by Avelyn Paige
“I … um … no,” she stammers. “I wasn’t checking you out, if that’s what you think.”
“I didn’t say anything, darlin’. Just voicing your objections to my lack of a shirt. I never pegged you for a woman that didn’t appreciate a good view.”
She rolls her eyes at me before sitting on the end of her bed, uncrossing her arms as she tries to force herself to relax around me.
“You’re so full of shit, you know that, right?”
“That’s not exactly a secret, darlin’. Can I ask what made you so upset? Getting baby fever again?” I ask.
She may not like what I am about to do, but I won’t stand in front of her like a damn dictator. I want to be on the same level as her when I make my request about moving the kids so I sit down next to her as she huffs at my invasion of her space.
“Baby fever? You have to be kidding, right?” she chuffs. “Even if I did want another baby after Hero and Dani’s girls were born, I’m lacking a couple of requirements: working ovaries and a man.”
My eyes must give away my confusion because she forces herself to laugh at me.
“I had my tubes tied after Roxie. It’s not like I was planning on using them again with Brent gone.”
As soon as his name leaves her pursed lips, the tears begin to fall again. I don’t know what to say or even how to console her because I have a feeling there’s something more going on here other than missing her husband, but time is of the essence with Ratchet and Slider likely on their way here already.
“So, you haven’t slept with anyone since Jagger?”
“That’s a little personal, but no. It seems like it would be forsaking my husband’s memory if I had slept with someone so soon. Don’t get me wrong, the urge is still there, but it’s not like I’m looking.”
“I know you miss him, darlin’. I sure as fuck do myself, but we can’t just keep wishing the impossible. He’d want you to be happy.”
Her shoulders straighten as she wipes away her tears. Time to drop the bomb and hope to God she doesn’t shoot me for my request.
“About why I came in here. I know what I am about to tell you will probably piss you off, but I need to just get it off my chest before you coldcock me. I need you to send the kids to your parents in Arizona,” I spew out quickly.
Shock flares to life on her face while her hands begin to ball into a tight fist. Just watching her angry display in front of me makes my dick harden more. If she wouldn’t knock me on my ass, I would adjust myself, because I am about one glare away from being rock hard and seriously uncomfortable.
“You want me to do what? Why the hell do I need to send the kids away?” she questions with an angry tone. “You’ve got to be shitting me, right?”
“I know my request is a bit out of left field, but there is a shit storm headed this way, and I think the kids and you would be safer away from the epicenter of the fight.”
“So this is about protecting my family and not covering your own ass? Let me guess, this has to do with what you found in the Tijuana packet.”
My hand rubs across my face in frustration while I desperately try not to snap back at her.
“You damn well know I can’t tell you shit, darlin’, but this is the best and safest route for your kids. A couple of the guys are headed here now and are going to take you and the kids to your parents’ plus Harley and Ky to my Mom’s in Arizona. It’ll be easier to handle club business without you and your family in the crosshairs.”
Her eyes drift out into the hallway as if she’s looking for something to aid in her decision. I peer out in the hallway and only see darkness and the cracked open door of Jagger’s office. I watch the rise and fall of her chest increase while she mulls over the decision.
“I’ll take the kids to my parents’, but I’m not staying. If this concerns me, I want to be in on it.”
“No fucking way, darlin’. That won’t be happening because your ass will be planted in the hot Arizona sun while you sip on fancy drinks by the pool. This is your chance at a free vacation while I handle club business. We’ll make sure nothing falls back on you and that you and the kids are safe.”
Darcy rises up from the bed and steps in my line of sight—her attempt at establishing dominance over me. My cock strains against the zipper of my jeans with each passing second of her stare.
“Even if you drop me off, I will be right back here and all up in the club’s business. It’s either know I’m here or you’ll always be looking over your shoulder to check to see if I followed you back. Your choice.”
