CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Vanessa “Ness / Nessa” Monroe
Arrival in Cape Town
I couldn’t believe that a couple of hours ago I was enjoying a sunny and warm Johannesburg. I had arrived in Joburg, as the locals called it, on Thursday and spent the weekend with Sky, Sin, Lee and Cash and also with Leo, her man Wolf and their son Quinn. My flight to Cape Town was booked for Sunday afternoon and it suited me fine. I had deliberately booked it that way, I didn’t want to arrive during a Friday or Saturday night party. That would have sucked.
While visiting with the girls I was introduced to their posse and instantly liked all of them, even though DC was a tiny bit scary at times. They clued me in on the brother who had hired me as a nanny for his son. Apparently he was a great guy, always smiling and teasing and he was loved by everyone. The important piece of information was that he was a legacy, his grandfather started the Iron Dogz MC and that made him club royalty. His brother, Ice, was the VP of the mother chapter, his father, Bulldog, the Chaplain. His cousin, Hawk, was the club’s National President and the president of the mother chapter. Big guns, all of them.
Leo and Chris took me to the airport because Sky had something on with her kids, a birthday party at the club I think.
As I hugged them goodbye Leo tried to warn me that the weather in Cape Town was a lot different to the weather in Joburg. Apparently the city was in a winter rainfall area and they were having heavy rain and wind at the moment. I thought I would be okay, I’ve weathered a blizzard while on a tour bus. How could rain and wind be worse than that?
Hah! I was wrong.
Our flight was the last allowed to land before they closed the airport because of the wind. The plane shook and shuddered and veered from one side of the runway to the other before it set down. The tunnel that linked the plane to the airport creaked and groaned and shook as all the passengers rushed towards the safety of the building.
There was a long queue to get through customs but eventually I was through. The arrivals area was packed and Leo had told me my new boss was a tall, well-built guy with long blonde hair. That’s who I was looking for.
I stood frowning surrounded by my bags as I scanned the area. There were plenty of tall guys, none of them had long blonde hair.
“Hey, are you Vanessa Monroe?” A deep voice had my eyes swivel to the side.
A giant stood next to me. He was at least six foot four or five.
“Yeah, I am, and who might you be?” I asked with raised eyebrows.
He grinned and shrugged. “I’m Wrath and I was sent to pick you up. Actually, Smiles and I were sent to pick you up.” He pointed at a guy who stood a little behind him.
Smiles wasn’t smiling, he was looking me over. I wanted to tell him I wasn’t interested but that would’ve been rude. And just saying, he wasn’t short either.
“My new boss was supposed to pick me up.” I said quietly.
“Ja, but he’s got his son this weekend and they are spending the day with friends. He asked us to pick you up and take you to the clubhouse. I think he asked one of the old ladies to help you get settled in. But I’m not sure.” He looked a bit uneasy.
Oh well, it wasn’t like I could complain. My new boss had chosen his son over me and that’s a good thing.
Making general small talk I walked between my two picker-upperers (was there even such a word I wondered). They insisted on taking my bags and only after an almost altercation was I allowed to carry my backpack. Typical biker boys.
The moment we left the airport building the wind hit us. It felt like it was gale force and came straight from the arctic. It was freezing and I gasped in shock.
“You got a jacket in your carry on?” The one called Smiles asked with a frown.
My teeth chattered as I nodded, grabbing it from his hand I handed over my back pack then crouched and opened my carry on right there, on the walkway towards the parking area. My favourite black hoody was right on top and I quickly got it out and pulled it on before closing my bag again. A hand came out and took the handle of the bag, pulling it away from me. I stood and pulled the hem of the hoody down to my thighs then looked up at my escorts with a smile.
They weren’t smiling, their eyes were riveted on the logo on my chest.
Dropping my chin I looked down and sighed.
“What the fuck are you wearing?” Wrath growled while Smiles looked pissed off.
I slammed my fists onto my hips and gave them attitude back.
“It’s a Shadow Wraiths MC hoody, it was sort of a gift from my brother. He’s a member of the SWMC. I grew up in Savannah around the club.” I grinned and winked. “And maybe he didn’t give it to me, it’s more like I stole it from him.”
“Oh fuck.” Smiles said then started grinning, wider and wider. “Who is your brother, maybe we know him, a few of the Wraiths have been here before.”
“He goes by Magic, Magic Monroe.” I watched them closely and both started laughing.
Why?
