One Night in the Outlaw's Bed

by One Night in the Outlaw's Bed

  “But, uh, you saw the way he was last night, and you were just as freaked out as I was. Why all the excitement?” Maggie said, and Mora’s happiness faded as she grew serious.

  “You weren’t hurt, clearly, and would have called me if he put some kind of bullshit alpha attitude on you, so aside from the fact he was intense as hell last night, I’m just glad you got your lady bits taken care of.”

  Lady bits?

  Mora’s eyes narrowed. “But then again, why are you just now telling me about getting it on with him? I should have gotten a call last night when it was all said and done. I want the details. Need the details.”

  “Do you sound this desperate with the guys you are trying to go after?” Maggie grinned and teased Mora.

  “Pfft, honey, they beg me for more.” Mora winked. “But seriously, I know you wouldn’t have gone with him if you didn’t trust him. I want to know, was he like, all badass in bed?” She snapped her fingers, and her eyes grew wide once more. “I knew he wasn’t going to just give up. Didn’t I tell you?”

  “Mora, please, stop making this a big deal. It really isn’t.” It was, of course, but Maggie wasn’t going to say that aloud. She needed to wrap her head around what had happened, and how she was going to process her feelings.

  Mora looked at her incredulously.

  “He came to my house, took me for a ride on his Harley, and I went back to his house to have sex.”

  Mora opened her mouth again, and a low sound came from her. “You make it sound like it was nothing.”

  Maggie shrugged. It was something big, at least for her, but it was probably just about a romp between the sheets for Diesel. She didn’t want to squeal and giggle with Mora, and look like an idiot over it when nothing more would happen. “I had sex with a man. Of course it was something, but I don’t want to talk about it. We did it, he dropped me off, and that is that.” She hoped she was hiding herself well enough from Mora, but her friend really was good at reading people.

  “So that’s it? It wasn’t anything extraordinary, and was just as good as having sex with John?”

  Just hearing her ex’s name had Maggie wrinkling her nose.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” The sound of Mora tapping her foot and glaring at her told Maggie her friend wouldn’t just let this go. She may have moved away for the last five years, but she had always kept in contact with Mora. Whenever Maggie had come back to Steel Corner for holidays and breaks during school, they always found time to get together. “You know if you don’t give me something to go on I will just keep bugging you. This isn’t just some romp between the sheets.” No, it wasn’t, but she was trying to not think about Diesel—which was impossible of course. There was no point in remembering their night together, even if she had the soreness and marks to prove it, because there wouldn’t be another time. But she did want to tell someone, and Mora was her closest friend.

  “Okay, come on. I’m not getting into this out here.” She led Mora to the backroom. They’d have privacy, and she could still hear if someone came in. Maggie shut the door so there were only a few inches of it left open, and exhaled.

  She started from when she saw Diesel come to her house, but also told her friend that she had wanted him for years. She never thought she’d have a chance with him, because the women she had seen him be with were total opposites of her, and they were also ready and eager enough to give it up to the MC members. She told her everything, didn’t mince anything, and when she was done she actually took a step back and waited for Mora’s response. The fact she was silent was a little unnerving. Mora never was one to bite her tongue.

  “Okay, but it was good?”

  She nodded, but that was a bland way of putting what she did done with Diesel.

  “So good that you two forgot to wear a condom?”

  Maggie licked her lips and nodded again.

  “Dammit, Maggie, you know how stupid that is?” But Mora kept right on talking. “It doesn’t even matter that you’re on the pill. Shit like that isn’t even one-hundred percent foolproof against pregnancy, and definitely not when it concerns STDs.”

  “I know that, Mora.”

  “And who cares if he said he was tested last week. Why would you believe him? You said yourself he’s a mega man-whore.”

  Maggie rubbed her eyes and exhaled deeply. “I know all of that. I can’t say anything else than tell you it was a stupid move. There isn’t anything I can do about it now.” She dropped her arms to her side and stared at Mora. “Since I don’t have insurance anymore, and am not paying an arm and a leg for the private insurance, until I can get something else put together it is the Free Clinic in River Run for me.”

