To Decker, this story all sounded too familiar. It was as if he had read it somewhere before. Maybe she was making this up, or she’d read it too. But oddly enough, he believed her. So all he could say was, “WOW, maybe you should write a book?”
“Maybe one day.” But when he didn’t say anymore, she said, “So it’s your turn, ace.”
“Oh, you mean about Bree?”
Bringing her legs up, she wrapped her arms around them, hugging them and rested her chin on her knees.“Uh huh.”
“We had a big party. I’m not sure what it was about. The Jacksonville and Kentucky chapters were at the club. And three bikers came in with four women. One was gorgeous. She was one of the best looking women I’ve ever seen. I went up to her and we started to talk. It felt like I’d known her all my life in a short time. For the next three days, we were together. Then it was time for her to leave. I asked her to stay and she did. When I wasn’t working for the club, I was with her. That was, until the night I came home from a road trip down south and found her and T-bird in my bed together.”
“What did you do?”
“Showed them out of the clubhouse and told them I never wanted to see either one of them again.”
“Have you?”
“Yes, T-bird is a member of the club, he was in the meeting.”
“And you don’t talk to him?”
“No!”
The sound of motorcycles pulling in to the campground had Decker sitting up. He got to his feet and that’s when he saw her. A pretty little black girl was on the back of Maddog’s bike. The girl couldn’t be older than fourteen. Dammit.
Decker started to move towards the girl when Handlebars stepped in front of him. “Not this time, John, you can’t!”
“That asshole will hurt her.”
“Yes, I know that, but better hurt than dead. And they’re never going to believe you want a new old lady this soon.”
“I can’t do this anymore, Hans. Look at that kid. She’s scared to death,” Decker said as he ran his hand through his hair.
“You promise me that no matter what happens, you’ll stay out of this, and leave that girl alone. Because if you don’t, John, it can cost that one her life.” Handlebars nodded his head towards Rainy. “And if it will make you feel any better, Tinman said hands off. Virgins bring in the most money.”
“In other words, they’re going to be snatching babies.” Decker groaned.
“It seems that way.” Handlebars patted Decker’s shoulder. “Look, if you can’t do this, just go.”
“You know I can’t do that. It’s been three years of my life. And that can’t be for nothing.”
“Oh, it’s been for something man. And you’ll soon be proud of what you’ve done.”
Decker let out a long sigh “God, I hope so.”
“Besides, what in the hell will I do with her if you go? She’s looking for a way to get away right now.”
Decker turned to look at Rainy. “Of course she is. She wouldn’t be my girl if she wasn’t.”
“Strong-willed little shit ain’t she?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Did you find out anything about her?”
“She told me a wild story. But for some weird reason, I believe her. I’m going to get Liz to check it out.”
“Liz said she’s planning on visiting her mother, so now might be a good time.”
“Yeah, that would be good. How long you think she’ll be gone?”
“No more than three days.”
“What are you going to tell Tinman?”
Handlebars took a moment to think of something. “Maybe we can use the wedding as an excuse.”
“Well, whatever you two come up with, let me know. I’ll talk to you later. She went for the woods.” Decker went to head Rainy off.
Moving up behind her, he said, “Going somewhere, Sassy?”
Coming to a halt, Rainy turned to face him. “I saw how you reacted to seeing that girl. You going to rescue her too?”
“The only one who’s going to need to be rescued around here, sassy mouth, is you.”
Maybe it was the way he was browbeating her, but she knew he wasn’t playing. “I was just taking a walk.”
“Okay, where were you walking to?”
“I wasn’t going to run!”
“Yeah,” he said sardonically. Taking ahold of her hand, he walked her back to the tent. Then he let her go and started to pack up.
Rainy started to help him by rolling up the sleeping bags. Yes, she was trying to run, but she would never tell him that. She wasn’t too sure how to take him. He had a soft heart. She saw the way he reacted towards the girl, but had a will like steel. And he reminded her so of her father that it made her uneasy. No, it was better to do it his way for now. That is, until another opportunity came along.
Chapter 14
Who?
Liz had left and that same day, Tools found out his mother had a heart attack. Tinman wasn’t happy. Not because he missed the two of them, but because there was no one to cook his breakfast. When Tools was doing club business, Liz would step in and cook. “You going to tell me that out of the lot of you slimeballs that not one of you knows how to cook?” Tinman snarled. It had been three days of eating fast food, and he couldn’t deal with this. “I want some bacon and eggs. And coffee, dammit!” He growled.
Keys looked at his unhappy leader. “I’d be happy to try and cook you something, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to eat it. I’d be happy to go get anything you want to eat, Tinman.”
“Forget it. I want home cooked food. And you’re going to tell me that none of these bitches knows how to cook? Hell, I thought women were born knowing this shit. Damn, my momma could cook. What’s wrong with these damn women today,” he grumbled.
Decker had gone outside to get his motorcycle ready for the trip. Tinman had ordered that he and Handlebars ride with Maddog to take their new captive to the holding center.
