Page 12

CHAPTER 11

Michele

S tanding on the porch like a lovesick fool isn’t helping anything especially since I’m not in love.

I am, however, in heavy lust.

Kitty smiles sweetly at me lifting a duffle bag. “Got you some goodies, girlie.” She takes me by the hand leading me inside like we are the best of friends rather than complete strangers.

The man on the motorcycle stays outside calling to us, “I’m right here, you need me Kit.”

“Got it, Prospect. We won’t need you though. Girls are tough too.” She fires back.

Once she closes the door and locks it, she stands there looking at me like she’s waiting.

“Alarm?” she points to the box, “I know Rogue, if that alarm doesn’t get set, we’re gonna have angry sailor in front of us before we can blink. I don’t have the code, but I image you do.”

“He’s not a super hero, he can’t walk through walls,” I tell her as I input the code.

She laughs a cute dainty laugh. “You don’t know the Kings. All of those men, broke the damn mold. Each one, telling you, broke that mold when they climbed out of it. Whether it’s from their muscled bodies, the way they can fuck, or the level of loyalty they believe in, I don’t know but God doesn’t make ‘em better than a King.”

I gasp at her brashness.

“Honey, you’re in this world, you better clue in quick. Everyone is gonna give it to you straight. We all got our places. Don’t step out of line.”

“Places?”

She takes me by the hand to the living room where she sits down on the couch and pats the seat beside her. “Consider me your biker God-momma, I’m gonna give you the talk no one ever gave me.”

“I don’t think I need a talk. When things get fixed I’ll go back to my flower shop and Jennings will do what he does.”

She smiles with pride, “he lets you call him Jennings. I love this for him.”

“Umm, I’m not sure I follow.”

She pats my leg. “Alright here it is, your man Rogue, he is a strong man and until I got the call today, I thought he was the one that couldn’t be reached. He has that American hero thing down pat. Absolutely, down to his soul the kind of man to run into a burning building to save someone’s damn goldfish. Been around him more than once, know he’s got some serious demons. But the man Rogue is, he puts everyone before himself, even a whore like me.”:

Gasping, I take in what she said. How can she casually call herself a whore. I shake my head at her words, “have you?” I pause, “ya know? With him?”

She pauses and it tells me all I need to know. God, I’m an idiot and a slut.

“Not what you think, Michele.”

“I’m not judging,” I tell her the truth. They are consenting adults. Hell, I fell for his charm like a fool. He kisses that damn good.

“Look, you’re gonna learn this one way or another. I’d rather you learn it from someone like me than an outsider or one of the guys.”

“What do you mean someone like you?”

She takes a deep breath, “come from shit. Don’t know you or how your family is. Me, though, my family is dysfunctional. Grew up with a mom who thought she had to have a man to survive. Needless to say she didn’t choose the best partners. More than one of them decided I should be their play toy too.”

I don’t even know how to process what she’s telling me.

“Left home at sixteen because I was tired of it. Life on the streets ain’t no different in how men see women. Learned some things, not all of them good. Found my way into Creekdale. The guys took me in. I get a place to stay at the clubhouse and I have choices, but bottom line, I service the guys as they need it and I get a safe place to live.”

“I don’t think I understand. The clubhouse is a brothel?”

She laughs, “Oh lord, no. There are only a couple of us. Clubwhores, that’s what some of the guys call us. Bunnies is what others say. Either way, we only fuck or suck the ones who want it. Soon as Tyrant got himself committed, he stopped foolin’ with us. Same thing with Creed.”

My stomach churns thinking about Jennings sleeping around. She gives my arm a squeeze.

“Rogue, he handles us different. He doesn’t choose me anymore. And the occasions he sees fit to have a girl, he doesn’t spend time with her. It’s release. And not one of us calls him Jennings, ever.”

“This is supposed to make me feel better? How exactly?” I ask feeling ridiculous that sex is so casual amongst these people.

I understand being a consenting adult, but what about diseases, pregnancy, and well, having a relationship not just an orgasm. No wonder he’s so good at giving them.

“I was wrong. Been to your shop before. You’re always nice, inviting, and seeing you here, in his space, totally clueless to his world, I see how this works. Never thought Rogue could be tamed, but you have that spark. You have him smitten. Which explains why I’m here getting clothes to you. Yup, you two totally work as a couple.”

“We don’t work. We aren’t a we.”

She carries on like she hasn’t completely blown my mind already. “Yeah babe you are. Now, everyone has a place, the dude out there, he’s a prospect, he’s here for servitude. Whatever the club asks, he has to do without fail.”

“And you?” I ask thinking maybe I don’t want to know, but since she is the biker babe Godmother, surely she has some kind of role, if everyone has their place like she says.

“I’ll leave that to Rogue. I think you can gather what I am from what I already told you, but I think you need to hear it from him.”

“But I’m asking you,” I challenge frustrated. “We are women, we should stick together.”

