STAG: MC ROMANCE (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 7) (2 page)

Becca waited at the school gates in the blazing sun and looked down at her watch. She was ten minutes early, and knew that the teachers were always so punctual that she may as well never bother trying to get there so early. But these were the kinds of things that happened to a mom that worked the night shifts. Every second with her baby counted. She tapped her foot and checked her cell phone. She had half been expecting to get a deranged message from her sister Laura, stressing about her upcoming date, but luckily for Becca, her home screen was blank.

She smiled at some of the other parents as they arrived, waiting alongside her as she tried her best to avoid small talk. She hated the school gates, and she hated most of the other parents that she had to pretend to be interested in. But if it meant that her son, Oscar, got invited on play dates and was thriving with a good bunch of friends, could she really complain?

She heard the bell trill from inside the school and turned, smiling, as Oscar ran out to meet her, her heart swelling with pride. He was only four years old, but he was already turning into a lovely little boy with a whole lot of personality. She knelt down and waited for him to run towards her, jump up, and wrap his little arms around her neck.

“Hey Kiddo,” she beamed as she kissed him on the forehead.

“Hey Mommy,” he said as he slipped his hand into hers.

They started to walk back across the parking lot and Oscar waved to some of his friends. In his hand he clutched a large sheet of paper with a big scribbled drawing of him and Becca in red and blue crayon.

“That’s awesome,” she said as she took it from him for a closer look. “Maybe Aunt Laura will let us have it on the refrigerator, what do you think?”

Oscar nodded his head and grinned.

She opened the back door and helped buckle him into his seat. His blonde hair was so bright, it seemed to shine gold. She closed the door behind her and walked around to the driver’s side. When she slid in and closed her door, she noticed Mr. Abraham wandering across the playground and she instantly tried to shield her eyes with her hand.

What a disastrous date that had been. She had only agreed to go out of the fact that she hadn’t been on a date in around four years, but it couldn’t have gone any worse. In a way, she thought it was life’s way of giving her a dose of karma. After all, what good could have possibly come out of dating one of her son’s teachers? But Becca had come back to town lonely and distraught several years ago, and had pretty much gone to ground. Oscar was a small baby when she had been completely ditched by his father – who apparently just ‘wasn’t ready for all of this responsibility’ – and she had been forced to return to her hometown of Slate Springs and move in with her sister. She was lucky in that sense, at least she had had somewhere to go.  But she still found it hard to comprehend sometimes that only five years earlier she had graduated college, had been living in the city with a wonderful guy who she loved more than ever, and had been on the verge of bagging her dream job. When she had found out that she was unexpectedly pregnant, she had been thrilled. But unfortunately Oscar’s father hadn’t shared her enthusiasm.

“I just think we have so much left to do before we take a step like that,” he’d said. “I mean, I don’t even know if I want to stay here in the city… what if I want to go off travelling? Or move to China, or quit my job and live like a nomad?”

“Are you serious?” Becca had asked, completely stunned.

They had been together for over two years and never once had he ever expressed even the faintest interest in doing any of those things. As far as she had been aware, they were more than settled where they were; living together, and this was they’re life… Why was he all of a sudden trying to act as if this had never been the case? She waited for him to laugh and tell her he was joking… But it never happened.

They carried on for several weeks, never addressing the elephant in the room. But one evening it all got too much for Becca and she had to confront him.

“Do you want this baby or not?” she’d cried as she looked at him while he sat playing video games and drinking beer as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

He didn’t answer her for a moment, but he did have the manners to pause his soccer game and rest down the control.

“Do you want me?” she asked instead.

He stayed silent and awkward, but his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

She couldn’t believe that she had been so foolish. She had honestly believed that he was the man for her. She was twenty-two, on the verge of having it all, and now it was all being taken away.

“Well,” she said as she turned her back to him. “I don’t think there’s anything left here… I’m leaving.”

“What do you mean?” he’d asked with a laugh, getting to his feet. “I didn’t say I didn’t want you.”

“If you don’t want the baby, then you don’t want me,” she said coldly. “Because whether you like it or not, this child is a part of me now.”

