Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Ace
We make it back to the Clubhouse in record time. Tank, Cobra, and Reaper managed to keep up with me and we rolled up the driveway. Everyone’s bikes are here and I pull into my spot and turn off the engine. Kayne, Blayde, Stryker, and Rooster are waiting on the porch, watching the three men behind me with caution. My energy is almost depleted and I need to get to my room as soon as possible before I crash right here in the driveway.
I hoist my tired body off my bike, remove my helmet, and drag my feet up the porch steps, passing my brothers along the way. Stryker slaps my shoulder giving me a nod when I pass by. Holly is waiting on the other side of the door when I open it. She immediately helps me up the stairs to my room. I can’t think straight let alone put two words together to tell her thank you. Holly has helped me many times in the past and I don’t know what the club would do without her sweet soul. She and Stryker finally let their guards down with each other and I haven’t seen her so happy since she’s been here.
“You know the drill, Ace. Strip when I leave. I left you a bottle of water on the stand and a bottle of aspirin. I’ll have food ready for you when you come back to the real world.” Holly leaves my room closing the door behind her.
I strip down to my boxers, take the aspirin and drink the bottle of water before stumbling into the bathroom to piss. I need a shower to wash all this blood off me, but I don’t have the energy to make it that far. Holly left me a towel and washcloth next to the sink. Always taking care of us, even when we don’t deserve it. I hope someday I can find a girl like Holly and she will accept me for who I am and what I do. No bitch has ever stayed around long enough for me to even try. They’ve been a warm hole for me to fill with no emotions attached, but that’s not me. That’s not who I really am and I haven’t found the one woman who will fill that void.
I stumble back into my room and flop face-first onto the bed. My body is sighing in relief, I can finally close my eyes. There’s no moving once my head hits the pillow and I succumb to a deep sleep. I hope the dreams that haunt me daily don’t come back because I don’t have the energy to wake up.
Several hours later there’s a bang on my door. It’s not a normal knock. It never is when it’s time for me to come back to the real world. It’s hard, unforgiving, and relentless until I answer. They’ll keep pounding on my door until I respond. I drag my body into a sitting position and swing my legs over the side of the bed. My voice is groggy with sleep so I don’t bother to answer yet. I take a drink of the water sitting on the nightstand next to my bed and shake my head to clear it.
Bang, bang, Bang .
“Ace let’s go. We’ve been waiting for you to grace us with your presence before we held Church.” Stryker’s deep rumble echoes through the door.
I groan, lifting my tired body off the bed, and stumble to the door. I swing it open and walk back without a word to Stryker. Music is pumping from the speaker downstairs, vibrating through the hallway. He follows me in and shuts the door behind him blocking out the bass of the music. I pop more aspirin from the bottle Holly left and down the rest of my water. Stryker leans against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He’s the Enforcer of the club and a man I want to have my back. When Holly learned about who she was, and Stryker had issues with his father, who happens to be one of the deadliest nomads from here to Mexico, he unleashed a darkness inside of him and he’s more in control of himself, and the rage brewing below the surface than what he used to. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to use my skills on Stryker just to bring him back to the real world.
“Those dicks still here?” I grunt. I must have slept really hard because my voice is still raspy.
“Yeah, Kayne wanted to wait until you were awake before meeting with them. They’re currently balls deep in some patch bunnies right now and content until you get your shit together. This one must have been pretty brutal. Your face looks like shit.”
“Fuck off, asshole,” I smirk. Fuck, it does hurt. “I don’t know, haven’t assessed the damages yet. Motherfucker hit pretty hard, but not hard enough.”
“Doesn’t matter how hard he hits when it comes to you though. You hit like a bitch and still manage to snap necks.” Stryker laughs teasing me. If he wasn’t my brother in all aspects besides blood, I would show him again how hard I can hit.
“Do you need a refresher?” I pick on him back, cocking my eyebrow. “I’ll show you bitch again if you want.”
Stryker rubs his jaw where I’ve had to hit him before when he lost his fucking mind and shakes his head. “Nah, I’m good.” We both laugh.
“Tell Kayne I’m alive, taking a shower, and will be down in twenty.”
“You got it, bro.” Stryker kicks off the wall and opens the door. “For what it’s worth, Ace, know when you’re ready to let it go we’ll be here to help.” He exits my room and shuts the door behind him before I can respond.
Am I ready to let the past go? Can I let it go? It’s what fuels the darkness lurking inside of me. If I lose sight of that, will I still be me? I’ve been this way for thirteen years. I don’t know how to be or do anything else besides a fighter and a killer.
I make my way into the bathroom with my head so fucked up now, I don’t know what to do. Starting the shower, I let it steam up and assess the damage done to my body. There’s a purple bruise forming on my ribs where the fucker got a lucky shot at me. They’re sore but thankfully not broken or cracked. My face has a few bruises and the cut on my eyebrow has stopped bleeding but now needs to be cleaned up. My knuckles are red and raw. I dab at the cut with some antiseptic then get into the shower, letting the hot water beat down onto my sore muscles. Once the water grows cooler, I quickly wash my body and hair then step out. Drying off, I walk into my room and get dressed.
Throwing on a clean pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, socks, and my riding boots, I’m ready to get this shit show of a meeting over quickly. I throw my cut on, grab my wallet tuck it into my back pocket, and put my .45 Smith and Wesson on the holster clipped to my belt. Michigan is an open carry state, so I don’t need to conceal carry but sometimes jobs call for it, which is why each of us has our CCW.
