Beautiful Outlaw (10 page)

“Fuck!” This time, I shout the word.  “What can they find? Is there anything linking her to here.”

“I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. I need you to keep her close until I know for sure.”

“She won’t be out of my fuckin’ sight.” I growl out, just as Shay opens the door.

The look on her face is pure agony.  There is no doubt in my mind that she has heard everything I’ve said, and each word has cut her to the quick.  “Brother, I’ve gotta go.  Your sister needs me.”

“Shit, did she hear?” He asks, sounding defeated. 

I don’t answer, just mutter goodbye and slide the phone in my pocket. I toss my cigarette over the porch rail and walk straight to her. I wrap my arms around her and start to talk.  “It’ll be alright, Shay.”

She leans her head against my chest, wetting the front of my shirt. “My mom’s dying, and I can’t even be there with her.  I’m her daughter, and I can’t even say goodbye. Nothing about that is right.”

Letting the Tears Fall

Shay

I hold on to Bowie, until my tears finally start to fade a bit.  Carefully, I step back and lift my hand to wipe the proof of my breakdown from my eyes.  A few stragglers are still falling down my cheeks, but for the most part, I have gained control.

I move my hand to his shirt and whisper, “I got you all wet, sorry.”

He smiles down to me as he removes his vest and lays it over the porch railing.  Still smiling, he reaches for the bottom of his shirt and rips it over his head.   Pulling the leather vest back on, he throws the tee over his shoulder.  “Problem solved.”

The action was meant to make me laugh, instead I’m too busy staring at his ink-covered chest to even crack a smile.  The colors are nearly as mesmerizing as his rippling abs.  I continue to stare, until I see the muscles tense and vibrate.  I look up just in time to see him smile. 

“Shit, I’m the fuckin’ master,” He says with a low chuckle.

“What are you talking about?” I ask, completely lost at his words. 

“Most men live a lifetime without finding a way to make their woman quit crying.  I figured it out on day one.  All I got to do is pull off my shirt, and the tears dry up.”

“Huh?”

His smile grows impossibly broader, before he flexes his abs once more.  “It’s good to know from the get go that you like the way I look without my shirt on, just wait ‘til you see the rest.”

His cockiness has my anger rising. Without thinking, the back of my hand goes flying into his rock hard abs.  “I can’t believe you.”

“I’d do anything to keep those tears from your eyes,” He says, his face unreadable.

I rub the sting from my hand and look up at him.  “My mother is dying, and you’re acting like an idiot. Could you try to be at least a little sympathetic?”

“This is me.  I may be a dick, but I do what I gotta do,” Bowie’s eyes go soft, before he reaches out and places a hand on my cheek.  “I don’t want to see you crying, Shay.  It kills me.”

My anger disappears and is quickly replaced with grief.  My mother is dying; she’s really dying.  Slowly, I look up at him and whisper, “I’m never going to see her again; am I?”

Without hesitating, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me tight to his chest.  “I don’t know, baby.”

“I want to see her; I need to be with her.” I choke out the words, each one tasting like a bitter pill on my tongue. 

The thought of my mother dying without me by her side is tearing me apart.  Everything I’ve done, every decision I’ve made, has been for her.  Now when she needs me more than ever, I’m hundreds of miles away, living a fairy tale.  Just the thought has my tears falling again.

Leaning down, he places a soft kiss on the side my head.  “I’ll see if I can make it happen.”

Not wanting to even think about it, not willing to get my hopes up, I step out of his arms.  Moving away from him, I wipe the tears from my eyes again.  I look up at him, trying to think of something to say, but nothing comes to mind.  Instead, I just turn around and head back into the house. 

With each step, the pressure in my brain increases.  Mom’s dying. How can I live without my mom?  Again and again, the question ricochets through my mind.  The pain in my chest is so intense, I feel as if I’m being ripped in two.  I knew this was coming, have known it for years, but knowing doesn’t make it any easier. 

I walk into the kitchen, which is now full of smoke and the acrid smell of burning chocolate.  Rushing toward the stove, I grab a pot holder and pull the cake I was baking from the oven.  It is charred beyond recognition.  Anger courses through me as I toss the cake pan across the room.  I watch as it hits the wall, sending chunks of charred cake all over the floor.  “Damn it!”

