Chapter Eleven
The night passed slowly. A part of me was afraid to go to sleep; I was waiting for the other boot to drop and that fear made it difficult to close my eyes. This was all so strange. They were rough around the edges, but somehow I could see some good in here. I was stuck, so I guess I had to see some good.
I laid awake, staring up at the ceiling, my eyes wet with unshed tears as I thought about what might happen to Mike. He was a douche bag but he was my dad after all. I still hated him for giving me over to the biker gang without warning, but I was beginning to accept that he didn’t have much options. He was afraid for my life. He couldn’t hand me back to my mom because he would be left risking both our lifes at that point.
As expected, I didn’t sleep well that night despite the cool southern breeze and the soft bed. The sheets were musty and a bit unkempt, but still comfortable.
I tossed and turned all night, dozing off here and there until the sun finally started to rise. As the sun peaked over the rolling Tennessee hills I stumbled out of bed and wandered into the kitchen, my eyes red and stinging from a combination of crying and not enough sleep. I took it upon myself to go through the cabinets and locate dishes and food. I secretly thanked the universe when I saw a box of Pop Tarts shoved into the back of a cabinet.
It took some climbing, but I managed to grab them and toss them onto the counter, putting one in the toaster. Hell, I might even consider having two. These last few days had been a wild ride. I waited patiently for my breakfast, smothering the sweet treat with butter once it popped. I was practically starving.
As I ate my breakfast in peace, my phone began to ring and my heart fluttered. I was convinced it was my father, but when I looked down, I saw that it was Gina. Part of me was relieved and part of me was saddened that my father wasn’t calling. I swallowed thickly but picked up the phone and answered the video call.
Gina’s face popped up on my screen and it was clear she’d been crying. Guilt ate at my belly and I frowned a little. “Gina are you okay?”
“Did you really just ask me that fucking question?! Of course I’m not okay! We were supposed to meet for lunch and you never showed up! You haven’t been answering my texts and this is the first call I could get to go through! I know you’re mad about the biker bar, but completely ignoring me isn’t cool!” she practically yelled.
A stab of guilt made my chest tighten and I sighed, looking down and nodding slowly. “I know, I know. I’m sorry, Gina. A lot of shit has happened the last few days,” I muttered, dropping my head into my arms.
The look on Gina’s face softened and she frowned a little. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice far more understanding now.
I swallowed and wiped my eyes, lifting my head to catch her gaze. There may have been a great many miles separating us and talking to her on the phone wasn’t the same as talking to her in real life, but it was still comforting to just see her face and know that someone was missing me.
“It’s still so fucking surreal,” I whispered, laughing bitterly.
She frowned and looked at me for a long moment. “You’re starting to freak me out, girl.”
I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath. “My dad got into some trouble with bikers and now I’m living with his old gang,” I blurted out.
“WHAT?! Oh my God! OH MY GOD! Did you have to sneak your phone away? Are they holding you hostage?! I’m calling the cops! Where are you?!”
“Don’t call the cops, okay? I’m fine.”
“What the hell do you mean girl?! You’ve been gone for like three days, don’t tell me you have Stockholm syndrome already!”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “No, I’m fine. They’re not complete assholes, and I’ve had some real time to think. This is the best place for me right now. If I leave, I’ll be in real trouble and I’ll be putting others in danger with me. Apparently, there are some real bad guys after me. At least I know I’m safe here.”
“Are you cracked in the head? Are you being serious right now? Do you HEAR yourself?” Gina yelled.
“Of course I do,” I murmured, rolling my eyes again. “Listen, I can’t go back my my mom and risk these guys following me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if my mom got hurt.” I said, with tears running down my face.
“Come with me,” Gina offered.
“Gina, the same applies to you!”
“You can’t live some weird outlaw life with bikers! Where are you anyway?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why the hell not?” Gina asked.
“Because you’ll call the cops. I’ll tell you eventually, but for now I’m okay, alright? Just accept it.”
“Whatever happened to the girl who hated bikers?”
I shrugged “I’m not sayig I’ve changed my mind entirely but Dylan says they are a vigilant gang, with a mission to help people. Do you remember Dylan? The hot biker guy that saved me at the bar? He’s the leader of this biker gang and the one I’m staying with.”
She sighed and shook her head. “Holy cow are you serious? That hottie with the nice ass?! Well I guess that’s the ONE good thing I can see in this insane situation. I don’t like it at all, but you’ve always had a good head on your shoulders and I know you can take care of yourself. Are you sure you aren’t being threatened or held at gunpoint or whatever?”
I sighed and stood up, holding the camera and circling the room. It was a fairly normal kitchen with good light and no one holding a gun. I circled slowly so that she could see the whole room before finally setting the phone down and putting my chin in my hand.
“See? No guns,” I assured.
She still seemed hesitant but nodded. “Alright. But if you need me, you call, okay? And answer my texts! Like, you need to check in with me.”
I smiled and nodded. “Of course I will. It’s just been a bit of a wild ride,” I murmured.
“Understood. Keep me in the loop, okay? I don’t want to be worrying about you.”
“Alright.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I hit END and stared at the phone, already missing my best friend.