Cocky's Fight (Devils Rejects MC 6)

—Melissa

Now that Christmas is over, Shawn has already been busy getting a move on the kitchen renovation at the house. Sara is still in Drag Creek with CT and the twins getting ready for Harley’s upcoming wedding. Hades has returned, I heard Shawn on the phone with him this morning discussing Uno and club business. I tried not to listen in, but I overheard him talking about a merger between clubs happening and how Uno will be a Vice President. Shawn was annoyed about a patch party or something. The conversation was too hard to follow, and I grew bored with listening.

I have been getting Jimmy’s toys and clothes he received for Christmas packed up to move to the new house. I hate that I am shuffling my son around so much but hopefully this will be our last move for a long while. I am sick of packing up my small amount of belongings and living out of trash bags.

I do want a real home and to give Jimmy a stable life. I just don’t know how to let go and not worry when I am always looking over my shoulder. Maybe I should contact Jim and ask him to give up his parental rights, but what if he pursues charges against me for taking Jimmy out of state with no contact? I push the boxes down the hall to the front door, so Shawn can take them to the house later. I go back to my room and go to the closet to get the boxes I never unpacked when I moved in here. Shawn’s letters are important to me. I haven’t read through them all but someday I will. I look for the box not wanting it to get lost in the shuffle and can’t find it. Panic seizes in my chest and my blood boils. Things keep disappearing from here and I know it isn’t because I keep losing them. I hear Shawn and Jimmy come through the door.

I stomp down the hall and Shawn’s facial expression when he sees me is one of amusement and confusion. “Lissa, everything okay?”

“No.” I pout. “My letters, the ones you wrote me are missing.” I fold my arms across my chest. “Something fucky is going on around here.”

He smiles and licks his bottom lip. “Lots of fucky has been happening around here, but I don’t think we should discuss it in front of little man.”

“Ugh. You know what I mean,” I say with a groan and he chuckles. “You’re impossible. Be serious for a minute. My stuff keeps disappearing and it’s really pissing me off.”

Shawn grabs my shoulders. “Calm down.” Two of the worst words you can say to an upset woman leaves his lips. “Listen, I’ll find them. Maybe they got mixed in with the other stuff I already took to the house. I’ll check on the next load. I promise. They are bound to turn up. Who would want a bunch of sad love letters that I wrote to you anyway?”

I nod. He’s right. Maybe I did move them or put them on the last truckload. I’m just irritated. I am about to start my period and being hormonal.

When I get to work the prospect working behind the bar says there was a man asking about me. A man he has never seen in the club before, but he said he told the man he didn’t know who he was talking about. It had to be Jim and I am scared that he’s here to take Jimmy from me. At least I know he is protected with Shawn.

He won’t let Jim get his hands on him. I try not to feel shaken by this new development but I am. Is he breaking into my apartment and taking things just to fuck with me? It’s not really something I can see him doing but I don’t have any other explanation. I know I should call Shawn and tell him but then he’d make me come home. All night I feel on edge, waiting for Jim or whoever this mystery man is to make an appearance and fuck up the life I am starting to make here with Shawn. The life I was always meant to have.

Shawn is keeping Jimmy while I work in the office at the Cherry Room, making out the schedule, making sure the payroll is up to date, paying the utilities. And about five hundred other small things that keep the club running smooth. I go over the files for the girls making sure everyone has been passing their drug screenings. Shawn won’t fire them for smoking some weed or taking a diet pill, but he won’t put up with them doing any hard drugs.

I can’t get Carmen out of the back of my mind either. The way she showed up here last week pretending to work here. Just like Shawn told me she isn’t in the system. Could she be the one taking my things? Is she really stalking Shawn? I thought we were friends but maybe she holds a grudge against me because she likes my man. I know when I first came to Webb Hollow, she had mentioned thinking he was hot, but I never gave it much thought.

