Murphy (The Skulls) Read online

  “The club is your life.” He pulled out the necklace she’d sent back to him last night with Murphy. The necklace held her name in the center. At the time she’d loved it. Now it just hurt her too much to wear it. It was the necklace he’d given her when she turned sixteen and had once meant so much to her. “Why are you giving me this?”

  She refused to take it. “Do you remember what you told me when you gave me that necklace?”

  Tiny frowned at her, letting her know he’d forgotten.

  “Forget it. I love you, Dad but I can’t handle this.”

  “Is this about Murphy?” Tiny asked.

  Closing her eyes, Tate counted to ten. “It’s about so much more than Murphy.”

  “I know you’ve got feelings for him.”

  Shaking her head, Tate went to leave. He grabbed her arm stopping her retreat. “Don’t walk away from me, Tate.”

  “Did Mom really accept coming second best to your club?”

  Tiny reeled back as if her words had smacked him. “What’s your fucking point?”

  “I’m just wondering if you realized how much pain you were causing her.” Tate put her hands on hips and glared at him.

  “I’ve given you some room and allowed you to get away with shit because you’re my daughter. My patience is running out.”

  “Fine. Let it run out. You know, one of my only memories of Mom is her on the couch, crying. She was staring at the phone, holding one of your cuts. In fact, I found her a lot of the time lying out on the sofa holding one of your cuts. The club comes first. I don’t think Mom accepted it. She didn’t have a choice, but I do.”

  Storming back inside Tate realized she’d not resolved anything with her father. She thought her problems came from her hurt with Murphy. Blanking out everyone else she focused on her own feelings while thinking about her father. Tiny had been a great father to her, but the club really did come first. Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she tried to put some reasoning to her problems. She loved her father. He was the one person she could count on.

  After work she walked home with Kelsey, making sure she got home safely and then made her way toward her father’s house. The house was large, and she’d gotten over the fear of The Lions bursting through the door. Seeing all of the men killed helped to ease her thoughts. For a few weeks she’d been shaken whenever the door rang, but nothing else came from it.

  Eva answered the door at her knock.

  “Honey, I’ve been waiting for you to get back in touch.” Eva invited her into the house with open arms.

  “I didn’t know if he’d ban me from the house,” Tate said, smiling.

  “I wouldn’t care if he did. Tiny’s insensitive at times, and he does my head in. I wonder what he’ll think if I just shoot him,” Eva said.

  “Does he know you own a gun?”

  “Nope, I doubt he’ll treat me any better. So, what brings you here tonight?” Eva pushed her into the nearest chair. The woman was only a couple of years older than she was, but Tate had bonded to the woman the moment she walked through the door.

  Given half the chance, Eva would be an amazing mother.

  “I’m going to Vegas with a girl from work. I was hoping you’d come with us.”

  Eva stared at her. “Tiny doesn’t know about this?”

  “No.”

  “You’re not going to invite Angel?” Eva asked.

  “No, I don’t want anyone to know.”

  A glass of juice was placed in front of her as Eva stared at her. The other woman was beautiful. Her hair was dark and glossy, and she had the bluest eyes Tate had ever seen. “You want me to lie to your father?”

  “Yesterday I caught him fucking one of the sweet-butts in his office.”

  Her words hurt. Eva flinched away, turning toward the stove. There was nothing for the other woman to do. “What he does is his own business.”

  “You’re in love with him, and you’re not going to fight for your man.”

  “Tiny is not mine. I’m your nanny. Nothing else.”

  “Good, then come to Vegas with me. Get away from all this shit.”

  “Language, Tate.”

  “Come with me.”

  “Are you doing this to upset your father? To get back at him over the Murphy thing?”

  “No, I’m doing this to get away from everything else.”

  Eva stared at her, clearly considering the options. “Fine, I’ll come with you.”

  Great, a weekend away with no club members and only the girls. Tate couldn’t wait for the fun to begin.

