Wrong Side of the Tracks by Ashley Zakrzewski

ChapterFourteen

Nothing was stopping me from looking through the window to see who was winning or poking my head around the door to listen to what was going on. But in the heat of the moment, fear rooted me to the spot. Liv clings to me as the door flies open, and we see a tall figure standing in the doorway.

“Mom, Keira!”

It’s Jason. We’re fast on our feet to run to him, and as he throws his arms around us, the knife slips from my hand and clatters on the floor.

“It’s okay, they can’t hurt you anymore,” he says, which sounds a lot like they won’t be hurting anyone ever.

I don’t care. I’m just glad it’s over.

“Liv,” Dan calls out, and Liv dashes to meet him.

Jason’s hands fly to my face, his thumbs sweeping away my tears. “You did good. I’m so proud of you,” he reassures me.

“I’m so sorry,” I reply, meaning it.

“Those memories die tonight,” Jason reminds me of our deal. “You did what you had to. I never want to speak of it again. We’re going home with a clean slate.”

I know it’s what we agreed, but it still sickens me to think of Marcus getting his rocks off inside me – barely inside me. All he did was tickle my hole with his pin dick and leave a gross, sticky mess inside my panties.

“Is he dead?” I ask, searching Jason’s gaze.

“No, but he won’t be walking for a while,” Jason answers bluntly. “Thought you might have jumped into the thick of the fight and I’d need to save your peachy ass again.”

“I might be a lot of things, but I’m not stupid enough to bring a knife to a gunfight,” I mention humorously.

Jason’s eyes warm with mirth. “Let’s get you home.”

“Whose home?” I reply, shuddering at the thought of seeing my kitchen table again.

“Ours,” he clarifies.

“What about Booker?” I arch a quizzical eyebrow.

Jason’s smirk says it all. They’ve got it covered. “Thanks to you we’ve got a confession from Marcus. And when my mom testifies, no one will ever believe Booker again. I’ve agreed to take a DNA test. And I’m happy to tell the court all about Booker’s bribery.”

Jason picks up the kitchen knife and my bag, then we go outside to see the aftermath of the shootout. Marcus is being driven away in the back of a cop car, the same as the few remaining Jackals. The unfortunate few are being bagged and tagged and shoved into a coroner’s van. Liv waves at me from the passenger seat of Dan’s police car, and he mentions to Jason that they’ll be staying at his apartment until the forensic team is done taking DNA evidence from Liv’s place. The Hawks gather around us, but instead of judgmental eyes, they regard me with awe. It seems I’ve taken one for the team, and now I’m one of them – a full-fledged member of the crew.

This time, when I go to the clubhouse, I don’t feel like an outsider. I’m part of the family. It feels good knowing I have the Knight Hawks seal of approval. I can move on from tonight and leave all the bad shit behind me.

A line in the sand.

A clean slate.

But it seems that I’ve spoken too soon because we’ve just left one warzone and stepped into another. Bodie walks through the door first, and Ivy does not seem impressed. She spits out a mouthful of orange juice with shock, then sends the glass hurtling toward Bodie.

Okay, so this confirms the Hawks didn’t go home. They must have been watching the live recording from Dan’s office.

“You bastard! I thought you were dead,” Ivy screams like a banshee.

Bodie dodges the glass, and it shatters against the wall, splattering shards of glass and juice everywhere. Tex whistles at Dude and takes him outside to do his business. The poor dog doesn’t know what’s going on. Out of everyone, he’s just ecstatic to see Bodie.

Jason pulls me out of the way, and the Hawks and their women all run for cover. We seek sanctuary in the kitchen area as Ivy stalks toward Bodie.

“I’m gonna kill you for real,” Ivy threatens.

Bodie holds up his hands, his eyes widening. “Just hear me out.”

A dull thud followed by Bodie making an “Oof” sound lets me know Ivy just kneed him where the sun doesn’t shine. I probably shouldn’t laugh, but it’s funny as fuck, and I can’t help it.

Soapbox grins, unable to help herself from looking over. “I give them two minutes and then they’ll be fucking.” She catches my eye and shrugs. “It’s their dynamic. You’ll get used to it.”

And she isn’t wrong. The fighting stops, and the kissing sounds start, and that’s when everyone turns around and pretends the gasping grunting noises aren’t really happening. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked. It is a biker gang. Anything goes. Soapbox sweeps away the broken glass so that Tex can bring Dude back inside.

“Can we join them?” Tequila asks Hustle, shaking his arm. “They’re really getting into it.”

