by Nicole Fox
Surprisingly, Jewel threw her head back and let out a peal of laughter. She slapped him playfully on the arm and wiggled her hips against him. “You big brute! I just love it when you get rough with me!” Her catlike eyes slid across the bar.
Skid looked. Mina had just come in the front door. She had left her revealing outfits at home, instead wearing a black T-shirt and jeans. Even without any makeup and her hair in a state of disarray, she looked beautiful. Her melted chocolate eyes scanned the room and landed on Skid. They flicked quickly to Jewel and back again, taking only a second to absorb their close proximity to each other and the way Skid was holding onto the club girl. Her soft mouth hardened, turning down slightly at the corners. Mina’s chopped hair flew out from the back of her head like a fan as she turned and walked out the front door again.
Biting his tongue on a curse word—which would only let Jewel know just how much she had gotten to him—Skid shoved Jewel away and marched across the bar without saying any more. He would find Mina and ask her just what the hell she thought she was doing there and how she had gotten out from under her father’s thumb. He knew he wouldn’t like the answers, but he would ask the questions anyway.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to reach the front door before a tall man stepped in front of him. With broad shoulders and a trim waist that cut in at a vee only an action figure could hope to achieve, it was instantly clear that the biker in front of the skid had not always been a biker. His high-and-tight blond hair was one left over from his days in the military, and the way he carried himself said that he was still on high alert for enemies. He looked at Skid, however, with a friendly twinkle in his eyes. “It’s been a long time, soldier.”
It was difficult not to salute his former commanding officer, so Skid stuck his hand out instead. “That it has, Russ. What are you doing in these parts?”
“It’s Stomper now, if you don’t mind. I got out of the army shortly after you did, but it was hard to leave it all behind. I have a new group of men to command now. I imagine you’ve probably heard of the Sons of Chaos?” He gestured behind him to a cluster of tables occupied by quite a few bikers, and none of them from Satan’s Legion. They eyed the Legion boys with malice.
Skid set the edges of his teeth together, keeping a wary eye on both sides of the crowd. It had been a long time since the Legion had a good brawl, and he knew some of the men would be itching for it. But Skid didn’t have time to deal with that right now. He needed to go find Mina, for one thing, and he didn’t feel like having to deal with an angry bar manager or the police. “I have. I didn’t know you were into motorcycles.”
“Not much time for them in the desert.” Stomper pulled a toothpick from his shirt pocket and stuck it between his teeth. “I thought that was you sitting over there at the end of the bar, but I couldn’t be sure. You were always a pretty brash guy back in the day, but you’re not acting like it tonight.”
“You could say the past few months have been a little rough on me.” He was ready to get this over with and head out the door, but now he was concerned about leaving. Several of the Sons of Chaos were leaning their heads together, whispering and pointing. Skid didn’t need to ask to know they were deciding which of the Legion boys they would take down, who would fall first, and who would be the biggest challenge. Several of them were watching him as well, and Skid didn’t know if his association with Stomper would keep him from being a target. He would rather not find out. “Well, it was good to see you, but I’ve really got to get going.” If nothing else, he could circle back and check on things once he’d found Mina.
“You can’t go just yet,” Stomper insisted. “It’s been years. I don’t run into many of the guys these days. Why don’t you come sit down and have a beer with me? There are a few things I’d like to talk to you about.”
With one last glance toward the door, Skid nodded. As worried as he was about Mina, he knew he could find a way to make things right with her. What she’d thought she’d seen was purely a misunderstanding, and it had been Jewel’s fault. Besides, he was curious just what Stomper had to say to him. It should have been obvious from Skid’s vest that he was part of Satan’s Legion and even the VP. If Stomper wanted to try to recruit him, he had another thing coming. Skid followed Stomper through the crowd, threading his way between the tables to a relatively quiet place in the back corner.
Chapter Nine
Mina
If Mina had stopped to think about it, she would have known that following Skid and the other bikers to the bar was a bad idea. But Mina never stopped to think about anything, and all she knew was that she was tired of feeling cooped up all the time. She had to get out in the world, to feel the wind on her skin, to see Skid in a setting other than the clubhouse. While she didn’t dare try to get a ride with Skid or the other members, she bided her time. Waiting until the main part of the house was clear, she crept down the stairs and out the door. It took only a little time to get a cab, and then she was off.
In her mind, she imagined what Skid would say when he saw her at the bar. It had been just that sort of situation when they had slept together. The members had gone out looking for adventure, and Skid had found his adventure in her. The night had been dark and surreal, full of temptations and sensations that almost didn’t seem to exist in reality. There was something about being out of the clubhouse that had made everything different, and Mina hoped to recreate that.
“Drop me off here, please.”
The cabbie pulled over to the curb as his passenger requested, then he turned to look at her over his shoulder. “Are you sure? There’s nothing here. That store has been closed down for almost a year, and I’m not sure this is a safe place for a lady at night.”
Mina tossed her head back and laughed a little. “I appreciate it, but I’m not sure I’m that much of a lady. Besides, I’m just going to walk to the bar down the street.”
