Chapter 24 ZODIAC
ZODIAC
I hadn’t crashed this fucking early since I was a kid. My normal routine was to go to bed just before dawn and get up at noon. I never slept more than necessary to get through the day. I wasn’t someone who lounged in bed.
However, a properly fucked Elle had fallen asleep not long after disengaging from my dick. She collapsed on her belly and didn’t move for so long that I found myself yawning. I figured I might as well sleep when she did since she was bound to wake me up early.
Before crashing, I debated whether to turn off my phone’s sound. I never went silent. I’d interrupt any activity to check my texts—eating, fucking, getting stitches from the club’s doctor.
I studied Elle’s face lit by the moonlight streaming through the window. She was so damn beautiful. Everything about her face and body clicked just right for me. I wanted her to feel safe and comfortable here.
Besides, Elle was carrying my son and needed rest to keep him healthy. That’s why I chose to turn off the phone’s sound.
Hours later, I awoke pissed at the sound of someone knocking at my front door. Yanking on my jeans, I didn’t have time to check my messages. Elle bounced up in bed, resting on her hands and knees like a startled dog.
“Go back to sleep,” I said as I walked out of the room and grabbed a gun.
The security feed revealed York and Ojai outside. I let them in and walked back to my bedroom to shut the door. Elle stared at me like she was still half asleep.
“I’ll be back,” I said when she remained silent.
Walking back to York and Ojai, I found them frowning at me. York’s dark hair was cut short, and his beard kept tidy. His scarred face gave him a rough look, but he wasn’t a hothead. The guy always kept his cool.
Ojai was a pretty guy with long blond hair and shiny blue eyes. The chicks drooled over him. He loved art, from painting to tattoos. People often viewed him as a soft person, but he was one of the first to throw a punch in any fight.
“Why are you here?” I asked when the men only frowned at me.
“Someone set a fire near the hotel where the Crimson Guard chicks are holed up,” Ojai explained as York frowned at me. “We don’t know if it was related to them. When you didn’t respond to our texts, we came over.”
“I was sleeping,” I said, feeling ridiculous for showing weakness. When the men stared at me as if confused, I stated the obvious, “Elle Reed was also sleeping.”
Though the men nodded in unison, they still looked confused. I didn’t blame them. I had a policy of no women in my place.
“Tell me about the fire.”
“Might be insurance shit,” York said, finding his voice.
“Or a kid looking to start trouble. Stamp couldn’t get a read on it,” York explained, mentioning one of the few original Black Rainbow members to stick with new management.
“He’s checked into the hotel with his old lady.
Their boys are staying there, too. We figured you’d want a decent amount of protection for Pax Reed’s daughter. ”
Nodding, I liked how York had a sense for the big picture. A single Crimson Guard member getting fucked up in our territory was bad for the alliance. A member of the Reed family getting fucked up might be the end of the alliance. Clint was a man who put family first.
When the Black Rainbow saved Lula Reed from her abductors, our value went way up in Clint’s eyes. If we failed to protect his sister or cousin, he’d drop us fast.
“It’s likely not the Void,” I said and rubbed my tired eyes. “But you were smart to worry they might be making a move.”
Ojai replied, “The local fucks they normally hire aren’t always solid. We figured it might have been meant to hit the hotel.”
“I’m sure you’ve put an alert out to everyone.”
“Yeah,” York said. “We also messaged Exile, but he hasn’t responded.”
“Doesn’t want to wake his lawyer, no doubt,” I muttered, ignoring how I put my phone on silent for Elle.
“Should we contact the Crimson Guard?”
I considered Elle in the next room. In my heart, I imagined her curled up in bed. My head knew better. I walked over and opened the door to find her dressed and texting on her phone. Her eyes widened at the sight of me, and she texted with great fury.
“I wasn’t snitching,” she said as I walked toward her. “I was asking my brother for sex advice.”
I took her phone and glanced down at what she’d last typed. Rolling my eyes, I muttered, “My cock isn’t too big for you to handle.”
“Well, the jury is still out on that,” she said and walked past me into the living room. “Hello, York and Ojai. How are you tonight? Are you here on a social call? I have to ask because I wasn’t snooping.”
“Really?” York muttered in a weird tone.
“Really, what?”
