by Hope Stone
“Okay, let’s get started,” Ryder said when all the members had arrived. He stood in front of the room with his hand in his pockets. “This meeting was called for one reason. To discuss Luca Bianchi.”
There was murmuring around the room, and I heard someone behind me mutter, “Asshole.”
“Yeah, we all know what’s up. He offed Raymond Groves. The question is why.” Ryder nodded in my direction, which I took as my cue to speak.
I stood at my seat, leaning my ass against the edge of the table as I turned to address everyone.
“So, Luca runs the street fighting ring I’ve been wrapped up in,” I started. “I didn’t know him well at first, but it turns out that he’s a grade-A weirdo.”
There were chuckles, but I didn’t pause. “He also works for a big-time arms dealer.”
“You sure about that?” Hawk asked, his eyes sharp.
“Yeah, and I got the impression it’s all connected to the mob. Raymond Groves was wrapped up with them, too. That’s why he was killed. Luca was sent to La Playa to find out where Raymond stashed a bunch of weapons that belong to them.”
“Shit,” Trainer muttered, shaking his head.
“Yeah,” Ryder said. “That’s the kind of trouble that we don’t need here.”
“Well, it’s already here. Luca wants me to put pressure on the widow to give him the land where the weapons are hidden.”
“Why? Seems like a lot of trouble for him to go to.” Ryder said.
“He’s not as stupid as he looks. He’s not willing to draw attention to the area or himself by fucking around there without permission.”
“And you told him you would?”
“What choice did I have?”
“Well, that accelerates our timeline,” Swole said, looking concerned. “We can’t have him getting wise to our boy’s deception.”
“Agreed,” Ryder said. “We need to find those damn guns and get Luca out of La Playa.”
“I’m betting they’re buried,” Trainer said. “That’s what I would’ve done.”
“Agreed,” Hawk chimed in. “I checked out the property that Luca’s been showing interest in. There’s a small amount of wooded area on the property, but probably not enough to hide a building or anything. The only place he could have put it is in the earth. A metal detector would do the job of finding the stash.”
“Sure, but then we run into the same problem Luca’s having,” Ryder said. “We can’t be seen messing around on a random piece of land without permission. The last thing we need is to draw attention from the cops.”
“I’ll talk to Cecilia,” Swole offered. “She knows that we’ve got her back. I’m sure she’ll give us access.”
“Good. Then, we find the weapons and make a deal with Luca.”
“Wait a minute,” Chalupa said from the back. “We’re probably talking about big money here if the mob is going to so much trouble to find these weapons.”
“Yeah, but no amount is worth going to war with the damn mob,” Hawk pointed out. “I say we get rid of the shit.”
“Agreed,” Ryder nodded. “I move that we vote.”
“Seconded,” Swole said.
“All in favor?”
There was a chorus of “Aye,” as everyone except me voted. I didn’t have voting rights yet.
“Motion passed,” Ryder announced. “Swole, you talk to Cecilia, and Hawk, you get as many metal detectors as you can get your hands on. The sooner we get this shit taken care of, the better.”
I sat down, happy with the way this went. I’d proved myself by providing useful information, which was exactly what I’d set out to do. I wanted to pull my weight here.
“Now, we have one other piece of business to discuss,” Ryder said. “Blade, come up here.”
I did, trying to hide my confusion.
“I think it’s time that we vote on adding another patch to our ranks.”
Holy shit.
“Blade has proved himself to be loyal to this club. Trainer, as his sponsor, do you approve?”
“I do.”
“Then, we vote. All in favor?”
Once again, everyone approved. I felt the unmistakable feeling of something significant sliding into place for me. I was a Patch, an Outlaw Soul. These were my brothers and sisters now.
“Motion passed,” Ryder clapped me on the back. “Welcome to the club.”
Everyone raised their beers before drinking in unison. It was their way of welcoming me, and I grinned. This was my future. I took the jacket that Trainer pulled out of a duffle bag that I hadn’t noticed was sitting in the chair beside him and pulled it on. It was a perfect fit, and my chest swelled with pride knowing that the Outlaw Souls patch was displayed on the back.
The meeting broke up soon after that, with Trainer, our Road Captain, planning out a ride for us all to take tomorrow afternoon. Apparently, it was tradition when a new member was voted in. I could see the jealousy in Axel’s face when the meeting broke up and I came outside to tell him the news, but I knew he’d get over it. It sucked to be the only Prospect, but I was sure he’d be voted in soon enough. Outlaw Souls were good about rewarding people that paid their dues.
I was flying high for the rest of the evening, and a group of us stayed to drink for a couple of hours, celebrating. When the party finally broke up around one-thirty, I rode home. For some reason, when I got there, I thought of Kat. The only thing that was missing from this evening was finishing it between her legs.
I stripped as I walked into the bedroom, tossing clothes around carelessly, and fell across the bed with no grace whatsoever. Pulling my phone out of my discarded pants at the foot of the bed, I fired off a quick text to her. I wanted her to know that I was thinking about her even though I wouldn’t be available to see her tomorrow.
