by C. M. Allen
Not wanting to hear the rest of that sentence, I abruptly turned around and motioned to the table, essentially cutting him off with my words. “Here we go. Please take a seat and someone will be right with you.”
Setting the menus down on the table, I tried to move away quickly so my backside was not to them for very long, but I knew I didn’t move fast enough when I felt a hand squeeze my ass. Jerking around at the feel of one of them touching me, I was faced with the first guy. And he was close, too close. “I’m sorry Doll, but after my brother’s observation I felt it was only right to test the firmness of that fine ass of yours out for myself.”
“Someone will be right with you,” I repeated the words again as I practically ran to the kitchen door while listening to them laugh at my reaction.
Once I slipped through the door, I took a couple of deep breaths. “You ok Harper?” I heard my cook, Danny, ask as the feel of his hand on my arm caused me to jump.
“Yes, sorry, I’m fine.”
Looking past me, he pushed the door open a crack and saw what had me so freaked out. “You just stay in here. I’ve got this.”
“It’s fine, really. They just startled me is all—.”
“Nonsense, you just stay put in here where it’s safe. I’ll go see what these assholes want, and then I’m going to fix them one hell of a meal they won’t soon forget,” he wiggled his brows before he pushed through the door. “Gentlemen?” Was all I heard him say as I grabbed the business card, I had always kept with me in my pocket, and rubbed it between my fingers.
I could call him, but is a guy grabbing my butt really a bad enough situation to get Maverick involved? I had a feeling that if I was honest with myself right now this was just me wanting to see him again and using anything as an excuse. Shoving the card back in my pocket, I decided that I could handle these goons just fine all on my own. Just as I was about to walk out of the kitchen door, I heard one of them say. “Where’s the hot hostess? We want her to serve us.” I definitely didn’t miss the way he emphasized the word serve.
When I walked back out, I kept my head held high, my shoulders back, and my spine straight as I approached their table. “I’ve got this one Danny,” I assured him, placing my hand on his shoulder and squeezing it lightly.
Giving me a concerned look, I simply nodded at him and took the order pad out of his hands.
“Are you sure?” He whispered in my ear. I nodded back. “Ok.” Was all he said before walking back into the kitchen.
“See Doll, I knew you felt somethin՛ happenin՛ between us when I grabbed that fine, firm ass of yours.” The one who looked to be in charge said.
Brushing his comment aside, I readied my pen. “What can I get for you guys?”
After they all just stared at me for a moment; they broke out in laughter. “This one’s a real hellcat boys,” the same guy said, pointing his thumb at me. Again, he just stared at me with a smirk on his face that slowly gave way to a darker, more sinister look in his eyes. “Just bring us three burgers with fries and three cokes… and that will be on the house of course.”
Glaring at his side profile after he turned to face the other two that were laughing, I quickly turned and went to the counter to put the order up for Danny. Looking at it, he grinned wide. “Three burgers and fries, coming up!”
I don’t think I even want to know what he’s going to put in those burgers.
Filling their glasses of cokes up, I walked them over to the table and set them down. “So, when you gonna let me feel that fine ass of yours too, huh hotness?” The blond one asked me. Ignoring his rude comment, I went to leave, but got pulled back when his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. Losing my balance, I landed in his lap. “Well lookie here boys, looks like the hot hostess wants me to fill that fine ass of hers up with my fat cock.” The blond guy, trying to grope and dry hump me, said as I struggled to free myself from his grip.
“Let me go!” I punctuated my words with a swing of my elbow into his ribs, causing him to loosen his grip on me just enough to get out of the hold he had on me.
“Bitch!” He yelled before he released me. Quickly getting to my feet, I looked around and noticed for the first time that the diner was completely empty. “Now you’re really going to get it!” he stood up as I started to back away, but then I heard the sound of someone cocking a shotgun.
“I think it’s time for you boys to get on up and get out of here.” Turning around, Danny was now pointing the rifle I kept in the office at them. All three of them got up and looked as though they were about to advance closer. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, I’m a pretty good shot. Now, get out!” Danny yelled.
All of them raised their hands in front of them, but the look on their faces was anything but fear. “You’re makin՛ a big mistake right now old man that you and this bitch are goin՛ to regret.” The blond one threatened.
“Let’s get goin՛ boys.” The one who acted like the leader cut in, motioning his head towards the door. Letting out a breath I was holding in, it gets caught in my throat with his parting words. “But we’ll be back, you can bet you ass on that. Sleep tight now.” And with his threat left lingering in the air the bell above the door chimed as they exited the diner.
I couldn’t stop myself from running over to the door and locking it behind them as they mounted their bikes and rode off after one final look back in my direction from the leader. “Well, I thought that went well.” Danny chuckled.
Resting my hand over my heart, hammering away in my chest, the only word I was able to surface was. “Yeah.” Reaching inside my pocket again, I gripped the business card Maverick gave me tightly.
I think this situation just became bad enough to call him.