I open my bedroom door and the base of the music thumps in my ears. Coffee. I need coffee before I go to Church. I pass Rooster’s door and a loud moan cuts through the music. Lucky fucker. I pound on his door to let him know I’m alive and heading down. I’m at the bottom of the stairs and heading for the kitchen when a set of nails wrap around my left arm halting my steps. I don’t like to be touched and I especially don’t like to be touched unaware. I grab the wrist on my arm and tighten my grip to the point it should be painful.
“Keep your fucking hands off me,” I growl. I turn and see that Amber, the latest patch bunny to enter our club, is the owner of the intruding fingers. “This’ll be your only warning. No one touches me unless I allow it. Are we clear?”
Amber nods her head, her long brown hair falling over her chest. Her big brown eyes are filled with fear. Good, she needs to understand you don’t fuck with me. “Sorry, Ace. I thought…”
“That’s the problem, Amber. You thought.” I cut her off. “You’re not here to think. You’re here to please the men in our Club who want your attention. That’s what you signed up for when you stepped through those doors. I know the rules were explained to you. You don’t like it, get the fuck out.” I release her wrist and she takes a much needed step back. “Unless I tell you to touch me, keep your claws to yourself. No one touches me.”
I know I’m being a dickhead but after the conversation with Stryker, I’m in a pissy mood. She caught me by surprise and I fucking hate surprises. Nothing good ever comes from them. “I’m sorry.” Amber mumbles. “I’ll remember next time.”
“Good. Now go and entertain someone who wants attention. I’m sure one of the three new guys would love your skill set.” Duke picked her up at a strip joint in the city and she was more than willing to come here. The things she can do with her body, bending it in angles unheard of, she’s a rare woman in the mix of all the bunnies here. I smile to soften the harshness of the way I treated her. See, I’m not a total dick. Amber walks in the direction of the living room swaying her hips and grabbing the attention of the one named Tank. I watch as he grins at Amber while she dances in front of him.
I finally make it into the kitchen. Kayne and Poison are sitting at the table nestled in the corner having a private conversation. I’m surprised they’re not tearing each other’s clothes off. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve walked in on them in a compromising position. Since Rooster’s little girl Elsa came into the Clubhouse, there haven’t been a lot of compromised situations in the open. Kayne and Poison stop talking and look in my direction while I make myself a cup of coffee.
Once I have the steaming cup of life in my hands and take a sip, letting the hot liquid coat my throat and stomach, I acknowledge them. “Prez, what’s the word?”
“Things are moving according to plan. We should have information on the Kozlov brothers by the end of the week. Thanks to you and your skills.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” I lean against the counter taking another sip of my coffee letting it flow into my bloodstream, the caffeine awakening my body. “What about our visitors?”
“They have more info about Steam and we have info into their issues too.” Kayne’s being cryptic and we must have more ears than the three of us. I keep my mouth shut and nod my head.
“Ready for Church when you are.”
“Let me round up the brothers. I’ll meet you in there.” Kayne gives Poison a quick kiss and rises from the table. He walks out of the kitchen leaving just the two of us here.
“Ace,” Poison starts and I hold up my hands to stop her pity.
“I’m good Poison, I promise.”
“I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be, Poison. I’ve got it all under control. I’ve been doing this for years and know how to decompress when needed.”
“Well, that's not what I’m worried about.” She wraps her hands around the mug sitting on the table.
“You’ve lost me. I’m not sure what you’re worried about then.” I’m confused as fuck at what she’s talking about.
“I’m worried that no one here has your attention, Ace. There are so many attractive women here and you don’t bat an eye at them.”
Oh, that’s what she’s getting at. Motherfucker. “Well, Poison, no one here does it for me. I don’t know what you want me to do. I’m true to myself and the moment the right one does catch my eye, you’ll be the first to know.”
“You promise? I don’t want you to always be alone.”
“I promise. You have bigger things to worry about than my love life.”
Poison smirks, “Yeah I do. But you’re family so that worry extends to you.”
“I appreciate it. But don’t get your panties in a bunch, mama. I’ll be fine.” I head toward the Chapel. “You coming?” Poison took a hiatus from Club issues while she was pregnant with her and Kayne’s little Savage. Now that Emine or Emi is born, Poison has been slowly getting back into the swing of things.
“Yup.” Poison stands up from the table and joins me walking to Church. We put our phones in a box before entering and take our respective seats at the table. Being the first one in here puts me on edge but also lets me be able to watch who enters, when they enter and make sure no one touches me, even if by accident.
Everyone enters including our three guests and the one named Tank cocks an eyebrow at Poison being in here. My teeth are on edge the way he’s questioning our Club. I clench my raw fists on the table, ready to punch this cocksucker in the mouth if he says anything about it. My eyes don’t leave him and I’m daring him silently to say a word, any word and I’ll be up and out of this chair in a flash with his life in my hands. Kayne slams his gavel on the table, silencing the room and calming my inner monster from unleashing holy hell, but only by a fraction. I’m on edge again and I don’t like it.
Kayne turns his attention to Tank, Cobra and Reaper who are sitting at the end of the table near Duke and Poison. “What do you have for us?”
Tank leans forward, steepling his hands together in front of him. “My Prez, Chainz, found out some info that pertains to your Club getting out from underneath Steam’s hold. He’d like to have a sit down with you and discuss details moving forward.”
“What kind of info?” Kayne clenches his jaw tight. If anyone wants this more, it’s Kayne. “We’ve got that part handled. I don’t see what your Prez has that will help us.”
“Black Market Railroad.” Three little words from Tank send our whole Club into a frenzy. Shouts, grumbles and fists slamming on the table fill the room. Tempers flare and the stress level here just shot up about fifty notches.