9. Hollywood
9
HOLLYWOOD
I pretended V going after Chelsea on behalf of my virtue wasn’t the hottest thing I’d ever seen, and honestly, it took work. Like ... a lot of work. When I’d peeled her off the hang-around, still squirming and cursing, I’d gotten harder than the night before. Yeah, I didn’t like when the girls touched me like they owned me, but hadn’t I earned the reputation? Hadn’t I run through them like a raccoon at the local dump? Hadn’t I taught them to treat my body like a fire sale? Grab what you can. Everything must go, go, go.
“You seem distracted today,” Leo said, holding my arm as he lowered into a lunge, struggling to push back up again. “Not quite as talkative.”
I swallowed and shook my head, knowing I should keep it to myself. As someone that normally bragged about their sexual exploits, whatever this was with V couldn’t get out. Her brothers would kill me. Her father would cut my nuts off and shove them in my mouth before setting me on fire. I’d seen them do worse to enemies for less. Touching the princess, the only daughter of the MC’s president, came with a death sentence, especially for someone with my history.
“What are you thinking about?” Leo raised his eyebrows and did another lunge, grimacing as he bent his injured knee.
There was no one else here, other than the prospects outside, and Leo had made it his SOP not to talk to anyone except for me. I didn’t know why that was, nor did I ask him, but I figured why not take advantage of it? It wasn’t like he knew V or would ever meet her. Even if Leo was an enemy, it might be nice to talk to someone about it, just to get it off my chest.
“There’s a girl,” I admitted.
He chuckled, going into the same exercise on the other side. “What about her?”
“She’s my buddy’s little sister,” I said. “Not like ... little little. She’s only three years younger than me.”
“Okay.” Leo met my gaze, silently asking me to continue.
“I like her,” I said, furrowing my brows. “She does things to me that no one else can do, that no one else has ever done.”
“So she’s a freak?” Leo let out another laugh.
A stinging rage shot through the center of my chest before I squashed it down. I didn’t like anyone talking about V like that, least of all this piece of shit. But I’d learned at a young age to catch flies with honey instead of vinegar. No one liked an aggressive asshole.
“It’s more than that,” I said. “It’s not even sexual.” Yet.
“Ohhh,” Leo said, nodding like he finally understood. “So you want it but can’t have it because of your friend?”
I cleared my throat and straightened, ignoring the burst of dread in my gut. He’d hit the target dead on.
“She’s the president’s daughter,” I said. “Her brother is my best friend. She’s off-limits in a thousand different ways.”
“And that makes you want it more, I imagine.”
I scoffed and helped him upright, handing him the weights so he could start his deadlifts. They weren’t more than ten pounds a piece, but he’d lost a lot of strength in the months we’d held him captive.
“Do you want my advice?” Leo pursed his lips and met my gaze with a friendly and sage one of his own, complete with an innocent smile.
My immediate reaction was to say no . Fuck this guy. He’d tried to have me killed a few times, and given the opportunity, I’d put money on him trying it again. But ... who the hell else was I going to ask? No one in the MC could know. I’d thought about looping in Ru. Once upon a time, I’d been one of the few people who knew about her secret relationship with Saint. But she and V were best friends, and I figured if anyone deserved to confide in her, it should be V. So, I stared at my sworn enemy while he worked his hamstrings and offered a tentative white flag.
“Okay,” I finally said.
“I think you should fuck this girl.” He shrugged. “If it’s as good as you think it will be, the risk is worth it.”
I balked, my mouth hanging open while I processed what he’d said.
No . No, no, no.
I couldn’t give myself permission for that ... could I?
Laughter bubbled up my throat and over my tongue, pouring out of me in a wave of relief. No one had ever been that brutally honest with me, and definitely not about V. Hell, no one in the MC would dare talk about her like that, like she was just another fuck in a line of long fucks.
“Oh ho ho,” Leo continued, “You’ve thought about it, huh? I bet you’ve been thinking about it for a while.”
