Chapter 16

Dart

Reluctantly I’d left the room to allow her to preserve some dignity while Doc examined her. I already know exactly what scars she carries on her body, and now I’m worrying about those she’ll hold in her head. I think I deserve a medal for holding my temper when she told me why Thompson had mutilated her. And one thing’s for certain, he hasn’t succeeded in putting me off, and I make a vow to her here and now, if that’s what she wants, when she’s healed she’ll be up on that stage one way or another. I’m certainly not accepting her resignation today.

I’ve no worries leaving her with her son, she’s in good hands. Tyler’s a great kid, perhaps his own health problems making him better able to understand hers. I’d had a long conversation with him when I explained why he had to wait before seeing her. His level of understanding and compassion surprising me for one so young. Not for the first time, I’m impressed with the lad, and proud of him too.

Alex had been out of it for twenty-four hours since we brought her back to the clubhouse. Once he’d fixed her up as best he could, I’d got the rundown on her condition from Doc, my brothers who’d been at the cabin lurking close by so they could hear too. I don’t think any of us who’d seen what that bastard had done to her will ever forget the sight. As Doc said, what he’d done to her pussy wouldn’t leave visible scars, but for her to have gone through a violation like that? It will have fucked badly with her mind. I shift uncomfortably and my hand goes to my groin. No one, of whatever sex, can easily cope with any type of mutilation in that area.

Even if Tyler hadn’t appeared, I’d have to have left her. Snake’s called a meeting, and one I wish to attend, its sole purpose to discuss how to fulfil our desire to find and take the man who’d caused her such terrible suffering, and wreak out our own vengeance on the sadistic motherfucker. He left her to die. And he would have succeeded if I hadn’t had the help of my brothers to find her.

I’m the last to arrive, and Snake doesn’t waste time on formalities.

“Right, let’s get this meetin’ started. I know we’ve got a few updates since you’ve been up with Alex. She doin’ okay, Dart?”

“Physically? As well as can be expected, Prez. Mentally she’s got a fuck of a long way to go.”

“When we get our hands on Thompson, Dart, he can say goodbye to his dick.” Mouse and I can’t help but give a sideways grin toward Slick. Yup, when he was saving his old lady Ella and her sister, he’d got himself a reputation for removing a man’s cock. But remembering just what Alex’s husband had done to her, I couldn’t argue the punishment wouldn’t be apt.

Snake gives us an impatient look, not understanding what we found amusing. But it’s not the time to enlighten him now.

“We’ve had prospects watchin’ both houses. We need Thompson alone to take him.”

“Any movement?”

“Give me a fuckin’ chance, Dart.” Grumbler’s tone lives up to his name. “Yeah. The cops went to the marital home yesterday. Spent a bit of time inside. Thompson wasn’t with them.”

I cock my head to the side. “Why would they go there?”

“She got anyone else who’d report her gone?” Snake raises his eyebrow as he answers my question with one of his own.

Of course! “Yeah, her sister. She’d be quick off the bat to make a report to say she’s disappeared. She’d have directed the cops straight toward Thompson.”

“Wouldn’t he have tried to come up with somethin’ to delay them?” Kink asks. “Kind of defeats his objective if she’s found too soon.”

“He took leave for a week, remember? Maybe they don’t know where he is and can’t contact him.”

“So we can assume her sister’s reported her and Tyler missing. Cops start at the logical place and search the home where she’d lived before she left for Tucson.” Token’s thinking aloud.

I frown as I think. “Celine would kick up quite a fuss, the two sisters are tight. They’d have to try somethin’ to appease her. She’d try to tell them about Thompson, and whether they want to believe her over another cop or not, he’s the obvious person. They’d have to investigate, particularly when there’s a child involved. And they’ll be suspicious now that house is in a mess. All her clothes and possessions destroyed. That would raise a red flag if nothin’ else.”

Smoker takes a deep drag on the cigarette he’s just lit. “We can presume they’ll be pullin’ out all the stops to find her. You think Thompson’s stayin’ out of sight so he can’t be questioned?”

I’m less worried about what all the cops are doing, I’m just focused on finding one. “Any sign of him at all? Has he gone back to the house he shares with his girlfriend?”

“Nah, no sign, the prospect said. And that woman, Belinda, said he’d taken the week off work, so as far as he knows, she wouldn’t be expectin’ him back. For some reason he’s being clever, keepin’ his head down.”

