by Ami Van
“The other charters are sending more brothers our way,” Tristan says. “We’re just waiting on Kyle and Snails to get us all the info.”
“Diaz is gonna toughen up his lines when he sees more of our brothers coming in,” he thinks out loud.
CHAPTER 10
Dakota
“Stop drooling over my angel like that,” Maddox says to him.
The man clearly wasn’t afraid of him or his cut. But one look tells him Maddox wasn’t possessive of Minx in the way a man wants a woman. The man genuinely cares for her. He’s watched Maddox giving instructions to both Austin and Minx earlier as if they were children being sent to the candy store without a supervising adult.
“Like what?” he asks Maddox.
His eyes were still focused on Minx. When he’d gotten back upstairs to shower, she had already gotten out and was already getting dressed. Once he’d gotten downstairs, she’d already left the main house. He almost felt like she was avoiding him. Except when he’d reached the clubhouse, she’d given him one of her radiant dimpled smiles and even waved at him while she was speaking with Maddox and Austin.
She was wearing an all white off-shoulder sundress that came down to her knees. With her long dark hair in a loose braid, she definitely looked the part of an angel.
“Like you’re the devil waiting for your chance to clip her wings. She’s a lady. She should be treated like one,” Maddox replies.
“Duly noted,” he says. Not that he was quite sure why they were even having this conversation even before he’d had the chance to talk to Tucker, her real brother, about whatever it is he and Minx had going.
One thing’s for sure, he didn’t want it to stop. He’d only wanted more of her.
Maddox walks out of the garage and he watches as Austin struggles to fit the chair that he’d pleasured Minx on just the night before into the back of the van. He gets off of his bike and walks over to give the guy a hand.
“Where’s this going?” he asks Austin.
“To the main library,” Austin answers him once they get it in the van and the doors closed. “It’s done,” Austin says as if he was suppose to know what that meant.
Minx walks over to him and hands him a glass of what looks like lemonade. He takes it from her hand and takes a drink. “That’s refreshing,” he admits to her. “Not riding today?”
“No. I have to drop the chair off at the main library and meet with a couple of people. Plus, we have to get a bunch of supplies to sustain your horde. It’ll be easier to just use your MC’s van,” she explains.
“We okay?” he asks her.
He’d never had to ask a woman that before. Actually. He was...is...an asshole. He didn’t care enough to ask before. Mainly because there was no ‘we’ to speak of.
She reaches up to play with his beard before she tugs on it. He bends and she meets him halfway for a quick kiss.
“I don’t know if we’re okay,” she says, “but I’m really sore.”
His grin grew from ear to ear and she smacks him on the chest. She runs her fingers over his cut and then touches his badges.
“Enforcer,” she reads outloud. “Why are you an Enforcer and not the Sergeant-at-Arms? And why isn’t Caleb here anyway?” she asks.
“You know Caleb too?” he asks.
“Of course. My dad was his sponsor when he was prospecting,” she answers.
“He’s taking some time. His old lady passed of ovarian cancer not too long ago. He’s down in Wilmington at the moment with her family and helping them get her final affairs in sort.”
Caleb was...is...Nomad’s Sergeant-at-Arms and a very good friend of his as well. His old lady, Miranda, was beautiful. Inside and out. She was only 32 when she passed three months ago. Caleb had spent every minute he could with her until her final breath. His friend had fallen apart afterward and Tucker had approved his request to stay behind for a little bit.
“Oh god. I didn’t know,” she says. “Well, I don’t really know what goes on with any Knights, I suppose.”
He takes her hand, the lemonade glass in his other, and they were walking back toward his bike while they wait for Tucker and the rest who were riding into town.
“I have to ride with Tucker and Atticus to meet with the sheriff. But Tristan, Preston, and one of the hang-arounds will ride with you and Austin,” he tells her.
“Is that really necessary?” she asks.
“Just make me happy and don’t complain about it, woman.”
“Oh...you and I are gonna have issues, big guy.” She laughs at him and it makes him smile even bigger.
