“I’ll be the one watching your back, Aria. I need you to comply with my decision, at least until he is caught, captured and dealt with. I don’t want to take away you taking charge of your life, baby. But I need all threats against you eliminated before you jump in.” I know he’s trying to be patient with me, but the fact that his mouth is turned downward says he’s working very hard at not blowing his top.
“Okay,” I aquiesce. “I’ll do as you ask. For now,” I rectify.
7
Sandman
It’s too early for this bullshit, I slept like fucking shit last night. Every time my lids closed over my eyes, all I could picture was my woman being assaulted and taken against her will, in more ways than one, which caused my blood to boil and my eyes to pop back open. I blow a plume of smoke out of my mouth and immediately take another drag. Picking up my mug, I take a deep swallow of the warm coffee. The lack of sleep demands that I wake myself with the leaded drink.
“Everyone here?” Rogue asks as he swiftly walks into the room without taking a head count.
“All here and accounted for, Pres,” Bane answers lighting up his own smoke. I take another inhale, letting the nicotine soothe my soul.
“Then this meeting is called to order,” Rogue calls out. “I’ve had it up to here,” he places his hand over his head, “with bullshit hitting our club. It’s time we put the fear back in everyone’s eyes when it comes to us. This town needs to come to the conclusion that our members, women and children aren’t to be fucked with. Apparently, somewhere our lines of communication have been misconstrued. Some see us as weak, having a family has led those to believe we have something to be held over our heads. I will not allow women and children to be used as pawns. No toleration will be had for those who embark on our territory and fuck with what’s ours. I’m done playing the political nice guy for the community, it’s time to clean house, fellas. It’s time we remind everyone how truly twisted we can be. When we start these lessons, Bobby Kelson will be our first teaching. Shadow, tell me what you managed to find last night.”
“Basic things. But I have found someone we can lean on for information. After Mr. Kelson got out of jail for his assault on Aria in high school, he lost his college scholarship, his parents disowned him and he ended up rooming up with some skanky fucking dancer on Main Street. Her stage name is Diamond but her given name is Tasha Cariolla.”
“Wait a minute. Is that the blonde that will fuck and blow anyone who offers her the all-American dollar?” Fox asks.
“You would know her. Personally had a taste of that skank puss, huh?” Pyro asks.
The room at large laughs, but Fox’s face pinches with disgust. “Absolutely not. I treasure my cock, he may play a lot, but he’s picky as fuck about who he’ll stay hard for. A woman whose pussy is as loose as hers is, scares him. He fears he’ll get lost inside that dark hole never to be found again.”
“I can actually vouch for that,” Edge admits and we all turn to look at him. “What? Don’t act like any one of you fuckers haven’t ever found yourself slummin’ it. I’m just open enough to admit the shit.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, that’s not just a hole, it’s as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon. Fell right in so much that I wasn’t even aware that I had even made much contact. It’ll sure do a number on your ego, though.”
I shudder at the thought. “So now that we’re more acquainted with who all has fucked who, or at least tried and failed, can we get down to the real business at hand?” I extinguish my cigarette before I steeple my fingers together, drawing them to right up under my chin; my eyes focus back and forth between Shadow and Rogue.
“Well, Diamond, or Tasha, seems to move around a lot. And, well, right now she’s currently in jail waiting to be bonded out on charges of prostitution. Seems she was picked up the night before last. And, of course, this isn’t her first time with the same charge,” Shadow informs us, never removing his gaze from his laptop. “Now, this is just a hunch, but if I had to guess, I think Bobby has something to do with this. The same woman always bails her out and it so happens to be her friend, Dominique, who incidentally has the same record. Coincidence?”
I chuckle at the thought of Bobby Kelson being a pimp of sorts. “Wait a goddamn minute. You thinking that Bobby is possibly pimping these women out?”
Shadow nods. “Yeah, I actually do. I bet there’s more of them from the club, too. He’s not gonna bail them out. He might be a fucking dumbass, but he’s playing it smart when it comes to this. No way in hell would he want his name or any trace of it near any illegal activity given his violent record with women.”
