Betting on Forever

by Scarlett Black

  Axl does outright growl, picking Dana up, and her legs wrap around his waist. Pinning her to the wall, her hands are in his hair as he claims her lips and body. Fuck, they just went legit.

  “Hang on, girl,” I cheer her on. Hmm, he’s got good technique.

  “Can I start my class, or should we wait for them to finish?” Matt, our workout instructor and new friend, asks.

  “Matt, this is their first real kiss, be a peach, yeah, and let them ride this one out? Besides this is good for business. These chicks are so worked up watching, they are going to work hard to work off that show.” I turn my focus back to said show.

  Matt chuckles, “Just too bad I’m not that into it.”

  Axl still has no room between himself and Dana. Dana’s feet are at least on the floor now. He pulls back a little to peck her lips and turns around with a monster woody in his shorts. Then he walks up to me and barks in my face, “Mine.”

  “Dude, we’ve never kissed and never will,” my hands go up in defense. “She’s my sister, you freak, you need to work on your bullshit game. It’s been hella week. Go take a cold shower before I puke!” I wave my hands for him to go away.

  “Don’t need a cold one.” Axl grabs Dana’s hand and drags her into the locker room. James is standing in front of the door. They got the bro code down pat.

  Chapter 27

  Vegas

  Walking into Battle Born Tattoo, I wave hello to their new receptionist and Tank on my way to Blade’s room. Stepping in and setting his sandwich on his light table, I see he’s got a customer in his chair and he’s about to finish an eagle tattoo on the man’s chest.

  Bending over, I give him a kiss a on my way back out. “I’m heading over to the old shop, meeting with the contractor, come find me when you’re done here?”

  Blade nods and kisses my lips one more time. “Sure thing, babe.” He winks at me and gets back to work.

  Walking outside, I whistle for Tugger to follow me to the back of the property where the old shop is right up against the mountain, and my favorite spot on this property. He jumps up and down, running around my feet all excited that he gets to come with me. A white construction truck with a company logo on it meets me out front.

  “Hey, I’m Henry, we talked on the phone. I have the plans to convert this building to the brewery you wanted.” The older man holds his hand out to shake.

  Grabbing his hand, I say, “Alessia DeRosa, let’s take a look at what you have.” I spot James out of the corner of my eye heading this way. Always my backup. For the next hour, we negotiate what I need him to do and what work I have set aside for the club brothers to build. We both agree that construction on the inside can start, and we both agree on the outside in the spring. The first heavy snow hit last night, Thanksgiving is a few weekends away. I would rather not get too busy before the holidays anyway.

  “Thanks for coming out, Henry. I like your plans to start with one kettle to brew the beer, then add on as we grow.” I shake hands with Henry one last time and we say our goodbyes.

  “I’ll be in touch, Alessia.” Henry leaves us standing in front of the new Battle Born Brewery that’s about to open this spring.

  “Vegas, the girls are working in the bar, I’m going to head inside to check on them now. You wanna come with?”, James asks. I know he would rather me head in, but really?

  “Nah, James, go help the girls out. Check in with Kat often too, okay? In case she needs help,” I tell him, which I know he will do any way.

  Inside of the old shop, I turn off the office light when Tugger goes and points his face in the direction of the front door that’s now slightly ajar. The wind is whipping the door open and closed. Snow is coming down hard, scattering all over the floor. Tugg’s low growl and snarl has my spine tingling in suspense and fear. Checking my waistband, I feel my handgun there. Crouching low, I whisper to Tugg, “Stay with me, Tugg. Stay quiet.” I pat him on the head and stand up, keeping my back to the wall.

  I watch the shadows while moving around the old tools and work benches. Tugg does his job, stays on my side while we creep around the shop as quietly as possible before a tall figure steps forward. Johnny. He lunges for me pinning me with his body to the wall, his hand over my mouth.

  “Did I scare you sweet, Vegas? Come here, sweetie,” he taunts at me. “Should have known you were using me all along, didn’t figure it out till you skipped town.”

