Treats Aren't Always Sweet

by Harley McRide

  Only her friends knew how close to the edge she was sitting, and she was close. “Sit down and shut the fuck up. You are the reason she is here, you and your friend. I should have taken her with me when I left instead of leaving her with you fuckers. Now look, she is beaten within an inch of her life three doors down from you, and you had no clue? Right, pretty sure you knew this was going on,” Treat snapped and then glared at her mother who was looking pathetic as usual. “I know you did, how could you miss it? But none of you cared; well I am here now and taking care of this shit. Why don’t you go back to your sorry life and leave us the hell alone. Jilly will be coming home with me,” Treat hissed to her parents.

  It took a second, one tiny second for her father to respond with all the fury and rage she had known as a child. Treat had dealt with enough shit, she didn’t even flinch when he moved to her quickly and grabbed her arm and shook her.

  “Listen here you little slut. I don’t know where you have been and I don’t care. But you don’t walk in here acting like you’re better than us, and think you have any say in this at all. Your sister has a husband; he will take care of this. Not you. Get your ass outta here before I remind you of what fucking happens when you cross me,” her father screamed.

  The nurse from behind the counter moved, she heard her, probably to call security, which was a good thing, and a bad thing because Treat wasn’t going to take his shit anymore, and the Lady Riders would not allow it.

  She saw Bob and Nike move but she yelled at them fast. “This is my problem, stay back. She isn’t married to that assfuck and you know it.”

  The years of abuse, the years of neglect, and the years of freedom surged up and through her as she let all of the emotion carry her. Finally, she was going to face her past, and damned if she would ever let it win. She had watched Shady, Freedom, Harmony, Rain, all of them face their shit. Now it was her turn.

  Treat slipped her free arm to the front and chopped her father’s arm to make him lose his grip, with that done, she placed her booted heel down hard on his foot. Then waited for him to lean over, and with her whole weight, she grabbed his neck, turned, leaned over, and threw him, a man who weighed twice, if not three times as much as her. Damn, it felt good, and it may not have been pretty, ‘cause the large man didn’t go that far if truth be told. However, he did slam on the ground and it gave her the opportunity to place her booted foot down heavily on his neck, pushing in slightly, cutting off his breath while Bob, Nike, Bic, and the other girls immobilized his limbs. Yeah, now they could help.

  Her mother screeched loudly, “Brooke!”

  Treat looked up at her with a blank expression and said, “Yeah, Ma, Brooke is not here anymore. She died the day you let me walk out the door with no clothes, no food, and no money and covered with bruises because this asshole didn’t like the fucking mac and cheese I made for dinner. Name is Treat now, and I would appreciate if you got that, but even if you don’t. Call me Brooke again and I’ll find a way to make sure you never forget my real name now. I am much more creative nowadays.”

  Her mother gasped and put a hand to her throat but didn’t say a word.

  “The fuck?” a woman said behind her, Treat turned, and Shady was there, alone, wearing her normal biker gear with her arms crossed across her chest looking pissed off. “Everyone else went on, told them I would be back later if everything was good here. Bob called, told me what happened. Now, wanna explain why you are getting in a brawl in the hospital waiting room?”

  “Not right this second, but I will.” Treat grinned and turned back to her father and leaned down, putting more pressure on his throat, his face turned redder if possible. “Now, I told you to get the fuck outta here and I meant it. I don’t want to see your sorry ass face in here again. Jilly is dead to you now too, deal with it.”

  Her mom finally said, “But what about our grandson?”

  Treat looked at her in horror, she knew she did, because that is exactly what she felt, horror that a child would be subject to any of the people ever again.

