Own the Wind

by Kristen Ashley

  “Yeah,” Rush answered immediately, male camaraderie and all that, and I knew my brother was hitting serious badass status when Elvira turned her attention to him and he not only didn’t move back a step, he also didn’t flinch. His badass status would be proved when he went on to suggest, “Though, will say maybe your domestic isn’t well-timed. I got brothers out there in an uncertain situation, so maybe you two can suck it up and finish this shit some other time?”

  Elvira cut her gaze back to her man, lifted a finger, and wagged it at him. “That works for me but, for you, just sayin’, you gettin’ what you need to start your day just got cut off for an indefinite period of time.”

  I chanced a look at Malik and saw him scowling down at Elvira.

  Then he pulled in breath through his nose as he held her eyes before he muttered, “We’ll see.”

  “Yeah, we will,” she fired back and suddenly he flashed a sexy white smile that shone so bright surrounded by that black goatee, it took him from handsome to such a knockout I had to hold on to the bar.

  “Baby, you cutting me off means you getting cut off, and I foresee that indefinite period of time lasting about a day.”

  I only had the back of Elvira’s head but I fancied she rolled her eyes before she mumbled, “Whatever,” which, translated by a girl who understood girls, meant he was right and she was saving face. Then she slid back onto her stool, trained her gaze on Rush, and snapped, “Tequila?”

  Rush looked at me then grabbed a shot glass. He put it down on the bar in front of Elvira and poured.

  He barely took the bottle away before she lifted it and threw it back.

  She slammed the glass down on the bar and in an effort not to freak out about whatever was happening out there with my man, my father, and my best friend involved, I leaned toward Elvira and whispered, “Your guy is kinda hot.”

  She turned to me without hesitation and replied, “Careful what you wish for, girl. One by one my girls went down to badasses, I watched and thought, ‘I wouldn’t mind gettin’ me a little somethin’-somethin’ from a badass.’ ” She tapped her glass on the bar for another refill, Rush gave it to her, she threw it back, then she looked at me again and snapped with emphasis, “Wrong.”

  “I have a badass,” I reminded her.

  “Yeah,” she returned. “And Tyra told me you two went at it for days over a flippin’ fridge. Badasses are capable of and don’t hesitate to throw down about a fridge. An IT geek does not care what kind of fridge you buy. An IT geek just thanks his lucky stars he’s gettin’ it regular. An IT geek would say, ‘Whatever you want, honey,’ if you told him you were paving the front walk in gold.”

  I suspected this was true, but still I leaned back and took in Malik, who was now leaning against the bar. What I took in was a tall frame, lean hips, a flat stomach, big hands, broad shoulders, perfect skin, warm, brown eyes, and a brilliant smile even if it was directed at the bar while he shook his head in a way that said clearly he thought his woman was crazy but all kinds of cute.

  I leaned forward again and toward Elvira to point out, “True, but IT geeks don’t tend to look like Denzel Washington circa Training Day. Denzel might have been scary in that movie but his scary was all kinds of hot.” Elvira made no reply so I further noted, “And your man isn’t Denzel Training Day scary. He’s more Denzel Man on Fire intense with a little sense of humor and a goatee thrown in.”

  Elvira turned her eyes to me and asked, “You got every Denzel film memorized?”

  “Doesn’t everybody?” I asked back.

  She looked to her glass, tapped it on the bar, and muttered, “Point taken.”

  Rush poured her another shot, she threw it back, and I reached out and took the bottle from him. I was a biker babe and I didn’t mind putting the bottle to my mouth and sucking back, so that was what I did.

  I was putting the bottle down on the bar when the door opened again, and all eyes, including mine, went to it. My pulse spiked as Natalie, followed by Hound, Boz, and Speck came in.

  She looked freaked. She also was wearing a short, tight nurse’s outfit, white stockings, garters, and white, patent-leather, stripper platform, lace-up knee boots. Her boobs were spilling and her hair was a ratted mess of curls contained in ponytails and a nurse’s cap.

  Elvira was right. That whole gig had been done to death, and as a nurse I took professional umbrage.

  But I couldn’t think of that seeing, as I felt cold start to infuse my system from the outside in because Nat, Hound, Boz, and Speck were the only ones that came in.

  No Shy.

  No Dad.

