by Burke, Dez
“Don’t worry, I will.”
Roger isn’t listening. He is already walking away, muttering something to himself about fucking bikers.
Trish squats down and begins picking up the dollar bills off the dirty floor. I bend over to help her.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
I gently tilt up her chin. Her big brown eyes are pooling with tears that threaten to spill over.
“Did he hurt you? I saw him grab your face. You want me to go beat the shit out of him? Just say the word and it’s done.”
She sniffles and shakes her head, wiping away a tear with the back of her hand that is sliding down her cheek.
“No, I’m okay. Honest. Maybe a little shook up. That’s all.”
I hand over the money and help her stand up. “You want to tell me who that son-of-a-bitch is or do I have to go outside and pound it out of him? Either way, I’m going to find out. And after that, we’re going to have a real serious talk. I don’t want him messing with you again.”
A panicked look crosses her face and she touches my arm. “Please don’t do that,” she says. “I’ll tell you.”
I cross my arms, thinking this is going to be good. “Alright, let’s hear it then.”
She takes a deep shaky breath. “He’s my brother,” she finally says.
“Your brother?” I echo.
I’m stunned.
Whatever I was expecting her to tell me, it sure as hell isn’t this. I thought for certain the man was her ex-boyfriend. But her brother? This doesn’t make any sense.
“Are you shitting me?”
“No, it’s the honest truth.”
For some odd reason, I believe her. “What was your brother doing here? And why did he steal your money?”
She shrugs as if it’s nothing. Like it’s perfectly normal for a brother to rough up his little sister. I wonder what kind of a family life they must have had when they were younger to screw up their sibling relationship so bad.
“I owed him some money, so he came by to get it. It’s nothing.”
I don’t like the sound of this. At all.
“Does your brother normally take your money?”
She runs a nervous hand through her long hair. “No, not always. He’s just a little upset with me. Look, there’s no reason to make a big deal out of this. I’m fine, so you should let it go.” She looks up at me, pleading with her big eyes. “I’m asking you to just drop it. Okay?”
“You’re asking the wrong person, sweetheart,” I say. “I’m not a man that lets things go.”
Suddenly a thought occurs to me. Now things are starting to make more sense.
“He threw you out, didn’t he? You were staying with him somewhere, the two of you got into a fight last night, and then he kicked you out. Is he the roommate you had a falling out with?”
“Not exactly, but close enough, I guess.”
So I’m still not getting the whole picture. “How did you get the bruise?” I point to her left arm.
She glances down at the purple spot that is now carefully concealed with makeup. If I didn’t know it was there, I would have thought I imagined it.
“What are you talking about?” she asks. “What bruise?”
“The big ugly bruise on your upper arm where someone grabbed you. You think I didn’t notice it when you were asleep in my bed last night? I looked at every square inch of your luscious body, so you can bet I didn’t miss a thing. Especially not a nasty bruise.”
“It was a dumb accident. I’m clumsy and bumped it against the side of the bathroom door. You know how tiny hotel room bathrooms can be.”
She’s lying and still trying to protect him. This pisses me off more than ever.
“Is that right? Funny how those bathroom doors can jump out at you when you’re not looking. Your brother mentioned something else. He said he knew me. You want to tell me what he meant by that?”
“I don’t know,” she says. “I was wondering the same thing. I doubt he meant anything by it. He was angry, so you shouldn’t pay much attention to what he said.”
“Maybe he knows me because of the Steel Infidels,” I suggest. “My motorcycle club. We might have run into each other at another bike rally or charity ride somewhere. I’ve met lots of bikers the past few years.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
TRISH
Steel Infidels???
“The Steel Infidels?” I ask, my voice coming out in a squeak. “You ride with the Steel Infidels?”
Did I hear that right? Oh dear God.
“Yeah, I’m the President of the MC. Thought you knew that. Come to think of it, we didn’t have time to discuss it.”
“No, I must have missed that somehow.”
I screwed up big time.
Of all the men in the world I might have managed to get involved with, why did it have to be one of the Steel Infidels?
For months, the feud between the Liberators and the Steel Infidels is all Ty and Big Roy have talked about. How the Steel Infidels caused all of the Liberators’ problems and even murdered some of their crew members in a shootout.
Over and over, they rehashed the same stories while their anger festered and grew. Eventually I got so sick of hearing them that I tuned everything out. Now I wish I had paid closer attention. At least about what they were planning to do for revenge.
Even back then, I wasn’t stupid enough to believe everything they said. The stories were all their version of the events, and I suspect Jesse would tell it from a whole other perspective.
This is a nightmare.
Every time I think my life can’t get any worse, it does.
What have I done? Why didn’t I ask Jesse what club he was riding with when I had the chance? Or check out his tattoos more closely?
Another idea occurs to me. Maybe there is more than one Steel Infidels chapter. The Hell’s Angels has chapters all across the United States. I might be getting all panicked for nothing. There are thousands of bikers in town. It can’t be the same club. Even my luck couldn’t be that bad.
“Where is your club from?” I casually ask.