The rest of my shift is uneventful, and the man never returns that I am aware of. I have one of the bouncers walk me to my car as a precaution. I scan the parking lot but don’t notice anything or anyone suspicious. I call Shawn when I get ready to pull out. Him and Jimmy are picking up a pizza and I am going to meet them at the house. Most of our stuff has been moved and I am eager to start this new chapter even though I feel uneasy at the possibility of Jim being in town.

———

It’s New Year’s Eve. Harley is getting married in Drag Creek and I wish I could have gone but Shawn and I are both working. MaryAnn is keeping Jimmy for the night. I don’t know what I would do without my friends pitching in to watch Jimmy. The girls have all gone above and beyond to make me feel like a part of their

tribe. Like I belong. Like family. They are accepting of my relationship with Shawn. They don’t judge us or tell me that we are moving way too damn fast.

Even though they encouraged me to be with Uno, now that they have been around Shawn and me as a couple, they see how much he loves me. He’s out on the floor doing his part to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. I’m taking my time to get ready. I want to look perfect for my man. I’m doing a number that starts with me in a life-sized champagne glass. For the occasion I have a nude glittered bra and thing and gold glitter heels. I have my hair set in big rollers, to give me the old school glamour look. Heavily winged eyeliner, red lipstick, big full fake lashes. I want Shawn to think I am a goddess tonight. He sneaks back to the dressing room to bring me a drink before I go on.

I’m nervous. He did a lot of advertising for tonight. I don’t want to let him down.

“Fuck me. I want to ravish you here on the spot.”

I bat my thick lashes at him. “I wish you would.”

“Don’t tempt me, woman,” he grits, snaking an arm around my waist and drawing me flush against him.

“Hmm.” I kiss him, hoping I don’t smear my lipstick.

After we untangle, I go to the mirror to repair my makeup. “Want your lipstick smeared on my dick later.” He squeezes my ass then exits the room. If tonight wasn’t so important, I would take him up on the image his words just painted inside my head.

The Cherry Room is packed when I peer out from the side of the main stage. Everyone is working tonight. No one was exempt from this big party. I scan the crowd, watching the girls work the floor. Looking for Jim amongst the sea of unfamiliar faces. I never told Shawn about the man questioning Cyrus about me and my stomach rolls at the thought of him being here. I wish that I had mentioned it to Shawn but if I say something now, he’ll be mad at me and I don’t want to fight with him. Not tonight. One of the bouncers helps me up the ladder to the giant glass. The lights go down and excitement crackles in the air.

The glass is pushed onto the stage and I get into position. Normally we don’t do such elaborate routines, but Shawn wanted to make tonight special. Memorable for the customers. The music starts low and builds as the lights go from barely on to medium. I raise up to my knees, leaning over the brim of the glass, my breasts nearly spilling out of my bra. This dance is an homage to the olden days of burlesque. The crowd is so large and loud, I can’t make out anyone in the audience, though I keep trying.

My stomach drops as I continue to perform, getting plenty of hoots and whistles as money is thrown onto the stage when I lose my bra. The bouncer helps me out of the glass. The song changes and I move to the pole. I make it through my routine without incident. I hurry to change my clothes once I am backstage in the dressing room. The girls are all in and out freshening up and changing their costumes. They are making great money. Better than I have seen since I started working here. I’m dressed in a gold bandeau top and matching shorts, paired with my gold glitter heels, I wore on the stage. I let down my hair from the ponytail I had it in for dancing, allowing the long loose waves to tumble down my back and over my shoulders.

As I am walking down the hallway toward the door that leads from the back to the bar and the main floor, I bump into none other than Uno. His eyes are bloodshot and glossy. He reeks of pot and liquor. He holds up a jar of Black Rebel Riders’ MC moonshine at me. “A toast to the sexiest woman I ever had the pleasure of fucking.”

My cheeks flame in embarrassment and anger at his crass words. I can tell he is high and drunk, but the fact doesn’t lessen the blow his rudeness hits me with. “You’re drunk.”