Page 5

The clubhouse is crammed with people. They spill out into the front yard, where we have picnic tables dotted around, lit fire pits, and a BBQ farther down.

Most of our members mill around, apart from the prospects, who man the bar and gate. I raise my hand to greet three of the hanger-ons, Rod, Laffo, and Auntie Ellen, standing by the BBQ. Laffo is in deep conversation with Dougal, Sparks, and Ferret, while Helen is chatting with Ally. Their cackling drifts over on the light breeze. It’s good to see they’re enjoying themselves. Laffo and Auntie Ellen are close friends. He’s chairman of one of the local party clubs and attends every rally or event possible with Auntie Ellen as his tried-and-true sidekick.

Raven appears next to me and slaps my back.

“Church at ten in the morning, sharp!” I nod and put my arm around Ebony, who has sidled up to me.

“You look as though you could do with a distraction,” she says as she eagerly smiles at me, running her hand over my arm.

“Not tonight, sugar. Maybe next time. Go find another brother to help.” I hug her quickly and place a quick kiss on her cheek. She’s a good girl, and not as pushy as some bunnies. Her dark skin is flawless, she has ample tits and ass, and a sunny, friendly disposition. Cute and nice are always a bonus. I smile, watching her meandering up to Flakey, who looks as though he could do with a pick-me-up.

Rusty makes his way over to me.

“What do you need, VP?” He never approaches me unless he wants something.

“Help in the bar, Vegas. One of the staff hasn’t turned up, and they’re close to rioting in there.” He sounds panicked.

“Okay, I’ll see if I can persuade Mom to give a hand, too.” I turn on my heel and jog toward the clubhouse. I’ll do anything not to have to deal with his ass. I know he’s my brother and VP, but I never got on with him. He’s a smarmy bastard and way too much into the old days and Stone for my liking.

The heat and noise hits me as I make my way over to the bar. I stride past and walk into the kitchen, where Mom is usually found. Mom is Pennywise’s mother, and she’s been an integral part of the Souls family for what feels like forever. Her old man got killed in a shootout under Stone’s reign, and now we look after her as much as she looks after us. She’s the club’s momma, always helping, cooking our meals, monitoring the bunnies, and making sure the place is shipshape. She reigns with love but also an iron fist. I, for one, never want to get on her wrong side.

I find her just out the back door, smoking her roll-up. No one’s allowed to smoke in the kitchen. It’s Mom’s number one rule, and she reigns supreme, so no one would dare go against her. Her tongue can be razor sharp.

“What are you after, you handsome devil?” Her eyes twinkle with mirth.

“Rusty ordered me to bar duty. One of the bar staff didn’t turn up and the prospect can’t cope on his own. Would you be willing to help with the bar?” I put my most pleading look on my face. I’m not beyond begging.

“Sure, son, but I’ll tell ya, we’ll have it shipshape in twenty minutes between us.” Ha, she obviously hasn’t seen the state of the bar.

“I bet you we won’t. I reckon it’ll take us more like forty minutes.” She can’t resist a bet, so I throw it out there.

“Okay, you’re on! You wash up for the entire week if we clear it in twenty, and I give you twenty dollars if it takes longer than thirty minutes to clear the bar.” I look away, hiding a smirk while we make our way to the bar. It didn’t pass my notice that she paled slightly when she saw the lines of rowdy folks shouting for beers. We get to work, and with every beer handed out, the crowd gets calmer. Crisis averted.

“Thanks, man,” Greg mumbles. “I was flat out.”

“No thanks needed. We’ll be alright,” I reassure him. Greg is one of the newer prospects, still finding his feet a bit. He seems like a nice guy and hasn’t messed up majorly yet. The brothers like him, and he looks to be good prospect material.

