by Oakes, Tara
I slowed down slightly observing the spectators when Clink yanked a bit on my hand. Allrighty then... I guess we're speed walking. The wooden door with a 'Members Only' sign opened as if on cue with some young guy holding it for us. The music was playing, although not terribly loud and the long wooden bar was filled to capacity, overflowing to standing room only.
We weaved our way through the crowd, the men nodding at us, the women giving me classic passive-aggressive bitch faces. The walls were filled with memorabilia, Harley Davidson logos adorning almost everything. There were occasional framed mug shots hanging, and newspaper articles behind paned glass.
We breezed past the personal effects, not stopping to fully admire them. There was a long hallway where we made a right and continued to the very end. Clink knocked lightly on the door, and it opened almost immediately. There were several people inside and a woman lying on the full-sized bed on her side in a fetal position. I recognized many of these faces, from my surveillance of the club. Sunny, who I knew from afar as well as my weekly visits to her salon, stood up and held my arms.
“Thank you so much for coming, Charlie.” She was sweet, and a damned good hairdresser to boot.
I nodded at her. “Mmm hmmm.” I turned to Clink and asked through my teeth, “Why exactly am I here?”
Clink cleared his throat. “This is Lil's. She's family in more ways than one.”
This was Lil's? I knew about her, of course, but had yet to spot her around town. The man hanging his head low, leaning over the bed while stroking her hand spoke up. I could only see the back of his head before, but as soon as he spoke I recognized his voice.
“This is my baby... my ol' lady. She's seen some fucked-up shit and she's in shock.”
I inhaled. I could only imagine the “fucked up shit” that this poor girl has seen. I stepped forward through the concerned visitors.
“I.. i'll need some space,” I started.
Each person reluctantly passed back through the door, somber and concerned. Every person except Jay, who remained seated watching my patient closely. I sat in a now-empty chair on the opposite side of the bed and gently picked up her limp wrist. I numbly felt around for her pulse, and eyed my watch when I was finally able to find it. It was strong, although a bit slow. But most importantly, it was regular. She was cool to the touch but there was a small layer of perspiration adding a sheen to her pale skin.
“Is she vomiting at all?” I nervously asked Jay. He hadn't raised his eyes from her once yet. He shook his head no.
“Good.”
I finished my initial exam. “I'm guessing the hospital isn't an option here?”
Jay tore his eyes from the patient and finally set them on me. They were empty, void. This man must be in his own private little hell, I think.
“I think she'll be alright in time.” I felt the need to reassure him, help him in some way. “As long as her pulse stays strong and her breathing regular, there's not much to do, I'm afraid, but wait.”
He nodded ever so slightly, as I rattled off my instructions. They were pretty basic... plenty of fluids, monitor her pulse, color, etc. He didn't look like he was exactly in a clear state of mind himself, so I made the decision to hang around and keep an eye on her myself. I wouldn't be due back at work for a couple of days, coming off of four long shifts in a row. Sure I was exhausted, but when would I get another opportunity like this again? I mean, I'm smack in the middle of the place I've been trying to crack into.
“Ummm. I'll hang around outside for a while, check her vitals again in a bit.”
“Thank you..” I turned back at the sound of his words. I smiled, genuinely and warm before closing the door gently behind me.
This was my second encounter with Jay. I wanted to hate him, loathe him, and gloat inwardly at his pain. But, the man sitting by that bed was distraught... in turmoil. The healer, the caregiver in me, felt for him. Call it an occupational hazard.
The bar area had since quieted as the late night dragged on closer to sunrise. I wasn't a biker, a member, or supposed to be here, but I climbed into an empty bar stool anyway and held my finger up for the young kind standing opposite me to tend to my order.
“Last call, sweet tits... what'll it be?”
“Whiskey. Neat.”
The prospect prepared my drink blindly, eying my chest instead. He placed the small tumbler down in front of me with a gentle thud of glass on wood. I smiled my thanks, raising the drink to my waiting lips. This is just what would do the trick...
The air behind me suddenly warmed.
“Keep it movin', Leo...”
I nearly choked on the liquid heat trickling down my throat, responding to the deep bark-like baritone.
The barkeep threw his towel down on the lacquered surface and immediately stepped away. I wiped the whiskey drip from my chin with the back of my hand while spinning the seat around. Clink was brooding over me, leaning over to rest his arms on the ledge of the shiny wood, confining me to my seat.
“You ready to hit the road, sugar?” His deep eyes were sunken, tired, but still lively enough to flicker slyly. I looked hard at the human barricade on either side of me, before cocking my eyebrow dramatically at him.
“I've never met someone who could be condescending and domineering at the same time....”
He laughed. “Sugar, I guarantee that you've never met anyone like me before. Now... we leaving?”
Just enough time had passed for the alcohol to seep into my system, the mild tingling spreading over my skin. At least, I hoped it was the whiskey. “No.. I'm gonna stay and check in on her in a while...”
“That really necessary?” He seemed worried. This girl must mean a lot to these people.
I relaxed back against the hard bartop behind my back. “Hopefully not.. but.. I'd feel better knowing she slept some of this off, whatever it is. Shock, I think.”
