NOMADS The Box Set

by Erin Trejo

  “Don’t be sorry Beverly. This is my fault. I should have taken you myself but I didn’t. Fuck. Just stay out of sight,” I tell her again.

  “I love you Keaton.”

  “I love you too babe,” I say as the lines goes dead and Skye’s mouth hangs open.

  “It’s not what you think,” I tell her as my anger slowly starts seeping into my pores.

  I’m beyond pissed that someone would drop her off there of all places.

  “Beverly’s not female?” she asks cocking her eyebrow up.

  “She is.”

  “Then it is what I’m thinking. God, how fucking stupid could I be? I should have gone with Brick. You! Fuck! You just used me and you have some other girl on the side huh?” she screams each word louder than the last and she’s starting to piss me off.

  I reach for her, but she moves out of the way. I lower my head and place my hands on my hips before I turn to look at her again. Betrayal and anger dance across her pretty features.

  “You wanna let me explain?” I hiss between my teeth with attitude slipping through and I know I’m being a dick.

  “Explain what? That your dick belongs in your pants and not your personality? You jerk me around like a fucking toy and have someone else on the side? I’m not some side piece you can just play with Keaton.”

  “Can you stop?” I ask needing to finish what I’m trying to say, but she doesn’t.

  “I can’t handle this shit.”

  “If you can’t handle this shit then maybe you should head over to the sweet section where you can ride unicorns and lick lollipops instead? This is life Skye. Pay attention,” I snap at her.

  She takes a step back and the edge of her lips curl up into a slight grin.

  “Fuck you,” she grinds out between her teeth.

  I take a step into her space and lean in closely.

  “Fuck me? No. I plan on fuckin’ you when this is over with and if you think you can stop me, then kill me.”

  I crush my lips against hers and take what I want. I need this before I step foot into that ring. I need my head clear and I need to be focused.

  “You realize that people like you are why we have middle fingers?” she snaps at me.

  I need to just clear my head and get focused.

  “Keaton and Matthews you’re up.”

  Well fuck.

  64

  Skye

  I want to know who this bitch is. I want to know what the hell is going on. Most of all I don’t want to watch Keaton get into that ring. My heart is racing faster than it should be and it’s making me uneasy. My cheeks are flushed, I’m too hot, and all I can think about is that if he doesn’t walk out of that ring that it’s all my fault. This whole situation is my fault.

  Keaton pulls his cut off and passes it to me along with his shirt and other belongings. He rolls his shoulders back. I tighten my arms around them as he locks his eyes with mine.

  “Remember what I said to do if I don’t make it.”

  I want to throw myself into his arms and hold on, but he just turns and walks away to climb into the ring. I watch as he bounces around a little and rolling his shoulders. Colorful tattoos move with each muscle he flexes and I can’t stop myself from staring.

  “He yours?” a blond woman asks pulling my attention away as she leans into me.

  “My husband,” I tell her letting the words roll off of my tongue like they’ve always been there.

  It sounds insane to call him that, but in a way I like it.

  “Lucky girl,” she says to me with a smile.

  I nod my head not feeling all that fucking lucky right now. That one man is slowly stealing my heart and he was just now on the phone telling another woman that he loved her. He’s now in a ring about to fight because of me.

  The announcer gives their names and the crowd goes insane. The two circle each other and that’s when I notice the size difference. I gasp when I take in the other guy. His arms are more muscular and he looks as though he’s been sitting around doing steroids all day. My heart pounds harder when he moves in on Keaton. I try to remain calm like Keaton told me to do, but that’s easier said than done.

  The man’s fist collides with Keaton’s face forcing him to stumble backwards. Blood runs down his chin from his mouth and I gasp. They throw more punches and a few kicks. Both men are bloody, bruised, battered, and running low on energy. One hit has Keaton falling to his knees. His eyes lock with mine when they widen. The man is coming towards him quickly. I try to force out a scream, but nothing comes out.

