Chapter Eighteen. #2
“Then Teag, he loses me, and I’m worth having. If Stone can’t stay faithful, there’ll be no third chance. Clara and I discussed the future. If Stone cheats, we’ll quietly leave the state and go elsewhere.”
“Sounds like you’ve made a contingency plan. But are you setting yourself up for failure?” Teagan quizzed.
“No. It’s called being realistic. I don’t think Stone will cheat. Honestly, I believe he loves me, and vice versa. For my own sanity, I need this backup plan. That will stop me from going overboard because I understand there is a fallback.”
“Does Stone know?”
“Yeah, and approves. He also promised he’d get his brothers to kick his ass if he cheated,” I said and laughed.
Teagan rolled her eyes as I finished doing my makeup.
“Ready?”
“Let’s go party!” Teagan cried.
“Someone’s excited to be seeing Smokey!” I teased, and Teagan giggled as we headed downstairs.
“That’s what I like to see, happy, beautiful women. Enjoy yourselves, girls,” Clara shouted as she stood in the lounge doorway.
“I won’t be home!” I called, and Clara chuckled.
“Have fun, darling!”
Stone
The party was in full swing when I came down from my bunk. It was just a normal cookout with the club and its old ladies. However, I noticed quite a few unfamiliar faces, and that was unusual. It was rare for Hellfire to throw open its gates and allow strangers in.
“What’s going on?” I asked Sailor, who was bartending.
“Tiny wanted some women let in. He said the rest of us needed to find our old ladies,” Sailor muttered.
“And Tiny thinks that someone’s old lady might be amongst this lot?” I drawled, wrinkling my nose.
“Fuck knows, but the single brothers seem to be enjoying themselves,” Sailor replied.
“Some bitch is going to get cut,” Thalia cursed as she sailed past and straight for Bear. A woman was pressed tightly against him as Bear tried to extract himself. Thalia didn’t pause but pulled back her fist and slammed it into the woman’s face.
Silence fell as the woman shrieked.
“Nice!” Bunny called from where she was plastered against Pyro. Pyro smiled down at her indulgently.
“What was that!” a woman yelled.
“The slut was all over my man, and I don’t fuckin’ share,” Thalia retorted as the woman’s friends crowded around.
“How were we meant to know?” the bitch snapped, holding her nose.
“Bear’s wearing a ring. Let me inform you sluts, of the rules. If he’s got on a ring, he’s off-limits. To find out if he’s taken, use your mouth for something other than a blowjob and ask. If you don’t and get a beatdown, you’ve only got yourself to blame. You’re all fuckin’ warned,” Clio said.
Women sneered, but they took in who Clio stood with. Her hand lay possessively on Chance’s chest.
“Hey, you shouldn’t call us names!” someone said.
“Bitch, you’re a guest in my house, shut the fuck up or leave,” Clio snapped back, and Chance chuckled.
“Yeah, this won’t last long,” Sailor muttered, and Dollar laughed softly as he placed a beer in front of me.
“Who’s on the gate?”
“Clark. So, it’s no wonder skanks are getting in,” Dollar retorted. Rascal laughed beside me, and then his gaze sharpened on someone.
“Kid’s not right, ain’t been since he fired that bullet,” Rascal said, and I saw Jinx heading for the stairs.
I went to get up, but a figure detached himself from a wall and headed over to Jinx and stopped him.
Fanatic spoke a few words, and Jinx gestured negatively.
Fanatic’s eyes narrowed, and he snapped an order out.
Jinx looked resigned and began following Fanatic back to his table.
Before they got there, a woman stepped into Fanatic’s path.
He shook his head, and she spoke to him again.
“Shit!” I muttered as Jinx saw that as his chance to escape and took it. Willow rose to her feet as Fanatic pushed the woman away. Fanatic returned to Willow before she started a fight.
“The kid needs support,” Dollar stated.
“No shit. Did anyone realise Jinx was so young? He’s only nineteen,” Sailor asked.
“Nah, gotta admit, I thought Jinx just looked like a kid. Sometimes he seems so much older,” Rascal admitted.
“Then we support him, we won’t lose Jinx,” I declared.
“Good to hear, prospect,” Big Al declared from behind. We turned and faced the founder. “Jinx ain’t got the killer streak. Prospect’s suffering from self-doubt, wondering if he could have done anything different.”
“April would have died if he had,” I replied.
“Exactly. Jinx has to accept that, and then he’ll be okay. He saved April’s life but also ended one. A man like Jinx will struggle. The kid ain’t hard like the rest of us, he’s special.” Big Al’s eyes took on a faraway look.
“Hellfire’s version of Calamity,” I mused, having heard that somewhere before.
Big Al turned his head and smiled. “Yeah.”
