Chapter 25 – Beast
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
BEAST
“I can’t take your offer, Bobby. I love my brothers and club too much. Plus, if I take your role, that just puts me and Belle under the spotlight. That ain’t something I want for her,” I explain.
Bobby smiles and nods. “I appreciate your honesty. And I’m happy that my daughter’s well-being is the first thing you think of.” He sighs. “Now, for me to die this soon, I better make some calls.” He smiles.
I look to Ghost, and he gives me a brief nod and I leave, going in search of Belle. I find her curled up on the window seat reading. “Beautiful, I need to talk to you a moment,” I say, interrupting her. She looks up from her book, her warm brown eyes full of worry. I hold out my hand and she takes it, placing it in mine. I quickly lead her into our room and turn to face her.
“What is it? You are scaring me,” she states.
“Nothing to be scared of. Your dad is leaving tonight. That guy earlier was one of Charlie’s men. They have found the house and have been watching us,” I tell her.
“Oh,” she says, looking down, the sadness cracking through her voice.
“There is something else,” I state. Her gaze snaps to mine. “You dad offered me to take over from him, to run the business. Be the next mob boss.” I sigh.
Her eyes flicker back and forth, searching mine. “What did you decide?” she asks.
“I turned him down. I’m sorry that I didn’t speak to you before I told him, but darlin’, there ain’t no way I would take his job. Not with everything that comes with it. The risks to you and to our kid...” I shake my head. “No, not happening. Sure, me being in the Black Hearts MC has some risks to it, but we are a brotherhood. We are united, and for someone to target me or you, they would have to get through my brothers first,” I state. She sits down on the edge of the bed, and I kneel down in front of her, tucking her rich auburn hair back behind her ear. “If something was to happen to me, I know my brothers, the entire club, would be there for you. You would not be alone, you would be still and forever safe,” I explain. “If I was your dad, you would have no one. Everyone would be fighting for the top spot, which could have an effect on you.” I cup her face with my right hand, stroking her cheek with my thumb. “Even in death, I will protect you,” I state.
Her eyes go soft. “You said our kid. I’m not pregnant.” She smiles.
“That’s something I plan on trying to rectify each and every fucking day,” I state.
A smile plays on her lips. “Have I told you that I love you?” she asks softly.
My chest feels like it’s about to explode as her words collide with my heart. “No, I don’t believe you have.” I smirk.
“Okay,” she says, shrugging. “Well, I do,” she adds. I don’t respond. “I mean, it would be nice for you to say it back!” she says, shoving at my chest.
I laugh, grabbing her wrist and bring her hand to my mouth, placing a gentle kiss on her palm. “I love you isn’t enough for how I feel about you. I am addicted. You consume my every thought. When you’re not with me, my body craves you. Fuck. Even when you’re with me, my fingers itch to touch you. My eyes are forever drinking in your fucking exquisite body.” I pause, watching as her eyes fill with tears.
“A biker using the word exquisite, it must be serious,” she teases as a lone tear trickles down her cheek.
I swipe it away with my thumb. “My beautiful Belle. I’ve never been more serious about anything in my entire fucking life. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were mine. I’ve just been wating for you to catch up.” I smile. “You need to hear me say I love you, then darlin’, I love you. I fucking worship you,” I growl before crashing my mouth to hers. She reaches up and runs her fingers through my hair, her nails scraping against my scalp, her legs wrapping around me, clinging her entire body to me. I groan as she moves her hips, causing delicious friction. My dick presses against my jeans, desperate to be free and buried deep inside her. A knock at the door soon puts a stop to that. I break the kiss and lean my forehead against hers. Both of us take a moment, trying to catch our breath. “Fuck,” I pant.
Belle smiles. “If I had known you were so poetic with your words, I would have let you help teach at the school.”
I lean back and look at her, seeing the love and adoration pouring from her to me. For fucking me. I don’t think it’s something I will ever get used to. “Those words are only for you. Anything I do is for you, and right now, I have to go and prepare to fake kill your dad,” I state.
Belle laughs. “Some relationships are built of friendship, trust and sex. Ours is violence and fake death.”
I raise my brow. “You got that wrong. Ours is built on undeniable passion, incredible fucking, and out of this fucking world orgasms,” I counter. “And of course, all that other stuff.” I shrug.
Belle shoves at my shoulder. “Go. You’re ruining a beautiful moment by making it dirty.” She laughs.
I stand and walk to the door, turning around before opening it. “Just saying darlin’, nothing has ever been ruined by being dirty.” I wink before I leave, smiling as I hear her laughter behind me.
