Saving Mia

by Michelle Woods

  “I don’t fucking know, but this shit has got to stop. We’re discussing taking this to the next level in church this week. I’ve had enough of this fucking bullshit. I am not going to have that be one of our women. Not ever again.” Bone’s cold voice broke across the room with a chill.

  Ratchet couldn’t blame the man. He was right enough was enough. Looked like they were going to war. Fuck. This was going to fuck with his plans though. He wouldn’t be able to go to the city as much. They’d leave that to the prospects they trusted while the club handled the harder stuff. Fuck, he thought. Plopping down in a chair to wait on word about the girl's condition from Doc with the others.

  Chapter 8

  Mia stood at her desk trying to figure out how seven crates of goods just this week were missing from the warehouse. She didn’t understand. She’d designated two crate to the rebels, but somehow seven were missing. How had this happened? She wondered desperately. Only she knew. Oh boy, did she know. She’d given Tray the key this time because she wasn’t able to get the crates out because Hilconn was on duty this week, and he had it out for her.

  Ever since Ratchet had given her that stupid discount on the damned crates he and his club had brought, the man had been nothing but trouble. Fuck. What was she going to do? Hilconn was going to notice seven crates of missing food. Why had she agreed to do this again? What the fuck had she been thinking? She should have just made those idiots wait until she could work a deal with the suppliers. Then she wouldn’t be in this predicament. Shit, how was she going to get out of this mess?

  If she could only talk to Ratchet, maybe he could help. She could pay him for some extra crates of supplies then put them in the warehouse. Maybe in a room normally not for food storage and “find” them. Shit, that wouldn’t work. She knew it wouldn’t. They weren’t due for two days and there was no way for her to get a message to him. She’d have to go see Tray. Tell him to give back the extra crates he’d taken last night. That could work. Yeah, that’s what she’d do. She sent him a coded message to meet her tonight.

  She waited for over an hour until he finally sent her a message back agreeing to meet. Fuck, this was a nightmare.

  “Hilmia, I just wanted you to know I had to report those missing crates. It wasn’t my choice of course, but procedure. You know how it is.” Hilconn sing-songed, a look of satisfaction on his face. Yes, and he hadn’t enjoyed that report at all she’d bet, she thought grimly. Asshole.

  “I understand, Hilconn. It was necessary. I intended to report it myself today.” Mia told him even though she hadn’t been about to report it at all. She would get those crates back from Tray, and put them back. Then she’d be okay, and this time she’d do it right. She’d work on getting a deal from the three suppliers. That was her only way to help the rebels now.

  “Of course, my dear, of course. Just didn’t want you in trouble for not reporting it. I know that it’s a lot of responsibility this job. You should really allow me to help you.” The little shit was telling her with a smug expression. She really hated him. The man was after her job, and today she was tempted to just let him have the damned thing.

  It was nine thirty, and Tray still hadn’t shown at their meet. She sent him a message about ten minutes ago, after waiting for an hour for him to show. Where the hell was that little shit? The Slum bell was about to ring in twenty minutes and she knew that he wasn’t going to cut it that close. He was always out of the city well before last bell.

  She took a deep drink of the whiskey she’d ordered ten minutes ago when she realized that he wasn’t coming. That he’d likely already given the supplies out to people in the Slums. She was so screwed. Her only hope was that he’d not given it all out yet. She heard her phone beep and check the incoming message which automatically decoded as it popped across her screen.

  Got tied up. Will meet tomorrow night, same time. Sorry. T

  Shit, that was just fucking great. She thought grimly. Just fucking great.

  The next night, after a day of Hilconn’s musings about where those crates could have possibly disappeared to, and her nerves were making her nuts. She was sitting in the little dive she usually met Tray in waiting. If that little shit didn’t show tonight she was going into the slums after him, she thought grimly looking at the door. Finally Tray walked in with his two goons in tow. She wanted to jump up and demand to know what he was going to do to get those crates back.

