Born to Ride

by Kasey Millstead

  “Don't ever do it again,” Talon warned from the front porch.

  I glared up at him. He winked and smiled down at me.

  “I can see I've come at the wrong time. Maybe I should come back?” Michael asked.

  “Uh...” was my response.

  “No,” came from Talon.

  “I wouldn't bother,” from Deanna.

  I turned to them and sliced across my neck with my finger. Really, I was prepared to kill the both of them.

  Spinning back to Michael, I smiled. “I'm sorry, Michael, but right now, at this time, I'm not ready for anything—”

  A scoff came from Talon.

  I continued, “The thought was very sweet, and I think you're a great guy—” God I hated doing this; I always felt bad. Especially with a guy, who was still holding flowers for me. “And you never know, maybe in the future—”

  “Try never,” Talon growled.

  “Ever.” Deanna giggled.

  I winced; what was with the running commentary from the loco-train people? “Sorry, Michael.”

  “That's okay, Zara. I'll come back in a couple of weeks, see how things are.”

  I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. Is that the future?

  “You come back, I'll kill you.” Talon started moving from the front porch towards us. I quickly ushered Michael out the front gate and closed it.

  “Everything okay, boss?” Griz asked. Griz was short for Grizzly. He's built like a bear, in a cuddly sort of way. Not that he had a belly; he didn't. He was just tall, with very wide shoulders, arms, and legs. Griz was stalking across the street toward us. Two others, whom I hadn't met, were standing on the other side of the road, legs apart, arms folded across their chests, looking menacing. I'd only met Griz because he helped me one day when I was attacking my lawn mower with a sledgehammer when it wouldn't start. He jogged across with an amused expression and asked, “Can I help, lady?” I let him, of course, or I'd be in jail right now for murder. I would have found a gun somehow.

  I saw Michael studying Griz; he was in his full motorcycle ensemble, including his black leather vest with a Hawks patch sewn onto it, their club’s name.

  “Y-y-you're a member of Hawks,” Michael stuttered.

  Griz stopped beside Michael and stared down at him. “Yeah, what of it?” He snapped.

  “N-nothing.” Michael turned back to Talon. “He, he called you boss.”

  Talon grinned his wicked grin and I grabbed the fence for support as Talon said, “Heard that did ya?”

  “Um.” He looked to the ground. “Zara, I don't think I'll be back. Bye.” He quickly marched off to his car. I was surprised his car didn't fly off squealing down the road.

  Damn. He took my flowers with him.

  Deanna burst out laughing and walked toward us.

  I sighed and ignored Talon's close presence beside me. Instead, I turned my attention to Griz. “Hi, Griz. How's things?” He looked from me to Talon and then back.

  “Great, Wildcat; and you?” he smirked.

  “Fine.” I rolled my eyes and watched behind him as the other two bikers disappeared into the compound.

  “Now that's what I call entertaining. Girl, I gotta come to your house more often.” Deanna grinned.

  “Deanna, I think from now on I'm going to be a regular visitor at your place.” Just like I have been.

  “Kitten—” Talon began with a tone of warning.

  “Pfft. Don't you ‘kitten’ me,” I said with my back to him. He slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me close against his front. I held off a sigh of pleasure and tried to move away. It was impossible. I looked over my shoulder at him and bit my tongue to hold the moan. He looked gorgeous, even though his eyes told me he was annoyed. Still, they were laced with a little bit of lust as well.

  Griz laughed, but covered it with a cough when Talon glared at him.

  “Oh, girly, we need to celebrate this. Let's get smashed,” Deanna said. “Lord knows I need it.”

  I doubted I was supposed to hear that. I looked over at her and knew she was hiding something from me, but what was the mystery?

  “And what are we celebrating exactly?”

  “You and Talon gettin' it on.” She gave me the 'Duh' look.

  I went to move again, but didn't get anywhere. “Uh, No. There is no Talon and Zara.”

  “Uh-huh.” She smiled and looked at us from top to bottom. Okay, so to some it could look different. Because I may have relaxed against Talon's warm, hot weight and my arms may be...okay, were resting on top of his, which were still wrapped around my waist.

  Holy crap, I'm in Talon's arms.

