Seventeen
17
Salem
Present Day
Tobacco and lime? I couldn’t figure out what it was that Lick smelled like. Concentrating on that was better than thinking about all the other stuff. Starting with the man who had held me against my will and ending with watching Rome—with that half-naked young female on the back of his bike, wrapping her arms and legs around him—pull off, following Micah and his wife. We weren’t engulfed in the herd of bikes far enough to block the sight of them from my view, so I kept my eyes to the left, watching the city pass by and thinking about Lick’s scent. It was unique.
I hadn’t wanted to get on the back of his bike. When I’d seen Rome, I had thought he’d come see if I was okay. My wishful thinking that he’d have me ride with him was ridiculous. He had the stripper-worthy woman with him, and what man wouldn’t want that straddling him and pressing up against his body? I hadn’t stood a chance at that invite. Still, I had hoped. Unable to stop myself.
My world had tilted, and everything I’d thought I knew was gone. The security I had worked to build was snatched from me once again, and I was clueless as to what I was going to do next.
Would the police question me? Would there be a trial? How would I go to Kendrix’s funeral and face people, his kids, knowing the reason he’d died? Having been there when he was shot?
My stomach was a mountain of knots, and I tried my best to get back to figuring out what Lick smelled like.
Look at the mess I’ve gotten into .
My internal dialogue with Eamon often calmed me, so I gave it a shot.
You’re living on the wild side these days.
It seems that way, although not of my own making.
Relax. It’ll all work out in the end. How many times do I have to remind you of that?
I leaned with Lick as we turned along with everyone else and wondered when I’d be going back to my apartment.
Pepper had said that, for my safety, I had to go with them, just like she was doing. Although she’d not seemed real happy about getting on the back of the bike of some guy she’d called Country. She told him she’d ride with someone else because he already had a woman on his bike. One who looked a lot like the girl on the back of Rome’s. But Country told the other woman to go ride with someone named Fox and ignored her pouting, which was blatantly obvious. Pepper didn’t seem impressed and rolled her eyes, but she went and climbed on the back of Country’s bike. He was grinning when they pulled out beside us.
I’d been envious of that.
Pepper had the sex appeal to equal the half-naked female with a perfect body. I did not. I lacked that trait while Pepper had it in spades. It was effortless for her. Part of who she was. There was definitely some chemistry going on with her and Country. He was attractive. Tall, blond, almost too clean-cut to be a biker, but more of an edge than the average male. I wondered why she hadn’t wanted to ride with him—or had she? Maybe it had been because he’d had the other woman on his bike.
Ahead of us, Rome’s bike veered to the left lane, along with two other bikes. We all went to the right lane to turn again. I watched them as they waited at the red light with their left blinkers flashing. They all had women on the back. The one on Rome’s leaned in, and it looked like she kissed his neck or ear—I wasn’t sure which.
I snapped my head back around to watch where we were going. It was easier. Anxiety began to creep up at the knowledge that Rome wasn’t going to be at this compound place that Pepper had told me we would be safe at. I’d thought he would be. Why that had given me comfort I didn’t know. It wasn’t like he’d even asked about me. He wasn’t the one who had saved me, and he was there. I just hadn’t seen him among all that happened until we were leaving.
This man who had told me to get on his bike—who I would admit was a touch frightening—had cared about my situation. He’d killed a man to get me free, and then he’d carried me out of there when I struggled to walk. The stranger seemed to be more reliable than the man I’d once loved.
Sighing, I tried not to get deep in my emotions. But I missed Eamon. I missed our calm, predictable life. The one where I had known what each day would bring. I knew he’d be home every evening. And I knew I was loved and cherished. I knew I had a family and a home in him. He had been my safe place.
Navigating life without that was hard. Much harder than I could have imagined. Especially considering my circumstances now. Oh, to be sitting in our living room, eating takeout from our favorite Chinese place and watching one of our binge shows on Netflix. Something I had taken for granted. Something I’d thought would always be. Until it wasn’t.
The bikes slowed and then came to a stop in front of tall metal fencing that reminded me of a prison. I’d never been to a prison, not even when my father had been put in one, but I had seen enough of them on television. The gate began to slide open, and the bikes rumbled, then pulled inside and down a narrow road lined with palm trees until we reached a massive two-story building. It was long and rectangular. Part brick, the other concrete.
Lick parked the bike in a line with the others, then cut the engine.
After he climbed off, he held a hand out to me. “Don’t want you falling,” was all he said.
I placed my hand in his and was thankful once I swung my leg over and stood. My legs wobbled slightly, and his other hand went to my waist and held me firmly.
“Give it a minute,” he told me. “Your legs will steady up. Or I can carry you again.”
He smirked at the last part, and I felt my face flush. Was he flirting?
