Page 3 of Killer (The Skulls #5)

The bar was full to bursting with activity.

Killer didn’t care at all for any of them.

Steven parked the car while he ordered beer for the both of them.

The whiskey hadn’t done anything for him, and during the drive he believed the effects had worn off.

Finding a small table off to the corner near the dance floor, Killer took his seat and downed half of his beer before Steven even turned up.

He wasn’t interested in having a social drink.

Killer wanted to drown his sorrows until there was nothing left.

“Parking was a fucking nightmare. You owe me big for this,”

Steven said, sitting down.

“I’m your passenger. You’re the one who brought me here.”

He looked around seeing the variety of women on offer. Part of him wanted to stop and go to Kelsey while another couldn’t deal with what he’d been told.

She betrayed me.

Gritting his teeth, he sipped at the alcohol, knowing the night was going to be a long one.

“You asked for a place to drown your sorrows and forget everything happening in your pathetic life. I did what you asked, and you’re repaying me by being a bastard. See what thanks I get.”

Steven smiled, looking around the room.

“No wonder you got fucking shot. You’re too annoying.”

Steven tensed, clearly remembering the pain.

“I may be annoying, but you love me.”

Chuckling, Killer spotted two blondes eyeing up Steven.

“You’re right about that. Speaking of love it looks like you’ll be getting plenty of action by the end of the evening.”

“I spotted them when I walked in. They’re practically begging to be fucked and fucked well. I’ll make them work for it first. I don’t want to be too easy.”

“You got a problem with fucking women well?”

Killer asked.

“Nah, I just bet half the bar’s been between those thighs at some point.”

“Well, I never thought I’d see the day when you’re picky over who you screw.”

Killer saw the women whispering to each other.

Both of them were sweet-butt material.

He imagined some of the club men would be all over them like white on rice.

None of them held his interest like Kelsey. Fuck, he needed to get her out of his mind.

“I’m not.

I’m single and I can screw who I want, but seeing the guys with their women, it makes me wish I got something like that.

I mean, I’ve seen Hardy with Rose, and they’re amazing.

After everything they’ve been through they’re still in love. Then there’s Lash, Murphy, Nash, and just fucking recently Tiny. It makes a man wish for something he can’t have,”

Steven said.

Yeah, Killer knew exactly what the man was fucking talking about, which just hurt even more.

Kelsey, she’d been the one woman he’d thought to settle down with.

Get your head out of your ass. It’s not going to happen at all.

Married. He couldn’t even for a second believe it to be true, but he knew it was the truth.

Steven grabbed the next round of drinks while Killer sat back watching the women dance on the floor. He wasn’t an ugly bastard, and he knew women were attracted to him. A redhead sat at the bar was eyeing him up.

Take her ‘round back and bang her. Get all this shit out of your system.

He ignored his thoughts and took the glass from Steven.

“Do you need me to play nursemaid all night?”

Steven asked.

“I don’t need you to play it now. Fuck off, have some fun, and leave me in fucking peace.”

Several minutes later Steven went and introduced himself to the two blonde women. No one bothered either of them. They both wore their Skull cuts, and their reputations preceded them.

Killer was no longer in the mood to start a fight. All he wanted to do was drown his sorrows and be left alone.

“This place is a little busy for your tastes, isn’t it?”

Zero asked, taking a seat.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Killer hadn’t invited anyone but Steven along for his pity party.

“You don’t own the place, and I can go wherever the hell I chose.”

Zero glanced around the room, spotting Steven being rubbed up against by two bunnies.

“Fuck that guy moves fast. I wonder what we’ll call him.”

“Can’t call him Hardy, but with the way he goes I’m surprised the boy can think.”

“He’s not that young,”

Zero said, signaling a waitress.

“Go and get your own beer and stop being a lazy bastard.”

“Why? Waitresses are paid for a reason, and I’m going to be a good paying customer.”

Zero sat back, and even through the crush of people the waitress made her way toward him ignoring the other people in the room who wanted a drink. He slapped her ass when he finished with his order.

“God, I love women who are so easy to read.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Got sick and tired of the sound of babies crying. It’s so fucking annoying. The club is a place for men and to do what we want. Their old ladies start popping out the brats, and suddenly our club is a fucking crèche.”

Zero shook his head.

“I’m not looking to take care of babies, but I’m looking for a fuck.”

“Not even if Sophia asks you?”

Killer asked.

The way Zero looked at Sophia showed everyone in the club what the man thought about her. Killer had watched him lusting after the other woman.

