Escaping From Forever: Tank & Kat's story, Part 1 (Battle Born MC Book 5)

by Scarlett Black

  “Cowboy,” I call out and he backs up only to barely take his eyes off the two girls that are taking each other’s tops off.

  I nudge his shoulder and he turns around to face me. “See that girl over there?” He gives me a nod, and I pass him a stash of cash. “Go ask her to give you the Midnight Topaz special.”

  Cowboy bites his lip, and, before he can leave, I hold his shoulder, “Tell her she’s a beautiful girl too, and don’t forget your fucking manners.” I let go and he is off, making me chuckle.

  “I’m so happy. I feel proud of my boys, just look at this.” I spread my arms wide before me with the beer in my hand. “I’m such a good host,” I say to really anyone that would listen, because, aren’t they all hearing me anyway?

  Giggles and laughter fill the air for hours. I spend most of my time sitting next to that squirrely, mean bastard Spider. Nature hits me and I need to take a piss.

  I leave the crowded bar scene and walk into the bathroom, letting out an ooooohhhh when I release the keg of beer I drank. It is that serious of a piss.

  There’s a moan behind me and I comment in support, “I know, buddy, let it out.” Then, a giggle? What the hell.

  I tuck my big dick away, zip up and turn around only to see Topaz bent over against the wall in the handicap bathroom stall. Cowboy pulls out and it’s my cue to wash up and get out. The sounds of clothes being wrestled back on and murmurs of post fucking love making follow me all the way to the door.

  The same time I’m ready to exit, I hold the door open for Topaz to leave because I’m a gentleman and shit. Keeping one hand on the wide-open door, I direct her out with the other, and she smiles, “Thank you, Tank.”

  I step out after her and see Kat standing in the hallway, staring at us. I push forward and pin her against the wall.

  “Hey, baby, I’ve been waiting to get my hands on my K-Love again.” I say it with all the honesty I have in me. I’ve missed the fuck out of her. Even when I was drunk, she was on my mind.

  Kat’s eyes radiate pain and anger so fierce, it scares me a bit.

  “What happened?” I gently stroke her face and she rips out of my hold before she nails that big dick of mine with her knee, then takes off.

  “Wha-t just happ-ened,” I wheeze out, holding my stomach, crunched over.

  I shuffle back inside the bathroom to puke into the toilet and lay there until I pass out from the pain, or beer, or both.

  Fuckin’ love hurts.

  “Poke him harder,” the voice above me demands before a pointed object digs into my ribs.

  I roll over onto my side and cough on the cold concrete floor. “Toto, this isn’t the clubhouse, is it?”

  Laughter ensues and I crack an eye open to find Vegas and Blade staring me down while holding a broom. Vegas smiles and Blade looks less than pleased to inform me, “Spider said you never made it back to the club last night, but I didn’t think we would find you here.”

  I moan from the brutal body aches I have all over and pull my body up and off the floor to sit against the wall. “Kat kneed me in the balls, and I passed out drunk after I puked,” I explain as I’m rubbing the sleep from my eyes, then look up to see Blade still holding the broom and Vegas covering her mouth with one hand.

  Blade groans and leans forward, offering me his hand to help me up. “Meet us in the bar.”

  They leave and I take care of business again, then walk out of the… ladies’ room? Shit, I thought I crawled into the men’s room last night. Thank God for small blessings from the man above, because, drunken men. Need I say more?

  Walking out into the bar, I find the room crawling with brothers cleaning up from the night before, and now the broom makes so much more sense. I go straight to the bar and grab a cup of coffee and a donut before my interrogation in the office begins.

  Vegas is sitting in a chair in front of her desk and Blade is in the desk chair. My, how things have turned around. I plop my sluggish heavy body into a chair and look at my executioner with my best puppy eyes, just in case. I really don’t know if anything else happened last night that I don’t know about because I had to leave my own party early. A big toothy grin overcomes my face at some of the memories.