With that, I rush out of the room and down the hall.  As soon as I make it to the bathroom, I slam the door and turn the lock.  Then, I turn around and slide down the door.  When my ass hits the floor, I pull my knees forward and hug them closely. 

“I’m sorry, Mom.  I’m so sorry.”

Fix This

Bowie

As I walk into the kitchen, I see the remnants of Shay’s anger and pain.  How the hell do I help her through this? I have no idea how to deal with this shit, none what so fuckin’ ever. 

My mom died when I was sixteen, but her death didn’t cause me an ounce of pain.  Even before her death, she was dead to me.  We never had a relationship.  She only spoke to me a time or two after she dropped me off on the club’s doorstep when I was five months old, not giving a shit if I was taken care of or not. I doubt she even remembered my name, after she walked away. 

Nothing but a junkie whore, she only came around to beg Dad for money.  When he got tired of giving it to her, she went to his brothers. She sold her mouth, her pussy, and her ass; anything to get her next hit. As the years passed by and the drugs took her looks, even the brothers wanted nothing to do with her.  After that, she never came back. 

I read about her death in the Owensboro paper, a few years before I went into the Army. If it hadn’t been for the tattoo of Cash’s name on her right hip, which the police posted in the paper, I wouldn’t have even known it was my mom.  The police had her listed as a Jane Doe and they were looking for her family.  I didn’t call in, there was no reason to.  The body they held meant nothing to me. 

Shaking off my grim memories, I walk over to the closet and grab the broom.  I spend the next ten minutes cleaning up the mess Shay made and thinking of how to deal with everything.  My only conclusion is I have to let her say goodbye.  As soon as I put the broom away, I pull my phone out and hit Lock’s name.

“Is she okay?” He asks, as hello.

“No man, she’s not.  I need you to do me a favor.”

“I’ll do anything I can, but I’m kind of low on options from my end.”

I’m sure he is.  Working, being with his mom, and always keeping his eyes on Shay’s bastard of a husband has to be running him into the ground. 

“I want you to keep your eyes on Marcus tonight.  I need a heads up if his ass is anywhere near the hospital.”

His voice goes alert as he asks, “What do you have planned?”

I don’t have a plan, at least not a good one, but I don’t tell him that.  “She needs to get to the hospital.  If she doesn’t, she’s gonna break, so I’m gonna bring her up there.”

“Fuck.” He mumbles out.  “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

It’s not; I know it’s not.  Shay needs to stay the fuck away from North Carolina and her fuckin’ husband, but it’s the only plan I’ve got.  If I don’t take her, I’m afraid she’ll try to make it on her own, and that would be worse. “It’ll be fine.  You do your part, and I’ll keep her safe.”

“Fuck.” He adds again.  “Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah, I’m positive.”  I only wish my thoughts were as sure as my words. 

We’re both quiet for a moment.  I’m thinking about everything that could go wrong during this trip, and I’m sure he’s thinking the same. 

Finally, he speaks up.  “What time?”

I look over to the clock and see the small hand closing in on ten.  If we get our shit together, we could be on the road by noon.  “I’m gonna call Tin-Man, have him ride backup.  If he can leave right away, we should be heading your way within an hour or two.”

“So, you should here around midnight?”

I count the road time in my head. “A little before, but we’ll be in your mom’s room by midnight.”

“He should be in bed with his new woman at the time, but I can’t guarantee he won’t have eyes on the hospital.”

“Tin-Man will have our back when we get there, just don’t take your eyes off that bastard.”

He blows out a stress-filled breath.  “I want to see her, but I don’t think it’d be safe.”

Trying to formulate a plan, anything that will work to ease Shay and Lock’s pain.  I can only think of one place that I know she’ll be safe for them to meet.  It’s not perfect, but it’ll work. “How about we hole up in Catawba, you drive down the next day.”

“Do you think the protection of the Hellions is the way to go?”

I should’ve known Lock would know where my mind was headed.  He knows I would only trust Shooter with something this big.  He’s close to Shooter though, and he should know our brother will make sure Shay is safe. “I think it will be the safest place for her to be.  No way is that fucker going to bring shit to Catawba. Shooter will clear the way for us.”

He’s hesitant as he asks, “You think the Hellions will want me around their clubhouse?  Your boys didn’t.”

