by Erin Trejo
“Someone hurt her, Dec,” I tell him what he already knows.
“One thing you will learn about Cherry is, she talks when she wants to. You can’t force her, Nuts. All that will do is push her away. I get it, brother. You care about her but don’t force shit on her.”
My hand clenches around the bottle. I don’t force things on anyone. Especially not Cherry. Declan stands and walks away, clearly feeling the negative energy that surrounds me. There’s no way in hell that he wouldn’t be able to. I take one last drink before shoving off the stool and heading toward Cherry’s room. Once I get there, I raise my hand and knock a few times but get no response. I sure as hell hope she isn’t in there with any of the guys because I don’t think my mind can handle that today.
“She’s outside.” Prim’s little voice comes from behind me.
I turn my head and smile before saying, “Thanks, darlin’.” Turning and heading out the end door, I stop when I see her standing there. Her hands are braced on the fence that surrounds the clubhouse. Her head is hanging down. I don’t like that posture on her. That isn’t who she is. I walk closer and rest my hand on the small of her back. She jolts a little before straightening up and looking at me.
“I wanna ask you somethin’, and I want you to at least think about it, yeah?” I tell her. She watches me, waiting to see what I’m going to ask her. “Will you ride with me to the fundraiser?” I see the slight smile before it disappears.
“I wasn’t going. I’m setting up for the after party. Thank you for asking me though,” she says sweetly.
Cherry starts to walk away but I don’t let her. I won’t take no for an answer from her today. I want her there. More importantly, I want her there with me. Holding her wrist in my hand, I pull her slowly back in front of me. Her eyes linger on me.
“I want you to go with me. Not for anyone else, Cherry. I won’t let anyone else touch you while we’re there.”
Her body almost relaxes when I say that. It’s like I could see it in her eyes. The unease, the fear. I know what she has to do when there are other clubs involved, but not this time. This time she’s mine and only mine.
“You know that’s not allowed, Nuts. Prospects can’t decide that, and to be honest, there are a few there I’d rather steer clear of,” she says firmly. I can see the resolve wavering in her eyes. She wants to go with me. I know she does.
“I’ll let Declan know you’re with me for the night. I don’t think he’ll have a problem with-” She cuts me off. She doesn’t let me say anything more than that.
“You can’t do that! I can’t lose my place here, Nuts. What the fuck is with you?” she yells, the color rising in her cheeks. Her little fists ball at her sides. I like seeing that fire in her. She’s always ready to hand my balls to me on a platter. It makes me wonder how the bastard who hurts her gets it to burn out.
“You wouldn’t lose your place. I’m askin’ regardless, Cherry. I just wanted to give you the option of sayin’ yes first.” I grin as I lean in and place a kiss on her cheek. She doesn’t move as her mouth hangs open. I release her wrist and spin on my heel, heading back inside to have a little chat with Dec. I’d like to know who these fucks are that she wants to avoid too.
Shoving in the end door, I stalk down the hall toward his office. I can hear Cherry huffing along behind me, and frankly, it makes my dick hard to know she’s following me like that.
Chapter 12
Cherry
“Declan, tell him no. Tell him it’s against club rules or some shit!” I yell as I race Nuts into Declan’s office. From his desk, he looks up at us like we’re insane, and truly, Nuts may be. He can’t possibly think this is okay to do.
“What the hell are you two doin’?” he asks, looking between us.
I shove myself in front of Nuts, wedging him against the door. I don’t miss the groan either when my ass touches his dick. I just roll my eyes.
“Nuts is completely unhinged. He has this outrageous idea in his head. I think it’s the pain meds. I don’t even know what the hell he’s talking about. He’s losing it, Dec,” I ramble. Declan chuckles as Nuts places his hands on my shoulders. His warmth is soothing and it’d be so easy to give in to him but I can’t.
“What she’s tryin’ to say is I asked her to go to the fundraiser with me,” Nuts says over my shoulder.
I’m about to open my mouth when his hand covers it. I almost want to scream.
