by K. J. Dahlen
Demon watched her go and turned to Calico. “What do you think she meant by that?”
Calico stared at the door his daughter had just gone through. His mind was flipping back in time, going all the way back twenty two years ago. “I’m not sure but things are beginning to make a little more sense now.” He looked down and grinned. He noticed Demon had his shit kickers on. His boots were well worn and wide at the toes. He could almost see through the stretched leather and see the steel toe protection underneath. He slapped the man on the shoulder. “I want you to take on a man called Gunner. Get him down and literally kick the shit out of him. I want to hear his bones break.”
Demon raised an eyebrow, then grinned. “I’ll bust him up into pieces.”
“Good, I want him to hurt before he breathes his last breath,” Calico muttered. His hand went to his waist and his fingers curled around the handle of his knife.
“What did this guy do?”
“He kicked the shit out of Sawyer’s mother. He kicked her with steel toed boots and he didn’t stop.” Calico growled. “It took her three days to die from a burst blood vessel in her brain when he kicked her in the jaw. I don’t want him to last that long, but I do want him to hurt.” He glared at the other man. “Make it hurt real bad.”
“With pleasure boss.” Demon grinned.
Calico knew Demon didn’t mind hurting people but he didn’t hurt women and children and he didn’t hurt without cause. He turned and went to find his daughter. He had questions and hopefully, she had answers.
He found her resting on the sofa. He pulled a chair over beside her and asked quietly, “Tell me more about that time.”
“Why?” she asked. “Do you enjoy the fact that even after you left, my mother cried herself to sleep every night?”
“No I hate that fact but before I left, she made it sound like she had someone to replace me, someone she cared about more than she cared for me. It broke my heart to leave the two of you behind but she convinced me she didn’t want me anymore. I don’t stay where I’m not wanted. That was the only reason I would have left either of you.”
Sawyer opened her eyes and stared at him for a minute. “Did you love her?” she whispered.
“I loved both of you,” he admitted quietly. “It tore me apart the day I rode away.”
“I remember that day very clearly,” she whispered. “Mom wouldn’t let me go. She just held me in her arms and cried all day long. She didn’t eat and she wouldn’t sleep. I don’t think she slept for days after that.”
Calico hung his head. He couldn’t speak for a few minutes then he asked, “Did she ever say why? Why she sent me away?”
Sawyer reached out her hand and touched him. Her hand was trembling and as soon as she touched his skin, she pulled her hand back. “I think she was trying to protect us. I remember a few days later, a man came to see her. He told her he was happy to see she was being reasonable. She told him he wasn’t welcome in her home. She had done what he asked only because he threatened to bring violence to her family. She told him she would never forgive him for what he’d done. That she would never be his and to go to hell.”
Calico sat there for a moment. Could it be true? She lied to him to send him away, so he wouldn’t be killed? He shook his head. then announced, “You were right. Micah is here and he’s looking for you.”
Sawyer paled. “How do you know?”
He snorted. “He’s making no attempt to hide his actions. It’s almost as if he wants us to come after him.”
“No one ever said he had brains.” Sawyer scoffed. “I told you he doesn’t think anyone will touch him because he’s a big shot back home.”
“Yeah well, I don’t give a rat’s ass who he thinks he is.” Calico growled. “That boy is going to learn his lesson today and I’m not sure he’ll survive it.”
Sawyer reached out and laid her hand on his arm. Her hand no longer trembled. She looked into his eyes. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about him either but I could give one for you. If you go after him, make sure you come back. I’ve waited my whole life to know my father and I’d like the time to know him better.”
Calico smiled. “If what you say is true Micah will not be a problem. He won’t even see us coming and by the time he does, it’ll be too late. But I have some questions for him. I’m going to find out why your mother sent me away.” He raised his hand to her jaw and caressed her skin. “Then I’m coming back here for you and your brother. You’re mine and I take care of my own.”
