Opal (Rugged Skulls MC Book 2) Read online

  “Prez, this is my VP, Point, and this is Creep,” Smash greets Magnum.

  “Smash, boys, let’s get down to it, shall we?” Magnum says, looking at me. I nod.

  “Okay, I want to know why the fuck your boy here decided to jump mine for no reason,” Smash asks, spitting on the ground.

  “Like I told you on the phone, your boy here,” Magnum points to Creep, “came at my VP’s woman, slapped her and threatened her.”

  “She isn’t your woman. She’s mine. You fucking stole her like she stole my fucking kid,” Creep spits out, taking a step forward, but Point stops him with a hand on his chest.

  I smirk at him and decide to rile him up more. I lick my lips and step closer to him. “Can you smell her? She came all over me this morning, squirting her pussy juice all over my body as she rode me.” I moan at memories of her, and he bellows before lunging at me.

  “Motherfucker!”

  He lands one punch, but I don’t let him get any more. He falls to the floor, and I stand over him. I see a flash of silver in the sunlight as he brings a gun out from the back of his jeans.

  “You can keep the cunt; I just want the boy. She stole my son from me. I never knew about him until she asked for a divorce,” he spits, still keeping the gun aimed at me, but I don’t flinch.

  My Army training kicks in and I stand stock still, waiting for my moment to take the gun off him. His eyes flicker, looking behind me, and I see my chance. I reach out, gripping the gun and twisting it in his hand, and he lets the gun go with a grunt.

  “This is why I don’t want Tucker around you or the fucking club. The clubs are just a bunch of fucking criminals and murderers. You all make me sick,” Jodie spits out as she runs across the yard to us.

  Her words hit me square in the chest.

  Does she think all MC’s are like that? Mine included? Fuck.

  “I want my son, bitch,” Creep yells again, and Point grips him at the back of his cut, pulling him back.

  “He is going nowhere near your club. He is staying with me. I don’t want him around that club stuff.”

  “Does that include mine?” I snap, gaining her attention.

  She swings around and looks at me. Her eyes are wild, her cheeks flushed with anger, and usually that would turn me on, but I’m angry at her. Clearly, she doesn’t want Tucker to be around the Snake Heads MC, or the Rugged Skulls.

  “That not what I said, and you know it,” she says, pointing at me.

  “Are you sure? Because I thought you said that you didn’t want Tucker around all clubs. I’m not sure you noticed, Jodie,” she flinches when I use her name and not ‘baby’, “but I am in a fucking club, a fucking MC. So, I was good enough to get you and your son away from this prick, and I was enough for fucking a few times, but that’s it. Is that right?” I grind out, fighting to keep my cool.

  We’re locked in a heated stare and she looks angrier than I have ever seen her. I hear someone snigger, but I can’t force my eyes away from Jodie as she steps forward. We’re both breathing heavily, but all sounds around us fade away as we both solely concentrate on each other.

  “I know that you’re in a fucking club, Stefan. That club, your club, saved us, and I will always be grateful, to you and them both,” she tells me, but all I hear is disdain toward my MC. I’m usually the rational one, but she does something to me that throws all rational thoughts out the window.

  “So you say, but all I hear is your disdain for clubs like mine,” I say calmly back at her. It’s always the calm that is more deadly with me.

  I see Magnum step toward us, but I shake my head at him, and his steps stop.

  Jodie looks at the Snake Heads men and sees Creep smirking at the scene. She looks at my boys then brings her gaze to settle on me.

  I can see the hurt in her eyes at what I just said to her, but I can’t find it in me to take the words back right now.

  “My anger is toward his club and clubs like theirs, but if you want to take it that I hate all MC’s, then fine. You go ahead and think the worst of me. I don’t beg for any man,” she grinds out, before pushing past me, making sure to make contact with my shoulder, heading back into the clubhouse.

  “Why did you hide Tucker from him?” I call out after her. I look over my shoulder at her and see the hurt and tears in her eyes. It guts me.

