Us (15 page)

Chapter 22
– Elle

I followed P, the prospect who didn't get a name it appeared, to the Camry. We walked back through the clubhouse, through the shop, and out to the tarmac. Fernie was chatting with some guys next to their bikes, and Isabel was safely tucked away in the car.

I went to Isabel first.

"Hey, girl." I leaned in her open window. "Ready to see your new digs?"

"What?" Eh, slang. "Um, ready to see your room?"

"Please. I'm tired of this car and being trapped in it. My legs need to walk."

"Well, let's do it." I turned to the prospect. "Grab her bag from the trunk, will
you?"

He just nodded and popped the trunk from the front seat. I watched him do his best to avert his eyes from Isabel. I realized it was difficult. She was a beauty in Mexico, but here she could add exotic to the list of things she had to offer a man. These horny bikers would be drooling over her foreign look. Let's hope they followed the strip club rules—you can look, but your ass better not touch.

"Fernie!" I waved him over.

"
Órale
!" He came running over. "Those bikes are sweet. I wanna get one for myself."

"I'm sure you do. Let's go in and I'll show you your room."

I grabbed Isabel's hand, making sure everyone saw she was with me. Everyone knew I was with J, which I hoped made the men realize she wasn't their next piece of ass. I led the way, with P and Fernie following, to the rooms I'd been shown by Link and Cash. Now there were two fine specimens that would have Chris drowning in her panties.

Damn, I missed my girl.

I shook my head of those thoughts for now, knowing it was probably still dangerous for me to call my BFF. I needed to ride this storm out a little longer before I got in contact with her. Despite my need for a whole night of girl talk, I knew her safety was more important. I wouldn't do any good bringing another person into my mess.

P led us
through the shop, and Fernie's eyes were larger than the moon.

Fuck.

He was hooked.

We walked through the door that lead to the clubhouse,
and this time it was Isabel whose eyes were moon-like. The room was filling with men, club brothers I assumed, who were waiting for church. I showed both Isabel and Fernie the bathroom and that J and I were right across the hall.

"This is your room, Isabel." I opened the door and allowed her a moment to take in her surroundings. It was decent. A man's room for sure, but it was clean so that was a plus. "Let me talk to Fernie for a second, and then I'll come check in on you, OK?" She nodded and scurried into her room, closing the door behind her. That's right. Stay behind that door, girl.

"Come on, Fernie." I led him into his room and gave him a moment as well to take it all in. He scanned the room, the walls filled with photos of bikes and women. Either they gave Isabel the room without half naked women pics, or they took the photos down. Either way, they'd made the right choice. I sure as hell wouldn't stay in a room full of naked women. Fuck that. J would be regulating if that were the case. I hadn't even taken notice in our room, but I'm sure if there were any I wouldn't have missed them, leading me to believe they too had either been removed or were never hung up.

"Let's rap for a second. There's a lot going on and
we need you on your game."

"For sure. What's up, Elle?"

"So, the boys are in church. I don't know how much you know about club life, and I'm not exactly in the know about everything, but I'm pretty sure what happens in church stays in church. I'll tell you what I can, though I'm not sure how much that will be. For now, can you hang out here in your room?"

"I can't go check out the bikes?" Fernie's face fell.

"Naw, man. We're in a holding pattern for the moment. I'm gonna go talk to Isabel and then maybe take a nap if I have time. When church is over and I've talked to J, I'll come get you and we can see about getting some clothes and sh—stuff for us. For now, just hang out here, OK?"

"Yeah, fine." He might as well have kicked an invisible can he seemed so bummed. Well, sorry about your luck, but them's the breaks. I wished I could make everything better for him, but reality was a bitch sometimes.

"I forgot. Here." I handed him the burner phone. "Call Genesis. This number will come up unknown or blocked. Tell her no one can know you're here. She needs to keep her mouth closed to everyone, including Angelica. Don't talk too long, and when you're done, you both need to erase each other's numbers from the phone. Got it?"

His eyes went from dejected about not getting to see the bikes, to shining like stars at the chance to talk to Genesis. I think all they'd done was Facebook chat, so the chance to hear her voice probably had his heart and dick reeling.

"I got it. Thanks, Elle. This is real cool of you. She won't tell, but I'm happy I can talk to her."

"No prob. Just keep it short, remember?"

Fernie nodded and I left him to make his call. I went to Isabel's room next. She had her suitcase open on the bed and was digging around for something. While pulling out a new outfit I spotted a black tablet in her suitcase.

"Oh shit. Is that a Kindle?" My eyes lit up like it was Christmas, or a male review.

"Yes. Would you like to borrow it?"

