by Wilder, L.
My rebuttal seemed to catch her off guard as her demeanor quickly changed. A look of panic washed over her as she stood there staring at me, and it took her several seconds to forge her response. She seemed almost flustered as she answered, “Oh, well … if you want to … that’s fine. I mean … It’s more than fine. I just didn’t want you to think you had to do it, because you don’t.”
“Never did, but thanks for clarifying.”
A light blush crept over her face as she smiled, and while it seemed innocent and sweet enough, I could tell there was some sadness hidden beneath it, which made me curious as to what had put it there. “Umm … Okay, then.”
Her stunning, dark eyes locked on mine as I nodded, and just before I turned to leave, I repeated her words, “Okay, then.”
“Hope to see you later,” she called out in a timid voice.
I looked back over my shoulder. “You will.”
I walked outside and over to my bike. After I hopped on, I threw on my helmet and glanced back over to the bookstore. I spotted Alex sitting at the counter with her head in her hands as she slowly shook it side to side, clearly rattled by our exchange. It was at that moment an odd feeling stirred in my gut, one I hadn’t felt in longer than I could remember, and I almost, almost fucking smiled. Surprised by my reaction, I started my bike and pulled away from the curb, pushing back those unwanted feelings as I head towards the clubhouse. It was time to see if Gus had been able to track down Jasper. Like me, my president was eager to find out exactly what was going on with Jasper and his new interest in our boys. When I pulled through the gate, Blaze and his son, Kevin, were outside talking to Riggs, and as soon as I parked my bike, Kevin rushed over to me with a big smile. “Did Dad tell you the news?”
Having no idea what he was talking about, I answered, “Not sure that he did.”
“He’s getting me a dirt bike!” he told me excitedly.
“A dirt bike? That’s cool.”
“It’s awesome! He finally said I was old enough to have a bike of my own, and he said you might help me fix it up if we brought it over to the garage.”
Along with being the enforcer, I also helped Blaze in the garage. While he mainly worked on remodeling vintage cars, I focused on classic motorcycles, bringing old, beat up bikes back to life. Thinking that a dirt bike would be a cool project, I nodded my head and said, “Yeah. I could do that.”
“I knew you would help.” He practically beamed as he announced, “It won’t be long before I’ll get a Harley and I can ride with you and the guys.”
“Easy there, killer.” Blaze chuckled. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. It’s a dirt bike to use out at the farm.”
“But it’s a start.”
“Yes, it is, and you’re right—it’ll be awesome,” Riggs added.
Blaze patted him on the shoulder and said, “Why don’t you run inside and grab your stuff. It’s time for me to get you back to the house.”
“Okay.” Kevin started inside, but then quickly stopped and turned back to Blaze. “You did tell Gammy and Pop that you’re getting me a dirt bike, right?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
“Dad, you know she’s gonna have a cow,” Kevin whined.
“I’ll handle your grandmother. You go get your things,” Blaze assured him.
Once Kevin was gone, I looked over to Riggs and asked, “Moose have any luck finding Jasper?”
“Fuck no, and neither have I,” Riggs grumbled. As the club’s computer guru, if there was anything tech-wise that needed to be done, he was our man. There wasn’t much the man couldn’t do—from hacking into major government sites to locating people who’d done everything they could not to be found. The man was a fucking genius, and it was clear he wasn’t happy that he hadn’t been able to find our guy. “It’s like the guy vanished into thin air.”
“Okay then, bring me someone who’d know where he was. I’ll get it out of them,” I assured him.
“You sure Boon doesn’t know?”
The mention of Boon’s name brought an idea to my head. “No, but he might know someone who does.”
“Worth a shot,” Blaze added.
“Yes, it is.” As I started to walk off, I looked to them both and said, “Let Gus know where I’ll be.”
“Headed that way now,” Riggs replied.
As he made his way inside the clubhouse, Kevin came rushing out and yelled, “Yo, Dad! I’m ready to go!”
“It’s about time. Get on the bike.” Blaze nodded, then added, “I’ll be right back.”
