Withstanding Me

by Crystal Spears

  “Stay the fuck far away from him Tatiana. I ain’t playin’ god dammit! And shit baby, even if he wasn’t our rival, he’s your daddy’s age. Not cool baby girl,” I say trying to calm myself down as her eyes tear up. Breaks my heart making her cry, but damn if she isn’t going to give me a heart attack.

  She nods an okay as she wipes a lone tear running down her cheek. I motion for Shadow to follow me into the Chapel outta my daughter’s hearing range.

  “Stay on her Shadow. I don’t trust the prospects; she’ll lose them if she wants and take off to god knows where. She’s done it before. I’m trusting you, brother.”

  Shadow smirks and nods before walking back out to my daughter. I have so many damn problems with that child right now. First, her and Shadow have this built up bullshit, and I know he’s fighting his attraction towards my daughter because he knows he’ll get his ass kicked. Secondly, my baby is enrolling into business management too, following Storm’s lead.

  Instead of going off to college to be a doctor or a nurse, she’s fucking staying here for business management. Thirdly, her mother is back after eighteen years and lastly, now I gotta worry about a fucking rival bein’ interested in my kid. Hell to the god damn no.

  I dig out my prepay and quickly dial Braxxon. This shit is too big to put on hold.

  “Breaker,” he snaps into the other end of the phone.

  “Prez, we gotta fucking problem, brother.”

  “Fuck, it doesn’t stay quiet for long. Lemme’ hear it,” he growls.

  “Shadow caught Tatiana at the ma and pop restaurant with Travis, and he wasn’t wearing his cut. She didn’t know who he was man.”

  “Jesus Christ!” He roars before quieting down. “Is she alright?”

  I take a deep breath. “Yeah but he wasn’t wearing his cut, brother,” I repeat.

  “Ain’t no more sunshine for them. Fuckin’ riptide them motherfuckers. They wanted peace and fluffy fuckin’ clouds, rainbows and sunshine and shit my ass,” he cackles.

  When Braxxon cackles like that, bastards should run far, far away, but put us together, times that fear by a fuckin’ hundred cuz’ we didn’t grow up together not learnin’ nothin’.

  “Well shit… Angel and I are headed that way. Get one of the prospects to call in the brothers. We’ll discuss this in the Chapel. Angel be sittin’ in with us. We got shit to discuss with ya’ll.”

  “Prez,” I acknowledge and wait for the sound of the click. You always wait for that damn click; if not you’re disrespecting your prez if you hang up first. We may have grew up in diapers together and learned how to fuck women together, but that don’t mean shit when it comes to respecting the patch.

  I hear the click and walk back out to the community room, and let Rap know to call in the brothers. I also tell him to lock Tatiana in my apartment so she can’t sneak away while Shadow’s in Chapel with us.

  “Pyro!” Creamy screams. Creamy is another one of the damn muffler bunnies that hang out. The bitch is practically family; she’s been around with all the brothers. I look up, and sure enough, it’s the missing fucking VP.

  “Chapel,” I growl. Yeah he’s my VP, but damn I’m worn the fuck out from doing his job. Pyro grabs a bottle of whiskey off the bar, completely ignores Creamy, and walks right into the Chapel without a word. I’m sure when the son of a bitch gets his wits back, he’s gonna check my ass for that barking order.

  “Rap,” I point to Tatiana while he calls in the brothers on his prepay. He snags my protesting daughter up by the arm and starts dragging her off, and I chuckle as she tries prying away from him.

  “Your damn daughter’s gonna kill me,” Shadow murmurs walking past me.

  I groan as I rub my hands down my face. I don’t need him gettin’ all damn attached to her. Shit ain’t right. I put those thoughts in the back of my mind for another day.

  ***

  I wait as Winter sits on Braxxon’s lap with a bunch of plans rolled up, and the other brothers start sitting. Once everyone is in the Chapel and the doors close, Braxxon slams down the gavel as the guys look back and forth between Winter and Braxxon. We’ve never had a woman in one of our church meetings before so this should be interesting.

  “Angel is only in here for the first bit. She needs us to vote on something; after that, she’ll leave,” Braxxon smirks running his hands through her hair.

