Rex
Most of the clubhouse was still asleep when I set off for the motel the Sinners had bought after the blast. It was in the process of going through renovations but certain areas remained free from construction so that the clubwhores could live there and not on the compound.
I didn’t know who had made that decision, but I didn’t disagree with the idea. In fact, I thought it was fucking smart.
Keep the mice away so the Posse wouldn’t play.
The reception building’s facade was being taped so it could be painted, and that ran alongside deeper work going on in each individual room. In the background, I also heard the noise from the diggers where there was a pool being installed.
Curious about the progress of the renos, I took a short walk around the perimeter, where only the pool was being worked on as that appeared to have been subcontracted because my brothers were all recovering from last night’s party and were sleeping off their hangovers.
The workmen clearly didn’t recognize me, but seeing that the pool was underway, I didn’t bother stopping.
When I made it to the clubwhores’ digs, I knocked on the first door I came to.
As luck would have it, Peach opened it with a yawn, muttering, “Rex? You here about last night?”
As she knuckled her eyes sleepily, I grinned at her, leaning against the door to chat. “You look like you had a long one.”
There was a lot of snoring going down in the background so I figured a brother was asleep in there.
Maybe even two.
Peach wasn’t exactly discerning in her tastes.
“I did.” Another yawn. “Good to have you back. I missed our games.”
I shook my head at that—she knew I thought she was too fucking smart to get by on her back. “It’s good to be home,” was all I said as I peered at her. “How have things been in my absence?”
She raised a hand. “Gimme a sec to grab a jacket.”
I nodded, watched as she ducked inside, picked up a jacket from the floor, collecting a pack of smokes from a side table dusty with cream powder I knew would be makeup, and a can of energy drink from the small fridge along the way.
I got mooned for my pains by the brother on the bed before he huddled beneath the blankets, the cold of the morning hitting him on the behind before he started snoring again.
Peach offered me a smoke and a draw from the can, but I only took a sip of the bright yellow liquid. I’d long since quit smoking.
As she lit up, she studied me over the Zippo lighter, muttering, “Lot of unease around the place. Girls aren’t sure where they fit in now. That was before yesterday’s speech.”
“Heard about that, did you?”
She nodded. “We did.”
No surprise there.
Shit often traveled back to the women. As much as Giulia begrudged the bunnies’ existence, clubwhores were intrinsic to the ecosystem that was an MC.
They rarely got branded, but that didn’t diminish the power they had over the men.
That fucker in the bed, whether he was a newly patched in brother—I’d heard there’d been a couple in my absence—or had been with us for twenty years, would have spread the gossip over pillow talk.
The brothers ran their mouths as much as the women did.
“I want things to change,” I mused as I took a seat on one of the plastic chairs outside her door.
There were hundreds of sunflower seed shells on the ground, because I knew the bunnies ate those obsessively—kept them thin—and I figured this was where they’d all been hanging out now that the clubhouse was a trek away.
“It’s an MC. Can’t be an MC without clubwhores,” she mocked as she took a seat opposite me, unknowingly mimicking my train of thought.
I didn’t say that though. “Your time’s coming to an end as a sweetbutt.”
She shrugged. “I know. I’m not thinking about me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“This ain’t about me,” she repeated, crossing her legs then folding her arms over her knees, hunching against the cold seat.
“Don’t care. You’re the only one I like,” I mocked. “You want a job, I’ll fix you up.”
Her nose crinkled at the bridge. “Always figured we’d end up together.
Stupid, huh? Didn’t think I’d have to be thinking about this, thought you’d be like every other man and would give up on Rachel.
” Her lips pursed before she took a deep draw on her cigarette.
“One thing I should hate about you is the one thing I admire too. Go figure.”
“She’s always been it for me,” was all I said by way of apology.
I wasn’t going to say sorry for loving Rach.
“I know. Just didn’t think she’d come around. She’s always been a stuck-up bitch. Never understood what you saw in her until last night.” Her gaze turned shrewd. “You need an Old Lady as strong as you. That’s definitely not me, even if I can hold my own with you at chess.”
I reached for the can and pulled another sip. “Felt like she’d never come around. Glad she did.”
“I am too. For your sake.” She sighed. “I could work at the diner.”
“I’ll sort out a position for you there. Steel’s in charge though. You and him never got along.”
