Brutal Boxer by Naomi Porter

17

Boxer

I may live to regret taking Lynx’s place.

Storm wanted Wolf, me, and the others to drive off the compound in two similar trucks. He had us all wear black beanies to make it difficult to distinguish who was who in the event Campbell had men watching the clubhouse.

Our recon of the surrounding area showed it was secure, but you could never be too safe in times like these.

Taking it a step further—as Storm often did, stemming back to when we were Marines—Wolf and I took different routes to get to the same place, seven hours from our club.

What did it all mean for me?

Aspen rode with me because Jill went with Wolf. Aspen didn’t say a word, keeping her head turned away from me until she fell asleep. I was okay with it. The less we communicated, the better.

The quiet gave me a lot of time to dissect everything.

How could I get bent out of shape so easily over Lynx? I shouldn’t have said I’d come. I got that now, but there was no turning back.

As Aspen slept next to me in the front row, the scent of watermelon filled the air between us, making me remember all the times I had sucked her lip gloss off her perfect-fucking-pink lips. I couldn’t believe she still wore it.

Why, after all this time? Didn’t girls outgrow flavored lip gloss? Apparently not this one.

Hollywood snored in the backseat. When we left the club, he was lying down to avoid being seen. The son of a bitch stayed that way, nodding off shortly after. Probably exhausted from pulling twelve-hour shifts, patrolling. Wimpy bastard. I’d have to get him in the gym after all this shit with Campbell was over.

My two passengers had tortured me relentlessly the whole fucking drive in one way or another. I was damn glad to be pulling up to the small cabin… the safe house. I had to take a piss the last hour, but Storm had given strict orders not to stop until we arrived.

A Hummer was parked beside the structure. Storm’s old man, David, the president of the mother club here in South Dakota, had a couple of members waiting for us. They came to make sure the place was secure and brought supplies. They’d give us the lay of the land, possibly stay if we needed them.

We wouldn’t need them. My brothers and I could handle it.

Two men stepped out of the cabin as I stopped. Behind me, headlights flashed from Wolf’s truck. Our paths connected eighty or so miles back.

Aspen didn’t move when the truck stopped, totally dead to the world with her mouth slightly open. My chest tightened as I took her in, hand tingling to brush it across her soft cheek, run my fingers through her long, silky, blonde locks. I clenched my desperate paw into a fist, fighting the urge to lick that fucking watermelon lip gloss off her lips.

Knock that shit off. Don’t forget what she did. Never let go of the hate.

Before I hopped out of the truck, I nudged Hollywood. “Get up,” I muttered in a low voice to not wake up sleeping beauty.

What the actual fuck? I didn’t need to tiptoe around her. If she woke up, so be it.

“Wha… what’s wrong?” Hollywood rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands.

“Nothing. We’re here. Come on.” I exited the cab.

“Hey, brother. I’m Baldie, the vice president.” He jerked his chin toward the dude standing a few yards back. “That over there is Prospect. I’m leaving him here. Think of him as your slave until this crap with the woman is over with.”

“I’m Boxer. This is my prospect Hollywood and my brother Wolf over there. We don’t need another prospect.”

“Done deal, the boy is staying,” Baldie grunted. “Leave the women in the trucks so I can give you a quick tour.”

I didn’t like it but this wasn’t our territory. We needed to show Baldie respect. I shrugged at Wolf, earning me a death glare. He didn’t like Baldie. Neither did I.

“Hollywood, watch over the girls.” I followed the VP, our boots crunching on the fresh layer of snow.

“You got it, boss.” He smirked as if he knew the cluster of profanity running through my head.

The South Dakota chapter was an old-school club. David ran it just as his dad had back in the seventies—the neanderthal way. Matt, Storm’s uncle and original president of the Minnesota chapter, never liked the way his dad and brother ran the club: living large as kings and treating everyone beneath them as scum.

Before Matt died, he’d made sure his club knew his expectations regarding the treatment of prospects and club girls. He didn’t want his legacy to be tainted after working hard to make it more like a family. I respected the fuck out of Matt Knight. He didn’t want us to be one-percenters forever. Protecting his town and family was what mattered most to him. Not dealing drugs and transporting arms like other clubs.

We entered the cabin. Candles and lanterns lit the small space made of logs, wood everywhere the eye landed. Woodstove in the corner. Nothing all that special about it.

