Dark Menace MC: Stone (21 page)

“What kind of job?” I frowned.

“They wanted him to keep his eyes and ears
open and report back any information he could get on the activities
of Dark Menace. He was going to turn them down, Rach, but the money
was too good. Ronald said he’d be able to pay back what he owed
Dark Menace a lot faster.”

“But how did Ronald know about my connection
to Wildman?”

Maddie shook her head against the pillow. “He
didn’t. During his talk with the biker the subject of his severed
fingers came up, and he told him that Dark Menace had come after
him for payback, and had taken you as collateral.”

It all made sense now. Once the Predators
member had returned to Wildman he’d obviously relayed what he’d
been told by Ronald. The mention of my name alone had probably
spiked Wildman’s interest into finding out more. Especially if he’d
been searching for my mom and me over the years.

“Oh, God, Maddie. Ronald unwittingly got you
kidnapped and himself killed without even knowing why.”

“And told Wildman where you were,” she added
apologetically. “Is, is he dead?”

“No, honey. He got away, but don’t worry, as
long as we’re here, we’ll be protected.” I knew that I had to tell
her that we still had to pay back Dark Menace for the money Ronald
had owed them, but there was no way I could tell her how Stone
wanted her to do it. I would need to talk to him first, there was
no way he could make her work off Ronald’s loan as a whore. It was
because of me that he’d made that decision in the first place.

“Do you feel strong enough to get a
bath?”

“Yeah. Whatever I was given has worn
off.”

“Good. Take a nice long bath and I’ll go dig
you up some clean clothes.” I rose to my feet, smiling down at her.
“I’ll be back.”

I paused outside the door and took a deep
breath to calm my nerves, realizing that I’d have to go to Stone’s
room. The thought of walking in on him and Trudy made me queasy. I
forced myself to take a step, and then another, until I was
standing in front of his door. Raising my hand, I knocked.

“Yeah?” he yelled without opening the
door.

“I, I need some clothes.” The door was yanked
open and my gaze landed on the muscled beauty of his six-pack abs.
He was naked from the waist up. Oh, God, his jeans were hanging low
on his hips and opened, forming a long v that revealed a tuft of
black curls. He stepped back so I could enter. “It won’t take me
long,” I said, refusing to look him in the eyes.

I couldn’t keep my gaze from taking in the
bed, though, and almost released a breath of relief when I saw that
it was empty. Thank God. I wouldn’t have been able to handle seeing
Trudy there, looking all mussed up and thoroughly fucked.

Maddie was a lot smaller than me, but she’d
have to make due with a pair of my jeans and a t-shirt until we
could make a trip to the house. As I layed the items over my arm, I
reached for a few things for me. I could come back and get the rest
later, when Stone wasn’t around. As I turned to leave I came to an
abrupt halt, almost slamming into him. I caught my breath and
glanced up reluctantly.

His stony expression was unwelcoming and
cold. He didn’t look like a man who’d been relieved. I didn’t know
what to think about that. I only knew that his eyes were hard
enough to cut, but I held his gaze as if my life depended on it.
What gave him the right to be so judgmental, to glare at me and
treat me as if I had a fucking disease, and to just give me away as
if I were nothing? Because he was the president of a lawless
motorcycle club? Had he never made a mistake or gone against
someone’s wishes because he thought he had a better way?

Well, he wasn’t God. I understood his need to
punish me by lashing out and pushing me away, but he didn’t get to
be the only one to dish out hurt and then stand back and observe
the devastation. Something was happening to me, deep inside, and it
was slowly crumbling the hurt surrounding my heart and replacing it
with anger. I had to find my voice and show Stone that he wasn’t
the only one who could use words to cause pain.

As we stood there glaring at each other, I
wanted him to know that what he’d done was going to cause him
suffering, too. “I’m sorry for what I did, Stone, and I’m sorry if
my actions caused Animal his life, and that’s something I’m going
to have to live with. I made a mistake.” I wanted to ask if he’d
ever made one. “I think I might have a way of getting the money
Ronald owes you to you sooner, and in cash.”