  Tugger is growling and snarling louder at Johnny. “Good women are so hard to find, you know, I was planning all along to take you in as my own until I found out how sad you really are. Fucking Blade out from under the whores of the club to get your piece of the action.”

  Tanya, the bleached blonde bitch, steps out of the shadows. Should have known she was the piece I couldn’t figure out.

  Tugger lunges and bites into Johnny’s leg, pulling back and growling. Johnny pulls his gun out and points it at Tugger. I kick my foot up at his gun and the shot goes off through a wall somewhere, but not at Tugger. Throwing the heel of my hand at his nose as hard as I can, I feel blood spraying all over my shirt.

  Tanya tries to hit my head with a wooden board, but I see it coming and raise my left arm to cover the blow. Pain radiates from my elbow to my shoulder; the fucking cunt just angers me more. Distracting me, Johnny hits Tugger over the head. Tugg flies through the air and hits the concrete floor, lying there limp. My heart squeezes in pain seeing him not moving.

  Johnny’s hands go around my neck choking me and slamming my head against the wall. The lights go out. I’m feeling dizzy and Johnny lets up just a bit. Taking both of my hands straight up as fast and strong as I can between us and through his arms, I bring my elbows down on his arms managing to break his hold on my neck. I knee him in the balls and punch him again in the nose when he bends over in pain.

  Taking the seconds I gained to get away, I pull my gun out from the back of my pants. I stay down, then crawl to get behind Johnny. I will shoot that motherfucker in the head myself for hurting Tugger. The light from the moon in the window shines in and that’s when I see a figure passing by. I hope it’s someone to back me up, if not, I’m totally screwed here.

  The light switches back on and Blade’s standing in the doorway holding his handgun.

  His right eye twitches from the anger he’s holding back when he looks from my neck to Tugger who is lying the floor. He steps closer into the middle of the room and Tanya, the skanky ho, tries to start crying as if she wasn’t a part of trying to kidnap or kill me. She runs toward him and tries to throw her arms around him. “Blade! Johnny was kidnapping...”

  “Shut the fuck up, bitch.” Blade backhands Tanya across the cheek with the butt of his gun, sending her flying to the floor. Lifting her hand, she feels the cut that the hit left behind.

  Blade maneuvers cautiously to Johnny who raises his gun to Blade with hate, jealousy and vengeance in his stare.

  “Wasn’t it enough for you to take the territory, you had to take the girl, too, right? Take it all, Blade. You couldn’t just keep fucking that whore on the floor who I’d sent and paid to suck club cock. Keeping all of you distracted with her used pussy. One look at Alessia, and you stole her from me!”, he screams.

  Blade shrugs, “Wasn’t so hard, she didn’t want you. She was always meant to be mine.” Tanya gasps in surprise to hear the words fall from his lips so easily.

  “And the driver you killed at the train stop? You had to kill my brother too?” Johnny shakes with anger at his accusation to Blade.

  “I didn’t. Your little snitch, Skid, did that all on his own. We busted in on their drop, Skid popped the fucker because he knew he’d sing. Had I known he was your brother, I would have shot Skid and tortured the dirty kid raping bastard myself,” Blade sneers. “Don’t worry, we have plans for you.”

  Tanya raises her hand to fire a shot off towards Blade. Johnny catches her movement raising his gun as well. Hoping Blade and I are quick enough, my aim is steady on her hand when I pop off one sho
t at the same time that Blade shoots at Johnny’s hand.

  Timing is everything, they say, and our timing is perfect. Dropping their guns, they both hunch over and grab their hands in pain. Blood is flowing to the concrete, painting it red.

  Tank, Axl, Gunner, James and the other MC Presidents come in, storming into the shop. Papa’s eyes land on mine and I see the fire burning in them. He races towards Johnny and punches him in the face, only to have Tank pull him off right before my brother, Snake, jumps on him. I could care less, so I turn around just in time to see the Elko chapter Prez pulling Tanya to her feet up by her nappy weave.

  Panicking, I’m pushing people out of the way trying to get to Tugger. Finally reaching him on the cold floor, he looks so still and barely breathing. I take my coat off and wrap him in it. My tears blur my vision as I’m trying to find my way out.

