— "Joe? " A soft and feminine voice repeated.
I jumped, as I felt a hand touch my left shoulder. It was Ash. Lizbeth was talking to me. She was waiting for an answer, but I hadn’t heard the question. My eyes searched for the man, but he had gone. My heart skipped a beat.
— "Are you alright? "
— "Yes, of course, " I told Lizbeth.
— "Time to go, " said Ash. "It has been a long day! "
— "Yes, " I whispered, still shaken.
Fear would never leave me alone.
— "Thanks for coming, Ash. Tommy loves to spend time with you, " said his sister. "Thank you, Joe. I hope to see you again soon. "
I smiled politely and shot a last glance toward the place, where I had seen that man, a few minutes before. He had disappeared.
— "Shall we go? " Asked Ash.
— "Yeah, let’s go. "
— "Say goodnight to Tommy for us! "
Evan and his wife nodded, and I noticed the deputy was looking at me awkwardly. Getting away from the crowd and the noise made me feel better. When we were alone, Ash asked me some questions, as we were walking back to the parking lot. I told him what was bothering me, but he didn’t engage in the conversation and seemed lost in his thoughts for a while.
Finally, we reached his bike.
— "I have no helmet. " I said.
— "No problem, " my friend replied.
He took the one, which was hanging on the handlebar, and handed it out to me.
— "What about you? "
— "Nobody will bust my balls for a helmet tonight. "
I smiled.
— "Are you telling me you can get away with it because the deputy is your brother in law?"
— "Get on, " he simply said.
I sat behind my friend and put my hands around his waist. I had only ridden my father before, and I wasn’t used to it. The promiscuity was strange to me, because he wasn’t Jerry.
— "He was probably a parent, " he said out of the blue.
I didn’t comment, and he started the engine of his beloved Harley Davidson. The bike vibrated between our legs, and my father’s best friend drove away. At the first light, he accelerated, and I had to hold on to him tightly, so I wouldn’t end up on the asphalt. This nocturnal ride made me feel euphoric, and I smiled. One more time, I felt free and safe.
CHAPTER 15
Joe
When the Harley drove through the entrance gate of the complex, I felt disappointed. I wouldn’t have minded, if we had ridden all night long. Ash turned the engine off when we reached the motel’s staircase. I got off and removed my helmet, before handing it out to him.
— "Thanks. "
I looked around. The night was dark. The parking lot was creepy, as the bar was closed for the Holidays. I didn’t feel safe.
— "You can go now, " I told my friend.
His dark eyes were fixed on me, and he seemed thoughtful. The only light we had was coming from two distant street lamps, and the temperature was getting lower and lower.
— "No, " he said finally. "I’m waiting for you. We’ll take your car. "
I was perplexed. Either I didn’t get the memo, or he had forgotten to keep me posted.
— "What? "
— "Your father has asked us to keep an eye on you. "
It made sense now. Suddenly, I understood why the guys were never far from us. They were not there because of the Christmas market, or for my famous eggnog. I knew it, but Ash just confirmed it. My father had asked for a favour, because he was worried for me. How could I hold it against him?
— "You shouldn’t drive home by yourself in the middle of the night, " Ash added.
Once again, I looked around the deserted parking lot. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea, after all.
— "OK. Give me two minutes. I need to change. You can come in, if you want. "
Ash shrugged and seemed hesitant. Then, he got off his bike, and we climbed the stairs to my apartment.
I put the keys on the counter and told my guest to make himself at home, while I went to my bedroom to get a dress. Maybe he knew the place, as I had heard the members of the club used it, when they needed it. I looked through my closer quickly, and grabbed a plain little black dress, that would be perfect for a Christmas dinner. It was the kind of dress I would only wear once or twice a year for special events. It looked out of place between my jeans, tank tops, and shirts. After putting on my thighs and my boots, I went to the bathroom to check myself in the mirror. I wasn’t satisfied, so I took a curling iron to fix my hair and it worked.
When I returned to the living room, Ash was eating some of my biscuits in the kitchen.
— "You told me to make myself at home. "
He froze for a second and looked at me funnily.
— "I didn’t know we had to dress up…"
I hesitated.
— "It’s Christmas, " I replied.
— "Yeah, I see "
— "Shall we go? "
I put my leather jacket on and walked in front of my friend to the parking lot.
WE got onto my Comet and drove away. After the first light, Ash ordered me to turn left, which was the opposite way to Mona and Jerry’s house. I obeyed, even though he didn’t share what was on his mind. Then, I realized we were driving to his place. I parked in front of his front door, and he asked me to wait for a while.
Alone in the car, I looked at the front yard. When my friend returned, he was wearing black jeans, a navy shirt, and his leather jacket. When he hopped in, I noticed he had sprayed himself with perfume, which was unusual for him. It was sweet, but surprising. He probably noticed I was curious, for he looked offended for a split second.
— "What? I don’t want to be singled out. "
I laughed heartily.
