by K. J. Dahlen
When Jumper finished eating, he sat back in his chair and beckoned me over.
“That means you,” Jenny said.
“You’re kidding, right? We have to wait on them like maids?” I asked.
“Just take his plate. That’s all you have to do,” she replied.
I walked toward the table where he sat. The three other bikers around Jumper’s table watched my legs as I walked across the room, eyeing my body like a piece of meat. At the table, Jumper pushed his dirty plate to the side and I picked it up. As I did so, I saw something I hadn’t noticed the night he kidnapped me. He was missing his little finger on his right hand.
“Grab me a scotch, will ya?” a gruff male voice said from the neighboring table, startling me.
I nodded, shakily.
As I walked toward the bar with Jumper’s plate in hand, another man called, “Come back! Hey, come sit on my lap.”
I kept walking away as though I hadn’t heard him and hoped he wouldn’t follow me.
I reached the relative safety of the other side of the bar and put the dirty plate in the sink by the wall at one end. Seconds later, industrial beats poured out of the speakers bolted to the ceilings.
An older looking man in his fifties, with a beer belly and creases on his face staggered over to me. “Come on, do a dance,” he said, swaying his hips from side to side and making wide, uncoordinated gestures with his arms.
I turned around and started scrubbing at the plate with a sponge,
The man gave up and went back to his table.
I need get out of here – now.
I looked up at Jumper who had his eyes fixed on the final minutes of the football game on the television. I swiftly turned and dashed for the toilet adjacent to the bar, underneath the stairs.
Inside the bathroom, I sized up the window; it was the only one in this place that wasn’t barred up and looked just large enough to fit my body through. The only problem…it was jammed open about five inches where a toilet roll was compressed into the gap. I tried to pry the thing open but with the years of paint on the sliding hinges, it wouldn’t budge. I fiddled with the stay which had two rusty old screws loosely fitted into the rotting frame. It wiggled loose, and I was able to pry it off. I levered it between the sliding hinges and the edge of the frame, then to my surprise, it started to give slowly, a quarter of an inch at a time.
A loud bashing came at the door.
“Chloe, don’t hide from me, baby!” It was Jumper, and he sounded like he’d been drinking.
I tugged at the window for another thirty seconds, but it was as though the hinges were rusty and busted. The window wouldn’t budge.
“Chloe, don’t make me put a bullet through this door like I had to before. I’m not a man you want to upset.”
I wouldn’t be able to get the window open in time, if at all. I drew in long, deep breath and opened the door.
With sudden violence, Jumper pulled my body from the room and into the hall, away from the prying eyes of the men in the main room. He thrust me up against the wall.
My mouth was open in silent protest.
He whipped his gun out and pressed the barrel of it sideways over my lips.
“You’re psychotic,” I whispered as I squirmed in his grasp.
Jumper glared. “I can make you wish you’d never met me, sweetheart.” He sneered, as his gaze went from my face to my chest.
My mouth had gone dry with fear and I cleared my throat. “I already do,” I said, fending off Jumper’s hands as he started to unbutton my dress. I couldn’t help but shake with the effort not to cry.
Jumper took a moment and brushed the hair from my face. “Shhh. Shhh,” he whispered, stroking my hair with his messed up hand. “Let me explain something to you. I’m in charge here. And since you’re mine now, you’ll abide by my rules.” He paused as I fidgeted in his grasp.
Jumper held me tighter. At that point, I couldn’t move. “Baby, if you’re not going to be of any use to me, then I’ll have to kill you.” His crotch pressed up against me.
I couldn’t tell whether he had a hard on for me or was turned on at the thought of murdering me. “I’d rather die,” I responded.
He tilted his head and pulled a face of pseudo-sympathy. “Oh. I see. You love him, don’t you?”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Jaxson Coltrane,” he replied with disdain.
I said nothing in response.
“You’ll do as you’re fucking told. Jax is gone, just accept it,” Jumper said aggressively.
