The last thing Calder remembered before his chair was swept out from underneath him was Shade’s furious face.
Crazy Bitch had been responsible for him being knocked out twice that night, and she hadn’t lifted a hand.
6
“Damn, Shade, I was just joking!” Crazy Bitch remained seated, despite wanting to make sure Calder was okay.
The Last Rider who took Calder out with one swing of his fist sat unconcerned that he was a guest in another clubhouse.
She was more furious at herself than Shade. Everyone who knew Shade knew he had a hair trigger temper where his wife was concerned.
“You see me laughing?”
Lily glared at her husband, trying to get off his lap. His club members weren’t happy, either.
“Sorry, Stud.”
Viper and Knox helped Calder back onto his seat.
“What did I say this time?”
Crazy Bitch lifted her bottle of beer, trying to hide her smile at Calder’s question. The man already had one swollen eye. Now the other one was starting to swell.
Her smile disappeared when Ginger came to the table with ice wrapped in a bar towel.
“This will make it feel better,” the slut crooned sickeningly.
Crazy Bitch eyed Ginger vindictively, watching her display of concern. He was fine. She didn’t need to act like he was actually hurt. Hell, she could take a punch from Shade and not blink an eye.
“Sorry,” Shade mumbled at Lily’s anger.
“So, you going to tell me what I did?”
“It was my fault for running my mouth.” Crazy Bitch wasn’t apologizing to Calder but Lily. Every bitch knew that Shade was a Dominant. When they had first met Lily, the poor lamb had no idea of the caliber of wolf that was breathing down her neck. Their marriage had to have been an eye opening experience. That’s for damn sure.
She saw Calder looking toward her, and then at Lily.
“You trying to get me killed?” he snarled at her.
“If I wanted you dead, you would be dead.” Crazy Bitch made a kissy face at him. “Shade was just giving you a little love pat. If he really wanted to hurt you, your ass would be heading to the hospital.”
Train pulled Killyama back to her chair after she went to the bar and brought Calder a beer.
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Killyama scolded.
“If Calder needs a beer, he can get it himself, or get Ginger to get it for him.”
“Why do you give a fuck that I got Calder a beer? It was one of your friends who knocked his beer out of his hand.”
“I guess he wasn’t as hard to take down as you thought.”
Train’s jealousy was ticking off her friend. Crazy Bitch thought about telling Train he was walking a fine line of returning home without Killyama if he made her any madder. Instead, she decided to let the fight she had unknowingly instigated play out. It had been too long since there had been a fight in the club.
“What are you talking about?”
“You remember when we were at the party at Rosie’s and you told me I couldn’t take Calder with his hands and feet tied behind his back,” Train reminder her smugly.
“Number one, you ain’t Shade. Number two, Shade hit Calder when he wasn’t expecting it. And fucking number three, you aren’t Shade.”
Crazy Bitch’s mouth curled into a devious smile as she watched the fight. “A Last Rider couldn’t beat a Destructor in a fair fight.” She added more fuel to the fire.
“You trying to start another brawl? Isn’t two in one night enough for you?” Calder lowered the ice from his swollen eye.
“Two?”
“Never mind. Quit trying to rile everyone up. We were having a good time until you got here.”
She looked down at the table, strangely hurt. What he thought had never hurt her before.
“Don’t take it out on my bitch that Shade handed you your ass on a platter. She’s right.”
Crazy Bitch gave Sex Piston a grateful look for being in her corner.
“That’s for sure.” Killyama gave Train the cold shoulder when he tried to touch her hand that was laying on the table.
“Knox could take on all the Destructors with his hands and feet tied behind his back.” Diamond gave a sickeningly sweet smile that almost had Crazy Bitch vomiting up the popcorn and candy bar she had eaten at the movie.
“Stud could take out Knox like that.” Sex Piston snapped her fingers in front of her sister’s reddening face.
