Broken Wings

by Sweet, Izzy

  My throat too scratchy to speak, I shake my head again.

  Coy’s dad sucks in another hit, his eyes gleaming with the same murder Coy’s had a few seconds ago.

  Exhaling, his attention turns to the crowd.

  “Hey, you! Mouse!” he suddenly yells out so loud I jump a little. “Get your ass over here!”

  A nervous looking brunette woman not much older than me walks over, her eyes wide.

  “Yes, Hound?” she asks, her voice trembling.

  “Go get the Pres’s ol’ lady a beer,” Coy’s dad growls at her before he passes the joint back to the guy that handed it to him.

  She nods and walks away like she can’t walk away fast enough.

  Coy’s dad grumbles, “Worthless sweetbutt,” under his breath and shakes his head.

  Sweetbutt? That’s a weird insult.

  I giggle and immediately regret it when I start coughing again.

  Coy’s dad gives me a worried look and gently pats me on the back again. “We’ll talk some more when she gets back with that beer for ya.”

  I nod and lean back in the chair as Coy’s dad and the guy beside him pass the joint back and forth.

  I know I didn’t get much off that hit I took, I mostly choked on it, but I’m starting to feel a little buzzed and light-headed.

  When the woman Coy’s dad barked at finally comes back with the beer for me, I tip it back and drain half the bottle to soothe my parched throat.

  Coy’s dad turns his eyes back to me, takes a hit off his joint, and says, “Allison girl, my eyesight ain’t what it used to be. Do me a favor, would ya? Look over at the sign and read it for me.”

  I blink at him, take another sip of my beer, and ask, “What sign?”

  Coy’s dad exhales and points to a big black banner tacked up on the wall next to the American flag.

  The letters are huge, and even if they weren’t, there’s no doubt in my mind that Coy’s dad could easily tell what they say. He probably says the words in his sleep.

  Either he’s testing me again or he’s fucking with me.

  I might be a little buzzed but I’m not stupid.

  Still, not knowing where this is going, I say tentatively, “Royal Bastards MC?”

  Coy’s dad nods his head, sucks in a another hit, and says, “Tell me what it says under the patch.”

  Scowling, I glance quickly at the sign even though I really don’t need to, then say, “Louisville, Kentucky.”

  Coy’s dad shakes his head as if he’s disappointed. “Nah, that ain’t right. Say it again.”

  Really confused now, I look back at the sign and stare hard at the letters. Am I somehow hallucinating? How isn’t that right?

  “Go on, say it again,” Coy’s dad says, his tone firm and leaving no room for argument.

  I sigh, shake my head, and say, “Louisville, Kentucky?”

  Coy’s dad looks me hard in the eyes. “You fuckin’ with me, girl?”

  Goddammit, he looks almost exactly like Coy when he’s pissed at me, but meaner.

  I swallow and shake my head.

  His eyes boring into mine, he growls, “Say it again.”

  Oh fuck. What the hell am I missing? Why is he so pissed off?

  Somehow, I tear my eyes away from his and look at the sign again. Did I suddenly forget how to read? Or does he think it says something else?

  The longer I take, the angrier he seems to get.

  So I resign myself to my fate, take a quick gulp of my beer, and tell him, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you think it says, but it says Louisville, Kentucky.”

  He practically roars at me. “You fuckin’ shittin’ me?”

  “No,” I squeak and recoil, seriously afraid he’s going to kill me.

  My heart is thundering against my ribs and my legs want to make a run for it. He’s old, I could probably outrun him if someone doesn’t stop me…

  “Fuck!” he yells and slaps his leg before shaking his head sadly.

  All I can do is stare at him in horror.

  He turns his face back to look at me, his eyes sad now. “I didn’t want to fuckin’ believe it when my boy told me, but he’s right. You really don’t remember, do ya?”

  I shake my head, too petrified to speak.

  “You don’t remember me teachin’ ya to say Louisville the right way?”

  I shake my head again and take a deep drag from my beer, finishing it off.

  “Fuckin’ hell, come here,” he growls, and before I know what’s happening, he’s yanking me into a crushing hug.

