Mason

by Christina Chavis

  I waved a prospect over to bring me a beer. Nodding his head and brings me one. I feel eyes on me and turn to my left to see Izzy sitting with her little group of friends looking my way and whispering. She sees me looking and winks. I shake my head and turn back to the table. I take a long pull of my beer. I can sense her behind me before she even reaches for me.

  I hiss out a "Don't touch me" and move to the side. Izzy huffs and walks back to her friends. The Prez was just about to call Church when there was a knock on the door. Justice, our Club Enforcer, was just coming from the gym so, he went to answer it. He's a big mother fucker, and no one wants to mess with him. Whoever is at the door knocks louder the second time.

  Justice gets an annoyed look on his face and yells at the door, "Whoever's on the other side of that door better be a stripper, or I'm going to put you in your grave." We're all chuckling when he opens the door. He fills the doorway as it opens, so we can't see who's on the other side. I turn back to the table, and I hear Justice telling whoever's at the door, "They had a pretty mouth. And if they opened it a little wider, he could fill it for them."

  I figured it was one of his hookups because she responded with, "Yeah, with the way you are built, I might have to break my jaw first." I was thinking yeah one of his hookups. Then Justice walks in, and it seems like the entire room goes quiet. He walks over to me and whispers, "Your blonde is up there at the bar. Her car has a flat tire down the road, and she wants to use the phone." My head whips around to find her the moment the words register in my brain.

  There she is. She's wearing a black dress that stops almost to her knee, and those heels make her legs look even longer. She's showing just a hint of cleavage. Her hair is down around her shoulders. Her beautiful blue eyes stand out even with what little make-up she has on. I'm up and walking to her before Justice can make it in his seat.

  I walk up to her and extend my hand. She puts her hand in mine, and I feel sparks shoot up my arm. I tell her my name is "Bruiser" and wait for her to give hers. She makes a face with one delicate brow arched. I can't tell if it's because of the name or if she can feel the sparks shooting up her arm too.

  It didn't matter because what she said next had my world tilting on its axis. Because not only did I know her, but she was my one that got away. She blurts out, "Oh right, my name is Kelly Jones. Do you have a landline or cellphone I can use because I'm late for my mom's funeral, and I can't miss it?" It's quiet as everyone is taking in the name. They all know that name and what she means to me.

  I don't realize my grip on her hand has gotten tighter until she punches me in the gut and yells, "Let go asshole before you break my hand!" With a grunt, I let go. My brothers laughing at my expense in the background. I watch as she takes a step back from me, and I counter every step she takes with one of my own until I have her backed up against the bar. I cage her in with my arms on either side of her.

  She's staring at me with wide eyes, and all I want to do is kiss those gorgeous plump lips of hers like I've been dreaming about for the past ten years. So that is precisely what I did. I smash my lips down on hers. When she wouldn't open for me, I nipped at her lower lip, and when she gasped, my tongue slid in to find hers. Grabbing hold of my hair, she kissed me back for about a minute. But then something changed the moment I held her tighter against the bar.

  She went from running her fingers through my hair to crying and trying to push me away. I took my mouth from hers in an instant. She was trembling and begging me not to hurt her. It was then that I realized that me holding her against the bar might not have been a good idea. She couldn't move away, and it had probably made her remember something from the night she was raped. I pulled her into my arms and started whispering.

  I promised that I would never hurt her or let anyone else hurt her again. That I'm sorry for the things, I said to her. That I've thought of her every day for the past ten years. I repeated this until her breathing evened out, and I was sure she knew it was me. She must have finally heard what I was saying because she pulled back a little and look up at me. With a gasp and a breathless whisper of my name, she throws her arms around my neck and starts crying again.

  I clutch her to my chest like my life depends on it. I feel like it does, and I don't want to let her go. I lift my head off hers and look in the mirror behind the bar and see that everyone in the commons area is gawking at us. That is everyone, but Izzy. She seems mad and like she's about to say something, but I catch her eyes in the mirror and narrow my eyes at her. She looks away before getting up and stomping out of the room.

