The Winter of Regrets (7 page)

“What the fuck were you thinking?” he asked her softly, the fury building inside. “Fucking Nailz is nuts when he drinks and is in a bad mood. You knew that.”

“Fuck Nailz,” she muttered coldly. “I said what needed to be said. We’ll get him off that will. Take this ice and let me get out of this damn place. If Hunter was alive, this shit wouldn’t be happening.”

Elena pushed Thrash’s hand away and stood up, handing him the cloth filled with melting ice cubes.

“Elena …”

“I hate this club and all it stands for,” she stated. “I knew coming here was a big mistake. I’m going to get Rhiannon and go home. I’ll see you around, Thrash.” She turned to Joy. “I need a ride to Kima’s house to get my truck.” She either didn’t notice the look of pain on Thrash’s face, or deliberately ignored it, her own emotions getting the better of her. She grabbed her coat and walked to the door, waiting for Joy to meet her so she could leave.

Joy grabbed Jersey’s keys off the bar and looked up at Thrash. “Tell Jerz I’ll be right back. Thrash, she doesn’t know what she just said. Nailz never should have hit her, drunk or not. Your asshole brother just knocked any relationship with Elena off the table. I hope you know that. Elena doesn’t forgive like Kima does.” She gave him a look of pity, then went to give Elena her ride.

Kima sat watching everyone wondering what the hell would happen next. How could Jo be telling their mother anything when Jo wasn’t even coming to her house? Jo had closed herself off completely to everyone since the day Dee had taken them shopping for the wedding dress. She pushed her hand through her hair and wanted to go home. This was not the night out she had hoped for and she was tired. Veiko was busy talking to Tramp as Kima put on her coat. Tears was still with Thorn, so she motioned to Cisco. The large man came over to her immediately.

“Hey, Cisco. I’m heading home. Tell V I’ll see him there, please. I don’t want to bother him while he’s talking, so I’ll just slip out.”

“Sure, Kima. Looks like they’ll be awhile. You sure you don’t need a ride? You look shaken up.” Cisco figured he’d at least offer.

Kima rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen worse. There’s no sense in hanging around. The night’s ruined. Make sure you let him know as soon as you can.” She pushed a few dollar bills toward him. Nobody even noticed as she slipped out.

Thorn tossed aside the rag that was covered in his blood and stood up. Tearney stopped crying, having composed herself. She watched silently as Thorn took off his colors and headed toward Tramp. She looked around the clubhouse and saw the other women had disappeared. Her drink was still on the bar and she wanted it. What Thorn was going to do would rock this clubhouse.

Cisco stood in front of her drink. “Hey,” she said to him. “Can I get a double shot of the strongest tequila you’ve got?”

Cisco grabbed the only bottle they stocked and poured her half a glass. He put a saltshaker down on the bar and muttered, “No lime or lemons.”

Both had their eyes on Thorn who pushed his way to Tramp. Tramp saw Thorn coming and motioned everyone but Veiko away. He watched the young bloodied biker come up next to him, his colors in his hand.

“I’m done, Tramp. I can’t fight with a brother who’s my father-in-law.” Thorn wiped at the cut across his eyebrow with his bandana. The cut needed to be stitched and the blood dripped down his face.

“I can deal with Nailz. He’ll be losing his colors for his bullshit. Darko wants you, eh?” Tramp spoke gruffly.

Thorn wiped at his eye. “Yeah, he does. And to be honest, I think it’d be a better fit for me. The clubhouse, my dad meant for Bound for Hell to have, and it will stay that way even if I break the will, unless a judge says otherwise. I got no issue with any of the bros but Nailz, and Hunter would be pissed if I tore this club apart. I knew when I got with Tears there was a chance of this. You okay with me leaving on good terms?” Thorn pulled his buck knife from the sheath on his belt, ready to cut his patch off.

