A Very Venom Christmas: RBMC: Ankeny IA

by Kristine Allen

  Maybe my mind wasn’t so weird after all.

  “Are you okay? Where are you?” he barked into the phone.

  “I’m fine. I’m almost home.” I tried to smooth the situation out in my own head as well as to him.

  “I’ll be there soon,” he ground out, and the line went silent.

  “Hello?”

  Nothing.

  “Decker?”

  Risking a glance at my screen, I saw that he’d ended the call. The dollar store was less than a block from home, so I held my phone until I pulled into my driveway. Then I called him back.

  It rang, but he didn’t answer. The voicemail wasn’t set up. Of course it wasn’t. I tried again, but he still didn’t answer. What did he mean, he’d be here soon? He was easily three or four hours away. Glancing at the clock on the dash, I realized that would put him here in the middle of the night.

  Idiot man.

  Frustrated, I dropped my phone in my purse, grabbed my pizza, and headed to the back door. The front door was old, and real wood. Evidently age and/or the weather had caused it to warp or swell so I couldn’t get it to open. It was on my list of things to do, but it wasn’t a priority.

  My back porch light had miraculously been repaired again, but I hadn’t planned on being out late, so I hadn’t turned it on before I left.

  Something made my trash can move on the side of my detached garage, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Movement had me spinning toward the corner of the house as blood pounded in my ears. A yellow streak ran past my feet with a hiss, followed by a darker streak, and I laughed at my foolishness.

  “Jesus, it was two damn cats.” I chuckled nervously as my pulse slowed, and I held a shaking hand to my brow.

  As I turned back to go inside, a large body slammed into my back. I hit the ground hard with my purse, and the pizza box skidded across the driveway into the yard.

  “Oof!” The wind was knocked out of me and my face was shoved into the concrete.

  “Got you” was whispered in my ear as I started to scream before fingers dug into my neck and squeezed.

  “Invincible”—Adelitas Way

  Earlier…

  After I’d packed up all of Grams’s shit that morning, I stopped to see Snow before I needed to leave. I’d convinced myself to stay away from Loralei. I’d decided it was better to let Snow and the boys check on her for me.

  I’d been procrastinating leaving as I sat at DS Customs having a beer with Snow, Hollywood, and Reaper. Then Joker stopped by, and we started talking about ink. Next thing I knew, Hacker, Blue, and DJ came in.

  We were chilling and laughing when Soap came into the shop. “Hey, Snow. Some chick is here to see you. Want me to tell her you’re busy?”

  “Nah, let me see what she needs,” he replied before saying to me, “Do you need to go, or will you be okay to wait a few minutes?”

  I glanced at the time. “I’m good if you’re not gonna be too long. I’d like to get on the road before it gets too late, but I’m not afraid of a little snow.”

  He chuckled. “Maybe you should be.”

  We both laughed, knowing he was referencing himself. “Man, get the fuck out of here.”

  He got up and went up front while the boys and I shot the shit.

  When Snow came back, he had a weird look on his face. “Everything okay?”

  Turned out “the chick” was Loralei and it was me she wanted to talk to. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted her to know you were here. Then she said it was personal and a ‘delicate situation,’ and it put me on alert.”

  Standing up, I dropped the bottle in the trash. “Let me go see what she needs.”

  “I sent her on her way.” As he walked with me toward the door, he appeared to consider his next words. “Bro, I don’t mean to tell you your business, but what if she’s batshit crazy? Why don’t you call her first? See what she has to say, then maybe head over. Or not.”

  Knowing he was right, I forced myself to breathe slowly and deeply. “You have a good point.”

  He fidgeted briefly, and I wondered what was up. Finally, he sighed. “Look, I need you to know I looked into her after I remembered she’d worked for us.”

  My hackles rose a bit, but I bit my tongue. “Why?”

  “Well, when you had us help her out with her vehicle and her house, I thought she looked familiar. I remembered she’d been a waitress with us.”

  “Yeah, you said that.”

