Chapter Three #2
I gnaw on my bottom lip as Millie continues, “Sin and his men saved me, and while yes, I am underage, in no way at all are they grooming me into becoming a club girl, quite the opposite, in fact. I come here to hang out because they’re cool people, and I bake them cookies and cakes because they have a really great kitchen, and they let me experiment with my recipes. ”
Sin finally manages a small smile. “And we get the benefit of trying all your new creations.”
Millie leans back against the counter. “I totally understand that for outsiders, it can be hard to comprehend that a 1% biker club can have genuinely nice people. That the guys can have hearts, be compassionate, and not be out to cause chaos and carnage all the time. And that your first instinct is to think the absolute worst. But, Elizabeth, you really do have the wrong end of the stick here. Sin… he saved me from being raped and tortured by the Hidden Hand Alliance. I can honestly never repay him for that, but I try with my baking, even though he doesn’t expect a single thing from me. ”
My eyes shift to Sin, regret flowing through me instantly as his nostrils flare. I go to say something, but Millie keeps talking, “And you really have the wrong idea about the club girls too.”
I raise my brow, turning back to face her.
Sin exhales, stepping forward. “Okay, Millie, you’ve said your piece—”
“No, I’m here to uncover the truth of this club, so if I need to be put back in my place, then let me hear it all. Millie, go ahead… please,” I reply.
Millie glances at Sin, and he huffs, then waves his hand through the air, giving her the go-ahead.
“You asked why the club girls would willingly work here and offer up their bodies to the brothers?”
Nodding, I fold my arms across my chest and raise my brow. “It makes no sense to me.”
Millie hums under her breath. “Hmm… maybe that’s because you’ve had an easy life.
Or at least, easy compared to the people out in that clubroom.
You clearly have a good job, which you had to go to college for.
Which also means you had an education. Probably a family growing up.
It may not have been perfect because whose is, but you had one that was at least a little supportive of you achieving your goals. Am I right so far?”
Sin says nothing, just lets Millie continue to talk to me, my stomach knotting further and further the more she speaks. “I mean, yeah, but I still don’t know what you’re getting at here, Millie?”
Millie tilts her head. “And that’s your problem.
That is why you’re judgmental. You were brought up in such a vastly different way from those girls out there.
They have had to fight every day of their lives just to survive.
” Millie took a breath. “Ro… when her Catholic parents found out she was bisexual at the age of fifteen, they not only excommunicated her from her church, but they also threw her out of her home with absolutely nothing and nowhere to go. She had to fend for herself, which is why she has that tough exterior.”
“Jesus,” I whisper under my breath, my hand moving to my mouth in shock.
Sin’s eyes meet mine, his anger seeming to ebb.
“She came to us when she was seventeen, asking for help. We took her in and got her medical help because she had been on the streets for the last two years. She was skin and bone, malnourished. The doctors said that if she hadn’t come to us when she did and had been on the streets for another week, she wouldn’t have made it.
That was five years ago…” He smiles. “Now she’s our head club girl.
Studies music, which she always wanted to do, but her parents would never let her because they said the music she liked was the devil’s music, and if they caught her singing or playing it, they would have the priest come and perform an exorcism.
But here, she’s completely free to be the person she wants to be.
The club pays for everything for her, including the therapy to help her deal with the trauma from her past.”
My heart thumps in my chest for that poor young girl as Sin continues, “And the other girls, Gia and Jessa, unfortunately, their stories are just as painful. Each is different, but the same outcome. The girls are here because they needed sanctuary from their lives. And we provide that for them. So you may think the club girls are here cooking, cleaning, and fucking against their will, but to them, it’s showing their gratitude and not a chore at all.
It’s their way of thanking us, and it’s the only way they know how.
Fighting back from the way they were raised is the only way that makes them feel like they are giving back.
Like they are part of something. Like they have a family they can count on.
A family they didn’t have in the one that shared their blood. ”
My eyes glisten on their own. I can’t help the emotion overwhelming me, hearing the trauma these poor girls have gone through and the way the club has helped them get back on their feet.
