Christmas With The Biker_Gold Vipers

by Cassie Alexandra

  “Any brother of Raptor or Jordan, is also a brother to us,” Tail hollered, raising his beer.

  “Thanks. I appreciate it,” I replied, still feeling really weird about the idea of having two brothers. I guess at that point, it still felt surreal.

  “Are you going to patch him?” one of the women hollered out.

  Tank shrugged. “I don’t know. Just like everyone else, he’d have to start out as a Prospect and then we’d see if he has the balls to be a Gold Viper.”

  One of the other women in the group smiled and winked at me. “I wouldn’t mind checking that out myself.”

  Admittedly, she wasn’t bad looking and part of me wanted to fuck away every memory I had of Bonnie. But, the head on my shoulders was a little too clear at the moment to consider it.

  “Now, Candace… that’s something you’ll have to discuss with him on your own,” Tank said as everyone laughed. “Anyway, folks, enjoy the rest of the night and thanks again.”

  We left the stage and as we headed toward the bar, a bunch of club members greeted me. I had to admit, the Gold Vipers were much friendlier than I’d imagined them to be.

  “You looked a little nervous up there,” Jessica teased.

  “I was. Tank was talking about raising money and I was standing next to a stripper pole. I thought maybe he was going to make me work for it,” I replied.

  Everyone laughed.

  “Candace would have loved that,” Hoss said, grinning. “Although, she’s usually the one on the pole.”

  “That’s true. At least from what I hear,” said Jessica. “Anyway, Chloe, would you like play some darts?”

  “Sure,” she replied.

  “Jordan?” Jessica said, looking at her husband.

  “You sure you want me to play?” he replied with a smirk. “You know I always win.”

  “You haven’t seen Chloe’s steady hand. In fact, I might even wager that she’ll beat both of us,” Jessica said.

  Chloe’s face turned red and she smiled. “Wait a second - throwing darts and drawing blood are two totally different things.”

  “Maybe, but it takes a good eye to be successful at both. Have you played darts before?” Jordan asked.

  “Only a couple of times,” she admitted. “It’s been awhile though. I’ve forgotten most of the games.”

  “We usually just play 301,” said Jessica.

  “Okay,” she replied.

  “Let me now when Raptor gets here,” Jordan said, taking off his black leather jacket. “I need to speak to him.”

  “Will do,” Tank replied.

  Chapter 4

  Chloe

  THERE SEEMED TO be a lot of eyes on us as we headed over to the two dart machines. Although everyone seemed nice and friendly, there was an undercurrent of arrogance in the room, especially from the fellows wearing the Gold Viper patches. As for the women, there was quite an unusual mix in the crowd. Some looked like tough biker chicks while others reminded me of the high-maintenance types you’d see on “Real Housewives”. The kind with long nails, perfectly groomed eyebrows, and expensive couture clothing.

  “I’ll be right back. I need to use the bathroom,” Jordan said, taking a sip of beer. He set it down on one of the tall pub tables. “Watch this for me, please.”

  “Will do,” she said.

  When he left I smiled at her. “Watch his beer?”

  “I know. He doesn’t trust anyone,” she whispered, looking amused.

  “Is he worried someone will slip him some Rohypnol?”

  “Who knows?” she replied. “Although, Raptor’s wife had it happen to her.”

  “Who’s that?”

  She explained that Raptor was Jordan’s half-brother.

  “So, now he has two half-brothers?”

  “Apparently,” she replied.

  “It must have been quite a shock.”

  “Nothing seems to surprise him. Or me, come to think about it. Not since my mother married into the club.”

  “I can imagine.” I swirled the straw around in my Bloody Mary and took a sip.

  “So, how’s your drink?” asked Jessica, who’d mixed it up for me while Tank and Graham had been onstage.

  “Fantastic, thank you. I’m a little hungry and it’s actually filling me up,” I replied, taking another sip of the cocktail. She’d added a couple of olives and a pickle too, which was hitting the spot.

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, crap. That’s right. We should probably eat something before we both regret it. Do you want to go over and check out the buffet?” she asked, nodding toward the table full of food on the other side of the room.