  Winter unravels tubes of plans and starts passing them around the table.

  “These are plans for a new club,” she says simply.

  “THE FUCK,” I roar while yanking my copy from her.

  “ZZ,” Braxxon warns.

  “No, no I want to build a bigger clubhouse with more room. Get the families above ground when on lockdown. See here,” she points to a spot on the plans. “That will be made outta concrete and steel. No bullets getting through that shit. The windows will be bulletproof as well. There will also be a built in fire extinguishing system. I bought the surrounding lots and they start demolishing them this weekend. They won’t start building until you vote it in. The main clubhouse we’re in won’t be touched other than putting in bulletproof glass. The other building with the quad in the middle is for the families. They hate being on lockdown and this way they’ll be safe and still be able to get fresh air in the quad. Basically, it’s just heavy duty expanding,” she explains.

  Pyro sits up straight, and it’s the first time he looks like he’s actually paying attention to what’s going on around him. “You have my vote. Maybe if we had this shit Lana would still be alive,” he says.

  Winter pats Pyro’s hand. “I know,” she agrees.

  “This shit looks expensive prez,” Max grumbles.

  “Angel and I are getting married. Our funds are our own to do with what we want. We have plenty of money, hell maybe even an unlimited supply. Our gold is still coming up strong, and Angel wants to do this for her family. Are you gonna deny my Angel the peace of mind she’s begging us for?” He asks tipping his head with a silent warning.

  “Look guys,” she says getting serious. “I’m not trying to overstep any of you. We’ve all been through hell the last couple of months and I hate sending the family away when shit gets heated. A number of things can go wrong while they travel or while they’re gone. This building will be worth it,” she chuckles shaking her head before her next words. “Ya’ll can still have your clubhouse, your man space; this new building is for peace of mind and the family.”

  “How much is this gonna cost?” I ask while looking at these plans. I admit they’re badass. Winter snaps her fingers to gain my attention to hers.

  “Money is nothing; family is everything,” she says. Well fuck if that doesn’t get my vote when she puts it that way.

  “Votes,” Braxxon says. And the brothers all put in their votes with no hesitation.

  “Alright I got phone calls to make to get this shit rollin’. Thanks babes,” Winter says before kissing Braxxon and taking her copy of the plans with her. She stops at the door. “Plans get locked into the safe before y’all leave this room,” she points.

  “Yes Angel,” Braxxon coos. She’s got him by his balls.

  When the door shuts behind Winter, the look on Braxxon face goes from lovey dovey shit to the scary motherfucker that most fear.

  “Angel has plans to take our family to the next level. Nothing’s detouring her; her side of the business is all legit. We do the illegal shit, but keep my baby outta it. I want her name to stay clear. So if she needs help or does something illegal, make it so that she gets no blowback. Understand?”

  The room nods, as do I.

  “She’s tearing down Burgers and Fries,” Hammer grumbles causing the room to erupt into an uproar of laughter.

  The room settles after a few minutes and shit gets serious again.

  “Travis has his eyes set on our Tatiana. Shadow caught her out to lunch with him just an hour ago. He wasn’t wearing his cut. She didn’t even know he was president of an MC. The little bastard is up to something
and he’s got one of ours in his sights. Pyro sober the fuck up, get a hold of Juan, and see what you can find out. It’s time you step back into your VP shoes bro. Enough is enough. Winter was her best friend, her sister and she’s moving on protecting the ones we still have. I expect you to do the same fucking thing.”

  Pyro nods and scoots the bottle of whiskey away. It’s about fucking time.

  “We already own most of Jamaica, Nevada. It’s time we take the rest of it too,” Braxxon says before slamming down the gavel dismissing us.

  Chapter Three

  Cross POV

  ZZ

  The only time I wish I were the VP of Breakneck is right now. The shit Pyro is taking care of involves my daughter, and I’m stuck waiting on what he finds out from Juan. I’m in no fucking mood to play around, so when I walk into Club Sated to get my eye fuck fix, I see red when I see Mira arguing with Storm. I hate that bitch! What mother wants nothing to do with her daughter? The bitch was good for only one thing, giving me my daughter.

