Woods (Aces MC Series Book 5) (5 page)

And how do you know how I'm feeling?

I wasn't in the right frame of mind to discuss anything, in
fact I just wanted to forget about what happened this evening. The physical
marks would disappear not leaving any long term damage but I needed to gain
control over my life quickly and I'd already decided to just file this evening
under experiences and make sure I learned from it. I'd cried all of my tears, I
wasn't allowing anyone to ruin my life. I had a plan and nothing and no one was
going to change that.

I don't but I know something serious even life
changing happened this evening. I'm not expecting you to talk to me about it, I
just want you to know that I'm here should you wish to.

Thank you, duly noted. You've surprised me tonight
Ramsey.

I didn't know much about him although I had done my best
over the last year to find out information. He'd taken Chloe out a few times
and I know it had caused tension among the club members although nothing was
going on. Mark had said he had proved himself so far as a prospect and I was
impressed at how he'd handled tonight's events.

Surprised you how?

You're not as tough as you make out!

Damn, you've figured me out!

I sniggered at the light heartedness and banter we were
having although I was trying hard to keep everything together.

Thanks again for saving me x

I wanted him to know how grateful I was, there was no way I
could've called anyone else this evening without opening a big can of worms.

Anytime xx

I turned the volume off and slipped my iPhone under my
pillow, I was exhausted and knew that it wouldn't be long before I fell asleep.

Woods

I walked into the clubhouse and the smell of stale beer
turned my stomach this morning, I needed a coffee before I could function
properly.
"Maggie be a love and make me a coffee," she was behind the bar trying
to help
Ruby
clean up the mess from last night's
party.
"I'm also making bacon sandwiches, can I tempt you?" Maggie stopped
wiping down the bar and stood with her hands on her hips waiting for my
response.
"You most certainly can. Do you know what, if you weren't married
and..." I trailed off, my brain hadn't kicked in yet and I didn't want to
finish the sentence by offending her.
"Go on say it and thirty years younger, you cheeky shit!" Maggie
picked up the cloth she'd been using to clean and threw it at me. "Go on,
in you go and grab a seat and I'll bring them to you in a minute." I gave
her one of my cockiest smiles and strolled to the meeting room. I hoped it
wasn't going to take long today as I had errands to run for the club and myself.

I nodded at various people as I entered the room, looking
for somewhere to sit.
"Phone!" Ramsey held the box up to my face and I swatted it away like
a fly.
"Give it a rest, I know the procedures." I took my iPhone from my
pocket and held down the button on the side to turn it off. "Happy?"
I stated sarcastically as I placed it into the box.
"Very," he answered as he made his way over to Spike to ask for his
phone.
I made my way to a spare seat in the corner between Stoney and Justice. I had a
right to sit at the table because of my role within the club as Road Captain but
I wasn't one for pulling rank and was happy to sit wherever.
"Right, five more minutes and we'll get going." Duke bellowed over
the conversations from the rest of the guys.
With that, Maggie and Ruby breezed in with a tray full of sandwiches and mugs
full of tea and coffee. "If you want milk and sugar you'll have to help
yourself." They placed the trays onto the table and the guys were like a
swarm of locust as they dived in. I stood and grabbed myself and Justice a
black coffee each, in this place it was easier to take it black as we were always
running out of milk.

"Okay settle down then guys, we only have a few things
on today's agenda." Duke took a long swig of his coffee before he sat at
the table. "Our new club Resolute is now ready to open. We've had so many
issues regarding licensing with the council but Justice has done us another
favour and taken one for the team and now it's all sorted."
The guys laughed and cheered, Justice lifted his mug and took a sip revelling
in his glory and powers of persuasion.
"I also want to let you know that Cade has decided to prospect. He's
proved himself by becoming a hang around over the last couple of months and now
Hound is going to be his sponsor."
Cade was a good lad and it turns out he was very good with his hands so he would
be great to have around to help fix up the bikes or even work in the garage.
"Next on the list, the Christmas run to Belgium has been brought forward a
couple of days. We leave on the thirteenth and plan to be back on the
twentieth. Let your old ladies know it's non-negotiable and just tell them
you'll be back in time for Christmas, which should keep them sweet."
"Have you told Ash yet?" Diesel asked with a smirk on his face.
"Erm...no! Swiftly moving on."
The guys exploded into laughter including myself. Ash was very strong willed
and I don't think she'd appreciate him going away for a week especially now
that she was pregnant. He'd have some sucking up to do to keep her sweet.

