Raptor (Fury Vipers MC: Dublin Chapter #2)

3. Raptor

Chapter 3

Raptor

" Y ou good, brother?" Stag questions. "You've been mopin' around for a while now; ever since you got back from Ireland, now that I think about it. It's been a few weeks. What's goin' on?"

I shake my head. "Nothin'," I lie.

I know exactly what the fuck is wrong with me. Mallory. I thought spending time apart from her would make me feel less uneasy, but it hasn’t worked. The woman is constantly on my mind. It’s something I never expected, but fuck, she's a witch and I'm spellbound. That's the only way to describe how I'm feeling. Never, not fucking ever, have I felt this way about anyone before. Now, I'm contemplating what to do. I want her, I really do. I’ve thought long and fucking hard about what it would mean and what I’d have to sacrifice to be with her, and it's fucked up beyond anything I've ever known. How do you give up everything you've worked your ass off for? How do you give up your family, your brotherhood, for a woman? You don't, and yet that's what I'm contemplating doing.

"Yeah, whatever you say, brother," Stag laughs. "But we all know you better than that. We all know what that look on your face means. You've found your woman. So what's the problem?"

I glare at the fucker. He's awful fucking chatty today. "Where's Kins?" I ask, wanting to know where his old lady is.

He scowls at me. "Busy. Now, what's happened?" he asks. "You were fine, then you went to Ireland, and ever since you came back you've been like a fucking bull. So what gives?"

"My woman lives in Ireland," I tell him through gritted teeth. "So tell me, man, what's goin' to happen?"

He runs his hand down his beard. "That's shit, brother. You serious about her?"

"Thinkin' about going nomad and movin' to Ireland," I say, letting him know just how fucking serious I am.

His eyes widen. "Alright, brother, I get it. Trust me, if it were Kins, I'd be finding out ways to be with her. What's your woman's name?"

"Mallory," I tell him. She's my raven-haired beauty and I fucked up. I truly fucked up.

"Have you spoken to her since you've been home?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Don't have her cell number. I don't even know her last name. The only things I do know is that she's eighteen, she’s Chloe's best friend, and she's fucking bewitched me."

The fucker throws his head back and laughs. "You really are gone, aren't you?"

I flip him off. "Don't even know where to start looking, brother."

Stag grins. "Relax. It'll all work out," he assures me.

I raise a brow. "Yeah? And how do you see that happening?"

"Py's goin' to need a VP, brother. He's goin’ to need to have some brothers at his back. Who's to say one can't be you?"

"Move to Ireland?" I ask. It's something I thought about, but I never considered it definite.

"Pyro needs a VP, brother. You movin' is goin' to strengthen the club over there. It'll mean you won’t lose your club or your brothers, and you’ll get your woman."

I sigh. "You think everyone will vote?" I ask, wondering if I need to put the word out. I know that if I let them know this is what I want, my brothers will be behind me one hundred percent, even if it means losing me.

He lifts his shoulders. "Some have taken it hard that Py's gone to Ireland as it is, but I have no doubt that if it's truly what you want, then it'll happen."

"True," I say as I give him a chin lift and move away. Fuck, this is a lot to think about.

Two weeks later

“You good, brother?” I ask Wrath as I slap him on the back. “You’re lookin’ awful chipper this mornin’.” He's been spending a lot of time at Hayley's house and I know that this is what he's wanted. It's taken a fucking long time for him to get to this point.

He glares at me, his eyes narrowed. “Yeah?”

My grin widens. There's nothing better than getting a rise out of my brothers, and Wrath's awful touchy about Hayley and Eva. It's about damn time they got their shit together. Although, Pyro's gonna lose his mind when he finds out.

“The fuckin’ women are ecstatic. You’re finally claimin’ Hayley. That’s all they’ve wanted for years, and now they have it. Not to mention, Eva’s tellin’ everyone you’re her daddy.”

Wrath raises a brow at me. He's not a man who backs down. “You got a problem with that?” he clips out.

“No problem, brother.” I grin. “I’m pleased for you, and I know Py will be too.” That, of course, is after he punches him. I laugh at his raised brow. “He will be—once he gets over the fact you’re fuckin’ his sister.”

He starts to walk away. “Church,” he says with a shake of his head.

I follow behind him, noting that Ace, our prez, is already waiting for us.

Once we’re all settled, Ace starts off the meeting, giving a rundown on everything that's on the horizon. Everyone's buzzing with excitement.

Once Ace has finished, I take a deep breath. “I have somethin’ I want to say,” I start and watch as Ace waves for me to continue. “I’ve been thinkin’ about this a lot. With Pyro now startin’ the newest chapter in Ireland, he’s going to need some brothers with him. I want to be one of them.”