  Kelly sniffs and pulls away from me, wrapping her arms around her middle. She looks up at me with her beautiful blue eyes that's slightly puffy and says', "My mom died. Dad's at the cemetery, and I'm running late because my rental car has a flat tire." Then she begs me to help her because she doesn't want to miss her mother's funeral after being gone for so long. I pulled her close and placed a soft kiss on her forehead and told her I would take her myself.

  I asked for her car keys and gave them to a prospect with the instructions to bring her car to the Clubhouse and changing the tire. I asked Kelly if she would wait outside for me. As she walked out the door, I turn to the Prez, and I ask if we could hold off the Church meeting until this afternoon. He assured me we could and then practically shoved me through the door, telling me to go and take care of my woman. And getting her to her mother's funeral is how I'm going to start doing just that.

  CHAPTER 6

  Kelly

  I'm outside the clubhouse waiting for Mason. I know I should be running away from him after what he did. But I'm feeling lost right now. He's the only person I know here, and I need his help. I look at my watch and see that I'm already ten minutes late to the funeral. I need to be there for my dad. He's alone now, and I don't think I can leave him by himself. Just thinking of him being alone has a piece of my heart breaking.

  The door opens behind me and Mason walks out. He grabs my hand and leads me to a motorcycle. He hands me a helmet to put on and swings his leg over the seat. I tell him I've never been on a bike before. I swear I hear him whisper, "Thank fuck." I'm not sure what that meant, but he tells me it's the fastest way to get to the cemetery, and all I had to remember about riding is not to touch the pipes and to lean when he leans.

  It sounds easy enough to me but honestly, he had me hooked when he used the words fastest and cemetery in the same sentence. I climb on behind him, and he pulls me closer to his back and wraps my arms around his waist. Then he takes off down the paved driveway. He turns left and guns it down the road towards the cemetery. The wind whips by my face and seems to take my breath away. I bend my head and rest it on his back.

  I close my eyes, and a feeling of peace settles in my bones. I know it's a false peace, but it still has me wishing I could feel this way all the time. Riding on the back of his bike with the wind passing us and me wrapped around him has me thinking this is what life could've been like if the events of that night had never happened. That thought was enough to dash away any fantasy I was dreaming up in my mind. You can't change the past, and I haven't been able to get over my past yet. That was made clear from my breakdown in his clubhouse.

  It's not like I haven't been intimate with someone since that night. I hadn't been with anyone for the first two years after I left. Every time a man got close to me, my entire body would try to go into shutdown mode. That's when I started going to therapy. I worked through a lot with Dr. Hardin. I got over the fright I had towards all men. I was able to figure out it wasn't that I was frightened of the men; it was the helpless feeling knowing that they could incapacitate me because they were stronger than me.

  After realizing that, my therapist suggested that I should start taking some self-defense classes. I was able to sit in on a few lessons before joining. I was brought out of my thoughts as we jerked to a stop. I was stuck in my head so long that I completely forgot about everything around me. I feel Mason's hand rub up against my leg and look up at him. H
e motions with his head, and I look over to see my dad looking. I look back to Mason, wanting to ask him to stay, but I don't. He must've seen something on my face because he says, "I'll be here when you're finished."

  I nod, and he picks me up and places my feet on the ground. I remove the helmet and hand it back to him before quickly walking over to my father. My father looks lost standing there. When I'm within reaching distance, I wrap my arms around his waist and lay my head against his chest. The closer it came to putting the casket into the ground, the harder my dad's heart started beating. I was worried, so to let him know he wasn't alone, I squeezed him even tighter.

  His heartbeat lowered, and he got some color back. Although not much color but enough. After they lowered the casket down, dad and I turned to leave. Walking towards Mason, Dad asked, "Why are you with him? Are you ok?" I told him my car got a flat, and I was down the road from the Motorcycle clubhouse so, I went there for help. He asked, "Why I didn't call him?" I told him my phone was dead and that's why I went to the clubhouse. But I ran into Mason there instead.