"The main news is obviously regarding recent
developments around Locke's death. CJ, Recon and Woods have been and will
continue to be involved in surveillance of SW but I don't want to put them in
the firing line so we're also looking at outside agencies. There are only so
many favours CJ can call in and there is a lot of information we need to piece
together before we act."
CJ raised his hand, "Can I also say something." Duke nodded allowing
him to continue.
"After Locke's death, Keira disappeared. Now at first, I was worried that
it had something to do with SW but it has come to light that she just wanted to
get away from everything and I can't blame her to be honest. Stoney has been
messaging her but she hasn't been very forthcoming with the responses but recently
she made contact with me. Since then I haven't been able to get hold of her but
we are doing everything possible to find out exactly where she is. We owe it to
Locke to protect her, she is the woman he loved and therefore she's family
regardless if he's here or not. We'd do it for any of your old ladies."
I glanced around the group at many sombre faces, it was hard talking about
Locke and hearing CJ's raw emotion but everything he was saying was true. We
were a family and we looked after our own.

"Okay, has anyone got anything left to add?" Duke
asked glancing around the room.
The guys shook their heads and Duke brought the gavel down ending the meeting.
Some of the guys stood eager to leave but I sat with Justice waiting for some space
to move.
"Grab me one of them mate." Justice nodded to what was left of the
bacon sandwiches. I stood and picked up two, giving one to Justice and munched
on the other.
"So how are things with you?" Justice pretty much kept himself to
himself but he was a top bloke.
"All good no drama's what about with you and Lauren?"
"She's a good girl I don't have any issues. She comes home from school and
pretty much studies, she doesn't even socialise much."
Justice sniggered, "Apart from with Ramsey."
I narrowed my brows, "What do you mean?"
"Erm...I've obviously got the wrong end of the stick."
"No you need to explain what you mean." My mind was working overtime
creating all kinds of scenarios, when would Lauren be socialising with Ramsey?
"Okay, okay. I was driving past yours last night when I saw Lauren get out
of the clubs van. I looked to see who was driving coz I thought it was strange
you not using your bike when I saw Ramsey. That's all no drama he was just
dropping her home."
I saw red, that was his fucking lot. Why would he be anywhere near Lauren the
fucking little prick?

I stood and stomped through the meeting room, "Woods
calm down mate it was only a fucking ride home."
I could feel Justice standing closely behind me but I ignored him in my haste
to find Ramsey and make it clear that he wouldn't be sniffing around Lauren
again. I walked into the bar looking around eagerly for him, "Where's
Ramsey?" I asked Stoney as I neared the bar.
"He's down there restocking the fridge," he pointed over to my right.
I lifted the wooden hatch and made my way behind the bar as I removed my blade
from its sleeve. Ramsey turned his head, "Hi Woods...what the fuck you
doing?" he asked as I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged
him onto the counter. I used my body weight to pin him down and rested my
forearm across his neck leaving just enough room for me to place my blade under
his ear.
"Stay the fuck away from Lauren do you understand me?" I said the
words slowly, calmly making sure he understood every word I said.
"But I was just..."
"I don't give a fuck what you were doing, you won't be doing it
again." I was now fully aware that the bar was quiet and everyone was
watching the altercation between us but I didn't give a shit.
"She is worth ten of you, you little cunt. If I see you sniffing around
her again I'll cut your fucking throat, I hope I'm making myself clear." I
quickly pulled the blade up nipping his ear lobe making it piss out with blood.
I backed off giving him some space, and wiped my blade on a tea towel I found
on the bar.
Ramsey grabbed his ear, "Fuck!" he cursed at the amount of blood. "She
was stranded I just gave her a lift home that's all, like I would Ash, Ink,
Angel and Maggie."
I rummaged in the box for my phone and looked up when I saw Duke and Diesel standing
directly in front of me.
"It looks like you owe the boy an apology," Duke folded his arms
assessing me.
"Gotcha," I said under my breath as I found my phone. "I don't owe
him shit," I walked around the bar and through the hatch. I pointed at
Ramsey as he sat on the bar nursing his ear, "That cunt just better stay
away from Lauren." I made it clear so everyone understood where I was
coming from before I stomped from the clubhouse.
How fucking dare he pick her up and drive her home, he should've called me if
she made direct contact. I would've made sure that she was safe and dropped
everything in order to be there for her. As I walked over to my motorcycle, I
realised that it was in fact Lauren that I was annoyed with rather than Ramsey.
He had done exactly what was expected of him as a prospect, Lauren was family
so therefore she should've been looked after. I sighed as I fastened my helmet,
she'd been no trouble whatsoever since she'd been living with me and I couldn't
go home annoyed that she'd accepted a lift in a van driven by a club member
rather than walk the streets at night. I needed to get my act together and calm
down as things could've been a hell of a lot worse.