“Hey, April’s here,” Rascal said.
“Shit, the boy’s in heat,” Big Al complained as I slid off my stool and headed for where April and Teagan stood, without another word.
April was scanning the crowd, searching for me, and Smokey had intercepted Teagan. April’s eyes caught mine, and she lit up. She spoke to Teagan and began making her way towards me.
“Stone Ryan! Is that you?” a woman exclaimed, getting in my way.
“Huh?” I asked, looking down. Shit. A sinking feeling hit my gut as I stared at the botoxed face of April’s former best friend. Chelsea smiled, and I felt like a specimen under a microscope.
“I’m taken,” I snapped and went to sidestep her.
“You were the last time we met, remember?” Chelsea flirted, batting her heavily mascara-laden eyes. I shuddered and stepped back.
“Said I’m with someone.”
“Who cares? Stone, let’s have some fun.”
“Bitch, I’m fuckin’ taken!” I yelled, and Chelsea flinched.
Silence fell again as everybody looked over. “Jesus Christ, don’t you understand English? I’m in a relationship!”
“Again, that wasn’t a problem last time! You had no problems dumping plain, fat April and taking me to bed the following morning,” Chelsea snapped. She glanced around, saw everyone watching, and smiled at the attention.
Audibly, I ground my teeth. “Bitch, I took you to bed, played with your tiny tits and let you try to suck me off. You didn’t even make me hard. Let’s not make out like we had rampaging sex.”
“Liar! You couldn’t get enough of me, Stone Ryan. You don’t want your new piece knowing the truth about you!”
“Which is what?” April asked from behind.
“That Stone’s a cheating scumbag and always will be.
Asshole dumped his long-term girlfriend and jumped into the sack with me the next day, as I said,” Chelsea declared, turning around.
Her jaw dropped as she recognised April.
Chelsea’s gaze switched between us both, and a smirk crossed her face.
“Tell me you’re not fucking April again! ”
“Speak to April with respect!” I snarled.
“Oh my God!” Chelsea broke into laughter.
“What is this, Stone? A pity fuck? Or are you banging April for old times’ sake?
Didn’t you have a better option? Get lost, loser, I’m here now and more capable of satisfying Stone than you ever were.
Christ, April, you’re even fatter than when I last saw you. ”
April didn’t reply. She sent me a look that I couldn’t decipher, and then her fists shot out. The first blow connected with Chelsea’s mouth, the second with her nose, and the third knocked her to the floor.
“I’ve got something to say, you cunt. Chelsea, you were my best friend and stabbed me in the back for a roll in the hay with Stone.
Newsflash bitch. Stone used you to make sure I accepted our breakup for reasons that don’t concern you.
He didn’t drop me because he didn’t love me; he did it because he did. ”
“You fuckin’ cunt!” Chelsea screeched, holding her nose as she stood up.
April lashed out again, knocking Chelsea back down. “Listen up. Stone didn’t fuck your scrawny ass; he hates skinny bitches. No guy wants to screw a woman he has to be careful with in case he hurts her.”
“Amen,” someone said.
“Neither do they wanna get poked by bony ribs and hips; that ain’t comfortable for a man. Bitch, you had a whole decade to sink your hooks into him, and Stone ran in the opposite direction every time!” I declared.
“So you say! You don’t know what Stone’s been up to in the last ten years,” Chelsea hissed.
“Nope, but he didn’t do you! It’s my fat ass Stone’s grabbing hold of, my bed he’s in, and my pussy he worships. God, can someone take the trash out?” April asked, stepping around Chelsea and plastering herself to my chest.
“I’m done with this bullshit. This is why the clubhouse is off-limits. Any asshole who isn’t a brother, old lady, or girlfriend, get the fuck out!” Chance bellowed. His temper burst as he scowled at everyone present.
“What? We haven’t done anything!” a woman exclaimed.
“Don’t give a fuck. Every time we let bitches in, shit starts. Never again. The club grounds are off limits to anyone not fuckin’ Hellfire!” Chance continued. I sensed a rant coming on.
“Out now!” Bear bellowed and began herding women. April looked smug as Thalia and Clio approached Chelsea, a clear threat on their faces. Chelsea scrambled to her feet and fled.
“That’s how you handle sluts,” April said.
“God, I love you,” I muttered, bending my head and kissing her.
“Love you too,” April murmured, and I grinned against her lips.
“Forever, baby,” I assured. I didn’t need to explain anything to April. She’d realised Chelsea was lying and trying to hurt her.
“Forever won’t be long enough,” April whispered back.
“Eternity then,” I promised. April smiled against my lips and drew my head down for a kiss. We both ignored the whistles and catcalls from the peanut gallery. Who the hell cared? This is what Hellfire was all about.