  He told me Mason joined a few years ago. He even said that Mason comes over to eat at least once a week. I stopped and looked up at him. He smiles down at me with a sad smile and says he's coming tomorrow. I think that will give you two the chance to talk, baby girl. Then he kissed me on the forehead and hugged Mason like he was family.

  I'm just standing there with my eyebrows scrunched together, wondering what the hell happened after I left. And why the fuck would Mason be eating with my parents once a week. I was lost in my thoughts once again. I was about to ask just that when I look up only to see Mason waiting for me and my dad's car driving off. I'm looking in the direction of the car, my mouth hanging open a little. I was officially along with him, and I had no idea what was going to happen next.

  I'm sure he's going to want to talk about the past, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that conversation yet. I turn back towards Mason and see him watching me. So, I watch him right back. He goes to say something, but I hold up my hand to stop him. I take a deep breath and tell him I'm not ready for any talks about the past. He nods his head and motions to his bike. I walk over, and he hands me the helmet.

  CHAPTER 7

  Mason

  I watch as Kelly leaves me to go stand with her dad. When she gets near him, she wraps herself around his waist. The whole ride there was like heaven. It's like she was made to be there on the back of my bike. I've never had a woman to ride with me. I was waiting for someone special to ride in that spot. When she asked for help, I didn't even hesitate to swing my leg over the seat and pulling her in behind me.

  With her wrapped around me, I couldn't help but think I wanted this ride to last forever. Then I think of all the things that we could've had already if I hadn't missed up what we had. I'll be regretting that day for the rest of my life. I would do anything to feel her around me like that again. I'm trying to think of some way to get her back on my bike when my phone starts ringing.

  I look down and see Stryker's name flash on the screen. I answer the phone, and he says that Kelly's car has been fixed and is ready. She just has to come and pick it up. I tell him thanks, man, and hang up. I see Kelly and her father walking towards me, and he says something to her that causes her to stop where she is. He kisses her forehead, then walks towards me and hugs me.

  He pulls back and looks me in the eye and says, "Take care of my baby girl, and I'll see you for dinner tomorrow. I'm grilling steaks. You bring dessert. If I were you, I'd bring Cheesecake, she loves that stuff." I nod my head and say, "Thank You" as he pats my back and leaves. I look over towards Kelly and see she's still standing in the same place with her brows scrunched up in deep thought.

  I stand here and watch as she finally looks up and notices that it's just the two of us. I go to ask her if she was hungry, but she stops me before I can get the words out. Then she says, "I'm not ready for any talks about the past." I just nod my head because, to be honest, I'm not either. Every time I think of it, I want to track Steven down and put a bullet in his head. So, I motion towards my bike and hand her the helmet.

  I sit on my bike and wait for her to get on. I like that this time I don't have to pull her against me. She just slides as close as she can, the moment her ass settles on the seat. And when her arms go around my stomach, and her head goes to the middle of my back, I can't hold back the little sigh that slips through my lips. I make up my mind then that whatever it takes, I'm going to have Kelly Jones as mine again. Even if I have to kill to make it happen.

  I look at her over my shoulder, and I tell her that her car's ready and I have to stop by the club for a meeting. I ask her if she's hungry. She says, yes. I want to take her to Rose's Diner. I know she loved the food there. I ask her if she would mind waiting at the clubhouse while I'm in the meeting. She says she doesn't care as long as she could shower and change clothes.

  I nodded my head and pull out of the cemetery towards the direction of the clubhouse. I drove slower this time. I wanted to enjoy her wrapped around me and have as much alone time with her as I could get before reaching the clubhouse. The drive back wasn't as long as I would've liked it to be. But I knew the faster we got there, the quicker we could leave.

