by Alyssa Breck
“You know that’s bullshit. We all have a moral compass that tells us what’s right and wrong no matter what we’ve been through. Would you do to a child what he did to you?”
“No.”
“See?”
“I sound like my mother making excuses for him. I wish so much that I didn’t love him at all. But I do. Then I hate him and wish he’d die.”
Oh, he will. Hunter didn’t say it out loud. “It’s okay to feel like that.”
She sat down beside him and leaned over to lay her head on his lap. Hunter brushed her hair away from her face. The shadows grew deeper in the room as the sun went down behind the curtains. It was easier to think bad things in the dark.
A patchwork quilt covered Holly while she slept on the couch. Hunter walked out onto the porch and shook a cigarette out of the pack. She’d been smoking in the house. The smell hung in the air, but he didn’t want to make it worse. Once she was back to herself, she wouldn’t want that.
He took a deep pull on the smoke and put the phone to his ear.
Hem answered on the first ring. “Hey, man.”
“Hey.”
“How is she?”
Hunter stepped down the stairs to the walkway. “She’s okay but he fucked her up pretty good.”
“Did she ‘fess up?” Hem asked.
“Yeah. So, what we talked about will be a go.”
“Got it. Just say the word.”
“Thanks, Hem.”
“Anytime. You coming back tonight?”
“Nah. I don’t want to leave her alone, and she’s asleep already.”
“All right. See you tomorrow, then.”
“Later.”
An older woman across the street watched him from her window. When he looked at her, she quickly closed the shades. Hunter smiled. Some people would always see someone like him as the bad guy and someone like Holly’s dad as the hero.
Cigarette butts littered the inside of a terra cotta planter on the porch. He pitched his cigarette in too. A moth fluttered around the porchlight. Lesser beings are always drawn to the light. His mother had said that to him when he was a kid. He hadn’t understood it then, but he did now while he contemplated a murder. A lesser being was destroying Holly’s light. So, was it really a murder or more of a defensive move? Next time Chris might kill her. Hunter was going to make sure there wouldn’t be a next time.
There was a twelve-pack of hard cider in the refrigerator. Not his favorite, but it would do. He popped the top off one and sat on the couch. He picked up the remote for the television and clicked through the channels. Everything was reality TV with washed-up celebrities trying to rekindle the flame of success by doing something humiliating.
He settled on a nature show about animals in the rain forest. Nothing really held his attention. The last time he’d killed someone had been in Iraq. The Army trained him to disconnect from his humanity during times of war. Sympathizing with the enemy could get him killed. He had no sympathy for Holly’s dad, but she did. Hunter could kill him quick and painless with a forty caliber hollow point to the back of the head, and he’d never know what hit him. Or Hunter could slit his throat and watch the life drain out of him while Chris contemplated why. In this instance, Hunter leaned toward the latter.
Holly sat up and squinted. “What time is it?”
Hunter looked at his watch. “Almost ten.”
“Can we go to bed?”
“Sure.” He switched off the television and followed her down the hall.
Almost as fast as they crawled between the sheets, Holly was asleep again.
Hunter wrapped his arm around her.
Chapter TWENTY-TWO
Holly
Over the last week, Hunter had barely let her out of his sight. He’d even waited in the car while she met with Grant. So far, everyone bought her bicycle accident story. It had been a week and the wounds looked better. The blood in her eye was beginning to dissipate but it was still sore.
One of the Knights was getting out of jail so there would be a party at the clubhouse tonight. Holly hadn’t been there in almost two weeks, and she was a little self-conscious. She knew that Hunter had told Hem but no one else knew. Her worst fear was that anyone would think that Hunter had hit her.
She slid into the passenger seat of her own car. Hunter turned the key. “How’d it go?”
“Good. I’m picking up a regular column in section A of the paper.”
“Really? That’s great, baby.” Hunter put his hand on her thigh.
“It’ll put me on a faster track to promote. My master’s degree bumps me up, too.”
