Page 11

Pippa

Lights flashed over the dance floor at Liquid Chrome. I might have been a shot or two past buzzed. The music pumped through me as I lifted my arms and danced with Hana. Jazzy and Levi danced next to us. And crazy, but my sister had convinced Vance to join us. Model tall and beautiful, she towered over us as she danced.

With Hana in her boots, tights, leather skirt, and property cut, there was no question all of us were untouchable.

Chrome had a packed house tonight. Hellers occupied the far corner, except one. Dozer wasn’t here.

“Is Coop coming?” I asked. I really wanted to ask Levi about Dozer. Had he said anything to her?

Levi shook her head. “No, Coop is having a party at his house. It’s okay. It was fun today, but I belong here.”

So did Dozer. In this fucked up situation, I’d found my place with his friends, and he’d been relegated. He was supposed to be here.

Hana pointed to the table. I nodded. The guys had bought another round of tequila shooters.

Hana set one in front of me. Blade leaned back in his chair. She stared hard at him, then she leaned into me and kissed my neck. Her tongue flicked against my sweaty skin.

“Vance, are you seeing your sister?” Romeo asked. “We told you she’s just like you.”

My head tipped as she sprinkled a little salt on my wet flesh. I put the lime in my mouth. Hana licked, drank, bit the lime. Instead of kissing me, Blade came around the table and claimed her mouth.

“I can’t fix her,” Vance said. “I’m responsible for her delinquency.”

Romeo came up behind me. “Dance with me.”

I nodded because I wanted to pretend to have fun. Pretend that guilt wasn’t drowning me. I slammed the shot and followed him. Out on the dance floor, I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Did you work it out with Dozer today?”

I shook my head. “No, he didn’t even kiss me. I tried, but he’s fine . He told me so.”

“When he says fine, it’s just another way of saying he’s fucked up.”

“I know.” I trailed my hands over Romeo’s chest. “I’m not going to beg him.”

He wasn’t here, and Romeo was. Why did my chest hurt? I could be with Dozer all day and not think about Romeo, but somehow, Romeo had gotten tangled up with my need for Dozer.

“I can’t be friends with him. I can’t stop thinking about him.” And I had to stop because he wasn’t thinking about me. He wasn’t here. I needed to be as important to him as he was to me.

Romeo cradled my cheek. “He feels the same way.”

“If he did, he’d be here. ”

Romeo’s hand took a slow trek along my ribs, grazed my breast, and settled on my hip. “What if he was here, watching you? Watching me pull you close.” He clutched me tighter. “If he could see me grind against your pussy and kiss your neck?”

His lips ghosted over my flesh. But it was his words that had my core clenching and my panties wet. My breaths came in sharp little gasps.

“Is he here?”

I fought the tightness in my chest and the pressure building in my eyes.

Romeo slanted his lips over mine and speared his tongue into my mouth. I groaned and tangled my fingers in his hair. I kissed him, hoping Dozer was here, that he could see me kissing Romeo.

“Fuck, he makes you hot.” He danced me in a circle until I faced the other direction.

I skimmed the crowd. “Where?”

And then my gaze connected with his.

“He wants to watch you, Pippa.”

I danced against Romeo, gyrating my hips, and sliding my body against his. His palms roamed over my hips and ass. He touched, and I burned. My nipples hardened.

Pivoting around, I positioned so Romeo was at my back. This time, locked in the private knowledge that this was for him, I danced for Dozer. I didn’t care who watched. Romeo whispered in my ear, and I cupped my breasts and slid my hands down my tummy and onto my thighs.

Tingles chased over my flesh. I ground my ass into Romeo’s cock .

“If he doesn’t come home with us, I’m going to spend the night fucking my fist.”

I glanced into his face.

“He doesn’t know how you feel, Pippa. He doesn’t know that what we have is just sex.”

“It’s more than that.”

“But it’s not what you feel for him. It’s okay. I love Dozer, too. He’s fucked up. He’s never going to be easy.”

Romeo’s hands were on me, but I felt Dozer’s gaze. He crossed the room, stopping in front of me.

The beat of the music pounded with the tempo of my pulse. With Romeo at my back, I placed my palms on Dozer’s chest, sliding my fingers under his cut. He moved against me. We danced, but there was more going on between the three of us.

I was so tangled up in both of them.

Dozer had his hands on my hips. “I’m not going to stay.”

“Why?”

Dozer glanced around the room. “Too many people. Stay and have fun. I’ll see you later.”

He stepped away, and I turned to Romeo. “He’s going to pull away.”

“You can get him to stay.”

I shook my head. “Maybe he doesn’t really want this. I know he goes to some dark places inside. I don’t want to be another one.”

“Yeah, baby, you do. And that’s what he’s afraid of.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. He was worth fighting for .