My ex, Jimmy, came to mind. He was wealthy,
or rather, his family was. I knew that we hadn’t parted on good
terms, but Jimmy had been drinking the day we’d parted, something
he didn’t do often, and we’d been friends long before we’d become
intimate. He was generally a nice man and not one to hold a grudge.
Maybe he would give me a loan. The irony of asking him for a loan
to pay back another loan wasn’t lost on me, but I didn’t know how
long I could hold out watching Stone with other women.

That
got a reaction out of him.

“How?” he frowned.

“That’s my business.”

“Anything that concerns Dark Menace is
my
business,” he snarled. I could feel the heat rolling off
him, he was that close, and he was too sexy. I wished he’d zip up
his jeans or put a shirt on.

“Look Stone, I have a friend with money, and
I only now just thought about asking him. Maddie and I will be out
of your hair as soon as possible.” Which reminded me, “Please think
of something else she can do until we leave, she can’t be a
sweetbutt, it will ruin her. Besides, she’s still mourning over
Ronald.” Something flickered in his eyes. “What, did you forget
that you weren’t the only one who lost someone close to you? I
couldn’t stand Ronald, but Maddie loved him.” He stared at me for a
long time, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.

“She can wait tables,” he finally said.

I watched his sensual yet firm lips form the
words. Fuck, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to climb all over his
hard muscles, and more than anything else I wanted him to fuck me.
I realized that the sooner I got away from there, the better.

“Thank you,” I said softly, grateful for his
consideration, and then the devil in me added, “While she’s waiting
tables, I’ll be servicing Max.” I intended to walk away after that,
knowing that I was playing with fire.

A savage hiss escaped Stone, and I could see
the fire snapping in his eyes. I should have known better than to
taunt him. I became afraid when I noticed his tight fists hanging
at his sides. Well, if my words had hurt, he deserved it.

“Get out before I hurt you.”

I wanted to ask why, since he was the one
who’d pushed me away, but being the semi-smart girl that I was, I
did the wise thing and walked away.

He had hurt me by letting another man claim
me.

I was going to hurt him by reminding him of
it every chance that I got.

STONE

As soon as Rachel shut the door I slammed my
fist into the wall. She could taunt me about Max as much as she
wanted. I knew my brother. He had his fuckin’ reasons for claiming
her, and if I knew him it was because of some misguided notions
that he was saving her for when I got the bug out of my ass. Truth
was, I could have Rachel anytime I wanted her, even as a sweetbutt,
but I was so fucking angry over the fuck-up that went down with
Wildman.

I got that she thought her way was better,
and I fucking got that she wanted to avoid bloodshed, but she had
to learn this was the way shit went down for us. We were outlaws,
and in a sick way we thrived on war between rival clubs, it was the
way we resolved issues and proved who the alpha clubs were. There
was a reason why women weren’t allowed to become club members. They
made decisions with their hearts.

Every. Fucking. Time.

I turned from the door and went to my closet,
quickly throwing on a black t-shirt, with thoughts of going to war
with the Red Devils. Wildman wasn’t going to give up wanting
Rachel, and I’d be fucked if I was going to live with the threat of
that shit hanging over our heads. I was going to end that fucker if
it was the last thing I did. Sooner or later, his luck was going to
run out.

My brothers were right. With Wild Marauders
and Phantom Riders at our backs, if we didn’t take out the Red
Devils we were pussies.

****

RACHEL

When I entered the bar wearing my new
corset-style dress I knew immediately that it was a hit. The
clinging black leather conformed to my curves like a second skin
and stopped way above my knees. It laced up the front loosely, with
plenty of skin peeking through without being indecent, though it
was a teasing element that drew the men’s eyes there instantly. My
breasts were all but spilling out of the top. I’d arranged my hair
in a sexy, loose pull-up style that threatened to tumble down with
every movement of my head.

It was early still, but I could tell by the
occupied tables and booths that it was already busy and would
probably stay busy. I was glad I’d told Maddie that I’d work her
shift. Walking into a biker’s bar was intimidating enough, walking
into one that was already full and loud was down-right frightening.
She knew how to wait tables, but she’d always worked in
restaurants. Ronald had been the jealous-type and had forbid her to
go anywhere near a bar.

