We practice putting the car into first gear and he teaches me to ease my foot off the clutch at the same time as giving it gas. I stall out...a lot. I finally make the car move and then Daws says we should call it quits for the day. I slide out from between his legs and back over to my seat. I can’t help but feel proud of myself for being able to sit with Daws the way I just did, and not have a freak out. It’s a step.
Chapter 7
Daws
I drop Aubrey off and make my way for the clubhouse. I’ve never let anyone touch my car before. No one rides my bike and no one drives my car. Simple. I know the brothers are going to give me hell when I get back for even letting her in my car. I’ve been working on her for three years and I’ve never let anyone in her, let alone drive her. I’m thankful as hell she didn’t burn out my clutch, it would have been worth it though.
I can’t help it. I just met this woman, and I want to find out everything there is about her. She has secrets and I want to know them, but more importantly, I want to know her. This isn’t like me. Besides my best friend growing up, I’ve never given a shit about a female enough to want to teach her things or take care of her. Shit, I want to take care of her, but she has a kid. I am not the type of man a kid should be around. I cuss. I fuck. I fight when I feel like it. I work hard, but I do some fucked up shit for the club and I’m not a good influence on kids.
When she told me she had a kid, I walked away thinking I’ll teach her how to drive like I said, but that needs to be it. I told myself that I’d walk away and leave her alone. I just don’t think I can do it. I need to be careful with her.
When she agreed to sit between my legs, it took everything in me to not press my body closer to hers, but I wasn’t about to let her drive without me in complete control. I mean this is a Charger, and not just any Charger, but the type Bo and Luke drove, not that I watched it for the good ole boys, Daisy kept me watching reruns but this has enough torque to throw her small frame if she got it going good.
I give a wave to Turk who is manning the gate to the clubhouse. He’s one of our prospects. He’s doing alright, and I think that he’ll end up getting patched in. He’s definitely proving his worth. The clubhouse is a large warehouse type structure. None of the doors are clearly marked, but if you enter the bar you will see the Devil’s Crusaders insignia over the bar. The warehouse holds several large garage bays that we do a lot of the bike work for Drays Customs.
Dray is my dad. He’s the president of our club and one mean son of a bitch. He sticks to himself mostly now that he is getting older, but you don’t fuck around when it comes to him, which basically means since I’m a fuck up, I’ve been getting my ass handed to me by him for a long time. That’s just how it is. He taught me to take a hit and even better he taught me to land one. Now, if the old man swings at me, I take it even though I could easily kick his ass.
I live here at the clubhouse. A lot of the brothers have their own place, but I haven’t really felt like I needed one since I wouldn’t have anything to go home to besides my left hand and a good porn. I have my own room and my own garage space that I’ve been able to work on the Charger in. Life’s not bad at the clubhouse. There’s always pussy floating around just asking to be fucked. But I had some shit go down with my oldest friend Maura. I wanted her and put myself out there, only to have her throw it all in my face. I’m sick of it. Sick of it all. Sick of the whores willing to suck me off in front of my friends, sick of the fake tits out on display and sick of the loose pussy flapping around like damn roast beef.
Roast beef! Now there’s a thought. I never did get anything to eat with Aubrey. She decided she wanted to eat with Ari and I couldn’t change her mind. I pull the Charger into the garage, take out my keys and head into a door that goes directly into the kitchen. Sure as shit, we have roast beef. I pull out the ingredients to make a sandwich, and head back to my room.
I’m mid-bite when I hear a knock at my door, “Come in.” In the doorway is my old man. He looks tired. “What’s up Pop?” He hates when I call him that, so I do it to get under his skin.
“Mike Jacobs hasn’t paid up. Need you to make a visit.” I nod my head and acknowledge what I need to do. Mike is a gambler. We’re the second shark he’s borrowed from. “Take Jarrod with you.” Jarrod is one of my brothers. He’s a good dude to have at your back, not that I really need my back watched with Mike, but you never know.
“Hey dad?”
“What’s up?”
“You seen much of mom?”
