Murphy (The Skulls)

by Crescent, Sam

  “Tate hates your guts,” Nash said, speaking up for once.

  “My job was to take care of her before, and I can do it again.” Murphy ignored their stares. “I’ve got this. I fucked up, and I can fix it.”

  Tiny stared at him for several minutes. Everyone knew not to interrupt him when he was thinking. “Fine, you make it worse and I’m shooting you. Next order of business, some of The Lions want to patch in. Murphy, give us the lowdown on what’s going on.”

  Sitting back, Murphy gave them the information on the three men waiting outside for a chance to patch in.

  “They didn’t like the old ways, but they put up with it because they didn’t have anything else. The shit that went over there was rough.”

  “If they do drugs then I’m out,” Hardy said.

  “Shut up. Tell us about them.” Tiny gave him the instruction.

  Standing up, Murphy moved to the blind and lifted it up. The three men were too busy looking around the bar at the old ladies and sweet-butts to see them staring.

  “The big guy, over six foot five, is Killer. He’s a little like Lash and can kill with his bare hands. It doesn’t scare him to use them on men who need it. The Lions got kicks out of him killing for sport. Underground fighting and all that shit was where they got shit-loads of money.”

  “Should we have someone like that on our team?” Butch asked.

  “He’s a good guy and refused to go to your house, Tiny.” Murphy liked the guy and would do anything to get him in with The Skulls.

  “Fine, we’ll talk. Stop fucking interrupting, or I’ll deal with this alone. The next one,” Tiny said.

  “Whizz, computer geek and hard ass. Don’t let the glasses and skinny look fool you. He’s a hard-nosed bastard and doesn’t like to be crossed.”

  “How the fuck did you escape then?” Lash asked.

  Murphy knew Lash and Nash were going to be hard on him. They’d grown up with Tate, considering her a sister they needed to protect.

  “Everything I did was to help this fucking club. Don’t give me shit about stuff you don’t know about. The last one is Time. He was always on time for everything. The guy has a built in brain like clockwork.”

  He sat back in his seat waiting for more instructions.

  “Bring them in,” Tiny said.

  Getting up, Murphy opened the door, whistling for the three men to come inside. Killer took the lead with the other two following close behind him. Murphy stood beside them. He noticed The Skulls grew tense at the sight of insignia on the leather jacket. Most of The Lions were gone, but the cut was still being worn.

  “Murphy vouches for you, and that means something to me. One month probation and then we’ll give you a chance to get patched. After the month you can then earn your place within the club. We’ll decide when you become a member. It could take a week, a month, or years, but I get the final fucking say. If it doesn’t work out in this month for you guys to be given a chance, then you’re gone without a trace, get me?” Tiny asked.

  All three men nodded.

  “Good, give me your fucking jackets.” Each of the three men handed over the leather jackets with hesitation. Murphy’s own jacket he’d burned, along with every single reminder of his time within the other club.

  “Burn this shit.” Tiny threw the cuts at Hardy who then left to deal with it. “I don’t know what shit went on back in your club, and I don’t care. Here, now, you respect my rules. No drugs, it’s not an option for me. We deliver them, but we don’t use or deal them here in Fort Wills. If you’re given a job, you do it without any questions asked. When a woman says no, it means no. Follow the rules, respect the club, respect the patch, and you’ll learn the rest as you go.”

  Tiny slammed his hand down on the table. “Meeting finished. Get the fuck out of here. Murphy, I want a word with you.”

  He watched the others leave, nodding at Killer, Whizz, and Time to wait for him.

  Lash was the last to leave, closing the door behind him.

  “What’s the matter?” Murphy asked.

  “Tate hates you, and I know shit went down with the two of you before you left. What’s going on?” Tiny stood up, looking every part the scary biker. He wasn’t wearing his jacket, and it showed his thick, tattooed arms folded across his chest.

