Walking down Main Street in Defiance, Kentucky, Skylar Thomas couldn’t help but think it wasn’t all that bad of a town. It was actually kind of quaint if you looked beyond some of the imperfections. It was a place a person could put down roots if they wanted, and that appealed to her, not ever having anything like that in her life before. The town center consisted of a couple of restaurants, a garage, bank, gas station, and a church; nothing major, but just enough. The homes that lined the streets off of the main drag were older Victorians or farmhouses painted in various bright and brilliant colors. Most of them were in need of serious repair, but Skylar could still see their potential.
Like many small Appalachian towns, Defiance showed its wear. Several businesses had failed due to economic setbacks. Many of the store fronts were left with empty windows or boarded up planks that covered places that once held wares and offerings. The lack of employment in the area was also a problem, but the place still held a certain appeal. Those brightly colored homes might have peeling paint and worn out wood, but the original architecture held a creepy cool kind of vibe, and Sky liked it.
The people were friendly. One could even say downright intrusive. At times Sky felt that all eyes were on her regardless of what she was doing. But it also gave her a weird sense of safety knowing that someone was always watching. Sky wasn’t dense; she knew that being new in town afforded her closer scrutiny. The townsfolk observed strangers that came to town cautiously until they became regulars. It was just part of small town USA culture. Sky accepted that. She also knew she would never reach that regular status.
Having grown up in Chicago in one of the toughest neighborhoods, Sky experienced her fill with urban living while growing up. As a result, Sky realized that she preferred the quiet of rural life instead of the hustle and bustle of living in the city. It didn’t offer as much and came with some added problems. Trash didn’t line the streets. You could walk out the door of your house and breath in some fresh, unpolluted air. Another bonus was that you could smile at a stranger on the street and it wasn’t considered an invitation to get mugged or worse. This was something that would not have happened in the streets of Chicago.
Sky and her cousin Shelby had arrived in Defiance two months ago. Sky had been commissioned to build a motorcycle for Tuck, the President of the Ruthless Bastards Motorcycle Club. Tuck had been a family friend of her Uncle for years and had asked her to come down for the build. The bike Sky was creating for him wouldn’t be the first Junkyard Hog that Tuck owned, but it would be the first one that Sky entirely built and designed herself. Her builds and designs were gaining a reputation of their own, having completed over a hundred bikes in the last seven years. But Tuck’s was different; he was a friend. Sky wanted it to be something uniquely hers, but also a representation of what he wanted and requested.
Working with bikers didn’t often offer a woman the chance to express herself fully. They were men’s men with cavemen mentalities and ideas. Most felt that a woman’s place consisted of her having babies or being in the kitchen. Others had more carnal thoughts and ideas. Breaking through the gender lines and gaining and keeping a good reputation were hard won feats for Sky. In the beginning, she relied on her Uncle’s name. Now Sky’s name held just as much credibility. Tuck had always encouraged her to strive for what she wanted.
The Club had put them up in a small studio apartment over a defunct bookstore on Main Street for as long as it took to finish the job. Room and board were often a perk of doing these types of builds. It also helped that Sky didn’t have to sign a lease or worry about things like utilities. She simply came to town, took up residence, did her job, and moved on to the next one.
But this place was one of the better ones; exposed brick walls, original hardwood floors, and open concept floor plans were ideal for Sky. She didn’t like the hemmed-in feeling she got with small rooms and spaces. She didn’t even care that the appliances and tile in the bathroom had more than likely originated in the 1950s. To Sky it was cute. The other bonus was that the place was clean, bug-free, and since the MC owned the apartment, it was also safe.
Too bad she hadn’t been able to spend much time there. Sky spent all her time at the shop space the Club also provided for her to finish the custom bike she had been commissioned to complete. Had she been on her own without the responsibility of her cousin, Sky would have been able to enjoy the little apartment. As it was, it was better for her to stay away. Shelby was trouble with a capital T, and the quicker Sky completed her task and got paid, the better. Staying at the shop also offered her some peace. To say she felt ill will towards her cousin was an understatement. Shelby was bad news.
