Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sassy n’ Saucy
N ova felt exhausted and dirty. Fully dressed again she decided she would not be held captive in Linc’s bedroom. To her, she’d seen enough and understood enough that allowed her to walk freely around the clubhouse. She wore Linc’s ink so nobody would bother her. Plus, according to the President of the MC, she was a hero. That definitely gave her the power to kind of do whatever she wanted.
Leaving the bedroom, Nova felt a surge of confidence. It shattered like a glass falling off the roof of a ten-story building when a massive figure stepped into her path. She didn’t think anyone could be quite as tall as Priest… At the same time all these bikers were big in their own ways. Height. Size. Shape. Just their aura. They oozed violence.
She thought about the way Cyrus acted earlier. Just so casual and calm about almost getting arrested. Images in her mind flirted, showing her the basement of that house. The guy on the couch. The way things happened at the end…
“You look hungry, sweet girl…”
“I’m with Linc,” Nova said. “Don’t fuck with me.”
“I’m well aware. But you’re not going out there just yet. The guys are praying.”
Praying…?
“You touch me and I’ll have Linc kill you,” Nova said.
“Don’t doubt that for a second. At the same time you can jump up on my back for a piggyback ride into the kitchen. I’ve got some sauce cooking and I can use your tastebuds.”
“Right,” Nova said. “Muffin.”
“The one and only.”
The hallway was dark and quite honestly Nova’s mind raced all over the place.
I blocked a cop or detective from doing their job.
I’m a hero with an outlaw motorcycle club.
I pissed Linc off.
Linc fucked me… then he licked me…
Oh, he also… spanked me…
“Lots on that mind of yours,” Muffin said. “Food is medicine. Food is religion. Come on, sweet girl.”
Muffin offered a hand that was the size of Nova’s SUV. Nova declined but did follow Muffin into the kitchen of the clubhouse. A heavy aroma of warm tomatoes and garlic hung in the air. Nova felt her nose tingling.
It wasn’t a big kitchen. Watching Muffin in the space was like watching an ogre move through a maze meant for kids three and under.
“First things first,” Muffin said.
He placed two glasses on a stainless steel counter.
He then produced a bottle of whiskey.
“We drink,” Muffin said. “We all need it, right?”
“Yes,” Nova said.
“Cheers to you, sweet girl. You’re a legend around here.”
“So I’ve been told,” Nova said.
“I don’t let many people into my kitchen,” Muffin said as he poured whiskey into each glass. “This is sacred to me. Truth be told, this place keeps me calm. I trade my apron for my leather cut and it’s bad. They know that too. You see me out there riding, working the streets, you know things are bad.”
“That makes me feel so comfortable now,” Nova said.
Muffin laughed. “You have an attitude and an edge. That’s good for this place. Cheers, sweet girl.”
They drank. Empty glasses hit the counter. Muffin put the glasses away.
“Okay, get over here,” Muffin said. “Need you to try this sauce.”
Nova walked around the counter.
Muffin slapped his hand on the counter and nodded. “Jump up. Sit. Relax.”
“There’s no relaxing,” Nova said. “What’s going on out there, Muffin? Is it because of today? Because of me?”
“I cook my sauce with fresh tomatoes,” Muffin said, sidestepping the question. “That’s part of the secret. Then it comes down to the oil and the seasoning.”
Muffin stirred the sauce with a wooden spoon. He scooped a little sampling and held the spoon out. Nova leaned toward the spoon. She carefully exhaled onto the sauce to cool it before tasting. When she did, her eyes popped open with surprise.
“Are you kidding me?” Nova asked. “That’s the best sauce I’ve ever tasted!”
“Good,” Muffin said. “Got something else for you, sweet girl.”
Muffin glided around and tossed a loaf of bread on the counter and cut off a chunk.
“Homemade?” Nova asked.
“Of course. I’m not buying store bread. Please. I’ll rot my body with whiskey and women, but if I can cook it fresh, I’m going to do that.”
“That’s one heck of a philosophy.”
“Just dip the bread in the sauce,” Muffin said.
He cut a chunk for himself. Nova scooted herself closer to the pot of sauce. She and Muffin hung out, dipping bread into sauce and eating it. Nova had to admit, it felt like the most perfect meal ever. A few sips of whiskey with some homemade bread and sauce.
“Can’t tell me a thing about what’s happening out there?” Nova pushed again at Muffin.
“We find our own little chunks of time that matter,” Muffin said. “I look at it like a hurricane. No matter how big or intense, there’s always that spot where it’s calm. The eye, right?”
“You’re being philosophical again. But you’re also telling me to shut the fuck up.”
Muffin smiled. Nova dipped her bread into the sauce again. She respected what Muffin had to say. He was right. If you could find calm, even for a minute, you had to take it.
Nova knew in her heart it was always just seconds away from all hell breaking loose again.
Linc stood next to Slade.
“We don’t change a thing, brother,” Slade whispered. “Don’t want to spook anyone. This kind of thing can take a charter down. It’s like a cancer. Okay?”
“Someone right in front of us,” Linc whispered. “Right here. Someone I’m looking at.” He turned his head and looked at Slade. “Could even be you.”
“Or you,” Slade threw back.
Just like that—instant tension.
Linc gritted his teeth. He needed relief and distraction. The only thing that could achieve such a goal… Novaleigh.
He walked down the hallway, expecting to find Nova half naked in his bed, waiting for more of his tongue and cock. When he heard Nova’s laugh coming from the kitchen though…
“What the fuck?” Linc growled.
The kitchen had knives. Lots of them too. If Muffin was even as much as five feet away from Nova, Linc was going to cut his throat and drown him in some organic chicken broth. Linc stormed into the kitchen to find Nova sitting on a counter, dipping bread into blood-red spaghetti sauce.
“Linc,” Muffin said as he stood with his arms folded.
A total calm, non-sexual stance…
Nova looked at Linc and she jumped off the counter, tossed her last remaining bite of bread to Muffin, then ran from behind the counter and jumped into Linc’s arms. Feeling her body against his was better than any booze or drug in the world.
He felt Nova’s nails on her right hand dig into the back of his head. Linc stared at Muffin. Muffin gave a nod and a smile. It was in that moment—even for just a second—Linc felt a little guilty about the thoughts he had. Muffin was a good guy. A loyal friend. A loyal brother. A damn good cook. And if shit ever went bad, Muffin had a violent streak that maybe went a few steps past Priest.
“Linc, what is going on around here?” Nova whispered.
He held her tighter. “Listen, darling, I want to get the fuck out of here for a bit.”
Nova touched her feet to the floor and looked up at her outlaw. “Oh?”
“Your place,” Linc said. “Just you and me.”
“Does this mean I get to ride on the back of your motorcycle like when we were younger?”
Linc dropped his mouth down to Nova’s for a kiss. Her lips and tongue tasted like a basil and garlic. Linc curled his lip.
“Darling, I’ve got something bigger and better for you to ride when we get to your place.”