Biker Bully

by Sam Crescent

  That was his father a week ago when he’d given him every single job he could think of that would require him to use nothing but brute strength.

  So far, he’d been able to do every task from lifting beers, tires, bikes, holding cars, and even just standing, holding out beers.

  In the past five years since his life went to shit, he’d been working harder than ever to prove to his dad and the club that he was trustworthy and loyal.

  “Hey, man,” Ian said, entering the parking lot.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Riley and Ian had been with the club when they had to go out of town on a drug run. It had gone bad, and all three of them had protected the club. Riley took a bullet to the chest, Ian to the shoulder, and Alfie had taken one in the leg, but none of the clubmen had been hurt.

  It was during that time Eagle had changed his mind and allowed them to become prospects. Now, they had the grueling challenge of earning the club’s respect. This part should have been a piece of cake, but he’d fucked up by going against his father’s wishes all those years ago.

  He’d been able to track down who made the fucking tape. Daniel had paid one of the tech people in the media department of a local college.

  All the evidence had been on his cell phone, and he’d uploaded it onto the tape. If it hadn’t been for the little sticky tape inside the VHS tape, Alfie would never have found the college, and gotten Daniel.

  In doing so, he’d run Daniel out of town, after getting the bastard to apologize to Lily. He’d hoped she’d bring Chloe back to town, but her daughter had never arrived.

  All of Daniel’s family had been pushed out, and he’d not seen them since. It was probably a good thing. Whenever the fair came to town, it only served to remind him of all he’d lost five years ago.

  “Your dad got you lifting shit?” Ian asked.

  His relationship with his father was a tense one. He’d finally moved out as he couldn’t handle the stony silence. While Eagle had been willing to give him a chance at the club, his father wouldn’t give him the time of day outside.

  He didn’t know what was worse, having Eagle, or not having his father. For a short time, while he was with Lily, Eagle had been the kind of father Alfie always wanted.

  Now, they were back to hating each other.

  “You know the drill. All the prospects get the shitty jobs.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know if this is as shitty as the stuff Kurt had to put up with,” Ian said. “You ever miss that motherfucker?”

  “Only when I’m the one they want to dress up like a girl and spank.” Alfie shook his head. He didn’t even want to understand that one, but the guys had done it. Eagle had told him it was all about trust, and Alfie had been around the club all of his life to know shit like that happened in the club.

  Sure, it made no sense and was so fucking embarrassing, but if you can dress up in ladies’ underwear and trust the club, then you’ll take a bullet.

  He’d already taken a bullet, but Eagle was paying close attention to the three of them. Some of the other club friends had already been a prospect for longer than they had.

  “What are you doing here, Ian?” he asked.

  “Wondered if you wanted to hang out? It hasn’t been the same since Riley quit, you know.”

  “Oh, he really did quit the job at the DIY store?”

  “Yep.”

  While he’d taken a job at the garage fixing cars, Ian and Riley could only get work at the DIY store. From what he knew, the owner hated Riley’s dad, so he’d made it his personal mission to make Riley miserable, especially as the town had discovered they were all enemies of the club, until they were patched in. Riley still continued to work at the store until last Friday, when he’d nearly been killed due to a lack of safety equipment. He’d threatened to sue, and walked right on out of the store.

  “Anyway, it’s kind of boring without him there.”

  “I think he was planning to work at the titty place, you know?”

  “Yeah, as a guard. Please, as if that’s a fun job.”

  “The point of it being a job is not fun.”

  “I suppose being close to that much pussy would be a benefit.”

  “If you say so.”

  “You seriously don’t miss having sex?”

  “I’m not talking to you about who I fuck,” he said. The truth was, he didn’t fuck anyone and hadn’t in over five years.

  How stupid was that of him? Or lame? He’d not been with another woman since Chloe. Being with anyone else didn’t appeal to him. Maybe it was time he tried, but he didn’t want anyone else.

  He’d accepted what he’d done and how he’d fucked up. One day, he’d make it up to Chloe. He couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.

  “She’s not coming back, Alfie,” he said. Ian spoke quietly, softly, and Alfie stared at his friend.

  “We’re not talking about this.”

  “Look, it has been five years, and you’re not letting this go.”

  “Ian, enough already. I have no interest in other women.” He just wanted to get his work done, and go home. He’d really had enough for the day and couldn’t handle anymore.

  “I’m sorry for bringing it up,” Ian said. “I’m meeting up with Riley, and we’re heading to the strip place. I’m hoping you could come.”

  “Go on ahead without me.”

  “You’re sure.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got stuff to do.” He had nothing to do, but the last thing he wanted was to stare at naked women as they danced and flashed all day and night.

  “If you’re sure.”

  “Totally sure,” he said. When it came to hanging out at the titty place, he only ever went there if he really had to. Otherwise he avoided it.

  “Well, if you’re okay with me and Riley going on our own.”

  He nodded his head, not really caring about what his friends were doing. Just as he’d finished loading up the last empty metal beer keg, his father arrived, or should he say, Eagle arrived.

  “What are you two doing here?” he asked. “You’ve got your own work to be doing.”