  Keaton rolls to the side narrowing missing a kick to the face. Keaton throws his leg out and swipes the other guy. He falls to the floor as Keaton jumps to his feet. Climbing on top of him his fists move faster than they have the entire fight. The sound of screams and cheering gets louder as Keaton pounds on the man’s face. I’m not sure how to feel. It’s disgusting, but he’s winning and that’s a good thing.

  Another man leaps into the ring and waves his hands.

  “That’s it. Winner,” he screams over the sound of the crowd and pulls Keaton up by his arm.

  My heart is beating so damn hard I feel like I’m going to pass out. Someone pushes through the crowd to stop at my side.

  “I’ll have a car take you guys to the hotel and I’ll have his bike hidden. Doesn’t look like he’s going to want to ride tonight and probably shouldn’t be in Cali either,” Brian says with a smile as he looks up at the ring.

  The guy that was announcing things let’s go of Keaton and he nearly falls to the ground. He stumbles out of the ring while shaking his head as he makes his way toward me. I rush toward him and close the distance. I throw my arms around his neck.

  His hands slip around my waist as he whispers in my ear, “I’m okay baby. I’m okay. Let’s go.”

  He’s out of breath and the scent of blood is strong. People cheer and slap his back as we make our way through the crowd. Brian isn’t far behind us cheering and ushering toward the door.

  We step out into the warm night and Keaton takes a deep breath. It’s as though he’s been trying to hold on and handle the pain the whole time we’ve been inside.

  “They’ll take you to the hotel and get him settled. The car’s yours to use. Don’t care what happens to it,” Brian says as two big guys come around and pull Keaton from my arms.

  I watch his head as it falls forward. He looks like he passed out. He may have.

  “Shit,” I hiss when I see it.

  “He’ll be alright,” Brian says when I turn to look at him. “Give him these,” he says handing me a bottle of pills. I look them over before I look back at him.

  “Over the counter pain meds sweetheart. I’m not trying to kill him. Here’s his cut. When he wakes up, and that might be a while, make him take two and go back to sleep. He needs to recover before you head out.”

  I nod my head and take the envelope full of cash from his hands. When I turn around the other guys have Keaton situated in the back of the car with his head leaning back against the headrest. His eyes are swollen and closed. I climb in next to him and scoot as close as I can and wrap my arms around his chest.

  The ride to the hotel doesn’t take long and I’m surprised when no one bats an eye at these two, big ass men carrying Keaton inside and into a room. In fact, the lady at the front desk just nodded her head and went back to whatever it was she was doing on her phone.

  I follow along carrying our bags that Brian had taken out of the saddlebags on the bike. I’m still holding the envelope with Keaton’s money tightly to my chest. Worry, regret, and anger are just a few of the emotions that are running wild inside of me as I watch the men open the door and carry him inside. My heart feels frozen in place as I stand there semi shocked.

  He did all of this for me. He risked his life to keep me safe. No one has ever done that. Not even my own family. I’ve learned over the years not to depend on anyone but myself, but Keaton could have been killed tonight.

  “He should b
e good for the night. You okay?” one of the guys asks as he steps back into the hallway as my eyes fill with tears.

  “He could have died,” I say softly as the words are only meant for me, but he heard then.

  “He could have, but he didn’t. He needs to rest. He’ll heal up. Those hits to the head were the worst. He probably has a concussion.”

  He rests his hand on my shoulder and I can’t even find it in me to jump. I just stand there in a stunned silence.

  “Call Brian if you need anything. Here’s his card,” the man says as he reaches into his pocket and passes me a card.

  I nod my head before he ushers me inside the room.

  “Lock up behind us,” he says before he closes the door.

  I lock up like was told to do and walk toward the bed. I drop the bags on the floor. Keaton’s face is a mess and old blood sticks to his skin. I head to the bathroom and grab two washcloths and a towel. I wet the cloths, walk back out, and climb onto the bed next to him. I gently clean his face and his busted open lip. My chest tightens when he doesn’t move.

