“What?” I found myself laughing, from the shock and surprise of the absurdity of that statement.
“Brooklyn, you heard what I said. They’re operating a sex trade, and you aren’t safe to be around them,” he said and stepped towards me again.
I stepped away, flapping my arms away from him because I didn’t want him to touch me.
“You’re joking, right?” I said, that smile of shock still lingering on my face. Gunner had to have been watching too many Netflix shows. Sure, the DK’s weren’t your average group of guys, but they sure as hell weren’t running a prostitution ring.
“There’s nothing funny about this,” Gunner said and I looked away from him. This had to be some sort of mix-up. Daddy and Luke would never have been involved in something like this.
“I’ve known them my whole lives, Gunner. You’ve got it wrong,” I snapped and he clenched his jaw, glaring at me with furious frustrated eyes.
“It’s not been going on for long, Brooklyn…so I don’t blame you for not knowing about it. All I want to do is get you out of this place before you get involved,” he said and I shook my head with rage.
“Are you crazy? Where are you even getting this information from?” I said and he looked away from me. Gunner had his eyes narrowed as he looked towards the bar.
“Brooklyn…let’s just leave,” he said, in a quieter voice.
“I’m not going anywhere till you tell me where you heard this. Is that what people are saying? They’re all rumors, Gunner. This is what the media does to discredit Motorcycle Clubs. You wouldn’t know how it is for them…but it’s all lies!” I found myself screeching with anger. He had no idea that by saying these things about the Dragon Knights, he was also blaming my family. He was blackening my brother’s memory. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been this angry with someone. And it was Gunner of all people!
“It’s not a rumor, Brooklyn,” he said quietly and I had to strain my ears to hear him.
“Right. What is it then? You have some sort of random evidence for it? Did one of the groupies spread this shit?” I knew my voice was loud and screechy now but I didn’t care. What he was saying was affecting me to the core. Neither daddy nor Luke would have stood for prostitution and I had known these guys all my life…whatever they were…they were not abusers of women! No matter how they treated the groupies, those women wanted to throw themselves at these guys.
“Brooklyn…” Gunner said my name quietly, while my body shook with rage.
“What is it Gunner? How do you know this?” I was screaming at him now, just moments away from slapping him across the face.
“I’m in the Bad Disciples,” he said and I felt like the ground was shaking under my feet. The Bad Disciples? The rival gang! I’d just slept with someone from our rival gang?
“No…” the word escaped my lips and Gunner placed his hands on my shoulders. I yanked myself away from him, and a look of desperation had entered his eyes.
“Listen to me…” he began to say, but I had interrupted him.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I had no idea!” I was screeching again.
“It doesn’t matter right now, Brooklyn. Neither of us had a clue. I didn’t know you were associated with the Dragon Knights either,” he said while I breathed in and out, trying to keep myself standing.
“You wanted to know how I know what these guys are up to…I’ve seen it with my own eyes, Brooklyn. I know what they’re doing,” he said and I stepped away from him, backing up closer and closer to the bar.
“You’re lying. You’re a liar!” I said and Gunner shook his head.
“The Bad Disciples are planning an attack on the Dragon Knights, and you need to keep your distance from them because shit is going to go down. I don’t want you to get caught up in it. Brooklyn…please, just listen to me,” he was following me as I kept backing away from him.
I couldn’t believe it…this couldn’t be true. Gunner belonged to the Bad Disciples? What would Luke have said? They were our arch rivals. I remembered how daddy spoke about them, the fights that Luke had gotten into with their members. There was no solidarity between the two clubs and they would never forgive me for what I had done.
“Was this some kind of prank? Was it a dare? Did your friends dare you to sleep with me?” I hissed at him and Gunner stopped in his tracks.
“I swear to you Brooklyn, I didn’t know who you were till you mentioned you’re friends with the Dragon Knights. But I don’t care, I just want you to be safe before things start falling apart,” he said and I clasped a hand to my mouth in agony.
