(unedited)
Bikers, Chains and Bad Boys: Chapter 10
I was mad. No, I was pissed. I knew exactly who did this and I was so utterly pissed. Not at the fact that they've been threatening me for the last few weeks. No, not that. I was throttled at the fact that they would stoop to the point of sabotaging my bike. My mom's bike.
It was the only thing I had left of my mom besides the features I'd inherited from her. The black beauty in front of me was her pride and joy and I'd promised her I'd never let anything happen to it. I'd broken that promise. Because of two little fuckfaces.
I was in the middle of changing out all the lines as a precaution. I'd done a detailed inspection once I'd gotten inside and noticed that the brake line and fuel line both had been punctured and a leak had started somewhere in the tank. I was seeing red by the time I was done looking at it and threw on some angry rock music to fuel my mood.
This is how Andy found me some hours later, in the middle of the night. Five Finger Death Punch bled through the speakers of the radio at what some would deem a little higher than an acceptable volume, but I was alone and getting tired and just trying to get done what I could. I'd have to order the custom parts that needed replaced in the morning.
Something touched my shoulder and I jumped so hard I heard my knee pop. My gasp was lost in the sound of the music. Swinging my arm behind me blindly with a wrench in my hand, I luckily missed Andy's face by a mere inch.
"Whoa, now!" He'd jerked back just in time, throwing his arms out in defense. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped in shock. My heart was hammering in my chest.
"Oh, my God, Andy. I'm so sorry." Someone lowered the volume of the music so we could hear each other. "You scared the shit out of me. I thought you were one of them." I tossed the wrench to the floor, taking a few deep breaths and rubbing my chest, trying to slow my sprinting heart.
"Them?" He scrunched his brows in confusion. "What are you even doing here?" I sighed.
"Someone sabotaged my bike." I spit out angrily, waving a hand at my bike.
"Sabotaged?" He took a step closer and I caught sight of two people over by the office adorned in Reaper club cuts. I ignored them, bringing my attention to Andy.
"Yeah, I went to have dinner with Corey at the diner and left my bike here. When I got back, it wouldn't start. So, I checked it and there were fluids everywhere. I obviously couldn't take it home, so I pulled in here to see what I could get done. I hoped you wouldn't mind."
"Of course not." He mumbled absently, waving a bit. "Do you want to file a report? Maybe the cops can figure out who did it." I waved him off this time.
"No," I said, looking at my bike angrily. "I already know the fuckers that did it." At this point, the two men that had been standing by the office had made their way over to where we were. I recognized one to be the President of the Reaper club and upon further inspection, the second was the Treasurer, according to his patch. For a second my eyes caught with the President's and I saw something flash when I said I knew who'd done it. "I don't need the cops."
I took a few steps away, grabbing a shop towel to wipe my grease covered hands. We stood in silence a minute as we all stared at my bike. I got angrier as the seconds ticked by. "They were trying to hurt me." I grumbled angrily. "Or kill me, probably. They punctured the brake line, probably hoping I'd lose my brakes while riding. But the dumb fucks cut it too big and it leaked out before I even got back. Even if they hadn't though, they punctured the fuel line and the tank and one rogue spark on my ride home and I would've been roasted anyway." Andy was watching me speak, a simmering rage in his eyes.
"Will you tell me who did it?" He looked at me, lips pursed. I shook my head at him.
"No, Andy, it's fine. I promise I'll take care of it." He huffed. "Thank you for your concern, though." He grunted, turning to head to the office. "But, if I give you a list of the parts I've used and the custom ones I need to order, can you invoice me?"
"Don't worry about it, Harley. You use and order whatever you need. It's on me." I went to argue, but he just glared at me, so I thanked him and shut my mouth as I went back to working on my bike. The two tall biker men turned to follow him. I let out a sigh, turning the music back up a little, though nowhere near the volume I'd had it before.
They were in the office for quite a while and I heard an occasional, angry, raised voice through the wall, but I focused on getting what I could done quickly. I yawned as they flooded out the door of the office. "Andy!" I called. He stopped abruptly, turning to look at me. He looked pissed. I swallowed and held up the keys he left me earlier. "Do you want the keys back?" He was already shaking his head before I could finish my question.
"No, you keep them in case you need them later." I nodded and Andy tossed me another set of keys off the wall by the door. "Those are to Mickey's old bike out back. Use it til you get yours fixed and lock up behind you!" The door slammed shut before I could respond.
I didn't get home until almost six the next morning. When I'd made it inside the house and to my bed, I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
The clock in my room showed it was nearing three in the afternoon when I'd finally been able to peel my eyes open. It was swelteringly hot in my room. The air conditioning had to have gone out or something. I grimaced when I sat up on the bed, my shirt uncomfortably stuck to me and a thick sheen of sweat coating my whole body. I peeled my shirt off as I made my way to the bathroom. A shower sounded heavenly.
