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I woke up on Halloween before sunup, a woman in my arms. For two glorious weeks, when we weren’t fucking all night, Maren was either hanging with me, performing or busy working with Opry on the haunted carnival. I couldn’t keep as good of an eye on her as I wanted while those two snuck around to interview the freaks and shit. Hire a firebreather. Shop for supplies. They were looking for one of those metal hamster balls big enough to ride motorcycles in. They always had an excuse to leave the premises. And I couldn’t stop it or seem suspicious. Even though I found myself jealous as hell.
It was not like Maren was riding bitch with him, they’d leave in a Suburban so they could pick up helium or haul all they needed back to Royal Road. However, I couldn’t help but think Opry had an ulterior motive for spending so much time with her. After all, he’d asked me if he could put the moves on her and showed her his dick. But he didn’t know she was a spy. I clearly didn’t have anything to worry about. Not like I was thinking of staying with her or anything, anyhow.
Even though it’d been a while since I’d been fucking the same woman every night. It’d been nice, waking up and rolling on top of her to have morning sex. Then we’d have coffee and breakfast and her and Opry would leave. I’d go check in with Kingpin and he’d be much the same, just spending time with his woman, fretting over her and his unborn twins. Maren and Opry would get back. Maren and I’d eat lunch, go home, and have afternoon sex, maybe watch a movie, go for a motorcycle ride, come back, party at the clubhouse, shoot some pool with my brothers. I’d have dinner with Maren, watch her perform, and then go have sex all night.
That’d been my life for a whole two weeks.
It’d been fucking amazing.
I did however offer to take her out at dawn the morning of Halloween to pick up pumpkins for their carnival.
Opry seemed upset not to be joining her.
I’d never seen the woman so excited as we piled as many gourds as we could fit into the pickup truck. While we were at the orchard, Maren insisted we stay for warm apple cider and donuts.
“This what Opry and you have been doing?” Having little dates.
“We grab a bite when we’re out, yeah.”
“But you come back and eat lunch with me?”
“It’s just small things. And a girl has got to eat as much as we’re fucking. Besides, I can’t survive on that slop at the clubhouse, no offense to Sweet Tea or any of the cooks.”
“Opry’s putting the moves on you.”
“No, he’s a complete gentleman.”
That was worse. He wanted more from Maren than a quick fuck. I was more than envious.
Though I had my coffee black, and drank it quickly, Maren savored her drink, marveling at the sunrise.
“Just think, tomorrow this will all be over,” she said. “If your club defeats mine, you think Kingpin will let me stay?”
“If?”
Having a different plan, I had no answer for her. I’d decided I didn’t want Maren to suffer. That I was sure of, but I planned to have the Asphalt Gods come tonight. And as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t trust her. I needed her to call in her gang to rescue her from my wrath later, so for now, I intertwined my fingers with hers.
“I hope he does,” I said, it would be the truth if what she thought was going to happen was real.
She thought we were waiting for tomorrow. But in actuality, I would break her heart tonight. When she called the Gods to us, they’d believe she was in serious peril. Maren would believe that I was going to kill her. They’d believe it was time even though they planned for tomorrow.
Back at Royal Road I left Maren to the pumpkins. I’d gotten back in time for our special meeting. We let Kingpin know about the Halloween Carnival like it was Christmas morning. All the officers waited for him in the clubhouse to give him the news. Pagan woke him up early. He came into Royal Road in his black silk robe and nothing else, not even shoes.
The Ferris wheel already arrived before he got up, and men were setting it up. Naturally, he erupted into a million questions before Pagan and Opry could explain. The rest of us were merely flies on the wall, especially me.
As I’d predicted, the biker was none too happy about his surprise.
“Does everyone know but me? How could you do this Pagan? Keeping secrets.”
“Prez, we couldn't tell you. That’s how a surprise works.”
“What about the orgy?” Kingpin scrubbed his face because he was half asleep. “We’re famous for it.”
“Still happening at midnight.” Pagan explained the whole plan to Kingpin. “The family friendly part only lasts from two until the sun sets at seven pm. That part is one hundred percent outside around the tent.”
“A tent?”
“A big top. It’s a haunted carnival.”
“No animals,” Kingpin said, snappishly.
“We’ve got some ponies already on the way.”
“This place is going to stink to high heavens for months. You boys know, plenty of events I hold are family friendly. Why take Halloween from me? You know how close it is to my dark heart.”
