I WAS WAITING IN line at the Fareway grocery store and getting irritated because there was only one cashier. Dang it, I thought, I knew I should have gone to Hy-Vee. I also should have grabbed a dang cart, but I didn’t expect to grab so much for myself and Remi, and I wanted to make sure Mom and Dad had enough Pull-ups for Remi overnight. She had been doing great with daytime pottying, but the nights were still a challenge. I didn’t really feel up to going out tonight, but my older brother, Samuel, had stopped by and asked if Sean and I wanted to join him down at the little town bar, the Oasis. It was Mama Jean’s birthday party tonight and nearly everyone showed up there at the end of July for her big birthday bash. They closed off the town square, brought in a band, and had dancing in the street in front of the bar. Mama Jean was like a fixture here in G’ville, and her and Pops were loved by everyone, despite Pops’s big bad biker presence. Everyone knew he was a teddy bear at heart.
Speaking of bikers, at least I had a nice view while waiting in line. I was staring at the very nice butt of one of Pops and Mama Jean’s “boys,” as she fondly called them. The MC had been in the area for as long as I could remember. I think everyone knew they were into some shady shit, but they never bothered anyone in town and they kept the riffraff to a minimum here in G’ville. They were also huge supporters of the Adolescent Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation Center that had been built on the north edge of town my freshman year of college. They ran a big annual fundraiser every fall to raise money for it. In fact, they were one of the biggest contributors to its development and subsequent construction after their president’s baby brother overdosed about nine or ten years ago. I didn’t really know him well, as he was a several years older than me, but it was a huge scandal back when it happened.
The sexy biker seemed a little more patient than I was as he messed with his phone while waiting to pay for his Gatorade and an energy bar. I felt myself leaning slightly toward him as I inhaled his light, but rich-smelling cologne along with the leather of his vest and a faint smell of oil or engine grease. I desperately wanted to touch his midnight hair to feel if it was crunchy or pliable where it was slicked back up top. And I would have loved to just “accidently” bump that butt to see if it was as firm as it looked. When I realized what I was doing, I felt my face flushed scarlet and I looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Thankfully, the young girl behind me was too busy popping her gum and reading one of the gossip magazines that they place by the checkouts. Sheesh! The last thing I needed to do was go sniffing after some sexy biker. Besides, a guy on a bike was my downfall once.
Get a grip, Steph! You’re a mom, for God’s sake. Behave yourself! Self-motivation and castigation were not my strong points, since I rarely listened to myself.
We moved up in line and he reached in his pocket to get cash to pay for his items. As I tried to get my racing heart under control, I attempted to distract myself by looking over at the magazines sitting on the rack and reading the covers. I dipped my head so my hair fell over my face, hiding my flaming cheeks and ears.
“Excuse me? Ma’am? Are you ready to pay for your items?” the cashier said in a sarcastic tone. Little high school brat. I hoped I wasn’t that rude when I was her age. She was probably just ticked because the sexy biker ignored all her childish attempts at flirting with him as he paid for his items.
I moved up to slide my debit card and saw the biker walking out the door.
Mmmmmm, straight-up sexy there. Okay, yeah. So what? I could look. Moms weren’t dead; we just had responsibilities.
I grabbed my receipt from the snotty cashier and gathered up my bags, trying to hold the Pull-ups under my chin on top of the bags I had over my arm. The little snot could have called for a carry-out for me.
Little wench.
Going out the door, I saw two bikes sitting off to the left and Mr. Sexy-biker was pacing down the sidewalk in front of the store with his phone pressed to his ear. Just as I passed the two bikes, with another biker sitting on one, the Pull-ups fell from under my chin. Great. I knelt down trying to pick them up, but I was having a hard time with the other bags around my arms. I saw a set of tattooed arms grab the pull-ups, and I looked up into a familiar face.
“Erik!” I said with a smile as I recognized one of my oldest brother’s, Sam, buddies from high school. I hadn’t seen him in years! He was still handsome as ever, with those beautiful blue-green eyes, dark messy hair, and that one slightly crooked tooth that only seemed to give his smile more character.
