***
This had to be one of the hardest things he ever had to do. Knowing she was on that bed was killing him. And it was his bed. Oh, he noticed her the first time he saw her in that dance studio. She stood apart from the others. She was radiant, and her exquisite green eyes lit up when he smiled at her. And at that moment, he had wanted her. But he knew she was way too young for him. If he were like Maddog, he would have had her already, but he wasn’t like that. He already knew, in the end, she would more than likely hate him. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do. But he hadn’t been able to get her off his mind, and yes, he was angry with her. What in the world was she thinking of getting on the back of Maddog’s bike?
He had to take a cold shower after seeing her curled up on his bed. Her shapely legs were some of the prettiest he’d ever seen on a woman. Her hair was jet black and short. Her skin was white, maybe too white. And she wore way too much makeup. Oh if she was his, that would end. But as pretty as her face was, he had a feeling she didn’t need to wear any makeup at all. And he wasn’t about to turn around and look at her because if he did, he might have to take another cold shower. This had to be hell on earth. And he knew it would be better for both of them if she hated him. He pulled a t-shirt on, grabbed his keys, and headed out the door.
***
Later that afternoon, Rainy woke up to the aroma of barbeque chicken. She went out into the main part of the clubhouse. Most of the bikers were there. And she was surprised to see Tools was doing the cooking. A lot of them were at the bar and a few at the tables. They were all drinking. She noticed a tall blonde woman with nothing on but a pair of biker chaps. Then she saw Decker at the end of the bar sitting next to Handlebars. The woman was trying to impress Decker. She walked over to him and was trying to get his attention. However, it wasn’t working. Decker acted as if he didn’t see her or her bare breasts. But boy, the other bikers sure did. They were all making comments and grabbing at her. Bear reached over and grabbed the woman, pulling her up on his lap. Then they proceeded to have sex right at the bar. The funny thing was, no one reacted to them. It was as if this behavior was perfectly normal.
Rainy made her way towards the kitchen to where Tools was preparing food in hopes of talking him out of a piece of that chicken. It smelled great; good enough that her stomach was grumbling. She stood for a moment and watched him work. When he realized she was there, he glanced up at her. “What’s up?”
She grinned at him. “I was just wondering if I might get a piece of that chicken?”
“Sure, but don’t you want to wait for the rest of the food to be ready?”
“What did you make?”
“Potato salad, coleslaw, green beans, and corn on the cob.”
“You made all that?”
“Yes, I did.”
Rainy started to chuckle.
“What’s so funny, you think a grease money can’t cook?”
Rainy laughed. “I know better than that. My dad is a ballet dancer and he is a damn good cook. My mom says that cooking is his passion.”
“Really, your dad is a ballerina?”
“No, ballerinas are female. He’s a male dancer.”
Tools threw his head back. “In other words, he’s a puff.”
Rainy grinned. “You’re as bad as my mom. She calls him a fairy duster.”
Now Tools turned to look at her, amused. “So is he?” He let his hand go limp at the wrist.
“If I had to pick a biker that was the most like my dad, it would be Bear.”
Now Tools busted out laughing. “Remind me not to get on his bad side.”
“Just be glad you’re not one of his dancers.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, I was born with two left feet.”
She smiled at him and tilted her head, “That’s okay, you can cook.”
“You going to wait around for the rest of the food?”
“Sure, you need any help?”
“Do you wash dishes?”
“I’m good at it.”
“Okay. You start and I’ll feed you first.”
“Sounds like a deal to me.” Rainy wasted no time. She went right to the sink and started to fill it with soapy water.
A few minutes later, Tinker came in. She walked behind Tools and wrapped her arms around him. “You two-timing me?” she asked.
“No— found me some cheap labor. She only wants food,” he said, wiping his hands on a towel.
“Oh, well honey bun, make sure that’s all you give her.”
He turned around and looked down at her. “Green is not a good color on you, Tink.”
“I was just kidding, Tools, and you know that.” He shook his head as if he didn’t believe her. “Tinman sent me to see when the grub will be ready?”
“In about ten minutes. Tell him I’ll let him know.”
“Sure thing.” Tinker backed away from him and gave Rainy a warning glare.
After she left, Rainy turned to face Tools. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you into trouble with your girlfriend.”
Tools grinned at her. “That one is not my girl. My wife was killed about two years ago now. I don’t have a girl and don’t want one either.”
“Oh, I’m sorry for your loss.” Rainy started to feel uncomfortable now. She went back to washing a big pot when she felt someone grab her left arm. She jerked her head around and Decker started to pull her out of the kitchen.
He walked her all the way down the hallway to his room, opened the door and shoved her inside. Closing the door behind him. “What are you doing?” he demanded.
“I was washing dishes.”
“I told you not to talk to any of the bikers.”
Rainy narrowed her eyes at him now. “Oh, so you don’t mind me riding in a truck with one of them, but I can’t help him in the kitchen? What did you think we were going to do—fuck?”
“You stay in this room, and don’t come out for the rest of the night!” he ordered.
