Deke Tory watched the sun come up from the back porch of the clubhouse. The air was cool as his eyes sought out echoes of the past. Things around him had changed so much in the last few years, yet some things remained the same. The clubhouse itself had mostly remained the same, although some improvements had been made. The grounds had expanded and they beefed up security around it. Yet, his mind tripped back and he was remembering that day a dozen years ago when he first came here.
He was seventeen when he left Bangor, Maine and he’d hoped to leave his bad memories far behind. He would never forget the look of rage in his father’s eyes as he rode away. The way his fists were clenched at his sides and the glare on his face told everyone around him Sam Tory was not happy. But for Deke, it’d been the only thing he could do. He had to get away from his father and the club he hated and even now, he hadn’t regretted that decision.
Deke didn’t need to turn when he heard footsteps behind him. He knew who it was without looking. In fact, he’d been expecting the other man for some time now. Both men knew exactly what day it was. This was the day of independence and death. It also marked the day Deke took over the Satan’s Spawn MC.
The day Deke left Maine, Gator and his wife Reva left with him. Although it had been fifteen years since they left Maine they had only been here in Troy, New York for the last dozen years. After three years on the road, they all decided to settle here and rebuild their shattered lives.
Although he had been young, he still had ideals and his own code he lived by. His earlier life had been hard but he watched everyone around him then he’d taken little pieces of what he could believe in and made it his own code. As he grew up, he realized something Gator told him a long time ago, had been true. He’d met his father Sam for the first time when he was twelve years old. Half-grown already he’d been well on his way to coming a man. He had his own thoughts about the way he wanted to live his life. Sam never understood that and Deke had fought to keep his own ideals.
His mother never told him or Sam the truth until the day Sam came back to the town they lived in. Sam had been stunned to find out about having a son he never knew about and when he left a few days later, Deke went with him, whether he really wanted to or not. He hadn’t but that didn’t make any difference to Sam.
Unfortunately, Deke proved just as stubborn as his old man and for the next five years, it was one battle after another until Deke had finally had enough and just left. Gator told him they were too much alike to live together but Deke never believed it. He always thought Sam tried to make him a mini Sam and Deke wasn’t having any of that. He often carried bruises to show the world he was his own man.
Twelve years ago, they rolled into Troy and stayed. They found the Satan’s Spawn MC and watched carefully to see if they wanted to join. It only took a few days to see the pattern and the more time they spent with the club, the more they discovered what they didn’t like about it. There was too much discontent among the men. Only a few of them seemed to agree with their leader and that attitude was never a good thing in an MC like this. Bear, the leader of this group, either didn’t see it or didn’t care but most of his men weren’t happy with his leadership. They just seemed to lack the will to end their discontent.
Bear was a big man. Older than Gator, the man held tight to the leadership over his men. He claimed his word was law and he often used his position for his own gain. He beat down his men, verbally and by using his fists until they had no thoughts of standing up to him. Not only that but he allowed booze and drugs to steal more of his men’s will away from them. He gave them very little and expected a lot more back. To Deke this wasn’t the way to run an MC.
Deke didn’t agree with this philosophy and began pulling away until a girl named Gillian came under Bear’s questionable protection. Bear had pulled Gillian out of a parking lot of a 7-11 after a nasty fight with an old boyfriend. The boyfriend just left her there and Gillian looked lost as she watched him drive away. He’d been there when Bear rolled over to her and offered her a ride. Gillian thought he would take her home, instead he took her back to the clubhouse and kept her there. Gillian didn’t want to be at the club but once she was there, Bear wouldn’t let her go. He wanted her and she wasn’t going to deny him. He’d made that very clear, not only to her but to everyone in the club.
It all came to a head the few nights later when Gillian tried to leave the compound. The club was partying which wasn’t uncommon but Bear’s demands on Gillian were getting worse. He’d had enough to drink that night when he grabbed her and began dragging her to his bedroom. Gillian refused and tried to break his hold but couldn’t get away from him. No one was paying any attention to her. Deke tried to stand up to assist her but Breaker, Bear’s second in command held him down and shook his head.
He whispered, “You don’t want to do that.”
Deke couldn’t believe he’d said this. “Why not?” he demanded.
Breaker just shook his head. Then he looked away and picked up his drink, not saying a word.
“You mean to tell me you’re going to let him rape that girl and do nothing to stop him?” Deke fumed.
Breaker shrugged but couldn’t meet Deke’s eyes. “It will hurt her less if she cooperates.”
Deke pursed his lips together in his rage. “She doesn’t want him. I think she’s made that clear enough.”
Breaker shrugged again. “But he wants her and right now, that’s all that matters to him. He’ll lose interest quick enough.”
Deke pushed back his chair and got to his feet. Looking around the room, he glared at every man sitting there. No one could meet his eyes. They could all see what was happening, they could all hear her screams and not one of them had come to her aid.
He looked over at Gator and saw the other man’s rage, then he swung his eyes to Breaker. “That’s bullshit and you know it. Not one of you here deserves the rank of being called a man. I always thought an MC meant something to the members. That being part of an MC meant being part of a brotherhood but this is not what a brotherhood means to me. You are letting a bastard of a man bully you into submission and that’s worse than being a snake. He’s got each and every one of you by the short hairs of your balls and you allowed that to happen. You people make me sick.”
Growling, he walked toward the bedroom Bear and Gillian had went to and moments later, they all heard the sounds of a fight. Moments later, they saw Bear flying through the doorway as Deke threw him back into the main room. Bear got up off the floor and charged back into the bedroom then they heard more thuds against the wall. Bear flew out of the bedroom again, followed by Deke as they fought their way in the open space of the main room. Both men were bleeding and for a moment, it seemed as if Bear would win the fight as he had Deke down on the ground but Deke managed to throw a fist that stunned the other man. He nailed him in the groin with the first blow, then in the head with the second hit.
