by Sam Crescent
The club lived by two values, trust and loyalty. She knew it extended out to other traits, but those were the two main words she always saw and heard with the guys. The women knew it as well, the old ladies and club whores. With her father running away years ago when times got tough, or something like that, he’d permanently cemented himself in the category of “hanger-on.” She hated it.
The men treated him as lesser of a being, and she had to sit back and watch it tear him apart. Not to mention her mother.
“You’re fucking crazy,” Riley said.
“Am I? Come on. You’re such big, tough men. Bring it. I’m tired of this bullshit. You want to throw stuff at me, fine. You want to push me against lockers, hurt me. Then do it right in front of my face. Let me see you be the big, tough men you claim to be.” She stepped up to them and slammed her hands against Riley’s chest. She didn’t know which one had thrown the skin, and she really, really didn’t care.
Pain filled her body, but it wasn’t physical. This kind of pain was something she couldn’t control. She could only stare in the faces of those around her.
She was tired of being second best to the club, but more than that, she was fed up of these guys getting to her. This was her last year of high school, and she wouldn’t allow them to hurt her.
“Don’t put your fucking hands on me.” Riley shoved her hard, but she only went back a step.
Flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder, she used her entire body, and rammed him hard in the abdomen, and Riley went tumbling. Hand clenched into a fist, she struck out at Ian, who looked positively shocked by her.
Next she turned to Alfie, who merely smirked at her.
“You think I’m not going to hit you because you’re a girl.”
“I’m counting on it,” she said.
This guy was on her shit list, would always be on her shit list, and right now, she was sick of him. She hated him with every single fiber of her being.
She’d never considered herself a violent person until this very moment, and knowing it was because of him, it made her angry at herself.
She should just grab her stuff and leave, but they’d thrown a rotten banana skin at her. She deserved better.
Not once had she ever fucked with them, or taken her anger out on any of them. She didn’t beg for their attention the way her father did.
There were plenty of girls already throwing themselves at them, and she wasn’t going to be one of them.
“What’s the matter, princess?” he asked.
“Leave me alone.”
“You see, my two buddies are winded. Are you giving up? A coward like your father.”
“I’m not a coward.” She stepped up to Alfie, but unlike with Ian and Riley, she didn’t know how to play this hand with him.
He’d hated her for a long time, far longer than she had him.
Taking a deep breath, she waited, one, two, three, wondering what she should do. In the back of her mind she saw the boy screaming, begging for his father to stop as he got his ass smacked. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen Eagle hit his son, and she had no doubt it wouldn’t be the last, but right now, at this very moment, she didn’t want anything to do with more violence.
Glancing away from Alfie, she saw what she’d done.
She’d actually attacked them. Feeling shame flood her body, she shook her head. No, no more.
“You know what? You’re not worth it. None of you are.” She reached out to grab her bag. “I’m not doing this.”
She went to walk away, but suddenly her bag was yanked from her hands and she was thrown to the ground, and Alfie on top of her.
“You think you’re better than us, is that it? You think you can throw your weight around, act all tough and when it suits you walk away? You touched two of my boys. Two of the club, and you will fucking pay.”
“You’re not even president yet. You’re not patched in members. Not even prospects. I’m not touching the club. I’m touching their property. You’re nothing more than property.”
“And you think you’re not? You think with your father sniffing around my father’s ass all the time, you’re not club property? You are. He can use you and discard you whenever he sees fit.”
“Get off me.”
“Or what? What are you going to do? I don’t see any problems happening here. I’m just a guy putting you in your place. You think anyone’s going to stop me? This town is full of cowards. The club, we’re the ones that rule it, not you.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, but I get a feeling you really want to fuck me, Chloe. You want me to slide my dick in that fat cunt of yours. Show you what a man can do. I can make your dreams come true. Blow your freaking mind, but first, you’ve got to give me something that I want.”
“Go to hell.”
“Nah.” He let go of one of her hands, but kept both of them locked above her head. The other, he stroked down her arm and got so dangerously close to her breast. This had never happened to her before.
The bullying had never extended to this scary realm of danger. The way he touched her, she didn’t like it.
Nor did she like the smile on his face that told her he was loving just how uncomfortable he was making her.
“Get off me.”
“Not a chance. You think you can go around putting your hands on the Satan’s Crew MC. You’ve got another think coming, bitch. We own you. You think you’re above the club, but your ass belongs to us. Every single inch of it.” He pressed his pelvis against hers, and it scared her.
He was hard.
She’d never been with a guy before, but the threat was there and with no one around, it terrified her.
They’d never gone this far.
You’ve never lashed out.
“Let me go, please,” she said.
He squeezed her breast, and she closed her eyes, wanting to be anywhere else but here. “You’re going to learn the error of your ways, Chloe. You can’t fuck with the club like you did today and not expect to get burned.”
“Get your hands off my daughter.”
They both looked up to see Lily, her mother, arms folded, as she stood outside of her car. She wore a pair of jeans, a plain white shirt, and she looked deadly.
