by K. J. Dahlen
Peaches smiled at her.
Reva laughed. “Bet he’ll listen now.”
“I hope someday, he can forgive me,” Cassie said.
“Forgive you?” Reva asked. “What does he need to forgive?”
“My mama told me when I was really young, it was wrong to hurt people. I really try not to, that’s why I tell them not to touch me.”
“When did you lose your mama?” Reva asked.
“I was three I think when she died.”
“Oh honey, I’m sorry.” Reva reached her hand out but didn’t make contact.
Cassie took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s okay, her hell ended and mine began,” she whispered. Then she picked up her fork and began eating.
~* * * *~
Reva got up and walked back to the kitchen with tears in her eyes.
A few minutes later, Gator walked in and wrapped his arms around her.
“That poor child,” Reva whispered sadly.
“Can you try and make friends with her, baby? Deke wants to know more about her. He thinks she’s hiding from someone and he wants to know who it is. If it’s gonna bring the badges down on us, we need to know.”
“Yeah baby, I can ask her.” Reva rested her cheek on the big man’s shoulders for a moment, then she pushed him away. “You’d better finish your meal and go do whatever it is you guys do. I have work to do.”
Gator’s lips crashed down on hers and they took a moment out for their own pleasure. Finally he broke the kiss. “Woman you taste so fine.”
“Remember that tonight. I’ll be the one laying in your bed.” Reva chuckled.
“You’ll be the only one I’ll be fucking for the rest of my life.”
“You got that right, mister.” Reva swatted him on the ass as he walked away.
Cassie brought their plates back to the kitchen and asked if she could help clean up.
Reva nodded and watched as she began washing the mountain of dishes sitting by the sink. “Where did your friend go?”
“Peaches had to go to work. She’s a dancer in the club.”
“Did you have a job before you came here?” Reva asked.
“Yup I did. I used to work in a law office.”
“A law office?” Reva was startled. “Whatever did you do there?”
“I was working on becoming a paralegal. Peaches and I got our GED’s when we were sixteen. I took some classes at night, when we had the money and worked during the day. Peaches and I were going to make a good life for ourselves. I had to quit my job when Peaches was taken. I had to find her and make sure she was okay.”
“Sounds like you were busy.”
“Busy isn’t always a bad thing. After my classes were done, I made time to paint a little.”
“Paint?” Reva asked, “What did you paint?”
“Would you like to see?” Cassie turned to Reva. “If you don’t tell anyone I’ll show you my drawings.”
Reva nodded and they went down the hall to the bedroom she shared with Deke.
Cassie got her suitcase from the closet and opened it. From under her clothes, she pulled out a book. She studied Reva for a long moment. “Please don’t tell anyone what you see in this book. It’s my secret.”
Reva took the book from her and promised, “I won’t tell anyone.” She sat down on the bed and opened the book. She gasped at page after page of excellent drawings. They were so realistic she couldn’t grasp it really. Each was a face of a homeless person, or the face of a tiny baby resting. The best drawings though, were in the back of the book. Cassie liked to draw big cats. Lions and tigers mostly but each drawing seemed so real. “These are really good.”
Cassie smiled. “Thanks.”
“Why do you hide them?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Most people wouldn’t understand my passion for drawing. I can get lost for hours once I start drawing. I tend to get carried away when the right mood hits me.” She sighed. “They look at me and see a misfit, a nobody.”
“Oh baby girl, you are somebody very special.” Reva closed the book.
“If I’m so special, how come nobody out there but Peaches loves me?” Cassie whispered. “Why did my mom have to die and why did my dad throw me away?” Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Reva held out her arms and waited for Cassie. When she joined her, Reva held the girl close and just let her cry. “Honey, I don’t know what to tell you. Some people are just plain stupid and some others just give up trying after so long. I’m sure your mom didn’t want to leave you, she just couldn’t stay with you anymore.”
Cassie left the haven of Reva’s arms. “What is it with you people? I didn’t even cry this much when I was a kid.” She brushed her tears away.
Reva smiled and shook her head. “Sometimes, we all need to cry. There is nothing wrong with that.”
“But tears don’t do anyone any good,” she insisted as she swiped the tears from her cheeks.
“Sometimes, we need the tears to cleanse our souls. Tears can wash away the pain we feel at times.”
Cassie shrugged and looked down at the wound on her arm that Connie left her with. She had stopped the bleeding before but now fresh blood stained her arm. “Oh damn.” She went to the bathroom and washed the blood from her skin. Going to her suitcase, she brought out a small first aid kit. Rummaging through it, she found a large band aid.
“Maybe you should lay down for a while?” Reva suggested. “You look a little tired.”
“Yeah, I guess I am a little tired.” Cassie laid down and throwing the blanket over her shoulders, she closed her eyes.
Reva slipped out of the bedroom and went back to the kitchen to finish up after the morning meal.
~* * * *~
Deke glared at the girl across from him. He was back at the club and Peaches wasn’t cooperating with him this morning. “Why won’t you tell me what I want to know?” he asked her for the third time.
