Chapter Thirteen
None of them noticed the two men watching them; both wore Devil’s Grime MC patches on their backs. They watched the three couples without saying a word as they blended into the crowd.
“That was fucking Bella, Gunner’s bitch, wasn’t it and with a president of the fucking Devious Jokers. Fucking bitch left and went with him while our bro is sitting in jail.” His bulging eyes were hot with anger. He pounded his thick walking stick into the ground with rage. He looked like a squat, fat frog, and that was how he’d gotten his club name.
The other biker was still staring into the crowd. “Froggy, I ain't sure. We didn’t get that close a look, and Bella wasn’t willingly with Gunner. Unless you can get close enough to prove it’s Bella, we ain't doing shit about it. You wanna take it to Grease, do it. But I ain't getting closer to find out and get into a war with Lucifer, of all men. Gunner didn’t treat her good. You just want her and are pissed she got the hell away before you got to her.” He wiped his face with a dirty bandana.
“Clutch, fuck you. If you want to pussy out while the property of a jailed brother is with the enemy, fine. But I’m not standing for it! I’m taking this to Grease.”
Both walked down the field to where their president Grease was holding court. Bikers gathered around and began to talk about the issue of Gunner’s runaway ol lady and how they would get her back.
***
The sun was hot, and Aries was uncomfortable. It seemed like she had been sitting by Lucifer’s bike for hours while he talked to his brothers. Leigh and Ria had gotten her lemonade, and somebody had dumped vodka into it for her. But the other girls had been here before, and they had friends they wanted to talk to and had wandered away. A few times Lucifer had beckoned her to meet some biker or another. He kept his eye on her, but this wasn’t much fun at all. She couldn’t wait until it was time to go home. She tried to watch the bikers going up the hill but had to stand to see them, and it was boring. She watched bikes tumble down the hill and try again to go up it, over and over. There was a band playing she wanted to check out, but she was stuck next to Lucifer’s motorcycle. There would be no more hill climbs for her. She looked longingly at the vendors that had set up stands with all sorts of stuff for sale.
“You wanna go check out the stuff for sale, babe?” Lucifer had noticed she seemed miserable.
Aries jumped up and smiled at him. “Yeah, I do. Can I just shove my money and ID in my pocket and leave this bag under your bike?” She was busy trying to get her wallet when he pulled her arm.
“Leave it all here; it's safe. Whatever you want, I’ll buy it for you. Dozer will watch it.” He turned and motioned to Dozer to come to him. The big man ambled over to them. “Watch Aries’ stuff while I take her shopping.”
Dozer nodded. “Pres, who's going with you? Unless you plan to shop these nearby stands, you need protection.”
Lucifer looked at Aries’ happy face and yelled for Siggy and Sleaze to come with them.
Walking around with Lucifer and his bros’ was slow, Aries wanted to shop faster. But Lucifer was stopped by many bikers who wanted to pump fists and shoot the shit with him. She found a belt she liked, and she found leather pants she wanted. She wasn’t sure if they’d fit her, though. The vendor didn’t want to lose a sale, so she offered to let her try them on in her van. Lucifer was talking to another biker. She told him about trying the pants on, and he agreed to let her go to the van after looking around. He didn’t see any danger, and the bikers here were all friends.
Aries opened the van door and slipped off her jeans. The leather pants glided onto her body like butter, and she couldn’t wait to see what Lucifer thought of them. She walked toward him and watched his reaction to her dressed all in black leather. She giggled as she saw him move his hand over his crotch. That was just what she’d expected him to do.
“Do you think I should get these?” She asked innocently.
“Have you seen yourself in them? You look hot. See if she has a corset top, I like them.” He turned to resume his conversation.
Aries happily talked with the vendor about more clothing and had a few tops to try on. She wished Lucifer would have come back to the van with her. She tried on a corset top, but she couldn't pull the laces together. However, it fit her, and she wanted it. She liked all of the clothes and planned to let Lucifer decide what he liked best. Once she dressed in her clothes and had her ‘property of Lucifer’ vest on, she opened the van door and stepped out. She had an armful of clothing as she got out of the van. She never noticed the bikers standing behind her. Suddenly her hair was yanked by the roots, and she was being pulled backward away from Lucifer. The woman selling the clothes started to yell, and Aries dropped everything as her hand went up for Charlie’s dagger.
She turned and gasped as she saw Frog, one of Gunner’s disgusting brothers. He’d always creeped her out, and now he was hurting her. Hell no, she wasn’t going to go without a fight.
“Bitch, we got your ass now,” he snarled as he tried to pull her toward the waiting members of Devil’s Grime MC.
