Motorcycle Man

Chapter Twenty-Seven One of Us

It was Sunday afternoon and I was pressed close to Tack on his bike because we were heading down into Denver. Sheila had got a wild hair and decided to throw a barbeque so she made enough potato salad for the entirety of Chaos and bossed Dog into manning the huge barrel grill outside the Compound.

So we were heading down to get our bratwurst and commune with the brethren on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The sun was shining, the wind was in my hair, I was pressed close to my man, heading toward a grilled brat and life was sweet.

And as we rode, my mind was running over the day before and my lips were smiling.

Not long after Tack left the deck, Rush returned to it, I came to terms with the fact that I was a roller coaster type of girl and was reflecting on the fact that not only was Tack’s house awesome, there was no lawn to mow, it occurred to me that Tack was taking a long time refilling my coffee.

So I’d turned my head, looked over the back of my chair and into the kitchen.

And what I saw cemented in my mind that I’d made the right choice over tequila six weeks before.

Because I saw Tack and Tabby in the kitchen. Tack had his ass against the kitchen counter, his body facing the deck and his girl in his arm. She had both arms around her Dad, leaning in, her cheek to his chest. His arm was high, his strong hand curled around one of her shoulders and his lips were to the top of her hair. He kept them there as I watched and I knew he was talking to her. I couldn’t see all of his face but I guessed he was doing it gentle-like. And I figured it was a good guess because Tabby’s eyes were closed and her face was soft.

I turned away, giving them their moment.

“Jealous,” Rush muttered and I looked from the view to him.

“Pardon, honey?” I muttered back and he looked at me.

“Mom. Jealous of Tabby.”

I said nothing but held his eyes, a non-verbal cue that if he wanted to talk, I was listening.

He wanted to talk.

“Don’t know, but it’s never been good. Thought on it, it’s been so bad. I always thought it was because she don’t get along with her Mom because Gram is awesome with us but she’s even now a bitch to Mom so Mom don’t know any better. But I don’t think that’s it. I think she made bad decisions in her life and Tabby’s got her whole one ahead of her. Mom can’t go back. Tabby’s got time and that’s what Mom wants.”

I nodded because this made sense.

Rush kept talking.

“She’s my sister but it ain’t lost on me she’s also hot so good-lookin’ and young, double threat for Mom.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” I began, “but if you want to, I’d like to know what ‘never been good’ means when it comes to Tab and your Mom.”

He shook his head, looked at the view but shared, “Just always on her ass. My room’s a mess, Mom never says a word. She’s always up in Tabby’s face to clean hers. When we lived there, Mom washed my clothes. Told Tabby years ago it was her responsibility to do hers. I play music loud, Mom don’t say shit. Tabby does or she’s on the phone or somethin’, Mom shouts at her. Never leadin’ into it, she just loses it right off the bat. And, when she hit high school, it got worse.” Rush looked at me. “Tab’s popular. Gets a lot of attention. Drives Mom crazy. Mom’s convinced she’s a slut.”

His eyes grew contemplative and his gaze slid to the view.

“She’s not a slut, honey,” I said gently.

“Seein’ an older guy,” Rush muttered.

“Sometimes, you get told enough you are what you aren’t, it gets in your head and you make it a self-fulfilling prophesy even if you really aren’t that.” Rush looked back at me. “She isn’t that,” I whispered. “She’s just in trouble enough for not being it, she probably thinks she might as well do it since she’s in trouble for it anyway.”

Rush took a moment to consider this and I let him.

Then he murmured, “Makes sense.”

“Stick by her,” I urged and his back slightly straightened.

“I will, Tyra.”

And he would.

“Good, honey.”

He grinned at me, his eyes moved to the view and he took a sip of coffee before he announced, “I need more coffee. You think we gave them enough time?”

He was giving them time, like me.

Really a good kid.

But I needed more coffee too. I’d only had one cup and already a full morning. I was hitting emergency status on the caffeine level.

“You’ve been a member of this family all your life, only you can make that call,” I told him.

I got another grin and he decided, “We’ve given them enough time.”

Oh hell.

That meant it was time.

I nodded, we both stood and Rush did the gentleman thing again, letting me precede him to the door and I wished he didn’t. I was happy to drag my feet.

But we’d given them enough time. I knew this because Tack had his back to the door and it looked like he was preparing food. Tabby was close to her Dad, hip to the counter, talking to him.

I sucked in breath for courage, opened the door and walked through it.

Tack’s torso twisted and his eyes came to me. Tabby’s neck twisted and she did the same.

I opened my mouth to speak. I didn’t know what I was going to say but I did it anyway.

