by J. L. Drake
I was halfway before I turned and waited for Ryder to catch up.
“For a short chick, you walk fast.”
“For a prospect, you suck at following someone.”
He rolled his eyes. “Trust me, this is the last thing I want to be doing tonight.”
“I’ll be with my friend, Shantee. You don’t need to spend the entire time there. I can call you when I’m leaving.”
He shrugged, and I could tell he left out the part where Trigger forbid him to leave.
“Remind me who she is again?”
“Shan was born in a man’s body, so when she was eleven, she started the change.”
“Right.” He shook his head, and I shot him a dirty look.
“Imagine if you were someone different on the inside than you were on the out.” He shut up, which I was thankful for. “Wouldn’t be fun.” I sighed.
Ryder stayed downstairs, and I met Shantee up on the balcony.
“Holy shit.” She held open her long arms and smashed my face into her double D boobs. “Girl, you look amazing!”
“Thanks.” I gasped for air. “Is that a new perfume?”
“Yes, it’s called Summer Nights.” She missed my point of why I said it.
We sat and ordered some food and sipped our drinks while we waited.
“How’s the house?”
Her face fell, and one of her drawn-on eyebrows rose. “It’s rough there right now. Your mother has lost her shit. I even caught her ripping apart Clark’s office, muttering like a madwoman. Whatever she was looking for, she couldn’t have found it,” she gave me a knowing look, “because every inch of that place was ransacked.”
“She’s nuts.” I downed the rest of my drink.
“She is, but it’s my home. Makes me sad to see it go downhill so quickly.”
I looked over her shoulder when I remembered something.
I watched as Cooper left, then turned my eyes back to Clark, who had something in his hand.
“You want proof that it was always you I loved, well, here.” He handed me a card.
“What’s this?”
“My gift to you for all the shit I’ve ever put you through.”
“Whatever.” I shoved it in my pocket, annoyed he wouldn’t even share what the fuck it was. Classic Clark and his mind games.
After I killed him, I shoved it in my drawer and forgot about it, but now I was curious.
“Ladies,” two men pulled my attention away from my thoughts, “can we buy you a drink?”
Shantee glanced at me, concerned, but she forced a friendly smile and said, “No, thanks, guys. We’re just having a girls’ night.”
“Come on,” one wrapped an arm playfully around me as he whistled for the waitress to bring us another, “what’s the harm in one drink?”
I searched the faces for Ryder, but he seemed to be missing. Maybe he did leave.
When our food arrived, the men pulled up seats to join us. We tried to be polite, but my patience was wearing thin. The guy wrapped his arm around me, and it pissed me off. I pulled away from his grip and struggled to hold my temper.
“Look, man,” I pushed his hand off my thigh, “I’ll say it one more time. I’m not interested. I have someone.”
“Sorry.” He held up his hands, but they soon returned. The idea of a throat punch was looking real good.
“Maybe it’s time to go?” I eyed Shantee, who had been groped at least three times already.
When she stood, he grabbed her boob, and her voice suddenly dropped several octaves.
“I said no.”
The man stepped back and looked disgusted that she wasn’t what he thought she was.
“What the fuck?” He wiped his hands on his jeans. “That’s fucking wrong! You should wear a goddamn sign that says you have a dick.”
“Why do men like you feel embarrassed when they realize I’m trans? I’m beautiful, aren’t I? You shouldn’t feel badly about it.”
His drunk buddies started to laugh and poke fun at their friend. His face grew red, and he looked like he might punch Shantee.
“Time to go.” I grabbed her arm and started to walk quickly down the stairs.
“Men are such assholes.”
“It’s 2018, grow the fuck up,” I yelled over my shoulder.
We got about two blocks before they showed up behind us, shouting that they were going to show us what real men could do. I quickly pulled out my phone and sent a text.
Tess: Need your help. On PCH and Pine. Two drunk guys.
Trigger: Keep walking toward the club. I’ll meet you.
A sense of relief spread over me until they started to gain ground on us. They were moving faster than I’d realized.
“Shit,” I hissed and pushed Shantee, their main target, out of the way.
One laughed. “I could blow, and you’d fall over. Save yourself and move. Let us get to your he-she.”
I saw red and punched him straight in the nose. He fell but jumped forward and pushed me into the brick wall.
“You stupid bitch!” He started to throw a punch when he was suddenly flung backward and tossed straight into traffic. Car horns and curses blasted.
Trigger pulled me behind him, and I heard the snap of a switchblade being released from its handle.
They took one look and ran like the bitches they were.
I turned to Shantee, who was fixing her shirt.
“Always an adventure with you, Tess.”
I laughed as Trigger put his arm around my shoulder. We walked her back to her car and made sure she got off okay. She was rattled but played it off all right.
Ryder appeared, out of breath and spluttering apologies.
“I was talking with someone and missed you coming out.”
Ryder hooked my arm to turn me toward him. “Tess, I’m really sorry, but just so you know, I saw those guys running from Trig. I grabbed one of them and got in a good kick to his nuts.”
Trigger cursed under his breath. “Strike one.”
