by Rae B. Lake
“Nah, she is on the floor entertaining some of our customers.”
“Oh.” I looked away.
Rage started to burn its way through me. I turned my chair around and rolled out to the main area. I scanned the area and sure enough, there was Cherry sitting on some little pussies lap.
Didn’t she see how busy the place was? That some of her girls were just standing in the corners not working for the paycheck that they were getting from the Wings of Diablo. That’s the shit I can’t stand, fucking lazy bastards. I took my time and rolled through the crowd, nothing says get the fuck out of my way like a handicapped man in a strip club.
“Oh hey, Ryder.” Valentine stopped right in front of me. She had on more clothes than usual.
“What do you want?” I asked anxious to get over to Cherry.
“Look, I’m sorry about not coming to see you in the hospital. It’s just that after everything that went down with us-”
“Valentine, how many fucking times do I have to tell you, there is no us. There never was an us and there will never be a fucking us. Jesus woman, how fucking pathetic can you get?”
She took a deep breath and tried to stare me down, it didn’t work. One lonely tear came streaming down her face. “How can you talk to me that way, after everything we’ve shared, after all the nights we just held each other.”
“Easy, none of that meant shit to me, like you don’t mean shit to me. If you come at me with this shit again, I will make sure that Cherry fires your ass. Take that as your final warning.” I pushed passed her, not even caring if I bumped into her in the process. I looked around the room, but I couldn’t find Cherry anywhere. Even though it was still midday there was still a nice crowd and in my chair, I couldn’t see over anyone's head.
“Fuck!” I rolled over to the bar where Lemon was busy serving a few customers.
I banged my hand hard on the bar to get her attention, I was in no mood to wait for her to flirt with these men for her paltry tip. I had shit to do and it involved finding out where the fuck Cherry went.
Lemon looked over to me and the fake ass smile that she wore, faded noticeably. I watched her tell the man to give her one second and then she hurried down to where I was.
“Yeah, Ryder, everything ok?” She asked, I couldn’t see her hands but I would bet good money that she was wringing them together anxiously. Lemon was pretty new to us and for the most part, the only side of me that she ever got to see was my pissed off or angry side.
“Nah, where the fuck is Cherry?”
“Um, I don’t know, I just saw her.” She said looking around in a panic hoping Cherry would just magically appear.
“The fuck you mean you don’t know?” I shook my head at the incompetence, “Who in this shit show would know?”
“Uh, maybe Ripper, he’s been working as security all day. I’m sure he saw something.” She nodded quickly.
“You better be right Lemon.” I turned my chair without another word and rolled as fast as I could over to where Ripper was.
“Yo!” I called out, trying to make sure that my voice carried over the loud sultry music.
Ripper turned in my direction, the scowl that he usually wore still intact on his face until he saw it was me, only then did he relax a little. “Brother, how you?”
“I’m good, they got you to play babysitter today?”
“Shit man, all week, when they told me that I would get to see tits and ass all day long I was down, but this shit is for the fucking birds. What do you need brother?”
Right to business.
“You know where Cherry is? She was on the floor a minute ago but I can’t see her anymore.”
He gave me a slight smirk, “Where do you think she is? In the lockbox, with some herb.”
I closed my eyes trying to keep my anger under control. I had never seen a woman who thought with their pussy as much as fucking Cherry. She was a fucking owner not just one of the damn strippers.
“Fucking hell.” I turned and once again rolled my way through the crowd of horny men just desperate to get some attention from one of our girls. It was all smiles and laughter for them while I was about to rip someone's head off in anger.
I rolled to the back and found the spare key to the lockbox.
The lockbox was the Satin Wings room to fuck, legally you weren’t supposed to be having sex with clients but if you had the cash, the girls took you for everything you had.
I put my head to the door and listened as closely as I could, I heard moaning. I heard Cherry moaning. I unlocked the door and with all the force I had, I pushed it open. The heavy wooden door banged hard against the wall. The man that was probably getting the best pussy he ever had jumped up from his seat.
“Ryder, my god, what's wrong?” Cherry scrambled from her position on the small lounge couch and covered herself quickly.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“What? Is something going down?” She asked confused.
“I asked you a fucking question Charity! What the fuck are you doing?”
She stood up, dropping her hands to her waist, her fully naked body on display. “What does it look like I was doing?” She looked over the man who was cowering off to the side, his hands covering his dick. “I was having a good time with this big boy over here.” She smiled and gave him a wink.
He smiled at her. It took everything in me including the fact that I couldn’t fucking walk to keep me from rushing that asshole to the ground and ripping the skin from his face.
“Big boy.” I called out sarcastically in his direction, “Get your shit and get the hell out.” I jerked my thumb towards the door.
“Hey, no. Why?” Cherry put her hand out to stop him.
“Woman, don’t you fucking question me. I said it’s time for him to get the fuck out, end of discussion.”
“Fuck that Ryder, tell me why all of a sudden I have to stop doing what I was doing, if there is nothing going on outside, I’m going to have my fun.”
I turned to look at the man once again, I would deal with Cherry. I just didn’t want any witnesses. “Fuck off.”
