The Biker's Fate Chapter 13

Danielle

"How can you say that?" I asked. "It’s been less than a week."

Austin smiled. "You’re what I want, Dani."

"Well that explains everything."

"You want out at any point in the night, you tell . I’ll take you wherever you want to go."

I fisted my hands in his shirt. "I want you glued to all night."

Austin chuckled. "’Cause that’s gonna be so hard for ."

I couldn’t help but smile. "Okay."

"Okay?"

I nodded and he grinned before he kissed .

"But," I continued. "I want to stop off at Freddie’s and grab sothing to contribute."

"You don’t need to do that, babe," he countered.

"I was raised that when you are invited to soone’s party, ho, get together, whatever, you bring sothing." I patted his chest. "So, we’re going to bring sothing."

He shook his head. "Okay, baby, we’ll stop."

"Thank you. Now, seriously. What should I wear?"

"Whatever you want, Dani."

"Jeans it is... but not as tight as you might require."

He laughed and patted my bottom. "Five minutes, baby."

"What? No! I can’t dry my hair in five minutes."

"Then pull it back," he said.

"Hell, no," I snapped. "If I’m eting your family, then I’m eting them looking my best."

"Baby, you’re gorgeous, doesn’t matter what you wear."

"Flattery will get you nowhere today, now go and let do my thing."

"It gets nowhere every day," he grumbled, and walked out the door.

I blow dried my hair with a stupid grin on my face, and the grin stayed put as Austin ushered out the door forty minutes later and into his truck. I chose jeans, knee-high black leather boots, a black cardigan and red lace camisole. Casual, but still nice, and Austin’s response after seeing was to pull in for another of his mind-blowing kisses, so I felt confident with what I was wearing.

After a quick stop at the supermarket for wine, beer, and a few snack items, we headed into Portland. Austin drove to another sketchy area in North Portland and I was glad we were in his truck. "Where are we?"

"Cully."

"Are all the businesses in bad areas of town?"

"The ones we don’t want noticed are," he revealed, and reached over to link his fingers with mine. "I got you, baby."

"I know," I said quickly. "I’ve just never been here."

He chuckled. "That doesn’t surprise ."

Austin pulled into the large lot of Big Ernie’s Body Shop and parked. I couldn’t help but wonder who Big Ernie was, considering he had two businesses nad after him. Austin opened my door and helped out of the truck before grabbing the bag of groceries from the back. I looped my purse over my shoulder, took Austin’s free hand, and followed him through an unmarked door to the left of what looked like the actual shop.

A dimly lit hallway led to another unmarked door and Austin raised his face to the cara mounted on the ceiling and the door was pulled open. A small foyer with a few easy chairs and a desk with television sat in the space. A couple of bikers sat in the chairs, but they paused their conversation to eye and Austin.

Austin released long enough to greet the "brother" who’d granted entry. A man by the na of Cookie.

"Cookie, Dani," Austin said. "Dani, Cookie."

Cookie was older, probably in his fifties, tall with tattoos that covered his arms and went up his neck. He had patches on his cut as well, one of them read, "Vice President," so I assud he was soone important. His dark hair was peppered with gray and he had a big bushy beard that worked very well for him.

I smiled and reached my hand out. "Nice to et you."

He gave a sexy grin and stared at my hand long enough for to lower it and feel like an idiot. I moved closer to Austin, who wrapped an arm around .

"You too, babe," he said, and turned toward the big room behind him. "Mags!"

"What?" A blonde woman with big hair and tiny clothes revealed herself from another doorway and walked over to him. Cookie pulled her into a passionate and borderline inappropriate grope session before grinning and facing us again.

"My old lady," Cookie said. "Mags, et Booker’s new woman. Dani."

Mags glanced at Austin and then . "It’s nice to et you, honey," she said, her gravelly voice indication she probably smoked.

"We brought a few things," I said. "Where would you like them?"

She smiled. "What kinds of things?"

