Baby

by Sapphire Knight

  A relieved breath leaves my lungs as I muster up a grin for her. “Then you’ll be fine, sweetheart. That’s how Saint is when he’s comfortable with someone. Besides, what he was implying just a second ago wasn’t that we kill you.”

  “What exactly was he implying?”

  “That we keep you.” I bring her hand to my mouth, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. Her hands are so small, I love holding them in mine.

  “Oh.” Her wide eyes shine with something...maybe hope or excitement? Whatever it is, I hope she holds on, ‘cause she’s in for a wild ride. When Saint gets his mind made up on something, it’s hard to break him away.

  “Give me another.” The request comes out in a grumble, and Blaze pours me some more Crown Royal, nearly filling the entire glass. I don’t fuck around; I like my liquor. Not to the point where I drink until I drown every single feeling in my body regularly, but I enjoy relaxing with a few here and there.

  He sets my glass down on the bar top, “You wanna tell me about earlier, brother?”

  Not really, but I did stab another brother and then smash another’s nose. Guess I sort of need to offer them more than just a quick, ‘I’m calmed down.’ Blaze’s been around for a few years now, but I still don’t look at him like I would Nightmare or Exterminator. I’ve been through some shit with those brothers, not so much with the old Widow Makers-patched Oath Keepers.

  Not sure if I’ll ever look at the hybrids as full members. I shouldn’t think that way, but I do. I’ve ridden with the others for far too long to look at the hybrids all in the same sense.

  “I didn’t know he was married,” I admit after a tense moment, not wanting to admit the truth. The words sting my tongue, a poison to my ears as I hear them aloud. They’re bitter to the taste, knowing exactly what they imply.

  Honestly, it was the last thing to cross my mind, and when he admitted it, I’d thought the world had come crashing down on me. You don’t love someone as much as I love Sinner and just let shit like that fly by without some sort of repercussion. His admission cut my insides like a knife when the words fell from his lips. My actions in response were straight autopilot; my mind was gone in that moment. My soul had gone black, I didn’t know how else to react.

  “But you thought that was reason enough to slice him up?” He takes a hefty drink from his longneck of Corona, setting it down next to my glass.

  “I was fucking pissed.” My brow begins to sweat in irritation of having to think about it more. “So much so, that I didn’t realize my blade was even in my hand until it’d already happened.” My eyelids slam closed as I wince, remembering how stunned Sinner’s face had become at that moment. I hate myself for hurting him.

  “Viking was fucking livid. You got blood all over the rug and the wall.”

  I shrug and take a swig of the liquid gold. As if I give a fuck if they were briefly inconvenienced. My fucking life stopped, and they’re worried about a scarlet stain. It’ll add a new touch to the room and serve as a reminder to the others as to what happens when you betray me. As for the wall, well it’ll add character. Last I checked we’re a goddamn outlaw MC.

  “You might wanna apologize to the Prez,” he offers, and I roll my eyes, his suggestion going in one ear and out the other. I don’t need his recommendations on how to run my club life or what to say to my brothers. He might be so far up Viking and Princess’s asses that he can’t find the light, but I don’t roll that way. I’ve always been a dick. They know that, and I won’t be changing it anytime soon—if ever.

  “Nah, Viking knows me. I’ve been through some shit with the brother.” As for Princess, all she has to do is point, and I’ll slice a motherfucker’s throat for her.

  “I get that, but...”

  Cutting him off, I slam the glass down on the counter. “The fuck you do.”

  The muscles in my body grow taut, laying it out. “You’re his cousin, Blaze, his other family. You have his back and good for you. But never forget that I have his back too. What happened with Sinner has nothing to do with you, brother. Nothing.”

  “Fine.” Letting it go, he backs down with an exhale. “I’ll drop it. You need to talk to someone, well then, I’m here,” he finishes, finally permitting me to have a bit of peace from his inquisition. He may be acting VP for the time being, but he needs to remember I didn’t vote him there.

  “Appreciate it, but I won’t need to.”