  “She was in love with me, and there were feelings there. I broke her heart, but I did what I had to. I put the club first.” Murphy kept his gaze on the older man. He expected Tiny to lose it very soon. “I’ll always put the club first.” It was hard to get the words out, but he knew what was expected of him. Murphy knew the moment he made that promise all those years ago to Tate.

  Tiny nodded. “Patricia learned to deal with the club coming first. Her death was hard to deal with. I had this place to keep me going. I love my daughter. Don’t make her promises you can’t keep.”

  Murphy agreed letting himself out of the room. Several of the men were wrapped around the sweet-butts. Taking a seat near the bar he ordered a shot of whiskey. He needed to calm his nerves. For the past three months he’d been back in the fold of The Skulls. Some of his brothers were still apprehensive around him, Tiny included. Did they think he turned while he’d been away?

  “Hey, baby, do you want some company?” Fern asked, sliding up against him. She was one of the worst sweet-butts in the club, fucking anyone who’d have her. He remembered her trying to get one of the members to marry her, but she was a sweet-butt and would always be a sweet-butt.

  “It’s not going to happen, Fern. Fuck off.” Murphy pushed her away.

  “Do you seriously have a hang up on that fat bitch?” Fern’s voice rose. “Tate’s not even around here, and the last thing you’ll get is between those chubby thighs.”

  Her words about Tate pissed him off. Acting without thinking, he grabbed her around the throat and slammed her head against the bar. The contact wasn’t harsh, but it had her gasping and shaking. “You ever talk about Tate like that again and I’ll fucking kill you. You’re a whore around here, Fern. No one wants you for anything other than a good hole. Tate is old lady material. You, you’re not.”

  No one interfered as he grabbed his beer and walked outside. He noticed no one went running to Fern’s defense. The old ladies hated her, and the men used her.

  Going behind the club he stared out at the mass of trees located behind their building. He would stand out here many times when looking out for Tate. She was such a hard woman to understand when he took care of her. Tate hadn’t been difficult or a bitch. She’d been this carefree spirit looking for a good time. Over the years he’d lost count of the parties he’d dragged her out of, but she’d never fought him when he removed her from the partying scene. He remembered the fact she simply stopped going to parties. Every time he did pull her out of a party he kept the information to himself and made sure Eva looked after her if she’d drunk too much.

  Killer cleared his throat. Turning to look at him, Murphy saw the doubt on the other man’s face.

  “What’s the matter?” Murphy asked.

  “The men don’t like me or the others. We’re thinking of cutting and running,” Killer said, surprising him. Murphy never had them tagged for quitters.

  “You came from another group known for its lack of rules. If you want to quit, then quit, but don’t make that decision lightly.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’ll have a mark on your head like the rest of The Lions. Tiny wants you all dead, and he’ll find each and every one of you.” Murphy let his words settle between them. Reaching into the back of his pocket, he grabbed his pack of smokes and lit one up.

  “I wasn’t part of that shit,” Killer said.

  “Then prove it. Become a member and fight each and every one of them.” Murphy offered the other man a smoke.

  “Fight, again?”

  Murphy shrugged. “You want to die? Then run. You don’t want to die then you fight and prove to these men that you’re worth the risk of having you in the clu
b.”

  For several minutes he finished smoking his cigarette and threw the butt away. “I’ve got a woman to go and protect.”

  ****

  Tate left the dentist building where she worked. It was fucking boring, but it made her enough money to get by. The apartment wasn’t too bad either. Several of the women, dental nurses, and fellow receptionists mumbled as she passed them. She was used to the name calling and ignored them. Only a couple of weeks had passed since she left her father’s home, but she knew it was the best decision she’d made.

  Grabbing her cell phone from her bag she saw several missed calls from Tiny, Lash, and Nash. She ignored them all, deleting any messages from the club. The Skulls was not her life. Her father would never let her become a member. Women were not allowed in the club, and the club always came first. She was tired of being second best.

  Pocketing her phone she headed away from the group of the women.

  “Tate?” One of the women called out to her, but she kept on walking. “Tate.”

