Chapter Sixteen
LUNAR
Three Days Later
Techie is helping me with everything I need. I’ve been back at the club, packing and organizing my stuff. He knows I’m going to leave, but I have to find the courage to tell the president, Mad Dog.
He’s unpredictable, erratic, unstable at best, and in his words, a cunt, but hopefully, he will understand why I need to go. I’m of no use here anymore, and with Steel’s ban on the brothers coming to me for ‘servicing,’ I’m a drain on them.
At least, I hope that’s how Mad Dog will see it, but the man is mercurial at the best of times.
Before seeing Mad Dog, I need to knock some sense into an old friend.
It might take some manipulation, but I know Techie’s tried and failed to have Steel come out of his room.
He is so lost over losing Willow a month ago that he is floundering in a pile of filth and booze.
The problem with that is, he’s the vice president of this club, and he is losing the respect of his brothers because of—as they put it—some prissy pussy.
I make my way down to his room, a room I know so well, and take a deep breath.
I don’t bother knocking because he will probably tell me to go away, so instead, I walk in.
His room stinks—like body odor, farts, and bourbon.
He’s lying beside his dog, Cassius, in bed.
Steel doesn’t look up as I sit on the mattress, but Cassius peeps up at me, and I pet his furry head.
Gazing at the chaos before me, I’ve never seen Steel like this.
He’s in a damn mess.
A complete wreck.
His beard has grown long and unkempt, his eyes are bloodshot, and his complexion is pale and pasty. He looks like shit! And it doesn’t upset me. No. It infuriates me. This tough, strong biker is deteriorating before my eyes, and he is allowing it to happen.
“Right, you! You need to get out of this damn room.” I rest my hand on his shoulder to let him know I’m here and to show support despite the fact he lashed out at me the last time we interacted.
He takes a deep breath. “I don’t know how.”
My eyes remain in a firm glare. “You’ve gotta make a choice… move forward or go after her. But either way, you stink. You’re supposed to be a damn biker and the VP of this club. Right now, Steel, you’ve lost the respect of your brothers by sulking around in here like a child.”
He scoffs and pushes my hand off his shoulder. “Fuck off! Don’t need your advice.”
I exhale heavily. “Look, Steel, we’ve had our ups and downs.
I always saw myself heading down a path with you.
It went skewwhiff when Willow came on the scene, then Danger showed up, and things changed.
But Willow’s gone, and now we both have to make a choice.
Steel, I’ve always wanted to be your Old Lady. Deep down, you know that—”
“Lunar—”
“No, let me finish. Steel, I know there’s something here.
You need to make a choice, and you need to make it now.
I’m here. I’ve always been here. I love this club and don’t want to leave, so being with you seems like the right choice for me.
You’re the one who’s right for me, Steel.
Tell me you love me, and we can move through this together. ”
It’s all a front, a ruse.
I know he doesn’t want me.
Hell, I don’t want him either.
And I don’t want to stay at this club.
I absolutely need to leave, and maybe this is a way to do it.
But I am hoping my words will be the shock he needs to get his ass in gear and go and fight for his girl.
He clenches his muscles as he shakes his head slowly. Inwardly, I smile, seeing it clicking, and his facial expression changes.
He knows what he has to do.
“Lunar, darlin’, you’re a good friend. You always have been—”
“But?” I push the issue.
He exhales. “I want Willow. I’m sorry, she’s the woman for me. I can’t get her out of my head. I’m sorry if I’m hurtin’ you. I know you want more from me, but I just can’t give it to you. You’re better off with Danger.”
“You’re right! You’re so pathetic, lying here all pussy-whipped while your brothers talk about how you’re losing the plot.”
If I am being honest with myself, any respect I had for the man went out the window when he degraded me in front of the brothers, but I am pushing him on purpose. I need him to open his damn eyes and fight for her.
“Lunar, I’m sorry,” he offers.
“Whatever! Willow deserves better than you. You’re weak, Steel, and certainly not vice president material,” I retort.
“Lunar, you need to leave before I say somethin’ I’ll regret.”
I glare at him. “You need to get laid. Do you want me to send in Skye or Jess?”
His face twists angrily, and I know I’ve hit the mark. He clenches his fists while sweat beads on his temple. “Get the fuck out now, Lunar. You’re oversteppin’ your position in the club,” he shouts, shoving me off the bed with force.
