Chains

by Wilder, Chiah

  “When are you gonna get married again?” Bret asked.

  “Never.”

  “You’d think differently if you had a pretty and classy woman like mine.” Bret raised his hand and gestured to someone behind Chains. “I want you to meet her.”

  “Is the drink good?” Amelia asked.

  Chains jerked his head back. “It’s tequila—of course it’s good.” When his sister’s face fell, he shook his head. “I’m just messin’ with you. Yeah, it’s real good, and I could use another one.”

  “Okay.” She snatched his glass from him and ambled away.

  “Here’s my sweetie,” Bret said.

  Chains turned around and his insides went cold as he locked gazes with Autumn. A gasp flew past her lips, and she quickly pressed a hand to her mouth.

  “This”—she faltered, her eyes cutting to Bret—“is your brother, Chet?”

  Chains leaned in slowly. “Yeah,” he said in a low voice. He was so close that he could smell the fresh, clean scent of her hair and the seductive fragrance of her perfume.

  Autumn’s skin flushed pink and then red, and she stumbled backward, nearly losing her balance, but his strong arm reached out and supported her. Her gaze sliced to his, and it looked like she was going to pass out.

  “You don’t look so good. Are you okay?” Bret asked.

  A few heartbeats passed before she spoke. “All of a sudden it feels so stuffy. I just need to get some fresh air.” She looked away from Chains.

  When Autumn ran her fingers up and down Bret’s arm, sparks of anger ignited inside Chains, but he feigned indifference.

  Bret wrapped an arm around her visibly trembling frame. “This pretty woman is Autumn.” He neared his face toward hers, but Autumn turned hers away, and his lips landed on her jaw.

  “Here’s your tequila,” Amelia said. Her eyes darted between the three of them as if sensing the mounting tension.

  “Thanks, again.” Chains drained the glass and put it on the buffet table. “I gotta go.”

  “But you just got here,” Amelia said.

  “Typical—just do the minimum. That’s the story of your life.” Irritation punctuated his voice.

  In one swift move, he grabbed hold of Bret by his shirt and pulled him to within inches of Chains’s face.

  “Don’t ever fuckin’ disrespect me!” He pushed Bret away.

  “What’s going on here? His father’s voice boomed. “Chet?”

  Chains turned around and marched into the kitchen. Rage burned inside him. From the corner of his eye, he saw his dad approaching.

  “I want to talk to you,” he said sternly.

  “What’s going on, Stanley?” Anxiety laced his mother’s voice.

  Chains looked at his mom. “I gotta go. See you.”

  “Already? What’s happened?” Regina rushed over to him.

  “Don’t coddle the fucker,” Stanley said.

  “Nothing’s happened. I didn’t plan on staying very long.”

  “You shouldn’t have even come,” his dad growled.

  “Stanley!”

  Chains stalked out of the kitchen. I can’t fuckin’ believe she’s that asshole’s woman. As he made his way down the sidewalk the click-clack of heels reverberated through his skull.

  “Chains! Wait up,” Autumn said breathlessly.

  He picked up the pace, putting more distance between them.

  “Please,” she said.

  He reached his bike and jumped on, but she’d caught up to him and gripped the handlebars.

  “I want to talk to you.”

  Chains cocked his head to the side as he slowly took out a pair of sunglasses. “About what?”

  “I had no idea you were Bret’s brother.”

  “Why does that matter?”

  Autumn let go of the bike and stepped back, her mouth parted as if startled by his response.

  He slipped his shades on. “Welcome to the family.” With the flip of a switch, the bike roared to life.

  “You act like you’re mad at me, and I don’t know why,” she said.

  “I’m not mad.”

  Chains revved the motor and Autumn jumped back. Without another word, he pulled away from the curb and sped off.

  Houses, trees, and storefronts blurred past him as he rode like the wind, all thoughts and feelings disappeared into nothingness. The cool air whipped around Chains, the smell of sage and damp earth filled his nostrils as the rumble of the engine and the vibration of the bike underneath connected him to the landscape, to the universe, and took him the hell out of his head.

