THE HARDEST YARDS (A BAD BOY FOOTBALL ROMANCE)

by Andrea Rose

  I love this woman.

  “Are you going to tell her, or should I?”

  “Let her figure it out. She thinks she can wear her big girl panties, she can find her own way into the club. Don’t give her to Conquest. Make the girl work for it.”

  “And just what does that look like Jenna? How’s sweet little Penny supposed to work for it?”

  Jenna just smiled, turning herself and slipping down off the chair onto her knees.

  Yeah… I thought to myself as her tongue drew a wicked line up my throbbing shaft. She knows how to fucking work for it.

  PENNY

  ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

  Nobody was cat calling as came back to the main warehouse. The bar was no longer full, all of the men piled round a familiar chrome bike.

  I ran to the floor as fast as my feet would carry me, cool air tingling on my wet scalp. Bursting through the crowd, I could see what all the commotion was about.

  Conquest was back, and he was bleeding.

  He stopped me before I could cry out. “Don’t worry, just a scratch,” he said, shrugging it off. Jenna was already at his side, needle in hand, pouring straight vodka over the wound on his shoulder and sewing it shut. She’d wanted to be a nurse once, but never made it through college. Conquest didn’t seem phased by her lack of experience. He didn’t even wince.

  “Vamos is taking the west side. Clearly they don’t understand the rules of the game. We can get some help out here if we need it, but I’m not blowing this whole operation for these assholes, especially not this close to the drop date.”

  I had no idea what Conquest was talking about Drop date? Operation?

  “We can’t go starting a turf war right now, we’ve got a special delivery hitting and that needs to be top priority. It’ll be on the dock tomorrow,” Conquest continued.

  “If we show weakness, we’re all dead,” came an unexpectedly quiet voice. It barely registered over a whisper. All eyes shifted to Death, still clad in his face-covering bandana. My mind was doing cartwheels trying to understand what was going on.

  “We could call in backup, have the feds roll Vamos up tonight,” Famine offered.

  “That might alter the drop.” Conquest replied firmly. “They don’t want fingers in this. We can’t risk the drop, too much at stake.”

  “We go to war.”

  The fourth horseman had joined the conversation, his towering frame standing a head above anyone else in the room. I shivered.

  “Collateral damage. Self defense. Vamos are a bunch of gang banging killers but they run scared. Take a few down and they’ll back off.”

  “No killing,” Conquest replied sternly. “We grab up Enrique and Bammo, they’re at Los Dos tonight. We offer them up along with some cash as a peace offering. That should get Vamos off our backs for a few days. We toss them all to the feds after the next shipment hits the dock. You all know what to do. Get to fucking work.”

  Conquest looked at my puzzled face, stepping off his bike and away from the men, his arm stitched tight in a jagged pattern. “Come with me baby, we need to talk,” he whispered, pulling me aside.

  “What in the hell is going on?” I practically shouted at him as we crossed the room. Behind us, a roar of conversation was taking place as the MC were loading up on weaponry and rolling out the bikes.

  “Look, I told you we’re the good guys.”

  “FBI? Shipments? Operations? I thought you were a bunch of biker thugs!” I said exasperatedly.

  “I’m going to choose not to take that personally, little dove,” Conquest said smiling. My insides melted. “We’re deep in the shit here. We had contacts, ran imports down the west coast. The feds had us by the balls in a major RICO case. They came to us, offered us an alternative.”

  “You’re working with the FBI?”

  “Homeland Security. North Korea is trying to slip something big and dangerous into the country. Something we’re not supposed to talk about. We run the docks, we run shipping. They needed us.”

  “What are they bringing?” I whispered.

  “They won’t tell us. Maybe drugs, maybe money, maybe a fucking nuke, all I know is we need to stop it on the docks or there’s going to be hell to pay.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Not till you get two votes. I saw Famine’s shit eating grin out there. I’m riding out to fuck up some Vamos. Do you want Death or War?”

