Sledge was gone for a good fifteen minutes before Charlie finally came out. She was wearing one of Sledge’s t-shirts and it came down below her knees. Her face was scrubbed clean and her hair was wet, and she smelled like his old Spice body wash...but it was a welcome change from the vomit and body odor. She handed Ash his vest and he tried not to think about what it probably smelled like as he laid it aside. “You want to eat?”
She nodded. Ash got up and found some paper plates in the tiny kitchen, and while Charlie fixed herself one, he got out the butter and syrup and “shit” that Sledge said was in the refrigerator. He sat across from her and watched her scarf down the food like she was starving. Once her plate was clean and she refused seconds he said:
“I guess we should talk now.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and said, “Did you call my mother?”
“Nope. I thought you might need a little time, but we will have to call her, eventually.”
“I want to be emancipated.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t want to live with her anymore. I want her out of my house and off my property. I have my own money. I’ll be sixteen in a week. I don’t need her.”
Ash thought that idea was all bad. Some sixteen-year-olds might be mature enough to be granted adulthood by the state...but, he doubted that his sister was. She’d led a fairly sheltered life. She’d gone to private schools and she’d never been allowed to associate with anyone not on the same “social level” as the Bennetts, thanks to Allison. She had no idea what the real world was like. He didn’t want to piss her off yet, though, so he just acted like he hadn’t heard all of that and said, “How did you get to California?”
She straightened her shoulders and a defiant look crossed her face like she was getting ready for a fight she knew was coming. He hated to admit it, but she reminded him of himself. “I caught a ride with a friend.”
“Really? And this friend left you in a park without your things, covered in vomit...”
“No...” The defiant look slipped slightly as she said, “No, that wasn’t his fault. He got me here safely, he’s a good guy...”
“He? How old is this ‘good guy’?”
“What difference does it make?”
“It’ll make a hell of a lot of difference to the law. You know the police are looking for you. As far as they’re concerned you’re a missing person and that ‘good guy’ is a kidnapper if he’s over eighteen.”
“He’s barely eighteen and he didn’t kidnap me! This was all me. I begged him to bring me out here. He said no a lot of times before he finally gave in.”
“Really? And what finally convinced him to give in?” She must have been able to read his face because she suddenly looked shocked and said:
“Oh my God, you think I gave him sex for a ride? What the hell do you think of me? I’m not a prostitute!”
“Good, and it’s not what I think of you, Charlie; I know men.”
She snorted. “Whatever. I didn’t have sex with him. I told you, he’s a good guy. He wouldn’t even take any cash. I just paid for the gas and hotels on the way out and some food, that was it.”
“So where is the rest of your cash now? You’ve got no cell phone, no purse, no clothes...”
“When we got to Fresno last night, he took me to his cousin’s place. They were having a party...and I guess I had too much to drink or something. I’m not sure. I remember walking down the road; it was dark. His cousin was suddenly there in this red Mustang, telling me to get in and he’d give me a ride back to the house. I don’t know what happened at the house. I don’t know why I left. But his cousin kind of gave me the creeps, so I said no. I felt sick and I just wanted to be left alone...”
“Charlie, did he...?
“Will you let me finish?” she snapped. He bit down on his bottom lip again and she said, “He kept following me, slow like, telling me to get into the car. Finally, he stopped and he opened the passenger door. I freaked out, he had this look on his face...” Ash could feel his blood pressure rising as she spoke, but he kept his teeth in his lip so that he couldn’t speak. “Anyway, I tried to run but he grabbed me. He spun me around and that was what finally did it. I puked all over him. He pushed me back and called me a name and I puked again...projectile vomited...and it hit him in the side of the face. He was so pissed. I think if I hadn’t been covered in vomit he might have punched me...but he didn’t want to touch me. He said something nasty about me again and then got in the car and left. I guess we were close to the park...kind of. I walked there and by the time I got there the sun was coming up. I washed as much of the puke off me as I could and then there was that guy who let me use his phone and gave me the blanket...”
“Charlie, did you call me first?”
