by Joy Blood
Gin pulls over on the side of the highway, cutting his engine to listen. The night is quiet, no noise of bikes, or cop cars. I'm grateful for the latter, we don’t need to be dealing with the police. I don’t think they got close enough to make an ID, but they have cameras in their cars, so what just went down will probably be on some stupid ‘wildest police chases’ show. Not to mention a warrant for Gin and me, both in the state of Nebraska.
“The fuck was that shit? Fuckin’, Brand?” Gin shouts, getting off his bike to stomp around in anger.
“Was in on it,” I say, referring to Brand.
“Fuck!” Gin yells even louder to the quiet night. “That fuckin’ shit. He must have been in on it. Fucking hell. He must have been a rat this whole fuckin’ time.” He goes on but I don’t listen. I let him get his anger out, God knows he has enough of it.
“G. Should git goin’,” I say, getting his attention, he calms down slightly.
“Yeah. Fuck. All right let’s get moving. Saw there was a station few miles up the road. Can fill up there. Rather quick like. Those cops might have a BOLO out on us, reaching across state lines.” He climbs back onto his bike, scooting forward as best he can to accommodate me. He doesn’t have a two-seater, more like a one and a half seater. The back leaving just enough room for a woman to ride with him, not a two hundred and fifty pound man. We make due though and drive off, stopping again when we reach the gas station.
“Here. Got a bandana in my saddlebag, put it over your face. Whoever is in there shouldn’t think twice since it is so cold out,” Gin says, rummaging around in his bag to grab a black bandana. I put it on over my face as instructed and he does the same.
“No cameras,” I say, glancing around the outside under the awning for the pumps.
“Na, should be one inside.” We both get off the bike and he goes to fill up the tank. When it reaches full he starts for the inside, money in hand. A minute later he is back, nodding his head once to tell me all is good and we are back on the road again, not stopping until we reach the clubhouse.
Thirty-Nine
Kimi
My phone sits on my dresser, motionless. I have read the text Jake sent me two nights ago over and over again, until I couldn’t take it anymore and set it in the very spot it’s in. The place it has been for an hour. I'm not being patient and I'm starting to panic. He never told me what he was going to be doing, where he was going to be going or even if it was going to be dangerous. He has done these things before, but has always checked in. I have not gone this long without hearing from him.
“Just call one of them. You have someone’s number, don’t you?” Ari says, trying to get me to stop pacing our dorm room and eying my phone.
“Something is wrong, Ar. I just know it.”
“Then let’s go. Let’s go to the clubhouse. You are an old lady concerned about her man. You have all the right to walk in there and demand answers,” she says, making me almost laugh.
“Old lady might mean one thing on TV, Ar, but in the real word we don’t run much. I can’t just go in there and demand answers. They have rules and I don’t get to know club business,” I try to explain, but she just shakes her head. Finally, my phone shrills to life, spinning on the wooden top of the dresser. I jump in surprise
“Jake?” I nearly shout out when I answer.
“Key.” I hear him breathe out making my whole body take a sigh of relief.
“Jake what happened? It’s been two days.” I might sound like a whining baby but I don’t. It was only two years ago that the whole club was gunned down and it isn’t like history doesn’t repeat itself.
“Got some shit goin’ down.” He stops to clear his throat then continues. “Won't be there for a while.” My heart drops at those words. “Stay safe. No goin’ out. To class and back, Key. Ari too,” he tells me in a stern voice.
“Jake what…”
“Do it, Key.” This time it comes out more forced, gritty.
“Okay. I will. I will, promise. Just please Jake tell me, tell me you are okay,” I plead with the man.
“I'm good, Key. Will call when I can.” He pauses for a moment making me think he hung up already but then his words come out. “Love you, Key.”
“I love you too, Jake. Bye.” Reluctantly I hang up the phone and set it back down on the wooden dresser.
“What is going on?” Ari asks.
“I'm not sure, but I'm supposed to go to school and back only, I can’t go out at all either. Some stuff is going down with the club,” I explain.
