Biker Born: The Lost Souls MC Series (The Lost Souls Series Book 4) (5 page)

“I’m telling you Ray, be careful around him. He looks dangerous, didn’t you see the way he was holding his fists when Hank was chewing his ear?”

“You’re being dramatic Flo, he’s been nothing but kind to me.”

“It’s not just that, Micky’s told me things about him and he isn’t kind to everyone, by the sounds of it, he’s only nice to you.”

“And you, I didn’t see him trying to hurt you earlier.”

Don’t listen to her, please don’t, I pray.

“Just watch yourself around him, please,” she’s almost begging her.

“I will if you promise not to go off and get married,” Rayna replies.

“Huh? What are you going on about?”

“Nothing, I’m just messing with you.”  

I make a point of being noticed when I come out of the shadows and they both jump. Rayna making herself busy wiping the counter down and Flo fussing with the pile of napkins.

I throw down my money on the counter Rayna has yet to wipe and grab the food.

“So I’ll see you both Friday night?” I say.

“Sure, we’ll be there, won’t we Flo” Rayna smiles, “Wouldn’t miss it.”

Flo’s smile is friendly enough but I know what she is hiding behind it.

As soon as I’m outside and the food is loaded into my side bags securely, I let the anger seethe. What exactly has Micky been filling Flo’s head with? One thing’s for sure, I’ll be finding out as soon as I get back.

I made it back to the house in under a half hour thanks to the anger fuelling my journey and the need to know exactly what Micky has being saying. I managed to convince myself that I would ask questions first this time before using my fists. Also, with Mark around I wouldn’t be able to use my fists for long without him jumping in to save the fucking day as usual.

They were waiting for me and the food in the kitchen of the main house when I arrived and the ask-questions-first left my plan as soon as I saw Micky sitting at the table laughing at something Mark said. It’s alright for him, he already has Flo sucking his cock and laying in his bed. Why is he trying to ruin my chances with Rayna, it’s hard enough that Mark is into her too.

I throw the food bags on the table and before I can stop myself and anyone sees it coming, I slam my fist into Micky’s jaw.

“What are you fuckin’ doin’?” Oak roars, jumping to his feet.

I can’t stop, the force from the punch knocked Micky half off his chair and before he could right himself, I laid into him again.

“What have you been saying to your little piece of ass about me?” I yell in his face.

His confusion quickly becomes a look of guilt and he pushes away from my hold on his shirt.

“Michael, what’s happened?”

Mark is calm and collected, standing close but not laying a hand to pull me away.

“I want to know what he’s been saying, apparently he prefers to use his mouth for talking in the bedroom and not going down on his chick.”

Micky swings his fist aiming for my chin but I see it coming and duck just in time, leaving his ribs open. Using this advantage I bring my knee up and smash it into his ribs.

“Enough, Mark, get him out of here.” Oak demands.

“Tell me what you said,” I say, making my own demand.

“Nothing really, I’ve told her about you all in bits. I told her how you’re always getting into scrapes, she must have overreacted in her thinking.”

It dawns on me that this situation is exactly the kind of thing he would tell her about and once again I haven’t made myself look any different.

Micky moves across the room holding his ribs and Mark steps in front of me.

“Take a walk with me, brother.”

He doesn’t give me a chance to object and pushes me out the back door.

“And the next time you talk about my girl, I won’t miss,” Micky yells, once I’m safely away from him. Pussy.

“Explain what happened while you were out collecting the food.”

I told him about overhearing Flo talk about me and that she was only going by what she had been told by Micky. He stood quietly letting me talk until I was finished.

“Do you really care what Flo thinks about you?” he asks.

“I couldn’t give a shit what that little bitch thinks about anything. It’s who she talks her shit to that I care about.” I admit.

He closes his eyes briefly and sighs heavily.

“Rayna. You’re angry because you don’t want her to think badly of you.”

“I know she deserves to be warned off after everything I’ve done but with her, I want to be better. I think she will make me better.”

Here it is, the moment between us where I tell him exactly what I want.

