Gator (6 page)

12

Gator watched Naughty handle the handgun Ginger had pulled out of her purse the day before.  She had wrapped an arm around Naughty’s shoulders and helped her clean herself up, then she had taken her out on the porch and had a talk about God knows what, but when she’d offered to help Naughty learn to shoot she had nodded in agreement.

Gator wanted to kiss the woman, but he was pretty sure Fox would cut his balls off so he sat and watched.

Naughty had done well for her first time and considering her bone deep fear of guns.  The gun Ginger had was smaller and easier for a woman to handle.

That was one hurdle that was being handled and since the women were busy for a while he could get a few answers from Fox.

Gator walked over and plopped down on the sofa beside Fox.  The old couch was like the man, both had seen better days.  The couch was threadbare and still dusty from years of sitting in an empty house and Fox’s hair was going white and he had grown quite a paunch that hung over his belt buckle.  His tattoos were black and plentiful, not that Gator had room to talk about that.  Fox’s eyes though, they were as sharp as always and he knew what was coming.

“Spent a long weekend with your girl a couple years back.  Sucked my dick a few times, rode it a few more than that.  Ate her pussy more than I ate food that weekend.”

He blew out a puff of smoke while Gator gritted his teeth.

“Great tits.”

He sucked on his cigarette again.

“So that’s it.  That’s why Ginger hates her.  Stupid since she told me to find some pussy that weekend, but there it is.  Women make no fucking sense to me.”

“Ginger told you to find pussy?”  Gator asked confused.

Fox shrugged.  “I had been spending some time at
Tease.
  Naughty was the type that got my dick hard and Gin was going through some shit with her hormones.  She didn’t want to fuck and got tired of me making passes when I got home so she told me to just go get some somewhere else with no hard feelings.  She said it wasn’t like I was hard for her anyway.  So I went straight to Naughty.  We kept it quiet and as far as I know she never told a soul.  I told Gin and I’m sure it made Naughty’s life a little worse, but I don’t lie to my woman.”

“Two years?”  Gator was having trouble getting his head around this.

“Don’t look at me like that.  You know good and well every other brother has hit that.  Law got to her every chance he got for a while there.  Hell Moose even lets her dance for him, he won’t cross the line, but she’d special.  Tommy was crazy over her, so was Choo-Choo.  She is part of the club.  She was Pick’s favorite fuck after he got out too.  She takes our shit and still makes us feel like men when we talk to her, but she’s honest.  If she likes you she’s real honest about it and that ain’t somethin’ most of us are used to.  She ain’t tryin’ for a patch either.”  He shrugged.  “I guess I needed that to myself for a few days.”

“Fuck Fox, you’re old enough to be her daddy.”

“Yeah and fuck you too.  I know she couldn’t have liked what went down, but she didn’t make me feel bad for it.  She laughed with me and made me feel like life was something worth livin’.  It wasn’t all about fuckin’ Gator.  She is a good soul.  She didn’t lie to me and tell me how sexy I am either, but she made damn sure she got as good as she gave and she gave plenty.  She’s too good for this life.”

“Yeah she is.  I appreciate what Gin is doing for her, can’t be easy for her, knowing...”

“Gin knows that we might not have made it if I hadn’t had that weekend.  Not naughty’s fault.  She didn’t have much choice really, but she made the best of it, as much as a young woman can make the best of an old man slobbering all over her and she didn’t rub it in Gin’s face and she could have.  She kept it quiet even when the other girls noticed Gin gave her shit.”

Gator wanted to hit him.  He wanted to hit him hard.

“Don’t fucking look at me that way.  I’m telling you so you’ll get your head out of your ass.  You can’t fight every man that’s hit that.  You have to start from right now and make damned sure nobody else does.  Patch her Gator.  She’s a damn fine woman and she deserves more than being your whore.”

“I asked her to marry me.”  Gator admitted.

“Well?”

“She told me to ask her again when my wife wasn’t standing right outside.”

“Smart girl.  She alright?  I know she has shit in her past.  Lost it over a gun worse than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“Working on it.  This is a huge step for her and I hated pressuring her into it, but she has to be able to protect herself.  I can’t babysit her all the time.”

“Hell yeah she does.  SHit coming down the pipeline says this might be an inside job.  Spec and Shad are working on it.  Looks like we got enemies at home.  Enemies we can’t name.”

“Other charters or within our own?”

“Other charters I think.  Word is this shit goes back to Phoenix.  Zip was out there for a while, may have started shit.  I heard Zoe is heading to Preach.”  He shook his head in disgust.

“Who’s that?”

“Zoe McCurdy.  Tank’s kid.  Tank and Preach were tight back in the day.   Tank founded the whole damn thing with me, Preach and Ace.  We were it back then.  Few more came in pretty quick like, but that was it.  Tank decided to head out and Make a charter in Phoenix, his old lady had family out there and there was a small club.  Patched them over and he took the gavel.  He stepped back and let Preach run the show after that.  Accident got him years ago.  If his kid is heading to Preach, shit must be bad out there.  No word on Tink though.”

