by Y. M. Sheree
"Why in the world do you feel that way? You two have barely spoken to one another."
"Is that what you think? Doc and I have spoken a lot since you were in the hospital. Matter of fact I know he is supposed to be here in a few minutes."
"What in the world dad? Are you two best of friends now?"
"I don't know if you would say that but he genuinely cares about you Billi, and you don't need to push him away."
"You do know he doesn't like the club world, not one bit. How in the world would we even work?"
"He opened up to me about his brother and the bike world. I explained to him as much as I could without crossing the line. I think he has a better understanding now. Give him a real chance."
They both turned to look at the garage bay door when they heard a car door close. A minute later Tristan walked around the corner. Walking toward her. a smile crossed his face.
"Hello beautiful how are you feeling?"
"Better. Thank you for asking. So why did you ask me to meet you here?"
"Mr. Madison are we ready to show her?"
"We sure are doc over in the corner. I will leave you two be. Remember what I told you baby girl." William grabbed a towel to wipe his hands off while he walked to the office in the back of the garage.
"Show me what?" Billi asked as she looked around to see what they were discussing.
Tristan placed his elbow on her arm to assist her in getting up off the chair and led her to the corner of the shop where a curtain was hanging up. He stood in front of her trying to block her view, but she continued to try to look around him.
"Hold on I am going to show you the surprise. Stand right here and don't move."
"Where am I going?"
"I see your feistiness has resurfaced. I may need to tame that later on." Tristan pulled the curtain back so Billi could see her surprise. He stood to the side to watch her reaction. Billi took a few steps forward to look at the surprise awaiting her. There in front of her was CottonCandy looking brand new like she'd never been in an accident. Running her hand across the bike, she looked at Tristan with tears in her eyes.
"What did you do Tristan?"
"Your dad and I discussed getting your motorcycle repaired and repainted while you were in recovery. He did the repairs and took it to the paint shop. I just paid for all the expenses."
"You shouldn't have."
"Maybe so but it was a choice a made. I know how important your motorcycle is to you. Also, we didn't need you to see the damage to her. Are you happy?"
"Of course I am happy. You have me over here balling like a baby."
Tristan moved closer to her and drew her into his arms. Placing soft kisses on her face before she laid her head on his chest. She missed being in his arms like this. Ever since the accident they hadn't been intimate Tristan made her feel like a china doll. She felt his hand stroke her hair as she stayed in his arms.
"I am glad that you are happy. You haven't been here lately."
"You don't know how much it means to me that you were thoughtful to fix my bike for me. Keep it up I will start thinking that you like me."
Tristan pulled her back from her so he could look her in her eyes. "Billi I more than like you. I wake up every day thinking of you and think of you throughout the day. You have become a part of my life, and I don't see you not being in it. I guess what I am trying to say is, I love you Billi Madison."
"Damn it. Tristan, you are going to make me cry again. Do you know that I realized that I loved you as well when we had that big argument? It hurt not speaking to you for those weeks. I wanted to reach out to you so bad, but my pride wouldn't let me. Where do we go from here?"
"We continue to be with one another. I spoke with your father who gave me a history of the bike world. Now I have a better understanding. Besides, I know how important it is to you. If I say that I love you then I need to support anything that you do. Just don't expect me to ride."
"Never would I ask you to ride, Dr. Ramsey." She smiled at him.
"Do you know what I need right now?"
"No. What do you need?"
Tristan looked her over before responding. "I need to make sure that my patient has fully recovered. A thorough exam is needed as soon as possible. It may take a few appointments."
"Well, Dr. Ramsey when would you like to begin my appointment?"
"As soon as we leave here and go to my place. I want to show you how much I miss and love you, Billi."
"Far as I am concerned Tristan you have a lifetime to show me."
"I am going to hold you to that. Let's go and begin this ride, Isis."
The End
Enjoy the first chapter of the following Lady Guardian Novel - keep flipping:
Back Off by Toye Lawson Brown
Also by Y.M. Sheree
Fantasy Island
Purple Haze 1
Purple Haze 2
The Switch Up
About the Author
Y. M. Sheree is an Army veteran who currently resides in Portsmouth, Virginia. She is a proud mother of two daughters, one a CNA and currently in College and the other is serving in the U.S. Army. A graduate of Colorado Technical University she has received two MBAs, one in Business Administration and the other in Project Management. While in High School a short story written about, King Author gained attention of the librarians. She switched her knight to a female and the damsel had been a male. Her best friend co-authored a book when they attended High School together.
While stationed in Germany, she tried her hand at poetry that she sent to a publishing company that turned her down stating her writing was journal entries and not poetry in 2009. Her spirit crushed she put her pen down and stopped writing until 2015. Mary B. Morrison challenged aspiring writers to write a book in ninety days on Facebook. Y.M. Sheree took the challenge as a hobby to pass her time not knowing that later on that year her first published work Purple Haze would release in October 2015. She now has three published books on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Purple Haze, Purple Haze 2, The Switch Up, and her new release Fantasy Island.
In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, playing video games on her Xbox one, and she is a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan and Golden State Warriors. Known for writing Erotica she plans on being versatile and write in different genres.
