by Sam Crescent
“Who did you speak to?” he asked.
“I don’t know. It was some woman. Said that you were way too busy at the moment but she’d give you the message. I guess you didn’t get it.”
“What did you call about?” he asked, making a note to ask all of the women at the club. The women that were always there were the club whores. When he found out who it was, he’d make sure their asses were cast out of his club. He didn’t want any of them in his club if they couldn’t even deliver a simple message.
“About Bennie. That other boy is not even suspended. They left Bennie out on a bench. Didn’t even let him see the nurse.”
“If you can arrange a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow after school, we’ll get him checked over.”
“I will. I’ll even take him myself. You think the principal is going to listen to you? Allow Bennie back in?”
“I’ve got a few choice words that I can think of that will make it so. I get what I want when I put my mind to it.”
She chuckled. “I bet you do.” She tucked some hair behind her ears. The long length made him want to run his fingers through it. His boys had been spoiled with a day with her, and part of him was jealous that they got the chance to be with her. He wondered if he could call in sick one day and have her take care of him.
“I made some cookies. I raided your fridge and pantry and came up with dinner. You don’t eat a lot?” she asked.
“Oh, we eat a lot. I don’t cook. I think this will be one of the first meals we’ve had in a long time that wasn’t brought in by telephone.”
“It’s a lamb hotpot. It’s so good. I found a recipe for it online, and I’ve been meaning to try it out. I took Bennie and Carlos to the grocery store, and we filled your fridge, freezer, and pantry.”
“It won’t get used, baby,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve already called John. I’m thinking if I get here really early Sunday, I could have several meals planned and prepped for your week. You shouldn’t be eating takeout food every night. It’s not good for you. I can cook. I’m happy to do it, and I don’t work every single day of the week either.”
He knew John only wanted her working part-time.
“How come you can’t be here on Saturday?”
“To make up for my shift today. I had to leave early. It’s more than fine. I don’t mind helping out when I can.”
“You love taking care of kids?” he asked.
“Is it weird that I just love taking care of people? I think the world is one shitty place most of the time, and if I can make it happier by just being nice or helping out, I will.”
He took a cookie and bit into it, tasting the peanut butter, and moaned. “You can be nice to me anytime.”
The timer went off, and she quickly rushed to the oven and pulled out two round pans. “I may have also baked a cake.”
“You just don’t stop, do you?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Not really. I don’t like taking too long a break.”
He watched as she placed the pans on cooling racks he didn’t even know he owned. “You bought these?”
Her cheeks heated. “I don’t want to be carrying mine all over the place. This way I can bake here when you need it. Also, if you ever find yourself another woman and she wants to bake or do something nice, it’s always here.”
Did he see a twinge of pain flash in her eyes? He couldn’t be sure, but she didn’t look happy about another woman being here or using her things. There wasn’t going to be another woman. If everything went according to plan, then he intended to be part of her and John’s life for a long time to come.
Especially if they shared a kid together. He glanced down her body, staring at her stomach, wondering if she was right now carrying his child. His cock swelled at the thought of her stomach full, rounded, looking so fucking sexy.
He knew they were going to have a few bumps down the road. There was no doubt about it. They were planning on getting her pregnant without her even knowing about it. He didn’t want to hurt Scarlett, but they had set this course in motion right now.
John had a plan, and he wanted to be part of it.
“There’s not going to be a woman here,” he said. “I have no intention of being with anyone else.” Now that he had a taste of Scarlett, no woman would ever meet up to those standards. She was a one–of-a-kind woman, and he wasn’t going to hurt another woman by pretending there was a chance.
“Oh, you’re not worried about being lonely?”
“No. I’m good. Believe me, you weren’t married to Cherry like I was.”
She gave one of her chuckles. “You’re right, I wasn’t. I’m sorry it didn’t work out between you two.”
“It’s okay. She wasn’t the one anyway.” The one had married his best friend, not that he blamed her. She was a beauty unlike anyone else.
The timer went off, and she removed the pans from the cake tin, placing them on the cooling rack. He watched as she went back and forth gathering things. On the back counter, she had a glass bowl that had some chocolate-looking stuff inside.
After about thirty minutes of walking around the kitchen cleaning up, the scent of lamb filling the kitchen, he watched as she iced the cake.
Some of the chocolate frosting got on her finger, and his cock sprang to life as she sucked it into her mouth, moaning as she did.
“Does it taste good?” he asked.
“The best. I love chocolate frosting.”
Once she finished, he grabbed her hand, running her finger across the palette knife and sucking it into his mouth. “It does taste good.”
Her eyes dilated, and he was about to say something more when his cell phone pinged.
John: On way.
“John’s heading here.”
“Good. I did text him early to let him know I was cooking dinner here. If you want we can go home.”
“Not happening. You guys are staying for dinner.”
“Bennie, Carlos,” Scarlett said, calling toward his boys. “Will you set the table?”
