Beautiful Outlaw (9 page)

I look over to my sister and narrow my eyes playfully.  “There is nothing nasty about my beard.  The ladies love it.”

“Whatever,” She says with a shake of her head as she reaches above us to pull plates from the cabinet.  “The girls just tell you that.  No woman wants a man with a beard slobbering all over her.”

“I like his beard,” Shay says, her voice low. 

I turn my eyes to her and shoot her a smile. Leaning down to whisper in her ear I say, “You’ll like it even more when I’m between your legs.”

Her jaw drops and she steps away from me.  She stares at me just a second, before resuming her task.  “I have to get this cake finished.”

I watch as a blush crosses her cheeks, and her lip goes between her teeth once again.  I swear the sight has my dick pushing against my zipper in a way that makes me wonder if the metal will hold.  There is just something about Shay, something different.  I want to reach out, pull her to me, toss her over my shoulder and go to the bedroom.  Instead, I turn to Priss and take a handful of plates.  A second later, Nina and Tin are in the room.  A few minutes after that, we are all at the table eating
Mamá’s
homemade enchiladas. 

After dinner is done, we all head to the living room to watch TV.  Shay goes straight to the chair, her eyes on me the entire way.  I can tell she’s running, but I ain’t letting that shit happen.  I walk right to her and pull her out of the seat.  Sitting down in her spot, I pull her into my lap.

Her ass wiggles against my cock, causing it to weep for joy.  “What are you doing?”

“I’m holding you.” I state the obvious as my eyes go to the TV screen.

She continues to fight my hold, while I ignore her and focus on the movie Priss put in.  I watch as a golf ball crashes into glass and the name
Happy Madison Productions
flash across the screen. Just as the title fades and movie starts, her elbow goes into my chest. “Can you please let me up?”

Tin-Man snickers taking his place on the couch beside Nina.  “He has you where he wants you.  If I was you, I’d just give up.”

“If she was on my lap, I wouldn’t be letting her ass up either.” Red adds, even though he has his own woman at home.

I’m about to say something when Rollo puts in his own thoughts.  “If I could get her on my lap, I guarantee we wouldn’t be sitting in the living room with everyone watching.”

Nina reprimands him before I can even open my mouth.  “Do not talk about my
hija
that way.”

He lets out a snicker before saying, “Sorry, ma’am.”

I stay quiet as Shay mumbles something I can’t hear under her breath.  I can tell she’s still pissed, but at least she has quit fighting.  For the next fifteen minutes, she sits ram-rod straight before slumping just a bit, letting her back brush against me.  Finally, twenty minutes after that she relaxes into me.   An hour later, she is cuddled in my lap fast asleep. 

I wait until the credits start to roll, before standing up and carrying her to her room.  I use my foot to push her door open and take her to the bed.  Laying her down, I walk to the foot of the bed and pull the shoes from her feet.  Then, I wiggle her around until I can pull the blankets over her.

Straightening up, I look down at her.  It’s at that instant, I realize what I just did.  Never, not one fuckin’ time, have I ever taken care of a woman like that.  I would get them off then get them out of my bed.  I know she is different; she isn’t at all like the rest.  I just don’t know what that means.

Deciding I ‘m not gonna figure it out watching her sleep, I walk out of her room and back into the hall.  Nina is standing just outside of the door; her hand reaches out and grabs me, before I can make it past her.  She goes to her toes and starts to talk in a low voice.  “She’s had enough pain in her life. If you hurt my girl I’ll be disappointed in you.  You’ve made me angry a million times, but I’ve never been disappointed in you,
hijo.
”

Be Happy

Shay

Nina places a plate of muffins on the table and sits down.  Lifting her coffee cup, she looks at me with a smile on her face. “He treats you different, Shay.”

For the last twenty minutes, she has been going on and on about Bowie.  Grilling me about our ride to Moonlight Barbeque and teasing me about falling asleep in his lap.  She also told me about him carrying me to bed and taking off my shoes.  She enjoys the story so much that she went over every detail of it three times.  Her favorite part is him covering me up.  I’m not sure how to react to the information.  It gives me a warm feeling, but it also fills me with fear.

I blow into my coffee, looking over the rim to her.  “He’s a little too controlling for me.”