Bear dropped to the ground and didn’t move for a moment or so. Deke got up slowly bending at his waist and took several deep breathes. Blood dripped on the floor from his broken nose as Gillian slowly emerged from the bedroom. Blood ran down her chin and her clothing was torn. Tears rolled down her face and she could barely walk. She hugged the wall as she passed the spot where Bear laid. Before she could take more than a step past him, he got to his feet and grabbed the knife at his hip. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her backward. She screamed and struggled to break free. Growling, he shook his head as if to clear it and stabbed her in the back.
Her screams were cut short as she fell to the floor and no sound was heard from anyone as they witnessed what Bear had done.
Bear just stood there glaring at the girl breathing deeply. His eyes were glazed over and he didn’t seem to care that he’d just killed someone.
Deke growled and pulled his fist back in order to drop the other man when suddenly a gunshot barked out.
Everyone watched as a wound burst open and blood sprayed from out of Bear’s forehead. His eyes crossed and he dropped to his knees falling forward to lay on the floor next to Gillian. For a brief second, he had a stunned look on his face then there was nothing.
Deke slowly raised his shocked eyes to look over at the group of men sitting at the tables not far from where he stood.
There he saw Breaker still holding his weapon pointed in his direction. Shock was on everyone’s face for a moment then Breaker carefully laid his weapon on the table. He got to his feet and stared at the body of his fallen leader.
Deke slowly lowered his body down to check on Gillian. When he turned her over and saw her eyes were closed, he checked for a pulse but didn’t find one. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and just stared at her for a moment. The bruises on her face stood out and he hated the fact they were there. The blood on her chin was drying and he could see the cut where Bear had split her lip with his fist. He pulled the blade from her back and threw it off to the side then gathered her up in his arms and carried her out of the club. No one tried to stop him and as he passed Gator, the other man fell in behind them.
When they were going, Deke didn’t know. He carried her into the woods behind the club and after a while, he stopped and sat down on a stump. Still holding her in his arms, he glanced over at Gator with pain in his eyes. “I got her killed,” he whispered brokenly.
“No you didn’t,” Gator insisted. “You tried to save her.”
Deke shook his head.
“Yes you did,” Gator argued. “You were the only one of all of them that cared enough to stand up for her. Those losers would have let him rape her.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore does it?” Deke glared at him. “She’s still dead.”
“So is he.”
“No matter what her life was before she came here, she didn’t deserve this.” Deke shook his head. He and Gator had been the only ones who asked about her life before they met. Over the last few days, she’d told them how she was just another child to slip through the cracks. Only seventeen years old, she’d been on her own for the last two years since she left her mother behind her. Her mother had pimped her out at the age of fourteen for enough money to support her own crack habit. It had been a less than ideal life and she had gone with Bear that day because she needed a place to live and thought the MC would take care of her until she got back on her feet. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out the truth. She didn’t seem like she was crying about her life, she’d just stated the facts.
“What are you going to do with her now?” Gator asked. “You can’t take her to the police without bringing heat down on the MC.”
Deke scoffed. “And why should I give a rat’s ass about them? They didn’t give a shit about their own leader and what he was doing.”
“Not all of them were like him.” He pointed out. “Most of them were decent guys, they just lacked proper leadership.”
Deke glanced down at the girl in his arms. “Then I guess we’ll give her in death what she couldn’t find in life. A decent place to rest.” Laying her down on the grass, he bid Gator, “Wait here with her, so she isn’t alone. I’m going back to get a shovel.”
A few minutes later, he walked back into the clubhouse. Glancing to where Bear’s body was he noted no one had moved it. Breaker and the others were still sitting at the tables drinking. There were no other sounds in the room.
Breaker looked up at him. “What do you want us to do now?”
“I don’t want you to do anything.” Deke growled. “I’m not your leader.”
“You could be,” someone called out.
Breaker nodded. “We were at one time, proud to carry these colors. Bear wasn’t a bad man at one point but he let the power of being the leader corrupt him. He lost his way and after a while, we couldn’t do anything but allow it. Most of us were going to walk away from him before this happened, we just lacked a valid reason, this I guess was just the turning point we needed.” He got to his feet.
“You were right when you said we weren’t men anymore. But you wouldn’t have said that a year ago. The real brotherhood of this MC broke down slowly and over that time, Bear just smothered any resistance we had. The more power he got the less resistance we had. We forgot what that brotherhood meant until you pointed it out to us.” He looked over his shoulder at the fallen man behind him. Then he looked at Deke. “Bear has been wearing us down for a long time and we let him do it. We don’t want that anymore and if we had a strong man to lead us, we could take pride in ourselves again.”
Deke glared at them for a moment. “I don’t want to be your leader. No one else should be in a position to have to tell you what to do and how to live. That’s something each of you has to do for yourselves.” He glanced around at the two dozen men sitting there.
Most of them had a dazed look in their eyes.
Breaker shook his head. “You don’t understand.” He ran his fingers threw his long hair. “Most of us have nowhere else to go. As bad a leader as he was, Bear held us together for a long time. He used fear and intimidation to keep his position. Over time, he made us weak and took away our pride, but it wasn’t always like that. When we started out, this MC was something we could say was a good thing. How we lost that and let him take over, no one knows but with the right leadership, we could be great again.”
Deke shook his head. “But I’m no leader, hell I’m about the youngest one of you here. It would never work, most of you wouldn’t take orders from me on that fact alone.” He glanced around him again, then looked Breaker in the eye. “Me and Gator are looking for a place of our own too. We left Maine a few years ago under similar circumstances. I couldn’t stay with the MC there because I didn’t believe in what they stood for. We thought this place was a good place until it wasn’t anymore. We were on our way out the door when this happened.”
“You and Gator haven’t been here more than a few days,” Breaker admitted.
“It didn’t take us long to find out what we needed to know.” Deke shook his head.