Just as I entered the backside of the building, I heard Blaze’s motorcycle pull out of the gate, and from the sounds of it, he was eager to get Kevin to his grandparents’ place. I took a few steps down the hall and entered the room where I’d left Boon. Smelling like something right out of the fucking sewer, he sat there bruised, swollen, and bound to the chair. With a pitiful expression, he looked up at me with pleading eyes and asked, “You gonna let me out of here or what?”
“Let you out of here? Now, why would I go and do that? We were just getting acquainted.”
“Fuck, man,” he groaned. “I’ve already told you everything I know. Just let me go.”
I had to fight the urge to strangle him on the spot. Boon had killed two of our handlers, and if the fat fuck thought he was going to walk out of that room alive, he had another thing coming. But there was no sense in squashing his hope—at least not yet. I still needed information from him, and I didn’t want to take the chance of him completely giving up on me. I crossed my arms as I looked down at him and said, “I have a few more questions for you.”
“I’m done answering fucking questions, man.” It had been eighteen hours or so since he’d experienced my handy work, so it wasn’t a surprise that he needed a little reminding. I was running low on patience, so I decided not to waste any time and went straight for the jumper cables. As soon as I reached my hand into the bucket of water and grabbed the wet rag his breathing became strained, especially after I placed the rag over his face. All it took was the feeling of having that rag on his face to help him remember the pain he’d felt the day before, and he quickly changed his tune. “Alright! I’ll tell you what you want to know!”
As I pulled the rag away from his face, I looked down at him and said, “Let’s go back to Jasper. Tell me about the deal he made with you.”
“He promised me five grand for each one of your boys I killed off. That’s all I know.”
“Five grand? That’s a lot of money for a man like Jasper.”
“I done told you that. I got no idea where he got his hands on that kind of cash, but he must be rolling in it now.”
“What makes you say that?”
“So, about a week ago, he hired me to take out three of your other guys for the same amount of cash. It wasn’t the kind of money I could pass up, so I told him I’d do it.”
“And?”
“Well, I was right in the middle of taking care of them when someone came up. Even though I didn’t get to finish the job, he still paid me a grand for roughing them up. Who the fuck does that?”
No one.
“Any idea where I can find him?”
“Jasper?” he asked with an overzealous shrug. “He’s got his regular hangouts. That’s where I always found him.”
“And if he’s not there?”
“Fuck, man. I got no idea.”
“I need to know someone who would.”
He thought for a moment, then said, “If Jasper was hiding out, there’s only two people who’d know where he was. His right-hand man, Hoss, or Milton.”
I’d known Hoss long before he started working with Jasper. We’d crossed paths a time or two in the military, and he was quite the character. There wasn’t anything the guy couldn’t do, but he was mostly known for his storytelling. With his thick country accent and charismatic smile, he never had a problem drawing the attention of a crowd. He tried to make everyone think he was just a good old countr
y boy, but I didn’t buy it. The man was a trained killer, someone who was determined to get what he wanted, so I wasn’t exactly surprised when I discovered he was working for Jasper. Milton, on the other hand, was a name I hadn’t heard before. “Milton?”
“Yeah, that’s his cousin … At least that’s who he tells everyone he is. From what I’ve seen and heard they’re pretty fucking close … like too close for comfort kind of fucking close.”
I didn’t need him to spell it out for me. “I got it. Any idea where I can find this Milton fella?”
“No idea, but I bet Hoss could tell ya. I’m sure he’s been by his place with Jasper.”
Boon had been helpful after all. I would take that into consideration when it was time to end him. Figuring I could do us both a favor, I walked over and grabbed the water hose, its drain was centered in the middle of the room. Runt had it installed to help with clean up, and over the last few weeks, I’d found it very useful. I flipped it on and pointed it in Boon’s direction, attempting to wash his stench away. Once I was done, I released the chain that secured him to the floor and moved it over to the lock on the concrete wall, giving him a small amount of mobility. “I’ll see what I can do about getting you some water and something to eat.”
