They were the kind who made you crave something more than club girls and quick fucks.
The type of women who were strong and proud of the club and everything their men stood for. These women could kick ass, and you’d tell every asshole who would listen that she was yours.
They weren’t easy to find.
But I was starting to think maybe it was something I could have here.
“All right, let’s have some fucking food,” Shotgun announced, not even finishing his sentence before making his way to the attached garage next door, which had been cleaned up just a little and had a feast spread out across three large tables. “Come here, boys.”
Bandit and I moved to the head of the table where Shotgun was standing, waiting silently as the space filled with club members, old ladies, and club girls. There were also a couple of security guys from the nightclubs the MC owned in town, big guys who looked like they should have been wearing patches.
Shake and Meyah were the last through the door. Shake’s heavy brow still pinched with worry while his old lady whispered to him softly and bounced their little girl in her arms.
“Just wanted to say a huge welcome to our new members, Rein and Bandit.”
Hoots and hollers filled the air, making me laugh.
Kennedy skipped up beside us and handed a couple of patches to Shotgun before stepping back beside Repo, her fingers tucking just inside his pocket.
“We appreciate you boys choosing to join us down here in Phoenix as we grow. I can already tell from the way I can see my ugly face in your fucking chrome out there, you’ll fit in fucking perfectly.”
He shook my hand, slapping my back hard before handing over my bottom rocker, doing the same to Bandit, who I could tell already felt like he was home.
We’d been patched-in members of the club for years, done our dues as prospects, but the bottom rocker right now on my colors still read ‘Billings, MT.’
I held up the new one.
Admiring the words ‘Phoenix, AZ’ as it curved around the patch.
This felt good.
Montana was home. I owed the club there a lot, but it was time I found my own place, and there was this feeling of satisfaction in my gut that told me it could be right here.
“Let’s eat!”
We all filled our plates, and Bandit and I headed in through to the clubhouse to find a table, with Shake not far behind. He cradled his baby girl in his arms, bouncing her softly as he picked at his food.
“You look worried,” I noted before shoving a piece of steak in my mouth.
He nodded. “Phone call was from a brother over in Alabama. He’s got my sister’s name flagged in several systems. She went through a hard time as a kid, and I just wanted to make sure none of that shit from her past was making a comeback.”
Bandit scoffed, dropping his knife and fork and leaned back. “Let me guess…” he mumbled, chewing the last bit of food in his mouth, “… it’s back.”
“Yeah,” he growled, the grip on his fork tightening. “The guy got early release. He was the counselor for the group home she was in. He got a few years on some minor charges, but from what I heard, he should be doing life for the shit he put those kids through.”
The tension was building in my shoulders already.
I didn’t even know Shake’s sister, but I knew what it was fucking like to be manipulated and groomed by someone older. It was sick. Fucking psychotic. And it left you with this uneasy feeling of blaming yourself.
Because you know you could have said ‘no,’ and you could have walked away.
But the control they had over you was too fucking strong.
“You think he ain’t done?” Bandit questioned, strumming his fingers across the wooden table.
“With Phee? Not sure. But I know assholes like him never change,” Shake hissed, his eyes dropping to his daughter’s face. He had the look of a father who would do anything to keep the world a little fucking safer. “I need a little time to find him, rid the world of another piece of shit. I have no idea if he has Phee in his sights, but I don’t want to take a chance. I’d rather have her safe.”
“You gonna bring her in?” I questioned, leaning forward and resting my forearms on the table.
He sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, making me chuckle softly. “I’d rather just keep this shit from touching her and not stress her out with what I’m doing. That, and there’s no way in hell she’ll come in.”
“Your sister sounds stubborn.”
“As a fucking mule.”
I could feel the passion and emotion in his voice.
This was something important to him, something he obviously felt a huge amount of guilt over.
“Man, you need us to help… we got you,” I offered, my words instantly changing the worried look on his face. He looked up, his eyes moving between Bandit and me as I shoved another piece of steak in my mouth.
“How do you guys feel about doing a little job for me?” he asked, meeting my gaze.
I looked to Bandit, who shrugged.
“We’re in,” Bandit confirmed, neither of us really needing to ask what it was.
This is why we were part of the club, to have our brothers’ backs when they needed a little help.
“I need you to head over to Cali for a few weeks.”
2
Phee
“We’re meant to be meeting Fable at the party in an hour,” Layla noted as she stepped out of our shared bathroom. Her eyes drifted the length of my body before the corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk. “Interesting outfit choice.”
I raised my middle finger at her as I brushed past. “What part of this get-up screams party ready to you?” I snorted as I began stripping my clothes off, one dirty, disgusting piece at a time.
She leaned against the doorframe, pulling the toothbrush from her mouth. “The tight white pants?”
I reached down and tugged at the pants in question. “Oh, these ones? The ones covered in horse shit and hair?” I nodded. “Yeah, I could see how you’d think I was ready to head to a party on the richest fucking street in the city.”
She grinned, toothpaste dripping down her chin before she turned back to the bathroom and spat in the sink. “You gonna have time to get ready? Or am I leaving you behind?” she called, but I could tell she was teasing.