  Blade’s hands stop me from moving. “Alessia, what happened to Tugg?”, he questions with worry in his voice.

  “Johnny hit him over the head, I got to get him to the vet now.” Blade helps to get me through the door. We are running as fast as we can with the snow coating the ground. I feel like vomiting, so dizzy that my feet slip from under me and the last thing I remember before it all goes black and very cold is Blade yelling my name.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Blade

  Hearing a small grunt behind me, I look through the darkness, but can’t see Alessia anywhere. Until I look down in the snow. She is laid out, face down and Tugger next to her. “Alessia!”, a roar erupts from deep in my soul, shattering at the thought of her leaving me and our dreams. Leaving me all alone.

  I run back to her and pull her over onto her back, checking her pulse to make sure she’s still breathing. I don’t want to leave Tugg, but I have to.

  Hauling Alessia’s cold, limp body to my lap, I cradle her to me and kiss her forehead. I see a tear hitting her nose and realize I’m crying. I try to remove what snow I can from her body to stop it from soaking into her clothes.

  James comes running, panicking, but doing better than me and manages to take control of the situation. “Get her into the office! I’ll get Kat, and I’ll call the paramedics! Go!”

  He picks Tugger up, then follows me into the office at the bar and sets Tugg’s lifeless body on his dog bed. He sends Kat in, and, behind her, Jenn and Dana follow. Kat asks me what happened and calls 911, setting her phone on speaker next to her. She does as she is told checking Alessia’s pupils that are dilatated.

  James is alerting everyone in the bar to leave. It feels like hours pass by instead of minutes. All I can do is hold her hand with my shaking one. Fuego and Snake come busting through the back door, cursing and yelling at seeing her lying there passed out. Alessia’s eyes start to flutter, wagering everything I pray to any god out there that, if he is listening, to please save her.

  James comes into the room and updates us on what’s happening. “The EMT’s are outside.” I pick Alessia up and race with her to the ambulance. They don’t have the gurney out before I barge into the back of the ambulance, yelling for them to go.

  I let her go enough for them to put in an IV, and her eyes flutter a little more until they’re open. The paramedic asks me what happened. “She was attacked in her office, some guy had her in a choke hold and hit her head against the wall.” That’s all I can say, anything more and I may cry, once in this lifetime is enough for me.

  We finally make it to the hospital and Alessia is unloaded and taken into the ER, thank whoever that she’s awake now. The nurse tells me to wait in the damn waiting room until her physical and head CT is finished. It feels like hours later before Fuego, Snake, Dana, Axle, Kat, Jenn, along with the rest of the Cali and Reno family members come in to give us support. That thought pisses me off. Family. Alessia is mine and I should own her fully. Thought I had all the time in the world. As soon as she’s better, we are making it happen.

  Axl grips my shoulder and sits next to me while we wait. He hands me his cell to look at some pictures. “Thought those might cheer you up?”

  Scrolling through, I find picture after picture of Johnny being raped with tools, missing body parts, same with Tanya. Ice really did a number on her. I could only recognize her hair by the end, the most brutal rape murder I have ever seen. I would bet she squealed all her secrets before the torture even began, trying to save herself. Handing the phone back to Axl, I do feel a little better knowing those two paid for what they did.

  A tall, fair lady wearing a lab coat steps through the doors two hours later and looks around the waiting room. “Family for Alessia DeRosa?” Fuego, Snake and I step forward and the lady raises her eyebrows at us in disgust. “She has a concussion and will be staying the night, the rest she can tell you. You can go see her two at a time, room 220.” Ignoring the uppity cunt, Fuego and I race towards the room she gave us.

  We barge into her room, and there she is, looking a little pale and tired. We stop by her bed, Fuego stands on one side and me on the other. “Baby girl, mi nina, how’s your head?” Fuego’s heart is plainly shown on his face as he speaks softly to her.

  “No worries, Papa, I’ll be home tomorrow. I got some good hits in too.” Alessia tries to grin at him. “Didn’t take them all myself, you know?” She tries to joke around with her old man, but I can see through the poker face she has in place.

