Chapter 20
Canton, Nevada
I wore the black leather pants. The ones that German had bought me for the Raiders’ party. For my top, I’d gotten creative, as I didn’t have many options on account of how little clothes I had with me.
German had given me an old Club T-shirt of his and I’d found a pair of scissors and tailored it to my specifications. Cutting it short and tying it so it showed off my midriff, I removed the sleeves and cut the neckline so my black bra peeked through. By the time I was done, I was actually quite proud of my handiwork. And I knew once German saw it, he’d like it too.
Taking the top third of my hair, I split the thick mass into two sections and created space buns. The rest of it ran loose down my back in natural ringlets. My makeup was a smoky gray color and my lip a bright red. All in all, I loved the finished product.
When German walked through the door, he stopped and stared. Holding my breath, I waited for him to speak. Although, based on the heat in his eyes, I assumed he approved.
Rubbing his hand along the crotch of his jeans, he shook his head. “Those pants were made for your legs, Baby Girl. Turn around and let me see your ass,” he said hoarsely.
I did a little turn and let him see the whole outfit. “Do you like it?” I said coquettishly over my shoulder.
“Yeah, I like it,” he choked out. “I especially like that you’re wearing my Club’s T-shirt. It looks so fucking good on you,” he said appreciatively.
I beamed. “I hope you don’t mind me cutting it.”
“I don’t mind at all. I only wish we had more time before we had to go so I could show you how much I like it. I don’t know how I’m going to fucking hold out until we get back to the Clubhouse later tonight.”
I smiled and winked. “Who said anything about waiting until we get back home?”
“Fuck, Babe!” he moaned, rubbing himself harder.
“Come on, Stud,” I told him. “Evie’s downstairs waiting for me.”
Since Angel was too pregnant to ride on the back of Reaper’s bike, a bunch of us were riding together in the Club SUV to keep her company. Evie had thought it would be the perfect way to get to know the women better and I was looking forward to it although I would miss riding on the back of German’s bike tonight.
As we descended the stairs, I immediately spotted Cici, milling around with Hammer and Ox and a few other girls I didn’t know. She was staring at us hard, her cold blue eyes like laser beams. Strike that. She was staring at me hard. And I can’t say she looked particularly happy to see me. Especially all dressed up and accompanying German to the Knights’ Clubhouse.
I’d had a lot of practice with girls like this. Mean girls, that was. Going to a wealthy school with children who had unlimited funds and time to fuck with people had tutored me well in the ways of developing a thick skin. So, treating her like my childhood nemesis, Karri Masterson, I acted like Cici was invisible and passed straight on by her.
Evie rushed up to me then. “You look amazing,” she complimented, giving me a sweet kiss on the cheek.
She looked like a million bucks herself in a green sundress, and I told her as much.
“You like it? Bishop bought it for me. He says he loves me in green.” She fluttered her like-colored eyes at me as she swished her flowy skirt. “Come on, I want to introduce you to him.”
Pulling me over to where one of the most conventionally attractive males I’d ever seen was drinking a beer, I met her Old Man, Bishop, who was every inch as congenial as Evie herself. After that, German introduced me to some of the other Brothers I hadn’t had a chance to meet yet.
When we got to Hammer, the giant of a man pulled me in for a full-body hug. “Another fellow redhead,” he gushed, as German pried him off of me. “Tell me we’re not related and that we can keep the bloodline pure!”
I laughed at his obvious joke, though German looked like he’d been forced to swallow thumbtacks while listening to it.
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re related,” my biker bodyguard quipped, as he tugged me backward into his arms, not caring who saw us. An act that warmed my heart and the naughty bits between my thighs in equal measure. “Not that I believe it would stop your depraved ass from mounting anything that moves!”
“Hey, I’m Scottish, not Southern!” Hammer returned, and everyone chortled with laughter at the big, burly man’s feigned upset.