“So, then, what’s the plan?” I ask, beginning to lose patience again.
Rogue shoots daggers at me that I so happen to catch out of my peripheral. “We send one of our prospects to scope out the scene around the corner of the jail. Once Tasha’s bailed out.” He pauses to look down at his wristwatch before continuing, “Which arraignments are usually set between eight and nine in the morning, we’ll have our prospect follow them. A dozen bikers is too obvious and goes without saying. We will surely be noticed and if Shadow’s hunch is right, they will lead us on a goose chase trying to protect that filth. So, once we hear back from PeeWee.” Again, Rogue pauses and looks directly at me letting me know he’s chosen the prospect I personally would’ve for this mission. “We will hopefully have more information on where this piece of shit is hiding out, and we can devise our plan and put it in motion. We will be strategic in every move we make and we will catch this motherfucker. One thing at a time, though. Nobody go running off as you’re all needed around here for the next phase of this plan.”
“Sounds great and all, Pres, but how do we know she hasn’t already been bailed out or will be by the time PeeWee makes it up there? Our only real lead and it could slip away before we have the chance to make it up there,” I tell him, lighting up another smoke.
Shadow flips his laptop screen toward me and presses some button until it zooms in and I see PeeWee standing vigil and inconspicuous across the street from the jailhouse. “We all know there’s only one way in and one way out of that place. The back is for police, employees, and prisoners being brought in only.”
“I’ve got PeeWee right here in my earpiece,” Rogue informs me, pointing to his ear. “It shouldn’t be long now. I suggest you all go eat if you haven’t because we could be in for a long and trying day. Meeting dismissed until I call you all back in here.” He smashes his gavel against the table and we all stand, parting ways around the clubhouse.
Exiting the office, I immediately spot Aria sitting in the common area with the other old ladies. Harlow’s holding and feeding baby Mel and the rest of them are just staring in awe, making small talk about how beautiful she is. Edge walks past me, glancing over looking at the women before he takes a seat at the bar and begins to pour himself a shot.
Walking closer to him, I ask, “Whiskey? I know it’s five o’clock somewhere, brother, but I’ve never seen you drink so early. What gives?”
He slams the shot back and no sooner than the glass hits the counter, he pours himself another. Holding the shot glass up, he looks me square in the eyes. “I’ll tell you what gives, me.” He shoots the next one down. “Unbeknownst to me, I give babies.” His face drains of color and his eyes go vacant for a moment. “Oh, sweet baby Jesus. It better not be babies. It better just be one in there. I mean, can you believe it? We were so careful, too.”
I pull out the stool next to him and park my ass on it and decide to pour myself one. Fuck it. “But were you really, though?” I question as the honey-colored liquor fills my glass. “Let’s think about this logically for a second.” I take pause to slam back my own shot. “Aside from Talia, who’s the only other woman, if any, that you’ve slid in raw? Yes, we all know condoms can break, but we all know that’s not what happened here.”
“That’s a really tough question considering I’ve been with so many damn women, brother. Fuck, I don’t kno
w? Maybe one other? Yup, just the one. Cindy Barnes, my first. I was young and dumb,” he replies, folding his arms across his chest as he nervously chews the inside of his cheek.
“Exactly my point. Aria’s the only one I’ve went flesh-to-flesh with, even though she wasn’t my first, I was hers though. It’s like instinctively, although we’re all a bunch of fucking horn dogs, we know who we’d be willing to risk it all with. And by risks, I’m not just speaking about babies. I’m talking about that shit we can’t fucking wash off, man. We might be some soulless, ruthless, bastards with questionable morals at times; but we’re driven by instinct. Somewhere inside of you, you knew that this could happen. And somewhere inside yourself, ya flat-out didn’t give a damn.”
“So, you’re telling me that if Aria were to tell you that she’s pregnant, you’d just be all calm and collected?” He grabs a bowl of peanuts on the bar and begins to shell them.