I rushed to catch up to Dozer, passing Hammer, and bursting through the door. He wasn’t in the parking lot, and neither was his bike.

But that wasn’t my only concern. A motorcycle drove slowly through the parking lot, staring at the row of bikes. As he passed me, our gazes connected. A menacing smile split his face. He made a vulgar expression with his fingers and sped out of the club parking lot.

I turned and bumped into Hammer.

“Tell your guys it’s time to go.”

“Do you know him?”

“Buzzer. Night Crawler. They’re looking for Blade. They’ll be back.”

I swerved around Hammer and rushed into the club. I scrambled to the table. Trembling started in my hands and coursed through me.

“Blade!”

He stood and grabbed my shoulders. “What happened?”

Vance rushed to my side, but Romeo nudged him out of the way and turned my face to his. “Is it Dozer?”

I gasped and shook my head. “Crawlers.”

“Where?” Blade asked.

“Outside,” I said, trying to catch my breath, but my heart pounded, and my chest tightened. “Hammer said you need to go. Can’t have a fight in the parking lot.”

“What the fuck is going on with the Crawlers?” Vance asked, clutching Gabi’s hand in his.

“The MC isn’t the same as when you left,” Blade said. “Crawlers aren’t happy about the change in leadership. Fuck, they weren’t happy with the last administration.”

“All that bad blood has spilled over,” Jazzy said. “We’re all being careful.”

Code word for they were all carrying guns.

Vance crowded into Blade’s personal space. “We talked about this. My sister isn’t getting wrapped up in your shit. What about Pippa and the girls?”

“Vance, you’re my best friend, but you’re not a Heller. You know it’s not the same. You’re out of the MC, and I’m good with that. This isn’t your fight. It’s mine.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “And so is Hana. She stays with me.”

“Nah, fuck that. How are you going to feel when your shit lands on her?”

“My club, my girl, my decision. It’s not your concern. Take your old lady home.”

“Can we fight about this later?” Jazzy said. “I just sent my dad a text. He’s at the MC.”

“This isn’t done,” Vance said to Blade.

“Let’s go.” Levi grabbed her phone and slid from her stool. “I want to go home. Who’s taking me?”

“We’ll figure it out as we leave,” Jazzy said.

Romeo had his arm around my shoulders. “Do you want to come to the clubhouse?”

“No, but you’re needed there. Just keep me posted. If anything happens, I want to know. What about Dozer?”

“I’m sure he’s at the MC. He never goes home to his mother’s. She’s always got a new guy over.”

“I thought his mom and dad were still together. ”

“They are. Now, you know why he hates his mom.”

“Make sure he’s okay.”

He kissed my temple. “I will.”

Hammer put a hand on Romeo’s arm as we passed. “Blade slipped past me. I’ll let you know if I hear anything. Crawlers are out for blood. They want your VP, too.”

Romeo slapped his shoulder. “Thanks, you’ve been a good friend to the Hellers. Let me know if you ever want to hang-around the MC. We could use a good prospect.”

He shook his head. “Fuck that. You Hellers like to fight. I just bounce drunks.”

Gravel crunched beneath my heels as we walked toward the others. “I’m sure Hana will ride with Blade. I have my car. Do you want me to drive Levi home? You take Jazzy.”

“Are you sure?”

Levi and I would be of the least interest to the Crawlers. “I’m working on Levi. Maybe I can get her to stop calling me slut under her breath like I don’t hear her.”

“Term of endearment.”

Romeo tunneled his fingers into my hair and cupped my head. His soft lips pressed against mine. “I’ll see you later.” He smiled and glanced over his shoulder. “Jazzy, you’re with me.”

Blade, Romeo, and Vance climbed onto their motorcycles.

Levi walked over to Romeo. “Be safe. ”

He grazed his knuckles over her cheek, and his gaze softened. “Always. Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”

She nodded and then followed me to my car.

A flash of panic jolted through me. A piece of paper fluttered beneath my windshield wiper. I snatched the receipt with words written on the back and darted my gaze left and right, searching the parking lot.

The roar of Heller motorcycles drew my attention. I smiled and waved as they rode away from Chrome. I pushed the fob and unlocked the car doors.

“Is that another note from your professor?” Levi asked.

I read the slip of paper.

Feel me like a shiver in an icy rain. I’ll come quietly in the night.

You’ll tremble as you spread your thighs. I’ll taste. I’ll touch. I’ll fuck.

Because you’ll always be mine.

Q.

I vibrated with fear and anger as I held the paper. He’d been here. I shoved it into the glovebox with the others.

“He’s stalking you. This is crazy. You have to do something. Tell Dozer and Romeo. Tell Coop.”