If she wasn’t so angry at him, she would have noticed his smoky green eyes. But right at that moment, he was the ugliest person on this earth. “God, I hate you!” She grumbled.
“So noted. Now stay put!” He huffed and exited the room.
Rainy fell across the bed and cried. All she wanted was something to eat. Now she would have to go hungry. Right now she didn’t care how good looking Decker was, she hated him. Hell, she hated each and every one of them. Because she wanted her life back.
***
Decker was so angry with the girl he could hit her. She just didn’t understand that they would kill her. How the hell did he get so lucky? He returned to the bar. Handlebars gave him a sad look. “What you gonna do Decker? You know Maddog won’t let this go. He’s already starting his shit,” he said, stroking his mustache.
“If I kill him, would you help me get rid of the body?”
Handlebars chuckled, giving him a devilish grin. “If only it was that easy.”
“Where is he anyway?”
“Don’t know. I guess he’s sucking up to Tinman.”
The bikers had been drinking long enough that they were getting loud and feisty. The half-dressed blonde said something that Bear didn’t like, so he took his belt off and started to beat her with it. Every instinct in Decker’s body told him to stop Bear, but he knew he couldn’t. So he got to his feet and walked outside to find Maddog. He looked around the grounds but he didn’t see Maddog anywhere. He had to be there somewhere. Then he thought of the girl and he ran back towards the clubhouse. Liz met him before he could get back inside. “Tinman gave Maddog the girl. I hid her out back. Tools put a big trash bag over her. She’s by the backdoor. You have to take her now, Decker. Take Handles’ bike.” She handed him the keys.
Decker mounted the motorcycle and cranked it up. He rode it around the building and found the girl. He pulled the bags off of her and pulled to her feet. “Get on!” He ordered.
Rainy did as he said. It was as if she knew she might die
if she didn’t. They rode out of the city for about an hour. Then they pulled into a strip mall. Rainy wasn’t sure if they were still in Atlanta or some other town. She thought about running, but she was afraid he might hurt her. Decker seemed very agitated at the moment. And trying to run twice in one day might just push him over the edge. When he stopped the motorcycle, he asked, “What’s your name?” Rainy only stared at him and said nothing. “Look, you can make something up if you like. But I need to call you something.”
Rainy thought about it for a minute. “My name is Samantha.”
“You have a last name?”
“Now you want too much.”
Oh, Decker already knew that wasn’t her real name, but it was better than calling her girl. “Okay Sam, come with me.”
She knew it was an order, so she followed him. When he opened the door of the tattoo parlor, she swallowed hard. “Why are we here?”
“I’m saving your ass, that’s why.”
They walked to the counter. “Shelby!” Decker called out.
A young woman came from the back. She had tattoos everywhere on her body. “Well hi, handsome. What can I do for you tonight?”
“I want my mark on her right shoulder.”
“Oh wow, Decker, I’m heartbroken. I wanted you for myself.”
“Shell you say that to all the bikers.”
“No just the good looking ones.” She moved towards Rainy now. “You can have a seat in that chair over there. After I’m done flirting with your old man, I’ll be with you.”
Decker watched her move towards the chair and he knew she was upset, but what could he do? This was killing him. She turned to sit in the chair and it was the way she looked at him that really got under his skin. And the fact that she didn’t have a mark on her skin anywhere really made him hate this. Because it should be her choice to get a tattoo, not his.
The tattoo didn’t take long at all. It was simple. The Screaming Bandits’ symbol with Decker’s name under it. “Shelby handed Rainy a mirror. “Here, want to see?”
Rainy stood up and shook her head no, then she walked towards Decker. She went past him and out the door. He came out behind her. “Look, this was the only way I knew I could keep you safe.”
Rainy stood next to the motorcycle and waited for him to get on. Decker knew trying to talk to her was a waste of time. But he did what he had to do. He wondered why she didn’t say anything to Shelby about her being The Bandit’s captive. Maybe she was scared of him hurting her. That made him feel like a real asshole.
Back on the road as they moved through town, there were fast food places everywhere. Decker thought about her in the kitchen. She’d told him she wanted something to eat. Stopping at a red light, he turned his head to look over his shoulder. “Are you hungry?” She didn’t answer. He shook his head. But what did he expect? He’d be pissed too. “We’re going to stop and get something to eat!” He snapped at her. He knew it wouldn’t do any good to ask, so he ordered.
Pulling into a burger joint, he parked the motorcycle and dismounted. “Let’s go in!” But Rainy stayed on the motorcycle. “Or I’ll carry you!” She glanced up at him and slowly brought her leg over the seat and slid off the bike. Once inside, he ordered their food knowing she wouldn’t talk to him.
Taking the tray to a nearby table, they both sat down. He handed her a burger and fries, and a water. Rainy was so hungry that being upset or not, she picked up the burger and started to eat. It was funny that he had ordered water for her. Her father would have done the same thing. Yeah, he was a good cook, but once in a while, they would eat fast food. But they only got water to drink. She wondered what her father would say about the tattoo. Oh, she had a feeling he wouldn’t like it. Oh well, too late. She’d almost gotten one once. She was going to have Pedro’s name put on her arm. Thank goodness she didn’t.