Of course, for all the things Sky found to like about the place they were staying in, Shelby had twenty things she hated about it. To her cousin, both the apartment and town were worse than living in hell. Her exact words. The woman never appreciated anything that didn’t directly benefit or enhance her life in some way. The other unfortunate problem was those friendly, nosey townies. Shelby drew attention wherever she was due to her good looks. However, her horrible attitude was surely going to cause problems.
Shelby always got into trouble in some way, shape, or form. Sky was always left holding the bag, then rushing to get them the hell out of dodge. Or worse, heading off the storm that was Shelby Thomas before it could brew to hurricane levels. That was the life Sky lived, and at twenty-seven, she was thoroughly sick of it. She prayed one day Shelby would decide to take off on her own.
Even now, Sky had to stop working just to hand deliver Shelby’s weekly allowance. This little ritual happened without fail every single week regardless of where they were or what they were doing. Sky gave, and Shelby took. It was just how it always was. Sky rarely stayed in the same place as her cousin anymore if she could find alternative living arraignments like a cot in the back of the shop, then she quickly jumped on it. Shelby caused problems; always had and always would. It was her only talent. Something else she excelled at was her complete lack of will to lift a finger to provide for anything in either of their lives.
Shelby couldn’t be bothered with mundane things like working, cleaning, or cooking. Her parents had raised her to expect those things to be done by others. As a result of a deathbed promise to Sky’s Uncle, Shelby’s father, those things were now firmly planted on Sky's shoulders. The weight of her added responsibilities had been wearing her down each and every day for far too long.
Skylar craved something normal like nobody’s business. All she wanted out of life was to build the custom motorcycles she was known for and live a more traditional life; one where she could finally be happy. She wanted to work, go home, sleep, and not worry about what was going to happen next. To simply sit down and read a book or watch some television. To most that would sound boring, but to Sky it was nirvana.
Walking down the sidewalk, Sky wondered what it would be like to live in a town like this permanently, without her cousin. To have the American dream; white picket fence, two point five children, a husband that loved and cared for her to come to every day, and just do the normal stuff in life. Making dinner and sitting down at the table as a family to eat and then maybe cuddling up with a hand knitted afghan on the couch to watch some television.
That stuff was so far out of her life that it wasn’t even funny. She lived the life of a virtual vagabond; going from town to town to build bikes for badass bikers. There was a time that Sky had a shop and a home, but that all changed when her cousin decided to date and ultimately screw over one of the local mob boss’ sons in Chicago. Her business, the garage, and all her hard work went up in smoke, leaving her with nothing but her reputation. Thankfully that was enough to get her and her cousin out of town before something worse happened than just losing the shop.
Now they stayed on the move, going from one Motorcycle Club to the next so Sky could get up enough cash for them to take off to their next destination or Sky's next build. The money she made provided for both of them, so she went where there was work regardless of where that happened to be.
Life on the run forced Sky to cut her prices, selling herself short just to make ends meet, all the while trying to keep her cousin Shelby out of trouble long enough to move on before the backlash hit them. It was a never-ending circle. The only thing keeping them above the water right now was also ironically that Shelby had an intense dislike for anything biker. Because as the saying went, “you never bite the hand that feeds you.”
It was honestly kind of funny to think about Shelby’s total dislike of bikers. Her own father was a biker, and he bent over backward to please and overly accommodate his only child. But for some reason, Shelby shunned the lifestyle, stating that the men and woman involved were beneath her or that no filthy fat assed biker could provide her with the things she required in life. What it boiled down to was that most men involved in the MC lifestyle would never put Princess Shelby on the pedestal she thought she should be on.
In some of the Clubs, women were nothing more than a wet hole for the men to sate their urges in and then left to move on to the next willing orifice. If a person wanted wild, no holds, barred sex and a massive party but nothing else, you were good to go; the MC lifestyle would take care of you. For someone like Shelby, who was materialistic as hell, she didn't have a chance. Although the men in the Clubs took care of their women, it was for the small price of those women taking care of them in return. They reserved the pampering for their “Old Ladies”. These were women that they chose and kept around for more than a hole to wet their dicks in. No. The “Old Ladies” were either wives or just as good as wives. They wore their property patches with pride and lived and breathed the club just as much as the men. Since Shelby didn't have a loyal bone in her body, she would never make the cut.
