The Run (The Hell's Disciples MC Book 4) (19 page)

“Anywhere with you,” she says, pressing her knees into my hips.

Those words are like gasoline on a fire. That shit speaks to me. Lennon just wants to go. She wants to ride ... with me. I can’t deny her, because on my bike, with her, is where I want to be too.

“Yeah, babe. I’ll take the long way to the club.” 

Lennon

I’m ready. Tonight’s the night. My heart is happy and my body is on a high. Buck took the long way here. Screaming down the highway, he gave me exactly what I asked for. We cruised the coastline―rocky ocean cliffs on my right, and limitless forest to my left―we rode into the nothing, just Buck, his bike, and me. It was perfect. Exactly how I wanted to spend my evening.

Glowing brightly in the distance, I can see the sky-high flames above the bar from down the highway. Bright and blaring, the party has roared to life, and the closer we get, the faster my heart races.

Pulling into the lot, I survey the rows and rows of bikes. It’s beautiful insanity. It’s all an overload of the senses, and I’m not even off the bike yet.

“Wow,” I breathe, leaning around Buck to take it all in.

Laughing, Buck agrees with a simple, “Yeah.”

“I’m so fucking excited.” I hop off the back of his bike the second it rolls to a stop. My feet meet gravel and they itch to take off into the thick of it, but I only get a step in before Buck stops me. “Hold up there, hippy.” Slinging a protective arm over my shoulder, he walks me across the lot and around the bar to the open lot out back. “I’ll walk ya back.”

I feel at home in the crush of bodies as we wade into the thick of the party. Bikers, family, friends, and the like, mingle around the giant lot. People have their drinks, smokes to their lips, bodies moving to a voiceless hypnotic beat. This is what I call a fucking party.

In the firelight, everything looks perfect, promising a night of shameless fun, drunken debauchery, and endless stories. Nights like this are what I live for; the crazy, the wild, and especially, the unexpected. I fight the urge to run wild, to throw myself into the madness and just go crazy.

But Buck’s arm keeps me grounded. “Darlin’?” Sensing my need to go, Buck looks down at me, lifting a curious brow. In black from head to toe, the fire at his back, he looks larger than life. He looks like everything that’s right about tonight, and I can’t contain my smile.

I can’t stand still. Itching to be wild and free, I dance on my feet, unable to control myself.

“Jesus, babe,” he laughs, clearly amused by my enthusiasm. “You excited or what?”

“It’s just so ...” I don’t even have the words.

“Go, have some fun, but be careful,” Buck warns before letting me go. Careful is not my middle name, but I’ll try, for him.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll find you,” he promises before taking a step back.

“Okay, Buck.” I wouldn’t expect less from him.

I walk around, weaving around bodies, taking in all the faces and all the voices. I know hardly anyone, yet I feel perfectly at home. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Food is set up on picnic tables in the far corner. A dirt pit lined with wire holds the hogs, sizzling away over hot coals. Three-barrel barbeques cook away, manned by men in cuts. Kegs are everywhere, holding stacks of red cups, overflowing with beer. Twenty or so ice chests sit between rows of tubs, filled with ice and cans.

Across the lot, the pool’s surrounded with some people fully dressed, some completely naked. Girls squeal and splash, and the guys laugh and cheer them on.

This party is exactly what I’d hoped for, but nothing like I expected. Sure, it’s wild. I’ve caught some couples in some compromising positions. A fight broke out and some guy drove his bike through the fire, but it’s not scary to me, it’s fun. Everyone’s having a good time. It’s a family affair, and it shows.

“Lennon!” My name shouted by five familiar voices has me leaping ungracefully from my stump, and my bare feet landing in the dirt. I wobble from the three beers I’ve just consumed, but I manage to keep on my feet.

Sam, Lil, Peaches, Lala, and Cali, screech like maniacs, and I screech back, “Girls!” We may not be blood related, but we are all sisters at heart. From years to weeks, I’ve known these girls, but it feels like a lifetime, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Caught up in a bone-crushing hug, we gush and we giggle. I’m happy to see some familiar faces in a sea of new ones. I can hang with the boys, but I need my sisters.

“How’s it goin’?” Peaches asks, tackling me in another bear hug.

“Great!”

“Buck bein’ a good boy?” Lil asks, jerking me from Peaches arms and into hers. Buck is Buck; larger than life, but bossy.

“Perfect gentleman.” I assure them all. We all start to laugh at that as we look over at Buck, who’s talking with Tank, Rampage, and Gin. Buck let me go, but he’s stayed close.

“Drinks, ladies.” Lil ushers us all towards the picnic tables. “I wanna hear all about how you and Buck are getting along.”

Paper plates full of barbeque, and red cups filled with Jack, sit in front of each of us as we catch up on the weeks we’ve been apart. There’s nothing better than girl time.

“Give me your hand,” I demand, sticking my own hand out. Sitting at the picnic tables, I’ve been reading life lines and tarot cards, something my mom taught me the summer I turned nine. Not a skill worth building a career out of, but it’s a fun party trick.

Stuffing a fry in her mouth, Lil leans forward, watching me read Lala’s hand. Running my thumb down the long line, I surmise she’s got years ahead of her with Rampage. Brushes with death be damned, this girl is gonna live a long time.

