King of Kings

by Shreffler, Betty

  TWO MONTHS LATER . . .

  Disappointment tugs at my lips and brow as I stare at the bottom of the bottle of Jack on my desk. It’s not enough… never enough to drown out the memories of her. A bike bunny is sucking my cock like it’s her favorite lollipop, and I’m too drunk and numb to tell her the effort is futile. The door of my office opens, and I’m saved by the unexpected guest. Whatever-her-name-is stops sucking and looks up.

  “Sorry sweet stuff, you need to go,” Jake tells her.

  “Bu—” Blue eyes center on me with a pissed-off expression.

  I carelessly shrug my shoulders.

  “Fucking asshole.” The words are cast in my direction as she tugs her panties back up her thighs and tucks them under her skintight dress.

  A laugh escapes my chest, and I don’t know why. Maybe because she’s right.

  “Thanks a lot, Jake,” she snaps, storming past him.

  The door closes, and I tuck my junk back in my jeans.

  “What do you want?” My own voice sounds foreign, distant, angry. Trying to stand, I lose my balance and slam back into the chair. I’m past drunk and a few steps from passing out and waking up with drool all over me.

  “You’re a fucking mess. It’s time to go home.”

  “I’m fine, and I’m sleeping here.” Rubbing my eyes, I momentarily block out the blinding light of the room.

  “You haven’t slept in your own home in two months.”

  “Is this an inter… vent… ion?” My words slur, and Jake’s mouth twists, matching the pity in his eyes. “If so, you can fuck off.”

  “Tomorrow, we’re going for a long ride.” Arms crossed, his back is against the door. “You need one, and we have specialty parts that need to be picked up.”

  “Where?”

  “Ohio.”

  With the look on his face, he’s not taking no for an answer even though that’s what I want to tell him. I’d have to fight the stubborn prick to win this argument, and I don’t have the energy.

  “Fine,” I say between clenched teeth. “I’ll go.”

  “Get some sleep. You’re gonna need it.”

  With the light flicked off, he closes the door of my office behind him. Sitting in my chair, my head falls back, and the memories of her beautiful face and red hair dance across my mind. But the same thing that happens every night reoccurs—the memories fade to darkness.

  CHAPTER THREE

  SYNNE

  Levi is up to his usual games. I thought we’d moved past it, but as I can see by the way he’s pawing the blonde’s ass, he’s still the same asshole I foolishly fell in love with. The attention of several club members follows my stride as I storm to the bar where Levi and the blonde are groping one another. I don’t go after the woman as I would have in the past. It’s not her fault he’s a cheating son-of-a-bitch. It’s him I’m after this time.

  Picking up my pace, I put out both hands, shoving him into the bar. He briefly winces as his back hits the steel edge of the bar. Yeah, fucker, I did that on purpose. Not giving him time to react, I slam my palm across his cheek.

  “We’re done. For good this time.” Glancing at the blonde, I smirk. “He’s all yours, but I’m warning you, he sticks his dick in anything that moves and won’t give a fuck how much that hurts you.”

  Hazel eyes narrow in on me. He’s pissed I just embarrassed him like that. Gripping my wrist, he squeezes hard, sending pain up my arm. Waving off the blonde, he drags me away from watching eyes. We’re about to enter into our usual fight the club members have gotten used to. It’s always been a love-hate relationship between Levi and me. He’d cheat, we’d fight, he’d apologize and grovel for my forgiveness, then we’d fuck and make up—pathetic, I know.

  I was young when I met him and became infatuated. I didn’t want any other man and believed I could change him. I was wrong. The first year was good, then the cheating began. Four more years of his games, and I’ve finally come to my senses. It took Skip, a man I consider to be a father figure in my life and one of the oldest members of the Sinister Sons, to make me realize Levi’s never going to change for me. He doesn’t love me enough to want to be committed, and he’s learned I accept his behavior because of how much I wanted to be with him.

