11. Braxton
Chapter eleven
Braxton
“So we start dropping hints and see if anyone takes the bait?” Linc asks as we’re all sitting around the large wooden table that has a skull with black roses carved for the eyes.
I fucking love this table. Love this club.
But I sure as hell never thought I’d be sitting in church trying to figure out the best way to smoke out a rat.
“I’m setting it up like we have a delivery tomorrow,” Ozzy explains. “I want it known around the clubhouse that we’re taking a shipment to Michigan.”
“But we aren’t,” Knox states. “There are four people in this clubhouse who aren’t patched members. Including Vanessa.”
“She wouldn’t have known anything about us going to Boston. I didn’t tell her about the trip,” I say, hating the fact that Vanessa is tangled up in this part of the business.
“No, but someone could have let it slip. And she could have taken that information to the Russians. Or anyone else for that matter,” Ozzy says.
“We’ve never had this happen before in the club.
I’m throwing spaghetti at the wall to figure it out, but just know I hate everything about having to do this.
Regardless of how much I despise setting this trap, I love this club and love you assholes a hell of a lot more.
I don’t want another phone call saying you got beat to shit and jacked.
And I sure as shit don’t want those Russian bastards putting you in a body bag. We have to do this.”
Every brother around the table nods in agreement.
“Alright. Let’s start planting seeds,” Ozzy says, slamming the gavel on the table with a grim look marring his face.
Church is always a time for us to discuss business, but it’s never felt this heavy before.
We’re serious about club matters, but we’ve always made our fair share of jokes at someone else’s expense while being gathered around this table.
Today that didn’t happen, and all of us feel that lightness missing from the meeting.
When I walk out into the main room of the clubhouse, Vanessa and Logan are setting up giant dishes of breakfast food. Plates of eggs, sausage, bacon, and pancakes cover the surface of one of the tables.
“What’s all this?” I ask, walking up to Vanessa and putting my arm around her waist. She doesn’t stiffen at my touch, which is progress, considering she used to only let me touch her if no one was around.
“You said you had church this morning, so I figured I’d make everyone a big breakfast,” she replies, looking up at me with a big smile.
“Babe, you didn’t have to do all this. I think our ‘deal’ has evolved away from you still making breakfast and cleaning the clubhouse.”
She shakes her head. “Nope. How am I going to live out my diner waitress cosplay if I’m not cooking for everyone?”
“Maybe I’ll get you a little apron for your birthday with your name on it to complete the look.”
“You don’t like my outfit?”
She’s in a tight tank top with a light sweater and some ass-hugging jeans.
“You always look hot as fuck, sweetheart. In whatever you’re wearing.” I dip my mouth close to her ear. “My favorite is you completely naked with your legs spread as I feast on your pussy, though. But we’ll save that for when we’re alone.”
A pretty blush trails from her cheeks down her neck, and I smile with satisfaction.
“Or maybe next time you stop by the club,” she replies.
Our little rendezvous in the VIP room was two nights ago, but damn if I don’t get stiff behind my zipper when she reminds me of it. Or any time I think about it, if I’m being honest.
“Thanks for this,” Cash says when he reaches past Vanessa to pile some sausage on his plate.
“Yeah, Vanessa. Thanks,” Jude says on the other side of us, grabbing the syrup and pouring half the damn bottle over his mountain of pancakes. “Lucy hasn’t been in much of a cooking mood these days.”
“Is she feeling okay?” Vanessa asks.
“Yeah,” Jude replies. “She says she’s cooking a baby, so she’s exempt from having to cook for me, too.” He shrugs. “But her breakfasts were nothing like this.”
“I’m going to tell her you said that,” I say with a smirk on my face.
Jude matches my expression. “Please do. She gets creative when she’s mad, and the make-up sex is always worth the fight.”
“Only you would try to piss off your pregnant woman,” I tell him.
“Fighting is our love language.”
My head jerks back. “What the fuck do you know about love languages?”
“More than you, I’d bet,” he says, walking away and taking a sloppy bite of his pancakes as he goes.
I roll my eyes then turn back to Vanessa. “Go sit down, and I’ll make you a plate,” I say, nodding toward the table where the prospects are already shoveling bites into their mouths.
Vanessa smiles and grabs a chair next to Danny, leaving the one on the other side of her empty.
I turn and catch sight of Ozzy sipping from a cup of coffee. When our gazes collide, he dips his chin slightly. Guess it’s time for me to plant those fucking seeds.
