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by Cassie Alexandra

  “He say when it’s going to happen?”

  “No. In fact, he acted like he didn’t know what the fuck I was even talking about when I asked him the same thing.”

  “That’s the way he is. Okay, get your ass to the chapel. Meeting is going to start in thirty minutes.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  He hung up.

  I put my phone away and went around the house, checking the locks. Then I went outside and found the key he’d replaced, under the flower pot. I stuck it in my pocket, threw the flower pot away, and left for the clubhouse.

  ***

  Slammer smacked the gavel and called the meeting to order. There were nineteen of us, in the Jensen Chapter, plus three prospects hoping to be patched. The prospects were absent, as they weren’t allowed at the meetings, for obvious reasons.

  It was most of the same stuff, with the treasurer going over our finances, new correspondences, and then us voting on prospects. When that was finished, Slammer made a surprising announcement.

  “You’ve all have heard, by now, what happened to my Old Lady’s daughter,” he said, staring down at his folded hands. “And about my meeting with Mud, last night.”

  “How did that go?” asked Horse.

  “Actually, it didn’t go very well. But, that’s already old news.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, wondering where he was going with this.

  He grinned. “Well, today, we talked and I think we’ve cleared up our issues. We even called a truce.”

  “No shit?” said Chopper.

  “That’s right,” he replied, smiling around at everyone. I had to give him credit, he was smooth when he wanted to be. “The shit between us is all smoothed over. We’re good.”

  “What about Breaker?” asked Horse.

  His smile faltered. “Well, as usual, my fucking temper got the best of me, when I first found out about the incident. But, we all know that you can’t go pointing fingers without evidence. Truth is, we have no proof that Breaker is the one who attacked Jessica. Could have been a number of fuckers. Hell, she’s not even sure herself, who did it.”

  “But they were wearing a cut that matched the Devil’s Ranger,” said Chopper, looking frustrated. “Come one, Prez. You know that one of them did it. You fucking know they did.”

  “I have to agree with Slammer,” said Buck. “Unless we know for sure who did it, we can’t go killing people without proof. Can’t kill an innocent man for another man’s sins.”

  “Yeah, but, he’s the only one who’s done time for rape,” said Chopper.

  “You know this, how?” asked Slammer.

  Chopper grunted. “I’m your Intelligence Officer, come on. It didn’t take me long to find this shit out.”

  “No, I suppose it wouldn’t,” he replied.

  “You sure you want to let this go?” asked Horse.

  “Like I said before, no proof. Plus, I gave Mud my word that none of the Gold Vipers would touch Breaker,” he replied. He looked at me and then the others. “And I plan on keeping my word. There will be no retaliation. No revenge, no nothing. Understood?”

  We all agreed.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Adriana

  Fortunately, the rest of the day was uneventful at the shop and there were no more calls from that freak, Breaker. Trevor didn’t call me back, either. Nor did he show up at the store, which was kind of a relief. My mom would have flipped her lid.

  When six o’clock rolled around, we locked the doors and began doing inventory. Jim stuck around, which I was grateful for, since being alone at a jewelry store at night was disconcerting. After we checked off each piece of jewelry, Jim carefully placed them into the large walk-in safe, where they’d stay until morning. By the time nine o’clock rolled around, we’d finished with all one-hundred-and ninety-two pieces, and I couldn’t wait leave. Reading all of the item numbers, on the tiny tags, was exhausting.

  “There has got to be an easier way of doing inventory,” I told her.

  “There is, but I like doing it this way.”

  “But they have these scanners that you can use, now, mom. You’d keep much better track of each piece.”

  “It’s far too expensive to set that up,” she said and then smiled. “Our way is already paid for.”

  She was so frugal and old fashioned, at times; it was aggravating. “Fine. If you like doing things the hard way.”

  “It’s easy with your help. Now, let’s go to Sicily’s,” my mother said, as we were locking up the shop. “My treat for making you do things the hard way. You too, Jim.”

