Tank

I take her hand as we're leaving the restaurant, and don't let go until we're standing by my bike on the sidewalk.

"Will we be taking your bike to this special place you want to show me?" she asks naughtily. She has no idea we're gonna say goodbye for good later tonight. I'm good at fooling people. It comes naturally to me. I hate myself for doing it to her. But I can’t let her go without enjoying her one last time.

The sun is just starting to set on the far side of Main Street, her hair catching its last rays, glowing like fire around her pretty face that I'd never get tired of seeing the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Never.

I don't say anything, don't think as I wrap her in my arms and kiss her. I'd never get tired of doing that either. The way her lips and her tongue know exactly what to do with mine, the way she always presses her whole body against me when we kiss, leaving no space, offering me nothing less than her everything. But my everything will never be good enough for her. She deserves better than my lies and my dishonesty, my murderous ways.

But she chose me, I know that too and I could've prevented it. Spared her the pain. And that will hurt for the rest of my days. Who am I kidding? I couldn't have stayed away from her if I tried.

But I mean to try now.

I release her and straddle my bike. "Yeah, we're taking the bike. Get on."

She does it immediately, and once her body is pressed against my back, I can feel her hard nipples through my shirt. That's another slice of heaven I'll never have again after tonight. We should've taken more rides together. The wind in my face, a roaring bike beneath me, and a soft, willing girl holding on tight has always been the highlight of my life. And Kim is the one I've always searched for. But it's time to pay the piper, pay my dues.

We reach the foot of Resolution Hill much too soon. I wish we could just keep going, until we're so far away that nothing stands in the way of our future anymore. I've never wanted to abandon my life, not since me and Cross left our hometown all those years ago and started down the path to Sanctuary, the path to leading one of the most feared MCs in the country. The path that led me to Kim, the only woman I've ever wanted to make a home with. Kim the Sheriff's daughter. I wish my luck had held through this turn too, but it won't. And I won't think of that anymore. I'll just enjoy having her for one last night.

I slow down, and turn onto a hidden dirt road about two miles from the gates of Sanctuary, parking my bike behind the first row of bushes.

"The woods?" she asks as she climbs off. "That's your special spot? I thought you were finally taking me to your house."

I grin at her. "This is better than my house."

Then I take her hand again and lead her the rest of the way down the dirt road then through the trees and the brush, all the way to the edge of the hill we're on. She gasps and stops dead as a huge valley opens up before us, lush green and covered in all the wild flowers of spring.

"I never knew this place existed, and I lived here my whole life," she says.

"That's because no one ever comes here. This is Resolution Hill," I tell her. We took the back way here, not the main one with the NO TRESPASSING sign our MC founder put up more than fifty years ago.

She gasps again, but it's a frightened sound this time. "There's no trespassing here. I know that very well. It's biker territory. Maybe we should leave."

"It's fine, no one ever comes here," I say and start walking again. She follows willingly, although her eyes are darting this way and that, as though she's afraid someone will jump out from behind the bushes and demand we leave, or worse. They won't. We don't patrol out here and haven't for a very long time. The stories and the warnings were always enough to keep people away.

I used to have such fun in these woods, back before Cross forbade the ladies and the parties. Back when life at Sanctuary was just one endless orgy if you wanted it to be. I don't even miss it anymore. Not since I met Kim. But I used to bring girls to this spot whenever it got too crowded at Sanctuary.

"Up there is my favorite spot in the whole world," I say stopping at the foot of an old deer hunting post where I've spent many a fun-filled night.

"Up there?" she asks, eyeing it skeptically.

"Yeah, come on," I say and let go of her hand to climb up. "You'll love the view."

She doesn't follow until I'm already on the landing, but then she climbs up too. She smiles widely at the sight of that same valley she admired earlier, which now stretches out before us in its full glory. The sun is setting orange behind the hill directly in front of us, turning her hair to flame again, to the color of autumn leaves. But it's not autumn, it's spring, and I'm done thinking.

I've knocked out one of the walls of the post ages ago, so it's basically just a platform with a roof, perfect for star gazing, for watching the sun set and rise while making love and that's exactly what we're gonna do. There's a mattress inside, and I wish I'd thought of bringing some clean blankets, but the ones already here will have to do.

I kiss her again, this time with a fire only matched by the flames dancing in her hair. Before long she's lying on top of me on the mattress, moaning and gasping as my hands touch and squeeze every soft inch of her I can reach.

I cup her face in my hands. "Take off your clothes for me again."

She smiles in that naughty way of hers that never fails to make my cock grow harder, no matter how hard it already is. Then she stands up and starts unbuttoning the shirt she's wearing slowly, one button at a time, making me wish my fingers were the ones performing the task.

But as the milky white mounds of her perfectly round, soft as dough breasts, come into view, I forget even that frustration. Her jeans follow more slowly, more enticingly than she took them off the first time she stripped for me. She's getting better at it, starting to enjoy it more. I wish we could both enjoy it for a long time yet. But it is what it is.

Her breath hitches as I stand to tower over her. She giggles as I make short work of ripping off her bra, laughs as I pick her up and lay her on the mattress. After that she's all soft moans and whimpers as I kiss her from her neck down to her perfect calves and back again.

Her tiny nipples are as hard as diamonds, and sparkle just as nice once I'm done licking and kissing and sucking on them. I rip off her panties next, making her giggle again. But before long the moans are back, turning to melodic shrieks as I lick and bite her perfect clit. She tastes like the clear waters of spring, like fresh snow, like life. Her whole body is coming off the mattress in her need to get closer, get more, come.