“This going to work?” Cash asks while both of us are stood ahead of a main road. We drove the ambulance through the quietest roads as possible to get it here. Just 200 yards ahead is the main road, and traffic is always busy.
“Yeah, I mean, I hope no one gets seriously injured by it, but as soon as it’s out of park, we will put it in drive. Spider said that once I remove the cap, with the leak and sparks, it should go up in about 30 seconds,” I state. “Right, let’s do this.” I lay down and remove the cap that Spider told me to remove. Once I’m done, Cash reaches in and takes it out of park before stepping back. We watch as it rolls faster and faster down the slight hill. “Shit, it’s not catching,” I mutter.
“Give it a second,” Cash says, and he was right. Suddenly, just as it’s about to hit the main road, the ambulance explodes in a fireball of flames. Trucks and cars screech as they slam on their brakes, swerving to avoid it.
We watch, making sure that people get out of their cars okay. Once satisfied all is good, we jump in the truck and speed off. As we leave, another explosion erupts behind us.
“Shit,” I hiss, looking back. “That will be the oxygen tanks,” I mutter.
“Better fucking step on it, before the people start looking this way,” Cash points out. At the same time, Cash’s cell starts to ring. “Yeah?” he answers. I frown, giving him a side glance. “Okay yeah, meet you there,” he says before hanging up.
“What is it?” I ask.
“They got Bobby to a private jet. You know that he has hired the doctor to go with him?” He snorts.
“No shit?” I laugh. “I thought that dude hated us.”
“He did, but Bobby’s money was obviously too fucking tempting to say no to.” Cash shrugs. “Anyway, that’s not why Ghost called. The Satan’s have been in contact, and they want a meet. Now,” he states.
“What? Why now?” I ask.
“Fuck if I know.” Cash shrugs.
“Surely you should fucking know. They are your in-laws, after all,” I point out.
“Yeah, from a rival fucking club. It’s not like we sit around sipping cups of tea while we discuss our club’s details. They’ve accepted me as Maggie’s, and that’s where it ends,” Cash explains.
“Fair enough. Where are we meeting them?” I ask.
“Sycamore,” he answers.
I frown. “The old train graveyard?”
Cash nods. “That’s the one,” he answers.
I drive the 40 miles to the train graveyard. After spotting Ghost and the rest of the brothers stood by their bikes waiting, I park the truck and Cash and I jump out.
“All good?” Ghost asks as we approach.
“Yeah, it was like the damn 4 th of July.” Cash snorts.
“I told you it would work,” Spider states, holding out his arms.
I look around and notice that most of the club are here. “Why are we all here?” I ask.
“Relax, brother. I left Scar and Buzz with the prospects at the house. Plus, the women are armed. There ain’t no way anyone will be causing them any harm,” he assures me.
I nod. He has a point. I’ve seen Star handle herself on a few occasions, and Maggie was born and raised in a biker club. She isn’t stupid.
“So, why the meet?” Cash asks.
Ghost shrugs. “No idea. Rip called and said we needed a meet. Said it was urgent and that it couldn’t wait, so here we fucking are, and they are late.”
Within a minute of Ghost saying those words, a low rumble sounds in the distance. We turn and see them approaching. “Must be important for most of the club to be here,” I mutter as they come to a stop and get off their bikes.
Rip approaches Ghost and they both greet and shake hands, while the rest of us stand there, waiting and wondering what the fuck is going on. “You going to tell me why I’ve dragged my men out here in the middle of the night?” Ghost asks.
Rip lights a cigarette before he inhales and sighs on an exhale. “We want Bobby’s trade,” he states.
Ghost raises a brow. “What makes you think I have any authority over who gets his trade?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Because you’ve been hiding him, because he has been your friend and longest ally, and because he is now out of the picture on his jet after faking his own death,” Rip says, smirking.
I look at Cash and he sighs. “Maggie.”
Ghost pins Cash with a threatening stare. Rip smiles. “We are family, after all.”
“When did she call and tell you?” Ghost asks.
Rip shakes his head. “Women fucking talk. Now, I know that technically that is a breach of club rules, but she is yours after all, and I won’t see any comebacks for this. Just like how there wasn’t any comeback for your increase in earnings from the weapons in Charlton,” Rip counters.
“Fucking Maggie,” Cash sighs.
“And no brother, it wasn’t actually your woman. It appears your ol’ lady and mine have formed a friendship,” Rip states, looking at Ghost.
Ghost pinches the bridge of his nose. “I swear to god, that fucking woman will be the death of me.” He sighs.