Sawyer closed her eyes. “Be careful, Micah doesn’t play fair. He’ll lie and cheat to win the game and he doesn’t care who gets hurt as long as he comes through it unscathed.”
Calico leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead. “I’ve lived this long by being careful. I’m not giving up that easily.” He got up and stalked over to the front door. Lifting his hand, he whistled at his men. “Let’s dance.”
~ ~
Sawyer watched as the seven men left the building.
When their bikes roared out of the parking lot, Jordan came over and sat down beside her. Grabbing her hand, he said, “So that’s your dad, huh?”
Sawyer nodded. “Yeah, that’s my dad.”
“Cool. I can’t wait to get to know him better.”
Sawyer turned to him and studied him for a moment. “What?”
Jordan glanced at the door Calico had walked out of a few minutes before. Shrugging he said, “I never knew my own dad. He didn’t stick around after Mom told him I was coming. But him…” He motioned with a jerk of his thumb at the open door. “He came all the way from Maine when he saw you were hurt. He hasn’t seen you for over twenty years but he came to protect you. That’s gotta mean something.”
Sawyer smiled. “It does and I think we’re about to find out why Mom sent him away.” She looked at her brother and grinned. “Let’s hope Micah is his usual cocky self. I don’t think Calico does cocky very well, do you?”
Jordan smiled. “Nope…I don’t. I hope he makes it hurt like hell after what he did to Mom. Micah may not have been the one who hurt her but he gave the order and to me, that’s the same thing.”
Sawyer nodded and groaned. “God, Micah has turned us into blood thirsty monsters.”
“No he didn’t,” Jordan insisted. “He’s just pushed us as far as he could. Now, it’s time to push back.”
“But it isn’t us that’s pushing back,” Sawyer reminded him. “It’ll be Calico and his men that push him back.”
“Let’s hope they can stomp him back into the ground where he belongs. Did you see Calico’s men? Like the one they call Demon? Arms like steel and fists to match? He had a huge devil on the back of his leather jacket too.” He shook his head as he grinned. “No one would want to take them on.”
“Yep and that’s why, they’ll do you one better, they’re not just going to stomp him into the ground, they’re going to bury him under it.”
~ ~
Calico and his boys pulled up outside an old warehouse just outside of town. The building was falling down. The windows were dirt covered and most of the glass was missing from the upper floors.
Two of Micah’s men came to stand in the open doorway.
Calico could see the guns in holsters at their sides. With their arms crossed over their chests, these thugs would have intimidated most men but Calico and his guys weren’t most men.
Calico took off his sunglasses and studied the men in front of him as he leaned back on his bike. Resting his back against the bar, he smiled slightly.
“What the fuck do you guys want here?” one of the men facing him asked.
Calico grinned and turned his head to observe Demon. “What do we want here, Demon?”
“We’re looking for a pisshead named Micah. He’s a woman beater with no balls,” Demon spoke up. His voice was loud enough to carry inside the warehouse.
Calico laughed. “Yeah, I heard that too. I also heard he whines like a baby and has to force women to fuck
him, cause he’s so dammed ugly.”
The bikers behind him were all laughing.
A third man came to stand between the other two. He was of average height and his long blond hair looked greasy. His belly looked soft and was beginning to round from too much beer and eating too much. “What the fuck do you want with me?” he snarled.
“You’re Micah?” Calico asked. “Yeah, you look like a pisshead, whiny coward to me.”
The blond man glared at him.
Calico got off his bike and began to walk up to the other man. His men followed but kept an eye on the men with the guns. “I’m here to give you a message.”
Micah sneered and looked over Calico from head to toe. Then his eyes went back to his unusual hair. He smiled. “You must be Sawyer’s old man.”
Calico nodded. “That would be me.”
Micah grunted. “You should have stayed gone, old man.”
Calico cocked his head to one side. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you should have stayed under the rock you crawled under when my uncle chased you out, all those years ago.”
Calico turned to Demon. “Now this conversation just got interesting, don’t you think? Maybe this pisshead will be useful after all.” Turning back to Micah, he shrugged. “For those of us who don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, why don’t you clue us in?”
