Sire: On Your Knees (BLP Motorcycle Clubs #11)

Chapter 1

B eep! Beep! Beep!

I glanced up from my phone screen to see Ria's black Kia K5 racing into the parking lot. Sighing, I slowly stood to my feet and slid my phone into my trouser pocket.

She came to a screeching halt in front of me and rolled the passenger window down. "Get in, bitch, we 'bout to get fucked up. It's five o'clock somewhere."

I chuckled with a shake of my head. Getting fucked up sounded like exactly what I needed after the morning I had. It was taking everything in me to hold it together, but the weight of the last hour weighed heavily on my shoulders. Opening the door, I slid onto her buttery cognac passenger seat and dropped my purse between my feet on the floorboard. My back slammed into the back of the seat.

Her foot was on the gas a second later, carrying me away from the job at Mutual Healthcare, where I thought I would stay for years. You know, becoming one of those women who had all the knowledge and climbed the ladder of success to receive one of the biggest salaries offered. Yet here I was, leaving in the middle of the day after six months because I'd fucked around and gotten fired.

"Girl, what happened?" Taria questioned once we were well on our way to only God knows where.

I couldn't care less. I knew I could trust Taria with my life. We've been friends since we were teenagers, and she was always in my corner. I didn't have many friends, but the quality of my one friend made up for it in many ways.

I could only laugh as I replayed the conversation that had ended my employment. "Bitches be jealous. A hating, mad ho told my director I had weed on me. I got called in to HR, and they searched my shit."

Turning to Ria, I gave her the look that said bitch you know me. We both knew I had that shit on me. My face fell into the palm of my hand as I groaned.

"I needed that fucking job, boe. I outta come back later and dog walk that bitch for playing with me like that when she gets off."

"And you wouldn't be wrong. These hos be miserable and taking it out on the world. God don't like ugly. Trust me, she won't be there for much longer."

I folded my arms over my chest, believing what Ria said. Ashton must've forgotten I was the reason she lasted so long. Without my help, she was sure to crash and burn before the month was out.

I glanced out the window, attempting to control my emotions, but I failed miserably. I tried to cry as quietly as possible, but Ria still heard me when I sniffled. I felt her hand on my arm as she eased to a stop at a red light.

"Aww, don't cry, friend. It's going to be okay."

I wiped away my tears and nodded.

"I know, I'm just frustrated. Sometimes, it feels like my life is never going to get better."

"It will. You can't think like that, Noonie."

I sighed. "I know, I know, but fuck, rent is still due. I need something to shake."

She was quiet, using her weight to give the car some gas when the light switched to green. I became lost in my thoughts, wondering what was going to be next for me. If I was honest, I felt somewhat relieved to be released from the modern-day slavery model. They gave just enough to get by while continuing to hike up the prices of everything.

It was a blessing to even be able to keep my head above water. That was my motivation for getting up to catch the bus to work every morning. Now, things were a little different... I started thinking of what I could do if I came up with the money to start a business.

Ria turned into Nellie's parking lot a few minutes later. My mouth salivated as I thought about the ten-piece hot honey wings I was about to bust down without shame. Those margarita flights were calling me too. I decided to put worrying about the future on the back burner to focus on stuffing my face. Food always made me feel better.

"I may have a solution to your problem," Ria declared after our server walked away.

She'd just dropped off our margarita flights. I wasted no time placing the tiny straw between my lips and pulling the drink's sweetness into my mouth. My eyes were on Ria, waiting for her to continue. Her head twisted from side to side as she checked to be sure no one was listening.

For the most part, Nellie's was still empty since it wasn't even noon. Only one person sat at the bar, and all the other booths and tables were empty, so she had nothing to worry about. Once Ria felt safe to speak, she pressed her chest to the table and leaned closer. "Okay, so I've been keeping a secret."

I raised an eyebrow because this was tea for me.

"You know how I told you Rico bought my car for me?"

I nodded, becoming more curious about where this conversation was going. Ria had been with her boyfriend Rico for the last six months. The two of them were nearly inseparable. I was shocked that he wasn't glued to her side when she came to pick me up.

"Well, that's not the whole truth. He got it with money we stole from this baller in Charlotte."

My eyes ballooned, and I nearly choked on my margarita. Beating on my chest and coughing, I tried to clear my airways. When I got my breath together, I put my focus back on my best friend. "Say what now?"

"You heard me. He finds the targets. I reel the men in, then we take 'em for all they got. We haven't missed any meals yet. It can help you get right."

Ria took her first sip of her drink while I tried to process her words. I'd never done anything remotely close to that in my life, but my back was against the wall. I needed money, and I needed it fast. Trying to do the right thing would have me out on the streets, shaking a cup for spare change. Even if I found another job, I wouldn't see a check until weeks from now.

"What would I have to do?" I asked for clarification. I refuse to agree to shit without knowing the risks.

Ria smiled widely. "All you have to do is turn the charm on. I will do all the talking and spike the drinks. You keep the niggas entertained, which should be easy because you're pretty, and your ass is fat. Niggas is going for it every time, and we both know it."

It was true. Men lusted after me endlessly. It was part of the reason I always preferred sweatpants, hoodies, and sneakers to hide my shapely frame. A banging body was the only thing I got from my mama because love and support weren't one of them. Gulping down a mouthful of fruity tequila, I drowned out memories of my past. The only thing that mattered now was the opportunity to come up.

"Okay, I'm in," I quickly agreed before I could change my mind.

Ria seemed surprised by my response. "What? Really?"

I nodded. "Yes, I need the money to start my cleaning business. I'm sick of working to make somebody else rich. It's time my luck turned for the better."

Ria nodded with a grin. Lifting one of her margaritas, she tipped it toward me. I grabbed one of mine and clinked it against hers. "Let's get this fucking money."