None of it made sense to Sky. Most of the men that she had met associated with MC were good people as long as you didn’t screw with them and showed them the respect that they deserved. In turn, the guys left you alone. Being a woman, you also had to have a thick skin and realize that to some of them thought you were just a vessel that held tits and ass for their personal pleasure. There weren't many of those assholes, thank goodness. It was all just part of the job. To each their own. Sky honestly didn’t care as long as she got paid and the guys paying her to do the job left her to it.
Sky had a firm rule-never party or get overly involved with any of the MCs they encountered. It was a recipe for disaster, and she had enough shit to deal with in her life as it was. She did her job, made sure her customer was happy, and if they weren’t, then she worked her ass off till they were to make sure to give them what they wanted. Plain and simple.
Thinking about Shelby, Sky thought it was pretty amazing that her cousin had some lines that she wouldn’t cross, given her total lack of morals. In Sky’s opinion, it seemed like there were only two lines she would not cross- dating bikers and the refusal to lift a finger for anything that resembled work of any kind. Her cousin had once told her that she envied hookers because they got paid for what most people gave away for free. That statement right there explained more about her cousin than anything she could ever say herself.
“Skylar Thomas?”
Sky heard the pounding of heavy feet on the sidewalk and the call of her name. Turning around to see who was calling her, she was surprised when a large man in a police officer’s uniform barreled into her, pushing her into the small alleyway between the two buildings on the street and knocking her to the ground. Sky could feel the sting of her skin breaking upon impact. Damn, that was going to leave a mark. Expecting an apology or something, she was shocked to see the look on his face; the disdain and menace oozing off the man currently straddling her prone body was alarming.
Skylar wasn’t easily intimidated by much having grown up the way she had. Her childhood revolved around bikers and other unsavory characters that came into her life because of her Uncle’s association to the Club or his business. However, having a huge ass cop glare down into your face wasn’t something she knew how to comprehend at the moment. Sky didn’t know anyone in town besides the MC members, and she didn’t even really know all that many of them. She spent 18 to 20 hours a day working, and what time was left she slept, or at least tried to if she wasn't running some fool errand like she had been today. What this man could want with her was beyond her comprehension, but something niggled at the back of her mind; Shelby.
"I asked are you Skylar Thomas!" the man demanded.
Dumbfounded and not knowing what to say, Sky just nodded. The man’s face turned into a scary shade of red with his apparent anger. As he yanked her from the ground brutally and pushed her face up against the brick building in front of her, jerking her arms behind her back at the same time, Sky felt cold metal hitting her wrists. What came next should have surprised her, but it did.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights, Ms. Thomas?”
What the hell! Sky didn’t know what was going on. She was apparently being arrested, but what had she done?
"Ms. Thomas," the bastard said as he ground her face further into the building, causing her cheek to ache and scrap across the unforgiving brick surface “do you understand these rights?”
Before she could get a word out of her mouth, Sky heard the footsteps of someone else running up to them.
"Dad, that’s not her, that’s not Skylar," a young man pleaded.
The man holding her loosened the pressure he had on her head. But that was only a short-lived reprieve because he yanked her around so violently that with one hand to her chest, he knocked her back into the wall with a force that took Sky’s breath away.
"David, I told you to wait in the car. You have done enough damage. Don’t add to it by trying to protect this piece of trash," the uniformed man barked.
"But Dad, you’re not listening. That is not Sky. I don’t even know who this woman is. Look."
The kid, a gangly looking teenager, was holding up his cell phone and showing the jerkoff that was currently manhandling her, a picture on his phone. Sky’s face hurt. The strain from her cuffed hands being bent unnaturally against the unforgiving wall and the fuzziness she was experiencing from the blow to her head were all taking a toll. She was having a problem figuring out what was going on. That was until she got a glimpse of the picture the kid was holding up. No other than her lovely cousin Shelby graced the surface. The teenager had his arms wrapped around her chest and shoulders, and Shelby was smiling for all she was worth, holding up some purse with little letters all over it. Son of a Bitch!
