11. Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Arkansas
“If you want to ride with Smoke, beautiful, I promise I won’t be offended.” Creed has this wistful expression on his face as he observes me watching Angel thank my ex for the ride.
“Are you trying to get rid of me already?”
“Not yet. Give me a few more hours?” he grins his signature sexy smirk, popping a dimple out as I swat at him.
“Jerk.”
“You know you love it when I’m rude. All part of the thrill of the chase.”
“Is that what this is? And what happens when the chase is over? ”
“It’s not that serious.”
“Of course not. We’re simply having fun. Something I’ll write in my diary later.”
“Not even going to tell the grandkids about me. Ouch.” He plugs a cigarette between his lips.
There won’t be any to tell .
The thought depresses me more than it should. I’m young and have my life ahead of me. No matter how hard I attempt to look at the bright side, my thoughts drift to Smoke and what might have been. “Smoking kills, ya know.”
“Live fast. Die young.”
“Just don’t attempt the dying part when I’m riding with you.”
“Damn.” He licks his lips and takes a hard draw.
“What?”
“Wish you and I were about five years down the line in life.”
“Why is that?”
“Cause’ I’d wifey you the fuck up. Keep you barefoot and pregnant.”
My stomach drops. He sounds like Smoke and my heart cracks more.
“I don’t plan on having kids.”
“You say that today, but a few years from now. You’ll change your mind.”
“Highly doubt that.” I crinkle my nose and wave my hand at the cloud of smoke forming a halo around us as he flicks his cigarette to the ground and pulls me into his hips.
Creed slides his hands into my back pockets, giving me a possessive squeeze and trapping me between his legs. “You don’t like kids?”
“It’s not that. Can we talk about something else?”
“We don’t have to talk at all,” he says, shoving a piece of gum in his mouth. It won’t completely kill the taste of nicotine, but it will help disguise the bitterness of the tobacco.
Creed’s mouth moves against mine and I open to him, wanting to ignore the fact that my ex is nearby and that I wish it were him I am kissing instead.
I don’t know what that says about me
“Get a room,” someone shouts, and Creed flips them off.
“Let’s get some grub. I’m starving.” He slaps me on the ass, then releases me.
I follow Creed past the Kings of Anarchy MC clubhouse to where they have some picnic tables set up buffet style loaded down with hot dogs, hamburgers, all the sides, and trimmings.
“What do you take on your burger, beautiful?” Creed questions and I confess that him serving me is a nice switch. Normally I’d be the one grabbing Smoke a plate.
“She prefers mustard and ketchup. Pickles and onions, but not too many,” Smoke answers.
“Thanks, man. Babe, why don’t you grab us some drinks?”
“Sure thing.” I kiss Creed on the cheek.
“You two a thing now?” I hear Smoke growl as I slowly make my way over to the big tubs of ice. One is filled with beer and wine coolers and the other has water and pop.
“And if we were?”
I exhale loudly and grab us both bottles of water and hope the two of them don’t come to blows. Smoke can hold his own, but he’s not a match for Creed. Dude is a professional fighter and even bested Viking who never loses. I’m upset with Smoke. That doesn’t mean I want him to get hurt. Even if he deserves to get his ass beat a little. One punch wouldn’t be that bad. It’s only that I’ve witnessed the power that one of Creed’s punches can pack. He’s not a guy to mess with.
“Girl, you’re here with Creed,” some girl says with a dreamy look on her face.
“Sort of. I’m not his Ol’ Lady, if that’s what you’re asking?”
“What about the one he’s about to drop?”
“My ex. ”
“Okaaayyy.” She smiles bigger. “High five. Don’t leave me hanging, sugar.”
“Sugar?”
“Figure you must have a sweet ass or good pussy.”
My mouth snaps shut. I’m unsure how to respond to this chick.
Creed brings me my plate, and my new friend shoos him away. “Go do whatever is you guys do. We’re having girl talk.”
“All right. Catch up with you later, beautiful.” He presses his lips to my forehead, signaling to every man here that I’m with him.
“Later.”
“Well shit. Not his Ol’ Lady. Right. Name’s Willow. But most call me Low.”
“Ember. It’s nice to meet you.” I leave off the I think part of my sentence.
“You drop one of those men, send’em my way. From where I’m standing, both look good to me. I’d be in the middle of that sandwich.”
I find the mental image of the idea to be hilarious and can’t help but laugh. There’s no way in hell Smoke would share anyone with Creed.
