Whiskey straddled the bike making Addy moan; how in the hell could a man make something as simple as getting on a bike into eye porn? When he held out his hand to help her on, she melted; so much for keeping her feelings out of this thing going on between them.
When she got on Whiskey grabbed her under her knees and pulled her closer; she laughed and took the hint hugging him tightly.
He wasn’t joking when he said the trip would be short. It had taken less than ten minutes to get there, but brought up a whole hell of a lot of memories. Whiskey had brought her to the spot that where they had first kissed, the same spot that they made love for the first time. Shoot, after what they had done, now, she knew what they had done was not making love. Getting off the bike Addy brushed away Whiskey’s offers of help.
“Why did you bring me here, Aiden,” Addy asked, her eyes on her feet.
“Babe, look at me.”
“No, Aiden, tell me why you brought me here of all places.” Addy said, looking at him for the first time with tears in her eyes.
Aiden wiped the tears with his thumbs cradling her face in his hands.
“Babe, we needed to come back here the past is still haunting us and I want to let it go, don’t you?”
“Aiden…”
“Babe, you’re holding back, I feel it every time we make love, I feel it when you look at me. Hell, I feel it when you’re laying sound asleep after I fucked you into the bed. We need to talk about her, tell me about Sunshine.”
Whiskey let Addy go and walked back over to the bike pulling out the envelope she had left for him at the farm. Addy grabbed the envelope, cradled it to her chest, and fell to her knees. Aiden sat down behind her holding her close.
“Tell me, babe. Tell me about Sunshine.”
After a couple of minutes Addy opened the envelope and the first thing that came out was the picture she had taken of Sunshine’s way too tiny feet, brushing it with her finger.
“She was so small, Aiden, you could have held in one hand, but she was perfect,” she told him, looking up, her tear-filled eyes. “You know, most babies born that early look all red and wrinkly. but she was beautiful.”
“I’m sure she was, Addison.”
“She looked just like you, she even had your nose.”
“Poor girl,” Whiskey laughed, but Addy saw he was crying as much as she was; they were finally mourning their daughter, together.
“Addison, I’m so sorry I never read your letters or accepted your calls. I was so angry at you, I couldn’t see beyond it. Had I known, hell, I don’t even know what I would have done. I was messed up back then. I want to believe that I would have come back and done the right thing, but Babe I don’t know if I would have. I do know that I will regret that I never got to meet her for the rest of my life.”
“Do you know why I named her Sunshine?”
“No, Babe, I haven’t figured that one out yet.”
“Do you remember that song Sunshine on my Shoulders by John Denver?”
“Yeah, babe, but why that song?”
“You sang it to me once, do you remember?”
“Yeah,” Whiskey laughed, “it was the day I made you cry because of the dress. I was trying to make you smile, and it came on the radio. I had totally forgotten about that.”
“I listened to that song every day before Sunshine was born, thinking about you, wishing you were home with me, helping me with the farm and Pop,” Addison smiled.
“Babe I’m sorry…”
“No more I’m sorry’s,” Addy put her finger up to Aiden’s lips, “I had my part in this too.” Aiden nodded.
“Anyway, there is this one part of the song. If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I'd make a wish for sunshine for all the while. Sunshine never took a single breath, she was gone before she even left my body. Thinking of you and that song helped me name her and gave me peace.”
“It was perfect, Addison. I couldn’t have picked a better name. I’d like to say goodbye to her in my own way.” Whiskey got up and went to his motorcycle, pulling out something flat from the saddle bags. Walking back to Addy he helped her up. Unwrapping the package, Addy was still puzzled. Whiskey smiled at her.
“Babe, this is a Chinese Wish Lantern. It is said that when it is released in honor of a person that has passed, you are releasing them with love, prayers, and well wishes. I want that for our girl, will you help me?”
“Yes.”
It didn’t take Aiden long to unravel the package. There was a little cup to hold a candle Aiden lit, and he had Addy hold on to the side of the of the lantern’s top. Addy was being very careful, the paper felt thin, and she didn’t want to rip it. Aiden held the other side as the lantern as it started to inflate.
