Striker (Black Rebel Riders' MC Book 4)

by Glenna Maynard

  The door swings open and closes loudly behind me, the party from earlier has wound down. I come up on Striker and Grim playing an intense game of pool. All the members are here, some like me being called back by Grim.

  Grim sinks the eight ball winning the game. He cracks his knuckles and breaks his stick over Striker’s back.

  I’ll give the kid credit he doesn’t even flinch when Grim sends a left hook straight to his jaw. “Think you can fuck my daughter, knock her up and leave her son without a father motherfucker.” Punch. Crack.

  Damn, that made my jaw hurt. Grim continues to pummel him; the boy is on his knees, head swaying side-to-side, bloody, bruised, and beaten down. “All yours brother.” Grim gives me permission.

  The kid has a nice face too bad; he won’t be Baby’s pretty boy no more. I send my boot to his gut and he falls over wincing in pain. I grab him by his hair forcing his head up as I slam my fist into his eye. I kick him once more in the rib for good measure.

  Rebel and Tread come over and carry his ass upstairs. “You going to call her or am I?” I look to Grim, Foxie is going to be pissed but bitch don’t have say in the club no more.

  “Fuck that,” he says. I reach him a pack of ice for his fist.

  “Call his whore and bring her here.”

  “Alright brother.”

  Twenty minutes later Diamond walks in hugging her chest. She shrinks back from Grim’s scrutinizing glare.

  “Don’t be modest now bitch, you didn’t have no shame putting on that performance for everyone earlier.” Grim grabs her by the back of her hair and drags her up the stairs. I follow behind him, having no clue as to what he is up to. Never seen him pissed like this. But then again never had to watch my daughter get used up and fucked over either. Grim kicks open the door to the room Striker is resting in.

  “Clean him up.” Grim orders Diamond. She falls to her knees, begins treating his cuts, and scrapes with the first aid kit on the night table. Striker moans and I pour him a shot of Jack.

  “You beat the fuck out of him, but didn’t even put a scratch on his glasses,” I laugh. Seems his glasses are the only thing that didn’t take a beating.

  Diamond leans in close to Striker’s face, stupid bitch was about to try to kiss him. Grim grabs her by her dark hair again. “The fuck you think you are doing? On your feet.” He pulls her back down the stairs. I follow observing. Rebel hangs back to take care of his brother.

  Grim calls over the five potentials. “Boys I brought you a present. Diamond here loves to give head and be fucked in the ass.” Grim pushes her forward. “Enjoy.” He laughs as the guys lineup to take their turn. You don’t fuck with the Prez’s daughter and not expect consequences.

  Gotta’ give the whore credit she is taking her punishment like a fucking pro. Grim watches on laughing like it is a fucking live porno, but I guess it sort of is. We pass a joint and share a jar of shine.

  14

  Striker

  “Look let me explain,” I try pleading with Baby. I can’t lose her when we we’re so close to having it all.

  “I don’t want to hear it I really don’t. You chose your whore over us. There is nothing left to say.”

  “Baby,” I grab her wrist, as she continues clearing out her desk.

  “Stop, I can’t be here with you. I didn’t tell Grim if that’s what you are worried about. We gave it a shot, it didn’t work.”

  “We are not over.” I state dryly.

  “We were over before we ever started.” She pulls from my hold. When she sees my face, a tear slips from her eye. “What happened?”

  “Nothing,” I hiss through my teeth. “Nothing I didn’t have coming.”

  “My father do this shit?” She knows he did, she just wants to hear me say it.

  “Baby, I love you, that’s all that matters.”

  “I can’t trust you. If I hadn’t been there last night, you would have done god knows what. I won’t be that old lady. Your mom didn’t take that shit from your old man and I sure as fuck am not taking it from you. You can see your son, when your face heals. I gotta’ go. I have class today.” She spins on her heel to leave.

  “This conversation isn’t finished.” I grab my side. My ribs are killing me. I don’t know how I am out of bed right now. But when Grant sent me a text that Baby was cleaning out her office I had to get here fast. I drop down in her chair.