  The thought of fucking War made my knees shake, but there was something even more terrifying about Death… Still, if I had to choose.

  “Death…”

  “Nice choice. Death doesn’t vote anyone in. Lets see if you can break the bitch,” Conquest said, turning to shout across the noisy room. “Death, you’re on babysitting duty. Everybody else, mount up!”

  Break the bitch? I thought to myself, puzzling over Conquest’s choice of words. There was no time to ask him anything else. I was amazed at the speed with which bikes were assembled at the roll-up. Even Jenna was along for the ride, hanging onto War for dear life. As they roared out to save the world, the room went silent. Death hadn’t moved.

  “I’m Penny…” I whispered quietly.

  “I know who you are.”

  The voice was just as quiet as I expected, but what came next was a shock. Death reached up, pulling the bandanna free and drawing it off his face. Delicate features appeared, red hair spilling free. It became apparent why Death had hidden behind the bandana…

  Death is a woman?

  “What’s the matter, cat got your tongue, Penny?” Death said, his boots clicking as she walked toward me. “I’m glad you picked me. They never pick me.”

  I shivered, staring at the broad smile on her face. It was the look of a lunatic. She was stunningly beautiful, no question, but one look at her let you know this girl was all business.

  “You want my vote? You’re a stupid little girl aren’t you?”

  Her face was mere inches from my own, breath tickling my cheek. “Do you think you can take what you want? Conquest says you got some fire in you. Is he right?”

  She gave me a shove, knocking me back a step toward the wall, closing the gap.

  “You just gonna let me bitchslap you around?” Death asked, her hand swinging up and cracking across my cheek. I stumbled back further still.

  “You’ve got nothing, do you?”

  Push.

  “Nothing.”

  Push.

  “You’re weak.”

  My back to the wall, Death’s hand came down again hard, but I caught the gloved fingers in mid air.

  “I’m not weak,” I said, swiftly moving into her space. Arms flailed around me trying to gain purchase and attack, but I drew in close and wrapped her up.

  For a moment, Death was caught off guard. It was all I needed. I screamed, a blood boiling sound as I threw her to the ground. The element of surprise expended, Death had the upper hand in strength. She grabbed me and rolled, forcing me to the floor as her hands clawed at my thin shirt, tearing it open, my breasts bursting into view. She wasn’t fighting fair, her hands coming down to grasp at my exposed flesh.

  “You’re my bitch now,” Death shouted, moving to pull my bottoms down over my ass. I took opportunity to throw an elbow, crashing straight into her pretty face. I rolled her, my own adrenaline coursing through my muscles as I smacked her.

  “I’m nobody’s bitch,” I shouted, my hands drawing into fists. One came down hard on her cheek, the other swinging round and catching her counter punch.

  “Ooooh you bitch,” Death replied, swinging the other arm around and catching me on the chin. I fell back, my nails clawing at her as I noticed something in her eyes.

  A begrudging respect…

  Without a word, I understood the game. This was winner-takes-all. If I could show her I wasn’t going to be taken down easy she’d give me her vote. Our bodies tumbled on the floor, my nails drawing blood, giving as much as I was taking. I had her. Death was smiling as I reeled up my fist for one final blow
.

  “You’re tougher than you look, little girl,” Death whispered. I glanced down, feeling the edge of a blade pressed up against my side. “Now get off me before I gut you.”

  I stood up, the blade coming away from my shirt as I held my breath. Death stood slowly, the grin still plastered across her face as she lifted up her bandana and tied it back around her head. The skeletal gaze I’d come to know returned, as dead as it ever was.

  “You tell Conquest I give my blessings, but know this… If you ever break my trust, I’m going to hurt you.”

  I limped away quietly, both happy and terrified. Death didn’t seem much for idle threats… Maybe all of this was just one big mistake, but I was too far gone to care.

