Slide: Rugged Skulls MC Page 3

  “Oh, but they are sooooo pretty. How can I just pick one?” She looks so cute thinking hard. Her face is scrunched up and she has her arms folded, one finger tapping her mouth.

  I love when she does this. She makes me giggle every time. She looks like my brother, Leaf, when she does it. It’s because of him she does it. They were playing on the beach one day, and he wanted ice cream, so they went to the ice cream parlor. He tapped his chin, making an overexaggerated thinking expression, and Posey found it hilarious, so she does it every chance she gets.

  “Okay, I want that one, please.” She points to the tutu, not that there was any question as to which one she would pick. Another thing Posey loves is tutus.

  “Excellent choice, my child. Let’s go, my Posey pie.”

  I hold my hand out for her and we head over to the cashier to pay for our items, which include the tutu, a panda tiara for her, and a pack of lip gloss that she just ‘had to have’, as she said in her overdramatic words.

  We pay and leave the store, then walk over to the food court because I know Posey will need something to eat before we go home and she goes down for her nap. We settle with our food: a vegan burger for me and chicken noodles and vegetables for Posey.

  “Yummy, Mommy,” she says, as she slurps up a noodle into her mouth. The juice splats all over her cheeks, and I giggle.

  “Messy pup,” I tell her, and she grins.

  Thank God I tucked a napkin into the top of her dress, otherwise it would be crazy hard to get the stains out of the pale blue floral dress.

  We chat and eat, talking about what she made in daycare yesterday.

  “Hey, girl,” comes Jodie’s voice, as she and Risky approach our table.

  “Auntie Jodie!” Posey screeches.

  “Oh, look at you. I can see you’re enjoying that,” Jodie says, nodding down to the food in front of my daughter.

  “Oh yes. It’s yummy in my tummy.” Posey giggles, making the girls laugh.

  “Do you want to join us?” I ask them both, and they smile and nod. Jodie sits next to Posey and Risky sits next to me. I look over to Posey, who’s watching Risky, and I know what’s coming next.

  “Who are you?” Posey asks not so subtly, letting the girls know that she’s a nosy parker. Risky smiles at her and leans forward.

  “I’m Kara, but my friends call me Risky. Who are you?” Risky replies gently.

  “I’m Posey May Jackman. Can I call you Risky?” Posey asks, before stuffing a piece of chicken into her mouth. We gave Posey Chris’s surname when she was born. His parents weren’t happy with it because we weren’t married, but she’s his daughter and should carry his name.

  “Of course you can, chicken,” Risky tells her, offering a huge smile. Posey mirrors it, but then crinkles her button nose.

  “I’m not a chicken; I’m a little girl.”

  “Are you sure?” Posey nods, and Risky pretends to think. “So, you’re not a monkey?”

  Posey giggles, covering her mouth. Her eyes crinkle up in a cute way as they both laugh.

  “Oh, I see how it is; you’re a panda. Got it. So, Panda Posey, how do you like your new home?” Risky asks her.

  I look over to Jodie, who smiles at me before going back to watching Posey and Risky chatting away like they’re best friends and have known each other for years.

  “I loves it. I see Grampa Kenny whenever I want, and he gives me yummies.” She whispers the last part, and I chuckle, then finish off my food.

  “Oh, I bet they’re the best. My man likes yummies too, and I like to bake them. Maybe you can come to the club and taste them sometime. You’ll like it there, and Tucker will be there too, as well as the other kids if they’re not in school. That is, if your mom says it’s okay to visit.”

  Posey’s head snaps in my direction, and she gives me the puppy-dog eyes that always precede her begging. I lean my elbow on the table and rest my chin in my palm, looking at my daughter, who moves to mirror my actions. I can hear the other two women chuckle, but I keep my eyes on the little, devious cutie pie in front of me.

  “I do love yummies, and Mommy and I love Tucker. I love friends. Risky said I could see her boyfriend. I wanna meet him, Mommy. Pretty please.” And there she goes with the batting of her eyelashes.