  He moved an arm from around me and swept my hair aside; then he kissed my neck, which involuntary arched so he could have better access.

  Holy schnitzel, Talon's kissing my neck. In front of people.

  That didn't help my side of things. I nudged his head away with my own, and with some force, wiggled my way from his—wanted...so much needed...No!—unwanted and unneeded comfort.

  I made my escape to Deanna's side.

  Oh my god, was my breathing heavy again? Yes, yes it is. Damn him and his sinful body.

  “You,” I pointed my finger at him and glared, “stay over there. This—” I gestured between the two of us, “can't happen.”

  Deanna scoffed. Griz laughed.

  “Kitten, I know you want me; your body doesn't lie. It's only a matter of time before I'll be in your pants...” He trailed off as Griz's phone rang.

  Griz flipped it open. “Yo? Yep.” He closed it and looked to Talon. “Business, boss. Later, ladies.”

  “Bye, Griz,” I smiled. It wasn't his fault his boss was a chauvinist-ass-hat.

  “See ya, hot stuff,” Deanna purred, causing Griz to look over his shoulder, confused. He couldn't understand that Deanna was attracted to older men, and Griz was definitely older. Deanna and I both sat at twenty-six; my guess, Talon was mid-to-late thirties, and Griz, with his long, muddy-brown with gray hair, and hard-aged eyes seemed to be hitting early forties.

  “Kitten, I have to go. But if you two are having drinks, why don't you come by the compound later. I'll have a couple with ya.” With that, he grabbed my chin, kissed me hard and quick, before my knee had the chance to hit his groin, and left.

  Of course, I watched his muffin-of-love ass walk away, and I was sure he knew it.

  “Yeah, you keep fighting that, hun.” Deanna laughed, and walked off into the house.

  Chapter Two

  I went back inside following Deanna and reheated my Chinese again. I wondered if I could get sick from reheating it too much and then thought maybe it'd be for the best. Then I'd die and this whole great...I mean, bad dream would end.

  Who did he think he was informing people he was 'my man'? Yeah, right! And why would he want me? He wasn't making sense.

  This has been a long time coming. My ass it had. I couldn't recall how many times I'd avoided him for that reason alone. I was not some conquer-and-move-on type of girl, if that's what he thought. And that's exactly what he'd want. I'd lost count of how many women I'd seen leave his place in the early hours of the morning. All blonde, I might add.

  Urrh! I just wanted to scream.

  “You're thinking too hard. Here, drink this,” Deanna said, and placed a glass of wine in front of me.

  I turned a glare on her as she sat across the table from me and continued to roll her food around her plate.

  My head turned on its side to study her. She'd never played with her food before. Usually, she'd have it gone in a second. And she never put on weight. Bitch.

  “Stop lookin' at me like that. I will not fuck you, no matter how much you beg.”

  I snorted. God, I loved her. She was the only one who'd kept me somewhat normal through my two years of hell. If it wasn't for her, I'd still be in that abusive relationship with Maya's father. She'd helped me escape one night when he'd passed out after raping and hitting me. That night was the night Maya was conceived. I
was smart enough to have kept my friendship with Deanna, who I'd met through a library book club, a secret. He wouldn't have known where to start looking to find me. I haven't seen him in almost six years. So, my guess was that we were just that good at disappearing a state away to the small town of Ballarat, where Deanna's other house was.

  He'd have looked for me, because he didn't like to let go of possessions, and I was one. I'd hate to think where I would be, what I'd have put Maya through if I was still there, still with David. Deanna means more to me than she could ever know. Which was why I was worried about her now.

  “Tell me what's going on.”

  “Nothin',” she clipped and took a sip of her wine. And a second later, she drained the rest of her glass. One problem about Deanna was that she was as stubborn as a mule. If she wasn't ready to talk about what was obviously on her mind, she wouldn't. Leaving me to be the stress-head that I was and fret about it.

  “Let's talk about Talon.” She grinned.

  “Let's not and have a drink instead,” I said, and then drained my own glass.

  “I'll drink to that.” She moved from the table to grab the bottle of wine, but turned back around. “We're gonna need more than this; where's your stash, woman?”

