The Cut by Carol Lynne: Kings of Bedlam MC Series, Book One (11 page)

“I don’t ever want to be like my momma.”

“I know,” he soothed, kissing her temple. “Two beers,” he told Mad Dog.

Mad Dog’s gaze landed on Santana. “Fuck, Stake, who’s this?”

“Mine,” Stake answered, pulling Santana against him. “And you’d better watch yourself, or I’ll tell Corrine.”

Santana glanced up at the skinny man. “Santana Rogers,” she said, introducing herself.

Mad Dog glanced at Stake.

“Yeah, this is Smash’s daughter.” If he was going to have trouble with anyone because of Ellie’s relationship to Santana, he needed to put an end to it fast.

Mad Dog smiled. “Nice to meet you. I didn’t know your dad, but everyone speaks highly of him.”

It was Santana’s turn to give Stake a questioning glance. He gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I told you, bug, it was Ellie, not Smash.”

She nodded and accepted the bottle of beer. “Thank you,” she told Mad Dog.

Mad Dog winked. “Anytime, sweetie.”

Stake leaned across the bar. “To you, her name’s Santana, not sweetie, babe, or hon. Got that?”

Mad Dog nodded but had enough sense not to answer.

Satisfied that Mad Dog would treat Santana with the respect she deserved, Stake studied the room, looking for a place to sit. That goddamned Iggy was getting a blowjob right next to the chair Stake usually sat in and he wouldn’t subject Santana to that. Iggy was a fucking pig, and his lack of discretion was really getting on Stake’s nerves. He pointed to a couch in the sitting area of the club. There were several brothers with bitches on their laps, but they appeared to be behaving themselves for the time being. “Let’s sit over there.”

Santana grabbed his arm. “Oh my god, is that Tiny?”

He nodded, knowing the two of them went to school together. “You used to be friends, right?”

Her expression fell. “Used to be.” She pointed to a table in front of the door. “What’s wrong with that one?”

“It’s not safe to sit in front of the door. Too easy for someone to walk through and level their gun on the first person they see,” he replied.

“It’s safer for me because it would put me closer to an escape,” she mumbled.

Laughing, Tiny met Stake’s gaze. He glanced at Santana and the blood seemed to drain from his face as he got to his feet. “Too late, Tiny’s spotted you.”

“I need to go to the bathroom.” Santana started to pull away, but Stake kept his arm firmly around her.

“No, you need to stand up for yourself. Whatever happened between the two of you, you need to understand that it wasn’t his fault.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as she stared up at Stake. “I can’t.”

“Santana,” Tiny said, approaching them.

Santana refused to look at the burly young biker. “Hi, Tiny,” she replied, her face pressed against Stake’s chest.

“Ummm, I was sorry to hear about what happened,” Tiny said, obviously as uncomfortable as Santana.

Part of Stake wanted to shake her for the way she was acting, but a bigger part understood. She’d been alone for years, and although he was grateful she’d accepted him so easily back into her life, he couldn’t fault her for being wary of everyone else who’d hurt her. “Give us a minute,” he told Tiny before leading Santana to the opposite side of the room. He guided her down a hallway to the back door of the club.

Once in the warm night air, he led her to a grouping of picnic tables they used for family cookouts. He sat on one of the benches and pulled her between his thighs, pressing his cheek against her tits.

“I’m sorry,” she said, running her fingers through his hair.

“You need to understand that no one here wanted to turn their backs on you. The club was put in a no-win situation by Ellie, and we did what we had to do. I know you’ve been hurt, and I wish like hell I could take it away, but I can’t, and unless you learn to forgive these people, you’ll never fit in.” He nuzzled his face against her breasts. “I need you to fit in, because I don’t plan on ever giving you up, and these people are my family.”

Santana put her hands on his cheeks and tilted his head back to look up at her. “I’ll try to be nice, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to trust that they won’t leave me alone again.”

“Do you feel that way about me, too?” he asked.

She nodded. “There’s no one I want to be with more, but I know it could all end tomorrow. You’re a biker, and I know how easy it is for you to get women. You’re with me because I’m different, but that won’t last long. Someday, you’ll see me just as you see the others.”

