Zipper

by KJ Dahlen

  “All aboard,” Pappy yelled.

  Zeta jumped a little at the shout then looked around.

  Behind them, the door slid closed with a hydraulic hum. She turned and stared at it as it slowly closed up. Stepping closer to him her, body kept trembling.

  Nodding to her, he headed to a pair of seats.

  Silently, she followed with no choice as he had her hand.

  He stopped and turned to her. “Window seat?”

  Batting her big blue startled looking eyes at him, she mutely nodded.

  He motioned for her to slide in.

  Zeta was shaking pretty badly by now as she slid in and stared out the window.

  Zipper raised his head to see all the men staring. He met each stare with one of his own.

  They each looked away.

  He wouldn’t have it. He suddenly realized that he had felt like a fierce resentment that they gawked at her like she was some Circus show. No way. Everyone, no matter who they were, had better treat his girl right.

  This time, he never paused at this thought. Somehow, some way Zeta was meant to be his. For the first time in his life, he felt a need to protect someone. To care for someone else besides himself. It was an odd sensation, but he planned to ‘roll with it’ as Pappy had said.

  He sat down next to her.

  Zeta seemed to be mesmerized by looking out through the window.

  A ding sounded.

  Looking up and all around, she asked, “What was that?”

  He smiled and nodded to her belt.

  She peered down and then laughed a little as she grabbed her seat belt with shaky hands and clicked it around her lap.

  He did the same.

  Then the plane started to move.

  “Oh!” She leaned forward a bit.

  “We’re taking off,” he announced the obvious.

  “I know. I know!” She grabbed his hand and squeezed.

  Zipper kept smiling and he was hopeful that she would do okay with this.

  She squeezed his hand tighter as the plane moved along then it rose. “Wow!” she exclaimed. “Did you feel that?”

  He simply nodded.

  “It was like my tummy just got a lift.”

  He chuckled.

  When they were airborne, she turned to the window and gawked.

  Zipper shook his head. Tummy lift. Good description for the feeling that he never thought about much.

  “Zipper?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “Are we gonna see actual clouds?”

  He paused as he found he enjoyed the feeling of her small hand in his. “I think so?” In truth, he’d flown many times. Maybe not in a jet like this luxurious monstrosity, but commercial, mainly. He’d never thought about the clouds much either.

  “Oh wow. I will get to see the clouds...” She pressed her face to the window.

  Zipper finally took his eyes off her and thought. See the clouds... It was such a simple phrase. It did sum up the feeling he’d had from the first minute he saw this girl’s face.

  Chapter Eleven

  It seemed to Zeta that they landed far too soon, after they had taken off. She hadn’t spoken much during the flight as she just watched the actual clouds wisp by. The blue of the horizon was the purest most powder blue she had ever seen.

  Zipper had sat beside her and after a bit, he dozed off.

  She herself should have been exhausted too. She hadn’t slept in more than twenty-four hours but she couldn’t miss this. To think she had yearned for her feet to touch the ground outside. Then she rode in that SUV and had danced along the tarmac just basically celebrating the air itself then finally, she got to fly.

  This was all overwhelming but she soaked it all in like a sponge, she didn’t want to miss a thing, so she ignored her body telling her it needed sleep.

  The plane coasted along the tarmac as she watched everything. Yes, she had at times pulled her gaze away from the window and had looked around the plane. It was a couple of million dollar’s worth of airborne luxury, this she knew.

  Then she had studied the men that she could see, as they all seemed to be napping. These men had come to get her, they also had gotten Boris out of her life. What little life she’d had. Then her gaze would light on him. Zipper.

  This man was something she had yet to figure out. Why had he taken such a chance? To have her rescued? Yes, she knew they had wanted to catch her uncle, but they had obviously known about her, and that could have only ben because he’d wanted her rescued. That Nikoli guy had said that exact same thing too.

  To think... all her plans of escape, all that she had lined up, had been useless and unneeded in the end. But she just couldn’t care about that. She was out. She was free.

