Ratchet

I followed Mandi into the bedroom next to the one Sam was sleeping in for the past week. She turned around as I shut the door and latched onto me in two blinks. Clutching my kutt with both hands, she planted a hard kiss, then drove her tongue into my mouth. She had that cinnamon taste from too many shots of Fireball. I nudged her off me and broke that sloppy kiss.

“Oh, Ratchet. Why do you wanna rub up on that skank? I heard she belongs to the Hell Hounds MC. And you know those dogs fucked her way too much. She’s all used up,” she whined looking up at me, batting her fake glued-on lashes.

At that moment, I really looked at Mandi. And I saw real her. I realized there was nothing attractive or sexy about her. The fake tits, fake lashes, fake smile, fake howling when I fucked her. She liked it. But I didn’t. Sam was real. The real smile, real tits that would look so good bouncing as she rode my hard dick. I couldn’t get those images of her out of my head.

“I’m only telling you once, Mandi. Leave her alone. She’s been through shit. Shit you could never come through and survive. She doesn’t belong to the Hounds anymore. That’s why she’s here. You know my history. I wasn’t gonna just leave her at the Crow Bar.”

“Baby, I do know your history. Your dad... your mom. That wasn’t your fault what your mom did. She took the easy way out. She wasn’t woman enough to handle men like you. Like your dad. Strong men... So alpha-“

I seized her arms. “Not woman enough, huh? My piece of shit father was not an alpha! He was a fuckin’ bully. A sadistic fuck and a waste of space.” I pushed her off me.

“Fuck off, Mandi. Go find another cock to suck. I’m done with the fake.”

She was on her knees. Unbuckling my belt, looking up at me, “Oh please, Daddy... I’ll suck your cock off really good… You can choke me with it... please, Daddy.”

I bent and pulled her up off her knees, “No, Mandi. I’m done. “

I released her, turned and walked out the bedroom door. And that was the end of fake. I wanted real. Sam was real.

Two AM. I was exhausted. There were drunk and stoned bodies passed out in the rooms, on the couches, and the pool tables. Ratchet stayed clear of me for the rest of the night. He walked out of the bedroom without Mandi. He avoided looking at me, frowning, and clenching his hands into fists while walking out of the clubhouse to a lot full of parked bikes. Mandi came out a few minutes later. She walked past the bar and glared at me. She blew me a kiss and winked. She veered and sauntered over to of a group of bikers. Her chest arched a bit, showing cleavage, and she started to dance to the music on the jukebox. She gained the attention she was aiming for and took a drink of one of their beers.

I searched for Ratchet, over the passed-out bodies and my heart sank when I couldn’t find him. I wanted to be next to him. He must have left the party after he stormed out of the room where he left Mandi.

I was the last one left awake, so I dragged my feet down the hall to the room that I had slept in for the past week. I opened the door, and I jumped. Ratchet was there sitting on the bed, and resting up against the headboard. His black riding boots were crossed at the ankles, smoking a cigarette while looking right at me.

The side of his mouth lifted into a half smile. “Didn’t mean to scare you… Just didn’t feel like going home tonight. Figured I’d stay the night here with you. Come on over. I won’t bite.” He looked down at his hand patting the empty space next to him.

My heart skipped a beat hearing his low rumbly voice. He blew out a drag of smoke, still waiting for me to move.

“I don’t think Mandi would like that idea.”

“Don’t worry about Mandi. I’m done with her. It’s over between us… well. There was really nothing there in the first place. Just realized it tonight like a fuckin’ match was lit.”

I still didn’t move.

“You can’t just stand there all night, rabbit. I’m not getting off this bed.”

“Promise you won’t crowd me again as you did earlier tonight?”

“Well, if you’re gonna stay in the clubhouse, then you better just get used to it,” he raised his voice a bit louder than I’d heard before.

I was too tired and let him win the argument. I walked over and sat in the empty space next to him. He grinned then looked off at the wall in front of him, taking another drag off the cigarette.

“Get some sleep, Sam. It’s been a long night.” I laid down on my side, away from him. Closed my eyes and was fast asleep.

Ratchet was sleeping, arm draped over me, snoring lightly in my ear. I slowly slipped out from under his arm, went into the bathroom, brushed my teeth and hair and went out to the bar to make some coffee. I brought back two hot cups to the room, and he was the same way as when I left – asleep and snoring. I walked up to the edge of the bed and watched him. There was no tension in his face. Then his one eye opened.

“I hope all the snoring didn’t make you scamper off, Little Rabbit,” he said with a sleepy grumble.

I couldn’t help but smile. “No... I just thought you would like some coffee when you wake up.”

He stretched and sat up against the headboard and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.

I handed him a cup. “I wasn’t sure how you like it. I put both sugar and cream.”

He took a sip and smiled, “That’s exactly how I like it, thanks...”

I still didn’t understand why he smiled and looked at me that way because once he knew all the things I had done I wouldn’t see that smile again…

“Now, come back here.”

I sat next to him taking a sip of my coffee.

“How did you get mixed up with the Hell Hounds?’

His question was the moment I dreaded. I avoided looking at him and stared at my cup. I didn’t even know where to begin or what I should tell him.

“I have been Sid’s property for a long time,” I said quietly, staring down at my cup, “I left him and the club that night you found me at Buckhorns. I snuck away and tried to blend in with the crowd…”

“Well, you are one brave woman I know that.”

“Sorry about the money. I didn’t have any, and I was afraid Sid and the Hounds would find me with you. So, I took off. I didn’t know you. And I didn’t want you to get involved.”

“But he did find you…”

“Yes… I didn’t know where to go that night and just started walking down the coastal highway. When they found me, I showed Sid the cash and told him I partied with a few Chaos Kings.”

“And that’s why I saw you with them at the Crow Bar?”

“Yes. And he saw you and Gunner too. He was still angry, and I was still paying for what I’d done by running away.”

“So, he took you out back and hurt you. I found you with your top and bra ripped open… “

“He’s done worse.”

His jaw ticked, and he stared off again.

“So, you lived in hell? I know, Sam…. I lived in hell too, a long time ago…”

His brown eyes turned soft when he turned to look back at me. He leaned in and kissed me. It was not heated. But it still made my stomach flutter. It was soft; gentle. And it felt nice.