“Yeah, I know,” Breaker agreed. “It took you guys’ days to see what it took Bear years to accomplish. That’s not something we can be proud of. Most of us have been disgusted about this for a long time now.”
“Like I said, that’s something you guys need to do as a club.” Deke looked around. “Now that you know what went wrong with Bear, it’s up to you not to let it happen again.”
“We could do it quicker with a good leader,” Breaker urged. “Someone strong and young enough to mold us into better men.”
Deke shook his head. “I’m looking for a club with values I can live with. I want to work every day towards a common goal, ones I don’t have to look over my shoulder to watch out for the cops or backstabbing members looking to gain power every day.”
“You could have that here with us,” another man told him as he came to stand behind Breaker. “That was our dream at one time as well, then Bear got us into the drug trade and we lost our way quickly after that.” He looked around. “Some of us have wives and kids and this place isn’t safe for them. I know I’d never bring my girl out here.”
Deke glanced around the room.
Most of the guys were willing to meet his eyes and those that didn’t just glared at him. Those were the ones who had something to lose.
“If I do this, things are gonna change and not everyone is gonna like it. For those who stay, there will be rules to follow. For those who chose to leave, you have to move out of town altogether. If this were my club, I’d want it to be clean and legit. I don’t care about the booze but it will be watched. No more drinking yourselves under the tables. There won’t be any drugs anymore. No dealing or using allowed. If you want to do that shit, you don’t do it here. From now on, we all pull our own weight by means of a job with the club getting ten percent right off the top. This town has a lot of potential for all of us to make a good living.”
Breaker showed a moment of surprise then glanced around at his men. “Only ten percent?”
Deke gave him a single nod.
Breaker looked at his men. Most of them were nodding. “Bear took forty percent.”
Deke shrugged. “I’m not Bear. I have a different plan for the club I lead. In fact, I was getting ready to move out. This club had nothing I wanted at this point.” He shifted his stance and stared at them. “I’ll be honest with all of you. When I got here, I saw a lot of potential in this town. I grew up in the MC life, it’s all I know, but this MC wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted something I could be proud of and I wasn’t proud of this place at all.” Crossing his arms around his chest, he told them, “Gator said that most of you were decent men and while I agree with him until you demonstrate what you can do to make this a better MC, you’re all on notice. I will not tolerate disrespect at all. Not to me and not to each other.”
“And if we can agree with all of that?” Breaker asked.
“Then we can try it.” Deke nodded. “Those of you who deal drugs are free to leave if you insist on that lifestyle. I know the money is good and all that but it’s not what I want for this club. Take your business elsewhere. I won’t stop you, nor will I take the money you make doing it. I want nothing to do with it. We have a lot to do to rebuild this club but it can be done.”
Breaker nodded over at Bear’s body “And him? What do we do with him?”
Deke glanced over at the body and stated flatly, “Drag his ass out to the woods and let the wild life finish him off. The circle of life will take care of him. We can’t exactly call the cops can we?” He turned to Breaker and asked, “I came in here for a shovel. Do you have one?”
Breaker nodded and walked toward him. “We have tools in the garage.” Pausing he asked, “What are you going to do with the girl?”
“I’m going to give her a final resting place, somewhere quiet and nice. She didn’t deserve what happened to her. She didn’t have any ID on her and we don’t really know anything about her except her first name. We can’t even notify her family but from what she told me about them, I doubt they would care anyway.”
Breaker went over to a shed to grab a shovel and a tarp. Handing them to Deke he asked, “Are you going to stay and help us rebuild this club?”
“I’ll think about it,” Deke replied. “But I meant what I said about the drugs. I won’t have them in my club. That’s not going to go over with some of your men. It’s good money and that’s not easy to give up.”
“What else can we do?” Breaker frowned.
“I told you, this town has potential. There’s a strip club not far from here and a couple of bars for sale. I was talking to a guy in town named Zipper and he had some ideas too.”
Breaker chuckled. “Bear never saw you coming and that’s a good thing.” He shook his head. “I think you could be a good thing for us. I hope you consider staying here and turning this club around.”
“It isn’t going to be easy. We’re bikers and most people look down on us for just that reason. I want to build a club that people don’t look at with fear and distrust. I love the biker life, hell it’s all I’ve ever known but I’ve seen the best and the worst of this life and I want something somewhere in the middle. It can be done but not without hard work and we’d all have to keep our noses clean.”
“I think we can work with that.”
Now twelve years later, Deke and Gator were running two strip clubs and three small bars, along with the MC. They were all pulling in a tidy profit. The rules were still in place and the men understood what happened when you broke them. They had some of the seedier members stay and they were each caught doing things that the club wouldn’t allow. Most were run out of town, and some disappeared. Deke knew some of the men took out the trash in their own way. Still, things were profitable and well run. The women who worked in their clubs came and applied for the jobs themselves. No female was ever treated without respect in his bars and clubs.
Deke had a battle from the get go on his hands, as he took over the club. Cleaning out the riffraff and drugs had been hard but earning the respect of the remaining men had been worth the effort. It had taken two years to get to the point where they bought the first bar and strip club but slowly, they had worked hard to get to where they were today.
The club was doing well and providing enough to be able to hold their heads up. The women and families of the men had come together and worked hard for the unity they shared. The men found they could trust Deke to keep his word. He listened to their concerns and ideas for the club then acted on the ones he thought would work. He became a good leader and had taken his place in the club with pride.
Gator never liked the strip clubs like you would think a man would, no he preferred the bars to run and that was okay with Deke, as long as he had men he trusted in each location.
Deke had also invested in other properties around Troy. They were now looking into spreading out into other areas of business. Their accountant had proclaimed them solvent and making a damn good profit.
Today, him and Gator stepped off the porch and made their way into the woods. Each of those twelve years had been a turning point for the club and each one had made it stronger.
