Tread: Biker Romance (Ronin MC Series Book 1) (20 page)

“I said party’s fucking OVER. Get the fuck out. Now.”

Suddenly, Doves were scrambling for the door. I tried to look for Grace. Marley and Tatum were dragging her out the door. All of the brothers besides cabinet members followed suit.

It was game over.

I headed out after the girls with the crowd to make sure they were safe, pissed at the noise but gleeful that Harvey blew his fucking stack, even if I was going to catch hell for it later. Hilarious.

I found Marley outside with Tatum and Grace. I was bursting at the seams, trying so hard not to make noise as I laughed.

Grace stalked over with fire in her eyes. “This is funny to you?!” she yelled, getting in my face. The uncontrollable need to laugh had tears forming in my eyes.

“Shhh, shhh,” I tried to tell her between gasps.

“People could have died because that psycho lost his temper. I’m done, Tread.” Grace said over her shoulder before getting into Tatum’s truck and slamming the door.

Tatum growled under her breath and I tried to rein myself in.

“Hey, sis . . . ” I cleared my throat. “Can I have a minute?”

“Yeah, what?”

“Let’s take a walk, Tate.”

We strolled side-by-side, one arm around her shoulder, cigarette in the other as we walked around the corner.

“What? What’s your deal with Grace, anyway?”

Tatum was quiet, hopefully coming up with a logical explanation instead of flying off the handle for some reason unbeknownst to me.

She started to speak, “That bitch . . . That girl, that itty-bitty-little-delicate-soft-hearted-cheesy-Bible-thumping CUNT!”

I guessed she needed another moment to get her argument straight, so I waited as another lull of nasty shit to say flew through Tatum’s head. Her brown eyes appearing as dark-empty pits of loathing and hate was enough to turn a chupacabra to stone. I felt my balls pull into my body with that look. Her jaw fully flexed as she gritted her teeth. Scary shit.

“You know, Mom paid good money to get those teeth looking pretty.” I tried to brave it out.

“Fuck you, hermano.”

“Oh, now with the Spanglish. What is it? Why are you so fired up?”

“First, you dump your toy on me so you can do your little recon. Then she almost shoots me fucking dead. She’s been nothing but trouble—”

“Oh, come on. From what I heard, she showed real concern for your life. Then you chew her head off instead of a simple thank you. That’s not like you. What is it really?” I did my best to yank the thread so I could get the full, unadulterated truth that had my sister’s eyes on the brink of tears.

“That bitch is trying to replace my best friend!”

With that, she lunged at me and I collected her in my arms. Her legs fell from under her and I was left standing, holding her pint-sized frame like a child.

I believed she had only sobbed this hard maybe twice in my life. Once when Dad died . . . and now.

My immediate reaction was to push her back and tell her to get a goddamned grip. Grace wasn’t replacing Kit. She was just a stranded girl that got picked up by the biker crowd instead of the police.

She was innocent in this.

Wait.

There was a little tiff with Royal when we called Kit’s old room Grace’s.

Grace had assumed Kit’s job, her room, her clothes, her perfumes, and to top it all off, Kit confided in her something that she wouldn’t even hint to Tatum.

The blocks fell into place, and I struggled to explain it logically while I held my sister in my arms, shirt undoubtedly soaked in tears from the most badass of us all.

“Tate, honey, listen to me.” I lifted her chin and her eyes met mine. “It’s true, with all the evidence it might look like—on the outside—that Grace replaced Kit. But Grace didn’t ask for any of this. The girl just wanted some custard. Can you blame her? You were doing the same thing?”

Tatum burst into a short-lived smile before going back to a wet-faced frown again. I wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Grace didn’t ask to be here. God knows how she ended up on our doorstep and into our lives. She could never replace Kit. Kit doesn’t need replacing. She’s going to come back. She’s going to contact you. I promise you. That girl is as tough as you, and made her own decision. Don’t put misguided blame on the new girl.”

“Well, Kit has an ass kicking to come home to for sure, compliments of me.”

I beckoned her to follow me and we went to the back of the saloon to the kitchen door. Inside, you couldn’t make out what Harvey was screaming due to the dynamat inside the walls, but you could hear yelling. Tons of it. Briefly, I had a moment were I found it less funny because Royal was probably getting a real ass chewing.

“Take Grace to your house. I’ll be there in a bit. And don’t kill each other, please.” I leaned down to kiss her head then pushed her away as she took a swing with a little fist.