  “Honest to God did you just actually say that? You think you deserve to have any contact with a precious baby when all you are is evil? What fucking world do you live in? You didn’t care when you left him in a trailer with his mom, knowing that she was going to be beaten, and no don’t tell me you didn’t know, because I saw the older bruises on her, you had to know. You just let it happen, you didn’t give a shit, so guess what, you have no say in anything about that child or my sister any-fucking-more. Like I said, get the fuck gone, and forget we ever existed because I am going to make damn sure that Jilly and her son forget about you,” Treat said, snapped, and then took her foot off her father and nodded to the girls.

  They all released him and stepped back, making sure they were still on guard though in case he made another move. He coughed and gasped, playing up his pathetic self, to look like he was wounded but Treat shook her head.

  “Get your ass up and get the fuck out,” she said with a dead voice.

  She heard the nurse finally come back and yell loudly while dragging a security man behind her and pointing at her father on the ground. “It was him, he attacked the redhead, grabbed her arm and shook her like she was a doll, I thought he was going to hit her.”

  The security guard stepped forward and her father held up his hand, glared at Treat, and said, “Misunderstanding, we are leaving.”

  The guard nodded and followed her parents out the door. Treat almost felt bad when her father grabbed her mother’s arm hard. But she had chosen to keep herself in this life, and made her children suffer as well. It was too late for Treat to give two shits about the woman.

  “Well then,” Shady drawled as she stood back still. “I guess I wasn’t needed like Bob thought.”

  Treat blushed pink and shook her head then walked to her leader, and her friend, and allowed the woman to give her a hug and sighed. “Nah. Shay, I will always need you, ‘cause you and the Lady Riders are the only family I need.”

  Chapter Three

  The doctors had forced Treat to leave, having to use security to physically remove her from the ICU room Jilly was in. The doctor had said the extent of her injuries were undetermined and it was a fifty/fifty chance she’d make it through the night. Because Treat was so pissed off she left her name with the nurses and doctors, letting them know that security would be coming in the form of bikers and left.

  Then Treat had stormed out and parked her ass in the waiting area to calm down before leaving, a few of the guys were already there and waiting. “My fucking sister is in there, dammit!” she screamed, “no one is on the door yet, get someone in there.”

  Renegade rolled his eyes and then went to where she was sitting and picked her up and carried her out to the front of the hospital, there were several guys from the club talking to the security guard who dealt with her parents.

  “Security is set. Go home, Treat. We’re setting up a parameter. No one is gonna get to her. Go fucking sleep,” Match said softly but firmly to her. Yeah, she looked like shit, she knew it. Dammit, she needed to listen to them right now. Shady and the others were waiting for her back at the clubhouse.

  “Yeah, I know, dammit, it sucks though!” she said and looked around. “Who is going back with me?”

  “That would be me,” Renegade said with a grin. “Why I carried you outta there, need a beer, figured if I got you back to the house I could relax you.”

  Treat rolled her eyes; yeah Renegade had been flirting with her off and on since they arrived here. He was cute, but seriously, she was gun shy, there was no way she was going to get fucked over again by a brother in the club where she was. Her friends and sisters may have found happiness in the club, but Treat was sick of being treated like shit by the guys. She had never been a club whore, she had danced, and been choosy, Trick had been the whore but no one got that, since they were best friends they thought what she did, Treat did. That wasn’t the case; in fact, it was so far from the case that it was scar
y. She had a few relationships, but the only serious one, so she thought, was with Stone and War, and they messed her over hard.

  “Listen, let’s make it back to the clubhouse and have a beer as friends!” Treat emphasized the friends.

  The security guard from earlier had broken off from the group and was walking toward a group of guys Treat had noticed earlier when they left the ER to the floor.

  “Hey,” he called and two of the Warriors walked behind him. “Come over here for a second.”

  “Fuck you, fat ass. Go eat a fucking donut,” one of them growled. The guard didn’t answer, just kept walking to them.

  Renegade stiffened and turned, swearing under his breath. “Hell, gotta help out before we leave. Treat, stay here.”

  She rolled her eyes but stood there by her bike and watched.