But this day was always hard for him. Each year made it worse in some ways. In other ways, every year gave him a tiny bit of peace. Their footsteps were softened by the leaves and debris on the floor of the woods. Both men made their way to a special place hidden there. Only they and Gator’s woman, Reva knew why this place was special. Several years ago, Reva wanted something special out here. Something they could all look at and something Gillian could be happy with. Gator had added a small manmade pond out here, one with a waterfalls and its own generator.
Reva maintained the area and often came out here to think. She appreciated the quiet and would sometimes talk out her own problems here. She always said there was no one here to judge her and it helped her feel closer to inner peace. That no one person was perfect, least of all her and it helped her clear away the drudge of everyday life to come out here.
When the two men broke into the clearing, they weren’t surprised to see her sitting there. Gator had added a bench for her several years ago and as they joined her, Reva smiled. “This place is perfect. I don’t know why you guys come out here but I’m glad you do.”
Deke stared at the pond and to a spot just to the left of the water. Neither he nor Gator had ever told anyone where they buried the body all those years ago. They felt a secret wouldn’t stay a secret long if too many people knew it, so this was a secret only they shared.
Gator reached out and took her hand. “Honey, this place is very special.” He glanced over at Deke and they stared at each other for a long moment. Deke gave the other man a brief incline of his head and Gator took a deep breath.
“Sweetheart,” he began. “Twelve years ago when we came here, this club was a mess. I never brought you around it, because you wouldn’t have been safe. The leader was an absolute bastard who treated women like whores. No one deserved that.”
Reva stared at him then at Deke. “But you guys changed all that, didn’t you? I mean you took over and made this club into something you could be proud of.”
“But that took more than we wanted to give,” Deke replied. “We were ready to walk away from this place and get back on the road until we found what we wanted.”
“What happened?” she asked softly.
“I couldn’t let their leader rape a young girl.” Deke’s softly spoken words shattered the quiet. “I stood up to the bastard and it cost her, her life.”
“The bastard killed her with a knife to the back. That was after he beat her and almost raped her,” Gator grumbled.
Reva raised her hands to her mouth in shock as she looked from one to the other of them. Finally, after a few minutes she whispered, “What happened then?”
“One of his own men shot him right between the eyes.” Gator growled. “But at least he saw it coming. He didn’t get it in the back like a coward.”
“What happened to him?” Reva asked.
“I told his men to drag his sorry ass out to the woods and let him rot,” Deke stated.
“Good for you,” Reva snapped. “I hope the wolves and rats ate really good that week.”
Gator chuckled softly. “You are so bloodthirsty, woman.”
“Damn right.” Reva nodded. “Bastards like that deserve what they get.” She glared at Deke. “What happened to the girl?”
Deke glanced over at the pond. “We gave her something she didn’t have before. Peace and a final resting place that would never be disturbed, I just wished we could have stopped it from happening altogether.”
Reva shook her head. “It played out the way it was meant too. Fate played out her hand and this girl got caught in the aftermath. We can’t always prevent tragedy but we can take care of the results.” She glanced around the area. “You buried her here, didn’t you? That’s why this place is so peaceful.”
Gator nodded. “Yeah baby, we did. All we ever knew about this girl was her first name but we gave her peace.”
“What was her name?” Reva asked.
“Gillian.”
Reva leaned against her man’s shoulder and clasped her hand in his. “Thank you baby, for taking care of her. You and Deke are good men.” She paused for a moment then asked, “Is that when you guys took over the club?”
Deke nodded.
“I think you guys have done a great job here,” she stated. “You turned this club around and made it something to be proud of. I wasn’t sure about this club when we first got here but you didn’t take the easy way out and you and the guys are working hard to make it on your own.”
Deke smiled. “We’re trying.”
“I know the women are happy now.”
“What do you mean?” Gator frowned.
“Some of the women who were around before you took over,” Reva explained. “They hated Bear and never came here for parties or such. They never trusted him and did their best to stay out of his way. You’re right about Bear being a bastard. He took what he wanted and didn’t care about the consequences. He was a user. He dragged their husbands and boyfriends so far down, they were afraid they couldn’t come back from the hell he was making here. But things turned around when you guys took over and now, they are proud of the way things are. You may not know it but you gave these men their pride back and gained their respect. For most men, that means the world to them. You have a good club now. You and Gator did that.”
“It’s a work in progress sweetheart,” Gator whispered. “We have so much more work to do.”
“Yeah, but you now have more people to help you do it,” she proclaimed.
“I just think there’s so much more we could be doing,” Deke commented as he shrugged. “I just feel like I’m waiting for something to happen. I can almost feel the anticipation building at times.”
“Then fate will deal her hand when the time is right.” Reva assured him. “Maybe it’s not the right time yet. You have to have patience and wait until she decides to reveal whatever it might be.”
“You believe in fate?” Deke was stunned.
“I really do.” Reva nodded. “I truly believe that fate put Gator there when I needed him. He saved my life and he keeps me safe. As long as we’re together, I’m not afraid. He gives me the courage to get out of bed and face the day every single morning.”
Deke glanced at her then over to Gator. “You are a lucky man my friend. Don’t ever let this woman go.”
“I have no plans to. She’s mine today and every day for the rest of my life,” Gator assured him.
“Don’t worry Deke,” Reva said. “Your woman is out there and she’s waiting for you to find her.”
“How do you know that?” he asked.
“Every man, woman and child has a fated mate out there somewhere. Most of us find them at some point. You just have to be patient and wait for her. Fate will bring the two of you together then the rest is up to you.”
Deke didn’t say anything for a long time then he nodded. Maybe that was true, if so it would give him something to look forward to.
He didn’t realize fate was waiting for the right time to introduce Deke to his future. She was just moving her into position for them to meet.
Three Months Later…
At the big oak door of Deke’s office, the man paused briefly and knocked. When Deke called out, he opened the door and came inside. The office was neat and tidy. The large oak desk in front of him was littered with papers and a laptop but he paid them no mind. As his eyes met the man’s behind the desk, Wiley swallowed hard.
