Chapter 6

6

AMITY

" I f you touch me, I will kill you."

"I know this looks bad, but I swear it's just bad luck. Give me a second."

I wait, poised and ready, but apart from hearing Toot walk away, there's nothing but the faint sound of music in the distance.

A moment later, the lights flick on, making me wince.

"Sorry," Toot apologizes. "The lights usually come on automatically. Must've tripped the breaker."

He opens the door next to him, and the music gets louder. I walk across the building and realize we're heading back outside. Without thinking much about it, I step outside and freeze, looking ahead in shock.

"Wow." I knew the studio wanted to film here because of the location, but I never would have expected this. Now I get it. Before me is a fully fledged Wild West ghost town.

"Cool, right? The building we just walked through is nothing fancy, I know. It was built to be nondescript because of the tourists that kept coming by and taking pictures. This view is now blocked completely from the outside, and bonus, the space is perfect for keeping the bikes safe from the elements."

I look down the dusty road lined with wooden buildings that, at first glance, look original.

As if he could read my mind, he starts giving me a quick rundown of the place. "It was a real town before it became a tourist attraction, then a paintball park. We tried to keep as many of the original features as possible when we took over, but the interiors have been renovated, mostly for safety reasons. That and the fact that we like running water and electricity."

"Who doesn't?" I say, nodding in agreement.

"These are apartments where the prospects and guests from other clubs stay." He gestures to the row of buildings on the left. "And over there, we have a small convenience store because it's a bitch to have to drive into town every two seconds for milk and beer."

"Milk and beer. The essentials, huh?"

"You know it." He points to a couple of other buildings, including a laundromat, gym, and even the original jail.

"It's like stepping back in time," I say, a little awed.

"Wait until you see the clubhouse."

He leads me down the dirt road farther from the main gate, making me grateful I palmed those two bullets. Toot seems like an okay guy, but then again, so did Bundy—to start with.

"Yo, Toot. Who you got there?"

I look over at the sound of a voice as a guy heads toward us with a bottle in his hand.

"Crane, this is?—"

"Amity," I cut in, offering him a shrug.

He checks me out, his eyes lingering on my boobs. "New bunny?"

"No. And I'm not sure she'd be your type anyway."

"She's got boobs. She's my type."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm looking for more in a man than a beer gut and an STD."

"Feisty. I like my women like I like my whiskey." He lifts a bottle of whiskey.

"Eighteen years old and on coke?"

Toot throws his head back and laughs.

"Too bad for you, Crane. I like my men like the South Park movie—bigger, longer, and uncut."

Toot is making a strange choking sound beside me while Crane stares at me with his mouth open.

My phone rings again, and I pull it out and answer, already knowing who it is.

"Just checking to make sure you're not chopped up in someone's freezer."

"Not yet, no."

"Are you on your way home yet?"

"No. I'll call when I am, or you know, if they start chopping me up."

"Make sure they do your fingers last, then," she says before hanging up.

"I need new friends." I sigh, putting my phone back in my pocket.

"Well, you're in luck, Amity. I think you just became my new bestie," Toot tells me when he gets his laughter under control and wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"Are we keeping her?" Crane asks.

"I'm not a fucking puppy," I grumble.

"Be nice, Crane, and she might come back to visit," Toot says as he leads me away.

"I'm always fucking nice. Just ask your mom," Crane yells, making Toot stop in his tracks.

"Ignore him. Come on." I grab Toot's shirt and start dragging him away because the last thing I want or need is to get caught up in the middle of a fight.

We keep walking for a few minutes until we reach a huge building.

"Welcome to the saloon—aka the clubhouse," Toot says, pushing through the swinging wooden doors. We step onto a wraparound porch with large oak doors.

I turn to look at Toot. "Safety feature," he tells me, shoving one of the doors open.

The music hits me as I step inside, and I wince, drawing the attention of the people closest to the door. I wait for Toot, who presses his hand to the small of my back and guides me to the far side of the room. We weave between a bunch of tables as people call out to Toot. He ignores them, heading for the one in the corner where a woman around my age sits with three older bikers.

