by Erin Trejo
“Hey, Jersey. Come here,” I call out to her where she stands with a few of the other girls hanging around here. Jersey’s a nice girl. She’s in college but finds herself here more often than not. I think she likes the feeling of being needed or wanted. I can’t say for sure but I like her.
“Hey, Blade.” She leans up and presses a kiss to my cheek.
“Need a favor. Brought a girl in the other day. She was pretty banged up. Her attitude is shit. Think you can talk to her while I’m out today? See if you can get any information from her. I need to know if we have anything to worry about as far as what happened to her,” I tell her. Jersey smiles and nods her head rapidly.
“Of course! I’d love to help out,” she replies quickly.
“Thanks, babe. Her name’s Lola. She’s inside right now, don’t know for how long though.” I start to turn to walk away when Jersey calls out to me.
“Hey, Blade!” I look at her over my shoulder, “Thank you for thinking of me.” Nodding my head, I walk over to my bike, grab my helmet, and climb on. Revving up my bike, I head out of the back lot and stop at the gate for the prospect to open it. Once he does, I glance up at down the street as people mill about and mingle in the crowds. The weekend is always fun. There are typically so many people there is nowhere to park. Rebel usually hangs out front unless we’re having our own party trying to pick up college bitches looking for a good time. Right down the block are some of the hottest night clubs this town has to offer, one also directly next door, and of course the beach offers its own fun if we decide to head out to Tampa. We have a bonfire planned out there this weekend. I roll my shoulders and pull out onto the road, heading toward my job. Unlike some MC’s, we all work day jobs. It’s what sets us apart from others. I work my ass off doing something that I truly love to do. Since I was a kid, I’ve loved to do things with my hands. I guess that’s what makes me good at what I do.
Chapter 6
Lola
I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to go. I have nothing and no one left. I suppose I could let this play out for a little while until I can find a job and then get the hell out of here.
“Are you Lola?”
I turn my head to see a pretty girl smiling at me. She might not look like much but that doesn’t mean I trust her. I don’t know her and she doesn’t know me. “Maybe. Who are you?”
“I’m Jersey. I hang out here a lot. Blade asked me to make sure you have everything you need.” She seems polite but that never truly means anything. She could be a bitch.
“I’m fine.”
“Your wounds seem to be healing up well. Is there anything I can get you? Clothes? Food?”
“Why do you care? I mean, why are you worrying about what I need?” I ask, clearly annoyed with her shit. I mean, seriously, I don’t know this chick. I don’t want to know her, but I do want her to leave me the fuck alone.
“I told you, Blade wants you to be comfortable,” she says, sounding a little timid now.
“You’re joking, right?” She shakes her head slowly, tears filling her eyes. Well shit! Now I made the girl feel bad.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a bitch. Why does Blade care?”
“He’s a good guy. He just wants to make sure you have whatever you need.”
“He wants to know what happened to me, doesn’t he?”
She lowers her head before peeking up at me through her lashes. “Yeah.”
“He could ask.”
“He said you had a bad attitude,” she says with a giggle. I shrug and smile at her.
“My ex. He was a complete asshole. I knew he had a mean streak, but I never thought he would go this far. Piece of shit.” The more I mumble, the more she scoots closer to me. I suppose she isn’t as bad as I thought. I find myself relaxing a little more.
“Was he a biker too?” she asks seemingly concerned. Shaking my head, I fiddle with the hem of my shirt.
“Hell no. He’s an asshole. He works for his daddy at a million dollar company. He drives a fancy sports car and wears these stupid suits. He’s just a big bully.” None of that was a lie so I don’t feel bad about leaving out the pregnant part. Although I do still worry that some of the medicine they gave me could have hurt the baby, I still can’t tell them about it. I don’t think it’s any of her business – I don’t even know her. None of it is, but I suppose if I’m going to be living here for the time being, I have to admit to some of it.
“God! That’s horrible! I’m so sorry you had to deal with that. The guys here aren’t like that. They are good guys, they all work. Of course, there are some illegal things that happen but they would never drag the women into it. How long are you staying?” she asks enthusiastically.
“I’m not really sure. I need to find a job.”
“Who needs a job?” another girl hollers from behind Jersey.
“The new girl,” Jersey responds before I can say a thing.
The woman walks over, looking me over from head to toe. I eye her back just the same. Her hair is blonde but doesn’t look real. Her tits are as big as my head - those can’t be real ,but when she’s done inspecting me, she grins.
“Can you dance?”
“I used to work at Triple D’,” I say with pride. I shouldn’t be proud of being a stripper but I made good money although it was all spent on shit I didn’t need. I should have been saving but I wasn’t that smart. Hindsight, and all that bullshit.
“Are you serious? That shit hole? I bet they made you give blowies for free too, didn’t they?” she asks cocking her hip out and resting her hand on it.
“I never gave a damn thing for free,” I retort. The girl smiles and moves to throw her arm around my shoulder.
“I like you! I’m Angela. I can get you a job down the street at High Heels.”
“That fancy place?” I ask in surprise. Angela giggles and pulls her arm away from my shoulder.
