Flicker Read online

  She glanced at me, then gave her dad a nod. “I am. I think he’s crazy, but I have to admit I feel the same way. Even if it’s completely irrational.”

  I glared at Sarge. “If you were so fucking worried about her, why did you leave her alone? Where were you?”

  “There was an… issue,” Sarge said.

  “The kind that will come back on the club?” I asked.

  “No. It was personal and has nothing to do with the Dixie Reapers.”

  “You need to tell Torch about Pepper and what’s going on. I’m sure he’ll call Church. For now, I’m going to bring Pepper’s things over here, including her bike, and then we’re going to get cleaned up and have a bite to eat. Better yet, don’t call him for another hour.”

  “You don’t have much in your kitchen,” Pepper said. “Neither do you, Dad.”

  Sarge snorted. “Fine. You two go shower, and I’m going to try really fucking hard not to think about you showering together, and I’ll bring Pepper’s bag over here. Then I’ll go grab some Chinese takeout for us.”

  “Um.” Pepper bit her lip. “I can’t eat Chinese food. I love Japanese, though.”

  “No Chinese?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “Something about the way it’s cooked makes me sick. I’ve tried every Chinese place in the Las Vegas area and with every last one I was sick for hours after eating. I usually order Japanese hibachi steak and shrimp with rice.”

  “Then that’s what I’ll get for you,” Sarge said, smiling a little. Then he glared at me. “And you’ll eat whatever the fuck I bring you.”

  I arched a brow, but now wasn’t the time to put him in his place. Sarge had a right to be angry. I’d claimed his daughter, taken her virginity, and I knew it would take him a while to be okay with that.

  “Be nice, Dad,” Pepper said. “It’s not his fault. You make it sound like I had no part in this.”

  “You didn’t,” he said. “You’re my baby, even if I didn’t know about you until yesterday. No way you’d have willingly let him defile you.”

  She snickered and I rolled my eyes.

  “What the fuck ever, Sarge. Get the hell out of here,” I said.

  He gave me a one-finger salute, then left, slamming the door behind him. Pepper sagged against me.

  “Well, that went well,” she muttered.

  “Could have been worse,” I said. “I can understand why he’s upset. There’s the age difference between us, and even if he didn’t know you were a virgin, I’m sure he was telling himself you were still pure as the driven snow.”

  “You don’t look that old,” she said.

  “I’m fifty-two,” I said.

  Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. “No way in hell! You don’t look older than your late thirties. Maybe early forties, but that’s pushing it.”

  “I’m thirty years older than you, sweetheart. That’s part of what has your dad so upset. I’m older than him. But I can promise you one thing. I will protect you, care for you, and give you every part of me that I’m able to give. You being here with me? It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever received,” I said.

  She blinked quickly and I realized she was close to crying.

  “No one’s ever said something so sweet to me before,” she said. “My own mother didn’t want me. I never thought anyone would.”

  “Come on, baby. Let’s get cleaned up and we’ll eat when your dad gets here with the food. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long-ass day.”

  I herded her back to the master bedroom. I shut the door, and locked it, before leading her into the bathroom. I’d always liked my creature comforts, and I’d put a lot of time into the planning and building of my house. Including the huge bathroom with the extralarge shower. There were three showerheads in the glassed-in enclosure, and while I’d never used the jetted tub, I had a feeling Pepper would like it. The water never took long to heat, and soon steam was billowing out of the shower.

  As much as I wanted to linger and take my time with Pepper, I knew that there would be other nights and mornings for us. Right now, we needed to make sure she stayed safe and out of the hands of whoever was after her. We washed quickly and I shut off the water, then handed her a towel. While she dried off, I went to the bedroom door and opened it a crack. Her bag was in the hall within arm’s reach, so I grabbed it and set it down on the bed. She didn’t seem to have much in there and I wondered if I should take her shopping today.

