Flinging the blanket off his body, he padded into his bathroom to freshen up. After doing his business down the toilet, he washed his hands and began to brush his teeth. He rubbed his abdomen where he’d gotten his recent tattoo. Glancing down, he saw it was healing nicely, and he wasn’t too concerned. The fancy writing across his abdomen, above his cock, was Tate. He’d gotten her name inked the moment his shit with The Lions was over. Murphy couldn’t risk inking his body when he was part of the other club. They’d ask too many questions.
When he finished his shower, he headed down to the kitchen where the scents of burning food met him. Lash wouldn’t let Angel cook. With Eva not allowed to visit the club and Tate gone, the food was being ruined by the sweet-butts. He couldn’t stomach the smell, let alone the taste and settled on cereal.
Rose and Hardy were at the table talking. Angel was eating cereal and sat on Lash’s lap while Nash grumbled about something. Tiny sat at the head, eating toast and flicking through the day’s paper. Murphy stayed silent as Killer joined him. Whizz and Time followed suit leaving the women to murder food.
“I don’t like Fern,” Killer said.
“She’s a bitch and probably has some disease. If you’re desperate I’d put a rubber on,” Murphy said.
“I heard that.”
Before he got involved with Tate, Murphy had been shacking up with Fern working off the desire to f**k his president’s daughter. He was the only guy who had stood up for Tate when she was younger. If he’d not stuck up for Tate, she’d never have gone to prom or any of the birthday parties she wanted to go. It was a good job Tiny hadn’t found out about any of the other parties she’d sneaked off to.
“How are you boys settling in?” Murphy asked. Out of all of The Lions these were the three men who’d stuck out. They were not like the other club men. He knew given half a chance, Killer, Whizz, and Time would be great to the club.
“We’ve got prospect work. Looking after women, getting the groceries, even passing f**king messages onto law enforcement,” Time said. The words were muffled as he was eating cereal while he did it.
The smell was getting worse from the kitchen. Female screeching was also getting louder.
“That shit f**king stinks,” Rose said, shouting to be heard.
“I did tell Lash I didn’t need to be escorted to the salon,” Angel said, cutting through the chaos to answer Time. The other man picked up at being spoken to. Murphy saw the interest in the man’s eyes and kicked him under the table. He’d have to have a word with the newbies. No one, not even a club member, f**ked with an old lady. Angel was engaged, and it would only be a matter of time before Lash owned every inch of her.
“I thought Tate went to the salon with you,” Rose said.
“She used to. I found out from reception that she cancelled her appointments and membership. I’ve not got anyone to go with.” Angel’s voice was small.
Even with his time spent with The Lions, Murphy knew the two women had gotten close. Was that why she was latching onto that new girl, Cherry?
“Tate cancelled her membership at the salon?” Tiny asked.
Angel nodded.
“Fuck!” Tiny stormed away. He was doing that a lot just recently. Murphy didn’t point it out to him. He liked living with his gen**als.
“Did I say something wrong?” Angel asked.
“No, baby. He’s having a hard time dealing with Tate. If she was a boy, Tiny would have kicked his ass by now. Tate’s different, and Tiny won’t hurt her.”
It was the truth, but Murphy was starting to think Tate needed a good f**king spanking to put her firmly in her place.
“What’s on the schedule for today?” Murphy asked.
“Not a lot. We’re hunting for the missing Lions and then dealing with our next ride,” Lash said.
Nash stood up from the table and walked away.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Girl problems I bet,” Lash said, smirking.
“Kate’s not been by for a couple of days. He’s feeling lonely.” Angel answered the question, getting up from Lash’s lap to get rid of the bowls.
He had enough of the problems circling the room. Murphy left the club and walked toward his bike. Glancing behind him, he saw Time had followed him. “What are you doing?”
“Why did you give me that look inside?”
“Angel’s taken. The Lions shared everything. Their women, their drugs, their booze, but we don’t. We’re a family. Brothers, and you don’t go f**king another brother’s woman.”
“Man, I wasn’t doing anything.”
“You were looking at Angel like you wanted to eat her pu**y. I’m telling you don’t. Lash has a short fuse, and if he thinks you’re wanting a piece of his woman, he’ll f**k you over.”
Straddling his bike, Murphy nodded at him. “Don’t mess with another brother’s woman. It’s a rule. Follow it, know it, and embrace it.”
He left the club and gunned down the street heading toward the dental practice where Tate worked. This was not the life she ever wanted. He didn’t care what she was spouting out at everyone. Tate had always wanted to be an old lady and follow in his mother’s footsteps. It’s what she’d told him, and it had been one of his promises to her, to make her his old lady.
Before he did anything else, he needed to know there was something between him and Tate. Parking his bike outside the dentist, Murphy waited for Tate to appear. Checking his watch, he saw it was a little before twelve. With the nightmares he’d been sleeping when he dropped, which usually meant early in the morning or later in the day. Drinking didn’t help settle the demons either. It was like he was being haunted by his past and present.
By the time twelve came, several women left the building. A couple of them gave him a once over and even dared to approach him.
“Hey, handsome, are you looking for someone?” she asked.
“Yeah, Tate Johnson, where is she?”
The woman laughed. “It’s her day off. I heard her and the other fat one say they were going away for the weekend.”
“What did you say?” Murphy asked. All of his protective instincts came roaring to life. He’d listened to the girls at school bully Tate because of her weight. How had the shit extended into the work place? Didn’t they see how f**king sexy she was? Her tits were huge, big enough to fill his hands and spill over. Every part of Tate was soft. He wasn’t afraid of hurting her when they were messing around with each other. Many a night he’d lain in bed thinking about her ripe, full rounded curves snuggled against him.