That’s actually a lie; he is a lot controlling.  Last night, I was never more than a foot from him.  Sitting beside him at dinner, he kept adding more to my plate even though I told him I was full.  When I tried to say no, he told me I was too skinny. I nearly laughed, knowing that I’ve gained twenty-three pounds since moving in with Nina.  After the food hit my plate, I realized I would end up eating it all.  This only made him laugh and me angry.

What was even worse was him forcing me to sit in his lap, even after I begged him to let me up.  Honestly, I didn’t want to move.  I was just afraid because I felt safe being within his arms.  When I finally allowed myself to relax, I became more comfortable than I had ever been in my life.  I have always been easy to wake.  The fact that he carried me to bed, without waking me, shows just how secure I felt. 

She grins at me sympathetically, after taking a drink of her own coffee.  “He isn’t controlling, sweetheart.  He’s protective; it’s his nature.  He had to look out for his sister since the day her mother dropped her in his lap.  He also had to take care of Justin.  The men at the clubhouse didn’t appreciate his mixed blood.  Alex made it his mission to make sure that none of their stupid comments ever made it to his brother’s ears.”

“Alex?” I ask latching on the unknown name.

“Alex Bailey is Bowie’s real name.  I don’t use it very often, but sometimes it slips out.  He doesn’t like it very much.  His father gave him the name, so when the boys started calling him Bowie he made sure that no one ever called him Alex again.”

I think about her words for a second, wondering what his father did to make Bowie hate him so much.  Instead of asking that, I move on to something else.  “Why do they call him Bowie?”

Nina takes another drink before answering.  “Bowie’s grandfather was one of the original members of the Savage Outlaws. He died when Bowie was about ten.  Until then, he was the one that raised him.”

She stands and walks to the coffee pot, filling her cup before topping mine.  Sitting down, she goes back to her story.  “His mom wasn’t around, and his dad wasn’t the best kind of role model, so Tobias took over his raising.  He gave him that knife he’s always wearing on his hip.”

“I’ve seen it,” I say, remembering the leather sheath he wears. 

“From the time Bowie was big enough to hold it in his hand, Tobias had him practicing.  By the time his grandfather died, he could hit a target from fifty feet away.  The boys at the clubhouse used to bet him he couldn’t hit this or that, but he did every time.  After a while, they gave him the name Bowie.”

I take a moment to think about what all she told me.  Bowie took care of his brother and sister; he didn’t have a mom or a dad to care for him, and the only person to love him as a child died when he was too young to care for himself. After that, he was raised by a bunch of bikers.  Until, he was lucky enough to find Nina.  No wonder he turned out to be the way he is. “He had a hard time didn’t he?”

“That’s his story to tell.  I’m sure he’ll tell you when the time is right.”

With that, she stands up again.  This time to rinse her cup and place it in the dishwasher.  When she’s done, she grabs a dishtowel to wipe her hands and continues to talk.  “He’s a good man, Shay.  If you give him a chance, he’ll make you happy.  I can’t guarantee that he will never hurt you, but I can promise you won’t regret taking a chance on my
hijo.
”

I nod, wondering if I am brave enough to take a chance on a man like Bowie.  Not wanting to talk about it anymore, I stand up.  “I’m going to get ready for work.”

She walks over to me and cups my jaw.  “Think about what I said,
hija. D
on’t live your life in fear; that’s what you’ve been doing these past few months. You’ve been sad long enough, grab a chance to be happy. ”

The Call

Bowie

I cut the engine and swing my leg over the bike, as soon as I pull into Nina’s driveway.  This is the fourth day in a row I’ve been here, the fourth day of having Shay on the back of my bike.  I’ve never done this shit before; I fuck women, I don’t date them.  Not that Shay and I have been on a date, just riding out together.  Still, being with her is different. 

I’m about to step onto Nina’s porch, when my phone rings.  Pulling it from my jacket, I see the number of Lock’s burner phone flash across the screen.  After four months of silence, his sudden call sends a chill of foreboding down my spine. “It’s about fuckin’ time you called.”

“I don’t have time for your shit, just listen.” Lock huffs out.  “You need to keep Laura with you.”

Thinking of her intense reaction to that name earlier, I automatically correct him.  “Her name’s Shay now.”

