Chapter 16
Angel stopped for the last traffic light on the road to the club’s campsite along the Colorado River. As a notorious spot for club parties, Angel knew that taking Nora to the bend could end in disaster.
It was a risk worth taking and one he had to take.
Everything about last night and this morning felt right. Talking to Nora about his past, waking up together, and getting breakfast like a normal couple, had made him realize that everything he never knew he needed was within reach.
He never rode with a backpack before. Bitches trying to climb on his chopper had all been set straight by Angel.
Nora was the perfect little backpack tough. He knew she trusted him completely; she sat perfectly relaxed behind him as the wind rushed by and the engine hummed.
He turned onto the dirt road lined with sprawling oaks and tall cypresses. As they approached the bend along the dusty path, he felt her grip on his waist tighten, reminding him of the need to proceed with caution during this ride, but especially when they arrive at the river bend.
Although things could be absolute mayhem there, he needed to find a way to slowly introduce Nora to this side to club life.
Nora witnessed some grim stuff in and around the clubhouse over the years she’d visited her brother Devlin. Such as Mud’s son, Rick, attacking her sister Cat in the courtyard at the club. Or more recently, the kidnapping of Cat by a rival club.
Nora had made it also pretty clear how she detested the open-door policy in the clubhouse where brothers openly shared if the females were up for it.
He understood that everything she’d seen over the years, especially during their last lockdown, had made Nora wary of his brothers.
With their two worlds colliding, he needed to find a way to bring her over to the dark side while keeping Nora’s innocent view of the world intact. It might seem a mission impossible from the get-go, but he needed to give this a shot.
He wasn’t about to turn his back on the club and therefor the only family he’d ever had. But he’d already tried keeping his distance from Nora and failed miserably. Losing Nora was no longer an option.
Angel parked his chopper next to Zeus’ ride, finding several other bikes parked between and under the trees.
Shit. Today of all days there had to be a party. Why couldn’t there be just a few of his brothers with their Old Ladies so they could enjoy a nice and relaxed bonfire?
He killed the engine and immediately heard raucous female laughter echoing from the riverbank. That had to be Molly.
If it weren’t for Nora already lifting herself up and climbing from the back of his bike, he would have driven them straight back to Austin. The last person he needed to see was the club whore who couldn’t accept him ignoring her completely the minute Nora stepped out of the clubhouse.
Molly walked in on Angel kissing Nora in the kitchen on that first night of lockdown. While Angel had found relief with Molly for a few weeks while he’d ached for Nora at the clubhouse, in the past few months after lockdown, he’d never touched her again.
But Molly still tried to climb back in his bed and Angel just knew that she would try again today. Especially in front of Nora.
Nora’s hand trembled in his, but he maintained a steady pace as he guided them down to the riverbed. He found Zeus’ stare in the distance near the coolers, giving him a single nod as a sign of approval of bringing Nora.
Nora tripped over her feet, but Angel held her upright with a hand on her back. Her tense posture and shifty eyes scanning her surroundings made him keenly aware of how uneasy she had been approaching his brothers.
Angel’s thumb swept over the back of Nora’s hand, hoping to soothe her.
“Hey man,” Ace said, holding out his fist for Angel to bump in greeting. At least Ace still had a towel wrapped around his waist, unlike some of his brothers and club whores whom they passed coming out of the river in their birthday suits.
“What’s up?” Angel bumped Ace’s fist but made it clear he didn’t expect an answer as he pulled Nora along with him towards Buzz.
Angel figured it best to station Nora at the back of the campsite with Buzz while he would grab them some drinks, since Buzz was one of the few brothers Nora somewhat talked to.
“Hey Sweetheart,” Buzz said to Nora with a big enough smile that made Angel almost punch him in the face.
“Hi.”
“Can you stay with Nora for a bit?” he asked Buzz while letting go of Nora’s hand.
“W-where are you going?” Nora asked, her stormy eyes wide while she frantically grabbed his arm.
Angel palmed her face, and said, “I’m gonna check in with Zeus at the coolers for just a few minutes and grab us some drinks. Buzz will stay here with you. You’re safe. I promise you.”
