Resurrecting Ghosts (MC Romance) (Kings of Chaos Book 4) Read online

  “He doesn’t hate you. You don’t expend that much energy on a person you hate. Unless you’re exacting a revenge scheme. He’s hurt, licking his wounds, and trying to reaffirm his spot.”

  I want to ask her if she knows his history, but it feels wrong. The last thing I want to do is give him more of a reason not to trust me. “I hope you’re right.”

  As we head to the store, I can almost pretend it’s just another girls’ day. The knots in my stomach and the anxiety tightening my muscles make it impossible for me to hold onto the fantasy. Since our announcement, life has been a whirlwind. The club has searched every inch of my house, examined every bank account, and did things with phone records that made my head spin. I never realized how scary they could be until I was on the receiving end. Their resident hacker, Keys and I might as well be best friends. At this point, he knows more about me than I do.

  We pull into a store I’ve never seen before. The black leather clad mannequins in hot pink and blonde wigs are so far out of my comfort zone, it’s not even funny. Their bikini tops and low slung leather pants leave nothing to the imagination. Leather and Lace is a fitting name.

  “Don’t let the display throw you off. They have tons of great stuff inside.”

  “For someone else, maybe.”

  “You have to come out of your shell and challenge your comfort zone, babe. You’re playing to win, right? This is for your family. Shake things up. Show him he doesn’t know you as well as he thought.”

  “And if it pisses him off? I feel like I’m walking through a mine field.”

  “You’ve never been the type to let a man run you, don’t change now.”

  “I feel like I owe him. It’s screwing with my mental.”

  “Don’t let it. You owe him respect and obedience when its safety related. Everything else is up for the two of you to decide. Do you think I’d be with Shadow if I had to obey him blindly?” She cocks her head and places her hand on her hips.

  “That man worships the ground you walk on. It’s different.”

  “Because we make it that way. You’ll see all kinds of arrangements in our life. That’s the beauty of it. The freedom to choose how you want to live without censor. We accept our own as they are.”

  I nibble my lip. “Does everyone know about my dad?”

  “I’m sure they do by now. Shadow hasn’t said anything to me personally. But I’d guess they let everyone know and are keeping a look out.”

  “Well then, they can let me know if they find something because I haven’t seen that asshole in three years since Rochelle’s wedding.”

  “You really don’t talk at all?” Blue asks.

  I shake my head. “Nothing to say. He’s never taken an interest in us. I think he only had us to appease Mom. I wonder about her back then. She presents this buttoned up persona. But there’s no way she was like that and caught Dad’s attention.”

  “Have you asked her?”

  “No, we don’t’ get deep. My mom does judgment, approval, and bitching. I think after everything with my dad, she just formed a wall and refused to let anyone in, unless they come to her on the terms she has set.”

  “That’s pretty fucked up, Ruthie. She can’t punish you for what he’s done.”

  “You’ve seen how it works between us over the years.”

  “Yeah, but I have my own Mommy issues. I figured it was because you were so different from her and Rochelle. She’s always been more of a people pleaser.”

  “It’s true. I was glad when she went to college a few hours away. It got her out from underneath Mom’s thumb.”

  “Why are you so different?”

  “I’m not sure. I think because I saw how my father completely screwed over my mother, and the way it affected her and us. My sister was young. She was six when my mom separated and seven when we left Los Angeles. She either blocks it out, or was too young to remember. Everyone deals differently.” I shrug. It took too much energy to remain angry over the way things went. I was more interested in never repeating history. If a man tried to run me in any way, I was out of there. Ironic, given the position I find myself in now. The thought re-ignites a spark. He’d taken the piss out of me a week ago. I’m ready to fight back now.

  “You know, for a minute there, I forgot who the fuck I was. Let’s go do this!” I exclaim.

  “There’s my girl,” Blue crows, issuing a nod of approval. “Let’s give you the Old Lady makeover.”

