Seven Sunsets (4 page)

“I didn’t want Rosa, I wanted you. I was looking for you.” I tugged her to me and kissed her mouth, shutting her up.

She pulled away, saying, “I can’t be a man’s whore again, Scar. Not if I’m going to live.”

“If I wanted a whore tonight, I had my pick. I want you.” I’d been looking in her eyes, but now I hung my head down, afraid it was true. How could I trade Emery to Serpentine if I was falling in love with her? I couldn’t let that happen. No matter how I felt, I didn’t trust her—I tried to remember that. But I was drunker than a skunk.

I ran my hands up and down her arms, searching her eyes for a thread of truth. My palms were wet. When I brought them up in the sparse light, they were also red. Immediately, my eyes shot to Emery’s arms. She was bleeding, having put two thin cuts up them. I snatched them up for a closer look. My buzz tempered my rage. “Just enough for the pain?” I guessed.

She nodded.

My thumb running across her cheek, I wiped away a tear falling from her eye, smearing the red on her in the process. “You’re hurting and you want to hurt. Let’s go find you some pain.” I took Emery by the hand to my bike, and we rode to Patch’s Ink. Before I led her inside, I stopped in the stream of neon light coming from the Ink sign to gaze in her moist eyes. Her brown eyes were so sad, but just as beautiful as they had been in the fire light. I allowed the feeling she caused in me that night to roll through me, making me want things to be this simple.

Before I’d longed for her to say she didn’t want to die anymore. Now that I didn’t think she did, I had my own plans for her demise. If things were different, if she wasn’t a goddamn liar who’d killed my friend, I’d want her to be mine. I’d be doing this for real. My hand caressed the soft but scared exposed skin on her belly, before running down below her belly button. Yeah, that’s where I wanted it. “You don’t want to be my whore, you need to become mine.”

Ignoring her confusion, I led her in. Mud was face down on the table getting his outline of our three-piece patch on his back. It looked better than mine which was done when I was fifteen and squirrely about the needle.

Patch introduced me to his apprentice Trudy. I put my arm possessively around Emery’s waist, telling the woman, “We want a property patch.”

Emery looked unsure, mumbling, “Tattoos are forever.”

I still had my doubts about Emery. Hell, I was still pissed at her deep down too, but even if she was only going to California as my payment, I needed a better cover. I’d have to stop in Louisiana now, maybe even Texas. It’d just be less trouble anyhow if she was officially mine, at least for this week. That way if the Heelz or Mutherfukers got to us, my brothers would protect her too.

I whispered in her hair, “It’s either my whore or my sweetie, either way you aren’t leaving me until California, which is it?”

Emery took off her shirt to answer me, revealing what Jewel had dressed her in underneath, a very see-through lace bra. I made Mud turn his head the other way as she tugged her shorts down a little and got situated in the chair.

“Virgin skin,” Trudy remarked.

“Not really.” Emery was talking about her cuts.

“Looks like she needs a shot of tequila.” Patch handed me a bottle since it was after hours. Emery had three before I stopped her. I wanted her to feel the pain. I knew all too well that sometimes you had to bleed your demons out. I shared the rest of the bottle with Mud because I didn’t want to feel any pain tonight.

Trudy tattooed
Property of Scar, Asphalt Gods MC
on Emery’s lower belly in script. She took it well as I held her hand, so I told Trudy to add some swirly shit and make it pretty.

“You want it colored in?” Trudy asked. “Got a favorite color, honey?”

“Sunset, sunset’s her favorite color.” I was slurring my words, so I stopped drinking. We’d talked about all of our tattoos—Mud, Trudy, Patch and I. When we got them, what they meant, all but one of mine. When we left, Emery touched the shooting stars on my forearms, asking about them. I walked past her to my bike, not wanting to talk about it.

The clubhouse was about cleared out when we got back. We needed a good night’s rest before we rode to Shreveport tomorrow anyhow, but not until I’d sealed the deal.

Up at the suite, Emery walked right over to the big vanity, taking off the bandage to look at her new ink. She started to comb out her long hair. Usually when I took women to the suite, they were on their backs in two seconds flat, spreading their legs like they were at the clinic.

I sat on the edge of the bed and told her, “Take off your clothes, all of them.”