He had been stunned into silence, as if he was expecting her to roll over and do whatever he wanted. But Becca wasn’t that kind of girl.

As she packed her bags and said goodbye on their almost perfect life together, she also couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief that it had happened at this point. She easily could have spent another five years with him and the same thing could have happened. Or worse, she could have ended up marrying him and he could have ditched her as soon as the pressure and responsibility got to be too much.

He was a jackass. And this had only been confirmed even further when he hadn’t tried to contact her again after she had left.  He had let her walk out of his life with their unborn baby in tow, and he didn’t seem to be bothered about it in the slightest. Becca had been distraught, but she had returned to Slate Springs and she had started her life again. Luckily, her sister was there and she moved in with her and Laura had taken good care of her.

When Oscar was born, it was as if all was right in the world again and she would do anything to keep him safe. All she really wanted for him was the chance to have a proper father. A real role model to look up to. But so far, the men of Slate Springs hadn’t come up to much, and she was more than bored by them. Becca craved excitement.

She laughed as she started the engine and thought of how boring her date had been with Mr. Abraham. He had barely uttered a word to her for the entire time they sat together and Becca couldn’t not wait to get out of there. For a woman as feisty and independent as she was, she needed someone who could match her in every way. And a school teacher who liked playing Scrabble and walking on the weekends just wasn’t going to cut it.

She swung the car out onto the highway and started the short drive home. Oscar sat in the back, humming along to the tunes on the radio. Things had looked pretty bleak when she had returned all those years ago. And whilst she was nursing her broken heart and raising her baby, she had found herself becoming somewhat withdrawn.

“You need to get back out there,” Laura had said. “You need to bring Becca back! Hell, where is my sister with all of her fighting spirit?”

And she knew that she was right. But she had to wait for the time to be right. She had enjoyed being at home with her son, but as the years passed and he started to grow and had started school, Becca knew that she needed to get back to her badass, feisty self. It was time for her to start looking for something.

She had heard a lot about the motorcycle club that was at the core of Slate Springs, and she had always been intrigued by it. So when she had heard that they needed a bar girl at their place The Bleeding Bullet, she had jumped at the chance.

“Are you sure it’s for you?” Laura had asked skeptically. “I know you like living life on the edge and all… but bikers?”

Becca had laughed and smiled.

“If it doesn’t work out I’ll go back to something more conservative,” she’d said, even though she knew that she was lying.

Since her first shift, she had been hooked. She enjoyed spending the days with Oscar and then on the nights she could let her hair down and go wild with the biker boys of The Forsaken Riders. It was perfect and she had never felt more alive. The memories of her past and of how her ex had been so cold and cruel to her were now fading and she was regaining her confidence with each passing day.

When she had come back to town she had felt so lost, the only person she had had in the world was her sister, and then later, her little boy. But now she was making friends and she was feeling as if she was a part of a little family that lived life on the edge. It was the perfect balance for her, and she was more than enjoying it.

She pulled up outside of her and Laura’s house and helped Oscar out of the car. He ran ahead and she looked around the neighborhood. It was a nice little street for the middle of a desert town, and she was fully aware of how worse her luck could have been if she had stayed in an unhappy relationship with a man who didn’t truly love her or their son. Just thinking about him made her skin crawl, so she pushed him to the back of her mind.

Inside the house Laura was busy singing in the kitchen and Oscar had joined her at the table. Becca wandered in to be with them and they all discussed their days.

“Well,” Becca grinned, “it looks like we have a new piece of artwork for the refrigerator.”

“Oh wow!” gushed Laura. “Isn’t that divine!”

She took the scribbled picture out of Oscar’s hands and pinned it proudly on the front with a couple of magnets. “We’ll have a full collection soon,” she smiled. “Maybe we should try and get them in a gallery!”

Oscar laughed and jumped down from the table before he made his way into the front room and turned on the TV.

“How was your day sis?” Becca asked.

“Same old,” Laura rolled her eyes. “Dull, boring, office full of pervy men. What about you?”

“Great!” Becca smiled. “I spent the day chilling in the garden actually, topping up my tan, you know?” She winked and she could feel her sister’s eyes boring into her.