  “Well, there’s more. She did time down in Texas,” he reluctantly admitted.

  “What? You must have her mixed up with someone else. There’s no way that girl is an ex-con. What could she possibly have done to get locked up? It’s people like us that do time, not sweet little things like her. She’d never survive in the pen,” I said, but it got me wondering. How the hell did I really know what she was?

  “I assure you, it’s her. We do background checks on everyone that works for us.”

  “You still have that file?”

  “Yeah, but it’s archived since she quit. I didn’t print it out, just looked at it. Why?”

  “Can you get me a copy of it?”

  He cocked his head and lowered his brows in confusion. “Another favor? This is very unlike you. I’m also surprised that you didn’t already have Facet do that for you, since she was close with your grandmother.”

  In frustration, I scrubbed a hand over my mouth before I tugged on my lip piercings with my teeth. I debated what to say and what not to say. Finally, I decided I was talking to him as my childhood best friend, not an MC president.

  “Because this is personal, not club. I don’t want to involve them in this. I just want to make sure she’s not conning my grandmother or me.”

  He raised a brow. “Yet you had me sell her the Yoda.”

  I shrugged uncomfortably. “I felt bad for her.”

  “Whatever, dude. It’s your business.” His expression told me he knew there was more to the story. I yanked my beanie off and ran a hand through my hair.

  “She’s too fucking young,” I argued as I shook my head. Too bad I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.

  “Like I said, your business.” He looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Hacker! Come here a sec.”

  Hacker came over, and Snow explained what we needed.

  “I’ll use the office computer if that’s okay, Prez?” he offered.

  “No problem,” Snow replied, and with a nod, Hacker went into the office and got to work.

  “While he’s doing that, let me call her,” I said as I pulled out my phone. I dialed her number. I ignored Snow’s smirk when he realized I already had her number programed in my phone. It was on the tip of my tongue to argue that she was my grandmother’s friend and I was supposed to check on her, but I shrugged it off.

  “Snow said you needed to talk to me,” I said after she answered, doing my best to sound distant.

  At first she didn’t say anything. Then she stuttered a bit. “I, uh—can I call you when I get home?” was all she got out before I heard a rattle and she shouted, “Holy shit!”

  “What the hell is going on?” I demanded, wondering if she’d fucking wrecked again.

  “Hang on,” she called out, and I heard more rustling. Then she finally said, “Hello?”

  “What. The. Fuck. Happened?”

  “This truck cut me off and almost hit me,” she stammered.

  “Are you okay? Where are you?” I demanded.

  “I’m fine. I’m almost home.”

  “I’ll be there soon,” I ground out and ended the call.

  “Gotta go,” I said to Snow as I pulled on my jacket and beanie.

  “Everything okay? You need me to go with you?” he asked with concern.

  “I think she just had a hit-and-run, or they scared the crap out of her at least. I’m gonna go check on her.”

  “Yeah, she doesn’t have the best luck driving in winter conditions.” He raised his brows.

  “Agreed.”
/>   Hacker came out of the office with a short stack of papers. “This is the basics that we pulled when she was hired at the Shamrock. I can get her full file, but that will take a little time.”

  “Appreciate it,” I said as I shook his hand. I glanced through the papers briefly. What I saw sent my eyebrows up. Jesus.

  “Well, I’m glad you stopped by. You coming back here after you check on her?” Snow asked me.

  “Probably just head out of town afterward, rather than backtracking,” I absently replied. A couple of Snow’s prospects had helped me load everything in the back of my truck and tarp it earlier, so I was ready.

  “I’ll have Hacker forward the full file to you once he gets everything.”

  I nodded as I wondered if my grandmother had known this about her. “Thanks, bro.”

  We embraced, and I said my goodbyes to Snow and his boys. Hacker promised to send me what he found as soon as he could. Then I headed across town to see what kind of trouble Loralei had gotten herself into this time.

  My phone died as I was getting in the truck. I plugged it in and tossed it in the cupholder.