I groaned, looking down at my hands covered in dirt, and God knows what else. My clothes were not much better. Then add the way my body was screaming at me—ready to collapse at a moment’s notice.
All I wanted to do was have a shower, climb into bed, and watch Full House on Netflix.
Large groups of people were like my personal hell of choice. I liked hanging out with friends, people who made me feel comfortable and calm, but I knew what parties on Kings Crescent were like. And they definitely weren’t small and intimate.
“Maybe I’ll just stay h—”
“You’re not staying home,” she ordered, cutting me off.
I looked up to see her standing in the doorway, all playfulness gone. I could see worry in her eyes, which wasn’t uncommon given that I tended to turn in on myself and block out the rest of the world pretty damn often.
“Phee, will you just let your walls down for one night?”
I scoffed. “Hey, it took me years of emotional trauma to construct these walls, and now you just want me to simply tear them down?” It was meant to be a joke, but unfortunately, it held far too much truth for either of us to laugh. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut for a couple of seconds before I finally gave in. “Fine,” I conceded, already working on the zipper of my riding pants. “But I’m going to need a drink or ten.”
Layla’s smile was warm and quietly excited. “Agreed!”
I stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door that followed through into Layla’s room and locking it securely, before reaching into the shower and turning on the hot water faucet. Just the sound of the spray starting was enough to make my tense body relax a little.
<
br /> As I pulled off each piece of clothing, I realized they weren’t just dirty. They stunk. Like shit. Actual shit. But after spending all day constantly shoveling said shit, you get so used to the smell you become immune to it.
I’d been working at the local stables for almost six months.
Feeding, riding, prepping rich people’s horses, so they could come by and ride them whenever they felt like it without having to deal with all the other stuff that comes with owning a magnificent creature like a horse.
Like cleaning up after them, brushing, or feeding them.
It was hard.
But maybe that was what I loved about it.
It didn’t leave a whole lot of time to dwell.
I stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed and honestly maybe even a little thankful that I was actually going to be able to get out and have some fun and see friends who I hadn’t seen for a couple of weeks. I worked my damn ass off during the day. I guess that was one thing I’d inherited from my mom and dad—if you wanted something, you had to work damn hard for it.
Unfortunately, they weren’t there to see me put that lesson into practice as they were both killed by a drunk driver when I was younger.
My two older brothers and I were all separated, each thrown into our own versions of hell.
It wasn’t until recently that they’d come back into my life, and it was hard to imagine I’d spent so many years without them.
With a towel wrapped around me, I started searching through my dresser trying to find something nice to wear. It was a bit of a stretch given the fact I wasn’t a girly girl on the best of days, so the denim minis and satin tops that Layla wore beautifully felt odd on me.
I pulled out my ripped jeans, but just as I reached for a grungy looking t-shirt, my door burst open, and Layla threw a sparkly black top onto my bed.
“I’m sorry… have you lost the ability to knock?” I asked with a frown.
She grinned, the deep red lipstick she wore making her look extra dangerous tonight. “Just put it on. Do your hair. Then meet me downstairs.” She pulled the door shut behind her, her heels tapping on the wooden floors as I heard Layla make her way down the hall.
I screwed up my nose, working on getting my jeans on first.
They were black, tight, and ripped in more places than they were not.
I guess you could say they were just… me.
Nervously, I plucked the top off my bed, holding it up for inspection. The sparkles were part of a long-sleeved sheer top that sat over a simple black bra-style crop top underneath. It wasn’t something I would usually pick out for myself, but I often trusted Layla when I was unsure because she was so confident in that realm.
And she was always right.
I chewed my bottom lip nervously. “Dammit,” I cursed, picking up the top and hurrying to get it on. “YOLO and all that shit, right?” I muttered to myself as I quickly ran to the bathroom and tugged a comb through my hair.
Layla and Kelsey were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Their eyes lit up as I walked down.
“You look hot!” Kelsey beamed, clapping her hands together.
“Let’s go!” Layla announced, her smile bright and warm. She took my hand, and we headed out the door. “You look amazing.”
I rolled my eyes, but the compliment made me feel warm as we strutted down the sidewalk to the bus stop.
“Maybe we’ll find you a future ex-boyfriend tonight,” she added, looking at me out of the corner of her eye as I started to laugh.
“I don’t have time for boys. And you can leave me right out of your mission to make Braydon jealous, thank you very much,” I announced, shaking my head.
Kelsey turned around, her eyes brightening as she looked between Layla and me. “I’m sorry, and who is this Braydon you speak of?” she teased, making me laugh harder as Layla’s cheeks flushed.
“Braydon is Fable’s boyfriend’s little brother,” I announced, joyfully filling her in. “‘Cept he’s not so little anymore. The kid plays football, and in the past few months he has bulked right up. He’s looking for a scholarship, I think, but from what I’ve heard, he’s already had a ton of interest from development teams.”
Kelsey’s mouth fell open. “I’m starting to get the feeling I’m going to be completely out of place at this party.”
