Chapter Fourteen
Krampus
Bitter tears of betrayal sting my eyes as I mount my bike and drive recklessly away from her shop.
How did I read her so wrong? One minute she seems all into me, accepting me for the deformity that I am, and the next…
She pushes me away.
Repulsed.
Physically and emotionally rejecting me like if she touches me, the scars will become contagious.
It stings.
It hits me harder than any previous rejection ever has.
That’s why I don’t go straight to the clubhouse.
Instead, I take a detour, riding straight to my secret apartment to grab my backup mask.
The second it’s in my hand, I treasure it, savoring the safety it brings me from the stares and judgment I see in other’s eyes.
The fear. The misunderstanding. It’s a shield I’ve grown accustomed to—a shield I desperately need to survive the hateful world we live in.
No one understands what it’s like to be different.
How you wake up every day wondering if it’s even worth waking up tomorrow.
It’s a sad existence. The kind that drives people to drink or eat bullets.
I’ve always managed to keep moving forward, but today’s experience makes me question whether I’ll ever be happy, or if I’ll forever live alone, locked in the shadows of a tower like a monster people want to destroy.
For almost ten minutes, I just stare at the mask in my hands, wondering how she could go from hot to cold in an instant? The acceptance in her eyes was dying almost immediately after it was shown. It didn’t make sense. Something happened over at Moseley’s office, something that changed her.
But what?
What could he have said to her that would’ve made her change her opinion about me so quickly? She literally told me I didn’t need to hide behind the mask… that I was beautiful. She said words nobody, especially a woman, has ever said to me before.
Was it all a lie?
Our connection feels so real, like a current I can’t quite control. The kind that’s connected by circuits and boards, and looks like utter chaos, but really is an intricate masterpiece that holds everything together.
It’s the only reason I go back to her store, and why I wait there for hours just to make sure nothing happens to her. But it’s all done from afar, the wound too deep and penetrating for me to head back inside.
Even after the last patron leaves, I stay hidden across the street, watching for movement.
Hoping to God those bastards next door don’t try to come for her again.
Around eleven, she left Amber inside, disappearing next door with an envelope in her hand.
She was only over there for a few minutes, but the entire time I held my breath, ready to spring into action if I needed to.
Now her shop’s just dark. The closed sign sways recklessly on her door. There’s no other sign of movement.
Until…
An engine revs from somewhere behind her shop, making my heart stutter with fear.
Misfits…
A sleek black sport bike jets out from behind her building.
The rider, dressed in almost all black from head to toe, doesn’t stop at the stop sign.
The only thing different is the large white helmet with bunny ears they’re wearing on their head, concealing their face.
Whoever it is just blows right through the sign, making a fast getaway.
I’m not sure what compels me to follow them, but I do, racing to keep up with the sports bike that could best my Harley on any roadway.
The rider is halfway out of Fernley before they finally notice me tailing them, and they increase their speed, weaving in and out of traffic like they’ve got something to hide.
My phone rings during the chase, clicking over to my Bluetooth before I can stop it.
“Jesus, Rich, are you trying to kill yourself?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I shout into the headset, annoyed that Drac’s distracting me enough to lose sight of the rider.
“Life360 is going crazy! Ninety-nine miles an hour? Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I’m tailing someone.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Rich, what aren’t you telling me?”
My anger boils over. “Damn it, Drac, I don’t have time for this. When I know something, I’ll let you know. Stop stalking me. I’m fine!”
The call ends before he can scold me. I don’t care if he outranks me or not, I want to know who the fuck this guy is, and why they were hiding behind Mindy’s shop.
For a second, I think I’ve lost them, then I see the trail of dust going up a side road not normally used, the rider using the secret side road for cover.
It’s dangerous to drive that fast on a dirt road, but the rider doesn’t seem to care; they just keep going, disappearing behind a hill around the bend.
I barely turn the corner before I hit my brakes hard, my bike skidding out from beneath me the second I see the other bike up ahead, and the rider leaning against it, waiting for me.
My back meets the hard dirt road, the gravel scraping against my flesh until it’s burning in pain. At least nothing’s broken. I don’t hear a snap or feel anything give way beneath my skin. Thank God.
Before I have the chance to reach for my piece, the masked rider marches over to me, a taser shaking in their hand, ready to shoot.
A taser? Really?
“Why are you following me?” a familiar muffled voice shouts from behind the helmet. “What do you want?”
Carefully, I sit up, staring up at the taser that’s still pointed directly at me.
“Mindy?”
Her hand lowers slowly.
“Rich?”
We both remove our helmets together, revealing our faces even though mine is hidden by my mask again.
“You ride?” my mouth blurts out before I can stop it, the pain in my back a distant memory.
She nods, blinking at me a few times until I move just slightly, groaning loudly when the skin on my back starts to burn even more.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” she exclaims, reaching down to help me to my feet. “I thought you were…” her voice trails off, the fear evident in the way it wavers.
“One of Moseley’s men?”
She nods, bottom lip quivering. “Are you hurt? Please tell me you’re not hurt.”
The taser’s back in her pocket, but her hands are still shaking.