“Well, well, little Stephie! All grown up. Where the heck have you been hiding, girl?” He gave me a one-armed hug as we stood. “Let me help you get these to your car, babe. Where you parked?” I gestured over to my dad’s farm truck that I had taken to town, and we walked over to put the bags in the back. He looked at the Pull-ups as if he had just realized what he was holding.
“Oh! Dang! Grown and a mom, huh? Shit, some guy is a lucky dog.” He laughed. I didn’t bother correcting him that there was no “lucky” guy. “Don’t tell Sam I said that. He’d probably still kick my ass. He’s always been protective of you, and all the guys on the team were threatened with broken legs if we so much as spoke to you! I doubt that’s changed….” He laughed again as he dropped the package over the side of the truck.
“You coming to the birthday bash tonight?” he asked.
“Yeah, Sam is dragging me and Sean with him. I really wanted to spend my weekend chilling out at the farm, but you know how it is. Sam doesn’t take no for an answer.” I smiled as I prepared to climb in the big Ford F350 dually. Erik gave me a big bear hug, and I noticed the patch on his vest read “Hacker.” I poked him on the nametag and asked him what was up with the name.
“Well, I went away to college for computers, but I got bored, dropped out, and joined the Marines for a bit.” He shrugged. “I do the computer and security systems now. It’s fun and pays good,” he said with a crooked grin.
Pecking a quick kiss to his cheek, I thanked him again for his help. “See you tonight!” I said as I climbed in the truck. I closed the door, started the big diesel up, and slowly pulled out of the lot. Dang, this truck was big and I hadn’t driven it in years. I should have just moved it and then drove my SUV. Bleh!
I drove the few miles home with the windows down and the radio blaring an old KISS song. For a farmer, my dad sure loved his classic rock. I chuckled at the thought of Dad jamming out to his old rock in the farm truck and out on the tractor.
It really did feel good to be home.
I hung up from the call with Snow, telling him we were on our way to the clubhouse, just as Hacker was getting a kiss on the cheek from some homegrown farm chick in short, cutoff, jean shorts. As usual, it made my heart jump at the curly blonde hair and I had to tell myself, it’s not her. After she drove off, he walked back to the bikes and climbed on his bike, sliding on his shades. I climbed on my own bike and looked over at him with a teasing grin.
“Sooooo… that one of your old hos, Hacker?”
“Fuck no, I wouldn’t be alive if it was! That was the little sister of my old buddy from high school. Sam would have strung my fucking ass up if I would have messed with her back then. Besides, she was a year behind us and I was too busy trying to chase college pussy my senior year.” He laughed as he started up his bike.
The rumble of our bikes as we pulled out of the lot drew the attention of people walking down the sidewalk of Main Street, and Hacker gave a casual low wave to those who waved to him. This was his stomping ground and people still loved him as a war hero and the high school football star that took the team to state his senior year. I shook my head with a smile. He had grown up here in Grantsville, and Hollywood was from a small town down the road about an hour from here. They had met during football and had been friends ever since, even with Hollywood joining the Army and Hacker going off to college and the Marine Corp. I was a little jealous of their ties to family and community, but I was thankful they pulled me into the fold and for making me feel lik
e I had always been a part of the club family at least.
We pulled up to the clubhouse, parking in line with the rest of the bikes. I grabbed my Gatorade and energy bar from my saddlebag and headed into the dimly lit interior of the clubhouse. The murmur of voices and the music on the jukebox hit me, wrapping around me like my momma’s arms welcoming me home. I sat at the bar and cracked open my Gatorade. Half the bottle was gone in one long swig, and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. It had already started to warm from the short ride in the July heat, but it was cold enough to hit the spot.
“Church!” yelled Snow, heading to the old board room that was now our “chapel,” or meeting room. I got up from the bar, draining the last of my Gatorade, and setting the empty bottle down in the wet ring on the bar. Cammie, our bartender, grabbed it from the bar and wiped down the counter as I climbed off the barstool. As Snow’s old lady, no one fucked with her. Period. But she was a sweetheart and looked out for us sorry fucks. She gave me a sympathetic smile as I stretched my left leg out to work the muscles again. Almost three years, and the fucking thing still sporadically got tight if I sat or rode too long.
