The Ride

by Jaci J.

  Dropping his grip on my neck, he brings a fist right into my side. Fuck. Slumping into the wall my ass hits the ground hard. A boot connects to my ribs and everything goes black.

  9

  Tank

  Lil and that goofy ass Prospect left two fucking hours ago. Shopping is what she said. Two hours. Two whole Goddamn hours. What the hell do you do at a store for two hours? She only needed some milk and a few other things. Forty-five minutes is how long it should have taken. Milk takes ten minutes, not two Goddamn hours. Where the fuck are they now?

  I've been sitting and standing, sitting and standing. This bitch has me antsy and twitchy. Any second I might lose my mind ‘cause something just feels off; Shit ain't right.

  Stomping off to Low's office, I hear Peaches scream before I make it to the door. My heart sinks and I start pushing my way back into the room where everyone is screaming and talking at once. Looking around my eyes find her. The worst thing possible smacks me in the face. I feel fuckin’ sick to my stomach.

  Lil's leaning against the door frame of the back door, blood everywhere. It’s all over her fuckin’ clothes, face and dripping down her body onto the floor. For a moment I'm frozen, watching the blood drip. Small little drops of blood. Drop. Drop. Drop. Dropping off of Lil. She needs me. I swear to fucking God I’m about to lose my shit.

  Peaches is at her side with tears streaming down her face.

  Reaching her in one long step, I'm not sure how I make it to her without losing it. “Jesus Christ!” My body is taking over. I don't think I've ever been this freaked out before, and I've seen some scary shit.

  “Lil, baby, you’re okay. I’ve got you now.” Scooping her up carefully I walk her to the bar. Setting her down, I see the tears trickle down her cheeks. Jesus fuckin’ Christ. “What the fuck happened to you, baby?” I can even hear the shake in my voice. I don't give a fuck. How bad is she hurt? Looking her over I can see bright red and purple welts across her face, a few small gashes on her cheek. Rings. A fucking hand hit her face. She has a deep bloody split in those pretty lips. My eyes fall further to the purple and bluish finger marks around her neck. Fuckin’ choke marks. Someone is gonna die. They are Dead, and I mean head blown off, brains on the fucking ceiling, DEAD.

  There is blood all over her chest and stomach. She's bleeding. I actually hesitate, worried at what I might find. Reaching a hand out to her she flinches away from me. That shit stings, but I have to see how bad she's hurt. I can't let my ego get in the way right now.

  “Low!” I shout for him. Jesus Christ where is he?

  “Low!” Peaches is whimpering and sniffling from beside Lil. “Oh God,” she mutters on a choked sob. Taking Lil's shirt in my hand I pull in over her head carefully. Letting out a held in breath, I feel marginally better. No blood, no wounds, but big angry fucking bruises on her stomach and ribs.

  “They … they … he's dead,” she whispers, eyes watery, voice thick and hoarse.

  They? What the fuck. Who's dead? It hits me in a rush. The goofy ass Prospect was with her and he didn't come back. Fuck.

  “Who baby? Who did this?” I try for a soothing voice, but I'm too Goddamn fired up. Right now, I don't care about the Prospect. Lil is all I care about. Yeah I'm a fucking dick, sue me. My words come out harsh and impatient. Throwing her arms around my middle she pulls me right to her. Face pressed into me.

  “Don't know. They had a message,” she whimpers into my chest. I let her do her thing. She needs me, I'm here.

  Low bursts though the door ready to fight, shotgun in hand. “What the fuck happened?” Looking around, his eyes find Lil.

  I've never seen someone look so sick. His face is probably mirroring mine.

  “Lil, baby.” Rushing over to her he looks between her and I. Yeah, it's exactly like it looks. Telling him what I know, he curses and starts barking orders. Lil's still pressed into me. It's full blown retaliation at this point.

  “Doll face, ya gotta tell me what they said,” Low urges her.

  Turning her head, cheek rested on my chest, she's still holding onto me. Looking at her dad I can see the tears she's trying to hold back. I hurt for her. It fucking hurts to listen to her sad voice.

  “He … uh, he said he wants what's his. If not, I'm dead,” she says in the saddest voice I've ever heard. “I'm … I'm sorry. God. Prospect Jones,” she sobs.

