by Harley Wylde
“You know how things work around here,” Killer said. “She understand what’s expected?”
Grizzly tensed and shook his head. The other three men stared me down, making me want to hide behind him. Only Magda’s silent presence at my side kept in me place. She’d said she’d talk to Bullseye. So far, she was only observing. Was this a test? What if I failed it?
“Our young Grizzly here wants to make you his,” Bullseye said. He looked at Grizzly again. “I’m assuming you want a property cut for her.”
“Yeah, I do,” Grizzly said.
“Thing is, we don’t know you, girl. We don’t trust you. To be part of this club, you have to earn your place. In this case, you have to prove to us you can be what Grizzly needs. What we need,” Bullseye said.
“How do I do that?” I asked.
Killer smiled. “Women here are fair game. For anyone. Unless you’re wearing a property cut. Which you aren’t.”
My stomach flipped. “Wh-what’s that mean?”
“It means you give every brother in this club what they want, when they want it, and prove you’re loyal to us.” Killer’s smile turned cold. “And if you survive with your mind intact, and the club whores don’t kill you, then we’ll take your old lady status to a vote.”
Horror filled me and I stared up at Grizzly. Had he known what they’d want me to do? How were they any better than Seth Cartwright? Or Mike Malone for that matter? I couldn’t, wouldn’t, be used like that.
“If anyone touches May, you’d better be prepared to put me down,” Grizzly said. “I will kill anyone who hurts her.”
Magda took a step forward, folding her arms under her breasts. “Bullseye, you damn well didn’t make me go through all that when you made me your old lady. This sweet, innocent girl isn’t a whore, and I refuse to let you turn her into one.”
Bullseye snarled. “You refuse? Is that what you said to me?”
Magda inched forward, her steps slow and measured. She didn’t stop until she stood toe to toe with him. Even though she’d dropped her voice low, I could still hear her. “You’d best sleep with one eye open, old man. You hurt that girl, or make Grizzly watch the club abuse her, and I will cut off your balls, then shove them down your throat and watch you choke and die.”
Grizzly rocked back on his heels, but the room had gone completely silent. I had to assume her confronting him like that wasn’t the norm. At the same time, I was a little in awe of her. I’d never met a woman so fierce. It was at that moment I realized what Grizzly needed from me. Not meek, shy May. The girl I’d been all my life. He needed someone like Magda who would fight back. I wasn’t sure I had quite as much backbone as her, but for Grizzly I’d try.
“I won’t be used like that,” I said. “I’ve never been with anyone before. The only man I want is Grizzly. Anyone else touches me and they’ll have to force me. Is that what all of you are? Rapists? Is the town right about you?”
Killer’s head went back like he’d been physically hit. “No! Of course, we aren’t rapists. Women beg us to be with them. They’ll do whatever we want, and like it.”
“Well, I won’t,” I said. “You can never make me want you. I’ll never want your hands on me, or any other part of you. I’m with Grizzly, or I’m with no one.”
Grizzly reached down and took my hand, giving it a squeeze. I smiled up at him, hoping I wasn’t making a mess of things. I’d meant every word, though. What I didn’t understand was why he’d want to be part of a club like this. He seemed so good and kind, at least with me. Did he have another side? A darker one? The way he’d rescued me three times from the unwanted attention of boys in my class, and once when I’d been stranded in the rain, I’d thought he was a hero. I didn’t like the idea of him being like these men and using women just because he could.
Time to blink the stars from your eyes, May. He’s just a guy like all the others.
I hoped he’d prove me wrong. I wanted him to be the Grizzly I’d put on a pedestal, the one who rushed in to save the day. To be fair, he’d told these men he wouldn’t accept them using me that way. Still, I’d realized he’d been aware of what they’d demand, which meant they’d done it before. Since Magda was the only old lady, had the rule been a deterrent for anyone else wanting to have someone special in their life? Or did it mean the others had failed?