CHAPTER
9
Maverick
“Yeah, well, I think you’re just full of shit Nico. That register has been off for the past two days in a row now. You really expect me to believe it’s one of the waitresses dippin՛ their hands in it behind your back?” I watched the man across from me, knowing that he was lying to my face. I had seen the fucking security footage.
See, that’s the kind of shit you had to put up with nowadays, because everyone was out to get theirs. Even if it meant that it cost you yours, they were still gonna fuck you over.
“Boss, I swear—.”
“If I were you right now Nico, I would start speakin՛ some serious fuckin՛ truth before I decide to do more than just fire your ass!” I shouted at him in a booming voice, getting even more pissed off that he thought I was so stupid as to believe the bullshit that he was vomiting all over my desk right now.
“Ok.”
“Ok?”
With a look of defeat etched on his face, I could tell he was about to finally give up on the lies he had been trying to sell me. “You’re right, I did take the money and… I’m sorry… so sorry. But I did it for my sister. I was just trying to get her away from this abusive prick she’s been living with. I just know he’s going to kill her one day with the beatings he gives her. I can’t just stand by and watch the only family I have left be hurt like that Mav. Two nights ago, he put her in the hospital with a cracked rib. I… I just can’t do nothing. She’s all I’ve got left.”
Looking him straight in the eyes, I could clearly see the worry and fear he held in them for his sister.
Shit! He’s telling me the truth.
I didn’t deal real well with the thought of a woman being abused after some of the mistreatment of women I had seen in the MC world. And I’d seen some pretty fucked up shit some of these guys did to women over the years. No matter how many times a chick had done something to piss me off I had never put hands on any of them. I held my club to the same standards. You fucked up your woman or any woman and shit wouldn’t end well for you, club rule. You weren’t worth shit in my book beating on a female. “Why didn’t you just come and talk to me? Why steal from me?”
Running his fingers roughly through his hair, I could actually see his eyes
becoming watery. “I panicked man. When she called me two nights ago, sobbing, she told me she was scared for her life and needed me to get her the hell out of there before he killed her. I… I didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry boss, I really am. I just… I just needed to help her.”
Leaning back in my chair, I let out a heavy breath. “Where is she now?”
“She’s still up in New York at a friend’s place until I can get the money to her and move her down here.”
“Is she safe there?”
“I don’t know. I think so. But if he finds her before I can get her the money… he will beat her severely for running from him.”
“How much do you have so far?”
“Two hundred and fifty dollars.”
I held my hand out towards him. “I’m goin՛ to assume that’s the amount you’ve stolen from me, and I will take that back now.” I gave him a glare that showed there was no room for bargaining with me right now.
“B… but my sister. What about her?”
“Give me back the fuckin՛ money Nico and we’ll talk.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a roll of twenties that he had a rubber band around. After he handed the roll of money to me, I counted it out and make sure that all of it was there before I grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil, shoving it in his direction. “Write down all of your sister’s information and the address of her friend’s place.”
Grabbing the pad and pencil, he quickly jotted down the information I’d asked for before pushing it back in my direction. “Now what?”
“Now, you go back out and start your shift.” When he got up with a confused look on his face, I used that moment to make a few things crystal clear to him. “I’m goin՛ to take care of this for you,” I said, holding up his sister’s information. “And you are goin՛ to be working for free tonight to pay back the interest on the two hundred fifty you stole from me.” Standing up, I walked around to his side of the desk to make sure he had a clear view of my eyes when the next words left my mouth. “And Nico. If you ever even fuckin՛ think of stealin՛ from me again, I can guarantee you we will not be havin՛ this conversation next time. Do you get what I’m sayin՛ to you right now?”
His head looked like a God damn bobble head as he nodded it quickly. “Yes, I do boss. I swear, never again.”
“Good. Now get the fuck out of my office so I can work on this problem of yours you just dumped in my lap.”
Getting up out of the chair, his only parting words were thank you before he scurried away quickly.
Fuckers lucky I like him.
I sat there for a moment, thinking about the two guys I planned on sending up to New York for Nico’s sister, when my phone started to ring, halting my thoughts. Looking down at the number flashing across the screen, I noticed that it wasn’t one I recognized. I was about to send it to voicemail when my curiosity got the better of me and I answered it instead. “Yeah?” Not hearing anything, I said. “You called me asshole, so speak up.”
“Umm, H-hello?” I heard the sweetest sounding voice say, and I immediately knew it belonged to her.
Harper.
“Harper, is that you?”
She let out a gasp. “H-how d-did you know it was me?” She stuttered out nervously. God, she was so cute when she got nervous.
What the fuck?! Where did that come from?
Clearing my voice, and my head from those damn thoughts creeping in on me again, I told her. “Well, it was pretty easy Sweetheart, not many women call me that I don’t already know their numbers.”
“Oh… of course.”
Did she just sound dejected about that?
“So… what can I do for you, Harper?”
“I’m sorry, it… it was stupid of me to call you, I’m sorry.” The line went dead, and I couldn’t help but look at my phone in order to believe that she’d just really hung up on me.
“What the actual fuck was that?” Sitting there for a moment, I tried to forget about her calling me just now, but thoughts of the reason why I gave her the card in the first place kept shredding my brain like bullets. “What if she’s in trouble and needs my help?” I mumbled to myself.