Emery raised her eyebrows, silently questioning me. I didn’t answer but took off my shirt and started undoing my pants. The less we talked and the more we fucked, the better. Rosa and the others had started my engine, but it was Emery who was going to get a ride. Emery started to strip off her shirt and wiggle out of her shorts, awakening my intense craving for her, but something about it bothered me. Slipping out of her bra and slipping down her panties next, Emery had moved me more than the room full of whores down stairs. She stood before me, naked with my property patch on her, looking like an angel, my angel, and I didn’t know how I’d trade her in California.

Couldn’t think about that yet, I told myself, bringing out my steel rod as I reached for her massive breasts. “Down on your knees.” Spreading my legs so she could come close to me, I took her melons in my hands, circling her pink peaks, wondering if she’d ever get them pierced. I’d been staring at them through her lace bra the whole time she was being tatted, imagining tittie fucking her. My thick shaft squeezed between them, I fucked the hell out of her jugs, slipping the head of my dick to her lips until she caught on and started opening her mouth.

It wasn’t enough. “Come show me how you rode those horses.” I helped her off the floor.

She straddled me just as Rosa had—the only difference, I wanted inside of Emery. Not like any other time when I brought women to the suite, I needed this. Instead of going straight for it, I kissed her, soft at first then with more passion, showing my hunger. She put her arms around my neck, kissing me back, sucking my lip ring like she had before. Before when she’d said she accepted me, all of me, all of the piercings, the tattoos, the killing. Before she’d killed Shirley. I put my hand down below, straightening my cock until she was guiding her pussy down on it, and I was inside of her, balls deep. Taking a moment to caress her face, I let our eyes meet, and it was all too much. I didn’t want to be in love.

Squeezing my eyes tight, I slapped her ass as hard as I could. “Ride me, Emery.” My hands clutching her waist, I watched her bounce on my dick, her titties jiggling like Jell-O. “That’s right fuck me real good, sweetie.” Saying the word sent a shiver through me. She didn’t know it but calling her sweetie meant something. It meant she wasn’t my whore, she was something more. I helped her along as she rode my dick, thrusting upward until she fell against me, satisfied. Again, I wasn’t satisfied.

“Don’t go anywhere.” I left Emery and went down to knock on Jewel’s door. I knew where her room was because I’d fucked her plenty when I’d stayed here. The door was unlocked. I’d found where everyone was, ten of my brothers were piled in here snorting lines off Jewel’s waxed pussy on one bed and fixin’ to sacrifice one of the hang arounds on the other.

“Juicy’s becoming one of us,” Jewel told me from her bed, Fat Willi’s head between her thighs. “Eat my pussy, man. You pay for your line like everyone else.”

I laughed at their games. Jewel certainly got hers, because some of the men liked to be bossed around. Juicy was on her hands and knees on the other bed being sacrificed. It was a hazing. Mad Dog stood over her, naked as a jay bird. She’d just been given an angry dragon. Mad Dog had blown a load in her mouth then slapped the back of her head so cum would run out of her nose.

The Gods wanted regular women, not whores to become their whores, their mamas, but they had to cut the mustard. Juicy had been a hang around. If not a virgin, she’d have to prove she’d only been with a few men and only a few times before she started taking care of our crew. She’d be taking some dick from all my brothers tonight, any way they liked it. They’d see how much humiliation she could take too. If Juicy held up and satisfied them all, she’d wake up our mama. She’d be protected like she was all of ours’ old lady but never become one man’s woman. Tonight she was marrying the club. Did the real old ladies like it? Hell no! But it was something they dealt with to be part of our lives.

“Scar, we hope you’ll join us,” Mad Dog offered as he mounted Juicy from behind. He’d get first dibs on every hole after all.

I grabbed what I was coming for, the lube I knew Jewel would have. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

“What’s more important than our new mama?”

“Emery and I are celebrating my brand.”

“All right, you go on,” Mad Dog said as my brothers congratulated me with cat calls.

Having more than her fill of tequila, Emery was about passed out when I got back. Hell, I was drunk too, but I wanted to fuck her ass. What can I say? I’m an ass man, and Emery’s hadn’t been touched. I wanted her to remember tonight.

“On the floor,” I barked, knowing she’d jump and obey me like the little vixen she was.

Emery was on her hands and knees in no time. I pushed her back down so her ass was up, but told her to look up so I could see her face in the full-length mirror in front of us. Her hooded chestnut eyes looked unsure in the mirror, but I didn’t care. I’d branded her and was gonna take mine. Lube on my finger, I started working on her tight little ring, watching her face contort in pleasure in the mirror. “You like that, don’t you, doll?”