Just before I passed out for the night, I thought about this being the first time I ever wanted to share good news with a woman. Kat was definitely going to be the first person to ride on the back of my bike now that I was an Outlaw Soul.
Fifteen
Kat
I woke up late on Sunday, past noon. I had slept like a rock, practically passing out as soon as I got out of the shower. Now, my hair was a matted mess from being wet when I fell asleep, and my body was achy from running around the crowded bar. I stretched and yawned as I got out of bed, snatching up my jeans where I’d shoved my tips into my pockets the night before. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I counted out the bills, finding that I’d earned about six hundred dollars.
Not too bad for one night’s work.
I pulled a shoebox off the top shelf in my closet and added the tip money to the cash already in there. I had over four-thousand dollars now, probably enough to buy a nice used bike. I smiled to myself. I would start shopping around for one this week.
I’d slept in a t-shirt and pair of panties, but now I pulled on a pair of pajama pants. I was sticking around the house today, so it didn’t really matter what I wore. I might as well be comfortable. Going to the kitchen, I saw grey clouds through the window and thought of Blade. If it rained, his ride would be miserable. Even with a helmet and jacket, he’d be soaked.
I brewed myself a cup of coffee while grabbing a container of leftover Chinese food from the fridge. I ate the chow mein cold while leaning against the kitchen counter, thinking about the way my mother and I would spend our Sundays when she was alive.
She’d found religion in the last five years of her life and always insisted on going to the church’s early service. I knew she wanted me to go with her, but I’d never been interested, usually sleeping in until she got home. I regretted that now. Whether or not I wanted to listen to a sermon and sing songs, or whatever they did at her church, I should’ve gone just to spend that time with her. Because it was important to her.
I threw my empty takeout container into the trash, thinking about the big meals she always made after getting home from church. I’d help her with that, at least. She insisted that Sunday afternoons wer
e a time for family, and home cooking was a big part of that. Jason and Lexie always came over, and the four of us would spend hours at the kitchen table. My mom would playfully tease Jason about giving her grandchildren, and I’d always promise to bring home a man with a big appetite sometime, even though we all knew I didn’t do serious relationships often. It was just a part of our routine.
After my mom had died, Jason and Lexie tried to keep the tradition going, even offering to come over and cook the food with me, despite that Jason was terrible at it. But I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t the same without her, and it felt like a mockery.
I drank two cups of coffee while I was lost in my memories. I told myself that the weather was making me melancholy, but I knew better. Something needed to change.
Sundays are for family. Okay, Mom.
I walked to her room, my bare feet making the floor creak in the hall. When I went into her room this time, I forced myself to do something, anything productive. Grabbing the comforter in both hands, I yanked it off the bed, followed by the sheets. When the mattress was bare, I went to the window and took down the curtains, adding them to the pile on the floor.
It was crazy the way that these simple acts loosened a knot in the center of my chest that I hadn’t even realized was there. It felt like a purge, and I was shocked that I wanted to keep going. Whipping open the closet, I pulled all the clothes off the hangers, not stopping until they were all bare. It wasn’t until I turned and saw all the fabric piled up on the floor that I realized I was crying.
I hated that. Crying made me feel stupid and weak, but there was nothing to be done about it. This was long-overdue, and I had a feeling that I would never be able to get through it without tears. In the end, it might make me feel better to finally cry. I had refused to allow myself to do it before now.
I spent all afternoon in that room, emptying the dresser and pulling everything out from under the bed. I got rid of almost everything, bagging up the clothes to be donated and throwing away anything else that I didn’t want to keep. By the end of the day, I was standing in the middle of a room with a bare bed and an empty dresser.
Nothing in here reminded me of my mom anymore, and I felt a twinge of guilt at the relief that gave me. I didn’t want to forget her, which would be impossible, anyway, but I couldn’t stand living in a house haunted by my memories of her anymore. It was making me miserable.
There was a knock on my front door, and I grabbed two of the bags for donation, dragging them with me down the hall. I was sweaty, and my messy hair was pulled into a bun at the top of my head, but I didn’t care. I knew who was on the other side of the door, and I wasn’t looking to impress him.
“What’s this stuff?” Jason asked as I pulled open the door.
“It’s why I texted you to come over. It’s for Goodwill.”
He reached down and took a bag, grunting with surprise at the weight.
“What the hell do you have in here?” he asked, heaving it over to Lexie’s car, which I’d asked him to bring instead of his bike.
“Clothes, mostly.”
“You mean…”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I cleaned out Mom’s room.”
When Jason came back up the porch steps, he threw an arm over my shoulders. “Good for you, sis.”
“I’ll admit, it feels better.”
“Yeah, you can’t keep a shrine to her in this house and still expect to be comfortable living here.”
“I miss her.”
“Me too,” he said, giving my shoulders a squeeze. Jason let go and grabbed the second bag to put in his car. We weren’t exactly the lovey-dovey type, so I wasn’t expecting much more than his help. The hug was a bonus.
“Hey, do you want to get together next week for dinner?” I asked.
“On Sunday?”
“Yeah.”
“Absolutely.”
