Deacon (BLP Motorcycle Clubs #9)

1. Janelle Capri Stephens （Squeak）

No matter how many corners you hide behind, there will be someone lurking for the perfect opportunity to snatch your breath. The thought of it makes my dick hard and allows me to bust the best nut I’ve had today alone. Count your days, bitch.

Your boogeyman

With shaky hands, I ball up the letter until it wrinkles beyond recognition as I sigh, before burying it in the bottom of my trash. This is the third I’ve gotten this week, and they all say the same cryptic thing that causes my nerves to take a nosedive. Looking over my shoulder has become second nature, and sleep has been eluding me for as many days as I’ve read the lines of the hate I can feel within every fiber of my being. Despite the haunting signature, I know who the sender is without written confirmation. I thought fleeing my hometown after graduating high school would allow me to escape not only my torment but also my tormentor. Yet, at the top of last year, I received the first threatening letter, which had become a weekly occurrence. Something about the letters hitting my mailbox this week has me grateful for quitting my job last week. I?—

*brrng, brrng, brrng*

Jumping slightly at the loud ringing from my phone, I turn from the trash can and head to my quant living room to retrieve the device. It feels like I’m moving at a snail’s pace, but I’m to my destination within minutes due to my apartment’s minimal space.

“H-hello.” My shaky voice has me closing my eyes while internally coaching myself to calm down so my heart can stop thumping wildly in my chest.

“Hey, girl, hey,” Robyn says cheerily, instantly bringing a smile to my face.

Robyn Bingham and I have been friends since we were able to identify what it meant to place the moniker on another person. Moving to Georgia without her had never been easy for me, but thankfully, it never altered or put a damper on our friendship. She is the closest person to me and completely understood my need to leave home.

“Hey, bestie. Are you ready for me?”

“Girl, I have been ready. I have everything set up in your apartment. It’s just waiting for you to take up residence.”

My heart rate increases slightly at the thought of making another irrational move. Only this one is required for my survival. Closing my eyes, I swallow continuously to keep the sob in my throat from making its way to the surface. I didn’t think I would ever have to return home other than when I breezed in and out for the holidays. Now, here I am, preparing to return home for good, and no one in my family knows why. I had been hiding under the radar for years, or so I thought, before my life exploded.

Lord, is this the right decision? What if they want me to come home so I’m more accessible to their deviant plans?

“Breathe, Janelle. I can hear your heavy panting through this phone. Breathe. I promise everything is going to be all right. I got you, Janelle. I got you.” Robyn’s calm and soothing tone allows me to release the air filling my lungs as I wipe the lone tear from my eye.

“Thank you, boo. I’m good now.”

“You’re gonna be good forever if I have anything to do with it. That nigga is gonna have to go through me and everybody connected to me before he touches a single hair on your head. While I’m happy about you coming home, I hate the reason behind it.”

Robyn’s sharp tone has a slight smile upturning my lips as the tightness in my chest releases for the first time since answering her call. Robyn has my back, regardless of the situation, and I couldn’t love her more than I already do. She’s my rider, and I’ll always go hard for her.

“Chile, look at you trying to throw your weight around since you joined that gang.”

“At at, don’t be like the rest of these uptight people in this city. We aren’t a gang. We are a family who don’t mind popping our shit whenever the need arises.”

“Mhm. What does popping y’all shit entail?”

Smiling, I sit back on the couch while picking up the remote to find something to watch during this phone call. Thanks to the foresight of my bestie, movers will be arriving to collect my belongings in the morning. After they leave, I’ll hit the road to make the long commute to Ohio to plant roots in my home city, Ribax.

“Everything,” Robyn says, laughing.

“Yet you want me to believe y’all aren’t menaces to Ribax’s society. Girl, bye,” I say, laughing as warmth spreads through my body.

“Wow. We went from being a gang to menaces. You’re laying it on thick. It’s cool, though. I’m gonna change your mind.”

“Not likely. I don’t want any parts of that debauchery and sin. I plan on going to work, home, spending time with my parents, and occasionally letting you drag me to a bar for a few drinks. That’s it.”

