Chapter Sixteen
Better Hope She Can Fight
Roisin
I was calm by supper. When the ten o’clock news came on, however, and Ziggy still hadn’t made it home, I started to get irked again. Ten turned into midnight, and when I still hadn’t heard from him by one in the morning, I was furious.
I threw some cut-off shorts under his shirt and hauled my ass back out to the Viper. I threw rocks as I slung out onto the road and pointed the car toward the clubhouse. The street outside was full, and judging from the sound, I figured the gated part was just as packed. I locked the Viper and started toward the front door. A stocky fellow I’d never seen before eyed me as I approached.
“That’s my dad’s wife,” Sauce told him, drawing my attention to the shadows. “How’s it goin?”
“Great.” I dismissively answered, as I blew through the doors.
No one glanced toward the intrusion. They were all busy drinking and dancing. I stayed to the edge of the room and started toward a man with long hair and a Dirty Savage’s vest. He had a woman on his arm. The biker sitting opposite him had been at our wedding, he had another girl grinding on his lap.
“Griz, which one is your ol’ lady, though,” the man getting the lap dance pressed.
“I ain’t got no fuckin’ ol lady,” Griz answered him. “I got women who occupy my time, that’s all.”
Henny laughed, from somewhere I couldn’t see. “The motherfucker doesn’t even know their names.”
“I do know their names, Smartass. That one on Cane is Candy, on account o’ she is so sweet. And this one here is Dandy.”
“Fuckin’ Dandy,” Henny scoffed, with another round of laughter.
“Look at ‘em tits and tell me her name ain’t Dandy, goddamn it. Go on then,” Griz encouraged, while grabbing a handful of Dandy’s ass.
“You ain’t know their names! Quit it, fucker.” Henny howled, clearly drunk.
Ziggy laughed, too, and I realized he was sitting between Griz and Cane.
“I told you; her name is Candy.” Griz carried on before swiping the air, “Naw, I don’t fuckin’ know that gal’s name and I don’t rightly care what her government name is, you got me? This one here, though. We ended up being pulled over last week. I’m thinking that the county cop called her Miss Marlow, but I really wasn’t all that invested at the time. I figured if he was questioning her, his attention wasn’t on me. That was all I really gave a damn about.”
Cane laughed, and Candy arched. Her body contorted in a backbend that lowered her head until it was between Ziggy’s knees. The sight of her staring up at him did something to me. It was like someone summoned a demon I hadn’t even realized was lying dormant inside me. I shot forward, turning my body sideways as I zipped past Griz. I grabbed Candy by her narrow throat and landed a vicious blow to her upper mouth and nose area.
“She might be sweet, but if she’s gonna proposition my husband, the bitch better know how to fight!” I roared.
Ziggy’s legs snapped open wide at the sound of the crunch. Shock and confusion registered openly on his stubbled features, but his hands still scrambled to secure my arms when I drew back to hit him next.
Candy fled, and Griz howled with laughter. Ziggy ushered me through the growing crowd with impressive ease. I was so dead set on getting to Candy, I didn’t even realize that’s where we were heading until it was too late. Once we were in the side room, he let go long enough to close the door, giving me his shoulder momentarily.
I took full advantage of his underestimation of me, blessing his cheek as hard as I could when he turned back.
His eyes lit up, the warning in them as palpable as his silence. For a minute, I was scared of my own actions and unsure of what he’d do in response. It was too late to back out now, though; I was already balls-deep in this fight!
“How dare you crash my business, just to act like a jealous fucking caveman. All for what? So that you could come here and lick your wounded pride with women who can’t even afford self-respect?”
His silence continued and fuck was it as maddening as it was terrifying.
“Say something, damn you!” I drew back again, and he grabbed my arm like he meant to take it from the socket.
He charged into me, causing me to choke on a breath just before his body bullied me right onto the edge of a large council table.
I gave a startled squeak, and his hand clapped over my mouth, “You don’t strike first if you’re looking for a parlay, Darlin’. If you’re gonna insist on playing in a world meant for men who are immune to morals, you should probably learn the rules of engagement before you walk into a room swinging.”