  Something wasn’t sitting right. What Grams had said, then Loralei stopping to see Snow, along with the light he’d fixed twice—which he confirmed had been busted out the second time.

  We both had a feeling someone was fucking with her house. But why? Did it have something to do with her having been in prison?

  I got held up by an accident on the main road through town. After getting tired of waiting, I jumped off on a side street. It brought me in the back way, so I parked on the street. Because her house was on the corner by the stop sign and her truck was in the driveway, I parked in front of her neighbor’s house. They better not get pissy, because I wasn’t in the mood.

  When I shut off the truck, snow was starting to fall. I couldn’t stay long. If I hoped to beat this storm system, I needed to get on the road.

  As I walked up the sidewalk to her house, I noticed all the lights were on. Like every single window had a light burning. And both porches.

  What the fuck?

  Without a clue as to why, my senses were screaming at me that something was wrong with the entire scenario. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I darted a calculated glance around the area. My unease building, I stormed to the front door and banged on it.

  “You need to go to the back door,” a muffled voice said through the wood. I took a few unsuccessful calming breaths.

  What the fuck is wrong with me?

  Usually levelheaded, I was acting out of character. I needed to get my goddamn shit under control.

  Once I’d somewhat calmed down, I went to the back door. The kitchen curtain fluttered, and I heard the locks being turned. The door cautiously cracked before it swung open. I expected Loralei to answer.

  Instead, it was an old man. He had to be pushing ninety. That’s when the yapping registered. There was a little hairy dog barking at his feet. He scooped it up, and it growled but quit barking.

  “She said you’d be coming. I wasn’t sure if I believed her.”

  “What?” I was confused as hell. “Who are you, what are you doing here, and how did you know who I was?”

  “Cuz Miss Loralei described you to a T. Name’s Ennis, and this here’s Daisy.” He motioned to the little brown and white dog. “We live back there.” He pointed to the house kitty-corner to Loralei’s in the back.

  “Okay? That doesn’t answer the rest of my questions. Where’s Loralei?” I looked at the tall, thin man.

  “I’m right here.” Her voice was shaky, and my eyes darted in her direction.

  “What the hell is going on?” I was outraged. She had a black eye, her face was scraped up, and distinct fingermarks were bruised into the delicate skin of her neck. I was in front of her in three strides, my hands gently cradling her face so I could inspect the damage. Upon closer assessment, she had a cut by the corner of her eye that might need stitches.

  In the blink of an eye, I wanted to kill someone.

  Irrational as that thought was, it was one hundred percent true.

  She took a long, shuddering breath, but the man stepped up to explain. “I was letting Daisy out to go to the bathroom, and I heard a noise. Daisy darted over to the opening in the fence. Then I heard Loralei scream but it went muffled, which worried me. I had to fight with the gate, or I would’ve gotten to her sooner.” Poor guy looked sick with guilt.

  “I’m okay,” she insisted.

  She wasn’t.

  “You need to go to the doctor,” I ordered. She shook her head with fear in her eyes.

  “That’s what I said, but she wouldn’t listen,” Ennis concurred. My teeth ground as I noted every abrasion.

  “I need to make a phone call,” I said, but she grabbed my hand before I made my call.

  “You can’t call the police!” she cried.

  “Why the hell not?” I wasn’t going to, but I wanted to know why she didn’t want the police called. If she’d done her time, there shouldn’t still be an issue.

  “Please, just don’t,” she begged, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. With Ennis there as witness, I wasn’t going to push her, but I was going to get to the bottom of that shit.

  “Well, I’m not,” I assured her, then called Snow.

  “Goddamn, hope you’re on the road. Shit is already coming down, and they’re saying it’s only gonna get worse. You get in touch with your girl?” he asked. I didn’t correct him about her being my girl, because there were more important things to deal with. I stepped into the living room for a bit of privacy.

