Malice's Possession (11 page)

“Okay, I’m ready to put this thing to bed, because everything has been laid out flat and things are looking like they are going where they need to.” Lucien glanced at Malice and then looked at Rock. “I for one can say I’m glad that piece of shit got what came to him. Hurting a woman is grounds for a broken neck in my books.”

There was a round of grunts as the members agreed.
“The vote is for Malice’s woman to stay at the cabin and help out with whatever needs to be done at the cabin until she gets on her feet and heals.” He looked at Malice and nodded. “That about right?”

“Yeah.” But the thing was Malice didn’t know what would happen once she was healed and “on her feet”
. Could he let her go? After the fear and worry he felt when they were back in Fairview … no, he wanted her, had already declared that, and he was going to have to show her that staying by his side was a hell of a lot better than being on her own.

“You know the drill
. Yea or nay.” Lucien gave his yea vote and started with Malice. Of course his vote was yea. Then it went on down the line with Tuck, Ruin, Rock, and stopped on Kink. He stared at the other biker, and although they had gotten into it just moments before, they were still family, and things would eventually smooth out. There was clearly something going on with Kink, though.

“
Yea.”

“Good, a unanimous vote.” Lucien tilted his chin toward him. “Malice, I want you, Tuck
, and Ruin to finish this run by taking the girls over to the cabin tomorrow morning. Rock, stay here and make sure shit’s good with the Fairview charter. With everything that happened there I want to make sure they are holding up and don’t need extra muscle.”

Rock nodded.

“Hopefully things start to settle back to normal.” Lucien glanced around the table. “Any other business that needs discussed since we are all gathered?”

There was a collective grunt
, and everyone murmured “no”. Once that was said everyone stood and left the room. Malice did the same and walked over to the bar and ordered himself a double shot. He glanced down at the scarred bar and saw some pamphlets. Once he had one opened it and scanned the interior his blood ran cold.

“Who the fuck brought these in here?”
Malice yelled to be heard over the music and voices.

Pierce, a prospect
, came over to him. “I did. They were shoved in the mailbox by the gate. Thought some of these fuckers could use some religion.”

Malice looked at the pamphlet again, saw that it was from The Church of the Good and Only in Fairview
, Utah, and set it back on the bar. Had that cult followed them all the way from Utah? It seemed pretty fucking ridiculous, but the proof was right in front of him. “Well, shit.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and breathed out. It could be nothing at all, just a member from that fucked-up cult trying to scare them, but he’d make sure everyone was on alert. He got everyone’s attention, and relayed what he just found out. “It could just be one of them tying to fuck with us, but I want everyone to know so they can be on the lookout.”

Everyone murmured their agreement. The cult hadn’t done anything but be annoying in their picketing at Fairview, but Malice didn’t put anything past a group of people that were intent on making their twisted and
warped beliefs a reality.

Everyone went back to doing what they were doing, and Malice leaned against the bar again.
It was still light outside, but dusk would be approaching soon, and after the last couple of days he had been through a drink was in order. He threw the shot back, and glanced to his left and at the hallway. He could just barely see the room that he had set Adrianna up in. The other women were upstairs, and maybe it was foolish of him, but the room he had put Adrianna in was his. Bracing his elbows on the bar he closed his eyes, feeling his exhaustion finally take hold.

Someone
clapped him on the shoulder, and he opened his eyes and turned to see Tuck standing beside him. “Shit, man, things got hot and heavy back there with you and Kink.”

Malice nodded, but didn’t look over his shoulder to see where he knew Kink was standing. “Yeah, not sure what is up his ass, but I didn’t have to get all pissed like that either.” He rubbed his eyes.

“I’m not sure what the hell is going on with him, but I do know he went over to see his ex-old lady and his daughter, and when he came back he was in a foul mood.”

Malice shook his head. Great, what the club needed was more drama. “Lucien talk to him?” He turned his head and glanced at Tuck. The light that came through the window slashed across his scar.

“Yeah, and it calmed his ass down a bit, but he has been drinking non-stop, and refuses to talk to anyone about whatever the issue is. But we all know that if there is an issue we are all here for him. It’s up to Kink if he wants to open up and unload his emotional baggage.”

Yeah, that was the good thing about being in the MC and having a permanent family.
Tuck stayed for a few more minutes, tossed back a shot with him, and then headed toward the back of the club and to his room. Malice stayed there for another few minutes, and when he turned to head back and crash for another few hours in one of the extra rooms, Lucien moved over to him.

