Baby (Black Rebel Riders' MC)

by Glenna Maynard

  "Baby, you know I care about you right?" He lets out a deep breath and sighs, a frown forming at the corners of his mouth. I don't say anything, afraid of where this conversation is headed. "So do you want to tell me how in the fuck it is that Lucky, a motherfucking Devils Reject knows your name?"

  I tense instantly when he mentions Lucky, but I am not biting that easily. "Well it is no secret who my father is and they are our biggest rival, not hard to know how to press buttons when you know what you are aiming for." I smile proudly with my white lie.

  "That's true but Baby, I don't want to have to tell you again, don't you ever fucking go around any member of the Devils Rejects. If I hear of it again I will take it to Grim, then you will have to deal with him. Feel me?"

  "Yeah, I feel you. Are we cool?"

  "One more thing, I keep having a memory or a dream where we..." his cheeks flush, is he embarrassed? "Did we?" he has a confused look on his face; he must be having flashbacks of the night we almost went all the way.

  "Let me refresh your mind." I straddle his lap and tug on his zipper. "You mean to tell me you don't remember claiming me and asking me to be your old lady when I turn eighteen." Rebel looks scared shitless. I unbutton the top two buttons of my shirt.

  He takes a deep breath swallowing the lump in his throat, "I did what?" He grabs my hands stopping me from undressing any further.

  "I'm just fucking with you. We kissed, we fooled around, and it felt like I was making out with a cousin or something. Don't worry; you are off of my radar. You have been for a while, what is with you. You need to lay off that puff puff pass and moonshine, it's fried your brain."

  Our conversation comes to a stop at the sound of a voice filtering through the vent in the floor at the by the bed below our heads at the head of the bed. "I must have fainted. Guess I forgot to eat and the heat got to me. I'm so sorry. I feel like an idiot." Her voice is muffled but I know it's her—Rumor.

  Rebel scurries from the bed as if someone just told him the Roadhouse was on fire. Without a word, I begin to follow him down the stairs to the bar. Rebel comes to a halt at the foot of the stairs with me standing a few steps behind him. Rumor looks over at the two of us just as I button the last two buttons of my shirt. She has a lost expression on her face, before her facade suddenly changes. It's as if something inside of her has snapped, as she leans up to Tread and places a small kiss on his mouth.

  Rebel doesn't look back at me and continues out the back door, I follow him, stopping in the kitchen. I know he needs space and has a lot on his mind.

  Rumor

  Struggling to sit up I look to my left when I spot Rebel and Baby coming down the stairs, his fly is open and she is buttoning her shirt. I guess everything he said was meaningless. It was all a lie, all of those nights he spent holding me and sleeping on my floor, chasing my demons away meant nothing to him. It was just a means to an end, guess he wanted to know what it would be like to fuck sisters. Glad I never gave him the chance. I don't know why I feel so angry, so betrayed, but something inside of me breaks and I want to hurt Rebel like he has me. I want to cut him to the bone. Tread is looking down at me with a sweet look on his face, concern for me. I lean up and place a kiss of gratitude on his mouth. When I look back to where Baby and Rebel were standing, they are gone. I feel like a piece of me has died, I have nothing left in me, nothing to fight for him anymore. Baby can have him. I am so done. I don't know why I ever thought he and I would ever have a chance anyway. I am out of here soon.

  "What was that for?' Tread is holding a bewildered look on his face.

  "Just a thank you for not letting me hit the floor. I think I am going to grab a small bite to eat and call it a night."

  "Later Rumor." He walks me to the kitchen before heading out himself.

  Baby and Rebel deserve each other, they both like to toy with people, screw it she can close up the kitchen tonight, and I am done being her doormat. Walking out the back door as LL comes in I give her a weak smile. I can't believe I just did that, that I kissed Tread and left Baby hanging. It feels kind of good. Glancing over at the garage, I see Rebel and Striker smoking one, Rebel waves at me and I flip him the finger. Instead of going home as I planned, I takeout the keys Sunshine left me to her car and decide to pay Inkman a visit.