Deke was a big man, six foot six inches, and at least three hundred fifty pounds of raw muscle. His short black hair was brushed back away from his face and his eyes were the color of ice. His hands were just as big as the rest of him and could easily break a man in half. “What’s up, Wiley?”
“We have someone sniffing around, asking questions about one of the dancers.”
Deke sat back in his chair. His fingers steepled while his steely gaze met his Sergeant at Arms. “Now who would be foolish enough to do that?”
Wiley shrugged. “It was a young woman. She first asked Hal about her but when Hal wouldn’t give her any answers, she went into the ladies room after Candy. I don’t think Candy would talk, but you never know what chicks are gonna say.”
“Bring Candy in here,” Deke ordered as he got up and moved from behind his desk.
A few minutes later, Wiley escorted Candy into the office.
She took one look at the big man’s face and began to tremble.
“I understand we had someone asking about Peaches.”
Candy groaned. “She asked but I didn’t answer.”
“What did she want to know?”
“She said she was a friend and just wanted to know if Peaches was okay,” Candy answered truthfully. “She told me to have Peaches call her.”
“Call her where?”
“She’s at the Star Bright, room 104. I swear boss that’s all she said.”
Deke stared at the woman for a moment then nodded. “It’s okay, you aren’t in trouble, but the next time someone asks anything, you better be the one to bring it to my attention, not Hal or Wiley. I run a good place here and give you girls the protection you need to feel safe. I need you to look out for each other as well.”
Candy almost wilted in relief. “I understand boss. I’m sorry I didn’t come to you first thing.”
Deke watched as she turned and left. Then he looked over at Wiley. “Maybe you and a couple of the boys should go find this woman and bring her to me. I need to know what she wants with Peaches.”
“Sure thing Prez.” Wiley grinned as he turned to leave.
“Don’t hurt her man,” Deke called out, “Just bring her in.”
Wiley nodded at two other men and they all made their way to the parking lot. Mounting their bikes, they roared off.
A few minutes later, they parked near the Star Bright Motel, just down a few spots from the Jeep he’d seen the woman drive away in. Wiley glanced around the parking lot. No one else was around and he didn’t want trouble.
Dismounting their rides, they all made their way to the door of room 104. He knocked and waited for an answer. When it didn’t come right away, he pounded on the door.
A moment later, it was thrown open and a young girl stood there. “What the hell do you want?” she growled.
Wiley took a moment to look at her.
Dressed in a white motel robe she was a small woman, her long, red, wet hair fell to her waist in tiny ringlets. Her green eyes snapped with impatience.
Wiley was both impressed and puzzled with the fact that she didn’t seem to fear them. “The boss wants to see you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. “Well maybe, I don’t want to see your boss. Did you ever think about that?”
Wiley’s brow rose as he stared at her in astonishment. “When Deke says come lady, you come.” He reached out to grab her.
She backed a step away. “I’m warning you, I don’t like to be touched. And this Deke joker can go fuck himself. Who the hell does he think he is?”
Wiley growled and stepped forward to grab hold of her. “He’s the fucking President of the Satan’s Spawn MC, that’s who the fuck he is!”
“I told you I don’t like to be touched.” She seethed as she took another step back.
“I don’t really give a shit what you like or don’t like. You’re coming with us.”
As soon as he grabbed her arm, she went postal. Her knee met his groin and before he even fell, she roundhoused his jaw and laid him out on the floor.
The other two men with him were stunned for a moment then charged at her.
She kicked one of them in the stomach and grabbed the other by his balls. Squeezing them viciously, she dropped him to the floor while giving the first one a hit to the eye.
He dropped beside Wiley and all three men laid there while they groaned.
She stepped away and headed for the bathroom. Closing the door, she got dressed and a couple of minutes later, rejoined the three men.
They were just starting to pick themselves up from the floor.
“I warned you not to touch me.” She moved over to the bed, picked up her purse, and stood at the door. “Let’s go see this boss man of yours. I have some questions I need answers to and since he’s THE PRESIDENT,” she emphasized the words with sarcasm in her voice. “He should have all the answers I need.”
Wiley ran his hand along his jaw and felt the bruise she’d given him. His eyes sparkled with fury. “You’re riding with one of us.”
“Like hell I am,” she snapped as she made her way out the door. “I have my own vehicle and I’ll meet you there.” She walked over to her jeep and got inside.
Wiley and the others got on their bikes and revved the engines. When they tore out of the parking lot, she followed them back to the club. They were waiting for her to get out of her jeep and then they followed her inside.
Hal, the bartender gaped at them.
Wiley and Jared had bruises on their faces and Jack was holding his belly. Jack and Jared made their limping, groaning way to the bar while Wiley motioned for her to go down the hall to the back of the club. Two other men fell in behind her but they were far enough behind her to not bother her much it seemed.
Wiley knocked on the door and when Deke called out, Wiley opened it and motioned for her to go inside.
Deke glanced up at his man and looked stunned to see the bruises on his face. “What the fuck happened to you?”
Wiley raised his eyebrow and motioned toward the woman standing next to him.
Deke turned and appeared to be surprised to see her glaring back at him.
“You know, if you want someone’s attention, it behooves you to be polite about it. Instead of ordering your muscle men to fetch me, you could have asked nicely.”
Deke was shocked. He couldn’t for the life of him find the words he wanted to blast her with. His men looked just as stunned as they gasped at her statement. “Do you have any idea who I am?” he finally growled.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Of course, I know who you are. Do you think I’m stupid? You’re the great big boss man of the Satan’s Spawn, Deke Tory.”
Jack and Jared joined them and Deke could see both men were in pain. Jared was holding his stomach while Jack was holding an ice bag to his balls. He glanced over at the little slip of a girl and noted she didn’t seem to have any bruises on her at all.