Soon, I’d loosened her up to a full finger, all the while my arm wrapped around her, working her clit with my other hand. She’d gotten off quick. “You’re not going anywhere. Put that ass back up here,” I told her as I squirted lube on her, it running down her crack in a ribbon. 

Her plump cheeks pillowed against me, I took my cock by the base, rubbing the fat head against her back door, getting it lubed up as well. My balls tingled at the thought of plunging in. My dick swelled to an iron bar. Fuck—I could burst at any moment. Steading her heart shaped ass, I pierced it with only an inch of my dick. I froze, enjoying the feel of her constricted hole squeezing my cock. Clutching her hips harder so she couldn’t pull away, I moved in only a little further as she squealed in pain. Her face dripped with desire and dread mixed in one sexy expression. Punching in all the way, I was coming already, seeing stars. I shot my seed in like a fire hose.

When I woke, Emery was gone. Fuck! I felt hung over as hell, like death microwaved. I tried to remember what we’d done. Slowly it came back to me. I’d branded Emery, got her fucking tattooed with my property patch. Fuck! That was something you only did with women you wanted to marry. Couldn’t I have scored her a jacket? And I took her sweet ass, well, I’d tried to. I wrapped the sheet around my naked waist and headed down stairs just as she was coming up.

“Miss me much?” She looked me up and down, amused.

“Shit, you scared me,” I exhaled before I relaxed and played it cool.

“Jewel made breakfast.” She was caring a tray of delicious smelling food. Not only that, Emery was dressed to ride in leather from head to toe. “Rosa said it’s a gift to you,” she told me about her clothes when she caught me looking. Fuck, Emery made me hotter than a whore in church with no panties on. She put Rosa to shame, and that was saying something.

After breakfast in bed, we went down stairs to load up on supplies. Mud and Raunchy were waiting for us, ready to protect our way to Louisiana. I gave Emery a throw away gun, knowing she could use it. She tucked it away like she knew how. We stepped outside, and I slapped Mud on the back, watching him suck in air. “You sure you’re up for this?”

“Fuck, Scar, you wanna ride alone?” His back had to be on fire.

The Shreveport chapter of the Gods was led by Skitter. He was a young president who took over six months ago when the Crusher died. Despite his road name, Skitter was not a man to trifle with. He’d sooner kill you than look at you, so I didn’t mind he wasn’t around when we showed up at their chapter’s headquarters. Clubhouse had been in New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina, and Skitter was there today, fixin’ on moving the club back. Bones, his second in command greeted Mud and I with a pound on the back as Emery hung back. Mud about jumped. We had a good laugh when he took off his cut and his shirt to ease the pain of his new tat.

Bones wasted no time kissing Emery’s hand when I finally introduced her. If I didn’t know it was his Louisiana charm, I’d stomp a mud hole in his ass and walk it dry. A Viking of a man, blond hair ran down to his broad shoulders and blue eyes shined below a tall forehead. Even though he got his name from keeping the bones of his enemies, dead and alive, he was a lady killer in more ways than one. Gladder now Emery wore my brand, I tugged her to me as Bones poured her a frilly drink and slid it to her with a devilishly charming grin. Not only had he been given looks, he was rich in his own right, without the club. He owned quite a few bars around here, giving the club more than his dues.

Bones handed me a draft and started pouring his own. “Skitter wants to see us off. I figure we have time for a few drinks. Leave at dusk.”

I didn’t want to stay another night, or until night, but couldn’t refuse the hospitality. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Who left the gate open,” Cowboy hollered when he stomped in. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, brother.”

Hugging Cowboy, I felt homesick. Out of everyone, I actually knew the man. We’d sort of grown up together under the General in Arizona, but he was a few years younger than me. He’d left Arizona after I’d gone Nomad. Never knew why. I hadn’t seen him in a coon’s age. The last time two times I had business in Louisiana, he’d been on a run. We shoved each other around for a second. I wondered if he’d toughened up any. To my surprise, Cowboy about knocked me down. About as big a round as me now, he had toughened up.

Lifting his sleeves, he showed me his guns. “You ain’t got nothin’ on this, man.”

Yeah, he’d been pumping iron. “You’ll always be younger and shorter,” I told him and messed his hair before I punched him in the gut.

