Leather and Chrome (Royal Bastards MC: Detroit, MI Book 2) Read online

  I passed on her visual advances, and scanned the crowd once more. There, at the end of the bar, was the one I wanted. In her heels she was probably a solid five foot ten. She was curvy, with an ass that jutted out and tits bigger than my hands. Her long, black, raven hair cascaded down her back, just barely touching her ass. There was fire there, and an attitude that radiated around the bar. The lighting in Slingers was dark, and with her being so far away, it was almost impossible to see her face, but it didn’t matter. Soon enough I would be seeing a lot more than just her face.

  The waitress came back with my beer and two shots and I grabbed her wrist.

  “What is that woman over there drinking?” I asked.

  “A whiskey sour,” the waitress replied.

  “Put one on my tab, but bring it to me. Give her this after you deliver the drink to me and don’t tell her where it came from.”

  I scribbled a message on the bar napkin and handed it to the waitress with a twenty dollar tip. It was funny how much you could accomplish with a little money in your pocket.

  I watched intently as the waitress brought me the whiskey sour and then sashayed over to the woman and handed her the note.

  The woman’s head came up and she looked around, scanning the crowd and looking for the napkins author. Even though I couldn’t see her face clearly, it was obvious when she spotted me. Downing the rest of her drink, she sauntered over. Halfway to my table she stopped.

  “Fuck,” I cursed under my breath. She apparently had the same reaction, her sexy saunter turning into an irritated march.

  “What the hell is this, Chrome?” The club's leatherworker and TBone’s sister yelled at me, throwing the napkin down on the table between us.

  I shrugged, knocking back one of my shots, chasing it with a beer.

  “Does this shit actually work?” She asked.

  “Does what actually work, Cameron?” I goaded her.

  She picked up the napkin and mocked my message, “Let’s fuck?”

  I shrugged again, “Yes.”

  “Yes what?” She asked, taken aback.

  “Yes it usually works, and yes, I think we should fuck.”

  “You’re disgusting, Chrome,” Cam scoffed.

  “You fucking love it,” I replied, pushing more and more of her buttons.

  “Go to hell,” she said, rolling her eyes at me and reaching for the whiskey sour.

  I grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled. Catching her off balance, she tumbled into the seat next to mine, and I tugged her even closer to whisper in her ear.

  “I’ve been to hell baby. I’m a fucking demon.”

  I released her wrist and picked up my remaining shot, raising it in the air.

  “To the Devil.”

  Cameron picked hers up and downed it before standing up and walking away. My eyes followed her every move. The way her hips swayed, had me rock hard, and before the night was through, I was going to have her screaming out my name.

  ***

  “Yo, Chrome. It’s time for Church, Brother,” Silver yelled out, banging on my door.

  “Fuck you,” I responded, shielding my eyes from the sun penetrating my windows, with my pillow. If it wasn’t for the fact that Silver was my best friend, I would have never talked to a Prez like that. As it was, my hangover raged and I wanted to sleep for two weeks.

  “Don’t make me fuckng come in there, Chrome. Ten minutes. Get your fucking ass out of bed.”

  I threw my pillow at the door, the sound of Silver’s shoes against the hardwood retreating. “Fucker”

  My night had not at all gone as planned. Not only had I not gotten Cam into my bed, I had gotten drunk enough to start a fight with the SAA of another local club in the area. Both of my hands were cut up and bruised, and the lucky fucker had gotten one good hit to my ribs. I lifted up my shirt to see a bright purple spot shining through my skin.

  Unlucky for him, I had given him two black eyes, a busted lip, and I was pretty sure he was now missing at least one of his front teeth. Bar brawls weren’t out of the ordinary in a dive biker bar, and the fight had satiated my beast, at least for a little while. I didn’t like driving home drunk, my bike being my most prized possession, so I waited out the alcohol before making my way back to headquarters.

