by Kira Johns
I nod my head in excitement. It was going to be nice to have something in my stomach besides smoothies, broth and juice for a change. We step inside the shop and Viper motions toward a table. I watch as he steps up to the counter and orders. I am finding it harder and harder to keep my eyes off of him, especially since we have been spending so much time together. I know I don't stand a chance with a guy like him. I know all too well what kind of guy he is. I grew up in this life. He is a biker and with bikers comes club whores.
I am so lost in thought, I don't even notice Viper setting my ice cream in front of me. “You OK, babe?”
I look up at his concerned face and smile. “I’m fine,” I tell him. Outside I am, but inside I relive those four years over and over again. Even in my nightmares, everything seems so real. The smells, the sounds, the pain is all so fucking real, it is like it is happening all over again.
It takes almost an hour for me to finish my ice cream. Viper has long finished before I take my final bite. Chewing again was more difficult than I had imagined, but I did it and my stomach was full. I was happier than I could remember.
We clean up our mess and head back to the club in silence.
Chapter Six
Viper
I toss and turn, unable to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see Jade. She has invaded my dreams every night since the first night I saw her. She is the most amazing woman I have ever met.
Her laughter echoes in my mind and I sit up. It was so damn contagious. Hearing her sweet giggle did things to me that I had never felt. It was confusing. I have had my share of gorgeous women, but never one like her. She was simply beautiful, without even trying.
Her dark brown hair cascades in waves past her shoulder. Deep, glittering emeralds take the place of her eyes. Her skin is like porcelain, smooth and soft to the touch. Her body is fit, but curvy in all the right places. She is perfect in every single way, both inside and out, and I couldn't get her out of my mind.
We have gotten close over the last several months, spending almost every waking second together. I have had no desire to do anything but be with her. She makes me laugh, something I’m unaccustomed to. It was like I was a different person now with her in my life. I liked the change. I know it didn't change the real me, the killer within me would always be there, but with her I was at ease. She made the demons disappear. She made me forget, something I had never been able to do before she walked into my life.
I climb out of bed, deciding sleep was not going to happen tonight. I make my way out of my room and down the hallway towards the kitchen. I pass by Jade’s room and pause, wondering if she is asleep. I lightly tap on her door and hear nothing. I stand there immobile for a few minutes, waiting, before coming to the conclusion that she isn’t awake. I push myself away from her door and take only a few steps when I hear whimpering. The distinct noise makes me stop in my tracks and turn around.
When I hear the noise again, I press my ear to her bedroom door. All is silent for several minutes before I hear the sound again, and realizing it is coming from her room, I knock again. When she again doesn’t answer, I hesitate for only a moment before turning the knob on her door and pushing it open.
Her room is dark, only the moonlight illuminating it. I can make out her form lying on the bed, but it takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust before I can see her face clearly. Her eyes are squeezed shut, her mouth contorted in a painful expression. Her hands are fisted into the comforter, and her body is rigid. An occasional whimper escapes her mouth, as she writhes on the bed in pain, and begins thrashing on the bed, as if she is attempting to escape whatever torture is occurring in her mind. I can only imagine what she is reliving and my instinct is to help her.
I walk over to her bedside and quietly call out her name. She doesn’t react other than to thrash some more. When a wail escapes her lips, I closes in, gently shaking her. “Jade, babe. Wake up!” I demand.
Her eyes flutter slightly before she knives up in the bed, her eyes now widened with fear as she scans the room. “Babe, you were having a nightmare.”
She closes her eyes in frustration and leans back against the headboard. Reaching over, she turns on the bedside lamp and rubs her eyes. “You wanna talk about it?” I ask as I sit on the edge of the bed.
She shakes her head. She still has not talked to anyone about what she endured. I know firsthand that keeping this locked up inside her is torturing her, but it’s not time to confront her on it. Not yet.
I decide to change the subject, knowing that she is not going to give anything up tonight. “I couldn't sleep so I was going to grab a snack. You want anything?”
She lifts her face so her eyes meet mine. “Ice cream,” she whispers.
“I’ve got just what you need. I’ll be right back,” I tell her before disappearing out of her room. Once I have made a bowl for us both, I climb into the bed beside her, our shoulders touching. I pass the bowl to her and the smile that encompasses her face makes me laugh. “Is ice cream the cure all?”
“Yes. Yes it is,” she replies before shoving a spoonful into her mouth. “This is good.”
“Double chocolate chip,” I explain. “My favorite.”
She nods before reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing the remote. With a push of the button, the TV comes to life. She scans through the programming, finally settling on a rerun of The Walking Dead. “I love this show,” she says with a mouthful.
“Me too,” I admitted. “Never miss an episode.”