  “Baby girl, your Momma is going to have my ass when I tell her,” Fuego smiles at her and continues, “Snake and I are going to crash at your casa. See you tomorrow, get some sleep, si?” He kisses her forehead and then walks out.

  Alessia turns her face to me, reaching for my shirt and pulling me to her lips to give me a kiss. “Tell me everything is okay with Tugg, Blade,” her eyes plead with mine.

  “James took him to the vet. He’ll give us a call when he has more information, okay?” I push her hair back with my fingers, and she shakes her head, not believing me. “Is he alive, Blade?”

  “Baby, I haven’t heard, but not hearing anything means he’s still being worked on, so that’s good, right?” What I don’t have the heart to tell her is that it’s touch and go. Johnny cracked his skull, and the vet is trying to get the swelling to come down. I’ll tell her tomorrow.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  The next hour is a whirlwind and I’m thankful for it because it keeps her distracted. Kat has a lot of pull with the nurses here, which helps a lot since visiting hours ended a long time ago. At some point, the nurse gives Alessia something in her IV that knocks her out cold. I’m lying next to her spooning her right now, not willing to let her have the bed to herself. I need to feel her next to me as much as I need my next breath, my chest hurts so bad.

  The shadow of a man appears at the door. Hawk looms in the doorway. “I wanted to come and check in on her, after everything.” Hawk is talking to me, but his eyes move over her face.

  Getting up to my feet, I signal for him to follow me out to the waiting room which is thankfully empty. “Hawk, I’m not sure I really appreciate you coming by to see her. She’s mine, she wears my patch. Why are you here?”

  “Regret, pain, fuck, I don’t know. If I could go back, I would do it all differently. I would have loved her more. Been the man I had promised her I’d be.”

  “Does it really matter now? You had her for years, but you never really claimed her.”

  “We were damn kids, man, when we ran off and got married,” he replies a little agitated.

  “Still, where was your patch claiming her for all others to see? You never really claimed her because you knew she wasn’t yours,” I throw back, not willing to give him an inch.

  “You haven’t married her, and if you ever let her go, I’m coming back for her. I can’t fight you for her, Blade, you’re one of the Club’s Presidents,” his voice full of regret and pain.

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” I need to make sure the fucker understands Alessia will never be his again. Thumping my fist against my chest, then pointing to his face, I say, “If she was you
rs, you would kill me for her. You wouldn’t wait for her. You come back again looking at her like you have been, and I will kill you. It’s your last warning, brother. For my woman, I’ll kill anyone, don’t care who the fuck that is, brother or not, Prez or not. Alessia is mine.”

  Chapter 28

  Blade

  I feel a light touch across my forehead waking me up. Just as I’m trying to pull myself back to sleep, I feel it again. “Blade, Tank brought the Tahoe, we are going home in about twenty. Wake up,” Alessia tries coaxing me from my deep sleep. Opening my eyes, I kiss a bare spot above her gown, right on her chest, and then her lips. I get up and stretch my sore my back, ready to get my woman and me the hell out of here.

  “Well, if it isn’t my favorite little soldier. You get some sleep with that fat ass taking up most of your bed, honey?” Tank’s voice booms into the room out of nowhere.

  Vegas laughs happily, moving to give Tank a big hug. “You’re such a dork, but a lovable dork.”

  Tank’s big arms wrap around her and lift her feet up off the floor. “Right back at you, honey. Go grab your clothes so we can get your scrawny, ninja ass home.” Tank makes motions of Vegas fighting with fists, then kneeing the air, bowing to her fighting honor.

  Mischief laces her eyes as she shakes her head, laughing at Tank. “Thank you, honey. I needed that, dork.”

  Tank tosses me the keys and walks back out. “Thanks, fucker!”, I call out to his retreating back as I hear him whistling all the way down the hallway until he reaches the elevator.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Shutting the door, Alessia hangs up her coat. Finally, we are home after a long night. I sit on the couch, hoping like hell that I can close my eyes for a few hours. Alessia sits in my lap which I want, but it worries me that she feels she needs a safe place.