“Only if he was riding on one of those motorcycles he makes and Knox couldn’t catch him.”
“Maybe we should stop before someone’s feelings get hurt,” Lily suggested tentatively.
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re married to Shade.”
“I don’t understand.” Lily looked at Sex Piston.
“No one wants to mess with Shade because he’s a mean motherfucker, but Stud and Calder could beat him because they’re smarter.”
“Are you saying my husband is stupid?” Lily frowned as she leaned toward Sex Piston.
Shade curled an arm around his wife’s waist, pulling her back to his chest.
“What’s two plus two?” Sex Piston asked Shade with hostility.
“Four.”
“Good guess. I bet you had to think a minute, didn’t ya?”
“Sex Piston, everyone knows that answer. You’re just being a bitch.” Stud glowered down at his wife. “The Last Riders and the Destructors are friends; we’re not going to know who could win a fight between any of us. Even though I agree with you,” Stud said, trying to soothe his wife’s temper.
“Really? I agree with Diamond more.” Viper winced when Winter hit him on his shoulder.
“I’m not going to watch you, or any of The Last Riders or the Destructors, get in a fight to feed yours and Stud’s egos.” Winter started to stand. “It’s time to go home.”
“In a minute. I wasn’t thinking of a fight. I was thinking more about a bet.”
Crazy Bitch watched as the club members drew closer to hear what was going on at the table between the two clubs.
“What kind of bet?” Stud questioned.
“My jacket against yours. We’ll hide them, and whoever finds it can hang the loser’s jacket in their clubhouse,” Viper explained.
Stud looked at Calder. The brothers were all grinning down at him, wanting him to accept the bet.
“Let’s make this more interesting. In my jacket, I’ll put the keys of the bike I just finished.”
Crazy Bitch had no intention of playing until the bikes were mentioned. She could sell one and have the other to ride. The bike she had now was broken, and she had been without a ride since, unless it was on the back of one of the Destructors’ or the car that was on its last leg.
“I’ll put the keys of one of Rider’s bikes in mine. Since it was my idea, I’ll set the rules. The jackets will be hidden by someone impartial. Each club has to have their members searching in groups of two. I don’t want anyone stranded out alone or hurt without backup.
“I agree.” Stud nodded.
“You can have as many teams as you want, but Killyama and Train, you’ll have to figure out who you’re playing for before the game starts. Everyone should find their partners tonight. That way, we can figure out if the clubs have equal numbers competing.”
“There are more Last Riders than Destructors,” Stud said. “Some of The Last Riders won’t be—”
“I don’t have any objection to letting the Blue Horsemen join with the Destructors,” Viper added smoothly, looking toward Calder questioningly.
“The Blue Horsemen accept. I’ll add my jacket and the keys to my bike.”
“You don’t have to. I only suggested because the Destructors are a charter of Blue Horsemen.”
Calder earned a trace of respect from Crazy Bitch that he wanted to pay the same price Stud would pay for playing the game.
His bike was sweet. He and Stud had worked a month building it. Crazy Bi
tch nearly salivated at the thought of winning that motorcycle. If she worked seven days a week, she still wouldn’t be able to afford that bike.
“Sounds like we have a bet.” Viper held his hand out to Stud, and then to Calder. She watched the three men shake, already planning who she would team up with.
“Who are we going to get to hide the jackets?”
“I have the perfect person in mind, if he’ll agree.” Viper grimaced.
“Who do you have in mind?” Stud asked.
“Greer Porter.”
“Hell, that fucker will keep it for himself.” Shade shook his head at his president’s answer.
“Shade, call him and ask him to come here. Tell him I’ll make it worth his time. While we’re waiting for him, let’s see how many teams we’ll have.”
Everyone started talking at once, deciding who was going to ride together. Train and Killyama both started arguing over who they would ride for, while the rest of the married couples quickly stated they would be working together.
Crazy Bitch stood up, going to Bear. “You want to partner up with me?”