“What’s happened to Belinda?” I’d been too tied up with Alex to ask.

“Sent her back home after puttin’ the fear of God into her. She opens her mouth about comin’ here, she’s dead.” Snake gives his evil grin. “I reckon I’ve convinced her.”

“But she’ll talk to Thompson. Might have already spoken to him on the phone. He’ll know of our involvement.”

“Yeah, it’s a risk. But I took her phone, so she can’t speak to him unless she knows his number by heart, and not many people nowadays remember things like that. And he’d not planned to go home for a few days.”

Lost is tugging on his beard. “What I can’t work out is why he used the cabin. He must have known it could be traced back to him.”

“It’s a fuckin’ mystery, Brother.” Slick comes in now. “On one hand, we’re sayin’ he’s clever keepin’ out of sight, while on the other we’re sayin’ he’s stupid to be usin’ such an obvious place.”

“There’s a plan in his head we don’t know,” Snake pronounces. “The girl say anythin’ to ya, Dart? Any reason for takin’ her there?”

I shake my head. It seems all he wanted to do was to hurt her.

“Got a man on the cabin in case he goes back. But there’s been no sign up to now.”

“Don’t think he ever had any intention of returnin’. Wouldn’t have left her so long, Prez, if he had. If he hasn’t gone back by now, all he’d be going for is to dispose of the body.”

My teeth gnash together, but my gut feel is that Lost is right. If we hadn’t found her…

Token raises his hand. “He left her to die. And he had a reason.” All eyes are now on the San D computer guy. “I’ve been doing some diggin’, found somethin’ of interest. A month or so ago he took out life insurance, for both him and his wife. A nice five-hundred-thou policy.”

“But why kill her at the cabin? That makes no fuckin’ sense.” Snips is shaking his head. “The parents would link him to it fuckin’ fast, and…”

“Hold up a minute.” I say stopping him midtrack. “What exactly did her parents say when you spoke to them, Mouse?”

Mouse frowns and tries to remember. “That Thompson had collected the keys so that Alex could go there.” Tapping his finger to his chin, he looks deep in thought, then adds, “Thinkin’ back, while I assumed they meant them both, maybe I’d picked it up wrong.” He pauses as though running back over the conversation in his head. “Actually, they only mentioned her. That she was goin’ there on her own. No mention of a family vacation, just her and the boy.” He frowns. “I must have filled in the gaps wrong about them saying the boy would be with her.”

“So she’s alone at the isolated cabin, and then becomes the victim of a vicious murder.”

“You may have a point, Dart, but he carved WHORE into her chest. That smacks of something personal and someone who knows her.”

“She’s not a whore!” I shut that down fast. “She’s a dancer in a strip club.” My glare ensures no one contradicts me.

“Cops have enemies,” Snake rasps. “Thompson could be intendin’ to pin this on someone he’s crossed.”

“You mean someone with good reason to hate him?” Grumbler growls. “Doubt he’d need to look far for that.”

“So why aren’t they searchin’ the cabin?” Slick shakes his head.

I snarl, “Because she might not be fuckin’ dead yet. He’d want to give it some time.” And again, the horrific thought hits me of what would have happened if we’d arrived too late.

“They might be waitin’ on questionin’ him. Or fuck knows what merry dance he could be leadin’ them on, sendin’ them off in the wrong direction to gain a bit of time,” Tinder suggests while scratching his ear. He’s right. Time in which he’s thinking his wife is dying a long drawn out and painful death.

“Any chance you can get into the police reports, Mouse? See what they’re doin’?”

Mouse opens his laptop, which unusually has been closed up until now. Token leans over, interested in what he’s doing. Suddenly Mouse’s tanned face pales. He sits back on his chair, and only one word escapes. “Fuck.”

This isn’t going to be good news, and it’s Token who enlightens us, telling us through gritted teeth, “There’s an APB out on Mouse.”

“What the fuck?”

“Why?”

“How?”

As we all throw around questions without thinking of answers, Snake bangs the gavel, getting our attention back on him. “You in the system, Mouse?”

Mouse shrugs. “Yeah, did some time in juvie.”

“You’re fuckin’ fingerprints were in Thompson’s house. All over the crap when you unplugged his computer.”

“So were ours, Prez.”

“Scribe, Brakes. You got records?”

“I’m clean.”

“They’ve got nothing on me.”

