Behind Blue Eyes (10 page)

“That’s true,” Jasmine said. “I’m nothing like Cindy. That’s what she never understood about me. We had things in common, but we were as different as night and day. The things she did, I…I would never do that to my man, a friend or the club.”

Pipe nodded. “You patched me up good. Cool scar on my thigh now, plus I have a great story on how you stapled and super-glued me back together.”

“I was pretty creative, wasn’t I?”

  “Yep, you were. I could take you out for a ride since you don’t want to go to the clubhouse. You really need to eat, Jasmine. We could stop wherever you want.”

“No, really, that’s okay.”

Pipe looked at her a few seconds too long and it began to feel uncomfortable. His mind was drifting again to a place that it shouldn’t go. “You sure? I could just stay here; we could talk.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” he said and pulled her to him again, giving her a hug. She felt right, felt good, so good that he was growing hard holding her.

She moved away from him and looked Pipe straight in the eyes. “I love him, Pipe!”

“I know,” he said as he stared back at her. “He’s lucky.” He cupped her chin.

“I’m the lucky one.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I have to go. I’m going to meet this chick downtown at the festival.” Jasmine reached over and grabbed the duffle bag. “Do you want to take this to Mitch or should I?”

“I’ll do it for you.” He took the bag from her hand. He looked at the emptiness of the trailer. It didn’t matter to her where she lived or what it looked like just as long as she had Nuke by her side. “I’ll give it to Mitch.” He nodded as he turned and headed toward the door, then he stopped. “I know I’ve asked you this before, but are you sure you don’t have a twin or a clone somewhere?”

Jasmine smiled. “I’m sure.” She paused, choosing her worlds carefully before she spoke again. “You need a good girl in your life, Pipe. You deserve it. You really do have your good-guy moments.”

“Naw, I don’t,” Pipe said seriously. “I found her by the way, my dream girl. She’s just married to my best friend.” He forced a laugh as he felt a twinge of guilt in his heart over his feelings for her. “I better go before we all end up on Jerry Springer,” he laughed, trying to lighten the moment.

“More like ‘48 Hours.’” Jasmine turned up the corners of her mouth with a genuine smile. “Is Jason Stuart really responsible for the murders of Jasmine and Pipe? If so, where are the bodies? Why was the trailer covered in blood? The only person that knows for sure is Jason Stuart, also known as Nuke, and he’s not talking,” she said in her best news reporter voice.

“Shit, you got that right. You’re a sweetheart, but I’m not dying over you,” Pipe chuckled.

Jasmine twirled the ends of her hair, something she did often when she felt a little uncomfortable. “You just think you have a crush on me,” she joked. “You know that you only like tiny, young blondes.”

“I like good heart. It helps if they’re blonde, tiny and young,” Pipe chuckled. She was letting him down easy and he realized how kind of her that was. Most would have just fucked him behind their man’s back. Nuke really did have a keeper.

“It’s my attitude – you’ve had an infatuation after I sternly told you to drop your pants the night I met you.”

He nodded his head but otherwise didn’t reply. He opened the door and stepped out onto the deck, hurrying down the stairs toward his motorcycle.

Jasmine quickly moved to follow him. “Hey,” she called out to him as she stood on the steps.

“Yeah?” He hated that he had a moment of hoping she’d ask him not to go.

“Do you remember Nora, she was at our wedding?”

Pipe shook his head as he let the air out of the duffle bag and stuffed it into the sidesaddle.

“Oh, oh okay.” Jasmine smiled and waved bye to him.

“Why?” he called over to her.

“She thinks you’re cute. She asks about you all the time. It’s like this running joke between us. She’s always asking how her boyfriend is doing. That’s you, by the way.”

Pipe laughed. “I don’t remember anyone name Nora. Why haven’t you hooked us up?”

“She’d not blonde, young or tiny,” Jasmine replied.

Pipe laughed even harder. “Oh, so your old, fat, brunette friend has a crush on me.”