“Does Spider know you’re related to a brother from the SWMC?” Wrath asked through his laughter.
I frowned as I thought back to the interview. I think I did tell him.
“I think I did tell him, I had flu at the time so I don’t clearly remember the entire interview. I might have taken an edible to try and feel better before I spoke to him.” I confessed.
It made them laugh even harder. Wrath threw a big arm over my shoulder and urged me towards the parking garage.
“Well, little sister, I’m thinking you’re going to be a handful and entertaining as fuck. I was going to trade off fetching you with one of the prospects, now I’m so fucking happy I didn’t. Can’t wait to see the brothers’ reactions when they realise they won’t be allowed to try and score with the beautiful new girl because she’s club property, family, untouchable.” Wrath and Smiles cackled like a mad men as we walked.
The moment he had put his arm around me his big body had cut the force of the wind and I moved closer to his warmth.
“You’re freezing, let’s get you in the cage and head home. I’m thinking it’s going to be an interesting couple of hours.” Smiles said as he moved closer to my other side. They quickly guided me towards a large black SUV.
I thankfully climbed in and left the baggage to the boys.
Thank goodness I was wearing my comfy biker boots so my tootsies were nice and warm. The rest of me soon warmed up, Smiles turned up the heat on the drive to their clubhouse. It was quite an adventurous drive with the wind constantly gusting across the highway. It became clear why they came to fetch me in the big heavy vehicle.
Smaller cars were flying down the highway pushed around by the wind, playing a dangerous game of dodgem with the other cars.
I was fascinated by the little I could see through the flying mist and rain. I was able to make out the faint outline of the famous mountain as we got closer to the city. We didn’t head towards it though, the road took us away from it.
I was surprised to see that we were entering an obviously built up area.
It looked like their clubhouse was close to the city and not on the outskirts like most others I’ve been to. Joburg was some way away from the city in a very rural looking area.
Cape Town was different though.
“Your clubhouse isn’t on the outskirts of the city like most others I’ve been to.” I asked without asking.
Wrath turned in his seat and grinned. “No it’s not, we like being close to our businesses. We run import and export businesses from the docks and it’s convenient to be this close. Our logistics company runs from there as well and of course we like being so close to the ocean. If you stand on the roof of the clubhouse or any of the duplexes you can see the ocean. That’s another thing we like, being able to go to the beach when we get the urge and not having to travel bloody miles to get there. Unless of course you want to go to a beach that’s not close, then travel is inevitable.”
I was listening intently.
“How’s the surfin’ around here? I’ve done some research but I’d like to hear it from a local, you can’t always go by the reviews you see online.”
“Your best bet would be to talk to Kellen. He’s a tattoo artist who does most of the club’s work and he surfs when he’s not tattooing. I heard one of the brothers saying that he surfs the big waves out at Dungeons.”
I nodded. “I’ve read about Dungeons and the size of the waves there. I’d be givin’ it a look once my stuff arrives.”
“Your stuff? What stuff?” Smiles asked.
“Takin’ a job on what is virtually the other side of the world is difficult if you don’t have some of your things around you. I have a small container comin’ in with the things I couldn’t bring on the plane.”
I didn’t elaborate, they didn’t need to know all the shit I packed in there. I got enough shit from Lure and Breaker when they saw what I was taking with me. I packed that little container like I was playing a game of Tetris.
The club handled the import documentation and assured me it would slide through customs on this side without any questions asked.
I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that they were right.
“I’m curious, why would you take a job so far from your family and friends?” Wrath half turned in his seat to watch me.
Shaking my head I rolled my eyes.
“My Mama, she’s been getting on my case about settlin’ down and givin’ her grandbabies. It was drivin’ me nuts. And the men she kept on pushin’ at me to date truly sucked. When Sky called with a possible job I jumped at it. I had to get out of Savannah before I lost it with her and said somethin’ I shouldn’t.”
“What did she say when you told her you had taken on a job in South Africa?” Smiles glanced at me in the rear view mirror.
“She was not happy but my dad talked her around. She fell for his bullshit about how I might meet a good man here like Leo did. Absolute bullshit but it did save me havin’ to be shitty with my mama.”
“You do know none of the brothers are going to get anywhere near you, right?” Wrath asked a bit worriedly.
Laughter burst from me and I shook my head.
“I’m not here lookin’ for a man, Wrath. I’m goin’ to do my job and when I’m not workin’ I’ll be out and about explorin’ your country.”
