by Sam Crescent
“Are you telling me you disregarded a direct order I gave you?”
“Cut the crap, Forge. You and I both know this is where I’ll be. I imagine since finding out the truth about Sable, you welcome me breaking the fucking law.”
“I’m not happy about it. What do you mean she’s not home?”
“Exactly what I’m saying. She told you where she’d be and she’s not back yet.”
Forge groaned. “It’s a little after two. So the party ran on. Shit happens.”
“I don’t think it did. Something’s not right. Come on, you and I both know this Grass guy is a piece of shit.” Dog ran fingers through his hair as he started to panic. “We’ve got to pull her out of this. It’s the only way she’s going to be safe. You’ve got to call this whole thing off.”
“Now, you listen to me. She knows how badly we need this and I’m not just going to pull her out. I get that you’re pissed off. I would be too if this was Beth. You’ve got to wait. There is no way Grass would do anything to Sable. She would have been seen at the party.”
“She’s club pussy, Forge. That’s how he’d see her. For all we know, Hank’s in on whatever shit Grass is trying to pull.”
“We’re not going to blow her cover. Not yet,” Forge said.
“When? When she turns up in a body bag?”
“Stop it. Just stop it.”
Dog paused as he heard the door open. “I think she’s here,” he said, dropping to the bed. What he hadn’t anticipated was her laptop being precariously balanced as it dropped to the floor.
“What the fuck did you just do?” Forge asked.
“Someone’s in your house,” Hank said. His voice carried as movement appeared in the stairs.
Fuck.
He needed to hide.
There was no place to hide.
He opened the wardrobe and slid inside. This was so fucking stupid. He couldn’t believe he was hiding from a cop when he could break his neck so easily.
He wanted to. It would be so much fun.
Staying perfectly still, he watched through the crack in the doors.
Hank arrived first, gun poised.
“It’s fine,” Sable said. “There’s no one here.” She released a giggle. To anyone else, she sounded amused, but he detected the edge of panic. “See, it was just my laptop. I probably didn’t put it on the bed properly, and it just fell off or something.” She shrugged. “You get used to odd noises. It’s nothing.”
Did she know he was here?
Hank spun around.
“Come on, put that gun away. You’re scaring me. I don’t like guns.” She picked up the laptop.
“How did you last in the clubhouse?” Hank asked.
She let out a gasp as the cop suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist. She’d already put her computer on the bed.
Dog’s hands clenched.
“Don’t do anything,” Forge said. His prez’s voice loud and clear in his ear, but he wanted to.
“I don’t know. I guess you just do. You know. You handle whatever life throws at you. It’s what I do.” She patted Hank’s chest, tilted her head back, and smiled.
Dog saw his intention.
So did Sable as she suddenly jerked, faking a yawn.
“Oh, wow, I’m so tired. I probably shouldn’t have come with you tonight. You know with the long shift at the diner, I’m always on my feet. You’d think my body would be totally used to it by now.” She chuckled.
Hank sighed. “You’re too good.”
At least there was something they could agree on.
“I’m not, Hank. I’m not a good person, but I’m trying to be. You know my history. I was born into the club.”
“They’ll be gone soon.”
“Perfect. Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” Hank cupped her cheek. “You can ask me anything.”
“How long have you known Grass?”
“Why?” Hank tensed up.
“It was just curiosity. I’m used to the guys, you know. They can know each other for twenty years but will still beat the crap out of one another. Then they can know someone five minutes and be best buds. I’m used to the old way. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“Shit, sorry. Luther and I go way back. We always had this vision of what the perfect town would be like. Keeping citizens safe.”
“The same vision?”
“Yeah, we’re in this together. Thick and thin.”
She nodded. Yawned again. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m going to go. Maybe another time.”
Sable smiled. “I’d like that.”
She left the bedroom and Dog waited until he heard the main door close.
After letting himself out of the wardrobe, he sat on the bed as Sable came back in.
“She there?” Forge asked.
“Safe and sound.”
“Put me on speaker.”
Dog clicked his cell phone. Sable looked terrified.
“Sable, you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m doing okay.”
“But? Why do I feel a but coming on?” Forge asked.
She wrapped her arms around her body. “Grass is bad news, Forge. He’s not squeaky clean. He intends to be head of the gun and drug trades. His only intention is power. You’re standing in the way. I don’t know what they’re going to do, but he wants me to work on his campaign. He wants me to divulge club secrets. He believes your men have no regard for women. That we’re pussy to you. But he’s willing to put me in a seat on his board if I’m willing to disclose damaging evidence about you. He’s scary.”
Dog got to his feet and pulled her in close to him. He still held the phone for Forge.
“What else did you find out?”
“Nothing. He tried to get me alone in his home but I avoided it. Something is off about him. I … I didn’t feel safe. I’d been trying to leave all night since I overheard him.”
“Damn it, Forge. She’s coming home.”
