“Good.” I smiled. Of all the people in the club Jessica kept me sane. “What’s up?” I finished the braid in my hair and faced her. She sat on the edge of my bed, legs crossed and put her hands up in the air.
“I’m gonna ask you a question, and know that whatever the answer- I will not go to Jayson.”
I gripped the edge of the dresser that I was leaning on and swallowed. “Okay.”
“Do you have a thing for Mason Day?”
“What?” I scoffed already feeling my cheeks burn. “Why would you think that?”
“Because he’s here and he’s asking for you.”
I did my best not to look surprised. After the other night, the last thing I thought he’d do is come around looking for me. “He’s probably just meeting with Jayson and looking to kill some time.” I fiddled with the buckle on my skirt. “That’s what I’m here for, right?” I tried to give a smile, but I couldn’t quite make it.
“Jayson’s not here.” She stood from the bed. “You’re playing with a fire that will get you killed, baby girl.” Her hands smoothed over my shoulders. “Be careful. Lucas is out there talking to him.”
“Send him away.” I ignored the pain building in my chest. “Or just tell him to come back when Jayson’s around.”
“Lucas told me to come get you.” Her hands dropped from my shoulder, and she gave a little shake of her head.
“Okay, then.” I pushed away from the dresser. I wouldn’t show my hurt. I’d shove it deep down, bury it where it would have to stay.
“Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to when you first showed up here with Kerri.
I’d kick your ass out. Never let you hang around.”
“Why?” I paused in the hallway. She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Jayson’s an asshole, always has been. If it weren’t for Lucas, he probably would have
me under the same shit he has you, after helping me out. But I had my brother as a sort of currency- you were so innocent. No one to save you from big bad men like Jayson. But I’m telling you, stay away from Mason. He’s only going to break you, if Jayson doesn’t take care of it first.” She left me standing in the hall alone.
I heard her tell Lucas I’d be right out, and for a moment I was tempted to run back to my room and lock the door. “Lucy.” Mason’s voice got my feet moving. He hadn’t seen me yet. “Come here.” I rolled my eyes at the cockiness in his voice. Like I would just come because he snapped his fingers. And damn my legs for being so damn obedient and taking me right to where he sat with Lucas.
Lucas turned his cool gaze on me and gave me a soft smile. “This asshat here wants
to talk with you. Jayson isn’t here to give the okay, so you’ll be taking him into the pool room there.”
“Thanks, Lucas.” The room that was set off from the main lounge had two pool tables. Although there was a door, the walls were all windows. He’d be able to see us the entire time. Which meant Mason would have to keep his hands off me. A small part of me was disappointed, while the sane part felt relief.
Mason shut the door to the room and I leaned against the pool table. “Wanna play nine
ball?” I asked with a smile. He kept his back to the door and his narrowed gaze on me. Like he was pissed at me for something.
“I wanted to talk to you about the other night.”
“What for?” I picked up a ball from the table and rolled it between my hands. “I’m sorry I walked in on you, Jayson sent me- probably because he wanted me to find you with her.” I shrugged a shoulder. No sense in letting him see how finding him with his cock in some other girls mouth had affected me.
“That girl, she’s just-”
“A whore.” I nodded and dropped the ball on the table, watching it roll across the green felt until it bounced back toward me. “Like me.” I gave him a smile and walked around the table. Having it between us felt more comfortable. A barrier.
“You are no whore.” His eye narrowed even more, the muscles of his arms tensed over his chest, where they were crossed. The stance he held looked more like a war pose than a guy just wanting to get laid.
I laughed. “You’re an idiot if you think that.”
“There’s something else going on. You aren't some club groupie out to fuck the guys until you get made an old lady. Fuck, the other day you made it sound like you'd rather die than be married to a member.”
I looked up at him, he dropped his arms, his hands now shoved into his jeans. He didn't’ look any less dangerous in that stance. “That’s about right.” I nodded and picked up the ball again. “Look, if you feel guilty about getting your dick sucked by someone else- stop. It’s not like I haven't had another cock in me. We aren’t a thing-”
“What other cock?”
“Mason. We aren’t a thing- a couple, or anything else. For fuck sake, Jayson gave me to you the first night you were here. Did you think you were special? That you were the first and only guy he’s done that with?”
“I want to know why.” He walked over to the table, putting his fists on the felt and leaned over toward me. His lips thin, his eyes dark. “I want to know what the fuck you are doing here with Jayson. You don’t like the MC, you hate Jayson. Why don’t you just leave? Just run away?”
My breath caught in my chest. Run away. Like I hadn’t thought about a few dozen times. I had no money, no friends or family out there waiting to rescue me. Without the club, as much as I hated it, I had nothing.
“Mason.” His eyes didn’t waver as they centered on me. I took a breath, a long, slow breath. “It’s not that easy.”
