Jayson didn't often grant the members permission to bother me. He preferred that I serviced him alone, but if they had enough cash, or were willing to serve up a favor in exchange, he'd allow it. Or if I'd pissed him off. The days I got smart with him, or looked at him the wrong way, I was sure to have some nasty drunk biker at my bedroom door.
Mason wanted to know why I didn't just leave. Like that was really an option. Kerri had tried that, tried walking away. She got all the way to her old apartment. The newspaper boy found her body in the street the following morning. Two shots to her head, but that's probably not what killed her. The severe beating she took first most likely did her in, the bullets were just insurance. Disciple men weren't used to being walked out on, not by anyone least of all their women.
"Hi, can I help you?" An older woman with graying hair, smiled at me from behind the counter. My second goal of the day was to get information about enrolling in the nurses program at the junior college in town. After I had freed myself from the MC, I needed a career, not just a job to pay bills, but something that I could be proud of.
"Yeah, I'm interested in the nurses program." I looked at my phone, an hour before I needed to be back at the club or Jayson would start asking questions.
I was given half a dozen pamphlets and sent down to the financial office to fill out applications for grants and stuff. Once all of that crap was done, I headed back to the clubhouse. I needed a car, my feet were killing me from all the walking. I didn't want to waste money on the busses, every penny I had went to helping get me out of the MC sooner.
I heard the roar of the motorcycles headed toward me, as I turned down the last street to the clubhouse. Three of them in Inked Reapers cuts. I recognized Mason right away, he lead the small pack headed in my direction. I tried to ignore him, pretend I didn't see him. The tilt of his head, and the shit-eating grin on his face told me he'd seen me. I tried to roll my eyes, but he'd already passed me and I forced myself to keep walking and not look back. Lucas met me at the gate.
"You know that's trouble, right?" He asked when I walked up to him.
"What are you talking about?" I grumbled, zipping my bag to keep anyone from seeing the pamphlets inside.
"Mayson Day lives and breathes Inked Reapers, if Jayson gets even a whiff that you two are anything more than nothing, he'll have something to say about it." Lucas nodded for Pepper, the newest recruit, to lock down the gate as we walked toward the clubhouse.
"He is nothing." I tried to assure him, but he must have seen the blush on my cheeks. "Nothing, Lucas." I walked faster, I needed to get away from him. I trusted Lucas, he'd protected my ass more times than I could count, but he was a Disciple. And in the end, that's what mattered.
CHAPTER FIVE
MASON
Marcus spent most of the afternoon yammering about some new boat he wanted to buy. Deep sea fishing or some shit. I stopped listening after a while. A dark haired pixie kept walking into my thoughts and distracting me.
"Mason." Marcus slapped me on the back. When had he moved around the table? "Your first run with the Disciples is tomorrow. I want you to go over there today and finalize all the details. I don't' want anything going wrong."
"You got it." I nodded. Maybe I could relieve a little stress while I was there, too. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask. What do we know about the Disciples sex trade? I know they have that whorehouse out back, but those rumors of them trafficking women- any truth to it?"
Prez eyed me quietly then looked around the room. The other guys watched us. I suddenly felt like I was living my high school nightmare of walking into the lunchroom in my boxers. "Nah. Not that I know of. Just rumors far as I know." Marcus waved it off. "Besides what they do with their women, that's their problem." He rounded the table again and retook his seat addressing the whole room. "We don't' need to be sticking our noses where it doesn't belong. Keep this deal neat and tidy."
I nodded. No point in starting an argument. I had no proof and the club most likely wouldn't take any action with the truce in place. Once we pushed the Disciples out, then we'd be able to do something about it. Running drugs and weapons over the border didn't toy with my conscience one bit, but enslaving a woman, making her into some dime store whore for those assholes benefit repulsed me.
Everything wrapped up pretty quick and Marcus sent me on my way. Tick decided to tag along, and I was glad for the company. With him along, I'd have a better chance of keeping away from that Pixie.
When we pulled into the courtyard of the Disciples, we were greeted by the same three guys as before. The guy, Lucas, seemed to be the most up and up about everything going on. The VP, Sting, didn't sit well with me, something about his eyes always wandering during a conversion. If you can't look at me when you're talking to me, you're hiding some shit.
As we walked into the clubhouse, I heard a low mocking laugh. Jayson was sitting at the bar waving papers in front of Lucy's face. Her eyes looked murderous, but she kept her mouth shut as he kept on rambling.
"A nurse? A whore like you?" He opened one of the leaflets and laughed harder. "Says here you need to pass a test first. Do you even know any math? You're pretty good with dick plus mouth equals payday, but do you know numbers?"
"I was just getting information." She pulled the pamphlet from his hands. "What were you doing in my room anyway?"
"Your room?" His tone darkened quickly, and I took a step in her direction. Tick's hand on my shoulder steadied me. "Bitch, that's my room. My bed. My furniture. And that pussy between your legs is mine, too. Forget this school shit. By the time you finish paying what you owe, you'll be too old for school." Her fingers gripped the papers so tight I could see her knuckles turning white. She didn't respond though, she just tucked them away in her apron.
"I'm half-"
"You're not even a quarter of the way, bitch. Every day you add more to your tab."
"Hey, Jayson!" Lucas stepped in front of us. "Got company." I stepped to the side, keeping my eyes on Lucy. She looked up and her face flushed when her eyes met mine. While Jayson was preoccupied, she took the opportunity and fled the room. Jayson didn't notice, but I saw the clenched fists, the unshed tears building. What the fuck was going on?
"Hey!" Jayson threw on a fake grin and walked over to us. "Almost forgot you were heading over. Lucas here can finalize everything with you. I got some business to take care of at the strip club." I gave him a nod, but kept watching the doorway where she fled. I was going to get some answers.
CHAPTER SIX
LUCY
I stared at the nursing program pamphlets thrown on my bed. Jayson was probably right. I'd never get free of him, at least not while I still had enough energy to go to school. By then, I'd probably be too wrung out to do much with my life other than keep going the way I was going.
If listened to him, let him get into my head, I'd be stuck in his damn MC for the rest of my life, and that wasn't' going to happen. I had dreams. I wasn't stupid, school came pretty easily for me. My mom always bragged about my grades in high school, before she got sick. Taking care of my mom took center stage after she was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma. I barely passed senior year, and college was out of the question. Every dime we had went to her medicine and doctor treatments. She held on for two years after I graduated and was able to find full-time work to help pay the bills, but in the end, it was all for nothing.
Looking in the mirror at my short hair and over applied makeup, I felt the weight of my situation crushing me. My mother would have died twice over if she knew what I would become, the whore I turned into. Sure it wasn't my choice, but the acts were the same. Men gave Jayson cash to fuck me, and I continued to do it. He said I was only a quarter paid up, but my calculations were twice that. He'd never let me go.
I picked up the pamphlets again, ready to the throw them in the trash this time when my door opened. "Lucy." A dark voice sent a shiver through me and I didn't need to turn around to see who lurked in my doorway.
"Jayson send you in?" I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes, making sure none of the tears that had built up actually spilled over and tossed the pamphlets into the can next to my dresser.
The door shut and the click of the lock startled me. Other than members, Jayson usually brought in the guys he wanted me to entertain. I spun around and knocked right into Mason's chest. He steadied me before I fell on my ass, then pulled my chin up, smashing his mouth right on top of mine.