“Hey, you must be Alex.” Well, as I’m the only black girl here, that’s a fair assumption to make. “I’m Joker.” In the middle of putting on makeup, I just give him a nod. Perching his backside against the counter he stands with his arms folded. “Dart told me to watch out for you. You get any trouble, you come to me, okay?”
“Hey, Joker! Why’s she so special?” one of the other girls calls out. I haven’t really bothered to get to know them as yet. Last night my nerves kept me to myself, and today I’ve been preoccupied with thoughts about Tyler. But my back goes up at what could be a catty comment.
Joker turns around and glancing up I can see him glaring. “Because she can dance.” He waves his hand around, indicating all the girls who have now stopped what they’re doing to see what’s going on. “All of you are important to us. If we don’t keep you happy, you won’t make us money. And Alex is new, she doesn’t know the score yet.”
The girl who’d spoken comes over and lays her hand on my shoulder, looking at my face reflected in the mirror. As our eyes meet, I can see she’s smiling. “I’m Vida, anything you want to know, babe, just ask me.”
As I nod, Joker pats my shoulder and goes. Now the others introduce themselves, and I’m surprised to find no obvious bitchiness at all. In fact, they all seem to agree it’s a good place to work, knowing that the bikers are there to protect them.
Vida sits down next to me. “Hey, there was this one guy, he was a bouncer. Started laying his hands on us girls, thinking his job gave him privileges, you follow?”
Yes, I do. “What happened?”
“One day he went too far. The girl said no, he ignored her. Slapped her. Huh. He got a beatdown to remember and was tossed out on his ass.”
“I didn’t want to work here,” I start to tell her. “But I couldn’t get any other kind of job.”
“Why do you think any of us are here? Not many of us would be here by choice, hon.” She stares at me for a moment. “You’re certainly not the normal type.”
I freeze and wait for her criticism, my obvious differences to their slim, slender forms.
“Watched you on the pole last night. And boy, Joker’s right, babe. You can dance.”
“Those tits real?” Another girl who’d introduced herself as Bambi joins in the conversation. She’s holding her own up as if for inspection. Hers are obviously fake.
“Unfortunately, yes,” I reply, wincing as they make me top heavy.
“Alex, time to go on,” a voice calls from the hallway.
I smile at the girls, who I didn’t expect to be quite so friendly, and walk out on the stage with a spring in my step.
When I’m dancing, I can forget everything and live only for the moment. It’s my respite from all the worry in my life. Even the audience fades into the background as I twist, turn, climb, and slide for myself, not for anyone else. It’s only when the music ends and I finish my set that I’m suddenly aware that all eyes are upon me, but the smile on my face is for me, the satisfaction of another flawless performance.
Money flutters around me, and with no Dart today, it’s me who gathers it up. I use the assets God gave me, a wiggle making my tits bounce, a little shake of my ass. More bills are thrown, accompanied by catcalls and whistles. Then a man gets too close when I’m at the edge of the stage, his hand wrapping around my arm…
Then he’s gone, holding a hand to his bleeding nose.
“What the fuck?”
“You don’t touch the fuckin’ dancers,” Joker growls, then says over his shoulder, “You okay, darlin’?”
I’m rubbing my skin where his fingers have pinched. “I’m fine.” I hurry back to the dressing room. Yeah, this job will obviously have its seedier moments, but the girls were right, the bikers seem to look out for us well.
My next two sets pass without incident, and the tips I’ve collected are more than I could earn in any other job. But even the tips won’t pay for a procedure that’s perhaps already too late.
As I take off my makeup, I gaze at my reflection. After tonight, I’ve got two nights off. Though I’ll enjoy the extra time with Tyler, I smile to myself. It’s strange, but I’m actually going to miss my time on the pole, hearing the shouts of encouragement, the sort of things Ron had convinced me I’d never hear. Roll on Tuesday when I can dance again.
I might have been driven to working in a strip club, but for the first time in my life, I’m starting to have confidence in myself.