  Match stepped up next to the security guard and said, “I believe the man told you to come here. Since you seem not to want to follow his directive, how about you follow mine. Get your fucking ass over here and tell me why in the fuck you were asking about Jilly Thompson.”

  Treat froze; she actually felt ice run through her veins freezing her into place. Seriously? They were asking about her sister? Who were they? Was Lane in the group? That made her feet unfreeze, the thought that fucking prick was anywhere near where her sister terrified her.

  “That is not your concern, dirt bag,” the man snapped and Match grinned and looked at his brothers. Treat came right up behind Renegade to get a look. There were three men, and one woman in the car hiding it looked like.

  “Dirt bag?” Match chuckled a little softly. “That the best you can come up with?”

  “Fuck no, can come up with more if you wanna tangle a bit.” The man smirked and Renegade took a step forward.

  “Why were you there asking about Jilly?” he said firmly, trying to get information before the bloodshed.

  “Well, hoss, I don’t think that is any of your business.” The man smirked.

  “Listen here, bubba,” Treat snapped and stepped forward as well to get into the man’s face. “It is my business since she is my sister. Now I am pretty sure you aren’t Lane ‘cause no way would my sister stoop that fucking low to fuck you. So why don’t you tell us what you want.”

  The man glared at Treat and opened his mouth, mostly likely to spew some serious bullshit at her, but Match said quietly and sarcastically.

  “Think before you speak their, hoss.”

  The man shut his mouth and then said, “Just checking on my woman’s friend. She was worried.”

  Treat laughed loudly. “You mean the one with fake boobs and you need to feed a sandwich to in the car? Maybe you should worry about taking her to dinner before she passes out instead of being worried about Jilly, she has enough friends right now worrying about her,” Treat snapped.

  The man continued to glare at Treat but the security guard was the one who spoke, “Unless you have permission to see Ms. Thompson, which I don’t think you do, you can leave the premises now.”

  The men glared but turned and got into the two cars they were standing in front of. They were old and beat up cars, so yeah, they totally knew her parents and Lane. Assholes.

  “Don’t be coming back here either, and let Lane know I am looking for him, he and I are gonna have a coming to Jesus talk,” she yelled and flipped them off before turning and stomping away.

  “Fucking women, should have let us handle it, now she is on their radar, dammit,” Match said, walking up behind Renegade.

  “Yep. Biker bitches be tripping’” he laughed. “They’re the meanest broads on earth.”

  “Yeah, and the wildest in bed,” Match laughed as he walked in to the hospital.

  It was nightfall before Treat made it back to the clubhouse. She’d rode until her temper cooled, which had taken a lot longer than she’d thought. Renegade had just followed her quietly, thank goodness. She was dirty, hungry, and exhausted—yet still pissed. “Going to shower,” she muttered to Renegade before waving absently at him.

  She went to the main clubhouse, her bungalow wasn’t ready yet, or at least she hadn’t moved her stuff yet. She kicked the front door shut a little harder than she’d intended and it slammed in a loud ‘bang’.

  Stone and War turned and looked at her as she walked through the great room and walked down the hall to where the bedrooms were located. They knew which one she was in, and they also knew she wouldn’t like any company right now.

  “Man, seriously, we need to figure something out,” War growled.

  Stone nodded. “She isn’t going to talk to us yet.”

  “Dammit, we didn’t make any promises. Yeah, what we did was shitty, and I wish it hadn’t gone down like that but fuck. She is gonna need to get her head on straight,” War said.

  Bic walked up to where they were sitting and she laughed loudly when she heard what War said. “Honest to God, you two are idiots. You think just ‘cause you didn’t make promises to that woman that her seeing you fuck her best friend is something she is gonna get over. Right, dream on, big guys. No matter if she is in the lifestyle or not, she is still a woman, and everyone knows you fuck someone’s best friend, even if they turn out to be a psychopath and needs to be put down, you are never gonna get back in there. Never.”