  I jumped off the stool and locked eyes with Boz, not trusting myself to look at Natalie. Not yet. Not until I knew everyone was okay.

  “Where are Shy and Dad?” I asked.

  Hound ordered Rush, “Lock her down. My room.” He had his hand on Natalie’s arm, shoved her forward, and she stumbled on her stripper boots.

  Rush moved toward Natalie.

  My eyes shifted back to Boz. “Where are they?”

  “Tabby,” Natalie called, her voice shaky.

  I didn’t move my eyes from Boz. “Boz? Where are Shy and my dad?”

  “Tabby,” Natalie called again, her voice breaking halfway through my name and that cold shot through me, freezing me completely.

  I looked to her.

  “It went bad,” I stated and saw tears sliding out of her eyes, mascara going with them. Rush had made it to her and had a hand on her upper arm, but he didn’t get the chance to move her before I shot forward and stood in front of her.

  “My man or my father?” I asked.

  “Move back, Tabby, honey, we need to get her locked down then take care of some business,” Boz said from close behind me.

  “My man or my father?” I demanded to know, not moving an inch.

  “Let’s get you to a couch, get you a drink, and we’ll talk,” Boz went on.

  “My man,” I leaned in so I was nose to nose with ex-best friend then I lost it completely, “or my father?” I ended on a screech.

  “Shy got winged by a bullet,” she whispered, and the deep freeze shattered, imploding from the inside and the pain was excruciating. So unbearable, I had to do something. I had to try to let some of it go. I had to lash out.

  So I did.

  I drew back a hand and slapped her with everything I had. Apparently everything I had was a lot since not only her head but her whole body shot to the side and she again lost her footing on her stripper boots. She only stayed standing because Rush had a hold on her and kept her that way.

  I looked up at Boz. “How bad?”

  “Clipped, not bad. Tack took him to Baldy to have a look, stitch him up if it’s needed,” Boz replied.

  “What does that mean, clipped?” I snapped.

  “Nicked, Tabby, in the neck,” Boz answered and I felt my pulse pounding in my wrists, my temples, my neck. “It was a ricochet off a warning shot. Made a bad situation worse. Still, didn’t hit anything important. It’ll leave a scar but he’s fine. Everyone’s just pissed ’cause we bought a new problem.”

  “We bought a new problem,” I stated and swung my gaze back to Natalie.

  She dropped hers to my shoulder.

  “Look at me,” I hissed and it took a few beats before her eyes lifted to mine. “You called me tonight knowing. Knowing that for me, they’d swing their asses out there for you. Knowing this was bad shit. Knowing they’d be in danger. And without a thought, for me Shy swung his ass out there for you. He called his brothers and they swung their asses out there for you. My man, my dad, my brother, my family, all getting out of bed to take on your shit. Now, my man bled for you. Now, my family has a problem because… of you.”

  “Tabby—”

  I shook my head. “No, you don’t get to talk. I gave you chance after chance to talk for months, and you didn’t take me up on any of them. You left me hanging until you fell so far, you were buried and needed help digging yourself out. I offered you my h
and months ago, Nat, you refused to take it. Right now, you are dead to me. Dead. The only way you get resurrected is if you kick that shit, for good, Natalie, pay your dealer with your own fucking money and figure out a way to make this good for my family. You pull off that miracle, you breathe for me. Until then, you do not exist.”

  “Tab, you were right, you—” she started, leaning toward me beseechingly, but I stepped away from her and turned to Boz.

  “Take me to Shy,” I demanded.

  “Honey, shit’s hot and Shy wants you at the Compound where you’re safe,” Boz replied.

  “Take me… to my man!” I shrieked, losing it. I needed Shy, needed to see for myself he was okay.

  Boz opened his mouth but Hound moved in.

  “Yell, scream, scratch, slap, bite, woman, whatever you do, not gonna happen. We get you, you lost a man, you’re tweaked. But we’re tellin’ you, he’s fine and we’re yours, Tab, you’re ours, we would not shit you about something that important. Now, Shy says you stay here. You stay here. You wanna be away from this bitch, you’ll get that. We’re lockin’ her down so they can’t get to her and she can’t get into more trouble. What we are not gonna do is take you to our brother when he told us to keep your shit safe. You try to go, woman, you’re locked down too. Your choice, sit your ass down and have a drink or find yourself locked in your man’s room. Make it. Now. We got shit to do.”