Chapter Eight
Trigger
There wasn’t enough whiskey in the world to ease the pain of betrayal. I’d been through many things in my life, but to live in my house, act like my family, live off our money, then turn your back and put my woman into the arms of that devil tore open my scars. I spun a red-tipped bullet between my fingers and wondered where the best place would be to jam it.
Neck.
Heart.
Ribs.
Or all three?
I shook my head. I needed to be more creative. The smells of the slaughter room came into my consciousness and pulled at my memory, and my head filled with more possibilities. The idea hit me across the face.
Wicked adrenaline smoked my veins and called my demons to the surface.
Yes, that would do.
It wasn’t until the sun started to set and the temperature dropped that I really felt my body relax and the hold of the prison finally released me.
The wind whipped my face and blew my hair around. It was tradition for me to wear my cap helmet whenever I rode after jail time. Normally, I didn’t like the idea of exposing my face at all. It wasn’t wise, but tonight, I didn’t give a fuck.
I took my favorite route through the mountains and hugged the corners. Speed and weed pumped through me, and I finally felt free.
At the next corner, I dropped the gears and skidded into the dugout. I hopped off my bike and followed the path through the long grass to the beach. The moon was extra bright, which helped guide me to my favorite spot. A bottle of whiskey sat beside me as I watched the ocean crash against the cliff. White noise was my music; it calmed my insides.
I needed this.
In my world, you tended to get a sixth sense for the sound of chopper bikes. The Devil’s Reach rode only three different kinds, that was it. So, when I heard a Classic Bobber off in the distance, it brought me to my feet. I hopped up on a rock and looked down at the winding road. Sure as shit, a bike was making its way
in my direction.
Call me paranoid, but I knew something was up.
I tossed my joint and slowly made my way back to the road. It was a few yards away when I heard the engine slow.
I had just reached my bike when I heard the first bullet leave the chamber.
Shit!
A giant dirt cloud shot from my wheels as I skidded out of the dugout and up the hill. It wasn’t the direction I wanted to go, but I needed to be in front of him rather than head on. Again, I was thankful the light from the moon acted like a lamp above us.
I pulled my gun free from my saddlebag and pointed behind me. When I had a moment of straight road, I twisted in my seat and fired.
Sparks flew from his wheel guard, and he swerved to keep his balance. He glanced behind him then sped up, decreasing the space between us. Two trucks appeared up ahead. They had to see me coming. One pulled out into the other lane so I was trapped behind them, unable to pass.
I knew the road well enough to know the shoulders ran out to shit on the outside, and a truck could run me into the rock wall on the other. I wouldn’t put it past them. I knew truck drivers had been warned about biker clubs trying to steal their cargo, so they would attempt to control the road with their big-ass vehicles to keep from being stopped. Couldn’t say I blamed them, but right now I needed to get the hell past them.
My speedometer dropped to fifty miles an hour, and I needed to make a decision fast.
I heard the bullet fly by me and saw the damage it spread over my side mirror as it hit. Glass flew, and I swerved the bike to make myself less of a target.
Again, I twisted and sent more fire. He weaved and ducked but still managed to keep his seat. He was good, but I was better.
The road flattened out up ahead, and I took the opportunity to make my move. I sped up and acted like I was going to split the trucks, but at the last second, I swerved and shot out his passenger side mirror. The truck pulled away from the impact and over the center line, a natural human reaction, and I gunned my bike up the space he made on the inside along the gravel shoulder and just managed to slip in front of the truck by a hair. He blasted his horn and tried to speed up, but I was lighter and quickly leapt a good distance ahead.
Pop!
Pop!
What the fuck! Using my good mirror, I tilted it and saw that the other biker must have used my own idea against me with the trucks. Fuck!
I hugged the corners and kept myself swerving in and out in short turns as the bullets nicked at the sides of my bike.
His engine made a strange noise, and he suddenly shot up right next to me.
“Jesus Christ!” I dropped my speed and fell in behind him. His head whipped around, and he tried to do the same to me. I aimed my gun and fired again, but it clicked empty.
Fuck me!
I shoved it back into my bag and decided this shit needed to end, with or without bullets.
The top of the peak was only a few yards away, and I knew what lay up ahead.
I threw back my head laughed out loud. This was it. This was what I lived for, to play chicken with the reaper.
“One,” I switched the gear into fifth, “two,” I lined up my wheels with his, “three.” I jolted forward and raced up the side of his tread. Both bikes twisted around and sent us flying down the steep hill. At such speed, all I could do was protect my head and neck. My bike hit a rock hard and jumped to a stop. His bike flew off the cliff up ahead, while we were sent into the bushes. Weeds and rocks scraped at my clothing as I tumbled through the shrubs. At the very last second, when I felt my body leave the ground, I was ready. I knew what was coming. I twisted and grabbed a narrow tree trunk and felt myself snap back into the side of the cliff.
He came flying down next to me. His hands desperately scrambled for a hold, but I kicked out, and he fell over the cliff backward. I heard a sound then all was quiet.
