Chapter 7

Miracle

Back at the dorms I’m fighting Bridgette for the shower. She always hogs the bathroom. “If you let me go first I’ll give you the dirty details on my night with Cole,” I attempt to bribe her.

“Girl, please. I was in the next room. I could hear all the dirty details. Why do you think I didn’t sleep for shit?” She waggles her brows.

“Ugh! Shut up. You’re just saying that to embarrass me.”

She winks and slams the bathroom door shut with a laugh.

“Bitch,” I mutter.

“I heard that,” she singsongs as she starts the water.

“Can you see me flipping you off?” I ask, but she’s already under the water or ignoring me, because I don’t receive an answer.

Since my roommate is being a twat, I gather up my dirty clothes and head to the laundry room. There’s this cool as shit application I have on my phone that will tell me when my clothes are done so I don’t have to sit and wait.

After loading two washers, I pull out my phone and call my sister, Dawn. I have to tell her about Cole.

“Hey hot shot college girl, I was just about to call you.”

“You were?”

“Yes, I have news.”

“Me too! But, you go first.”

“Are you sitting down?” She asks, making me highly suspicious of the nature of her news. With my fingers crossed I hope she says she’s pregnant.

“Hold on,” I tell her, as I go over to the chairs and take a seat.

“I got a job offer that is bringing me, well Patrick and me back to Kentucky.”

“That’s great. I miss seeing you.”

“Jeez don’t sound so excited,” she groans.

“I’m happy. I just thought maybe you were finally gonna have a baby.”

“Well…I,” she hesitates.

“You what!” I shriek.

“I was going to wait until I saw you in person, but okay, I’m pregnant!”

I nearly drop my phone. “Eek! Congratulations. I’m so fucking happy for you. How far along are you?”

“Twenty weeks. It’s a boy. I’ve not told anyone else yet, so mouth shut, okay?”

“Ugh, you know I suck at secrets. Can I at least tell Cole or Bridgette?”

“You can tell her, but not your parents. I don’t want my dad hearing the news from someone else. Wait. Who’s Cole?” I can hear the smile in her cheery tone.

“I met a boy. Okay he’s a man, a biker. Don’t tell anyone back home. You know how my dad gets all overprotective and how weird I feel about dating. But, I like him. I really like him,” I confide.

I tell her about Cole, skipping the details about his skillful fingers and wicked mouth. We’re close but not sex talk close. Besides, I kinda like keeping the details about what we shared to myself. I feel if I go around telling everyone it will somehow cheapen the experience.

My sister is happy I’m dating but gives me this whole spiel about dating a biker who isn’t a Black Rebel. I hate when she tries to mom me. I guess it's an older sister thing though. I'd probably do the same to Harley.

After hanging up with Dawn, I get my laundry in the dryer and head back to the room to hopefully get a shower.

When I get to the room Bridgette is sitting on her bed wrapped in her towel combing out her hair.

I ignore her smug smirk and grab the shower I’m in desperate need of.

I take my time, being sure to shave my legs with extra care. I almost always end up missing a spot or two. I don’t want Cole getting all sexy and rubbing a hairy patch on my leg or something.

When I get out of the bathroom Bridgette is missing in action.

I love her dearly but am glad for a moment to myself.

My mind instantly flashes to Cole and our morning in his bed.

If we become a thing, at least we will have the privacy of his own room to look forward to.

This morning was wow, just wow.

Going through the motions with a grin plastered on my face, I change into something comfy. We aren't going to the movies until later tonight.

Dumping my notes out on my bed, I prepare to go over Professor Langley’s lecture on stained glass and social classes in medieval times. It’s not a favorite period of mine, but comes with the territory of the class. I’m more interested in teaching others to harness their inner artist and let out their feelings through their art, but the more knowledge I have under my belt the better.

However, it isn't like I am studying to be a museum curator or anything.

It isn’t long before I am bored and sketching Cole in my book.

A ping from my phone interrupts me as I work on the bridge of his nose. Part of me gets excited thinking it might be him. It's only a notification from the laundry application. My clothes are dry.

With a groan, I close my notes and slip my shoes on. As I am going out the door Bridgette comes through the door with Tilley hot on her heels.

Tilley is a girl who lives a floor below us. She is a goddess when it comes to hair and makeup. Bridgette must have recruited her to help us get ready for tonight.

 

 

 

Cole

My phone keeps ringing with call after call from Harper. Having had enough I answer on her tenth attempt to call. “What?” I snap.

“Hey you, about time you answered. Been missing you. When are you coming home?” Home isn’t anywhere near that crazy bitch.

She must still be under the delusion that I’m going to be her pet on the side.

“What do you want, Harper, I’m busy.”

“You, of course. When am I going to see you? I miss you, babe.”

Rubbing my fingers through my damp hair, I sigh. “You’re not. Thought you’d get the hint when I didn’t even say goodbye.”

“I’m throwing a party tonight. Marek’s out on a run. I’m not asking Cole.”

Gripping the phone tighter, I feel a pang of guilt. I should’ve cut her off before I left. Should’ve ended shit then.

“Look, Harper. Shit...we had a good run, let’s leave it at that.”

Her nasally voice screeches in my ear, “Are you dumping me!”

“Harper, like I said, I’m busy. Let it go. I got shit to do. I’m on Marek’s orders,” I lie knowing she won’t question him. He’d knock her fucking teeth down her throat.

“Yeah, well I hope your dick falls off.”

Click. The line goes dead.