“Nah, but he’s gotten better since he branded Stone.” Clearly still tired, she rubbed her eyes. “Can I pay rent here?”
I shook my head. “Once the other rooms are refurbed, this section will be next, but I can help you find a place in town.”
Her brow puckered. “You’re too good to me.”
“You’ve always been my favorite for a reason, Peach. We’ve been friends, ain’t we?”
Her lips quirked up in a grin. “We have. I’m glad you think so too.”
I shared a smile with her. “When you’re ready, just tell me, okay?”
“I will. Won’t be long.” Her gaze fell out of focus. “I’m getting too old for parties like last night.” She yawned again. “My head’s banging.”
“I’ll bet. You didn’t leave with Kendra?”
She snorted. “No. You know I hate her guts.”
That was one of the reasons I liked her.
“She’s been causing trouble with Giulia.”
“I don’t like Giulia, she’s a bitch, but Kendra’s really been getting under her skin.”
“Giulia’s…” How did I phrase it? “…a jealous cat by nature.”
Peach nodded. “Man like Nyx, it makes sense to be jealous.”
“Why? He’s clearly devoted to her.”
A smile danced on her lips again. “He’s wild, Rex. You don’t get it. Even if you feel like you domesticated him, it’s still like having a tiger roaming around the compound. She’ll feel better once she gives birth. Nyx’ll like having a family.”
Back in the early days, she’d been one of Nyx’s bunnies. That she was fond of him was a given. Each of them had been fond of him in the aftermath, despite his having broken nearly all their hearts.
“But Kendra’s been worse than usual. Giulia’s not overreacting. I’d be jealous as hell too.”
“Even though she’s clearly lying?”
“Doesn’t take much to nourish insecurity. Giulia walks by, Kendra goes, ‘Boom, boom, boom,’ in time to each of her steps.”
“What the fuck for?”
“Saying she’s fat.”
“She’s pregnant.”
Peach jibed, “Don’t mean dick. Not to women like Kendra. Being thin is their only commodity.”
I sighed.
This was my half-sister we were fucking talking about, but it might as well have been an alien for all that she made sense to me.
Pointless spite was exactly that—goddamn pointless.
“What else has Kendra been doing?”
“Saying that she’s been banging Nyx on the side, talking smack mostly. I think being pregnant has made Giulia more whacked up than normal so she’s taking it harder than she would ordinarily. Don’t like either woman but even I was glad last night when Rachel busted her nose.”
I hid a smirk.
“Don’t make out like that didn’t get you hard as nails,” Peach mocked, which had me grinning outright.
“Not saying nothing.”
“Like every wise man.” Peach shared the grin with me. “Anyway, why you here? You’ve come to throw her out?”
I scratched my chin. “Yeah.”
She took a deep pull on her cigarette. “Interesting.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t think you would. You’ve always been soft on her. After all that shit she did with Storm, it stunned me you let her stick around.”
“You knew about that?”
“We all did.” She tapped her nose. “We girls stick together though. Only way to survive.”
I clenched my jaw. “She raped him, Peach.”
“I know.” Her gaze darkened, her brow puckering as sorrow laced her features.
“She wasn’t the only one. A couple have over the years.
They want a brand and they ain’t afraid of doing dirty shit to get it.
” She sucked in a breath. “I hope he and Keira can make it work, but they won’t be able to unless he gets clean. ”
“He’s sober now.”
She snorted. “We both know that don’t last long.”
“Nah, he’s doing well. Seeing a shrink and all kinds of shit.”
Pensive, she mumbled, “I’m glad to hear it.”
I knew she meant it too.
“You should be more than a waitress, Peach.”
Her lips quirked. “Wasn’t ever in the cards for me.”
I grunted. “Bullshit. You want to go to school, I’ll make that happen too.”
“You always were the best Sinner,” she said with a teasing smile. “I’ll think about it.” With that, she got to her feet. “Kendra’s in the room on the end. I’m gonna duck inside so I don’t hear her wailing.”
She retreated to her door, but as she passed me, she patted my shoulder. “I know this is goodbye in a sense, Rex, even if neither of us are going anywhere immediately, but I wish you well.”
I stared up at her. “Same, Peach. Same. And I mean it. Whatever help you need, I’ll make shit happen.”
