by Jessie Cooke
“Okay then,” Wolf finally said. He watched Bruf leave and then, with his elbows on the desk in front of him, he rested his face in his hands. He took a three-minute vacation from all the bullshit before getting back on his feet and looking for someone’s ass to kick.
12
The Library was transformed at night. It went from a beautiful old antique building to a brightly lit, elegant one at night. It was backlit. A green light shone from the back of the building and cast a glow around it that threw shadows out front onto the smooth sidewalk that led up to the red door. Wolf parked his bike in a space not really meant for parking, between two cars out front. His companions from the south, Dax’s brother Gunner and a guy named Zack, parked their bikes in the same fashion a few cars up. The three men walked up to where the red door was blocked by velvet ropes; two guys that looked like they ate human growth hormone for breakfast every day stood stretching their black t-shirts to the limits and staring down the crowd that waited for it to be their turn to guess the password. Wolf walked up to the one closest, a guy about forty with a shaved head and handlebar mustache and said:
“I’m here to see Miss Marissa Sweeney.”
The big guy looked skeptical but said, “She expecting you?” As he said that, he looked over Gunner and Zack. Both men wore their leather kuttes with their Skulls colors proudly displayed. Wolf wore a denim vest...all of the Westside Skulls did. That had been something his father implemented years before, to make them stand out from other chapters who fancied leather kuttes instead.
“Yes. Tell her Wolf is here.” The man smirked, but he took out his cell phone and pressed in a number. Wolf got the impression that if they had been anyone other than MC, this guy might have just blown them off. He might believe he could kick their asses...but he also had to believe his boss wouldn’t want that kind of trouble outside her club on a Friday night.
“Miss Sweeney, there’s a ‘Wolf’ here to see you. He has two other men with him. Southside Skulls is what it says on their patches.” He listened for several seconds and then said, “Okay, send him down, I’m going to make sure they’re not carrying...” Another pause and he looked confused as he said, “But Miss Sweeney, I...Yes, ma’am. Okay. Thank you.” Wolf tried to resist the cocky smile as the man ended the call and said, “Her assistant will be right down.”
It was only a few short minutes before the red door was opened and a young guy that looked a lot like the one that let them in a couple of days before appeared. The new one had dark hair and in Wolf’s opinion, an overly manicured goatee. If girls had beards, he thought. This one was blond with a smooth face that made him look like he was barely out of his teens. As Wolf, Gunner, and Zack followed behind him, Wolf wondered if the guy was gay...and then he wondered if he fucked Marissa...and then he went back to gay, because for some reason he liked that idea better. In his core...his very soul...Wolf knew he’d never cheat on Amara, but deep down inside where he kept his tiny capsule of guilt and shame, he knew that if he ever would cheat, Marissa Sweeney would be a woman almost worth it.
They were taken through part of the club, and even the inside looked a lot different in the night. There was a band playing music on a small stage...swing music, if Wolf wasn’t wrong. The tiny dance floor was elbow to ass with people dancing, some so closely together that the only way they could get any closer would be to fuck right there. Almost everyone was dressed in forties or fifties suits and dresses. Once again, the place reminded him of Amara. She still had several of the vintage dresses that she’d bought specifically to wear to this place back when they used to go out more often.
They were taken down the same hall and to the same office where he and Smoke had met Marissa Sweeney that first time they visited. He thought about Smoke’s reaction to her and looked at his companions as the assistant knocked on the door. He knew Zack and Gunner both had old ladies. Zack had a kid, and one on the way too, he believed. Wolf had never met Zack’s old lady...but he had met Gunner’s. Tammy was the daughter of the king of a powerful MC in Texas. His only undisputed competition had been Zack’s father and the club Zack rode with for years. Rumor had it that Zack was the one to put an end to his own father’s reign of terror. Wolf had not always agreed with his father, and he was the first to admit that Coyote could be a dick...but he couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of ever killing him. But back to Tammy...Wolf thought Amara had a crazy temper, but from what he’d seen and heard of Tamara...he wouldn’t even bat an eyelash if someone told him she stabbed Gunner in his sleep just because he looked at another woman.
“Come in.” The sound of Marissa’s voice brought him out of his thoughts and sent a little shiver down his spine. He stepped into the office first and stopped so short that Gunner actually ran into him from behind. Marissa had stood up, and as hot as the little fifties-style business suit had been the other day, her outfit tonight was bound to give more than one man in the club heart palpitations. It looked like an old Navy uniform. It was green, with a fitted blazer, a white shirt underneath, and a green skirt that ended just above her knees. She smiled when she saw Wolf and his heart sped up to about two hundred. Damn! “Mr....Wolf, how nice to see you again.”
Wolf just nodded and moved inside so Gunner and Zack could come in too. Gunner was openly staring at Marissa and Zack was looking at Wolf and grinning. “Hi,” Wolf finally managed. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Not a problem,” she said, still smiling. She looked at Gunner and then Zack and said, “Hello.”