Clink moved his arms from either side of me to behind my shoulders. “All right then.. let's crash for a while.”
Before I could even form the thoughts to complete a coherent rebuttal (the whiskey was now starting to impair my thinking), I was being pulled back down the hallway in the opposite direction and through another door.
The room was dark, the only light flooding through the sheer window curtains had a bluish moonlit tinge to it. My eyes were slow to adjust (thanks again to the whiskey), but shapes were starting to sharpen and define themselves against the backdrop.
My knees hit into a large piece of furniture, causing the metal legs to shift, squeaking across the floor an inch or so. I twirled around lazily, my balance shifting with a slight humming in my ears, and I flopped down onto the mattress.
He stood there, in the dark watching as I fell onto the bed as gracelessly as possible. The dark outline of his broad shoulders drew my attention. They were wide, with sharp angles to them at the peaks. He slowly moved those shoulders and his rippled arms, navigating his way out of his cut and the cotton shirt beneath. His muscles shone, the skin absorbing the moon's luminescence. I was a girl who could hold her liquor, but what was happening to me tonight? The room was starting to spin around me as I took in the sexiness that was this man. The hardness, the danger, and the wanting that was this man.
A long shallow breath escaped my lips as I sat up and held my hand out to him, reaching for the drug I craved. I was no longer in control of my actions, the carnal need within me taking control. I blinked my eyes and he was near, closer than before. He bent down to the bed and crawled over me, climbing his way up.
Small tremors worked through my muscles, as I watched him move. The rounded curves to his flesh tightening with each shift of his body as he approached. He lowered his head over my thighs and inhaled deep, the swooshing sound of his intake filling me with desire as I threw myself back into the softness of the feathered padding.
He grumbled deep, “I can smell you, right through these clothes, I can smell how much you want me..”
I forced my head back into the pillow
, arching my back high at the sound of his hard words. He trailed his nose, his mouth up over my stomach, in between my breasts and quickly up my neck until he reached my lips... waiting for him.
I kissed him deep, his mouth responding to mine as I drank from him. I moaned fully, engaging my whole body in showing him what I wanted. My fingers deftly explored the clefting and indentation of his form as his muscles flexed from the strain and restraint of holding himself above me.
I freed my mouth and breathlessly called out to him, “I want you...”
My clothes were peeled off teasingly as he nipped my exposed skin, mixing a delicious amount of pain into my pleasure. I bit down on my lip to stifle my scream. His hands disappeared from my skin as he required their assistance in freeing himself from his jeans.
His dick was rock hard, pressed between us as we swayed against each other, gripping, grabbing and kneading. Our kisses were taking on a furious pace, the small amount of stubble on his face abrading the delicate skin around my mouth.
Clink's hand wildly searched around the space next to the bed. Jingling sounds responded to his effort as he pulled out the small drawer of the nightstand. He must have reached his target as he withdrew himself from over me and gave his attention to the small package in his hands.
“Here... let me,” I volunteered.
The crumpling ceased as his fingers paused. I took the foil wrapper from him and held it up, tearing the corner with my teeth. The plastic, chemical smell seeped out as a drop of the lubricant dripped down my finger.
I used my body weight to roll him off me and onto his back as I straddled him. I locked my gaze upon him, holding his attention as I carefully placed the latex over his erect tip. He hissed suddenly from the coolness of the cold lubricant on his fevered skin. I circled my fingers around him and glided the material down.
“Mmmm...” he let out at the rolling sensation. I smiled, satisfied in my power over him.
He grabbed my ass and lifted, assisting me as I lowered myself slowly down over his shaft taking him into me and swirling my core at the bottom. He flinched. “God! baby. You feel so fucking good, sugar.”
I stopped myself immediately, mid-stride and bent down over him. I gritted my teeth, speaking through them. “Don't. Call. Me. Sugar.”
His grip on my ass hardened, as he threw me around and under him, pushing himself deeper into me with the landing. I grimaced at the intense sensation. His hips rotated around slowly as he licked my lips with his tongue, enticing them.
“Girl, you feel so damn sweet, no other name will do.”
“Ahh...” I blurted as he pushed deep, the well-worn springs of the cheap bed squealing beneath me.
“That's right, sugar...” He was gloating, rejoicing in the victory he was winning over my body. The pounding was hard, intense, and full of raw desire. My nails dug deep into him, leaving the telltale half-moon depressions trailing under my tips. I took in short, quick breaths, my mouth gasping for each one as hyperventilation set in, numbing my limbs. Fucking this man was like dancing with death, walking the thin line between feeling and not feeling.
“Time to come, sugar...”
He swirled his hips deep over my fold as he thrust, applying rough pressure to the bundle of nerves between my legs until they screamed and rejoiced, forcing their sound out of my lips and into the night air where they mixed with his own, and we shook and trembled together.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JAY
Other than Lil's and me, the room had been empty for some time. Charlie had finished her exam a while ago, leaving me to sit here and watch over my girl. She was sleeping soundly now, her eyelids fluttering ever so slightly. I pray to God she's dreaming. Something sweet, happy, calming. She looked so peaceful lying there that it was hard to fathom what she'd just experienced.
