Nickel (Fallen Lords M.C. Book 1) Read online

  He shook his head and drove out of the parking lot. “You’re not going to be out of my sight in those shorts. Here I thought you were some quiet, shy girl but, when you have those shorts on, you are anything but a girl.”

  “Then why do you call me baby girl?” I sassed. I loved when he called me that, and I would honestly be upset if he ever quit, but I was apparently in a mood to argue with everything he said.

  “Because it’s what I call you.”

  I rolled my eyes and turned the radio up a bit. “Speaking of what people are called, spill your name, Outlaw.” It was a twenty-minute drive to the mall, so that gave me plenty of time to find out a little bit more about Nickel.

  He glanced at me but kept his lips sealed.

  Nickel smoothly merged onto the highway and didn’t talk ‘til after he reached eighty and turned on the cruise control. “You wanna tell me why you need to know so bad what my name is?”

  I managed to shift in my seat and turn to face him. I didn’t run the risk of him pulling me into his lap when he was driving. Although, I really shouldn’t put it past that he might not try something at a stop light. “Because I like you, Nickel, but I feel like I know nothing about you and that scares me.”

  “Why does it scare you?”

  “Because I only know the basics about you, and somehow, I feel things I shouldn’t.”

  He eyed me up and down and reached for my hand. His laced his fingers through mine, and rested our hands in his lap. “I mean it when I say you can’t tell anyone what it is, Karmen.”

  I nodded. Looked like I wasn’t going to be able to tell Nikki what his real name was, but I could at least tell her that Nickel was his road name. “I promise.”

  My answer satisfied him, and he sighed deeply. “My full name is Augustus Callum Cunningham.”

  “Well, that’s a mouthful.” I tried my hardest not to laugh, and I thought I was doing okay until Nickel looked over at me, and I tried to think of him as Augustus.

  “See, that right there is the reason why I didn’t want to tell you,” he said, outraged.

  I covered my mouth with my hand and turned to the windshield.

  Augustus Callum Cunningham.

  I was never going to be able to call him that. Augustus was far from a badass biker name. “Did your mother hate you?” I managed to get out in between giggles.

  Nickel scowled and squeezed my hand. “You can now see why I was more than happy to get my road name.”

  I leaned my head back against the headrest and turned toward Nickel. “And why did you get the name Nickel?”

  “Hey, I just agreed to tell you what my real name is.”

  My bottom lip pouted out, and I gave him my best puppy dog eyes. “Please? I promise if you tell me, we can make a stop in Victoria’s Secret.”

  Nickel glanced at me with heated eyes. “I get to go in the dressing room with you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re going to get us kicked out of the store, though.”

  Nickel shrugged his shoulder and exited the highway. “That may be, but it’ll be a hell of a story to tell.”

  “I roll my eyes way too much when I’m around you,” I muttered under my breath. “Now spill why you got the name Nickel before we get to the mall.”

  He sighed and gripped the steering wheel. “I was drunk.”

  “Gee, that’s hard to believe that this is how this story starts,” I mumbled.

  “You wanna hear the answer or not?”

  Nickel glared at me, and I held up my hands. “Sorry, sorry. Continue.” Jesus, the man was little sensitive today.

  Nickel drove for a few minutes before he finally spoke. It took everything in me not to pounce on him and demand he tell me why he was called Nickel.

  “So, I was drunk.”

  I couldn’t hold back the snicker that escaped. He side-eyed me, and I got my shit under control.

  “Pipe and I were playing pool. We were both prospects and were right in the thick of doing every little bullshit thing we were asked to do. You know what a prospect is?”

  I shook my head. “I think I know, but I doubt I know exactly what it means.”

  “It’s basically me having to do absolutely anything asked of me to prove to the other club members that I will do anything for the club. Proves loyalty.”

  That made sense. Although, couldn’t one prove loyalty by not being a slave? “So what were some of the things you had to do?”