"Give me that damn phone and go back to the car, David," The disgruntled cop yelled at the kid.
"But Dad. . ."
"No, get moving."
Yanking Sky's arms once again, the cop released her from the way too tight cuffs. Unfortunately for Sky, the man stayed within her personal space, crowding her body. The cop was so close to Skye's body and face that she could smell the coffee on his breath and see the remnants of his breakfast still plastered on his chin. He gave her a small reprieve by leaning back just enough to shove the cell phone in her face.
The man asked, “Do you know this woman?”
Sky knew better than to say anything. She was in town working for the Ruthless Bastards, an Outlaw Motorcycle Club. Bringing any unwanted attention to them was a death sentence. She had been around the MC life long enough to know that you kept your shit straight and your head down. She didn’t know what Shelby was up to and she didn’t care. All Sky knew was that she needed to get out of this mess and get her cousin out of town before everything blew up in both of their faces.
Trying to sound respectful, truthful, and confident, she lied her ass off and said, "No Sir, I have never seen that woman in my life."
"It seems we have a problem, Ms. Thomas. Someone using your name is going around town using underage boys, promising them sex and other favors for expensive gifts. I don’t know about you, but I have a major problem with women that prey on little boys in my town. Especially when it just cost me $2500. Those things further piss me off when I’m going to have to explain those charges to my wife. So, if you know this person, Ms. Thomas, or if you are in on this little scam she is pulling, I suggest you get the hell out of my town. If I see you again, you will not be treated as nicely the next time we meet. Do you understand me, Ms. Thomas?"
Sky wasn’t going to give this man anything.
"Understood, Sir. If there isn’t anything else, I will just be on my way."
"See to it that you stay out of trouble, Ms. Thomas. Bad things can happen to pretty little girls when they bite off more than they can chew."
"I’ll keep that in mind, Sir." Sky said as she walked away.
Maybe small town life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. That man had assaulted her right on the street in broad daylight, and not one of those people lifted a finger to see what was going. Sky was pretty sure they all watched. Something was sincerely wrong with the people in Defiance Kentucky.
Sky walked as fast as she could without running and drawing any further attention to herself to get out of there and away from the irate police officer. Her first instinct was to go straight to the apartment and ream Shelby a new one, but the cop was still watching her. Deciding her safest bet was to walk into the diner up ahead, she did just that.
A little bell jingled when Sky walked into the diner, and every person in the place looked up to see who the newcomer was. Typical small town mentality at work here; always interested, but never involved. Where were they five minutes ago, when the cop was attacking her in the alley?
A little old lady with cat eyeglasses said, “Have a seat anywhere you want honey.” Sky said, “thanks” once the waitress came over to her, offering coffee. Sky asked where the bathroom was. Her cheek burned and she needed to see how bad the damage was. The lady directed her to the back of the building and Sky walked that way, finding the small bathroom. Sky entered and realized that maybe she should have waited to check out the damage. The bathroom was beyond gross, and it smelled like the entire football team had just had a bad case of food poisoning. Holding her breath, Sky walked up to the dingy little mirror above the sink. Damn, she was a mess; her hair was wild, and her cheek was bright red with the scraps. Feeling the hot surface of her abused cheek, Sky knew she would be sporting a fresh bruise under the scrape in no time.
Turing on the faucet, Sky scooped some water into her hands and brought them to her battered face. The cold water felt good, but she didn’t want to spend too much time in that bathroom because she was finding it physically impossible to both hold her breath and not touch anything while still doing what she needed to do. Turning around to look for some paper towels, she wasn’t surprised when she didn’t find any. Not wanting to risk using toilet paper, Sky opted for the cleaner option and lifted the bottom of her t-shirt and wiped the remaining water away from her dripping face.