  It was my turn to grin. She knew me too well. “The bourbon is in the laundry room, top cupboard.” I needed something on those nights when I was about ready to hog-tie my brat of a child to her bed. Come on, no one could tell me they'd never contemplated it.

  A couple of hours later, I was feeling fab-u-lasssss. We were dancing around the living room to Pink's "Fun House". Nothing was bothering me and I could see that Deanna was having just as much fun as I was. It was great!

  Then Deanna dumped her skinny behind on the couch, grabbed the remote, and turned down the tunes. I was going to complain, but then I realized if I had kept going, Deanna would've been witness to me peeing my pants.

  “If you could be any superhero, who would you choose?” I called from the bathroom down the hall.

  “What the fuck did you just say?”

  Okay, so maybe it didn't come out like I thought it had; it could have sounded something like, “You be suuperaro what you chooose?”

  “Ya herd me, fanny lips,” I said while washing my hands.

  “I think it's cut-off time, cocksucker.”

  I met Deanna in the kitchen where she handed me a glass of water, and I drank every drop.

  “I'd be Batgirl.”

  “Hah, new'd ya herd. Me be...”

  “Wonder Wanker.”

  I sprayed my second glass of water all over the floor, choked on my laughter, and gasped for air.

  Clearing my throat, a thought popped into my head, so I had to share it. “Oh, oh, I have one for Talon. Perfect Pecker Man.” We both cracked up. Not that I'd seen his pecker, but I was sure it would be perfect.

  Two more glasses of water later, and many more made-up hero names, I still felt a little foggy; but at least my speech had improved. Well, I thought it had.

  “Man, I'm so glad I came over here tonight,” Deanna said. Then there was a knock at the front door.

  “You've still got time to take it back. Who the heck is that?”

  “Marshmallow brain, how many times do I have to tell you I can't see through things?” Deanna teased as she followed me to the front door.

  Deanna started bouncing from one foot to the other. I asked, “Do you have to pee? Or are you having one of those spontaneous orgasms you keep telling me about that I don't believe in?”

  “No, no. None of that; and it is true, jealous whore, happened a couple of times anyway. But I just have a thought on who it'd be. Come on, open the fucker; I need some excitement.”

  I had a feeling too, but I hoped it wasn't. Me, plus drinks, plus Talon equaled something that should not be mixed.

  Unlocking the door and swinging it open, I realized I should have hoped a little harder. Talon stood there looking spunky in dark jeans, a black tee, and motorcycle boots. His hair looked wet from a recent shower, and I wondered if I could blow-dry it for him with my mouth. My traitorous heart leaped, my body tingled, and...what the frig? How'd my underwear get wet already? Wait, had I peed myself? I looked down at the floor. Nope, wasn't wet.

  That meant only one thing. “I need to get laid or break out my Gold Finger on maximum speed.”

  Deanna burst out laughing, and Talon seemed smug. I looked at them both confused. Oh, hell no. I did not just say that aloud. See! Drinks, Talon, and me. It was a no-go!

  “I could be of some help, kitten. In either way,” he purred.

  Or was that me purring?

  I closed my eyes; wait, they were already closed. My head fell forward and I shook it from side-to-side. I was ready to die.

  Deanna was going to be of no assistance; she was rolling around on the floor still laughing, so I asked, “Did you come over for a reason, Talon?”

  “You're supposed to be at the compound drinking.”

  I looked up, my head cocked to the side. “What?”

  He stepped closer. “Drinking. Compound. Now.”

  Straightening up, I glared and informed him, “No.”

  He took one step closer again; now he was flush against me. “What?”

  “Did. I. Stutter?”

  Something flared in his eyes, while something flared in my womb. Trouble was a-comin'. Talon bent his upper-body level with my belly, and then he leaned in and I was flopped over his shoulder.

  “Go, P.P. Man,” Deanna shouted; she got up from the floor and followed Talon like a trained horny dog, out the front door, and down the path. Thankfully, she had enough sense to shut the door behind us.

  “Shut up, hairy-ball face,” I glared at Deanna. “Talon...Talon put me down, now!” I ordered while examining his pinch worthy butt.

