Reinventing Mel: A Hellion MC Novel

by J. A. Hornbuckle

Chapter Twelve

  Mel's first Monday on a crew found him assigned to Lehman who he'd already heard was one of the best crew chiefs working under Brand. In turn, Lehman had Mel working in Big Joe's shadow until they felt his skill set was sound enough to allow him to work on his own.

  It had been a busy and long day as first day's went. It'd flown by but a twelve hour shift was still twelve hours no matter which way he looked at it and he felt his tiredness as he shrugged into his cut as he waited in line to clock out.

  Luckily, by the time he got off Lulu had already gone home. The fact was he didn't know how to face her after their Saturday night and then his time in room five the afternoon before with Tight and Carmi. There was a measure of guilt mixed into his emotions which he found surprising since he and Lulu had never defined their relationship as exclusive.

  His thoughts were as heavy as his tread as he walked to the Cutlass but at hearing a sharp whistle, he glanced to the clubhouse where Dare was poking his head out and waving to him. Reversing his steps he met up with his sponsor who was now holding the door open. "Trey wants to see you."

  "How'd your brother do over the weekend?" were the first words out of Trey's mouth.

  "Don't know about yesterday but Saturday was a bust. Checked out his bedroom like you asked and have to agree about the de-evolving thing." Mel didn't want to talk about Der in fact didn't have much energy to talk about anything.

  "Been thinking and wondering if we could get him in part-time after school. Which means your brother wouldn't have to live at the compound but would be picked up by a recruit or a Honey after his last class and brought back here. He'd do his homework and then start on his responsibilities at the compound. From Friday night through Sunday though he'll be sharing room six with Rinse." Mel watched how Trey played with his cut-glass tumbler of amber liquid as he spoke.

  "I've got Chucky and Jay already setting the bunk beds up," Dare explained.

  "You think that'll work?" Mel asked knowing there were many more questions he should be asking but he just wasn't up to the task.

  "I think it's worth a fucking shot. He's not so bad yet that we need him locked down but we do need to fucking break him out from the little circle of dicks he's been running with. You'll be able to take him home with you during the week when you're done with whatever shit duties you've been assigned." Trey took a long sip of his drink.

  "What about Julie?" It sounded to Mel like his time of spending evenings with his brother and sister was going to be only a memory.

  "The women are so caught up in having Jules around they're calling her their 'little taste of honey'. Think they've even made her their mascot or some shit," Dare laughed into his glass.

  Mel didn't like that. Didn't like that at all but how could he complain? Working full time and being on call as a recruit didn't leave him time to be able to spend with his little sister.

  "We'll start with Derek on Wednesday. In the meantime, it'll be your duty to swing by the post office every night and pick up the mail from the different boxes. Here's a list of the numbers and their keys. The mail is to be on the bar, in stacks, the next morning before your shift, got it?" Trey handed over a manila envelope with a list of box numbers written on the outside and the heavy jingle of keys within.

  "We're also going to fuckin' spend an hour each night for the next week getting your ass on your ride while I teach you the shit you need to know. Since you already have your state driver's license I made the appointment for your motorcycle test a week from Friday," Dare explained. "You fuckin' will pass that puppy on your first try, dig?"

  Mel nodded, his head spinning.

  "So that's your responsibilities for this first week. Complete your shifts at HC, pickup the motherfucking mail at the P.O. and study for your written and riding exam in order for you to be street legal on your bike. Are we clear?" Trey's recap was sharply delivered. "Good. Now, get your tired ass home and I'll see you tomorrow."

  "I, on the other fuckin' hand will see you in about eight for your first lesson," Dare added with his typical shit-eating grin. "You might want to carve out a nap in there fuckin' someplace cause I'm not known as an easy teacher."

  "Oh, I don't know about that, baby. I've always found your instructions very easy to swallow, ah, I mean, follow," Tight said as she hugged Dare from behind and bit his ear. The other men laughed but Mel felt his face flame both in memory of what he, she and Carmi had gotten up to the afternoon before as well as her casual come-on to another brother.

  "Later," Mel called and left the building faster than he'd come in. He didn't consider himself a prude and just as with his time with Lulu, there hadn't been any claims of undying love between the three as they'd played. He knew he'd have to work on accepting the relaxed informality of sex within the club.

  Turning the key in the ignition of the Cutlass, he heard himself snort. Any other man in the world would give his right nut in order to have had sex with three beautiful women in two days and he was telling himself he needed to accept the casualness of it all?

  Jay-sus.

  *.*.*.*.*

  Once home Mel called Miss Dee to let her know he was at the house before he showered and took the instructed nap. Which he wouldn't repeat because he woke up groggier than he'd gone to sleep.

  Der slammed in thirty minutes after dinner with attitude and got up in Mel's face when asked to do the dishes. "Didn't dirty them, ain't gonna clean them either," was the teenager's snarled reply. Mel was actually happy when the kid locked himself in his room.