The sounds of their footsteps echoed around the house. They were in the kitchen, grabbing whatever they needed to take to the table. He watched as she opened the oven and pulled out a large Dutch oven. She gave a little oomph as she placed it on the stove, closing the oven door behind her.
She opened the lid and used a large, sharp knife to test.
“All cooked.”
The sound of the doorbell rang, and it was his cue to answer.
John looked pissed off, but the moment he saw him, he forced a smile.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bad day at the office.”
“Those numbers can really attack you, can’t they?”
“And the people. They don’t like what I tell them.”
John always looked good in a suit. It was one of the reasons Gunner had never pushed for him to be part of the club. The leather wouldn’t have suited him as much.
“Holy shit, look at you,” John said as Bennie walked past.
“Goldman’s kid, right?”
“Yep.”
At the look on John’s face, Gunner laughed. “Goldman your last client?”
“Yeah, a pissed-off one as well. He thinks he can threaten everyone in town, and it pissed me off. I had to remind him that his wealth didn’t mean shit to me.”
“His son’s an asshole,” Bennie said, leaving them alone.
“What did he want you to do?”
“Pay a large fortune to the school ‘for tax reasons,’ he said. Bullshit. He wanted me to make a check out to the principal. I told him that I’m not lying on his fucking tax forms.” He shook his head. “I hate that fucker. I really do.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be having a word with him.” He slapped John on the back and pressed his head to his friend’s. He wanted to comfort John, to make him feel better. Stroking his fingers over his pulse, he forced himself to stop.
It was moments like this when his y
earning for John came back.
He’d been fighting it for a long time, and he didn’t want to ruin their friendship. They’d had each other’s back all of their lives and would continue to do so.
“Am I interrupting?” Scarlett asked, drawing their attention to her.
John pulled away, going toward her. “Nope. You never interrupt anything.”
Gunner watched, mesmerized, as John pulled her in close, claiming her lips. He wasn’t jealous. He loved watching John and Scarlett like this.
Glancing down John’s body and the way he was standing, Gunner saw that his friend was aroused, his cock bulging at the front.
Scarlett moaned, and his own dick was threatening to tear its way out of his pants.
She chuckled. “Not here. There are children.”
“You do know they’re pretty much grown men now,” John said, kissing her neck.
“So, they’re still boys.” Her cheeks were on fire.
Gunner laughed. “They could probably teach us old boys a few things.” He winked at John. “Especially in this day and age. We had to learn through porn mags. Now they’ve got all that internet stuff. Porn at their fingertips.”
She covered her cheeks. “I don’t want to think or know about this. You’re both not helping me.”
He laughed and watched as she left to go into the kitchen.
“It doesn’t matter what she’s cooking. It’ll turn out fantastic,” John said.
“Her cooking is amazing. You’re lucky all around really, aren’t you, John?”
His friend burst out laughing. “Your jealousy is showing.”
They stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching as she sliced some bread. Bennie and Carlos were there, and she made them use oven mitts to carry the pot to the table. He watched her with his boys, and knew she’d make an incredible mother.
She had a knack for it, and his boys adored her.
Just like he did.
****
John ran over the reports once more, determined to find what he needed, what was being hidden from him. Gunner was counting on him to find the loose cannon within the club, but since they’d been spending a lot more time together, there hadn’t been money going missing. Combing his way through the books, he rubbed at his temple, thinking about his friend and also his wife.
Last night, before leaving Gunner’s home, his wife had started her period. She’d been so embarrassed that she had come out of the bathroom, and made their excuses to leave before he could even think of what was wrong. They’d been having a lovely time. Gunner’s boys were sweet boys, and he liked their company. They also adored his wife, and he saw that in the way they were always smiling at her.
It was only when he got home that she told him the truth. They’d been in the bathroom, and she had sobbed into his jacket. He hated this part the most. The lost opportunity. She knew she felt guilty for crying on his jacket as well, seeing as he couldn’t do anything about it.
Kissing her head, he’d held her throughout it.
Right now, recalling his woman sobbing, he couldn’t bring himself to look over the documents.
“You okay?” Gunner asked, knocking on his door.
He jerked up, looking at his friend. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You didn’t answer any of my calls. Last night, this morning.”
“You took Bennie back to school?”
“Of course. Spoke to the principal. I let him know that if he thinks of making any underhand deals when it comes to my son, he should be aware that I know everything. I see everything.”
John laughed, but he didn’t feel it.
Gunner closed the door, taking a seat at the desk. “You found anything? Is this why you’re acting … weird?”
“Scarlett got her period last night.”
“Oh.” He saw the disappointment in his friend’s face.
“She couldn’t stop sobbing. I held her, knowing there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t make her pregnant.” He ran a hand down his face.
“Maybe we should tell her?”
“You didn’t want her to know.” John shook his head. “I don’t want to tell her. I don’t want her to know yet. It has only been one month. I want to try again.”
“John?”
“No, those two boys are yours, right? She wants a baby. Every single month she doesn’t have one, she’s going to have a meltdown like that and I can’t handle that. I need … we need a baby, Gunner. I can’t … it’s fucking with my head.” He pushed back his chair and moved to stare out of the window.