  “You claim that you know me, but it’s clear that you don’t. He knew about Tucker from the time I found out I was pregnant. He decided that a baby would cramp his style, so he visited when he wanted. It was one of the reasons we drifted apart. The new girl was the final nail in the coffin,” is her reply. She bites her lip then speaks again.

  “Oh, and, Stefan, we’ll be out of your hair by the end of the day.” she adds. I know that I can sound downright evil when I lower my calm tone, but her calm tone fucking kills me.

  Before she reaches the door, Creep shouts out, adding his part.

  “Let me know when you’re away from this pussy club, baby. I’ll come around and get my boy. You can bank on that.” He sniggers.

  “Shut your fucking gums,” Rookie speaks and goes to step forward. Creep laughs and Smash starts.

  “That’s enough, Creep. Get the fuck out of here. You are to stay away from the girl, and we’ll sort something for the kid. You hurt them, and you can bet on that pretty bike of yours, I will have your patch. We do not hurt women and kids. You get me, fucker?” Smash spits at him. Creep looks downright pissed and gives a head jerk before climbing on his bike and peeling out of the compound.

  “No issues from us, Magnum. We may be into some bad shit, but women and kids are off limits. He’s had his warning. Whether or not he listens is another thing. He’s a livewire that one. I only took him on as a family favor, and he’s caused me nothing but shit since he joined. It’s fucking crazy that he kept the club hidden from her for so long.”

  With that, Smash and his VP, Point, leave the way they came. I stand there watching as they drive through the gates. No one says anything but I look at my brothers. Slide and Edge shake their heads at me and walk inside.

  “Dick,” Slade says, not bothering to hide his feelings toward me.

  I know how he feels about women being mistreated because his old lady, Ida, was in a shitty place before she met Jase and then Slade.

  “I’ll tell her she can’t leave; we can’t risk the cunt getting his hands on her or Tuck,” Magnum states, and I nod.

  “You fucked up, brother. She never once lumped us with them,” Sarge adds. “She’s a cool chick from what I’ve seen, but damn, man, you just gutted her, and in front of her ex as well. Damn.” With that, Sarge walks away, leaving me and Magnum.

  My chest tightens and I reach up to run my palm over my sternum, waiting for Magnum to berate me as well. This is what we do. I tell him how it is, and he does it back.

  “Go on, say it,” I tell him, then clear my throat. The emotion of how much I fucked up is working its way through my system.

  “I think you know how much you messed up, brother. If you want to make this right, then I think you need to beg and grovel on your knees. If not, then I suggest that we move her to a safe house until this is over. I’ll have Edge or Rook watch over her and the boy.”

  Nodding at his suggestions, I walk over to my bike and start her up. I place my helmet on and look back at Prez as I slide my sunglasses on.

  “I’ll clear my head and be back soon. Don’t let her leave.”

  With a nod, I peel out of there and hit the road with no location in mind.

  Seventeen

  Jodie

  Slamming the dishwasher door closed, I lean my hands on the countertop and breathe in and out slowly. My anger is growing with each moment that Opal doesn’t come in here to talk to me. Shaking my head at the situation, I’m happy that Sweets took Tucker with her boys so they can play down by the stream at the back of the property.

  Walking over to the industrial ice box, I pull it open and decide to make some lunch for everyone. I see
some chicken and vegetables, and I’m sure I saw noodles in the pantry. Chicken stir-fry it is.

  I open a bottle of Corona while I start to cook. It isn’t long before Sarge steps into the kitchen. I look at him over my shoulder, hoping to see Opal step in behind him, maybe using Sarge as his shield, but my shoulders sag in defeat when I see he’s alone.

  “He’s gone,” is all he says, but I know who he means.

  Opal left.

  Nodding, I get back to cooking. Sarge doesn’t say anything but he gets me a fresh beer and himself one whenever I finish mine. We sit in complete silence as I cook for the club.

  It really hurt that Opal thought I meant I didn’t want the Rugged Skulls anywhere near Tuck and me. It hurt that he thought so little of me. This is what I knew would happen if I got involved with a man like Stefan; not the biker side of him, but the part where he’s way too good-looking to be with someone like me. A single mom with a ton of baggage.