“So, back to business. We want at least half of Bobby’s trade. You know as well as I do, that once word gets out that he’s dead, the vultures will be circling for that business. They may have respected and feared Bobby, but I mean no disrespect when I say this, but they won’t give a shit about taking on an MC,” Rip points out.
Ghost is pissed at his remark. His jaw is set tight and instantly, the mood has shifted. “Do you not think we can’t handle Bobby’s trade? Are we not to be feared?” Ghost snarls, sizing Rip up like he’s an animal about to attack.
“Brother, you better calm this situation with your in-laws before it turns fucking ugly,” I hiss at Cash.
“Like fuck will either of them listen to me,” he argues. He has a point. Rip is stubborn, just like Ghost, and he will not show weakness or back down in any situation.
“For fuck sake.” I sigh and step forward, and all eyes land on me. “Look Pres, while I would like the amount of money all of Bobby’s trade would bring us, let’s be realistic. We can’t cover that kind of ground ourselves, and if anyone was going to have some of Bobby’s trade, at least it would be our now allies,” I state.
Ghost crosses his arms over his chest, glaring at me. I know me intervening is a major disrespect, but I’m right and he fucking knows it.
“You’re right.” Ghost nods. My eyes widen and I look around to make sure I’m not in some parallel universe. “Besides, if you hadn’t turned down Bobby’s offer to take over, we wouldn’t have any of the trade,” Ghost points out.
I nod. “One thing though. Did you tell Star all this?” Spider asks Ghost.
Ghost shakes his head. “No,” he answers.
“Then it was Belle,” I state. They all look at me, and I hold my hands up and shrug. “She knew the full plan. I mean, it is her old man, after all.”
“Well then, thank fucking Hades that the women gossip,” Khan from the Satan’s comments, a laugh escaping him.
“So, how long are you keeping lockdown for?” Rip asks Ghost.
“Just long enough to see how this news fairs out in the world that he’s gone. I don’t think they will be too happy that the trade isn’t theirs to take, but I don’t expect much push back.” Ghost shrugs.
“Well, you know our offer is always there. Maggie is family, which means we are tied together, whether we want to be or not,” Rip states.
Ghost nods. “It’s appreciated.”
“I will never let anyone hurt Maggie,” Cash growls. “And to assume it is a fucking insult.”
I grip his shoulder. “Calm the fuck down,” I warn.
Rip gives Cash a glacial stare before he takes a step towards Cash. We all do the same, taking that one step closer, each of us with one hand on our weapons. We out number them, they know this, but they know how to fight, and they know how to kill. Cash holds up his hand and takes a step toward Rip, standing toe to toe with him. My eyes flicker to the other Satan’s, trying to figure out which one will strike first. Suddenly, Cash starts laughing, as does Rip. I frown and look around. Everyone else is frowning, confused by the situation too.
Rip slaps his hand down on Cash’s shoulder. “We are fucking with you. Jesus.” He laughs.
Ghost doesn’t laugh. He still looks pissed. “Pres, come on. Like I would start anything with them. Maggie would have my fucking balls.” He laughs.
Ghost sighs and Hawk laughs, shaking his head. “Man, thank fuck, because I was not ready to start a war.”
“Sorry, no disrespect. We had joked about it the last time Cash and Maggie came over for dinner,” Rip apologises. I scrunch my face up, looking around to see if I’m being punked. Since when did Rip joke or do practical jokes?
Ghost smiles, holding out his hand. “For that, you owe me a fucking smoke,” he demands.
Rip pulls out his packet and hands it to him. Ghost takes one and lights it, sighing as he inhales. “If any one of you fuckers mention me quitting or this to Star, I will shoot you,” Ghost threatens.
Rip smirks. “I hear ya. Rose would cause me hell if she found out I was smoking.”
“So, we don’t get to kill anyone?” Rage asks, still standing poised with an axe in his hand.
“Where the fuck did you get that?” Hawk asks him.
“I had it on me.” Rage shrugs.
“No, no one dies today,” Ghost tells him. Rage sighs, looking disappointed.
“Sorry to disappoint you, brother,” Rip says, a smile playing on his lips.
We stand talking to the Satan’s a while longer before Rip and Ghost shake hands, finalising the deal. They all get back on their bikes and Cash and I jump back in the truck. “I have to say, that this is one of the most surreal moments of my fucking life,” I say as I turn the truck around.
Cash laughs. “When has this life been anything but normal? Always expect the unexpected,” he states. He ain’t fucking wrong there.