I swallowed against a parched throat, narrowing my gaze. “I’m not good enough for her.”
“Isn’t she the judge of that?” Leo winced as he straightened, setting down the weights so he could rub at his knee.
“Are you okay?” I started toward him, but he held up a hand, making me pause.
“Fine,” he said. “Just aches is all.”
“Do you need me to call Selene?”
“That sadist with the needles? Fuck no.” He blew out a breath and sighed. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine. I just need to rest. Keep talking.”
I sat down on the footstool in front of the recliner and ran my hands over my face. “We almost hooked up. It was great, but then she said it was a mistake, that it couldn’t happen again. I told her what I wanted, and she acted like a deer in highlights.” When I looked at Leo, mischief danced behind his dark eyes, indicating I already knew what I had to do.
If I wanted her, I had to go get her. Stop dancing around the fucking issue, no matter what her father thought. He’d respect me more for being honest about how I felt, despite the consequences, versus being a coward because I was afraid of them.
Trojan wouldn’t have wanted me to do that. Trojan would have told me the same thing as Leo—go after her and make her mine.
“Life can’t be easy for this girl,” Leo said, his voice much softer now. “All those older brothers, a stubborn crow as a father, no mother to fight for her independence.” Naturally, he knew as much about our family as we knew about his.
I cleared my throat and considered his point. Bear, Castor, Pollux, and KC (hell, even me) had scared off any boy she’d ever dared to bring around. In high school, there had been a kid named Teddy that took two steps inside the clubhouse, tucked tail, and bolted. I couldn’t blame him; we were some terrifying motherfuckers, even back then.
No wonder she had run so far away as soon as she could.
“How do you know so much?” I resisted the urge to sneer at him, despite how helpful he had actually been. Let me not forget this was Leo Fucking Caputi.
“I have a little sister,” Leo said with a hint of a smile. “I am arguably just as protective.”
“Yeah?” I raised my eyebrows, instantly curious. Leo never talked about his life, and certainly not about his family. “And what would you do if she brought me home?”
Leo barked out a laugh. “Well, if you weren’t a Rose and your loyalties lay closer to home, I might be all right with it.”
I shook my head. “You don’t know me very well.”
“Do I not?” He put his arms out around him, gesturing to my old living room where pictures of my childhood and adolescence still sat on the mantel. “You seem like you’ve lived a wild life.”
“I’m a bit of a slut.” I pursed my lips. “I used to be. I’ve been taking a break.”
“So you are capable of self-reflection.” Leo tilted his head to the side. “This is not a bad thing in a partner.”
Perhaps he had a point. Perhaps I had been too hard on myself.
“Who’s the big guy?” he asked, pointing to one of a fishing trip Trojan had taken me on when I was in middle school.
“My brother, Trojan.” I bit back the grief that usually came when I spoke about him. “He died last year. Benito killed him.”
Leo paused, his eyes meeting mine with the slightest bit of regret dancing behind them. “I lost my brother last year, too.”
I remembered that. KC had killed Julian Caputi when they’d snuck onto our land to steal from us. Selene had intercepted them but been taken hostage. When KC found them, he’d made mincemeat of anyone in his path.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said, glancing down at the ground. “It’s a hard thing, losing an older sibling.”
Leo sighed. “I’m sorry, too. About Trojan.”
It might not have seemed like much, but those few words softened my disgust for the Caputi bastard. Like me, he had a family he loved. Like me, he’d lost members of that family while trying to protect them. Perhaps we had more in common than I’d care to admit.
“I want to see my sister,” Leo said, his tone much softer than he’d ever used before. “Julia.”
I met his gaze, watching his features turn stoic and serious. He meant it.
“I’ve been thinking about what Crow offered,” Leo went on. “This supposed peace between our families.”