“So, why is that a problem?” Declan looks at us both a little confused.
I reach up and move Nuts’ hand and say, “Because I’m not an old lady and I already said no. Add to the fact that I have to set up here.”
“She don’t want the other clubs fuckin’ with her tonight, and honestly, I don’t either. I asked her to come, I want her with me,” Nuts blurts out. Declan looks between us again with a slight smile on his face before he lets loose a chuckle.
“Goddamn it, Nuts! Are you insane? Have you really lost your shit?” I stomp my foot trying to protest as the two of them laugh.
“Cherry, this club isn’t the same as it used to be. You know that. Anything you don’t wanna do, you don’t do. Someone fucks with you without your permission, you come to me. We’ll handle them.” His words surprise me. I gasp and look at Dec. Tears fill my eyes.
“I’ve always been this, Declan. I know my place,” I say quietly. I watch as Declan stands and moves to stand in front of me. His hands come to rest on my cheeks, and I swear I thought I heard Nuts growl behind me.
“I once thought I knew my place too, Cherry. This wasn’t it. Things change. We as people change. Never think that this is permanent, sweetheart. You can go do whatever you want to do,” Declan says. The way he looks at me, the tears begin to fall. Declan pulls me out of Nuts’ arms and into his. His large hands stroke my back gently as he tries to calm me.
“I don’t know anything else, Declan,” I sob into his chest. Declan pulls me away from him and looks in my eyes.
“Look, Cherry. We all lived this life. We’ve all learned a lot too. You still have so much to learn. You are young. You are beautiful. You have every right to be someone you want to be. That man behind you is tryin’ to give you that chance.” Declan pushes me gently back toward Nuts, who receives me happily. His hands wrap around me in a gentle yet soothing way.
“He’s right, darlin’. I’m tryin’.”
I look over my shoulder at him and see just how sincere he is. “I’m scared to let go, Nuts. I’m afraid that I won’t be good enough for anything else.”
“Don’t doubt yourself. One step at a time. First step, go with me to the fundraiser. No strings attached,” he whispers into my ear as he leans in closer. I can hear him inhale before I feel his dick harden against me.
“You promise I won’t have to be with any of them?” I ask my eyes on Dec. He shakes his head.
“None of them. Like I said, if you have a problem, you come to us.”
I sigh before turning to face Nuts. “One fundraiser. That’s it.” His smile melts my heart. I’ve never seen a man smile as big and broad as he is right now.
“Thank you. Now go get sexy for tomorrow.” He kisses my cheek before stepping to the side.
I rush out of Dec’s office and down the hall. I bang like hell on Dec and Brooke’s door.
“Brooke! Oh my God! Open this door! I’m freaking out!” I yell until the door opens.
Brooke stands there looking confused. “What the hell is happening?”
“I’m going to the fundraiser,” I rush out.
She beams a smile at me. “That’s great!”
She stares at me for a long second when I don’t react. “Isn’t it great?” she asks a little confused.
“It’s with Nuts and I’m off limits to all others.” Although I’m excited, I’m a little afraid at the same time. I’ve never been off limits to anyone.
Brooke’s smile couldn’t possibly get any bigger. “Let’s pick outfits!”
Chapter 13
Nuts
&
nbsp; I’m nervous as fuck. Yep, that’s it, nervous. My heart is slamming in my chest. This feels like a date. What the fuck is a date though? I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been on one. This is crazy. Maybe Cherry was right. Maybe this was a bad idea.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Mayhem asks when he sees me nervously walking in circles.
“She’s goin’ with me, Mayhem,” I say almost choking on my words. He laughs hysterically knowing I’m talking about Cherry.
“You act like you’re gettin’ married, motherfucker. It’s a goddamn fundraiser, man.”
I can’t help it. It’s what I feel. “I’ve never taken a girl out, Mayhem. I’ve fucked, that’s it.”
He lets out a sigh before putting a hand on my shoulder. “Look, man. You’re a good guy. Cherry is a good girl. You two would be perfect for each other if you can get her to open up. Just give her some time and attention. A little dick wouldn’t hurt, either.” He laughs before I punch him in the stomach. He laughs harder when Taylor walks out.
