by JD Anders
“Sorry darlin, kind of a long story.”
“Oh I know this story,” Sally pulled her top over her head and hiked her shorts up over her hips. She threw her hair back. “I know this fuckin story good!”
“Hey look, I just didn’t know what to tell you,” I shoved my socks into the bag.
“So that’s it then?” Sally fumed with rising anger. “I’m a notch in your belt?” She came over to the side of the bed and shoved my bag with her foot. “Fuck you, just fuck you!”
It was then that my bag fell on the floor and spilled its contents, including my 9mm pistol. We both stood there and starred at that gun like we hadn’t seen one before.
“Oh how lovely.” she said. “Not only are you an absolute asshole, but you’re packin too?”
“You didn’t need to see that,” I said. “I’m just going to leave, better this way.” I picked up the pistol and put it behind my back under my shirt.
Sally balled her fists and came at me. “What’s your fuckin story? What is your damn story!?”
Sally meant to hit me but it was like running into a brick wall. I grabbed both her arms and she struggled to get free.
“Let me go, you damn pick!” she said, as she struggled in my grasp.
“You simmer down,” I said. “I’ll tell you everything, just simmer down. Sit in the fucking chair!” I let her go and she went over to the chair.
Sally sat down in a heap in the chair and folded her arms. “Oh this had better be good.”
“I did things back in Cali I’m not proud of,” I said as I walked over to the chair. “I wanted to tell you everything, but I couldn’t, I just couldn’t.”
“We all have a past, I don’t care about that,” Sally said. “Why are you running from me? I gave you my heart and my body and you just go? I’m a fool, a damn fool.” Sally wiped a tear away from her eye.
I took a deep breath. “I’m not running from you. Back in Cali I”---
“What?”
There was silence it seemed like an eternity before I could speak. The words came out like fresh open wounds, those deep scars that could never go away. “I killed a man.”
“Oh my god!” Sally tried to rise from the chair. “What have I gotten involved with?”
“I forced her back into the chair with my arm. “Now, you haven’t got involved in shit. That’s why I’m leaving. I can’t put you through this. It’s not my fault, it was an accident, I swear. You have to believe me!”
“What happened?” Sally was furious. “You tell me or I walk right out that door!”
I sat down on the edge of the bed and cupped my hands together. “I was in gang. You know how it is in a biker gang, drugs, booze, the typical crap. I was in a bar and some rivals came in. They saw me, and I knew it was time to get out of there. I tried to leave quietly but they followed me out into the parking lot, three of them. Before I could get on my bike they jumped me.”
“Why didn’t you run?”
I laughed. “Girl, I don’t run. It’s my reputation and my brothers I have to protect, do you understand?” I walked over to the window and looked out. “We fought and I had two of those fuckers down. I was going to teach them a lesson, but that’s when it happened. The third guy pulled a knife on me. I just wanted to run them off and give em a good scare, but it happened so fast. I fought him and we struggled. Before I knew it, the knife was in his guts and he collapsed. If he hadn’t pulled that knife on me, it wouldn’t have happened. After that, I went home packed a few things, drained my bank account. Since then, I’ve been on the run.”
“Just go to the cops right now.” Sally stood up. “Just turn yourself in. If you’re innocent, just do the right thing.”
“Shit,” I said. “There’s no thing as an innocent biker. They will lock me away for this. No chance for me, girl. I did some time when I was younger for drug possession, I’m not goin back. Do you hear me?” I sat back down on the bed.
“So you’re going to fight them with the pistol eh?” Sally laughed and sat back into the chair. “Oh you’re a real hero. Are you going to fight the helicopters, body armor, and SWAT teams too? Are you going to fight that Dale?”
“When the time comes, I’ll be ready.” I said.
‘So it’s you against the world then? Let’s just forget about me and how I feel. Let’s forget what we shared. Sally threw her shoulder bag over her head. “I guess your destiny is out there. Maybe you should go find it.”
“I didn’t want you to know,” I said.
Sally pointed at me. “What you are, is a selfish bastard!”
I stood up. “Oh my fuck, I don’t need this. Get the fuck out. Just go!”
Sally opened the door and slammed it behind her and with that, it was over. I walked over to the window and looked outside. She had her cellphone out making a call. I wanted her to be on the phone to the cops so I could end it all right then and there but a cab pulled up, and Sally left. I packed the rest of my things, paid for the room, and left. It was Texas for me now and I would leave all this behind. Just me and the open road, towards my destiny.
****
Sally took a cab back to her bar. She needed to go home and sleep for a while before the bar opened and just forget this even happened. She slipped her hand in her shoulder bag fumbling for a brush but her hand found something else. She pulled the object out of her bag. It was stationary from the hotel wrapped around something soft. She peeled the paper away and pulled the money out. She thumbed through it and counted. There must have been close to $10,000 there. Sally also found something else. She found a letter.
Dear Sally:
I’m sorry for doing this but I have to go. My life is too messed up to involve you. A part of me wants to stay as a man could get lost in your eyes, but nothing matters now, my life is over. I want you to follow your dreams Sally because mine are finished. Don’t worry, this money is clean as I earned it from my bike shop before it closed. Maybe you can open that Salon you said you wanted. Just live Sally, forget about me, and just live. We all have a destiny, but mine is a dark and lonely one. I’ll think of you and wonder how you are and hope that you find love. There’s nothing for me but the road, it’s all I got. It’s all I have ever had.
Take care darlin,
Dale Jackson
Sally got out of the truck and leaned back on the door. She held the letter in her hand and looked out to the open road. A part of her wanted to rip up that letter and scatter it to the wind but she didn’t.
“Damit,” she whispered. “I could have loved you.”
Sally stood there for a few moments in the heat of the sun before she got back in and started the truck. She did the only thing she could.
She headed home.
To be Continued…
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3