by Zara Teleg
“We can finish this,” I hissed in his ear, “outside.” I let him go. “I won’t disrespect my brother’s place, and if you do, you will have a lot more to deal with than me.”
Richard kicked the table over as he straightened up. “Oh, we will finish this,” he said and spat, “but not tonight.”
“I need to get my dick wet, and since Juliet wants to stay with the trash, I guess Candy will do.” He looked toward the bosomy waitress. Her smile was large, not recognizing the insult. She dropped her tray and took his hand. “Chelsea offered to finish my shift, so what the hell,” she said in a sugar-sweet southern drawl.
“Good!” Juliet yelled to him, “As if you had a chance with me tonight, or any night, you arrogant asshole!”
The bouncers led Richard out as I stood with Juliet, who was not looking so good. “You okay, babe?”
Her eyes rolled. “I’m not feeling very well…How could I actually have thought that asshole was a nice guy?” She shook and rubbed her head. “I should have known the minute he said he didn’t like dogs and Lord went crazy on him.”
I chuckled. “Lord didn’t like him? Well, there you go, you should have sent him packing and called me.” She bowed her head in defeat.
“I’m sorry, Rage. Thanks for defending me.” She offered a weak smile.
“Forget it, Juliet. You are a person who sees the best in people. Don’t change. Richard isn’t worth it,” I said as I gently pushed her toward the bar. I flagged down the bartender, ordering her a glass of water and me a beer.
“Thanks for offering to take me home,” she said looking at her feet before her eyes met mine.
I nodded. “Sorry that your date turned out so bad.”
She smiled, smacking my arm. “No, you are not.”
“What?” I held back my smile. “I mean it, I didn’t want you to have a bad night…Okay, maybe you’re right.” I took a swig of my beer. “I guess I’m not.”
All of a sudden, she stood up. “Rage, I think I need the restroom. I’m not feeling great.”
I pointed to the line around the corner, and her eyes got big. She turned and headed instead to the exit, flying out the doors. I followed her to the parking lot, where I saw her heaving behind the dumpster.
“Stay away,” she said in between violent heaves.
I gave her a few moments. “Are you okay?” She didn’t answer. “Juliet?”
“Rage, I’m okay. I’m going to call Ivy to get me.”
“No, Juliet, I can take you home,” I said while I peeked around the dumpster to make sure she was okay.
“Rage, thanks, but there is no way in hell I’m getting on a bike right now,” she said coming from around the dumpster, looking unsteady.
“Babe, I have my truck. I’ll take you home.”
“I’m a little dizzy…my body feels strange…something’s not right.” She held her hand over her face.
“How much did you drink?”
“I was halfway through my third beer.” Juliet moved her hand over her chest. “My heart is hammering, and I feel woozy like I’m going to pass out. Even my fingers are tingly.” She looked at her hands.
“I…I…” She began to sway, and as her knees buckled. I scooped her up and carried her to my truck.
I gently placed her in the passenger side, buckling her seatbelt. I folded some paper towels, poured some bottled water on them, and placed it against her forehead.
My head was going crazy with thoughts. I clenched my jaw and fists as I rounded the truck. My ears pulsed to match my heartbeat. I slammed the door shut.
If that son of a bitch did what I thought he did, I was going to kill him. Before I even pulled out of the lot and onto the street, Juliet was out cold. She had her head on my lap and the rest of her curled up in a ball.
Chapter Ten
Rage
The clock blinked ten. My head began to pound from lack of caffeine. I didn’t know how to use that coffee thing I’d seen her use. It was time to call for backup. Ivy should be up and about by now.
I was happy Juliet didn’t have her phone screen locked, yet it bothered me at the same time. She needed to think more about her safety. She was too trusting. I scrolled through her phone until I saw Ivy’s name. When I pressed the number, a picture of two smiling teens appeared as the phone rang. Both wore sunglasses, embracing, heads leaned together, smiling with peace signs and matching BFF necklaces.
