by Jess Winters
She finished with cleanup and headed for the kitchen, where she knew she’d be able to sneak out the back. She remained silent as she passed them, trying to avoid any unnecessary attention.
“Want to go out for a drink tonight?”
Athena turned to Justine and shook her head. “I’ve got things to do tomorrow, but thanks for the invite.”
“Told ya,” Justine said, placing a shot in front of Gabriel. “Won’t happen. De nada.”
“See you later, Athena.”
She gave him a slow wave and escaped into the kitchen. She tried not to think of his perfect jawline, those thick muscles, and his warm smile. The worst part was how kind he’d been about her slipping away from him the other night.
She just had to let it all go.
6. Gabriel
He couldn’t get her off his mind. It was like she’d overtaken every thought throughout the day. Even in front of Joe, he was unable to get that damned waitress out of his head.
What was it about her that made him crave her? It was just a makeout session. It’s not like she was the best lay of his life.
Still, she was like a spectre throughout the day. He’d see something and automatically be reminded of her. If he saw someone pass him with auburn hair, he almost wanted to stop the person to check and see if she was the one walking by.
It was something of an obsession.
“You look like shit dude,” Shorty said, gathering the last of the packages from the truck. “You doing drugs, or something?”
Something of the sort. She was, after all, a type of drug to him. Physically, anyway.
“Nah,” Gabriel replied, hauling the motorcycle wheels onto the lift. “Just been thinking a bit, I guess. Have a lot on my mind.”
“Could it be that hot chick that works at the steakhouse?”
“How the hell do you know about her?”
“Well, y’know how it is, man. People talk.”
“Do they now? And who was it that told you this information?”
“I dunno, man. It was one of the guys,” he said, and placed a box on top of the tires. “It’s no big deal.”
He pulled at the sleeves of his leather jacket and looked Shorty dead in the eye. “I don’t need anyone gossiping about what I’m doing outside of here, all right? Make sure you don’t spread it around.”
Shorty lowered his eyes. “Sure, man. No biggie.”
The last thing Gabriel needed were wandering eyes. Joe wasn’t exactly known for his hospitality when it came to the women they dated. He was careful to make sure no secrets were spread about their operation.
Girls were welcome to visit the den, but they were not welcome to sniff around. If she got too close to what they were doing it would only lead to danger. And danger often meant someone was going to get hurt.
7. Athena
“You know that you’re committing a crime, right?”
Gabriel leaned against his bike and crossed his arms. “Just seeing if you needed a ride home. What kind of crime is that?”
“Stalking. What you’re really doing here is stalking me.”
She brought her purse further as the wind passed through her sweater. It wasn’t the kind of weather that she’d want to ride on a motorcycle - it was way too cold.
“Stalking?” he asked, and laughed. “So, you’re going to tell me that you’re going to walk home?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “No. I’m going to take a cab.”
“Oh? Where is it?”
“It’s on it’s way,” she lied, and peered around the parking lot, which was devoid of other vehicles. “It should be here soon.”
“Justine told me you always walk home.”
Damn it. Did Justine really have to tell him everything?
“Well, maybe I made an exception today.”
Gabriel put his back to her and lifted up the seat of his bike, where he had a small compartment for storage. There, he lifted out his spare helmet and turned around and held it in the space between them. “Why don’t you just let me give you a ride home?”
“I don’t really think it’s a good idea.”
“C’mon,” he said, lifting the helmet higher. “Are you afraid to get on a motorcycle? If you are, that’s okay.”
She laughed. “Me? Afraid to get on a motorcycle?”
Athena couldn’t even count the number of times she’d been on the back of a bike. In fact, she’d even had the opportunity to ride one herself, with James hovering over her like a worried mom.
“I’m going to guess that you’ve been on the back of a motorcycle before.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
He took a step closer to her. “So, what’s the problem, then?”
She kicked the ground with her foot. Gabriel just didn’t know when to stop, and it was clear he was on a mission to win her over. “Nothing. Fine, you can give me a ride home.”
He handed her the helmet with a smile on his face. “Not just yet. Let’s go somewhere first.”
“Where?”
He shrugged casually. “Just a place I know. It’s kind of an intimate bar.”
She brushed past him and hopped on the bike. “Fine. Just one stop, though.”
“All right. Just one. Promise.”
Every muscle was tense as he turned into the empty parking lot. She could feel every movement beneath her hands as the motorcycle came to a stop. He was warm, and she kept imagining just how those muscles would look without a top and leather jacket on.
He took off his helmet and turned to face her. “This is the place.”
She looked over the building, which looked more like a warehouse. Athena had been to these kinds of places before. In fact, she was accustomed to them, and she couldn’t believe he’d bring her to this kind of place so soon.
She was at their base of operations. Whatever motorcycle gang he was a part of, this was where they got all their work done. James had corralled her along to each place that The Spades had owned, showing her off as though she was a trophy he’d earned for a job well done.
