by Lake, Rae B.
"Damn, baby, who hated you? You need this drink, I bet. Go on in." She hands him back his ID, and we both walk further into the bar. The place is all burgundies and red. Women are hanging on swings from the ceiling and people dancing on tables. I can't understand why there aren't more people in the place. It seems like a great place to relax and look at the ladies. I turn to one of the tables and look at the tall woman on it. I have to squint because the lights are very dim, but unless my eyes are deceiving me, the woman on the table is not a woman. I scan the room, and my eyes fall on at least three other males dressed in women's clothing.
I slap Vale's arm. "What the fuck did you bring us in here for?" I growl at him.
I have no problem with alternative lifestyles. Fuck I couldn’t care less about what part of the alphabet mafia you were in, but I am completely heterosexual, and nothing about watching a man dressed in fuck-me pumps appeals to me.
"Don't be such a fucking stick in the mud. This place has great fucking drinks. I've been here before." Vale turns back to the bar, completely ignoring me. It seems like every day there’s something else I can't understand about my twin brother. Is he trying to fucking tell me he’s gay? I couldn't see it, not as much as he shoved his bare cock in random women.
"Vale, let's get the fuck out of here. I don't want to be here." I rise from the stool, and he puts a hand on my shoulder to bounce me back down on my chair.
"Shut up, have a drink. We're leaving soon." He raises his hand to get the attention of the bartender.
My foot taps up and down in frustration as I wait for him to finish whatever the fuck he’s doing here so we can find a motel and get some sleep.
"How may I help you?” My eyes pop up at the woman standing in front of me. I check the normal telltale areas to make sure I have her gender right. No Adams apple, small hands, no shadow on the face. I'm pleasantly surprised at what I'm looking at. This woman is by far the best thing I’ve seen in ages, maybe even my life, and she’s all woman.
Her hair is curly and light brown with streaks of blonde in it. Her skin is golden, but her most striking feature is her eyes. One is a bright blue, and the other is a bright hazel, almost gold. I have heard of people having two different color eyes, but I've never seen it.
"You called for me?" She leans her head to the side and pouts her lips slightly. Inside, my body is roaring and snarling to grab her. I want to throw her up against the nearest wall and fuck the hell out of her. It’s almost as if I want to mark her. It’s unnerving. I’ve never felt such an instant fucking connection with anyone, especially not recently.
"Excuse my mute brother. We’ll take two gin and tonics, please." Vale is the one to speak up.
I nod, and she walks away to make our drinks.
Vale hits me with his elbow. "See, I told you the drinks are perfect here."
For the first time in a long time, I really can't argue with his fucking assessment. "You want her?" I ask, hoping he says no. I have never fought my brother for a woman, but I’m seriously thinking about it. I am suddenly very fucking glad he’s considered the ugly one now.
"Nah, since we gotta be here. I just thought we’d find something good to look at. What do you think? Did I do a good job?" He chuckles slightly.
"Fuck yeah, she's gorgeous. Who is she?"
He shrugs and looks away, "Ah, no one I know personally. I’ve seen her through some of my old work contacts."
"Oh, ok." I don't know what the hell that meant. Vale hadn't worked a real job a day in his life. I know he didn't mean he met her through the Wings, so that must mean he knew her through the Vilanuevas brother.
"Tell me, sweetheart. You going to be here long?" Vale leans over the bar and tries to strike up a conversation with the beautiful woman, but she answers as politely as she can.
"I'll be here until my shift is over, and then it's off home."
"Oh, that's too bad. I think you’d have a great time with us. What do you say?" He lays it on thick.
"Sorry, baby, maybe some other time." She shoots Vale a wink and walks down to the other side of the bar.
"Smooth, brother." I chuckle and pick up the drink she left for us.
"Don't worry. I'm just setting myself up. Soon she won't be able to resist my charms." He jokes and goes back to his drink.
