His Promise

by Wilder, Brook

  Chapter 23

  Rocco’s hands slipped from around the throttle of his bike, and he lifted his hand to wipe the sweat off of his brow. The run down gas station that he pulled in front of had just flickered on it’s lights for the day. The gas station attendant ambled around their booth and tugged at the sides of their dark red vest.

  Rocco shook his head. I remember when Mom tried to get me to work a normal job like that back in the day. I laughed her off like it was the most ridiculous thing that I’d ever heard. If I had settled for a gig like that, I probably wouldn’t be running halfway across the country with no clue as to where my Old Lady and my unborn kid are.

  A navy blue sedan pulled into the gas station. The driver’s side door opened and a long legged woman stepped out of the car. Her heels clicked against the asphalt as she headed towards the building. Her short, flirty, sun dress fluttered around her knees.

  As if she could feel Rocco’s eyes resting on her legs and back, she turned her head and grinned. A thick bundle of dark hair followed her, and she winked before turning back around and heading inside.

  Mariah used to wear little dresses like that. Rocco sighed, and lifted his legs off of his bike. His head swiveled on his shoulders and he narrowed his eyes at the rural scene that took place behind him.On the other side of the dirt road between the gas station, was a couple of tractors and a couple of guys leaning against them.

  Rocco wore a friendly grin and lifted his hand towards them. They nodded their heads in response, and Rocco took a few steps towards the gas station. His shoes created clouds of dirt as she shuffled inside of the building. He pushed his hand against the glass and stepped inside. The cool breeze of the air conditioning, which had to be cranked all of the way up, hit him instantly.

  He dragged his knuckles across his cheeks and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. The woman that had met eyes with him in the parking lot turned her head and offered him another smile. Her lips were lined with a wine colored lipstick, and her big, brown eyes scanned his face.

  Rocco nodded politely and said, “Good Afternoon.”

  Her voice hit his ears like a suggestive caress, “It is a good one, isn’t it?” The woman’s voice was rougher than most women’s. Hailey’s soft, high pitched voice wouldn’t have been able to get a word in with this woman around. The woman moved forward in line and set her elbows on top of the counter. “I’ll take twenty on five, and a pack of menthols. I’ve got a long trip ahead of me. Oh, I’ll also pay for whatever he’s getting.” She jerked her thumb back at Rocco and said, “Now’s a good time to grab something to eat.”

  Rocco’s eyes widened and he waved his wallet out in front of her. “You don’t need to do that, I’ve got it.”

  The woman raised one of her bony fingers and wiggled it out in front of him. “Nope, something tells me that you’re out of my league, and that you’re going to say no if I ask you out. So, I’d rather do something nice for you so that I can think about it later.”

  The cashier coughed, and the woman gestured at the man that sat behind the glass. “See? We’re holding him up.”

  Rocco sighed, but a smile crept in on the edge of his lips. “Alright, you can pay for my gas.”

  The woman reached into her purse and pulled out a thick band of twenties. She stripped a few bills off of the roll and handed them over to the cashier. She twisted her head and turned towards him, “See? Look at how easy that was.”

  The cashier slid a few singles back to her and she tucked them into the folds of her brown colored satchel. She slapped her hand on Rocco’s shoulder and slid past him, “Have a nice trip.”

  Rocco watched her dress swish around her legs as she went. He turned his head and shared a glance with the cashier that stood behind the counter. The man bounced his eyebrows and grinned, “Lucky day, huh?”

  Rocco shook his head as the woman slipped into her sedan and steered the car onto the dirt road. “Maybe if I didn’t already have an Old Lady.” He chuckled and said, “You know how it is.”

  The cashier nodded and Rocco said, “I have the bike at eight, that’s the one that she was paying for, just so you know.”

  Rocco stepped outside and walked up to the gas pump. He unhooked it from the holster and chuckled to himself. He squeezed his fingers around the pump and his eyes followed the tractor that ambled about across the street.

  ***

  The heat had finally broken around midnight. Hailey had gone through the motions for most of the afternoon, trailing behind her mother and Becca as they walked throughout stores and holding maternity dresses up to her body. She sighed, the heat had been grueling, she was confident that you could have slipped into any one of the health food stores in her mother’s neighborhood and tossed an egg onto the sidewalk only to see it perfectly cook around the edges.

  Hailey stretched her legs out, and worked her hands into the tops of her legs and the back of her knees. The feeling of her fingertips pressing into the soft skin underneath her knee reminded her of the gentle pressure that Rocco would apply as he’d grab her legs for leverage. A chill shot through her body, especially when she thought of the way that Rocco would use his thick, massive hands for so much good. Hailey tossed her head back and sighed.

  Her eyes drifted over to the set of keys that rested on the end table beside her. She set her hand on top of the end table, and turned her eyes towards the carefully packed drawstring bag that rested against the doorframe.

  When can I leave? She slipped off of the bed and carefully walked across the floor. Hailey pressed her body into the door and wrapped her hands around the doorknob. She pushed the door open and stepped into the hall. A draft sailed through the empty hallway, she winced as the floorboards creaked underneath her footsteps.