  I glared at Hound, but even angry I took in the look in his eyes and knew I could throw a fit and not get my way. Anyway, they had shit to do, and I was no old lady if I kept them from that. Since I was Shy’s old lady and my behavior reflected on him, I backed down.

  But, since I was Tabby and he was Hound, I didn’t do it gracefully.

  “You’re off my Christmas card list,” I announced.

  To which he replied immediately, “Didn’t know I was on it.”

  My eyes narrowed. “You don’t open my Christmas cards?”

  “Tab, you want me to stand here talkin’ about Christmas cards or do you want me to take care of business?” Hound fired back.

  I kept glaring then I declared, “I need a drink.”

  “Color me a bartender,” Elvira stated, hopped off her stool, aimed a look at Malik, who was still leaning casually into the bar, then she strutted her round ass covered in a designer dress around the bar.

  “Lock her in Hound’s room and get Joker. Speck’s here to help out. You boys lock this place down and patrol Ride. You’ll get reinforcements soon,” Boz said to Rush. Rush jerked up his chin and led a pale-faced, silently weeping Natalie away.

  I ignored my best friend’s emotion (which was hard) and hitched my behind up on a bar stool.

  Malik slid close while Elvira poured coffee.

  “Scared straight works, honey,” Malik said, and I looked at him. “Seen it time and again.”

  “Not sure at this moment I care,” I replied.

  “At this moment, no. I see that.” He leaned closer. “Get to that point though, girl. Your man might have shed blood but he’s breathing. You need to find forgiveness because you care about her. To get her out of a porn movie nurse’s outfit and on a healthy path, she’s going to need all the help she can get.”

  “Not to be a bitch or anything, but what are you, a drug counselor?” I asked.

  “No, I’m a vice cop,” he answered.

  Well, that explained that.

  I looked to Elvira. “You’re seein’ a cop?”

  Elvira, done with the coffee, was now pouring shots of tequila. She glanced at Malik then looked at me. “I was.”

  I turned to Malik to see him grinning at Elvira like he thought she was adorable.

  I turned back to Elvira to see her slugging back a shot of tequila. She then chased this with a sip of coffee.

  Only after that did she reply, “To get a badass I had a choice. Biker, commando, military, or cop. My clothes do not say back of a bike. Commando screams ‘messy’ and, trust me, I know this from experience. I do not wanna spend my days learning the different ways of getting blood out of cargo pants. And military men are deployed and I’m sure not takin’ out the trash for months and worryin’ myself sick while he’s off somewhere gettin’ shot at, even if it is to keep my people safe. So I got stuck with a cop. He gets shot at and keeps people safe, but at least he’s home to take out the trash.”

  “I’m not sure you did that bad, Elvira. Just saying, breakfast in bed?” I pointed out and her eyebrows flew up.

  “Girl, don’t tell me. I’ll remind you, you held a grudge for three days over crushed ice. You witnessed his transgressions. For that, I get at least a week and you know it.”

  She was not wrong. He yelled at her in front of an audience. Shy would buy a freeze-out for that, definitely.

  To communicate that, I sipped coffee.

  “You go a week, baby, we got problems,” Malik said low.

  Elvira rolled her eyes at me but didn’t reply.

  “You talk to your girl any longer like I’m not standing right here, we also got problems,” Malik carried on.

  Elvira transferred her eye roll to him.

  “You roll your eyes one more time, you lose my mouth,” he warned.

  Elvira glared at him.

  What she didn’t do, I will note, was roll her eyes or talk about Malik like he wasn’t there.

  I kept sipping coffee.

  I watched Rush and Joker walk through the Compound giving Malik looks to which he gave an affirmative, nonverbal, macho man, I got this chin lift. I didn’t know what he had, but I was guessing what he had was his woman in a biker Compound, so even as a vice cop he was going to do his bit to make sure the Compound was safe.

  Then I watched my brother and his brother walk out the front door.

  Then I waited patiently for my man to get to me.

  As any biker babe from birth would do.

  * * *

  “Babe, I’m fine.”

  “Let me look at it.”

  “Tabby, sugar, I’m fine.”