“Yeah?” This was a surprise, and I tried not to let my excitement show. I honestly hadn’t thought it would work. I’d been sure a rogue Rose would have come through here to take care of the problem by now.
“I want to talk to my sister about it.” Leo nodded before pushing to his feet, preparing for round two. “You bring Julia to me, and we’ll decide where it goes from there.”
“Why?” I asked, holding his arm while he went into his lunges again. “Why would you even consider this?”
He straightened and patted my shoulder, giving me a soft smile. “Maybe I agree with you. It’s long past time this blood feud ended.”
My heart dropped into my stomach, and I nodded.
“You could have killed me by now.” He continued, purposely ignoring my startled look. “I could have killed you by now. The fact we have restrained ourselves shows that perhaps a Rose and a Caputi can get along ... if the terms are reasonable.”
Yeah, or we’ve been stomping on thin ice with a spreading crack.
“I’ll ask Crow tonight,” I said. “Thank you for considering it.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Leo blew a disbelieving laugh out through his nose and shook his head. “If you think I reek of Caputi filth, you haven’t met our princess.”
* * *
“Thank you all for coming, brothers,” Crow said from the head of the table bearing the SRMC emblem: a rose with a dagger stabbing it through the middle. The vice president, Aris, sat to his right with the sergeant at arms, Thor, on his left. Aris was short for Aristotle, and he’d gotten his name because the surly motherfucker had a photographic memory, and he could rattle off facts about anything at any time. Thor, on the other hand, was a big Viking with long dirty blond hair and gray eyes who enjoyed beating our enemies’ heads in with a sledgehammer. I cringed, remembering when he’d gotten his road name.
The road captain, Slip, sat down next to our enforcer, Doc, with Coins taking the other seat next to him. We had a full house, most of the members making it in to hear the latest update in the ongoing Caputi war. I stood in the back with Bear, Saint, and KC, taking a sip of my beer while I watched the president call the meeting to order. “I wanted to share the good news that Pollux has almost made a complete recovery. If all goes well, he should be out in a week or two.”
Shouts and claps of approval came from around me, especially from Castor. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to have a twin, to know someone else out there shared the same DNA, the same face, the same everything. Admittedly, the world could only handle one Hollywood at a time, and that was a good thing.
“Which leads me right into updates on Gabriella Caputi,” Crow continued, pushing his hands through his long salt-and-pepper hair. “Saint, what do we hear from the inside?”
“Gabriella is losing support from Caputi loyalists,” Saint said from his spot next to me. “The carnage in Buffalo was a mess, and even her closest supporters are skeptical she can replace Benito.”
“How so?” Thor asked.
“The Canadians have backed out of their deal,” Saint continued. “We’ll likely hear from them again soon.”
“Good,” Aris added. “Our bargain with the cartel is coming in handy.”
Last year, Aris had gone to Mexico to make an arms deal with the controlling political group, suspecting Gabriella had tried to swipe our legs out from under us. Now, we waited for those that sided with her to come crawling back because she couldn’t deliver on her promises. She had all of the demand, but no supply.
“What about Leo?” Crow asked, shifting his gaze to me.
“He’s considering your proposal,” I explained. “He wants to talk to his sister, Julia.”
Crow’s dark gaze shot to Saint for a moment, only a second, before coming back to me. But I’d seen it, and I suddenly wondered about the true identity of Saint’s informant. Could the Caputi princess have been working with us this entire time? Could she have been the one to give up important intel for years?
“He said they’ll make that decision together.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “He seems grateful to have been spared, considering how they’ve treated our people they’ve taken.” I glanced at my brother, Lore, who sat in one of the other corners with the eye patch over the evidence of my claim.
“Any objections?” Crow looked around at the group while they mumbled among themselves.
“It’s a good idea,” I continued. “I’ve gotten to know him over the last few months.” At least as much as he’d let any of us get close enough. “There’s always the chance he’s playing us, but if he’s not, he could be a good partner.”