He ignores me and keeps talking.  “Mom’s in the hospital. The doctors say she won’t be coming home this time.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck!  “I’m sorry, brother.”

I hear him take in a deep breath, obviously trying to get a hold on his emotions.  “Me too, Bowie, but that’s not why I called.  Mom’s drugged up, talking out of her head.  Marcus made an appearance earlier, and she started talking about how Laura was safe from him now.  She went on and on; I couldn’t get her to quiet down.”

I think about his words for a moment, wondering exactly what this means for his sister. Even though Lock and Shay had never told me the full story, Nina had.  At least, she told me the important parts.   She said Shay would have to decide to tell me the rest.  If everything she told Nina was true, the reason behind her disappearance won’t be here much longer.

As much as the thought of Lock’s mom dying kills me, I ask my question anyway. “She’s only staying away so your mom doesn’t lose her medical coverage, right?”

“Yeah, that’s why she left.”

Not knowing how to say it without sounding like a motherfucker, I just lay it out for him. “I hate to say it man, so don’t think I’m being a dick. If your mom’s not gonna be here much longer, is it such a big deal if the bastard knows the truth?”

He goes quiet again, this time I’m not sure what’s going on in his mind.  Finally, he responds in a voice so cold it makes the hair stand up on the back on my neck.  “He’s got another girl.”

“What?” I ask, wondering what the fuck is going on now.  

“After the funeral, he let me come into the house and get some shit of Laura’s.  Not much, just family pictures and stuff.  I planted a few bugs, just wanted to listen and make sure that he didn’t know what was going on.”

He takes a long pause, and I can hear the flick of a lighter. After in deep draw, he continues. “The girl started making appearances in his bed about a month ago.”

“Why the fuck does it matter if he has a new girl, that just means that Shay could come home and be free to do what she wants, get a divorce, live life how she wants.”  The possibility of her life not including me pisses me way the fuck off, but I shake it off and try to focus on the conversation.   

“It’s the same shit that Laura told me about.”

Confusion is an understatement for what I’m feeling.  I pull out my own cigarette and place it between my lips.  Lighting it, I pull in a deep drag and ask, “What the hell are you talking about, man?”

“He calls her Gwendolyn.  Every fuckin’ time he has her in his bed, he calls her his dead wife’s name.” I can feel the skin on my arms prickle, as he explains.  “When I first saw her, she had brown hair.  I saw her again today, sitting in his car at the hospital.  She has red hair now. He’s got himself a new Gwendolyn.”

“He’s one crazy bastard,” I mutter, as I lean against the porch rail.  My heart is pumping double time as fear for the woman inside courses through my veins. 

“My thoughts exactly.”

A deep seeded desire to protect her started to take root the moment Lock asked me to pick her up from the bus station, but I managed to tap it down when the ice queen appeared. Now? The desire has taken root and a vicious need to destroy anything that dares to harm the woman I plan to claim rages just under the surface.

Doing my best to control my anger, I ask, “You’re the cop.  You know all about this fucked up shit, what does this mean for Shay?”

“I’m not sure, but the bastard is crazy.  Even more so than I thought.  If he finds out she’s still alive, there’s no telling what he would do.  I can guarantee it wouldn’t be pretty though.” 

Squeezing the railing, I raise my voice.  “Damn it, Lock.  This isn’t good.”

“No, it’s not.” He says, his voice filled with worry.  “I’m scared for her, Bowie.  I’m scared out of my fuckin’ mind for my baby sister.”

I draw in another puff off my smoke, letting his words sink in.  “Like I said, it’s bad, but how does it change anything.  I know your Mom told him shit, but she’s sick.  The bastard couldn’t know for sure that she wasn’t just talking out of her head. How I see it, we just keep doing what we’re doing.  He doesn’t know she’s here, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Even as I say the words, they sound hollow.  Like a dream I know will never come true.  There is not a doubt in my mind that if the crazy fucker even thinks she’s alive, he’ll be looking for her.  My only question is if he will find her or not, and if he does, what the hell can I do to protect her.

“Like I told you, I planted bugs in his place.  As soon I got home from the hospital, I pulled his feed up.  He was talking to someone on the phone, hired them to do a search on her, on me too.”