Chapter 15 #2
And just like that my smile faltered. I didn’t want to see them, but I understood why we needed to. He wanted to show off my patch and to prove to them that this was real, and no doubt remind them of the wedding they were required to attend later this week.
The giddy feeling in my stomach flared again as I considered being married to Jameson.
Married.
Legally.
Not real.
I let out a sigh as I followed Jameson, shoving down the reminder of my reality the entire way.
The Chaos Kings were all spread throughout the house, and as usual, it was loud.
It was also hot and muggy—in desperate need of a window being cracked.
The second we stepped inside, my insides seemed to squirm at the wrongness of it all.
The feeling so different from being over with the Stone Riders.
Perhaps it was simply how this club had made me feel, and regardless that I was now wearing the president’s patch, or the fact that we were about to be married, it all just felt wrong.
“Prez is here!” someone shouted, sounding very drunk.
There was something that crashed to the floor, and then more men were yelling.
Tonight, I noticed there were a few Sweetbutts milling about, some had likely come over from Richland…
but a few were maybe from Pyle, a neighboring town that had the only local strip club.
I clung to Jamie’s hand as we walked through the club.
Someone handed him a beer, and me a withering glare.
Jameson must have caught it because he ignored the offered drink and continued past the man.
Harris was playing cards again at the table with one of the members; he smiled up at me, nodding his head in hello.
I smiled at him as we made our way past him.
Brick walked up to us with a big smile on his face, a beer in one hand, and a bottle of water in the other. “Here Prez, this is for your old lady.” He handed me the water. I took it hesitantly and ensured the cap was still sealed. Jamie glanced at him, then back at me and thanked Brick.
He was likely gunning for the new VP spot that Luke had vacated, but I didn’t care. Someone had finally offered me a shred of kindness in this stupid club, and I wasn’t going to turn it down.
“Here, you can sit over here.” Brick led the way to a massive armchair, where Jamie sat and brought me into his lap.
I heard snickering, and even a few of the Sweetbutts eyed me, like they would be able to snatch Jameson right from under my swollen, pregnant fingers.
I wanted to smirk back and explain that he was free to fuck, free to do whatever he wanted…
and maybe he did. Maybe Jameson had already been over here, making his way through all the available pussy.
The thought flitted away just as quickly as it arrived.
That had never been Jameson. Even when I was with Luke, and he did have girls on his arm, he was always very respectful with them in public, and there had only ever been two girls.
We all assumed he’d been dating girls from the inner city since he started working there, but it wasn’t like I had ever had the opportunity to ask him.
Jamie’s hand was on my thigh, pulling me closer as he talked to Brick, and a few other people. I watched the room while sipping my water. It wasn’t until I heard a familiar voice slither up my spine that it stiffened.
“New cut, I see…and rumor has it, you’re getting married.
” Bones walked over to us, glaring down at me with those hateful eyes.
Kline was next to him, leering while tossing back a beer.
His eyes were red-rimmed, and he smelled like body odor and tobacco.
My heart felt like a snared rabbit, desperate to run to safety.
I did not like these men being this close to me or being able to stand over me.
Jamie’s grip tightened as if he could sense my unease, so I turned into him, hid my face in his neck and whispered, “I want to go back to the cabin.”
Jameson’s hand traveled higher on my thigh as his lips moved to my ear. “I’ll walk you.”
We stood, and Jameson was careful to position himself in front of me. The glare he gave the two men was death incarnate.
“Leaving so soon, Prez? We wanted a chance to talk to your pretty new fiancée.”
“You don’t get to speak to her. Ever.” Jameson warned with a deadly tone. “Now get the fuck out of my way.”
Kline’s gaze stayed fixed on me, red, watery eyes just glaring.
Jameson pushed Kline, so he stumbled back. “You don’t get to look at her.”
Brick was behind us in a second, pulling his gun out but keeping it low. A few other members fell into line behind us as well.
“You think because you’re putting a ring on her hand, we’ll suddenly accept her?” Bones rasped, focusing his glare on Jamie. Kline groaned, still trying to regain his footing.
Jameson looked over his shoulder at me. “Cover your eyes, Pen.”
Bones laughed, peering over his shoulder to find Kline. “Baby King thinks he can take us both out.”