Laughing to crying, and back again. Marley watched Tatum’s headlights fade as she pushed off of her SUV and walked closer to me with a chuckle.

Marley laughing brought me back into the mood, though. There was a loud pound on the wall of the saloon that startled us and we ran laughing all the way around like kids in trouble. I lit a cigarette and passed it to her, then lit one for myself.

“Oh God, that was funny shit tonight. I’m probably going to catch hell for it, but I haven’t laughed like that in a long time,” I told her.

“Yup. Everything worked out as expected. Thanks for volunteering us.”

“I expected some shit like that from you, Marley, but I never imagined you would take it that far.”

“It was a long time coming. We’re tired of being treated like off limit daughters. Look at what damage that did to Kit. Prez should be thanking his stars she wasn’t here, because she would have been the first to take it all off, just to get a rise out of him. We need some breathing room.”

“I get you. Do I have you to thank for Grace’s Hitachi wand, too?”

“You saw that, huh?” she asked slyly.

“Uh, yeah. Walkin’ in on her made my fuckin’ week.”

“I wanted her to feel sexy for the dance or it wouldn’t have worked. I doubt she would have had the nerve, otherwise.”

“I’m surprised she got up there to do it. I thought Tatum mentioned before that she wouldn’t do that last part of your dance class.”

“Mmm. That was probably your fault.” She looked away and towards the ground.

Suddenly, there was another thread, and I had to unravel the sweater.

“What did you do, you little shit stirrer?” I asked jokingly.

“Okay, fine. I might have said something to get her on track for the dance, but you started it.”

“Bullshit,” I protested.

“Shut up. Grace saw you this morning going through chicks’ profiles on your phone. Then she saw you holding hands with that new girl tonight. She doesn’t know that pussy was for the prospect. Our little Grace was cool until the phone, then she was not happy. Now that I know you watched her get off today, it makes more sense.”

“Damn it. She got pretty bent, huh?”

“Meh. She’s getting more attached and trying not to, but it definitely bothered her this morning. That shit with Susan had her riled up for sure. How better to get your attention than by taking her clothes off in a room full of brothers?” Marley asked slyly and I felt my blood pressure skyrocket.

“¡Dios mío, Marley! ¿Qué coño? Do you know what those guys would do with a girl like her?”

Marley rolled her eyes. “Oh stop. You wouldn’t have let anything happen to her. Mutual jealousy can do wonders. I was just teaching her the art of the brotherhood. You have feelings for her or are you just messing around?”

“You’re an asshole. I gotta go band-aid that shit. No wonder she wanted to leave with the two of you in her ear all the time.” I walked away, leaving her next to her car to grab Grace from Tatum’s house. God knows if there would be anything left of either of them by the time I got there.

As scrappy as Tatum was, it warmed my heart knowing my girl could keep up with her.

Whoa, wait, what?

I stopped mid-step as the words repeated in my head on a loop.

My girl?

I hadn’t had one of those in . . . ever. Pussy came easy to the club, even when we were young. Everyone knew girls dig the bad boys, and we were raised from the cradle to be exactly that.

I hadn’t slept with anyone since Grace landed on my doorstep, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t.

I just hadn’t had time.

Yeah, right.

We needed fresh blood. The regulars had lost their appeal.

Bullshit. You didn’t even look twice at Susan.

All right, fine. I could admit to myself that she calmed something that hadn’t been silent in a long time. What would I do when she left?

Grace, the angel, saw something in me that she actually liked for more than the MC. Over the years, the women around us were either related, trying to score drugs, or screw their way into protection from the club. Grace didn’t see the patch, she liked the man.

“You’re welcome!” Marley yelled out her window as she passed. I flipped her off and her laugh was heard softly over the sound of her engine as she sped away.

“I’M DONE WITH THIS CRAZY
town.”

“You are the biggest baby I’ve ever met.” Tatum rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, well, you’re a raging bitch,” I volleyed back.

She shook her head. “I don’t know what he sees in you. He needs someone strong. Not a sniveling little girl.”

“What did I ever do to you? You’ve had it in for me since the day I broke down in the street. Why do you people hate me?”

“By people, you mean Royal?”

“Yes!” Even as I said it, I could feel my phone vibrating in my purse. Kit. It was all coming back to her. I leaned down and dug into my bag, pulling out the little piece of plastic. Tatum turned into her driveway and switched off the truck. I put my hand on her arm to stop her from bolting out of the door.

