Savage Sacrifice: Savage Angels MC #5 (5 page)

“Dirt, man, stay and finish your beer.”

“Another time, I’m tired, and I want some shut eye. Not looking forward to the days that are coming. You think anyone will challenge you?”

“No, no one else is after the crown. There might be some shoving if Dane does step down, but, Dirt, I’m telling you, it’s not going to come to that.”

I wish I had his faith, but he wasn’t on the plane when Dane voiced his declaration. Jonas didn’t see the conviction in his eyes.  I nod at him and continue toward my bike.

“Thanks for the beer.”

As I’m climbing on my bike, Addy pulls up out front.

“Hey Dirt!” she hollers as she gets out of the car.

“Hey Addy, where’s the young fella?”

“Staying at grandpa's for the night. He didn’t want to come home with me,” she replies with a grin.

“Good seeing you, Addy.”

I start my bike, give her a wave, and ride away.

I
watch through the window as Dirt and Addy exchange hellos. Dane and I have been friends for years. Dirt has to have it wrong, there’s no way he’d leave the MC, even for Kat. I open the freezer and pull out a bottle of Crystal Head Vodka, we keep it in here, so it’s always cold. I pour myself a generous serve and take a long swallow. I hear Dirt ride away and then Addy as she comes through the house.

“Jonas! Honey! Where are you?” Addy yells, sounding happy. When she enters the kitchen, her step falters as she looks at me. “Has something happened? Is everyone all right?”

“Relax, love. Everyone’s fine. Well, sort of.” I take another sip of my drink and refill the glass. “You want one?”

Addy places her handbag on the kitchen bench. “Sure, why not? It’s not every day you crack open the good stuff.” She walks around and wraps her arms around my middle, calming my tumultuous mind.

“You have to drink it straight, can’t have you mixing it and diluting the flavor.”

“Straight it is! Did I tell you that we have the whole house to ourselves? If you’re lucky I’ll let you pour it all over me and lick it off.”

I smirk at her. “Too good to waste, love.”

Addy withdraws her arms and punches me lightly in the arm. “No sex for you.”

“You know I’m teasing.” I love this woman, even right now as she looks at me with fake hurt on her gorgeous face.

“Hmm, we will see.” She opens the cupboard and hands me a glass. “What did Dirt want?”

“He came to talk to me about becoming President of the MC.”

“What? Has something happened to Dane?” she asks worriedly.

“He’s fine, he’s talking about stepping down. The mantle will go to me if I want it.”

“Jonas, you’re a great VP. The men respect you, and some fear you. I know how much you love the club, but is being the President something you want?”

I take in her words and mull them over. Addy grabs my hand and pulls me toward the living room. I sit on the couch, and she sits down next to me, placing her long legs across my lap.

“Once upon a time, being the President was all I wanted. Just before Kat came on the scene, I had decided that it
was
what I wanted. But over the last few years, I’ve come to realize there is more to life.” I lovingly run a hand up her leg, pushing her skirt up as I do.

“Stop right there, handsome. I’m not sure if I want to tangle with you after that comment about
wasting
good vodka.”

“I take it back. It won’t be a waste,” I say, as I stroke her face and smile at her.

“Nice try. So, you don’t want to be President?”

Like always, she brings me back to what’s important. “No, love, I don’t, but if Dane does step down, I’ll not let this Chapter fall into chaos. It’s my duty to become the next President of the club.”

“Why is Dane stepping down?” she asks with a frown on her face.

“Kat. Turns out Kat might have a thing with the lead singer of Rockplay. Things got a little heated, Kat stepped in, and Dane hit her.”

“Dane hit Kat?” Addy asks incredulously.

“Yeah, and she told him to leave. Well, according to Dirt, to fuck off. There’s no way he did it on purpose. Dane has a code. Hurting women doesn’t fit with that.”

“So, he’s leaving for Kat? To try and fix things?”

“It would appear so.” I take a sip of my drink, finishing it.

Addy moves her long legs off me and to the floor. “Be right back.”

I love watching her walk. Addy is tall and lithe, which is a pleasure to watch. When she comes back into the room, she has my vodka. I hold out my glass to her, and she fills it.

A sigh escapes her. “So, what’s my role if you become President?”