  I hear Risky snort a laugh next to me, and I let the smile slip free. The grin that covers Posey’s face is one filled with sunshine and rainbows.

  “YES!” she yells before I can shush her.

  “Okay, inside voice, please. We will plan something, okay,” I tell her, and she nods.

  “How’s being married?” I ask Jodie as I start to clean up Posey.

  “It’s amazing. Better than the first time. I mean, I don’t regret all my time with Roy because he gave me Tucker, and I will never regret having my baby in my life. I’m happy he found a man that he loves and looks up to as a father figure. Opal is amazing with him.”

  “I’m glad. Married life suits you, from what I’ve seen so far, and the wedding was beautiful,” I say, taking a sip of my water. I see Jodie’s gaze swing to Risky before coming back to me, like they’re having a silent conversation.

  “The men did an excellent job decorating the area. I know Magnum and Opal made the prospects do most of the work, but I’m grateful to them too.” I notice the slight nod she makes to her left and look over to see a young man, maybe in his early twenties, leaning against a wall. He sees me looking and gives me a grin and a chin lift. I give him a little wave and look back at the girls.

  “That’s Abe. He’s loyal to the club. I can see him getting patched in when his time comes,” Risky explains.

  I’m not naive when it comes to bikers. I have watched the TV shows, but there was also a club in Tampa that would drive through our town a few times a year. They were always good people, from what I could see, never caused any issues with the people who lived there. They would camp out on the beach and have a day of fun. Not once did I ever see them being nasty to anyone.

  Yeah, they were loud and rambunctious, but they were bikers. I remember when one asked me to go for a ride. I can’t remember his name, but I had to decline because I was working. Damn, I would have loved to ride on the back of his bike.

  “What’s got you thinking so hard over there?” Jodie asks. I smile and tell her the story about the biker, and they laugh.

  “Well, I know a certain biker that would love to put you on the back of his bike,” Risky says, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

  I can feel my face heat, and their smiles grow wider. They know Slide showed interest on the night of the wedding. I wish he had made a move, but he just sat and talked with the club members.

  “Maybe. He had plenty of chances at the wedding,” I state.

  “He would never put you on his bike after he’d been drinking the amount he had. Your safety, his, and others around him are priority. As it is with the whole club. Yeah, they may have one or two beers then go for a ride, but never more than that,” Risky tells me, and I nod.

  “How does it feel—being on the back of a bike?” I ask the girls.

  Jodie speaks first. “It’s amazing. The wind on your face, blowing through your hair. It’s like being free.”

  “I agree, it’s freeing. When you do go for a ride, hold your arms out and just let the feel of the wind and the strong vibrations between your legs get you there,” Risky adds, wiggling her eyebrows.

  I cock an eyebrow at her and look at Jodie in question, and she nods.

  “Wow. Maybe I should try it out. I just need to find me a biker to take me.”

  “Oh, baby, that can be arranged,” Abe speaks up from his position by the wall. I grin at him and he winks back, but when his gaze shifts to Risky, the smile drops from his face.

  “Did you not hear Slide at the wedding?” she asks him. He nods and actually looks disappointed about something.

  She looks back at me with a smile, then to Jodie, who gives her a nod. I wonder what that was about. I go to ask, but Risky interr
upts.

  “So, what made you and miss Posey panda move here?”

  “My old roommate screwed me over. Every month, I transferred money to her for rent and bills, and she paid them. She was my old college roommate and she loved Posey, always spoiling her. But then she got together with a man who wasn’t so nice.”

  “He’s a dipshit,” Posey adds, before slurping on her juice box like she didn’t just say something that a five-year-old shouldn’t be saying.

  I look at Posey and smile because it’s her usual response when we talk about Gretchen and Wyland. She’s heard my parents and Leaf say some things about him, but it was ‘dipshit’, which came from Kenny, that stuck with her. I know I should correct her, but she’s five; she needs to learn some life lessons.

  This is where my gypsy or hippy vibes come into play. I am a very laid-back mom. I let Posey experience life, so long as she isn’t in any danger or harming anyone around her. She tries all kinds of foods and activities; I don’t hold her back, and Chris feels the same way. We believe that a child learns through play and experience.