  I finally fell into bed at five in the morning, a mere five hours ago. Fucking Silver and his early morning Church.

  I pulled on a new shirt and washed my hands and face in my bathroom before heading down to the warehouse. Church wasn’t something you missed unless you were dead in a ditch somewhere or lying in a hospital bed. I hadn’t missed a single one since I had been patched in and a little hangover wasn’t going to stop me now.

  “There he is,” Dumpster said jovially from the other side of Silver.

  “Fuck off,” I smirked back.

  “Alright, that’s enough,” Silver called out. “Let’s get down to business.”

  The brothers that had gathered around the room shut their traps, waiting for their Prez’s announcement.

  “As some of you might know, there has been an outbreak in the sex trafficking rings all around the country. While Hornet and Nash were involved in one, it seemed that it was only a small section of the main ring. Our brothers down in the NOLA Chapter have discovered the culprits of the bigger ring and they will be brought to justice. They have requested all Chapter Prez’s to come down and partake in the punishment.”

  Silver took a moment to let the information sink in. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, but I didn’t let the information rile me.

  “I will be leaving tonight to go down there, and while I’m gone, Chrome will be in charge.”

  “Who the fuck is behind it, Prez?” Barnie, our treasurer shouted out.

  “Rancid,” Silver replied, “Along with a Russian fuck named Solonik”

  This time, a shiver ran through me. This wasn’t good. At All.

  “The Russian has already been taken out, but Rancid will face the entire club.”

  Luckily for myself, I had perfected my act at remaining level headed, even in the face of danger. If my brothers knew what I knew, well, let’s just say it might not end well for me.

  “Other than that,” Silver quieted down the crowd, “The club is doing well again now that we aren’t buying our submissives, and according to Barnie, we’ve got spare money to start replacing some of our equipment.”

  I knew what was coming next and I smirked in a rare moment of delight.

  “Chrome,” Silver addressed me, “I need you to coordinate with Cam about ordering some new floggers, benches, whips, and whatever else you think we might need. See if you can get a good deal. Oh, and ask her about a few new cuts. I think we have some prospects who might be due for them soon.”

  I nodded at Silver. Go see Cameron? It would be my pleasure.

  “Hey Boss Lady,” my apprentice shouted up the stairs, “You getting up any time soon?”

  “No. Leave me the fuck alone, Hodge,” I whispered back, my hangover preventing anything louder.

  I did need to get up though. Looking over at the clock on my bedside, it was already ten in the morning, and I had enough work downstairs to last me three years plus.

  I was the best leather worker in Metro Detroit, and everyone knew it. I worked with the Motorcycle community, the BDSM community, local mom and pop shoes stores, and even on rare occasions, the medical community. If you needed custom work done, I was your gal. I knew I probably sounded like a snob, but it didn’t matter to me, my work did the bragging for me.

  “I’m coming,” I finally hollered down to Hodge after the fifth time he called out for me.

  I wrapped my long hair up into a high pony and headed into my conjoining bathroom. I didn’t have time for a quick shower, but it was fine. I just needed to get last night’s makeup off of my face and brush my teeth. My mouth still tastes like whiskey sour.

  I pulled on a pair of black jeans, a bra, and a blank tank top and headed down the stairs to meet up w
ith Hodge.

  Jonathan Hodge had been my apprentice for a little under a year, and he had the talents to make it big. His only downfall was his obsession with women and booze.

  “How ya feeling there, Boss Lady?” He asked, chuckling at me as I poured myself a cup of steaming hot coffee.

  “Like I had one too many,” I replied, gulping down a mouthful of the boiled bean water.

  “I hear that.”

  “You always ‘hear that’, Hodge. You’re an alcoholic.”

  “Hey!” He feigned insult. “I resemble that remark!”

  I shook my head at him. Everyone knew he resembled that remark.

  “What’s on the docket today?” I asked, flipping through the orders that had come in online or had been dropped off this morning while I slept.