“What do you mean?” I ask puzzled.

Addy sits down next to me and places her legs back over my lap. “Well, if you become President, where do I fit? Do I even fit? We’re not married. You have no ties to me, it might be easier to do it on your own.”

I feel like all the air has been sucked out of my lungs. Addy is my everything. She and Jack are my world.

“Love, of course, you have a place by my side.
You
will always come first. Addy, I swore an oath to you,
on my colors
. You and Jack will
always
come first.”

A small smile plays on her lips. “Well, perhaps that’s the way Dane is feeling? Maybe, Jonas, you should talk to
him
?”

Clever fucking woman. She’s made me see the truth with her little game. As I would give up everything for her, so would Dane for Kat.

“Think you’re smart don’t you?”

“Smart and,” she slides over my lap, so she’s straddling me, “I took off my underwear when I got your very good vodka.”

“Pick up the bottle.” Addy does as she’s told. I grip her ass and stand. “Let's see what good vodka and you taste like.”

“Such a pushover.” She giggles as I walk toward our bedroom, her legs around my hips.

“Yeah, anything for you.”

W
e’re halfway through our rehearsal; Truth is singing which I miss, and I’m on lead guitar. Judge stayed behind when Dane left and is Jasmin’s constant companion. He’s sitting off to one side of the stage keeping a close watch on her. His adoration of her visible on his stubbly face.

The band sounds good, Truth has an excellent voice. Blair is on the saxophone belting it out, Jasmin is on keyboards, Curtis is on bass guitar, and Jamie is on drums. Will walks on stage, he winks at Blair, picks up a microphone and takes over the song. He belts it out, dancing toward me, clearly having a good time. Will hasn’t noticed that Truth is giving him a death stare, and my other band mates don’t look happy.

When the song finishes, Jamie stands up, drops his sticks, and stalks toward the back of the stage. His face is a mask of anger.

“Aww, come on, Jamie. I was only joining in; you guys sound fantastic,” says Will into the microphone.

Jamie twirls back around; he’s six foot two and a ball of muscle. He points at Will, and stalks toward him, anger twisting his features.

“If I wanted to work with a no talent wannabe,  I’d let
you
sing for the fans. You? You, just fuck them with your music and any other way you can. Tell me I’m wrong!” he thunders. “Especially after your last performance.  Why do you think Kat walked out on the stage and played? ‘Cause your fucking guitarist sounded like shit!”

I’ve never seen Jamie look so angry his face is enraged, and he’s in Will’s space. The whole building has gone quiet. A strange smile goes across Jamie’s face, he begins to walk backward and says in a quiet voice, “Tell me I’m wrong.”

Will holds up a hand. “Yeah, you’re right.” Then smiles sarcastically at him. “But who sells more albums?”

Jamie shakes his head, his gaze never waivers from Will’s face. “You still don’t get it. It’s about the fans. It’s about doing your best for
them
. They’ve paid for a ticket, traveled, maybe even given up work to come. We owe it to them to be on time, in tune, and give them a fucking good show. Which is what
we
do.” Jamie gestures to us, his band members. “Read your reviews, man, Rockplay sucks. If you can’t get it up outside a studio without all the technical help, well maybe you shouldn’t tour.”

Will holds the mic up and lets it drop to the floor; the noise is ear-piercing, he shakes his head at Jamie and walks off stage. Jamie’s gaze comes to me.

“Okay everyone, how about we all take a break?” I glance at Blair.

He lets out a breath and takes off his saxophone. “I agree with Jamie. Can we dump Rockplay? There has to be someone else more professional we can tour with.”

“The tickets have been sold, and we’re lucky we have a contract that says we are the top act, cause Will’s right, they are selling more albums than us.” Truth swears and I look at my band, one at a time. “We have to work together; it’s the only way.”

“They’re all flash and no substance, Kat, they’re making us look bad,” says Blair disappointedly. I shake my head at him and he continues, “You’re letting your emotions get in the way of the truth.”

I catch Jasmin as she turns her head in Judge’s direction, and he shrugs at her in return.

“Rehearsals are over,” I announce as I too stalk off stage. The last thing I need is Judge reporting back to Dane that I’m standing up for Will.

As I head for the back of the stage I’m accosted by one of the sound technicians, Tommy.