  “Maybe after we play one game?” I replied. “Since, we’re already over here.” Besides, there was a table full of Gold Vipers sitting next to the buffet and a couple of them were staring at us.

  Noticing, Jessica waved at them and they waved back.

  “Do you know everyone here then?” I asked her.

  “Pretty much. I’ve never met Graham before.”

  “What’s his story?” I asked, glancing over at him. He was very attractive, even though I normally didn’t go for rough looking guys with tattoos. Not to mention they’d had to bail him out of jail. But, he was cute and very intriguing.

  “I don’t know much, to be honest. Jordan just found out that his mother left Graham in a church and that nobody knew about it, but Slammer.

  “Huh. Do you know why he was in jail?”

  “Assault, I believe,” she replied.

  Well, that was that.

  Handsome or not, if he’d assaulted someone, I didn’t need to hear any more about the guy.

  Jessica gave me a funny smile. “Why are you asking?”

  “Just curious.”

  “He’s cute, isn’t he?” she said with a knowing smile.

  I shrugged. “Yeah.”

  She handed me a set of darts. “But, you’re not interested because of the assault.”

  “I’m not looking for a guy, period. Not right now, at least. And if I was, I’d prefer someone without a temper.”

  The truth was, I wasn’t interested in getting involved with anyone. Not after the ordeal I’d gone through with Brent, my last boyfriend, who’d seemed like the perfect guy when we’d first met. After a couple of months, unfortunately, I learned that he was an emotionally abusive, narcissistic asshole. One who’d tried separating me from my friends and family. Thankfully, it was Kai who’d helped me to recognize what kind of controlling and manipulative man Brent really was. Since then, I’d been skittish about getting back into the dating scene.

  She nodded. “I don’t blame you.

  Jordan returned at that moment and the three of us played a couple rounds of 301. Unfortunately, even with my steady hand, I had a horrible aim. Jordan, on the other hand, beat us by a landslide, just like he’d promised.

  “That’s it. I’m getting hangry,” Jessica said, pouting after he buried us again. “I need food.”

  I set the darts down. “Yeah, I’m hungry, too”

  “I’m going to call Raptor and see what’s taking him so long,” Jordan said, looking at his watch. “Can you get me some food too, Jessica?”

  “Sure, babe,” she replied.

  Smiling, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips and then went to use the phone.

  “Your husband is unusually quiet,” I said to her. He’d barely said two words during the games.

  “Yeah. I happen to talk too much so we’re a perfect match,” Jessica replied as we headed over to the food.

  “How did you two meet?”

  “Through Slammer. I’ll tell you about it sometime. It’s a long story.”

  “Okay.”

  “Wow, yummy,” Jessica said, when we approached the buffet. “They picked up Olive Garden.”

  There were several half-eaten trays of lasagna, Fettuccini Alfredo, spaghetti, and ravioli, along with breadsticks and salad. We loaded up three plates in all and found a nearby table. As we started eating, I noticed Graham
staring at me. When our eyes met, he looked away.

  Chapter 5

  Graham

  I THOUGHT I’D feel like an outsider, but the guys were so easy-going and not what I’d imagined a hardcore biker club to be like. Of course, when I’d first met Tank at Sal’s, I remembered him to be pretty easy going. I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me that his closest friends had similar demeanors. The only one who seemed a little distant and out-of-place, was Jordan. He didn’t say much, except to his wife and something told me that he really didn’t want to be at the clubhouse.

  “Candace is still checking you out, brother I’d get all over that before someone else does tonight.”

  “I heard she left her old man,” Tank said in a low voice. “She’s probably looking for a revenge fuck. That’s probably why she’s really even here.”

  “He cheat on her?” Hoss asked.

  “I don’t know the details,” Tank said, walking around the bar. “Graham, what’s your poison? Beer? Cocktail? A shot of whiskey or tequila?”

  “I’ll take a beer. Thanks,” I replied.

  “Give him a shot of tequila. He deserves to get fucked up,” Hoss said before taking a drag of his e-cigarette.

