LULA
Tricky and his boys were battered and humiliated, except for Jagger, who had refused to play along with the spectacle. The pretty boy VP sat untouched on his motorcycle while the rest of his club joined him on their rides.
The foxes yelled at the fleeing bikers. That was the only part of the battle I was able to participate in since Exile refused to let me show off my skills with Goldie’s brass knuckles.
“I need an ice pack,” Sabrina announced, and her girlfriends ran over to blow on her busted knuckles.
Elle, Goldie, and Jas began dancing in circles around Rock, who shook his head and tried to walk away. They moved with him and began chanting.
Bouncing around Exile, I joined in with the foxes’ sing-song rendition of our club name. By the time Rock freed himself of the drunken women, most of our members were chanting “Crimson Guard” as we entered the bar.
Zodiac and his guys followed us inside. Even without the Black Rainbow president saying a word, I could tell his temper raged hot. I also noticed how Exile and the other men fed off his anger.
“People thought I was crazy to deny membership to the sons of former members as if I was losing out on talent,” Zodiac growled while wiping blood from his lips. “Those fuckers got rejected from our club for a reason, and it’s that they punch like—”
The Crimson Guard foxes stopped chanting and stared hard at Zodiac, thinking he was about to insult his enemy by comparing them to girls.
Zodiac noticed their potential rage and finished his thought with, “They throw punches like the elderly.”
The foxes smiled and started chanting “Black Rainbow” while Rowdy ordered a round of booze for everyone.
“We really will need to Uber everyone home,” I told Exile.
Feeding off his president’s tension, Exile refused to soften his expression. I wasn’t sure why Zodiac was so pissed since he’d proven himself a top-notch fighter and his opponents had literally run away like scared children.
Yet, Zodiac seethed as he dropped into a chair at a table near the stage. The waitress was so intimidated by his enraged face that she wouldn’t approach him to drop off his drink. I took the beer bottle from her and rested it in front of Zodiac.
“Why are you fighting a tantrum, big guy?” I asked and sat in the chair next to his.
Exile inhaled sharply, either worried about my safety or feeling too possessive to allow me such proximity to his president.
Zodiac narrowed his gaze at me and snarled, “You don’t want me to say what I’m thinking. You also don’t want to know that Exile is thinking the same thing. If you knew, you’d give that man blue balls, and he’d whine to me. So, I’m going to drink this beer and keep my mouth shut.”
I sipped my drink and smiled at Zodiac. “I already know what you’re thinking. I know what Exile thinks. It’s what I’ve been hearing for years. Nothing about your concerns is particularly unique, so maybe settle your britches.”
“They’re plenty settled,” Zodiac said, watching me like a predator.
Exile had me stand up so he could take my seat. Then, he gestured for me to use him as my chair. I did as he requested since relationships were all about give and take.
“We’re in a war,” Zodiac told me before glancing at the foxes dancing to the overhead music. “Do you think you can keep up?”
“Sure.”
“Your people barely injured the other club.”
“Because they aren’t the enemy.”
“Wrong,” Sabrina said and sat in the empty chair next to me. “Lula, come sit on my lap.
“No,” I insisted, even as she seized me by the arm and yanked me over to her lap. “Good Lord.”
“Let me rephrase my sister’s earlier comment,” Sabrina said while I rolled my eyes. “She meant Tricky and Jagger aren’t our enemies. A handful of other Jokers are fine, too. But those Louisiana fucks are the enemy. That’s why Jas stabbed one of them in the balls.”
“In the balls!” Goldie yelled and high-fived Jas.
“That’s a nice story,” Zodiac told Sabrina.
“Here’s another one. If you and your boys had been in the garage that day with Lula, I think you’d all be fucking dead.”
“Oh, really?”
“The hired guns underestimated the sisters for the same reason you do. Those fuckers went in soft and got themselves killed. Now, if they had seen you and Exile walking with Lula, there wouldn’t be any of that cloak-and-dagger shit.
No one would have grabbed your ass to act as a hostage.
Nope, they’d have shot you in the fucking face. ”
“Well, that’s a nice theory.”
Sabrina nudged me to get off her lap, so I moved back to Exile’s. My sister stood up and looked over Zodiac and his clubmates.
“If we’re at war, you boys are the ones who ought to watch out,” Sabrina said and then patted Exile’s shoulder while looking over his club brothers. “And if you, Black Rainbow meat shields, would be willing to take a bullet to save my future brother-in-law, I’d be very thankful.”
