by Zara Teleg
“No offense, but you look a little young to be heading a chapter.”
Vice crossed his arms as he eyed his father.
“He’s almost twenty-five, but he has been by my side learning everything about this club since he was a toddler. There is no one I trust more. That is why I called you here today.” Vicious nodded for his son to sit.
“You all know we have a common enemy in the Devil’s Damned. Viper, their president, may be my baby brother, but it’s been over twenty years since we have split, and I know he would love nothing more than to see my boy fail. Vice is trying to get himself into a legitimate business. You may not expect it from his colorful exterior,” he shook his head in disapproval, “but my boy went to business school and is a marketing genius. He opened his first club in St. Genevieve when he was just twenty-one, made enough to buy a few buildings. The other properties pay for themselves, but this building has been a money pit.”
“What exactly is this place going to be?”
Vice straightened, pride replacing his scowl. “Voodoo.”
“Voodoo?” Colt tilted his head in confusion.
Vice’s Louisiana accent came through as he excitedly explained his vision. “I’m bringing a little piece of New Orleans to Torrentsville. You have never seen anything like this. It will be an experience, not just a club. Its name honors our fallen club founder, my grandfather, Voodoo.”
Vice stood and reached into his pocket; everyone stiffened.
A pile of black tickets with the holographic words VIP Pass was slapped on the table.
“I would like your club to be my guests at the grand opening next month. Bring our clubs together and put the bad shit behind us.” He pointed at Ledge, me, and the asshole from the poker game.
“Only rule—no cuts in the club. Not even ours. I don’t want this place to be known as a biker bar. I promise, boys, it will be worth it.”
Vice continued divulging the details with a huge grin on his face. Vicious finally cut him off and addressed the poker game.
“My boys were not supposed to be at that game. They did not have my approval for what happened to your boy after the game. However, you two should have come to the club, not taken matters into your own hands. This could have gotten really ugly for all of us.” Vicious pointed around the table.
“I’m willing to overlook it this time, but if we want to coexist in adjacent territories, that shit can’t happen again. Colt and I have a history, that’s why this is going to slide. But know this, I don’t give a lot of second chances.” He slapped his hands on the table between me and Ledger, his eyes shifting between us.
“Now, why don’t you all leave the room and catch a smoke? Maybe Vice will show you around. Colt and I have a few more things to talk about.” He placed a glass in front of Colt and himself.
Vice was a cocky motherfucker. He showed us around the club bragging about his grand plans. I didn’t like it at all. I never trusted the Kings. They have the money and manpower to turn over a smaller chapter like ours. I don’t know if Colt was really cool with them or if his gut told him the same thing as mine.
It was a long day. I dismounted my bike, took off my helmet, and stretched out my legs. I looked up and Paige’s apartment was dark, indicating she was either out or sleeping. I wanted to talk to her. I should have texted her on my way home.
The door on to the porch opened as I approached. Knee-high black-heeled boots clicked out the door just inches from the bottom of the short black skirt where Paige’s fishnets peaked out.
“Where are you headed?”
Paige’s head snapped up, her hand flying over her heart.
“Jesus, Kai, you scared the crap out of me.”
My eyes ran the rest of the way up her body. Three inches of her stomach was bare, a dangling belly ring glinted in the porch light. Her button-down shirt was tied up, and her beautiful tits were just peeking out of the top. Her pink pouty lips were glossy, and her mesmerizing eyes were lightly outlined in charcoal.
“Out,” she snapped. Her blond hair was tousled, sparkly earrings poked through the soft waves nearly meeting her shoulder. She looked like she had just climbed straight out of a biker magazine.
“Oh, I see. With whom?” I began following her since she didn’t seem to want to stop and talk. Ignoring me, she opened her truck door. I pushed it closed, my hand resting against it to keep her from trying to open it again. “I guess you’re mad at me?”
