“I’ve got to hit the shitter before we hit the road, brother.” In reality I am going looking for Blaze and Miller, the suspense of not knowing what in the fuck is going on is eating at me. Miller’s office is by the bathroom, so no one will suspect anything of me heading in that direction.
Fuck, there is a guard standing outside of the office door. No matter, I got this shit. Taking one-step into the bathroom, I call out, “Fuck. What the fuck is this shit?” I step back into the hall capturing the attention of the guard with my outburst. “Man, I don’t know what the fuck is going on around here but there is a fucking rat the size of a cat in there.”
He takes the bait and steps inside the bathroom to look. Acting fast and on impulse, I step up close behind him and ram his head down in the toilet until he passes out. Didn’t kill him just giving him a nap and a better-looking nose after he has it reset. Closing the door to the bathroom, I walk down the hall to Miller’s office. I listen at the door to see what is going down.
“Benji runs shit in Texas. Slim didn’t tell you any of this? I thought all the Rebels were in on this deal.” I peek through the door. Miller is relaxed and not at all suspicious, motherfucker ain’t even being cautious. If I were in his seat, I’d have a gun on hand. You never can be too careful, even amongst friends.
“He did, it’s just your shit seems to be better quality, more potent. I had a taste last night over at LL’s with one of the girls. I’m looking to turn something on the side. A little change if you know what I’m saying.” Blaze is selling it pretty good. My first instinct at the mention of Benji was to tear in there and raise hell, but I have learned over the years not to spook the people who got what I want—Benji’s whereabouts.
“I can’t cut you in without talking to Benji first.” Fuck if he calls Benji and mentions Blaze the shit will be dead in the water before I even get out the door.
Before Blaze has time to reply I bust down the door, flip Miller onto his back while he’s still seated in his chair. Pressing my foot to his throat, I growl, “Where’s Benji?”
With an exasperated breath he tries to speak but can’t, so I let off a little of the pressure.
“Not sure,” he whispers hoarsely.
“Don’t fucking lie to me. I heard you say Texas.” I apply more pressure than I did the first time, crushing my boot on his neck.
Miller smacks his palm on the floor signaling he wants to try answering my question again. “West Texas, that’s all I know, man. Come on, Grim, you don’t want to go to war with me.” He is gasping for air.
“You’re right I don’t.” I pull the gun with a silencer I had hidden in my boot out and end Miller.
“Fuck, man, what are going to do now?” Blaze is freaking out and pacing the office as Miller bleeds out. “How do we explain this shit? Why in the fuck did you shoot him?”
“Because he was no friend of mine or our club. Motherfucker knew where Benji was and never offered the information. Fucker was in with the Rejects and implied that Slim is. Shit is bad for all of us. This shit is bigger than just drugs, it means Slim betrayed me, and I can’t believe he’d do that. You’re going to say that Miller tried to kill Romeo. That he asked you to help him. That he offered you a patch.” I grab him by the neck and our foreheads are resting against one another’s, my nostrils are flared. I don’t want to hurt Blaze, but I will if it gets me to Sarah.
“Alright,” Blaze chokes out in surrender.
“Don’t stress it, brother. This shit will work out."
“Fuck you, man. This shit ain’t cool. Don’t sit right with me, but you are my brother, and I trust you.”
Romeo comes into the room dragging Miller’s guard from the bathroom. “Jesus, Grim, what the fuck are you doing? You were supposed to let Blaze get some privy information, not kill the fucking President and incapacitate his lieutenant. What do you want me to do with this clown? I got LL giving body shots to give us some time but not much.”
“He won’t wake up until after we are on the road.” I wipe my prints off the gun and place it in his hand. “Fuck it, the story is dipshit killed his own President and we know nothing. Blaze you witnessed it go down. Are you ready to do this?" I look to both Romeo and Blaze.
They nod in unison. “Ride free or die trying.”
