They rode each other under the moonlight and stars, their breathing heavy, their bodies coated in a thin sheen of dampness. As she stifled her cries against his shoulder, her teeth bearing down hard, guttural grunts rose from his throat. They came together, holding, biting, and loving one another.
And it was good.
It was fucking perfect.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Insurgents arrivedat the diner on the far west side of the city. The smiling crawfish with the chef’s hat blinked on and off in neon blue, while the name of the diner, Crawdads, lit up the parking lot in neon yellow. Crawdads had catered to the bikers in the area for the past forty years, and it was generally considered a neutral zone for rival clubs. Dogface had told the Insurgents that would be the best place to meet with the Gypsy Fiends’ president.
When they entered the eatery, Rock noticed several men in leather and denim seated at a big table in the back. Most of them sported bushy beards and long stringy hair. The president patch on the cut of the guy at the head of the table directed the Insurgents toward them. When they approached, Rock noted the name, Copperhead, stitched on the president’s cut. The dude had long blond hair and a lengthy beard in a slightly darker shade. Icy blue eyes stared out of a face that had a patchwork of scars, cuts, and moles. He sat expressionless as they stood in front of the table.
“I’m Hawk, the VP of the Insurgents, and these are my brothers. You’re Copperhead?”
The president nodded while his brothers stared at the Colorado club. Copperhead motioned Hawk to sit down, and he grabbed a chair, the other Insurgents following suit.
“I’m not gonna fuck around. You know why we’re here. You got the weapons we want and we got the cash you need.” Hawk and Copperhead stared at each other, neither of them giving the other any slack.
Rock sat at the end of the table so he could watch what everyone was doing. He was on high alert since a seemingly calm interaction could turn bloody and deadly in a matter of seconds. In the outlaw world, anger and hate were always bubbling right beneath the surface.
“The shit we got is for someone else. We can get you some more. It’ll take some fucking time, but we can get ‘em.” Copperhead scratched his beard.
“I don’t give a fuck who it’s for. We got the cash. I’m not waitin’ for shit. If you don’t want the money, then we’re wasting our goddamned time.”
Hawk tilted his chin at his brothers and pushed his chair back. He and the rest started to get up when Cooperhead said, “Where the hell you going? Sit the fuck down. I didn’t say I wasn’t interested in doing business.”
Hawk paused for several seconds, then eased back into the chair. His brothers followed his lead, all of them stone-faced. Rock was laughing on the inside.We’ve got these greedy fuckers. Kiss our asses, Demon Riders.
In the end, the Gypsy Fiends agreed to take the cash deal and to “fuck the rich dude.” Rock and his brothers knew exactly who the “rich dude” was, and he took an enormous amount of pleasure in screwing the Demon RidersandFrederick.
To seal the deal, both clubs ordered a feast of crawfish, shrimp, red beans and rice, gumbo, and a slew of other local favorites. As the men ate, they talked about the one thing that bound all the outlaws together—Harleys. And not once did Rock have to smash someone in the face. The meeting had been a huge success.
***
Clotille had justfinished putting away the leftovers from dinner when her phone jingled. She grimaced when she saw Armand’s name flash on her screen. Clutching it tightly, she went out to the screened-in porch, sat on a cushy chair, and answered it.
“Why didn’t you tell us you were in Lafayette?”
She sighed. “I wanted some time to myself. I was planning on calling sooner or later.”Damn you, Suzette! Rock was right… she called Armand.
“Sooner or later? What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” his voice rose slightly.
“I was going to call. How’ve you been?”
“Busy as hell trying to keep Mom happy and in the lifestyle she’s become accustomed to. It takes a lot of hard work and money to do that, you know?”
Here it comes.“I’m sure it does.” She kneaded her forehead with her fingers.
“And if Frederick stops helping out, we’re fucking toast. You do get that, don’t you?”
And here it is. Therealreason Armand called me. He wants me to go back to Aspen. Frederick is working overtime trying to get me back.“I get that things may become tough, but I’m planning to help out. I don’t want you to do it alone… I never have.”
He clucked his tongue. “Why did you leave him? I thought you were happy with him.”
“Content, in the beginning, yes. Happy? Never. I became restless and realized I was missing out on so much. I missed seeing the ones I loved.”
“Frederick would’ve brought you to visit. He said you never asked.”
“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, he was becoming too possessive. I didn’t think it would be safe for me to stay with him anymore. I felt like I didn’t really have a choice when I made the agreement with him, but now I do. I wanted out.”