“This is wrong. You’re lying. This is what you people do to us and I’m not going to fall for it,” I screeched and I heard the door of the bar open. The music and voices from inside grew louder and I whipped around to find Viper at the door. He was a dark silhouette against the lights of the bar, but I could tell that he was looking at me. With any luck, Gunner was covered in the dark shadows of the parking lot to not be noticed.
“Brooklyn Jenson, you’ve been out here for too long! Come back in here sugar, we’re waiting for you,” he said, in a slurring voice that was drowsy with alcohol.
Chapter 14
Gunner
I remained standing where I was. Frozen to the spot when I heard the man’s voice. He had just spoken to Brooklyn. I dared him to catch me standing there in the shadows. I was however too well hidden in the dark, or he was just drunk. Either way, he didn’t see me there.
Brooklyn had turned to him and then she threw me a look, but I couldn’t step towards her. As much as I would have liked to take her into my arms and run, my limbs were stuck. I’d heard him say her name. Her full name.
“Be right there,” I heard her call out to him in a chirpy voice and then, without giving me another look; she was gone. I would have liked to call out to her, but my brain wasn’t working. It was too numb with the thoughts whirling around in my head.
Once she was back inside, I turned without a second thought and went over to where my bike was parked. I couldn’t even bring myself to look into the bar again. I didn’t want to look at Brooklyn.
On my bike, I rode furiously…not entirely sure of where I was going.
Brooklyn Jenson. I’d heard her name loud and clear. I wasn’t just imagining it.
I could see Jenson clearly in my mind now. With his cocky smile and the same brown hair. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that they had similar features. Brown hair, and green eyes.
I was their leader, so we didn’t exactly spend too much time with my men lounging about. Neither did they share too many personal things with me. But I remembered one conversation clearly and now as I rode my bike to nowhere, it kept repeating in my mind over and over again.
Jenson and I were behind a rock, sweat dripping into our eyes. We were waiting for a target in the sun. A passing truck that we’d got intel on was supposed to be carrying weapons. Our orders were to shoot the driver, and we could have been waiting there, lying on our stomachs in the sand for hours. Only the buzzing of mosquitoes as company, and each other.
“You know what I miss most about home?” Jenson had said, and I kept my eyes on the target, so as not to be distracted.
“Enlighten me,” I’d replied and I sensed him moving slightly.
“I miss the fact that when I wake up in the morning, there’s the smell of fresh pancake batter in the house. Now, all I wake up to is the sound of fires being shot, and it’s the middle of the night. Smell of gunpowder in the air,” he had said and I smiled, despite myself.
“I’m not surprised that you’re treated like a Princess at home. Maybe that should be your nickname,” I’d said and he laughed.
“The very reason why no woman is good enough. My sister’s set some very high standards,” he said. I’d gripped the gun tighter, growing conscious of the sweat pooling on my back as we lay there.
“You have a sister?” I asked.
“Yeah, a baby sister…B. She used to
be the cutest little thing, and now I can’t keep the guys off her!” Jenson had laughed.
“I’m glad I don’t have a sister. It would drive me nuts,” I said and we broke protocol to look at each other and smile.
“Yeah well, I’m glad I have her. But she’s set unrealistic standards, you know, every chick I’m remotely interested in, I look for signs of whether she’s as amazing as B is,” he said and I didn’t respond. I wasn’t really interested in Jenson’s family life or habits, I liked to keep our military life separate. Besides, I didn’t want him asking about Bryce. That was a subject still very raw in my mind and I didn’t want to talk about the death of my brother yet.
I wished I’d asked him more about “B”. Any clue that would have alerted me to who Brooklyn really was before we slept together.
How could I ever face her again? Knowing what I knew now. She still didn’t know. She still had no idea that I knew her brother. The brother who she had referred to as being in the army. This was what I’d seen in her eyes. I knew she was grieving. The moment I saw her, I knew she was struggling with the loss of something and that was the connection I’d felt towards her. What I didn’t know was that our lives were intricately connected.
