by Colbie Kay
"Lucas..." She breathes my name in nothing more than a whisper.
Unwanted tears begin trailing down my cheeks. I feel like a fuckin’ pussy. I don’t ever cry, but I can’t keep my emotions at bay. "Not even my brothers know the extent of what happened to me except for two. I'm fuckin' broken inside. I never thought I could feel anything, but the day you came back into my life, it was like seeing you for the first time all over again."
"I’m sorry, Lucas. I’m sorry that happened to you.” She wipes her own tears away. “I just...I don't know what to say."
Turning my back on her, I tell her, "Go back to work."
She continues standing there for a moment. I can feel her eyes on me. Finally, she walks away. I hear her footfalls drifting further away.
Running my hands over my face to wipe away my tears, I head inside. I grab the letter from the table and take it to Dancer at the bar counter. "Make sure she gets this." Dancer takes the paper from my hand, then I stomp out of the club and straddle my Harley. I need some time to deal with everything.
Hacker is standing by the door as I enter the club. “Come to my office.” He leads the way, and, I’m scared, he’s going to fire me. “Sit,” He demands.
“I’m sorry.” A new set of tears want to come forth, but I try blinking them away.
“It’s not your fault, Jorga.” He sits down in his chair while I take one in front of his desk. “He’s been through a lot.”
I nod. “I know. He just told me everything.”
Hacker’s eyes widen for a second. “He did?”
I nod again. “Are you going to fire me?”
He chuckles. “No. I’ve done worse to men in this club because of my Ol’ Lady. The customers who come here to spend their money know who I am. It’s their choice to be stupid or not. If they choose wrong, well, that’s on them, but it ain’t hurtin’ my business any. Tink did what he did because he cares about you.”
“I know, but the stuff before tonight…”
He leans back in his chair. “I know about the patch party, and I’ll tell you all of us have fucked our fair share of those whores. It doesn’t mean a goddamn thing, however, what does matter is what’s between you two. Is it really worth letting go?”
My eyes meet his. “I don’t know. I thought I loved him.”
He grins. “There’s no thinking about it, Jorga, you either do or you don’t, but if you didn’t, then why are you upset?”
The door opens, and Dancer enters. “Jorga, Tink left this for you.” She hands me a folded-up piece of paper.
I sit quietly, reading every word. Drops of water hit the page, and by the end, I’m sobbing uncontrollably.
“Take the rest of the night off. I’ll have a prospect follow you home,” Hacker informs me.
“I’m sorry,” I cry.
“Pull yourself together, girl, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He picks up his phone and makes the call.
The prospect waits for me on his bike as I stroll to my car. There’s a manila envelope under my wiper. “Damn it.” My pulse races as my eyes scan the area around me. I slide into the driver’s side of my car, and before starting it, I open the envelope. It’s filled with pictures. My hand flies to my mouth as I look at each one. Some are of me and Dancer, me and Lucas, some are of only me, our house…I try to shake the unease by putting the pictures back in the envelope and shoving it into my glove box with the pile of notes I’ve received. My fear is not going to win. I take a deep breath and start my car. As long as I have people with me at all times, I’ll be safe. Right?
“Look at him over there sulking, Jorga,” Dancer pouts as I stand next to her at the bar counter. “He’s been sleeping in that tent for the last two weeks. How long are you going to make him suffer?”
“I don’t know. What he did hurt me to the core, Dancer. What if I forgive him and he does it again?”
Her head turns in my direction, understanding written on her features. “That won’t happen.”
My quirk my eyebrow. “How can you be so sure?”
She smiles. “Because he finally confessed his love for you.” She points her finger at me. “And those guys don’t take those words lightly. He wouldn’t say it if he didn’t really mean it. Plus, he wrote you that love letter, and he’s living in a tent for you, Jorga, in our front yard.”
I tilt my head side to side. “That’s true, but how would it even work though? I mean neither of us can be touched.”
