Vixen: (Devil's Handmaidens MC: Timber-Ghost, Montana Chapter), page 10
Besides all of this stuff weighing down on my shoulders, I have to find a way to have a civilized conversation with Lucas about my kids. My life is such a mess again. Seems like it always has been and from the way it’s looking, always will be. Nothing ever goes the way I want it to, but that’s not going to stop me from fighting for what I want. Time to organize my tasks and just dive in and get busy. And that’s what I do, until I’m interrupted by none other than Lucas himself. When I turn to see him, all he does is smile and my heart starts beating faster and my body warms instantly. When he finally reaches me and starts to speak to me in that deep raspy voice, I’m ready to lean into that hard body I used to know up close and personal. When I look up, I guess my face must have shown everything I was feeling because Lucas has a cocky smirk on his gorgeous face. Wonderful, again he’s got the upper hand, but not for long. Two can play at this game.
SEVENTEEN
‘POODLES’
STEPHANIE
I’m struggling to wake up when I hear the door slam. Opening my eyes, I barely see him before his fist hits the side of my head. Holy moly motherfucker, that hurt. Again and again, he hits me in the face and head. And being I’m tied to the bed I can’t even protect myself. I’ve sworn time and time again not to give in, but I can only take so much.
“Stop. Stop please. I’ll do whatever you want, just please stop pounding my head into hamburger meat.”
The jagoff has the nerve to laugh out loud. What a dick, I think to myself, though that thought stays in my pounding head.
“So, Puta, have we come to an agreement? You can go and play the martyr, as long as when it’s all over I end up with Mira. If you try to get away or mess up my plans then, Poodles, you will end up like Sunburst did. You understand me?”
God, why did he have to bring her up? Yeah, I saw what he did to that poor girl. He had her gang raped then beaten to within an inch of her life. And why? Because she didn’t want to walk the streets and suck dick anymore. For Christ’s sake, she was what, twenty years old if that, and Juice grabbed her when she was lost up in Las Vegas. Her family has been looking for her for just about sixteen months. That’s the other thing, for some reason Sunburst isn’t getting pregnant and that is pissing Juice off. So she is not confined to his compound and is made to service whomever he wants her to.
Lately it’s been those bastards from the Thunder Club Knuckle Brotherhood. That white supremacy group of assholes. Something is going down with that group and Juice. It’s all part of this stupid as shit plan he wants me to play along with. Little does he know, yeah, I’m telling him whatever he wants to hear because once I’m out of here and away from him, then it’s a different story. I’m going to be totally honest with Mira and her bunch of biker chicks and see where it all goes from there.
Feeling the ropes loosen, I pray he doesn’t fling my arms down because this is going to hurt like a mother. And just as that thought leaves my mind, Juice flings my arms down.
“Son of a bitch, that hurts.”
“Well, bitch, if you’d just do as I say then I wouldn’t have to take shit to the extreme. Now get your ass up ’cause some of the brothers are coming by and not sure Sunburst is going to be able to handle them after the little party I had last night.”
Oh fuck, please tell me he didn’t get her high last night. This asshole knows she’s young and this sounds stupid as I’m talking about a fellow prostitute sister, but Sunburst is innocent. She doesn’t need to get strung out on his dope.
“What kind of party did you throw last night, Juice?”
I’m struggling to get off the bed when he pushes me back and leans over me. Spittle is flying everywhere as he speaks his shit to me.
“Well, since your fat ass is out of commission until you drop that fucking kid, I needed to get off and she was around. Can’t help it she’s still a prude. Fuck, what whore turns pink when you ask them to go down on you? And God forbid you try and take her ass. So I gave her a little something to calm her little ass down, and then we had ourselves a party. After you clean up, go check on the bitch and get her ready for company, Poodles. Go on, get your fat ass moving, or should I say waddling.”
