by April Lust
So when I told him to go get that cunt of a girlfriend of mine, I thought he’d comply real easily. He didn’t have a reason to fuck with me. I’d given him a chance when no other MC in town would listen to anything he said.
He owed me, goddamnit.
“Jack, what the fuck is going on?” One of the other guys in the club, Kip, strode up and eyed me. “Where the fuck is Charlie?”
I rolled my eyes. “That little shit is trying to fuck me,” I said. “He disappeared over a month ago, and I know something went south. He ditched the car outside of Colorado, weeks ago, and he hasn’t been answering his calls.”
“That’s so fucked up, Boss,” Kip said. He grinned. “You think he run off with your bitch?” He started laughing and I punched him hard in the gut. “Fuck! Ow! That fuckin’ hurt, you ass!”
“Don’t fuckin’ talk about that cunt,” I said. “She’s fuckin’ dead to me.” I cracked my knuckles and pulled my arms over my head to stretch. “She ain’t got shit.”
“Well, you go get her, then, and show her how little she really means,” Kip said. He grinned, showing off his teeth. Like some of the other members of the Steel Gods, Kip had filed his teeth down to sharp little points. When we got into fights with other MCs, my men had a penchant for biting. And I sure as fuck wasn’t planning on stopping any of that.
“I reckon I’ll have to do just that.” I stood up and wiped my palms on my jeans. “You put a tracker on Charlie’s phone, right?”
Kip nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Look, sorry about the car. That one was real hard to rig up. It’s possible it just fell off somewhere. Those old cars, they’re hard to keep track of for too long. Ain’t like these ones with computers and shit.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want any more of your bullshit excuses,” I told him. “I need a flight to Durango, immediately.”
Kip laughed. “You can’t fly into Durango,” he said. “You gotta go to Denver and rent a car. It’s a real small town.” He blinked. “Jack, you really think this guy is trying to fuck you? Charlie was always good. He did everything right, for fuck’s sake! He never even spoke out of turn.”
“I know,” I said. “That’s why I’m so fuckin’ pissed off.”
“I’ll look for his phone,” Kip promised. He pulled out a laptop and opened it, pulling his browser up to Google. Kip was one of the smarter men in the Gods –I’d plucked him up after he’d dropped out of college, and he’d been real useful to me so far. I owed him.
“You should come with me,” I said sharply. “You should come with me and get the bitch and make sure Charlie doesn’t see the light of day again. It’s your turn to step up, Kip. You wanna lead this club one day?”
Kip raised his eyebrows. “Boss, I ain’t worthy of such an honor,” he said. He grinned, then shoved the laptop towards me. It showed a map with a blinking blue light in the center.
I squinted and leaned closer to the screen. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m lookin’ at,” I told him. “You gotta tell me how to read this shit.”
“So, the dot is his phone,” Kip said. He pulled the computer back towards him and zoomed out of the map. “But they ain’t in Colorado. This is Utah, or some shit. Real middle of nowhere town.”
I felt my stomach twist into a knot. “So you’re telling me they’re hiding out?” My voice came out as an angry growl. “They’re fucking hiding out and lying to me?”
Kip nodded. “Yeah, look at the time stamp, here,” he said as he pointed towards the bottom right corner of the screen. He pulled up another window and then set the two side by side. “And see, here’s this other shot,” he added. “This was a week ago, look. The dot barely moves. Just around in a little circle, here.” Kip zoomed in and I saw what looked like a little shack. “I guess he’s staying there.”
“Is that my car in the yard?”
Kip snorted. “Looks like a truck,” he said, scrutinizing the screen. “So you want me to come with you? To fuckin’ Utah?”
I stood up and shoved my fists in my pocket. “Yeah,” I grunted. “I guess we’re goin’ to fuckin’ Utah.”
Two days later, Kip and I were waiting to catch a charter plane from Carlsbad to St. George, Utah. I’d never heard of that shit small town before. I hadn’t even wanted to believe that it existed – it all seemed so easy to fake the technology that Kip would have needed to trick me. But we’d had a little chat and I knew he couldn’t possibly be lying to me. I’d shown him my knife, and told him if he even thought about tricking me, the blade would be in his gut.
Kip got real quiet after that and told me he wasn’t kidding.
The flight wasn’t as short as I thought it would be. My legs were aching by the end, and I was getting madder and madder by the second. I hated that cunt for running away from me after all that I’d done for her. And I hated Charlie even more. I’d been nothing but good to him, and he chose to repay me by going off with my fuckin’ slut of a girlfriend and quitting the Steel Gods.
When men patched into the Gods, they were required to serve at least five years. Charlie had done nothin’ of the sort – he’d only been around for a couple. And while I’d been sure originally that I could count on him for a long time, this whole thing made me wary of every God left.
“Hey,” I said sharply. “I’m thinking of making up some kinda test when we get back home. You know, somethin’ that’ll really make the men think before they fuck me again. Whaddya think about that?”
Kip laughed. “Sure, Boss,” he said. He looked out the window with wide eyes. “This is the first time I’ve ever been on a plane,” he added.