On the third ring, the photo vanished and Ivy’s voice came on, “Hey slut, it took you long enough to call. You are supposed to call or text when you get home!” She let out a deep sigh. “Now, give me all the dirty details.”
“Uh, Ivy?” I said, my deep voice catching her off guard.
“Richard?”
“No,” I said sharply.
“Who’s this, and why do you have my best friend’s phone?” She was nervous.
“Ivy, this is Rage.”
Silence.
“Ivy?”
“Umm, Rage? From The Pit?” Her voice was high.
“Yes, Rage from The Pit.” I could hear her tiny squeals in the background. “Ivy… Ivy… Do you think you can come over to Juliet’s? She’s not feeling well, that’s why I called.”
“W-Wait, what? What happened to her? Is she in trouble again? What do you mean she doesn’t feel well? What’s wrong?” she asked with deep concern in her voice.
“Slow down, Ivy, she’s okay. Just hungover, I guess you could say. I’m sure she’ll fill you in when she’s awake. Can you come over? I think she might need some of that green miracle juice she was telling me about, and coffee, too. I can’t figure out how to use that little thing in her kitchen.”
“I’m on my way. I’m leaving Fluid now. I’ll stop and get juices and a vat of coffee, please don’t leave my girl.” I could hear her keys jingling and the keypad beeping as she activated the alarm.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” A door slammed shut. “Call me back if you think of anything else.”
While waiting for Ivy, I sent a text to Hawk letting him know that I would be at the club as soon as I could and that we needed a meeting. I had a suspicion that Richard spiked Juliet’s beer with tainted X. And if I was right, he’d be fucking dead.
I quietly entered Juliet’s room. Lord’s head popped up, on guard. Once he saw it was me, he put his head back on Juliet’s stomach and curled into her. The mattress dipped as I sat back on the bed, trying not to disturb her. A few minutes later, with her eyes shut, she began to pull at the blankets. “Lord, move over,” she said in a husky sleep-filled voice.
When the blankets wouldn’t cooperate, she got out of bed, and Lord jumped off, following her. She brought her hand to her forehead, squeezing her temples. Her eyes were barely open as she fumbled toward the bedroom door.
“Hold on, let me help.” She must have forgotten I was here. Her head slowly turned to me, and then she looked at her tiny panties—white and lace-topped with tiny cherries. She covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. “Rage. Oh, God. I…I don’t feel so good.”
“Babe, don’t be shy, let me help you.” I guided her the few more steps down the hall to the bathroom, and then she shut the door. I heard water running. I softly knocked on the door after a few minutes. “Juliet, are you okay?” I asked.
A soft yes came through the door.
“Ivy is on her way. She’s bringing some things for you to feel better.”
“Shit, I never called her last night. She must have been worried.” She opened the door with a towel wrapped around her. She emerged with a washed face, hair pulled up, she smelled of mint and had an aspirin in one hand.
She disappeared into her room. A few minutes later, she appeared in a short cotton sundress. Her feet were bare, her hair was piled on her head. I was waiting in the living room when she came out holding an ice pack to her forehead.
“Rage, uh, I don’t know how to ask this, but what happened when we left the
Brewery? I remember you putting me in the truck…did anything…else…happen?”
“Juliet, if you’re asking if something happened between us, the answer is no.” I smiled to make her feel less embarrassed. “I know you haven’t known me all that long, so I should tell you that I’m not the type of guy who would push himself on unconscious women.”
“No, I know. Even though I’ve only known you for a little while, I know you’re not like that. I just had to ask, you know, cause I…I just don’t remember anything… nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I keep going over it in my mind, and I can’t understand how I got drunk and passed out until after ten, from drinking two and a half beers.
“I don’t think it was the beer,” I emphasized the words hoping they would penetrate.
A puzzled look crossed her face, then it clicked.
“Motherfucker!” It came out of her mouth slowly as her arms crossed her chest. Then her anger morphed into something else, fear. In a flash, she crashed her body into mine, placing her head on my chest and her arms around my waist. “Oh, my God! Rage, what would have happened if you weren’t there?” Tears began to form in her eyes.
