We were in the house maybe ten minutes when my cell phone rang. I ignored it. Then, Steel’s cell rang. He too, ignored his. Mine started again, but was quickly drowned out by the sound of approaching motorcycles. At least two from the noise levels. “Do you think there’s some weird force out there destined to keep us from having a full blown conversation since we said our I dos?”
Steel’s chuckle alleviated a little of the stress that was keeping my shoulders stiff. “It sure does seem like it.” He peeked out the front window and released a long, frustrated sigh. “It’s Quickshot, and looks like maybe his woman with him on the other bike.”
“Are you kidding me? After what I had to say to Keys earlier, I can’t believe she’d show up at my house with him in tow.” I grunted out a noise of frustration, and threw open my front door to march out to meet them as they were coming up the steps to my dilapidated front porch. “You both need to turn around and leave,”
“Not gonna happen,” Quickshot informed me as he glanced around my yard, and the exterior of my house.
“Quick!” Keys was pleading with him now.
“Your little farce of a union is already causing a rift between the clubs.” Quickshot started in on what I assumed was about to become a full blown lecture of some sort.
“No! You are causing irreparable damage, right now, by showing up to my house and telling me how my life is messing with yours. You can go to hell, Quickshot. My life isn’t open for discussion by you. Since I know you’re just the messenger boy, I’ll tell you Sweet can fuck right off too.”
“His life most certainly is open for discussion,” Quickshot spoke while tipping his head towards Steel, who was now standing just behind and to the left of me.
“I told you about that shit earlier today. If you want to keep forcing chats before I even get a damn chance to hash shit out with JoJo, I will turn in my kutte and walk away from the club, or better yet, I’ll head to Cedar Falls myself and see what Ghost thinks about this shit. You may have grown up there, Wallace, but my dad was one of the original members too.”
Keys gasped. “Quick, please, they need time.”
“They’ve had hours!” He all but yelled.
“No, in fact, we’ve had minutes. I’m sure the bikes are still hot if you want to check. I took a ride, alone, earlier to clear my head. You monopolized all of our time on the way back from Vegas so we never got to exchange numbers and I had no way of contacting him. You have kept us from working out any details, and now you think it's okay to come to my home and tell me what to do? Well, I’ll tell you the same thing I just told my piece of shit brother. You have five minutes to clear out before I call for a police escort to move you out with trespassing charges attached.”
“You wouldn’t do that, would you?” Keys asked wearily, hurt evident in her voice.
“Get your man off my property or we’re all gonna find out just what I’m capable of. When we get all our personal shit handled, then we’ll fill you in on what you need to know, and nothing more.”
“Can’t we talk about this, JoJo?” Keys begged.
I openly stared at her a moment, tuning the guys out completely. Once again my wishes didn’t count. What I needed in the moment didn’t count. I knew it had always been that way with Angel, but I was still taken aback by the fact that Keys would be the one interrupting by ability to figure things out with my new husband in an effort to support her boyfriend. She heard what I had to say earlier, and apparently it meant nothing. “We already had a discussion earlier about your shift in loyalty. Keys, I won’t have it again. If the two of you don’t get off my property and leave me the hell alone for the next twenty-four hours I will no longer be a member of S.H.E.” Keys visibly flinched back.
“You don’t mean that,” she all but whispered, truly not believing me.
“I told you earlier how messed up it was that I couldn’t hash things out with Steel. No matter what, it’s already done. We got married. Nothing either of you have to say now changes that. You continually sabotaging that marriage and our ability to even have a conversation about where we go from here though, that’s the damn problem. And no, I don’t give a shit what your intentions are.”
“Fine,” Quickshot spat out when he glanced up from his phone. “You have your 24 hours, and then he’ll be heading back to the Dakotas.”