Micah sneered. “I don’t have to tell you jack shit.”
Calico struck so fast Micah didn’t see it coming. His fist connected with the other man’s face and everyone around heard the bones break.
Micah dropped to his knees and his hands went to cover his nose. Blood seeped through his fingers and he gawked at Calico with a stunned expression in his eyes.
Demon and the other bikers quickly disarmed the other two men and pushed them back inside.
Three more men were inside sitting at a small table with looks of complete surprise on their faces.
Demon and the other bikers grouped the men together after taking their guns, too.
Calico grabbed Micah by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to his feet, then shoved him deeper inside the warehouse.
Micah stumbled but stayed on his feet. He glared at Calico. “I think you broke my nose,” he whined.
“Maybe I should hit you again, just to make sure.” Calico shrugged. “I’d hate for there to be any doubt.”
“Fuck you!” Micah screamed.
“No thanks, I don’t swing that way and I don’t screw whiny babies either,” Calico informed him.
Demon chuckled from behind him. He turned and watched Micah’s men for a moment. “Which one is Gunner?” he asked.
Gunner shrugged. “That would be me, why?”
Demon slammed his fist into Gunner’s belly. “I’ve been waiting to meet you.”
Gunner bent double as his breath was forced from his lungs. He fell to his knees and struggled to breathe. “What the fuck?” he wheezed.
Demon lifted his foot and swung it into the man’s belly hard. “Meet Mister Steel Toes. The real kind.”
Gunner fell to his side and his lips turned blue before he caught his breath a second time.
Demon then brought his foot down hard on the man’s hand while Gunner screamed as several bones in his hand were crushed. “See how that feels, asshole? Yeah, like that?”
Micah glared at Calico. “What the fuck did he ever do to you?”
“He kicked the shit out of an innocent woman.” Calico growled. “My man Demon is just repaying the favor.”
“Jolene?” Micah whispered.
Calico nodded. “Now, tell me more about this uncle of yours and what he did twenty years ago.”
“Fuck you!” Micah swore.
“Wrong answer, asshole,” Calico told him as he pulled back his fist. When he let it fly, it hit Micah on the right side of his face.
Micah’s head snapped back and blood flew from the cut on his cheek. The skin immediately bruised and he stumbled to keep his feet on the ground. Micah glared at Calico and spit out a mouthful of blood. “You’re messing with the wrong people. Don’t you know who I am?”
Calico nodded. “Yeah, I know who you are. You’re the asshole that has made life miserable for my daughter the last four months. You’re the asshole that cost her mother her life. You’re the asshole that ran her off the road last night.”
“And you’re the fucker that just made his last mistake.” Micah grinned. Blood stained his teeth and he spat again. “My uncle is gonna wipe the streets with you when he finds out.”
“Finds out what?” Calico looked unperturbed.
“You drew first blood on his family.” Micah sneered. “My uncle isn’t going to like that.”
Calico shrugged. “Your uncle isn’t here and when I get done with you, I’m going after him. I have a score to settle with the fucker and its way past due.”
Micah shook his head. “I can’t wait to see that.”
“I don’t think you’ll live to see it.”
“You won’t kill me.” Micah scoffed. “You don’t have the guts. Why don’t you just crawl back into your hole and leave living to those of us who actually matter?”
Demon began laughing out loud. “Boy, you just made your last mistake. A whiny but STUPID pisshead.”
Calico shrugged. “Why don’t you tell me what went down twenty years ago. I need to know why Jolene did what she did.”
Micah shrugged. “It doesn’t matter much to me. Twenty years or so ago, my uncle told Sawyer’s mother to get rid of you. If she didn’t, he was going to kill you.”
“Now, why would he do that?”