Hunter smiled. “What’s a smart girl like you doing with someone like me?”
Holly gave him her most serious stare. “Sex. I’m using you for sex.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m totally okay with this.”
“I figured you would be.”
Rush hour in downtown Dallas at lunchtime was horrid. Traffic was one of the main reasons she liked living in Sugar Branch. Holly liked her sleepy little town.
“Paul wanted to me to ask you something.”
“What?”
“I know you have to get clearance first, but he wanted to know if you could maybe drop a positive piece about the club here and there. For PR purposes.”
“Yeah. That’s no problem. I’m sure Grant will still have me covering social events. In fact, he wants me to do a few pieces on local philanthropists. The paper is getting pressure from the city council to present more of a balanced picture of Dallas.”
“You guys cave to political pressure?”
“We try to accommodate certain requests, but we’d never jeopardize our integrity.”
Her phone rang from inside her purse. She fished it out.
“It’s Grant.” She pressed the accept button. “Hello.”
“Holly, it’s Grant.”
“What’s up?” Holly scratched her nails over her black linen skirt.
“I forgot to mention something. Can you ask your dad if he would like to sponsor the summer camp this year? If he does you can write your first article about him.”
Her heart beat madly, and her palms started to sweat. She didn’t want to call her dad let alone interview him.
“Are you there?” Grant asked.
“Uh, yeah, sorry. You’re breaking up. Can I call you back when I get out of this dead area?”
“Sure. Thanks.” He hung up.
Holly looked at Hunter. “He wants me to call my dad and ask for money.”
“What the fuck for?”
She exhaled. “For the last four years, my dad has sponsored a summer camp for underprivileged kids. He’s a narcissistic piece of shit who gets off on tooting his own horn. He doesn’t do it for any good reason. But Grant wants me to ask if he’s going to do it again this year …”
Hunter glanced at her. “Is there more?”
“He wants me to write an article about it.”
“About your dad?”
“Yes.”
“Do it.”
Holly whipped her head around. “What?”
“Will that bring him back to Dallas?”
“Probably.”
“Good.”
“Why is that good?”
Hunter pulled the car into the driveway of the club and put it in park. “Because it’ll make it easier to kill him.”
Maybe she heard him wrong. Maybe she heard what she wanted to hear. He didn’t just say … “W-What did you say?” she asked.
Hunter took her hand in his. “If you don’t want me to, tell me. Because I’d never do anything to hurt you, but he should pay for what he’s done. And, honestly, I’m afraid that he’ll kill you if I don’t.”
It was telling that she hesitated to respond. Her mind raced. Hunter was right. Images flashed behind her eyes of her father pulling his belt tight around her neck or using his bare hands to squeeze the life out of her or her mother.
“Okay.” Her stomach clenched,
and she thought she might be sick.
“Is that a yes?” Hunter brought her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips over her knuckles.
“Yes.” Holly swallowed hard. “Kill him.”
Hunter
People milled around getting ready for Aries’s party. Getting out of the slammer was always a cause for celebration. Add to that that he had Holly’s stamp of approval on killing that low life father of hers, and Hunter was almost giddy.
Hunter carried Holly’s bag and watched her walk in front of him in her form-fitting black skirt and pink blouse. Her hair was pulled up to reveal a delicate string of pearls around her neck. The heels of her shoes clicked on the wood floor. She didn’t look at all like she belonged in a biker clubhouse and, truth be told, she didn’t belong there.
He knew all eyes were on her. Aside from Sheila, they didn’t have too many classy chicks around. To her credit, Holly never looked uncomfortable. She kept her chin up and her back straight like she owned the place. Hunter smiled to himself. That little stick of dynamite was his.
Holly twisted the doorknob to his room and plopped down on the edge of the bed. She pulled her shoes off and wiggled her toes.
Hunter shut the door and put her bag down beside her.
She cleared her throat and started to unbutton her blouse. “Why did you ask me about my dad? Why not just do it?”
