Chapter Three.
Kendara
T he door opened, and I thanked God Lindsey had arrived. Lindsey had said she’d see me today, so I guessed she was picking me up.
“Lindsey, can you help with this damn sports bra? I’ve got it twisted up, and my ribs won’t let me reach back to untangle it,” I called over my shoulder.
Strong fingers touched my skin and quickly untangled the strap.
I frowned. Lindsey’s hands had felt rather rough, and I thought about buying her some moisturiser. I yanked the loose tee over my head, carefully not jostling my ribs, and turned .
“Holy fuck! You are not Lindsey!” I gasped, staring into Rooster’s honeycomb-coloured eyes.
“Nope, but you’d have hurt yourself trying to get that shit straightened out,” he replied, his gaze on my face and not my boobs.
“Er, thanks,” I offered, uncertain, and Rooster’s eyes crinkled in the corners.
“You’re welcome. You nearly ready?”
“For what?” I asked, confused.
“Seems I’m taking you home. Rage is busy,” Rooster said with a scowl.
Ah shit! This was Casey and Lindsey meddling. I could understand why Rooster was frowning so darkly. It was highly unlikely that every single brother, prospect, or old lady was occupied. No, this was them matchmaking.
Actually, it was the old ladies interfering and the brothers wanting a peaceful life. If their women were busy, then they were likely to get the peace and quiet they wanted.
Viciously, I hoped the Hellions played merry hell today and upset every parent and adopted aunt and uncle they had!
“Wanna ask why you want the Hellions to play up. But considering the level of spite with which you uttered that, I’d rather not know,” Rooster drawled, capturing my attention.
Crap, I’d muttered that out loud.
“Oh, they’ll get theirs. Sorry they forced you to pick me up,” I said as I crammed the last of my stuff into a bag. “Why couldn’t the prospects who’ve been guarding me take me home?”
“Probably because they raced past me when I hit the ward, saying Drake had ordered them to do something.”
“So, Phoe is in on this too,” I concluded and saw Rooster’s curiosity.
I didn’t want to explain and risk rejection. I had the ass and tits men dreamed of, and my skin was soft and glowed healthily. Honestly, I suppose I was attractive, and my hair was styled into a sleek bob. Although today, it was a halo of curls.
“Okay, you ready?” Rooster asked, clearly not bothered by what was going on. I guess he had more important things to worry about.
“Sure,” I said, grabbing a couple of bags.
“Is all this yours?” Rooster inquired, looking around.
“Yeah, sorry, Lindsey and Casey brought it yesterday,” I admitted sheepishly.
“New plan. I’ll take most of this down and then come back and get you,” Rooster replied, gathering my stuff, and before I could offer help, he’d gone.
When he returned minutes later, he was with a nurse pushing a wheelchair.
“Rooster, I can walk!” I exclaimed.
“Sorry, it’s policy. Nobody is to walk out. You’ve already signed your discharge papers, haven’t you?” the nurse asked as I nodded. “Okay, honey, just hop in here.” She patted the wheelchair.
Rooster chuckled as I gave it a dirty glare and then sat down. The nurse seemed determined to capture Rooster’s attention as she chatted constantly, not put off by his one-word answers.
Rooster caught my gaze and rolled his eyes at me. He bent close to my ear and whispered, “How interested would she be if she realised my jeans hid a cripple?”
My outraged gasp caused the nurse to stop her endless jabbering for a few moments before she continued again.
Did Rooster really just whisper that? I looked at the hard planes of his face and knew he had indeed uttered those vile words. Shit, did Rooster look at himself as a handicap? That was bad.
He was nothing but the strong, virile guy who walked beside me. I’d listened to gossip he’d lost a leg in the explosion that had hit Hellfire. Rooster’s limp was barely noticeable; you had to be looking for it to detect it.
I was attracted to him but had no time to deal with his fragile ego. And Rooster clearly needed someone who’d be able to give him time to bolster him. That was not me. I didn’t have pretty words in my head. Hell, I was straight up and sometimes too blunt. Lucy, my closest friend, had often chided me for my bluntness.
My lips dipped downwards at the thought of my kind and gentle friend. Lucy had been kidnapped, abused, and ended up dying to save her son. It was the reason I’d do exactly the same for Blue.
Blue deserved to grow up with love and laughter and a good moral basis. While many probably disagree that an MC has a strong moral basis, I didn’t. I saw their values and ethics and agreed wholeheartedly with them.
Rage MC prioritised family over individual needs. Of course, they would do anything to back a brother up, but they’d make sure their families were safe before taking action. It was something I had grown to respect about Rage. Their dedication to their family and the way they viewed the world. It amazed me at how they all thought similar. I’d heard whispers and gossip about Hellfire, how Chance had led them into breaking out of the shit they had all lived, and then helped Rage get clean.
