Dangerous Affiliations (Knights of War MC Book 1) Read online

  Kimmie hugged Cora next. The three women stood in the corner where the pinball machine had been and shared the joint. Before long, they were laughing and drinking.

  The music stopped, and Hem rung the bell behind the bar to quiet everyone down. “It’s time for cake, people.”

  Holly shook her head. “You don’t have to make a big deal out of this.”

  “Bullshit. This is a big deal.” Hem sliced into the cake while Kol lined up paper plates.

  Hunter moved Holly’s hair away from her ear. “I have something for you.” He nodded to Hem.

  He reached under the bar and pulled out a white shirt box with a big green bow on it. Hem slid the box toward Holly.

  She smiled over her shoulder. “From you?”

  Hunter nodded.

  The ribbon slid off easily, and she pulled the top of the box open. Tissue paper covered the contents. She picked through it to find the tank top Hunter had made for her.

  Holly held it up. The shirt was white and had the club emblem and rockers on the front. She gasped. “Oh, baby. I love it.”

  “Look at the back,” he said.

  She turned it around. In big black letters, it read Old Lady. She bit her bottom lip and then smiled. “It’s official, huh?”

  “Yep.” Hunter lifted her off his lap and stood. He smiled. “Put it on.”

  Holly pulled it over her head and smoothed it over the black tank she already wore.

  Hem hooted and rung the bell again. Kol put his fingers in his mouth and whistled.

  Hunter picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He kissed her on the mouth. “Now, you’re mine.” He looked around the room. “All you fuckers keep your hands off. This one is my old lady.” Hunter laughed.

  Hem clutched his chest. “You break my heart, Holly.”

  She looked at him over her shoulder. “You know I love you, Hem.”

  He winked at her and started handing plates of cake to the prospects to pass out.

  “This is some bullshit.” Nichole stood with her hands on her bony hips. She was high as a kite. “That shirt should’ve been Cora’s, you asshole.”

  The club went silent, and Hunter shook his head. He set Holly back on her feet and walked toward Nichole. “You should shut the fuck up. The only reason you’re still here is that Linc likes to fuck the help.”

  In a flash, she pulled her arm back and slapped Hunter across the face.

  The contact was buffered by his beard, and he laughed. “Is that the best you got?”

  Nichole narrowed her eyes and hit him again harder. She was tall but thin. There was no muscle in her slap.

  “Jesus fucking Christ.” Linc laid the pool stick on the table and started toward her.

  Out of nowhere, Holly charged past Hunter and barreled into Nichole. Both women went down with Holly on top. She grabbed a handful of Nichole’s hair and punched her in the mouth.

  Nichole kicked her boots against the wood floor. “Get off me, bitch.” She swung at Holly but missed.

  Kimmie jumped up and ran toward them, but Maddox caught her by the arm. “Nope.”

  Holly smacked Nichole’s head on the floor and pointed a finger in her face. “You ever lay a hand on him again, and I’ll kill you.”

  It took a second for anyone to react. Hunter grabbed Holly around the waist and pulled her off Nichole. He made eye contact with Hem. He held a beer up like he was about to take a drink, but he was laughing so hard he wasn’t even making any sound.

  Nichole scrambled to her feet and spat a bloody glob on the floor. Black eyeliner ran down her cheek. “You better watch your back, bitch.” She pushed her boob back down into her tube top.

  Holly dangled in Hunter’s grasp and pointed to her back. A few strands of Nichole’s hair clung to her fingers. “No, you watch my back, bitch.”

  “Dayum,” Kol said and laughed. “Holly is savage. That girl don’t need no pepper spray.”

  Linc pulled Nichole toward the door. He nodded at Hunter. “We’ll just be going now. Sorry, man.”

  “It’s cool. Just don’t bring her back. Ever.” Hunter still held Holly. He didn’t want to put her down on her feet until Nichole was gone. Although another round of a girl fight was an intriguing prospect, he didn’t trust Nichole. That bitch might have a knife hidden in her cleavage or something.

