by Wilder, L
“To be honest, he was great. He pulled up just as I was having a total meltdown over my car. I’m pretty sure he heard me cussing like a sailor. I think I might have been kicking my car a little, too. Not a great impression, but he was really sweet about it. He checked the engine and noticed that my battery wasn’t charging. So, he offered to get one of his guys to fix it in the morning, and yes, he gave me a ride home on his bike. I really liked it. A lot. I think I liked it more than I should have.”
“That’s just stupid. Of course, you should like it. He’s totally hot, and he drives a badass motorcycle. That alone gets the girlie parts working overtime. You deserve to have some fun, and I think it rocks that he helped you out. It’s awesome that he’s getting your car fixed for you, too. He’s a badass and a gentleman. You don’t see that every day,” Courtney said encouragingly.
“I guess you’re right. There wasn’t any harm in getting some help from him and enjoying a ride on his bike. I mean, that’s all fine and good…. It’s the kiss that has me a little worried.”
“Holy shit balls! You little whore! You so skipped over the kissing part. Who, what, when, where, and why? What the hell? You should have led with that information!”
“When we got home, I invited him to have a beer since the kids weren’t here. We sat on the porch and talked for a while. It was really nice getting to know him a little better. He’s really a nice guy, and he’s easy to talk to. Then, I did something stupid. I happened to mention that I was worried about Myles, and I pretty much pissed him off. He got up to leave, and I knew he was angry with me. I was apologizing like crazy, and the next thing I knew, he was kissing me. It was really incredible. Probably the best kiss I’ve ever had. Am I delusional?”
“You’ve gotta be kidding. There’s nothing delusional about it! Don’t go overthinking everything like you always do. If you liked the kiss, then you liked it for a reason. There’s probably more things you’ll like if you don’t go running for the hills. It’s time to do something for yourself. Your whole life revolves around your kids. You’re always trying to do the right thing, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just give this a chance to play out before you shut it down for some neurotic reason that only makes sense to you.”
“I get what you’re saying. I know I overthink things, but you know I have to. My decisions affect all of us, and I have to think things through. There’s obviously something about Bishop that has me all twisted up inside, but I’m not sure that seeing him again would be smart. I don’t really see this going anywhere.”
“Why does it have to lead somewhere? Just enjoy getting to know him a little better, and then decide if you want to take things any further.”
“You’re right. I’ll just see how things go from here. At least I have some good inspiration for my dreams tonight,” Tessa snickered. “Well, I’m beat. I need to get to bed. I’ll give you a call tomorrow when I get my car back, so we can make plans for shopping.”
“Good deal. I saw some cool pants at Sassy Chic that I want to pick up while we’re out. Talk to ya in the morning,” Courtney said as she hung up the phone.
Tessa tossed and turned for most of the night. Her thoughts kept going back to Bishop. She decided it was too quiet in the house without the noise of the kids, so she got up and turned on the TV. It helped to have some background noise, and eventually, she was able to drift off to sleep.
Chapter 11
Bishop
Things seemed pretty quiet when Bishop walked into the clubhouse. There were a few guys drinking at the bar, while Bulldog and Otis were shooting a game of pool. The music was playing low, and there wasn’t much going on. It was beginning to piss him off that he was called away from Tessa for no reason. He made his way over to the bar where Sheppard and Crack Nut Bobby were drinking shots of tequila. There were several empty shot glasses sitting on the bar, and Bobby wasn’t looking so good. He was looking a little green, and it was past time for him to call it a night.
“What’s shakin’, Bacon? Wanna shot of fire, Prez? Looks like you could use one,” Crack Nut said, swaying toward the edge of the bar and almost falling off his stool.
“Looks like you’ve had enough for one night. You need to go sleep it off. Like now. You’ll be hurtin’ tomorrow,” Bishop said. He turned to Sheppard, “Where’s Goliath? He said there was something going down, and he needed me back here.”
