Page 10 of Last One Standing
KONA
Once the lastpatron left for the night, Brick gripped my arm and dragged me out the club through the back exit. He didn’t speak, just thrust his spare helmet at me and got on his bike, expecting me to do the same. He was pissed, and it clearly had something to do with me.
Pika had gone to the clubhouse with one of the prospects earlier. He wasn’t a fan of mingling with people he didn’t know, and since he was underage it was frowned upon. I only hoped he’d be asleep when we got there—last time Brick and I’d had a fight he’d come barreling in and tried to get between us. Brick had just glared at him and said he wasn’t above marking him up either.
I didn’t want that for my brother. I wrapped my arms around Brick, and he took off. I’d heard the clubhouse was an old building, but I didn’t remember what it used to be. Brick had gutted it and made bedrooms for his guys, a living area with bar, and a room where they went to church. That was what they called MC meetings, church. Why, I didn’t know. but I was sure if I asked the reason would be dumb.
We reached the clubhouse, he shut the bike off, kicked the stand out, and smacked my leg. His kind gesture for me to getoff. I did, removed the helmet, and ran my fingers through my hair while I offered it back to him.
“We’re gonna have a talk, Kona.”
I sighed. This could literally mean talk or a fight, and I was exhausted.
“Brick, I’m tired, it’s almost two in the morning. I need to sleep. Can we do this in the morning?”
He gritted his teeth and surged forward, grabbing my upper arms in his thick hands. “I don’t give a fuck if you’re tired. I don’t like being played, Kona, and I think you played me.”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the bruising pain his grip made. “How’d I play you?”
He released me and I stumbled a few steps, the bike the only thing stopping me from falling on my ass.
“Those VIPs tonight, friends of Leo’s, you said.”
“Yeah, because they are.”
“You seemed very smitten with the black one.”
My eyes narrowed and I pointed at him, fury filling my veins. “Don’t be like that. One, I don’t cheat, and two, I don’t want to hear your racist bullshit, Brick.”
He slapped my hand away and in a flash had my throat in his grip. “You don’t tell me how to be. Who was that guy?”
“Ask Leo,” I croaked. It was hard to breathe let alone speak.
He kept me like that for a few more seconds before dropping me onto the ground. He hovered over me. “I’m gonna do just that, and so help you if I find out you’re lyin’.”
He stormed off and I rubbed my neck, trying to calm down and get air in my lungs.
I could hear the rumbling of motorcycles in the night, and I didn’t want to be in the dirt once the rest of the MCs arrived. I stood and hastily made my way to the back of the clubhouse.
Pika and I shared a room with our own bathroom most of the time, and I’d gotten Brick on a good day when he was talking to the builders and asked if I could have a separate entrance.
Once in the room, I could see Pika was asleep. I was glad I didn’t have to stay with Brick…well, not all the time. If he was angry with me, I’d stay here. Anytime he wanted a fuck, I stayed with him.
I was under no delusions that he was faithful. He could scream at me about cheating, but he did it all the time with his hang-arounds…fucking hypocrite. But I didn’t care even a little. If he was fucking someone else, he wasn’t bothering me. As it was, whenever we had sex I showered the second I could as if I were disinfecting after walking through a radiation plant.
I braided my hair so it wouldn’t knot, tossed on boxers and a T-shirt, and slid under the covers. I stared at the ceiling and thought about the man at that club…Angel. He’d really gotten under Brick’s skin, and I didn’t know why he was so suspicious of him and his group. Honestly, I saw some of them; they weren’t small. They’d maybe be able to give the Dead Kings a run for their money.
I sighed and rolled onto my side. I could only hope someone would come and wipe these motherfuckers off the face of the earth. Then I could get the money I’d saved and run far from here with Pika. It was the last thought I had before I fell asleep.
The following morning I woke with a sore throat, thanks to Brick. With a show tonight, I had to make sure it didn’t affect my singing. I checked my neck out in the bathroom mirror. It was bruised and it would take me longer to get concealer on it, so I would need to leave time for that.
Pika wasn’t in the bedroom, so he’d either gone to get food in the kitchen, or he was taking one of his long walks. He hated hanging out with the other bikers. They were crude and a few of them showed interest in Pika. At fifteen that was vile, and I told Brick if anyone laid a hand on my baby brother, I’d chop their hands off and suffer the consequences.
I showered, dressed, and tossed my hair up into a messy bun on the top of my head. I had to run out to get some more foundation to hide the new marks, and I wasn’t leaving Pika here. As I stepped out of the bedroom, I grabbed a silk scarf to cover my neck.
In the kitchen, Pika was sitting at the table and eating some cereal.
“Morning.” I smiled and ruffled his hair.
