by Franca Storm
Huh. Does she need to be? It’s messed up that I ain’t never looked at it like that before. Ain’t the way I was raised. I been ‘round club life since I was a kid. Women have always fallen into two categories: club whores or Old Ladies. And Rox weren’t neither, so I just figured there weren’t no place for her in the club. And she saw it the same as me, cuz of all the shit she knew ‘bout club life from her dad. Figured, like me, that women were only seen in those two ways.
But she ain’t neither one of those. Hell, she’s probably closer to club member material than anything else.
Ain’t no way I could patch her in as a member, though. For one thing, Dealer would fucking kill me. And another, we ain’t never patched a woman in. And she ain’t just any woman. She’s reckless and she’s got a major problem with authority. A loose cannon. Woman can’t be controlled and I don’t want a member like that running ‘round my club. It’s dangerous.
“I…I dunno,” I answer as my mind whirls, going a million miles a minute, as I try to think over the shit he’s just thrown at me.
“You take her as yours again and the boys will have her back automatically. A bunch of ‘em, like Smiter, are already treating her like a little sister. You still got it in your head ‘bout what things were like under Trig. I know you still see it that way. Can’t get it outta your head, or something. But it ain’t that way no more. The club’s a family again, Ax. You sure you wanna walk away from that?”
When I don’t answer and, instead, just stare at him, tryin’ to think ‘bout it, he smiles and squeezes my shoulder—the good one, thankfully—and says, “Give it some thought.”
Ain’t like I got the time to do that right now. This Kent situation is my priority. I’ll deal with that first and then…this…this I’ll get to after.
Shit. The club’s a family again. Have I been so clouded by my mission and going through the motions of leading the boys as Prez, that I didn’t fucking see that?
Nah, it’s more than that.
It’s her.
Rox.
Ain’t been able to get her outta my head. She’s all I been able to see in all these months that we’ve been apart.
And now she’s here in my club, she ain’t even her no more.
Maybe Runner’s right then.
Before, Rox hated the idea of being part of the club as my girl. She’s different now, so maybe she’s thinking different on that, too? Could I bring her in? Would she accept me as a club member now? And do I wanna remain as one? Do I wanna remain as Prez?
I dunno. I got a lot to think over.
Chapter 14
~Roxana~
“Argh!” I mutter, throwing down my laptop. It bounces off the couch cushion beside me and clatters to the floor. Great.
I move to pick it up, but my dad’s out of his chair in the next second, handing it back to me.
“Thanks,” I say, settling it carefully onto the cushion this time. Shit. I need to be careful with it. My dad told me that Neil went out of his way to get it for me. My dad gave it to me about three weeks ago on Neil’s behalf. Neil’s been avoiding me all this time, so he wouldn’t come to give it to me himself.
Dad grins at me, clearly amused by my little temper tantrum.
“What?” I snap.
He holds up his hands. “Nothing, princess. You having trouble with work?”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I can’t figure out something with a design I’m working on.”
“Maybe your head’s not in the game.”
He snatches my laptop up and places it on the round wooden table he’d been reading his paper on in the leather armchair beside me. Then he comes to sit next to me on the couch and asks, “You want Brockford back?”
“What?” I gasp, surprised by this coming out of left field.
“You miss it?”
I glance around quickly. Phew. No one is around. “Dad, not here.” When I was running things in Brockford, I wasn’t exactly the most popular person around here, at the club. The boys hated how I did business. The last thing I want is to bring that up and rock the boat when I’m living with them right now.
“You worried ‘bout what the boys are gonna think?” he asks, incredulity clear in his voice.
“Of course.”
“That ain’t the daughter I raised.”
I shoot to my feet and blurt out, “It isn’t just about me now!”
His eyes go wide at my words.
Oh no. Oh shit. Why does my temper always get the best of me and have me blurting out things that it shouldn’t? Urgh. I’m just like Neil. Well, not as bad, but still bad enough.
My dad rises to his feet, too. “What’s that mean?” he asks, warily.
I try to make a break for it—I can come back for my laptop later—but my dad grabs my arm.
Right then, my old reaction sparks to life and it takes everything in me not to rip his arm off me and kick his ass. The concern in his eyes stops me, along with the fact that he’s my father. How could I strike my own father? He sees my temper and releases me immediately.
“Roxana,” he presses. “Not just ‘bout you? Tell me you mean Ax.”
I shake my head, my throat suddenly dry. I can’t say it…I can’t get the words out.
“Are you…are you….?”
I nod.
“You didn’t take the pill I got you?”
“I…I forgot. In all the chaos of moving in here.”
“Jesus!”
I run my fingers through my hair. “I know. Shit.”
“You took a test? How?”
I rub my fingers together. “A bribe to one of the prospects.”
He rolls his eyes. “Now, that’s the old you.”
“You can’t tell him, Dad. Neil can’t know.”
“What?”
“Not yet. There’s too much happening.”
“Princess, no.”
“Dad, I’m asking you, as your daughter.”
“This is what’ll stop him, Roxana!”
“Stop him?”
He steps back and mutters, “Ah, shit.”