As I struggle once again to get up, his laughter turns my stomach. The only good thing about getting pregnant and being in the last trimester is Juice tends to leave you alone because he doesn’t want to do anything to damage the merchandise. He doesn’t care about the baby at all. He’s worried about his money that newborn draws in, that’s all. Slowly I make my way to the bathroom to pee, and then I take a look at my face. Well, that motherfucker did a job on me. The side of my face by my temple is twice the size it should be, and I have a huge knot right by the corner of my eye. I lean over the sink carefully and start to throw cold water on my face. At first it really bothers me, but after a few more splashes it starts to feel good. I grab a washrag and wet it down with the cold water. Then I sit on the toilet and hold the towel to my temple. God, that feels so good. I know I need to get to Sunburst but first need to take care of myself.
And that’s what I’m doing with this shit with Mira. I hate dragging her back, but I’m done. It’s this or just ending it. I’ve tried three times but unfortunately, I’m still here. Mira was always such a sweet kid. She was always trying to have my back to protect me. It was actually cute. First time in my entire life someone wanted to have my back. My mind starts to wander and I can’t let it go backward. How many times have I wondered why my mom sold me to a drug dealer when I was like nine or ten. After that I’ve tried to forget, though sometimes those memories come back to the surface.
Getting up again, I splash more water on my face then push my hair out of it. Grabbing a new hand towel, I dry off, then grab some towels, wet half, and start my way to the other part of the house. Once we’re pregnant, Juice generally moves us to the quieter side of the compound so we aren’t stressed, which in turn can affect the baby. Though he didn’t do that with Mira, he literally gave her to Ironside. For the other girls in his stable who get pregnant, he has guards making sure we eat and rest up. There is nothing too much for Juice to do to make sure we have healthy babies so he can steal and sell them for a lot of money. I also blame the assholes buying our babies. No way in hell is it okay to buy a human being. Jesus Christ, what is happening to our world? Now that Juice is fucking around with the Thunder Club Knuckle Brotherhood, shit is really getting bad and dark. Not too long ago, after one of Juice’s ‘parties,’ one of our girls who happened to be Black was literally beat to an inch of her life. Only reason Juice didn’t finish the job was because Lee is a favorite among the older men in Mesquite, though she was off work for quite a bit of time trying to heal. Those assholes try to make everyone think the Caucasian race is the only one we need in our country, but then they come to Juice’s and fight over fucking a Black or other minority whore. Makes no sense, but who am I to judge being that I’m a Heinz fifty-seven.
Hands full of towels, I make my way to see how bad Sunburst is. My gut tells me it’s going to be worse than the last time, but fingers crossed I’m wrong. Not seeing any of Juice’s goons, it must be feeding time for those animals. Not sure why they are even here, don’t do a goddamn thing to help us. Usually, they’re part of the problems. I reach the room Sunburst is in and before I can raise my hand to knock, I hear the keening. Pushing the door open the smell hits me first. Holy shit, when did this happen—not last night, that’s for sure. I don’t see anyone on the bed in the center of the room, so I carefully walk around and when my eyes fall to the floor next to the bed, I literally stop breathing. Sunburst is on the floor scrunched up in a fetal ball. She’s covered in blood, though I can’t tell where it’s coming from. She’s lying in her own urine and feces, but it’s the needle sticking out of her arm that freaks me out. Son of a motherfucking bitch, he did it. That asshole shot her up with crack so she’d do whatever he wanted. I wish I had a gun ’cause I’d blow Juice’s brains out myself.
I make my way to Sunburst’s side, kneeling next to her. Gently I remove the needle, folding the point in so no one will get poked by accident. I shift her so I can get a look at her and, my God, she’s a fucking mess. It’s her eyes though that frighten me. She’s gone again, running with the drugs they’ve been shooting her up with since whenever this happened. She’s got vomit on her face and lips and it is pooling next to her face. For fuck’s sake, thank God she was on her side or she would have choked on her own puke. Knowing what I have to do, I struggle with my own injuries but manage somehow to get her on the bed. Then I grab cleaning supplies and clean up the messes on the floor. During all of this Sunburst doesn’t move at all, still in the same position I left her in.