By the time they arrived back at the clubhouse, it was late. A lot of the bikers were gone. When they walked in the place, it smelled like cigarette smoke and booze. Rainy made a face, and Decker had to bite his tongue not to laugh at her. He took hold of her hand, and they went to his room.
In bed, they turned away from each other. Rainy tried to go to sleep, but she wasn’t able too. Then she thought about Grisly. She had not seen him all day. So she waited until Decker was asleep. When she heard him make a soft sigh, she knew he was sleeping. Still dressed in her clothes, she slowly got out of the bed, being careful not to wake Decker. Tiptoeing out the bedroom, she went outside and looked for the little dog.
Making her way around the clubhouse, she looked for the small dog, calling his name out and hoping he would come to her. But no Grisly anywhere. Rainy made her way to the back of the lot thinking that maybe he was in the garage. She went inside to look around, but still no dog. Leaving the garage, she headed for the shed on the other side of the lot. It was locked down like Fort Knox. Someone came up behind her. When she turned to see who it was, they shined a light right in her eyes. “What are you looking for, bitch?”
When he spoke, she knew it was Bear. “I’m looking for Grisly.”
“Who?”
“The dog.”
“There ain’t no dog here. You need to get back in that clubhouse and stay there if you know what’s good for you.”
“Did you guys leave him somewhere? Doesn’t he live here with everyone else?”
“Go in the damn clubhouse now.” He pointed.
“I just want to know if he’s okay.” Bear turned her around and shoved her towards the clubhouse. “Alright, I’m going,” she grumbled and walked back towards the clubhouse. Once she was back inside, she became upset worrying about the tiny dog. But when she tried to go back to Decker’s room, Bear grabbed her arm and held her in place. Taking out his cell phone, he called Tinman. Now she was scared because she was here alone. Decker was sleeping, and she had no idea what they might do to her. She wanted to cry so damn bad it was killing her. But she remembered what Liz told her.
Chapter 10:
Meeting
Decker woke up to the sound of yelling. When he realized the girl wasn’t in the room with him, he grabbed his jeans, pulled them on and ran out into the main part of the clubhouse. Bear, Barb, Maddog, and Tools were all standing around Tinman who was seated at the bar. Decker didn’t see Rainy to start with because she was on the other side of Bear. Decker slowly walked towards Tinman. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Bear turned towards him and then he saw her. “This little bitch was nosing around the shed,” stated Bear.
Decker tilted his head and looked at Tinman. “So what are you going to do with her?”
“I think the only thing we can do is take her out for a long ride,” Tinman said.
Decker looked at the girl, and he could tell she knew just what they were saying. He pressed his lips together. “I see, and who is going to take her?”
“I am!” said Maddog.
“Did anyone ask her why she was out there in the middle of the night?”
“It doesn’t matter, Decker. She was looking for something. Hell, she might even be a damn cop.”
“Really, Maddog? I didn’t know cops took ballet classes.”
“You just want her for yourself.” Turning toward the president, he said, “ That’s what he wants, Tinman. He doesn’t want me to have her,” cried Maddog.
“It’s too late for that now!” said Tinman.
“Well, I brought her here. I should be the one to take her out!” huffed Maddog.
Decker walked over to where Bear was holding onto Rainy. He looked right at her and said, “Why were you outside?” Rainy was scared and she just looked down. “TELL ME WHY YOU WERE OUTSIDE?” Decker yelled. And she jumped.
“I was looking for Grisly,” she mumbled.
Just at that moment, Handlebars and Liz came into the room. “Hold up for a minute. This is my fault,” Handlebars said, holding up his hands.
“Why?” asked Tinman, turning to face them.
“I ordered
the little bitch to take care of Gris. Told her I would beat her ass if anything happened to him.”
“What does that have to do with her being outside in the middle of the night?” Tinman asked.
“I forgot I told her to care for the dog, and he is in our room. She was looking for him; that’s why she was outside.”
“The way you are about that dog, Handlebars, I don’t believe you would ask some bitch you don’t even know to care for him,” said Maddog.
Throwing his hands out to the side, Handlebars said, “She’s a smartass and a know-it-all. Damn bitch told me I didn’t know how to take care of Gris. Said she knew all there is to know about dogs. So I told her since she knows so much, then she can take care of him!”
“Is that the only reason?” Tinman asked.
“No, Gris likes her better than me.”
Tinman laughed at him, shaking his head in disbelief. “Well, Decker, what should we do now?” asked Tinman.
“Go back to bed. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m beat.”
“Okay, that’s all people. Go to bed,” Tinman ordered.
Maddog walked over to Rainy and jerked her away from Bear. He started to pull her towards his room. “Wait a minute,” demanded Decker.
Rumbling Thunder Page 7