“Sleep with the angel’s, precious girl, we have never met, but you have taken my heart, we will meet when my days are done. Till then know you are loved.” She and Aiden released the lantern and watched the lantern float away. The higher it went, the freer she felt, finally releasing all the anger and hurt of the past, Addy just let herself be, sitting in the field with Aiden holding her tight. The place where it all began, grieving for their daughter, together, the way it should have been all those years ago.
“Thank you, Aiden.”
Chapter 15
Things were getting better at the Clubhouse, the Puppets, and Prospects doing their jobs, and the place was at least cleaner; being on lockdown still sucked rocks. Her only consolation, now all the Club was on lockdown, she had company. The guys went out every day, but the women of the Club were under strict instructions to stay put unless escorted, and even those times had to be approved by Tuck.
Addy was starting to think of these guys, all of them including the broody Link, as family, and it was nice. Her family was small, and they were all gone now. Caring for the RBMC members made her feel like a part of something, and she liked it. There was still tension between her and Reagan, they weren’t where they once were, and that hurt Addy. She hated the distance that Reagan was putting between them, but also understood where she was coming from. Things were different in the MC than out in the real world, or what Addy once considered the real world. There were rules and expectations that Addy was still getting her head around.
She was, and had always been, a people pleaser by nature, but this lockdown was going to kill her. Shoot, she wasn’t the only one; the RBMC Defiance Chapter comprised of almost all younger men between the ages twenty to mid-thirties, and these boys were used to a certain way of living. With only four Puppets in residence, they weren’t getting their normal amount of, as Whiskey would say, pussy.
Every morning, she had to get up before five so she and Reagan, and a few of the other Puppets, could start on breakfast and the rest of the chores that needed to be done throughout the Clubhouse. The work and getting up early wasn’t the issue, she did that stuff on the farm all the time.
What was getting to her was being indoors all the time. On the farm, she was hardly ever inside, even in the winter. Rain or shine there were chores, and she loved it. She also missed her animals. She wouldn’t give up this time with Whiskey for anything, but damn, she wanted a little of her normal back with him included in the package.
Every night, Whiskey would come to the room, take a shower, and come back out in that damn postage stamp towel showing her everything she longed to kiss, touch, and lick. Damn, the man was hotter than an August day in the dessert.
It also didn’t help that every night, shit any time of the day, the Clubhouse was like a free-for-all porn set. Addy never knew what she would see coming down the stairs or turning the corner. Shoot, sometimes just walking down the hall turned into an adventure. These people didn’t care if doors were closed or not, they did what they wanted, when they wanted. She had seen more live sex acts in the last couple of weeks than she had watched of porn in her lifetime.
She was kind of relieved that nearly all the guys in the RBMC were hot-as-hell, and the Puppets weren’t anyth
ing to sneeze at either. Otherwise, she might have had to stay in her room twenty-four seven, and since Tuck forbade that, well, she wasn’t opposed to watching just a little. She didn’t even care that that made her some kind of a voyeur; when in Rome.
But, Whiskey still starred in all her fantasies, none of the guys could hold a candle to him. His body had changed through the years, no longer the lanky but muscular teenager she once remembered, but a well chiseled, hard-bodied man. His body looked as though it had been carved out of granite, his muscles were large and well-defined, and damn, his body art was some of the best Addy had ever seen, not that she had seen much before staying at the Club, but now she was sure she was becoming an expert. He had an owl on his shoulder whose wings spanned around front and back; it was breathtaking.
But, what got her mouthwatering, besides his enormous cock, was his ass; the thing should have stories written about it. Addy bet that a quarter would bounce right off those tight cheeks, and she was guilty of copping more than a few feels. The jerk always smiled at her like he knew what she was thinking when he caught her, which was almost always. Addy had never paid attention to a man’s ass before, but Whiskey was making her an eternal fan.