She looked almost guilty, and Ash was glad to see that she at least had a little bit of a conscience if not much sense. “No. I called my friend who brought me out here, but he didn’t answer.”
13
“She’s going to hate me,” Sabrina said as she watched the guys mount their bikes.
“It’s okay,” Ash said, “She hates everybody.”
“Hey!” Sledge said, “She likes me.”
“She won’t once she finds out you were in on this,” Ash said, wiping the smile off his friend’s face. After Charlie told him the story, Ash had lost his composure, and quickly, his patience. He wanted the name of the “good guy” from the car ride out here, and that phone number. Charlie refused to give him either. There was a loud yelling match that sent Bruf, the guardian of the club, running. He got them both to quiet down, if not calm down, and then he called Sabrina. Four hours later, Charlie was tucked into bed in Bruf’s and Sabrina’s trailer, not far from the baby that she’d instantly fallen in love with, and Sabrina gave them the name and phone number she managed to get from the girl. She’d told Charlie she’d just call the guy and ask him to meet her somewhere, and bring Charlie’s things. While Charlie was playing with the baby and becoming more comfortable with the other young woman, she admitted to Sabrina that her purse had over three thousand dollars in cash in it, as well as some jewelry she’d taken from the safe at home that was probably worth at least twice that much. None of them believed any of that would still be there, but Ash didn’t care. The things weren’t what he wanted...the men would do.
Sabrina called the “good guy,” who agreed to meet her at a house on the southwest side of Fresno. Ash hoped it was the same house where the party had been held...he couldn’t wait to meet the cousin. Sabrina was staying at home, while Bruf, Ash, Smoke, and Sledge saddled up and went to find out exactly what this eighteen-year-old and his creepy cousin had wanted with the girl...and probably make them rue the day they ever heard of her.
“I appreciate your help, Sabrina. I’m sorry to get you involved like this.”
Sabrina smiled. “It wasn’t long ago that my own brother had to send out a rescue party for me.” Sabrina put her hand on Ash’s shoulder. “She seems like a good girl. Just so you know, she’s as sweet as pie to the baby. I think Mason might even have a little crush on her.” Mason was Sabrina’s and Bruf’s three-month-old baby. Sabrina was a protective mother, and the fact that she let his sister spend so much time with the little guy warmed Ash’s heart. It was also nice to know that Charlie wasn’t completely self-absorbed. “She’ll grow out of all of this eventually,” Sabrina told him. “It’s just adolescence and all the hormones.”
Ash chuckled. “Damn, I hope so.”
She smiled again and then looked at Bruf. “Be careful, old man.”
Bruf winked at her and the men finished gearing up and headed out. The ride to the house was about half an hour long. It was an older home, probably built in the forties or fifties—a two-story, blue clapboard house that looked like it had definitely seen better days. The front yard and porch were littered with beer bottles and cans, and “No Trespassing” signs along with “Guard Dog on Duty” signs dotted the fence that surrounded the dry, weed
-riddled front yard.
The men drove past the house and a tickle of anticipation filled Ash’s belly when he saw the red Mustang parked on the street a short way down. The driveway of the blue house was full, with a rusted pickup on blocks and a 90s model Honda, covered in dust and mud, parked behind it. There were several other cars parked along the street in front of the house and Ash wondered if the party was still going on, or if they had just all crashed there for the night. Bruf led the pack of four to the end of the street and around the corner. That street was dilapidated houses on one side and an empty field full of weeds and litter on the other. They parked the bikes at the end of the street as two young boys probably twelve or thirteen watched them with interest from one of the front yards. Bruf got off his bike and walked over toward them.
“Y’all gonna be here for half an hour or so?” The boys nodded, looking nervously at the rough-looking biker. Bruf took out his wallet and showed them a hundred-dollar bill. Their eyes widened even more. “If we come back and no one has put so much as a fingerprint on these bikes, this is yours. Can you do that for us?”
“Hell yeah, mister,” the oldest of the two boys said.
“Hey! Watch your mouth,” Sledge hollered at them. The boy turned toward the voice with a scowl on his face, but it fell away when he saw the big man.