Fresh out of the shower, I quickly dressed, rebandaged the wound on my arm and threw my damp hair into a quick French braid. As I made my way down the stairs, I could hear the TV playing in the living room, but when I entered the room, Dad was nowhere in sight.
"Dad?" I called repeatedly, going from room to room. I couldn't find him anywhere inside, so I ventured outside. "Dad?"
"Over here." I heard him call out from the side of the house. When I rounded the corner, Dad was standing next to the silent HVAC unit that was supposed to cool the house. I figured it'd gone out.
"We're going to have to replace the whole unit." Said a voice. A man stood up from where he was kneeling on the ground. "That'll probably run you about four large." My dad rubbed his forehead, heaved a deep sigh and thanked him. They set up an appointment for installation and he made his way back toward me.
"Four hundred dollars to fix the AC?" I asked him, turning and walking with him back to the front door. He snorted.
"Four thousand, sweetheart." I choked on air and grimaced at him. Looks like I'll be picking up some overtime at work. I sighed. I had no idea how we were going to come up with that kind of money.
"Well, are you ready to go out to eat?" I looked at him. "How would you feel about taking a ride together?" I asked, brow raised in question. It had been so long since we'd gone on a ride together. He looked over to me, a twinkle in his eye as he shot me a smile.
Dad was a sight to behold on his bike. He was a decent size, quite fit for his age and his bike was just as big and intimidating. But, he was my dad and where others could be unnerved by his appearance, especially on a bike, all I saw was a charming man who loved his bike and would rather live on the open road than anything else. He taught me everything I know about bikes and I would be forever grateful to him for introducing me to this world.
Riding with my dad was one of my favorite things to do. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Being out on the road, just me and him, I was able to forget about everything. Even if it was just for a little while. My mind was clear, and I felt like nothing was weighing me down. The only thing that would've made it better is if I'd had my own bike instead of Mickey's old one. When Dad asked where my bike was when we went to leave, I told him I was working on it in the shop, so Andy let me borrow Mickey's. It wasn't a lie.
I couldn't even be mad at the boiling July heat as my hair whipped around behind me. Dad checked his watch and looked at me. I sighed, smiling as I pulled ahead of him and led the way to the diner back in town. We drew heads when we pulled up to the diner. That was normal, though, when Dad was on his bike. Eyes followed us all the way inside and stared as we took a seat and all the way through ordering our food and drinks.
"Been so long since I've had time to go out in public, I forgot what it was like to be stared at." I chuckled at him and sipped my drink.
"That's what happens when you look the way you do on a bike like that." I nodded outside to where his bike was. The bell above the door rang and a few seconds later a voice rang out through the diner.
"Ya'll quit bein' so damn disrespectful and eat your food. You look stupid staring all open-mouthed and such." I turned my head to see Mickey taking the few steps over to our booth and I couldn't help but laugh when all the eyes that were trained on us swiveled down to their food or out the windows. "Hey, babe." She smiled at me and I smiled back.
"Hey, Mickey. How are you?"
"Good, hon. Just pickin' up lunch for that lazy bunch at the shop." She chuckled and looked at my dad. "And who's this handsome fella you got here?"
"This is my dad, Joe. Dad, this is Mickey, my boss Andy's wife." They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. She looked back and me and frowned.
"You doin' ok, though, darlin? Andy told me someone fucked with your bike." My face paled a little and my dad drew his eyebrows together and looked at me confused. I forced a smile and told her it was nothing and that I was fine. She squeezed my arm, above my bandage, and made her way to the counter. I reluctantly brought my eyes back to dad and he frowned at me.
"You told me you were working on it. You didn't tell me someone messed with it."
"It's okay, Dad. I'm fine and I'm fixing it back up. Just some little shits being assholes. It's nothing to worry about. I promise." Now that was a lie. I smiled at him reassuringly and after a look of disapproval, we went back to eating our food. I was just happy that no one knew who had messed with my bike.
When we were finished eating, I went to pay the check at the counter and swung by the bathroom really quick before we left. As I was making my way out of the small bathroom door and down the narrow hallway back to the dining area, I was yanked inside another door and slammed against the wall. A large hand wrapped around my neck and another covered my mouth. By the smell I could tell I was in the men's bathroom and the smell of burnt tobacco told me who grabbed me before my eyes proved it. My hands instinctively tugged at the hand on my throat as my heart went into overdrive.
"You tell your dad about any of this and I'll put a bullet in his skull." Dave snarled. He'd only held onto my throat for a few seconds, but when he let me go, I gasped as if I'd been underwater for minutes without oxygen. I held a hand around my throat and rubbed as I yanked the door open and hauled ass out of there. Dave's threat repeated over and over in my head as I took a deep breath, trying to look as normal as possible as I made my way back to the booth dad was in.
"Ready to go?" As soon as I saw him start to stand, I made my way outside and onto the bike. Another note was folded up, stuck underneath the handlebar.