“You got a minute, brother?”

“Yeah, I was just going to get another hour or two of sleep since I didn’t get much.”

Lucien nodded. “I won’t take much of your time then.” He tilted his head toward the rear entrance. They moved toward it, and once they rounded the corner Malice stopped and looked at Lucien.

“What’s up?”

Lucien exhaled, ran his hand over the back of his neck, and
looked out the back window. “I’ve talked to Kink, so me telling you this doesn’t go against his privacy, and besides, you need to know why he was all fucked-up back at the meeting. He doesn’t really care who knows, but he hasn’t said anything to the other members yet, and neither have I.”

“
Okay, what’s going on?” Malice knitted his brows and crossed his arms over his chest. “You talking about that attitude shit that happened between us back there?”

Lucien nodded. “Yeah
.” He shook his head, stopping Malice from responding. “Just hear me out.”

Malice gritted his teeth and nodded.

“Kink is in a bad place right now.”

“We all are, aren’t we?” Malice leaned against the
wall and sighed. Fuck, he was tired of all the fucking drama that seemed to surround them on a daily basis.

“Yeah, and I’m not downplaying anyone else’s shit. But then my VP and enforcer
are going at each other’s throat for stupid fucking shit, and I can’t have that.” Lucien shook his head, and a dark mask covered his face. “Not cool, and I’m not about to put up with that shit.”

“I know
, and I’m sorry about that, but no fucking way anyone will talk to me, or about Adrianna that way.” Malice felt this twisted confusion inside of him, one that made no sense, but that he didn’t want to ignore or end. He stared at Lucien, and the dark mask that had covered his President’s face was now gone, and there was almost an understanding on his expression.

“
And I wouldn’t have put up with that shit either if I had an old lady.” Lucien exhaled. “Listen, I don’t have a woman, probably never will to be honest, so I can’t see having this possessive need to protect them like that. None of the guys seem to want to settle down either, but I’ve been with the MC a long fucking time, have seen the older members take on old ladies and love them like the world was ending.” Lucien leaned against the wall, too. “I mean my dad was the last person I would have thought would settle down.”

Malice smiled and nodded. “Yeah, he was one
tough asshole.”

Lucien started laughing, and despite the tough exterior he always wore, Malice saw the slight
pain cover his face. It was after Brandon “Ranger” Silver had passed away of a heart attack last year that Lucien had gotten in contact with other Nomads and started this charter up with the blessing from The Brothers of Menace. Lucien may have never really said why he had started this charter, but in the end it didn’t matter. It could have been a lot of different reasons: tired of always being alone, wanting that family circle back again, or just needing to have a purpose with his own MC. Whatever the reason was, they were here now, and things in that department were looking good.

“Tilly and your mom are doing
well?” Malice asked about Lucien’s half-sister and his mom, who lived in Thornton.

He shrugged. “As good as can be I assume. Haven’t seen them really since we set up shop in River Run, but I know Tilly is busy with finishing up her degree, and my mom is doing fine.
She and Marshall are adding an addition to the house so his grandkids can have a place to stay when they visit.”

Malice didn’t go into any more detail about Lucien’s mother’s husband. She may have been an old lady to Ranger at one time, but the MC life wasn’t for everyone.

“Anyway, back to why I wanted to talk to you.”

Malice didn’t miss the fact Lucien changed the subject. “
Sarah is planning on moving to California with that dead-beat boyfriend she has, and taking Kink’s kid with her.”

“Shit.”
Just the thought of some asshole trying to take his kid, would have had Malice on a murderous rampage. He might have had issues at first with Stinger, Molly’s now old man, but things had settled down, and he respected the Grizzly MC member. But that wasn’t to say that if Stinger tried to stop him from seeing Dakota, or God forbid take his kid away… Malice tightened his arms across his chest and forced himself to push those thoughts out of his head. They weren’t real, and he wasn’t going to let them make him even more pissed. “I can see why he is on edge.”

Lucien grunted. “Yeah, seems like all this shit is going down in a short amount of time, but maybe that means we are getting all the drama out early.”

Yeah, Malice really doubted that. “Listen, I am not in the best of moods either, but my issues are nothing compared to what Kink is going through. I should have kept my cool, but—”

“
It’s done, brother,” Lucien said in a solid, straightforward tone. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Lucien grinned. “But an old lady, huh?”