And now, I was failing at keeping Jenson’s baby sister safe. The man who I owed everything to. The man who I wasn’t able to protect, who I was in charge of.
The other thing that had shocked me was the new knowledge that Jenson was involved with the Dragon Knights. None of this was making sense. Everything was a blur and I needed to clear my head before I could make any other decisions.
That image of Jenson lying beside me in the sun kept replaying in my head. The way he had spoken about his sister had told me that he cared deeply for her. I should have promised him that whatever happened to him in Afghanistan, I would have looked after his baby sister. I should have taken a step into his personal life and made that promise.
But now it didn’t matter. She was too deep into it for me to save her, and I didn’t have the courage or the strength to face her again.
“Fuck!” I growled, as I rode my bike faster. I was mad at myself, I was mad at Jenson, and I was mad at Brooklyn. This was all my fault. I shouldn’t have pursued her. Then I wouldn’t have found out who she was.
Now there was going to be another burden to carry. Now I knew that I was responsible for Brooklyn’s brother’s death and there was no way I could forgive myself.
Chapter 15
Brooklyn
“Who were you talking to?” Viper asked as I walked up towards him. I could tell that the multiple cans of beer he’d been drinking had taken their toll on him. He was just short of swaying on his feet, and I knew him well enough to know that drunk Viper was a violent man. Just like the rest of them. Just like daddy had been. Luke had tried to keep me away from that side of him and his friends, but even as a child; I had always paid enough attention to know this.
“Nobody,” I said, brushing past him to go into the bar again. Viper grabbed my elbow and jerked me towards him and suddenly, I’d had enough of him pushing me around. I yanked my arm away from him and stuck my chin up in the air.
“I said I wasn’t talking to anyone!” I snapped, meeting his gaze with my own firm one. He was glaring at me, trying to strong-arm me into cowering, but I wasn’t about to back down now. Not after the night I’d just had.
“I heard your voice,” he growled and I shrugged my shoulders.
“I was on the phone,” I said and he stepped threateningly towards me.
“Who were you on the phone with?” he asked and I pursed my lips together and narrowed my eyes at him, in a show of defiance.
“It’s none of your concern,” I said and he grabbed me by my shoulders. I stumbled backwards but he had pulled me closer to him. Despite everything that had just happened; the first thought that came to my mind was Gunner. I wished he was there. I wanted his arm around me, not Viper’s.
“Everything in your life is my concern, Brooklyn, sugar,” Viper said, bringing his face close to me. His breathing was heavy and I could almost taste the beer on his breath. My muscles had stiffened and I knew I had gone pale. All my courage from a few seconds ago had vanished. I was afraid of him again. He was successful in frightening me.
“Please, just let me go,” I screeched and squirmed in Viper’s arms. Nobody could see us from inside. They couldn’t hear my shrieks. If they had, I was sure that someone would have come outside and broken us up. Not that Viper would be in trouble for jumping on me, but at least they would have put a stop to it.
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted you?” he breathed into my ear, while I kept my face turned from him. I was tense in his arms, quivering as he held me tightly to himself. I could feel the erection in his pants as he pressed himself to me.
“I don’t want this, Viper. Please, just let go!” I yelled and tried to claw at him, but no amount of scratching affected him. He had me firmly in his grip and he wasn’t about to let me go.
“You have the most amazing body, B,” he said, sniffing my skin and I felt my stomach drop.
“Don’t call me that!” I yelled, with sudden renewed vigor. “Only Luke called me that. Only he’s allowed to call me that!” I was yelling and pushing him away. I’d found my strength again and I could see that Viper, in his drunkenness, was beginning to lose his grip of me. I kept pushing.
“Well, he’s gone now, honey…and someone has to take care of you,” he said, in his cold slithering voice and I managed to slip out of his arms.