The Hellions and the Savage Outlaws have ridden side by side many times.  We always make their boys feel welcome when they’re in our territory, and they do the same for us.  Even so, our clubs are as different as night and day.   They have their hands in some dirty shit, but they live by a code of ethics.  The Outlaws, on the other hand, we do whatever the fuck we want. 

They do have a better relationship with the local boys than we do, so I don’t think they’ll have an issue with Lock being at the clubhouse. If they do, our brother will make sure they get over it. “I’ll call and make sure, but I don’t think it will be a problem. Shooter isn’t gonna let shit happen to Shay.  We both know that. He’ll spread the word that you’re there for your sister, nothing else.”

I listen as he takes a pull off his smoke before saying, “I heard there’s been some trouble.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’ll be welcome there.”

“I talked to Shooter a few days ago.  Some shit went down and now the Hellions are having trouble with Desert Ghosts” He says, telling me something I didn’t know.

“I’ll call Shooter,” I growl out, still wondering what the fuck is going on with my brother’s club. 

“Word on the street is there is some bad blood between the VP and our boy. Shooter didn’t tell me that shit though, so I don’t know how true it is.”

The Hellions VP is a good guy, but he can be a dick from time to time.  “What the hell is up Rex’s ass?”

“Not sure, but I heard it had something to do with a woman. If it’s true and Rex finds out Laura’s under Shooter’s protection, he’ll do his best to fuck with her.”

Rex will be a dead man if he gets too close to my woman.  “I don’t want Shay anywhere near Rex’s ass. If he lays a finger on her, I’ll kill him.”

He laughs, “My sister wouldn’t fall for a biker, even if he does have a golden dick.”

I want to tell him I’m about to change that, but I don’t.  Now is not the time; he’ll find out soon enough, but I may need to tell her first.  “I’ll text you when we get to town.”

“All right, brother.  Keep her safe.”

“Always,” I swear, as I click off the phone and slide it back into my pocket. 

I turn towards the hall, just in time to see Shay stepping out of the bathroom. She’s wearing that mask again, the one that hides her emotions from the world.  I hate it, hate every fuckin’ thing about it.  It reminds of the broken woman I met at the bus station.

Walking down the hall, I pass her.  Not giving her a chance to ask any questions, I head to her bedroom door.  Slinging it open, I look back at her.  “Pack light, we hit the road in five.”

She looks puzzled for a moment then asks, “What are you talking about?”

“I’m taking you to see your mama, baby.”

Relief hits her face in an instant followed quickly by confusion.  “What? How?”

“Don’t worry about it.  Just get ready to go see your Mama.”

A smile crosses her face and she runs towards me.  As soon as she gets close enough, Shay throws her arms around my waist and goes to her toes.  Slowly, she brings her lips to mine and places a feather light kiss on them.  I can tell it’s taking all of her courage, just to do that.  After the briefest of seconds, she pulls back.  Her face is covered with a beautiful blush as she says, “Thank you, Bowie.”

Unable to resist her taste, I wrap her up in my arms, pulling her close as my lips meet hers again. Holding nothing back, I run the tip of my tongue over the seam of her lips, pulling a gasp from her.  I take full advantage and plunge my tongue into her mouth, finding hers with a delicious slide. Her taste is intoxicating, a mixture of chocolate and something that is just her.  There’s no label for it, just pure fuckin’ ambrosia. 

She’s hesitant at first but slowly returns my kiss. Each stroke of our tongues has my dick pushing at my zipper, begging to get close to her. I want her; I need her, but now is not the time. Focusing on her mouth and the pleasure it can give me, I continue my assault.  With each sweep of my tongue against hers, a slow fire burns a path through me. The need to bury myself in her pussy is overwhelming, but before I lose control and lead her to the bed, I pull back. 

Looking into her eyes, seeing the same fire in them as I’m sure is in mine, I smile. “I always take care of what’s mine.”

You and Me

Shay

I didn’t quite make Bowie’s five minute time line, but I’m close.  Zipping the back pack, I swiped from Rachel’s room, I slide it on and walk out of my bedroom.  Each step I take closer to Bowie has my heart picking up a beat.  I’m not sure what happened, but my kiss of gratitude turned into much more than a simple thank you.  In fact, I’ve never been kissed like that before in my entire life.