  We'd made it to the gate when someone stepped out of the shadows. I was placed on my feet and Talon pushed me behind him.

  “Who the fuck are you?” he growled, and then looked over his shoulder. “Don't tell me you have another admirer.”

  “Um.”

  “Um? How fuckin' many do you got?”

  “Um.”

  “Jesus Christ.” His attention went back to the new arrival. “Again, who the fuck are you?”

  “Zara?”

  I gasped. I hadn't heard that voice in many years. “Mattie?” I looked over Talon's shoulder to see my now twenty-year-old brother, Matthew Alexander.

  “Mattie,” I cried and flung myself at him. He wrapped me up in his arms and held on tight. Obviously, it wasn't tight enough, because the next thing I knew, I was pulled away.

  I glanced up and around to see Talon's fierce glare at my brother. I patted his hand at my waist. “It's fine; he's my brother.”

  “What's he doin' here? I haven't seen him before.”

  That was true. I looked back to my brother, and that was when I really took in what was in front of me. Instead of the free, fun-loving brother I was used to seeing in my mind, I saw a dirty, tired, worried, and sad one. How had he found me? I left my family behind to keep them safe.

  I stepped back further into Talon's arms. “What's happened?” His face saddened in a way I didn't think was possible. “No, no. Don't tell me, I can't...no.”

  “They're dead, Zee.”

  “No!” If it wasn't for Talon holding me, I would have crumbled to the ground. Deanna came to my side and grabbed my hand.

  It couldn't be true. I’d only just finished planning a trip to meet my parents in Melbourne. They were to meet Maya for the first time. They were excited; I could see how much through the emails I had sent them.

  I was excited.

  Oh, God.

  “It was a car accident. They say it was a freak accident.”

  I looked through my teary eyes. “Y-you don't believe that.”

  He shook his head.

  Shit! It was him; I just knew it. It was David.

  I had to go. Get away. Maya needed to be safe.


  “Zee?” Deanna whispered. She knew what I was thinking.

  I pushed away from Talon and started back to my house. I spun around to see the three of them following me; my gaze flicked across Talon on the phone and Deanna's worried look, until my gaze settled on my brother.

  “Were you followed?” He was unsure; I could see it. “Fuck, Mattie, were you followed?”

  “I don't know.” He looked to the ground. “I don't think so. I was real careful, Zee.”

  Fuck! I couldn't risk it. I couldn't.

  “Kitten.”

  Stomping up the front steps, I flung the door open. I went to the kitchen and grabbed garbage bags, walked to the living room, and started bagging some of Maya's toys from her bin in the corner.

  “Kitten?”

  “I have to go. I have to get out of here. Shit, Maya's at school for her sleepover. That's all right; I'll go get her. Mattie, you'll come with me. I can't lose you too—” I broke off on a sob. “How did you find me, Mattie?” I glanced over my shoulder to see him staring at me in shock.

  He shook his head. “Jarrod. You remember him?” I nodded; he was a friend of Mattie's. “He was up this way on a holiday before...before the accident. He saw you and told me. I've been asking around for you.”

  And here he was. Even with a different last name, he still found me.

  Fuck.

  There was a knock at the door. I screamed and dove for the couch. “Get down, get down,” I whisper-yelled to Deanna and Mattie.

  “Kitten, it's for me,” Talon said, and answered the door to Griz and three other bikers. They walked in, stopped, and closed the door. They took in what surrounded them and then focused on Talon, waiting. For what, I wasn't sure.

  “I have to go,” I uttered. I wanted to get up, go pack the rest of my stuff, and flee into the night. But something held me there; my mind was reeling with unwanted thoughts. I was scared. So, so scared.

  “My parents are dead.”

  Mattie and Deanna went to move towards me. I saw tears in Deanna's eyes. She never got teary. She was one tough wench. Before they could get to me though, Talon moved in their way and knelt in front of me.

  “Kitten. I'm sorry.”

  “Don't say that. You never met them. You could have, maybe one day...but now...I have to go. I have to move before he finds me.” I reached out to his face, and with the back of my hand, I ran it over his unshaven cheek. “I'll miss you. I think. No, I will. We won't get to...you know. I think I would have enjoyed it.”