by Karen Renee
“Now that’s bullshit too, because no girlfriend is going to let another girlfriend have her shoes stolen from her. And if a bitch thinks she can try a fool-thing like that, she’s gonna learn a lesson.”
I glared right into Vamp’s blazing blue eyes and said, “This cannot stand.”
“They’re shoes, and apparently they weren’t the name-brand heels you’re talkin’ about, but the motorcycle boots that you’ve had probably since six years ago.”
Whew, that’s a relief! I thought, but I did not give voice to that thought. It would have served her right to think that she stole a pair of Jimmy Choo heels only to get home with her heist and find out they were motorcycle boots.
I heard a voice ask, “Christ! How many pairs of shoes does she have in the back of that thing? Found the bitch carrying that box, but I still saw three boxes of shoes in the back when I passed by just now.”
Confusion was written all over my face and I didn’t need a mirror to know it. Vamp read it, spun on his heel and moved to the side. Rage’s bulky frame replaced Vamp at the door, which prevented me from making any headway toward getting outside.
Then I heard Vamp roar, “What the fuck did you put in her truck, bitch?”
I couldn’t hear or see what Starla might have done, but then I heard Vamp roaring in frustration. Rage turned his head, as we both saw Vamp running toward my vehicle. At that point Starla screeched, “No!”
I didn’t know where the strength came from in me, or if I had just lucked out and taken the brick-wall that was Rage by surprise, but I managed to shove him out of my way and I was running out toward my SUV. Vamp turned around when Starla screamed. He saw me approaching and suddenly he took two huge strides toward me. He tackled me but managed to turn us so he took the brunt of the fall. No sooner had we hit the ground than the horrible sound of an explosion could be heard.
My mind turned into a void of nothing as I watched flames form at the front of my car. If the flames are at the front, then you could save your other pair of shoes! Yes, that was the thought I had. I know it was dumb and materialistic at best, but I couldn’t help myself. I wrenched myself away from Vamp and rushed over toward the back of my SUV. There were shards of glass everywhere. Roll, Blood and the two prospects rounded the vehicle and were shooting fire extinguishers at it. I took a step toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and found my progress halted by the iron grip of an arm at my stomach.
“Whatever the fuck you think you’re doin’, you’re not doin’ it. Let my brothers get the flames out and go back inside. Do not test me, Rainey. I didn’t find you again after six years just to lose you to the fucked-up shit that cunt has decided to pull.”
I knew I was being stupid, so I gave into Vamp’s request and trudged back to the patio outside the clubhouse. Rage was there with his arms folded over his barrel chest and he jerked his head backwards toward the door he wanted me to go through. I feinted as if I was going to do that, but then walked directly to Starla who was being held back by Henry and Cal.
“Get inside,” Henry growled at me.
I didn’t even look at him. I looked into the crazed green eyes of this world-class bitch. Nothing I had to say would penetrate with her, I didn’t need a past history with her to know this. I was debating on what I wanted to do to her. I wasn’t practiced at bitch-slapping someone with my left hand. I noticed Cal give some sort of head jerk to Rage behind me and felt his presence behind me, so I knew I had to act fast. It was cruel, but then again bombing a girl’s ride was pretty fucking cruel too, so I let it fly. I curled my fingers around my cast, and I hit her with my right hook.
CHAPTER 24
“Fuck a duck! Who knew Vamp would settle down with someone so damn high-class? You got any sisters, baby?” Rage asked me from the kitchen, as I came out of Vamp’s room.
I blushed at the compliment, but shook my head. Mallory was in the kitchen making toast, and she turned to Rage to say, “Haven’t you figured it out yet, Rage? The really good ones never do have sisters.”
Abby’s voice called out from the common area, “I take offense to that. That shit ain’t always true, Rage. I got three sisters –”
“Then why ain’t I met any of ‘em,” he yelled back to her.
“If you didn’t interrupt me, you’d have heard me tell you that they’re all three married. What Mallory means to say is that you have to be damn quick to get the good ones.”