“You give me grief and I’ll be more than happy to hand out the punishment, short stack.”
Against her white dress, she blushes red so quickly that he didn’t have enough time or sense to stop the laugh that spills from his mouth and shakes throughout his whole body.
◆◆◆
“Tucker DeMarcus. Been awhile since I’ve seen those colors in these parts,” Sheriff Warren greets Tucker though the man didn’t even extend a hand for a proper shake.
He studies the sheriff. What they’ve heard so far were all good things. The man didn’t look any older than himself or Tucker. Sheriff Warren didn’t look cocky like some of the small town sheriffs that they’ve come across either. It’s a good start.
“Been awhile since I’ve been in these parts. You weren’t sheriff of Dumane yet back then,” Tucker says.
“Can I be assured that this meeting is a friendly heads up to inform me that your MC is just passing through?” Sheriff Warren asks. “Just visiting your sister?”
He sees the sheriff’s eyes wandering from face to face between the three of them present. His deputy standing on guard close by.
Tucker shrugs. “Tell me Sheriff Warren, how much do you know about my sister and Reapers?”
The sheriff lets out a loud sigh. He takes his hat off and pats it on his leg as if considering how to answer the question.
“I’ve only become Sheriff of Dumane County two years ago. But I’ve been with the department over 10 years now. In that time, I’ve met Minx...more than a few times. Nothing serious. Speeding. Disorderly conduct most of the time. But she’s clean for the most part. Maddox Williams seems to make sure of it. Her permit to carry is up to date and all. It does baffle me that she would hang out with the likes of Reapers. The few times I have seen her with them, it doesn’t look friendly and it doesn’t look like she’s exactly their favorite person.”
“You ever ask her why?” Tucker asks.
“I’ve never had a reason to bring her in for an interrogation, if that’s what you’re asking?” Sheriff Warren replies. “And frankly, what goes on in the county over isn’t my business to have to worry about.”
“How have you managed to keep them out of your county?” Tucker asks. “Do you have some sort of deal with them?”
“I believe that would be none of your business whether I do or not,” the sheriff replies.
Tucker moves from his bike to sit on the picnic table. He lights a cigarette and waits for the sheriff to join him.
“Look. Take a leap of faith on me and I’ll go full disclosure with why we’re here,” Tucker says. “I need to know where you stand.”
The sheriff contemplates for a few moments before he speaks again.
“If you’re asking if I stand with the Reapers. The answer is ‘no’,” the sheriff replies. “As to your question about how they’ve been staying clear of our county. Well, I may be the sheriff here but I still have higher ups.”
“So you’re saying Reapers made some kind of deal with your boss?” Tucker asks.
“I can’t be sure. It could be some kind of deal. It could be blackmail. It’s something because every time they’ve set foot in my county for whatever reason, I’m forced to take the day off. That’s the truth and that’s all I know.”
“My sister,” Tucker starts and then stops to take a drag of cigarette. “Reapers have been blackmailing her. Forcing her to
make runs for them.”
“What?” Sheriff Warren asks. “Blackmailing her with what? Why didn’t she come to us for help?”
“You think you can go up against Reapers? You and your department of what? Fifteen deputies?” Tucker asks. “They have my old lady and my kid. That’s what they’re using to blackmail her with. As of right now, we don’t know were Diaz is keeping them. But that’s why we’re here.”
“Jesus Christ!” Sheriff Warren says. “Tricia Morrison? Everyone thought she’d disappeared with you ten years ago.”
It made sense now why no one ever reported Tucker’s old lady as missing. Of course, people would assume that she left town with Tucker. Talk about shitty timing.
“I don’t know how much pull you have in Rouche County but I’m looking for information. Any kind of information on the whereabouts of my old lady and my kid. That’s all I want back,” Tucker says. “I want my sister free of Reapers too. Even if that means we stay till they’re cleared out and decommissioned.”