  ***

  I feel like a sixteen-year-old waiting on her prom date. I barley recognize myself in the mirror. My dark red hair has been tamed and slicked back into a high ponytail. My boobs are all but popping out of the tight black, Kings of Chaos, tank top gifted to me by Blue. The tiny black leather skirt and black heeled boots completes the outfit. I’m showing plenty of skin, but covering the essentials. My makeup is darker tonight with smoky eyes, cat eyeliner, and mascara for days. I coated my lips in the nude s’mores lip-gloss I know Skull loves.

  The sounds of bikes in the distance makes my stomach drop into my shoes.

  “The boys are here,” Blue says in a sing song voice.

  “I love you, but right now your deep case of love with your husband makes me want to punch you.”

  Blue laughs. “Don’t let the nerves get to you. You look amazing. He’s going to swallow his tongue.”

  Or just jump down my throat.

  She stares hard at me. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You’re wrinkled brow said it all. Quite being negative.”

  “I prefer to call it realism.”

  “Pessimism is more like it,” Blue scoffs.

  The sound of bikes rolling into the driveway ends our conversation.

  All too soon, the lock is turning and the door opens.

  Shadow steps in and gives a low whistle. “Looking sexy tonight, ladies,” he says.

  Blue grins and rotates. “You like?”

  “I fucking love it, babe. I ain’t going to let your fine ass out of my sight.”

  I hold my breath as Skull walks in.

  His eyes bulge from his head and his jaw drops.

  I bite my lip to hold back the full blown grin threatening to emerge. I’m supposed to be playing it cool. I cock my left hip to the side. “Old Lady enough for the party?”

  “Huh? Uh—yeah.” He nods. He licks his lips, and his dark gaze glints with lust.

  Got you.

  “Should you be wearing those?” He nods his head toward the floor.

  “At this stage in the game, it’s fine.” In his concern for our child, I see a glimpse of the man I fell in love with.

  His facial expression smooths over. “Good. We should get going then.”

  I glance over my shoulder at Blue who winks. I pray my crash course on ridiculously high heels holds as I follow Skull for the door.

  ***

  Skull

  I’m back to being torn between strangling my old lady and fucking her against the nearest stable surface. The second I came in and saw her looking like a wet dream, I knew my night wasn’t going to go as planned. There’s a fire in her eyes that spells trouble. She’s wrapped around me with those soft breasts pressed up against my back and her thighs radiating heat as they squeeze me tight. I clear my throat and hit the throttle, hoping the wind will take some of the lust away. We pull up into the club to a party already in progress.

  I kill the engine. Ruthie dismounts with an ease that drives home my new reality. I’ve got a ball and chain now and a baby on the way. It’s a sobering thought that scares me spit-less. This will be our last hoorah on the bike. Right now, I’m trying to save face, and keep the pregnancy rumors to zero. We’ll cross that bridge later.

  “Well, if it isn’t the man of honor,” Stone barks.

 
I raise my head and cheers erupt. It’s filling up, but it’ll be packed in a few hours. We haven’t had a party in a while, and my brothers are ready to blow off steam. I wrap my arm around Ruthie’s waist and cup her hip.

  Stone raises a shot of whiskey. “Welcome to the family, darlin’. We aren’t all right in the head, but you’ll come to love us just the same.”

  Ruthie giggles, and I’m reminded of how I got into this mess in the first place. She draws me in like a magnet every damn time. I crave that light she exudes so effortlessly. Here among a group of sinners she glows, practically a beacon for my lost soul. I never got too deep with a woman until I got caught up with this petite firecracker who made me remember I had a heart that longed for more. Funny, how you can be completely alone when you’re drowning in pussy.

  “Someone get this man a drink, he’s looking thirsty,” Dusty calls out.

  I smirk at the southern gentleman who oozes chivalry. The brothers rush in surrounding me and I slap her ass.

  Her mouth forms an O.

  I grin. Go ahead and make a scene. “Go hang out with the ladies for a while.”

  She sucks in a deep breath and turns on her heels.