Fuck.
Sin is right.
I really am judgmental.
Sniffing, I wipe my nose with the back of my hand as a single tear rolls down my face. I quickly swipe it away, turning so Sin can’t see the effect this conversation is having on me.
Closing my eyes, a wave of emotion crashes over me. When Sin pushed me against the wall, he could have forced himself on me, pressured me into a kiss—or something more.
But he didn’t.
Dammit!
I judged him, thinking he would prove me right about him, about bikers and the heathens they are, force himself onto me, but he left me there, leaning against the wall as if he knew what I was thinking.
Letting out a shocked breath, I open my eyes, spinning back to face him, his brows furrow, clearly seeing the wetness on my cheek as I stride right up to him and reach out, taking his hand in mine. His eyes widen in shock at my forwardness.
I shake my head, more tears welling in my eyes. “I am so, so sorry.”
He jerks his head back like he’s completely in the dark on my one-eighty. “Ahh, what’s happening here?” he questions, clearly confused by my change of heart.
“I judged you… you were testing me. Before we came in here, you leaned into me against the wall to prove your point. I wanted to fight you off, but because of my preconceived notions about bikers and the fact that telling you no would only aggravate the situation, I judged you. You knew I would think that, and you were testing me, right? Hence, why you pulled away and said that I was judgmental before we came in here?”
Sin smirks cockily, a small chuckle escaping his mouth.
“Look at you go, wildcat. Maybe you will be a real investigative journalist after all. Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together that quickly, great job. Yeah, I was proving a point, but I sure am glad you’re starting to recognize that not every situation is so cut and dry. ”
I sigh, letting go of his hands, and step back, the realization hitting me. Sin wasn’t actually trying to kiss me, just merely proving a point. But the fact he was only making said point and not trying to kiss me is exactly the thing that terrifies me right now, because I am disappointed.
Deep down, even though I said I wanted to force him away from me, even though I said I wanted to fight him off because of my prejudice against bikers…
I did not.
Not at all.
I wanted him to lean in.
I wanted him to kiss me in that moment.
Even with all my preconceived knowledge of him and his club.
Something about Sin drew me in, and all I wanted was him.
But this feeling, it’s just the lure of the bad boy.
I have to remember why I’m here.
Why I need to be here.
A man like Sin is only after one thing—a good story for his club, and he will use me to get what he wants.
Clearly, as shown today with this little ruse of his.
Well, I won’t fall for it, and I absolutely will not fall for the likes of him.
“Not everything is black and white, Sin. But gray is also not the best color choice either,” I warn, turning back to Millie and smiling genuinely at her. “It was nice to meet you, Millie. I’m sure we will be spending more time together over the next few days while I write my feature.”
Millie grins, handing me one of her freshly baked cookies.
“Keep an open mind while you’re here. Take some time to meet the rest of the guys.
This is only your first day, and there is a lot to take in.
I know I’m only young, but I am here if you need someone to talk to who isn’t a part of the club. ”
A genuine warmth flows through me as I smile back at Millie. She really does seem to enjoy her time here. I take the cookie from her and dip my head. “Thanks, Millie, I’ll definitely be back to chat some more.” I side-eye Sin. “Maybe without the muscle next time.”
He smirks playfully. “You admiring my muscles, wildcat?”
Rolling my eyes, I walk to the kitchen exit. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
The thumping of his boots behind me lets me know he’s following me as I take a bite of Millie’s cookie. The crumbly texture is heaven in my mouth. A quiet moan escapes me as I devour the delicious treat.
I understand why they let her bake. Yum.
“Wildcat,” Sin calls, but I don’t stop walking toward the main clubroom.
“Stop walking away from me, Elizabeth!” His tone is more demanding this time.
Inhaling sharply, I turn, my brow raised as I glare at him. “What? What do you want now?”
He steps closer, the same way he did last time, my stupid fucking stomach betraying me as his face inches closer.
But I don’t back down. I don’t move as his lips turn up in the corner mischievously.
