“Keep on arguing with yourself. You know you’re wrong about her, and you’re too fucking proud to admit it and take what you want.”
“You need to get your head examined, old man. I think that old timer’s disease might be setting in since you seem to be confusing me with someone else. Should I have Ruby stock up on Depends and prune juice?”
“Play it off like you don’t care, smartass, but I know you far better than you think I do. I’ve watched you fuck through your so-called harem, and not once have you looked at women like you do Dani. But I know I’m not perfect so would you care to put your money where your mouth is?” he asks. “Two hundred says that before the year’s out, she’ll be wearing your patch and will be knocked up.”
“I’ll take that bet,” I say while shaking his hand. “We could all die tomorrow and even if we don’t, I still think you’re full of shit. Plus, I could use some new chrome for my bike. I hope you like paying for it.”
“You say that now, but you’ll change your mind soon enough. I bet you slide into bed next to her tonight and confess your love for her like Tom Cruise on Oprah’s couch.”
“Oh, go fuck yourself, Raze. I’m done shooting the shit with you. I need to go to double check the weapons and make sure the guys on guard duty are good for the night before turning in. You know, being a leader and shit. Not all of us get to sit around on our gilded thrones while people wait in line to kiss our ass.”
Raze just laughs at me. As soon as I stand up from my spot, someone from the other clubs slides in and leans in close to Raze to talk. Raze won’t sleep at all tonight if he continues to play godfather to the guys. There are just so many inter-club grievances you can listen to before they all sound the same. Shuffling to the back door, I find Tyson’s head buried between two long tan legs. The woman runs her hands through his hair as he sucks on her clit. “Get a room,” I yell at him on my way past the door. He raises just one hand and flips me off; not moving away from the pussy beneath his lips. I bet most of the guys will be burying themselves in the girls tonight as a stress reliever, except for me. My room is occupied, and I’m not risking my balls by taking one of the other girls upstairs to a waiting Dani.
Sliding out the back door, I unlock the weapon’s shed. Running my hands over the cool black metal of the AK-47s and AR-15s soothes me just as it did in Iraq. It’s just another reason why I am so fucked up. Guns shouldn’t soothe a man, but knowing that they will bring down my enemies is as relaxing as a massage. These weapons will solve all of our problems tomorrow when we wipe Twisted Tribe off the planet, soothing the entire club’s ache caused by Jagger’s murder. He wasn’t a fan of condoning violence, but in some cases the old adage of an eye for an eye fits better than a slap on the wrist. Our goals are simple in the attack, take them out and make it back home. I’m not foolish enough to believe that we won’t end up with casualties. Even if things work perfectly, they’ll fire on us just as quickly as we will on them. If the military taught me anything, it was kill them before they kill you. A bullet and revenge, neither one feels remorse nor sadness.
Locking up behind me, I walk out to the front gate. A couple of Trax’s prospects are manning the gate while a few of ours are laying low on the roofs of the buildings. Ratchet waves to me from the roof of the clubhouse with his rifle. Bastard is nuts, but he’s a crack shot. I’d rather have him with me than against me any day. Giving the guys their orders for the night, I return to the clubhouse. The party is finally dying down when I make it back to a thinning crowd in the main room. Only a few guys are lounging in the sitting area of the room while a couple of the girls clean up the empty bottles and cigarette butts covering the floor. How they can party like this the night before they’ll be dealing justice doesn’t make sense to me, but as long as the results are the same, who the fuck cares.
Ruby walks out of the kitchen with a trash bag in her hand just as I round the corner to head up to my room and Dani. Ruby rushes to me and wraps her arms around my neck. “Are you sure you need to go tomorrow, Hero?” she asks. “I don’t want you to get hurt or worse...” she continues as she trails off into a dark thought. Pulling her arms from me, I step back just enough to put space between our bodies. I know where this is headed, and I’m not in the mood for whining and fake emotions. Maybe before this shit went down I would fall for her song and dance of worrying for my safety, but not anymore. I know her game even if it has a well-ended meaning behind it. What feelings I had for Ruby blinked out of existence when Dani came barreling into my life. She’s nothing more to me than a past lover who refuses to walk away.
“You know I have to go, Ruby. It’s a part of being in this club. I’ll be fine, so don’t worry your pretty little head over nothing.” Trying to move away from her, she grabs me by the arm, pulling my attention back to her.
“Can I stay with you tonight?” she asks weakly.
“I want to be alone tonight,” I lie. “Silence helps me focus on the mission ahead. The place I have to go to prepare doesn’t make me fit for company, darlin’, but thank you for offering. Why don’t you take the night off? You and the girls have been busy keeping the clubhouse clean and the guys happy, you need a break.” Turning away before she can answer, I start up the stairs. She watches me take them two at a time until the floor blocks her from my view. Ruby doesn’t need to know that I have a new permanent fixture in my room. It will only cause more issues that I don’t have time to deal with now.
Stopping short of my door, I hesitate before opening it. I know that as soon as I step foot into the room, it will go one of two ways. She’ll hurl something at my head, or I’ll climb in bed next to her. Each possibility comes with its own set of consequences. I weigh my options and turn the knob. Sliding into the dark room, I can see her shapely silhouette under the sheets on my bed from the light of the TV. Glancing at the pictures flashing on the screen, I notice it’s not on ESPN. Why the fuck is there a chick flick on my TV? Trying to find the remote to switch it off, I notice a bare shoulder sticking out from under the covers.
I abandon my search when the thought of her possible nakedness makes my blood pump straight from my brain to my dick. I need to stow my aching cock for at least one night. I don’t want to scare her away the very first night she’s in my room and in my bed. I attempt to will my favorite appendage to remain dormant, but he’s as stubborn as I am. Stripping down to my boxer briefs, I step to the unoccupied side of the bed. Calling the sliver she’s left me unoccupied is nonsense. She’s lying literally in the middle of the bed with her arms and legs outstretched as far as she can reach them. Fuck, seeing her laid out so openly in my bed makes the predicament in my pants grow harder.
Delicately picking up one of her arms, I slide into my apportioned piece of the bed. The smell of her freshly washed hair and skin settles over me, soothing my nerves about being alone in the same room with her, let alone a bed. Her scent is a mixture of honey and lavender and makes me speculate what she may taste like. Her scent alone would tempt the devil himself. Dani is a heavenly being that will be my downfall, I’m sure of it. I force myself not to just reach out and touch her, coaching to myself that until I know for sure that she’s cleared of all accusations, she will remain a prisoner and not a lover. After the things I’ve said to her, I doubt her legs will fall open easily for me. Maybe I should just forget sampling her pussy altogether. I’ve never had to beg for pussy, and it’s too easily available for me to start working for it now. She might not even be worth all the trouble anyway, but I can’t shake this unending desire to hold her and feel her beautiful body under me.