Thorn barreled through to me about ten minutes before the meeting. “You and me, we gotta talk.” I took him to my rooms. Thorn didn’t do quiet.
“Yeah, brother?”
“Echo, Bravo and I went out for drinks last night in Ardmore, they got fucked up trying to get my ass drunk.” He huffed. “The drunk bastards wanted me to turn on you, say the vote in Council wasn’t unanimous but split—the one about the women—and you pressured us to push it through. Think they’re raising a stink about it being a club vote.”
So that answered one question—Romeo’s guys were not mine. That was bad, but maybe it was worse, depending on what Thorn said next. “Yeah, and you said?”
He growled and stood up. “I’m with you, but I didn’t waste opportunity. I left their asses passed out in Ardmore with flat tires on their bikes so they won’t be causing any more trouble.” The big man smiled wide. “But once I got them wasted I found out the good stuff. Ren has riled out several of the guys, Weasel, Larva, and Lefty for sure. Dogg is pissed but no one agrees whose side he is on. Ren plans to stay away to let the other guys cause trouble at church. He may even have more of the security guys lined up to bitch, but I couldn’t find out any more names.” Thorn sounded disgusted. “You have to make Romeo stay. It’s time his ass passed the rule or stood up here.”
My head pounded as Thorn laid out more shit to deal with. What had I done? Why was it so easy for Ren to turn my men against me?
“Brother, I already said as much. He knows his house is dirty and he’s going to be cleaning up instead of chasing his adrenaline highs.” I clasped his shoulder. “Thanks for the insight.” At least my decision to promote him had been a solid one. If I didn’t change some minds soon, my fucking leadership could be questioned. I’d seriously underestimated Renegade, and today I’d pay.
By the time we made it back up front, the room was so crowded it was standing room only—I’m sure my detractors thought that was a good thing, but so did I. Rumors and betrayal grew in the dark. I was going to shine a hot, bright light on this whole mess.
The Council stood up front. I saw Dogg, Gimp and Buzzard lined up in back. Technically retirees weren’t part of this meeting, but we’d been lax the last few years, letting retirees attend, but not speak or vote on club matters. I’d hold the standard as long as they held to their silence.
I had no time to prep the others, since it was time to start. “Meeting come to order. Report out.”
Each member on the Council gave an update on their business line, with Romeo making his report in person for the first time in four months. He was going to hate being home, but then if he tended the security brothers better, I wouldn’t have this mess. Ren had a finger on every weakness in the club, applying pressure all at once. Being cautious had bit me in the ass, but caution was done. Now I’d act.
“Member business.” Hands shot up before I even got the words out, every fucker seemed to have something to say. They’d speak and then I’d shut them down, so I sat down and let Thorn do his job—sort the shit and call on members.
“We want answers about this club, you all ain’t the final say.” Salty wobbled, most likely still drunk from last night
“Next,” Thorn bellowed.
“But I ain’t—”
“You spoke, no question, so no answers. Try again next week.” Thorn gave a hard look to the drunk and he sat his ass down.
Thorn pointed to Lefty, his brother in arms, so to speak. “I’m upset about this rule about the women and banning brothers, but my questions are three: how come we didn’t vote a banning rule with the brothers, why did the Council decide to do this, how are the security brothers represented when Romeo ain’t even in town.”
Thorn held up his hand, speaking. “I’d represent if Romeo didn’t, you pissant, but I’ll let the others speak.”
“I’ll take the security question.” Romeo spoke quietly. “When you all shut up.”
The room quieted.
“You got a problem with me.” He pointed to Lefty. “Call me, drive to me or get the fuck out of my company. This is the last ambush I’ll tolerate.” He met the eye of each of his boys. “Now as to your question on the vote to ban members from a business, if they hurt our women, well, I attend Council by phone most every week, which you’d know if you bothered talking to me. So you had representation. The vote was unanimous. Anyone here okay with our women, our workers, being beat up?”
