by Mackenzy Fox
I lay the catcher’s pole next to me, which has the slip lead attached to the end. This may be risky but it could be better than a cage. It takes some time, but eventually, he sticks his little head out, and when he does, Lola just moves her eyes, nothing else. She’s so smart.
I start talking to him in a low voice and I don’t go to touch him or do anything. He ducks his head back inside, then a few minutes later, he pops back out again, eating the treats. He’s hungry. When his little body comes all the way out, even I am shocked. He’s skin and bone, his little ribs poking out. It’s safe to say his state is the worst I’ve seen a dog in for a while. His fur is very matted and clumpy and he stinks to high heaven. I make a mental note to call my man, Linc, later to find these people so I can pay them a visit. How you can leave a dog by itself and move is beyond me, and here he is, still waiting for them to come back. Loyal, it could make a grown man cry. They don’t deserve him, the fucking bastards.
He looks up at Lola and his tail wags. Not aggressive, not at all, he makes a little whimpering sound at her. She just looks on, unaffected.
“You wanna come for a ride with me and Lola?” I say in a fake happy voice. “Do ya, boy?”
I scruff Lola on the head and she makes a mewling sound. He bows his head, totally submissive, and I know this ain’t gonna be hard, I won’t even need the pole.
He sniffs over to me and I let him smell my hands. I scruff under his jaw gently, careful not to approach him from over the top, and he lifts his head up, tail wagging. I can’t believe this dog is so skinny, so small and fragile, neglected and unloved by his humans and he instantly gives me love without a second thought. Dogs are so fuckin’ amazing, unlike people.
“You wanna come in Uncle Steel’s jacket?” I ask him as he comes closer to my lap; Lola studies him but still has her head down low in an equally submissive stance. She nudges his hind leg with her head and he licks her. Jesus, she’s a good girl, my angel.
“Little guy, this is Lola, we’re gonna take you and get you cleaned up.” I know he doesn’t know what I’m saying, but still, I think he likes the sound of my voice since he puts two paws on my leg as I break a beef stick in half and feed it to him. “You like these, do ya?”
He gobbles it and I pick him up gently without any qualm or struggle. “That’s it, little guy, it’s all gonna be okay from now on, I promise.”
I get up and walk over to the Faux Paw’s van holding him and nod to Sally, one of the volunteers. “He’s gonna be okay.”
“Good work, Steel,” says Kevin taking the unused pole from me.
“Thanks for coming out,” I say to him. “We got it from here, gonna get him cleaned up.”
“No problems at all, happy to help.”
Thank God that was easy; no dog wants to end up at the pound, though, thanks to Faux Paw’s, we keep it empty for the most part.
“That was good going, Steel, I’m gonna take him and bathe him, give him a haircut and get him checked out, he’s very underweight, might need fluids and some medicine,” Sally says.
“You want me to call Stacey?”
Stacey is the vet we use, she hangs around the club sometimes with the sisters but I haven’t seen her in forever, we’ve never hooked up or anything but she’s great, always helps us out.
“Nah, I got it,” she replies.
“I wanna come and help,” I tell her. “I just gotta take care of a few things, drop by in a bit.”
She takes the little guy from me and wraps him in a blanket. “Roger that, you know where I’ll be.”
I nod and make my way back towards Lily and Sienna, who are leaning against Lily’s car. I restored it for her as a twenty-first birthday present, she loves it. It took me about three or four months working on it by myself and about twenty thousand dollars, not that she’d appreciate that.
They both quieten as I approach, which makes me think they’ve been talking about me. Sienna is looking at me with a mixture of uncertainty and awe. I wonder what the hell she’s thinking.
“That was so cool!” Lily says. “I told her you were the dog whisperer.”
“What else did you tell her?” I grumble.
Sienna shifts on her feet. “He’s safe now, you did great, that was amazing,” she says, but the sentiment doesn’t touch her eyes. Fuckin’ Lily.
I look pointedly at Lily and she shrugs. I’ll deal with her later.
“Lil, take my baby home, I’ve got to drop Sienna off and go down to Faux Paws and help Sally.”
That’s where we leave it, the girls say their goodbyes and I drive back to town, pulling up behind the Stone Crow.
“You alright?” I ask as Sienna climbs off and hands me the brain bucket.
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”
Not the kind of answer I wanted. I want her to kiss me goodbye but she’s standing further away from me, clearly not in the kissing kind of mood.
“Just wonderin’ what my big mouth sister said to you?”
She bites her lip. Shit. She has said something then.
“Nothing, just chatted about this and that, passing the time.”
“This and that, huh?”
“Yes.”
She offers nothing more. I run a hand through my beard; I don’t have time for this. I gotta go sort this shit out and comfort the little dude, but she’ll be seeing me later tonight, that’s for damn sure.
“Later,” I say.
She nods without reaching to kiss me or anything, much to my disappointment. I purse my lips annoyed but drop it. I got bigger fish to fry at the moment. She gives me a wave and walks to the back door and lets herself in without a backward glance, just like the first night.
