The Ride (9 page)

            They? What the fuck. Who's dead? It hits me in a rush. Goofy ass prospect was with her and he didn't come back. Fuck. “Who baby? Who did this?” I try for a soothing voice, but I'm too God damn fired up. Right now I don't care about the prospect. Lil is all I care about. Yeah I'm a fucking dick, sue me. My words come out harsh and impatient. Throwing her arms around my middle she pulls me right to her. Face pressed into me. “Don't know. They had a message,” she whimpers into my chest. I let her do her thing. She needs me, I'm here. Low bursts though the door ready to fight, shot gun in hand. “What the fuck happened?” Looking around his eyes find Lil. I've never seen someone look so sick. His face probably mirroring mine. “Lil, baby.” Rushing over to her he looks between her and I. Yeah it's exactly like it looks. Telling him what I know he curses and starts braking orders. Lil's still pressed into me. It's full blown retaliation at this point. “Doll face ya gotta tell me what they said,” Low urges her. Turning her head, cheek rested on my chest she's still hold onto me. Looking at her dad I can see the tears she's trying to hold back. I hurt for her. It fucking hurts to listen to her sad voice. “He … uh, he said he wants what's his. If not I'm dead,” she says in the saddest voice I've heard. “I'm … I'm sorry.
God
. The prospect,” she sobs. She's sorry? For what? She's worried about the prospect and not the price hanging over her life? Pulling her into me I let her do what she needs to. It's as much for me as it is for her. I'm a selfish prick I want her close. She’s been here a few weeks and this shit has already happened. This has rattled me. I've seen dead bodies. I've witnessed my fair share of violence and deaths. Fuck I've even killed. Ripped motherfuckers apart. Seen a girl or two beat up, but this shit hits me harder than usual. My minds trying to tell me it's because I care about this girl, but I push that shit down. No time for that crap right now. Lows on the phone making calls. Shits about to go down. People will die. “Scars,” she whispers into my chest. What? What does that mean? “What ...” It hits me again. Scars. On the persons face. “Motherfuckin' Draco. Tick!” I shout too Low. It's all over. Every fucking person in that club patched in or not is out for blood. This shit ends now.

            A few hours later Lil is cleaned up and calmed down. She's bruised and sore, but she's okay. Low left me and Gin with her. He took off to try and track the motherfucker down. Went to cause some damage. Fuck did I want to go. Lil asked me to stay, asked Gin to stay, so here we are. I want to see some blood of the fuckers that did this. God did I want to see it. See it on the floor, on the ceiling, on my gloves. I stayed for her. Sitting on the couch she's been tucked up against me for a while nursing a drink. “What about the Prospects body?” she asks me finally speaking. After everything she drove herself here, left the prospect behind the store he was too heavy for her to pick up. Her voice sounds stronger. Shit, the damn prospect. Died trying to save Lil. “We'll get it back sweets.” I try to sooth her. She doesn’t need to worry about it. That's club business. That isn't shit she's got to think about. “There better be a funeral. A fuckin' huge one. I want him patched in. He gave me his life,” she states firmly. I forget how much she knows about this life. All this shit isn't something she should be thinking about, let alone worrying about. “He will be baby. I promise.” She sighs long and hard. “Okay.” Her head's rested on my chest. Arms tucked up against me. There's something to be said to having her next to me. She's warm, she's breathing, and right now she's mine.