Poke puts up his hand. “I have. Anything out for me?”

“Nah, Brother. Just Mouse.”

“But why?” I wonder out loud.

“Could be just that he touched more stuff than the rest of us.” Poke’s nodding as though that make sense. “Next, she has no connection to us San Diego boys. And we’ve just put out word we’re goin‘ up against the mother chapter—that was to catch your guy, Slick, the Rock Demon.” Slick nods. “Most importantly, Stickler’s death is too fresh in all our minds. Doubt Thompson would dare cross us again, especially to set us up for somethin’ like this.” There’s obviously a reason why Snake was made president. He’s putting things together a lot quicker than the rest of us. “Thompson doesn’t want shit on his own doorstep. He knows she works at your strip club in Tucson. Could concoct a story that he brought her back as she was getting grief from one of the brothers.”

“Planned? Or was he thinkin’ on his feet?” Lost asks.

“Couldn’t have been planned, or highly unlikely. We only decided on Sunday that Mouse was comin’ down with us.” Slick’s shaking his head.

“Must have thought fast when they ran the prints.”

Mouse is still frowning, though some colour has come back to his face. “When’s Alex going to be fit enough to get out and about?”

“I don’t know. What ya thinkin’, Mouse?”

Mouse looks more animated. “Can we get the cabin cleared, Snake? Mattress taken out, blood-spatter cleaned up?”

“Consider it done, Brother. You think they’ll go there next?”

“Yeah, and they’ll probably find my fingerprints there as well.”

“We’ll clean it up.”

“No, don’t do that. Let them find my prints, just try and get rid of the blood stains and anything that looks suspicious. I’ll just keep out of sight here for a couple of days. When Alex is fit we’ll go to the cops. Thompson’s havin’ it all his own way for now, reckon we can fabricate a story every bit as credible as his. Especially if he thinks she's dyin’ or dead.”

I stare at my brother. Is he saying he’ll willingly put his head in the lion’s den? Not the normal way we do things.

As he correctly interprets my raised eyebrow, he gives me more. “The story will be somethin’ like this. We met up in Tucson, she became my girlfriend. We came back to San Diego to collect some of her stuff…”

“It was shredded, Mouse. The cops will already have found that.”

“Okay.” One thing my brother’s good at is pulling information together and sifting through it, fast. Sometimes I think he’s a damn computer himself. “She got back, found the house trashed, someone must have broken in or somethin’ like that. We’ll have to firm up on that. Anyway, she took me to the cabin to have a few days break.”

“And disposed of the mattress?”

“Hell yeah! We had fun on that, made a few stains.” Mouse pauses to wait for the laughter and crude comments to die down before continuing. “Knew we needed to replace it, so threw the old one out. Since then we’ve been stayin’ in a motel in the city.” He looks around to make sure we’re all paying attention. We are. “Anyway, the point is, they’ll see her alive—her face is unmarked, we’ll just have to make sure she’s pumped up with sufficient painkillers that she can hide her other injuries. What the cops will see is an innocent woman in love with her man.” The fucker pauses to wink at me. “We’ll take Tyler with us, show he’s a happy kid. Any alternative story Thompson can come up with will be blown out of the water. There’ll be no suggestion of foul play.” He lifts his chin toward me. “Think she can pull it off, Brother?”

I don’t need to consider it long. She’s a strong woman. “She’ll need a couple of days, but yeah, she’ll do it. But I don’t like the thought of you turnin’ yourself in.” And it irks me he’ll be the one pretending to have a relationship with her. But fuck knows why. Otherwise it’s a good plan.

The corners of Mouse’s mouth drop down. “Don’t care for it much myself. But they won’t have anythin’ to hold me on. Anyone got any better ideas? It’s me they’re after, my head on the fuckin’ block.”

Snake puts his head into his hands, and when he looks up he appears to have come to a decision. “If she can pretend she’s not injured or being coerced it could work, Brother. Get that fuckin’ APB out of the way. Ain’t no problem hidin’ you in the meantime. Reckon it might be for a few days though. He may want to leave it a while before leadin’ the cops to the cabin. VP, can you get those Arizona plates swapped on their bikes? Just in case the po-po come sniffin’ around.”

“Sure thing, Prez,” Lost replies.

“Okay. I suggest, Dart,” he defers to me due to my temporary officer status, “you get in contact with Drummer and update him as to what’s goin’ on. He needs the heads up if there’s a chance they’ll go lookin’ for Mouse back in Tucson.”