Walking out into the diner, Sky didn’t want to stay, but she also didn’t want to lead the cop straight to Shelby. Shit, maybe she should let the man follow her. It was time for Shelby to pay the price for her wrong doings instead of Sky. But Sky knew, even if she wanted to, there was no way she would ever lead the cop to Shelby because that would mean Sky would have to break her promise. That wasn't going to happen. Sky drank the coffee that the waitress had poured for her all while watching the cop in the mirror above the counter. After he had pulled away and Sky watched as he turned off the main drag of the town, she still waited, not wanting to risk him hiding just out of sight. Nursing that god-awful brew might do her in and then she wouldn’t have to deal with any of this, but she wasn’t that lucky.
When Sky started to get looks and the waitress had come over no less than five times, Sky decided it was time to leave. Walking out the door of the diner, Sky decided to do some evasive maneuvers just in case the cop was still lurking around the bend. Those tactics consisted of walking over to the gas station and buying a pack of gum and then staring in the window of a little thrift shop for an exorbitant amount of time. She spent that time looking at the 1970s-polyester lime green atrocity in the window like it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She knew she wasn’t fooling anyone with her interest, but she had to be sure the cop wasn’t still following her. Subtle she was not, but livid and on the verge of fury, on the other hand, she had those emotions in spades.
Finally making her way to the building that held the apartment, Sky stormed up the back stairs and grabbed the familiar doorknob. When the knob turned without Sky having to get her keys out of her pocket, it further irritated her. She shouldn't be surprised because Shelby didn't value the apartment or anything in it, so why the hell would she bother trying to protect anything in it? An average person would also think about his or her own personal safety. Guess that was beyond her cousin as well.
Slamming open the door, she screamed, “Damn it, Shelby, I swear to God, if you tell another one of your conquests that your name is Sky, I’m going to kick your ass. If it weren't for your Dad and my promise to him, I would have kicked your ass to the curb and been done with all this bullshit a long time ago. Do you have any idea what happened to me today when your shit once again landed in my lap?”
Sky was the definition of pissed off woman. She had spent too much of her life taking care of and cleaning up after her wayward, self-indulgent, spoiled cousin. Shelby believed that everything Sky had belonged to her, and everything anyone else had should also be hers. When they were kids and Sky had been sent to live with Shelby’s parents, those things were toys, affection, and candy. Now as adults, those things were men, money, and whatever else she could get her greedy hands on.
Looking around the room and seeing the filth only fueled Sky’s mood. The little studio apartment they had been staying in for the last couple of months was a pigsty of epic proportions. Beer and booze bottles were littering every available surface in the apartment. That was bad enough, but there was also overflowing ashtrays, greasy pizza boxes, and other fast food wrappers containing rotting, half-eaten food in various stages of decay, adding to the mess. There wasn’t even a fast food place in town where that shit came from; Sky had no idea. What pissed her off the most was that she had just been here four days ago, and had just cleaned the whole place and now it looked like hoarders had moved in.
The little wench couldn’t be bothered to raise a hand to pick up and put anything in the surprisingly empty trash can sitting right next to the kitchen island. Shoot, maybe she should just be happy that someone thought to take out some garbage and replace the bag. It had been days since Sky had been back to the apartment. She was trying her hardest to finish the job she was being paid to do so that they could move on before everything blew up in their faces like every other time she and Shelby stayed in one place too long. This job was personal. It meant too much to Sky to half ass it because Tuck was a friend.
Looking at the apartment, all Sky could do was shake her head. The floors and couch had mounds of what looked like a shopping spree gone wrong. Latex, spandex, and sparkly shit of every color covered the formerly clean hardwood floors. Not getting the reaction or the fight Sky was looking for when the room remained quiet, she stomped to the bed and the noticeable bump beneath the covers. Sky knew Shelby was passed out from a night of hard partying and still too drunk to wake up and face her. Or worse yet, the little bitch was just ignoring by her playing possum. Sky wasn’t sure which of those two scenarios ticked her off more.
Grabbing the blanket and yanking hard, she should have been shocked by what she uncovered. But Sky wasn’t; this was typical Shelby. No, finding her anything but sweet cousin in bed naked with two other naked people, one man and one woman, was nothing new. Shit, at this point in her life it was just like any other Thursday. The only thing that did cause her a little concern was that fact that none of them seemed to move at the abrupt removal of the blanket once covering them or the screaming Sky had been doing.
