by M. N. Forgy
“Going against Augustus and his boys is going to be a hell of a war. I’m not even sure if he is the one attacking. We have to think this through before going on that side of town and making waves,” Bull tells us, lighting a cigarette.
“I’ll do some digging, see what I can come up with. Until then, the club is on lock-down,” Bull finishes.
“Everyone is accounted for but Cherry,” Hawk says from the end of the table. I smirk. Cherry is a rebel. She’s always against the club, breaking laws left and right. She’s the worst pain in the ass this club has had to endure. She’s lucky we owe Phillip.
Bull groans a rumble of frustration.
“Of course she’s not.”
Dani
I sit on the bed and I can hear the club become heavy with idle chitchat as it’s filled with family and close friends. Had I known attacking that boy with Babs would have led to this, I wouldn’t have never gone through with it. I haven’t felt the same since I almost killed that guy. I don’t even know if he’s alive. Shadow comes in the room and leans against the back of the door; he looks exhausted.
“Rough meeting?” I ask.
“You could say that,” he replies sarcastically. “The news that Babs is gone and you ladies threw us in a turf war isn’t exactly something to celebrate on.”
I bite my bottom lip and look at the ground; he’s right.
“What pisses me off more is Locks. He should be trying to avenge his wife’s death,” Shadow continues, his hands fisted at his side. “He’d be in the ground already if it weren’t for the respect I have for your father.” He looks at me, his eyes promising me he would do anything to protect me.
The room is filled with tension and silence.
“I’m going to go get something to eat,” he ultimately says, changing the subject and leaving, slamming the door behind him.
Minutes later, he comes back into the room with a tub of chocolate ice cream and a spoon. He leans his muscled back against the wooden door and pops the top of the plastic container using his thumb.
I can’t help but giggle. He’s always eating chocolate ice cream.
“What’s so funny?” he asks, stuffing a spoonful in his mouth.
“You,” I respond, pointing to his tub of ice cream.
He looks up from under his thick eyelashes with hooded eyes.
“You want some?” he offers, pushing off the door and walking toward me. He dips the silver spoon into the chocolaty goodness and places it inches from my mouth. I look at his mischievous blue eyes and open my mouth slowly, as he moves the spoon forward slightly. I move forward to lap up the chocolate, but he pulls it away before I can make contact.
I toss my head back and laugh at his playfulness.
He glances behind him at the dresser then turns back to me with the look of a man on a mission before grabbing a black bandana off the dresser.
“What do you think you’re going to do with that?” I ask nervously.
Shadow smirks like the devil himself with his eyes hooded. I recognize that look of lust in his eyes, and I second-guess having sex with Shadow after just hearing about Babs’ death.
He sits the chocolate tub aside and gestures his hand in a twirling action. “Turn,” he says.
I look at him, unsure if I want him to blindfold me. “Trust me,” he says softly, his eyes raised with excitement.
“It feels wrong, what with Babs and all,” I whisper.
Shadow licks the chocolate from his lips slowly as he fingers the bandana.
“People have different ways to deal with death,” he responds. I can’t deny Shadow. I crave for his affection in this dark hour—just us together, relieving our grief.
I inhale a deep breath and turn slowly. He wraps the soft fabric around my tear stained face, my vision darkening as it’s placed over my eyes. He tugs it as he ties it behind my head tightly. All I see is pitch-black. There is not even a peek of light slithering in. I can feel my breathing go heavy as my heart races against my chest. I trust Shadow, but this is taking trust to a whole new level.
“You think sex was great before, but you have no idea,” he whispers into my ear, the smell of chocolate coming from his breath.
His words remind me how much more sex he’s had than me. The thought that he has blindfolded others before makes me jealous.
He pulls my shirt above my head, his hands gliding down my body as his fingers interlock with the hem of my jersey shorts. He slowly pulls them off, his nose trails behind them along my legs.
Shadow directs me backward until the backs of my legs hit the dresser. He grabs my hips and lifts me on top of it, its top cold against my rear, making goose bumps crawl across my arms.