So I give her what she wants, push two fingers inside her and fuck her with them until she's writing beneath me, her juices flowing clear and sweet, her shrieks renting the silence of the forest, as I give her what she needs, what she craves, the only thing I can still give her.

I let her have a few moments to recover while I take off my own clothes, but I push my dick into her before she's even fully caught her breath again. I love hearing that tiny sigh she gives every time right as I enter her. Part surprise, but a bigger part relief. Relief that she's finally whole, like I am the only thing missing from her perfection. She digs her nails into the fleshy part of my hips, urging me on, urging me deeper, moaning and sighing as I oblige.

It's easy not to know anything else when I'm inside her. As easy as breathing. All else disappears, leaving only her softness, her warmth, her wetness, her total surrender to me. I hold out just long enough to watch her come one last time, watch her face soften, lose all worry, all tightness, all pain, as the orgasm takes her. Then I come too, bury myself deep inside her, reach the place where absolutely nothing but her and me, together, in love, matters. For the few minutes that it lasts, before everything crashes back into focus.

"I love the way you take me," she says. "I've never felt such passion before I met you."

"Good," I say and roll over, taking her with me, so she won't have to lay against the dirty mattress anymore. I'd give her everything if I could. But as it is, I'll only be taking things from her. Important things.

"I wish we could live here all the time. Just like this. Carefree and wild, not a care in the world," she says, echoing my own thoughts so perfectly I shiver. But that’s the orgasm talking, and her eyes are still sparkling from it. I don't ever want to forget her.

"I love being with you. I never knew how to live until I met you," she adds after I don't respond.

It hurts to hear it. Actual real hurt. But we'll never have what she wants us to have. I wish I had a better answer to give her.

"You'll always have my love," I tell her anyway. "And no other woman ever had that. Or will again."

Her eyes turn sharp, all the sparkling glassiness gone. "Thank you," she whispers, and kisses me softer than she's ever kissed me before. But it's also the most real, deep kiss I've ever been given.

"You'll always have all my love too," she whispers and this icy dread filling my stomach and my chest is not what I'm supposed to be feeling at her words. But I am. And it'll only get worse from here on out.

* * *

Kim

The sun has set all the way and I'm shivering. I wish Tank's warmth was enough to keep me warm too, but it isn't. And I'd rather not touch any of the smelly blankets heaped in the corner. He doesn’t seem in any hurry to leave though, as he caresses my hair, looking at me with such longing, such yearning in his eyes I feel like I'm gone already. Not what he wants me to feel, I'm sure, but I do.

"Wanna go back to my place?" I ask. "We can take a long hot shower there."

His eyes light up with that suggestion, the stars reflected in them dancing, but it all goes back to that whimsical longing in the next second.

"You're cold," he says and sits up, lifting me too as he does.

"Yes, I am," I say and smile at him. And he does smile back, but very faintly.

We dress in silence. I hold his arm with both my hands as we walk back to the road, because the woods are very dark and kinda scary, even though he's with me, and I know he can protect me from anything. I love knowing that. I don't remember ever feeling as safe as I do with him.

He's guiding us down the overgrown dirt path like he's been here a hundred times already. With a hundred girls. But I'm the only one who has his love. So none of those other ones matter. Nothing that came before matters.

I'd enjoy the ride back to my car a lot more if I weren't so damn cold. Next time I'll wear a jacket. I'll keep one in my car from now on just so I'm always prepared for anything. Because with Tank, anything can happen. And I want to be ready.

He takes my face in his hands once we're standing by my car. His palms are warm, my shivers slowly subsiding as he gazes at me very deeply and very longingly. I've only ever seen that look on the faces of actors in movies. It doesn't even come close to the real thing.

"I have to go now, Kim," he finally says.

Something in his voice, some cold undercurrent in his tone rips right through the blissful magic that warmed me just a second ago. But he's smiling at me, so I don’t know why that’s so.

"You do?" I ask.

"I do," he says very sadly then leans down to kiss me, reawakening all the magic, dispelling all the doubts and fears like all his kisses always do.

My heart belongs to him and always will. I didn't just say it because he said it first. I meant it with all my heart and all my soul.

"Go now," he says after he ends the kiss much too quickly, much to abruptly.

There's a finality in his voice that even I don't know how to argue with. Before I realize it, I'm sitting behind the wheel of my car. He's holding the door open, smiling down at me.

"I'll see you soon," I say and grin at him, repeating the words he said to me after our first date. But I don't think he noticed the reference. At least his half smile doesn't change as he takes a step back and closes the car door.

Through the rearview mirror, I watch him walk to his bike, straddle it, then drive off back the way we came. I sure watch him leave a lot, I suddenly realize. But we're gonna change that very soon.

* * *

Tank

Sunday night was the longest and worst night of my life, rivaled only by the three nights I spent beside my father's corpse. But it's done. I left her. Couldn't bring myself to say the words, but she'll understand when she doesn't hear from me again. And I know I'll have many more terrible nights, followed by awful days before I can understand it too.

Maybe I should start drinking more again. That always helped for awhile. But the hung over stupor never did me any favors afterwards.

I did what I had to do. I let her go. Saved her from the knowledge that she fell in love with the devil who’ll make her life hell. It's all I could do. Because I am what I am. I’m a killer, I’m the devil who will come for her step-father.

I've widowed a lot of women and orphaned a lot of children, and I've never spared that part of things much thought. This is to be my punishment and I will bear it.

I’ve been chanting that to myself since I left her on that windy sidewalk. I still don't believe it.

But things are as they are. And I am who I am.

I will kill her step-father myself. It's the only way to ensure I can never see Kim again. Because I won't be able to look into her eyes after I do. But, hell, I don’t know, if I’ll be able to look in my own eyes after I do.