Obsessed (11 page)

Vaughn shifted uncomfortably on the seat of his motorcycle. “Shit. Is she worth it?”

“I hope so,” said James. “Were gonna have to go in hard, you know that, right? They’re gonna be waitin’ for someone to come after her. They’ll have the place locked down like Fort Knox tonight.”

The two men finished preparing their bikes. Vaughn carried a revolver tightly to his hip and had a short-barreled shotgun fastened to the rack on the back.

James worked with one semi-automatic pistol in an ankle holster and another tucked into the waistband of his jeans. His face now had a considerable scruff. His blue eyes fixed with a mixture of determination and concern.

“Listen, we’re gonna get in and get out. Hit ‘em before they know they’re bein’ hit. Were gonna ride on ‘em and be back before dinner.”

“What about the crew?” asked Vaughn. The lines in his forehead told James he was more concerned about their own gang than the one they were about to do battle with.

“Let me worry about them. Remember, It’s all on me. You have deniability if it comes down to it. But it won’t. When we get back here-”

“
If
we get back here,” corrected Vaughn.

“
When
, we get back,” emphasized James, “we’ll be heroes. They might not like it at first, but when Hayes hears we put a few HOHers in their graves, he’ll forgive.”

He clapped Vaughn on the shoulders with two strong hands and squeezed. “Now mount up. It’s time to ride.”

Each man walked his motorcycle backward and turned toward the road in silence. It had been three days since the attack at the bar. They were ready. The throaty gurgle of the two bikes echoed through the valley as they bent toward the west and rode into the night.

***

My ankles were bound with tape and my hands tied behind my back with some kind of rope, or cord. I couldn’t see which.
Tie that bitch tight,
they said.
She’s a runner.
After their initial anger, they had laughed. They told me,
next time you run, you might wanna take your shoes...and you pants.

The left side of my face felt numb from where he hit me. It hurt like hell to open my mouth. I didn’t want know whether or not my jaw was broken.

A tall, thin biker whom I hadn’t seen before walked into the room. “Surprised to see me?” he asked. “That’s what we get for lettin’ a woman be in charge of watching the prisoners.” He croaked an ugly laugh. His teeth were yellow from years of tobacco use.

“C’mon out,” he said. “Join the party.”

He walked behind and hoisted me by my bound wrists. Earlier, when we returned to their clubhouse, they had dressed me in a half-shirt and jeans. His belt buckle caught on the back of the jeans and pulled them down a bit. They were too big.

“Mmmm, that ass…,” he growled. “I think I might have myself a piece of that tonight.”

I shuddered.

“But don’t worry,” he said. “Brant’s gonna get the first shot at you. You
did
try to steal his bike, after all.” He howled again. “And you should be way more worried about him than you are me. He’s pretty upset about the whole thing. Yeah...he’s gettin’ ready to tear your pussy up.”

I spit in his face. “Fuck you.”

The back of his hand crashed in to the side of my face. His bony knuckles sent shock waves through my head and neck.

“Be a good girl,” he said. You’ve already gotten yourself in enough trouble for today.

I struggled to keep my feet as he dragged me backward. Heavy rock music filled my ears as we reached the front. There were
a lot
of them now. It looked like the whole gang had come out to party. When they saw me, they screamed and hollered. I was pushed forward and jostled about. A sea of hands reached and grabbed for me. I was pushed into the center of the room.

“There’s our guest of honor!” said Duane. The room bellowed their approval.

I turned in a circle to try to find my bearings. Everywhere I looked, there were large, gruff men. Red bandanas and chains adorned their jackets and vests. Some had full beards, most had long hair. I felt like an animal on parade in front of them.

“Dance for us,” one screamed. “Move that ass!”

It was like being in the eye of the hurricane. The chaos surrounding me was deafening. The music blared and the men laughed and shared drinks. I was the only part in slow motion. There was nowhere to run, now. No chance for escape.

One of them charged at me. The thundering of his feet against the floor reverberated through my entire body. I shut my eyes and waited. He skidded to an excited stop right in front of me. His breath was hot on my face. The toes of his boots touched the ends of my bare toes. He stood there for an excruciatingly long time. The room grew quiet in anticipation. I swallowed hard and fought back the tears. I didn’t want them to have the satisfaction.

He grabbed me and pulled me up against his humming body. His wet mouth found my neck and he licked me from my collarbone to my chin. They all started yelling and laughing again. I leaned back but he still had my hips. His hands shot down and he pulled my jeans to the floor. I stumbled back and fell right out of them. The crowd behind me kept me upright and shoved me forward.

More hands grabbed for me. I didn’t want to open my eyes. They toyed with me. First, shoving me away and then holding me down. They slapped at my backside and rubbed me through my panties. They reached under my shirt and fondled me, then pushed me to their partners. Their beards were scratchy against my face and the sharp edges of their clothing poked at my bare skin.

I tripped and went down hard on my knees. A voice screamed “bring her to me!” It sounded like the boss, Duane. I shut my eyes tighter. One of the men lifted me from behind and I felt the bulge in his pants grind against my butt. He thrust his hips into me, knocking me forward, and eliciting more laughs from the group.

