Chapter 14
Safe
Ryan
All the brothers were gathered for church and the session had been called to order.
“Nickel, tell everyone what went down yesterday outside On a Lark,” Volt said.
As quickly as I could, I rehashed how Ivy and I were taken and what we did to escape.
Volt glanced at me and then to Lark. “What do we know about those bastards?”
“Not as much as I’d like,” Lark said. “We have names for two of them, but they’re dead. And the first name of the ringleader.”
Volt nodded. “Since you had Nickel drop the truck somewhere specific, did you check to see if it’s still there?”
“It was when I drove to town earlier this morning. I’ll check again before I open the bar this afternoon,” Lark said.
“Any idea what MC they were referring to?” Volt asked, his eyes on Lark.
Lark turned his hands up. “Your guess is as good as mine, brother.”
Blood locked eyes with me. “You said your girl used the skillet on those bastards – did you wipe it down?”
“The first time she had a pot holder.” I thought hard and shook my head. “Second time she probably didn’t use the pot holder, and neither of us thought to—”
“Don’t worry about that now,” Blood said.
“Easy for you to say,” I muttered.
Volt sat back in his chair. “By now they know those two are missing and that the truck’s gone.”
I shook my head. “Boyd mentioned that another MC didn’t care who they took. My question is why would another MC let someone else do their dirty work?”
Lark turned his gaze to me. “That’s hard to say when we don’t know who is willing to take one of us right off the street.”
Blood shook his head. “We can’t try to guess how these assholes think – it’s a waste of time. Lark do you have cameras working?”
“Yeah, and Adam’s putting in another to catch the adjacent parking lot, since that’s where they parked yesterday.”
“Do you need a couple brothers outside for the next few nights?” Volt asked.
“Wouldn’t hurt, even if my gut says no.”
Blood glanced around the room. “Who’s in for tonight?”
“I am,” Tundra said, his voice firmer than I’d ever heard it.
Volt frowned. “You sure? You’re at Platinum’s tonight.”
Tundra gave a slight head shake. “Dayside. I’m off at five-thirty. Plus, I’m used to dealing with assholes like them.”
“Your call,” Volt muttered.
Cal, Beast, Razor, and Liar were all-in to patrol the parking lot. It felt like overkill, but I sure as hell didn’t want my siblings, or anyone else, to go through that shit either.
Lark leaned forward to get Volt’s attention. “I’m giving Nickel the night off.”
I looked at Lark with questioning eyes.
“Don’t argue,” he muttered.
It flew in the face of what Lark had told us – no days off – but for once I wouldn’t argue. The ache in my groin was killing me, and I knew just the woman to help me with that.
“Think that’s the most sympathy I’ve ever seen from Lark,” Blood said.
Lark glared at Blood. “He’ll make it up at Thanksgiving.”
Great. Though, that might work out in the long run because Mom wanted all three of us back in Biloxi for Christmas. It was too soon to talk to Lark about those plans.
Ricochet cleared his throat. “I have a question.”
Volt nodded for him to speak.
“How about I let them take me?”
“They aren’t going to come back that soon,” Patch, our treasurer, said.
“They’re dumb enough, they might,” Lark said.
“No. I don’t want you doing that,” Volt said.
“Standing offer,” my triplet said.
“Same,” I added immediately after.
“They gave you a concussion,” Lark said.
“Yeah, and I want the mastermind behind it shut down.”
“You two earned your patches, but remember, we don’t do shit solo,” Volt said.
“Or duo,” Blood added.
“Got it,” Ricochet said.
There was a pause.
“We’re gonna watch the lot. But will that tip off the cops if they come around?” Bluff asked.
Roll gave his son a dose of side eye. “You’re a biker. Cops show, act like you were outside for a smoke or some shit.”
Volt nodded. “If cops show, we know nothing.”
“Right,” I said.
“Sounds like as much of a plan as we’re gonna get,” Lark said.
“Agreed. We’ll meet again on Saturday. Sooner if new shit develops,” Volt said, and tapped the gavel to the table.
While the others filed out, Ricochet came to me. “What are you gonna do on your day off? Sleep off your headache?”
I fell in step beside him. “No. I’m going to Ivy’s to make sure she’s safe again tonight.”
“When did making sure she’s safe become a euphemism for sex?”
“Shut up.”
He stopped in the middle of the hall. “Wait… you didn’t tap that?”
I gave him a dry look. “She’s not a ‘that,’ and strenuous activity is a no-go with a concussion.”
He rolled his eyes at me. “Your head’s so hard there’s no way you had an injury.”
“Safety first.”
“Right. You meeting up with her or what?” he asked.