“Listen man, she said she is having a good time, why don’t you fuck off? Besides I already paid my money, I’m gonna get my hundred dollars worth.” He said a little more bass in his voice.
Cherry’s head snapped to his direction and her eyes went really wide in her head. “No baby.” She shook her head softly trying to warn the man. It was too late.
I rolled over to him with a purpose, the tires of my chair burning my palms with the speed I moved. He didn’t even back up. I guess the fact that I was in a wheelchair made him think he was going to have one up on me. Never.
I stopped right in front of him and before he could react, I grabbed his nuts hard enough I swear I heard something pop, he tried to fall but I kept my arm stiff. He was going to stand there and take the pain. He tried to scream but nothing came out his mouth besides high pitched squeals.
“Boy, I don’t know who the fuck you think you are or who the hell you think I am but when I tell you to get the fuck out,” I twisted my hand, taking joy in watching the grown man cry and whimper, “you get the fuck out.”
He nodded his head, his hand poised over mine just waiting for me to let go of him. I stared him down for a few seconds longer just to prove my point. Then I let him go and let him fall straight to the floor. He moaned and rolled on the floor longer than I needed to see.
“Dumbshit, I said get out! Take your broken dick and cry outside my fucking space!” I yelled at him.
He scrambled as best he could to get his clothes and with just his pants on, he limped out of the room.
“Ryder, what the fuck?” Cherry threw her hands in the air and walked over to where her small outfit was laying in the corner.
“Woman, have you lost your damn mind. You forget your place?” I asked rolling over to her now.
“No, I am not forgetting my place!” She hissed at me as she walked over to the door
and slammed it, giving us privacy. The last thing that I needed was for one of the other club bunnies to see her talking to me like she was crazy.
She walked back over to me, standing right in front of me. As much as I wanted to stay on task, the outfit she had on had my mind wandering all over the place. She wore a teddy and panty set, it was crimson and had big bow keeping the top together over her perky breasts. I had to shake my head to get my mind back to the business at hand.
“Why the fuck are you back here, fucking around with these little boys? You got a job woman, you should be out there doing it.”
“I was doing my fucking job Ryder, did you forget that I am a bunny? I am here to show the men a good time, that is how it’s always been. Why now all of a sudden are you acting as if you forgot?”
“That’s bullshit! You entertain at the clubhouse, that doesn’t have anything to do with the strip club and these limp dick bastards. How the fuck can you even look at yourself in the mirror, you’re a fucking disgrace, to yourself and to your son.”
What the fuck?
Even with my temper, I knew that was a fucked up thing to say. Larry Jr was never lacking love. Cherry showered that little boy with everything that she could and made sure that she kept him away from anything that was too sexual in nature. She made sure that either Keeley or one of the other ol’ ladies watched him while she was at work, but when she wasn’t all of her time went to her son. She was a good mom.
“Oh go to hell Ryder, I don’t know what’s up your ass today but I don’t have time to deal with it.”
“Of course not, you never have time to deal with anything. You’re so fucking immature, there is a full club downstairs and instead of being the goddamn owner you’re up here being the fucking slut.” I sneered at her.
“Yes, I am a fucking slut and I’m perfectly ok with that. I have always been a fucking slut, you expect me to change now?”
“Yes!” I screamed at her, “You can have anything you want Charity, from anyone you want. When the hell are you going to realize that you are worth more than how good you can suck a dick. You don’t need to lie with a man to define who you are!”
She squinted her eyes at me and crossed her arms over her chest, causing her chest to press deliciously against the top of the small teddy she had on. “I laid with you. In fact, I laid with you every night for the past few days.”
I swiped my hand in the air dismissing the statement, “That’s different. That isn’t the same as this.”
“Really? Why not? I used to do the same things with you that I do with these men. In fact, I’m sure I did more with you than I ever did with any of them.” She knelt down in front of me, resting her ass on her calves. “Is that what this is about? I know it’s crazy to ask because you made it more than abundantly clear that we would never be anything, but are you jealous?”
I leaned forward, with her on the floor in that position, I was actually towering over her. “I am not jealous, I have nothing to be jealous of. As you said, I already had everything you have to offer. You’re used up. But you are part owner in a business that brings my club money, a business that is associated with my brothers, a business that I refuse to see fail because you can’t keep from jumping on every dick that walks in the room. Show some fucking restraint, go outside to the main area and take care of business.” I swiftly shot my hand to the back of her neck and squeezed slightly, causing her held to fall back a bit. “Now go be a good girl and get my motherfucking money.”
She tore her head away from my grasp and stood up. Her eyes were full of tears but she didn’t let one wet drop fall. “Who are you? When Wire came to me and asked me to help you, I was excited. I was scared but I was happy to do it. You had always been one of the good guys even if on the outside you try to act hard. But I have no idea who you are, and you can’t even see that you are losing yourself. I don’t know what broke inside of you when you lost your legs but I would give anything to fix it for you. Do anything to give you even the slightest reprieve including just laying with you at night so you can relax. But this man,” She pointed at me, “I have no idea who he is. He isn’t the man I made myself promise not to fall in love with, he’s not the man who cares for his club and the family, he is a selfish, pathetic, asshole who doesn’t deserve to breathe the same fucking air as the people that are trying to help you. You’re lucky that you are patched member because if you weren’t I’m sure you’d be out on your ass. Alone, pathetic, and a fucking cripple.” She stormed passed me and out the door, leaving me utterly speechless. I didn’t want to admit it but I was also proud.