Thirty-five minutes later, with a twenty begrudgingly slapped in my hand, the crowds have thinned, and I can take a breather. I can hear the roaring laughter from the old ladies’ table all the way over here. I saw Ash when we went behind the bar. Man, she’s hot in those jeans and knee-high boots, and she has curves in all the right places. She has no idea how hot she is, which is a beautiful thing.

I’m flooded with memories of her with a lot less clothes on, and my cock is at half-mast instantly. Fuck. She’s the Prez’s sister, and Raven would kill me if I made a move. And I know she hates the club. She wouldn’t look at me twice, but right now, I find it difficult to ignore my body’s reaction. I put it down to overuse of my hand lately, and no visits to Violets.

I’m about to turn and walk over to Pennywise, my best friend for many years and often partner in crime when it comes to pranking the brothers, when Red, Ash’s co-worker, waves at me and toddles up to the bar. She’s clearly had one too many.

“Hey, rude dude, I remember you from the parking lot. Four tequilas, a Coke, and a water, please.” She smiles while swaying gently, holding onto the bar for support. I ignore the snide comment and pour her drinks as Dougal comes up next to her.

“Vegas,” he shouts over the noise, lifting two fingers to indicate he wants two beers, so I slide them over to him. Just at that exact moment, Red loses her balance and topples over. I’m too far away and can’t stop her, but Dougal drops his beers and catches her at the last second.

“Whoa there, pretty mama. Throwing yourself at me like that, people will start talking.” He winks at her, and I attempt to hide my grin. She flushes bright red and starts stuttering.

“Err, thanks . . . I think. Err, hi, I’m Sarah and . . . I’m a little drunk. S-sorry to have ruined your beers. Let me get you new ones.”

“No need, pretty mama, all in a day’s work. Always happy to assist a lady.” Dougal ramps up the flirt. I swear, if he was a chick, he’d bat his eyelashes right about now. Good lad, because who can blame him?

“Hey, brother, who’s this pretty chick? Is she yours?” asks Rusty, who’s quite loaded. I turn and roll my eyes. “Can I buy you a drink?” he smarms. Dougal places himself between Rusty and Red, who I now know is named Sarah.

“The lady is talking to me. Go annoy someone else.” Dougal smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes, and his tone is steel. Sarah steps around Dougal.

“Hi, I’m Sarah, Ashley’s friend. Pleased to meet you. And who are you?”

“Oh, are you with Ashley?” He smiles at Sarah, but I don’t like his tone. It sounds seedy and winds me up.

“Rusty Darling. I’m the Vice President of these reprobates.” He puffs out his chest, then turns to me. “A vodka for me and whatever she’s having,” he orders, nodding toward Sarah. I catch Dougal leaning into her, quietly talking to her and switching glances between her and Rusty. Her smile falters for a moment, then she nods tightly at Doug.

“There you go, sweetheart.” Rusty hands her the freshly poured tequila and flashes his brightest smile at her. Creepy, if you ask me. Sarah thanks him and turns to go with her tray in both hands.

“Here, let me.” Dougal takes the tray and steps aside to let her walk past. In that same moment, I spot Rusty taking his crutch and lifting Sarah’s dress up to her waist.

“Really?” I hiss at him. “Was that necessary? If she tells anyone, your ass is toast, and I’ll be the one who’ll kick it.”

“Let me tell you something, brother . I’m the VP. You will not disrespect me like that again, or I’ll have to bring it up in church and put your loyalty up for discussion.” His face is red with anger, and beads of sweat are pearling on his forehead. He pushes his finger in my face, and I really want to snap it off. What a piece of shit! I feel Mom’s hand on my arm.

“Vegas, can you come over and give me a hand a second?” She gestures for me to follow her. I’m seething. At the other end of the bar, she collars me. “He’s not worth it, boy. He’s always been a smarmy, self-absorbed prick. Over the years, he’s gotten worse. I know you want to smash his face in, but don’t give him that satisfaction. He’ll take it to the table, you know he will. He isn’t worth your trouble, son.” She smiles and pats my cheek. “Now, go on and spend your winnings. We’re fine here now.”

