by Sam Crescent
For him it was a huge step, but it was one he was finding quite easy to do, which was strange.
“You do know that he’s a monster, right?”
She chuckled. “I know. He’s such a monster. I had coffee with him, Pea. Nothing else.”
“I’m not accusing you of anything. He’s dangerous. He’s part of the Lorenzo family, Mel. He’s done a whole lot of stuff, and I don’t want him near you.” He moved up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”
She went to speak and then sighed. “It’s fine. I get that he’s a bad man, and has done dangerous things.” She rubbed her brow, and turned in his arms. “He was just being nice. A gentleman. You’ve got nothing to fear from him. I promise.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m going to head up and have a shower.”
Pea watched her go, and he wasn’t happy. Big Ricky was in town because of the Lorenzo family, and he didn’t like it. Saint assured him no bad blood was happening, and Big Ricky being here was just a formality. Lorenzo had a lot of enemies. Big Ricky, he wasn’t here for no reason. Something was going to happen. Something big.
Pulling out his cell phone, Pea dialed Rage. He didn’t want to interrupt Saint seeing as they hadn’t long gotten back from their vacation.
“What’s up?” Rage asked. He heard the sounds of crying in the distance. Leonardo, Penny and Rage’s son, had been sick for the past couple of days.
“Big Ricky was at my wife’s house,” he said.
“Is she fucking him?”
“No.” He gritted his teeth, not liking the wave of jealousy that washed through him. He and Mel were not cheaters. Their marriage up until a few months ago had been an open one. He’d loved it. The freedom had been great. He could fuck any woman he wanted, knowing Mel wouldn’t care.
Now of course, it was different. The thought of another man tasting his woman, it didn’t sit well with him. He was amazed how he’d changed. Going from fucking anything with a cunt to wanting to be home with his woman.
“I don’t see what the problem is. Big Ricky is here because he is showing friendship with regards to the Lorenzo family, Pea. I know you don’t like him being here, but there’s not a lot you can do about it.”
“You don’t think a shit storm’s not going to come banging at our door?” Pea asked.
“Who is stupid enough to take on Saints and Sinners MC and the Lorenzo family? Chill out, Pea. Stop worrying so much.” With that, Rage hung up.
Shaking his head, he made his way upstairs to the bathroom. Mel was covered in bubbles, her hair piled on top of her head.
She looked pale and tired.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you going to start being the jealous husband? I don’t think I can handle that right now.” She closed her eyes. “I told you I wouldn’t cheat on you. We’ve made this change.”
“I’m not … it’s not about that, babe. Please, don’t for a second think that is it. It’s not. I don’t like him. This has nothing to do with me or you.” He moved so that he was kneeling at the edge of the bath, resting his arms long the ledge, and placing his chin there. “He’s … I don’t like him. I don’t like him in this town or near the club. I think he’s dangerous.”
“And no one else is listening?”
“No one thinks he poses any threat. That for some reason we are a threat along with them.”
“You don’t see it that way?”
“The one thing I know is that people will only take so much. When they’re pushed into a corner they tend to react, and when shit like that happens, innocents die.”
He watched as she licked her lips. “You’re afraid something bad is going to happen to me, to us, to people here?”
Pea didn’t want to frighten her; far from it. He grabbed her hand, not caring that it was wet from the water. “Yeah, I do. I’m tired of people thinking that nothing is going to happen. We know it can, and it will. I want you to be careful.”
“I will.”
“Will you give the same warning to the other old ladies? I’d tell them myself, but I don’t think they like me very much.”
“They don’t know the real you. You’re always an asshole to them. Even Penny.”
Yeah, Penny. He squeezed Mel’s hand. A few years ago, he’d wanted to fuck her sister. There was no denying that. He’d been honest with Mel about it, and she’d shrugged it off.
“Do you still want her?” Mel asked.
“No. She’s not you.”
This made her chuckle. “We are a really fucked-up couple.”
“It’s how I know we’re going to work. We’ve been through all the other crap together.”
“Fucked other people.”
He cupped her cheek, running his thumb across her bottom lip.
“No. Because we made a life together. Neither of us was ready to settle down, or to commit. We made a life work for us, and now we’re changing. The rules changed, but I know I can trust you, Mel. You’re my partner in everything. I trust you with my very life, and I don’t put my faith in a lot of people outside of the club. In fact, unless they’re wearing a patch, I don’t trust them. You, I do.”
“Wow, I think that has to be the most romantic thing you’ve ever said.”
“I should mention that I want my dick sucked.”
This made her laugh. “There’s the Pea I know.”
Chapter Two
“Rage doesn’t seem concerned,” Penny said.
Mel had Leonardo on her lap, and she kissed his head. She loved her nephew so much.
Her sister, the author, placed their drinks on the coffee table.
“I’m just telling you what Pea told me, and whenever he gives me a warning, I always listen.” She looked at her sister to see her watching her. “What is it?”
“How are things with you and Pea?”
