Did I need the war paint anymore?
It took me long moments before I decided to take baby steps. I put nowhere near the amount I’d put on normally, but my complexion was smooth. Compromise. Maybe one day I could move to a more natural look. That day wasn’t today.
Too many things going on. This would have to do.
I tossed on my black spandex jeans that had a few tears on the knees, white shirt, and headed out the door. “I’ve just gotta grab a few things,” I told Dry as I went to look for my purse and apron.
I turned abruptly and ran right into Dryerson. “What the…”
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. Thank you for letting me call you mine.”
Tears. Rolling down my face. But I griped, “You’re gonna ruin my mascara!”
He chuckled. I loved that sound. “Nah, that stuff won’t budge.”
I elbowed him playfully. “Come on, I can’t be late.”
Dryerson was taking me to work on the back of his bike, and I had to admit I was excited. Twice before he had taken me on rides, and I loved every second of it. The way the engine rumbled and vibrated was a euphoria all its own. Add in the wind blowing in your face, my arms wrapped tight around Dryerson, and there was nothing that came close to the feeling.
We walked through the corridor and out to the large grassy area. There were a few Ravage around, and each one of them did a chin jerk to Dry and a smile to me. Even the women.
Was I really part of this now? It sure felt like it.
Dryerson handed me my helmet, and I snapped it in place. He swung his leg over and steadied the bike for me as I climbed on behind him. My arms went around him tight as he started the engine, and we rode.
I closed my eyes, taking it all in.
Me. Little Sybil who was born into a family that became many. Who cooked, cleaned, and became a mother at the age of eight. Left that life. Was violated in the worst possible way only to come out on the other side, sitting on the back of Dryerson’s bike with him calling me his. And gaining a family I never thought I’d have, let alone imagine. He was right. Blood meant nothing when it came to family.
And I was choosing mine.
This was my life now, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
The ride was way too short. Dryerson stopped the bike and I climbed off, really not wanting to. “Another ride before work?” I asked him, joking. Okay, maybe not joking.
“Tonight. I’ll pick you up after shift, and we’ll go out.”
My eyes lit up. “Really?”
He pulled me into his side. “I’d do anything for you, Wild Kat. Any-fucking-thing.” Then he kissed me. Hard. Rough. Demanding. Right there at the front door of my work.
The old me would be so embarrassed. But the me in this moment, didn’t care at all.
He was the one to pull away, and I felt my body leaning into him to find his lips again. He chuckled. “You keep this shit up, I will throw ya on the back, and you won’t come out of the bedroom for a week.”
I paused, biting my lip. That really didn’t sound bad to me whatsoever.
This made him laugh harder. “Get in there. I’ll be here to get ya.” Only then did I move away.
“See ya.” The wide grin on my face couldn’t be helped as I walked in for my shift. It was going to be a great day because tonight after our ride I was going to tell him I loved him. Life seemed to always just happen, and I wanted him to know it.
Saying it out loud would make it real for us. I needed real.
25
DRYERSON
Two short. Two fucking guns short of finding out who the fuck was the ringleader of the guns being transported through our territory. Jett was dead. Valentino was dead. Including all their men. There had to be a puppet master pulling all the strings, and whoever it was, was a fucking ghost.
And Tommy … well, the air around him was getting very thin. He was pushing for the five guns, and it wasn’t sitting right with any of us. A deal was a deal, but no one said no to the Ravage MC.
“How the fuck do they get come on the ceiling? Who the fuck has a firehose?” Micah, also known as Batman, said with a mop in his hand. I’d been trying it around the club, and it seemed to be catching.
Looking up at the ceiling it was fucking gross as hell.
“They probably just threw that shit up there for us to clean.” I dipped my mop in the bucket and started scrubbing the ceiling. Always start with the ceiling when cleaning. Top to bottom. Any other way was flat out stupid.
The clubhouse bathrooms were always the worst of the worst. With all the shit happening around us, it had been a few days since they’d been tackled, and you could tell. They needed serious cleaning.
“Wouldn’t surprise me.”
The smell of bleach filled the air, and it was strong. We kept the door open for a bit of ventilation because of it. A strong disinfectant was an absolute must in this clubhouse.
Ceiling to walls to toilets, doors, sinks, mirrors and floors were being scrubbed and scoured.
“Heard any more about Tommy?” I asked Micah when we were finished up.
“I think somethin’s in the works, but I’m not in on it.”
That was one thing about being a prospect that sucked. Most of the time I loved that shit and ate it up, even cleaning the bathrooms. The not knowing things happening around me bothered the hell out of me.
The more information you knew, the more you could protect yourself and those you love. Being in the dark was part of being a prospect. For the most part, that included us. But certain things we’d find out after the fact.
This apparently was going to be one of those things.
After dumping the nasty water, putting our shit away and cleaning up, we headed into the clubhouse. Walking down the hall, Cruz’s office door flew open and crashed into the wall. He barreled out, saw us, and said, “Come.” He didn’t wait for us. He just kept on going.
Micah and I looked at each other, then were hot on his heels.
We entered the large area of the clubhouse where all the parties were held. Cruz yelled out, “Hole!” and every Ravage man jumped to his feet and began to follow. We probably looked like a mob. The seas parted as we began our track through the grass and out to the back of Banner Automotive.
Years ago, the hole was a small cavity underneath the earth’s surface that Ravage would take people who did them wrong. A few years back, Nox had to dig the place deeper and wider.
Now, it was a wide space big enough for all of Ravage. So just the ones that were here would fit fine.
We followed Cruz down the steps as he swung the metal door open.
Rhys was standing there, knife out cleaning underneath his nails. Deke was next to him, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Buzz was in the middle, standing next to a very pissed off Tommy.
Tommy, who was zip tied to a chair by his ankles, wrists, body and had a rag in his mouth. From the looks of it, a dirty one.
He angrily spat words but every single one was muffled.
Cruz marched up to him and pulled out the rag as all of us gathered around the room.
“You motherfuckers will pay for this shit!” Tommy spat out. “I’ll fuckin’ have all your heads for this shit.”
Seemed Tommy woke up on the wrong side of the bed.