Champ & Lauren: (Crusaders MC #2.5)

“Both. I kind of feel bad for Cobra, as soon as he’s through the front door I’m climbing him like a tree. He doesn’t even get to shower on his own unless he’s up before me now.” Alexis chews her bottom lip and her eyes glaze over just thinking about fucking her man.

“Oh boy, head out the gutter! Cobra won’t be around for hours now, deal with it. Want to watch a Ryan Reynolds movie and pig out on popcorn?” This could waste a few hours. That actor is both our weakness; besides our own men.

“Hell yeah!” She pumps her fist in the air and goes about setting up the DVD and I go to pop some corn.

I miss our girl time, we used to spend Friday nights in front of the TV and Saturday nights out clubbing, raising hell and getting drunk. Sundays used to be spent with us claiming that we were dying and pigging out with Ben & Jerrys. Those were the days.

Our lives have dramatically changed for the better and we still spend time together, but it’s rare. I cherish our girl time and the friendship we have more than I ever did before.

For me, growing up was difficult. My parent’s didn’t give a shit about what I did or where I was at night. I had no one to talk boys with because my mother never gave me the time of day. My dad was a nasty piece of work. He continuously smacked my mother around in front of me, yelling obscenities at her. When his face started turning purple, it scared me. It’s why I was a wild child. I didn’t know right from wrong. But Alexis was my constant and her family helped me with their hospitality, love and care. My parents finally divorced but by that point, Alexis’ mom had taken me in, hiding me. Neither mom nor dad tried to find me and I never heard a thing until I was confronted by a lawyer that they both had died in a suicide pack. A note was left and a hefty insurance pay out was transferred to my account.

The note itself made me laugh hysterically before I cried uncontrollably on Alexis’ shoulder, this was only a matter of a month or two ago. I never mourned them, they didn’t hold that right. I never cried because they died because I was happy. But that note ripped my heart to shreds. My mother left the note with her will for me because she wanted me to know how much she really did love me. I didn’t believe a fucking word of it. She was a compulsive liar and that seemed to never have changed in her death. Good riddance, I say.

“Lauren?” Alexis’ hand on my arm makes me jump. I shake my head to clear those thoughts before turning to face her worried expression. “Where did you go then?”

“Sorry. Just memories of my parents that had no right to take over me.” I bite my lip til it bleeds and excuse myself to use the bathroom. My nerves are shot to bits because of that phone call, that’s what I’m telling myself.

Quickly relieving myself and washing my hands, I open the bathroom door to Alexis hovering outside, scaring the shit out of me once again. “Fuck, Alexis! What the hell?”

“Sorry, babe. Did you want to go get something to eat?” she asks.

“Sure. But the prospects aren’t going to leave us right?” I furrow my brows and look past her to where all the prospects are standing just inside the front door.

“Of course not. Cobra would have their asses hung by the ceiling if they left us.”

That’s thought has me giggling uncontrollably. What the hell is wrong with me? Stuff like that before would petrify me but when it comes to the Old Ladies’ safeties, the club doesn’t mess around and the consequences are severe.

“Let’s go then.” I push her lightly along as I walk over toward the shoe rack by the front door. Shoving my feet into my fur UGG boots, I grab my faux leather jacket hanging on the hook in her foyer, shrugging it on. I need to get out of this house, even if it is for just an hour or two. I’m not one to stay grounded, I love my freedom and independence, but I understand Champ’s level of concern in this situation. My gut feeling tells me this isn’t going to be good. I just hope to God that no-one gets hurt.



Champ

“ENOUGH!” Prez bellows around the bustling Church room. “Quiet, or I’ll have you shunned from Chuch.”

Soon enough, everyone is sat around the long table in anticipated silence, staring at Prez with wide eyes. “You now know why we’re here. This shit needs to stop before Christmas next week and definitely before our New Year festivities. This drug-lord jackass needs to be put down. It’s a matter of urgency as two of the club’s Old Ladies have been threatened with phone calls.”

Just being reminded of the threatening calls has me clenching my fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms. I want to be the one to put a bullet between his eyes, even though I know I don’t have it in me to take another life. No one threatens Lauren and lives to tell the tale.

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