When I’m trying to clean her up after I pulled her clothes off, my heart is breaking. She’s got dried blood between her legs and her ass cheeks. That tells me not only were they rough with my girl but took the one thing she didn’t ever want to give up. I feel them before my eyes flood over. When is this going to stop? Son of a bitch, need to get this shit moving with Mira because not sure how much more of this I can take. Also now I’m adding another thing, well, person to my list of things that have to happen for me to help them. Sunburst is not staying here any longer than she has to. The Devil’s Handmaidens MC helped Mira back in the day, and now I’m going to demand they help not only me but Sunburst too. They don’t have a choice if they want to take down Juice and that racist motherfucking Thunder Club Knuckle Brotherhood. That is one of my demands I won’t budge on.
Then I get busy trying to clean up Sunburst and get her situated, though she won’t be doing any partying tonight. I pray to God Juice doesn’t demand I take her place.
EIGHTEEN
‘IRONSIDE’
LUCAS
Goddamn Shadow to hell. She’s the devil’s daughter, that’s for motherfucking sure. I wanted to catch up with Mira after that meeting, but instead Shadow caught me and told me Pops, or Tank as I know the president of the Intruders, wanted to have a word with me. When I went to look for him, couldn’t find him. Avalanche told me both Pops and his boys left to go back to their club. Since he offered to show me where that was, I drove with him to the Intruders’ clubhouse. Talk about walking into the dungeons of hell.
I know the Intruders are a true one-percent motorcycle club, as I’ve heard stories about them since I was a kid. My dad somehow knew one of these fuckers and would tell my brothers and me all kinds of shit these men would get into. I bet that old fucker is dead by now or retired out of the club. Anyway, I’m glad Avalanche is with me because when we walk in, if I were by myself, I’d probably not be walking out. A big dude who was at the meeting in the back comes up to Avalanche, giving him a man hug and slap. When he pulls away that’s when I see the president patch and his club’s name, Tank. This huge beast is Tink’s old man? Goddamn, how did that happen? She’s tiny and he’s lumbering around like a nasty grizzly.
“Tank, I brought Ironside over. Shadow said you needed to have some words with him, and right now he can’t be out and about. Thought it best so drove him here. I can wait by the bar if it’s for his ears only, no problem.”
“What the ever-lovin’ fuck you talking about, Avalanche? I didn’t tell Shadow nothing about needing to talk to this FBI prick. No disrespect, but generally we don’t allow FBI in our clubhouse. Be thankful he’s with you because, otherwise, this would end differently for ya. Hey, Enforcer, back down. He’s a friendly for now.”
I glance out of my peripheral vision and I see the another large bastard who’s always with Tank off to my left side, a huge baseball bat in his hands. Well, fuck me, I’m thinking he was about to beat my head in. I hear Avalanche snickering and I’m glad someone sees the humor in all this shit.
“So you’re telling me you didn’t have words with Shadow and tell her you needed to talk to me immediately? I swear to Christ she’s evil. Why the hell would she make up such a stupid lie, knowing I’d find out as soon as I got here?”
Avalanche stops, tilts his head, looking at me then at Pops.
“Well, probably because she didn’t want you near Vixen. She read your intentions and cut you off at the knees, brother. She’s got that skill to be able to see others’ intentions, that’s what makes her such an excellent enforcer to Tink and the Devil’s Handmaidens sisters. Now you tell her I said that and I’ll bust your balls. Seriously, Ironside.”
Tank, Enforcer, and a few more Intruders start laughing while I stare at Avalanche. I’ve known him for years but have never had him threaten me. What’s his deal with Shadow, I wonder?
“Keep wondering, FBI man, not your business. So since we’re here, let’s have a beer or five and figure out how you can one up that little skull anii' pain in my ass.”
Looking at him, I’m not sure what the hell he just said. Then Tank comes up behind the big man, slapping him in the back of his head.
“Come on, Avalanche, use words we all understand. Your FBI friend is looking confused. Ironside, anii’ means face, just so you know. Avalanche and my daughter, Shadow, have an ongoing love/hate fest and will do whatever to piss the other one off. Come on, boys, let’s drink a little and maybe try to figure out what to do with Juice once we have hands on him. The biggest problem to us is that bunch of fucking losers he’s hanging around with. Yeah, I mean the racist assholes in that brotherhood. They have a large following, though they are trying to rebuild back their numbers out here in Montana. I wished they had learned their lesson the last time, but no they didn’t. Wait a minute. Slick, get your useless ass out here now, prospect.”
