by Kara Hart
“Me too.” he said, head tilted back with satisfaction and extreme excitement.
And in that moment, we lost each other in a fog of pure pleasure. I was his. Oh God, I was his.
Rust
The first thought I had was, “What the fuck happened last night?” This shit always happened with me. All the things I had said to Jackie came flooding back to me. Ultimately, I shrugged it off. I've said worse before. Plus, she seemed cool with it. She wasn’t uptight and she wasn’t begging to marry me or nothin’.
Weird thing was, I didn't really regret any of it. Shit, it wasn't as if I said I loved the woman. But I couldn't deny that there was some sort of connection between us. So when I woke up to her mouth around my cock, I couldn't complain. In fact, I let her have her way.
“Good morning.” she whispered, with that cat-like smile of hers. She had my shaft in her hand like it was a weapon of hers.
“Sure is.” I breathed in deep. Her scent was the only good thing in this hell of a world. Uh, oh. There were those emotions again. Where the hell did they come from and why couldn’t I shake ‘em? Together… The words I spoke echoed throughout my head. “Swallow it whole, baby…” I moaned, letting her take control for once.
“Yes, boss.” she whispered, kissing down my happy trail, running her hands across my abs. And in one instant, she swallowed the whole thing. I usually kicked women out in the morning, or at least right after I came, but I was feeling a little generous today. I don’t know what it was, but I was in a good and loving mood. I breathed in deep and let her work her way to my heart.
After we fooled around some more, I walked up to the bar and poured us another drink. “I don’t know what it is,” I began rambling, “…but when I’m with you, I have fun.” It was an awkward thing to say, I’ll admit. And it wasn’t too manly either. I instantly regretted those words.
She buttoned up her shirt and said, “Me too. Fun is nice.” She smiled and eyed me, as if she was trying to analyze my every thought.
“Don’t get any ideas.” I said. “We have a job to do. Can’t have too much fun.”
“Right.” she simply said. “We have a job to do.”
We both glanced over at Ralphie and I let out a large sigh. “I’ll call someone to pick him up.” I grabbed my phone and called our clean-up guy, some old waste management worker. I didn’t really know the guy, but he did good work. “Yeah. It’s me. Come to the club. You know the code to get in? Good. It’ll be there.” I hung up the phone.
“He’s on his way.” I said, setting my drink down and walking toward the back door. “Come on, let’s get to working.”
“You got a plan?” she asked me, as we walked through the back hallway.
“I always got a plan. Question is, is it a good plan?” I responded, pushing the back room door open. We sat down on the leather couch and I went to explaining.
“Here’s what I know. We are at war. It may not look like it yet, but things are heating up. Both sides are gearing up to launch attacks. The best thing we can do is to attack first, but we do it with stealth.” I said.
“So what do you propose?” she asked, still sipping on her drink.
“Well there are a few things we can do, but I’m thinkin’ we do something crazy. Here’s my plan: we get married.” It was a crazy plan. Completely insane. But that’s how I operated. And if it worked, it could save us all.
“Uh, what?” she said, shaking her head. “What are you talking about, Rust. Marriage? Just because we fucked a few times doesn’t mean I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Jesus.”
I laughed. “You think I want to be with you either? But now we’re in this mess and we need something big that’s going to mend our two crews.”
“I don’t know, Rust. It doesn’t sound like such a hot plan. What would Bruce say if you told him?”
I thumbed at a cigarette, though I didn’t light it. I was thinking. “I think he’d go for it.” I finally said, after some time. “As tough as he is, he’s a real softy inside. He loves marriage and shit.”
“Bruce? Are you kidding me? The guy seems to be perpetually single.” She was laughing uncontrollably now and I couldn’t help but chuckle with her.
“Yeah, well. Maybe he’s holdin’ out for the right person.” I shrugged. “Look, what are the two things that our crews want?”
“I don’t know, autonomy? Money?”