I stopped my inspection at the kitchen.

Baldie pointed. “I loaded the cabinet above the stove with booze. It should hold you for a while. You can find the basics in the fridge.” He flung the door open to reveal the contents, then slammed it shut. “If you’re here longer than a couple of weeks, we’ll get more food out to you.”

“Sounds good,” I grunted.

Baldie considered Wolf and me. “Want me to send a couple of sweet butts out to you?”

“I have my woman,” Wolf hissed.

Baldie stared at him, a confused glint in his eyes. “So?”

Damn, Baldie conformed to the primitive ways of some bikers, where a member might have an old lady but still screwed the “sweet butts.” Our club wasn’t like that. If we took an old lady, we were faithful. Of course, that’s why Lynx would never claim a woman. He loved all the kittens and felt it was his duty to spread himself around. Which was why he pissed me off, sniffing around Aspen.

“So I don’t need club girl,” Wolf replied in a tense voice.

I moved in front of my brother before he hauled off and punched Baldie. “We don’t need any women, thank you.”

Baldie tilted his head. “I thought the bitch causing all the trouble was hands-off? Didn’t belong to anyone?”

My blood boiled at his blatant use of the word bitch. Granted, some women were, but this dude seemed to lump all women into the bitch category. If I didn’t control my fist, it would end up in the son of a bitch’s mouth.

“We don’t need any women,” I repeated. What in the hell did he think would be going on while we hid out here? A sex-fest?

The VP shrugged. “Suit yourself. Jack off day and night for all I care. I was just being a gracious host offering some pussy to get you through the clusterfuck that bitch caused your club.” He left the kitchen before I could drop him on the wooden floor and pound some goddamn decency into him.

Wolf growled, showing his equal disgust.

“Back here are two bedrooms and a bathroom.” Baldie pointed to each room. “This closet has a secret door in the back, leading to a panic room. If the motherfucker finds you and blows the place up, you’ll survive if you make it in there.” He passed me a slip of paper. “Memorize the password, then destroy that.”

I shoved the post-it note into my pocket. “Got it.”

“This place is off the grid. It runs off solar power. Preserve the electricity. Use wood for heating. Limit your showers.” He waggled his dark brows. “Double up with the bitches, get sucked off at the same time.” His hearty chuckle grated on my last nerve.

I crossed my arms over my chest to keep from attacking this dickwad. “Anything else?”

“Two-way radios are on the coffee table, along with maps of the surrounding area. The prospect can show you the snowmobiles in the shed.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. I guessed he was in his forties. Not an ugly dude, just an asshole.

“Appreciate it. We need to get the women out of the truck.” I was tired as all get out. It was pushing five in the morning. Since Aspen arrived, I hardly slept a wink, just knowing she was within reach.

Baldie saluted. “Alright. I’m out.”

About fucking time. Baldie hadn’t done anything useful other than riling me up when he called Aspen a bitch. Not like I’d never thought of her as one. I had, on many occasions. It frustrated me how I nearly defended her to this asshole.

What in the hell was going on with me?

Was I that weak of a man that I couldn’t handle being in the same space as my ex? Yes, I fucking was, which was why I’d been avoiding her all week.

“He’s gone,” Wolf muttered. “I don’t like that goat.”

“Me either. Which room did you want for you and Jill? Left or right?”

He shrugged, furrowing his brow. “Doesn’t matter. This place is small. It’s gonna be cozy.” He scanned the small living space. “Are you giving Aspen the other room?” His dark eyes cut to the only sofa in the open concept room.

I gripped my neck to think this through. Both rooms had beds big enough for two, but there were six of us. It would be a tight squeeze because of Baldie’s prospect.

As the highest-ranking member here, what I said went. Between the four men, we’d have alternating security duty. A patched brother and a prospect. Wolf could do the day shift with Hollywood. I’d take nights with the kid. Maybe Aspen would let me crash in her room during the day to get some decent sleep.

What was I thinking?

Let me?

She had no choice.

“Take the room on the right,” I told Wolf as I headed out to the truck.

“Okay.” He trudged toward the passenger side of his cage. “Fuck, I’m tired.”

“Me too. Start unloading,” I told Hollywood.