  “Well, that’s all right. There isn’t anything wrong with that. In fact, where do you think I got my birth control pills when I started having sex? No way was I asking my mom to take me. You know how she is with that shit.” Mora started laughing at what she had just said. “She would have flipped if she knew I was having sex with Craig in the back of his pickup at sixteen.” Craig had been Mora’s boyfriend all through high school but had decided he wanted a more experienced woman. Last Maggie heard he was with some thirty-year-old who had a six-year-old from her previous marriage. “So, when do you go?”

  “Well, they are booked for at least two weeks for an initial visit, which is what I have to do since I’ve never been there before.”

  Mora nodded. “That’s great.”

  “Great? I wanted to get this shit done and over with.”

  “I know, but the whole reason I came in here was to see if you wanted to come hang out with me at my parents’ cabin in the Springs.” Mora pulled her keys out of her pocket and jangled them. “I asked my dad if he’d mind you and me heading up there for the week. I know you’ve been in the dumps because of the job, John, and moving back in with your dad. Besides, you and I need a little girl time. We didn’t have a lot of that when you would come over for the holidays.”

  Maggie smiled, and was really touched by Mora wanting them to spend some quality time together, but she couldn’t just leave. She had just come back. “I can’t just leave my dad without someone to help him at the shop for a whole week. And I don’t really have extra money for a trip like that.”

  Mora waved off her concerns. “Girl, I already mentioned this to your dad this morning. In fact, he seemed pretty adamant that you get out of town for a while. Not sure what that was all about, but I’m not complaining since you and I will be spending our days floating in a raft on the lake, and our nights getting fat as we eat junk food and sit in front of the fire.”

  Maggie knew why her father had been good with her leaving town, especially if he thought there was something happening between her and Diesel. Did he actually think leaving for a week would just make everything go back to normal? Maggie had already learned that once something was set in motion it just couldn’t be undone. But going to Mora’s family’s cabin in Colorado Springs sounded like a dream, and a pretty good way to help get Diesel out of her head.

  ****

  Brick and Diesel pulled their motorcycles up in front of the club owned by Jordyn McNamara, or McNamara as he was known to everyone in River Run, and anyone else that liked filthy and illegal things. The city of River Run was only about a half hour ride from Steel Corner, but bigger population wise, and had more of the raunchy type of businesses as it wasn’t leaning toward a “scenic retirement community”, which was what the residents of Steel Corner would have liked. Brick and Diesel dismounted and took their helmets off. There were a few crotch rockets parked in front of the club, but Diesel knew they belonged to McNamara’s men. It was only a little after noon, but the place was open. The MC had been to “The Shake” a few times when doing business with McNamara years ago, but now Jordyn and his crew stuck to the local shit. Last Diesel heard they were running a smalltime heroin operation to some of the smaller towns around the area. Drugs had never been what Diesel wanted to get into, but when they started the drug runs it
had been a majority vote to try it out with the club. Fortunately, they were now out of that and focusing on the underground fighting.

  Brick pulled the front door open, and Diesel followed the other male inside. The room was dark as fuck, but his eyes adjusted instantly and he saw the two bouncers standing on either side of the entrance. There was a stripper on the stage with a red light spotlighted on her, and she danced slowly against the pole. The bar was on the opposite side, and a young man in a wife-beater was drying glasses. Diesel looked at the four men sitting in front of the stage. Their voices were low and barely distinguishable, but he could see McNamara’s slicked back platinum colored hair. Brick and Diesel made their way over to the group of men. Those two bouncers looked ready to tear meat from bones, and they were only humans.

  The stripper was wearing a blindfold and had clamps on her nipples, but Diesel knew when Jordyn threw these little private shows it was to cater to the men he was doing business with. They stopped in front of the human males, and McNamara looked over. He gave them a chin lift.

  “You boys want to sit down and see how flexible Tatiana can be?” He grinned, but Diesel only shook his head.