Something lightened in her eyes. “Thank you.”
When the door closed behind her, I felt some of that lightness, too, because I knew she’d accept my offer of help.
That was one of the hardest things about being Prez and being me. I was a feminist, believe it or not. I didn’t think I couldn’t be a feminist when my woman was Rachel Laker, and having women believing that all they were capable of was fucking and cleaning for a living went against that.
What else was feminism, though, if it wasn’t a woman’s right to choose how she led her life?
Scratching my jaw, I got to my feet and ambled down the short path to the last room.
I knocked on the door, rested my shoulder against the wall, and stared down at the seating area I’d just left. Those fucking shells. Man, I hated sunflower seeds now.
The door opened, and Kendra’s mouth danced into a smirk. Her face was busted up, and pride sank into me. Rachel had a wicked right hook. “You here for something that woman can’t give you?”
I sneered at her, “You ask me that knowing full well what we are to each other?”
Her smirk dropped. “He told you?”
“In his will.”
Thanks to the broken nose, her voice was nasal as she grumbled, “Even in death, he didn’t have the balls to claim me.”
“Not much worth claiming,” I disregarded, ignoring her sharp gasp at my cruel words.
“Last night just rammed that home. Why the fuck are you making waves, Kendra? Why are you messing around with Old Ladies and trying to shit on their relationships? Because it’s fun?
If you’re that fucking bored, then I can get you some extra chores—”
Kendra’s lips tightened. “I do it because I can.”
I let those words resonate a second.
“You do it because you can,” I repeated, my tone musing. “What makes you think you can?”
“I’m Bear’s daughter. I’m untouchable.”
A laugh escaped me because, I realized, she truly believed it.
“You ain’t untouchable, Kendra. No one is. That’s why I’m here.” Even if last night hadn’t happened, I’d still want her out. Storm… He deserved this. Her behavior had just put her higher up on my to-do list. “I want you out of this room tonight.”
Her raccoon eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. I’m your fucking half-sister.”
“Don’t give a shit. This is on you, for the stunts you pull and the decisions you make.” I straightened up from the door when her hand darted out, her fingers tightening in my cut.
“You can’t do this.”
“Just watch me,” I mocked.
“I know things,” she spat.
“Sure you do.” I winked at her. “Also sure you know that if you go to the cops, there’s an empty hole in the graveyard just waiting for you.”
“So I’m good enough to be buried in the graveyard?” she mocked. “Not good enough to be acknowledged in life, but in death, I will be?”
“Figure there’s a pit that could be opened up. Don’t need a marking to dump you in the ground.”
Pain darkened her eyes. “You bastard. You mean that, don’t you?”
“If you turn rat?“ I grinned at her, but it was nothing like the ones I’d shared with Peach. “Bet your ass I do. Not gonna turf you out with nothing—”
“Aren’t I the fucking lucky one?” she hissed.
“You are,” I agreed, “because I’m only doing this for Dad.
He asked me to make provisions for you in his will, and that’s what I’m going to do.
” I reached into my jeans’ pocket and pulled out a credit card.
“Two grand will be deposited in this account on the first of each month. Consider yourself lucky that Dad asked me to look after you—”
I’d expected her to snatch the card out of my hand, but she didn’t. She stared at it like I was passing her a snake.
“He didn’t leave me anything, did he?” she questioned, the words coming slow, like she was thinking out loud. “I’d have been called in for the will reading otherwise.”
“He asked me to provide for you,” was my only reply.
Her gaze fixed itself onto mine. “Even in death, he reminded me how little I mean to him. A duty, a responsibility to bear… not good enough for my own inheritance.” She swallowed, straightened up. “I’ll be out by the end of the day.”
Before she slammed the door in my face, she snatched the card from my grasp and left me staring at the number ‘69’ on her door.
For all that she was a loose end, the weight off my shoulders came as a relief.
Kendra was trouble. I knew that without her making that threat.
This wouldn’t be the last I heard of her, but I’d done as Dad asked.
It’d be the last favor I’d do for him.
Because the only safe place for Kendra to go was that empty hole in the graveyard…
Whether she knew it or not, whether she begrudged the fact he hadn’t left her anything in his will, she’d be leaving the MC with her life.
That was more than she deserved for what she’d done to Storm.