“What’s he like?”
“Which one? ”
“Smoke. No offense, but Creed gets around, and I’ve heard about him.”
“Sorry to ruin the fantasy, but Smoke isn’t a choirboy.”
“None of them are.”
“My brother could pass.”
“Which one is he? Is he single?”
“Prodigy and no.”
“The good ones are always taken.”
“Seems that way at times, but there are a lot of hot guys here.”
“And I might as well be related to all of them. None of them look at me like that. My brother would scoop their eyeballs out and thread them on a string to wear around his neck.”
“That’s quite the visual. Who is your brother?”
“That guy.”
She points to a guy wearing a black ball cap turned backwards with some serious ink wearing a president’s patch. “That’s tough.”
“How’d you get your brother to not give you shit and no one be missing any limbs?”
“That’s a funny story, actually.”
“I’ve got to hear this.” She guides me over to some empty lawn chairs.
“It all started when I ran away from home and was mistaken for a club bunny.”
“Are you for real?”
I nod and bite into my burger. “This is either the best burger I’ve ever had or I’m just extremely hungry.”
“Who cares about food?” This crazy chick slaps my plate clean off my lap and my perfect burger falls apart on the grass and is immediately claimed by ants to my disappointment.
“I was enjoying that,” I mumble.
“Girl, I’ll make you another one. But first tell me everything.”
“Need me to stand guard?” Creed offers as I gather my essential toiletries for my turn with the shower.
“No. I’ll be fine. Go figure out our sleeping arrangements.”
“All right, beautiful. You need anything. Just call my name. I’ll come running.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
“Don’t mention it.” He presses his lips to my forehead, then waits for me to close the bathroom door and once inside, I lock it behind me. He’s always doing that. Touching his lips to my head before he walks away. It’s sweet .
I’m not taking any chances even if these Arkansas guys appear friendly and hospitable. They are riding the rest of the leg to California with us. Creed said that the RBMC may patch over to the Kings of Anarchy. I don’t know what that means exactly. I’ve overheard my brother and Smoke talking about it a few times but usually tuned out because I didn’t need a reminder that club business is just that. I stack my clean towels from my new friend on the shelf behind the toilet and place my bag on the sink.
I didn’t grow up in the club life like Low did. She’s crazy. Completely nuts, like Pam and Sabrina. My hearts squeezes at the thought of my bestie. I miss her silly antics and wonder if she and Jimmy are settling into their new place.
Texting her would be the polite thing to do. The wound from her dig at my breakup with Smoke is still too fresh. Too tender. Resting the urge to be the first to reach out, I distract myself with a much-needed shower. After being on the road the past two days, I’m grimy as can be.
“Can we talk?” Smoke corners me as I’m exiting the bathroom.
“I don’t have anything to say. You made how you feel about me crystal clear when I saw you with your dick shoved down Angel’s throat.”
“I fucked up. ”
“I don’t want to hear it, Smoke. You showed me who you really are. I can’t really fault you for that. I guess I should be thanking you.”
“If you think Creed is going to be any better…”
“That’s the difference. He’s honest about who he is. And Creed doesn’t owe me anything. He’s not my man. I made the mistake of believing you when you said you were. At least he’s got the balls to tell me if he wants to fuck someone else.”
I shove past him, and he jerks me back with the belt loops of my shorts.
“Let me go.”
“I’m sorry, babydoll.” He pulls me against him. My back is to his front.
“Are you sorry you hurt me or that you got caught?”
“Both. I was weak and stupid. Was pissed at you.”
“Right. Well, you should know that when Creed took me home, he fucked me in your bed.”
“Jesus, Ember. Wanted to hurt me, you fuckin’ succeeded.” He releases me and storms past me.
Chasing after Smoke is the last thing I should do, but here I am, running down the steps and trying to keep him from fighting with Creed.
“Smoke, stop,” I yell. Loud enough that everyone stops what they are doing to stare at me .
My brother exits his tent, and I run to him.
“You’ve gotta stop him. He’s going to get himself killed.”
“Fuck,” he mutters, his tone and expression both dripping with pure irritation as he rushes after Smoke.
“You motherfucker,” Smoke shouts as he charges Creed, taking both him and our tent down.
I watch in horror as they go rolling, punches flying from each of them.
Viking and a few other guys run into the mix, but my brother tells them they need to fight it out.
Maybe they do.