Biker Born: The Lost Souls MC Series (The Lost Souls Series Book 4) (3 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

Mark

The days that pass have begun to roll into one. Each day begins the same, I stretch and get out of bed. I make and eat breakfast then chase it down with a coffee. I am always the first to wake and see the day begin. Oak is normally the second one down, and usually placing bets with me on who would be the one we had to pull out of  bed. Micky or Michael?

The work has been coming along well. The days have been long and by the time I roll into bed I’m left exhausted and it leaves me able to sleep through the night. Something I haven’t been able to do for a long time.

I feel good. I feel strong and clear headed. For the first time in a while I feel like waking up in the morning isn’t the worst thing I could do. Putting my mind to work on labour instead of constantly wondering how I’m going to make it through life is gratifying and just what I needed, I just didn’t know it. During the brief moments I allow myself to think beyond the old Johnson place and the work that still needs to be done, I think of Rayna, the waitress from the diner.

Every time I walk through the door, she’s always there, smiling and fresh. It isn’t that I haven’t seen a beautiful woman before, I have on many occasions and in many places. Yet their dazzling white smiles, curvy but slender bodies and round, firm asses have only caught and held my attention for so long. Rayna has managed to hold my attention while I’m at the diner and while I’m out here at the old Johnson place miles away from her. I tell myself that the next time I go into town I’ll ask her out. I’m not blind, I see the way she looks at me. It’s when she does look at me I lose my nerve and end up saying nothing apart from what I want to order. I see the want in her eyes for me to ask, then I see her shoulders slump when I don’t. For the love of God I don’t know why I can’t suck it up and ask her out? It isn’t like I haven’t asked women out before.

I have decided this weekend will either be my chance to have her or it’ll be time to move on and try not to think about the time in my life where I was fully fledged pussy.

Micky and Michael arrived back this afternoon having left a few days ago after Oak gave them the go ahead to arrange the party.

They both came back excited and buzzing, assuring us that they found more people who was up for private partying than they thought. I had my doubts before they left, while they were gone and right up to the point I saw the first set of headlights on a truck heading towards the Johnson place with guys standing on the back of a truck thumping on the roof letting us know they were coming. Within a few minutes more and more headlights kept coming over the hill.

They really did find a lot of people.

“Okay, so you and Micky cover the gate. If they don’t want to pay up then send them on their way. If you get any trouble just shout and we’ll come and help,” I tell Micky and Michael.

This was their idea so they can man the gate and take the cash.

Once the first truck paid and passed through the gates, it didn’t take long to point them all towards the back of the house where the large piece of empty land was and the cash kept rolling in.

“How many more do you think are coming?” Oak asks, when yet another car full of people drives around the corner.

“God knows, but the place isn’t even half full and we’re already making a killing,” I shout over the noise of engines.

I keep my eye out for Rayna as each car or truck pass us and it occurs to me that I don’t even know what car she drives or if she can even drive at all.

“You look anxious,” Oak points out, “Are you worried it’s gonna kick off tonight?” he asks.

“Nah man, I’m alright,” I smile, reassuringly.

“Or are you worried your baby brother will get your girl?”

I roll my eyes and ignore his jibe. It is possible that Oak near enough knows all about me and how I think and feel, but this time I don’t want him knowing how close his remark cut.

I can mostly ignore the thoughts I have regarding Michael taking an interest in Rayna because I know he isn’t interested in anyone but himself. He views women as detached fun and he likes too much of a variety. I imagine Rayna in all her beauty and can only guess how much fun Michael would have with her before someone else caught his eye and Rayna became another notch on his ever growing bed post.

Not that I know her too well, but I hope she’s the kind of woman I’ve built up in my head and she sees him for what he is, a womanizer.

I won’t go against my brother over a random woman, but the way he is and the way she makes me feel when I’m near her, I know for sure that I’ll do what’s necessary to make she doesn’t get hurt.

RAYNA

“Come on, Flo,” I yell, from our tiny lounge in our tiny two bedroom apartment. In the three days since her new fella Micky left town, all she has done is ransack her wardrobe for an outfit to wear. Apparently, this party is going on for the weekend so not only does she need a knockout outfit to wear for tonight, she needs one for tomorrow as well.

My bag has been packed for over an hour and is sitting by the door. An hour ago is when we should have been there and well over an hour ago is when we should have left.

Finally, Flo walks through from her room in an invisible cloud of hairspray and perfume. That Micky guy really doesn’t stand a chance. I’m just glad he seems to be as infatuated with her and she is him.

“What do you think?” she asks, twirling round in a full circle.

As usual her mini skirt is too short and barely covers her ass. Although, I do like the bright pink colour. Her generous sized breasts manage to fill the skimpy black boob tube and if her high heels got any higher, she would be touching the ceiling. Her recently permed, dark brown hair has been spruced to an inch of its life and her make-up is heavily but perfectly done.

“You look too good for that guy,” I tell her, earning myself a glittering smile.

Well, until she finally sees my outfit and then I feel the fashion sermon coming on.

Her disbelief is evident when she fails to shut her wide open mouth.

“You moan at me, but you’re not even ready,” she shrieks.

“Yes I am.”

I look down at myself and wonder what’s so wrong with what I’m wearing.

I’ve got my denim cut off shorts on and my newest tank top on with my favourite black lace up boots. I made an effort and put on some eyeliner and mascara. 

