Doctor Chandler remained expressionless as he laid his card down.
“I hope you go another year without getting laid,” Orion said, staring down at the yellow card, signifying the loss of yet another turn.
“Don’t hate the playa,” Doctor Chandler deadpanned.
Orion turned to me. “Make him pay, Razzle. Avenge me!” he howled before taking another bong hit.
I checked my phone for the time. “It’s been over an hour and I still don’t feel anything. Maybe I should eat another frog,” I said and started to stand.
“No!” Both Orion and Doctor Chandler shouted.
“It’s a bad idea to take more edibles before the first batch kicks in,” Orion said, gently sitting me back down. “That’s when things can get a little nutty.”
“Nutty? What does nutty mean?” I said, starting to panic. “Are things going to get nutty for me?”
“Don’t worry, babe. You’ll be fine,” he said, but his words didn’t necessarily make me feel better. In fact, I was starting to feel a little warm. “It’s your turn,” Orion said, pointing to my cards.
“It’s not fair,” I said. “You guys are already high, which probably makes UNO more tolerable, but I’m still sober as a judge and will probably turn out to be one of those people who have that liver enzyme that makes edibles ineffective for me. I read a paper on the subject about six months ago. Is it hot in here? I can’t remember the name of the enzyme, but it was fascinating. That’s a hard word to say. Fascinating. It’s weird because there’s a C in fascinating but you don’t say the C when you say fascinating, you just say the word. Which is weird, because I guess that’s how all words work. We just saaaaay them, but we never really think about it, do we? That’s strange, isn’t it? I mean, all the hundreds and thousands of little things we say and do every day that we don’t even think about, like saying words. Saying words. Wait, that’s not right. Word saying. What’s the word for saying words?”
“Talking,” Orion said.
“Talking. Right!” I said excitedly before noticing how Orion and Doctor Chandler were looking at me. “Am I talking a lot?”
Orion smiled and said, “It’s still your turn.”
I looked down at the array of colorful cards I was holding in my hand and instantly began to weep at their beauty. Never had I held such a vibrant display of pulsating color and light within my hands. Tears began to stream down my face as I stared at their magnificent beauty and I wondered why I couldn’t recall UNO being such a beautifully moving game when I’d played it in the past. Perhaps this was an updated version.
My lips began to sweat.
Wait? Do lips sweat? Did I just ask that out loud? Did I just ask that out loud, too?
“Razzle?” I heard Orion ask from the other end of the tunnel we were now in.
I tried to answer but my lips were too heavy to move.
“I think Mr. Hoppy is doing his job, Chan,” Orion said.
By my estimation it took approximately seventeen minutes for me to complete the following sentence, “I think I’m starting to feel something.”
And feel something I did. Panic.
“I think I’m too high. I think I took too much and my heart is going to explode. Can you guys hear my heart? It’s beating super loud right? Am I talking loud?” I asked, fairly sure those words could very well be my last.
I couldn’t tell if the boys were trying not to laugh or if the look on their faces was one of concern. It was probably concern. They probably knew I was about to die of a marijuana overdose, and they didn’t have the heart to tell me.
“Raquel, honey,” Orion said, sweetly. His words momentarily anchoring me back to reality.
“Hmmmm?” I answered.
“You’re gonna be okay, you’re just high for the first time and a little paranoid. It’ll wear off and you’ll be good to go. Let’s have some candy.”
“Candy?” I answered more excitedly than I’d intended, but I had to admit that eating candy sounded like the greatest proposition anyone had ever put forth to me.
For the next three hours I was on a magic carpet ride of gooey deliciousness. Orion was right. After a short while, and a few mini-counseling sessions with my personal guides, the paranoia subsided, and I felt lighter than I ever had.