I didn’t get a word out.

Tabby came flying at me and this so surprised me, at first, I just stood there. Then I braced because she threw herself at me full body. I went back on a foot, my arms closing around her but her arms were already around me. Tight.

“Honey –”

“I almost got you hurt!” she wailed then shoved her face in my neck and burst out crying.

I looked at Tack. Tack tipped his head to the side.

“Jesus, bitches,” Rush muttered as he closed the door and squeezed around us.

I grinned at Tack then dropped my head so my lips were at Tabby’s ear.

“I’m fine,” I whispered.

“I’m stupid,” she sobbed into my neck.

“You aren’t. He was cute,” I told her, her body went still then her head jerked back and her watery eyes found mine. “He’s a complete and total jerk, but he was cute.”

“What?” she whispered.

“And too old for you,” I went on.

“I –”

“And he let me best him in, like, a second. So he’s also a loser.”

Tabby blinked.

“And, I’ll repeat, he’s a complete and total jerk.”

Tabby said nothing.

I placed one hand on the injured side of her head and slid my thumb close to her bruise.

Then I started talking and I did it quietly.

“I know we’re still getting to know each other. But I also know you’re a smart girl. I hate that you learned this lesson at all, much less that you did it at your age. But please, Tab, learn it. You can have family that makes you safe. You can have friends who’ll take your back. But the most important person and the one who’ll have the best shot at keeping you safe is you.”

She pulled her lips through her teeth and held my eyes but said nothing.

So I carried on.

“And the best way to do that is be smart.”

She let her lips go and whispered, “I was just havin’ fun.”

“You can have fun and be smart,” I replied.

She looked over her shoulder quickly then back at me but I thought it was a good sign she didn’t let me go.

“Can we not talk about this?” she requested softly.

“Darlin’,” Tack cut in and she looked back over her shoulder at her father as my eyes lifted to him, “if you think what happened last night could happen and you’d get off talkin’ about it, you best think again.”

“You and me are good,” she said to him. “You told me so last night and again not ten minutes ago.”

“That don’t mean we’re not talkin’ about it,” Tack returned, I felt her pull in a deep breath then she sighed.

I gave her a reassuring squeeze and let her go.

Her eyes came to me, they were timid before she let me go and stepped away.

“Sit your ass on a stool,” Tack ordered, “Tyra wants a word.”

I watched Tabby’s tongue run over her upper lip then she dropped her head and went to a stool.

There it was. She might be messed up but she was a good kid too.

Tack went back to whatever he was doing at the counter. Rush moved to slide my mug of coffee on the counter at the stool next to Tab’s then he moved to the opposite counter and leaned his back against it.

I took a stool.

“Okay,” Tabby rushed out, trying to head off the attack, “I know he was older but I liked him, like, a lot. And he was nice. And he was into me and not in a gross way. I didn’t think he’d ever do anything like that. You have to believe that. I wouldn’t have started seein’ him if I thought that.”

“He get you booze?” Tack asked the counter which I thought was a good play. An important question with an uncertain response from him at whatever Tabby’s response would be but not in your face.

“Yeah,” she answered quietly and I sucked in breath.

“Kids drink, Dad,” Rush said carefully, trying to soften the blow for his sister.

God, seriously. I liked that kid.

“Not born yesterday, Rush,” Tack muttered, still talking to the counter before he looked over his shoulder and leveled his eyes on his daughter. “He get in your pants?”

“Dad!” Tabby exclaimed.

“Tack,” I said softly.

“Jesus,” Rush murmured.

“Okay, can we not talk about this?” Tabby asked, sounding mortified.

“Asked you a question, darlin’,” Tack reminded her.

“God,” she muttered, putting an elbow on the counter and her head in her hand, “This is humiliating.”

“Tab,” Tack prompted.

“Handsome, how about you let me talk to her about that later?” I suggested.

“Nope,” Tack replied to me then to Tabby he prompted again, “Tabitha.”

Oh boy.

Tabitha.

She knew what that meant because her head came up.

“No!” she declared vehemently. “Why do you think he hit me?”

Oh boy!

Dragons were awaking, two of them, father and son so I decided to head this off at the pass.

“Right,” I stated and Tabby’s eyes came to me. “It happened, it was a drama that included bloodshed and baseball bats and we’re all lucky it’s over even though we’re not lucky the consequences are bruises, swelling and a hard-earned lesson. But it’s over.” I lifted my hand, wrapped it around Tabby’s neck and leaned into her. “Though, your lessons aren’t,” I whispered.

Tabby sucked breath in through her nose.

I kept going and did it gentle-like.