“You’re close. Power and Freedom.” I said. “Your side wants to be taken seriously. They want their territory to remain theirs. I get that. But Bruce, he ain’t as understanding as I am. I hate to admit this, but he wants the territory to himself. Power. Once you have it, you want more.”
She put her palms against her forehead, thinking hard about what I had just said. “So the Hell’s Wheels want a voice. And Courage wants more. Sounds like you finally get what I’ve been saying all along.”
“Your father was a good man. He never let a member of his crew starve or be shut out. That’s the mark of a good leader. His legacy deserves respect. But your boys, they want a regime change. That’s never a good sign. So my proposal is we bring the two together. We expand your territory and push out the Darkhorse MC. Together.” Maybe what I said last night wasn’t such a crazy thing after all. If we were going to stomp out the threat of fear and tyranny, we had to try working together. We had no other choice.
“Together…” she repeated, almost in a dreamlike trance. “You’re insane, you know that right?”
I shrugged. “That’s what they’ve told me. I’m just rollin’ with the punches, babe.” I finally lit up my cigarette and smiled, putting my feet up.
“Alright, Rust. I’m with you. Let’s get married. Shit.” She said, smiling big. “But you better get me the biggest ring you can find. I want diamonds, Rust. Platinum and diamonds.”
“Shit, if this plan works, I’ll go down into the mines myself and get you your diamond.” I laughed. She rested her head on my chest and I slowly felt those damn emotions flood back. Marriage. My mother, God rest her soul, would be so proud.
Jackie
“Wait, a damn second now. You’re what?” Bruce said, practically spinning with confusion. He was tugging at his beard, thinking hard about all of this.
“We’re gettin’ married, boss.” Rust announced to Bruce. “I know it sounds kind of crazy, but things have really changed in the past few days.” Bruce shook his head and pulled him aside, as if I couldn’t hear them speaking. It was so embarrassing.
“I’m not too sure that’s a good idea, boy. Now I know you. You do some impulsive shit. But marriage? That ain’t something you can get out of easy. Take it from me. My ex-wife still comes after my money. Maybe you should think this through.”
Rust shook his head. “I know what I’m doing, Bruce. I promise you.”
“I know you think you know, but you don’t. Look, I don’t want to cause any alarm or fuss, so keep this between you and me.” He nodded, glancing over at me. “Things are a bit shaky right now with the two families. I think we all just need to lay low for a bit. Until things smooth over. I’m afraid if you two get hitched, both sides will think something weird is goin’ on.”
“I know. I saw it in the boys at the hospital the other night. Bruce, I’m gonna put all my cards on the table. If we lay low, things are just going to escalate. We saw some shit the other night that made my stomach turn…”
“What kind of shit are you talking about, boy?” Bruce asked with a worried expression on his face.
I stepped in, saying, “A member of the Hell’s Wheels, Don. He’s gone completely insane ever since my father passed. He’s taken over the crew, leaving me with no other options.”
“So what’s your plan?” he asked. “You get married? How the hell will that help?”
“We have an idea of what could happen. We expand Hell’s Wheels territory and smooth things out within my ranks first.”
“And then what? My men sure as hell won’t be happy with your men on thei
r streets. You’re treading into some dark water, you two. I don’t think you know what you’re doing. Beware. That’s all I have to say.”
“Well it’s better than sitting around and hoping for the best. And it sure as hell is better than launching a full out war.” Rust said. “I know you’re the boss of this gang. And I have all the respect for you in the world. I would never want to take your place or decide what’s right for this crew. But I think this is the best shot we have. I really do.”
Bruce turned to me, finally, and asked, “And what about you, little lady? You think the same thing?”
“I think it’s the only chance we really have. It’s that or total war. The best we can do is team up together, push our men into their territory launch a full offensive strike against the Darkhorse gang. If we get our men together on this, we can take them down and expand both our businesses. After all, that’s what this is all about, right? Both sides can see results.”
It was our best chance. It had to work. I looked over at Rust and he looked back at me. I could tell he thought Bruce was going to approve of our plan. If he didn’t, it was back to square one.