“Bound has had two workers attacked.” I interrupted Romeo. “Ghost was banned by the new rule, and anyone else who thinks they can beat, break or slice up women will be banned as well.”
Hands shot up.
Thorn called on Weasel. “I heard that meant at home too.”
“Sit down, next.” Thorn picked Vex.
“You didn’t—”
“Ask a question,” Thorn bellowed. “Sit your ass down, coward.”
Weasel sat.
“I want to question the Council about why this wasn’t a club vote?” Larva called out.
“Read your bylaws. Any rule that ends a brother’s time in the club goes to the membership. Any bylaw change, goes to the membership. That’s it. Operating rules, business decisions, that goes to the Council.”
“Why ain’t that Council voted?” Wolf called from the back.
“You pay $100 now, and I let the question stand.” Thorn stalked to him and Wolf pulled out his wallet.
“That’d be a bylaw change—a petition with one-third membership or the Council can propose a bylaw. Now it reads the president is the brother most deserving and he picks his Council. You think that’s you. I’m here, let me know.” I held out my arms.
Boots scraped and the entire Council stood. “Let us know, we stand with Jericho.” Bear spoke in his dead calm way that had silence falling over the group.
Zero’s hand shot up and Thorn recognized him.
“I ask, what brother hurt our women?”
I glanced down the line, looking to see if anyone had an objection to my sharing the name. Bear just smiled.
“Ghost sliced up Sherilynn, and before the loud bunch of you go crazy,” I paused until they quieted, “we saw him, and Viper broke his fucking nose.”
Viper stood. “That rule is overdue, and each of us have set our line, and mine at Bound is the one that’s the most generous by far. You wonder if she got what she wanted? Yeah I heard that shit.” He pinned Weasel with his look. “See me for the pictures and tell me that was just what the girl wanted.”
“You hurt my girls and I break all your meaningful parts. Does anyone really fucking think it’s okay to abuse our women, the ones who make the money that lines our fuckin’ pockets?” Bear’s disgust unsettled the group.
“Ten minutes left, any more questions?” Thorn roared as if it were a war zone.
“How’d we let two women get hurt to begin with?” Dogg hollered.
Thorn crossed his arms. “Out of order, you are an observer by the Council’s choice, but you have no voice unless you have activated your colors.”
Dogg going from retiree to active member could spell more trouble for me or he could be my biggest friend. I wish I knew where he stood.
“Consider them active.” Dogg stepped forward.
Rebel and Viper stood together even as I did. “This is ours.” Rebel looked out to the crowd before focusing on Dogg. “When the Old Man ran things, girls were hurt every day, but they didn’t work for us, instead they were whores or others they brought to us.” Rebel sneered. “I started as manager and day one outlawed all unwilling acts—and anything that led to the hospital—willing or not, for every member, not our club, but all of Bound’s members. Pissed several off, and some quit, cancelled their membership, but that was fine by me.
“I got permission to start my skip-trace business, you know, I wanted tha
t for awhile now. Viper stepped up to lead. And I trained him.”
“First night a brother I won’t name hurt Misty bad.” Viper crossed his arms.
I was proud of the way my brothers stood together, loyal to their club. But pissed off they had to defend this club to other members. We were better than that.
“Ghost had the whip in hand when we caught him, and he’s lucky I only broke his fucking nose,” Viper sneered.
Dogg nodded his approval.
“Now, one of you says again to me it was just play gone bad, I’ll ask Thorn to do to you what was done to them and you tell me. If this were our brothers being beaten, we’d be at war.” Viper stared at the mass of bikers.
I was done convincing and talking. No one cared about the women, this was about Ren’s bid to run Bound or maybe he had higher goals, like my job. Rage filled me at the very idea I was dancing to his tune.
“And I will personally kick the ass of anyone who wants to question this decision.” I stepped forward, arms crossed. “You can give me your cut or abide by my rule.”
