The Rising Sons Motorcycle Club (15 page)

He was on all fours, taking gulping breaths after the shot to the balls. Raven was able to get to a standing position and kneed him in the side. It wasn’t as hard as she could actually deliver, and she could feel the solid wall of muscle absorb most of her blow, but it did seem to catch him off guard. She didn’t know if Gunner would give up so easily.
 
When he dropped down to try and protect his body,
 
Raven took the chance. It was time to unleash the secret weapon.

She swung a leg over his chest, and tried to pin him. The cheers turned from ravenous to sexual as she straddled Gunner. Raven wanted to roll her eyes, but every bit of her mind and body focused in on the fight. Raven knew it would only take him a second to realize and fling her petite body from him, so she had to act fast. Using her fists for the first time, she squeezed the lime slices hidden in each palm and pounded down.

Gunner was able to deflect Raven’s fists, but the drops of juice were landing on his face and smearing on his hands. The second a drop reached his eyes, he shut them tight and cried out.

“The fuck?!”

He tried to rub the stinging liquid from his face, but each time Raven landed a blow, it squirted more juice from her fists. She pounded down until her arms felt like jelly.

Gunner squirmed beneath her, finally wrapping an arm blindly around her and pulling her off of him. She hit the hardwood with a thump, her head landing hard. She wanted to pass the test and become a Rising Son; she wouldn’t give up for anything.

Crawling behind Gunner, she threw her arms around his neck, attempting to put him into a chokehold. His shoulders and neck were so strong, she thought it would be useless. Once she had her arms locked, Raven put every last bit of her strength into her hold. She ignored the gasping breath and the sting of sweat and lime juice in her own eyes. Every beat of her heart was in her arms, squeezing tighter and tighter. Gunner wouldn’t give up easy, so she couldn’t hold back.

Gunner tried to get purchase and pull Raven’s arms free, but his hands were wet with sweat and juice, and his strength was fading. She felt him kicking, and Raven wrapped her legs around his waist in a last-ditch attempt to hold him tighter. Gunner leaned back, trying wrestle free, but she held on for dear life.

She could feel the strength fading from her hands, but she could feel it leaving him, too. Her muscles screamed out in protest, and her breathing was labored. Raven pulled harder, praying he’d tap out.

The cheers seemed to grow as the bikers surrounding Raven and Gunner realized that she might take the fight. The crowd was getting her going. It was giving her strength she didn’t know she had, adrenaline in secret reserves. She squeezed tighter. All she could hear was the noise of the bikers, and it took Bear grabbing at her shoulder to realize Gunner was tapping out.

She released her hold, and he sucked in a panicked breath. Bikers were coming up to take care of Gunner, who was coughing. Others pulled Raven to her feet, congratulating her and pouring water on her face.

It was icy and made her suck in a breath, but it felt amazing on her burning skin. She looked to Gunner and saw that he had a dry smile on his face as he eyed her. She had fought dirty, but it was the only thing that would have let her win
. There’s no honor among thieves
, she thought, matching the dry smile.

Bear put up a hand to calm the bikers down. “I’ll be damned. I mean, I’ll be goddamned. She did it!”

The bar of twenty-five odd bikers roared. Someone grabbed Raven’s hand and held it up. She felt like Rocky Balboa: beaten, exhausted, and confused, but the champ. No one seemed to suspect that Gunner had held back.

“Three tests, three passes. I think the executive board will have two things to discuss after the bar shuts down tonight.”

Raven didn’t know what the two things were. She had passed the tests and would become a Rising Son. Maybe the other thing had to do with the first woman getting through the process. She didn’t know, and at that moment, she didn’t really have the mental capacity to contemplate. She collapsed into a chair and took a long pull from an ice-cold bottle of beer.

An old-timer dropped into the chair next to her. “Goddamn, sister. Didn’t think you had it in you.”

Raven smiled at him. “I did.” She’d known it was in there the entire time.

In honor of her win against Gunner, Raven was given a night off from tending bar at Los Bandoleros. She was grateful, thinking that standing behind a bar for five hours would be enough to make her collapse. Rising Sons were coming up to her all night and remarking that it was one of the best prospect fights they’d ever seen.

Tanner sat down next to her. “Way to go, sis. Couldn’t be prouder.”

“I really could have used your help on that one.” Raven punched him in the arm, causing herself far more pain than him.

“What the hell do you mean? You kicked his ass.” Her brother said it like it was nothing. He had seen her do much worse. She could see the respect in her older brother’s eyes as he spoke. “I never would’ve thought of that.”

Raven laughed. “A little help telling me what to expect. I might have trained, if I knew I had to fight one of you.” Something dawned on her. “Oh, God. What if your name had come up?”

“I chanced it.” Her brother gave her a secret smile.

“What do you mean?”

“I threw Hoser’s name in twice.” Tanner winked and threw back a shot of whiskey.

