Lady Guardians: Ride For Free

by Hadley Raydeen

  “No, honey. The Dog’s sent a video saying, ‘Free paid the price.’ The video showed your Uncle Free’s bike burning with him atop it.” Steph tried to keep her voice low, but I heard it all.

  “They burned him? Burned him?” I wailed, catching every word.

  Zach held me close as I collapsed in his arms.

  Chapter 2

  Kyanne

  “Free Trent was a good man. One hell of a president.”

  “He didn’t put up with no one’s shit, that’s for damn sure.”

  “I respected him. The man was like a father to me.”

  “He loved his old lady, Stella and his daughter, Ky more than life itself. I don’t know who the fuck did this to him, but I swear to God, we are gonna find out and fix it.”

  I sat wedged between Zach and Starla at my father’s Memorial Service at the Guardians’ Clubhouse. My mother, Stella, sat on the other side of Zach and Aunt Steph sat on the other side of Starla.

  I barely listened as person after person stood from their seat or went to the front of the room to say something in honor of Free. There were members from the League of Guardians and Lady Guardians here from the national branch as well as another local branch from Fairfax Virginia an hour or less down the highway. I was in a sea of black and white and pink and black Guardian patches, but I was numb to all of it and didn’t much care who was here. None of this seemed real. This was all a sick nightmare. I felt like I was floating somewhere outside my body just looking in on something completely foreign to me.

  That last comment got my attention. It was Buck, the League’s Vice, and Dad’s right hand. I’d known him damn near my whole life. His voice boomed through the fog of my brain when he’d mentioned my name. He also mentioned revenge on the sons of bitches responsible.

  I’m here for that.

  Someone sure as hell was gonna pay for this.

  Something else distracted me from talk of revenge, my cousin. Starla’s body had gone rigid next to me as Buck spoke. I slid a glance over to her and she sat ramrod straight staring at the Guardian’s Vice still talking about how great of a man Free was and hell’s fury would reign on the Dogs.

  I leaned into her and whispered, “Hey, you okay?” I knew Star didn’t particularly care for Buck, as he’d made several advances on her mom, but Aunt Steph didn’t seem to mind it. She liked the male attention, and he treated her well; so what was the problem?

  Star shook her head as if coming out of a trance. “Yea, I’m fine.” She patted my knee. Aunt Steph leaned forward and shushed us both, like we were still children, pointing toward the front of the room as Buck took his seat. My mom stood up to speak next.

  I had refused to talk. There was no way I was getting through that without breaking down and I wasn’t about to do that in a room of mixed company. None of them would see my tears.

  Hell no.

  I barely liked some of these people anymore and I was pretty sure some of what went on here had a great deal to do with my father’s demise. I’d get to the bottom of it. Mom paused before she got her words out. It impressed me she had strength enough to get up there and say anything. My parents had been together for quite some time; at least the twenty-five years I’d been alive. They were never married, but everyone knew Stella was Free’s old lady.

  Other than the rickety a/c churning away somewhere in the back of the room, you couldn’t hear anything else. My mother’s voice broke through the deafening silence of the room.

  “Free was a complicated man. He had his faults, just like the rest of us.”

  A few grunts of agreement rippled through the large crowd of Guardians and Lady Guardians.

  “I couldn’t help but love that man, though. Ya know.” She chuckled, shaking her head. Her beautiful blond hair cascaded down her back. I’d adopted my mother’s light eyes and my dad’s brown skin and crinkly hair. I was proud being of mixed race. It came with its issues at times. Sometimes the black people wouldn’t accept me; sometimes the whites wouldn’t either. But, I always knew love from my mom and pop. He’d always said, ‘I had the best of both of them in me’.

  “He gave me our beautiful daughter, Kyanne.” I looked up at my mom when I heard my name and smiled back at her when she beamed at me with tears in her eyes.

  Zach reached for my hand then. I hadn’t realized tears were falling down my face.

  Shit. I didn’t want to do that.

