Bitter Sweet Deception (The Kingsmen M.C Book 4) (8 page)

“
Here!
I’
m in here
!
”
 
I grab a hold of the chair leg, and hear the locked door handle jingle.

The chair is strewn across the room from the impact of the door as i
t’
s smashed open. I ca
n’
t see the person, but I know who it is. I run into his arms and hold tight.

“
I found her! Sh
e’
s in here
!
”
 
He yells as he holds me hard, shushing me, soothing me.

Heavy footsteps move into the cabin, thudding on the wooden plank floors.

“
She OK
?
”  
“
What the fuck happened
?
”
 
and
 “
Why was she hiding
?
”
 
are spoken from the new members gathered in the room.

I rest my forehead into Clin
k’
s chest and gather myself. I do
n’
t need all this fuss and attention right now, I just need to forget about it and stay in his arms.

His hand rubs over my shoulders.
 “
Babe, what happened? Why ya holed up in here, in the dark
?
”

I shake my head.
 “
Nothing
,
”
 
I whisper.
 “
I
t’
s fine, pleas
e…
just leave it alone
.
”

Clink kisses my forehead.
 “
Shhh. I
t’
s OK now, baby
.
”

He turns to the men standing on the doorway,
 “
Give us a while, guys, but stay close
.
”

They leave and Clink pulls my hands in front of his, rubbing them as they shiver.

“
I need you to tell me what happened. Yo
u’
ve been missing for over an hour
,
”
 
he speaks softly.

I close my eyes,
 “
Please, do
n’t….
”

He raises my hands to his lips.
 “
Sugar, I know you do
n’
t want to tell me. But, you have to, and ther
e’
s very little time here
.
”

“
I
t’
s nothing, really. I do
n’
t know why
I’
m so shaken up. It was just some drunk-ass trying t
o…,
”
 
my voice trails off.

I feel his body harden.
 “
Did he hurt you
?
”

I swallow,
 “
I fell, he trie
d…,
”
 
my voice jumps.

“
Who was he
?
”
 
he demands.

I shake my head.
 “
I do
n’
t know. It was dark. I do
n’
t think I know him
.
”

His head moves over his shoulder.
 “
Get in here
!
”
 
he calls outside the cabin.

All of the men have their cell phones out, the blue-hued illumination lets me see their faces. Tiny, Jay, and Trojan are watching us, waiting for Clink to speak.

“
Gather everyone. I want them weeded out. Anyone wh
o’
s piss drunk and has
n’
t been seen in the last hour, I want them grouped together
.
”

“
Wait
!
”
 
I call out.
 “
H
e…
his ear. I bit it
.
”

Clin
k’
s breathing becomes deep, angered.
 “
You bit his ear
?
”
 
He kisses my lips.

“
Find him
,
”
 
he commands his guys.

They file out, not questioning the directive.

“
Baby, yo
u’
re gonna stay here. Li
l’
s and Sunny will be stay with you until I come back. You keep that door locked and you do
n’
t leave under
any
circumstances. Nod if you understand me
.
”

I nod. He kisses me softly, lingering before leaving my lips.

Li
l’
s and Sunny cautiously walk in, joining us. Clink turns to them.

“
You two take care of her
.
”

They move in, flanking either side of me, helping me to my feet and to the bed, where they lay me out and sit near. I feel better, I feel safe. Li
l’
s holds my hand, patting it. I wrap my fingers around hers, thankful for it.
I’
m not alone anymore.

CHAPTER SEVEN

CLINK

“
This him
?
”

Blue nods.

“
Wh
o’
s crew you in, Prospect
?
”
 
I ask. It takes every ounce of control I have in me not to smash his head into a tree.

The bonfire is dying down, but brothers are gathering around, watching the developments. Word has spread. Almost everyone knows wha
t’
s happened. Women and children have been sent away. H
e’
s drunker than drunk, but the seriousness of his predicament is sobering him up. His teeth chatter as he attempts to speak.

