Savage Saviors: The Complete Boxset (Savage Saviors MC)

by J. C. Allen

  “I can’t handle yer shit right now,” Matty said with a loud groan. “It’s yer sorry ass that got me to drink tequila like it was gonna dry up.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know 300 pounds made ya a lightweight with booze!”

  “Only thing lightweight’s gonna be my hands, cuz yer gonna carry out all the shit from here.”

  “Over my dead body!”

  “Oh, heavens,” Matty said.

  Feeling the tension rising, I decided enough was enough.

  “Morning,” I said with a pep in my voice, stepping in.

  They both jumped at my entrance and then tried to make a show of notbeing startled as I took a seat at the island table that separated the kitchen from the dining room. I just wore a cute smile as they almost began to sweat in desperation at what they might have done.

  “Sleep well?” I asked, pretending to not notice for their benefit.

  “Would’ve if this slut here didn’t drool all over me last night,” Roost said, sticking his thumb out in Tara’s direction.

  “Yeah, well you ain’t any better, you gross faggot!” Tara growled, smacking his arm. “Fucking snoring and farting all goddam night long. Swear to fucking Christ, Eve, the absolute—the abso-fucking-lute—worst gas ever. Ever. Fucking ever! We’re talking off-the-fucking-charts toxic, ‘blow the fucking meter right off the wall’ levels of rank. I was surprised the Feds didn’t bust in with HAZMAT suits, fully-automatics leveled and at the ready, certain that the motherfucking terroristshadn’t snuck some new and heinous sort of bio-chemical warfare onto US soil.”

  Matty and I looked at her with wide eyes. Even by Tara standards, this was a truly epic rant, far beyond even her most passionate ones.

  “Tell me how ya really feel, Jesus,” Matty said, more stunned than annoyed.

  “The point being,” she said, working her voice to offer a professional summarizing tone that had me convinced she’d make an excellent on-air reporter. “This guy farts in his sleep. Roost, ya got anything to say?”

  Matty did nothing to argue this rant.

  He did nothing to deny its contents. He did not show any sign of embarrassment.

  Moreover, he did not show any signs of remorse.

  Matty, in fact, showed a grin of pure and unbridled pride and joy, offered a chuckle that seemed more appropriate as a rolling purr from a big cat, and folded his arms over his chest. In that moment, he looked downright victorious. And while I would never pretend to even want to join such a competition, there was something incredibly hilarious about seeing Matty’s victorious expression.

  “Had leftover ‘Nitro-Wings’ fer breakfast yesterday,” he announced. “An’ I was holdin’ ‘em in all dayjust fer ya, darlin.’ And I didn’t even realize we’d be sharing a couch! The good lord couldn’t’a planned it better!”

  “Fucking faggot,” Tara groused, shaking her head. “How’s a used-up butthole like that still got enough tightness to bust out those cement-cracking things, anyway?”

  Matty loosed a second wave of laughter at that. I just tried not to laugh, in disbelief at how these two not only seemed to have no boundaries, they flaunted and danced on whatever line most people had.

  “Charming,” I said, afraid that all the noise might wake Derek.

  I tried to hold back my own laughter. I really did.

  But I failed.

  By some strange miracle, Derek didn’t emerge at that moment.

  He must have really been tired, I thought as I started to come down from the throes of laughter.

  I finished, but my laugh-smile remained plastered with aching eagerness to my face. I couldn’t help but be glad that we were still able to have these moments even with everything that had happened. I let that thought cycle a few times in my mind, relishing in it for all that it was worth. The four of us, a true group hanging together, with all the dynamics at play—it had certainly made for one of the more entertaining nights in recent memory.

  But all good things had to end, and time waited for no one to catch up. I had to move forward.

  I got myself together and sat upright, glancing over at Matty.

  “Hey, Matty, can I ask you a favor?” I asked.

  “Anythin’ fer ya,” Matty said, flashing an extra-wide smile. “‘Specially since ya actually used my proper name. What’cha need, darlin’?”