Magda’s words about not having to go through something so horrific to become Bullseye’s made me think no one else had attempted it. I studied the men across from me and it became rather clear. For whatever reason, they didn’t want anyone else to have an old lady. I wondered if Grizzly had realized their intent. As I watched them, and saw the way Bullseye’s gaze softened on Magda, I knew I was right. It was clear he adored her, and he’d have never asked her to do something like offer herself up to the entire club. For whatever reason, they wanted the others to remain single. Even Killer looked at her with a certain fondness.
My curiosity was piqued, which wasn’t always a good thing. I couldn’t wait to be alone with Grizzly again and ask a few questions. I only hoped he’d know the answers, or it would make him question things enough that he’d find out what was really going on with the Devil’s Fury. He was so proud to be part of them. I’d hate for him to leave. Would he even be able to? I had no idea how places like this worked. Once he’d patched in was that it? He could never walk away?
Bullseye looked at Grizzly, dragging his gaze away from Magda. “You know if we put it to a vote, no one will let her in. They don’t know her, Grizzly. She’d have to hang out around the club, prove her worth, but with the way things stand now, she wouldn’t be safe from their attentions. Not even if they knew you wanted her.”
Magda made a hmpf sound. “I’ll say she’s mine.”
Bullseye rolled his eyes to the ceiling and looked as if he were mentally counting, or possibly praying for patience. “And you don’t think the club will find it odd you have a kid who isn’t mine, one who’s never been around before?”
Magda turned to me. “Where are your parents?”
“Somewhere. They go out of town a lot. It’s okay. I’d rather be alone than have them home anyway.” I’d never told a soul why I didn’t like my parents being home, and I didn’t plan to start now. I hoped they didn’t push for more information. There was only so much I was comfortable telling them.
“What’s your full name?” Magda asked.
“Angelica May Ross, but I go by May. And before you ask, my parents are Sam and Laura Ross. I don’t know what they do for a living to travel so much. I asked once and they got weird looks on their faces and changed the subject.”
“And that didn’t seem unusual to you?” Killer asked.
“Of course, it was! But pressing for an answer might not have been a good idea. My dad can be volatile when he gets angry. I try to keep the peace when they’re home and enjoy my freedom when they’re gone.”
I felt Grizzly tense. “Exactly how volatile?”
Crap. I shouldn’t have said anything. He turned me to face him, forcing my chin up so I’d have to look at him. The way his jaw tensed, the flare in his eyes, told me I’d said too much but I couldn’t take it back now. He’d push until I told him everything.
“My dad isn’t a nice man,” I said. “Sometimes, if things don’t go his way or you disagree with him, then he’ll talk with his fists.”
Grizzly growled and the snarl on his lips would have had me taking a step back, if I could have. The way he gripped me, I wasn’t going anywhere unless he permitted it.
Chapter Four
Grizzly
Despite the fury I felt over May’s confession, and hearing her dad had been abusing her, I hadn’t missed the look on Killer’s face when she’d mentioned the names of her parents. The club knew something about Sam and Laura Ross, and I wanted to know what the fuck it was. First, I needed to take care of May. The fact Magda had stood up for her was a start, but Killer and Bullseye were right. She’d need to prove herself to the club, and I had
no doubt they’d do what they could to test her. And I fucking hated it.
I left her in Magda’s care so I could get to the bottom of things. Killer and Bullseye would have appeared relaxed to anyone else, but I knew better. There was a tightness around Killer’s mouth and Bullseye’s fingers twitched every now and then. They were hiding something.
“So who are Sam and Laura Ross… to the club?” I asked.
“You’re not an officer, kid. You only get to know what we permit,” Bullseye said.
“Maybe, but right now whatever you know could put my woman in danger. I wasn’t kidding. I want a property cut for May. And I want to know why you’ve made it so damn difficult for anyone here to have an old lady.” I folded my arms and watched them. It hadn’t occurred to me until now something was up, but Magda was right. If they hadn’t made her jump through those hoops, why set up that shit now? “If May being mine is going to put her in more danger than she seems to be in already, I have a right to know about it. I’m not trying to be disrespectful. You know I’m honored to be a member of this club, and I have your backs, but right now I need you to have May’s back too. Tell me what I need to know so I can keep her safe.”