  “Sure, if you insist,” said Jim, his eyes twinkling. “I love Italian food.”

  “Mom, I’m sorry, I just can’t,” I replied, grabbing the car keys out of my purse. “I’m meeting up with Krystal.”

  She stopped in her tracks. “Again? I thought you celebrated her birthday last night,” she replied, frowning.

  “I know. This is just us, though. Last night was crazy and we didn’t get much of a chance to talk.”

  “Didn’t you have enough time to talk when you spent the night at her house?”

  “No. We crashed pretty quickly,” I lied.

  “I’ll meet you at the restaurant,” said Jim, heading toward his car. I could tell he didn’t want any part of the conversation.

  “Goodbye,” I called.

  Jim turned around and waved as he reached his Toyota. “Have a good night, Adriana,” he replied and then looked at mom. “I’ll see you soon?”

  “Yes,” she said, smiling. “Very soon.”

  He smiled back and got into his car.

  She turned back to me. “You’re not going to meet that man on the motorcycle, afterward, are you?”

  “Mom, would you just give it up,” I said, frustrated. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “No, Adriana, I don’t think you do. You’re only twenty-one and I’m sure that bad boys like that seem sexy, but-”

  “Bad boys? Mom, please,” I interrupted as I began walking to my car, which was parked next to hers. “It’s not like that.”

  “It sure looked like that way to me, earlier,” she said, coming up behind me. “The way you two were attacking each other in the driveway.”

  “It was just a couple of kisses,” I said, getting into the car. “Really, you don’t need to worry about me.”

  Her eyes softened. “I can’t help it. You’re my daughter.”

  “Your grown daughter,” I reminded her. “Look, take Jim out to dinner and enjoy yourself.” I lowered my voice. “It’s obvious that the man is crazy about you.”

  She looked shocked. “What? No. No, he isn’t.”

  I glanced back over at Jim, who was sitting in his car, waiting for her. “Oh yes, he is. You just don’t see it. Quit worrying about me and think about yourself, for a change. Go on a date, have some fun.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him and then sighed. “A date?”

  “Yes. Pretend it’s a date.”

  “I can’t do that to your father’s memory. I still love him and it wouldn’t be right.”

  “Mom, you don’t have to stop loving Dad,” I said, softly. “But don’t deny yourself companionship with someone who adores you. Someone like Jim, who’s nice and is always there for you.”

  She chewed on her lower lip. “You really think he adores me?”

  “I guess you haven’t noticed the way he looks at you. He definitely has a crush.”

  “A crush?” Her cheeks flushed. “Really?”

  “Yes, really. Aren’t you attracted to him?”

  “I guess… I haven’t thought about it. I mean, he’s nice looking.”

  “Mom, seriously, you’re too young to become an old spinster.”

  She laughed. “An old spinster?”

  I smiled. “That’s right. If you look up the word in the dictionary, you might find your picture there soon, if you don’t do something.”

  Mom smirked. “You think I don’t know what you
’re doing?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Changing the subject.”

  “What I’m doing is letting you know that you can’t control who is in my life but you can control who is in yours. Right now there’s a sweet guy who is meeting you at Sicily’s. He likes you. A lot. Who knows, maybe you’ll find that you like him, too. And not just as your security guard.”

  She looked at Jim’s car again but didn’t say anything.

  My cell phone went off.

  “It’s Krystal. I’ve gotta go,” I said, looking down at it.

  “Just be careful,” Vanda replied, crossing her arms under her chest.

  “I will and have fun,” I said, winking at her before slamming the door shut.

  She turned and walked over to her car.

  “Hi, Krystal,” I said, answering the phone.

  “Hey, guess what?” she said. There were voices in the background and I could tell she was someplace crowded.

  “What?” I asked, starting my engine.

  “We found him.”

  “Found who? Jason?”

