by Bec Botefuhr
I can tell she’s disappointed but she plasters a fake smile across her face. “Ok. Shall I get Greg to take you home?”
“No, let him enjoy the night. I’ll catch a cab.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Thanks for tonight Mom, it was lovely.”
She beams. “Yes, it was. Call me if you need anything.”
I give her a hug and then I leave without saying goodbye to Greg. Once out front, I wave down a taxi. I get in and give directions to Caden’s house. I need to make this right. When we pull up, I pay the driver and get out. Both houses are quiet, so I walk up to Caden’s front door. Jeff answers when I knock, and a smile stretches across his handsome face. He looks a lot like Caden, with grey eyes and greying dark hair. He is taller and leaner, but the similarities are still noticeable.
“Hi Angel, what you doing here?”
“I was looking for Caden?”
“Oh, he is at the party over the road with the boys.”
I look to where he is pointing, and I can see the glow of a bonfire on the beach over the road. Great. As if it wasn’t hard enough to walk in these heels already I’m going have to traipse over the bloody dunes.
“Oh, okay. Thank you Jeff.”
“Anytime love.”
He closes the door and I turn and walk over to the beach. When I get down onto the sand, people are scattered everywhere. I can smell smoke, salt and alcohol. I stumble and lurch in my heels; sifting through the people, desperately seeking Caden. I finally see him standing against a tree, with his arms around Dani. My heart plummets and I clutch my chest. I make my way over; my dress whipping madly in the breeze. He notices me, and his eyes flare.
“Caden…can we talk?”
Dani steps in front of him and glares at me; her blonde dreadlocks are pulled back into a thick pony tail.
“Go back and play with your dolls princess. This world ain’t for you; Chief ain’t for you, so best you fuckin’ leave.”
My eyes fall on Caden. I know I have made him angry, I know I deserve his wrath but he won’t even speak to me. His grey gaze burns through me.
“Caden?” I whisper.
Turning from me, he wraps an arm around Dani and pulls her away; leaving me to stand alone in the sand with pathetic tears falling down my cheeks. I know I stuffed up, I know that; but maybe Dani is right. Maybe this world just isn’t for me. I turn, kick off my heels and run away from the party; I need to get out of here because without Caden, this isn’t safe for me.
“Well, hello there little girl.”
I hear a voice just as I step onto the sidewalk. I turn and see three men standing and staring at me.
“Leave me alone.”
I turn and go to walk away, but a hand lashes out and grips my arm.
“Now, now, little one. We only wanna talk.”
“Let me go,” I cry.
“Don’t be horrible, we only wanted to say hello.” A dark haired man grins.
“Yeah, only wanted to say hello,” another repeats.
“Let me go, I’m not interested,” I say and I can hear the tremble in my voice.
I try to yank my arm away, but the man won’t let me go. Every fiber of my being is urging me to run, to scream or do something but my body is frozen. Alarm bells are going off in my head as the three men close in on me and pull me closer. My sense of self-preservation finally kicks in and I lash out with my leg. My foot hits one man right in the groin and he bellows. His fist shoots out and connects with my eye; sending me stumbling back into a nearby vehicle.
“What the fuck?”
I hear the voice and I see Bill come into view. His eyes widen at the sight of me slumped against the car. He sprints towards me.
“Angel, what are you going here?”
“I…” I can’t speak, my voice is trembling.
Running his gaze over me, he spots my fast swelling eye. “Your eye…you have been hit,” he growls.
The man behind him groans and Bill spins around and quickly pieces it together.
“MAX,” he shouts. “BOYS!”
“No Bill, we didn’t do nothing…”
“You fuckin’ hit her you dirty scum bag.”
“It was a reflex; she kicked him in the balls,” one man says, putting his hands up.
“I don’t fucking care! You don’t fucking hit women!”
Six men appear out of the darkness and stare over at me.
“Angel, what the fuck?” Max says, walking over and touching my swollen eye.
“He hit her.” Bill says, jerking his head in the direction of the man lying on the ground, his hands still between his legs.
“Where’s Chief?”
“No idea.”
“Take her over to my place, now,” Max orders one of the younger club members.
“I…please, I just want to go,” I whisper.
“Not until we know you’re okay, go over there now Angel.” Max orders harshly.
I follow the younger man over the road, and I hold my hands over my ears to try and block out the sickening sounds of fists connecting with skin. He leads me inside and I sit on the couch; watching as he walks into the kitchen to get me an ice pack.
“Thank you,” I say, when he hands it to me.
“He did a good job on you.”
Wincing as I place the ice pack over my throbbing eye, I agree. “I know. Sorry, I don’t know your name?”
“Henry.”
“Nice to meet you Henry. Sorry, I’m still learning everyone’s names.”
“Not to worry. Just sit tight.”
“What are they doing to those men?”
He sighs and shakes his head at me. “You don’t wanna know, just sit tight and it’ll all be over soon.”
I sit quietly and wait, an hour passes and finally the front door opens. Max, Bill, Caden and Dani stalk into the room. I look down at my hands as my gut wrenches at the sight of Dani and Caden standing next to each other. I know I hurt him, and I deserve his silence but for him to go right back to her, tears my heart out. I feel fingers wrap around my chin and my face is yanked up to meet Caden’s. His angry grey gaze focuses on my eye.