“Kat! You guys sounded really good today.”

“Thanks, Tommy, appreciate that.” I keep walking, wanting to get as far away from here as possible but he jogs up to me.

“I couldn’t help but overhear what the others had to say, you know they are right, yeah? Rockplay isn’t nearly as good as you lot.”

Great
, now even the sound technicians have an opinion. “Thanks, Tommy. But we have a contract. It’s the way it goes,” I say continuing to walk away.

“If there was a way to get out of the contract would you do it?” asks Tommy.

“Right now, today? Yeah, in a heartbeat but that’s not going to happen.”

“You never know,” replies Tommy with a smirk on his face.

“Yeah, you never do,” I say as I leave the building.

I
’m underneath a car trying to figure out what's wrong with it. I find using my hands keeps my head occupied, well, normally it does but not today. I’m about to give up when I feel a sharp pain as someone kicks my boots.

“Hey! I’m fucking working under here!” I yell.

“Doesn’t sound like you’re working very fucking hard.”

I roll out from under the car and see Jonas looking down at me.

“Fuck you, Brother,” I grumble.

“How about a drink instead? I’m buying.”

I hold out my hand to him, and he helps me to my feet.

“A drink sounds good. Just let me get cleaned up.”

“Cool, meet you over there,” says Jonas as he walks toward the Clubhouse.

I go to the back and soap up my hands to try and rid myself of the grease and oil. I pull my t-shirt up over my head and hear a gasp from behind me. I turn around to find a woman staring at me with her mouth open.

“Can I help you?” I ask as I walk toward the lockers.

“I left my car here to be fixed? It had a clunking noise that sounded wrong.”

She’s nervous and licking her lips, but her eyes stare at my chest.

“Office is at the front of the building, you shouldn’t be back here,” I say as I tug on a black t-shirt.

“Sorry, no one was there. I rang the buzzer but after fifteen minutes I decided to find someone.” She looks up at me.

“What’s your name?”

“Candice Burrows,” she says a little breathlessly.

“Ahh, yeah, yours was the red Honda Civic. Turned out the tensioner spring for the serpentine belt broke off, which caused the rattle. So, we replaced the tensioner, belt, and the water pump. No more
clunking
noise.”

“Thank you!” Candice gushes at me. “How much do I owe you?”

“How about we find someone to take care of that?” I motion for her to lead the way. “You new in town? Haven’t seen you around before.”

“I’m visiting my aunt. She owns the hair salon, Sophie’s, in Main Street.”

We walk up the stairs to the Clubhouse, and she stops. I look down at her, and she seems unsure of herself. Her gaze goes past me, she’s looking at Bear, and his woman Shaz, practically having sex at one of the tables.

I block her view and wait until she looks up at me. “They’re longtime lovers, and I admit sometimes they get carried away, but no one in here will harm you. You have my word.”

Candice nods, she’s cute, blonde, pouty lips and curves. “Your word?”

“Yeah, these boys, for whatever reason, listen to me.” I wink at her and place my arm around her shoulders. “You’ll be safe.”

We walk in, and I take her up to Jonas. He’s just taken a mouth full of vodka takes one look at us and chokes on it. I quickly remove my arm.

“Jonas, this is Candice Burrows, it’s her Honda we just fixed. No one was at the office, so I walked her over.” Jonas looks at her, then back at me, and smiles.

“
You
walked Candice over,
you
?” he asks mocking me.

“No one was in the fucking office, and no one responded to the buzzer, so, yeah, Brother, I walked Candice over. She’d like to pay her account,” I say with no small amount of frustration in my voice.

“Hello, Candice, I’m Jonas, let's see if we can take some money off you today. If you’ll just follow me back to the office?”

Candice smiles at him and begins to follow him out, she stops, turns around, and holds out her hand.

“Thank you, it’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

I grasp her hand in mine, and the smile on her face grows. “Dane Reynolds, nice meeting you too, Candice.”

She crinkles her nose at me and hurries after Jonas. I’m watching her walk away when Bear thumps me on the shoulder and says in a loud voice, “I’m Bear, it’s nice meeting you, too.”

The bar explodes into laughter, and I cock an eyebrow at Bear. “You and Shaz need to go home. Can’t have you two fucking in the bar.”