"Oh my
God. Can I?"

"Yes, you may. What is mine is yours." That was very nice of her. Despite her Latina Goddess looks, Isabel seemed like a good person. A good person with a shitty reputation. I wasn't sure if she even wanted to be here. I felt bad that I never thought to ask. I would eventually, but we had more pressing matters to discuss.

"Can we chat for a second, or were you going to lay down to nap?"

"No. Let's chat." She sat down on the bed and I popped a squat beside her.

"The guys are in church."

"
La misa
?"

Ah, I'd learned that one from Abelita. Mass. She tried to take me to mass with her various times when I was in Mexico.

"No. It's when all the club brothers get together and talk about what they're going to do about something. Business I guess you could say. They talk business, and right now there is some serious business to discuss. I'm sure they are deciding how to contact your family here in the States, and if this is a safe time."

"Oh, OK." She looked at her hands, and I was unsure if she was happy or sad.

"Hey. Tell me what's going on in your head. Did you
want
to come here?"

"Yes!" She looked up from her hands, her face brightening up like the morning sun. "I wanted to get away from what everyone was saying about me in Mexico. It's just all very new, and there are so many men here, precisely what I need to avoid. I learned my lesson with men, but my father and uncle think it is better for me here. I agree, but I'm nervous. I don't have any friends."

"Girl, I'm your friend." I patted her on the back, and she pulled me into a hug. Holy affection, Batman. I waited the hug out until she finally let go. Exhaling a breath, I continued my pre-prepared speech.

"Isabel
, do you have other family here in the States that you are going to stay with?"

"Yes. In St. Louis."

"I think you're going to have to wait a little bit before you go see them. I can't say too much about what's going on with the club, but they may want to keep you here while they handle their business. It might be safer here in Kansas City. I'm not sure, but I'll know more when J gets back. Do you need anything for now?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Can you stay in your room for now? I'll just be across the hall. You can come knock on my door if you need anything." She nodded. "Thank you for letting me borrow your Kindle. I'll take care of it. You have no idea how much I miss mine. I was right in the middle of a great book. I'm going to try and download it if they have Wi-Fi here."

"You like to read?" She seemed perplexed that I'd be a reader. I guess the weed-smoking-sometimes-selling girl wasn't your classic example of a reader.

"It's like getting lost in other worlds, and right now I need to be in a different world." And I did.

"What book were you reading?"

"In The Stillness, by Andrea Randall."

"Oh." Her eyes filled with tears. "That is a sad one. Are you sure you want a sad one? Is that
a better world than this one?"

"Natalie's world is pretty rough, but I have hope
that it'll get better. You're right though, it's a tearjerker, that's for sure."

"Tearjerker?"

"It makes you cry."

"You cry?" Again she seemed to be trying to figure me out. Good luck with that, girl.

"Only when I'm alone. Hey, why do you have In The Stillness on your Kindle? Are you into American romance books?"

"I love them! They have helped me with my English, and the sex—oh, the sex! You Americans write good sex in your romance books. If I can't do it, I can read about it."

I put my fist out for her to bump, a broad smile plastered across my face. Although I was currently getting laid, Sylvia Day and Amelia Hutchins provided some great sex during my many sexual droughts.

Isabel stared at my outstretched fist.

Lost.

I grabbed her hand, made it into a fist, and bumped it against mine.

"It's just something we do. Well, I do it, but it's kind of old school. It means
right on
, or
that's cool
."

"Right on. I like that."

"Have you read the Fae Chronicles?"

"The what?"

"I'll take that as a no. I'll try to download them on the Kindle for you. THAT is some great sex!" I stood up, cradling the Kindle like a baby. "Thanks again for letting me borrow this." I held up the tablet that might as well have been made of gold. "Just knock on my door if you need anything, otherwise I'll come grab you later when the boys are done. Cool?"

Isabel held her fist out to me, and we bumped.

"Right on." She smiled and I took my leave.

I grabbed the phone from Fernie before heading back to my room, or my temporary room.
I took a moment to look around, taking it all in and enjoying a moment to myself. There was a queen sized bed, a dresser, and a nice leather chair. I sat in it, realizing it was well used, meaning it was comfortable as hell. Suddenly I was exhausted. I looked at the open door to the ensuite bathroom, but could only muster the energy to throw myself on the bed. I fired up the Kindle and was amazed at all the American romance books Isabel had. I caught a Wi-Fi signal and downloaded Fighting Destiny, the first book in the Fae Chronicles series. I scrolled through her list. There were a bunch of books in Spanish by KASAFINOL. Guess that was her thing. I kept scrolling and found a woman after my own heart.