Grumbles and mumbles went through the group, no more content than before. That just proved me right. Time for these brothers to understand me and get with the program.
“Listen up, change is hard and you thinking the worst, talking to everyone but us.” I pointed to the Council. “Makes no sense and makes this change harder. You want this to go hard, fine with me, I was raised hard.
“I’m the President, and I will not have my word questioned again. You have questions about how something works, why it’s done like that, bring it on. You question the power of my role or this Council as set out in the Brotherhood Accord, you better bring your signatures or your fists because you just got your only free hits.” Damn it felt good drawing a line in the sand. I was done with weakness. Questioning my right to rule was allowing weakness. Fuck that.
I stared down each of Ren’s puppets, making sure we were clear. “Meeting dismissed.” I turned and walked from the room, not close to calm enough to chat with a single person. Rage burned inside me at the disrespect my brothers showed women by using them as pawns in our power struggle. When had we become an MC that thought abuse was our right? The Old Man was gone, and the poison he spread would be washed clean, even if it was in blood.
I slammed the door to my rooms and wished I had Renegade to beat, but today proved I couldn’t just take him out, I’d have to show everyone just how rotten he was. My door opened and I turned ready to bite the head off the fucker who thought it was fine to come in unannounced.
Dogg stood there arms crossed. “You need to get Ren out of here.”
“Fuck tell me something I don’t know.” I grabbed a bottle of bourbon from my kitchen along with two glasses. “Want some?”
“Fuck yeah.” He sat on my couch. “When you getting a real house?”
“When I have two days without Ren fucking up my club.” I downed the liquid in one gulp. The burn felt damn good.
“Why didn’t you call him out for Misty?” Dogg stared at me like I was some fucking freak.
“Because it makes Misty a target and it does no good.” I poured more Wild Turkey. “Here’s the thing.” I gulped down the bourbon. “Marr will be my spy, but I have to submit in her dungeon.” I eyed him. “I haven’t been in a dungeon in fifteen years.”
“Sounds like it’s time to return.” He thumped his glass down on my living room table. “You need her to take him out, you do cartwheels she asks it, just get the info to get rid of that motherfucker.”
My heart beat so fast I thought it might be trying to race out of my chest. I wanted to be in her dungeon. I wanted Ren out. But I didn’t want to fuck up like I had before. The last time I walked this path Layla ended up dead.
“Could be letting loose my demons.” I chugged straight from the bottle. I hated the fear, the doubt, that I could handle this. Pissed me off.
“You control your demons and get him gone. The Prez doesn’t hide, he makes shit happen.” Dogg stood. “You got this club moving the right way, close the deal.” He walked out.
I stared after him, wishing I was half as confident as he was. I picked up my phone and stared at it. I hit Marr’s number.
It rang twice.
“Yeah.” Marr’s sexy voice greeted me.
Fuck, her voice seduced me.
“I’ll do it, be in your dungeon, just tell me when.” I hated saying the words because I wasn’t sure my demons could be contained. I tempted the devil walking into any dungeon. I’d craved that shit for years and I wasn’t sure I’d stop once I opened that door again.
A sexy sigh sounded on the line. “My next session with Ren is Wednesday. Be here at nine that night.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
She hung up. I sat there and tried to calm my racing pulse. Anticipation swirled inside me, but was it Marr or her dungeon I jonesed for most.
Chapter Six
Marr
If he expected more than my rod, Jericho was going to be disappointed because I didn’t fuck anyone in my dungeon. Sure, he was hot in that Neanderthal kind of way, but this was about business, stability. Tangling with him spelled trouble for my peaceful existence. Part of becoming a Master had been controlling my temper. Sure I let jealousy loose, but no one had seen the devastation of my wrath in years. I would never lose control again. It was my mantra, my foundation.
I had replayed our two kisses over in my mind a thousand times. Kissing him had been weakness that I’d spent this week eliminating. No matter how much his earthy scent and thick lips called to me, I’d be his Master.
