by Erin Trejo
“Hey, Taylor!” Brooke answers happily.
“Hey. I need a favor. My dad just gave me an ultimatum. I kinda left,” I say softly, not sure how much to let her know, but I do know I can trust Brooke. She’s never given me a reason not to.
“Oh shit! Where are you? Are you ok? Do you want me to call Mayhem?” she asks quickly.
Do I want her to call him? No. No, I can’t see the look in his eyes anymore. He can’t be what I need. He is too lost in his past for that. Too lost to see me.
“No, don’t call him. Can you come get me? Maybe I can stay with you for a few days?” I hate asking. I don’t like asking for handouts from anyone. That was never my style but there really isn’t anything left for me to do.
“Of course! Text me the address. I’m leaving now.”
The line goes dead, and my heart picks up. Maybe this will be my new start. I can live without my dad’s money. I can live without all that comes with being his daughter.
I quickly text Brooke the address before sitting on the bench at the bus stop. I glance around at the people continuing on with their day as if nothing else is happening in the world. Maybe for them, there isn’t. My phone vibrates in my hands. I glance down and see a text from Mayhem.
Mayhem: Gotta go out of town for a while. Need to find myself again. I’m sorry I hurt you, Tay
My chest tightens as I read the message over and over again.
Taylor: I’m glad you’re trying to work yourself out. You deserve happiness.
Mayhem: I want you to come down in a few weeks. Will you think about it?
What the hell? Come down where? Why does he need me there?
Taylor: Why?
Mayhem: I don’t know, Tay. Just think about it, yeah?
Taylor: I will
I set the phone in my lap as I think about that. Why would he want me to come down there with him? The fact that he doesn’t know doesn’t sound too promising to me. I sigh before I look up and see two bikes flying toward me. As soon as they stop, Brooke jumps off one.
“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry! I tried to get the idiots to bring the truck! They wouldn’t. Are you ok?” She reaches for me, pulling me into a tight embrace. One that I welcome.
I sob into her shirt as she runs her hand up and down my back.
“It’s ok. Everything will be ok,” she says reassuringly.
“Thanks for coming.” I pull back. Brooke reaches up and wipes my cheeks with a smile.
“Let’s get you back to the clubhouse.” The word sends a chill up my spine.
“I thought I could stay with you at your place?” I ask feeling a little confused.
“I’m at the clubhouse most of the time. We’ll figure it out. If you want to, we can go back to my place.”
God, I feel like such an asshole for putting her in this position. It isn’t her fault that I’m a complete fuck up.
“Come on, darlin’. You’ll be safe with us,” Declan says, taking a step forward. I nod and take Monster’s extended hand.
Chapter 25
Mayhem
A part of my heart hurts just leaving Tay like I did. I fucking asked her to come see me in a few weeks, but in reality, I don’t know if I’ll ever find myself again. Right now, it seems like a lost cause. My world has never spun in one direction; it’s always tilted and stopped just to start going in another direction. Tay made it feel stable though. At least for the time I was with her. She was an anchor for me. She held me in place when all I wanted was to spin out of control.
I barely know her, but I knew that much about her.
I opted to stay at a hotel while I’m out here. I could have stayed at this chapter’s clubhouse, but I know I needed the space. I will still be there a majority of the time, but at least at night I can relax and think on things.
The clubhouse is packed as I pull in. There are bikes littering every surface of pavement visible. I grin. We may be the mother chapter, but this one is by far the biggest we have. They are a little different than we are. They are rougher, a little more ruthless. They deal a lot in Mexican Mafia shit that we don’t touch up north.
I park and climb off my bike to be greeted by Ruger. This motherfucker is as fierce as they come.
“'Bout time you got your sissy ass out here!” he hollers as I walk closer to him. He throws his arm around me, pulling me into a hug.
“Good to see you too, motherfucker.” I slap my hand on his back. He pulls back and looks me up and down.
“At least you grew up!” He chuckles.
