Shy leads me to the SUV and drives around back to the house so I can get a shower and get in my uniform for the game. I get in the shower after leaving the shirt on my bed. I’ll be sleeping with it every night so I have a piece of Vault with me.
After I’m ready for the game, I grab my warm-ups and head downstairs so Shy or Slim can take me to the school. Another thing I haven’t learned how to do is drive. Vault was supposed to teach me, but I’ll have to ask Valor or Slim to teach me. Maybe even Hunter can teach me. I don’t know what to do, but I know I have to learn how to drive before I leave for college.
“I’m ready to go,” I tell Shy as she pulls something out of the oven.
“Okay. This needs to cool down anyway,” she answers, grabbing Rayven in her car seat as I pick up Kinsliegh to take out to the SUV.
“Are you gonna be okay?” Shy asks as she pulls into the school parking lot.
“I don’t have a choice but to be okay. He’s been pushing me away and today is the final straw, I guess,” I answer.
“He loves you. He’s just lost right now,” Shy says before I get out. “He’ll be back, Annabell.”
I nod my head and will myself not to start crying again. If I start crying now, I won’t stop again. That’s no way to go through a football game as a cheerleader. I have to get a hold of myself and make sure I can pretend to be cheery and peppy as I cheer for the next few hours.
As soon as I get on the field, I begin stretching with the rest of the girls and warming up. We’ll put our warm-ups on before we go say our hello to the other cheerleaders for the opposing team. Then, we’ll take them back off once the team runs onto the field. I’m not sure why we do it this way, but we do and I’m not in the mood to question it.
During the first quarter of the game, the entire club shows up. They take their normal seats in the bleachers while Slim and Shy stand at the fence for a while. The girls are here with them tonight and I turn to face them and wave. Shy has Kinsliegh dressed in her little cheerleader outfit, complete with pom poms in the school’s colors. She looks absolutely adorable as she gets excited when she sees me.
I turn back and pay attention to the game. By halftime, we’re winning by two touchdowns. The squad goes out to do our routine and we kill it. As we run back to the sidelines, Hunter stands at the fence with a bottle of water for me. He hands it over and doesn’t move from his spot.
“You look good out there,” he tells me.
“Thank you. And thank you for the water,” I answer.
“What are you doin’ after the game?” he asks.
“I’m not sure. Probably going to get some sleep. I’m not exactly in the mood to be here right now,” I answer honestly.
“Oh, well, one of these days, I’d like to take you to dinner. If you want to go,” he tells me.
“Alright. That sounds good,” I tell him, offering him up a smile.
“Hunter, bleachers,” Slim says, walking up to us.
Hunter nods his head and does as his President orders him to do. Slim looks at me for a minute as I drink more of the water Hunter gave me.
“Don’t play with him, Annabell. I heard Vault gave him permission to date you. I’ve also heard rumblin’ of him sayin’ he’d leave the club because I won’t let anyone be with you. I don’t want to lose him,” Slim tells me.
“I’m not playin’ games with him. I see Hunter as a friend and I’ll make sure he knows it. My heart left this morning and you know it. Vault owns my heart and soul and I won’t get it back again,” I tell him.
“Make sure Hunter knows that,” Slim says as my coach calls us back to formation.
I nod my head at Slim, set the water down with my warm-ups, and get back in line. I’ve known Hunter had a thing for me, I can see it in his eyes. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to accept the invitation from him. I won’t do anything to come between the club and him. And I don’t want him to leave because of the way he feels about me. It’s the same way I feel about Vault.
I’m glad I have all the cheers and movements memorized because my head isn’t in the game. It’s torn between thoughts of Hunter and Vault and what I’m going to do. I need to be careful with my next decisions. Because Hunter won’t know the pain I’m in now because of Vault and the decisions he’s made in his life recently.
We win the game and I cheer along with the rest of the girls though my heart isn’t in it. I have to pretend I’m excited and here in the moment. It’s something I’m going to have to get used to doing, I fear, but I’ll get through this and make it out the other side. Vault has made it extremely clear how he feels about me now for some reason. All of our dreams and future mean nothing to him.
I don’t think he’s selfish anymore. I feel like he’s lost his way and doesn’t know how to get it back. He won’t let anyone in enough to help him find it again. Including his twin brother. The thought of them being separated hurts my heart because they used to be closer than anyone else I’ve ever known to be blood related. And not just because they’re twins either.
Slim and Shy drive us back home and I head to my room. After taking off my make-up and brushing my hair out, I pull Vault’s shirt on with my shorts. Sliding between the sheets, the tears once again start to fall as I think of the man riding out of my life and away from the club he’s been a part of his entire life. I hate it’s come to this for Vault, but there’s nothing anyone can do about it now. It’s just too bad he chose to cut me out instead of talking about this with me.
9
Vault
I’VE BEEN ON the road for a week now. After dropping the house bunny off at her mom’s house, I kept going. She was trying to get me to stay with her, just like she tried to get me to fuck her the two days she was with me. I told her to fuck off and if she didn’t stop, I was going to leave her behind to find her own way to her mom’s. I’m not playing games with the bitch.