            Lil's drunk. I'm talking sloppy, clumsy drunk. After a while she got restless. Couldn't stop thinking about what happened. Gave her a shot to calm her down. One shot turned into an entire bottle of Tequila. “Dance with me baby,” shes purring in my ear. Dancing around me like a damn stripper. I'm not going to lie I'm enjoying the show. I'm a sick bastard, baby is bruised up and fucked up and here I'm thinking about fucking her. Black and blue and she's still beautiful. Peaches and her dancing around each other giggling. Some ridiculous music plays through the club house. Lil wanted the song so I put it in for her. Now I'm stuck listening to it. Whatever she wants though. Peaches and Lil both shriek at the same time. Heard the same song fifteen times now. Each time they get excited. Fucking driving me up a wall, but it puts that smile on her face so I'll deal. Pulled away for a minute I leave those two to dance. Gin's on some shit about taking off tonight to handle shit together. He's got plans and guns, not a good combo for someone who's thinking with emotion and not logic. Shit doesn't sound like it's a great idea. “Can't just let them pukes do whatever they want. Been sittin' on this shit for a while now. They're fuckin' with my family man, my
family
. It needs to be handled,” Gin growls pacing back and forth in the loft. Looking like a caged animal. Tugging at his cut looking about ready to blow up. I agree, but what the fuck am I supposed to do? Round up the troops and head out. Can't.  Low'd kill us for that shit. “What 'bout Low? Or better yet Lil? Or Peaches? What are we gunna do with them? We've got to handle this carefully.” Gin looks pissed off. Fist clenched. Jaw ticking. “Don't fuckin' care. I'm not watchin' her die. Had to bury Lucy, ain't doin' with Lil too.” Caught off guard by his sudden sad revelation. I've got to fallow protocol. Can't handle shit off of the fly. I'm trying not to get anybody killer here. “Don't want shit to happen to her either, but doin' somethin' crazy ain't gunna end well for anybody. Pretty sure Peaches and Lil want you alive.” Smashing his fist into the wall a picture falls to the ground. “Let me educate ya, yeah? Shit cannot happen to sis.” Pacing back and forth he kicks a chair. “Know how long I waited for Lil? Almost a year. Lucy was like my mom. Five years old, couldn't wait for Lil to be born. I was finally gettin' a sister in a sense.” He starts asking questions that I know he doesn’t want answers to. “Know who the first person to hold her was when they brought her home? Me. Held her for hours. She slept on me. Five years old and that little tiny baby felt safe enough to sleep on me. I was her brother, man. She loved me, but I loved her more. Know who fed her her first bottle? Me. Spent every day with her. Held her hands when she learned to walk. Taught her to write her name. Taught her how to ride a bike. How to shoot a gun. Know whose floor she slept on until she as five, because she was scared? Me.” I watch Gin rant and pace. His face serious. A wave anger rolling off of him. This shit is all news to me. He continues ranting barely taking a breath. “Walked her to school every day when she was in grade school. God she drove me nuts, but the second she was gone I missed the shit outta her. Know who she came to when her boyfriend’s made her cry? Me. Know who visited her damn near every weekend when she moved? Me. Pops always in county or on runs. Mom in prison. Kiki too busy with her own shit. They were all I had. Lil was all I had. Lucy died. Lil's all I've got left of my family. Can't bury her too man,” he says in a broken rasp. Always knew he had issues with that shit. Gin's always had abandonment issues. Didn't know it ran that deep. Didn't know they fell so heavily on Lil. “We'll get it handled. On my life brother we will end this shit.”

            Come back down stairs to Lil and Peaches doing lines off of each other on the bar. Jesus Christ, Gin and now these two. Tonight's a fucking party I guess. I know I should stop her. I shouldn't be letting her get so fucked up, but she's so damn happy right now. I'm not fucking that up for nothing. Sitting down on the couch I just watch her, watch that body. Trying to push that shit Gin said out of my mind. I can't let shit happen to her. For Gin and for myself. Watching her smile. Watch the way her body moves. The way her face lights up at me. Eyes for only her. Singing and dancing her way over to me she throws herself on me. Straddling my fucking lap she makes herself comfortable on me. Leaning into me she smiles sweetly. Yeah, she isn’t making shit easy for me. “Ya know you're my favorite person here,” she whispers with a seductive smile. Fucking hell. Yeah baby you're mine too. “Is that right?” I ask her with a laugh. Damn beautiful drunk girl. Running a little hand over my chest she watches her hand. Those fingers leaving a trail of fire behind them. “That's right. I think I'm keepin' you,” she says grinning a big ol' grin for me. She's keeping me? Baby you've already got me.

Lil

            Tanks different. I can see it on his face. In his eyes when he looks at me. Sure he wants to fuck me; he's a man for God sakes. But he also looks at me like he needs me. Looks at me like I'm more important than his next breath. As if I'm more than a quick fuck. Maybe it's the coke and tequila or maybe it’s was having the prospects blood blown all over me, but right now I need him. I want him. Pressed up against his warm hard chest my body aches to be closer. I feel safe right now.  I've never wanted someone more. I've never been surer about someone. Throwing my arms over his shoulders I bury my face in his neck. I just want to be as close to the safety I feel from him as I can. He smells like he always does, perfect. He smells like Tank. I'll be forever addicted to that smell. Not sure how I ended up here, but it's exactly where I want to be. This is probably a bad idea, but I can't go back now. Running a large hand up my back he wraps his hand around the back of my neck. “You alright baby?” His rough voice rumbles through me. Nodding into him I smile. Wrapped around him I'm perfect. The need to taste his skin has me biting my lip hard. The urge to great to ignore. I let the buzz travel through my veins. I let it take me over. Liquid courage. Running my tongue up his neck I can feel his pulse quicken under my tongue. A shudder wracks his body. I let myself taste his skin. He tastes just like he smells. It's a heady combination. I'm soaking wet and needy for him. Licking up to his ear I bite down a little. My mind completely gone. The only thing I can focus on his Tank. “Fuck me,” I whisper is his ear. His whole body goes rigid under me. His hand tightens on the back of my neck. For a moment he doesn't say anything. Sitting completely still he doesn't move a muscle. His chest rising and falling rapidly is the only movement I can feel. With a quick curt shake of his head he breaths, “can't” One word. He can't. My heart falls straight to my feet. A big slap to any confidence I had. What the fuck? He can't or doesn't want to? I get it. I'm an idiot. Swallowing down the embarrassed lump I hold my head high. He doesn't want me someone else will. Fuck him.