Hustle wrinkles his nose disapprovingly. “Nah, give them some space to make up.”

Tequila pouts. “Spoilsport.”

Claws rolls her eyes and sighs. “Ugh, quit sulking and maybe I’ll let you tag-team with us later,” she mentions, getting a nod of approval from Tex.

I turn to Jason and notice him smirking, probably wondering what I make of all this. This will take some getting used to, but the way they talk about sharing makes it seem like harmless fun.

“Listen up,” Jason announces, getting everyone’s attention. Everyone except Bodie and Ivy who are busy banging away on the couch. “Keira has proven her loyalty to the club, and tonight will be her initiation ceremony.”

My eyes bulge. “What do you mean?”

The women rally around with excitement as I wonder what a biker initiation entails. I’m a dab hand at shooting pool. I know how to hustle a poker game. And I can drink like a fish, but I hate beer—anything but beer. Ugh, God. What will they throw at me?

“It’s been so long since we held a good biker rut around here. The last rut was Bodie’s, and Stiletto struggled to sit for a week,” Soapbox says excitedly.

I feel myself shrink to the floor like a mouse. “What the fuck is a biker rut?” I ask nervously.

“Your tooshie is gonna sting like a bitch when they’re through with you. Lucky bitch,” Soapbox replies with a sinister chuckle. “I’ll get the lube.”

“What? No!” I panic.

It takes me several seconds to realize they were just fucking with me, their shit-eating grins giving their game away.

“Uh, you had me there for a second.” I chuckle, relieved.

“You should have seen your face. It was like this.” Soapbox does an impersonation of me looking terrified, then walks away giggling.

“We’re not Neanderthals,” Tex mutters, shaking his head. “But if you ever want to join our sexual escapades, all you’ve gotta do is ask first.”

Everyone disperses around the clubhouse, leaving me with something to think about. The music starts playing. Tex and Rooster set up the pool table. Everything goes back to normal. Bodie and Ivy have finished and are cuddling on the couch beneath a blanket. I can see his hand moving beneath it, stroking her baby bump. This time, seeing is believing. It really does feel like home.

“Uh-oh,” Ivy utters with a sudden burst of shock scrawled over her face.

“Baby, did you just pee?” Bodie asks, getting up to swipe his hand against the seat.

Ivy holds her stomach and gasps. “Uh, I think my water just broke.”

Everyone rushes around in a moment of panic. Jason shoves the baby bag at Bodie, then Rooster corrals them into his truck to take them to the hospital. All we can do is wait until Bodie calls us with some news. We’ve still got to tell our parents everything, but I’m too overwhelmed to do it tonight. In a few hours, they’ll have a cute bundle of joy to soften the blow.

“Here you go, you’ve earned it,” Tequila says, handing me a shot of clear spirit that I knock back in one fiery gulp. She smacks her lips without so much as a grimace. “I think the prez wants a private word with you,” she mentions, her lips curling into a rueful smirk.

Jason snakes his arms around my waist and rests his chin in the crook of my neck. “Do you want to come upstairs and help me shower? I’m not allowed to get my stitches wet.”

Rolling my eyes, I give the empty shot glass to Tequila and take Jason’s hand as he leads me upstairs. A shower sounds like heaven right now. I could use one to scrub away the filth and shame that I’m forbidden from mentioning again. But before I disappear inside the communal washroom, I spare a lingering look upon the open-plan living space and the family I’d become part of. Jason rests his arm around my shoulders as he joins me, then lovingly kisses the side of my head.

“What are you thinking about, Peaches?”

I twist my lips while I think. “Hmm, this place could surely use a woman’s eye. You’ve been running shit for far too long.”

Jason’s soft breathy chuckle tickles my ear. “So, what I’m hearing is you’re ready to rule at my side?”

My gaze snaps to him, and I wrap my arms around his neck. “Forever and always.” I press my lips against his mouth, and we both melt into a deep, sensual kiss.

“Shower and bed,” Jason rasps against my lips. “But don’t think we’ll be sleeping anytime soon. Not until I fuck away every last trace of tonight.”

“Mmm, sounds great,” I reply with a contented exhale.

Jason slides his warm palm against my cheek, cupping it gently. “You’re mine, and only mine. I don’t want to share you with anyone. From now on, it’s just you and me. I’ll never lay my hands on another woman.”

I’m so relieved to hear him say that. “And I’ll never touch another man.”

“I promise, you’ll never have to. Never again,” Jason vows.