Chapter 13
Tico
For a few moments, I think Rocket’s not going to yield but then his body relaxes in her hold.
“I yield.”
Ember releases him and steps back. I walk over to her, resting my hand on her hip and pull her into my side.
Rocket clocks the movement before raising his confused gaze to mine and he blanches slightly at the anger he finds there.
A second later, the look is gone as he turns his questioning gaze on Ember.
He’s probably trying to figure out how the hell she’s better trained than he is.
She smirks down at him since he’s still sitting on the floor. “You didn’t give me a chance to tell you that Daemon’s my brother. He and his uncle were my first trainers and then Reese here took over my training about six years ago.”
He stares at her in shock and disbelief. “You barely look eighteen.”
“I’m twenty-two and have been training and fighting for the past ten years.”
“Well, fuck,” he says as he gets to his feet, his gaze fixated on her arm. “So, you’re really the Viper.”
“Yes, but like I said, I’ll be going by a different moniker tonight and for my future fights.”
Rocket looks between us and I dip my chin.
“It’s true, Ember will be stepping in for Ice for the foreseeable future since she’ll be out for about a year from what Wire told me.”
It’s not my place to spread Ice’s good news and she is definitely one of those women you don’t want to piss off.
Ember turns in my arm, looking up at me, and I oblige her, leaning down for a kiss.
“I’m gonna go stow my gear and get at it.”
“Women’s locker room is that way,” I tell her as I gesture towards the far back of the gym.
After she grabs her stuff, I turn towards Rocket, leveling him with a hard glare. I may be soft with my family and now Ember and Pyper, but not with anyone else.
“Office. Now.”
He blanches and Daemon clasps his shoulder as he chuckles under his breath and leads Reese over toward the mats. Turning on my heel, I stalk towards my office, knowing Rocket will follow. Discretely, I slip on my brass knuckles as I walk through the door.
As soon as Rocket shuts the door behind him, I’m on him, grabbing him by the throat and shoving him against the door before landing a hard punch to his jaw. His eyes widen in surprise, but he doesn’t fight me. He knows he fucked up.
“You will never lay a fucking hand on mi mujer, my woman, ever again. You will show her the fucking respect she deserves. If you don’t, it will be the last thing you ever fucking do because your ass will be six feet under. Do you understand me, hermano (brother)?”
“Y-Yes, Prez. S-Sorry, Prez. I didn’t know she was your woman. I thought you were with Empress.”
I snarl at hearing that bitch’s name. “First off, you should have fucking known Ember was with me. I’ve never let another woman on the back of my bike that wasn’t family, let alone that fucking bitch, Empress.
Second, I’ve never personally escorted a woman in here before today.
Based on those two facts alone, you should have known not to start a fucking dick measuring contest and belittling my woman.
You’re fucking lucky that she didn’t pull out all her moves otherwise your ass would have been the one that was a bloody mess on the mats.
” A growl builds in my throat. “And lastly, I will never fucking be with Empress. I know she’s your friend’s sister, but she’s a fucking manipulative, vile bitch who will do anything to sink her claws into one of us. ”
I squeeze his throat tighter for a moment before releasing him. Circling the desk, I sink into my chair.
“Now, what’s this bullshit that I’m with Empress? Who’s spreading that bullshit?”
Rocket frowns as he rubs his throat. “I heard it from Bandit and Empress has been telling the other women fighters that they need to stay away from you because you guys are an item.”
Bandit, who is another fighter of ours but isn’t part of our club, is Rocket’s friend and Empress’ older brother.
Chingada vida (Fuck my life). I don’t need this petty shit. “Get Bandit and Empress in here. This fucking shit stops now.” I gesture to the door and he quickly leaves.
Turning in my seat, I look out through the one-way glass to find Ember doing some light mobility drills. Daemon and Reese are bent over a tablet, most likely looking at videos of Banshee’s recent fights.
Speaking of, I unlock my drawer, grabbing my own tablet that holds the videos for female fighters and lock back up. Leaving my office, I walk through the gym, dipping my chin in acknowledgement when a few people call out a greeting.
