Chapter 6
Creed
Igrimace as I finish the sludge Ace calls coffee.
There’s a reason we try not to let him near the coffee pot, but nothing about this morning is normal for us.
Most of us have been up all night, which is why we’re drinking coffee strong enough to chew.
It’s been a while since I’ve pulled an all-nighter and I feel it as I stand up.
My spine pops as I stretch and I sigh. Damn chair isn’t comfortable enough for me to spend most of the night with my ass in it.
I’m in the kitchen rinsing out my mug when Sin comes in looking tired as hell. He pours himself a cup of coffee and doesn’t even flinch when he takes a huge drink of it.
“Everything all right with Nova?” I casually ask.
“Didn’t leave the room the rest of the night,” he says. “Whizz is watching her now.”
I nod. Whizz has only been with the MC for three years, and none of us know anything about his past, but he’s been a solid member, the sort a man wants to have his back.
“Vandal’s looking for you,” Sin says before he takes another gulp of coffee.
I nod in acknowledgment and head out to the main room where I find Vandal talking to Nix and Titch. The second the prospects see me, they straighten, jaws clenched. Considering the reaming they got for fucking up yesterday, it’s no surprise they brace themselves.
“Everything good here, Vandal?” I ask.
“Maybe, maybe not,” my friend says. “These two have something that might be something.”
I turn to the prospects and cross my arms. “Talk.”
“My sister called me,” Nix says.
I nod. I’ve never met Paige, but I know that she’s in her mid-twenties and lives in Pine Ridge. She’s Nix’s only family since their mom died a few years back. He’s protective of her and all the MC knows she’s off-limits if she ever does come around.
“She works at Curl ‘n Blow,” Nix continues, “and last night, when she was on the bus home, she overheard two men talking about a dark pickup truck that’s been showing up in different places all over but spending most of its time here near the compound.”
My ears prick up at that.
“So when Nix told me that,” Titch picks up the story, “we decided to go do some digging. Turns out, the guys in this pickup, when they’re not watching the clubhouse, they’re asking about Nova Reed.”
Shit.
“You got a description of them?” I ask.
“Better than that.” Titch grins and pulls two pieces of paper out of his pocket.
I take the papers and unfold them. Each one has a sketch of a man, and I remember Titch designs his own tattoos.
One man has a thin, narrow face and pointed chin with a scraggy beard.
Light colored hair in what looks like a military cut and small, beady eyes that are close together and remind me of a rat.
The other guy looks like he could be anyone, with plain features and a short, bland haircut.
The only thing that makes him stand out are a pair of thick eyebrows that almost meet.
“Nice work,” I say. Titch smiles proudly and I let him have his moment. These pictures are going to help a lot more than a bunch of words. “Make some copies and pass them around. Anyone sees the truck or these guys, make sure they try to get a picture.”
Nix and Titch both nod and then leave to do what I said. I turn to Vandal and see the same worry on his face that I’m feeling. Nix and Titch might not have put together the big picture, but Vandal has, and I know Ace will too as soon as he hears the update.
Nova is a bigger problem than any of us anticipated, and with her staying here in the clubhouse, the problem is here, too.
If I’d let her go yesterday, there would still be a connection, but it would be out there, not in here.
Yesterday, I could take someone asking for her as a coincidence and say keeping her here was just a precaution.
Someone watching the compound and asking about her proves it’s not a coincidence.
Someone’s looking for her and until we figure out who and if it connects to Patch’s and Layla’s disappearances, we have to prepare for anything and everything.
Which means Nova being a guest under our protection isn’t enough anymore. They need to know she belongs here and if anyone dares touch her then they’ll have the MC to answer to.
“Dammit.” I can feel the beginning of a headache. “Vandal, spread the word. Everyone needs to be at the Roadhouse at seven tonight. We gotta get a message out there that Nova’s off-limits in a big way.”
I know the best way to do it, the thing that will keep everyone’s hands off her, that’ll make sure everyone knows fucking with her means fucking with the Kings, but it’s not something I want to do.
And she’s going to hate it.
My head gives a throb, and I walk back to my office to pop some aspirin before I fill Ace in on the new plan. It’s going to be a long day.
***
Ruin’s Roadhouse has been in Pine Ridge for thirty years and the Kings of Ruin have been going there just as long.
The owner, Laney Walker, is the daughter of Bowie, the former Prez of Kings of Ruin who died more than a decade ago.
Fucking prostate cancer. His old lady moved to Florida to be with her sister less than a year later.
Pine Ridge isn’t a small town, but Kings of Ruin are everywhere, and she said it was too much for her.
Laney wants to remember, which is why it’s still known as our main hangout when we’re not at the clubhouse.
It’s already busy when we roll up, but Laney always has room for us.
Some people might leave when they see us, but most’ll stay, which is what I need if this is going to work.
I glance over at Nova’s car as it pulls into a parking spot a few feet away.
She and a few other women get out, but she’s the only one I’m watching.
One of the girls helped Nova get dressed for tonight, and she more or less fits in with the others.
Short black leather skirt that shows too much leg and a black leather corset top that shows off too much cleavage.
I grit my teeth and resist the urge to tell her to put on a damn jacket. Most of the other women are in outfits twice as revealing, make-up and hair done up. There’s an excitement in the air that I hope doesn’t turn on us.
Normally, we don’t bring Bunnies here since we take our bikes and only old ladies—or ones on their way—ride with us, but the club girls need to hear this too. It also gives me an excuse not to have Nova behind me, arms around me, thighs spread wide…
“Fuck,” I mutter as I get off my bike. Last thing I need is to walk into the Roadhouse with a hard-on.
Thinking about road rash and wrecking my bike has my dick behaving by the time I step up behind Nova and follow her inside.