  She had just stepped out of the shower when the noise had started fro downstairs in that brownstone. Fear took over and she had wondered if one of Boris’s enemies... of which he had many, had finally come to get him.

  Then she felt a panic. What if they killed her too? She had no way out of the room except the door. So, she’d pushed at it after the last two screws were out and it hit the floor.

  Just as she’d looked down at it, she raised her gaze up and saw the men in black coming up the landing from the stairs. Carrying guns and looking mean. They blocked the stairs that had appeared in her mind for all these years. The stairs she had planned to fly down, before opening that door and running away forever.

  Zeta had thought that this was it. She was dead and without ever having the chance to really live.

  Next, they’d cornered her. All the while, she’d wondered when they would kill her.

  Then there he was.

  This man with sandy blonde hair and a lean but muscled body. It was his eyes that she became glued to. Green emeralds was the first thought she had. But in them she didn’t see death. They were kind and warm.

  Then when he’d said she was finally free? She couldn’t believe it and she had fainted.

  Never, had she passed out like that in her whole life. But it was all too much after thinking she would be free then she believed she would be dead. Finally, when she was told she was free, her mind just couldn’t take it, nor could her body.

  A ding sounded in the cabin of the plane and she snapped out of her thoughts to unlatch her seatbelt.

  Zipper stirred in his seat.

  She watched with a smile on her face. Damn, if he wasn’t cute. Like this, she could see what he must have been like as a little boy. His hair a bit tousled. His face free of any tenseness as she had seen a few times already.

  He rubbed his eyes and yawned lazily. Then he looked up at her. That green color seemed to deepen as he took in her face. He then reached up and caressed her cheek ever so softly. His warm fingers gliding along her cheek.

  Zeta actually closed her eyes at the soft, warm touch. She hadn’t been touched so gently and so sweetly since she had been a little girl.

  His hand left her cheek and her eyes popped open.

  “Time to go, sweet girl,” he said in that deep voice of his.

  Tingles ran along her skin at the warmth in his voice. She gulped a little and nodded.

  Then they rode out of the small airport.

  She kept her giddiness down this time in the SUV. She realized now how she must have looked before and why Zipper had stared at her like that. She now turned her head to look at him.

  He had been staring at her.

  She felt her cheeks flame. “So where are we now?”

  His brows furrowed then he smiled. “Damn, I’m sorry I never even told you before. We are in Troy, New York.”

  She looked out the window. “Ok and this is where...”

  “...I live and the Sin’s live.”

  She looked over at him. “This is where Deke Tory is?”

  “Yep.”

  She then saw that they were at a huge black metal gate. Above it, a sign said SIN’S BASTARDS MC

  The gate opened and they drove in.

 
She saw lots of motorcycles all lined up. Geeze, she’d never seen so many in one place. Well, in one picture as that was all she had seen in her life. Images on the net of... just about everything.

  They parked and Zipper stepped out then held out his hand to her.

  She smiled and took it. She damn well liked holding his hand.

  He walked her over to two very tall glass doors.

  Two men came out and held them open. Two very large men. They were all various forms of huge she’d noted already. Larger than life bikers.

  They walked in and she gasped as her feet stopped moving. Gazing up and up, she stared.

  Zipper chuckled from beside her. “Meet Rufus and Diablo.”

  “Oh, my...” she stared.

  “They were painted by Cassie,” he told her.

  Her gaze whipped over to his face. “Cassie Reardon Troy?”

  He blinked his eyes at her.

  “Yes, that is the artist,” a deep voice spoke from somewhere.

  Zeta looked around and then her eyes landed on a man.

  Tall, and dark haired with eyes that were so intense and again, a very large man. She moved a little closer to Zipper. She knew who he was instantly as she had found just one picture of him online. But he looked so intimidating in person, she clung to Zipper’s arm,

  He stepped forward. “Deke Tory,” he introduced himself.

