Page 88 of One Night with the Biker

“You sure put a lot of faith in our enemy,” Knight said.

“I cut off his fucking hands, bro. What more do you want from me?”

“You know he killed Trinity,” Knight said bitterly. “You know he’s one of their top enforcers. Makes a man wonder about your allegiance.”

“You have one more fucking time to question my loyalty, fuckhead,” I snarled, annoyed and fed-up. “I’ll beat you into the fucking ground.” I turned to Razor. “Very few of us have ol’ ladies, but we respect them and give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“Confirm her brother’s death and then we’ll see,” Razor said.

“How the fuck am I supposed to do that?” For that matter, how was it my fucking problem, since they were the ones stuck on bullshit and spewing rumors about me. “I know about as much about that motherfucker as you do.”

“I’ve met Ainsley, Prez,” Louisiana inserted. “She’s harmless. Her only crime is Roman. Other than that, you should give her a chance for Reese’s sake.”

Louisiana met my eyes. His expression was still unreadable, but I appreciated his putting in the good word for her, so I nodded.

“When Jinx was pregnant the last time, you all were as happy as me,” Louisiana said quietly. “Shouldn’t we do the same for Reese?”

“We like Jinx,” Marquis said. “We don’t like Ainsley.”

“You’ve never met her,” I snapped. “Do you know why? Because none of you want her here.”

Razor glowered at me. “I got one question for you.”

“If it’s about Roman Mac, I don’t have an answer yet, Prez.”

He stepped from behind the podium and walked over to where I stood. His pats to my jaw felt more like hits. “Get it soon, Reese. But that’s not what I want to ask you.”

I didn’t like his diabolical smile. “Okay.” What the fuck else could I say?

“Do you love this cunt? Do you plan on keeping her? Do you see forever with her?”

Bolt tugged at his long beard. “Ain’t that three questions you asking my boy, Razor?”

“All in the same family, so I count it as one,” Razor said calmly. “So give me the answer to myonequestion in three parts to address everything.”

My mind scrambled for answers. Ma Siller and I had a similar conversation. I was convinced it was a fucking conspiracy.

I’d already claimed Ainsley, thinking to protect her, but it wasn’t enough. What more could I say? I liked Ainsley a lot and had been deeply in lust with her since the moment she walked up to my table. I never counted myself as the jealous type butshe gave me a piece of herself that only I got to have. It meant more to me that I wanted to admit, then or now, though I just had. Now that she carried my baby, I wanted more with her. However, I don’t think I loved her—I hadn’t known her long enough. I wanted her and that should’ve been enough.

“I’ve aged ten goddamn years waiting for your fucking answer, Reese,” Razor growled, forever a surly motherfucker.

“What do you want me to say?”

“Start with the truth,” he ordered. “From my vantage point, if you bring her here and it don’t work out, then what? Does she have any other connections in that fucking club that would want to hit us because of her?”

I didn’t think so, but without being one hundred percent sure, I couldn’t answer the question.

“What about if you take her as your ol’ lady?” Razor pressed. “I don’t care iftheywant her dead, we’d still be encroaching on one of their princesses. That would put a target on our backs because of your fucking cock.”

“What the fuck do you want me to do?” I yelled, at the end of my rope. “Ainsley’s twenty-one-years old, pregnant, and alone. How the fuck can I find out anything if Ma Siller has all but barred me from the fucking house because I vented over Ainsley’s recklessness and you won’t let her set foot in the fucking club? This is all bullshit. I don’t have a fucking answer to any of your questions, Razor.”

My less-than-respectful tone deserved Razor’s wrath. I knew better, and yet, it infuriated me that if Ma Siller wasn’t barring me from visiting Ainsley, then something came up at the club.

Razor punched my jaw. I reeled back, pain streaking through me and stars dancing in front of my eyes. His gut punch doubled me over. Through a haze, I listened as he banged the gavel and adjoined the meeting.

I wasn’t sure why I invited Reese to the doctor’s appointment. Ma Siller told me to give him space to get his head on straight. She insisted I content myself with seeing Reese when I saw him and warned me not to chase him because that would only drive him away.

I’d been so sure Reese would prove her wrong. I thought he’d want to see me and talk to me, yet he only showed up once. After he left, Ma Siller asked me if I’d come out of the room the night we met. I hadn’t. Once she left me, I called Roman and left a message for him. Eight days later, he still hadn’t called me back.

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