Everlyn Chapter 12
I was still in shock that Zephyr had somehow gotten me to agree to go with him and the club to a rally/toy run in Gainesville for four days.
I had argued that there was too much to do and I couldn’t leave work at the moment.
However, the truth was, things were moving along as they should.
The second pipe incident had been corrected, and everyone on the crew knew what to do to clean it up and remediate the effects. They’d done it numerous times.
Allegra had encouraged me to be carefree for once and just do it.
She reminded me that some kind of work would always be there.
If I waited for a good time to take a break, it would never happen.
I knew she was right, and I did need a little one before I changed jobs.
Soon, I’d be diving into running Moore Enterprises.
It was between the two of them that I caved.
However, I suspected they’d planned it together.
I thought my boss would balk when I asked, given the short notice and the current job underway. He shocked me when he readily agreed. He reminded me it had been ages since I’d taken any time off. I think he thought that if he allowed it, I might decide to stay, which wasn’t happening.
To be honest, I was both thrilled to go on my first trip with Zephyr and the club and nervous. What if I did something I shouldn’t? I didn’t want to embarrass or disappoint him. I’d been in a tizzy since I agreed, deciding what to take. And it had to fit on his bike, no suitcase for me.
Thankfully, Spoiler and Slayer came to my rescue.
They not only helped me choose my clothes but also taught me how to fit all the essentials into a saddlebag.
When we packed this morning, I’d been proud of myself for making it all fit.
We’d be back Sunday evening, so I had only three days’ worth of stuff to pack.
Zephyr had praised me, and I earned an amazing kiss for my effort.
Everyone met outside the wild mausoleum at the designated time. As we gathered, I realized I still hadn’t gone inside it. I've seen various members do it. But I wasn’t sure why. I needed to go check it out. As the last of the guys joined us, I dismissed it until after our return.
Zephyr had explained to me the riding formation we’d stick to and what Icelander’s role was on this ride. The sound of all those motorcycle engines made the ground vibrate, and my ears rang, but I loved it. I felt like I was one of them. And what I wore helped with that in a big way.
I had on the required jeans and boots. I wore a long-sleeved top to keep me warm and protect my arms. Underneath that shirt was the top I planned to reveal once we got there.
The ladies told me what the women would wear and how they would dress.
I copied their style. It was sexy without being slutty.
But the biggest thing that helped me fit in was what I wore over my shirts.
On Sunday, we hung out with the club. Allegra had even joined us, which I adored. We were all hanging outside, talking, playing games, laughing, and having drinks.
Suddenly, all chatter ceased when Raider stood up and called for everyone’s attention by blowing on a horn. I don’t mean a trumpet, but an actual animal’s horn. It was straight out of a movie about a Viking invasion. I glanced at Allegra, then to Zephyr. His face was impassive.
“I need everyone’s attention. We have a special moment today. It’s something that has never occurred within this chapter. I’m happy to announce that our Zephyr has found his woman, his shieldmaiden.
“In keeping with biker tradition, the club has voted and accepted Everlyn Forrest as Zephyr’s shieldmaiden. We’re also adhering to another tradition that all bikers recognize. Zephyr, if you will,” Raider concluded.
When Raider indicated Zephyr, I watched my man move. We’d been seated next to each other. He rose and took my hand, which prompted me to rise, too. He turned us to face each other.
“Everlyn, you know what you’ve done to me and how thankful I am that we met. I never imagined I’d end up with someone, let alone someone like you. To seal our relationship so everyone knows who you are, I want to present this to you and ask that you wear it.”
As Zephyr finished speaking, Fenrir handed him a bag. My heart was tripping along in excitement. Zephyr’s hand went into the bag, then came out holding black leather. The bag dropped to the ground, and he used both hands to spread the leather out. I gasped.
I’d seen women riding with other bikers. And many of them wore a leather cut that closely resembled the men’s, except on the back, where it read Property of whatever the biker’s road name was.
Staring back at me was a cut with the words, Grave Prowlers MC and Property of Zephyr. My surprise and delight left me standing there, saying and doing nothing, until Allegra poked me in the back.
“You’d better say yes and take it before I do,” she said, making sure it was loud enough for the entire club to hear.
“Try it, and I’ll break your legs,” I told her just as loudly.
Everyone laughed, even Zephyr. I smiled at him.
“I can’t tell you how much you’ve changed my life and how happy I am that you have. I’ll proudly wear it for all to see,” I vowed to him.
Zephyr circled around behind me, then held my cut open so I could slip it on.
The heavy cut enveloped me in weight and the smell of cured leather, but it also made me feel protected.
And on the front, in script, was Elskling, and underneath were what I recognized as Old Norse letters.
Zephyr had shown me books at his house that were written in them.
“You are always more than my darling, but it seemed to fit, so I had it written twice,” he whispered in my ear.
I swung around, and in one motion, I put my arms around his neck and hopped. He grabbed my ass cheeks and lifted me to his mouth. The shouts were deafening as we kissed.
We’d all celebrated that night. Now, I wore my property cut proudly as we zoomed down the highway, headed for a new experience for me.
Before we left, Zephyr had reviewed the rules.
I was to go nowhere alone. If he couldn’t be with me for some reason, I was to stick with whichever club member was closest. He said that it would be overwhelming.
He also told me that there would be other clubs there, and while it was for a charitable reason, things could get ugly, so I was to remain alert.
Old rivalries and new ones could make tempers short.
That’s when he asked if I’d ever fired a gun.
He said it like he expected me to say no.
However, Jeremiah had insisted that Allegra and I learn how to shoot.
And with my job, some of the places I went, carrying a weapon was smart.
When I shared that with him and went as far as to show him my guns, he felt better, but not fully until he took me to their shooting range after hours to assess how I did.
It was only the two of us. When we were done, he left with a whole new appreciation for my abilities.
All that was to assess whether I personally took a gun with me or not on this trip.
The answer was, I did. I had the permit to carry it.
I planned to do it from the beginning. Zephyr told me it was merely a precaution.
He wasn’t expecting a reason to use it. I had it tucked in my jeans at the center of my back.
I’d seen his as well. I knew he always carried, and I’d never said anything about it.
The weather for the ride was amazing. It went from the mid-to-upper sixties to the lower seventies the farther south we went. December was usually a dry, sunny, and mild time of year in Florida, making it a good time for many to visit.
We weren’t the only riders on the road. There were many singles and small groups.
As we passed each other, hands were raised and respect given.
I wondered if any of them were headed to the same place as we were.
I let the wind blow away my work stress.
I would raise my face to the sun, eyes closed behind my sunglasses, and soak it in.
Due to my lack of long-distance riding experience, they took pity on me and stopped twice to let me walk off the soreness and numbness from the ride and use the bathroom.
At every stop, everyone rehydrated with water.
I hadn’t realized how dehydrating it was to ride.
The wind and sun sucked the moisture from your body in no time.
At those stops, I reapplied my sunscreen and lip balm.
I noticed Slayer and Spoiler did the same.
All of us got attention, no matter whether we were riding or stopped.
However, the two lady Prowlers gained even more.
For one, they rode on their own bikes. I found myself wanting to learn to ride on my own.
Secondly, when someone saw the back of their cuts, they saw that they were members, not a shieldmaiden like me.
The two of them were good at ignoring it, even when people pointed at them and whispered about them.
By the time we made it to our destination, I was ready to be off the bike.
What I saw as we entered had my mouth dropping.
Entire blocks of Gainesville had been blocked off so that bikers could roam freely within the designated area.
There were bikes everywhere I looked. Numerous food concession stands were scattered around the area. People were milling about like ants.