“
W
h…
Wh
i…
White Riddddge
.
”
 
I think he just pissed his pants. He smells like it.

I laugh. H
e’
s in Haw
g’
s crew.
 “
Go get his prez
,
”
 
I order to no one in particular.

I control my breathing, using every fucking fiber in my being not to tear his throat out with my bare hands. I see the dried blood on his cheek, his temple, from the top of his ear. Pride surges in me as I look at it. My girl did that to him, fought back. She earned those patches ten times over tonight.

The amber haze from the campfire flickers around us, the occasional popping of firewood is the only noise being made. Each pair of eyes is on the asshole being held up. H
e’
s as good as dead right now, but, h
e’
s not in my charter. I need a pass from his prez.

“
What the hell is going on?
!
”
 
Hawg barks as the crowd parts for him.

He can tell that
I’
m the focus of the men, so he walks over to me.

“
Wha
t’
s going o
n
is your prospect attacked my woman
,
”
 
I clue him in.

He shoots his gaze to the shit-head, and his skin turns bright red. I
t’
s a direct reflection on him and his leadership if one of his men gets in shit. Even if i
t’
s just a prospect. The fact that the shit happens to be with the o
l’
lady of another charter member is even worse.

“
You do this, kid
?
”
 
he asks the prospect.

The kid attempts to stand straight.
 “
N
o…
sir, I mean, I
-
“

“
You calli
n’
my lady a liar, dumbass
?
”
 
I step closer to him.

He nervously shakes his head.
 “
No, sir. I just mean
t…
I thought she wanted it
.
”

I look to his prez, before turning fast and clocking the prospect in the jaw. He falls to the ground. Nobody helps him up, even though his prez steps in and keeps me from kicking him.

“
She wanted it so bad she practically bit your fucking ear off, you asshole
?
”
 
I point out.

“
Stick to the code, Clink
,
”
 
Hawg commands.

Hawg may not be
my
prez, but h
e’
s still a prez, and h
e’
s right.
I’
m gonna beat the ever-loving shit out of this kid, within an inch of his sorry life, but
I’
m gonna do it the right way. Vince breaks through the crowd, T.J. right beside him. I had sent my sworn brother to go grab our own prez, and fill him in on the walk over.

“
This the dead man
?
”
 
Vince asks.

I nod
 “
This is him. He fucking attacked her. His ass is mine
.
”
 
I eye my prez, my eyes showing the severity of my intentions.

Vince acknowledges my request, nodding over to Hawg,
 “
Le
t’
s start this
.
”

The two of them walk off, just far enough to keep to themselves. The prospect is still on the ground, knowing full well that if he attempts to get up again, his ass is gonna go down. The two leaders hash out the details and then return.

Hawg reaches down and grabs the prospect by the cuff of his leather, pulling the kid up. He harshly removes the leather cut from around the asshol
e’
s shoulders, crumpling it into a ball and then throwing it into the fire.

“
You went after a woman who did
n’
t belong to you, at a club function. You knew she was either an o
l’
lady or a family member of a brother. Either wa
y…
off limits. That alone is enough to strip you of your leather. Yo
u’
re done
.
”
 H
e looks to me now.
 “
The fact that it was
his
  o
l’
lady
,
”
 
he nods to me,
 “i
s enough cause to kill you
.
”

Hawg turns his back on the kid, and rests his hand on my shoulder before leaving.
 “
H
e’
s all yours, do
n’
t make a mess
.
”

******

I hit the bathhouse before making my way back to my cabin. I know Suga
r’
s waiting for me, but the last thing I need is for her to see me like this right now. Tiny has the good sense to run and grab me a fresh pair of jeans and a towel as
I’
m rinsing off under the shower. Jay throws me a bar of soap over the metal half-wall divider.

“
You calmi
n’
down now
?
”
 
he asks, leaning against the tiles behind him, eyes fixed on his fingernail as he concentrates on his thumb.