  Kimmie and Cora followed Linc and Nichole. Cora paused to look at Hunter. Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Either she was high or about to cry. Neither was Hunter’s concern. He didn’t dislike her, but if she wanted to keep company with the skank squad, he’d bid her good riddance.

  Paul clapped Hunter on the shoulder and smiled. “I think you made a good choice with this one.”

  Hunter laughed. “I didn’t see that coming.” He set Holly down. “You all right, baby?” The Holly that just emerged was a very different Holly than she’d been at dinner with her parents. She had a long way to go before she’d stand up to her dad the way she had to Nichole.

  Holly blinked her eyes and smoothed her shirt. “I’m good.”

  “It’s about time someone put Nichole in her place.” Kol took a bite of cake and licked frosting off his fingers. “That bitch has been needing an ass whooping.”

  Holly’s hands were still balled into fists. “Who does she think she is?” She turned toward Hunter. “And who’s Cora?”

  Chapter SEVENTEEN

  Holly

  Holly’s heart beat so hard that it felt like it would fracture her rib cage. As the adrenaline started to dissipate, she was a little embarrassed for having lost her shit in front of the club.

  The music came back on, and everyone started talking and eating like nothing had happened. Scuffles in the clubhouse probably weren’t a big deal.

  Hunter took her hand and lead her toward the front door. “Let’s go outside for a minute.”

  Nichole and the others were gone already. The night air was cool against Holly’s face. She looked up at Hunter. “What was that about?”

  “Cora is someone I used to see. She was here tonight.”

  “Are you still seeing her?”

  “No. She’s texted me a few times, but I haven’t seen her.”

  “Why was she here, then?”

  “I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say Nichole invited her to stir shit up.”

  “That woman is a pariah.” Club politics wasn’t something she’d given much thought to. But at least she’d made her point. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. But that redhead is a dick.”

  Hunter smiled. “You did fine. You established your boundaries early on like a true badass old lady.”

  Holly shook her hand and looked at her knuckles. The three middle fingers had small cuts on them probably from Nichole’s teeth. The booze stilted the pain and her judgment. She didn’t go off and hit people in general.

  “Are you okay now?” he asked.

  “Yes. I just saw red when she hit you.” What she’d seen was her dad with his fist in the air, and she’d reacted exactly how she always told herself she never would. “It won’t happen again.”

  “It was kind of cool, baby. I liked you defending me.”

  She smiled. “I’m kind of drunk.”

  “Yeah. You are.” He lifted her hand and inspected her knuckles. “Let’s go back in and get these cleaned up. Who knows what’s been in that bitch’s mouth.”

  Holly laughed. “Good point.”

  The water stung on her fingers as she rinsed them in the sink in the kitchen. Hunter poured some peroxide over the wounds, and they bubbled up. Her buzz was wearing off fast.

  Kol stuck a plate of cake toward her. “You need some sugar.”

  Holly took a bite. The vanilla buttercream frosting stuck to the roof of her mouth. There were fresh strawberries layered in the middle of the yellow cake. “Mmm. This is good. Thanks.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Kol was a little taller than Hem, and his hair was a little shorter. “There’s plenty more if you want seconds.” H
e pushed through the swinging door and disappeared into the clubhouse.

  Hunter stood with his arms folded across his chest. While she had liked how he looked all dressed up, she liked him better in a white T-shirt and his black leather cut with jeans sitting low on his hips. Knights of War was tattooed in Old English lettering on the back of his right forearm, and Master Reapers was tattooed on the other. “When you finish that you need to put some ice on those knuckles.”

  “Okay.” She took another bite. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yeah. I can’t guarantee I’ll answer, but you can ask.” Hunter smirked.

  “Okay, smartass.” Holly took the last bite of cake and dropped the plate in the trash can next to the door. “How did Kol and Hem get into the club?”

  “What do you mean? They got in like everybody else. They prospected.”

  “No. I mean, everyone else is white. Aren’t you guys like race exclusive or something?”