  Zeta gave him a small nod. “Zeta,” she almost whispered.

  “You mean Manhattan Girl right?” he asked with humor in his steely gaze.

  Mutely, she nodded.

  “Well, I just wanted to welcome you and thank you.”

  She stared at him with confusion.

  “For trying to save my miserable hide,” he added.

  “I-I didn’t...”

  He nodded. “Yes, you did.”

  Zipper tightened his hold on her hand and she looked over at him.

  “She needs sleep, Prez. It’s been a night of it man.”

  Deke nodded. “Ok, I will debrief you in the morning.” Deke walked past them and headed over to the group of men at the door.

  Zipper tugged her along down a hallway then down another one. He then came up to a door.

  Zeta just stared at the place as thy walked along it was so enormous and it looked brand new. “Is this a normal clubhouse?” she asked him.

  He laughed. “Hardly. No, most do not look like this.” He tapped a number into the keypad on the wall by the door. Then he turned to her as the door clicked open.” Umm... I can get you your own room if you want, but for now, we can use mine? Is that okay?”

  She didn’t know what to say, her own room? No, she didn’t want her own room. It felt too stifling. Alone in her own room. “Alright...I-I think so?”

  He kept smiling and then opened the door. “I’ve never had anyone in my room so excuse any mess you see.” He motioned her in.

  Stepping through, she looked all around. It was a nice room really. Masculine for sure but full of retro posters. And mostly electronics, instead of normal things like most people might have. “This is awesome!” she exclaimed.

  “Really?” he asked from beside her.

  “Yes, really. OH! You have all these laptops?” Her eyes widened.

  “Well, maybe a dozen. They all tease me that one isn’t enough for me or some shit like that.”

  “Well, they just don’t get it,” she replied and met his eyes.

  His gaze locked with hers. “No, they don’t and never did. But you do.”

  Zeta felt a bit nervous suddenly. She was in a man’s room! Alone with him! Wow and double damn wow.

  He chuckled. “I love watching your face.”

  She raised her gaze to his again. “What?”

  “Never mind. We need to...” he seemed to falter. “...sleep and I have just the one bed. Come on.” He motioned her to the next room.

  Zeta kept looking at all the posters, the plants, the lava lamps, the gadgets everywhere.

  Turning to her, he said, “I can take the couch.”

  Her eyes swung around to a small sofa. Then she looked at him again. “You are way too tall for that couch.”

  He laughed and then yawned. “I could probably sleep on a chair or even on cement at this point.”

  She realized he must be extremely tired too. “We can share the bed,” the words just popped out of her mouth, all on their own, apparently.

  He stared at her. “Are you sure? I mean we will just be sleeping. So I suppose it will be okay?”

  She nodded though inside her heart was doing cartwheels. Sleep in a bed with this man? She’d already concluded that he might just be the best looking man she had ever seen. He was built well, tall, muscled, but not like weight lifter muscles. She already loved the way his hair would fall over one eye and he would sweep it back. She shook herself.

  She had acted like a child for the last several hours and here she was crushing on him, like a teen. But wasn’t she in reality? Yes, she’d seen plenty of men on the net so it wasn’t like she’d never seen one. But really, she’d never seen one like him.

  “Zeta?” he called out.

  She blinked at him “Oh, sorry. What?”

  “It’s okay, it has been a day of it for sure and for you...” His voice fell away.

  She nodded. “It has be A LOT.”

  With another warm smile, he turned and motioned to a door. “Bathroom is there.” He sat on the large bed with a deep burgundy comforter on it. Then he raised his foot and unlaced his boots.

  Zeta just stood and stared.

  He set his foot down and the boot then looked up at her.

  At his gaze on her, she jumped a little. “I’m sorry. I keep staring.”

  He shook his head as he slid the other boot off. “Not needed. I have been staring at you since the first...” His voice fell away as he paused to gaze up at her.