Standing proud with her shoulders back and at all of five feet nothing, her red hair flowed down her back and her bright green eyes observed him carefully. Her arms were crossed over her ample chest and she couldn’t weigh more than a hundred and 10 soaking wet.
“Who the hell are you anyway?” he finally asked.
She shook her head. “My name isn’t important, my mission here is.”
“And what would that mission be?” Deke asked.
“I’m here looking for a dancer named Peaches. All I want to know is if she’s okay. I’m not looking for trouble of any kind I just want to find her.” She paused and stared at the big man behind the desk. “Why is that so difficult for you jackasses to figure out?”
Deke felt a streak of rage go through him. “This jackass protects his dancers and when someone he doesn’t know starts asking questions, he wants to know why.”
She dropped her arms and took a few steps toward his desk. Placing her fingers on the wooden surface, she leaned toward him. “Do you know Peaches?’ she asked him softly. She gazed unto his eyes.
“Yes, I know Peaches,” Deke finally told her.
“Is she okay?”
He frowned at her question. “Yes, she’s okay. Why would you ask me that?”
She stood away from the desk. “I just wanted to find her and talk to her. I didn’t mean any trouble. Will you have her call me? I need to speak to her.”
“What the hell did you do to my men?” Deke asked softly.
His men shifted nervously. They knew when he spoke in that tone of voice he was in a fine rage. They knew to steer clear of him at that point. They almost felt sorry for her, almost. And Wiley thought she would soon see his temper, he grinned.
“I warned them that I don’t like to be touched. They didn’t listen.” She shrugged. “Maybe now, they will.”
Deke stood to his impressive height and she could finally see just how big a guy he really was. Dark hair, wide shoulders and muscles to spare. He could snap her back like she was a toothpick and Cassie felt a second of fear but nothing showed on her face.
Walking around the side of his desk, he came close to where she stood. “So you don’t like to be touched huh?” He steel colored eyes burned at her.
Cassie narrowed her eyes and took a step back. When he took a step forward, she could feel the power building up inside her. She matched his temper but she knew she couldn’t match his brawn. Her mind zipped through defensive moves she’d used in the past. “No I don’t,” she whispered. “I don’t want to hurt you but I will if you force this.”
Deke barked a laugh. “I don’t think you could touch me but I could definitely hurt you.”
“No man will ever hurt me again.” She sneered. “I don’t care how big, brawny or fucking stupid they happen to be.”
Wiley gasped and paled. He watched with fear on his face waiting to see what Deke would do. No one, certainly not a woman had ever called this man stupid and lived.
But Deke surprised everyone by throwing his head back and laughing. When he stopped laughing, he looked her in the eye and said, “Lady you have balls, I’ll give you that. Just don’t ever call me stupid again, or I will hurt you.”
“You could try,” she vowed under her breath. “Then don’t act it and we’ll get along fine,” she said louder than before.
“I still need a name.” Deke seemed calm and cool as he went back to his chair and sat down. Opening his desk drawer, he brought out a bottle of Black Velvet whiskey. Grabbing a couple of glasses, he poured out two shots and put one in front of her.
Cassie shook her head. “I don’t drink, sorry.”
Deke nodded. “What’s your name?” he asked her for the third time.
“Cassie.”
“Just Cassie?” he asked.
“Just Cassie. Kinda like just Cher or Madonna.”
Deke glanced over at Wiley. “Why don’t you find Peaches and bring her here.”
Wiley nodded and left the room.
Deke motioned for Cassie to sit while she waited for her friend. “Is there something other than whiskey you would like to drink?”
“Black coffee works for me.” Cassie sat down. “If you don’t have that, water is good.”
Deke looked over at Jack and nodded.
Jack got up and left the room.
“So, tell me about you and Peaches?” he asked as he poured another shot.
“We grew up together in the same hell hole until I got big enough to take care of the both of us. We’ve been together since we were five years old.”
“How did you lose track of her then?” Deke looked curious.
“Some jackass snatched her off the street when she was coming home from work about three months ago.” She glared at him. “I’ve been looking for her ever since.”
Deke frowned. “She came here looking for work. I had nothing to do with how she got here. That ain’t how we roll.”
“I didn’t say you were the jackass but somebody is and when I find them I intend to kill them,” Cassie vowed.
Wiley entered the boarding house and went to Peaches’ room.
When he knocked on the door, she called out with a sleepy, “Come in.”
Wiley opened the door and found her in bed.
She raised her gaze to him and looked confused. “What are you doing here?”
“You got a visitor.”
“A what?” Peaches asked as she got out of bed.
“Some dame is looking for you.”
Peaches’ nervous gaze focused on the bruise on his jaw. “Cassie is here, isn’t she?”
“How did you know?”
Peaches smiled as she studied the bruises on his face. “She warned you not to touch her didn’t she?” She laughed. “That girl.”
Wiley grabbed her by the arm and squeezed. “That girl is in a whole mess of trouble. She’s going head to head with Deke at the moment. If you mean as much to her as she thinks, you won’t waste any more time. Let’s get going.”
Peaches looked upset as rushed to get her clothes on and followed Wiley out the door.
When they entered the club, Hal nodded and Wiley grabbed her by the arm again, dragging her toward the back to Deke’s office. Throwing open the door, he pushed Peaches inside.
Peaches stumbled and almost fell as she called out, “Cassie!”
Cassie turned and jumped to her feet. Rushing over to her friend, she hugged her. “I thought I’d never seen you again.” Tears rolled down her face as she stared at the best friend she had in the world. The two of them had been through so much together. Taking a step back, she noted the faint bruising on Peaches’ arms. Looking into her friend’s eyes she asked, “Did he hurt you baby girl?”
Peaches glanced at Wiley and shook her head. “No not really. These guys play rough but no, he didn’t hurt me.”
