by MLJ Quigg
After parking my car, I got out and walk toward the door where Derrick was standing and looking at me hungrily.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said.
I looked down at myself and had no idea what he saw. I wore pretty much what I had on last night—black slacks, metallic silver three-quarter-sleeved blouse, black vest, and black stilettos. My hair was down, and I had minimal make-up on.
“Hey, how’s it going?” I asked lamely.
“Good. Come on in, and we’ll have a chat, okay?”
“Sure, lead the way.”
When we walked in, I noticed the place was pretty big. The short hallway led to a huge common room with a couple of lounges, a table, and chairs. Sweeping my gaze from left to right, I noticed a set of huge double doors that were closed, a door to the left of the bar, and an alcove to the right that I couldn’t see around. There was a pool table off to the right, and the toilets were behind me. In front of me was a long bar with about twenty seats and a girl, who was hardly wearing any clothes, was standing behind it. A couple of guys were at the bar, and a few were at the tables, some of whom I recognised from yesterday.
On the wall was a mural of a red devil, smiling evilly, with Thorny Devils on top and Motorcycle Club underneath. It was a pretty good picture. I walked over to it to inspect it more closely.
“That was done by our resident artist Tatts. He is the one who runs the tattoo shop,” Derrick said from behind me. “It’s really good. I love the detail in it. It looks so real.” “Yeah, it does. That’s our MC emblem,” he replied.
I turned around and stated, “I like it.” “You want a drink?” he asked.
“Sure, wouldn’t mind some coffee if you have it. We were running so late today, I only got to have one.” I chuckled.
“I know what that’s like. How do you take it? We have a coffee machine that has all types of settings.”
“Just a flat white, please,” I answered.
“Trina, can I get two flat whites, please?” he asked the girl behind the bar.
“Anything for you, babe,” she replies, giving me a dirty look.
Uh-oh, I think I’m treading on someone’s toes here.
After Trina handed the drinks over and walked away, we sat at the bar and finished our coffees.
“You want a tour of the place before we talk?” Derrick asked.
“That sounds good.”
We walked toward the front door and entered the hallway. A door on the right read Dicks. I raised my brows at him.
“Men’s toilets.” He chuckled.
I just shook my head, smiling
We continued out the front door and turned left, walking past my car, and in the distance, I could see it was all grasslands. As we walked around the corner, I noticed it was bigger than what I’d thought.
Stopping, I just took in the scene in front of me.
To the right was a huge wooden fort and swing set.
The kids must love that. I would enjoy it, and that’s saying something.
When I turned to the left, there were about ten large picnic tables and a massive outdoor barbecue area. It had the biggest barbecue I had ever seen. The amount of food you could cook on that thing would be staggering.
Behind the tables was a large gazebo, and there was a massive fire pit near the end of the building. As we continued towards the back of the building, I noticed there was a roller door capable of driving five cars in side-by-side. There was a wall in the middle with a security keypad, and when Derrick pressed in a code, the roller door to the left started to slide up. When it was up all the way, I took a look in and saw two Ford pickup trucks on the right. In front, with a door opposite, were four bikes, and to the left were two cars and an SUV. Derrick keyed a code into the system, and the door lowered.
We continued on our tour, turning left at the end of the building.
“I love the outdoor area. That fort looks like it would be so much fun for kids and the barbecue is huge. You must be able to cook a whole cow on that thing,” I commented.
“Yeah, they do. It was put up a few years ago now when a couple of the boys wanted to spruce up the outside. They were bored and decided to just do it. We all figured why not and joined in to help. Took us about three months with all the landscaping, but it turned out better than we thought it would. The barbecue is custom built, and yes it just about does hold a whole cow,” he stated, laughing.
Around the back were a lot of square clotheslines attached to the building. We entered through the back door and into the common room. Right in front of me were a couple of lounges and a pool table, and beyond that was a door that read Chicks.
“Women’s toilets?” I asked, chuckling.
“Right in one,” he said with a laugh. Pointing out the doors to the right, he said, “First door is to the basement, and the second is to the conference room where we hold church.”
“What is church?”
“It’s where we hold all our meetings, and nothing we say in there is allowed to be said outside of that room. That’s the easiest explanation I can give you,” Derrick said.
“I can understand that. We have the same thing.”
Walking past the bar and the few tables scattered about, I noticed a set of stairs that we are heading towards.
“The kitchen’s in there. My office is next to that. Stairs to the basement and upstairs, elevator, and media room,” he stated, pointing from right to left. “Did you want to see the upstairs or leave that for another time?” he asked.
Not sure if he was just curious or if he would like there to be another time, I said, “How about we leave it for the moment, and see how we go, okay?”
“Sure, no problem.” He looked a little disappointed as we returned to the bar where he made us another cup of coffee.
Derrick
Fuck, she looked good today. I don’t think she knows her own appeal to the opposite sex. As she kept glancing at me, chewing her bottom lip, I wasn’t sure how to start the conversation.