Giving it my all I haul back and co-cock Blaze with all I got square in the jaw. Have to make this shit believable. Blaze hits the floor and Romeo helps me stage the scene. I had to catch Blaze with his guard down to make the plan work. He would have instinctively blocked my punch had he known it was coming. Romeo uses my piece and kills the guard.
I head into the bathroom and fire up a joint while Romeo goes and fetches Downey the VP of The Disciples. Fuck, I hope this works. Slim is going to have our asses for this, but he should have known I wouldn’t stand by and sweep this shit under the rug. He knows how I feel about drugs after the way I was brought up and the shit that went down between my mother and me.
“Fuck,” I hear Downey cursing as he begins to freak the fuck out.
Stepping into the chaos, I blow a cloud of smoke into Downey’s face, “Let’s make a deal.”
Scrubbing his hands over his scruffy brown beard, Downey acknowledges he is ready to hear me out. “We help make you the new Prez and you give me all you know about Benji. Don’t think too hard. We ain’t got all damned day.”
He takes a mere moment to assess the situation and thinks over his choices briefly.
Without hesitation, he looks me directly in the eyes. “San Antonio. Benji, a woman, some guy Raccoon or something like that and a kid. No address. I just know that is where they stay. We get straight from them, they deliver, and we pay. Simple as that.”
“Alright, how’d this deal get hooked up?” Romeo flashes his gun, letting him know not to get any ideas.
“Ask your president, him and Miller set it up years ago. Now that’s all I know. What are you going to do for me?” His face goes serious Downey isn’t fuckin’ around either.
“Blaze will attest to the fact that Miller and that ugly motherfucker got in a heated debate. The lieutenant shot Miller, so Blaze shot him in defense, you didn’t know what was going on, so you knocked Blaze out. You become Prez, we keep our moonshine deal and you let me know any information you get on Benji.” Not a solid story but it is all we got to go with.
**
Out at the bar Romeo walks over to LL, whispers something in her ear. She smiles and hugs his neck. I’m glad to see the two of them get over their shit. If I had put an end to Hook and his games years ago that could have been Red and me getting our happy ending. But in my life, there is no happy ending, there is hurt and despair.
After attending choir with the Disciples and Blaze preaching his side things with the club is settled. Blaze and Romeo are heading home to Drag Creek with LL. I am headed to Texas. The time has come to make Benji pay. It’s time for Sarah to come home and be where she belongs—with her sister.
Chapter 7
Texas
Sarah
My legs are weak and feeling unstable. My middle hurts. I finally started my period. Well that’s what Betty said it was. I can’t remember anything after Betty sticking up for me. It is all a blur. Now when Squirrel looks at me, he has this weird grin on his ugly tattooed face. He looks at me as if he knows a secret about me and I don’t like it. He gives me the willies.
“Pack what ye can, we gotta go right quick. You know how your daddy is.” Betty winces as she bends down to get my duffle bag. She still hasn’t recovered from the beating Diablo gave her. He says Grim is coming for me, but I don't wanna run. I wanna stay right here. I hope he finds me. I hope he kills us all.
“I don't want to go, Betty. Why doesn’t Daddy just kill Grim? Is he scared of him?” Distracting Betty with my pointless questions, I take the last book she gave me and stick it under the crate. If Grim is really coming for me, I want him to know he was close.
Chapter 8
San Antonio, Texas
&nb
sp; Grim
Place is empty, must have skipped out days ago. Motherfuckin’ Disciples must have warned him, should have fucking known better than to trust them. Kicking an old crate in the living room of this dinky house, there is a book underneath it. The book itself doesn’t catch my attention but the picture that is sticking out from it does. Bending down I pick the book up and look it over. “Vampires.” I laugh under my breath. Betty used to read these. I haven’t thought about that crazy bitch in years. She gave one hell of a blowjob though. Flipping the book open the picture falls out onto the floor and Red, my heart, stares back up at me, her memory haunting me.
My chest squeezes tight as I remember her beauty.