“I want to know what Jayson has over you, and I want to know now. Or, you’re gonna find out what a discipline spanking is.”
I felt the heat of embarrassment on my face. He wouldn’t do that. “Lucas can see us.” I reminded him, pointing toward the windows with my head.
He stood up, resting his hands on his belt buckle. “I don’t give a fuck. I’ll have you bent over this table and a give you a good dozen lashes before he gets in here. And then, he’ll probably let me finish, so long as I let your tits hang out of that shirt.” His words were crude, more so than usual because they were probably true.
I eyed Lucas, still sitting at the same table. Jessica had taken Mason’s chair. They were taking, but Lucas glanced over at me now and again. Even if he did put a stop to it, Mason probably would get as far as he threatened.
“You’d get your ass kicked.” I grinned, an empty threat. These Disciples didn’t give a shit for me. Most of them didn't even know my name.
“Maybe.” He looked like the idea didn't’ bother him in the least. Probably because it would take half a dozen of them to take him down- and he knew it. “If you think these windows will keep me from putting you over the table, you’re wrong. You know it. But you also know that you’d fucking love it.”
I wouldn’t argue that fact. I would love it. Damn him. “Why are you so hung up on this?”
Relentless in his pursuit of the truth, but to what purpose. “I’m just a clubhouse whore-”
“If that were truly the case, your eyes wouldn’t show such disgust for Jayson when he walked into the room. You wouldn’t have to hide your repulsion for the other members when they talk to you at the bar. You are no clubhouse whore.”
“A whore nonetheless.” I shrugged. He needed to let this go.
“Maybe. For me at least. The best kind.” His words made my skin tingle. The way he said them, with a raspiness to his voice, the low manner in which he spoke. As though he only wanted me to hear, really hear him. “You have thirty seconds.” He began to unbuckle his belt. I watched his fingers pull the leather back, work the metal clasp. Lucas had walked away, sitting at the bar with Jessica. His back was to us now.
“Okay.” I put my hands out as the leather strap slowly began to be pulled from the belt loops of his jeans. “Fine. You want to know. Fine.” My temper flared. Fuck him. Fuck all of them. “Kerri, my friend. She brought me
here when I needed a place to stay. Jayson was nice at first, real accommodating.” I swallowed hard. His attention fully on me, his hands stilled on his belt, but didn’t let go. “I owe him. After Kerri tried leaving, he turned on me. Said I had to pay him back for the room and board.” I told him everything; every stupid detail, every humiliating moment. My surprise that Jayson would suggest something so horrible, much less actually mean it, to the moment he walked in and I was handed to him.
His expression remained stoic throughout my ramblings, though his jaw clenched several times. When I had finished, I dropped the ball back on the table letting the loud clank of it sit between us. I waited for a reaction. A look of disgust, a laugh. Anything. Instead, he ran his hand through his hair and creased his brow. “How much are we talking?”
“What?” I looked at him, confused.
“How much money does he say you owe him?”
“I don’t know, I thought one number, but it seems to be some other magical amount.”
“I’ll talk to him.” He gave me a nod, as though that solve the problem. He would just take care of it.
“No. You won’t.” I tried to give him a hard glare, but the lazy smile he gave me told me he wasn’t all that intimidated.
“I’ll pay off the debt.”
“You’ll buy me?” I wanted to throw something at his face. Something to wipe off that arrogant grin.
“No, I’ll pay off the debt and you’ll go free. He gets his money and you get to get out of here.”
“You think he’ll take to that idea? He’ll just be fine with an Inked Reaper buying one of his girls? No. He won’t. He’s already pissed that I’ve even been talking to you. I’m not going to be the cause of some war between the two clubs. You guys all act like you’re getting along, but I know you hate each other. It would be just the thing for Jayson to use against you. No. I won’t do that.”
“Sometime real soon you’ll need to learn that you don’t control the things I do. It’s the other way between us.” A knock on the glass drew our attention. Lucas pointed toward the bar.
“He’s ready,” Lucas jerked his head and Mason held up his hand.
“On my way.” He finished sliding his belt back on and getting himself situated before he looked at me. “You don’t go anywhere. We aren’t done with this talk.” He was gone before I could manage a retort.
Most girls dreamt of a man riding in on a white horse to claim their hearts. Not one of them ever dreamt of a man driving up on a Harley offering to buy them.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MASON
Jayson sat at the head of his table rambling about an upcoming drop. It was to be a big one, twice the load than we’ve done before. I wasn't’ even listening. In my head played images of ripping his fucking throat out. How many times, I wondered, had that fat prick snuck his way into Lucy’s room?
I had kept my temper, while she told me everything she needed to tell me, because I didn't want to scare her, but my blood boiled. Watching that asshole laugh and make merry as he went about usual business made me want to puke on his fucking table. Tick had finally shown up and kept nudging me to bring my mind back to business at hand. If he knew what I knew, would he have sat so idly by?
