Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
SPIDER
Standing outside smoking a cigarette, Hawk comes walking over with a stupid smirk on his face. “I’ve known you a long time, and I have never known you to be an asshole to women. You love women, all women. Yet Acid’s sister comes to stay, she’s barely been here a day, and you’re already giving her shit. So, what has she done that’s got your balls in a fucking twist?” he asks.
I take a long pull on my cigarette until I feel the delicious burn deep in my lungs. I slowly exhale, taking my time to answer. “No problem. I just don’t like her,” I state.
“Fuck off brother, speak the truth,” Hawk scoffs.
I look at him. “I’ve said it before, and no one will fucking listen. I’ve known Acid since we were fucking kids in that place. His family are fucking dead,” I counter, releasing some of the truth.
“No shit?” He sighs. “Look, if you really think there is something to be concerned about, then you need to tell Pres. He can get Cash to run a background check on her,” he adds.
I nod and drop my cigarette to the floor, pausing to stamp it out with my boot. “No shit, and I will. I don’t like the fact that no one has heard from Acid either. And then she shows up,” I add.
Hawk nods. “Yeah, it could be coincidental, but it could be something. Either way, let Pres know, because after what we’ve seen in this club, you and I both know things aren’t always as they seem.”
Star walks out of the club with Nova hooked on her arm. My eyes lock with Nova’s and she immediately looks away. Stopping in front of us, Star smiles brightly.
“What do you want?” I sigh.
“We are going shopping. The rest of them are meeting us there later. Minus Belle, of course. I expect the pair of them will still be fucking like rabbits,” Star states.
I shrug. “And what does that have to do with me?” I ask.
Star smiles smugly. “You are our chaperone.”
I shake my head. “Nah, fuck no. Not happening. Take a prospect, or Hawk, Rage, fucking Ghost. Anyone but me,” I argue.
“Casper said I had to take a chaperone. I choose you, and because you haven’t learnt how to play nice with our new guest, it will give you a chance to stop being such an asshole and become the best of friends, considering her brother is your best friend. I’m pretty sure when Acid does return, he won’t want to be hearing about how you treated his sister like a piece of shit on your shoe,” she rants.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. I look at Nova who instantly averts her gaze to the floor.
“Fine. I will take you, but please for fuck’s sake, stop ranting and bossing me the fuck around. I am the VP. I ain’t no pussy prospect,” I snap.
Star raises her brow before she holds out her hand for me to shake. I place my hand in hers and she smiles. “Deal. I will try not to boss you around too much. Now, can we go? There’s a sale on and I want to grab Enzo some new clothes,” she says before dropping my hand and walking to the truck. Nova is still stood there unmoving, her head still bowed, looking at the floor.
I step into her personal space and lift her chin, forcing her to look at me. Her pink plump lips part and her eyes are wide with fear.
I smirk. “Here’s the deal. I don’t believe a word you fucking say. You are hiding something, and I will fucking find out what it is,” I threaten, speaking quietly so Star can’t hear. “Now because she won’t give it a rest, we will pretend to get along. I will pretend to fucking like you, and you will pretend to like me. Understand?” She nods. “Good. Now fucking smile,” I order as I move my hold from her chin to the back of her neck. She doesn’t smile. She still continues to look at me with the ‘deer caught in the headlights’ look on her face. “I said fucking smile,” I growl in her ear while giving the back of her neck a squeeze. She flinches under my touch and as I frown and look down her, she plasters on a fake smile. Star’s eyes assess us, flicking back and forth. “We made an agreement to start fresh from today. I promise no more shit from me,” I lie.
Star’s eyes flick straight to Nova. “That’s er, that’s right. All good now,” Nova lies.
Star doesn’t look like she’s completely bought the bullshit lie, but she nods for now as I hold the door open, letting them climb in the truck before I walk around to the driver’s side.
Walking around the mall is fucking torture. I swear when I get back Ghost will owe me big fucking time for this. Standing outside one of the stores the girls have all piled into, I light a cigarette and lean against the wall.
“Excuse me sir, you can’t smoke inside the mall,” a balding, overweight security guard says with his hands braced on his hips.
I take another pull. “Look, I’m just having this one, then I will stamp it out and I promise to never do it again. Trust me, if you were in my situation right now, you would be smoking too,” I say on an exhale. Slowly, I pull the packet out of my pocket. “Here, you want one?” I offer.
The way his facial expression changes, like I’ve just offered him crack, has me choking back my laughter as I continue to smoke my cigarette. “Sir, if you continue to refuse my order, then I will have to take action,” he threatens.
I stand up straight and step toe to toe with the security guard. Looking down on him, I take a pull on my cigarette and exhale it in his face. “Is that so? So, what type of action? You going to try and restrain me?” I sneer.