“Sorry. I just texted T.A. She said she’d ride with me.”
“Fuck.” Crazy Bitch started to ask Pike, but saw Ginger had beat her to it. Staring across the crowded bar, she ticked her options off. There weren’t many. Fat Louise would ride with Cade. The other brothers were quickly rattling off their names to Viper and Stud, who were making a list.
Looney seemed to be having the same trouble she was having. When his eyes met hers, she glanced away. The biker might be good-looking, but he was a wild card—you never knew how he would react. One day he would partner with you, then forget it the next.
When she glanced away from Looney, her gaze was caught by Calder. Hell no, she thought to herself. She would rather ride with Looney.
Giving Calder a haughty look, she started walking toward Looney, only to see him high-fiving Dozer.
“Dammit.” Stopped short, she decided to cut to the chase. Grabbing a chair, she climbed onto it. “Any of you fuckers willing to partner with me?” she shouted out across the room.
Dead silence greeted her question.
“Pussies!” she yelled. “Who doesn’t have a partner?”
No one answered.
“Warrick? Who you riding with?”
“Puck,” the biker shouted back.
“Rolo?”
“Gator.”
“I’ll ride with you if you leave that whip at home.” Calder stood up shakily, holding the edge of the table for support.
Crazy Bitch ignored him, pretending she hadn’t heard his offer. “Killyama, you could ride with me, and Train could ride for The Last Riders. Come on; do a bitch a solid,” she pleaded, becoming desperate. She didn’t want to ride with Calder.
“We decided to pass. We’re going to be babysitters. Someone has to stay home and make sure the kids are fed.” Killyama gave her a sympathetic glance.
Crazy Bitch couldn’t blame her. She wouldn’t jeopardize creating hard feelings, either, if Train were in her bed.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
Crazy Bitch ignored Calder again. “Z, who you riding with?”
“Rooster.”
Her shoulders slumped at his quick response. Jumping off the chair, she forced her feet to carry her toward Calder. He didn’t look at her when she approached.
“I guess I’ll ride with you,” she said glumly.
“Maybe I don’t want to ride with you anymore. I was thinking I could help Train and Killyama with the babysitting.”
“Fucker, you asked me twice,” she muttered, not wanting the rest of the club to hear Calder turning her down.
“And you turned me down twice. The least you could do is ask me nicely.”
Crazy Bitch bit her tongue to keep from saying what she wanted to say. “Will you ride with me?”
“If we win, I keep my bike.”
She nodded reluctantly, the image of her driving his bike disappearing.
“If we’re partners, I won’t have to put up with your bitchy attitude?”
Crazy Bitch stared around the clubroom, hoping she had missed someone she could partner with. There wasn’t.
“I’ll give it a rest until I find the jackets,” she agreed.
“Don’t you mean, until we find the jackets?”
If she hadn’t seen the bike that Calder and Stud had built, she would have told him to bite her. Killyama had also told her about the quality of motorcycles Rider owned in his private stash. It was worth taking some shit from Calder to get her hands on one of them.
“Yes.”
Calder gave her a satisfied smirk. “Then I guess we’re partners.”
Crazy Bitch wasn’t as enthusiastic. “Whoopie.”
7
Crazy Bitch sat at the bar, surveying the occupants of the clubroom. The Destructors were already confidently bragging about what they would do if they won the bikes. The Last Riders just sat talking, cool as cucumbers.
They weren’t fooling her. They wanted the bikes as badly as she did. Some motorcycles were made to be ridden on, and then there were a few that were fucking sick. Hell, half the Destructors didn’t have the capability of riding those bikes without ending up as road kill.
“Why you sitting over here by yourself?” Calder leaned against the bar next to her.
“I’m waiting for Dozer to bring a case of Miller Lite from the back.” She wasn’t about to admit her feelings were still hurt that none of the brothers wanted to partner with her.