  She came out of the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel and the rest of her completely bare. I couldn’t help but stare as she came closer. She really was gorgeous, but it was more than just her looks. I’d loved the daring side I’d seen last night during her little striptease, I loved how she begged for more when I fucked her, and I’d really liked holding her in my arms. We honestly didn’t know a damn thing about each other, but a lifetime together would fix that. I just knew in my gut that she was meant to be mine.

  “You’re staring,” she said as she pulled out a thong and a bra from her bag.

  I peered inside at the contents and saw she only had about three days’ worth of clothes in there. I also noticed the red thong and black leather pants from yesterday were shoved inside as well.

  “Do you need to wash any of this stuff?” I asked, pointing at her bag.

  “You actually have a washer and dryer?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” I asked.

  “Well, you don’t have a dishwasher.”

  “Because I’ve only ever had to cook for one. I don’t exactly make a lot of dirty dishes. But I will be happy to install one for you. You’d just lose some cabinet space in the kitchen.”

  She paused in the middle of dressing and looked over at me. “I’ll lose cabinet space?”

  “I just meant since you’ll be living here too and you seemed to know your way around the kitchen…” I waved a hand. “I wasn’t trying to make a sexist comment.”

  “You really expect me to just move in, don’t you?” she asked. “I’d thought maybe after you’d slept on it you might change your mind.”

  “Did you not hear me tell your dad that you were mine?”

  “Well, yeah, but…” She shrugged a shoulder.

  “Baby, you’re mine, which means this is your home. If you want a dishwasher, I’ll install one. You want the walls a different color, then I’ll paint them. You hate the furniture, we’ll buy new stuff. I want you to be comfortable here.”

  “Daniel, this is the nicest house I’ve ever been in, much less called home. You don’t have to change anything for me.”

  I gripped her hip and tugged her closer. Tipping her chin up, I pressed my lips to hers in a quick kiss.

  “You’re important to me, Pepper. I just want you to be happy here, happy with me. Whatever you need, I don’t want you to hesitate to ask for it.”

  She nodded and I released her so we could both dress. I grabbed my cell phone and saw a missed text from Torch.

  Church in twenty.

  Hell. That was nearly fifteen minutes ago. So much for Sarge giving me an hour. Probably payback for screwing his daughter. It also meant I didn’t have time to stop and eat, or to make sure Pepper had food. After I finished pulling on my clothes and boots, I went to the kitchen, then came to a stop when I saw the plastic sack on the table. I pulled out the two containers and saw the fucker had gotten us the same thing, which was fine with me. I made sure there were utensils in the bag, then waited for Pepper to finish getting ready.

  We walked to the clubhouse, and I made sure she had everything she needed, and let the Prospect behind the bar know that she was mine and to treat her accordingly. Diego was a good guy and I had no doubt he’d be patching in soon. Once we made him and King official brothers, we’d have to find some fresh meat to do the grunt work. Preferably guys who could actually get the job done and have a future here. I was sick of problems when it came to the Prospects.

  I carried my food and a beer into Church, only getting a raised brow from Torch as
I took my seat. I flipped off Sarge who only grinned. I dug into my food, admitting it was pretty fucking fantastic. I’d have to add it to the list of places I frequented more often, especially if Pepper liked this stuff.

  “So, it seems Sarge and our Treasurer both have some news for us,” Torch says. “Sarge, bring us up to speed.”

  The man nodded and cleared his throat. “A woman showed up at the gates last night. It turns out I have a kid. Well, a grown-ass adult kid at any rate. Pepper is twenty-two and I met her mom in Vegas. I found out that her mother lied to me about her age and she was a minor when we were together. She never contacted me about being pregnant or at any time during Pepper’s life.”

  “So how did this Pepper find you?” Venom asked. “Are you sure she’s your daughter?”

  I snorted. “Looks too much like him, just a much prettier version.”

  Sarge narrowed his eyes at me. “Anyway, she’s in some trouble. To give you the low-down dirty version, her mom became a prostitute and got hooked on drugs. She purposely overdosed and left a note for Pepper. The whore ripped off twenty thousand in drugs, and now those men want the drugs or the cash from Pepper. She obviously doesn’t have either since it seems her mother used it to party.”