  “Hell yes. I’m in the bathroom now. At Club Hideaway. I found out from Gary that he was heading here, tonight. Tank and Raptor are keeping an eye on Jason. I think they’re going to confront the prick outside, since the place is crawling with bouncers.”

  My heart began to race. “Oh my God, I’m on my way.”

  “Okay. I’ll let you know if we leave or if something happens.”

  “I’m twenty minutes away. I’ll get there as quickly as possible.”

  We hung up and I pulled out of the parking lot, wondering what they planned on doing to Jason once they had him alone. Would they just kick his ass or threaten him with a weapon?

  This is crazy, I thought. I should have just called the police. Someone is going to get hurt.

  I turned a corner and a few seconds later, I noticed that the person behind me had their high-beams on. Then I noticed that it was a truck. Breaker’s.

  “Oh my God,” I gasped, moving quickly into the right lane. I watched in horror as he followed me. I tried zigzagging around other cars, desperate to put some distance behind us, but Breaker kept up. Frightened, I hopped onto the freeway and raced toward the club, not knowing what else to do. If anything, I could lead him to Trevor. Soon, I was going eighty miles an hour in the passing lane, thankful that it wasn’t rush hour.

  “Where the fuck are the cops when you need them?” I said out loud, wishing that I’d catch one of their radars. But, for some crazy reason, even though it was a Saturday night, and I was driving like a bat out of hell, they weren’t around. Frustrated, I looked into the mirror and noticed that Breaker was still hot on my tail. “Dammit, you are such a freak!”

  His laughter from earlier, echoed in my head. I was pretty sure he was having a blast, scaring the hell out of me. I just couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with someone he’d just met.

  Because he’s fucking insane.

  We drove like this, with me driving like a maniac and him following suit, until I noticed that we were finally approaching downtown. Iowa City. I put my blinker on and was about to enter the right lane to get off at the next exit, when he quickly moved into it, blocking me.

  “Dammit,” I yelled, slowing down.

  He also slowed down and then speeded up as I tried to maneuver my way into the lane. Of course, I missed the exit.

  “Fuck you, Asshole,” I mumbled, thinking that at least he’d gotten off, and was no longer following me. But, when I looked back into the rearview mirror, I found that I was wrong. He’d obviously jumped off of the exit, at the last minute, and was tailing me, again.

  Furious, I pressed my foot firmly on the gas and flew down the freeway, determined to stay ahead of him so that I could get off on the next exit. This time it worked, and I was able to take the next ramp, with him one car behind. As I turned and then headed toward Main Street, I recalled where the local cop shop was and decided to lead him there, instead of going to the club.

  “You want to follow me, asshole. Go right ahead,” I said, staring at him in the rearview mirror.

  Just as I predicted, he continued to follow me, but then, as I reached the police station, he turned off, waving at me through his open window.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You fucking coward,” I mumbled, going the opposite direction.

  ***

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Breaker

  “Where are you at?” barked Mud.

  “Just driving around,” he answered, following the brunette. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her hot little body as well as that rock around her neck. The sapphire had to be worth thirty or forty grand.

  “You need to get your ass down to the clubhouse, brother. Rumor has it that ‘The Judge’ might be looking for your ass.”

  His eyes widened. “The Judge? Where’d you hear that?”

  “Misty. She overheard Slammer talking about it earlier. Called and gave me the heads-up.”

  “I’m not afraid of that asshole. I’ll slice his nuts off, if he tries taking me down. Shove them up his ass.”

  “You’d better be. From what I hear, the guy has never missed a delivery and this time, you’re the one on order. Now, get your ass back here so that we can figure this shit out.”

  Breaker sighed. That foxy little Adriana was just going to have to wait. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

  “Don’t stop off anywhere. We’ll be watching for you.”

  Click.

  Breaker set his phone down and got into the right lane. As he was about to turn, he rolled his window down and waved at Adriana. He couldn’t see her face, but something told him that she wasn’t smiling. In fact, he was pretty sure he’d scared the hell out of her. The knowledge made his cock swell.