“Sorry, mister,” the kid mumbled. “But yeah, we can watch them.”
Bruf and Ash took the lead as the four of them walked around the corner toward the house. Ash could feel the weight of the gun he’d tucked into the back of his jeans as he walked. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to use it...but he might if he found out that Charlie had sugarcoated anything she’d told him. The four men walked through the gate and up to the front door, unmolested by any of the invisible “Guard Dogs” the signs said were on duty. Ash knocked, loudly, and they waited. After a few seconds when there was no response, but they could hear shuffling inside like someone was looking out the peephole, he knocked again and said:
“I’m here to see Randy!” Bruf looked over his shoulder and with a flip of his wrist he motioned both Smoke and Sledge toward the side of the house. The two bikers split up and Ash knocked again, this time almost putting his fist through the rotting wood. “Come on out, Randy! We’re not leaving until you do.” The scuffling inside got louder and then they heard a loud noise like a door slamming shut before a harsh slapping sound and an “Oomph!”
Bruf and Ash waited, not wanting to leave the front door unguarded, and seconds later Sledge came around the side of the house, holding onto a skinny, pimply-faced kid that looked like he might throw up. “Randy, I presume?” Ash asked.
Sledge dropped him at the bottom of the steps. They could hear more commotion inside, so while Ash turned toward the kid, Bruf let himself in the front door...with his boot. “Yeah,” the kid said, almost in a whisper.
“You the guy that brought my little sister out here from New York?”
“I-I don’t know...”
Ash hovered over him. “I don’t want to know what the fuck you don’t know. Did you, or fucking did you not, bring my little sister out here from New York? Her name is Charlotte, or Charlie...and she’s fifteen fucking years old.”
The kids already big eyes widened, and he started shaking his head. “She didn’t tell me she was fifteen...”
Ash sighed, reached down, and pulled the kid up to his feet by the back of his shirt. He pulled him in so that their faces were only inches apart and said, “I hate repeating myself.”
“Yes! Yes, I gave her a ride out. But I just gave her a ride, I promise. I don’t know what she told you, but I didn’t hurt her...”
Ash threw him back down on the ground. “What’s your cousin’s name? The guy that drives the Mustang?”
“Bruce.”
“He in the house?” The kid nodded. Ash looked up at Sledge then and his friend nodded.
“Go on, I got this one.” That was all it took for the kid to finally lose his cookies. He bent forward and puked in the dirt. Sledge was making a face as Ash left them there and went inside. By the time he got there, Bruf and Smoke had three guys and two women squished together on the couch. They all looked to be in their early twenties. One of the women was only wearing a t-shirt and she looked like she had been asleep when they found her. The other woman was in cut-off shorts and a tank top...but what Ash noticed most about her was the necklace she was wearing. It was his grandmother’s necklace. He knew that because as long as his grandma was alive, he’d never seen her without it. It was a delicate gold chain with a cameo heart pendant. He knew if he opened the pendant there would be two photos in there...if the girl hadn’t taken them out. One was of him as a baby, and the other was Charlie. The girl saw him looking at it and her fingers nervously reached up and touched it. In a low, threatening tone Ash said:
“Take off my grandmother’s necklace.”
The girl’s hands went around behind her neck and a cocky-looking blond man next to her said, “Wait a second. Who said it was your fucking grandmother’s necklace?”
“Bruce, shut up,” the girl said, taking off the necklace and holding it out in Ash’s direction. Ash stepped toward her and took the necklace out of her hand. He tucked it into the pocket of his vest and then raised his right foot and brought his heavy boot down on top of Bruce’s foot. The guy was screaming, but Ash ignored him and said:
“Now, you girls get out of here.” Neither of the ladies was stupid. They didn’t even stop to gather any of their things that might be there. They just both stood up and headed for the door, without looking back. Once they were gone, and Bruce was crying and begging Ash to get off his foot, Ash took a step back. Bruce was obviously not as smart as his female companions, or the two guys still sitting silently next to him.