“Let go you fucking creep!” I exclaimed, still fighting his hold.
He smiled wildly. “Pity, I thought I would get to enjoy you before I killed you.” He paused for a beat. “And when I find your man, I’m going to kill him too.” As he cocked his gun, true hatred flashed in Jumper’s eyes.
I braced myself and realizing that Jumper’s face would be the last thing I ever saw, I squeezed my eyelids shut.
“End of the line, sweetheart.”
Suddenly, there were gunshots hitting the wooden walls.
Chapter Eighteen
(Jax)
“Jaxson? What’s the plan?” Dino repeated.
“I’m gonna track down the bastard who took Chloe and I’m gonna end him. That’s the plan.” I gripped the handles of my bike and stared down the road ahead, determined and focused.
When the light went green, I floored the accelerator. We rolled down the famous Tijuana strip, past the neon signs. We rode for another ten minutes down a dirt road to what looked like a dead end.
I looked through the flickering curtain of the Bloods biker’s bar. The place seemed quiet except for a few harmless looking town drunks who sat by themselves, reading the paper or staring into their beer.
Dino pulled off his Back Devil’s jacket so we wouldn’t look like bikers and we strode into the bar.
“What can I do you for?” the barman asked.
“We’re looking for Jumper,” Dino said.
The barman’s face grew serious at the mention of the name.
A text buzzed on my phone. It read, ‘Pretty little thing. Ain’t she?’ from an unknown number. Then there was an image. An image of a girl in a short silver dress standing behind a bar.
It was Choe!
“Son-of-a-bitch,” I muttered under my breath.
Instantly, I called the number. I left Dino talking with the barman and lifted the phone to my ear.
As I waited, I could hear the barman cautioning Dino in a hushed voice, “Look, son. You look like a nice guy. Jumper has beef with a lot of people, so all I’ll tell you this. You can’t beat him. He’s ex-military gone rogue. An ex-colonel from the Special Forces. Trained to fight and kill like a machine. Even if you’d gone your whole life without losing a fight, I’d tell you the same. He’s got a gang, goons…plenty of heavily armed monsters and deadly backup. I’m telling you now, Jumper cannot be beaten.”
“We’re used to this shit. But thanks anyway,” Dino replied.
“Let me tell you, it sets me on edge whenever he comes in here. They say Jumper leaves a trail of bodies behind him wherever he goes.”
The phone was picked up on the other end. “Mr. Coltrane. How nice of you to give me a call.”
“Stay the fuck away from her,” I warned through gritted teeth.
“Oh, her? I thought she might just motivate you to pay me a little visit? Women. It’s an easy weakness to forgive.”
“Where are you?”
“You can come see me at my clubhouse. Tell you what, I’ll leave the gates open for you. Even give you a nice warm welcome.” The call cut out.
I turned to Dino and the barman.
“I’ve got the directions,” Dino said.
“I’m warning you boys. Jumper doesn’t mess around. He’s got two men acting as sentries, armed with military grade assault rifles. He’s messed up in the head I tell yo
u. Just as soon as you set foot into the perimeter of that place, you’ll be in for it.”
“How will I know when I see him?”
“He’s a crazy, mean mother fucker…You’ll know.”
“Thanks.” I gave him a half smile.
Dino and I walked out.
We rode just three blocks from the bar. On our left was a large farmhouse that looked more like a log cabin than a clubhouse which sat in the clearing of a jack pine forest. I glanced around the foreboding place. Eight or nine Harleys sat outside. We drew our guns and leveled them at the door.
The farmhouse was centered in the sights of my gun.
I tightened my finger on the trigger and gave a glance to Dino on my right. “Ready?”
Dino gave me a nod and we squeezed the triggers of our guns. Tins of steel pellets screamed over their Blood’s clubhouse.
Bullets penetrated everywhere like tiny Hellfire missiles blasting out of our guns and ripping into the wooden walls.