  My ribs bend to the point I wouldn’t be surprised if they started cracking as he grumbles, “You were always a good girl, Allison. I’ve always liked ya. It broke my fuckin’ heart what happened to ya. But it’s good to have ya back, real fuckin’ good.”

  He gives me one last hard squeeze and then holds me away from him. “Now I’ve got a question to ask ya.”

  At this point, I’m not brave enough to deny this man anything.

  “Coy tells me you brought his son back with ya. Levi, is it?”

  Still speechless, I slowly nod my head up and down.

  There’s something almost vulnerable in his eyes now as he asks, “Would it be okay if I come ‘round sometime to see ‘im? I woulda stopped by already, but my boy wanted you to meet me first.”

  It suddenly dawns on me that this man who’s both terrified and intimidated the shit out of me is Levi’s grandfather.

  Lord help me…

  Clearing my throat, I force a smile. “You can come by anytime you like.”

  Just warn me first so I can be somewhere else.

  He leans back a little and says, “Goddamn,” with a look of surprise.

  And then he’s pulling me into another hug.

  “That’s why I’ve always liked ya!”

  Would anyone help me if I called out for it?

  Coy’s dad squeezes me even harder this time, and I can’t call out for help even if I want to.

  When he finally pushes me away, I’m gasping for air.

  “Now, I’ve hogged up enough of your time. You got a friend that’s been hoverin’ over there, waitin’ to pounce on ya. Why don’t ya get ya butt over there and say hi to her.”

  The next thing I know, he’s tugging me out of my chair and I’m stumbling onto my feet.

  He gives me a gentle nudge on my back to get me moving. “I’ll be ‘round to see ya soon. Real soon. I gotta teach you and my grandson how to say Loo-a-vul the right way!”

  Oh, I can’t fucking wait.

  A slender, redheaded woman separates from the crowd and steps up to me. “Allie?”

  My head still spinning, I say, “Yes?”

  Then Coy’s dad bellows mockingly behind me, “Ain’t no grandchild of mine gonna call it Looeyville! Shee-it!”

  My eyes widen as all the old guys burst into laughter.

  “And I’m a greedy man, Allison girl! Don’t you forget that! I’m expectin’ more grandbabies! Soon!”

  Holy fuck. I wish a hole would open up beneath me and swallow me right fucking now.

  Taking in the look on my face, the redhead giggles. “Girl, you definitely look like you just got the Hound treatment. Let’s get you a drink.”

  Grabbing me by the hand, she tugs me through the crowd, and I don’t even care that I don’t know her or where we’re going.

  Anywhere is better than here.

  The crowd has definitely grown thicker now, and every so often I hear people cheering my name before they slam back drinks.

  I try to spot Coy among the faces, but he’s nowhere to be seen.

  “Girls! Look who I found!” the redhead says as she tugs me up to three other women standing at the bar.

  Giggling over something on the phone they’re crowding around, their heads pop up, and then they erupt in squeals.

  “Allie!”

  I suffer more hugs I didn’t ask for from people I don’t know. And do my best to keep a smile on my face as they tell me how great
it is to see me.

  It’s the redhead that seems to finally notice my almost extreme discomfort when she asks, “You don’t remember us, do you?”

  Fuck, I’m getting really sick of that question because it makes me feel uncomfortable and guilty as hell.

  I shake my head and cringe. “No, sorry.”

  Sympathy appears on their faces, which only makes me feel worse.

  I glance back at the crowd, hoping to see Coy so I have an excuse to escape.

  “Well, that’s alright! We heard the story! Right, girls?” the redhead declares cheerfully. “Just gives us an excuse to talk about the old days!”

  Enthusiastically, they each begin to tell me their names and how we met.

  The redhead tells me she goes by Roxy now, but back in high school, when we were on the cheer squad together, she was Cassie.

  The other three girls each tell me their names, Ivy, June, and Peaches. And apparently, I’ve met them all through high school cheer squad. All of us, except Peaches, were in the same grade. Peaches was actually a couple of grades beneath us, but because she was such a talented cheerleader she ended up on the varsity squad with us.