“Not yet. Not if she can get more information. We don’t know what Grass is going to do. To take control of the gun and drug trades, he’s had to have had some kind of conversation with the cartels, or at least with the local mafia. They run the ports. We know this. To get rid of us means he has people in line to take over the distribution end. We need to know what he has planned for us.”
Dog tilted her head back. Sable shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“If you want to be pulled out, I respect that. You’ll come back to the club.”
“But other than knowing what he has planned, we’re no closer to really changing anything,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter,” Dog said.
“It does. I don’t want anything bad to happen to the club. I can do this. What I need to know, Forge, is what information can I give them? I’m not going to incriminate the club unless you sign off on it.” She groaned. “That sounded weird.”
Forge laughed. “I’ll call you in the morning with the details you can release. We’ll fuck with his head a bit. Can I go to bed now?”
Dog smiled. “You’re not going to kick my ass?”
“Oh, it’s going to be kicked. Believe me. I won’t let this one slide.”
Forge hung up and Dog pocketed his cell phone.
“You came and waited for me. You were worried about me?”
“Is that so hard to believe?” he asked.
She shook her head. “It has been a very long night.”
“Then all I’m going to do is hold you.”
Sable frowned. “You will?”
“All night long. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
“I need you to stay. I know it’s against his wishes, but I really need it.”
“Forge knows I’m here and he’s going to beat the crap out of me. I may as well make it worth it.”
****
The following day, Sable couldn’t stop smiling. All night she was in Dog’s arms. His skin was warm and smelled
like his cologne. This had been her dream for a long time. It was kind of corny for her. All she’d ever wanted to be was Dog’s. His woman. His everything. The irony wasn’t lost on her that the way she’d gotten close to him was by pretending to leave the club. By actually putting herself at risk from being hurt or even killed.
Pushing those thoughts to one side, she grabbed the pencil out of her hair and took some orders. The diner was fast filling up.
She enjoyed working at the diner. Watching people come and go. Of course, she hated the difficult clients who liked to complain about their food even though they’d eaten all of it. Every day couldn’t be a good day.
After filling up her coffee pot, she turned around in time to see Grass and Hank enter the diner. It wasn’t a usual sight. She tensed up. This was the first time she’d seen Grass around here. The diner seemed beneath him, for some reason.
Hank came to see her regularly.
Spinning back to the coffee, she closed her eyes and quickly tried to calm her breathing. She could do this. All of this was for the club.
With the coffee ready, she started to offer to fill up everyone’s cups. That was what she was told her first day on the job. The coffee was damn good, and she had to keep everyone supplied. They only ever paid for one cup, but it was a perk to keep coming back for more.
Hank and Grass both sat in her section.
Great.
Just think about Dog. His arms. His everything.
Forcing a smile to her lips, she approached their table. “Hello, gentlemen. What can I get you?” They had already picked up the cups near the door. Again, another feature of the diner. Pick your cup, it will be filled. Pay once, have it filled many times.
Glancing at Hank, she put the coffee jug on the table, took out her notepad, and removed the pencil.
“You look so beautiful,” Grass said. “You’re a lucky man, Hank.”
“I know I am. She’s special.”
“You two are making me blush. What can I get you?”
“I’m having a little get-together this weekend,” Grass said. “Just a few people. You two should come along. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
Something in his invitation unnerved her. Everything about Grass unnerved her.
“Shoot, I can’t this weekend,” Hank said. “I’ve got the seminar I need to attend. The one you asked me to put my name down for. It will look good on my résumé.”
“Ah, yes, the one about street crime and gangs,” Grass said.
“I also have to study,” she said. “I’m taking a couple of classes at the local college. I study as much as I can, but the weekends are when I can write up my assignments.”
Forge was paying for all of her college courses. A little token of his appreciation for what she was doing.
Again, another forced smile to her lips.
“I get it. Another time.”
She nodded, took their order, and headed back to the main counter. That was when she noticed Forge, Dog, a couple of club members, her mother, and her sister all enter the diner.
Fuck me!
This couldn’t get any worse. Of course, it could. Once again, they sat in her section.
Heart racing, she finished serving up and realized she’d left the coffee jug at Grass and Hank’s table. All this stress was messing with her head.
If she pulled this off again in front of these men, she should be nominated for some kind of award. She never thought of herself as an actress, far from it.
“Pieces of shit, the lot of them,” Hank said.
“And you can’t even throw them out.” Grass tutted.
You’re worse than them. You hide your evil in a fancy suit but I see the real you.
“Your food won’t be long.”
“Don’t serve them,” Hank said, grabbing her arm.
It was the first time since the mall that he’d grabbed her roughly.
“I have to. It’s my job.”
“Don’t be jealous, Hank. Remember, she belongs to you now and she knows it.” There was an edge to his voice.
Holding the coffee pot for protection, she squared her shoulders and approached the MC. This was her family. Other than Forge, Beth, and Dog, everyone else looked at her like she was vermin.
I can do this. It’s for the good of the club.