“Oh, I thought it might be because of something else.” Calder shrugged.
“Like what?” Her shoulders and jaw locked belligerently.
“Why do you have to be so confrontational all the time? Jesus, I was just wondering.”
“It’s a habit.”
“Then you need to cool it. You used to be a little fun. All the brothers used to fight over who got to dance with you. Now, you rip their heads off if they look at you too long. Just because you’re seeing Sam hot and heavy doesn’t mean the rest of us should be treated like horseshit.”
“Sam and I are history.”
“You are?”
“We are.”
“So, you’re taking him breaking up with you out on us?”
“Get your facts straight! I broke up with him.”
“Then I don’t understand, why the chip on your shoulder?”
“You want the truth?” Crazy Bitch turned to stare at him fully, not caring if anyone else overheard. “I’m sick of men. I’m so sick of them I’ve decided to take a break from them.”
“How in the hell are you going to take a break from men?”
“Easy. What am I going to miss, anyway? Their companionship? There isn’t any. The only time they give me attention is when they want to get laid, and as soon as they get it, they roll over and go to sleep. My cat gives me more attention. I can’t remember the last time a man bought me a burger past the first date. They want to throw out how women are supposed to pay for themselves when they go out with them. I don’t have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is when they want me to buy theirs, too. Men either stand you up”—she couldn’t resist that particular dig at him—“or, when they do show up, they give you a drunken kiss that tastes like another woman. I’m tired of the bullshit—have been for a while—so excuse me if I’m not kissing someone’s ass just to fill the other side of my bed.”
“It’s not easy for men, either.”
“Really? What problems do you have, Calder? Which slut do you want to spend the night with? Ginger and Gina have been all over you tonight. Take my advice; if I were you, I’d pick Ginger. I saw Gina coming out of Dozer’s room half an hour ago.”
“Some women can be just as irritating. When’s the last time you’ve seen me take a bitch to my bed?”
Crazy Bitch had to think about that. It had been a while, she had to admit to herself.
“Either they’re just using y
ou, or they are accusing you of knocking them up. When Demie couldn’t blame her being pregnant on Cade, she accused me. I might have fucked her when I got out of prison, but I was gloved every damn time. I had to spend two hundred dollars on a paternity test, and so did two other brothers. When she left the club, none of us knew who the father ended up being; we just knew it wasn’t us. Men are supposed to just take a woman’s bullshit.”
Crazy Bitch was pretty sure that was a dig at her.
“We’re supposed to suck it up as if we don’t have any feelings because, guess what? Men aren’t supposed to have any of those. And let’s not forget, if you fuck up, they never let you forget, even though you’ve apologized over a dozen times,” he added.
Yeah, it was a dig at her.
Crazy Bitch sighed. “All right, you win. I’ll cool it with throwing it up to you that you stood me up.”
Calder squinted at her from two swollen eyes. “I told you I wanted another chance with you. I can understand you going through a manhater phase, but if you want to win one of those bikes, then we have to come to a compromise.”
“Only one? If we win, you can keep your bike and all three of the jackets. I think that’s fair.”
“How is that fair? We’ll let the Destructors have the jackets. I’ll keep my bike, you can take your choice of the other two, and we’ll sell the one you don’t want and split the money.”
“I want both bikes,” she argued.
“Why?”
“I want to sell the one I don’t want. I need the money. I don’t want to share.”
“I don’t either, but I will. I need the money, too.”
“Fine, but you pay for the gas when we’re out looking for clues.”
“I can live with that.” Calder grinned. “Don’t look so angry; it’s supposed to be fun.”
“It’ll be fun when I’m wearing Viper’s jacket to the next party we have with The Last Riders.”
“I thought you were friends with them?”
“I am. That doesn’t mean I can’t torture them. They expect me to. I might be able to bribe Rider to take me out on a bike ride the way Killyama did. That worked out great for her. Maybe it will for me, too.”
“I thought you were off men.”