The pair didn't stop and went straight to the desk, pulling the man up and out of his chair. Mel turned the smaller man towards him and delivered a solid plow into the softly rounded stomach. As Hart bent over, Mel brought his fist up and tapped the other man's mouth, just enough to split his lip and bring his head up.
Transport delivered a shot to the man's kidney as Mel tapped the ribcage on the opposite side. Even though he'd pulled his punch seeing how Hart was so out of shape, he still felt a snap of a rib. Transport, in the meantime, did a nasty shot to the top of the man's shoulder which caused a scream. Twirling the man towards his club brother, Mel pointed to his own eyebrow, indicating Trans was to tap it enough to split it but his gesture was obviously misunderstood when Transport pulled back his fist and let it fly into the smaller man's face. Who just happened to turn away causing the punch to land square on his nose.
Even Mel heard the crunch of bones as they gave way.
"Okay. We're done," Mel called to his partner. "Let's get him back in his chair. Can someone get us some tissues or paper towels?"
"Fuck. I didn't mean to hit him so hard, you know?" Transport was standing back and staring at Hart's face, the bottom half that was now running with blood.
"It's okay. We just have to make sure he doesn't choke on it while he's unconscious." Mel lifted an eyelid before reaching to Hart's neck to check the carotid artery for a pulse. Strong and steady was the reading he got.
"Here," Silo shoved a wad of paper towels into Mel's hand. Mel put pressure on the nose until the bleeding eased to a trickle. It was just about that time that Hart started coming around groaning, coughing and trying to move his hands.
"You're gonna be okay, sir," Mel mumbled, pressing the now bloody towels into the other man's hands. "You can call for an ambulance after we leave."
He turned to the door and saw both Silo and Dice looking at him with a new light in their eyes, one that seemed to hold respect. He glanced at Transport and saw his gaze was still glued to the man they'd just beaten.
"Are we done here?" Mel asked and after catching the nods of his superiors, walked between them to leave the offices, wiping his hands on his jeans as he left. It had been only a few months since he'd been given an order to rough a man up but it felt like a lot longer with all that had changed in his life. And while he wasn't fond of administering pain, it hadn't been the worst thing about his old job.
No, that had been reserved for the young women that Deschames wanted to 'try' before making a decision to purchase them from their families for their virginity.
What kind of sick, old fuck buys a girl for her virginity? Mel wondered, casting his leg over his motorcycle as he waited for his brothers to catch up to him.
*.*.*.*.*
It was a bad night for me, with every creak or groan of the older apartment building waking me up convinced someone was trying to get into my home. Leaving me with entirely too much time to think, to remember and to let my mind imagine all sorts of terrible things that could happen living by myself.
It was a vicious circle all night long. And by my calculations it was the longest night of my life. Especially after I realized I was completely unprotected. I had no security system or weapon unless you counted my beautiful set of Washington Forge knives in the holder on the kitchen counter top. Nor had I taken any self-defense classes though Shelly had begged me to go with her to hers.
One thought though hit me the hardest. So hard it brought tears to my eyes.
I was alone.
Not just physically but emotionally as well. I had no real friends (besides Mel who was still in my bad graces, not to mention out of town) and no family that could come to my aid or even allow me to stay with them until the Ghost's interest in me died. Or the bikers moved, whichever came first.
"You have no support system," I said outloud trying to get my head around the concept. There had never been a time in my life where there wasn't someone that saw to my protection in one way or another. "You are completely alone and on your own."
I felt the tingle on my skin as I began to sweat and the pace of my breathing increased as I tried to accept my solitary state.
But I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't.
"You got yourself into this, Lu," I said firmly trying to calm down. "You can get yourself out."
But out as in what? Going back to Albuquerque? No. That was definitely not on my agenda. After my little taste of freedom, of dressing the way I wanted, living where and how I wanted as well as seeing the kind of men I wanted there was no way I was going back to put myself back under my father's dirty thumb.
Heck no, I could figure this out. I knew I could!
Bishop was in charge of the HC security systems so I could talk to him about getting my small apartment wired and at a discount. I turned on one of my small lamps pulling out a pad of paper and a pen from the small drawer of the nightstand. I put Bishop's name at the top of my list.
Second thing was that I could take a self-defense class. I was sure there was a martial arts studio or something that could give me rudimentary knowledge about protecting myself. Did those kind of classes count as exercise? If so, I could kill two birds with one stone.
I needed a weapon. Not cooking knives although I knew they'd do in a pinch. No, I wanted a gun and knew just the one I wanted. One that I'd heard Dare talking to Huff about as they walked through my office. I remembered his words clearly. 'Yeah, dude. Looks like a fuckin' little ol' lady's piece but it's the most concealable gat on the market. And besides it ain't the fuckin' size of the gun, it's the hole the bullet makes!'
I even remembered the name of the pistol.
A Kel-Tec P3AT .380.
That was the gun I wanted.