The woman spots me first and gives me a smile before the man next to her turns to see what she's looking at.

"Who you got there, Toot?" the man asks. I glance down at the patch on his cut, which states that his name is Blade and that he's the president.

"This is Amity. She's the one who brought G back."

"Ahh. Thanks for that. Mac's taken him up to his room to sleep it off. How'd you know to bring him here?"

"His cut. It was pretty obvious he was part of the MC, and you're not hard to find."

"That right?"

I shrug.

"Where are you from, Amity?"

The other two guys have turned and are looking at me curiously.

"Oregon originally. Now, I'm kind of a nomad."

"We have a few nomads pass through here occasionally. How long are you here for?"

I frown and cross my arms. "For a while. I'm sorry, but it's getting late, and I'd really like to go to bed."

"Plenty of space here," he offers weirdly.

"I'm good. I have someone waiting for me."

The three men look at each other as if having a silent conversation, while Toot stands oddly quiet beside me.

The woman looks at me and rolls her eyes. "I'll introduce myself because Blade has no manners. I'm Kat, but most people call me Sunshine. The giant over there is Conan, and beside him is Inigo."

"As in, ‘You killed my father. Prepare to die'?" I smile.

His lips twitch, but he nods in confirmation.

"I love unusual names, and The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies."

"Amity isn't exactly common," Conan points out.

"My mom was obsessed with horror films."

Sunshine's eyes light up. "You were named after Amityville? That movie scared the crap out of me. I had a bedroom in one of the foster houses I was in, with an attic hatch. I was convinced I could hear flies buzzing behind it." She shudders, making me chuckle.

"Who names their kid after a horror movie?" Toot asks incredulously.

"My mom, apparently."

"What's your middle name?" Sunshine asks.

"Regan."

She frowns before her face lights up. " The Exorcist ?"

"Naturally. Be glad I'm an only child. She wanted twin boys she could name Freddie and Jason," I admit, making her laugh.

I look back at Blade, who watches me with an intensity that makes me want to spill all my secrets. "So, can I go?"

"You got a ride?"

"I've got it covered," I tell him. I have a sneaky suspicion he'll offer someone to take me. Call me crazy, but I really don't want a bunch of strangers to know where I'm staying just yet.

"Alright. Just out of curiosity, G say anything to you about why he was drunk? The man hardly ever drinks."

"He was already wasted when we got there. I only noticed him because he was sitting at the bar, which is where we were heading."

"Was he alone?"

"No. A man was talking to him, but he left before we got to the bar. He was around your age, maybe a little older, wearing a suit and biker boots."

"King," the men all say in unison.

"I guess. Anyway, I was about to order a drink when G stood up and pretty much face-planted into my boobs. He wanted to leave, but I was worried about him riding. Oh, that reminds me." I reach into my pocket, ignoring the people around me tensing, and pull out the keys to G's bike.

I toss them to Blade. "I took these off of him, just in case."

"Thanks for making sure he got home safely."

"I'd like to say it was no problem because he was oddly adorable for someone who couldn't take his eyes off my boobs."

"To be fair, they are nice boobs."

I ignore Toot's comment and keep my eyes on Blade.

"But the prospect at the gate pissed me off. And that was before I had guns pointed at me and I was told I couldn't go home without seeing you first. So here I am, telling you the same thing I told the others. I've learned my lesson. If I see a drunk biker in need, I'll steer clear. Tonight could have ended very differently if Toot and Mac were as inexperienced as the prospect."

Blade looks at Toot for an explanation.

"We were facing away from Amity when Hicks yelled that she had a gun. We pulled ours and aimed them at her, but thankfully, we didn't fire because her hands were at her sides, and we didn't see a gun."

"Jesus, that stupid fuck," Inigo hisses.

"I'm sorry; that shouldn't have happened. It's one of the reasons we make people prospect in the first place. Do you have a number we can give to G? I'm sure he'll want to thank you himself."

I hesitate for a moment but decide, fuck it . If it becomes an issue, I can always change it. I'm going to be here for a while, so I don't want to make an enemy out of the club when we're bound to run into each other from time to time.