  “About the same,” Hodge replied. “We’ve got a couple of new cuts to do and an out of town club called, ummmm, ‘The Hunt’, wants some new floggers.”

  I took a deep breath and sighed. As much as I loved new business, I was getting to the point where things were starting to feel a bit draining. I wanted a life as well as running my business, but at the moment I only had time for one. I was twenty eight years old, and hadn’t had a serious relationship in over four years. Sure, I got my kicks in where I could and I had a battery operated friend, but neither compared to having someone hold me at night. I hated to admit it, but I was lonely.

  “I guess we had better get started than, shouldn’t we?”

  “You took the words right out of my mouth,” Hodge smirked.

  By two pm, the caffeine in my body had run out, and keeping my eyes open had been a chore. I sorely needed a nap, but with the amount of orders I had piling up, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I walked over to the front desk and made a fresh pot of coffee, regretting going out to the bar last night.

  Thinking about Slingers, brought the memories of last night to the forefront of my mind.

  Fucking Chrome.

  Chrome was the VP of the Royal Bastards Detroit Chapter. He was also an arrogant prick who assumed everyone wanted to sleep with him. He wasn’t actually wrong about that as I had watched woman after woman throw themselves at his feet. I was not one of them, and would never be.

  Up until recently, I had only done my dealings with the RBMC through Silver, when he had been the VP. Now that Silver was the Prez, the job fell to the new VP, Chrome. Just my luck. He hadn’t come in yet since his promotion, but I knew it was only a matter of time. This club was my biggest customer, and if last night was any indication of Chrome’s interest, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him today.

  My little brother, TBone, was a prospect at the club, and while I didn’t particularly enjoy him risking his life day in and day out, the club was where he belonged. I had seen TBone grow immensely in the time he had been with the Royal Bastards, almost as much as Derp, his best friend had grown. They were both thick as thieves, but with the help of people like Silver, Dumpster, and yes, even Chrome, there was a good chance the both of them were going to be alright.

  After the coffee finished brewing, I took a seat with a hot cup. I hadn’t stopped working since I had started, and I deserved a little break off my feet. After my third whiskey sour last night, and the consequent rejection of Chrome, I had taken to the tiny dance floor to sweat off the alcohol before I attempted my drive home. It was only about fifteen minutes away, but the last thing I needed was to crash, or worse, get pulled over.

  “Hey Hodge,” I called out.

  “Yeah Cam?”

  “Have you heard from my brother or anyone from RBMC?” My curiosity getting the better of me.

  “Nope. Not today. You expecting something?”

  “Soon,” I whispered under my breath. “Soon.”

  ***

  The wind was crisp, and I pulled my leather jacket a little tighter around me. I knew I shouldn’t have gone out a second night in a row, but I had worked my fingers to the bone at the shop, and I deserved a little respite before another long day tomorrow.

  I reached into my bag to find my pack of Camel Menthols. I avoided smoking while I worked, but my nicotine addiction was fed when I went out to drink. Pulling the last cigarette out of the box, I hunted in my bag for my lighter. My purse was small in comparison to what you might find a woman holding, so when I didn’t find the lighter, my irritation pricked considerably.

  “Need a light?” The husky voice sounded behind me.

  I turned. “Yes, please. Thank yo--”

  The man in front of me snickered before flicking his thumb, and igniting the flame.

  “Are you stalking me, Chrome?” I asked, taking a deep drag.

  “I don’t see your name on this bar, Angel,” Chrome winked, taking a hit off of his own freshly lit cigarette.

  “No,” I replied petulantly, “But I’ve never seen you here before last night.”

  “Just because you’ve never seen me before, Angel, doesn’t mean I haven’t seen you.”

  His words touched something deep inside of me, and his eyes held a promise of something wicked. Something I didn’t need in my life, but something I desperately wanted.

  “What’s with the nickname?” I asked, flicking my cigarette on the ground and stomping it out with my leather boots.

