by Dez Burke
“Josh!” Missy squeals in delight when she sees him.
Trish has dressed up her for the party in a beautiful red Christmas dress with white lace. Her long, blonde hair is pulled back with a single red bow. She’s a beautiful child and as sweet as her mother.
Missy leads him over to look at the artificial white Christmas tree standing in the corner. The Sweet Butts have decorated it with an odd mismatched selection of skull Christmas ornaments, tiny plastic toy motorcycles and bright lights. I’m not sure what theme they were going for. Whatever is was, they missed the mark by a mile.
“Whew! We’re free at last,” I say to Lila when the three boys disappear from sight.
“I don’t know about you, but I need a stiff drink,” Lila says. “I’m headed straight to the bar. It’s time we did some adulting for a change. It’s not often that I have the luxury of several babysitters in the room with the boys. I’m going to take advantage of it while I can.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I say. “Lead the way to the alcohol.”
I follow behind Lila across the crowded clubhouse. She’s slim, but curvy. Dressed in her normal outfit of black leather pants, a dark sweater and boots with three-inch heels. Lila frequently changes her hair color and makeup according to her mood. Tonight, her shoulder-length hair is a mixture of peppermint holiday colors in blonde, pink and red.
She’s a badass who can pull off any edgy look with ease. It would be hard to imagine Sam being with anyone else. Lila is perfect for him. I can’t believe there was a time when I hated her with a passion. Only because I thought she was a danger to the MC and my family. Now we’re as close as sisters.
Lila points to the bar. “Flint and Sam have already started the party without us. Look at those two slamming down shots of whisky. I guess you and I will be driving home after all. So much for our night of adulting. I can’t wait for the day when Uber finally makes it to the North Georgia mountains.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I reply. “Not unless you want to start up a business yourself. You could haul people around in the van.”
“No way in hell,” she says. “I have enough to do trying to keep the ATF off the club’s ass. The last thing I need is another job.”
I glance over toward where she’s pointing. The clubhouse bar is set up along one wall of the building. Old worn stools with cracked leather cushions are lined up in front of it. The Sweet Butts have strung colorful, twinkling Christmas lights all along the bar and shelves. The clubhouse reminds me more of the local Mexican restaurant than a biker hangout.
Two of the older Sweet Butts are behind the bar, along with the club’s sole Sweet Mama. She’s works as a house mom who supervises the girls and keeps them from killing each other. Tonight, she has them hustling their butts off. The two younger women are pulling beer from the kegs that are always flowing. The Sweet Mama is pouring whiskey into a line of shot glasses running the full length of the bar.
Most of the men in MC are gathered close around the old oak bar, either slamming down shots or guzzling beer from frosted mugs. Last summer, Jesse found an old-fashioned freezer at a yard sale for fifty bucks. He hauled it into clubhouse and parked it behind the bar. The girls keep it stacked full of chilled beer mugs.
The shelves on the wall behind the bar hold bottles of liquor of every kind, flavor and strength. Flint always jokes that one of the biggest perks of running a bootleg alcohol business in a dry Georgia county is that you never run out of booze at a party.
Once my eyes land on the men, I can’t turn away. Flint and Sam are both leaning on the bar, their backs to us. They’re wearing black leather boots, snug worn jeans and short-sleeved black t-shirts that show off their muscular biceps. Even in the winter, they never wear long sleeves. Intricate skull tattoos line Sam’s arms while Flint’s arms are bare. His massive back tattoos are hidden underneath his shirt.
Sam is waving his hands around in the expressive way he talks, obviously telling one of his crazy, outrageous stories. Flint throws his head back and breaks into laughter at something funny he says.
“I could spend all night watching those two,” I say to Lila. “Aren’t we the luckiest girls in the world? Most women would do anything to change places with us. I never get tired of the sight of Flint. Never in a million years. God, how I love that man.”
“Same here,” Lila says with a nod. “I know exactly how you feel.”
“They look happy, don’t they?” I say. “I’m glad Flint and Sam were finally able to heal the issues between them. Flint carried guilt around for a long time.”