“Mrs. Decker,” Alfie said, a smile to his lips.
“Drop the act. Get off my daughter now, or do you want me to report this to your father?” Lily asked. “I didn’t think so. Get off.”
Alfie gave her wrists a squeeze, letting her know without saying a word, this wasn’t over. They were going to come to blows again, and probably soon. But for now, she was safe, or as safe as she could be.
Scrambling to her feet, she grabbed her bags, knowing she had fucked up tonight. She should have walked away without a backward glance, allowed them to push her, call her names, shove her. Do whatever they wanted but not attack.
By attacking, she’d given them the perfect ammunition to hurt her, to strike at her, and she wasn’t going to let that happen again.
Rushing to her mother’s car, she climbed in the passenger seat.
There were a few seconds more stare off between her mother and Alfie before she finally got in the car.
Chloe noticed her hands shaking and quickly sat on them. Lily, though, she looked calm and collected.
Chloe had been so lost in the moment with Alfie, she’d not even heard her mother drive up to them.
“Your father’s not going to hear the end of this,” Lily said. “I’m tired of his bullshit.”
“You don’t have to worry about it, Mom,” she said. “Please, don’t say anything.”
Lily glanced over at her. “You don’t want me to say anything about that club brat doing stuff to you?”
“No. It’s fine. You know it’ll only make it worse.”
“I don’t care. Alfie thinks because of who his father is, he’s above the law.”
“Isn’t he? If it was a cop driving past, they’d just keep on going.”
&
nbsp; She noticed her mother clenched her fingers around the steering wheel.
“It’s the way it is in Satan’s Croft. We can’t do anything about it,” Chloe said. “You know that.”
“It doesn’t make it right. Fuck!” Her mother slammed her fist against the steering wheel. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“I’m fine. Really.”
“Really? Your father didn’t come and get you. You need new boots, and you’re fine. No, you know what, I’m done with this bullshit.” Right there in the middle of the street, her mother spun the car around.
“Mom, what are you doing?” Chloe asked.
“Something I should have done a long time ago.” Lily pressed her foot on the gas, and Chloe’s heart raced.
She felt sick to her stomach as she realized exactly where they were going. They drove past Alfie, Ian, and Riley, and she tried to avoid looking at them, but failed.
Her cheeks were on fire, and her breast felt scorched from Alfie’s hand on it.
She had to put that memory away.
Nothing good could come from reporting him, and most likely, no one would believe her anyway. That was how this town worked. They made up their own rules to suit themselves, and everyone else, regardless of if it was right or not, had to fall in line.
“Mom, I know you’re being a badass and all, but you’re kind of scaring me.”
“Good. I mean, no, it’s not good that you’re afraid. I don’t want to scare you. Believe me, sweetie, I don’t. But I’m sick and tired of all this bullshit with them all the time. It’s time for me to stand up, and I’m going to. They don’t own us, and we don’t owe them anything. We’re not going to allow them to come between us and our family.” Lily nodded her head.
Again, Chloe looked at her mother’s hands.
They weren’t shaking at all.
Lily Decker was normally a calm, collected person. She was sweet, caring, nice, hardworking, and she put up with a great deal. The woman before her right now looked ready to chop men into little pieces and hide them in walls. Maybe a little exaggeration, but not by much.
The closer they got to the clubhouse, the more her nerves picked up speed. This wasn’t what she wanted to do, or to happen. She was terrified of what this could mean. Her mother was a fierce woman, protective, loving. It was why Chloe tried so hard in school, to make her mother proud.
When it came to her father, she put in as much effort as he did into their relationship, the bare minimum. She knew her mother and father fought repeatedly about the same old stuff. There was never any break in their arguing, and it was always about one thing. Her father’s need to be accepted by the club was a constant heartache to her mother.
It was driving a wedge between them all.
By the time Lily pulled up into the parking lot, Chloe felt sick to her stomach. Men and women were making out. Most of them had leather cuts on, and the women, well, she was lucky they at least wore underwear.
Her hands shook as she followed Lily into the main house. The scent of smoke and alcohol was heavy in the air.
People turned and watched Lily though.
Chloe noticed her mother was a beauty with her blonde hair. Most of the time she wasn’t on a mission, and out of all of the club whores and wives, Lily got the most respect from the members.
Even Eagle respected Lily.
She had no idea why, but it was always there, especially as they walked up to his booth. Kurt was there, and there was a brunette straddling Eagle’s lap, who he quickly pushed away when he saw Lily.
Did Eagle have a thing for her mother? She doubted it.
“Lily, baby, you made it,” Kurt said, getting to his feet.
“I made it. Think really hard right now, Kurt. Where were you supposed to be?” Lily asked.
Silence fell in the club as they all took in the scene.
As far as Chloe was concerned, Lily had never caused a scene. She’d never overreacted to anyone. Again, her mother was known as a sweetheart.
“Baby? Why are you so angry?” Kurt tried to stroke Lily’s arms, but she wasn’t having any of it. She shoved him hard, much in the same way Chloe had Ian and Riley.
