Wild Child (36 page)

She yelled right back at me. "This is why I didn't want to see you! I knew you'd get all high and mighty. Fuck you, Kima! It's my life and my baby and I'll do whatever I want!"

I sat down at the table and looked at Jo. "Fine! Whatever! I made a mess of my life. I never should have gotten involved with Veiko and Bound for Hell!”

"Can you please just leave it alone? It's a bad time for both of us and we don't need to say things that we don't mean."

She was right. I wrote down my new number and handed it to her. I offered to drive her wherever she needed to go but she said Nailz was up at the Lodge. I didn't say anything, I just hugged her goodbye and she left.

I was really hurt. Nailz couldn't even bother to come down and see me. Screw him too!

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Hunter and Elena were leaving for Florida in a few days. They’d asked me to go but I wasn't about to ruin their vacation. Instead, I told them I had to focus on getting better so I could go back to work.

Thorn and I could look after things here. Elena had somebody working at her personal barn to feed and care for her horses. Joy also had her horses there. The riding stable always had stable hands so that was covered. I guess she thought I wasn't ready to do that kind of work and I wasn't really. But it would have been good for me. Anything would have worked to take my mind off of the hate I was filled up with. I knew I should control it but it didn't matter. I was not the person I was before the accident. That too I blamed on Veiko Finn! He had ruined my life as far I was concerned.

Being alone so much wasn't healthy. The last thing I needed right now was romance novels so I didn't even read. At times I was tempted to go out with Jack but I had nothing in common with his friends. They thought I was biker trash and I was trying to leave that life behind.

Christmas was coming and I planned to lay in bed - nobody was around anyway. I got a call from my dancer friend, Joy. She was working the holidays and said they were down a girl. She asked if I would be able to come back to work and that they'd give me plenty of breaks. I thought dancing would be better health-wise than being alone.

I had to stop living in the past. It was time to let go and move on. I'd pick myself up and I'd dance again. Maybe I'd meet somebody and forget about Veiko. I had learned a few valuable lessons. Trust your gut instincts. Count on yourself because when times get tough, you find out who your true friends are. If you count on those so-called friends, you just get let down. Family mattered because in the end they were the ones who wouldn't leave you.

As my dad told me you can count true friends on one hand and still have fingers left over.

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I was hanging out with Joy and I really liked her. She was a really happy chick with a huge heart. I told her the whole story about V and me. She agreed with me to just avoid the club and move on with my life. It was good to dance with her because the men loved us both. We made plenty of money and didn't have cat fights like some dancers did. Elena and Joy had been friends a long time. Both loved horses and so did I. Joy even had me thinking of riding again as soon as the weather was better.

We both started to do some speed here and there. I tired so easily. She'd get it for us and one night, I met her dealer. Seems he was an old friend of mine. We were in Wiggles dancing when Darko showed up. Damn, he was still hot! Joy whispered to me that he was single, but I already knew that. When he saw me, he smiled and I felt emotions I hadn’t felt in a long time toward a man. Almost just like those I had felt when I first met Veiko.

He came over to hug me."Hey Brandy, heard you and V were in a bad accident. You feel better? Or would you rather be called Kima?"

I smiled up at him. "Yes,I was. I'm better but I'm not Veiko's old lady anymore. You can call me Kima when I'm not at work. I don't want any assholes knowing my real name."

He pulled me over to a table and wanted to know the details. So I told him every last one of them.

"Damn, chica! You really got fucked over!" Darko frowned at me.

"No, actually I didn't. I found out the truth and I'm fine now. I was depressed over the baby but I'm still young. I'll find somebody who really loves me. In the meantime, I'll just dance and live in my cabin until I have to move." I replied calmly.

Darko asked me if I still had Veiko's property patch. I still had the damn thing! He advised me to return it to V and I agreed with him. I would do that the first chance I got.

Darko told me he'd be seeing me and gave me his number. I gave him mine as well. Maybe we'd get together at some point. Darko was nice but I'd stay away from his club. Unless we really had to go there I didn't want to see the inside of another clubhouse for a very long time, if ever.

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The next day I drove up to the hospital after visiting hours. I didn't need to run into anyone. Taking the back stairs, I made my way up to Veiko's room. I saw him laying in bed watching TV. I walked in, wondering if any one else was in the room but he was alone. I tossed the property patch and the gifts he gave me on his bed. I took a long look at him. He looked pale and there was no sparkle in his eyes. I saw no sign of the Veiko I had once loved and that would make it easier to walk away.

He tried to talk to me - I heard him say '
Kima'
but my mind was somewhere else. "I hate you and I hate your mother. You had a fiancee this whole time! Your mother told us when she came to my room. I'm moving on with my life, Veiko. Stay far away from me. You and your friends suck and loving you was the biggest mistake of my life!  By the way, your father supported you and that bitch mother of yours. He still does - he didn't just take off. You might want to ask her why she’s a liar, but I suppose it runs in the family. I knew you were dangerous to my health." I was done saying what I needed to say.

As I was leaving, I heard him say, "Kima, get back here! I love you. You promised me it was forever!"

I kept walking and drove myself to a bar. Using the payphone, I called Darko. He answered after a few rings.

"Hey you! It's Kima. I did it! I gave everything back to him and I'm having a drink to celebrate. Want to meet me somewhere?"

Darko didn't need me to ask twice. "Let's meet up at Wiggles and I'll take you to the diner."

That was fine with me. I now had a new plan and I was moving forward.