  Shoving me into one of the club rooms, Levi slams the door behind him. It’s unheard with the loud beat of the music coming from the clubhouse. Eyes blazing with hatred, the back of his hand whips across my cheek. Stumbling back, I’m in as much shock as I am in pain. Levi’s never hit me before. Our arguments were never more than a yelling match.

  “You think you can embarrass me like that in front of my brothers, bitch?”

  The fucker can think again if he believes I’ll cower to his rage. Knee to his groin, he buckles, and I slam my fist into his face as hard as I can. Pain ripples through my hand and into my arm, feeling like my bones have exploded, but I’ll deal. No man has the right to lay a hand on me.

  “I’ve been loyal to you for five fucking years, and you think you can hit me? You’ve forgotten what my brothers taught me. Never ever let a man lay a hand on me.” Slipping from my property jacket, I throw it at his stunned face. “You never loved me, and I finally realize that. I meant it when I said we’re done. I don’t want your filthy cock anywhere near me.”

  “You walk out that door, and I won’t take you back, Synne. You won’t have my protection anymore either. You really want that?”

  Raising my chin, I meet his gaze. “I no longer have a reason to stay here. You should’ve treated me better. No one will ever be as loyal to you as I was.”

  “You knew what you got into when you met me.” The asshole doesn’t even look sorry, but his face will tomorrow.

  Walking to the door, I look back over my shoulder. “It still doesn’t make it okay. I loved you with everything I had.”

  Opening the door, I hear his boots beat the floor behind me.

  “Synne, get back here!”

  Not turning back, I curl my fists at my sides and avoid the eyes of the people I’ve lived alongside and called family for years.

  “Synne!”

  Levi’s voice bellows through the clubhouse, and my feet pick up the pace as I pull my keys from my pocket. Out the door, I rush to my Harley. A hand grabs my arm, and I prepare myself for Levi’s assault. Skip looks down at me with a mixture of pride and concern in his eyes.

  “Ride far away, Synne and never look back. Find a new home where the Sons can’t find you.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  “I’ll miss ya, you sassy girl.”

  “I’ll miss you too.”

  With a thumb swiped across my cheek, he steps back and watches as I fire up my Harley and ride away.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  NIX

  With my back against the cool tile of the shower, the hot water runs down my body, giving my muscles a reprieve but not my mind. It’s clouded, thick with tension, worry, anger. My mistakes haunt me, plaguing me each day, and nothing eases the pain. Hearing movement downstairs, I turn off the knob and step out. Towel around my waist, I grip the handle of my Glock.

  “Nix!”

  Lowering the gun, I set it on the sink counter. Liz’s voice echoes through the house once more as I open the bathroom door.

  “I’ll be down in a minute.”

  Hair damp, I brush it away from my face. Looking in the steam-edged mirror, I don’t recognize myself. My hair is long and tangled, my eyes sunken and dull. It’s been a few months since Jenna’s death, and I’ve done nothing but slip further into my misery. I know it’s affecting the club, but I don’t know what to do about it. All I want is to forget—forget her beautiful face, her laugh, the way her eyes lit up when she saw me enter a room.

  Fist tight, I pound it against the counter. I’m ashamed of what I’ve become, that I’ve let her death go without vengeance. That I’ve fallen this far, let my pain swallow me whole. Sniffling, I fight back the overwhelming sensation washing over me. Wiping at my face, I startle
when I hear the bathroom door open. Standing in the threshold, my sister’s eyes soften with sympathy when she looks at me.

  “I brought you dinner. I’d like to hang out tonight, just you and me.”

  Nodding, I accept her offer. I don’t want to admit it, but I need her company. Stepping farther in, she brushes my messy hair away from my face.

  “Can I give you a haircut?”

  “Yeah. This shit’s out of control.”

  With a giggle, she smiles. “It is.”

  “Do whatever you want with it.”

  “Come down to the kitchen. I’ll cut it, then we can eat.”

  Leaving me in the bathroom alone, I take one last glimpse at myself in the mirror, wishing it was another man looking back.