  Inkman has a shop on the outskirts of town I hope he is in tonight. I didn't think to call first, but I am already here. The sign on the door says open. Inside I take a look at all the different designs showcased on the walls. Some I recognize from some of the work he has done on the Rebels.

  "Hey Rumor, what can I do ya for?" Inkman steps out from the back room. If you didn't know him personally, he would scare the beejeezus out of you at first sight. The man is covered in tattoos. I would be willing to bet that there isn't one inch of him that isn't inked, including his ears.

  "You got time to do some work for me tonight?" I have been wanting to get this tattoo for a while and today seems like a good day to get it. I am ready to start living again. I am tired of playing it safe and leaving all the boys to Baby to play with. Why should she have all the fun, I could flirt, I could be one of those girls, it would be good practice for when I am ready to date after I leave Drag Creek.

  "Sure I have always got time for a beautiful canvas, what did you have in mind?" He is the sweetest, the first time he inked me he said I had the perfect skin for tattooing.

  "Well I was thinking of getting an empty bird cage with the door open and having a sparrow in flight with a trail of feathers behind it. I want the birdcage on the back of my left shoulder blade and the bird to be right about here," I turn to show him the spot I am talking about, right above my right hipbone.

  "Are you wanting it in color or shaded in black and grey?"

  "What do you think?"

  "Let me sketch on it for a minute and we will go from there. Just have a seat in the lounge and watch some TV or read a magazine for a few. I'll be back out when I have it ready."

  "Sounds good."

  After flipping through a few magazines, Inkman comes out and brings his sketchpad with him. He has designed exactly what I had envisioned. "It's perfect."

  "Okay, follow me." He leads me into the back to where he sees all of his clients. "I'll give you a minute to get settled. I am going to need you to remove your shirt and your bra and lie across the chair on your stomach." The first time I came here I had to take my shirt off I was so uncomfortable with my history, but I trust Inkman and he goes out of his way to make sure I am comfortable with everything he does.

  I get undressed from the waist up and take my place. Inkman has the chair at an angle so that I am positioned to give him the best access to my back and to provide me with the most comfortable position he can. Taking an alcohol swab, he cleans the area thoroughly and gets started. The first strike of the needle is always the worst, but I welcome the pain. It reminds me that I can feel that I am alive, that Grim saved me that fateful night in Alabama. Had I endured much more from Squirrel, I may have ended my life.

  The tattoo gun buzzing in my ears almost puts me to sleep. Another thing I appreciate about Inkman, he leaves me alone with my thoughts. He doesn't press me to talk or try to pry into my life. He does his job quietly and efficiently only breaking for an occasional cigarette break. I guess that is what hurts the most about Rebel; I told him every dirty truth about me. Maybe I told him too much and he didn't want someone who was tainted by rape. On the other hand, maybe I am just an idiot and all Rebel really wanted was to be my friend and I got the wrong idea when he said that he loved me—that he needed me.

  I get lost inside of my head my thoughts and newfound hope being swallowed by my self-doubt and the demons who taunt me. I crave to be free yet I am too scared to take any real steps to get to where I want to be. Inkman gives me a towel to cover my breasts with before I stand so he can show me his artwork in the mirror. It is beautiful, he did the birdcage in black and grey, but he made the sparrow and her trail of feathers in color. I swear this man
is amazing. The bird looks like she could come to life and take flight from my skin.

  I suppose you might be wondering what the meaning is behind my tattoo...the cage represents my life with Diablo, the feathers are the pieces of myself I have lost, and the bird represents the freedom I will gain once I truly spread my wings and allow myself to take flight.

  5

  Rebel

  Heading out the back of the Roadhouse, my heart is hammering out of my chest. I don't know what got into me. How can I come in between two sisters the way I have. I would never let a woman do that to Striker and me. Fuck, I messed everything up. Baby is underage; if Grim finds out, he will kill me without a second thought.