  She's sorry? Sorry for what? She's worried about the Prospect and not the price that’s been put on her life? Pulling her into me I let her do what she needs to. It's as much for me as it is for her. I'm a selfish prick and I want her close. She’s been here a few weeks and this shit has already happened. This has rattled me. I've seen dead bodies. I've witnessed my fair share of violence and deaths. Fuck, I've even killed, ripped motherfuckers apart. I’ve seen a girl or two beat the fuck up, but this shit hits me harder than usual. My minds trying to tell me it's because I care about this girl, but I push that shit down. No time for that crap right now.

  Low’s on the phone making calls. Shits about to go down and people are about to die.

  “Scars,” she whispers into my chest. What? What does that mean?

  “What ...” It hits me. Scars on the persons face. “Motherfuckin' Draco” I shout too Low. It's all over. Every fucking person in that club, patched in or not, is going to bleed. First Lil’s mom, now they are coming for Lil? This shit is gonna end.

  ************

  A few hours later Lil is cleaned up and calmed down. She's bruised and sore, but she's gonna be ok, physically. We have to keep an eye on her head because of the blows to the building she got. Low left me and Gin with her and he took off to try and track that Motherfucker down to cause some damage and raise some fuckin’ hell. Fuck I wanted to go. Lil asked me to stay, asked Gin to stay, so here we are. I want to see the blood of the fuckers that did this. God I want to see it. See it on the floor, on the ceiling, on my gloves. But I stayed for her.

  Sitting on the couch, she's been tucked up against me for a while nursing a drink.

  “What about the Prospects body?” she asks me, finally speaking. After everything, she drove herself here, left the Prospect behind the store ‘cause he was too heavy for her to pick up.

  Her voice sounds stronger. Shit, the damn Prospect. Poor Jones died trying to save Lil.

  “We'll get it back babe.” I try to sooth her. She doesn’t need to worry about it. That's club business. That isn't shit she's got to think about.

  “There better be a funeral, and I mean a fuckin' huge one. I want him patched in. He gave me his life,” she states firmly. I forget how much she knows about this life. All this shit isn't something she should be thinking about, let alone worrying about.

  “He will be baby. I promise.” She sighs long and hard.

  “Okay.” Her head's rested on my chest, arms tucked up against me. There's something to be said to having her next to me. She's warm, she's breathing, and right now she's mine.

  ************

  Lil's drunk. I'm talking sloppy, clumsy ass drunk. After a while she got restless, couldn't stop thinking about what happened so I gave her a shot to calm her down. One shot turned into an entire bottle of Tequila.

  “Dance with me baby,” she purrs in my ear, dancing around me like a damn stripper. I'm not going to lie, I'm enjoying the show. I'm a sick bastard, baby is bruised up and fucked up and here I'm thinking about fucking her. She’s all black and blue, and she's still beautiful.

  Peaches and her are dancing around each other, giggling to some ridiculous music playing through the clubhouse. Lil wanted the song so I put it on for her but now I'm stuck listening to it. Fuck it, whatever she wants, she’s gonna get. Peaches and Lil both shriek every single time it starts, like it’s the first time they’re hearing it at the club or some shit. It has replayed 15 times now. These girls are fuckin’ driving me up a wall, but if it keeps that smile on her face, I'll deal.

  I get pulled away for a minute, so I leave the girls to dance. Gin's on some shit about
taking off tonight to handle shit together. He's got plans and guns, not a good combo for someone who's thinking with emotion and not logic. Shit doesn't sound like it's a great idea.

  “Can't just let them fucks do whatever they want. I’ve been sittin' on this shit for a while now, and they are still fuckin' with my family man, my family. It needs to be handled,” Gin growls, pacing back and forth in the loft, looking like a caged animal. He’s tugging at his cut and looks about ready to blow up. I agree, but what the fuck am I supposed to do? Round up the troops and head out. Can't. Low would kill us for that shit.

  “What 'bout Low? Or better yet, Lil? Or Peaches? What are we gonna do with them? We've got to handle this carefully.” Gin looks pissed off with his fist clenched and jaw ticking. “I don't fuckin' care. I'm not gonna sit and wait till someone decides it’s time for her to die. We had to bury Lucy, ain't doin' it with Lil too.”