Cassie turned her head and glared at Deke. She sneered at him but didn’t say anything. Then she turned her glare to Wiley. “If you touch her again, I will kill you.”
Peaches gasped, turning to Wiley. “She didn’t mean anything by that.”
“The hell I didn’t. You’re not their plaything, to use and abuse. You are a dancer.”
“Enough!” Deke shouted. “Who the fuck do you think you are, coming in here threatening my men? What gives you the right?”
“Who do I think I am?” Cassie shouted back as she stomped over to his desk. “I’m somebody who’s sick to death of being threatened by big apes like you who thinks he can bully his way through life. I’ve had to scratch and claw my way every day and I don’t take shit from nobody. Do you hear that? I won’t take shit from you or your men.” She raised her hand and slapped him.
The sound echoed in the office. Wiley gasped loudly as he took a step back.
Deke got to his feet again. Everyone could see the rage on his face as well as the red mark from her slap.
Peaches rushed forward and grabbed Cassie, pulling her back away from the desk. “She didn’t mean it Deke. Please don’t hurt her,” she begged.
Deke nodded to Wiley.
“Oh, no! Don’t do it, Wiley!” Peaches yelled.
Pushing Peaches out of the way, he grabbed Cassie by the arms and crushed her to his chest.
Dropping forward, she lifted her left foot and slammed it into his balls. When she felt his grip loosen, she jabbed her elbow into his gut and rammed her head back into his face.
Wiley dropped to the floor like a stone.
She stood there for a moment, her breathing deep, her chest heaving. The rage inside her was leaving. She glared at him. “I told you not to fucking touch me.”
Deke watched stunned at the swiftness of her attack. Wiley was a man twice her size and a hell of a lot stronger than she was. But she had taken him on and defeated him as sure as she claimed she would.
Peaches reached out to her and grabbing her hands she whispered, “You’d better run before they kill you.”
Cassie lifted her hand to Peaches’ cheek. “I don’t run, remember?” She turned to Deke and squared her shoulders. “I didn’t come here to make trouble, not for you, not for anyone. I told that bastard not to touch me but he didn’t listen. All I wanted to do was find my friend and make sure she was all right. That’s all I wanted.”
“You realize the kind of trouble you’re in now, don’t you?” Deke asked her. “We can’t let it be known that a woman took out our Sergeant at Arms. That just wouldn’t look good.”
Cassie sighed. “So what are my options here? If you promise not to hurt Peaches, I’ll do what you say. I didn’t start this thing but as I have no choice, I will honor whatever you decide my punishment should be for as long as I chose.”
Deke thought for a moment then suggested, “You become property of the club.”
Cassie frowned. “I will not become a whore.”
“You will become whatever I tell you, you are,” Deke reminded her.
Cassie stared at him for a moment before she declared, “You sir, are a fucking bastard. A rotten, fucking, cock sucking bastard.”
Deke moved to stand in front of her. Raising his hand, he struck her across the face.
Cassie swayed but didn’t move. Tears formed but she wouldn’t allow them to escape.
Deke glared at her for a minute then turned to Peaches. “Don’t you have work to do?”
Peaches nodded and left the room in a hurry.
Deke motioned for his men to leave.
Jack and Jared helped Wiley to his feet and they lumbered out.
Deke then walked over to the door, closing it behind them.
Cassie heard the snap as he locked the door.
Deke leaned against the door and watched her. “What do you have against people touching you?” he finally asked.
“I don’t like it.”
“Why?”
Cassie shrugged. “I just don’t that’s all. If you grew up like I did, you wouldn’t like it either.”
“Is this where I hear about your rotten childhood?” he asked with a roll of his eyes. “If so, please skip it. I’ve lived it, I know it by heart.”
“Then you know how it is. There are some things you just don’t put up with from other people.”
“I should probably warn you, when we get to the clubhouse you’re going to have one very pissed off old lady after you when she sees what you’ve done to Wiley.”
Cassie shrugged. “She’ll get over it.”
“Aren’t you afraid of anything?”
Cassie raised her eyes to his. “If you let the fear take you, it wins and you lose. I try not to lose.”
He studied her for a long moment. “Let’s go get your stuff and get you settled,” Deke finally said. “I’ve got business to deal with.” He opened the door and ushered her through it. As they made their way through the dance hall, he told her to wait for him. He then walked over to his vice president Gator and said, “You need to talk to Peaches. Get any and all information from her that you can about Cassie. Don’t hurt her, just ask her about her friend. Then bring her to the clubhouse later.”
Gator nodded then had to ask, “Did she really take Wiley down?”
Deke nodded. “Yep she did and faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. She’s got this thing about being touched.”
“Yeah, I heard from the other boys about that.” Gator chuckled. “I’ll see what I can find out from Peaches and let you know.”
“You do that.” Deke didn’t look amused as he answered and walked away.
They walked out into the sunlight and Cassie brought her hand up to shade her eyes. Going to where she parked her jeep, she got in and waited while Deke went to his bike. When she heard his engine start up, she drove back to the motel.
When they arrived, she went to her room. She didn’t seem to care if he followed her or not and he stayed right behind her as she opened her door. Without another word, she began packing up her things. When she was done, she carried her suitcase out to her jeep and waited. “I have to follow you to wherever it is you’re taking me.”
Deke stared at her for a moment and had to wonder if this was the smart thing to do. She owed him for her actions but he knew the club could be hard for an outsider. She wasn’t used to being in a biker’s club and it wasn’t for everyone. There was also the backlash that would come from the old ladies about the beatings today. He shrugged. “Follow me and try not to get lost. I will chase your ass down.”
Cassie glared at him. “You could try.” Reaching over, she turned the key and started her engine.
When Deke pulled out of the parking lot, she followed him all the way to the outskirts of town and turning left, they traveled another couple of miles to a compound. There were several buildings behind a chain link and razor topped fence. Someone opened the front gate and she followed him inside. Turning the jeep off, she watched as a young man closed the gate behind them.