York gave me a strange look and then frowned at Elle.
Catching on, Elle shrugged. “What Zodiac lacks in social skills, he makes up for with hotness. I mean, look at this specimen,” Elle said, waving at my bare chest as I thumbed through her messages.
“Well, now that your brother knows we might have been attacked, we don’t need to inform him.”
“I’m a helpful broad. I don’t know what to tell you,” Elle said and swiped back her phone. “Did you boys need something to eat or drink? I could whip you up my chips and dip leftovers.”
“They’re leaving.”
“But they just got here,” Elle insisted. “When our club bros and foxes arrive for a late-night warning, we feed them.”
“Ma’am, we ate earlier,” Ojai said.
“This killjoy shit is why people don’t like you,” Elle told him immediately. “Thanks for the ‘ma’am,’ though. I am a dignified woman deserving of respect.”
“I call all mothers ‘ma’am.’”
I prepared for Elle to mention her pregnancy, but instead, she flashed a picture of Sutter on her phone.
“You’re right. I have created life. Isn’t Sutter the most handsome little genius?”
The picture on her phone made me smile. Sutter normally wore the expression of an adult trapped in a kid’s body. In the picture, he looked silly and dumb, like a kid his age should.
“You should leave,” I told them.
“Poor York,” Elle said and reached to pat his shoulder. I gently knocked her hand away. Ignoring me, Elle sighed. “I sense you wanted my leftover food.”
“Well, York’s a big boy,” I explained, “so he can order his own chips and dip from the clubhouse.”
Catching my hint for them to stick close for a while, the guys headed downstairs to the bar. As I looked over my messages, Elle locked herself in the bathroom and likely texted her brother again.
“Should I be worried?” Elle asked once she exited the bathroom.
“No. Did you warn your cousin?”
“Sabrina already knew there was a fire since her room has windows.”
“Funny.”
Elle settled next to me. At first, she kept her distance. I figured she was playing cold again. Suddenly, she draped her body across mine and settled into my lap.
“Do you miss Exile?”
“No.”
“Do you feel seen and heard by your club guys?”
“You’re assuming I won’t shove you off me.”
“That’s a safe assumption. You won’t hurt your son’s incubator. That means I can torment the shit out of you without fear.”
Grinning, I admired how Elle refused to take my threats seriously. I was a scary guy. My face was currently wearing the same frown as it did when I made a woman cry months ago. Yet, Elle wasn’t buying into any of it.
“Clint has a solid support system. I want my baby daddy to have one, too.”
“Are you talking shit about my guys?”
Elle kissed my throat and murmured, “No, I’m talking shit about you.”
“I think you’re babbling from a lack of sleep.”
“No, you’re closed off. You should have kept your guys around longer to talk strategy.”
“You really want to get rid of your leftovers, don’t you?”
“Actually, I was planning on eating them for breakfast. But your guys raced over here to make sure you were okay. They love you. They’re sweet and loyal and should be rewarded.”
Rather than get irritated by her poking at me, I enjoyed the feel of her body wrapped in my arms. I also appreciated how she gave a shit about my club.
If I wanted an old lady, Elle would be a solid choice.
She grew up in the life. That den mom vibe was what the Black Rainbow had been missing since I overthrew Wrecker.
His wife had created a sense of family within the club.
The current Black Rainbow had so few old ladies.
Most of my guys were single. We hung out in the bar, playing pool and banging club sluts.
Wrecker’s wife had gotten us together on weekends for potlucks and grill-outs.
Wrecker and she threw parties for holidays and birthdays.
The club felt like a big family, building loyalty.
I hadn’t given a shit about any of that when I took control. I treated the club as a business rather than a family. My guys remained loyal because they knew I’d take care of them, physically and financially. We didn’t need fucking backyard barbecues to stick together.
With Elle in my arms, I imagined a future when more of my guys were settled down with women and kids. Their loyalties would likely shift. Dying for a business might feel like a bridge too far when they had responsibilities at home.
A larger family like the one Elle had with the Little Memphis club had kept her dad loyal long after he had the money to walk away. That was what the current Black Rainbow was missing.
Elle might be more than a woman with the power to make me swear off other chicks. She could be the key to keeping the Black Rainbow healthy long term.