Her stomach knotted at the thought of him, and that the thought of being at another one of these. She always seemed to attract this type of thing. It seemed no matter how hard she ran, it would always follow her.
He led her towards the building and winked at her as they reached the door. “Now, this place is pretty special. When I first learned to ride bikes, I wanted to get in with a group right away.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
“I don’t know. I guess I thought they were badass when I was younger.”
He kept his hand on the door and she watched as his hair fell in front of his eyes, as though masking the softer part of him. What he was saying was important to him, and she figured he hadn’t told many people before her.
“Anyways, this place is like my home away from home,” he told her, smiling to himself. “I come here to get away from the real world and back to my roots. It’s important to me, so I wanted to show you it.”
“Well, thank you for bringing me.”
“No problem,” he said and opened the door for her. “After you.”
The entire place was as dark as an alcove. She could smell the faint scent of cigarettes as she entered, and Gabriel turned on the light switch behind her. The lights flickered on slowly, one at a time. The lights were dim and barely offered a proper view of the room.
What she could see was all dark wood booths and a short bar at the end of the room, alongside a hallway that led towards a back room. She stepped inside, and was surprised not to see anyone lingering about. She could see a few tall beer fridges, each one showcasing a huge amount of different beers with their logos perfectly organized together and front-facing so that they could be read.
“Is this a bar? I’ve never seen one like this.”
“Kind of is. We call it the den,” he said, and brushed past her. “And one like what?”
She caught her words and realized she’d given info
rmation away. There was no way she could tell him about her past. Just admitting that she’d been to more than one home base for a motorcycle gang was enough to send up red flags.
“Oh, just a personally owned bar like this. So, it’s just a place where you guys hang out?”
“Yeah. Had some pretty wild nights here.”
“Really, now? Feel like telling me any stories?”
“Maybe after we’ve had a drink,” he said, and made his way around the bar. “Why don’t you take a seat in one of those stools, and I’ll be your own personal bartender.”
She browsed the memorabilia in the place, recognizing a few vintage harley davidson signs along the walls. “How chivalrous of you.”
“Any beer you prefer?”
She squinted her eyes at the beers and pointed to one at the end as she took a seat at the bar. “I’ll take that pilsner at the end.”
He opened the beer fridge, which released a wave of cool air into the room. “This one?”
“Yeah. Have you tried it before?”
“I’m not a huge fan of pilsners,” he said, and opened the beer for her. “I’m more a lager guy.”
She waited for him to use the bottle opened to open his own beer, and then lifted hers for them to cheers. There was no point in fighting the fact that they were hanging out together. All she could do was have a drink and be grateful that there was no one else around to hassle them.
The clink of her can and his bottle resonated inside the den. There was a part of her that felt nostalgic for the lifestyle, and the people she’d once surrounded herself with. James was a terrible person - there was no doubt about that.
But there were good people that were apart of The Spades too.
She’d managed to make friends and have people around her that she could rely on during the time that she was with him. There was a sense of brotherhood, protection and community that surrounded her at that time. Being alone in a new town was wearing her thin, and being there with Gabriel was causing a sense of homesickness to sweep over her.
“You all right?”
She took a sip of her beer and shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. Just missing home, I guess.”
“Where is home, anyway? Honestly, and this isn’t meant to force you to tell me,” he said, walking around the bar. “But I don’t really know shit about you. You don’t really talk about yourself.”
She wanted to tell him it was out of habit, but decided to hold her tongue. There was no reason to tell him anything, as it would only cause one of two things - getting the police called on her, or pure disgust.
No way around it.
“It’s North of here. And no, I don’t talk about myself much. More of a listener, I guess.”
“What else are you good at?”
She bit her lip. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
He brought his hand onto hers and placed her feet down onto the bar. He caressed her arm, bringing his fingers closer to her neck, where he held it and brought himself closer to her. Each breath deepened as he gently brought his lips to her neck.
She let out a soft breath, feeling his muscles tense as he grabbed her neck harder, pulling her head back. His weight against her caused her to press into him, wanting him to touch her more. She turned her head towards him, bringing her lips to his. That same fire burned in her stomach, craving more of him.
She lifted herself onto his lap, feeling him growing hard beneath her. She moaned softly into his mouth as he gripped her breast through her shirt. She thrusted harder against him, feeling his warmth through the pants.
He kissed her harder, and lifted her up onto the bar, spreading her legs and forcing himself against her. He grabbed her ass, his fingers like a vice as she moaned. She could feel the desperation growing inside her stomach as she was brought closer to him.
She opened her eyes, and her mouth opened wide, as though trying to scream.
She brought her legs together, trying to stand up from the bar. “Oh my god.”
“Sorry,” said the man, squinting at them as he dropped his cigarette to the ground. “Shit. Don’t let me interrupt you.”