  “Sorry,” Ian said. “Just wanted to hang out with Alfie, but he’s got plans.”

  “When you’re on club time, it’s Rock,” Eagle said.

  Out of the three of them, he’d earned his club name for being a Rock when it came to the club. No matter what was asked for him, he did it. He wouldn’t let them forget about him, not once.

  He’d been a complete rock for all of them.

  “When you’re done with this, I need you back at the clubhouse,” Eagle said.

  “Okay.” He wasn’t going to argue. He’d intended to go home and just relax, but if the club needed him, he’d do whatever it took for them.

  He didn’t know why his father didn’t just call him, but he imagined it was to check up on him. There were times he thought he was really starting to agree with his father on some level, but then Eagle would show up. Just as Eagle was about to leave again, the sheriff showed up. Ryan was a good guy, but he didn’t know how to handle any of the bad shit that came to town, and he didn’t have a problem with calling the club for help. Rarely anything happened in Satan’s Croft as the club was a nice little deterrent for them all.

  “You okay there, Sheriff?” Eagle asked.

  “You told me to come to you if there was ever a need; well, there’s a need. Lily’s at the hospital. She’s been hurt real bad.”

  “What?”

  “Someone ran her down. No one saw the car, and it’s just near the library.”

  “Alfie, get in the car,” Eagle said.

  He rushed toward his dad’s car, and it only just dawned on him that his father was actually driving a car, not his bike.

  Pulling out of the parking lot, they rode toward the hospital with Ryan hot on their heels.

  “She’ll be okay, Dad.”

  “Don’t, Alfie. You and I both know that I’m not ready to talk about this yet.”

  “It has
been five years.”

  “I know, and in those five years she’s spoken to me three times, that’s it. She was going to marry me, and now, I’ve got nothing.”

  “Dad, you really shouldn’t worry about this.”

  “How about you shut up and let me drive.”

  If Lily was in the hospital, they were going to have to call Chloe back home. Alfie didn’t speak again. He didn’t make a sound.

  Eagle parked the car, not that anyone would call that parking, and rushed out into the main reception. With Ryan at their side, the staff didn’t give them shit, and Eagle announced he was her fiancé.

  They were shown to Lily’s room, and it didn’t look good. Both of her legs were broken, and her face was badly bruised. She was also in a coma, which was the tricky part. The doctor kept on speaking, but Alfie had stopped listening.

  By the window, he noticed her bag of stuff the hospital had gathered together, and he grabbed the cell phone. They needed to call Chloe.

  They were ushered out of the room, and Alfie kept the cell phone in his hand until they got to the main reception where they were handed several stacks of paper for them all to go through and complete.

  “You okay, Dad?”

  “No, I’m not. Did you hear what they said about the coma?”

  “It’s going to be okay. It has to be. Lily’s a strong woman, but you know who she needs now?”

  “Chloe,” Eagle said.

  Alfie handed him the cell phone. “I got this. You’ve got to call her. This could be your chance of winning her back.” He had no idea Eagle had gotten the Sheriff to contact him in the event of an emergency when it came to Lily.

  He didn’t want to put too much hope in this moment, but this could be his chance as well. So far, his father hadn’t threatened to murder him, which was a step up for him.

  Eagle opened the phone and smiled as he broke the password. “She always puts everything as Chloe’s birthday.”

  Alfie nodded, and he wouldn’t be retaining any of that information.

  “That’s her,” he said, thumb hovering over Chloe’s name.

  Alfie waited, worried about her.

  “Call her, Dad,” he said.

  Eagle pressed the name, and the phone started to ring.

  Alfie let out a breath and smiled, trying to contain his excitement. Eagle put the call to speakerphone, and he waited.

  “Hey, Mom,” Chloe said, answering a few seconds later. Her voice sounded amazing, and Alfie could just listen to her all night long. “So, I went on that date, and you were right. I mean, it was okay, but it wasn’t great. He kept on talking about the perfect Hollandaise sauce and I totally kept up, but after two hours of him telling me how he perfected it, I was a little bored.”

  “Chloe,” Eagle said.

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s Eagle.”

  “What are you doing with my mom’s phone?” she asked.

  “There has been an accident, and you need to come down here.”

  “An accident?”

  “Yes. Your mother, she’s stable, but I know she’ll want you.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Someone ran your mother over.”

  “It’s Satan’s Croft. How is that possible?”

  “I promise you, I’ll find out.” Eagle hung up the phone, and Alfie wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

  “You’re just going to leave it like that?” he asked.

  “I’ve just given her bad news. I know what you’re thinking, Alfie, but you’re going to have to put your hopes to one side on this. This is all for Lily. I’ve got to find out what Ryan knows, and get this shit fucking handled.” Eagle handed him the cell phone and walked back out to where Ryan was having a smoke.

  Alfie wasn’t going to do anything stupid, but he also wasn’t going to allow Chloe to leave town again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chloe arrived at the hospital four hours after the first phone call. She had phoned the hospital to make sure it wasn’t a prank, and they’d told her Lily was indeed a patient.

  She hated doubting Eagle, and couldn’t believe she had. Walking up to the desk, she took a deep breath.