Peaches had tears in her eyes. “I can’t. If you want to know, you have to ask Cassie.”
“Why?” he demanded. “She isn’t going anywhere and I need to know if someone is coming after her. I can’t protect her and the club if I don’t know what I’m dealing with. She can’t leave the compound, so tell me what I what to know.”
Peaches chuckled despite the fear she felt. “I will tell you one thing, if Cassie wants to leave she will. Not even you can hold her.”
Deke stared hard at her. “That would be impossible. No one has ever escaped the compound before.”
“If you upset her, she will leave. I’ve seen her do it before. You won’t even know she’s gone until it’s too late and then you won’t find her, if she doesn’t want you to.”
“Tell me what I want to know.” He growled.
“I can’t!” Peaches wailed. “It’s not my secret to share.” She got to her feet and ran out of the room.
Deke groaned with frustration. He didn’t know any more about the woman than he did when she came here. There had to be a way to find out something about her. No one was invisible.
He picked up the phone and called in a marker. When the contact answered, he told him what he wanted and the man on the other end hung up. Deke steepled his fingers and was deep in thought when Gator entered a few minutes later. “What’s up?’ he asked.
“That rumor we talked about this morning?” Gator reminded him.
“What about it?”
“It’s now a fact. Big Jimmy died a couple of hours ago. The cops have no clue who cut him and neither does his crew. But his crew is very interested in who cut him up so badly.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep, his crew is sending feelers out all over town for information leading to the person or persons unknown who did the deed. Nobody knows what happened that night and Big Jimmy never regained consciousness to tell anybody anything.”
“But we don’t even know for sure she did it, do we?”
Gator shook his head. “We don’t know that she didn’t do it either. Did Peaches tell you anymore?”
“She won’t give up any more info. She says it’s not her secret to share and that if I want more about Cassie, I have to ask Cassie.”
“Want I should lean on her a bit?”
Deke shook his head. “She also tells me Cassie can leave the compound anytime she wants and for some reason, I believe she can and will if Peaches gets hurt.”
“And you don’t want to lose her just yet, is that it?” Gator gave him an amused look.
Deke grinned. “That’s about it.”
“Good luck with that my brother.” Gator chuckled. “Some women are a real bitch.”
“That thought did cross my mind a time or two.” Deke poured them a drink. “There’s just something about this one. I can’t put my finger on it but I know it’s there.”
“What else are you going to do?”
“I put a call into Rusty. He said it shouldn’t be too hard to find her, if she was in the system. He said he would call back day after tomorrow with any new info.”
“Why do I have a feeling you ain’t gonna like what you find out?” Gator reasoned.
“We’ll soon know.” Deke shrugged. “At least we’ll know what we’re dealing with.”
~* * * *~
Cassie woke from her nap refreshed. She got up and went out into the main room. No one was there to bother her, so she decided to explore. In one of the backrooms, she found several cans of paint. Mostly black but there was a can or two of red and orange and green paint as well.
The rest of the rooms in the back were storage rooms and of no interest, so she passed them by. She opened another door and peered down into a black basement. She quickly shut the door. She had no interest at all in going down there. Basements terrified her.
She heard someone behind her and when she turned, she saw Connie standing there. “What’s the matter bitch, scared of the dark?” she sneered.
Cassie didn’t speak to her but instead walked away without saying a word. She didn’t want to start anything.
Connie glared at her as she walked away.
When Cassie arrived in the main room, she paused and stared at the blank wall beside the bar. She had gotten an idea when she’d seen the paint. She could put her talents to good use and pray no one minded too much. It would certainly help the décor out a little. The clubhouse was a bit on the drab side.
Going into the bedroom, she shared with Deke she grabbed her notebook and opening it to a new page, she began drawing one of the two designs she wanted to paint on the walls. She’d have to wait until everyone else was asleep, so she needed to make sure the drawings were simple enough to get done in a few hours.
By the time she was done, she heard the roar of motorcycles in the courtyard. She was very happy with her designs. Putting her book back in her suitcase, Cassie went back out to the main room and joined the other women in the kitchen.
They were all busy getting things started for the evening meal.
“What can I do to help?” Cassie asked.
Reva grinned. “How good are you at cooking for a lot of hungry men?”
“I can do that.” Cassie grinned back. “What’s on the menu?”
“Surprise us.” Reva nodded. “You’re in charge of dinner tonight.”
Cassie took her up on her challenge. “Is there anything the guys won’t eat?”
Reva huffed. “As long as it’s hot and filling, they won’t care.”
“Okay then everybody out. I need the kitchen.” Cassie shooed them all out.
“Don’t you need help?” Honey asked. “It usually takes all of us to feed this crew.”
“Nope. I can handle it,” Cassie assured them. “I was exploring today and found everything I need.”
Reva took off her apron and nodded toward the door. “Okay you heard her, she can do this on her own. Let’s go have a drink with our men.”
Cassie locked the door behind them and set to work. When she had explored the pantry, she found the ingredients for a recipe she hadn’t made in years. One of her jobs as a kid was working in a restaurant and she found she was good at cooking.
