“Club brothers have always had my back,” I said. “But nobody else ever has. I appreciate that and can’t really describe how that makes me feel. I’ve stood up for others all these years, but rarely has anyone stood up for me.”

  I backed G against the elevator and moved my lips to hers, my hand gentle against her face. I didn’t kiss her hard or sloppy. She deserved care. She deserved to love. When the elevator door opened, I lifted G into my arms and carried her to our room, our lips together most of the time.

  “Why’re you being so gentle?” she asked. “It’s not like you.”

  I slid the key into the lock and shut the door with my foot. “Because you deserve it, G. You deserve to be treated like a woman, not an object.”

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “To the bathroom.”

  She smiled, and I knew what she was thinking. I put G on her feet and ran warm water in the tub.

  “What’s going on, Diesel? You don’t have to do this.”

  “Take your clothes off, and I’ll be right back. I expect you to be in that tub when I return.”

  I left the room and took the elevator to the first floor. Stopping at the front desk, I pointed at the soaps, shampoos, and bubble bath on the wall behind the counter. “I’ll take the strawberry bubble bath. Charge it to the room.”

  The clerk gave me the bottle, and I returned to the room, where I found G in the tub, eyes closed, humming a country song. I stood there watching her, admiring her beauty, body, and courage. I had a way of fucking up the lives of women I dated. Most ran off screaming, wondering why they’d talked to me in the first place. I was one of those men every woman wanted because I was battling demons, and they were sure they could chase away those demons.

  G opened her eyes and covered a scream with her hand. “You scared the crap out of me!”

  I laughed and removed the bottle top, emptying the contents into the tub. It was probably overkill, but who cared? “The shit you’ve done for me, G. I can’t get over it. Let me do something for you.”

  “You have, baby. You’ve helped breathe life into me. I was tired of doing what everyone else wanted me to do.” She gently splashed the water, and bubbles began surrounding her.

  I spent the next twenty minutes washing G, rubbing her neck and shoulder, occasionally reaching beneath the water. When she was completely relaxed, her arms resting on the sides of the tub, I reached between her legs, her eyes closed, and gently massaged her pussy, never entering her, just touching, pressing, pleasing, my desire to show her she was the world to me growing.

  G opened her eyes and smiled. Her body shuddered, rippling the water, and then she relaxed. “Nobody’s ever done that to me, baby.” She held my hand. “Do you always make your old lady feel this way?”

  Right. “No. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever treated a woman this way. You’re doing something to me, G, and I’m not sure how to handle it. It’s new to me. Beast once told me how much he loved Skittles. That he’d never felt the way about a woman the way he felt about her. He said they connect so deeply that neither wants to be away from the other.”

  “Skittles told me the same thing.” G sat up and then climbed from the tub. Wet and relaxed, she put her arms around me.

  “That’s what I want, G. I’m tired of always fucking around, never knowing who I was going to wake up to next. Part of me doesn’t want to say this or even trust myself, but I think you’re that woman. I really do.” I grabbed a towel and dried her off. “I need you to help me figure out what the fuck is going on in my head so that I can give you the best version of myself. Will you do that? I need it, G.”

  “Of course I will, baby. That’s why I stayed in the first place. That’s why I walked away from my father.” Naked, she walked from the bathroom and lay on the bed. “But you have to make me a promise. Okay?”

  “You name it, G.” I stood at the foot of the bed and admired the woman in front of me. I’d definitely dated up this time. She was clearly out of my league. On that, I would agree with her father.

  “You don’t fuck around on me like some in the club fuck around on their old ladies.” She spread her legs and moved her hands behind her head. “If you get tired of me, say so. Don’t keep me hanging on.”

  “G. You have my word on that.”

  “Now, remove your clothes and make love to me.”

  We made love, and when G finally fell asleep, I got up and sat by the window, watching the Memphis lights below. I brought up a browser on my phone and searched for the house. That’s what the family called it—The House.