  The only thing stopping her was the fact that she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She was in enough trouble as it was. Tray sat down with his usual smile.

  “So what was so urgent that you needed to speak to me?” Tray asked.

  “You know what was so urgent, Tray. You took too many. I told you the ones to take. I know you understand what two crates are. That’s how many I told you there were, you little shit!” Mia growled, managing to keep her voice low despite her anger.

  “Well, sorry it just that there a lot of people going hungry. You said you wanted to help. So we took a few extra what’s the big deal?” He asked, not a bit concerned that what he’d done could get her thrown in jail, or worse killed.

  “The big deal you little weasel is that I could get thrown in jail for this. If anyone finds out I am helping you they will be coming after me, not you!” She told him wanting to wring the little shits neck. “How much do you still have, Tray?”

  “It’s fine your acting crazy. Nobody will know.” Tray tried to calm her down, only it wasn’t helping. Not at all.

  “I’m the one whose ass is on the line. HOW MANY, Tray.” She growled.

  “None.” Tray’s words almost made her heart stop. None. Had he just said none? She wanted to cry in dismay. How had they given out seven crates of food in a day? She wondered desperately.

  What was she going to do now? She wondered. She knew one thing for sure she was done helping this idiot. She should have listened to Marcus. He’d tried to tell her this was a bad idea. Only she had been too stupid to listen and now look where she was at.

  “Fine, but I’m done helping you, Tray.” Mia told him as she rose to her feet. “Find yourself another sucker to help you stick it to the council. I’m not helping you anymore.”

  “Wait, Mia. Sweetheart, you have to help us. You know nobody else will care.” He said catching her arm in a tight grip as she made to walk away.

  “Yes, and you’re the reason they will go hungry. Congratulations, Tray. You fucked up.” Mia jerked her arm free and began walking to the door. When she did movement off to her right caught her attention, and for a second her heart stopped. Then it resumed its steady beat. She thought for a moment that she’d seen Hilconn slipping into the crowd, but of course that was ridiculous. The man would never frequent a place like this, he was too stuck up to lower himself to drink with the commoners. She shook herself, and exited the bar headed home.

  The next day she was still trying to figure out a way to explain the missing crates. Standing in the warehouse about to head to her office she heard the sound of heavy foot falls headed in the direction of her office. She didn’t really think anything of it until she heard Hilconn.

  “What do you mean she’s not in there? She was in there a minute ago.”

  “Sir, the prisoner isn’t here.” Mia froze. Who were they talking about? They couldn’t mean her could they?

  “What the hell? Hilmia was in there. She must be in the warehouse.” Mia didn’t wait she ran towards the back door to the warehouse. She peeked outside seeing that there were no guards back here. She darted out into some bushes that ran alone the far side of the warehouse. If she could make it to the market she’d be able to escape in the crowds, she thought.

  Moving along inside the bushes she crouched near the building moving until she could see the front of the building. Hearing shouts and seeing men running into the warehouse she felt her heart pounding in her ears. There was no way she’d make it across the yard. Not with that many guards.

  That was when she heard the bikes. S
he waited, maybe she could make it to the market when they were dealing with the delivery she thought desperately.

  Ratchet was already in a really shitty mood today. Pulling up to find five guards blocking their way didn’t make him very happy. Bone who’d come expecting to talk to Mia, wasn’t happy either. He walked up talking to the guards. He looked grim when he headed back to talk to him and Tank who was standing with him at the back of the truck.

  “Shit, they’re fucking looking for that woman.” Bone growled angrily. “Something about stolen food.”

  “What woman?” Ratchet asked, but he already knew. There was only one woman who worked here. Fuck, what had Mia done?

  “The one I’m here to talk to, Hilmia I think.”

  “Mia.” Ratchet automatically corrected. Bone looked at him.

  “What?”

  “Her name, it’s Mia. Not Hilmia.” He told him.

  “Oh, well that’s who they’re looking for.”

