Authors: Jamie Begley
From the men’s expressions, they knew she was lying. She had deliberately made a fool of herself to protect someone else, which Willa didn’t regret. Everyone thought she was useless unless she was baking, anyway. She was just proving them right.
Lucky’s eyes narrowed on her as she wiped her clammy hands on the side of her jeans. His gaze lowered to the tight jeans she had thrown on when Drake had told her about Sissy. The top she had on was an older, pink one that had faded from numerous washings. She always wore it when she was baking. The buttons were strained at the breasts, threatening to pop at any second.
Becoming even more embarrassed at her appearance, she focused on the stranger with them and almost lost what little composure she had left. The biker was tall and muscular through his chest, tapering down to a lean waist that Willa was sure had a six-pack of abs hidden behind his T-shirt. His wavy, brown hair and finely chiseled features would have made him too pretty if not for the square jaw and the dangerous aura that clung to him.
Willa wasn’t the only one having a hard time keeping her eyes off him. Sissy’s gaze was glued to him, too.
“Ready, Drake? I need to get home.” She needed to get the hormone-riddled teenage girl away from the bikers. They were even affecting Willa, and she was older.
Wishing she had the courage to act like one of The Last Rider women, Willa did what any sane Christian woman would do—she fled.
“I’m ready.” Drake moved to the side, motioning for her to go in front of him.
Willa started for the door, somehow bumping into Lucky, though she could have sworn she had left more distance between them. Her nipples hardened behind the thin shirt.
When Rider nearly tripped over a chair rushing to open the door for her, she gave him a smile yet didn’t stop until she reached Drake’s car. The teenagers followed reluctantly, not wanting to leave the presence of the bikers.
Cal and Jace both admired the motorcycles sitting in the parking lot, while Sissy was in la-la-land. Willa could imagine the teenage fantasies going through her mind, picturing herself on the back of one of the motorcycles with her arms wrapped around one of the good-looking men. Willa knew because she’d had a few of those fantasies herself. For Sissy, though, those fantasies had a possibility of becoming a reality in the future. For Willa, not so much.
The most hurtful insult she had ever been given to her had been from Sissy’s mother when she had said her fat ass was too big for a motorcycle. She had wanted to burst into tears from the remark; instead, Willa had never allowed herself to fantasize again. She kept her feet and mind planted in reality. Fantasies were for women who didn’t wear a size eighteen on a good day and a twenty when it wasn’t.
The car ride was silent to her house, each lost in their own thoughts. Willa tried to determine the best way to deal with Sissy and came up blank. When Drake pulled the car to a stop in the driveway, Sissy jumped out.
Drake’s “good luck” sounded in her ears as she rushed after her.
Mrs. Stevens opened the door, and Sissy barged past her. Willa took the time to thank her then waited for her to leave before going upstairs to knock on Sissy’s door.
“Go away!”
Willa didn’t want to wake the rest of the children. Leaning her forehead against the door, she admitted defeat for now.
“Go to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.” She kept her voice low.
Hearing no response, Willa went into her room, sinking down on the side of her bed. Then she buried her face in her hands and let the tears of frustration, hurt, and anger escape. When the last of her tears were spent, she lay back on her comforter.
“God, I thought I could do this without any help, but I was wrong. Anything you could do to help, I would appreciate.” Her swollen eyes closed in exhaustion then opened quickly. “And if there was any way to make Sissy like me, I’ll never miss church again.”
*
*
*
“That sweet piece of ass live in town?” Moon asked, still staring at the door Rider was watching Willa through.
Lucky’s teeth ground together, leaving Rider to answer his question.
“Yeah.”
“And you fuck-wads haven’t brought her into the club?”
“No,” Lucky managed to answer this time. “She’s not the type.”
Moon burst into laughter. “Are you fucking kidding me? Did you see those tits when you tried to cop a feel? The least you motherfuckers could have done was to introduce me to her. The next time I see her, I’ll introduce myself.”
“Stay away from her.” Lucky’s body went taut. “You’re in enough hot water in Ohio from fucking the wrong woman.”
“Sweet tits daddy the mayor?”
“No.”
“Then who’s going to give me shit? You should be kissing my ass for trying to accomplish what you haven’t had the balls to do. By the time I head back to Ohio, she’ll be our newest member.”