I moved further into the kitchen for something to eat, and Mallory said, “My God, that dress is hot! I wish they would’ve had another in a cherry-red color, but nooo, they only had that shade of teal.”
I was wearing my teal-and-black rockabilly dress with the flared mermaid-style hem at the bottom. I was still wearing my high heels, and with the right shoes I really felt like an extra on Mad Men. I put two slices of bread in the toaster as Abby came into the room.
I turned around and she said, “Shit! You weren’t kidding. If you woulda wore that last night, those drag queens would have called you out in a big way! Who needs a LBD when you have that dress?”
From the counter where he was leaning and sipping his coffee, Rage said, “I feel my nuts shriveling at all this woman-talk about clothing. I’m outta here.”
Rage stalked out of the kitchen toward his room down the hall and we were treated to a view of his muscled back and tight ass in his jeans. In between his shoulder blades was a tattoo in old English font which said Riot MC. His wavy dark black hair grazed the top edges of the lettering. Below the Riot MC tattoo, in the middle of his back was the Riot MC patch of a clenched fist supporting a skull with feathered wings jutting out from each side. If I weren’t so enamored with Vamp, there was a chance I might have been taken with this Rage guy. I had to wonder if he came by his road name legitimately, or if the guys gave it to him tongue-in-cheek style and the guy was always cool as a damn cucumber.
My toast popped up and pulled me from my contemplation of Rage. I put the toast on a paper towel and slathered it with some butter. I was chewing my first bite when Blood stomped inside, caught sight of me, and said, “Fuckin’ A, Frankie. Did you really have to break the bitch’s nose? I know I work with blood day in and day out at the hospital, but really, I don’t need to see that shit on my day off.”
Before I could even formulate a reply, Abby said, “Oh, suck it up. You love it when bitches get what’s comin’ to them and that’s the least of what that cunt deserves for trying to blow up Frankie’s SUV.”
Blood gave her a cheeky grin and said, “You’re lucky I like how you suck my cock, woman; it’s the only reason I’ll let you get away with that shit.”
“Whatever. Eight years of marriage, you’re lucky I actually still like to suck your cock. Now go put on a shirt. I don’t wanna have to cut a sister because she’s checkin’ out your body.”
I looked at Mallory sitting at the tiny kitchenette table and gave her a baleful look and she giggled. We both had more than enough alpha-badass on our hands with the respective bikers we had in our beds. No way would I go looking for someone else, plus, I was pretty sure Abby knew I thought of Blood as the older brother I never had. I watched as Blood closed the door to his room at the end of the left side of the hall. The door directly across from his room opened and Jackie was walking our way, carrying a handgun pointed at the floor.
My eyes rounded and I opened my mouth to speak but she shook her head at me, and then Henry threw the door open and shoved Starla into the building.
Henry’s eyes were focused on Starla, and he yelled out, “Jacqueline!”
“I’m right here, dear,” Jackie said, as she took the last step toward Henry.
“Release the safety and chamber a round, babe,” he said.
Jackie did as he asked, and then aimed the gun at Starla. Henry moved in front of Starla once the gun was trained on her. The proof that Starla was completely crazy was that she didn’t even watch Jackie with the gun or pay any attention to Henry moving to her front. She was too busy looking m
e up and down. I didn’t care that she was giving me the eye, I was admiring my handy work on her nose. I had thought Blood was exaggerating about me breaking her nose, but he was right. It was swelling up on her face and blood was still trickling down from her nostrils. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
She caught my eyes and said, “You just want a man you can lead around by his cock, just like her,” as she jerked her head toward Mallory.
Henry backhanded Starla with enough force that she stumbled back two steps. I was stunned that Henry had it in him to do that to her. Mallory stood up from her seat at the small table and moved closer to me. I didn’t know what she thought I could do for her since I had to be as surprised as she was, if not more so. The back door opened and both prospects stepped into the foyer-like space behind Starla.