“Do you love him, Jorga?” She asks like it’s simple and easy. If the answer is yes, then all is solved.
“I thought I did, but he kind of proved that my whole bad boy obsession is really bad for me.” I already knew that because, hello? Nathan and Rex. But I still fell for Lucas.
“In his defense, both of you weren’t exactly making your feelings known, therefore, you weren’t together, but he is definitely a bad boy. All the Sinners are, but they fuck up, they’re human. I will say this, once you’re his, that’s it. No other woman will even exist. It’s the way they are. Take Sierra and Hacker for example. You see how they are together?”
“Yeah.”
“It wasn’t always like that. He hated her. I mean absolutely hated her and was so mean and disrespectful, but they worked out their issues and look at where they are now.”
“Why are you on the Tink train all of a sudden?”
She sighs. “Because I truly believe he is sorry and regrets it. Look at him. He looks miserable over there in the corner.”
My eyes drift to Lucas sitting alone in the corner with his head resting on the table. “He does, doesn’t he?” Leaving Dancer at the bar, I make a trip around the room, checking to see if anyone needs any drinks. I stop at his table. “Can we talk after my shift?”
He perks up. “Yeah.”
I nod once with a hint of a grin. “Okay.” I saunter away from his table and glance over my shoulder to see him smiling.
“I’m taking the trash out,” I tell Dancer, grabbing the full tied up bag. Picking it up, I carry it out the back door and over to the dumpster. I get an eerie feeling, but I try to ignore it as I throw the bag into the large bin.
“Hello, Jorga.”
I jump, and my body stiffens with terror, hearing Rex’s voice. Spinning to face him, I ask, “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in prison.” The hairs on my arms rise, and my heart begins beating wildly as fear consumes me.
“I got out on good behavior. I always told you, if you were a good girl, you would get rewarded.”
“You’ve been leaving all the notes and pictures?” My voice shakes as I try to speak while searching for an escape.
He stomps closer. “You were a bad girl, Jorga, a very bad girl.”
“I need to go back to work.” I try to step past him, but he pushes me back against the dumpster. A panic attack threatens to strangle me. “Rex, someone will come looking for me if I don’t get back in there.”
His nose touches my hair as he breathes in deeply. “You ruined my life, and yet, I still love you.”
I jerked my head away. “I’ve moved on. I don’t love you anymore.”
“He can’t have you.” He pulls a switchblade out of his pocket, the blade popping out. “I’ve seen you with him. You’re mine, Jorga. Not his.”
My body trembles. I try to stay calm. If I stay calm, then he’ll be calm. “Okay, Rex. You need to go. We can talk about this later.
His fist slams against the dumpster beside my head. I shriek and squeeze my eyes shut.
“No! You’re leaving with me now!” Rex roars.
“I can’t, I have to work.” My words come out as nothing more than a whisper. I’m so scared. I pray someone, anyone, will come to find me.
“You want all those men looking at you. Their filthy eyes watching your every move. They think you’re pretty, but you’re mine!” His breath hits my face. There’s no way I can break free when he’s caging me in. I could try fighting, but he has his blade running down my cheek, moving it up to m
y forehead. “No one’s going to want you anymore,” He says tauntingly. Before I know what’s happening, it slices down my face.
“Ahhh!” I scream out in pain. “Please stop!” I beg and plead as I try to cover my face with my hands. The blade cuts through the palms of my hands. I fall to the ground and Rex goes with me. His heavy body sits on top of me. The blade jabs into my shoulder then my chest and my stomach. I feel my blood seeping from my body. I keep trying to defend myself, but I’m losing the battle. My chest heaves with my labored breathing. “Rex!” I scream one last time before I fall into a darkness I am not certain I will escape.
My gut twists with worry as I race up to the bar counter. "Dancer, where's Jorga?"
She glances around the room before meeting my concerned gaze. "She took the trash out, but she should have been back by now."