“They’re as thick as thieves now,” Lila says. “I’ve never seen men tighter than the Steel Infidels. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do for each other.”
“Or for us,” I add.
“Especially us,” she agrees. “The Steel Infidels men love the club, but nothing is more important to them than their family. God help anyone who is stupid enough to mess with the us or the kids.”
“Even God couldn’t save someone stupid enough to do that,” I say. “Do you think one of those handsome men at the bar would be willing to buy us a drink?”
“I bet we can sweet talk them into it,” Lila says, giving me a wink. “The one with the tattoos, blonde hair and blue eyes is all mine.”
Chapter Three
Flint
“Hey Mama!” Sam yells to the Sweet Mama working behind the bar. “Lay another shot on us.”
She picks up the amber bottle of whisky and deftly refills our shot glasses. “You’re on round number four, boys,” she warns. “Take it easy. You don’t want to be hung over on Christmas day. The kids will be getting up bright and early to see what Santa brought them.”
“Don’t worry,” Sam replies with a smirk. “The Steel Infidels don’t get hangovers. We’re tougher than that.”
“Sure, you don’t get hangovers.” She rolls her eyes at him while wiping down the bar with a dishcloth. “Don’t come crying to me tomorrow, asking if I have an aspirin in my purse.”
Sam laughs and turns to me. “Merry Christmas,” he says, clinking his shot glass lightly to mine before downing it in one swallow.
“Merry Christmas,” I reply before doing the same with mine. The strong whiskey goes down smooth, spreading a warmth through my chest. Jesse was called away to deal with an issue with the crew leaving me and Sam to do the shot drinking alone.
“How many cases of liquor did we sell this week?” I ask.
The Steel Infidels run a bootleg alcohol business out of the club’s Inked Dragon tattoo shop. The holidays are by far our busiest time of year. We make enough money from the week before Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve to last us the entire year.
Unfortunately, the Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives Unit is always watching us carefully. We’re constantly trying to find new ways to outsmart them.
Lila helps us a ton with her hacking skills and work experience at the ATF. Every time they make a move, she blocks them. So far, they haven’t been able to nail us with a single charge. Which is crazy, considering we do the same amount of alcohol sales as a big time Atlanta liquor store.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that mountain people need their whiskey. If our dry county ever votes to legalize alcohol sales, we’re in deep shit. The loss of income to the MC would be devastating.
“We sold several hundred cases,” Sam replies. “We couldn’t stock it fast enough. Half of the barns in this county were loaded to the top of their lofts with whiskey boxes this time last week. We moved them all out and into paying customers hands without a hitch.”
“How did Youngblood and the Cajuns do?” I ask.
Our three newest Steel Infidels members are still working hard to prove themselves to the MC. We brought them on a little over a year ago to replace a few members we lost for various reasons. The two Cajun brothers came straight from Lafayette, Louisiana, while Youngblood was born and raised right here in North Georgia.
“They worked
their asses off,” he replies. “A few of the barns had to be unloaded during the night to keep from raising suspicion with neighboring farmers. The guys been hustling from before daylight to after midnight every day this month. I’m damn glad to have their help. With Toby running the gun division now, I don’t know how I would’ve been able to handle the increase in the liquor business without the new guys.”
“We were lucky to get them,” I say. “Any issues with the farmers?”
“Nah.” He shakes his head. “With the economy the way it is, they’re tickled pink to get a steady rent payment every week for the barn storage. They can’t sell crops in the winter. Unless they’re storing hay for cattle, the barns are dead space to them.”
“The more locals we have in our back pocket, the better off we’ll be,” I say. “One day we might need their goodwill.”
“It can’t hurt, that’s for damn sure,” he agrees. “Cash is king. They needed the money and we needed the space. It’s a marriage made in heaven. Not to mention that most of them have become our biggest customers.”
I glance over my shoulder and catch sight of the two women making their way across the crowded clubhouse toward us. I nudge Sam with my elbow. “Check out who just walked in.” I tilt my head in their direction.