I wave my hand to show he can consider it done.

“And the rest of you douche bags—if the cops come callin’, we ain’t seen or spoken to anyone in the Tucson Chapter. Leave them in no doubt, we’re preparing for war. Any one of our desert dwellin’ brothers would get our fists in their faces if they decided to come to our compound.” At that there’s a few laughs and mock punches thrown in our direction.

“What if they’ve run my prints?” Now it’s Poke’s turn to frown.

“Go with the flow, Brother. Make somethin’ up about you bein’ best friends with Mouse, were visitin’ with him or somethin’ as long as you say nothin’ to contradict Mouse’s story it should work. Play it like you’re stupid or somethin’.”

“Wouldn’t be hard for ya.”

“We’ll back ya up on that.”

Poke glares and throws an empty cigarette pack toward Snips and Tinder.

With that, Snake wraps things up. Leaving church, I pop straight up to see Alex, but she seems to be sleeping peacefully and I don’t want to disturb her. Quietly leaving the room, I go back downstairs looking for Tyler. When I don’t see him in the clubroom I get concerned, but one of the prospects points me in the direction of the garage. I choke back a laugh when I find him. Another prospect is working on a bike, and the lad’s kneeling on the ground beside him with a selection of tools. As I watch, he expertly hands his companion a spanner. It’s the wrong one. The prospect is patient and explains what he needs. Tyler sorts through and comes up with the correct implement.

“Everything alright here?”

The prospect glances up, a smile on his face. “Yeah, got a new trainee as you can see.”

As Tyler turns his face up to me, I can see he’s got oil smudges all over it. His hands are filthy too, but there’s a fucking big grin on his face. Wondering how the hell I’ll get him cleaned up, I park that problem for later. He seems more than happy helping out.

“He okay with ya here?”

“Yeah, man. I don’t mind watchin’ him awhile for ya.”

Giving a thumps up to show my thanks, I head back inside, relieved Tyler’s fine and occupied for now, as I could do with a beer and a moment to myself. I’m wound up, hating Thompson for what he’s done. Unable to understand how a man can be so cruel, and longing to have the man under my hands, planning on how much I can make him hurt.

A man comes alongside me. “Hey, you tappin’ that black bitch?”

I grit my teeth. “No, Poke, I’m not.”

“Don’t blame ya. You forget to wrap it up you’ll have a half-breed on yer hands.” As he laughs at what he thinks is a joke my face tightens with rage.

Oh fuck. He didn’t go there, did he?

Before I can get out a response an angry voice snarls out, “And what’s fuckin’ wrong with that?” Mouse was standing close enough to have overheard. His hands are fisting at his sides, his nostrils flaring.

Poke takes one look at him and holds both palms toward him. “Didn’t mean no offence, Brother.” He looks around quickly, as though seeking an escape route, then settles rather lamely for, “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Things to do, ya know?” Then he walks off sharply with Mouse still glaring at his retreating back.

I take a swig of my beer. “Stupid fucker, that one.”

“Yeah.” Mouse sounds like he’s still fuming, but as Poke disappears, starts to relax, and instead focuses on me. “Is he on the right track, Dart?”

“What?”

Mouse signals to the prospect, and once he’s made his request known and has a drink in his hands, leans his back against the bar, resting his elbows on the wood. “Alex. What’s holding you back? Is it the colour of her skin?”

I’m amazed he could ask that. The answer’s simple. “Ain’t gonna go there because she works for us.”

“Not anymore,” Mouse replies, almost under his breath, but I hear him loud and clear.

I told her she still had a job, but the more I think on it, I realise she was right, no one would want to watch a scarred dancer. However much I’d prefer to be able to think otherwise, there’s no way she could strip for us. I’m gutted on her behalf, and enraged about Thompson all over again.

As Mouse stands quiet beside me, probably considering his own problems, I think about what he just said. Yeah, I fancy her, so what’s holding me back? Is it that her heritage is different to mine? Am I so brainwashed to think white only goes with white? I’ve never considered myself racist, but perhaps somewhere deep down inside I am?

Nah, that’s not it, I don’t give a damn about the colour of her skin, barely register it anymore. She’s Alex, that she’s black just makes her uniquely her. The problem is, she’d want more than I could offer. A future and security for her and her son. Not just a romp where we both got our rocks off and then move on.

