“Whoa! Easy, darlin’. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
I rein in my anger because Venom doesn’t deserve it. The person who does is miles away. Still, his little comment hurt.
“Sorry.”
“Whatever you were looking at on your phone earlier must have really fucked with your head, huh?”
You have no idea.
“So,” I try to change the subject. “You look like the kind of man who knows his way around the gym. Is there one close by?” My eyes rove over his muscular arms.
“There’s one on Second Street. I can show you if you like.”
“Thanks, but if you just tell me where it is, I should be able to find it on my own.”
He observes me, stroking his beard between his thumb and index finger, his expression unreadable. I don’t even know why he’s talking to me, considering I’ve been a bitch to him all day.
Sheila returns with our food, and as we eat, he begins throwing out questions.
“How come I’ve never seen you before? I’ve been doing business with Jeff for years.”
I shrug. “He’s always come to visit us, I guess. This is my first time here.”
“Where are you from?”
“Atlanta.”
“You staying or just visiting?”
“Just visiting… for now.”
“Cool.”
I look from his plate to mine, wishing I could eat like him. However, I need to stick to my diet; one wrong thing and I blow up like a balloon.
“You want some?” he asks with a grin, offering a healthy bite on his fork.
“No, thanks.”
I stab some lettuce with my fork, cursing my slow metabolism and people like Venom and Sheila who could probably eat whatever they want.
“What’s the Death Dealers?” I ask.
“It’s the MC I belong to.”
“MC?”
“Motorcycle club.”
“So what, you guys ride together, talk about bikes and stuff?”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Something like that. It’s much more, though. We have elected officers, meetings every month, pay dues, stuff like that.”
“And you’re the treasurer?” I point to the patch on his vest with my fork.
“That’s right. I handle all the money.”
“Okay. And you all wear those leather vests?”
“It’s called a cut, and yeah, we all wear them.”
“Sounds interesting. Can women join?”
“Not our club, but there are female MCs all over.”
“Oh.”
Without missing a beat, he asks, “You wanna get outta here, Em?”
The fork falls from my fingers. “Wh… what?”
“I said….” He leans forward, lowering his voice, his deep register sending tingles shooting through my body. “Do you want to get out of here?”
“But… why?”
“Why do you think?”
“I don’t understand. Other things aside, I’ve been bitchy to you since the moment we met.”
“Maybe I like bitchy. Besides, you’re obviously angry about something, and angry sex is the best.”
“You want to have sex… with me?”
“Why did you say it like that?” His brows knit in concern.
“Like what?”
“Like you think I’d never even consider it.”
“Because that’s exactly what I think.”
He looks down at my plate, then back to me, eyes boring into mine. His penetrating gaze is too much for me, so I avoid it.
“Is it because she turned you down?” I indicate Sheila with a slight jerk of my head.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Emily. Fucking sexy as hell. I’m pretty sure most men would give up their left nut to fuck you.”
I stare at my plate, pushing the contents around with the fork. I don’t know why he’s saying these things to me, but I wish I could believe them. I wish they were true.
But he’s wrong.
So wrong.
I feel the shift in him, the change. Him pulling away. I keep my gaze averted, oblivious as to why I care. I just met the man; so what if he thinks… whatever it is he thinks about me? It shouldn’t matter.
But it does.
While keeping my eyes down, I’m still able to see him toss his napkin on the table before sliding out of the booth.
“When you leave here, continue down Main Street. Take the first left onto Second Street and the gym is the third building on the right.”
I finally meet his gaze, unable to read anything in his passive expression.
“See you around, Emily.”
After making a stop at the counter, he leaves the diner without a backward glance. I push the remaining portion of my salad away, no longer hungry. Venom may not know it, but I did him a favor. Having sex with me would be awful, angry or not.
“Can I get you anything else?” Sheila asks as she bounces up to the table.
“Just the check, please.”
“No need to worry about that.” She winks, confusing the hell out of me. “Venom took care of it. My tip, too,” she adds, compounding my confusion.
“He did?”
“Yep. Told you, in and out.” She giggles, clearing the table and walking away.
Yeah. Not my panties. Even if I believed he wanted to have sex with me, it would take more than paying for my lunch to make it happen. I have to admit, though, it was a nice thing to do, considering the shitty day I’ve been having.
Since my day is looking up, I try to keep the momentum going by heading straight to the gym. The sign on the building says “SHED.” The letters seem to be stripping, but a closer look reveals that’s actually the design… the letters are shedding. That’s pretty cool.
The cute guy behind the front desk gives me a bright smile, his teeth shining like a whitening commercial. “Hi there!” He steps from behind the desk, voice injected with more pep than a high school cheerleader. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating. He is pretty upbeat, though. By the size of him, he must have adrenaline to spare. I’m talking swole. “Welcome to Shed. I’m Kurt. How are you doing today?”
“Good. Nice to meet you, Kurt. I’m Emily.”
I take his outstretched hand, glancing at his bicep and how it’s straining against the sleeve of his red polo shirt.
“What can I do for you today, Emily?”
