Take Down (Steel Infidels)

by Dez Burke

  “I’m not connected enough to do that,” I say. “If you’ll give me your email address, I’ll send you the name of the station’s personnel director.”

  No way am I giving this girl my cell phone number where she can text me ten times a day asking about a job.

  The blonde claps her hands. “Thank you!” she squeals. “Maybe we can work together. That would be so much fun!”

  No, not happening.

  Toby raises his eyebrows at me in amusement. “Maggie doesn’t have time for this today,” he says. “We’re going upstairs. Can you bring some soft drinks and snacks up for us?”

  The blonde smiles at him. “Sure. I’ll get them now.”

  Something about the way he casually orders her around rubs me the wrong way. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on with the Sweet Butts. I need to find out.

  “All you have to do is snap your fingers and they fetch you snacks?” I grumble on the way up the stairs.

  “You should be thankful I saved you,” he replies without answering the question directly. “Unless you want Chloe as your new intern.”

  “No, I don’t. Not that my college intern is much better.”

  On the way to the clubhouse, Toby had let me borrow his phone. The first thing I did was check in with my intern. Her excuses were the same as yesterday. That she couldn’t find any new information on the Steel Infidels because it was as if the Internet had been scrubbed clean. Since Toby was listening in, I didn’t ask her too many questions. It would be pointless anyway.

  From what I’ve seen so far, the members of the motorcycle club lead a normal, somewhat boring life in Bardsville.

  Up until yesterday.

  Flint and Sam are both waiting for us upstairs in Jesse’s office. They’re standing by the window watching the crowd of reporters. “Hey Maggie,” they call out with a nod when we walk into the room. “Toby.”

  “Maggie, I’m sorry to have to bring your interview to an abrupt close,” Flint says. “There’s been an unexpected change in our plans…”

  The ringing of his phone cuts him off mid-sentence.

  “What did you find out, Jesse?” he asks into the phone. “You got us all a place?” He listens for a moment then nods over at Sam, who dashes out the door. “Are you sure it’s secure enough for the women and kids? Okay, we’ll be on the road in ten. I’ll tell everyone to be at the meet-up spot in thirty minutes with whoever they’re bringing.”

  He hits the off button and turns to Toby.

  “Time to move out,” he says. “We can’t stay here with the media circus growing bigger every day. It’s already getting old. They followed Kendra into the veterinary clinic this morning, and Lila spotted them hanging around in the woods outside Sam’s house with telescopic lens trying to take photos of the twins.”

  “Where are we headed?” Toby asks.

  Flint glances over at me.

  “We can trust Maggie,” Toby says firmly, taking my hand in his. “She’s with me now.”

  “She’s also media,” Flint reminds him. “No offense, Maggie. I’m sure you understand our need for secrecy. The last thing we need is for the press to beat us to where we’re going. We can’t afford a leak. At this point, we need to think about the girls and the kids.”

  I nod. “Sure, nothing personal.”

  “You’re more than welcome to ride along if you don’t mind not knowing the location until we get there,” Flint adds.

  “I would love to,” I say with a hopeful look at Toby.

  “Do you remember where we spent the July 4th weekend last year?” Flint asks him.

  “Sure,” Toby replies.

  “Jesse talked to the owner of the motorcycle lodge. He said he had enough empty rooms for all of us. We can stay there until the smoke clears. The women and kids are coming too. It will be a big family weekend getaway. We can leave all this behind for a couple of days. Nobody will be able to find us if we’re discreet.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.” Toby turns to me. “You need to go back to Atlanta and get some rest,” he says. “You can’t come with us.”

  He holds up a hand to stop me when I start to argue with him.

  “Besides, shouldn’t you go back and check on your cameraman?” he asks. “I’m sure he’d love to see your pretty face. It might cheer him up.”

  “He’s going to be fine,” I say.

  I’m filled with disappointment. Didn’t he just tell Flint that I was with him?

  “Why can’t I go with you?” I ask defiantly. “I want to go.”