“Are you busy today? Can you stay for a while?” I asked
“I don’t have any appointments today. I was just going to work to do paperwork and answer the phone, so yeah, I can stay for a while. I might have to answer some calls, but I won’t be long on them,” she replied.
“That’s cool, and I totally understand. So the guys have given their go-ahead with your company. What do you say we go over to the businesses tomorrow, and I’ll show you what you’re working with?”
“Sounds good. I won’t have the kids, so it’s no problem. Man, you haven’t changed a bit since I last saw you,” she said with a laugh.
“Yeah, I know. Good genes, I guess.”
“So what have you been up to for the last fifteen years? Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Married? Kids?”
“No to all of your questions,” I said with a chuckle.
“Why did you leave, Derrick?” she asked shyly.
I could tell she was dying to know, so I explained why I left.
“The night my mum died, Dad showed up and wanted me to come back here with him. He told me there was a threat against my mum, and he showed photos he’d been sent of the both of us, but it was clear the threat was to me and not you. I thought if I left, I was protecting you. I didn’t have much choice. There was no fucking way I was going to put you in harm’s way, Monique. So I moved here, and I became a prospect like the guy out at the front gate. I earned my patch, rose up in the ranks to be VP, and then became president when my dad died. We were into some bad shit then, so I changed things around here and got the club clean. It was a long process, but eventually, we became what we are today.”
“Wow, it sounds like you’ve been busy.”
“Yeah, we were for a while,” I muttered.
There was a long, uncomfortable pause.
“I’m so sorry for everything you went through, Monique. I came back to get you, and you were with someone else. I thought you were happy,” I blurted out.
“What do you mean you
came back?” She zeros in on me.
“I came back on your twenty-fourth birthday. I missed you so much and wanted to come to get you. You were outside your parents’ house with a guy, and you were hugging him tightly. When you both pulled back, you kissed him, and then smiled at him. You looked so happy. I thought you were with him and didn’t want to cause you any more pain,” I told her.
“Oh, man. That would have been Dave. He is the only man I would ever get that close to. He’s as gay as can be, but he is a fantastic guy. I remember that day. I surprised the family when I came home on leave,” she replied, smiling sadly.
“I should have spoken to you and not been such a coward. I could have brought you back here. Then none of the horrors you went through would have happened. I was heartbroken when I left, but I didn’t have a choice. I thought I was doing it to keep you safe, Thor and you still ended up going through hell.” I hiccupped as a tear rolled down my cheek.
“None of what I went through is your fault, Derrick,” Monique said, turning to me. She put her hands on my cheeks and wiped away my tears with her thumb.
“I don’t blame anyone except the bastards who took me. It’s no one’s fault but theirs. You will not take this on. I went through it, and I came out on the other side stronger,” she whispered to me as she put her forehead to mine.
“You are so much stronger than I am. It would have broken me long before,” I said.
“Honestly, I would have too if it weren’t for the kids. I had to be strong for them. They are the sole reason I breathe, and I would go through hell for them,” she said.
“Will you tell me what happened?” I asked.
“I was sent on an undercover mission with a couple of guys. I can’t tell you the reason or who and why I was there, but the guy we were after found out and shot me with a Taser gun. I was dragged into a room and tied facedown to a bed like a fucking starfish by five guys. They ripped off my clothes and raped me right there on the filthy bed. One of the guys was stupid enough to untie me, thinking I was too worn out. I got up and snapped his neck from behind when he turned around. I subdued three others before I was tased again. They tied me back up facedown and raped me again. I was whipped on my back and right hip when I tried to turn. I have no idea how long that lasted because I was unconscious in the end. When I woke up, they shot me up with something. It was only after I was off with the fairies that they untied me. That kept going on for ages. They would drug me, beat me, and then rape me. They wanted information, but I wouldn’t give it, so they brought in the guys who were with me and tortured them in front of me. They ended up shooting them because they wouldn’t talk. Even when they raped me in front of them, none of us would talk. When I became used to the drugs, I started fighting back, so they tied me to the bed, and that was where I stayed. They always came at me from behind. I have no idea how long I was like that, but I was still there when Mike and the guys rescued me.” As she told me everything, there were tears in her eyes, and by the end of it, I was crying.
“I am so, so sorry.” I sobbed as she pulled me into a tight hug.
“Hey, it’s all right. It’s not your fault. This happened because of them, not you,” Monique whispered in my ear as she kissed my cheek. She pulled back, and we both got ourselves under control.
“How did you get over it, Monique? You seem okay now,”
I asked.
“A fuck-load of therapy. I still have to go occasionally. I have PTSD from it, and whatever you do, never come at me from behind. I will either freeze or fight, no matter who you are. Can we change the subject, please?” she replied.
“Good idea. So ... kids. Man, I can’t believe I have kids. Fuck.
That’s a trip.” I chuckled.
“You certainly do. They are so tough and smart, Derrick, but at the same time, they are just kids. God, I love them so much.” She laughed.
“Tell me about them, please. I want to know everything.” “Do you have a laptop?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’ll go get it.” Curious, I go to my office and return with my laptop, then sat down next to her.