  “Used to be. Years ago, the Knights only accepted whites. This club was started back when there was a lot of racial tension. There was safety in segregation. That changed about fifteen years ago. Bylaws were amended to do away with that.”

  “I see. I was just curious.”

  “Ryker is half Mexican. We don’t care what your race, ethnicity or nationality is. None of that is important. We all bleed red. If you’ve got heart, you can make it.” Hunter handed her a plastic bag with ice and a paper towel.

  Holly wrapped the ice with the paper towel and put it on her hand. “How do you choose who gets to prospect? Is there like an application someone fills out?”

  “No. It’s strictly by referral. Someone in the club has to vouch for you.”

  “Who vouched for you?” she asked.

  “Paul did. He was friends with my CO in the Army. When I got out I was kind of lost, you know? I was infantry and then went to jump school for Rangers. I didn’t have a skill I could use in the civilian world. So I used my GI Bill to get a welding certificate, and my CO hooked me up with Paul for a job. I started working in the shop, and then he asked me if I wanted to prospect. The rest is history.”

  “How long were you in?”

  “Ten years.” He looked off toward the other end of the room like he didn’t particularly want to talk about it.

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Your service. I don’t think we give enough recognition to our soldiers in this country.”

  “That’s nice to hear. It’s a thankless job for the most part.”

  “I thought about joining the National Guard while I was in high school, but my dad nixed that idea. He said he’d bankroll me through school if I just went straight to college.” It was a way he could keep control of her. She didn’t realize it at the time, but it was glaring in hindsight.

  Hunter nodded. “Are you finished now?”

  Holly shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m starting to feel like a perpetual student.” She laughed. “I have three degrees now.”

  “What can you do with a master’s in journalism?” he asked.

  “I can do what I’m doing now but make more money doing it. I could look for an anchor internship somewhere, but I don’t really want to be on television.”

  He smiled. “I could see you like a hot weather girl.”

  She smiled and checked her knuckles. They weren’t too swollen, but she put the ice back on. “I’m not a meteorologist. Science was never my strong subject.”

  “You could be whatever you wanted. You’re probably the smartest person I know,” he said.

  “I don’t know about that. Hem could give me a run for my money.”

  “He’s smart, too. He made a good choice going into communications in the Army. He could hack into the Pentagon if he wanted to.”

  “Who recommended him for the club?” she asked.

  “I did.”

  “I figured that. You guys seem close.”

  “He’s a good guy. Then after he patched in, he brought Kol in as a prospect.”

  “They were both in the Army?”

  “Yeah. Both were stationed at Fort Sam before they came here. Same place I was stationed.”

  Holly put the bag of ice into the sink. “I think this is good enough for now. Are we sleeping here tonight?”

  “I think that’s best. Neither of us should be driving. Are you tired?” Hunter crossed the kitchen and backed her up to the counter. He kissed her forehead.

  “Not really. Are you?”

  “No.” He smiled. “But we can go to my room if you want to.” The muscles in his arms bulged when he leaned his hands on the counter on either side of her. An American flag tattoo peeked out from the sleeve of his T-shirt.

  “Let’s go,” she said.

  Hunter

  With the door to the bedroom shut, most of the noise was muted from the main room in the clubhouse. Hunter watched Holly’s ass while she bent over to unbuckle her sandals. He shrugged out of his cut and hung it on the chair by the door.

  When they were alone, he had a perpetual hard-on. He hadn’t been that way since he was in his early twenties; her age. She didn’t seem to mind that he was twelve years older than her. He didn’t usually go for women that young, but Holly was an old soul, and they had histories that transcended numbers.

  She shimmied out of her jeans but left her tank top and underwear on. Hunter pulled his T-shirt off. Holly pulled him toward the bed and turned him around. She pushed him back and took off her panties. She peeled off the two tank tops and unhooked her bra. That first sight of her bare breasts made his dick twitch, and he unbuckled his belt. In less than a minute, they were both naked, and she climbed on top of him.

