“You’re going to explain this, right fucking now,” he said in a slow and quiet voice.
When the asshole started pounding on the door, Creed turned, opened the door and glared at the man, “You touch this door one more time, and I’m not going to be so nice. Get the fuck out here on your own on or a stretcher, your choice.” Creed slammed the door again and turned on his Aunt.
“You’re going to start talking, or should I go out there and beat the mother fucker like he deserves?”
“You don’t understand,” Creed’s aunt glared at him, her hands on her hips.
“Oh, now you have a backbone, but when that asshole was talking down to you in your own kitchen, all you could do is apologize and shit. What the fuck Aunt Kim?”
“It’s none of your business, stay out of it Creedence. You haven’t been around in years, you have no right to judge me or what goes on in my house.”
Creed watched as she stormed over to the counter and grabbed a piece of paper, holding it out to him. He could figure out what was going on. Walking to her he took the paper, still pissed off at what he’d witnessed. Looking down, he saw a number. Looking back at her, he didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to because Aunt Kim seemed to have a lot to say.
“That’s Shake’s number; if you can’t reach him there because he didn’t pay his damn bill, you can find him at the Shack around three o’clock. He’s there every day. Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.”
“You're kicking me out because I got rid of that piece of trash?” Creed demanded, gritting his teeth.
“No, I’m kicking you out because you can’t keep your damn mouth shut and your hands to yourself. You don’t have the right to kick someone out of my house. I decide who comes and goes, and right now, that’s you!” Kim screamed, pointing toward the front of the house.
“Fine,” Creed yelled back, “I’ll leave, but you can bet your ass, I’ll be back and if that fucker is here, I’ll do the same damn thing.” Creed took four steps before he turned back around and grabbed his aunt in a hug. “Aunt Kim, I’m sorry, but damn, you can’t want that, please say you don’t want that.”
“Dolly, things aren’t always as they seem, you know that better than anyone. Just let it go, okay?”
“I’ll go for now, but I can’t let that shit go, Aunt Kim. You mean more to me then that as long as I have a breath in my body no one will treat you like that, understand?”
His aunt pulled back, looked him straight in the eye and said, “You need to let me handle this, Creed. Now, please, just head out, and we can talk later, okay?”
Creed nodded his head and walked out of the house, not saying another word, but once he got on his bike, he was seething. He could tell by the look in his aunt’s eyes that she was in trouble, and he was determined to find out why. He revved his bike and hit the throttle, sending stones and dirt flying and didn’t let up until he hit the freeway. Fuck, just what he needed, another problem.
CHAPTER TWO
Tessa James continued to wipe down the dirty bar. It seemed like every single time she got it to a halfway non-sticky state, another asshole would spill their drink. Hell, half the time, Tessa felt like they did it on purpose. She knew for a fact some of them did because they would smile at her while they were doing it and wait for her to come and clean up their mess. Why she expected manners in a place like this was beyond her though. No, these assholes didn’t give a shit as long as she filled that glass, listened to their sob story with a sympathetic smile on her face, her shirt showing just the right amount of cleavage, and wore her jeans tight enough to cut off the circulation to her feet.
Then there were the other ones who thought she enjoyed their constant commentary about how her boobs or ass were looking that day. Those were the best. Then again, those guys probably thought it was a compliment to say, “I must be hunting treasure because I’m digging your chest,” or “Nice beach balls, can I play?” Argh, it was annoying and so damn lame and that was just the early crowd before the bikers came in and took over the place. A couple would come through during her shift but not many and that was usually only for business purposes, or so she’d been told. Tessa worked until ten most nights. She had covered for some of the other girls and had to admit, she would take the crappy pick-up lines, catcalls, and lewd comments over what happened during “not business times.” Because the word ‘no’ wasn’t an acceptable answer if those guys wanted something, and Tessa had never been that type of girl.
