by Harlow Brown
“Sure. Where was Briar going? I passed him in the hall, and he looked like he was leaving."
“Probably to go check out her house.”
“What? Alone? Why didn't he wait for me to give Charlie to you? I would’ve gone with him?”
“It's okay. Hensley is scared of him.”
“Where is the note?”
“Briar set it on the bar.”
“Okay, I’ll handle it for you. You just take care of Charlie.” As I walked out of the room, I looked at her and then said to Jazz, “She ain't okay, is she? She’s in her own personal hell.”
Jazz covered her with a blanket and kissed her head. "Charlie, I'll be right back. Whiskey needs me to find some stuff to help us out.”
She didn't move, only kept the flow of tears going and her gentle rocking.
Jazz led the way out. “Okay, if you tell a soul what I'm about to do, I'll make you wish you were back in Texas, and you’ll think you were living a dream life, got it?"
The look on her face told me she meant business.
“Fine. What are you doing that’s so secretive?”
“I’ll get you the camera.”
A couple minutes later she came back with the camera on. The digital screen showed a tiny body covered in deep purple, blue, and yellowish-green bruises, plus scratches, cuts and scars. That was only her torso.
“What the fuck happened to her?”
“Look at the rest of these and then read the note. I bet you’ll figure it out. After that, please take pictures of everything. I’ve got to get back to Charlie. It's liable to be a long night for us.”
“I’ll help if Daddy Briar will back off.”
“Look, once you read the note and figure it all out, you’ll understand. The last three years of Charlie's life have been more than any normal person should bear. He’s just protective of her. Since her parents died, we’re all she has left, especially since Hensley is out of the picture.”
I nodded as I watched her go to her friend. When she shut the door, I flipped through the pictures and my rage rose to hazardous levels. I had a real good idea she was the victim of abuse, and when I read the note my suspicions were confirmed.
After I’d calmed down slightly, I headed out to her Mustang with the camera. As I started snapping pictures of the tires and the rest of Hensley’s little gift, Briar pulled back up.
“Where did you get that camera?”
“‘Thank you for handling this while I was gone’ would've been nice.”
“Answer me.”
“I asked Jazz if y'all had one so I could take pictures for proof and evidence while you two handled other things. She was in the room with Charlie and told me where it was, so I grabbed it to help.” I knew I had to cover Jazz’s ass or Briar would be furious with her.
“Sorry, man, but she’s vital to me. I’m a bit worked up right now and… well, the shit on that camera th—”
“I saw. I also read the note he left her tonight.”
“So then you see why I'm like this with her, right? I'll let no man hurt her again. I'm all she has as far as men go."
“I’d gladly help you” came from my mouth faster than I cared to admit.
“What? Did you hear me?”
“Look, Briar, I have a pretty fucked-up past, one I'm not proud of. But part of the reason I left Texas was that someone did to me what I’ve done to so many. I'm moving on, but I had to get out. I kept seeing her with different guys, and I couldn't handle it. The Chosen Legion told me I could patch in here with the Rudy chapter, and then you called me. It was like confirmation that I was supposed to leave. I'm not aiming to fuck Charlie. I'm not even aiming to be in a relationship with her, but I'll do what I damn well please to help her, especially if I'm going to be hanging around you and Jazz. I am going to be around her. I told you there was something different about her, and I meant it. You don't have to defend her alone. You need to care for Jazz too. So I'm telling you to back the fuck off me. I'm not going to hurt her. I want that piece of shit bleeding for that sick shit he did to her.”
“Fine. I get it. Sorry. I know people change. You're a brother, and I should have trusted you more. Help her if you can. That is if she lets you. But hear these next words and take them to heart, brother. If you hurt her in any way, you’ll deal with me. Got it?”
I could handle that, so I eagerly replied, “Got it. Now can we just come up with a game plan?”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“She needs to get out of here for a while. Somewhere he isn't.”
“Nope, she ain't going alone. I don't care how far away he’s supposed to be. He’s proved he’s fucking crazy,” Briar seethed.
“She won't have to go alone. I can go with her. I need to do a couple little runs, but nothing dangerous.”
“Where to? What are you running?”
“Moonshine, and probably to Panama City Beach. I’ve been talking with Chief, Fury, and Shooter. They’re being watched pretty heavily right now. Something about one of them getting pulled over or some nonsense has them extra careful. I wasn't listening when I offered my help. The point is she could go with me.”
“How long would you be gone?”
“How long do you want me gone? You could get all her stuff moved into Acres while we’re gone and spend a couple days with your girl.” I wiggled my eyebrows up and down.
“She has World Series coming up soon, and I think they’re in Florida. That would be perfect if she’ll go for it. We’ll run it by her tomorrow and see what she says.”
“She still plays?”
“Yes, and she’s fucking awesome. Her teammates are perfect for her. She’s in a whole different world when she’s out there on the field.”
“Does she have any flaws? Really? She's beautiful, strong, and athletic.”
“All that’s flawed about her is her self-image, and the fact she thinks all of this shit is her fault.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope, but you’ll have to get the details from her. That’s her decision to make. I'm not going there with you.”