"What's that?" Dad asked, swinging his leg over his bike.
"Nothing." I said, crumbling it up and shoving it into my pocket. "Just an advertisement for the church down the road." Another lie. I forced a smile and we headed out of the parking lot.
When we pulled into the driveway, we killed the bikes and I gave Dad a hug and kissed him on the cheek. "Happy birthday, Dad."
"Thanks, honey. I had fun today. It was nice going for a ride together again. It's been too long."
"It has. I had fun, too. Hopefully work is just as fun for you." I smiled. He snorted.
"Yeah, okay." I couldn't help but laugh. He made his way back inside and I sighed as the heat beat down on me, making me give in and put my hair up in an elastic.
"Hey." I heard behind me. I turned to see Tyson walking up my drive.
"Hey, what's up?" I smiled at him.
He shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, the guys are all hanging out at the lake. You wanna come?"
"Sure, yeah. Just let me change real quick." I turned and headed up the front steps.
"Uhm," He said. I stopped and turned, raising my brows. "Do you wanna go get some ice cream or something first?" He shrugged. I smiled.
"Yeah, sure."
We'd taken my truck, luckily or we wouldn't have made it two feet with our cones. The AC was blasting as we sat in the makeshift dirt parking lot at the lake. We tried our best to eat them before they turned to puddles running down our arms.
"Have you ever even tried Tutti Frutti?" He asked me. We'd been arguing who's ice cream was better. I had Mint Chip and he had Tutti Frutti.
"No." I laughed. "It even sounds gross." He took a huge bite of it and chewed. "Ew, first off. Who bites their ice cream?" I screwed up my face at him. "And two, Tutti Frutti is a kind of baby food. That shuts it down right there." He shot me a look.
"First off, Tutti Frutti is the best baby food." I laughed, scrunching my nose. "You have to at least give it a try." He shoved the ice cream cone at me. I looked at him for a second and then hesitantly leaned over. When I got close enough to try it, he shoved the whole thing into my face. I reared back, gasping as he laughed his ass off.
"Oh, no you didn't."
"Oh, yes I did." He said, laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach. "That's payback." I gasped again.
"Payback?!" My jaw dropped. "For that stupid Madison thing?" He nodded, still chuckling. "Oh, you are so gonna get it." I launched myself at him, attempting to shove my Mint Chip right up his nose. He was laughing at me, trying to defend himself against the ice cream cone. Suddenly, he grabbed the cone out of my hand and yanked me to him. I tried to reach for it, but it was no use so I gave up, falling against him.
As cliché as it sounds, our eyes connected and my breath caught. He licked his lips and my eyes fell to them, watching the movement.
"You still have ice cream on your face." He whispered. That broke me out of my trance and I sucked in a quick breath, blushing as I quickly moved back to my seat.
"Uhm," I cleared my throat. "Napkins are in the glove box." He sighed. I looked out at the lake, watching everyone drinking and swimming. I grabbed the napkin when he offered it, refusing to look at him because I was so awkward and cleaned my face off.
I was getting ready to jump out of the truck and make my way to the party so I could escape the thick, awkward tension in the truck, but his voice stopped me.
"What the hell are these?" I looked back at him and my face paled.
The notes. I forgot I hid them in there so Dad wouldn't find them. Shit.
"Nothing." I said quickly, reaching for them. He pulled them out of my reach and looked at me stupid.
"Nothing?" He looked back at the notes, flipping through them. "These are threats, Harley." He kept shuffling through them. "Was whoever left you these notes the same one who fucked with your bike?"
I looked at him confused, until it hit me my bike was still half finished at the shop and figured Andy must have told them today at work. "It doesn't matter. I'm handling it-" He got to the most recent one I'd gotten today.
Your daddy's gonna miss you.
He sucked in a breath, looking at me with wide eyes. "Are you kidding me, Harley?" I attempted to reach for them again, but he pulled them out of reach. "You need to call the cops."
Dave's warning rang through my head. You tell your dad about any of this and I'll put a bullet in his skull. I couldn't tell the cops. My dad would find out and there was no way I was risking his life over some asshole bikers. I snatched them from his hand before he could pull them back again. "Absolutely not. You don't say a goddamn word." With that, I jumped out of the truck and headed to the lake.
There was no way I was letting my father find out about the notes. No way I was risking his life over something stupid. I wasn't sure if Tyson would listen to me, though.
"Hey, Harley!" Corey shouted. I looked over to where he was with a bunch of people, waving me over. I snagged a beer, popping it open and taking a few good gulps as I made my way to them, passing the bonfire.
Without a second thought, I tossed the wad of notes right into it, watching them curl up until they disappeared. I didn't know if that was a good idea or bad, but if Tyson tried to say something, he wouldn't get very far.
No evidence. My father would be fine as long as I kept my mouth shut.
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