Approaching the table, she started to pour out coffee.
“Hey,” Beth said.
Out of everyone at the table, Beth was the sweetest. She didn’t fit in with the club, or at least she hadn’t until Forge had taken her under his wing. Of course he’d claimed her as well. She was much more than a piece of ass to him.
“Hi,” she said. There was no way she could be mean to Beth. The woman didn’t deserve it.
“Don’t talk to that whore,” Honey said. “I always knew you were different. I just didn’t realize how much of a rat you were.”
Sable looked at her sister. Honey had always wanted to be club pussy. It had been a strange dream to have but since they were teenagers, Honey wanted to be owned by the club, not just one man. Out of the two of them, Honey saw their mother’s life as a dream come true. Sweetheart never had to worry about money or where the next meal came from. Being owned by the club came with a great deal of benefits.
“Don’t say that,” Beth said.
“I can say what I want.”
“She’s still your sister.”
This was another reason why she adored Beth. The woman always wanted to stick up for her. She had done the same for Beth when she was new to the club.
“She’s no sister of mine.”
“Nor any daughter. I wouldn’t have her near me now. She’s scum.”
Before Sable could react, her mother spat at her. It hit her cheek and for good measure, Honey shoved her hard.
The attack wasn’t expected and rather than catch herself, she crashed into the next table. The coffee pot she’d been holding spilled its contents over her. The table hit her side, but as they weren’t screwed to the floor, nothing was there to break her fall.
She hit her head hard, crying out.
A little dazed from her fall, she tried to sit up. The coffee pot had smashed on the floor and as she pressed her hand for leverage, glass sliced into her palm, making her gasp. Tears filled her eyes. Even with her hand bloody, she wiped the spit from her face on the apron of her uniform. Her stomach revolted. This was way too much. She was humiliated, broken, and had never felt so alone.
The pain in her head made her dizzy. The entire scene was surreal and she wished it was all a nightmare.
She looked up to see that Hank had her sister and mother in cuffs. Grass crouched beside her. He touched her and it took every ounce of strength not to recoil. She wanted Dog. This was torture. Her mother and sister had done this.
Putting a hand to her stomach, she tried to turn away as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor.
“Sable, I’m here,” Beth said.
“You and your kind have done enough. Don’t you see what you’ve done?” Grass’s voice was filled with contempt.
She wanted to speak up. To tell him to stop being a hypocritical bastard. No words came.
I’m alone.
“We need to get her to the hospital,” Grass said. He helped her up. She was a little unsteady. Her side hurt, as did her head. She pressed a hand to her forehead only to feel something sticky. “As far as I’m concerned, you and your kind are the bad seeds in this town. You need to leave before I make sure your disappearance is more permanent.”
“So, you’re Grass. I don’t think we’ve met,” Forge said.
Why was her head sticky?
Everything seemed a little wonky. People were moving. Were they supposed to move while standing still? She closed her eyes.
The pain in her side increased.
Her head.
Her side.
Her mom had actually spat on her.
This was too much. For all of her mother’s faults, she’d loved her. Ri
ght now, though, she was all alone. Worse than an orphan.
Opening her eyes, she tried to find Dog.
She wanted him.
Grass’s grip on her tightened and she whimpered.
She found Dog. He stood right next to Forge.
He didn’t look happy. The anger on his face.
Did he blame her?
This wasn’t fair. She hated this. All she wanted to do was close the distance between them and fall into his arms. He’d hold her so well.
“She really needs to go to a hospital,” Forge said.
Turning her head, she looked at her prez.
“My head is wet,” she said, frowning. She touched her forehead and still found more wetness.
Forge moved forward but Grass held up a hand. “If you come any closer, I’ll have Hank write up a restraining order. You people are animals.”
He laughed. “We’re animals and you’re still hugging one of our castoffs. Don’t worry, Sable was well broken in by the club. I believe the boys took good care of that pussy.”
“Forge!” Beth cried out.
This was getting out of hand.
No man had touched her. She didn’t want Beth to hate her as well. The very thought of her best friend hating her was just too much.
“Wrong move,” Grass said.
Forge smiled.
This wasn’t the time for a showdown.
Hank came back and as he touched her, she wanted to push him away. She didn’t though. Pain flooded her body from his touch.
Why was she still bleeding? Looking down at the floor, she saw more blood.
Damn it.
She hated blood. It reminded her of Hound.
Whimpering, she felt another wave of nausea rush over her. This wasn’t good. The world started to spin.
She had to keep a handle on herself.
“She’s going to fall.” Someone had spoken up. She didn’t know who. All she knew was everything suddenly went very dark.
Chapter Seven
This was all bullshit.
If things had been going according to plan, why the fuck did Forge have to make another visit to the diner? This could have all be avoided. They had nothing to prove. Hank and Luther had already fallen for Sable’s story.
“You know where she is,” said Forge. The bastard was being dismissive. If this had been Beth, he’d be a lot more invested.