“Michael…”

I cut him off, I don’t want him preaching to me today.

“Don’t Michael me, I’ve liked her since the moment I saw her and don’t deny that. I know she likes you and you her but until you make it known that she’s yours, I won’t class her as off limits. I think she likes me too otherwise she wouldn’t have laughed off Flo’s warning.”

“Why get angry at Micky if she didn’t take her warning seriously?” he asks.

“Because he should know not to talk about our business to anyone he’s got in his bed.”

He takes his time to speak next and steps closer and holds my shoulders tightly.

“You’re my brother and I won’t lose you over a girl or a friend. We will always be brothers by blood and by choice, but you have got to pull yourself together. You can’t carry on lashing out for any old reason. Just think first and as for Rayna, I won’t go against you for her but I do like her and I won’t feel guilty if we make it official, I hope the same can be said for you?”

I hold his eye contact for longer the normal and nod.

“I won’t go against you either but I’ll be trying my damn hardest to win her.”

“So will I.” he promises, and walks off back into the house.

The saner side of me wants to step back and hope Mark gets his girl, not seeing him this determined in an very long time over a chick now has me thinking he is serious about her. The more dominant and selfish side, the side I’m used to being thinks fuck him, I want her too.

Mark

The day Michael lost it with Micky is the day I saw Michael begin to change. He became more grounded. More interested in others around him, especially taking an interest in throwing another party. After the blow between them settled down and we could all sit in the kitchen without anticipating Michael lunging for Micky again. The subject was brought up and thrashed out until he got Oak to agree again.

It has been three weeks since I have seen these changes and it gives me hope that I won’t have to visit my brother in jail or even worse, at the cemetery.

During the week he joins Micky on the food runs, they don’t speak on these runs and the only reason I can think of for Michael to take the extra mile is Rayna.

So far, Rayna and I only see each other on the weekends. From the moment she drives here on a Friday night till the moment she drives back into Willows Peak on a Monday morning, she is in my arms and in my bed. I can count on one hand the amount of times she left my side and even then she was still in my sight.

I’m aware that Michael is pursuing her, and he takes advantage of this during the week in my absence when he visits the diner.

In one way, it gives us a fair shot but in reality I want to know if anything happens between us, it’s because she one hundred per cent wants me and no one else.

I watch every time she’s near him. I see Michael turning on his charm but with her, she is nothing but kind and sweet to him. There aren’t any flirting smiles or sly touches as they talk. I know I’m not fooling myself, hoping to see something that isn’t there because Oak keeps ramming it into my mind that she only looks at me that way.

“We’ve made more cash this weekend than all the others, word’s getting around and they’re flocking like flies round shit.” Oak says, flipping through a wad of cash snapping me away from my thoughts.

It’s Saturday night and the place is alive with music and swaying bodies of people we have never met before. People who we don’t give a shit about apart from taking their money at the gate and making sure they cause any trouble.

“I told you man,” Micky grins smugly. He then turns serious and leans in closer towards us. “But this is just a weekend thing, we could make much more than this during the week.”

“Doing what?” Michael asks making me smile.

It doesn’t matter what has happened between them. When it comes to making cash, nothing gets in their way.

Micky smiles mischievously and raises his eyebrows.

“Well boys, while you two were off playing soldiers and you Michael were barely getting acquainted with your dick, I was busy taking one-off jobs that pay very well.”

He has our full attention now, especially Michael’s.

“It’s not exactly legit and they can vary, sometimes I just drop off packages or collect them and then other times he wants me to put the frighteners on people who owe him money.”

Michael’s face lights up at the prospect of earning cash fast and without the boundaries of having an employer breathing down his neck.

He is right, we have thrown a party every weekend for over a month now and we are making enough cash to cover the fix up and to fill our pockets.

“I’m in,”

I look to see Michael pledging his loyalty even though he and Micky have barely spoken in the last few weeks.

“How often do you get a call?” he asks, obviously forgetting he hasn’t been speaking to Micky all that much lately.

Micky also forgetting that Michael landed him on his ass.