  Toby sighs and rubs a tired hand through his black hair. “You won’t enjoy it, that’s why. Why are you arguing about this? Bike rides in February are rough. You can’t come.”

  “I’ll leave you two to work this out,” Flint says, heading toward the door. “I need to let Kendra know so she can pack up Josh and the SUV. They’re riding up with Lila, Trish, and the rest of the kids.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be in the car with them for the whole trip,” Toby says, making a face. “What a nightmare that would be. Do they sing children’s songs?”

  “I thought you loved singing in the car,” I remind him.

  “Not that kind of singing,” he replies. “I’m more of a AC/DC kind of man. Not Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. About five minutes of that and I would be ready to jump out the window.”

  “Oh yeah, they sing,” Flint says with a laugh. “Lucky for me, there’s a Steel Infidels rule that says the VP is required to ride with the crew. We’re wasting time. You two make up your mind what you’re doing. Either way, be at the meet-up point in thirty minutes.”

  “We’ll be there,” I say firmly.

  “No we won’t be there,” Toby adds. “I’ll be there.”

  Flint shakes his head at us and goes out the door without another word.

  Thirty minutes later and we’re sitting on Toby’s bike at the meet-up point waiting for the rest of the MC to arrive. After ten minutes of arguing back and forth and me adamantly standing my ground, Toby finally gave in. I knew time was on my side, and all I had to do was wear him down.

  We quickly drove back to his house, where we called Sadie’s dog sitter to come pick her up, then packed a duffel bag of clothes before hopping on his bike to meet the crew.

  He cuts off the bike engine while we wait on the side of the road and then rubs my leg vigorously with his hand.

  “Are you cold?” he asks. “Maybe I should get an extra sweatshirt out for you. The temperature will drop at least another ten to fifteen degrees before we get there. Maybe more when we get to the top of the mountains. The weather forecast said there is snow coming in tonight.”

  “No, I’m fine,” I say. “Your jacket will keep me warm enough. Thank you for lending it to me.” I snuggle deeper into the soft leather.

  “My jacket looks good on you,” he says, glancing back over his shoulder at me. “Black is your color. Maybe you’re a ‘ride or die’ girl after all.”

  “I don’t know about that,” I say with a laugh. “Seeing as this is my first official bike ride. Talk to me about it again tomorrow. After straddling a bike for hours, I might not be able to walk in the morning.”

  “That’s not the only thing you’ll be straddling tonight,” he says with a chuckle. “And if you can’t walk tomorrow, trust me, it won’t be because of the bike ride.”

  “Promises, promises,” I tease back. “Let’s see you put your money where your mouth is, big fella.” I slide my hand lower and hover below his belt buckle. His rock-hard erection throbs underneath his jeans.

  “Instead of talking about where I’m going to put my money, let’s talk instead about where I’m going to put my mouth,” he says, his voice growing huskier. “All this dirty talk is making me want to turn around and take you back to the house. We could sneak in a quickie and catch up to the MC down the road. It would mean driving a little faster. Okay, if I’m being totally honest, a helluva lot faster. We could definitely do it though. What do you think? Are yo
u up for it? I’m game if you are. Live dangerously with me, Maggie.”

  “How much faster are we talking about if we take this little sexy detour?” I ask.

  “No more than an extra fifteen miles an hour,” he replies. “Or twenty tops,” he adds after a moment of thinking.

  “On a motorcycle?” I ask incredulously. “No way. As enticing as your offers sounds, I also want to live to see another day.”

  “Then you need to remove your hand, sweetheart,” he says. “Because when you’re stroking my dick the way you are right now, sinking down between your pretty legs is all I can think about.” He covers my hand with his and moves it away from his crotch. “I hear the MC coming down the road now anyway. You missed a golden opportunity.”

  “I’ll make it up to you later. I promise.”

  “Don’t think I won’t hold you to that.”

  Several bikers pull in to a quick stop beside us, causing the loose gravel on the side of the road to fly up. It’s hard to know who everyone is underneath their helmets. One of them throws up a hand at me and I recognize Sam’s devilish eyes.