“What the fuck happened?”
I’ve seen Caden mad before but safe to say that, after taking one look at the purple, black and blue discoloration around my eye, right about now he was pissed. Well, given that he was still flaunting that skank in my face, that made two of us.
“Nothing, can I go?”
“Answer me Amanda, what the fuck happened?”
Ouch, him calling me Amanda hurts more than I ever thought it would.
“I kicked him because he was holding me and I couldn’t get away. He hit me. End of story.”
“Not end of fucking story,” he snarls, and then he turns to the men, “You’re done here; go back to the party.”
“Chief, are you sure you got this?”
“I fucking got it.” Turning from them, he shoots me look that could freeze fire. “Get up,” he says to me.
“What?”
“Get up and get your ass next door.”
“I just want to go home…”
“Now!” he roars.
I get to my feet and as I feel a familiar burning behind my eyes, I desperately try to stop the tears from falling. Christ, I’m such a girl. Max gives me a sympathetic look, and then glares at Caden.
“Go easy Chief, the girl is hurt.”
“Don’t fuckin’ tell me what to do Max.”
“Chief, what are you doing?” Dani asks.
“Fuck off Dani.”
Caden grips my arm, yanks me out the door and pulls me over to his house. Getting a questioning look from Jeff, he snarls a ‘don’t ask’ and then drags me up the stairs. He heads straight for his room and once inside, he spins on me; his jaw is clenched and his eyes are wild.
“What the fuck is going on?” He hollers, and I can see his knuckles turning white.
I take three steps away from him; pressing my back a
gainst the door.
“Stop lookin’ at me like I’m going to flog you! Fuck, what do you think I am?”
I’m trying really hard not to cry but my shaky voice is a clear indicator of how frightened he has me. “Caden you’re scaring me.”
“Just answer me damn it! What the fuck happened earlier?”
Steadying my breathing, I fill him in. “I had a charity dinner. I’m sorry didn’t tell you, I really am.”
“Who was that man?”
“Greg, you met him at the beach party remember? We went as friends.”
“So you ditched me, to go with him?”
“Caden, it wasn’t like that.”
“My name is Chief! Tell me what it was like then. Well? You’ve been pulling back for a fuckin’ month. You won’t tell anyone about me, you hide me and keep me as your dirty little secret. Too God damned afraid of losing your precious money.”
“How many times do I have to tell you, it’s not about the money!” I cry, tears streaming down my face.
“Bullshit!” he roars. “You told me yourself you lose out if you don’t do what they want.”
“It isn’t about that, it is everything. I lose everything.” I’m sobbing so hard now I’m struggling to catch my breath.
“So what? So fucking what?”
Taking a moment to compose myself, I try to explain but when I speak my voice is barely a whisper. “It’s my life Caden; I have no back up!”
“So do what normal people do; you get your own fucking job, your own car and you live like the rest of us! But no, not you. Princess can’t do it on her own, so she shits on everyone else to keep her perfect life,” he sneers.
“That’s not true,” I cry.
“Isn’t it? Tell me again why you haven’t introduced me to your parents?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
“Exactly. Maybe Dani was right; maybe you just don’t belong in this world.”
“What about you?” I counter, wiping my tears away.
Caden looks momentarily confused. “What about me?”
“You lied to me, you said I was the only virgin you have been with but Dani told me otherwise.”
“Dani is a fucking liar.”
“And what about all your secrets; the things I don’t know about you.”
“Do I know everything about you?” He throws back.
“That’s beside the point!”
“How?” He roars.
“You’re hiding something from me.”
“Well, when you decide I’m good enough for your perfect world, I might decide you’re good enough for mine. When you share with me, I’ll return the favor.”
“Why are you doing this?” I whisper.
“Why? Because I care about you, because I want you more than any fuckin’ thing I have wanted in my life and you’re fuckin’ breaking me.”
I crumble, my knees give out and I fall to the floor.
“I don’t want to break you,” I cry, pummeling my fists onto the ground. “I just want you Caden, all I want is you.”
“Then why?” he chokes. “Why did you go out with that man?”
“Because I’m a fool,” I scream at him. “You’re right, I am scared of all this but I can tell you something; when I saw you tonight on that beach with her, I felt more pain than I have ever felt in my life. I don’t want to feel that again.”
He drops to his knees in front of me. “Do you know what you fuckin’ did to me tonight?”
“Yes,” I whimper.
“You broke me.”
The enormity of the pain my actions had caused him hit me like a ton of bricks. “Caden I’m so sorry.”
“If this isn’t what you want, walk away now.”
“It is what I want…”
“I don’t know if you’re sure about that.”
“I’m sure,” I cry, gripping his face. “I’m sure because I’m falling in love with you.”
He makes a strangled sound, and then we are at each other. We both launch forward at the same time, and land in a mass of arms and legs. His lips crush down on mine, and I cry out as his face presses against my swollen eye. His lips drag hungrily down my neck and I grip his shirt, tearing it off. He yanks my dress up and my panties disappear so quickly I can’t even think about it.