Aries knew she had little time unless Lucifer heard the vendor yelling.
She went limp all of a sudden and Frog looked at her with confusion. Charlie had said to use the dagger. She ripped it off her neck and hid it in her hand. He was right in her face yelling curses at her.
“Hey Frog, I always thought you were a scumbag, so I don’t feel bad about doing this.” Her voice hissed, filled with rage. She opened her hand and let her fingers grab the handle of the dagger. She thrust it up and into his face aiming for his bloodshot eye. She jabbed it into the area of his eye as hard as she could and pulled the sharp weapon back, curling her fingers around the handle.
Frog let go of her hair and screamed in pain, blood running down his face. “She cut me, and I can’t see,” he howled. “Get that bitch!”
Aries backed up as far as she could as she stared at the members of Devil’s Grime MC. None moved toward her, and she wasn’t going to turn her back on those bastards. She heard herself screaming for Lucifer over and over. Bikers came running, and Aries felt the dagger cut into her hand as she hid it, but she was not going to let them take her. Siggy and Sleaze chased Frog, and more of the Devious Jokers bikers were surrounding the area around her.
Lucifer felt something wet on his hand; he looked down and saw the blood dripping between her fingers. Aries was shaking uncontrollably. He tried to pry her hand open; he realized she had the dagger, but he wasn’t sure if she’d been cut by it or by the biker that had grabbed her.
“Aries, let me see your hand, it’s bleeding.” He looked at her face and saw she was in shock. He pulled her over to the van, leaning her against it. “Baby, I need you to open your hand for me.” He spoke calmly and tried again to pry her hand open.
Everything was spinning in her head, and Aries was scared to death. She didn’t know who had her, but they were trying to get Charlie’s prized dagger from her. She promised to return it to him, and nobody was going to take it from her. She saw the hand in front of her and wondered whose it was. The blood made her hand slippery as she slammed her hand into the palm of the hand in front of her. Whoever wanted the dagger, he’d feel it cut him before she gave it up. He’d be bleeding too before she let go of the dagger. If she couldn’t save Charlie’s dagger, she’d hurt the bastard that was trying to it away from her first.
“You can’t have Charlie’s dagger; I promised to bring it back safely to him.” She began to sob as she slid to the ground. She felt the world spin as she blacked out.
Lucifer looked at the cut on his palm. Damn, she slit him good. She still managed to keep the fucking dagger too. She was bleeding badly from her cut palm. One of his brother’s grabbed a handful of the bandanas the vendor was selling. He handed one to Lucifer, who wrapped his hand up. He knelt down beside Aries and carefully took the dagger from her. He wiped it clean and slipped it over his neck. Aries would get it back later to return it to Charlie.
“Get some water, find Ria and Leigh.” He didn’t speak to anyone directly. But somebody went off in search of the women.
“Lucifer, your ol lady stabbed Frog from Devil’s Grime in the eye. The ambulance is taking him outta here now. It would be a good idea to get her cleaned up. Be good if we headed out of here as soon as we can. Devil’s Grime is being held up by the cops.” Juba was in front of him. “I think he’ll lose the eye if what we heard is right. You need help with her bro?”
“I just need her to wake up. Her hand is cut wide open from Charlie’s dagger. Fucking good thing Charlie gave it to her. I never thought she’d be in danger back here. Fuck!” He had let her get hurt after telling her he’d keep her safe. “Aries baby, come on, wake up, it's all good now. You’re safe, and we’ve got to get out of here.”
Aries heard Lucifer speaking to her, but he sounded so far off. She pushed at him. “I don’t have the dagger, my sunglasses are missing, and my hand hurts.” She groaned and tried to look around.
“You held on so tight to that dagger; I think you cut yourself. Hell, you cut me protecting it. Charlie would be proud of you, babe. I’ve got his dagger; it’s safe. But we’ve got to get your hand wrapped up before the cops come looking for you. You attacked the scumbag that grabbed you. Do you remember anything?” Lucifer hovered over her.
“They were behind the van, and I didn’t see Frog, I did what Charlie said to do. I hope I stabbed Frog right in the eye; I hate that bastard. Charlie told me to go for his eye, and I think I got him. He was going to take me with him.” She looked at Lucifer, who was pouring water over her hand. “That stings, ouch, stop it, Lucifer!”
Her hand was still bleeding as he picked it up and pressed their bleeding palms together. She winced at the pain and wondered what the hell he was doing.
Lucifer looked at her seriously, “We’re bound together by blood. Together forever, babe. No way we’re ever going to be apart now.” His voice was quiet but sincere as he looked at her.
Aries looked up at him and tried to pull her hand away, “It hurts and you’re acting crazy now. Lucifer, please, get my hand covered.”