“I really like you. For real. I know the owner. When can you start?” she asks, clapping her hands together.
“This weekend?”
“You’re on! I’ll let Bart know that you’re coming in. Now, where the fuck is Snake?” she asks, stomping her way past me.
“Thank you,” I holler over my shoulder at her. She wiggles her fingers over her shoulder as she continues on her mission.
“She seems nice.”
“She is. Funny as hell when she’s pissed.”
“Where do you work?” I ask Jersey. She smiles and shrugs.
“I don’t. I go to college. I just hang out around here a lot.”
I’m about to ask her more when the unmistakable sound of motorcycles rumbles through the air. You can hear them approach before the sound slowly calms.
“The guys are here. I wonder what’s going on.”
“Don’t they usually come here?”
“Yeah but they all have days jobs. So, if they’re here at this hour, something’s usually wrong. Just stay clear of them if they look pissy,” she says before turning and walking away.
I head toward the kitchen to find something to eat. There isn’t a whole lot here, but I already know that most of the guys don’t live here. I’ve wandered the clubhouse while Blade is out, looking at anything and everything. The rooms are set up like a hotel, each one having its own bathroom. There’s a meeting room, or at least that’s what it looks like to me. There are a few offices aside from the kitchen and main room where the bar is.
“Are you hungry?”
The voice startles me. I jolt and spin around to see Blade standing in the doorway. His face is a mask that gives away nothing as far as his attitude is concerned.
“I…uhmm… I was just looking for something.”
“I see that. Which means you’re hungry. Let’s go eat, I need a goddamn break.”
I don’t see the point in arguing with him, and I figure that over lunch I could tell him that I’ll be working with Angela. We’ve talked a little since I’ve been here but there was usually someone
else around. Plus Diablo although he doesn’t count. He nudges my leg to let me know he’s still there causing me to smile.
“Okay.” He nods his head and offers me his hand, which is unusual since he’s never done it before, but I take it. He leads me through the clubhouse where men stand around watching his every move.
“You’re just gonna walk out?” the guy I know as Ransom asks.
“Goddamn right I am. I’m takin’ Lola to lunch. I need some fuckin’ air and it’s not gonna happen here! Diablo, stay!”
“Come on, Prez! We need to discuss this shit!” Ransom snaps again.
Blade’s hand that’s wrapped around mine tightens before he turns his head to face him. “I’m tired, Ransom. I’m fuckin’ hungry and I don’t want to discuss it right now! Call church in the mornin’.”
With that, he holds my hand a little tighter and drags me out the back door toward his bike. Reaching for a helmet from another bike, he hands it to me before pulling his on. I do the same before he turns and checks it. I don’t know why I’m not smartassing him, but as tense as he seems, I am going to keep my mouth shut on this once.
Chapter 7
Blade
I bite into my burger like it offended my ass. I can’t keep my anger in check. Of all the shit things to happen it had to be this. The fucking shipment was stolen. How the hell does the shipment of drugs get stolen? Out of one of our warehouses? With a goddamn guard on duty?
“Are you okay?” Lola asks, looking at my hand that squeezes the glass.
“Fine.” Shoving the glass to the side I wipe my hands on a napkin.
“So, Angela offered me a job with her at High Heels. I can start soon.” Her little voice sounds unsure and that pisses me off. No woman should ever have to do something she isn’t sure of.
“You don’t sound like you want the job,” I tell her, popping another fry into my mouth. I watch her as she chews, her lips moist and sexy as fuck. I’ve imagined them wrapped around my cock more than once over this past week. As much as I didn’t want to, I have been checking her out. How could I not? She’s gorgeous for one thing and the fact that my dog follows her around everywhere like she’s his new owner has certainly caught my attention.
“Can I be honest with you?”
“That’s all I ask for,” I tell her in return.
“I don’t have any money and I don’t have anywhere to go. I need that job. I used to work at Triple D’s. I don’t really want to work therebecause my ex is the one who beat me up – he didn’t like me working there either. If he wanted to find me it wouldn’t be hard,” she says, her voice sounding concerned. I take another bite of my burger before resting my arms on the table around my plate.
“Look, if you don’t want the job, don’t take it. There’s other shit you can do. Clubs all around. Maybe bartend or serve drinks instead. You are welcome to stay at the clubhouse for as long as you need.”
Her eyes well with tears before she grabs the napkin and wipes at them. “Why would you be nice to me?” Her question surprises me. After all this and she asks me that?
“Haven’t I been nice? Given you a place to stay, food? What the fuck, Lola?” My anger isn’t directed at her, but I’m sure it feels that way. I close my eyes and try to take a deep breath to calm myself down, but when I open them again, my chest tightens. Her face is pale and her eyes are so damn sad it tears at my heart.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say you weren’t. You have been amazing to me and I can’t thank you enough.”
“I shouldn’t have snapped like that. I’m pissed at another situation that has nothin’ to do with you.” We sit in silence for a long few minutes until I break it. “You ever been campin’?” Her head tilts to the side, taking me in.
“Never.”
“Never?”