  After the three-hour solo ride, Chains walked into the clubhouse and held up two fingers to the prospect behind the bar.

  “Where’s Thor?” he asked.

  Aztec glanced over at the couches where several of the club girls sat watching the big screen television.

  “I think Ruby took him out for a walk. He kept looking out at the lot like he was waiting for you to get home.”

  “I went for a ride.” Chains walked over to the bar.

  “Didn’t you have something to do with your parents?” Aztec said as he followed him.

  Chains salted his hand then threw back the double shot of tequila. “I only stopped by.” He sucked on the lime wedge, then tossed it aside. “It was too nice of a day to pass up a ride.”

  “Damn straight. Crow and me rode earlier. Where’d you go?”

  “San Juan Mountains—Tecolote Pass.” He looked over at the club women.

  “You must’ve gone for a long ride. I fuckin’ love that pass.” Aztec picked up the beer bottle Vegas put in front of him.

  “It was awesome.” Chains pushed away from the counter. “I’m gonna see if the girls know where Ruby is.”

  He ambled over, and as he approached the women, he saw Lila painting her nails and Kelly swiping polish on her toes.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Lila looked up and smiled. “Hey, cutie.” She shook her right hand while blowing the nails of her left one.

  “Aztec told me Ruby took Thor for a walk. How long have they been gone?” Ever since Thor had that episode with the poisonous berries, Chains had become super protective of him. He’d told the women not to take Thor into the woods, but sometimes they forgot.

  “About twenty minutes,” Fina said while staring at the TV.

  “Where’d she take Thor?”

  Fina shrugged.

  “I think she took him on the road next to the club,” Kelly said, looking up.

  “Thanks,” he said before leaving the clubhouse. Chains had told Ruby many times not to take walks outside of the MC’s property unless one of the members was with her. The area around the club was desolate.

  He started the SUV’s engine, drove out of the lot, then turned left on the old highway. About a quarter of the way down, the road forked, and Chains turned right onto an unpaved street. He and some of the other members had found Ruby walking in that particular area in the past, so he thought it was the best place to begin the search.

  Groves of scrub pines interspersed with sagebrush, cactus, and the occasional adobe bungalow. The SUV made a sharp left, kicking up dust as it bounced down a narrow road. Chains passed by a cement block wall with a broken bottle atop it, surrounding a stucco house that had a single strand of Christmas lights around it.

  Slowing down to avoid a large dip in the road, he heard Thor barking. From the pitch and steady duration, Chains knew something wasn’t right. He leaned over and took out a Glock from the glove box, then pushed his foot down on the accelerator and sped in the direction of Thor’s barks.

  As Chains came up on a path littered with stones, he saw a big four-wheel drive pickup parked to the side.

  “Leave me alone!” A thread of fear wove through Ruby’s voice.

  Anger rippled through Chains as he pulled the car over and jumped out. The muscles at the back of his jaw pulsed as he walked with purpose toward the loud voices.

  “Shut that fucking dog up!” a man ye
lled.

  “I bet you like that, bitch,” another man growled.

  As he approached from behind, Chains saw a tall, skinny man wielding a baseball bat and a muscular man pinning Ruby to the ground. His pants were part down and he straddled her while punching her in the face. Thor’s teeth shone in the afternoon sun as he snarled and barked at the man carrying the bat.

  Chains quickly closed the distance, and without a word, he kicked the asshole in the back with his steel-toed boot, then dragged him off the club girl and stomped on the jerk’s flaccid dick.

  “Patton, get this fucker off me,” he yelled.

  The skinny guy stopped in his tracks, then turned around. His face blanched as he rushed over. Chains held up the gun and shot the bat, and the douchebag yelled out and dropped it. Thor rushed at the man and clamped down on the fucker’s leg with his teeth, trying to pull him down.

  “Get him off me,” Patton yelled as he stumbled to the ground.

  Chains watched as the asshole punched Thor and tried to tear him off his body, but Chains knew the pathetic jerk didn’t stand a chance against the dog.

  Ruby scrambled to her feet, then ran over to her attacker and kicked him hard in the shin. “That’s for being a fuckin’ asshole!”