“It’s your funeral, Steel. Your brothers are gonna hand you your arse for this,” I remark before slamming the door behind me.
A bright smile crosses my lips when I look down at Techie, who’s watching. I give him two thumbs up as a loud crash reverberates against the door behind me. I jump and look down to see liquid oozing out from under the door.
Was I too hard?
I walk to Techie and shrug. “I thought I got through to him, but he smashed the bourbon bottle against the door when I walked out. Not sure if I’ve made it better or worse. I was brutal with him.”
Techie shakes his head. “He needs it. But you need to move on. Pres is in the Chapel. Want me to come with?”
I simply nod.
Techie wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him, and we walk to the large wooden doors of the Chapel.
“I’ll be here the entire time,” he states before knocking on the door.
“What?” Mad Dog calls out.
Techie opens the door, and we walk in. I try to act confident, but inside, I am anything but.
Mad Dog looks the same as always, his long gray beard forming a triangle down from his face and his huge frame filling the entire chair.
He’s more than intimidating when he looks up and nods to Techie and me.
“You two a thing?” Mad Dog grumbles.
Techie chuckles. “She wishes.”
I simply huff.
“Okay, lovers, what’s going on?” Mad Dog asks, and Techie looks at me, dipping his chin.
Puffing out a long gust of air, I prepare myself, then start talking, “You know how I’ve been spending more time with Danger and Recoil and less time at the club?”
Mad Dog nods and sits back in his chair. It creaks under the weight of his body.
Swallowing hard, I take another breath. “Well, I started a foundation, and I’m going to spend a lot more time on it. Recoil will begin their Australian tour soon, and I’d… well, I would like to go with them.”
He rubs his bearded chin and licks his lips, leaning forward as he looks at me like he’s seeing right through me. “You wanna leave the club?”
I glance at Techie, and he nods infinitesimally.
I return the gesture to Mad Dog, who flares his nostrils and inhales loudly, sits back in his chair, and places his hands on the table.
“You haven’t been servicing the brothers on Steel’s orders.
I respected that. He’s my VP. You’ve been out gallivanting with rock stars and slacking on your duties here as a club girl.
And you quit at Strapless without consulting me.
I respected all that too. But now… you want to leave my damn club? ”
My insecurities surface, and I panic, rambling. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done for my family and me. You took me in, gave me a home, and a job right when I needed them. I can never thank you enough, but—”
He raises his hand to silence me, so I close my mouth and pull my lips in by my teeth.
“You’re fucking right, Lunar, we did take you in, gave you a fucking job and a home.
What did we get in return, huh? Do you think I’m gonna give you a damn blessing, a tap on the butt and send you on your way?
You owe me. Not just me, the club. So what are you gonna do that’s gonna help me make up my mind? ”
Swallowing the golf ball-sized lump down my throat, my breathing comes faster.
I have no idea what he means, and I am not going down that path with him, so I start talking, “My heart is not at the club anymore, Mad Dog. I know you’ve been good to me, and I’m eternally grateful for everything you have done for me and my family.
I’m sorry I left Strapless without discussing it with you.
That’s on me. Steel had my heart, but he’s made it clear he does not want me.
” I take a deep breath and continue, “I could give you a percentage of my earnings for the amount of time I was with the club for compensation—”
He raises his hand again, and I stop talking. His enormous frame rises from the chair, and it is so imposing that I take a small step back, knowing whatever is coming will not be good. I take another step back, then another, but he keeps advancing.
I know what he wants, and there is not a damn thing I can do about it, even with Techie here. Mad Dog is the president, and whatever he says goes.
The brothers will never disrespect the patch—especially not the president.
He’s so close now, I smell the alcohol and tobacco on his breath. It stinks.
Mad Dog grabs a handful of my hair and pulls so hard that a tear forms in my eye.
I will not let it fall.
I will not show fear.
“Keep your damn money. Your arse is mine for the next hour. Techie, get out. Now!”
My body reacts instantly, knowing what this bastard has in mind, but I can’t show him any kind of fear because the asshole thrives on intimidation. The more alarm I show, the more he will terrorize me.
It’s best to get it over with, and perhaps after, I will be free of this damn club for good.
He gropes my butt cheek and pulls me into him, and I feel everything.