We’re there for another hour. We don't talk about anything, and he doesn't try to talk to the bartender again. Instead, he turns and takes in the other people in the bar. He's casing the joint. I know my brother. There is no fucking way we are just sitting here watching people shake their asses on tables and drink watered-down gin and tonics. There is always an ulterior motive.
"I don't know what the fuck you’re thinking, but there is no way we are doing this shit tonight." I stand up in front of him, cutting off his view of the room, and pull my jacket on.
When his eyes jump to mine, I can see the disgust. He quickly disguises it as a smile. I don't know when my brother started to resent me, but I can feel it growing every fucking day.
"What the hell are you going on about now, Storm. I'm not doing anything. What the hell can I do here in the middle of a bar packed with people? Jeez, why can't you have any damn faith in me?" He hops off the barstool and throws a few dollars down on the bar top. He turns and looks at the bartender, waving her tip in the air before putting it down on the counter to get her attention.
"I'll be back to take you up on the raincheck." He smirks at her. I'm sure he meant for it to sound sexy, but even to my ears, it sounds creepy as fuck. It sounded as if it was a promise rather than him asking her.
"Ok, baby. I'll see you later." The woman smiles politely, her two-toned eyes following us as we walk out of the bar and into the street.
"What are we doing here?" I ask when we are far enough away from the bar, no one will hear me.
"I'm looking into some work, so we don't have to keep running around. If it comes through, then we can just chill for a while." He shrugs his shoulders.
"What kind of work? What about the Wings? You know they aren't just going to let us be. Wire is going to keep coming after us. Especially here in Archer's territory. It's too risky." I shake my head. There’s nothing about settling here I’d be comfortable with. Nothing that would lead me to believe we’d be safe. That’s all I want, to be safe with all of my brothers.
"Storm." He sighs and stops walking before turning to glare at me. "We’re brothers, right?"
"What the fuck, yeah."
"You need to trust me. I promise you things will be good once I get this job done, but while I'm doing it, shit is going to be fucked up. I can't do it without you. I need you to stand with me. Can I count on you to have my back?" He puts a hand on my shoulder, a twinge of emotion in his voice.
What in the fuck is he getting us into?
"Yeah, Vale. What do we have to do?" We start moving again but at a much slower pace.
"You don't worry about the details. I'll get it all handled, and it'll be epic." He smiles wide. One side of his face not reaching as high as the other before he picks up the pace and makes his way to the motel we saw on the other side of town.
I want to believe this was going to be the end. That soon, I’d be able to call Wire or Prez and let them know that Vale has come to his senses, and we would be coming back to talk. Something tells me I’m not going to get my wish.
I wake up the next morning, and Vale is nowhere to be seen. Either he’s out getting food or into trouble. I hope it's not the latter.
I open the small window leading out to the back walkway. The motel itself is low class, but the view is amazing. Everything about Louisiana is beautiful. The food, the women, and the community. Just walking around, it feels like a home, not just a place to visit. I can understand why so many people flock here to live.
The time alone is bad for me, though. The guilt is eating away at me, and the uncertainty of my choice to protect my blood over the patch is heavy.
The phone on the side table calls to me. Every once i
n a while, I think maybe I can just pick up the phone and call Wire. I imagine apologizing and the guys welcoming me home as they did Ink, but it’s not the same. I wasn't stolen or hurt. I ran. I ran away and left my patch behind. They have every right to put a bullet in my head when they see me. I know the code. You never fucking abandon your brothers. I pick up the phone and make sure to block the number from any caller ID. I dial the number I keep on a piece of paper in my wallet.
"Wings." Ink answers the phone.
I don't say a word. Fuck I want to. I want to tell him I know I fucked up, and I’d do anything to have shit back the way it was, but he isn't trying to hear that shit. Especially Ink. Not after the shit Vale did to him.
"Yo?" Ink says, trying to see if there is anyone on the line. When I still don't say anything, he hangs up, probably thinking it’s a dropped call. I put the handset on the cradle and just fall back to the bed, feeling like a fucking punk.