  Her cheeks flushed. Was he saying what she hoped he was saying? That he thought she was like attractive? God, she hoped so or this could get to be embarrassing and she’d had enough embarrassment already, all caused by her of course, but still.

  He chuckled then stood up and tugged his T shirt off. “I suppose I just never met a girl that...” He tossed the shirt to the chair.

  Zeta’s mouth popped open. Oh, my god! His bare chest looked almost satiny and it was smooth except for the tattoo over his heart of some odd logo but the tats weren’t the shocker as this man had the yummiest abs, washboard stomach and...her eyes dipped lower to just above his jeans. Her cheeks actually burned. In fact, her body burned, everywhere.

  He cleared his throat.

  Her gaze rose up. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—I...”

  He grinned at her. “Well, I’m not sorry. I just got checked out by the hottest woman I have ever seen.”

  Her gaze locked with his. “You’re making a joke right?”

  “Hell no.”

  She laughed in disbelief. “Living the life you do, I would imagine you have seen lots of hot women.”

  He nodded. “Yes. But never anyone that looks like you do.”

  She knew she had just gone pink all over. “Well, you are hot too,” she bit at her lip.

  “Nah. Look at all the men you just met. I’m not that much.”

  Her gaze shot up. “What men?” She hadn’t remembered seeing any man as hot as he was.

  “You know all the...” He shook his head. “And it isn’t like you got to see many...” He then looked stricken as if he regretted his words.

  Zeta stepped closer to him. “I have seen many, many men on the net, you know?” She felt a bit embarrassed suddenly to admit that she had looked a lot and at some sites she should have never went to probably, in her serious search of life. “In all kinds of um...settings.” She laughed nervously. “I mean I’m human ya know? I was curious.”

  He smiled at her. “Still. I think maybe you should hold that judgement for a few days, until after you meet the guys here. I don’t compare.”

  Sh
e blinked her eyes. The man didn’t even know he was hot! Amazing! “Well, we will see. But despite my um... upbringing, I know a hot guy when I see one.” She couldn’t help it, a giggle slipped out with her words.

  He froze and stared at her.

  “W-what?” she asked.

  “That was the fucking cutest sound I think I have ever heard.” His green eyes seemed to deepen as he stared at her face.

  Zeta suddenly felt too hot, too closed in, like was it really hot in here or what? “Cute?” she asked to diffuse the sudden odd tension between them.

  “Hell, yes.” Then he pulled his gaze away from her and motioned to the bed. “I got like large T-shirts you could wear to bed if you want?”

  She nodded still embarrassed and nervous.

  “I mean you brought nothing with you.”

  She opened her mouth to explain that.

  Zipper raised his hand. “No. I get it. I thought about what you said. I can’t blame you for it at all. But we will have to get you some clothes.” He went to a huge dresser and opened a drawer.

  “That’s no problem. I ordered all the clothes I could ever wear. It is all just waiting for a shipping address.”

  He paused as he tugged a shirt out. “What?”

  “I ordered many things for my new life.”

  Zipper cocked his head. “And Boris just what? Gave you a credit card?” He looked doubtful.

  “No, no. It is my money and no, he never knew about any of it. I wouldn’t wear a damn diamond encrusted tiara if he’d bought it with his blood money—” She halted as she realized her tone sounded bitter and hateful.

  Zipper walked over handing her the t-shirt. “I hope he pays though. He needs to pay for every day you were locked up.”

  She grabbed the shirt and noted that he had clenched his fists.

  Letting out a breath, he seemed to try to get a hold of his anger. “And from what I know and am told, he will.” His green eyes had deepened again, but with a hard flinty look.

  Zeta stared at him. “I suppose I can see why you would hate him so much really. He wanted your president dead.”

  He stepped closer and grabbed her shoulders. Looking into her eyes, he gritted his teeth as he spoke, “Yes, but that never made me as angry as when I realized what he had done to you. He isn’t human, Zeta. He can’t be. No sane person would do that. I still don’t understand why he did it either.”