And with Hellfire and Rage leading the way and earning a good life, the other local MCs followed and formed alliances. It was those allies and the other bonds they’d made, RCPD, Hawthorne’s, the Juno Group, etcetera, who were now working together to form a defence against Fury. This was such a high-level threat the President had apparently been informed. The Venomous Fangs intended to commit home grown terrorism and try to take Rapid City and the surrounding area for itself.
From what I understood from listening to the old ladies, Fury was on an ego binge the likes we’d never seen before. He desired the Rage MC presidency back and wanted to grind all other MCs under his heel and rule them all. The man was eighty and clearly delusional. It was a terrifying thought. Fury was this tremendous threat, and the number of men he could throw at us had caused the alliances to strengthen and not weaken.
The allies had eliminated some of his soldiers, but for every one that fell, ten more took his place. Rapid City was a dangerous area right now, as were the outlying towns. Nobody knew whether Fury would attack one of them and use it as a base to strike out from. There was little information coming from Fury’s side, and Drake mentioned their spy must have been caught.
There was also a slight uproar at the moment because Irish had disappeared, and obviously, my accident was distracting them from looking for Irish. Perhaps the old ladies weren’t matchmaking. Possibly, they’d discovered something about Irish that needed their attention.
“Thanks for this,” I said as Rooster helped me into the SUV.
“No probs,” he replied with a dismissive head tilt towards the nurse. Rooster hauled himself up into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
“She liked you,” I murmured.
“Yeah, well, they all like what they see on the outside, Kendara. But when they learn about the stump and realise I’m not a full man, they soon leave,” he replied.
“That’s bullshit, Rooster!” I blurted. “You lost part of your leg. Any woman worth her weight wouldn’t let that affect her. There’re plenty of men out there who are injured, but their old ladies still love them.”
“Really? I must pick the wrong women,” Rooster sneered .
His bitterness came through clearly. Rooster hadn’t recovered from losing his leg, and it would probably be a long time before he did.
No, whatever attraction existed between us needed to die a quick death. However, a tiny part of me still screamed to give in to my baser instincts and take Rooster for the ride of his life.
“Yes, you do,” I said, realising Rooster was waiting for an answer.
“And I suppose someone like you would give me the time of day,” Rooster poked.
“No. And not because you lost a leg. But because I don’t have time to take care of myself, let alone consider a partner. I work from seven in the morning to nine/ten at night. Including weekends. Whoever took me on would be getting a crap deal,” I replied.
“Yeah, right,” Rooster sneered, and I felt uncomfortable.
“Those bitches may’ve done a number on you. However, you’ll always be my hero, Rooster. You raced to my aid and didn’t even consider your leg. There’s many who’d have left me there and wrung their hands as I burned to death. Not you. Nope, you’re a warrior, and you can talk all the crap about you being a cripple, but I call bullshit. You did more for me than a man with both legs would’ve done,” I snapped.
Rooster’s mouth opened and shut. He went to speak and then closed it abruptly. Clearly, my words had made him reconsider.
“Some bitch thinks you’re a cripple, that’s on her. Not you. She’s small minded and petty enough to believe that looks count, then so be it. Her next partner will be drop-dead gorgeous, no doubt, but an utter asshole to her. And she’s a twat for wanting that over a good-hearted man who’s a fuckin’ hero,” I added and shut up. My head was starting to pound, and I put a hand up and rubbed my forehead.
“Let’s get you home, Kenny,” Rooster replied and patted my other hand.
“Please, I need to sleep.”
“We can manage that,” Rooster promised, and for the rest of the drive, we sat in silence. It wasn’t as bad as you’d think.
Rooster
It was three days after taking Kendara home, and her words still abounded in his head. Did she really believe that, or was it something she had spouted because of her role in the Trusts? Kenny had made him consider his actions on the day of her accident. Kenny, as he now called her, had been correct. Rooster hadn’t hesitated in going after her when he’d seen the wreck. He didn’t like to disagree with Kenny’s assessment, but he couldn’t help feeling there was some truth there. Some would have watched her burn rather than risk themselves. However, it didn’t make him a hero.
There was a bang, and he peered up and groaned. Sadie stormed into the clubhouse and by the expression on her face, she was firing on all fronts.
“Whatever you want, not today,” Rooster said.
“You are a fucking asshole, Roo!” she shrieked.
Big Al looked up from where he was playing pool with Clio and smirked.
“Just working that out, girl? You’re a bit slow, Hellfire are assholes,” Big Al interjected.
“Not all of them. Look at Chance dithering over that dysfunctional idiot,” Sadie spat, pointing at Clio, who straightened.
“You may be protected at the moment, bitch, but the minute you spit that kid out, your ass is mine,” Clio hissed.
“That’s vaguely kinky, can we all watch? Will there be mud and bikinis?” Big Al asked.