Rainy overheard Tinman. She walked out of the bedroom and standing in the hallway she said, “I know how to cook!”
Tinman turned to face her. “Is that right?”
“Yes, and if you want breakfast, you just have to tell me how many people are going to be eating. So I know how much to cook.”
Tinman grinned at her. This was the same woman he almost shot a few days ago. “Ah, yes, sweet thing, but will I be able to eat it?”
“I haven’t killed anyone yet. But if you don’t trust me, then forget it.”
Tinman narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t tell me what to do, girl. I run things around here.”
Rainy shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not telling you what to do. If you want me to cook, I will. If not, just say so. It really doesn’t matter to me either way.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to?”
Oh, she wanted to say nobody because to her, he was nobody. “I’m just saying.” She stopped talking after she saw the way he was looking at her. She should have kept her mouth shut.
“Come here!” Tinman ordered. She hesitated because she knew he was going to hurt her. Maybe even kill her. “I said come over here!” he growled, hooking his finger.
Barb was sitting at the bar next to him. She leaned in and whispered, “She’s just a kid, babe, don’t hurt her.”
Tinman stood up. And when he did, Rainy walked towards him, stopping about two feet in front of him. “When I tell you to do something, you better listen!” Rainy looked down. “Okay, you cook. But if you pop off to me again, I’ll kill you dead. Cook or no cook.”
Rainy wouldn’t look up at him. She went into the kitchen and started getting everything ready.
Decker walked in right at the end of what happened. Shit. I can’t leave her for one minute without her getting into trouble with that mouth of hers. Decker walked up to Tinman. “We’re ready to take the girl now. I guess we have to wait for Sassy to finish cooking for you.”
Tinman’s gaze bore right into Decker, but then he grinned.
“What did you call her?”
“I named her sassy mouth because she always has to get the last word.”
Tinman roared with laughter. “That bitch has you whipped, Decker.” He laughed more, shaking his head. “Sassy mouth, I like it. I think you should give that girl a good beating. Teach her some manners.”
Decker shook his head no. “Hell, Tinman, I would have to beat her to death, and that’s a waste of good pussy.”
Tinman roared with laughter again. “What are you going to do with her Decker?”
“I like them spicy. The harder it is to tame them, the better they are in bed.”
Tinman laughed harder now, then said, “Stay for breakfast. I’m sure you all need to eat. We’ll see how good your lady can cook. If she’s any good, she can have Tools’ old job and free him up for club shit.” Decker nodded his head in agreement. But now he was really worried. He couldn’t control her if he wasn’t with her. Christ.
Rainy brought the first plate of food to Tinman, along with a cup of coffee. Tinman looked down at his plate. There were eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and biscuits and gravy. She stood and waited to see if she was going to live or die. Tinman put a fork full of eggs in his mouth. He closed his eyes and moaned, savoring the flavor. “Hey, boys, we have us a new cook!” They all cheered. Rainy let out a sigh of relief, that was, until she saw Decker glaring at her. She went back into the kitchen so she could bring the food out and place it on a long table. She was walking back and forth with the food, setting it up when Tinman yelled, “Stop!” Rainy looked up at him wondering what she’d done that was wrong. “Sassy mouth, you’re the cook. They serve!” He was talking about the other women there. She nodded her head and headed back into the kitchen. The other women followed her. She showed them what to take out. And then she started to wash the pans and clean up. She knew this was going to be hard work cooking for all of these people. But it gave her a purpose, and that would make her feel more human.
She was busy washing pans when someone touched her on her shoulder. She jumped, thinking it might be Maddog. She turned to see Decker glaring down at her. She held his gaze with her own determination. “You try and run, and I promise you if you’re still alive when I get back, you will be in for a world of hurt. You understand me?” She nodded her to agree. “Say it. Give me your word, Sassy.”
Not looking at him, she said, “I won’t go anywhere.”
“Look at me and say it.”
Looking into his eyes, she mumbled, “I will be here when you get back.” But he didn’t look convinced. She could read him like a book. He knew she would run.
“I damn sure hope so,” he growled. Turning to leave, he said, “And if you believe me or not, Sassy, I do care.” She didn’t reply. She went back to washing pans. Why was he telling her he cared? Yes, she found him attractive, but by no means did she love him. In fact, she hated him, like all the other bikers. He was one of the bad guys. He was nice to look at and that’s all. After all, how could she love a man that dumped a poor little dog along the side of the highway somewhere? Then after she thought about it for a minute, he had said care, not love.
It was long after midnight when Decker came into the room. His movements woke her up, but she pretended to still be sleeping. She was tired after cooking and cleaning all day. But it was a good tired. He slid under the covers and turned and put his arm over her. “Thank you, Sassy, for not trying anything.” He leaned over her and gave her a kiss on the side of her cheek. This small little act of tenderness did something to her. It sent a warming sensation through her body all the way to her core. Wanting with all her might to roll over and return the kiss, she knew she couldn’t. Getting involved with this outlaw would be a big mistake.