  I looked to make sure my uncle still owned the place, and he did. He was an eccentric man who had decorated the home with antiques and cobwebs and ensured the place remained medieval. He claimed he would never move and planned to die in the residence. When he did die, The House would go to me. I wasn’t sure I wanted something so grotesque, dark, and foreboding.

  Regardless of what I wanted, I knew the structure was calling my name, calling me home. I turned and admired the sleeping G. The woman to help me understand and make it all okay.

  I pulled up a picture of Uncle Ramus. Even to this day, he wore clothing from the 1800s. His mustache stretched far and wide, and his right hand rested on his lapel. Like me, he stood large and intimidating. Unlike me, I don’t believe he ever left The House, much less Boston.

  I crawled back into bed with G and lay on my side, my dick resting against her ass. She moaned and reached back, placing her hand on my hip. I moved my arm over her and faded into sleep, knowing tomorrow would be a better day.

  6

  Trixie

  I lay in bed, reviewing the folders of each Brothers of Chaos member. Although Watcher had hooked up with that Wendy bitch, I felt like he was the easiest target. The freakier a woman was, the weaker he became. I actually enjoyed that about him. I believed I could get him to talk under the right circumstances.

  “They find out you’re camping out in a hotel, and your ass is grass.” Tom Washington, my boss, said as he left the bathroom, towel around his waist, hair still wet. He climbed into the bed and leaned against the headboard. “I think you’re in too fucking deep and need to consider recusing yourself.”

  “I know what I’m doing, Tom. None of them suspect a thing.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not sure I like you fucking those assholes.” He tossed the towel on the floor, and I dropped the folders on the floor. “But you’re okay with you fucking me?”

  “How much longer, Kelly?” he asked.

  I straddled my boss and felt his dick push inside me. “That was quick.” I moved back and forth while I talked. “I’m pretty close. I think this Watcher character is weak. He’ll talk without knowing he’s talking.”

  Tom raised his hips. “You think he’s the one?”

  I shrugged and moved a little faster. “I don’t know, but I think he probably does.”

  “What if you find out it wasn’t the club at all?” Tom put his hands on my hips and pressed me against him. “You may be wasting your time.”

  “I’m not backing out, Tom.” I put my feet flat on the bed, sitting on his cock as he thrust. I looked between us, watching his shiny dick move in and out. It was nowhere near the size of Watcher’s. At that moment, I realized something about myself. I was getting attached to the club, losing sight of what happened to Kristen.

  “Kelly,” Tom said. “You in there?”

  “Are you?” I smiled. Tom tried to kiss me, but I turned away. I’d learned that trick from prostitutes. If you didn’t kiss the guy, you didn’t get attached. I didn’t want Tom attached.

  Tom came, and I didn’t. That was par for the course with Tom. He dressed and returned to Little Rock, warning me again against getting too close to the club. I lied and assured him I wouldn’t.

  I waited an hour after Tom left, dressed, and headed to the club.

  “You’re out late,” Watcher said when I entered the club. He sat at the bar alone, nursing a beer and snacking on peanuts. His Glock lay atop the counter.

  “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I would see who was awake.” I grabbed a beer and stood behind the counter. “Want some company?”

  “Depends on what the company has in mind.” Watcher finished his beer and stood.

  “Do you ever sit and talk to a woman, or do you go straight for her pussy?” I leaned on the counter, and he glanced down my Rolling Stones tee. “Well, there’s my answer.”

  “You always walk around with no bra on?” He sat again, and I knew I had him in my grasp. “What do you want to talk about? I’m not much of a sports guy. Fucking hate golf. Women are my hobby. There ya go. Now what?”

  “Guess when you don’t have charm, you don’t have to worry about losing it.” I moved around the counter and took a stool next to him. “Where are you from? Let me guess. Wisconsin?”