Chapter Eight
Dart…
Riding back to the compound, I couldn’t get Alex or Tyler out of my head. And, of course, that bastard Ron Thompson, her ex. Or not quite an ex yet, she’s still fucking married to the man. That’s a fact I dislike.
I got on okay with her brother-in-law though, he’s alright, and he rides a decent bike too. As he showed it to me, we’d had ourselves a little chat, and I found out more about the man Alex was still shackled too, and none of it I liked.
I’ve every intention of going to Satan’s Angels tonight, but when I get back, my plans go awry. After being impressed by Tyler and then having to witness his pain, learning that kid was going to suffer episodes like that for the rest of his life, understanding even that could be cut short at any time, well, that had hit me hard. As soon as I walk into the clubhouse, I head for the bar, and instead of beer, grab a bottle of Jack and a shot glass. Going over to an unoccupied table, I sit, pour myself a drink and throw it back, quickly chasing it with another. Then my head sinks into my hands. Life’s so unfair, it doesn’t seem right that a child has to suffer such pain. Though I know he’s not the first and certainly won’t be the last, he’s one I’ve personally met, not just heard about on a TV documentary.
Fuck! I feel so useless, but so full of admiration for the woman who’s been handed such an impossible task. The way she coped when her son was in such distress astounded me. The weight she carries every day would overwhelm even the strongest, yet she carries on, never giving away how she’s feeling inside.
Tyler shouldn’t have been born. Terrible words, having met the boy. But if that fucker of a husband had told her the truth, he might not be here and wouldn’t be suffering. The vision of Tyler so excitedly looking over my bike comes into my head. I’d felt an immediate connection to the kid, even before I knew he was ill. Suddenly I interpret what Alex had said. Perhaps no, a child shouldn’t be conceived if there’s a chance he’d suffer for all of his life. She should have at least gone into the pregnancy with her eyes open. Thompson had lied to her, and worse than that, stealthly removed the condom without consent, and got her pregnant.
But despite everything, it’s clear to see she doesn’t regret having him for one moment and will do anything she can, even take her clothes off for strangers, to give him the chance of a better life. Fuck, what an amazing woman she is.
The sound of a glass banging down on the wood makes me look up to see Blade not taking the hint that I purposefully chose a corner table as I wanted some space.
“What’s got your underwear knotted?” he asks.
“Leave me a-fuckin’-lone,” I snarl, wanting to process this afternoon’s conversation by myself.
Overhearing me, Lady comes over and takes a seat, placing his beer on the table. “If you want time to yourself, don’t come to the fuckin’ clubhouse. You’re fair game here, Brother.”
Now Dollar’s appeared. “What’s up, Dart?”
Fuck it. They’re not going to let me wallow. I pour another shot. Blade gets out his smokes—what the fuck? I must look bad—and passes me one. He even hands me his zippo so I can light up.
The drink warming my throat and the smoke soothing my lungs loosens my tongue. “I’ve been to see Alex.” Everyone except Blade looks confused. “The new dancer,” I clarify, then take another sip and another nicotine hit before continuing. “Fuck, has that bitch got problems.” Then I let all of it out.
When I finish, there’s stunned silence around the table. Then Blade catches on to the problem o
f her ex. “She didn’t tell us the half of it when we took her on.”
“No. And he’s a fuckin’ cop.”
He sucks in a breath. “What’s the betting he knows exactly where she is and is biding his fuckin’ time until he makes a move?”
I jerk my chin. “My thoughts exactly. There’s something between him and her parents too, something that made them pressure her into marrying him. Some benefit for them, perhaps.”
Dollar wrinkles his nose. “Smells like a dirty cop to me.”
“She bring her car with her?”
Glancing at Lady, I dip my head. “I assume so. How did she get here otherwise?”
“Tracing the licence plate would be easy for a cop.”
Suddenly I feel a hand clamp down on my shoulder. “What’s going on? You lot look fuckin’ serious.”
Blade answers, pointing his cigarette toward me. “Dart’s woman might need our help.”
I splutter. “She’s not my woman.”