  Smiling back—trying for something that was both a charming, all-selling smile while weeding out the vulgarity of anything erotic or seductive—I asked, “Do you think I could borrow a car today?”

  “A car?” he repeated back to me, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Fer what?”

  He hasn’t said no yet. We’ll see if that continues. That was the easy part. This…

  “I wanted to surprise Derek with a date today,” I said, embarrassed, and averted my gaze down to my hands, which were folded and stillmanaging to fidget against my best efforts. “And while I love riding with him…”

  “Heh,” Tara interrupted, grinning.

  Even Matty let out a chuckle. It was kind of funny… OK, it was funny.

  “Anyway,” I said, returning back to Matty. “I want to drive this time; actually be in control of the ‘where’ without having to tell him. That way he doesn’t know where we are going. Do you have anything? Maybe one at the shop?”

  I watched as he moved his hand to his chin, obviously considering what he could do for me. I hoped there was something, even just some old junker car would work. After all the dates Derek had taken me on, all the places he’d surprised me with, I wanted to return the favor.

  And I had the perfect place in mind.

  The beach!

  Oh my, how I lovedthe beach!

  And, much as I loved the beach, I couldn’t bring myself to lovethe memories I had of the beach, thanks to some of the more kinky Johns who got off from public sex. Well, that was going to change. I wanted to take Derek there; to create new memories of that beautiful place.

  And let’s just say I wouldn’t mind in the slightest if my contributions led to us creating a more erotic memory at the beach.

  “Alright, I think I got somethin’,” Matty finally said after a moment of thought. “But ya gotta promise that you’ll be careful with it. This particular car… well, it belonged to Derek’s dad. She’s a beauty, and I don’t wanna see her get damaged.”

  “Wow… Matty, really?”

  Matty would not have made the offer if he didn’t trust me, which spoke volumes to how he felt about me… but even still, this was an enormous responsibility. He wasn’t handing me the office van that people smoked and drank in. He was handing me something that was the equivalent of a Knight heirloom.

  “Yep, really,” he said. “But ya gotta be careful. Ya gotta promise me, Eve.”

  “I promise,” I said, smiling widely at the idea of not only using a nicecar to surprise Derek but one that he’d likely have some pleasant memories from already. “Thank you! Thank you so much, Matty!”

  “Ain’t nothin’ to it, Eve,” he said. “He… well, I’ll tell ya later. But I wouldn’ta said ya could have it if I didn’t think Derek would agree.”

  “Wow,” I said, still in disbelief. “And where, where is it?”

  Fears of “Samsville,” “somewhere way the fuck outta here,” or “I dunno” filled my mind. Fortunately, Matty didn’t keep me waiting long.

  “Why, the shop, of course.”

  “Shall we go get it now?” Tara asked. “While Prince Charming is getting his beauty rest?”

  “Ha-ha, Tara, real funny.”

  “He needs that sleep right now,” Roost said, growing more serious. “He’s gonna be goin’ on some dangerous shit soon that he gonna need full, proper mind for. We can’t—”

  “Oh, come on, Roost,” Tara said, pouting. “Don’t get all serious now!”

  A briefly tense silence filled the room as I wondered if Matty had finally, finally reached his breaking point with Tara. I had learned to tune her out when necessary, having not been sepa
rated from her for more than a few minutes over the period of six months, but it wasn’t hard to see that most people would have their limit of Tara.

  And then, as if in mocking of my fear, Matty laughed.

  “A’right, fine! Let’s go then!”

  “How are we going to all get there?” I asked, tilting my head. “I know you two rode your bike, but I don’t think walking and you being by my side would help.”

  “Well, I dunno where you’ve been,” Tara started, grinning snidely. “But they now have this fascination transportation system called taxis and Ubers. You wave down these ugly-ass yellow cars driven by smelly troll-folk who speak in grumbles and groans, and they’ll take you wherever you want to go in exchange for pussy-coin. Or, you use some phone magic to hail a ride and give them virtual pussy-coin. But, far as I can tell, everything happens in exchange for pussy-coin, so that’s nothing new.”