“I’m so sorry,” she cries, dropping to her knees. “I would’ve slowed down had I known it was you.”
“What were you running from?” I ask her, keeping my distance for her sake more than mine.
“I just needed to go for a ride,” she murmurs, tears staining her apple-swelled cheeks. “It’s how I process things.”
“Me too,” I agree. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
She looks up at me, the reluctance to open up more evident than she believes. She shakes her head, burying her face in her hands. “You’re already too tangled up in this; I can’t risk your life even more.”
Bending down, I get on her level, forcing her to look at me. “Mindy, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”
She sighs, inhaling air that’s filled with dust and sagebrush. “It’s Moseley,” she cries, both bitter and afraid. “He… he…” Her stuttered words break me in two. “He sold me.”
My back straightens. “What do you mean he sold you?”
That bottom lip starts quivering again, and I stop it with my fingers, feeling the fear as it vibrates out of her.
“To that man in my shop. He said when I signed my lease agreement, I also signed my life over to him in some kind of marital clause.”
“What the fuck?”
She flinches.
“Sorry, babe, this time I can’t stop it.”
She nods solemnly. “It’s okay, I know how messed up this sounds. I wouldn’t have believed it either had he not let me reread my contract and the things I skipped over when I first signed it.”
“You didn’t read it all?”
She shakes her head. “I’m a good person, Rich.
I like to believe that everyone is like me and not a filthy, vile human being.
But this… this is insane. There really is a clause in it that says I’m bound to him like some mail-order bride.
Moseley calls it a ‘merger’ like I’m some sort of business bargaining chip.
He's basically trafficking me but doing it legally.”
“That can’t be legal!” I shout, my voice echoing into the distance.
“But it is. I called a lawyer. He said as crazy as it sounds, the contract is binding. By me signing it, I legally agreed to be his bride, or become the bride of someone of his choosing.”
My stomach clenches.
The urge to bomb Moseley’s building and kill everyone in it is too strong to ignore.
“He can’t do that!”
“But he did. That’s why I pushed you away earlier. He said if I even dared to touch you again, he’d kill you. I couldn’t have that, Rich. Not after everything you’ve done for me.”
She warily takes my hands, allowing me to guide her up to her feet so we’re standing inches away from each other.
“I can take care of myself, Mindy. It’s you I’m worried about. Did he say when this ‘merger’ is supposed to happen?”
She shakes her head. “No. But he did say if I tried to skip town or leave the country he’d find me.
I’m scared, Rich. I don’t want to be sold off to someone with the intent to hurt me.
” Now her tears were falling so fast even her hand can’t keep up.
“I’m terrified to go back there. Not only is he extorting me for money I make from my business, but now he’s trying to use my body as a bargaining chip. ”
“Fuck, this isn’t good.”
She lets the swear slide, especially when I pull her close to me, her tears absorbing into my shirt until it’s wet against my skin.
“Don’t worry, Mindy. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She pulls away, staring up at me with nothing but fear in her eyes. “You can’t stop this, Rich. There’s nothing you can do.”
My lips trail across the tops of her knuckles, kissing her gloved hands and wishing it was her soft skin instead.
“You’re underestimating me and my club. We’re more resourceful than you think.
Come back with me to my clubhouse. Moseley can’t touch you there.
We’ll talk to Drac and the others and figure this out together. ”
She shakes her head. “I don’t want you guys to get tangled up in this.”
Before she can stop me, I kiss her. It’s passionate and strong, and filled with all the promises my heart silently devotes to her.
She’s hesitant at first, then melts against me, returning the kiss without pulling away. It’s warm and soft like a brownie fresh out of the oven. The kind of kiss that stays with you and can never be topped.
“Mindy, I know we just met, but I hope you know I’d do anything for you.
I don’t care if caring for you puts my life in jeopardy.
I’d gladly lay on any sword thrown my way if it means I’m keeping you safe from men like him.
Please don’t be afraid. We’re going to fix this for you.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to allow Moseley, or any other man take away the innocence I’ve grown so sweet on. ”
She giggles. “Why does everyone think I’m some innocent virgin girl?”
“I didn’t mean innocent as in never been touched. I just mean innocent as in how your presence softens others around you. Hell, it’s only been a few days, and somehow, you’ve changed me. I’m not as angry and hostile as I normally am.”
She laughs even louder. “That’s because underneath all that mean, grumpy biker, is sunshine just waiting to peek out. I saw it the second I met you. You can’t hide that kind of sweetness from me. I’m the queen of sweets.”
Our lips meet again; this time there’s more passion behind it. Tongues tangoing together in pure bliss, the heat of our mouths burning hotter by the second. My fingers dig into her scalp, releasing some of the soft tendrils of curls she had carefully pinned before smashing on her helmet.
“Oh, Rich, you don’t know how badly I want this—want you, but I don’t know if we should let this go any further. What if Moseley is watching us somehow?”
Before she can stop me, I have her lifted off the ground, legs curling around me as I lead her over to her bike.
“Let him watch,” I whisper against her lips, “because he’s not going to take you away from me without a fight.”