Gypsy paced the room. The last thing he needed was a marriage. Looking back at his father, Gypsy asked when his marriage was supposed to take place.
“Four weeks from today.”
“What is her name?”
“Mariquinn Bagrov,” replied his father.
Turning from his father, Gypsy told him to send the notification that he would marry the girl. The last thing he heard his father say was “This is a change you didn’t know you were looking for.” Shaking his head Gypsy thought how ironic he had thought he wanted a change only a few days before. The gods must have been listening too closely.
Stepping out of his father’s house Gypsy called Tabor and Wrench. He needed information on his bride-to-be. When Tabor answered, Gypsy intended to bark orders into the phone.
“Tabor is Wrench with you?”
“That’s correct.”
“You aren’t alone?”
“Absolutely not.”
Not what Gypsy needed. “Okay, here’s the deal. I’m going to give you a name. I need everything you and Wrench can find on her and her family.”
When he finished the conversation with Tabor he put his phone away, knowing he should call Velean, but that conversation needed to be handled carefully.
He wanted to know where Mariquinn's family lived. What her life was. Gypsy wanted to know what her family’s vocation was. Every family had a multitude of businesses. Gypsy just wanted the rundown on hers. He wanted to know what his father had gotten him into exactly.
Heading into the countryside, Gypsy blasted down the highway on his Harley. The need to clear his head of Velean while he thought about this marriage deal his father had agreed too. Twisting on the throttle as the bike went into a deep curve Gypsy couldn’t shake the nagging question...would Velean give him up without any fall out? How long had they been playing? Over a year since he had met the woman.
It wasn’t uncommon to have a mistress. He really had never considered having a mistress once he married. He had hoped to meet a woman that met all his needs and to have a full, healthy life together. It seems a ride in the country was not helping him clear his mind. Now Gypsy was thinking about having a mistress instead of dealing with the fallout from the woman. He would have to find a way out from under Velean’s blackmail.
Barreling through the next curve, his mind wondered to his last session with Velean. Rolling on the throttle, Gypsy tried clearing his head of Velean and his bride-to-be. What if his personal taste weren’t to his fiancé’s likings? Hell, once he thought his sexual likes were simply youthful interest. Not so much now that he was in his thirties. They were part of what made him who he was. The problem with that is the not knowing. He should check in with the boys. It had been hours. Maybe they had some news.
Wondering around her family’s home, Mariquinn loved the way the old house felt early in the morning. She watched the light fog linger in the field, slipping among the trees of the wooded area beyond the backyard, while she waited for the coffee to brew. Like dark phantoms, the long silk fabric of distinct colors hung from the trees. The silk was her practice fabric for her aerial ballet.
Watching as the silk softly danced in the wind made her shiver. She had always trusted herself high in the air. It was down on the ground among the crowds where she found challenges. Especially as of late. She needed to find a way to get Razvan to leave her alone. The man gave her the creeps and he was relentless in his pursuit of her. He was crazy thinking she would marry him. Mariquinn thought there was more to him than they knew. In some ways, he presented his self as a badass biker, but his mannerisms said otherwise. The problem with the whole situation was her father was getting older and so were his daughters. They all should have been married already.
Traditions, she thought. Sometimes being from such deep seeded roots made one’s life miserable. Maybe she should strike out on her own, change her fate.
Gypsy made his way easily enough, just ambling along with the crowd. He had made no inquiries about Mariquinn's aerial dance location. He didn’t want any unwanted attention, being next in line for king came with many headaches. Most men probably would love being king. For him it was all about duty.
Spotting the location for the aerial dance, Gypsy stood back watching a tall, lean, average looking girl laying out long lengths of silk. Not much to look at, he thought. He was sure someone found her lovely. She just wasn’t his type. He liked his ladies a little fuller in the ass end.