“Good, why? I know you don’t like him, but I do.” She’d married him because he’d offered her a life, and also he made her laugh. Humor had been out of her life for so long with their parents’ deaths. He’d helped her to live, and no one else saw that.
They just saw two people who fucked others. No one actually cared that they enjoyed each other’s company. She wasn’t about to tell her sister that he’d even told her about some of the awful fucks he’d had.
In a way, Pea was her best friend. They talked about everything together. The time they spent was always enjoyable. Even when they were sleeping with other people, if she found something funny, she’d send it to him in a text, or tell him the next time she saw him. Their marriage was different, but no less than anyone else’s.
Her sister sighed. “I just thought you could do so much better.”
“You mean the councilman who gave me a black eye?” Pea was a lot of things, but a wife beater he wasn’t. “You just see the surface of him. You don’t see what he’s really like.”
Penny rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it’s so hard to find the good in a man who sticks his dick in everything.”
“You can judge, baby sister. I don’t care.”
“Are you pregnant?” Penny asked.
This made Mel pause, and she looked back at the baby in her arms. She’d always thought she’d never have kids. “I spent over six hundred dollars in pregnancy tests.” Pea gave her an allowance, and over the past couple of years she’d saved it all up. She didn’t have extravagant tastes, or expensive ones.
Her clothes were from the mall, but they didn’t have blown-up price tags. She also didn’t need to change her wardrobe every few minutes or new season. She was a simple person at heart.
“They all said the same thing. I’m pregnant.”
“How are you feeling about that?” Penny asked, reaching over to touch her arm.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she released a breath. “I’m terrified. I can’t … I don’t think I can do this.” The tears fell down her cheeks, and she wiped them away. “You’re a natural at this. You always know what you’re doing.”
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“I have Rage, and we’ve got the club. You’re not alone, Mel.”
She forced a smile to her lips. “I’m not alone.” She nodded, and lifted her nephew, handing him to Penny. Grabbing some tissues from the shelf, she wiped away her tears.
“Will you tell Sarah and Elena when you see them next? Mel, sit down and drink the juice. It’ll help. I got some salted crackers. I found they worked to settle my stomach.”
She did as her sister ordered, and leaned back. “These aren’t fake tears.” There had been a time she would bribe her sister to doing what she wanted by pretending to be upset. Looking back, she winced. She’d been a bit of a bitch.
“I know they’re real.” Penny moved and placed Leonardo in his play area. She moved back toward her and sat down, placing an arm across her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. When are you going to tell Pea?”
This made her cry a little harder. “I don’t know. It seems so fucking hopeless right now.” She covered her mouth and looked toward Leonardo. “I’m sorry.”
Penny shrugged. “Do you really think I can control Rage’s language? It’s laughable to even think it.”
Mel smiled. “You’re happy?”
“Of course. I didn’t think I’d be happy with a biker, but it seems that an MC life suits me. I love Rage more than anything.” Penny glanced down at her lap. “You married Pea for me.”
“I married Pea for myself, Penny. Don’t for a second think you’re to blame for anything. There’s no blame. I’m happy.”
“I think it’s always going to be hard for me to think of you happy with a serial cheater.”
Mel placed a hand on her sister’s back. “It’s not cheating if you know about it. I knew about it. I even encouraged it.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t want just one man. I loved the excitement of being with someone else. I was young, and I didn’t want to commit. Pea gave me just as much as I gave him. What I’d love is if we could stop discussing this. I’m not going to leave him or divorce him.” She loved him.
Penny leaned back. “You’re right. I spend way too much time talking about it. If you’re happy then I will learn to be happy for you.”
“Then learn to be happy. I’m not changing.”
“We still need to talk about what you’re going to say to Pea,” Penny said. “The sickness you can cover up for only so long. Soon your stomach’s going to get bigger, and then you’re going to get tired. Your emotions are going to go haywire.”
Mel sipped at the orange juice, leaning back and eating a cracker. “I don’t know. We’ve not talked about children. Should I tell him sooner or later?” She licked her lips. “What if he asks me to get rid of it?”
Penny gasped. “You wouldn’t, would you?”
She shook her head. “I doubt he will, but this is just another element to consider, and it stresses me out. I don’t like it.” She wasn’t used to all of this doubt, and she didn’t like it, not one bit. “Let’s talk about something else.”
Changing the conversation to Penny’s latest book was a welcome distraction. She saw the excitement on her sister’s face, and that was enough for her. Leaning on her hand, she laughed as she told her about a certain character’s struggle with trying to prove he loved the heroine. Time passed way too quickly for Mel, and it wasn’t long before she was heading out. She made her way into town, and was enjoying a cup of tea when she saw Willy turn up. He was a club brother. She’d not spent much time with him.
She gave him a wave, and after he’d placed his order, he sat with her.
“How are you?” she asked. There was no sign of any of the club, and that confused her.
“It’s all good. I just wanted a ride into town. How are you?”
He rubbed the back of his head and glanced out of the window.