“Just so you can stop your brain from trying to rationalize what happened before we went into the kitchen… yeah, I was testing you. But that doesn’t mean for a.
Single. Second… that I didn’t want to kiss you, Elizabeth.
” My breathing hitches at his words. “Or that you didn’t want me to. ”
I swallow a lump that’s jammed hard in my throat, his hand gliding up, his rough, calloused finger sliding a strand of hair behind my ear as our eyes stay locked on each other.
Our lips are so close that the familiar smell of beer is washing over my senses, and the energy around us feels like it is sizzling out of control.
My heart pounds furiously in my chest, waiting for him to make another move, but he remains merely a couple of inches from my lips.
That gorgeous smirk crosses his face as if he’s waiting for me to give him permission.
My chest rises and falls quickly at all the scenarios racing through my mind.
When I was tasked with this job, I never in a million years thought this would be the situation I would find myself in within hours of arriving at the club, and yet, here I am.
Staring into the eyes of a club president, unmistakably attracted to him.
This was not supposed to happen.
This is a rookie error.
I’m here for a reason, and that reason is not to stare into gorgeous, rare-colored eyes.
Rolling my shoulders, I take a large step back from Sin, recovering my control. Sin’s brow raises like he wasn’t expecting me to do that, but he dips his head in acknowledgment, waving his hand past me as if to tell me to ‘lead the way.’
Clearing my throat, I take a step but then turn back to look at him. “I need to remain professional while I’m writing this feature.”
Sin grins knowingly, letting out a small chuckle. “I understand completely.”
“So, we’re on the same page? Are we clear?” I ask.
“Crystal, wildcat.”
Sighing, I spin on my heels and begin walking toward the clubroom. “I need you to spend the rest of my time here today introducing me to your brothers. I want to get a feel for the entire club. See how everyone interacts together. I don’t want my focus to be solely on you,” I reply.
Sin simply grins, leading me over to the sofas where some of the guys are sitting and drinking. “Whatever you need, Elizabeth. Now, let me introduce you to my brothers, properly this time…”
The next few hours are a whirlwind of introductions.
Everything feels like a blur of activity, conversations, laughter, and the clinking of bottles.
I watch the way the men interact with each other and how they look to Sin for guidance, approval, and just about everything.
There’s respect here, something deeper than just obedience.
It’s loyalty, genuine and unforced, and it further complicates everything I thought I knew about this biker world.
I’m here to put together information on the club, and even though I came in hot, I am already seeing that these men, this club, and certainly the performance they put on for me today, have made me wonder if everything I know, if everything I have been taught about bikers, or at least 1%ers, might be an overstretch.
But maybe that is exactly what Las Vegas Defiance, and especially Sin, are doing today—performing. And that is exactly why this assignment is ongoing, not just a one-day interview.
I’m shadowing them for as long as I need to get the information, to make my mind up on whether they are the good guys they’re implying or whether they are truly the ruthless, unruly biker club I am presuming them to be.
And if that’s the case, then this could be the break I need in exposing them and, in turn, exactly the push to get me off the rookie ladder and finally have my name out there as someone who blew the lid off something huge.
By the time I leave the clubhouse in the dead of night, the air is cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the gentle warmth of the Vegas December weather.
I take a deep breath, my mind buzzing with everything I’ve seen, everything I’ve felt.
There’s a thrill in the uncertainty, the danger of it all—a feeling I can’t shake.
I’m caught in a risky game, especially with the undeniable chemistry between Sin and me.
The stakes are higher than I ever anticipated.
But I’m in now, and there’s absolutely no turning back.
I have to do this.
I must uncover everything I can possibly find at Las Vegas Defiance, even if there’s something about Sin that has me questioning everything.
Because that is what these bikers do…
They lull you into a false sense of security.
Make you believe you’re safe with them.
I know, because that’s what happened to my little brother, Marcus, when he wanted to prospect in with them—and then, he showed up dead with no plausible explanation.
Now, I am going to be the one to uncover what truly happened and expose them for the liars, manipulators, and murderers they truly are.