When Angel and Amelia arrived, Evie clapped with giddy delight. “Now the party can really begin. Let me introduce you to some of the other Old Ladies.”
A tiny woman who was heavily pregnant gave me a hug the moment she saw me. I knew right away this was Angel, Reaper’s Old Lady.
“It’s so good to meet you, Maddy. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you from Evie.”
A blindingly beautiful woman, who was the female version of her equally attractive sibling, hugged me next. “I’m Amelia!” she said, her platinum blonde hair reaching nearly to her waist. “And let me just say, I’m a hairdresser, and I’m in love with your red hair! It’s natural, right?” She looked transfixed at the dark mass. “You could never achieve this color and tone from a bottle!”
Smiling hard, I laughed. “Yeah. It’s real. I only wished my classmates liked it as much growing up as people seem to now. Childhood was brutal as a natural redhead.”
“Preach!” Hammer said from a few feet away. “Lucky for me, I could just punch people when I didn’t like their attitude.”
“Yet another reason it’s good to be a man,” I jested.
“Jealousy. Pure Jealousy,” Amelia concluded, reaching out and rubbing a curl in between her fingers. “It’s magnificent.”
I might be horribly vain, but a woman as gorgeous as Amelia telling me how beautiful my hair was made me feel really good about how I looked tonight.
Glancing in Cici’s direction, I loved the forward blonde even more when she said, “Is that bridge troll still hanging around the Club? I thought she finally gave up and went away when Bishop told her he was with Evie.”
Evie winced. “Seems she’s hanging around German these days and hassling Maddy now.”
Angel shook her head. “Let’s not let her spoil our night out. This is probably the last time I’ll be able to go out before I give birth, and I plan to have a good time!”
Angel’s zeal was contagious. “Same. I’ve been locked away in this Clubhouse for days now. Thanks to Evie, I was able to get out for a wonderful afternoon yesterday. But I’m so ready to do it again.”
Evie smiled. “I had a great time too. I’ve been working so much lately that sometimes I forget to stop and enjoy everything the way I should.”
Reaper came over then and told us we could head outside to the awaiting SUV. Again, Boots was our driver, and he was already inside the vehicle with the AC cranked on high.
Evie laughed when she saw him. “You understand we’re not going to the cafe tonight, right?”
Boots winked in the rearview mirror. “I just couldn’t pass up the chance to see all my favorite ladies.”
Amelia, who’d sat up front with him and was changing the radio station to something she preferred, said, “I think the only reason you miss hanging out with me at the salon is because you no longer have access to all the beautiful women who work there.”
Boots shrugged. “I’m not going to deny the Baby Doll has a plethora of beautiful women to pick from. And let’s not forget the free haircuts!” He scrubbed his shaved head and the women laughed.
Amelia motioned like she was going to be sick. “You’re such a perv, Boots! My nail tech Stacey told me you two hooked up. And Kenya, my wax girl. And Carine, my receptionist. You’ve moved through my salon like a damned plague! At this point, me and Mario are the only two working there who haven’t seen you naked.”
Boots grinned, having absolutely zero shame. “Mario’s the good-looking Spanish guy, right?”
Amelia whacked the man for his ridiculous joke. “Stay away from my salon, Boots. I can’t afford another broken heart in the place. I already had to break up a fight between Kenya and Stacey after the last time you visited for a haircut.”
Boots’ eyebrows raised. “They were fighting over me?”
“Don’t be so smug,” Amelia returned. “They also fought over the last piece of Evie’s flourless torte yesterday. That fight was even worse!”
“Wait a second,” Evie said then, making a sudden connection in her mind. “Have you been hooking up with my staff as well?”
“A gentleman never tells,” Boots said, miming zipping his mouth closed.
“All this time I thought you liked my chocolate chunk muffins, but you were really after my female staff!” she accused with a hearty laugh.
“Can’t a man enjoy both?” the good-looking biker philosophically queried.