  I don’t want to speak to anyone about shit. I never needed it and never will. The only person I give two fucks as to what they think is that man laying down the hall with a slice in his side. A wound that I was warped enough to put there.

  Torch saddles up on the stool next to me, and I roll my eyes again, preparing for shit from him next. “Saint.”

  This is not my idea of a relaxing time at the bar. It reminds me of what a loveless marriage would be like with a hateful chick who bitches constantly. A prime example of why I’m a biker, so I don’t have to listen to it.

  “Torch.” The bored response rolls off my tongue, not in the mood to hear his input either.

  These two, both Viking’s boys from his old crew, and neither are my favorites of the brothers around here. Guess they think their past gives them the right to come and try to speak to me about my business. If they only had a fucking clue, it takes a lot to get to that level with me. Hell, it was six years before I agreed with Sinner to hang up my patch for Viking. Before that, it was Ex, and fuck anyone else trying to come around.

  He signals for a beer and Blaze sets his usual in front of him. “You feelin’ all right?”

  “Fine. Not that it’s anyone business.”

  Taking a swig, he side-eyes me, “Look, man, I was just asking because I decked you pretty hard, and then you hit the ground. Just making sure there aren’t hard feelings and shit. I’m not trying to have a beef with anyone in the club. I moved out here to get away from club drama.”

  Finally, someone not nosing into my life. “I deserved it, I know that. There’s no negative shit coming from my way. I appreciate you stopping me before I fucked anybody else up. Sometimes my mind gets fuzzy, and I hurt people. Your nose busted?”

  “Yeah, but no worries, it’s my job.” His shoulders lifted in a shrug, letting it go and just like that, the subject’s dropped. He is one of the club’s death dealers, essentially a club enforcer—just a step up. He’ll kill you if he comes after you. “Shots then?”

  “Fuckin’ right.” Grinning, we fist pump, and he calls Blaze back, ordering a double round of tequila.

  The life in the MC, a shot or a punch can hash out some hard feelings, and you move on about your business. In Sinner’s case, I owe him one hell of a blow job. There’s no way a shot will make up for my earlier rage.

  I don’t know how many shots Torch, Blaze, and I end up doing, but it’s enough to smooth the strain between everyone and make my body begin to feel numb. My head was tender after being punched, but the pain is a simple reminder of me hurting Sinner. I’ll never forgive myself for that. I need to make it work with Jude for him too. I owe him that.

  I can only hope that eventually, Sin will forgive me though because I meant it when I told him I want forever. I’ve known him most of my life, and there’s no one I’d rather be with. If we get Jude in the mix, it’s just a bonus as far as I’m concerned.

  I enjoy a woman as much as he does. With our lifestyle, you never know when tomorrow may be your last, and I don’t want him lying to me for another woman—ever. I may not let the next one live if he does.

  In my drunken haze, I end up finding my way to his room, per my usual when I drink without him. I’m completely exhausted and ready to leave my resentment at the door. After today’s events, I just want to be near him and move forward.

  “Saint?” he mutters as I shuck my boots, followed by my clothes.

  I sleep naked, we both do. No clothes mixed with alcohol was how we first had sex together without a woman involved. We’ve nev
er stopped since.

  “I’m here.”

  Swaying a little, I use the silvery blue glint from the moonlight shining through the window on the far side of the room to find my way to the empty side of the bed. Jude’s tucked into Sinner’s chest, lying in the middle. His wound’s wrapped and away from her on the opposite side.

  “You good?” He watches sleepily as I climb into bed on the other side and pulls some more blanket over for me to use.

  “Thanks, fucked up off tequila,” I admit with a yawn and fall back into the pillow.

  He chuckles; it’s a welcome sound after my stressful day. His sleepy rasp has my cock tingling, but nothing more. “Got whiskey dick,” I confess, and he snickers quietly.

  “Good. Go to sleep.”

  With his order, I close my eyes. “Mmm.” Groaning, I pull Jude my way a bit, tucking her ass into my groin and I’m out like a light.

