Ryder's Last Run (Dueling Dragons MC Series) (19 page)

Bambi

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
starts to flood the room. Fucking Tank thinks he is a comedian or something. I saw my opening to lay the smack down on Ryder’s new bitch so I took it. I laid an openhanded smack across her face just as she looked over her shoulder at Tank and his ridiculous antics. Unfortunately, I underestimated the amount of cray cray in this bitch.

Thank god for small favors and Ryder. He grabs her arm just as she’s lunging for me and about to go 5150 on me. I’d certainly call his hold on her arm a definite psychiatric hold. I feel arms wrap around me and I look back over my shoulder to see the fucktard Tank pulling me back to get me out of the room. I scream at the top of my lungs, “You bitch! I will fucking get you. You can't step between a father and son. I won't let you do this to our son
, Ryder!"

I am being carried out of the office and then practically shoved down onto the couch just as I see the door to the office slam shut and I hear the little southern bitch screaming at Ryder behind it. I see the blonde friend walk out after shutting the door on them.

That fucking song is still blaring so I pick up the baseball bat I know they keep behind the bar. They want crazy ex-girlfriend? I will fucking show them cray cray to the tenth degree. I walk over to the jukebox and go to town slamming it with all the anger I have built up inside over Ryder. I hear the glass breaking and that stupid song abruptly stops. Thank God! I hate that song.

Tank tackles me from the side before I know what hits me. He’s grabbed a hold of the bat. I wish I still had it. I’d hit him upside that baldhead of his. Tank yanks me up and I swallow hard. I know I am in deep shit now. He grabs my arm and tugs me to the door.

“Marko, get the kid ready to go. I need to talk to baby mama for a few outside. Alone.” Tank is pissed, at me. Oh, fuck.

He
shoves me out the door. “Woman, you are a crazy bitch, and we don’t put up with shit like this around here. You feel me? If you ever hope to return to this club, invited, you best get your attitude adjusted. If you don’t, you will be dropping the kid off at the gate and never allowed back inside. You hear me, girl?” I nod. I definitely don’t need this gorilla breathing down my neck anymore. I decide it’s best to grab my kid and leave this place while the getting is good.

Marko comes walking out with Ransom and he’s glaring at me. Ransom has head down and looks mad
, too. Damn men! “Ransom, get in the car and get your seatbelt on. We’re leaving. Now.”

Marko tells him, “Don’t worry
, kid; you’ll be back sooner than ya know. Your old man has lots planned for you. I know he’ll call you tonight.” Ransom’s face breaks out in a smile. Damn, now he has it in his mind that Ryder walks on water or some shit. Just what I need.

He climbs into the back of my car. Tank and Marko are standing there glaring at me and standing guard to make sure I leave. God forbid I do anything else to piss off Ryder’s crazy current girlfriend. I jump in my car and my iPod comes on and blares out my favorite song. It’s a kick ass rock rendition of the Beatles
’ song “Eleanor Rigby” by Letters from the Fire. These boys know how to rock it! I crank it up to piss of Tank and Marko. I rev up the motor, peel away from the clubhouse, and give ‘em both the finger to let them both know they are number one.

Ziggy

I arrive back in Arizona with Tank, Faith
, and her best friend and object of my desire, Peggy Sue, and her baby boy in tow. After several days together, it’s like we’re all one ‘happy fam damily’ now, said no biker ever. I am beyond tired after our marathon trip back. All I feel like doing is dropping into bed and sleeping for three days. I know that shit ain’t gonna happen. There is too much going on around here at the club.

Apparently, while I was in Alabama gathering up the flock, and bringing them to safety
, the shit hit the fan around here. We lost our beloved Prez to a senseless murder by one of our own trusted brothers. Bambi, the former club skank, has reemerged after being gone for a few years, and she’s got a kid in tow that apparently belongs to Ryder, and one our own brothers betrayed us and tried to take Ryder out. Ryder has returned from Russian captivity after a short stint as a MMA style fighter. Fuck. Remind me not to leave again for a while.

I make my way to my room to unload my shit and shower and change before I meet up with Ryder, wh
om I’ve heard has been an asshole since his return. I don’t know the entire story just yet, but Flem said he had to pull Ryder off of Bambi and keep him from literally choking the life out of her after she told him he has a son. Can’t say I wouldn’t do the same thing to a bitch for lying and hiding a kid from me all these years. I will get the full 411 on that shit soon. For now, all I want is a shower and my bed for just an hour or two for a little shuteye.

I am working on unpacking my shit when I hear her heavenly southern drawl from behind me. “Zeke, where are Tucker and I supposed to stay in this God forsaken place ya’ll call a club?” I absolutely love it when she calls me by my first name instead of Ziggy.

I turn around and take in her sexy ass standing there in my doorway with her baby boy, my new favorite kid. “Well, Lil Mama, I guess you and the Lil Man will be bunking in here during your stay at Club DD.”

