by Kara Hart
“Is he going to get my house back?” I asked. Truth was, it didn’t even matter to me anymore. Let the government take away my belongings. I had something better than that: myself. And Avery I guess. Although, who knows what would happen with Luke and Bobby. I wasn’t too optimistic about everything.
“He’ll damn well try. He’s already on it.” he said, putting his head in the sink and turning on the water. “Damn, that’s refreshing.” He turned it off and slicked his hair back. “Alright. You trust me yet? It’s gonna be a long road ahead of us, but we can beat them. And when we do, you can be my queen. We’ll run this whole county for the rest of our lives. Us and the Courage MC.”
“I trust you. I have no other choice.” I admitted.
“Well alright then. I’ve got it on good authority that Bobby will be at the Black Spurs Bar tomorrow night. You ready to make an appearance?” He smiled.
“Just an appearance?”
“Just an appearance. Nothing more. You talk to him, entice him, and then get the fuck outta’ there. You’re leaving him in the dust so he’ll want more.”
“I’m ready.” I said, half regretting my decision. Welcome to your new life, Hope, I thought to myself, shaking my head.
19
Avery
“I’m ready.” she said to me last night, looking as feisty as I had ever seen her.
“Well I damn sure hope she is.” Bruce said, looking at me worried. “Because if she isn’t and Bobby figures out what we’re up to, we’re screwed. He’ll have his whole gang here within the hour. And that’s on your conscience, brother. Not mine.”
“She’ll be ready. Don’t worry about her. I’ve got this whole thing thought out.” I assured him.
Angelo sat in the corner, smoking a cigarette and looking like he didn’t believe a word I was saying. “And Luke? What the hell are you going to do about him? He’s out there somewhere. He’s gotta be close by. There’s no way he would just walk away from all this and let us be. He’s going to come back to this strip club and blow us all to high hell. What we need are a few big search parties. We need to find him and take him the fuck out!” he shouted.
Bruce stood up and looked out the window. “This is too personal for you, Angelo.” he said. “He took a shot at you, blew up your deal with the Sapo Boys. Of course you’re going to want to wage war with him right away. Now, the way I see it is Avery’s got a plan and a pretty damn good one at that. He gets the girl to go undercover and eventually we take out Bobby. I’ve got a hunch that Luke and Bobby are in this together. Maybe I’m crazy, but that’s what it’s lookin’ like to me. We take out Bobby, Luke will pop his little head out from the ground. Then we take the shot.” I couldn’t have agreed more.
“Personal?! This is personal? Luke shot at Avery too. Why don’t you ask him if this is personal?” Angelo was fuming, turning red in the face. The conflicts within the ranks were escalating and I was witnessing it first hand. I needed to lead, and fast, or the whole Courage MC would die from internal struggle. Of course, this is what Bobby wanted in the first place. He wanted us to pull the trigger on ourselves.
“SIT THE FUCK DOWN, ANGELO!” Bruce screamed, grabbing at his gun. “Avery might be an asshole sometimes, but he sure as hell knows how to stay calm in a turbulent situation. This is our plan and I’m sticking to that.” He said. “You disagree with me and you can get a bullet in your head. I don’t give a fuck anymore. Go find Luke. I’m sure you two can be buddies together and come up with an even better plan.”
I stood up. “This ain’t about rivalries. This ain’t about revenge.” I said.
“Well then what the hell is it about?” Angelo asked me, raging out of his mind.
“It’s about keeping the Courage MC together. For life. No more blood for blood. No more pointless killing. We kill for a purpose and that purpose is to save the lives of our brothers. Our family.” I said, taking a real stand for the first time in my life.
Angelo, though angry with the situation, shut his mouth and nodded his head. Bruce smiled and placed his hands on both of our shoulders. “God dammit. This makes my eyes tear up. Both you sons of bitches are the best men I got now. My son,” he lowered his head in sadness, “unfortunately, my son thinks a bit too highly of himself. He’s let us all down in some ways. In other ways, he’s kept us out of debt and brought us some prosperity here. But you two, and you especially, Avery. You’ve put your lives on the line for this brotherhood. And for that, I am eternally grateful and proud.”