“Fine, you want to be here and put yourself into harm’s way, that’s your prerogative, but you’ll be staying at the clubhouse.” This has to be the worst idea in the history of ideas because having her so close to the club isn’t exactly the most ideal situation for my brothers and for me. I just need to make sure that my cock and I stay as far away from her as possible. I think it would be easier to deal with the cartel than with the temptation that stands before me.
Two days into my self-imposed prison sentence at the clubhouse and I am about to lose my fucking mind. Between the whores, old ladies, and Slider, I am one smartass comment or sideways glare away from burning the place to the ground. Sure, it pissed me off that Raze ordered me to stay here, but it served a second purpose for me other than safety—a chance to infiltrate the club and investigate the photos that Trax gave me. Most seemed to have been taken outside of the club, but within the walls of this place lies the beginning of my answers.
I’ll admit I wasn’t thinking very clearly about trying to sneak around this place with so many watchful eyes, but after the booze starts flowing, my watchful keepers pass out and leave me alone to snoop around the offices. I managed to break into Voodoo’s office filled with computers and gadgets and my husband’s old office, but I’ve come up empty. Not a single shred of confirmation or evidence to support Trax’s intel. To say that I am frustrated is the understatement of the year.
There is only one room left on my list—Raze’s office—but trying to break into it is like trying to break into the treasury at Fort Knox. After a relatively quiet afternoon, I sneak out of the spare room they set me up in and slink my way toward the office only to be cut off by Dani and her insistence to have some fun. I know being away from the twins is killing Dani, especially since she can only go and visit for a few short hours a day under Slider’s watchful eye. After two failed attempts to see them, the doctor had all but barred her from being there outside of visiting hours until she fully recuperated. I can relate to how she feels because even knowing that my kids are safe where they are, it takes everything I have not to just go to them. I guess that’s one of the reasons why Dani and I get along so well—bonded by our lack of taking shit from anyone.
I should have expected her to be cheery today after her morning visit with the girls. The doctors gave her the good news that both girls were rapidly gaining weight and could be home as early as the following week. Dani begged me to have some fun with her to take her mind off being away from the twins, and after twenty minutes, I finally relented. Worst. Fucking. Decision. Ever.
“Full house, bitches,” I squeal while slamming my cards down onto the makeshift poker table of a car hood and cinder blocks. You’d think this clubhouse would have a poker table, but apparently, Raze isn’t one to play cards. The girls and Slider groan while I playfully bounce in excitement.
“Whose idea was it again to play strip poker with her?” Ricca mumbles under her breath to Slider while pushing her jeans down over her long legs. Oh, shit. Apparently Ricca picked the wrong day to be commando. I laugh as she picks them up and tosses them over on the couch. I catcall her nakedness as she tries to cover herself up only to be on the receiving end of a middle finger from her. Ricca’s body is riddled with scars from her stint in the Twisted Tribe torture chamber last year. Each cut shines under the lights of the room, and the sheer number of them fills me with pity for her situation. Honestly, I don’t know how she could be
so comfortable in her own skin, but I’m betting, like me, the four shots of Jose Cuervo may be the culprit. Fucking tequila.
“I’m not drunk enough for this bullshit,” Ricca declares as she plops back into her chair, crossing her legs to keep Slider’s eyes from wandering any farther south than they already have. I get the sneaking suspicion that Ratchet will kick Slider’s ass for seeing her like this if he finds out. Even though the two of them act like whatever the fuck is between them is nothing, everyone knows it’s a fucking act.
“At least you can drink, Ricca. The doctor won’t let me touch the stuff so soon after my C-section on top of the fact I’ve already started pumping in preparation for the girls to come home. Give Darcy another shot; maybe she’ll forget what we’re playing and we can get out of this,” Dani mutters while stripping off her t-shirt and adding it to the growing pile of clothes on the floor around us. A devilish grin engulfs my face knowing that they’re all one hand away from losing everything while I am still in my t-shirt, bra, and panties.
“It was your fucking idea, D, and if Raze comes back and sees this shit, I’m going to lose my prospect rocker. You need to figure out a way to distract her so we can end this before it gets any fucking worse.”