“Get the Fuck away from me!” I said and my own voice was ringing in my ears as I slapped him. My palm fell tightly on his face, enough to twist his head around and Viper seemed to drunkenly stumble backwards. He was more shocked than hurt by what I’d done and his hand went up to his cheek where the slap had landed. He looked up at me with widened eyes and I straightened my top and smoothened the front of my jeans.
“Stay the Fuck away from me,” I hissed at him in a lower deeper voice, and turning from him, I walked into the bar.
Nobody seemed to have noticed that I was gone, nor Viper for that matter. They all seemed to be exactly where I had left them before and I pasted a smile on my face.
“Hey, Pike!” I walked up to him, while he had his face buried in the hair of one of the groupies, whose name I didn’t remember. He pulled himself away from her, to smile at me.
“I want to get really drunk tonight,” I said to him and he threw his hands up in the air and cheered.
“Brooklyn’s getting hammered tonight!” he yelled joyously and everyone at the bar cheered along with him.
The drinks started pouring and everyone was happy, cheering me on as I took the drinks from them. I was in the mood for whisky tonight. Something hard and rough down my throat to deal with the numbness in my head. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Viper staggering into the bar and I turned to him.
His eyes were bloodshot and there was a pinkish fading Viper on his cheek still…where I had slapped him. I knew he was angry and I knew there would be consequences for what I’d done, but I also knew that he wouldn’t do anything now in front of everyone.
I stuck my nose up in the air and whipped my face away from him. Whatever he wanted to do to teach me a lesson, would have to wait.
Tonight, I just wanted to forget about everything Gunner had said to me. I just wanted to forget…
***
But I couldn’t forget, and I was hoping that was because I wasn’t drunk enough. I’d switched between whiskies and gin over the course of the night and by now, I was sitting on a chair by myself, watching the others talking loudly, making out and fingering some of the women, getting into petty fights with each other.
On any other night, this scene would have been enough for me to get up and leave, but tonight…I had too much on my mind to bother with this.
Everything Gunner had said was still ringing in my ears. I didn’t want to believe it was true. This was my family. Viper was a bad apple
amongst them no doubt, but these guys were all looking out for me. How could I do anything to go against them? What would daddy have said if he knew I’d slept with a member from the rival gang? What would Luke have done?
I tried to reason with myself, and think about whether Viper’s behavior was justifiable. If I was truly loyal to the club, if I was truly loyal to my family…then I should have been with Viper. He was the kind of guy daddy would have chosen for me. Viper was the guy he would have been happy to see me with. Luke was always protective of me, treating me as his baby sister, but ultimately, he would have settled down with the idea. Never in a million years, would either of them have allowed me to date Gunner. He was completely out of the question and a big mistake.
But I knew I had fallen for him. We’d known each other for only a few days, but I’d felt the connection. He knew how I was feeling, he could see into my soul and there was something about him…something unspoken which made me believe that I could trust him. That he would keep me safe.
And yet, he had turned up here tonight, spouting all of that nonsense about a prostitution ring! How was that even possible?
I’d been thinking about it for so long that my thoughts were muddying my head. I could feel a dull aching throb at the back of my brain, and then a flash from a conversation from that morning floated up. A conversation from the diner; of Pike and Viper and the others sitting around in the booth and talking about girls. They’d spoken about money, about payments…what did that mean?
I looked around the bar at the people who I considered to be my family. No matter how rowdy or violent they were, or how badly they treated the groupies that always hung around them; I couldn’t imagine these guys being involved in a prostitution ring…or was I just walking around with blinders on my eyes?
Was it really that unthinkable?
From the corner of my eye, I saw Viper again. He had kept his distance from me since that slap and I figured that he was too drunk then to come up with a payback. But then, I saw him whispering something into someone’s ears. It was Blade, one of his closest friends and someone who I tried to avoid as much as possible too. He had asked me out many times and I’d turned him down each time.
Glock (The Bad Disciples MC Book 4) Page 45