“Oh. But he is okay, right? I mean he called himself, so that has to be good news,” she tells me.
“Yeah, I guess so,” I concede, but still, something is nagging at the back of my mind about the whole situation. For him to go radio silent for two days, something bad must be going on.
* * *
I do as he says, going to and from school, being sure to keep Ari with me. She may not have anything to do with the club, but Jake said for her to stick with me. I have also enlisted Sam to be our shadow, he is out of football now and has plenty of time to play ‘bodyguard’ as he called it.
The Sam and Ari ship has apparently sailed. Since we got back from our weekend at the clubhouse, Ari seemed to distance herself from him. I wasn’t sure what it was about, but I'm sure it had something to do with a particular man in a wheelchair.
“Hey, so, ah…I know we aren’t supposed to, but…” Ari starts getting a side glance from me. We are in my car driving back to the dorm on a Friday, I know what she is trying to say—she wants to go out.
“Ar, you know we need to stick to the dorm
“I know, but it is only three blocks away, and we can have Sam with us. I asked him. He won’t leave our side,” she tries, giving me a slight pout. It has been over a week now and still I haven’t gotten the okay from Jake to stray from his instruction.
“Fine. But I want that man of yours to know he is seriously stepping on my socialism,” she says with a pout, crossing her arms.
“Your socialism?” I laugh and put the car into park. The Camaro is probably by far the most amazing thing I have ever driven. I was reluctant at first. Every time I drove it it was as if I had a sign on the top saying ‘look at me’, but I got over it, it was just too fun to drive.
“Yea, it’s a thing. Has he called at all?” she asks but I'm sure she already knows the answer.
“No. Not a word, no text either.” I sigh, now opening the door to the dorm rooms.
“I'm sure everything is all right,” she tries to reassure me.
* * *
“Gah. I'm so bored.” About an hour later Ari is already complaining.
“I’m sorry. Believe me I'm not happy about this either,” I grumble back at her. We are both sitting in our dorm staring off at the TV that is playing an episode of Sex and the City from Ari’s DVD collection. It would be the best way to spend a Friday night but we have already watched this season at least five times. It didn’t help that her collection consisted of only this season.
“You know it wouldn’t hurt to go out. Just for like maybe an hour…two at the most. I mean what could happen in an hour?” she questions. I'm about to tell her no, yet again, when a knock sounds on our door, then it opens.
“Hey guys! Are you coming to the party?” Brenda, a girl from one of our classes and the room two doors down, peeks her head in. before I can get that no I was going to give to Ari, now directing it at Brenda, Ari is already up and off her bed.
“Yes!” she says adamantly, then looks back to me.
“No, Ar.”
“I'm going to go. Look, I will text Sam to meet me there and I’ll be with Brenda, so I won't be there alone,” she explains, already holding her phone, thumbs flying across the screen.
“But Jake said—” I try but she cuts me off.
“I'm not part of the club and have only been there once. I'm sure he was just being overly cautious. You stay here, it's fine. I will be back in like, what?” she looks at
Brenda, “three hours?”
“Four. Tops,” Brenda says, tugging on Ari’s arm to get her out of the room before she changes her mind. Like she would.
“Ar…” I don’t get to say anymore because she is already out the door, letting it shut behind her. God, that girl. I know being at the club was a new door opening for her, but since she came back she seems to be more, adventurous? I can tell sometimes when she gets off the phone with her mom that something is bothering her, and when we talked about taking off for winter break, she wanted to come home with me instead of going back to where she lived. She had told me once, a few weeks after rooming together, that it was just her and her mom. She ever spoke of her after that, so I just let it go. We both have a past that neither of us talk about but know is there.
I end up falling asleep somewhere between Carrie and Aiden having a fight and Charlotte yelling about the cardboard baby her husband bought her. The ding of my phone going off once, pulling me awake but not enough to realize it went off. Until it goes off again, this time ringing. I sit up and look at the phone to see it’s Ari calling me, the text she sent only moments before, asking me if I was awake, is still in the middle of the screen.
