ONE MORE RIDE

by Sophia Gray

  For some reason, that comment sent me into even more of a rage. I screamed and flew at Val with my hands out in front of me like ragged claws. We scrapped and scuffled—I felt Val's hands lock around my shoulders and try to push me back as I lowered my head and charged into her stomach. Val's body was a muscular mass and she barely let out a cry as I knocked her back onto her ass. As she groaned with pain, I socked her again in the face, harder this time, and felt my hand connect with tooth, bone, and soft tissue. Val's blows on my neck and shoulders were like tiny little punches that I barely felt. Finally, she clipped me hard on the jaw and I felt myself spinning backward, reeling with the force of her punch. As we continued to struggle, I could feel my nose bleeding and one of my bottom teeth was knocked loose. Val groaned and twisted underneath of me, trying to get her mouth close to my arm. She sank her teeth into my flesh and I let out a wild howl—like an animal caught in a trap. Fiercely, I twisted free and smacked her hard on the cheek until I felt the air burst out of her body.

  Suddenly, a pair of foreign hands was on my shoulder, pulling me away. I tried to resist but they were stronger than I anticipated and before I knew it, Val and I were being dragged apart. I looked up to see Alexa and Tara standing above us.

  “Don’t beat each other up,” Alexa said in a solemn voice. “That isn’t how we handle things here.”

  “We also don’t question our leader’s judgment,” I snarled, blood dripping from my mouth. The brief fight had incited a strong desire for more violence inside of me, and I hopped from one foot to the other, ready to rush Val as soon as Alexa released my shoulders. My body was aching but my adrenaline was spiking through the roof. Let me at her, my body seemed to be saying. I’ll make sure we don’t have another problem!

  “This dumb cunt thinks she can hit me and that I’ll shut up. What do you think about that, Tara?” Val said with a smirk.

  I wanted to wipe it off her face. Suddenly, I hated her, I hated her more than I hated anyone else on earth.

  Tara was the MC’s sergeant at arms. She always listened to me, even when she knew I was wrong, and I appreciated that. Glancing between me and Val, she settled her gaze on my face. “Val, you need to back off,” she said in a low voice. “Steph is our leader, and even if we disagree with her, we don’t disrespect her like that.”

  Val looked so angry that I wouldn’t have been surprised if actual venom left her lips. “That’s rich, Tara,” she snapped, wiping her mouth and nose. Her brown arm came away streaked with blood and tissue. “So much for you! You used to be loyal!”

  “Not to you,” Tara replied. “To the club, that’s where my duties are. Like Stephanie, I always want what’s best for all of us, not just you. You’re too proud, Val. You need to remember your place.”

  My injured chest swelled with pride at Tara’s words. I couldn’t tell how she felt personally, but it meant the world to have one of my girls stick up for me like this. It was like someone was finally coming to her senses. Maybe we wouldn’t have to call the cops after all. Maybe everything would be okay, maybe everything would work out.

  “Fuck no,” Val said. She swaggered over to me and stuck her hand out for a shake. “This is over, even if we disagree.” She sucked her teeth and looked at me with a prideful expression on her face. “We gotta agree to disagree, boss.”

  I swallowed hard. It wasn’t the apology that I’d been hoping for, but I got the impression that it would have to do. “Fine,” I said softly. “Fine, it’s over.”

  And we shook on it.

  Chapter Nine

  Isaac

  As soon as Minnie told me that the girl was a member of the Succubi, I knew what I had to do. The Succubi were an all-female MC headquartered in LA. We’d bumped heads with them before—just like us, they ran guns—and I wasn’t looking forward to this confrontation. My stomach twisted nervously. What if the woman had been grilling me about our supplier? Were they planning to steal our business and decimate our group from the inside out? I felt nauseous: if we didn’t have buyers for our guns, our revenue would dry up and the club would be finished.

  I knew I had to hightail it over to their hideaway and convince them not to talk. Of course, that was easier said than done. Much like Nick and TJ had told me, the Succubi didn’t love male visitors. Half of them were dykes, and the other half of them had basically sworn off men. While I was aware of my charms and how well they worked on normal women, the Succubi weren’t normal women. They were a fierce bunch of Succubi who rode like they were on their way out of hell. I knew that I was going to have to do some serious bribing in order to get them on my side—or to even be neutral.

  There were tons of MCs around LA, but the Succubi and Jungle’s Thorns had been at each other’s throats for years now. You wouldn’t think that the market would be so small, but it always was. It was like we couldn’t exist peacefully together, especially not since we were always doing the same line of business. I hated it, but it was a fact of life.

  Back in the day, I was sure that Jungle’s Thorns had no problems putting the Succubi down in…well, in ways that weren't exactly condoned now. My predecessors would have had no trouble swaggering into their clubhouse and raping and pillaging everything in sight. But that wasn't how we worked, and that definitely wasn't how I wanted to take revenge. After all, the Thorns had a code. A moral code, and part of that included no rape. I'd seen too many bikers go to jail for assault on women, and I'd decided as soon as I became the leader that I wouldn't support that kind of behavior. If one of my guys acted out of turn, I'd turn him in myself. Personally. I didn't take pleasure in punishment, but I wanted my men to behave and act like decent citizens. After all, we were already gun runners. We didn't need to be rapist pigs on top of that.