Back Off by Toye Lawson Brown
The feel of the wind blowing on my face is refreshing. The rumble from the bike’s engine under my butt is exciting. The looks and verbal responses I get when I pass a crowd of people are empowering. Yes, I’m a rebel when I’m on my bike.
Maybe not a rebel, but free. I love being outdoors in the summer, and nothing is more freeing than being on a bike on the open road. My mother doesn’t approve of me riding. She is afraid something will happen to me if I’m alone at night. She swears a car or truck won’t see me and will wipe me out. I can’t ease her fears after what happened to my brother. Cliff is a standing member of the Bold2Ride motorcycle club. He served as their sergeant at arms until he retired. B2R, which they liked to be called, is a popular MC club in Cleveland, and has created tight bonds with other clubs.
But B2R has a reputation, and they also have enemies who might take revenge out on me because of Cliff. An attempt to ambush them happened during one of their chapter meetings a few years ago. The fight was violent, and Cliff was shot once in the leg and twice in the chest. His recovery was tedious and long. And after a lengthy trial putting his shooter behind bars for life, he moved his family to the West Coast.
That caused my mom to freak out. She insisted I stay away from people involved with motorcycle clubs. She put her foot down. I respect my mother, but I’m over twenty-one and have to follow my dreams. Instead of joining an existing motorcycle club, I started a chapter of the Lady Guardians in Cleveland. Our mission: to raise money for the treatment of terminally ill children, not to rip through the streets of Cleveland causing hell.
Pulling into an open spot in the parking lot, I turn off my bi
ke and walk across the grass to join my girls at a picnic table. Our ride took us through the beautiful Metroparks and now to the clear waters of Lake Erie, where we get glances from onlookers. When people see six beautiful women on big, bold bikes, and the emblem on our backs, the tongues start to wag. I can’t explain it other than to say it is a chest-boosting experience.
But we are not to be feared. We don’t have large tattoos or piercings on our bodies except for our ears. We are secretaries, patient helpers, and other office assistants that work at the Cleveland Clinic. From nine -to- five, I answer phones, file, and make appointments and arrangements for patients. My boss specializes in the research and treatment of terminal diseases.
My friends always said I was a nurturer. So, when I thought of what I could do to help the families, it immediately hit me to ride to raise money for research.
When I presented the idea to the Lady Guardians’ national chapter president, it was a go. Since I thought of the idea, my girls voted me president. I am so out of my league. There is a lot to learn when becoming a part of an organization that extends beyond Cleveland. There are bylaws to follow and events to attend. I have a strong personality when it comes to helping others. And with me in a room with people that possess the same attributes, we will achieve progress.
Anyhow, today’s meeting with my officers is about an ongoing concern. There is another local female motorcycle club trying to muscle in on my hard work. Latrice whose biker name is Tequeela, is the Hell Dolls president. She’s been vocal about wanting the Lady Guardians destroyed, since we’ve received accolades from various city leaders for our commitment to helping others.
For that to happen, there may be bloodshed. I never walk away from anything I’m passionate about.
“Okay, let’s get started,” I say, straddling the bench. I take a tissue from my pocket and dab sweat from my forehead. On a hot summer day in Cleveland, my cotton tee-shirt under my sleeveless vest is a little damp, and my feet are warm in the heavy boots.
Seated at the table are Pepper, Millie, Anita, and Dawn. They work at Cleveland Clinic and have the same passion for bikes that I do.
Pepper has her laptop out and is pecking away at the keys. “Logged in and ready, Carrie,” she says not looking up at me.
“It’s hot, but I’m ready to get this money,” Millie says fanning herself with her hands.
Pepper is the treasurer of the club and makes sure money collected from fundraisers is distributed to organizations. She also manages the dues from members. Dawn is the sergeant at arms and takes her responsibilities seriously. Millie is my vice president and ready to step in if I can’t perform my duties for whatever reason. Vicki is the secretary but couldn’t attend the meeting due to family obligations. Anita is the road captain, but we haven’t taken any road trips yet. One is planned for the annual meeting that all the chapters are supposed to attend.
As my chapter expands, positions will become available. However, I expect some patch holders will want a chance to be an elected officer. I’ll deal with that when I see how committed new members are to the LGs.
My reasons are because Dawn has suspicions that a spy is among our sisterhood. Since it’s only a few of us, I need more information before I can confront that person.
Dawn walks around the picnic table to sit next to me. “I know who might be the spy, Carrie. Give me five minutes with her, please?” She slaps a tight fist against the open palm of her hand.
Dawn works in the dialysis department as a patient helper. She’s a healthy girl and the only member that has a tattoo. She also has a heart of gold but will beat the hell out of someone if pushed too far.
The curls of her short blonde hair catch the sun’s rays, bouncing off it like shiny gold. Her blue eyes are dark and intense as she waits for me to answer.
“Dawn, be certain before you confront her, I say. “It’s only a few of us, and wrongly accusing another member could be detrimental to our cause.”
“I’ll be cool about it, Carrie. With any luck, she’ll end up ratting herself out.”
“It would be great to know who is spying for Tequeela. You should start by planting false information about us. If it gets back to the Hell Dolls, then we got them.”