She logged into a cloud account and opened an album named photos, which contained thousands of them. We started from the start, and she explained what happened in each. There were photos from when she was pregnant right through to the current time.
I watched them grow up in pictures before my eyes. There were so many. She’d documented their whole lives. There were also photos of her, Mike, Dave, and her parents.
When my stomach started to rumble, I realised it was three in the afternoon.
“Holy shit, where did the time go? Don’t you have to pick up the kids? If so, you’re late,” I said.
“No, they are staying at Dave and Mike’s tonight. They were going to pick them up from school, so I’m free until tomorrow night,” she explains.
“Alrighty, then. You want something to eat? I’m starving,” I said.
“Yeah, food sounds good.”
“Follow me, and we’ll see what we have in the kitchen,” I said, hopping off my seat.
In the kitchen, we made sandwiches, then walked back and sat at the bar to eat and continued to talk. Monique had a few phone calls that she answered during that time and a cute as fuck call from the kids.
I had a strange feeling and looked around. Trina was just coming up from the basement and was standing there staring at us. When she noticed the dirty look I gave her, she returned it, then balled her fists and averted her eyes from me.
As the guys started trickling into the clubhouse, they said hi to us, so I introduced them to Monique properly.
“Do you want something to drink?” I questioned her.
She looked at the bottles of alcohol, then turned and asked, “Do you have any lemon and pineapple juice?” “Hold on. Let me check,” I replied.
I went around the bar to check the fridge, and yep, there was.
With a smile, I held the bottles up and showed her.
“I’ll have an illusion then, please,” she requested, smiling back at me.
“A fucking what?” I blurted out.
“Midori, vodka, and Cointreau with lemon and pineapple juice,” she said, laughing.
“Well, okay, then. I’ve never heard of it, but we’ll see how it goes,” I stated. Then I proceeded to make the drink as per her directions, handing it over when I’d finished.
She took a sip and moaned at the taste. “So good.” “I’ve never tried one. Is it nice?” I asked.
“Try it and see for yourself. You might or might not like it.” She slid the glass over to me.
I took a tentative sip, and my eyes popped open in surprise. “Fuck, that’s good.”
“I know, right?” She chuckled at my reaction, then said, “I’m gonna use the restroom. Be back soon.”
“No worries. Be right here when you get back,” I replied as I took another a sip of the drink.
Fuck, this drink is nice. It’s going down so easily.
While Monique was gone, Trina came over and asked, “Do you need anything else, babe?”
“No, thanks. We’re all good here.”
“Let me know if you change your mind,” she replied.
As I nodded, Monique came back and continued talking, and then she took a look around, frowning.
“I don’t think she likes me much,” she said.
I looked around, and once again, Trina was staring at us.
“Don’t worry about her. She’ll get over it,” I said
“I’m really not. It’s just an observation,” Monique replied.
While we continued to talk and catch up, I realised how much I’d missed this woman. She was a stunning woman, and I was a stupid arse for leaving her behind.
Monique
I spent a couple of hours meeting various members like Kilo, who was a huge guy at seven feet, and Danger, who actually looked dangerous, and Wombat their tech guy, Cane and Able the twins, and a few others, but I couldn’t remember their names. Th
ere were just too many of them.
I was standing with Derrick, talking to Trigger and Hulk, when someone came up behind me and grabbed me on the shoulder. Acting on reflex, I grabbed the hand and bent it back as I turned toward the person. Then I dropped it, grabbed hold of both shoulders, turned slightly sidewards, and swept the feet out from under the person. Following them to the ground, I was just about to punch them on the forehead when I noticed it was Dozer. I stopped the punch when he held his hands up in surrender.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he stammered.
“I’m so sorry. You scared the fuck out of me.” I was breathing heavily as I gave him a hand up and apologised again.
“How the fuck can you fight in heels?” Trigger asked.
“Dance. I’ve been taking dance lessons since I was four. Dad wanted me to take mixed martial arts, and Mum wanted me to be a dancer. They couldn’t come to an agreement, so I did both. Dave started coming to dance classes with me when I first met him and continued on while I was on leave from the military. We upped the amount for rehab to help my healing. We go to classes twice a week.
It has helped, and we are really good.” I shrugged nonchalantly.
“That’s amazing. Wanna give us a demonstration?” Dozer asked cheekily.
“Get Dave here and I will,” I said with a laugh.
“I’m going to get a beer after that. Does anyone else want one?” Dozer asked.
We all nodded, and when I gave my illusion order, he had the same reaction as Derrick. After explaining it, Dozer nodded, then walked to the bar and returned, handing out our drinks.
“So, we’ll just forget that happened. I can’t believe I’ve been taken out by a girl two days straight. No one says anything. Mum’s the word, okay? I’ve got a rep to keep here,” Dozer said, sputtering.
“Not a word, big guy. Your rep is safe with me.” I chuckled.
“Well, I am glad we sorted that out. So, how’s it hanging, hon?” Dozer asked, taking a drink of his beer.