“Jesus, fuck! I think you broke my foot. What’s your fucking problem?” Ash turned sideways and with his left foot, he crushed the other one. He was looking at the other two young men then and while Bruce screamed behind him he said:
“You two know my sister Charlotte?”
The guys looked at each other and one of them finally said, “Charlie?”
“Yeah, fifteen-year-old girl that you partied with last night.”
“Fuck,” one of them whispered under his breath. “We didn’t know she was fifteen, I swear. Nobody touched her...”
“Why was she out walking in the dark alone and drunk in the middle of the fucking night?” They looked at each other again and Ash said, “Don’t fucking look at him! Look at me. What was she doing out alone that time of night?”
In a trembling voice the guy that hadn’t spoken yet said, “She was drunk, and Randy had already passed out. Bruce...”
“Shut the fuck up, Taylor!” Bruce squeaked out, in pain.
“Bruce was hitting on her. He told her she could sleep in his bed. He was asking her if she was a virgin...”
“I’m going to fucking kill you, Taylor!” Ash stomped down on Bruce’s foot again; this time the cry was agony.
“Go on,” he told Taylor.
“She took off while he was upstairs fighting with his old lady.”
“One of the girls that was here?”
“Yeah, he gave her the necklace and told her he was going to fuck the virgin.”
Ash felt like the top of his head was going to explode and the anger that had been building inside of him was about to flow out like lava all over the room. “Go on,” he said, through clenched teeth.
“Bruce came down looking for her, but she’d taken off. He cussed us all out and went after her. He came back alone and smelling like puke. He was pissed. He went back upstairs, and I didn’t see him again until you guys got here.”
Ash looked at Smoke, who had his gun pointed at the trio on the couch. He gave him a slight nod and then told Taylor and the guy next to him, “Get the fuck out of here. If you tell anyone we were here...ever...I’ll find you both and do what we’re about to do to Brucie here to the two of you, got it?” They
both nodded, and Ash said, “Go!” Those two took off running out the door. Ash finally stepped off the crying Bruce’s foot and turned to look down at him. “You were going to fuck my fifteen-year-old sister?”
“I didn’t fucking know she was fifteen!” He screamed. Ash slammed his right fist into the punk’s face. Bruce’s head snapped back into the couch, which tipped backwards before settling back down in its spot. Bruce was bleeding from his mouth and crying harder...sobbing like a baby. “I didn’t hurt her.”
“You wanted to.”
“No, I just wanted to...”
“Fuck her?” He nodded.
“But I didn’t, I swear.”
“Good thing for you,” Ash said. “If you had, your cock would be hanging from the lamppost outside.”
Almost incomprehensible, thanks to the sobs, Bruce said, “I didn’t...are you going to let me go?”
Ash smiled. “Eventually...but I think it’s only fair that you get dropped off somewhere that you have to walk back...scared and alone...”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, man! I didn’t fuck her, though. Please just...” Ash hit him again, harder this time, knocking him out. He looked at Smoke and Bruf, and said:
“Sorry, couldn’t stand listening to that whine any longer.”
Bruf smiled, Smoke just nodded. “You want us to look for her stuff?” Smoke asked.
“Yes, please,” Ash said. “But, if you can’t find it, no big deal. She’s safe, that’s all that matters.”
Bruf looked at Bruce and said, “What are you going to do with him?”
Ash reached down and put his hand in the guy’s pocket, fishing out a set of keys. “I think I’ll take him for a ride. It’s a nice day for a trip up toward the Sierras.”
Bruf nodded. “Have Sledge follow you, and Smoke and I will finish up here. What about the other one—Randy?”
“I just have a few questions for him about my sister, then we’ll let him go.” Ash suspected Charlie might have been right about one thing. The scared, pimply-faced kid outside was probably just infatuated with the pretty girl and brought her out simply because she asked him to, and didn’t mean her any harm. His cousin seemed like the one that got all the shitty genes in the family. Before the day was over, Ash intended to make Bruce regret it, if he didn’t already.
ASH: Westside Skulls Motorcycle Club: (Westside Skulls MC Romance Book 4) Page 9