“The pickup is fifteen miles south, closer to the border controls than I like, but doable…”
Lucy was right. If I offered to pay off her debt, Jayson would be suspicious. It wouldn’t be a fair deal and he’d probably take insult to it. He seemed to have some weird obsession with her. Even if he ok’d the buy, what the fuck would I do with her then? She had nowhere to go, she’d needed somewhere. The clubhouse seemed an obvious place. She could stay with me, get a job, and go to school. Hell, we could get a place outside the clubhouse. Buy a house.
“Mason, you and Tink there will meet up with my guys at the drop point.”
“Tick.” Tick corrected him.
“Tink, Tick, whatever.” Jayson laughed. “Same shit. You two meet up with my guys, the four of you will finish the ride up to San Marcos and make the handoff.”
“Why the second pick up. The four of us should go down for the pickup and head straight. No stops.” I pointed out.
“Too long of a haul. Need to break it up” Jayson said with a sideways grin. He gave off the vibe that he wasn’t giving us the full plan. I looked to Tick, who was shaking his head.
“Not that long of a haul. We’ll be there for the initial pick up.” He jammed his finger into the table. “Last thing we need is to keep pulling off the highway with that shit in the truck. One shot straight through.”
“I’m telling you how this is gonna run. Not The other way around.” Jayson’s voice hardened. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lucy walking around the bar.
A patched member stopped her and began chatting her up. The conversation seemed casual enough, he stepped back as she talked. I turned back to Tick. “We’ll run it by Marcus, if he’s not okay with it, we’ll be back to hash out a new plan.”
“Fine. You do that.” Jayson smiled like we’d just given him some gift. Fallen into a trap?
I looked back over at Lucy. The guy was closer, touching her arm with his fingertips. She shook her head, but he pointed over her shoulder. Her shoulders sagged and she nodded. Defeated. My fists clenched instinctively.
Tick kicked me under the table, bringing my attention back to the room. I scooted my chair back, folding my hands behind my head trying to give a causal appearance while getting a better look at what was unfolding outside the room. Jayson continued to ramble on about the drop- a simple endeavor he was trying to fuck up with all of his relay shit. From the corner of my eye, I saw the asshole grab Lucy and pull her back toward the main hallway. The hallway that led to her bedroom.
My hands fisted again, my muscles clenched. I couldn't’ do a fucking thing. If I barreled into her room, I’d be putting her and me in danger. My club would lose the alliance and the deal with the cartel. Instead, I sat in the room listening to Jayson's bullshit.
Once he was finally done, I jumped up from my seat and stalked out into the lounge. She wasn’t there. Jessica was though and she saw me right away. “Mason.” She called after me as I walked toward the hall. “Mason!” Her voice carried, but I ignored her.
When I got to Lucy’s room, I took a deep breath. Just as I gripped the handle, Jayson called me. “Hey, Mason.” I turned and he stood in the entrance way with two beers in his hands. “Come have a beer. She’s got a customer, you’ll have the second round.” He waved me over with the bottle.
Before I managed to come up with an excuse or to act, the door flew open and the asshole I’d seen before, glared at me. I moved out of his way as he stalked out of the room, eyes wild and his face red with anger. Jayson noticed it, too and asked him what the fuck happened.
“Bitch got her period.” I heard him growl and almost burst out laughing. Jayson did laugh and slapped the guy on the back.
“Not your thing, huh?”
Lucy got up from where she sat on her bed. A knowing smile on her face as she walked to the opened door. She gave me a quick wink and pushed the door closed. If Jayson hadn’t been right there, I would have gone in anyway. But he called me again. There’d be plenty of time to finish our conversation later. And we would be finishing the conversation.
CHAPTER TWELVE
LUCY
Mason and the others had left on some job several days ago. Lucas stayed behind, mostly I think to keep an eye on Jessica. He’d been spending more and more time with her. Taking her home after her shift and bringing her back the next day, but when I tried to ask her about it, she just blushed and changed the subject. I’ve never known her to blush.
Thankfully Jayson stayed away from me when he thought I had my period. The birth control I used, kept me from getting my period, but I didn’t tell them that. It was like a vacation once a month.
Mason’s offer to pay off my debt lingered in the back of my mind. If he did manage to get Jayson to say okay, what would my li
fe be like? I’d go back to his clubhouse? Be their whore instead? I’d just be changing the geography of my prison.
What if Mason meant more than that? What if he mean we could be together? What the fuck did that mean? He already made it clear there would be no power struggle in that relationship. Hell, he made it sound like the decision had been made for me.
Needing to keep my mind occupied, I decided to clean out the storeroom. Between the dust and the unorganized manner those bastards kept things, I’d be busy all afternoon. After I finished stocking the bar, I told Jessica where to find me and headed off in there.
Mason: Inked Reapers MC Page 7