  A chair is set out on the tile floor. I’ve only been back in my house a couple weeks, and every time I walk into this kitchen, my gut wrenches. This is where I lost her. Seeing me standing there, completely still, Liz lifts the chair and brings it back to the dining room.

  “We’ll do it in here.”

  On the table, Liam’s bouncer is lightly vibrating and playing soothing baby music. Attention drawn to him, I walk over, and with my index finger, I rub his soft cheek. Brown eyes look up at me, and he makes happy sounds, blowing slobbery bubbles from his lips.

  “He’s growing fast.”

  “I know it. And he has an appetite like his father.”

  Seeing the Harley Davidson hat tugs at the corner of my lips. Pretty sure Jake doesn’t let Liam leave the house without something Harley on him.

  Tucking my hands under his back and neck, I lift him, bringing his face to mine. Kissing his forehead, I feel a moment of peace. He’s the string that ties me here, him and Liz both. They’re my anchor, my reason for continuing each day. Knowing how much she worries about me stiffens my muscles. Guilt is like a constrictor tightening around my waist.

  “You’re worried about me, I know.”

  “I am. The whole club is worried. You’re their president, and when you’re hurting, we’re all hurting.”

  “I’m trying. Everything reminds me of her.”

  “I can’t fathom the pain you’re feeling. If I lost Jake, I’d be broken, but I know you’d take care of me. So, let me take care of you.”

  The scent of baby is a soothing aroma reaching deep within. Reluctantly setting him back in his bouncer, I look at her.

  “Let’s start with the haircut and dinner.”

  My stomach is growling. I can’t remember the last meal I had. Maybe yesterday morning. Everything has been one long blur lately. Sitting in the chair, thick, dark strands fall to the floor. Finished with the scissors, she reaches for the trimmer. The buzzing stops a few minutes later, and she lifts her handheld mirror. Touching the top of my head is a foreign feeling. My hair is gone. It’s short now, slightly longer on the top, but not much. With both hands, I rub my fingers over the new cut. It feels lighter, better.

  “You like it?”

  “Besides the fact I feel bald, yeah, I like it. You did good.”

  Lengthy strands of dark brown hair are strewn across the floor. Gathering her tools back in her bag, she moves to the closet for a broom.

  “You going to recognize your uncle after what your mama just did to all my hair?” With my finger touching his soft cheek, Liam stares at me for a moment before cooing happily. “I guess so.”

  “Of course, he recognizes you. You’re his family.”

  The closet closes behind her, and she pads across the kitchen to the bags on the counter.

  “What are you making?”

  “Pasta.”

  Another grumble from my stomach, and I smile appreciatively. “I’m glad you came over.”

  “Me too.”

  “Where’s Jake?”

  “At the clubhouse with the guys.”

  “I owe them an apology. I haven’t been around much. They’ve been picking up my slack.”

  “It’s what we do, and you’d do it for any one of us.”

  Taking groceries out of a bag, she sets out a box of noodles and a jar of sauce. Opening the fridge, I pull a pound of ground beef out and hand it to her.

  “Thank you.”

  Unsealing the package, she preps the meat.

  “William says we need to hire someone for the front desk of the bike shop. Brittany quit.”

  “Why?”

  “She was sleeping with William. He started seeing another girl he met at a clubhouse party, and they got into a huge fight, so she split. Kicked his bike on the way out. He was pissed… about the bike. Didn’t seem too concerned about Brittany.”

  “Fucking William, he’s like Jake was.”

  “Hey!” Tossing a few dry noodles at me, she frowns.

  “Sorry, but it’s true. William’s all about chasing tail right now. Go ahead and put a listing out for the job. The sooner we get it filled, the better.”

  “I’ll do that. You know Full Throttle bike week is coming up?”

  With a shrug, I tip my head. “I forgot about it.”

  Liam cries, and Liz responds, walking toward the table. Waving her off, I take the few steps back to the table.

  “I got him.”

  “He’s hungry. There’s a bottle in the bag.”