  The sound of running feet had her stopping, turning around to see a cherry blonde following her. The woman was on the large side, like Angel and herself. It amazed her how many of the sweet-butts were always so slim. They did nothing but fuck the club members.

  She stared at the other woman’s bright smile.

  “I thought you didn’t hear me,” the woman said.

  Tate recognized her as one of the dental nurses. She was one that the other nurses mocked and called fatty.

  “What do you want?” Tate asked.

  “Erm, I noticed we lived in the same building, and I was wondering if you wanted some company on the way home?” The cherry blonde smiled, and her face was red, from embarrassment or from the running, Tate did not know.

  “Do you know who I am?”

  “Yeah, you’re Tate Johnson.”

  “I’m not part of The Skulls. If you’re hoping for a way in then go and find someone else. You can fuck your way into the club.”

  Cherry held her hands up. “No, I don’t care about the club. I noticed you’re not friends with anyone, and I wanted to offer you friendship.”

  Staring at her, Tate frowned. “What’s your name?”

  “Kelsey Ryan.”

  “Hi, Kelsey, come on then. Let’s go home.”

  The other woman chuckled and started walking beside her. Tate was not used to women befriending her. Most of the women she’d come to know were always trying to work their way into the club and near the men. Thinking about it, so were the guys, but for another reason. They wanted to be members.

  “Why don’t you want to be part of The Skulls?” Tate asked, firing the question at the other woman.

  “Seriously?” Kelsey asked.

  “Every other woman would be trying to find a way to get close to the club. Why are you not asking questions?”

  Kelsey tucked some of her cherry blonde hair behind her ear. “Erm, I’m not interested in the lifestyle or anything. I know what they do and everything. Besides, I’m not exactly biker woman material.”

  “The guys will fuck any willing female,” Tate said, hating how mean she was being. After years of being used by people she thought were friends when they’d only ever wanted to know her to get to the club, she’d learned to become hard when making friends. There were only two people she’d never been hard on, Eva and Angel. The two women were completely different, and Tate treated them like that.

  “I don’t want to be part of any lifestyle. You’re being unfair, and all I want to be is your friend.” Kelsey looked behind her. “Look, I don’t make a lot of friends, and I know they’re not interested in being your friend. I know this must be hard and I accept that, but insulting me is not fair.”

  Feeling bad at the look of hurt coming from Kelsey, Tate smiled. “Okay, fine, we’ll be friends.” Hating the way she’d been, she turned to the woman and held her hand out in front of her. “Look, I’m really sorry. I’ve had a rough couple of weeks. Erm, I’m not used to people wanting to make friends with me.” Murphy appearing on the scene was driving her crazy. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t let herself feel anything.

  Hiding behind her bitchy exterior was not helping. When she was alone, she allowed herself to hurt. In her apartment, away from Eva and everyone else, no one saw her pain. Murphy had hurt her in ways she couldn’t describe, and even after all this time, she’d not been able to forget. Now with Murphy back, she couldn’t handle seeing him every day. She was always reminded of their past together.

  She stepped closer to Kelsey and started walking. With her away from the club, she really could use a friend. The sound of a motorbike roaring in the distance made Tate panic. She picked up her speed with her new friend trying to get to her apartment building. The only person who came to visit her was Murphy. It was like he was taunting her at every turn.

  It was too late as the bike pulled in front of them on the path where they were walking. Without thinking Tate reached out and took Kelsey’s hand, looking for support in whatever form she could find it. There was no running from Murphy with him stood right in front of her.

  Recognizing the cut of the leather jacket, Tate waited for him to turn his focus on her.

  The bike was turned off, and he climbed off. She watched him remove his helmet and turn those dark intense eyes toward her. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she stared at Murphy, waiting. She tightened her hold on Kelsey.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he asked, looking at her and then at Kelsey.

  “I’m walking home, which you’re interrupting.” Looking up at the sky, which had darkened in the last few minutes, Tate let out a curse. “If you don’t get out of my way, I’m going to be cold, cranky, and you’re going to be the cause.” Inwardly she cringed at her actions. There were times she really hated being a bitch whereas other times she found it easier.