  Julie, on the other hand, was over the moon with her afternoon with Miss Dee and chattered on and on about all they'd done. Mel listened with half an ear still at war with himself about having his sweet sister spending so much time with the biker women. "Is it true you're their mascot?"

  The bright hair bounced as she nodded and beamed. "They even gave me a name! I'm called Lil' Taste. Isn't that cool?"

  Oh, shit. Dare hadn't lied or exaggerated about his sister's involvement with the Honeys. And after his recent partaking of what the Honeys offered the club brothers there was no way in hell that his Jules would ever be a part of that! Oh fuck, no!

  His sponsor showed up on time and began putting the younger man through his paces on his new-to-him Harley. Dare also hadn't lied about his teaching methods which were given in a firm, don't-fuck-with-me tone so unlike his normal voice.

  But all throughout the lesson, Dare bugged him for details in his date with Lucille on Saturday. Mel side-stepped and declined, teased about the constant questions and laughed outright when Dare became frustrated at Mel's lack of replies.

  Maybe it was because he was so tired or because of the honest friendship that was building between them, Mel threw him a bone right as the other man straddled his own ride to leave.

  Leaning down so their voices wouldn't carry in the night, Mel mumbled two words. Two words that wiped the smile from Dare's face and rounded his sponsor's eyes.

  "Hardwood floors."

  *.*.*.*.*

  Monday found me on pins and needles as I waited to be able to see Mel. I knew the crews went out early-early so I didn't expect to see him until afternoon. After multiple reapplications of my lipstick but when my quitting time hit, I knew I wouldn't get to see him that day. Some of the different teams worked longer hours than others depending where they were in the schedule of their portion of a project.

  In Mel's case, it looked as if he'd be pulling ten to twelve hour shifts which was a crying shame. I'd been almost giddy about seeing him even if it was just in passing.

  But surely he'll call, I assured myself as I swung my little Fiat in and out of traffic on my way home.

  I was wrong in that arena, too.

  And Tuesday morning found me ticked off from his lack of attention. I knew I hadn't been the only one that reveled in our rocking, off the charts, hot time together. And while I hadn't expected a bouquet of flowers or some other display, I hadn't anticipated being ignored either. Maybe other women w
ere okay with getting naked with a man, having him give her huge chunks of heaven until she was hoarse the next morning and then not calling. But I sure as heck wasn't!

  So instead of spending mental time on him, I turned back to my original dilemma of Mr. Billings and my iPhone. I was just finishing up the envelopes for the HC invoices as well as the ones for the different branches of the construction company in the other states when it hit me.

  Why not return the phone to my dear old dad? If I sent it, already sealed in its own small package with the correct amount of postage to one of the other HC addresses, could I get them to forward it on?

  Sure my dad and Mr. B. knew of my last known whereabouts, but if I made a quick move to another address, it would be my last address Mr. Billings would have knowledge of. Not whatever my current one would be.

  Flushed with my own brilliance, I gathered up my file folder of ideas, a pad of paper and a pen for my three o'clock meeting with Bishop. As soon as I'd begun my new job and seen the sheer volume of paper the company had been using when they'd had a stellar computer system, I'd made a point of capturing my thoughts for improvement and shoving them in a folder. While almost all of my suggestions had already been implemented, there was still a lot to automate and I tried to run them by the IT Manager first.

  I walked down the huge hallway and turned left receiving a greeting from Huff in his office although Dare's space was empty. I could only see a sliver of the inside of Bishop's room since it was tucked into the corner, but I could hear Silo's booming voice combining with both Dare and Bishop's as they spoke. None of the three men were known for how quiet they were.

  "So, meat gave up some info on his Saturday's doings," I heard Dare announce, his smile evident in his voice. "It wasn't a lot but, fuck, brothers it's good. And I think you'll fuckin' agree I win the pot."

  "Well, give it up, you shit! You fuckin' know you're killing us by drawing it out!" Bishop too was in high spirits at whatever the other man was going to say. I paused, not wanting to interrupt the managers impromptu, unscheduled meeting.

  "This is all he'd cop to, all the info he was willing to give," I overheard Dare intone before his voice dropped. "Hardwood floors."

  There were a couple of beats of silence before I heard the group guffaws. "Fuck, why didn't I think of that?" Bishop yelled through his merriment. "The best way to ensure the floors and drapes match is to keep the goddamn floors uncovered. Fuck!"

  "You sure he was talkin' about her and not himself? 'Cause according to Tight and Carmi's recap on their three-bodied mattress romp on Sunday, he's without fuckin' carpet in that area himself," Silo cut in.

  "What? You're shittin' me, right? Dudes fuckin' do that?" Dare sounded incredulous.

  "I groom a bit down there but the thought of fuckin' taking it all off gives me the willies, dig?" Bishop said. "I mean, how'd you fuckin' do it? With a razor or some shit?"

  "No blade's coming near my fuckin' balls." The seriousness in Silo's voice backed up his words. "But the thought of princess's smooth fuckin' pinkness is goddamn hot!"

  I hadn't had a clue what the men were talking about and wasn't necessarily trying to eavesdrop. I had in fact just been waiting for an appropriate break in their conversation so I could meet with Bishop.