“I see years and years,” I assure her. I know hardly anything about her and her situation, but I can feel it. She needs the reassurance.

“Yeah?” Lala asks, smiling. She’s new. Well, new to me, anyways. Many moons ago, I was friends with Lil, Peaches, and Cali for a single school year. It’s been a long time, but we’ve picked up right where we left off, and I get the vibe it’ll be the same with Lala.

“Oh yeah,” I stress, smiling back her. I’m sure there’s zero scientific accuracy to this method, but it’s fun and it’s a hopeful way to see your possible future. “And the line of your heart is deep and strong.”

“Enough about Lala, I wanna hear the deets on you ‘n Buck,” Lil sings from next to me, bumping me with her shoulder.

“We vibe just fine.” Buck and I, we’re two very different people with some deep similarities. I wouldn’t even know how to explain Buck to her. I like him. I’ve only known him a short time. He’s withdrawn, and I know he has some history that he hasn’t let go of yet, but he calls to me. So, even though I know very little about Buck, I like what I do know.

“Oh yeah?” On the edge of her seat, Cali props her chin in her hand and wiggles her brows in anticipation for what I’m sure she thinks is a juicy bit of gossip. “Vibe, or vibe?”

“Like, we cuddle, but it’s not mutual. I do most of the cuddling,” I say, stifling a laugh with the thought of Buck, the “I don’t want to cuddle” cuddler. I like to cuddle with him, alot, but I also do it just to fuck with him because I know he hates it.

“He’s kinda prickly like that,” Lil adds.

“Give me your hand,” I motion to Lil. “He’s cool. I like him, but I’d much rather talk about your future.” I change the subject, knowing I can’t offer much about Buck and I because there isn’t much to tell ... yet.

All the girls get a reading. Most think it’s fun, but Jess doesn’t find it fun or exciting. She’s scowling at me from the other end of the table, angrily drinking her beer. I offered her a reading, but she scoffed at me, and I’m cool with that.

She showed up about an hour ago and planted herself at the end of our table. I’m not sure what she’s doing, but then again, I’m really not paying her much attention either. “What’s her problem?” Lala asks. Looking down at Jess’s tired face, I wonder the same thing myself. Since getting here, I haven’t had much interaction with her, other than her welcome wagon warning, but whenever I grace her with my presence, she glares at me. She’s obviously not my biggest fan.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“It’s Buck,” Lil chimes in, shaking her head sadly.

“What about Buck?” Lala asks, turning in her seat towards Jess, blatantly staring her down. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t a little interested too.

“You wanna know about Jess?” Lil says as Jess sneers at us. She gets up from the table with her head held high and defiant. The word yes hangs on my lips, but before I can say it, Lil starts in, “She’s just bitter. There was a fake relationship, some crazy drama, and some ki...”

Lil gives us the rundown, but Tank stops her before she really gets into the big stuff.

“Lilly!” Tank shouts from the fire, stopping her mid-sentence, startling us all. “Over here, babe, NOW!” Rolling her eyes, she gets up from the picnic table shouts back at him, “Yeah, yeah, calm the fuck down.” 

“Jesus,” Lala huffs, crossing her arms. “Of course she leaves right in the middle of the good part.”

“Yeah,” I agree. I’d love to figure out why that chick hates me to no end, because all I can surmise is that they had a thing, and mine and Buck’s non-existent relationship has her in a tizzy.

Looking over my shoulder, Buck’s standing by Tank, talking with a group of guys, all deep in conversation. I stare, taking him in. The more I look, the better he gets. Buck is something I just can’t explain. Drinking his beer, he looks up and catches my eye. Watching me for a moment, he jerks his chin up at me and winks before he’s right back to talking to his buddies.

Tonight is going to be fucking perfect.

10 - The Universe

Buck

“How long it take ya?” Rock asks, planting himself next to me. Sitting in a lawn chair, staring out into the fire while nursing my beer, I finally take a load off. I was able to find a quiet place to sit my ass down for a much needed break.

“Almost two damn hours,” I answer. After two hours of handshakes, back slaps, toasts, and long-winded stories, I had to walk away. 

“Shit, took me an hour,” he gloats. Lucky son-of-a-bitch. I would’ve killed to knock thirty minutes off the process.

Two hours is about as long as it took me to walk from the front of the bar to the food area to grab a beer, which in reality, should’ve only taken me three minutes. Stopped by every Tom, Dick, and Harry along the way with a, “Hey,” or people wanting to wish me a happy forty fucking years of brotherhood. It took me a long damn time to get here to this lawn chair. I’m not even going to try to get up again until I’ve polished off this bottle and the few spares I snagged. 

“It’s a packed fucking house,” Poncho groans, claiming the lawn chair to my left. Yeah, it is.

“You survived it.” We toast. Parties just aren’t the same when you’re the host. No, I’ve got to bullshit and greet people, when I’d much rather be drinking and eating.

It is a packed house. Clubs from everywhere are here. Brothers, family, friends, hang arounds, and strangers, roam the lot. Everyone is drinking, eating, bullshitting, and having a good time. It’s a nice sight, even if I’m just now getting to enjoy it.