As I toweled off, I made my way into the bedroom. Ava was still sleeping peacefully. I stopped and stared at her. She was so fucking gorgeous, I felt like I could just stare at her all damn day. One day soon, I was going to study her tats that crawled up both arms and onto her shoulders. My cock hardened and bounced as he showed me how excited he was to see her lying there like a dream. I glanced down at the fucker and muttered, “Out of luck there, buddy, for the time being anyway.”
I went to the closet, grabbed jeans and a shirt, hit the dresser for socks and boxers, couldn't stand going commando like a lot of men did. Didn't know how guys did that shit, chaffed the hell out of me. Grabbed my boots and went back into the bathroom to get dressed.
I was shoving my phone into my front pocket as I reached for the bedroom doorknob, I paused and glanced back over at Ava. I couldn't just fucking walk out without letting her know where I was going. It'd feel too much like slam, bam, thank you ma'am if I walked out of the door like that.
I walked over to the side she was sleeping on and knelt by the bed. I reached out and ran a finger down her forehead, across her cheeks, and gently brushed her lips. Fuck, I wanted to crawl back in the bed with her and spend my day buried deep inside her. I shook my head regretfully knowing I couldn't though.
“Ava,” I murmured. “Babe, need you to wake up.”
“Hmm,” was all the response I got back.
“You listening to me?” I asked her.
“Mmm hmm.”
“I got some things I need to do, baby, but will be in the Clubhouse all day. Sleep as long as you want. Food's in the kitchen, get whatever you want. Any of the guys can tell you where I am. Have some interviews so will be out of pocket a little while.”
Silence met me.
“Babe? Did you hear me?”
“Mmm hmm.”
I smiled down at the woman lying in front of me. I leaned over and gently kissed the corner of her mouth, then forced myself to leave while I still had the strength of will to do so.
I made my way into the kitchen and went straight to the coffee pot. I was a little later than normal, but it was still not quite seven yet. I glanced around to see that nothing had been cooked. It appeared Molly and Val had a long night.
I went into the pantry, grabbed a couple cream cheese Danishes and a couple blueberry muffins then made my way to a table. As I opened one up, I wondered if Viper had already come and gone. Someone had to have made the coffee. Just as I was about to take a healthy bite of my Danish, the kitchen door opened and speaking, or in this case, thinking of the devil, Viper walked in the door.
“Morning, Brother. Coffee's the only thing made. There's some muffins and stuff in the pantry.” He nodded upon hearing my words.
I was opening my other Danish when he sat down across from me at the table. As I glanced up at him, I saw that he was studying me and had a half assed smirk on his face.
“What?” I muttered.
He snickered at me.
“What's so fucking funny? I got food on my face? On my shirt?” I glanced down to make sure nothing was on me, then looked back up at him to see him laughing quietly at me.
“All right motherfucker, what's so damn funny.”
“Good night, Brother?”
How the fuck did the man do that shit? I don't care what he said, he was more than just observant.
“Do I have a fucking sign on me somewhere saying I got laid?” I growled out at him.
He was openly laughing his ass off at me now. Dammit. He was pissing me off.
“Written all over you, Brother.”
“How the fuck is that?”
With a smile still on his face he said, “You look happy. Relaxed. Sated.”
Well fuck me. Did one night of being balls deep in Ava change my look that much?
“I take it you two got along okay,” he said as he opened a muffin.
“How the fuck you know it was her?”
“You told me yourself you hadn't been with any of the club girls in months.”
“It could have changed.”
“Don't lie to yourself, Brother. Never seen you look like this after you've been with one of them.”
I looked at him feeling haunted. Was it too soon? Was it because she was so much different than Beth? Fuck. I wanted her in my life, I knew that, but I was fucking scared as hell too.
“Don't question yourself,” he stated. “If it feels right, go for it.”
“Worried, Brother.”
“Why?”
“Never felt anything like this ever, not even with Beth. And that fucking terrifies me and makes me feel guilty as hell.” I said as I lowered my gaze to the table.