  “And what does any of this have to do with Flicker?” Wire asked.

  “She’s mine,” I said. “I’ve claimed Pepper.”

  “Fucking hell,” Venom muttered. “I guess we might as well throw the rule book out the window when it comes to women. None of these fuckers know how to go through the proper channels for claiming an old lady.”

  “Do we need to revisit the past?” Bull asked with a pointed look.

  “Enough!” Torch sent a glare around the table. “Every last one of you knows how much Flicker has wanted a wife and kids. If he wants Pepper, and she’s agreeable, then I don’t have a problem with it.”

  “Where is she now?” Tank asked.

  “In the clubhouse. I set her up at a table with her lunch and asked Diego to get her anything she needs while we’re in here,” I said.

  “We need to talk to her,” Torch said. “I need to know exactly who is after her and how likely it is they’ll show up here.”

  “I’ll get her,” Sarge said.

  “Wait. Can you give her another five or ten minutes to finish eating?” I asked. “There’s not really space in here for her to sit down with her food.”

  “Fine,” Torch said, but his lips twitched in amusement. “Ten minutes, then we’ll bring her in to find out what’s going on. Until then, any other business we need to discuss?”

  “It’s about time to patch in King and Diego. Any leads on some new prospects to take their place?” I asked.

  “Just those two?” Tex asked. “Not Calder or Fenton?”

  “Not sure those two have what it takes,” I said, “but obviously we’d have to vote.”

  “There are a few guys from my old neighborhood who are looking for a way out. They’ve asked me before about coming to the club and seeing if this might a good fit,” Saint said. “I can vouch for one of them. The other two I only know by reputation.”

  “Tell them to stop by next week. I’ll clear my schedule Tuesday morning,” Torch said. “After I get a feel for them and what they bring to the table, we can discuss letting them prospect for the club.”

  I finished my food and stood. Sarge glared as I left Church and went to get Pepper. She’d shoved her carton of food across the table, only half-eaten, and her jaw was tight. I glanced at Diego for some clue, and he looked ticked-off. What the fuck happened? I wasn’t in Church that long.

  I knelt next to Pepper’s chair and reached up to tug on her hair. “Sweetheart, what’s that fierce look for?”

  I heard shuffling steps from the back of the clubhouse and looked in that direction. Calder was wincing with every step he took, grabbing his balls.

  “Your handiwork?” I asked Pepper.

  She shrugged and it was answer enough for me. I stood and faced the Prospect.

  “Something you want to tell me, boy?” I asked, my voice harsh and demanding.

  “I didn’t know she was taken,” he said.

  “I told you not to fuck with her,” Diego said.

  “What exactly did you do?” I asked Calder.

  “He grabbed my boob, squeezed it hard enough it still fucking hurts, and said if I was extra good he’d let me suck him off,” Pepper said. It sounded like she was spitting the words through clenched teeth and I glanced at her. It looked like she’d clamped her jaw so tight her teeth might crack.

  “I didn’t know she was taken,” Calder said again, his voice more of a whine.

  “You were told to keep your hands off her,” I said. “I hope she twisted your nuts hard enough you have to keep your dick in your pants for weeks. We’ll discuss this more later. Get the fuck out of my sight.”

  Calder gave a nod and shuffled out of the clubhouse. I focused on Pepper again, reaching out to stroke her hair. If we weren’t in the middle of Church, I’d have ripped his fucking arm off and beat him with it. I was pissed as fuck that he’d touched Pepper and had even hurt her. That shit didn’t fly around here.

  “Come here, baby,” I said, tugging her to her feet. I led her down the hall and into the bathroom. I shut the door and lifted her shirt, then tried not to scare her with how fucking livid I was. She already had bruises forming in the shape of fingers, the tips peeking over the top of her bra. That fucker was dead.

  “Is it going to be like this if I stay here?” she asked. “Will everyone think they can have a piece of me?”

  “No! Fuck, no! I’m getting Zipper to ink you after Church is over.”