Drum sucks in air. “Whenever brothers get involved with a woman that means trouble for the club. What the fuck is it now?” He should talk. Sam, his old lady, definitely got us up to our necks in things we’d rather have stayed out of. There are twenty decaying bodies buried up the top of the compound that can testify to that. But before I can remind him, Prez continues, “Better get talking. Sooner I know what’s going on the fuckin’ better. Dart, Blade. My office, now.”
“Prez, I’ve got to get to the club—”
“Joker?” Drum shouts out. “Fancy babysitting the strippers for a night?”
It seems that will cause Joker no problem at all. After telling him to watch Alex closely, while having the weird feeling I’m letting her down by not being there, I follow Drummer into his office. In all honestly, I don’t know what the fuck I can do to help, and not even knowing whether it’s my place to do anything at all. I just know her situation doesn’t rest easy with me. Having more brains look at it might be better than stewing on it alone.
Half an hour later, Prez starts to sum up. “We’ve got a stripper who’s left her ex, who’s a cop with a violent streak. We all know what a close-knit club that is. He’ll have cop friends all over and quite likely here. They could be keeping tabs on her.”
“In which case, I doubt he’ll like her new occupation.”
Drum glares at me for interrupting. “Or he may feel he’s well shot of her and the kid. Which brings me to the second issue. We don’t offer insurance plans for our employees.” He breaks off as we chuckle. Nah, we tend to stay away from citizen stuff like that. “To help Tyler, she needs a fuckload of cash. She got any immediate needs, Dart?”
I shake my head. “From what she’s told me, no. But if she gives up the idea of the transplant and goes along with the new treatment, the kid will be having hospital visits every couple of weeks, and that’s bound to mount up.”
“Which her ex’s insurance might cover, or could be part of a divorce settlement.”
“Might be the reason why he’d prefer her permanently out of the way. We don’t know what his deductibles look like.” Tapping his fingers against the desk, the prez looks deep in thought. “She’s an employee, but not part of the club. Don’t see how we can use club funds to help, and even if we could, they’re not a bottomless pit.” His brow creases as I open my mouth and his eyes narrow. I shut it again. “If the transplant route has anything going for it, seems like she needs to explore it as soon as she can.” He raps his hand on the table. “So she needs money, and she’s not gonna make enough however good she twirls around that pole. What about a charity run? Might bring in a bit to help.”
Well, fuck me. I raise my head and stare at him, never expecting he’d come up with anything like that. It’s a great fucking idea. Fun for us, and if we get enough people involved, money that can at least be a start toward the procedure Tyler needs. It’s a good time of year for it too. Summer heat is just a memory and so are the fucking monsoons. While I’m thinking on the prez’s suggestion, Blade’s still stuck on her other problems.
“She safe with her sister?” Blade looks concerned.
“Yeah.” I laugh. “The brother-in-law seems pretty protective. He’s a big fella, and not many people would take him on. The sister is very supportive too, doesn’t have a problem watching the kid while Alex is at work.”
“I’ll get Mouse investigating this Thompson, see what he can find. You say he’s based in San Diego? I’ll get in touch with Snake. It’s in his area, he might be able to put out some feelers. At the very least, we should be able to put pressure on him to pay child support.”
“Thanks, Prez.”
A frown appears on his face. “Hate to think of kids hurting. Bad enough with Amy going through losing her parents, but that kid Tyler’s in a world of pain, as well as having been through fuck knows what before she ran.” He pauses and scratches his chin. It crosses my mind he might be thinking about Sam being pregnant and hoping to hell their child’s born healthy. It would explain why he’s so eager to help. Suddenly Drum looks up. “Got a family cookout here tomorrow afternoon. Why not bring her along? Kid like bikes?”
“Loves them.” I grin, remembering his face when I’d let him sit on my Harley.
“Yeah, bring your woman.”
“She’s not my woman.” I’ve got to shut that shit up fast for fuck’s sake and say the first thing that comes into my head which, for some reason is, “Prez, she’s black.”
Drum’s face darkens. “Bylaws say we only have white brothers in the club. Don’t say nothing about ol’ ladies.”
Christ! He’s going too fast for me. Blade laughs at the look on my face.
