Iona
P lan Christmas exactly how I want. Warden’s orders. The problem was I’d no idea how to do it. I ran through the car lot, heading towards the clubhouse in a sheer panic. I had been fine last night when Warden had fucked my brains out, and I’d fallen to sleep immediately. But this morning, as soon as his Harley roared, I woke and panicked. That fear had built exponentially since I opened my eyes.
“Slow your ass down!” Spice ordered as me as I rushed past him. I skidded to a stop. Lindy!
“Lindy’s inside?” I asked.
“Yeah?”
“Oh, thank God.” I threw my arms around Spice, kissed his grizzled cheek and, darted into the clubhouse and ran smack bang into a brick wall.
One of the biggest assholes in the club reached out and steadied me as I rocked backwards. I gazed upwards at Bogeyman and gulped. He had his usual scowl on his face.
“Who’s after you?” he demanded, moving me behind him and looking out through the door.
“No one,” I whispered as wariness replaced panic. Somehow, facing Bogeyman, I wasn’t so worried about Christmas now.
Bogeyman turned and gazed at me intently.
“You’re planning Christmas?” he asked, puzzled.
I wondered if I’d said that out loud and then I remembered his ‘talent.’
I nodded silently as Bogeyman’s frown turned to a confused expression.
“Why?” he demanded.
“Because we used to have some great ones until they were ruined for everyone. I want Warden to have a memorable holiday,” I whispered.
Bogeyman kept holding my gaze as he stared into my eyes. “You mean that, but you want all of us to have a good Christmas.”
“Yes.”
“Go on, find Lindy. She will help,” Bogeyman replied. “She’ll probably be in the kitchen because those lazy sluts left it a shithole.”
“Thanks,” I said, skittering away quickly.
“Iona!” Bogeyman called, and I stopped and looked.
“You are right to fear me. But I won’t hurt you as long as you’re loyal to Warden and the club. You’ve changed, I can see that, and I approve. You’re becoming the woman you should always have been, just keep loving him and let him love you back. One day, someone will look at you like you do Lindy.”
With that, Bogeyman stomped away and left me standing there, open-mouthed. Who’d have known the humongous enforcer had a sweet side?
“Never voice that thought,” Bogeyman threw over his shoulder as he exited the clubhouse. A smile crossed my face as I hurried towards the kitchen, offering an idle wave at some of the brothers and sisters in the common room.
“I said, fucking get down and scrub that floor. If you don’t, you’ll be cleaning it with your tongue!” Lindy was hissing as I entered.
I pursed my lips and refused to smile, although the temptation was there. Standing in front of Lindy were the club’s whores, and they weren’t looking happy.
Lolita had been here the longest and thought she was the equivalent of an old lady. Peanut, Kiki, Maiden, Siren, Lolli, and Silky stood glaring at Lindy. There were also three men I had never seen before. Curious who they were, I watched silently. If I interfered, I’d undermine Lindy, so I stayed quiet.
“Ain’t cleaning this shit up; those lazy bitches can,” Lolita spat at Lindy.
Lindy’s eyes narrowed.
“I know you think you are something, Lolita, because you’ve been here so long. And yeah, you’re in charge of the club sluts, but I am an old lady, and you don’t back-chat me,” Lindy warned.
“I’m needed more than you,” Lolita smirked.
“Last chance, clean up or take the punishment,” Lindy replied.
“You screw one man, I fuck most of them. Where do you think you rank in comparison to me? Start being nice to me, you may wear a cut, but you don’t hold the pull I do,” Lolita said.
“Clean the kitchen,” Lindy ordered.
“If you’re that bothered, do it yourself,” Lolita snapped and, in blatant disrespect, turned her back on Lindy like she was nothing.
I began seething as Lolita shrugged. The other whores laughed and made faces at Lindy.
“Why don’t you take your dried-up cunt and disappear? We’d keep Spice happy,” Kiki twittered.
I winced. That was a huge mistake. Everyone knew that Spice wasn’t to be messed with.
“Yeah, he might want some tight, smooth skin that ain’t wrinkled,” Maiden suggested.