"Could you really shoot somebody?" I asked myself. Oh, heck yes, I could. If it was a choice of darn-well stopping the other person from hurting me, I was more than willing to pull the stupid trigger. And multiple times too!
The last item on my list was friends. I looked at the word and wondered how you went about acquiring new friends. It had been easy in Albuquerque. My circle included people from work, the country club or through the social network our family moved in. I let my mind roam over all the people I'd considered my friends, smiling at memories of dinner parties and evenings at the club. Shared vacations and…
No…wait! What if I'd showed up at Delia Schumacher's house behind the gates asking for shelter until whatever threatened me was resolved? She would've let me in and provided me with a room but the gossip to others about my overly emotional state and paranoia would have started as soon as my borrowed bedroom door closed.
"That's not a friend, that's an acquaintance," I told myself firmly. Or someone who knew that my father's position could make or break her family's ranking within our set in just a few words if she denied me.
Putting the pad of paper and pen away, I turned out the light.
I was going to have to figure out a way to make friends, people that I could trust and who's trust I could earn.
Chapter Eighteen
Mel deliberately let his mind go blank as the foursome rode to the HMC-Sheridan clubhouse. He saw that this group of Hellions didn't have the compound and yard all in the same lot. The HC portion was about a block and a half down from the clubhouse which also wasn't as big as HMC-Missoula's.
But the interior was similar. Nice long bar with plenty of booze on display and a kitchen off to the side. Silo had said they'd be sleeping at the compound that night so Mel was wondering where the rooms might be. A shower was definitely in order. Glancing down at his jeans, he saw they were filthy with dust from the road and tiny bug carcasses dotting the fabric. He made a mental note to see about investing in some leather chaps or pants now that he had firsthand knowledge on why they were worn for anything other than to look bad-ass cool.
There were only fifteen or so men inside the large room but Mel had already been told that Sheridan's chapter was smaller than Missoula even though their territory was dou
ble Missoula's size. He watched as a tall, broad man came towards them.
"Silo, you old bastard! You made it!" The man had a booming voice and Mel thought it held a note of command as well. The two men embraced with a fisted thump to each other's back.
"Wolf! You remember Dice, yeah?"
"Good to see you, man," Dice said giving his own manly hug and getting thumped in reply.
"Brought two new recruits fuckin' with us. Hardwood and Transport. Boys, this is Wolf. One of the meanest, funniest motherfuckers east of the Rockies," Silo rumbled with a shit-eating smile.
Mel stuck out his hand when his biker name was said and received a firm handshake in reply that ended with a fist bump. He was still having trouble recognizing himself in the new name. Transport followed his lead but Mel could tell the guy still wasn't tracking well after their meeting with Hart.
"Drinks!" boomed Wolf and walked with them to the bar where he poured a round of Tequila then pulled five large draft beers without asking any of the visiting club their preferences. Knowing no way to decline, Mel sucked it up and did his shot trying to keep his shiver of distaste from showing. But the heat from the booze did help melt the ice he'd been carrying since working Hart over. Something he hadn't even noticed had grown inside him.
"So, we've had a pretty fuckin' exciting run, man," Dice started, directing his comments to Wolf. "What the fuck has gone down in Billings and Livingston?"
"Billings is in Yellowstone county. But the part you're talking about is Big Horn and they elected a new sheriff with a new agenda that includes fucking eradicating all bikers from his stretch of the highway. Up to and including the rice burners."
"Rice burners?" Transport asked with a frown. Mel was unfamiliar with the expression as well but after Dare's caution about a recruit's questions he'd decided to keep his mouth shut as much as possible.
Silo reached around and popped Trans on the back of his head. "Recruits are fuckin' seen and not heard, pond shit."
Wolf though didn't take offense and explained. "Those Japanese bikes. You know, the honders and the yamahoohahas and kamasukiyakis."
"Does that include those fucking weekend RUBs?" Dice questioned. Mel already knew that expression meant the Rich Urban Bikers that roamed the roads usually on the weekends. He also knew that a lot of the brothers laughingly called them W3's for 'weekend wussy warriors'.
Wolf nodded taking a deep drink and wiping the foam off his upper lip before speaking again. "Yep, fucker got himself a mission and used that to get elected although I can't figure out why. There's no fucking club in his area that I'm aware of."
"So what's the dealio on them Black Czar assholes?" Silo finished his beer and didn't refuse the refill Wolf offered.
"Just starting to get word on them. According to Acer, my lieutenant and my version of Bish, they just fucking came out of the damn woodwork and 'claimed' Belgrade, Bozeman and Livingston as theirs. Word is they're forty members strong and always fucking recruiting. Mean and territorial. They haven't made it this way, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't give it a fucking try." Wolf laughed as he topped up both the shot glasses and the other men's beer. "Although Gentry, that's the sheriff's name who wants no damn asses on bikes, would have a field day if they came through on the freeway!"