“Honey, I know you think I broke your trust last night but I didn’t call your Dad. One of the boys did. I also know I lost it and could have handled it better so that’s my lesson to learn. What you need to learn is, I’m with your Dad and it isn’t really cool to ask me to keep anything from him. Not anything. But especially not something to do with you. And especially, especially not when you’re in trouble.”

“I know, Tyra,” she whispered brokenly, “I heard you guys fightin’. That’s on me, too.”

I shook my head. “You have a lot on your plate, Tabby, don’t take that too. Your Dad was angry at me for what I did, not you. Yeah?”

She took in another breath then she nodded.

I gave her neck a squeeze. “But, the bottom line is, in this room there are a lot of people who love you. And you have to be you, you should have fun, live your life but you have to learn to do it smart and not put yourself in a position where people will worry about you or hurt because you’re hurt.”

She bit her lip.

I leaned closer.

“Honey, you’re you and the people in this room love you because of who you are. You aren’t who your Mom says you are.”

She sucked in a sharp breath.

“She has her issues,” I went on quickly. “I know at your age it’s hard not to take them in. But they’re hers. Let her have them. Don’t take them on.”

“Tyra –”

“That,” I cut her off, “now that you can talk to me about. I’m here and we can talk about anything you want to talk about. I cannot guarantee I’ll keep it from your Dad. What I can guarantee is, whatever I do, it’ll be in your best interests. It’s up to you if you want to trust me again. All I can say is, you can. I’ll have your back. It’ll just be my decision how I have your back.”

Her lips twitched before she replied, “Yeah, you kinda proved that last night.”

“Kinda,” I agreed, grinning.

Then her pretty face lost all its humor and she whispered, “I can’t go back to her.”

Tack joined the conversation at this juncture.

“You’re not.”

I dropped my hand from Tabby’s neck and we both looked at Tack.

“But, it’s not official, like, court official and if she gets wound up and –” Tabby started.

Tack turned fully to his daughter. “Darlin’, you’re not goin’ back to your Mom.”

“But it’s not official, Dad,” she returned.

Oh boy. There it was.

She’d been worried about this just like me.

Tack studied her.

Then he declared, “Right. So I’ll make it official.”

I blinked.

“You will?” Rush asked.

Tack shrugged and turned back to the bowl he was whipping pancake batter in as he muttered, “Yeah.”

“Court official?” Tabby asked and Tack looked over his shoulder at his daughter.

“Legal, babe, yeah.”

Tabby’s shoulders slumped with relief.

Yep. She’d been worried about this.

As for me, this was another thing Tack had to worry about which I didn’t think was great.

Tack turned away from the bowl, moved to the counter opposite Tabby and me and put his hands on it.

“No more twenty-three year olds,” he ordered.

“Okay, Dad,” Tabby replied quietly.

“Eighteen, no older,” Tack declared.

“Okay,” she whispered.

“No more booze.”

She pulled in breath.

Then she breathed it out on another, “Okay.”

“And definitely no more lyin’, to me, Tyra, Rush, anyone.”

She nodded.

“That last, darlin’, take it in,” Tack urged. “You earn our trust again and break it, you might find it hard to get back.”

Tabby bit her lip while she nodded again.

“You’re still grounded,” Tack continued. “No car. You go nowhere unless I take you, Tyra takes you or Rush takes you or Tyra and me send you to the grocery store or on errands. You also got chores.”

“Right,” she muttered.

“But you’re still goin’ shoppin’ today with Tyra.”

Tabby perked up.

So did I.

“Right,” she said softly.

I grinned at my man.

“After pancakes,” he stated.

“Okay,” Tabby replied.

Tack held his daughter’s eyes.

Then he said gently, “Got all the love in the world for you, darlin’, always. No matter what shit you pull. Never forget that.”

My lips quivered.

So did Tabby’s.

Then she whispered, “Me too, Dad.”

Tack kept looking at her. Then his gaze moved to me.

Then he moved back to the bowl.

We ate pancakes. I took Tabby shopping. I got some Brandi clothes. Tabby got some school clothes. We came back and Rush and Tack had fixed Tabby’s door. Tabby made dinner that didn’t go too well but we all ate it anyway while watching back-to-back episodes of Dog, the Bounty Hunter that Rush had taped. And, incidentally, it was another new favorite of mine, I decided this halfway through my first episode. This was partly because Duane Lee was badass and hot. This was partly because Leland was also badass and hot. But it was mostly because Dog and Beth were badass, sweet and freaking awesome. We went to bed. Tack woke me up in the middle of the night to make love to me. I made breakfast the next morning. Rush took off to hang with buds while Tabby got down to the chores her father gave her.