Lindy moved before I saw her. Lolita’s head smashed off a worktop twice, and she collapsed dazed to the floor. Lindy had her fist in Kiki’s hair and rammed her headfirst into a wall. Lindy then hauled back and smacked her straight in the nose. We all heard the crack, and I knew it was broken. Maiden paled as Lindy came for her next.
Lolli moved towards Lindy as her back was turned, and I reached out and yanked her away. Lolli looked surprised as I spun her around and, punched her several times and swept her legs out under her.
“Anyone else want to interfere?” I demanded, and the remaining sluts shook their heads.
Lindy was pummelling Maiden hard and finally knocked her out. Kiki was wailing on the ground, curled up and holding her nose when Lindy kicked her in the ribs twice. Lindy stormed at Lolita with determined strides. She grabbed Lolita by her hair, dragged her to her knees, and forced her head towards the floor.
“Start licking,” Lindy demanded.
Lolita shook her head. Lindy rammed it into the ground this time. I saw a gash open on her forehead.
“You were warned, cunt. I told you to mop, or you’d lick it clean. I never say shit I don’t mean,” Lindy hissed.
“You’ll get yours, bitch. What do you think the brothers will say? Your cunt’s not worth what mine is,” Lolita spat.
Lolita shook her head, and Lindy smashed her head again, and this time Lolita’s nose broke. Lindy ripped out a handful of Lolita’s hair, and Lolita screamed, and Lindy’s boot made contact with her ribs.
Lindy held Lolita’s face down, and Lolita let out a sob. A few more punches and a threat to carve Lolita up got the result Lindy wanted. Lolita began licking the floor. Lindy looked at the other sluts.
“Get on your knees and start licking. You were told to clean the floor, you’d thought you’d disrespect me,” she seethed.
All bar the men, who’d apparently been putting a food delivery away, dropped to their knees.
A hand wrapped around my waist, and I jumped as Warden drew me in close. Behind him ranged some of the brothers. Lolita, on seeing them, sat up.
“Look what she did to me!” she cried to Pipe.
“And? Did you disrespect an old lady?” Pipe asked, not seemingly bothered.
“She told me to clean up,” Lolita screeched.
“Am I missing something? Did you get a cut I don’t know about?” Warden demanded. Lolita looked at him and tried to seem alluring. Warden sneered, and she dropped her expression.
“I’m the boss of the girls,” Lolita replied.
“You’re in charge of shit. Lindy’s in charge of you as an old lady. You’ve got no rights like she has. Who the fuck did you think you were disrespecting?” Vogue snapped.
“I didn’t disrespect her,” Lolita snapped.
“Lie,” Soul said from the back of the crowd.
“I heard everything. Are you calling me a liar?” Vogue demanded.
“She has no right to order me about!” Lolita cried.
“Think again. Lindy has every right, as does Iona and Rosalea. I’ve seen how you interact with them. Iona is Warden’s old lady, and Rosalea a Princess. You’ve got too big for your boots,” Vogue snapped.
“I’m important to the club!” Lolita exclaimed.
“Lie,” Soul intoned, and I hid a smile.
Lolita sent him an annoyed glare.
“This is your last warning. All of you. Disrespect an old lady, member or family member again, any of you, and you are gone. There’ll be no further warnings, and I do not give a fuck whose dick you’re sucking. Your sluts, and if you ain’t screwing one of us, then you earn your keep.
“You get food, money, an allowance and a roof over your head. Don’t get that for fucking a brother. You’ve gotten lazy, and the clubhouse is looking untidy. Not anymore. Earn your keep and not just on your back,” Warden snapped and led me away.
“Where those three men's new prospects?” I asked.
Warden snorted.
“No, they’re the male club sluts for the sisters,” Warden answered, and I stopped dead and stared at him in surprise.
“What?” I exclaimed.
“Vogue, Dynamo, and Dare have needs too. Levi, Rowan and Riley are their whores,” Warden explained.
“Wow,” I gasped, really surprised.
“What?” Warden sought, looking annoyed.
“That is progressive for you,” I replied, and Warden began to laugh.
“That’s what’s surprising you?” he asked.