  As I reach the heated women, I place my hand on Storm’s shoulder, and she shakes me off. Jesus!

  “What’s happenin’ here?” I smirk, crossing my arms.

  “Your bitch of a baby momma wants a job, and I said fuck no. I’ll discriminate all I want against a piece of shit mother,” Storm seethes.

  Storm has momma issues as well, but what she says is true. Mira is a piece of shit mother. Her womb was the only good thing that came to our relationship.

  “Mira… you have literally five fucking seconds before I have the bodyguards escort you out.” I stand up straight and nod. Two of the guards come strolling up. “Take this bitch and don’t let her back in.”

  “Mason Allen Dillan, you can’t fucking do this! I’m the mother of your daughter,” Mira screams and I groan with her using my given name.

  I strut over to where the bodyguards are doing their best at holding her back; I grab her cheeks tight enough to warn her. I’m not gonna hit the bitch, but damn if she doesn’t make me wanna go against my beliefs. Where’s Braxxon when you need him? “My given name does not come outta that nasty mouth nor does my road name,” I growl. “Get her the fuck outta here!”

  “Mason. Allen. Dillan,” Storm tests my given name out slowly. “I like it.”

  My pants grow tighter with her sweet voice whispering my name. I slowly turn around and walk back to her, gently grasping her cheeks and forcing her eyes to look into mine.

  “Tell me yours baby,” I say seductively, my lips just a whisper away from hers.

  “No,” she taunts back.

  I roll my eyes. She’s always withstanding me, and I fucking hate that she’s the only female that doesn’t swoon over my tactics. I’ve never had to deal with this shit before and hell if I like it.

  I let my breath roll down the side of her neck causing her to shiver. Fuck, finally some headway. I take my free hand and run it up her smooth delicate arm.

  “Name sweetness?”

  “Ya’ll laugh,” she says truthfully with a look in her eyes that tells me it’s just as bad as she’s making it out to be.

  “I swear on my dick I won’t laugh.”

  She squeaks out a small laugh before nodding. “Mom was an alcoholic and a slut; it was only fitting that she named me after her favorite beverage as well.” Storm takes a deep breath. “Apple Drye Martini,” she says quietly.

  Wait. What?

  “Seriously,” I say, pulling back a little.

  “Yeah, funny huh?”

  “Apple is a beautiful name; it’s different. But your last name is really Martini?”

  “Yep,” she says, pushing away from me. “Now that you know my stupid name, I gotta get ready for a date.”

  “The fuck,” I roar. She won’t fuck me, but she can go on dates? That’s messed up.

  “You won’t give me the time of day, but you can go on dates? Seriously Storm,” I growl out with a little too much anger.

  She starts walking away towards her office, and I follow. I’m so fucking raging mad, I can’t see straight. She has that power over me, and I can’t fuckin’ stand it.

  She enters the code to the office, and it clicks open. “I told you ZZ. I’m tired of being just a piece of pussy. You should get that.”

  Hell if I do. Sex is fuckin’ fantastic. Why does there have to be strings attached to it? Women are so damn complicated. Shit burns me up.

  “I get that you don’t wanna be passed around darlin’. I’m just asking for some pussy. We’ll both get off; it’ll be fantastic. We both get something outta it. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Everything babe,” she says kicking off her boots. What the fuck is she doing? “Randy’s nice. He’s a lawyer, and he won’t expect me to put out just because he buys me a meal.”

  “A fuckin’ lawyer? You gotta be shittin’ me!”

  “No, ZZ… I’m not shittin’ you. He’ll treat me good. Don’t you want that for me?” She asks staring straight into my eyes as she changes into a short black dress. If she didn’t have me captivated by her killer gaze, my eyes would be roaming every curve of her body right now.

  “Wait? Did you say Randy? As in Randy Meyers, the club’s fuckin’ lawyer?”

  Oh hell to the fuckin’ breakneck no!

  “That’ll be that Randy,” she smirks, slipping into some fuck me red heels. I admit they make me groan almost too loudly.

  Just when I’m about to tell her that shit ain’t happenin’, my prepay rings. Of all the mother of goddamn times for my phone to ring, it rings now.

