by M. N. Forgy
“You keep moaning like that, I’m going to fuck you again this morning,” I threaten.
“I think I’m going to get dressed and go see Babs,” she counters, sitting up.
“You’ve been there every day, babe. She may not wake up for a long time.” I know she cares for Babs—we all do—and what happened was a shitty thing, but she can’t keep doing this to herself; it’s unhealthy.
“I’m going,” she snaps.
I scowl at her, her tone of voice wrong.
“Maybe I should remind you who you’re talking to,” I chastise, rolling her over on her stomach. She peers those emerald eyes over her shoulder. I move the shirt from her ass and around her waist and give her ass a vicious slap.
She moans with the harsh contact and looks over her shoulder again, her green eyes daring.
“I said I’m going.” Her voice is strong and challenging.
I give her ass another slap, this time a little harder. The print of my hand rising on her olive skin makes my dick race with the craving to release itself.
She bucks beneath me. “You’re going where?” I ask.
She looks over her shoulder, her breath heavy with desire.
“I’m going to see Babs!” she yells. I slide my hand down the mounds of her ass and slide my finger into her. I give her ass another hard smack, making her head thrust backwards with a loud moan.
“You can’t control me,” she moans, her voice faltering. I slide my fingers out and position them over the opening to her ass. Her eyes haze over her shoulder with shock written over her face. I’ve never taken her here, but man, do I want to. I thrust my fingers in and out of her pussy slowly, feeling her grip down on my finger, so I know she’s close.
I give her ass another slap to help stimulate her.
“Please, can I go?” she sighs, submitting to me.
I give her ass one last slap, watching her skin glow bright red. I slowly apply pressure with my finger at the opening of her ass, her pleasure rising as she moans louder. She throws her face into the mattress as she rides her orgasm, and I know she’s satiated.
Dani
I walk into the hospital room and see Babs is awake. “You’re awake?” I exclaim.
She smiles half-heartedly.
“How long have you been awake?” I ask, sitting next to her.
“I woke–” She pauses. Her voice sounds awful and it’s hard to understand what she’s saying. Her red hair is matted into a nest around her head, and her face is cut up. She has bruises of the ugliest color spotted all over her face and forehead. She looks terrible.
“Last night,” she says, struggling with the words. My eyes fill with tears; her words are strangled with force.
“I see we have visitors this morning,” a doctor says, walking into the room wearing blue scrubs.
“Can I have a word?” I ask him.
“Certainly,” he says, stepping to the other side of the room.
“Why is she talking like that?” I question, trying to be quiet so I don’t offend Babs.
“Well, she was hit by a car—”
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck,” Babs yells, interrupting the doctor.
I give a weak smile, walk to her side of the bed, and grab her hand for support.
“Well,” the doctor continues, “she’s been hit by a car, and when she fell, she hit her head. With some therapy, I feel she will make some recovery, but she still needs to undergo some testing and extensive observation before I can be certain of anything.”
I nod in understanding. “Did you guys call her husband?” I ask, looking at a scared Babs. Her eyes are squinted, causing little wrinkles to form in the creases, her lips (usually in a smirk) are pierced with concern. I hate seeing her like this.
“We did,” he says, placing a stethoscope on her chest. “He was the only one listed as an emergency contact.”
I look back at Babs. “Has Locks been to see you?”
She shakes her head no. If I have ever wanted to kill anyone, it would be him right now.
“You can visit for a few moments but it’s crucial she rests at this point,” he tells me, writing on a clipboard.
“Let me know if you need anything,” he says to Babs before walking out of the room.
“Do you know who hit you?” I ask.
She shakes her head again.
“Do you need anything?” I don’t want to leave since I just got here, but I know I have to go before I’m kicked out.
“No.” Her words are slurred and hard to understand as she looks toward the hospital window. I walk over and give her head a kiss before reluctantly leaving.
How could Locks not show up? I get that things are not good between him and Babs, but what a shitty way to say “I want a divorce.”
I bite my lip in anger and walk onto the elevator.
***
Shadow and I lounge on the couch watching TV. I have my legs in his lap and my head on a pillow I dragged from the bedroom.
I take my eyes off the screen and look at Shadow, curious why he’s not out with the boys or why Bobby hasn’t come back to the apartment lately.
“You and Bobby still not talking?” I ask, but I already know the answer.
Shadow slowly moves his gaze from the TV to me, one eyebrow raised.
I feel like I wrecked Bobby and Shadow’s friendship. Bobby has been there for Shadow for so long, way before I ever was and way more than I ever could. Bobby understands Shadow; there is no question they are family. I sit up, suddenly feeling sick.
“You can’t keep doing this, Shadow,” I tell him angrily. He’s holding such a grudge on Bobby, but not me, and I don’t understand why.
“Don’t start with me, Dani,” Shadow warns.
“Don’t give me that shit,” I snap. Shadow’s face goes blank with the sound of my tone. “You can’t act like an asshole to your brother, but not me.” He moves my legs off his lap and stands.