I run out the back door with Dancer following close behind. As the dumpster comes into view, I notice a dark figure, much larger than Jorga, on the ground hovering over something or someone. My footfalls slow down as I approach the scene. A bad feeling settles over me, and I pull my gun out of the holster at my side, turning the safety off. My eyes grow large when I can make out Jorga’s face. She’s lying there straddled by this lunatic. His arm rears back and pushes forward over and over. She’s bleeding out and unconscious as this man continues to stab her.
I aim my gun on the back of his head, and I know I have a clear shot. He is so entranced by the vicious act, he hasn’t realized anyone is behind him. Without a second thought, I pull the trigger, the loud bang echoing around us. His blood sprays out as he falls over, dead from a single gunshot wound. He deserved much more, but there was no time.
"Oh my God! Jorga!" Dancer screams.
I holler, "Call 9-1-1 now!" I run over to Jorga as Dancer rushes back inside the club. Dropping to my knees, I shove his body off her, not caring about anything else and pull her limp body into my arms to hold her close. Checking for a pulse, I feel a tiny bit of relief when I find one. She’s still alive. "Jorga, don't you dare fuckin' leave me." A tear trails down my cheek then another as I roar into the night air.
Minutes pass as I continue to rock Jorga in my arms, waiting for the ambulance. Hacker asks as he approaches with Dancer. "Fuck! Does she have a pulse?"
"Yes, but it's faint. Where’s the goddamn ambulance?" I lift my eyes searching the road, but all I see are cars in the parking lot, hightailing it out of here.
“I’m on the phone with 9-1-1. The operator says they’re on their way,” Dancer announces, her voice trembling.
Through my blurry vision, I meet Hacker’s eyes. "I killed him."
He nods. "I'll call Hanger and tell him we need Jenkins. Who the fuck is he?"
I shake my head. "I don't know." The faint sound of sirens grows closer. Finally!
Once the paramedics arrive everything becomes a blur as they put her on the stretcher, using words I don’t comprehend and pushing needles into her arm. I don’t understand anything that’s going on. I’m reeling, and my emotions are drowning me. I jump into the back of the ambulance with her, and we raced to the hospital.
“Lucas?" Renee quietly says my name when her and Jorga’s dad, Chad, enter the waiting room. My red puffy eyes match theirs. “Dancer called us.”
"She's in surgery," I state, but they’ve probably already been told.
“What happened?” She sits next to me and touches my shoulder.
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I was watching her in the club, and I knew she had stepped out the backdoor, but she was gone longer than she should have been, and I got worried. By the time I got out there he was already stabbing her.”
Renee probes, “Do you know who?”
“No.”
“Why was she at the club?”
Before I have a chance to answer, my brothers and their Ol’ ladies begin piling into the room with us. Each of them touches my shoulder, giving us words of encouragement, trying to reassure us that Jorga is going to pull through. I’m thankful that they are here to show their love and support for me and Jorga when they barely know her.
Chad quietly mumbles to Renee, "Why are all these motorcycle guys here?"
"That's not important right now," She murmurs back.
"Renee," He says her name as a warning.
She sighs. "Because they have been watching over our daughter. Lucas mainly."
"They what?" His voice rises then falls. "Why would you keep that from me?" He glances around her. “Lucas, you’re part of this motorcycle club?”
I nod without replying.
She hisses, "Because it's what Jorga wanted. I wanted our daughter to live again." She begins to sob.
The door opens, and Sheriff Jenkins steps in the crowded room. "Mr. and Mrs. Lankford?"
They stand from their chairs. "Yes?"
"Are you familiar with the name Rex Michaels?"
They both stare at Jenkins and Renee covers her mouth. Chad’s brows pull down into a tight frown, confusion written all over his face. "He's in prison."
"I'm afraid not. He's the man who was found on scene, the one who attacked her. I checked the database, and he was released a few months ago on good behavior."
“He was released?” Renee shrieks.
Chad’s face turns bright red. “They released him, and he came back to kill her.”