Siggy came back with a pair of gloves that had the fingers cut off half way to the middle knuckle. “Luc, I got a roll of duct tape. Bind the cut and put these gloves on her hands. I got a pair for you too.” He tossed the gloves to Lucifer.
He wrapped the duct tape around her hand. It wasn't the best solution, but it would work until they could get medical attention.
Juba was pacing.“We’ve got get to moving. You’re heading back to Jersey with our sister clubs just in case those fuckers try to get you on the road.”
Aries didn’t cry when he pulled the glove over her cut hand. “I want my sunglasses, and I want all the clothes you promised me. I'm all right.” She looked around at everyone. “I said I'm all right.” To prove it she stood up. “It’s just a cut.” She didn’t feel well, but she wasn’t going to let anyone know that. It had been made clear to her that how she reacted would reflect on her ol man. “Luc, I need a line, and we can get the clothes and leave.” She heard bikers laugh and Lucifer was grinning at her as he pulled out the ever ready bag of speed. Somebody handed him a straw, and he held the bag open for her. She took two big hits and watched him do some too.
Lucifer didn’t want to travel with the drugs. “Pass it around and do it up. Anybody that has anything illegal do it up before we leave, in case we get pulled over.” He watched as bikers in his chapter did their drugs. He knew Aries needed stitches, but they’d get them back home. He asked for a piece of duct tape for his cut and began to wrap it. Aries stopped him. She kissed his bloody hand, her lips coming back with blood on them. She licked it away without even noticing what she was doing.
“I’m so sorry I cut you. I didn’t know it was you. I’d never hurt you, Lucifer.” She was ready to cry. Sleaze handed her the missing sunglasses, and she quickly hid her eyes.
“It’s okay babe; you were in shock, I should've been back here with you.” He pulled the gloves on. “Sleaze, grab the clothes off the ground so we can pay for them. Come on, let's see what else we can buy.” He wanted to take her mind off of what had just happened.
To keep the vendor happy and quiet, a few of the bikers bought stuff, and Lucifer found a few more outfits for Aries. He was going to have to find somebody with saddlebags to bring her new clothes home. His eye caught a beautiful pair of black leather ones, so he bought them for himself.
Leigh and Ria finally appeared and were talking to Aries. He paid for the everything and watched Aries talking. She looked in control, but he wondered if she was as fine as she claimed. Juba came next to him and looked at his ol lady.
“You should keep that one Lucifer. She’s got guts, just teach her not to cut you. She's a bloodthirsty wench, isn’t she?” He joked.
Lucifer was glad the national president liked Aries. “I plan on it; she’s a dancer too. She was fucking attacked; I’m making that clear, here and now. You heard her side of the story right from her mouth, so I don’t expect any blowback. Anyone tries to take her from me or goes near her or her daughter; it’s war. I ain't fucking around, Juba. He fucking attacked my ol lady with my property patch on her back! You saw she had it on. That shit doesn’t fly.” He snarled like a wolf, and his anger filled the air.
Juba could see how pissed off Lucifer was. “There won’t be any; I’ll handle it myself. Just get her ass outta here. My word on it, bro.”
Leigh was braiding Aries’ hair, and Ria was holding her tee shirt, so she could put it on as soon as Leigh finished with her hair. If cops were looking for a girl in a halter, she would be passed over. He watched the girls get Aries fixed up. Leigh even went so far as to tuck her braid under the vest. The hill climb was starting to wind down as he and Juba walked toward the women.
“Aries, this is Juba. He’s going to make sure everything is cool, so you don’t have to worry. Are you ready to ride? As soon as my new saddlebags are on the bike, we’ll be leaving.” Lucifer was still watching her with concern in his eyes.
She looked at Juba, and recalled meeting him earlier; he was the national president. She wasn’t sure what she should say to him.
“I’m so sorry if I caused any problems.” She kept it plain and straightforward. “I wasn’t going with them; I belong to Lucifer. I’m ready to go as soon as you are.” She held her head up high.
Juba kissed her cheek. “Let Lucifer take care of this, honey; you did good, real good.”
Sleaze and Siggy ended up putting the saddlebags on the motorcycle, Leigh and Ria got her clothes into them as they stood with Juba and a few other bikers.
Aries was happy when she was on the back of the bike, and they were heading out of the gates. Bikers from two other clubs had intermingled around them since state troopers were milling around and eyeing up the Devious Jokers MC. She grabbed Lucifer with her thighs and leaned back into the sissy bar. It was at least two and half hours before they'd be home and she couldn’t wait to leave this place. Her hand throbbed painfully, and she tried to think about the wind blowing her pain away.