Once he dropped that towel and got into bed, Addy was a goner. She wanted him to just take her and put her out of her misery, but he wouldn’t. No, the bastard would ask her every night, “Are you ready to beg yet, Addison?” and Addison all but yelled, hell yeah. The man had her hook, line, and sinker; Addy was addicted to him.
Just thinking about him and his body was making her panties wet. Shit, she would need go up to their room and take care of some needed business, or at the very least, take an icy shower, if she didn’t get her mind off of the infuriating man. But hell, she knew it was a losing battle, he was never very far from her thoughts these days. Not that he was far from them before, this was just different. He was slowly, but surely, breaking her down. Addy wanted this time with him, she needed it, even wanted more.
With the Club being on lockdown, she knew he had other responsibilities, but he still carved out time for her, and that made her feel special. She had learned more about the man in the past few weeks than she had the first seventeen years of her life. She also learned a lot about herself during that time; damn, she had been so closed off, it was scary. It was nice to be connecting with someone other than Carri. It surprised her that that person was Whiskey.
He would do things like making sure she had a bottle of water on the nightstand before they went to bed, or one day when she was feeling and acting especially bitchy, he brought her a crap ton of chocolate. It was weird, but sweet. He also brought her a new dress every Sunday, not saying anything about it, just hanging it in the closet, so it was waiting for her. But, what was really melting Addy’s heart were their talks. Whiskey made sure that every day they got to talk about their day or whatever else was on their minds.
Addy loved listening to him tell her stories from his time in the service and even his time with the MC. She also learned why leaving had been so important to him; he needed to find himself, and he had. When they were younger, he was so filled with hate and anger he wouldn’t have had a chance if he had stayed in Defiance with her; Addy understood that now.
What she liked more is that they were getting closer. She could feel it. He wasn’t like the boy or even the teenager she had once known, there was a whole new side to him. That side drew her even more than the others. He was kind, sweet, thoughtful, and even loving. He said didn’t play games and told her what was on his mind. They fit better together now. They had both grown into the people they were meant to be.
The people in Defiance had always been super judgmental and not only to Aiden. It didn’t matter if a person was the best person on the planet, if their parents were considered trash, then so were the kids. Reagan was a perfect example, she might be a Club Puppet now, but before that she was a straight A student in both high school and college. She didn’t or hadn’t ever hurt anyone, but because of her family, she was deemed trash. Addy wondered if that was one of the reason’s Reagan had chosen to stay with the MC instead of moving in with her.
That was another thing, Addy noticed that Reagan was never around at night. The guys and the other girls would all gather in the common room partying and doing whatever they felt like, but Reagan was never there. She also noticed that, although all the guys flirted with her, none of them made any moves to take it further as they did with the other girls. The only exception to that was when Tank was around. He would grab Reagan’s hand, and the two of them would be gone for hours.
Addy knew for a fact that Reagan had always had a thing for Tank. He was Reagan’s version of Whiskey to Addy. The only difference, Tank acted nothing like Whiskey. He still fucked all the other girls, and if rumors were true, he was even worse when the Club wasn’t on lockdown, doing it right in front of Reagan. That bothered Addy, but after talking with Whiskey about it, she let it go, for now. Reagan seemed to know the score and accepted it, so who was Addy to interfere.
“Hey, we’re going to make a supply run, anything you need or want?” Reagan asked from the laundry room door.
Shit, Addy had been so deep in thought, she hadn’t even noticed her standing at the door.
“Ah, no. Hey, who all is going, I thought Whiskey said most of the guys would be out on a run?”
“Yeah, they are, but I had asked Tank before they all left, and he said it was okay as long as we stayed local. So, Flo and I will hit Browning’s and stock up on a few things. Slim Jim, one of the of the new Prospects, said he would go with us, but if we didn’t leave soon, then we would have to wait for the rest of the guys to get back, and Lord only knows how long that will take.”