“North Georgia,” he answers.
My luck is that bad. So it is the same motorcycle club. A ball of dread builds in my stomach. I suddenly feel physically ill.
He narrows his eyes and looks closely at me. “Are you sure you’re okay? What’s with the questions about the MC all of a sudden? You have a thing against bikers?”
Yes, definitely.
“I was wondering how Ty might know you. That’s all.”
“Well, when you figure it out, you let me know. He looked familiar to me too. I know I’ve seen him somewhere. It’s bugging the hell out of me.”
From the corner of my eye, I see a crowd of thirsty customers heading my way. “I need to get back to work before I get fired,” I say with a weak smile. “Thanks again for sticking up for me.”
“Anytime. I’ll catch up with you before you leave tonight. You still owe me a damn good explanation about why you slipped out this morning. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about it. We need to talk.”
“Sounds good,” I reply with no intention of meeting him later or any other time.
Now that I know who Jesse is, I have to stay as far away from him as I can get. Pitting Jesse and Big Roy against each other isn’t something that I want to be responsible for.
This time it’s not me I’m worried about.
It’s Jesse.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JESSE
“What was that all about?” Sam asks when I join him and his harem of girls again. “I was on my way to give you a hand when I saw Roger storming over to break it up. You didn’t look like you needed my help anyway. That motherfucker didn’t stand a chance against you.”
“No, he didn’t,” I agree. “Someone should have warned him I was a linebacker in high school.”
“So who is he?” Sam asks. “Anyone I know?”
“Maybe. Turns out he is Trish’s brother. He look
s familiar to me. He said something about knowing me and that I should watch my back. Did you recognize him?”
“No, I didn’t get a good look at him though.”
The blonde girl who I had left so abruptly before smiles when she sees I am back.
“Hey stranger,” she purrs, placing a manicured hand on my arm. “Don’t be running off like that again. I was getting lonely over here all by myself.”
Shit! I forgot all about her. Now I have to ditch the chick.
“Sorry,” I say. “I’m not in the mood for company tonight. Maybe another time?”
She pouts her lips, clearly disappointed. “Your loss,” she says with a flip of her hair.
I look at Sam over the top of her head and he winks.
“You can hang with me, darling,” he says to the girl, draping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. “My brother is much too dull and old for you anyway. You need a real man to keep you happy.”
The girl seems pleased, even if it means sharing Sam with another girl. Maybe that’s what she is into. If so, more power to her and to Sam.
My brother is truly a piece of work. Watching him in action wears me out sometimes. Maybe I am getting too old for this.
***
“Listen up, people! Last call for alcohol!” Roger’s voice barks over the loudspeaker. “The bars will be closing in ten minutes. No extensions per county law.”
“Are you ready to head on back to the hotel?” I ask Sam. “We should probably check on the crew and make sure everybody is still breathing.”
Sam drains his glass and places it on the table. “Yeah sure, I’m more than ready. I’ve been waiting on you. Say the word and we’re out of here.”
He stands and grabs the elbow of the girl sitting next to him to help her up. She leans against him unsteadily.
“I’ll be just a minute,” I say. “I need to ask Trish if she wants a lift anywhere.”
“In that case, we’ll meet you outside in the parking lot,” Sam says. “This pretty lady is coming home with me.” He hugs the girl tighter against his chest so she can keep her balance.
I start to say something to Sam then decide to keep my mouth shut. Pretty wouldn’t be the exact word I would use to describe his date at the moment. Her once-smooth hair is now sticking up in all kinds of directions and streaks of mascara are smeared under her eyes. She doesn’t look nearly as attractive as she did two hours ago when she walked up to Sam and plopped her big tits on his arm. I hate to think what she’ll look like in the morning, hung over and without makeup.
Not for me to judge.
I’ve fucked worse plenty of times. Beauty is only a light switch away. In the dark, it doesn’t always matter what a girl’s face looks like as long as her pussy is tight.
“What about her?” I ask, pointing to the chick I dumped earlier. She is sitting with her head on the table, either half-asleep or passed out, I can’t tell for sure.
“Leave her,” Sam says. “We didn’t bring her, so not our problem.”
“Fine by me. I’ll meet you outside. Don’t ride without me.”
I head toward Trish’s beer tub. The customers have kept her busy for the past hour. Since I didn’t want to give Roger another reason to fire her, I kept my distance.
Now I don’t see her at all. The steady line of customers has disappeared as well. Where did she get off to so fast?
Due to the ruckus earlier, I had completely forgotten to ask her if she had found a place to stay. Hopefully she isn’t planning on wandering around the streets all night again. Especially when there is a warm, comfy bed with an empty spot just waiting for her. When I find her, I’ll offer to take her back with me again. And this time I might get lucky.
I stop a waitress as she walks by. “Do you know where the beer tub girl has gone to?” I ask, pointing to the empty cooler.
“She closed down a few minutes ago,” she answers. “It’s been a long night. She may have already left.”
“Thanks.”