  I pulled up to the gate and waited for the prospect to open it. Once I pulled through, the prospect handed me the keys to her car, and I parked beside it. She slid off the back of my bike, and I gave her the keys as I got off too. She walked to the trunk and got a bag out, and walked back to my side. I look at the bag and raise a brow at her. She smiles up at me and says, "I always keep a set of clothes in my car for emergencies."

  I take the bag in the left hand and grab her hand with my right. When I do her eyes zero in on our joined hands and for a second, I think she's going to pull away, but she doesn't. Her beautiful blue eyes connect with mine, and she sends me a small smile. I give her hand a gentle squeeze and lead her to the door. I open the door and lead her straight through to my room without stopping to talk to anyone on the way.

  I pull my key out and unlock the door. We both step through, and I head to the bathroom and get a fresh towel and rag for her. I place them on the counter and return to the room to find her looking at the photo I have sitting on my nightstand. I lean against the bathroom door and watch her as she's staring at it.

  It's the picture we took together on one of our dates. I was wearing a red shirt she bought me with a pair of blue jeans, my red and black Jordan's and a black leather jacket. She was wearing a red tank top, a pair of black tights, with knee-high boots and her black leather jacket. We both liked racing, so I was taking her out to eat, and afterward, we were going to the racetrack. We had fun that night. We also got in trouble because she had a curfew since it was a school night, and we missed it.

  She put the picture down and sat on the bed. When she finally noticed me standing there, she looked up. There were tears in her eyes, and she tried to wipe them away. It broke my heart to see them there, and I made a promise to myself that if she lets me, I was going to give her the happiness she deserved. The happiness we both deserved. I wanted to be the man that did that for her.

  I told her that I put a fresh towel and rag on the counter for her. She got up and started to walk past me into the bathroom. Before she could pass me, I pulled her into a hug. I leaned down and whisper in her ear, telling her I was sorry for everything I said and that one day, I was going to get us back to the way we were in that picture. Even if it takes the rest of our lives to do it.

  It was said as a promise. I kissed the top of her head and told her to go shower. I grabbed her hand before she could walk away and told her she could stay in here until I was done with my meeting, or she could wait for me at the bar. She said ok and walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I stood there looking at the door, wishing I could be in there too. With a shake of my head, I turned and left the room, locking the door behind me. Damn, I hope this meeting is over soon.

  CHAPTER 8

 
Kelly

  After seeing the picture on Mason's nightstand and the words he said that sounded so much like a promise, I could feel a piece of the wall around my heart chip away. I heard the bedroom door close not long after I came into the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror, comparing the new me to the girl I was in the picture. I can see a lot of changes. I know there are big ones because Mason didn't recognize me until I told him my name. And I didn't recognize him either.

  My hair is longer, and my skin is slightly darker. My breast fuller now. I have more than a hand full. But not too much. I have more junk in my trunk. My ass in that picture was more of a board with a lump on it. With me going to the gym three times a week and my self-defence classes twice a week, my entire body has bulked up a bit over the years.

  I'm not as defenceless as I use to be. I'm not going to say I could take a grown man down, but I could do enough damage to get away or to make him think twice about trying to hurt me. I shake my head I reach in and turn the shower on. Getting undress, I'm stepping into the shower but stop when the tattoo on my lower back flashes in the mirror. I stand there and study it for a minute.

  It's a beautiful piece of artwork. It's a heart surrounded by angel wings. It has a halo at the top and a devil's tail wrapping around the bottom. There's a banner in the middle that says, "Mason's 4Ever." I got it on the day of the party years ago. I was so excited. I couldn't wait to show him. But the events of that night tainted the memory of the tattoo for me.

  Mason never got to see it, and I try not to look at it. Maybe one day it'll have meaning again, but right now it doesn't. I push the thought away and step into the shower. I look around and only see men's products. I let out a sigh of relief because I don't want to think of him being with another woman. I'm not delusional to think he's been alone and waiting for me for ten years. But it's nice to know no female is staying in this room.