“I say let the two meet,” Bear added. “I can be there to interpret, just in case they decide to switch to Italian midway through.”
Crow looked around at the rest of the brothers, waiting for anyone else to add their opinion.
“What’s the plan for Gabriella?” Doc asked, leaning forward on his elbows while he inhaled a cigarette. “We get Julia and Leo on our side, and then what? Lure her out? Make a trade?”
“That’s a fair question.” Crow nodded. “Thor?”
“We’ll want to know how many allies we have on the inside,” Thor said. “How many people would agree to a ceasefire should Leo take over.”
“Are you thinking we stage a coup?” Slip asked.
Murmurs of agreement echoed around me, some liking that, some demanding more blood.
“If her support is dwindling and Leo is willing, now might be the time to strike.” Doc pursed his lips, seeming to agree.
“They’ll probably want a show of truce,” Bear added, running a hand through his soft, curly locks. “Like a member exchange.”
“Member exchange?” Slip asked, his blue eyes narrowing. “Is that what I think it is?”
“We’ll send one of our guys there,” Crow explained, “and they send one of their guys here.”
Doc let out a sardonic laugh. “Who volunteers as tribute?”
I’d do it if they didn’t find anyone else. Leo wasn’t so bad, and if my time in the viper’s den yielded good results for the club, it wouldn’t be that much of a hardship.
“Let’s see where this goes,” Crow said, looking at me and Bear. “Arrange the visit with Julia Caputi. Saint knows how to get in touch with her.” Then, he glanced at Slip, Doc, and Thor. “I smell a siege. How can we choke her out with minimum damage? I’ve seen enough Caputi and Rose blood to last a lifetime.”
Thor nodded. “I’ve got some ideas. I’ll hash them out and report back.”
“Good,” Crow said. “We’ll meet again in a week.”
“Any other topics anyone wants to discuss?” Aris asked, glancing around with his ice-cold eyes. When no one said anything, he tapped his rings on the wooden table and announced the end of the session. “You better get your asses back here next week for the check-in. This shit with the Caputis is getting serious.”
The doors to the front room opened and the members filed out, most heading outside to their bikes, while others mingled with the hang-arounds. I spotted Chelsea but ignored her in favor of throwing my arm over Bear’s shoulder so I could lean in and whisper, “Have you ever met Julia Caputi?”
Bear shook his head. “No. You?”
“No.” I remembered what Leo had said about his sister, that she reeked of Caputi stench more than him. “You think she’s worse than Gabriella?”
My best friend laughed and shook his head. “How could anyone be worse than that?”
“Let’s do some shots,” Alba interrupted from the other side of the bar, lining up a row of miniature plastic cups before tilting a bottle over them. “V, Ru, get over here! We’re shooting tequila.”
KC walked to the other side of the bar to wrap his arms around his wife, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek while she made sure everyone had enough liquor in their cup. I cleared my throat when V came to stand next to me, squeezing into the space between me and her brother before grabbing a cup.
I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the citrus, floral scent wafting up from her skin, straightening as I backed away and put a few inches between us. I itched to run my fingers through her hair, tilt her head back, and claim her mouth for my own.
But I remembered our rules. No touching. Not like that. Not yet. Not until she told me I could. Like her, I did nothing without consent.
“What’s wrong, Hollywood?” Verona teased. “You look like you’re trying to solve the world’s hardest problem.”
I cleared my throat and forced a grin, flicking a gaze at Bear to see if he’d caught the innuendo. He furrowed his eyebrows into a scowl but didn’t comment, only sniffed his shot and grimaced at its contents.
“Leave the boy alone,” KC cut in. “If I had to spend my mornings with Leo Caputi, I’d have a lot on my mind, too.”
“Exactly,” Alba said, holding up her cup. “Cheers to family and alcohol.”
We laughed at her toast, repeated it, and downed our shots. But I couldn’t let a taunt like that from V go unanswered. So before she’d finished swallowing, I gulped mine down and placed the cup on the bar.
