CHRIS

by Becca Fanning

  “And you know full well that’s underage in our culture, young lady,” Ava’s father bit back, rage making him rigid in the face of her insolence.

  Jessie pouted but it didn’t work on Mars like it did on everyone else. It was one of the things Ava appreciated about her father—his ability to see through bullshit.

  “And we also need to understand why you did what you did yesterday.”

  Spyder nodded, then turned to his riders. A low argument proceeded to take place before them, with all four bikers taking off in a huff, leaving him behind.

  Mars nodded at the sight. “We won’t break the trust you’ve shown us.”

  “I know,” Spyder said, his eyes glued to Jessie whose attention was fully on him too.

  God, Ava remembered those days. That first flush of the mate bond. How it had excited and appalled her. How it had taken over every aspect of her waking life.

  Only for it to die a slow death as she remained unclaimed.

  For a second, bitter jealousy welled up inside her at the innocent display between mates. Why hadn’t she been allowed to enjoy the discovery of her mate? Why couldn’t she rant and rage over her fate? How come she’d had to suffer in silence?

  But as was always the way when negative thoughts overwhelmed her, she shrugged them off and tossed them in the trash.

  It was either that or get bogged down in the misery of the past, and she couldn’t do that.

  In response, she let her gaze clash with Chris’s, and maybe he understood because his eyelids were half-mast and the smile he shot her was kind of sad.

  They looked at one another for countless seconds, the connection building, the bond between them starting to soar as the world carried on around them. Nothing else mattering but that unique bridge that belonged to them, and them alone.

  She shivered when Mars broke into that special moment, and jolted her attention back his way.

  “Take Jessie back to her room, Ava.”

  “No,” she immediately retorted. “I want to know why Spyder thought it was a sensible option to kidnap me. Get one of the brothers to control her. Just because she’s a girl doesn’t mean she can’t be corralled.”

  “Don’t argue with me, Ava.”

  “I’m not arguing. I’m stating a fact. I’m not going anywhere.” With her gaze locked on her dad’s, she hollered to the prospect guarding the gate, “Tad, take Jessie back to her room.”

  “What makes you think you can countermand my orders?” Mars growled, stepping forward into her space.

  It was then, when he did that, Ava realized she wasn’t frightened.

  She’d always been cautious around her father. Not because she believed he’d hurt her, but because he was the Prez, and he was powerful. He was her father first, Prez second, but somehow, with the way he’d always treated her, like she was a soldier in need of intense training, it had always felt as though it was the other way around.

  But now, as he strode into her personal space, she felt no discomfort. She was strong enough to take him, Ava realized with a clarity that astonished her.

  Her She Bear would grapple with his and maybe she wouldn’t win at the moment because she was young, but it came to her that one day, when her father was weak, she would Challenge him and she would win.

  Normally Challenges ended in death. She’d never take it so far, but she knew that in the future, her fate was to take over as Clan leader.

  It made things clearer as well as muddying her vision too.

  When she didn’t back up, stayed strident in the face of his anger, he frowned at her. He’d expected her to leap back, bounce past him and obey as she’d always done. Like everyone always did.

  But not today.

  Never again.

  Tad approached, a quiver in his voice as he asked, “Prez?”

  Mars glowered at her, then shot the prospect a look that had him quivering in his boots. “Do as she says.” To Ava, he stated quietly, “Well talk about this later.”

  “I’ll look forward to it,” she retorted easily, in no way frightened at the threat in his voice.

  She was younger than Tad, but at that moment, she felt her maturity level blossom and bloom.

  If Chris had been worried about her being too young for him before, he could stop.

  She’d never been ‘young’. Her head had been too full of figures and the like for that, but the realization that one day she’d take over for her father swept any immaturity away like a lightning bolt striking her core.

  Even the resentment and bitterness she’d felt toward her mother this morning after learning Annette had a key to her room, or the jealousy she’d felt in the sight of the earnest and honest response between Spyder and Jessie... all of it disappeared.