Hearing some shuffling, I look to the hallway where I’m assuming they sleep. A disheveled guy is approaching while scratching his bony ass. Wait a minute, he looks familiar but why? I’ve never been to Montana, especially Timber-Ghost. His hair is grown out and unruly, so can’t get a look at his face. But when he lifts his head and pushes that mop of hair back, I almost lose my mind. No fucking way. How is this asshole standing here breathing like he’s done nothing wrong? Before anyone can grab me, I jump off the stool and run full-out toward Slick or as I know him, Cletus Jennings. This motherfucker teamed up with that group of jagoffs and was trying to broker a deal with Juice.
Right before I plow into Cletus, taking him down, I see his eyes bug outta his head. Yeah, he recognizes me too. All bets are off though, this motherfucker doesn’t stand a chance. I’ve got at least a good fifty plus pounds on him and I’m thinking the last time he was at a gym was probably in grade school.
“Wait, Ironside, don’t. I’m clean now. Motherfucker, give me a chance to explain. Umph. Owwww, that hurt. Quit it, you big dick. Someone help me, this crazy bastard is trying to kill me. I said I’m on the up and up. Tank, tell him, will ya? Please?”
As I reach back to punch him in the face, someone grabs my arm. When I flip to knock the asshole who has hands on me, I’m flung off of Cletus and onto my back. Before I can even catch my breath, I’m tossed to my stomach with both hands held behind me. Whenever I try to move, the prick raises my arms by my wrists. causing instant pain.
“That’s right, break his fucking arms or, better yet, pull them outta his sockets. See, asshole, you mess with me and my club backs me. Fuck, what the fuck, Prez? Look, now I’m bleeding. No wait, I’m sorry, didn’t mean it like that. Yeah, right, I’ll go clean the shitters. Okay, going now.”
Once again, I’m tossed onto my back and that’s when I see who’s got his hands on me. Enforcer, the one who never leaves Tank’s side. His face shows no emotion and his eyes are dead. Nothing. All he’s doing is waiting for his next order. Something must have crossed my face ’cause he sneers and leans into me.
“Think what you want, pussy. Who’s on his back being held down by a guy smaller than him? And before you try one fucking thing, let me educate you that not only do I know Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do and even some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. That along with regular street fighting and survival skills from prison. So if you want to give it a try, you’ll be dead in under three seconds. And I won’t lose any sleep at all. So…”
I hear a door open and tiny footsteps start to run, then stop.
“Daddy, wat are you doing? Are you teacing him to fight like you teac me? He’s not doing too good, not a good listener, huh? Hey, my dad is reelly good, so if you pay ttention you can be as good as me maybe. Can we go now? Mom should be home. I’m hungry.”
Feeling the tension leave Enforcer’s body, I relax a tad. This kid just saved my life, no doubt. Then I hear Enforcer and he shocks the shit outta me yet again.
“Teddy, yeah, Ironside here isn’t a good student but hopefully one day he’ll pay attention as good as you do, Son. Come on over, give this old man a hand up while I go wash up. Did you thank Yoggie for picking you up today?”
I don’t hear what the kid says because again I’m staring into the eyes of someone I knew in my past. Goddamn, thought he was dead. He must have thought the same of me. Wait a fucking minute I knew when I saw him earlier, I knew this asshole.
“Shit, I didn’t put it together either, Lucas, when I saw you earlier. Everyone told me to watch out for a badass named Ironside. No fucking way. Never thought you’d make it out after they took you prisoner. When’d you get back to the States?”
Everyone is staring at us as I try to make him shut the fuck up. Not many know about my military career, or lack of it. I was a prisoner of war and when I finally made it back, that’s when the FBI approached me. They were impressed with my ability to keep my trap shut, not to mention my knowledge of weapons, bombs, and being able to analyze the criminal mind. Just when I’m about to address Yoggie’s comments, Tank steps in.
