now. It’s my turn to help you.”
I swallowed back the sourness that rose in my throat and peeked up at Ruby through my wet eyelashes. Her tired gaze had drifted outside the window.
“Hey hon’, welcome to the party.”
There was a party tonight at the One-Eyed Jacks clubhouse?
Perfect.
“You sure you’re at the right place?” the cute, blonde, twenty-something man asked me.
Of course, if I were twenty years younger and wearing next to nothing, he wouldn’t have asked me that question. I smirked at the two prospects at the gate of the compound, an old small raceway from the sixties at a still-desolate corner on the north edge of Meager. Bikes of all shapes and sizes were lined up like ominous shiny metal soldiers in the lot. Two pickup trucks stood sentry at the other end.
“I need to see Jump,” I said.
The blonde recruit with a hint of a mustache squinted his eyes at me. “Really?” He leaned over the gate towards me and grinned. “And who are you, sweetheart?”
“Tell him Little Sister is here to see him.”
His features froze. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Oh man.” He stared at me. His partner’s eyes went wide, and he got out his cell phone and pushed a button.
“Junk? Yeah, um, got a lady out front here to see the prez. Says she’s Little Sister.” He pushed a thick mass of dark hair away from his face revealing a scar down his forehead. He looked me over top to toe. “Yeah, got ya.” He swallowed and stuffed his phone back in his jeans.
“I’ll take you in.” He nodded at me. The blonde recruit unlocked the gate and held it open for me. I walked through.
The dark-haired recruit jerked his chin at his brother. “Dawes, I’ll be back.” Dawes nodded at us.
“My name’s Tricky, nice to meet you.”
“Thanks, same here.”
“Junk, the VP, will take you in,” he said.
We moved through the vast courtyard past the line of bikes. I recognized Miller’s GMC truck in the lot. I sucked in air as we approached the main building. At the double metal door, a goateed, black-haired man, muscular arms crossed at his wide chest with a VP’s patch on his leather cut, waited for us.
“Hey, I’m Junk.” He shook my hand. “I’ll take you in.” He turned on his heel. I followed him through the double doors.
My eyes blinked at the familiar smells once we strode through the main hallway… metal, faded alcohol and stale tobacco that had once been the fragrance of happiness and contentment to me. Loud noises and cheers came from the distance. The black leather biker boots Dig had given me on our last Christmas together made a distinct clomping sound on the bare concrete. This was the same concrete they had once strode over in what felt like a past life.
I used to belong here.
Did I still?
My damp hands smoothed down my short slim denim skirt as I sucked in my tummy and adjusted my favorite black leather belt with the intricate silver embroidery. I gave a final tug to the form-fitting draping black blouse, and pushed back a lock of hair over my ears past my silver chandelier earrings. Dig’s silver skull ring sat on the index finger of my right hand. I traced over my short gold and silver necklaces, a tiny cross and a peace sign Ruby had given me a million years ago.
My hand tugged down on the one long silver chain I wore and settled on the medallion hanging from it. I fingered the skull engraved in the silver with a single diamond chip in one eye socket, like the One-Eyed Jacks logo. Dig had given it to me as a wedding present. My thumb traced over our names that were engraved on the back.
Whatever tonight turned out to be, Dig was here with me, and I would get done what needed to get done. For Ruby. I may have lost absolutely everything once upon a time, but I would do my damnedest to make sure that didn’t happen to my sister.
We made the next turn in the photograph-lined hall. Sucking sounds and heavy breathing filled the space. I turned my head down the
I swallowed back the sourness that rose in my throat and peeked up at Ruby through my wet eyelashes. Her tired gaze had drifted outside the window.
“Hey hon’, welcome to the party.”
There was a party tonight at the One-Eyed Jacks clubhouse?
Perfect.
“You sure you’re at the right place?” the cute, blonde, twenty-something man asked me.
Of course, if I were twenty years younger and wearing next to nothing, he wouldn’t have asked me that question. I smirked at the two prospects at the gate of the compound, an old small raceway from the sixties at a still-desolate corner on the north edge of Meager. Bikes of all shapes and sizes were lined up like ominous shiny metal soldiers in the lot. Two pickup trucks stood sentry at the other end.
“I need to see Jump,” I said.
The blonde recruit with a hint of a mustache squinted his eyes at me. “Really?” He leaned over the gate towards me and grinned. “And who are you, sweetheart?”
“Tell him Little Sister is here to see him.”
His features froze. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Oh man.” He stared at me. His partner’s eyes went wide, and he got out his cell phone and pushed a button.
“Junk? Yeah, um, got a lady out front here to see the prez. Says she’s Little Sister.” He pushed a thick mass of dark hair away from his face revealing a scar down his forehead. He looked me over top to toe. “Yeah, got ya.” He swallowed and stuffed his phone back in his jeans.
“I’ll take you in.” He nodded at me. The blonde recruit unlocked the gate and held it open for me. I walked through.
The dark-haired recruit jerked his chin at his brother. “Dawes, I’ll be back.” Dawes nodded at us.
“My name’s Tricky, nice to meet you.”
“Thanks, same here.”
“Junk, the VP, will take you in,” he said.
We moved through the vast courtyard past the line of bikes. I recognized Miller’s GMC truck in the lot. I sucked in air as we approached the main building. At the double metal door, a goateed, black-haired man, muscular arms crossed at his wide chest with a VP’s patch on his leather cut, waited for us.
“Hey, I’m Junk.” He shook my hand. “I’ll take you in.” He turned on his heel. I followed him through the double doors.
My eyes blinked at the familiar smells once we strode through the main hallway… metal, faded alcohol and stale tobacco that had once been the fragrance of happiness and contentment to me. Loud noises and cheers came from the distance. The black leather biker boots Dig had given me on our last Christmas together made a distinct clomping sound on the bare concrete. This was the same concrete they had once strode over in what felt like a past life.
I used to belong here.
Did I still?
My damp hands smoothed down my short slim denim skirt as I sucked in my tummy and adjusted my favorite black leather belt with the intricate silver embroidery. I gave a final tug to the form-fitting draping black blouse, and pushed back a lock of hair over my ears past my silver chandelier earrings. Dig’s silver skull ring sat on the index finger of my right hand. I traced over my short gold and silver necklaces, a tiny cross and a peace sign Ruby had given me a million years ago.
My hand tugged down on the one long silver chain I wore and settled on the medallion hanging from it. I fingered the skull engraved in the silver with a single diamond chip in one eye socket, like the One-Eyed Jacks logo. Dig had given it to me as a wedding present. My thumb traced over our names that were engraved on the back.
Whatever tonight turned out to be, Dig was here with me, and I would get done what needed to get done. For Ruby. I may have lost absolutely everything once upon a time, but I would do my damnedest to make sure that didn’t happen to my sister.
We made the next turn in the photograph-lined hall. Sucking sounds and heavy breathing filled the space. I turned my head down the
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