My phone rang in my pocket from an unknown number and I pulled it out with one hand.
“Mr. Coltrane. How kind of you to pay my club a visit,” a husky male voice said through the phone in a relaxed manner.
“You know why I’m here, Jumper. You’ve got Chloe in there, now I’m giving you one chance to hand her back.”
“Feel free to have a nice little chat with some of my brothers. I’m sure they’d love to talk to you.”
Three men who had the look of trained killers emerged from the front door of the Blood’s clubhouse. They glanced at each other and approached the steel gates in dark leather jackets, black jeans and black overcoats.
The men opened fire, their bullets barely missing us.
Three more men emerged from the front door guns in hand.
“Stop….He’s mine,” one man ordered. It was Jumper.
The man had a hard, outlaw vibe. Jumper’s arms and neck were tanned, interlaced with tattoos that made him look more like a convict than a man from Special Forces. He still had the look of a military man though, hair cropped short.
“Go to hell,” I yelled.
Provoked by my lack of fear and by the insolence of my stare, Jumper revealed a customized semi-automatic.
I tried not to show that I was suddenly terrified.
In one blindingly fast motion, Jumper pulled the gun from his shoulder holster, fired eight shells into the air in rapid succession, and holstered it. This man was a different breed of biker—a deadly hybrid of military training and biker.
“You Jumper?” I yelled.
“I’m the best there is at what I do. And what I do best isn’t very nice. At this point, the girl is merely an inconvenience. She won’t be for long.” Jumper lifted his phone to his ear.
A few seconds later a big man brought Chloe out of the door. As I had feared, she wore the disgusting silver whore dress on her sweet body. Hands clipped together with handcuffs; a blindfold over her eyes. “Help! Help!” she cried out, begging for mercy in muffled screams through the gag over her mouth.
“Noooo!” I yelled.
“Oh, so you do care about her. Jaxson Coltrane’s cold heart melted for a girl,” Jumper mocked.
“It’s my responsibility to protect her.”
“The girl’s wellbeing isn’t my concern. Destroying you is what matters.” He paused a moment then went on, “I’ve heard about you, Jax. The club man who’s never hurt a woman.” He tormented me. “Let me show you how it’s done.” He reared back and raised his hand to slap Chloe hard across the cheek.
“Nooo!” I shouted. “You fucking bastard!”
Jumper turned to me with a smirk that reminded me of Antonio. He crashed his lips to hers. He then licked his lips hungrily.
Anger seethed within me.
“If you want your girl back you’re going to give up everything Jaxson. You’ll leave town and your club or the girl dies.”
“Alright,” I conceded.
“I don’t believe you.”
Six guns were pointed at me and Dino.
“Jaxson Coltrane. A life condemned to hell. I was going to kill you. And I will. But right now, I’ll take pleasure in watching the only girl you’ll ever love bleed.” Jumper laughed as he mounted his bike. He gave his henchman a nod and the man planted a bullet in her chest.
I looked over at Chole, ten feet away from me, horror struck.
Jumper stared down at the dying woman with pitiless eyes. Then headed to his bike.
I didn’t hide my anguish. I couldn’t hide it even if I wanted to. I sprinted over the dusty ground where Chloe was lying face down in the dirt. I looked up at Jumper and he cracked a smile.
Dino made his way over to Chloe and knelt beside her body. His fingers ran over her neck checking for a pulse, listening for breath, trying desperately to find any sign of life in her lifeless form. Blood puddled beneath her. Her skin had already begun to lose its color.
Jumper gave an exaggerated laugh then climbed onto his Harley and revved his engine. “Oh, and I have a message for your boss.”
I looked up.
“There’s a storm coming.” With that, Jumper let out another laugh of arrogance.
Six Harleys revved out of the place, Jumper left last, pausing just to savor the moment.
“Get back here cock-sucker!” Dino yelled.
I took a shot at Jumper with intent to kill, but it was his arm that caught the bullet.