  “Oh it’s finished just like us.” She blows me a kiss and walks out the door. I can’t move my feet to go after her, but we aren’t over. We can’t be.

  Grant comes into the office. “You alright man. Fuck, you look like a damn meat tenderizer has been taken to your face.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Fuck, it hurts to breathe. I want to go after Baby, but I know she needs to cool down. And damn, I am in no shape to go on a chase right now. “You gotta’ handle shit here today. I’m going upstairs and getting in bed, if anyone asks you haven’t seen me unless it’s Baby.”

  “Sure thing man.”

  It takes me nearly ten fucking minutes to climb the stairs to my apartment. I’m broke out in a cold sweat I feel like I am going to be sick. I make it inside and collapse on my couch. I take the bottle of painkillers that Rebel shoved in my pants pocket last night and pop a few in my mouth. Turning on the TV I flip through the channels not really caring what is on the screen. I just can’t take the quiet. I pull out my cell and my finger hangs over Baby’s name. Her contact picture is of her and Colt.

  The loss of her stabs me straight in the chest. I exit Baby’s name and call my mom. It rings a few times before she picks up. “Hello,” she whispers.

  “Mom I fucked up.”

  “I know she’s here with Colt. I can’t talk long promised her I wouldn’t talk to you about it. I’ll come over once her and Colt leave. They are heading out in a few.”

  “I love her.”

  “I know son.” She ends the call and I feel like the worst man. I tore Baby apart and she keeps coming back for me. I shouldn’t have promised her, she shouldn’t have trusted me. I don’t deserve her, but fuck I want her. I have to make shit right, even if she is over reacting a little. I knew she was mad and I take all of the blame, but she was and is the best thing that ever happened to me. Even as a child, I knew she was the only one for me.

  I scroll through the pictures of Baby and Colt on my phone. These two are my life and no one is coming in between us. I will fight heaven and hell for them if I have to. Grim can beat the hell out of me every motherfucking day, but he will never keep me away from what is mine.

  Sometime later, I waken to someone knocking on the door. Must have dozed off looking at my phone. I open the door and my mom is on the other side home cooked food in hand. “Damn, Grim sure beat the fuck out of you. But what’s done is done.” She pushes past me and goes into the kitchen to fix me a plate of food. My mouth waters smelling her fried chicken.

  She returns to the living room a minute later with my food. “Eat up.” She orders and she doesn’t have to tell me twice. I’m like a starving dog. Haven’t had shit to eat since sometime yesterday.

  “She’s pissed but I don’t think it’s the worst situation. You fucked up, but you have to just suck it up and admit it. Don’t discredit her anger or her feelings. Give her a day or two to cool then you sweep her off her feet. She loves you, she told me. But then I always knew she’d either marry you or Rebel. I know I always pushed her and Rebel on each other and that was wrong of me. Shouldn’t have meddled but that’s that. So how are you going to do it?” My mom looks over at me fully serious and I have no idea what I am supposed to do.

  “Do what?”

  She smacks the back of my head. “Fuck, ma. What was that for?” Motherfuck a duck that hurt.

  “You gotta’ ask her to be your old lady. I swear between you and Rebel you boys must want me to grow old with no grandbabies or daughter-in-laws. Neither of ya know how to romance a woman, suppose you learned that from your father and me. God rest his soul. I miss him
so much.”

  “Me, too. I wish he could see Colt. I know he would be so proud of him.”

  “Grim took him away don’t let him take Baby and Colt from you. Stand your ground. Show him you are a Black damn it. Make your father proud. You and Baby are going to be in charge one day. I know I always thought Rebel would take over but he’s not cut out to be a leader.”

  “Not discussing club shit right now.” I roll my eyes at her.

  “Alright, alright. Just remember what I said. You claim Baby, get your brand on her arm. You do right by her and your boy.” She kisses me on the forehead. “I put some leftovers in the fridge. If you need me just call. I love you. Don’t fuck up.”

  I finish my food, pop some more pills and go the fuck back to sleep, wondering how in the hell I am going to get Baby to forgive me let alone marry me.