Daemon looks up as I approach. “Prez.”
I give him a chin lift before settling my gaze on the fight that’s playing on Reese’s tablet. Then I frown when I see who Banshee is fighting.
“Is that your most recent video of Banshee?” I ask them and Reese nods.
“Yeah, I asked a buddy of mine to send a few more over, but he hasn’t done it yet.”
I scroll through my tablet and find Banshee’s last fight which was with Crystal. “This was from last month, her most recent fight.”
The three of us pour over the video while Ember continues her light training. At some point, Ember comes over to join us and Reese restarts the video for her. Then he takes point when discussing Banshee’s form and reminding her about her weaknesses.
About an hour later, I hear the main door open but don’t turn around, keeping my focus on Ember as she stretches while continuing to watch videos of Banshee’s fights.
My body tenses as small hands land on my back and then arms wrap around my waist.
“I came as soon as you called, Babe,” Empress purrs and I grasp her arms before roughly shoving her away from me.
“Keep your fucking hands off me,” I growl as I stare her down.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Bandit with his arms crossed over his chest, watching us with a confused look.
Behind him, I notice Shuriken, Chief and Claw have created a wall, keeping the others from seeing us back here.
I can hear Creed and Rocket escorting anyone not in the club out of the building.
Annoyance flashes in Empress’s eyes before she pouts and bats her eyes at me as she pushes out her chest. “Aw, don’t be like that, Babe. You’re just stressed. Why don’t we go somewhere where we can work off that tension.”
She reaches out to touch my chest, but I grip her wrist and tighten my hold just enough to show her I mean business but not enough to hurt her. I snarl at her, while at the same time, my gut tightens in revulsion at the thought of sleeping with Empress.
I’m about to rip into her when a low, dark, husky chuckle reaches my ears. I smirk as I release Empress and cross my arms over my chest.
Whatever Ember’s going to do, I most definitely want to see it.
My smirk deepens when I catch Bandit’s reaction when he realizes someone’s behind Empress. Then I see the moment where it clicks for him who Ember is. He gives me an almost nervous look, but I turn, focusing on Ember.
Empress frowns at the sound and turns toward Ember who is still stretching her legs out in the splits. Mierda (Shit). The sight has my dick twitching in my jeans and seeing how flexible she is, it’s giving me all sorts of thoughts for later.
“There’s only going to be one person relieving Tico’s tension, and that will be me, Empress,” she says with a hard edge in her voice.
My gaze flicks from Ember to Empress and back to Ember.
I wrack my brain for if she’s ever fought Empress before, but I don’t think so.
Then again, I normally don’t schedule Empress for fights outside our own pit anymore because of her past behavior at away fights.
On the flip side, they could have also just watched each other’s fights, which isn’t uncommon.
Empress narrows her eyes at Ember. “Viper,” she damn near hisses. “What the fuck are you doing here in Royal Bastards territory? Last I heard, your worthless piece of shit father was keeping you contained up in the UP on a leash like a dog.”
If Empress’ words bother Ember, she doesn’t show it except for the dark smirk that forms on her face.
She gracefully rises off the mat and saunters over to me, her lush hips swaying with each step.
Despite how much she works out, she’s still got a curvy figure that makes my mouth water.
I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her into me and squeezing her hip gently.
The look Empress gives Ember could kill, but I need to prove a point. No one controls or decides who I will be with.
Especially not a fucking vile bitch like Empress.
Grasping Ember’s chin, I tilt her head up and bend down, kissing her.
Her body melts into mine and I tighten my grip on her waist. Breaking the kiss, I pull back slightly and something swells in my chest at seeing her dilated eyes, flushed skin, and how breathless she is.
The look she gives me has my black heart stuttering, finally beating for someone other than mi familia y hermanos (my family and brothers), and a feeling I’ve never felt washes over me.
Empress shrieks, and almost as if we planned it, Ember and I turn to glare at her in unison.
“How the fuck can you be choosing this washed up, used up, puppet over me? You know I’m better than her. I’m the best fighter you have. You should be with me, not her. I’m the one that’s put in the work, not her. She should be tossed out of here on her fucking ass like the trash she is.”