Now I know I am on the right track. Bending down I take the picture in my hands, studying it I see her arms wrapped lovingly around the bump in her midriff. This must be her pregnant with Sarah. Red is smiling, was she happy with Benji? Did she lie to me about him? Was she playing me? Nah, I can’t believe it. She hated him that much I know.
A quick search through all the rooms doesn’t turn up anything else, but this picture. I grip it bending the edges, this proves Benji was here and hopefully Sarah too. After canvassing the neighborhood and unable to turn up any other leads, I know that there is nothing more to be done in this town. As much as it pains me to say it, there is nothing more I can do here. After putting in a call to Romeo to have LL reach out to her girls in Chicago for information, I hit the road again.
**
Another city, another nameless whore sucking my dick. Everything looks and sounds the same, and yet I can’t get that feeling again. The feeling I had with Red, that feeling that made me feel alive, like I mattered. She loved me despite all the ugliness that I carry with me both inside and out. Red didn’t care that I had murdered hundreds. That I wasn’t capable of giving her a white picket fence, with sunshine and roses. She loved the gritty and rawness I gave her. That love she gave me in return was motherfuckin’ beautiful. And that’s what keeps me going—what keeps me pressing forward night after night in search of the one thing I promised her. A good life for Sarah.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I look over and this whore has the nerve to be parading around the room in my cut. No one touches my cut.
“Don’t you think I look hot?” She smiles a wide a toothy grin, her auburn hair frames her tiny face. She straddles my lap as I toke on my joint and offer her a hit. Her pussy grinds over my dick.
“I think you had better take it off.”
“Why is that.” she coughs, blowing smoke in my face.
Wrapping my fist through her thick mane, I growl in her ear, “Because I am through with you.” Shock at my brutal honesty registers on her face, her playful smile fades. “Sweetheart, you didn’t think one roll in the sack would get you a brand, did you?” He face falls and her bottom lip trembles. “You did? That’s real cute and all, but you aren’t top bitch material. In the future, you may want to think about learning how to suck dick better. I’ve seen better action out of a fucking Hoover.”
Her hand goes up and she hesitates, giving me a chance to grab her wrist before she makes the mistake of smacking me. With my other hand I help her shrug off my cut. Her perky little titties don’t do a damn thing for me. A tear pricks in the corner of her eye. “Don’t take it personal, you aren’t my type.” I smack her on the ass as she grabs her clothes off the floor. “I prefer my women with some curves on them.” I take a twenty from my wallet on the nightstand and throw it in her direction. “Here get ye a cheeseburger, might help with them curves.”
“You’re a real asshole,” she spits her words at me as if she can insult me.
“Never said I wasn’t.” I laugh as she slams the door with unnecessary force.
My phone rings and it's Foxie’s name showing on the screen. I don’t want to talk to her, but I answer in case it has to do with Baby.
Grim: Speak to me.
Foxie: When you coming home?
Grim: Can’t rightly say, something wrong?
Foxie: Nothing other than the usual shit. I was thinking of you. What are you doing?
Grim: Breaking hearts, nothing new.
Foxie goes silent on the other end of the line. I’m not sure what she expects of me or wants from me. She knows there will never be anything between us. I don’t know why she tries to force something that isn’t there. Sure, I care about her, but that’s just it. I care for her. I don’t love her. Besides, she is my best friend’s wife. Even if he is a sorry sack of shit.
Grim: Is that all? You heard my voice. I’m fine. Got shit to do. Tell the kid I’ll bring her a present when I roll back through.
The line goes dead without another word from Foxie. Time for some shuteye I have a long drive tomorrow, heading to Nevada. I got a tip that Benji has a cousin out that way.
Chapter 9
Southern Alabama
Sarah
We have been in Alabama for almost a month now and got a real nice place to stay. We live near the coast. Daddy has even been letting Betty take me to the beach some. He is being nice, and it is weird. He and Uncle Squirrel even hung me a tire swing. Diablo says I can’t go back to school, says it just isn’t safe yet. Our neighbor let Betty and I use her car to go into town. Betty bought me a new bathing suit and a bra. She made me promise not to tell. Said she had some money put back just for the occasion.