Stake removed her hands from his face and brought them to his mouth. He reverently kissed each finger, trying like hell to convey his promise. She was it for him, and he knew that in his soul, but he doubted she would believe him because why should she? He didn’t have the best track record where Santana was concerned. “Guess I’ll just have to prove you wrong about that.”

* * * *

“I need to talk to Cecil,” Stake said, finishing his beer. “It might be a good time for you to talk to Tiny.”

Santana took a sip of her beer. The last thing she wanted was to go back into the clubhouse, but Stake was right. She needed to get the talk with Tiny over with. “Can you send him out here? I’d feel better without people watching us.”

Stake pushed his hand under her shirt and caressed her pebbled nipple as he stared up at her. “I can’t leave you out here by yourself.”

“Despite everything he’s done, I know Tiny won’t hurt me.” Although Tiny hadn’t spoken to her, she had a feeling he was the one who’d given Robby Langers the black eye and split lip after Robby started bragging about popping her cherry.

Stake pulled his phone out and punched in some numbers before putting it to his ear. “Hey, grab Santana a fresh beer, and come out to the picnic tables.” He nodded. “Yeah,” he said before hanging up. “He’s gonna hit the head first.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve seen that boy pee against the side of a tree?”

Stake pinched her nipple. “He’s smarter than that now. He knows I’d cut his fucking dick off if he whipped it out in front of you again.”

Each time he showed his alpha streak, it made her pussy clench. “Yes, sir.” She moved to sit on his lap. Resting her head on his shoulder, she buried her face in his neck. “Call Tiny back and tell him we’re going to fuck before you talk to Cecil.”

He squeezed her ass. “I won’t disrespect you like that. You deserve more than to be fucked a few steps away from a bunch of drunk bikers.”

Even though she wasn’t going to get what she craved, her heart warmed at his answer. “Okay,” she whispered as she heard the door shut. She leaned in and gave him a deep kiss. “Please don’t be gone long.”

“Just long enough. Promise.” He stood with her still in his arms and set her on top of the picnic table. “Watch her,” he told Tiny. “Anyone tries to mess with her, shoot ‘em.”

Tiny chuckled and handed Santana a beer. “Will do.”

Stake smiled at her once more before turning to head inside.

“Mind if I sit?” Tiny asked.

She gestured to the other end of the table. “Help yourself.” She took a sip of her fresh, cold beer and sighed. She really did enjoy the taste, even if she was afraid to like it too much.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Tiny said. For a man of six-seven that had to weigh at least two-hundred and fifty pounds, all of it solid muscle, he sounded like the little boy she’d first met when she was five-years old. “I’ll make it up to you.”

She fought hard to remember the position her mom had put everyone in. Stake was right, it wasn’t Tiny’s fault, but that didn’t erase the years of pain and loneliness. “I don’t know what to say.”

Tiny tugged on his beard. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m the one who fucked up. I should’ve been strong enough to go against my dad and the club.”

“No.” She scooted over enough to reach Tiny’s big hand. “I don’t think I’ll ever be the girl I used to be, but now I know it was my mom’s fault. Doesn’t make it any easier to stomach, and I’ll probably never feel comfortable around the club, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why it happened.”

Tiny sandwiched her hand between both of his. “Will you tell me what’s going on with Stake? I take it the two of you are finally together.”

She took a deep breath. God, she needed someone to talk to other than Stake, but trusting Tiny after everything that had happened scared her. “I’ve always loved Stake, you know that.”

Tiny smiled. “I think everyone knew that except Stake.”

“Gordon’s going to get away with what he did,” she announced. “Stake’s talking to Cecil about it.”

“Stake’ll kill Gordon,” Tiny realized.

“Yeah, but I can’t let him to that.” She squeezed Tiny’s arm with her free hand. “I can’t let him go to prison because of me.”

Tiny shook his head. “He won’t let it go. That isn’t who he is.”