“I certainly hope that’s your idea of a funny joke, Quick.” Steel bellowed out. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Before Quickshot had a chance to answer I threw my last hat in the ring. I tipped my chin to his phone. “I assume you’re taking directive from Sweet - who is too busy with his own bullshit to do the dirty work. I’ll remind you what happened when people meddled in his love life. It cost all of you seven years with Angel Girl. It cost Angel Girl her violent first time that might as well be considered rape, her losing a baby, and being cheated on - or at least that was what appearances told her happened. You were too busy with the clubwhores and trying to impress the older guys to care about your best friend then. Seven years, your apathy and following someone else’s directives cost you your best friend. Do you really want to do this on their behalf right now?”
Keys had gone white as a ghost and Quickshot wasn’t far behind that. He turned to her and took in her panic-laced, pleading eyes and then huffed out a sigh. “I’m just trying to do what my Pres asked me to do in his absence.”
“Did it ever occur to you that he might be wrong?” I asked snidely. “It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. Where is he now?” I asked the question knowing full well I was one of the few who actually knew exactly where they were. I had received a text from Leanne earlier warning me about the situation going on there so that the girls could be prepared when Angel Girl got back.
Quickshot stepped back and then glared at me. “You know?”
“Yeah, I know. He’s dealing with baby mamma drama and has you here trying to start shit between our clubs. I’m pretty sure Angel Girl is already going to feel betrayed when she gets back, do you really want to add fucking up the peace between our clubs to her list of shit right now?” We all turned and watched as Tash joined everyone, riding to the forefront of our confrontation before cutting her engine and glancing around nervously.
Quick’s shoulders slumped. “I’m fucking damned if I do and if I don’t right now,” he managed to spill out.
“Maybe, you should just do what you think is right and fill your president in on the fact that his head possibly wasn’t in the right place to be making those decisions, considering the pile of shit he landed himself in while keeping a baby secret from his new wife. Doesn’t sound like he’s making the best judgment calls right now.”
He was fast to jump to his buddy’s defense. “You don’t know what was happening.”
I shook my head. “Nope. I don’t need to know either. You know why?” He just glared at me then. “Because it isn’t my fuckin’ business!” I nearly shouted at him. I watched as the anger dissipated from him and a grin spread across his face.
He glanced at Steel then. “Yeah, I’m going to leave you to that. Just remember you chose it.” He turned and winked at me then. “Jesus, I always thought Angel Girl was the fiercest of you, but I’m pretty sure I underestimated the pint sized biker bitch.”
Steel laughed and Keys appeared to be slightly relieved. Tash just gave me a quizzical look and then came to stand beside me, obviously sensing I needed someone at my back. She laid her hand on my lower back and held it there, which I appreciated. It was a sweet gesture. She was letting me know that she did indeed have my back.
“What’s going on here?”
“We were just straightening out a little disagreement is all,” Quickshot informed before anyone else spoke up. “We’ll be on our way now.” He turned and tugged Keys along behind them until they got to their bikes.
Keys threw her leg over her bike and straddled the thing into an upright position before glancing back over at me. “JoJo?” My name was a que
stion on her lips. I knew she was basically asking if we were still okay, but I honestly couldn’t answer her then.
I shook my head. “We’ll talk another time,” I informed her. I definitely wasn’t ready to face my best friend after that. I needed time and space. As if she could read my mind suddenly Tash spoke up.
“You coming by tomorrow?” Tash asked.
“No.” When Tash didn’t look away I explained. “Tash, keep the club away from me for a while. I’ll come around when I’m ready, but right now I’m pissed. I feel for what Angel’s going through right now, but I have my own shit to sort too. I’m assuming she chose to stand behind Sweet’s lying ass.” Tash nodded her head confirming that. “That’s on her. I just can’t deal with that shit right now on top of all this. Not to mention Keys rolling up here with Quickshot to give us the third degree and not having my back in all that bullshit. He’s the only one who did, and he kind of had to because it was about him too.” I indicated Steel who was still at my side, fingertips lightly brushing against my hip. Oddly enough, it seemed the person I knew the least was my biggest support system at the moment.
