by Geri Glenn
I sit back and sip on my beer, listening to the sounds in the room to determine if anyone’s nearby. The place is silent. My mind begins to wander, and I think back to the argument I had with Travis this morning.
I’m not angry with him for walking out like he did — I should never have pushed him. From experience, I know that he will deal with those issues when he’s ready. I’m not sorry for bringing it up, though. He needed the push to start thinking about his mother. There’s no way that bitch doesn’t play a part in the man he’s become. I don’t want him to change – in fact, I like him broody. It’s hot as hell. I just don’t want him to feel the torture of the mind that goes into hating someone like that. I meant it when I said it’s a poison.
“For fuck’s sake. Are they just gonna start movin’ all their bitches in here now?” Lost in thought, I’d missed her approach, but her bitchy words yank me back into the present.
“Excuse me? Do I know you?”
“Fuck no! Thank God.” I hear her step in front of where I sit. “You’re Tease’s new bitch?”
Who the fuck is this girl? “I’m his girlfriend, yes. Who the fuck are you?”
She laughs. “Lucy. I’m sure you’ve heard of me. I’m a favorite around here.”
I frown and change position, ready to jump up and kick some ass if the need arises. “Oh, right. Lucy. You’re the whore.”
I hear her heels on the tile floor as she comes at me, but Dexter’s growl stops her short. Jumping up, I stand in front of her, fists clenched. I’ve never been in a fight before, but after hearing Charlie’s stories about this girl, I look forward to kicking her skanky ass.
“Fuck you!” she shrieks. “Fuckin’ blind bitch, comin’ in here and takin’ yet another one of my fuckin’ men.”
I laugh. “You’re fuckin’ crazy, you know that?” I put my hands on my hips and lean forward. “And there’s no way in hell that my man put his dick anywhere near any of your rotten holes. I can fuckin’ smell the fish from here.” I curl my nose in disgust.
I feel her hand in my hair before Dex even gets a chance to warn me. Yanking on my ponytail, she drags my head back. It hurts like a son-of-a-bitch, and I don’t get to find out what planned to do next because my punch to her face makes her wail like a baby and release me.
“You fuckin’ bitch! You broke my nose,” she wails.
I aim my glare in her direction, hoping I look tough, and she can’t see the agony I’m in at the moment. Dexter continues to bark so I have to yell to be heard. “Get the fuck out of here before I let my dog at you, you filthy bitch.”
I hear her shoes as she runs from the room sobbing. As her footsteps fade, I hear a slow clap coming from the other side of the room. Turning my head in that direction, I tighten my grasp on Dex’s harness. “Who’s there?”
Heavy footsteps approach me. “Relax. It’s just me. Reaper. And might I say, that was fuckin’ incredible.”
I feel the flush race across my cheeks, knowing that he watched that. “Sorry if she’s your … whore, or whatever.”
He laughs, and I hear him rifling with something behind the bar. “That bitch ain’t my anything.”
“Did you catch the whole show?”
“Nope. I came when I heard the dog barkin’.” He grabs my hand, shoving a bag of ice into it. “That’ll help with the swelling.”
I laugh and gingerly place the ice across my aching knuckles. “Thanks. That fucking hurt.”
He chuckles and comes around to my side of the bar. “Was about to intervene when she grabbed your hair, but that punch you gave her made me stop and let you deal with her yourself. It was a lesson she needed to learn.”
I bite my lip and nod. “So I hear. Charlie told me all about her.”
He chuckles again. “I’m sure she did. Charlie should have caved her face in months ago. You should give her lessons.”
I laugh. “I’ll think about it.”
“Gotta admit, I was surprised your dog let her get that far.”
I reach down and pat Dex on the head. “He’s a lover, not a fighter. He’s trained to warn me, and if I give the command, then he’ll attack.”
“Mind if I pet him?”
I motion to Dex. “Be my guest.” I hear the tags on Dex’s chain jingle as Reaper rubs him down.
“I used to have a dog.”
I cock my head to the side. “Used to?”
More jingling. “Yeah. In Afghanistan. Fuckin’ thing came up to me one day while I was out on patrol with my troop. Wouldn’t fuckin’ leave.” He pauses. “He was so fuckin’ skinny. I knew he was starvin’. Started givin’ him half of my meals, and he became my new patrol buddy. I named him Monty.”