Bruce sat down and mulled it over. He was getting older. Things weren’t as set in stone as they used to be. Territories were changing and new lines were being drawn. This was the punishment of history’s gains. “I ain’t never taken ‘military’ advice from a woman before. I just don’t know…” He scratched at his long, unkempt beard.
“It’s a new world.” I said. “Better get used to it or pay the price.” This wasn’t some feminist stance. I couldn’t give two shits about any of that. This was reality. And if he wasn’t going to embrace it, he was going to be left in the dust. “Leaders come and go. The only thing that remains is the future. Let’s push Courage and the Hell’s Wheels into the future, Bruce. Together.”
“Ah, shit, shit, shit! Why is it that there’s always a member of my gang comin’ up with insane plans?” He sighed loudly and slammed his fist into the wall in front of him. “Alright. Fuck it. You have my blessing. Go forth and multiply, or however the saying goes. I don’t give a shit no more. If you need me, I’ll be in my office with a bullet proof vest and two loaded rifles in my hands.”
I laughed. A bit over-dramatic, right? “Thanks, Bruce. We won’t let you down.” I said, patting his back.
“You’re still the enemy in my book.” he said. “But I’ll do business with the enemy if need be.”
“Don’t worry. We got this taken care of.” Rust assured him.
“Boy. If there’s anything I know about these kinds of situations, it’s that you don’t have any clue what might happen. I’ll expect you to report back to me, but I don’t expect any results.”
When all was said and done, we both took a deep breath and headed into the open air. “Ready to get married, dear?” he asked me, extending his hand.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” I placed my hand into his strong palm and he squeezed, sending goose bumps throughout my body. I had to keep telling myself that this was just fantasy. This was just a means to an end. This wasn’t love. Of course it wasn’t. But then, why did I feel so different?
I jumped onto his Harley Davidson and held onto his warm body, placing my head against his strong shoulders. “Let’s ride.” he said, revving the engine. He put the bike into gear and took off, riding against the sun.
Even though I grew up tough, as a young girl I still fantasized about getting married to the man of my dreams. Now, here I was getting married to an opposing family. Business. Just business, of course. What we were doing was actually a noble cause, unlike most marriages. A lot of marriages ended up in heartbreak, divorce, and disaster. Not mine. No, this marriage was special. It was made to mend our little kingdoms. And though our men couldn’t see it yet, we were avoiding imminent disaster.
“Where we headed to?” I called out to Rust, who’s hair was whipping back against the wind. His hands, veiled by his black leather gloves, held on tightly to the handlebars of his motorcycle.
“I thought you would’ve guessed by now.” he laughed, speeding through a red light. “We’re going to the infamous drive-thru wedding!” He cut through a corner and zipped past two other bikers, unaffiliated with any gang. They flipped us off.
“A drive-thru wedding? Are you serious?” It wasn’t exactly my dream wedding situation. Then again, none of this was. My father was dead and my crew had turned against me. I had to adapt and be strong. Plus, it made for one good story.
We turned into an empty parking lot where a lone brick building stood. I doubted anyone really went to this anymore, but a neon “We’re Open!” sign flashed in front. Bible verses were posted on a board to the side and a woman slid open the window. “Look at you two lovebirds!” she exclaimed. “Well aren’t you cute, ridin’ up on your little bike like that. Come on through! You guys fixin’ to get married, or what?”
Rust frowned, a little hurt that the lady called us “cute.” Nevertheless, he rolled on through and stopped at the window. “Uh, one marriage, please.” he mumbled.
“Aww.” she cooed. “I just love it when two people can come together and—” But Rust almost immediately interrupted her.
“Let’s just get on with it, alright? We got a lot to do today.” he grunted.
“Oh, of course. I apologize. You have a honeymoon to go on!” She smiled extremely wide for us. Rust was squeezing the handlebars, making sure he didn’t lose his cool. All this “cute” stuff was really getting to him.