Orion and Chan were excellent hosts and took turns playing the roles of DJ and dance partner as the lab became our makeshift nightclub. They played all my favorite jams and I danced until I didn’t have an ounce of sweat left in my lips. I ate two candy bars from Chan’s private stash. Okay, I ate three, but they were filled with pure magic and I regret nothing. My thoughts were both free and yet, hyper focused. I found myself able to attack thoughts from alternative angles yet holding on to them seemed slippery at times. I could already see the benefits Orion and others had talked about but was far from any conclusive thoughts. Right now, I wasn’t even sure what a complete thought was.
Somewhere around hour five, I began to get very sleepy and Orion carried me out to his bike…wait, no, not bike. “Where’s your bike?”
“Aero came by and swapped it out for Dad’s truck. I knew you’d be too tired to hold on.”
“You are correct.” I gave his neck a squeeze. “Are you okay to drive?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m sober. I haven’t smoked for hours.”
“Driving while high is just as bad as driving while intoxicated.”
“I know, Frazzle. I’m good. I promise.”
He chuckled and drove me home, helping me up to my room and undressing me. After he tucked me in, he kissed me on the forehead, and I drifted off to an amazing night of sleep.
* * *
Blinding light jarred me awake and I rolled to get away from it, bumping into Orion. “Sorry,” I whispered.
“I forgot to close that drape. My bad.”
“Yes, it is your bad,” I grumbled, sliding my hand over his belly and kissing his chest. “But now I get to snuggle, so I’ll forgive you.”
Orion grinned as he slid his arm to my waist and gave me a squeeze. “How do you feel?”
“Wiped out, but in a good way.” I settled my chin on my hand and met his eyes. “Do you want to talk about your dad’s appointment yesterday?”
“There’s nothing much to talk about. He sat in a chair with a needle in his arm, surrounded by a few other patients dealing with the same shit. He pretty much ignored me. He was too busy chatting up the woman sitting next to him.”
“She was going through chemo?”
“No, her father was. She and dad got on like a house on fire. Well, no, she and I actually chatted more than he did, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her.”
“Oh,” I said, hopeful. “You think he’ll ask her out?”
Orion chuckled. “No, probably not.”
“Why not?”
“Babe, Dad’s the president of a 1% MC and she’s high-class. I’m not sure she’d give him the time of day.”
“I’m high-class and I gave you the time of day.”
“Because you came into the pit of the beast of your own free will.”
I snorted. “Whatever.”
“You slummed it and I knew if I didn’t lock you down, I’d never have the chance again.”
I frowned. “What?”
“The second you walked in, I claimed you, baby. Don’t ever doubt it.”
Well, that was seriously sweet. My belly got all squishy and I snuggled closer. “I kind of claimed you too.”
He gave me a squeeze. “Yeah, I picked up on that.”
“Tell me about this woman.”
“She’s really pretty, probably mid-thirties, and her name’s Wyatt.”
“That’s a way cool name!”
“I know, right?” he admitted. “She and I chatted a bit, but I mostly just hung out and made sure Dad didn’t need anything. Once he was done, I drove him home. Letti took over from there.”
I sighed. “So, you’re okay?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m okay.”
“Yes. I will tell you if I’m not.” He smiled, rolling me onto my back and kissing my neck. “For now, though, burying my dick deep inside your delicious cunt’s all the therapy I need.”
“Bury it deep, baby.”
He did as he was told.
Raquel
ONE MONTH LATER, I had raised my low C grade to a B-plus in microbiology and I was feeling on top of the world. In fact, this particular science was clicking so well, I was currently at the grow lab on my own, working on a new strain with Chan.
“I have two plants for you to look at,” Chan said. “We won’t be able to test them for another couple of months, but I think you’ll like what we have planned.”
“Higher Indica strain?” I asked.
“One is, yes. The other—”
He was cut off by the sound of the fire alarm.
“What the hell?” he snapped, then sighed. “I just got that damn alarm fixed.”
“Or we’re about to go up in smoke.”
“Miss Brooks, did you just make a weed joke?”
I chuckled, admittedly feeling a little proud of myself.