  “My car’s parked by the road. Get inside and lock the doors. I’ll be there in a minute,” Chains said.

  “Call your damn dog off!” Skinny ass yelled.

  Chains glanced over and saw Thor biting the man all over.

  “Looked to me like you were gonna use that bat on him,” Chains said calmly as he raised his boot and slammed it back down on the muscular jerk on the ground.

  “I wasn’t. Fuck, he’s gonna kill me.”

  Chains looked away and gave another blow to the jerk’s dick. “You like hurting women, asshole? You’re not so tough now, are you?” He added a few more blows.

  The man closed his eyes and moaned.

  “Shit! Help me! The dog’s killing me!”

  Chains whistled loudly, and Thor jumped away from the crying man and rushed over to his owner. He licked Chains’s hand and sat next to him, his bright eyes fixed on the man he’d just been attacking.

  “You did real good, buddy,” Chains said as he patted the top of the husky’s head.

  Chains landed another hard blow—this time to the rapist’s stomach, and glanced over at the skinny jerk who was curled up in a ball sniveling.

  “Time to get going, buddy.” Chains snapped his fingers and Thor barked, his tail wagging a mile a minute. Chains chuckled, then headed to the SUV.

  “I know what you’re going to say,” Ruby said as he slid into the driver’s seat. “I’m sorry, but in my defense, I was so paranoid about Thor eating those berries again that I decided to go where I know he’d be okay.” Her voice hitched and she blinked several times.

  He gently pinched her cheek. “Don’t sweat it. I appreciate you taking Thor out, but next time just keep your ass on the property, okay?” Chains looked over at her and winked.

  Ruby scooted over and rested her head against his arm. “You’re the best. I’m surprised no one has caught you. If I was the settling down type, I’d make a play for you, and I wouldn’t let any of the other women around you.” She craned her neck and kissed him softly on the jaw.

  Chains kept his eyes straight ahead, hating that Autumn had slipped back into his mind. Now that she’s gonna be my sister-in-law, she’s fuckin’ off limits.

  “Thor was tryin’ so hard to defend me.” Ruby’s voice broke through his thoughts.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yep. That fuckin’ skinny ass had a bat so that’s why Thor couldn’t do what he wanted to.”

  “I’m just glad I came looking for you when I did.”

  “I’m not even sure where they came from. There’s rarely anyone on that road except for Mr. Colombo, and sometimes, Mrs. Castillo. Mr. Colombo is a real sweet older man. He always gives me a plant when he sees me.”

  “So, he’s the one responsible for all that shit in your room?” He chuckled.

  “Don’t you like them?”

  “I’m just joking.” He glanced at her and saw the red marks around her face start to darken. “When we get back, you gotta put some ice on your face. We got pain pills in case you need any. Did he hurt you anywhere else?”

  “Not really. He was a little rough with my tits, but I bit him and that’s when he started hitting on me. I swear I don’t know where they came from.”

  “Motherfuckers like them go trolling for women. You were the perfect prey—alone in an isolated place. Don’t do that shit again. If I hadn’t come, who knows what they would’ve done to you.”

  Ruby visibly shuddered. “I know. It’s just starting to sink in how bad it could’ve been. I’ve learned my lesson.”

  “Do you want a joint?”

  Her blonde curls danced when she nodded.

  He reached into the inner pocket of his cut and took one out. “Matches are in the glove box.”

  Ruby moved over and after lighting the joint, she blew the smoke out the window. For the rest of the drive back, they were both lost in their thoughts. Of course, Autumn had the starring role in Chains’s musings, and as hard as he tried, she wouldn’t go away. He figured in time, she’d be replaced by the next pretty and sexy woman who caught his eye, but deep down he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Autumn was the first woman who’d had an impact on him since his divorce. There was a connection between them that he couldn’t explain, and he knew she felt it too. Why else would she run after him when he’d left his parents’ house?

  Autumn had acted like it was her fault that Bret was her fiancé. Most women who were happy and secure with their relationship wouldn’t have given him the time of day, except for maybe a glance or two, and they certainly wouldn’t have left their man to run after his brother like she did that day.