My heart hammered so loudly it competed with his voice. I’d had this very conversation with my brother and Sean both. It usually wasn’t worded so nicely and always ended with me bruised and battered.
I flinched and his gaze softened a little. Not enough to keep me from startling when a knock sounded at the door behind him.
“Busy licking my wounds in here!” Ziggy barked, curling his finger around the crotch of my cutoffs. I looked down and he abruptly jerked, noisily ripping the thin material and distracting me from his words momentarily.
I instinctively tried to snap my knees together, but he prevented it, pressing them back wide. He planted himself between my thighs with a look that dared me to move.
“Yeah, this 'll only take a sec. I got a little tart that needs to say her piece.”
“N–” Was all I got out before Ziggy’s tongue shot between my pussy lips and wrung at my clit.
I clutched the sides of the table, and my eyes snapped shut while he sucked me back to silence.
When he spat my clit back out, he rumbled, “Probably a good first step if you piss off the Prez’s Ol’ Lady.”
My eyes flew open. I was shocked that he’d acknowledged me as such. The door squeaked and I shifted hard. Ziggy’s hands greedily gripped my ass and that tongue of his bore down on my clit, chasing the sense out of me again. My nails scrambled against the side of the table and my legs shook. One hand shot to his hair, but by the time it tangled in his short, dark locks, I lost my objective and ended up holding him hostage rather than shoving him away.
I vaguely became aware of steps nearby and forced my eyes to stop rolling back long enough to see Candy being dragged in by the scruff of her shirt. It shouldn’t have pleased me so much but fuck, it did. I dropped my head back and smiled, biting my lip against a moan. My thighs relaxed and I angled my hips and tangled my fingers in his hair.
“I– I shouldn’t have done that. I– I’m sorry,” Candy’s timid voice bled into background noise as Ziggy drove me over the edge.
I arched hard, shoving my pussy at his mouth. I sloppily fucked his face while Candy stammered, her tone was fearful, but her words were lost on me.
I wasn’t even aware Griz had led her away, but when I came back to myself, we were alone, and I was glowing inwardly and out. All these years, I’d been raising hell and trying to prove I was just as much of a gangster as my brother, and all I had to do for that kind of respect and recognition in the street was become a biker president’s ol’ lady?
I couldn’t keep the smile off my face, even when he nipped at my chest and came up to plant a kiss against my spread lips. He licked and nipped at my lower lip, drawing it possessively into his mouth.
I don’t know when I’d been that genuinely happy, and it was a fucked-up thing to realize. Maybe it was the combination of epiphany and endorphins, whatever the cause, my eyes were wet, and I was blinking back tears.
“What is this?” Ziggy whispered, kissing my cheekbone, and sliding his hand along the other side of my face.
I laughed, embarrassed by my body’s responses. I held him close, hiding my face in the crook of his neck. He held me back, strumming his hands along my back and neck.
“That was unexpected, is all. I’ve had that showdown before, I always end up in tears and shaking like this. Just, usually a little bloodier and more bruised for the show of things.”
He pulled away, his smile oddly pinned as he stroked my cheek and stared at me. He slowly shook his head, and that smile tipped into a genuine one.
“Ain’t nobody ever gonna leave you that way again, Roisin. You’re mine. Hear me?”
I nodded and leaned into his lips.
“I’ll stop,” I whispered when he kissed me back.
“Stop what?” He laughed.
I nudged him and gave him a look that I hoped implored seriousness, “I’ll stop selling.”
He tipped his chin and smiled, before leaning down and kissing me, his tongue sneaking in to dance with mine.
“Good. Ain’t no ol’ lady of mine playing in the mud. Now– The boxing ring–” He hefted his brows, squinted slightly, and nodded, “My bets are on you all day, darlin’. What do they call that shot anyhow? The Snake? Is that what the kids still call it these days?”
“Fuck you.” I shoved him again and he smirked, hauling me into a bear hug.
“Come on, let’s get the fuck out of here,” he rumbled, laughter staining his words.