Zodiac watched her strut to the bar top and glanced at me. “She’s charming.”
“You should be happy about tonight.”
“I am happy,” Zodiac said and looked back at his guys. “Don’t I look happy?”
York shrugged and gave his president a nod. The other men remained frozen in pissed off biker mode.
“Were you hoping we’d kill one of the Jokers?” I asked Zodiac.
“No.”
“Then, why are you so surly?”
Zodiac’s hostile expression flipped on a dime. Smiling now, he ran his hands through his hair and shrugged.
“Your curiosity is appreciated, but a man needs his secrets.”
Standing up, he took his beer and walked to the bar top. Most of the Black Rainbow followed after him. Exile remained with me while York fled the overhead music.
“It’s his tinnitus,” Exile told me when I frowned at York’s behavior. “One of his ears has it worse from the same explosion that messed up his face.”
“We could turn down the music, so he doesn’t need to hide outside alone.”
“Are you worried that someone would take a shot at him outside?”
“You heard Sabrina. You boys are the real targets. Why would a sniper waste their bullet on a girl?”
Exile studied me with his whiskey-brown eyes. “Are you angry about what Zodiac said?”
“No.”
“Are you angry that I protected you?”
“Did you really protect me, though? If that had been a real fight, those guys would have wanted to jump the Black Rainbow VP. I might have needed to protect you.”
Exile studied me. “I know you’re tough.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, but I get scared. The first time we met, you were tied up and helpless. My sister can hold her own. She fucked up the shooter’s eye with her canned goods, but she still nearly died. Being tough isn’t enough to make me stop worrying.”
“Can I worry about you?”
Exile frowned. “I would be offended if you didn’t.”
Smiling, I nuzzled his jaw. “I know who I am and what I’m capable of. I’m not the toughest fox in the club. Hell, I’m not even the toughest girl in my family. But I know my skills. I don’t need Zodiac or you to fluff me up.”
“It’s not personal, you know?” Exile said and kissed my forehead. “With Zodiac, I mean. He isn’t upset that you were out there or that any of the other women were.”
“Foxes, baby. That’s what we call each other.”
“Sure,” Exile replied, refusing to back down on his stance about using the term. “It’s all about Ford Reed’s daughter.”
“She has a name.”
“No, I get it, but I think Zodiac has zeroed in on Elle because her dad was one of the very few people in the world to beat him in a fight.”
“She’s also attractive.”
“Lots of women are attractive,” Exile muttered and looked around.
“Every single one of your female club members is good-looking, but he didn’t care about them being out there.
It’s just Elle because he wants her to remain in one piece until he can get her into his bed.
It’s all about the conquest, not about your skills. ”
“Well, in that case, I hope Elle bites off his dick when he finally lures her into his bed.” When Exile chuckled, I added with utter seriousness, “Elle’s a biter. You should be aware that if you ever try to fight with her. She immediately sinks her teeth into people.”
“Yeah, but they won’t be fighting.”
“True, but she’ll likely be a little drunk, and that also triggers her biting habit. She was goofing around with Sabrina once. They were wasted, and she suddenly went rabid.”
We looked at Elle dancing slowly with Goldie and then focused on Zodiac huddled with his guys in the corner.
“It might actually be good for Zodiac to lose a ball,” I told Exile, who chuckled way too hard. “It wouldn’t totally neuter him, just soften him up a little.”
“A softer Zodiac might be the end of my club.”
“Well, then, you can move here full time and join mine,” I said immediately. “I will give you the new member blowjob bonus.”
Exile studied me while wearing a soft smile. “I haven’t gone down on you yet.”
“Yeah, what’s that about?”
“We’re always so quick to fuck. I blame your hotness.”
“No way. I’m filing a motion to prove your hotness is the real problem here.”
“Well, tonight, we’ll need to put our attraction in neutral long enough for me to make you go wild.”
Pressing my lips against his ear, I whispered, “And then, I’m going to suck you dry, cowboy.”
Exile groaned. “You’re making my dick too hard.”
“We could have a quickie in the office.”
“No, I’ll need to learn to live with a walking boner. It’s not like you won’t always be sexy.”
With the brawl out of the way and the party back in full swing, Exile and I returned to what we were doing before the LM Jokers showed up. I planted my lips against his and didn’t come up for air until it was time to ride home to try out more oral skills.