Daddy and Squirrel are working for a new club. He says they are really going to make some money now. They have a garage out behind our new house. I don’t know what they do in there, but it can’t be anything good if they have to have masks on to go inside. I think Betty and I are getting more free time because they have to spend so much time out back. I am not complaining though, going to enjoy it while I can. When it comes to my daddy, you never know how long his moods will last. When he will go from being daddy to Diablo.
I am in the kitchen helping Betty cook dinner; it feels almost like having a real mom and a real home if it weren’t for Daddy and Squirrel. “Betty, can I ask you something?”
“As long as it isn’t something you know you aren’t supposed to be asking. Your daddy has been in a good mood. Let’s try to keep it that way.” She continues pressing the patties for burgers.
“Did you come in my room last night?”
Betty stops her work abruptly and takes as deep breath. “No, child. What gave you that impression?” She is looking at me with concern but trying not to show me my question makes her nervous. Betty has never been very good at hiding her emotions.
“Maybe I imagined it, but late last night I heard a noise and there was someone standing at the foot of my bed, but I couldn’t make out who it was. It was too dark. You don’t think it was Grim...do you? Daddy says he got too close this last time.”
“No, baby If it were him, we’d all be dead. I want you to do something for me, are you listening?” I nod so she will continue. She gets a real serious look on her face. “If anyone comes into your room again, I want you to scream as loud as you can, and if that doesn’t stop them. Here. Take this.” She reaches me a steak knife. “I want you to put this under your mattress where you can reach it right quick, but don’t hurt yourself.”
“Okay, Betty.” I do as she says, and I take the knife to my room. Not sure how she thinks this could keep Grim away, but I’ll do what she says.
“I wish that door of yours had a lock. I’ll see what I can do about getting you one,” Betty says when I come back into the kitchen. Uncle Squirrel comes into the house for a shower, so I don’t continue the conversation. It’s none of his business, and I still get an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach when he looks at me.
Betty went outside with Daddy to put the burgers on the grill, while I stayed inside to get the French fries going and make a salad. After Squirrel gets out of the shower, he joins me in the kitchen. He comes over to me and stands too close behind me. The smell of his cologne is overwhelming. He places his hand over mine. “Here. You’re cutting it
wrong. Let me show you.” I freeze when his tongue brushes over my ear while he is talking to me. He is trying to guide my hand and show me how to chop onions, but I cannot move. My mind flashes and I can feel him pressing his weight on me and I am crying. I feel like I can’t breathe. My chest is constricting and growing tight with panic. The room feels like I am on a tilt a whirl at the carnival, but I can’t see anything.
I come back to when I feel the blade of the knife graze my finger. Squirrel is sitting at the table reading the newspaper, and I am at the counter alone. Betty comes rushing over to me, grabbing a paper towel and wrapping it around my finger. She looks between me and Uncle Squirrel, but she doesn’t say anything. Daddy finishes dinner while she bandages my finger.
I can’t believe he didn’t get angry. He finished fixing the food without a word. He even let me eat by myself in my room when I said I wasn’t feeling well.
After dinner, I pull out the latest book Betty has given me to read. This one is about a princess in Victorian London who can see ghost and communicate with the dead. The main character is a teenager and she is in love with a ghost. This story is tragic and heartbreaking, but I cannot put it down. I keep reading until my eyes begin to blur and water.
Later in the night, I awaken to that eerie feeling as if I am being watched. I rub my eyes and that’s when I see him. Before I can scream a rough hand clamps over my mouth. I think back to what Betty told me and try to reach my hand down and slide it under the edge of the mattress. “Looking for this?” Squirrel’s rancid breath penetrates my nose as he holds the kitchen knife and waves it in front of my face. “Don’t be scared, Sarah. I just want to show you how much you mean to me. I will always protect you. One day I will take you away from here and you will be my wife.” I try hard as I can to bite his fingers, but I fail to connect with his skin.
Just Ride Black Rebel Riders' MC Volume 1 Page 14