She squinted up through her thick line of lashes, her lips squeezed together. “Not at all, I love it when I sit and wait for you and you never come, call, or text. It’s super fun for me!”
“I’m sorry, Tink. I had some business to take care of. I thought you were beginning to understand club life.”
She just crossed her arms, sucking in a breath, and stared up at me.
“Come on, don’t be mad.” I poked her side, which usually earned me a giggle. Nothing.
“Kai, I gotta go.”
“Where?”
“Club business,” she said sarcastically.
“Okay, then I’ll just come with you.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Tink, you look like a fucking wet dream. I’m not letting you go out like that alone.”
“Who says I’m going to be alone?”
I stepped back, my mind reeling for a moment. Did she have a date? Doug was here the other day, and Hack had been sniffing around too.
I grabbed onto her wrist as she tried the door again. “Look, I’m sorry. I know I said we would talk and I have not been here for you. I have a lot on my mind. I’m an inconsiderate asshole.” I pulled her closer to me by the tie of her shirt.
“Well, that we can agree on,” she said.
I gave her my best puppy eyes. “Can’t you just cancel your plans and we can go out and talk?”
“Kai, you had several days to talk to me. You should have thought about that when I was here waiting for you.”
Her words were laced with annoyance and her eyes flared. “I’m going to be late.”
“Please, Tink. Let’s talk.”
“No, Kai, I mean it. I’m leaving.”
Her phone chimed, breaking her attention from me. She looked at it and shook her head. I plucked it from her hands.
“Hey, give it back.”
I held the phone above her head and read Amber’s message.
Amber: Sweetie, I’m so sorry. Can we reschedule? I was on my way to meet you when Sully called me and said it was an emergency.
“Looks like you are free.” I handed her my helmet.
Paige
Strapping on the helmet, my heart fluttered with fear and excitement. Kai climbed on the bike and turned, tapping the space behind him. As he read my face, his eyebrow went up.
“Have you not ridden on a bike before?”
I twirled my hair, examining the seat, my fingertips running across the cold leather.
“No,” I squeaked.
“You’re a virgin.” His wicked grin had me rethinking this. That was until he dismounted and pulled me into him.
“C’mon, Tink, you are going to love it.”
I bit down on my lip, exhilaration humming through me. “If I’m going to love it so much, how come I never see any of your harem riding back here?”
Kai unexpectedly looped his arm around my waist, swinging me into his hard chest. His five o’clock shadow brushing my check as he whispered in my ear, “No one has earned it. I don’t just let anyone on my bike. It’s an intimate experience.”
His words sent heat to my feet and up my entire body. I inhaled—the lingering scent of aftershave was intoxicating. I closed my eyes for a second before allowing him to guide me onto the seat.
“Sweetheart, you have to get close, and hold on tight. I will take it easy until you feel comfortable. If you start to freak out, pinch me.” His grip was firm as he gave my thigh a squeeze. His thumb running up and down made me want to slide his hand higher.
Control your
self, Paige.
When he started the bike, the vibration was like nothing I had ever felt. It brought not only the motorcycle to life but me as well.
Shouting over the beautiful sound of his Harley, he gave me a few more instructions and then placed both of my arms around his waist. He gave both my wrists a tight squeeze.
“You ready?”
“Let’s go.”
I rested my cheek on his back and tightened my grip as we pulled out onto the road. The ride was smooth and yet terrifying at the same time. A tiny piece of me knew that if I let go, my life could be gone in an instant. There was some kind of thrill that came from the uncertainty of the ride. I lacked the normal safe feeling I took for granted in the confines of a car.
My grip loosened as I became more comfortable. I molded my body to Kai’s, allowing it to move with him. Once I relaxed, the ride was more exhilarating with every mile. I could feel the smile on my face, something that had been missing since my trip to Louisiana.
The last inches of light had faded over the mountain when Kai began to slow the bike. A small white church that had seen better days was in front of us. We passed it, approaching the closed iron gates of the cemetery.