Malice
shook his head. “Never thought I’d want another woman, hell not even after a few days, but I feel something for that girl. Pretty fucking crazy, huh?”

Lucian shook his head. “Nah. Look at the life we lead
. We are surrounded by danger constantly, and it isn’t like doing all that immoral shit doesn’t weigh heavily on us.” He shrugged. “We are a different breed of male, Malice. We fight with our hearts, ride with pleasure because it is in our blood, and fuck with abandon.” There was no humor in Lucien’s words, because what he said was truer than most things. Lucien had this look on his face.

“What?”

He shrugged. “Nothing
.” Lucien ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Well, that isn’t true. I’ve just never seen you this … enamored, not even when you were with Molly.”

“Enamored?” Malice grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use a word that big.”

Lucien flipped him off, but he cracked a smile. “Fuck you. Anyway, that was what I wanted to tell you. Give him space, let him work out his shit, and I know he’ll do the same with you.” Lucien took a step forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, and then turned and went back to the main room.

Malice stood there for a few minutes replaying what Lucien said in his head. Yeah, he had known Adrianna was something different and special when he first looked into her face. It wasn’t just about wanting to protect her, or wanting to fuck her in the worst kind of way like he was so
me kind of dirty bastard. He liked being around her, liked the things she made him feel even though she had no clue the effect she had on him.

“Fuck.” He pushed off the wall and made his way to one of the empty bedrooms. Maybe his head would be in the game with a few hours of sleep under his belt? If not, well, then he was going to have to deal with what he felt for Adrianna, and see where in the hell it took him.

Malice sat on the opposite side of Adrianna, and watched as she smiled and thanked everyone who offered her a dish of food. Tatum, a woman who had once started out as a club whore but was now an employee of the MC, now cooked, cleaned, and did their laundry. She was older, and was now more of a den mother to everyone that hung around the club. But Tatum took care of them even though they lived like slobs and did a bunch of shit that would make their mothers slap their faces. He leaned back in his seat, already having had his fill of the meal, and couldn’t help but just watch Adrianna. She looked relaxed and comfortable, and he was glad because the last thing he wanted was for her to feel out of place amongst a bunch of roughened bikers. He glanced at Kink, and from the scrapes and bruises it was clear he had come from a fight. But if that’s how he eased the pain he felt, then it wasn’t anyone else’s business. He turned his focus back to Adrianna, and saw that she was speaking to Tatum.

“You’ve been here long?” Adrianna asked
the other woman.

She shrugged. “
This clubhouse has only been up and running for the last few months, but I’ve known all these guys for years. I used to hang around another charter until I hooked up with them.”

Tatum grabbed her glass of wine. For forty-eight she looked good for her age.

The sound around them intensified as laughter rang out, jokes were told, and the whole atmosphere of the clubhouse went from tense and heavy to light and joyous. It was these times that Malice lived for. He saw that Adrianna was fully immersed in a story that Tatum was telling her, and he couldn’t help but watch her. He got hard just watching her sit there, and what a creepy as hell thing to do. A fucking mundane act made his damn cock like steel. And her fucking mouth… He ran a hand over his jaw and stared at those lush, red lips. He hadn’t been able to
not
think about it since their kiss.

Like some kind of sick fuck that couldn’t get enough of her, he watched as she set her fork down and
kept talking to Tatum. But everything else narrowed, and he had tunnel vision as he followed the length of her arm, and moved his gaze over the creamy swatch of skin that he could see above the collar of her shirt. Damn, her collarbones had his tongue actually swelling with the need to run it across those delicate bones. He had always thought that part of the female body was attractive, but on Adrianna it was tenfold. Her breasts pressed snugly against the top Tatum had given her, and he forced himself to pull his gaze away from her and stop being a bastard. But when he looked at her face it was to see her staring at him. He should have felt ashamed for checking her out, but he knew she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. That was clear when they kissed.

She turned and stared at him then, as if she had felt his gaze on her.
They stared at each other for several long seconds. Tuck sat beside him, and although Malice heard the other man speaking to him, he was honestly lost in his own fucked-up world. God, what he wouldn’t give to have Adrianna right now, but he wouldn’t be rough and hard with her like he was accustomed to with other women. He’d be gentle, and touch her so she knew that this wasn’t just about sticking his dick in her and getting off. He wanted her to be right there with him, to feel everything he did to her and plead for more. Malice wanted her breath to coast along his sweat-soaked skin, and he wanted her nails to be deep in his body as she held on while he slowly pushed inside of her sweet body and pulled out with just as much anguished detail. His breathing started to increase as those images played through his mind, but to him it was just him and Adrianna at this table. Everything else faded in the background. She still watched him, and he noticed the subtle changes in her to alert him to the fact she was growing aroused, too. If he felt this much lust pounding through his veins no doubt she could see the physical signs of it, too.

