Misled (21 page)

“Val said you need an outfit for tonight,” Kiera began, strapping her seat belt on.

“Yeah,” Meggie grumbled. She still preferred not to have to spend time with the two with Christopher’s intentions to spend time with them over the holidays, but she’d either been at the club or in a hospital since she’d met Christopher, the exception being yesterday. It pissed her off, though, that he still wanted her to be around them. She settled against the leather seats, enjoying the new car smell, frowning at the growl of motorcycles. She glanced in both directions, startled to find bikes on either side of the car and another tailing when she looked out the rear glass.

“We have company.” She remembered yesterday when Snake—her brother—and his goons surrounded them. “Are they trying to run us off the road?”

“No, babe,” Kiera answered. “That’s three of the Dwellers. Outlaw don’t want you going nowhere without an escort.”

“I’m not royalty or anything.”

“No shit,” Ellen spat.

She ignored that. “Why in the world would he order something like this?”

“Because of yesterday, I guess,” Kiera answered. She met Meggie’s gaze through the rearview mirror and shrugged. “That’s why Val made us take this car. Everyone knows Ellen’s van.”

“I guess they would with its Pepto Bismal pink paint job decorated with patches of rust,” Meggie said sweetly
. She didn’t appreciate the woman’s jealousy when Christopher had made it so clear to her where he stood with them. Meggie sure hadn’t demanded Christopher offer her this sort of protection and to her way of thinking having a three bike escort brought more attention to her.

They fell into a tense silence until they turned into the parking lot of a strip mall with a ladies’ boutique. Departing the vehicle, it surprised her to find Val there, although she realized he must’ve been left behind to babysit her and she wondered how he felt about that. The ot
her two were probates and she couldn’t remember their names, either.

They escorted them to the door of the boutique, then backed out to stand aside. Meggie paused, her brow furrowing, not too sure about this place
where everything from adult toys to hooker heels were on sale. Then, she thought about those other girls, the ones K-P called the Bobs, and hardened her resolve.

“Val gave me enough money for all of us to buy things,” she began.

Ellen rounded on her. “You fucking kidding me, bitch?” she snarled. “You got my ass banned from the Club until the spring social and
now
you want to spend money on me? Or is it because it’s
Val’s
money and not Outlaw’s?”

Meggie shoved her back, not appreciating Ellen getting in her face. “I didn’t get you barred from anywhere
, you evil witch.”

A tall, dark haired woman, with huge boobs walked over to them, cringing at Ellen’s stare.

“Get the fuck out my face, Sapphire. This is between me and this backstabbing bitch.”

“I’m not a bitch,” Meggie shouted, anger rising in her.

Kiera elbowed Ellen. “Shut the fuck up. If Val hears you, he’s gonna tell Outlaw, and you’ll be banned for good.”

“Fuck off, Kiera. Just because you wanna shove your tongue up this bitch’s pussy doesn’t mean I do.”

Kiera rolled her eyes. “Ain’t never even thought of eating her pussy.
I
just want to be able to go to the Club, so I’m following Outlaw’s orders.”

“Bitch—“

“Would you stop calling everyone a bitch?” Meggie wouldn’t bother to respond to any of their other crudeness. “Just because you have a degree in bitchiness, doesn’t mean we do, Ellen. Now, leave me and Kiera alone or I
will
tell Christopher about how you’re acting.”

“Meggie, c’mon, babe, let’s look around,” Kiera pleaded. “Shopping’ll cool you off.”

“No. She jumped on me for no reason and I want an answer. I’ve tried my best to cooperate with Christopher, so I don’t deserve to have her attacking me for no reason.”

“You want a fucking
answer,
bitch
?” Ellen sneered, her eyes as rounded as a fish’s. “You couldn’t wait to open your fucking mouth to tell Outlaw what I said about spending his fucking money.”

Christopher really, really,
LIKE REALLY,
should’ve shut up and not confronted Ellen. He’d promised he wouldn’t, which would’ve been a huge favor to Meggie because she was having enough problems with Ellen and Kiera. He’d just made it worse. Unfortunately, if she cowered to Ellen now, the woman would use it to her advantage. She was a major bitch. “What I say to Christopher is none of your business,” she snapped. “It wasn’t my intention to get you banned. The issue we were discussing had nothing to do with you.”

“Then how the fuck my name came up to make him fo
rget whatever y’all were talking about that’s not my goddamn business?”

“It was related.”

Ellen snorted. “Doubtful.”

“Whatever. I’ll talk to Christopher
,” Meggie promised. “Ask him to let you come back.”

Without answering, Ellen stomped past her and headed for a rack of skirts, Sapphire hot on her heels.

Meggie sighed and glanced at Kiera. “Why’d she come if she’s so angry? Why’d Val call you two?”

“I suppose she came to light into you and she figured this was her only chance for a while.” Kiera rubbed her temples. “She loves the Club and the boys and she’s hurt Christopher came down so hard on her. To be fair, he warned her not to upset you.”

Meggie widened her eyes. “He did?”

Kiera nodded. “Yeah, babe. He did.”

“Val said if Christopher bans anyone, I can’t be around them because he’ll forbid it.”

“Meggie,” Kiera said urgent
ly, touching her arm, “if you like us, hang with us today. If Outlaw sees us getting along, he’ll ease up on Ellen.”

Meggie’s nostrils flared. It would give her such satisfaction to make Ellen suffer because she’d been a thorn in her side from the first time they’d met. She’d disparaged her daddy and taunted Christopher’s attention to Meggie. “I’ll think about,” she said, and glided away, just wanting this day over with.