He’s let something slip? Wow. He must be really worked up over what I’ve just told him then. My dad never reveals information he doesn’t intend to. He’s very good with that.
He closes the distance between us and starts whispering, telling me all about a hit list Neil apparently has, about everything that he’s trying to do to facilitate us being together.
“Oh my God.” Shock isn’t a strong enough word for it. “No. He can’t do that.”
“Agreed. Been tryin’ to stop him, but he’s a stubborn ass. But you telling him this will do it. It’ll become his whole focus and he’ll finally agree to my proposal.”
“What proposal, Dad?” I ask worriedly.
“I will take ‘em all out.”
“What?” I yell. “No! No way!”
“Roxana, you know my history. It won’t make a bit of difference.”
I shake my head with disbelief. “You’re both idiots. You don’t need to kill them.”
“What? Of course we—”
“Murder isn’t the only way to neutralize a threat.”
“What you talkin’ ‘bout, princess?”
“Leverage.”
“Roxana—”
“I need to see the list. When I was running things back in Brockford, Black Thorns and I were dealing with a lot of the same people. I might know some of the people on this list, which means I might have something on them.”
He shakes his head vigorously. “No way. You ain’t getting caught up in this. Especially, not with what you just revealed. You just gotta tell Ax and I’ll deal with this shit. Can’t right now, cuz I can’t risk taking my eye off him. I know the second I turn my back and I ain’t there to stop him again, he’ll make his way down the list.”
“Fine. I’ll just contact Ralph and have him look into it for me.”
Something in his expression has a sinking feeling settling in my stomach then. “What? What, D
ad?”
“Ralph ain’t available right now.”
“Why not?”
He takes a breath and tells me, “He ended up in the ER.”
“What?” I shriek. “Oh my God. What happened? Is he okay? Is he—?”
“He’s gonna be fine. He’s been released now. Still recuperating, though. A few weeks back, just before we brought you here under club protection, Kent sent his boys ‘round to him, tryin’ to find out where you were.”
“Shit. I need to see him. I need to—”
He grabs my arms and growls, “No. You stay here. We got this. Let me and Thorns deal with Kent. When that’s done, we’ll talk ‘bout the list. In the meantime, tell him, Roxana. Tell him.”
With that, he releases me and walks off, leaving me to absorb all of these shocking revelations.
Anger consumes me. Anger at the whole situation. At being kept out of the loop. At Ralph getting hurt because he was protecting me. I find myself clenching my fists.
I feel that determination and conviction I’d once possessed in spades, returning at long last.
I can feel her coming back—the woman I used to be.
Chapter 15
~Roxana~
I sink my hand into the bowl of popcorn Smiter’s holding in his lap, grab a huge handful and stuff it in my mouth.
“Jesus,” he comments.
I turn from the sitcom we’re watching on the small TV in his room as we sit on the floor leaning against the foot of his bed. “What?”
He laughs. “Just forgot what a pig you are.”
I tell him through a mouthful of popcorn, “I thought that was made pretty clear from our takeout nights at my place back in Brockford.”
“Guess I blocked it out. Plus, back then you were….”
My gaze snaps to his. “What?”
He scrutinizes me with suspicion, his eyes sweeping over me in a clinical way. Uh oh.
“Pregnant. You were pregnant last time I saw you pigging out like this.”
I shrug and look back at the TV. “Yeah.”
“Rox? Are you? Ax knocked you up again?”
I snort out a laugh. “Yeah, right.”
Before he can say another word, I scramble to change the subject and end up blurting out, “So, you hooked up with Halle, huh?”
Halle’s the owner of Temptress, a high-end strip club back in Brockford. I introduced Smiter to her a little while back when I was still running things in that city.
“You know?”
“Yep.”
Regret flashes on his face. “She told you the whole story?”
“You mean how you fucked and chucked her? Yeah.”
He grimaces.
“I never pegged you for being that guy,” I tell him.
“What guy?”
“Like Runner?” I figure that’s the best way I can explain it.
He grimaces again at the unsavory comparison. Once again he doesn’t elaborate. I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t want to. I think it’s because he’s not used to talking about this stuff. He’s only ever surrounded by a bunch of hard-ass, stoic men after all. I’m sure the most they all manage is typical locker room talk.
“What happened?” I press.
“It’s been a while since I’ve…got close. Ain’t been in a relationship since…not for years.”
“Why not?”
Emotion flashes on his face then and I instantly regret pushing it.
I’m about to backpedal and apologize, but then he offers up, “Loved someone once. She died.”
“Oh my God,” I say, reaching for his hand and squeezing it gently. “I’m so sorry, Smiter.”
He shrugs. “Long time ago, Rox.”
“What about if you took it slow? Halle’s easygoing. She’s a huge fan of bikers, so you don’t have to worry about her not meshing with your lifestyle. It won’t be another Neil-Rox situation.”
“Yeah, I dunno.” He eyes me. “She holding a grudge?”
“Nothing an apology can’t fix, I’m sure.”
He nods and then leans back against the bed, staring into space.
A somber silence falls between us for too long.
I jump to my feet and tell him, “Let’s go.”