“What time’s your shift tonight?” Laura asked.

“Eight-thirty,” Becca said as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of lemonade. “So I’ll get Oscar to bed and then head on out.”

“Cool,” Laura said.

Becca knew that she was lucky to have her sister by her side. She had been with her through the tough times and had supported her financially when she had turned up on her doorstep, pregnant, alone, and without an income. She honestly didn’t know what she would ever do without Laura. She would always do her best for her, the same as she would do for Oscar.

Making her way back through into the front room, she and watched him playing with his toys. His innocence was so endearing,  he never ceased to amaze her with his curiosity and creativity. These were the absolute best parts of her day. She reached down and pulled out a big drawing pad and a set of pencils.

“Why don’t we do some more drawing before dinner,” she said enthusiastically. Oscar grinned at her and ran to her side. As they opened up the notebook, they started to make some whacky pictures together, and Becca knew that she had her life on the right track. The only thing missing from it was a man and some love. If she could only find someone to care for her how she deserved to be cared for, then everything really would be perfect.

She knew that it would take one hell of a man, and because of that she was willing to wait. She didn’t want to rush anything because there were no half measures in her life. She wanted it all, and she wasn’t willing to settle for anything less. Because it wasn’t just her that deserved a happy ending… it was Oscar, too.

She kissed Oscar goodnight and then quietly closed the door to this bedroom. She had always been lucky with him in the fact that he was a good sleeper. He loved his bed and was more than happy to curl up after a long day and effortlessly drift off to sleep. Becca stretched her arms high up over her head and yawned. She was exhausted, too. The night shifts, for all they were fun and meant she got to spend the maximum of time with her son, were beginning to wear her out.

“What are your plans tonight?” she asked Laura as she made her way back into the front room.

Laura was curled up on the couch watching trash TV and eating ice cream straight from the tub.

“Well, I have this to finish,” she smirked and held up the ice cream. “And then I’ll probably take a bath… Nothing exciting.”

“Thanks so much for being so hands-on,” Becca smiled. “We really need the money, so it’s great I can get out to work on an evening.”

“Hey, you don’t have to thank me,” Laura said genuinely. “I wouldn’t leave my nephew with anyone else! And you’re right, we do need the money, but not only that, it’s good for you to have something going on.”

“I have been feeling better,” Becca admitted.

“Sure,” Laura smiled. “The old Becca is slowly coming back.”

She nodded in agreement. Since she had started her shifts at The Bleeding Bullet she had felt a lot more like her old self. Her confidence was returning and her desire for adventure was coming back with it. She knew it wouldn’t be long until she could put the whole mess of her past relationship behind her and finally move on. She was ready now. Ready and eager to make things happen.

“So what about you anyway?” Becca asked with a wry smile. “I thought I may have heard more about the plans with your mystery man?”

Laura rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“Ugh, I’m starting to think about calling the whole thing off.” She jabbed the spoon into the ice cream tub and pulled out a huge spoonful of chocolate chip.

“Why?” Becca put her hands on her hips.

“Because… I don’t know, he just seems…”

“Seems what?”

“Too keen maybe?” Laura shrugged.

“Men can’t win can they,” Becca laughed. “When they push us away, we call them every name under the sun and vice versa. When they actually give a shit and want to treat us well...”

Laura shrugged again.

“Just give it a go, Sis,” she smiled. “There’s no reason not to.”

“I guess,” Laura smiled back.

Becca got to her feet and turned to leave the room. In the darkened hallway she climbed the stairs and she made her way down to her bedroom and opened the door. She looked at the clock and realized that she only had an hour before her shift began, so she’d better get a move on. Opening her closet, she pulled out the small pair of denim cut-off shorts. She and one of the other girls who worked at the bar, Sasha, had decided on a sort of uniform when Becca had begun working there alongside her. The guys that usually came into The Bullet were the kind who quite liked to have scantily clad girls. So they donned the shorts, and usually a little low cut black tee or vest top. Becca loved it! When she slipped into her outfit for work she felt empowered, as if she was taking back control of her life and moving forward. She slipped the shorts on and did up the buttons at the waist, then she grabbed a low cut tee and pulled it on over her head. Her hair was long and dark and she twisted it up into a tight little knot on top of her head before she leaned in towards her vanity mirror and started to perfect her eyeliner. She winged out the tips perfectly to give herself an almost feline appearance, and then she slipped in her small, tight, silver nose ring. It was funny to think, but the more she was coming out of herself back in Slate Springs, the more she realized that she had lost her way when she had gone off to college and found herself in a sensible corporate world in the city. She had always had a wild streak in her, she even had some hidden tattoos under her clothes, so the lawless underworld of the bikers appealed to her darker side.