  I leaned away from Shy and planted my hands on my hips, staring up at him. “And I’m a nurse, Shy Cage. I’m also your woman. And I’m gonna look at it.”

  “It’s all good,” Shy replied. “Baldy knows what he’s doing.”

  Dr. Baldwin, a man I’d known for years, did know what he was doing but he did it for cash and he didn’t come cheap. This meant that even though he owned a Harley, needed a haircut, had tattoos, and looked like a bruiser, he also had an extremely well-equipped clinic whose back door saw more action than the front.

  Regardless of the knowledge that Baldy knew what he was doing, I took Shy in with a professional eye.

  He’d returned about ten minutes before, which was about ten minutes after Malik performed a miracle, got Elvira to lose the attitude, and by the time Shy, Dad, and the rest of the boys strolled in, all seriously pissed off, Elvira was standing between his spread legs as he sat on his stool and they were bar-stool cuddling.

  It was cute.

  Now, Shy and I were in his room at the Compound. He looked like what he said he was except for a small, white bandage at his neck and discoloration on his black tee under the bandage which I knew as dried blood. His color was good. He didn’t appear lethargic, and he’d had stitches with only a local anesthetic.

  Still, I wanted to see.

  “Honey, sit on the bed and let me see,” I requested quietly.

  He held my eyes for a few beats before sighing and sitting on the bed.

  I got close, gently peeled back the tape and looked.

  The boys told no lies. It was just a nick that took only a few stitches. My man was fine.

  Thank God.

  Carefully, I pressed the tape back and sat on the bed beside Shy.

  “Happy?” he asked me.

  “That my best friend is an idiot that led my man into a situation that included an exchange of bullets and the Club buying problems?” I asked back. “No.”

  Shy moved, gathering me in his
arms and hauling me onto the bed.

  When he had us arranged, him on his back, me mostly on him, he slid his hand into my hair and informed me, “As much as I don’t wanna let anything slide with that bitch, Club’s been havin’ problems with Benito for a while. We got Chaos territory around Ride that’s drug and hooker free. This message is clear to everybody, but lately Benito’s been encroaching.” He held my eyes, took in a deep breath and stated, “You tell him, I won’t be happy, but this is why Rush was undecided about the Club.”

  “I don’t get it,” I told him.

  He rolled me to my back, pressing into me, hovering close. “Right, Tab, the people who keep Chaos territory clean are Chaos.”

  “Okay,” I stated.

  Shy studied me then explained, “The brothers, babe. Not the cops.”

  I blinked then too little sleep, too much tequila mixed with too much coffee cleared away and it hit me.

  “Are you saying you’re vigilantes?” I breathed.

  Shy nodded. “Our territory, our rule, our law, all in our hands. Five-mile radius around the shop and garage. All the shops. All Chaos territory.”

  Oh crap. I didn’t know this.

  I mean, I wasn’t stupid, and I heard my mother and father fighting all the freaking time, so it wasn’t like I didn’t know the Club had a rocky history. Furthermore, it was a motorcycle club. That right there said a lot. Dad had plans from the start to get the Club clean. I’d been mostly shielded from what it took to get Chaos clean, but stuff was extreme when he went about doing it so it wasn’t like it was lost on me.

  But Dad did it. He got the Club clean.

  “Shy—”

  His hand cupped the side of my head and his face got closer. “Baby, leave it be.”

  “I’m not sure—”

  His hand pressed gently into my head. “Not bein’ a dick, you know it, but still gotta say it. Sugar, you don’t get to be anything. This is Club business. Just know your dad is no fool. He has it goin’ on. But Rush is his father’s son. He didn’t live the nightmare your dad lived with the Club’s past history, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a mission. Tack pulled the Club through some serious shit, but he’s still Chaos and is used to doin’ it his way, takin’ care of Club business, lookin’ after what’s ours. Rush thinks Tack’s job is not done. He wants us to protect what’s ours and get our hands clean of all the dirt we gotta rub up against to keep our patch clean. Rush thinks that’s the job of the Denver Police Department and our job is to look after our own, not everything within a five-mile radius. My guess is, he talked with your dad about this, Tack knows that shit can encroach if you don’t keep a safe perimeter, and they didn’t see eye to eye. My other guess is, instead of keepin’ his distance and makin’ his statement by stayin’ out of the Club, he decided to take his chance at making change by joining us.”