  “Wipe that smile off your face,” Blade glares at me. “The bar is trashed, asshole, and you’re staying until it’s all cleaned up. Now, why the hell were you on the floor in the women’s bathroom?”

  I sigh and take a sip of coffee, then take a bite out of my donut while I try to retrace my steps from the night before.

  “Sometime today, Tank.” Blade stops me from pulling the memory with his outburst at me. I hold up my finger and close my eyes. It finally all comes back into place like a puzzle and my eyes pop open with it.

  I look over to tell Vegas because she’s easier to talk to. It feels like a good cop, bad cop type of situation in here, and I would rather look at the good cop while I tell this story.

  When I’m done, it’s Vegas who has a big toothy grin this time, and I don’t dare a look over to Blade. It looks like he actually cracked a smile. “It was a good party, right? I don’t get why Kat was so mad at me?!”

  Blade shakes his head and slowly gives me the highlights of when Topaz ran her hand over my body and then us walking together out from the bathroom. And the final piece of that puzzle slams into place. “So, you’re saying she loves me?”

  “No one said anything about love, Tank,” Vegas reasons, and I deflate, however, it doesn’t mean that it’s not true. “But, it looks like after whatever you two had together, it hurt her. That’s a good start, if you can get her to believe you.”

  “I’m on it, no worries. She’s mine.” I take another sip of coffee and a bite out of my donut, not worried at all.

  “Also, consider not letting other women, especially strippers and sluts, touch you, if you claim she’s yours. Can men touch your woman?” Vegas raises a questioning brow.

  All I can think is that, no, hell to the fucking no. No one can touch my woman, and I need to make it up to her.

  Chapter 25

  Tank

  Well, those grand plans of redemption have been nearly impossible to execute. We buried one of our V.P.’s shortly after we patched Solo and Pawn in. Mad Max, who also happened to be Axl’s father, was from the Las Vegas chapter. Axl went AWOL after losing his dad, and the club has been putting out fires left and right.

  I, or anyone else for that matter, didn’t see that shit coming. Morale has been down, and Kat has been gone. I don’t know where, but I have a sinking feeling that Spider does, and I have a bargaining chip I think he’ll bite into.

  I find Spider at the clubhouse in his office, working, so I stroll in and shut the door. He rolls around, giving me his full attention.

  “You want information on Jazz, and I may know someone who knows someone over in Cali.”

  Jazz is the cute little tattoo artist that is cousins with Vegas and comes up here every so often. Spider has been seen sniffing around her.

  I wait for that to sync in. And since he doesn’t say anything, I know that I am right. He’s interested but doesn’t want to be.

  “I’ll trade information with you for help.”

  “You want to know what I know about Kat?”

  I nod at him and hope he bites. But now I have a feeling that he won’t when he calmly asks, “So, you met her in Las Vegas, right, and hooked up, then she took off without a trace?”

  “Yes, why do ask?”

  Spider sighs, “Brother, she’s not just Kat. She is more than I can tell you, but you don’t know the real her. Isn’t it odd that she lets you and everyone else call her a name you gave her? She hooked up with you in Las Vegas and now she’s here like ta-dah...”

  He gives me an exasperated look. “I know we’ve had our focus on all this other club shit, but it’s time to open those eyes.”

  “In other words, you aren’t going to tell me what you know yet, are you?”

  I won’t lie, it really bugs me that he doesn
’t want to share the information with me because we are brothers and we share everything, unless the club becomes the priority, in which case, she has importance that I don’t know about.

  I sit and think, and Spider turns back around while I mull over his words.

  Moments pass before I word vomit my thoughts out loud. “She never hooked up with me. I hooked up with her. In fact, I skated in when she was working on banging the bartender that night. Kat never hustled me, Spider.”

  A part of me feels angry at him for implying that she used me like that. “She took off like she fucked up, and, since then, she has been avoiding me, not trying to pry information from me.” This I know down to my core and no one can tell me otherwise. “But it says a lot about what you didn’t say, which is that she’s working for the club and that’s why you’re not telling me anything.”