  This was her path. And Chris was supposed to be there, at her side. Which, she realized with no small degree of astonishment, he was.

  He’d moved close to her when Mars had approached. Sensing the threat, he’d come to her aid, come to her defense, only she’d felt such little fear that her focus had been solely on her father and that very lack where before there had always been the vague warning.

  It encouraged her to know Chris had her back. That he would allow her to have her voice, to fight her own battles, but he’d be there for her come what may too. Even when it came to facing the Prez, his Prez, nose to nose.

  Love for him flushed through her at that moment. Respect and tenderness too.

  They’d always been there, of course. Alongside the other half of the coin—hatred, thanks to his ability to distance himself from her. But now, she allowed the warm feelings to overflow because this man was her mate.

  He was her equal.

  He would not dominate her. He would respect and encourage. He wouldn’t submit, but he would allow her to take her place as leader when the time came.

  The knowledge flooded her mind with a surety that she knew came from the Goddesses who had granted him to her as a gift.

  With a smile, she reached for his hand. To her father, she simply said, “Let’s find out what the hell’s going on before Jessie and Spyder lose their shit.”

  Mars just growled but stalked off, and Ava felt the flush of success in knowing she’d just bested her father for the first, but not the last time in their very long lives.

  Hand in hand, they strode to the Council room. Something had changed in Ava. Between leaving her at the foot of the stairs to go to her room and this moment, something had happened.

  Was it the argument with Jessie?

  Or was it the sight of the younger cub’s reaction to the mate bond?

  He wasn’t sure what it was, but he could feel her, brimming with confidence.

  She could never be meek. She wore her strength like a suit of armor, after all. But she’d been hesitant. Usually skulking around the clubhouse as though trying to stay out of the way and to keep under the radar. It had made her seem a tad sneaky, but he’d understood.

  She wasn’t like the majority here. She was one of the truest to run to her beast’s nature. Solitary, independent. Capable of hibernating.

  Most of these traits weren’t shared by the majority who needed the Clan to support them, to chivvy them through life.

  Ava was, in essence, a lone wolf.

  Or at least, she had been. Then, she’d stood up to her father and he’d backed down. Chris, Kiko, Mundo and the other Council members had all shared bemused glances at how Mars had retreated.

  Whether he’d done it because Spyder was there watching, or because he was surprised by his daughter’s change in attitude, Chris didn’t know and he doubted he’d find out.

  Mars and Kiko sandwiched Spyder. The gesture was protective; they wanted to make sure he didn’t get away. The rest of the Council trudged along behind them until they hit the Council room which had barely changed in all the years he’d been at the MC. The same scarred wooden table, leather desk chairs that had been replaced with similar if more ergonomic models. There were pictures on the walls now
of the many businesses they had, as well as a wall of pictures of mated families belonging to the Clan.

  Spyder took it all in. The very underwhelming hub of the MC’s successful business.

  “Sit,” Mars growled as he trailed around the table and plunked down in the head seat.

  When Chris reached his chair, he pulled it out for Ava. “Where will you sit?” she asked.

  “I’ll stand. It’s okay,” he told her when she made to argue. “I’d prefer you to sit.”

  She smiled at him and reached up to squeeze the hand he rested on her shoulder.

  Mars, Kiko, and Mundo all eyed the possessive clasp, but Jarvis was the one to say, “Jesus, it’s weird seeing you two together.”

  Mundo snorted. “Glad you said it, bro, and not me.”

  Major laughed. “Well, I think it’s cute. The young bloods getting together.”

  Major’s words had Mundo’s eyes turning stormy. “Jessie’s too young to be mated.”

  He made the statement to the room at large, and though Ava wasn’t sure who he wanted to respond, she retorted, “She’s two years younger than me, capable of adulting enough to learn to manage one of the businesses, so why shouldn’t she be ready to be mated? If the Goddesses deemed this was the right moment, who are you to argue about that?”

  His nostrils flared. “You’re different. You always had an old head on young shoulders. But Jessie ain’t like you. Plus, Chris ain’t like that sorry SOB over there.”