  “Still breaking her in?” High asks.

  “Yeah, she’s still green, man.”

  “You put her through the paces?” Warp asks.

  The glint in his black eyes sets off an alarm in my head. We don’t call him Warp because he was fast. It was short for Warped. Sometimes, I thought the fucker was a few kills short of going off the reservation and becoming a serial killer. He’s the type of man you want when shit gets gritty. Nomadic, he floats around the chapters during turbulent times.

  “Not yet.” I pause. “That wasn’t an invitation for you to step up to the plate either. You’re terrifying to most men. You’d probably give my Old Lady a heart attack or make her pepper spray your ass.”

  He gives a laugh that’s scarier than anything I’ve seen him doing. Warp being genuinely happy is like seeing a unicorn. The stoic bastard is usually closed off and bloodthirsty.

  “That I’d like to see,” Warp says.

  “No, she’d really do it, man. You should’ve seen what she did to this road pussy that followed him home,” Dusty says.

  “Oh, yeah?” Warp asks.

  “Blew a hole right past her head and chased her out, bullets flying. Best shit I’ve seen in a long time.” Dusty nods.

  “Glad she can amuse you, brother,” I say dryly.

  “She left an impression, I’ll say that much.”

  “Shit, I might want to meet this little lady,” Warp says.

  Perfect, day one and she’s drawn the attention of one of the scariest brothers we have. This sociopath likes to have a handle on who is who and how they tick. I get it, so I’m trying not to take it personal. I never knew what being protective meant until I acquired a pregnant Old Lady. I’ve seen what Warp is capable of, but I’d fight him tooth and nail if he tried to push up on Ruthie.

  “Just leave the bottle,” I say, taking my drink from the blonde in tiny cut off shorts and a white crop top with no bra. Her nipples stand at attention. Before it would get my blood running. Now, I’m unmoved. I grab the bottle and take long pull. I shoot the shit with my brothers, getting lost in the regaling of ridiculous situations.

  “Hey man, you up for a smoke?” Shadow asks pulling a joint out of his cut.

  “You have to ask?”

  He laughs as he leads me outside.

  The fresh air takes the edge off my buzz.

  He lights up, takes a drag and hands it over.

  I inhale holding the smoke in before I release it. Since we began running our Weed business, the quality of our marijuana has sky rocketed.

  “Shouldn’t you be dragging her into your old dorm room about now?” Shadow asks.

  “She can wait until I’m ready,” I say with a shrug.

  “You’re going to fuck up a good thing if you keep holding onto the petty shit.”

  “And you’d be okay with Blue lying to you about something that could fuck with the club?”

  “No, but she knows better. Ruthie is still learning, and judging from the outfit, Blue’s schooling her now.”

  “Fuck that. I can’t let pussy make me weak, or depend on someone who might flake. I’m already too invested in her as it is.”

  “Cold brother.”

  “What? Her playing dress up is supposed to change everything? She lied to me.”

  “It’s the effort that matters, brother, and it wasn’t out right lying. Look, I’m not trying to defend her. I just know what it’s like to be at odds with your baby mama. Hell on Earth, man. Think on that.” He lapses into silence as we pass the joint back and forth.

  I let the smoke relax me and meditate on his words. There might be some validity to his advice. I don’t want to fuck my kid up before he or she even gets here.

  The sound of bikes pulling up has us coming around the side of the building.

  “Nomads,” I say finishing off the smoke and stubbing it out with the toe of my boot.

  “Shit’s about to get a lot more interesting now,” Shadow says.

  “The Old Lady is about to get one hell of an education.”

  “You coming in?” he asks.

  “Nah, I’m going to hang back and let her sweat it out alone for a minute. I want to see how she handles herself.”

  “Never pegged you for the cruel type to play games, brother. Careful you don’t let this anger turn you into someone you aren’t.”