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “She’s not fat; she’s just not an anorexic, coke-snorting, alcoholic skank like you’re used to,” Jasmine snickered. “She’s a bit older than the barely legal bimbos that follow you around like a rock star, and she’s black.”

“So your old, fat friend who happens to be black has a crush on me?”

Jasmine sent him a look like a disappointed mom. “Never mind, Pipe.”

“Wait, wait, I didn’t say no.”

Jasmine folded her arms.

“Is she a nurse? Because you know I get hurt a lot.”

“No, she works upfront in the office. She does insurance claims.”

“So she’s old, fat, and she can’t even patch me up if I get hurt?”

Jasmine sighed. “Like I said Pipe, NEVERMIND!” She playfully shooed him away.

Pipe climbed onto his motorcycle. “It’s too hard to make it work with a civilian.”

“I was a civilian. All I knew about the biker lifestyle came from Cindy, television and the Internet. Not the most reliable of places to get information.”

“It’s difficult for you sometimes. I watch you, I see things. It’s not all sex and candy for you,” Pipe replied.

“People are difficult for me because I think most are selfish and stupid. I don’t like the Snake Swallowers or the Honeys. They look for a moment of weakness in a relationship and try and strike. Those bitches are always after my man. Two seconds after they’ve been smiling in my face, they’re trying to jump his dick if I blink. I don’t trust any of them. The only real friends I have there are Amy and Pam.”

“It’s just who they are. Their whole identity is wrapped up in man; some women are like that. A Hells Viper represents status. It makes them feel like they’re something special because their man is an outlaw biker. I don’t know, maybe that’s what drew you to Nuke but you’re stronger than that. You needed more, and he did, too, after a while.” Pipe looked across the road at a family getting out of their car and walking into their trailer. “You were engaged once; do you ever regret not marrying that guy? Your life would have a lot less drama. You’d probably be living in a better place and your husband wouldn’t be in jail. You sure as hell wouldn’t be out here talking with the likes of me.”

“Nuke is my soulmate, and I don’t mind where we live, and I like talking with you.”

Pipe snorted. “Soulmate!”

“He is!”

“You’re dick-whipped,” Pipe said with a wicked grin. “And it’s obvious that you don’t mind where you live. I don’t know why I even asked. It is nice to know you like to chat with me from time to time.”

“It’s a good dick! It makes you willing to live anywhere,” she said and smiled back at him. “My ex-fiancé, Brian, he’s a good guy. He’s just not the guy for me. Nuke is manly, you know what I mean? I’m not just talking about how overly testosterone you guys are with your Harleys and alpha-male complex.” Jasmine laughed. “Nuke is man enough to look me in the eyes and admit when he’s wrong. He knows how to keep his dick in his pants, too…right?” She hated to admit it, but she did feel intimidated by all of the women who flocked to the Hells Vipers.

“Yeah, Jasmine, he does, don’t worry. Your problems with Nuke will never stem from another woman.”

His words of warning stung her ears. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I’ve known him a long time. Nuke fucking around on you will never be an issue. He loves you to the core of his soul. You’re the only one for him.”

“What will be an issue for me?”

“He’s crazy. We all joke about it; he does, too. When Nuke lets go, he’s the most dangerous man I’ve ever met in my life and I know some dangerous people. You need to remember that.”

“I see Nuke for who he is,” she defended her husband.

Pipe nodded, recognizing it was a point she’d have to learn the hard way. “I understand, Jasmine, you’re his. You’re crazy about him; he’s crazy about you. That doesn’t mean I can’t have a fantasy or two.”

“Do you want me to hook you up with Nora?”

“Thanks for looking out for me, but I’ll pass. I’ll stick with the gashes for now.”

Jasmine sighed with a slight smile. “Be safe.”

Pipe started up his bike. He checked the side saddle to make sure that the money was secure. “Always sweetheart!” he replied as he rode off.

***

It was dark by the time Pipe met up with Ella at the festival. He’d gone to the clubhouse first and given Mitch the money from Jasmine.