“I’m doing great.” She watched as he looked out of the window, and she saw him looking at some blonde woman. “Who’s that?” She didn’t recognize her.
“Who’s what?” he asked, turning back toward her.
“Willy, I’ve rarely seen you intrigued by someone before. She looks young. Who is she? She’s not from around here.” She sipped her tea, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“I don’t know. She came out of Ricky’s place.”
“Big Ricky?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think she’s his woman or something?”
“No.”
Mel looked at her; she wore a white dress and looked really virginal. “Why don’t you ask him?”
Willy shook his head. “We’ve been told to keep our distance from Big Ricky. I don’t want anything to do with him. We’re not about the mafia and shit.” He held his hands up. “We’re a fucking club, and that’s all.”
She thought about what Pea said last night, but she also saw the interest Willy had in the girl.
“If you’d like I could ask him?”
He turned back to face her.
“You’d ask him?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? I’ve had coffee with Big Ricky. There’s nothing wrong with asking him who his little companion was.” She finished her tea, and when she went to pay, Willy stopped her.
“I’ll get it, Mel. Do you need a ride home?”
“Nah, I can walk. Thank you.”
She wanted the fresh air and she also noticed around this time Ricky liked to visit the local library. She wanted to catch him while he was in a good mood. First, she needed to have a talk with little Prudence Anderson about accepting a date with him. That way he’d be in a good mood, and willing to talk about the young woman visiting him.
This was what kept her entertained.
****
Pea sat at the table in the club. He had on a pair of glasses and was working through the latest figure that had come in from Dirty Deeds, their sex shop. The profits were up, but what was making them even more money was their online business. Each of the club members shared the workload that the club needed. He tended to do a bit of everything.
He attended the club runs, the fights, and of course the sex shop. Once he finished the calculations from the sex shop and the fighting, he made sure their bills were also paid. The sex shop was their legit business, and he got the records dealt with.
“You look really sophisticated,” a woman said, straddling a chair.
He looked up to see it was Tara. She was one of the women he used to fuck. Without saying a word to her, he looked down at the figures once again, and filed them away. Saint was needing them where he’d go through them.
Pea didn’t mind the work though. He didn’t like to have his hands empty. Work was something he craved doing.
If he wasn’t doing club runs, dealing with deliveries to the shop, or fighting, he was fixing up the place.
She reached out to touch his jacket, and he caught her wrist.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
The pout on her lip was pissing him off. What he didn’t like was the attention she was drawing toward them. “I remember when we had so much fun, Pea. I miss you so much. You know how much I love your dick.”
He shoved her hand away. “I don’t care. I’ve told you now. Pick one of the other brothers that wants you.” He moved away from the table, and went toward Saint’s office, surprised to see the brother watching him.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Pea handed him the file. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“You turned her down. You don’t turn anyone down.” Saint took the file, entering his office.
Pea’s anger was only rising with every passing minute. Entering his Prez’s office, he took a seat. “I don’t fuck everything that walks. That’s not how it works.”
Saint took a seat and glanced over at him. “Rumor has it that you and Mel are planning on giving this marriage a real try.”
“Why is that such a shock to everyone?” Pea asked. Saint gave him a raised brow look. “Look, I know I’ve fucked everything th
at walks, but that’s no different from every brother in the club until they were ready to settle down.”
“The difference is we weren’t married during those times.”
Pea rolled his eyes. He had been judged every single moment of his marriage, and he was tired of it. If they wanted to label him the cheating prick, let them. He’d not cheated, not once had he done so since he and Mel wanted to give this thing a go.
“I’m heading home,” he said, getting up. “I think you should look into the Lorenzo family. See if they have any enemies close to home.”
“You really don’t like him being here. I’ve had a lot of people telling me you don’t like it.”
Pea folded his arms and looked at his Prez. Saint had never struck him as an idiot. He was going to be a father soon, and finally had the woman he loved. There was no way Saint would risk his family for a possible threat.
“You can’t tell me you’re not worried?”
Saint leaned back in his chair. “I’m not saying I’m not. Right now, I don’t want anyone to give anything away to him. Big Ricky is here for a reason.” Saint held his hands open. “I don’t get in his way, he doesn’t get in mine. Don’t think for a second that because we’re not doing anything to onlookers doesn’t mean we’re not aware of it.”
“You’ve not called church with this update,” Pea said.
“Consider this your update. It’s what I’m doing with everyone, Pea. I don’t want to call too much attention to this. I don’t like it, but I’m not going to make waves. Sinners’ Corner is my town, and that is how it’s going to stay.”
He stared at his Prez, waiting for the rest of it.
“I don’t think he poses a threat to us. I agree with you that there are enemies that could hurt our own. I’m not going to let that happen. I’ve got your back, and the club’s back.”
It was what he wanted to hear. “Why didn’t Rage tell me this?”
“Because I told Rage I wanted to deal with everyone. I don’t want anything to get lost in communication. Continue with your hate of him. Don’t change who you are.”