“If it’s the cab fare you’re worried about, I’ll turn off the odometer and give you that extra block for free.” His forehead wrinkled in concern. “It’s worth losing the extra buck, as far as I’m concerned.”
Mina pulled a wad of cash out of the pocket of her jeans and handed it to him, knowing it was more than she owed. “You’re sweet, but I can’t be seen getting out of a cab. I’m walking, and you can’t stop me.” She got out of the taxi and bounced up on to the sidewalk, taking long strides as she headed toward the bar. The cab’s lights remained still until she got to the door of the bar, and then he pulled out into the street and honked as he passed by.
Taking a deep breath and reminding herself that nobody here had any right to judge her, she pushed open the door and walked in. The place was heavy with the scent of smoke and old beer, and the clamor of the crowd could barely be heard above the wailing jukebox. The tables and chairs were filled with rough-and-tough bikers, complete with leather chaps, bandanas, and plenty of tattoos. They were the kind of guys that would scare most people, but they only made Mina feel at home. She scanned the room, sorting out the men until she found the one she was looking for.
At the same moment she saw him, Skid’s eyes locked on hers. Mina’s breath pulled sharply into her lungs as she saw his fingers wrapped around her arm and the way Jewel’s body was pressed up against his. They were standing at the end of the bar, and they looked like they were just getting ready to go find someplace more private to finish their conversation.
The throb of pain that bloomed in her chest was enough to knock her down, but she hadn’t yet let go of the door handle. It kept her on her feet long enough to turn around and leave, the door slamming loudly in the darkness, and she hurtled back down the sidewalk. Tears streamed down her face, burning hotly against her skin and making her feel even more like a fool than she already was.
She had always had a thing for Skid, and Mina had been dumb enough to think the feeling was mutual. All those secret meetings, the stolen kisses, the quiet conversations, had meant nothing to him. Skid was like the rest of the
men, just looking for the easiest piece of ass. And how could she blame him? That’s what any of the members of Satan’s Legion wanted, and she knew that.
But of all the women he could have been interested in, why did it have to be that bitch Jewel? She cried harder, her voice bubbling up through her throat when she could no longer hold it back any longer and emitting a pitiful wail. Jewel was just a dumb whore who had been fortunate enough to fall in with the club so she could have free room and board. Jewel didn’t care about Skid, and she had always been in competition with Mina. It didn’t matter that Mina wasn’t a club girl, Jewel had had it out for her since day one.
Headlights illuminated the asphalt near her, and a voice spoke from behind them. “Hey, are you all right?”
Blinking, she wiped her eyes and turned to see the same cabbie who had given her a ride to town. Mina nodded even as the tears continued to fall. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Get in.” He thumbed over his shoulder toward the back seat and turned off his roof light.
She hesitated, knowing that by getting in the taxi she was giving up. She was letting all her hopes for a future between herself and Skid go racing down the storm drain, never to be seen again. She could just as easily go marching back to that seedy little bar and demand to know what was going on. But it would give away the parentage of her child, and it would change her life forever. If she went on back to the clubhouse, at least things would stay the same. She would have no shame other than what she already suffered. “All right.”
The drive back out the edge of town where the converted warehouse residence was a dark one, and Mina was grateful. The last thing she needed was for someone else to see her red, swollen face.
“Is there anywhere else you need me to stop?” the driver asked kindly. “A phone call you need to make?”
She knew what he was doing, and even though she had no need to call the police or go to the hospital, she was grateful that at least someone out in the world had her welfare in mind. “No, thank you. I’ll be all right. It’s just been a bad night.” Mina took deep breaths, trying to get herself to calm down. She couldn’t walk into the clubhouse looking like this.
“I get that. We all have ’em.” He nodded and turned onto the next road. “Hey, I want you to know I wasn’t trying to get into your business. I was just worried about you, so I made sure I came back down the street when I didn’t have any other fares lined up. I was just lucky to have found you.”
Something about the voice in the darkness was comforting. Maybe it was her emotional distress, maybe it was hormones from the baby, or maybe it was the fact that she knew she would probably never see this man again, but she found herself opening up to a complete stranger. “It’s my own fault. I’m pregnant, and the father isn’t the kind of guy to stay with one woman. I went to that bar hoping to meet up with him, hoping to prove to him that we should be together once and for all.”
“Didn’t go so well, huh?”
“He was with another woman.” Her eyes threatened to leak again, but she sucked in another deep breath and let it out slowly through pursed lips. “If I had thought about it, I would have known before I had ever left home.” And maybe it was time for her to start thinking like that. Skid had made idle promises about being with her, but he was always sure to avoid her. He could be sweet when he thought it might get him something, but that didn’t stop him from looking other places. No, Skid had duped her, and she had fallen for it. “I’m not really sure what I’m going to do now.”
“You know, something similar happened to my sister.” The driver’s face was invisible as they entered the industrial area of town.
“Really?”