Layla nodded. “Join the club. When someone throws a party on Kings Crescent, I don’t think you ever get used to it. We just go along with it. And Heath and Bray are pretty amazing, not your typical stuck-up rich kids.”
“They’re crazy hot, down-to-earth rich kids,” I teased, once again enjoying the way her cheeks flushed, and she shoved me away playfully.
I swore, Braydon Carson was the only guy who could stall that girl’s smart mouth. Layla was quick, she was witty, and she was smart as hell. A lethal combination. But when it came to Braydon, he had her beat every single damn time.
“Well, that’s enough of boy talk,” Layla finally announced as we reached the bus stop in time for the bus to pull up. “You’re right. No time for boys tonight. Girls’ night.”
Kelsey snorted and rolled her eyes as she climbed the stairs onto the bus. “Sure!”
I chuckled, following suit. “I’m with her on this one.”
“You would be.”
3
Phee
“Anyone want to paddle their feet in the pool with me?” Kelsey asked enthusiastically, throwing back the last of her drink and placing the plastic cup to the side.
We’d found a cozy spot on an outside patio with Fable, her boyfriend, Heath, and his friends.
The atmosphere outside was more relaxed than the raging party taking place in the rest of the house. It was private and secluded, and I can’t say I was complaining.
Any other time, I would have been happy just to sit my ass right here. But I was about five vodkas deep, and it was actually making me feel lighter. Unfortunately, along with that pleasant buzz came the feeling of my body overheating, so the idea of kicking off my shoes and paddling in the pool screamed ‘hell yes.’
“Let’s go,” I answered, downing what was left in my glass and pushing my chair back.
“Don’t fall in!” Fable laughed, laying her head on Heath’s shoulder as he chatted with a couple of guys. She cupped her hands around her face. “I’ll come find you girls soon,” she mouthed, but I noticed the way Heath’s arm squeezed her a little tighter. I rolled my eyes, knowing that if she didn’t slow down, the only place he was going to let her go was home.
He looked up at me for a second. “Be careful,” he warned, his tone stern and parental-like. If there were one way to describe Heath Carson, it would be ‘protector.’ He kept a very small inner circle, one that was almost impossible to break through.
I was lucky enough to be in the inner circle but by association.
Which meant he felt like I was his responsibility.
It was sweet, and honestly, after spending so many years constantly looking over your shoulder, it was kind of nice to know you had guys like Heath and Bray ready to have your back or to put themselves between you and the douchebags of the world.
I smirked back at him, snapping a salute because I was a sarcastic bitch. “Yes, sir.”
Fable giggled drunkenly, and Kelsey grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the stairs that led down to the pool. “Come on, let’s go before he tries to ground us.”
Laughing softly, I followed her down the staircase to where they opened up onto a concrete seating space before stepping down again into the pool area. There were a handful of guys in the pool playing volleyball. A couple of them had girls in bikinis on their shoulders while other girls just milled around the side, laying out in chairs like they were sunbathing, except it was dark.
Kelsey and I both took one look at them before turning back to each other and shaking our heads in amusement, eyeing up a quiet spot at the edge of the pool.
As we slipped through the pool gates, a couple of guys were headin
g out. One brushed past me, bumping me with his shoulder and making me stumble a little.
“Woah, sorry!” the guy slurred, his hands grabbing my hips to steady me.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks.” I smiled briefly and moved to take a step back, but his fingers tightened, thwarting my escape.
“I don’t think we’ve met.” He grinned, his eyes dipping down and over my body before returning to my face. His fingertips were digging into my hip bones, and I was fighting to keep some distance between us as he tried to pull me closer.
If there was one thing I fucking hated, it was a man thinking he had the right just to walk up and touch a woman. It made my skin crawl to have someone’s hands on me if they weren’t someone I trusted. You just didn’t do that shit.
You don’t know what she’s been through.
What kind of memories that touch could trigger.
I’d spent years fighting my reaction to a stranger’s touch, and even though I was so much stronger now than I was before, I still felt fucking sick with this guy’s hands on me. My heart began to race, and I gritted my teeth. “Get your hands off me,” I growled loudly, placing both my hands on his chest and pushing him back.
I managed to dislodge him, and he lurched back, a smug smirk on his face as he held both his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I was just trying to say hello.” He laughed, his ridiculously white teeth sparkling at me under the lights illuminating the pool. “My name’s Charles.”
“Come on,” I urged Kelsey, trying to step around him.
He moved, placing his body in front of me. “You’re really going to be a bitch?”
I raised my eyebrow but didn’t respond.
Because that was what he wanted.
I had no idea who this kid was, but he was one of those angry drunks. I could tell just by the way he was itching for some kind of confrontation. “Yes, I’m really going to be a bitch,” I answered, shaking my head and pressing my hand to Kelsey’s back, letting her know I was ready to get the hell out of there. She moved toward the pool, and I followed closely behind her, stepping around the little asshole and his highly amused buddies.
Twisted Steel: An MC Romance Anthology Page 2