Gabriel nearly dropped her from his legs as he stood up. “Joe. What’re you doing here?”
“It’s our place. Figured we could come and go as we pleased,” he said, and brought his eyes to Athena’s. There was something about his expression that caused her skin to crawl - he was the same kind of monster as James. “Have we met before?”
He did look familiar, but she had no idea where she’d seen him before. She felt like prey as his eyes lowered towards her chest and legs. She shook her head, too embarrassed to say anything.
“Could’ve sworn I’d met you before, but hey, I meet a lot of people. I’m Joe, and this here is my place,” he said, and brought his foot down onto the cigarette. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“You too.”
Gabriel placed his hand across Athena’s hip, shifting her so that she was standing behind him. “We were just on our way out. I’ll see you later?”
“Sounds good, Gabriel. Drive safe.”
Gabriel nudged her side, signalling for her to move. He knew that what they’d done was wrong. It was their base of operations, and usually it wasn’t supposed to be kept under lock and key.
From what Athena could remember, they were a welcoming place for members to bring the girls they were dating. It was clear from his expression, though, that there was something off about that man, Joe.
She exhaled as they neared the doors.
“I’m just going to give you a ride home now. Don’t mention to anyone what happened here tonight.”
“Thanks,” she said, and let the silence envelop them.
There was no way she was going to say anything to anyone. She’d seen what happened to people who talked about things related to their brothers.
8. Gabriel
“That woman you’ve been traipsing around with is bad news, Gabe. I want you to bring her here so that we can barter with The Spades. We don’t need them coming around in our territory and causing problems.”
Gabriel’s heart sank in his chest as Joe lit another cigarette. His eyes were cold and domineering, and his voice was low. Joe was serious - Athena had to go.
“Isn’t there something else we can do, Joe? It doesn’t feel right to do that to her.”
“Why?” Joe asked, and sat up in the booth. “Because you fucked her? That doesn't mean shit when it comes to the brotherhood, Gabe.”
“Handing her over like that, though? Since when did we do things that way?”
“No much choice to be-” he coughed, and ashed his cigarette, “had there. She’s wanted by The Spades, so they’ll get her. I’m not going to fight them over someone like her. Do you even know what she did?”
Gabriel took a step back. “I know it can’t be so bad as to give her to them. I mean, do we even know what they’ll do to her?”
“She shot their leader, Gabe. Right in the chest, and then left him for dead.”
“You’re joking,” he said, glancing away from him. “She wouldn’t do something like that.”
“How can you be so sure? Did she tell you anything about her past?”
Gabriel fell silent, not knowing what to say. Was it true? Joe never said anything without considering his words first. Years of their lifestyle had made him a weary man.
If he said she was bad news, he had no choice but to believe it.
“She’ll be apprehensive if I bring her here again,” he said through gritted teeth. “She was already nervous enough the first time.”
“Didn’t help that she saw ol’ me here, too. But it is what it is, Gabe. You gotta make a choice, and I know you’ll make the right choice here.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“You give me the date, Gabriel, and I’ll let The Spades know. They deserve to know.”
9. Athena
He seemed unsure, and that frightened her. What could be the issue? He was not the t
ype of guy to fidget with anything. He was built like a brick wall, so he had no reason to fear anyone.
So why did he look so scared?
She finished up with her last table and brought the check back to the bar as the couple put on their jackets. Athena tried to keep her eyes on Justine, who didn’t say a word. Despite this, she could tell that there was tension in the room. She knew that it was unusual for him to be acting that way, too.
She neared his table, noting how his fidgeting got worse with every step she made towards him. “Hey,” she whispered, and took a seat at his table. “Is everything okay? You’re freaking me and Justine out.”
“Listen. I need you to come with me tonight.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. It’s just that Joe wants to talk to you at the den. He just wants to ask you a few questions, you know, since we’re kind of seeing each other.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh my god. I was so worried. Is that it?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice wavering. “It’s just that Joe is not the kind of man to trifle with, that’s all. Nothing you need to worry about, though. I’ve got a handle on things.”
10. Gabriel
The room was tense. Athena was sitting in the chair silently, as though she’d already accepted her fate. It was only a matter of time until they showed up. The silence weighed on Gabriel’s shoulders, and her stoic expression wasn’t helping.
She hadn’t even fought it.
“Should be any minute now,” Joe said and, for the first time in a while, got up from his booth. He was silent as he strode past Athena. “You’re doing the right thing, kid.”
Gabriel glanced at Joe, who was old and rugged. He reminded him of old leather, suntanned and wrinkled, parched from years of riding in the sun with his helmet off. His buzzcut and sharp features gave him an even rougher look, which is something he often used to his advantage.
He forced down the words building up in the back of his throat, wanting to tell Joe to fuck off and grab Athena. He wanted to take her as far away as he could. She didn’t deserve this.