And now it was now, all was well and I was on the back of Tack’s bike.

All too soon, we swung off Broadway into the forecourt of Ride. When we rounded Ride, I was surprised to see the grill was smoking but the outside of the Compound was deserted.

Tack parked. I hopped off and he swung off behind me.

I got close.

“After you deal with the Russians,” I started, “can we take off on your bike?”

“Where?” Tack asked.

“Anywhere just as long as the ride’s long and we end it alone together.”

I watched his face get soft as his hand came up and cupped my jaw, his thumb sliding along the apple of my cheek.

“That’s a plan, Red,” he whispered.

“Awesome,” I replied.

He dipped his head to touch his mouth to mine, he gave my lips the tip of his tongue then he lifted his head, dropped his hand from my jaw but grabbed mine. We headed inside and I was touching my own tongue to where Tack had touched his, tasting him when we made it inside and were instantly assaulted by a wave of sound.

And the sound was cheering.

Tack stopped dead and I did with him as I was confronted by every member of Chaos and, if they had an old lady or a woman, those too shouted at us.

“What on –?” I muttered but shut up when Brick stomped to me and ripped me away from Tack by wrapping his beefy arms around me. He lifted me in the air and shook me so hard my head snapped around.

Then he dropped me on my flip-flopped feet with a bone-jarring thud.

“Wasn’t sure, Cherry, what with those fancy-ass shoes and skirts ‘a yours. But, babe, you kickin’ ass for Tabby, that sealed it,” he declared.

“Sealed what?” I asked dazedly, staring up at him.

“You’re one of us,” he answered and at his words, warmth flooded through me.

“Really?” I breathed like that was my dearest wish in the world and, at that precise moment, it was.

“The pepper spray was sissy,” Boz stated, joining our group. “But no arguin’ with the results.”

“Feel good?” Dog asked and I turned to him to see him grinning at Tack. “Never forget that. Open hand slappin’ him like he was a girl and askin’ him if it felt good. Fuck me, that was the fuckin’ shit.”

“I wish I’d have seen it,” Sheila, standing close to Dog and smiling at me put in. “Dog won’t quit yappin’ about it.”

Dog scowled down at his woman, “I don’t yap.”

She gave him a look then looked at me and mouthed, “He yaps.”

I stifled a giggle.

“Wouldn’t think you had it in you,” I heard and my eyes went to Mitzi who had joined our group with Hop, his arm around her shoulders and I felt my body still at seeing them. “Glad to know you do,” she went on and hard-as-nails, tough broad Mitzi gave me a genuine smile.

Mitzi smiling at me. Hop was smiling at me too.

Seemed me kicking some squirrel-ball ass was a cause for celebration and Mitzi and Hop were on a good patch.

Their business, not mine.

“Thanks” I whispered.

“Red needs a beer, so do I,” Tack announced loudly, claiming my hand thus me again and dragging me into the common area of the Compound.

“Got it,” Tug called from behind the bar.

I saw on the bar that someone, most likely one or several of the women, had unearthed bowls and in them they’d dumped chips, dip, potato salad and macaroni salad. There were paper plates, red Solo cups, plastic silverware and even napkins.

Clearly a special occasion seeing as there were bowls.

I grabbed a chip.

Tug offered me a beer.

I ate my chip, grabbed my beer and took a sip.

Tack tugged on my hand, I fell into him and tipped my head back to look at him.

He was smiling.

I smiled back.

Then, still smiling, he kissed me.

When he lifted his head he didn’t go far so I heard it when he whispered, “My reward.”

My eyes narrowed and I snapped, “You’re not allowed to do that shit.”

His head jerked slightly and he asked, “Say again?”

“Be sweet and make me all melty and want to jump you when I’m celebrating my heretofore unknown badassness with a bunch of bikers and their bitches. Not to mention, I’m hungry.”

Tack grinned as his arm snaked around me and he yanked me close.

“You wanna jump me?” he asked.

“I always want to jump you,” I answered.

“Good to know,” he muttered.

“But now your badass brethren needs to feed me,” I declared.

“I’ll see they get down to that.”

“Since you’re the head honcho, you do that.”

Tack’s grin became a smile.

I smiled right back.

Then I took a huge gulp of beer, put it down on the bar and grabbed a handful of potato chips.

“Come here,” Tack growled.

We were in bed in Tack’s room at the Compound. I was between Tack’s legs, his cock in my mouth and I’d just slid down.