"Just so beer and wine, a few snack things and dessert."

"That was really nice of you." Mags raised an eyebrow at Cookie. "Wasn’t that nice of Dani?"

"Yeah," Cookie said, slowly. "Real nice."

"Why don’t you co with , Dani?" Mags said, and took a second to kiss Austin on the cheek. "I’ll show you where everything goes."

"Um... I..."

Austin handed Mags the grocery bag and beer, and leaned down to kiss . "I’ll find you in a minute."

I gave him a look I both hoped no one else saw, and that he took to heart. We’d been inside for barely a second and he was already ungluing himself from my side.

He chuckled and slid his hand to my neck. "One minute, baby."

I said nothing, considering it was either that or make a scene, and followed Mags through the door she’d entered from and into a large common room milling with people. The space was filled with sofas, overstuffed chairs, a pool table, large flat-screen television, several smaller tables that kids gathered around for board gas, and three outdoor picnic tables.

Rough and ready looking n and won, all of whom you’d expect to see at a biker bar, laughed and drank, chased after kids, made out in the corner, or shot pool... all while smoking. The n wore jeans, boots, and cuts and the won wore a variety of biker chic attire, all of which were absolutely nothing like or the people I hung out with. I felt like I’d been transported onto so form of a movie set full of extras.

I also couldn’t have felt more out of place had I been abducted by aliens. Although, I did have a weird and ungracious thought that an alien spacecraft was probably cleaner and slled better.

"Comin’?" Mags asked, already a few feet in front of .

"Oh, yes. Sorry," I said, and rushed to catch up to her.

She led into a comrcial grade kitchen where another group of won were chugging beer and pulling out hamburger and hotdog buns, condints, and bags of chips.

"Everyone, this is Dani," Mags said. "Booker’s woman."

The group stopped what they were doing. And I an, stopped. All of a sudden, I had ten sets of eyes on , most curious, but one pissed. She was tall, probably five-foot-eight, dark hair with a purple strip dyed down the side and just like the rest of the ladies in the room, her hair was big. She wore a black pair of leather pants, a strapless bustier, and four-inch hooker boots. She looked like a porn star complete with fake eyelashes and even faker boobs.

I smiled, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace. "Hi."

"It’s nice to et you. I’m Susie." A woman close to my height separated herself from the group and made her way to . She was blonde like , only not as natural as she might have been in her pri. She wore jeans, a low-cut T-shirt, and a vest that had "Property of Crow" on a patch. "I’m Crow’s old lady."

"And my sister," Mags said.

I deduced Susie was the matriarch, because the rest of the ladies rallied around to introduce themselves to , but not until Susie had led the way. Even the angry one pasted on a fake smile and introduced herself. Her na was Tiffany, but she told to call her "Tiff." I tried not to throw up in my mouth.

"Dani brought a few things," Mags said, and lifted the bag onto the stainless-steel island.

"What can I do to help?" I asked, wondering where the hell Austin was.

Tiffany grinned at sothing or soone over my head and made a girlie saunter toward the door. I watched as she pulled Mack into an intimate embrace, her back to , whispering sothing in his ear that had him rolling his eyes. He adjusted his expression before he smiled at her and then set her away and headed straight for .

"Hey, Dani," he said sweetly, and kissed my cheek before looping a brotherly arm around my neck.

"Hi, Mack." I didn’t miss the scowl and little stomp of Tiffany’s foot as she twirled and walked away.

"Did you et everyone?" he asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Mind if I steal her?" Mack asked the other ladies.

"You kids have fun," Susie said. "Thanks for the stuff, Dani. Nice to et you."

"You too." I let Mack lead out of the kitchen and back into the great room. "Where’s Austin?"

"He got caught up with sothing."

"How long will he be?" I asked.

"No idea, babe. Sorry."

I swallowed, my stomach churning with nerves. "Maybe I should go."

"I got ya, Dani. Co and et a few of the brothers."