  Who the fuck is this woman? My gut tells me that the answer may be my own hell, and that I better figure out if Kat is the woman for me, and fast. The answer to that is, fuck yeah, she is.

  I’m coming for you, baby.

  I take off from the clubhouse, on a mission to go find her and talk some sense into her for once. Somewhere where there isn’t booze or bitches hanging around.

  A smile creeps across my face as I think of the next person I can gather information from. The roar of my bike grabs the attention of the people standing around the parking lot. After parking, I go in search of the one person that I know without a doubt will help me.

  Tami is working behind the bar, cleaning and prepping for later tonight. “Hey, Tami, where is everyone?”

  She startles a bit, not having heard me walking into the bar, and waves, “Hey, Tank, Emilia just left to take Vegas some stuff and should be back soon. It’s just me for now. Why?”

  “I was going to talk with Vegas,” I sigh and settle onto the barstool in front of her.

  “Can I help you with something?” God, she’s sweet.

  “I guess so, I need to take some stuff over to Kat’s place, and I don’t have her phone number or address. It’ll have to wait I guess.” I get up from the stool and move to leave before my little helper stops me.

  “Hey, don’t you remember that I moved in with her? She gave me her phone number, too. Hold on a minute, I’ll send it and our address to you.” She shuffles around from behind the bar, taking her phone out of her back pocket and sending me a few texts with the information.

  I almost feel bad, but, nah, if Tami knew why, I’m sure she would be cool with it. I just don’t want Kat to see me coming.

  “Thanks, kid, I’ll be back a little later.” She gives me a shy wave in return, and I walk over to the Battle Born Tattoo to get to work.

  I prep the young woman’s hip and place a tattoo of flowers and a tiger to it with a stencil. She smiles down at me with hopeful eyes. Jesus, it’s going to be a long day, I can feel it. A beautiful woman wants my attention, and, just a month ago, I would have really considered it, but that’s changed. I need to figure this shit out with Kat, and soon. My dick has never been so trapped by one chick before.

  It takes me a long eight hours at the shop and my hand feels tight with the work load. We’ve been behind on our appointments, so Blade and I usually work extra hours to catch up since Axl is still gone down in Las Vegas, and we try to cover his customers too.

  For a moment, I entertain the thought of asking Blade out right about Kat, but, since Spider already shut me out, I don’t think he will budge either.

  Gathering my phone and shutting off the light, I see a shadow barely noticeable outside through the lights of the room next to mine. Pulling out my gun from my desk drawer, I creep slowly outside and around the building.

  I raise my hands, pointing the gun toward the shadow. With steady hands and light feet, I step quietly until I walk up behind the person slinking against the building.

  “Hello, wife.”

  Ever so slowly, Kat turns around and smiles at me before wiping the happy off her face. “Why are you sneaking up on me with a loaded gun?”

  “Why are you walking around and spying in the shadows?” I counter, then tuck the gun back behind my back. I really start wondering if I’ve been sleeping with the enemy all along. What kind of woman creeps around in the shadows like a damn psychopath?

  “I’m not your wife.”

  “I think you could be after our night in Vegas. I was wasted enough to not remember much the next day. I’m starting to believe that my wife drugged me that night and took advantage of me in more ways than one.”

  My head tilts to the side as I look over what she’s wearing. Full black clothing to hide in the shadows, but what for? Is she looking for something, or hiding from it?

  Arrogance covers her face, showing the mask of who she really is, the person she wants me to see. “No, Tank, we never made it to a chapel that night, a room only.”

  I step closer, caging her into the wall. “I don’t know who you are, Kat, or your real name, but you and I are going to talk this out, what’s between us.”

  Kat huffs at the words spoken. “There isn’t shit that needs to be worked out.” She goes to move, and I step in her way, placing a hand on the wall next to her shoulder.

