Giving It to the Monster (Saints and Sinners MC Book 4) (9 page)

He nodded, stroking her cheek. “I never stopped loving you either. I tried. I’m not going to pretend that I waited for you. We both know I didn’t. I’ve never given myself the chance to fall for another woman. Chance, as if I ever had a choice when it came to you.”

She smiled. “Is that a good thing?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to live without you. You mean everything to me, always have. The life I lead, it’s not for the faint of heart, Nat. I’m not some saint. I’m a monster.”

Natasha pressed a finger to his lips. “To the outside world you’re a monster. You’re not a monster to me, to your sister, to the people you love and care about.”

“I’m not a good man.”

“You’re not an entirely bad one either. I guess you’re just going to have to accept that I’m not perfect either. We don’t live in a perfect world. Neither of us do. I’m not going anywhere, Saint. I’m not going to run. I’m staying right here, where I should have been years ago but was too afraid to stay.”

“You’re going to take a chance?”

“Yeah, will you take a chance on me?”

“You’re not getting rid of me.”

She smiled. “Great, now, erm, what do I do about this plug? It’s kind of in the way.”

“I’ve got a lot more plans for your pussy before I take that out of your ass.”

Chapter Eight

“A restaurant, seriously?”

“Big Ricky likes his food, and he likes to make an impression.”

“I’m in a penguin suit, Pipe,” Saint said, trying not to show how tight it felt.

“Be pleased he didn’t ask for us to bring women with us. He’s known for putting on a big show.”

“With mafia thugs it’s always about making a damn impression. The truth is, they’re fighting for control.”

“So they’re exactly like us,” Pipe said.

“Why are you not itching to get out of this suit?”

“Let’s just say a certain woman likes it when I dress up. I like it when she does, so I don’t mind doing a little something for her.”

“Fucking gross.”

“You asked.”

“You didn’t need to tell me that my sister gets off on that.”

“I didn’t go into detail.”

Saint snorted. “You didn’t need to. I know you wouldn’t cheat on my sister, and if you even thought of it, I’d kick your fucking ass.”

“True. Elena is all I need.”

Staring at the posh Italian restaurant, Saint didn’t want to go in there. He wanted to go back home where Natasha was waiting for him.

“I wish I was with my woman as well.”

“Instead we’re having to meet a man to make sure death doesn’t fall on our club.”

“The curse of being the Prez of two clubs.”

“Yes, it is a curse.” Saint rubbed at his eyes, pushing away thoughts of Natasha and her warm pussy and arms.

“How are things with you and Natasha?”

“Fine.”

“Elena said she’s never seen you so happy.”

He turned toward Pipe, who held his hands up in surrender. “You’re the one that is determined to keep me in the enemy category. I told you, I have no beef with your club, or with you. I actually consider the Saints and Sinners MC my family, my friends. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, or to hurt Elena.”

“I let you set up this meeting.”

Pipe sighed. “It’s the only thing you do. I’m here, Saint. I may not be the brother or the family you wanted, but I’m also a good listener.”

“My sister tell you that?”

“Why do you think we’re still together? The key to success is being able to listen.” Pipe opened his car door. “I’m here if you need me.”

Saint didn’t say anything. He climbed out of the car and followed Pipe across the street towards the restaurant.

He let Pipe to deal with the maître d’ seeing as he dealt with the arrangements of the meeting.

He wasn’t nervous. It was strange. Years ago, he would have been, even with his father in charge. Since he took over, he was able to take his fears and channel them away from him.

“Ah, yes, I see Mr. Ricky has left an invitation for you. Please follow me.”

Saint moved past several diners, aware of them staring at him. He wasn’t interested in them, not one bit.

“Well, well, well, Pipe, it has been too long,” Big Ricky said.

Saint thought the guy would be a large, overweight man, but instead he looked like the biggest body builder in the world. He was huge, and his arms had to be the stuff of Botox or steroids or something.

“Ricky, wish we could be meeting on better circumstances.”

“Bullshit! You always try to stay out of my business, and I don’t blame you. We’re not exactly known for being nice.”