“Here, here.” Angelo stated in agreement. “To the Courage MC.” He raised his bottle of whisky in the air and us two followed suit.
“Here, here.” Bruce chanted again. “Make us proud, Avery.”
“You know I will.” I said.
* * *
It was a lot to put on a man, but I was glad I was able to accept the oncoming pressure. These were the kinds of decisions bosses made every single day, so I had better get used to it.
“You ready?” I said to Hope, standing in the cold air. Across the street was the Black Spurs Bar. Some men outside were hollering and fighting. The sounds of punches and bottles breaking were heard in the distance.
“I’m ready.” she said for the hundredth time. I sure did ask a lot, but I had to make sure. This wasn’t just some simple job. She didn’t live this kind of life. I needed to know she felt okay about everything.
I looked her up and down. She was wearing a slutty outfit. Short jean shorts, a crop top, and light pink lip-gloss. She wasn’t even wearing a bra. It wasn’t an elegant look. Definitely not wife material. But damn was it hard holding back on her. I grabbed a solid ass cheek and pressed my lips together in satisfaction.
“Come on, Avery. Not now. I’m kind of freaking out here, in case you couldn’t see.” she said, looking worried.
“You’ll do great, baby. Just do what I told you and you’ll be fine.” I caressed her head in my hands and kissed her face gently. “Come back to me, darlin’.”
“I will.” she said. Though the job had to be done, it was still hard watching her walk off into the distance like that.
20
Hope
“What’ll it be?” The bartender asked me. I looked around the half-empty bar. There wasn’t one woman, not counting the barkeep’s wife, who seemed to be out of her goddamn mind. All eyes were suddenly focused on me.
“Give me a whisky soda. Three ice cubes.” I said, running my finger up my thigh.
I heard the loud sound of laughter and heavy boots enter the door. I could practically feel the vibration from each solid step behind me.
“6 dollars.” The man said. I paid him, though he should have been paying me. I was the only thing giving life to this place.
Another man’s voice spoke up. “It’s on me.” It said. The voice was raspy and old. It had been made through years of hard alcohol, cigarettes, and a whole slew of bad choices. I turned around. Bobby Farole. I instantly felt my spine tingle. “And I’ll take two double whiskeys.” He was grossly confident in himself and extremely large in stature. He reeked of booze and body odor, and a whole lot of other indescribable things. His hand fell on mine and I felt myself die a little.
“What’s yer name darlin’?” he asked, sweat dripping down his forehead
“Darlene.” I said. “Darlene Memphis.” I smiled and let him observe my thighs. I ran my hand across the denim of my shorts and I winked at him innocently.
“Like the state.” he said.
“Like the city.” I corrected him. “And what’s your name? Probably something tough, huh?”
“I ain’t too smart I guess. Always thought Memphis was a state. They call me Bobby Farole. Ever heard of me?” Oh, I’ve heard of you, asshole. I thought to myself. I had never met a man as disgusting as him.
“Never. Why? Should I have?” I began playing with my hair, teasing him a little. I took a sip of my drink.
“I ain’t never met a woman who hadn’t heard of Bobby Farole.” He said laughi
ng. The men who had entered with him laughed and lit up their cigars. “Forgive them. They’re not with me.” He said, giving them a look of murderous rage. The man clearly wasn’t stable.
“Oh, that’s right. You’re that guy that just got out of prison aren’t ya?” I bit my lower lip in false anticipation.
“That’s me!” He drank his shots, one by one, and slammed the glass onto the table, shattering them into tiny pieces. He burped loudly and wiped his mouth. “You scared?”
I laughed. In all actuality, I was terrified. Here I was, face to face with a murderer. He killed his parents. He killed dozens of people. “Who me? I’m an old fashioned woman. I like a hardened man…”
“Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” he asked, changing the subject entirely.
I held my breath. Did he know? Was he aware of my past life as a celebrity? “I don’t think so, honey. I don’t get out much.”