As he continued watching, a man walked up, pulling Mariquinn into him for a passionate kiss. What would the poor fool think when he had to relinquish his hold on her to his king? Gypsy turned to leave as he spotted a petite blue-haired girl shove the couple out of her way all the while laughing. Now she, on the other hand was most definitely his type.
“Mariquinn!!”
At the sound of Mariquinn's name being called, Gypsy turned his head slightly to see who had called out to her. An older man waved as he walked past smiling at the blue-haired girl. Letting a devilish smile cross his face, Gypsy thought things might be looking up after all.
As Gypsy leaned against a tree watching the scene unfold in front of him, he thought wouldn’t his father be delighted that he had some interest in his future bride. He, had sent his men out for any information on Mariquinn. Not wanting to tell them why he needed the information he had left all but Tabor and Wrench out of the loop for now. So here he stood, sticking to the back of the crowd to watch Mariquinn in action.
Mariquinn was always happy to see her father. He rarely had time to watch her perform. This was a treat. “Papa!”
“Mariquinn, do you need help with the rigging?”
The freestanding rig for her aerial performance stood 18 feet 6 inches tall. It was an easy assembly taking only ten minutes, and with the help of one person, she could have it up and secured in minutes. “No, I have it ready to go up.”
“I can help with that.” Her father smiled.
Pulling the rigging up and securing it in place took only minutes for Mariquinn and her father. She needed to go change into her outfit for the show. She took a minute to talk to her father before she walked off in the opposite direction. Looking back over her shoulder, Mariquinn couldn’t help but notice a guy standing in the shadows of a small grove of trees. She had noticed him earlier while she set up her rigging.
Looking at the festival’s information pamphlet for Mariquinn's performance times, Gypsy noticed he had an hour before she took flight. He couldn’t wait to see her in action. Pushing off from the tree he had been leaning against, heading to meet up with the boys and have a drink.
Wrench and Tabor were where they said they’d be, drinks in hand and had an extra waiting for him. “Gentlemen.”
“Gypsy.”
Picking up the glass, Gypsy took a long drink, letting the cool liquid tamp down the heat he was feeling at the thought of the blue haired Mariquinn beneath him, tied in all that silk. He heard his boys talking but his mind remained on a laughing blue-haired female. Gypsy couldn’t wait to see what she would do with all that silk. Knowing exactly what he would do with it and her lush body. A clearing of someone’s throat brought his thoughts back around.
Starring at his comrades, he waited for the interrogation to begin.
Chapter Four
Mariquinn stepped out of her small travel trailer. She used it as her changing area. Some nights she slept on the festival grounds because some nights she just wanted to be away from the hustle and bustle of her family. Mariquinn loved them, but some nights it was loud, and the house felt overrun by people. Those were the nights she felt the most alone.
Tonight, she would stay here, as there were too many family members in town for the festival. Walking toward her stage area, Mariquinn saw the one person she did not want to deal with- Razvan. He was relentless in his pursuit of marrying her. How she had ever gotten on his radar stunned her.
Ducking behind a tent, she waited for him to pass before making a hasty getaway. Once on st
age, no one would be allowed near her due to safety reasons. Razvan had to be the most stubborn, pig-headed man Mariquinn had ever meet. He thought because he owned a string of nightclubs meant he could have anyone he wanted. Well Mariquinn had news for Razvan, she was not one of those people. He made her skin crawl when he looked at her. It wouldn’t matter if he was the king himself she would refuse him.
“Okay Gypsy, why are we here? And why did we have to track down Mariquinn Bagrov?” Stephan Demidov aka Tabor waited patiently for his president to answer him. This was a man he would lay his life down for. Not only was he the president of the MC he helped create, he was his best friend. The two had been thrown together early in their lives. Been through hell trying to make their own way in the world of their fathers.
“Tabor, not that I want it to get out, but she is to be my wife.”
Tabor stared at Gypsy with his mouth open, his glass midway to his mouth.
Wrench choked on his beer. “You’re joking?” he asked.