Trembling from the cold water that clung to his skin, Boon looked over at the dirty cot like he’d just been given luxury accommodations. “Thanks, man.”
He’d thanked me too soon. It was only a matter of time before the man who’d killed two of our men took his last breath. Boon had given me what I needed to find Jasper and had done so without turning it into hours of senseless torture. He’d earned a couple hours sleep and one last meal, but then, like anyone else who double-crossed Satan’s Fury, he’d pay the ultimate price for his betrayal.
Alex
When I first moved to Memphis, Hallie was the only friend I really had. It took some time for me to warm up to my new life, mainly because a big part of me knew it was only a matter of time before my past caught up with me. I was scared, but eventually, Hallie convinced me to take a chance—that living a life in the shadows wasn’t really living. It was then that I finally started to venture out, and shortly afterwards, I ended up meeting my best friend, Jason. That day, I’d gone into the cutest little boutique to look for a Christmas gift for Hallie. As soon as I laid eyes on a snow globe with the Eiffel Tower in the center, I knew I’d found it. I rushed over to check out, and until then, I hadn’t even noticed the guy standing behind the counter. He was tall, really tall, and slender with a smile that was filled with mischief. I knew immediately that there was something about him I was going to like.
“Hi. Did you find everything okay?”
“Yes. Thanks.”
He took the snow globe off the counter, and as he gave it a quick shake, he asked, “Is this gonna be all?”
“Yes. That’s it.”
Still staring at the tiny white speckles that were floating around in the water, he said, “It’ll be eighteen bucks.”
I slid over a twenty. “Here ya go.”
As he reached for the money, he looked over and studied me for a moment. “Do you go to State?”
I was ashamed to answer. “No. I guess you could say that I’m kind of new to the area. I thought about taking some classes this fall, but I’m not sure if I can work it out. You know how it can be.”
“Oh, I totally get it.” He ran his fingers through his dark hair and sighed. “I’ve about decided that school just isn’t in the cards for me. I took a few classes in the spring, but flunked out. I guess I missed the memo where it said you actually have to go to class to pass.”
“Yeah. That’s where they get you.” I giggled. “It’s all just a sham.”
“Exactly!” He laughed. “I’m Jason, by the way.”
“Hi, Jason. I’m Alex.”
“It’s nice to meet ya, Alex.”
Just as he was putting my gift in a bag, a young woman came out of the back room and walked over to us with a friendly smile. She stood beside Jason for a moment, and then gave him a nudge. “Since she’s new to the area, you should invite her down to Newman’s.”
Jason rolled his eyes at her, then turned his attention back to me. As he handed me my change, he asked, “You ever been to Newman’s?”
I shook my head. “Can’t say that I have.”
With a chuckle under his breath, he replied, “They have really great music. It’s down on Sycamore. You should come check it out sometime.”
“Oh, okay. I might just do that.”
I’d barely gotten the words out of my mouth, when the young woman added, “We’ll be there later tonight with a few friends. There’s a new band coming into town, and word is they’re pretty good.”
“Sorry. This is my sister, Daphne. She can be pretty obnoxious about stuff,” Jason sighed. “You might as well say you’ll come; otherwise, she’ll never let it go.”
“Obnoxious? You’re calling me obnoxious? You’re the one who throws a tantrum whenever you miss Westworld or can’t find your favorite lighter.”
“Okay. Pushy.”
“Well, I’m only pushy when I know I’m right,” she answered defensively.
“Whatever.”
She finally turned her attention back to me and asked, “So, can you make it?”
I studied the two of them as I tried to decide if they could be trusted, and then Jason gave me one of those smiles that made my doubts fade away. While I felt no attraction towards him whatsoever, he seemed like someone I would like to get to know. I was still a little apprehensive but answered, “Yeah, I think I can work it out.”
“Great,” she replied excitedly. “We’ll save you a spot.”