“He’s with Renegade in the kitchen. Some chick came up in here acting all kinds of crazy. She was laying into Renegade pretty good when Goliath took them to the back to talk things out,” Sheppard replied.
Bishop helped Crack Nut Bobby off his stool and led him toward the hall saying, “Hit the sack, man. Tomorrow you’re gonna feel like your head got smashed by the tequila hammer.” Bobby didn’t complain as stumbled into his room and shut the door.
Sheppard and Bishop walked down the long hall heading to the back of the clubhouse. As they entered the door of the kitchen Bishop saw Taylor, Ace’s sister, crying on Renegade’s shoulder. She was about twenty-five, and even with her tear-stained face, she was beautiful. Her blonde hair was pulled behind her ear, and she wore a pair of short shorts and a worn-out t-shirt. Ace had always bragged that she played competitive tennis, which explained her toned figure. She didn’t have on any make-up, but she didn’t really need it with her tan.
She looked up at Renegade and shouted, “How could you let this happen? I thought you had his back! You were supposed to protect him, and you weren’t even there? You were brothers, and he trusted you with his life. I trusted you. I trusted all of you, and now he’s dead, because you weren’t there when he needed you!” she yelled as she shoved Renegade in the chest. Renegade’s eyes never left the floor. He looked totally defeated.
Bishop made his way over to Taylor as she was about to push Renegade again. He grabbed her wrist and said, “Taylor, that’s enough. This isn’t anyone’s fault. As terrible as all this is, your brother knew what he was getting into when he left last night. He wanted to go. No one could’ve predicted that things would turn out like this. It’s been painful for all of us, especially Renegade. You know how close they were, and Ace wouldn’t want you laying blame like this. You gotta know we didn’t mean for this to happen,” Bishop said as he moved closer to her. He had only met Taylor a couple of times, but he knew she loved her brother. There was no doubt that she was hurting.
“Oh Bishop, I can’t believe he’s gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do without him. He meant the world to me. How am I supposed to just accept this?” Taylor cried as she turned and wrapped her arms around Bishop’s neck. She clung to him as the tears flowed down her face. Bishop held her to his chest until she was able to calm down.
“I know this is gonna be rough for you, Taylor. We’ll all be here for you. You’re part of this family, and we’re going to look after you.” He continued to hold her as he spoke to her softly. His hand reached under her chin and lifted her face so their eyes met. “It’s late, and you need to get some rest. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow after the service. Come on, I’ll run you home,” Bishop said as he started to guide her out the door.
“Hold up, Bishop. I’ll take her. It’s on my way,” Renegade said with determination as he took her hand. He never looked back as he led her out the door. His actions surprised Bishop. He didn’t expect him to want to get involved with her like this. Maybe there was more to this than he realized.
Sheppard turned to him and said, “Tomorrow is going to be tough. It’s been a long time since we had to bury one of our brothers, but we need to start making a plan for what happens next.”
“I’ll get in contact with Duce in the morning and set up the meet for Monday. It’s time to cut all ties with them, but we’ll need to be prepared for their reaction. I wanna avoid a lockdown at the clubhouse, but we’ll do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing that motherfucker’s face when we tell him we’re done with them. He won’t be
happy. Did you get the contractors lined up for the garage remodel?”
“Yeah, they’re ready to get started. I just need to finalize the plans, and they’re set to go. It’ll be good to have something to look forward to. I’m headed to the house,” Bishop said. As he started to leave, he reached in his pocket for Tessa’s keys. “I need you to do me a favor. There’s a red Buick on the side of the road down by Matt’s Pub. The alternator went out on it. I need you to tell Bulldog and Otis to get the trailer and bring the car back to the garage in the morning. Get one of the guys to fix it. I’ll need them to return it to the owner when you’re done. I’ll text you the address.”
“Sure thing. I’ll get it taken care of. Belong to anyone I might know?” Sheppard asked with a smile.