  I’m caught off guard by his sudden and sad revelation, but I've got to follow protocol. This kind of shit cannot be handled on the fly, no matter how bad I need to break some fucking bones and watch some fuckers bleed. I'm trying not to get anyone else killed here.

  “Don't want shit to happen to her either brother, but doin' somethin' crazy ain't gonna end well for anybody. I’m pretty sure Peaches and Lil want you alive.”

  Smashing his fist into the wall a picture falls to the ground. “Let me educate ya, yeah? Shit cannot happen to sis.” Pacing back and forth, he kicks a chair. “Know how long I waited for Lil? Almost a year. Lucy was like my mom. Five years old, I couldn't wait for Lil to be born. I was finally gettin' a sister in a sense.”

  He starts asking questions that I know he doesn’t want answers to.

  “Know who the first person to hold her was when they brought her home? Me. I held her for hours while she slept on me. Five years old and that little tiny baby felt safe enough to sleep on me. I was her brother, man. She loved me, but I loved her more. Know who fed her her first bottle? Me. Spent every day with her. I held her hands when she learned to walk, taught her to write her name, taught her how to ride a bike. Hell, I even showed her how to shoot a gun. Do you know whose bed she slept on until she was five, because she was scared? Mine. I slept on the floor so she would feel safe, knowing I was right on the floor if she needed me.”

  I watch Gin rant and pace. His face is so serious with waves of anger rolling off of him. This shit is all news to me. I knew he loved her and always talked about the crazy shit they all used to do, but I never knew how strong his love was for the girl he calls his sister. All the trips he made to see her, I thought were more for Peaches than Gin. How wrong was I?

  He continues ranting barely taking a breath.

  “Walked her to school every day when she was in grade school. God she drove me nuts, but the second she was gone I missed the shit outta her. Know who she came to when her boyfriend’s made her cry? Me. Know who visited her damn near every weekend when she moved? Me. Pops always in county or on runs, Mom in prison, and Kiki too busy with her own shit. They were all I had. Lil was all I had. Then Lucy died. Lil's all I've got left of my family. Can't bury her too man,” he says in a broken rasp. Always knew he had issues with that shit. Gin's always had abandonment issues, just didn't know it ran that deep and didn’t know how heavily they fell on Lil.

  “We'll get it handled. On my life brother, we will end this shit.”

  I head back downstairs to Lil and Peaches doing lines off of each other on the bar. Jesus Christ, Gin and now these two. Tonight is a fucking party I guess.

  I know I should stop her. I shouldn't be letting her get so fucked up, but she's so damn happy right now. After what my baby went through today, I'm not fucking that up for nothing. Sitting down on the couch I just watch her, watch that body. Trying to push that shit Gin said out of my mind. I can't let shit happen to her. For Gin and for myself. I can’t imagine not seeing her smile, watch how her face lights up for me, or the way her body moves. I only have eyes for her and only her.

  Singing and dancing her way over to me she throws herself on me. Straddling my fucking lap she makes herself comfortable on me. Leaning into me she smiles sweetly. Yeah, she isn’t making shit easy for me.

  “Ya know you're my favorite person here,” she whispers with a seductive smile. Yeah baby, you're mine too.

  “Is that right?” I ask her with a laugh. Damn beautiful drunk girl. Running a little hand over my chest she watches her hand and those fingers are leaving a trail of fire behind them.

  “That's right. I think I'm keepin' you,” she says beaming that beautiful smile for me. She's keeping me? Baby, if you only knew … you've already got me.

  10

  Lil

  Tanks different. I can see it on his face and in his eyes when he looks at me. I know he wants to fuck me, he’s never said it, but he shows it, and he is a man for God’s sake. But lately, he’s looking at me in a different way. He seems to watch me and not just my ass. He’s making me feel like I’m important to him and not some quick fuck. Maybe this is all in my head and this is just how I’m wanting him to feel. I want him to want me like his next breath. But then again, it’s probably the coke, tequila, watching someone give their life for me and almost losing my own making me want these things.