  As the clock crawled closer and closer to midnight, I hopped on board my bike and pointed it in the direction of the Succubi’ clubhouse. They had just recently been awarded a top-charter status, and I knew they’d had cause to celebrate. Hell, that may have even been the party that TJ and Nick crashed. A bunch of morons, I thought. Now I’m gonna have a real hard time because of those two fucks. I didn’t dare tell any of the guys where I was going. I was going to have to handle this myself. I’d fucked up, now I was going to have a chance to turn everything around.

  I packed my saddlebags with cash and a couple of handguns. There was a gun in the back of my jeans and another one strapped to my leg, just in case things got a little too hot to handle. The Succubi weren’t exactly known for their kindness towards men, and I wanted to be prepared. All the same, I didn’t think they’d turn down a few wads of cash—especially if they’d just hit a new status, money would be all the more important to them.

  “You can’t come in,” a woman snottily informed me. She was sitting out front of the clubhouse wearing a leather vest and jeans. “No more Jungle’s Thorns allowed. Stephanie’s rules.”

  “Stephanie?” I laughed out loud. “That’s your leader’s name?” I put my hands on my gut and had a good long laugh. These bitches always want to act like they’re so tough; naming themselves after Greek mythology seemed like a good place to start.

  The girl didn’t think it was funny, apparently. She glared at me as I stood there guffawing and holding my sides until I was stitched from laughing so hard. “Stop laughing,” she said in this hysterical voice after a few minutes. “It’s not that funny!”

  “Oh, trust me, it’s fucking hysterical,” I told her with a grin. “Now, let me in. I wanna talk to this lover of Hades.”

  The girl blinked. “What?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Did you even graduate high school?” I snapped. “It’s from Greek mythology.”

  “Oh,” she said, recovering and pretending to know exactly what I was talking about. “Yeah, whatever.”

  “So,” I said, leaning forward and raising my eyebrow. This was exactly how I’d begin to work on women, and even though I could tell that I was an unwanted visitor, the girl seemed flushed all the same. I winked at her and s
he actually glanced away, showing that she wasn’t exactly immune to male charm. “What do you say about letting me inside?”

  “I can’t,” she said, swallowing nervously. “I’m on guard.”

  “Right,” I said, winking again. “But I’m here on business, you know?” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small stack of bills—five thousand dollars. “You know, this could be worth it to you,” I teased, waving the money in front of her face.

  The girl laughed. “I have all the money I want from Stephanie,” she said, crossing her arms. “You’re not going to win me over with a couple thou.”

  “Five thousand,” I said, reaching into my pocket for another wad. “Hell, let’s make it ten.”

  The girl’s eyes bugged out. Bingo.

  “I don’t know,” she replied, darting her eyes around nervously as if watching for a hornet or another bug. “I’d have to ask.”

  “Why don’t you do that, darlin’?” I suggested in a honeyed voice. “I’ve got lots of time to wait, you know.”

  "Stephanie got in a fight today," the girl said. She blushed and squeaked and then put a hand over her mouth. "Oh God," she said, looking down. "Please don't tell anyone that. I wasn't supposed to say anything."

  I chuckled. She was easier than I’d thought; maybe this whole thing would really be a piece of cake. “I won’t,” I said, winking. “I promise. Just let me in, okay?”

  The girl bit her lip. “Fine,” she said. “Come with me.” She got up from her chair and swaggered into the clubhouse, trying to put on confident airs that I knew for a fact didn’t exist. “Stephanie’s in here.”

  “Of course she is,” I muttered. “Of fucking course she is.”

  I recognized her instantly. Even with a black eye and a few bruises on her cheek, she was the woman from the night before. Her raven black hair fell over her shoulders and her piercing blue eyes stared at me, making me feel like she could see right through me.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Stephanie said, pushing through the crowd of women around her. “Who the fuck let you in?” She made a fist with her hand and swung her arm back, preparing to hit me right in the face. I ducked but another one of the girls grabbed her arm before she could get any closer.

  “Stephanie,” a warning voice said. The voice belonged to a big girl with dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. She looked both evil and venomous. “Don’t hit him,” she said in a silky tone. “We decided we’re letting the cops deal with that.”

  The sound of the word cops sent a shiver of fear through my body and I squinted hard. “Wait,” I said, holding up my hands in the air. “What the fuck are you talking about? Why the fuck would you be calling the cops? We have a fucking agreement,” I snapped. “You know that!”

  Stephanie looked at me with a tired look in her blue eyes. “Come on,” she said softly. “Let’s talk back here.”

  The other girls clustered together and waited in a hushed silence as their leader led me across the concrete floor and into a back room. My head was swimming with horrible thoughts. What was going to happen? Were they really to breach protocol and call the cops? What the fuck was going on here? And furthermore, I had to make this chick think that I had the upper hand or else she was going to walk all over me!