If any other brother was doing the bragging, Lucky would doubt they would be successful with Willa. However, Moon was notorious for his skills with women. He had been given his nickname because the brothers all joked, when the moon came up, the women’s panties dropped. They were attracted to him like flies to a corpse.
“I am.” Lucky’s voice dripped ice.
“Since when do you care who I fuck?”
“Since you think you’re going to fuck Willa.”
“The Last Riders share, and you’ve never had a problem with it before.”
“I’ll share any woman you want, just not Willa. She’s not ours to share,” he reasoned.
“Yet,” Rider broke in. “I agree with Moon. He may be able to convince her to join. He’s new to town, so she may lower her guard with him.”
Lucky glared at Rider’s anticipatory grin.
“Never.” Lucky blasted both men with a heated glare. “Besides, she’s seeing someone,” Lucky threw out another attempt to dissuade the two men.
Knox was standing by, watching the men impassively.
“Who?” Rider grumbled.
“Drake.”
“You sure? I know they had lunch together, but I don’t think they’re together.”
Rider’s perception of the relationship between Drake and Willa loosened a knot in his stomach he had been unaware of.
Lucky shrugged. “How do I know? It’s not like we’re best friends.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.” Moon slapped Rider on the back. “Sit back and watch the master at work.”
Lucky frowned. “It’s not going to be as easy as you think.”
“Why not?”
Moon’s attitude toward Willa had gradually been getting on his frayed nerves, but his cocky arrogance was the last straw. Lucky turned on his heel, he had to blink several times to clear the red mist of fury nearly blinding him. He stood in the doorway as Drake’s car pulled onto the road.
“Don’t worry, brother; I’ll make sure you get a taste.”
Moon’s voice behind him released the fury that Lucky had been holding back. Without thinking, Lucky swung around.
“Willa wouldn’t look at you on a good day.”
“Brother, it must be my day then ‘cause she was looking,” Moon retorted.
“Only because I was standing in front of you. Everyone in town knows it’s me she wants,” Lucky ground out, trying to convince himself that Willa wouldn’t be swayed by Moon.
Rider shook his head. “I don’t know about that.”
“Shut up.” Lucky’s scowl had Rider taking a step closer to Knox.
“Is that a challenge? Let’s make a bet, brother. The first one who manages to get sweet tits in bed gets the pick of Rider’s bikes.”
“Fuck no!” Rider shouted. “Why should I give up one of my bikes?”
“You getting anywhere with her?” Moon surveyed him critically.
“No,” Rider admitted.
“That’s why. Isn’t getting that bitch to become a member worth giving up a bike?”
Rider’s face reflected his dilemma. “Shit, if she wasn’t such a good cook, I would say no. I wouldn’t give one of my bikes for a hundred women, but Willa’s peanut butter candy anytime I want it is worth a bike,” he reluctantly agreed.
The chance to get one of Rider’s cherished motorcycles didn’t tempt Lucky, but he had no intention of standing back and watching Moon initiate Willa into the club when he had stayed away from her for her own good. There was no way he could prevent Moon from trying to go after Willa, but he could place a road block in his path.
“Fine, I’ll take the bet. To make sure it’s fair, none of the other brothers can get in on the bet, just you and me,” Lucky stated his terms.
If the other brothers who didn’t have an old lady heard that one of Rider’s bikes was the prize, all the single men would be trying to get in on the bet.
“Works for me,” Moon agreed with a calculating expression.
Lucky’s fist connected with his cheekbone, knocking him backward and pushing several chairs over in the waiting area. Lucky then reached down and took a handful of his T-shirt, lifting him out of the chairs enough to punch him again. Knox and Rider both pulled him off the dazed man before his fist could connect a third time.
“Stop it, Lucky!” Knox yelled. “What in the fuck is wrong with you?”
Lucky shook him off. “Leveling the playing field.”
After Moon was helped to his feet by Rider, spitting out blood onto the floor, Rider stared back and forth between Moon and Lucky, his body taut, waiting for the two men to go at each other. Moon sat on the chair that Knox had placed near him until the brother could regain what sense he had left.