Soon, the rich aroma of tomato sauce filled the kitchen. As the doors and windows were closed, she hoped no one else could smell the sauce. Soon, she was filling the six oversized pans with layers of noodles, sauce and cheese. The lasagna she was making was her own special creation. That along with the garlic bread and salad would be enough to fill everyone’s stomach.
At five thirty on the dot, she raised the opening to the main room and everyone gathered around. She waited as everyone filled their plates and moved away to eat. Filling her own plate, she sat in the kitchen eating all alone.
Reva joined her a while later with a big smile on her face. “Supper was really great. Everybody, and I do mean everybody loved it. Gator, that old pig had four helpings.” She groaned. “I ate so much myself. You made my Italian grandmother cry tonight.”
Cassie smiled. “I made my Irish grandmother cry too.”
Reva nodded. “You did the cooking, the rest of us will do the dishes.”
Cassie walked over and joined the rest of the group. Deke motioned for her to join him and she went over to his table.
“I understand you cooked supper by yourself tonight. Why?” He frowned.
“Old family recipe. I couldn’t share the ingredients upon penalty of death.”
Deke glared at her. “Not funny.”
“Not intended to be.” She shrugged. “Just the truth.”
“Whatever it was I’ve never tasted anything finer,” Gator complimented her.
“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have something to do.” She got up and began walking away when Deke grabbed her arm. Cassie tensed and tried not to show her fear as sweat began forming on her forehead.
Deke seemed to realize his mistake and carefully released her. “Please sit down for a moment with us. We have something to talk about.”
Cassie sat down carefully. She had to stop and breathe for a minute. When she could focus again, she turned her gaze to Deke and regarded him with caution. “What can I do for you?”
~* * * *~
Deke flushed. He shouldn’t have to explain anything to anyone but she made him feel about three feet tall and that bothered him. For his whole life, his size and his attitude prevented any such nonsense of his ego ever being bruised. This little spitfire knew just what buttons to push. He paused…Spitfire? Damn that Gator and his nicknames. He motioned the bartender to bring a bottle and when he did, he poured himself a stiff drink.
Gator joined him and he poured a glass for Cassie.
Cassie ignored the drink in front of her and after he finished his second glass, Deke scowled at her untouched drink. “What’s the matter little Miss Prissy pants, are you too good to share a drink with us?” His words were slurry and his eyes were glazing over. He was well on his way to being drunk.
“I don’t drink. I believe I told you that the other day,” Cassie reminded him quietly.
Deke closed his eyes as her words slammed home. He felt almost ashamed of himself but if he let this drop, he would have discontent among his men. For some reason, he couldn’t let this go. He had to show her who was boss. It was saving face. He was the prez here and he wouldn’t put up with bull shit “Drink it.” He growled.
“Deke…maybe she shouldn’t.” Gator tried to reason with him.
Deke just glared at him. “I said drink it,” he insisted.
Cassie raised her head. “No.”
“I can make you do it if I have to,” he warned her.
Cassie shook her head. “God doesn’t argue with sinners, drunks or fools.”
Deke’s jaw dropped and he stared at her. “Did you just call me a fool?”
“No I didn’t. I said God doesn’t argue with sinners, drunks or fools,” Cassie insisted.
“G
et the fuck away from me before I beat you.” Deke growled, glaring at her.
“Gladly.” She turned to leave.
He thought she called him an asshole but he didn’t know for sure. Deke watched her go and when he turned around he saw Gator’s chest shaking with mirth. “Don’t you dare laugh at me you big bastard.”
Gator tried to contain his laughter. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“She needs to learn her place,” Deke argued. “That’s what I’ll do, teach her what her place is.”
“Ahh, Deke, Maybe you better finish your drink first,” Gator suggested.
Deke nodded. “Maybe…That’s a good idea.” He reached for the bottle and poured them both another drink.
Gator sat beside him and they both got totally shitfaced.
An hour or so later, the clubhouse was quiet. Everyone else had gone to bed. Deke was snoring as he slept with his head on his folded arms on the table.
Reva was helping Gator stand up. “You damn old fool,” she whispered. “Come on big boy, let’s get you to bed.”
“Sorry baby, I had to save his life tonight. That little girl would have killed him. She was plenty pissed at him the way it was.”
“I know I saw her too.” Reva accepted his reasoning. “You did good baby. Maybe they needed this.”
“I think the big guy is falling for her, honey.” Gator slurred. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad but it could be a good thing, don’t you think?”
Reva patted his stomach. “Yeah baby, that could be a good thing.” She closed the door behind them and stumbled their way to the cottage next door.
~* * * *~
Cassie waited until all was quiet. Deke hadn’t come to bed yet, so she opened the door and walked to the main room. There he was, sleeping on the table. She went over to where he was sitting and poked him. When he didn’t move, she let him alone.
Moving quietly, she gathered what she needed and she began to paint. Everything else disappeared as the lines of her patterns began forming. She lost track of everything around her as she got into her work. She finished the first piece and began the second almost without thinking about it.