And then the deciding voice in my head came through even louder, as it always did. “What if it was me that needed your help?” Hearing, but not literally hearing those words spoken in my head by my mother had me reaching for my phone to call her back.
Fuck me!
The phone rang four times before she picked up. “Hello?”
“Harper, it’s Maverick. You know, the guy you just called and then hung up on?”
“Y-yeah, Hi Maverick. I’m really sorry about that. I-I—.”
Having had enough of her not getting to the point and telling me if something was wrong, I cut her off. “Harper. Just stop beatin՛ around the fuckin՛ bush and tell me why you called me. Are you in some kind of trouble?” She stayed silent for a moment and I started wondering if she hung up on me again. Looking at my phone, I saw the call was still in fact connected. “Harper, I need you to talk to me here.”
“Well, I just figured it’s probably nothing and I shouldn’t have wasted any of your time.”
“Why don’t you let me be the one to decide if it’s nothin՛. Tell me what’s goin՛ on.”
After she gave me the run down about the three Slayers that paid her a visit, I figured out that by the descriptions she’d given me the three assholes were Skulls VP Hatchet, with two other members, Worm and Stitch.
“What’s the name of your diner?”
“Countryside Diner. Why?”
“Just like to know where I’m headed. I’ll be in touch soon Harper.”
Before I ended the call, I heard her call out. “Wait—.” But I ended the call anyway, not needing to hear her say any more about it. If a woman like Harper was reaching out to the likes of me it was because she had been scared shitless. And I couldn’t say that after hearing what she had to say that she didn’t have a reason not to be.
Scrolling through my phone, I brought up Butch’s name to call next. “Yeah?”
“You close to the club?”
“Ten minutes out, why?”
“I need you to do somethin՛ for me. I’m in the office when you get here.”
“Roger that brother.”
Ending the call, I grabbed the bottle of Jack and two glasses out of my bottom drawer, knowing damn well I would need Butch to be feeling good and relaxed when I told him what I needed him to do.
***
“You want me to go where and do what?” I guess three glasses of whiskey wasn’t quite enough.
“Look, I would never ask you to pull babysittin՛ duty, but I have a feelin՛ that this asshole might try and pull some shit, so I don’t want to send just anyone to get her. I need it to be you and Gunner that goes up there. Between the two of you I don’t know who has the better shot, but what I do know is, if shit gets dicey up there, you’ll both have each other’s back.”
Letting out a heavy breath, he narrowed his eyes at me. “Tell me again why I’m helpin՛ out some fuckwad that stole from us?”
“Look, normally you know I would have dealt with his ass and been done with it, but the reason why he did it is the only reason he’s still breathin՛ right now.”
“And the reason I’m stuck playin՛ errand boy.” He said flatly.
“Would you feel better with the title hero boy then?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “Nah man. But just so we’re clear, Gunner ain’t got shit on my shot,” he pointed his finger at me before downing the rest of his drink and standing.
“Thanks brother, I owe you one,” I put my hand out to shake his.
Placing his hand in mine, he said. “You bet your fuckin՛ ass you do. I’m goin՛ to call Gunner, then head home to pack. See you in a couple of days.”
“Stay alive.”
“Always do somehow brother,” he called out over his shoulder as he exited the office, shutting it behind him.
&n
bsp; Now, on to my next problem.
What to do about Harpers situation…
CHAPTER
10
Skull
After hearing about that bitch elbowing Worm in the ribs the other day, it seemed to have given him the kick in the ass he needed to dig deeper and find out anything he could on her. Hearing my phone ring, I reached across the cushions on the couch where I left it. Looking at it, I saw that it was Rooster, my enforcer, calling “Yeah?”
“Jeff just checked in from the boat. He said he’s about two days out and still needs the drop location.”
“Tell him just to keep comin՛ in and that when he’s about an hour away from shore to call me and I’ll give him the drop point myself. I’m sick of our shit gettin՛ jacked, so I’m givin՛ him that information at the last possible moment. That way, whoever the rat in our operation is can’t get it to whoever is jackin՛ it in time to be there.”
“Sounds like a good plan, I’ll let him know.”
Hanging up with Rooster, I looked over into the front room just in time to hear the sound of heals clicking their way down the stairs. It was Dee Dee and I could really use a blowjob right about now to relax. As soon as her feet hit the bottom step, I noticed that she was in her usual sexy attire of a black lace bra and thong panty set. She tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder before she turned to look at me. Red lipstick. My favorite color on a bitch when she sucked me off. “Come here Suga՛.”
Twisting around, she swayed her hips back and forth as she steadily made her way over to where I sat on the couch. “Hey baby, what are you doing over here all by yourself? Everyone’s out back enjoying the BBQ.”
“I like to have some peace and quiet sometimes, you know what I mean?”
“Sure do baby, but I’ll bet you wouldn’t mind my company right now, would you?”
“Fuck no. I need those ruby red lips of yours wrapped around my cock. Can you do that for me, Suga՛?”