“Darlin’.” she said to me. “Why don’t you get a little closer to him. Go on, don’t be shy. Sit on his lap!”
I got off the bike and walked in front of him, shaking my hips from side to side. You know, teasing him. I know how much this was killing the man and it gave me a lot of pleasure to draw it out as much as possible. I pushed my butt out and placed it directly on his lap. “Come on, honey. Put your hands around me. Aren’t you excited?” I winked.
“Happiest day of my god damn life.” he mumbled, looking uneasy. “Alright, let’s do this. Read the words, lady. Marry us.”
I hit his arm. “Honey, don’t rush this. This is going to be the day we look back on the most!” He shook his head, unable to even look me in the eyes.
The woman read a few bible verses and then began the actual ceremony. She turned on an old boom box and pressed play on a cassette tape. Old, sappy and romantic music played as I held Rust close to me, knowing full well I was ruining his day.
“Now, what are your names?” she asked us.
“This here’s Rust! And I’m Jackie!” I smiled and kissed his cheek.
“Do you Rust take beautiful Jackie to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes. She was obviously a sucker for true love.
“I do.” Rust sighed, grabbing at a cigarette.
“And do you Jackie take handsome Rust to be your partner in life; sharing your path, equal in love, a mirror for your true self, promising to honor and cherish, through good times and bad, until death do you part?” she asked, wiping the tears away. Oh, it was such a beautiful moment.
“I do.” I said.
“Oh, shoot!” she cried. “You guys are just too darn cute! Do you have the rings?”
The rings! I had completely forgotten about that part. Of course we didn’t have any rings.
But Rust reached into his pocket and pulled out an old ring. “I got mine, right here.” Rust said. It was beautiful, with a large diamond in the center.
“What…” I said. “Rust…”
“Take it. It was my grandmothers. You’re part of the family now. It’s yours.”
“Yes! True love!” The woman exclaimed, clapping her hands. “But where is your ring, sir?” she asked.
“I don’t need no ring. I told her not to get me one.” he muttered under his breath.
“Wel
l isn’t he sweet. He doesn’t need anything physical to show the world that he loves you. You just know, don’t you?” I nodded awkwardly.
And now, by the power vested in me by the State of Idaho, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
“And then something different happened. Rust leaned forward and kissed me, but it wasn’t like a normal kiss. No. It was passionate, loving, and confident. It was as if he had loved me all of his life. A real kiss. An actual kiss, born out of love. Was I crazy to think that? I wrapped my arms around him and smiled, listening to the woman declare us together, for life.
“Family and Friends, I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs…” She stopped short and whispered, “What’s y’alls last name?”
Rust cleared his throat and whispered, “Blackwood.” He looked proud.
“Your last name is Blackwood?” I asked.
“Drop it.” I shrugged. It wasn’t weird or anything, but clearly he didn’t want people knowing he had a last name at all.
The woman at the window perked up and excitedly yelled, “Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood! You two are married!” She shot a confetti gun at us, causing Rust to nearly fall off his bike out of sheer surprise.
And that was it. We were married. Together. Forever.
Rust
I couldn’t believe it myself. Marriage? Shit. How the hell did I end up here? Me and my big mouth. All my crazy ideas. My rash decision-making. It wasn’t as if this was real though. It’s for the families. More importantly, it’s for Courage. I had to remember that. It was a time of violence and the only thing that might bring us together was love. Disgusting, but true.
Bruce made the announcement to the two crews, letting the news be heard far and wide. It wasn’t long before everyone that was connected with either Courage or Hell’s Wheels knew about the wedding. An official “wedding celebration” was set for that night and both crews were invited.
I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t nervous, but it wasn’t because I was legally bound to Jackie. That I could take care of with a lawyer and some force. No, it was because I had to face the two gangs and bring them together as best as I could. For the first time in my life, I had to act like a boss and try to unite the two. This was the best plan we had and it seemed a bit sketchy. Still, we had to try in order to know if we had failed.
