Significance, Satan's Attitude MC (8 page)

Elena looked at this man before her, a man she damn well knew was a killer and had a very bad reputation. It didn’t matter to her in the least. She liked the idea of him holding her very much.

“Just holding me, huh? Are you sure about that, Whiskey? I’ve heard that line before, you know.” She drank the coffee and studied him.

“I keep my word, Elena. If I wanted a fuck, I can get that easy enough. I see something rare in you and I want to savor that. I want to know everything you’re willing to share with me. We’ve both lost loved ones, we both understand that pain. It’s time to live again though. What I want, not just any woman can give me. I want to know you’re that woman.”

Whiskey drained his coffee and stood up, offering his hand to Elena, who took it. He pulled her close to him. Those damn butterflies were fluttering in her stomach again and this felt so right it scared her. She turned her face up for a kiss and felt his tongue seeking hers.
He kisses as well as he dances,
she thought as his lips crushed hers.

Whiskey did keep his word. He went out to his car and got a pair of sweatpants to sleep in. They snuggled together on her bed and she traced his tattoos with her nails. The heat coming off his body felt so good and soon enough she was fast asleep.

It took Whiskey longer to fall asleep, but for once, he felt like Shannon was at rest now. A single tear ran out of the corner of his right eye. It was time to let Shannon go, he knew, and he did all the while holding Elena close. He wasn’t going to fuck things up with Elena. He’d take it slow and he’d see if she was the woman he’d spend the rest of his life with. Maybe they weren’t in love yet, but he had strong feelings for Elena and he knew she had them for him. He slept well for the first time in a very long time.

The phone ringing woke them both up way too early. He kept his eyes closed as Elena grabbed for it. “Hello?” she answered.

“Are you losing your mind, Elena?” Joy’s voice admonished. “What if Thrash sees Whiskey stayed the night?”

“Joy, I don’t care who sees his car here. Get your nose out of my business. How dare you spy on me?” Elena slammed the phone down.

Whiskey untangled himself from her long black hair and looked at her.  “Your partner? She is going to be trouble for us, I think.”

“No, she isn’t. She can learn to mind her own business. My baby will be up soon. Let’s get a bit more sleep.” Elena cuddled closer to him and he shut his eyes, enjoying the feel of her body against his and trying to keep his cock from getting hard.

The phone woke them yet again, but this time Whiskey answered and it was Deidra. Violet Rose was cooking one of her famous dinners and Deidra wanted him to bring Elena and Rhiannon. She also whispered that Penny was at her house.

Whiskey wanted Elena there. “Darlin’,” he said, facing her. “Violet’s cooking dinner at Deidra’s. Would you and the baby like to go and eat? She is a fine cook.”

Elena felt shy all of a sudden. “Are you sure, Whiskey?”

He told Deidra they’d be there in the afternoon and told her to make sure that Lacey-Jane and Shanna were there. It was important for him to see how Elena treated his baby.

E
lena wondered why nobody else found it odd that Jack and Dee weren’t given any privacy the day after their wedding, but she didn’t say anything. Apparently Satan’s Attitude did things differently than any of the MCs she knew.
It might be a southern thing,
she reasoned to herself on the drive over.

There were bikers from Satan’s Attitude and Nefarious milling around a fire pit. She spotted Kima’s car off to the side. She often wondered about the fascination bikers had with fire, even during the daytime. At least she knew a few people there and wouldn’t be uncomfortable. She had insisted Whiskey stop at the bakery and pick up a cake, then laughed at her huge biker carrying the white box tied with red string.

She shifted Rhiannon in her arms and Whiskey held the door open for her to enter the house. The food Violet was cooking smelled delicious and Elena’s mouth began to water. Whiskey took the boxed cake into the kitchen, leaving Elena alone for a few minutes. She admired Jack and Dee’s living room and was happy for the couple. Whiskey came back and he was wearing his colors. She wondered where he had gotten them from since he hadn’t worn them at her house.

The first person she saw was Whiskey’s niece, Lacey-Jane, who held his daughter Shanna. Whiskey had introduced them yesterday and the vibes from his niece hadn’t been the best. Whiskey held Rhiannon while she took off her coat and got settled down on the couch with the diaper bag nearby. He handled babies with ease and had her daughter cooing at him. Lacey-Jane was shooting daggers at her and Elena had enough.

She stood up and moved toward her. This bitch wasn’t going to intimidate her. “Whiskey, may I take Shanna and give your niece a break? I think she needs to use the bathroom. She has an odd look on her face.”

Elena didn’t wait for his answer, scooping Shanna up and sitting back down on the couch with her. She was adorable and it looked to Elena that she might end up with her daddy’s oddly-colored amber eyes.

Lacey-Jane gave her another dirty look as she passed by. Whiskey was rocking Rhiannon, who seemed to love it. Deidra snapped a picture of them holding each other’s babies and Elena hoped she’d get a copy.