  “You want one?” Tank asked me. “You can stay at the clubhouse tonight if you get too wasted.”

  “Sure,” I replied. “Why not?”

  “Maybe Jessica should give him a ride home. If he doesn’t get with Candace, she can drop him off with Chloe,” Hoss said, staring across the room at her.

  “I don’t need to get laid,” I said, a little amused by the conversation.

  “You committed?” Hoss asked.

  “Not anymore,” I said gruffly.

  “Ah, we’ve all been there, brother. Just remember,” Hoss waved his fingers in the air and spoke in sing-song voice, “never underestimate the healing powers of the magical pussy.”

  “Oh, here we go,” Tail said, chuckling. “Hoss giving advice again. Let’s hear it, ‘Oh, wise one’.”

  “Damn right I’m wise. One thing I’ve learned over the years, it takes one pussy to get over another one.” He looked at me. “See, here is what you need to do. You need to bang your way through this town until you’ve forgotten all about her.”

  “She’s already forgotten,” I lied.

  His lips pursed as he scowled at me. “Don’t bullshit a bullshitter. If you haven’t fucked anyone else besides your ex yet, she still owns your dick.”

  The guys laughed at him.

  “You think it’s funny but it’s true. Tail, you used to be a real baller. Tell him,” Hoss said, waving his arm.

  Tail looked at me and shrugged. “I mean, he kind of has a point. You won’t forget her… but if she’s done you wrong and you want to move on, fucking another chick can’t hurt.”

  “See. I told you I was right,” Hoss said. “Just because I don’t look as pretty as some of you doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m talking about. Hell, I’ve had to work twice as hard to earn my pussy,” Hoss said.

  “He’s lying,” Tank said, smirking. “Girls were always hanging on you because of the club. You never had to worry about getting laid.”

  Hoss smiled. “Okay. That’s true. But, I’ve been hurt in the past. I got over it. Now you know how I did it.”

  “I hate to say this, But Hoss might be onto something.” Tank slid me two shots of Tequila. “I also think that after the last couple of days, you could probably use both of these.”

  “Oh, yeah,” I replied. “Thanks.”

  He grabbed some lime slices and a salt shaker. He moved them toward me. “No problem. Anyone else want a shot?”

  “I’ll take one,” Tail said.

  “I’ll have one, too,” Cole said. “Terin’s picking me up so I’m not driving.”

  Tank poured a few more shots of tequila and we shot them back together, toasting Hoss and his words of wisdom.

  “It’s about time someone appreciated my advice,” he replied with a smug smile.

  “We always appreciate you, Hoss,” Cole said, patting him on the back.

  I could tell by the look on the old man’s face, he was touched by the sentiment.

  “So, Graham, tell us a little about yourself,” Tank said to me. “What do you do?”

  I told him that I was a master electrician. He then asked me where I’d gone to school and wanted to know about my adoptive parents.

  “Sorry to hear they’ve passed on,” he said after I filled them in. “They sounded like good people.”

  I nodded. “They really were.”

  “I can’t believe that you lived in Jensen this entire time and nobody knew about you,” Cole said, who I learned was Tank’s brother-in-law.

  “Yeah. Small world,” I replied, haphazardly peeling the label off of my beer.

  “Did you know that you were adopted?” Tail asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah. They told me early on.”

  “Did you ever think about trying to search for your biological parents?” Hoss asked.

  “Yes and no. I loved the people who raised me and figured the ones who gave me up had their reasons. I suppose I would have eventually tried tracking them down.”

  “Seriously, though, I wonder who your old man is,” Hoss said, staring at me. “Maybe it’s Raptor’s? He looks a lot like him, just different hair color.”

  “He looks like Jordan, too,” Tail said.

  “He wouldn’t be Acid’s son,” Tank said.

  “Who’s Acid?” I asked.

  Tank told me that Acid had been Jordan’s father and one crazy son-of-a-bitch.