Both men nodded as if they knew what I was talking about, they had no clue what exploring meant to me.
We slowed and I leant forward, watching as huge heavy steel gates slowly slid open and we drove in. Their forecourt was different to that of the Wraiths. It was paved with minimal trees and no gardens or lawns. There were cars parked to one side but not a single bike in front of what was obviously the front doors of the clubhouse. I suppose the brothers had undercover parking for their bikes on rainy days.
“You don’t have many trees around here.” I said as I looked around.
“No we don’t, a lot of trees get blown down during storms. Keeping the trees away from the buildings is a safer option, you can’t see it from here but there are trees at the back of the property.” Smiles explained as he pulled up to the front door.
“Stay in the cage, wait for Wrath to help you out. The wind is gusting a lot, it’s safer to have him holding the door.”
The wind was shaking the heavy SUV so I was happy to wait on Wrath.
Walking into the clubhouse was almost like coming home. The smells of beer, leather and a slight whiff of cigarette smoke hit me as I walked through the door. The door opened directly into the common room and it was a busy night. There were men relaxing on the couches, others sat around tables talking and laughing. There was the sound of glasses and bottles clinking and a bit further away I could just make out the sound of pool balls clacking together.
There were women mixed in between the men and though there was some groping going on I didn’t see a single naked ass which was a bit odd.
Silence fell as we walked down the centre towards the bar. There were mutters and I suspect it might have something to do with the fact I was wearing another club’s patch on my back while walking into theirs.
Wrath led me straight through the room to where a group of women were sitting with their backs to the bar, watching our approach intently. One look at their faces and their body language let me know these women were not to be trifled with. They were seriously badass.
I put on an innocent smile and hoped for the best.
“Ladies, allow me to introduce you to Vanessa Monroe, Rush’s new nanny.” He raised his voice a bit so those around us could hear him. “She comes to us from Savannah, and yes, she’s Shadow Wraiths MC family. She’s the little sister of Magic, a brother we rode with when he was here during Pixie and Cajun’s shit. I will take it as a direct insult to me if she’s disrespected by anyone connected to the IDMC.”
Wow. That was a big step to take for someone he didn’t know at all.
A woman with a long scar on her face stood and gave me a small smile.
“Welcome Vanessa, my name is Noelle, but everyone calls me Noe, I’m Kid’s old lady, he’s the VP around here. These ladies are my crew, Cuba, Star, Evvie, Mads, Pet and Carla.”
I nodded and shook hands with them all, memorising their names and faces.
“Thank you, my friends and family call me Ness or Nessa.” I smiled.
“Not Van?” The one called Cuba asked.
“No, no one has ever called me that. I think it’s because my parents put the accent on the second part of my name and not the first. It sort of naturally led to Nessa.”
“Cool, very cool.” Cuba grinned and winked.
This girl was naughty, it was right there in the twinkle in her eyes.
“You were Sky’s nanny weren’t you?” Pet, a woman who was a bit younger than the others, asked.
“Yes, I was. Our families knew each other and I started workin’ for her while I was studyin’. It eventually morphed into me goin’ on tour with the band because she refused to leave Lee behind.”
“Have you met any rock stars?” The one called Star asked.
I nodded. “Yes, I have.”
I didn’t elaborate because I had learned after years on the road that loose lips will get you in serious trouble.
Not me as such, but there have been PA’s and assistants who had been fired and then sued because they talked about their employers.
“Aren’t you going to give us names?” Noe asked with a wink.
“Sorry, no, I don’t talk about the people the band worked with. I can mention bands but not individuals.”
“I saw a post in Instagram that said Sweet Sacrifice was going to release a new album soon, and there’s talk that they will be doing a world tour. Do you know anything about that?” Someone in the group around us asked.
I shook my head. I would never discuss Cat or the band with anyone except Sky. After doing that short tour with them we had both become very protective of her and the band. They might have been working but they were still dealing with the horrific loss of Cat’s husband, Niko.
Noe came to my rescue, she drew me with her to an empty table and had me sit next to her as her crew took up the other spaces. The people who had crept closer while we were talking moved away and I breathed easier.
“When you’re not being a nanny what do you do for fun?” She asked.
Now that was something I could talk about.
“I’m a bit of an outdoor adventure nut, my favourites are hikin’ and rock climbin’ but I haven’t been out in a while now. I’ve been takin’ care of my brother for the last few months and didn’t get out much. I’d like to get back to it on my days off.”