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Darko and I went to the diner to eat. I love diners and he knew of one I'd never been to before. We left my bug at the bar and I went in his car. Damn, a biker with a new Cadillac!

Darko was very interesting and good looking. He seemed to have more in common with me than Veiko had. I knew he'd want information about the club but I didn't have any. Nor did I have loyalty to them anymore. I knew little about V's club and now I was glad I'd stayed out of the club bullshit.

We were eating club sandwiches and french fries with brown gravy. I was toying with my fries. "So, when do you plan to ask me about his club?"

Darko's eyes twinkled at me. "Now that you brought it up, anything you wanna tell me?"

I ate a fry. "V kept me away from the club more than most old ladies. I used to think it was because I was young but then his mother told me he had a fiancee. I carried speed for them once and that was
it
for me. I went with him on local runs. I really thought I knew the man but I didn't know him at all. Now that I think about it, maybe it was just for sex. I paid the rent. I doubt he was planning to stick around for the baby. Perhaps I was better off losing it so he won't ever be back in my life.”

I paused and swirled a fry in my gravy. “As for my so-called friends...fuck 'em. It hurts like hell. I was such a fool! Jo is  having Nailz's kid and doesn't seem to have time for me. As far as I'm concerned, Jersey and Nailz can both kiss my ass. I do love Hunter, Elena, and Thorn. Although I hope Hunter doesn't patch over his club. I'd rather see it die off than be part of Bound for Hell. But of course I can't tell Hunter that. I'm going to have to move."

Darko looked interested at Hunter patching over. "Kima, did Veiko ever talk to you about Rabid?"

I choked a bit. "No. I heard that name and then they all shut up about him. V never told me anything about any Rabid. Why?”

Darko looked pissed off. "Rabid is one sick fucker. I hope you stay out of Ocean Cove because Bound for Hell isn't a nice club. Hell neither is Nefarious. You're a nice girl. Why don't you go home and meet a nice guy?"

I had to laugh. "Darko, I'm not a nice girl anymore. The things I've heard said about me are so off the wall. All because I dated a biker. For now, dancing is fine. I still get tired easily and so I do a bit of speed.” I was curious about Darko so I asked, “So how did you get involved with Nefarious?"

He looked at me and got serious. "I can't talk about club business, you know that. I used to watch you dance and I wanted to take you out until I found out you were Veiko's. Are you really done with him?”

I stared out the window before I softly replied, "Yeah, I'm really done."

Darko stood up and took my hand. We were done eating and he paid for the meal before walking with me outside. He leaned into me and kissed me. I felt desire flood through my body but he pulled away. "I think you need some more time to make sure you're really done. Would you want to be an old lady again? Really?”

I looked in his eyes. "I don't know. But I'd do anything to forget that man. Maybe I do need more time or maybe I just need to get laid." There, I had left the door open. I hope he'd take my offer. Instead he drove us back to my car at Wiggles.

Darko helped me out of his car. "You're not ready yet for a relationship Kima. You need to get V outta' your head, Chica. But I'll take you out and we'll see how it goes. Works out, you'll be my old lady. If not we'll be friends. If you run into any trouble, my club will help you. I'll put the word out - none of Nefarious will bother you. I've already made it known that I'm interested in you. I've got some business to deal with and I've got to leave now. One of my bros will follow you home. We watch out for our women, unlike V and his crew.” Darko looked at my VW bug and frowned. “You ought to get a real car. That orange bug makes you stand out and that isn't a good thing."

He pulled me into his arms and I tilted my head for his kiss. His lips were demanding and I let him in. Our tongues met and we kissed deeply. Damn! hat man could kiss! I wanted him and I knew he could tell. He had to break the kiss off and let me go.

“Kima, I'll call you tomorrow. Let my guy follow you to the Lodge gate. Drive safely and don't lose my bro.”

I watched him leave and then I left with his bro following me. Darko was proving to be very interesting. Life was looking better! Veiko Finn would soon be forgotten and I'd be able to live again. My mind told me that but I didn't think my heart quite agreed totally.

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When I got inside I saw Thorn sitting in my living room watching TV. Normally I wouldn't have minded, but tonight I was riding a high I didn't want to lose. I could see he was mad at me. "Kima, you're hanging with Nefarious now? Being seen with Darko?"

I was stunned. "What the hell, Thorn? You spying on me? That is so damn low!"

Thorn glared at me. "I heard you paid Veiko a visit. I was passing by Wiggles and saw you getting into Darko's caddy. So, I guess I answered my own question. What the hell are you thinking?"

I was done! "Thorn, get out! I'm not
with
Veiko anymore. Did you know he had a fiancee? I saw her sleeping in his hospital bed. His mother screamed it at me. So, yeah! I returned everything he ever gave me, which wasn't a whole lot! When Hunter comes back I'll be moving out. All my so-called friends can fuck off! I always thought you were like family but I was wrong. I plan to tell Hunter he is crazy to patch over to Bound for Hell. As for Darko, we're friends. Just friends! If we were more you'd have been waiting for days to have your talk with me!" I shouted angrily.

Thorn got up, pointing to the table. "Kima, I got you a gun. Carry it. I knew nothing about Veiko having a fiancee. I don't believe it either. When I came home, it fucking killed me to see you with him."

I couldn't help myself and laughed. "So you wanted me and now won't be able to touch me, can you? Club rules, right? Well, your club can go fuck itself! A gun Thorn? Maybe I'll use to put some people out of their misery!"