  “You don’t like it, Angel?” Chrome smirked, his eyes hooded, the light attached to the awning of the bar shadowing half of his face.

  ‘Cut the crap, Chrome,” I spat out, folding my arms over my chest. “What’s with the name?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and turned away from me towards the front door of the bar.

  My anger flared up immediately. I reached out and grabbed his arm, “Don’t fucking walk away from m--.”

  My words cut off sharply as Chrome turned and grabbed my wrist, yanking it away from his arm. The two looks in his eyes were at war with each other. One promised lust, and a night of pure unbridled passion, the other screamed of murderous, and heartless rage. He pushed me up against the wall, his body pressed firmly against mine, my bound wrist above my head.

  “I already told you,” he bent down, whispering in my ear. “I am a demon, which makes you an angel.”

  My breathing came in short, shallow bursts as his mouth inched closer to my ear with every word. My chest heaved up and down, and if his leg hadn’t been between mine, I would have clenched them together to stave off the wetness already gathering in my panties.

  “Don’t get too close Angel, or I’ll be forced to drag you down to hell with me.”

  Chrome nipped at my ear before releasing my wrist and walking towards the parking lot.

  I wanted to shout at him. I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but until my legs stopped quivering, the wall of this bar was the only thing keeping me upright.

  Chrome was bad news for me. He knew and I knew it. It was too bad my neglected pussy didn’t seem to agree.

  “Fucking shit,” I sneered under my breath, running my fingers through my hair. “What the fuck are you going to do, Chrome?” I asked myself.

  After church had finished this morning, I had talked with Silver for a few hours, going through the agenda while he was gone as well as supplies that were needed. The entire time we talked about his trip down to New Orleans, I could feel the sweat on my brow and the goosebumps all over my body. I needed to calm myself before I gave something away and ruined my entire life.

  “Chrome. Brother. You okay, man?” Silver asked, worry etching his brow.

  “Yeah, Prez,” I responded, kicking myself for letting my fears show up on my face. I hated lying to Silver, but for my own safety, I didn’t have a choice, We all had secrets and I didn’t have to explain mine to anyone.

  “You look awful,” he snickered.

  “And you look like a fucking twat,” I replied nonchalantly. For a few moments, we both just stared at each other. This was the way we bantered as brothers, but he was my Prez.

  His laughter bubbled up from deep in his belly and I couldn’t stop m
yself from chuckling along a little.

  “For real though, Chrome. You look like shit. You should go get some rest. I need you completely on top of it and at your best while I’m gone. I know the threat seems to have died with Hornet, but I have a bad feeling in my gut. I don’t want to leave, but I have to, and I need to know that you can handle everything while I’m gone.”

  I couldn’t stop the tiniest of growls that resonated from my throat. “You don’t think I can handle it, Prez?” The fight the night before had not cooled off the beast inside of me as much as I would have hoped.

  Silver’s eyebrow scrunched together in irritation. “You know that is not what I said, Chrome. But don’t act like I don’t fucking know you, brother. Even sitting here right now, I can tell that you’re on edge, and you need something to take the edge off. I trust you with my life, Noah, and right now, I need to know if I can trust you with my club?”

  For a moment there, I was completely taken aback. I hadn’t heard my birth name in so long, it was almost as if Noah didn’t exist, Chrome taking over completely. Very few people in the world and in my club knew my real name, and it was a shock to hear it.

  “I’ll get some rest, I’ll feed my beast, and by the time you leave, there will be no question in your mind on whether or not I can do the job.” I stood up, the metal chair scraping against the concrete floor and I walked to the door without another word. Even though I was normally filled with a powerful thirst for violence, rage, and lust, the only thing that ran through me in this moment was disappointment.

  How could Silver ever think I would let him down or shirk my duties and responsibilities to this club? I had taken an oath, and by God, I would live up to its every single word.