His shout of pain echoed through the air but his gang was too far ahead to hear, he very nearly lost control of his bike, but managed to right the bike at the last second.
I dropped to my knees beside Chloe and gathered her in my arms. “Come on, you’re okay. Say something. Say something, baby,” I pleaded with her still form. An awful, prolonged bellow escaped my lips.
She came to, blacked out, and came to again. She then slipped away as I cradled her in my arms. I yelled out with pain and a gut wrenching sob that I didn’t recognize as my own as the bikes sped down the dirt road.
I sat silently, frozen with defeat.
I was in love with you, Chloe. I was supposed to save you, protect you. But I let you down. I let you die in this godforsaken town. Jessie will be turning in his grave.
My body went cold, my world turned to ash. I gazed around and wondered why everything looked black and white. There wasn’t any color. She’d taken it with her. A chill settled over me and I knew that I would now become the monster I had kept at bay all these years. There was no use in fighting that anymore with her gone from the world.
I promised myself that son of a bitch was going to fucking pay.
Chapter Nineteen
(Chloe)
“That motherfucking-cock-sucking-bastard! AHHHHHHHH!” a male voice cursed and howled from outside.
I opened the clubhouse door slightly and glanced around at the foreboding area. The air was thick with dust and shotgun smoke. The Bloods were gone. Their bikes were gone. Two men and two bikes remained in the parking lot. Cautiously, I stepped outside from the main door of the clubhouse.
“Jaxson?” I called and took a few paces forward. I could hardly believe Jax was here in the parking lot and alive.
I could only just see Jax’s face from the door; he was down on his knees yelling uncontrollably. I could tell it was him for sure by his voice. Dino was right beside him, his back turned on me, which gave me a clear view of the back of his Black Devil’s jacket, which had Dino’s street name: ‘Thunder.’
What the hell had happened? Where the hell had Jumper taken him? And why was Jax here now and the Bloods were gone?
Jax’s head turned toward my voice as his mouth opened to speak and the words died in his throat.
The two men glanced up and down my body at the silver dress I was wearing. They had a look of utter disbelief, as though they’d just seen something impossible.
“Are the Bloods gone?” I asked, hastily.
Jax and Dino no
dded, mute while still staring at me like I was a ghost or something.
Several seconds later, Jax exchanged a look with Dino. Jax got up to walk towards me, and Dino took his place where Jax had been kneeling, which was a little bizarre maybe, but nothing to cause alarm.
As Jax approached me, I joked with tears of relief and happiness, “Do you mind if I come home with you two? I have a feeling I’ve overstayed my welcome here.”
“Y-you’re okay?” he asked, shaking his head. “You’re okay!” Jax exclaimed as he threw his arms around me and we embraced.
He crushed his lips to mine, and I couldn’t have felt any safer and calmer than I did at that moment. He held onto me tight, almost too tight. His breat hing was accelerated. All of our fears and problems were drowned out as we kissed. I stroked Jax’s cheek and gazed into his eyes. He was alive. I was alive. We were going to be ok.
Half a second later, I stepped backward and slapped him across the face. Hard.
“Fuckkkkk!” He winced. “Can’t you see that I’m already beaten up?” He paused for a beat and then asked, “Did I miss something?” He looked stunned but as he stared at me, his eyes sparkled with an odd joy.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You left me for business with your MC. You nearly got the both of us killed!” I exclaimed.
He stared at me and kept smiling like a dumbass.
What is the matter with him?
He seemed to get a hold of himself and nodded his head. “I know, Chloe. I was set up. But I came back for you, didn’t I?”
By way of reply, I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t know what to think. He was acting so odd. Like he was happy to see me but jumpy and not himself at all.
He let out a huge sigh and squared his shoulders. “Look. We need to get going. Jumper is pissed as hell at me. The Bloods’ could come back any second.” He looked over at Dino who still knelt on the ground.