“Well, yeah. There’s a lot of testosterone and big dick swinging in the club. I’m a little stunned you have male sluts for the sisters,” I said.
Warden laughed even harder. Several of the family looked over with curiosity and surprise on their faces.
“Iona’s shocked we have men whores for the women,” he explained, and the brothers also chuckled.
“Do you share them? Like the men do those bitches?” I asked Vogue. This was damn interesting to me.
“We could do, but we seem to have settled on a guy each. To be honest, I don’t want a man dipping his cock inside me that has been in Dynamo,” Vogue answered with a slight smile.
“Wow,” I replied.
“They are not our boyfriends. They’re here to service us, and that’s all. Get treated the same as those bitches,” Vogue carried on, explaining.
“Do they share a building with them?” I asked, wrinkling my nose.
“No, they have their own house on the compound. If they are caught fucking those whores, they’re gone. I won’t have a dick inside me that’s been in one of them,” Vogue replied.
I noticed Rook wincing and wondered why.
“Warden! I’ve just had a vision: Cécile is coming with Etienne. Something is wrong, and I can feel terror emanating from her,” Oracle murmured, approaching us. “Cécile is fleeing someone.”
“When?” Warden asked, running his hands through his hair.
“Soon. I can almost taste her fear. Etienne is frightened too,” Oracle explained.
“Anything else?” Warden demanded.
“No, that’s it, and it was just a flash. But I got the sense of family,” Oracle mused. “Ours.”
“Okay,” Warden said.
I wanted to ask who Cécile was but knew better than to question Warden in front of club members. The frown on his face told me Cécile was someone he cared about.
“Babe, I hate to ask. Could you get the guest suite ready? If Cécile has left Louisianna, something is seriously wrong. And the fact she has not contacted me by phone means she’s travelling incognito,” Warden asked.
“Of course. Should I make up two rooms?” The question would let me know if this woman was someone Warden had once slept with.
“I have no idea. Nobody knows the truth behind Cécile and Etienne’s relationship and, not for lack of asking. All they ever say is Etienne is her anchor,” Warden replied.
“Anchor?”
“Yeah. Cécile says that strong psychics suffer for their gift. But if they discovered what is called an anchor, the pain lessens because the anchor absorbs some of the backlash. The anchor is someone that is their balance, that soaks up their overflow, but it doesn’t affect them,” Warden continued to explain.
“Am I yours?” I asked, desperate to know the answer.
“I’m not strong, babe, but I am calmer around you. My gut feelings seem tighter more focused than before you came along. So yeah, I guess you’re my anchor, even though I’ve never experienced pain. Not like Oracle and some of the others,” Warden said.
I basked in his words, happy to know I was helping him. Any burden I could take off him, I would.
Spice barrelled through the door and headed straight for Lindy. His eyes raked her face as he checked her over for marks and then picked up her hands. I winced as I saw she’d bruised and split her knuckled, and Spice looked at me.
“Clean her up,” he ordered and stormed into the kitchen. There were the sounds of shouting and then a loud slap and silence.
I led Lindy to a seat and, got the first aid kit and began cleaning her up.
Had Spice just hit Lolita? I gaped as he barrelled back out.
“She’s on her last warning,” he hissed, and Warden nodded.
“Did you hit her?” I whispered, shocked, and Spice turned to me in disbelief.
“Stupid girl. I’d never, not even a slut like that,” Spice spat angrily at me.
“We heard a slap…” I stuttered.
“I smacked a worktop,” he replied as he stalked over and crouched by Lindy.
“Don’t be mad at Iona. I thought you’d hit her too, and I know you won’t touch a female in anger,” Lindy chided.
Spice sent us both a look as he calmed down. He picked up Lindy’s hands, which I’d cleaned and put salve on, and kissed them.
“Use rings next time to mark them and save these precious fingers of yours,” Spice murmured.
“Didn’t quite have time to go and tool up,” Lindy chuckled.
“I’ll get you a coffee,” Spice said and strode off. Everyone else had returned to what they were doing, and the clubhouse had emptied quite a lot as they went off to their jobs.
“What did you want me for?” Lindy asked, turning to me.