He brings his lips to mine, giving me a taste of the chocolate he denied me, his tongue demanding and greedy. He breaks the embrace and starts trailing kisses down my neck, down my collar bone, over the mounds of my breasts. My body hums with desire from the affectionate touch Shadow offers, bringing me from my mourning to elation. He gives my nipple a hard nip, making my body come alive with pleasure. He continues kissing me down the valley of my breasts, across my belly, heading south. My stomach clenches with anticipation, wondering what his next move is.
He grabs the underside of my thighs and scoots me back, jostling my body towards the back mirror, then pulls upward, angling my lower half up. I try to wiggle my head to loosen the bandanna but it’s no use. I feel my legs thrown over his shoulders and before I can protest, his mouth crashes against my wet core, the feeling of cold jolting me.
“Oh, my God!” I squeal, as he chuckles against my opening.
He slides his warm fingers into me and begins to pump them in and out painfully slow.
“Never thought chocolate could taste any better,” he murmurs, his voice rumbling against my clit.
My hand slams down on his head as he laps at my clit, the intensity of the sensations overwhelming. His ice-cold tongue assaults my pussy and his heated fingers dive back and forth. My body is vibrating with release, as his wet tongue devours my juices, confused with the warmth inside and the blizzard on the outside. I begin to pant in short breaths as I start to round my hips in a circular motion, trying to grab that release Shadows tongue is causing. He stops for a second, making me wither, and my hand loses contact with his head as he dips from his place. Within seconds, he’s back, and my hands regain their place. I brace myself for the cold attack that is about to happen but it’s no use. As soon as his mouth crashes down on my heated opening, I cry out; it’s so cold it’s borderline painful. I moan loudly as my waves begin to crash hard. When I think I can’t take anymore, Shadow circles his thumb along my clit as his tongue darts in and out, making my orgasm peak. I arch upward and yell with my release, the warmth overpowering the arctic freeze on Shadow’s tongue.
I slam back against the dresser, my body heaving, out of breath.
Shadow unties the blackness, which consumes my vision. His hair is in a just-fucked state and his mouth forms a devilish smirk. He slips his fingers into his mouth, sucking my wetness and chocolate from them.
“My turn,” he smirks. Shadow grabs me by the hips and flips me over so my ass is in the air and my chest is lying on top of the dresser.
He fists my hair and drives his length deep inside me, making me question when he took his clothes off.
He thrusts hard, his cock insatiable and thirsting for my taking. The pleasure begins to build again. Shadow grunts as he snakes his hand around and grabs a hold of my throat lightly, making me moan loudly. The dresser slams against the wall, making me wonder just how much more it can take. I look into the mirror and watch Shadow—his eyes are looking down at his length slamming in and out of me relentlessly, his mouth parted slightly with eyes hooded. He speeds his hips up as he begins to pulse inside of me. He growls and pulls out then flips me over and sprays his semen all over my stomach and chest. Little jolts of white beads smack against my skin, claiming my stomach. He takes his hand and rubs it around on my skin.
“Mine,” he declares as he rubs his hand in circles over me and the baby, laying claim to his property.
A knock comes at the door, making me hightail it to the bathroom. Shadow cups his junk quickly as the door flings open.
“Ahhh, fuck, man!” Bobby hollers, shielding his eyes. I peek my head around the doorframe of the bathroom and see Bobby holding his hand in front of his eyes.
“What the hell do you want?” Shadow asks.
“We got a problem with Cherry,” Bobby responds, looking away from Shadow.
“I’ll be there in a second,” Shadow says. Bobby pulls the door shut, cursing under his breath.
“Do you think she’s okay?” I question, walking into the room.
“I don’t know. She refused to show up when she was asked to get her ass here,” Shadow explains, pulling on his jeans, no briefs. Shadow without underwear is something no woman could get used to.
“I’m coming,” I tell him, grabbing my shirt off the floor.
