Page 8 of Riot

In a lot of ways Cash gave me an outlet. Just like he did the twins, Jett the club’s Treasurer, and Rock — who owns Rock’s Truck n’ Haulage — have part ownership with the club. They both had a shitty childhood and Cash took them in. Granted,Rock didn’t join the club until recently, he and Jett also work security, surveillance and can hack into just about any system. Being the club’s secretary, I take care of all the record keeping and the minutes from our meeting, ensuring everything is up to date with Jett. He handles the club coffers and makes sure the finances are ready for Jas, our accountant and Hawk — the Road Captain’s ol’ lady.

I pull my weight and we each contribute funds into the club where we all reap the benefits.

Charles may have saved my life, and getting locked up wasn’t my proudest moment, but I still crave to be around people. For whatever reason, I’ve never really been a loner, preferring the company of other people may have come from my mom. I’m not sure. She loved to talk and be around people all the time and make them feel good whether by cooking for them, or just lending an ear if they needed advice. She had a kind heart. I may not be exactly like her, but over the years, I’ve found my place in the club. I carved a name for myself in this MC, gaining the trust of my brothers and Cash.

Charles visits the club from time to time, but being a loner himself, he prefers it when I visit him. That old saying about not teaching an old dog new tricks sums up old Charles pretty good. Still, I love the man. He’s the first man that I ever respected, and he will be until my dying day.

My sister has been living away for the past couple years, but she’s decided to move home and I’m trying to convince her that she’s better off sharing a place with friends rather than with me. It’s not that I don’t want her around, but I know she’ll be all up in my business and harassing me about why I haven’t settled down yet.

Little does she know, I have my sights set on one woman, and one woman only; Halo McBride.

She’s best friends with Star, who’s the ol’ lady of Nevada, one of the Tail Gunners for the MC. Star is quite the ball buster.

I don’t know how she tamed the wild beast, but somehow she nailed it. Nevada used to be the club’s resident fuck boy, but that all changed when she came along. I’ve seen it before and I always made fun of the club brothers when they fell hard, but lately I’ve been understanding more and more what they went through.

That tightening feeling in my chest whenever she’s around. The way my heart accelerates like it’s going to burst. The way my dick stays hard for her until I do something about it later in my room. And it isn’t all sexual. I really fuckin’ like this chick.

She came to Mississippi with us when we helped our allies, the Ridgehaven Hellions MC take down a trafficking ring. We were also there to find Star’s younger sister, Tilly, who had been kidnapped but was being housed by the Stiletto Riders, an all-female MC in Saddle, Texas. They intercepted the bus Tilly was on when it crossed the state line and rescued her and other women who were being trafficked. Tilly had also suffered from amnesia, which is why it took months, with the Stilettos help, to try and put the pieces together.

She’s damn lucky. I don’t know the extent of what she suffered, but I can only imagine.

I first saw Halo — whose real name is Lourdes but she hates it — when I was at the Whiskey Straight that night with Nevada. She and Star stepped into the bar and I thought an angel had landed. I really didn’t get to know her that well until we all went to Mississippi. Even then, the moments alone were fleeting. It was intense what was going on with Star finding Tilly, so our encounters were brief. Unfortunately, nothing happened between us on that trip, and needless to say my balls were blue, especially when I saw her in her ‘stakeout’ gear: Camouflage pants with a tight bodysuit tucked into them that did everything to accentuate her huge tits, a large sparkly belt that synched inher small waist and had me trailing my eyes all the way down to her hips. That ass. Goddamn.

Her cool blonde bob cut with bangs that hung in her pretty blue eyes. Her luscious curvy body, big tits and thick thighs.

Most of the time she was camped out with her friend Kyle, who I was jealous of in the beginning, until I found out he was gay. Still, he got to share a room with her and I didn’t.

Safe to say, I’ve never felt jealousy over a woman before, and while I’ve had my fair share of women in the past, I want her.

My baby face, black hair, blue eyes and a body covered in tattoos hasn’t exactly done me wrong over the years. Chicks dig the tats. I can’t say I’ve had more notches on my belt than Nevada, but all of that is in the past since I laid eyes on her. Halo is all I can think about night and day.

She’s beautiful.

She covers up a lot, which is a good thing because I would probably choke anyone who I caught looking at her. But if she showed her body off for me? Now, that would be a thing. To even think about spending the night with her? I’d die a happy man.

I’m also still reeling from the revelation that my girl had to leave her hometown of St. Charles Parish because her overbearing parents wanted her to marry some guy in an arranged marriage situation. She wouldn’t tell me anything more about it after she told us all at Nevada’s place for dinner one night, but I’ve done some of my own research on her dad’s construction company, and that family is loaded. Still, money doesn’t always bring happiness. Clearly it doesn’t in this case. To think that my sweet kitten had to leave her home because her parents wanted her to force marry — who does that?

I admit. I’m a little unhinged for her. I know where she lives. I’ve checked out the area she lives in to make sure she’s safe; uptown. One of the richest suburbs in New Orleans. She resides in a fancy apartment with security and good lighting. Itried to get in the door to see just how good security was, and was promptly shut out. Good. They don’t know me, I could be anyone. If they’d have let me in, then I’d have some serious heads to smack together with the super and the security.

I’m good at staying out of sight, so when I’ve watched her from across the street — thanks to a little cafe that is situated right across from her building — I’ve been able to make sure she’s home safe. I’ve also been pleased she hasn’t had any men inside her apartment. I tamper down the rage from just the thought. Not towards her — my kitten can do no wrong — but he, however. He’d have to lose both hands so he could never touch her again. Not that I’m in the game of torture or dismembering, I don’t enjoy that, but I’ve no trouble shooting anyone in the head who fucks with me and what’s mine.

Tonight though, it’s my birthday. I texted her earlier to ask if she was coming.

Me:

Don’t forget I owe you a piece of my birthday cake tonight

I waited like a chump for a reply, which only took a minute, but it felt like a lifetime.

Kitten:

Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Twenty-one again?

Of course, she’s too polite to ask me how old I am. As if thirty-five is fuckin’ old. Still, sometimes when I get out of bed first thing I feel like an old man.

Me:

35, but close

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