by Wilder, L.
“Everybody said you were the best quarterback who’d ever come through Oakland.” I could still remember the times I’d seen him play. The crowd loved him. They were always cheering him on and shouting his praises. “It must’ve been really hard to accept that you couldn’t play anymore.”
“Yeah. That was the hardest part of all of it.” He shook his head. “I didn’t see the point of doing all that damn physical therapy if I wasn’t ever gonna throw a ball again, so I eventually stopped going. I was all fucked up in the head. I closed myself off and started downing my pain meds like they were Tic Tacs. It wasn’t long before I found myself in a dark place…a very dark place.”
CHAPTER 5
Rider
My addiction to painkillers wasn’t just about the high. It was the overwhelming need to find an escape. The accident had not only stolen my ability to play football, but it’d also stolen my identity. I had no idea who I was anymore. I felt empty, with no direction or purpose, and I hated myself for it. With each day that passed, the darkness inside of me grew stronger to the point where I was fucking drowning in it. Instead of reaching out for help, I’d just swallow another pill…and then another. When the doctors stopped filling my scripts, I found myself searching through my friends’ and family’s medicine cabinets. I’d steal whatever pain meds I could get my hands on. It took my folks several months to figure out what was going on, but once they finally did, they became desperate to help me get back on track. They tightened the reins, monitored my every move, and when that didn’t work, they’d sent me to a counselor in hopes that he could help put an end to my addiction. They just didn’t get it. My need to forget the anger and resentment I’d felt for losing my one chance to get out of Oakland had taken its toll, and I was determined to find my next fix. No counselor was going to change that.
“After going through what you did, no one could blame you for winding up in such a dark place.”
“Don’t try to justify it. There’s no excuse for the things I did, Darcy.”
“You were hurting,” she replied softly. “Not just physically, but mentally.”
“Yeah, but I should’ve sucked it up and moved on. Instead, I wallowed in self-pity and hurt the people I cared about most.”
“It wasn’t like you set out to hurt them.”
“No, but I did so just the same.”
I could still remember the look of horror on my parents’ faces when they discovered that I’d not only hocked my grandmother’s wedding ring, but also my mother’s earrings so I could buy more pills. On that same day, they found out that I’d completely wiped out my college fund. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t stolen from them before, but by then, they’d had enough and kicked me out.
My old buddy, Bryce, was going to college at Memphis State, so I went to stay with him for a while. Unfortunately, with no job and an endless addiction, it didn’t take long for me to wear out my welcome, and he sent me packing. I hit up another friend and then another, but the results were always the same. Eventually, I found myself strung out and living on the streets. It wasn’t something I was proud of. Hell, I hated myself for letting things get so fucking bad. It took almost freezing to death one night in the snow for me to realize that it was time to make a change.
I was lost in my own head when Darcy placed her hand on my knee and said, “We all make mistakes, Caleb. We just have to learn from them and move on. From what I can see, you’ve done that.”
“I’ve definitely tried.”
“That’s all anyone can ask for.” Darcy removed her hand from my thigh as she looked up at me with warm smile. “This might not be the life you were planning on, but it seems like you’ve done pretty well for yourself.”
“I like to think so.”
A spark of mischief crossed her eyes as she announced, “I do have one question for you.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“After everything that happened, how’d you end up with Satan’s Fury?”
I finished off my beer, then stood up. “That, my dear, is a story for another day.”
Without arguing, she followed me out the door and to the parking lot. We’d just walked up on our bikes when she turned to me and said, “You could at least tell me where the name Rider came from?”
“Yeah, I could, but I’m not.” I threw my leg over the seat of my Harley. “Where you headed?”
“Home.”
“All right then. Lead the way.”
Darcy’s brows furrowed as she asked, “What do you mean, ‘lead the way’?”
“I mean exactly that,” I answered flatly. “I’m going to make sure you get home okay.”
“I’m a big girl, Rider,” she fussed. “I can make it home without a chaperone.”
“I’m sure you can, but I’m following you home just the same.”
A determined look crossed her face as she slipped on her helmet. “Fine. Follow me if you want to, but you’re going to have to keep up.”
With that, she hopped on her bike and started the engine. I knew I was in trouble the second she pulled out of the parking lot. Darcy never let off the gas as she whipped out into traffic, leaving me in her wake. Cursing like a madman, I tried to catch up to her, but she was already several blocks ahead of me. Hammering down on the accelerator, I tried to catch up to the yellow blur ahead of me, but lost all my momentum when I got stopped by a red light. Just like that, she vanished off into the distance. Refusing to let her get the best of me, I pulled over and called Riggs at the clubhouse. As soon as he answered, I told him, “I need Darcy Harrington’s address.”
“That the new painter Blaze just hired?”
“Yeah, that’s her.”
There was no missing the curiosity in his voice when he asked, “There a particular reason why you need her address?”
“We went to grab a beer after work, and I just wanted to make sure she made it home okay.”
“Why didn’t you just follow her home?”
I sighed as I answered, “I tried.”
“Oh. Well then…just give me a minute.” As the club’s computer hacker, Riggs had a way of finding things that no one else could, so there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he’d be able to track down Darcy’s address. Just as I’d hoped, he came back to the phone and said, “Got it. She lives at Thirty-two Shady Pines in Millington.”