“What did you want Bobby to do? Strap me to the bed so I couldn’t leave. I thought you were done with me, and everybody treated me like shit. I thought a simple night out would be nice!” I yell, the situation pissing me off. I owe it to Bobby to stand up for him, considering he stood up for me when nobody else would.
Shadow rubs the back of his head with one hand while the other rests on his hip, his face red with anger and hostility.
“I know Bobby touched you, I know he put his hands where they didn’t belong,” Shadow hisses.
My teeth bite my lip in anger. What happened was inconsequential, Bobby and I would never cross that line.
“If you’re going to hate Bobby, you have to hate me, too,” I continue, stepping up to him, ready to go head-to-head.
“I’ll never hate you, Dani. Believe me, I’ve tried. Hating you would make things so much easier.” His tone is harsh and angry. He licks his pouty lips as he grabs the back of my neck and pulls me closer. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Don’t bring this up again, Dani.” I open my eyes to two blue, tortured ones staring at me, waiting for my reply.
“Fine,” I whisper, not having the energy to argue anymore.
“You don’t look so well,” he states, noticing my discomfort.
“Everything that’s been going on, I’m just past the point of stressed,” I respond.
“Let’s go to bed, babe,” he says, pushing me toward the bedroom.
I climb in bed and smother myself in the soft blanket as Shadow curls himself around me, nuzzling into my neck.
“I could never hate you, Dani,” he whispers against the skin of my neck.
“I know,” I agree, staring into the darkness.
***
A week goes by and the stress has not let up any. Seeing Babs slip in and out of consciousness everyday hurts. After spending the day at the beach with Shadow, we head back to the clubhouse. He heads off to church and I plant my ass at the bar. It’s not the same without Babs behind it; the club isn’t the same. I look around, wondering if
Candy is still here and if she’s dumb enough to mess with me again, but I don’t see any sign of her. I lift from the stool and head into the kitchen in search of something to snack on; maybe it will help my queasy stomach. I hear glass jars clink into each other, catching my attention as I look toward the fridge. It slams shut and I am face-to-face with Locks. He looks at me and sniffs as he stares daggers at me. I feel a sudden rage rise, vengeance for Babs.
“Been by to see Babs?” I ask, knowing the answer.
“You would do well to keep your mouth shut, bitch,” he snarls.
My eyes widen in anger, shocked he would talk to me like that.
“Excuse me?” I question.
He stomps toward me, his boots thudding against the dirty floor.
“You heard me. Your daddy might think your shit don’t stink but I’m here to tell you it does. You should be six feet under, and everyone around here knows it.”
“Fuck you!” I scream, pushing him in his chest.
He looks down at where I pushed him and suddenly backhands me, making me stumble into the counter. My hands grip the stainless-steel sink and the dirty dishes in the sink catch my attention, a knife in particular. I reach in and grip the dirty butcher knife then turn around and glare at Locks. He has a smug look on his face, proud he just hit me, and by the looks of him flexing his hand, he’s ready to do it again. The feeling of rage, which surfaces when things get ugly, pushes forward, crawling over my rational thinking. I grip the knife and assess where I should stab him. No man will ever hit me. Just as I push off the sink ready to attack, the kitchen doors fling open and Shadow walks in. He takes in the scene with a raised brow. “What’s going on?” he demands.
I look at Locks, whose attention is on Shadow.
“You need to keep that bitch on a leash!” Locks yells as he points at me.
“You fucking hit her?” Shadow asks pointedly.
Locks looks at me with a smirk. The cool-down from adrenaline raises the pain in my cheek where he hit me. I lift my hand to touch the tender spot and wince.
“Did he hit you?” Shadow questions me. If the heat rising from cheek indicates anything, I’m sure Shadow knows the answer.
Shadow strides forward with a crazed look in his eye. He grabs Locks by his leather cut with both hands and pulls him within a hair’s length from his face.
“You just signed your own death certificate, brother,” Shadow threatens.
Before Locks can react, Shadow head-butts him in the face, making Locks fall to his knees dazed and confused. Shadow paces back and forth in front of him, flexing his hands with anger. Locks tries to stand but Shadow throws an upper cut to his jaw and throws him back into the kitchen chairs.
“What the hell is going on in here?” my dad bellows, pushing through the doors to the kitchen with force. I set the knife back into the sink, hoping my father didn’t see it.
“He put his hands on Dani, and I’m going to kill him,” Shadow yells.
“He touch you, Dani?” my dad asks.
“I can take care of myself,” I reply, straightening my shirt.
“Get the fuck out of here, Locks, before I fucking kill you myself,” my dad orders, nodding toward the doors.
“Fine, but this club went to shit when that little bitch showed up. Remember that,” Locks spits, his voice cracking as he pushes past everyone.
“What the fuck was that?” Shadow asks my dad. “He’s going to fucking pay for hitting Dani.” Shadow walks up to me, taking me by the chin and surveying my face. My right cheek feels hot and irritated from the hit.
“I understand that. Trust me. I want him dead for that just as much as you,” my dad admits, rubbing the back of his head in frustration. “But until I figure out what the hell he’s up to, I need him alive.” He blows out a strangled breath and looks at my cheek. “You okay, doll?”
I nod in reply.
“Stay out of his way. You see him, you walk the other way,” he demands.