  Matty may not have reached his limit with Tara, but he could still look awfully dumbfounded by what she said sometimes.

  “Yer on fire today, aren’t ya?”

  “Pussy like mine? How can I not be? I’m always on fire,” Tara said, grinning wickedly. “Get to know me. I’m amazing.”

  “There ya go,” Matty said, shaking his head. “Surprised ya can hold that big ol’ head on yers scrawny little shoulders.”

  “Hey, I don’t see men complaining about my shoulders,” Tara said.

  “That’s because they aren’t staring at your shoulders, Tara,” I said, grinning at her.

  “Touché,” she said, giving one of those shoulders a shrug. “I’ll give you that one. We off then?”

  I nodded, getting up, and then paused.

  “I should write a note for Derek,” I said, reaching into my purse for a pen. “Just in case he wakes up before we get back.”

  “Good plan,” Matty said, heading towards the elevator and motioning for Tara to follow. “We’ll head down an’ see if we have any luck hailing one of of them fanciful taxis or Ubers. Whatever makes the princess happy.”

  “Now ya learnin’!” Tara said, throwing an arm around Matty.

  “Dontcha touch me,” he warned.

  I just laughed, thinking that the two bickered like two siblings—like two siblings who actually liked each other. I may have never gotten that and may have never known what such a thing was, but at least I was getting something to approximate it now. Better late than never.

  I watched as they pressed the call button for the elevator and turned away, grabbing a pad of note paper and a nearby pen that sat at the dining room table for this exact purpose. I quickly jotted down a note.

  * * *

  Went out with Tara and Matty to run a couple of errands. Be back soon!

  Love you!

  Eve

  XOXO

  * * *

  Fortunately, by the time I got downstairs, the power of the modern era had won out, and Tara had hailed an Uber for us. I imagine the Uber driver must have took a few quick deep breaths when he saw Matty opening the front door and plopping down, but he was able to retreat to his own little world in no time, the two quasi-siblings bickering as usual.

  When we got to the shop, we went to the back as usual… and then kept going.

  “I’m takin ya to the garage,” he said. “We ain’t ever go there too often. Most of our boys bring their own bikes and just park ‘em outside. But obviously, what yer ‘bout to see can’t be out too much.”

  He went through a door as he told the two of us to wait. Tara looked like she wanted to pout but bit her lip, perhaps realizing the door would open on us before she finished her sentence.

  Sure enough, one door from the left, the garage door slowly opened. I saw the sporty red bumper first with the license place “SS KNIGHT,” and then saw Matty come to the side as the rest of the car came into view. I was in awe.

  “Nineteen-sixty-nine Chevy Camaro Zee El One, baby,” he said, giving the vehicle the softest pat I had ever seen him produce. “Dominick Knight, founder of the Savage Saviors, owned this baby. It’s been sittin’ here for God knows how many years. And Eve, yer gonna drive it today.”

  A cherry-red 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

  An actual 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

  A real, actual to goodness, drivable 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

  Wow!

  It was one of the classic cars my father used to rave about wanting before he died. Looking at it now, I could see why. It just looked…

  Derek’s gonna be mighty impressed when I drive it.

  When I drive it…

  In that moment, I was suddenly terrified to drive this Chevy Camaro myself.

  Though I knew how to drive, I suddenly felt like I’d never even touched a steering wheel, like I’d forgotten how to even turn a damn ignition key. This wasn’t picking up a rental car with a few thousand miles on it from Enterprise. This was… this was…

  It was such a gorgeous car!

  I took a deep breath.

  “Purty, ain’t she?” Matty said.

  “You’re tellin’ me!” Tara said, but I had tuned both of them out.

  I’d fallen into my own world, feeling slightly in disbelief and stunned at the idea that Matty would think Derek would want me to drive this. There were so many concepts in that thread that I could barely keep up, and I just…

  Come on, girl, you can do this!

  I forced myself to climb in behind the wheel. I slowly put my hands on it, as if feeling like an alien who had just discovered cars for the first time ever.