I return her warm smile and meander over to Dougal, who by now is sitting with Dawg. Dawg glances at me, my stormy mood obvious.

“Someone needs to put that cunt down.” He scowls while looking me straight in the eye, giving me a chin lift. Dawg is a Nomad, but he’s been with us for three months. He’s an excellent brother, and I’m hoping he’ll stay.

“Man, I tried to warn her. He’s a brother and the VP but mostly a cunt. Good thing she was too drunk to notice,” Dougal spits out, his voice dripping with venom.

This is not how things are done thing here. We respect women—well, most of us do, Rusty aside. We protect and treat them well. None of us would ever lay a hand on one nor make unwanted advances. We’re rough and tough around the edges, but we don’t take what isn’t willingly given. We have a moral code.

I keep my eye on Rusty as he wobbles over to the old ladies’ table. It’s too far away to make out what he says, but I can see the way he sneers at Ashley, which makes my blood boil. He whispers something to Sarah, and I’ve never seen a woman—especially a drunk one—jump out of her chair so fast in my entire life. Before Rusty can react, she’s slapped him right across his face, leaving a red handprint.

“You dirty old bastard,” she screeches at him. The club goes silent, and all eyes turn to the old ladies’ table. Dawg, Sparks, and Spen make their way over. “You dirty fucker ever touch me again, and I swear I’ll put a bullet in your fucked up legs before I slice you dick off,” she yells. The pussycat has claws and a roar. I secretly try not to laugh.

“What the fuck is going on?” A pissed-off Raven steps in the middle of the action.

“This swine here,” Sarah starts, pointing at Rusty, “only made sure everyone knows what my underwear looks like. He’s a freaking pervert.” Sarah is vibrating with fury as Ashley stands and grabs her arm.

“Come on, Sarah, let’s go,” she mutters, keeping her eyes downcast and leading Sarah outside. I can’t help but feel uneasy, but I’m in no position to get involved.

“VP, my office, now!” Prez is furious. He waves at Slender, our Sergeant at Arms, and all three disappear into the office.

Giving Dawg and Dougal a chin lift, I grab my keys, walk outside, and cock my leg over my bike. I let her roar and ride home, my mind still on that incident and the way Rusty sneered at Ashley.

???

Pressing the button as I come up the drive, the gate to my house and garage door both open automatically. I ride into the garage, turn off the engine, and activate the button that brings the door rattling down. I get off my bike and pat her tank. I love this girl. Sleek and powerful, the guys and me built her in our shop. Completely black and chrome, she’s got the club insignia airbrushed on both side of the tank. I stick my helmet on the bench. Strictly speaking, I don’t have to wear one, and on scorching days, I often wear just a wraparound, but I usually value my head more than anything. I look around at my collection of bikes. My big tourer is in its space, waiting to be used for long runs, and my dirt bike really needs a good run out. My F-450 is parked next to them. Why have so many rides? Because I can. Having choices is my prerogative.

I open the door to the main house and switch off the garage lights, making my way to the front door to disarm my beeping alarm. When I bought this house with the money my gran left me, I saw it as an investment. Now, it’s my peaceful haven. The club doesn’t know much about my place. They know I have a place of my own but not where it is or what it looks like. I like to keep my private affairs private.

Kicking my boots off by the door, I hang my cut on its hanger with my jacket and move to the kitchen. There are beers in the fridge, and after tonight, I need one. I walk through the archway separating the kitchen from the large, open living area. Throwing myself onto the leather sofa facing the large screen TV that hangs over the fireplace, I flick through channels with the remote.

Covering my eyes with my arm, I only half listen to whatever is playing. My thoughts keep going back to Ashley and Sarah. I admire how Sarah handled herself tonight. That woman has spunk. Ashley, however, worries me. She looked uncomfortable and intimidated. I could feel the anxiety radiating off her in waves. Why is Rusty causing that reaction? Yes, he’s an asshole, but I can’t imagine why she’s so scared of him. She hunched her shoulders, making herself look small when he’s around. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed. Maybe I should ask if she’s alright.