She nods as she turns her concentration to the scene on screen. We sit in silence for a long time before her head comes to rest on my shoulder. I love the feel of having her so close. I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and hold her tight, but I fight the urge to do just that. Twenty minutes pass before I realize she has fallen asleep, her rhythmic breathing the only indication. I smile as I grab her bowl and place it on the nightstand with my own and then do what I have been wanting to for so long. I wrap my arm around her protectively and pull her closer to me, her face now buried in my chest. My eyes grow heavy feeling her warmth against me. I sleep soundly for the first time in forever, with her in my arms.
Chapter Seven
Jade
I sit at the bar and people watch. The club is full, as it always is on a Friday night. It’s only the second time I’ve set foot in the main room during one of the club parties since arriving here seven months ago. Tank was far from happy the first time he spotted me here. He still thinks of me as a kid, his baby sister. I can't say I hate the way he feels, because I love the fact that my brother loves me and wants to protect me. But I am grown, have been for some time, and I am fully capable of making my own decisions.
Even Viper was concerned at my presence at these parties. And just like with my brother, I laid it out on the line. Told him to mind his own fucking business and stormed off. I’d be lying if I said I hated the attention he was giving me. I loved it and the more time I spent with him¸ the more my feelings for him developed.
I wasn’t a fool. I knew it was just a crush. Guys like Viper don’t do relationships until they find old lady material. And judging by what I was seeing at the moment, that wasn’t happening any time soon. Two club whores were all over him, and although I tried to not let it bother me, it did.
I turn my back on the scene in front of me, not wanting to witness what was bound to happen next. I had seen enough during the last party to know that no one at the club was shy about having sex in public.
My mind drifted to the time before the Condemned Warriors. I did this quite a bit. I wanted to forget and eliminate those thoughts from my mind, but they always managed to creep up on me, no matter how hard I tried to fight it.
“You gonna hang out with me all night sweetness?” Trigger asked. Trigger was one of the club’s newest prospects. He was around my age and since I had been living at the compound, he and I had gotten to know one another.
“Guess so,” I mutter as I down the last of my
beer.
“Want another?” he asks, nodding at my empty beer bottle.
“No, I’m all beered out,” I tell him. “I want a shot.”
He smirks and turns, grabbing a bottle of vodka off the shelf and begins making my favorite, a Kamikaze. He sets the shot glass in front of me and smiles. I quickly down it and ask for another. Six shots later, and I am feeling numb. My head is swimming and I want to suddenly dance.
I step off the barstool and look around. Viper is still playing pool with Tank, and of course there are four club whores surrounding the two of them. I roll my eyes, thankful I am not so desperate. I walk over to Spike, who is leaning against the back wall looking as bored as I am.
“Hey Spike,” I say as I come to a stop in front of him. “You wanna dance with me?”
Spike looks at me like I’ve grown two head before he grins and nods. “Sure, princess.”
I reach out and grab his hand, dragging him into the center of the room. It is warm and the more I move around, the more the shots I had done course through my body. I close my eyes and let the music flow through me, enjoying the feeling. Spike’s hands are on my hips as he grinds against me. I move along with him, pushing back against him, feeling free for the first time in a long time.
“Jade!” I hear my brother’s voice shout at me from behind, and I turn to see him, Viper standing beside him, scowling. “What the fuck are you doing?” He is now standing in front of me, Viper his shadow. It is then that I realize Spike has disappeared.
“Dancing,” I begin. “Until you chased my dance partner off.”
“Are you drunk?”
“Yeah, Tank. I’m drunk, just like you and every other person in here.” I roll my eyes at him.
“Damnit baby girl, I don't like you out here flaunting your shit. Hard to enjoy myself when I have to keep an eye on you. What are you wearing anyway?”
I look down at the shorts and tank top I’m wearing and I’m suddenly seeing red. “I don't need a babysitter. I’m twenty-one fuckin’ years old. And I’m wearing a hell of a lot more than the other club whores here!”
“You ain’t a sweetbutt, princess. Never will be. Why don't you go on to bed or go watch a movie?”
This pisses me off. “Don’t tell me what to do, Miles!” I shout out. He hates it when I call him by his real name and the only time I ever do is at times like this. “You have to let me live a little, and going to my room isn't going to do it. I want to have fun. I haven't had any fun in years. I want to get drunk and dance. That’s it!”
“I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea here. You feelin’ me, princess?”
“You mean you don't want one of your brothers to think I’m free game. Well that’s for me to decide. If I want to go and fuck every single guy in this room, I will!” I don’t even know why I say that because sex was the farthest thing from my mind. Tank was the one insinuating that someone may mistake me for a club whore. Every fucking brother in the damn place knew who I was, so there was no mistaking.
“Over my fuckin’ dead body!” he shouts. I’ve hit a nerve and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to bounce back after it. “You are my sister, and you will do what I say!”