“I get it,” Tash said.
“If anything comes up with Legs, I’ll be there. Otherwise…”
“Yeah, I get it. Keys has Legs covered for now. You take care of your shit. I just wanted to come see if Leanne dropped the bomb on you too. For what it's worth, I’m happy to see this,” she stated pointing between Steel and myself. “We haven’t done enough to alleviate the stress your situation has caused.” She turned to Steel then. “Just don’t fuck her over or we’ll all be coming for you. We may not appear to have our shit together at the moment, but fuck with one of ours and that’s all she wrote.”
Steel tipped his chin up at her. “I respect that,” he answered.
Then Tash shook her head as if in disbelief. “I can’t imagine how horrific it would have been if this Becca chick just showed up with a baby in tow in two months and Angel never knew. What the hell was Sweet thinking trying to hide something like that? It’s not like he cheated. Obviously, since you know, she’s having the baby now.” She shook her head in disbelief and walked back to her bike. “I’m going to make sure her room is set up, because from what Leanne was saying when I spoke to her briefly after that text, she thinks this Becca chick is going to give the baby up.”
That had my attention. “Who does that?” I asked.
“I don’t know. A woman who thought she was in love and had to watch her man marry another woman while carrying their child? I imagine she’ll regret her decision down the road, but I feel for her too. None of this could have been easy on her. It’s not easy on Angel, and Sweet - while he is a dumbass - is caught up in the shitstorm just as much as the women. It’s a sad situation.”
“Yeah, I guess it is,” I answered back. Still, that didn’t mean I was going to take any of them butting into my own personal situation since they couldn’t even get their own shit together.
“I’m fixing up her room with baby stuff, just in case. They’ll need a place they can keep the kid for now, and I don’t think Sweet has as big a place over at the Aces clubhouse.”
“Angel has a kitchenette in her room,” I reminded her.
“Sweet definitely doesn’t have that,” Steel confirmed.
“That settles it. If you want to come by and help out, I’d appreciate it,” Tash extended the invitation. I knew what it was. This was her way of getting me there so that I had to face Keys sooner than later and we could work our shit out. I tipped my head towards her indicating I’d be there.
“Tomorrow,” I finally told her. “I’m freakin’ exhausted.”
She didn’t say another word, starting the Bobber she favored and heading off back down the mountain road I lived on.
Once everyone was gone, and the drama died down, I turned to go back inside, but I ran into Steel’s chest because he hadn’t moved yet. Instead of moving back, his arms came around my waist and he pulled me closer. “I’m sorry that by trying to help you out, I ended up causing more problems.”
“No, you didn’t do this. I have a feeling Sweet insinuated himself into our mess because it was something he felt he could control. Knowing about the baby issues where he has zero control kind of solidified that fact. He’s a dumbass. Angel would have been upset, sure, but she would have stood by him if he’d been the one to tell her as soon as he found out it was a possibility. He doesn’t need to try to deflect his bullshit issues off on us though. That’s not fair, and completely uncalled for. We’re both adults. He makes enough mistakes of his own. We should be allowed to make our own - if that’s what this turns out to be.”
“Damn, can’t really argue with that.” Steel spoke quietly. “Why don’t we head back inside. It’s been a long damn day.”
“You could say that again.”
“It’s been a long damn day.” He deadpanned the phrase again so perfectly that it took me a minute to process before I started laughing.
“You’re an idiot,” I teased.
“Got you to laugh though. I have no regrets.” His words seemed to hold more meaning than just how he felt about the silly joke and my response to it. Steel’s penetrating gaze had me hesitating when I should have been turning to go into the house. The light was reflecting in his eyes in such a way that it produced a metalic, almost liquid silver appearance that I instantly got lost in. It didn’t take long for him to notice my hesitation as he closed in on me forcing me to feel the heat rolling off his body and warming my own.