“Dog,” he snapped, and I jerked my head up looking him square in the face. “It's been twenty years. Pretty sure your Beth would have wanted you to be happy. If Ava makes you happy, then go for it.”
“Fuck, Vip. It's not even been a day. How the fuck can I even be thinking what I'm thinking?”
He leaned back, grabbed his cup and took a drink of coffee. “Has you tied up in knots, huh?”
“That's an understatement. Last night, I finally felt like I was home. Touching her was like touching dynamite, explosive as hell, but at the same time it felt so fucking right, like that was where I was meant to be.”
“Can I give you a word of advice?” he asked, and I nodded at him. “If it feels right, don't question it. You're both old enough to know what you want. You've both been to hell and back, and personally I think with each of you knowing how the other feels about that, it's a healthy thing.
“You will be able to talk to her about it and her with you. You can be each other's safe haven. We all need one, Brother. Without Mia and Jennie to ground me, I'd be dead already. I know I can cast my cares on them, and they'll be there for me, supporting me, loving me, and, Brother, there’s nothing like that feeling in the whole damn world. Nothing.”
I sat and thought about what he said, and he was right, if anyone would know how I felt about Beth, it would be Ava. And in that respect, I knew how she felt about Brian and Mason and the need to make someone pay for their deaths.
“You don't think it's too fast?”
“Brother, none of us are promised tomorrow. You know that better than anyone. If love finds you again, take it and run and never look back. Won't be a person here who won't be happy for you, that I promise. Live, Dog. And let everything else go.”
Damned if what he said didn't make sense. I looked at him and lifted my chin. He was right. It was time for me to live again, not just emotionally coast through the days. My life has been a good one, but I wanted more. I wanted Ava. And I was going to do everything in my power to keep her beside me. Whatever it took, whatever it may be. She was it for me. I felt that deep down in my soul.
“Thanks, Viper. Needed to hear that.”
“Always here for you, Brother. Told you that. For anything. Doesn't matter what. Got me?” he asked as he stared at me intently.
“Yeah, Brother. Got you. Just know that works both ways. You got me?”
He halfway smiled at me and murmured, “Yeah, Brother. I got you.”
Abruptly the kitchen door slammed open and Jemma ran in.
“Dadddddddddd,” she hollered. “I'm fucking starving. You gonna come cook us breakfast?”
“Jemma Elizabeth, if you don't quit that damn cussing, I'm gonna throw you over my knee and spank your ass,” Viper growled at his daughter.
“Sorry,” she muttered. She didn't look sorry at all.
I had to bite my lip to keep from busting out laughing. I loved this kid. She was full of piss and vinegar and Viper was gonna have his hands full for the next several years.
“Jemma, there's some muffins and stuff in the pantry, go help yourself,” I said to her. She flashed me a smile and headed toward where there was food.
I glanced at Viper to see him staring after his daughter and shaking his head.
“Brother, pretty sure I don't envy you there,�
�� I commented to him as I opened up one of my muffins.
I reached out, grabbed my cup and took a drink of coffee then promptly spit it back into the cup. Fucking cold. As I stood up, he silently handed me his cup. Fucker. He could have gotten up and got us a hot cup of joe.
As Jemma came out of the pantry, I said to her, “Milk in the fridge, hon, or orange juice. Get what you want.” She smiled at me as she headed to the fridge.
After getting refills for us, I headed back toward the table. As I handed Viper his cup, Jemma plopped down into the seat beside me then reached out and hugged me.
“Morning, Prez,” she said as she turned toward me. Then damned if she didn't squint her eyes at me and study my face just like her dad had done.
“You look happy. Something I need to know about?” she asked me as she continued studying my face.
I choked on the drink I had just taken and thought I was going to cough up a lung. Viper sat there laughing at me. Shit, one day I was gonna get that motherfucker back. I swore I was.
“Like I said, Prez. Obvious.”