She’s a special woman, I knew that from the moment I met her, her personality drawing me in. She’s got backbone, an inner strength shown by the way she cares for her son. I reckon she’d be loyal to a fault for anyone she loved.

But she’s not for me. I don’t go for her sort. I like my women tall and slender, long legs that can wrap around me as I pound into them. Blond hair’s always been my preference, long and smooth that I can wrap around my hands.

As I try to summon up an image of the type that does attract me, memories crash into my head of the first time I’d seen Alex dancing in the club—her suppleness and erotic moves, and immediately my cock starts to throb. Now he doesn’t seem to mind she’s short, plump, and soft with a great ass and tits…

She needs a man who’s in it for the long haul, and don’t come close to that. If I started anything I’d only be leading her on. Sure, I wouldn’t turn down the chance to fuck her, just to see what it’s like, but that’s out of the question. Because she’s an employee.

Not now she’s not.

“You like her,” Mouse observes.

“Of course I like her. She’s a lovely person, good natured.”

“And with a fuckin’ good body. The money coming into the club can testify to that.”

Not any longer. I frown. “Dollar’s not gonna be pleased.”

“Fuck Dollar,” Mouse growls. “You didn’t come across two states just to look after our investment.”

Even I can’t adequately explain why my first impulse was to jump on my bike to take on her ex on her behalf. I just thought it was unfair on her, that’s all. But would I have done that for any other bitch?

“Why don’t you just admit it and go for it, Brother? I seen the way you look at her.”

Narrowing my eyes, I stare at him. “And what fuckin’ way would that be?”

Mouse smirks and points towards Slick, who’s currently deep in discussion with Poke, and by the tension in my brother’s body, he’s not enjoying the conversation at all. Wondering what they could be talking about almost makes me miss the implication of Mouse’s next words. “Like the way Slick looks at Ella. Or Wraith looks at Sophie. Or hell, the way Drum is with Sam.”

No I don’t. There’s no similarity at all. “I’m not fuckin’ her, Mouse. Told ya that already.”

He rolls his eyes. “You don’t have to fuck her to have feelin’s for her. Back in church, when I say I was going to play boyfriend with her, you clenched your fists.”

Did I? I hadn’t been aware of it. “Maybe I was just stretchin’ my hands.”

Again, his eyes rise to the ceiling then back down. “Just fuckin’ listen to yerself. Yer makin’ every fuckin’ excuse you can to deny what’s plain as the fuckin’ nose on yer face. The real reason why you won’t go there? You’re scared you get one taste of that pussy and you won’t want any other. And yer frightened of makin’ that commitment.”

Commitment and me don’t go together. Yeah, I’d fuck her. But she’d be nothin’ more than any of the rest. Once I’ve gone there I’ll have had enough. And probably shattered the friendship between us. “I don’t go back for seconds, Brother.”

He smirks. “I’d put good money on it you would this time.”

He’s wrong. Completely wrong. But fuck it, my head’s screwed up in knots. I eye Eva coming into the room, scantily clothed and swaying seductively, obviously advertising she’s available for a quick fuck. There you go fella, what about that instead? Shit, now I’m having a conversation with my cock! But he twitches, which I interpret as he’s telling me it’s a fuckin’ good idea, a way to get rid of my tension and those strange, inappropriate thoughts about the woman lying injured upstairs. And that’s what I want to hear, not the rubbish my brother’s been spouting.

I nudge Mouse and point towards the sweet butt. He gives me a strange look and a quick disappointed shake of his head. But I’m already moving, throwing a quick, “Keep ya eye on Tyler for me, will ya?” over my shoulder. I hear him huff as I move off.

“Hey, Eva. Up for some fun?”

Her instant smile and nod gives me the answer I want. She takes hold of my hand and leads me out of the room. I try to focus on the sway of her ass, but can’t help but mentally compare it to another, the one I can’t seem to get out of my mind. She pauses at a doorway and pushes open the door. I follow her inside.

“I’ve been looking forward to this, Dart.” As she licks her lips she leaves me in no doubt what she’s talking about.

I simply jerk my chin. I’m not being modest, no woman I’ve had has ever left with complaints. Reaching out, I cover her tits with my hands, already having seen she’s braless beneath her tight top. Under my touch her nipples peak, pushing at the thin material. My cock seems to have lost interest. Maybe I need to see flesh.