I went to answer, but Warden tipped my head up and kissed me before stroking my cheek with a finger and disappearing into his office. I gazed after him, dumbfounded, as Lindy chuckled.
“Still feel that way when Spice kisses me,” she admitted, and I nodded slowly. “Why were you looking for me?”
“Christmas! Do you remember I mentioned it Halloween, and Warden claimed we could hold it? Warden had said it to keep me happy,, and I didn’t want to push him on it. I was going to get a tree and some food for dinner and keep everything basic,” I replied.
“But?”
“That’s not what I really wanted to do. I wanna go all out. Last night, Warden caught me looking at some old pictures and I realised he wants Christmas like the old days. But I don’t know how to plan it. Can you help?”
Lindy lit up like a Christmas tree, and her smile was beautiful.
“I’d love to, Iona. Have you made any plans?”
“No. I do not have a clue. The holidays at… Pearl’s… it was quiet and understated. A small tree that was always decorated beautifully. A wreath on the door, a few garlands discreetly placed, and a quiet dinner. I don’t want that here. I would like it like the old days,” I said.
“Loud and chaotic,” Lindy suggested with a laugh.
“Yes. Exactly that. Bikers being bikers and the women looking after them. Lots of presents and food and drink. No club whores!”
“That won’t be hard. Lolita and the whores learned a lesson today. One day, you’ll have to throw down, too, Iona. Although it didn’t look like you’d have an issue doing so.” Lindy giggled.
“None at all. They need to remember their places. I’m surprised at the male… do we call them sluts?” I asked.
Lindy laughed again and shook her head.
“Service men,” she said and winked.
“That makes a whole lot of sense!” I exclaimed gleefully. “They are certainly good-looking and fit.”
“Nothing but the best for the sisters. Those three guys cause hardly any drama. The only time I’ve ever seen anything from them is when a slut hits on them, and they shut it down. They’ve been about for roughly a year and do as they’re told without issue.
“That’s what kicked today off. I was watching those lazy sluts lay around while the guys began sorting the kitchen. When asked to help, those bitches laughed at them. The men aren’t even meant to clean, they have different duties, like mowing the lawn and emptying the trash. But they’ve been cleaning shit in the clubhouse, letting those whores get away with murder, and they never complain,” Lindy explained.
“Well, that won’t happen again,” I agreed.
“Iona, I naturally lead, and I’ve been the only old lady for years. But you are the Queen Bee. You gotta start stepping up and letting me fade into the background. That doesn’t mean I won’t be here to guide you and offer support, but you now need to be the face of the old ladies. And I think you are just the start, that others will soon come along,” Lindy said, and I was touched.
“You have faith in me?” I asked.
“To become the woman who deserves to be Warden’s old lady? Yes. You’ve a way to go and a lot of confidence to gain, alongside respect and loyalty. You had that once and lost it, if you get it back, don’t squander it. The family won’t forgive again. But things like this? That will mean the world to them,” Lindy stated, and I nodded.
She was right. I did have a long way to go. But I had time, and that meant something. This was my new start, no misunderstandings, no hate, no accusations or anything else. I’d done the unthinkable and turned my back on Pearl, and it had been easier than I thought. Pearl’s lies remained in the past, not in my future.
“Okay, I hear you,” I said, and Lindy squeezed my knee.
“Now, I have some ideas, I hope you do too!”
“Well, I was thinking a huge ass tree. Like Berserker and the old timers used to buy, do you remember them, Lindy? Then, some fairy lights strung around the clubhouse with garlands and wreaths. A full Christmas dinner with hams and turkeys, but I remember some of the guys loved lamb, such as Fists did.
“Then we’d get several desserts because they all like different stuff. For the evening, I thought maybe some finger foods, things that are easy to bake or prepare. Of course, we would need to stock up on booze, make sure the bar is fully stocked,” I said.
Lindy nodded her head in approval.
“I also thought about us all decorating the tree together and having a takeout and movie night. But I wanted to buy everyone something special to put on the tree,” I mused, and Lindy leaned forward.
“Tell me everything,” she ordered and settling in, I did.