When she heard I was leaving, she asked me for a ride. I told her I’d let her go with me, but not to expect anything from me. Not anymore. This whole trip away is about me finding myself and figuring out what I have to do to get past the loss of my dad. It’s not about losing myself more in loose pussy or random women I find along the way.
So, I dropped the bitch off without so much as a goodbye and kept heading for the coast. Seeing a sign for a gas station, I get off the highway I’ve been coasting along and come to a small town called Cedar Bay. Everything along my way to the gas station looks so rundown. I see a few girls standing on the corners, looking for some fun for a few hours or so.
Pulling into the gas station, litter fills the parking lot and it almost looks abandoned. If it weren’t for the lights on inside illuminating the worker behind the counter, I’d keep riding until I find a different one. Or get back on the highway and head to the next town over. So, I pull up to a pump and use my card to fill my tank. Once I’m done, I walk it the short distance to the building and put the kickstand down.
Walking in the building, I nod at the cashier and grab some drinks and snacks before heading to the counter. I set my purchases down and look around as the young teen rings me up and places my things in a bag.
“Is there a hotel here?” I ask him.
“Yeah. About a mile down the road. You might be able to find a room available,” he answers.
“There somethin’ goin’ on in town?” I ask, trying to find out information about what’s going on around here.
“Nope. Just the drug dealers and pimps book it up on a daily basis. They don’t take kindly to strangers poking their noses in their business either,” the kid answers.
“I see. And how long has this been goin’ on?” I ask him, handing over the money.
“A few months now. We used to be a great little tourist town, but the dealers and pimps have ruined that for us. Now, you see what the town looks like, a ghost town,” he tells me, handing me my change and sliding the bag closer to me.
“So, what if someone could come in and help clean it up for you?�
�� I ask, an idea forming in my mind.
“We’d all appreciate it,” he tells me.
“Okay. Well, you just hang tight and I’ll see what I can do,” I tell him, thanking him for my stuff and leaving the little store behind.
I shove the bag into my saddle bag and straddle my bike again. After looking around for a minute, I start the engine and make my way down the road for the motel the kid told me about. If I’m going to bring this plan to Slim, I’m going to have to have more information about what’s going on here. The only way to do that is to ensure I’m right in the middle.
It doesn’t take me long to find the motel. I can see at one point in time, it was a grand place with a valet stand still sitting on the front of the large overhang in case it’s raining out. The outside of the motel is a tan color with faded red and green flags hanging from in front of the door. Now, it just looks rundown like the rest of Cedar Bay. I don’t like it one bit. Especially knowing the people of this small coastal town want to have it cleaned back up and restored to its former glory.
Parking my bike, I head in the door and ask for a room. I manage to snag the last one and let the woman at the counter know I’ll be staying for at least a week. That should give me more than enough time to find out what I need to know and compile it all to take back to Slim.
My hope is Slim lets me come back here and start a new charter of the Phantom Bastards. I can accomplish two goals if he grants my wish. The first one is getting Cedar Bay cleaned up and making it a tourist location again. And, I’ll be away from Annabell so I can’t hurt her anymore.
After getting my key and paying for the week, I head out and move my bike so it’s right outside of my door. I grab my bag of snacks, my bag of clothes, and make sure my keys are in my pocket before heading into the room and leaving my bike outside.
I throw my stuff down on the bed and take in the room before me. It’s dingy with paint peeling from the walls. There’s a TV on the dresser and both have seen better days. Walking into the bathroom, I see residue on the countertop and the window has been smashed out and patched up with a piece of plywood. This is not what I was expecting at all, but if I have my way, it will go back to the way it was once before.
Taking a shower to wash the road dust off me, I walk out of the room in nothing more than a towel wrapped around my hips. I can hear a couple having sex next door and when the woman yells, I know it’s a prostitute and not a couple on vacation. Her porn star moans and yells give her away. No one is that loud with a man unless they’re really enjoying themselves or they’re faking it. She is doing the latter as I listen to the little grunts coming from the man. Considering I wasn’t in the shower five minutes and the man is almost done fucking the bitch tells me all I need to know.
Pulling out my phone, I check for messages and don’t see any. It bothers me to know my brother and Annabell haven’t checked in with me, but I guess I got what I wanted— solitude. The last straw for my Bell, I’m sure, was watching me ride away with a bitch on the back of my bike. I told her that spot was reserved for her and look what I did— I put another bitch in her place as I was leaving the clubhouse for who knows how long. Annabell is crushed and I know it. She doesn’t need to tell me anything because I saw her face in the mirror before I turned the corner.
After dropping the towel, I pull on a pair of jeans and leave the button open, I wait for the door to open next door. If I’m right, I’ll be able to pay for some time with this woman and find out more information. I just hope she wants to talk and doesn’t lie to me about what’s going on and why she’s pimping herself out there now. My end game is to help these people for some reason I can’t even begin to explain to myself or anyone else.
I finally hear the door open and open my own as I see a tall woman close the door behind her and stuff some money into the small bag she has with her. She looks up at me and I can see the make-up plastered to her face. Hell, she hasn’t even broken a sweat with the man next door. Her long blonde hair is teased higher than I’ve ever seen and a fake smile is plastered on her face as she turns and heads toward me.