As I went to reply to him, I saw Streak and Axel enter the kitchen. Streak was shirtless with his jeans hanging low. I glanced at Viper to see him looking at Jemma. I looked at Jemma to see her looking at Streak with her mouth hanging open. Oh. Fuck. Me. Maybe I didn't need to worry about getting back at Viper. It appeared this was gonna be a situation that would do it and then some.
“Morning,” both men muttered.
I watched as Streak headed straight to the coffee maker, got a cup, filled it and took a long drink. Then, he leaned against the cabinets with his eyes closed, drinking his brew.
“Son of a bitch,” I heard Viper whisper as he glanced back and forth between Jemma and Streak.
Pretty sure the only thing saving Streak at the moment was the fact he was unaware of Jemma watching him. I glanced back at Jemma and she had her glass of orange juice pressed against her bottom lip but appeared to be oblivious of everyone in the room but Streak. I groaned. This wasn't fucking gonna be good.
I looked back at Viper to see him eyeing Streak now, then he got up and headed toward him. Fuck. I tensed up. I was hoping he didn't beat the shit out of the boy, he hadn't done anything wrong, but he could have put on a damn shirt before he came downstairs. I watched as Viper got right in front of him, leaned in and whispered something to him.
Streak jerked upward, opened his eyes, looked over at Jemma then quickly looked back at Viper and nodded. He sat his cup down, eased out around Viper and headed toward the stairs. I watched as Viper took a deep breath and let it out. As he walked back to the table, I didn't see any tension in his face at all.
“Jemma,” he said as he drew her attention to him.
Her eyes had followed Streak all the way out of the dining room. I saw Axel had watched the whole thing from the pantry. I inclined my head toward where Streak had gone, and he lifted his chin at me. He took his food and followed his brother upstairs.
“Girl, you can't look at the men here like that,” he told her.
“Like what?” she muttered.
“Like you fucking wanted to eat him alive. Dammit, you're fifteen and he is a grown ass man,” he said to her.
“He's only nineteen,” she argued back.
“That's four years older than you, making him an adult while you are still a child.”
“I'm not a child.”
“You're not a fucking adult either,” he exclaimed. “Don't make me ban you from coming into the Clubhouse.”
She glared at him.
“Jemma,” he said more gently. “Don't try to grow up too fast. Be around kids your own age. Soon enough, you'll be an adult, then you can be with whoever you want. But right now, baby, that is not gonna be Streak. You need to get that through your head.”
“Fine, whatever.” She said as she got up and carried her glass to the sink. She stomped toward the door and didn't look back at Viper at all. The slam of the door seemed to echo around the room.
“Fuck, Brother. Not sure what to say,” I told him.
“Nothing to say, Dog. It's not Streak's fault. He hasn't done anything wrong. Jemma has got to learn that she isn't going to be with Streak, at least not till she's an adult. Hopefully by then, this case of teen lust will have passed.”
I lifted my chin at him. Wasn't anything else to say about it. I heard my phone go off and reached into my pocket to pull it out. As I glanced down to it, I saw I had a text from Seer. After I read it, I looked back up at Viper.
“Brother, you gonna be good to do some interviews starting at ten?” I asked him.
“Yeah. Think I will head out for a bit before we start and go talk to my Old Ladies about Jemma. We gotta try to get a handle on her. If not, I'm afraid that poor kid will wake up one morning and she will be buck ass naked in his bed.” With that, he got up, threw his trash away, put his cup in the sink and made his way out the door.
Yeah, I didn't envy him at all. I was fucking glad I didn't have any girls. Fucking glad.
~***~
Chapter 9
It's not a bad idea to occasionally take a little time thinking about things you take for granted. Plain everyday things.
~Evan Davis~
Mad Dog
May 30th, 1998
As I sat in my office at my desk looking at the file on each girl that I had decided at the last minute to have Doom put together, I realized I really didn't have the heart for this. Viper probably felt the same way, yet it was something that had to be done and I had to be on the committee. I was the one responsible for everyone in the Clubhouse. Even though I would usually take the recommendations of the men, if I determined that someone wasn't going to work, then whether they said yes, the girl wouldn't be here. There were times when my gut feeling was a little different than what others saw. I had learned a long time ago not to go against that instinct.