When the bike came to a stop, Kai reached his hand back, squeezing my knee. “You did real good, Tink. You’re a natural.”
He dismounted as I pulled my helmet off. I shook out my hair and combed my fingers through. Kai’s eyes burned into me as he watched.
“That was sexy as fuck.”
Kai placed a hand on each side of my waist before gripping and lifting me off the bike. My legs felt like liquid as I got my bearings. I looked around the deserted graveyard.
“Um, what are we doing here?”
“I know you have a lot of questions, and I have been kind of a dick, so I thought maybe if I brought you here, you might be able to understand me a little better.”
His fingers rested under my chin, his eyes fixed on mine. His usual jovial attitude was now replaced with a serious, almost sad tone.
He grabbed the blanket he kept rolled on the back of bike and held my hand as we approached the ancient-looking padlock. My hand lifted its heavy weight.
“How are we getting in?” I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m an outlaw biker, remember?”
Kai brought his keychain to the lock, placing a metal tool into the keyhole. He maneuvered it a few seconds before we heard a click. Kai smiled with satisfaction.
“You cold?” His fingertips ran across the goose bumps on my arm.
“No, I’m fine, Kai. This is just a creepy cemetery.”
He held my hand, guiding me through the headstones. We walked in silence for about a football field before we came to a stop. He spread the blanket on the ground in front of the stone and we sat on it. Kai removed his jacket and pulled his hoodie over his head.
“Arms up,” he instructed. He pulled the hoodie over me. It practically reached my knees.
“Sit,” he said. Kai pressed his lips together, searching for words. “Tink, I want you to meet Ripper.”
Kai reached out a finger, tracing the motorcycle that was carved into the cold stone.
“Tink, I don’t talk about this, ever. It’s painful, and something that I wish I didn’t think about every day.”
I could see the shine in his eyes. He closed them, squeezing my hand, staying silent for what felt like forever.
“Ripper wasn’t just my MC brother. He was like a father to me.” He leaned his back against the stone and pulled me in between his legs, my back to his chest. He wrapped his warm, strong arms around me. I tried to relax and lean into him, but my stomach was doing backflips.
“I never knew my dad. He took off before my mom even had me. She did the best she could, but she was young, beautiful, and broke. When I was seven, she had been dating this guy, Charles, for a while. He wasn’t a fan of kids but never showed that in front of her. But when she wasn’t around, he was a total dick to me.
One night, he got pretty drunk. He wanted to be with my mom, and she was tired when she came home from waitressing all night. He started yelling at her, accusing her of things. I stayed in my room and listened. When I heard something break, I ran into her room. He had hit her with a lamp. She was bleeding. I ran up to him, kicking and screaming. Then he hit me, knocking me out. I woke up the next day in a moving car. Mom had packed all our things and found us a tiny studio apartment down by the train tracks. She said she told the police and that Charles would never bother us again.
The man we moved in next door to was scarier than anyone I had ever seen. I would sit at our tiny window, watching him and the other bikers as they came and went. He kept to himself. Streams of women came all hours of the day and night.” Kai laughed, stroking my hair, twirling it between his fingers. His arms pulled away as he reached into his jacket, pulling out a flask and a pack of cigarettes. He took a swig and offered it to me.
“It’s bourbon.”
I took a small swig, letting the liquid burn down my throat. Kai’s lighter flipped open, the flame passing my face as he lit a cigarette.
“Two months after we moved in, my mother and I were asleep when there was a banging at the door in the middle of the night. I ran from my little bed through the curtain that divided our beds. I dove under her covers. I knew who it was. Charles’s gruff, drunk voice was still tattooed on my brain. We stayed quiet, hoping he would go away. He didn’t. He broke the glass to the door and barged into our apartment. He was screaming, slurring his words, tossing everything he could reach onto the floor.”
Kai reached for the flask again, taking another long sip.
