Pepper…Sneaking out of the club
There are two guys from the Dwellers waiting for me to walk through the fence. I hand my suitcase, overnight bag, and pillow to one of the guys. He puts my stuff in the back of the huge black pickup truck. Swallowing down a mouthful of air, I get into the vehicle, hoping I've made the right choice. The two guys get in the front, and we're on our way.
Looking out the window as we're driving, I check things out for a while, then, bored, I start working on my iPad. At least forty-five minutes have passed and it’s so quiet, I can’t stand it. “I guess you two know my name is Pepper. What are your names?”
The biker who looks like a kid answers, “I'm Wheels, and this is Decker. I'm a prospect. He just got patched in.”
“It’s nice to meet both of you. Wheels, you must be a really good prospect to have earned a nickname before you're patched in.”
Wheels turns his head and grunts. “Not a nickname. It’s my last name. I don’t like my first name.”
“Oh, sorry. So, Decker you must've got your name because you like to get decked out all the time?” I say, trying not to giggle.
“Darling, are you trying to be funny? Decker means exactly what you think it is. Punch, strike, and hit hard. I'm very good at what I do.”
“I know your nicknames are not funny. They are somewhat earned.” I guess my quirky sense of humor isn't working with them.
I settle in for the ride and after a little while, I feel the vehicle slowing down. We turn off the road into a rest area. Two more men are waiting for us. Both guys have a Dwellers cut on. Wheels gets out of the vehicle to talk to them. I have no idea what is being said—it seems to be about me because they keep looking in the direction of the vehicle. One of them has a patch with VP on it. The other one doesn’t have a special patch. Wheels nods at the VP, who moves toward the pickup. He climbs in and nods his head at me.
I catch a better view of him as he gets in the truck. He reminds me of Kris Holden, the guy who plays Dyson in the Lost Girl series. He's about the same height, but has a lot more muscles. He has the dark sandy blond hair, with striking, chestnut brown eyes. Just like the character in the TV show, he's a predator, and just as good-looking.
He turns to Decker. “Let’s go. Drive.” Then he turns around to look at me. He doesn’t speak as he checks me out. I’m shocked at the lustful stare. Feeling awkward, I lift my hand. “Hi.”
His stare hardens into more of a glare and then he averts his gaze.
Well, that's rude. “Hey biker man, my name is Pepper. What's yours? Glare?”
He turns back around, not amused. “No, sweetness, its Bane, as in misery."
Far from letting him intimidate me, I continue to talk. “Well, I can tell we're going to be the best of friends.”
I work hard to get him to talk, so while we're traveling, Bane finally fills me in on what he can tell me. We also discuss my job. He offers to take me to the meeting if things are not cleared up by then. Another hour passes by. “Pull over here,” Bane tells Decker.
When the truck comes to a stop, Decker gets out. Bane hands me a phone. “This is a burner. You can call Wolf—his number is coded under W. You have ten minutes to talk. We have another two hours of driving. There will not be any cell service where we're going.”
After we both have talked to Wolf, we get back on the road. I find out we're heading for a small town outside of Memphis, Tennessee. The rest of the drive is so quiet, I fall asleep. When I wake, I'm feel a little better. I didn't realize how much sleep I've been losing. Still having another thirty minutes to go, we stop in Memphis to stock up on supplies for the stay.
After getting the supplies, we drive through the mountains, and it's magnificent. We pull up to the most gorgeous log cabin, and I cannot believe my eyes. I get out of the car and just stand there, taking in the amazing structure.
Bane walks up behind me. “What do you think?”
I turn around and whisper, “It's beautiful.”
Looking down at me, he smiles. “Yes, one of the prettiest I've seen in a long time,” he says softly.
I blush, while talking to his chest. “You shouldn't say things like that to me.”
“Can’t help it if it’s true.” He hooks a finger around my chin and makes me look at him.
We stare at each other for a second, then I decide ignoring him is the best way to go, so I grab my electronics and start toward the cabin. While Bane and Decker get the rest of my luggage and the supplies from town, I go on in.
A lady comes running out of the kitchen. When she sees me, she puts on a disappointed look on her face. She quickly changes it to a smile. “Hi there, my name is Mary.”
“Hi, Mary. My name is Pepper. You must be Crystal's mom. She told me you weren't the one in the nursing home.”
“Yes, honey, I am. Hitch's mom is the one in the nursing home. Is Crystal all right? I've been worried about her and haven’t talked to her for over three weeks.” She’s clearly even more worried than she's letting on.
“She's fine. She’s the reason I'm here. She sent a letter in case I ended up at the same place with you.”
“Oh, thank you so much. Please excuse me.”
Mary runs off to what I guess is a bedroom. The guys just got through bringing all the stuff in. Standing in the middle of the living room, I take in the beauty of the cabin also on the inside. It looks like the place has two stories, with the bottom having an open concept. All the rooms connect, making it feel real homey. Right in the center of the room is a big wood-burning fireplace with river rock going up the wall and a huge wooden mantel. If it were any other circumstance I would love getting to stay at this cabin.
Decker takes the supplies into the kitchen as Bane waits for me to notice him standing in the room. I nod at him. “You ready to show me the bedroom I'll be staying in?”
“Right this way, sweetness.”
I follow him up the steps to what looks like three bedrooms and a bathroom. We walk to the last door. Bane opens it for me and I walk in. The room is charming, just like I pictured a cabin style bedroom would look like. A queen size bed made of wood with a quilt bedspread sits against one of the walls. To the side I see a small closet for clothes and a dresser. Also, I spot a small writing desk by the window. This is the best room anyone could hope for to get writing done.
I turn around, smiling, and almost bump into Bane. “This is a great room. I love it.”
He sucks in his breath. “I'm glad you like it.”
“Just sit my stuff on the bed. I'll put it away in a few.”
He puts the bag on the bed. “Okay, babe, I'll see you later.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes, Decker and a Prospect named Joe will be here if you need anything. I'll be back to check on you all around Thursday.”
I settle in and decide to make the best of the next few days by getting writing in. If I put my mind in my words, then I might not worry so much about Wolf and everyone at the club.