I gripped Jamie’s wrist, silently begging him not to do what I already knew he didn’t have a choice in doing.
Being president meant he kept members in line, and considering he’d already had enough dissention, I knew he walked a narrow line regarding the allegiance of his members.
Jameson very likely would have already removed Kline and Bones after what they’d done to me, the fact that they still lived told me he was trying to bide his time and make it look like an accident.
“Penny, come with me.” Harris showed up from behind Brick, holding out his hand. Jameson let me go, while keeping his eyes on the two men. I rushed off to the older Stone Rider without a second glance.
Harris ushered me out of the house, but I heard the gunshots on my way out. I steadied my breath as I crawled on the back of Harris’ bike.
“I’ll be careful on the bumps.” His sweet voice said in a soothing fashion.
I hadn’t been on the back of a bike in months.
Not since I discovered I was pregnant. True to his word, Harris was gentle with his movements, and the way he navigated the bike.
Before long, we were in front of the cabin, and Harris was helping me off and into the house.
“I’ll be right out here until Jameson gets back.”
My voice cracked as I stood in the entryway, watching as the older man backed out of the house.
“Wait. Could you…would you…” I stumbled over my words, hating that I was out of sorts over seeing those men again. Regardless that I now knew they were dead because Jamie had killed them, I still couldn’t shake this shuddering feeling in my chest.
“I have cards and coffee. Would you want to stay in here with me until Jamie comes back?”
The smile Harris gave me was mostly hidden by his beard, but I was starting to read the way his eyes lit up and how the space next to his eyes wrinkled.
“I’ll take some coffee, and I’d love a game of rummy.”
Relief sailed through me to the point I was nearly in tears. I hated being alone. I just wanted Jamie, and if I didn’t have him, then I wanted to be over with Natty.
Harris pulled out a chair and sank into it.
I put on a pot of coffee and relaxed as he began talking to me about how he’d learned the hard way not to ever get in between Red and Brooks arguing.
I was laughing so hard, my stomach began to ache.
I sipped tea while he sipped coffee, and we shared turns winning hands at cards.
It was at least an hour or two before Jamie finally came home.
“Hey.” He searched over the table, and when his eyes landed on me, it was like a warm ray of sunshine had found a way through winter, sneaking into my heart and warming it up.
Harris stood and walked his coffee cup over to the sink. “Thank you for the company, Penny.” He winked at me, and then nodded at Jamie. “Prez.”
Jamie thanked Harris, walking him out of the cabin and then was back inside, securing the door, seconds later.
“You didn’t want to be alone?” he stated, straight away while removing his cut and boots.
I nodded slowly.
“You been sittin’ in that chair this entire time?” He moved over to me and held out a hand, helping me up.
“Well, yeah…we were playing cards.”
My back screamed in pain as I straightened.
Jamie must have noticed because he gave a small hiss. “Fuck, you’re going to be in pain now. Remember the last time you sat there to peel potatoes, and that was only for half an hour.”
“I forgot.” My emotions were all over the place as I held a hand to my back. All I wanted was a big, fat soaking tub that I could crawl into.
“You weren’t this pregnant then either. You’re almost due, Pen.”
“I still have a few weeks.” I lifted my chin, trying to ignore the fact that I had zero supplies, and the nesting thing everyone talked about was like having a tiny raccoon under my skin.
I had cleaned the cabin and reorganized the small kitchen at least ten times, but I needed baby items. I just didn’t have the money to get them.
Maybe I could find a thrift store, or something…
Mom had left me some money, but I had been living off the funds since she passed.
I needed to get back to work, but how was I going to do that now that the baby was coming?
“You’re worrying, stop it,” Jameson said, helping me to the bathroom. I released my lip from being pinned by my teeth while he turned on the shower.
“This will have to do the trick for now, I’ll give you a massage when you get out.”
Emotion clogged my throat as I stood under the spray.
I washed my face and body then shaved as much of my skin as I could reach and then just let the hot spray hit my back.
It felt nice but I was eager to get out and talk to Jameson.
Turning off the shower, I toweled off and then slipped back into the bedroom.
Jameson was sitting on the bed, his eyes on his cell, but they lifted the second I walked in.