by Sarah Peis
Jim was sitting on a bar stool, drinking one of my beers. Good to know he still had no boundaries.
“What do you want?” I asked, standing on the other side of the counter.
He took a long drink of his beer, making my blood boil. “I just wanted to see my kids.”
I crossed my arms to stop myself from slapping him over his big head. “So you just decided to show up here? Why the sudden change of heart?”
He grinned at me, showing the dimples I used to find adorable. “Don’t be mad. You used to like being spontaneous.”
“I also used to like you. Guess I finally grew up,” I said, clenching my teeth.
He took another sip of his beer, and I noticed his hands were shaking. His hair was greasy, and he’d lost weight. “I need a place to stay for the night.”
Luca came into the kitchen before I had a chance to reply. “Mommy, there’s a fly in the room.”
I took his hand and walked him back to his and Lena’s room. “Come on, Sötnos, let’s get you back to bed and find that fly.”
Lena was already fast asleep, sprawled out on her mattress like a starfish. I pretended to catch a fly that wasn’t there, and after making a big production out of throwing it out the window, Luca was back in bed. His eyes were already half closed when I pulled the blanket over him and kissed his cheek.
I straightened back up, took a deep breath, and wished for things that could never be. Like a meteorite falling on Jim. Just a teensy tiny one that wouldn’t do any damage to anything or anyone but him. I rounded the corner back into the kitchen, watching Jim drink his second beer. The empty bottle of his first sat forgotten on the counter.
“It’s only for one night,” he said, as soon as he noticed I was back.
“Are you out of your mind? No.”
“You won’t even know I’m here,” he pleaded, peeling the label off his beer bottle. “I’m in a bit of a jam.”
When is he ever not in a jam? The only thing that had changed was I was no longer willing to bail him out.
I pointed to the front door. “Get out.”
“There are people looking for me. I just need one night to sort myself out.”
Did he just bring his problems to my doorstep? I went from trying to have a calm conversation to a nuclear explosion.
I stalked up to him and then stopped before I did something I’d regret later. Oh, who am I kidding? I’d never regret punching him in his smug face.
“Are you out of your mind? Do you ever think of anyone but yourself?” I whisper-hissed, praying he didn’t endanger us by coming here.
“Of course I do. I was thinking of you. That’s why I’m here,” the woodhead replied.
I shrieked and threw a sponge at him. He was too slow to duck, and it hit him on the cheek with a satisfying thud.
“You would willingly put us all in danger just so you can hide somewhere for the night?” I asked, glaring at him.
He leaned back, his eyes not meeting mine. “If you put it like that—”
“That’s exactly how I’m putting it.”
I was fuming, looking for something else to throw at him that I wouldn’t miss if it broke, when Luca came back into the kitchen.
“Mommy, I’m done with sleeps. I’m awake now.”
I turned to my son standing in the entry to the kitchen, hoping my smile didn’t look as fake as it felt. “It’s still night, honey. Let’s go back to bed and try closing your eyes again, okay?”
He put his arms around my neck when I picked him up, and I hugged him to me. I instantly felt better.
When I had him back under the covers, I’d come to a decision. Jim would never just leave, and it was easier to let him do what he wanted.
I hated myself in that moment for giving in to him once again. When would I ever learn?
As much as I loathed him now, I used to love him. Used to think he was everything that mattered in the world. So with a sigh, all the rage drained from my body and I felt defeated. When I came back, I said, “Fine. You can stay on the couch. But I want you gone before the kids get up.”
He grinned and held his beer up in a toast. “Thanks, sugar. You won’t even know I was here.”
Without another word, I stomped to my bedroom.
***
He was gone the next day, leaving empty beer bottles and dirty dishes behind. But at least he wouldn’t confuse the kids more than he already had.
They looked for him for a hot second before their mind was on breakfast. I was distracted, my thoughts on last night. Something the little hellions took full advantage of. I ended up agreeing to make them pancakes, and we were running late by the time they finished eating.
Luca was going to preschool, and Lena would stay at home with me while I worked. After dropping my son off, the day was as chaotic as always. I’d have to play catch-up tonight since I wasn’t working at the club.
Lena was taking a nap and I was typing out an email when I heard the loud roar of motorcycles. It was a common occurrence in the small town, and I hardly noticed anymore. They had their clubhouse on the outside of town and often rode down my street to get there.
Only this time the noise didn’t fade but rather sounded as if they’d stopped right outside. I looked out the window and choked on my spit when I saw three bikes parked in my driveway.
There was a knock at my door and I shot up, unsure of what to do. Should I call the police? Open the door? Call Malena?
Another knock, this time more insistent. As I didn’t want Lena to wake up, the decision was made for me. I had to open the door.
The three guys who were on the other side didn’t look like anyone you’d want to invite inside. They were big and brawny and wore varying degrees of displeasure on their face. Lots of frowning and narrowed eyes.
“Hi. Hello. Hi,” I mumbled, my hands shaky. “How can I help you?”
“You need to come with us,” one of them said with a scowl on his face.
I took a step back, my eyes going wide. “What are you talking about?”