“Because you’re my old lady. If this is going to work, I can’t lie to you about shit like that.” He tipped her chin up. “Think on it if you need to.”
She shrugged out of her blouse and stood to unzip her skirt. “I don’t need to.” The red whip marks had faded to pink slashes over her skin. She stood in front of the mirror behind the dresser and stared at herself, twisting her body to look at her back.
“Good.” He moved in behind her and kissed the top of her head.
“He’s a monster,” she whispered and turned to face Hunter. “Do you believe things happen for a reason?”
“You mean like God has a plan? That kind of thing?”
“Yes.”
He shook his head. “No. I think most people give God too much credit.”
“If there’s a god, why would he let this happen to me?” She touched her shoulder, tracing her fingertips over the welts. “It doesn’t make any sense. But I can’t help but think that you were something that was meant to be. Like our paths were meant to cross.”
“If so, I’m a lucky bastard.”
“I love you.” The words came out fast on a ragged breath.
That wasn’t what he expected her to say, but he wasn’t disappointed. “I love you, too.”
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to save me.” There was a desperation in her eyes. Or maybe it was shame. Whatever it was, he never wanted to see it again.
“Stop,” he said. “I’d still love you.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Get dressed.” He squeezed her ass with both hands. “Or not.”
Holly snaked her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Thank you. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe.”
Hunter
A small group of women played pool. They dressed skimpy in too short skirts and tank tops without bras. Most probably didn’t even wear panties. All the girls would be called in for a homecoming party.
Not all the club girls were skanky like Nichole and Kimmie. But they were still like hookers who didn’t get paid. Their compensation for making themselves available was being allowed to hang out in the club. Hunter never had much interest in sharing his pussy, so he didn’t partake in them. Cora had been different. She didn’t fuck anyone but him and after the scene Nichole had made, he doubted Cora would ever show her face in the clubhouse again.
Aries had arrived an hour ago and immediately taken two of the girls into the back room. He’d been without pussy for almost two years, so he had some pent up frustration to work out. The party would still be there when he finished.
When he got arrested, he was a roamer that didn’t belong to a particular charter. He was about to be patched in when he was slapped with a three-year sentence on assault charges. Slugging a cop was a bad idea. Aries didn’t make the best decisions when he was deep in the bottle.
Maddox offered Hunter an open beer. “Here, man.”
“Thanks.”
Maddox pointed the longneck of his bottle toward Holly and Hem. “That doesn’t trouble you at all?”
“Nah. Now if it was you pouring booze down my lady’s throat, I’d be worried.”
“If it was me, it wouldn’t be booze going down her throat.”
Hunter laughed. “Shut the fuck up. There are plenty of club girls over there at the pool table who’d be happy to take on that task.”
Holly sat on a stool at the bar sipping a martini Hem had made for her. There were some guys in the club that he wouldn’t leave her alone with because their brains were squarely in their dicks. Hem had taken Holly under his wing, and Hunter trusted him. Hem knew the secrets and would help him kill her dad.
“So, what happened to her face?”
“Bicycle accident.”
“All right.”
Hunter knew there would be questions. He hoped that the guys knew him well enough to realize he hadn’t hit Holly. It was Holly’s secret. She wanted it that way. It wasn’t club business.
“I didn’t do that to her, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I wasn’t thinking that. I was just thinking that someone did something to her, and you guys don’t want anyone to know.”
Hunter nodded.
“Fair enough. If you need anything, brother, ask.” Maddox clapped Hunter’s shoulder.
“Thanks.”
Maddox didn’t have to say it out loud. Hunter knew what he meant. If justice needed to be served, he’d be down to help.
The club girls were busy getting tanked, and the tall one with the copper colored hair looked ready to climb Maddox like a mountain.
Hunter laughed and took a seat beside Holly. “You done getting my girl drunk?”
Hem winked. “Almost. We were about to run away together, but then you came back and foiled our plan.” He refilled Holly’s glass.