I give them my number and am ready to leave when my phone starts ringing. I close my eyes in defeat.

"Problem?"

I open my eyes. Blade watches me with those stupid hawk-like eyes of his.

"No. Excuse me a second."

I pull out my phone and answer with a sigh. "Still not dead."

"Unmolested?"

"Affirmative."

"Current status?"

"Auditioning for a new best friend."

"Hey, I thought I was your bestie," Toot says beside me.

"Who was that?"

"That's Toot. Don't ask."

"Toot? Who the heck names their kid Toot?"

"I just said, don't ask."

"Seems pretty important to know if he's gonna be your new bestie," she snaps.

I sigh and look up, hoping if there is a god, he'll take pity on me and hit me with a bolt of lightning or two.

"Put me on speaker."

"I'm not putting you on speaker. Are you insane? You know what? Never mind. I already know the answer."

"Put her on speaker."

I look at Blade's face when he speaks and feel my lips pull back in a snarl. "I'm not one of your men. You don't get to tell me what to do, and you don't know Nevaeh. When she's pissed, she loses control of her mouth. She'll probably say something that'll get me shot, and I'm sick to death of having guns pointed at me tonight."

"They pointed guns at you?" she screeches, making me pull my phone away from my ear.

Toot uses my distraction to grab my phone out of my hand and hits the speaker button before I can stop him. "You're on speaker, darlin'. My name's Toot. I'm the new bestie."

I glare at him, which just makes him laugh. I notice more bikers taking interest as they move closer to see what's happening. I tense, ready to defend myself if I have to. I might not make it out of here alive, but I'll go down swinging.

"You are not her bestie. I am. You don't know anything about Amity."

"Sure I do. I know how she likes her men."

"She likes her men like she likes her coffee—nowhere near her crotch."

Unfortunately, Conan was taking a drink when she said that, causing him to spray his beer across the table as Sunshine bursts into laughter.

"Is that right?" Toot grins. I might have found it sexy if I hadn't already been dazzled by a certain biker's smile tonight.

"What can you even give her that I can't?" Nevaeh hisses like a jealous kitten.

"An orgasm."

Nevaeh bursts out laughing. "That's it? It's cute that you think I can't give her one too. Only I bet you I can find her G-spot without a map."

A chorus of oohs goes up around us.

"I'm a smart guy. I know how to ask for directions." Toot winks at me. "What can you give her that I can't?" he teases her.

I drop my head, wishing he hadn't asked her that because I already know the answer. As much as I love her for it, she has no filter when she's ranting.

"My womb."

The crowd goes silent, looking at me with questions in their eyes.

"Amity?" She sounds unsure now, but it is what it is. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed; I just don't like a bunch of people knowing my business.

Toot hands me my cell, looking sheepish.

"I'm good, Pippin, and you're right. Your womb will one day be the greatest gift I'll ever receive. I've gotta go now, but I'll be home soon."

I hang up before she asks if I need to be picked up.

Everyone looks unsure now, which is oddly endearing, considering I didn't think they'd think twice about shooting me earlier.

"It's not a touchy subject," I say, then laugh. "You all look a little freaked out, but I'm not going to cry if that's what you're worried about."

"You can't have kids?"

I turn at the sound of a new voice and take in the tall, handsome man walking my way. He looks a little like G, but without the tattoos and piercings.

"No, I can't."

"Me either," he says, shrugging as he moves closer. He's good-looking, but most of the bikers I've seen so far are. "I had an infection when I was a teenager. It made me sterile."

"Car accident when I was seventeen. They had to give me a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding."

"That's rough."

I nod. They don't know the half of it.

"Well, I can't compete with a womb." Toot sighs dramatically. "But I do give good dick, so if you ever need to borrow mine, just let me know."

His offer lightens the mood. I shake my head, catching sight of Mac. Our eyes meet before he takes in the crowd around me and heads my way.

"I'll walk you out."

I nod at Mac's quiet voice and nod.

"Thanks."

I offer a wave to the others. "It's been something. See you around."

"You can count on it," Toot calls out.

I can't help but laugh as I follow Mac outside into the cool night air.