When I’ve stacked food on plates for me and Vanessa, I sit down next to her with Rocky on the other side of me.
“What are your plans for today?” I ask Vanessa.
“I have to work tonight, but other than that, not much.”
“When is your next night off?”
“Why? You want to take me out on another nondate?” she asks with a tilt to her lips.
“Maybe.”
“I have tomorrow night off,” she replies.
“I’ll be gone tomorrow night. We have a run for Michigan planned. Have some business with another club in Mapleton. Won’t be back until the next day.”
Vanessa’s lips turn down into a small pout. “You’ll be gone for the whole night?”
“Yeah. We were supposed to go last week, but obviously plans changed.”
She nods and takes a bite of her eggs, but doesn’t say anything.
“You okay, sweetheart?” I ask.
“Yeah. I just haven’t spent the night here without you.”
“You gonna miss me?” I ask with a smile.
Vanessa rolls her eyes. “Maybe.”
“Don’t worry, Van. We’ll be here. Hell, we’ll make it a game night or some shit,” Logan says.
Vanessa looks at Logan and squints her eyes. “I have a better idea. I’m going to take you guys to Midnight Rose.”
“Wait. You’re going to take our prospects to the club?” I ask as Danny, Logan, and Rocky wear matching grins of enthusiasm.
“What? Are you afraid I’m going to corrupt your prospects who are joining an MC?”
“No, but they have responsibilities here,” I say, leaning back and crossing my arms.
“Oh, come on. You’ll be gone and they deserve a night out. My treat.”
“It absolutely will not be your treat. I’ll tell Sylvie to put everything on a tab.
” Then I look at the three men sitting at the table.
“You’d all better remember you represent the club.
Don’t go there with cocky attitudes and expect shit for free.
I’ll make sure everything is covered, but you’d damn well better bring your wallets and give every girl there a generous fucking tip. ”
Rocky salutes me. “Yes, sir.”
Vanessa’s grin widens as she continues eating her breakfast. The woman wants to do something nice for the prospects, cooks for us every day, and is in my bed every night. There’s no way she’s the one leaking information to the Russians. No fucking way.
We’re up early the next morning—pretending to go to Michigan.
We could probably take a trip out there just to hang with the Iron Disciples for a night, but the last thing any of us wants is to lead the Russians to their doorstep.
They might already know we do business with them, but so far, Silas, the club’s president, hasn’t mentioned any issues.
When Vanessa came back from the club last night and slipped under the covers, I pretended to be asleep.
That was a first. I couldn’t bring myself to be with her in such an intimate position after church yesterday—after hearing what Ozzy said.
She may be good at putting things in boxes, but it’s getting increasingly harder for me to do the same.
Her sleeping in my bed hasn’t changed much.
At least not in the way I’d hoped. It doesn’t feel as though she’s any closer to letting me in.
Though I guess I can’t say it’s just her since I’m keeping something to myself right now, too.
Waking up this morning without her next to me has me questioning all kinds of things.
Especially considering what we’re doing today.
Walking out into the main area of the clubhouse, I smell something delicious wafting from the kitchen. I open the door and see Vanessa putting the finishing touches on several breakfast sandwiches.
“Good morning,” I say, and she jumps before turning to face me.
“Shit, you scared me. Guess I was in my own world there for a minute.” Vanessa smiles and turns back around to finish her work.
“You didn’t have to do all this,” I say, standing like an idiot by the door. The last thing I expected this early was seeing her making breakfast.
She shrugs. “Figured I’d make something for you guys to take on the road. I didn’t really sleep well last night.”
“Why’s that?” I ask.
Vanessa comes up to me with a bag full of sandwiches and reaches up, placing a kiss on my lips. “Didn’t get my good-night orgasms. I’ve become a little addicted to those.”
“Just the orgasms?”
She clears her throat and chuckles softly. “So, what time are you leaving?” she asks, ignoring my comment.
“As soon as the other guys get here.”
I open the kitchen door to allow Vanessa and me to exit as the front door of the clubhouse opens, and in walks Jude, Knox, Linc, and Ozzy.
“Truck’s loaded and ready,” Jude says.
“Vanessa made us breakfast for the road,” I tell my brothers, holding up the bag.
Everyone gives her a round of thanks before heading back outside.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell her and bend to give her a kiss.
“See you tomorrow.”
We’ve been on the road for about three hours without anyone following us. And we would know, considering we’ve always taken as many back roads as possible. There have been a few cars on the road, but no one has tried anything.