Page 1 of Spider
Chapter One
Spider
I had shit to do, business to handle for the club, and where the fuck was I?At the airstrip outside of town, waiting on Casper Fucking VanHorne and the little Colombian bitches I’d agreed to take in -- temporarily.I’d left out that last part, but no way were some rich little princesses going to stick around my club for long.I’d do everything in my power to run their asses out of there.I understood Casper’s reasoning behind the major favor he’d asked of my club, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.
The jet touched down and moved down the runway.When it came to a stop, I folded my arms over my chest and waited.Rocket and Fangs were with me, along with a Prospect who’d brought the SUV to transport the little divas.It seemed to take forever before they were on the ground and heading toward us.The younger one appeared terrified, her eyes wide and her hands clutched in front of her, almost as if she worried someone would jump out at her.The eldest held her shoulders back, her chin lifted at a defiant angle, but her lips were pressed tightly together.Neither appeared to be the overly confident young ladies I’d expected.Despite the bravado of the eldest, they both seemed a few seconds away from running in the opposite direction.
What the hell had I gotten myself and my club into this time?Rocket had agreed to house the younger one.We didn’t exactly have a bunch of women running around to help care for them, nor was I going to leave them unattended.Since his younger sister had lived with him until she’d passed, he’d seemed like the best choice.At least he knew how to handle a teenage girl.Rocket pushed off his bike and walked toward them, stopping in front of the youngest.
“Violeta, right?”he asked.
She nodded, her lip quivering.
“I’m Rocket.You’ll be staying with me.Do you speak English?”
“Yes.”Her voice was soft and slightly accented.“I will be good to you.”
Rocket frowned and looked at me, but I didn’t know what the fuck she was talking about.Maybe her English wasn’t as great as she thought.I just shrugged and waited on the older one to reach me.
“Luciana, I’m Spider,” I said.
“I know who you are.I’ve been informed I’ll be living in your house.”
“Yes.I have a room set up for you.Where’s your shit?”She stared at me blankly.“Your clothes?Shoes?Jewelry or whatever the fuck else women pack when they move?”
She shrugged a shoulder.“Our father didn’t deem it necessary to send us with more than an overnight bag.We each have two changes of clothes.”
“Casper,” I said, a bit of growl to my voice as I stared at the man responsible for this shitstorm.“What the fuck?”
“I’ll provide each of them with a shopping allowance to buy the necessities.After that, they’re your problem.”Casper arched a brow, as if daring me to utter a word of complaint.“Once my jet is refueled, I have someplace to be.”
There was a flash of fear in Luciana’s eyes, but I tried to dismiss it -- and the tightening in my gut.There was something incredibly wrong, but I couldn’t quite figure it out.I would in time, but right this moment, I needed to get these two home and settled.Rocket curved his arm around the smaller of the two and led her over to the SUV, leaning down to speak to her.
If Luciana needed coddling, she’d have to get it elsewhere.I waved my hand and she started to follow Rocket and her sister.The Prospect grabbed their small bags and loaded them into the SUV.
Fangs folded his arms and watched them.“Something’s off.Like really fucking off.”
I completely agreed, and I didn’t like it.Casper hadn’t made it a secret that he had plans for Mateo Gomez, the girls’ father, and was merely playing nice for now.Didn’t mean I wanted my club mixed up in this shit, but with the promise of a favor from the notorious assassin, I couldn’t exactly say no.With some of the shit my club dealt with, having a guy like Casper VanHorne at your back could mean the difference in coming back home on your own two legs or in a body bag.But as I watched the two young women get into the SUV, saw the haunted look in their eyes, I had to wonder just what the fuck was going on.
The Prospect climbed into the SUV once the women were secure, and he waited while the rest of us mounted our bikes.I took point with Fangs, and Rocket pulled up at the rear.I didn’t expect trouble, and yet I was always cautious, even in my own damn town.The compound was just outside the city limits, a few minutes down a two-lane highway.This part of Missouri didn’t get a lot of traffic, but after my son was in an accident along with a Dixie Reaper and the Reaper’s woman, I’d learned not to trust even those who lived near the compound.Anyone could be bought for the right price, except my officers.I’d trust them with my life, along with the other patched members of my club.
As we approached the gates to the compound, our newest Prospect, a kid who was quickly proving himself, let us in with a wave.Teller Reed was a good kid once you got through the tough skin he’d grown in order to survive.I had high hopes for him, and since he’d asked to prospect I’d seen a lot of improvement.We’d make a man of him, eventually.
The Hades Abyss compound had changed a bit over the years.After seeing the setup at the Dixie Reapers and Devil’s Boneyard, I’d decided to improve a few things.Most of the homes had been small before, but now all officers had large houses.We’d also added a pool and picnic area, even though none of us had families.I’d seen the look in a few of the men’s eyes and knew they’d settle down if they found the right woman.We’d all been hardcore bachelors long enough.Not to mention the family-oriented area was nice when my son visited with my grandson.
Fangs went straight to the clubhouse, but the rest of us continued farther into the compound.We took the winding road toward my home and I pulled into the carport.I shut off my bike and waited as Luciana got out of the SUV.The Prospect, Marcus, grabbed her bag and waited for instructions.He’d only been with us about eight months, but he showed promise.
“Put her bag in the guest room,” I said with a nudge of my chin toward the front porch.Marcus hastened to obey while I studied Luciana.
Her hair was pulled up on top of her head in a messy knot, and she didn’t have so much as a speck of makeup on her face.She was young.Really damn young, even though I’d been assured she was twenty-one.That made her forty years younger than me.I was old enough to be her fucking grandfather.It was complete insanity to have agreed to this nonsense.
“Go on inside, girl.One of the club girls picked up some bedding she thought would be appropriate.Just look for the purple room and that one’s yours.”
She gave a slight nod and hurried inside.
When Marcus came back outside, I held up a hand to stop him.He watched me, but his gaze flicked to the SUV a few times.I knew he was curious about the girls and wondered why they were here.While every patched member of the club knew the score, the Prospects only knew the girls would be staying here for a bit.
“They say anything on the way here?”I asked.