  “You have to be okay Keaton. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

  My words aren’t heard, but they still needed to be said. I continue washing him. I’m cleaning him the best I can down to his knuckles. The broken skin looks so evil. When I can’t take anymore I toss the rags to the floor and pull his boots off. At least I can make him comfortable.

  Yawning I climb back up on the bed next to him. I know I won’t be able to sleep until I know he’s okay. Even as I watch his chest rise and fall, I don’t feel a sense of peace right now.

  So, as sleep never comes I sit awake and just watch him.

  65

  Keaton

  “Beverly. Don’t fucking go with them,” I roar loudly but she doesn’t listen.

  She walks further and further away from me until I can barely see her. My heart hammers in my chest as my feet move faster and faster. Nothing seems to be enough. The faster I run the further away she gets.

  “Beverly.”

  I scream for her, but when she turns to face me it’s not Beverly. It’s Skye. Her face is covered in blood. It drips down her chin and lands on her shirt. I reach out for her, but I can’t touch her.

  “Skye? Baby what happened to you?”

  She doesn’t answer me. She stares into my eyes with a lost look in hers. What the hell is going on here?

  “Skye don’t leave me,” I beg as she starts to walk backward away from me.

  “Skye.”

  “Keaton?”

  That voice. It’s hers. It’s her voice.

  “Keaton you’re okay,” she says softly jarring me from whatever sick dream I was lost in.

  I pry my eyes open to see her kneeling next to me. Her beautiful eyes are dark and haunted. She looks like she hasn’t slept in days.

  “Skye,” her name leaves my lips once more and that soft smile of hers floats across her face.

  “You’re awake,” she says.

  “What the hell happened? How long have I been out?” I ask groggily.

  My head aches. In fact, my whole fucking body aches. I shift, wince, and pull myself up. The room spins as bile rises up the back of my throat. Skye must be able to see it. She leaps off of the bed and grabs the small trash can holding it in front of me as I heave. The room spins, but slowly starts to calm. I look up at Skye and she looks concerned.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Yeah because barfing in a hotel garbage can proves that,” she sasses at me.

  I crack a smile and fuck does that hurt my face.

  I lean back against the headboard. Skye moves the trash can, grabs the water off the table, and hands it to me.

  “Brian said that you needed to take these when you woke up. It’s for the pain,” she tells me as she dumps two pills in her hand.

  I shake my head, “No fuckin’ way. For one, I don’t know what that shit is and I don’t trust anyone.”

  “And number two?” she smartasses me.

  Fuck, I love that about her.

  “And two I can’t be laying in this bed for days. Who the fuck is gonna protect you if I’m passed out?”

  She raises an eyebrow to challenge me, and I have to admit that it’s pretty sexy.

  “I’m fine. You need to rest. Besides, I’ve been fine for the last two days.”

  What the fuck did she just say? Two days?

  “Two days? I’ve been out for two fuckin’ days? Why the hell didn’t you try to get me up?”

  Growling at her she steps away from the bed with her hands planted on those sexy, little hips.

  “You were beat to hell. I did try to wake you up, you asshole. You wouldn’t move, even when I sucked your dick.”

  She did not just go there.

  “Don’t lie to me Skye. If those lips were wrapped around my cock I would know it,” I tell her watching as her cheeks turn pink.

  That’s sexy as fuck.

  “Brian had your bike hidden. He said that it’s safe until we can come back for it. He left us a car to drive instead.

  “A fuckin’ cage? No. Fuck that shit.”

  “They’ll be looking for a bike dumbass. Obviously they knew I was with you guys.”

  Fuck. This damn girl is trying to test my patience and as shitty as I feel I’m debating showing her exactly who the boss is around here.

  “Watch your mouth before I put it to good use,” I warn her.

  She narrows her eyes like I’m playing with her. When I start to shove off of the bed she jolts and holds her hands up.

  “Okay. I’ll stop. Jesus you need to just stop moving and rest.”