  Stone looked down at his beer while War frowned at the hallway. “Yeah, well we will see about that.”

  Bic laughed louder and held up her hand. “Taking bets here.”

  The room laughed and everyone waved money calling out how they wanted to bet. War growled through the whole thing as more than a thousand dollars was gathered on a bet whether they would get back into Treat’s good graces or not. Shit, most betted against him.

  “Assholes,” War muttered and stood. Stone followed and they walked back to where their bikes were parked. They needed to figure something out and soon. Her being here for the last few weeks was driving them crazy. They both wanted back in there, and not because they wanted pussy, because they both realized what they fucking had, and now she was gone. Dammit to hell, they were dumbasses.

  “What are we gonna do?” Stone said as he straddled his bike.

  “Shit, who the fuck knows,” War said.

  They started their bikes and the two rode off the compound. Neither of them saw Treat looking out the window at them sadly. She turned back into her room and pulled out clean jeans. She needed a shower, then a drink; those were the only things on her list right now. With her sister guarded and taken care, at least for the night, she needed to forget. She also needed to talk to her girls, ‘cause dammit, she was confused.

  Chapter Four

  Lane threw a bottle of beer against the wall in Jilly’s parents’ house. He may be friends with Chet, but the fucker didn’t get into his business, he should know better. Shirley, his simpering wife, just stood there like a fucking bump on a log.

  “Why the fuck did you leave her there?” he roared. “They got my son, they got a guard on her, they are fuckin’ looking for me. I can do what the hell I want in my own home, dammit. They can’t take my son from me.”

  Chet nodded to him and said, “That is what I said, but apparently my long lost daughter has made some new friends. You know that biker club who bought that land to the north, that’s them.”

  Lane turned and glared snapping, “I don’t give a flying fuck who the hell is helping her, they have no right, she is mine. I can do what I want. How the fuck did that bitch of a daughter even know a damn thing about Jilly, she doesn’t have a phone or a way to contact her. Fars as I know, they haven’t spoken in years.”

  “I don’t know,” Chet frowned. They turned to look at Shirley who was shaking her head.

  “I don’t know,” Shirley whispered and Lane stalked to her, grabbed her around the throat, and lifted her off the ground.

  “Woman, you need to fucking find out what the hell is going on. Tomorrow you are going to go to the hospital, and you are going to check Jilly out of there, then bring her back h
ome where she belongs,” he yelled and Chet stepped forward a little but then backed off when Lane looked at him with a deadly glare. “You too, serious as fuck if she is not cooking my dinner tomorrow night there is gonna be hell to pay.”

  “I get you, Lane,” Chet muttered as the man let go of his wife and he let out a breath of relief.

  “Good, now go cook me some dinner, bitch, since my whore is gone,” he snarled and threw Shirley into the kitchen.

  “Yeah,” Chet bellowed. “Get me a beer too.”

  “Now, tell me about these bikers. No way in hell they are going to get into my business and come out unscathed, the fucking assholes,” Lane said and sat down on the couch like he owned the place.

  Chapter Five

  Treat was hungover when she said goodbye to Shady yet again. She and the Lady Riders had talked into the night about the situation. They had made some decisions and today they were going to the Warriors meeting to present their case on how they wanted to deal with this matter and what they wanted to do. They needed the guys as backup, that was not in debate, but they also needed them to support this whole thing, because they were going to get their hands dirty, and not only that. Helping women disappear from a bad situation could sometimes get dicey.

  “If you need anything, you call,” Shady said to Treat and she nodded. “With anything, you hear.”

  Treat smiled, Shady knew what happened with Stone and War, hell, everyone knew what happened with them, it was common knowledge, not that she had created a big scene or anything like that. She hadn’t, Treat made sure of it. Basically, because she kept her dignity in tack by not throwing the temper tantrum she wanted to. It wouldn’t have done any good, and she would have looked like a clingy dipshit. Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt though.