Carefully, I pulled myself forward arm over arm and was able to shimmy over to the ledge. I peered over. He had gotten wedged between a tree and a rock just below the edge and hung like a bent pretzel. I tried to get closer, and dirt and rock suddenly let go from beneath me and tumbled down the eighty-foot cliff into the angry water below. I pulled back and rested for a bit, thinking the sound I had heard was probably his spine snapping in half, confirmation that the reaper and I had a tie.
I went for it and leaned lower and just managed to snag his jacket. After a bit of sweaty cursing, I managed to finger his cell phone loose and grab his wallet. I drew back for a breather to have a look inside the wallet, but it was empty. I expected nothing less. I needed one more thing, and his obviously dislocated shoulder made it easier. I yanked up his arm, grabbed his hand, and used his thumb to unlock the phone.
I scrolled through the settings and changed his passcode to the club’s address before I tucked it in my jeans. I grabbed a shrub with both hands as I kicked the branch he was wedged against and watched him fall into the water below. I knew the sheriffs combed through these back roads, and I didn’t need any more problems on my hands. I looked up the hill and squinted at the idea of the seventy-foot climb back up to the top. It was dark, so I would have to watch my footing. Fuck, I really, really hoped my bike would work when I got there.
To my surprise, the beast of a bike roared to life. I swung it around, sending gravel everywhere, and headed for home.
“What the hell happened to you?” Brick jumped from his stool, which caused Tess to race from out behind the bar. It had taken me all night to get my bike going and back into the city. It was now mid-morning, and I was irritated as shit that the entire thing had happened at all.
“Had some company tonight.”
“Who?” Tess handed me a bottle of water.
“Don’t know, but,” I reached into my jeans and held up the phone, “last text he got gave my location, so he was obviously after me.” I tossed it to Morgan.
“I’ll see what I can find.”
“Do you think it was your father?” Brick trailed me into my office, followed by Tess.
“Wouldn’t be surprised.” I pulled off my filthy t-shirt and tossed it on the couch and tugged on a fresh one. “Get me something stronger than this.” I tossed the water on my desk and turned to Tess as she partially closed the door behind Brick.
“What really happened?”
“What I said,” I grunted.
She folded her arms and stared at me, and her look gave me what I needed to back her up and hover over her small frame. My body was hot, and I needed release. She was so good at pushing all my buttons to the limit.
“Don’t keep things from me,” she whispered and sent her hot breath across my cheek.
“Why do you fight me?”
She stepped up on her toes, pressed her chest into mine, and licked the rim of my ear.
“Because you let me.”
My hand clamped down on her waist to hold her in place. I was dangerously close to tossing her cute little ass out the door, but I had so much to concentrate on, and I couldn’t take the distraction.
“Anything I can help you with?” Her hand slipped down my front and fisted my pulsing erection. I closed my eyes and tried to force the images of the many ways I planned to fuck her from my mind.
“Umm…” Rail appeared at the door then quickly turned around when he saw us.
I didn’t care. I was trapped between perfume and a fistful of me.
“Trigger, you need to come out right now.”
“Busy.” My voice was hoarse. Tess started to pull away, but I slammed her hand back down. “Don’t even think of leaving.”
“Trig—”
“If it’s not a Stripe Back, Gus, or Allen, go away.”
“It’s Melissa.”
I stilled just long enough for Tess to sense something was up. Her hand slowly slipped away, and I didn’t stop her.
Fuck.
“Who’s Melissa?” She straightened her shoulders and pulled her top back into place.
“Come on, Tess
, I could use a drink.” Rail reached for her, but she stepped back.
“What’s going on?”
“Go,” I bit out and watched her face as it twisted in confusion. My blue balls had made me lash out at her. I didn’t need this shit right now.
Tess muttered something and left for the bar.
I rubbed my face and tried to get my head on straight.
“He’ll be out in a minute,” I heard Rail mutter to her. We all wanted nothing to do with Melissa. Her brother was a pain in our ass, and she wanted more than I was willing to give. She was a good lay and was available for a good fuck whenever, but that was all.
I tossed the last of my drink back and slammed the glass on the desk.
When I stepped into the bar, her back was to me as she talked to Brick, who glanced over with a jacked-up face. He rubbed his head and nodded for her to see me.
My stomach shot upward and squeezed my guts into a rock.
***
Tess
“Why are you doing this?” I glared at Cray, who was trying to pull me out back to show me something. “You all are shit at creating a distraction.”
“Not trying to play you, Tess, promise. But,” he shrugged, “you shouldn’t be in there right now.”
“Why? And who the hell is Melissa?” I rested my hands on my hips to prove I wasn’t about to back down.
“Melissa is Doyle’s sister. Trigger and her have history.”
“Like Tammy history?”
He nodded, and I instantly wanted to claw her eyes out.
“Why is she here?”
“My guess is she heard he got out and wanted to finish what they started.”
“Which was?”
He lit a joint and offered it to me first. I took it and sucked back a rather large hit. My nerves were on high, and I needed to settle before I did something I’d either regret or enjoy. The little dark angel on my shoulder wanted to play, and I wanted to see how wild she could be.
“You gonna stop me if I go in?”
He shook his head and smirked around the edge of the joint.