“We may just make a pothead out of you yet.”
“I highly doubt I’ll ever be the Cheech to your Chong, but I’d hate to see all this research burn.”
“Don’t worry,” he said, shaking his head. “There’s never a fire. Just a faulty wire or some shit. But when it happens, the doors lock, so I need to check it out. I’ll be right back.”
I pulled my cell phone out and sent a text to Orion just in case I didn’t get out of here in time to meet him.
Then I waited.
And waited.
Chan didn’t return, so I headed to the door and just as I reached out to open it, I felt heat.
“Shit,” I whispered, placing my hands flat against the door. It was hot and I was pretty sure I was fucked. I pulled out my cell phone and called 9-1-1.
* * *
Orion
“There’s a fire at the warehouse!” Moses bellowed as he rushed past me in the great room.
“What the fuck?” I growled, chasing him. “Raquel’s there with Chan.”
“Shit!” Moses snapped. “Let’s go.”
I made a run for my bike and then pulled ahead of Moses on the road, forcing down my panic as we drove to the warehouse.
The stench of pot smoke filled the air, getting stronger as we got closer. By the time we arrived, the east side of the building was engulfed in flames and the Monument Fire Department were about to turn on their hoses.
I parked my bike and was off it before I’d even killed the engine. I scanned the crowd of onlookers and emergency workers for Raquel and started to panic immediately when I couldn’t locate her.
I saw the fire station lieutenant and rushed him. “There was a young woman in the building. Where is she?”
“We were told this place is empty on Sundays,” he replied. “Plus, my guys checked the building when we arrived. They didn’t find anyone inside.”
“I’m telling you, she’s in there, along with another guy,” I argued.
“Look, I told you. We did a sweep, and no one called out. If they were in there when the fire started, they must have gotten out.”
“Raquel would be standing right here if she’d gotten out,” I said, turning my eyes toward the building’s west entrance.
“Don’t even think about it, cowboy,” the lieutenant said, clearly reading the look on my face. Not that it mattered. His words had barely left his lips before I took off running.
“Hey, stop that guy,” the lieutenant shouted, but I made it to the door before anyone could catch me.
My eyes and lungs burned as soon as I entered the warehouse. Thick black smoke filled the air, making it nearly impossible to breathe or see. I tried to call out but immediately started to choke. My fear rose to terror level as I scrambled to figure out how I was going to find Raquel and Chan, let alone get them out of here before we all choked to death. Then I remembered the supply of portable oxygen tanks we always kept with our first-aid supplies. High altitude can fuck with even the toughest biker, so we always made sure to have a healthy supply of O2 on hand here and at the clubhouse.
I reached inside my front pocket for the mini mag lite I kept on my keyring, but realized I’d left my keys in the ignition of my still-running bike. I used the flashlight on my cellphone instead, held my breath, and stayed as low as possible as I made my way to the first aid station. I opened the cabinet door and grabbed three portable oxygen cannisters and immediately took a hit off one of them just before passing out. A steady series of bangs caused me to freeze in place. It was difficult to hear over the sound of flames and water kicking the shit out of each other on top of the roof, but after a few seconds, I heard it again. Whack, whack, whack.
It was Raquel and I knew exactly where she was. “Goddamn, I love that woman.”
I made my way toward the sound, careful to stay low and check the doors as I went. Although the flames seemed to be dying down, the temperature and smoke levels were rapidly rising. However, as I got closer to my destination, the banging stopped, causing my heart to stop as well. What if I was too late?
* * *
Raquel
The building filled with smoke so quickly I barely had time to formulate a plan. The lab’s only exit was blocked by flames, made evident by the nasty burns on my hands, courtesy of a hot metal door and an even hotter doorknob. I’d leaned against the door and tried to turn the knob, my hands instantly burning at the effort.
