"Doyle," Charlie mumbled. Axle pulled Charlie behind him, shielding her from the other bikers.
"You lost, Venom." "You're a long way from Sacramento," Axle growled, tightening his grip on Charlie's hand. The curly blonde named Venom snickered at Axle's comment. "I heard my girl was back, had to see it for myself." Venom winked in her direction.
Charlie side-stepped Axle momentarily. "I have never been your girl." "I would never be your girl." "I would rather pour kerosene on myself and stand next to a brush fire." She spat angrily. Axle chuckled a little at her response.
"Venom, you are way out of your territory." "I've told you to keep your ass away from my sister." Viper warned moving closer to the curly blonde. "I'm not fucking scared of you, Viper." Venom mocked brazenly.
Viper licked his lips and moved in closer. "You should." He whispered. "I suggest you boys ride back over that state line." Irish piped him. "No need in getting your panties in a twist old man." "We were here on business, just stopped by on our way home." Venom smiled at Charlie.
Venom gave the side-eye to his VP. "Lords, let's ride!" Sniper shouted. The rival bikers exited the bar without incident.
"I hate that guy." Charlie voiced irritated. "That dude is a total buzz kill," Bas said, holding Piper close to him.
"What the fuck is he doing in Reno?" Viper asked, scouring the group for answers. "Yeah, the Lords know not to cross the line without telling us." Irish added. "Have you had any problems with them lately?" Viper asked Axle.
Axle shook his head. "We haven't had an issue with the Lords in years." "Been quiet on their side of the line." "Well, Venom said they were here on business." Capone reminded them.
"Spook, look into it." "Check CCTV footage around Reno and see if you can get a lock on where they were earlier." Axle instructed. Viper gave a quick look to Bas that the brute immediately understood.
"Piper sweetie, why don't you and the ladies get some more drinks." He suggested a subtle way of saying they needed to discuss club business. Piper nodded, leading the girls to the other side of the room.
"You, too, Charlie." Viper stated dryly. "I have club privileges; I'm allowed to know some stuff." She openly challenged her brother. Perhaps it wasn't the best path to take with him, but she truly hated not knowing everything.
"Charlie, if you don't get your ass to the other side of the room; what I say next will not be what a brother would say to his sister." "Understand?" He asked rhetorically. She glared at her brother before stomping away frustrated.
"Do you think the Lords have any connection to what happened with Menace?" The Unholy asked. It was the same question they all were thinking. "Not sure, but we need to find out." Viper answered.
Viper motioned Axle to talk privately while the others discussed a game plan for the Lords. Viper quickly flicked a silver-plated knife from his pocket. Axle tensed at his gesture. "Don't think I didn't see you with my sister." "Nothing escapes me." Viper warned in a low and deep done.
"I won't apologize for it," Axle replied, not backing down either. Viper scoffed with a slight smirk dancing across his lips. "You're just like me, Axle." "You're about the life...the parties, the booze, and all the pussy you can have." He confessed, waving his arms towards the room with the knife still in his hand.
The environment Viper described was exactly the one they were currently in. They were in a strip club owned by the MC. Naked women were performing acrobatic routines on metal poles stationed in various places around the club. Other women were fulfilling fantasies to the men openly and privately. Not even 10 minutes ago, Viper was getting his dicked swallowed by a random whore.
"She's better than all of this." "She's better than me and better than you." "Stay away from her." Viper warned. He paused for a brief second and turned back around. "This will be my only warning." Viper threatened, retracting the knife and putting it back in his pocket.
Axle knew Viper was right about Charlie being better than all of this, even him. He also knew Viper was serious with his threat. Axle stood there focusing his eyes on Charlie who was sitting at the bar. The way her eyes sparkled when she genuinely laughed made him smile. She would be everything to him.
He just wasn't sure if he could be everything for her.
*******
It'd been 2 weeks since the Skulls' little encounter with the Lords of Hades. Spook told the members during church he caught Venom and the boys entering the underground parking garage at the Circus Circus Casino.
Hawk starts laughing. "Does Venom have a gambling itch we don't know about?"
"I've known Venom a while, he doesn't gamble." "That motherfucker is a cheap bastard." "He wouldn't waste his money on machines or the tables." Priest piped in.