  I knew the rules; you do not fuck a member's daughter, especially one who isn't of age. Baby is of the legal age of consent in the state of Kentucky, but I know Grim won't see it that way even if I didn't really fuck her. All it would take is for one person to say they seen me screwing around with Baby and Grim would put me in the ground. I walk over to the garage to talk to my brother; I hope he has a plan to help me out of this tangled web I have weaved.

  "Hey, hope you don't mind but I invited Rumor to double with me and Aspen this weekend, figured you'd like a chance at getting her alone outside of the club, while Grim is away. You know what they say while the reaper is away the hellions will play." Striker laughs as he wipes the lens of his glasses on the edge of his shirt.

  "Yeah, well I just blew that all to shit. Maybe you should ask Tread to take her instead." I clinch my fists as the vision of her placing her lips to his plays through my mind.

  "What did you do?" My brother looks like he is entertained by my idiocy. I fill him on everything that happened with Baby, my meeting with Lucky—leaving out the part where he mentioned Baby.

  "Damn bro, she played your ass. You know how manipulative Baby is. But fuck you might as well get ready to brand her wild ass, her old man will slice you up like a Christmas ham when he finds out. And let me guess somehow Rumor seen the two of you. Priceless." He punches me in the rib and offers me a joint.

  "Brother, you are a genius."

  "Nah man, it's the weed or maybe the glasses."

  "Maybe I ought to get me a pair. Then maybe I'd stop being a dumbass." I take another toke off the joint and grab a jar of apple pie shine from the back refrigerator in the garage office.

  Rumor comes out of the back of the Roadhouse, I wave when she looks our way. She gives me the finger and peels out in Sunshine's car. Guess I know where I stand with her.

  "Ain't nothing going to help your kind of stupid. You think with your dick too much."

  "Damn straight I do, he has gotten me into some tight wet situations. What can I say? I have been hooked on pussy for years."

  "Shut the fuck up and bring back that joint."

  **

  Baby

  It has been weeks since I have seen Rebel; he has been avoiding me like the plague. That's alright I have plenty to keep me entertained. I am leaving school early so I can run to the tanning bed before I have to be at Romeo and LL's cabin to baby-sit this evening for their date night. I feel a little weird going back to their place, after what happened the last time I was there. Last time I watched the kids, he came home before LL and things got out of control. I was only planning on messing with him, I wasn't expecting things to lead to where they did.

  Foxie had told me before to watch myself around him, that he likes his women young, she can't believe that Grim let's me go over there alone, that was the problem with him and LL the first time around—a younger woman. I wouldn't have thought he'd cheat on LL but the way he was looking at me, I may have wanted to test out what Foxie said and find out if he really would go there with me. I know you are probably thinking fuck, what a bitch, but come on Romeo is hot for an older brother, and he didn't get the nickname Romeo for being a lousy lay. Anyways, I had been watching the kids and he came home from being on the road a day early, said he was planning on surprising LL, but she called and said something came up and asked if I could stay with the kids for the night. Guess he hadn't told her he was home yet. He was down in the basement trying out a new flavor of shine he called it orange cream. I was getting ready to call Trouble and have him drive me home, but Romeo hollered at me and asked if I wanted to try the new shine. He wanted me to tell him if I could taste the liquor. It didn't take much for me to get hammered. I was being stupid and I wanted to know his opinion on something...

  "Romeo, you've had many women." He looks at me with a wicked smile. His beard shows a hint of grey but in a distinguished sexy way. He doesn't look like you'd expect for a dirty biker. Sure, he has tattoos allover, but they look as though they have always been a part of him. He is quite handsome and when he looks at you, he has this way of making you feel like you are the most special woman in the whole wide world when he talks to you.

  "Now sweetness, I am not going to talk to you about the women I've been with." He winks at me and takes another sip from his mason jar, before passing it to me for another taste. Grim would flip his switch if he knew Romeo gave me my first taste of shine two years ago. He says I have wonderful taste buds. I don't care to hurt his feelings if I think a flavor of his sucks.