“How are you going to impress Marine man looking like that? Not that you haven’t got that natural beauty going on. Seriously Ray, if you want to get someone as good looking as him, he’s going to want you to make an effort,” she rambles on.

She may be my best friend and the only one who I trust and can make me laugh like no other but she has serious issues when it comes to men. Her views are thirty years out of date. She’ll be telling me next that she will want to chaperone my next date, if I ever have one.

“I love you and I wouldn’t change you for the world but you need to learn that not everyone wants to impress a guy with their looks.” I say, trying to usher her towards the door.

The sooner we’re out of here, the better.

“Unless it’s his brother you want. The way he drools over you I don’t think he has any standards so you’ll be fine.”

“Like I said, I love you but you’re crazy and the faster we move, the faster you’ll see Micky again.”

At the mention of his name, she’s out of the door and throwing her bag in the back of my Camaro. I throw my bag beside hers and slip into the driver’s seat.

“Ready?” I ask, turning the key in the ignition.

“Hell yeah,” she yells, turning the radio on and turning the dial until her favourite station comes on then turns the volume up high.

She’s wrong about who I want. Michael isn’t the one. Marine man as Flo calls him, is.

Ever since I crashed into him at the diner, he’s been on my mind and when he comes in I can’t help but take him all in. Everything about him screams masculinity. His hard, muscled arms were strong when I held onto them and when I felt them tense when he helped me stand straight. He had me losing my senses. Over the few times he came back, I could tell his whole body was pure muscle and from the buzz cut he wears, it doesn’t take a genius to work out he is, or was a marine. Michael is cute in his own way, but I don’t like when guys use more hair products than women. I like my guys to be all man and Mark definitely looks the part. Michael hasn’t hidden his desire for me, but it’s the quietness from his brother that has pulled me in.

“Oh my God, can you believe this?” Flo asks, seeing the same view I have.

There is an actual queue waiting to pile into the Johnson place. It moves quite quickly and before we know it we are next in line at the gate ourselves.

“Do we have to pay?” I ask.

“I should hope not, dating the guy throwing it should count for something,” she replies.

The truck in front of us drives on leaving us at the front. I don’t see Micky until I feel the back of the car bounce under his weight jumping in the back. I turn in my seat to see him wrapping his arms around Flo and leaning over her seat to kiss her.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t gonna show up,” he growls into her neck.

“Of course I was gonna show, it was Rayna here being difficult not wanting to dress properly that made us late.”

If she was anyone else speaking about me right now, I might have been shocked and insulted by her, but she isn’t and I know her well enough to know she means no real harm.

“I think you look rockin’,”

I look up to see Michael leaning over the car. I hadn’t seen him come up while my attention was on Flo and Micky.

“Thank you, Michael.”

I might be drawn to his brother, but I could still admire his smile. It screamed cockiness and self-assurance, yet I could see an innocence about him.

“I’ll show the girls where to go then I’ll come back,” Micky tells Michael.

He raises his eyebrow back knowing as soon as Micky has Flo out of this car, he isn’t going to leave her.

“Okay, Mick,” he snorts, then turns to me, “I’ll come find you when I finish up here,” he tells me.

“Sure, I’ll be around,” I smile, before driving through the gates and following Micky’s directions.

As soon as we were out of the car, Micky was lifting Flo into his arms and beginning to walk towards the house. I knew it, all that time choosing what to wear and it didn’t matter one bit. I was left alone to fend for myself. Following the sound of multiple different songs playing at the same time I made my way to the back of the house. I knew there was a lot of people turning up but I wasn’t expecting to see this many groups spotted around the place. Fire pits had been dug and flames licked the night air here there and everywhere. Everyone already enjoying themselves with their own music and space. It was like nothing I have ever seen before. It wasn’t just one big party, it was party next to party.

The night was still young but everyone was set up and enjoying themselves.

It also looked like everyone had brought their own drinks. I guess Flo forgot to pass that information on to me.

It was at this point that I began to feel anxious, looking back to the house I was tempted to drag Flo away from Micky and I would’ve done if it wasn’t for Michael heading towards me.

Dressed in classic light jeans and a black tee with his black riding boots, I could see how he wouldn’t have trouble with the girls, I wasn’t blind and the way he wore his dark, nearly black hair falling around the frame of his face was cool, it was way better than how Micky wore his slicked back and off his face, but still he had more product on it than Flo did.

“I’m glad you came,” he grins, as he gets closer.

“Me too.”

“How come you’re on your own? Where’s your friend from the diner?” he asks, beginning to frown.

“She’s with your friend, he took her straight in the house as soon as we got out of the car,” I tell him, and he lightens up again.

“They shouldn’t have left you alone,” he says, roughly.

“I’m okay and we haven’t been here that long anyway,” I say defending myself, “Why don’t you show me where I can get a drink?”

“Sure, follow me.”

Making our way through the crowds he leads me to where he and his friends keep their beers in ice buckets in one of the sheds near the house.

“Do you know all these people?” I ask.

“Some of them, but then they know the others and so on. We just got them to spread the word and they all showed up.”

He passes me a beer and doesn’t make a move to re-join the party.

“Are we not going back out there?” I ask, when he makes himself comfortable on one of the crates he pulls over from the corner.

“We will soon. I want to get to know you better, that’s if you don’t mind? Looks like we are staying in town for while so I think we should know each other better.”

His confidence makes me laugh and I join him and sit on the crate next to his.

“What do you want to know?”

“What’s your name?”

“You know my name, it’s Rayna.”