“Come on, man. I need a beer, and I want to check on the girls.”
“I hope you’re okay with Shinerbock. That's all Charlie keeps around here. Jazz doesn’t drink a lot, and I just don't have any here.”
“And she is perfect. She even drinks good beer, not that lime bullshit or light stuff.”
“Easy, Whiskey,” Briar threatened.
“Relax, dude. I’m. Not. Going. To. Hurt. Her. I just want to be her friend. But come on, admit it, she is perfect by most men's standards. What dude wouldn’t want a hot, athletic beer drinker to kick it with?”
“Yeah, I guess she is perfect for most men. But not for me. She lacks one thing.”
“What could she possibly be lacking?”
“She isn’t Jazz.”
“You got it bad.”
“I’m proposing soon.”
“Congrats, dude. Your bachelor party is going to be off the hook.” I paused and thought a second. “How are we going to approach her in the morning?”
“Very carefully, brother. Very carefully. She’s as hardheaded as they come when she wants to be. Once the initial shock of the situation wears off, she’s likely to be so pissed that it’ll take a miracle to keep her here and not put another bullet in him.”
I almost spewed my beer everywhere. “What? Another bullet?”
“The last time she was raped, she managed to get her legs under him and knock him off her. She’d bought a nine millimeter without mentioning it to Jazz or me. Anyhow, she got away from him and threatened him. The dumb bastard called her bluff, and she shot him in the shoulder.”
I must be a sick fucker because the idea of her naked with a pistol was insanely hot. As I tried to shake the image from my brain, I said, “She's no pushover, that's for sure. Not if she’ll bust out a nine and think nothing of it.”
“But she sees herself as weak. Wha
t she fails to realize is the fact that she lost her parents in a horrible, horrific accident and dealt with this shit. All Jazz and I knew of was her parents. We helped her through that, but she dealt with Hensley all alone for three years.”
“Three years? What the fuck for?”
“Ask her. I’ve said too much as it is. But I thought you should be somewhat informed since you’re offering to help.”
“Don't worry, man. I got your back. She won't know that you said anything. As far as she knows, I asked for a camera for documenting purposes and accidentally saw the photos. And when I read the note I put it together. “
“Thanks.”
“Is she pressing charges on this fuckstick?”
“We’re trying to get her to, but she says she just wants it over with and to move on. But the thing is if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to continue to fuck with her head. She’s liable to be okay one minute, and then he’ll pop back up and she’ll freak the hell out again. I told her that if it didn’t stop soon or I thought he was carrying it too far that I would involve the club, and she would just have to get over it.”
I thought of ways I could talk to her and try to persuade her, but I didn't know how she was. If Briar wanted me to get her out of here for a while, he was going to have to help me. “You know, I have no idea how to talk to her. I don't know how I’ll convince her to go away with me, virtually a total stranger.”
“Dude, relax. I’ll vouch for you. She’ll listen to me. I'm the only reason you’re renting her house.”
“Seriously?” I stared at him a second and then smacked him in the back of the head. "Hey, dick, why don't you go talk to her. Tell her I offered to take her away somewhere, and if she wants, I’d even like to take her to her tournament. I’d love to see some good ball. If she loves her team, she won't let them down.”
“I’ll think about it.” He inhaled deeply as if trying to calm himself.
“Briar, damn it, I’m not the villain. Either you can help me or I’ll take it upon myself. Either way, it's getting brought up. You can be the good big brother and support it, or you can reinforce it when I say we’ve discussed it and we both think it's a good idea. It’s your call.”
“Fine, we’ll just have to use the Regulators as leverage. You can go with her if she agrees.”
“She doesn't have a choice, does she?”
“Not if I can help it. She knows I'm not letting her go anywhere without Jazz or me, but we can't take a week off, especially if we’re planning on moving still. So if she doesn't want to let her girls down, you’re her only option. Lucky her.”
“Say she does agree to this. What are we driving?”
“Her Mustang. Why?”
“Uhh, two slashed tires,” I reminded him as sarcastically as possible.
“So she’ll buy a new set,” he said, equally as sarcastic.
"Those tires are at least two-fifty apiece. Who can come up with a grand just like that?” I was more than curious to find the answer.
“Charlie.”
In a very doubtful voice, I asked, “How?”
“Charlie's parents left her very well set up. Her dad had several life insurance policies, and her mom had two of her own. Her Winstead Acres estate, which is ten acres, and a huge house—the house that you’re renting—and her Mustang are all paid off, and she has several million in the bank.”
“By looking at her and talking to her, you would never know she had money.”
“That’s the beauty of Charlie. She’s as down-to-earth and humble as they come. I've known her most of her life, and she didn't change a bit when she inherited the money. She didn't want it to start with, just wanted her parents back. She thought of the money as blood money, or something to that degree.”
“This poor girl has been through more at twenty-one than most people ever have to endure. How have you not just scooped her up and held her until all her tears dried up and protected her from this goddamned evil bastard?” I asked.
“He never left bruises where we could see them. And it's not my place to hold her and let her cry about life. I hold Jazz. Jazz can hold Charlie. Now why do you feel so strongly about a chick you don't even know?”