Bullseye sighed, shared a look with Killer, then they both took a seat. They motioned for me to grab a chair and I did, waiting to see what they had to say. Something told me I wasn’t going to like it. Not even a little.
“Laura and Sam Ross don’t have a direct connection to the club,” Bullseye said.
“No, but an indirect one, right?” I asked.
Killer nodded.
I was missing something. And I wasn’t sure if it was a connection to May herself, her parents, or all of them. I had a feeling it was more than just one thing. The club was keeping me in the dark, which meant my other brothers probably didn’t know about this shit either. Why keep the info from all of us? It put a target on anyone who didn’t know what the hell was going on, made us vulnerable.
“No offense, Pres, but this shit needs to stop. I don’t know what you’re keeping from the rest of us, but I don’t like not knowing who my enemies are.”
“The less you know the better off you’ll be,” Killer said.
“Why not let me be the judge of that? Especially if May is in the middle of this, and likely doesn’t even realize it?”
Bullseye gave him a nod.
“Cartwright is running drugs and women. He’s using the Ross couple as mules. The mom is getting drugs out of Mexico, and the dad is finding young girls for Cartwright’s stable. He has three underground brothels in this state, as well as some in four other states.” Killer leaned forward, bracing his arms on the table. “I’m betting if your girl isn’t dating Cartwright’s boy, then he’s been planted in her life to keep an eye on her. Maybe as leverage against her parents, or for some other fucked-up reason.”
“I told you I stopped him from trying to rape her,” I said. “Wouldn’t matter if she’d been dating him or not. She’s not now.”
“If he knew she was a virgin, he might have been testing the merchandise so to speak. Perhaps her parents have sold her to Cartwright, or maybe the man just plans to take her out from under their noses. If her parents raise a fuss about her being here, it’s going to cause the club some issues,” Killer said. “It may be legal for you to date your girl, but her parents could still go to the cops and have them come look for her.”
“Are we in Cartwright’s pocket?” I asked. I’d worry about May’s parents later. Right now, I needed to find out what I could about Cartwright. He was at the heart of all this shit.
“We have some deals going with him,” Killer said, his tone careful.
“I know our club isn’t exactly law-abiding, but are we now into selling women? Because I didn’t sign up for that. Maybe some of these other fuckers wouldn’t care, but I do.”
Bullseye cracked his neck. “We need Cartwright to drop his guard. We’ve spent a damn year trying to get into his good graces, earn his trust, and make sure he doesn’t suspect why we’re really there. Before him, it was Dean Foster. He ran things in this town for damn near a decade before Cartwright took him out.”
“And that’s why you don’t want anyone to have an old lady?” I asked.
Killer shifted in his seat. “Who said we don’t want anyone to have an old lady? Bullseye has Magda.”
“Right, and only Bullseye has one. You’ve made sure the rest of us don’t want to even attempt to have a serious relationship with someone. I want to know why,” I said.
The two shared a look and communicated silently. At first, I thought they might not answer my question. After all, I was just a patched member. If I poked the bear too much, I’d find myself busted up or in a shallow grave. If it weren’t for May, I’d back down, but I couldn’t risk it. I needed to find out everything I could to ensure she stayed safe.
“Women make us weak,” Bullseye said. “Cartwright knows all he has to do to get to me is threaten Magda. Same shit Foster used to pull. If we have a bunch of old ladies around here, it gives him even more leverage over us. How did you know we were trying to persuade everyone to stay single?”
“Magda said she didn’t have to do what you’re asking of May. It means those rules weren’t always in place. Something changed and I wanted to know what.”
Bullseye sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was clear my questions were agitating him, which wasn’t a good thing.