The Next Night

"I got suckas pissed off. Fuck ya bitch raw. Fuck up her lip gloss then it’s fuck her, get lost..." The crowd in Naughty Cove began to pulse as Kuzco Da Foo's "Another Lick" blasted from the club's speakers. Everyone was screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs, and I couldn't help but vibe with them.

Ria was on the same timing as I turned to her and began rapping the lyrics like we were in the studio with Kuzco when he wrote it. "How the fuck you let yo' homie wear that chain? You know it's fake. Up and down the interstate."

"Hittin' lick after lick after muthafuckin' lick," she rapped back at me.

We continued vibing out to one of our local artists until Rico walked up with drinks. I accepted the Lemon Drop he passed to me. I was going to need some liquid courage to get through this night. The energy in the club was a good distraction from the task at hand. For a minute, it felt good to relax and remove the pressure from my shoulders.

"You ready?" He leaned down to ask in my ear.

I nodded slowly. Rico was a light-skinned Chris Brown-looking nigga that my friend would give anything for. She trusted him, and I trusted her. I hadn't heard her say a bad thing about him yet, so I had to believe it meant something because I needed this little stunt to go off without a hitch. This was how I got my new beginning... My happily ever after...

When Rico spoke again, he addressed both of us. "Alright, my intel says he'll be here soon. I'm going to fade into the shadows, but my eyes will be on y'all. Just play it cool, and we'll be okay."

I felt like the last piece of advice he offered was for me because, apparently, they'd done this kind of thing many times before. Ria knew how to conduct herself, but me... I still couldn't believe I was doing this.

I was so outside of my comfort zone. I understood that I had to be Noonie and not Knovah tonight. Noonie knew how to survive and was willing to do whatever it took to walk away with a bankroll to secure her future. Lifting my plastic cup to my lips, I swallowed the rest of it in one gulp. It burned a little going down, but I knew the effects wouldn't take long to kick in. Though I was known to have a drink often, I was still lightweight. It didn't take much to have me leaning to the side like a blow-up Michelin man.

"It's time," Ria warned me in a low tone. We were standing shoulder to shoulder, still blending into the crowd. "Look up there." She nodded to a section that was slightly elevated on the far wall of the club.

I played it cool, acting like I was just vibing to the music, but I peeped where she wanted me to look. A new set of people were occupying the previously empty section. "Mir is the one with the curly fade."

I couldn't tell much from this far away. I wanted to say he was attractive because bitches were swarming their section instantaneously. Ria grabbed my hand before navigating us in that direction. We were to seduce him on some freaky 'we wanna have a threesome' shit, get him to the house, drug him, then rob him. Simple and easy.

We were almost there when my shoulder damn near dislocated from the weight of someone bumping into me. I almost went tumbling to the floor, but thankfully, his hand on my elbow kept me from completely embarrassing myself.

"My bad, mama." His voice was velvety smooth but also guttural. That was all I could tell you because he disappeared in a blur.

"You okay?" Ria asked after rushing to my side. I nodded and glanced behind me, but all I found were tipsy partygoers. I picked up on the trail of a dark and mysterious scent with a hint of vanilla. There was something elegant about it, and I wished I could see who'd been wearing it.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's keep going." And going is exactly what we did.

Everything went according to plan, just as they said it would. I tried to contain my excitement when we successfully made it to Mir's beautiful brownstone home on the east side of the city.

He was a very handsy man. He had no problems gripping my ass cheeks and letting me know what he wanted to do to me. Flirting was natural for me, and he was handsome with creamy wheat-colored skin, thick black eyebrows, brown eyes, and full pink lips. He was taller than me and a little skinnier than the men I was typically attracted to, but again, this was the means to an end. I wasn't trying to marry the nigga.

Ria was busy making the drinks while I was straddling his lap. He was gently kissing my neck, sending unfamiliar chills down my spine. It was surely the liquor that got me here and was helping me keep up with the game.

Ria came back with shots for all three of us. Music was flowing, smoke was in the air, and honestly, the vibe was decent. It was a good night, and it was about to get even better. It didn't take long for the sedative to kick in.

"Fuck, why I can't keep my eyes open," Mir ranted, rubbing at his eyes adamantly like it would help. By the time he realized what was going on, it was too late. I remained on his lap until he passed out cold.

I glanced at Ria over my shoulder.

She grinned happily. "Works like a charm every time. Come on, take what you can."

She rushed to the front door to let Rico in, and we ransacked the place, taking anything that had value. Mir had money lying around all willy-nilly, along with hella jewelry, electronics, and anything else you could think of. His lifestyle screamed entitlement.

I was the last one in the bedroom, clearing what was left, when I heard the door open, and then a loud booming voice called out to Mir.

Seconds later, I heard, "Who the fuck are you?"

"Rico, nigga, this is for my sister." Seconds later, I heard gunshots.

My heart stopped beating as terror froze me in place. I was in the closet and figured I should stay there, but I realized that it would be stupid. I had to get out of here. I rushed out, heading toward the bedroom door. I checked the hallway and saw it was empty. Since it was so quiet, I took that as a sign that it was safe.

I made it to the living room to see Mir still slumped on the couch. There was a gaping wound in his midsection, gushing blood.

"No... no... no." I rushed to him, looking frantically for something to stop the bleeding. Running out of options, I used my shirt. I began to panic, trying to do what I could. This was not a part of the plan.

My head popped up when I heard thundering footsteps that grew louder the closer someone got to the living room. Unsure of what to do, I whispered an apology to Mir and tried to take off. My hand landed on the handle of the sliding door, but it was locked.

Before I got the chance to unlock it, that voice froze me in my tracks. "Where do you think you're going?"