  WAR

  ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

  When a girl rides with the Hells Horsemen, she needs to know what it’s like to be a part of the action. You know somebody’s true colors when you get their hands dirty. That’s what Conquest always said, but it didn’t make me feel any better about Jenna sitting on the back of my bike with her arms wrapped around me.

  She wanted some excitement, but this little trip could have gone very wrong. Enrique had come quietly, Bammo not so much. My knuckles still ached from knocking his stupid ass flat. Nobody was expecting him to come out of his little fucking hole with a sawn-off. The first explosion hit the ceiling, some kind of warning as he racked another bullet. Conquest was lucky I was close enough to clean the little man’s fucking clock before he ended someone with another round. I’d bent down and picked up the gun, ready to return the favor…

  What hurt was looking up and seeing Jenna’s face. Conquest was quick to move, grabbing the gun from my hands before I could pull the trigger on the asshole squirming on the floor. “No killing. Not here,” he spat, laying a boot on Bammo’s face. “That was a very bad thing you just did there, you know that, right?”

  Bammo screamed as he was bound up, hog tied, and tossed into a van outside. He wasn’t going to do any talking, but it didn’t matter. Enrique spilled like a beat up piñata once Conquest laid into him. One of the Vamos was working the docks and feeding information straight to the rest of the club. They knew all about the drop, and had no plans of letting us take it without a fight. Fucking assholes didn’t know they were playing with fire. They were looking for a big score and it was going to get all of them killed.

  Conquest didn’t seem bothered by any of this.

  That wasn’t helping me feel any better.

  PENNY

  ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

  Seeing Conquest again was heart wrenching, especially when I saw the blood. Finding out it wasn’t his didn’t make me feel particularly better. I watched the Horsemen carry a few men out of the back of a van, hoods covering their faces.

  Death stood watch, and as Conquest stepped off his bike, she gave him a slow nod, and a glance in my direction. I knew what that meant, but while a part of me wanted nothing more than to embrace the devil on my shoulder, the other half wanted to run like hell…

  “What are they going to do to them Conquest?” I asked with fear in my voice as he approached.

  “Nothing. We’re going to sit on them a few days and turn them into the feds along with the rest of the Vamos. I told you little dove, we’re the good guys…”

  “This doesn’t look good,” I said, gesturing toward the blood on his hands.

  “The boys in there tried to end me with a shotgun, they’re lucky to be alive. Self defense honey. We do what we have to do. They’re not who I want to talk about though…”

  I stared at him, suddenly unsure of this entire adventure. Why had I gone along with his demands? Why did I let Famine have has his way with me? It didn’t matter that Conquest was sexy beyond words, or that his voice was making me wet. I needed something more stable in my life. This was never supposed to be the way my life was going to go!

  “Baby, you look white as a ghost.”

  “I’m scared…”

  Conquest pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me. I melted into him, my lips crashing into his as we lost ourselves in a little world of our own. It didn’t matter that the whole club was watching. I didn’t care that my mother was standing just a few feet away. I needed to know I was safe, and in this moment, I knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

  CONQUEST

  ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

  Lying down with this girl wasn’t ever going to get old. The only thing that scared me was not living long enough to enjoy it. Penny was fast asleep, her warm body pressed up against my hip as she dreamed.

  Better that she wasn’t awake for this… I slipped out of the bed, pulling my jeans on and throwing a shirt over my shoulders, reaching for my cut last. With near reverence, I put it on.

  “You ready?” War asked as I stepped out into the dark clubhouse. The men were already assembled, ready to ride out. I nodded, smiling at the group and lifting a hand in the air.

  “Ride in hell…” I whispered, grabbing my bike and firing the engine. The club followed suit, the roar shattering the peaceful night. Penny would hear it, but I couldn’t bring myself to look back at the boardroom door. If I was going to do this, she couldn’t be on my fucking mind.