Once Starla was standing straight again and looking at Henry, he said, “Cal and Vamp may have a problem with hitting women, but I don’t. Especially when that shit is warranted, and planting not one, but two bombs in her ride definitely warrants hitting you. Add insulting my brothers and their women, and you’ll get smacked every fuckin’ time. Keep runnin’ your mouth. I’ll be more than happy to compound the fracture of your nose.”
“Two bombs?” I asked.
Henry looked at me. “Shoe box in the back held another bomb. Didn’t go off, not sure why. Not like we’re callin’ in the bomb squad to find out. Roll’s taking care of it.”
Blood had returned to the kitchen from his room. When Henry saw him he asked, “You call all the brothers who aren’t here?”
Blood nodded, “Patch’ll be here in ten. Major, Turk, and Yak in fifteen. You want me to get her bound up?”
Henry’s jaw was set in a hard line. “Take one of those chairs back to my room, tie her to it, and have one of the prospects keep the gun trained on her. Church in twenty.”
Jim sidestepped behind Starla, grabbed the chair Mallory had been using, and toted it over his head to the end of the hall. Blood took the gun from Jackie, yanked Starla down the hallway and followed Jim into Henry’s room. The door slammed behind him. Jackie followed Henry out toward the common room. I finished my toast, refilled my coffee cup and followed them, but they weren’t in the common room when I got there. That was strange, but then I heard a door lock nearby and realized they must have gone in the large room used for church. A sudden memory of Vamp after even a minor fist-fight came to me, and I knew why they locked the door.
I turned on my heel and went back to Vamp’s room. I opened the door and heard the shower running from the bathroom in his room. My feet were starting to ache, so I slid out of my sandals and lay down on the bed. It was almost noon, but I had only gotten roughly six-hours sleep last night so I was definitely ready for a nap. Plus, being tackled to the ground while a small bomb goes off in your vehicle and then decking the skank who put the bomb in your vehicle can really take a lot out of you. My eyes were drifting closed when the door to the bathroom opened loudly.
“Shit. Were you sleepin’?” Vamp asked quietly.
I rolled over to my back, “Not yet. Do you know how bad my SUV is? I suppose I should call a tow truck.”
Vamp was standing by the bed in nothing by a navy-blue towel wrapped around his waist. Those damn tattoos all over his body were taunting me. I heard him chuckle and then he crawled across the bed to me.
“Do not look at me like that, Rain. It’s the very same thing as startin’ somethin’ you can’t finish. Your eyes are gorgeous always, but when you look at me like that it’s like having your hands all over me.”
Like this was all my fault! I couldn’t keep hold on the crabbiness when I blurted, “Then don’t come out here all half-naked and shit and we won’t have that problem.”
He slid his hand along the side of my head and through my hair there, “Gonna let that slide. Clearly you’re tired, and we’ve had a shit-tastic morning.”
I chuckled, “You can damn sure say that again.”
Vamp’s other hand slid along the other side of my head and he lowered his face to mine and kissed me for a long time. He was slow and tender about it and I returned the favor. When he pulled away he gave me a huge smile.
Arching an eyebrow I asked, “Now who’s startin’ somethin’ he can’t finish?”
“I won’t ever finish lovin’ you, just so you know. But, that’s just to hold you over until church is done. Love you, baby.”
I was so touched that my inhale seemed to quiver at my diaphragm. Vamp noticed, “You like when I’m sweet almost as much as you like when I’m rough.”
I scowled. “Way to ruin a nice moment, Cary! I love you, but get dressed. I doubt you’ve got that much time before church.”
*** ***
I dozed off shortly after Vamp left for his meeting with the brothers that they called ‘church’. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to sleep for very long because Starla started causing an unholy racket from the room where she was being held. Vamp’s room was catty-corner to that room, which meant that I heard the commotion she was raising behind that door. I thought about going in there and giving her a right hook to the temple with my casted hand; but if I had actually broken her nose, then I figured there was a chance I could cause very serious damage with a direct hit to her temple.
