Chapter 7

7

GENESIS

I push through the door, needing painkillers and juice.

The yelling makes me want to turn around and walk back out, but I feel like shit. "What the fuck is with all the yelling?" I grumble as I take one of the seats at the bar and signal Lil, one of the bunnies, to come over.

"Get me some orange juice and Tylenol," I say.

"You got it, G."

"G! Get your ass over here!" I groan at the sound of Blade's voice.

I wait for Lil to hand me a couple of Tylenols and my juice before turning and heading his way. I swallow the pills and down half the juice before I get to the table, where he always sits in the corner. I take the empty seat and nod to Mac and Toot, who are with him.

"What's with all the yelling?"

"Aw, what's the matter, princess? Is it too fucking loud for your delicate ears?" Blade snaps.

I look at Toot. "Who shit in his Cheerios?"

He sighs. "Funny you should ask."

I look from him to Blade, who looks pissed.

"What'd I miss?"

"How'd you get home last night, G?" Blade asks.

I think back to the bar. I was drinking, which explains the headache, and then King gave me his fucking TED talk. I frown as things get hazy after that. I remember the smell of raspberries and?—

"Tits!"

Toot starts laughing while Mac shakes his head.

"Her name is Amity."

"Amity," I repeat. "Yeah, that sounds familiar. She brought me here?"

"Oh yeah. About that." Toot fills me in up to the part where Mac walks Amity out of the saloon.

"Did she leave her number?"

"She did, but there's more."

"Let me call her first. You can tell me the rest later."

I start to stand up, but Blade growls.

"Sit the fuck down."

"What the hell's your problem today, Blade?"

"I've got a prospect in the shack and no idea whether or not Amity is gonna go to the cops."

"Why would she go to the—" I look at Toot, who's staring at Mac. "Tell me what happened," I demand.

"It was partly my fault," Mac admits, rubbing a hand over his face. "I didn't know what to make of her and missed what was going on down here because I was dealing with your drunk ass. All I knew was that she brought you home and pulled a gun on the prospect."

I wait for him to continue.

He leans back and avoids looking at me. "I told her I thought she might've brought you home drunk so she could fuck you in the back seat, get pregnant, and insist on you making her your old lady."

I blink, my already pounding head feeling like it's going to explode. "What the fuck, Mac?"

"How was I supposed to know that she was just a decent person? Or that she couldn't have kids?"

Toot winces at the callous why Mac says it. Toot and Mac are just club brothers; they're blood brothers as well. They always have each other's back, but right now, even Toot looks like he wants to punch him.

I grit my teeth. "And the rest?"

"She called me out, said I was talking about rape like it was no big deal around here, then flipped me on my ass when I tried to grab her and explain. After that, Hicks pulled a gun on her and tried to force her to suck his dick."

Now I understand why Blade's so pissed. Five years ago, Bear, our former VP, and half a dozen brothers staged a coup, and Blade was almost killed. Sunshine—of all people—was the one that saved him. We managed to wrestle back control and take out all the traitors, but not before some of the women were hurt.

After that, two of our old ladies left. Darcie took her kids and ran. I can't say I don't understand why, but she wrecked Drifter in the process. The other one, Delphi, was Snake's old lady. Bear might have been the mastermind of the takeover plot, but Snake was more than happy to do the dirty work in exchange for the VP patch. Blade killed him before that dream became a reality, leaving Delphi a widow and persona non grata. We banned her from the clubhouse and ran her out of town. We couldn't find any proof she was involved in Snake's plans, but we know damn well men talk to their women, and Snake was never one for keeping his mouth shut.

"Did Hick's hurt her?" I growl, ready to tear the prospect to pieces.

"He never got the chance. She disarmed him and turned the gun on him. I talked her into giving it up, which she did, before flying over the fucking gate like a superhero."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I swear to God. For a minute, I thought I'd hit my head when she flipped me. We've been waiting for you so you can pull up the camera feed."

I take my drink and leave, heading to my office at the back of the building, where all the cameras are accessible. I move to my desk, set my glass down, and pull up the camera feed from last night.

I hear footsteps behind me, but I don't need to turn around to see who it is. "What time?"

"Around midnight."

I restart the feed from then and watch as she walks out of the warehouse toward the gate. I see Hicks pull his gun and threaten her before she takes the gun off him, a pissed-off look on her face.

"Jesus, she must have had some training," Toot mutters.