“You know how she is. Always shopping. She’s going to that new casino in New York with Sidney.”
“Alright, I’ll go get Jarrod.” I say walking past my dad.
I walk into the bar area and see Jarrod licking some chicks neck. Nancy. Was that her name? No, wait. I think it was Nina. Whatever, it is doesn’t really matter. Jarrod and I tag teamed her a while back. I wouldn’t hit that twice, that’s for sure. “Got business.” I say to him and head towards the door. I look back and see my brother getting up and heading towards me. Nancy or Nina is pouting at the rejection. Jarrod doesn’t look back at her.
My bike and Jarrod’s are both Dyna Super Glides. We both customized them. He has huge ape-hangers and I can’t help but jab him how dumb I think it makes his bike look, but whatever. I chopped my back fender and put a custom tank on it. I also souped up the motor even more to make the bike go faster. We head out to our bikes and I light up a cigarette and swing my boot over my seat.
“Where we headed?” Jarrod asks.
“Gotta pay Mike a visit.” He gives me a nod and we take off towards town.
We pull up in front of the hardware store that Mike owns. Jarrod gives his death glare to a few customers in the store and they waste no time making an exit. I tell the pimply face kid behind the register to get lost. He stutters something about being sorry. Sorry for what I’m not sure. The only thing I can figure is he’s sorry for existing right now. I turn the lock on the door after he rushes out then flip the sign to closed.
The people in this town know who we are. They know to keep their mouths shut. Just in case anyone forgets, Jarrod writes down the plate number of everyone leaving the store.
Mike is in his office staring at his computer screen playing online poker. Really, he hasn’t learned a thing. His eyes look up startled when he sees me.
“Seems we got a big problem, Mike,” I begin as I take out my brass knuckles, making sure he sees them.
“I...uh... thought I told you guys I’d have your money in a few days.” He tries to justify his lack of payment. I don’t feel bad for what I am about to do. He knew what he was getting into before coming to us.
“That was a few days ago. We paid off your other debt. How bad is this place mortgaged?”
“It was my dad’s. It’s the only thing I have left,” he pleads.
“Here’s what’s going down, you’re signing the deed on this property over to me. A brother is going to be here with you for a while, making sure you turn a profit for us.” He looks scared like he is going to run.
“Where’s the deed? In the safe?” He looks even more nervous and I’m certain I nailed it on the first guess. “I’ll tell you what, you open that safe without any problem and I’ll make sure you can walk again.” He submits in agreement, knowing he has no options.
I finish my task at hand and go to the bathroom to wash the blood off my knuckle-dusters. I don’t think I have heard a grown man cry as badly as this one in a long time. True to my word, I left his legs intact. He may have a broken arm and a few cracked ribs, but he’ll live. I grab the deed and tell Jarrod to stick around until Jules gets here. Jules is good with numbers and will be going over the books. The Devil’s Crusaders just became the proud owners of Jacob’s Family Hardware. This isn’t the only business we own in town. Of course, it shows up on paper as a shell corporation, but it’s one way for us to move our money.
On my way out of town, I decide to ride through Little Italy. I can’t help
, but drive past Angie’s. It’s late. I see a light on in one of the upstairs bedrooms. I wonder if she’s in there? If that’s her room?
I get back to the clubhouse and grab a drink at the bar. It’s empty tonight and I’m grateful for the quiet. Little Titty Rhonda is pouring drinks. She is less obvious than Big Titty Rhonda about how badly she wants me, but I can see it in the way she looks at me; like she wants to eat me. Turk told me he got the clap from her. I’m steering clear of that one. I finish my second Jack and Coke. I make my way to my room and lay down, exhaustion setting in. My mind drifts to one person, the woman whose green eyes have haunted me since the moment I dropped her off.