Levi looked up, his interest peeked from where he was reading an article on Harleys. “Clio’s getting down and dirty? I’m up for that. She’ll slap that bitch into next year,” Levi commented with a grin.
“Eyes to yourself, stud, or I’ll tell Madisen,” Clio said, waggling her finger at him.
Levi sent her a wink and then leapt out of his chair and towards Sadie. She’d not seen Madisen standing behind her.
Rooster was amused at how Sadie blanched, and then Levi was past her and sweeping Madisen into his arms, kissing her soundly. Rooster watched as Levi reached down and curved a hand around Madisen’s slight baby belly. He would love to do that, but he’d not touch Sadie with a barge pole—never again, anyway.
Sadie watched him with narrowed eyes, and Rooster didn’t like the glare on her face.
“So, you think you fucked me over?” Sadie hissed at Rooster.
Rooster raised an eyebrow in response.
“My lawyer got your financial records. He said you’re claiming disability and nothing else, and there’s not been since your accident,” Sadie spat.
“Told ya.” Rooster shrugged.
“You have money!” Sadie shrieked, and Rooster shrugged again. “You and your children have always got fucking steaks and shit. Food isn’t cheap to buy, and you all eat good.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be a brother if I let my man and his kids starve,” Big Al said, grinning as he chewed on a toothpick.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” Sadie yelled.
“Nah, you’re a skank who got knocked up to fleece a man but failed. And you also look like a bitch, in twenty-four weeks, whose ass I’m gonna beat black and blue,” Clio replied.
“I’ll still be pregnant then,” Madisen wailed, looking unhappy.
“Yeah, but that whore will be four weeks clear of birth. Won’t have anyone say I didn’t give her a chance to recover,” Clio retorted, giving Sadie the evil eye.
“Maybe we ought to get Aurora over at Rage to do her woo-woo shit and give that slut thrush and heart burn plus a vaginal infection,” Madisen suggested .
Rooster noted how pleased Clio looked with that suggestion.
“Great idea,” she chirped.
He sighed. “Sadie, whatever you want, spit it out and then fuck off. You’re ruining my day.”
“Not mine.” Clio grinned.
“I want money. I’m twenty weeks pregnant and my clothes are starting not to fit,” Sadie complained.
“Why is that my problem?” Rooster demanded.
“Because I know you have cash. I will sell you this fucking brat for one hundred thousand.”
“Yeah, I’ll pass, but I will be sure to let my lawyer know about the offer you made. Don’t forget, Sadie, we agreed on a plan,” Rooster said strongly.
“You want to see this bastard?” Sadie asked.
Rooster was across the floor within seconds. “Don’t you ever threaten me with access to my kid. Hear me, bitch? That’ll be the last thing you do. We made an agreement; you’re going to stick to it.”
Sadie flinched but held her ground. “I’ll do what I wanna. You don’t scare me,” she hissed.
“No? Guess what will happen if you keep being a cunt? One day, you’ll disappear and find yourself in a clean but barren cell. That is where you will stay, alone and frightened and not knowing who has you prisoner. Then, when you give birth, your baby will be taken from you, and you’ll be free. You won’t know who has the babe or who locked you up. That’s if you survive the birth. Women still die from it, you know?” Rooster leaned towards Sadie and whispered in her ear .
Sadie shoved him away with a frightened cry. “You’ll pay one way or another, Rooster,” she wailed. “No decent woman would want a used-up cripple like you. Sure, you look good clothed but undressed? That stump touching me made me heave. Why did I always head to the bathroom after screwing you? It wasn’t because I was worried about freshening up.”
Rooster’s confidence crashed as Sadie’s words hit him.
“Don’t listen to her,” Clio said, rushing towards him.
Rooster staggered back. Sadie always knew exactly where to strike.
“Well, guess you are not a decent human then. I have to say, twenty weeks pregnant and dressing like that? To any man, it means you’re a skank, an easy lay, looking for a baby daddy or just downright nasty. To a woman, it means we pity you and your pathetic attempts at gaining attention.”
Rooster looked up blankly as Kendara advanced into the clubhouse. Her dark brown eyes latched firmly onto Sadie with spite written on her face.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Me? I’m your worst nightmare. Because I recorded it from the point you offered to sell Rooster your kid,” Kendara answered, baring her teeth in a grin.
“And?”
“And bitch, I’m a lawyer, and my sworn statement, paired with the recording, means you’re in a bad situation. I suggest you walk your whorebag ass out and shut your mouth. Rooster is not a cripple, you understand me? He’s more a man than any pretty boy you’ll end up with. You think him having half a leg makes you sick?
“Wait ’till you’re queueing repeatedly to get creams and injections for the countless STDs your new guy will give you. That’ll make you sick. Wait till the Botox and shit don’t make you appear early twenties anymore, and you’re thrown over for a younger, prettier version. That’s the life you’ve got coming. Meanwhile, you will regret throwing Rooster away.
