by Rose Cody
“I think we might have a pizza in the freezer back at the clubhouse.” He says. “When we get back we’ll cook it up and spend some time together okay?”
“Okay.” She says, smiling softly as she watches him back up before turning around to join his gang.
Alia holds her breath as she watches them disappear behind the warehouse, trembling as she listens to the silence before letting her air out, the chilly night air turning it to fog in front of her face.
It definitely isn’t the first time a guy has made her wait while he goes off doing his thing, but she can’t say she’s ever been left in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, and in the middle of some sort of biker gang deal before.
“Leon!” She gasps, perking up and sliding backwards out of his seat and onto the little one on the back of the bike as she watches them turn the corner to come back to the bikes.
Leon breaks from the group, jogging back over to her before wrapping his arms around her back and squeezing her tightly against his chest.
“See, just a few minutes.” He says, whispering into her ear before lifting her chin and pressing his lips against hers.
“You did what you needed to do? We can go now?” She asks, watching him slide onto his bike as she slips her arms under his and holds his chest.
“Yeah.” He nods, leaning back into her as he tilts his head back against hers. “This is some steak dinner shit, Alia.”
She smirks, nuzzling her cheek into his back as he starts his engine, the whole bike vibrating under them as they follow them rest of them club out of the abandoned parking lot.
“Back to the club house?!” She yells, asking over the rumbling as they race down the streets.
He nods, glancing back to her quickly.
“Then I promise it’ll just be you and me.” He says as they pull up to the run down house, parking off to the side just in front of the neighbour’s house.
Alia nods quietly as she slides off the bike and reaches for Leon’s hand, the hoots and hollers from the other men intimidating her.
They follow them into the house, everyone rushing into the kitchen at once as an older man with a scruffy beard tosses a black duffle bag onto the table.
She jumps as it slams down on the wood, the bag obviously heavy, before standing on her tippy toes from the back of the group as she watches the old man unzip the length of the zipper.
Her mouth gapes, the cheering and laughter from the men falling out of her perception as her eyes focus in on the white bricks being pulled out of the bag and dropped on the table in front of them.
She looks over to Leon, time slowing down as she watches him clap his hands above his head, cheering as the plastic around the white brick gets sliced open before the old man breaks a corner off, white powder dropping to the table as the piece falls onto the wooden surface as someone from the back of the group tosses a meat cleaver onto the table beside it.
She gasps, having forgotten to breath as the volume of the room comes back to her as she watches the man begin to chop up the powder finer and finer.
Alia steps back, shaking her head as she distances herself from the group as the old man begins to form the powder into lines before rolling a piece of newspaper and snorting it up.
“Fuck that’s good shit!” She hears as she watches Leon take a step forward to take his turn.
“No…” She whispers to herself, her heart sinking in her chest as she watches Leon bend forward over the table.
She turns around, holding her hand over her eyebrows as she hears a loud sigh before a quick, high shout as Leon finishes snorting his line.
Alia stiffens as she feels a set of trembling hands wrap around her waist, Leon’s fingertips shallowly sinking into the front of her jeans as he kisses against her neck.
“Come on, baby.” He whispers into her ear. “Celebrate with us…”
She shakes her head, turning around, her eyes catching his blood shot eyes as she gazes into his dilated pupils.
“Can we go upstairs…” She asks, her voice catching in the throat as she takes a step back.
“Yeah, I’ll take you upstairs…” He smirks.
She grabs his hand, pulling him up the carpeted stairs and into the bedroom to the side of the hall before closing the door behind them.
“You’ll have more fun if you get a little high first…” Leon whispers into her ear as he walks her over to the bed.
“No, stop.” She whispers, pushing him away as she sits down, sinking into the mattress.
She rests her face in the palms of her hands before looking up at him as he sits down beside her.
“What?” He asks, his voice soft as he presses his hand against the small of her back.
She gets up, stepping away from him before turning around, angry tears beginning to sting her eyes.
“What they fuck was that!?” She asks, her voice cracking as she points towards the door.
“Alia, it’s not a big deal…” He says, shrugging his shoulders as he shakes his head from side to side.
“Yes, it is a big deal!” She says, bringing her hand up to her chest. “This whole night has been one big deal after a-fucking-nother.”
“Shh…” He hushes, trying to get her to keep her voice down as he reaches out to her, grabbing his hand.
“No!” She says, pulling her hand away from him. “I can’t believe you would leave me to sit by myself in a dark fucking parking lot in the middle of nowhere while you and your buddies by a fucking duffle bag full of drugs!”