“I need you.” He rasps.
“Yes!”
Our movements are frenzied and our bodies are desperate; we are desperate. Hunger burns through me and I grip his jeans, yanking them open to release him. I want him, I need him and I don’t care about anything else in this moment. His hands run down my hips, over my backside, and he grips my hips; shifting me underneath him. The carpet on the floor burns my back as he places himself above me. He leans down onto his elbows, and in one, hard thrust he is inside me.
“Angel, fuck…”
“Yes,” I hiss, gripping his back.
He thrusts his hips, and I hear our skin slapping together with the frantic pace. I moan and clench as he moves with frantic need. Our lips tangle together, and my fingers glide through his thick hair; pulling and tugging until he is groaning and thrusting harder and faster. I come first, crying out his name as I shudder around him. His release follows quickly and he roars my name as he begins pulsing into me. Mid-way through his orgasm he yanks out and spills onto my stomach.
“Fuck…fuck…”
I stare at the white jets of seed spilling over my stomach. When he finally stops, he grips a nearby towel and swipes it across my skin, wiping away his pleasure. He looks down at me and I meet his gaze. He leans down and grips me, pulling me up so I’m positioned on his lap; I wrap my arms around him and hold him close.
“Caden, how did Dani know what you said to me?”
He places gentle kisses into my neck. “I don’t know; I really don’t.”
“She knew that you told me you haven’t had a virgin, and how amazing it felt.”
Caden sighs. “She knows I haven’t had a virgin because I told her that once in conversation. I can pretty much guarantee you that Dani was not a virgin when we got together. She must have guessed you were a virgin because you’re so sweet.”
“Is that really it?”
He trails soft kisses up the side of face before gently tugging on my ear with his teeth. “I’m not lying to you Angel. You have to trust me.”
“I want to,” I whisper. “I truly do.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Ouch girl, your eye looks awful,” Bill says, as Caden and I walk over for breakfast the next morning.
“Son, you ain’t doing a good job of looking out for this little lady,” Jeff grumbles.
“Give him a break Jeff, it wasn’t his fault,” I smile, nudging Caden with my shoulder.
“Least someone sticks up for me.”
“Harden up boy,” Bill laughs. “Angel, get over here.”
“What for Bill?” I smile, crossing my arms.
“I wanna teach you the biker girl slap.”
“Slap? You want to teach me to slap?”
The horror must have shown in my face because he dissolves into laughter. “This ain’t just any old slap; this is a biker’s slap.”
I shrug and walk down into the front yard, Bill comes with me and we stand face to face.
“Right, if you wanna hit someone and stun them enough to get away, you use the slap we created for girls. See, you ladies have fine little bones in your knuckles and they break too easily; so instead, you use this part.”
He indicates the hard part on the bottom of his palm, just above his wrist. He flexes his hand so that part pushes out, and his fingers tilt back.
“This part of your hand is hard. You hit someone across the jaw with that and it is gonna hurt.”
“I don’t know…” I say.
He thrusts his hand towards me, stopping just before he hits my face. I see what he means - the impact would be huge - even for a small person.
“See how much that would have hurt if I followed through?
That part of your palm is good for many things, including leaving you without bruising so you can’t get done,” he winks.
I roll my eyes and he turns to his side, “Lay one on my arm; go on!”
“I can’t…”
“Go on Angel,” Caden yells. “Give it to him.”
“But…”
“Go on, lay one on the old fella!” the men yell.
I breath in and tilt my hand back, so the inside part of my palm is flaring out, and my fingers are pointing backwards. I pull my hand back and I bring it down on his arm. I’m surprised at how little it hurt, considering he makes a loud ‘oomph’.
“Good job! Holy shit you can pack a punch.” He rubs his hand up and down his arm and I feel a slight sense of pride.
“It’s not a punch,” I grin. “It’s a biker slap.”
The men roar with laughter and Bill grips me around the shoulders.
“Atta girl!”
I laugh and walk back up onto the patio. Caden pulls me onto his lap and nuzzles his nose into my hair.
“You smell fuckin’ amazing.”
There’s a collective groan from our somewhat begrudging audience. “Chief, get a fuckin’ room.”
“After breakfast.” He mumbles.
We eat eggs and toast for breakfast, and the morning is quite a delight until I go back to Caden’s house and Jaxson contacts me on Caden’s phone to tell my Mother is frantically looking for me. I ring her back right away.
“Where are you?” She cries. “I came to your house this morning and you haven’t even been home!”
“I’m out, with friends.”
“You don’t have friends!” she yells. “And Jaxson is here.”
“Mom, I’m Twenty One, it isn’t really and of your business.”
Something must have clicked and suddenly she’s on to me. “You’re with someone aren’t you?”
I sigh, sick of hiding, “Yes I am.”
“You’ve been lying to me?” She whispers, her voice hoarse.
Well don’t I just feel like crap. “Yes.”
“Who is he?”
“I’ll come home; we’ll talk.”
“TELL ME!” she screeches into the receiver.
“Mother, calm down! I’ll be home soon.”
I hang up the phone before she can answer, “Well, the cat is out of the bag.”