The door swings open a second later, and Vale walks in. He is sweaty and is out of breath. My hand immediately goes to the gun I have tucked into the waistband of my pants.
"What is it? What's happening?" I stand and raise my weapon, thinking someone is coming for him. It’s not the best place to be having a shootout; neither one of us can fit out the window in the bathroom, so there’s only one way in and one way out.
"Nothing, relax. We’re good." Vale says and just walks by me without saying anything more.
I lower the gun and follow him, "Why the hell do you look like you just ran a fucking marathon then?"
"What the fuck, man, are you my fucking mother? I had to take a run. Everything is fine. Goddamn, mother hen." Vale rolls his eyes and turns back to the bag we stashed in the room.
"Look, man, we’re both on edge. I don't know what the fuck is going on, and you come in here looking like you’re running from Satan himself. I know you say you got everything the fuck under control, but you’re not telling me shit. Do I need to fucking remind you that it's not just you on the run?" I pound my chest with my fist, "This is my fucking life on the line as well. My life that I gave the fuck up to get you the fuck out."
Vale steps back and puts his hands up in surrender. "I know how much you gave up, bro, and that’s why I'm trying to get this together for us. You gotta trust me. I'm not going to fuck this up. Just have a little faith." An emotion passes his face quickly before he has a chance to drop his gaze to the floor. He's ashamed.
Fucking hell.
"I know, man. I trust you. My bad." I rub the back of my neck. This running around is taking more out of me than I'm used to. Sure, when I rode with the Wings, there was always something happening. There was always someone gunning for us or something we needed to take over. For the life of me, I can't remember a time when I was the one being hunted and basically on my own.
"It's good. Get some rest. There’s nothing we need to do today, but I have to go out and pick up a few things. I'll be in and out for the better part of the day." He speaks as if this is the most normal thing he has ever done in his life. If he’s this calm about whatever he is working with, then I should just ease up.
* * *
"Yes, baby. You are a fine one, ain't you?" A woman murmurs as she passes by me on the street.
I laugh and keep on walking. I decided to take a walk in town. With Vale doing whatever the fuck he’s doing for this job, there’s fuck all for me to do but see what’s going on outside. I'm not sure if there’s a parade or something, but there are loads of people outside. Everyone laughing and have a good time. Musicians play jazz, and tourists dance around. Women are barely dressed, and they’re very vocal about what they want from me. It's a good time. Quieter than the parties I'm used to at the clubhouse but still a nice and easy good time.
My eyes settle on a tall woman with a honey complexion and a bald head. She’s wearing a jeweled bikini, and I'm inclined to think if she dances a little harder, some of them may fall off. She is a beautiful woman, and just watching her so carefree makes me feel lighter.
"Vale?"
I stop in my tracks. I've been confused for my brother all my life, so hearing someone call me that isn't unusual. I'm worried because no one should know where we are. Our lives depend on being able to stay under the radar.
"Motherfucker!" The deep voice says behind me. I don't even have to turn around to know that whoever it is, is giving chase. I take off, pushing my way through the crowds of people. I hope whoever it is has the common decency at least not to shoot in a crowd full of people, but then again, the bastards I hung out with don't have much decency to go around.
I don't hear any bikes or anyone else calling for my brother or me, but I don't stop running. I run down an alley; it’s a bad move. I don't know where the fuck I am. I could be running down a dead end, and then I’d be up shit's creek. There’s a gated fence, which I quickly scale and jump down. When I land on the other side, I take a glance at whoever is chasing after me.
Pirate.
He's the treasurer from the Wings of Diablo chapter down here in Louisiana. Why the fuck he’s so fucking far away from New Orleans, I don't know, but right now, I can't focus on that. I need to escape. If he catches me before Vale has a chance to talk to Wire, we’re both going to get our fucking heads blown off. I take off again down the opposite side of the alley and run into one of the side stores.