  “Dillan,” I growl out.

  “Your daughter slipped past Rap while we were in church. I haven’t been able to locate her,” Shadow growls.

  “Fuck! I’m on my way,” I say before snappin’ my phone shut. “This discussion isn’t over yet baby. I gotta locate Tatiana.”

  “She just wants your attention, ZZ.”

  “No. What she wants is to kill me with a motherfuckin’ heart attack. Don’t go on that date Apple or I swear I’ll rain hell fire down on you.” I point as I open the door to leave.

  “I don’t do well with threats or promises M. A. S. O. N,” she spits each letter of my name out. “I’ll go, and I’ll be damned if you stop me. You think just because you’re big bad ZZ from Breakneck and that because I’m a part of Winter’s family that you can just have me do as I’m told? Well here’s a lesson for you.” She stands straight. “You don’t fuckin’ own me. You don’t possess me, and you don’t fucking treat me like one of your little muffler bunnies!”

  This pretty bitch is wearing down my patience.

  “Lesson for you, Miss Martini. I want your pussy so I shall have your pussy, and anything or anyone standing in my way will be taken out. Winter’s also a part of my family; therefore, you’re a part of my family. And one day very soon my face will be buried in between those beautiful thighs, tasting all those wonderful juices that you’ll be squirting out as my tongue laps you up from front to back. So don’t tell me what the fuck I’m gonna do. I already know what the fuck I’m gonna do, yeah?” And with that, I leave her standing there looking all sexy and shit, in her black dress, and fuck me heels with her mouth gaping open.

  ***

  Storm

  Jesus Christ! It’s safe to say that between my legs is dripping wet. How am I supposed to go out with Randy smelling like sex? Shit!

  Randy is an amazing guy and was hesitant to ask me out because I am a part of the club’s family, but I assured him there was nothing to worry about and I fear I lied to him.

  ZZ can’t expect me to wait just because he has commitment issues and just wants a piece of me before he’ll let me go. I mean that’s just ridiculous. I don’t think it’s right. He knows what I went through; he knows I was just a piece of meat to tons of guys when I was trafficked. The fact I’m moving on with my life and I refuse to be haunted by that makes me so fucking strong, but when it comes to ZZ, and all of his chocolate colored fuck me hair and his chocolate colored eyes an
d his beefy body, I’m weak, so fucking weak. I want him, all of him, and yet he only wants my pussy. So Randy is my safe bet. I’m young, I don’t wanna settle down. I just want to belong to one man, even if it’s not forever.

  I’m completely in love with someone who doesn’t love me back and that shit sucks. When Braxxon and the rest of them found me, it was ZZ who coddled me, who made me feel alive again by just mere conversation. Actions and words are sometimes alike that way. He did nothing but he said everything. Everything that made me come alive again. Every time I think back on his words to me that day after the doc looked at me, I fall even more in love with him.

  “Darlin’ you’re way too beautiful to let them take your beauty from you. What you went through was just a terribly bad fucked up dream, baby. A dream you’re gonna sweat out and forget about,” he says, while swiping my bangs away from my eyes.

  “I’m not stupid you know? You guys treat women like they’re nothing too.”

  “Baby… there are two different types of women. Women like the ones that hang around us just want that kinda shit we give them. They wanna be fucked and bossed around. Then there are women like you. Women who want to be owned, loved, and cherished,” he states.

  “What kind of woman do you want?” I ask.

  “Ah darlin, I want the kind of woman that wants the shit I give them. Women like you are way too good for the likes of me. You deserve to be protected, owned, loved, cherished, worshipped, and any other good shit you can think of. I don’t do the fallin’ in love thing, baby. I love two women. My daughter Tatiana and my ma, but being in love and letting a woman own my ass is not something I’ll allow to happen,” he says honestly.

  “That’s a shame, ZZ.”

  “It may be darlin’, it just may be.”

  I smile as that memory fades away. He was always honest with me, and when a man tells you that you deserve all the love in the world, and it’s a man like ZZ, you tend to believe him. And I do. I believe I deserve it all. My problem is that I want that man to be ZZ. I want all the love in the world to come from him. I want to be a part of his heart.