  “Ink me?” she asked.

  “It’s a property stamp. You’ll be tattooed with Property of Flicker so no one here will dare lay a hand on you. Other clubs will realize you’re important when you wear a property cut, and if they’re smart, they’ll protect you and keep their fucking hands off. A few of the ladies have gotten their property stamp on their backs, but most prefer their arms.”

  “Is this your version of peeing on me?” she asked, her eyebrow arched.

  “Smartass,” I muttered, but I couldn’t deny she was a little bit right. “Torch, the President, wants you in Church with us. He needs to hear from you about the men in Vegas. And I’m going to tell him what Calder just pulled. You’re mine, baby, and no one is going to fuck with you. Not unless they want me to bury their ass.”

  She smiled faintly. “So fierce. It’s sexy hearing you say stuff like that.”

  I traced her nose with mine. “Then wait until you hear all the things I plan to say when we’re home again.”

  I pulled her shirt down and led her to the double doors, pausing just outside. I felt her hand tremble a little and knew she was nervous. I gave it a squeeze and then shoved the doors open, tugging her inside behind me. Everyone stared, and Sarge rose from his seat. I wasn’t about to let Pepper sit with him, not after I’d publicly claimed her. I could feel his gaze as I led her around to my seat, and then I pulled her down onto my lap.

  “Everyone, this is Pepper,” I said. “She doesn’t really know how things work around here yet, but I’m sure the other ladies will help her get up to speed.”

  Venom nodded. “Once Ridley hears you’ve claimed someone, she’ll be on your doorstep.”

  “As long as she doesn’t have your kids in tow, I’m perfectly fine with that,” I said.

  “What’s wrong with his kids?” Pepper whispered, but those closest heard her and snickered.

  “They’re little demons,” I said.

  “Just wait,” Venom said. “You’ll end up being a daddy before long, and if you have a daughter, she could end up with Dawson.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “That’s not fucking funny.”

  Venom’s daughters were little hellions, but his son? Holy shit! The kid looked like a sweet cherub, but there were horns hiding under all that blond hair. He was worse than the girls, and I hones
tly hadn’t thought that was possible. He was only a year and a half, but the boy was something else. The only kid I knew of who could be worse was Havoc’s daughter over at Devil’s Boneyard. That little shit had even Cinder backing away.

  “My name is Torch,” the Pres said. “I run this club, and I consider your dad to be part of my family, which means you are too. I need to know about the men you think may be coming for you. The more you can tell me, the better prepared we’ll be. Not just to keep you safe, but to ensure the women and kids here aren’t in danger either.”

  “Are there a lot of them?” Pepper asked. “Women and kids?”

  Torch looked around the room before his gaze settled on Pepper again. “Excluding you and Flicker, there are eight families inside the compound, and Cowboy lives on a ranch nearby with his wife and kids.”

  “I want her inked after Church,” I said. “There was an issue with Calder not keeping his hands to himself, and I want to make damn sure it doesn’t happen again. Pepper is mine and she will damn sure get the respect that goes with that position.”

  Venom grinned. “And how do you feel about that, Pepper? Getting marked as property.”

  The woman in my lap snorted. “I asked if he was trying to pee on me.”

  The table erupted in laughter and I tightened my hold on her. Good thing my brothers saw the humor in her statement. There was a time she might not have received that reaction, but the club had changed over the years. It had started when Ridley came back to us, seeking Bull when she was escaping from her mom and stepdad. Then Torch had claimed Isabella, and one by one, so many others had fallen for someone. Now the full-out parties at the clubhouse weren’t the same. Women still came by on Friday and Saturday nights, and the single members and all the Prospects hung out and partied. Well, maybe not all of the single members. I hadn’t been to a party in months, and I knew that Sarge hadn’t either. The big draw these days were family times when we got together to celebrate birthdays or holidays. Jesus, maybe we were getting old.

  “I’d be happy to ink her,” Zipper said from down the table. “We can meet in my studio when we’re finished.”