His question catches me by surprise because as I sit here doling out advice, I haven’t even thought about Aria becoming pregnant. I mean, sure, I’ve thought about us having children, but in the far distant future. Thank goodness I’m quickly reminded that she’s on the birth control shot. Phew, can’t let Edge see me lose my own cool as I sit here schooling him on his impending parenthood. But it does remind me that nothing is foolproof, so as much as I would rather her not become pregnant anytime soon, it’s a risk we take. I take a deep breath in. “Well, I’d have no choice but to accept what is, right? We’ve discussed having a family in the past, so I’m sure nothing monumental has changed on that subject. It’s just something we’d both like to prepare for.” He opens his mouth to speak and I hold my hand up, stopping him. “And before you tell me how you and Talia did the same, understand that sometimes things change without our permission.” I pat him on the shoulder. “You’re gonna be a father, Edge. And the mother of your child isn’t just some random slut you fucked along the way. It’s your old lady, the woman you love. So, I’d say even though it might be shocking and confusing, you’re both pretty damn lucky.”
“When in the fuck did you become filled with such wisdom?” Merc’s deep voice intrudes our conversation from behind as he pulls up a seat next to me. “This is the most sane and calm I’ve ever seen or heard you, brother.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Edge adds.
I scrub my face with my palms. “Fuck I don’t know? I’m doing anything I can right now to keep my mind from driving me further into the pits of complete insanity.”
They both agree simultaneously. They’ve each been through their own personal hell when it comes to their old ladies and them being threatened.
“If I’m being honest, the moment I laid eyes on Harmony’s picture, before I knew her name, something deep inside of me knew that she’d somehow change my life forever. And the emotion that feeling gave me was unfamiliar at the time, but it was a good one. Even through a picture, when I looked into her eyes, my stomach did a little flip,” he admits.
“That’s how I felt about Talia, too, man. Only I couldn’t see her face at first, I could only hear her voice and sense her presence. Naturally, the acceptance of this came after I realized she wasn’t a barbaric homicidal maniac. Well, not to humans anyway. Poor Peter Cottontail,” Edge confesses.
“From the moment I saved Aria from that scum back in high school, even as badly as she was beaten and bruised up, I knew there was something special about her that I wasn’t gonna be able to shake,” I tell them.
“Well isn’t this just the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Outlaw’s voice mocks us jokingly from behind and I can feel myself instantly regretting this confession session. What was in that whiskey? “Three rugged and burly bikers sitting at the bar confessing their feelings of love toward their women. Y’all are so cute!” She squeezes our shoulders one by one before climbing into Merc’s lap. “Any word on what’s-his-face? Or am I even allowed to know?” She reaches in front of me, grabbing a peanut Edge has shelled, popping it into her mouth as she gauges each of us for an answer. Edge and I both keep our mouths shut because she might be our sister and Rogue’s daughter, but she’s Merc’s old lady to handle. Looking him straight in the eyes, she awaits his answer.
“Were you called to church this morning, baby?” he asks her.
She hops out of his lap. “Yeah, yeah. I already know I won’t be getting an answer. Was worth a shot, though. And I did have the pleasure of overhearing you three bond over love.” She draws her hands into a delicate praying gesture and dramatically bats her lashes before turning her back and walking away.
Aria
Looking at baby Mel and how innocent and pure she is reminds me that this world isn’t all bad and cruel. I don’t believe we’re born devious. No, I believe that our upbringing and exposure to different experiences molds us into who we eventually become. Talia is absolutely beaming with joy as she coos and gushes over her. Motherhood is already looking good on her.
The men have been dismissed from the meeting but Sandman hasn’t even come over to speak with me. The fact that they’re not burning rubber out of here tells me that they probably don’t have a clue where my assailant is. But every time I glance over at Sandman he looks so calm in conversation with Edge and now Merc. Outlaw has gone over there to see if she can get any information, but I can tell by the look on her face as she returns to us, it was an unsuccessful mission.