  This was the first time Holly was on top, and Hunter loved the view. Her breasts were perfectly round and her waist small enough to give her a definitive hourglass shape. The light shined from behind her and made her look like a goddess with blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. She was fucking beautiful, and he was hard as a god damned rock already.

  Holly smiled and moved her hips, sliding her pussy over his dick until she found a rhythm that worked for her. She was rubbing her clit on him.

  The wet heat of her gave him the urge to grab her hips and slam her down on his cock, but he wanted her to come first. So he let her keep the lead and played with her nipples, rolling the hard peaks between this thumbs and fingers. He watched her face, the way her eyelashes fanned over her cheeks when she slowly closed her eyes. Her lips came together in a perfect pout, and she moaned. There was a purity about her that moved him. He loved the play of emotion on her face as she pleasured herself.

  A tremble started in her legs, and she bit her bottom lip. “God. I’m so close. I need you inside me.”

  He grabbed a condom out of the drawer and tore the package open. She moved just enough so he could roll it on. Then she positioned his cock at her entrance.

  Holly dropped her ass and impaled herself on him. She cried out and put both hands on his chest, her nails cutting into his skin. “I’m coming. I’m coming,” she whispered.

  Her pussy gripped his cock like a vise when her orgasm struck. He was almost afraid that if he moved, he’d hurt her.

  But she panted and lifted her body up and slowly back down, taking him slow and deep.

  Hunter held onto her waist and watched each stroke. His own orgasm built up quickly but he wasn’t ready to end it yet, so he lifted her off of him and sat up against the headboard. He kept her poised over his lap and sucked her nipple into his mouth. He moved his tongue with feather-soft strokes over the pink pebble.

  Holly wrapped her arms around his head and pulled his hair. “God, Hunter.”

  “Feel good, baby?”

  “Mhm.”

  He fingered her to make sure she was wet enough. Boy, was she. Wet and hot and … fuck. He positioned her legs around his waist and pulled her down hard on his cock.

  Holly gasped and dug her nails into his shoulders.

  “You l
ike that?” he asked.

  Her breathing turned rapid and shallow. “Yes.”

  Hunter gripped her hips and pumped deep inside her. He was careful not to be too rough.

  With her head settled into the crook of his neck, she held onto his arms and panted. Her breasts bounced against his chest as her body absorbed his thrusts.

  The need to be deeper inside her when he came intensified. He grabbed her waist and dug his heels into the mattress to gain more traction.

  She scraped her teeth over his shoulder and moaned loud.

  That sound she made … Jesus fuck. His balls tightened, and his cock pulsed. “God damn. I could do you all night.” He groaned and rubbed his hand down her back before he gently lifted her off him and laid her down.

  He lit a cigarette. “You want one?”

  “Sure.” She rolled on to her back. Her nipples were still erect, and her cheeks were flushed. She was beautiful in the afterglow.

  He’d left marks on her where he’d gripped her waist and hips and handled her breasts. In the heat of the moment, he’d forgotten how delicate she was. “I’m gonna miss you.”

  “How long will you be gone?” She took a drag on the cigarette and blew the smoke toward the ceiling fan.

  “A couple days at most.” He played with her blonde hair. It reminded him of corn silk; soft, shiny, and yellow. “If you want to stay here, I can make sure someone is around.”

  “As long as it’s not Butch, that would be good. I have meetings at the newspaper this week so it would be closer for me if I stayed here. I need to go home and get a few things, though.”

  “Trust me. Butch wouldn’t even look at you.”

  “Something about him doesn’t sit right with me.”

  “Because of what he did, he’ll probably never sit right with you. He’s a dumbass, but he’s not dangerous. Plus, he knows I’d kill him in a heartbeat if he touched a hair on your head.”

  Holly knitted her brows and turned on to her side. “Would you really? Isn’t that like against the rules?”

  “Generally, yeah. We don’t kill our brothers, but if one fucks with your old lady, all bets are off. Concessions would be made.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “So you don’t have to worry, okay, baby?”