  “RIDE IN HELL!” I shouted over the chaos, rolling out into the night. I watched Famine pull ahead of me in a van, the two Vamos still tied in back. It was time to settle this account. Either the Vamos were going to back down and accept our little gifts, or we were going to end this fucking problem tonight.

  I kicked another gear and rocketed forward along the highway, the destination waiting for us out in the dark. Sometimes, if you wanted to get something done right, you had to do it yourself. Pulling off the freeway we roared into a quiet neighborhood, rolling along past the pretty little stucco boxes. The men stopped around the block. Only War followed me as I pulled the bike over on the next street, silencing the engine and stepping off my steed. We walked slowly toward the dark little suburban park, and the man sitting on a bench.

  “We busting him up?” War asked, staring at the figure in the darkness.

  “For now, we’re here to talk,” I replied quietly.

  There’s always a moment of fear when you approach the unknown. Seeing Petraus here alone was a good sign, but it didn’t stop me from surveying the surroundings. There were just too many places for a man to hide. They could be in the houses, the bushes, the fucking playground equipment.

  “Petraus,” I said, catching his attention as we approached. “I take it you’re ready to talk?”

  “I’m the one who fucking called you,” Petraus replied, his anger evident. “You have two of my men. I want them back.”

  “They’re fine, and you’re going to be fine too if you let us in. I’ve got a proposal for you Petraus.”

  He stood up from the bench, a large gun held tightly in his hand pointed straight at my heart. I moved forward, bringing myself closer to his shaking hand and the piece of metal death within.

  “You won’t need the gun. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t be here,” I said, but Petraus kept the gun leveled.

  “If this is about that crate you’ve got coming in, you can save your fucking breath. I want no part in that shit,” Petraus spat, his breath fast and furious. “You give me my men and do whatever the fuck you want.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said, staring at Petraus. He’d been all over that fucking dock trying to figure out what we had coming and it was no secret they were planning on taking it by force if they had to. Vamos didn’t just fucking back down. I looked into this man’s eyes, and I could see it. Deep down in there, he was hiding something.

  “I don’t fucking care if you understand. You let my men go. If you want to go get yourselves killed that’s your fucking prerogative.”

  “You’re scared,” I whispered, glaring at the man. He seemed to shy away from my words, shrinking in his own flesh.

  “You’re not? You’ve made a deal with the devil Conquest. Are you to fucking stupid to
see that? Do you think they’re going to let you live?”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Petraus just laughed, the sound rising up and drifting in the cool night air. “How can you be so fucking stupid? You still think you’re doing the right thing, don’t you Conquest? You think the asshole you’re working for is your friend? Do you know what’s going to happen when you hand over that fucking container?” Petraus asked, his laughter coming harder still. “You’re dead. Don’t you fucking know that?”

  I was confused, and Petraus was reading me like a book. “You don’t even know what’s in the box, do you Conquest?”

  “And you do?” I said with more than a hint of anger in my voice. “What the fuck is your angle on this Petraus?”

  “This is,” Petraus spat, kicking something from under the bench. A bag rolled out, spilling its contents on the ground. I stared at the round object between us…

  It had a face.

  “Asshole paid two of my men to shoot up that bar of yours. Vamos has a long history with the Horsemen, did you think we’d just go fuck that shit up? You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to make him fucking talk.”

  Looking down at the battered features on the head at my feet, I could absolutely believe what they would do…

  “Who is he?” I said, staring down at the face.

  “Lets just say you won’t need to make any more phone calls. This asshole told us everything. You gave him the keys to the fucking kingdom,” Petraus shouted. I glanced around at the dark homes at the edges of the park, but nothing was stirring.

  “You did their dirty work. That little bug you planted? It’s not a fucking microphone Conquest. It’s a transmitter. A fucking trigger. They aren’t trying to stop what’s on that ship Conquest, they’re going to use it. They’re going to blow that fucking dock up and half the city with it, and you were going to be standing there with your thumb up your ass when it happens. All the loose ends tied up nice and tight with a pretty fucking bow on it.”