She wanted to tell Tiny that she planned to deal with Gordon on her own, but she wouldn’t make Tiny an accessory. She decided to change the subject. “Do you still talk to Jaycee and Gill?”

He released her hand and reached back for his beer. “They got married if you can believe that shit.”

Stunned, she reached for her own beer. She suddenly felt like she was back in high school. “Oh my God, how’d that happen?”

“Wouldn’t I like to know.” He slapped his knee. “I never told Gill this, but I always thought he was gay. He never dated. All he wanted to do was hang out with me and Jaycee.” He started to laugh, the sound so deep Santana felt it in her chest. “I’m happy for them, ya know, but now they’re living in Oregon, and I’m here.”

Santana finally felt comfortable enough to reach out and tug on Tiny’s long beard. “If you’d shave this, I bet you’d find someone special.”

“Are you kidding? This thing’s a pussy magnet.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”

* * * *

Stake knocked on Cecil’s door. “Got a minute?”

“Come in.” Cecil was sitting at his desk, talking to Magic and Hog. “Good. We were just talking about you.”

Stake tried to figure out why the fuck they’d been discussing him. He doubted Cecil knew about Gordon unless the sheriff had already called. “What’s up?”

“Penny told Hog you had an issue with the drugs.” Cecil narrowed his eyes. “Is this going to become a problem?”

Oddly enough, with everything else going on, he hadn’t given a lot of thought to the hard drugs he’d seen in the club’s San Antonio headquarters. “Not unless you expect me to deal ’em, but if I’m going to keep working with the girls, I want them cut off that shit. Penny looks thinner and older than the last time I saw her. It’s just common sense to take care of our assets.”

“When the girls use, we make more because they do it with their johns,” Hog argued.

Stake hooked his thumbs in his front pocket. “Then put me on protection.”

“You’re good with the whores,” Cecil said.

“I’m good with drug-free whores. Seriously, Prez, I don’t have the stomach for it after what went down with Smash.” He looked pointedly at Cecil, letting the Prez know he knew what had really gone down the day Smash had shot the cop. It had been Cecil’s reckless driving that had caught the attention of the patrolman. With the car loaded with drugs, Cecil had panicked and reached for his gun. When the young officer had taken aim and fired a wayward shot at Cecil with his own gun, Smash had shot the cop from the passenger side of the car, saving Cecil’s life. “You want the drug business, fine, but I want nothing to do with it.”

“You’re part of this club,” Hog reminded Stake. “You do what we say.”

“No,” Stake disagreed. “I follow the majority vote, and unless there was a meeting I wasn’t informed of, there was no vote on meth and heroine.”

Hog got to his feet to face off with Stake. “You disrespectful sonofabitch.”

Stake glanced at Cecil. “Call off your guard dog before I put the old man in the ground.” At close to sixty-five, Hog talked a big game, but he was no match for Stake’s speed and strength.

“You fuckin’ punk,” Hog said, charging toward Stake.

Stake stepped to the side and connected a hard punch to Hog’s ribs. “Cecil.”

“That’s enough,” Cecil finally announced, getting to his feet to come around from behind the desk. He walked up to Stake and stared him in the eyes. “Don’t push me.”

“Or what?” Stake was tired of the bullshit. Most of the newly patched club members had no respect, and the old dogs were so fucking full of themselves that they thought they could start making up their own rules. Well, Stake didn’t sign up for that, and he’d be damned if he’d stick around if that’s the way things were going to be. “Maybe when I take Santana to the Barbeque and Blues run in Fayetteville in October, I should just stay.” The Kings had several chapters sprinkled around the southern half of the United States. Maybe getting her away from Gordon and Broken Ridge would be the best thing for them.

“Don’t start that shit,” Cecil growled.

It wasn’t the first time Stake had asked for a transfer to another chapter. Soon after Smash had been killed, he couldn’t stand to look at his uncle and had practically begged to be let loose to go somewhere else. At the time, Cecil had refused, telling Stake it would kill his mother if he moved away. Stake knew it was bullshit. The only time his mom even remembered she had a son was when she was between husbands or boyfriends and needed something fixed.