“Okay, if you’re sure you’ll be safe. Just please, be careful. These guys, the ones that got to Cathy and me, are not people to mess with, Reagan, they are all bad news.”
“I hear you, but it will be okay. This lockdown is your first, we do this stuff all the time. Don’t worry we’ll be back before you know it.”
“All right, you won’t hear another word from me, see you when you get back.”
When Reagan left, Addy was tempted to call Whiskey. It didn’t seem right that Tank would say it was okay for her to leave, but no one else. Then again, Reagan was right, Addy had never been through a lockdown before, maybe she was just a little paranoid. Damn, she hadn’t even thought of Ogre or that other man since that first day, but that man still sent chills down her spine.
Those thoughts also made her think about Cathy. Whiskey had been keeping her updated on how she was doing, but Addy wanted to see for herself. Cathy had been severely beaten and suffered multiple bruises, breaks, and cuts at the hands of those assholes. Addy really hoped the RBMC made the people responsible for it pay in a very painful way when they caught up with them.
Addy continued to do laundry, getting lost in the task. Hell, these guys needed a fucking maid; at some point, she was going back to her farm and living her life with Whiskey. They had talked about it and decided that after the lockdown, he would move in with her. He would still work with the Club and spend a lot of time here, but every night he was able, he would come home to her, and that made Addy extremely happy.
Addy was just putting clothes in the dryer when all hell broke loose. The building shook like it had taken a hit by something, and alarms were blaring like crazy. The laundry room was in the basement, in what used to be an old coal bin. All the walls were made of stone, and the floor was covered in brick. Being down here was almost like being in a dungeon. If she felt the building shake so strongly in the basement, she could only imagine what was happening upstairs.
Addy ran for the stairs and went up; the entrance to the basement was right off the kitchen. Once she got to the top step, ready to push through, she heard people yelling. That stopped her. Putting her ear to the door, she listened closer, and that is when she heard it. The voice she would always hear in her nightmares. Ogre. Shit, what the hell was s
he supposed to do now and how the hell had he gotten into the RBMC Clubhouse? The place was like a vault, top notch security, and armed bikers.
She needed to find something, anything to defend herself and the others in the house. As quietly as possible, Addy crept back down the stairs. Then she remembered her phone; running back into the laundry room, she closed the heavy door and locked it. Thinking that wasn’t good enough, she also placed the chair she had been sitting in under the door knob. People did that shit in movies, right? Hell, she just hoped it kept Ogre out.
Picking up her phone, she dialed Whiskey, nothing happened, no dial tone or anything. What the hell? Addy pulled it back and looked at the screen; she had no bars. How was that even possible when she was still in the Clubhouse? Walking around, feeling like that Can you hear me now guy, she tried to find a place that would give her some reception. There was only one long. thin glass block window in the room, and it had to be about ten feet high. No way was Addy giving up her protection chair under the door knob, so she tried to move the heavy table she had been folding laundry on earlier. It took her some time, a little blood, and a bunch of sweat, but she finally got the damn thing moved.
When she climbed onto it, she realized that she was still about a foot short. Holding the phone up to the window she could see the bars, but she couldn’t talk on it or send a text with her arms held straight up, and no way was she going to put the phone on speaker; she didn’t know if someone might hear. Jumping down she grabbed all the laundry she had been folding and created a tower. Climbing on her makeshift step, Addy dialed Whiskey and prayed that he would answer. Three rings, then two more, and his voicemail picked up. Shit. What the hell was she supposed to say?
“Babe, if you get this message soon, you need to get back to the Clubhouse. Don’t come alone, call all your Brothers. Something exploded, and then I heard Ogre’s voice. The Vultures are inside, and I don’t know what to do, please hurry.” Addy ended the call and debated on what to do next. Should she call the police, would they even come or would they tip off the Vultures that she was still in the house? Damn. Addy started sending text messages to all the RBMC Brothers she had in her contact list. Waiting a couple of seconds for an answer, then moving on to the next.
Whiskey: Ruthless Bastards (RBMC Book 1) Page 17