She’d only been working at the Shack for four months and wouldn’t have worked past the first day if she didn’t need the money so desperately. She had to beg Junie to hire her in the first place. Junie had been against it but relented when Tessa said she didn’t have any other choice and started crying. Junie had always been a soft touch, a little wild but very kind hearted.
When Tessa’s parents died, and her brothers left, Junie had tried to get custody of her, but her brothers refused, saying she needed to stay with Aunt Carol because she was a better influence. Now that was some bullshit, Tessa grunted at her own thoughts. Aunt Carol was the worst of the worst. Religious nut job mixed with just the right amount of gold digger and spiteful bitch.
She had gone through Tessa’s inheritance in six months, then hit her brothers up for more, saying they had no idea how expensive it was to raise a child. Telling them with their military salaries, it was only right they should contribute, and they did. Without questioning Aunt Carol or saying a damn thing to Tessa.
Their money only appeased the evil bitch for a couple of years. When their money wasn’t tripping her trigger any longer, Aunt Carol decided to go after a bigger pay day. Meeting a very recent widower she latched on like her life depended on it. The man didn’t the responsibility of having a kid around at his age. So, the bitch threw her out at fourteen. Tessa found out later, her brothers had still been sending the woman money which just put the cherry on top of her shit sundae of a life.
Not liking where her mind was wandering, Tessa turned around and started to wash the never-ending array of dirty glasses. When she felt someone rub up against her ass, she knew she’d made a mistake. The only person who ever came behind the bar when she was there was Grinder, and the perv entirely lived up to his name, rubbing himself against her every chance he got. He was part of the MC that quote-unquote ran the place for Junie and one of the main reasons she hadn’t wanted Tessa working there. Tessa had told Junie she could handle it because the tips, even with the hours she worked, were great, but she was starting to doubt that; this man scared her.
When he whispered in her ear, “Got some business to take care of, babe, but why don’t you come back in the office in about an hour. I think it’s about time I found out if this ass looks as good out of those skin-tight jeans as it does in them,” he said while squeezing her butt, then moved his hand forward, cupping her intimately, “or if this pussy is a tight as I think it will be?”
Tessa barely kept herself from shivering in revulsion.
Grinder gripped her harder, causing Tessa to wince. “If you stand me up this time, babe, you can expect me at that big old house all the way out there in the woods by Sheppard’s Lake.”
Tessa’s body froze, and she stopped breathing altogether. Fuck, he knew where she lived. A mantra kept repeating in her head, please no, please no. But the asshole wasn’t done and what he said next was even worse. “Heard your brother decided to run free for a while. That means we can have some fun without being interrupted. Might be better than the office, now that I think about it,” Grinder growled low in her ear. Tessa could feel his erection pressed against her ass. Shit, what the hell was she going to do now?
Tessa’s heart was beating out of her chest and her breathing erratic like she couldn’t get enough air. Some part of her mind realized she was starting to panic which was precisely what Tessa didn’t need to do right now. She needed to keep her shit together long enough for him to go away but just knowing he knew exactly where sh
e lived and that she lived there by herself freaked Tessa out so much, she couldn’t move or speak. She just stood there while his hands touched her body, and he threatened her.
“Grinder! Get your damn hands off Tessa and get back here. You know she’s protected, and we have business.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute,” Grinder bellowed back to the man who had spoken.
Tessa could feel his body move away from hers, and she took her first shaky deep breath. She had no idea who had just saved her, but she didn’t care as long as they got Grinder away from her. When she felt the hard slap on her ass, she whimpered. Yes, whimpered and felt ashamed of herself. Who was this woman who couldn’t do anything but stand there and take this from a man she detested? She thought she was stronger than that but she remained stock still, unable to move.
Grinder moved in again close to her and said, “Big Brother isn’t going to be able to save you forever, little girl, better get used to that fact real quick. The Vultures want a taste, and I’m going to be the first one to get it.”
Tessa no longer felt his body near hers and had even heard every heavy stomp of his boots while he walked away, but she was still just standing there, frozen. As the time went by second after second.