She pulled her arm away from me forcefully and I sighed, holding the phone out to her. She looked at it warily, hesitant to take it. Finally, she pushed her shoulders back and snatched the phone, flipping it open quickly.

I heard her breath stall over the tick of the engine cooling. When she was done scrolling the texts, I was shocked to see actual tears in her eyes.

“Can we call a truce?” I asked. She nodded, handing the phone back but staring at it in my hand, not making a move to leave the truck.

“You didn’t tell us this whole time.”

“She made me promise not to. I think she really needs this time away. But she’s safe.”

“You haven’t even told Tread?”

“No one but you,” I answered quietly.

“I was mad at you for taking over her life, just stepping in, and then my brother, too.”

“That’s the way Kit wanted it. I’m serious about not staying here, though. Harvey is a loose cannon. I just want to get out of the loony bin.”

“That’s something you’ll have to discuss with my brother. Come on, we need to hash this out over some food. I’m starving.”

After Tatum opened two bottles of beer and started her grill, she took out chicken wings from the refrigerator and tossed them in a bowl with spices. Thirty minutes later, we were elbows deep in bones and paper towels.

“Kit had a lot to live up to—and be stifled with—because of her dad, and who he is. I’m happy she got out. I just miss her, is all. I kinda wish she would have taken me with her.”

“Why do they still treat you like kids? Is it just the old guys? Because I saw the way the younger ones were watching us and they don’t agree with that.”

Tatum shrugged and tossed a bone into the pile at the center of the table. “It’s only happened a couple of times. If one of the brothers touched Marley, Kit, or me when we were under age, they would get transferred out. This charter, and the one on the Canadian border, are the most sought after locations in the MC.”

“Why is that?” I asked, licking a finger and taking a sip of my beer, trying not to wrinkle my nose. I thought it was an acquired taste.

Tatum studied me while she chewed for a long minute, saying nothing. Just as I thought she wouldn’t answer, she did. “There’s a lot of dynamics that aren’t apparent when it comes to an MC. Cogs are turning that no one is privy to. The story goes that they served in Panama together and saw how the cartels were running the government down there. They did research, pooled their money, and bought a piece of land for almost nothing, right on the border of their own country.

“They specifically picked the most unpatrolled, wide open space they could. The land is a triangle, with the border fence being the largest piece.” Tatum shrugged again. “Turns out, there was some oil on the site no one knew about. So if you hear the guys talk about going out to the well, they are. It’s just that they’re taking a shift, too.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Yeah, I mean cartels send their mules with drugs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They aren’t too happy and we’ve caught heat before. That’s why the boys usually send the prospects to babysit us.”

“You know I thought I wanted an adventure before I got here. I actually prayed for it. What the hell was I thinking?” I shook my head.

Tatum smirked and tilted her head. You really regret coming here? Was life so great before you got here?”

“I can’t wait to get out of—” I broke off, hearing a loud engine pulling into the driveway. Tatum continued eating while I rubbed my mouth with a napkin, trying to make sure there was no leftover sauce on my face.

Tread knocked twice as he opened the door before making his way to the dining table. His leather creaked and the chain at his hip clanked on the wood sharply as he stole my beer and Tatum’s wings as he sat down. “What’s going on, ladies?” He looked between the two of us, digging in.

I leaned back and sighed. “I’m glad you’re here, Tread. I can’t stay here.”

“Well, you’re both still breathing, no blood anywhere. What’s the deal?”

“It has nothing to do with Tatum and everything to do with your boss, and the guns. My God, I’ve never heard so many shots in my life than I have since I got here.”

“Yeah, it’s been a bad week. I’m sorry if you got scared, but you shot a gun, too.”

“I shot a gun for the first time, trying to save a friend from being killed. I almost got killed at the vet’s office. Which reminds me, is Bella okay? Harvey didn’t have any consideration when he shot upstairs. All the more reason to leave.”

“Wait a minute.” Tread held up a hand and leaned back in his seat heavily. “Your dog is fine. I called mom at a stoplight on the way over. She said she was shaken up, and Mom took her home so she wouldn’t be alone. Now, what’s this about you wanting to leave?”

“I want to leave.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“You can’t.”

“Why? I’m not a prisoner.”