  “I think you and I are going to be besties, Posey Panda,” Risky tells my girl, holding her hand up for a high five.

  Posey giggles and slaps her hand against Risky’s.

  “Anyway, back to the roommate story before missy stole the show. We were evicted due to unpaid rent. The landlord let me have a few extra days to sort things out because she was a nice lady who had a soft spot for us, but she disliked Gretchen. So, we packed up with my brother’s help, I handed in my notice, and we moved here.”

  “What was your job?” Jodie asks.

  “I was a chef at the local daycare. I loved it. But working for Kenny is amazing. It’s similar pay, and I get more time with Posey. I couldn’t ask for more, really. The beach is right on my doorstep. We’re beach babes, aren’t we, Posey pie?”

  “Yup. I loves the waves; they splashed my face,” Posey tells the girls.

  “Oh, I love the beach too. Maybe we can spend the day together playing in the water and building sandcastles. What do you say?” Risky asks my daughter, and she smiles brightly at her. There is nothing, besides pandas, that Posey loves more than the beach.

  “I bet we can drag Tucker and Sweets’ children with us, or maybe make a club day of it,” Jodie suggests, and we all nod.

  “Sounds like a plan. What do you think, Posey Panda? Can I bring some big, beefy men to the beach to build us some giant sandcastles?” Risky asks.

  “YES!” Again, Posey shrieks with excitement.

  We sit and talk. Risky tells me about her animal rescue center that is opening soon, thanks to Opal finding her the best property. The club are still putting together all the final changes, ready for opening day.

  She looks so excited about starting this venture and is more than happy with all the donations that have been coming in. She invites Posey and me to the grand opening, and I can see how excited Posey is about that.

  I can see that meeting Jodie and Estelle that day at the Cove was a great thing for Posey and me. We’re making new friends, and I can see the bonds that will form in the future. I just hope that my heart doesn’t get broken along the way.

  Five

  Slide

  Sighing, I lie on the ground and let my body relax. We’ve been working in the garage for fucking hours and my back is killing me. A stubborn old Ford that belongs to a friend of Mrs. Gibbons almost got the best of us, but damn, we beat that bitch into submission.

  My shades are stopping the sun from blinding me when I hear someone clear their throat above me.

  “Brother,” I greet Magnum. He just looks down at me, wearing his own shades that cover his violet eyes, or demon eyes, as Risky calls them.

  “Enjoying the sun, Slide?” he asks, and I chuckle.

  “I am actually, thanks for asking, Prez.” I smile and link my hands together on my bare chest.

  My skin is heating up from the sun’s rays and it relaxes me, letting the stress of the garage fade away, but I have an inkling that Prez has other ideas. I lay and wait to see what he will say or do next, because one thing with Magnum is the bastard is unpredictable. That’s when Opal steps in and calms his ass down and makes him see reason—well, unless you touch our VP’s family, then all bets are off, fuckers.

  I feel the kick to my thigh and wince at the pain. Prick.

  “Ow! What the hell, Prez? Was that necessary?” I whine. Yeah, I know I sound like a petulant child, but I don’t fucking care.

  “Tell me, Slide. Why are you over here relaxing and enjoying yourself, when we have a garage full of fucking cars to be fixed and collected? The boys are still working,” Magnum bitches.

  Closing my eyes, I breathe in deep and let it slowly release. My shoulders deflate, and it feels fucking good.

  “I’m taking a break, man. My back feels like it will snap in half. I’ve been over and under that fucking Ford for most of the day. Hell, even Sarge couldn’t fix the thing, but I did. So now I’m taking Slide time,” I state.

  Soft fur rubs against my arm and I smile as Suki leaps onto my stomach. The cat knows and likes her luxuries. I stroke her and listen to her purr like crazy. Yeah, all kinds of pussies love me. I smile to myself.

  “Fucker, stop having pervy thoughts while stroking my cat,” Magnum whines, and I chuckle up at him, then slide my glasses up my head.