  Stephanie closed the door with a soft click and lowered herself into a black leather office chair. She had a great body, but it was practically all covered. She looked tough with the bruises on her face but I could tell that beneath, her features were fine and if she cleaned up, she’d be a hell of a looker. There was a weird energy between us, pulling us together—I didn’t like it. It reminded me of Candace, that was it. Just ignore it, just ignore her, I told myself. This doesn’t matter, this is just a fucking game. It’s not even real life.

  “So,” Stephanie said. She crossed her legs at the ankle and stared so boldly at me that I felt my chest tighten. “Why the fuck is you here, and how did you get into my clubhouse?”

  I laughed.

  Stephanie looked indignant. “I asked you a fucking question, scum. You oughta feel lucky that my girls didn’t kill you on sight!”

  I frowned and crossed my arms. “And why would they do that?”

  Stephanie rolled her eyes. “I asked you a question first, dickweed. Why the fuck are you in my club?”

  “Because I walked up to the door and gave that cute little girl about ten grand,” I snapped. “I had to fucking talk to you. You have to come with me,” I said, pointing towards the floor. “The business we have to take care of doesn’t need to be within earshot of your club.”

  That got Stephanie’s attention. Her eyes bulged slightly and her hands slipped out of her lap. I could tell I’d said something that really struck a nerve, but she wasn’t the easiest person to read. Even from where I sat, I could tell she was carefully guarded, closed off, the kind of person who wouldn’t give in without a fight.

  “So,” Stephanie said. She swallowed hard and I watched the bulge travel down her skinny, delicious-looking throat. “What are you doing here again?”

  I stood up. “You’ve gotta come with me,” I told her again. “We ain’t talking about it here.”

  “And just what do I tell the club?”

  I smirked. “Tell them you’re doing more recon for when you call the cops on me,” I snapped. “By the way, anyone ever tell you that you’re breaking MC code by ratting us out?”

  Stephanie opened her mouth to speak, then thought the better of it and closed her thin lips.

  “Come on,” I cajoled. “You know it’s a bad fucking idea to rat us out.” I stepped closer and stroked a finger down her bare arm. Just as Minnie had said, there was a tattoo of a Succubus on her shoulder. “You know you’ll pay for that,” I said in a silky-soft voice. “You know that I can destroy your MC from the inside out if you even try anything like that.”

  Stephanie pursed her lips. “Fine,” she said in a dark voice. “I’ll come with you.”

  Chapter Ten

  Stephanie

  I rode on my bike, behind Isaac, all the way to Jungle’s Thorns headquarters. When I recognized the dingy bar, I shivered. Did this guy know who I was? What I’d done? The anxiety and fear that were building inside of my body were nothing compared to the anger I felt. I was so mad at everyone—Val, Isaac, even Alexa—that I could have spit poison. The only girl who I didn’t want to punch at the moment was Tara, and I knew that she’d only been doing her duty with what she’d said earlier. For all I knew, she was a traitor like Val. She was a traitor who apparently wanted to see the Succubi crumble and fall into the dust.

  The ride took longer than I remembered. Maybe it was because my head was so filled with shit, maybe it was because I was so angry that I felt like molten lava was coursing through my veins. Either way, I wasn’t looking forward to what lay ahead. The way that Isaac looked at me made me suspicious. Did he recognize me? Did he know who I was, and did he remember our past together?

  The club was thumping loud. There was a metal band on stage and the floor was filled with men with long hair and women covered in tattoos and piercings. The air was thick with smoke as Isaac led me inside. I almost lost track of him as soon as we were through the door—that was how many men in leather jackets stood inside. I hated to admit it, but being close to him gave me a thrill, unlike anything I'd been used to in a very long time. Being close to Isaac was starting to remind me of how it had been back when we were together, and that was a very dangerous thing to keep in mind. Falling back in love with Isaac could destroy everything, and I knew that I had to keep my guard up. Still, it almost felt good to be away from the rest of the Succubi. It felt good to be around someone who obviously had a problem with me, but they weren't hiding behind cowardice and manipulation like Val.

  To my surprise, Isaac led me to the bar. I would have thought that he’d make a beeline for upstairs, but I figured maybe he needed a little liquid courage first. For the briefest of moments, I actually thought about drugging him again and t
hen trying to escape. But no, he’d managed to find me anyway. If I did that again, I knew that I’d probably be dead before morning. Still, it was a tempting thought. Just slip something in his drink and leave, I thought. Go away and never come back, let the Succubi crumble into the dust and then start something new when I’m in a new world and no one has ever heard of Candace or Stephanie.

  But I knew I couldn’t back out now. I had a mission, just like Isaac did. And I couldn’t fail.

  “Can I get you a drink?” Isaac looked into my eyes and I felt a shiver of something almost unrecognizable, something like lust, flutter through my body. He stared at me for a longer time than he should have, and I felt my mouth go dry.

  “Whiskey, neat,” I said. I was afraid that if I ordered anything mixed, he’d drug me in retaliation for what I’d done to him. “And hurry it up,” I added, trying to sound tough. “I have to get back to my girls before too much longer.”