Startled, he asks, “Where?”
“Time to have some fun.”
And time to put my plan in motion.
Despite what my dad said, I can’t sit this one out.
It’s time for the old Rox to start throwing her weight around again.
I need to end this bullshit with Malcolm.
“Come on,” I push Smiter.
He gets to his feet and eyes me nervously. “What you thinking?”
I just grin. “You’re gonna love it.”
***
I push outta the entrance doors into the courtyard where all the noise has been coming from for the last half hour. I was in my office looking over some paperwork on the takeover situation of Reirdon Construction when I started hearing it all the way back there. What the fuck’s going on?
I hear the rev of an engine and the sound of tires riding up and down, screeching and burning rubber.
Shouts, cat calls and wolf whistles rip through the area.
I glance ‘round at the boys, seeing money being exchanged.
“Hey, Prez,” Jack, one of the prospects says, holding up a wad of cash. “She’s the one to bet on,” he tells me, before walking off and pushing his way through to the front to get a look at whatever the hell’s going on.
I push my way through, too. As soon as the boys see it’s me, they lift their chins in a sign of respect and then move outta my way.
Mullet slaps me on the back as I reach the front and tells me, “Makes sense now.”
“What does?” I ask, shouting over the noise.
“Her being your girl. Remember you pulling the same shit when you were younger.”
What?
My question’s answered when I finally manage to get a good view of what’s going down out here.
Jesus fuck.
Instant hard-on.
Rox is tearing shit up on a bike, putting on a stunt show for the boys.
She’s good. Woman’s got some serious talent. Working the bike real well. The boys gasp as she does a standing wheelie like it ain’t no big deal and it’s just as simple as walking is to her, or some shit.
She nods her head at Smiter who’s standing off to the side.
And that’s when it hits me.
Didn’t before, cuz I was too caught up in her stunt work.
It’s Smiter’s fucking Harley she’s riding.
My fists clench and a low growl leaves me.
She’s riding another man’s bike? In my fucking club?
She messing with me on purpose? Or is it that she just don’t get it? Dunno how things work?
I watch her pull another wheelie. She comes off it and then starts drifting, causing all the boys to cheer her on.
Smiter catches my eye and I see him tense up.
He starts making his way over to me through the crowds.
The boys start wolf-whistling and my eyes dart back to Rox.
She’s performing an impressive seat stander wheelie.
Yeah, she’s real good.
My whole body tenses up ‘til the front wheel finally hits the ground again and she coasts to a stop.
By the time she dismounts, the boys are going wild.
Smiter blocks my view as he reaches me.
“Her own bike ain’t here,” he tells me.
My eyes narrow.
“That’s all it was, Ax. Swear it. She needed to blow off some steam with all the shit that’s been happening the last few weeks. You showing up in her life outta the blue, Kent’s threat, being on lockdown here. Girl just needed a breather, yeah?”
I’m tryin’ to hear what he’s telling me, but it ain’t easy when all I’m seeing is red. Seeing her on his bike.
I’m ‘bout to rip into him when Rox suddenly skips ov
er to us. I make the mistake of taking my eyes off Smiter and looking at her.
Her whole face is lit up and she’s smiling from ear to ear.
So happy.
Fuck.
I blow out a breath and take a step back from Smiter. My eyes flash at him. “First and only warning. You feel me?”
He nods quickly.
“What?” Rox asks, looking between us worriedly. “What warning?”
I take in the confused look on her face and that’s when I know—she weren’t doing it to piss me off. She really don’t get it.
I draw in a breath and force my voice to come out calm as I tell her, “Nothing, babe. You were real good out there.”
That killer smile of hers is back then as she says, “Thanks.”
A hand slaps my back and I crane my neck to see Grit standing behind me.
He lifts his chin at the boys starting to mimic Rox’s stunt performance. “Want me to keep an eye on this?”
“Yeah. Shut it down when it gets outta hand. ‘Til then just leave ‘em. Good stress relief under lockdown.”
“Got ya, Prez.”
“Thanks, brother.” I turn my attention back to Rox and tell her, “Need to talk, babe. My office, yeah?”
She nods, says her goodbyes to Smiter, and then follows behind me as I lead her back into the clubhouse.
We reach my office and I open the door and usher her inside with my hand on the small of her back. She lets out a little gasp at my sudden touch. I smile to myself then kick the door shut and cross to my desk. Slumping into my chair and grimacing at the fuck load of paperwork spread out all over the desktop, I look to see that she’s settling into one of the chairs opposite.
“You’re mad about the stunting?”
“No, I ain’t mad,” I tell her. I’m mad ‘bout her riding Smiter’s bike, but not ‘bout the stunts. “But you and me gotta talk.”
“About what?”
“You all right here?”
“Yeah. I’m fine,” she says a little too brightly.
“Something you wanna tell me, Rox?”
“Tell you?”
“Rox, I know. Just waiting for you to admit it.”
She shrugs. “Admit what, Neil?”
“You’re sick. Runner told me he’s seen you throwing up. Food poisoning, Dealer tells me. Why didn’t you tell me? I coulda had a doctor sent in here.”