“What the fuck you talking about?”

Zero grew tense.

“I’m not blind, and everyone knows you’ve got a thing for Nash’s girl.”

Killer stopped talking as the waitress brought them back more beer.

“If you need anything, honey, call me. I mean anything,”

the waitress said, walking off.

“I’ll be fucking her by the end of the night.”

“Are you sure?”

Killer asked.

“Look, what I feel for Sophia is no one’s business but mine. I’m not going to act on it, and if I want a screw whatever cunt I want, I will. Tiny’s already given me the lecture, okay.”

“I know. Poaching another brother’s girl is going to land you in shit.”

Zero glared at him.

“Sophia wouldn’t give me the time of day. I’m not going to do anything to cause problems. Drop it.”

His arms were folded, and his defenses were up.

Leaning forward, Killer stared at the other man.

“Would you?”

“Would I what?”

“If Sophia responded or gave you any sign that she wanted something from you, would you give in, or would you leave it alone?”

Zero didn’t answer for a few minutes.

“I’d do something about it, all right. You want to go running off telling Nash and Tiny how I’d bang his woman at the first opportunity then fucking do it. I’m sick of hiding from this shit.”

He downed his shot of whiskey then started on his beer.

“What is it about her?”

Killer asked.

“What is it about Kelsey? You answer that, and then I’ll talk about my woman. Fuck, we were supposed to be getting away from this crap, not talking about it all the time.”

Killer stayed silent, staring at the other man.

“See, you talk about your woman, and then I’ll talk about mine. Until then, keep your nose out of my fucking business.”

Zero stared at the dance floor. Steven was gone, and so were the two blonde bunnies.

“What happened to you?”

Killer asked, changing the subject.

“What do you mean?”

“When Snitch attacked. Where did you go?”

Over a year ago Snitch and another motorcycle club known as The Darkness had attacked them leaving two of their men dead.

One of them was Time, whom Killer had known from his days in The Lions.

Killer ended up getting back to Fort Wills where he protected the women who stayed behind the best he could.

He knew Tiny had ended up in Vegas and others in hospitals.

“I’ve got a friend who lives over forty miles out. She put me up and made sure no one knew about my presence.”

Zero closed down, growing silent. His face shut off all expression. Killer wondered what the hell was going on.

“A woman?”

“Yeah, I’m not some fucking perv, and it’s not like that. She’s the sister of an old friend.”

Zero looked out toward the dance floor.

The redhead approached before Killer got another word in.

“Hey, gorgeous, are you planning on asking a lady to dance?”

she asked, talking to him.

Killer looked up at her gleaming red hair.

She wasn’t too young.

Her eyes showed too much knowledge for a young woman. Kelsey at the ripe age of twenty-six still showed a great deal of innocence.

Thinking about Kelsey and remembering the smug look on that bastard’s face, Killer finished off his beer and grabbed the woman’s arm.

He didn’t lead her out onto the dance floor.

Killer took her around the back of the bar.

Behind the bar he saw Steven fucking one blonde against the wall as he fingered the other.

Ignoring all feeling inside him, Killer pushed the redhead against the wall.

“Do you want to dance, or do you want to fuck?”

he asked.

His only interest was in forgetting what Kelsey looked like for a few short minutes.

Since he met her, he’d not touched another woman.

The thought of being with another woman left him feeling dirty.

Remembering the guilt on her face, he no longer cared.

She’d betrayed him and was married. There was no way for him to claim the woman he wanted.

“I want to fuck.”

Pushing her skirt up her thighs, he felt she wasn’t wearing any panties.

“Good.”

Grabbing the condom from his pocket, he sheathed his cock, found her entrance, and thrust inside.

He’d fuck the memory of Kelsey out of his mind.

****

“You’ve got a lot of shit to answer for,”

Tate said, storming into Kelsey’s apartment an hour after had Michael left. Kelsey done nothing but cry since he left. She was trapped in a marriage by a man she didn’t even know.

“Have you seen Killer? Have you heard from him?”

“He came to the club after seeing you with your fucking husband. I mean really, Kelsey, why didn’t you tell me about him or what the hell was going on in your life?”

Tate asked.

“What happened? If he okay? I never meant to hurt him. You have to believe that. I care about him so much.”

Kelsey stopped herself, feeling the tears well up once more. In all of the years she listened to her mother complain about her weight and her appearance she had never once let a single tear fall. Kelsey knew she wasn’t slender or pretty and saw no use in arguing with her mother over the truth. Then Killer, the big giant hulk of a man, finally made her feel some self-worth, and the man she’d married to save her family home arrived. Her life had turned from good to fucking shit in a matter of minutes.