“Fuck you! I been grown,” I tell him with a grin. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Ruger. He’s one hell of an enforcer for this chapter. No one, and I mean no one, fucks with him.
“Where’s your prez?” I ask nodding toward the clubhouse.
“Inside. Probably eatin’ pussy and gettin’ drunk.” Now that sounds like my kind of party.
“How’s shit been?” I ask as we walk toward the doors.
“Not bad. Had a run in with some of those slant-eyed, Chinese fucks. Two of them came in lookin’ like goddamn Mexicans! You would have thought their momma was steppin’ out. Chung claimed them though after I snapped their fuckin’ necks. Motherfucker thought he was sneakin’ under the radar.” I can practically feel the heat radiating off the man. This is why he was voted in as the Enforcer years ago. He lives for the kill.
“Fuck, brother! Chung was a good ally, yeah?” I look up at the mountain of a man who stands next to me.
“Yeah. Still is. You know what they say, keep your enemies close. That motherfucker doesn’t take a shit without my goddamn knowledge of it. Each time he jerks off that little pecker of his, I get word.”
I chuckle. I didn’t realize just how much I missed this son of a bitch. “Heard that! Everything else runnin’ straight?” I ask.
Ruger nods his head, shoving the door open. He stands there holding it for me to go in when he says, “See for yourself, brother.”
I step inside, and the room explodes. Naked girls are dancing on the pool tables. Threesomes are kicking off all over the bar. Liquor is flowing freely. I grin. This is what a party looks like to us, but to these guys, this is all day every day. Ruger throws his arm over my shoulder and motions to a half-naked, pink-haired girl. She sways her hips as she walks toward us.
“What can I get you?” She looks up at Ruger with a smile that could make any man’s dick hard.
“This here is Mayhem. NoCal Chapter. You see to it that he gets anything and everything he wants while he’s here. This is Pammy.”
Her eyes come to meet mine, and the lust and desire practically filter off her. I can smell her excitement as it wafts through the air. Or it could be the giant fucking orgy that’s happening around here.
“Oh, I will be the best hostess. What can I get you?” She purrs, running her hands up and down my chest.
“Vodka and a beer. Then your prez would be nice.” She smiles and nods before walking away. I take the chance to look at her little ass too.
“That one there is a hot ass. She likes it rough.” Ruger slaps a hand across my chest and laughs.
“I’ll be puttin’ that to use while I’m here,” I tell him. Pammy walks back with a shot and a beer. She leans in close, pressing her tits to my chest. Her scent is overwhelming and womanly, which is just what I need right now.
“Prez will be out in just a second.” Her tongue skates over my lip. I listen to her moan before knocking my shot back.
“Don’t stray too far, darlin’.” She grins and nods.
“Here he comes,” Ruger says pulling me from her gaze. I glance up to see a smile plastered to Hawk’s face.
“Mayhem! Good to fuckin’ see you, brother!” He roars through the crowd. I make my way toward him, pulling him into a hug.
“Hawk. Seems like forever, brother.” He slaps my back before he pulls away.
“Damn, man. You look lively, brother. How’s shit?” he asks.
I nod once and glance around. “Not
as good as this, but you know how home is.” He nods once.
“Goddamn. Glad to have you here, brother.” And just like that, I’m welcomed into my second home.
Chapter 26
Taylor
Being around the clubhouse without Mayhem has been strange. The days have turned into weeks. He never wrote me back about coming to see him. I guess he’s found what he was looking for. I’ve grown accustomed to the way this place works though. I can see how it’s appealing to some yet revolts others. I, for one, see the appeal. They all care about each other. They all look out for the other. No one is left out. It’s a calming peaceful vibe that comes with the family aspect of it all.
“You holdin’ up?” Blu asks from across the counter. I smile and nod.
“Thanks for letting me work while I’m here,” I tell him. Blu has given me a job at the clubhouse. I cook and clean. It doesn’t bother me, though. He pays me, and I like the guys and girls around here.