Blade sits on the edge of my desk as we continue to watch the footage. She shoots the ground near Hicks, making him scream. A few minutes later, Mac shows up and points his gun at her. She holds her ground, her arms never shaking as he tries to talk her down.

I can't help but chuckle when she throws the gun at Hicks's forehead. But my jaw drops when I see her jump up onto the roof before she flips over the gate and runs away.

"I told you," Mac says as Toot whistles.

"That's some Jason Bourne shit."

I look at Blade, who's staring at the screen before his eyes meet mine. "Find out who the fuck she is."

The number Blade gave me burns a hole in my pocket, so I pull out my cell phone and add it to my contacts. I hit call and wait for her to answer. It rings and rings before voicemail picks up.

"This is Amity. If you need me, text me."

I hang up and send her a text.

Hey, this is G. I just want to say thanks for last night.

The message says it's been delivered. I stare at the screen, willing her to reply but after a few minutes, I toss my phone on my bed with growl and strip out of my clothes. I walk into the bathroom and step into the shower to wash away the smell of alcohol seeping through my pores. Once I'm out, I get dried off and pull on a pair of black jeans and a clean white tee before slipping my cut back on.

I check the phone but don't find a reply, so I send another text.

I just heard about the shit that happened last night. Let me buy you dinner to apologize.

I head back to my office and go back over the camera footage, this time starting from when Amity arrived. By the time I'm finished, I'm willing to admit—to myself, at least—that I wouldn't come back here either.

With that, I do some digging. I check the two local hotels, and neither of them has an Amity listed as a guest. I even checked the short-term rentals but came up empty.

Tapping my chin, I start to wonder if she's not just visiting. Maybe she moved here. I look into local realtors and recently sold properties in the area but after another a couple of hours searching, I'm still no fucking closer to figuring out where she is. I have the taste of the chase now though. When that happens, I rarely give up. Checking my cell phone, I see there's still no response. Sliding my phone into my pocket, I decide to head back to the bar in town and see if anyone remembers her or her friend.

It's relatively quiet in the main room when I walk in. Most people here are at work during the day. I'm lucky that, as a cybersecurity specialist, I can work from anywhere I want. It still blows my mind that I spent half my life in trouble for hacking, and now I get paid to do it.

Looking around the room, I see Dice, one of the prospects, behind the bar, ignoring two of the club bunnies arguing in front of him. Circus and Capone are talking animatedly in the corner, while Lil and Crane are playing pool. Hannibal is sitting beside them, his eyes firmly on Lil's ass as she bends over to take her shot.

I walk over to Dice, and both the bunnies take notice, their argument forgotten. They turn my way with their backs arched, tits pushed forward, and wide let-me-suck-your-cock smiles. I can't remember their names, which makes me sound like a dick, but they've only been around for a couple of weeks, and they've been busy with the other guys.

I don't mind getting sucked off by a bunny, but I'd rather not dip my wick in communal pussy. If I want to fuck, I'll go to a bar or a club. I like a bit of a challenge. It's no fun if they just lie down and spread their legs.

"Hey, G. You wanna play a little?" the blonde one asks.

"No, I've got things to do."

"You could do me and Macey. You could fuck me while I eat her out."

"Like I said, busy."

I turn away from them and nod to Dice. Out of all the prospects, he's my favorite. He does what he is told, keeps his temper and attitude in check, and is willing to go the extra mile.

"You seen Blade or Conan around?"

"Sunshine has an appointment, so they went with her. Inigo too. Blade said he'd be back later, but the others are heading over to Carnage."

"Alright, I'm heading into town. I've got my cell if Blade or anyone needs me. Oh and Blade said you brought my bike back for me. Appreciate it man."

"No worries, G."

I head out. When I get to the warehouse, I find Midas working on his bike.

"Hey, are you off to look for the girl?"

I straddle my bike and look at him. "Yeah. Gonna check out the bar I was at last night. See if they remember her."

"Should probably check out the diner too. There aren't many places to eat around here. If she's staying in the area, she'll probably turn up there at some point."

"Good call."

"You want some company?"

"You not working today?"

Midas runs the pawnshop in town. "Not 'til tonight. Legs is doing the day shift."

"Company sounds good. You meet Amity last night?"

"Spoke to her briefly when it came out that she can't have kids. I told her I was in the same boat." He shrugs like it's nothing, but that's not true. Everyone at the club knows he can't have kids, but it's not something talked about. Mostly because we all know how much he wants them.

"What did you think of her?"

"She's hot. She caught everyone's eye, but she has an air of menace about her."