Pipe laughed. “Anyway, this is Saint. Saint, this is Big Ricky.”

He held his hand out, and they shook. “You’ve got a reputation. Killed your own father.”

“That’s old news.”

“It still makes men take notice. A guy who is willing to take his own father, he’s willing to do whatever it takes for his club.”

“You got that right. The club comes first.”

“Just as the family comes first for the men I work for,” Ricky said. “Please, take a seat.”

Saint pulled the chair out, and sat down.

“So, I hear this is big news,” Ricky said. “Let’s hear it.”

“It is.” Piped handed over the paperwork.

Saint couldn’t help but look around, wondering where the danger was going to come out.

“No one is waiting,” Ricky said, pulling out some glasses. “I know it seems strange, but we do have civility. No big guns, tearing up places.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

“It gets tiring having to replace everything. Besides, we’re all getting old. We’ll leave the crap to the younger generation intent on killing each other.” Ricky put his glasses on, and opened up the piece of paper, reading through it. “You’re telling me this ended up in Sinners’ Corner?”

“Yes.”

Ricky looked through it, and then pulled out his cell phone, cross-examining the details. “You haven’t given this to anyone?”

“No,” Pipe said.

“I’m going to come clean and tell you I was going to give it to the cop that’s on my side,” Saint said. “Had no idea about this.”

“You’re a small town man, Saint. That’s fine, but this, it’s a message, and it’s for my bosses to deal with.”

“This going to hit out at Sinners’ Corner? It’s not just where my club is, it’s my town.”

“I know how to contact you if there’s a risk. I doubt it.”

“Any heads-up on what this is about?” Pipe asked.

“If this hits out at us, we want to help,” Saint said.

Ricky stared between them. “Give me a second. Order whatever you want.”

Saint watched the man leave, and turned to Pipe.

“He seems reasonable.”

“Don’t believe everything you read about them, Saint. Ricky’s a good guy. He just has to do bad things. Like us.”

“Yeah, I had figured that.” He stared at the time, and saw it was a little after eight in the evening. The best chance he had of getting out and being at home with Natasha was not to cause a scene. He couldn’t deny that Ricky was a good guy.

Minutes passed, and finally Ricky came back.

“The men I work for have agreed to let me tell you the truth. I work for the Lorenzo family, and recently they have been maimed and killed. This led back to a guy known as Hoover. We believed we’d killed him, but he’s the only one who would know about the rat poison.”

“What that fuck does that have to do with Sinners’ Corner?”

“Besides the fact this isn’t contained. Once the cops analyze this, it’ll come back to us. We’re being framed, which is why I believe your MCs are clear. This is a fight that is not yours. I am sorry, gentlemen.”

Pipe sat back. “How deadly is this?”

“It’s taken the usual way, Pipe. The only reason it is deadly is if the person actually injects it. Otherwise, it’s just a simple white powder.”

“That’s good to know,” Saint said.

“Thank you for bringing this to me,” Ricky said. “We won’t forget it.”

“I can’t guarantee this isn’t going to be found out,” Saint said.

“But this was brought to us with enough time to handle it. Now, how about dinner?”

****

Natasha decided to stay at the club while she waited for Saint to get back. She sat at the bar nursing a beer, watching everyone within the club.

“You like it here,” Vanilla said, coming to sit beside her.

“I will admit it’s a lot different.”

“You know Saint is crazy about you, right?”

“Yeah, I do. I’m crazy about him as well.”

“Then why are you still wearing your wedding ring?”

She stared down at the ring on her finger, and shook her head. “No, this isn’t mine. It’s my mother’s. Whenever she went away, she always gave me her wedding band so she didn’t lose it. Every year I’d get a visit or her wedding band in the mail. She was always so afraid of it falling off. I’ve not wore my wedding ring since I walked out on Simon. I have no intention of ever going back there.”

“Sorry, my bad.”

She shrugged. “You assumed the worst. You’re trying to take care of Saint, and that I can respect.”

“Thanks. He’ll be back soon. Club business means he has unusual hours.”