“The heels aren’t much help,” I mused, thinking if I had known I was going to be almost abducted and seen my boss with a bullet in his head, I might have worn better shoes.
Pepper came up beside me. “God, that was brutal. Why can’t one of them have had a car for us to ride in?” she said with a grimace. “Let’s go get you cleaned up.”
I glanced down at my dress and the blood on it, which had dried. I’d forgotten about that. Nodding, I let her lead me to the door that was being held open by a younger guy. He wore a black leather jacket, but not the vest. I’d noticed a few others like that.
“Thank you,” I told him as we passed.
A small smile tugged at his lips, but he looked at the ground.
“Yeah, thanks, Bullet,” Pepper called back over her shoulder.
He didn’t respond or look at her either.
She glanced at me. “Bullet is a prospect. He has to hold the door open for everyone, and he can’t interact with female visitors.”
“Prospect?” I asked, following her into the dark building with black walls.
As we made our way farther into it, it appeared to be nothing but walls on either side of us.
“That’s someone who was brought in by a member. He has to earn his dues, and then the counsel can vote to patch him in.”
Oh. It sounded like a fraternity, but I didn’t say that. I figured that would be considered an insult.
Some men ahead of us kept going and pushed open a red door. One yelled out something about lasagna to Nina before disappearing into the other room. Pepper stopped at a flight of stairs, and I followed her up.
At the top, the walls weren’t black, but navy, making it not as dark and gloomy. However, the floor was a wood that had been stained black. There was a long, wide hallway with sconces lining the walls for limited lighting.
Pepper turned left and went two doors down, then opened the door. Inside was a large room with a queen-size bed that had a tall white wooden headboard. The quilt on the bed was white with flowers on it in different patterns. The walls were lilac instead of the dark colors I’d seen so far. There was a dresser with a television hanging on the wall above it and a closed door. On the other side of the room was an open door that led into what I assumed was a bathroom since I could see the edge of a tub from where I stood.
“I use this room when I have to stay here. For all intents and purposes, it is mine. Liam’s daughter slept in here once years ago, and I believe Dolly did, too, but not for long. Anyway, it’s clean. No club sluts have been fucked on the bed.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Club sluts?” I asked.
She scrunched her nose. “Yeah. Them, and the strippers. The strippers rank a little higher since they actually work for The Judgment at their clubs, but the club sluts are literally women who hang around for the men’s use. Most walk around in nothing but heels and a thong. I don’t care that they are all checked for STDs every two weeks; any man who sticks his penis in those used-up cunts needs to bleach themselves.” She shuddered, then pointed toward the open door.
“Bathroom is stocked. And I have plenty of extra clothes in the closet and undies in the dresser. Go get yourself a good, long, hot shower. I will lay you out something comfortable to wear, then go get us some food from the kitchen and bring it up here. When adrenaline is high, like it is after that shit at the bar, there will be live-action porn running rampant down there. The last thing I want to do is see Fox’s white ass pounding into some female bent over the pool table again. I still can’t get that image out of my head.”
She was serious about the sex and naked women? Did we have to stay here? The more she talked about it, the more my anxiety rocketed up. I started to ask her if this was necessary, our staying here—or at least my staying here—but then I remembered the way Lord had leered at me. The things the other man had said in my ear. No, I could deal with naked women prancing around. I couldn’t deal with being taken by that gang.
“I said too much, didn’t I? Sorry. I grew up around these people. I’m not shocked by it. I don’t like it, and it will be a cold day in hell before I hook up with some biker, but we’re safe here. Micah won’t be able to concentrate if he thinks I’m not locked up tight.”
I didn’t know how to respond to all that, so I just nodded.
“Go get a shower. Take your time. Nina and Goldie will have to get everything prepared for dinner. They hadn’t been prepared to cook tonight since the club had been on a ride out to Toxic Throttle for the evening.”
I wondered what that was, but I didn’t think I could take much more. But there was one question I knew I had to ask. It wasn’t my business, and his complete lack of concern for me should be enough to make me shut him out of my head completely. It never seemed to work that way though. He had a way of getting in there and staying.
“Uh, the others who turned the other way…” I began.
“You can ask me where Tex is, Salem. I don’t judge or assume,” she replied with an understanding smile. “They had some of the strippers who work at Toxic on their bikes and had to get them to the club for their shift. It’s one of the strip clubs that the MC owns.”
I’d been right. Strippers. And I had felt bad for thinking that was what they looked like. Yep, that I could not compete with, not that I was going to try. But the small little wish that, one day, Rome would see me again and regret losing me was there, holding on like a bloodsucking tick. The idea was so ridiculous that it was laughable, but I didn’t feel much like laughing.
“I’m going to go shower,” I told her. “And thanks for the clothes and everything.”
I turned before she could see too much in my expression—or better yet, before I could see the pity that would no doubt be in hers. I didn’t want pity.