I hear the creak from his leather cut as he sits back, followed by the sounds of him swallowing and setting down a bottle of, what I can only assume, is beer. “That stupid dog became my new best friend. Saved my fuckin’ life more times than I can count. I couldn’t bring him onto base, but he was always at the gate waitin’ for me when we left. He’d wag his fuckin’ tail so hard I thought his ass was gonna come right off.”
He chuckles, lost in the memory. “Then one day, we went out on a mission. We were walkin’ through the desert, comin’ close to one of the towns we needed to check on, and just as I went to take a step, Monty freaked the fuck out, ran right at me, knockin’ me right to my back. I was pissed. I got up to give the little fucker shit when he took a stumbled back right where I’d been about to step, and he was gone. Just … gone.”
Horrified, I swallow, running my fingers through Dexter’s fur. “What happened to him?” I whisper, afraid I already know the answer.
“Improvised explosive device.” He takes another long swig of his beer, slamming the bottle back down on the counter. “Fucker blew up.”
I clap my hands over my mouth. “No!”
Before he can respond, more footsteps come into the room. “What the fuck, Reaper? What are you doin’ to my girl?”
“Fuck you, Tease. We were just talkin’,” he growls.
“Then why does she look like she’s about to fuckin’ cry?”
I stand quickly, throwing my hands up in the air. “It’s fine, Travis. We were just talking and he told me a sad story. That’s all.”
Travis says nothing, and I hear Reaper’s chair scrape across the floor as he stands. “See ya later, Laynie. Take care of that dog.”
I smile. “Will do. And Reaper?”
He pauses as he exits the room, but says nothing.
“Thank you for sharing that story with me.”
He grunts and walks out.
“What the fuck was that all about,” Travis asks.
I smile up at him, molding my body to his. “Just a story about a dog he once had. It had a sad ending.” I bury my face in his neck. “Are you still mad at me?”
He shakes his head and squeezes me tight. “Fuck no. You mad at me?”
I kiss his neck, and whisper, “No.”
“Why is there ice on your hand?”
“I punched Lucy in the face. Think I broke her nose too.”
He grabs my hand to inspect it for himself. “That bitch was botherin’ you?” he growls.
“Not anymore,” I say with a wink.
Bringing my hand to his lips, he kisses it softly and chuckles. “That’s my girl.”
IT’S THE DAY OF the picnic, and I can’t wait to get back on that motorcycle. It’s about a two-hour drive to the lake and Mouse has already left in the van with Dexter and my huge bowl of potato salad. After grabbing my bikini and a towel, I’m ready to go.
“Would you stop fuckin’ bouncin’?” Travis growls, trying to do up my helmet.
“I can’t help it! I’m excited!” Forcing myself to stand still, he finally gets the strap done up. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”
“It’s a fuckin’ picnic, Laynie. Not a damned circus.”
“Oh, don’t be such a grouch. Besides, it’s not the picnic I’m excited about. It’s the ri
de there.” I lean forward and press my lips against his. “I can’t wait to get my man between my legs again.”
He growls and cups my ass, pulling me into him. “Keep talkin’ like that and we won’t be goin’ anywhere but the fuckin’ bedroom.”
Giggling softly, I shove his shoulder lightly. “Behave. I need a tan and a swim and a fully-loaded hamburger, stat.”
“I’ll give you a –“
“Stop!” I cry, throwing my hand up in the air. “Let’s just go.”
Chuckling, Travis helps me onto the bike before swinging onto it himself. As we pull out onto the street, I revel in the feel of the late summer sunshine beating down on my face. I know we’ve hit the city limits and the open road when Travis picks up speed, causing my heart to soar with joy. I’ll never get enough of riding this bike with him. I’ll never get enough of him.
Since meeting Travis a couple of months ago, my life has changed so much. I have friends and laughter, and best of all, sex. Lots and lots of incredible, toe-curling sex. My brother and I have grown farther apart, but I have faith that our relationship can be fixed. My mother has backed off a lot since Travis had words with her. I want her to meet him – to see that I’m OK. I never want to hurt my mom, but Travis was right when he told her to cut the cord.