“Christ, this is going to be a fucking bloodbath,” the sheriff says. “I don’t have any problems with Rouche County sheriff. He’s fairly new too but from what I hear, he’s easily persuaded. I’ll see what I can find out. But I need to know that my people here aren’t going to be hassled and the county isn’t going to be terrorized by your MC.”
“I can give you my word. We don’t plan on going into their turf and starting shit. But if they set foot here, we’re not just gonna lay down for them to run us over either. So I suggest you keep your department clean and make sure you don’t have anyone there letting them run rampant here like the rabid rats they are.”
There wasn’t any handshaking after that. Tucker and Sheriff Warren simply nods at one another before the sheriff and his deputy leaves the area.
“Think he’s really clean?” Atticus asks.
“Seems so,” he answers and sees Tucker nodding.
“I like him,” Tucker says. “He’s one of those hometown heroes even back in high school. And it works out better for us that he isn’t nosy. Doesn’t care about what happens anywhere else but this county.”
◆◆◆
They pull up to the barbeque joint that Tristan had called for them to meet up at. He pulls his bike in alongside Tucker's. Atticus on his other side. He takes his helmet off and adjusts the bandana on his forehead to wipe the sweat. His eyes scanning his surroundings behind his sunglasses.
The place was bigger than he had expected. Parking lot seems nearly full and he can hear country music coming out of the place. He sees the cargo van and Tristan’s bike on the side.
“Tristan says they’re sitting on the back patio,” Atticus tells them and heads in that direction.
“You think the sheriff’s solid?” he asks Tucker.
“Kyle says his shits clean. But now that we know his bosses might be into something, I’ll tell Kyle to dig for some leverage,” Tucker answers.
They walk into the back area which looked more like someone’s actual backyard with a bunch of picnic tables rather than the back of a restaurant. There was a pretty large dance area though.
Atticus points at Preston who was waving them over to two picnic tables that were close together. He can feel eyes watching them as they move through the crowd. Like Sheriff Warren said, it must have been a long time since people have seen Knights in the area.
“Hope you boys are all hungry,” Preston says. “We’ve got a shit ton of brisket and ribs coming out.”
Kris gets out of his seat and moves around to the other side. The kid grabs bottles of beer from the bucket of ice and opens it for each of them.
“Where’s Tristan and Minx?” he asks Preston.
Preston points to the dancefloor. They all turn around to see Minx and Tristan dancing to some country song. Austin was next to them with a blonde.
Minx sees him watching her and she waves at him.
“Run into any trouble?” Tucker asks Preston.
“Nah. Minx met with a couple of people about some work she’s doing for them. Stopped at the bank and then the market before we stopped here,” Preston says.
It didn’t take long before a few of the local ladies stop by their table. Of course, Tristan would be right there like a vulture swooping in for flesh. But he doesn’t see Minx. He turns around and sees her stopping and speaking with a tall dark-haired guy. She was laughing with him with familiarity. A second later, she was bending down and giving a small little boy a hug.
The guy must have convinced her to have a dance with him because she picks up the little boy and sits him on her hip while the guy takes her hand and leads her back to the dance floor while a slow country tune plays.
He watches the guy slide his hand behind the small of her back and she rests her hand on his pec while holding the kid with the other arm and they slowly sway to the song. Both of them laughing and smiling along with the little kid.
The scene bugged him. He knew what the guy was thinking. And had it not been for the kid in Minx’s arm, he’d stalked over there and shoved the guy into Timbuktu by now. But he waits the two minutes and forty-nine seconds for the song to end and for dark-haired guy to take his hand off his girl. She hands the boy over to the guy before waving at the two of them and walks toward their table. Her white dress and dark hair flowing with the breeze.
Fuck. She was fucking beautiful, the dimples on her face hypnotizing him as she gets closer.
She reaches him and places a soft kiss on his cheek before turning around and pulls on Tucker’s ear lobe.
“I ordered you some briskets,” she says to Tucker.
“My fucking favorite,” Tucker says. “You remembered.”
