Poison: Devil's Rose MC #4

Chapter 16: Antonio Summers

"You are so gross!"

I playfully spin her out of my arms and guide her toward my motorcycle. Not needing any help this time, she slides her helmet on her head and complains quietly about her hair, but I know she doesn't care. She's just annoying me on purpose. 

I situate myself on the bike, feeling her grab onto my shoulders for stability to get one before wrapping her arms tightly around my waist for comfort. I love this, I love her. 

I try not to pay attention to her breasts pressing on my back, but it's slightly tricky until I force myself to pay closer attention to the road. I had no idea I could get butterflies in my stomach, I never have before, but I do now. It feels weird but good.

We park in front of the grocery store, the weight of her body off the back of the bike, making me miss the feeling of her not behind me. I swear, it's not about her breasts anymore. I mean, well kind of. But that's not the whole thing, I'm not like a creep or something. 

She's got a great and sexy and beautiful body, I'm not saying she doesn't, but that's not the whole reason I like her. It's part of it, but she's also just like a good person, and that's more important. The body and riding the motorcycle are bonuses.

I'm spiraling.

Dakota laces her fingers through mine, pulling me behind her and into the grocery store. I push the cart around, running and jumping on the back like a child as she does adulting stuff, like buying vegetables and pasta. I follow behind her, slipping chips and soda into the cart, but there is no indication that she's annoyed with me about it, so I don't stop. 

Finally, after she grabs four loaves of bread because that's the bare minimum of bread you need to survive, we head to the checkout. She directs me to bag her items, knowing that I can't just stand still while she unloads the cart. 

We make small talk with the cashier about the weather and such, and then she laughs as I pause in front of my motorcycle, trying to figure out how we're going to do this.

"Oh, Poison. My apartment is like five minutes from here. We'll drop this off and then come back."

"I can have a prospect pick it up. Give me a second."

She nods her head as I step down the bags in my hands and reach for my cell phone. There is only one ring before the phone is picked up.

"Nick here."

"Hey, do you think you could grab my bike? It's in front of the grocery store."

"Yeah, sure. I have an extra set of keys. Where do you want me to bring it?"

"The warehouse is fine. Thanks, man."

"Of course. Are you with Kota?"

"You know, I can stop you from moving up the ranks."

"I'm just playing."

"I'm not."

I can feel the major eye-rolling through the phone. I'm not wrong though. I would never do that because I like the kid, but I could if I wanted to. I hang up the phone before he can get another word in. I put my phone away, put up the bag once again, and follow Dakota as we walk to her apartment.

"Can I ask you an MC question?"

"I might have to kill you. Is it worth the risk?"

"Yes," this woman, "what's a prospect?"

Oh, that's an easy question. I thought that would be worse.

"Say someone wants to join the MC. They would be a prospect first as a test run for their personality, loyalty, ability to follow orders, and things like that. They aren't official members of the club, hence the name prospect, but they work for the club until we vote them in."

"Okay, got it. And I heard this thing from Persephone yesterday. Something like Old Lady."

"How do I put this? When an official member of the MC gets married or has a long-term relationship with a woman, she is classified as an Old Lady. However, it's a broad term and no couple is forced to use that term, at least not here."

"What if that person is a man? Or doesn't identify as either or any gender?"

"It depends what that person wants to be called or if they don't want to be called anything. We don't have a specific term, but generally, we use names. I usually identify Persephone or Fiona or Beatrice by their names, not by the fact they are married to official members."

"It's not because they are old?"

I smile down at her.

"No, it's not because they are old. I think one of them would have killed me if I said something like that."

"I bet. They are such cool people. I enjoy being around them."

"Yeah, we have a different energy that now women are around. We're less angry and more protective. It's just a better environment."

"Do you want to be with someone?"

"I do, yeah. Eventually."

"I think I do too. I don't have to be afraid."

"No, you don't."