  Chapter Three

  Murphy glanced around the abandoned warehouse as the rest of The Lions considered what they were going to do. There were so many pictures of The Skulls that he’d lost count. Pictures of Tiny, Lash, and Nash along with the rest of the club. There were also several picture of Tate. The ones of his girl caught his eye. They must have been taken recently because she looked ill. He knew how she felt as he felt the same whenever he was away from her.

  Suddenly the image changed, and he was standing in Tiny’s house staring at a scared Tate. A shot rang out, and then only he and Tate stood. One single shot to the stomach, and she looked at him with tears running down her eyes.

  “You broke your promise, Dillon.”

  Gasping for breath Murphy shot awake in bed. The dreams were always the same and always a pain in the ass. Tate was always hurt, and he was always the failure. He hated the dreams more than anything else. Tate hadn’t been shot. Eva, Angel, Steven, and Blaine had been shot. She was okay, and nothing was going to happen to her.

  Flinging the blanket off his body, he padded into his bathroom to freshen up. After doing his business down the toilet, he washed his hands and began to brush his teeth. He rubbed his abdomen where he’d gotten his recent tattoo. Glancing down, he saw it was healing nicely, and he wasn’t too concerned. The fancy writing across his abdomen, above his cock, was Tate. He’d gotten her name inked the moment his shit with The Lions was over. Murphy couldn’t risk inking his body when he was part of the other club. They’d ask too many questions.

  When he finished his shower, he headed down to the kitchen where the scents of burning food met him. Lash wouldn’t let Angel cook. With Eva not allowed to visit the club and Tate gone, the food was being ruined by the sweet-butts. He couldn’t stomach the smell, let alone the taste and settled on cereal.

  Rose and Hardy were at the table talking. Angel was eating cereal and sat on Lash’s lap while Nash grumbled about something. Tiny sat at the head, eating toast and flicking through the day’s paper. Murphy stayed silent as Killer joined him. Whizz and Time followed suit leaving the women to murder food.

  “I don’t like Fern,” Killer said.

  “She’s a bitch and probably has some disease. If you’re desperate I’d put a rubber on,” Murphy said.

  “I heard that.”

  Before he got involved with Tate, Murphy had been shacking up with Fern working off the desire to fuck his president’s daughter. He was the only guy who had stood up for Tate when she was younger. If he’d not stuck up for Tate, she’d never have gone to prom or any of the birthday parties she wanted to go. It was a good job Tiny hadn’t found out about any of the other parties she’d sneaked off to.

  “How are you boys settling in?” Murphy asked. Out of all of The Lions these were the three men who’d stuck out. They were not like the other club men. He knew given half a chance, Killer, Whizz, and Time would be great to the club.

  “We’ve got prospect work. Looking after women, getting the groceries, even passing fucking messages onto law enforcement,” Time said. The words were muffled as he was eating cereal while he did it.

  The smell was getting worse from the kitchen. Female screeching was also getting louder.

  “That shit fucking stinks,” Rose said, shouting to be heard.

  “I did tell Lash I didn’t need to be escorted to the salon,” Angel said, cutting through the chaos to answer Time. The other man picked up a
t being spoken to. Murphy saw the interest in the man’s eyes and kicked him under the table. He’d have to have a word with the newbies. No one, not even a club member, fucked with an old lady. Angel was engaged, and it would only be a matter of time before Lash owned every inch of her.

  “I thought Tate went to the salon with you,” Rose said.

  “She used to. I found out from reception that she cancelled her appointments and membership. I’ve not got anyone to go with.” Angel’s voice was small.

  Even with his time spent with The Lions, Murphy knew the two women had gotten close. Was that why she was latching onto that new girl, Cherry?

  “Tate cancelled her membership at the salon?” Tiny asked.

  Angel nodded.

  “Fuck!” Tiny stormed away. He was doing that a lot just recently. Murphy didn’t point it out to him. He liked living with his genitals.

  “Did I say something wrong?” Angel asked.

  “No, baby. He’s having a hard time dealing with Tate. If she was a boy, Tiny would have kicked his ass by now. Tate’s different, and Tiny won’t hurt her.”