  “Fuck,” Ratchet said feeling a bit rabid. They weren’t taking her to jail. He wasn’t going to allow it he thought, dangerously.

  “You armed?” He asked Tank.

  “What the fuck Ratchet? We can’t start shooting people.” Bone said, glaring at him. Yeah, he didn’t fucking care how much trouble he got in for this. He wasn’t letting them take Mia anywhere. It wasn’t fucking happening.

  He headed back to his bike ignoring Bone, who hissed. “Get your fucking ass back here.”

  As he neared his bike which he’d parked near the back of the truck he heard the bushes move. He glanced over at them seeing Mia huddled in them. Fuck, well that was convenient, he thought. He knocked the stand on his bike up moving it behind the bushes, hissing.

  “Get your tight ass out here, Mia.” She stared then moved to stand making him hiss again. “No, stay low but get over here.”

  That was when Tank and Bone came up beside him. “What the fuck is the matter with you Ratchet?” Bone demanded, then he saw Mia who was crouched near the bushes.

  “Fine, make it quick. We’ll distract them.” Bone growled, and Ratchet knew he was in for a shit storm later.

  He parked his bike then moved over to Mia. Bone and Tank went to the front of the truck and began demanding that they be taken care of right away. They were yelling at the guards and being dicks. Ratchet yanked Mia behind the buildings edge.

  “What are you doing?” She demanded.

  “Getting you out of here.” Ratchet grabbed her bun and began unraveling it. Then he looked at her skirt, they’d never buy that was something that a Red Devils woman would wear, he thought grimly. Taking his knife out of his boot he began cutting off the skirt to just about mid-thigh. Hearing her gasp.

  Mia was a bit shook up when Ratchet demanded that she get out of the bushes, and she’d thought he was going to turn her over to the guards. Only instead he’d told her to stay low, and then that he was going to help her. Even the two men who were yelling at the guards were helping. She didn’t understand why though. As she felt Ratchet’s hands in her hair, she wondered what the hell his plan was.

  When he took out a knife and started to cut her skirt off really short she was so shocked that she let out a loud gasp. What the hell was he doing? She wondered. Her lips trembled as he finished cutting and put the knife away in his boot. Then he surveyed her again.

  “Fuck, that’s still not enough. What are you wearing under this?” He demanded, tugging on her shirt.

  “A bra, why?” She demanded feeling naked with her skirt cut off and lying on the ground nearby.

  “Is it lacy, or one of those full cup things?” He demanded, making her question his sanity. He wanted to know what her underwear looked like now while they were looking for her to arrest her. Had he lost his mind?

  “It’s not lacy, but why the hell are you asking me that now? We are not having sex right now, you realize that, right?” She demanded.

  He glared at her like she was the one asking stupid questions when he was asking about her underwear while trying to rescue her. “Take off your shirt.” He told her.

  She just stared at him. What the hell was wrong with him? “No,” She told him angrily.

  “Look, we don’t have time for this modesty bullshit. Take the fucking shirt off now, Mia.” Mia didn’t know why, but the commanding tone made her start unbuttoning the shirt.

  “Hurry, Beauty.” Then when she slid the shirt off her shoulders her face glowing a cherry red, and her whole body trembling she looked at him.

  His eyes devoured her for several heartbeats before he let out a vicious “Fuck. That is not going to work.” Then he was taking off his cut. He shoved her into it buttoning the four buttons, then seemingly satisfied, he grabbed the skirt and her shirt stuffing them into his bikes saddlebags.

  Seeing Mia’s bra almost made him explode. Fuck, that wasn’t a bra. The damned thing barely covered her breast, and the idea that anyone see it made him want to rip them limb from limb. Fuck it, he was already in deep shit. Taking off his cut he shoved it on her. Damn, this had never happened. He’d never disrespected his cut this way.

  But someone looking at Mia in that bra was enough to make him commit murder. He needed her covered. He put her in it and buttoned it. Even though it was way too big it covered enough of her breasts that he wasn’t ready to kill anyone. Unless their eyes lingered there for too long, then all bets were off. Fuck, he was so damned screwed, he thought climbing on his bike.