Sky debated for all of two seconds on what she needed to do next. She wasn't exactly quiet and although a small part of her couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this time Shelby had gone just a little too far and OD’d or something. Noticing the rise and fall of her cousin's insanely endowed chest alleviated that thought. What did surprise Sky was that she was the momentary relief she felt at the thought of finally being rid of Shelby once and for all. Shit, what kind of person did that make her?
Sky screamed, “Shelby Ann Thomas, get your ass up right fucking now!”
Now most people getting so rudely awakened would startle or even jump when coming out of a deep sleep by someone else bellowing their names, not Shelby. No, Shelby just stretched like a lazy cat, cracked her eyelids, opened them a millimeter and said, “Go away, Sky, I don’t have the time or the patience to deal with you today.” And the bitch tried to wave her off with a flick of her hand.
The other two people in the bed started to stir, and thankfully the guy of the pair had the presence of mind to realize things were about to go bad and started grabbing his stuff from the floor. Yeah, leave it to Shelby to find a willing pair to have a threesome with in rural Kentucky. Damn, maybe she should be happy that only the cop was looking for them right now. Being deep in the Bible Belt, this shit probably brought along lynching’s.
Sky looked at the guy and said, "I think it is time for you to go and make sure you take your friend with you!" Sky said this all while pointing at the still, semiconscious women on Shelby’s other side. She wasn’t sure if it was the psychotic look she was sure currently painted on her face or what, but the man took the hint and started scrambling out of bed. He moved faster than Sky had expected him to be able to do right after being rudely woken up after a night of debauchery with her cousin and the other nonresponsive woman. He even took matters into his own hands and got his partner moving as well. She wasn’t as graceful or hospitable. The chick started to put up a fuss but wisely stopped after the dude indicated Sky’s presence non-verbally.
Without saying a word and only half dressed, the two fled the apartment. Sky vaguely heard the woman say something on her way out like, “What a bitch” or something along those lines, but she was too pissed to care. She had bigger problems at the moment. Shelby just continued to ignore Sky, choosing to sleep rather than acknowledge Sky or her departing guest from the night before.
Once the room was devoid of Shelby’s guests, Sky couldn’t take it anymore. She took a cup from the nightstand and threw the contents right in her cousin’s face. Springing up and sputtering, Shelby looked shocked at what had just gone down. " What the hell, Sky!" She screeched. "Bitch, how fucking dare you!"
"No! How dare you! Look at my face, Shelby, notice anything different?" Shelby just sat there crossing her arms over her naked breasts, glaring. "No? How about the fact that I don’t usually go around sporting bruises and scrapes on my face on a daily basis. Or how about the fact that you are going around town using my name when you could have used just about any other name to pull your crap off. Huh, any explanation for that? "
"Whatever, Sky, I have no idea what you’re into or what you do when you’re not here or in that grungy little garage working on those stupid bikes. Just put my allowance on the counter and get out of my apartment. I don’t know what you are talking about why would I tell anyone I was 'you’."
The way she said "you" was like a curse word. One that tasted awful on her lips, but Sky knew better. This wasn't the first time that Shelby had tried to pass herself off as Sky. No, if Shelby thought for one second she could get in trouble for one of her schemes, she used Sky's name.
"Oh, hell no! This is it. You have finally pushed me too far, Shelby. I’m done with you and all the crap you pull. You have the nerve to look me straight in the face and lie after all this time and all the shit I have had to put up with from you? No fucking way, sister. The free ride is over; you have finally accomplished what I promised I would never do. I give the hell up. I refuse to take your shit anymore."
Sky continued, "You don’t like me and I sure as hell don’t like you. If it weren't for your Mom and Dad, we wouldn’t even be standing here right now. And for your information, those stupid bikes pay the bills and make it possible for you to have a roof over your over privileged head, but the gravy train is stopping and you’re at the end of the line. And just so we are crystal clear, this apartment,” Sky gestured by throwing her hands out to emphasize her point, “is MINE. You don’t have anything, Shelby. You didn’t contribute a fucking dime to any of this."