  But when the word 'princess' was mentioned, I knew I was a part of whatever they were talking about since that was Silo's nickname for me. I re-wound the conversation in my head and by putting my little bit of knowledge of street slang to use, it didn't take me long to get the gist of what they were discussing.

  Me.

  And Mel.

  And my girlie parts.

  And him doing two (two!) women directly after me? You've got to be kidding! The day after he gave me mind-blowing sex and five orgasms he was with other women?

  I spun on my heel and stormed back to my desk.

  How dare he? my mind screamed as I slammed my things onto my desk. No gentleman would ever talk about a lady…

  But you didn't act like a lady with him in the bedroom, now did you?

  I huffed and I puffed as I put my desk to rights, slamming things in drawers and aligning them on my desk before turning off my computer.

  A gentleman would never consider taking another girl, much less two, especially the day after…

  Oh yes they would. Even I knew that was some men's fondest fantasy.

  The arguments went back and forth in my head. One part of me livid over Mel's speaking to others about our special evening and another part of me refuting the accusations I heaped on him. Reminding me our time in bed had been completely consensual and if I'd made the big-girl choice of having sex with him without a commitment or shared words of caring on both sides, then I needed to take what I got.

  But I was ticked off and ticked good.

  I'd clocked out and was just gathering up my purse when Trey swung by my desk, clearly on his way to the clubhouse for his after-hours libation.

  "Uhm, Trey? I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and have to leave at noon," I said trying to keep my voice steady. It was an out-and-out lie but I needed the hours to find a new place to live. And maybe to look for another job.

  I saw him glance my way before he nodded. "Just email the rest of the managers to let them know. I'll get a recruit or a Honey to work the desk. Have a good evening, Lucille."

  "You, too," I said forcing some cheer into my voice as he pushed out the door.

  Hearing the thuds of boots coming my way, I quickly gathered up my purse and left the HC building. I didn't want to be in the presence of any managers because I knew my humiliation in their knowledge of my private areas would be seen. And there was the thought of the other girls, the Honeys that the men coming towards me had probably had sex with too. Images of the motorcycle clubs sex play that I kept trying to firmly shove to the back of my mind.

  Plus I'd had it up to there with all their crude, horny talk and could envision myself slapping each one of the three silly over just a raised eyebrow shot in my general direction.

  Bikers? Blech!

  Chapter Thirteen

  "You can't make me to go with them, douche bag! I won't," Der screamed, his new boy-man voice cracking and his face purpling with his argument.

  "You will, Der," Mel affirmed for the fifth time. Shit, he'd known his brother would be against the idea of mandatory work at HMC but the little pecker didn't realize he didn't have a choice.

  "I'll call the cops! It's kidnapping and they can't just take me from school grounds…"

  "I signed papers, Derek. Allowing either Dice, Donny or So Cal to pick up you from school. It'll be one of them or Reese, Dee or Teeny of the Honeys." Mel was tired of explaining, of having to get all up in his bro's grille to get him to understand.

  "I-I'll ditch last class or I'll just run away," the teen promised, his eyes wild.

  "And the club will find you and drag you back. Then you'll be on lockdown, kept at the compound twenty-four seven." Mel was trying to stay calm but Der knew how to push his buttons to send his older brother's temper into the dangerous range. "Is that what you fuckin' want? Huh? To have to do your goddamn classes online and live away from me and Jules? Is it?"

  He watched Derek grab a glass from the dish-drainer and hurl it towards the refrigerator and shatter on impact. From his place at the dining room table, Mel brought a hand up to prevent the flying shards from hitting him. He was only glad he'd asked Miss Dee to keep Jules overnight so he could have this talk with his brother without her hearing and seeing Der's meltdown.

  "Feel better, punk?" Mel whipped his head around at the sound of his sponsor's voice who was standing in the arch that separated the living room from the eating area of his residence.

  "Who are you and why are you in our house?" Derek yelled. "Fucking bikers think they own the freaking world around here!"

  In four long strides, Dare had the younger Davis by the back of his neck and pulled him up onto the tiptoes of his running shoes. "We do, you little shit. A fact you
need to fuckin' learn and learn fast."

  Holding the kid in place with one beefy hand, Dare looked back to Mel. "How long's this shit been going on? Could fuckin' hear it all the way out in the street, man."

  Mel shrugged in answer as his eyes remained on his brother. It appeared the pissed off attitude had been momentarily replaced by fear, but Mel could see that his brother was screwing up his nerve to spew some other stupid shit.

  Dare glanced at what he held and then gave a strong shake. "Time for you to shut it and fuckin' keep it that way."

  "I'll tell! I'll call the authorities and they'll…"

  "They'll what, little dick? At most the so called 'authorities' you're flapping your gums about will investigate. Once Mel here shows 'em your fuckin' report card compared to the grades you were pulling in Texas and points out the Hellion Youth Program they'll be fuckin' falling all over themselves to fuckin' turn your sweet little behind over to us. Get it?"