  Spyder’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll grant you some leeway because you’re Jessie’s dad. But don’t shoot shit about me.”

  “Prefer me to say it behind your back?” Mundo retorted on a low growl. “I prefer to say it to your face, you sack of shit. What the fuck do you expect? Me to be happy that the man who just yesterday tried to kidnap one of the cubs from my Clan, a cub who we’ve all helped raise, is now mated to my baby girl?”

  Spyder raised his hands and rubbed his temples after he stacked his elbows on the table. “I can explain that.” To Mars, he retorted, “You know we keep under the radar.”

  “Your trades are still illegal.”

  “I never said we were legit. I said we keep it under the radar. We ship stolen cars. That’s about as hardcore as we get. Strip them down for parts, take orders on high end vehicles and find them new owners. That kind of shit. Nothing like what we pulled yesterday.”

  “Why are you telling us this?” Mars demanded, eying Spyder with distrust.

  “I’d say I have no fucking clue considering there are consequences to the truth, but I...” He shook his head, and there was a decidedly dazed fog in his eyes. “But she transcends all that, and I don’t even understand why.”

  Ava took pity on him. “Surely you know how paranormals work? We all have a mate. A person chosen for us by our Goddesses. You’re that to Jessie.”

  Mars slammed his hands against the table. “He can’t be. He’s fucking human. We all know She Bears mate with male Shifters.”

  “He must have some Shifter blood in him somewhere,” Ava replied calmly, receiving a glare from Mundo in response. “Look, I know you don’t want to hear this, I totally understand, Mundo, but ducking your head under a blanket isn’t going to make this go away.”

  “She’s my baby, Ava. What do you want me to do?”

  “Let her take the path the Goddesses have chosen for her. What else can she do? For some reason, one that we don’t understand right now, they’ve deemed Spyder to be her other half. It doesn’t make sense considering his heritage, but maybe he has Shifter blood down the line. Weakened, dormant, but still there. Enough to call to Jessie. Or, enough for the Goddesses to gift him to her.” When Mundo opened his mouth and made to argue, she growled. “Would you have turned your back on Christie? The story goes you were nearly crawling out of your skin the minute you got out of jail and went to find her. Why would you put your daughter through that when it’s all unnecessary?”

  “Because she’s a baby,” he half-wailed.

  “No, she isn’t,” Ava coolly replied. “She’s a grown ass woman who can make her own decisions. You can’t shove us in schools with kids who are expected to mature and lead their own lives at eighteen, then expect us not to do the same. We were adult at eighteen when you were trying to tell us we’re still babies. What worked back in your day doesn’t work now.”

  She was breathing heavily by the time she’d finished, and Chris knew she’d shoved every bit of passion, every bit of anger and irritation and hurt that she’d felt by his failure to Claim her into the short speech.

  He squeezed her shoulder in a display of silent apology as well as support.

  He wanted her to know that he was there for her. He didn’t want to speak for her; that was one of the reasons why he’d left her alone the way he had. He’d wanted her to become her own person without needing him as a loudspeaker. He was a helpmate. Not the leader of their little gang. He wanted a partner, not a docile mate who stood two steps behind him.

  And boy, was she doing him proud.

  Mundo’s jaw clenched in reaction, but it was Major who was the voice of reason. “Look, I get that tensions are high, but we need to analyze the bigger picture first. We need to figure out what the hell is going on here.”

  Spyder shot Major a look, then peered at Mars as he lowered his head and said, “This is more of a rhetorical question, but you know a guy called Martinez? Used to be big news around these parts. Cartel leader.”

  Mars shot Kiko, Mundo, Jarvis, and Major a look. They were the old crowd. Had been in the Council back in the days when the MC had transitioned from actual motorcycle club to business entity.

  “Yeah. We know him. He got sent down.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Spyder retorted, clenching his fists and rubbing his knuckles against the wooden table in a way that had to fucking hurt.