“Oh yeah. She got pregnant when she was only seventeen. Our family had always been real poor and nobody had ever been to college because we always had to work, but she was determined to go and be somebody. Knowing that baby was on the way completely crushed her, but she decided she would just dedicate her life to being the best wife and mother on the face of the planet. Well, that didn’t work out so well, either. Her boyfriend said the baby couldn’t be his, accused her of lying to try to get to him, and skipped town. Janey was devastated. But she had that little child, and she got a government grant to go back to school. She just finished her master’s degree, and her son is a musical genius. Janey found a real nice guy with a good job, and he’s marrying her next month. I know that’s a lot to cram into one little story, but the point is that sometimes things go wrong for a reason. Maybe there’s something really great waiting for you.”
Mina couldn’t help but smile into the darkness of the front seat. The driver’s profile came into view as he pulled to the curb in front of the clubhouse. “You’re very sweet. I guess I’ll let you go rescue all the other poor souls in Chicago, now. What do I owe you?”
He waved off the cash she tried to hand him. “The ride’s on me, sweetheart. You just promise me that you won’t give up on yourself, okay?”
She nodded as she got out of the taxi. “Okay. I promise.”
Once again, the car remained in place until she got to the front door, and then it roared off into the night. Mina felt the pain in her chest slowly being replaced by hope. The cab driver’s story had been a sweet one, but there would be one major difference when she finally got a chance to tell her story. The father of her child wouldn’t run off never to be seen again. She and Skid would be together, one way or another. She just had to keep trying.
Her hopes and thoughts of the future made her forget she had snuck out of the clubhouse in the first place, and Park was waiting immediately on the other side of the door when she walked in. His fists were balled on his hips, and the muscles in his face were so tight he looked like he might implode. “Mina! Where the hell have you been?”
It took her a second to pull herself together. “Well, I—”
“I’ve been looking all over for you! I’ve sent several of the men out to see if they could find you, going in all directions!” He turned around and barked at Grill. “Tell them all to come back, that the little runaway has returned.”
“I was gone for less than an hour—”
“It doesn’t matter how long you’re gone! You weren’t supposed to leave in the first place! You’ve made it clear that I have to keep my eye on you, and if you’re not going to be responsible on your own then I’ll make you be responsible!” Park paced up and down the living room floor, running his hands repeatedly over his pale hair. “For God’s sake, Mina. You’re pregnant. You have a child on the way. You have no right to go galivanting off into the city like everything is normal.”
She scowled at him, the rage and the fury that had left her only a moment ago suddenly crashing back down on her once again. She wanted to be like the girl in the cab driver’s story, where everything worked out beautifully, but that couldn’t happen if her father was always looking over her shoulder. It didn’t make things any better that several of the men were sitting around the room, each of them pretending not to pay attention. Mina knew they had already heard every single cuss word in the dictionary from Park’s mouth, and probably every insult in her direction. “Don’t you think there’s a better place we can discuss this?” she snapped as she breezed past him toward the stairs.
“Fine by me!” He followed her, his boots thundering on each step and making that whole end of the clubhouse shake. Park was trying to intimidate her, but there was nothing he could do to her now.
Only Skid held her future in his hands. She wouldn’t give him away yet, but she wouldn’t let her father believe he had any control over her. Mina reached the end of the hall and turned into her room.
Park came in after her. He shut the door and stood there for a moment, as though suddenly dazed. He sucked in a deep breath and put his hands over his face. “Why do you do this to me, Mina? Why do you torture me like this?”
He wasn’t yelling anymore, but Mina was still suspicious. “Torture you? What about me? You’re the one who’s trying
to make me stay in my room all the time. I’m twenty-two years old, Dad, but you treat me like I’m a little child.”
Park’s hands dropped limply to his sides. “Maybe if you would start acting like you’re twenty-two, I could treat you that way. But every time I turn around, you’re defying me. Don’t you understand that I’m doing everything I can to keep you safe? I’m doing all of this for your own good.”
“Just what do you think you’re protecting me from? Living? Because you’re doing a damn good job of that.” Mina turned away from him to stare out the window, but all she could see against the night was her own reflection. She looked young and stubborn, like she was just trying to get her own way no matter what. She didn’t like it.
He sighed. “You’ve always been uncontrollable, Mina. From the time you could walk, I was constantly chasing you down, keeping you from toddling out into traffic or exploring the fire escape. I hoped that you would outgrow some of that as you got older, but your curiosity never left. It only changed. You’re still trying to go out and get yourself killed or hurt, and it’s my job to stop you.”
She turned to face him. “But that’s the whole thing, Dad. It’s not your job, anymore. I’m old enough to take care of myself, and if I make a few mistakes then it’s my problem. I don’t need you breathing down my neck constantly. How am I ever supposed to figure out what I want to do if I always have to worry about what you’ll say about it?” Mina often rehearsed what she wanted to say to her dad, but since he was usually yelling she rarely got the opportunity. She did her best to keep her voice from rising to a high screech, but it was difficult. Maybe it would have been easier if he had just kept on reaming her out.