She rolls her eyes and sneers at me. I know she’s playing hard to get and upholding her proper southern upbringing, but the girl wants to get to know me. I can feel her watching me when she thinks I ain’t looking and she’s checkin
’ me out often.

Peggy is still standing in the doorway of my room, almost afraid to walk further inside. She’s glaring at me. “Zeke, Tucker and I will not sleep in here with you. I am not that sort of woman. I barely know you and
, for God’s sake, my son will be with me.”

I shake my head at her jumping to conclusions about my offer for her to bunk in my room. “Lil Mama, just chill already
, woman. I am giving you and Lil Man here my room. I will room with Fat Boy or Tank. Shit, woman, yes I wanna get to know you better, but I wouldn’t dare compromise your virtue. Not until you’re ready for me to compromise it,” I say with a huge smile on my face. She blushes. Damn, she’s beautiful when she does that.

Peggy walks further into my room. I feel self-conscious. It’s pretty basic
but I keep it clean. I have a king size bed with a black comforter and matching red pillows. The nightstands are a nice cherry wood as is my dresser. This may not be my actual home, but it’s my home away from home. I have nice taste in stuff and I wonder if Peg thinks the same. I open the closet up and tell her I will make some room for her clothing, and I tell her I do have a gun safe in the closet, but I assure her it’s locked up tight. She cringes. I know she has country blood in her. Shit, ain’t they all supposed to be all gung ho over God, guns, and love of country or some shit like that? I shrug my shoulders. “Sorry, babe, but guns are a necessity of life in my world.” I know that statement doesn’t earn me any points with her, but it’s the truth.

Peggy sits on the bed and places Tucker on her lap
; she quickly changes the subject. “So, Zeke, what am I supposed to do around here to keep myself occupied when Tucker is sleeping? I mean, I really don’t want to associate myself with some of the women around here. They seem too extreme for my liking. I am trying not to judge, but I don’t associate with trash.”

I let out a laugh at her observation of the club whores. Leave it to Peg to be so polite about what they really are
, but get a snarky jab in there at the same time. This woman is fucking awesome. “About the only thing fun to do around here is work on a bike or go for a ride.”

I grab a bedroll out of the closet that I will use in one of the guy
’s rooms to sleep on. A guilty look overcomes her beautiful face for a second or two. “Zeke, I don’t want to run you out of your room. I mean, Tucker and I can bunk with Faith in Ryder’s room or something.”

I shake my head at her. “No
, Lil Mama, you and Lil Man are going to stay in here. It’s private and quiet for him to sleep when he needs it. In addition, you can feed him in here and lock the door without worrying about being stared at. It’s no inconvenience to me, at all.”

She looks up at me with those beautiful eyes and I am lost. “Thank you
, Zeke. I feel like I’ve been a little judgmental. I mean, you seem like a nice and decent guy. Well... I… I just wanted to apologize for my ill treatment of you at Faith’s family home and on the road trip here. I wasn’t very nice to you or to your friend. Tank? Isn’t that his name? Well, anyhow, I am sorry for acting like a child at times.”

I shake my head and laugh a little. Oh lord, Lil Mama was hell on wheels from Alabama to Arizona. She made it her life mission to make me and Tank fucking miserable. She complained about everything and assaulted us with barbs that made us miserable. “I accept
, Lil Mama, and it’s understandable to be a little out of sorts on a long distance run like that, especially with a baby on board. So yeah, babe, I feel ya.”

She nods her head and looks down at Lil Man for a second. “Thanks Zeke. I appreciate your understanding my rude behavior. Well, I am going to track down Faith and see when she wants to eat and what our plans for the rest of the day are looking like.” I nod my head at her and she picks up the baby and walks out and heads down the hall to find Faith, who I assume is in Ryder’s room.

I walk out to Faith’s car, which thankfully is unlocked. I grab Peggy and Tucker’s luggage and that playpen/crib contraption. She refers to a as pack and something or other. I want to get everything set up for them in my room so she’ll feel more at ease.

As I unloading her belongings, I think back to our trip back to Arizona. Damn that woman had us in knots over anything and everything. It was the road trip from hell. Poor Tank took the blunt of her wrath. When Tank broke the news to her that we would all be staying overnight at the club for safety factors, she threw a shit fit of all shit fits. We both found out how stubborn this woman is.

She locked her and Tucker in Faiths car and cranked up country music while Tank beat on the door, trying to coax her out of the car, in a Tank kind of way. I sat there on my hog taking in the entire situation and the craziness of it all, and falling for this chick. Tank finally pulled his piece out and knocked on the window, to scare her. What did she do? She flipped him off and tore out of the parking lot, which resulted in Tank getting his right foot, ran over by the car. I had to take off after her and pull her over a few blocks over and talked her down from going back to kill Tank and well, he was another story. I’ve been trying my best to keep those two separated for a general truce on both sides. So far, it has not been easy.

