Patience: Biker Romance (The Davis Chapter Book 1) (12 page)

My words started as a low moan, “Please, Thunder…”

“Please what, my little fuck machine?”

He had a certain tone of dominance took my breath away. I close my eyes, drinking in the power. When I opened them again, I spoke. “Fill me and fuck me like I’ve never been fucked before. Please, before I shatter.”

He slid inside.

 
I slept with a depth I didn’t knew existed. The sex between Thunder and I had been indescribable, and he left me unable to speak. I woke up in the early morning, his warmth pressing against my back and holding me tightly.

As dawn began creeping into the bedroom window, I laid awake and enjoyed a bit of peace. It felt like home. It felt like all the problems of the world had been solved, at least for a little bit.

 
I managed to pull myself away without waking him. The contents of his refrigerator matched every other part of Thunder’s life: it screamed
bachelor
. He had more cans of beer than condiments, and aside from three pounds of bacon, there was nothing worth looking. I found some instant coffee in a cabinet and began to boil some water.

While I waited for the water to bubble, I sat at his kitchen table and stared out the window. He had a beautiful view of the foothills, but my mind wasn’t on the scenery. My mind was on the three choices. The three choices of where my loyalties lie: Myself, the club, and the DEA.

It hit me that I really didn’t have loyalty to any of them. I didn’t know who I was, my thoughts about the club were mixed, and for all I knew, the DEA had abandoned me. I was alone on the ocean in the middle of a storm. After a good half hour, I came back to the same argument I’d given Trask. The meeting with the Devil’s Branch would be the deciding factor.

Grunts and other waking sounds came from the hallway. A minute later, a sleepy eyed giant drag himself into the kitchen. I couldn’t help but smile watching him try to pull himself from sleep’s tight grasp. “I’ve never seen someone in more desperate need for coffee in my entire life.”

He gave me a sleepy laugh, “Your life is about four days long.”

I nodded, feeling Thunder’s only other coffee mug. “But that changes tonight, sweetheart. Everything changes tonight.”

I didn’t mean for it to come out sounding so ominous. Thunder raised his eyebrows but remained silent. We both knew there was a lot riding on the meeting with the Devil’s Branch Motorcycle Club. It would be a peace treaty on top of all of my personal shit.

Afraid that the black cloud would fall as all day, I changed the subject. “You know, your place isn’t all that much better than mine. It could use a feminine touch, I think.”

“It could use a wrecking ball. Used to be my old man’s place. That’s the only reason I’m here. I got money stashed away,” Thunder let out a sigh, “Just haven’t gotten around to finding my own place.”

“Can I ask you a personal question?” I give them a sideways look.

Thunder smiled and shook his head. He dragged a finger all the way down my arm to my fingertip, “Baby, I think were passed that. You can ask me anything you want.”

It was a silly question, but it was something that had been in the back of my mind. “What do you
do
, exactly? Sorry if that sounds rude, but it’s just never come up.”

 
After a long sip of coffee, Thunder looked around, “Your wondering how I can afford this lavish lifestyle, huh? I worked in construction until the economy tanked. Growing up poor taught me to squirrel away money, so I did okay for a while. Just about the time my cash started running out, I joined the club. I wasn’t expecting it, but that’s the best group of people I’ve ever met. I was looking for work pretty hard, and one of the boys heard. We got to talking, and he hooked me up with his Pop.”

Thunder had never been so candid. He wasn’t kidding when he said I could ask him anything. He was opening up to me in this beautiful and meaningful way.

He leaned his head toward the side door off the kitchen, “I work out of that small garage. Kyle’s dad runs a gun shop. Any tricky work that comes down the pipeline comes to me. I probably work about 10 hours a week. Doesn’t bring in much money, but I don’t spend much. House is paid for, truck is paid for, bike is paid for. It ain’t much, but it’s mine. What’s with that look? ”

 
I didn’t realize it, but I was beaming. It wasn’t about what Thunder actually did; it was about… I don’t know. I could hear pride in his voice. I could hear hard work in his voice. It might not have been the American dream, but he was right.
It ain’t much, but it’s mine.

We took our time in the shower. Thunder could see I was stressed out about the meeting, and he did what he could to relax me. He lathered up my hair, working his strong fingers over my scalp. I closed my eyes and pressed my hands against the shower wall.

Thunder’s hands were incredible. He was skilled and talented in
and
out of the bedroom. I moaned as I felt the tension melt off my body. The meeting was still on my mind, but I felt better about it. I have Thunder by my side at least some of the members of the Rising Sons seemed to be behind me.
 