  I mean, he’s sexy as hell, commanding and confident. I know that I’m confident, but he just oozes sex appeal and I can’t keep up with that, or the women he’s been with.

  Speaking of which.

  Dezi walks into the kitchen with a smirk on her face and Sarge mutters under his breath. I turn back to the wok and keep stirring, making sure the food doesn’t burn.

  “So, where did Opal go?” she asks Sarge.

  “He went for a ride. He’ll be back soon,” he answers, also letting me know. I sigh quietly, thinking he might have gone after Roy, but it’s more likely to do with getting away from me.

  “I guess he couldn’t stand to be around you after the hate you spilled to him about the club, huh? Personally, I would have left if I were you,” Dezi spits out at me in a bitchy tone.

  “Well, thank fuck that you aren’t me,” I bitch back. I will not let this girl walk all over me. Just because she’s been with Opal before and quite possibly still wants him, that doesn’t give her the right to tear me down.

  Sisterhood and all that.

  I never understood why people feel the need to bring someone down for their own gain. So what if they look better in a pair of jeans than you, or the actor got more likes than you on Instagram.

  Stand together and support, for crying out loud.

  #UnitedAsOne

  “You need to know your place. You’re only here because Opal wanted to save your sorry ass, and that boy of yours. He took pity on you because of your son. Clearly you couldn’t protect him on your own.”

  “Dezi, that is enough!” Sarge bellows, making the both of us flinch. She regains her composure and looks at me, folding her arms, waiting for me to defend myself.

  “You know nothing about me, Dezi, and thank God for that. You clearly aren’t a person I would want to be around or have my son around. You see, I only surround my son with positive people that will have a great influence on him.”

  Taking a deep breath and facing her head on, I continue.

  “As for me and Opal, that’s none of your business. Clearly you have been with him before I came along and you still want him, but he doesn’t want you that way, so you decided that I was the enemy. You want Opal, go for it. I’m not standing in your way.”

  “Fuck,” I hear Sarge mutter as I walk out of the kitchen, not bothering to finish the cooking.

  Walking out through the back door, I sit next to Sweets and watch the boys play around in the stream, their laughter echoing off the large trees that give coverage at the back of the club land.

  “Mom, where’s Opal?” Tucker yells across to me. I smile at him.

  “He had to go for a ride. He’ll be back later, okay?” He nods and starts running after Linus again.

  Thinking of Opal, my heart cracks. My heart and head still whisper those three little words: that’s the one. But his actions today make that quote seem too far-fetched now.

  Sighing, I lean back on my elbows, letting the sun warm my face, helping the tension leave my body.

  “You okay, doll?” Sweets asks. Smiling, I nod.

  “Yeah. As much as I can be.” I shrug. “I imagine you heard about what went down.” Nodding, she gives me a sad smile.

  “Yeah, Lash let me know. That’s why I kept the boys out here a little longer; to give you time to get straight,” she explains, and I’m grateful to her for that.

  “Thank you. Oh shit, the food.” I go to climb to my feet but her hand on my arm stops me.

  “I’ll send a text to Dezi to sort it.” I cringe at hearing her name.

  “I’d rather go and finish it myself. I can imagine her ruining it and blaming me. I am not her favorite person right now,” I tell her, and she smiles then looks down at her phone, typing out a text.

  “There. I told Risky to go and sort it.”

  “Thanks.”

  We sit watching the boys play and enjoy the sunshine. This weekend has been full of ups and downs, and I’m just happy that not much of it touched Tucker. He will need to go to back to school tomorrow. I’m just not sure if he’ll have a shadow like Opal said.

  Protecting Tucker is my number one priority. Nothing and no one will come before him.

  Spending this short amount of time with Opal has made me see that I would like to share that protection. I had hoped he felt the same way. Listening to him say what he did when Roy’s club was here was like a sucker punch to the stomach.

  It made me realize that we don’t know each other that well at all. He has no idea what I’m about, nor me him. For him to think the worst of me when I was saying all that stuff about the Snake Heads MC, and for Opal to flip it around onto his club, made me beyond hurt and angry.