I nod again, but really I want to grab that dirty knife and shove it into Locks’ kidney. Show him what happens when he puts his hands on me.
“What do you think he has up his sleeve?” Shadow asks, letting my chin go.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s in with another club. We need to keep an eye on our merchandise.” My dad shakes his head, shrugging.
“Think he would sell it from under us?” Shadow asks, his tone high with shock.
“I don’t know anything,” my dad responds, taking a cigarette pack from his pocket. “Get her home, away from the club for now.”
“I’M GOING TO GET in the shower. I have to work tomorrow,” Dani calls, walking into the bathroom.
I’m lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the apartment. It hurts to look at Dani with her cheek a light pink from where Locks hit her. I should have killed that fucker before Bull had a chance to come in and spare him. When I close my eyes, I can see the look of defense written on Dani’s face as she gripped that knife. Her instinct to fight has me a little relieved but not by much. I wouldn’t have put it past Locks to shoot Dani if she stabbed him. I feel like I let her down; I didn’t protect her, again.
“What are you thinking about?”
I look up and see Dani with wet hair and in a Devil’s Dust shirt, her cheek reminding me what a piece of shit I am. She is beautiful, though, glowing even.
“You look like Heaven,” I say, eyeing the droplets flinging off her hair and dripping down her neck.
She smiles. “It’s not happening tonight. I don’t feel well,” she says, climbing on the bed.
“I noticed you didn’t eat dinner,” I comment, moving over so she can climb in bed. She hasn’t been feeling herself for a while now, and she has me worried.
Maybe I should take her away from all of this for awhile. With her mother and the events of the club lately, it appears to have taken its toll on her. If we left this place, even for a little while, I could focus solely on her.
“I’ll be fine. Just a lot going on,” she counters, cuddling with one of the pillows. I climb off the bed, turn the lights off, and then return, shuffling behind her. I pull her ass closer, where it belongs, her smell of peaches surrounding me giving me a chub.
“Trust me when I say I’ll kill that fucker if it’s the last thing I do, Dani,” I whisper into her ear. I don’t have to say his name; she knows who I’m talking about.
“I know you will. I trust you,” she whispers back.
Dani
I wake up to the smell of food cooking and I stretch out, trying to wake myself up and make my way into the kitchen. As I get closer, I can see the house is filled with smoke and the smell of burnt food lingers in the air.
“Someone is up early,” I say, wiping the sleep from my eyes.
“Hey!” Shadow greets as grease pops him from the skillet. “Fuck, that hurt,” he yelps, sucking on his finger and making me laugh.
“Well, I tried to make you breakfast, but all it’s proved is that my ass can’t cook,” he admits, turning the faucet on and tossing the skillet with black food in the sink.
“Let’s go get breakfast,” he says.
“We don’t have to,” I suggest, shrugging.
“Yes, we do. You need to eat,” he declares, rounding the island only wearing black briefs, the sight making me want him for breakfast. He brushes the hair from my face before continuing, “We can eat anything you want: pancakes, eggs, you name it.”
“To be honest, the sound of food makes me want to gag,” I tell him, trying to hold down the vomit crawling up my throat.
He rubs his finger over my sore cheek, making me wince. I pull away, mad I didn’t kill Locks myself for hitting me.
“I’ll kill that asshole for hitting me,” I mumble.
Shadow squints his eyes at me, as if he’s waiting for me to say I’m joking.
“Not if I get to him first,” he says, surprising me. I can’t help but smile, and then a laugh escapes me.
“What’s so funny?�
� he questions, tilting his head to the side.
“Here we are over burnt brunch, planning the death of someone you consider family.”
He smirks. “Sounds like a typical Friday morning to me.” He leans down and kisses my forehead before heading towards the bedroom. Get dressed; we’ll go get food.”
“But—”
“Now, Dani,” he demands, cutting me off.
***
After breakfast, which consisted of an English muffin, Shadow kept pushing me to eat; we head back to the apartment. I throw my purse on the end table and face-plant on the couch, exhausted.
“What do you want to do today?” Shadow asks, walking past me to the kitchen.
“Sleep,” I mumble into the couch cushion.
He chuckles and sits down next to my head.
“For some reason, I cannot get enough sleep. I feel like a hibernating bear,” I complain.
“You sleep and I’ll play video games,” he offers, giving my ass a slap and turning on the game console.
I moan and turn over, burying my head into the couch before I pass out.
***
“Dani.”
I wake up and see Shadow standing over me.
“You’re going to be late for work,” he says, pointing to the clock on the wall.
I look over and notice it’s four in the evening. “Shit!” I yell, jumping off the couch. I forgot I was filling in for one of the instructors today.
I grab my bag from beside the coffee table and open the door with Shadow following me closely.
The breeze from the sea feels good as we ride; it’s refreshing and makes me feel more awake than I have in days. We arrive at the dance studio and I climb off the bike. “Thanks for the ride,” I say appreciatively, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“I’ll be here later,” he reminds me, revving the bike motor and taking off. I love it when he does that; the roar of the motor sounds sexy.
I walk into the dance studio, already apologizing.