Destroying Beauty (Hell Hounds Motorcycle Club): Vegas Titans Series (16 page)

"No mother wants that for her daughter," she says
softly, and I fear I've hurt her. "Look, you become an old lady in this
club—old lady, that's sort of like a wife—it's not like you're becoming a drug
runner. You're still your own woman. Different clubs want different things…you
have to find out from Holt what it would involve for you."

"If I became one of the…an old lady, you mean?"

"Yeah. Find what's right for you. It's not like you
have to choose between a white picket fence and being my bunk mate in here.
There are things in between, is what I'm saying."

"How is it in there?"

"Oh, you know, I'm crocheting my ass off, trying to
stay sane," she says with a dry laugh. There's a pause. I wish I could
tell her about the shooting and completely unburden myself to her, but I know
these calls are recorded. "Hey, I gotta go, there's a line forming for the
phone."

"Oh, OK."

"Um, it was good to hear your voice. Maybe call me
sometime when you're not in crisis?"

I smile. "I will, Mom. Thank you, really."

"…Bye, baby," she says, and hangs up the phone. I
stare at my cell phone for a while even after it goes dark. I've resented my
mom a long time for her choices when I was a kid, spent a long time trying to
prove to myself that I was different than her. Maybe we're a little more
similar than I'd like.

But I can't decide who I am as a counterpoint to someone
else. I need to figure it out for myself.

Chapter Eighteen

Holt

I pick up the Hell Hounds cut and turn it around, examining
the stitching. It's certainly the smallest one I've ever seen. Had to order it
special for Jo. The only thing left is to have the embroidery done, truly
making it her own.

I tried to talk Jo out of going to the party many times, but
she's insisted. After not telling her about it, I'm not really in a position to
keep her away. But now it feels like our relationship rests on tonight's
outcome, and I don't like that kind of pressure. Particularly with Fish in the
mix, doing everything he can to sabotage me, and us.

I tuck the cut back into the top drawer of my dresser. I'll
wait until after tonight to ask her. If she's not into the MC scene, there's no
point in asking her at all. I just wish I could ease her into it more. I know
that's why Fish mentioned the party in front of her; he was trying to shock
her. He doesn't believe she will keep quiet, and wants to force the issue. It
was smart of him, the way that he helped her out with Carl and gained her
trust. I'll have to stay on top of Jo at every moment tonight to make sure he's
not alone with her.

I rub my forehead as a ball of anxiety grows in my stomach.
The idea of keeping the true reason behind my original pursuit of her a secret
from her forever is becoming more untenable by the second. Keeping her and Fish
away from each other tonight is one thing, but if she becomes my old lady, I'd
have to do the same at every gathering ever. But that's just a logistical
problem. Keeping this secret from Jo feels like an anchor that's pulling me
underwater. I know she has trust issues, and trust issues with me in
particular, considering that she's caught me not telling her everything before.

If I don't tell her the truth about the shooting, there will
always be something between us. If I do tell her, she might not ever want to
see me again. And she might be mad enough to go to the cops.

I grab my keys and head out to my bike. Some people might
find the growl of the engine startling, but I find it calming. I ride over to
Jo's feeling the wind flow under my half-shell and the seat vibrating
underneath me. I shoot her a text as I pull up out front, and a couple minutes
later she appears out of the main door of her building. I can't help but let
out a low whistle when she steps into the light of the streetlamps. She grins
and tucks her blonde hair behind her ear as she straps on the half-shell I
bought for her. 

"Thought I'd get into the whole biker thing…" she
murmurs as she reaches me.

"It works on you," I reply. That's an
understatement. She's wearing some kind of skintight leather pants, heels, and
a low cut black shirt. I'm proud to bring a woman like her to a Hell Hounds
party, but… "I gotta try one more time. You sure I can't talk you out of
going tonight?"

"I wanna meet everyone. You said it's a big part of
your life." I can tell by her defiant body language that she's not backing
down.

"I had to try. But remember, you stick with me the
whole time. These things get crazy."

"Got it," she says, and swings her leg over the
back of the bike. I pull out into the street and around the corner, past the
gas station, feeling how she's getting better at leaning into the turns with
me. She'll make a formidable old lady. I don't want to think about the
alternative.

As I spot the exit into Hunterdon, a part of me wants to
keep driving. Just head on down the highway, make a whole new life for Jo and
me. But I pull onto the ramp and slow down as I head into town. The music is
already pumping as we pull into the parking lot. I park next to a row of my
brother's Harleys. They're all under orders from Bark to act normal around Jo,
like they've never seen or heard of her before. Of course, there's only one brother
I'm worried about.

I turn as I step off my bike at the sound of someone pulling
in after us. I smile as I see Wilkes and his old lady Cara stop next to us. I'm
probably closer with Wilkes than anyone else in the club, and I think Cara and
Jo will get along well. They're probably my best chance of this night going
well.

"'Sup, brother," Wilkes greets me, as he helps
Cara off the back of his bike.

"You must be Holt's new girl," Cara says with a
grin. "Well, I say 'new' like there's been someone before you, which there
hasn't. Jo, right?"

"That's right," Jo replies. Cara hooks her arm
around Jo's and pulls her to the door. I step protectively after them and
Wilkes lays his hand on my shoulder.

"She'll look after her," he says. I run my hand
through my hair worriedly as we follow closely after them. The music rises as
we step inside and are swallowed into the party's dark interior. I keep Jo and
Cara in my sights as we walk toward the bar. They end up several feet down from
us, where Cara's introducing her to the other old ladies.

Brette appears behind the bar, looking her usual sexy self.
"Holy shit," she says, leaning toward me, "did you bring
someone?"

"I did," I admit.

"She's cute," she says, eyeing Jo. "The
usual?"