"Well shit, besides gambling, why else would anyone go to Circus Circus?" Ice asked. "Not sure," Capone answered. "I've asked Finley and Leslie to check it out." Axle informed them. Finley and Leslie are Harlots.
"When do they go?" The Unholy asked. "Tonight." "Tank, Hawk, and Beast will go with them." Axle explained.
Axle dismissed church but stayed in the room with Priest.
"How is Charlie doing with the ledgers?" Axle asked, lighting up a cigarette. Lightly laughing, Priest shook his head. "She's practically buried herself in Menace's old office." "Yesterday, I caught her sprawled out on the floor...looks like she fell asleep." Priest told him.
"Where is she now?" Axle asked. "Where she always is...Menace's office." He laughed again. Axle quickly put out his cigarette. "Keep me posted on Venom." He instructed before heading towards their old prez's office.
Menace's old office was essentially a small utility closet right next to the meeting room.
Axle didn't bother knocking on the door. He slowly opened it revealing Charlie stretched out on the floor with her hair slightly tussled while she dangled her glasses along her bottom lip.
"Oh, Jesus!" Charlie yelped clutching her chest, surprised by the bruiting biker standing against the door frame. Axle came inside, closing the door behind him.
"Anything interesting?" He motioned towards the stack she was sitting on. Charlie combed the falling strands of her hair with her glasses, letting them rest on the crown of her head.
Axle found her extremely sexy with those glasses. The whole librarian look was making his dick harder than a cement block.
Charlie got up from the floor and walked back towards the messy desk in the corner. "I'm finding some discrepancies with your two strips club." She informed him, leaning back against the desk.
"What kind of discrepancies?" Axle asked curiously. His ears perked up by what she told him. "I'm not sure, yet." "Just a few things I noticed, but I'd like to keep digging." She smiled.
Axle couldn't keep himself from staring at her. And she couldn't stop looking at him either. The tension in the room was thick...suffocating each of them as they drowned in emerging feelings both were wrestling against.
Charlie looked at the clock on the wall. "I should get going." She sighed, breaking Axle from his trance.
She grabbed her bag, putting some files inside, and then made her way towards the door.
Axle grabbed her hand. She looked at him, her green eyes pleading with him to make a move. Charlie knew this was wrong. She knew her brother would never allow it.
Growing up in a biker family, she knew the life and the code they lived by. It was something both her father and brother wanted her to stay away from, more so Viper than anyone.
Axle contemplated whether or not to kiss her. Her plump lips screaming at him. He gulped the lump in his throat as he felt his chest start to constrict. He'd never felt this kind of pull towards a woman ever in his life.
All of a sudden, he felt his throat close up. He was having difficulty breathing. Axle thought he was having a heart attack, but then soon realized he was having a panic attack.
"Axle, are you alright?" Charlie asked concerned when she heard his voice start to become labored. When she moved closer to him, Axle recoiled his body away from her, causing her face to frown.
"I can't... I got to go." He blurted out, storming out the room.
Axle ushered his feet quickly to his room. He locked the door as soon as he stepped inside. Leaning his head against the door with his hands pressed on either side. He continued to calm his breathing.
He was completely stunned. That had never happened to him before.
Charlie was dumbfounded by his abrupt exit. She thought she did something wrong. Shaking the negative thought from her mind, she picks up her bag and makes her way downstairs where a party was in full swing.
"Charlie!" Harper cheered, wrapping her arm around Charlie's shoulder. "Are you leaving?" She asked with a pout. "Yeah, I'm kind of tired and just want to sleep," Charlie admitted. Part of her just didn't want to be around Axle anymore that evening.
His erratic behavior earlier puzzled her to no end. "Just one drink...or two...or three." Harper slurred, almost tripping over her own feet.
"Alright babe, I think you've had enough to drink." Ice caught Harper in his arms. "Aww...I want to hang out with my friend Charlie." Harper pouted like a child. Ice chuckled at how cute his wife acted when she was drunk.
Ice threw her over his shoulders earning a squeal from her. "Not tonight, babe, I'm taking you to bed." He said, slapping her on the ass. "Have a good night Charlie." Ice said as he carried Harper upstairs.