Jenkins’ shoulders sag. “I’m afraid so, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. I’m sorry for what you are going through.” His eyes drift over to me. "Come into the hall with me, Tink."
Standing, I follow him.
As soon as we’re alone, he states, "You saved that girl’s life, son. Killing him was justified, therefore, you have nothing to worry about.” He pats my arm. “I hope she pulls through.”
My worried gaze bores into his. "She'll survive. Jorga is a fighter, she's strong. She can’t leave me." I abandon him to return to the waiting room and take my seat once again. My eyes wander to her parents. "Who is Rex?"
Chad answers, "He was her college boyfriend. They dated for about three years. She ended it with him, but he couldn’t let her go. One night, when she had been at the library studying all day, she entered her apartment, and he was there waiting in the dark. She tried to get away, but he caught her. He beat her until she was almost dead. She came home after that, but she was never the same. She was so scared of everything. Lately, we thought her life was finally getting back on track, and he tries to kill her again.” He takes Renee’s hand in his and squeezes gently. “What’s this going to do to her?”
No one has the answer to that except Jorga, but I’m going to try my best to help her not live in fear anymore. Together we will overcome this.
The doctor enters the waiting room. “Family of Jorga Lankford?”
I stand along with her parents. “The surgery went well. Due to internal bleeding, she had to have a hysterectomy. She had a total of fifteen stab wounds that we have stitched and stapled. She is in recovery now. The scar on her face didn’t do any damage to her eye that we know of. She will need to see an ophthalmologist to be sure.”
Renee asks, "Can we see her?"
"Once we have her in a room, I will send the nurse to come and get you.”
Chad wraps his arm around Renee’s shoulders as they visibly deflate, relieved their daughter survived. “Thank you, Doctor,” Jorga’s father whispers.
I stand frozen with my hands covering my mouth as the shot rings out. “Oh my God! Jorga!” I scream as tears fall. There’s so much blood, and she’s not moving.
“Call 9-1-1!” Tink yells at me.
In a full sprint, I race back inside. “Hacker?” I scream as I barrel inside his office. “Get everyone out of here!”
He jumps from his desk chair. “What? Why?”
My hands shake uncontrollably as I grab the cordless bar phone off his desk. I dial the three numbers. “Jorga, she’s unconscious, blood, so much blood. Tink killed somebody.” I can’t even comprehend what’s happening.
&
nbsp; He quickly strides out of his office, and the music cuts off. “Club’s closing. Get the fuck out!” His voice booms over the commotion.
“9-1-1. What’s your emergency?” The dispatcher inquires.
“My roommate! We’re at work! Something’s happened to her outside! There’s blood!” I sound hysterical and loud, but I couldn’t care less.
“What’s your location?”
“Stilettos. Oh my God! We need an ambulance!” I rattle off the address and begin pacing frantically.
“They are on their way. Stay on the phone with me until they get there.”
Hacker returns to his office and I follow him back out to the dumpster.
“Where’s the ambulance?” Tink asks, searching for any sign of flashing lights.
“Does your roommate have a pulse?” The operator questions calmly.
“Yes, but it’s faint,” I repeat what I heard Tink say. Finally, in the distance, sirens can be heard as they draw near, not only from the ambulance but police cars as well. “They’re here.” I hang up with the dispatcher.
The paramedics quickly begin working on Jorga and getting her on the stretcher. Tink jumps into the back with her, and they speed away.
When the ambulance drives away, the police begin to investigate. They tape off the dumpster as a crime scene and Sheriff Jenkins comes to speak to me after several minutes. “Are you the one who called 9-1-1?”
“Yes.” I nod. “Jorga is my roommate.”
He writes down what I tell him in his little notebook. “We found the perpetrator’s wallet. Does the name Rex Michaels mean anything to you? Have you heard Jorga ever mention him?”
I shake my head. “No, Jorga hasn’t lived with me long, and she’s kind of closed off about stuff.”
“Do you know of any reason he would want to hurt her?”