"Yeah, two," I reply. She quickly slides two
double whiskeys over for Wilkes and me. I sip it as I keep one eye on Jo.
"What's the temperature like around here?" I ask Wilkes.

"Some think you're putting your dick above the club,
some think Fish is a psycho who deserves to go down," Wilkes replies,
following my gaze. "So was she a good shot, or what?" he asks,
referring to our time at the shooting range.

"Excellent," I grin smugly.

"I can't get Cara into it," he sighs. He takes a
small bag of weed out of the inside pocket of his cut. "You want some of
this?"

"Yeah, why not? I'm feeling a little on edge." We
walk over to our women and I slip an arm around Jo's waist.

"We like her," Maribeth pipes up, giving me a
wink. Jo smiles and tucks her head onto my chest.

"Well, sorry to steal her away. We're gonna head outside
for a minute." I take Jo's hand and the four of us head through the lounge
to the back door and outside. There's a fire going in the pit and chairs set in
a haphazard circle around it. I drop into one of the large Adirondack ones and
pull Jo onto my lap. She pulls her legs up and grabs my drink, taking a long
sip, as Wilkes and Cara get comfortable next to us. Wilkes rolls a joint on the
arm of his chair and I take a deep breath of the night air, tinged with the
smoke from the fire.

"Oh, man, I haven't smoked since high school," Jo
confesses. She runs her free hand over my cut, and I realize she hasn't seen it
before. "You're all wearing these vests."

"We call them cuts," I tell her with a smile. "Brothers
and their old ladies wear them, and prospects."

"Prospects?"

"Guys we're considering. Like a…like a trial
membership. They have to do a lot of the grunt work 'til they prove
themselves."

"You get a lotta respect as an old lady," Cara
tells her, and I feel like she's working on my behalf. "Around town, or in
the clubhouse, no one's going to mess with you, or think you're a sweet butt or
something. They know you belong to a Hell Hounds brother."

"…And what's a sweet butt?" Jo asks, frowning.

"Oh, sorry, I've said too much," Cara says with a
laugh as Wilkes and I share a grimace. "I think Holt's trying to ease you
into the water gently and I just gave you a shove. Um, a sweet butt, sometimes
you might hear 'em called house mouse, they're like the club's female groupies.
Most of the women here without cuts, they're sweet butts. Fair game for any of
the brothers. That's why Holt hasn't taken his eyes off you, so no one gets the
wrong idea."

Well, that's part of the reason. I watch the wheels turning
in Jo's head as Wilkes flicks on his lighter and sparks up the joint, giving it
a long pull.

"So…you've slept with a lot of them, is what she's
saying?" she finally asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I'll be honest with you, Jo," Wilkes breaks in.
"Almost all.
But
none since he met you."

"You know, I thought you seemed like a slut when I met
you," Jo says with a cool smile. Wilkes barks with laughter as he passes
the joint to Cara.

"Hey, I never tried to hide the fact that I've been with
lots of women," I point out warily, knowing she's got some insecurities
about the fact that I've got more experience than her.

"It's just a little disconcerting to find out that
they're all together in one place. Like some kind of weird sorority," she
replies as Cara hands her the joint. She takes a small pull and holds it in as
she passes it to me.

"I thought so too when I got with Wilkes here,"
Cara says. "But when you become an old lady, they're not gonna give you
any shit. Oh, I mean if," she adds as I widen my eyes at her. "Oh,
fuck. I've done it again. Gimme this." She takes Wilkes' whiskey and
throws it back. Jo giggles and I feel her relax back against me. I take a hit
off the joint and lean forward to hand it back to Wilkes. "It's safe for
me to ask you what you do, at least, right Jo?"

"Yeah, that's safe," Jo replies. I look down at my
fingers as I wait for her answer. We hadn't discussed her working with
Evergreen after she found out about my being in an MC. Everything was so up in
the air. "I work for Holt, in his landscaping company." I squeeze the
side of her waist.

"Oh, that's how you met?"

"No, no, I was bartending at Billy's and he came
in."

"Wait, Billy's? I wouldn't think you'd be caught dead
in there, Holt," Cara says incredulously.

"A man's gotta eat," I reply, forcing a laugh.

"Holt a good boss?" Wilkes asks, changing the
subject.

"Very good," she says, nudging me.

"Yeah, I don't know if you and me would be able to work
together," Cara says, smiling at Wilkes.

"That's 'cause you would argue with me too much,"
he grunts amiably.

"No, 'cause you would order me around too much. Not
that we really ever have to worry about it, unless I become interested in
fixing cars overnight. I'm a manicurist," she tells Jo.

"How'd you two meet?" she asks, accepting the
joint again and taking a hit.

"Wilkes rotated my tires for me," Cara replies.

"Yeah, and then I
rotated her tires
,"
Wilkes chimes in, wiggling his eyebrows. Jo coughs on the smoke as she laughs
and I rub her back.

"I didn't exactly play hard to get," Cara admits.
"Two months later, he gave me his cut," she adds, running her hands
over the black leather laying over her chest.

"Two months?"

"Things tend to move pretty fast in this world, I think
you'll find," Cara explains. "Everything's a little…more…than in the
outside world."

I kiss Jo's neck softly and then tense as I glance up. Fish
is making his way around the fire, working his way toward up. I take my whiskey
back from Jo and throw back the rest of it.

"Come on, let's grab some more drinks," I say,
standing up and hoisting her off my lap.

"We'll see you in there," Wilkes says, taking
another hit as Cara waves to us.

I try not to seem like I'm hurrying as I lead Jo back
inside, but I need to avoid her and Fish meeting. This night's gone well so
far. Cara said a lot, maybe more than I planned, but Jo seems to have taken the
new information in hand.

Chapter Nineteen