  “I’ll take my chances.” His gaze turned to Kelsey. “Who’s the cherry?” he asked.

  Fisting her free hand, Tate glared at him. “My new girlfriend. I’ve decided men don’t have what it takes.”

  “I’ve always loved a threesome.”

  His words hurt more than she wanted them to. Stepping closer, Tate raised her palm and slapped him around the face. Murphy didn’t show any signs of caring. There was not so much as a flicker of emotion to cross his face. He stood there and did nothing.

  “I think you’ve had enough fun. Stay away from me.”

  She led Kelsey around the bike and toward her home. In that moment she was bombarded by many more happy memories of them together, which only made her hurt more.

  “Are you okay?” Kelsey whispered to her.

  “No, I’m not okay.”

  “Your father misses you,” Murphy said, shouting the words out to her.

  “He’s got the club. Tiny doesn’t need me at all.” Her words were mean, but she didn’t care. Tate just wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She kept walking, and fortunately, Murphy didn’t follow her. The sound of the bike starting up made her jump. Still, she kept walking with Kelsey beside her.

  They made it to their apartment building, which was a few streets from the dental practice. Tate liked being able to walk to work and not having to rely on the club or a prospect. She was tired of always relying on someone else.

  Kelsey opened the door for her.

  “Thank you,” Tate said. Her hands were shaking, but she kept moving forward, realizing the other woman hadn’t followed her. Stopping she turned to Kelsey. “Are you coming up?”

  “Erm, I’m on the ground floor. I don’t like heights at all.”

  “Oh, well, you can come up for some coffee and food if you’d like?” Tate asked, suddenly not wanting to be alone.

  “Okay. Only if you’re sure?”

  “I’m sure. Can you be on the fourth floor without fear?”

  The other woman nodded. “Yes, I can handle the floor as long as I don’t live there full time.”

  Smili
ng, Tate started up the stairs heading for her room. She needed the company. Murphy wouldn’t try to see her with someone there. The club came first, and Kelsey was a civilian. She hated using the other woman like this, but it was the only way.

  She’s not the only person you’ve used.

  Tate cut the thought off.

  Once inside, Tate flicked the switch, illuminating the whole apartment. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

  “I know. I’d rather live on my own than with my parents. They like things their own way, and I needed to spread my wings and live.”

  Agreeing, Tate moved toward her small kitchen. The space was always open, but she wasn’t going to complain. The apartment had everything she needed. There was a bedroom, sitting room, kitchen, bathroom, and plenty of hot water for a bath. The building was also sanitary, which was a huge bonus. She hated bugs of all kinds and couldn’t stand to think of bugs in her apartment.

  “You can take your jacket off.”

  Kelsey removed her jacket, sitting in the seat that Tate pointed at.

  “Your machine is buzzing,” Kelsey said.

  Glancing over to her answering machine she saw over fifteen messages blinking at her. The kettle was on, boiling. Pressing play, she began to listen, not caring that Kelsey was witnessing it. There was a lot she didn’t care about.

  “Tate, I swear if you don’t get your fucking ass home, then you’re in deep fucking trouble. I didn’t raise you to be reckless. Stop behaving like a spoiled brat.”

  Tate rolled her eyes at her father’s words. Tiny was not right about everything. If anything, he’d taught her to never take shit. He was a mass of contradictions, and she wasn’t going to apologize for being number one.

  “Tate, honey, your father is beside himself with worry. Please, talk to him and let him see you’re fine.”

  Eva sounded far more understanding. The next two messages were from her father, and the couple after that were from Lash and Nash.

  In the end, Tate deleted all the messages without listening to every single one.

  “Your family care,” Kelsey said.

  “No, they don’t. Well, they care. What they don’t like is me putting myself first, not the club.” Shaking her head at their insistence, Tate made her way back to the kitchen to finish their coffees. “So, Kelsey, tell me about yourself.”