My phone buzzed. Viper texted me that Jericho was headed my way. I stood and examined myself in my mirror. I smacked my cherry-red lips together, redistributing my lipstick. Bright red leather boots, short bustier and leather skirt—he’d be on his knees panting for me.
I waited in the entryway, not wanting him or his potent scent lingering in my boudoir. The door banged open and he strode inside. Wide shoulders, muscled body and the intensity that drew me to him. His gaze took in everything, stopping on me a long moment, then moving on.
“What you got for me?” He stood feet away and already I wanted to close that distance.
“An hour in my dungeon, and I give you information.” I stated my terms. This was about balance—he needed to give to me if I was going to compromise my standards.
He gave a single nod. “What’s he up to?”
“Scouting, recruiting badasses to take you down.” Hands fisted on hips, I pinned him with my gaze. “You must’ve really pissed him off.”
“We passed that rule about not hurting the girls in our care, and he’s got one and done here because he got Ghost to take the fall last time.” He combed fingers through his hair. Long waves that I wanted to run my fingers through or better yet bury my nose in.
“Yeah,” I snorted. “Everyone’s all over that gossip. But he’s preparing for a war, he’s found six sympathizers for now. Your security company is lousy with Ren’s supporters. And he’s cocky, like he’s got a secret, but whatever it is, I couldn’t find out.” I had pushed a couple of girls too hard, but I was sure it would be okay. Who wants to tell Ren bad news? Not one of our female workers, for sure. “Romeo was here with him, and that surprised me. And you know those men will keep stepping in front of him, taking the fall for his brutality.”
Not a flicker of emotion passed across his face. I had no idea what he was thinking. “Good intel, I can work with that.” He devoured me with his intense stare—the one that drilled through my defenses and burned my core.
I stood straighter, throwing back my shoulders. “On your knees in my dungeon.” I let my gaze amble down him, overt and possessive. “Lose the clothes.”
“As you command, Mistress.” He caressed the last word and I felt the wetne
ss at my apex. It’d been a long time since I’d been so attracted to anyone—I’m not sure I even had this feral reaction to Val when we met. But Grayson, I’d been sucked into him with my first glance, and that ended in disaster. Lesson learned. I redoubled my armor and led the way into my domain.
I appreciated the crisp bare lines of my black-and-grey dungeon, it soothed me to have open space, knowing every whim was a button away instead of cluttered around me. “On the gray square, once you’re ready.” I didn’t look back, instead I retreated to my control room to set the scene—I wanted to break his shell, get to the soft inner parts, if any existed. In my dungeon all the camouflage was stripped away, what remained was what I craved. I programmed jazz-based beats, more sensual than my normal music, lights set to red, with a sprinkling of black lights, all dimmed. I must become focal point of his life, all he needed for his next breath.
I brought up my video feed and found him kneeling, hair covering his face, but his body—breathtaking. His right shoulder scarred with a knife wound, the new tat on his defined six-pack called to me. It shouted freedom, defiance and retribution. Each arm covered from shoulder to wrist with red and black designs. Like he knew I studied him, he gazed up through long strands of chestnut hair, nostrils flared and challenge burning in his mismatched eyes. Two colors, but one emotion.
I put the ambience program on a three-minute delay and lowered the leather restraints—a man built for leather and chains. I left the control room and went to the closet I used for my personal favorites. I strapped on my whip, tucked a rod in a loop on the back of my bustier and attached the cat-o’-nine-tails to the other hip. Need flared inside me. He hadn’t been in a dungeon in years and it excited me that I’d brought him back and under my command.
Waiting a few seconds for the music to begin, I strode out as the red lights flared to life. Without speaking, I tapped his shoulder, he raised his hand. Obviously he hadn’t forgotten a single thing. It was as if he needed this even more than me.
Deny: A Dark, Erotic Motorcycle Club Romance Page 7