The best change has been Travis himself. He’s gruff, and sometimes he can be a total asshole, but he’s also protective, and sweet, and I know that my blindness doesn’t bother him in the least. I’ve noticed a change in him. He’s almost happy sometimes, and I like to think I have at least something to do with that. I’ve come so close to telling him I love him so many times, but I’ve stopped myself. I’m afraid that he’ll feel trapped and that he’s not ready for that yet, so I keep it inside. But I do – I love him. I love him so much my heart aches in the best possible way.
Travis slows, pulling to a stop and cutting the motor. Climbing off the bike, he takes my hand in his and helps me to stand beside it. “How was that?”
I beam. “Amazing. I could ride all day if I was with you.”
Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulls me tightly to him and claims my mouth with his own. The sounds of the others laughing and talking in the background fade as I drape my arms around his neck and pour all of my love for him into that kiss. Our tongues slide against one another and my heart stutters in my chest when he pulls away and grabs my face in both of his huge hands.
“I fuckin’ love you, Laynie Lawson.”
My belly dips and my breath catches before it even leaves my chest. “You do?”
He leans in and kisses me again, nipping at my lower lip. “Fuck yeah.”
Joy washes over me as I revel in the feeling of his words warming me from the inside out. “I love you too, Travis. So much. I wanted to tell you before, but I was afraid I’d scare you away.”
Positioning his lips above mine, he whispers, “Not gonna happen.”
Hearing a familiar bark, I turn just in time to pet Dexter as he reaches me. Travis takes me by the hand, leading me to the group of carefree bikers and their families, introducing me to those I haven’t met yet.
The afternoon is filled with laughter and beer and making new friends. I also get the not-so-great pleasure of meeting Tiny. The guy is a complete dick, and I instantly dislike him. I can tell from the way Travis stands in front of me that he can’t stand him either. When Gunner calls Travis away, he leaves me sitting in the shade with Dexter and Tiny not so far away.
“Nice dog you got there, Leanne.”
I smirk. “It’s Laynie. And thank you.”
I hear the crunch of grass beneath his feet as he takes a step closer. “Mind if I pet him?”
Before I get a chance to answer, Dexter presses close to my leg, and his growl rumbles through his whole body. Shocked, I place my hand on his head. “That might not be a good idea.”
“Ah, it’ll be fine. Come here, mutt. I won’t hurt ya.”
Dexter’s growl gets louder and his body trembles against my leg. Suddenly, he lets out a vicious bark followed by Tiny’s loud yelp of surprise. “Stupid fuckin’ dog. I’ll kick you right in the fuckin’ head!”
He comes closer again. Squaring my shoulders, I open my mouth to tell him just where he can go fuck himself, when Reaper brushes past me. “You fuckin’ come anywhere near this dog, or Laynie, again I’ll rip your tiny fuckin’ dick off and feed it to Dexter here as a fuckin’ snack.”
Smirking, I wait for him to argue and am surprised when he just tosses out a hate-filled, “Fuck you,” before walking away.
The rest of the afternoon, I swim with Charlie and lounge on the sand where we laugh hysterically as I describe my encounter with Lucy the other day. “Man, I wish I could have been there to see the look on her face!” she squeals between bouts of laughter.
“She said I broke her nose,” I giggle. “My hand hurt like a son-of-a-bitch afterward, though.
She laughs. “I bet. I could never hit someone.”
I point at her, growing serious. “That’s why she got to you last time. You need to set that bitch straight. From what you told me, you did absolutely nothing, and that’s not OK. Us ladies, we need to stick together, not make things more difficult.”
She sighs. “I know. I just hate confrontation. Besides, you haven’t seen her – Lucy’s tough. She’d kick my ass.”
“You’re right. I can’t see her.” I smirk. “And I still kicked her ass.”
Giggling like a pair of old friends, we lie in the sun and enjoy what’s left of the afternoon. After a while, I realize that I haven’t seen my dog or Travis in a long time. Sitting up, I listen closely for the sounds of Dexter’s tags. “Do you see Dex?”