  It was the truth, but Murphy was starting to think Tate needed a good fucking spanking to put her firmly in her place.

  “What’s on the schedule for today?” Murphy asked.

  “Not a lot. We’re hunting for the missing Lions and then dealing with our next ride,” Lash said.

  Nash stood up from the table and walked away.

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “Girl problems I bet,” Lash said, smirking.

  “Kate’s not been by for a couple of days. He’s feeling lonely.” Angel answered the question, getting up from Lash’s lap to get rid of the bowls.

  He had enough of the problems circling the room. Murphy left the club and walked toward his bike. Glancing behind him, he saw Time had followed him. “What are you doing?”

  “Why did you give me that look inside?”

  “Angel’s taken. The Lions shared everything. Their women, their drugs, their booze, but we don’t. We’re a family. Brothers, and you don’t go fucking another brother’s woman.”

  “Man, I wasn’t doing anything.”

  “You were looking at Angel like you wanted to eat her pussy. I’m telling you don’t. Lash has a short fuse, and if he thinks you’re wanting a piece of his woman, he’ll fuck you over.”

  Straddling his bike, Murphy nodded at him. “Don’t mess with another brother’s woman. It’s a rule. Follow it, know it, and embrace it.”

  He left the club and gunned down the street heading toward the dental practice where Tate worked. This was not the life she ever wanted. He didn’t care what she was spouting out at everyone. Tate had always wanted to be an old lady and follow in his mother’s footsteps. It’s what she’d told him, and it had been one of his promises to her, to make her his old lady.

  Before he did anything else, he needed to know there was something between him and Tate. Parking his bike outside the dentist, Murphy waited for Tate to appear. Checking his watch, he saw it was a little before twelve. With the nightmares he’d been sleeping when he dropped, which usually meant early in the morning or later in the day. Drinking didn’t help settle the demons either. It was like he was being haunted by his past and present.

  By the time twelve came, several women left the building. A couple of them gave him a once over and even dared to approach him.

  “Hey, handsome, are you looking for someone?” she asked.

  “Yeah, Tate Johnson, where is she?”

  The woman laughed. “It’s her day off. I heard her and the other fat one say they were going away for the weekend.”

  “What did you say?” Murphy asked. All of his protective instincts came roaring to life. He’d listened to the girls at school bully Tate because of her weight. How had the shit extended into the work place? Didn’t they see how fucking sexy she was? Her tits were huge, big enough to fill his hands and spill over. Every part of Tate was soft. He wasn’t afraid of hurting her when they were messing around with each other. Many a night he’d lain in bed thinking about her ripe, full rounded curves snuggled against him.

  Prom night had ended with them alone. He’d comforted her the whole night as she talked the whole night. When she’d suggested that she was ready, he’d panicked. He’d been torn in two wanting to take her, but he’d listened to the good part of himself and not taken her to bed. Murphy had always felt protective of her..

  The woman laughed, clearly not seeing the danger in front of her. She batted her eyelashes at him, licking her lips that had too much lipstick on. “Come on, I can handle you better than two chubby women.”

  Reaching up, he stroked her face. The action deceived his enemy, and he grabbed her chin with such force she was gasping. Pulling her close he whispered the words harshly in her ear. “Listen to me, you fucking slut. I wouldn’t bang you if you were the last woman on earth. The sight of you sickens me. You know who I am, and you know what club I belong to. If I hear you causing shit for Tate or Cherry again then I’ll hunt you down and hurt you. I’ll make sure they could never identify your body.”

  Staring into her eyes he saw the fear. Many times during Tate’s high school years he’d done and said something similar to a friend.

  “Do I make myself clear?” he asked.

  “Yes, perfectly clear.”

  “Good. We didn’t have this conversation, and I think you better spread the word out about Tate. She may not wear the patch, but she’s a fucking Skull. You cross her, hurt her, and I’ll fucking kill you.”

  Letting her go, Murphy watched the woman fall to the floor gasping. Several people gaped at him. He ignored them. The Skulls owned this town. The club kept the town safe, and every single resident knew not to cross one of them. Maybe it was time they all had a message that The Skulls were not soft.