Loud giggles blast from my mouth as I shake my head at them. “Oh, no, you aren’t getting out of shit. If I have to be holed up here against my will, I’m at least going to have a little fun. It’s not my fault y’all suck,” I say, waving my finger at them all.
“There’s no fucking way you’ve won three hands in a row,” Slider grumbles. “I think we need to check her for cards stashed up her sleeves.”
I roll my eyes at Slider and motion with my hands around the lack of clothes on my body. “Where exactly would I hide them, jackass? In my pussy?”
Slider’s eyes grow wide at the insinuation and trail down my body. “I wouldn’t mind checking.”
“Yeah, you check my pussy for cards, and Raze will be punching you a one-way ticket to Hell.”
“Yeah, probably,” he mutters while his eyes check me out from top to bottom. “But, it would be damn worth it. Who knew older chicks could be so fucking hot?” Slider says while licking his lips. His hands fall into his lap as he adjusts himself under the table.
I don’t know what comes over me, but I find myself leaning over to him and tracing my hand across his hardened bulge. “Hmm, ladies, Slider here is a shower, not a grower.” He shivers at my touch before removing my hand and placing it back into my own lap.
“Not gonna happen, Darcy. I’ve got strict orders to keep my hands and dick away from you.”
Shaking my head at him, I barely control the laugh flying out of my mouth. I know who issued the no touching order, and that son-of-a-bitch and I need to have a chat as soon as he rolls in from wherever he is. No one tells me sober or drunk who I let into my pussy. That bastard may think he has control over me, but he doesn’t have a chance in hell of stopping me from taking what I want. My mind may be clouded, but a good fuck would help me drown out the demons that have taken permanent residence in my mind. Slider may not be my first choice, but he’ll do.
“Stop being a fucking pussy about showing off some skin, Slider. You know you’d walk around here naked if it weren’t for the guys,” I teasingly slur back at him. “Now, I won, so it’s time to pay the lady. Off with those clothes, big boy.”
Slider slips his cut off his shoulders and lays it across the back of his chair before reaching for the bottom of his shirt. He strips his shirt off in one fluid motion and exposes his chiseled, tanned abs. Jesus, how do guys get ripped like this? Every damn man in this club looks like a fitness model, especially Raze. All I can think about in my drunken state is doing a body shot off of Raze’s rock hard abs of perfection and wondering what tequila salt would taste like against his skin. Shit fire, my brain has a hard-on for him.
“Raze is gonna fucking kill me.”
That’s the second time he’s mentioned Raze and his rules, and I am about to lose my shit. That motherfucker isn’t even here, and he’s still ruining my fun. Well, if you can call being imprisoned against my will fun. Yeah, my life isn’t exactly on the higher end of the fun scale.
“I don’t see him around, do you? Besides, I didn’t know that when you prospected to this club that you have to turn over your balls to get a cut,” I tease him. “Why do you let him Boss you around all the time? Aren’t you a man, Slider?”
Slider tenses immediately when the words leave my lips. His eyes grow dark and intense as he slams down his fists onto the table.
“You’re starting to cross the Goddamn line, Darcy. I know you’re pissed off for having to be under the club’s protection, but you need to slow your Goddamn roll. Raze is trying to keep you and your kids safe, and all you can do is bust his fucking chops about it. He’s my president, and when he says jump, I’ll fucking ask how high.”
I giggle once more as Slider slumps into his chair, seething in anger. “Oh, you big baby, I was just messing with you and trying to rile up those pretty feathers of yours. I was married to the former VP so I know what these guys have to do to be a part of this. That doesn’t mean I exactly understand it, but by all means, die for your cause like my husband. At least you won’t be leaving behind a family that needs you.”
“Darcy, I think you need to stop,” Dani says as she stands from her chair. “Let’s get you into bed before this gets any worse.”
Dani tries to grab my arm, but I pull away from her grasp. “No, someone needs to tell him what he’s fucking getting into by signing up with these guys. Do you honestly want to hand over your life to them? Have you thought about the fucking consequences that come with being in a motorcycle club?” I scream at Slider. “This fucking club is the reason that my husband is dead and that his children are growing up without him. Can you live with yourself if the same thing happens to you?”