“Really? The club is fucking seething. Killer is one of them, Kels. You’ve fucked up bad. You look like a fucking whore to them, using one of their own. Murphy didn’t want me to come to you, but I know you.”

“I swear I didn’t mean to lead him on. I know this is all my fault. You have to understand I never expected to meet someone like Killer. Where is he?”

Kelsey felt sick to her stomach over what happened. She wished there was some way for her to take back what was happening.

“He’s gone to drown his sorrows with Steven. I think Zero followed them as well, but don’t worry about them. You’ve got to tell me about this man you married and didn’t tell a fucking soul. What was all that about?”

Tate asked.

“God, I’m so fucking angry at you.”

“You have no right to be angry at me. Killer has a right to be angry, not you,”

Kelsey said.

“So I mean nothing to you now.”

Tate glared at her.

Closing her eyes, Kelsey saw Killer’s pain once again.

“No, you mean something to me. You’re my best friend. Killer is the love of my life. I’ve hurt him, and that was the last thing I want to do. He means so much to me. Why you shouldn’t be getting angry is you’re my friend, and as my friend you should accept the fact I fuck up. You’re a complete bitch at times, but I accept you.”

“You think I’m a bitch?”

Tate asked.

“You know you are.”

“Wow, I can’t believe you called me a bitch.”

Kelsey stared at Tate for several minutes.

“I’m still mad at you,”

Tate said.

“I’m sure the whole club is mad at me for what I did to Killer.”

She hugged her friend, but there was a noticeable difference in their hold.

Licking her lips, she walked into the kitchen, leaving Tate to get comfortable. Tate’s anger was more than deserved. She should have said something much sooner. They’d been friends for some time, and she knew Tate spoke her mind about everything.

Making two cups of tea she walked back to find Tate with her feet up on Kelsey’s sofa.

“So it’s true then about your husband?”

Tate asked.

“Yes, it’s true.”

“You’re not wearing a ring. I’ve never seen you wearing a ring.”

Tate grabbed Kelsey’s left hand, stroking over the naked finger.

“I don’t wear a ring. Hold on, I’ll grab it for you.”

She left the sitting room and went straight for the bedroom.

Her jewelry box lay on the vanity table.

Opening up the bottom draw she saw the one ring she never wanted to wear.

She took it out of the box and carried it back with her. Kelsey placed it in Tate’s open palm.

“There,”

she said, taking a seat beside her.

“Fuck.”

Tate whistled, looking at the ring.

“Your man has got money.”

“He’s not my man.”

The only man she ever wanted was long gone now, and it was all her fault for not coming clean about being married. She was a fucking idiot.

“You’ve got to tell me the story from the beginning and leave nothing out. I’m nosy, and you owe me some kind of explanation about all of this.”

Kelsey cuddled a pillow hoping it would protect her against the feelings spiraling inside her. She felt sick to her stomach but knew she had little choice. All of the emotions running through her were her own fault.

“There’s nothing romantic in my past.”

“I don’t care. Look at what happened between Murphy and me. Romance doesn’t play into everything. I want to scream and shout at you, but I’m simply going to hold your hand and wait for you to explain.”

Tate held her hand, offering her some comfort. Kelsey held onto the only friend she had in the world. It was time to finally admit the truth to Tate.

“Over the years my parents had gotten into a lot of debt. I mean a lot. I was so shocked when I heard the amount. I was eighteen and getting ready to apply for college, but we couldn’t afford it.”

She licked her lips recalling the anger she felt when her parents admitted the truth about their ways. Her mother had gambling problems, and when her father found out, he tried to stop it and then became addicted like her mother. Now, they were both able to live without gambling away a single cent, but they had also become ill. She’d not really known her parents at all, and what she did know about them, she didn’t like.

“I didn’t have a clue. They went away when I was seventeen for a week. I didn’t think much of it, and it seems they mortgaged the house or something. About a year later, Michael came telling them he wanted payment or we were out.”

Kelsey laughed.

“I didn’t have anything to give him, and neither did my parents. They didn’t tell me the truth of what was going on. I mean, why should they? I was their only daughter, but it was none of my business.”

“I thought your family life was all happy and rosy?”

“I didn’t want to burden you with the heavy truth that my family was not all that great. I wasn’t raised by bikers, but I wasn’t raised by saints either.”

Kelsey wiped the tears from her eyes.