“That was a smooth move. I saw my niece giving you the stare-down,” remarked Whiskey, making himself more comfortable next to her on the couch.

“I wasn’t trying to be rude, but she doesn’t even know me. She has no reason to dislike me,” Elena explained.

Whiskey just smiled at her and greeted members of his club and seemed quite at ease. The house was filling up with people and Elena knew many of them. She heard whispers about Jo and the scene she had pulled at the wedding. When Dusty, her sisters, and her niece got there, Violet ran out of the kitchen to greet them.

Dusty sat down next to Elena and whispered, “The only nice thing I can say about my mother is that she can cook.”

Elena watched the two of them looking at each other and how Violet seemed to fawn over Angie and her child. Bebe seemed to be a bit shy and moved into the kitchen to offer her help.

“She trained Bebe well. Hell, she doesn’t have to say a word and Bebe automatically runs to the kitchen.
I’m
not helping,” Dusty quietly added. “I came as a guest with Darko.”

“Should I be helping?” Elena asked.

Dusty eyed the kitchen with disgust. “No. Violet wouldn’t like you in there. You don’t see Angie helping, do you? We’re the guests. We don’t clean up either. Enjoy the food and leave before Violet gets too nosy.” Darko touched her shoulder and she sighed as she got up to join him outside. Her parting advice was, “Don’t trust any of them except for Angie and Bebe. Lacey-Jane already hates your guts.”  

Whiskey had to talk to Rebel, so he handed Rhiannon back to her.  Violet came out and glared at Elena as Whiskey moved away. She made a move to grab Shanna from her, but Elena held both babies easily and smiled at her. “I’ve got them both, Violet. I think they want to know each other.” Whiskey winked approvingly at her as he stepped out of the door with Rebel and Dee.

Chrissy came over and tugged on her Mema’s hand and Violet headed back to the kitchen.

Angie sat down next to her and sighed. “I hate these dinners. I got Bebe to put some food away for us. All the men eat first. It isn’t like that in Bound for Hell. We met at the wedding, I think. If we didn’t, then I’m Angie, Dusty’s sister. She told me to talk to you about dancing. I’ve been dancing in Florida and I used to dance here, too.”

Angie was the splitting image of her mother, but without the purple tint to her eyes.

Elena could put her to work in the better go-go bars and she would make very good money. “I get a percentage, of course, but you’re new and that goes in your favor. I can start you small and locally, or in Dirty Deeds if you don’t want to travel. I do some out of state clubs, too.”

Angie bit her lip and thought about it. “I have an ex, Hyway, and he’s in Bound for Hell MC. Wherever you think he won’t be likely to show up until I get settled. Lacey-Jane and Bebe are both dancers, too. We all can’t work the same shifts because of the kids.”

Dusty came back and offered to hold Rhiannon as she slid a joint into Elena’s hand. “Let Angie take Shanna and go smoke this. You look like you could use it.” She sat down and settled the baby in her lap as Angie reached for Shanna. Elena did need to calm down and she wondered if she should go out with the guys to smoke it in the front. Dusty noticed her confusion. “Go out the back door, Elena. Nobody will see you there.”

Elena made her way through the kitchen to the back door and found Rebel, Whiskey, and Dee talking. She lit the joint and inhaled and it was some of Darko’s best stuff. She loved her pot and really didn’t drink too much anymore.

The door opened and Violet came out on the steps. “Are you spying on them? Because Rebel and Whiskey hate that shit,” she advised.

“No, I’m smoking this joint. Want some of it?”

She held it out to Violet, who greedily sucked a large amount of smoke into her lungs. After coughing, her eyes teared up and she handed it back to Elena.

“That shit is good. What is it?”

“Ask Dusty. It’s from Darko. I’d say it was soaked in hash oil; he likes hash. Why are they talking all the way out there?” Elena asked, curious.

Violet hesitated for a second before answering. “You manage dancers, right?” Elena nodded. “If I tell you, will you help my friend Penny to dance? She has to be up here for a while. She got mad at the club and she put laxatives in the food and beer. Everyone got sick, so she’s on the run. I think Whiskey and Rebel are asking Dee to watch out for her.”

“That would make four dancers I’ve hired tonight. Is Penny here to talk?” Elena wanted to see this dancer before committing to hiring her.

“No. Zero and the rest of Rebel’s boys are still mad at her, but she is a very good dancer. She can also tattoo. She has long golden hair and she is really funny. I’m going to miss her so much. We were partners in crime,” Violet went on, putting her hand out for the joint. “At least she warned me not to eat or drink anything and Rebel was too hungover to eat or drink so he didn’t get sick.”

“Tell her to go up to Dirty Deeds. Dusty knows her?” Elena was awed Violet was asking for a favor.

“Of course. I bet you’d like to know about Whiskey, wouldn’t you?” Violet’s face had a cunning expression from under the backdoor light.

“Not really. We’re doing fine now by ourselves.” Elena watched Violet look at her skeptically.