  “Keep the clubhouse clean, no matter the time of day answer the phone and do whatever they asked. One time, Pipe had to drive to Chicago to get a deep dish pizza for Wrecker and be back in three hours.”

  “That’s impossible,” I insisted. It took two hours one way to get to Chicago from Weston.

  “I know, and so did Wrecker. But Pipe somehow managed to do it.”

  I looked out the windshield and saw we were only minutes away from the mall. “Now spill why you’re Nickel.” I wasn’t letting him out of the car until he told me.

  “So, we were playing pool, we were both drunk off our asses, and Wrecker walks out with a jar full of change under his arm. I’m talking a huge fucking jar. He sets it on the pool table and looks at Pipe and me. He twists off the lid to the jar and tosses it to me. He tells us that there is three hundred twenty-one dollars and seventy-nine cents in the jar.”

  I slapped my hand over my mouth and think I know where this is headed.

  “That fucker takes that jar, holds it over his head, and smashes it down on the floor.” Nickel sounded amused and had a smirk on his lips. “He then tells us we need to find every last penny or we are out.”

  “Holy crap,” I whisper. That was a hell of a lot of change.

  “You’ve never met Pipe before, have you, baby girl?” I shook my head. “Well, imagine me and a guy bigger than I am, drunk off our asses, down on the floor on our hands and knees trying to count change while we shove it in our pockets.”

  “Why didn’t you go get a bowl or something?”

  Nickel smirked and turned into the mall parking lot. “We were drunk, babe.” Good point. “Pipe took his jacket off and laid it out on the floor. We piled all of the change on it, and painstakingly counted every quarter, dime, nickel, and penny.”

  “So then what happened?”

  “It took over two hours and us recounting the money eleven times before we were close.”

  “Close?”

  “Yeah. We were so close, but we were missing a nickel.”

  “No way!”

  Nickel laughed and pulled into a parking spot that was surprisingly close to the entrance. “Yes.”

  “So what did you do?” This was absolutely insane. Who in the hell does this to people? It was like hazing in a fraternity, but fifty times worse.

  He shifted the car into park and turned his body toward me. “At this point, Pipe and I had sobered up and knew that we were screwed. Neither of us had any change on us and were back to crawling all over the floor looking for a fucking nickel.”

  I covered my mouth with my hand and tried not to laugh. Nickel being at the mercy of anyone was something that I just couldn’t picture.

  “You laugh, but back then, Pipe and I were frantic as hell.”

  “So what happened?”

  He shook his head and threaded his fingers through mine. “Wrecker lied.”

  My jaw dropped, and I got pissed on Nickel’s behalf. “You are kidding me!”

  “Nah. That fucker wanted to see how far we would go until we gave up.”

  “So after hours of searching, you finally gave up and then he told you.”

  “Nope, we never did give up. Wrecker told us while we were both still on our hands and knees on the floor, but neither of us believed him. Pipe was the first one to stop looking, but I was convinced that there was a nickel on the floor and Wrecker was just testing us.”

  “You got the name Nickel because you wouldn’t stop looking for the damn nickel,” I laughed.

  He pressed a kiss to the ba
ck of my hand. “Yup, more or less. They just did it making fun of me, and then it just stuck.”

  I leaned forward, a breath away from his lips. “Well, I think that’s a good story. It shows you never give up. Or it could mean you never listen.”

  Nickel chuckled and pressed a kiss to my lips. “I think you’re right on both counts, baby girl.”

  I hummed under my breath and pressed my forehead against his. “I missed you.” I held my breath, terrified that I sounded like a love-sick teenager. He had only been gone two days, but it had felt like a month.

  “You were on my mind the whole time.”

  My heart sang, and my breath whooshed out. “Thank the Lord,” I mumbled. It wasn’t a promise of his undying love, but it was better than if he had said okay.

  “Time to shop. I hate the mall, but if this is where you need to be, this is where I need to be.” He pressed a quick kiss to my lips and slipped out of the car.