“We couldn’t come up with the money, and so he gave us a set time to get out of his home. It was hard, packing everything up and not knowing where you’re going to go. I hated every second of it, and I knew I’d make sure it would never happen again. I wouldn’t allow myself to be like them.”

Tate squeezed her hand.

“Anyway, he came back and said if I married him, signing the prenuptial agreement then he’d give my parents back their house, deal with all of their debts, and then pay me a healthy sum along with a monthly allowance.”

The tears fell thick and fast. Admitting the truth aloud hurt her deeply.

“I sound like a whore.”

She voiced her own horrid thoughts.

“Did you sleep with him?”

Tate asked.

“No, I agreed, and we were married within the month. We didn’t kiss or anything. We’ve not done anything but hold hands. God, I was so stupid. You know there have been days I’ve not even given him a thought.”

Kelsey laughed.

“He didn’t mean anything to me at all. He offered me a lifeline, and like a stupid eighteen year old girl I took it.”

“Do you have any idea why he married you?”

Tate asked.

“No, I’ve not got a clue. I’m so stupid. We were not even attracted to each other.”

“No, you’re not stupid for what you did. You’re stupid for not saying anything now. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I don’t know. It’s too complicated and weird, and I didn’t want you to think less of me, and I hated what I’d done and I still do hate what I’ve done. How can I expect Killer to ever forgive me?”

Kelsey asked.

Tate pulled her in close, hugging her tight.

“Do you love your husband?”

“No, I don’t even know him. God, what an idiot am I? I don’t even know what he does for a living. I know he’s wealthy and always pays my allowance. I never spend it, but I’ve tried to pay back the lump sum I used for college.”

She laughed.

“I could be living like a queen in some deserted island somewhere. Instead, I stay in Fort Wills and risk being shot at.”

“I imagine being in a deserted island isn’t anything it’s cracked up to be like. I bet it’s lonely, horrible, and I’ll kick your ass if you leave me, Kels. We’re BFFs now.”

Crying, she hugged her friend close.

“You should be hurting me or something.”

“No, I’m doing what needs to be done and that’s listening to my friend,”

Tate said.

“Besides, I love you, not Killer. I think he’s a bit of a moron.”

Kelsey cried even though she didn’t agree with Tate’s assessment. Killer was a lot of things, but a moron wasn’t one of them.

After some time passed and Kelsey made another cup of tea, they sat down together in silence.

“Why don’t you divorce him?”

Tate asked.

“I would, but he said something I don’t like.”

“Kels, every woman can get a divorce. It’s not the middle ages.”

Looking down into her tea, Kelsey wondered what she was going to do.

“The prenuptial agreement I signed?”

She glanced up to see Tate nod.

“What about it? Rich men and women deal with them all the time.”

“Yeah, I know. I, erm, I didn’t read mine. I looked it over, was scared, and saw no other choice so I signed it. I didn’t even see a future with another man. I didn’t consult a lawyer or ask for help, I just signed it. According to him, I signed an agreement to stay married until one of our deaths. I don’t even know if that’s possible.”

She wiped a hand down her face trying to clear her thoughts.

“Then employ a lawyer and get him to look through it. I can get Daddy to hire him if you want?”

“Would you do that for me?”

Kelsey asked.

“Yes, I would do anything for you. You’re my friend.”

“He threatened Killer and the club, Tate. I don’t know what he knows, but he seems to know a lot.”

“Honey, my dad and the club are fine. They’ll deal with everything head on. From now on, I don’t think you should be keeping secrets like this. This is big news. The club will be pissed, but in time they’ll get over it.”

Nodding, Kelsey listened to Tate talk about her son and how Murphy’s recovery was going.

She smiled, laughed, and when night fell she saw her friend out to Murphy, who was waiting for her.

Closing and locking her apartment door, Kelsey cleaned away the mess from cooking and drinking and took her time in the shower.

When she was finished she sat down on her bed thinking over her life since meeting Michael.

There was nothing about him in the media to let her know who he actually was.

He was a handsome man, and if he was worth a lot of money then surely he would be known for his company and wealth?

She lay down, hoping Michael was lying and he’d leave The Skulls alone.

Thinking about Killer brought tears to her eyes.

What was she going to do about him? She loved him so much.

Covering her face with her hands, she let the tears finally fall.

Killer had invaded her apartment and then invaded her heart.

She’d done more with him than she ever imagined she’d do in an entire lifetime.

Kelsey really hoped Killer would listen to her when she finally got the chance to explain.

She owed him so much.