I managed to navigate through the catcalls
and whistles and get to the bar without being physically accosted.
Ty’s eyes were nearly popping out of his head as he watched me
approach, and I smiled at his lusty, over-exaggerated
once-over.

“Holy fuck,” he said when I was within
earshot. “I take it that you’re working Maddie’s shift
tonight?”

“Yeah, she needs a little down time from all
the chaos that’s been in her life the last few days. I hope you
don’t mind.” It occurred to me then that I’d made the decision to
take Maddie’s place without asking for permission. I frowned.
“Maybe I should go make sure it’s okay with your boss?”

Ty shook his head. “Naw, honey, Prez pretty
much lets me run the bar, and I say it’s okay. You look hot, by the
way.”

“I’m hoping for a lot of tips,” I said by way
of explanation, teasingly.

Ty laughed. “Oh, you’ll get plenty of tips,
along with a lot of other shit. You run into trouble just
yell.”

I nodded. “I guess I should get busy.”

“Take the booths. Lulu and Rhonda, cover the
tables. Your first break is at eight.”

Four hours away. “Okay, I’m off.”

“And, honey—” I turned to look back at him,
“Don’t take shit off of anyone.”

I gave Ty a last smile and got to work.
Waiting tables was a more difficult than waiting behind the bar
because of all the walking and maneuvering that was involved. I
gave up trying to avoid the butt slaps after a wild dance step
landed me onto the lap of a seriously old biker. We both laughed,
and with a wink I jumped off his lap and continued on. Slaps on the
behind were expected with the job, and I grew numb to them after a
while. It was the lingering fondles, and the hands moving under my
skirt and between my thighs that pissed me off.

Once in a while I glanced over at Lulu and
Rhonda and saw that they were getting far worse, so I kept my mouth
shut. Ty was keeping an eye on all of us, and the few times that we
made eye contact he’d give me a wink as if to say that I was doing
okay. But as the evening went on, the men got drunker and rowdier,
and their advances began to make me feel uncomfortable. I was glad
to see eight o’clock come, and scooted my ass to the kitchen to get
something to eat for Maddie.

“Hey, let me in, I brought food,” I called
through Maddie’s door after knocking on it.

She opened the door with a big smile, and
then I watched her eyes get big. “Wow, you look sexy.” Then her
gaze dropped to the tray in my hands. “I’m starved!” she admitted,
turning toward the small table in the corner. “But there’s no way I
can eat all this.”

I chuckled. “I hope not, sis. I brought
enough for us both.” I sat down with a long sigh and slipped off my
heels. “It’s a good thing you’re not out there tonight. Busy as
hell.” I reached for one of the sandwiches.

Maddie was already taking a bite out of hers,
and out of nowhere she said, “It’s going to take us forever to pay
back the money Ronald took.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” I responded
around my own bite. “Actually, I just thought about it today. I’m
going to ask Jimmy for the money.”

“But you broke it off with him.”

“I broke off our relationship, not our
friendship. I think he’ll loan us the money and then we can get out
of here.” Even as I said it, something twisted in my belly. “We’ll
go to your dad’s, find work there, and pay Jimmy back.”

She swallowed and took a drink of her soda.
“What about Wildman? Won’t he still be after you?”

With a sigh I leaned back in my chair,
suddenly not hungry anymore. “Probably.” I didn’t want to totally
freak her out. “I don’t know what else to do, Maddie. Maybe I
should just disappear, change my identity.”

“So don’t you think that you’ll be safer
remaining here?”

I knew that I would be. I only wished that
I’d figured that out before I’d fucked things up. “I gotta get
back.” I got to my feet.

“But you just got here!” Maddie rushed
out.

“I know, honey, but it took me ten minutes of
my break to put this together, and they’re busy out there.” I
reluctantly put my heels back on. “I’ll see you later.” I wasn’t
sure how much later because I wasn’t sure where I was spending the
night. Would Max insist that I sleep in his bed? After what he told
me I didn’t think that he would, unless he wanted to keep up
pretenses.