“Kai,” I placed my hand on his. “You don’t have to—”
“I want to.” His hand squeezed mine.
“You can imagine that we were no match for him. My mother pushed me behind her, screaming for him to get out. He grabbed her by the throat, I ran out to the neighbor’s, whose lights were on, and pounded on his door and begged him to help. He ran up the stairs to our tiny apartment and pulled Charles off my mother. Charles pulled out a gun.”
I squeezed his hand as I watched him recalling the events.
“That was the first time I saw what he could do. Ripper was a martial arts and knife-wielding master. In seconds, he made a move that had Charles in a headlock, disarmed, with a fourteen-inch blade to his throat, begging for his life. He removed Charles from our apartment, and we never saw him again after that.
The next day, Ripper came back to check on us. My mom made him dinner. Even though she was grateful for his help, she warned me to keep away from him. Of course, I thought he was the coolest guy in the world. I spent every moment I could watching him and using any excuse I could to go over to his house. From that moment, all I wanted to do was grow up and be just like Ripper. I was in awe of his power. He was my role model. I even tried to play matchmaker, but Ripper swore he would never settle down, and though my mom was gorgeous and close to his age, he wouldn’t touch her and made sure none of the brothers did either.”
Kai ran his hands up and down my legs. “Babe, you’re cold.”
I shook my head and took a long breath before asking, “So, what happened to him? How did he die?”
“I wish it was some grand heroic story, but it was a sad tragedy.” Kai seemed to go off somewhere before he spoke again.
“Ripper had it all. He fell head over heels in love. Jenn changed him. From the day he met her, she became everything to him. A chance encounter, and the little redhead took the notorious Stained Souls bachelor off the market. Those two were inseparable, got married fast, and Rip went from being the club’s sergeant-at-arms,” Kai rubbed his finger over the patch on his jacket, “to husband and father. When Reid came along, I thought he might leave the club if Jenn had asked, but she turned out to be an awesome ol’ lady and wanted to be part of the club. They were so happy, and then one night, some drunk asshole ran a light and hit Rip on his way home from work. He was killed instantly.” Kai’s bo
dy stiffened, “Life’s too fucking short and unfair.” The flask moved to his lips again.
“Kai, I’m so sorry.” My nose and eyes burned as I tried to hold back the tears. He placed his lips on the top of my head and tightened his embrace.
“That is why I don’t ever want to fall in love. I saw what it did to them. Ripper always worried about Jenn and Reid, and Jenn fell apart after losing Rip.”
My voice cracked, “What happened to them? Jenn and Reid?”
“They live in Black Rock, I still see them, not as often as I’d like. When I ran out on you the other day, Jenn had called. Reid had gotten in some trouble with a kid at school. I took him and Jenn out for dinner and had a long talk with him. Jenn has never really gotten over Ripper’s death. She’s a fucking angel. And Reid, God, he looks just like Rip.”
I felt like such a jerk, I misjudged Kai, thinking he was hiding something when he was taking care of his friend’s family.
“Tink, I have been really fuckin’ confused since the day I laid eyes on you.”
I turned to look at him, his eyes now shining under the moon. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” He tilted my face to his, his lips brushing mine. “You, you make me feel things that I don’t want to fucking feel.”
He let my face go and rubbed his temples. “I don’t know how to do this,” he admitted with a grieving tone to his voice.
This side of Kai made me weak. I pushed his body into the stone, brushing my lips gently over his, praying it was what he wanted. His lips opened to mine, and the kiss intensified. The bourbon was sweet on his breath. His hand went around my neck, tightening, holding me in place, not breaking the kiss.
“Kai,” I whispered, “Take me home.”
Kai
Scooping Paige from the ground, I brought her in for another long kiss before grabbing the blanket and heading back to my bike. The ride back was torture. Paige’s body was so close, it felt like it had melted to mine. It had me wanting to pull over and relieve the strain on my jeans.