Lauren

I was startled by my phone ringing and placed my bookmark on
the page I was reading before closing the book. I picked up my phone to see
that it was Ramsey calling.
I swiped the screen, "Hello."
"Hi babe, just a heads up Woods knows I gave you a lift home last night."
I rubbed my forehead feeling the pressure mount, "How does he know?"
"I'm not sure but I've just had a knife to my throat because I helped
you," he sniggered.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" I didn't think any of the guy's would
react like that to a prospect helping out.
"Yeah just a bloody ear but I'll live. Anyway, I just said that I saw you
walking down the street and picked you up rather than you called me."
I appreciated that he was still covering considering he'd been injured. "Oh
okay, thank you for letting me know."
"That's okay, how you doing anyway?"
I was surprised that he was still initiating conversation. "I've had a
productive day studying."
"That's not what I'm asking and you know it."
"I told you I'm fine Ramsey."
"I won't ask what happened as it's none of my business but if it's
something that should be reported to the police you need to do it or even
better let the club know so they can deal with it."
I sighed, I knew he was trying to be nice but this was my mess to deal with.
I'd cried my tears yesterday but today was a new day and I'd filed those feelings
firmly away and was now moving on. I was on a mission to achieve so much in my
life, I was not going to allow three fucked up pricks to spoil everything for
me. If I went to the police or informed the club everything would be dragged up
and Woods would only blame himself. He'd been so good to me over the years
sacrificing a lot in order to make sure I wanted for nothing including love and
I wasn't going to repay him by being like Brooke. She brought drama home every
week but we weren't a Jeremy Kyle family, I'd been brought up with morals and
manners and knew how to respect people. There was no way I was putting Mark
through that even if it meant bottling everything up inside forever, I owed him
that much.

"I appreciate all that you've done Ramsey but I have no
reason to go to the police. Like I said last night, it was just a stupid
mistake. One that I have to live with but everything happens for a reason and
as long as I learn from my mistakes and don't let it happen again then it's
worth it."
"You're a stubborn woman."
I sniggered, "Not stubborn, I just know what I want from life and how I'm
going about it to achieve my dreams."
"It's great that you're so driven, what is it that you want to
become."
"A chartered surveyor." I said proudly.
"Oh okay, whatever floats your boat."
"My parents both had very successful careers so I want to do this for
them. Does that make sense?"
"Perfect sense babe."
I heard the sincerity in his voice, "I've got exams in a couple of weeks
so I need to knuckle down and revise."
"By the sounds of things you're always working. You need to devise a healthy
balance between working and downtime otherwise you'll burn out."
I sniggered, "Mark says this to me all the time."
"Because he's right."
"Yeah I know but I only have another year and my grades will determine
what university I can study at next year."
"And then how long at uni?"
"Three years."
"See, that's why you need to establish a healthy balance now."
He's statements took me by surprise, "How comes you know so much about this."
"Believe it or not my dad was a broker in the city, he worked very
hard."
"Really?" I was ashamed that my voice portrayed so much disbelief.
"Yeah."
"You say was so what does he do now?" The guys always brought
partners, sisters, brothers and children to the clubhouse during parties, not
usually parents so it was common not to know much about them.
"He's no longer with us, like I say you need to learn to have down time
also."
I heard Marks motorcycle pull up outside the house, "Marks just arrived,
can we possibly talk tomorrow?"
"Yeah sure, I'd like that."
"Me too, good night Ramsey."
"Night."
I quickly turned off my main light and although fully dressed snuggled under
the covers. I heard the front door and then Mark jogging up the stairs. He
lightly tapped on the door before pushing it open. I felt him loiter for a
while as I pretended to be asleep. He must've had a lot on his mind to come in
and want to talk to me straight away but I really didn't want to be discussing
last night's events as that was filed under learning experiences in my head and
that particular file wouldn't be visited again for a while.
When he was convinced that I was genuinely asleep, he quietly shut my bedroom
door and I let out a sigh that I didn't even know that I was holding. I lay in
the darkness contemplating everything that had happened in the past twenty-four
hours and couldn't believe how I'd chosen to deal with it but I knew it would
work for me. I needed to do it this way, I needed to just forget that nothing
happened and less people would get hurt.