  He opened my door and held his hand out to me. I looked up at him, my mind wondering how in the hell I was lucky enough to find a man like him. I was still getting to know him, but everything I did know made me want to find out more. Even his goofy story of how he got his road name made me eager to learn about his MC and the other members.

  “Get out of the car, or I’ll put you over my shoulder and carry your sweet ass into the mall.”

  I put my hand in his, and he pulled me out of the car. “And there comes the demanding Nickel.”

  He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. He beeped the locks on the car and guided us to the entrance. “Don’t act like you don’t like it, baby girl. I’ll have to remind you in the fitting room just how much you like me telling you what to do.”

  As much as I was acting like I didn’t want him to come in the fitting room with me, my body flushed at his words, and I hoped like hell he was able to sneak in.

  I was up for a reminder of all of the things I secretly liked about Nickel.

  **********

  Nickel

  “I like red.”

  “Well, I like green.”

  I grabbed the lime green panties that looked like snot and tossed them on the shelf in front of her. “I’m the one who has to see you in them, so I’ll decide.”

  “You did not just say ‘I’ll decide.’ Could you be more of an ass?” she seethed at me.

  I grabbed a handful of red underwear with one hand and Karmen’s arm with the other. “You like my ass.”

  She stumbled as I pulled her into the fitting room, and I managed to grab her around the waist while I kicked the door shut. “Ass,” she hissed.

  I could pinpoint exactly where in our shopping trip that Karmen kicked up her attitude and decided she was going to disagree with everything I had to say. Even when I had suggested we swing by the food court to get a drink, she said she didn’t want to.

  She collapsed on the bench in the fitting room and glared at me. “You wanna tell me what the hell your deal is right now, babe?”

  A low growl slipped from her lips. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re going to make me fuck it out of you, aren’t you?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, and I didn’t think it was possible, but she glared even harder at me. “Try it.”

  “Does this have to do with the sales clerk?”

  Her face turned bright red, and she stomped her foot. “Damn straight, it does! It also has to do with the blonde at the uniform place, and the pretzel girl who started it all.”

  Pretzel girl? What in the hell was she talking about? I slipped my cut off and tossed it on the bench next to her. “You lost me at pretzel girl.”

  She pointed at my cut like it was a snake ready to bite her. “That thing right there is the reason why every girl we walked by undressed you with their eyes then screwed you in their minds.”

  Oh, Jesus Christ. I couldn’t help that people looked at me. It happened wherever I went, and it wasn’t just me it happened to. Every member of the club got stares and random women flirting with them. It was one of the perks of wearing a cut, but when you had an ol’ lady, it became a curse. “You’re going to have to get over it.”

  She stomped both of her feet on the floor and looked absolutely outraged. Even pissed off, Karmen still looked hot as hell. Ready to rip my balls off, but still hot. “Or I stop seeing you because I shouldn’t have to deal with this.”

  I pulled my shirt off over my head and tossed it on top of my cut. “That’s not an option.”

  “Why the hell are you taking your shirt off?” She scooted back as far as she could on the bench, pressing her back against the wall.

  “Because you’re obviously going to make me fuck this out of you.”

  She shook her head and held out her hand to me. “Hold on there, Outlaw. That is not about to happen. What’s going to happen is you’re going to put your shirt on, your vest thingy on, and then we are getting the hell out of here.”

  My fingers went to the button on my jeans. “No. That is not what is going to happen at all. You’re pissed off at me for something that I can’t control.”

  “Pfft, you can totally control this.”

  I popped open the button and pulled down the zipper. “And how the hell am I supposed to stop people from looking at me?”

  “Stop looking so dangerous and handsome. Wear a potato sack. Hell, wear a damn bag over your head! Or, I just won’t go out with you anymore.”

  Yeah, none of those were going to happen. Karmen was going to have to get used to it. I chuckled and pulled my pants down. “You know what’s really messed up about this whole thing? You have guys checking you out too, baby girl, but it ain’t pissing me off.”