“Shift.  We got a chapter here too.  Can we trust them?”

Fox shook his head.  “Hell if I know.  Damned dark day when brothers start turning on each other.”

Gator couldn’t believe it.  Who could any of them trust?  He heard Naughty shoot again and felt relieved.  She might need to know how and she might have to shoot someone she knew.  That shit would haunt her.

He looked at Fox again.

It would haunt them all.

“What the hell are we gonna do?”

Fox met his eyes and Gator saw sorrow there.  “Hell if I know brother, hell if I know.”

13

They had been at the house in the swamp for over a week.  Naughty was beyond tired of being cooped up and the mosquitos that were as big as sparrows.  It was a miracle she hadn’t been sucked dry already. 

She slapped at another one and then she felt him.  She could always feel when he was close, everything just seemed to be a little bit brighter, calmer.

“Morning my Naughty girl.  Are you feeling better?”  Gator asked as he stepped up behind her and wrapped her in his arms.

She had found it funny at first that he was only an inch taller than she was when she was in her bare feet.  She had always thought that she liked big men who made her feel protected and small, but feeling small wasn’t a good thing.  Gator made her feel strong and she felt safer in his arms than in any she had found.

Size didn’t matter after all, who knew?

“I feel mostly better.”  She said and it was true.  She hadn’t thrown up in almost twenty-four hours.

“Did you eat beb?”

“I had some toast and ice cream.”

She felt his chuckle against her neck.  “Dere’s milk in dat so I guess dat’s alright.”

She felt her lips curl.  She loved how he made everything ok.  He just did somehow.  Everything was ok when Gator was by her side.  He found a way that made it ok to be what she was and that wasn’t something she had seen very often in her line of work.

What would she do without him?

The thought sent chills racing over her skin.

“Quit dat love.  I’m not goin’ anywhere that you can’t go.  I’ll always come home to you.”  He kissed her neck and the top of her shoulder as he inhaled the scent of her skin.  That had been strange at first, but now she caught herself doing it too, almost as if she were pulling bits of him into her lungs to keep for always.

She tried to settle her racing heart, but something felt off. 

“Is everything alright?”

He hadn’t let her out of his sight since the day Sylvie stopped by for her visit, but Naughty didn’t think that was the reason.  It felt bigger.

“I don’ know Naughty girl.”  He sounded so sad.

And that was terrifying.  Gator was afraid and he was weighing his options.

“We may need to move a little further into the bayou love.  I know you hate it, but I’m going to get us real lost so nobody can even think about trying to hurt you.”

“We can’t just run away.  The club would put a price on your head.  Then that would double our problems.”

He turned her in his arms.

“I can lose us real good Naughty.  Don’ doubt me on dat, but dat’s no life for you or dat baby.  I’m not runnin’ from the club, but I’m not trustin’ anybody either.”

She searched his eyes.  “What do you mean?  Why can’t we trust the club?”

He took her face in his hands and leaned against her forehead.

“Civil war is coming to the club love.  I don’ know who to trust right now, but I won’t take a risk with you.”

“Civil war how?”

“Phoenix is behind this shit Naughty.  We don’ know why and I shouldn’t be tellin’ you any of it, but that’s who is hunting you.  Until we know which charters are with them then we are on our own.”

“Oh God, there’s one down here.”

He nodded.

“Why would they do that?”

“We don’ know dat yet.  Until we do, you shoot anybody that comes near you.”  He reached back and rubbed his neck.  “I need to know what went down Naughty girl.  I know you aren’t supposed to talk about it, but I think I need to know.”

“I don’t know who, but I found out that product was being traded out at the club.  Money being switched around.  Tips were better all-around when something was going on.  I think that’s how the money changed hands.   Some of the girls were getting a little side action too.  I don’t know all of it, but there was more than lap dances in the private rooms.  There was a lot of money being tossed around.  Trix was getting so much dick that she could barely stand up and that new girl… Willow, she was high as a kite most of the time.  Rena didn’t say much about it.”  She shrugged.  “Nobody paid attention when everyone was getting more.  I just looked out and gave a call to Spec when the money started flowing.  There was this one guy that I was supposed to meet with, treat right, but he wasn’t around often.  He gave me these flash drives or something like that and I passed them on to Spec.  I don’t know what was on them, I didn’t get in too deep.  There was one guy.  Lamb pulled him off me the night I collapsed.  He was too touchy.  Had no issue with copping a feel when he got the chance, but that’s most of them really.  He tried to pull me upstairs one night, but he wasn’t wearing a cut so I resisted.  Lawless stopped him and they exchanged words before he could get rough with me, but he wanted to.  They seemed to know each other.  Law just slapped my ass and told me to get back to work, but he watched me the rest of the night.  I can always feel it when Law is watching.  Like a chill over my skin.”  She shivered.  “He came back the next night and I had to dance for him.  He tried to get me to suck his dick and he got pissed when I told him that was against policy.”  She stopped and looked into Gator’s eyes and he saw apprehension there.