I find my clothes and slip them on quickly, not caring about sticky chocolate between my legs or the fact I have Shadow smeared all over my lower half.
We walk down the hall and see Vera and Molly patting Cherry on the back.
“Cherry?” I whisper, stepping up to the barstool she is sitting on.
She looks up at me and I notice mascara smeared across her face, her greyish-green eyes red from crying.
“Oh, Dani, it was horrible,” she sobs.
“What happened?” I ask as she slams her head into my chest.
“I was almost killed. A car chased me,” she exclaims hysterically. “I ran into a store and hid there until they left.” Her words are so loud I can barely understand her.
I rub the back of her head in support—I can relate. There is no fear like running from a vehicle, looking over your shoulder and knowing it can end your life as you know it any second.
“Church, now,” my dad commands, pointing toward the Chapel doors.
SHADOW
“This is the third ol’ lady who’s been attacked,” Bull says, lighting a cigarette.
“The attacks are speeding up,” Old Guy points out.
“I think we need to get on this and quick,” I snap, my fingers itching to kill the man who hurt Dani and killed Babs.
“I agree, but we retaliate smart,” Bobby says, eyeing me. He knows I would love to go in there guns blazing, and if it is Augustus, he is protected heavily so we need to be careful.
Bull’s phone begins to ring as the boys talk strategy. I can’t help but notice the look of shock on his face when he looks at whose calling.
“Quiet, boys,” he demands as he clicks a button and lays his phone on the table.
“Augustus,” Bull greets.
“Bull,” the deep voice replies from the other line, the phone on speaker so we all can hear.
“You have attacked three of my ladies, one of whom is now dead,” Bull states, clenching his jaw.
“Ladies who passed their line of territory, and this is news to me that one of them is deceased. I’m sorry to hear that,” Augustus says, his tone emotionless.
I grit my teeth at his pathetic apology, he couldn’t care less.
“You want a war, you got it,” Bull declares, eyeing the phone as he reaches his hand over to turn it off.
“Unless you want me to put that pretty little daughter of yours in the ground along with the rest of those white-trash biker whores, I expect you at my warehouse in two hours.” The line clicks, ending the call.
Bull grabs his phone and looks at me, his eyes matching mine, scared that if we don’t comply the girl we both care for will pay.
“Let’s take care of business, boys,” Bull orders, tucking his phone in his pocket swiftly.
“Let’s ride,” Bobby agrees, throwing his chair back.
I walk into my room and pull a drawer out, grabbing extra ammo and another gun for the waist of my pants before putting my favorite pistol in my holster.
“You’re going out?” Dani says, stepping into the room. Her eyes catch my gun in its holster and she stills. “This is too dangerous, Shadow,” she tells me, stepping up and fisting my shirt.
“I’m going to prove to you I can protect you and the baby, Dani,” I declare, shrugging on my cut.
“What if you get hurt, or worse, die?” she asks, her finger tracing the tattoo on my arm.
I laugh. “The only one who’s going to get hurt is the guy who attacked you.” I lean down and claim those lips, possessing them and committing them to memory. I’m man enough to say I’m afraid I may not return. Augustus is a hard motherfucker, and we could walk into a trap and not know it but not going ensures the toe tag of Dani and the other women.
“I’m not saying goodbye, because it’s not,” she states against my lips.
“Fair enough,” I say.
“Kill the bastards,” she whispers, her face serious. I love her corruption, that girl who knows this has to be done and supports me, yet fears for my safety just the same.
“I fucking love you,” I express as sincerely as possible, pecking her lips one more time.
I head out and stand by my bike, waiting for the others when Bobby walks out of the doors.
“I know we have been through some shit together, brother, but I want you to know I have your back tonight,” he says, slapping me on my back.
I look back at him—the guy I grew up with, the one who accepted me for who I was, my brother.
“I wouldn’t want anyone else,” I reply honestly. Bobby smirks as he straddles his bike, just as the others start to pour out of the club.