“I find most women, especially recently claimed ones struggle with other women in the club, especially women who are not old ladies.”

I laugh, “well good for you I’m not an old lady.”

The she falls back against the couch laughing, “I see why Rogue likes you. An old lady, is a title with respect, and babe, until Rogue decides he’s done with you, you’re his old lady.”

I scrunch up my nose. “I run a flower shop, I am anything but someone’s old anything. I’m only twenty-eight!”

She pats my knee, “It’s a term of endearment.”

“Well, someone should tell bikers it’s not endearing to women to be called old anything.”

“Oh bikers could be told a lot of things, but none of it will stick. They have their code and live by it to the death.”

Her words are ominous and I don’t like even thinking about Jennings and death.

“Here is the thing, Kings above everything. Forever they are tied like a damn blood vow to each other. Brothers before all others, it’s on the damn wall of the clubhouse.”

“Clubhouse? They all live there with you and the other women like you? How many women do what you do? Are their favorites? I feel like I can’t process what you’re telling me, Kitty. Is that your name?”

“Oh, hell, we need to grab some water, I’m gonna be talking a lot until Rogue returns.”

I get up and head to the kitchen with her behind me. Well, until Jennings pops back up, I guess I’m going to be schooled in all things Kings whether I want to or not.

Since I have one of those snack trays, the premade ones of meats, cheese, and crackers, I pull that from the fridge with the water for us to eat and pass the time. The other biker who left groceries bought easy things to grab and go like this tray.

Before she can talk though, my phone rings and it’s Giulia finally calling me back.

“I’m sorry, Kitty, hold that thought. This is my cousin and it’s important.” I explain as she bites into a cracker while nodding.

“Hey,” I answer.

“Where is the biker?” she asks sounding panicked.

Giulia is not easily rattled ever. Hearing the anxiety in her voice has my heart beating faster and my palms sweating. “He had to go out, I’m with his friends. I’m not sure when he’ll be back. Do you know something? Do I need to call him?”

“I don’t know that you have time to find him. Benny has a location. If it’s the correct one, he’s not far from getting to you. If it’s a wrong one, then you have a little time, but he’s closing in. You need to move, Chelle-Belle, and now!”

She yells about the same time we hear a thud on the front porch.

No. This isn’t happening.

Kitty runs to the door and peeks out the peephole before rushing back to me and grabbing me by the hand. She leads us to the very back as I can’t think. I’m in shock. How did he find me? When he gets me, he’s going to kill me and anyone around me.

“My phone, it’s on the counter in the kitchen,” I whisper as I hear banging on the door. Jennings instructions come back to me. The door doesn’t open without the code, but the windows, they can break. “The windows, I need to get to the panel and hit the panic button. It will close them down.”

“No!” Kitty tells me, “you stay put, I’ll hit the panic. No matter what you don’t leave this closet! They want you, they get you, everyone else is collateral damage, babe. Keeping you safe, keeps us all safe. I got this.”

I hear her words, but I can’t simply sit still. Peering out of the bedroom door and down the hall. I watch as she pitter patters, scurrying down the hall. I hear the alarm speaking and then the noise of the shutters engaging. Moving back to the closet, I tuck back into the corner, making room for her and waiting before closing the door.

The panic button will alert Jennings. I can only hope he’s not far away. If we can hide long enough for him or the other Kings to come, I might live to see another orgasm.

Yes, forget whether I’m a slut or not. At least being alive, I get to feel, and I want to feel everything. My thoughts are crazed.

That’s when the pop goes off, the sound of the door exploding rolls through the whole house. Kitty screams, and I leave the safety of the back closet because she won’t face these people alone. All thoughts of self-preservation are gone knowing Kitty needs me.

Walking out, I fight back the trembling throughout my body. In front of me are three men in suits along with five others wearing black from head to toe.

Benny isn’t with them.

The center man in the suit has Kitty by the hair. “Ah, there she is,” he says looking to me and tossing Kitty aside like a rag doll.

“Leigh, come here,” he orders and I shake my head backing up a step or two into the kitchen trying to get to my phone so that maybe Giulia can hear this and call for help.

“Let Kitty go, and I will go with you by my own free will,” I yell but avoid getting close to the phone. The screen is lit up, she’s still on the line.

“Benny doesn’t care how you come to him, even in pieces, Leigh. He just wants to make sure his face is the last you see before you die. If you want to keep your friend’s house standing, come on. Otherwise, I’m gonna put a bullet in your legs, drag you out of here.”

I lock my eyes to Kitty’s trying to silently tell her to run. They won’t let her live. Knowing this, I put my hands up in surrender and make my way to the men. Just before I get to the front door, Kitty moves to stand. The third man in a suit raises his weapon.

I cry out, “run!”

She dashes down the hallway, the shot rings out. Kitty screams as she goes down.

Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead . I think to myself as I’m practically shoved forward and out the front door.

Enough people have died because of me.

This has to end.

And I only know of one way for that to be.