  “Ya sure you can handle this?” Matty said, looking more nervous than I felt.

  I looked over at him outside the car door, gulped, and nodded. It’s just a car. It’s a very nice car. But. It’s just a car.

  Do it for Derek.

  “I can,” I said, not letting my nerves ruin this. “My father taught me how to drive on cars like this, well… not as expensive as thisone, but—ya know, I think I can do it! Yeah!”

  Matty arched an eyebrow, chuckled, and came around to the passenger’s side.

  “Ye’re not exactly inspirin’ confidence in me, girlie,” he said.

  But he’s in the passenger’s seat. That’s no accident.

  “I can drive it,” I told him. “I promise.”

  Matty looked at me for a while as Tara got into the back seat, making some comments about how she couldn’t believe a motorcycle club-owned car could smell so clean. Finally, Matty smiled.

  “I believe in ya,” he said. “But do me a favor, would ya? Let me ride with ya to Derek’s. I’mma make sure yer good to go.”

  “Of course,” I said. “And Tara can even come too.”

  “What?!?” she said, not fully engaged in the conversation.

  We just shared a laugh as I turned the engine on, backed it very slowly out of the garage, and took it for the drive back from where we had come from.

  The car rode like a dream.

  I was glad to see that Roost began to enjoy the ride, realizing that, yes, I could definitely control the car with ease. I had been proud of my driving skills and even though I hadn’t been behind a wheel in quite some time, I hadn’t lost the skill. It also helped that the car moved with a fluidity and ease that reminded me of a ballet dancer who could perform the most extravagant stunts with nary a sound.

  Of course, I didn’t say that out loud, lest Tara have some words about me being too intellectual for a car like this.

  By the time I’d pulled into the parking area of the condo, I was in love and convinced I had to have this car. I wondered if I could convince Matty to sell me the car. Then again, it wasn’t Matty’s… but I’m sure he would have something to say about who got ownership of the car.

  “Well, that was awesome.” Tara said. “You made this car your bitch!”

  “Yup, she really did, didn’t she?” Roost said, grinning proudly at me. “Ya did alright, girlie. I’m happy to let ya take Derek wherever ya want to yer heart’s content.”

  I slid out
of the car, quickly locking it.

  “Thanks, Matty,” I said. “I’ll treat her well.”

  “I ain’t got any doubt about that.”

  As I turned and headed to the elevators, I wondered if Derek was still sleeping, I hoped he was, honestly. He definitely needed the sleep and I didn’t want him to wake up without me.

  I turned to see Tara and Matty standing back a bit.

  “What’s up? Where are you two gonna go?”

  “Dunno, but it ain’t with ya,” he said with a wink. “Ya got yerself a date to get ready for. Don’tcha worry about us. I’ll keep this gal in line.”

  “Go have fun!” Tara said, waving me off. “And don’t worry, I’ll make sure big hunk over here doesn’t do nothin’ stupid!”

  I just laughed. Someday, the two would compliment each other. And it would be the most hilarious thing to see the two of them strain as they did.

  “Alright, thanks again, Matty,” I said, smiling. “I’m kind of in love with the car as a heads-up.”

  “Oh?” Matty raised an eyebrow. “Well, talk to Derek. I’m sure he’ll give it to ya.”

  Wait… just like that?

  “Huh? I thought you said you were taking care of it,” I said, confused. “Aren’t you…”

  Matty just put his palms up, gently telling me to hush.

  “Derek’s dad had me keep it since Derek was more fond of earning his own things,” Roost said. “He wantedto give it to Derek, ‘specially since Dustin wrecked the Firebird he’d given him on his eighteenth birthday, but the boy was too damned proud. Too damned stubborn, if ya ask me, but… anyway, I don’t get to use her as much as I’d like. I don’t wanna take it out on dangerous missions, and let’s just say it’s too nice a car to be taking out for the sorts of dates I have.”

  “Don’t want to get all that ass-stink in the backseat?” Tara shot, then, seeming to actually hear her own words for the first time, announced, “Hey! That could mean two things.”