  “Get on, now.” He told her. He signaled Rock who whistled from the other side of the truck letting Bone and Tank know it was time to go. He could hear the guards moving around the back of the building and cranked his bike. Mia hesitated, looking at him.

  “Either get on or they take you to jail. Your call.” Ratchet growled, knowing that even if she didn’t get on he wasn’t leaving her here. Mia moved then climbing on the bike her little hands landing on his shoulders to steady herself. Pulling her hands to his waist he pulled her forward until she wrapped her arms around him.

  “Watch the muffler it gets hot.” He told her indicating it so she didn’t burn herself.

  Bone and Tank both moved quickly to their bikes, and two minutes later they were all taking off. Ratchet shot out into the mix of bikes that was headed away from the gate. He didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until they were three miles away.

  Chapter 9

  Mia couldn’t believe she was on the back of a motorbike headed to god knew where. She was really starting to wonder what the hell she’d been thinking climbing on the back of this bike. Only then she realized it was either get on this bike or end up in prison, or worse dead. She clung to Ratchet’s bare back, his leather vest the only thing between her near naked body and his. She was still blushing from that whole strip Mia scene. She didn’t understand why it had been necessary and when she finally got a chance to ask him she wasn’t going to be nice about it.

  They’d been riding so long that her thighs were sore. She didn’t know that riding a bike could cause that. It made her wonder where the hell they were going. They’d turned a little while ago and were pulling into a town. When they pulled up to a two story building with at least twenty bikes outside, she didn’t know what to think.

  Ratchet began helping her off the bike. She was hanging onto his arm to steady herself and her trembling thighs. Ratchet was about to let go to grab something from his saddle bags. Only he didn’t get a chance.

  There was a whistle and a man called out. “Damn, where’d you find that hottie? She a new sweetbutt. I’d give her a ride.” Then Ratchet who’d been holding onto her arm was moving towards the man who’d spoke and his fist was suddenly, shockingly in the other man’s face.

  Ratchet didn’t think. He’d been reaching into his bags to get Mia’s shirt so that she could put it on, and he could take back his cut. Then that idiot prospect had opened his mouth and suggested that anyone beside him had the right to touch her and he just fucking lost it. Before he could even think to stop his fist was sla
mming into Tanners face.

  “Fuck! What the hell was that for?” The man demanded looking a bit surprised.

  “Call her that again and you’ll find a bullet between your eyes, Tanner.”

  “Holy shit! You could have just said she wasn’t a fucking sweetbutt. You didn’t have to knock my damned jaw out of place.” The man was rubbing his jaw and watching Ratchet with a leery expression. Mia couldn’t blame the man. She wasn’t sure what the man had called her but surely it didn’t warrant such a violent reaction from Ratchet, she thought.

  He came back over to her and she stared at him with apprehension. She’d just essentially ran off with this man and she didn’t know him. She didn’t know him at all, she realized. This was not good.

  “Don’t look at me like that, Mia. He doesn’t get to call you that. Nobody gets to call you that.” Ratchet told her as he jerked open the saddle bags.

  “It’s not like he called me a whore, Ratchet.” Mia told him quietly.

  “But he basically did, Mia. He called you free pussy. Is that what you are? Are you going to run around offering yourself to any man in the club who wants a piece?” He demanded making her blush even harder than she already was.

  “NO! How dare you even say that?” Mia yelled at him.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought. This is my world Mia, not yours. Here you don’t know the rules, and if I’d allowed him to keep thinking that for even a second then it could get ugly. You get me. I will protect you, but you have to trust me.” Ratchet handed her the shirt. Mia took it and began to put it on over his cut.

  Fuck, he should have thought of that. He needed to take her into the club house and let her take off his cut in the bathroom. Out here where anyone else could see her in that little bra was out of the-fucking-question. That thought in mind he pulled on her arm.