“We’ll see. I gotta run, though. We’ve got some fresh meat coming in. Can’t wait for you to get here. Love you.” With that, Robyn disconnected the call without giving me a chance to respond to her statements.

Robyn is a member of a motorcycle club, which keeps her pretty busy with all of the happenings and things they have going on. Part of me feels like my best friend has found someone to replace me, but the rational part of me knows that it isn’t possible. The bond and foundation of our friendship can’t be shaken, no matter what other friendships Robyn establishes.

A week later…

“I’m so happy to have you back home where you belong. I have been praying that God would send you back. I have never been comfortable with you living so far away from your father and me,” Mom says, holding me in a tight embrace that feels suffocating the longer she holds me against her.

“I’m not sure she can answer you, honey.” Dad’s lighthearted tone makes me smile as Mom releases me from her embrace.

“Hush, Marvin. You know you’re happy our baby is home,” Mom says, smiling and wiping her eyes.

Marvin and Patricia Stephens have never tried to talk me out of my decision to leave Ribax, and I’m grateful for that. Yet. I can also appreciate the love they have always shown me whenever I come home during the brief stints I’ve taken over the year. Neither of them knew the real reason I fled the state the second I could legally do so. I only told them I wanted to see what life had to offer elsewhere. Being the amazing parents they are, they helped me find housing and paid my rent for a year.

Dad said the money came from the college fund they started for me as a baby. Despite having exceptional grades throughout high school that could get me into any college I wanted, I didn’t apply to a higher education institution. After working several dead-end jobs, I quickly changed my mind. I enrolled in community college, taking all my coursework online because I’m not social enough to attend in person. I obtained an associate’s degree in human resources roughly three years ago.

“Having my only child back home is one of the greatest answers to my prayers God’s given. I just don’t want to suffocate her before she can settle in good,” Dad says, bringing me out of my thoughts as Mom waves him off.

The two of them have been here all day helping me set up my apartment, and I’m grateful for their assistance more than they know. Not only did they help me get everything situated, but they walked in with bags and bags of groceries and other essentials Mom felt I would need.

“I love y’all. Thanks for being the amazing parents you are. I couldn’t have gotten this done so quickly without you. Now I’ll be able to sleep easily tonight and be ready to start work tomorrow,” I say before Mom can respond to Dad because it could potentially delay their exit. I’m expecting Robyn at any minute.

“Why am I sensing that you’re kicking us out without actually saying the words?” Mom asks with her hand resting on her waist while giving me a pointed look.

A smile creeps on my lips as my eyes bounce between my parents before Dad nods and grabs Mom’s hand.

“Let’s get out of here, honey. I need you to rub me down with some?—”

“Please don’t finish whatever you’re about to say. Ewe. Kill the visual, Jesus,” I say dramatically.

“Baby girl, after a hard day of heavy lifting, your momma wi?—”

“Stop, Marvin. You’re gonna scar the poor girl,” Mom says, laughing and cutting Dad off with a gag while covering my mouth as Dad starts laughing.

*ding, dong*

The sound of the doorbell on my Ring camera has me lifting my phone to see who’s at my door.

“That’s right. Make sure you always check that camera before answering the door,” Dad says.

Nodding, I walk to the door to let Robyn in after her image shows on the camera, allowing me to grant her entry into my space.

“Girl, what the fu—oops. Hey, Mom and Dad,” Robyn starts before seeing my parents and changing her words.

“Should have known it would be your narrow behind. No wonder my daughter was trying to rush us out of here. From your attire, I already know what’s on the agenda for tonight. Behave yourselves,” Mom says as she and Dad make their way out the door, pausing long enough to hug and kiss Robyn.

“I thought they would be gone by the time I got here. Whew, Mom sure knows how to chastise us without blinking, doesn’t she? Go get ready while I raid your cabinets and fridge because I know they got you together.”

“You already know. I won’t have to grocery shop for at least a month. I love that for me.”

Leaving Robyn to it, I head toward my bedroom to shower so the two of us can hit a bar or something for some welcome-home drinks.

Lord, I hope this girl doesn’t get me into any trouble tonight. I want a peaceful reentrance into the city.