“I don’t give a fuck,” I snarled. “You’re here because you’re helping me, goddamnit, not because you’re on some kind of fuckin’ vacation! You got that?”
Kip sat back in the seat and nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I got that. Sorry, Boss.”
We didn’t talk again until the plane landed. I was so angry that I could feel my blood boiling. It had been months since Nicolette had run off, and after the first couple of weeks, I hadn’t thought about her much. Sure, I was pissed as fuck at Charlie for stealing the little cunt. But aside from wanting to clock her real good and hard when she came home, I hadn’t thought of what to do.
Now I knew exactly what I was gonna do to that little bitch. I was gonna make her apologize, personally, to every single member of the Steel Gods for putting their leader in such a rotten mood. Maybe they’d like a couple of fucks, or a blowjob, or some shit like that. Nicolette gave great head – that was one of the reasons I’d stayed with her. She knew how to suck dick like a pro. I was sure the rest of the guys could really benefit from blowing a big load in her mouth.
I didn’t want her anymore, anyway. So after that, I’d drag her out to the woods and kill her. Nothing too harsh. Probably just slit her throat like a pig and leave her to die. She was a cunt, and that’s what cunts get for abandoning their masters.
“Hey,” Kip said. He tapped me on the shoulder. “Look.” He pointed out the window. “We’re here, and this is one hell of a small town, Boss.”
The plane was circling a small landing field. It looked like the middle of nowhere, until I craned my neck and glanced out the window. There were big rocky red mountains surrounding the town. It didn’t look a damn thing like Carlsbad. It looked like the desert. I couldn’t imagine living here, or why Charlie would want to. The anger returned to my system, pumping like lava through my veins as I thought of why he’d stick around. He’s been sticking his dick in that sweet pussy, I thought with a growl. And he should have known that pussy belonged to me. But he’s gonna learn, real fast, as soon as I see him.
Once we landed, Kip and I thumbed a ride into the center of town. There wasn’t much to see. Most of it was one street, and a lot of the buildings were abandoned. There was one place that rented cars. I had Kip go inside and pay for one while I waited outside with a cigarette.
As soon as we had wheels, Kip drove me to the outskirts of town. I could f
eel myself getting pumped with adrenaline, like I always did right before a fight. I wished I had a bump or two of blow. That always helped me when I was goin’ against someone strong. Not that I thought Charlie was all that strong; compared to me, he was total pussy. But I wanted to beat him so badly he’d never be able to walk again. I was reveling in the sensation of how it would feel to do that just as Kip pulled up to a shitty little cottage with dirty windows and a heap of broken-down furniture in the front yard.
“Looks like they’ve got themselves a real white trash life,” Kip cracked. “Boss, you want me to go in with you?”
“No,” I snapped. “I’m gonna fuckin’ do it myself, thank you very much.” I climbed out of the car and slammed the door. Pushing my sleeves up, I climbed onto the porch and knocked on the door.
No one answered. I held my breath and leaned down to press my ear against the door. Inside was quiet. Fuck yes, I thought. Maybe they’re not home, and I can surprise them with a little welcome-back party. Thoughts filled my head about what Nicolette’s face would look like after she’d seen what I’d done to her precious boyfriend Charlie. I smiled. That bitch is gonna be so surprised, I thought. She’s gonna be real sorry about the day she left me, that’s for fuckin’ sure.
When I knocked again and got no answer, I pulled the storm door open and lowered my shoulder. The front door wasn’t even locked. Inside, the living room was empty. There was some shitty wicker furniture, a pizza box on the couch, and the TV was blaring.
I frowned. Most people don’t fuckin’ leave the television on when they leave. As silently as I could, I prowled down the hallway. There was a quiet sound coming from behind a closed door. I grinned menacingly as I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob and shoved the door open.
Nicolette and Charlie were lying in bed together, all tangled up. When Nicolette saw me, she opened her mouth and let out a wild scream.
“Surprise, bitch,” I said. Then I grinned and walked into the room.
Chapter 21
Nicolette
Just as I was starting to get comfortable, I heard someone knocking on the door.
“Charlie, someone’s at the door,” I whispered. Instinctively, I panicked. “You better get up and check who it is.”
Charlie stroked my hair and pulled me closer. “Probably one of those asshole Mormons, selling their religion,” he said. He snorted. “Just relax, babe. We should try to catch a little bit of sleep. Later on, I’ll go out and get a new phone.” He planted a kiss on my forehead and I felt love radiate through my body. “You gonna cook tonight?”
I burst out laughing. “I think I’ll finally teach you how to make spaghetti without turning into a lump of paste,” I said through a hail of giggles.
“Oh, you’re gonna teach me somethin’, huh?” Charlie got to his knees and started tickling me until I couldn’t breathe.
“Stop, stop!” I howled. Charlie kept tickling and eventually I squealed with laughter and flopped on top of him. For a moment, we lay like that, not moving. Then Charlie pulled me into his arms and planted his lips on my forehead.