Wolf cleared his throat. Damn, he hated that any woman, other than his old lady, had this kind of effect on him. It was crazy. “This is Zack and Gunner.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Gunner said. He still hadn’t taken his eyes off her. Wolf thought about Tammy and smiled. If she saw the way her old man was looking at this woman, she would probably scoop his eyeballs out and fry them up with some bacon for her breakfast.
“A pleasure,” Zack said.
“Nice to meet you both. Please have a seat, gentlemen.” As they all three sat down, she looked at Wolf again and said, “I’d like to ask that we pull the staff in here one at a time, so we don’t interrupt the flow of things out front.” Wolf knew it was mostly about how they were dressed. They’d never pass for fitting in. Amara had bought him a zoot suit for the few times they came. He hated it, but for her he’d do just about anything.
“That’ll work,” Wolf told Marissa. “I just appreciate you taking the time to let us do this.”
“I’m going to go out front and see who’s got a few minutes. I’ll be back in just a few. Would you gentlemen like a drink?”
“Whiskey,” Zack said. “Straight, please.” She smiled at him.
“Of course, and you two?” she asked Wolf and Gunner.
“A beer would be nice,” Wolf said. Gunner nodded and said:
“Sure, a beer, thanks.”
She smiled again and as she got up and left the room, they all watched her go. She closed the door behind her and Zack let out a low whistle between his teeth. “Fuck me,” he said.
“You wish,” Gunner said with a laugh.
“There was once a time...”
“Yeah, I feel you, brother,” Gunner said. Wolf was the only one that didn’t say anything. Even talking about it out loud felt like being unfaithful. Instead he looked at Gunner and said:
“How’s the training going?”
Gunner’s face lit up. It was easy to tell that as loyal as he was to his club, and his brother, fighting was where his true passion lay. “Great. Jake is so fucking awesome. His friend Brock showed up this morning and I got to spar with him too. I can’t even believe I’m sparring and training with two champions.”
Wolf smiled. “Yeah, Jake is a hell of a guy. I haven’t met Brock yet, but I’ve heard good things. I hear he fancies himself a comedian on the side.”
Gunner chuckled. “Yeah, fancies himself is right.” He laughed outright then and said, “Nah, I guess he is pretty funny. Damn,
he’s strong as a fucking ox too. He landed a roundhouse on my right thigh this morning, not even full-force, and that son of a bitch turned black in a matter of minutes.”
The office door opened again and a young man came in with a tray that held their drinks. By the time he passed them out, Marissa was back with a young girl who had dark hair and wore a vintage polka-dot dress. “This is Brandy. She works every Friday and she’s been with us for over a year now. She said she’d be happy to look at your photo.”
Wolf took out his phone and pulled up the photo of Jerry Brown. The girl squinted at it and said, “Oh yeah, I know him...I mean, I don’t really know him, but he used to come in here all the time. It’s been a few weeks since I saw him, I think.”
“Was he alone, when he was here?” Wolf asked.
“He always came in alone...occasionally he would leave with a lady.”
“The same lady, or...?”
“At first he used to mix it up,” she said. “But this past couple of months there’s only been one lady. She isn’t here every time he is, but when she is, I’ve noticed them sitting and dancing together. I can’t be sure they left together every time, but I did see them leave with his arm around her at least once, maybe twice.”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“Maybe a month ago...I’m sorry, time flies and gets mixed up in my head.”
“That’s okay,” Wolf told her. “Did you ever get a name on her?”
“No, I’m sorry. She’s a beautiful woman...that’s probably the only reason I even noticed them. I mean, no offense but he’s kind of...plain.” That was the best way to describe him as far as Wolf was concerned...unless you included dead. “Anyways, she always had her hair rolled up, so I’m not sure how long it really is. It’s dark, black, and she’s got a really pretty olive skin color. She was always all dolled up in her vintage clothes and shoes.” That description could apply to half the clientele of the Library...hell, it could even describe his old lady. Wolf was slightly disappointed, but maybe one of the other staff got a name. It was always good to talk to the lover when you’re trying to find out secrets. They talked...men talked, too much when they were with a woman they were comfortable with...himself included. Amara knew much more about club business than she should, but he had no doubt that it never went anywhere other than between the two of them.
Marissa took that girl back to her post and the men were treated to another opportunity to watch her leave. Not long after, she brought back a young man who had less information for them than the first girl had. That went on for a while with most of them remembering the dark-haired woman, and how mismatched the couple had been, but none of them knew a name, or ever routinely saw Jerry Brown with anyone else. The last young bartender was a lady, kind of masculine-looking and dressed in a suit rather than the dresses the other girls favored. She described the woman in much more detail then the others had, and Wolf could tell that this woman had more than a passing interest in her, so he was delighted but not surprised when she said, “Allie, her name was Allie. Short for Alison, I think. This Friday it will be exactly a month since she’s been in. He was here one time after her, alone, the week after, I think.”
“Do you know anything else about her, other than her name?”
“We didn’t talk that much,” the woman said, sounding disappointed. “She had a cute little accent, though...real sexy.”
“Accent? Like his?” Wolf cocked his head at Gunner. Gunner frowned at him. He liked to pretend he didn’t sound like he’d just come up from the deep south, but that’s all it was, pretense. As far as Wolf was concerned, there was no hiding that he was straight outta Texas when he opened his mouth.