“Shady Pines?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s a trailer park for the retired. Any idea why she’d be living there?”
“Got no idea, but I’m about to find out.”
I hung up, then shoved my phone into my back pocket and started towards Shady Pines. It was about a thirty-minute drive out to her place, but with the way she drove, I had no doubt that she’d gotten there much faster. Not long after I entered the park, I spotted her yellow crotch-rocket parked at the end of the lot next to one of the older trailers. It was pale yellow with flowers planted at the mailbox, and a small white awning covering the wooden deck that led up to the front door. As I got closer, I noticed her old pickup truck from high school was also parked in the driveway. What used to look like an old clunker held together by rust was now painted candy-apple red with a sweet black trim. I pulled up next to it, and once I was parked, I killed the engine and removed my helmet. I was just about to start up her front steps when I heard a woman call out to me. “Well, hello there, young man.”
I looked to my left and found two elderly ladies, both reminding me of Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffith Show, sitting on the front porch of a neighboring trailer. I smiled at them both as answered, “Hello, ladies. How are you doing tonight?”
“We’re doing just fine.” The lady in the bright-yellow “old lady” dress with a front zipper and slip-on house shoes lifted her glass. “We’re having ourselves a little nightcap.”
“Is that right?” I chuckled. “Well, it’s a nice night for one.”
“Um-hmm. We thought so.” She lowered her glasses down the bridge of her nose as she gave me a qu
ick once over. “Haven’t seen you around here before. Are you a friend of Darcy’s?”
“Yes, ma’am. I guess you could say that.”
“Well, you sure are a handsome fellow.” She gave her friend a little nudge as she asked, “Don’t you think so, Frances?”
“I sure do. I think he is very handsome indeed.” She nodded and smiled so wide, I thought her dentures might fall out. “If I was a might younger, I’d go after a fella like him. I sure would, and I’d show him a real good time.”
“Um-hmm.” With a humorous smile and a shake of her head, the friend replied, “I’m sure you would.”
“Well, I’m going to let you ladies get back to your drinks.” Fearing what they might say next, I told them, “I’m going to check in on Darcy. You two enjoy your night.”
“You too, handsome.”
I could feel their eyes burning a hole in me as I started up the steps. Once I got up to the door, I knocked and waited for Darcy to answer. After several loud thuds and bangs, the door flew open and the air rushed from my lungs when I found Darcy standing there in nothing but a white wife-beater tank top and a pair of black lace panties. Her long hair was pulled back away from her face, revealing her gorgeous blue eyes and the tiny freckles on the bridge of her nose. I couldn’t have dreamed up a more beautiful sight, and the look of absolute surprise on her face only made her that much more irresistible when she gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“I told you,” I shrugged, playing off my intrusion, “I wanted to see that you made it home okay.”
“Yeah, but how did you know where I lived?”
“You gotta remember who you’re working for.”
I could see the wheels turning in her head before she replied, “I didn’t give my home address on my application. I used my PO Box.”
“Like I said, you’ve gotta remember who you’re working for.”
“Damn, I don’t know if I should be impressed or pissed off as all hell.”
Darcy was still glaring at me as I took a step back and casually looked around her place. It was an okay place, but there were several things that needed work. Some of the boards on her porch had buckled and the nails were exposed, the light beside her front door was busted, and the chain lock on her door no longer had a chain. There was literally nothing to keep someone from breaking in on her. That bothered me the most. As I stared down at her door, I said, “You don’t have a lock on your front door.”
“Yeah. I’ve been meaning to fix that.”
“And you don’t have any cameras or an alarm.”
She shrugged as she replied, “Nope. Sure don’t.”
“The lighting isn’t all that great either.”
Her hands dropped to her hips, and she gave me an angry scowl as she snapped, “The lighting is just fine, and I don’t need a deadbolt, security cameras, or alarms. I have Thelma and Louise living next door. They’re all the security I need.”
“Thelma and Louise are almost eighty years old, Darcy. How the hell are they going—”
“They watch this place like a hawk. Hell, there’s nothing that goes on here that those two don’t know about.” She cocked her eyebrow and snickered. “I bet they noticed you the second you pulled up here.”
There was something about that determined tone in her voice that stirred something deep inside of me, and if I wasn’t careful, I would end up doing something I might regret. Knowing I was fighting a battle I couldn’t win, I shook my head and said, “Fine. I won’t say another word.”
“Good.” She opened the door further. “Do you want to come in, or are you going to stay out there all night?”
I stepped inside and told her, “I can’t stay long.”
“I take it you’ve gotta get back to the clubhouse.”
“I do.”
“Figured as much.” She turned, and as she started to saunter down the hall, I couldn’t stop myself from staring in awe at her perfect ass as it peaked through the edges of her barely-there black lace panties. Fuck. I’d never seen a hotter sight. The girl was killing me. I needed to get a fucking grip. I was still staring down the hall even after she disappeared into her bedroom and shouted, “Give me just a second.”
“Take your time.”