“What did you do to my man?” she asks with a smile.
“I didn’t hurt his good spot.”
“That would be rude if you did.” Cherry’s voice fills my ears, her scent filling my nose. I turn around slowly and take her in. Fuck! She’s going to make it hard for me to focus all damn day looking like that. She has on some of the tightest jeans I’ve ever seen with her black biker boots. Her low-cut shirt shows more skin than I want others to see. Her long hair hangs around her shoulders. When I get to her face though, my heart races. She didn’t cover herself up with makeup. She went natural just like I told her the other day.
“What? What are you starring at?” She asks when I don’t move. She blushes slightly.
“You’re gorgeous, Cherry.” She really is. She takes my breath away. I hold my hand out to her and wait. She smiles before reaching for it, grasping it in hers. I lead her to my bike and pass her the extra helmet I bought just for her. I watch her slide it on. It makes my heart leap in my chest when I see her like this. I climb on and help her on behind me. Her arms lock around my waist and my body trembles.
“Let’s ride!” Declan roars.
The bikes rev up and we all file out. Having Cherry on the back of my bike feels like perfection. Her hands stay tightly wrapped around me, her fingers trailing over my abs. I don’t know if she realizes she’s doing it or not, but it’s driving me insane.
We ride through town when I see the line of bikes and cars ready and waiting. It does my heart good to see the guys doing something like this for the community. I know after losing his mom, Dec lost himself. It killed him inside, but he’s making up for it now. I file in behind the guys and park the bike, helping Cherry off. We pull our helmets off and hang them on the handlebars.
“Prospect!” Declan roars. I wink at Cherry before turning and jogging toward him.
“Yeah?”
“You’re on at our table for a while. I need to go talk to a few people,” he says. I can tell by the tone in his voice that he isn’t too happy about whoever it is he has to go talk to. I just hope no shit jumps off at this event.
“Got it.”
Dec nods at me once before I turn to see Cherry with Brooke. I’ll let her have her girl time. Just a little though. I head toward the tents that are already set up thanks to the other prospects. I volunteered to come to do it, but Dec said hell no. He said that there was enough people already here and I had been on every fucking run this week.
“Hey, Mouse,” I say as I step up to our tent. His eyes come to meet mine before shifting back to setting up the table. “What’s your problem, man?”
I grab a case of water and start stuffing them in the coolers when Mouse just storms off. Turning my head to Richy, the newest prospect, I ask, “What the hell is with him?”
“Don’t like you much,” he says with a grin.
“Since when? We used to be good. What the fuck did I do to him?” The more I let it simmer in my head, the more pissed I become. Mouse was always a good kid. We always got along even when we held up the shit end of the work.
“He thinks you’re a dick sucker. Said you always get the runs and he gets stuck cleanin’ the toilets.” Richy chuckles.
“Maybe that’s because I’m not a whinnin’ little bitch like he is. I’m not afraid to take a bullet,” I mumble more to myself than Richy when he says, “Yeah, he thinks you did that shit on purpose too.”
Well fuck. Apparently, the ones I thought were friends aren’t really friends after all.
Chapter 14
Cherry
The guys have done an amazing job setting up this fundraiser. Everything seems to be going smoothly. There are a few that I’m staying clear of, but for the most part, I’ve been having fun. The last one they guys did was years ago when Blu was still around and it ended with a few of our guys going to jail and a few others bloody. It wasn’t a surprise back then, but the atmosphere this time is different.
“What are you doin’ wanderin’ around lookin’ sexy?” I glance over my shoulder and smile at Mouse.
“Just checking everything out. What are you doing?” I ask politely. Mouse blows out a ring of smoke before shrugging his shoulder.
“Takin’ a break. Checkin’ out the view,” he says nodding toward me. I can feel my cheeks heat. Mouse has always been a flirt. He’s always been sweet to me too.