  "I was curious; do you think I'm pretty? Do you think I'm kissable?" I smile deviously, knowing good and well my turn in conversation has made him uncomfortable. But after the disaster with Rebel, I was beginning to wonder if it was something wrong with me. Maybe men didn't find me attractive, they didn't find me desirable.

  "What makes you ask that," his cheeks are flushed. I don't know if it's from me or the moonshine. I'd like to think it is his reaction to me.

  "Well, I haven't really been kissed yet. And well I know you have had many women, so if you were a guy and we were out would you kiss me. I mean I've kissed boys but I want to kiss someone more experienced, someone who could tell me if I am a good kisser."

  "Baby, I'm not going to kiss you." But what he says and does are two different things. He licks his lips as he stares at my lips. I know he is thinking about it...hard.

  Chewing on my bottom lip, I look at him with a pout. I know I am being silly, but now I find it a challenge, I want to know if he is as good of a lover as I have been told. We are sitting elbow to elbow on the small sofa in the basement, the kids have been asleep for a good two hours by now and we are on our second jar of shine. We sit like that in the dim lit room, quietly, tension building between us with every silent second that passes. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't have to. I know he wants to know if my lips taste as sweet as he has imagined.

  Looking over at him with my head slightly angled, he turns his head towards me and he does it, he kisses me. He pulls me to his lap without breaking our kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck and I grind my hips, rubbing myself over the bulge in his pants.

  "Damn, girl you sure make a man think things, he shouldn't," he whispers against my lips before kissing me again. I slide my hand in the waistband of his jeans and feel for myself that he really is as big as they say. I should be nervous, I should possibly be scared but I feel safe...wanted...desired.

  I have led Rebel to believe that I almost lost my virginity to him, but what no one knows is that on that night I lost my innocence to my father's best friend. Romeo was real sweet and gentle with me, he took real good care of me. But after he told me, it was a mistake and I promised I would never tell a soul it had happened. We both had a lot to lose if anyone found out. He left and slept somewhere else for the night. When he showed up the next morning to have breakfast with his kids and his wife, he wouldn't even look at me. And I haven't thought about that night until now.

  A text pops up on my phone from an unknown number bringing me out of my head—memories of what could never be, and thoughts of what I should have never done.

  Unknown: You never called me.

  Baby: Who is this?

  Unknown: I'm wounded you could forget me so easily, maybe I'm not so Lucky after all.

  Bab
y: How did you get my number?

  Lucky: I can be quite resourceful when I see something I want.

  Baby: And what is that you want?

  Lucky: You.

  I don't know what to say to him. I am sure he only has plans of using me to get at the Black Rebel Riders' MC and my father. Guess he didn't get the memo, that I don't give up anything about my family, even to a bad boy charmer like him.

  I'm still not allowed to drive but Grim doesn't get back until tomorrow so I am driving his truck. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. When I reach the truck, my phone has a call coming in from Lucky. I am hesitant to answer, but it's only a phone call.

  Baby: Hello.

  Lucky: You left me hanging, no witty come back from that smart mouth of yours.

  Baby: Look Lucky, I am sure you are a real charmer a true panty melter but we are on opposite sides, so unless you have a death wish, lose my number.

  I end the call and send his next call to voicemail. I may be a hellcat, but even I know better than to go getting mixed up with this guy. Sliding into my seat and laying my books down on the passenger side, I find a dozen roses on the seat. Peeking at the card it is from Lucky. I am officially creeped out but intrigued as to why he is even bothering. Is he watching me right now? I nearly bang my head on the roof of the cab of the truck when there is a knock on the driver's side window. It is only Shannon, a girl from my English class.

  "Hey, you have a flat tire."

  "Thanks." I wave her off and get out to see how bad it is.

  Sure enough, there is a nail in the left rear tire. I'll never make it home on it. I get back in the truck to get my phone so I can call Trouble to come help me out. Guess I won't be going to the tanning bed today after all. Before I can hit call, Lucky appears to save the day.