Viper's Run (20 page)

“Well, she doesn’t have to decide today, let’s get busy so we can get back to the club before the meeting,” Evie said matter of fact.
 

The women split up into groups.  Winter and Evie did the kitchen, cleaning the refrigerator and freezer out, then began tackling the cabinets throwing away the items that had gone out of date.  Winter made a box of food items to take to the church on Sunday for a food donation.  The other women dusted and mopped the house for her.  When Natasha was done vacuuming, the women packed the box of food and extra suitcase of clothes she had prepared to Winter’s car.
 

When she looked at the window that Jake had smashed her face into she paused for a second.
 

“You okay?”  Evie asked.
 

“Yes.” Actually she was, the women’s camaraderie had made her feel better after the way Murphy had treated her.  She didn’t deserve their help after the way she had put them down for the way they chose to live, especially since she was finally admitting to herself that she didn’t want to leave them.
 

 “Let’s get back.  I don’t want anyone thinking I’m dodging my punishment.”  Winter’s car started with no problem, someone had taped up the driver’s window.  She paused when she saw it, remembering the pain and fear of that night.  Evie came to her side opening the car door.
 

“Let’s go.”  Evie’s words dragged her from the nightmare of that night.
 

 The women followed behind her, both cars pulling into the parking lot of the clubhouse at the same time.  The women helped with her suitcase, putting it in her room for her while she waited tensely in the kitchen for the meeting to begin.  
 

Bliss sat a beer in front of her before sitting down next to her.
 

              Winter smiled at her, the woman really was beautiful.  She was wearing a tiny purple top left unbuttoned and short blue jean cutoffs.  Whenever Winter sat next to the blond woman she felt plain and boyish. Bliss put out sexual vibes that a blind man would see, she no longer tried to hide her tattoo and it looked very pretty against the purple of her top. Winter would hate her if they hadn’t become friends, she was too freaking nice to dislike.
 

“You look pretty tonight,” Winter complimented Bliss.
 

 “Thanks, I love the material of this top.”  Winter could see why, she thought glumly.  All the men coming in were giving lustful glances at her.  Winter swallowed, she didn’t know how she would take it when Viper saw her.  
 

“Don’t look so worried, I have a punishment coming tonight too. I was late three shifts this week.  We’re not supposed to let our play affect our work but …” Bliss leaned towards Winter, lowering her voice so no one could overhear.
 

“Trying to earn another punishment?”  Razer sat down at the table interrupting her words.  Bliss closed her mouth on the rest of the sentence.  Winter stared at the embarrassed woman, not sure what was going on.  Obviously she was not supposed to talk about whomever was making her late for work, but why would that matter to Razer? A sick feeling hit Winter.  Unless it was Viper or Razer himself, and Winter truly didn’t believe that it was Razer.
 

Razer leaned across the table. “Don’t want to know what you’re thinking because it’s wrong whatever it is.  I haven’t touched Bliss.  Won’t have you getting Beth upset, so you need to get that straight in your head.”  A clear warning was in his eyes.
 

Winter nodded getting his message loud and clear.
 

“Cool it Razer,” Viper said behind her back.  She hadn’t even seen him come in the door, too frightened at Razer’s reaction.
 

Razer leaned back in his chair.  “We’re straight, aren’t we Winter?”  
 

Winter nodded her head, ignoring Viper.  If Winter had any real concern that Razer was cheating, even badass as he was, Winter would still tell Beth.  The fact was though, Winter never saw him act any way than in a friendly manner with the women.  Worried now more than ever that Viper was the reason Bliss had been late to work, Winter
started to get angry.  He was responsible for not one, but two women getting punishments.  If he had been aggravating her, she wouldn’t have mouthed off, and now Bliss was getting in trouble for obviously letting him wear her out at night.
 

Bliss and everyone at the table could tell that Winter was ready to lose her temper, but before she could open her mouth she was lifted from her chair and packed outside into the cold backyard.
 

“What are you doing?  It’s freezing out here,” Winter asked angrily.
 

“I could tell you were about to bust my balls for something, I thought I would save you the hassle of another punishment.  From now on when you want to argue with me do it in private,” Viper informed her.
 

“ I can do that, this private enough for you?”
 

“Yes.” Viper folded his arms across his chest; he could tell she was about to bust his balls about something.
 

“I don’t think it’s fair Bliss and I have to take a punishment when it’s your fault that we both got into trouble.”
 

“How in the fuck is it my fault Bliss got in trouble?”  Viper’s confusion was obvious, and truthfully, she didn’t know how she had jumped to that conclusion other than she had been worried sick about Viper messing around on her this last week.
 

“Well?”
 

“Give me a minute I’m thinking,” she snapped.
 

“I am freezing my balls off and you’re thinking?” Viper asked giving her a look that doubted her intelligence.
 

“I may have been wrong about Bliss,” she admitted.  “Bliss was telling me she was taking a punishment for being late to work.  Razer stopped her from telling me who so naturally I just assumed...”
 

“You assumed it was me fucking her all night making her late for work?”  His expression had her crossing her arms in front of her as she stood her ground against the furious biker.
 

“Why would he care who she told me she was with?”
 

“Probably because it was none of your fucking business,” Viper snapped back.
 

Winter swallowed her reply.
 

“Bliss was late last two weeks.  Whose pussy was my dick in last week?”
 

“Mine.” Then becoming brave she brought up the subject she had avoided all week.  “This week though you didn’t come to bed until late and was gone before I woke up.”
 

“Have you missed that we had a huge order going out?”
 

“No.” Winter’s arms dropped to her side.
 

“You want to know if I have put my dick in someone else?”
 

Winter head dropped, biting her lip.
 

“Yes.”
 

Viper’s hand went into her hair tugging her head back until she was staring into his face.
 