The Thompson Sisters series.

Damn near everything by Colleen Hoover. I hadn't read her latest, Maybe Someday. Score!

Oh snap! Making Faces
by Amy Harmon!

It appeared Isabel really did like the tearjerkers.

I scrolled though some more. No MC books. I downloaded the Dream Man series by Kristen Ashely. Tack was last, but it would be a good introduction to MCs. Plus it was one of the cleanest MC books out there. I'd scare her if I downloaded my current MC obsession, The Gypsy Brothers. Lili St. Germain and Sammy/Juliette might be a bit much for Isabel. Leg stabbings and premeditated murder would definitely freak her out. Tack was the mildest MC hero I could think of, and one of the hottest. That's for damn sure. When he held Tyra by the neck... Swoon. Yep, I fucking swooned when he explained that shit. Though like crying, I swooned in private.

I lay on the bed and picked up where I left off reading In The Stillness. I was sobbing two hours later when J returned.

Chapter 23
– J

"What's wrong? Who did it? Was it the prospect? Tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

I
was in kill mode.

Shit.

"He doesn't love her. Not like he should." Elle said through heaving breaths, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Who? What?" I had no idea what she was talking about, but I'd kill the fucker who made my woman cry, a woman who almost never cried.
Well, not usually, though lately I knew she'd been breaking down more than normal. All the more reason foe me to be ready to kill to keep her happy. Seeing tears run down her face like raindrops on a windowpane made me think I'd failed her once again.

"It's just a book, dear. A very sad,
yet totally amazing book. Sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out."

"I thought you lost your reader with your luggage."

"I did. This is Isabel's. She let me borrow it. I talked to both her and Fernie. They should still be in their room, though I gotta tell you, you're gonna have to pry Fernie away from those bikes." She smiled, wiping her tears with the corner of the sheet. I watched her put the Kindle down just as I grabbed her off the bed and buried my face in her hair.

"Fuck, baby. You can't do that to me. Someone was about to die."
I inhaled, taking her unique flowery smell into my lungs. I'd never get enough of her scent. Like her pussy, it was my drug, and I'd happily stay addicted.

"I'll keep the tearjerker books on the backburner for now. How's that?"

"What's the right way to love?" Her earlier words came back to me. Was there a wrong way to love? Was I loving
her
wrong?

"It's just, well, it's this couple and the woman has been through so much, yet the man is a jackass. She deser
ves more, to be loved like she's the sun."

"You know you
're my sun, my one and only. The one in the sky doesn't exist without you. Is that the right way?" Fuck, I sounded like a douche.

"It's the perfect way. No doubts, darling. This is us, and it will always be us, just hopefully a little less violent soon."

Fuck.

"You know more violence is coming? It won't always be like this, but for now..." I trailed off, not wanting to start something in the middle. I had to tell her what I could from church
, and it was best I started at the beginning.

"I know." She grabbed me around my neck and pulled my lips to touch hers. "I know."

She kissed me gently, but I was still twisted from my thoughts of killing. I pressed my lips more firmly to hers, taking her lip into my mouth to suck on it. A moan escaped from her mouth.

"Shit. It's about to be Barry White up in here, and I'm not trying to have my
introduction to your boys start with a porno."

I laughed, thinking of Isabel and how that was exactly what I
listened to in Mexico between her and Son.

"
Ok, baby. We can eat, find you clothes, shower, or talk. You pick."

She thought for a moment.

"Can I grab a shower while you find me some clothes? Then we eat. I don't know about you, but I'm beat. Maybe we can talk tonight when we're alone, after dinner? Wait a minute. Are we eating with all your club brothers? I don't know if I'm up for grand introductions tonight."

"Speak your mind, woman. I love it. And I love you. I can make all of that happen. Most of the guys have rooms here, but have their own
houses as well. I'll send most of them home. Link and Cash will stay, as will the prospect and a couple others. You don't gotta say shit to them, though. Link and Cash are busy making plans, the prospect will do what I say, and the others who'll hang around you can meet later. Sound like a plan?"

"Absolutely."

"You need help in the shower?" I held her away from me a hair and raised my eyebrows at her, already knowing the answer, but asking just in case.

"Not at all." She wore a shit eating grin. "But I might get dirty during dinner and need to clean up later. Hmmm?"

I planted one last kiss on her and pulled away before it could go too far.

"I'll be back." I left the room and adjusted my pants. Fuck if I wasn't acting like Fernie.

I found Cash first and asked if there were any women's clothes around.

