Page 24 of Loss
“They’re givin’ you a hard time, Bell?” he questions, anger filling his voice as a warmth spreads through my body from the nickname only he’s ever called me.
“Just trying to stake a claim on you guys, thinking I’m here to take their spots in the guys’ beds. It’s not a big deal and I don’t want them to get in trouble. If it continues, that’s a different story. They’ve all been warned and now if they step out of line, I’ll take it up a notch,” I answer him, keeping my voice neutral despite the nerves and butterflies filling me.
“You made breakfast and coffee?” he questions me, looking at the island where all the food is laid out as more men enter the kitchen.
“Yeah. It wasn’t being done, and I wanted to eat before we head to the garage,” I answer him, keeping my eyes on my food as I take another bite so I don’t have to answer any more questions.
Vault and the rest of the guys grab plates piled high with food. By the time everyone has a plate, there’s nothing left. I’m done eating so I stand from the table and start to clean up the kitchen. Chrome actually speaks up and tells me to leave it for the girls since they couldn’t be bothered to cook this morning. So, I shrug my shoulders and leave the kitchen. With my keys in hand, I head out to my car and climb inside to wait for Vault and Chrome. I know they work at Hound’s but I’m not sure if they have anyone else there helping them. If not, I’ll make sure that all they have to worry about is fixing the vehicles while I handle everything else. It’s second nature to me by now and I know what I’m doing around a garage.
Chapter Fifteen
Vault
PRIDE FILLS ME when I hear that Annabell, my sweet Angel, stuck up for herself and didn’t let the Phantom girls get to her. I always knew there was a fire buried down deep in her, but she never had a reason to use that shit. Not when everyone was quick to jump in and save her. Myself included. Annabell’s grown a backbone and I can’t wait to see that side of my girl. Valor gives me the details of what he heard as Chrome and him stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Anger fills me with the thought that these skanks talked to Bell the way they did. As if they have the right to question anything another female in this clubhouse does. Annabell’s so fucking sweet that she told me she didn’t want them punished because they were trying to assert their dominance in the way we always expect them to. It’s when they’re lazy skanks and take things too far that we have a major problem and will do anything to get rid of them. We’ll have to see how this situation plays out.
“You ready to head to the garage?” Chrome asks, pushing his plate and cup away from him as he remains in his seat across from me.
“Yeah. I’m sure Bell is waitin’ in her car already. She always wants to be early as fuck and I’m sure that hasn’t changed over the years,” I say, Valor and I laughing at the ways she used to ensure she’d be early for anything she had to go to.
There was one time Annabell was planning on helping the ol’ ladies prepare for a cookout. Apparently they all agreed to meet at like ten in the morning to start preparing everything. Annabell has always been an early riser and showed up in the kitchen of the clubhouse at six in the morning. She had over half the food done before the rest of the ol’ ladies showed up to get started. None of them could believe everything she’d gotten done already and laughed when she shrugged her shoulders and said she wanted to make sure they had enough time to get everything done. So, she did it and that left less for the ol’ ladies to do. Instead, they made even more desserts and shit that we typically didn’t get. We all thanked Annabell that day for the amazing food that was prepared after Shy spoke up and told us all what she did.
Chrome and I leave the kitchen and run into the girls as they sit in the common room, staring in the kitchen at everyone eating. I’m not gonna remain quiet about this shit. I can’t because it’s Annabell and she doesn’t deserve their disrespect.
“So, you wanna sit on your asses and expect a club princess to do your fuckin’ job and then eat the food that she made?” I bark out at the girls who turn their full attention on me. None of them say a word in response which is answer enough for me. “I’m gonna make this shit crystal clear. You will go out of your way to help Annabell with anythin’ she’s doin’ around this place. When she’s in her office, you’ll make sure she has somethin’ to eat and drink at all times. You will get off your asses to cook, clean, and do anythin’ else asked of you every fuckin’ day. The only reason you three aren’t gettin’ booted out on your asses is because of her. She asked me not to do anythin’. I will always do anythin’ she wants. Get the fuck in the kitchen and clean it up. You’re lucky it was Annabell cookin’ and no one else because she knows how to clean as she goes. You’ve got hardly anythin’ to do in there. When I get the fuck back here, I want to see this clubhouse the cleanest it’s ever fuckin’ been. If not, you’re all fuckin gone.”