"We can’t even stay in the same place for four months without your shit coming to knock at our door, and I, for one, am sick of it. I’ve given you every chance to change and clean up your act, and you have done absolutely nothing. Now you are using my name in your scams. And what is worse it that you are using my name to hit on little boys. How dare you! You, worthless little cunt!"
"This," Sky said gesturing to her face, "is because you decided it was a good idea to fuck with the Sheriff's kid, his still underage kid. Got him to go gonzo on his daddy’s credit card and then dumped his ass. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Oh, Shut Up!” Shelby snapped. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Davey isn’t underage, he is seventeen, and in the state of Kentucky, sixteen is the age of consent. Shows how much you know, Skylar."
"Oh, my Lord, the fact that you even know that shit is beyond messed up,” Sky responded. “What is wrong with you? You are twenty-five years old. On what planet is it okay to bang a seventeen-year-old that isn’t even out of high school? Christ, he still has pimples and braces. Don’t you have any morals or damn self-respect? He is a kid. That is just wrong! Any way you look at it."
"Shows how much you know. I didn’t bang him, just said I would if he got me a few things. I’m not completely stupid, Skylar,” Shelby said, sarcastically.
Sky felt her mouth drop open. She couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of Shelby’s mouth. Christ, the woman couldn’t even control her own lies. She also had no conscience or any sense of right or wrong. Sky had been taking care of Shelby for far too long out of obligation to two people that were no longer walking the Earth, and she couldn’t take it anymore. Sky was going to break her promise, something she had never done before in her entire life, but Shelby had gone too far this time. Sky hated it, but she didn’t feel like she had any choice.
When her parents died, her Uncle Frank came and got her at the airport and said she was going to live with them from now on. Sky loved her Aunt and Uncle. They were good people, but they only had time for their own child. Sky was the outsider, the obligation. They never said it, but Sky always believed actions spoke louder than words.
Uncle Hank and Aunt Betty were older than Sky's parents had been. Through the years, she had learned that they had tried for years to conceive without any luck. So, when it finally happened, Shelby became their world. There wasn't any room in that world for anything or anybody else. They doted on her gave her everything she wanted and never once held her to the same standards a typical parent or guardian would hold a child to.
When they were in school and Shelby didn’t want to do her homework, they did it for her. Sky, on the other hand, was expected to carry her weight. She had chores, expectations, and obligations to the family that took her in when her parents died unexpectedly. Mainly keeping those things consisted of Shelby safe and happy. It sucked, but it was also the life she lived from the time she was five years old.
Sky’s aunt and uncle weren’t bad people; they fed her, made sure she had clothes on her back, and a roof over her head. They didn’t abuse her or treat her badly, just differently. All in all, her life wasn’t all so terrible; it was pretty average. Uncle Hank taught her how to build and design bikes, and Aunt Betty could tell and make up the best stories. Things changed for all of them when Aunt Betty died during a supposedly normal medical procedure. Uncle Hank was left with two adolescent girls while trying to deal with his grief. The poor man checked out and started to throw money at Shelby to make her happy, spending most of his time between builds stuck at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.
Sky ached for him and tried to help in the only way she could by working with him, learning from him, and eventually covering for him. By the time, she was sixteen, Sky was completing all the new orders for custom bikes that came into the family business. Uncle Hank’s road name in the biker world was “Junkyard.” His bikes had a reputation for being the best of the best and bikers from around the world would order and commission one of his creations. Sky was proud to follow in his footsteps even though the biker world wasn’t exactly female business owner friendly.
Sky had been working under Uncle Hank for so long that she started to establish a reputation of her own. And by the time she hit eighteen, Sky was able to run the family business without hiding behind the once great man. Uncle Hank died a few years later of cirrhosis of the liver, and his last request was that Sky continued to take care of Shelby. She had been honoring that request for seven years, but this recent incident sealed Shelby’s fate
"Listen, you need to clean this place up and pack your crap. My build is in the final stretch of completion. Once I get paid, I’m going to give you enough money to get started over somewhere else as far away from me as possible."
Sky hated the gleam that was now evident in Shelby’s eyes at the mention of potential money, and she was all in with the money plan. The problem was, Shelby wasn’t listening to anything else, and Sky needed to get her point across in its entirety.