“Take this off,” I instruct her, using the commanding tone women seem to like.

Hurriedly she complies, tearing it off over her head. Yeah, her breasts are pretty enough, tanned and tipped with rosy red nipples. Lowering my mouth and putting a hand around her back, I pull her too me and close my lips around one of the hard peaks. She gasps loudly, an exaggerated and practiced sound. I give a little nip of my teeth, and she pushes against me. My cock twitches.

After treating the other nipple the same way, I take a step back and wave my hand. “Naked, now.”

With a gleam in her eyes, she undoes the buttons on her shorts, hooks her thumbs into the waistband, and slowly pushes them over her hips. As she kicks them off, freeing her feet, she’s wearing nothing but high-heeled shoes. No superfluous clothing here.

I’ve got a naked and very attractive woman standing in front of me. As I examine her, she flicks just the kind of long blonde hair I like over her shoulders. She puts a hand on her hip and a finger to her mouth, and sucks it inside. Having lubricated it, she trails it down her stomach, and circles her clit. Another twitch, and my cock’s almost at half-mast.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Grinning, I try to get my head—and dick—into the game. Placing my hand against her chest, I push her back towards the bed. When her knees hit the edge, I curl my arm around her back and gently ease her down. Expertly she spreads her legs, allowing me the see her glistening arousal. Her perfume is heady. I’ve got a willing woman ready and waiting for me. Instinct takes over. Pushing aside any other thought in my head, my cock pushes up against my jeans, now fully erect. At last.

Before he can have second thoughts, I straddle her body, pulling her up on the bed. I start working her with my fingers as my mouth finds her breasts, nipping and soothing with my tongue. I know my way around a woman’s body, and soon have her writhing, alternately flicking, circling, and pressing on her clit with my thumb while my fingers work from inside her channel. With my free hand I take hold of her hair, pulling her head back on the bed.

“You gonna come?”

“Yes.”

And then her body’s tensing, her mouth opens as she cries out. I keep up the pressure until she’s back down to earth again.

Standing, I take off my tee and open my jeans. Her eyes widen as they fall on my cock. Her tongue rims her mouth suggestively as I take out and slide on a condom.

“On your knees.”

As she turns over she wiggles her ass in the air. With my hands on her butt cheeks I thrust forwards and then I’m inside her pussy. I start slowly, knowing women enjoy a gradual build.

She’s encouraging me on. “Oh, yes, Dart. That’s it. Fuck yes. That feels soooo good.”

I fasten my pace.

“Oh baby, that’s fucking good. Yeah, Dart. Oh Dart.”

I start hammering.

“Dart! Dart. Oh fucking yes, Dart!”

I’ve got a reputation for giving a girl a good time. The sweet butts back home make a beeline for me, and hangarounds always try to come back for more. I’ve got stamina too, and that’s fucking useful for once. She’s come twice now, and I can’t even feel that telltale tingling in my balls.

Pulling out I turn her onto her back, noticing her eyes are glazed over. I pull up her legs, thank fuck she’s supple and I can push them back over her shoulders. I push in my dick, getting deeper this way.

My hips piston as I plunge in and withdraw, over and over again. I tune out her voice and close my eyes…

Suddenly I see a dark vision in my head, a girl with assets she knows how to use as she shimmies around the pole in the club. And there it is, at fucking last, my balls draw up and I’m emptying myself with little more than a feeling of relief that I’ve come at last.

Releasing her legs and putting my hand to the condom, I pull out. Removing the latex, I tie it off, and, standing up, put it in the pocket of my jeans. Yeah, I’m not looking for a paternity suit.

She’s turned on her side to watch me dress. “Dart, babe. That was amazing.” Sitting up, she reaches out her hand and touches my abs. “Expected it to be good, babe. But you blew me away.”

Now what man doesn’t feel proud getting praise like that. I wink at her. “Glad to be of service, darlin’.”

“You know,” she continues, still stroking my chest, “I didn’t think I’d get the chance to take you for a test run.”

“Really?” Zipped up, I’m pulling on my tee now.

“Yeah, thought you were with that black bitch you brought back with you.”

Swiping her arm away I lean down, twist my hand in her hair to the point of pain and snarl, “You show some fuckin’ respect. She’s got a fuckin’ name and you use it, you got me?”

Disgusted with her, and for some inexplicable reason with myself, I loosen my grip and leave the room, slamming the door behind me.