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I was sometimes surprised to find myself calling Baton Rouge home again. I’d left the city for the Marines, never intending to return except for occasional trips to see my elderly mother. On one of those visits, I had brought along a friend from the military. Dan Shaw and I planned to see my mom before heading to New Orleans.

To this day, I couldn’t explain why I stopped by the DTF clubhouse run by the Black Rainbow. The club had wronged my family by getting my idiot cousin killed.

Daly was the wild child of our small family. Desperate to join the local club, he had done everything Wrecker asked, including shaking down a trigger-happy asshole. My cousin’s body spent two days in an alleyway before anyone noticed.

In my mind, the Black Rainbow bore responsibility for Daly ending up in an urn kept on my mom’s shelf next to so many other fallen members of the Lacroix family.

After nearly dying during an overseas mission, I wanted nothing more than to travel the world. Instead, Dan and I fell under Zodiac’s spell.

The brash bastard wore flashy clothes and walked like he was a damn superstar. Despite his showy demeanor, Zodiac didn’t bullshit me about Daly’s death. He also saw the world the way it was rather than peddling easy lies.

Zodiac talked me into staying in Baton Rouge and joining the Black Rainbow. When he claimed Wrecker and the other older members were weak, I helped remove them from power.

Dan also joined the Black Rainbow and took on the road name “Exile.” After we rid the club of Wrecker and his guys, I was given the rank of road captain while Exile became the club’s VP.

The Black Rainbow’s new management did well with running Baton Rouge, even as a shadowy outfit called the Void began moving into our territory and stirring up trouble. The fuckers even sent a gunman to kill Exile’s little sister, Nova. She survived, but the Void needed to be destroyed.

After the shooting, Zodiac aligned our club with the Crimson Guard in Little Memphis. That was how he hooked up with Elle Reed, and Exile met his wife, Lula Reed. Goldie’s younger brother Boone had even hooked up with Nova and was helping to raise her two daughters.

With the clubs entangled through business and personal alliances, I often found myself in Little Memphis. I even rode to the Arkansas city when no one asked me to, just so I could get a glimpse of one particular woman.

I had no idea why Goldie Chester made me crazy when other women didn’t. Before I saw her, I wasn’t interested in dating anyone. I’d long given up on the idea of marriage and kids. I planned to ride with the Black Rainbow until I got too old. Then, I wanted to buy a place by the water and grow old with a pretty view.

Now, though, I was obsessed with a woman I barely knew. What was I even doing stalking Goldie? What happened if she ever showed any interest in me?

That question found its answer when Goldie asked me to fuck her.

No flirty shit. Goldie walked over, sporting her new short haircut, and said she wanted me to join her at a hotel.

Of course, I followed, even while thinking she might be screwing with me. Goldie’s grin when I exited the Crimson Guard’s clubhouse left me worried that she was playing a game. I still followed her from the Fire Hooch. We moved around the weekend traffic with me always a car or two behind her. Goldie didn’t look back during the ride or when we rolled up to The Oregon Inn.

After parking her hog near a back entrance, Goldie walked to the front of the building. I idled on my ride, still wondering if this shit was her idea of a funny joke.

A few minutes later, Goldie opened the hotel’s back entrance and sized me up. I shut off my ride and eyed her suspiciously.

“I heard men can get so nervous about fucking that their dick closes up shop and won’t work,” she said and grinned. “Is that what’s happening here?”

Rather than respond to her taunt, I threw my leg over my hog and walked toward her. I had to hurry since she turned and let the heavy door nearly close. Goldie didn’t look back to see if I caught it in time. She sauntered to the end of the hallway and swiped the card across the reader.

“I got you a key,” Goldie said as I caught up with her. “I don’t know why. It’s not like we’re on vacation, but I wanted the chick at the front desk to know I wasn’t here to play with my beaver alone.”

Frowning down at her, I replied, “If you don’t stop with this poetic shit you’re saying, I might have to leave.”

Goldie entered the room and glanced back at me over her shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere,” she mocked. “Men don’t give up free pussy.”

“Is it free?” I asked and locked the door.

“Sure,” she said and slid off her jacket and boots. “I don’t expect you to do anything except fuck me. That sure sounds free to me.”

Nodding, I watched her drop her jeans to reveal lean legs and a black thong. Her brown eyes glowed as she studied me. She wore a mildly amused expression as she removed her rings. Her gaze flashed to the king-sized bed before returning to my face.

“Was I right about your dick not working?” she asked and walked toward me.

I took off my jacket and dumped it on the nearby desk. “It works fine.”

Goldie smiled up at me while her hand cupped my crotch. I cocked an eyebrow, still waiting for her to pull the rug out from under me.

“You’re shy like a schoolgirl,” Goldie teased as her hand left my dick and stroked my chest. “Or cranky. Either way, I feel like you’re about to run away.”