  “Mother fucking Prez,” he mumbled, lighting a smoke. He loved Mud, and the rest of the crew, but in reality, they really were a bunch of pussies. Every last one of them. His brothers seemed to shake in their boots whenever ‘The Judge’ was mentioned. Well, he wasn’t afraid of the Zorro-wannabe-faggot. The Judge was a joke. He wasn’t even part of any club. The fact was, he would love to face the asshole and show him who the real judge was. Maybe stick a gavel up his ass and call it a night.

  Laughing to himself, Breaker turned down a dark, dead-end street and parked his truck in a quiet spot. He couldn’t help it – he needed to get off. Chasing Adriana had wound him up and now, all he could think about was fucking the little cunt. Pushing the ‘Play’ button on his stereo, he began listening to the CD he’d made. The one where he’d recorded the last bitch’s screams. Jessica’s. The fact that it was Slammer’s Old Lady’s daughter made it that much more exhilarating. He’d noticed the girl when he’d been trailing Slammer, last summer. Saw her leaving his house. From that moment one, he’d followed the sweet piece of tail everywhere, waiting for the right opportunity. When he’d noticed her roommate leave with a suitcase, a couple weeks back, he’d broken in and made himself at home. The rest was history. Sweet history that he’d recorded for his own sick pleasure. Sure, he knew he was a little twisted, but it didn’t change the fact that he enjoyed torturing women. Making them beg for their lives.

  Breaker got rid of his cigarette and unzipped his pants. Imagining himself on top of Adriana, he spit in his hand and began to jerk off.

  “Yeah, baby,” he whispered, moving his hand up and down as the girl on the CD whimpered, begging him to stop. He closed his eyes.

  “Look at me,” demanded the voice on the CD. His voice. “You see me?”

  Panting, Breaker remembered the terror in Jessica’s eyes as he stared into them, and it brought him to the edge. Just as he was about to blow his load, he felt the cool barrel of a gun against his temple.

  Gasping, he opened his eyes and found himself staring at a man he didn’t recognize.

  “You’re one ugly cuss, you know that? I can see why don’t get many dates,” said the man, turning down t
he stereo. “Also, I don’t know if anyone has ever told you, but your taste in music is pretty fucked up.”

  “Who the hell are you?” he said, trying to shove his dick back into his jeans.

  He smirked. “If you have to ask, you’re even dumber than I thought.”

  “Fuck you,” he growled.

  “Why don’t you beg? Like the girl on the CD, you sick fuck…”

  “Go to hell.”

  “Thanks for the invite, but I’m not ready yet. Tell everyone that I said ‘hello’.”

  Breaker’s face turned white. “Wait a minute. I’ve got money, too. I’ll pay you double. Whatever they offered, I’ll pay more.”

  “This one isn’t about the money.” He lowered the gun to Breaker’s limp dick. “It’s about a girl whose life you ruined,” he said, pulling the trigger.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Adriana

  I pulled into a parking lot, which was across the street from Club Hideaway, and parked the car. Then I texted Krystal. She called me right away.

  “Perfect timing. The shit is about to hit the fan. Jason is heading toward the door with some girl, and we’re getting ready to follow him.”

  “I’ll wait out here. I don’t want him to see me.”

  “Good idea. I’ll call you right back,” she said, hanging up.

  I stayed in my car and watched the front door, anxious and scared at the same time. A few minutes later, I saw Jason step outside with a girl. He had his arm around her shoulders. I noticed that she was lucid and actually seemed to be enjoying their conversation. It made me wonder if I was wrong about everything. Sure, he’d been an asshole, but had he really drugged me?

  As they walked toward the parking lot, where I was hunched in my car, the club doors opened again. This time, Trevor, Tank, and Krystal stepped outside.

  Blowing out my breath, I watched as the three kept their distance and followed them into the parking lot. Just as Jason approached his car, which was a couple of rows away from mine, Trevor confronted him.