“Alia…” He says, standing up and walking over to her. “It’s my job. I mean, you can’t pretend you didn’t know what I do for a living.”
“You said you were a place holder for a different gang… a place holder!”
“Alia…” He says, sighing out as he sits back down on the bed before rubbing his hands over his face.
“And then, you bring me back here, with the duffle bag of drugs, mind you…” She starts, shaking her head. “And now everyone is doing cocaine and you want me to be okay with that? Leon, I could go to jail for the rest of my life just because I’m here…”
“You won’t, Alia…” He says, tossing his hands into the air. “We’re not causing any trouble...”
“Do you think I’m stupid, Leon? Do you?” She asks sternly. “You honestly think I’m going to believe those fucking bricks of cocaine are so you can party it up?
Leon opens his mouth to answer, closing it again tightly as he watches Alia shake her head.
“I thought you were one of the good ones, Leon…” She starts, wrapping her arms over her chest. “I guess my dad was right about you and I was just too naïve to see it…”
“I would have never taken you if I thought you were going to get hurt, never.” He says, his bloodshot eyes zeroing in on her. “I will never let you get hurt, Alia…”
She turns away from him, wiping a tear away from her cheek with the sleeve of her cardigan.
“Take me home, Leon.”
Chapter 12
Alia wipes her knuckles over her tired eyes, exhausted from having not slept even a single wink the night before, as she shakes a silver mixer before pouring the tart, orange drink into tall, thin glasses.
“Here you go.” She smiles, nodding at her customer as she slides the drinks over to them.
“Oh, hold on.” She says as she reaches under the bar, pulling out two little umbrellas before poking them into the ice, her eye quickly darting over to the door as it opens.
Her smile turns to an awkward frown as she watches the Rebel’s Keepers walk through the door, and she looks away, playing busy as she notices Leon split from the group and make a bee line towards her at the bar.
“Please go away…” She says, her voice as monotone as she can muster.
“Can I at least get some beers?” He asks, leaning on the counter. “Or have I been banished.”
Alia pauses, her eyes squinting as she looks into Leon’s blue pools, her mind racing with thin
gs she wants to say before she turns around, sighing defeated, and pulls out a few bottles from the cooler.
“Send someone else up here next time.” She says, glancing up at him as she pops the caps off.
“Alia… Last night…” He says, wiping his finger over the grain of the wood on the bar top.
“Don’t worry about it.” She says, feigning a smirk as she pushes the bottles towards him. “We had fun. Now it’s over. Get back to your gang shit and find another girl to fuck, Leon.”
“Alia, please…” He says, shaking his head as she walks away before bending down behind that bar. “Talk to me, we can work something out.”
“No.” She says, getting up from her squat on the floor. “And I was serious about what I said before; send someone else for your next round or get out.”
She watches as he pulls the beers off the counter, her chest tight as she watches him walk back over to his table.
“Boy troubles, sweetheart?” She hears from down the bar.
She looks over, her face flushing as an older man with a short, dyed black beard gazes at her.
“Yeah, I guess.” She smirks, shrugging her shoulders.
“Surely a pretty girl like yourself has more options than that scumbag, huh?” He says, lifting his glass and tossing his whiskey down his throat, before hissing out the burn. “I’m sure you’ve got guys hanging off of you, especially in such a small town like this.”
“Oh, please.” She giggles, her heart pounding in her chest as she looks over to Leon, her eyes catching his for a split second just before he looks away. “No, there isn’t much in this town.”
“Well,” He starts, pushing his glass towards her as she reaches behind her for the bottle of whiskey. “I’ve been by every small town within eight hundred miles of here, and you’re the prettiest girl I’ve found yet.”
“Why are you going through so many small towns?” She asks, pointing towards the wedding ring on his finger as she pushes his glass back towards him.
“I’m a trucker.” He says, spinning his ring with his thumb. “Just passing through. But you know… My wife understands what the road is like…”
“I’m sure she does…” Alia sighs out, turning around as she hears a ding from the window behind her.
She picks up the warm plate of French fries from the windowsill with one hand as she reads over the bill with the other.
“Hey, Jason…” She calls into the kitchen. “Can I get a side of mayo, just like, a little cup or something, says here they want some mayo…”
“You got any fries for me, sweetheart?” She hears the black bearded man say from behind her.
“Well, I don’t know, you gunna order some?” She replies, glancing back as Jason hands her the cup of mayo before she tries to fit it on the plate.
“Still mad about that boy, huh?” The man asks.
“Look, I’m just trying to get through my shift, sir…” Alia replies, stepping out from behind the bar.