I search the room hoping to spot Trish’s cowboy hat. Just when I am about to give up hope of finding her, I see her slip out of the building. By the time I reach the door, half the bar is spilling outside with me. Nobody hangs around for long after last call. No alcohol, no party.
It is pitch dark outside and the floodlights do little to light the parking lot. Throngs of bikers are wandering across the asphalt in search of their bikes. There’s no way I can find her in this moving sea of drunk people.
I’m about to turn around and go meet up with Sam when I see her walking along the far edge of the lot. Trish is heading straight toward a man leaning against a motorcycle.
Fuck! What is she doing?
I speed up to narrow the distance between us. When I get closer, I recognize the man as her brother. Is she crazy? Why on earth would she agree to meet him out here in the dark after what happened tonight? He obviously has some kind of mental hold on her that I don’t understand. I hang back just out of sight to watch what happens.
Trish opens her purse. After taking out some money, she offers it to him. Her brother laughs and then grabs her wrist. When she tries to pull free, he deftly twists it behind her back. A move he’s obviously done many times before in her life.
She struggles with him only for a second before I make my move. I don’t care if he is her brother. She shouldn’t have to put up with his bullshit.
I barrel into his side going full speed, knocking both him and his bike over onto the pavement. Trish screams as I start throwing punches at his face. A bone crunches when my fist connects with his nose.
I don’t give a fuck what their back story is or why she feels compelled to put up with a deadbeat brother. I’m not a psychiatrist, but I can recognize an abusive relationship. She can’t see clearly enough to make the right decisions where her brother is concerned.
When I think he’s had enough of a beating and some of my anger is gone, I pin him down by the throat. “If you ever touch Trish again, I’ll kill you,” I threaten. “Nod if you understand what I’m saying.”
He spits out a mouthful of blood and a broken tooth. “You don’t fucking scare me, Jesse,” he says with a sneer. “The Liberators are back, asshole. You’re a dead man. You hear me? A dead man. You and all of your pussy ass brothers too.”
The Liberators?
No wonder he looks familiar.
The night is full of surprises. And in this case, an odd bit of good news. If the Liberators are back, it means they’re out in the open again.
Where the Steel Infidels can find and kill them.
I grab him by the collar and hit him hard one more time. The punch knocks him out cold. Satisfied with the job, I stand and wipe off my bloody hands on my jeans.
Trish doesn’t say one word. She stands there with her arms crossed, shaking and trying not to cry.
“You’re with the fucking Liberators?” I hiss through clenched teeth. “And you said nothing to me about it? What was your angle? Surely you must know of the feud between the Liberators and the Steel Infidels?”
“No,” she vehemently denies. “It wasn’t like that. I would never be with the Liberators. I didn’t have anywhere to go and my brother let me stay with him in exchange for helping them out with stuff. I would never choose to be part of their group. I hate them.”
I’m not fully convinced. Her excuse sounds pretty lame. Nobody could hang around the Liberators for long without realizing exactly what they were all about.
I take her arm. “Either way, you’re coming with me,” I say. “This is only the beginning. You’re not safe now that they know you’re involved with me.”
She slings off my hand. “We’re not involved,” she argues. “We only just met. I can’t go running off with you again. I’ve found some new roommates so I have a place to stay. At least for a few nights until I can find something more permanent.”
“Listen, sweetheart, we’re involved whether you like it or not,” I say firmly. “Where’s your stuff? Go
back in and get it. I need to find my brother Sam to tell him what is going on. I’ll wait for you at the door. Don’t take too long in there either. We need to go now.”
Trish starts to argue and thinks better of it. “There’s something else you may need to know,” she says after a long minute. “The reason I split is because Big Roy told me he was going to make me his old lady. He wanted me to move my things into his hotel room this morning.”
“He did what?”
The thought of Big Roy’s hands on Trish fills me with a murderous rage. I swear to God I’m going to kill that son-of-a-bitch.
“Were you going to do it?”
“No! Of course not!”
“I’ll see that red-headed motherfucker in hell first before I ever let him touch you. I promise you that. Go get your things.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
TRISH
I’m too upset and exhausted to put up an argument about going back to Jesse’s hotel with him. Of the different alternatives, it seems like the best option at the time.
I dash back inside the bar and grab my bag from the break room. On my way out, I tell one of the girls that I unfortunately won’t be making it to the condo tonight. I was really hoping things would work out with them. For a brief few hours, things almost felt normal.
My mind is whirling as I hurry back outside to meet Jesse. Things keep happening so quickly and I don’t have time to adjust. Just when I think I have things figured out, at least for the next twenty-four hours, something else happens to flip my plans upside down.
Agreeing to meet Ty in the parking lot was a mistake. I know that now. God only knows what I was thinking. I shouldn’t have looked at his text messages after he was thrown out of the club, much less replied to them.
Old habits die hard.
He said he only needed a couple of hundred bucks. I stupidly thought that giving him the money would be a cheap way to get rid of him and get him off my back.
What a bad decision that turned out to be.
My plan was to give him the money and tell him to never bother me again as long as he was riding with the Liberators.