"You piece of shit! Stop fucking running. I'll rip your fucking face off!" Pirate yells as he continues to chase after me. I don't even have a chance to catch my breath. He hasn't stopped, so I can't.
I run to the back of the store, but there’s only another small alley, and from what I can see, this one does end up in a dead-end. "Fuck!" I roar and look around for my options. There’s nothing around, and I'm not going to fight Pirate. There is no fucking way. I dash down the alley and jump up, pulling the ladder down on the fire escape.
It must not have been moved for quite some time because it doesn't come down with the first two pulls.
"Fuck!" I grunt and pull again with all my might. Pirate bursts from the door and is only a few steps behind me when I jump up the ladder and race to the landing.
"You dumb, fuck! Where do you think you’re going to go?" He follows behind me, racing up the fire escape, one landing down. I push myself harder. I need to get away, and the distance between us is closing fucking fast. I get to the top of the building, hoping I’d see a door back into the complex, but it’s at the other end. Pirate would catch me before I could make it there.
"Goddammit!" I curse myself for getting into this fucking situation, but it's time to gut up or shut up. If he catches me or I fall, the result is all the same. I take off running for the edge of the building. I can see the next building over is low enough and close enough for me to make it from my position. I'm not the smallest person in the world, but I'm hoping my added muscle weight doesn't pull me down too much.
I sprint when I get closer to the edge of the building, and push off the ledge and jump to the next building. Screaming the entire time.
"Oh shit!" He slows down just enough, seeing what I've done. I watch him take a few paces back and start to run for the edge. He's not going to stop. I look again to see if there is a door or a way down from here. Same deal as before, it's on the far side of the roof, I’d have to slow down and turn to get to it. Pirate is too close on my ass for that, and he’d catch me before I made it there.
I have to make another jump for it.
"Vale, don't you fucking do it! Don't!" He screams as he makes his way across to the rooftop I'm on. His jump was badly timed, and he ends up rolling on the rooftop. I don't know if he's hurt, but I can't check, he's still talking, and that’s all that matters.
"I can't go back yet. Not yet. They'll kill him!” I turn for a second and address him.
His head pops up, and he glares at me. "Storm." I see his mouth move, and he starts to run toward me again.
I make my way to the ledge of the building, and this time I'm almost glad I didn’t
take any measurements because I wouldn’t have jumped. The gap is wider than the one before it, and I have to send a prayer to god as I float through the air toward the next rooftop.
"Shit!" Pirate screams behind me, and I watch him land on the building, but instead of landing on the roof as I did, he lands on the edge and slips down. I lunge, my instincts telling me to go back and save my brother, but I see him pulling himself up. Once he gets one leg on solid ground and I know he isn't going to fall, I rush to the next ledge. This time something inside of me tells me to look before I leap.
I must have a fucking angel on my shoulder because there’s no way I would have made that jump. None.
I look toward Pirate, who is getting his legs under him, and I know he isn't going to give up. At least not this easily. I can see he’s winded, but now I'm stuck up here with him. He will continue to pursue me. I turn toward the edge of the building and call for that angel to make another appearance. I'm going to need her right now.
I take a step off the three-story building and let myself freefall, making sure to keep my body as relaxed as I can. The fall is peaceful.
"Storm! No!" Pirate screams, I can hear the pain in his voice, and before my body hits, part of me is happy he’d be sad. It means they don't completely see me as the fucking enemy.
I land with a thud, and the air is forced out of my lungs. I take in a gasping breath and look up to see Pirate leaning over the edge of the building, looking for me.
"You stupid, crazy motherfucker!" He yells angrily, but there’s relief on his face.
I jumped into a dumpster. It looked full from up there, but I had no way of knowing if the fall would kill me or not. Luckily it was full of shit that didn’t skewer me like a fucking pig.
I pull myself out and run on wobbly legs out of the alley. After a fall like that, I feel like every fucking bone in my body has been jarred from its place.