  “No. We need to get on the road. I’ll be fine. We’ve already been here two days and I don’t want to stay in one place for too long. Once we get to Cali I know that I can get us somewhere safe where no one will look. We can rest and regroup from there.”

  “Brian said that he would set you up another fight and have a place for us to stay.”

  “I know what Brian said, but that’s not what we’re doin’. Where’s my phone?” I ask needing to find out if Beverly is okay.

  I told her that I would come and get her, but instead I was lying in a fucking bed passed out for days. Skye grabs my phone and hands it to me as she crosses her arms over her chest.

  “Let me get shit arranged and I’ll explain it all yeah?”

  She huffs before she sits on the edge of the bed. I reach for her and it kills my fucking ribs. I grab her and yank her against me anyway. I press my lips to hers. I just need to taste her. I just need to know that she’s really here and that she’s okay.

  “What was that for?” she asks gazing into my eyes.

  “I needed to make sure you were real.”

  She smiles at me and everything seems right in this fucked up world that we live in. As I dial the phone she moves to climb on the bed next to me. She lays her head in my lap and my fucking cock jumps to life. She doesn’t act like she knows about it, but I know that she can feel it poking into the side of her head.

  “Who the fuck is this?”

  “Keaton. Remember me?”

  “Fuck no. Should I?”

  “Probably not. I’m a Nomad out of SC. Look, I’m in some bad shit and I need a place to lay low and run some intel.”

  “How many people?”

  “Three. Four tops.”

  I can hear him blow out a breath on the other end.

  “We’ve got a spot for you. You know where the clubhouse is?”

  “Yeah. Been there a few times a couple of years back.”

  “Show up and don’t be surprised when your ass gets searched.”

  I chuckle once.

  “Thanks Creed.”

  The line goes dead when I dial the next number on my list.

  “Keaton? That you, motherfucker?”

  I laugh at how he answers the phone.

  “You know it is. What’s up brother?”

  “Shit. Just hangin’ out. Getting’ m
y dick sucked. All that good shit. Where you at?”

  “Got a situation Ripley. I need a huge fuckin’ favor.”

  “I’m listenin’,” he says quickly.

  Ripley is another Nomad that I’m good with that typically stays around Texas. Why be a Nomad if you don’t want to roam? He’d never tell me and I’d never ask.

  “I got a girl that I’m on a job for. Shit’s gone south. I’m handlin’ that part, but Beverly somehow got dumped at the Hell Bounds a few days ago,” I don’t even need to finish that sentence.

  “Fuck me. Who was it? I’m gonna fuck someone up for leavin’ her there.” he roars through the phone.

  “I hear ya. She didn’t say, but I need her out. You know I’d go in, but we have that little issue of murder from way back,” I chuckle.

  I was in a fight with one of theirs a few years back that ended in the death of one of theirs. It was ruled his fault, but that doesn’t stop them from hating my ass.

  “I got her. Where do you want her dropped?”

  “I’m headin’ to Cali to the Fallen Angel’s Clubhouse. Creed’s gonna let us lay low there and work up some intel on my job. You think you can get her there?”

  “Fallen Angels huh? Yeah I’ll get her there. I’ll head out now.”

  “Thanks brother. I owe you one.”

  “You always owe me one.”

  The line goes dead as I blow out a breath. That’s one problem solves and just a million fucking more to handle.

  66

  Skye

  He tosses his phone to the bed as I sit with my legs crosses in front of me. I’m just watching him. He runs his hand through his hair and turns to face me.

  “Beverly was a kid when she showed up at the clubhouse in South Carolina. She wasn’t more than fifteen. She hung around and did what she did, but I always saw her as more of a sister. I wanted to protect her from the shit she was doin’, but who the fuck was I to protect her? I wasn’t nothin’ but another dick she wanted to ride. I never touched her though. Like I said, she was never somethin’ I would fuck with. She wanted to go to California and one of the other guys took her part way. He dumped her at a local MC here in Texas, but we aren’t on good terms with them.”