"You think there's something off about her?"

"Not like that. She's prickly. Like she'd sooner fuck a brother up than let him in her pussy," he says, getting on his bike.

"Sounds like she's just my type." I grin before putting my helmet on.

I start my bike and pull out of the warehouse, stopping only for Hoops, the prospect on the gate, to open it and let us out. I follow the dirt road to the main road and wait for Midas to catch up. Once he's beside me, we head into town.

I use the ride to clear my head. After spending the morning focused on Amity, I haven't had a chance to think about Blade. I can't say drinking the night away helped, but I'm not as pissed off as I was before.

Maybe it's King's words from last night finally sinking in. Blade has given everything for this club, sacrificing every relationship that might have made others question his priorities. But King's right—when is it enough? When does he get to have a life of his own and be selfish about it? Being club president is like being a parent to a bunch of unruly teenagers. He's always on call, and every buck stops with him, no matter who fucks up. That shit's exhausting day to day, but doing it day in and day out for twenty-five years? I couldn't do it.

So doesn't that just make me the prick in this scenario?

We pull up at the bar and park, pulling our helmets off before heading inside. The Lookout is owned and run by Jimmy Hake, a guy with six ex-wives and engaged to his next one. His track record should send women running, but there's something about him that draws them in like flies to shit.

Jimmy is behind the bar when I walk in, his eyes lifting to mine before he grins.

"I figured you'd be sleeping it off all day."

"If you worked the late shift, what are you doing here so early?"

"This place would fall apart without me. What can I say? The Lookout's the love of my life."

"Guess that's why you're on wife number seven."

"Nah, I don't think it's going to work out with Shelby. She's refusing to sign a prenup. I'm all for taking risks, but not when it comes to this place. So, what brings you both in?" He nods to Midas.

"Loverboy here is looking for Cinderella," Midas says.

Jimmy frowns. "Who?"

"The girl that took me home last night. You remember me talking to her at the bar? She was with another girl."

He shakes his head. "Last I saw of you, you were talking to King. I was in the cellar when you left."

"Shit." I run my fingers through my hair.

"I can ask around, see if anyone remembers her, and give you a call."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

"She do something?"

"Nah, nothing like that. The club owes her a debt."

"Alright, I'll keep you posted."

"Jimmy!" We all turn as Jimmy's newest bartender, Amanda, shouts.

"What's got you hollering like a banshee, woman?"

Amanda stands with her hands on her hips, looking pissed as fuck. "The delivery driver's getting handsy again. If you don't keep him away from me, I'm going to kneecap the asshole."

Midas watches her with interest, but she's too damn young for either of us. "Need a hand?" Midas asks Jimmy.

Jimmy shakes his head, grabbing a baseball bat from behind the bar. "I've got it, but thanks." He storms out, leaving us with Amanda.

"You okay, darlin'?" Midas asks her softly.

Her cheeks flush as she dips her head, her shyness a complete contrast to the woman she was a few seconds ago. "I'm fine. I'm just in the mood to create a virus that'll wipe out all men from the planet today."

"Ouch, tell me how you really feel," he jokes.

"Sorry. I'm sure you're a gentleman." She snorts, making him grin.

"Ah, see, that's where you're going wrong. You've been looking for a good man when what you need is a bad boy."

I watch them for a second before nudging Midas with my elbow. "I'm heading out. You coming?"

"I'll catch up to you."

I hesitate, but then I think, fuck it . Not my problem. She might be young, but she's legal, and I'm not her daddy.

Leaving my bike in the lot, I walk over to the diner. The bell chimes as I open the door and take a quick look around, but I don't see who I'm looking for. Balls.

"G! What can I get you, sweetheart?" Gina, the owner, calls from behind the counter.

I smile at her. Gina's got this retro thing happening with her beehive hair and polyester dress, like something straight out of the fifties.

"I'll have a coffee and a short stack of pancakes with a side of bacon," I say. I better get something in my stomach, or I'll feel like shit later.

"I haven't seen you around much lately," she comments as I sit at the counter.

"Busy with work."

"I know that feeling." She sighs, pouring my coffee. "I'll just put your order in for you."

"Thanks, Gina."

She walks off, leaving me to ponder my next move when the bell above the door sounds. I ignore it, figuring it's just Midas.

As I sip my coffee and think about where to look next, the stool beside me is pulled out. I look up to ask Midas if he got Amanda's number when I damn near swallow my tongue.

"Amity."

"Hello, Sleeping Beauty."