Silence spreads around the room. All eyes are wide and shocked, and all of them on me.

Mayhem chuckles. “You want to see that woman again.”

Anger whips through me. “Leave Mallory out of this," I growl, glaring at the ass before turning back to Ace and waiting for his reaction.

“You sure this is what you want?” Prez asks, and I nod. I've been thinking about this for weeks. Fucking weeks. It's what I want. I have no family other than this club and going to Ireland doesn't mean I'll be losing it. “Then we put it to a vote,” he says. “Those in favor, say aye.”

Wrath is the first to voice his agreement. We've spoken about this on multiple occasions. Wrath is someone I trust wholeheartedly. He's my brother, but he's closer than most. The only other person I'm closer to is Pyro. Gratitude fills me as every single brother agrees with this move. Now I need to get my ass in gear for the move, and then find Mallory.

Once it's been voted on, Wrath begins to talk, letting everyone know that he's claiming Hayley. It's been a fucking long time coming, about five years or so now. But it's damn time they got their shit together.

I know it's going to take some time before I can move. There's shit to be done. But my chest feels fucking lighter. It's only a matter of time before I get to Ireland and to Mallory.

“Hey, brother,” Stag says once we leave church, “you got a sec?”

I stop and wait for him. “Everythin’ okay?” I question.

He nods. “Everythin’ is good. I had Kins talk with Chloe,” he says as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. “Mallory’s number,” he informs me.

I raise a brow. “You tryin’ to matchmake, bro?”

His laughter is deep. “No, but I’m not goin’ to watch you lose your woman ‘cause you’re too chicken shit to call up Chloe and get Mallory’s number. So I did it for you–well, Kins did.”

I take the number from him. “‘Preciate it, brother,” I say thickly, gratitude filling every single word I say.

“Talk to your woman, Rap, let her know that you’ll be comin’ to see her. Tell her she’s got time to run if she needs it.” The fucker throws his head back and starts laughing.

I flip him off, but I know he’s just joking around. My brothers know I want Mallory. They’ve known it since the moment I met her. There’s just something different about her. She’s got me hook, line and sinker. There was never any going back. Not for me.

I move toward my room, my fingers curled around the piece of paper that holds Mallory’s number. Fuck, I’m glad Stag had Kins do this, though I would have got around to doing it eventually. I just needed to sort my shit out.

The second I’m in my room, I reach for my cell and hit the numbers on the dial pad, remembering from when I was in Ireland to add the 00353 prefix to call an Irish number. The second I hit call, my stomach clenches.

“Hello?” I hear her soft Irish lilt over the phone. “Hello?”

“Mallory,” I say thickly.

There’s a sharp intake of breath followed by, “Raptor?”

“Yeah, darlin’, it’s me. I got your number from Chloe. You good?”

“I’m good,” she breathes. “I didn’t expect to hear from you. How are you?”

Fuck, that softness in her voice has my cock thickening. “Even better now that I’ve heard your voice.”

Her laughter is soft and melodic. “Still the charmer, I see. How’s New York?”

“Same as it always is. How’s Dublin?”

“Rainy,” she replies, still smiling. “I love that you called, Raptor, but I’m not sure why.”

I get why she’s uncertain about it all. We had sex—fantastic sex—but we live across the world from one another.

“I wanted to speak to you. It’s fucked up, ain’t it—how deep you’ve dug yourself into me?”

Silence spreads through the line. “Raptor,” she says softly. “You have no idea how hard it was to walk away from you again. I thought you wanted a clean break. That’s what you said, right?”

I run a hand over my face and sigh. “Yeah, that’s what I said,” I say through clenched teeth. “But it’s a lot fucking harder said than done.”

“Yeah,” she replies. “It’s been hard. You’re not the only one who feels this way.”

I grin. Hearing those words lets me know I’m on the right track. “What if I told you I’d be seeing you soon?”

“Soon? How soon?” she asks, a hint of excitement in her voice.

“I’ve got shit to work out here so it could take me a couple of months, maybe a little longer, but I’ll be over to see you soon.” I wish it were sooner, but my brothers and I have to sort out logistics and shit before that can happen.

“That’ll be cool. You’ve got to let me know when you’re in town,” she says, her tone a little distant. “I’ve got to go. Ma’s calling me. It was really good to hear from you, Raptor. Don’t be a stranger, yeah?”

The call ends and I’m left staring at my cell wondering what the fuck is going on. I get the sense that something isn’t right. There’s no fucking way I’ve got this situation wrong. Mallory isn’t a woman who would play around. Yet there’s something off about how she was acting.

Fuck, what the hell is wrong with me? That woman has got me in knots.

Soon, I'll be in Ireland, where I will find out what the hell is going on.