Cowboy bowed over and coughed before he laughed. With pitch black, wild hair and fair gray eyes, he had no problem attracting the ladies, but was known as a loner in that department now, at least from what I’d heard. Things sure do change. He wore a beard now. Everyone grew a damned beard now, I didn’t know why I bothered to shave this morning.

Next, it was my turn to take a punch. He landed it right in my left eye. “Goddamn it.”

Cowboy laughed.

I went for him, grabbing him around the waist like a linebacker, crashing him against the bar.

“Save your energy boys.” Bones broke us up, his long arms stretched out between us, showing off the bone tattoos he had everywhere except his face. These were on his inner arms, corresponding with the real bones inside. Naked he’d look like a fucking skeleton.

“All in good fun, brother,” Cowboy told him, putting his arm around me.

Emery peeked around Bones. I didn’t like her being so close to him. I cleared my throat, and he stepped aside. “You want to go clean up, sweetie?” I asked her, taking her by the waist so her shirt would ride up a little. Shit, I should’ve had her tatted somewhere everyone could easily see she was mine.

Cowboy introduced himself, tilting his head and bowing a little, “Hello, Darlin’.” If he hadn’t been on his bike just a minute ago, he’d have on his goddamned cowboy hat.

Emery said she’d like to lay down for a while. Bones said I could take her upstairs. “I’ll be right back down. Give me about ten.” I wanted to talk to them about our trip before Skitter got here. Plus, I needed to make a call to Serpentine and a call to the General.

Emery laid down in the apartment upstairs and closed her eyes. I watched her for a moment until she seemed to be sleeping. I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. I tried to call the General only to get his voicemail again. I left him a message to call me this time. He’d told Mad Dog I should come to Arizona. Well, actually he’d said Bones and Cowboy would take me there. I was sure as hell he knew what was going on.

Next, I dialed the devil’s number for the second time in my life. The man had killed my parents. I didn’t want to even hear his slick voice, but he had to know I would make it on time. Our deal was still on.

“Heard you killed the Banshee. Sure you want to go home to papa after that?”

Word sure got around quick, but I couldn’t think about that right now. “I didn’t call to shoot the shit, asshole. Yeah, I killed her, and you and yours are next unless you keep our deal.”

“Got the money, son? You do, and I’ll hand over your sister long as you get here before her special day. Deals a deal.”

“Yes, I’ve got your money, all one hundred grand. I’ll be there before Halley’s birthday.” I hesitated thinking about Emery. She was my money with that big price on her head. Shit, I didn’t even know if Halley was truly alive. “I want proof she’s okay.”

Serpentine laughed, an evil bellow, telling me to hold on. After a few minutes he said, “Halley, come to the phone. Tell your brother how you’re enjoying the basement.” 

“Edmond?” Halley’s voice sounded so timid, weak.

Her saying my name was proof enough it was her. I slid down the wall to sit in the floor. Tears forming in my eyes, I managed, “Halley… Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not.” It was all I heard her say before Serpentine got on the phone.

“You’ve got a week.” He hung up.

Fuck, I wiped my eyes. Halley was alive, I was certain of it now. And I was certain, for some reason, Serpentine needed some extra cash or wanted to lure me in bad.

Walking out of the bedroom, I saw Emery’s blonde hair surrounding her and thought of her lying on the bathroom floor of Shark Baits, bleeding out. Would’ve it been better if I’d just left her there? Then I wouldn’t have had to make this choice.

I went down the stairs confused. The General obviously wasn’t taking my calls. He wanted Cowboy and Bones to bring me to Arizona. He didn’t want it getting around, but I was sure he was livid I went behind his back to make a deal with the devil. There was no doubt he’d have some feelings about the Banshee’s death too. He knew I could trust Cowboy but Bones not so much.

Mud, I think I could convince him to help me. Regardless of the other two, I’d have to give it a try. It was California or bust for me. I didn’t want to have to fight my brothers. Damn it! I punched the wall, breaking my skin on my knuckles open again. Wiping off the blood, I thought of my mother and father, of Halley and now of Emery. Fuck! I wouldn’t give Emery to that son of a bitch whether she was dirty or not. I was going to kill the bastard.

Skitter was still on his way, so I sat down with Mud before Bones and Cowboy came to the back. “Can I trust Bones?”

“I trust him.”

It had to be enough.