  “I’m here, but some shit happened, and not just the accident on the road. Someone attacked her. Need to borrow one of your prospects for a bit, if you can spare one.” I kept my voice low. “I don’t know if I’ll be leaving tonight after all.” Raptor would have to hold down the fort for another day. Once the roads cleared, I’d revamp my plans.

  “I’ll send Soap and Blue.” The teasing tone he’d started the conversation with quickly dissipated. He didn’t question me once.

  “No cuts, if that’s okay. I don’t want to announce that you guys are involved in this.” Especially if she had beef with the cops. I didn’t need Snow and his club getting fucked with by the local cops because of this.

  “Not a problem. I’ll send them over in a few.”

  “Appreciate it.”

  We ended the call, and I returned to the kitchen. “Thank you for coming over and helping her, Ennis. You didn’t need to do that, and I really appreciate it. If you don’t mind, I’d rather you didn’t walk home alone, but I don’t want to leave Loralei by herself. Some friends of mine are on their way. Once they get here, one of us can give you a ride home.”

  “I’d be fine, but this weather is getting worse, so I sure do appreciate that.”

  While we waited for Snow’s boys to arrive, I sent a text to Raptor, keeping him in the loop. He offered to send Voodoo and Blade up, but I assured him I had things handled.

  I was presumptuous.

  Blue brought Ennis home and came back. After making sure things were under control, Soap headed back to their clubhouse. Blue would be making drive-by rounds periodically through the night. Then I went back to Loralei’s room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with her hands clenched, staring off into space.

  “Come here,” I demanded gruffly. She jumped, and I cursed myself for scaring her. I brought her into the bathroom and had her sit on the counter. A little digging, and I had a washcloth to clean off the blood that had started to trickle from the cut.

  “You got a first aid kit?” I questioned. She nodded and pointed to the small linen cupboard. I grabbed it and laid it open on the counter next to her.

  Once her wounds were cleaned up and I’d placed a couple of steri-strips over the cut on her face, I pinched the bridge of my nose and breathed deeply. “Please explain to me what the fuck is going on,” I said as I dropped my hand.

  For a second, sh
e looked angry. Her face went red, and her jaw ticked. Then she burst into tears.

  “Fuck,” I muttered. I hated it when chicks cried, but this one was the worst, because I didn’t have my ability with her for some crazy fucking reason. If she’d also been a psychic empath, I could see why, but I didn’t get that vibe off her. We could usually sense one another, but this was something altogether different.

  Still, I wrapped my arms around her and held her while she cried.

  “I’m sorry. This has been a shitty day. Hell, it’s been a shitty year.” She pushed back as she sniffled. I grabbed some toilet paper and handed it to her.

  Leaning against the opposite wall, I rubbed my palm over my mouth. I didn’t know where to ask her to start.

  “Let’s start with why you asked Snow to contact me. How did that come about and what did you need?”

  “Why didn’t he tell me you were in town?” she asked, answering my question with a question.

  “Because he’s my friend and he didn’t know if you could be trusted.” My reply had her looking surprised, and I could feel the ripples of hurt sifting through her.

  “Oh.” She sniffled again and blew her nose. “Sorry,” she muttered.

  “Trust me, I’ve seen worse. You’re fine. Now talk to me,” I said.

  She swallowed hard and shook her head.

  “Okay, how about you tell me what the hell happened here? Did you get a look at whoever attacked you?”

  “No.”

  “Then why didn’t you want the police contacted?”

  “I… I just didn’t.” She bit her lip and dropped her gaze. “Maybe it was a mistake to contact you.”

  Eyeing her suspiciously, I tried to gauge where she was coming from. It had been a rough year for me and my club too, and I found myself losing patience at her continued silence. She obviously had something important enough going on to seek Snow out to tell him she needed to talk to me, yet now clammed up.

  It didn’t help that I hated the fact that I was drawn to a chick in the first place, but the fact that she was young as fuck really set my teeth on edge. It made me feel like a dirty old man. Hell, she couldn’t be older than twenty-two. Shit, I’d had her information in my hands. Why hadn’t I looked?