“Hey, sugar. I haven’t seen you around here before,” she says, her voice high pitched and whiny.
“Just got to town. Lookin’ for some company if you know anyone . . .” I trail off.
“I’d be willing to help you out with that,” she answers, looking me up and down.
“How much?” I ask.
“Hundred for the hour,” she answers.
I nod my head to come in the room and slam the door shut behind her. After making sure to lock it, I sit in the chair while the woman sits on the bed.
“What’s your name?” I ask as I look at her more thoroughly.
I can see bruises on her arms and one around her neck. There’re needle marks up and down her arms and I’m disgusted by her appearance. Not only is she an addict, she’s being beat on too. I wouldn’t be surprised if her pimp got her hooked on the drugs to make her comply with him easier. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen it happen. The club always steps in and gets these women out of the situation.
“It’s Nora,” she says, her voice going back to what I’m assuming is her normal pitch. “You’re not looking for a good time are you?”
“Nope.”
“You a cop?” she asks, looking around the room.
“Nope. Someone who wants to help. I did just get to town and I don’t like what I see here. My club usually steps in if the place is closer to home so we can put a stop to this shit. It’s just me here now,” I tell her.
Nora starts crying. I remain in my seat because I don’t know if she’s trying to play me or not. Handing her a tissue from the box on the table next to me, I give her a minute to compose herself before I continue talking.
“What can you tell me about what’s goin’ on here?” I ask her.
“Well, when we got hit last year with a tornado, some unsavory guys moved in and decided to take the town over. They chased the tourists away and now we have to do what we can to make it through each day. If you came through town, you’ve seen the state of things. How are you gonna help?” she asks.
“How many pimps are here? What drugs are bein’ pushed?” I ask her.
“There’s two main guys. They serve as pimp and dealer. I don’t even know they’re names because they won’t use them when anyone else is around. I’ve heard mention of the name Antonio, but I’m not sure if that’s one of them or not. As far as the drugs go, it’s mainly heroin and crack. At least that’s all I’ve seen. They got me hooked on heroin when I wouldn’t join their ‘stable’ as they call it. They’ve been grabbing women they think will make them the most money and bringing them in,” Nora tells me.
“Okay. Thank you for the information. If I wanted to score somethin’, where could I go to do that?” I ask her, wanting to get a look at the men for myself.
“They won’t deal with you. These men know everyone in town and they don’t talk to outsiders. They’ll spot you before you spot them,” Nora answers.
I nod my head and hand over a hundred dollars for her time. I tell her to take a load off and sleep for the next half hour. I’ll wake her in plenty of time for her to get out of here so she doesn’t get beat on again. There’s no way I’ll let her get hurt because of me.
Nora lays down on the bed and doesn’t even bother to cover herself as she almost immediately falls asleep. I turn the TV on quietly and try to find something to occupy myself as I think of how I’m going to get an in with these guys. It’s important I at least get a look at them so I know who I’m looking for. Plus, I want to size them up and make sure I can take them on my own if the need arises.
I’ve been in Cedar Bay for two days now and I’ve already gathered a lot of information. The one pimp is named Antonio. He’s part of a mafia family I’ve never heard of before. I don’t want a mafia on my ass, but I’m not going to let this town continue to fall into disrepair either.
The first day I was in town, I went ridi
ng through the vacant streets. There’re no kids out playing or people walking their pets down the streets. The shops on the main street are mainly boarded up and no one goes in them. I did manage to find a small diner that was open and I ate lunch there. The waitress looked blitzed out of her mind and I’m sure she was high as a kite on something the dealers are pushing, but I got my first glimpse of Antonio and the other dealer in town.
They were sitting at a booth in the back and talking quietly amongst themselves. When I walked in the diner, they checked me out from head to toe as I took a seat on the opposite side of the building from them. I want them to know I’m here, but not what I’m doing. Not yet. I can’t let on about anything until I have Slim’s approval to move here and start a new charter of the club. Then I’ll be able to start making moves.
“You in town for a while or just passing through?” one of the men asks, finally walking up to me.
“I’ll be here about a week. Why are you askin’?” I ask, trying to contain my anger.
“Just make sure you don’t hang around longer than that,” the man threatens.
“And if I do extend my stay?” I ask, not being able to resist the threat.
“You’ll find you’re not welcome here. Cedar Bay is a small town and I’ve already heard you’ve been asking questions you don’t need to. In fact, I think you’ll be moving along before the week is up. I give you two days tops before you leave here,” he tells me.
Yeah, I haven’t worn my cut here. It’s on my bike in my saddlebag. I don’t want to bring attention to the entire club, so I’m acting as if I’m just riding my bike around the states. It’s not something I want to do— I feel naked without my cut on— but when I got to the gas station, I took it off before the attendant could see it and haven’t put it back on since. No one’s seen me wearing it in Cedar Bay and I don’t plan on it happening until I come back here to lay claim to the small town.
Twisted Steel: An MC Romance Anthology Page 14
