Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
Julie
Yak
Be ready by six. Old lady obligations start now.
It is one single text, but it sends my nervous system into a tailspin. Up until now, I have been able to push the last time I was at the clubhouse out of my head. Yak has been keeping his distance, so other than a few texts, I could almost believe I dreamed the whole thing up.
That is until this morning. One simple text, and reality sets in.
I’m an old lady. At least, that’s what he is letting the club think. I don’t even know what an old lady does.
Work flies by for once, and I don’t really want it to. I would rather be stuck there doing the most boring, mundane tasks than doing what I am doing now.
What does one even wear as an old lady?
I look over my closet. I feel like it is all too innocent for the club life. I am going to stick out like a sore thumb.
“What am I going to do, Tabby?” I ask my cat.
She doesn’t even open her eyes. She’s content sleeping on the bed.
Which means I need to call Liz.
I hesitate to tell Liz anything, but I need her help. She’s the only one I can trust.
Picking up my phone, I dial her number.
“Hey, girl. What’s up?”
I can hear music in the background along with a few male voices.
“I need your help. I have a…” I hesitate. “Date?”
She laughs. “Is that a question or a statement?”
It’s a good question. One I am not sure I know the answer to, but still.
“It’s a date. With that guy I told you about. The one we visited at the clubhouse.”
I remain vague, not willing to say his name.
She asked me what happened that night after she was ushered out by the president of the MC.
He told her not to come back, which pissed her off, especially since she was worried I was still in there.
It wasn’t until I texted her telling her I wasn’t there anymore that she finally left.
“Is that a good idea? I met their president, and I wasn’t impressed,” she whispers into the phone.
“He’s different.”
I cringe at my own words. I don’t know if he’s different or not.
I don’t really know him, nor do I know the people at his club.
For all I know, he could be as bad as them.
Still, I don’t really have an option. I believe him if he says I am in danger.
I remember the look in that other man’s eyes when he grabbed me.
He wasn’t a nice person. He looked evil in that moment.
She snorts. “That’s what they all say. Listen, I want you to be careful. I know I encourage you to get out of your shell and experience new things, but I’ve heard things about…” She pauses. “Hey, Steve. I’m going to go outside and take this.”
I can hear him asking her who it is.
“It’s Julie. She’s having boy problems, and you guys are loud. I’ll be right out front. Okay?”
I hear them kissing. After a moment, the background noise fades and a door closes.
“We are alone now. Listen, the Kings of Anarchy aren’t tame. They are known for being wild, rowdy, and very rough with their women. They enjoy the biker lifestyle a little bit too much, if you catch my drift. I’m worried about what will happen if you pursue this.” Her voice is laced with concern.
“I can handle it.”
I want to tell her he has already saved me twice and hasn’t even tried to make the moves on me even though I have fantasized about him.
“I feel like I pushed you into this. Babe, I need you to be careful. Promise me. If you run into trouble, you call. Steve might be a jackass, but…well his club can go toe to toe with the Kings of Anarchy,” she whispers.
“That says more about your choice of men than mine. Who are you even dating?” I joke.
“I’m known for being crazy, though. What’s your excuse?”
“Maybe you are finally rubbing off on me. Which brings me back to my dilemma.” I circle back to the reason for my call.
“Where is he taking you?” she asks.
“I think the clubhouse. He said something about old lady duties.”
She gasps. “What in the actual fuck, Julie Lynne Corday?”
“Language,” I chastise.
“Oh no, you don’t. If there is a time I get to cuss, it’s when my best friend tells me that she is practically married to a biker,” she hisses.
My heart beats faster in my chest. “Excuse me? What did you say?”
She starts laughing, but there is no humor in it. “This is what I mean. You are so far out of your depth. You shouldn’t be going back to that place alone. It’s not safe. You saw what went on there.”
“I did, but I won’t be alone. He will be with me,” I remind her.
“Oh, the guy who claimed you as his old lady but didn’t tell you what it means? Yeah, I feel so much better now.” Her sarcastic tone has my blood boiling.
“Well, if you are so smart, why don’t you tell me what it means so when I go with him tonight, because make no mistake, I am going, I won’t make a fool of myself?”
She sighs. “You have gotten yourself into a mess, and Dad is going to kill us both.”
“I know, but that’s a future problem. I have twenty minutes to be ready for whatever he has going on, so help me.”
“An old lady is like a wife in biker terms. It means he claimed you in front of the club as his property. It’s archaic, but it offers a layer of protection.
It means no one can touch you without his wrath.
With that being said, not all clubs are the same.
Some view an old lady as their one and only woman, while others step out on the side with club girls when they are wanting something strange, if you catch my drift.
I don’t know what the Kings of Anarchy’s views on old ladies are, but if he is expecting you to perform your duties, then I would assume it means doting on him.
Being on his arm. Honestly, I have no idea.
I’m not planning to be an old lady, so I haven’t asked much about it with Steve. ”
I swallow hard. He said he claimed me, and I knew it was a big deal, but I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was.
“Okay so what do I wear?” I whisper into the phone, my confidence shaken.
“Remember that black dress I bought you when we were seventeen?” she says.
“The one that barely covers my ass and probably is even tighter now?”
“That’s the one. Wear that.”
“What? I don’t want to put myself on display like that,” I groan.