“She ain’t gonna be riding on the back of my bike. Fuck, Drum. When you meet her, you’ll see she ain’t nothing any of us would go for.” I summon up the mental image of the tiny woman with her top-heavy breasts and wide ass and quickly shake my head to clear it from my mind as my cock twitches. I need to get laid.
Tossing me a strange look, Drum actually laughs. “She’s got to you though. You wouldn’t be wanting to fix all her problems if she was just some bitch whose pussy you wanted in. You’d just do that and be gone.”
Again, I only get so far as opening my mouth before he subjects me to his steely stare. “You’ll bring her to the club, tomorrow. Let the brothers meet her and the kid. You want our help? Let’s see what we’re dealing with. Be one fuck of a lot easier if they all take to her and the boy.”
There is that, I suppose.
I go to stand up. “Dart. Just remember, you want to go that step further she can’t be working at the club.” He thinks I don’t know that?
I scoff, trying to replace the picture of her with an image in my head of the women I like to fuck, and she certainly doesn’t fit into that description. “No worries there, Prez, I know the rules. That’s the last thing I’m thinking. There’s no chance I’ll be going there.” I walk out shaking my head. I do want to help her, but only as a friend. No way I’ll be tapping that. As I’ve tried to tell him, she’s not my type, and even if she was, anyone can see she’s not a one-and-done girl, and I’m not up for anything other than that.
Lunchtime the next day I find myself in the club’s truck despite that I fucking hate riding in a cage. Especially in autumn when the weather’s at its best for riding. Vowing the next thing I’ll do is get her a phone—I mean, who hasn’t got a phone nowadays? Fucking madness. I’m sitting at red lights with the air conditioning turned up full to get me some airflow, while on my way to see if I can persuade her to come to the clubhouse. I know Tyler will be game, the promise of twenty Harleys to check out is sure to attract him. His mother? I’m not too sure what she’ll think of an invitation to a biker compound.
Driving along her street, I’m relieved to see her car sitting in the driveway, and, as I pull up, the sound of childish laughter coming from inside. Today it’s Celine who opens the door. She beams as she recognises me, even without the cut that I’d get a fine for wearing in a
cage, and steps aside to let me in.
“Someone for you, Alex,” she calls as I enter.
Tyler’s the first to see me and struts over like a real little man, his shoulders pulled back. “Dart.” He throws me a very adult chin lift, making me stifle a laugh.
Returning the gesture, I work on keeping my face straight. Alex appears soon after, she’s wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts, her short legs exposed. For once I don’t compare her with the other women I know, but see her for herself, and it dawns on me she actually comes in quite an attractive package. Her proportions are just different from what I’m used to. That ass… Mm mmm.
“Dart?” My name falls off her lips as a question, and then she gives a sly grin. “I’ve already got my tips from last night.”
I smile at her. “You got anything planned this afternoon?”
Her eyes narrow. “No? Why?”
“Good. Got you an invite to a cookout at the club. I brought a cage so there’s no need for you to drive.”
“Cage?” She looks at Tyler and then back at me as if I’m going to crate him or something.
“Cage is a car to us bikers.”
Tyler’s listening carefully and is quick on the uptake. “Can we go in Dart’s cage?”
Fuck, this kid’s going to have me cracking up in a moment.
Again, she looks at the boy, then at me, and her head tilts to one side. “Is it family friendly?”
“Yeah. There’ll be the old ladies there.”
“Old ladies?”
Now I do laugh, realising this is new to her. “That’s what we call the women who belong to my brothers. Oh, and there’s young Amy as well. She’s younger than Tyler, but at least there’ll be another kid around. And probably Jayden, she’s a teenager but enjoys playing with the youngsters.”
Celine nudges her sister. “Go on, why don’t you? You could do getting out of the house and having some fun. It will do Tyler good too. You don’t get much chance to socialise, so why not take it?”
She’s wavering, not sure whether to come or not. I decide to sweeten it. “Look, if you come and feel uncomfortable, I’ll bring you back home. Or, drive yourself if you prefer.”
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