  None of this shit matters ’cause she’s Bret’s woman. And even though there was no love lost between them, Chains wouldn’t think of messing with his brother’s woman. But a part of him was pissed and he didn’t understand why. It wasn’t like he and Autumn really knew each other or went out. She was Thor’s vet and she saved his life, but then, that was what she was supposed to do, right?

  Deep down inside him, the thought that his jerk brother didn’t deserve her pricked at him, but he had no intentions of thinking further on that.

  “Whatcha thinking about?” Ruby said, breaking the silence.

  Chains turned onto the road leading to the clubhouse. “Not much.”

  “You’re a pretty quiet guy sometimes. I think it’s because you’re so smart. I mean, you do all that computer stuff and make all that software. I dated a real smart guy once—he wanted to be a doctor, so he was in school studying all that. He was so serious and always thinking.” She glanced over at him. “He wasn’t as good-looking as you, but he liked being by himself and could be real quiet. I don’t know—you kinda remind me of him—the smart and quiet stuff, I mean.”

  Chains nodded, then leaned out the window and punched in the code. The steel gates opened and he drove through.

  “Let me know if you need some meds,” he said before turning off the ignition.

  “Will do. I just want a long hot shower.”

  “I’ll let the guys know what’s up so they don’t bother you tonight.” Chains opened the driver’s back door and Thor jumped out of the car.

  “Thanks. You’re a real sweetie—just like the medical student.” She giggled, then sashayed into the clubhouse.

  Thor dashed toward the back porch while Chains sauntered after him. He filled one of Thor’s bowls with water and watched the husky lap it up. The leaves on the oak tree rustled softly in the crisp breeze, and a few of them in warm colors of gold and red floated in the air until finally collapsing to the ground.

  Chains leaned against the cool stucco wall of the porch and watched Thor run and bark while trying to catch the falling leaves. Then, in an instant, Autumn was in his he
ad again. Images of her warm smile and the copper highlights in her auburn hair caused a deep yearning in his gut. For one fleeting moment, Chains regretted that he’d sworn off citizen women since his divorce.

  The screen door slammed behind him, and Chains looked over and saw Aztec walking toward him.

  “Ruby’s singing your praises, dude,” the biker said as he took out a joint.

  “I wanted to kill those fuckers, but we don’t need the damn badges up our ass,” he replied.

  “Did you hurt them at least?”

  Chains nodded. “Thor and I made sure they were in a whole lot of pain. Motherfuckers.”

  “Yeah—assholes like that gotta be taught a lesson. I hope Ruby learned hers—this was bound to happen.” Aztec blew a thin stream of smoke out of the corner of his mouth.

  “I got a feeling she won’t be walking alone anymore.”

  “We’re headed to Brother’s for some food—you wanna come?”

  Chains pushed off from the wall with the heel of his boot. “Yeah—barbecue sounds real good.” He whistled for Thor, who dashed over. “Let me feed him first.”

  “Sure.” Aztec threw down the spent joint and snubbed it out with the toe of his boot. He held the screen door open for Chains and Thor, then went inside.

  Chains had a ton of work to finish, but he didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts that night. He’d rather lose himself in motorcycle talk, throw back a few shots of tequila, and check out the chicks at the restaurant. Maybe he’d join the brothers afterward at the club’s strip bar. It’d been a while since Chains had been to Lust, and he’d heard that Army and Brutus had hired a few new dancers. It was about time he got back to his old ways and stopped acting like a fucking pansy. As a matter of fact, he was glad, no … thrilled that Autumn and Bret were getting hitched—it kept him from losing his damn head.

  “Ready to roll?” Eagle asked as he walked into the main room.

  Chains pulled Thor close and nuzzled his face into the dog’s soft fur. “Be good,” he whispered. Rising to his feet, he cleared his throat. “Thor gets no more than two treats, and let him out in the back area only, not in the open space.”

  “Sure, baby,” Alma said.

  Kelly nodded, then threw a kiss at him.