Page 76 of The MC's Surprise
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really? Mom allowed that?”
His grin turned sheepish. “Well… It may have been when she was out of town visiting her folks. You got an ear infection, couldn’t get on a plane and go with her. You stayed with me instead. I took you to a rally about an hour from here, let you look at all the bikes. You were the star of the show. Makes me happy to see the tradition will continue.”
I leaned into his side with a big smile on my face, grateful that my hormones weren’t so overwhelming anymore. If he’d told me that a few weeks ago, I would’ve burst into tears instantly. I was still choked up, though, and I did my best to swallow down the lump in my throat.
“Don’t tell your mother that story,” he murmured, eyes locked over my shoulder as she came out of the house and waved at us. “Just because its been over twenty years don’t mean she won’t tan my hide.”
I snickered, pulling away from him. “Your secret is safe with me. Now stop fiddling and get moving. The crew is already gathering at the clubhouse.”
And if it made me feel a little better having my dad watch out for Justin, then no one else needed to know.
44
Vegas
Riding in as a group always made me happy. Rooster was next to me, on his best behavior after he got a stern talking to from both Prez and Butch. We wanted this rally to go well. We were just starting to change the opinions of the town. This was a way to bring them more into our world. We couldn’t have people throwing pranks and causing trouble.
Yes, I’d gotten the same lecture, but they both went easier on me. They knew I wouldn’t be doing anything stupid. I’d be with Sierra and Melanie for most of it. My baby girl was going to her first rally and I wasn’t going to miss that for the world.
I should’ve known this thing would be a success. Even working from home and taking care of the baby, with Sierra leading the charge, it was almost guaranteed. The streets were crowded with crews I knew would only help our image, people in the community we’d met along the way, and more who finally felt comfortable enough to get to know us. The restaurants along main street had their doors open, specials written on fold outs by the doors, and any biker wearing the Dirty Devil’s cut got a discount for setting this thing up. We were drumming upbusiness by driving people in, especially the out of towners, and they showed their appreciation without a hint of animosity. It used to be that wearing our cut meant we were automatically untrustworthy and sometimes even refused service. Thanks to Sierra, things had changed.
When I mentioned the rally to Charlotte, she was more than a little annoyed. She was getting tired of covering for me, and I was tired of arguing with her about it. I told her I had to be there and she could call in Jordan, our night manager, to replace her for the day, but I wasn’t going to fight with her about it. I had an obligation to my crew, and this rally was important to all of us.
We all pulled up in our designated spot, with a big banner marking who we were and that we were the ones throwing this thing. We’d be busier this rally, it wasn’t mostly for fun like last time. Prez had another interview with Kennedy Storm, a couple guys were going to be at a booth to answer questions about us and what we stood for. The rest of us would be spread out, making sure things went well and talking to damn near everyone to make sure they all felt comfortable with us. I was sure there would be some nay sayers in the group, but most of the people coming were curious about us and the event. Hopefully by the end of it, we could show them that we weren’t as bad as they thought we were.
My eyes scanned the crowd, and it didn’t take long to find Sierra. She was gorgeous in that baby pink dress that made her look too sweet and innocent. It made me want to muss her up a little, and if the look she gave me was any indication, she wouldn’t mind that one bit. We hadn’t been intimate since she gave birth, and while I was on board with that because in no way did I want to hurt her, I could admit I was eager for it. Whenever she was ready, I was on board. There wasn’t a single thing that could change my mind.
“Justin!”
Frowning, I looked over my shoulder. Of all the places I’d expected Charlotte to show up, it wasn’t here. She was supposed to be at the casino. Besides, any time I’d asked her to go for a ride with me or come to a club party, she had turned me down flat. So why the hell was she here now?
“Charlotte? What’s up?”
She stomped over, looking ready for a fight. I just couldn’t figure out why. I got that she was pissed at me for taking so much time off, but Sierra needed my help. Besides, I had both Prez and Wraith stop in a couple times to make sure things were running as they should. I didn’t need to be there every day for the casino to function smoothly.
I was waiting for her to slow down, but she grabbed a handful of my t-shirt and yanked me down, slamming her lips against mine. It was a shock and I froze for just a second before my brain kicked back online. I wasn’t willing to hurt a woman, but I pushed her away with enough force to get her to back off, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
“What the hell, Charlotte?”
“I’m tired of this, Justin!” she snapped. “She can’t just come in here and steal you from me!”
Jerking my head back, I stared at her incredulously. “Steal me? Sierra didn’t steal shit. We weren’t together.”
She scoffed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. It was then that I noticed she was dressed to impress. I’d seen her in that outfit before. She wore in on dates to get what she wanted. I’d always wanted her to wear that dress for me one day. I just never imagined that day would be after I’d already moved on.
She pouted, just like she always did when she wanted something from me. I wasn’t falling for it this time. “We basically were. It was only a matter of time.”
That was fucking news to me. I felt my jaw drop. “Since when?”
She threw her hands into the air, obviously exasperated with me. But I did’t know where the hell this was coming from. I’d pined over Charlotte for over two damn years. I made a fool of myself asking her out more than once, and every time she shot me down. She might’ve flirted with me a little, but it never went farther than that. She’d made herself clear and I wasn’t the kind of jackass to ignore a woman’s boundaries.
“What does that matter?” she shot back. “We were supposed to be together, Justin! And now suddenly this bitch shows up pregnant and suddenly you won’t even talk to me like you used to! She probably got pregnant on purpose! She’s a gold digger and you’re so blinded you can’t see the truth!”
My eyes narrowed. “Talk about my old lady like that again, Charlotte, and we’re gonna have issues. Sierra isn’t like that. Our kid was a surprise to the both of us. And you and me weren’t together. Never have been. You made that crystal fucking clear.”
The more I thought about it, the more pissed off I got. I was finally happy. After two years of pining and loneliness, feasting off the scraps of attention Charlotte would give me, I was finally with someone who made me happy. Sierra was clear from the start. She never once had me second guessing how she felt. I didn’t have to fucking chase her. Even when things were tough and she was struggling, she was always upfront with me. She told me every damn day how happy she was to be with me. And now that I found her, now that I was finally happy, this was when Charlotte decides to give me a shot? What the fuck was that?
“Bro, who even is this chick?” Rooster asked from where he was standing nearby.