“Malice.”

His name being said beside him more firmly had Malice snapping out of the haze and turning to look at Tuck. The other man was leaning back in his chair, this cocky smirk on his face.

He leaned forward, and in a low voice that only Malice could hear said, “
Get your shit together, man. You look like you are about to jump across this table and mount Adrianna in front of everyone.”

Malice glowered at Tuck, but didn’t look at Adrianna again. He did need to get himself under control, but the truth was he felt like he was a teenager all over again that had just gotten his dick wet and didn’t know how to keep cool. He nodded once, and when Tuck was leaning back in his chair again he grabbed his napkin, wiped his face, and excused himself. He’d go
to the bathroom and jerk off like an asshole, and try to ease this need for her enough that he could actually be a foot from her and not feel like his dick would tear right through his jeans. He still hadn’t talked to her yet about him wanting her as his old lady, and honestly he didn’t know how she would react. Yeah, she might want him, but sexual need was a hell of a lot different from being his old lady. Maybe she just saw him as this knight in shining white armor that had saved her? Maybe she wanted him because of a psychological thing? Like she connected with him because he saved her? He scrubbed a hand over his face and moved down the hallway. He didn’t know shit about that kind of stuff, but what he did know was that he wouldn’t know for sure what she wanted with him unless he talked to her. The sooner he did it the better he could put his mind and his hard-on at ease.

****

“This is bullshit, Sarah.” Kink paced right outside of the barn, and inhaled angrily from his cigarette.

“It’s not, Kink. I have found someone that makes me happy, and if that means I have to go with him to California to stay happy then I am.”

He inhaled again, and exhaled just as harshly. “I don’t care if you are happy or not, or if you fucking move, but taking my kid all way to another fucking state because you have been dating a guy for a total of three damn months, is not going to fucking fly.” Kink was beyond pissed. He thought calling her and talking about this—again—would help things. He had been dead fucking wrong. He should have just gone over there again and demanded this bullshit be put to rest.

“You don’t have a choice in this. I have custody, and she is a minor—”

“If I have to take you to court to make sure you don’t run off with her I will.”

She sighed, and that annoyed sound grated on his nerves. “I don’t want a custody battle, and I don’t want to make this a war, Kink.”

“Then if you don’t want a war don’t take my kid.”

He could hear her pencil dick motherfucking boyfriend telling her to hang up on him because she didn’t need to hear his bullshit. “You tell that asshole to get on the
phone if he wants to start spouting off things.” He curled his hand into a fist and gritted his teeth. “I can show him exactly how much of an asshole I really am.”

“Stop being so damn dramatic. I can see where Callie gets her fucking drama from.” She sighed again
. There was some static from her covering the phone so she could talk to the douche bag boyfriend, and then she stated talking once more. “Callie could use a change of scenery anyway. Her attitude has gotten to the point that I can hardly handle it, and I think her boyfriend is in a gang.”

That had him stopping. “She has a boyfriend?”
Oh hell no.
He snubbed his cigarette out on the bottom of his boot and moved toward the side of the barn. The shouts were loud and energized from guys watching others beat the shit out of each other.

“He’s new, and the first one she’s brought around. But her attitude is horrible, and ever since telling her about California she has gotten worse.”

“Yeah, no fucking shit. You’re taking her away months before she graduates because you’re a selfish bitch.”

“Hey, fuck you, Kink. Sleeping with you was a mistake, and letting it carry on for as long as it did was a mistake, too.”

His heart beat faster as his anger exploded inside of him. “The only good thing about being with you for those couple of weeks is Callie. Other than that it was a big damn mistake for me, too.” He couldn’t even call what they had shared a relationship. A few weeks of sex—and that one time he had fucked her without a condom because he had been drunk—had been a damn nightmare. But then she had gotten pregnant, and when Callie was born something changed inside of him. He was a dad to a little girl that looked up to him. He might not be the best role model, and might belong to an outlaw MC, but he was there for her, and would die if it meant she could live. She was the one ray of light in his otherwise clusterfuck life.