“What happened beb.  It’s alright.”  He ran his finger over her cheek.

“He hit me.  I had to hit the panic button.  He didn’t like that.  He…”

“What Naughty?”  Gator was fighting hard to keep his calm.  It wasn’t her fault, none of it, but it pissed him off that she had kept it from him.

“He touched me that night, just before I passed out, but I was already feeling strange.  He may have nothing to do with any of it.”

Gator nodded.

“Who do I trust Gator?”  Her heart was shuddering in her chest.

“Tell me who you think and I’ll tell you the same.  If they match up, we trust them until they prove us wrong.  Just me and you.  We decide for us.”

“Definitely not Baker.”  Naughty said of the President of the Phoenix chapter.

“No, not him.”

“SO do we know what the beef is?”

Gator shook his head.  “Above my pay grade love.  We have to make decisions with the information we have.  Nobody is saying a whole lot.”

“So nobody in Phoenix?”

Gator shrugged.  “Safe guess.  Not sure about dat, but until we know we stay safe.”

“Ok.  I trust Preach.  He’s a hard ass, but this was his baby.  He’s not going to cut me down after I helped either, I don’t think...or is this part of that?  Think he may want rid of me now?”

Gator nodded.  “My loyalty is with him and he knows where I stand with you.  He goes there, I’ll kill him.”

She swallowed hard.  She knew she was pale, but there wasn’t much she could do about it.  Maybe he would just think it was morning sickness, but in reality it was a bone deep fear that was swallowing her up.  “Ok.  Fox for sure…”  She looked up at him.  “I need to tell you…”

“No need.  I know.  It’s good love.  Past shit.”  He kissed the top of her shoulder.

Naughty cut her eyes to the house where Fox was sitting at the table with Ginger.  Ginger had pretty much said the same thing when they were shooting the other day.

“I trust Shadow.  I trust Jack and Rena.  I trust Viki.  I don’t know many old ladies well, but I guess we can assume that if we trust their man we trust them too?”

“For the most part I think that is safe.”  Gator nodded.  “I agree.  Jack, Shad, Preach.  Rena is a maybe for me right now.  Somebody drugged you love.”

“My money is on Mace for that.”  She shrugged.  “Just is.  She’s one mean hearted bitch.”

“Maybe so, but you said yourself she has been looking the other way lately, that needs to be considered.  Mace is certainly a bitch, but she has been loyal.  Not sure she has motive other than just being jealous of you though.  She wouldn’t risk losing her position, but who knows.  You being drugged may have nothing to do with the club shit.”

“Ok.  I guess that makes sense, coincidence though...Preach, Jack, Shadow, Lawless, Moose, Fox, Spec, Ink… I think Choo-Choo and maybe Tommy...Mike too.  Rider too, but I don’t know him too well.”

“Yeah.  I think that’s a given love.  The core of our club is solid.  What about Lamb and Wick?”

“They seem clueless as fuck if you ask me.  Nobody is using them for this.  I don’t think they could hide it.  I mean they aren’t good for much more than human shields… maybe that will change, maybe not, but I think they would both let something slip.”

“Same.  Hank?”  Gator was nodding slowly as his eyes seemed to search the river not too far from his porch.

“No idea.  Few of the other hangarounds seem ok.  Diesel and Monkey anyway.  Dagger gives me the creeps, but I don’t think he’s dirty.  They don’t have the connections.”

“Who da fuck does and why would they want to?”

“I don’t know, but this is scary shit.  There will be a price on your head too Gator.  A price on us like is on Lacey.  I don’t know her, but she has been nice to me, not like Angel.”   Naughty gritted her teeth.  Angel made life hell on the girls.  She was the club’s princess and she hated anyone who even looked at her man.  Naughty had no idea how Ink put up with her.

She took a deep breath.  “She is hunted Gator.  Hunted.  And all because she is his anchor.  Shadow’s whole world is wrapped around that woman.  Take her out and The Shadow Man would lose his shit.”

Gator nodded.

“I don’t want to live like that.”

Gator turned to her then and seemed to see the fear that threatened to drown her.  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. 

“I swear, I will keep you safe Tiff.  I will do everything to make sure you are taken care of for the rest of your life and I will make sure you are happy too love.”

She let her tears fall.  He wouldn’t laugh at her or judge her for them.

“Come inside beb.  I want to hold you, feel your skin.”

He hadn’t touched her since they had been in his house.  He had said she was too weak.  He’d just taken care of her and held her and once she had pulled his hand between her legs in desperation, he had taken care of her, but he wouldn’t allow her to do the same for him.

“Will you touch me?”  She said as she felt herself growing wet for him already.

He gave her that cocky grin she loved and winked.  “Only if you are a very naughty girl.”

She let out a squeal as he swatted her ass as she rushed by him.  Her shirt was off before she cleared the front door and she didn’t care who saw her.  Gator was going to make everything better.

He always did.