I swear I can smell urine as the guy looks like he wants to piss his pants in fear.
“Oh my god! Spider, what the fuck are you doing?!” Star yells. She yanks on my arm, pulling me back before she snatches the cigarette from my hand and stamps it out, all while pushing me behind her. “I am so sorry. He will be leaving right now,” she assures the guard.
“Well yes, make sure he does,” he grumbles, puffing out his chest and trying to act like he wasn’t shit scared.
Maggie gives me a nudge. “What the fuck was that all about?” she hisses.
I shrug. “I ain’t the one with the problem.” Ignoring the looks from Josie and Dixie, I clench my fists, feeling the urge to fight coursing through me. It’s a side to me they don’t see, a side I keep hidden from them. Only my brothers know about my fighting, but only Acid knows why I fight, why I need to fight. I feel eyes on me, and as I turn my head, I see Nova staring at me. She doesn’t look away this time. Instead, she reaches into her bag and pulls out a small bottle of something. I stop moving.
“Open your mouth,” she orders softly. I don’t. “Trust me,” she assures. I slowly open my mouth and she pulls a small pipette from the little bottle and drops some liquid on my tongue.
I close my mouth and scrunch up my face. “What is that?” I ask. “Tastes like fucking dirt,” I protest.
“It’s Kava, a calming herb. It will help ease your tension,” she answers before placing the bottle back in her bag.
I scoff. “The tension I need relieving can’t be eased by no fucking herbal shit. It’s either fighting or fucking,” I snap. “I’ve had enough of this shit. Back to the truck,” I bark before walking off. I don’t look back because I know that they will all be stood together muttering shit while staring at me.
“What the fuck is with you?!” Ghost barks.
“Acid,” I state.
Ghost rolls his eyes. “Not this shit again.”
I sit forward on the chair and lean my elbows on the table. “Yes, this fucking shit again. It’s not fucking right, any of it. We don’t hear from Acid, then that bitch shows up. He’s in fucking trouble, I can feel it. But all everyone seems to give a shit about is her. She is hiding something. I fucking know it,” I state with conviction.
Ghost tenses his jaw, his gaze piercing. “What proof do you have that she is hiding something?” he asks calmly.
I pause. I swore to Acid that his secret would stay with me, that I would take it to the fucking grave. Not about to break my promise to Acid, I lie. “I don’t. I thought that Cash could look into her or some shit.” I shrug my shoulders as I sit back and light my cigarette.
Ghost bites down on his bottom lip, thinking. “I don’t think she’s anything other than what she says she is. But I hear you about Acid. He has normally checked in by now,” he states, tapping his finger on the table. “That aside, you behave like that again, while wearing that patch, I will personally beat your fucking ass. We are not some fucking gang that terrorises the public. Shit brother, smoking in the mall just so you could fucking start with the guard? You ain’t no kid. What the fuck were you playing at?” Ghost seethes.
I know he’s got a point. What I did was fucking stupid and childish. I sigh and shake my head. “Fuck if I know. I don’t know, it’s like I need to fight.”
Because she’s bringing things up from the past, I think to myself.
“You just fought,” Ghost points out.
“I know, but it was no challenge. I knocked the fucker out in minutes,” I point out.
“Yeah, I heard. You put him in a coma,” Ghost counters.
I look at him and raise my brow. “Shit, really?” I ask.
Ghost nods. “Yeah, I don’t know what shit you’ve got going on inside that fucking head of yours, and I can’t tell you how to fix it, but fuck me brother, fix it. You are my VP. I can’t have you going off on one. You want to do your fights, then great, do it. Just don’t go around killing your opponents,” he states.
“I didn’t kill him,” I defend.
“You don’t know that yet until he wakes up,” Ghost argues.
I rub my face. “Fuck,” I groan.
“You need a break? Like Acid?” Ghost asks.
I pause. Do I? The club is all I’ve known, apart from the Quade house, and I sure as shit ain’t going back to living that way.
“Think about it. I don’t want you to fucking go, but if you need it, then we will vote on it,” he states.
I nod before my cell pings with a message.
Rev; Tonight. You in?
I quickly type my reply.
S; Yeah, send me details.
“Rev?” Ghost asks.
I nod. “Yeah, got a fight tonight,” I state.
Ghost nods. “I will let the brothers know. We can come support you and hopefully you won’t kill this poor fucker. Plus, we haven’t been in a while. It will be good for the brothers to get away from here without the ol’ ladies.” Ghost smiles.
I laugh. “Fuck, don’t let Star hear you say that.”
Ghost stands, his cell in hand, already texting. “Right, I’ve told the brothers. I’ve got to go sweeten Star.” He winks.
“Fucking pussy whipped!” I yell after him.
He holds his right hand up, flipping me off as he walks out of the room. I sit there for a while longer, thinking over what he said.