The sun was starting to creep into the room in lined patterns through the window blinds. I hadn't slept... there would be plenty of time for sleeping later. For now, I just watched her, my eyes sweeping over her sleeping form watching for any sign of movement to hint that she might be waking. She needed sleep, and plenty of it. Please let her stay asleep for as long as she can, I prayed. As long as she's asleep, she doesn't have to think about what went down last night.
There was a very light knock on the door and I practically ran to open it before the person had another chance to rasp against it and possibly wake Lil's up. My pop stood in front of me, knuckles at the ready to tap over the wood again.
We hadn't had a chance to speak since I came into the clubhouse carrying Lil's last night.
He tried to inch his neck out, looking over my shoulder to the bed and whispered. “She sleeping?”
I nodded.
“Good... your ma will keep an eye over her. Let's you and me have a talk.”
I knew the talk would happen eventually, and frankly... I'm surprised he could hold out and wait this long. There were a lot of unanswered questions. I nodded and slipped through the door, leaving it slightly ajar for ma.
He followed me into the boardroom where a prospect had set up a couple of coffee mugs. He shut the door behind him. The tension was thick. I sat in my usual seat and started to drink the steaming drink. I wasn't tired... I was fucking exhausted from the stress over the last few days. It was all starting to hit me now that it was over.
“So... tell me what happened, son?”
I swallowed the mouthful of liquid, before sitting back resting against the back of the chair.
“It was a shit storm. We were taking the stripper to the bus station when we got the message that the cops had been tipped off about the meetup. Clink got word of a possible location where they might be holding Lil's and we headed out there to check it out... see if they had left for Hyde Park yet. We were spotted and they started shooting.”
I reached for my mug and helped myself to some more caffeine.
“We sent most of them running and made our way into the house eventually. Some fat pig was gutted on the top floor and Lil's was hiding out in the living room. Somehow she got a gun and killed Shade.”
Pop let out a long deep breath as he threw his head back, running his hand down his face in exasperation. It was a lot to take in. “You sure she killed the bastard?”
I nodded. “Dead as a fucking doorknob. We hightailed it out of there minutes before the cops got there. Any idea how the cops were tipped off about the park?”
I was curious to know how much he'd been able to piece together. If we had all stuck to the story.
“Marie. That bitch overheard Leo talking on his cell and she tipped off the police. That fucking prospect is in some deep shit for shootin' his mouth off around her.”
I exhaled. So far so good. We might actually be able to pass this off. “Any word from the cops?”
Pop swirled his cup around in his hand, watching the inside. “Not yet... but I'm sure they'll be poking around. They were looking for Lil's at the park. They'll come here eventually...”
Pop put both hands on the table, pushing himself up out of his chair. “Till then... you make sure Lil's knows to keep mum. She was here all night. She knows nothing, she saw nothing. I'll have the lawyers on standby just in case some shit falls back on us.”
I followed his lead and stood, abandoning the chair and the little bit of rest it offered. We headed toward the door. “Jay...”
I turned to face him. He studied me for at least a full minute before he spoke again. “I'm glad you got her back home safe. You... you did good, kid.”
******
It was still early enough around this place to warrant a bit of caution and restraint. The only people walking around were the prospects, trying to clean up after last night and one or two ol' ladies setting out to cook breakfast.
I started off back toward my room to check on Lil's when a sudden movement caught my eye. I overshot my door to investigate. A sound. Something was up..
The door to one of the storage rooms was open the smallest bit. I reached aro
und and grabbed hold of my gun, touching at the ready in case I needed to withdraw it. Extending my finger, I pushed on it so it swung open further.
A loud squeal escaped the girl as she jumped and turned around at the sound of the door hinges. “Uh... Hi. Jay... I was...” I let go of my gun. “Lost.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “Lost?”
She swallowed hard. “Yeah... I was coming to check on Lil's and I took a wrong turn, and ended up in here.” Charlie waved her hands around at the clutter in the room. We stored all types of memorabilia in here. Shit that spilled over from the main rooms.
“You shouldn't be wandering around, Charlie... Where's Clink?”
Charlie moved quickly from behind the boxes she was eyeing. “Asleep. Late night, you know?” she smiled at me. Yeah, I had a pretty good idea. I had no grounds to complain though. Clink had risked his life for Lil's, for me, last night. If he wanted to celebrate his unharmed mortality by bagging this chick, who was I to cock block a brother?
“Ummm.. can you show me how to get to Lil's room?”
I searched over the boxes behind her. Just some old photos and albums. “Sure...” I reached out for her arm and guided her away from the items. “Follow me, darlin'.”
She may have gotten into some harmless crap with these boxes, but it could have just as easily been some club-only type shit. I would need to tell Clink to keep his chick on a tight leash. It wouldn't hurt to keep a close eye on her. She seemed friendly enough and had been willing to help out with Lil's, but she wasn't one of us. She needed to learn her place, and that was under Clink so long as he was willing to tap that.
Before I could manage to close the door tight behind me, there was a shrill scream from my room. Three long strides was all it took for me to pass Charlie in the hall and reach the room, throwing the door open.