I stumble over to Slider who remains silent as he starts to walk out of the room. I’m not about to let him walk out on the best advice he’ll ever be given. He has no idea what the MC life will do to him and his future family, and he needs to hear it from the one person who has experienced the brunt of what it means to be in a MC.
“Hey, I’m still talking to you.” I catch up to him and grab his shoulder, jerking him back to face me. “Are you ready to lay down your life for these men knowing that you’re risking your entire future and family? The best thing you could do right now is pack your shit and burn that cut on your back before it’s too late.”
Slider pushes my hand off of his shoulder, and his stare bores into me. His anger flows off of him like a waterfall into a lake. I can literally feel his fiery heat prickle against my skin.
“Darcy, you are too fucking drunk and too Goddamn stupid to realize what Jagger did for this club. Sure, he’s six feet under, but he saved every single man, woman, and child that make up this family. You need to get your fucking head out of your ass and realize that he sacrificed it all to save you and the kids. He may not be here, but none of us would have been if he not followed his instincts. I may not know the details, but I damn well know that he loved his brothers enough to die for them. That’s all the fucking explanation that I need.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? From what I’ve found out, my husband wasn’t exactly a saint.”
His words sting me directly into my vulnerable, heartbroken core. How dare he say that my husband died to save us all? He needed to live for me and the kids, not this fucking club. We needed him more than anything. It’s not fucking fair that they can just go on with their lives day after day while I sit in mourning for the one man that completed my heart and soul.
“You are just as big of a fool as my husband was.”
“I’d rather be a fool than the poor bastard who married you. You have no sense of loyalty, and that’s fucking sad. I just hope your kids take after their dad, because they won’t survive in this world if they are anything like you.”
“You son-of-a-b
itch,” I say, slapping him across his face. “Don’t you ever speak about my kids like that. You can hate me all you want, but my kids are none of your concern.”
His eyes continue their heated gaze before he turns and briskly tries to get away from me. “You think that you can bring down the world to make you feel an ounce of what it was like to be alive again, but the only thing your kind of justice will get you is a hole in the ground next to Jagger.”
I start to charge after him before a deep voice stops me in my tracks.
“What in the fuck is going on here?” Raze bellows. The anger that laces his voice stops me mid-step and instantly makes my body stop from chasing after Slider. Deep down, I know the look that will be on his face, but I stupidly turn to face him. Raze’s eyes are brightly filled with anger as he takes in the scene in front of him. He stands stiffly in the entrance of the clubhouse door with Hero and Voodoo flanking him on either side. Hero’s eyes fall directly onto Dani’s partially-naked body, and he just grins as he shakes his head.
Ratchet shoves his way between his brothers, and before Raze can stop him, he quickly moves toward Ricca and drags her back toward the rooms of the clubhouse. What in the hell was that all about? A door slams a few seconds later that causes me to jump and come back to the reality that I am in deep shit.
“Would either of you care to explain what the fuck is going on here?”
A cold chill cascades throughout my body as goosebumps begin to rise and dot my skin. I shiver at his presence and his anger, but that is soon replaced with fear. The goosebumps disappear and make way for the beginnings of a slick layer of sweat that is now pumping out of my pores while my heart attempts to beat out of my chest.
Slider’s shoulders slump in almost a submissive stance to Raze’s heated words. I don’t know what Raze does to his prospects to gain so much power over them, but Slider went from raging bull to cowering kitten with just one sentence. How could one man wield so much power over dozens of men that are just as hard-headed and strong as he is? A bevy of ideas float through my semi-sober mind of the potential methods that Raze could use to subdue his brothers. My imagination runs wild imagining being bound by him and fucked into submission while Raze continues to stare at me, waiting for a response from either of us. A fleeting thought builds in my mind of him trying to tame me like that, and a warm heat begins to pool between my legs.