“No. I’ve seen ya somewheres. Don’t say that I haven’t, because I have. I just can’t put my finger on it.” He flagged down the bartender again and ordered two more shots and another drink for me.
“Well maybe you’ve seen me around town. I’m here for the season.” I smiled.
“That’s right! You ran outta that corner store the other day.” He slapped his hand on the bar in front of him, nearly punching a hole through it. The bartender looked disappointed, but he remained silent. “Knew I’d seen you somewhere. You were with some scrawny feller from the city.”
He looked at me, his eyes practically spinning. He was in no shape to be out of prison, and quite frankly he should have been put in a hospital long ago, but I was forced to share this moment with him. It was either that or lose everything. “Oh, yes. I didn’t know anyone was watching me.” I laughed awkwardly. In and out. That’s what Avery told me to do. This was taking a bit longer than expected.
“You can’t get anything past old Bobby. So, what is a beautiful gal like you doing in a dusty place like this?” He asked me, leaning uncomfortably close to me.
I hesitated before I answered his question. “Family.”
“Is that right? Who’s your family? I know just about everyone from out here.” he smiled. His teeth were broken and yellowed, covered in a greyish-green filth. It looked as if he hadn’t brushed in years. He pulled out a half-smoked cigar from his pocket and lit it up slowly. “Yep. Old Bobby Farole knows everyone.”
I had to admit, I was freaking out. Was he on to me? Or was he just crazy? “Oh, they’re a little outside the county.” I tried to derail the conversation as much as possible. I put my hand on his shoulder and massaged lightly. “So, Bobby. What do you do for fun?” I smiled real wide, hoping I could persuade his negative emotions.
“Just wait a second and I’ll get to that. This doesn’t add up. Now why would you be in a dump like this if you’re visiting family in the county next to this one? It’s almost like you have some tricks up yer sleeve.” He puffed at his cigar, looking at me with his right eye.
I nearly died. In a last ditch effort to distract him, I spread my legs slightly, showing off more of my skin against the small layer of denim that gripped tightly against it. Please God, I don’t want to die like this. He caught the bait and smiled, salivating.
“You were hired weren’t ya?” he asked. I let go of his shoulder and tried to look confused.
“Bobby, I don’t know what you are talking about. You came over to me, remember?”
“That don’t matter!” he screamed. “You were planted here. For me. By my cartel friends down south, weren’t ya?! You’re my hired entertainment!” He put his arms around me and grabbed my waist tightly. “My, my, my, you’re a pretty little flower. I could just pluck you right from the ground! Hey boys, come ‘ere!” His cronies got up and headed towards us. God, that was close. I thought to myself.
I kissed his sweaty cheek lightly and whispered in his ear. “Tell your boys to sit down and we can have some fun. You like cocaine, baby?”
His grin widened. “Boys, sit the fuck down! Do you ever listen?!” He ran his big, dirty finger through my hair and leaned forward, taking in my scent.
“How are you so smart?” I asked him. “Yes, I was hired to be your entertainment for tomorrow, but not for tonight. To be honest, I’m kind of embarrassed actually. I came here to check you out. I had heard so much about you. I was a little nervous. You’re just so strong and powerful. I wanted to be enough for you.” I lied.
He laughed loudly, running his hand across my chest rudely. I closed my eyes tight, wishing he would stop touching me. “Nothing is enough for Bobby.” he belched. “Nothing.” He pushed back the two shots and threw the glass.
“Well, I know that now, silly! Listen, let’s go away with each other. Just for one night. Tomorrow. I want it to be special.” I ran my tongue seductively across my teeth, pressing my lips together.
“But I want you tonight!” he cried out, like a giant baby.
“Good things come to those who wait. Can you be a good boy for me?” I asked him. I ran my fingers through his greasy hair. It took an incredible amount of effort not to vomit on his lap.
“Bobby can be a good boy. Bobby can be a lot of things for ya. You’ll bring the fun stuff?” he asked, referring to the cocaine I had mentioned earlier.
“I’ll bring that if you bring the booze.” I smiled.