I haven’t told her what I’m doing tonight, mostly because I don’t feel like arguing with her about it.
Once it’s done, it’s done and there won’t be anything she can do about it.
Laney’s at the bar like always and I catch her eye over Nova’s head. I called ahead to let Laney know what’ll be going down, making her and Ace the only two who do know why I’m steering Nova toward the bar and away from the Bunnies who’re already laughing and flirting.
“The usual, Laney.” I raise my voice over the noise. “And whatever she wants.”
Nova looks up at me in surprise before asking what Laney recommends. A minute later, Nova and I both have bottles of the house beer. I watch her as she takes a sip and then shrugs. Her eyes flick up to my face and there’s no surprise when she sees I’m looking at her.
“Not much of a beer person, but this isn’t bad,” she says.
I take a long swallow before saying, “It’s local.”
I turn around and prop my elbows up on the bar as I lean back. I look casual, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been this tense. I got no problem facing down the barrel of a gun or racing down a road at ninety miles an hour, but what I’m about to do is something I never imagined doing at all.
I scan the crowd, checking off every face I know.
The only brother who’s not here is Ace because I didn’t want to leave the compound empty, but I’ve already filled him in on what I’m going to do.
In addition to the MC and the Bunnies, there’s a dozen or so regulars from Pine Ridge, and another dozen who’re semi-regular.
I spot one or two I don’t know, but that’s not important.
What I need is the right people to make sure everyone hears about my announcement.
I glance over at Nova and see that her beer is half gone.
Hoping the alcohol took some of the edge off her, I let out a shrill whistle to get everyone’s attention.
Nova jumps, then goes stiff as I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her against my side.
People are still talking, but all eyes are on us so I’m guessing we’re what they’re talking about.
Good.
I lean closer to Nova, my voice pitched low enough so only she can hear, and say, “Just go along with what I’m gonna say, darlin’. We’ll talk later.”
She opens her mouth about to say something, so I wrap my arm around her pulling her tight into my side.
“I’m just gonna say this once,” I say, addressing the room. “Nova Reed is my old lady.”
Dead. Silence.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the bar this quiet. No one’s talking or laughing. There’s not even the clink of glasses or the swooshing sound of liquid being poured.
Then Vandal breaks the silence by coming up to me and slapping my shoulder. “Congratulations, Prez. Let me buy you two a drink.”
As he leans over to talk to Laney, people start talking again.
Most of them are probably talking about what just happened, and that’s exactly what I want.
Claiming Nova as my old lady means more than her just being under the club’s protection.
As my woman, the Bunnies won’t treat her like competition for my attention.
I’m as much off-limits now as she is. And my brothers will protect her without question.
She’s no longer a stranger who doesn’t belong. She’s one of us.
And that’s the message everyone outside of the Kings of Ruin will get too.
There’re no rules about how to tell the MC that you’re claiming an old lady, but I did it this way for very specific reasons.
Not only would it make things clear in the MC and with the Bunnies, but the other people here at the bar saw and heard it all.
I’m the president of the MC and Nova’s twenty-one years younger than me.
It’s prime gossip and it won’t be long before most of Pine Ridge knows the story.
Anyone who starts asking about her is going to be told that going anywhere near her isn’t a good idea because she belongs to the Kings of Ruin. Touching her can start a war.
I can see I’ve totally blindsided Nova, but thank fuck, she’s going along with it.
I keep her at my side for the next hour as people congratulate us and buy us drinks.
She manages to keep her confusion from showing, but I know I’m going to have to explain things soon.
I’m still not sure how much I can trust her, but if she doesn’t understand the importance of what I did, she might do something stupid.
“Next round’s on me!” I call out. “We’re leaving.”
The cheers for free alcohol turn into cat calls and crude comments, making Nova’s pale skin turn red.
As much as I got going on in my head, I can’t help wondering just how far that blush goes.
I cut that thought off before my body can respond because things aren’t gonna be like that with me and her.
I drop my hand from her shoulder down to the small of her back and I feel her sharp inhale.
I bend down and put my mouth next to her ear. “Give Laney your keys. She’ll make sure someone sober brings your car back.”
“And how am I getting back then?” Nova doesn’t look at me when she asks the question, but I can feel the tension in her body.
“My old lady only rides with me,” I say. “Now, hand over the keys.”
Nova scowls, but she digs in her purse and then puts a small set of keys on the bar.
Laney takes them and gives me a nod to confirm she knows what I want her to do.
With that taken care of, I lead Nova outside to my bike and hand her the helmet I had Nix pick up earlier today.
Nova and I need to talk, but we’re gonna do it in private, so neither of us say anything on the ride back to the clubhouse.
***
I follow her to the guest room rather than insisting she come to my room to talk. I don’t want her getting any mixed messages. When she sits on the edge of the bed, I lean against the doorframe.
“Sorry to spring that on you, but it’s something that needed to be done,” I say. “You being a guest here is some protection, but it’s not enough. Being my old lady is.”
“I hope you’re not expecting—”
“This is just an arrangement,” I cut her off before she can finish insulting me. “I don’t fuck anyone who’s not eager and willing.”
Her blush comes back and I clear my throat, straightening. I need to get out of here.
“The way this works is, you stay close to me whenever I’m anywhere around you.
You don’t leave the clubhouse without me or someone I assign.
” She looks like she’s going to argue, but she doesn’t interrupt when I keep going.
“You don’t answer questions about anything important.
I do the talking about Patch and Layla, and the investigation.
You follow my lead until they’re found.” I take a step toward her. “Understood?”
She nods. I don’t think she likes my rules, but she’s agreed and I’m going to hold her to it. With all that out of the way, I turn and go, not bothering to say goodnight. I hope she does understand because she’s not just a guest here anymore, and that’s gonna change things.