“You know, you’re right, V,” I said. “The things I’ve been thinking are just dripping with complexity.”
Her bright gaze shot to me, insidious and laced with venom, and I sat on the edge of my proverbial seat as I waited for her to spit it at me.
Go on, give me your worst.
“The best solutions are the ones a person erects themselves, Hudson.” V raised an eyebrow, daring me to continue. “Unless you’re having trouble with that sort of thing ... after all these months on your celibacy kick.”
“What would you know about it?” I said, narrowing my gaze on my target, flashing a genuine smile. “Aren’t you still wet behind the?—”
“Hey!” Bear cut in, shoving my shoulder hard enough for me to stumble back a few steps. “What the fuck are you two doing?”
KC stared at me with wide eyes and a huge shit-eating grin on his face, his chin resting on Alba’s shoulder from behind. His wife’s features were also bright and entertained, clearly finding this tension between V and me amusing. Bear, on the other hand, looked like he was about to beat my face in. His cheeks had turned a violent shade of crimson that snaked down his neck and under his shirt. For as long as I’d known him, he’d always been the levelheaded of us three. KC could fly off into a rage at the drop of a hat, his temper consistent with the notorious Montgomery fury that Crow, Castor, and V had inherited. Bear had the right amount of both. He knew how to be calm, but he also knew when to light a fire under someone’s ass.
Like ... when his best friend started shamelessly flirting with his little sister right in front of him.
“Shut up, Bear,” V said, shoving him back. “Didn’t you see what I did to Chelsea yesterday? I paid twenty-five hundred dollars for his time, and until he pays up, that’s my precious cargo.” This time, she got in her brother’s face, snarling as he winced and backed away from her. “If you break the merchandise, I’ll break your hand.”
“Damn, V,” Bear said, frowning at her threat. “Back down. Fuck. I just don’t like him talking to you like that.”
“He can talk to me however he wants,” V said, pointing to the spot on her chest where a ten-inch scar ran from sternum to stomach. “He earned it.”
That shut everyone up. KC’s jaw snapped closed and Alba’s grin widened as she shifted her stare to Bear. He tilted his head, glanced from his sister to me and back again, then muttered a quiet, “Fine.”
“Fine,” she said, and that ended that. “Who wants to play pool?”
“I will.” Alba broke loose from KC and walked around the bar to follow V toward the table, the brother closely trailing behind them and leaving me alone with Bear.
He stared at me, drilling holes into my head until I glanced up at him.
“What are you doing with my sister?” he asked, accusation and disapproval in his tone.
“I haven’t touched her,” I said, able to stare him in the eyes while I said it because it was the truth. I hadn’t, not yet, and after V’s display of ... what was that? Jealousy? Chivalry? It didn’t matter. It turned me on more than her hateful little mouth.
He didn’t say anything else, just stared at me for a moment before dropping his gaze to the spot on my chest where I’d been shot, the middle of my left pec, four inches from my heart. The shock had knocked me unconscious, and when I woke up, I was struggling to breathe in an ambulance on my way to the hospital.
Of all the times I’d been injured for this club, that one had brought me the closest to death. No one knew that, no one except V. She’d been there when it happened. She’d stared into my lifeless eyes and believed I had died, that I’d given my life to protect her.
Bear cleared his throat, picked up his beer, and walked away, wrapping an arm over Saint’s shoulders so they could talk about plans for Julia Caputi’s visit.
I focused on V, raking my eyes down her cropped band tee and baggy black cargo pants, ending with her platform boots. Sure, she looked the part of the scary goth girl, the one that would deck a random hang-around for touching someone without their permission. But I remembered how hard she’d trembled when I had her cornered yesterday, how flustered she’d gotten when I told her all the twisted fantasies I had starring her.
She might have a diamond-coated exterior, but deep down inside, she was a pile of mush.