“Go ahead, brother,” Buzz said, “I’ll look after your girl. I want to ask her something about Mia, anyway.”
It didn’t bother Angel that Buzz made a bold statement by calling Nora his in public for anyone to overhear. He would make things official soon enough, anyway.
“Mia? What about her?” Nora asked.
Angel nodded in thanks to Buzz and left them to discuss Nora’s cousin, who had been at the tattoo parlor for a job interview. Based on the vibe between them yesterday, Buzz probably wouldn’t have wanted to talk about Mia if it weren”t for the fact that the topic might help Nora relax.
“Yo, what’s up?” Wolf said as he joined Angel on his way to Zeus.
“Nothing man. All good,” Angel said to his friend and VP while opening the top of the cooler.
He handed Zeus a beer.
“Thanks, brother. You and Fox fixed that issue?” Zeus asked.
Angel appreciated Zeus’ discretion about putting new spyware inside the girls’ apartment and phones. He hadn’t really talked to Fox after they arrived at the apartment last night, but he figured Fox handled it.
“Yeah. It’s all good,” Angel said.
Wolf ignored their exchange and circled back to what Angel said a few moments ago.
“So, nothing’s up with you? Bringing Brass Balls’ and Whirlwind’s sister to the mother fuckin’ bend, and on top of that, on the back of your bike, that’s nothin’?” Wolf said, one brow raised while accepting a beer from Angel.
“That’s right.”
Wolf laughed. “You’re so full of shit right now, even your eyes turned brown.”
Angel shook his head with a smile. “Fuck off.”
Zeus pointed the top of his beer bottle into Nora’s direction. “She yours now?”
“Not yet. But soon.”
“Bullshit. You claimed your bitch for everyone to see and you know it. Riding up here with her thighs wrapped around you, walking around hand in hand… Do you think we’re stupid?” Wolf said before downing the rest of his beer.
Since both Wolf and Zeus had found perfect Old Ladies in the Club Princess and Brass Balls, they wouldn’t understand.
“Yes, she’s mine. But she’s not ready for everything that comes with being with an Iron Viking.”
“Trust me, brother. Nora’s ready, man. She’s been around the club long enough to know what to expect by now. And yet, here she is,” Zeus said, as he gestured to Nora with a nod of his head.
Angel watched Nora talk to his brother, even smiling at Buzz when he handed her the beer he got from Ace who’d joined them.
“Maybe you should keep Ace in check? He’s the type that doesn’t break up happy homes, but you know what he always says: ‘but if that door is cracked…’”
Angel watched how Ace talked to Nora, gesturing with his muscular, fully tattooed arms wide in the air, his sixpack full in display above the beach towel wrapped around his waist. Angel didn’t let Wolf’s words get to him. He knew his friend was only baiting him.
“Ace knows better than to lay a hand on my woman. If not, then I’ll keep him in check. He can parade around in his towel all he wants.”
“Bringing unclaimed girls around the club is asking for trouble, brother,” Zeus said, while throwing his bottle into the trash behind them.
“Especially one looking like Quiet One,” Wolf said.
Angel narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck do you mean by that?”
“Look at her: standing all shy and innocent in the middle of a group of day drinking bikers who are ready to fuck anything with a pulse by now. She’s like a breath of fresh air for some that are tired of fucking the same whores every day,” Wolf said.
“I’ll kill anyone breathing near Nora.”
Angel meant it and didn’t give a shit that his words exactly proved his president’s words about asking for trouble by bringing Nora to the bend.
“Jesus Christ. Just go to her already and keep that temper in check, will you?” Zeus grumbled.
Angel grabbed four beer bottles from the cooler and said, “Yeah, all right.”
On his way to Ace, Buzz and Nora with the beers in his hands, Angel stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Ace’s hand slithering through Nora’s hair while holding the back of her head.
He watched Ace leaning in; his face dangerously close to Nora’s while she stood there frozen like a marble statue.
Angel dropped the beers next to his biker boots on the grass, ran up to Ace and tackled the weasel to the ground.