“Because he wanted Jolene and you just got in the way. He wanted her before she took up with you but she didn’t want him. He watched and waited for you to leave but you never did. He finally told her he would see you dead, if she didn’t get rid of you. If he couldn’t have her, he wasn’t going to let some dirty biker have her either. When you rode out of town, he thought she would come to him but she never did.” Micah sneered. “He would never just take her like a man should, he wanted her to come to him on her own. She never did and that made him become obsessed with her. When she took up with Jordan’s father, my uncle did end up killing him. She never knew it but Uncle Max took great pleasure in his death.”
“So your uncle is nothing more than a thug and a killer,” Calico stated as he titled his head. “And you look up to him? Demon is right, you are stupid.”
“My uncle rules Rochester with an iron hand! He does what he wants and takes what he wants,” Micah boasted. “But he’s getting old and weak and one day very soon, I’ll take over his empire.” He paused then added, “And when that day comes, I want Sawyer at my side and in my bed. I don’t even care if she doesn’t like it, but she will be there.”
Calico shook his head. “Oh, I doubt that very much. Boy, you ain’t leaving this warehouse today or ever. You and me got a score to settle. You have to learn an important lesson and I’m gonna be the one that teaches you that lesson.”
Micah rolled his eyes. “Me and my boys aren’t afraid of some dirty old bikers. You aren’t going to be the teachers here today, we are.”
“Hey boss,” Demon called out. “I don’t think these guys are showing us the proper respect. Do you?”
“No Demon, I don’t,” Calico stated with a cold grin. “Let’s teach them about respect. We’ve earned it and they haven’t.”
That’s when the free for all began. Fists connected with bones, grunts and cries rang out.
For the next twenty minutes, chaos ruled.
When the carnage was over Micah and his men were laid out on the floor. Blood stained them and the floor.
Calico and his men were winded and they had a few bruises but they were still on their feet.
Demon stood over the one they called Gunner. The man was barely breathing and most of his rib cage was caved in. One of his hands was purple with every bone broken or crushed. His jaw was broke
n and his forehead was split open.
Micah was laid out on the floor barely conscious. Both eyes were blackened and swollen while his jaw looked broken. His clothes were stained with dirt and blood. One leg was broken and his shoulder was twisted up. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth and from his nose.
Calico’s men were sporting bruised hands but little else.
Micah glared up at Calico and issued a warning, “You’d better kill me now biker, because if you don’t and I survive, I’ll find you and I’ll make your daughter watch as it peel your skin off, piece by piece. I’ll find her no matter where she tries to hide and I’ll hurt her, but I won’t kill her until she watches you die.”
Calico nodded. “I thought this warning would be enough but some men just never learn.” He grabbed the knife at his waist. Laying the blade at Micah’s throat, he pressed it down into his neck. “Don’t worry, your uncle will join you in hell soon enough.”
Micah’s eyes filled with tears as the life drained from his body. Blood gurgled in his throat for a moment then he stilled as his breathing stopped.
Calico wiped the blood from his knife and stood up. He looked around then walked over to Demon standing over Gunner. “Is he still breathing?”
“Not for long,” Demon assured him. “His lungs are collapsing even as we speak.”
Calico glanced at the others. They posed no danger to his men and he doubted they would ever harm another person. “We’re done here then.”
Demon motioned to the bodies. “What do you want to do about them?”
“Leave them. The animals need to eat too.” He shrugged.
Demon chuckled. “That’s harsh.”
Calico shrugged again. “That’s the cycle of life my friend. If they had been better men in life they might have deserved better in death.” He looked around at his men. “Let’s go.” He walked out into the sunshine and over to his bike. He wasn’t going to waste anymore time away from the daughter he hadn’t seen for most of her life. He still had a job to finish but that would be another day. Today, he wanted to get to know his kid.
CHAPTER NINE
Cricket groaned as she opened her eyes. The room was filled with sunshine and the light hurt her eyes. Glancing at the clock beside the bed, she noted the time. It was almost noon. She’d been sleeping for about five hours but it felt like only minutes. Her eyes felt gritty and her mouth was dry. Her shoulder was still sore but it was getting better. She rolled over in bed and ran into Raine.