Fuckin’ Liliana.
It’s late as I stand by the back door. I sent Sienna a text to tell her I was coming over. She doesn’t appear to be ignoring me but said something about being tired. Fuck that shit.
I pound on her back door. A few moments later, I hear the locks unbolt and she appears before me in pink silk pajamas. She’s a sight for sore eyes, and after the day I’ve had, it’s a welcome sight.
I went home and showered before showing up, I even washed my hair, it’s still wet.
“You good?” I ask.
“I’m fine,” she lies, not letting me in.
We have a moment where we just stare at each other and she doesn’t move one inch, blocking my path.
“Am I not invited in?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.
“Steel, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” she says as I stare at her, dumbfounded. I remind myself to call my sister and go strangle her later.
“I see.”
“Things are… getting complicated.”
“Complicated?” I say like the words are foreign. It’s sex. She’s hot, we had a good time, what the fuck is complicated about that? Of course, I know that when girls get together they talk.
I should have known better than to let leave her alone with Lily but you’d think my own sister would be sticking up for me, not throwing me under the bus.
“Do I get to defend myself here or do you just get to kick my ass out before I even know what I did?”
“You didn’t do anything,” she says with a sigh, “but the motorcycle club thing…”
I roll my eyes and put my hands on my hips and part my legs wider, taking up all the room in the doorway.
“Can’t help I’m a biker, you knew that and didn’t have a problem with it last night and you sure as hell didn’t have a problem with it wrapped around me earlier in my office.”
She bites her bottom lip and it takes all my patience not to take her mouth and claim it. She doesn’t get to just end this thing, not like this, I won’t let her.
“I’m not going until you tell me what’s really up.” I cross my arms over my chest like a five-year-old.
She sighs. “Come up, it’s freezing out here.”
She turns and begins to mount the stairs, I bolt the door behind me and follow behind, my steps ar
e heavy. I reign in my annoyance as best as I can.
Something is very wrong. Lily didn’t tell me shit, the little bitch.
I mean, seriously, what the fuck have I done now? She’s letting me in so it can’t be that bad, maybe it’s just to kick me back out again, or maybe it’s just PMS but I’m obviously not gonna say that out loud.
We get inside the apartment and I lock that door too, just to let her know I’m staying.
She turns to face me. “How did it go with the little guy?”
I look down at her, my anger at whatever Lily’s said forgotten for the moment. “He’s better, shaved all the matted fur off him, he’s had a good wash, and he’s gotta stay at the vet for at least a few days. He needs antibiotics and a lot of fluids, the bastard has moved and left him there, he was still waiting, breaks your heart.”
She blinks; she has her arms crossed defensively across her chest. “How can people be so cruel?”
I ask myself this all the time and never get an answer.
“Because having a pet is an inconvenience to some people, they just spit them out like garbage the minute it doesn’t suit them or their lifestyle.”
“What will happen to him?” At least she’s worried about the dog… me, I’m not so sure about.
“He’ll get better; we’ll find a home for him when he’s well again.”
“It’s a wonderful thing that you do.”
“Glad you think so,” I say as I move toward her, she takes a step back. “What I’m curious about though, is why you’ve had a change of heart.”
She looks down then bites her lip like she does. This chick can’t lie for shit, not to me.
“I haven’t, I just don’t want things to get messy.”
At least she’s talking to me, that’s something, chicks have a way of assuming you’re a mind reader so you can’t do right for doing wrong half the time.
“What did my sister say to change things?”
She looks guilty. “Nothing, she didn’t say anything bad, but things just seem to be going so fast, and I don’t know… I don’t know if this is a mistake,” she trails off.
I keep walking her backwards until her legs hit the couch.
A mistake? She’s gotta be shittin’ me.
“What if I say I don’t believe you?”
“Steel, don’t.”
“Talk to me, Sienna, I want to know. If I don’t know then I can’t fix it, if it’s because I’m part of an M.C. then I can’t change that.”
Maybe she doesn’t want me to fix it? That makes me feel strange.
I stand over her and give her a brow lift for good measure. “We had a good time last night, and an even better one this morning, and I want more of that, now you’ve gone all cold on me and acting weird, what’s the deal?”
Her eyes go wide. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Spit it out, angel, I ain’t got all night.”
Now is not the time for me to act like a Neanderthal but I can hardly help it, I don’t like games, just tell me what the fuck I did and I’ll try and fix it. Simple.
“It’s nothing, but Lily was just saying…”
I blow out a rush of air as I wait.
“That me being on the back of your bike is a statement.”
Okay, not so bad. “And?”
“And that it means you were sending a message to the others in the club.”
Okay, not great from her point of view, but still not that bad.
“And that it meant you’re putting a claim on me.”
Why can’t Lily just keep her nose out of my business? Can’t a man get a goddamned break around here?
I shake my head. “My fuckin’ sister can’t keep her mouth shut.”
“Is that true, Steel? Are you doing those things?”