  Watcher laughed and went behind the counter for another beer. Tom wondered what the attraction was to these types of men. Initially, I had none. But hang around them long enough, and the blue jeans, chains, kutte, long hair, and ink grow on you. Throw in the muscles and the good looks, and you can’t get away.

  “Canada originally. But from all around.” He opened the beer and tossed the cap in the trash. He leaned on the counter with one elbow and stared. “What else you wanna know?”

  “Have you been married? Do you have kids?”

  “Fuck. You gonna ask me if I like long walks on the beach?” He laughed and drank half his beer before putting the bottle down. “I’m a Gemini, before you ask.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.” I swallowed hard, knowing I was pressing a little too hard.

  “Okay,” he said. “I’ve been married five times. Never see any of them. Far as I know, I have eight kids and never see them either.”

  “Why not?” Pressing too much again.

  Watcher chuckled. “Seriously? I’m a fucking biker.” He showed his arms. “Full of ink. I have a warrant on my ass from Canada and broke as shit. You think they want anything to do with me? Shit just happens, you know. I can’t change what I fucked up.”

  He was becoming a well of information. Another beer, and he’d name every woman he ever fucked.

  “No local woman taken your interest?”

  “There’s been a few.”

  “What happened?”

  “Same shit, different day. They can’t handle me or the lifestyle I live.”

  Interesting. “You mean the biker lifestyle. I thought that’s what women wanted.”

  “They do,” he said and finished his beer. “I’m talking about another lifestyle.”

  There we go. Keep talking, big boy. I moved around the counter and took his hand. “I’m getting sleepy. Why don’t we talk more in your room.”

  I led Watcher down the hall, him stumbling, me barely able to keep him upright. I opened the door, happy not to find Wendy waiting. However, the next time she decided to take a swing, I’d make sure she missed and got a bloody nose of her own—no more surprises.

  I sat Watcher on the bed and removed his boots. He had no problem removing his pants. I lifted his shirt over his head, and he flopped back on the pillow. I was losing him to sleep.

  “Tell me about some of these local women. Who is my competition?” It sounded like a cheap bar pickup line, but whatever works. I undressed and crawled beside him, resting my chin on his chest. He reached around and laid his hand on my bare ass.

  “There was Diana,” he said. “Biggest girl I ever fucked. But that big pussy was delicious. Damn, she rode me hard.”

  I didn’t want to hear any more about Diana. “Anyone else?”

  “Yeah. There was this one girl. Name was Kristen.” His eyes closed, and I tapped him on the chin.

  “What about her, Watcher? Stay with me.”

  “Slash and I were hanging out at a bar in Little Rock when this nice piece walks in. She was fucking gorgeous. Blonde, blue eyes, a rocking body.”

  “She have a tattoo?” I asked, making a stupid mistake.

  Watcher opened his eyes wide and pressed his chin to his chest, staring. For a moment, I thought I was fucked. “Doesn’t every fucking woman have a tat?”

  I nodded. “What did you do with her? Did you bring her back here to the club?”

  “We did, but not before having a little fun.” He laughed a drunkard’s laugh. “I gotta go take a piss.” I moved back and watched him walk to the bathroom. Unfortunately, he left the door open. When he returned, he stood next to the bed. “Why’re you so interested in who I’ve been with?”

  “Because I wanna know what you like and what you don’t like,“ I lied. “So, you and Slash both did her.”

  “We weren’t going to at first. Slash wasn’t into shit like that. He said I could have her, and he’d take her another day. But she wasn’t having it. She said she wanted us both. Said she’d done two guys before. Said it was a fetish or some shit. So, we obliged.”

  I didn’t want to hear about Kristen’s fetishes, but I knew I had to stomach the story to get the needed information.

  “Where’d you do it at?”

  Watcher lay back on the bed with a smile. “We started out in the bathroom, but the place was too damned small. We were far from home and hadn’t planned to stay the night. She took us back to her apartment. Watcher’s smile grew wider. “Bitch had chains, whips, and some other shit we’d never seen before.”