“I’ve got an appointment with Goldman this afternoon,” Gunner said. “Want to come? It could be fun.”
“And do what?”
“Let him know that if he thinks about threatening you, you’re not afraid of getting your hands dirty.” Gunner stood behind him, gripping his shoulders. “I’m sorry about Scarlett. I’m sorry I didn’t make your dreams come true.”
“Saying it like that, it sounds fucking corny even to me.”
“Yeah, well, it really is corny,” Gunner said.
He burst out laughing.
“You need to clear your head.”
“I need to find your leak first.”
“My leak will be there when you get back. Come on, it could be fun.”
“Okay.”
He left his office, letting his secretary know that he’d be back shortly.
Gunner had come to his office in a car, and John raised his brow. “Doesn’t the MC handle business on bikes?”
“Yeah, they do. But I like to keep things fresh. If I only ride then they expect me. In a car, now that completely throws them off.”
He shakes his head, completely disagreeing with his friend. “You’re so full of shit, you know that, right?”
“It’s good shit though. You’ve got to admit.”
“You’re crazy as well.”
“Oh, come on, you know you love it,” Gunner said.
He’d missed this easy banter. This was what got him through his time in the service. There had been moments when he’d feared for his life, and knowing Gunner was there with him, they’d gotten out of many a sticky situation, and that shit never got old. At least, it didn’t get old for him.
Sitting in the passenger seat, he removed his jacket, loosened his tie, and ran fingers through his hair.
“It’s like you’re getting into character.”
“I need a break and beer right now. I’m fucked in the head, and I’ve got to get that shit under control.”
Gunner didn’t say anything as he turned out of town.
“This meeting going down in top secret?” he asked.
“Yes.”
They were heading down the long strip of road when John heard a feminine scream coming from the trunk of the car.
“Who is that?” John asked. He was very much aware of what Gunner was capable of.
“Oh, that, it’s his mistress. You see, I’ve got contacts all over. Goldman is a mean old son of a bitch. But I have it on good authority that he’s also got a good heart. He fell in love with one of the maids who worked for him when he was younger.”
“Gunner, I don’t like this.”
“What? I need to send a clear message to this fucker, okay? No one, and I mean no one, messes with my boys. You always question my methods. If I’ve learned one thing being Prez of the MC, everyone responds to fear, to violence. You don’t like it, but it’s true.”
“There are other ways.”
“Yeah, well, when it comes to my club and my boys, this is the only way.”
“Why don’t you deal with your thief in that way?”
“Can’t. I have to have solid proof before I point the finger. My own stupid-as-shit rule, and it was a fucking stupid one.”
John rubbed his eyes. He wasn’t part of the MC, and he didn’t see a problem with Gunner having a woman locked in the trunk of his car. This was another part of himself he tried to hide. He wasn’t always a good man.
&nbs
p; He didn’t give a shit about what society said he should be or do.
Being a businessman, he put on the façade for his clients, but the truth was, he didn’t give a fuck about being prim and proper.
After serving in the military, accounting was, in fact, a relaxing day to him.
“You can’t kidnap a woman.”
“I have every intention of letting her go. I’m a good boy like that, John.”
“She’s innocent.”
“Yeah, and sometimes bad things happen to innocent people. This fucker thinks he can let his kid do that shit to mine. Goldman may own half the town, but I own the entire fucking town. No one takes strikes at my kid and thinks they’re going to get away with it. I don’t let shit like that stand. Not now, not ever.”
John held his hands up. This was Gunner’s call. He was just along for the ride.
“So how are things going at the club?” he asked. The club had never been for him, but it was part of Gunner’s life, and he wanted to be there for his friend, especially now with someone actively fighting against him.
“You know I can’t talk to you about club business.”
“I know. I’m not interested on the runs you do or what you transport. I’m worried about you.”
“Aww, ain’t you sweet?”
“Cut the crap, Gunner.”
“I know from a reliable source that someone from the club is reaching out. They want in on cartel business. I don’t do that shit. I like my town just the way it is.”
“You can’t have the MC dealing with cartel shit. That’s a sure way of causing some serious mess.”
“I know,” Gunner said. “But I can’t just come out and accuse anyone. That’s not the way the club works.”
“Do you have any idea who it could be?”
“Whoever is stealing from the club.”
“You got those security cameras I told you about?”
“Yep. I’ve already placed them where I need them to be. I’ve just got to wait for them to make a move.”
John knew that the only reason Gunner didn’t have security footage was purely because whatever was found on those tapes could be used against them. He’d had to work to convince them. The moment they found the rat, they could all come down and be destroyed. Every single piece of evidence.
Gunner drove up to a secure location outside of town. It was near the old haunted house that kept kids away from it, until Halloween when they all dared each other to go inside. The only reason he knew about it was because he’d gotten a call from Gunner one night when Bennie decided to take the chance.