“Hello?” my sleep-ridden voice croaks out.
“Kimi?” The urgency of her voice sends me on alert, breaking my sleepy haze.
“Ar, what is wrong? Are you okay?” I ask, already getting off my bed to change into my jeans and t-shirt from earlier today.
“I'm so sorry. I should have listened…” she trails off, sobbing now.
“Ar, focus, where are you? I'm coming to get you.” I'm already out the door when she tells me that she is in the bathroom at the party, locked inside. “Why are you locked inside?”
“It’s Kimber and those stupid perky cheerleaders. They’re, fucking bitches…” She trails off but I try to keep her talking. She goes on about how sorry she is for not listening to me until I'm in my car and driving to where she is.
The phone still on my ear, I get out of my car and walk to the house. As I walk through the door I'm assaulted by the smell of pot. As I walk further in, listening to Ari’s directions, my eyes pass a small group of people forming a circle, passing around a large blue bong. In another room, there is a beer pong table set up and a group of loud guys are yelling as someone chugs down a pitcher of beer. I don’t pay them any mind and continue on my way. The house is huge, of course, and it takes me a while to find Ari, but with her instructions I finally reach the bathroom she has herself locked up in.
Still having her on the phone, I tap on the outside as I reassure her that it is me on the other side. As she swings the open, I suck in a breath at what I find—she is completely naked and her hair is damp. “Holy shit! What happened? Where the hell is Sam?” I question, trying to look around the small bathroom to find something for her to wrap around herself. I come up with nothing. Who the hell doesn’t have towels in their bathroom?
“I didn’t even know she was here. I'm so drunk Kimi, so stupid.” She shakes her head and hangs it low, then goes to sit on the toilet seat. “A group of us were playing truth or dare and they dared me to jump into the pool naked.” She scoffs. “Stupid, right? Well when I came up, Kimber and her stupid posse of cheer bitches were there, taking my clothes. I came running up here. At least they were kind enough to leave my phone on the table next to the pool.” What a bitch.
“Okay. Well…how about this?” I question, going over to the shower and taking down the printed shower curtain. It may have birdhouses printed all over it, but at least she won't be exposed.
“Oh good god, I never thought of that. I think they had this planned out. There aren’t even any towels in here.” That would explain it.
“Sorry, Ar. Let’s get this on you and get the hell out of here.” She agrees and we start to get the curtain wrapped around her enough to cover her nakedness.
With a tie or two in front, she is all set, and we give each other a quick look before I open the door. Just a crack at first to make sure no one is on the outside. When the coast is clear, I wave her out and we start down the stairs. Luck is in our favor as we reach the front door and get outside without catching anyone’s attention. “Almost home free,” I tell her with a smile as we both get inside the Camaro. She gives me a soft smile as we drive away. Little did I know home free wasn’t happening for us tonight.
Stopping for only seconds at a red light before it turned to green, I continue on. The shrill scream from Ari’s side is the first thing I hear, then the smash of metal. Glass shatters, coating us in the shards. The car, at a rapid pace, slides along the pavement with a sick crunch and scrape, making the smell of burning oil and tires fill the air.
My screams, along with Ari’s, come to a stop when the car does. “Ar, you okay?” I ask, trying to assess the situation we are in. We both had on our seatbelts but the car hit on Ari’s side. She doesn’t seem to be hurt but it is too dark to tell for sure. When she doesn’t answer, I start to get worried. “Ar?” The sound of heavy footsteps pound against the concrete outside my car, and the door pulls open before I can see who it is.
“Oops, looks like we may have smashed up your sexy little car.” The voice hits me hard. I know it, know who it comes from, and before it can even register, the second voice that seems to always be attached to it speaks.
“So sorry about that princess, but we have someone requesting your presence.” I look up to see Blake and Zeke standing at my now opened door before everything goes dark.