Why am I even thinking about her? Why do I suddenly feel so protective of her? She’s my Prez’s kid sister, and he’d kill me if I got too close. Annoyed with myself, I take a long pull of my beer. As I close my eyes, I picture her in her tight jeans and high boots, that T-shirt showing off her tits. My cock throbs at the thought. I sigh and release my throbbing hard-on. It needs relief.

I picture Ash undressing for me, her T-shirt first, showing off her flawless skin. Her bra follows, and I can hardly resist putting my mouth on those pebbled buds. My hand grips my cock tight and slowly strokes up and down. I can feel the pre-cum oozing from the head. I need her mouth laving it, blowing my mind. Popping her button, I peel her out of her jeans and boots. She stands in front of me in just a black lacy thong, which drives me crazy. She smiles at me.

“Come and get it, handsome.” I can’t believe she did that. In a swift move, I sit on the bed, pull her over my knee, and rub the round globes of her ass. She gasps, and I can feel her heat and smell her arousal. She likes this. I lift my hand and land a swift smack on each cheek, and she groans in pleasure. I can see her skin flushing and I hiss, speeding up my strokes, feeling the pressure build at the bottom of my spine and my balls tightening.

Throwing Ash on the bed, I spread her milky thighs. I can’t wait to taste her. My tongue runs from one end of her entrance to the other. She tastes amazing. I flick her hard nub with my tongue, and she’s writhing on the bed. I suck her clit into my mouth, my finger now deep inside her, and I can feel her tightening. She comes screaming my name. My balls pull up tight, and I explode into my hand, panting. Grabbing a tissue from the box on the table, I clean myself up, no less frustrated than before. These hand jobs just don’t do it anymore. I need more.

I finish my beer, trying to shake my thoughts back into shape and not think about her. It’ll never happen. She’s too good for me. I’m rough and hard around the edges and have dark sexual tastes. Ashley would run a mile, just like she did when she saw me with Olivia. Olivia was my long-time sub, and we’d played together for a few years, but then she wanted more, to make it a more permanent and mainstream relationship. Olivia was a great sub, but I had no interest in anything more, so we parted ways over a year ago. Since then, I haven’t bothered with another sub.

I play at Violets when I’m invited, but I act as room monitor when I’m there, making sure everyone playing is safe. I was shocked to find Ashley working behind the bar at Violets. She looked flustered and embarrassed but sexy in her short black lace dress. She made me hard then, so I played harder with Olivia, but my thoughts were with Ash. I must be mad or have a death wish or something. As long as I don’t let it show with the brothers. I’ll be a dead man walking if I do.

???

It’s late, and church starts at ten in the morning. Yawning, I make my way to my ensuite bathroom, take a quick shower, and go to bed. I set my alarm for eight. That’s plenty of time.

I sit up in bed with a start around one a.m. My phone is flashing, and when I open it, I have had three missed calls. As I’m checking who they’re from, it goes off again. ‘Prez’ flashes on the display.

“Yeah,” I growl.

“For fuck’s sake, what took you so long?” Prez sounds agitated. “Get your ass to the hospital, now! I’ll catch you at the entrance.”

Jumping out of bed and into my clothes and boots, I throw on my jacket and cut and make my way to the garage. I’m on the bike and out of the garage in less than five minutes, reaching the hospital in record time. Raven is waiting by the main door.

“At last,” he grumbles. “Flakey is in the emergency room. They’re working on him.”

“What happened?” I’m stunned. He looked okay earlier when he took Ebony upstairs. As we walk into the waiting area, Raven catches me up on what happened. Sarah and Ashley are sitting very pale with the old ladies. The whole club is here to support Flakey. Everyone but Rusty.