“Want me to get Aspen? Carry her to bed like Wolf’s doing to Jill.” He flashed a shit-eating grin.

Despite the amusement in his voice, I froze, fisting my hands so I didn’t choke the little prick. Sure enough, Wolf didn’t even wake my sister up. Knight in shining armor, that one.

Not me.

I opened Aspen’s door. “Hey, we’re here.” I shook her arm, getting no response. She always slept like the dead. “Aspen.” I jiggled her arm.

“No, please.” She yelped, her eyes flashing open. I caught her hand this time before she hit me.

“It’s just me. We’re here.” The terror staring back at me did me in. I wanted to know what the fuck Campbell had done to her that made her waking words so fucking sad. Then I’d cut him into pieces, taking my time, relishing every moment I had dismembering him.

She tugged her hand back. “Sorry. I’m up.” The annoyance in her voice had me cracking a smile. She hated me as much as I hated her. Good. This situation didn’t need to get any more complicated than it already was.

I waited as she unbuckled herself and slid out of the four-by-four truck. She was careful and slow shuffling to the front door. It was dark out, so I couldn’t make out her boots. They probably didn’t have any grips. You know, fashion before functionality.

Halfway to the cabin, her foot slipped. My reflexes were quick, catching her before she fell on her ass. “I got you.” Tired of this bullshit, I picked her up and stalked the rest of the way.

“Put me down. I can walk on my own.”

“Really? Falling on your ass is walking?” I growled. No thanks or appreciation? Of course not.

She glared at me, our faces the closest they’d been since the last time I kissed her a decade ago. “I didn’t fall.”

“Because I saved you.”

“Well, I don’t need you to save me. Put me down. Now.” Words spewed from her mouth, her face screwed up like she’d eaten a tart lemon.

I stopped hard, putting her on her feet, and left her there. She could slip and slide the rest of the way, falling on her ass a million times for all I cared. That woman infuriated me. I was mad as fucking hell she’d act this way. As if I was the one who’d wronged her.

Do the woman a kindness. Show a bit of goddamn chivalry when she didn’t fucking deserve it. What do I get? Hate and disdain.

Baldie had called it right. Aspen was a bitch.

Wolf appeared from the bedroom. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Got Jill squared away?”

He peered around me, the crease in his forehead deepening as he watched Aspen. I imagined she was struggling, but did I care? Not one teensy bit.

“Yeah, helped her out of her clothes and boots.”

Since when did rough and gritty bikers do stuff like that?

“Go get some sleep with her. You and Hollywood will take the day shift.”

“What about you?” Wolf jolted as we heard a thump on the ground.

“Ouch!” Aspen cried.

“She fell.” He moved to go help her, but I gripped his bicep.

“No. She doesn’t want help. Let her figure it the fuck out.”

Wolf glowered, lip twitching. He liked to rescue damsels in distress. Hell, Jill always needed help with something.

“I mean it,” I said in a warning tone. “Don’t you dare fucking help her.”

Wolf was as soft as a teddy bear, despite being a scary-looking giant. “She can’t get her footing.”

“Not our problem.”

“Don’t be like this.”

“Don’t be like what?” I got in his face.

“Mean and brutal. It isn’t you.”

“When it comes to her”—I thumbed behind me—“it is me.”

He, of all people, knew the story behind my breakup with Aspen.

Wolf shook his head. I could tell he was about to defy me when the corner of his lip curled.

“Thank you so much, Hollywood.” Aspen’s saccharine voice raked down my spine. The fucking prospect helped her.

“No problem, babe.”

Babe?

I whirled around to face her. “Your room is the second door on the left. Go get some sleep.”

She pushed her hip out, setting her hands on them. “I think you, Mr. Grumpy Pants, need the sleep. I slept most of the way.” She went around me toward the kitchen, removing her coat.

Hollywood chuckled, eyes twinkling—the same as Wolf.

I followed Aspen when I heard cabinet doors opening and closing. “What are you doing?”

She ignored me, continuing her inspection of the tiny kitchen. When I didn’t move from my spot, she turned around. “Go to bed, Zach. You’re exhausted.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not. We’re stuck here together. Not by choice.” She bit her bottom lip, drawing my gaze to it. Fuck. “Go crash for a while. I’m going to make some breakfast.” And just like that, she went to the fridge and pulled out ingredients.