  I count them quickly. Nine bikers including Toby. A few of the crew members have girls riding behind them. Matching long blonde hair flows out below two of the helmets. I see that Chloe, the future weather girl, made the cut for the bike ride.

  Joy, joy.

  She waves excitedly when she spots me. I hesitantly wave back.

  “Who are we waiting on?” Toby yells out to Sam.

  “Rocco and Donny stayed behind to stand guard at the clubhouse,” Sam yells back. “Someone has to be there. Here Jesse comes now.” He points to the road behind us where a lone biker has crested the hill.

  “Hang on,” Toby says over his shoulder. “Time to ride.”

  Jesse doesn’t stop or slow down when he reaches us. Instead he twirls his hand in the air as he passes by, and the bikers all fall in line behind him. There’s a set order in which the crew rides based on hierarchy in the club. Toby has hinted to me that the MC has many unspoken rules, least of which is who rides where.

  I take a deep breath and hang on.

  I hope this bike ride isn’t a huge mistake.

  30

  Toby

  When Maggie insisted on accompanying me, I knew she didn’t have any clue what she was in for. She is way out of her comfort zone.

  The Steel Infidels ride hard and fast.

  The same way we fuck.

  Today is no different.

  The ride from Bardsville to the motorcycle lodge in the Great Smoky Mountains where we’re spending the night normally takes a little under three hours. That’s in perfect summer weather conditions with dry roads and no stops along the way. Riding through the mountains in mid-February changes everything.

  The first hour of the bike ride flies by quickly on the smooth, well-traveled road. Once we arrive at the Nantahala Gorge, things start going downhill quickly. The curvy road is treacherous and damp. An icy-cold river rushes alongside the left-hand side of the road with a strong wind blowing off it.

  Maggie must be freezing, yet she doesn’t complain or say a word.

  I’m regretting giving in to bringing her along. She would’ve been safer back in her own cozy apartment in Atlanta. Instead she’s wet and cold, with another two hours left to go.

  “Are you making it okay?” I yell back over my shoulder.

  “I’m fine,” she says, tightening her arms around my waist.

  “If you can hang on another thirty minutes, we’ll make a pit stop in Cherokee. Give you a chance to stretch your legs for a few minutes and grab a cup of coffee.”

  “What’s Cherokee?” she asks.

  “The Cherokee Indian Reservation,” I reply. “It’s the last stop before we start over the Smoky Mountains. We need to keep moving if we’re going to make it to Gatlinburg, Tennessee before dark. It’s on the other side of the mountain range.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” she says bravely. “I’m good. Just keep your eyes on the road. These sharp curves are scaring me a little.”

  “Nothing to be worried about,” I say. “I’ve driven this road plenty of times before and know every curve in the road. Relax and enjoy the ride.”

  I don’t tell her that the drive will only get worse and that fog will be covering the tops of the Smokies before we get there. She’s being quite a little trooper. I’m proud of her.

  The other MC members will be watching her closely to see how she holds up. Something tells me she won’t let me down. She’s a tough cookie.

  Once we reach Cherokee, we don’t waste time. The crew knows we’re racing against daylight, which will end in less than two hours. We line up to refuel our bikes quickly at a local gas station.

  When Maggie excuses herself to the restroom, Sam makes his way over to me. “How’s your girl doing?” he asks with a sly grin. “The two of you are already fucking, I see. How in the living hell did you pull that off so quickly?”

  I hang up the gas nozzle and rip my receipt out of the pump. “None of your damn business,” I say.

  He snorts and throws his soft drink into the trash can beside the gas pumps. “You mean it’s true? Whoa! I was joking. Tell me all the juicy details. How is she between the sheets? A tiger I bet, with those big titties and full lips. I can’t believe you’re already hitting that.”

  “Don’t start with me,” I say in warning. “I’m not in the mood.”

  His eyes grow wide. “Touchy, touchy,” he jokes. “Boy, am I glad you brought her along. It will definitely make the trip more interesting.” He grins. “For me anyway.”

