“Ride easy,” a few holler in return, and I’m out the door before I allow myself another glimpse at Hollywood and her enticing mouth.
“Leaving already?” A feminine purr interrupts my trek, making the hair on the back of my neck prickle. Her voice makes my skin feel alive, but peppered with awareness.
I find her propped up against the building, off to the side. “Shouldn’t you be working? You just got here.”
She shrugs, the movement bouncing her perfectly perky tits, garnering more of my attention. Not that she needs it, nor do I. I’ve already noticed far too much of her than what’s good for me. “I do what I want when we’re not busy. Not that it’s any of your business.”
My face warms with her touch of attitude. I’m not used to it from the Oath Keeper women... they’re sweet as pie to me, as is anyone else who recognizes me. “You’ve got a sassy-ass mouth,” I point out with a growl. I leave out the fact that I enjoy it so much, it turns me on.
I stop about a foot away, aching to crowd her space but not wanting to frighten her. I’m well over six feet, probably a foot and a half taller than her and built like a tank due to my previous career and the years of conditioning it took. Any woman would fear a man with my bulk not knowing my character. It’s an unfair stereotype, but I get it and try to be compassionate over it.
However, it appears Hollywood’s unshakable, and my respect for her grows. She stands before me, leisurely glancing between her clean, blunt nails and me. They’re clear with a shiny topcoat. She wants people to think she doesn’t give a fuck, but I see through her façade. She cares a little too much what others think, but she’s learned to hide it well. In my career, I had to learn to let that facet go. It was a struggle, but eventually, the people-pleaser in me diminished. In its wake, Chaos was left. I thrive on the shit now.
“I like my sassy mouth,” she remarks.
A wolfish grin takes over as I admit, “So do I.”
She’s expecting me to be overbearing like any other cocky biker she comes across. Leaning forward, I place one hand beside her head, boxing her in a bit but not too much that she can’t escape if she desires. My free hand moves to her chin, my fingers tilting her face up until she meets my direct gaze, then I rasp, “Don’t you worry, Hollywood. I’ll be back, that much I can promise.” I trail the pad of my thumb across her plump, glossy lower lip, then pull away.
As swiftly as I got to her, I’m gone.
Straddling my bike, I crank the engine, the thundering from my pipes drowning out the loud thumping beat of my heart. Without a backward glance, I ride toward home. I have to leave Hollywood hungry for me because I damn sure want her thinking of me while I’m gone. Lord knows the cheeky pixie will be on my mind until we meet again.
Chapter 2
“I need you to take care of something,” my prez, Viking, mentions as soon as he notices me striding through the clubhouse. He gestures me off to the side out of the prospects’ earshot. We were Nomads together before he settled down and made this place another chapter of the Oath Keepers MC. We’re not far from the original’s clubhouse, and Viking has grown close to the other prez, Ares. It all works well in our favor, always having someone nearby to have our backs. When we were straight Nomads, we had to handle our shit as well as back up the charters whenever they’d call for help. The freedom was great being a Nomad, but as I’ve grown older, I enjoy having a clubhouse to come home to when I want.
“Yeah?”
He informs me in his customary no-bullshit tone, “Zeus is swinging through. He’s gonna take you to meet up with the Nomads.”
My brow crinkles, wondering where this is coming from. “A run came in that wasn’t mentioned in church?” I question. We have church every Wednesday, like clockwork, and that’s where business is discussed unless it’s an emergency. He’s caught me off guard, bringing this up right now. It’s unusual to have business that doesn’t get discussed with the brothers together.
“Nah, I got word from the RBMCs that a shipment’s coming through our territory.”
Now I’m really fucking confused. There’s no way Ripper would pull this sort of shit without clearing it with the Oath Keepers first. “I just stopped through their club on my last ride. Ripper never mentioned anything to me. Something going on that I don’t know about?”
He nods. “Ripper called me not too long ago, wanting a patch over. I’m waiting for a sit down with Ares before bringing it to a vote.”
“No kidding?”
His head tilts in confirmation. “This isn’t Ripper’s chapter coming through our territory, but another’s. They aren’t only creeping through here but also near his club as well, bringing the heat on them if their patch gets popped so close to home. I guess it’s been going on for a while, and he’s fucking sick of the lack of loyalty, as am I. This is some good-faith intel to use in his favor for when we vote.”
“Jesus. It must be getting bad if he’s willing to risk the wrath of the other chapters with a patch over. The RBMC hellhounds will be on the hunt if they catch wind of this, I don’t doubt it for a second.”
“He’s not pleased with a few of the main officers, I guess and is ready for a change. He suspects a war may brew on his brothers if they do patch over, so he’s in limbo while me and Ares talk, then collectively bring it to our tables. Best case scenario, we figure out a plan that works in favor of us all. I’m not keen on bringing blood to our doorstep after the shit with the Iron Fists and the cartel. We take one step toward safety and peace for our families, then another two backward.”
I shake my head. “Christ. I’m glad I’m an Oath Keeper. And Zeus? He’s done being on his own up north? I haven’t seen the brother in forever... thought he was gonna freeze up there eventually.”
“Yep. Been years since we all rode with that motherfucker. It’s about time he comes back. If not here, then at least to the Nomads. He was holed up in that cabin, dealing with his demons, but the brother needs to be around family.”
“I couldn’t agree more. He’s been alone for too long.” I know exactly how that is. It was a rough couple of years for me before I linked up with the Nomads and left my solitude. “So, I’m meeting up with the brothers to do what exactly? Offer another body to help intercept this run or pull damage control?”
“They’re going to stop the transport, that much I’m fucking certain of. Motherfuckers not hauling through Oath Keeper territory without a vote from our club.”
I bob my head, agreeing. Any type of push we’ve gotten from other clubs in our territory has been met with a swift hand. We don’t play around when it comes to serious drugs in our territory.
“I need you to grab Scot’s truck and be ready to load it up with whatever is in the back of that semi coming through. If it’s drugs, I want them all. If it’s other products, I want at least half. The charter pulling this bullshit will feel a serious hit from the interception, one way or another.”
“I can make that happen,” I reassure, used to us dipping our toes in dangerous waters by now. One thing I learned early on with the Oath Keepers is to always expect the unexpected. The club is so diverse in what they’ll support and who they’ll help out. We often find ourselves in questionable predicaments. “Anybody else coming along for the ride?”