“I can see that. I can also see that this club is good for him. He loves it here.”

“It’s in his blood.”

“Let the woman go,” Rage said, coming up behind them.

“Just talking.”

“Everyone seems to want to talk to me tonight. I must be popular.”

“You are,” Rage said, pointing to the barman for a beer. The barman was Road, also known as Liam.

“So what do you want to talk to me about? Have I done something wrong to piss you off? Upset you? What?”

“You’ve done nothing to upset or bother me. I’m just hear having a beer, and thought I’d come see the woman who has been putting a smile on my Prez’s face.”

“Is
that
the problem?” she asked.

“No. Saint is a very private person, and the fact he’s this way with you, well, it gives me hope for him. He changed this club. I wasn’t around here when you were, but I was when his father was here.”

“How much longer was he here? I left just after our nineteenth birthday.”

“Oh, you’re talking about another seven years I reckon. Saint was twenty-six, I think, when he finally killed his father.”

“Did you witness it?”

Rage shook his head. “No. I just know that he did it.”

Biting her lip, she held her hand up. “I don’t need to know any more of the gory details. I’m good.”

“We all respect him, you know. This club, it’s our home, and this place has our loyalty. It wasn’t always like that.”

“I remember what it was like.” She wrinkled her nose. “As much as it kills me to say this, his dad wasn’t always a bad guy. He was always hard on Saint, knowing that he’d have to take care of the club someday. When Elena and his mom went, his dad changed, snapped. Saint got the brunt of all that change. It sucks that I wasn’t strong enough to stick around to help him. It’s my own fault. I’ve got no one else to blame but myself.”

“I get the feeling you’re not going anywhere now.”

“You’ve got that right. I’m staying right here.” She sipped at her beer, enjoying the company.

“You’re not going to make him choose?”

“Choose?”

“Between you and the club?”

“No, not at all. What? Do the guys think that?”

“It’s been a concern that has been thrown out there. You thinking the club was ruining Saint. He wasn’t ruined.”

“I know that. I was wrong.”

She looked around the room. No one was looking at them, and she rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to make Saint choose. I’m not that girl anymore. I see this is his life. It has been a long time, and I’ve changed as well.” Saint was a monster when he needed to be. She got the sense that he’d gone through life believing he wasn’t good enough, and it was now her mission to show him he wasn’t that. “And I hope he wants me to be part of it.”

“I do,” Saint said.

She spun around and saw him dressed in the sexiest suit she had ever seen on him. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I came around the back, and over there leads to the stairs.”

Natasha bit her lip, staring up and down at his large body. She was starting to sweat a little under the collar. “What’s with the, erm, suit?”

“You don’t like it?”

“Actually, I love it.” She got off her chair and ran her hand up his chest, smiling at him. “I think you should wear this more often.”

Like so many times before, everyone else faded as Saint took her main focus.

“I had some business to attend to.”

“Dangerous business?”

“No, not so much. The way I left, I think we’ve just made a friend for the club.”

“That’s good to know. Friends always make life helpful.”

“Nat, do you have a problem if I take you upstairs and fuck your brains out?” he asked.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Suddenly he turned to the room, whistled, and gained everyone’s attention.

“I don’t know if you’re in the loop, but this woman here, she’s mine. My woman, my old lady, and I demand that you treat her with the respect that she deserves.”

“Saint?”

“What? You got a problem belonging to me?”

“Not at all.”

“Good.” He kissed her temple. “Then shut up and let me finish.”

She chuckled. “You always did like to get your own way.”

“Come on, I want to take you to my room. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

He led her out of the main clubhouse with all the men and women whooping and hooting.

“Oh, Saint, I can’t believe you did that.” He slapped her ass causing her to yelp, and also to giggle. “What are you doing to me?”

He kicked open a door, and placed her on her feet. “I’m going to be loving you.” He pressed her up against the now closed door, and tore at her clothes. She moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck. Saint shoved the shirt off her shoulder as buttons sprayed everywhere. He flicked her bra open, pressing her tits together. “Tonight is not going to be sweet.”