  “I didn’t fuck around with any bitches, or Topaz, the night at the patch-in party. I took a piss and Cowboy was screwing her in the bathroom. Believe it or not, I’m not going to gravel at your feet for forgiveness, cupcake.”

  The woman glares at me and doesn’t say a word. Her eyes go back and forth, indecision, then resignation, dawning on them.

  I push back and cross my arms over my chest. “Life is a calculated risk, never a guarantee. Tell me your name. Who are you?”

  She shakes her head no. “No one knows my name, only a few, and there is a reason for it that I won’t share with anyone on this earth until I’m ready.”

  “You are going to need to trust someone eventually, Kat. These secrets that you hold close have an expiration date, all of them do.”

  I lean in close, my eyes capturing hers. “I want to see what this is between us, but I’m not waiting forever for you either. That has an expiration date, too.” I push off the wall and walk away, letting Kat go back to her spying or the recon she was doing in the shadows of the night.

  Everyone has ties to something or someone, and there are files of it at the clubhouse. She’s tied someway to Battle Born if she’s here.

  I’m crazy just enough to find out what it is and who she really is.

  Kat

  “You’re making shit worse by acting incognito, you know that, right?” Spider startles me as he steps out from behind the building on the opposite side.

  “You thought Tank was a stupid fucker and you could get away with a fuck and run. The man is the Road Captain for a reason.” Spider walks closer to me. “I know who you are, Black Widow. Blade does too for now, and it’s a matter of time before the entire club finds out the full extent of the problem we have.”

  “You were supposed to keep Tank busy so I could work,” I scowl back, my pride winning over the disappointment I have over my weakness for Tank.

  His maniacal chuckle fills the air. “He’s been busy because the club kept him that way. Tank’s right, you’re going to drown in your secrets soon. Make a choice if you are going to work with us or hold on to them. Eventually, they will look like lies.”

  Spider steps a little closer and drills me with a look I’ve seen on many faces before him, death. “I will protect my family from you if it comes to that. Don’t keep demanding secret meetings from me. Here on out, you will meet me on my terms and start helping if you want the fuck out alive, for now.”

  My damn pride and my past I hold so close make me choke on doubt. Trusting this MC with my life and with others’ that are more important than my own is everything.

  Spider waits for me to decide, and I am well aware that my decision will affect the future. If I had a crystal ball or a something to guide me, that would be so helpful. I do what I always d
o and choose based on what my head and heart tell me. The heart that others can’t see under the guns, tattoos and courage.

  “Now that I helped you kill the cop that Axl ran off the road, and he’s long gone, you are right. It’s time to move forward. But this is a conversation that your Prez needs to hear in person.”

  Spider points to the building, signaling for me to follow him. Together, we walk into the tattoo shop where Blade is cleaning his room after finishing up with his last client. The space is empty of other people. Even Sunshine, the receptionist, is long gone. Spider locks the front door behind me as soon as I walk into the shop.

  He does a sweep of the rooms while Blade and I take a seat and wait for him. Blade’s stone face remains impassive as he lights a smoke from the pack waiting on his desk. Spider comes back into the room and sits on the edge of his tattoo chair. “Kat has made her choice.” He then looks me in the eyes. “Go ahead, let’s hear it.”

  Taking a deep breath, I start from the beginning. “I’m the daughter of the Mexican MC Prez of the the Cursed Kings, Los Malditos Reyes MC. I was raised to be a prize that was to be married off just like Cuervo’s wife, before she died.”

  I can’t help feeling the pain, and my true accent creeps out with every word.

  “Before I go any further, it’s important that you should know, if my true identity comes out too early, you will engage in another war just from me sitting here with you.”

  Blade takes a long drag, and, on an exhale, he sees through my words when he says, “It’s not your father, the Prez, you are hiding from. Who is it?”

  Taking his question as his understanding of what I said, I take a deep breath and continue. “I’m the wife of the Mexican Cartel boss. Matias is my husband.” The words hang in the air between us three like a death sentence.