— "You look perfect, " I said, trying to reassure him.
I wasn’t lying. Seeing him like this, gave me another image of my friend. It wasn’t better or worse. It was just different.
I turned on the engine and headed to our destination, looking forward to having a nice family dinner.
Ten minutes later, I reached the quiet neighbourhood, where lived Mr. and Mrs. Welsh. When we arrived, I walked down the alley, followed by Ash. On the porch, we found Lazar smoking a cigarette. When he saw us, he gave us a wide smile. With his white beard, he looked like Santa dressed as a biker. It was rather funny.
— "What happened to your bike? " He asked the tall, black-haired man.
— "I’m a bodyguard tonight, " he joked.
I nodded, before knocking on the front door.
Casey opened the door, before taking me in his arms. Since my return from the warehouse, his behavior had changed. He was overly protective like my father was. It was probably a hereditary trait. When I thought about it, his mother was too. The three of them had this tendency to look after one another. One could say it was natural to behave like that, but it was a way of life for the Welsh and the members of their club.
The atmosphere was cosy, and the smell of fried chicken came to my nose. I walked to the living room, where I found Mona and Jerry joking with Foxy and Hanger.
— "Hey, here is my beautiful girl! " My father said when he saw me.
He put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a kiss on the forehead. Mona greeted me warmly, and I just smiled at the other members of the club, who replied by a simple « Hi, Joe.»
Lazar and Ash had followed me into the living room, and my father slapped the hand of the first man, while he smacked the leather jacket of the second one.
— "Everyone is here, " he said joyfully, after looking around the room.
My companions kissed the hostess, while I looked at them with an amused smile on my face. Jerry left me for a few minutes, before returning with glasses of Champagne. Casey took care of the music by playing Christmas carols. When everyone had a drink, the leader of the Wild Crows raised his and gave a toast:
— "To our Christmas dinner. We are
so lucky to be together and share this moment. To the clan, our family. This is what I call happiness. "
His speech was simple but touching. We cheered happily to our friendship. Mona brought many trays, filled with antipasti, while we were chatting in the living room. I gave her a hand, but my brother tried to beat me to it. I gave him a stink eye, and he laughed. Then, I decided to sit on one of the arms of the sofa. It wasn’t very comfortable, but still better than standing up. Next, to me, Lazar and Ash were talking about their last drunken night at the Devil’s, like two brats. I turned my attention to my father, who was sitting in an old armchair, looking like a king. Casey, who was sitting on one of the sofas with Mona and Foxy, joked about his father and his chair, making a funny comparison of their age and the quality of the leather. His remark started an argument, followed by the same anecdotes they shared at each gathering of the club.
Then, we got all entertained by the wildest stories. I learned that our dear Foxy, who was nicknamed “the trigger” by his brothers in arms — but not for his performances on the shooting range—, had woken up on a Monday morning, completely naked in the restroom, at the Devil’s. The cleaning woman, recently hired by my father, had found him, and she had made a point to throw him out of there! His brothers had taken some photos, while he was asleep and had decided it would be hilarious to let him sleep it off, in the bathroom. I laughed out loud.
— "I hadn’t thought to have a look around, before closing. I was so tired, " Mona said laughing.
The red-haired man blushed. It was touching. He didn’t deny the story, and even confirmed it really happened. Then, he got his revenge by telling everyone Carole had left that night, looking upset, after an encounter Ash. I didn’t understand right away, but I knew who they were talking about, thanks to Jenna. She was the sweetie who had a crush on him. What did this idiot do to her? I shot him a quick glance, but he was hiding his face behind his hand. That wasn’t like him! Still laughing, Foxy told us she had come from backstage, looking furious. I asked my friend, but he refused to answer me. He looked amused, with a little touch of shame. Then, Lazar came to his rescue, telling us his friend was not responsible, but the sweetie was. She had played and lost. Ash seemed to gain confidence and straightened up, as he thanked his loyal partner.
— "So, tell us about the game…" Mona said. "What did you do to this poor girl? "
She sounded like a mother who was scolding her child, and I was anxious to hear to story. Casey told us.
— "Carole had bet a hundred bucks that she would convince Ash to make a sex tape! "
I swallowed hard when I heard the story, and I was speechless. Everything seemed to be sex-related in that bar. It was crazy! I wasn’t born yesterday, but it was challenging to keep up with them and their lifestyle.
— "Ash doesn’t like cameras, " Hanger screamed from the chair next to Mona.
Torn between the electric atmosphere and my struggle to accept their way of life, I laughed. It just felt good to be part of their group. When I looked at my friend, sitting next to me, he avoided my eyes and bit his lip.
Then, Mona clapped, so everyone would listen to her.
— "Time to eat, bad boys! "
Her motherly tone was comforting, even if it was bossy too. She was the woman who was always there to heal the wounds that were too deep, and her presence was enough to reassure these boys.