Anger swirls in my veins at her disrespecting my woman, and therefore, disrespecting me. A growl builds in my chest as I straighten to my full height. I take a step forward. Empress’ face pales and she swallows thickly.
“What makes you think you have the right to decide who the fuck I am with? Just because you quickly rose through the ranks does not mean you get to have me or my dick. It does not mean you have a fucking say about anything I do or who I’m with.
You may think you run the show, but you are the one that works for me. Not the other way around.
“And on that topic, I also know about what you’ve been saying to the other fighters.
There is no fucking us, Empress. There never has been and there never will be.
If I ever hear that you’ve been spreading this fucking bullshit again, even if it’s just a fucking whisper, I will toss you out on your ass so fast you won’t know what hit you.
All ties will be cut and you’ll be blacklisted as a fighter in the Royal Bastards circuits.
You’ve already been a hairsbreadth away from being blacklisted because of your past behavior anyway. ”
Her eyes widen in shock before her face morphs in anger. Her hand rises and I move to grab it but end up grabbing air. Ember moves quicker than me, intercepting her herself.
Empress shrieks in outrage as Ember wrenches her arm behind her back. With the other hand, Ember fists Empress’s hair, yanking hard on it and pulling her head back at an uncomfortable angle. Empress winces and opens her mouth, but then Ember leans in close.
“If you ever lay a hand on my man ever again, I will beat your ass until your body is black and blue, your bones are broken, and you are pissing blood. He is mine,” she growls.
Her gaze turns to me and a dark smile forms on her face. Chingar (Fuck). Ember is a beautiful woman, but I’m fucking loving her dark side as well.
“Now, Empress, I think you fucked up royally. You just tried to hit the President of the Royal Bastards. That comes with consequences.”
Empress’ eyes widen in shock as realization hits her and her gaze snaps to mine, her eyes silently pleading me for mercy.
Mercy I’m not sure I want to give.
“Now, I’m not new to MC’s, as you well know, but from what I’ve already learned of the Royal Bastards is that they will not hurt women.”
Empress’s body relaxes minutely at her words but then she cries out in pain as Ember tightens her grip on her hair and twists her arm.
“Lucky for the President, I’m more than willing to handle and dish out anything when the club’s hands are tied.”
My gaze sharpens and snaps to Ember’s in shock, silently asking if she’s serious. She subtly nods and something tightens in my chest. I don’t know how I feel about her stepping in to ‘help’ us out, but then another thought hits me.
My woman is as tough as some of mis hermanos (my brothers).
Maybe more so for some of them.
The fact that Ember can take care of shit on her own without having to solely rely on me has pride blooming in my chest, easing the tightening feeling.
Stepping forward, I glare down at Empress. “You’re banned from the pits for three months for this fucking stunt, Empress. You need to learn your place. One more fuckup and you will be blacklisted, your ass tossed out of here.” I turn my glare to Bandit and he dips his head in apology.
“I didn’t know, Tico. Ashley,” he says, using Empress’s real name, “told me you guys started seeing each other. I should have questioned it since I know how manipulative she is, but with how happy she was when she got home that day, I assumed it was true.”
A growl builds in my throat but I suppress it. “Next time, verify before spreading shit, especially when it comes out of her fucking mouth.”
Empress cries out in pain. I turn just in time to see Ember land a punch to her jaw before gripping her chin tight.
“Your fucking ego needs a fucking check, Empress. Next time you say shit about me and my sister, your ass will be in a fucking hospital bed and you’ll be breathing out of a fucking tube. Do you fucking understand me?”
Empress snarls. “Yes,” she spits out.
Ember releases her, pushing her away from us.
“This is your last chance, Empress. Now, get the fuck out of my gym,” I sneer as I wrap my arm around Ember’s waist, pulling her into my side.
We both watch Empress go and a chill skates down my spine at the hatred in her eyes when she levels Ember with a glare. If Empress does anything to Ember, she’ll be feeling my full wrath and the wrath of the club.