  “No, we need to get this done. I have shit to do.” McNamara might have been big in River Run, but that didn’t mean anything to Diesel or the Grizzlies. He said something low to the other men still seated. Diesel knew this was a drug business deal, and not because there were lines of coke on the glass table in front of them, but because they reeked of that trade. He didn’t have to be a shifter to smell the type of male that made his living off drugs. They were led to a back room, and McNamara went behind his desk and sat down. The little asshole was only in his late twenties, but had already made a pretty big name for himself in the area.

  “So, gentlemen, what can I do for you today?” McNamara was a smug little bastard that acted like he was some kind of businessman on Wall Street.

  “Don’t fuck around. Jagger told you why we were coming up,” Brick said in his deep, harsh voice.

  “We need you to tell us whatever you know about The Brothers of Menace.”

  McNamara gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. Once he and Brick were seated he began talking.

  “I don’t know a whole lot. I heard that they were in different MC charters, or maybe it was Nomads,” McNamara shrugged, “I don’t know, but the end result was that they formed their own charter, have bought a piece of property out on Sterling Hill for their headquarters, I presume. The President goes by the name of Lucien Silver. Don’t know if that’s his real name or not, but it sounds fake as fuck if you ask me. They keep to themselves and don’t really head into town all that much.”

  “Do you know how they get their revenue?”

  “All I know is they have a few working girls in their clubhouse now, for the time being at least. Not sure if they run a prostitution business or if those women are just for them to play with.” McNamara shrugged again and leaned back in his chair. “They haven’t been here that long, and I know Jagger just heard about them because they came to your territory, but that’s really all I know. If I hear anything else I’ll call the club.”

  Although they wouldn’t consider McNamara an associate or friend, they had helped him out a few years back when he was held at gunpoint. If not for the Grizzlies being there at the right time this little shit would be dead. Ever since then Jordyn was very cooperative in anything the club needed from him.

  Brick and Diesel stood. “Yeah, give the club a call when you know anything you might think is pertinent.” McNamara nodded, but they left before they could be shown out, and once outside they stopped at their bikes.

  “You think this MC is going to be trouble?” Brick asked. He slipped his sunglasses on over his eyes and looked at Diesel. Ever since the Sergeant at Arms for the club had gotten an old lady, something had definitely changed in him. He was still this scary bastard that could break an asshole in two, but when with Darra he melted for her. It was so unlike the Brick Diesel had known for years.

  “I don’t know, but I have a feeling we will find out soon enough.”

  Chapter Nine

  One week later

  Maggie sat in the waiting room at the Free Clinic in River Run. She had already filled out her information and handed it back to the receptionist, and now sat in the very uncomfortable chair and looked at the people sitting around her. The majority of the ones waiting to be seen were younger women, even some girls that didn’t look older than sixteen. Some were obviously pregnant, and there were a few that appeared to be with their mothers, who looked less than pleased.

  Spending the week with Mora at her parents’ cabin had made a world of difference in perking Maggie up, but as soon as she had come back to Steel Corner and seen a few of the Grizzly MC members riding through the square of town, the thought of Diesel had slammed in her head. But honestly he hadn’t really left her mind, not even when she had been laughing with Mora and soaking in the sun by the lake. The distraction she got from relaxing and having a good time with her friend had helped her in keeping anything Diesel related buried. The side door opened, and an older woman in faded scrubs stepped out holding a cream colored folder.

  “Miss Drake?” Her attention was on the folder, but when she called out Maggie’s name she looked up and scanned the waiting room.

  Maggie stood and walked toward her and into the hallway behind the door. After she was weighed she was showed into the exam room, her vitals were taken, and she was left alone. All of it had seemed to take less than five minutes with the nurse barely saying a few words to her. Maggie rubbed her arms, suddenly grew nervous, and then wiped her clammy hands on her pants. She glanced at the poster that was right across from her. It was the image of a mother holding a newborn, and the words below it listed all the benefits of breastfeeding. There was a knock on the door, and a woman who had to be in her fifties walked in. She had on a white lab coat and held a small laptop.