I slid up, sucking deep as I did. Tack’s fingers drove into my hair and fisted. I released him, my eyes going to his, my fingers wrapping around his cock and my tongue swirled the tip.

“Here,” Tack mostly repeated, his rough rumble low.

I let him go and kept eye contact as I crawled up his body.

I barely got face-to-face with him before his arms closed around me and he rolled me to my back. Once there, he gave me all of his weight as his hands slid over my ass and down the backs of my legs. He swung one of my calves around his ass. The other one he swung around his back.

Then one of his forearms went into the bed and the other one went between us. I felt him guide himself to me then slowly, God, so slowly, he slid inside.

He did all of this with his eyes never leaving mine.

But once I had his cock, my eyes closed and my neck arched.

“Jesus, baby, every time I give you my cock it’s like you haven’t had it in years.”

My arms circled him, my neck righted and my eyes found his.

“I like it.”

“No shit?”

“You gonna use it?” I prompted.

He grinned and pulled out an inch, slowly. Then he slid back in to the root, again slowly.

“Honey,” I breathed and felt his hand on my belly.

It went up, up, up until it was wrapped around my throat.

“Started here,” he whispered.

“What?” I asked.

“In this bed,” he went on.

“What?” I repeated.

“You and me.”

My arms and legs tightened around him.

His hand slid up to my jaw and his thumb slid over my lips.

“Love you, Red.”

Yes.

“Love you too, Kane.”

His thumb went away but his head dropped and his lips touched mine.

Against them, I asked, “Now, are you going to fuck me or what?”

I watched his eyes smile. Then his head slanted and his hand moved around to drive into my hair as his mouth took mine, his tongue thrusting inside and his hips jerked back then slammed in.

Finally.

One of my hands moved up into his hair and we kissed deep while we fucked hard and I came the usual twice to Tack’s once.

When we were done, Tack kept us connected while his hand moved soothingly along the skin of my side and his mouth moved along the skin of my neck, his goatee tickling my skin. I kept my body curled around him, the fingers of one hand drifting through his too-long hair, the others drifting over his back and ass.

I turned my head so my lips were at his ear and I whispered, “Thank you.”

“For what, baby?” he asked against my neck.

“For taking care of this.” His head came up and his eyes caught mine. When they did, I admitted quietly, “I’m not sure I’ve done my part in helping.”

“You’re still here,” he pointed out.

“Yes but every time we hit a rough patch, I give up and declare we’re over.” I lifted my head and touched my mouth to his before dropping it back to the pillow and promising, “I’ll do my best to break that habit.”

“Don’t matter if you do.”

My head tipped on the pillow. “Pardon?”

“Babe, you can declare all you want. That don’t mean I’ll let you walk out on me.”

My lungs quit working.

“Never let you go,” Tack went on.

My limbs around him tightened and my hand in his hair clenched.

“Not ever,” he finished.

Not ever.

He’d never let me go.

“I love you, honey,” I whispered.

“I know, baby,” he whispered back.

I looked into his sapphire eyes, smelled his musk, felt the weight of his warm, hard, heavy body and the ghost of his pounding between my legs, his cock still inside me and suddenly, I squirmed.

“Fuck, that greedy pussy,” Tack muttered.

“Um… I’m kinda ready to keep playing,” I shared something I knew he already knew.

“Babe, I’m still hard and inside you after comin’.”

“And?”

He stared at me.

Then he murmured, “Christ. She wears me out.”

“Liar,” I snapped. “I do not.”

And I didn’t. He might be forty-one but he had stamina and staying power.

I tried a different tactic, lifted my head and put my mouth to his neck as my hands moved on his back.

I trailed my tongue behind his ear then whispered my suggestion there, “Maybe I’ll get some toys so I can take care of business while you’re recuperating.”

His head jerked back and mine fell to the pillow.

“Fuck that,” he stated.

I suppressed a grin.

Tack pulled out and my lips parted at the loss of him.

“Get cleaned up,” he ordered.

“For what?” I asked. “I like you inside me.”

“Babe, you know I don’t go down on you after I’ve come inside you. Get cleaned up.”

Excellent.

I grinned at him.

He scowled at my grin.

Then he muttered, “Wears me out.”

He was so full of it.

I took a leg from around him, planted my foot in the bed, rolled him to his back and I did all this while kissing him hard, wet and long.

When I was done, I lifted my head and whispered, “I’ll go get cleaned up.”

“Hurry, babe,” he ordered.

The kiss worked. Then again, I knew it worked because I ended it when his fingers dug in my ass which I’d learned was a sign Tack liked what he was getting.

Then again, my man always liked what I gave him.

So I gave him another grin.

Then I hurried.