  Romeo

  This morning when I got in, I peeked in on the kids all sleeping soundly. When I looked in on Baby and Colt, she stole my breath away. She was snuggled up to my pillow, wearing nothing but one of my shirts and a thong. Motherfucking perfection. I know I shouldn’t have but I couldn’t stop myself from snapping a picture of her with my phone. Her red hair was sprawled across the bed, sunlight streaming across her face. Heaven sent. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to put Colt in the crib with Miracle so I could make sweet slow tortuous passionate love to Baby. She is all I seem to think about.

  Instead I tore myself unwillingly from my room and went into the kitchen and made breakfast for the kids. And here I am now sitting across from Baby at the kitchen table, she is still dressed in my shirt, has it pulled over her knees chin resting on them looking so sad. I know it is partly my fault but she needed to see it now and set Striker in his place.

  “You alright darlin’,” I ask placing a concerned sympathetic hand on her head, rubbing my fingers through her hair smoothing her tangled locks.

  “I will be, just been thinking a lot.” She raises her head taking a drink of her coffee. I know I need to let her be.

  “I’m waiting for my sister to call back but she should be coming to stay with me for a while to help out with the kids. I hate calling on you all the time. I know you have a lot going on too, but if you ever need a friend you can count on me okay.”

  She takes my hand, crushing my heart when she says, “I need to tell you I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come on to you when I was a teen it was wrong. I should not have put you in that situation. And whatever is going on with you and LL I feel partly responsible. I opened my big mouth. And...”

  “I know sweetheart and don’t be sorry I was there too that night and I wanted you alright. Thought about you every damn day since. I close my eyes I see your face,” I admit.

  “Romeo,” she begs for me to stop talking but I can’t help the words as they spill out of my mouth.

  “I’d give anything for one more night; I almost climbed in bed with you this morning.” Her eyes are wide with my confession hanging in the air between us. My hand is still in her hair. I bring her face forward and press my lips to hers. She doesn’t push me away. Her soft lips beckon my tongue to taste them.

  “Eww dad’s kissing Baby. Look Dawn.” Baby jerks back at the sound of Jamie’s voice and shakes her head at me.

  “Does this mean Baby is going to be our mom now?” Dawn asks as Baby runs to my room with tears in her eyes.

  Fuck, I shouldn’t have kissed her. My cock is rock hard. I don’t know whether to just let her leave or if I should try to talk to her. Dawn is tugging on my arm, “so is she going to be our mom now?”

  “No honey she’s not. Baby was sad and I shouldn’t have kissed her like that. Let’s just keep this between us okay.”

  “Okay daddy, but secrets don’t make friends ya know.” Smart kid. The front door slams shut and I hear Baby peeling out of the driveway.

  15

  Baby

  How could he kiss me like that? Jerk. I hate all men. I don’t know who I am more angry at, him or myself. Because when he kissed me, back there a part of me liked it. I won’t be that girl again. I will not be the reason he divorces his wife. I was right, I am like my mom, I don’t belong with anyone. And step one I am clearing out my desk. I am done working at the garage with Striker, it was a bad idea. If my dad hadn’t pushed me into that situation none of this shit would be happening right now.

  I need Foxie. I know I can talk to her about everything and she won’t judge me. I know Rumor would listen but I know she would silently be judging me. I don’t need that today. I need a mom, and as much as I love Sunshine, she doesn’t know me the way Foxie does.

  I pull up outside of the garage and see that Grant is already here. I roll my window down to get his attention I shout at him, “Hey,” I wave him over to the car. He jogs over. “Think you could keep an eye on Colt for me, I just need to grab my stuff from the office. Striker isn’t here is he?”

  “Not seen him all morning.”

  “Good.”

  I leave Grant at my car with Colt, run in, and start shoving my shit in an empty parts box.

  “Look let me explain,” Striker’s voice punches me in the gut.

  “I don’t want to hear it I really don’t. You chose your whore over us. There is nothing left to say.” I know I am being cold and harsh, but I have to push him away. This will only end badly, the longer we keep doing this to each other the harder it will be to walk away.