Forty
Jake
I’m a fucking asshole, I know, but when I got back to the club, everything was so hectic that I didn’t have a chance to text or call Kimi until just the couple days ago, when I gave her my instructions. I didn’t need to know if she was following them or not, I knew she would. Plus, I had a prospect there watching her every move. A certain football player that was being her shadow without actually letting her know it. Her friends too. Reek had asked if I was having him watch Ari too. I decided not to ask questions and just told him I would. I know he has a spot for the girl, though I'm not sure how big it is.
My phone vibrating in my pocket interrupts my thoughts, and when I take it out, Vin’s name flashes on the screen. Guy hasn’t called me in quite some time so I don’t think twice about answering. “Yeah,” I say, clearing my throat.
“Got a fuckin’ problem,” he growls, setting me on alert. “I'm here at the hospital with Ari, Kimi’s friend. She is out cold, they found her in the passenger’s seat of Kimi’s car. Someone had to have taken her Jake.” The last words are forced out, the undertone of pain as he tells me about Kimi. I can't say a damn word to him, my throat suddenly seizing up. Fucking hell. He must understand my dilemma because he tells me he will see me in a few and ends the call. I'm dialing Sam before I'm out the door and stomping down the hall to talk to Rock. There isn’t a fucking answer.
The door to Rock’s room flies open, greeting me with a seriously pissed off Rock. “V just called, explained everything. You good?” I give a nod to his question and start for the front door. “Hold up brother, let me get a couple more guys and we’ll git gone.” I ignore him and keep walking. I know he will be on my ass the whole way there. I don’t need to wait.
I push my truck at high speed the whole way there, hoping to fuck I don’t meet up with a cop. Don’t need that shit coming down on me right now. When I reach the hospital Vin text me the address to, I make a mad dash inside. “Excuse me sir, can I help you?” the woman at the front desk asks me as I storm on past to where Vin said him and Ellie were waiting.
“Jake,” Vin calls out as I walk past a room. I take a step back and see Vin and Ellie both on one side of a small bed that holds Ari. Ellie looks tore the fuck up. Woman has been through hell and back again only to be thrown into that same pit over and over until she fought her way out kicking and screaming. Having Kimi, her daughter, now missing has got to feel like she is jumping head first into that fire. Can only fucking imagine what hell
my Key is going through right now. Whoever the hell did this is going to die, slowly.
“She say anything?” I question, looking the girl over. The side of her face is bruised and cut up. Her right leg is in a full cast, looking like she has been here a while. Long enough for Kimi to go missing and far too long for us to be able to get a decent lead. Not unless Ari wakes up and tells us who the hell did this to them, and with Vin still here by her side I already know she hasn’t done that.
“Na. Doctors said she will be out for a while. Hit her head hard, I guess. She is in an induced coma to help her brain heal. They had her damn near twelve hours before calling us. Guess they couldn’t find out who she was. The car was Kimi’s and Ari wasn’t wearing anything but a fuckin’ shower curtain. No fucking idea what the hell was going on. Cops called us because of Kimi’s car.” Fucking hell, a whole twelve hours. Not fucking good at all. “Apparently, Ari had Ellie listed as her emergency contact.” He pauses looking over to Ellie who has growing tears in her soft eyes. “As her mom.” Shit. I don’t get to respond to that as my phone chimes with a call from Rock.
“You stubborn fucker. Couldn’t wait five fuckin’ minutes?” he grumbles into the phone. “Got a couple of the boys with me. We’ll meet you out front.” He ends the call just in time for it to vibrate to life again. Reek this time.
“Yeah?”
“Got a cell location, text you the numbers.” He lets out a long sigh and I know what is coming next so I let him know before he has to ask.
“She’s out. Induced coma. Busted leg and some cuts and bruises.” I clear my parched throat at the end.
“Thanks, man. Go get your girl and make whoever the fuck did this shit pay,” he says before he hangs up the phone. Will fuckin’ do brother. I think to myself as I look over to Vin.