I had meant to ask Vamp to grab my small overnight bag from the saddlebags on his bike, but once he started kissing me and being so sweet, all thoughts of clothing fled my brain. Now I was regretting my forgetfulness, because I would love to hang out in shorts and a t-shirt instead of this dress. Don’t get me wrong, the dress was great and it would be perfectly comfortable for a work day. It didn’t stop me from feeling way overdressed next to the other ladies who were milling around in cut-offs, khaki short-shorts and tank tops. I could have put on my clothes from yesterday, but they were grimy. At least, the prospect had been able to get the shoe box away from Starla and I had my old motorcycle boots so I wouldn’t have to teeter around on four-inch heels, even if I did have to wander around looking like I should be arrested by the fashion police for dress abuse with poor shoe choices.
Nothing for it, I put on my motorcycle boots and headed toward the kitchen. I didn’t know what it was about us women, no matter the occasion, no matter the location, we always congregated in the ever-loving kitchen. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that none of the women were in the kitchen. They were huddled around a small table on the far side of the bar in the common room. My motorcycle boots made my approach rather quiet and none of the ladies noticed me coming up on them.
“I really don’t understand why they won’t just hand her skank-ass over to cops!” Mallory said.
Abby narrowed her eyes at her. “Mal, you know how things like this work with the MC.”
“Yeah, and if they would’ve turned her ass over to the cops in St. Augustine or Daytona, she’d be in a cell, or worst case scenario, doing community service time.”
“You really think that shit happens, huh?” Abby asked.
Mallory shifted on her barstool, “Well–”
“No, Mallory. We don’t take chances like that and you know it. I will say that I think they should have been harsher with her in March, but at the same time I don’t think anything short of death would have kept her from coming back for Vamp,” Abby added with a sigh.
“Why?” Mallory asked, not knowing I was lurking in the corridor.
“Why not?” I asked. When she had no response, I added, “He’s strong as hell, can dance better than most women, and he’s pierced in multiple places, all of them good for the woman in his bed. What’s not to love?”
I must have tuned out the murmur of noise as the brothers exited their meeting room because Vamp was suddenly at my side, “Singing my praises even when I’m not around to hear it. I knew you loved me, baby.”
“Your ego certainly doesn’t need any stroking,” I deadpanned.
Belatedly I heard my comment, but Vamp pounced on it, “Nope, but my cock always does. How ‘bout y
ou come to my room and take care of that?”
With my best saccharine smile I said, “Pretty sure you took care of that in the shower earlier, honey.”
Major guffawed at my comment, “Damn, sounds like she hasn’t forgotten a thing about you, brother. Prospect, set me up with some Jack.”
Vamp’s arm curled around me and he began to rub my ass, “Been meaning to ask you, what’s with the fancy duds?”
“My overnight bag is still in the saddlebags on your bike.”
I wanted to ask him what they decided in church, but if there was something I hadn’t forgotten it was that what was said and done in church didn’t get discussed outside church, and damn sure wouldn’t be discussed with a woman. Old lady or not, married or not, the brothers kept their mouths closed. Keeping the women in the dark was for everyone’s benefit, but even six years ago, the closed-mouth policy had run off many good women from some of bikers. I suppose it was something inherently in my blood from my Italian father, even if I never met him or his side of the family, but the secretive nature of the men never really bothered me. This might be the one exception to the rule, though, because I knew that church session had everything to do with Starla, and at the same time it had to do with me. I turned my head to try and ask my question, but Vamp’s arm left me and he went to the back door.
Trixie sidled up to us at the table and declared, “All right, bitches. I’ve been ordered to do a food run. Who wants to come with?”
“I absolutely want to come with you! I just need to switch my clothes once Vamp comes back with my bag, and I’ll be ready.”
“You ain’t goin’ anywhere, Lo-lo,” Henry said, as he approached Jackie.
I sighed, “Normally, I don’t wish such ill-will toward people, but seriously, Henry, I hope one day you find yourself cooped-up and trailed like a bad shadow so you can appreciate my pain right now.”
Vamp came back to me, handed me my bag, and whispered in my ear. “You wouldn’t be in any kind of pain right now if you woulda gone back to my room to stroke my cock. Just sayin’, babe.”