  Hailey craned her neck to look over the bannister, and ran her eyes over the armchair and sofa in the livingroom to see if she could spot a hint of Eric lounging about. Eric was a bit of a night owl, which was the complete opposite of his wife’s sleep pattern. Anna usually retired around 10 each night, while Eric would meander into the living room around that time and devour a book.

  I really don’t need any questions from Eric. Hailey crept down the stairs and breathed a sigh of relief to find the sofa and arm chair abandoned. She pulled the heavy front door of the brownstone open. Hailey stepped onto the stoop, and nodded at a young couple that moved along the sidewalk.

  The woman leaned into the man by her side. “I’m going to have a ton of work to do tomorrow, I can’t believe that I let you talk me into this.”

  Hailey sighed and moved down the steps and onto the sidewalk. The moonlight glinted off of the metal of Rocco’s bike. She moved towards it and set her palm on top of the throttle. I was in such a hurry to get here using this thing. Now I can’t wait to go back. Hailey tossed one of her legs over the bike and sat back on the motorcycle. Well, it’s not that I can’t wait. I just don’t know if I can afford to sit back and hope that Rocco is okay.

  The cold metal of the bike pressed against her inner thighs. Hailey ran her palm over the delicate curves of the bike. A door smacked against the frame as a woman jogged down her stoop. Her trash swung from in between her fingertips and she wrinkled her nose and offered a quizzical glance to Hailey.

  Hailey grinned and slid off of the bike. She jogged up the steps and slid back into the brownstone. She moved over to the sofa and collapsed into the pillows. Hailey wrapped her arms around her belly and extended her legs out onto the sofa. She watched as people moved past the bike outside, and moved down the street and away.

  Chapter 24

  “Are you sure that you want to do this? It’s so risky.” Anna said, she smoothed the front of her already perfect pale pink sweater. She followed Hailey to the door and tugged at straps of Hailey’s drawstring bag.

  Hailey brushed her hair back and slipped a headband over her golden strands. “Yes, I’m sure. Plus, it’ll be worth it, it’s not like I’m being forced to do it.” Hailey bit down on her lip a
nd leaned against the doorframe. She turned her head and met eyes with Becca, who had been staring intently since Hailey had brought her things downstairs.

  Becca stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Hailey’s body. She squeezed her as tight as she could and allowed her chin to rest in the crook of Hailey’s neck. “Please, be careful. Don’t get yourself killed for Rocco.”

  Hailey patted Becca on the back and said, “I’m not,” she turned her head to Anna and said, “It’s going to be fine, I promise.” Hailey leaned forward and planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek. She waved goodbye to Eric, who was reclined in a chair across the room. Hailey pulled Rocco’s keys out of her pocket and pointed towards the bike that waited for her outside.

  “Alright. I’m going to go now,” she pulled the door open and ignored the poorly concealed sob that fell past her mother’s lips. Hailey stepped onto the stoop, and jogged down the steps. She hopped onto the bike, and twisted the key into the ignition.

  Anna leaned against the doorway and raised her hand. Becca hovered in the doorway as well. She waved to Hailey and said, “Goodbye, remember, I’ll kill you if you get yourself killed!”

  Hailey grinned and swung her arm in the air to wave goodbye. The engine of Rocco’s bike came to life, the roar of the machine rang out from underneath her. She wrapped her hands around the throttle and took off down the street.

  The wind whipped her hair around her face and cheeks, and she narrowed her eyes as she weaved through the crowded New York streets. Everything is going to be fine. Even if it’s not fine right away. She imagined how horrifying it would be to arrive back in Chicago only to have Rocco reject her for having left in the first place. Hailey pushed her what ifs and maybes to the back of her mind, and made room for herself to focus on the road that lied in front of her.

  ***

  It was almost fourteen hours later when Hailey drove through the checkpoint that led into Chicago. Her thighs ached, her body had not been broken in the way that most rider’s bodies had. Hailey’s eyes darted from left to right as she moved throughout the city, she scanned the streets for any signs of riders.

  It was another half hour before she pulled up in front of the apartment building that Rocco lived in. She sighed, and took her hands off of the throttle. She rolled her hands and craned her neck up towards the building. It looks so much bigger than it did before. Hailey slid off of the bike. She pressed her hand inside of her thighs, wincing at the soreness of the muscle. She slid the key ring onto one of her fingers and moved up the steps.

  Hailey nodded at a man that breezed out of the building, and made quick work of jogging up the steps to Rocco’s apartment. She stopped just outside of the door and leaned forward. She pressed her ear against the door and sighed. What am I going to do if I hear him moving around in there? What will he do? Hailey took a deep breath and slipped they key into the lock. She turned it to the right and pushed the door open.

  The door fell open and Hailey stepped inside. She was enveloped by the heavy darkness. Hailey raised her hand and threw her palm against the wall. A dim light came on in the center of the room. She closed the door behind her.

  “Rocco?” Hailey stepped into the middle of the apartment where Becca had been sitting only a week or so before. She moved into the kitchen and found nothing but a few stray crumbs, an empty plate, and a half full glass of water that flies had begun to rest on the edge of. Hailey wrinkled her nose and poured the glass into the sink, and gently set the glass on the bottom of the sink.