            Pushing away from him I can see the plethora of emotions all over his face. His chest still rising and fallowing with his shallow breaths. Fists bunched at his sides. I can see the strain in his muscles. Turning around to leave his big rough hand catches my arm stopping me dead in my tracks. I can't believe I just threw myself at him and he just shot me down. That shit doesn't happen to me. “I fuckin' get it,” I grate out at him. Embarrassed and angry. Snatching my arm away from him I stare down at him completely crushed. Standing up he looms over me. The height differences dwarfs me, making me feel even smaller then I already do. “You do, do you?” he growls. Did I read him wrong the entire time? Fucking bikers and their fucked up emotions. “Do
you
get me Lil? You understand me n' the shit I'm thinkin'?” he says taunting me. Making me feel like a complete fool with each word. “Ya think ya got me all figured out sugar?” His eyes are heated, fire burning in them. Fucking ass hole. Standing stock still he stares. His posture unforgiving. Big broad shoulder tense and angry. That fight in me burns deep. Not one to take shit lying down I fight back. “Fuck you,” I scoff. The need to punch him consumes me suddenly. “You don't want me, fine. There are plenty of guys here who'd fuck me in a heartbeat,” I say waving my hand around the club. “They'd kill to get in my pants. You think you've got
me
figured out
sugar,”
I drawl the word sugar out menacingly quiet. Pointing right at myself for emphasis. “I want somethin' I get it. If it ain't you, it'll be someone else.” I let my last words slap him in the face. The biker brat in me swimming at the surface. I knew she was in there somewhere. I let the bitch in me go. Tank just stares down at me breathing heavily. Eyes wild and crazy. He wants to be a dick, well I show him how much of a fucking bitch I can be and I'll win.

            Spotting a few guys from another charter at the bar I find my target. He's been causing nothing but trouble since he got into town. Plus he looks like he can take a good punch to the face. My eyes set on the slimy guy sitting on a bar stool. I've no intention of fallowing through with any of my threats, but I've got a fucking point to prove. Adding an extra sway to my step I sashay my ass over to him. The guy's eyes swing in my direction as I walk his way. Stuffing the need to gag I lick my lips at him. He's pretty icky looking, but he'll prove my point perfectly. “Aye, angel,” he croons with a drunk slur. Walking right into his open legs he wraps a hand around my waist. Other hand cupping a tit. Gross. “You'd fuck me wouldn't you?” I ask him sweetly with a little pout added for extra emphasis. A stupid question I know the answer to, but hell this is for a little show. He laughs like my question is absurd. “Girl, I'd fuck you. I'd marry. You want it, name it sweet thing.” Tanks big hand wraps around my arm. Tugging me harshly away from the man before I can finish proving my point. My side slamming into his stomach from his hard tug. Point proven any way. Snatching myself away from the both of them I throw my head back and laugh, hard. I strange sense of triumph settles over me. My ego smiles. I won this shit. “The fuck! ...” slimy grunts. A loud bone crunching crack breaking the silence. Blood spews from the guy’s nose. Tank's face full of fury and rage. Murder in those eyes. Even murderous he makes me wet. I need help. “Never fuckin' touch her.” Tanks voice is low and mean. Grabbing the guy by the throat he holds his crumpled body up. “I don't fuckin' care if she asks ya too. You see her, you walk the other way. You touch her again I'll snap your fuckin' neck. You got me,” he growls. The guy nods enthusiastically, a painful pinch to his face. Dropping the guy to the floor Tank turns to me. His next target. “You,” he points bloody knuckled fingers at me. “get your fuckin' ass over here.” He thinks I'm coming to him he's lost his fucking mind. “Fuck off,” I throw over my shoulder taking off towards the door. Looking around I'm thankful this place is pretty dead. Gin and Peaches are in his room, everyone else is either out, in the shop, or in their rooms. No one around to see our little show. A big hard body hits me from behind. Body flung over his shoulder he turns back around heading for the back of the club. Dangling from his arms my body bounces when he walks. Striding through the club with me wailing, kicking, and hitting him at him he purposefully ignores me. “Set me the fuck down!” Pushing through a door he throws me like a rag doll onto a bed. Bouncing around on his bed I hold onto the anger, because at any other time that might have been kind of fun. Kicking the door closed with a loud crack. I hear the lock slide shut. Oh shit.