  I wink at him, and he shakes his head at me.

  “I can’t help it if all pussies love me. I am irresistible, after all.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him, and he chuckles as he reaches down for Suki before pulling her into his arms. She stretches up and rests her two front paws on his shoulder like a baby would.

  Damned cat is spoilt rotten.

  “Asshole,” Magnum mutters, just as my cell rings from my pocket. I fish it out and see a name I haven’t seen in a while.

  “Hey, man. Long time to talk,” I greet Quincey.

  “Fuck, man, it’s good to hear your voice. I know that we haven’t talked in a while, but I need a little help, brother.” He sounds worried, and that, in turn, worries me.

  Quince was in the Army with me and was a great friend. He’s still serving, though I didn’t relist. He’s a huge family man. With three beautiful babies of his own and a stunning wife, he’s punching above his weight category.

  “What do you need?” I stand and see that Magnum has stepped closer, wanting to see what’s happening. Not only that, he’s showing that he has my back—not that I would ever doubt my brothers.

  “I just came home and found out that my nephew thought it would be cool as shit to join a fucking gang, but said gang got him into some shit and they didn’t have his back, man. So, I forced him to quit the crew, but you know how that went down.”

  “Yeah, man, not too well, I would guess. What do you need from me?”

  “I heard there’s an old Army vet down there that runs a coffee shop but also takes in derailed teens and helps straighten them out. Well, Tommy needs community hours and I thought he could do it there, if you put a good word in,” he explains.

  “On it, brother. Bring him down. I’ll speak to Kenny today.” Luckily for Quincey and his family, they live just outside of Fort Lauderdale, down by Dania Beach.

  “Appreciate it, man. See you soon.”

  We hang up and I pull my t-shirt back over my head, then slide my cut on, before turning to look at Prez.

  “We have a live one coming in?”

  “Yeah. An old Army buddy needs help with his nephew. I’m going to see if Kenny can take him on,” I explain, and walk over to my bike.

  “The club is here if you need us, Slide,” Magnum assures me, and I give him a nod.

  “Thanks, Prez.”

  Pushing through the door of Coffee Cove, I’m instantly hit with the smell of coffee and sweet baked goods, and my cock twitches in my jeans. See, he’s so desperate for some pussy even sweet smells and coffee are getting a reaction out of the pervy bastard.

  I turn to look a
t the counter, and my heart skips a beat, like literally skips. Like some teenage girl seeing her crush smile at her for the first time.

  There she stands, smiling at me. Farrah, the sexy hippy bitch that can make my cock weep just by looking at me. She’s wearing a sage green lace crop top with thick straps that stops above her midriff, coupled with a multicolored, patterned maxi skirt, from what I can see.

  Her hair is half up and in a small bun-thing like Edge does with his hair. A long gold necklace with a feather pendant hangs between her tits. She has a fair few bracelets on her wrist that include some gold ones, some rope-looking ones, all of different colors and sizes, and some little charms hanging off them.

  “Hey,” she says. Her husky voice sends fucking chills down my spine, stopping at my balls, making them fill up with a desire to pump themselves empty into her.

  “Well hello, sexy.” I give her my best panty-melting smile and lean a hand on the counter that separates us. She looks slightly shocked that I’m standing in front of her, but she regains her composure and smiles back at me, and I swear to fucking hell and back that my body sighs in defeat.

  “Hey, Slide. What can I get you?” Her sweet husky voice filters through my ears, into my brain, and straight down to my cock, which decides now is the perfect time to stand to attention.

  I look up at the menu, giving it a quick glance over, before I return my gaze to hers.

  “Well, baby, I don’t see your name on the menu. But I bet there’s some off the menu special that you can offer me.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her, and she laughs, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the counter. I mirror her position, which brings our faces inches away from each other.

  “Maybe,” is all she says to me.

  “I bet you can offer far more than any menu around here.” I grin at her, and she laughs.

  “Does that always work with the women?” she asks.

  “Does what work?” I ask, playing dumb, but I know she sees right through me because she cocks an eyebrow. I chuckle.