“Come on, you can stare to your heart’s content once we’re inside,” he teased. I playfully slapped his chest then.
“Oh shut up. Your eyes were like liquid metal in the fading light.”
“That’s a new one,” he gloated. “I’ll have to write that down in the big book of poetry I inspire from the ladies.”
I knew he was teasing but those words stopped me in my tracks. We still hadn’t discussed what our exact circumstances would be. He didn’t miss that hesitation too. There was one thing I could definitely say for Steel at this point. Not much slipped by him.
“Let’s get that talk out of the way first so when one of us makes a joke, we aren’t leaving the other in doubt, shall we?”
“You said you had no regrets. Is that true of everything?” I finally came out and asked him.
“If you mean the part where I married you to help us both out, definitely. I have no regrets. I wish Sweet wasn’t trying to put his shit off on us, but I guess the situation seemed similar.”
“What does that mean?”
“My ex, Jenn,” he huffed out a troubled sigh. “We broke it off because she did get pregnant. One of the other guys in the club is most likely the dad, though. I guess there’s a slim chance it could be mine. Remember, I told you about waking up to find her already…”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Well, the timing of that doesn’t seem to match up with where she is in her pregnancy. I think it was her attempt to hide her infidelity after she found out.”
“She was seriously going to try to make you think it was yours?”
“That was her plan, I guess, until Flint stepped up and admitted they’d been together.” He hung his head then. “He was supposed to be my buddy, my brother. His betrayal stung far more than hers ever could.”
“But you were with her for a long time though, right?”
“Two years,” he nodded. “I think we were together more out of habit than anything else at that point though. She kept wanting me to claim her, and the desperation around that was a turn off for me. I don’t know. There was no heat, no real passion between us. She was looking for an old man. I’m not a fan of club whores or promiscuity really so, I kept her around longer than I should have since I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. I’m not really proud of that fact.” He let out a bitter sigh. “I really probably had it coming considering. Her betrayal stung a little, because she should have just come out and told me she wasn’t happy
. You know? She should have just manned up and left before going in search of her next possible way into the club for life. Anyway, her betrayal sucked for those reasons, but Flint’s…” he rubbed his hands over the slight stubble coming up on his bald head making it obvious he was bald by choice and not because nature forced the issue. “That’s ultimately why I left.”
“And Sweet knew all of this?” Steel nodded. “Well I guess his reaction makes a little more sense now. Still, he should have been worried about his own problems. Hell, he was the one keeping you from actively telling me about all of this.”
“Yeah, I tried pointing that out to Quickshot earlier. He just kept insisting that Sweet felt I had no plans to tell you.”
“Sounds like his guilty conscious was speaking.” When Steel said nothing else I turned to look at him. He was taking in the interior of my little mountain cottage. My front door opened into the living room looking back to the stairs that ascended to the second level. To our right was the dining room, currently closed off by wooden accordion style doors. In the far right corner of the lower level was my kitchen and then the addition off the back, which used to be a porch area now housed a laundry room and pantry. The floors were currently in a rough wood state. I’d pulled all the carpeting up off the original wood floors a week ago when I needed an outlet for my anger.
“You getting ready to redo the floors?” He finally asked.
“Yeah, I pulled all the old carpet last week.”
“You going to recover this?” Steel bent down to touch the surface of the wood planking as he examined it closer.
“Actually, I was hoping to sand down what was here and restore it.” He smiled as he continued his inspection. “I’m not a fan of carpeting, and I think these can be beautiful again with a little tender, love, and care.”
“I’m not a fan of carpeting when you have floors like this either. They’re good and sturdy. Once you bring them back to life, they will be absolutely gorgeous.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” I smiled at him and then realized I was dying of thirst, and I was apparently a bad hostess. “Hey, do you want a drink or something? I have some beer or sweet tea in the fridge.”
JoJo (S.H.E Book 2) Page 7