Veiko spoke up. “I don’t wanna see you go, bro … but I told Tramp I thought it was best. You’re always gonna be our brother, always have a place in this club—and if it doesn’t work with Nefarious, you come back, you hear me? You’re out in good standing and free to join Nefarious, bro.”

“I appreciate that,” he said, “but for me, it’s time to move on. Never thought I’d say that, man.”

Tears stroked his hand, but he pushed her away. She moved aside to let him do this his own way.

Jersey slapped Thorn on the back. “Bro, you can’t see with that blood dripping in your eye. I’ll cut them off for you. Afterwards, I’ll take you to the ER to get that eye stitched, too. Now sit your ass down before ya fall on it.”

“I want some of those patches, Jerz. The ones with my dad’s name, leave ‘em. Just take the ones you gotta.” Thorn winced as the colors he had once loved so much were carefully cut from his denim vest.

Thorn watched the men with whom he’d once planned to be brothers for life, and felt at peace. He was making the best choice. He wiped at his bleeding cut again, sat down, then looked at his wife. He motioned her over and she came quickly, slipping her small hand into his larger one. “It’s going to be fine, Tears. Your dad will cool down and all of this will be forgotten. We’ll be outta his sight and, in time, things will work out.”

“No,” she said, her voice heavy, “it isn’t going to be fine. Don’t call that bastard my father. He hit Elena, he hit Veiko, and he hit
you!
I’ll never ever forgive him for tonight. Your face is going to be scarred too.”

She tried to look at the bloody cut, but Thorn pulled her down into his lap. “Scars bother you, baby? Because I’ll probably be getting more of them over the years.” He whispered gently into her ear.

“You’re getting that one stitched before we go home,” she muttered, a bit bossy, then finally gave her man a lopsided smile.

The clubhouse seemed to go back to normal with Cisco sweeping up the broken glass and the brothers gathered around the pool table. The jukebox played music again and the familiar scent of pot filled the air.

Veiko sat at a table with his chair tilted back, taking it all in. He was pissed off and felt like he had let Hunter down. Fucking Nailz had a lot of explaining to do. He’d miss Thorn, but they’d always be brothers. He looked around for Kima, forgetting Cisco had muttered she’d gone home earlier. It was going to be a long night and, to be honest, home was the best place for his ol’ lady. He’d give her a call to make sure she knew it was all good, but he doubted he’d be going home to her tonight.

N
ailz stumbled into Central Jersey’s clubhouse with a drunken grin on his face. He loved this place. It held many good memories for him, and it was
home.
Sea Woods didn’t feel like home to him yet and he missed this place. Bikers looked up and gave him a chin-nod, which he returned. Snake was sitting with Bullet at the bar with some chick he’d never seen before. She was rather plain but sported a big juicy ass. In his drunken state, it looked mighty fine enough to him. Nailz slipped beside her and cupped a cheek. The chick didn’t even jump, so he figured she was just another biker slut. If she didn’t have a donkey face, maybe he’d fuck her. Wasn’t like he was getting anything from Jo lately.

He turned her so he could look at her. Bullet and Snake didn’t protest. She had a nice wide mouth, just the way he used to like his sluts to have—a big loud mouth to shove his big fat cock into and shut them up, cum on their face, then walk the hell away, or else shoot his load down their throats and gag them. Occasionally he’d fuck a slut or, as they liked to say, he
nailed
them, hence his club name. He’d nailed plenty of sluts in his life before he married Jo. He shuddered, thinking of his red-haired shrew of a wife. She was the one person he didn’t want to think about. He eyed up Bullet and Snake as he sat down.

“What’re you lickers doin’?” he grunted at them. “Ain’t seen much of you two lately, but I don’t get up here near as much as I should.” Nailz was slurring his words. He pounded his cut-up fist on the bar, wanting a drink.

Bullet and Snake looked at each other, wondering what the hell was up with Nailz. They hadn’t seen him this wasted since before he met Jo. Nailz didn’t get sloppy drunk, and he was way past that now. They looked at Rebecca, who seemed to study Nailz with interest. She would be able to handle the big man easily. Still, she needed to be warned.