The group bantered back and forth like this until we got to the Knights’ Clubhouse. By the time we’d parked, my sides hurt from laughing so much. Our men had already arrived and were milling about, waiting for us.
When Reaper, Bishop, Hawk, Ox, and German spotted the SUV, they immediately walked over to it.
“Hawk!” Amelia shouted at the innocent man, as soon as she exited the oversized vehicle. “Did you know what Boots has been up to the whole time he’s been visiting our businesses?” She pointed between herself and Evie then.
The tough, quiet biker looked confused. Bishop leaned in and said, “My sister’s question is a setup, man. Never admit to anything or else she’ll bust your balls until the end of time!”
Amelia snorted. “Between Evie’s cafe and my salon, he’s been a total man-whore with our staff. Boots started laughing uncontrollably as she shook her head. “This whole time, I just thought he liked hanging out with us Old Ladies. Now I know he was angling for access to our friends!”
I could tell that Boots and Amelia were close. It was endearing, seeing the Brothers getting along so well with the women of the Club. It was just like Evie said. The Devil's Riders were a family. And I envied them deeply for that.
Drink girls came around then and began passing out beers. Since Amelia and Evie were in the mood for something different, we headed over to the open bar underneath a large canopy where mixed drinks were being served.
“It’s been a long week at the Baby Doll and I need something stronger than a beer!” Amelia announced, ordering a rum and coke.
“Here, here!” Evie cheered, ordering the same.
Wanting to make the bartender’s job easier, I also ordered the same drink while Angel just got a plain Coke.
Once we had our drinks, Amelia said, “Evie tells us you live in California. Are you missing home much?”
Mid sip, I quickly swallowed before answering. “I miss my father, but I can’t complain. German’s been really good to me.”
Amelia smiled. “About that. You two seem close. Is there a chance this might lead to something more and you’ll stick around the area and we’ll get to keep you?”
I blushed, overwhelmed by the weight of the question and her kind words. “I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”
We drank another round of rum and cokes, and when a song that Amelia loved came on, she grabbed my hand and tugged. “Come on, everyone. It’s been ages since I’ve been able to shake my ass. Let’s go have some fun on the dance floor and forget this week ever happened!”
Not missing a beat, we followed her over to where a large group of people were already dancing. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had so much fun. The men stood to the side, watching us while chatting with each other. After a few songs, their attention was snagged toward the entranceway of the compound. A row of sleek bikes came roaring into view. With them, rolled in a dark mood that pervaded the compound.
My friends stopped dancing and I realized something must be wrong. “What’s going on?” I whispered to Evie.
“Those are the Watchmen,” she said, and I could see how scared she’d become.
I remembered what Kayla had told me about the Watchmen and immediately became nervous. Glancing over at German, our eyes met and I relaxed.
“What are they doing here?” Amelia asked, a storm cloud of emotions brewing on her lovely face.
Angel frowned. “I don’t know, but it can’t be anything good.
“My friend Kayla had a run-in with the Watchmen recently,” I whispered to my friends. “A guy named Ghost has been following her around. I wonder if he’s with them now.”
We walked off the dance floor and over to where our men were standing. German immediately pulled me close and tucked me under the wing of his arm.
“You’re safe,” he said low in my ear. As soon as he spoke, I relaxed and melted into his chest.
I glanced around at the Devil’s Riders and saw all of their expressions were cold and unreadable. It was clear they weren’t fans of the Watchmen and I’m sure that had to do with more than just Kayla.
The night grew quiet and someone cut off the music. The leather-clad men climbed off their bikes and strolled over to where the Knights and Devils were mingling. A tall, dark-haired man with icy blue eyes led the pack. When he got close enough, I saw he wore a patch that boasted “President” on it.
“Did the Knights know they were coming?” Hawk asked Reaper then.
Reaper frowned. “They better not have, or else Trainor is going to have to explain to me personally why he didn’t share that important tidbit of information.”