“Depends, I usually work on my own so I normally get a call every now and then unless I ask for more. With you guys bringing extra muscle, we could get as much work as we want.”

“You need to set this up Mick, I’m fuckin’ loving having this much money in my pocket and I don’t want it running dry.” Michael laughs, rubbing his hands together.

“I agree,” Oak chimes in.

They all look to me waiting for my answer and I can’t help but smile. I have tried following the path that society deems satisfactory, work an honest job and earn honest cash but after all these months of being knocked back, I’ve had enough.

“I’m in too.”

Before Michael can delve into a deep interrogation of Micky, small slender arms wrap around Micky’s waist from behind and Micky loses temporary interest in making future plans.

“Hey baby, where have you been? I’ve missed you,” he coos as Flo slips around to his front and places a soft kiss against his throat.

“Oh please, we were only gone for ten minutes,” Rayna teases, coming to sit next to me.

I sling my arm around her and pull her in close. I briefly catch Michael’s disgust before he quickly covers it with his usual cocky demeanour.

“Ten minutes too fuckin’ long,” Micky grumbles, in between covering Flo’s neck and bare shoulder with his lips.

If you ever needed an image of hot, passionate, love at first sight then these two would be perfect candidates. Together they are all over each other and apart they are draining to be around with their fucking pining for one another.

I have a hot passion for Rayna but where Micky likes to show his affection to anyone who cares to look, I like to keep my business private. Not everything has to be aired in public.

“I can’t put up with them much longer,” Oak mutters, disappearing to get another beer.

“I’ve already had enough,” Michael says, getting to his feet, “He’ll be putting on a show and fucking her right here before the night is over.”

“You’re just jealous cause he’s got a girl,” Rayna laughs, mildly mocking him.

“It’s not him I’m jealous of,” he drains the rest of his beer and throws the empty bottle onto the fire, “I know my brother won’t ask you so I will, would you like to find some decent music around here and dance with me?”

I try to remain relaxed but the thought of Michael’s hands on her has my muscles coiled tight and ready to spring like a rattlesnake.

“Sure,” she smiles, “I’ll be right back.”

The muscles in my arms begin to spring loose when she kisses me on the lips and longer than necessary in front of him. Hopefully it is her way of showing him it is me she wants and she is only his friend. Whatever it is, I feel a lot better as she walks off with him.

“Are you sure about that?”

I turn to find Oak nodding towards Rayna and Michael walking away. The loved up couple, still attacking each other with kisses, don’t notice he is back but then again, I don’t think they noticed he left.

Choosing to ignore them I focus on Oak.

“She isn’t mine, I can’t tell her what to do,” I say, even though when it comes to her that is exactly what I want to do.

“It’s your fuckin’ bed she’s been sleepin’ in these last few weeks, seems like she’s yours in my eyes.”

Sometimes I wish it were that easy. Neither of us have said anything about becoming exclusive, she doesn’t strike me as the type to sleep around with guys who roll into town but then she hasn’t made it clear what she wants either.

Fuck. This is what I hate, wanting something and not knowing whether you can have it. I told Michael we would see who she likes and then step away if it wasn’t me. The more time I spend with her in and out of the bedroom, the harder it is going to be to step back if she ends up with my brother.   

The only thing keeping me on edge is the fact it has been my bed she’s in and not Michael’s. As far as I am aware she hasn’t even kissed him. You don’t have to know her well to know she cares for people easily, could she just care for Michael as a friend and going off for a dance with him is nothing but two friends simply having fun? I guess time will tell.

“If you like her as much as I think you do, tell her Mark, otherwise your little cock-sure brother will jump on her and knowing his track record with the ladies, he will love her and leave her.”

Leaning forward and bracing my elbows on my knees, I search them out in the crowd. I have never seen my brother dance before and the way he is moving like he is being electrocuted I don’t want to see it again. I watch the way they connect closely and each time he gets closer to her, she backs off slightly all the while keeping her radiant smile on her face and her musical laughter filling the air. I’m not fooling myself, she isn’t interested in him.