When Charlie got to her car, she saw Blake already on his bike waiting for her. This was part of the club life she didn't care for. "Blake, you don't need to keep following me back to my hotel." She huffed annoyed.
"No can do, darling." "I got orders from Axle and your brother." "I'm your bodyguard." Blake grinned, giving her a slight wink.
"I hate my life." She cursed to herself, opening the door and getting inside her car.
*******
Blake parked his bike across the street from her hotel like he always did. He was instructed to stay with her until midnight, then another member would take over until morning.
"Why don't you come up to the room? Charlie offered like always, knowing that Blake would say no anyway. Although she was opposed to him essentially babysitting her, she felt guilty that he had to stay outside most of the night.
"No can do darling." "Axle would have my head on a platter if I did that," Blake answered.
Charlie nodded then made her way inside. As soon as Charlie entered her room, she threw her bag on the floor along with her jacket. She flicked the light switch on, but none of the lights came on.
"That's weird." She mumbled to herself, flicking the switch rapidly. She carefully walked towards the bed to check if the lamp was working.
Before she could reach the lamp, someone grabbed her from behind. She tried to scream, but a hand was covering her mouth. Charlie started kicking and twisting her body, attempting to get out of the stronghold she was in.
Charlie was thrown on the bed. The tall, muscular figure hovered over her, holding her hands above her head, while the other hand covered her mouth. The figure leaned in towards her ear. "You need to stop snooping around or else you're going to get hurt." He mumbled, licking his tongue along the side of her neck.
Charlie continued to thrash underneath the man. He leaned up and slapped her across the cheek. "I think I'll have some fun with you first." He grinned wickedly. He ripped open her blouse. He smashed his lips against hers, kissing her aggressively.
She opened her mouth slightly and bit his bottom lip. He leaned up touching his lips feeling the blood slowly dripping from it. She took this chance and laid a hard punch to his jaw causing him to fall on the floor. Charlie scrambled to get to the door but was pulled back harshly and thrown against a mirror on the wall causing the glass to break, violently crashing on the floor.
She let out a painful grunt. "I see you like it rough." He stalked over to her. He grabbed a fist full of her hair, then punched her in the stomach. Charlie hunched over clutching her stomach. Then he drew back his leg and rammed it against the side of her body.
Charlie was in agonizing pain, feeling a pinch on her side. She tried to crawl away from him, but he grabbed her leg dragging her back. "Blake!" She screamed although she knew there'd be no way he would hear her.
He picked up her limp body and slammed her on the table facing down. He pressed his heavy body against hers as she continued to fight him as hard as she could. "Stop fighting me or else I'll make it hurt even more." He growled.
He unbuttoned her jeans and began pulling them down her leg. Charlie violently thrashed her body trying to get him off her. "Ahhh!" She screamed when he clamped down, biting her on the shoulder.
He reached back down and started pulling her underwear. "No!" Charlie cried, her eyes wandering around the dimly lit room for something she could use against her attacker.
She felt him caress her bare legs, towards her inner thighs. She squeezed her legs together trying to prevent him from going further. He pushed her legs wider with his legs. Then she felt his hand skimming across her core.
"Hmm...you're going to feel so good." He whispered in her ear. He clasped his hand around her throat, lifting her slightly off the table. That's when she saw a pen a few inches from her.
She heard him start to unzip his pants. This was her only chance. While he was wiggling his pants down his leg, Charlie mustered all the strength she had and reached for the pen.
He pinned her harshly against the table. "I'm going to fuck you so hard; you'll be begging me to stop." He smirked, lining himself against her. This was it, she had to do it now. Right as he was about to push himself inside, Charlie gripped the pen in her hand and stabbed him in his leg.
The man screamed in pain stumbling backward. Charlie quickly climbed over the bed towards her bag.
"You bitch!" He yelled, pulling the pen out of his leg. He staggered towards her angrily. She reached inside her bag and pulled out a gun. No hesitation as she fired, hitting the man in the other leg.
Blake heard the gunshot and rushed inside the hotel. As he ran towards her room, he called Priest.
Word Count: 2,501