Trainor, the new President of the Demon Knights, emerged out of the crowd. “Maze, I don’t remember extending you or your men an invite to this party.”
I guess that settled the debate about whether or not the rival Club had been invited. The Watchmen weren’t welcome. They were party crashers. Only, they’d picked the wrong party, and the wrong men, to pull that shit with.
Maze smiled. But it had a smug quality to it that undermined his intent of looking friendly. “The Watchmen wanted to congratulate you on finally becoming President of the Demon Knights, Trainor. It’s been a long time coming, and I was hoping this change in leadership would mean our two Clubs could work together in the future.”
Trainor’s brow rose. “Is that right?”
“It is,” Maze said, his eyes roving over the crowd and locking with Reaper’s. “We all have to play in this dirty sandbox together, boys. I couldn’t help but think how much better it would go for all of us if we got along and worked in unison.”
No fool, Trainor didn’t look like he was buying this ‘unity’ speech any more than the Devils were. “My friends have a way of staying out of my hair and not being my problem, Maze,” he noted dryly. “Or the problem of my other friends.”
Understanding the dig, Maze tilted his head at Reaper and grinned. “I feel the same way.”
I didn’t know the man, but I had a hard time believing this soulless biker had anything which resembled a friendship in his whole, miserable life. If I had to guess, I’d say he controlled all of his relationships with an iron fist and only engaged in them when they benefited his greedy ambitions.
Peeking through the crowd, I scanned the men there. I wondered which one was Ghost, and if Kayla was safe from him now. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long to figure it out.
Maze called out over his shoulder, “Ghost, why don’t you bring our friend Trainor his gift from the Watchmen.”
My breath hitched as a man who exuded animal grace and ferocity, stepped forward. To be honest, he was attractive. Even by conventional standards. Handsome, lean but muscular, with an olive complexion, light-colored eyes, and a clean-cut fade.
Still, there was just something about Ghost that rubbed me the wrong way. Even from this distance, I could sense his feral nature. Like a shark, there was just something so primitive and emotionless about him that I could practically feel his chill from over twenty feet away. I unintentionally shivered then, fearing for my friend’s safety with an unhinged guy like that chasing after her.
German looked down at me and gave me a squeeze. I knew he understood what I was thinking and was trying to silently reassure me everything was going to be okay.
Straightening my spine, I accepted his much-needed support and knew that Kayla would be protected by the Devil’s Riders should Ghost ever cross the line again. Men, unlike so many others, who once they gave their word, kept it.
Ghost began wheeling a beautiful, shiny motorcycle toward Trainor. I didn’t know much about motorcycles, but I could tell this one was special by not only its beauty, but by the way it captured all the men’s attention.
Maze waited until the bike was placed directly in front of the Demon Knights’ president before saying, “We wanted to give you this recently restored bike for your personal use or to be donated for the upcoming charity auction your Club participates in annually. Keep it or give it away. It’s yours to do with however you like. Either way, it’s a sign of goodwill between the Watchmen and the Demon Knights.”
Trainor nodded, but didn’t invite the interlopers to stay. Even a layperson like me could understand he wouldn’t embrace an untrustworthy ally just to lose a trusted one in the Devil’s Riders.
Maze must have known it too, because he didn’t wait long before saying, “You enjoy your party. We’ve got one of our own to attend.”
Turning, the men started back to their bikes. I noticed Ghost waiting a few seconds longer than the others to walk away. His eyes scanned the crowd. At one point, they lingered on me and I had the distinct feeling that someone had passed over my grave.
German held me tighter, his body as solid as a rock in the eye of a storm. When the bikers had disappeared into the night, the party resumed. However, tension still lingered in the air despite the Watchmen’s departure.
“I need a stiffer drink,” Amelia announced and we all went back to the bar for refills. Soon, we were dancing again and losing ourselves in the music.