“Time to get fucked darlin’. I’m about show these boys how to-”

A loud “pop” pierced the air. And then another. It sounded like gunfire, but I couldn’t be sure. The activity around me stopped. I opened my eyes enough to see that everyone’s attention was focused on the front door.

“Who the
fuck
is out there shooting?” someone said.

“Go check it out,” said Nash, nodding at two of the men nearest the door. “Which one of these boys got too drunk and decided to go shoot it out with the moon?” he asked, in jest. This time only a few of them laughed, and they were considerably more measured than before. There was an uneasy feeling in the air.

Pop. Pop.…Pop. Pop. Pop.
Five more shots rang out in quick succession. Then people started to move. There was a scream from outside.

Another of the men ran to the door and peeked out. “Oh shit! It’s them!”

Several more men started to shift about, waiting for direction.

“It’s who, goddammit?” screamed Duane.

“The EG! They’re hittin’ us!”

Several more men charged through the door. Duane and Nash started yelling directions. The women in the back all scattered. I was left alone, to sit in my underwear. It was happening again. Just like before with the other bikers. Was it James’s gang? Would they help me?

More gunfire erupted outside. It was accompanied by angry words and blood-curdling screams. It sounded like the world was ending. Then, as quickly as it all had started, it went quiet. Sounds of confusion drifted in through the front. I strained to hear what was going on. I couldn’t make out the words, but it felt like they were searching...like they didn’t get what they were expecting.

I don’t know if shock had set in, or if it was pure exhaustion, but I didn’t try to run. I couldn’t. I was done. I had made my attempt and failed. The events of the past couple of days had taken its toll, and I was prepared to accept whatever fate had in store for me.

There was a knock behind me. Not knowing what I would find, but expecting the worst, I craned my neck to look. There was nothing. My chin dropped to my chest and I let out a long slow breath. My muscles ached and I felt cold. I just wanted to be safe, again.

There was another knock.

I paused, not sure what to do. It happened again, more urgently this time. I used my feet to propel myself in the opposite direction, scooting around on my butt. I looked around the room but still didn’t see anything. But then my attention landed on the window. Staring back at me were the two bluest eyes I’d ever seen. The same two eyes I knew I’d never forget the first time I saw them. It was James.

My mouth fell open. He leaned forward and narrowed his gaze. I stared back dumbly, fully enveloped by his intense aura. He motioned to his right and I followed it with my head. He was pointing at the side door. As if in a trance, I followed his unspoken direction and walked to the door. I pulled but it wouldn’t open. I could almost feel his body heat on the other side. My senses started to return. Seeing him seemed to breathe the life back into me. I was able to focus again. The door was secured by a latch locked near the top of the frame. I reached out for it and was just tall enough to take hold. I slid it free, and just as I did, he burst through. He had come to save me.

I fell into him, collapsing in his arms. His warmth washed over me. Even though it was the first time we had embraced like this, I felt like I had been connected to him for eternity.

“James, I...you came for me.”

“We have to go, now!” he said, quietly but sternly. “They have us outnumbered, so we need to keep moving.”

He grabbed my hand and squeezed, then directed it to the small of his back. “Hold on to my belt and stay close. Don’t make a sound.”

We crept toward the same road I had tried to escape down this morning. The other bikers were swarming the area, but we were well-concealed by the darkness.

“We’re gonna get my friend and get out of here, okay? Just hang in there.”

I nodded, but he didn’t seem me. He was focused on the other side of the road. We crouched down and he started making hand signals to someone I couldn’t see. As soon as he was satisfied we started moving again.

“Where are we-”

“Keep your mouth closed and trust me.”

We inched our way into the trees. James had his head on a swivel and was alert to any little sound. The other bikers were searching frantically and tending to their wounded. I saw at least three bodies in the road when we came out. I tried to put that out of my mind.

“The bikes are hidden in the trees,” he said. “We’re almost there.”

After another few feet we were there. Two motorcycles were parked parallel to each other under the edge of the tree canopy closest to the road. They were covered with tree limbs and brush and were faced down the road, away from the building.

“Get down low and wait for me to tell you when,” he said.

I crouched in the tall grass and watched him work. He moved nimbly for a man of his size. With careful concentration he uncovered each bike. He didn’t make a sound.

He swung his leg over the bike and leaned down low. His back and shoulders were taut and muscular. “Okay, get on behind me. Don’t make a peep, college girl, and hold on tight.”

I crawled on my hands and knees until I reached his side and used his arm to help me up. I wrapped both arms around his midsection, pulling as tight to his back as I possibly could. There wasn’t room to slip a sheet of paper between us. My fingers dug into his stomach and I could feel his abs clench. I nestled my head into the his jacket and waited.

James raised his right arm and made a circular motion with his finger. I strained my eyes to see what he was looking at behind us. Then, a large figure flashed across the road and turned toward us. I sucked in my breath.