  I am definitely an angel, but careful,

  my wings have fire.

  -S.L.

  We’re woken up and ushered into church well before my body’s ready to leave its peaceful slumber. Glancing around the table, I’m not the only one feeling that way, either. Every brother that was in the bar with me last night is looking a bit rough around the edges. I’m guessing this must be important if we’re all here and no one’s bitching about it.

  “Long night?” Prez smirks, his regard beating down on the few of us that are a little worse for wear.

  I keep quiet, reserving my energy. I may snap and bleed someone dry if I don’t get a nap at some point today. I distinctly remember plenty of nights he drank like a fish and looked like hell the following day.

  “Let’s try this shit again,” he grumbles. The dig’s directed at me particularly. “I received a call the other day enlightening me that shit’s not so kosher with the Chicago charter we got set up.”

  Can’t say I’m surprised; we knew it would be tough to try and break in a new charter in a highly trafficked turf. The only reason we got an invite to set up shop in the first place was because the Chicago mob boss needed our help in taking out his uncle who was in power at the time. Blowback of some sort was almost guaranteed, but the money the charter would have a chance to bring in was too great not to give it a shot. Me, Sinner, Smokey, and a few others rode up to get it going.

  The brothers up there are nuts in my opinion. It’s too fuckin’ cold. And who’d want to be that close to the damn mob anyhow? That’s just askin’ for trouble.

  “A brother up there’s having a tough time. Looks like he enjoys breaking skulls as much as we do,” he continues. “The only problem with it is he broke a few of Joker’s guys wide open. Joker wasn’t pleased, to say the least. He was furious enough to pop off in Italian. I didn’t understand the words but caught his meaning.”

  Oh, for fuck's sake.

  “He’s the one who called or the charter Prez?” Odin questions and my eyelids flick open, interested as well. Joker rules Chicago on an iron throne, ready to cut down anyone in his way. His middle name may as well be ‘blood and business’ when it comes to that territory.

  Can’t say I blame him either. Those Italians up that way tend to be a bit fucking crazy. I may slice you up, but they’ll cut out your tongue if you snitch and stuff you in a goddamn meat freezer. Hell, they’ll probably serve you up on a pile of pasta while they’re at it. Around here, if you go running your mouth, we just tie a rope around your neck and let you go for a swing.

  “Both.” Viking glares, not fond of being interrupted, even by his younger blood brother. Odin’s close to being voted as Vice President, so he’s been speaking up more lately. “Chi town Prez says do whatever we can to help keep the peace. He doesn’t want war with the mob, and neither do we.”

  Viking shakes his head with a sigh and continues. “Joker demands that Mercenary either disappears from the entire state or he’ll make an example out of him.”

  Torch lets out a low whistle, mirroring most of our thoughts. The Italians don’t fuck around, so whatever lesson they have up their sleeve, it won’t be pretty. The brother wouldn’t make it out alive, that’s for damn sure.

  Smokey lights up a cigarette and sits back. The brother’s so quiet all the time you forget he’s even here. When he does talk, he’s one of those, “what if” types of people. Gets on my fucking nerves.

  “Is there a plan then?” Spider questions with his pen and paper in front of him to take notes on what he needs to prepare. He’s always the technical one, making sure we’re ready for whatever’s thrown our way. We would’ve been in some deep shit if it wasn’t for him being organized all the time.

  “We vote on it,” he voices although we all know that’s given, “If y’all approve Mercenary transferring here, then I’d hope the NOMADS would be up for a run to pick a brother up. If not, I’ll hit Ares up to see what their club thinks. Their members are getting low anyhow.”

  He glances from Spider to Exterminator to Chaos and on to a few others. “I don’t want to chance him trying to make it here on his own. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an unexpected accident. He’ll need someone watching his back for any heat. You guys get him south, and Texas will have him covered from there.”

  I nod, with my finger raised, eager to get a word in.

  “Saint?” The Prez’s stare lands on me once more.