I don’t want to lie to her and I won’t. “I do like you on the back of my sled and, yes, that does send a message to the other guys because it means you’re off-limits, trust me when I say they’d all be swarming around you if I didn’t and I know you don’t want that. But I ain’t claimin’ you, babe, it’s a little bit early to get into all of that, we’re just fucking, right?”
She gulps as she grips onto the back of the couch.
“Claiming me? That whole statement in itself is so misogynistic, Steel, nobody talks like that. It’s not normal.”
“We do, it’s how we are and it’s not a bad thing. I told you that we don’t treat women like shit but we have certain rules in the club, we all have our position and women are a big part of it, and I like you, so sue me for not wanting someone like Gunner to try to get into your pants.”
Her eyes go wide.
“I would never let him do that.” She looks disgusted, that pleases me for a second.
“I know that.”
“I’m not anyone’s property,” she adds.
Oh, here we go.
“You’re overthinking this,” I say again, shaking my head.
“Am I, Steel? Am I really?”
“Yeah, you are, you can’t just take it for what it is and go with it.”
She looks up at me, trying to gauge if I’m being genuine or not.
This guy, whoever he is, really did a number on her. I want to hurt him.
“I just don’t want you to think I’m easy,” she whispers, “that I’d sleep with just anybody.”
And there we have it, the root of the problem. As if I would care, I’d want her anyway, but the fact she doesn’t is a huge turn on.
I rub a hand down my face slowly. “Is that what this is about?” Oh, thank fuck.
She nods. “That you’ll think I’m just another sweet butt who’ll do anyone. I don’t do that, I don’t even like most men…” she trails off, her eyes glaze over.
My face softens, she’s just so damn gorgeous. As if she’d ever be like that, she’s got too much class. She’s too good for me and I know it.
“Babe.” I brush a lock of her hair from her shoulder and then cup her face with one hand. “I would never think that about you, you don’t act like one, you don’t look like one, I don’t treat you like one, and you sure as hell won’t ever be one, so get that shit out of your mind.”
“I don’t sleep around.”
“I know that, caught it the first time.”
“I’m not going to.”
“Know it.”
“I’m not anyone’s property to own.”
Yeah, we’ll see about that.
“Listen and listen good, princess, I’m the type of guy who ain’t gonna lie to you and sometimes that gets me in more trouble than it’s worth. With you, I’m in unchartered territory, I like you more than I should, I admit it, I don’t deserve what you’re offering but you seem to want it and I want it too, so let’s not get crazy, let’s just enjoy it. I won’t hurt you, I already told you that before, I don’t hurt women and I’ll only be honest with you even if you don’t wanna hear it.”
She almost breathes a sigh of relief.
“Got me?”
She nods.
“If you don’t want this, babe, all you gotta do is say and I’ll leave.”
I mean it, I will go, reluctantly, but if it’s what she wants…
“I don’t,” she says, moving towards me. “I just got scared, I don’t know how it works with your club, I don’t want you to think I’m just some floozy who waltzes into town and sleeps with the first biker she sees, I haven’t been with anyone in a year like I told you, so it all feels very foreign, I’ve never done anything like this.”
She’s so innocent looking up at me, I contemplate leaving her alone but it’s only for a fleeting second, the devil in me knows I could never do that. I’ve had a slice of heaven and I want more because I’m a greedy son of a bitch.
“Good to hear that,” I gruff. “Know that I’m not takin’ what you’re offering for granted.”
She seems to relax. “I just wanted to get that off my chest, it was bothering me a little.”
“Then, next tim
e, just tell me,” I say, shrugging. “You can’t offend me, babe, I’m not a mind reader, and I’ll be telling Lily to—”
She shuts me up with a kiss I don’t see coming and she presses her hot little body up to mine and against my eagerly waiting hard-on.
“You know what I like better than you in silk pajamas?” I ask when we come up for air.
She shakes her head.
“You out of silk pajamas.”
She laughs, pulling me down by my shirt, wrapping her arms around my neck and we devour each other. I kiss her like she’s the only one I’ll ever want.
I don’t tell her all of it. That I’m feeling shit I shouldn’t be feeling on day two of us hooking up and I don’t know what to do about that. I push those thoughts down for the moment, there’s more pressing things to attend to, like the uncomfortableness forming in my jeans.
I glance over her shoulder. “That bed has gotta go.”
“Or we can improvise?” she gives me a sexy smirk.
I grin into her neck, sucking on the skin as she moans. “Gonna do you so good you won’t know what hit you and I got all night, sweetheart, not going anywhere.”
I hear her breath hitch at my words, I wish she’d talk dirty to me.
“Yes, I want that too,” she says into my hair as I move over to her other pulse and nip her with my teeth, my hands squeeze her ass, encouraging me.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, Jayson,” she accentuates my name sarcastically and I buck her with my hips.
Fuck, I love her saying my name. I reach down and pick her up by the hips and she wraps around me, I move toward the kitchenette with her in my arms.
“Where are we going?” she stammers.
“The kitchen ain’t just for cooking, babe.”