  Regardless, no matter how it turns out, I need him. I want him more than my next breath. I press up against his warm hard chest but my body aches to be closer. I can still feel the pain from my earlier beating, I feel safe right now. I've never wanted someone more than I want this man. Throwing my arms over his shoulders, I bury my face in his neck. I just want to be as close to the safety I feel from him as I can. He smells like he always does, perfect. He smells like Tank and I'll be forever addicted to that smell.

  I’m not sure how I ended up here, but it's exactly where I want to be. This is probably a bad idea, but I can't go back now. Running a large hand up my back, he wraps his hand around the back of my neck.

  “You alright baby?” His rough voice rumbles through me. Nodding into him, I smile. Wrapped around him, I feel perfect. The need to taste his skin has me biting my lip hard. The urge is too great to ignore. I let the buzz travel through my veins take me over. Gotta love that liquid courage.

  Running my tongue up his neck I can feel his pulse quicken under my tongue and a shudder wracks his body. I let myself taste his skin. He tastes just like he smells. It's a heady combination. I'm soaking wet and I want him.

  Licking up to his ear I bite down a little. My mind is completely gone for this man. The only thing I can focus on his Tank.

  “Fuck me,” I whisper is his ear. His whole body goes rigid under me, while his hand tightens on the back of my neck. For a moment he doesn't say anything. Sitting completely still, he doesn't move a muscle. His chest rising and falling rapidly is the only movement I can feel. With a quick curt shake of his head he breaths,

  “I can’t.” He can't.

  My heart falls straight to my feet. A big slap to any confidence I had. What the fuck? He can't or doesn't want to? I get it. I'm an idiot. Swallowing down the embarrassed lump, I hold my head high. If he doesn't want me, someone else will. Fuck him.

  Pushing away from him I can see the crazy amount of emotions all over his face. His chest is still rising and falling with his shallow breaths and his fists are bunched at his sides. I can see the strain in his muscles.

  Turning around to leave, his big rough hand catches my arm, stopping me dead in my tracks. I can't believe I just threw myself at him and he just shot me down. That shit doesn't happen to me. “I fuckin' get it,” I grate out at him. I am so embarrassed and angry.

  Snatching my arm away from him, I stare down at him, completely crushed. Standing up he looms over me and the height difference dwarfs me, making me feel even smaller then I already do.

  “You do, do you?” he growls. Did I read him wrong? Fuckin’ bikers and their non-existent emotions. “Do you get me Lil? You understand me n' the shit I'm thinkin'?” he says taunting me, making
me feel like a complete fool with each word. “Ya think ya got me all figured out sugar?” His eyes are heated.

  Fuck him.

  His posture is unforgiving and his big broad shoulders are tense and angry. That fight in me burns deep. Not one to take shit lying down I fight back.

  “Fuck you,” I scoff. The need to punch him consumes me suddenly. “You don't want me, fine. There are plenty of guys here who'd fuck me in a heartbeat,” I say waving my hand around the club. “They'd kill to get in my pants. You think you've got me figured out, sugar,” I drawl the word sugar out menacingly and quietly, pointing right at myself for emphasis. “I want somethin', I get it. If it ain't you, it'll be someone else.” I let my last words slap him in the face. The biker brat in me swimming at the surface, and to be honest, I hate it. I hate getting fucked up and acting like a little biker brat. I’ll be pissed at myself tomorrow, but right now, I want to fuck or fight. I let the bitch in me go.

  Tank just stares down at me breathing heavily with his eyes wild and crazy. He wants to be a dick, well I’ll show him how much of a fucking bitch I can be and I'll win.

  Spotting a few guys from another charter at the bar, I find my target. He's been causing nothing but trouble since he got into town. Plus he looks like he can take a good punch to the face. My eyes set on the slimy guy sitting on a bar stool.

  I have no intention of following through with any of my threats, but I've got a fucking point to prove. Adding an extra sway to my step I sashay my ass over to him. The guy's eyes swing in my direction as I walk his way. Stuffing the need to gag I lick my lips at him. He's pretty icky looking, but he'll prove my point perfectly.

  “Aye, sexy,” he croons with a drunk slur. Even all bruised and battered, he’s still staring at me like I’m the hottest thing he’s seen all night. Walking right into his open legs, he wraps a hand around my waist, the other hand cupping a tit. Gross.