Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Liz
No. No. No. No. No.
This cannot be happening to me today! Why is bad luck following me everywhere I go? Is it a curse from the Tarot reader the other day or something else altogether? It’s not supposed to be like this. Moving here and going to college was supposed to be a change for the better, not the worse. I miss my hometown in Louisiana, but things got too tough when my Memaw passed away and a change was what I needed. She was the glue that held our family together and taught me everything I knew about Voodoo and witchcraft. She’s the reason I decided to go to college and pursue my degree in spiritual folkways and liturgical languages, so I had a better understanding of our heritage. The best school I found was over a thousand miles away. Away from the dangers. Away from the heartache. Away from everything associated with my family.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
My check engine light on my little piece of shit car keeps dinging at me and I’m lost in the middle of nowhere.
I had a dream last night that called me to do something new today. So, I decided when I woke up that I was going to venture out and see more of the countryside instead of the city I’ve been living in for six months. The sun was out beaming brightly on my face this morning, which I believe is a sign from my Memaw, telling me to go on an adventure. I grabbed my keys, wallet and cell phone, left my apartment and started driving on these backroads. I heard all roads eventually lead into each other so with no destination in mind, I started driving. With the radio up and the windows down I began my adventure.
Now, I’m totally screwed. My car stalled on the side of the road. No one knows where I am. I don’t even know where I am and the positive energy surrounding me this morning is quickly fading and leaving dread in my heart.
“Memaw, if you’re listening, what do I do now?” I bang my head on the steering wheel and the horn beeps, scaring the living daylights out of me. Rays of sunshine beam down on my face warming my red hair.
“Is this a sign from the Tarot reader the other day?” I wait for an answer but of course, one doesn’t come.
I went to a Tarot reader a few days ago to see what she had to say. Of course, curiosity kills the cat but with all the bad luck I’ve been experiencing, I wanted to know if it was going to end or keep going. Apparently, I pissed the Voodoo gods off or something because bad luck is still following me. I’m on the verge of losing my apartment, something about the owner having sold the building. My professors are hard asses, and now I’m failing and the job at the nightclub is one of the worst bartending jobs I’ve had in forever. The manager is a sleazy asshole who likes to manhandle the female staff. He tried to cop a feel while I had my hands full in the backroom the other night and I ended up slamming him into the wall. I’ll be surprised if I still have a job tonight.
The faint rumble of motorcycles grows louder. They’re getting closer to me. Shit. I don’t know if I can handle another dreadful thing happening to me today without a mental breakdown, so scooching as far down in my seat as I can, I rub the crystal charm around my neck, praying they can’t see me. The rumble gets closer, vibrating my entire car and my eyeballs.
Once they pass, I sit up a little in my seat and watch where they go. There are three of them with leather vests on and I watch as they slow down to make a left-hand turn out of my sight. It’s so quiet again, I can hear the birds chirping.
“C’mon girl, you can do it.” I talk to my car and twist the key, praying it’ll turn over. The motor whines and stutters before coming alive. “Hallelujah! Thank fuck!” I put the car in drive and take off from where I stalled. Making a wide U-turn, I head back towards the city. That’s enough of an adventure today. The dreadful ding for the check engine light comes on again and I groan.
“Oh no, not again.” My car sputters and stalls before dying in the middle of the road. “Fuck!” I punch the steering wheel and the horn doesn’t even beep, but pain shoots through my knuckles. “Good one, Liz. Way to use your brain.” I roll my eyes and put my car in neutral. I need to get it to the side of the road before some unsuspecting driver hits it. I open my door, step between the door frame and the driver’s side and try pushing it. The heat from the day is scorching my pale skin and sweat is breaking out all over my body. At this rate, I’ll sweat all the extra pounds I gained going to college. When someone says freshman fifteen, you better believe it. Only, I’m not a teenager like the rest of the college students. I’m pushing twenty-three, not nineteen. I get my piece of shit rocking back and forth and the rumble of a single bike pierces the quietness surrounding me. Birds take flight above me in a hurry and panic sets in my chest.
