Page 65 of Demon
“Yeah. Didn’t get any breakfast we were…. Busy.” No one needed to know the next bit.
But Suzy knew. She beamed at me, like I’d told her some insanely good news.
“Come on. The burger place over there is really good.”
“You not drinking?” I asked, setting the burger on the juices that had dripped out onto the waxed paper underneath it, and taking a long swig from the pint of lager in the plastic glass.
Suzy smiled. Not as broad as the one before, but there was an excitement there in her eyes.
“We’re trying for a baby.”
“Oh. Wow. Well, that’s great. You can still drink now, though.”
She shook her head, a sudden flash of sadness gone in a moment.
“It’s not been easy. We haven’t managed to get pregnant yet. So, I’m just doing everything I can to make sure my body is somewhere one might like to grow. You know?”
“I don’t, Suzy. It’s not anything I’ve ever wished for.”
It never had been. Why would I want to bring a child into this world?
“You don’t want kids?”
“I just haven’t given it much thought,” I lied, much too easily. “What does Magnet think about kids? The MC world, well, its…”
“I know. To an outsider. I mean. I didn’t mean that you’re an outsider,” she stuttered, grabbing my hand apologetically. “I just mean, when you’re not used to the bike scene.”
“It’s got a vibe though, hasn’t it? I mean, it’s a dangerous place, and there’s lots of illegal shit that goes about. You ok bringing kids into that?”
Suzy smiled. There was no hint of annoyance on her face, only that normal gentle kindness that was uniquely Suzy.
“Sure, there’s some not so legal stuff that goes down. It happens everywhere. In every element of society. And the more money you’ve got, the more that crime and corruption goes on. Just because someone wears a suit, it doesn’t make them a good person. We’re a family. And here family is important. We help each other, protect each other, protect the club. Loyalty is everything. If the shit hits the fan, everyone responds. One in, all in. That’s how it works, Ciara. We look after our own. So yes. It’s a great place to raise kids.”
I smiled, weakly. But not because I was embarrassed by the questions I’d asked or chastised. But because I could see the brotherhood amongst the Kings. I could see that loyalty, that sense of family. It had just taken me longer to recognise it because it was something I’d never had.
“Come on,” Suzy said as soon as I’d finished the burger and drained the last drop of lager from the plastic pint glass. “Reckon they’ve all had a chance to sort their shit out now. And there was no fucking way I was cooking lunch for them all.”
“Suzy! Language!” I played the mock shock well and the petite blonde woman grinned back at me.
We left the outdoor food court, leaving behind the myriad of food stalls, pushing on up the little hill, the long grass grabbing at each leg. I set my foot down, catching something uneven in the ground, a hole, or a mound, but whatever it had knocked me off balance, and I lurched sideways, towards the approaching group of men in black leather.
An arm grabbed me, catching me before I hit the ground and looked like a total idiot. He pulled me to my feet.
“Told yous all the lasses fall for me,” he pronounced loudly to the group.
Suzy took a step back, her little frame tensing immediately. She glanced at me, fear on her face. In front of me, the man smiled back. A shock of thick, red hair mussed across his head, and a full, dark red beard covering his face. He had a kind face, not one I would automatically run from. The men behind him not so much. He wore the usual leather cut. It was sleeveless, letting tattooed, muscled arms escape.
“Thanks,” I said, pulling away from him, catching Suzy’s eye and still unsure why she looked so scared of these men. We were Northern Kings, after all, and she was Magnet’s old lady. So why so scared?
The red-haired man smiled, a row of beautiful white teeth.
“And who are you girls, huh?”
“Ol’ ladies,” Suzy answered, her voice betraying the fear on her face.
He tipped his head, glancing over at Suzy and then back to me. His eyes lingered, and he made a big display of letting them travel to my chest, licking his lips as he rested there for way too long.
“Mate. Eyes up here,” I corrected him, and he smirked in response.