They stood there, the river stretching out before them, the wind beating their bodies, and the seagulls hungrily crying. For once, Kodiak wasn't thinking about blood or mistakes or how close he was to crossing the line. He was thinking about her.
And how Roma made everything feel possible and a little lighter.
Chapter 19
The compound always had a strange stillness the morning after a club meeting—from the outside, it always felt like the walls were holding their breath, waiting to see if anything the Royalla members decided around the table would return to haunt them.
She always wondered what went on during church. When she was young, she would ask her dad, and he'd make up funny stories to entertain her. Now, she imagined the news was not particularly pleasant.
The door opened. All the men left the room in a quieter mood than they had entered. She kept watching until the last Royalla member exited. Kodiak paused in the doorway, then shut the door as a final sign that the meeting was over. The steam from her mug of coffee tickled her nose. Despite getting a good amount of sleep last night, she still had trouble waking up when the alarm on her watch went off. She felt as if she could go back to bed and sleep another eight hours.
Despite her sleepiness, her body woke up at the sight of Kodiak. She couldn't shake off her curiosity about what he looked like without clothes on. Specifically, his jeans. It was rather unfair if she thought about it. He'd seen her pussy. Yet, she hadn't seen his cock. She had nothing to give her a mental image of his size or shape.
Not a stranger to what dicks looked like, she knew they came in all sizes and not everyone looked the same. She took a sip of coffee. All she had to do was step out of her room on a Saturday night, and she'd see all the dick she wanted to see. But there was only one dick she wanted—and that dick headed her way.
Her stomach fluttered, and she dropped her gaze, afraid he'd read her mind. If she studied the front of his jeans long enough, she could make out—
"Prez. You're gonna want see this," shouted Cruz. "Someone grab a bucket of soap and water, maybe a sponge or brush."
Beside her, Duke snorted. "Where the hell do we find something like that?"
"I'll get it." Roma set her coffee down on the counter. "I swear, half the men here would get lost looking for any cleaning product."
In the kitchen, she went to the walk-in closet where they stored all their bulk items, along with any cleaning supplies. She grabbed a new brush and a bucket and carried them out to the sink. Not knowing what he wanted it for, she filled it up with warm water and dish soap. In the clubhouse, Cannon offered to carry the pail for her.
Curious to know what was going on, she followed Cannon and spotted everyone walking outside the open gate. Going to the sidewalk, she peered around the group gathered near the outer fence. The long stretch of cement wall now had red spray paint on it. She peered around Baddy. There was a messy message sprayed on the fence.
EYE 4 EYE 4 EYE
Roma stared at the way the number "4" had been painted like a knife blade. Sharp. Intentional.
"Baker?" said Kodiak without looking behind him.
"Here."
"Pull up the security feed on your phone." Kodiak turned around and walked over to Baker.
Cannon pushed his way through the crowd. "Want me to start scrubbing?"
"Yeah, go ahead before the paint sets." Kodiak's attention was locked onto the phone's screen.
Roma stayed back, understanding that any graffiti or message would be taken as a threat against the RoyallaMotorcycle Club. They'd only gone a few weeks with no trouble, and already something else was brewing.
Kodiak's gaze snapped up, and he scanned the street. After several seconds, he quietly ordered Rusty and Flash to help Cannon with the cleanup.
"Everyone else, inside." His gaze caught Roma, and he strode straight to her. "Go inside."
Without questioning him, she walked away. She knew better than to get involved with club business. Though disappointment slowed her steps. Between the club and the garage, Kodiak's attention was already divided, and she selfishly wanted a small piece of him.
Halfway down the hallway toward her room, Kodiak called her name. She turned around.
He motioned for her to come to him. "I'll want you to hear this."
Curious to know what was going on, she stood with the others as Kodiak addressed the club. Her heart pounded, knowing women weren't invited to meetings. She had no idea what this meant. Had Kodiak asked her because he wanted her beside him?
"Baker, can you send the security footage through to the television so everyone can see?" Kodiak walked over to the wall, grabbed the control from the shelf under the flat screen, and turned it on.
"Give me a second." Baker tapped on his phone. "I should have it up in...now."