“Good riddance,” I mumble, grabbing my jacket from the back of the couch.

“Girl trouble,” Rhyner says with a grin.

“Something like that. You ready to ride out man?”

He gives me a chin nod and we head out the door to his car. We aren’t taking the girls to the movies until tonight. Rhyner’s Uncle, Porter has a job for us.

Turns out Rhyner is the nephew of a member of another MC, Born Sinners. This will be my first time meeting him and it’s important this job goes off without a hitch. There's damn good money to be made. I’ve seen Rhy’s bank statement. Not only that, if I’m going to succeed in taking out Marek and the Devils Rejects, I’ll need their support.

If I get brought in I won’t need to depend on the money I get for bringing in girls for Marek.  That motherfucker stresses me out. Not to mention the grief I get from my mom for taking off. She thinks I’ve enrolled for the winter semester, hell so does Morgan, but school isn’t for me. It was a struggle to graduate high school. Fuck, they only gave me a diploma to get rid of my ass. I only passed my classes by riding Leslie Fletcher’s coattails.

The Born Sinners operate out of Sunny Kentucky, but we’re going to their brother club in Piney Point, a town outside of Lexington. It’s so damn small you’d never find it listed on a map. They only have one street and one road.

Pulling up outside the compound, I’m waiting for banjos to play and to hear the shrieking of a pig at any minute.

If Hell were on Earth, I’m sure this place would own the zip code.

There’s a few Harleys parked outside the old building. Looks like it may have been a courthouse, during its early days. Grey slab stone and barred windows makeup the front. A rebel flag hangs where the American flag may have hung once upon a time.

At the doors, two armed men pat us down.

Once we are given the all clear, I follow Rhyner through the lobby, where what appears to have been offices, now serve as apartments. A few doors are open revealing the inhabitants. The first door we pass is home to the pipe chasers-the club whores. I don’t know a helluva lot about the life, but I know easy pussy when I see it.

A sultry blonde licks her lips and winks at me. Giving her a brief nod, I keep walking. Not interested in the least.

Up a set of wide stairs, what once housed a courtroom, is home to a bar.

A few men are throwing knives at a dartboard in the corner. They don’t give me a second glance as I approach the bar behind Rhyner.

He slaps a medium sized man on the back, on the center of the cross patch. “You got that job for me?”

The gruff man turns and pulls him in for a handshake. “This the guy?” He’s staring at me, sizing me up.

“Cole Johnson. This here is the toughest SOB you’ll ever meet. My Uncle, Porter.”

The man eyes me, scratching his salt ‘n pepper facial scruff. “You got ID?”

“Yeah, man.” I pull out my wallet and flash him my license.

“California, hey. What brings you to my neck of the woods boy?”

“Like the scenery,” I lie.

He nods grabbing my wallet. “Yo, Tanner Check this kid out.” He tosses my leather to a man who is seated at the other end of the bar nursing a beer.

Tanner grunts and leaves the room.

“You come back clean, you can work for me. You come back dirty then my nephew here gonna lose a hand. I don't play around so don’t play me. Cut the shit. Why you in my house begging for scraps?”

“Not begging for shit. I like to ride and need the cash, simple as that.”

“You’re speaking my language. Follow me.”

He leads Rhyner and me down a backset of stairs, passing through what I assume was once the Judge’s chambers. 

Downstairs is a storage room full of crates of moonshine and I assume weapons.

Next thing I know, this Porter fucker is holding a gun at my temple. “I showed you mine boy, now you tell me straight up what in the fuck you are doing here. Rhyner says you showed up and about nearly blew his cover. We worked too fucking hard for some out of towner to come in and fuck our operation up.”

Fuck me. Do I tell him the truth? What if he has a vendetta against the Black Rebel Riders’ and decides to use me as leverage in his game with the Devils Rejects? “Revenge,” I answer after surveying the room, my eyes landed on an interesting development—the moonshine in the crates has the letter BRR on the label. Black Rebel Riders’ MC Moonshine. I go with my version of the truth, leaving out certain details. I tell him about stopping off at the motel and the desk clerk sending me to Off the Hinges for a beer. I’m not ready for them to know who in the fuck I am just yet, if at all.

“Revenge,” he repeats the word with an intrigued smirk. Rhyner stands quietly to the side. “Maybe we can use you. Sounds like we want the same thing.” He smiles as he rubs his beard.

Minutes later, once I’ve been checked out and my wallet is returned, Rhy and me set to loading up a truck with the crates of moonshine. We don’t have to drive far. I drive the truck to a drop spot while Rhy follows behind me in his car.

We drop the truck at a used car lot. One of those buy here pay here deals.

Once I’m back in the car with Rhyner he tells me his story. Porter is his Mom’s brother. He was raised away from the club, but was around enough to pick up shit over the years. When he was twelve his mom remarried, and she moved to Indiana. He stayed here with his dad, who remarried as well. Rhyner got himself a new cousin by the name of Gailene. Prettiest girl he had ever seen.

She ended up coming to stay with his family one Christmas, her mom was arrested on drug and prostitution charges. Seems she got in with the Devils Rejects. Owed them a lot of money after the shit she was selling for them was confiscated during the bust. Doesn’t take a genius to know they took payment in the form of Gailene.

Rhy says a friend of the Born Sinners made him a new identity, actually he took on the identity of a runaway who aged out of the foster care system. Worked his way into the Devils Rejects to look for answers about Gailene’s disappearance while reporting important information back to the Born Sinners.

Rhyner, much like myself is playing a dangerous game.