Something has changed between us, something big. Over the last week, I could feel the difference. It’s like I was a shadow before, as far as he was concerned, barely visible to him. Now, I’m his sole focus. I didn’t miss when he called me his woman, but I chose to ignore it. I’m not sure how I feel about him saying that, but I think I may like it.
“Ready to go?” He asks as I walk into the living room.
Nodding my head, I walk over to the door. “Yeah, I want to get to Mom as soon as we can.”
“Did you call Nina or Priss and let them know you were heading out?”
“No,” I murmur, wondering how in the world I could’ve forgotten the people that have been keeping me sane the last few months. Today is Nina’s birthday, and Rachel took her out for a mother-daughter spa day. I was invited, but I decided to stay home and make her a cake instead. “I didn’t even think about it.”
I watch as he pulls out his cell and starts to type out a message. A second later, it’s back in his pocket and he’s walking towards me. “I got it covered. Let’s hit the road.”
He walks past me to the door then holds it open for me. As we walk outside, he lays a hand on the small of my back and follows me off the porch. “You know shit changed for us a few minutes ago, right?”
I have no idea how to answer, not sure exactly what brought on the change, so I simply shrug.
“I’m gonna lay it out for you,” he explains as he leads me to his bike. “I’ve decided to give this a go, you and me.”
I hesitate, not sure how to respond. “What do you mean, you and me?”
He stops; using his finger in my belt loop to stop me in my tracks. “I want you; I wanted you the moment your brother showed me your picture, fuckin’ years ago. Now that you’re that girl again, I’m claiming you as mine.”
His? What the heck? “You can’t just claim me.”
“I already did.”
“No, no, no,” I shake my head as his words send a wave of fear crashes into me. “I just escaped one man that thought he owned me, I don’t want another one.”
“You can get that shit out of your head right now. I’m nothing like that fuckin’ bastard. I won’t try to change you. I’ll just give you a chance to be the woman you want to be, no holds barred.”
I run his words through my mind, over and over again. As I do, the look on his face when we first met works its way into my thoughts. “You didn’t want me when I first met you. You acted like you couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”
He looks straight into my eyes, letting me see his determination. “The up-tight bitch that got off the bus isn’t you. She was some fucked up doll that your husband created, and I fuckin’ hated her. This is you, and I want you.”
His words send me back on my heels. So much of what he says is true, that wasn’t me, but I have to wonder if the person I am now is real either. I haven’t been me in so long that I’m not sure. Either way, if I don’t know who I am, I’m sure Bowie doesn’t. “You don’t know me. There’s no way you can want me.”
He places his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look into his eyes. “I do know you, and anything that I don’t know, I’ll find out once you’re in my bed.”
Again, his words shock me. Do men really talk to women like this? “That’s not gonna happen.”
He crushes his lips to mine, stealing my breath then pulls away leaving me panting. “Sure it will.”
Not giving me a chance to argue, his hand on my lower back again, he starts a fast pace towards the bike. “We have to hurry up; I wanna be there by midnight, and I still have to stop by the clubhouse to get my shit.”
I nod, willing to go along with anything to get to see my mom. “Okay.”
“Tin-Man’s coming with us.” He says as he climbs on his bike. “You got a problem with that?”
The thought of his brother brings a smile to my face, even though inside I feel nothing but sadness. “I like Tin-Man.”
My statement is simple, but something about it causes a flash of possessiveness in Bowie’s eyes. He leans forward, crossing his arms over the handlebars. “My brother is off limits. Fuck that, everyone is off limits to you. Do you understand?”
His words come out in a deceptively soft voice; the threat in his tone isn’t lost on me though. A part of me wants to tell him to kiss my ass, let him know I will no longer be controlled, but a bigger part of me knows that this man is the only reason I’m getting to see my mom before she is gone.
I swallow back the anger I feel and nod. “Whatever you say.”
Without waiting for him to assist me, I climb behind him on the bike and settle myself into place. He looks over his shoulder, his eyes taking in my face. He slowly shakes his head from side to side and mutters, “Nothing but fuckin’ trouble.”