  “He used to burn him,” Hoss said in a low voice, glancing over toward Jordan. “Poor kid was raised by one of the craziest fuckers alive and put up with a lot of abuse. He doesn’t talk about it, or anything else really for that after, but he’s damn lucky to be alive.”

  “It made him who he is today, which is still kind of a mystery to most. I suppose it’s hard to trust anyone after that kind of life though,” Tank said, with a sad expression. “Anyway, he’s good to Jessica and the kids. We were kind of worried, considering his old man had been such a psychopath.”

  Listening to them talk about Jordan was sobering. “What about… our mother?” I asked, the words feeling weird on my tongue.

  “She was a drug addict,” Tank replied. “I didn’t know her very much. My old man did, which is why Mavis confided in him. Apparently, they were second or third cousins, too. Damn, I almost forgot about that.” Tank grinned. “I guess that makes us related, too.”

  “I guess so,” I answered, smiling back.

  “I miss Slammer,” Hoss said in a somber voice. “He was the shit.”

  “A toast to Slammer,” Tank said, raising his beer. We all followed suit and drank the second shot.

  “I wish I could have met him,” I said, the tequila making me warm. “Hell, I wish I could have met her.”

  “Mavis had actually become clean before…,” Tank stopped and his face darkened. “Sorry, man. I shouldn’t talk about it.”

  “Talk about what?” I asked, not understanding.

  “Your birth mother’s death,” Hoss said. “She was murdered by the fucking Devil’s Rangers.”

  I stared at him in shock. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Now, we don’t know for sure,” Tank replied. “In fact, we finally have somewhat of a truce now, too. It’s wise if you don’t start bringing that shit up and causing trouble, Hoss.”

  “The kid deserves to know,” he replied.

  “Raptor and Jordan can talk to him about that,” Tank replied.

  “I suppose. You want any more information, you’d better discuss it with them, Dodger,” Hoss said.

  “It’s Dodge,” I replied.

  Hoss grinned. “I kind of like Dodger. I might just call you that. You have a road name?””

  “No,” I replied.

  “You even ride?” Hoss asked.

  I told him about my Hog. “I’m thinking about gettin
g a sled now,” I added, hoping that I could get the money back for the ring. The fuck if I was going to marry Bonnie now. If I had to sell the damn thing on eBay, I would.

  “Some of us have sleds,” Tank said. “Once you get one, we’ll have to take you out to Hoss’s cabin and go riding.”

  “Yeah. That would be great,” I replied and then explained to him about the ring I’d purchased.

  “Wow, what a fucking bitch,” Tail said.

  “At least you found out now before you married her,” Hoss said.

  “No shit,” I replied. “By the way, I’m going to pay you back for bailing me out of jail.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Tank replied, waving his hand.

  “Bullshit. I appreciate what you did, but I can’t let you pay for my fuckup,” I replied.

  “It wasn’t a fuckup. The asshole deserved it,” Hoss said. “He’s lucky he got off as easy as he did. If that would have happened to me, he’d be buried in a cornfield right now. You went easy on the prick.”

  The others nodded and agreed with him.

  “Damn, look at that ass,” Hoss said staring at someone. “There you go, Dodger. Something to help you start the healing process.”

  I glanced over and saw Chloe standing at the buffet. Her jeans fit her in all the right places and she was definitely gorgeous, but too sweet looking. If I was going to fuck anyone tonight, it would have to be guilt-free and something told me that Chloe wasn’t into mindless sex. But, damn, the tequila had warmed me up all the way to my dick and the thought of bending Chloe over the buffet was making my jeans tight.

  She caught me staring at her and I looked away. As hot as she was, I knew that it wasn’t what I needed. Or, hell, maybe it was. I really didn’t have a fucking clue anymore.

  “Could I get another shot?” I asked Tank, thinking I’d let the alcohol take over for a while. There was so much going on inside of me. I just wanted to forget everything for a while.

  “Of course. Like I said, you can drink up and stay the night, brother.” He poured me another.

  “Seriously, you should hook up with her before someone else does,” Hoss said, still ogling Chloe. “Fresh meat like that doesn’t walk into the clubhouse often.”