  They tell me funny stories about myself and the stuff I got up to with my parents to help me relax. Stories of me climbing half-naked out of Coy’s clubhouse room window when my parents would sic the cops on my ass. Or stealing a case of the shitty wine they planned to use for monthly communion and sharing it in the high school parking lot with them before a game.

  I listen to it all with a touch of amused disbelief, wondering if I really did all of that.

  “You don’t believe us, do ya?” June asks, her blue eyes narrowing at me after telling me one Halloween I somehow convinced Poster Boy to ride a cow while wearing a cow costume.

  Shaking my head, I apologize. “I’m sorry, it all sounds a little ridiculous…”

  The girls look at each other, smirks on their lips.

  “Okay, well lucky for you, I’ve got pictures!” June snickers and lifts her phone up.

  Oh shit.

  We all lean in as she swipes her phone open, and I hold my breath, a little afraid to see proof of my past mischief.

  When her phone unlocks, I expect to see a home screen or a picture as a wallpaper.

  What I don’t expect is to get immediately blasted in the face with hardcore porn.

  “Shit! Sorry! I forgot that was on there!” June squeals and starts to close it out.

  But Roxy stops her by asking, “Wait. Is that the chick that came through the Mounds? That Nympho Nixx chick?”

  “Yes,” June giggles.

  “Holy shit! I heard about this. Rotten to the Core. It won a bunch of awards and shit!” Roxy says excitedly, and we all get sucked into what’s happening on the phone screen.

  The woman, Nixx, is upside down, moaning and writhing, while a big beast of a man stands over her, pounding down into her.

  “I recognize that guy… he came through with her…” Peaches says, her eyes bright like a little kid’s on Christmas morning.

  “Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s FOCUS from the New York City Chapter,” June snickers.

  “Damn, he’s a monster!” Ivy squeals and we all burst into more giggles.

  We become so engrossed in the porno, we completely forget about the pictures.

  “What’s that position called?” I find myself asking as I take in the look of pure pleasure on Nixx’s face and wonder if Coy could pull it off.

  As big as Coy is, I think he can do it. And Nixx sure as fuck looks like she’s enjoying it.

  “The pile—” Peaches starts to answer only to yelp and jump a bit when a biker with long black hair comes up behind her and smacks her on the ass.

  “Hey, sweetbutt, get me a drink, will ya?” he slurs out.

  Peaches’s face flashes with annoyance for a second as she looks up at us.

  But she slaps on the sweetest, fakest smile I’ve ever seen as she spins around to face him. “Sure, whatcha drinkin’?”

  He holds up his bottle and seems to waver a little on his feet. “Beer.”

  Peaches nods at him and rolls her eyes at us as she struts around the counter.

  I scowl, wondering why she’s getting the dick a drink, especially when we’re standing right next to the bar.

  June clicks her phone off and shoves it in her back pocket as the biker stumbles over to squeeze into the spot where Peaches was.

  “Sweetbutts,” he slurs out with a big sloppy grin.

  Instinctually, I take a step back and wrinkle my nose as the smell of beer rolls off him.

  My movement seems to attract his attention though.

  His sloppy grin begins to stretch as his glazed eyes roam over me, only to disappear once he actually looks at my face.

  Suddenly he straightens, swallows, and bobs his head. “Ma’am.” He lifts his bottle into the air, swaying a little. “Welcome back.”

  Then he stumbles away.

  “What the hell? That was weird…” I say once he’s out of earshot.

  Roxy chuckles ruefully and shakes her head. “Not really. Thanks to you, we actually got off easy.”

  Even more confused now, I ask, “What do you mean?”

  Roxy and June share a knowing look and I get the feeling they don’t want to tell me.

  But Ivy blurts out, “We sweetbutts have to put up with all of ‘em, even the sloppy drunks, if we want to be an ol’ lady like you one day.”

  There’s that silly word again—sweetbutt.

  Almost as silly as ol’ lady…

  “What’s a sweetbutt?” I ask, looking between the three of them.

  Their eyes seem to widen at once like deer caught in headlights.

  “Ah, shit. The Pres didn’t tell you?” Roxy curses and a pained expression appears on her face.