“Well then, let me help you out…” He says, grabbing Alia by the waist as she walks past him, knocking the plate of fries out of her hands.
“Let go of me!” She gasps, stepping backwards into the middle of the floor, every single one of the few patrons turning their attention towards the commotion.
“Come on now, sweetheart…” He says, reaching out to her again. “Let me make you feel better…”
“Hey!” Alia hears from across the bar. “She said no, scumbag!”
She watches as Leon gets up from his seat before slowly walking over them.
“Me? Scumbag?” The bearded man asks, turning around to face Leon. “According to this young lady right here, you’re the scumbag, buddy.”
“You leave her the fuck alone.” Leon says, getting in the man’s face and pressing his finger against the guy’s forehead.
“She’s going to be screaming my name, pal, you just wait.” The bearded man says, hitting him against the chest with his palms as he pushes him away.
“Leon stop!” Alia yells, her voice cracking as she rushes behind the bar. “Please! I’m calling the cops! Just get out of here!”
Leon growls as he pushes the older man back before grabbing him by the shoulder of his jacket and pulling him back towards him.
“You stupid piece of shit…” Leon says, spitting in his face as he presses his nose against the man’s before pushing him to the ground.
He gets on top of him, straddling the man as he holds his neck down, his thumb on one side and his fingers on the other as he lifts his arm into the air, winding it up.
“Stop!” Alia screams, as she covers the receiver, stamping her foot on the ground as she wipes a tear off of her cheek.
She jumps, turning around and sobbing as she hears the loud crack of Leon’s fist against the man’s face as he hits it over and over again.
“Leon, get off!” One of his buddies grunts as they pull him off of the bearded man.
Leon pants, hitting his fist against the floor as he watches the man get up to his knees and squeeze his nose, trying to stop the bleeding from the damage Leon caused.
“It’s not worth it…” His friend says, turning his head as they watch the door open up, the sunlight backing the two officers as they walk into the bar.
Chapter 13
Alia walks away from the officers, wiping the drizzle off of her face as she makes her way over to the end of the sidewalk.
She sits beside Leon, his hair matted down from the rain, his shirt soaked and his hands cuffed behind his back as he hands his head down low between his knees.
“Hey.” She whispers, turning towards him as she brushes his hair out of his eyes.
He glances over to her, sighing softly as he lifts his head.
“So, he said he won’t press charges on you if I don’t press charges on him, so…” Alia starts, biting her bottom lip. “So, I guess that’s settled then.”
She shrugs her shoulders, looking up at the sky as it drizzles down on them, before turning as she hears a jingling behind her as an officer uncuffs his hands from behind his back.
“Free to go.” She hears the officer say as he walks away.
Alia watches as Leon rubs his wrists, before he wipes his face.
“Looks like it kind of hurts.” She says, grabbing his hand as she brushes her fingers over his wrist.
“It’s fine.” He says. “Not my first time in cuffs.”
“Didn’t think it was.” Alia snorts softly as she drags her thumb over the back of his hand before brushing over his sore, split and blood knuckles, making him wince. “This looks like it kind of hurts, too.”
“Not my first time for that, either.” He says, pulling away from her as he gets up from the edge of the sidewalk.
“Leon, stop!” She says, grabbing his leg as he tries to step away.
“Oh, now you wanna talk?” He asks, shaking his head. “Maybe I don’t wanna talk to you, ever think of that?”
He shakes his head again, sighing out deeply as he sinks back down to sit on the wet sidewalk.
“You know…” He starts, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand. “You weren’t just a fuck, at least not after the first time.” He says, jokingly shoving her shoulder. “Maybe we don’t know each other that well, or for that long… but you’re important to me.”
“But not important enough that you wouldn’t put me in danger like you did…” Alia whispers, wrapping her hair behind her ears as she looks down at the tiny flow of water as it rolls down the sidewalk under their feet.
“You were never in danger. I would never do that. I would never, ever, put you in danger, Alia.” He says, shaking his head, letting out an unbelieving chuckle.
He slides his boots through the loose gravel on the road before picking up a little wet rock and rolling it between his fingers.
“I just wanted a girl to ride with, ya know?” He says, clearing his throat and gazing behind them as he watches the blue and red flashing lights stop as the cop car
rolls away. “Someone to be there. Someone to celebrate with. Someone who wouldn’t mind when things got a little crazy.”
He stands back up, getting off of the sidewalk before placing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“I guess I just really hoped it would be you.” He says, beginning to step away.
Alia stands stepping quickly beside him as she reaches for his wrist, grabbing it and slipping his hand out of his pocket.