The following morning when Rainy woke up, Decker was already out of bed. Thinking he was maybe in the bathroom, she went to see. No, the bathroom was empty. She knew she shouldn’t care where he was, but she did want to see him. It was something about that sweet moment that got to her.
Pulling the notebook out from between the mattress and the box springs, she started to fill it in. Starting with day one. And she knew if the bikers ever saw the journal it could cost her, her life. But she had a strong feeling she needed to do this. Her grandmother, who had authored many novels, had told her that if she ever wanted to become a good writer, to start by journaling. But that wasn’t the reason she was doing this. She needed to mark time. That way she would remember all of this. And also to remind herself not to fall in love with Decker. Because after last night, she knew she was getting weaker. She wasn’t sure if it was just sexual, or if she really wanted a relationship with him. What she did know was that her emotions were ebbing away at her will power. Hearing someone turn the door handle, Rainy jumped up and shoved the journal back under the mattress.
Decker walked into the room and smiled at her. “I was surprised that you were still here when I came in last night.”
Clasping her hands in front of her, she said, “Why would you be?”
“Just thought you would try something.”
“Oh, so you don’t trust me?” She gave him an inquisitive look.
“You haven’t given me a reason to trust you.”
She tilted her head and brought her hands up to rest on her hips. “Well, the feeling is mutual,” she said sharply.
“Alright, now that we have that out of the way, Tinman wants you to make lunch around 1:00. Two other chapters are coming in for the meeting.”
Rainy rolled her eyes and said, “God, is having meetings all that you bikers do?”
“Just like any other business, Sassy.” He looked down at her with hungry eyes. She noticed, but acted as if she hadn’t.
“Sure thing. Tell your leader I’m on it, boss man!” she snarled. He stood still and stared at her. Not moving, he stood there too long as if he was studying her for some reason. Then he simply opened the door and moved back out, closing the door behind him.
She missed Grisly and wondered where the little guy was and if he was ok. It broke her heart that Decker would do such a thing. And she realized she could never love a man who would do such a thing to a helpless animal. Never.
Leaving the bedroom, she went into the kitchen to decide what to make for lunch. Tools was already there doing the same thing. “What are you thinking?” he asked her.
“Soup and sandwiches.”
“Smart woman. Let’s see what we have,” Tools said as he plundered in the refrigerator. “Well, we have plenty of lunch meat and cheese. And I know we have soup. What we need is bread. I’ll go and buy some. You can start the soup.” Tools told her, but Rainy knew it was way too early. She went and stood by the screen door, looking out into the backyard. She saw a young, blonde-haired woman come out from behind a big tree. She looked the way you would think a biker chic would look. Short blonde hair with lots of curves and a beautiful face. There were four dogs following her. Rainy wondered who she was. Then she remembered Handlebars had told her about a woman named Cassy. And that she was the one who cared for the animals. But this was the first time she’d seen any animals. However, she really hadn’t been anywhere except Decker’s room. She kept watching the young woman and wondered if she was one of the biker’s old lady. She wasn’t wearing a cut. So maybe the young woman had been here. She had heard dogs barking, only they seemed far away. As the woman walked towards the screen door, Rainy moved back towards the sink. The woman pulled the door open, and all four of the dogs came in the clubhouse with her. Moving past Rainy, she went into the main part of the clubhouse. Rainy forgot about her and went back to getting everything ready for lunch. She took out six tomatoes and a head of lettuce and went to work slicing them.
Tools came back with four loaves of bread. He placed them on the table before he went to get the soup. When he came back, Rainy asked him, “You weren’t gone long yesterday. How is your mom doing?”
He gave her a mild glance. “It was a warning sign of what might happen. They are keeping her for a few days
. But the doctor thinks she will be fine.”
“Yeah, only I thought you would be gone longer than that.”
“She’s in good hands. I will be taking a few days away from here when they let her out of the hospital. Now that Tinman has another cook.”
She turned to look at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to move in on you like that. I just needed something to do.”
“I think it’s great. Now I don’t have to be in here all the time. And to tell you the truth, it was beginning to be too much. When one of their bikes breaks down, I can’t be two places at once.”
“Sounds like they keep you busy.”
“Yeah,” he said, grinning at her. “I better go now. The meeting is about to start.” Rainy nodded her head to let him know she understood. Out of all the bikers, Decker included, she liked Tools the best. He was so low key and easy to talk to. And she didn’t think there was a mean bone in his body. Not something she could say about most men.
As the meeting got underway, Rainy kept herself busy doing odds and ends around the kitchen. She already had the food set up. The soup was on the stove, already heated and sitting on the warming burner. All she had left to do was put the sandwiches together. Looking up at the clock, she realized she’d better get started. Hearing the bikers in the main part of the clubhouse, she hurried to get the food ready. That’s when she heard Madog and Tattoo talking. They were right outside the kitchen. “That bastard thinks Decker is all that. I’ll show him what a damn loser Decker is. I’ll bring him down to his knees. Then Tinman will know he made a big mistake. I’ll show him Decker isn’t man enough to be the vice president.”
Rumbling Thunder Page 11