  Feeling like I’m not going to like what sweetbutt means, I cross my arms over my chest and shake my head.

  “Fuck,” she curses and looks at the other two for direction. When they just stare back at her, she turns to the bar counter, leans over it and snatches up a bottle and some shot glasses. “Damn it all.”

  Peaches walks back up as Roxy begins to fill the shot glasses.

  “Where’d he go?” Peaches asks, craning her neck.

  “Wandered off,” Ivy says.

  “More like stumbled off,” June snickers.

  Peaches stomps her boot. “Shit! I don’t wanna go find his ass.”

  Roxy casts a glance over her shoulder. “Don’t bother, he’s probably too drunk to remember anyway.”

  Peaches nods her head and takes a swig from the beer she’s holding before looking at me and noticing my arms crossed over my chest. Arching a brow, she asks, “What’d I miss?”

  “Allie doesn’t know what a sweetbutt is…” Ivy says like she’s talking about someone who died or something.

  “Shit! Seriously?” Peaches asks, looking at me disbelief.

  “Seriously,” Roxy answers for me then she waves us over. “That’s why we’re going to do some shots first.”

  I open my mouth, ready to tell her I’m not really in the mood to do a shot, but she gives me a hard look.

  “We’re all going to do some shots then we’re going to break it to her nice and easy.”

  June scoffs as she walks up to the bar. “Nice and easy, huh?”

  “Nice and easy.” Roxy nods and waves me over again.

  Peaches and Ivy both strut up to the bar and the four of them look at me expectantly.

  “Fuck,” I grumble as I walk up to the join them. “Just tell me and get it over with…”

  “Shots first,” Roxy says, not backing down as she nudges one toward me.

  Goddammit, whatever a sweetbutt is must be really bad.

  My stomach fills with dread as I pick up the shot glass.

  “Welcome back, it’s good to have you home, Allie!” Roxy grins and throws her shot back.

  The other three echo her and we throw our shots back.
>
  The tequila burns all the way down my throat.

  Shaking my head, I slam my glass down on the counter and demand. “Now tell me.”

  Everyone looks at Roxy expectantly.

  Sighing, she grabs the bottle of tequila and refills her glass. “Fine, I’ll fucking do it.” Throwing back the shot, she slams her glass down on the counter then she looks at me. “There isn’t an easy way to say this, Allie, but sweetbutts are us girls who haven’t been claimed as an ol’ lady yet.”

  “Okay,” I say, nodding my head. That doesn’t sound so bad, so it can’t be all of it. “And?”

  “And we’re expected to sleep with the guys,” Ivy whispers loudly.

  I turn to face her and ask, “What do you mean expected?”

  “If we want to be an ol’ lady, we gotta pay our dues and hope one of ‘em picks us one day,” June answers.

  Noticing the look on my face, Roxy leans toward me and refills my shot glass.

  Definitely feeling the need for alcohol now, I shoot her a grateful smile before I pick up the shot and down it.

  I give the shot a second to settle in my stomach before I ask, “Do you get a choice?”

  June rolls her eyes like it’s a stupid question. “Of course, we choose to be here.”

  The other three smile and nod their heads, and I start to feel a little relieved.

  “No one is forcing you?” I ask.

  “Nope,” Peaches answers almost cheerfully. “We’re here because we wanna be. If we don’t like it, we can leave.”

  Thank god, because I was seriously about to fucking murder Coy.

  “And any of the guys can…” I can’t even finish the question.

  Roxy nods her head and refills my shot glass.

  Picking up the fresh shot, I throw it back.

  Fuck.

  I know you should never ask questions you don’t want the answers to, but I can’t stop myself. I need to fucking know.

  Looking hard at them, I ask, “Did Coy?”

  The uncomfortable looks on their faces and their silence is all the answer I need.

  Roxy refills my shot glass again as I struggle with the sudden emotions slamming into me.

  There’s anger, oh yes. It’s the first thing I feel.

  How fucking dare he… fuck other women while I was away?

  It seems silly to be angry about it, but I am. So angry I could kick him in the balls.

  But there’s also fear and worry churning inside me.