I entered the chapel and sat in my seat as the rest of the brothers filed in, some laughing and joking, some quiet, but all patted each other on the back patch as they passed each other to take their seats.
Bang, bang, bang resounded through the room.
Fuck.
Snow pounded his fist on the old, thick wood table to get everyone’s attention. Vinny, the VP, sat to Snow’s left. The remainder of the officers, Cash and Dice, flanked them.
“All right, all right, come on, boys, we have a lot to discuss before we head over to the Oasis for Mama’s birthday,” hollered Two-Speed, our Sergeant-at-Arms. This brought a fond smile to Pops’s face. Yeah, he loved that woman. The thought of having that someday made me smile for a second before I beat it back, telling myself that shit wasn’t for me. Some of the brothers had old ladies, and most of them were devoted and faithful to them. There were a couple who still fucked around with the club whores and, deep down, that pissed me off, but hey, it wasn’t my place to tell someone else how to live their fucking lives.
I looked around the table at the men who had been my brothers for over a year since being patched. We were a smaller club, but our chapter was tight. We had four other chapters—one each in Montana and Nebraska and two in Missouri. We were the original, or mother, chapter. The majority of the founding members had been prior service and formed the club to recreate the brotherhood and comradery they experienced in the military. It was no surprise that the club ran its businesses with military precision.
“We are set to meet with the Black Souls MC in two weeks in Des Moines. I don’t fucking trust them, but we promised to help with this delivery as a courtesy to our chapter up in Montana. They’re hoping this will help create a truce among us. I don’t know if I’m in total agreeance, but our Montana prez and I go back a long way, so I agreed. We need to be on our toes during this drop off. We’re getting a 20 percent cut of the profits from the deal for our escort and delivery. We’ll meet up with the Montana delivery crew in Sioux Falls where we’ll take possession of the truck. From there we’ll drive straight through to Des Moines. We don’t want to draw attention to the truck, so the bikes and our van will keep a fair distance in front and back. No cuts. We want to appear like random weekend warriors in a couple of small groups in front and back of the truck. Three riders in front, then the van, followed by the truck with four riders in back. Dress like you would expect a group of civie riders out riding for the weekend to dress. Reaper and Hollywood, you two will be the advance party to set up as an eye in the sky to make sure the drop off location is secure.” Snow continued with the remaining details of who was riding where and looking each member in the eye to try to read them for dissention.
“All right then, any other issues or concerns anyone has to bring to the table?” Snow patiently waited for anyone to voice their bitches or questions. No one spoke up. “Next meeting we will discuss more about the status of our prospects. Soap has been prospecting for almost nine months, and he has been a kick-ass fucking prospect. He’s done everything we’ve asked without complaint, and he’s had every member’s back at some point or another. Think about your feelings about it and we’ll take the vote on patching him in at the next meeting.” Everyone nodded and Snow brought an end to the meeting.
We all stood and bullshitted in the room for a few minutes before Hollywood shouted, “Come on, fuckers! What are we waiting for? Let’s go party!” Everyone shouted, laughing and hugging with slaps to their back patches as we filed out and climbed on our bikes. The prez started up his bike, followed by the rest of us. We pulled out of the clubhouse lot in formation as a single unit, two by two, with the gate sliding closed by remote sensor as the last man pulled out.
We rode to the downtown square. We were the only vehicles allowed within the barriers blocking the street, and we all backed in one at a time until we were all parked, lined up and down the street on the side where the Oasis was located on. We were early, but the band had already begun to warm up and the sun was beginning to drop lower in the sky. There were several civilians already at the bar as I walked in to greet Mama. She had temporary bartenders for the event and they were already hopping, taking everyone’s orders. I grabbed myself a Corona and turned, crushing Mama in a big hug, telling her happy birthday. She kissed my cheek with a big smile and raised her glass to my Corona, to clink them together. I usually kept my drinking to a minimum, but shit, I was looking forward to letting go for a little bit.