  He handed me the box of tissues sitting in the chair my mother left vacated.

  Mom said some other things about the love of her life, but a buzzing started in my head and a dull ache formed thereafter.

  Damn migraine.

  I laid my head on Zach’s shoulder, shutting my eyes, closing off the words and the hurt. I just couldn’t listen to this anymore.

  Pop’s death was a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

  Chapter 3

  Kyanne

  My head shot up when the doorbell rang two days after the Memorial Service. I looked out the window and couldn’t see anything.

  Damn rain.

  The sky lit up with thunder and lightning as if talking back to me and I narrowed my eyes. Fine, looks like I wasn’t the only one crying my eyeballs out; the skies were crying, too. I sipped from the snifter of whiskey in my hand before setting it on the table.

  When had I started drinking whiskey straight? Maybe it was when I needed to wash the thought of Dad burning alive on a bike from my ever-active brain. I shook my head and picked the glass back up, shooting the rest of the dark liquid back, enjoying the burn the whole way down.

  Maybe that bell didn’t ring.

  I’m hearing things during this blissful buzz I’ve been nursing the better part of the day. This Jack had me hearing things. I closed my eyes, rolling my neck back and forth, trying to relieve the tension, when the damn bell rang again; this time, followed by a steady pounding at the door.

  Son-of-a-bitch.

  I set the empty glass back on the table and padded, barefoot with a few wobbled strides, to the door. I pushed the unruly, mop of dark frizzy fro from my face. I sure did have my daddy’s hair and this humid summer storm wasn’t doing my mane any favors.

  I leaned my forehead against the frame as the pounding started back up.

  “Who the hell is it?” I yelled at the door.

  “Kyanne! Open the damn door.” Zachary’s voice, muffled by the rain, sounded impatient and irritated.

  I closed my eyes and dragged a hand down my face. He wouldn’t give up. It wasn’t in his makeup to do that. Hell, he’d told me he wouldn’t leave me alone. Parts of me were glad he was there, but, right now, I just wanted left alone.

  “Go away, Z. Please, it’s not a good time,” I moaned.

  “I swear to God if you don’t open this Got damn…” he cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer. “Ky, I need to talk to you.”

  The frustration remained in his voice, but he wasn’t yelling. I still arched a brow. I don’t know if I’d ever heard such diesel in Zach’s voice before. I liked that side of him.

  Wonder what else he could tell me to do in that voice?

  I smirked, unlatching the safety lock and the deadbolt, before yanking the door open.

  “What?” I snipped, peering out into swamp-like, humid Arlington weather.

  Staring right back, Zachary pinned me with his dark blue eyes, flashing something between anger and concern. His usual unruly, dark brown hair was plastered to his handsome face as he stood in the rain at my doorstep. I bit my bottom lip as I took in his heather gray t-shirt, now wet and dark grey, molded to his chiseled body. Tattoos littered both his thick biceps and triceps, sculpted from lifting heavy machinery and fixing bikes all damn day. I cleared my throat. “What can I do for you, Zachary?” My voice sounding more breathy than I cared to admit. I’d never looked at Zach as more than a friend, until lately when he was sniffing around more. Even before…my dad… Zach had wanted to hang out all the time after work. He’d stop by to w
atch movies or play video games or just to talk about our day. Now, I knew he wanted to take me away from this house to get my mind off things. He’d blown my phone up a million times since the Memorial Service, asking what he could do, but I’d ignored all the calls, voicemails and texts.

  But, now, I thought about how many times he’d held me close to comfort me and my body, the traitorous bitch, responded. I didn’t know what to think about that. I sure as hell didn’t know how I felt about it buzzed up on Jack.

  “Kyanne, don’t do that. Don’t push me away.” His tone warning, his attitude pissed off. I knew now wasn’t the time to play games, but I’d always been a stubborn, mouthy one.

  Why should today be any different?

  “Do I even have a choice?” I rolled my eyes at him and stepped aside. “Come on in, sir bossy one.”