“They ain’t saying shit and I know when to push and when not to,” she tells us, letting out a deep sigh as she plops herself down on the sofa. “When Merc answers my question with a question using that stoic tone of his, I know not to pry any further.”
Talia rubs my shoulder. “They’ll find him. You know they will and he will never hurt anyone again. My ex was in an MC as you all know so I’m well-versed in how these things play out. The only difference is that these men are loving, loyal, and will stop at nothing to defend theirs. They might be stubborn and bull-headed as all get out at times, but one thing I think we can all agree on is that which I just said.”
“Oh, for sure. Maybe it’s because I grew up in this club and with most of its members, but one thing you don’t wanna do is cross them or us. During my lifetime it has never ended up well for the other individual or individuals,” Outlaw throws out there.
“And I agree with everything your mommy just said,” Harlow tosses out her two cents while looking directly into a bright-eyed Mel.
“Thanks, girls.” I try to smile for the comfort they’ve worked hard at offering me. Does the fact that Bobby is still roaming free bother and worry the hell out of me? Yes. I never want that sick son-of-a-bitch to hurt another soul. But what’s eating away at me more, is how this has the potential to further drive a wedge between me and my man. So much about him has already changed mentally, and I’m afraid this only adds more fuel to the fire driving the inner demons he battles. Do I think he loves me? Again, yes. And I know he’d do anything in the world for me and to keep me safe. But, he expresses his love differently now. And while I’m trying my hardest to adapt to his needs, he also doesn’t allow me to love him the way he deserves to be loved. Sure, he has never fully let me in when it came to his childhood and I wouldn’t dare go behind his back and ask any of the women what they might know. It just feels like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place with him. He wants to be my protector, my old man, but everything has to be on his terms it seems. I get that where club life is concerned, but behind closed doors I feel it should be different. Sure, things have changed since we were younger, but even after everything I went through, I still only love him. I promised myself long ago that if given the chance again that I’d never take another minute with him for granted. There’s love between us, but there’s also a huge brick wall around his heart that keeps me at arm’s length.
“Office, now!” Rogue’s order echoes throughout the room and the men stampede like cattle being herded through the door.
Immediately my heart hammers against the walls inside my chest and I stand
as I begin to pace back and forth. Whatever it is, whatever happens will play a vital role in the rest of our forever.
Sandman
My brothers all take a seat except me. I’m ready to ride, all I need is to know where I’m headed.
“Shadow.” Rogue gestures after saying his name as if to give him permission to speak on what he’s found.
“Okay, so as expected, Dominique bailed Tasha out. PeeWee followed them to what appears to be an abandoned house. But, they went inside. Not sure what to do next because obviously he can’t just knock on the door to see if Bobby’s in there hiding out. We devised a plan. Now, I have surveillance cameras set up all over town in different locations. We all know this, but not all of them reach certain vantage points; this house being one of them. So, I put in a call to one of our paid sources that hangs around the local corner store up the street. Asked him to go knock on the door and see if Bobby answers. You know how some of these creeps can be, they look at the women they pimp out as possessions and justify in their mind that they’re somehow their protectors. So, he agreed to make up an excuse depending on who answered and went to the door. Brothers, we’ve found where the scum is.”
I bolt for the door, but am stopped as Bane abruptly steps in front of me. “You don’t even have the address yet, nor have you heard the plan your Pres has constructed. Acting reckless right now will only lead to possible mistakes and we don’t want that. You agree, don’t you?”
The adrenaline surfing wildly through my veins right now doesn’t want to agree, but he’s right. “My body wants to take action on this motherfucker, but you’re right. It needs to be done strategically and with a clear mind.”
“As I was saying,” Shadow continues once he has my attention again, “it’s right by Jack’s, the local corner store at the end of Shady Lane. Rogue has the address and the plan,” he finishes.
Sandman's Awakening: Twisted Iron MC Page 7