I hear her move beside me. “Yeah. He’s over there, sitting in the shade with Reaper, of all people.”
I lie back and smile. “Yeah. Turns out Reaper’s a bit of a dog-lover.”
“Really?” Her voice is laced with disbelief.
I nod, not willing to say anymore and tell a story that isn’t mine to tell.
“Huh,” she says. “Who knew?”
As afternoon meets evening and our skin starts to cool, we rush off to the trees and scramble back into our clothes. Stepping out from our makeshift changing room, Charlie leads me back to the group. “Hey, Mouse. Jase. Have you guys seen Ryker?”
“Or Travis?” I add.
“Yeah. They’re over by the bikes talkin’ to Gunner,” Jase replies.
“Great. Thanks. I’ll go grab them. You coming, Laynie?”
I shake my head. “Nah. I’ll stay here and wait. Travis’ll be along soon.”
“All right. Suit yourself.”
I hear her footsteps as she crunches across the ground and turn to Mouse and Jase. “So, what are we talking about?”
“Tits,” Jase answers.
“Jase was talkin’ about tits. I was listenin’,” Mouse hurries to explain.
“OK,” I laugh. “What about tits?”
“Not just any tits,” Jase replies. “There’s a bitch over there, has the biggest fuckin’ tits I’ve ever seen in real life.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Exciting.”
Jase laughs. “So exciting, I think I may just go over there and introduce myself.” I feel the breeze of him walking past me. “If you ladies will excuse me.”
“Yeah. Fuck you too, Jase,” Mouse calls after him.
Laughing, I turn back to him. “So how did Sarah’s appointment go?”
“It was fuckin’ amazing.” The excitement in his voice warms my heart. “It was her twenty-week ultrasound. Seeing my baby up on that screen was the most beautiful moment of my life.”
I smile. “So far.”
He chuckles. “Until she gets here, anyways.”
“She?”
“Yep. We found out we’re having a baby girl!”
I reach for him, clasping his hand in mine. “Oh, Mouse. That’s incredible news! I’m so happy for you both.”
“Thank you, Laynie.” He squeezes
my hand. “Sarah had to work today so she couldn’t come, but I’ll tell her you said that.”
I smile brightly up at him. “So, have you guys thought of any names? I hear Laynie is a beautiful name.”
He laughs deep in his throat and releases my hand. “Actually, we haven’t agreed on one yet. She likes Vivian, and I like Amelia.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m not a big fan of Vivian, but I love the name Amelia. You could call her Millie!”
“I like tha –“
Suddenly the air fills with the sounds of racing motorcycles and loud pops. “Shit! Laynie, get dow –“ Mouse’s words are cut off by the sound of a thump as he plows into my front, knocking me to the ground and landing on top of me, causing the wind to rush out of my lungs. Terrified, I lie still, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. The pops continue, coming from two different directions.
“What’s going on?” I cry out, but Mouse doesn’t answer.
Realizing that the pops are gunshots, I panic. My muscles strain as I push at Mouse, screaming for him to get off me. “Mouse! Move. Dexter!”
Unable to breathe, I burst into tears. “Mouse! Move!” I place my hands under him and push on his shoulders. When that fails, I pull my hands away and feel the wetness on them. Lifting it to my nose, my heart constricts when I smell the metallic scent of blood.
“Mouse?” I whisper, my voice trembling as my body begins to shake uncontrollably. “Mouse!” I shake him, hoping to get a reaction.
Lifting my hand, I run it along his back, feeling for the source of the wetness. When I get to his head, the blood is thicker. My lungs wheeze and tears are pouring from my eyes. When my hand touches the higher part of his head and feel nothing but gore where his crown should be, my heart shatters into a million tiny little pieces.
“Nooo!” I shriek. “Help us! Somebody help us! Please!”
The pops continue and I feel the moisture of his blood leaking into my own hair where it spreads on the ground beneath us. Wrapping my arms around him, I cry helplessly, my breaths shallow and fast. I cry for the man I’ve come to love like a little brother. I cry for the woman whose heart is going to be broken by the loss of this sweet man. And most of all, I cry for the poor unborn baby girl who is going to grow up without her daddy there to rock her to sleep and kiss her goodnight.