  Spreading the bag open, I see the bottle in the right pocket and bring it to Liam. Tiny hands reach for it, but they’re not strong enough to hold it yet. Keeping the bottle steady, I hold it for him, watching how quickly he becomes content.

  “The guys will want you there. You gonna come?”

  With my long pause, she continues.

  “You should come. It’s tradition we all go. We need you there.”

  Vengeance is something I’ve wanted since Jenna died, but I’ve been too much of a mess to plan any kind of retaliation against Reed and the Royals. If I go, I’m afraid I’ll risk my freedom by shooting him straight between the eyes with hundreds of witnesses there to see it. But it was never Jenna they wanted. Jenna was collateral damage. Why risk more of my family when the bounty on my head is still steep?

  “It’s best I don’t go.”

  Dropping the last of the noodles into the water, her attention centers on me. “Why don’t I fast forward this conversation. You’re going. If you don’t want to be president anymore, then step down, but if you still care about this family, the whole family, then swallow your shame and be the president the Kings need.”

  Liam hiccups, as if saying, yeah, what she said. Lowering the bottle, I rub his tiny belly. She’s right. I need to get my shit together and take care of business, or I might as well do the Royals a favor and put a bullet in my temple.

  “I want my life back.”

  A small warm hand touches my shoulder. She looks at Liam, her gaze loving, then back at me, full of hope.

  “We all need you.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  NIX

  Wrench in hand, I tighten the bolt on the Harley engine in front of me. Hearing the front door of the shop open, my head rises, and I peer through the shop doorway to see who’s come in. Sun rays shine through the front window, preventing a clear view of the woman’s face, but I can see her long red hair cascading down in loose waves over her shoulders. Mouth dry, the wrench falls to the floor.

  Jenna.

  Stepping forward, the sun’s rays disappear, and the woman becomes visible. Grabbing a rag, I wipe my hands and swallow down the rush of pain that ripped up through my esophagus. Joining her in the front office, I look her over. The hair is similar to Jenna’s, but the rest of her isn’t. Striking hazel-green eyes look up at me from a curvy, muscular body. Her right arm is covered in a tatted sleeve, several beautiful colors intertwined with black ink. With a V-neck shirt on, I can see more tattoos peeking out from the fabric next to her right breast. Eyes drawn to the creamy skin etched with ink, I catch myself looking too long at her chest and fidget uncomfortably at the reaction my dick is having to her body.

  “How can I help you?” I ask, tossing the ra
g on the counter.

  “Here to apply.” Throwing her thumb over her shoulder, she points to the Now Hiring sign in the front window.

  Her voice is confident, sexy. I like the sound of it, but the last thing I want is to hear it again.

  “Job’s been filled.”

  With a frown pulling at her lips, the light in her eyes dull. A stinging sensation lingers in my chest watching the disappointment show on her face. The side door to the clubhouse bar opens to Liz entering the shop office. Stopping in her tracks, she stares at the woman.

  “Need help with anything else? I could really use the work.”

  Attention drawn to me, Liz tilts her head and scowls.

  “Unless the job was filled in the last hour, it’s open,” Liz tells her, looking sternly at me.

  Grabbing the rag, I storm into the shop, slamming the door behind me.

  —SYNNE—

  “What’s with him?”

  The pretty dark-haired woman in front of me has sadness in her eyes but still smiles at me.

  “That’s a story for later. Come into the clubhouse. We’ll do an interview.”

  Waving me around the counter, she invites me to follow her through the side door. Inside, the clubhouse is cleaner than the Son’s was. The wood floor and bar look old, but the tables, chairs, and pool tables are newer and nice quality. Motioning to one of the chairs, the woman takes the one next to it.

  “I’m Liz, but to my man, I’m Peach.”

  “Synne.”

  “Like s-i-n?”

  “Yeah, but spelled s-y-n-n-e.”

  With a nod of her head, the corner of her mouth twists up. “I like it. It’s pretty.”

  “Thanks. So, the job is still open?”