“Good idea. I know what to plant, too.”
The smirk on Dawn’s face is concerning, but I know she won’t do anything to bring negative attention to the club. “Keep it clean, Dawn. That’s all I ask.” She gives me her promise. And I prepare to move on to the next order of business.
Millie unpacks food from a cooler, stacking the containers on the picnic table. “I made tuna, ham, and roast beef sandwiches.”
“What a spread for the four of us,” I say to Millie.
She continues to unpack stuff from the cooler and laughs. “Riding takes a lot of energy. I have cold water and pop too.”
“You make good use of those saddle bags on your bike,” I say, and then reach for a roast beef sandwich.
“Imagine if she’d driven a car,” Anita mumbles.
Millie frowns and says, “Y’all acting surprised I like to cook. Be happy I bought anything to eat.”
“I appreciate the food, Millie. I’m sure the others do too,” I say, giving them the side-eye.
“Yes, we are,” they answer in unison.
I take a bite of my sandwich, lay it on the foil wrapper and grab my notebook. “Okay, we need to discuss the goals set for July and the Hell Dolls.”
“Ugh. They’re getting on my damn nerves,” Anita barks. “We need to terrorize them, give them a taste of their own medicine.”
I chuckle. “Girl, please. The best we can do is make a threat…” A loud roar approaches from the east end of the road. There’s no mistaking that the sound is powerful motorcycles. And they are coming fast and hard.
We stay seated and watch them circle the parking lot. The twelve bikes come to a halt. Simultaneously, they gun the engines and block our bikes in case we try to leave. My heart is pounding as I wait for the confrontation with Tequeela.
I’m not afraid of her. If she wants a fight, I don’t have a problem going fist to fist with her. But she doesn’t always play fair. She is known to carry weapons.
Tequeela is aware which bike is mine. I watch her get off her bike and walk over to my brand-new Low Rider. It was a proud day for me when I walked into Harley-Davidson, told the salesman exactly what motorcycle I wanted and paid for it in cash.
Dawn leaps up from the table, and I grab her arm to keep her from running away. “Hold on, Dawn. Wait and see what they do.”
“I’m not waiting for them to fuck up my bike, Carrie. You can sit here if you want,” she says, pulling her arm from my grasp. “But those bitches ain’t about to wreck my stuff.”
Dawn’s foul mouth doesn’t bother me. It is part of her character, and I love that about her. “Okay, then we all go together. We have to stick together.”
“Let’s roll,” Anita says as she removes her large hoop earrings. “Who cares it’s twelve of them and five of us?”
“Um, seriously, we’re going to fight those dude-looking females, Carrie?” Pepper asks as she takes care to pack away her laptop.
“I know it will be an uneven fight, but we have to stand our ground,” I say. “Do you want them to take over what we’ve started, Pepper?”
Pepper shakes her head. “No. But I don’t want my ass in a sling, either. Look, I didn’t sign up for any biker wars. Before we were Lady Guardians, we raised a lot of money just riding by ourselves. We didn’t have to worry about battles with rival gangs. I have a kid and husband at home.”
“Carrie, let Pepper stay here. We can handle them without her,” Dawn interjects.
I roll my eyes at Pepper. I get Pepper has a family; we all do. However, she read the rules regarding loyalty to the Lady Guardians.
I get up from the table and instruct Pepper to call for help if the fight gets out of hand. She should save herself the trouble and call now—the odds of winning are so sta
cked against us.
Dawn is ahead of me by a few steps, flexing her arms and mumbling incoherently. I have never seen a person so ready and willing to give or take a beat-down. The dry grass crunches under the weight of my boots. A fight. I haven’t fought since junior high school. A group of girls ganged up on me in the bathroom, blindsiding me.
Though I was never the popular girl, I had plenty of friends. Some girls hated me because of my looks. My long chestnut hair and light-colored skin rubbed some black girls the wrong way. I remember running home after the fight. Cliff was furious and said if I ever came home crying again, he’d beat me up.
He taught me to defend myself using words or my hands. Since that day, I’ve had no problem verbally expressing myself. I still hate being called “white girl” when I’m just as black as the darker-skinned women, but I don’t let it stop me from voicing my opinions.
The closer I get, the more my stomach rolls. The Hell Dolls are a vicious group of women with visible battle scars among the many tattoos covering their arms and legs. Some even have tats on their faces. The Hell Dolls colors are black and red, with flames firing from heads of bulls. Any man would fear meeting up with them in a dark alley. I draw in a deep breath and release it slowly, convincing myself I’m not scared.
We reach the parking lot and face the women waiting to see if we’ll make the first move.
I put my hands on my hips and ask, “Following me again, Tequeela?”
She removes her sunglasses, placing them on top of her head. “I ain’t got time for games. You know what I want.”
“Then you already know the answer.”
“Playing with fire will get your pretty ass burned, girl.”
“Why is it even an issue, Tequeela? My girls and I are not trying to upstage you.”
“I don’t like to look bad. You and the pink cadets come in doing your goodwill, and the media is all over you. They forget what the Hell Dolls have done for the city.”