I had the feeling that he was waiting for me to extend this invitation. This whole time, I had assumed that he was okay because he had Lexie, that she was all support he needed, but now I wasn’t so sure. Maybe I wasn’t the only one feeling alone since our mom died.
I was in a good mood when I walked into work on Monday morning. I’d had a hell of a weekend, starting with great sex and ending with a big dose of personal growth. I walked into Ink Envy while holding a drink carrier with four coffees made to everyone’s specifications. I enjoyed working closely with a small group of people like this. I’d been employed by large companies in the past while working in housekeeping or for restaurant franchises. Employees didn’t matter to those businesses. Everyone was easily replaceable. We were just numbers on a page. I knew that Brie cared about us and that she saw us as talented individuals and friends.
“Good morning,” I said as I sat her cappuccino on the counter in front of her.
“I just cleaned that glass, you know,” she said, picking up the cup and taking a sip.
“You’re welcome,” I replied, and she smiled.
“You’re chipper for a Monday morning,” she commented. “Have a good weekend?”
There was a twinkle in her eye, and I wondered what she knew about it.
“Sure.”
“Funny, Blade seems to be in a good mood, too. Makes me think it might be related.”
“You ever hear of a coincidence?”
“Okay.” She raised her hands in defense. “I get it. None of my business.”
When I walked into the back of the shop, Blade was already there, but Piper hadn’t arrived yet. I watched him for a long moment as he stood with his back to me, a combination of confusion and denial keeping my feet rooted to the floor.
“What the hell is that?” I asked, my voice sharp.
Blade turned with his brow furrowed. “What? What’s wrong?”
I’d seen Blade wear his leather jacket before, and I’d even ridden on the back of his bike, but there was no way he’d been wearing an Outlaw Souls patch before today.
“You can’t seriously be an Outlaw Soul.” It wasn’t a question, because I didn’t want him to confirm it.
“You have a problem with motorcycle clubs?”
“I have a problem with that one,” I said, sitting the remaining three coffees down on the counter and crossing my arms over my chest.
“Why?”
He seemed genuinely curious, but beneath that, I could sense his loyalty to Outlaw Souls. I’d seen it in my father long enough to recognize it. I lifted my chin and met his gaze head-on.
“I’m connected to Las Balas,” I said, not sure how else to phrase it. Mad Dog had said I was family, but I wasn’t so sure about that. My dad and my brother, sure, but I was more like a close family friend. My dad and brother were definitely family.
Understanding seemed to dawn on Blade’s face. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Be serious,” I snapped angrily. I knew that Blade didn’t know about my ties to a rival club, but I couldn’t help feeling betrayed. I thought he was a good guy, but how could I believe that after being told my whole life that Outlaw Souls were the enemy?
I wasn’t naive enough to think Las Balas were all stand-up guys. I knew that they got up to trouble sometimes. So if they claimed that Outlaw Souls were bad people, the rival club must get up to some bad shit.
“How can you align yourself with those people?” Blade asked, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Me? Look who’s talking. And I’ll have you know that my father is a member and my brother’s a prospect of Las Balas.”
“So, is everyone in your family a piece of shit?”
“Whoa,” Piper’s voice distracted me from the tirade I was prepared to throw at Blade. “What’s going on here?”
She’d just walked in, and I saw Brie lingering behind her, watching us with concerned eyes.
“You won’t believe this,” I told my best friend. “Blade’s an Outlaw Soul now.”
“What?” she looked to Blade, who nodded with a stubborn glint in his eye.
“I
was initiated on Saturday.” He shrugged out of his jacket and showed them both the patch on the back. I forced myself not to ogle his thick arm muscles that were easy to see through his tight shirt.
“Oh,” Piper’s eyes flitted to me for a second before widening. “Wow. That’s…unfortunate.”
That was one way to put it.
“I can’t believe this,” I sighed. “I slept with the enemy.”
At this, a dark anger flashed in Blade’s eyes, and there was a rough edge to his voice when he spoke. “You didn’t complain at the time.”
“Okay, maybe it’s time to calm down,” Piper said.
“At the time, I thought I knew who I was sleeping with,” I bit out, ignoring her. “You guys go out of your way to harass Las Balas, declaring war, and for what? To make yourselves feel like big men by pushing out the only other motorcycle club in La Playa?”
“Are you really this naive? You think that Las Balas are the good guys in this fight?”
“You know what? You’re new to Outlaw Souls, so I’ll give you some advice. Don’t piss off your president. I’ve heard that he’s got a violent history, and I’d hate for you to learn the hard way that you’ve misplaced your loyalty.”
I crossed into my workspace and pulled the curtain shut around me before he could reply. I didn’t want to see his face right now, I was too worked up. Taking a seat on my stool, I dug around in my purse until I found my last piece of gum. I popped it into my mouth as I heard Blade mumble something about crazy women before the telltale sound of metal against metal that was the track of the curtain signaled he’d closed the one around his station, as well.
“Well, today’s going to be fun,” Piper said, and I hated that she was in an awkward situation, but it wasn’t my fault. Blade was the bad guy here, and it was a shame because I really liked him.