Violet was used to women who were nosy and found her liking this Elena a lot more than she thought she would have. “His real name is Michael John Walker. He was married to my best friend, but she died and then the fool man married that bitch Margo because he believes you do the right thing. He didn’t do it by Dee, though, and that girl is getting a smart mouth, too. I’d take Shanna, but he refuses. I’m so much more settled down now, and I’d love to raise a baby with Rebel. I’ve fucked up in the past, but I guess it’s a dream I’ll never have.” They watched as Rebel left Whiskey and Dee and headed toward the house. Violet moved toward the door, but stopped suddenly. She touched Elena’s arm. “Be good to him. He deserves it; life has been cruel to him.”

“Violet, I’ll always be good to him. And don’t lose sight of your dream. I had my daughter when I never thought I would.”

They both heard Rebel yelling for Violet, so she slipped inside as Elena watched Whiskey and Dee talking.

* * *

“D
addy, I’m not part of Satan’s Attitude anymore. I’m a Nefarious ol’ lady, now. Why can’t Angie and Bebe watch Penny?” Dee questioned.

“I think Angie is gonna be busy explaining to Hyway why he’s never heard he has a daughter. Anyway, I’ll be up at least once a week to check on Shanna and to see Elena.”

“Dad, don’t play Elena. She isn’t like the girls you go for. She’s had plenty of her own troubles and she’s my friend.”

He considered Elena from a distance. “I see something in Elena… something I haven’t seen since your mother died, Deedee. Did you see her take Violet’s bullshit with a smile? You know, with you and Shanna living up here, I’ve been thinking it may be time to make a change. Maybe move to New Jersey. We need a bigger force here. Now don’t be talking to anyone about that either,” Whiskey warned her.

Deidra was in shock he’d called her Deedee; he hadn’t called her that since her mother died.

“Daddy, are you serious about Elena? Everyone thinks she and Thrash are a couple. Or Hunter meant them to be…” Her voice trailed off into the salty air as they stood looking at the water.

“Elena doesn’t want Thrash. She’s told me so over and over. I think about her all the time. Deedee, I never thought I’d love again after your mother. I was going to go on living as I was with Margo and she was crazier than Violet. I hate admitting that I’m glad she’s gone, but I am. I met Elena and a spark started inside of me. It keeps growing, too. I promised your mother I would love again. Hell, I promised her so many things and broke all of them. As Zero pointed out, the one to love again… I can keep, though.” Whiskey pulled the flask out of his coat and offered Dee a sip. “I’d like to keep that promise to your mom.”

Dee looked at her dad. Never had he offered her a sip from that old silver flask. She took a large sip and felt it burn down her throat before handing it back to her father. “Lacey-Jane wants to keep Shanna. Has she talked to you about that?” Dee reached for the flask again.

Whiskey handed it over. “You’d think Elena would let me give her Shanna? I’m being straight up here. I want a relationship with Elena and I think she does too. We’re taking it slowly, but if it works out, I want the same thing as I had with your mother. You say Elena is your friend? This could be a good thing.”

“Yeah, it could be. I can see you with Elena. But I think Thrash won’t let her go, honestly. I wish you the best daddy, as long as you’re serious and nobody gets killed.”

“Fuck Thrash. Rebel fixed it so that Penny is going to rent a studio apartment from him. She can tattoo part-time and dance. Maybe Penny will drive him crazy or hook up with him. Unless Elena talks to you, this is our family business; no telling Mad Jack or anyone else. I hope you’ll take Shanna at times when Lacey-Jane is going to dance at Dirty Deeds or other clubs.”

Dee coughed. “I don’t think Lacey-Jane will dance.”

Whiskey laughed. “Deedee, she agreed to my rules when I said she could move up here. She dances or else I let Violet take Shanna.” He rubbed Dee’s shoulders. “Violet isn’t getting Shanna, but it was a good threat. I helped raise Lacey-Jane. I’m tired of seeing her let life pass her by. Stevie would hate seeing her like this and you know it. It isn’t healthy for her or us.”

Dee put her hand into Whiskey’s. “I liked it when she was Calico. She might find her old self, if she’s back dancing. She is too attached to Shanna, though. You’d better not let her think she is going to have her forever.”

Whiskey took a sip and put the flask back into his pocket. “Living with Angie and Bebe will be good for her. Those girls know how to party and our Calico will be back. Now get inside before your husband comes looking for you. Dee, that girl who you hit, you need me to talk to Tramp about it?”

Dee stopped short. “I can handle her. She has some problems and I don’t want family feuds. I’m fine, really. Jo is having pregnancy issues. I really like Kima—that’s Jack’s youngest sister. I heard something bad that happened to her with Rabid from Bound for Hell. I remember him coming down to see you about Lacey-Jane and I didn’t like the way he looked at me.” She shivered at the thought. “Rebel made all of us stay at his house. That Rabid scared Violet, too. Nothing scares that woman. Remember?”