“This can all be over in a few hours as long as you cooperate,” the same guy said.
I gasped, taking a step back. “Cooperate?”
Is this guy on drugs? Of course I wouldn’t willingly go with them. That just screamed bad slasher movie. They looked like they could kill me with their bare hands.
I tried to close the door so I could call the police like I should have done as soon as they knocked. Instead of the click of the latch, there was a grunt, and the guy who’d talked to me stepped inside, pushing the door open. It hit me in the head, and I fell back.
“Shit,” I howled, clutching my forehead. When I pulled my hand away, there was blood.
“Clean up and let’s go,” the big guy barked at me.
I stumbled to the sink, grabbing paper towels and pressing them to my head. “I can’t just leave.”
Big Guy crossed his arms over his chest, the other two men flanking him. “This isn’t a negotiation. We’re taking you to the clubhouse with or without your cooperation.”
Okay. Think, Nora. Oh God, what if they start cutting off my fingers? Or lock me in a room and only feed me once a week? What would happen to my kids?
I stopped thinking mighty fast when I saw Lena standing in the doorway, clutching her stuffed octopus to her chest. The guys followed my line of sight and shifted when they spotted my daughter.
“Mommy, me hungry,” Lena said and came up to me, holding her hands up.
I picked her up with one arm and sat her on my hip, my other hand still holding the paper towels to my face.
My eyes met the cold glare of the guy who’d been speaking. “I can’t leave her here.”
“Fuck,” he yelled.
“Language,” I scolded immediately, and my eyes went round when I realized what I’d done.
He didn’t seem to mind, or maybe he didn’t hear me, because he talked to the other two guys in hushed whispers, and they disappeared shortly after.
&nb
sp; “We’re taking your car.”
I didn’t think I liked that option any better than the last. “Let me just call someone to watch her. She doesn’t have to be involved in this. She’s only a toddler. She wouldn’t even be able to describe you.”
Or pick them out in a police lineup. Me, on the other hand…
“No phone calls. Now get her ready. You have two minutes.”
I stood unmoving, staring at him. How did this happen? Why did this happen? I must have done something really bad in a past life. And two minutes? To get ready to go with a two-year-old? Is he delusional?
“One minute thirty seconds.”
“No way, that wasn’t thirty seconds,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “You didn’t even look at your watch.”
When he stepped forward, I sprang into action, dumping the paper towels in the sink and rushing to find Lena’s bag. She had snacks and diapers in there that should hold her for the next however many hours we’d be gone.
I grabbed it off the kitchen table where it was buried under a pile of clean laundry and turned. “Ready.”
He didn’t respond, just herded us out of the house and to my car. The other two guys were sitting on their bikes, ready to pull out. They’d moved his bike to the end of the driveway, so it was sitting in front of the garage that I only used as storage.
My car was so old, putting it under any sort of cover would just extend its suffering. I hoped it would die a swift death soon so I could claim insurance and buy another rust bucket.
I strapped Lena into her seat and got in on the passenger side. Big Guy needed a few attempts before he figured out the best way to fold himself into my tiny car. I would have laughed if this situation weren’t so scary.
“Phone,” he barked, and I jumped in my seat.
At this stage, I thought it was better to cooperate. I’d done nothing wrong, after all. Maybe if I didn’t piss them off too much, they’d just let me go.
I handed my phone over, and he put it in his pocket. There was no way I was going to try and get it back from there. He turned the key and was greeted with a cacophony of warning lights. I noticed my fuel light had joined the choir, beeping alongside the engine and battery lights.
The biker raised a brow at my brightly lit dashboard and backed out of my driveway. The drive was short but still gave me enough time to work myself into hysterics. If they hurt my little girl, I would go nuclear on their gang. It was one thing to threaten me, but if they thought to do anything to my kids, they’d learn what a pissed-off mom could accomplish with wet wipes and large toys.
We pulled up to large gates, and the biker talked to the guy manning them. He waved us through, and we pulled up to a warehouse-looking building that had seen better days.
“Get out and follow me,” he barked, heaving himself out of my small car.
I did as I was told, getting Lena out of the back and holding her to me. She didn’t like being held so close and started to wiggle, but I couldn’t put her down because then we’d never make it inside. And I thought it wasn’t a good idea to piss them off this early in the game.
The interior was bright, windows covering the top part of the walls. The space was open, only one hallway leading off to the left. There was a second-story landing winding in a circle along the outside wall and looking out over the warehouse floor. Doors were evenly spaced apart, making it look almost like a hotel.
I had taken about three steps inside when a loud crash sounded and an angry voice called out, “What the fuck happened to her face?”
I turned toward the familiar sound and locked eyes with Sebastian. And what eyes they were. A little green, a little midnight blue, and a lot pissed off.
“I—” I started to say even though he wasn’t talking to me, his attention on the man who drove me here.
“Prez asked us to bring her in, so I brought her in,” Big Guy said.
Lena decided she’d had enough and started pushing against me in her efforts to get down. She turned into a little eel and slipped out of my hold. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she let out a triumphant squeal and tried to bail.