“You okay, baby?” Hunter asked her.
“Oh, yeah. I’m great.” She was tipsy and rapidly approaching shitfaced.
Hunter would have to keep an eye on her now that he knew she might beat the shit out of someone when she was lit. There was a smug pride in that though. She was badass.
When she was about to say something, Aries came bursting out of the back room beating on his bare chest like King Kong.
“Fuck, yeah. I missed pussy so much.”
A tipsy girl stumbled out of the room behind him. She tripped on her high heels and face planted in the hallway. The second girl helped her up while straightening her top.
Holly squinted. “Did they just have a threesome.”
Hunter nodded and laughed. “Probably”
Aries stopped next to him and put his hand out. “Man. It’s good to be out. How you been, Hunter?”
“Good. It’s great to have you on the outside again.”
“Who’s this pretty little thang?” Aries stared at Holly’s cleavage and licked his lips. Admittedly, she had a great rack, especially in a tank top.
“This is my old lady, Holly. Holly, this is Aries.”
She smiled. “Nice to meet you.” Holly put her hand on Hunter’s arm and slid off the barstool. “I have to pee.”
Kol was walking by and caught her by the arm when she tilted to the side. “Whoa, lady.”
“Can you take her to the bathroom?” Hunter asked.
Kol laughed. “Yeah.” He grabbed her elbow and pointed her toward the hallway. “This way, Miss Drunky Pants.”
“I’m not drunk,” Holly protested.
Aries watched her walk away. “Damn, man. How’d you score that number?”
“It’s a long story. But yeah.”
/> “I need a beer, and I’ll be ready for another round.” Aries grinned. “Hem, can you hook me up with a cold one, man?”
“Sure thing.” Hem opened a Bud Light and slid it toward Aries. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks.”
In jail, there wasn’t much to do except work out and write letters. Aries had obviously done a lot of the former.
“Wait a second. Is she the one the Sons wanted put down?”
Hunter nodded. “Yep. I worked out a deal with KM on that. I didn’t want to have to kill one of those peckerwoods. We don’t need them crawling up our ass.”
“She’s the reporter. I see why Quinn had such a hard-on for her. He had a thing about how she smelled, though. Fucking weirdo.”
Hearing that made Hunter glad the fucker was dead. “How did you talk to him? I thought he was in solitary?”
“He got put back in gen pop for a while. I don’t know what that was about, but I think he was obsessed with your girl.”
“Yeah. I know. He wrote some weird ass letters and sent them to the newspaper where she works.”
Aries downed the beer and asked for another. “When you’re locked up it’s real easy to get fixated on pussy. Any pussy. I’d fuck anyone today. Literally anyone with a pulse.”
Hunter laughed and pointed toward the pool table. “You’ve got your choice tonight.”
“A fucking pussy buffet.” He took his beer and ambled toward the girls. “Who’s next?”
“That’s one reason I’ll never go to prison,” Hem said. “Two years without pussy … no.”
Holly came back down the hallway holding onto Kol’s hand and talking at warp speed.
Kol handed her off to Hunter. “You owe me, dude. She didn’t shut up the whole time she was peeing.”
Aries disappeared with another two chicks. It was midnight, and Holly was yawning.
“Let’s get you to bed.” He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Yes. Take me to bed, stud.” Holly threw her head back and laughed.
Hunter carried her off to the bedroom.
Holly
Holly brushed her hair away from her face. Her mouth was dry and tasted gross. She’d lost count how many Martinis she’d drank and didn’t remember crawling into bed. She cuddled up against the warm body beside her. When she opened her eyes, she saw a mess of black hair. She jumped back and bumped into someone else. Over her shoulder, she saw Hunter sleeping behind her. Who was in front of her? She peeked over to look at his face. Hem. Normally, she’d be alarmed waking up between two guys, but Hem was like the brother she never had. His hair smelled like Herbal Essence shampoo.