Lucky wanted to punch Rider for agreeing to put up a motorcycle because it would only incite Moon further. Moon’s bet would provide him with the woman he wanted with none of the work to actually get to know Willa.
Lying in wait for Willa at King’s was the most effort Rider had put out on a woman. Usually, he sat back and let someone else lead his prey to him. As a result, Lucky wasn’t worried that Rider would get near enough to Willa to seduce the woman, because he lacked the one thing that would lure Willa to his bed.
Lucky stormed from the police station before he changed his mind and taught Rider his own lesson. Reaching his bike, Lucky managed to calm his raging fury. With his hands on his handlebars, he sat facing the church that was completely dark.
“I won’t be led back to you.” Unconsciously, Lucky lowered his head. “For years, I’ve watched and waited as others lived the life I wanted. I can’t live the life I would have to in order to serve You.
Let me go
.”
Lucky raised his head, and the invisible thread that always seemed wound around him felt like it was suddenly released. Blood rushed through his veins, his heart pounding as Lucky felt the last tie holding him back evaporate. He breathed in as if his lungs were no longer constricted for the first time in years. Lucky breathed in deeply again then released it, tasting freedom on the tip of his tongue.
Starting his bike, he pulled out of the parking lot, riding away from the church without glancing back.
Chapter 7
Lucky glanced to his side, grinning at Viper as they rode their bikes through the countryside. Decreasing his speed as they neared Treepoint, which was busy with traffic, he heard Bliss make a sound at his back. The woman loved speed.
As he brought his bike to a stop at the red light, a car pulled to a stop behind him. Looking in his mirror, he saw Willa sitting behind the wheel, her ugly minivan filled with the children she had taken in. His hands clenched his handlebars when he saw where her gaze was focused. He knew exactly because it was the same sight he had been treated to when they had first departed from the clubhouse.
Bliss was wearing a black leather halter top with a pair of low, hip-hugger blue jeans that showed the top of her ass when she leaned forward to hug the rider. She had begun the trip on the back of Train’s bike, but when they had stopped for lunch and returned to the bikes, she had climbed on behind him. He had almost told her to get off, but the other brothers had already peeled out.
He could imagine the thoughts going through Willa’s mind, remembering Georgia’s cruel comment to her about being too large to ride a bike.
The sound of Viper’s accelerating engine when the light turned green had Lucky riding forward, following the president’s lead, but the hurt expression on Willa’s face tore at him the entire ride back to the clubhouse.
When he came to a stop, Bliss jumped off, joining the rest of the members as they went up the steep flight of steps.
“Coming?” Shade asked with his arm around Lily’s shoulder, keeping her close to his side.
“No, going out for a while.” Lucky backed his bike out, turning once again to the road.
He wasn’t ready to go inside yet. Shade would disappear inside his home with Lily, and the rest of the crew would be ready to party. However, with Willa’s reaction to Bliss heavy on his mind, he wasn’t in the mood to fuck or drink.
The feelings the timid woman roused in him were harder to escape than leaving the church. The more he fought against them, the harder he was being wrenched back.
After two hours of riding, Lucky came to a stop behind a stand of trees that hid him from the sight of a solitary small house where a light shone in one of the windows. He leaned against one of the trees, watching as the sun set and darkness fell.
He was still as a statue when the front door opened before a heavily built man left the house and went down the front steps into the yard, moving to the side to pick up a bucket. Lucky watched as he went to a kennel containing the two dogs inside, his lips thinning as the dogs were fed and watered. He had observed the same scene several times, enough to know what was coming next.
After they were fed, they were released to roam the land. Bridge used the dogs to guard his property from the predators that roamed the night.
Bridge went back inside the house as the dogs took off, running in Lucky’s direction. Lucky straightened as the dogs skirted between the trees, searching for his scent.
They stopped in front of him and Lucky reached into his pocket, pulling out the two treats he had taken out of his saddle bags and tossing them to the two dogs. Bridge didn’t spoil the dogs, so Lucky took advantage, training the dogs to his scent to reward them.
Once they raced off with the treats in their large jaws, Lucky remained until his legs began to cramp then went to his bike. Starting the motor, he revved the engine, wanting Bridge to hear from inside before Lucky headed back to Treepoint.