We were chatting about hiking trails and climbs around Cape Town when the front doors opened and a wild gust of wind spun inside.
“Close the fucking doors!” Someone shouted.
“Fuck off!” A voice shouted back as the door slammed closed. There was a burst of laughter and friendly banter between the men closest to the doors.
I turned and it took all of my self-control to stop my mouth from falling open in wonder.
A man unlike any I had ever seen before stood just inside the door, the light falling over him from above, turning his blonde hair golden. He looked like what I imagined a Viking god might have looked like. He had a hard but beautiful face with sculpted angles and a strong jawline accentuated by a short, dark golden beard. Not only that, his body was a perfect blend of Thor and Aquaman. And they happened to be two of my favourite action heroes.
The windblown unruly mass of his golden hair fell to broad shoulders that led down to a nice chest, narrow waist and hips, and finally, down to heavy thighs that strained the fabric of his jeans, showcasing an excellent package.
I gave it a second glance and yes, it was true, that package was indeed rather spectacular.
Unfortunately the Viking god wasn’t alone.
He had his arm curved around the shoulders of a stunning blonde leading her towards the bar. She was his perfect mate, tall, with curves in all the right places, almost white blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. A Nordic goddess fit for a Viking god.
They were like that perfect couple people stared at in awe.
I couldn’t look away from him.
And then his eyes met mine and the world around me ground to a halt. He had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen, they were surrounded by dark lashes and slashing dark brows.
The man was model or film star beautiful, simply freaking stunning.
Blinking I turned away from him only to meet the eyes of a woman standing in the shadows with her back to the wall. For some reason she was glaring at me. What the hell had I done to her? I only arrived here about an hour ago, there was no way I could have offended her so soon.
Shaking her glare off I looked at my new friends.
“And that stunning piece of man meat, dearest heart, is your new boss and his latest bit of bed fluff.” Cuba said quietly, her voice pitched so low no one but I could hear her.
I made big eyes at her and she nodded. We were on exactly the same page thoughts wise.
Holy shit.
Thank heavens I had experience with keeping my cool around hot as hell rock stars.
This man was right up there with the hottest rock stars, stars like Trace Hanover and Seth Radcliffe, who happened to be two of my favourite rock people.
Putting the beautiful Seth front and centre in my brain I used him to get my head straight before meeting my new boss. I used to have a huge crush on Seth but it turned into friendship when we toured together. He was a great guy who deserved better than the raw deal he got with his ex-wife.
“Wrath, brother, did you collect Ms Monroe from the airport?” My new boss asked as he came closer.
I made big eyes at the ladies around me and they smirked knowingly.
“Yeah, I did.” Wrath was leaning back against the bar with Smiles, their elbows hooked on the bar top. He was indolently swinging his chair from side to side.
“Then where the hell is she, brother? I don’t see her here.” The Viking frowned.
Wrath gave an evil grin.
“You looking for a woman wearing a granny type outfit with one of those tight buns at the back of her head, brother?”
Cuba shook with laughter and we slowly turned to look at the pair now standing close to our table.
The Viking god frowned. “She’s a fucking nanny, what else is she going to wear? They don’t dress like normal girls or women because they deal with children.”
I gaped at the asshole. Where the fuck did he get that idea? Did he not talk to Sky?
Groans and mutters had me glancing at Noe and her ladies. They were all shaking their heads in what I can only call disbelief.
“Nessa, sweetheart, can you stand for me, please?” Wrath called out.
I knew what he was doing, he wanted the asshole to see that I was sitting with Noe and her crew plus I would bet good money he wanted the dick to see my club affiliation. So be it, let him see and take all that assholish arrogance a step back.
I pushed my chair back, making it scrape loudly in the suddenly silent room, and stood. Slowly, so slowly, giving him time to see the SWMC patch on my back, I turned and met blue eyes that were filled with surprise and a healthy dose of shock.
“Mr Walker, I’m your new nanny, Vanessa Monroe.” I went very Southern on him, the drawl and everything, sounding a lot like my mama when she was pissed. “That would be, Ms Monroe to you, sir.”
Our eyes held and I refused to look away, refused to back down.
I wasn’t some club bitch he could disrespect the way he had just done in front of his bloody club. Making out that anyone who chose to be a nanny was a boring old maid.
His head tipped to the side and his eyes narrowed as he took me in from top to toe. He no longer had an arm around the blonde and she was no longer plastered to his side. She stood beside him, hip cocked as she looked me over.
And then I recognised her. Damn.