“Glad I could help. Can I ask you somethin’?” he says. I look up from where I’m stacking the glasses. I never really looked at Blu that closely. If you didn’t know he was Tic and Mayhem’s dad, you would never guess. He doesn’t look to be much older than the rest of the guys here.
I could have pictured him as another brother. They all share that same deep gaze with those beautiful eyes.
“Of course. Did I do something wrong?” Worry claws at my throat. I don’t want to get kicked out of here for messing up. I have nowhere else to go.
“No. Why would you think that?” he questions. I just shrug. Maybe because I’ve always been told I’ve done something wrong.
“I know your daddy wasn’t the best father figure in the world. In fact, I know a lot more about the man than you probably do. You know why Mayhem was on your security right?”
God, just hearing his name makes my knees weak. It makes me miss having him around and annoying me. I shrug. I mean, I know someone was after my dad.
“I just know what my dad told me. That he had some people that weren’t happy with him.”
Blu nods before he cracks his neck from side to side. “Russians. He has Russians after him, which are the worst enemies to make. After I learned of that, I cut ties with him,” he says.
“When was that?” I ask slightly interested now.
“Few weeks after Mayhem had been watchin’ you.” A few weeks? Mayhem was around for longer than a few weeks!
“Wait. Then why was Mayhem still there?” I ask more to myself.
Blu just chuckles and says, “Isn’t it obvious?”
Not to me, it isn’t! If he didn’t need to watch me, why was he there? Why did he care enough to have Monster watch me after that?
“The wheels are spinnin’.” Blu laughs harder.
I look over at him confused. Until a light goes off in my head. “He looked at me like I was her.” Now it all makes sense.
“No. He looked at you as Taylor. The girl who sucked him in. The girl who was slowly rippin’ down his wall of defense, and he didn’t know how to handle it.”
I shake my head not wanting to believe a word of what he’s saying. There is no way.
“You can say no, darlin’, but I know my son. He’s hurtin’. Losin’ Becca took a lot out of him. He lost a piece of himself that he can’t get back. There’s a void in him, but it isn’t her that’s missin’. You get what I’m sayin’?” When he stops and looks at me, I nod my head slowly.
“He asked me to go see him,” I say softly.
“He did? Are you goin’?” Blu asks seeming a little more excited than I was.
“No. That was when he first left.”
“Fuck that. Get your shit together. You’re takin’ a little road trip. He needs to see what’s right in front of him,” Blu says, slamming the beer bottle in his hand down on the counter.
My heart leaps in my chest at the thought of seeing him again, but there’s a piece of me that doesn’t want to. He didn’t call or write for me to come.
“I don’t know.” I try to protest, but the look in Blu’s eyes tells me I better not. He does know his son better than I do.
“Pack a small bag. I’ll get Monster to drive you down. The girls will take care of Minnie while you’re gone.” He walks away quickly not leaving me any room to say no.
I don’t know how this is going to work out. What if he doesn’t want to see me? What if he changed his mind?
Being pushed away by my own father was one thing, but being rejected by Mayhem is another. I saw the hurt in his eyes that night at the club. I felt the vulnerability in him when he cut himself at my house. I don’t want to hurt the man any more than he already is.
I don’t want to be hurt, either.
Reality is a hard pill to swallow. It hurts to know that he could reject me. What if I show up there and he doesn’t want to see me? What if he’s found someone else?
“You ready?” Monster yells with a smile on his face. Oh God, this is going to be bad.
Chapter 27
Mayhem
My vision blurs. Noises ring in my head. I think I’ve drunk two bottles of Jack by myself on top of the beer and weed I’ve smoked. I’m buzzed out of my mind.
“Bro, you are wasted,” Smokey, the VP here, says with a laugh. I glance over and smile.
“You ain’t far behind.”
He chuckles before he says, “Damn right I’m not!” Passing me another beer, I gladly take it. As much as I miss being at home, I think Pop was right about this trip. I needed it. I needed out of my head for a while.