  Is this what it was like with my father? Did his love twist him into someone he didn’t recognize? It wasn’t fair to compare Ruthie to my mother. She was a woman never meant to be tamed. A wandering hippie, she flitted through life practicing free love. Dad met her at a strip club and invited her back for an after party. They continued sort of off and on courtship until she was knocked up and he married her. My grandparents never sugar coated the truth.

  Constantly looking for the door, she would go into rages over anything she saw displeasing. It was gasoline on a fire. I always thought if he had something steady in his life like the club, he might’ve made it. I know the brothers kept me from going completely off the rails on many occasions. We’re members of a dying breed, people who’re loyal to the death. Everything we do is for the greater good, because it’s about the club as a whole, not one individual. It’s a throwback to the caveman days when people lived in a group for protection.

  Knowing if you fall, you have a brother bringing up the rear to take care of what needs to be done makes you feel immortal. No matter what, a part of me lives on. I’m part of a legacy. That knowledge has always given my life meaning and me a sense of purpose. A default mission. Thinking of the bean growing in Ruthie’s belly, I guess that’s extending now. I want to provide a life for the kid I never had. That means making sure my shit is solid and stable. I turn on my heels, ready to continue getting my house in order.

  The club is livelier now. It always happens when the nomads roll through. They party like they live, fast and on the edge. I sweep the crowd looking for Charm. He hit the road to clear his head after the shit went down with Mouth. It had to be a blow to see the father he once idolized for the bigoted traitor he turned out to be. His big brother, Echo has expressed his concern about Charm.

  I find Charm talking to his brothers in whispered tones. I do a double take. He looks nothing like the boyish man who left. No longer lanky and lean, the brother is seriously jacked. His long hair has been chopped short, and there’s a hardness about him I never associated with the light hearted member. Named Charming for his roguish charisma, he was the quintessential Peter Pan of the group. Shit’s changing all over the place. It’s not a bad thing, but too much of it too fast, can bring doubt and restlessness. We need to land from this tailspin and plant our feet firmly.

&nbs
p; I see Dixie and Blue talking at the bar. Where the hell is Ruthie? I mouth.

  She mouths back, Bathroom.

  I wade through the crowd to the hallway. I don’t like leaving her alone with people I don’t know. She’s too new for them to realize she’s been taken.

  “Damn. Looks like the San Mateo chapter is getting variety. They added a chocolate dime piece, and now a redhead that ain’t out the bottle.”

  My nostrils flare as I round the corner. Ruthie’s hands are pressed against the massive chest of a bald-headed brother I’ve never seen before. The nomad patch, scars on his face, and the sinister tone puts me on edge. Not every brother plays nice with women.

  “Not interested,” Ruthie says.

  “Bitch, you don’t get a say so. That’s how this works.”

  “I’m not some slut waiting to get fucked—”

  He pushes her into the wall and I blank out. I yank him away sending him careening into the opposite wall as I stand in front of her. “Motherfucker, do you have a death wish?”

  “The fuck is wrong with you, brother? I don’t see a property patch or a tat, and I know the Old Ladies here. There aren’t that many.”

  “Go get your dick wet elsewhere. This party is for me and my new Old Lady.”

  He holds up his hands. “I didn’t realize the bitch was yours. You might want to put a mark on her and teach her to watch her fucking mouth.”

  My eyes flick to his patch. Mean, how appropriate. “You don’t worry about what I do with my woman. If you don’t want your ass handed to you, Mean, you’ll apologize and step the fuck off.”

  His eyes widen and I swear I see hell fire in their depths. “I don’t give a fuck if this is your chapter or not. Your bitch was out of line.”

  “No, she was protecting herself.”

  “She should’ve said she was an Old Lady—”

  “You didn’t give her a chance.” I crack my knuckles. “Let’s take this shit to the mat.

  “Gladly,” Mean spits.

  Ruthie grips the back of my cut.

  I place a hand on her hip. “I got this.” He might be twice my size, but I’m fast, accurate, and pack a hell of a punch. Every time I look at him, all I can see is Ruthie being pressed into a wall. “You okay?” I ask.