  “Now you are just making stuff up. There isn’t anyone looking at me. If anything, they look right through me to see you. The one man that did look my way was gay and trying to sell me hair extensions.”

  I had noticed the guy she was talking about, but that wasn’t who I had seen checking her out. “No. You need to open your eyes and realize you’re a fine piece of ass that any man would be glad to have. Unfortunately for them, you’re my fine piece of ass, and all they can do it look.”

  “Stop trying to spin this. I shouldn't have to stand by and watch all of these women drool over you.”

  I toed off my boots and kicked them under the bench. “Then don’t pay attention to them. I sure as hell don’t.”

  She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know why you’re undressed. I’m pretty sure red lingerie wouldn’t look the best on you.”

  I quirked my eyebrow at her.

  She threw her hands up in the air. “Oh, who am I kidding? You would probably somehow make it look good.”

  My eyes landed on the pile of red fabric I had dropped on the floor. “That shit ain’t never going to happen. You can buy me red boxers, that’s it.”

  Her eyes landed on the gray boxers I had on. “You can get one of your adoring crowd to buy them for you.”

  Yup, I was definitely going to have to fuck this out of her. “Stand up,” I ordered.

  She shook her head. “Nope, demanding Nickel isn’t going to make this better.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Who am I in this dressing room with?”

  “Me, but who knows how many women have been here before me.”

  Jesus Christ. “Karmen, stand your sexy ass up right now before I make you stand up.” She wasn’t going to piss me off. She was trying, but it wasn’t going to happen. I was throwing her into shit that she wasn't used to, and I knew there were going to be things that were going to be hard for her to accept. This was apparently going to be the first thing.

  She stood up and glared at me.

  “Take off your shoes.”

  “Nickel, you don’t have to do this.”

  “Karmen, no one tells me what I do and don’t have to do. Now, take off your shoes and stop talking.” Her mind was working overtime on a new reason why we weren’t g
oing to work.

  She kicked off her white sneakers and dropped her arms to her side. “Now what?”

  Fucking attitude. I was going to enjoy this. Karmen tossing attitude made me want to put her over my knee and show her exactly what attitude would get her. “Shorts and panties off.”

  Her eyes rolled again, but she listened to me without protest.

  I bent over and picked up a pair of red panties. “Put those on.” I tossed them to her, and she caught them mid-air.

  “Nickel, you’re not supposed to take off—”

  I shook my head. “No talking. We’re buying them so you can put them on.” She was going to try anything to stop what I had planned.

  My gaze followed her hold them out in front of her, then gingerly step into them. She shimmied them up her legs and tugged her shirt down over them.

  “Shirt off.” She wasn’t going to hide from me.

  She mumbled under her breath as she tugged the white t-shirt over her head, but I let her have her complaining.

  “Bra off.” She looked hot as fuck in her mismatched bra and panties, but I just wanted to see her in the panties.

  She reached behind her, unhooked the bra, and tossed it on the floor. “Happy?” she sassed.

  More than she would ever know. Karmen was made for me, and I was never going to let her go. She could bitch at me every day for the rest of my life, and I knew I would still be a lucky mother fucker for having her. “Yeah, baby girl.” The red panties rode low on her hips and fit her perfectly. I was going to buy twenty pairs of them and make sure she wore them every day.

  I moved toward her and cupped her breasts. “When we’re out in public, I’m yours.” She rolled her eyes. “You roll your eyes one more time at me and I’m going to put you over my knee.”

  She tipped her head back and stared me down. “Try me,” she whispered.

  Fucking fearless when she was pissed off. I was either going to have to keep her in bed or pissed off so she would stop overthinking everything. “Oh, don’t test me. That’ll happen, just not right now.” My hands traveled down her sides, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. I pulled her flush against me and spun around to press her against the wall. “Try not to be too loud. You might get us kicked out of here,” I warned.