Shit, if they see me, they’ll stop and the last thing I want is trouble. Why do I keep getting into these predicaments? Why can’t anything go right for me? The distinct rumble grows louder until it gets quiet and the only thing I can hear is my heart thumping against my chest and my breath coming out in pants. I don’t dare turn around, afraid of what or who is coming up behind me. I keep pushing my car until it finally moves. I jump in the driver's seat and steer it to the side of the road. Well, that was easy enough. Fear and panic must give me super strength.
I look in the rearview mirror and see a man in a black leather vest. I can’t see anything but his body in the mirror. It dawns on me that it wasn’t me who moved my car but this huge man and he’s coming up to my door. I slam it shut and push the button to lock my door. My heart beating hard in my throat, I watch his long powerful legs eat up the ground in my side mirror. Those powerful legs have my mouth watering. No, Liz. This isn’t the time to get all hot and bothered. You’re lost in the middle of nowhere with no help. If he wants to kidnap you, no one will ever know or care.
“Need help?” The deep sexy voice of the biker makes my skin break out in goosebumps. He leans in my window, his strong forearms covered with sleeves of different skull tattoos, resting against the hot metal. Shit, I forgot my windows were down. I facepalm and gather my wits.
“No. I’m good. The cops are on their way.” I tighten my grip on the steering wheel, grounding myself not to touch his inked-up arms.
“Oh really?” He cocks an eyebrow. Shit. He knows I’m lying. I’m a terrible liar and never could get away with it.
“Yeah really. I just called them and they’re sending someone out here. Should be here any moment.” I shrug my shoulders like it’s no big deal that this sexy-as-sin man is pretty much inside my car. The scent of leather and motor oil fills my senses making my heart beat erratically.
“Hmm.” He mumbles before pushing off the side of my car and taking a step back. His hands are still on the door frame leaning toward me, his knuckles are red and raw, possibly from a fight.
“What?” I whisper. Afraid if I talk any louder, more of these burly men will appear and I’ll really be in trouble.
“Just trying to figure out how you have cell service is all. This area is known for dropping signals.” Well, fuck me sideways. He called me out.
“I, uh, have Wi-Fi?” I stutter out.
“If you say so.” He shrugs his shoulders but doesn’t move from my door and I dare to cast my eyes in his direction.
He’s tall. Like really fucking tall and I have to crane my neck back to take all of him in. His leather vest fits snugly against his hard body. His arms are covered in intricate tattoos leading all the way up underneath the tight black t-shirt hugging his muscles. My eyes travel up from his lean chest covered in leather, to his face. He has a slightly dark stubble forming around his strong jaw and full lips that I want to run my tongue across. His nose is slightly crooked, probably from fighting. My brother has the same slight crook from when his mouth ran away with his brain and a thug knocked his ass out after breaking his nose. It was never the same again.
This man’s eyes. Holy shit, talk about setting panties on fire. His eyes are a light whiskey color and I cannot draw my own eyes away from them. My Memaw always said the soul of a man isn’t through his dick or his mind but through his eyes. They’ll tell you what you need to know before his mouth will. And these beautiful whiskey-colored eyes staring back at me are revealing shock and lust before he schools his features. His long lashes, which any girl would be jealous of and pay top dollar to have, flutter those transparent irises closed long enough to sever our connection. When his lashes flutter across his high cheekbones again and he opens them, there is no lust or shock. It’s confusion first replaced by anger radiating from their depths.
What the hell? I’ve never and I mean never, had this type of inner monologue before. I facepalm again and a grunt escapes this man’s sinful lips. I pull my hand away from my face and turn to look at him again. I can’t help it. Something is pulling me toward him and it scares the living shit out of me. The thing is, he shifted so the only thing I see is a bulge against the zipper of his black jeans. This bulge will make any woman whimper. Which I think I do but I bite my lip to keep the groan from escaping my throat.
“Well, when you’re done ogling me, I’ll be happy to introduce myself and see if I can fix your car for you, Sweet Cheeks.” He winks.
My face is on fire, embarrassed at being caught staring at this sex on a stick. But what does he expect? He can’t just walk up to some stranger's car and not expect them to act like a lust struck idiot. “Uh, sure. I’m Liz, it’s a pleasure to meet you?” I stick my hand out the window of the car and almost nut-check him but he steps back far enough with a smirk on his handsome face. “Oh, dear lord.” I groan.