“I haven’t fucked another woman since the night you had the hell beat out of you.”
 

“You haven’t?” Winter hid her shock.
 

“No, I haven’t.  Satisfied?”  She believed him.
 

Winter gave him a smile that lighted her face.
 

“Yes,” Winter answered. Viper smiled at her being sweet.
 

 It didn’t last long. “Now about me being responsible for your punishment.  Was it me being a smartass, calling the women whores, and hurting Beth?”
 

Reluctantly Winter admitted. “No, but you made me so mad, I lost my temper.”
 

“Then the punishment will make sure that you don’t open your mouth when you lose your temper again.”
 

Winter’s lips tightened. He was being a hard-ass.
 

Unfortunately, that mood lasted longer than his sweet one. “We done?”
 

“Yes.” She was more than ready, it was freezing outside.
 

“Good.”  Viper took her arm leading her back inside.
 

Winter sat back down at the table, watching as Viper went into the large room connected off the kitchen.  Cash handed him something, Winter saw it was a red cloth bag.
 

“Bliss,” Viper called.
 

Bliss got up from the table going to Viper.  He held the bag out to her.  Bliss put her hand out and dug inside the bag.  When her hand came out she was holding a folded piece of paper.  She returned to her seat.
 

“Rider.”  Rider who was leaning on the kitchen counter walked to Viper.  He also pulled a piece of paper from the bag.
 

Viper repeated the procedure five more times.  Winter was surprised when Shade’s name was called.  No one else seemed surprised in the room.  
 

“Winter.”  Winter got up from the table walking to Viper.  Hesitantly she reached inside the cloth bag; there were several pieces of paper left in the bag.  Winter picked the first piece she touched and hoped for the best.  She walked back to her chair self-consciously because everyone’s eyes were on her.
 

“Natasha.”  Natasha grinned as she picked her punishment.  Winter liked Natasha, she was always upbeat and was ready to do anything anyone needed help with around the club. She came to the table and sat down across from her.
 

“That’s everyone.”  Viper handed the bag back to Cash before going to the counter to grab himself a beer.
 

Winter watched as those that picked a punishment opened their slips of paper.  Hesitantly Winter opened her.  Relief washed through her.
 

“I got the worst one,” Bliss complained.
 

“What did you get?”  Natasha asked.
 

“Laundry for two weeks,” she pouted.
 

“That’s not bad.  I got dishes for three weeks.  Want to switch?  I don’t mind the laundry if it’s for two weeks,” Natasha bargained.
 

“I don’t want to pack everyone’s laundry up and down the stairs for two weeks, I may be willing to switch.”  Both women stared at Winter.  Belatedly getting the message, Winter opened her paper and read out loud.  “Seed inventory.”
 

Natasha and Bliss switched papers.  
 

“Mine seems the easiest.”  She was actually glad that they didn’t want to switch.  She would get it done in a few hours and put the punishment behind her.  Neither woman answered drinking their beer.  
 

“Dinner’s ready,” Evie called.  Winter waited until the line died down before getting her plate.  Viper sat down next to her with a huge plate of food.
 

“What did you pull?”  He asked curiously.
 

“Seed inventory, seems simple enough,”  Winter said concentrating on her dinner and missing his conniving grin.
 

“You going to stay until you finish the inventory?”  
 

Winter didn’t tell him that she had brought another suitcase full of clothes and had already decided to stay for a while longer.
 

“Of course,” she said staring down at her food.
 

Viper leaned back in his chair after he was done eating.  Winter noticed how tired he looked.  He always seemed so invincible, but Winter knew how well their business was doing and knew that he was going to have to be realistic.
 

“You’re going to have to hire some more help Viper, you can’t keep up this pace.  Sooner or later you’re going to get orders that you will have to turn down until there are more people to help fill the orders.”
 

“I know.  We’ve been talking about it, right now we’re trying to figure out how many and which positions to hire for.  Once we come to a decision I’ll put a notice in the newspaper.”
 

“The jobs are going to be a big help to the community.  Even if you offer twenty jobs, that’s twenty families that will have a decent income coming in.”
 

“We aren’t taking it lightly Winter.  We’re trying to figure out whether to offer more jobs at a slightly lower rate or fewer jobs at a higher wage.  We’re going to give them a benefit package also,” Viper said ruminatively.
 

Winter smiled at Viper.   Many of her student’s parents desperately needed jobs.  The Last Riders were really going to provide an economic boost for the area.
 

Shade and Rider came to the table.
 

“What punishment did you get?”  Rider asked.  It was obvious what the two had in mind.  
 

“What did you get?” She asked first, Winter was a fast learner.
 

“Cooking, two weeks,”  Rider answered.  Winter looked at Shade.
 

“Cleaning the stove, fridge, and pantry.”  
 

“I got seed inventory.”  Both men turned and walked away.  Winter was beginning to get a bad feeling that the job was not going to be as easy as it sounded.
 

Viper was trying to keep a straight face.  Winter took their plates to the sink where Bliss was already doing the dishes.  She followed Viper into the television room, someone had started a movie.  Most of the members sat and watched the movie before going to bed.  It had been a long week for everyone and it showed in their tired faces.
 

Bliss was curled between Rider and Train, her purple top gaped open revealing her breasts which Train took advantage of by yanking it aside and raising one of her pert breasts to his mouth.  Rider’s hand unbuttoned her cutoffs, his hand sliding inside the parted material.  
 

Winter tore her gaze away to the television, about to make an excuse to leave.  Viper forestalled her by gripping the back of her neck and raising her head.  His mouth fastened on to hers, drawing her body closer to his with a hand gripping her ass.  She tore her mouth from his, uncomfortable with spectators in the room.  The room was almost empty except for her, Viper, Bliss and the two men.