She spritzed on some perfume and then she slipped her dainty little feet into a pair of stiletto heels. So much had been going on whilst she had been at work, she was looking forward to getting there and learning about all of the latest developments. Becca had only been working there for a week when the head of the motorcycle club had died from a long illness and he had been replaced by Bull, one of the biggest, and most frightening looking men she had ever seen. However, with his sheer size and power, he was also incredibly sexy, and Sasha, Becca’s working buddy had been lucky enough to have been swept off her feet by him. Becca was so pleased for her, she loved seeing someone deserving getting something good in their life, and she could really see the change in Sasha since she had started dating Bull properly. He was so good to her and he treated her like a queen. Becca often looked on at them both longingly and just hoped that somewhere out there, a man like him was waiting for her.

“Okay Sis,” she called to Lauren as she jogged back down the stairs. “I’m gonna head to work, give me a call on my cell if there’s any problems.”

She blew Laura a kiss and went into the kitchen where she gathered up her purse and her car keys. She knew that Oscar was such a good sleeper that there wasn’t much chance of her having any issues, but she wanted to be conscientious just in case.

“Okay Bec, catch you later,” Lauren called back to her, and Becca could hear her scraping the bottom of the ice cream tub with the spoon. She couldn’t help but smile.

As she drove across town towards the other side of Slate Springs she rested her elbow on the edge of the window, letting the warm evening air blow around her neck. After living in a city for so long it was nice to be back in a more rural environment, even if it meant being out in the middle of a giant sandbox surrounded by crime.

She turned a corner next to the water tower and continued on. The buildings were slowly becoming darker and she could hear the roar of bike engines off in the distance. There always seemed to be a police presence on this side of town, but for that reason it made her feel safe. She knew that there was much less chance of anything kicking off whilst they cops were around, and she always felt protected. Even if it was by them.

The bikers all hated the cops – for obvious reasons – but they couldn’t deny that at certain times they kept trouble away from the door. Even if they did make a lot more difficult for the club to carry out certain types of meetings or deals.

Becca turned the corner again and the bar loomed up out of the darkness ahead of her. The laser lights were shining up on it, illuminating it red from the ground up, the windows, as usual, were all dark and covered in black. She swung her car into a space at the side of the curb and got out. It looked a lot quieter than normal, but this didn’t bother her. Although she enjoyed being busy, the late nights were starting to catch up to her and the earlier she could get home to her warm and comfortable bed, the better.

She locked the car up behind her and ignored the cops that were leering in her direction. For all that they were supposed to be the law abiding gentlemen, they really didn’t have any manners when it came to women. They jeered and perved, and let their eyes wander. Becca had never experienced that with the bikers. They had all treated her with respect – as one of their own. She knew that a lot of them found her attractive, but they didn’t go over the top about it or make her feel uncomfortable. In fact, if anything, they always just treated her as if she was an equal, someone who deserved her place there and to be looked after by them all.

She scowled at the cops and carried on forward. A couple of the regulars that she was starting to recognize were loitering on the steps to the bar, drinking bottles of beer and smoking next to their bikes.

“Hey Becca,” one of them called and she smiled and waved.

She pushed the door open to the bar and the rock music, even though it was on low for that place, still hit her heavily and she instantly felt her mood lift. This was the kind of place she belonged, and she loved it.

She waved and smiled to all of the guys. Lynx, King, and Hawk were all sitting in one of the booths, laughing and chatting amongst themselves and Becca was sure that she could hear the familiar thunder of Bull’s voice from out the back. She slipped behind the counter of the bar and shoved her purse right up to the back of one of the low shelves. And then she started to look around and see what stock needed refilling.