Mud went on, “He’s PMSing pretty bad though. Used to being Road Captain, ya know. I hear that now he’s VP, Skitter has him holding down the fort while he runs around.”

It meant parked motorcycle syndrome, and I knew the feeling. I’d had it before becoming a Nomad. Bones and Cowboy showed up to our informal meeting. Raunchy being only probate was out getting lunch.

“Hear the Heelz are after you. I’m not worried about them, but the Mutherfukers and the mob, shit man, whose dick did you bite off?” Bones lit a cigarette.

I followed suit, inhaling before I said, “I’m not going to Arizona.” Spilling it all, I told my brothers about my so-called selfish plan to save my sister from the SOS, the Banshee’s betrayal and the Mutherfukers involvement but with one twist. I’d told them I never planned to give Serpentine the money, which they would see as a coward’s way. Instead, I told them I planned to kill him. “The General has been pissing on my bike for ten damn years telling me it’s raining.” I was tired of the General pussyfooting around, taking it up the ass from the SOS. It was worth a shot. “I have no intentions of heading to Arizona. I’m getting my sister back come hell or high water. I’m filling that bastard full of lead. Are you in or out?”

Bones stood. “I have my orders, Scar. I can’t go starting a war for one woman.”

“Fuck that!” Mud told him. “You’d be starting a war for your brother.” He hit his chest with his fist.

Cowboy agreed, adding, “The General told us to bring him to Arizona, but he didn’t say when. I say we take a side trip. Besides, fucking SOS wants Louisiana, been seen in New Orleans while we’ve been up here in the sticks.”

“Are we outlaws or not?” I said, goading them my way.

“You two’d go against your president for him and go against the General?” Bones was thinking.

Cowboy told Bones, “Just like I went against Skitter for you.”

I heard the threat and apparently Bones did too. He agreed to help get me to California, saying, “Only because I’m bored shitless, and I hate Skitter. Plus, I want a bone.”

Mud and Cowboy said they’d get their hands dirty too.

“What about Texas? We’re supposed to meet up with Polecat there in a few days. He’s the one gonna take you in.” Bones looked serious and a little sorry, telling me something he hadn’t before. “We don’t show up, the General will have a mandatory ride your ass down before you cross the California border.”

“We’ll go to Texas early, meet Polecat when he least expects it and take care of him. Ride on to California before anyone can tell the General anything is up.” Not only was I planning to kill our enemy, but one of our own. I didn’t know if they’d go for it. Polecat was the goddamn reaper, the General’s whipping boy too.

“Take care of Polecat? I like the sound of that.” Mud slammed down his drink, making a motion of slitting a throat.

We all laughed, but we’re dead serious, joining hands in agreement. They hadn’t batted an eye at offing Polecat. I looked around at my brothers, hoping they didn’t feel the same about me.

“Besides, when the General’s gone, I want Scar not Hannibal,” Mud announced, surprising the shit out of me.

“Fuck yeah, and not Skitter either, or Polecat, or Mad Dog. Definitely not Tremor or Battleax. Fuck, Scar, you’re our only hope.” Cowboy seemed enthusiastic, but he was my buddy.

I chuckled, a little flattered. The idea was stupider than a soup sandwich. “I’m too young to be thinking about that.” Also, I didn’t plan to be around after I got Halley.

“General, what is he, seventy now? Everyone’s thinking about who’s next.”

I snorted. The general was sixty something and still going strong.

“Your name’s floated through the clubs. You need to watch your back,” Bones warned me.

“That’s what you fuckers are for. We need to leave right away to get to Texas early enough.”

Walking out of the back, Cowboy put his arm around me. “Man, I just have one question for you. Why does the Mob want your woman?”

“I’m not sure.”

“That’s fucked up man.”

Yeah, it was. It was even more fucked up that I’d even entertained the thought of handing Emery over to Serpentine. I shook my head and took a long drink.

“Sorry ‘bout Shirley. I know you loved her, deep down in too many ways to count… that would never really count.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the truth in his words. Shirley was gone. She had no time to make up for what she did to me. Life was for the living, and all that shit. Thinking of Emery, I couldn’t wait to tell her, really tell her, about what’s going on.

Hearing the door creak, I turned to see Skitter was back. He’d brought a hoard of people ready to party, brothers, mamas and the contractors from New Orleans.

“We’re heading out soon,” I said to Skitter, after I hugged about twenty folks.