“Rooster will always be the one you won’t admit got away. But you’ll fucking feel it. To your dying day, you’ll rue losing him. And every guy you come across, you’ll measure up to him and find them lacking. They won’t be honourable enough, or faithful, or kind and loyal. And you will yearn for a decent husband. But it will be too late. Because Rooster’s seen the truth of you. He’s more man than any you’ll ever fuck.”
Rooster stared at Kenny as she laid the law down on Sadie. Each venomous word Kendara launched hit Sadie hard, and he guessed she saw the reality in Kenny’s words.
“That guy five days ago flung himself down a steep embankment to save my ass in an accident. The car caught fire, and he didn’t flinch. No, he dragged me out and saved my life. That’s a fucking hero, you dumb bitch. Even with half a leg, Rooster remains a real man. And you had him, had all the goodness he could bring to your life, and you threw him away. Makes you the cripple, not him. So, take your emotionally stunted self and fuck off,” Kenny hissed.
“Holy shit,” Madisen whispered. “I wanna be her.”
“Damn girl, you go,” Clio cheered.
Sadie peered around and saw the hatred and pity aimed in her direction. She glanced at Rooster, who stood waiting.
“Cripple,” she spat, but it lacked heat, and Rooster began to smile slowly.
“Yeah, I can heal. You can’t transplant that personality,” Rooster retorted.
He was still rocked by Sadie’s venom, but he was determined not to let it show. Kenny’s defence had given him an ego boost.
Sadie tried to draw herself up but failed as she slunk from the clubhouse.
“Do you really have that recorded?” Big Al asked immediately.
“Yup. I never speak a lie,” Kendara replied.
“A lawyer that tells the truth. You’re a unicorn!” Madisen teased, and Kenny laughed.
“Thanks. I might need that statement and recording,” Rooster said to Kenny.
“No probs, just let me know. That bitch isn’t safe to raise a kid. There’ll be a lot of emotional abuse and neglect from her towards an innocent child,” Kenny responded.
“I planned to get a DNA test done straight away and go for custody,” Rooster replied as he waved Kenny to a sofa .
She walked past him, and he struggled to keep his eyes off her ass. Dear God, it was perfect.
“Why get a DNA test? Take the damn kid, whether it’s yours or not. No baby deserves to be stuck with her. If you don’t want to raise it, give it a couple of months and put it up for adoption. But don’t leave that child to suffer,” Kenny said, holding his gaze.
“I wouldn’t give it up,” Rooster stated.
Kenny’s eyes warmed, and a smile crossed her lips. Rooster found he liked that look a lot.
“Somehow, I knew you’d say that. You’re a hero, Rooster,” she responded.
“Nope, just an average guy who knows right from wrong,” Rooster replied.
“Well, Mr Normal Hero, listen to me. You lost a leg through being a hero. If a woman can’t see beyond that, she’s not worth your time. Stop looking at barflies and club whores. There’re far more fish in the sea who’d snatch up someone like you,” Kenny declared.
“A cripple?” Rooster asked, just to see the flash of ire in Kenny’s gorgeous eyes.
“A hero!”
“Funny enough, between you and me, I can deal with that moniker better than Sadie’s one for me,” Rooster teased.
“So you should. Don’t you know? I’m the law, so what I say goes!”
“If you say so, ma’am,” Rooster quipped and relaxed. “What brought you here, anyway? ”
“I came to say thanks and drop you this off as a thank you for picking me up,” Kenny answered. She held out a box, which Rooster just noticed she was holding.
Rooster leaned forward and opened it. A delicious smell drifted out, and Levi sat up straight as Big Al crept closer.
“Cookies?” Rooster said, sniffing deeply.
“Home made. I hope you like them. They contain chocolate, cinnamon, peanut, and coconut. Shit, are you allergic to any of that?” Kenny asked shyly.
“Hell no. Back the hell off, Levi,” Rooster warned, cradling the box to his chest.
“You gotta share,” Levi whined as Madisen rolled her eyes.
“The fuck I will. Didn’t you hear? I am a hero,” Rooster taunted.
“I’m Madisen’s hero all the damn time,” Levi spluttered.
“Keep telling yourself that, dude,” Madisen said with a laugh, capturing Levi’s attention.
“Are you saying I’m not?” Levi asked, appalled.
“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen anything heroic,” Madisen teased and squealed when Levi swooped her up and carried her away.
Kenny looked surprised, and Rooster laughed. “That happens a lot around here,” he said and took a huge bite out of a cookie, slapping Big Al’s hands away.
Rooster decided to tell Kenny to bring more. Because he wasn’t sharing his goodies. Rooster’s mind shied away from the fact he believed there’d be a next time.