“Now you know,” Killer said. “We didn’t think things through before Magda was voted in. It was only afterward we discovered we’d given our enemies the perfect leverage over us. We can’t make an exception for May or the club will want to know why you don’t have to play by the rules, boy. I know you want to keep her, but it’s not in her best interest right now.”
“Look, you said yourself her parents are up to their eyeballs in crap with Cartwright. Sending her home isn’t going to keep her safe. She’s already on his radar, and now that she’s not allowed his little bitch of a boy to have his way with her, they’ll be after her.” I leaned back. “Maybe let the club know she’s here under my protection? It will make her hands off while giving them a chance to get to know her and keeping her out of Cartwright’s hands.”
Killer smirked at Bullseye. “He’s thinking like an officer. Knew we made the right choice patching him in.”
Pride swelled at his words. I’d love nothing more than to earn my spot as an officer in the club. We didn’t have any openings right now and wouldn’t unless someone decided to step down or ended up dead.
“Does that mean you agree? May can stay with me?” I asked.
“Your girl can stay,” Bullseye said. “We’ll let the others know why she’s here and that she’s off-limits. Doesn’t mean those club whores won’t try to sink their claws into her. She’ll need to be tough to make it in this world, Grizzly. If you want to keep her, see that she learns the rules.”
I nodded and stood.
“Keep thinking the way you do, and proving yourself, you might just be an officer one day,” Killer said. He jabbed his finger in Bullseye’s direction. “This fucker can’t live forever.”
The Pres flipped him off. “You just want me six feet under so you can console my old lady.”
Killer grinned at him but didn’t deny the claim. I walked out shaking my head at their antics. Now that I knew May wouldn’t be tossed out, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I’d have to tell her the good news and figure out how to either get her things from her apartment or buy her some new clothes. Either way, she wouldn’t be going back there alone, and I damn sure wasn’t letting her stay with her parents again. It was clear they couldn’t be trusted.
I found her with Magda in the kitchen, making cookies of all things. My girl had her hands in a bowl of dough while Magda prepped the baking sheets. I brushed a kiss against May’s cheek, settling my hands at her waist. She smiled up at me, happiness shining in her eyes.
“I didn’t know this could be so
much fun,” she said. “I’ve never baked cookies from scratch before. Or any kind for that matter. My mom isn’t exactly the domestic type.”
“I’m no gourmet chef, but I can teach you the basics,” Magda said before sprinkling chocolate chips over the dough. “Knead those in and we’ll add a bit more. Then I want you to roll them into small balls before you put them onto the baking sheets.”
May nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration.
“You’re going to need some clothes, May.” I leaned over her shoulder to watch her roll the dough into balls. “Want the stuff from your apartment or want me to go grab some new things from the store?”
She tensed a moment. “You don’t need to spend money on me.”
“The club will handle it,” Magda said. “Neither of you needs to worry about the cost. Just leave Bullseye to me.”
I ran my nose over the shell of May’s ear, making her shiver. “Need your sizes. All of them.”
I heard her breath catch and watched as her cheeks flushed a pretty pink.
I’d thought to send out a Prospect to pick up a few things, but that look on her face? Yep, I would be shopping for May myself. In fact, I’d be buying her a few sexy things. Even if I didn’t get to see them yet, I’d know what she had on under her clothes. I breathed in her scent, then stepped back, leaning against the kitchen wall as I watched her and Magda.
The glances she cast my way, the flush to her cheeks, and the sparkle in her eyes were enough to make me realize I’d made the right choice. Not just in bringing her here, but in keeping her. May was mine, and I was never letting her go.
Chapter Five
May
My face had felt like it was on fire when I’d opened the bags Grizzly had left for me. He’d showered and changed before stepping out of the room, claiming he needed to talk to King about something. The bras and panties were lacy and far sexier than anything I’d ever worn before. The thought of him buying them for me made me squeeze my thighs together as a shock of awareness went through me.