I start my bike and wait for Bull to start his. I look at the club and see a glowing Dani standing by the other girls, the sight of her in that pink cast fuels my need for redemption.
There will be souls paying their untimely debt tonight.
***
Riding, all I can think about is Dani and the baby. What if I don’t make it back, or what if it had been her who was killed? My hands squeeze the handlebars in anger. This is all Locks’ fault. His ass didn’t even have the nerve to answer his phone when Bull called earlier. Bull said fuck it and decided to meet Augustus without him.
Bobby revs his engine as he rides next to me, knocking me from my thoughts.
Night is approaching fast as we ride toward Augustus. When we arrive, we pull into what looks like an abandoned warehouse. We climb off our bikes and stare the joint down while the wind howls, causing a rusty chain-link fence to rattle. Lightening brightens the sky, warning us of a storm. The pavement is cracked with weeds sprouting through the splits.
“Let’s get this over with, boys,” Bull says, walking toward the building. In passing, we notice a torn blue tarp over what looks like a vehicle. Not giving a damn, Bobby pulls it off to look under it. It’s a white Monte Carlo with blood on the windshield and hood. It has to be the car Babs was hit with.
“Jesus,” Bull exclaims, his tone cracking with emotion and fists clenching at his sides.
“I guess we know now it was definitely Augustus and his men who hit Babs,” Old Guy says, surveying the bloody, cracked windshield.
Bobby lays the tarp back down shaking his head in anger. We walk around, see a doorless entry, and go in. My hand immediately goes to my gun, ready for a shootout.
“AH, THE DEVIL’S DUST is here,” Augustus says, coming down a railing of stairs and adjusting his tie, which matches his black suit. His long, black hair is slicked back into a ponytail, and his black shoes shine from the florescent light fixture that hangs above. “So nice of you to stop by.”
“Someone is going to pay for the life of one of my girls,” Bull shouts.
“I see,” Augustus says, slicking his hair back with his hand. “George loved playing ‘cat and mouse’ with your girls, but he didn’t follow orders directly. Seems he got carried away with one, and I apologize for that.” He gestures in the direction of George. He is short and has a green bandanna on low, so you c
an’t see his eyes. He has tattoos that don’t make any sense sketched all along his neck, and knuckles. He will die tonight. He just doesn’t know it yet.
“If you’ll be so kind as to drop your weapons, boys,” Augustus orders, kicking a blue crate toward us.
“Do we look stupid?” Bobby asks.
“Do it,” Augustus demands. He snaps his fingers and two guys walk up behind him, pointing a rifle at us.
I pull my gun from my holster and throw it in as the other guys do the same.
“Talk,” Bull commands.
“Right,” Augustus says, loosening the cuffs on his sleeves. “When your little bitches crippled my nephew, I was going to kill every single one of them.”
My nose flares with anger; I’d kill him right now if I could but Augustus is too protected, so if I kill him, I ensure the death of myself and the rest of us.
“I even sent a warning to let you know war had begun.” He looks up from his cuffs and sniffles.
“I sure did love that bike too.” Locks voice sounds from behind me. I turn and find Locks walking up behind us.
“What the fuck?” I mutter.
“Locks?” Old Guy questions, just as shocked as I am that he’s here.
“When I found out one of the girls who beat my nephew was your daughter, a new business opportunity came to light. I thought I would trade you,” Augustus continues, straightening his tie.
“Trade me what?” Bull asks, his gaze snapping from Locks to Augustus.
“Your girl’s life for a little business,” Augustus explains. “You let me run drugs on your side, and you can run guns on my side. You get some cash, and your women get to live.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.
Bull turns his head, looking at me, his eyes silently asking me if he thinks we should do it. I nod. I would agree to anything to ensure Dani’s safety.
“Then this is over?” Bull asks.
“Over,” Augustus says, nodding.
“Fine,” Bull says.
“Fantastic,” Augustus smiles, but continues casually, “However, I don’t condone business with clubs who have rats amongst them.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Bull questions.