“Well, I’m in town visiting and was wondering if I need a membership. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here.”
“You’re in luck!” he announces, grabbing a brochure from the desk and handing it to me. “We have a special going on right now. You can get the first month free, access to all our equipment and classes, and fifty percent off at our juice bar.”
“Wow. That sounds amazing. What’s the catch?” I raise a curious brow.
“No catch. Most people end up getting memberships before their month is up. I’ll make an exception for you since you’re a guest in our little town.”
I blush, averting my eyes when his gaze goes from business to something quite the opposite. What is it with the men in this town? Two in one day is certainly a record for me.
“Would you like a tour?” Kurt asks.
“Sure.”
I let him lead the way, watching his khaki-clad ass as he walks ahead of me. He points out a juice bar and the showers before showing me the main area, which is huge. It contains every machine you could possibly think of. On one side, there are treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals, steppers, rowers, and a bunch of others. The opposite side is devoted to weight training. The walls are mirrored and there are water coolers scattered around the room. Next, we move on to several studios.
“We have aerobics classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and yoga on the weekends. For the more adventurous ladies,” his brows lift, lips curling up in a smirk, “we have pole dancing classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Okay then. That’s my cue to go.
“Thanks, K
urt. Everything looks great. I’ll probably come in tomorrow. What time do you close?” I start making my way back to the exit.
“Awesome. We’re open until ten every night.”
“Okay.”
He reaches over his desk, snagging some forms and handing them to me. “Look these over, take your time and fill them out, and then you can turn them in tomorrow.”
“Thanks again. See you tomorrow.”
“Looking forward to it, Emily.”
I walk out, retracing my steps to the pet shop. Thumbing through the brochure, I wonder how this small town has such a well-equipped gym. It could rival anything in the city. And pole dancing? Sheesh. That’s one class I will not be participating in. I’ll just do what I usually do—keep my head down, get my workout done, and get the hell out of there.
CHAPTER 2
***Venom***
“’Sup, brother?” I toss a chin lift in Razor’s direction, dropping down next to him on the couch.
“Not a damn thing. Kinda quiet around here.”
I nod, watching a few Hellhounds—our club girls—clean up the clubhouse bar. This place was my home for so long. It still is in some ways, even though I have my own house now. My family is here, from my brothers to the girls who take care of us. These men may not be my blood, but I’d bleed for any one of them, the same way they would for me. I never had that growing up, being the only child of parents who had time for everything but me. Now I have a house full of men who would do anything to help me.
Die for me.
Kill for me.
And fuck if I wouldn’t do the same for them. “Death before disloyalty.” We’ll all uphold the club motto until the motherfucking grim reaper himself claims us all in a fiery hell. Men who live the way we do? There’s no other way we can go. The deaths of two of my brothers proved it. They didn’t go silently in the night. No, they were painfully ripped from this life, leaving the rest of us wondering when our time will come. I’m lucky I’ve made it all the way to thirty-five.
I glance toward the DJ booth and the picture of our most recent fallen brother. Like Razor said, it’s been quiet around here, but not in a good way.
Growing up, I never thought I’d be a member of a motorcycle club, let alone an officer in one. What I’ve found with this group of people gives me the courage to face my fate head on. Because of them, I’ve lived a full life.
“Hey, fuckers.” Crow walks up, taking the empty spot next to Razor, scratching the scar zigzagging down his cheek.
“Hey, asshole,” I reply, making Razor chuckle.
We’re joined by Tek, who, as usual, produces his laptop and starts tapping away at the keys. The way his tongue is worrying his snake bite piercings, I’d say he’s in hacking mode. The fucker does that shit for fun, hacking sites just to prove he can. Makes sense, I guess—practice makes perfect. Based on some of the places he’s gotten into, I’m surprised the FBI, CIA, NSA and every other organization haven’t busted down our doors yet.
“How was that chick last night?” Razor asks, nudging my leg to get my attention.
“Shit.” I’d already forgotten about the girl I took to my room last night. One of the Hounds brought her around. She was pretty enough, but that was the extent of her pleasing qualities.
“That bad?” Crow chuckles. Tek glances up from his screen, waiting for my answer.
“That shit was like the big bad wolf huffed and puffed through it. Bitch had no walls. I had to fuck her mouth to get off.”
“You sure her being big was the issue?” Razor laughs and the others join in.
“Fuck y’all. You’ve seen my monster. Ain’t nothin’ little about me, so just imagine what her pussy was like. Shit.”
“Maybe you should follow in the steps of the prez and VP,” Tek suggests, returning his attention to his screen.
“An old lady? Fuck no. I’m not built for that shit.”
My old lady’s father is dead, and her mother hasn’t been born yet. You know what that means? She doesn’t and will never exist.
“You know who you sound like right now?” Razor asks.
Sighing, I shake my head as I remember my prez’s pre–old lady days. “Gage.”
“Exactly. He fought that shit so hard, but we all knew he was a goner the moment he met Raven.”
“Yeah, but look at everything they went through.”
“Ask him and I’m pretty sure he’ll tell you it was all worth it,” Tek chimes in without looking up.