“Doubt it. Thanks, and I’ll get you that address first thing in the morning,” Bishop replied as he left the kitchen. He was exhausted and needed to get some rest before the funeral tomorrow. Things were going to be hectic over the next few weeks, and he would have to be diligent to make sure things were done right.
Dealing with Duce was going to be a hassle, but he found himself looking forward to meeting with him. The last time Duce showed his face, he made a serious mistake. His threats could easily lead to a war between their clubs, but Bishop didn’t want to lose any more of his men. He would keep them safe at all costs. He would deal with Duce without putting his men in jeopardy. Duce was a fuckup, and it wouldn’t be difficult to find a way to bring him down.
Chapter 12
Tessa
The weekend had rolled by with no word from Bishop. On Saturday, when she had finally woken up, she had found her car sitting in the driveway. It was running great, but there hadn’t even been a note left behind. While she was out shopping with Courtney, she had found herself constantly checking her phone for a missed call or text from Bishop. She wasn’t even sure he had her number. By Sunday night when the kids had come home, she’d realized she wouldn’t be hearing from him, and she found herself more than a little disappointed. She’d really thought it would be up to her whether they continued what they had started, but it looked like he may have made the decision for them both. Maybe it would just be easier that way. She told herself that it didn’t really mean anything, and he had just been a flash in the pan. It didn’t keep her from feeling just a little bit sorry for herself though.
By Tuesday, she was flat out pissed about the whole thing. She was mad at herself for wallowing over some man. She found herself mad at him for kissing her in the first place. It wasn’t like she was some two dollar whore he’d met at some motorcycle rally. He hadn’t even tried to pick up the damn phone to just touch base with her. Hell, he could at least have texted her at some point.
She was dreading facing him after school when he picked up Myles. They had finished all the signs, completed their list of donations, and started gathering what they needed for each game. Myles had really seemed to enjoy spending time with Drake and his friends. They had laughed and made plans to meet up at Friday night’s football game.
“That’ll be cool. I’ll meet you at the gate at 7:00,” Myles told Drake. He put on his backpack and turned to Tessa to say, “Ms. Campbell, Dad should be here any minute. I should probably head out front.”
“I’ll walk out with you,” Tessa replied. She straightened her pencil skirt and brushed the lint off her navy sweater. They didn’t talk as they made their way to the door. Tessa was feeling uneasy about seeing Bishop. She was still pissed about how things had been left between them.
It was twenty minutes after 5 o’clock when Myles asked her, “Do you mind if I go call Dad? He’s had a lot going on and may have forgotten to come get me.”
“Sure, I left my phone in my room on my desk. You can run and go get it and give him a call. I’ll wait here in case shows up while you’re gone.” It didn’t take long for him to return from making his call.
“He’s on his way. He was running late from a meeting with his contractor. He’s remodeling his garage,” Myles said with a grimace. “I’m sorry he’s so late.”
“It’s no problem. I don’t mind waiting. Sounds like your dad has been busy.”
“Yeah, we had a funeral for Ace on Saturday, and he was gone all day Monday meeting with some asshole from another club.”
“Language, Myles,” Tessa said firmly, then asked, “Was this Ace a friend of your dad’s?”
“Yeah, he was one of the brothers from the club. He was really tight with Dad. The funeral was pretty sad, and everyone was really upset. Ace’s sister was a mess,” Myles replied with a heartbreaking look on his face.
“I hate to hear that. That must’ve been rough.” Tessa began to feel a little guilty about being so mad at Bishop. Just then, he pulled into the parking lot and quickly got off his bike. Tessa walked down the steps with Myles to meet him halfway.
“Sorry, buddy. Time got away from me today,” Bishop said. “Grab your stuff and head to the bike. I need a minute with Ms. Campbell.” Bishop turned to Tessa with an intense look in his eyes. He waited until Myles had reached the bike before he spoke.