“You don’t even remember?” Lily stepped to the side, grabbing Chloe’s hand.
Her cheeks were on fire as people took them in. This wasn’t what she wanted. This was bad news.
She hated it when people looked at her, and now, she wished she’d stayed in the car far, far away from this mess.
“Does our daughter ring any bells? You promised me you’d pick her up. That you’d take her for some new boots, and instead I got a call telling me that your son and his little boyfriends were bullying her, again!” Lily pointed at Eagle before returning her hands to her hips. “And yet, you’re here. Again. Why am I not surprised? When are you going to realize they don’t want you here, Kurt? They see you as nothing more than a coward, and you’re still hanging around. Still hoping to be a patched in member. Instead of spending time with your family. With us, who love you no matter what, but you’re here again, and not helping me.” Her mother’s voice croaked, and Chloe squeezed her hand, offering her some comfort. She adored her mother more than anything.
“Lily, I apologize on behalf of my son,” Eagle said.
“No, I don’t want to hear you apologize. I want you to keep that boy and his friends away from my daughter.” She turned to Kurt. “We’re done.”
Chloe’s mouth opened in shock.
They were done. Her parents were done.
Lily took the wedding band off. “I’m going to call my lawyer.”
“Lil, babe, come on, you’re overreacting.”
“No, I’m not. I’ve been waiting for you to see your senses for the last eighteen years, and I’m tired of being second best. I deserve more. I deserve better, and it’s not you. Don’t come home. It’s in my name anyway.”
She handed the ring back, and taking Chloe with her, walked right out of the silent club.
Chloe couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her mother had ended things very publicly with her father.
Climbing into the car, Lily pulled out of the clubhouse. Chloe glanced behind her to see Kurt running out, trying to chase them.
“Don’t look back, honey.”
“Mom, you don’t have to do this.”
“I do. I’m tired of being lied to. I’m tired of relying on a man who can never love me back as much as I love him. Sometimes in life, you’ve got to learn to just walk away. I’m walking away. The best thing Kurt gave me was you. I’ll always treasure you, my darling daughter.” Lily grabbed her hand, locking their fingers together. “We can always count on each other. Now, let’s go and get you some boots.”
She knew her mother was upset, and breaking apart inside.
Her parents had been sweethearts, and had gotten married at a young age, even before she got pregnant.
Resting her head on her mother’s shoulder, she knew Lily would be crying tonight, alone.
She should have just walked home.
****
Arriving at the clubhouse, Alfie knew shit had hit the fan. There was a tension that he’d not seen for a long time. The Satan’s Crew MC wasn’t a well-liked club and they had a lot of enemies, but none of them had ever defeated the club.
His father, Eagle, was a force to be reckoned with.
“What’s going on?” he asked, Betty, one of the club whores, or at least he thought that was her name.
“Kurt’s wife just divorced his ass. She came in calling him on his shit. Putting the club first and well, you better get out of the way, Alfie. She told him about your bullying of her little girl. Eagle’s not happy.”
“Alfie, get in here,” Eagle said.
Shit!
He’d been warned by his father several times not to touch Lily’s daughter. It wasn’t like he went out of his way to hurt Chloe, but she was always fucking there, and he was tired of it. Also, she wasn’t even a club girl, or any relation to the club. He
r father was a fucking loser, so why did he have to treat Chloe any better? The only reason Eagle and the club brothers put up with Kurt was because he’d become an easy target for all of them. No one liked him, but they liked to humiliate him. There was nothing Kurt wouldn’t do. Be it clean the floors, or even lick a brother’s boot.
Alfie had seen him in several compromising positions, all in the name of trying to earn back his reputation within the club.
Personally, he thought the guy should have given up, and he’d asked Eagle about it some time ago.
“Son, when it matters most, he’ll run. Sure, he’s good to lick shit off your boot and entertain you, but I don’t need a man who can make me laugh. I need a man who’ll take a bullet for me without batting an eye.”
Since then, he’d never had respect for Kurt. By extension, he’d never liked Chloe either.
Standing in front of his father, he saw the anger simmering beneath the surface.
“Get in my office, now!”
Alfie walked past his father and stumbled as he was shoved hard. It wasn’t the first time that had happened, and it wouldn’t be the last.
Deep down, he knew his father loved him. One day he’d take over the Satan’s Crew Mc, and to do that, he couldn’t be soft.
Eagle had to show to the rest of the club he was a man. A man they could all trust, as otherwise, he’d be tossed out on his ass.
Ian and Riley didn’t follow. They weren’t allowed.
Alfie held himself perfectly still, arms by his sides, waiting for his father.
He’d not intended to hurt or bully Chloe tonight. He’d seen her on the school bench, bag to one side, book in hand, but it had been Ian who threw the banana and Riley who called her names. He never disobeyed his father, and when given the order to stop bullying her, he had. Sure, he couldn’t be held responsible for stopping his friends, or other guys. He watched them push her into doors, lockers, trip her up, throw stuff at her.
She was the school punching bag.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
He felt like he’d been waiting for hours before his father finally showed up.