“It’s OK, Sweet Cheeks. I’m pretty fast on my feet.” He winks at me with a glint in his eyes. “Name’s Ace. Let me pop your hood and check underneath.” Ace leans inside my car and my breath hitches in my throat. His hand disappears under the steering wheel column but his eyes stay locked on mine. He’s so close I can smell the mint on his breath. If I had courage, I could close the distance between us and feel his soft lips against mine but I don’t. Instead, I lick my dry lips and his eyes follow.
Suddenly his hand finds what he’s looking for and a pop makes me jump slightly. He breathes me in before pulling his big body out of my car. His long legs travel to the front of my car and I watch him opening my hood. I take a deep breath and relax my body. He doesn’t want me. I’m an idiot to think otherwise. Ace is just being nice and checking my car.
I carefully open my door and step out into the scorching sun. I walk around to the front of my car and see him leaning over the motor. His ass looks great from this angle.
“What do you think’s wrong with it?” I ask, stepping next to Ace and acting like I know what I’m doing even though I really have no clue. Ace pulls a long stick thingy out, wipes it on his dark jeans and puts it back in the hole before pulling it out again.
“Not sure but at a glance it seems your motor is seized. I can call the guys and have them tow it back to the shop down the road.”
“How will you do that if there’s no cell service?”
“We’re going to take a ride.” Ace puts the stick back into the hole and slams the hood shut.
“Take a ride?” What does that even mean?
“Sweet Cheeks, I’m not leaving you out here all alone in the middle of nowhere. You’re going to ride back to the shop with me and I’ll have a prospect bring your car to us.” Ace strolls to his bike sitting off the side of the road and he straddles it. I follow along like a lost puppy.
I’m so out of my depth here. My hands instinctively grasp the crystal charm around my neck my Memaw gave me before she passed. She told me it’ll bring me luck and keep evil away. Since I’ve been here, the exact opposite has happened. “I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle before, Ace. I have no clue what to do.”
Ace hands me a helmet. “First you’re going to put this on. We don’t want your pretty face hurt.” I take the helmet from his outstretched hands and look at it like it’s going to bite me. “Come here.” His deep voice sends a shot of lust straight between my thighs.
I step cautiously toward Ace and he takes the helmet out of my hands. “You’ve never done this before?” I shake my head no. Ace smirks while putting the helmet on my head and adjusts the strap under my chin. His touch is light and soft. “Don’t worry, you’re safe with me. Step on the peg with your left leg, swing your right leg to the other side and hold on tight. I want your tits pressed against my back. We’re only going a short distance.”
“Ok.” My voice is soft and quiet. I grab Ace’s shoulder, step with my left foot on the peg and swing my right leg over the bike, settling behind him. I surprise myself when I don’t fall off the other side of his bike. I’ve never been the most graceful. I wrap my arms around his waist, feeling his rock-solid abs under my hands. Ace grabs the outside of my thighs and pulls me closer.
“Hang on, Sweet Cheeks.” Ace fires up his bike and the loud motor makes me jump. I squeeze my eyes shut when we start to move and hang on even tighter if that’s possible. I swear I feel Ace either laughing or growling through his back.
We take off and between the deep rumble of the bike, the warmth of the sun on my back and the wind blowing at my face, I open my eyes, relax a little and enjoy the ride. Not too much longer, Ace is turning left, where I saw the bikes turn earlier, and follow the road until we reach a huge warehouse looking place. A big garage door is rolled open and I spot two other bikes sitting out front. The paint jobs are shining in the sunlight. Ace pulls next to the other bikes and turns his off. My ears are ringing and my body still feels like it’s vibrating. It’s a weird, but aroused feeling.
“You OK, Sweet Cheeks?” Ace asks over his shoulder. He puts his kickstand down and turns the handlebars slightly to balance the bike. He turns his head toward me, our faces are almost touching and raises an eyebrow.
“Yes. Uh, yeah, I’m good.” I release my grip from around his waist. I have no clue how to get off this thing now. “Ace?”
“Sweet Cheeks.”
“Why do you call me that and how do I get off?”
Ace releases a deep, burly laugh and his handsome face is making me squirm in my seat. “Well, I can think of a few ways you can get off.” He wiggles his eyebrows and I can feel my face turning as bright red as my hair.