  I was getting more information about Kristen than I knew myself. “So you had fun at her apartment?”

  “For hours, we did. Every time Slash and I got ready to leave, the woman came up with something new. Brought out a new toy or device or came up with some scenario she wanted to play out. Being held captive was her favorite.”

  I wanted to ask if she was alive when they left. “What happened after you finished playing? Did you and Slash come back to the club?”

  Watcher nodded and turned away. I was losing him again. “We told her we were headed back to Pine Bluff. She asked if she could follow and spend the night in town. She wanted to see the club. It was early morning when we got to the Holiday Inn, so she checked in, and we didn’t see her until the next day.”

  I had to scoot back to keep from hitting the man. Tears were beginning to taint the corners of my eyes. I needed to get my shit under control. “So, she came to the club to see you guys?”

  Watcher nodded. “Can we finish tomorrow?”

  “No,” I said too quickly. When he turned, I grabbed his dick. “We still need to start the party. Your story’s kinda turning me on.”

  Watcher suddenly found his second wind, eyes gleaming, smile growing like a man who wanted to revel in his past. “We sent a Prospect to get her.”

  “Which Prospect?”

  “Diesel,” he said, rolling over on me and ending the conversation.

  7

  Gigi

  I finished showering and left the hotel at six before Diesel had a chance to wake up. I’d seen a Starbucks down the block before we checked in.

  Charles had never said anything close to what Diesel I had told me last night. When a man spoke poetically, he was hard not to fall in love with. I needed to stay guarded with my heart and emotions until we figured out what was bothering him and make sure I knew for certain what I wanted out of life. I’d always been the type that when life punched, I punched back.

  I ordered two coffees, and as I waited, I noticed a car across the street I’d seen before at the club. Outside, I sat the cups on a bench and took a picture of the empty vehicle. After hanging around long enough for the coffee to cool, I returned to the hotel and found Diesel in the shower.

  “Is that for breakfast?” I asked, staring at Diesel’s dick through the glass door.

  “After I have coffee.”

  I waited in the other room. The car looked so damn familiar. I couldn’t remember any members driving a car to the club, so it had to belong to an old lady. It didn’t look like the type of vehicle the club modded. I showed the image to Diesel when he left the bathroom naked. He enjoyed teasing me. “Does this car look familiar?”

  He took my phone and stared at the picture. “No. Should it?” The phone chimed, and he said, “Message from Skittles. It says, ‘Hey Bitch.’”

  “Only she can call me that, Diesel.” He handed me the phone. “By the way. Two words will make me walk if called: bitch and cunt.”

  “Duly noted.”

  I replied to Skittles and sent her the picture. She didn’t remember the car. She asked how we were doing and if I wanted her to join us. I told her no, not for now, but I would keep her posted. I still thought I’d seen the car at the club.

  We left after breakfast and after watching the news about the convenience store. The store clerk had survived the shooting and told the police that a biker and his old lady had saved the day. There was no comment on the condition of the two men who tried to rob the store. The clerk claimed the security cameras had been on the glitch, and there was nothing to show who the heroes were.

  Diesel pulled to a stop at the light near Starbucks. The car was gone.

  We arrived in Lexington, Kentucky, a little after three in the afternoon, and decided to stay near a horse park. Once we were checked in at the hotel, Diesel suggested we go horseback riding, which I absolutely loved.

  “We should be there by five tomorrow,” Diesel said. He kissed me before helping me on a horse at the horse park. I watched him climb on his horse and smiled.

  “My uncle had horses when I was growing up. He taught me how to ride.”

  We started down a path through some trees, and when I looked back, where I could see the parking lot, I saw the same car I’d seen in Memphis. It pulled from the parking lot before I could say anything to Diesel.

  I considered that maybe I’d not seen the car at the club and maybe my father was having me followed.

  “You okay?” Diesel asked.

  “I’m out riding a horse next to you. I’m definitely okay.”