“You are a mess, Mouse. There are so many girls out here you could be checking out.” I move to stand next to him, grabbing his cigarette and bringing it to my lips. I inhale and pass it back before blowing the smoke out.
“Maybe there isn’t any I’d like to check out but one,” he says.
I turn my head and glare at him but he just winks and smiles. It’s sweet that Mouse has a crush on me. It’s always been that way, but he knows we are only friends and that’s how it’s going to stay.
“You could do so much better,” I tease him a little. I start to walk away when he grabs my wrist.
“Stay with me a little longer. I can’t handle sittin’ under that tent all goddamn day.” I giggle and step back to stand next to him. His hand doesn’t leave my wrist either. I don’t know if he doesn’t notice it or maybe he just doesn’t want to let it go.
“Everything okay?” I ask him. “You look a little off.”
Mouse nods slowly but his eyes are distant. The silence stretches before he finally speaks. “Do you ever think you’re in the wrong place, Cherry? Like your time in one spot has been useless?”
His question throws me off. Is he not happy here with the guys? I’ve always thought he loved it here. I know he’s been prospecting longer than most do, but Mouse has always been a little slower to catch on and a little less eager to do what’s asked of him.
“Not really. I know what my place is. I’ve grown to accept who I am. Do you doubt being here, Mouse?” I ask him wanting to know more now.
“Can I tell you a secret?”
I watch his eyes, the way the hold so much emotion, but I can’t place exactly what I’m seeing. “Of course.”
“I think I’m only bein’ used here for the shit work. I don’t think a patch was ever a part of my deal. Blu never really liked me much. I don’t think Declan does either. He plays favorites,” he says, and the animosity is there. I can hear it.
“I don’t think that’s true. You work hard for the club, Mouse. Maybe they are just seeing how far you would go.” I try to be upbeat about it when in actuality I know nothing about what the others think of Mouse. I’ve never heard any of them discuss him before.
“You always so optimistic, Cherry?” He gazes down at me with hunger in his eyes. A hunger I know all too well.
“I try to be.” I smile and look away quickly. Mouse pulls my wrist, the one he’s still holding so that I stumble into him. My body collides with his right before his lips crash into mine. His tongue forces its way in. I shove at him trying to get him to release me, but his arms wrap around my body and pin me in place. I jerk at his
hold and pull my head back.
“Get off me, Mouse!” I scream a little. He just grins and moves back in. I can hear the whistles and cat calls from the other guys standing nearby, but this isn’t what I want. I want him to stop touching me. Too many vivid memories of Justin and what he’s done to me come rushing to the surface as I whimper.
“Remember that kiss. I will be back for more,” Mouse whispers in my ear before finally releasing me. I stand there stunned for a long second before I force my feet to move. I don’t know where I’m going, but I know that the images in my head are starting to take over and I need to get away. I need to breathe.
Chapter 15
Nuts
I scratch the stubble on my jaw as I contemplate what to do. I saw them together, Mouse and Cherry. I heard the screams and hollers of the guys who were standing around there. I shake my head and smile as I pass out more water to the kids that are running around and playing. The overall fundraiser has been amazing. The community has really stepped up too. It surprises me at times that they would put their trust into an MC like this. They have openly donated money, but I guess when it comes to kids, we’re all on the same page; we all want what’s best for them.
“Where the fuck is Mouse?” Tic walks up and asks.
I shrug and pass a cute little girl with pig tails a bottle of water and watch her run off with a smile before I say, “He didn’t wanna work with me. He was off with Cherry a little while ago.” When the words leave my mouth, the taste of them burns in my chest.
“What the fuck do you mean?” Tic growls. He knows the deal with me and Cherry although Cherry doesn’t. I guess she wasn’t as into me as thought she was. I suppose that’s my own fault.
“Just what the fuck I said, Tic. They were over there about to fuck each other. I don’t know where any of them went,” I tell him before turning and unloading another case of water into the cooler. I throw them in roughly one by one. Poor water, what did it ever do to me? I don’t know who I’m pissed at more, her, him or myself.