"You know the hoes are always leaving clothes here, hoping for a chance to come back for round two." Son had some level of
a moral compass when it came to women. Well... sort of. He didn't kiss and tell. Cash was all about
the tell
. Both were upfront with the women they slept with, but Son didn't seem to have as many women throwing bricks through his car window or at his bike. Cash on the other hand had to park his bike inside or his car in the back if he wanted to avoid bricks.

He
led me to a room with a bed, a couch, and a wooden chest. All had seen better days. I opened the chest and found a variety of clothes, all slutty as hell. Elle was not going to be happy if I went back into our room with a skirt that didn't cover her ass and half a shirt. Fuck, I wouldn't be happy. I dug around and found a tank top that looked about her size and two pair of jeans.

"Hook me up with an MM hoodie?"

Cash ran across the hall, coming back to hand me a brand new hoodie, something none of us had worn in a while. We used to love representing our club, it was an honor. Hopefully it would be again soon, instead of an embarrassment.

I
was twirling a pair of barely there panties on my finger when he returned. "Really?"

"What?
Souvenirs." Cash said it as casual as could be.

"They have crusty pussy juice on them, man. Do you have any self respect?"

He thought about it for a moment. "No."

Fucking dirty bastard.

"Thanks. I think. You got food in the kitchen or is it as nasty as this chest in the fridge?"

"I'm hurt." He put his hand on his chest. "Really hurt. You know we don't fuck around with the food here. You gonna cook? I'd eat."

"I'm eating with Elle and you're going to the fucking clinic. How's that sound?"

"Fuck you, brother. My shit's clean as can be. I wrap Big Man up every time."

"Big Man? No, never mind." I left him and his "Big Man" there to see what my options were in the kitchen.

There was pasta and chicken so I knew I could make something. I took the clothes to Elle first.

"Baby?" I knocked and peeked in the door to hear the shower still running.

"Yeah?" she yelled from inside the bathroom.

"I'm going to leave some stuff on the bed for you. I'll be back in thirty with dinner for you, me, the kid, and Isabel. I'm thinking we'll be eating in here if that's cool?"

"Sure.
Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"I know now is not the time, but can you tell me when it's safe for me to call Chris?"

"You miss her?"

"More than I ever imagined."

After hearing her story of how she met Chris, I understood their bond much better. They were more than just friends, more than someone to go clubbin' with. They shared a bond similar to me and my club brothers. We'd partied together, fought together, killed together, celebrated together, and put each other above all else. The love Elle and I shared trumped everything, and I assumed it was the same for her, but that didn't negate the ties that we came into this relationship with.

"I'll make it happen."

"Thanks, dear."

"Anything for you, baby. I'll be back, OK?"

"I love you." The words were like music coming from her mouth, a symphony to my ears.

"I love you too."

I laid the items on the bed, praying she didn't smell year old pussy on the pants or the top, and headed back to the kitchen to make dinner. After Cash's chest of sin, I didn't think parading Isabel around was a good idea. No, I knew it was a terrible idea.
Plus, we could eat and talk about what was next.

Fuck.

What was next?

When I returned with chicken pasta, Elle was dressed in the hoodie and the jeans she'd been wearing before. Her bra, underwear, and previous
t-shirt were wet and hanging from the shower.

"It was a good try, but I prefer to smell like my own coochie, not some other bitches'." Her smile was broad as she said this, letting me know she wasn't fully pissed at me. Thank
God she could find humor in the most fucked up of situations.

I put the pasta, bowls and forks on top of the dresser and went to her. "Sorry, baby. It was all they had, and I tried
to pick the least sleazy ones."

"That's OK. It was a decent try." She put her arms around me. "Anyway
s, we can shop tomorrow."

I cringed. Shopping? She put her hand over her heart.

"My darling, I'm offended. You think I'm the chick who goes through every rack and tries on twenty tops to buy one? You know me better than that, don't you?" I smiled, nodded, and leaned in for a kiss. She spoke against my lips. "Unless its shoes, then I'm all girl." I could feel her smile and I did the same. God, she was perfect.

And she was mine.

"I'll grab the kiddos," she said before walking across the hall to retrieve our "adopted" kids.

I sat on the bed and marveled at my life. As fucked up as it was at the moment, I could still feel her light. It blinded me sometimes. She knew the clothes were
as skanky as the women who left them here, she didn't freak out on me, and she chose the MM hoodie to wear. Top it off with the fact that she hand washed her other clothes, letting me know she was ready for anything and not too good to wash her own clothes in a sink. Who was this woman? She was mine, but how did I get her? How did a monster like me deserve the Golden Goddess of Light?

I was still thinking
why me
when she came back into the room, laughing at something Isabel was telling her. Fernie came in a few moments later looking like he was in pain. Poor boy probably had blue balls from hell.