“I figured with you having twins soon you’d understand us who want to spend Halloween with our kids,” Pagan said. “This way we’re able to do that and still have our wild party afterwards. We have a Ferris wheel, a funhouse and carnival games with prizes for the youngins and better still, for the teens and Ol’ Ladies, Beau Strick is performing.”
“My fucking brother?”
“I thought you two buried the hatchet because of Sky and her mom.”
Fuming, Kingpin only crossed his arms. Clearly the feud continued. He’d never get over the fact his Country Music star brother used his name and life story to claim his fame.
Pagan ignored this obvious fact. “For the adults we switch over. We’ll start the real party at eight like always. Party ‘til the sun comes up. It’ll be better than ever. We’ll get rid of Bubba and get some real musicians on stage. Got Jackie’s Heros coming. Maren performs, of course and a whole host of others like her. The freaks show up, too.”
“Freaks?” Kingpin was curious.
“Yeah. You’re going to love it.”
“Bearded lady?” Kingpin guessed.
“No, something better, and just for after hours. All the carnival games switch up. Bobbing for booty with peaches. Titty balloons for darts. Eggplant balloons filled with cream for the ladies. That was Leo’s idea. We’re having burnout contests.”
“What about the masquerade?”
“Just wait. All the strippers are dressing like killer clowns after the kids leave. The bikers are all dressing up too. Inside we’ll have our candy buffet as usual with a whore covered in Halloween candy with your sign that says you must use your mouth. Just like before. Fuck, Buzzard even made sure there’s drugs in that candy.”
Hearing all the craziness we had planned, Kingpin warmed to the idea.
Thinking about how I was going to tell them about the Asphalt Gods MC sniffing around, I could barely pay attention to it all. Forget raining, I was getting ready to take a big dump on their carnival. I kept listening for the right moment to interject until they started talking about Maren.
“Was this her idea?” Prez asked. “Because I’m not sure I trust that girl. Circus folk can’t be trusted. Big Top Eddie killed twenty-one men with a single hammer.”
Kingpin was on about some serial killer he met in prison.
“Something’s off about her,” he said. “Could Maren be our spy?”
I froze. I had to force myself to breathe normally. I wouldn’t give her up to them. Not now. Not like this.
“No. It’s all my idea. She’s only helping,” Opry said, defending her.
“Leviathan,” Kingpin said. He rarely called me Levi. “You’ve gotten close to Maren. Can we trust her? Is this circus of hers some kind of deception?”
“We can trust her,” I lied, although his question rang in my head. I filed it away for later and kept my face as straight as I could.
Kingpin screwed his eyes and cocked his head. Fuck. I knew I shouldn’t underestimate him. Anyone who did ended up dead.
“You’re spending all your time with her. You’re in love with this girl,” he proclaimed like he’d figured me out.
“No,” I said too hastily.
“Fuck that. I can tell.” Prez however studied me.
“Maren’s alright,” I answered. That was true enough.
“Well, alright.” Prez easily took my word.
Opry continued, “It’s not just about the families. The ticket sales are through the roof. We’ll be able to rebuild and host fights again, sooner than we thought.”
In true Kingpin form his mood shifted like the wind. He put his arm around Opry.
“Tell me ‘bout them numbers.”
Just like that, Kingpin was onboard. Our meeting was ending. After he questioned Maren’s intentions, I couldn’t tell him about the Gods. I’d actually have to wait until tomorrow when everyone was hungover and useless.
“Bikers have to dress up?” Kingpin went on asking questions.
“Of course, not you,” Opry told him.
I didn’t plan on it either.
Since Maren would be performing, she planned to dress like she did in the circus but with a Halloween twist. For the first time, I let myself look forward to this haunted carnival. A weight lifted at least for today.
That was until Opry was in front of me asking if we picked up the pumpkins.
“You let her out of your bed long enough?”
“Listen cowboy, Maren’s my girl. Don’t be buttering her up, like you do.”
“You’ve not really laid claim to her. No property patch, as I see it. You’re just playing around as usual. At least she doesn’t think it’s too serious.”
“She say that?”
“No. But I can tell when a girl’s open to something better,” Opry said, obviously meaning he was better than me.
“You’re playing too. You don’t quit making eyes at her, I’ll make you disappear.”
“What you going to do, sink me in the Cumberland River like the last man you killed for Kingpin?”
“Yeah, but Kingpin will never know.”
I left the meeting to go find Maren and help her unload the pumpkins. I discovered her talking to someone.
Shit.
“What the hell are you doing here, Chloe?”