They all scramble off their asses and leave the common room immediately. None of them say a word in response as I listen to them starting to clean the kitchen. The only words spoken are as they ask the remaining men if they’re done with their plates and can take them to the sink. I can’t help but smirk at Chrome because he knows how I feel about these girls. For the first time in my life, I can’t stand Phantom girls. However, there’s a reason they’ve all sought out sanctuary in the clubhouse and we’re not just gonna boot them out for no good reason.
“You’re a fuckin’ asshole,” Chrome says, laughing as we exit the clubhouse and find Annabell sitting in her car with the radio blaring loud as fuck. “This is your girl’s fuckin’ car? I think I’m in love.”
“I guess it is. I’m not sure when she got this,” I answer him, looking at the black Dodge Charger sitting in the parking lot of the clubhouse.
Chrome and I make our way around the car and take in all the details as I notice Annabell shaking her head at us. Yeah, we’re being typical guys right now because there’s no way in hell Slim and the guys left this shit stock. I’m sure there’s a ton of upgrades and shit for her so that she’s always safe. The first thing I’m pretty sure they did was install bullet proof glass. All the ol’ ladies’ vehicles have that shit. The paint job is custom and I know that for a fact because I can see the detail on the hood and down the sides of the car. Each side has the Phantom Bastards colors on the doors with smoke pouring out behind it. The hood of the car has a giant skull with roses and vines surrounding it. Out of the top of the skull are two large as fuck sunflowers. Annabell’s favorite flower is the sunflower and the two represent her parents. I know this because there’s a tattoo on her upper arm that matches her car and she told me that’s something she wanted to get. Everything is made to blend into her car so it’s not right in your face and made so it’s not visible to the naked eye in a very understated manner.
Annabell rolls her windows down and rolls her eyes as Chrome and I lean down.
“When did you get this?” I ask her as a smile lights up her face.
“Slim helped me pick it out when I graduated college. He knows this is what I’ve always wanted. Then, Playboy and Killer did the paint job to give me something special instead of the typical black and chrome. The wheels and everything are completely blacked out, it’s got all the safety upgrades before you ask, and I learned to do the maintenance on it with Slim, Playboy, and Killer’s help,” she says, a smile on her face as she looks over her car.
The interior is black on black and her dash has a picture of Hunter. Pain fills me because she should have a picture of me up there, not him. But, I don’t say anything because there’s nothing to say. Not yet. There’s a screen that shows her backup camera and I know she’s got her phone hooked up so she can listen to her music and not deal with the commercials and shit like a normal radio station. Annabell is all about music and loves to listen to it as loud as she can get it to go. I’m surprised she hasn’t started to lose her hearing already with how loud it always is. Slim used to bitch at us every day with how loud his house was with her shitty music. His words, not mine.
“Nice. You gonna let me drive it?” Chrome questions her as I smack the back of his head.
“Nope,” she answers, popping the p in that way she does sometimes. “This is my baby and no one drives her but me. Not even my dad or brother have been behind the wheel.”
“No kiddin’?” I question her, sure that both men would’ve been in that driver’s seat at least once.
“No kidding. They’re still pissed I won’t let them drive it. I paid for it with my own money and they’ll respect my wishes. I don’t ever see anyone else driving this car for any reason,” Bell states, locking eyes with me because she knows I’m gonna wanna drive this car.
“Alright, we get it,” I tell her, trying to lighten the mood as I take in her serious look and want to kiss her full lips as she stands her ground. “I’m gonna ride behind you. Chrome will be in front. Stay between us at all times. If Chrome goes through a light, you make sure you get through that shit too. The garage isn’t far from here so our trip will be quick.”
“Okay. It’s not my first time doing this shit, Vault. You know that better than anyone,” she reminds me as I stand from her car and make my way to my bike.
Chrome and I straddle our bikes and start the engine while Annabell rolls up her window to keep the air conditioning inside and waits for Chrome to pull out. We get to the gate and George opens it up for us to ride through. Annabell keeps the perfect distance between her car and my best friend’s bike as we leave the compound and make our way through town toward Hound’s. There’s a short stretch with no other traffic on the road as usual this early in the morning. Chrome is riding a little faster than normal as Annabell and I follow behind him. As we get to the end of the forest that lines the right side of the road, I hear a noise I can’t quite make out before my bike goes out of control. I’m fishtailing and there’s no way I can regain it before it tips over and I start sliding with it. A sharp pain grazes my upper arm and I know I’ve been shot.
The brakes of Annabell’s car scream as she brings it to an immediate stop. I can’t even yell at her to stay in the car as Chrome races past her and moves to my side.
“What the fuck happened, Vault?” he questions me as I continue to try and catch my breath while dealing with the pain filling me.