*
Aubrey is late today, I’m not sure why and it’s ticking me off. My brothers have been busting my balls about how early I’ve been showing up at the shop, but I don't give two shits. I feel this need to be around when she’s here. Today though, she is nowhere to be seen. I clink around on a motor for a while and begin to take out my frustrations out on it. Nothing is getting fixed anytime soon. By noon, I’ve snapped at half of the guys in the shop and decide to head over to the clubhouse to grab some food. Maybe a breather from the shop will do me some good.
I sit at the bar and order a shot and a beer. Little Titty Rhonda pours me another shot after I slam the first one back. “You hungry? We had a couple sheet pizzas dropped off about ten minutes ago.”
I nod at her and she heads towards the kitchen. Mickey takes a seat next to me at the bar, “What’s got ye knickers all twisted?”
“Nothing, old man,” I grumble.
“Aye, she should be here any minute. She asked me yesterday for the morning off. Had to bring some paperwork to school.”
“I didn’t. It’s not. I’m not.”
“Ha ha ha. It’s okay, lad. Everyone here knows why you’re in a pissed off mood.”
I start to protest, but then give in, “It’s that obvious, huh?”
Just as he is about to confirm that I’m acting like a love struck teenager who’s never busted a nut, the clubhouse door opens. Aubrey walks in smiling and laughing with Skaggs. Skaggs and I are tight. I'm the one who got him to prospect in. He knows where I’m at with Aubrey, so I’m sure this is innocent, but it still burns me to see her laughing with any guy but me.
“Everything go alright with ye kid?” Mickey asks her.
“Yeah, it did. Thanks, Mickey. I appreciate you letting me take the morning.”
“Anytime.”
I watch the two of them converse and then some slut stumbles out of the back rooms with a half dressed Jarrod following in tow. It reminds me again why I don't want her in the clubhouse.
“Hey Aubrey, an order came in that I want to go over with you,” I say hoping to lure her out.
“Okay,” she agrees.
“Hey, Rhonda!” I shout back to the kitchen, “How about you throw a few extra slices on the plate.”
I grab the pizza in one hand and I place my hand on Aubrey's elbow guiding her away from the guys.
We walk into the office and she looks at me expectantly. “Where’s the order you wanted to go over?”
“You must be hungry. Eat,” I say ignoring her question and taking a bite of pizza. She picks up the pizza and takes a bite. A little grease drips onto her chin. I take my thumb and wipe it away. There is a minute where we look at each other. I swear I see longing that matches my own, but I push it aside.
Aubrey sits down at the desk and turns on the computer, trying to respond to emails and eat at the same time. I continue to eat and stare at her while sitting on the corner of the desk.
“You going to watch me all day, or do you have work to do?”
“Work’s overrated. Watching you is way more fun,” I smirk, “Ari got a game tonight?”
She shakes her head no, “But she is going with Angie to watch a basketball game.”
“Good, I'll meet you here at five. Got something I want to teach you.” I don't give her a chance to say no. I walk away and finish my work, this time in a much better disposition. I've seen the way Aubrey masks her pain. I can only hope that my idea empowers her.
I finish my work and greet Aubrey as I stand in the doorway, “You ready to go?”
“Ugh Daws, with being out this morning, I’m so behind.”
“Don’t worry about it. In case you haven't noticed, we don't exactly keep a tight schedule around here. We'll get to it when we get to it. Right now, I have something planned.”
She doesn't question me as I lead her outside and around the back of the building. The weather is warm today and perfect for what I have planned. I grab a duffel bag that I left earlier on the side of the building and continue to head out to the field.
I kneel down on the hard ground and unzip the black bag. One by one, I take out different guns and lay them out next to each other. I can tell Aubrey has a past and I’m hoping that my plan will help her feel empowered. Also I’m hoping we can have a shit load of fun.
“You ever shot a gun, Aubrey?”
“Me? Gosh, no.”
“I want to teach you. You up for that?”
“I...I think so,” she stutters, not quite sure.
I go over all the different types of guns that I brought. I show her how to load them, how some will fire automatically and how to cock the trigger for others. I place a Glock in her hand, aiming it down towards the ground. The safety is on, but I still want to be cautious.