Lazar, the bad kid, asked her to wait five minutes, so he could go out and smoke a cigarette. She pretended to think about it, before agreeing with a patient smile. Ash followed him, and they got out of the living room. I decided to help my mother-in-law in the kitchen, but I was so clumsy I almost dropped the tray with the stuffed turkey. Hanger, who was walking by, came to my rescue and made fun of me. I retreated outside, thinking it would do me good to breathe some fresh air.
I put my leather jacket on, and opened the front door. When I stepped outside, I heard two male voices. I saw Ash and Lazar on a wooden swing chair.
— "Nice couple! " I teased them.
The Santa look-alike man put an arm around his friend’s shoulders, and they looked at each other tenderly to make me laugh. It worked.
Then they broke their embrace. Lazar sat a bit further, leaving a place between them. Then he touched the wooden surface to invite me to join them. I hesitated a second, before sitting between the two unpredictable bikers. Their eyes were fixed on me, while I looked away. Feeling observed, I looked down at my boots.
— "Tell me, Joe. What do you think of this town? " Lazar asked.
I was not comfortable, being so close to them. I was destabilized, and they seemed to enjoy it. Ash was relaxed, which helped me talk to his friend, whom I hardly knew.
— "I’m getting used to it. The town is nice and quiet. "
— "Yeah… if you don’t mention the club’s activities, " Lazar said, laughing.
— "Of course, " I replied.
— "But it’s not every day, thank god. We have time to enjoy moments like these. "
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with some fresh air. We kept silent, watching the stars. Then Lazar stood up, which destabilized the swing chair, so I moved to his spot. The tall white-haired biker stretched like a cat and told us he was hungry. It was time to get back inside and have dinner. We didn’t say a word.
I looked at my friend, who was so elegant in his navy shirt. It made his deep blue eyes stand out, and I reflected on how a piece of fabric could change a man. It was unbelievable.
— "I told your father I came with you, so you wouldn’t drive alone at night. I think he was relieved because the Devil’s is closed. "
I nodded.
— "He’s a super dad. "
— "Yeah, you can say that. "
— "And a great bodyguard, " I added.
He gave me a broad smile, which made me feel happy.
I heard someone screaming, « Dinner’s ready! », before a door was slammed. I recognized Lazar’s voice. We stood up at the same time. As Ash was about to walk through the door, a strange feeling filled my heart. Suddenly, I felt all the magic of Christmas eve and its traditions. I was not a fan, but on that night, it was different. We were all children, finding gifts under the lighted tree, listening to Christmas carols and enjoying the snow. I stopped my friend by grabbing his wrist. He turned toward me with a surprised look on his face. I didn’t say a word and looked at him for a long time. It wasn’t awkward.
Mischievously, I went on my tiptoes, smiling. Then I did something totally unexpected. My lips touched his softly. I closed my eyes and let out a small laugh, as my heels touched the ground again. Ash seemed baffled. I laughed louder, acting like a little girl out of control! My cheerfulness was intriguing to him, and I saw a smile pass on his lips, but he kept silent.
— "We’re waiting for you! " A voice screamed at us.
I turned around and saw Lazar. He was frowning suspiciously.
— "What are you doing you two? "
Ash’s face fell, and I laughed out loud, looking away.
— "Mistletoe, " I said cheerfully.
The tall guy had to think it through, for a few seconds, before it hit him.
— "Oh, and how about me? "
I laughed more, but Ash seemed shocked. I found it somewhat sweet.
— "Just mistletoe! " I repeated to help him relax.
He didn’t seem to understand.
— "Seriously, Ash. You’ve never heard of eggnog and now that? Have you ever celebrated Christmas? "
Obviously offended, he shrugged.
— "Not like that. "
— "People kiss under the mistletoe. It’s a tradition, that’s all, " I told him putting a reassuring hand on his forearm. "You can breathe! "
His confusion touched me. The man was living in a totally different world. I didn’t know much about his past, but I figured it was uncommon…
Finally, we entered the house. Everyone was waiting for us to start. Three seats were free, and I sat between Mona
and Lazar. Ash ended up at the end of the table.
It was a feast, and they all shared jokes and memories, that were funny and sometimes sweet. At the end of the evening, Casey wanted to perform what he called his greatest talent, by singing a song by Johnny Cash. His high-pitched voice was so different from the singer’s that everyone laughed. His mother was the only one to look at him proudly. Casey was her only son, and she treated him as a baby, even if he was 22 years old. Wine had been served continuously, stomachs were full, and everyone had a good time. Lazar was right: these moments of shared happiness were precious. Instinctively, I knew it. The life I had chosen because I loved my father and his family wouldn’t always be so peaceful. I had gone through hell, and sooner or later, the club would go down another dangerous path. Therefore, I had to enjoy these smiles and make the most of these joyful moments that would stay in my mind forever. Maybe it was the right thing to do, and they would prove helpful in times of need. They would give me strength and hope.
Wild Crows - 2. Revelation : english version Page 10