“No. I’ve never been camping before. Never thought about it.” The little sparkle in her eye intrigues me more than anything. She’s different. She’s a smartass that doesn’t back down from a challenge and that is something that I find rare in women these days. Most of them take what’s thrown their way like it’s the only way but not Lola.
“This weekend there’s a big rally. You probably heard the guys talkin’ about it. It’s a chance for us to get out and have a little fun and let loose. We go every year. A lot of clubs will be there - parties, drinkin’, you name it. You in?” Lola’s head snaps up, her eyes locking with mine. Her lips are parted as she stares at me in disbelief. I almost laugh at the lost look on her face but those yellow tinged bruises around her eyes stop me. The thought of someone hurting her pisses me off more than I care to admit.
“It’s okay to say no. Some of the girls will be stayin’ at the club while we’re gone. You won’t be alone,” I tell her. She shakes her head slowly before she finally speaks.
“I’d love to go but I already told Angela I could start working.”
“You really wanna go?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll handle Bart. You want that job, it’ll be yours, but I have connections at a few clubs if you don’t want to dance.” Her eyes fill with tears once more as her hard shell slowly begins to crack. A little at a time when I talk to her and show her there are guys who are not like ex, I see it slowly begin to crumble. I don’t doubt that if she wanted to she could throw it back up in the matter of seconds, but for now, she’s lowering it and giving me a peek of her true self and I’m taking it.
“I don’t know what to say,” she mumbles softly, making me laugh.
“First time since you’ve been around that you’re speechless,” I laugh. Lola picks up a fry and tosses at me, only making me laugh a little harder.
“Thank you for all of this, Blade. You don’t know who much this means to me.”
She doesn’t need to tell me. I can see it in the look in her eyes. She hasn’t had someone that cared about her in a while, that much I can be sure of.
“No need for thanks. I kinda like havin’ you around givin’ the guys hell. They all seem to like you despite the ball breaking.”
“They aren’t so bad either. I’ve just learned to protect myself as much as I can over the years. I’m sorry if I was being disrespectful,” she says, lowering her eyes. I reach across the table, lift her chin with my thumb and look in her eyes.
“It was a little disrespectful to do that to a member. We don’t tolerate that shit, but at the same time, none of my guys will hurt you. Whatever happened to you won’t happen when you’re with us. Understand?” She nods her head with those perfect lips parted just slightly. The thought of leaning over this table and taking them with mine almost becomes more than I can handle. I want to know this girl and I have no fucking idea why.
Without overthinking it, I lift from my seat, lean over, and press my lips to hers. Lola’s eyes are wide but she doesn’t push me away. My lips linger on hers before I feel her respond. She parts her lips and kisses me with a passion. I shove my tongue into her mouth and fuck if it isn’t all that I thought it would be. My tongue sweeps over hers, tasting her in a way that I’ve thought about ever since she’s been in my bed. I know that may make me a bad person but watching her sleep for a week next to me did something to my head. It fucked with me in ways I never felt before. When I break our kiss and pull away, her eyes remain wide before a soft smile crosses her face.
“I’ve wondered what that would feel like,” she says, catching me off guard.
“You did?”
“Since the first day I saw you, woke up in your room. You were different than any man I’ve met, and I wondered what that was like.”
“What were you used to?” I ask, sitting back in my seat.
“Pretty boys with fast cars.” I grunt under my breath making Lola smile. That smile is infectious.
“Typically pretty boys with fast cars overcompensate. You know what I mean?” I say jokingly. Lola laughs and it’s the most beautiful sound in the fucking world.
“I do know what you mean. I also know you asked Jerse
y to talk to me. Blade, I’m not hiding anything from you, just so you know.”
I nod my head slowly before I take a deep breath. As much as I shouldn’t I do believe her. I don’t think she is hiding anything from me.
“Then would you tell me yourself what happened to you?” I know it’s a risk asking her. I know I could watch those walls slam back into place but I want to hear it from her own lips. I want to know what the hell happened and why, and who better than to hear that from than her.
Chapter 8
Lola
I told Blade what happened. Needless to say, he was pissed when I told him. He made sure to reassure me that no one would lay a hand on me like that, belongs to the club. He said that if anyone did, tell him and it would be handled. I saw the look in his eyes and had no doubt that he meant every word he said. Of course, I left out the pregnant part because that isn’t something I want to openly discuss with a guy I’ve known for a week. It isn’t his concern and for the time being I’d like to keep that information to myself. But all of his reassurances made me feel safe. Maybe a false sense of safety but never the less I felt it. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been here and no one has so much as bothered me. The thought of the baby still lingers though. As much as it scares me that that asshole might find me and find out about the baby, I do want it. I wasn’t sure at first but now that it’s growing inside of me, I think this baby will be a good thing for me.
“You’re going to the rally?” Jersey asks as she passes me a bottle of water. I nod my head with a slight smile.
“Are you?”
“No. I have class. I heard they are really fun but can get rowdy sometimes.” I reach down and scratch Diablo’s ears.
“Can I ask you something?” Jersey nods her head and waits.
