Tonya. There’s no way I can sit on my ass and have my thoughts run rampant through my head with nothing to do. Zoey only takes so much attention from me because she still sleeps more than she plays some days. Other days, she’s awake more than she sleeps. I’d rather be working. So, she agreed I can start practicing while my wrist continues to heal.
Once I knew I was going to be going to work, I called Gloria about watching the baby for me. There’s no way in hell I’m going to depend on Tonya or anyone in the club more than I have to. It’s bad enough I’m living in their apartment on their property and Colt always seems to be close by.
Now, I know I have to be at the club early this morning so yesterday was all about my daughter and doing things around the apartment. I played with Zoey and we danced around the apartment. When she was sleeping, I cleaned and made sure my meager belongings were put away so Tonya, Blood, or anyone else coming in would have nothing to bitch about.
Plus, it was beaten in me by Jeremy. If I didn’t have his house spotless on a daily basis, I was beaten. A time or two I was raped because of it too. But, no one would help me because I was young, dumb, and he repeatedly assured me his friends would tell the cops I was a liar and only worried about my next fix; I was mad at him for not letting me do drugs. It was a no-win situation and I hated it. Now, I make sure wherever I am is constantly spotless because I’m afraid of any repercussions I’ll face if I don’t.
I jump in the shower and get rid of the sleep and thoughts in my head. Once I’m cleaned up and ready to go, I throw on a pair of spandex shorts, a sports bra, and a pair of sweats over it. Before putting my shirt on, I double check Zoey’s bag and make sure she’s got enough diapers, wipes, formula, and her few small toys in there to play with at Gloria’s.
Knowing I have to get on the road soon, I put my shirt on and run a brush through my hair. It’s still not easy to do with the splint on my hand, but I manage to brush it and put it up in a messy bun. At least then I don’t have to worry about it getting in my way while we dance.
My nerves shoot through the roof as I change Zoey and make sure she has a fresh bottle ready to go. She eats it before I go through the apartment and make sure everything is locked up and I have the keys for the apartment and Tonya’s truck. She’ll either bring me home from Legacies or she’ll get it here later on. It’s not like this isn’t her house so she’ll have to travel far to get it.
I pick up Zoey, her bag, and the bag I have with some things Tonya dropped off for me like sky-high heels, make-up, and a few outfits to dance in. Yeah, they know I have absolutely no money and she fronted me some so I could have what I need to get started. I’ll pay her back with my first check. Or first few checks considering I have no clue how much this stuff cost her.
Walking down from the apartment isn’t as easy with Zoey in her car seat, the bags slung over my shoulders, and the nerves flowing through me. So, I go slow and make sure I don’t fall with my daughter in my arms. I’ll never do anything to hurt her.
The second my foot hits the sidewalk leading to the driveway, I release my breath and make my way toward Tonya’s jacked-up truck. It’s huge and I’m not exactly comfortable driving it, but she wouldn’t let me walk across town with the baby and then back to the club. And, she told me no one from the club could give me a ride because they’re all busy. So, this is the only option I have left.
Using the step on the side of the truck after opening the door, I lift Zoey in the backseat and have to climb in the damn thing just to strap her in. As soon as she’s in, I set her bag on the floor behind the passenger seat and hop back down. After placing my bag in the front seat, I head around the truck and get in. It starts up and a rock station blasts music through the truck. I quickly turn it down before it blows Zoey’s little ear drums out.
I laugh to myself because anyone
else would assume Colt or Logan, even Blood, was the last one to drive this beast. In reality, Tonya plays her music louder than the three of them combined. So, once it’s down so I can barely hear it, I pull out of her spot in the driveway and head toward Gloria’s apartment.
It doesn’t take as long as I thought it would so I’m there before too long. The drive gives me a chance to look around town as I go down the main street. There’re little shops, a diner, people already out walking through town talking and laughing with one another, and the distant roar of motorcycles.
Looking in the rearview mirror, I see one is following me. I’m not sure if it a coincidence or if Blood and Tonya have someone watching over me. For now, I’ll keep an eye on the biker and try to figure out what’s going on. As I continue through town, the biker keeps up with me and follows me into the small parking lot where Gloria lives.
Gloria is outside waiting for us as I park the truck close to her side of the building. She smiles brightly and waves frantically the second she realizes I’m in this beast. I step out and tell her hi as the older woman practically runs over to the truck so she can see Zoey.
“How have you been since leaving here?” Gloria asks me, almost sounding like I’ve been gone for months or years instead of a short amount of time.
“We’ve been good. What about you?” I ask her, pulling open the back door and stepping inside so I can grab my daughter.
“I’ve been okay. There’s been some man hanging around here. I’m not sure who he is, but he never stays for very long,” Gloria tells me and the hair on the back of my neck instantly stands on end. “Who’s the biker?”
Turning my head after making sure I’m steady on the pavement of the driveway, I see the biker sitting on the other side of the truck. He’s got his helmet off and I know he’s one of the guys from the clubhouse. The cut on his back proves me right as Gloria takes Zoey in her car seat and starts moving toward her apartment.