“No,” she said. Gunner had only spoken a few words since she’d been in the office, but Wolf thought it was obvious. “Her skin is the color of his, though...so pretty.” Zack said something smartass about Gunner blushing and Gunner flipped him off. Wolf shot them both a look and they settled down and the girl started to go on, but stopped when her eyes landed on Wolf’s phone, which was still out and lying on his thigh. Wolf was startled when she reached over and touched it with her finger. The screen had been fading but lit up when she touched it. There was a picture of him and Amara at a rally in Sturgis on the screen and the girl was staring at it wide-eyed. “That’s her.”
Wolf felt his pulse speed up even though he was instantly convinced that the girl was wrong. “No, ma’am, that’s not possible,” Wolf said. Her interest piqued, Marissa looked over the girl’s shoulder. She furrowed her pretty brow and said:
“No, I know her. Her name isn’t Allie.”
“Oh, I thought for sure that was her,” the girl said, disappointed.
“That’s Amara...oh my goodness,” Marissa said. “That’s why you look so familiar. You came in with Amara way back when I first took over as manager here. Did you two break up?”
Wolf’s head was spinning. His thoughts were running rampant. No fucking way. No way in hell. He could feel Gunner's and Zack’s eyes on him and suddenly his whole body was warm...hot, like his blood was on fire. He stood up, grabbing his phone, and as he headed for the door he could hear Gunner and Zack get up too and Marissa calling after him. He felt sick, he needed air...but no...they were wrong...there was no fucking way...
13
“Mom, you haven’t touched your lunch.” Sabrina had spent the morning waiting for the lawyers to get her mother out of jail. Once they had, the two women had spent another two hours in her new attorney’s office. Her mother had been ecstatic to see her, and she’d been polite and respectful to the MC escorts they had and the attorney they met with...but Sabrina knew her well enough to know that she wasn’t doing well. She was too quiet, and she seemed to be lost inside of her own head. Now that they were finally back in their own home, Sabrina had hoped she would be able to relax and be herself, but she still seemed so sad, and distracted, lost even.
“I’m sorry, baby, I’m just not very hungry.”
When they got to the house, it had been cleaned...from top to bottom. Whatever blood there had been, and whatever damage the police had done, had simply vanished. Sabrina was more impressed with her brother by the minute, and gaining hope. Her mother didn’t seem to be of the same mind, however. “Mom, the guys are outside, it’s just you and me now. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on in your mind.”
Her beautiful mother looked at her. Sabrina could see that she was holding back a flood in her hazel eyes. “I just keep seeing it. I can’t believe I left you alone. Your life will never be the same because I had to go out to dinner with an asshole that would raise a piece-of-shit rapist.” She lost the battle with the tears then and as they ran down her face in torrents, Sabrina got up and went to her. She knelt next to her mother’s chair and put her arms around her. For a few minutes, she just petted her mother’s soft hair and let her cry. She probably hadn’t shed a tear in jail. Her mother was a private person and she didn’t often show emotion...especially in front of strangers. When Sabrina could tell that she was calming down and pulling it together she held her back slightly and said:
“I know that nothing I can say is going to make you believe this, Mom...but there was nothing about that night that was your fault. If you’re taking the blame for this murder...”
“It wasn’t murder. You were defending yourself.”
Sabrina smiled softly and said, “I know, Mama. But if you’re taking the blame for it because you feel like it was your fault, please, please, please don’t. I let him in. I was remiss when I should have been alert. I should have listened to you from the beginning and gone to the police. I know you. I know you’re always right and eventually I always realize that. I should have just trusted you from the start and he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to hurt me again. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about what I did to him, but some nights I wonder if there’s something wrong with me because all I really feel is relief that he can’t hurt me or anyone else again.”
> “You’ve got a lot of your father in you,” her mother said, petting Sabrina’s hair and brushing a lock back off of her daughter’s face. “I guess I’m still a little stunned about him being...gone, too.” Another tear rolled down her face and she brushed it away.
“You loved him, didn’t you?”
Her mother looked guilty as she nodded. “I know that’s terrible. He had a wife...a woman that loved him enough to change her whole lifestyle and become part of his world. She had his baby and she was raising him the way that Coyote wanted him raised. She was a good woman and I took what was hers. I had no right to be in love with him...but I was.”
“It’s okay, Mama. We can’t help who we love. He loved you too. I could see it when he looked at you. I’m sorry that I was so angry and obstinate, and I drove him away. You could have had the last year of his life together.”
She shook her head. “No, I had already told him, before that, that there was no hope for him and me. Maybe when I was young I could have handled his lifestyle. But I’m too set in my ways now and he was too set in his. Our getting together was trouble and heartache waiting to happen. I guess I was just still holding onto the hope that you and he could have a relationship someday. I always felt bad for cheating you out of that.”
“Let’s do both of us a favor, Mom. Let’s try to stop focusing on the past and what mistakes we may have made and what might have been. Let’s focus on the future. Wolf’s attorney is going to get these stupid charges against you dropped and we can move on from here...and I got a brother out of the deal.”
