Lex

After waking the next morning and checking my phone, I decided to drive to Adam’s house and have a talk with him about his change of heart.

As much as I didn’t want to lose him, I also refused to be treated like I didn’t matter.

The short drive to his house wasn’t an easy one, and the closer I got, the more I wished I hadn’t decided to go. As I drove down the block toward his home, I considered driving past, and foregoing the departure speech I had planned.

I pulled in the drive nonetheless, got out of the car, and stepped onto the porch. After beating on the door for five minutes and getting no answer, I let out a sigh and turned toward my car.

It wasn’t early by Adam’s standards, but I knew it was still earlier than he typically went to work.

Frustrated, I stepped off the porch and into the drive. As I reached for my car’s door, I glanced at the garage. Curiosity eventually got the best of me, and I walked to the door, checking over my shoulder with each few steps.

I unlocked the lock and pushed the door up enough to see.

What the fuck?

His motorcycle was parked inside.

You’re an asshole.

I released the door and stomped to the porch.

I beat on the door with all my might. “Open this door, you son-of-a-bitch. I know you’re in there!”

I had visions of him being inside with someone else, and wondered who she might be.

After he opened the door, she’d be some bitch with a black eye.

I pounded harder. “You owe it to me to tell me what’s going on,” I shouted. “Open the door.”

I beat on it until my fist was sore, and then peered in through the window. None of the lights were on, and the home was dark.

I reached for the doorknob.

Locked.

I peered through the window again.

Nothing.

Frustrated, I stood on the porch and rubbed my hand. After a moment, I walked around the house, went to the back door, and grabbed the door handle.

Much to my surprise, it turned.

I pushed the door open a few inches. “Adam?”

Nothing.

“Adam?!”

I pushed it open a little more. “Adam?”

“I’m coming in!” I announced.

The home was eerily quiet, and I began to wonder if he had stayed home sick. For a moment I felt bad, but that would soon fade. I walked into the kitchen, then the living room, and upon seeing nothing, reluctantly walked toward his bedroom.

The bed was unmade. Beside it, in a wad, was a pair of jeans with a belt still through the loops. I picked them up, searched the pockets, and found his keys – and wallet.

Confused, I looked around the room.

Immediately in front of me was a nightstand with the drawer partially opened. I peered inside.

A pistol sat in the center of the drawer on top of a red rag.

What the…

My mind assembled the pieces and as silly as it later seemed, it took me a minute to realize that Adam was gone without his jeans, keys, shoes, wallet, motorcycle, or protection.

Wherever he was he was half-naked, shoeless, and without transportation.

And then, it hit me.

No. No. No.

“Nooooo!”

* * *

I hoped my memory was correct. Finding them was my only hope. I screeched around the corner as fast as my Beetle would go, and as the sight of two motorcycles came into view, my heart raced.

I sped into the lot, and before my car even came to a complete stop, I jumped out and ran into the shop.

I had no idea what the club’s procedures or rules were regarding women, but I really didn’t care.

Pee Bee stood at the far side of the shop beside Crip. Both of their eyes widened as I ran toward them, blurting out everything I knew as I approached.

“Slow down, little girl,” Crip growled. “It really doesn’t matter what you’re thinking, you can’t come here looking--”

“They took him,” I huffed.

“Who took who,” Crip asked in a snide tone.

“Adam.” I pressed my hands to my knees and fought to catch my breath. I cleared my throat. “Cholo.”

I took a deep breath. “His bike…his bike’s in the garage, his wallet…and his jeans…were on the floor of his bedroom…and his shoes were in his doorway.”

I took another breath. “His nightstand drawer was half opened, and his gun was right there in it. Someone came and took him.”

They looked at each other.

Pee Bee looked at me. “Bike, wallet, and his Van’s? All there?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“You got the garage open?” Crip asked.

“He gave me a key. His bike’s right there in it. Oh, and the back door. It was unlocked, and when I went to leave…”

My eyes began to well with tears, but I wasn’t about to cry in their presence. “It…It. Uhhm. The door frame. It was splintered. Someone pried it open.”

“Fuck,” Pee Bee said. He looked at Crip. “Calle 18?”

Crip nodded. “Anyone else went in Cholo’s house looking for trouble, we’d be haulin’ ‘em out on a stretcher.”

He looked at me. “Fuck.” He looked at Pee Bee. “We need to go to his house and look around. Clean the place up, just in case the cops come.”

“Follow us,” Crip said.

“She’ll never keep up,” Pee Bee said. He turned toward me. “Just hop on back of mine.”

I left my car where it was parked and hopped on the back of Pee Bee’s bike. As we rode to Adam’s house, I realized that there were going to be times where a motorcycle ride could not dull the pain, or fix what was broken.

And this was one of those times.