I thought a minute and finally came up with, “I don't know. There are no words to describe it. I feel like it's responsibility, but more than that. I want to. I need to. When I first saw her and our eyes met, right before she kneed me in the nuts, I saw a beautiful, scared, lonely soul. I feel the need to protect her. I need to do this.”
He stared at me as he took in what I had said. I could see the wheels turning, trying to figure out my intent and why I felt so strongly about her. Hell, so was I.
“You aren't kidding, are you?”
“No, man. Like I told you, I’m a different person now, but even at that, this is different. I didn't even feel like this with Angie. I cared about her, but I never got the sudden urge to scoop her up and protect her from the world. I've never had that with anyone, until now. It's like he’s hurt what’s mine, which is totally weird because I know she isn't. And I don't mean like Jazz is to you. I mean like that fucker messed with my friend and he needs to die.”
“That's, uh…. You just met her. How the hell does that happen?”
“Fuck if I know. Again, it's never happened to me before.”
"If I trust my Charlie girl to you, you'd better listen to that gut of yours and protect her with your life. If anything happens to her while she’s with you, I'm taking it out on your ass.”
“Got it, brother. Now let's figure out how we’re going to handle Charlie tonight.”
THE NIGHT WAS indeed a long one. Her emotions were all over the place. She hated him one minute, and it took all three of us to hold her in that room. She was hell-bent on going to him, pistol in hand, to tell him to fuck off and enjoy hell. Then she was ashamed of the whole situation and guilty because she brought it on. Oh, and let's not forget she cried tears of pain because of the marks she was left with that were starting to heal.
I pulled Briar over to the side and said, “Hey, man, when I need out of my head for a while, like when I feel like I'm going to blow, I ride. It helps me unwind. Would she go with me?”
“Shit, dude. She’s not a biker. But by all means, ask her. Fuck, right now anything is worth a shot.”
Her arms were wrapped around her legs as she curled up in a ball with her head on her knees. Her tears had stopped for the time being. I had to help bring her out of this and show her how life was supposed to be. She would never have to deal with Hensley again. From that moment on, I would handle him.
After telling Briar to go to bed with Jazz, knowing they both needed a break, I walked over to Charlie. “Hey, you want to talk?”
“Not really.”
“Wanna get out of here for a while.”
“Yes, but my car has two slashed tires and Briar sure as shit won't let me out alone.”
“Go with me.”
She turned and looked at me like I had two heads. "Say what?”
“I have the bike or the truck, so the choice is yours. But it would do you some good to get out of here for a bit.”
“I haven't ridden on a bike with anyone except Briar.”
“There's a first time for everything, babes.”
“What did I tell you about calling me pet names? You’re all out of warnings.”
Damn, she was gorgeous when she was telling me off. Even though her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, they were easily the prettiest things I had ever seen. They had me in a paralyzed trance.
“Earth to Whiskey,” she said to me as she waved her arms in front of my face. “What the hell is your problem?”
“Sorry, I was just….” I didn't want to tell her I was staring at those gorgeous eyes. “Uh… thinking of where to take you.”
“Nowhere. I'm not going.”
I walked over to her and stretched my arms down so she could grab them. “Would you please stand up and listen to me for a second?�
��
“Why should I? And why do you care?”
“Well, for starters, because I asked you nicely and didn't force you to stand and make you listen.” She locked eyes with me. I had her attention, so now was the time to say what I needed to say, because I wasn't sure when the next fit of rage or uncontrolled emotions would happen. “And because you are important enough to Briar and Jazz that he asked me to help him. No woman should have to deal with what that bastard did to you. I want to beat the fuck out of him myself, and that ain't off the table either.”
“You don't even know me. You sure don't know what he did to me, so don't act like you do. And damn sure don't act like you care.”
"Babes, I am a biker, but I’m not a stupid one. I put it together. I might not know details, but I know he hurt you and cut you down. You can fill me in with the details if and when you ever feel like you want, or need, to talk. I'm here for the long haul. I’m friends with Briar, and I'm probably patching in with the Rudy chapter, so I'm going to be around. You aren't getting rid of me. I just want to help you and show you that Briar isn't the only good one left.”
She didn't say anything. I’d caught her off guard, as I thought I would.
“And I don't want in your pants. I just want to be there for someone else for a change. Does that make sense?”
Something in her eyes told me I had just gotten a little closer to being on her good side.
“Look, you're right. He hurt me badly and because of that, Briar is the only man I trust. Don't take it personally. I just don't know another way to protect myself. I know he won't let me down.”
“That’s fine and totally understandable, babes, but think about this. You will never build trust if you don't take a chance. I'm offering to help you get out of your head for a little while, not fuck you in any way. Briar trusts me enough, and you should consider it too. I'll be in the living room. Come get me if you change your mind.”
I left her there in her room, with all her thoughts and one more thing to think about. Briar and Jazz had gone to bed; I guess the moody fucker decided I was good enough for his precious Charlie. My body was tight with tension and fatigue, and a chance to sit and watch TV never sounded so good. Flipping through the channels, I ran across one of my favorite movies, Happy Gilmore. Adam Sandler never let me down.