Snake pulled her aside. “Rebecca, if you fuck Nailz and tell a soul, I’ll cut your tongue out. I swear to God if his wife ever hears a word, you’ll won’t lick another dick.” His hand grabbed her throat and he looked into her frightened eyes with his dark ones, clearly enjoying the pain he was giving her. He didn’t like this slut; she was a mean gossip who wasn’t nice to the other girls at all. “You got me, bitch?”

Rebecca quivered under Snake’s hand. She rasped, “Not a word outta my mouth, I swear to God, Snake. Let me go. I’ll do whatever he wants and nobody will know.”

Snake smiled cruelly. “Good. He’s fucked up, so grab a bottle of JD and get him into the back room. We don’t need him getting outta control in the bar. Better do your best to make him happy; he can be a real bastard.”

He let her go and watched her hurry to lean over the bar and ask for a bottle of JD. He nodded to the prospect who looked at him for permission. With a slight nod, the bottle was in Rebecca’s hands.

Bullet tried to make sense out of Nailz’ slurred rambling but quickly grew tired of it. He watched Snake handle the slut and the problem of Nailz with ease. Bullet liked a quick thinker, and if he was going to run this chapter, Snake would be a good VP.

“Nailz, bro, the chick wants to take your drunken ass in the back and make ya happy. Think your dick will get hard?” Bullet knew Nailz well enough to know that ribbing him would get him to prove his dick did indeed work.

“Bottle of Jack and a hot mouth? Fuck you, Bullet. I’m down with that. The chick will have to suck me off for hours, though. I get whiskey dick. Where’s the bitch?” He looked around, then found her by the bar. “What the hell’s your name, hun? Ya wanna get lucky and suck me off?”

“My name’s Rebecca,” she answered dryly, “and I have a bottle of JD. I’d love to make you happy, Nailz.” She looked up at him with a big smile on her face. The bottle pressed against her tits, and she ran her tongue over her top lip, darting it in and out. She widened her eyes at Nailz.

That was all Nailz needed: a woman wanting to make him happy and not complain. High-fiving Snake and Bullet, he left with her to go to the back room.

After his departure, Bullet lit a cigarette and exhaled the smoke in a bluish cloud. “Nailz ain’t himself. Something’s off. Tramp is down in Sea Woods tonight. I’m a’ call down there and see what the fuck’s up.” He stood up and grabbed the change from the bar and headed to the payphone in the hallway.

Snake kept his eyes on the hallway watching Bullet and making sure Nailz didn’t come out of the back room. Bullet had called it; something was really off with the big man tonight and he didn’t need to be fighting with Nailz. Usually Nailz won, and he didn’t want to be in a fight with him. That slut Rebecca had better keep the man happy.

“Fucking Nailz was supposed to go home, not come up here. Fuck us! Tramp wants him here in the morning, big meeting. He’s sending Inky and Slick up here now to make sure he doesn’t leave.” Bullet kicked the barstool over. He noticed a lone biker walking through the door and called to him. “Nico. Over here. What the hell went down tonight with Nailz?”

Nico righted the overturned stool and put his helmet on the bar. “Nailz attacked Veiko and Thorn. Fucker slapped Elena too, and Tramp ain’t happy. Thorn turned his patch in. He’s going over to Nefarious, but in good standing. Hell of a night, glad I got a room up here. I ain’t into the woods; hit a deer, and you’re a goner on a bike. Where’s Nailz? I spotted his truck so I decided to check on him. CeeCee is waiting in the hotel room for me.” He motioned the prospect bartending. “Rum and coke, and not the shit rum.”

Snake grinned. “Rebecca’s keeping him happy in the back room. So far. Hope for our sake she keeps him occupied all night.”

The three bikers all laughed and hoped Nailz was having the time of his life so he wouldn’t become a problem for them.