She turns and faces him, swinging her legs over to sit next to him. “I ordered you some pulled-pork and ribs. Is that okay?” she asks.
“Yeah. Thank you,” he tells her before placing a kiss on her cheek.
“I picked up some more packs of t-shirts for you and Tucker too. I thought the two of you might need more than a few while you’re here.” She smiles up at him.
He places a kiss on her bare shoulder. She was warm and cool at the same time. His hand slides possessively across her back, resting on her hip and pulling her closer until she was leaning on him.
“Don’t spoil me too much, short stack.”
“Gives me an excuse to shop,” she whispers to him.
“Who’s the guy eye-fucking you over there? The one with the kid?” Damn but he sounded jealous as hell. Maybe she won’t notice.
She might not have noticed but Tucker most likely did based on the scowl his Prez was sending his way before looking down at the back of Minx’s head and then up at him.
“Parker,” Minx answers her. “He’s just a friend,” she says. “His son is super cute.”
“The little chick magnet is his kid? Figures.”
“Yeah. Hunter’s adorable. He’s four. I met them at the library a while back,” she tells him. Her fingers were playing with the chain hanging from his belt to the wallet in his back pocket.
“Let me guess. He wants you,” he gruffs.
She looks at him, surprised.
“No! We went on a couple of dates but it didn’t go anywhere,” she tells him.
He gruffs louder. “Didn’t go anywhere,” he quotes. “I’m sure I know where exactly he wants it to go.”
The food starts arriving at that time and she shoves a roll into his mouth with a laugh.
“You’re cute,” she tells him. “Eat. You’re hangry is showing again, big guy.”
CHAPTER 11
Dakota
“This thing with you and Minx seems to be getting serious,” Tucker says to him from his seat. They were sitting at the bar in the clubhouse. As usual. Except it was just him and Tucker at the bar for the moment.
“You’ve spent every single night with her since we’ve been here,” Tucker adds in.
That was over two weeks ago. He didn’t realize his Prez had been paying attention
with brothers coming in from five other charters and their daily meetings.
Tucker always seemed lost in his own head, trying to cope with all the shit that’s happened and all the shit that was about to go down. But the man made it look easy though. Guess that’s why he was their President.
“Yeah,” he finally answers Tucker. “She’s...” he didn’t know how to put it in words what she is. Amazing. Fucking fire, oxygen, strength, and good all wrapped in one hell of a sexy package.
“I honestly don’t know, Tuck. Hard to put in words at the moment.”
“Just do me a solid, brother.” Tucker gives him a pat on the back. “Make sure you’re both on the same page and she knows what she’s in for. As tough as she is, she’s still a woman and women still want stability. Mercy...she deserves that more than anything after how badly I fucked it up for her.”
It all comes down to the fact that they’re Nomads and this wasn’t permanent, didn’t it?
“How are you holding up?” he asks Tucker.
“I’m a shitstorm of self loathe inside. I know I don’t look like it but we have over 50 of our brothers here waiting to help. I don’t have a choice but to keep it together. I have a kid that I’ve never seen before. I was a shitty person before and now I’m a shitty father too.”
“You knew she was pregnant before you left,” he says to Tucker. “Why didn’t you keep in touch with them?”
“I was 27 when I left. This life is all I knew growing up. It had its hooks in me and all I wanted to do was be a part of it in every way I could. I worked hard to get voted in and rose the ranks till I earned this President’s patch.”
“A kid wasn’t in the plans?” he asks.
“It wasn’t that. I’d always wanted to travel. We’d already had plans to go Nomad. And Tricia, she knew this. One of the reasons I made her my old lady was because she understood me. She knew what I wanted and I never let her understand differently. When I left, I’d thought her, Minx and the baby would just take care of each other. I’d come back when I could. But I got what I wanted,” Tucker sighs. “I got sucked into the life I wanted. Weeks turned into months and months turned into years and during that time, she’d never once tried to reach out to me. Figured she’d moved on to something better. I’m a selfish bastard. I didn’t realize that she didn’t reach out because she couldn’t.”