“I’m not joking. Before you ask, this is not the time nor the place to discuss this matter.” Gypsy spoke firmly. Both men agreed. The topic would keep until they were alone. The guys nodded in agreement. When word got out that the king was about to get hitched, the blowback from one little white-haired witch would be enormous.
Hell, when the rest of the crew found out, there would be so much shit to deal with. The men had all been together through some tough years. Getting married set things in stone for Gypsy being the new king. His crew would worry he would step away from them and the MC. Gypsy would never give them up, not for anyone or anything.
Thinking about his crew and the way he ran them, his mind thought about how, in most gypsy families, women worked and earned the money. The men were the muscle and the management. Gypsy believed in a different way. He believed they needed to become progressive. Meaning the men needed to pull their weight. The days of the women being the breadwinners and turning all the income over to the men would become a thing of the past once he stepped up. Tabor and Wrench followed Gypsy as he stepped out of the beer garden heading towards the stage area.
Watching the crowd grow around her performing area from the tree line, Mariquinn wished she could perform in the trees like she did in the back acreage behind their home. The crowd seemed to be excited for her performance which made her happy. The weather had been a little cooler the last few weeks, bringing more people out to the festival. More people meant more money and that was a good thing.
One day she would go somewhere new. Away from this life. There had to be something, someone, somewhere, anything different out there in the world. What would it be like to be somewhere else?
“Mariquinn.”
Looking at her sister, Mariquinn smiled. “I know, I’m about to go out there.”
“Oh no, I wanted to know if Papa spoke to you?”
Curiosity as why her sister Layla was questioning about their father visiting her stopped Mariquinn. “He came by for a minute and helped with my rigging.”
Mariquinn watched her sister nod in understanding. “Is something going on?”
“No.”
“Lyalya, you can’t lie very well. Is something going on that I need to know about?” Watching her sister for any sign she knew what their father really wanted to speak with her about.
“I’m not sure. He asked where you were earlier but didn’t say why. He probably just wanted to see you.”
Mariquinn shrugged it off, thinking, who knew what any of them wanted. It was time to get the show going. Mariquinn waved to her sister as she stepped from the trees. Hopping up on the stage area, Mariquinn waved a big hello. Smiling, she bowed a deep low curtsy as the crowd applauded her. Most had seen her show here or there. Knowing they liked her show enough to come back out and support her gave her immense pleasure. With one quick look around to see if anyone else was approaching, Mariquinn noticed three men stepping into the tree line. Shadows kept her from seeing them fully. Perhaps they would like the show.
Wrapping her hands around the Persian blue silk, Mariquinn twisted one foot into the length of the rich fabric and began to climb. She tuned out the crowd, concentrating solely on the feel of the cool silk twisting around her body. Focusing on the way it felt when it was tightening around her foot and ankle, her hands twisting and gripping it to have complete control over the ballet she was about to perform.
Stopping in the tree line Gypsy saw Mariquinn begin her climb using the silk. Gypsy had always been too busy handling family business. Never, caring to watch the shows. Standing there he knew Tabor and Wrench would have a million questions after. For now, he just wanted to watch what Mariquinn did with all that fabric. Almost to the top, Gypsy watched as Mariquinn wrapped herself up in the silk, then without hesitation, she let go and spun, looking like a ballerina he had seen as a child. Sunlight caught the different shades of her hair giving her the appearance that she glowed.
Watching her body as it slowed, her foot released from one length of the silk leaving Mariquinn hanging in an arch slowly spinning. Without warning she then flipped into an archer’s stance, reversing into an upside-down split. Mesmerized by the way she used the fabric to suspend her body in distinct positions, Gypsy remained rooted to his spot, unable to pull his eyes from the blue haired pixie. The way she danced with the silk, how it tightened around her body holding it taut. Maybe there was something the two would have in common after all.