“I love you, Nicolette,” Charlie whispered. “I never imagined this would happen, but I’m so happy it did.” He reached down and stroked my belly. “And you’re seven months pregnant tomorrow.” He snickered. “I didn’t think you could get any bigger, but I guess we’re gonna see.”
I snuggled close. “I can’t wait to meet our baby,” I said softly.
There was another knock on the door, even more loud and insistent than before. I felt a stab of cold fear pierce my belly.
“Charlie, you should really get up and check,” I said softly. “What if it’s something bad?”
Charlie laughed. “Those Mormons are fuckin’ pushy,” he said. He scoffed. “I fixed one of their trucks the other day, and he was talkin’ to me the whole goddamn time about the Book of Mormon. They don’t get it, I mean, I didn’t want to be an asshole, but—”
We both looked at each other as we heard a loud bang from the living room.
“I’ll get up,” Charlie whispered. “You stay here.”
Suddenly, I was too afraid to be alone. “No,” I hissed. “Get back here and hold me, Charlie, please!”
Charlie looked at me and for the first time, I saw real fear in his eyes.
That’s when the bedroom door burst open and Jack stormed through. I’ll never forget the look I saw in his eyes. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before – he was like a madman, a crazed villain from the books I never read in school.
I shrieked and screamed and tried to climb backwards off the bed, pulling Charlie with me.
“Surprise, bitch,” Jack said. He grinned, his rotten teeth reflecting off the dim light in the room.
“Get behind me, Nicolette,” Charlie yelled. He yanked his jeans on in a half second and walked towards Jack with his hand balled in a fist. “Nicolette, run!”
“Don’t even think about goin’ anywhere, you cunt,” Jack snarled at me. “I gotta take care of your little boyfriend, but don’t you worry, I’ll get to you.”
He swung at Charlie and I screamed again as Jack’s fist connected with Charlie’s jaw. It was too much to watch as Charlie crumpled to the ground, breaking his fall with the heels of his hands.
“Nicolette, run!” Charlie yelled again. “Don’t worry about me, I—”
“You better shut the fuck up!” Jack screamed. He kicked Charlie in the stomach and I shrieked as his body flew up off the ground and landed again with a sickening thud. Charlie opened his eyes and winced. I felt like someone had just stabbed me in the heart. I never would have imagined it, but watching the man I loved get beaten to a pulp was more painful than being beaten myself.
“Nicolette, go!” Charlie screamed. “Go! It’s okay! Go!” Jack swung another savage punch towards Charlie’s prone body and Charlie somehow managed to dodge it. He pulled himself up and threw a punch at Jack’s face, but missed and only hit air.
Jack grinned and laughed. “You’re a fucking asshole, Charlie,” he hissed. “And you’re a fucking shitty fighter. Good thing you’re fucking dead now!”
“Nicolette, run!” Charlie’s scream was so loud that it pierced my ears. “Nicolette, go! He’s going to kill you! Go! Now!”
This time, I listened. Somehow, I managed to bolt past Charlie and Jack, wrapped only in a sheet from the bed. Tears blurred my vision as I darted out of the front door. There was a strange car parked in the driveway but I didn’t look twice as I bolted down the street. The blood was pounding in my ears and I was more frightened than I’d ever been in my life as I ran, my bare feet slapping against the hot asphalt. My heart was pounding so quickly in my chest that I feared it would burst, and I was having a hard time breathing. The baby was kicking in my belly and suddenly, I knew with certainty that I’d never see Charlie again.
No, I thought as I ran down the street. My legs were aching by the time I’d gone one block, but I knew that I had to keep going. No, why did this have to happen? Why did he have to come back? Charlie, help me! I need you!
“Help!” I screamed loudly. I had no idea what to do. We were miles away from the hospital, and we had no neighbors for miles. I let out another wild scream, then darted down the road, away from the cottage, without looking back.
Chapter 22
Nicolette
As I ran down the dusty, dirty road, I barely paid attention to the pain ratcheting through my body. My feet were bare and the road was full of bits of glass and rusty screws, but I ran on, my vision obscured by the thick veil of tears.
I knew, soon, my life would be over.
Jack had found me. He’d done everything in his power to find me here in St. George and destroy my life, yet again. If I hadn’t been so panicked, I probably would have felt bitter. This was the man who had shaped my life from adolescence, who had trained me to live in a state of near-constant terror and panic. This man had taken me when I was still young and obedient, and broken me. He’d made me into a shell
of a person. He’d somehow managed to change me fundamentally, as if on a molecular level.
I ran blindly away from the cottage. My heart was slamming against my ribs but my body felt light, like I was running on air. Strands of my long brown hair whipped in front of my face. I growled as I pushed my hair back over my shoulders and bolted forward with renewed enthusiasm.
Come on, Nicolette, you can do this, I urged myself as I ran on and on. The road was deserted – for a moment, my thoughts flashed back to Charlie. He was still inside our cottage, fighting with Jack. A pang of anxiety shot through my body and I was almost tempted to turn around and go get him. Then I saw my pregnant belly moving through the air and knew there was nothing I could do. Charlie had made his choice – he’d ordered me to leave as he was trying to fend off Jack.