  K-P and the Bobs had done an outstanding job with the food. Christopher knew K-P had a hand-picked team of girls whom he called to assist him in the kitchen in times like these. After he’d started fucking Kiera and Ellen, they directed all the other preparations, but with Megan being there and Christopher so pissed with Ellen, he’d left K-P in charge.

 
Val had followed his instructions and gotten Megan off-premises. Without him there, he didn’t trust the constant presence of the bitches wouldn’t have upset her. But he’d had business to see to, some of it still undoing problems created by Big Joe. In the beginning, Boss had hidden the disappearing inventory by accusing rival clubs of intercepting and stealing shipments. Yeah, they’d been stealing the fucking shipments because fucking Boss had been tipping them off, playing them all, and getting paid in the drugs he’d come to depend on.

 
It had taken Christopher months to broker a deal with two of the clubs, which had happened only because the body count was rising in both clubs. The Dwellers had already began to bring in support clubs to do their distribution, which made the situation even more fucked up because those clubs were also losing men thanks to Boss. The motherfucker was lucky he hadn’t been put the fuck down then, but Christopher and Snake didn’t want anything to happen to him. In turn, Val, Digger and Mortician had been loyal because of Christopher, and Rack thanks to Snake. They’d protected Boss.

Now, with a huge gun shipment being prepared for a Canadian buyer, Christopher had to get extra escort for the run and he needed some of those same clubs he’d worked so carefully with to undo all the damage that’d been done. Motherfuckers couldn’t be trusted when they were dealing with
two rocks. Though the club would give each of the five men twenty large and both clubs a quarter rock a piece, motherfuckers
couldn’t
be trust when his club would still make such a huge profit.

Christopher leaned back against the wall, watching the Bobs
working the main room from where he sat at the corner table. Jesus. Fuck. Those bitches were dressed in mesh bras, keyhole thongs, and clear heels. They were doing his boys proud, serving drinks to the visiting brothers and not hesitating to suck dick or give up some ass.

He wondered
if Kiera and Ellen would keep Megan away for the night. He hadn’t been all that happy that Val had sent her off with Ellen but he hadn’t specifically said to only call Kiera. But, fuck, if they were protecting Megan from this free-for-all, all the better.

Perhaps, too, they were giving him a chance to enjoy himself with one of the Bobs. The question was did he want to? Yes and no. He didn’t want Megan hurt if she found out he’d fucked one of these bitches. On the other hand, he was a fucking realist. They couldn’t last
.

Digger sauntered over, beer in hand. “John Boy on his way.”

“Cool.” He hadn’t hung out with his cousin in months. If Megan was here, she’d definitely dampen their style. They had a friendly rivalry with bitches that usually ended up with both of them fucking a bitch, together and separately.

“You sent Megan away so y’all could fuck some bitches, huh?”

Christopher shrugged and beckoned a Bob over. She was rather plain with non-descript brown hair and unremarkable eyes. “Bring me a bottle, babe.”

She smiled at him, her wide mouth sending lewd signals to Christopher’s brain. Megan was so pure, so gorgeous. So fucking not for him.

“We ain’t gonna tell Megan, so don’t worry ‘bout it, Prez,” Digger said. He must’ve noted something in Christopher’s expression. “You deserve to have a couple bitches. ‘Specially after what you did for her today. You let the fucker live.”

Yeah
, he’d let Thomas Nicholls live. After calling in a favor by providing the address where he lived with Meggie’s mother, Christopher had him pulled over on his way back to Seattle and escorted back. Just by involving law enforcement to get fuckhead in his hands, he couldn’t leave a fucking body. They might look the other way while Christopher beat a fucker they’d personally delivered to him to a pulp. Murdering the same fuckhead? Not so much. Even officers on his payroll had their standards. Since they’d refused to leave once they delivered Nicholls, they’d also refused to allow a permanent end to the man.

Christopher had explained the details, though. Nicholls had been so helpful, carrying a photo of Megan. Once Mutt and Jeff had seen her and heard what he’d done, Christopher was sure he was due an ass whipping from them, too. If there was any justice, the injuries Christopher had delivered was severe enough that only a few more punches would end him. He’d just have to let it go
that he wasn’t the one who’d do it. Mutt was corrupt as a motherfucker and Jeff was meaner than a snake. Christopher didn’t bother with their real names. Didn’t give a fuck really. To him, they were Mutt and Jeff, doing favors for him when what needed doing couldn’t get done without involving them. Like bringing a motherfucker in who Christopher didn’t have time to find. He’d never tell Megan any of this. As far as she was concerned, he wouldn’t know the fucker if the man walked up and bitch slapped Christopher.

Val walked up just then, his arm around a stacked redhead
ed Bob. “Stretch just notified me Megan, Kiera and Ellen outside.”

“Ellen?” Christopher snapped. “I thought I told that bitch—“

“I guess Meggie wants her here, Prez,” he said. “Women are funny like that.”

Digger tipped his beer back
and took a long swallow. As he set the bottle down, his eyes widened and the alcohol exploded from his mouth.

“What the fuck, asshole?” Christopher snarled, jumping to his feet
, swiping at his wet cheek.

“
FUCK!”
Val managed, staring toward the doorway.

“What—“ Christopher choked as Megan strutted into view. The blue metallic halter top and matching belted miniskirt drew the attention of every man there. Her golden hair
, flowing down her back, had been curled and her exposed skin—too motherfucking much exposed skin—glittered.

K-P and Stretch stopped her and she giggled at something they said.