I left the boutique feeling excited about my plans for the evening, but by the time I made it back to the apartment, I started to have second thoughts. It had been so long since I’d had a friend my own age, and I was worried that I’d just end up making a fool of myself. Thankfully, at the time, Hallie was there to convince me that I was overthinking things and to put myself out there. She even helped me pick out an outfit and paid for my cab over to Newman’s.
I was a nervous wreck when I walked inside, but as soon as I located Jason and made my way over to him and his friends, we immediately all started talking and laughing. They made me feel like I was one of their crew. It had been almost six years since that night, and since then, we’d become the best of friends. I quickly learned that Jason and I had a great deal in common. Not only had his mother died several years earlier, he and his father weren’t exactly on good terms. After spending several years in jail for embezzling from a local bank, his dad was never the same, and Jason did his best to steer clear of him. While I didn’t tell him all the details of my past, he knew that I understood the pain he and his sister had gone through. When Hallie died, I don’t know what I would’ve done without them. I’d probably still be in that apartment crying and wallowing in my heartbreak if they hadn’t been there to help me get back on my feet.
Since one of my only two employees quit unexpectedly, I’d been spending most of my time at work, trying to pick up the slack. Jason had been on me for weeks to take a break, so I wasn’t surprised when he called and said, “Newman’s at nine.”
Hearing the excitement in his voice, I replied, “What? Why? What’s going on?”
“The Smoking Guns are in town!”
It had become Jason’s mission to stay on top of all the new, upcoming bands that came through town, and we were usually right there beside him, making our own predictions about their future fate while we listened. It had become a tradition of sorts, so it wasn’t unexpected when Jason called everyone in the crew to meet him down at the bar. “Wow. So, they’re going to be at Newman’s tonight?”
“Are you even listening to me?”
His voice was filled with frustration, and it was hard not to get tickled. “Yes, Jason. I’m listening, but you’re really not telling me anything.”
“I’ve said all you
need to know,” he snickered. “Get your ass down to Newman’s at nine and wear something cool.”
“Hold up … Just what exactly are you trying to say, numbnut?” I asked defensively. “I dress cool all the time.”
“Umm ... No, you don’t … But that’s neither here nor there. Just dress to impress. It’s the Smoking-freaking-Guns!”
If I didn’t know him better, I might’ve been insulted by his comment, but I’d known Jason long enough to realize that he was just geared up over his favorite band playing in town. “Dang, you’re really pumped about this band. I haven’t seen you this excited since last year when the Backyard Dogs came into town.”
“Don’t get me wrong, the Smoking Guns are awesome, but they aren’t the Backyard Dogs. They were incredible, and being there for their first music video was off-the-charts awesome.”
Remembering that night, I added, “Yeah, that was pretty neat.”
“Neat?” he scolded. “It wasn’t just neat, Alex. It was amazing. I mean, how many times have you seen Neptune magazine come to Newman’s for a band?”
“Okay. Okay. You’re right. I’ve never seen anything like that, and it really was a-maz-zing.” I giggled.
“Hell yeah, it was.”
“Well, who knows … maybe the same thing will happen tonight with the Smoking Guns.”
“A guy can hope, but I doubt it. They don’t have the same kind of following.” Jason sighed, then asked, “Anyway, do you want us to come and pick you up on our way over?”
Knowing he would want to stay until the very last song, I answered, “No, I’ll meet you there.”
“Suit yourself, just don’t be late.”
While some people were put off by Jason’s strong personality, it was one of the reasons I enjoyed spending time with him. There was no guessing with him. He always said exactly what was on his mind and rarely held anything back. I found his outlook on life rather amusing. Whenever we were together, I’d spend the entire time laughing hysterically at something he’d said or done, and he had no clue why I’d found it so funny. At times, I’d find myself wondering why we hadn’t tried the whole dating thing. He was handsome and smart, and he’d do anything in the world for me. But then, I’d remember there was absolutely no chemistry between us—like none. I’d be better off kissing a wet mop, so my sidekick, Jason, and I would forever remain in the friend zone, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