That inner rage that earned me my name crept its way up my spine and my jaw tightened. Her embrace was so tight. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her head. I controlled my temper, trying to calm her. I whispered into her hair, “Babe, he will pay for this.”
She immediately backed away, breaking our embrace. In a shaky voice, she said, “No, Rage, please don’t risk getting yourself in trouble over me. I will handle Richard. Nothing happened. I’m okay, thanks to you.” Her eyes pleaded with me.
My body tensed, the fury turning my face red. “Babe, I think I should also tell you, that I’m not the type of man who would let something like this go. He could have done anything to you.” I said with an even tone.
Juliet jumped as her front door swung open.
Juliet
Ivy barreled through the door, drink holders in each hand and a bag tucked to her side. One tray held four juices—two greens, a red, and an orange—and the second tray had three coffees from Roasted. The smell of coffee immediately made me feel better. Her eyes landed on me. Anger and sadness riddled her usually smiling face.
She placed everything on the table, swiping one green juice from the tray. She turned to me and hugged me tightly. She pulled back, studying my face a moment, inspecting me, before she shoved a juice in my face. “Spill. Tell me everything.”
I looked at Rage, who was stirring his coffee from behind the counter. He returned my gaze and said, “Juliet, I’m going to leave you in Ivy’s hands.”
I nodded and was on the verge of tears again. “Don’t say anything about this to anyone, except Ivy, until I figure out what to do. Understand?” I nodded again. My eyes burned as tears filled them.
Rage came around the counter, pulled me in, and gave me another big hug before kissing my head. “Shh…It’s gonna be fine. You’ll be alright.” The comfort I felt in his embrace made me never want to let go.
“I’ll be back,” he said, holding one of my hands and giving it a small squeeze. “I’ll text you later.” He looked at Ivy, “Take good care of her. And what I said goes for you, too, Ivy. Don’t say anything to nobody. No one knows about this.” Ivy’s face scrunched up at the order. Grabbing his coffee, he gave Lord a pat on the head before walking out the door.
When his truck’s muffler was out of earshot, Ivy started with her questions. “What the hell happened last night?” She grabbed both of my hands, leading me to sit.
Ivy was the only person who knew about my past. When my eyes met hers, she knew the events of last night stirred something up. We curled up on my bed with coffee and juice. She held me and stroked my hair as I told her everything I remembered about last night.
“That bastard!” She jumped off the bed and balled her fists as she paced. “Oh, Richard is going to pay. What a fucking asshole! I cannot believe this!” Her hands were flailing dramatically. “I am so sorry I ever pushed you to date the fucker. I’m going to kill him myself,” she said with an exhausted breath.
“Ivy, thank you. I love you and I know how much you want to do something, but Rage and I are going to handle this.” Skepticism was written all over her face. “I just don’t know what would have happened if Rage wasn’t there. I’m so embarrassed.” I put my head down looking away from her. I played with the strings that edged my favorite blanket.
“Embarrassed? Why the fuck would you be embarrassed?” She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “This was not your fault. That asshole is the one who should be embarrassed.”
“Thanks, girl. I think I’m just going to take a hot bath and drown in essential oils to calm me right now. I have a horrible headache,” I said, rubbing my temples. “Thank you so much for coming and bringing me everything to make me feel better and for being the best friend a girl could ever have.”
“You would do the same for me.” Ivy smiled. “Now, take your bath, and I’ll make you something to eat when you get out.”
Filling the tub, I heard the soft blues coming through the speakers over clanging pots and pans in the kitchen. I didn’t deserve such a beautiful and fierce friend. I inhaled the bath oils rising from the steam and submerged myself in the barely tolerable water. I leaned back, covering my eyes with a mask. From the moment they closed, Rage was all I could see. The hot water could not temper the goosebumps that spread over my skin.