Tessa waited for five minutes before she finally moved. She knew it was five minutes because she had looked up at the bar clock and watched as each second and minute went by so slowly. It was five minutes after ten and that meant she could get the hell out of there.
Turning around she saw Rena standing at the other end of the bar. The woman had witnessed exactly what Grinder had been doing and had done nothing. If she were being rational, she would have thought about what she did next, but she wasn’t anywhere close to rational at the moment. Tessa grabbed her purse, threw her apron down on the cash register and walked right to the other woman.
“Next time you’re in a jam, and you expect me to help you out, remember what just happened. Because I think instead of coming to your rescue like any decent person would do again, I’ll just stand there and watch, just like you did.” Tessa deliberately hit Rena’s shoulder with her own as she walked by. When Rena grabbed her arm and pulled her around, Tessa hadn’t been prepared for it, but the righteous anger she felt had kept her steady on her feet, ready to fight the woman if she had to.
“Listen to me, little girl,” Rena whisper-screamed. “You have no idea what would happen to me if I would have interfered with what Grinder was doing to you. Just be thankful I had Jet call him out. Are you so stupid, you can’t figure out what is going on around here? You work in a biker bar, this isn’t some fucking Irish Pub. Those men,” Rena said pointing to the back of the bar, “own this place and everything in it. The only reason you’ve been able to keep your rose-colored glasses on is your brother made a deal. No one gets to touch you, and he does their dirty deeds. That’s on you, don’t ever threaten me again. Better yet, why don’t you just quit and save us all the headache of keeping your ass safe? How about that?”
Rena walked away, leaving Tessa speechless. Tessa looked around the bar and noticed several people staring at her. She also heard voices in the back of the bar getting louder. Not wanting to chance another run in with Grinder, Tessa got the hell out of there, making a beeline from the bar to her car in less than a minute. She didn’t even pretend to walk out calmly that ship had sailed. She didn’t want to think about the implications of what Rena just said, and she sure as fuck didn’t want to think about Grinder.
Once she got into her car, she locked the doors and started the engine, but she couldn’t put the car in drive. Too shaken up, by everything that had just happened. Taking a few deep breaths, Tessa rested her head against the steering wheel, she just needed a minute to figure out what she was going to do next. When her phone rang, she jumped like it was going to attack her. Digging through her purse, she cursed until she found the damn thing buried at the bottom, quickly answering it.
“Hello?”
“Hey, honey. Rena just called, and I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to let you go.”
“You're firing me?” Tessa asked shocked.
“Yeah, listen, I knew this whole thing was a bad idea. You just don’t understand how these things work. Your I wanted to keep you away from all this even promised your brothers I would, but honey it is too late for that now.”
“Away from what?” Tessa asked, really not knowing what Junie was talking about.
She heard Junie sigh, “Listen to me, Tessa, those men, Grinder, they’re not to be played with.”
Tessa got pissed again, she hadn’t been playing with anyone, certainly not Grinder, and what the hell did her brother have to do with any of this. She was working in the damn bar because of one of them in the first place. The asshole had walked into her life after almost ten damn years and decided he wanted to put down some roots, his words not hers. Spouting all kinds of shit about how they were finally going to be a family, hell he even went out and bought a big old house, so they could live in it together. Because she needed to concentrate on finishing school.
It annoyed her, mainly because she had fallen for his promises hook, line, and sinker. She had finally gotten comfortable with the idea and living with him, and the asshole decided he couldn’t hack living in one place and decided to go back to being a nomad. She should have expected it, worse yet she should have prepared for it, but she hadn’t. For the first time in her adult life, she let herself rely on someone else, and look where that had gotten her. Tessa hated that she had to drop her classes and take on two jobs, just to make his freaking house payment. The same damn house Grinder knew about.
She heard the words coming out of her phone, something about keeping her safe and sending her best customers, but Tessa wasn’t catching all of the conversation only snippets.
Rudely interrupting the other woman, Tessa screeched, “Junie, what do my brothers have to do with anything?”