“No. They have enough to worry about with the fight with the Crawlers. Coop will tell Diego, and my life will turn to shit. He’ll get my dad to pull me out of school. Then Quinn wins because I lose everything, and nothing happens to him.” I covered my trembling lips with my fingers.

“If you don’t do something, I will. ”

“I’ll go to campus police on Monday. I’ll file a restraining order.” I started the car.

Another rumble of bikes approached, growing louder. Two dozen bikers—Crawlers—roared into the parking lot.

“Shit.” Flashing lights approached from both directions. “Hammer must have called the cops.”

“Just go,” Levi said.

“How?” There were bikes behind me and cops coming quickly in front of me. “Fuck.”

I put the car in gear, hit the gas, rolled over the weeds, broken glass, and sidewalk, and slammed my front end down the high curb. We bounced hard. As my back tires rolled off, the bumper took a jarring hit. Something popped and crunched. Oh shit. I checked my rearview mirror. Part of my car was still on the curb.

“I hope I don’t need that.”

Metal scraped along the road as I drove away from the cops and Chrome. A few blocks of sparks and grinding, another piece from under my car dropped to the middle of the street.

“Oh my god, what is that sound?” A deafening rumble filled my car.

Levi looked at me with wide eyes. “I think that was your muffler!”

Less than a minute later, we both started laughing.

“That was freaking scary,” she said. “Don’t worry. Dozer can fix your car at the chop shop.”

I groaned. “No, I’d rather not have stolen parts on my car.”

She smiled. “Not quite a Heller yet. ”

A few minutes later, I pulled into Levi’s driveway. I stepped out of the car and walked around the perimeter of my vehicle. Oh, my baby was beat up. My front end was dented and the back end… It was missing.

Levi stood next to me as we stared at it.

“Come on.” She tipped her head to the house.

“I should go.”

“No, you need a gun. We have extras.”

“You can’t just give someone a gun,” I said as I followed her.

Levi opened the old wooden screen and pushed open the door. “Mom. Where are you?”

“In my room,” a woman called from the rear of the house.

I followed Levi down the hall and into one of the two bedrooms.

A woman with her hair in a long braid sat on her bed with a book.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, until we had to bail because Crawlers want to kill Blade.”

Really? She just announced it like she was saying she wanted to order a pizza.

“This is Pippa. Pippa, this is my mom, Willow.”

I lifted a hand as a hello.

“She needs a gun. Some dickhead professor is stalking her.” Levi went to the gun cabinet and rifled through the drawers. “She doesn’t have any experience so something small without a lot of kick.” Lifting her gaze, she smiled at her mom. “She’s dating Romeo and Dozer so one of them can take her out for practice. ”

“Give her the .38 Special. It’s cute and super light.”

This wasn’t happening. Guns weren’t cute. I wasn’t a vigilante out to handle my own justice. I put my hand to my forehead. She just told her mom I was dating both Romeo and Dozer. I think I was better off when she hated me.

“Bullets are in the bottom drawer.”

“I’ll show you how to load and fire in case you need to use it before you have a chance to practice.” Levi sat on the bed and loaded the gun.

She went through the process twice, including how to use the safety and how to squeeze the trigger.

Positioning behind me, she demonstrated how to stand, aim, and shoot.

“Just don’t panic.”

Famous last words.

Five minutes later, I was sitting in my car with a loaded gun in my lap and a box of bullets on the passenger seat.

The rumble of my missing muffler fought with my thoughts as I drove home. Maybe I wouldn’t have to file a restraining order. Perhaps I needed to make that appointment in his office. I glared at the gun. That would back up my threat against his intimidation.

I pressed the button for the garage. Not even the broken window was going to scare me tonight.

Dozer

Sully was pissed. Rogue wanted answers. Every other word was fuck. I understood their frustration. I should have stayed at Chrome. As much as I hated being in the club scene, I wanted to watch Pippa dance. I’d accepted I’d be sharing her with Romeo, but I couldn’t swallow down the jealousy.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and watched out the door. I needed to see her, make sure she was safe behind the fences of the MC. Then I’d go to my room and let the acidity of my thoughts rot in my mind.

I was so fucked up. I had to share her with Romeo, but being their third wasn’t going to work for me. I wanted time alone with her.

The gate rolled open. Blade and Romeo rode into the parking lot. Hana climbed from the back of Blade’s bike. Sully stormed past me. Jazzy handed her helmet to Romeo. Sully swept her into a hug.

The gate slid closed.

“Where the fuck is Pippa?”

“She took Levi home,” Romeo said as he approached.

“They should be here.”

“Levi is safe with Willow. She already sent me a text to say she was home.”

“And Pippa?”

“I assume she’s still on her way home. Crawlers don’t know about her. Doze, she doesn’t want to be here with the both of us. She knows it’s fucking with your head. She cares too much about you, about both of us, to do anything she knows is hurting you.”