I managed to grab her by the back of her sweater and her escape attempt came to a screeching halt. And I meant that in the most literal sense, because she let out a screech so loud it could shatter eardrums.
“What the hell is going on here?” another voice joined in.
The guy who came with the voice was just as built as the rest of them, making me think they all took steroids. Didn’t they know that stuff would shrink other parts of their bodies?
“Sorry, she just woke up,” I said, looking back at my daughter, who was now shadowboxing.
“Ace, take care of the kid. You”—he pointed in my direction—“come with me.”
“What? No. I’m not leaving my daughter with a stranger,” I protested, my eyes jumping from the new guy to Sebastian.
Now I wasn’t just worried but terrified.
Before I had a chance to argue further, Sebastian stepped forward and scooped Lena up off the floor. She was so stunned from being picked up by a stranger that she immediately stopped screaming and stared at him.
I could get behind that. If I could, I’d stare at him as well. Even though he was part of the same group of people that had basically just kidnapped me. But tell that to my eyes. They were only interested in his broad shoulders and the sharp angles of his face.
“She’ll be here when you come back. I won’t let anything happen to her,” Sebastian said, leaning down so nobody else could hear him but me. “Go with our prez.”
I wanted to scoff at him, but I didn’t get a chance to do more than widen my eyes as someone grabbed my arm and dragged me away.
Sebastian growled and pierced the guy pulling me behind him with a glare. I had to admit I was feeling better knowing he was the one watching Lena. Irrational, but still reassuring.
They led me into a messy but clean office and pushed me down into a chair. My breath hitched and my whole body trembled.
“Your man owes us a lot of money,” said the guy Sebastian called the prez.
He took a seat behind his desk, making me feel like I was in the principal’s office.
“He’s not my man,” I responded, my voice quivering.
“Then why did he stay at your house last night?”
Jim, you buttgoblin. I’d always known that waste of space only thought of himself, but this really took the cake. If he’d even cared about his family at all, he would never have come to me. And now they probably thought I was helping him with whatever shady business he’d cooked up.
“He came by last night because he needed a place to stay,” I said, forcing the words out of my dry throat.
And I let him. One of the worst decisions I’d made in a while. Right after adding red highlights to my raven hair last year.
“Where is he?” Prez asked.
I jumped at his loud voice. “I don’t know.”
“He borrowed money from us that he never paid back.”
I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath before saying, “That mother puffin banana sucker.”
Why would he borrow money from a motorcycle club? Had he completely lost his mind? Wait, that was a stupid question, because evidence suggested he was one cup short of a set.
“Since you have no money either, we’ll have to get it back another way,” he said, and my eyes went wide.
“Oh God. Oh no, please don’t cut off my fingers,” I called out, jumping out of my chair and burying my hands in my armpits. “I have kids. I need to work. If you maim me, I’ll be out of a job.”
“Why would we cut off your fingers?” he asked, frowning.
“Or my toes,” I added, looking at my sandals. I’d painted my toenails a deep red last night, and they looked too pretty to be cut off. They weren’t even chipped yet.
“Calm down,” Prez grunted and got up. “You won’t lose any body parts. But we’ll put someone on you until Jim shows up.”
&nb
sp; I looked up at him with wide eyes. “What does that mean?”
“Someone will be with you at all times. If Jim is stupid enough to show his face again, it’ll be a win for both of us. You get rid of us, and we get Jim.”
“But I have to go to work. I can’t just show up with a stranger,” I said, glad my shaking hands were still safely stuck in my armpits.
Prez leaned closer. “You won’t be showing up with a stranger. Ace works at the same place as you. And since he’s the one who will be glued to your side, it won’t be a problem. You’ll just have to line up shifts. Which is also no issue since we own Pepper’s.”
I gasped, blinking at him, not comprehending how things could get worse.
And who is Ace? Why does everyone here seem to have a ridiculous nickname?
“We’ve been watching you for a while. But you had no contact with Jim until yesterday. Knew we’d get lucky eventually,” he said and I jolted back, dropping my hands to my sides.
“You’ve been watching me?”
“It’s the only reason I believe you when you say you don’t have much to do with him anymore,” he said, watching me with a glint in his eyes. I didn’t think much would get past him.
Guess his stalkerish ways worked out in my favor. Even if it was creepy. How had I never once noticed anyone watching me?
“Does that mean I can go home now?” I asked, a small flicker of hope coming to life in my chest.
He nodded at the guy behind me. “Gears will take you back to your kid.”
I scrambled to follow Gears out the door, falling over my own feet in my haste.
“Thanks for not cutting off a finger,” I called over my shoulder, my manners getting the best of me.
Instead of replying, he shook his head at me, one side of his mouth pulled up into a teensy grin.
“Ace,” Gears called when we got back to the main room.
Sebastian looked up, and my stomach dropped. Was he the one who was supposed to watch me?
“You finished with the prez?” he asked my escort, not once looking in my direction.
He was holding Lena, looking like a wet dream come to life. Because hot guys holding toddlers were irresistible in my books. Especially if said toddler was currently playing with the hot guy’s hair and he didn’t care how hard she tugged on it.