  “Rocco?” She repeated. She pushed the bedroom door open but the only sight to see was Rocco’s unmade bed. Hailey shut the door behind her and moved into the bathroom beside her. She flicked the light switch on and set her hand on top of the sink.

  He’s probably not coming back for a bit. I could rest here for tonight and figure out a game plan for tomorrow. Maybe I can get Clyde to meet me somewhere so that we can go over my options. Hailey pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. She shrugged off the straps of her drawstring bag, and allowed the bag to fall to the floor. Hailey stripped and stepped into the shower.

  The building creaked and groaned as the wind whistled outside. Hailey leaned against the wall and twisted the knob on the shower. The water pelted her skin and her muscles loosened under the water. Water slid off of her hair and down her shoulders. She shut her eyes and tilted her head back.

  Hailey winced as the building groaned once again. She opened one eye and wrapped her fingers around the edge of the shower curtain. Hailey peered into the empty bathroom, but all she found were pieces of her scattered clothes. She slipped back into the shower and stared straight ahead. Her fingers and toes were reduced to pruny versions of themselves by the time that she leaned forward and twisted the knob on the faucet. Hailey sighed and pulled the curtain back, she knelt down and retrieved a fresh pair of underwear and jeans from her drawstring bag. She pulled a thin, black and grey spaghetti strap tank top over her head.

  Hailey gathered her discarded clothes, and pulled the door open. The floors creaked and she lowered her eyes to the ground. Is this building over a hundred years old? It sounds like the wind could blow it down at any moment. Hailey sighed and stepped into the hallway, her foot hovered in the air as another creak rang throughout the air.

  You’re being—

  A cough echoed throughout the room and Hailey froze in place. She turned her head and her eyes connected with a pair of dark eyes. The room swirled around her. She blinked hard, and held her hand to her chest.

  Meish grinned and crossed his arms. “I came here expecting to find Rocco hiding out like a little bitch, but I found his bitch instead.”

  Hailey’s feet fumbled, and she fell backwards against the wall. Her fingertips pressed into the wall and she said, “How the hell did you get in here?”

  “Do you honestly think that I don’t know Rocco well enough to know where his spare key is?” Meish stepped forward and Hailey shrank back against the wall. She held her hand out in front of her and said, “I don’t know where Rocco or Becca is, Meish.”

  Meish stepped forward until his body was pressed against Hailey’s. He smirked and framed his hands on either side of her body. “I don’t need them anymore. I’ve got my bargaining chip back with me, and I’m not letting you escape this time.”

  “Meish, I can’t do anything about what’s going on between you and my father-”

  “This isn’t about your father,” Meish snapped, “It’s about Rocco having the audacity to think that he’s calling the shots. I wish that he knew what it would cost him.” He dragged his fingers underneath Hailey’s jaw, and a shiver of disgust shot through her body.

  Hailey’s chest heaved. Go for the jaw, or do I go for his groin? Hailey wrinkled her nose in disgust as she ran her eyes over Meish’s body. She lifted her knee and Meish’s eyes dropped down to her leg.

  He snorted and threw his strength against her. Meish wrapped his arms around the middle of Hailey’s waist and lifted her in the air. A blood curdling scream was ripped from Hailey and she threw her fists against his massive back. “No! Let me go, let me go!”

  Meish turned on his heel and head towards the door. Hailey dug her nails inside the thick material of Meish’s jacket, and her legs flailed about. She prepared her throat for another long scream.

  Meish flung the door open and Hailey curled her fingers around the doorframe. Her eyes widened as she slipped her fingers into the space between the door and the wall. She yelped and said, “Someone! Help, please!”

  Meish roughly tugged on her lower body and when her fingers didn’t slip from in between the door, he ordered, “Let it go or lose the fingers because this door has to close.”

  Tears ran down Hailey’s bright red cheeks and she shook her head as she attempted to dig her nails into the wood of the door. Meish grunted and gave a final tug. Hailey’s fingers were roughly pulled from the door, and she screamed bloody murder as Meish jogged through the stairwell.

 
; Once he made it to the bottom floor, Hailey’s vision had blurred. The colors of the tiles that lined the entrance way swam in front of her eyes, her stomach lurched and swirled as Meish roughly readjusted his grip on her lower abdomen.

  She assumed that the doors were wide open when a breeze hit the back of her legs.

  “Meish, is that Rocco’s Old Lady?”

  Meish cackled, “I wasn’t thinking of her as Rocco;s Old Lady, I was thinking that she was a major pain in my ass.”

  The sidewalk became visible for a moment. Hailey’s ears caught the sound of a door unlocking, and in a flash, she was right side up again. Hailey fell back onto the cushions of a deep black sedan. Her hands flew out against the car, and she gripped the window and the seat in front of her.

  Meish swatted her legs out of the way and leaned forward. He barked instructions at the rider that relaxed in the front seat, “Take twenty third street, don’t get caught by any of the street cams. If this little bitch escapes again, we can’t take any chances with getting caught.”