He turns around and lets out a low appreciative whistle. “Hot damn!” he says. “What a fine pair of sexy ladies. How about we make a deal? I’ll take the gal in the black leather pants and boots. You take the curvy girl in the tight, red dress.”
“Sounds like a helluva deal to me,” I reply, playing along. “I’ve always loved a woman in any color dress as long as it’s red. That’s a ‘fuck-me’ dress Kendra is wearing if I’ve ever seen one.”
“Lucky you,” Sam jokes. “Personally, I’m more of a black leather kind of guy. I’m partial to long legs, tight pants, and an ass that will fit perfectly in my hands. Not to mention a fine pair of tits. And sass. I love a girl with sass. And one that’s willing to put up with my shit. I love pink lipstick too...”
I tune out Sam’s rambling about Lila’s every feature. My eyes slowly take in Kendra’s luscious curves as she makes her way across the room. The stretchy fabric of her red dress hugs every inch of her body. Her full breasts, perfect ass and thighs. She normally doesn’t wear dresses because her work as a veterinarian is a dirty job. I know she’s taken the time to fix herself up extra nice tonight just for me.
I couldn’t be more appreciative.
After all this time, she’s still as sexy to me as the first moment I saw her in the cabin. When I opened my eyes that day after being shot by the Liberators, I thought I’d died and gone through the pearly gates of heaven. And I didn’t mind one fucking bit because the woman leaning over me and tending to my gunshot wound was a perfect vision of an angel.
She still is.
“I have an idea,” I say to Sam. “There are two open bedrooms upstairs. I told the Sweet Butts to clean them up and keep them clear tonight. In case someone is too drunk to drive home and needs a place to crash.”
Sam grins at me. “I love the way you think, big brother. My dick got hard the second I laid eyes on my girl. I’ll race you upstairs. You and Kendra take one room and we’ll take the other. Hell, if we hurry, we could be back downstairs before anyone at the party misses us. Otherwise I’m going to have a hell of a hard time keeping my hands off my sexy wife tonight. No pun intended.”
He slams his shot glass down and takes two steps toward the women. Before I have a chance to tell him I was joking, the twins dash out from behind the bar where they’ve been hiding. They wrap their little arms around his legs.
“Oh no!” he groans loudly. “Help! They found me.” He tries to keep walking toward Lila with the two of them hanging on tight to his legs like baby possums.
“Daddy! Daddy!” they yell.
“Fuck,” he silently mouths to me.
I laugh and move past him. “Good luck,” I say, giving him a hard slap on the back. “You crashed back down to reality quickly. You’d better forget about having a sexy rendezvous upstairs with the lady in the black leather pants. You’re a family man now.”
“That’s right, Sam,” Lila says, walking up to him with a big smile. “What is this talk about a sexy rendezvous? Is it anything I can get in on?”
He slides an arm around her waist and pulls her close for a long, slow kiss. The two of them can barely keep their hands off each other. They’re almost embarrassing to be around at times.
“Help me get these monkeys off my leg,” he begs her when they finally break apart.
“No way,” she replies. “I’m on my way to the bar. Find a babysitter, buddy because tonight I’m a wild, loose woman who needs alcohol. Grab a Sweet Butt to help you.”
“Great idea,” he says. “I knew I married a smart woman.” He looks around to see if he can spot someone who he can sucker into helping him. “Hey Trudy!” he yells to one of the Sweet Butts sauntering by. “I need your help with the twins. Take the boys into the kitchen to see if Aunt Leona has a cookie for them.”
Trudy’s facial expression reminds me of a deer caught in the headlights of a car. I can tell her mind is racing, trying to think of any excuse not to be responsible for the twins.
“I was on my way over to see if Rocco needed a drink refill,” she offers lamely. “His mug is almost empty.”
“Don’t worry about Rocco. He can get his own damn drinks,” Sam says. He peels off the boys. “You two go into the kitchen with Trudy and say hello to your Aunt Leona. She might have some goodies for you to snack on.”