  Zach took that as his invitation and stepped into the dark house. I shut the door behind him and let my gaze run up and down his tall form while he surveyed my house, not looking at me.

  “Have you been sitting in this dark house all day?” he asked, turning to look down at me.

  I snapped my gaze up from checking him out and narrowed my gaze at him. “You are dripping all over my floor, Z.” I walked away from him back to the living room.

  I glanced over my shoulder and noticed he was taking in every step of my retreat. Something reflected in his eyes, I hadn’t seen before. He ran his tongue over his lips before he lifted his gaze from my ass to my face.

  “Why are you here, Zach?” I gulped, not knowing how I felt about Zach’s hungry gaze on me in such a way. I almost liked it. I wanted to see if I could heat that gaze up even more.

  “I’m here because I care how you’re doing, Kyanne. I told you I wouldn’t leave you. You may have booked out of the memorial service without looking behind you, and you can’t answer a text or a phone call worth a damn, but… What are you doing? Where are you going?”

  I left him standing in my foyer, mid-speech, walked down my hallway to the linen closet and came back with one fluffy bath towel. “Here,” I said shoving the towel at his gut as he let out an ‘oomph’. “You’re gonna go get a hot shower, dry off and stop dripping all over my floor. I’ll throw your clothes in the laundry.”

  His heated expression traveled over me. When he saw I wasn’t playing, he took the towel I offered. I knew he’d worked all day as a detailer and mechanic not only for the Guardian Club but also a local shop. I’m sure he was tired from a long day and a hot shower and dry clothes surely sounded like a good idea. I continued when he didn’t say anything. “I think you left some gym shorts and t-shirts or something here before, I’m sure. I’ll go look. Can I get you a drink or something when you get out the shower?” I slurred, my buzz was still going strong.

  He continued to study my face. His eyes were a stormy blue, like the deep ocean almost. I watched his lips, plump and firm, as he spoke, “How many have you had?”

  “Hmm?” I murmured before looking back into those glaring eyes. “I’m grown, Zach. That is for me to worry about. Do you want one or not?”

  “Trust me, no one is denying you are grown,” he said. He glanced down the front of my body and my nipples responded instantly pressing against the material of my thin cotton t-shirt. Damn air conditioner. Damn sensitive nipples.

  His eyes narrowed before he looked back at my face.

  I crossed my arms over my offended nips. “Did you just check me out?” I asked, nose in the air. “What if I did, Ky? What of it?” he countered.

  “Go take your damn shower, Zach. Do you want that drink or not?” I wasn’t expecting that response from him. We’d never crossed this line before, regardless how we’d been looking at each other recently. And, when the fuck had that even started?

  Ugh.

  This had to be the whiskey talking.

  He backed away from me toward the bathroom, his gaze never leaving my face as he did. “I’ll have whatever you’re having. Make mine a double.”

  Chapter 4

  Zachary

  There was something about Kyanne I couldn’t shake; aside from the fact I was worried about her, and I cared about her. Other than my mother and sister, Shelby, there was no other woman that meant anything to me like Ky.

  I hated seeing her like this; I knew she was hurting.

  There was no telling if Free was alive or dead. Her mother, Stella, was a loose cannon. Who knew what she would do to avenge Free’s disappearance.

  I turned on the spray in the shower in her bathroom. The space around me smelled just like her: coconut and cocoa butter. She always smells tropical.

  I closed my eyes thinking about Kyanne, wanting to be there for her. It’s not the only thing I’ve wanted though. I’ve had feelings for her for at least the last five years. I wanted to be more than just her friend. I’d met her in her senior year of high school when her father took me in as an apprentice fixing bikes and cars in his shop.

  They’d basically lived on the other side of the tracks from me. And, I knew if I wanted to learn this trade from anyone; it had to be from the best. I had friends from over here. Never mind how I knew them. But, they introduced me to Free, and he set me on the clean and narrow.