Pammy’s on her knees, my dick in her mouth. My hand tightens in her hair the harder she works me. My eyes want to roll back, but I keep my focus. Her free hand cups my balls, shooting that little tingle up my spine. I buck my hips, slamming my dick down the back of her throat until I come. And fuck me, do I come!
“Shit!” I hiss as I shoot my load into her eager little mouth. Pammy pulls her head back, wiping at her lips as she smiles up at me.
“Grab me another beer, darlin’,” I tell her once she stands up. I tuck my dick back into my jeans when I hear yelling. I glance around and see Monster.
“What the fuck?” I ask with a grin. At my words, our eyes connect and he starts toward me when I see her. My smile slowly falls. She’s wearing those goddamn tight ass jeans that hug every curve of her body in the right way. Pammy passes me that beer I asked for before dropping into my lap. Tay’s eyes jerk from her to me. Tears well up in her eyes. I shove Pammy off, her body falling to the floor while the guys laugh. When I push up off the couch I’d been perched on, I walk slowly toward her.
“What are you doin’ here?” I ask. I’m not sure who I’m asking. Her or Monster.
“Blu told me to bring her,” Monster says. I look up at him with a pissed off glare in my eyes. I know he can feel it.
“Just take me back, Monster.” Tay looks up at him. He shakes his head no. Tay turns on her heel and walks toward the door as I stand here like a stunned fuck.
“You know how this clubhouse rolls, Mayhem. She ain’t claimed, brother. Not a goddamn thing I can do if one of the brother’s wants a round.” Smokey’s words slam into me. It’s like a fucking lead weight to the chest. He’s right.
The thought has crossed my mind to let whatever happens just happen. Who am I to deny any of it? Fuck! What kind of prick am I? Smokey’s right. This isn’t like our clubhouse. These guys don’t have old lady’s hanging around and shooting the shit like we do. Anything could happen to her. Shaking my head to rid the thoughts, I follow her toward the door.
“This one’s off limits, brother.” I toss my arm over Tay’s shoulders when I see one of the other brothers trying to make a move. I lead her out before I let her go. Spinning her to face me, my hands clench at my sides.
“What the hell are you thinkin’?” I roar at her. She jolts a little. It’s like a knife to the fucking heart to see her scared of me. She is though; I can see it.
“I didn’t ask to come. They told m
e I was coming.”
I suck in a big breath of air when Monster strolls out of the clubhouse. “What the fuck were you thinkin’ bringin’ her here?” I snap. My fists fly through the air. Keep in mind that I’m utterly fucked out of my head, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to fuck his ass up.
Monster shoves me back a few steps after I get a hit in.
“You better control that shit. I had orders, motherfucker,” he says pointing at me.
Control my shit? Fuck him! I go after him again. One solid hit to the eye, and I’m knocked back to reality by my own brother. Maybe that’s what I needed. I needed that reality check from him.
“Calm the fuck down!” Monster roars. I nod once, not looking at either of them.
“Can you just take me home?”
I hear the tears in Tay’s voice as she asks Monster. Is that what I want? Do I want her to go home? Or do I want her here? The selfish part of me wants her here, but the rational part says she’s better off without me.
“If it were up to me, darlin’, I wouldn’t leave you with this son of a bitch, but I have no other choice. Blu said you ride back with Mayhem when he’s ready.” Monster sounds sincere for the first time in his entire life. What the fuck is that?
“I’ll find my own way,” Tay snaps.
It’s cute. Out here in the middle of nowhere and she thinks she’ll find a way home.
“I’m outta here,” Monster says, slapping a hand on my back as he walks past.
I hear the roar of his bike before he takes off. I almost want to go with him. Just jump on my bike and fuck it all. Glancing over, Tay is on her phone texting like a mad woman. I can’t help but chuckle at the look of pure rage in her beautiful blue eyes.
“What the hell are you laughing at?” she snaps, looking up at me. She’s pissed, and it’s sexy as hell on her.
“Rage is your thing, darlin’. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look that sexy when they are plottin’ how to kill a man.” My words make her smile slightly. Just slightly though.