Trudy reluctantly takes their hands. The best thing about the Sweet Butts is that they rarely say ‘no’ to anything. And I do mean anything. Even babysitting the twins. One of the worst things they might be asked to do.
“Thanks Trudy!” Sam calls out cheerfully to her retreating back. “You’re a real sweetheart.”
He breaks out into a big smile and reaches over to tug Lila back to him before she walks away. “Now can I get a real Christmas kiss from my hot wife?” he asks.
He doesn’t wait for her answer and loops her arms around the back of his neck. She smiles up at him. Instead of kissing her again, he pulls her close into a slow dance. Aunt Leona has talked someone into switching off the blasting music from rock to country. They sway slowly in the middle of the crowded clubhouse.
I make my way to Kendra and take her hand in mine. “Can I buy the prettiest girl in the room a drink? You’re stunning tonight. I love the new dress.”
“Only if you promise to give me the Christmas gift I asked for later tonight,” she answers with a teasing smile.
I raise my eyebrows at her. “Does it have to be tonight?”
“Why?” she asks, putting her hand on her hip and cocking one eyebrow at me. “Are you trying to back out on me? Because it sounds like you might be.”
“No,” I answer slowly. “I just thought that with everything going on with the party you might want to wait for another night.”
“Oh no, Flint,” she replies adamantly. “I’m a lady who knows what she wants, and I want my present you promised me tonight after the party. Don’t you dare try to back out now.”
I let out a low chuckle and slide my hand down her backside to cup her ass. “Anything you want, darling. I’m all yours.”
“Damn right you are, Flint Mason,” she sasses back with a light slap on my arm. “And don’t you ever forget it.”
“Dance with me,” I say, looping her arms around the back of my neck. She doesn’t resist and I tug her closer against my chest. Leaning down, I inhale deeply to drink in the sweet smell of her hair.
“You’re wearing perfume,” I whisper against the soft spot of her neck beneath her ear.
She laughs softly. “I’m glad you noticed. I spent the morning taking care of a cow that was down in a pasture. Believe me, you wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere near me four hours ago.”
“Did you get her up?”
“Finall
y, we did and into the barn where the farmer can keep a close eye on her. I think she’ll be alright. I barely had time to run home, take a shower and get dressed for the party.”
“I’m glad you made the extra effort. I’ll make it worth your time later.”
She draws back to gaze up at me. “Promises, promises,” she teases. “Is that your cousin Levi’s new country song playing?” She leans her body into mine and sways with me. Her curves fit perfectly against my body as if we were made for each other.
“Yeah, the song went to number one as soon as it was released,” I reply. “I was hoping he and Annie would be able to join us for Christmas this year. Cole too. I worry about Cole’s little girl, Lilly. She needs to be around her cousins more. She’s all alone by herself without any brothers or sisters to keep her company. Kids need to grow up around family and cousins. It makes them feel more secure.”
“Why aren’t they coming this year?” Kendra asks.
I frown, remembering the phone conversation I’d had with Cole yesterday. “Their dad isn’t doing well. They wanted to spend their last Christmas together as a family at their farm. There’s no way Cole would leave Edward at Christmas time. The trip here would be too hard and confusing on him.”
“Maybe we should invite them up this summer then?” she suggests. “Or we could all meet up in the Smoky Mountains for a big Steel Infidels/Mason family vacation. We could take over that same biker lodge we stayed at before. It would be great. Everyone would have their own little cabin. We could meet up for meals in the dining hall and the kids could run free during the day.”
I smile at her idea. “I’ll mention it to them. The kids would have a blast wading in the creek, fishing and picking blackberries. I’ll talk to Cole soon about it. Maybe we can work something out. For a long weekend, if nothing else.”
“Hi, Kendra. I didn’t see you come in, honey.” Aunt Leona interrupts our dance and thrusts a big silver serving platter full of maraschino cherries with stems in front of our faces. “How have you been? Try one of my cherry bombs. They’re a new recipe I’m testing.”