I submerge myself under the steady stream of lukewarm water to rinse away the splatters of blood.
 “
Getti
n’
there, bro
.
”

He nods.

“
His bike
?
”
 
I ask.

He looks up as Tiny rejoins us, denim and linen in hand.
 “
Still burning. T and Leo took it off about a mile and lit it up
.
”

I lift my chin in silent thanks and dry myself off, all traces of violence cleansed from my skin,

“
Good. The cab drive
r’
s gonna text Blue after the douchebag is dropped at the E.R
.
”

Cage follows Tiny, quiet, the last hour having been the first time h
e’
s seen first hand how club justice is carried out. Needless to say, our newest prospect is still taking it all in. The shit-head ca
n’
t walk on his own, but at least I left him breathing.

I throw the old, bloodied jeans and t-shirt to him,
 “
Throw these in the bonfire
.
”

He catches them, eyes wide and stares at the material evidence in his hands.

“
You waiting for us to draw you a fucki
n’
map? Get going
!
”
 
Jay snaps our prospect from his stunned stupor.

Cage nods quickly.
 “
Yes, sir
.
”
 
H
e’
s gone within a matter of seconds.

Ja
y’
s been holding onto my cut since before I started pummeling the would-be rapist, keeping it safe from being damaged. I take it back from him, sliding my bare arms through the holes. I
t’
s just chilly enough to wonder why Tiny did
n’
t have the good sense to bring me a shirt, too. Whatever. The anger continuing to pump through my veins is still warming my skin.

I shake my head back and forth, fast and sharp, to try to throw some last drops of water off,
 “
I need some fucki
n’
sleep. My hands are gonna kill me tomorrow
.
”

The two of them follow as I walk the twenty five yards or so to my cabin. W
e’
re quiet as we enter, not knowing how w
e’
ll find the girls inside. I
t’
s late. I had hoped Sugar would be sleeping. No such luck.

They say their goodbyes and the two ladies leave my woman to tend to their own men. I close the door as best I can behind them. I had
n’
t kicked it open as hard as I could have, but
I’
ll still have to fix the alignment in the morning.

Sugar is sitting crossed-legged in the center of the bed. Her eyes are dry, her posture slumped, tired. The room is quiet, we watch each other. I fold my leather cut over the back of the half-broken chair in the corner of the small wooden room.

“
Did you kill him
?
”
 
Sugar asks through the darkness between us.

I exhale,
 “
No
.
”

She lifts herself, raising on her knees, facing me.
 “
Are you lying to me
?
”

Reaching out, I thumb her lower lip.
 “
No
.
”

“
I want to believe you
,
”
 
she claims, her voice hushed.

I join her on the bed, urging her to lie back,
 “
I will never give you a reason to not believe me. We do
n’
t do that, Sugar. We do
n’
t lie to each other. You asked me, I told you the truth
.
”

I hold her, feeling her arms slowly wind themselves around me. She breathes deep into my chest, the warmth of her breath tickling over me, calming me.

“
It never would have happened if I was wearing my ra
g….
”

I pull back just far enough to search out the darkness of her pupils.
 “
You do
n’
t believe that
?
”

She shakes her head,
 “
I do
n’
t kno
w…
maybe
-
“

I kiss her forehead, drawing her in.
 “
Rag or no
t…
it was
n’
t your fault. It could have been anyone. And if it had been someone else, they might not have had the sense you did. This could have ended a helluva lot worse for some other girl tonight, babe
.
”

She wiggles her way in closer.
 “
Thank you for finding me
.
”

I know she ca
n’
t see my face, but I close my eyes tight to hide the emotion.
 “
Sugar, I will always find you. Yo
u’
re part of me now
.
”

******

CHARLIE

Needless to say, my first official week as an o
l’
lady wa
s…
eventful.  However awkward I thought it would be facing the shit load of bikers the morning after the
 “
inciden
t
”
 
as I will forever call it, it was equally and surprisingly empowering knowing that my man would go to whatever lengths necessary to protect u
s…
to protect me.