Ignoring the agony, I scoot over to the other door, and make a grab for the handle, only to find the child locks are on, and my apparently not-so-much ex is sitting beside me.
The car engine roars. I’m trapped and being driven fuck knows where. And the only thing I can think to ask, is, “How did you find me?” How did I fuck up? He shouldn’t be here.
He chuckles. “Never thought you enjoyed sex that much, but it appears I was wrong.” He takes out his phone, unlocks it, then shows me a photo. “Outfit called the Mojave Devils kindly posted this online. It came to my attention, got caught in one of the facial recognition programs I have running.” My mouth drops open in horror, as I stare at the picture of myself, just after two of the bastards of the MDMC had raped me on their pool table. I’m lying half-naked, splayed out, and obviously just fucked.
“It’s not what it looks like…”
“No?” His chuckle is one hundred percent evil. “Not according to the MDMC. The men I talked to told me you were an adequate fuck, and well into it. But they didn’t know who you were. Coincidentally, they were invaded by the Kings of Anarchy, Arizona Chapter the night that picture was taken. I thought it was worth following up on, so I had my men stake out their compound. Followed you when you left – seems you’ve shacked up with one of them. Tut, tut, dear wife. Looks like you need to be reminded of your marriage vows.”
“I’m not coming back to you, Piero.”
“You think I want a whore as my wife? Oh, no, dear Patricia, I’m going to get married again. Nice young woman, she’s just turned sixteen. She’ll give me the heirs that you couldn’t. But before I can stand up in church again, I need to make certain I’m a widower.”
He’s going to kill me. Things flash before my eyes. Mainly, why couldn’t I be more like Pippa? Why hadn’t I realised something was up when the Uber driver had said a car had beenfollowing us? Pippa would have immediately sussed out a risk, called for help, then stayed in the bakery until it arrived. What did I do? I ignored the Uber driver’s observation, being more set on ordering a fucking cake. Then I feel rage at after abusing me, those two Mojave Devils had taken a picture, and posted it for all the world to see.
“But before I get rid of you…” Piero shakes me hard to make sure I’m listening. “I’m going to renew our acquaintance. I deserve payback for you disappearing all these years. I couldn’t even grieve a dead wife as I couldn’t produce a body, well, until now. I’m going to make you suffer for every day you’ve been gone. I’m going to tear your fucking cunt and ass apart. Oh, you won’t mind if I use a condom, will you? After all, I don’t know where your diseased cunt has been.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
FREAK
“Aparty, for Ace?” I raise an eyebrow at Pippa.
“Yeah. Trix asked me to help arrange it. We thought we could ask the Kings from other chapters, the ones who came to help us do the rebuild.”
Well, fuck me. I’d wanted Ace to have a birthday to remember, but after Toni had turned the idea down, I’d kinda put it on the back burner. I’m not surprised Trixie’s already got the ball rolling. Just one more reason she’s perfect.
“You won’t get any argument from me. Inviting a few of the out-of-town brothers is a great fuckin’ idea. I’ll talk to Bullseye.”
Pippa grins gleefully. “Already done. Saint’s spoken to him, and he’s agreed. Trix suggested she ask the Kings Ace knows at the rally next weekend, but Bullseye thought he’d give them prior warning. He’s putting feelers out to the other chapters while we speak.” Her eyes get a twinkle in them. “Smooth might come.” She nudges me with her elbow. “He performs marriages.”
I rear back. “Well he ain’t going to perform mine.” Not that I’ve been able to ask Trix to marry me. With Piero in existence, there’s no way I can. And if I could and was going to getmarried, I’d take Words as the officiant any day over the brother who’d fucked up Saint and Short’s weddings. While it had been amusing to be the onlooker, I doubt it was so much for the participants. Yeah, I’d plump for Words’ dour funeral tones any fucking time. I’m not averse to the idea of marriage. But Smooth conducting the ceremony? Fucking never.
“He can perform whatever he likes, but not with Trix and me.” Then I grin. “But I’d like to see how Saint and Short greet him.” If he had any sense, he’d stay away. “Pippa, I’m grateful that Trix and you are arranging this for Ace. Feel free to do whatever you think best. But now, I’ve got paperwork waiting. I’ve got to get going.”
“Sure thing, Freak.” She waggles her fingers at me as she walks away.
I hadn’t lied. I really do have a job to do. Arriving at Royals, I meet up with Stalker, and we start going over the camera footage. It’s easy to see one of the casual employees we have on the bar on the weekends is helping himself to a chunk of our takings, presumably thinking we won’t notice. Not Joe, thank fuck, nor any of our full-time employees. It’s an easy decision that the next shift he’s on, the light-fingered bastard is going to find out exactly what happens when he fucks with the Kings.
Other than that,takings are good, the new girl, Satin, who’d I’d let audition, what was it, six weeks ago? Well, she’s turned out to be a customer favourite and is pulling the customers in. The jury’s still out on Ames, but Stalker assures me, she’s learning the ropes and is improving.
Next, he passes over some paperwork. I give the documents a cursory look, knowing our treasurer will have already reviewed them, then I place my signature where he indicates I should.
Business done, he sits back in his chair. “How are things going with Trixie?” His eyes grow hooded. “Does she give you shit about working here?”
She hasn’t. I suppose another woman would be jealous about her man working with naked girls. But she’s never given me any indication that it worries her. “She’s cool with it,” I tell him. “She trusts me.” Just as I trust her.
Stalker doesn’t challenge me on it, instead he nods, then changes the subject. “I miss seeing her around.” As the growl starts to emerge from my throat, he waves me down. “She was always good for a laugh, and I don’t mean sexually. Some of the life seems to have gone out of the club without her being there. In some ways she was a mother hen, with the prospects and club girls. The latter seem a bit lost without her.”
“And the food…?”
He snorts. “Definitely gone downhill. Pippa’s not around much to give direction either. She’s too tied up with Jade.” He leans forward, and grimaces. “Look, Freak, I don’t think any of us handled it well when you first got with her. It was kinda strange, you know? One moment she was a club girl, and then you claimed her, elevated her to being an ol’ lady. Kinda took us a moment to get our heads around it, and to be honest, we weren’t sure of where the line should be drawn, and how friendly we could be before we disrespected you. I reckon the pendulum swung too far in the wrong direction, and she must have thought we were ignoring her. It was awkward as fuck and, unfortunately, I think we upset her.” He pauses, then adds, “She doesn’t come back to the club unless it’s with you, and then she’s glued to your side.”
I swallow down the sudden rush of anger that anyone might have done something to, even inadvertently, hurt Trixie because I know how difficult the situation had been. It had been obvious my brothers were scared of overstepping and doing the wrong thing. I’d busted Rat’s nose just for touching her, for fuck’s sake. So some of this, at least, is down to me. Before I’d claimed her, Trixie had always had a hug for anyone having a bad day, orwould offer a friendly ear. Our relationship was new, and I was prone to misinterpret innocent actions and to losing my temper. The brothers had read me wisely. But it didn’t mean it was fair on my old lady.
My thoughts straighten out enough for me to voice them. “She’s much happier living outside the club.” I’d seen this for myself. Seen the way her smile appeared more often now that we have our own place.
He shakes his head slowly. “Yeah, I can understand it’s been just as hard for her to adapt to her new status. She probably took us keeping our distance to mean we’d turned against her. But that’s not the way of it, Brother. She may not be club property any longer, but she’s ours.”