Chan had rushed back to me, the exit to the building also blocked, and an asthma attack took him down almost immediately. His inhaler was in his car and the only place I could think to take him was into the vault. I remembered Orion and Chan talking about its construction and ventilation system and thought we could buy some time before the firefighters found us. I pulled my shirt off and ran it under the lab sink, creating a makeshift mask for us to share and got us into the vault just before Chan collapsed.
The vault’s independent ventilation system had clearly been compromised and smoke began to fill up the small space. The temperature of the room was also getting noticeably hotter by the second. I figured at this rate we’d have two, maybe three minutes tops before we either suffocated or roasted to death. Chan was barely conscious as it was, the smoke triggering a massive asthma attack. He was currently lying on the floor, trying to figure out which shade of blue to turn next as he watched me repeatedly bang a metal folding chair, using my wrists to hold it because my hands hurt like motherfuckers, dressed in only my jeans and a bra.
“Don’t…worry...,” I huffed in between whacks at the door. “Someone will…hear the banging.”
Chan gave me a thumbs-up, mustered what I was now sure would be his last smile, and rasped, “Nice view to die to.”
Normally I’d be embarrassed, but given the fact that Chan was about to die right in front of me, I was kind of happy the girls could bring him a moment of joy before he died.
“No one is…dying here…today,” I said, trying to muster enough strength to bang the chair again, but the truth was, I had no idea if anyone would even be able to hear us from inside this place, and the smoke was now pouring in.
“Save…your…breath,” Chan wheezed.
I tried to raise the chair again but failed to lift it above my knees. In my attempt to keep me and Chan safe, all I’d done was find a nice quiet place for us to die. I slumped to the floor completely exhausted as thick black smoke filled the space.
“I’m sorry,” I said grabbing Chan’s hand and squeezing it tight, but he was out cold, maybe even dead.
I tried to wrap my mind around the fact that these would be my final moments on earth. That, after all these years of wondering, I finally knew how and where I would meet my end. I had to admit, smoke inhalation in a pot lab was never on the list of possibilities of my demise, nor was I particularly crazy about the ide
a, but it was clearly curtains for me. I managed one final breath and lost consciousness.
I felt myself rise into the air and float through the building. The smell of smoke still present, but more importantly I could smell Orion, and I knew for certain right then I was dead. I was dead and my soul was being carried off to heaven by a biker angel. God made him smell like Orion to comfort me in my time of dying.
“Get the fuck out of my way!” I heard my angel yell.
God even made my angel sound like Orion. But why was he swearing at the other angels?
“You dumb sonofabitch!” I heard another angel yell and began to wonder why there was so much cursing and yelling in heaven.
“I told you they were in there,” I heard Orion say and realized I was not dead but being placed on an EMT gurney. My eyes opened and were blinded by flashing red and blue lights. I coughed, causing me to aspirate soot covered mucus. I struggled to breathe and wildly clutched as Orion’s arm.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here, I’ve got you,” he said, taking my hand.
“Ch…” was all I managed to get out before violently coughing and hacking.
“Chan’s okay. The medics have him now. You’re both gonna be okay.”
That was the last thing I remember for the next eight hours.
Raquel
MY FACE ITCHED and my lungs burned. I tried to rub my nose, but my bandaged hand connected with something and I groaned in frustration.
“Oh, my god, Raquel!” Sierra cried, leaning over me. “You’re awake.”
“Hi,” I said, wondering where the hell I was.
“Baby, you gotta keep that oxygen mask on,” Orion ordered. “It’s helping you breathe.”
“Why do I need help breathing?” I mumbled, once again trying to remove the mask, but then it all came rushing back. “The fire.” I gasped, then coughed out, “Is Chan okay?”
“Yeah, baby, we got him out.”
“What about the plants?”
“The sprinklers did their job. Kind of. The area where you were malfunctioned, so the sprinklers failed. We lost some plants, but none of that really matters, though, because you and Chan were the priority.”
Primal Howl (Primal Howlers MC Book 1) Page 10