Mel let this info settle inside wondering if Silo and Dice would take them back through that area or find a work around. He heard more noise behind him and saw that the club was starting to fill with a mixture of brothers and Honeys. As he turned back towards the bar, he felt a little dizzy. Two shots? Getting drunk on only two shots and a beer? he thought with a smile that even felt crooked. Fuck, yeah.
The thing he hadn't really realized was how fucking good being buzzed would feel. All he'd been told, all he'd seen all his life was that it was bad, destroyed lives and the like.
Not how fucking, kick ass good it was!
He'd lost track of the conversation going on to his left and it wasn't until he heard Silo boom 'Hardwood' that he tuned back in only to hear the retelling of how he'd worked Mr. Hart over. And Silo's tale was glowing with praise causing Mel to tip his face back to his beer as his cheeks heated.
"Which one is he calling Hardwood, Brenda? The tall one or the hot one?" one of the girls yelled from across the room.
"They're both hot, Shield! Geez, put your glasses on, girl!" came the equally loud response.
Mel felt Transport bump into his shoulder and saw a grin crease his face.
"I'm liking these Honeys already," Trans confided quietly before glancing over his shoulder. "Bigger racks, less clothes and fuckin' great taste in men."
Mel couldn't help his chuckle at the other man's words.
He sat and sipped his beer, declining any more shots for the moment. The Sheridan brothers came up to greet their visiting Hellion brothers and Mel was soon offered a seat in a poker game. He'd learned how to play the different types of poker while at the Deschames mansion and counted his Five Card Stud skills as his best. Investing a twenty to sit in, within two hands Mel knew he could take the table. But also knew as a recruit it wouldn't be in his best interest to make that kind of play.
One of the Honeys brought him a shot and a fresh draft without him asking. She was cute and he was looking forward to watching her walk away when she bent down and kissed him both deeply and very warmly. "Welcome to Sheridan, Hardwood. I'm Desi."
"Hiya, Desi," he murmured, looking up at her wondering what her next move was going to be. With a stroke of his shoulders she provided him with the view he'd been waiting for, one of rounded, jiggling ass cheeks that seemed barely confined by the shorts she sported. Mel felt his dick's interest perk up.
As she got lost in the crowd, Mel let his eyes roam the room hoping Trans was getting some attention too. He saw the tall man with a short piece of blonde fluff on his lap as their mouths fused. His glance also found Dice who was getting head from a redhead on her knees between his legs, right in full view of the entire club. Sweeping his eyes around he saw a couple of brothers taking notice but no one seemed to really care what was going on. Even half drunk Mel had a hard time keeping his face neutral. It was one thing to watch porn on a monitor or TV screen but another to see it right in front of him. And including someone he was acquainted with.
Unable to keep his eyes off them, Mel saw another girl in a short pleated, plaid skirt stop next to Dice's chair, who had his head thrown back and eyes closed. Without seeming to say anything, the girl lifted one of her long legs and propped a platformed heel on the far armrest before she pulled up the front of her skirt and crouched over Dice's mouth. The man's hands went underneath the back of her skirt and Mel got a glimpse of a beautifully fleshy rear end that had his cock much more than just interested but fully saluting the action that was happening just a few feet away. Soon the girl's shapely hips were thrusting and it was her head that was thrown back as she rode Dice's face.
Mel snuck a hand down to his lap to rearrange himself.
"I can help with that, sweetness," a feminine voice cooed into his ear from behind. "There's a quiet place we can go if you're not into the club having a ring-side seat."
Mel twisted around and got caught in a pair on dark brown eyes. Which were unusual when combined with her blonde hair. The Honey was leaning down far enough Mel could see all the way to her navel in the gap of her shirt. But the parts in between the neckline of her top and her bellybutton were worth showing off. Unbound and bare, his eyes devoured the high firm globes on display before raising his eyes back up.
"Yes, please," he managed to get out before he lost the power of speech entirely. As he stood and adjusted himself yet again, she leaned towards him and said, "I'm Chrome. What's your name?"
Her pretty face was tilted up to his and he saw she didn't even reach his shoulder, but the mounds pressing into his abs more than made up for her lack of height. "They call me Hardwood."
She giggled and Mel found the sound of her amusement just as intoxicating as the rest of her.
"Aren't we a pair? I got my Honey name after that old expression, 'can suck the chrome off a bumper'. How'd you get yours?"
"The Missoula Honeys branded me with it." At his explanation, Chrome's dark brown eyes widened and a look of delight crossed her face. Without another word, she grabbed his hand and led him to a small alcove just off a long hallway that contained only a leather sofa.
"Hope you don't mind, Hardwood, but in order to do this my man's gotta watch, okay? He's Fargo."
Mel turned to look behind him and saw one of the Sheridan brothers leaning again a wall.
"Them's the rules, dude. I don't mind sharing Chrome but I getta watch," Fargo instructed with a casual shrug.
Mel swallowed and shot his eyes between the couple as he thought. He'd never considered having sex with someone observing. But then he hadn't actually imagined himself fucking two girls at the same time either.
Reinventing Mel: A Hellion MC Novel Page 16