“You’re an old lady now, and I guarantee that’s the only thing you own that will help you fit in. Put on the dress. Do that smoky-eye thing with your makeup. Then hope like hell this man truly cares about you because if he doesn’t, you are going to need help. You remember our SOS word?”
“I do.”
“Good. Don’t forget it. Oh, and Julie?”
“What?”
“Please be safe. I fucking love you.”
I don’t even chastise her this time for her language. Instead, I give her a simple reply before hanging up the phone.
“I love you too.”
Yak
“Stop fidgeting,” I whisper to Julie as I lead her toward the clubhouse.
When I picked her up at her house in my new truck, I wasn’t expecting the siren in front of me.
I figured I would be taking Little Miss Daisy to a club party again. I swear her closet has to be filled to the brim with pastels and dresses that fall below the knee.
So I was surprised as hell when she stepped out of her house in that short black number that barely covers her ass. It’s so tight that her tits look like they will topple over the top if she breathes too deeply.
My cock is still hard from the thought of how I could pull it down and suck each nipple into my mouth. The way she would scream my name would be close to ecstasy on its own. Not to mention how she would feel wrapped around my cock.
I shake my head to push the thoughts away. I don’t need to be thinking about that right now. I need to focus.
I had meant to warn Julie before tonight.
To give her a heads-up on the dos and don’ts, but I got sidetracked.
Then Yooper told me that Aragon demanded I claim Julie the right way, and shit went sideways.
I knew I was screwed, and there would be no explaining this.
I don’t even know if she will agree to what is about to go down, but I was so distracted on the ride over that I didn’t get a chance to warn her.
I suppose it’s better this way. She will most likely hate me after tonight, but there will be no question of if she is mine or not. Maybe if Aragon sees how serious I am about her, he will back off and go back to the shady shit I’ve been tracking.
“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing.” She keeps her voice low.
“It’s not going to be comfortable, but I need you to do everything I say.
Don’t question me in front of them no matter how badly you want to.
Remember, there are men in there that want to hurt you.
You know who you can trust. Me, Yooper, and Poutine.
Sap too, but you haven’t met him yet, so just stick with the three of us for now. ”
“Okay.”
I stop right outside the door and turn her toward me. “No matter what happens in there, remember that I will keep you safe. It’s all about your protection.”
She nods.
“Good girl,” I whisper, pulling her under my arm before I open the door.
The party is already going. The music is loud, and the air is filled with smoke. Men are already rowdy, but none of them are really drunk. Not yet, at least.
No, they all want to see the main event.
I pull Julie through the crowd, glad that they part for us. Julie keeps her hand in mine, tightly gripping me. I’m grateful she agreed to wear my jacket. At least everyone can see she is mine. Now I have to prove it.
We walk through the clubhouse into the large room we use for exercise. Tonight it is clear, though. The only thing in here is the mats on the floor.
“You’re finally here. You ready to get your ass handed to you?” Aragon calls out to me.
I flip him off, smiling when I hear Julie mutter, “Was that necessary?”
Moving toward Yooper, I pull Julie to my side.
“Yooper, this is Julie. Julie, you will be staying with Yooper. Don’t leave his side. Got it?”
She nods. “Where are you going?”
I pull off my cut and hand it to her. She takes it, holding it gently as I pull off my T-shirt. I smirk at how her eyes take me in. When I pull my sweats off to reveal a pair of shorts, I swear there is disappointment in her eyes.
Soon, Angel.
I started this out with noble intentions, but the more time I spend with Julie, the more I’m unsure if I can let her go.
Handing my clothes to Yooper, I cup her cheek. “I have to go handle business. I’ll be back, Angel.”
Leaning in, I surprise her by placing a chaste kiss on her lips. She looks stunned, but I can see the way her cheeks redden.
“Wish me luck.” I wink at her.
“Good luck?” she says as if it’s a question.
She has no idea what’s going to happen, but I do.
Leaving her behind, I walk to the middle of the mat. Predator is there waiting for us.
“Good clean fight. No eye gouges. No cheap shots. No weapons. No permanent damage. Winner gets the prize.” Predator glances over at Julie. “Do we have our first challenger?”
Flannel, one of the prospects, steps up first, but he looks nervous. I don’t miss the way he looks over at Aragon. Yeah, he was put up to this. I’m sure Aragon wants me to be tired so he has a better shot of winning.
The problem is that I won’t stop fighting. Not when it’s her life on the line.
“Ready?” Predator asks us both.
When we nod, he yells, “Go.”
I hop back and forth on my feet with my hands up. Flannel is doing the same, but his footwork is sloppy. I’ve seen him in the gym. He is getting better, but he is nowhere near the level I am.
This is an unfair fight. I’m not the one who called for it, though.
When he jumps forward, swinging his fist, I deflect it easily, landing a blow to his side. Hard enough to hurt, but light enough it won’t break his rib.
He grunts and jumps back.
This goes on for several minutes. I let him take the offensive, and I stay on the defensive.
It’s wearing him out. He doesn’t have the stamina like I do.
He spends more time trying to learn to fight than building up his endurance.
Something I plan to coach him on after this.
Provided he doesn’t turn out to be a traitor.
When I finally see my opening, I swing one well-timed punch toward his face, knocking him out cold.
The crowd cheers as I look straight at Aragon, a smirk on my face.
“Who’s next?”