  Then I have to think about Roy’s threat of coming at me and taking Tucker. I never wish harm on anyone, but I will kill him if he comes at me with the same thought in mind. When I was in the Army, I was lucky enough to never have to take a life, but I’ll have no reservations if he comes for Tucker.

  “Mom,” Tucker screams, his laughter echoing off the trees. I laugh when I see him dripping wet and running toward us.

  “Stay right there,” Sweets calls out to the three boys and the only girl in the group. Linus, Lewis and Lindy, plus Tucker, are all soaked through from playing in the water.

  All four of them come running our way and jump on us. Well, luckily for me, only Tucker jumps on me. Poor Sweets and her petite frame gets tackled by her three. I know that Linus is eleven, Lewis is nine, and Lindy is six.

  “Oh Jesus. You all need a shower before you eat. Come on, let’s get you all washed up and ready. Do you want me to take Tucker so you can check on lunch?” Sweets asks me.

  “Do you mind?”

  “Not at all. We can stop by Opal’s room and get him some clean clothes.”

  “Thank you. You’re a star.” We all walk back into the clubhouse and I head to the kitchen while Sweets takes the kids to get washed up.

  Risky is in the kitchen, stirring sauce in a large pan. She smiles at me when I enter. I take a deep breath, both from relief that Dezi isn’t here and the aroma. The room smells ah-maz-ing. I heard she could cook but damn.

  “What smells so good?” I ask and walk over to her at the stove, smiling at Magnum, Slide and Rookie, who are seated at the corner booth.

  “I’m making a quick BBQ sauce to go with the pulled pork I had cooking in the oven. I also have some homemade bread rolls that are about ready to come out of the oven any second, so could you grab them for me please?” I nod and go and check the timer.

  As I close the distance, the timer goes off and I pull them out. The smell of freshly cooked bread fills the room and I swear I hear the men groan in delight. I snicker to myself and place the tray on the table, before carefully stacking them onto a serving tray.

  “Your stir-fry is off the charts, babe. I swear if old Opal doesn’t step up, I will,” Slide says cheekily, and I smile at him.

  “Back off, Slide,” Magnum says, but that makes Slide smile wider. I can see this boy likes a challenge.

  �
��Come on, Prez. You just tasted her food; you know he will be a fool—and I will be there to catch her,” he adds.

  “Slide, honey, you wouldn’t be able to handle a woman like me. Stick to girls your own age,” I tell him, keeping the smile on my face.

  Rookie barks out a laugh and Magnum and Risky join in.

  “I know I look young, baby, but how old do you think I am?” Slide asks, keeping his cheeky smile on his face.

  I turn around and lean against the counter, folding my arms and looking him over. He is very good looking in that classic Hollywood way. His hair is on the darker side of blond, with a styled brushed back effect. His blue eyes are stark considering their pale color. He has that few-days-old stubble going on, but I think he keeps it that length because it adds a rugged feel to him.

  “I will go with twenty-four-ish,” I guess. His smile goes from a cheeky grin to a megawatt, panty-dropping smile. Magnum chuckles and Rookie shakes his head, but he’s smiling.

  “Darlin’, you just made his ego grow way fucking bigger than it should be. The fecker is thirty-years-old,” Rookie tells me, and everyone laughs but Slide. He’s too busy grinning at me.

  “You just earned some brownie points with me, babe. You come and see old Slide when that man of yours doesn’t step up,” Slide jokes, but everyone else in the room doesn’t find it funny.

  “He isn’t my man now, Slide,” I say, taking a pull from my beer, keeping my eyes locked on his. He frowns at me but gives a very small nod.

  “Jodie, wait until he gets back,” Magnum says, but I shake my head at him.

  “I don’t think so, Magnum. I’m sorry, I know he’s your brother, but I think it’s best to end it now. Clearly, he doesn’t think very much of me. His words said it all,” I explain.

  You can hear a pin drop in the room, until Slade, Ida and Jase walk in, but they too can feel the sudden tension. Ida goes over and sits with Risky, who is now also in the booth, while Slade and Jase lean against the counter across from me.

  No one says anything for a long time, and I start to feel uncomfortable; not unwelcome as such, just uncomfortable.