Then she felt Deke beside her. He grabbed her suitcase and led her inside the main building.
The inside was clean as she walked in. The floors were scrubbed and the walls were painted an off white color. To the left of the main doors was a huge kitchen and she could see several women standing there staring back at her.
To the right of the doors were tables, sofas and chairs. Several rather large men sat around and they too were staring at her. In front of the doors on the opposite wall was a long bar with row after row of bottles of alcohol and a couple of beer kegs.
Deke didn’t say a word as he walked down the hall to the back of the main floor. He opened a door and she walked in.
It was a good sized room with a big bed and dresser. The walls had shelves filled with motorcycle parts and books. Off to the left was another door and when she opened it she could see a bathroom. There was a closet filled with men’s clothes.
She turned to study Deke. “Whose room is this?”
“It’s my room and you’ll be sleeping here.” He leaned against the door and waited for her to say something. He didn’t wait very long.
“I will not be a whore. Not for you or anyone else.”
“I remember something along those lines but I also remember telling you that you would become whatever I said you would be.” Deke crossed his arms over his wide chest. “You told me you would honor the option the club made for you. Or is your word no good here?”
Cassie gritted her teeth. She’d always kept her promises. Her honor was all she had. “You’re nothing more than a bully and a bastard.”
Deke nodded. “Yes I am, but I’m also so much more than that.” He held out his large hand. “I’ll let you get settled in. I’ll take the keys to your jeep now.”
Cassie handed her keys over and moved over to the window. She didn’t want him to see the fear in her eyes as she suddenly realized what her life had become. She heard the door close behind him and the snap of the lock as the tumblers turned. She took the blanket off the bed and went to the far corner of the room. Putting the blanket around her shoulders, she sat down on the floor and brought her knees to her chest. Remembering the past, she felt the heat leave her body and soon, she was shivering from the coldness that came from her memories.
Deke made his way out to the main room and walked over to the bar. He nodded to the man behind it and accepted the glass of whiskey he was given. He was joined shortly by one of the women from the kitchen.
It was Wiley’s old lady, Connie. “They brought Wiley home in the van. Someone beat the shit out of him and I want to know who did it.”
Deke turned and stared at her. “What did Wiley tell you?”
“Wiley has busted balls, a broken nose and a bruise on his jaw.” She seethed. “He told me some bitch tore him up but I don’t believe that for a minute. No woman could do all that to someone his size.”
Deke raised his glass to his lips. Taking a good swig, he let the liquor burn his throat and then he answered, “I didn’t think so either, but it happened. I was there when she did it.”
Connie stared at him in shock. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Deke shook his head. The clubhouse was filling up and everyone was taking note of their conversation. Deke looked around at everyone and said, “I strongly suggest you all keep your distance from the woman that just came in here. Cassie will protect herself and she won’t care if you’re female or male. She will take you down. She hates to be touched as Wiley, Jack and Jared found out earlier. I suggest for at least the time being, you all give her plenty of space.”
“I’ll give her the back of my hand.” Connie growled.
“Connie, don’t do it. I’d hate to see your pretty face all bruised up,” Deke told her.
“She really took down three of us?” Killian asked in a hushed voice from behind the bar.
He nodded. “For now, don’t push her and for god’s sake, don’t touch her. It sets her off.”
The main doors opened and Deke watched as Gator came inside. He then followed his VP down the hall and into his office. Closing the door behind them, Deke poured them both another drink. Looking at his second in charge he asked, “Well, what did you find out?”
Gator slammed the drink down and reached for the bottle. “Peaches told me very little. She said her name was Cassie and that they had gone through the foster system together. She said they both were ten years old when some bastard tried to rape her. Peaches that is, not Cassie. Cassie killed the man and they ran away together. They survived because of Cassie. They grew up on the streets and it wasn’t easy. Cassie always promised to keep Peaches safe and until three months ago, she had.”
Deke stared off into space for a moment then asked, “What happened three months ago?”
Gator snorted then poured himself and Deke another shot. “Some lowlife snatched Peaches off the street. He took her to a whorehouse and sold her to Big Jimmy. Big Jimmy used her until she got injured, then threw her out into the street. She heard about the dancehall and when she got better, she came looking for a job.”
“What was wrong with her?” Deke asked.
“Some lowlife stabbed her when he was fucking her. She said she thought she was gonna die. Big Jimmy just dumped her along the highway. The next morning, she was found and taken to the hospital. She wouldn’t tell them her name or what happened to her. When they patched her up, Peaches said she took off. She managed to find a place to hide until she was well enough to come here.”
“What about Cassie? Did she say any more about her?”
Gator shook his head. “She said she wouldn’t talk about her to anyone. She said if you want to know, you’ll have to ask Cassie.”
“Put a couple of guys on Peaches. I don’t want anything to happen to her. If Big Jimmy knows where she’s at, he might come looking for her.”
Gator nodded. “What are you gonna do with the little Spitfire?”
Deke paused at the moniker Gator used for the puzzling woman he left in his room, then he shook his head. “I haven’t made up my mind yet on that one. For now, I’ve warned everyone to steer clear of her. “
Gator grinned. “Yeah, I heard she can be a hellcat.”
Deke laughed. “You have no idea.” He shook his head. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believe it. She took Wiley down the hard way…in about three seconds flat.”
“Yeah, Peaches did mention Cassie don’t like to be touched.”
“She did warn him. Once at the motel and once in my office. I just never thought for a moment, she would do it with all of us standing there.”
“I also hear she’s got a mouth on her that won’t quit.” Gator kept grinning at his friend.
Deke stared at him for a moment then asked, “How many men do you know that would call me a jackass and live to tell about it?” He rubbed the side of his face remembering the slap she’d given him earlier.
Gator kept grinning as he poured them another drink raised his glass and silently saluted the woman down the hall.