Rage
I called a club meeting and asked anyone who could attend to be there. I was so angry I could barely think straight. Juliet was in such a vulnerable situation last night. My mind was racing, wondering what the hell that asshole would have done to her if I hadn’t shown up. He had to have drugged her. The club had been looking into someone who had been supplying Ecstasy to the Sugar Maple and Black Rock area. This stuff was nasty. I’d already heard of two cases of women ending up hospitalized.
We sat around the large woodgrain table that had the Stained Souls MC logo etched into it. Colt pounded the gavel; its deep thump brought everyone’s chatter to silence.
“I’m glad you all got your asses over here. It seems we have some information that we need to hear.” He pointed at me. “Rage, you want to share what happened?”
I nodded and looked around the table, making sure I had everyone’s attention. “As you all know, we have been having issues with drugs coming into Sugar Maple and Black Rock. Ecstasy and meth in particular. There were a few college girls who ended up in the hospital.”
“Yeah, we know, Rage. So, what happened?” Hack asked looking tired and a bit hungover.
“I was getting to it.” I snapped back. “Last night, I went to help out Tiny. While I was there, Tiny and I were called to break up an argument between a couple—it was Juliet and that fuckface Richard Ramsey,” I said with more disdain than I knew I had. A few of my brothers grimaced. No one liked the guy.
“After a minor scuffle with Richard, I had Juliet back at the bar for some water. She seemed off. She only had a few drinks, but she was sick. Dizzy, heart pounding, nausea. She said she only had two beers and just started her third.” Before I continued, I could already see their faces changing as the conclusion was forming. “Anyway, she said she didn’t feel right and took off like a bat out hell for the door, where she began getting sick behind the dumpster.” I let out a deep sigh. “A few minutes later she was in my truck out cold, dead to the world. It was ten hours before she woke up. I’m sure her drink had been spiked, by Ramsey or someone else. She said he was trying to force-feed her the last beer.”
“Fuck,” Ledger growled, his eyebrows drawing together as his fist pounded so hard on the table, it made the ashtray jump. That got my attention. I knew he and Juliet were friends, but he seemed extra pissed.
Hawk stood, both hands rested on the table as he leaned his big body, looking straight at Colt. Anger filled his voice as he spoke. “If that motherfucker drugged our Juliet and tho
ught he could get away with it, he’s fucked.”
Hack rubbed his eyes and piped up, “It makes sense. He could have something to do with the influx of drugs. When I was asking around, I found out that a few members of the Devil’s had some dealings with Ramsey. Big Jake, the mechanic at A&G Garage, said Ramsey met with some bikers, and Big Jake thought it was one of us at first, until he saw their cuts. He said Ramsey acted all skittish after that meeting. He wouldn’t say any more, said he didn’t want to be involved in anything the Devil’s Damned had going on. I also discovered that Ramsey had been supplying steroids to some of the athletes at the university.”
A grumble sounded around the table. Men were talking over each other in heated conversations. Colt slammed the gavel down, its vibrations silencing everyone.
“Enough!” Lighting a smoke, he continued, squeezing the cigarette between his tattooed fingers, “Sounds like we have a big problem on our hands. If he is working with the Devil’s, then we need to know. They are distributors down the line for a major Columbian cartel. I thought the only chapters they had involved were in Florida. It looks like they could be expanding their territory.”
He took a long drag, exhaling the cloud of white smoke away from the table. “If we want to keep this shit from our door, we have to act fast. We need proof and real intel. I know you all have a soft spot for Juliet, but we have to be smart about this.”
He pointed around the table and spoke in a slow, threatening tone. “No one is to go after Ramsey, you all understand?” Colt’s dark blue eyes fixed on mine and then on Ledger’s. He pointed at us, making sure we got the message.
“We can’t go at this blind. As hard as it is, you all have to act like nothing is suspicious. If Ramsey is involved with a cartel, then he has no idea he’s in some deep shit. Keeping them out of Sugar Maple won’t be easy, but our three closest chapters should be more than willing to step in if need be.”