"Thanks. I was starting to think I'd never get to go home."

"We can be nosy bastards."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed," I say dryly as we walk. "Everything okay with G?"

"He'll feel like ass in the morning, but he'll live. What made you help him?"

"Seemed like the right thing to do."

He grunts but doesn't say anything.

"What?"

"It occurred to me that you might have seen an opportunity to use him while he was drunk."

I frown as we keep walking. "Use him for what?"

"For an old lady patch."

"I'm sorry, I'm confused. How the fuck does me bringing him home equal getting an old lady patch? And also, what's an old lady patch? I know some basic MC terms, but not all of them."

"See this?" He points to a patch on his cut. "An old lady wears something like it, only it has her old man's name on it, so other brothers know who she belongs to."

"Sounds… archaic, but to each their own."

"It's part of MC culture. I don't expect a civilian to get it."

"Wow, sexist and patronizing. One day, you're going to make some girl feel real lucky."

We keep walking, the large warehouse now coming into view.

"Wait, you didn't tell me how bringing G back gets me a patch."

"Come on, sweetheart, do I really have to spell it out? Passed out biker in the back seat of your car, nobody around to stop you from taking what you want. And then, boom, eight weeks later, you show up with a positive pregnancy test and a demand for him to give you his patch, or you keep the baby from him."

I glare at him in disgust. "You're talking about rape, you prick. You might be into that, but I'm sure as hell not."

I storm off, but he's got longer legs than I do and catches up fast.

"I thought that before I knew you were?—"

"Broken? Caught that part did you?"

He grabs my wrist to stop me, and my training takes over. I flip him over my shoulder and stare down at him with my boot on his chest while he tries to figure out what the fuck just happened.

"Lucky for G, right? That he got rescued by a virgin and barren little old me. Do me a favor and make sure G loses my number. I've had about all I can stomach of Raven Souls."

I jog the rest of the way back to the warehouse and walk through it to the gate, where the same prospect is still posted. What was his damn name? He glances over my shoulder as if looking to see who's with me. When he realizes I'm alone, he walks over to me with a cocky swagger and a cruel sneer on his lips.

"You got me into trouble, bitch. You should get down on your knees and apologize."

"Fuck you." I move to walk past him, but he pulls his gun and points it at me.

"You suck my dick, and I'll let you walk away. You give me attitude, and I'll make it so you can't even crawl out of here?—"

I don't give him a chance to say anything else. I swing around, grabbing his wrist with one hand and the gun with the other. Twisting his arm aside, I pull the gun out of his hand and have it pointed at him before he can even react.

I'm beyond pissed at his point. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you in the fucking face."

"Ravens would hunt you down and slit your fucking throat."

"Somehow, I doubt that. You think they're gonna let a piece of shit like you in their club?"

He takes a step toward me, so I shoot the ground near his foot, making him squeal.

The door to the warehouse bursts open, and Mac runs out, holding his cell phone in one hand and his gun in the other. "Put the gun down, Amity."

"Now, why would I want to do that, Mac? Dickhead here made it clear that my options were sucking him off and walking away or him killing me. I'm not sure what kind of fucking place you're running here, but I don't want any part of it. And if you don't let me leave, I'll shoot you and go to the cops."

Mac winces as someone yells down the phone loud enough for me to hear, though I can't make out the words.

"I'll open the gate and let you leave once you give me your gun."

"It's not my gun. It's your boy's here. He pulled it on me when I tried to leave and told me to suck his dick."

I glance over to the small guardhouse next to the gate, noting the overturned crate someone's been using as a seat. I take a deep breath and crack my neck, thankful I didn't wear heels tonight.

I lower the gun but keep it in front of me. "You want me to give you this gun, Mac? You better put yours away."

"I can't do that, Amity."

"Of course you can't."

I release the clip and pull the magazine free, tossing it over the gate before I throw the gun at the prospect. It hits him in the forehead, making him yell, distracting Mac for a second.

That's all I need.

I run, step onto the crate, and jump up to grab the edge of the guard shack's roof, pulling myself up. Without pausing, I flip over the gate and land in a roll before sprinting off into the night.