I manage to grab a new prospect
to help me carry everything to my room. He sets the luggage down and splits. I don’t think the kid is much into messing with baby gear. Then again, I’m no pro at it. Trying to set up the crib or the play along thing for Lil Man to sleep is easier said than done. I know it seems as though I am jumping on the kid wagon to impress Peg, but holding that kid did something to me. He made me want to settle down and have a family. I never had much growing up and my parents were crazy Bible thumpin’ Holy Roller zealots. Josiah and I grew up in a strict household, and my parents invested more in the church than they did their sons. I hated life until I met Ryder in school and found out there was more to life than praying and reading the Bible for hours on end. As a kid, I longed to be a free spirit and think for myself, and the biker lifestyle did that for me.

I snap out of my melancholy thoughts and proceed to set up the baby bed, and I changed the bedding for Peg
. Just as I am moving my socks and underwear, Peg comes out of the bathroom with Tucker. She looks around and then back up at me. “I see you’ve been busy. Thank you for thinking of us and bringing our belongings in from the car.” She smiles at me and I feel myself swell a little. Her hair is damp and the scent of her shampoo hits my nose. She puts Lil Man into his crib bed and heads for the bed herself.

“So
, tell me, what do you make of Bambi dropping the news on Ryder about having his love child and never letting him know about it?”

She sits on my bed and seems to ponder my question. “Well, I think the child is the one that suffers in the long run over the mother’s sin. Ryder had no idea this child existed, so I can’t blame him for this mess. However, it is devastating to Faith. It’s not like she won’t care for the child, but she’s so young and for her to have to be thrust into the role of a step-parent so soon in their relationship might take a toll on her emotionally.”

I nod my head. I think to myself, is she really talking about Faith here, or is she may be thinking about the idea of what it might be like if she and I got together, and what it might be like for me. I have no problem with Lil Man and being a father figure to him. The kid is special and I like him, a lot. I just shake it off.

She throws out something that turns me on. “If that bitch Bambi messes with my friend and hurts her, I will not be responsible for my actions against the skank. I am just putting that out there right now.” I smile at the thought of her going all girly fight with Bambi and kicking Bambi’s ass. Damn, what a fantasy that would make.

We work in a comfortable silence together until I hear her let out a loud gasp. I look up and she’s holding the broken B.O.B. that belonged to Paige. The one I destroyed the day I kicked her out of my life. She’s holding it with a napkin and she’s got a sneer on her face. She turns and looks at me. “What, pray tell, is this thing?” She looks rather embarrassed to be touching it.

I
’m actually embarrassed but I play it off. “Oh, that thing? Well, honey, it’s a B.O.B. Ain’t you ever used one?”

She drops it to the ground and looks up at me with a disgust
ed look on her face. “What in the hell is a B.O.B.?”

“Babe, B.O.B. is short for battery operated boyfriend. You haven’t ever heard of it?”
She shakes her head. “Well, sugar, that one is broken, but I could certainly head over to the adult store and purchase you one, and give you a demonstration of the enjoyment of a B.O.B.” I give her a big grin and she raises her hand and slaps me across the face. I didn’t see that coming. She grabs Tucker out of his bed, stomps out of the room, and slams the door behind her. Well, that flirting session was an epic fail.

I manage to stay off Peg’s radar for a few hours by making myself scarce and hanging out with some of the brothers
. I have yet to see Ryder; he and Faith have been hiding out most of the day.

Peg comes into the main room
. Tucker must be down for a nap because she’s empty handed. She has a black thing with a screen on it in her hand and a walkie-talkie looking thing in her hand. She looks around the room and ignores everyone, settles onto one of the leather couches and starts to do something on the screen, and then stares at it. Must be one of those tablet things. I decide to turn my attention away from her and let her have her space. I am sure she is still pissed at me for my B.O.B. comment earlier.

Looking over at Fat Boy, who got his nickname not because he of his build.
But because of his love of smoking pot. He’s even named his hog the 420 Express. He’s always been quite the jokester.

I notice that Fat Boy is eying Peg up and down and licking his lips. I kick him in the shin and glare at him. “She’s off limits
, brother. She’s soon to belong to me.”

He gives me a gruff laugh and shakes his head. “
If she’s soon to be yours, why ain’t you over there working that bitch?”

I jump up out of my chair and pull Fat Boy up, grab him by the collar of his shirt
, and glare at him. “Don’t. Ever. Call. Her. A. Bitch. Again. Her name is Peggy Sue or Peg. She’s a lady and you will treat her as such. She’s not a club whore. You feel me?”

Fat Boy step backs after I release my hold on his shirt. He holds his hands up in a surrender motion. “Sorry
, dude, I didn’t know you had that much of a thing for her. I assumed when you said she was soon to be yours, I thought you meant you were gonna hit it.”

I grab my beer, walk up to him, and get right up in his face. “Don’t look at her again, unless you want to take me on
, brother. She’s too good for the likes of you.”

I turn on my heel, walk out to my bike, and decide to take a ride to cool down. I don’t know what’s come over me about Peg, but I feel very protective toward her, and I don’t want my brothers harassing her. Period.