“Maybe.”
As Melody, one of the newer Hounds, passes by, I snag her wrist and tug her down onto my lap. She giggles, admonishing me, but at the same time grinding her ass on my dick. I’m about to bury my face between the blonde’s tits when my phone rings, interrupting me.
“Yo, Prez,” I answer, squeezing Melody’s ass as she kisses my neck. “What’s up?”
“A party,” he answers.
“What are we celebrating?”
“Got big news. I’ll be there in a few hours, but get the girls and the prospect on it, yeah?”
“You got it.” I smack Melody’s ass, getting her to slide to the couch while I hop to my feet. I catch her little whine of disappointment but ignore it as I head to the chapel. “Party tonight, boys!” I shout. After grabbing some money from the safe and recording the withdrawal, I make my way back to the bar. Chopper, our ex-president and Gage’s father, walks in with Mikey, his daughter’s four-year-old son.
“Hey, Chopper. Prez says there’s a party tonight.”
“Hear that, little man?” He turns to Mikey. “Looks like you get to help me on the grill today.”
“Burgers! Cool!” He pumps his little fists in the air.
The kid is cute, looks just like his daddy. Too bad Eddie died before his son was born.
Eddie. Another casualty of the lifestyle.
“What’s the occasion?” Chopper asks. “Not that I mind. Gives me an excuse to be on the grill before the weather makes it impossible.”
“No idea. He just told me to get the ball rolling.”
He chuckles. “That’s my son for ya. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Chopper.”
I recruit Tyler, our prospect, and two of the Hounds, Trixie and Melody, sending them on a store run. I have no idea what we’re celebrating, but Trixie and the prospect know the drill. We haven’t had a party in a while, and since we’ve turned the DJ area into a showcase, I head back into town to get some equipment. I grab some Bluetooth speakers, then stop by my house to pick up my iPod. These will have to do for now. I’ll talk to Gage about a better setup later.
By the time I have everything connected and music playing low, Tyler and company return, stocking the bar and laying out snacks.
Gage walks in with his VP, Einstein, their old ladies in tow. As much as that life’s not for me, I’m happy for them. Raven and Ellen are gorgeous. More than that, they’re good women and they love their men. I couldn’t ask for better for my brothers.
I watch as Mikey runs to Einstein and the man lifts him into his arms. His mother says something to him that has his eyes going wide.
“Yay!” he shouts, loud enough to catch everyone’s attention. “I’m gonna be a big brother!”
Well shit. First Gage, now Einstein. This place will be crawling with little tykes soon.
“Yeah, you heard right. We got a bun in the oven,” Einstein announces to the room.
Everyone cheers, including me. Before the noise can die down, Gage leads Raven, Ellen, and Einstein to the front of the room. He instantly commands everyone’s attention without even uttering a word. We listen expectantly, waiting for his announcement as he raises his beer for a toast.
“I know it’s been a little depressing around here, but today we have reasons to celebrate,” he says before turning to Einstein and Ellen. “My sister and VP are expecting a little one.” That gets more cheers. “And we found out my baby doll is having twins.”
“Holy shit!” I exclaim.
“Y’all some fertile mother—” I remember the kid in the room and quickly stop myself. “—people.”
“Yeah, well… life is short,” Gage says, facing the now empty DJ booth. “So we’re going to live it to the fullest.” He tips his beer bottle, splashing some of the liquid on the floor for our fallen brother. “In memory of our brother, Graham ‘Allah’ McKnight. Rest in peace, bro. You’re truly riding free now. See you on the other side.”
“Hear, hear!” we all shout, then scatter when it’s evident this portion of the evening is over. I take a stool on the far side of the bar, away from everyone. I watch Gage, his hand resting protectively on Raven’s stomach as he talks to her. Shifting my attention to Einstein, I notice him hustling Ellen in my direction.
They’re happy. After all that happened to both their old ladies, they’ve moved on, starting families. I couldn’t do it. That’s why I have snakes. Well, one of the reasons.
Thinking about my snakes has my mind drifting back to Emily in the pet shop today. The look on her face when she found the mice was priceless. I don’t even realize it put a smile on my face until Einstein stops in front of me.
“What are you grinning at?” he asks.
“Nothing. Just thinking about something that happened today.”
“Bullshit. That smile involves a woman. Who is she?”
I chuckle, scratching my chin for distraction. “It’s not like that, bro.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
His sarcasm amuses me, leaving me grinning at his retreating back. I can’t say I’m not attracted to the sexy blonde, but that’s as far as it goes. I’d fuck her in a heartbeat, but I’m not looking to make anyone my old lady.
Not now, not ever.
***Emily***
I’m wiping the sweat from the back of my neck when a familiar voice sends a tingle up my spine.
“Emily.”
That. Voice. It’s deep and smoky, lighting up my nerve endings.
I legit think if the right words were whispered in my ear, I would come with zero physical contact.
That’s exactly why I need to stay away from him.
Slowly, I turn to face the owner of the voice. “Venom,” I acknowledge him.
Renascence: Death Dealers MC Book 5 Page 2