WE ARRIVED AFTER THE party was in full swing. Even though I hadn’t been home forever, the amount of people that showed up for Mama Jean’s birthday bash each year never ceased to amaze me. We pushed our way into the bar to order drinks and then fought our way through the crowd to go outside to listen to the band. The night air was sultry and people all around us were laughing, drinking, dancing, and having a great time. The laughter was infectious, and soon my brothers and I were taking turns dancing in the street while one of us watched our drinks at a picnic table. While Sean and I were dancing with some friends, I looked over to see Sam standing in the shadowy outskirts talking to Erik at our table. When they looked my way, I waved. They smiled, returned my wave and resumed what I was sure was their reminiscing of their football exploits. The next time I looked over, I saw my brother shaking hands with the hot-ass biker I had ogled in the grocery store earlier today.
Oh my gawd. Just thinking about my blatant ogling was embarrassing. I prayed he didn’t notice me making a fool out of myself today. Sheesh, I had actually sniffed him.
I felt someone dance up behind me, placing their hands on my hips, and I looked over my shoulder to see my old friend Chas from high school. With a huge smile, I reached my arms up over my head, tousling his hair in a teasing fashion, and slid lower against his body as I swung my hips from side to side. He was a damn hottie, but I knew there was no harm dancing like this with Chas since he was gay, so it was all in fun. I was so glad I had let Sam talk us into going because I was having a blast! It felt good to let loose for once, knowing Remi was in good hands with my parents and they weren’t rushing us home.
As I glanced over to the table again, I noticed the sexy biker glance towards the dance area. I didn’t know what came over me, maybe it was the alcohol, but I began to dance for him and him only, using Chas as a mere prop. From here and with him obscured by the shadows, he reminded me of Colton and I felt myself getting worked up as I thought of him dancing with me.
Uh-oh.
The closet wanton was coming out again. That hadn’t been such a great idea the last time, no matter how hot the memories were that were burned into my brain. I just couldn’t seem to help myself. I felt drawn to him in this insane way. Maybe it was the dark hair and fantastic build. Hell, I always had been a sucker for the tall-dark-and-handsome ones. A bead of sweat ran in a slow trail down my spine as I slid my hands
from my hips, up my sides, along the sides of my breasts, to my neck, and into my hair, lifting the heavy curls above my head as I continued to sway and grind.
When I looked over again, he was gone. Damn. I scanned the crowd but didn’t spot his considerable height anywhere. I looked up at Chas, thanking him for the dance and bussing his cheek. I tapped my brother on the shoulder as he danced with a cute, but young-looking, brunette who I vaguely remembered from school. She must have been several years behind me. When he looked up at me, I yelled in his ear that I was going to the bathroom and then to grab another beer. He nodded with a smile, giving me the thumbs up sign. There wasn’t much worry of me walking by myself since we had known everyone here forever. I wound my way through the crowd into the bar.
I finally saw Mama Jean alone with Pops and went up to give her my birthday wishes. She hugged me and, to be heard above the crowd, exclaimed in my ear about how much I had grown and asked if I was back in town for good or just to visit. I told her I actually wished I was back for good, but I had a place and a job back in Des Moines. She pulled me off to the side to sit at a tall table, and I noted Pops kept a fond eye on her from where he stood drinking and laughing with another man wearing the same vest as he had on.
“So what are you doing down in the big city anyway, sweetie?”
I explained what I had gone to school for and what I was doing. She got a speculative gleam in her eye when I told her my dreams of running my own restaurant someday. She asked me if I would stop by to see her tomorrow as she had something she wanted to run by me. I asked if I could bring Remi and she said of course, no one would say anything about her being there in the day and they were slow after the lunch rush. I apologized, explaining I really had to pee and I still needed to grab my beer. She hugged me again, and we separated as she went back to Pops where he folded her in his arms, kissing her head while his long, thick, gray beard must have tickled her nose. I saw her laugh and brush it out of her face. I prayed for a lasting love like that someday. My heart was heavy as I somehow doubted I would find it.
Colton's Salvation: A Demented Sons MC Novel Page 10