Cherry had stopped coming to sleep with me at night and I wasn’t desperate enough to go and beg her to come back. Not yet at least. I was sure after at least one more night with that crazy pain I would be screaming out for her like she was my mommy.
I had gone with Storm on a few pickups but I couldn’t see any blatant security breaches but that didn’t stop these Boys of Djinn from catching us with our pants down. It seemed like they were everywhere I wasn’t. While they didn’t rob Storm while I was with him, they did get Archer again down in New Orleans, they robbed our restaurant and Velvet Wings, the smaller strip club that we owned.
It was fucking infuriating, we were making close to a hundred grand a day but more than seventy percent of it was either going to resources to look for this club or being robbed by these fucks themselves. After a few runs I just stopped going, there was nothing that I could do. I stayed in my room, I raged, I slept and I ate but that was the most I was doing. Medi came daily to help me with my basic needs and Mikki pretty much took over any medical needs that I had but I only allowed them to do the bare minimum. I didn’t have time for anything else they wanted to do or the patience.
A knock startled me out of my angry daydream, “What?” I yelled in the direction of the door.
Wire walked in and waited for me to turn and face him. I wasn’t going to, I respected the man but I didn’t have the energy to be interested in whatever he was going to say.
“You not even going to look at me?”
“The fuck for? You trying to figure out the color of my eyes or some shit?” I rolled over to the bed and tried to pull myself up onto the bed. I heard Wire walk around behind me and felt the air move as he moved his arms close to me.
“If you touch me, I will rip your damn arms off and beat you to death with them. I am not a goddamn invalid, I can do shit by myself.”
He backed up, “Ryder, I’m not going to take much more of you jumping down everyone’s throat. I’m putting up with it because-”
“Who the fuck told you to put up with anything? I don’t need shit from you or anyone here. You all ain’t shit without what I helped build! I made the Wings of Diablo before I got here this was just a club of bikers trying to make an extra buck. I made us who we are. I don’t need permission from you to act how the fuck I want to act. This is my shit you think you run.”
“You’re right, Ryder,” Wire stepped up closer to my face, his eyes dilated and ink black, “all of you first gens and the original members made this club. In case you didn’t know, I don’t need anyone’s permission to strip you of your patch and dump your ass on the street, leaving you to tell people about the glory days when you used to be a Wing. Keep pressing me if you want to do just that.”
Now I stared straight at him, he knew that the club was literally the last thing I had left. I would be nothing without it. “Step out of my space Wire. Why can’t all of you just leave me the fuck alone?” I backed down. I had nothing left.
He backed down too, “We’re brothers Ry, I wouldn’t leave Clean or Storm so I’m not going to leave you alone either.”
“Whatever, what do you want. I’m going to take a nap.”
“Get your shit together.”
I sat up in bed, “What the hell? For what?”
“They walked right into Satin Wings and robbed the place, they’re getting bolder. We are still no closer to finding out how they are do
ing it or how in the hell they think they are going to get away with this. We have to go see Prime.”
Prime! Oh shit! Prime was the first president of the Wings of Diablo MC Club. He was in that seat for upwards of eighteen years before he gave it up to go down south and be with his daughter and granddaughter. He was around when the club was nothing but a few dudes riding their bikes and selling cartons of cigarettes for profit. My excitement died down when I thought about that trip, we’d be on the road for hours. I could barely stay in the chair for longer than two hours at a time. It would be too fucking hard to go all the way down there.
“Wire, I appreciate you trying to take me with you but I don’t think that is a good idea. I’ll just slow everything down.”
“Don’t worry about that shit, just get what you need and we will worry about everything else.”
“If you say so, Wire.” I laid back on the bed and let him walk out. It was going to be just short of impossible to get down there, I knew it, Wire just had to find out on his own.
It took us three days to drive down to where Prime was living in the backend of Florida. It should have only taken us at a max a day and a half but they had to keep on stopping so that I could lay down or rest. I was nothing but a fucking liability.
Prez, Wire, Storm, Clean and myself all needed to find out first-hand what exactly went down between Prime and the leader of the Djinn. We only knew the stories that we were told over drinks but Prime never really said more than ‘it’s handled.’
The van stopped on a wide stretch of land and an old man was chasing a little girl around. The child squealed in delight each time the man reached out to catch her. If I hadn’t spent the first half of my life in service to that old man, I would’ve never thought that Prime was a cold-blooded killer.
“Madison, come, now.” Prime called out for the little child and immediately pushed her behind his body. She held on to his leg tightly. ‘I promise you, you chose the wrong fucking house to roll up on.” He yelled out in our direction.
“You need your eyes checked old man?” Prez called out.
