teeth against the pain. He had left and he’d never had a clue. He’d laughed at Preacherman for mooning over Lindsey for so many years and for being a fool not to know about Shadow now he would be the fool. He had thrown away a life of happiness to ride free with his brothers. He didn’t regret it as much as he wished he could have somehow had them both. Life just didn’t work that way.
Ace knew Marty would be welcomed into the club as his family, but he didn’t know how she would handle the lifestyle and he felt a little guilty taking her back to the club when he knew her mama would have pitched a fit.
“Well are we goin’ or what?”
Ace grinned when she slung her backpack on her shoulders and propped her fist on her hip. Maybe she would be alright after all. A kid about her age whistled as he stepped out of a big pickup truck.
“Little old for you ain’t he Marty? Why don’t you let me take you for a ride instead?”
“Kiss ass Jimmy. This is my daddy and that comment could make him mad enough to skin you alive and leave you for the buzzards.” She patted Ace on the shoulder in a soothing manner. “It’s ok pops, he didn’t really mean it the way it sounded. He’s just stupid and doesn’t know how disgusting he is to women.”
“Fuck, you kiddin’?” Jimmy looked like he was about to pass out.
“Nope. I think you should go on inside and let us get out of here. Riding will help him calm down.”
She climbed on behind Ace and it was all he could do not to burst out laughing. He kept his frown in place until the kid was out of sight. Then he laughed harder than he had in a long time.
“That wasn’t nice kid.”
“He’s a prick. Been after me for years just ‘cause he wanted to claim he had screwed a biker’s kid. Like I’d be wilder in bed or something or like it made him brave. I really don’t get it.”
She wrapped her arms around Ace and he started his bike. He hadn’t done her any favors. If anything he had made things worse on her just by being her father, but he would make damned sure he made things better from now on. She would know some pride in being his kid before it was all said and done to combat the hell she had suffered in the past.
He wanted to strangle Jimmy, but the real problem wasn’t him it was Ace and he would see to it that no one ever looked down on Marty again. He owed her that.
1
Marty had no idea what she was doing. By the time the sky grew dark and the air began to cool she had called herself many names conveying the fact that she thought herself to be a complete idiot. Her grandma had told her horror stories about men like this and here she was riding off with the very one her grandma had hated the most.
Martin Ace Hulsey was the devil in a man’s skin to hear Ida Cross tell it. He had seduced her baby girl and left her with a full belly and a ruined reputation, but Marty knew a different story, thanks to Janice and her mama. She knew of a love story and she wanted to know the man that had made mama smile that brightly. She wanted to know the man that had put a twinkle in mama’s eyes even after so many years. Mama had always loved Ace and deep down Marty really wanted to find out if he had loved Mama too. She wanted to know that something like that really existed in a world that was so twisted and driven by money.
She held on to the man that had helped give her life as the miles passed. She didn’t feel fear or anything frightening about her new life as far as he was concerned, but what of the others? She had heard mama and Janice mention a few names, but what if time had changed them? What if she was headed for a drug house and they would try to make her into one of their women. What if one tried to claim her and she couldn’t leave?
She shivered at the thought of some old, fat biker putting
Ace knew Marty would be welcomed into the club as his family, but he didn’t know how she would handle the lifestyle and he felt a little guilty taking her back to the club when he knew her mama would have pitched a fit.
“Well are we goin’ or what?”
Ace grinned when she slung her backpack on her shoulders and propped her fist on her hip. Maybe she would be alright after all. A kid about her age whistled as he stepped out of a big pickup truck.
“Little old for you ain’t he Marty? Why don’t you let me take you for a ride instead?”
“Kiss ass Jimmy. This is my daddy and that comment could make him mad enough to skin you alive and leave you for the buzzards.” She patted Ace on the shoulder in a soothing manner. “It’s ok pops, he didn’t really mean it the way it sounded. He’s just stupid and doesn’t know how disgusting he is to women.”
“Fuck, you kiddin’?” Jimmy looked like he was about to pass out.
“Nope. I think you should go on inside and let us get out of here. Riding will help him calm down.”
She climbed on behind Ace and it was all he could do not to burst out laughing. He kept his frown in place until the kid was out of sight. Then he laughed harder than he had in a long time.
“That wasn’t nice kid.”
“He’s a prick. Been after me for years just ‘cause he wanted to claim he had screwed a biker’s kid. Like I’d be wilder in bed or something or like it made him brave. I really don’t get it.”
She wrapped her arms around Ace and he started his bike. He hadn’t done her any favors. If anything he had made things worse on her just by being her father, but he would make damned sure he made things better from now on. She would know some pride in being his kid before it was all said and done to combat the hell she had suffered in the past.
He wanted to strangle Jimmy, but the real problem wasn’t him it was Ace and he would see to it that no one ever looked down on Marty again. He owed her that.
1
Marty had no idea what she was doing. By the time the sky grew dark and the air began to cool she had called herself many names conveying the fact that she thought herself to be a complete idiot. Her grandma had told her horror stories about men like this and here she was riding off with the very one her grandma had hated the most.
Martin Ace Hulsey was the devil in a man’s skin to hear Ida Cross tell it. He had seduced her baby girl and left her with a full belly and a ruined reputation, but Marty knew a different story, thanks to Janice and her mama. She knew of a love story and she wanted to know the man that had made mama smile that brightly. She wanted to know the man that had put a twinkle in mama’s eyes even after so many years. Mama had always loved Ace and deep down Marty really wanted to find out if he had loved Mama too. She wanted to know that something like that really existed in a world that was so twisted and driven by money.
She held on to the man that had helped give her life as the miles passed. She didn’t feel fear or anything frightening about her new life as far as he was concerned, but what of the others? She had heard mama and Janice mention a few names, but what if time had changed them? What if she was headed for a drug house and they would try to make her into one of their women. What if one tried to claim her and she couldn’t leave?
She shivered at the thought of some old, fat biker putting
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