Spoilt rotten rock royalty was in the house.
“Vanessa, good to see you again.” Her insincere smile did not reach her eyes, and I gave her back the same.
“Good to see you too, Ingrid.”
The asshole looked at his woman with a frown. “You know her?”
Ingrid nodded. “I do, we met when Indigo Moon did a short tour with my dad’s band a few years ago. She was on the tour as the nanny for Sky’s little girl.”
She turned back to me.
“You’re no longer with Sky I take it.” She looked confused for some reason.
Everyone in the music world knew Sky was taking a break from touring because of her new baby. Why didn’t she?
“No, I’m not. The older kids are in school now and Sky is taking a break from touring.”
“Oh, I hadn’t heard, but then I’ve been working on my dad’s world tour and not taking much notice of what the lesser known bands are doing.” Her smile was cold and supremely arrogant.
She was a fucking nobody, her claim to fame was her father who was classified as a rock god in the business. Using his fame to make herself look important was pathetic.
I didn’t answer, just shrugged.
My new boss chose that moment to step up.
“Ms Monroe, I’m Spider Walker and you’ll be taking care of my son, Rush. Did Wrath show you to the duplex where you will be living?” He asked.
“No, not yet, we came inside out of the wind and haven’t been brave enough to set foot outside again.” I turned and smiled at Wrath to soften my words.
The big ass winked and Smiles laughed outright.
“We’ll take your things to the unit after dinner. Our prez’s old lady is cooking tonight and you don’t want to miss it. If we leave now and she tells these empty stomachs there’s food we’ll be having bread and jam for supper. They’re like a swarm of locusts around her food. It will be gone in seconds.” Smiles teased.
“That sounds great, I’m good here with Noe, Cuba and the rest of the crew.”
“Cool.” He smiled at the asshole. “There, all taken care of, brother. We’ll see to it that Nessa is settled in. You taking Ingrid back to her place or are you two staying here tonight?”
“I just came in to meet with Ms Monroe, we’ll be going back to the apartment. I’ll see you in the morning to go over the necessary paperwork, Ms Monroe.”
With that he dismissed me and turned to Ingrid.
“You ready to go, babe?” He asked as he pulled her back under his arm.
She snuggled into his side, giving him a nod and a warm smile. The woman in the shadows chose that moment to move and I glanced her way. She had a murderous look on her face as she watched the two of them. Oh shit, that there was trouble waiting to happen.
Spider turned and without another word walked back out into the stormy early evening.
No good to meet you. No good night. Nothing.
What a rude ass.
“Well, that was weird for Spider to be so rude.” Noe said.
“Ja, he looked pissed off from the moment he walked in. I think he had another run in with his baby mama.” Star said softly. “I’m going to quickly check.”
She pulled a tablet out of her bag and was tapping away on it within seconds. Her concentration fully engaged in her task.
I didn’t know enough about Spider’s situation to join in the discussion so I sat back and listened.
And all the while I was aware of the woman glaring at me.
Finally I couldn’t ignore it a moment longer.
“Who is the woman in the shadows over there glarin’ at me like I stole her lollipop or somethin’?” I asked Cuba softly.
She glanced around surreptitiously then snorted and shook her head.
“That’s Natalie. She’s had the biggest crush on Spider ever since he transferred here from Joburg. Not that he did anything to warrant her delusions. Her father apparently tried to talk him into marrying her to show the courts he could provide a two parent home should he get custody of his son. Spider nixed the idea, shot him down and told Natalie it’s never going to happen. And now you are here to take care of Rush which means he definitely doesn’t need a wife to help take care of his son. I’d give her a wide berth if I was you, she doesn’t strike me as the most stable bitch around. And I should know, I’ve lived around unstable bitches for too many years not to be able to instantly pick them out of a crowd.”
“Cuba isn’t wrong.” Mads said quietly, leaning in from my other side, she had obviously been listening to us. “That girl is seriously fucked up in the upstairs department. She walks around as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth but there’s shit going on up there. We’ve been keeping an eye on her because she’s creepy around the kids. Now that you’re here we’ll have one more set of eyes on her, which is great. Not that any of these fuckers would ever notice the wrong in her, all they see is the sweet kid doing whatever she can to help the club while studying to become a doctor. Total fucking bullshit.”
“Fuck.” I swore softly and both women nodded in agreement.
Another problem I’d have to deal with along with my grumpy boss.
And my new boss was grumpy with a capital G.