Shelby wasn't listening, so Sky repeated herself, "I mean it, Shelby, no more handouts or anything else. From this point on, we are no longer family. Don’t use my name or call me when you get into trouble. I’ve done all I can for you. It’s time for you to make it on your own. Didn’t someone say tough love was the way to get through to someone? I’m sick of taking all the shit for the crap you pull. That man could have arrested me and thrown me in jail, and you don’t even care. I will not go down for something you caused."
"How much are you going to give me?” Shelby questioned. “You know a couple of hundred bucks isn’t going to cut it. I need to get an apartment, furniture, and a car. That is going to take thousands." Shelby was genuinely smiling to herself at the thought of it. Leave it to Shelby not to concern herself with anything beyond the money.
"It doesn’t matter. I will give you what I can, and you’re just going to have to deal. I don’t care anymore. Find a sugar daddy, shake your ass on a pole, or sell yourself on the corner. I absolutely don't give a fuck anymore. I’m sick of cleaning up after you while all you do is hold out your hand."
"That’s not very nice, Skylar. After all, you’re using my daddy’s business to make that money. I should be entitled to at least half of the money. Without his name, you wouldn’t even be able to get a job in one of those oil change places. Junkyard’s Hogs is half mine, and I expect my half of the profits."
God, Shelby was a piece of work. The woman was still sitting on the messed-up bed with condom wrappers scattered about, looking just like the princess she believed herself to be. Her contribution was less than nothing. She had been born, that was it.
"Yeah, about that, Uncle Hank signed the business over to me and only me when I turned eighteen. I have all the paperwork to prove it. You’re not entitled to anything, sorry to burst your bubble. But please feel free to try any one of those things I can see swirling around in that brain of yours. Without me the bikes don’t exist. I design them, build them, and sell them. You, on the other hand, do absolutely nothing. I am Junkyard’s Hogs and have been since I turned sixteen and took over for Uncle Hank."
"You have four days, and that is it,” Sky warned. “I want this place cleaned up and you for you to get your shit together and be gone! I’m not kidding this time. Bring your car to the shop in the next couple of days, and I will make sure it is up to snuff. Beyond that, you’re on your own. If you don’t want to wait for the money, then take off now, otherwise, do what I say."
Turning, Sky was going to leave with confidence she didn’t feel. She knew deep down that this was the right thing, but she also felt sorry for letting her aunt and uncle down. Not watching where she was going, she tripped on a pile of clothes and almost landed on her ass. Shelby, in turn, started laughing, and that was the last straw for Sky. Straightening her body, Sky was determined to get the hell out of there before she hurt her, or worse. Was it wrong to want to kill your cousin?
She was almost to the door when Sky heard Shelby say," Hey wait, you forgot to leave my allowance." When Sky didn’t show any indication of slowing down in her pursuit of the door, the little tart jumped out of bed and grabbed her by the arm, holding her hand out, and tapping her foot like she was put out for even having to move.
Standing there in all her naked glory, Sky wondered how evil could come in such a beautiful package. Shelby was tall, about 5’10”, and thin with the perfect model body. The long, blonde hair and bright, blue eyes added to her appeal. The fake boobs she conned some man into paying to get her when she turned 18 only added to her already perfect figure. At one time in Sky’s life she was jealous of Shelby. Her cousin had everything everyone ever wanted; classically beautiful looks, if she laid off the make-up and stripper gear, parents that loved and cherished her and placed the world at her feet.
That jealousy was thankfully short-lived. Sky would take her petite, chubby body, work ethics, and morals over anything Shelby had to offer. Shelby was the epitome of every girl's dream, that was, until you looked at her eyes. If you paid attention long enough, there was no way not to notice the lack of anything behind them. No feeling, no emotion, nothing but cold blankness.
Reaching into the pocket of her jeans, Sky grabbed the money she had stashed there earlier and handed it to Shelby. Without saying another word, she left, knowing she couldn’t look back. After this build, Skylar Thomas didn’t have any family left. Shelby was on her own. As bad as it was not to have any family left, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her chest.