  “Miss Drake?” She smiled, and the gap between her two front teeth was pretty pronounced. “What brings you in today?” Maggie had never understood why they asked patients what brought them in since they always asked why she wanted to be seen when she made the appointment.

  Actually saying she needed to be tested for STDs because she had stupidly had a one-night stand without using proper protection was humiliating, even if Maggie was an adult and this was a professional. But she did finally get all of that out. The doctor nodded and smiled warmly. She probably saw and heard these types of things all the time.

  “I’ll have the nurse get some blood and run some tests. We will also run a pregnancy test since it is pretty standard, given the reason for your visit.” Maggie nodded again. “But I’d like to get a Pap smear done since you have never been here before, and according to your history it’s been about a year since you had one last.”

  Maggie nodded.

  “It’ll take at least a week, maybe ten days to get the results back. We are backlogged, and we send the samples to Denver to be run.” The doctor smiled again, handed her one of those paper gowns, and left her alone.

  Twenty minutes later, and Maggie was stepping out of the office. It had been gynecological hell and some needle pricks thrown in. Maggie left the office and headed to her car, but stopped when she heard the rumble of motorcycles nearing. She stood there and watched four tricked out Harleys ride past. They stopped at the red light, and she saw that they were called the Brothers of Menace, according to the backs of their cuts. The rider in the front turned his head and looked over at her. She didn’t know what it was about this stranger watching her, but her stomach dropped and her pulse increased. He wore dark sunglasses and a skullcap helmet. She could see his dark hair peeking out from under the helmet. But it wasn’t his huge frame that made her wary. It was this very strange, almost apprehensive feeling she got when she looked at him and the other members. These men were dangerous, lethal, and she gathered all of that—even with her human senses—with just one look. A chill
raced up her spine, and fortunately the light turned green. The guy she took as the leader from the simple confidence that seemed to come from him, and the fact he was the one in front of the others bikers, grinned at her. There was a boom of an engine being revved, and then the bikers were taking a right and disappearing behind the large buildings of River Run. There was something scary and wrong about that man, and her instincts had known it.

  Maggie climbed into her car and started the engine. She didn’t like River Run, and not because of that biker gang she just saw. The scenery was beautiful, when she was actually out of the industrial part of the city, but she knew a lot of illegal things happened in this town—even more so than what happened in Steel Corner. Drugs, guns, and prostitution were some of the rumors that had circulated to her part of the woods. But here, in this town, there was this nervousness that she felt, one that she couldn’t quite understand and didn’t want to analyze. Maggie didn’t feel this tightening of her skin or uneasiness about the Grizzlies, though. Maybe it was because she had grown up around the MC, and although she knew they weren’t priests and did a lot of questionable things, it seemed to flow well with Steel Corner. At home she didn’t feel like she should be watching over her shoulder, but she sure did when she was in River Run. Once in her car she headed out of town and back home, but for some reason she found herself continuously glancing in her rearview mirror until she was out of River Run.

  ****

  Diesel sat at the bar, his back to the counter, and his attention on the party commencing in front of him. The clubhouse was popping with loud music, booze, joints, and of course club whores that were already greedily giving themselves to the guys. Court was getting a private lap dance by a scantily clad female, and Drevin and Stinger were sitting at the couch watching a stripper reach for the ground and pop out her ass. Dallas was leaning against the wall, a beer bottle in one hand and a pool stick in the other. But Dallas wasn’t focused on the game or the women around them, and instead was staring right at Diesel. He pushed away from the wall, set his pool stick down, and moved in Diesel’s direction. He stopped at the bar and asked the tender, a prospect that was nearing his year stint with the club, for a double shot of Crown. Johnny Boy, the prospect, handed the shot to Dallas. He brought it to his mouth and tossed it back. Neither of them said anything, but Diesel didn’t have shit to say to the other member. He was still fucking pissed at Dallas running his mouth about Maggie. He had managed to steer clear of the other male, kept his anger and the violent need to punch him in the jaw at bay, but having him this close, and feeling like Dallas was taunting him with his presence, had Diesel clenching his teeth.