  “Where’s Lila and the kids?” I ask.

  “About thirty minutes behind us. I just talked to her. One of the twins managed to figure out how to get out of his car seat, fell to the floor of the SUV, and threw a temper tantrum when they tried to strap him back in. They had to pull over on the side of the road until he calmed down.”

  “Which twin?”

  “Travis.”

  “Figures. My god, I don’t know how you take it on a daily basis.”

  “I’m paying for my raising,” Sam says. “Or at least that’s what Aunt Leona tells me. Apparently, I wasn’t a perfect little angel growing up either. Here’s Maggie now.”

  Maggie walks up to us and smiles at Sam. “Are your twins coming along for the trip?” she asks. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

  Sam cuts his eyes over at me. “Oh yeah, we were just talking about how much fun they’re having in the car,” he says. “On the return trip, you should ride back with the girls. It would be the perfect opportunity to get to know all of them. They would love someone new to talk to.”

  “No way,” I say quickly. “Maggie is staying with me.”

  “I was offering her a warmer ride, that’s all,” Sam says. He points to Jesse, who is strapping his helmet back on. “Everyone is saddling up. Time to go. See you on top of Old Smoky. Maybe it will be all covered with snow. I always loved that song.”

  I’d pulled out an extra sweatshirt for Maggie while she was in the gas station. “Put this on under your jacket,” I say, handing it to her. “It’s going to get a whole lot colder. Are the gloves keeping your hands warm enough?” My spare pair of black leather gloves look huge on her tiny hands.

  “Warm enough, considering it’s February,” she replies. “I’m okay, I promise.”

  “Once we get where we’re going, I’ll warm you up in no time,” I say.

  “And where would that be exactly? You can tell me now that we’re halfway there.”

  “A motorcycle lodge in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We’re in the Great Smoky Mountains now.”

  She quickly shrugs out of the jacket and pulls the sweatshirt on over her thick black sweater. “Thanks for letting me come along,” she says, suddenly serious. “I want to be here. With you.”

  “I’m glad.” I reach over to zip up her jacket tighter and pull the collar up around her neck. “I hope you can relax enough to enjoy the next part
of the ride. We’re entering God’s country. The scenery is out of this world. Have you ever been on vacation here in the Smokies before? Maybe on a camping trip with your family?”

  “A camping trip?” She rolls her eyes. “If you only knew how ridiculous that sounds. My family doesn’t camp. In fact, I don’t remember having so much as a picnic in the backyard. My parents are more about dinner parties and charity galas. I always thought the idea of camping sounded fun when I was a kid.”

  “That’s a shame,” I say. “You don’t know what you’ve been missing. If you hang around long enough, maybe we can come back in the spring. Have you ever seen a wild black bear?”

  Her eyes widen in alarm. “There are bears here? You didn’t mention that fact before.”

  “Lots of bears. We won’t see any this trip though. Not the time of year for it. In the spring, we might spot a Mama Bear and her cubs wandering around the open fields and split-rail fences of Cades Cove. Along with plenty of deer.”

  “Can I bring my camera?” she asks. “Photography is a hobby of mine.”

  “You bet your sweet ass you can,” I say. “Cades Cove is a photographer’s dream. Climb on. Next stop is Newfound Gap at the top of the mountain.”

  She eagerly slides on behind me for the next leg. I meant what I said about hoping she can relax enough to enjoy the ride. There’s something about being on a bike that makes everything more vivid. In a car, the windows and roof block the view, along with the smells and the sounds. When I’m on a bike, I notice things I would never be aware of in a car.

  It’s nice having a girl to share it with. Unlike most of the other men in the MC, I was never fond of dragging along Sweet Butts on road trips. The pussy wasn’t worth having to deal with them the rest of the time. They were more of a nuisance than anything else.

  Maggie slips her arms around me and squeezes me once in a quick hug before loosening up. We roar onto the road behind the other crew members. I glance into the mirror and catch her smiling from ear to ear.

  My girl is going to fit in just fine.