  “Baby,” he grabs at my wrist, his touch bringing me such pleasure and pain. It’s so hard not to turn into him and let him tell me all the lies I long to hear. That we will be okay, that he didn’t mean it, that we belong together.

  “Stop, I can’t be here with you. I didn’t tell Grim if that’s what you are worried about. We gave it a shot, it didn’t work.”

  “We are not over.”

  “We were over before we ever started.” I pull from his grip seeing his face, nearly brings me to tears. He’s had the shit kicked out of him. “What happened?”

  “Nothing—Nothing I didn’t have coming.”

  “My father do this shit?”

  “Baby, I love you, that’s all that matters.” Love is not enough. He should know that of all people after watching his parents.

  “I can’t trust you. If I hadn’t been there last night, you would have done god knows what. I won’t be that old lady. Your mom didn’t take that shit from your old man and I sure as fuck am not taking it from you. You can see your son, when your face heals. I gotta go. I have class today.”

  “This conversation isn’t finished.”

  “Oh it’s finished just like us.” I blow him one last kiss and leave before I change my mind. I wave Grant away and head for some woman-to-woman talk with Foxie.

  I cry the whole drive to Foxie’s. I already regret the way I acted. Part of me wants to do a U-turn right here in the middle of the road and tend to Striker. I’d like to pretend that nothing else matters but being in his arms. I glance back in my mirror at Colt as he kicks his legs to the beat of the music playing through the speakers from the radio. I have to be careful of the choices I make, they aren’t just about me. As much as I love Striker, I don’t want to put Colt through a rough marriage.

  And Romeo, fuck I don’t know what to do with what he said this morning. Then the way Jamie and Dawn reacted, I can’t have them thinking I go around kissing married men. But I guess in a weird way I do.

  When I get to Foxie’s I get Colt from the car. Foxie is sitting on her porch swing sipping sweet tea. Thinking about the smell of it makes me sick. I hate tea. “There’s my sweet boy,” she reaches for Colt trading me for her tea. He goes to her excitedly.

  “How are things?” she asks as we go inside.

  “Not good, could be better, could be worse. I am a mess Foxie.” I sit her tea down on a coaster on the side table for her.

  She raises Colt’s shirt and blows raspberries on his stomach causing him to shriek with laughter. “Well shit, get on with it, let me have it. What did th
at son of mine do?” Her brows furrow as I go into telling her about Striker fucking that bitch, I tell her all about last night, leading up to this morning with Romeo. Colt is bouncing on her knees now, while she holds him steady by his arms.

  “Look I am going to be straight with you, Striker is a man, he was drunk, and so he hesitated. I know you are rightfully pissed. But don’t let Romeo wanting to fuck you because his old ass is having issues with his wife stand in the way of what you want and what you deserve—to be happy. You and Striker belong together. Take a few days cool down, and stay away from Romeo. Him and LL have big problems don’t go getting mixed up in that shit. Take care of you and yours.” She goes back to playing with Colt and we talk some more about Striker, I tell her the part I dread most—that my father beat the shit out of Striker last night.

  “Well I am surprised it took this long Baby. Things will work out just don’t punish him too long, because when a man isn’t getting what he needs at home, they go get it where they can.” My talk with Foxie just makes me feel even guiltier. Her phone rings so I get Colt a diaper change and a snack. Sunshine will feed him dinner, while I am at my night class.

  **

  It has been a week since I ended things with Striker. I am miserable. I have not spoken to him other than a few text messages about Colt. He has been great on keeping tabs with him. I let Rebel pick him up yesterday and take him to Striker for a visit. It killed me not to ask about him but I refrained. Now all morning Colt has been yelling and babbling “da-da, da-da.” It is driving me nuts; it makes me miss Striker even more.

  I get a quick video of Colt’s incessant babbling and send it to Striker. He instantly shoots back to tell his little buddy that daddy loves him, and at the end of his message he adds that he loves mommy too. My heart does a somersault in my chest. I don’t know how to respond because as hurt and pissed as I was I love him too.

  Baby: We love you too.