“Plant your feet apart. Make sure your stance is firm. I want your feet planted, I don't want you to move when the gun kicks. The Glock has the least amount of kickback, but if you're standing the right way and holding the gun right, you shouldn't feel much.” I stand behind her, my body pressed firmly into hers. My hands roam on top of her hands. I lift the gun and aim it at a bunch of glass bottles I set up earlier.
“You need to lock your arms. Now, match up your sight to your target. Remember what I said about this one. It's semi automatic, so once we cock it, you won’t need to do it again. If you ever need to use it, I want you to squeeze the trigger at your target and don't stop until you're out of bullets. For right now, let's slowly squeeze it.” With my hand over hers, we squeeze the trigger, and it hits near our target. It's not perfect, but we'll work on it. We do it again. This time, it hits.
Aubrey squeals with excitement and hugs me. I'm a goner. She's having fun doing this and I'm loving every second of it. “Okay, Aubrey. Now, I want you to do it by yourself,” I say and step away from her.
“Yay!” She takes the gun with a little too much enthusiasm.
“Easy there killer.” I joke.
“I think I got this. You’re a good teacher.”
She practices over and over again. At first, she misses the target completely but she is determined. I'm not even sure where the bullet went. A few more are sporadic, but eventually she gets the hang of it.
“Okay. Show how to use this one.” She moves from gun to gun getting better the longer we’re out here.
The sky eventually begins to darken, “Think we should call it a night. It's getting too dark to hit anymore targets,” I say and she pouts; actually sticks out her bottom lip and pouts. I want to suck that lip in my mouth so bad, but I know that I can't. I'm just glad I was able to give her some happiness today.
“Thanks for that. It was fun. I can't believe how much I enjoyed it,” Aubrey says as she gets into the Charger.
I grab a piece of her hair and move it between my fingers. It's so soft. “I like seeing you have fun.”
“I have fun.”
“With who?” I question, hoping like hell it's not a guy.
“Ari, Jenny,” she says and I sigh with relief that she didn't say a guys name. If the idea that she could be with someone else is driving me this wild, maybe I need to suck up the fact that she has a kid, and go for it. I'm just not sure, and I want to do the right thing. I want to be the right man.
“Daws? Tell me, what is Daws short for?” She has a lightness to her tone. I get
a sense of pride knowing I helped put her in this mood.
“It’s Dawson.”
“No way, really?”
“Wouldn’t lie to you.” She giggles, actually giggles at me. “What’s so funny?” I smirk, even though this isn’t the first time someone has joked about my name. Normally, I get pissed but right now, if me being the butt of a joke makes her giggle, I’m all for it.
“Well, it’s just...you’re a big bad biker and Dawson doesn’t really seem to fit.”
“I’m a big bad biker, huh?”
“Umm, hello! You just showed me how to shoot with an arsenal.”
“Does that scare you, that I have that many guns?”
“Oddly, no. It probably should, but I feel safe around you. Stop changing the subject Dawson. Your name?” She is still light in her tone. I’m freaking ecstatic that she feels safe around me.
“You have to promise me. What I’m about to tell you never leaves this car. Dray would be very upset and you and I would have to stop being friends,” I deadpan at her trying to let her know how serious I am, but she sees through me.
“Cross my heart,” she says making an x over her chest. She just had to draw attention there, didn’t she? Now, I have half a chub, and I know we’re not there yet.
“My mom is a lot younger than my dad. She was only sixteen when they met, and she lied to him about her age. So, she begged him to name me and he gave into her. Turns out she named me after that show, Dawson’s Creek.”
“You have got to be kidding me! No way!”
“You’re right. I’m totally bullshitting you,” I laugh at how easy it is to mess with her. “It was my Grandpa’s name. Ma wanted it, so Dad gave in."
She smacks me on the arm, “You totally had me.”
“I did. You should’ve seen your face.”
“Okay, let me ask you another question,” she says a bit more seriously.
“Go on,” I urge.
“Why do you get so bent out of shape whenever I go into the clubhouse?” she asks out of nowhere.
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