  “Hi, I’m Chloe Decker. My mom is Lily Decker. She was run over and is in a coma.” That was all the information she could find out over the phone. Her heart raced as she thought of her mother in some hospital bed, hurt, and possibly in so much pain. She was so nervous.

  “Down the hall and follow the direction for Trauma.”

  “Thank you.”

  She turned and walked several steps before realizing Alfie stood right in front of her. Chloe stopped and took him in.

  He’d changed a lot.

  In high school he’d always been the bad boy biker with the smoking hot body, but now it was more than that, and her mouth went dry.

  “Alfie,” she said.

  “Chloe.”

  He rubbed the back of his head, and he’d gotten even more tattoos than the ones in high school.

  “You were with your dad when he called?”

  “Yes. We were both alerted to what happened to Lily. I’m so sorry.”

  “Where is your dad now?”

  “He’s with her. I can take you to her.”

  She wanted to tell him no, to leave her alone, but this was her mother, and she hated coming to hospitals. “Please do.”

  Since the phone call she’d been feeling sick to her stomach about what it could all mean.

  Biting her lip, she waited, trying to remain calm and completely failing.

  “It’s good to see you,” Alfie said.

  She didn’t speak, only followed him. Was it good to see him?

  He’d changed a lot, but just because he’d gotten more muscular, that didn’t mean she actually agreed with him, or anything.

  “I heard you became a prospect, congratulations.”

  “Thanks. I’d hoped to be a fully patched in member for a lot longer than I have been, but that didn’t happen. I was lucky I wasn’t kicked out completely.”

  She nodded but wasn’t about to say anything. They both knew why he didn’t make a patched member.

  “This is the first time you’ve been here in five years.”

  “You’ve counted.”

  “Of course I did. I’ve been hoping you’d come back all this time.” Alfie stopped, and she had no choice but to do so as well. She folded her arms across her chest, wanting this conversation out of the way. “I discovered who made the tape.”

  “Good for you, but it doesn’t change anything between us. I mean, it has been so long ago, and I’m sorry that you had to deal with it all too,” she said.

  “Chloe, I know you hate me right now, but you’ve got to believe me. I never wanted to hurt you, not ever.”

  “I really can’t do this right now. My mom, I need to see her.”

  Alfie nodded, and it seemed to make him realize that he didn’t have a chance in the hospital.

  “I’m glad you made it as a patched member,” she said, walking beside him.

  “You are?”

  “Yes. I know what happened between us was horrible, but I didn’t want it to ruin your life’s plans. I know how much you love the club, and well, I did tell my mom to tell your dad no hard feelings.”

  “Chloe, I’m so sorry.”

  “Stop it. We don’t need to keep on doing this to each other. You can move on. I know I want to.”

  “You’re dating,” he said.

  This was the most awkward meetings in the history of all of them, Chloe was sure of it.

  “Not really. Can we not do this?” she asked.

  “You were the one that brought up the club.”

  “I’m sorry. I just need to focus on getting this together.” She tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

  It looked like Alfie wanted to say more, but he didn’t. He took her to her mother’s room, and seeing Lily, lying out, unresponsive, it took every single ounce of control not to break down. Both of Lily�
�s legs were broken, and she looked so pale.

  Eagle sat in the corner, watching.

  “Do you know who did this?” she asked.

  “Not yet but I’m going to get to the bottom of it, Chloe. I promise.”

  She nodded and moved closer to the bed. Every single part of her mother looked bruised. She knelt on the floor as Eagle had the only chair.

  “I’ll go and get a couple more chairs,” Alfie said, leaving.

  Ignoring him and the man in the corner, Chloe kissed her mother’s hand. “It’s going to be okay. I know it is. We’re going to make it through all of this.” She pressed her face against Lily’s hand, and just took several deep breaths, needing to calm her nerves.

  “It’s good to have you back, Chloe,” Eagle said.

  Pulling away from her mother, she turned to Eagle. “How did you find out? You called me before the hospital even did. It’s crazy.”

  “I pulled some strings at the sheriff’s office to be alerted on Lily’s safety. I didn’t like her being alone, and I wanted to be there for her when she needed me.”

  “It’s Satan’s Croft.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t mean bad shit won’t happen. Someone ran her down, Chloe. They didn’t stay behind to make sure she was okay, and as you can see, she’s not okay.”

  Chloe could also see that Eagle was struggling to keep it together. Whoever ran Lily down would pay, and it could even be with their very life.

  “I’m sorry. I was only talking to her yesterday, and she was encouraging me to go out on a date.” She sniffled, feeling the tears build in her eyes. “I know I’m completely crazy, right?”

  “No, not crazy. Your mom only ever wanted the best for you, and I can see her trying to encourage you to date.”

  Alfie returned with a couple of chairs. He placed one beside her, and she sat down, thanking him. He took a seat in the far corner, watching the door and her mother.

  “I’m going to put one of my guys on the door,” Eagle said. “I want her protected until we know more about this hit-and-run.”

  “You think someone could come and hurt her again? You really don’t think it’s an accident?” she asked.

  “I think I want to take care of her, and I’m not willing to take any chances when it comes to her safety.”