The food was good and afterwards, Ella wanted to walk through the park. They moved through the crowd of people, Ella talking the whole time, only half of which Pipe really heard. His mind was a million miles away. They headed down by the river and under the bridge.

He paused to watch the dark water flow. There was a lot on his mind and it was quiet underneath the bridge; no one was around. But Ella was still chatting away, and it was starting to work his nerves.

“I need you to pay attention to what I have to say,” Ella said loudly.

He turned and looked over at her as he leaned on the rail. “What’s going on?”

“I’m thinking about getting back with my ex. My kids need their father. I know we’re not in a relationship, but I wanted you to know. Even if he and I do get back together, it’s not like we couldn’t hook up every now and then.”

A strange look covered his rugged features. It was somewhere between a frown and laughter. “Sure.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Great, I didn’t think it would matter to you. I just wanted to be positive about it.”

“You do what you have to do.” He disliked her even more now and he was feeling a little angry. Not only at her but at life. “Let me ask you this: do you really think that here, underneath a bridge, all alone with me with no one around, is a good place to tell me that you think I’m a loser?”

“What? That’s not what I said.” Ella didn’t try to hide that she was suddenly frightened.

“Not in those words, but it’s what you meant.” Pipe held onto the rail, fighting the rage building up inside of him.

“I’m coming clean about things,” she said and stared at him.

“My best friend is in jail and I wish I was fucking his wife right now and not down here with you. I can be an asshole, but I’m not a loser.” He waited for what felt like forever for her to speak but she said nothing. “Say something, Ella!”

“You’re scaring me right now. I’m not sure what to say to you.”

She turned and touched his waist with her dainty hand. “I didn’t lie to you, Pipe, about anything. You knew what I was looking for; you stalked my Facebook page,” she joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. “I want someone who will take care of me and the kids.”

“But you’re willing to fuck around on him? How does that make you worth taking care of? You think your pussy is made out of gold?”

“He’s fucks around on me, too. It’s what people do; people aren’t monogamous anymore.”

“You’re wrong. Adults in relationships have control over what they do with their cunts and cocks.”

She looked him up and down. “Who’s your friend that’s in jail? That’s what’s really bothering you. Is it Nuke? I heard…”

“None of your fucking business,” Pipe snapped.

“You have a hair-trigger temper!” she shot back as she scooted away from him.

He didn’t say anything; he stared down in the water, hating himself and how he’d tried to hit on Jasmine. It was a douchebag thing to do.

She cautiously chose her words again. “Who’s in jail?”

The way she looked at him – he hated it. She was an outsider. “It’s club business.”

“Why do you want your friend’s wife?”

“She’s not a whore. She’s not shallow. She loves him even though he’s completely fucked up as a human being. She’d love him if he had a million dollars or none at all. She’s loyal to the core.”

“So you think she’s perfect?”

“No, she’s damaged, but she admits her shortcomings, unlike most women.”

“Damn, you really hate women!” she said and lowered her hand. “Who fucked you up, your mother?”

“Yep!” He turned back and leaned on the rail. Maybe he should call Jasmine and apologize. Their conversation got a bit odd toward the end, and he wanted to hear her voice.

“I think we should head back; it’s getting a little chilly down here.” Ella started to walk away.

Pipe reached out and pulled her back to him. “Look, I’m having a bad day. I’m not pissed at you. Get back with your ex; give your kids the family they deserve.” Part of him wanted to make peace while another part just wanted to fuck somebody up or just fuck someone. “Alright, let’s head back.”

He was making her nervous, but she tried to downplay it. Ella took his hand and moved to walk out from underneath the bridge.

Why should he care if she got back with her ex-boyfriend? She was willing to give up the pussy from time to time, which was on her. They had decent sex, not great, mind-blowing sex, but it was good enough to do more than a few times. “Ella,” he growled as he backed her up against the bridge wall. “I want to fuck!”