“If you want to drag your daughter through a court hearing, make her traumatized that her lowlife biker father wants to make a damn scene over this, then go ahead and make a fucking scene, Kink. Do whatever you have to do, but in the end who do you think the courts will side with?”
He didn’t say anything, but she started speaking again before he could spout off a string of profanities. “You belong to a motorcycle club that has a reputation of being involved in illegal and dangerous activity. I’ve told you that I was talking to my lawyer, and I meant it, Kink. She is drafting documents up for the judge about moving out of state with Callie.”

“You are one cold hearted bitch.”

“I will do what I have to do to ensure that my happiness isn’t fucked up by you. I mean, you fucked up my life as it is by getting me knocked up and being an absentee father.”

He gritted his teeth again, willing himself not to say what was really on his mind because it would only make the situation worse. “I’m only going to tell you this once, Sarah.”

“Say whatever you want, Kink. It doesn’t matter either way.”

“You will not take my kid from me.” He disconnected the call and nearly crushed the cell in his hand. He would go to drastic measures if it meant keeping his kid close. He turned and slammed his fist into the side of the barn. He loved the pain, but it didn’t make him feel any better.

The crowd went wild right on the other side of the wall he leaned against, and he pushed away from the barn and walked around the building. He was enraged, and needed a good fucking fight to get it out of him. He pushed the people out of his way once inside, and lucky for him the fight commencing was just ending. Tilting his head toward a few of The Grizzly MC members, and some Brothers prospects, he walked up to them. Rock was getting himself pumped up to take the center by jumping on the balls of his feet, cracking his knuckles, and rolling his head around on his neck.

“I need to be next.”
Kink ground the words out and glanced at Rock. The other biker looked like he might argue, but when he saw the clear anger on Kink’s face he nodded and held his hands up.

“All yours, brother.”

Kink took his cut and shirt off and held it out to Pierce. He moved forward just as the other brothers dragged their sorry asses out of the center of the bar. He faced off with the fighter that stepped forward.
Come on, motherfucker, let’s do this.

The other guy wasted no time and charged forward. Kink slammed his fist into the other fighter’s face, and felt the surge of adrenaline flood his body from the impact. It felt good to deliver violence, felt fucking fantastic to see the blood pour out of the other man’s nose because he had just broken
it. He slammed his fist into the other guy’s face again and again until blood covered his knuckles, splattered across his bare chest, and made him feel even more alive. His rage kept building, kept taking control until there was no sane and logical part of him left.

He hit the man again and loved that his eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground. He was still so juiced up, still needed to kick another motherfucker’s ass because he wasn’t nearly done yet. He’d try
to talk to Sarah again, reasoning with her that Callie should just stay with him until she graduated, and then she could decide where she wanted to start her life. Normally he just took what he wanted. Callie was
his
kid, and no way in hell he’d let his daughter leave. He turned in a circle and bounced on the balls of his feet. Starring at all the guys lined up to fight, he grinned, hoping they took note that he loved the blood on him. Some looked apprehensive, others tried to look unaffected, but it made no difference because he’d take as many of them out that had the balls to come into the center and brawl with him. He lived for this shit, volunteered to fight every damn night if it meant he could kick someone’s ass. He had done this for money back in the day, back before he committed himself to the MC. These fights were straight-out street rules, and that was exactly how Kink liked it.

“What motherfucker is ready to hit the floor next?”

The crowd went wild, and money was raised high as the volume increased tenfold. The guy that stepped forward looked far too little to be fighting dirty at the barn, but what the fuck ever. The end result would always be the same. He didn’t prance around what was happening, just held his fists up, grinned at the prick, and threw a left hook, and then a right undercut. The other guy fell back on his ass without even being given the opportunity to throw a punch.

“Get up
, asshole.” Sweat dripped down Kink’s temples, and he tasted the metallic, tangy flavor of blood in his mouth from the last guy that had managed to hit him. The other guy finally pulled his sorry ass off the ground, and turned his head to spit out a mouthful of blood. The crowd went wild once again, and he had to give the scrawny fuck some credit for having balls. More sweat dripped off his bare chest and fell to the rust stained colored ground. The other guy suddenly charged forward. He swung left, and then right, but Kink easily dodged the attempt. This barn might mainly be used for shifter fights, but Kink was about to show these fuckers that humans were some bad motherfuckers, too. The other fighter caught him in the jaw, and Kink stumbled back. His lip split, and blood dripped down his chin. So this little shit had some bite in him. Good, because Kink didn’t like things to be easy.