A second later, the engine starts and its welcoming rumble hits my ears. The powerful vibrations send tingles throughout my body, while we back out of the driveway. As soon as the tires hit the blacktop, I feel the freedom that only comes from being on the back of Bowie’s bike. I finally let out a breath, releasing my stress into the wind. Then, I lean my head against his shoulders and enjoy the ride.
Not a Club Whore
Bowie
All eyes are on us before the door to the clubhouse slams shut. The tension is thick in the air as everyone scents the fresh meat at my side. I squeeze Shay’s hand and pull her closer to my body. “Stay by my side.”
She looks up and nods. I can tell she’s nervous, and I wish I could tell her there was no reason to be, but that would be a lie. She’s fresh blood, new pussy as far as my brothers are concerned. Until I claim her, she’s fair game. At Nina’s, she was safe. The boys knew she was under my protection, but bringing her here makes it a whole new ballgame.
I look around the room, until my eyes finally seek out Tin-Man and Rollo. Giving her a light pull, I lead her to them. I take my place at the table, between them, and pull Shay into my lap. Her body is ridged at first, so I place my lips against her neck. “It’ll be fine, baby.”
After a second or two, her body relaxes into mine. Then, she snuggles in closely and wraps her arm around my side. I can tell she’s nervous, and it makes me happy as hell that she’s allowing me to protect her. I place another kiss on her neck, rewarding her for her trust, before lifting my eyes to Tin. “Brother.”
“What’s up?” He asks, just as he lights up a cigarette.
Rollo lets out a laugh. “Judging by the hot piece on his lap, I could probably tell you what’s up.”
I cut my eyes to him. “Don’t.”
He throws his hands up in the air and laughs even harder. “I was just fuckin’ with you, man.”
“Not about her,” I say, rubbing my thumb along her ribs. “She’s not a club whore.”
Rollo looks at Shay then back to me. “I can tell that.”
Tin butts in, getting us back on topic. “What’s going on?”
“I need you to take a ride with me.” I answer, giving him no further information. I’ll tell him more later. For now, I don’t want to talk about this shit in a clubhouse full of our father’s lackeys.
“If the riding has anything to do with woman sitting in your lap, I’m in.” He shoots Shay a wink then looks back to me. “Especially, if she’s the one doing the riding.”
I look down at Shay, trying to judge her reaction. She’s smiling, fuckin’ smiling. “The only riding she’ll be doing is on my bike.”
He ignores me and looks right at her. “Come on, Shay. You know you want me to take you for a ride.”
She shakes her head, but never loses her smile. “Nope, Bowie already told me to stay away from you. You’ll have to wait ‘til he’s not around and ask me again.”
My arms tighten around her, letting her know I don’t like the game she’s playing. Then, I realize that it’s the first time I have seen her smile since she heard about her mom. A real fuckin’ smile and I love it. Just like me, my woman lets her worries go as soon as she gets on the back of a bike.
Tin-Man throws his head back and laughs. “You are going to cause all kinds of trouble for my
hermano
, aren’t you?”
“She sure in the hell is.” Rollo adds.
Her body tightens again, and she loses her smile. Finally she whispers out, “More than you know.”
Tin’s eyes narrow on her, but she ignores him and looks up to me. “When are we leaving? I really want to see Mom as soon as possible.”
Just by the tone of her voice, I know all her worries are back. I wish I could take them away, but I can’t. I can get our asses on the road though. “Just a minute, I gotta grab my shit.”
I raise my eyes to Tin-Man. “We’ll be gone for a few days.”
“Do you need me riding back-up?” Rollo asks.
“Nah, man, we got it handled.”
He nods, before standing up. “I’m gonna head out then. If you need me, just call.”
“Thank you, brother.” I say before he walks away then looks back to Tin. “You ready?”
He doesn’t ask any questions, just nods his head. “My saddle bags are still packed from my last ride.”
I lift Shay from my lap and stand up. “Give me five and meet us outside.”
He cuts his eyes to the hall then back at me. “Leave Shay with me. I’ll walk her to the bikes.”