Gypsy watched the whole show, never moving an inch. He watched as Mariquinn used the silk like a swing, giving herself a moment to rest, without any warning of her next move, she slipped from the silk backwards into a cradled position encompassing her like a cocoon. The crowd oohed and aahed as the silk began to twitch and unravel all the while revealing Mariquinn tumbling to the ground.
Gypsy took a step forward just as Mariquinn halted herself approximately six feet from the ground. He almost lost his breath as he saw her hurling to the ground. Which was precisely what the stunt was meant to do. Mariquinn smiled at the crowd as she flipped into another pose and lowered herself to the ground.
“You see enough, Gypsy?”
Turning to his men he nodded. “Yes, we can go.” Looking back once more as they walked away.
Curtsying to the crowd, Mariquinn smiled. Looking up, her eyes locked on the three from earlier walking away. They must have not liked the show that much. Mariquinn thanked the people that tossed money in her basket. After all, that is what she was there for.
“Mariquinn.”
Mariquinn closed her eyes as she heard Razvan call her name. Please let my family come to my rescue. Turning around to face him, Mariquinn plastered a smile on her face. No reason to enrage the beast. “Razvan.”
“Mariquinn, I expect you to join me tonight for dinner.”
“Razvan, I hate to tell you this, but I am not having dinner with you.” Yes, she enraged the beast. “I have plans with my family. I do not know how many times I have to tell you I am not interested in you.”
Razvan grabbed her arm yanking Mariquinn to him. Wrenching her arm from his grip, she heard him say he would be speaking to her father. “I mean to have you as my wife!”
Watching Razvan storm off, all Mariquinn could think was is her father allowed Razvan to make a claim on her, she would run away. There was no way she would ever lay beneath him as a willing participant in his bed. She would rather be an outcast.
Quickly securing the silk around the rigging, Mariquinn went to find her father. If she had half a chance at getting him to listen to her, she had to get to him first. Razvan would stop at nothing if he really wanted her for his own. The thought made her quicken her pace.
“Papa!”
“Mariquinn, what is it?” Her father rushed to his daughter, as she called his name, panic in her voice.
“Papa, Razvan is on his way to demand you allow him to marry me. Father, I will not marry that beast of a man. I will run away, become an outcast, before I lay with that...that man!!”
Her father shook his head. “Daughter, I would never let a man such as Razvan have you or one of your sisters. Now go on and don’t worry about it.”
“Has he already asked you?”
“Yes. And I already told him no. We will talk about this at home after the festival is over for the day.”
Kissing her father’s cheek, Mariquinn darted off. She had another show in an hour. She liked to rest between shows when they were close together. Heading back to her trailer she thought she saw the three men that had left her show early. She didn’t recognize them. New to the circuit, she thought. Spectators gave money to performers; other carnies never gave up their money. Shrugging it off Mariquinn went on her way. Only looking back once more trying to get a better look at the dark haired one. His face always stayed in the shadows.
Gypsy and his sergeants at arms walked towards the exit. They had come to see an aerialist. Now, he knew what the young woman he would be marrying in less than a month looked like, needing to figure out how to navigate the next part of this journey would take tact.
“Gypsy, when did this come about? When do you have to get hitched? And when will you be telling Velean?”
Gypsy looked at Wrench. Stopping in his tracks he turned on his friend. “NOT HERE!!” They were still on the grounds, slap dab in the crowded fairway.
Tabor growled at Wrench. “Idiot.”
Wrench walked after Gypsy, choosing to ignore Tabor. His president would explain everything once they got back to the clubhouse. Even if they had to beat it out of him. Wrench would only give him so much time to explain everything further.
Once outside of the festival grounds, Gypsy headed to the bikes. He needed to feel the wind on his face, get his mind on track. Two things ran in circles in his head, a blue-haired female, whom he wanted to know more about and a white-haired bitch. The latter of which he needed to deal with ASAP.
Gypsy Page 2