“Yeah, Miles. I am your sister, not your fuckin’ daughter! I’m a grown woman. I will not have you dictate every move I make. You have to trust me. If you can, fine. If you can’t, then maybe it’s time I go!”
I turn on my heel and march out of the front door, angry. I step outside and head towards the back of the building. When I arrive in the open area, I breathe a sigh of relief to find no one else around. I go to one of the picnic tables and sit, laying my head on the hardwood.
“Princess?”
I lift my head and turn, seeing Tank standing behind me, his arms crossed. He is angry, but he is doing his best to hold it in. “Just leave it alone, Tank.”
“I’m your brother. I can't just leave it alone.”
I release a ragged breath, not really feeling in the mood for a discussion, but I know he’s not going to drop it. “I just want you to see me as an adult.”
He lets out an exasperated breath before coming to sit beside me. “Jade, I know you’re a grown woman, but you will always be my baby sister. I don't care if you are eighty years old. But you’re right. I need to let you live a little. And after everything you’ve been through, I know you need it. It’s just hard because I want to protect you.”
“Tank, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. And I love the fact you want to protect me. It’s nice feeling like something other than a piece of shit.”
“What happened to you should never have happened. Ever!” His voice is harsh, and I can actually feel his anger. He releases a breath before speaking again, this time his voice is almost a whisper. “Jade, I can't even begin to tell you how I felt when I discovered what Reaper did.”
I don't know what else to say to him. I know he blamed himself for it all, when it had nothing to do with him. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you apologize for what those fuckin’ monsters did to you. I know you don't want to talk about it, but I can imagine what you went through. You deserve to be treated like the princess you are, and I know one day you will find your prince.”
I smile at his words. “A prince for the biker princess, huh?
“Damn right. And he will be the luckiest fucker in the world to have you by his side.”
“I love you, Tank.”
“Love you, baby girl. Always have and always will.” He stands and looks down at me, the love he has for me shining in his eyes. “I don't want you to leave. This is your home, and I don't think I could bear losing you again. So I’ll try to do better, but give your brother a break every now and then.”
“I’ll try too.” He presses his lips to my forehead before turning to walk back into the club. “Hey, Tank!” I shout and he turns to look at me. “Can we do some target practice tomorrow?”
I watch as he breaks out in an enormous grin. “You got it, princess.”
Viper
I stand back in amusement, watching as Jade picks up Tank’s .357 Magnum and points it downrange. “This should be good,” Maze snickers beside me.
“What else you got?” Jade asks as she lays the gun back onto the table.
Tank grins from ear to ear as he pulls his .45 caliber out of his back. “Try this one, baby girl.”
Again, she lifts the pistol in her hand and holds it out in front of her, pointing downrange. “Perfect,” she says before she drops the magazine and pulls the slide back. “You bring enough ammo?”
Tank nods at the bag laying behind them, boxes of ammunition overflowing from it. “I think we have enough.”
“Alright,” she says as she digs through the bag and pulls out a box of ammo.
“You think she’s gonna drop it?” Maze asks from beside me.
I shrug, not knowing what to expect. Jade has surprised me at every turn, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she was already quite familiar with the art of shooting.
She grabs the eyes and ears off the table and puts them on. She looks hot as hell like this. She’s wearing a tight black tank top that shows off every fucking curve. And then there are her shorts. Blue jean and short as fuck. Long legs and big tits. What a fuckin’ view!
“Going hot,” she says and I shake my head. This girl is about to show us all up, I'm thinking.
She aims down range, her arms outstretched. Maze is crouching down, and I hope like hell neither Tank nor Jade see him or he’s gonna get his ass chewed out. Just when I think she is going to pull the trigger, Tank’s voice shouts out. “What the fuck, you pussy? You think my sister here is gonna shoot your ass by mistake?”
Jade turns and glares at Maze who smiles at her while shrugging his shoulders. She lays the firearm on the table and rips her ears off. “You! You think because I’m a chick I can’t hang with the big boys?”
“I didn't say a fucking thing, Jade.”
“Yeah,” she says, still glaring at hi
m. “Make you a bet. I bet I can out shoot your ass!”
Oh shit, this is going to get real fuckin’ ugly. “You do realize I’m a marksman?” Maze stands, hovering over her.
She shrugs. “Oooh, am I supposed to be scared? I’m fuckin’ trembling! Tell you what, I’ll even let you pick. Five guns, any caliber.”
“My choice? You’re on! Ten shots each. Highest overall score wins. Loser does the winner’s laundry for a month.”
“Deal. And just so you know Maze, I like my delicates to be hand washed.” She turns back towards Tank who is shaking his head. “You want some of this too?”
“No baby girl, I think I’m just fine being a spectator. Maybe Viper wants to join in though?” he says, looking over in my direction.