“I was at her place last night before coming here. I’m headed back there now,” I said, ambling toward the stairs.
“Is she there?” he asked, following me.
“Don’t know. I’ll pick her lock if she isn’t.”
We’d made it to the second floor and stood near the laundry area.
My brother made a sound almost like a scoff. “Damn, you haven’t even tasted her pussy and she’s got you wrapped.”
“Didn’t say that,” I muttered. With anyone else, I’d have kept that to myself, but Killian knew when I was lying.
His chest heaved with a silent chuckle. “Knew it. We’re tougher than those bastards.”
“They still knocked me out,” I said, walking to my door.
“Whatever. Have fun…keeping her safe,” he chided and sauntered past me toward his room.
“Fuck off,” I muttered.
Ricochet roared with laughter.
I unlocked Ivy’s door with ease, slipped inside, and twisted the deadbolt behind me.
Last night, I’d taken in her space, but here alone, I could admire how organized and well-decorated it was.
The walls were a glossy egg-shell color which I liked because most people only used glossy in their bathrooms. A beige couch with small blue flowers took up a good part of the living room. It was feminine in an understated way.
I did a quick, cursory walk through of the upstairs and downstairs to make sure I was alone, then forced myself to mind my business. If I got to be in Ivy’s bedroom, I wanted it to be her idea. Not because I’d decided to camp out there while waiting.
The TV remote sat on the coffee table. I snagged it and channel-surfed.
Nothing caught my eye, and I turned it off.
I pulled off my boots, stretched out on the sofa, and immediately understood why Ivy bought this furniture.
It was so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.
I wished I’d brought my paperback with me.
Since I hadn’t, I decided to rest my eyes.
My body jerked when I heard a key in the lock. I opened my eyes in time to see Ivy step inside, close the door, and lock it.
She stared at me for a moment. “Alexandra was right.”
I sat up and ran a hand through my hair. “Right about what?”
She hung her purse on a hook by the door. “That you’d be waiting inside.”
I sensed something bothered her, but I didn’t think it was me being in her home. “What else did she tell you?”
She shrugged a shoulder and edged deeper into the living area. “The club used to be outlaws, and she hinted that in some ways it still is.”
I shook my head. “Something else is bothering you. Did your closing go smooth?”
She nodded. “Yeah. All good.”
“Then what’s bugging you?”
Standing in the middle of the living room, she crossed her arms under her breasts. “I hardly know you, I don’t think I should tell you what’s bothering me. At the same time, the fact you picked up on something bothering me is crazy.”
She hardly knew me?
Four hours ago, I had my tongue down her throat and my mouth on her pussy. Still, things were moving fast with us, and I could see where she was coming from.
I gave her my most skeptical look. “You know I’m a triplet. I’m from Biloxi. I’m in the Riot MC, and I work at a bar. What more do you need to know? My political background?”
One of her eyebrows lowered while the opposite one arched with her confusion. “You’re political? I’d figure as an outlaw you wouldn’t be.”
I stared at her for a moment. “The people who say they don’t do politics, don’t realize politics are always doing them.”
“Wow.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
She looked abashed for a beat. “I’m guessing you’re a Republican.”
I took a breath. “You guess wrong. I’m a Libertarian, but registered to a different party specifically so I can vote in primary elections.”
Her head reared back and she unfolded her arms. “Now, that surprises me.”
“It shouldn’t. The whole system is fucked because the things we need most are term limits on the Supreme Court and definitely Congress.
It’ll never happen though because the legislation has to be passed by Congress.
They won’t and not just because it doesn’t serve them, but it doesn’t serve their donors who got them the seat.
The whole system is for the rich and by the rich. ”
She shot me a questioning glance. “With that attitude, why do you vote?”
My lips tipped up. “Because if you don’t vote, you have no right to complain.”
She lowered her head in a half nod. “Is that how your dad sees it?”
I gave a silent chuckle. “No. That’s all my Uncle Mick. I also vote because it makes me feel like I’ve done something.”
Her head tilted to the side a touch. “Even if it’s spitting in the wind.”
“Maybe. It’s like Nina Simone says in one of her songs, ‘too slow.’”
Her brows furrowed. “You listen to jazz?”
“Aunt Stella and Uncle Mick do. I’m from Mississippi. You can’t grow up there without hearing ‘Mississippi Goddamn’ and really listening to it.”
She looked at me with awe, which was totally misplaced. After a moment, she said, “You should run for office.”
That took me by surprise so much, that I laughed straight from my gut. “You need to do something,” I said when I had myself under control.
“What’s that?”
I stretched my arms out on the top of the couch. “Kiss me.”