Read Online Betting It All: A Hellfire Riders MC Romance (The Motorcycle Clubs Book 11) by Kati Wilde - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kati Wilde
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knew if I spoke up, everyone would start thinking I’ve got it as bad as Blowback.”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” I mutter and take a long drink to fortify myself. Apparently the clowns aren’t ready to stop juggling their balls yet.
“It’s all depends on the scope you’re looking through, gorgeous. You see Blowback trapping you. Everyone else sees it as him having your back. Hell, even the day you were patched in. Everyone was squabbling until he says the only thing that matters is if you can fight. You remember?”
I’m not fucking likely to forget. “He also said he didn’t think I could.”
Gunner’s grin only widens. “He knew you could. The first board meeting after Widowmaker sponsored you, Blowback asked him how long you’d been fighting. That was after he watched you for about a day. So Widowmaker told us he oversaw your training himself. At the patch meeting, I figure Blowback decided the only way to shut the assholes up was for you to show them.”
So much bullshit. Of course Stone wades back into it. “And I figure what happened then is the same thing that always happens now: He just can’t deal whenever someone starts throwing crap at you for more than a few seconds. He tries to hold it in, but then he snaps, and jumps in to defend you without thinking it through.”
“Oh, that’s real funny.” Jack doesn’t do anything without thinking it through. “You guys are so full of shit.”
“Nah.” Stone chuckles, looking pleased with himself. “But you can believe that if you like.”
“What I believe is that you’re a pair of pussies.” I set my beer aside and stand.
Still grinning, Gunner comes up off the edge of the table. “Look at you, using pussy as a demeaning term even though it pisses you off whenever you’re dismissed for possessing one.”
“You mean she’s insulting us?” Stone pouts like his feelings are hurt. “I just figure she’s always talking down to our meathead level.”
“And perpetuating its derogatory usage.”
“Aw,” I say and give Gunner’s chiseled jaw a condescending little pat. “It’s real cute when all that book learning comes out. But big tough bikers don’t like a Mr. Smartypants. So you just sit quiet and look pretty for Mama Lily, all right?”
Laughing, Gunner nods. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And take it as a compliment, dickhole. That’s what I do. When someone says you’re a pussy, you say ‘thank you.’”
“Thank you, Zoomie,” they chorus.
Damn straight.
Outside, the sun’s dropping behind the mountains and casting long shadows. I expect the ride to clear me out but I don’t even get onto the main road before Jack crowds into my head again. Jack and every bullshit thing Stone and Gunner said.
He always has your back. Yeah, sure. That’s why I’ve had a knife in my gut for five years. That’s why I’ve carried around an ache that won’t go away.
That’s why my chest is tight now, like a giant fist is squeezing my ribs. Because some stupid part of me wishes it was true.
But I know it’s not. Gunner said it all depends on the scope you’re looking through—and both he and Stone are decent guys, so they’re looking through a decent-guy lens. Jack isn’t a decent guy. A decent guy wouldn’t force someone to follow through on a bet like this. Instead he could have asked, “Hey, Lily, want to fuck?” and I’d have said yes.
God damn it all. Despite everything, I’d have said yes in a heartbeat—and Jack is the only Hellfire Rider who’d have ever gotten that answer from me.
He’d just needed to ask.
And this bet? Sure as hell isn’t about having my back. Jack’s got some other purpose.
But no matter what that purpose is, I’m going to burn his intentions to the ground.
Chapter Five
I’ve got two hours, so I ride. The highway first, but Jack’s still in my head and I can’t get him out. I turn off toward the Newberry caldera and speed toward the peak, but it’s not long before I have to slow.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” I mutter and take a long drink to fortify myself. Apparently the clowns aren’t ready to stop juggling their balls yet.
“It’s all depends on the scope you’re looking through, gorgeous. You see Blowback trapping you. Everyone else sees it as him having your back. Hell, even the day you were patched in. Everyone was squabbling until he says the only thing that matters is if you can fight. You remember?”
I’m not fucking likely to forget. “He also said he didn’t think I could.”
Gunner’s grin only widens. “He knew you could. The first board meeting after Widowmaker sponsored you, Blowback asked him how long you’d been fighting. That was after he watched you for about a day. So Widowmaker told us he oversaw your training himself. At the patch meeting, I figure Blowback decided the only way to shut the assholes up was for you to show them.”
So much bullshit. Of course Stone wades back into it. “And I figure what happened then is the same thing that always happens now: He just can’t deal whenever someone starts throwing crap at you for more than a few seconds. He tries to hold it in, but then he snaps, and jumps in to defend you without thinking it through.”
“Oh, that’s real funny.” Jack doesn’t do anything without thinking it through. “You guys are so full of shit.”
“Nah.” Stone chuckles, looking pleased with himself. “But you can believe that if you like.”
“What I believe is that you’re a pair of pussies.” I set my beer aside and stand.
Still grinning, Gunner comes up off the edge of the table. “Look at you, using pussy as a demeaning term even though it pisses you off whenever you’re dismissed for possessing one.”
“You mean she’s insulting us?” Stone pouts like his feelings are hurt. “I just figure she’s always talking down to our meathead level.”
“And perpetuating its derogatory usage.”
“Aw,” I say and give Gunner’s chiseled jaw a condescending little pat. “It’s real cute when all that book learning comes out. But big tough bikers don’t like a Mr. Smartypants. So you just sit quiet and look pretty for Mama Lily, all right?”
Laughing, Gunner nods. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And take it as a compliment, dickhole. That’s what I do. When someone says you’re a pussy, you say ‘thank you.’”
“Thank you, Zoomie,” they chorus.
Damn straight.
Outside, the sun’s dropping behind the mountains and casting long shadows. I expect the ride to clear me out but I don’t even get onto the main road before Jack crowds into my head again. Jack and every bullshit thing Stone and Gunner said.
He always has your back. Yeah, sure. That’s why I’ve had a knife in my gut for five years. That’s why I’ve carried around an ache that won’t go away.
That’s why my chest is tight now, like a giant fist is squeezing my ribs. Because some stupid part of me wishes it was true.
But I know it’s not. Gunner said it all depends on the scope you’re looking through—and both he and Stone are decent guys, so they’re looking through a decent-guy lens. Jack isn’t a decent guy. A decent guy wouldn’t force someone to follow through on a bet like this. Instead he could have asked, “Hey, Lily, want to fuck?” and I’d have said yes.
God damn it all. Despite everything, I’d have said yes in a heartbeat—and Jack is the only Hellfire Rider who’d have ever gotten that answer from me.
He’d just needed to ask.
And this bet? Sure as hell isn’t about having my back. Jack’s got some other purpose.
But no matter what that purpose is, I’m going to burn his intentions to the ground.
Chapter Five
I’ve got two hours, so I ride. The highway first, but Jack’s still in my head and I can’t get him out. I turn off toward the Newberry caldera and speed toward the peak, but it’s not long before I have to slow.
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