I’m about to say no, when I see Domino leaning against the doorway to the hall. She looks at Shay then brings her eyes to me. The smirk on her face says she’s about to cause trouble, and I don’t want my woman having any part of that. She takes a step forward, and I shake my head. Luckily, the bitch stops in her tracks.
Finally, I look down at Tin-Man. “Take her out. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I lean down and place a kiss on the top of Shay’s head then motion for her to go to Tin. As soon as she is safely by his side, I make my way to the hallway. As I pass Domino, I mutter. “Get the fuck in my room now.”
I walk straight to my door and swing it open. She steps in a second later. “I thought you said you’d never invite me in here again.”
Ignoring the sarcasm dripping from her voice, I place my face inches from hers. “If you fuck with my woman, I’ll bury your ass.”
Her eyes go hard, and she moves even closer. When her lips are just a hairsbreadth from mine, she lets out a quiet laugh. “Why the fuck would I bother your new whore?”
Every damn word out of her mouth is pissing me off even more. It takes every bit of self-restraint I have not to knock her fuckin’ teeth down her throat. “Don’t fuckin’ talk about her like that. She’s nothing like you, and we both know you’re the whore. I’ve dished out enough money for your pussy.”
“You seemed to like this whore just fine when I was sucking your dick.” She replies, running the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip.
She looks me up and down, eyes settling on my crotch. Not even a twitch, my cock wouldn’t rise for her if she was sucking it right now. Just watching her attempt to seduce me has it shriveling up. How the fuck did I ever touch this stupid bitch? “Don’t even try it, Domino.”
“Why not? You don’t really think that new little piece you brought in is really gonna hang around for long, do you?” She looks at me for a second, trying to find the answer to her question. “You can’t be that stupid.”
Just the thought of Shay leaving causes an ache deep in my chest. As far as I’m concerned, she will stay. If Shay has other plans, she better change them. “Even if she doesn’t stay, I would never fuck your rotten cunt again.”
“I’m an old lady now, so I don’t need your ass.”
I take a step back as what she just said sinks in. “Who the fuck claimed you?”
“Someone with more power than you.”
Her words shock me to the core. There is only one person in the whole fuckin’ club that she could be talking about, but that bastard has never put his colors on any woman. “My father?”
She laughs again; this time it comes out like a cackle. “Oh, your brother didn’t tell you everything that happened while you were gone did he?”
“You’re fuckin’ lying; you’ve gotta be,” I say fisting my hand against my leg, barely controlling the fury boiling up inside of me.
She shrugs, a bitchy smile playing on her lips. “I’m telling the truth, just ask the
spic
.”
The words are barely out of her mouth, before my hand is wrapped tightly around her throat. Not caring that touching another brother’s woman could be a death sentence, I lift her by the neck and carry her to the wall. Slamming her against it, I start to shout. “I don’t give a fuck who claimed your skank ass, if you ever call my brother that again, I’ll kill you.”
“I can’t breathe.” She gasps out.
Her eyes are round and filled with fear as she claws at my hands, but I don’t fuckin’ care. I send my fist flying into the wall next to her head, splintering the sheetrock. “Do you understand?”
She does her best to nod, but my hand is so tight that she can barely move her head. I squeeze once more, before I toss her onto the floor. I look down at her, as she gasps for air. “I’m done with your shit, bitch. Don’t come near me again, and if I even see you breathing the same air as Shay, you’re done.”
With that, I walk over to the closet and grab my bag that’s still packed from my last road trip. Not bothering to look back, I step out of the room. Then, I walk out of the clubhouse not caring that a shit storm will be waiting for me when I walk back in. That bitch deserved everything she got.
Scared Shitless
Shay
I snuggle into Bowie’s back as we drive down the interstate. The feel of his leather against my cheek and the subtle scent of tobacco and cologne lulls my worries away. Something about the roar of the bike and vibration of the motor makes the world and all its problems fade away.
As midnight grows near, the bike veers off of I-85 leading us straight into the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina. All the worry the long ride washed away is back with a vengeance. As we drive past a restaurant that Marcus and I had often visited, a shudder makes its way through my body. Instantly, Bowie’s hand reaches down and squeezes my knee. A second later, he pulls off into an abandoned parking lot across from the hospital.