“Hey Becca,” Sasha smiled to her as she joined her. “How’s it going?”

“Hey,” she smiled. “I didn’t think you’d be in tonight.”

“Well, if Bull had his way I wouldn’t be in any night,” she laughed. “But I get bored… you know me, I like to be kept busy!”

“Same here,” Becca grinned. “Has it been busy?”

“Not really, but I think it may pick up later…” She looked around and then she leaned in close and whispered, “One of the guys from the club has just gotten out of jail.”

She raised her eyebrows and bit her bottom lip.

“Bull was telling me he went away for seven years to protect the club, and he just got out yesterday morning.”

“No way,” Becca whispered back.

“Yep, Bull went to collect him,” she continued. “His name’s Stag… And from what I’ve heard he’s a wild one.”

Becca felt her stomach drop a little with excitement. If there was anything she was craving, it was definitely a wild man.

“He’s coming in later,” Sasha said as she reached underneath the bar and pulled out a glass of water. “And I think the majority of the club will be here to throw him a welcome back party that none of us are gonna forget.”

“Really?” Becca was more than excited. “That sounds awesome!”

“Well, technically I’m not supposed to say anything, so keep it under your hat for now… But yeah I think that’s what Bull’s planning. Closing the bar up except for the chosen few of us, the club and the regulars, and then having us a night of debauchery.”

“Yikes,” Becca half laughed. “I hope I’m up to the challenge.”

Sasha winked at her and then stepped back out from behind the bar. Becca looked around at where she was. It was grimy and dirty, dark and full of thick smoke and blaring music, but she loved it. She really, really did. Sometimes she surprised herself at how she could be two completely different people. She was the perfect mother and role model, but then she also had such a deep wild side that was always bursting to get free. It was as if they both balanced each other out perfectly and kept her on the right track.

She thought ahead to the possibility of a wild lock-in party there at The Bleeding Bullet. She had surely never done anything like that before, and she was so tired she didn’t know whether she would have it in her to stay awake even later than normal, but she was trying to carve out a life for herself in the town, and she had been such a hermit up until this point, maybe she should just give it a go.

She looked up as she realized that there was a set of hands on the top of the counter in front of her. She had been so busy day dreaming, she hadn’t even noticed that there was a small group of people waiting to be served.

“Jeez, I’m sorry,” she said as she smiled up at the man in front of her. “What can I get you?”

The night passed relatively slowly. Each time the door to the bar opened Becca found herself looking up with excitement and her heart fluttering in her chest, hoping that is was going to be the new mystery man that Sasha had been telling her so much about over the course of the evening.

“Bull said that Stag took the fall for a lot of people,” she’d told her. “He basically saved the club from almost certain collapse.”

Becca had listened to her with wide eyes and a sense of intrigue.

“Seven years,” she’d continued. “Can you even imagine what it must be like to give up your life for that long? I know I can’t… I mean Bull said he was only twenty-three when he went away… and he’s thirty now… I mean, think of all we’ve done since we were twenty-three and all there is still left to do before we turn thirty. He’s missed out on all of that. It’s sad… but I guess that’s what it means to be one of The Forsaken Riders. Your club comes first.”

Becca had nodded in agreement.

She could see it in all of the men, that they had loyalty running deep in their veins. And it was obvious that they wouldn’t take kindly to anyone being less than one hundred percent committed to their cause. Becca dreaded to think what would happen to anyone who tried to screw over a club like theirs. She had heard stories, awful stories, of the feuds that had been happening in the town over the past year, and of how another town’s motorcycle club had gotten involved. Blood had been shed, people had died, and now The Forsaken were out for revenge. But from what she had been told, they had to wait for the right moment; bide their time until it would be most effective to strike.

“You still daydreaming?” Sasha asked as she passed Becca a bottle of beer.

“Sorry,” Becca smiled. “I’m wiped tonight.”

“Well, don’t think you’re sloping out on us early,” she grinned as she chewed a stick of gum. “Apparently the guest of honor is on his way.” She wiggled her eyebrows and Becca felt a pang of excitement.