“That’s not what I meant!” I squeal like a little girl, which in turn makes Ace laugh even harder.
A big burly man comes to the door of the garage, “Yo, Ace, everything alright, brother?”
“Yeah, Butch. We’re trying to get off out here. Do you mind?” Ace’s innuendo isn’t lost on me and I try moving away from his muscular body as far as I can, but the bar behind my back stops me. “Relax, Sweet Cheeks. I’m messing with you.”
“So not funny, Ace.” I cross my arms over my chest and his eyes travel to the dip in my t-shirt. “How do I get off this bike?” I ask again.
“Oh, is that what you meant?” I nod my head. “Well, you do the same thing to get off that you did to get on but the opposite. Put your left leg on the ground, stand up and swing your right leg over. Use my shoulder for balance. Don’t worry about the bike, I have it stabilized.”
I do what he says and almost fall on my ass but manage to keep myself upright. No one said I was the most graceful person in the world, but I can see myself enjoying this and getting better at it.
“I could enjoy it too if you let me.” Ace’s voice breaks through my thoughts and I slap a hand over my mouth.
“Did I say that out loud?” My eyes grow huge from embarrassment.
“Yeah, Sweet Cheeks you did.” There’s a glint of humor in Ace’s voice and his whiskey eyes are filled with lust. I watch as he dismounts the bike and stands in front of me. I swear this man is at least six foot four with muscle upon muscle but it’s not steroid bulky muscle. It’s more of a fighter and that brings him even higher on my sexy scale.
I enjoy watching and even participating in fights on occasion back home. I haven’t found a gym here yet that can accommodate my needs for sparing. I tried one gym back a few months ago and never returned. The guys were dicks and didn’t take me seriously. There’s something that calls to me when my fist connects with bone and I love the feeling of power and darkness behind it. I grab my necklace and rub the charm with my fingers. The darkness that overtakes me scares the shit right out of me and I’ve never told anyone what it does and how I change when in the ring.
“C’mon, let me introduce you to the guys inside and figure out where we go from here.” Ace runs his finger gently down the side of my face drawing me out of the darkness surrounding me. That's the first time anyone ever could pull me back and it scares the shit out of me.
I nod my head and follow him, watching his fine ass in his jeans. Oh, that view is even better than I imagined. I lick my lips. “Damn it, Liz. Put a lid on it.” I quietly scold myself.
We enter the garage doors and I spot the man Ace called Butch leaning against a car with the hood popped up. He doesn’t have a vest on like Ace does but with all the grease on his jeans and shirt, I can see why he isn’t wearing it.
“Liz, this is Butch. Butch, Liz. Her car broke down up the road and I need a prospect to tow it back.” I look at Butch and he’s just as huge as Ace. Jesus, do these bikers take steroids or something? Butch has a scowl on his unshaven face but his eyes are soft when he looks me over.
Another man slides out from underneath the car, scaring the shit out of me. I didn’t see his feet when we walked in. “I’ve got it, Ace. I’m finished here. All we need is your touch on the distributor to time it.”
“Tex, this is Liz. Liz, Tex.” Ace introduces us. Tex stands and wipes his hands on a rag and throws it off to the side. He isn’t wearing his vest either but he does have a blue bolo tie around his neck. That’s fucking weird. But hey, who am I to judge? I’m a descendant of Louisiana Voodoo.
“Pleasure, Liz. Can I have your keys?” Tex holds out his hand and I stare at it. My brain hasn’t caught up with the rest of us yet. “Keys?” There’s a touch of humor in Tex’s voice.
When it dawns on me what he needs, I facepalm before searching my jeans pockets. “Oh, no. I left them in the car. Along with my purse and cell phone.”
“It’s OK. I’ll be back in a few.” Tex draws his hand back and walks out of the garage door, whistling.
“Want a drink?” Ace asks from behind me. His hot breath fans across my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. I nod my head too tongue-tied to speak right now. Fuck my life I’m in so much trouble here.
If the wrong people find out about these guys and particularly Ace, their lives will be in danger. I can’t have their blood on my hands. I can’t do this again. Why did my God damn car have to break down in the middle of BFE and these nice guys have to find me? I have to figure out a way to get out of here before something bad happens to them.