He took a few steps toward her and leaned in close as he said, “You know what those skirts do to me, so I’m guessing you were thinking about me when you got all dolled up this morning.”
Tessa placed her hand on her hip and said, “Actually, you’re right, Bishop. I was thinking about you this morning. I was thinking about all the different ways I could remove your testicles from your body without actually going to jail. Let’s just say that I have a very vivid imagination. I can be pretty crafty when I want to be.”
Bishop chuckled. “Ahh… you were thinking about my balls, were ya? Well, that’s a start. Personally, I’d hate to see anything happen to them. I like having my guys around. You might like ‘em, too, if you give them a chance,” he replied with a sexy smile.
“Myles mentioned that you had a busy weekend, so they’re safe for now.” Tessa’s expression softened as she said, “I wanted to thank you for getting my car fixed. I know you had a lot going on, and I appreciate you taking the time to do that for me.”
“No need to thank me. I wanted to do it.”
“Well, I really appreciate it. It’s running great. Your guys did a great job,”
“I should’ve made time to call. It’s just been a really shitty couple of days, but things are looking up. Just seeing you today has already made things a lot better.” He leaned in closer, just inches from her, “You got plans for Friday night?”
“I’m taking the kids to the football game. Actually, Myles made plans to meet my son, Drake, there around 7 o’clock. He’s been getting to know him while we’ve been working these past few weeks. I think he’s become pretty good friends with Drake and some of the other kids.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Myles told me about him the other night. How ‘bout we go to the football game together? We can grab some pizza when it’s over and maybe run by the clubhouse after that.”
“I’ll see if Courtney can watch the kids after the game. If she can, it sounds like a plan,” Tessa said with a smile.
“Great. I’ll be in touch this week,” Bishop brushed his knuckles across her cheek. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. “Yep, you definitely made it a better day.”
Tessa watched Bishop and Myles pull away from the parking lot. She was already looking forward to Friday night. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been on an actual date, and she knew the outfit she’d bought with Courtney on Saturday would be perfect to wear to the game.
Chapter 13
Bishop
Bishop’s mood had improved considerably after seeing Tessa. He was surprised how much better he felt just seeing her standing there waiting for him in front of the school. Seeing her gave his mind a break from the past few days. As he made his way back to the garage, his mind wandered back to his meet with Duce.
Duce brought his VP and his club Enforcer to their clubhouse on Monday. Duce had
on his worn out Diablo’s cut, and his hair was slicked back. He was shorter than Bishop, but he was far from a small man. He was just over six feet tall and was built like a linebacker. His eyes were jet black like his hair, and he reminded Bishop of one of the old mob guys from those gangster movies. His VP, Link, was a much older man with a long white beard that touched his chest. He was on the smaller side, and he stood close to Mule, their Enforcer. Mule was at least six foot three, and his muscles rippled through his tight shirt. His cut looked too small for him, but he obviously wore it with pride. Mule gave them all a fierce look as their discussion turned into a heated argument.
“Ace’s blood is on your hands. Your men were drunk and reckless, and it cost me one of my best men. We buried him on Saturday along with any ties we have with you and your club,” Bishop said with conviction.
“Your man is the one that made the mistake Saturday night. He should’ve been more careful. You can’t put that shit on us.”
“Your men were drinking and put both of our clubs at risk. You should have a better handle on your guys. I’m not putting my men in a situation like that again.”
“My guys handled the situation! They got rid of the cop and cleaned up the mess when your men left them in the middle of a shit storm. Just a bunch of fucking pussies!” Duce spat out.
“We’re done,” Bishop said as he crossed his arms and gave Duce an evil glare.
“The hell you say. I’ll tell you when we’re done! We’ve been doing this for ten years, and we’re not about to stop now,” Duce shouted as he jabbed his finger in Bishop’s chest. “I’ve got too many people expecting their shipments, and I’m not taking the heat because you’ve decided you want out!”