  Jesus, skin burn much?

  Jarvis blinked. “Why the fuck do you know Martinez? Are you working for him?”

  They still kept in the loop with regards to local ‘affairs’, and knew that even though The Nomads had had a hand in getting the old Cartel leader sent down, he was still running things from inside.

  “No. Am I fucked. We don’t get involved with heavy shit like that. I told you, we work cars over. That’s it.”

  “Then why do you know a heavy hitter like Martinez?” Mars rumbled.

  “Because he made it a point to get to know me.”

  “In what way?” Chris asked, leaning his elbows on the back of Ava’s chair.

  “My brother, Sammy, just got sent down for manslaughter.”

  “Thought you didn’t get involved in heavy shit?” Mundo snarled.

  “We don’t. It was an accident, hence the manslaughter charge. Martínez was behind it. We only found that out recently. He sent someone to come and attack Sammy, and only the fact we have a fucking fantastic lawyer who found a loophole was the only way he got him off on a murder charge.”

  “What does this have to do with yesterday?”

  “I’m getting to it,” Spyder rumbled. “My little brother isn’t like me. He’s...” He sucked in a breath. “A bit slow. Jail is rotting him alive, and there ain’t shit I can do about it, but I can make his time better there. He keeps getting beaten up, and I...” He cleared his throat, ducking his head to refrain from meeting their vision. “I know other shit is happening to him.”

  To a man, they all winced.

  “Jail is tough on anyone,” Mundo said softly, for the first time, lightening up. Which Chris guessed made sense, he’d been inside more than most around this table thanks to a misspent youth.

  Spyder just let out a shuddery sigh. “It’s even harder when you’ve got a target on your back.”

  “Why would Martínez want you?”

  “Because he knows we’re the MC closest to you. He knows the MCs had connections way in the past.” He shrugged. “How the fuck do I know why he made me and my bro the lucky fall guys? All I know is I got a message saying tha
t I need to get you to agree to ship something in one of your trucks. I was to use any force necessary to make sure that happens. If not, Sammy gets it.” The breath he released was shaky, and Chris couldn’t blame the man.

  Jesus H Christ.

  What a choice.

  Essentially, what had gone down yesterday would have put a regular MC into battle mode. Martinez’s request should have put The Nomads and Spider’s Venom at war.

  That could have still been the end result after today’s discussion. Instead, they were only sitting down around the table because of Jessie.

  Martínez had been the cause of many of the MC’s woes back when Mars had become Prez. He’d been the cartel leader in cahoots with their old Prez, and had managed to mix The Nomads in with business so shady, most of the riders involved at the time still felt dirty.

  Mischa, Kiko’s mate, had been one of the girls trafficked over to the States by Martínez’s people. Once Mars had taken over, they’d liberated a shipment of girls and had been at war with the Cartel as a result. Until one of Major’s girlfriends had found evidence on Martínez that had sent him down for tax evasion and other crazy ass shit that in no way fit the true reality of the many crimes he’d committed.

  “What did they want us to transport?”

  Spyder shrugged. “Don’t know yet. I just had to get you to agree, then I had to contact a number, and they’d send me over the package or packages. I just assumed it was drugs, to be honest. Your business runs across state lines now. Figured they wanted you to start trafficking for them.”

  “But why now?” Jarvis asked. “Why, after all these years, is he looking at us again?”

  “The time to discuss that is when Spyder’s gone,” Mars stated, drawing a thick slash under that particular line of questioning. “So, you figured the best way to get me to agree was to abduct Ava?”

  Spyder shrugged. “Everyone knows you’re psycho where she’s concerned.”

  “Never heard of softly, softly catchee monkey?” Jarvis retorted, then rolled his eyes when Spyder just gawked at him. “Or you catch more bees with honey than vinegar?”

  Spyder shrugged. “I was desperate. Sammy is... He’s special. He shouldn’t be in jail in the first place. Knowing he’s in danger in there, when I’ve always kept him safe before, it’s killing me, man.”