I used the moment alone to check out her place. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the inside of her trailer was in much better shape than the outside. It was small but comfortable, with a tiny kitchen that was connected to her living room. The furniture was sparse, but what she had was nice. I could tell that she’d put a lot of work into making it something she could be proud of. I was still standing at the front door when Darcy returned wearing a pair of oversized sweats, but the vision of her in those black panties was burned into my brain. Hoping to shake the memory from my mind, I asked, “How long have you been living at Shady Pines?”
“I moved in about two years ago.” She walked over next to me and leaned against the kitchen counter. “I was looking for a place of my own, and this was something I could actually afford. I mean, I have to do a little work here and there, but it’s worth it.”
“Sounds like you have a sweet deal going here.”
“I guess so.” Her nose crinkled into a grimace as she said, “As much as I like being here, I’d really like to find a place closer to work.”
“I’m sure your lady friends next door will miss you when you go.”
“Maybe, but those two will make it just fine no matter what.”
I glanced down at my watch, and when I noticed the time, I told her, “I better get going.”
“Okay.”
Earlier, I’d noticed a small dry erase board on her fridge with a marker attached. Before I headed for the door, I walked over and wrote the number to my burner cell on the board. Once I was done, I turned back to her and said, “If something comes up that Thelma and Louise can’t handle, just give me a call.”
“I’ll do that,” she scoffed, as she followed me over to the door. “Be careful heading back.”
“Will do.” I went down the steps and walked over to my bike. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
She gave me a quick wave, then stepped back into her trailer, closing the door. I’d just swung a leg over my Harley when my burner started to ring. I grabbed it out of my back pocket, and as soon as I answered, Shadow asked, “You still at Darcy’s place?”
“Yeah, but I’m heading out. Why?”
“We had some trouble with Kenadee tonight. Gonna need you to get back to the clubhouse as soon as you can.”
“I’m on my way.” Before I hung up, I asked, “Is Kenadee okay?”
“Yeah, she’s okay. We’ve just gotta make sure she stays that way.”
CHAPTER 6
Darcy
I can’t remember a time when I’d been more surprised by a man’s actions than I was when Caleb showed up at my door—and that’s saying something. I was rarely surprised by men or their actions, not after all I’d seen over the years, but Caleb got me. After I’d lost him at that red light, I figured he would’ve just given up and gone on about his business, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The man was determined to make a point, and he damn well made it. I tried to play it cool, but it wasn’t easy, especially with the way he was staring at me with those sexy, brooding eyes. It didn’t help matters that he looked unbelievably hot in his black leather cut and tattered jeans. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I hadn’t been around someone I was interested in for quite some time. In fact, it had been over a year since I’d been out with a guy—and that was nothing memorable—nothing like the time I’d just spent with Caleb.
I wasn’t sure if I’d ever enjoyed myself as much as I had with him at the bar. It felt so good to get reacquainted with Caleb again. With each moment we spent together, I found myself wanting to get to know him even better, but unfortunately, that couldn’t happen. I needed to keep my distance. Maybe if the circumstances weren’t what they were, and I hadn’t just started working at the garage, needin
g to keep my focus, then maybe things could’ve been different. That didn’t mean I’d never gone to bed and spent half the night thinking about him—because I had, especially that night he’d come to my rescue. We were supposed to meet up for a date the following evening but, because of his accident, that never happened. It was impossible not to wonder what might’ve happened if he’d actually made it that night. Sadly, I’d never know.
The following morning, I got up and headed to work. When I arrived at the garage, I was surprised to find that there weren’t many guys working. No Rider. No Blaze or Shadow. Other than a few guys who I hadn’t really met before, the place was pretty empty. Curious to see what was up, I asked one of the guys who was actually there working, “Hey, where is everyone?”
He was bent over the hood so I couldn’t see much of his face, but he was tall and slender with tattoos covering both his arms. Never looking up, he answered, “Not coming in today.”
“Why not?” I pushed.
“Club business.”
“What kind of club business?”
He turned and looked over his shoulder as he spat, “The kind of club business you don’t talk about with anyone not wearing a fucking patch.”
“Fine, I get it.” I held up my hands in surrender. “I was just asking.”
“Well, don’t.” His eyes narrowed with annoyance as he motioned his head towards the paint room. “Don’t you have some work you need to get to?”
“Yeah, actually I do.”
Before he could say anything more, I turned and started back towards my paint room. I was curious about what kind of club business would’ve pulled them all from work, especially when they were so busy, but it was clear that I wouldn’t be getting any answers any time soon. Thankfully, I had a ton of work to do, so there wasn’t much time to fixate on what was going on. I finished putting the clear-coat on the bike I’d been working on and moved to the next. In a matter of a few hours, I’d added a base coat to the 1941 Harley WLDR race bike I’d just started and was preparing to start on the gas tank. I had to admit, it was a sweet ride for a Harley, and I was excited to see how awesome it looked with the deep royal-blue undercoat. When I noticed the other guys were packing up for the day, I knew it was almost closing time, so I decided to put off the tank-detailing until tomorrow. I cleaned up my station, removed my painting garb, and grabbed my keys. On my way out the back door, I shouted, “See you guys tomorrow.”