  His cell phone rang. Staring at the woman, Murphy didn’t take his eyes off her.

  “What?” he asked, answering the call.

  “You’re needed back at the club,” Nash said.

  “Why? I’m on Tate duty.”

  “Tiny’s losing it. Tate and Eva have boarded a plane to Vegas. He’s fucking causing problems, and he’s ready to kill someone.”

  Perfect. Tate knew when to cause problems. Pocketing his cell he gave one last warning look at the woman before he rode away back to the club.

  ****

  Eva paid for the best hotel room they could get. Tate paid a third of it, and so did Kelsey. She liked the fact Eva and Kelsey was hitting it off. The two women were constantly chatting, and it gave Tate a break. She was able to sit back without having to think about what to say next. The plane ride went without a hitch.

  Part of her couldn’t believe they’d made it out of town without any of The Skulls stopping them. Tate knew it would only be a matter of time before they were hot on their heels.

  “This place is amazing,” Kelsey said, flopping down onto the large bed. Eva was putting away some of their clothes.

  “I got a discount. Tiny knows the owner, and he was happy to let us stay and party in his casino.”

  Tate frowned, looking at her old nanny. “What guy? I don’t remember him knowing someone in Vegas.”

  She saw the flush to Eva’s cheeks. “Tiny brought me out here once before when you went away for college. This happened before you decided college wasn’t for you.”

  “Who’s the guy?” Tate asked.

  “It’s Alexander Allen.”

  Recognizing the name, Tate moved toward the window. “He’s my mother’s brother?” She’d not seen Uncle Alex in such a long time. Her last memory of him was of an argument he was having with Tiny.

  “Yeah, he wants a chance to see you, Tate. I agreed that you’d want to meet him.”

  Smiling, Tate nodded. She’d meet with her uncle, and then she’d party until the sun came up. The sun was already down, so there was not much time left of Friday.

  “Okay, ladies, let’s get ready for some se
rious partying and gambling.” Tate went to the wardrobe grabbing the red dress she’d worn to her first club party. It was the same party she’d danced on the tables at the club with Angel. Guilt hit her in the chest for not inviting Angel. The young blonde wouldn’t hold a grudge, but she’d be hurt.

  She made a note to deal with Angel when she returned home. Eva came out of the bathroom wearing a purple dress that complemented her fuller figure. Her brown hair was pulled up off her neck and fell around her head in waves. Kelsey wore a long denim skirt with a blue shirt. Her hair was left down. Tate didn’t realize how long the other woman’s hair was. The tips of the hair brushed Kelsey’s butt.

  “Are we ready to have some fun?” Tate asked.

  Both women agreed. The atmosphere was rather stilted. Tate hoped after a few drinks they’d relax a little. Nothing could happen to them other than fun.

  They headed toward the elevator and waited to be let on. The doors opened revealing a middle aged man with greying hair. He was the same age as her father, but where Tiny wore leathers or denim, this man wore a designer suit.

  She recognized him instantly as her uncle. Alex stood looking at her. His gaze admired Eva’s body before settling on her.

  “Hello, Tate,” he said, ignoring the other two women.

  “Hello, Uncle.” Getting onto the elevator Tate couldn’t stop her body tensing.

  “Eva, I’ve credited this card. Use it at all the tables and play sensibly. Don’t interact with men surrounded with bodyguards. It’s not a good weekend for you to be here.” Alex presented Eva with an envelope.

  “You really didn’t need to do this, Alex,” Eva said.

  “Take it. I’m doing this for Tiny and for Patricia.” Alex didn’t look her way. “I’m going to take my niece for a drink. Will that be okay for you?”

  “Yes. Tate, are you happy with that?”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you on the floor, okay?” she asked Kelsey.

  “Yeah. Erm, this is going to be fun, right?” Kelsey lowered her voice and looked between Eva and Alex. “Right now it’s not a lot of fun.”

  Laughing, Tate wrapped her arm around her new friend. “We’ll have so much fun you’ll be talking about it well into old age.”