As I looked at each grainy picture, I realized my cock didn't stir at one single photo. For once, he was on board with the way my head and heart were feeling. We'd found our woman, now I just prayed we'd be able to keep her. I snorted. Fuck, here I was thinking 'we' like my damn dick had a say. But sadly, if the last three months before Ava showed up was any indication, then he did have a say. He was screaming Ava's name loud and clear and I wasn't going to argue with the damn thing. Not at all.
I heard a noise at the door and looked up to see Viper standing there.
“C'mon in, Brother,” I said as I gathered the files up and made my way to the table I had in my office for just such meetings. “Have a seat. If you want, give these a look through. I had Doom throw them together this morning.”
He nodded as he walked into the room holding two beers.
“One of those mine?” I asked hopefully. Why the fuck I couldn't ever remember to grab one I don't know.
He smirked at me as he handed me one, “What do you think? You never remember this shit.”
“Damn Brother, that's harsh, but I love ya anyway,” I replied as I smirked right back at him.
He laughed at that and shook his head, “Fuck, Dog. Sometimes I worry about you.”
“That's okay, Brother. Sometimes I worry about me too,” I said as I wiggled my eyebrows.
He laughed harder. “Damn, you're gonna give me a complex. Gonna start thinking you want all this too,” he said as he motioned with one hand down his body.
“You fucking wish,” I remarked as I laughed back at him. Fuck it felt good to joke with someone. I hadn't done that in a long fucking time.
As we waited for the others to arrive, we both looked through the files. As I looked at each woman's picture, objectively I could see that they were all beauties, and I knew by their looks alone the men would all love these women. Now, we had to figure out if they were trustworthy and loyal, and if they all really knew what being a club girl involved.
A lot of girls thought they could pick and choose who they slept with, but it didn't work that way here. It didn't matter which Brothe
r asked them, they had to do what was asked of them, even if it was a married Brother. But thank God that had only happened once about seventeen years ago, and unfortunately Tater had learned the consequences of his actions that night the hard way. His live-in girlfriend had left him taking their three kids and he'd never been able to find them from that point on.
“So, no one over the years has ever tempted you to stray?” I asked Viper.
“Fuck no, Brother. It's like I can tell you a woman is attractive, but there is no desire there at all. I actually hate having other women's hands on me. Makes my skin crawl.”
I tilted my head at him, “Yeah felt that way with Beth, and the thought of touching anyone after Ava, yeah, just don't think that's ever gonna happen. I’ve looked at each picture and like you, I can see the beauty of these women, other than that, they leave me cold.”
“That's when you know you're with the right one, Brother,” he said as he smiled at me.
I heard Blood and Seer talking as they came down the hallway. As they stepped into my office, I motioned to the table and they nodded and took a seat.
“Which Prospects are working at the bar today?” I asked Blood.
“Creed and Brick are out there right now,” he replied.
I looked at my phone to check the time. Five till ten. About time to start this show.
I sighed, “Well, looks like it's time to get this show on the road. Seer, who's up first?”
“Reeanne is. And, she's here.” I lifted my chin at him as he answered me.
I selected Creed's number and called it. When he picked up, I simply said, “Bring Reeanne to the office.”
“Got it, Prez. On the way.”
As I waited for them to get here, I passed her file over to Seer and Blood. Both skimmed it. There wasn't a lot to any of the files, just some general info about the women. As Creed stopped by the door, he motioned the girl in. Fuck, she couldn't be over eighteen. I glanced at the others to see that they were looking at each other as well, all of us thinking the same thing.
“C'mon in and have a seat, darlin'. Creed close the door behind you,” I told him as the girl walked nervously toward us.
Mad Dog (Angel’s Rebellion MC: #2) (Angel's Rebellion MC) Page 14