Inside the clubhouse, Blade and Rogue stormed to the back office and slammed the door.

Sully and Romeo turned to Hana.

“Did Blade say anything?” Romeo asked her.

“Not to me.” She chewed her lip .

“You know something you ain’t sure about sharing?” Sully asked. “Because let me tell you, I’m not letting Blade go down without a fight. He thinks he needs all the responsibility on his shoulders. He’s worried because he’s young. We all voted yes because we believe he’s doing right by the club.”

Her gaze shifted from the closed office door to Sully. She wasn’t going to say shit. Loyalty ran too deep in her. “I don’t know anything.”

She walked away, and Jazzy approached. “She’s good for Blade. He needs a loyal old lady. But I’m not his old lady, so he doesn’t get my undying devotion. And the asshole he was with lied to me today. I knew Rogue was lying, too.”

One more reason not to piss off Jazzy.

“Hana and I went ax throwing today. Hana locked her keys in her car. Blade has the spare. She called him to help, and he had to tell her he was three hours out. She asked him where he was, and he said club business settling a score. Then he told her not to say anything. She didn’t know I could hear him talking.”

“What did Rogue lie about?” Sully crossed his arms over his chest.

Jazzy averted her gaze. “I…I wanted him to help me with something. The point is that he wasn’t here. He was out with Blade.”

“Crawlers are local. I don’t see how they’d be connected to today.” I cocked a brow at Sully and Romeo.

“Have you seen Bullet?”

“He’s checking on his girls, seeing if they’ve heard anything. ”

Romeo’s phone pinged. I couldn’t see the message, but I could see the name. Pippa.

Romeo stepped away and put his phone to his ear. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but I could see the hard line of his mouth. Finally, he nodded, ended the call, and returned to our conversation.

“She’s home,” he said and slid his phone into his pocket.

“Alone?”

“Of course, alone. Apparently, she doesn’t need to worry now. When she took Levi home, her and her hot crazy mom decided to arm our girl with a .38 Special.”

I growled.

Romeo smiled. “Sweet Pippa is turning into a badass biker babe.”

Our girl. Whenever Romeo spoke of her, he referred to her as ours. I wanted her to be mine.

Blade and Rogue came out of the office and made a direct path to me, Romeo, and Sully.

“Two dozen Crawlers showed up at Chrome two minutes after we left,” Blade said. “Rogue and I are their targets. Wrench knows Razor wanted to take over his club. He’s vowed to take mine or destroy it.”

Rogue scanned the chapel. “For tonight, keep everyone here at the MC. I don’t want a Heller being caught alone outside the gates. We’re going to have to take the fight to them.”

Blade stared at Rogue. Then he turned to us. “We’re using the cartel to do it. Emergency meeting in ten minutes,” Blade said to Romeo and Sully .

I made my way to my room and crashed out on my bed. I was fucking this up with Pippa. Romeo had all but told me to go after his girl.

Guilt still had me by the balls. I was the one who started this fucked up threesome, yet I couldn’t get out of my own head. Couldn’t get her out of my head. Fuck staying put. I needed to get out of the MC, and there was only one place, one person I needed to be with.

I grabbed my phone and keys and stormed into the chapel. “Open the gate,” I said to Pike as I slammed open the door of the clubhouse.

Once on my bike, I roared out of the church parking lot. I rode faster than legal, zipping through the streets. As I approached Pippa’s house, I throttled back and coasted into her drive.

The neighborhood was quiet as I sidled around the side of the house. Ensuring I was alone, I muscled up onto the open, broken, garage window, leveraged over the edge, and dropped to the concrete floor.

The door handle easily turned. She hadn’t locked the door. Habits were hard to break. Entering the house shouldn’t have felt like I was home. Home was the MC. Yet, I could smell her, the hint of her perfume. Hellers had made her house theirs. The subtle scent of weed hung in the air.

I quietly set my helmet on the table and shrugged out of my cut. In the kitchen, I sat at her table and took off my boots and socks.

The floor creaked as I padded barefoot into her bedroom. With the glow of the moon coming through the window, I could make out her form on the bed .

Pippa slept on her side. Dark hair fanned across her pillow. I set my gun on the night table and stripped off my shirt.

I could barely breathe.

The clink of my metal belt buckle echoed in the room. I dropped my jeans and crawled into bed with her.

I needed to be close to her, to drink in her scent, and feel the warmth of her body next to mine. I needed her. A body could live without food for a month or water for a week. I couldn’t survive without being near her.

I spooned in close and rested my hand on the smooth curve of her hip. She laced our fingers, hers soft and thin, and mine large, rough, and callused. Then she curled my arm against her chest and sighed. The pillow carried her fragrance. Flaring my nostrils, I breathed deeply.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

And I had fucking fallen hard for her.