  “I want to ride with the NOMADS on this.” I need to do something around here other than just drinking liquor and arguing with everyone.

  “No,” he disagrees. “We need you and a few others at the border for the exchange.”

  My frustrated glare lands on Sinner to back me up. He knows I need a bit of crazy in my life to keep me from going batshit wild. And, if nothing else, I crave the wind in my hair, bringing me a sense of peace. A fourteen-hour ride sounds blissful after the yelling and arguing.

  Sinner glances to Viking and then shakes his head, backing the Prez on his decision. “Iron Fists could be waiting to start some trouble. Motherfuckers may claim peace, but I need you beside me at the border if they decide to put up an ambush. We still haven’t figured out where their compound is; they’re being careful.”

  Of course, I’ll give into his request. He’s the one I need to protect the most out of anyone. I’ll always defend my other brothers, but I’d never forgive myself if something happened to Sin and I wasn’t there to help. Every piece of me wants to argue that he could come with me and the NOMADS but instead bite my tongue to keep the thoughts to myself.

  Hell, we could just say fuck it and vote to go NOMAD again altogether. We’d be free of these small-time orders and get to travel all over again. That’s the whole point of being a biker—to do whatever the fuck you want to. But now he’s brought Jude in our lives, so I doubt he’d go for it.

  Odin sits a bit taller, drawing attention from his brother, waiting for permission to speak. Viking gestures him to continue, and O speaks up again. “We need a vote; all in favor of approving Mercenary’s transfer say aye.”

  We should be voting for the young man becoming VP already. The kid has paid his dues. Maybe I’ll bring it up at the next church session, see if we can get him a new patch. He’s no doubt earned it, always taking care of the grunt work even though his brother’s the boss around here.

  The Prez nods, mumbling “aye” first, shadowed by the rest of us agreeing as well. We’d be happy to increase our body count. It makes it less of a threat coming up against another club if our numbers are high.

  Vike follows up his brother’s remaining vote with everyone’s orders. “It’s settled then. I’ll head to Ares’ charter afterward and let him know we have a new brother in the area. Don’t want any of the other brothers to fuck Mercenary up for thinking he’s representing our colors without permission. Odin, you and my ol’ lady, make sure there’s a room ready for our new brother.”

  “Will do, Vike,” he replies.

  “Ex, Spidey, and Chaos, prepare to roll out first thing t
omorrow. Joker wanted Mercenary gone as of yesterday. We just had too much shit goin’ on to make it happen that fast.”

  They nod, and Spider scribbles on the paper a bit more. He’s probably making a travel list as well as planning out the easiest route already.

  “Saint, Sinner, Nightmare, you three set up a rendezvous point with Spider along the border and get whatever you need to meet up with them. Make sure you’re packin’ plenty of heat; I don’t want you caught unprepared. If anyone fucks with you, shoot first, and we’ll ask questions later. We’ve lost too may brothers not to send a message at this point.”

  “All right,” I mutter, and the other two agree as well.

  I’d have preferred us being with Ex and Spider, but the Prez has the final say, and I have to roll with it or else be voted out to go NOMAD again. At least Viking isn’t a pussy when it comes to handling business. I couldn’t imagine belonging to a club who had one for a Prez.

  “Blaze, let the club sluts know we have fresh meat on the way, and they need to give him a warm welcome. I’m sure the brother is stressed; the club would be coming down hard on him for this. And do inventory; it may be time for Chaos to pick up another batch of moonshine.”

  “Bet.”

  “Torch, get with my ol’ lady so she and the others can set up a welcome party for our new brother. I want Ares’ charter included in it as well, so get with Cain. His ol’ lady will want to help, I’m sure. Also, take Smokey with you to check on the whores. We need to keep that steady money coming in from the johns.”

  “No problem, Prez.”

  “Good. Like I said, he could be tense. Keep it in mind if he comes off hostile at first. Anything else?”

  We glimpse around but all remain silent, ready to carry out our orders.

  “It’s settled. Get shit done,” he commands and slams the gavel down, officially ending this session of church.