Tread cleared his throat then looked nervously at Tatum. “Can you give us a minute, Tate?” Tatum grabbed another beer from the fridge before walking out the back door towards the kennels.

“Babe. Okay, let’s look beyond the fact that Harvey specifically said you couldn’t leave until we found Kit. We haven’t found her yet, you have no car, nowhere to go, no money, and an unhealthy dog. Besides all that, I’m not ready for you to leave.” Tread bit his lip and played with a cigarette in his hand, but didn’t light it.

“I’m . . . You what?”

“I don’t want you to go.”

“Why?” I asked.

“You . . . you’re different. Our little town is more of the same, day after day, year after year. I like having you around.”

“I like whatever it is we’ve been doing, but that’s not enough to get me to stay and potentially get myself or someone else dead.” I winced, only half-believing myself. No, I didn’t want to die. But also, no . . . I didn’t have anywhere to go and there was Tread with his kisses and orgasms right here.

Tread sat forward, putting his elbows on the table and shaking his leg. It moved the table slightly with each bounce of his knee. “Grace, I know things may seem difficult right now, but it’s not always like this. Let me take you back to your room.”

My eyebrows raised. “The room that can be broken into by anyone of the MC, or even a . . .what do you call them? A civilian? I don’t feel safe, Tread. This is what I mean. The brothers are barely civil, though they do tip well even though I suck as a bartender. I think that has more to do with them being flush with cash, though. Your VP doesn’t want to acknowledge I exist, and when he’s forced to he has to restrain himself from attacking me. I just need to go.”

“Grace.”

“No, there is no reason for me to stay. Why would I do that when I can get on a bus?”

“Grace, please. Hold on, let me think for a second. There has to be another way.” Tread let his hair down before smoothing it back up with a band. “What if we taught you how to shoot so that you can protect yourself?”

I started shaking my head before he was finished. “That won’t make the men respect me, or even the Doves for that matter. I’ll always be the outsider. I just don’t want to feel like crap for existing, which is how I’ve felt when I’m there and you aren’t around. If you take me to a bus stop, I think I have enough for a ticket. You’ll never have to babysit again.”

My breath hitched at the end, but I got the words out. As violent as these people were, they were a family. You would have to be blind not to see how close they all were. Having grown up in a big family, I never once felt as close to them as these people were to each other.

“I can’t, Grace. I would worry because you matter. Look, I know we barely know each other and I don’t even know exactly why I’m begging other than I have orders from Harvey, and I’ve never slept more than a few hours in years until I got in your bed. I never realized how tired I was until you helped me sleep. We already had Kit vanish. Don’t do that to me.”

“What? Kit and Royal have something so beyond what this is—”

“I know a way to keep you protected and not be treated like shit.” Tread lit his cigarette.

“You aren’t supposed to smoke in here. Tatum doesn’t like it.”

“She’ll get over it.” Tread stood up and began to pace, as if his nerves need more room to move. “You’re gonna be my old lady.”

Even though it wasn’t a proposal, or even a question, the gist was clear. My eyes went wide and I gasped. I knew a few things about the old lady title.

I knew as an old lady, Veesa and Lola by example, were treated like extensions of their husbands.

I knew the MC would be pissed, especially Harvey and Royal.

I knew that taking the title was as good as a marriage vow in this world.

None of the second generation had taken old ladies that I was aware of. For Tread to suggest it meant he must be desperate, but why? Because I helped him sleep? Surely in his trunk of meds there were sleeping pills.

I shook my head. “Tread—”

“It wouldn’t be permanent if it doesn’t work out, but you would move into my house, sleep in my bed. At least until Kit comes home. We wouldn’t have to get divorced or anything with the law, but it would be official in the eyes of the club. To disrespect you would be to disrespect me. It should improve your day to day while you’re here. That’s the only thing I can think to do.”

“You’re really that desperate to take a nap?” I asked incredulously.

“Grace.” Tread put his hands on my shoulders, leaning down to close his eyes when our foreheads touched. “Every time I close my eyes I see men dying, my friends and brothers in battle. Every single time. I wake up in a puddle of my own sweat reliving the most horrific moments of my life. Except two nights ago I slept in your bed for twenty-four hours straight. I’m guessing you left the bed at one point, because I woke up to a nightmare that morning and you were gone. Last night was the same. It’s like you’re keeping me sane. It’s probably the most selfish thing I’ve ever done, but I’m going to ask you, anyway. Don’t fuckin’ leave.”