Raven laughed. Her brother had been there for her in his own way. He was forbidden from explaining anything about the three tests, but he was still there supporting her. He had convinced Bear about her courage, and he had done what he could to keep himself out of the running for the strength test.

She could see the respect in her older brother’s eyes as he spoke. “I mean it, Raven. I never would’ve thought of that trick.”

Tanner had been rooting for her from the very beginning. Raven loved him for that, and she appreciated all his help. She knew he trusted her with life and death when they went to rescue Jenny, and Raven knew he’d ride beside her into anything.

She tilted her beer toward him and smiled. “Thanks, Brother.”

Raven waited near the dance floor while the executive board of the Rising Sons Motorcycle Club discussed the two matters. She realized quickly what the other matter was when Jenny came into the bar that night. Bear’s words came back to her: “She’s gonna owe us
big.
” Jenny was there to pay for her rescue.

The young black woman looked better after a few days of sleep. The bruise on her cheek had gone down some, and Raven had to laugh, since she had one on her cheek from the same man: that cop. She’d gotten even for the both of them.

Tanner didn’t say anything about Jenny earlier that night, so Raven wasn’t sure what she was discussing with the executive members, but she came out with a smile on her face, so it couldn’t have been bad.

Raven waved to her, and Jenny came over. When she stood up, Jenny almost knocked her back as she threw her arms around the biker. Despite every muscle in her body screaming in protest, Raven laughed and found herself hugging back.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. You and Zane saved me. I can never repay you.” Raven didn’t think she looked like a stripper at all. She was dressed in tight jeans and a loose sweatshirt. Her makeup was simple. She looked like the black girl-next-door.

Raven smiled. “Just be good to him. He’s a mean son of a bitch, but he’s a good man.”

“Speaking of mean sons-of-bitches, what’s the deal with Gunner? He exploded on me during our meeting. I gave the club an idea on bringing in legitimate income, and he blew up.”

“Oh, he’s had a shitty night. Some girl beat him up about an hour ago.” Raven beamed with pride. “I’d be pissed off, too.”

They talked for a little longer, and Raven decided that Jenny was a level-headed, down-to-earth woman. She and Tanner would be great for each other. When Jenny said she and Tanner had already talked about moving her in, Raven offered to help Jenny get everything set up at Tanner’s place, or the “dude palace,” as Raven called it.

Bear came up behind Raven and surprised them both. “It’s time, darlin’.”

Raven excused herself after exchanging numbers with Jenny and followed the president of the biker club back into the kitchen. Each step reminded her of the two beatings she had taken the past few days. To Raven, though, they were badges of honor; badges of courage.

She was following the man that would officially induct her into membership of the toughest biker club in California. She was ready.

Inside the kitchen, the key members of the club were waiting to tell her the decision they’d come to. Bear, Trask, Gunner, Boss, Tanner, and Trigger were leaned against a metal table waiting for Raven. She nodded to them all. Trask gave her a slight smile, and Gunner stared fiery daggers at her. There was nothing too out of the ordinary, except that Gunner’s eyes were red, bloodshot, and swollen.

“Gentlemen,” she said, unable to help giving Gunner an
I told you so
look.

Most of them just nodded. A few gave her a grunt in reply. Bear ushered her to step closer.

“First off, I’d just like to say holy shit. I mean, no offense, Darlin’, but I don’t think any of us really thought you’d make it through that fight. We were hard on you, that’s for damn sure. I bet Pitt getting in before you really steamed your buns. I get that. We did that on purpose. You know what a knuckle dragger is?”

Raven shook her head.

Bear smiled. “A knuckle dragger is all brawn, no brains. Just some dumbfuck who doesn’t mind the heavy lifting. Pitt is a knuckle dragger. You are not. Pitt will never hold any of these ranks.” He looked around to the patches on the cuts: President, Treasurer, Sergeant-At-Arms. They were the heart and soul.

“You, on the other hand… you might, someday.” Bear extended a hand. “As decided by the executive board of the Rising Sons Motorcycle Club, we officially offer you full membership. From this day forth, you bleed for the club. You kill for the club. You are a brother to twenty-six men.” After a pause, “I get that it sounds a bit strange, but it’s true. You have twenty-six new brothers, and they have a new one, as well. If you think you’re prepared for that responsibility, shake my goddamn hand, already.”

Raven smiled and felt a lump in her throat. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of some of the toughest motherfuckers she knew. She took Bear’s large, rough hand in hers and squeezed.

“Congratulations, Raven. You can talk with Boss about trading in your Prospect cut for something a little less gay.” Bear shook her hand, approving of her hard grip.

Boss spoke up, “Unless anyone has any objections, I’d like to declare this meeting adjourned.”

There were only mumbles of agreement as the bikers parted with unceremonious shrugs. As Tanner passed, he gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Great job, sis.”

Everyone walked past her as Raven stood staring at the back of the kitchen, still taking in the news of her promotion to a full member. Then she heard the crunch of leather boots behind her and spun around. Gunner was there, staring at her, looking more than pissed off.