After I rinsed the shampoo from my hair, it was Thunder’s turn. He had made me feel so good, and I wanted to make him feel good, as well. As the hot water rained down on us, I got to my knees and let him use my mouth however he wanted.

As I toweled off, I looked around at Thunder’s life. I pictured myself with him in the future. It gave me a warm feeling. I understood that there were parts of Thunder’s life that I didn’t exactly understand or agree with, but he was his own man. He managed his life just fine. Was there a place for me in it? Was there a place for me with the Rising Sons?

My hair was still wet as I pulled Thunder’s smallest T-shirt over my head. It was soft and broken in like a cherished guitar. Staring at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but see myself as Thunder’s girl. It felt more than right.

Thunder popped his head into the bathroom, “Ready to head down to slugger field?”

I gave him a nod and a smile. Everything was planned out between him, myself, and Trask. I knew it was going to be risky, and I knew it could be dangerous. Trask believed that my loyalty laid with him at the club, Thunder believed my loyalty was with him. And me? I had no idea what to believe.

The air seemed thick and hot, but it was probably just the tension. It was evident on every face. The two biker factions eyed each other with heavy suspicion. More than half of the bikers there had handguns at their hips. Too many hands were held close to those pistols.

Thunder’s fingers were intertwined with my own, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze. None of the other bikers gave me as much as a single look. The few that had supported me at the meeting looked the most nervous.

Trask stepped forward from the clump. An older man with a long ponytail and goatee came forward to meet him. The patch on his cut read PRESIDENT and below that, CAPTAIN. Captain looked like a man that had lived in the sun his entire life. He wore a deep tan that was probably ever-present, and his skin with cracked like old concrete. Despite the worn and weathered face, Captain’s smile took a decade off his age. He had a perfect set of teeth, and he was showing them all off.

"Trask Rivers. How's the old man? I hear he's back at the top in Bakersfield. Damn glad to hear that." Captain extended a hand.

Trask shook it, "Full recovery.  Fuckin' miracle of miracles. I appreciate you asking. How's Maggie and the kids?"

“Julie just started college, and the wife is at home. Gage is right behind me. Following in the old man's footsteps. Enough with the nice nice. Let's talk business.”
 

It was a surreal sight. Thirty some bikers sitting around picnic benches behind baseball diamonds. It was a nice, neutral location, but damn, everybody seems so out of place.

Trask and Captain sat across from each other, with the rest of the bikers from the two gangs surrounding them. The president of the Devil's Branch had a briefcase with them. My heart jumped the second I thought. My identity was inside. Not Patience, but me.

“Normally I'd ask for money for something like this, but I know you don't have any. Between starting up the new club and rebuilding the old one, I know you guys are tapped out. I'm open to offers.” Captain turned his hands up, maybe still expecting an envelope of cash to be laid into his open palms.

Trask spoke like a business man, not like someone who pulled bugs out of his teeth after a hard ride. “I’m glad you understand our financial situation, Captain. Yeah, we don't have money right now, but we will. We've got jobs lined up, and here's what I'm willing to offer you: ten percent. Ten percent across the board on all jobs that the Rising Sons work for the next year.”

It was news to everyone but Trask, Thunder, and myself. None of the Sons said anything, but they couldn't hide their displeasure and anger. It was like Trask said: we had a plan. They were angry, but they trusted their leader.

Captain looked behind him at his men. Jameson was back there in the group, still looking a little shaken and beaten from his talk with us a few nights back. None of the Devil’s Branch said anything. Based on their faces, they all seems to be down with the plan.
 

Captain raised an imaginary glass, “The boys approve, I approve. Just a few notes—Conditions, if you will. One: your territory does not expand for one year
after
our ten percent comes in. That’s two years from now. Two: all jobs run by us first. We can’t have you guys stealing our jobs and then paying us for it, you understand. And three: at the end of one year, we want a $50,000 bonus.”

I could almost feel the tension building. I knew that the Sons would want nothing to do with this deal. I wanted to tell them about the plan, but Trask said it was best if they didn’t know. He said some of them weren’t the best at keeping their mouths shut. It was hard, but I could understand. I knew Trask would agree to whatever deal they wanted, because it wasn’t going to matter in the long run, anyway. The boys behind me, though; they were almost waiting for a fight to break out. The place was a powder keg; all it would take was a spark.