“Honey, I can’t tell you all of it, you just need to trust they have your best interest at heart.”
“My best interest, huh? So, it was in my best interest to leave me with that Psycho when I was too young to do anything about it, refusing to let me stay with you. And it was in my best interest when neither of them came back for years on end. Hell, they didn’t even bother to send me a fucking postcard, let alone a fucking birthday card. I bet that was in my best interest too. And let’s not forget the latest, saddling me with a house payment for a house I don’t even want. The reason I’m working in your bar in the first damn place. What exactly is my brother or brothers doing for my best interest now?” Tessa said seething.
Tessa heard Junie sigh again, and she went off, “Don’t you dare treat me like I am some irrational child, throwing some kind of temper tantrum. You know damn well what I’ve been through, and I haven’t been a child in a very long time. Out with it, June, or I’m going to start asking questions and finding the damn answers myself.”
“There are things you don’t know about, Tessa, and I’m not going to be the one who tells you. Just stay away from the bar and the Vultures. If you see any of them coming, go the other way. Better yet, forget about the house and get out of town for a while, give Grinder some time to find someone else to focus on.”
Jesus, this conversation was getting worse and worse, Tessa thought. First, she was fired and apparently stupid and naïve, now, it was her fault Grinder decided she was going to be his next conquest. It was fucking bull shit.
“Yeah, I think you might be right, June. I’ll forget about the house and my brothers, but it’s going to take a little more time for me to get out-of-town considering I have to finish school. Now that I only have one semester left and I’m halfway through it, what the hell, why don’t I just drop out. It’s only taken me an extra three years, what’s another one, right? I should just drop it and go on a vacation. I can totally afford that.
“But, hey, at least my tuition is paid, right? Big brother took care of that, so I think I’ll just pay
him back by letting his house go into foreclosure. It will be a nice thank you for all the love and attention he has given me all these years, what do you think June? Plus, bonus, since I don’t have a job, I can always live in my car. At least, that way, when Grinder decides it’s time to get his rape on, I can maybe drive away just in time to avoid him, what do you think?
Tessa hung up the phone, not giving one shit if she had just come off as a bitch or childish as hell. She justified it by thinking Junie deserved it. But the truth was Junie was just a scapegoat, and the two people who earned her wrath weren’t anywhere around as usual. Wanting nothing more than to get away from the bar, Tessa put her car in drive and slammed her foot on the gas. She would figure all this out, then she was going to hunt both her brothers down and tell them off, once and for all. Because right now, as far as she was concerned, she didn’t have any family.
CHAPTER THREE
Creed was still ticked about what happened at his aunt’s house. Looking around the dingy, dirty motel room, he figured his mood wouldn’t be changing anytime soon. The place was a dump, and it reeked. If the stained, lime green bedspread and nicotine encrusted curtains didn’t turn a person’s stomach, all they had to do was look at the carpet. Hell, he doubted the floor had been swept in several months. It definitely hadn't been changed since the 1970's. Plus, judging by the sticky-looking dust bunnies in the corner, it might have been that long since it had been swept. What he guessed was supposed to be shag carpet looked more like Berber because of the grime ground into it.
After being in the service and traveling around on his bike for a few years, he wasn’t particular about where he laid his head, but he did have a major issue with smells. This place smelled like a wet cat that smoked ten packs of cigarettes a day had been trapped in the room for a month and pissed all over the place. Unfortunately, for him, Creed had to be there at the moment to complete the next part of his mission. It also fit with what he was trying to show the lovely people of Hazard, Kentucky. More specifically, the MC’s that seemed to gravitate towards the place because of the rural location and direct highway access. Plus, the local PD was known to turn a blind eye if their pockets were appropriately lined. Creed hadn’t grown up here, but he had spent a lot of time in Hazard with his aunt, so he was known but also unknown, which worked well for his cover.
Creed: Ruthless Bastards (RBMC Book 5) Page 2