  Kyanne used to tease me back then that I came from the right side of the tracks. My parents were loaded, but I didn't want their cash. I never did. Ky, though she was raised here on these streets, her mom and dad had always been part of the Guardians. Free has been the president for some time now after the shit that went down with Big Pete. He ran a tight ship, didn't like anything shady going down and expected the same from the men and women of the League and Lady Guardians.

  He raised Kyanne right next to him fixing bikes. Hell, I learned everything I knew about fixing bikes from Free Trent. He ended up making me his Tail Gunner of the Guardians when he became Prez.

  My job as Tail Gunner is to assist the Road Captain on all runs. I ride at the rear of the motorcycle formation and enforce the rules of the ride. If any member has mechanical difficulties or crashes, I assist them in making repairs to their bike. I liked what I did so much I opened my own shop when I saved enough money to purchase my own space. I split my time between Foster Detailing and the League of Guardians’ garage.

  I ran a hand down my face. This could not be happening right now. Free missing and presumed dead. It just didn’t feel right. I knew one thing was for certain, while we figured this all out, Free had entrusted me with more than just fixing bikes for the club. He told me to always protect Kyanne, and that's what I would do. She wasn't going to go and get herself in trouble with her hot head temper and motor mouth always running.

  I heard a knock at the door before it opened, not giving me a chance to say, ‘come in’, but it is her house; she didn't need permission to go where she wanted to go.

  I stood in the middle of her bathroom in just my boxer briefs. It was only that little piece of material covering me from her, and I already had a semi thinking about Ky. She always did that to me. As if reading my thoughts, her gaze dipped and lingered.

  I cleared my throat and her caramel colored eyes flipped back up to me. I grinned at her. “Were you just checking me out?” I asked, echoing her words from earlier.

  She blushed, tucking a piece of her curly hair behind her ear. “Maybe. What of it?” she asked using my words back on me.

  “Hmm. Well, do you like what you see?” I asked.

  She arched a brow at me. “Not bad,” she quirked.

  I closed the space between us with a few long strides taking the glass of whiskey she held in her manicured hands. “I could have gotten this after my shower,” I said letting my hold on the glass and her hands linger.

  “Maybe I wanted to give it to you right now. I don't like to drink alone,” she said.

  I put the cup on the counter by the sink and took her glass, too, placing it next to mine.

  “You looked like you were drinking alone well enough before I got here, Ky,” I said, leveling my gaze on her
.

  “I didn't know you were the liquor police,” she snapped back at me.

  I held my hands up in surrender. “Look, I know you're hurting because of your dad, but I’m not the enemy. I'm here to help. I'm worried about you. You know I’ll do whatever I can do to help. But, I don't want you to do anything stupid.”

  “I'm not stupid, Zach.”

  “I didn't say you were, sweetie.” I brushed a thumb over her soft cheek and cupped my palm under her chin, causing her to look up at me. “You are so damn smart, but sometimes grief can make even the smartest person do some stupid things. And, that goes for any one of us. I would do the same thing if something would happen to my mom, pop or my sister. But I know you, Ky, and you're going to try to go after the 1% by yourself… if they did this to your dad, what do you think they'll do to you?”

  “They don't know me. I'm not part of this life remember?”

  “They know Free has a daughter. They know Stella's his old lady. They're bound to figure it out, Ky. They aren’t stupid. There are procedures in place for this type of thing. I'm sure your mom's already on it.”

  “I don't care about a damn procedure, Zach. Whoever did this to my dad is going to pay one way or the other.”

  She turned from me as if she was about to leave the room, but I pulled her back against me wrapping my arms around her body. I knew she could feel my erection on her backside, and I didn't care. She moved a bit against me, and I groaned.

  “You plan on doing something with that? You pulled me back for a reason. What do you want?” she asked, pressing her rear into my hard-on.

  “Kyanne,” I mumbled taking in the scent of her wild, curly hair under my nostrils. My hands moved of their own accord over her curves, and I heard her sigh. That sound would be my undoing. She turned in my arms and looked up at me. “Do you want me, Zach?”