“I’m so horny for you, I could kill a man.” he admitted. I looked down and saw a small dent in his pants poking out at me. “But I’ll wait until tomorrow. I have some things to take care of anyway.” he grunted.
I got up from the bar. “Here’s my number. Call me around 6?” I placed a small sheet of paper onto the bar with the number to the new cell phone Avery gave me earlier. I walked away, slowly rocking my hips from side to side. Bobby whistled at me and cackled loudly. He was truly disgusting.
As I walked to the exit of the bar, I turned around to get one last look at him. He had joined a darkened booth with the other men and I quickly realized he was involved in some kind of a heavy deal with someone. I ducked into a corner and watched them, making sure I was out of sight.
That’s when I saw him. The bastard was sitting at the table, shaking hands with Bobby. Did my eyes deceive me? I felt my heart begin to race. Shit. It was Angelo.
21
Avery
“You weren’t looking right.” I said. “It’s impossible. Angelo has wanted Bobby dead from the very beginning.”
Hope fell hard against the floor. I couldn’t believe what she was telling me. It just didn’t add up. Angelo and Bobby?
“I know what I saw, Avery. Bobby was shaking Angelo’s hand! I don’t know what’s going on, but it isn’t good. You need to be careful now.” she said. I waved it off. “I’m serious. You’re up for leadership right? Well, you’re making a lot of people jealous. If what I think is going on actually is, I think that there are key people in the Courage MC who are questioning yours and Bruce’s authority.”
“You don’t know Angelo. He’s a standup guy. He’d never hurt one of us. Never.” I said to her. But I knew. I knew something was wrong. I knew the Courage MC was crumbling from within. I just had to come up with a plan to stop it from happening.
“Open your eyes, Avery! They’re forcing you out! The only one who’s ever had your back on this ‘promotion’ is Bruce. That’s it. They’re going to kill you if you’re not careful.” I brushed back the hair from her eyes and kissed her cheeks. I wanted to reassure her. I wanted to put her at ease. But once you were a part of the MC, this kind of fear owned you. Most of the members didn’t even make it into their 50’s.
“Please, Avery. For me. Keep your eyes open.” she pleaded.
“Don’t you worry about me, freckles. I’ll keep Angelo closer than he wants me. And when it comes down to our showdown, I’ll shoot a bullet through his thick skull.” I sighed, rummaging through my cabinets, looking for one drop of whisky. All there was were empty bottles.
“Better not tell Bruce about An
gelo. When the time comes, I'll take care of it. And by God, he’ll wish I hadn't.”
“I don’t know.” Hope sighed. “I’m just really worried. What if Angelo catches you planting the drugs?”
“He will. He knows about our plan. What he doesn’t know is that I’ll be ready for him when I show up. Who knows, maybe he’ll bring Luke around too.” I said.
“I’m trusting you, Avery. I hope you have this all figured out.” she said, looking troubled.
“Come on. Let’s go for a walk.” I said.
“Where are we going?” she asked me.
“Out. I wanna show you something. I want to show you who I am.” She looked confused, but acquiesced nonetheless.
We walked a few blocks west and came across a large desert sprawl. There was an empty house in the distance. I was surprised it was still standing as well as it was. “There.” I said. “Come on. I’ll show you where I grew up.” I smiled and grabbed her hand, feeling her fingers lock with mine. It was the first time we had reached this level of intimacy and God did it frighten me more than a gun to the head. But it wasn’t bad. It was something that I needed. It felt … healing.
Yeah, maybe I was getting soft. Maybe I was growing old or something. Or maybe I was just wising up a bit. Maybe this was what becoming a leader was all about. “Let’s go.” I said, leading her closer to my old home.
“I can’t believe you’ve lived in this city your whole life.” she said, astonished.
“Well, when you have no choice, you’re forced to stay. I didn’t have it that easy as a kid. Come on, there’s more to the story.” I led her inside the old house. Dust filled the air and bugs crawled across the floor. Strangely enough, this didn’t affect her one bit. Her curiosity led her right inside the living room.