“She doesn’t want him like that, she wants you. I’ve seen them at the diner too, he stares at her like a love sick pup but she don’t look at him like that.”

“Hey man, you got trouble at the gate, you gotta come quick.”

Oak and I are both on our feet before the kid can finish panting from where he ran to find us. We follow him back to the main gate onto the property and he was right.

There must be fifteen to twenty bikers dressed in full leather and wearing their club colours in full glory lined in a row on their bikes. Motorcycle clubs aren’t unheard of, in fact there are probably more MC’s then there is any other clubs of any sort.

This isn’t good, but it isn’t to say they will cause trouble for us without us fighting back.

One of them swings his leg over his bike getting off and slowly takes his gloves off.  

Oak stands shoulder to shoulder with me with every other fucker scattering behind us. It is clear to both sides who is going to be doing the talking here.

The guy who got off his bike approaches us completely in control with his guys readying their hands on their pieces ready to shoot if we make the wrong move.

“Can we help you?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

It doesn’t faze me who I stand against, my blood pumps giving the same rush I used to find in the marines.

“I don’t need help,” the guy says, assessing both Oak and I from our boots to our heads.

He flicks his eyes over to the house and stares at our bikes parked at the side.

“Are they yours?” he asks.

“Yeah, what of it?” Oak asks.

“I’ve been hearing things lately and I have to say if it’s true, I don’t fuckin’ like it.”

He is still confidently calm standing before us.

“Why don’t you tell us what you’ve heard and we’ll tell you if it’s true.” I say, not giving a shit if he likes the truth or not.

“Some of my guys have noticed more bikes than usual riding in and out of town, then all this activity every weekend. I assumed we had a rival club joining the ranks but from the looks of you,” his eyes roam our clothes again, “I got it wrong.” he laughs.

His laugh is nasty and vindictive, he only looks around my age of twenty-six but he looks like he has had a hard life. His long hair is pulled back in a band and looks ratty, and his beard looks like it hasn’t had a trim in months and his jeans look like their hanging on by a thread with all the rips in them.

“Who are you? And what do you want now that you know we’re not a club?” I ask, beginning to lose my patience.

“Names’ Hunter Carson and I’m the fuckin’ President of the Raging Riders motorcycle club. As for what I want, it depends on what you have and what the deal is you got going on here.”

No way. There is no way he is turning up here and meddling into what have. I know people like this, hustling their way in and then before you know it, you’re handing over every dime you earn and left with nothing just to save yourself from a beat down from not paying them.

As I step forward his men twitch assessing if I’m a danger to their President.

“This is our business, it doesn’t matter what we’ve got going on here it has nothing to do with you or your club.” I tell him.

Hunter steps forward and gets right in my face, “I’ll be the judge of that, you want to be sure you understand who you’re fuckin’ talkin’ to you piece of shit.”

I feel Oak’s hand clamp round my bicep, pulling me back beside him.

“All that’s goin’ on here is a party every weekend where people can drink and not worry about getting picked up by the cops,” Oak says, lightly.

Hunter doesn’t move his gaze from mine as he replies to Oak.

“As long as that’s all it is. I would hate for you to lose all this if you try to go against me.”

Laughter I would recognize anyway drifts our way and I pray Michael will see potential trouble and take her somewhere else, somewhere safe.

“What’s going on, brother?” Michael asks, coming to stand next to me.

No such luck, I don’t know who I’m more pissed at, this cunt standing in front of me acting as if he owns us or the idiot beside me bringing Rayna into something that’s not safe at all. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out this isn’t your average, friendly conversation.

“Nothing’s going on, Mr Carson here and his men were just about to leave.” I tell him, without taking my eyes of Hunter.

“Remember what I said, don’t try to go against me, I don’t play around when it comes to my club.”

And I don’t play around when it comes to my family and friends.

Hunter retreats to his bike and one by one they leave, revving their bikes and spinning their wheels causing dust to billow everywhere.

Three shots are fired and I immediately push Rayna to the ground and cover her with my body.