I don’t believe him.“Do you have a thing for her?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then lay off her and stop stringing her along.”
“You know, I think of her as my own blood.”
I shrug.“If you say so.”I spot Wicked and stub my cigarette out.“I’ll catch up with you later.Keep an eye on Low.If anything happens to her, it’s your ass I’ll be shoving a boot up.”
“She’ll be fine.”
“She better be.”I leave him to it and catch up with Big Daddy’s guy.
“Think she can be trusted?”I ask Wicked, road captain for the KOAMC California chapter.
“You’ll have to suss that out for yourself.She’s been here a few times, hanging with Big Daddy’s ol’ lady.Works at the flower shop in town.Don’t know much else.”
“She’s going to need some boots.”My mind drifts back to the sad state the bottoms of her feet were in.They’re going to be tender.
“I’ll see what I can do.Doc Stevens said she’d be out after he administered some anxiety and pain meds.”
“Where’d they put her for the night?”
“She’s still in Big Daddy’s office.Sleeping on one of the couches.She’ll be good there for now.”
Big Daddy’s favor may not sound like a huge deal to most, but he’s asking me to take responsibility for the wife of his enemy.Our enemy.One thing about us, we may have our own clubs, but if you fuck with one patched brother, you fuck with us all.Wearing not only the president’s patch, but the club’s patch is a fucking honor.I wear both with pride and I won’t let him down.
“Cool.”
“Enjoy the rest of your night.One of our prospects will guard her.”Wicked gives me a playful slap on my bicep.
“That’s the plan, man.That’s the plan.”
Normally I’d go find a little strange to get some head because what happens on the road stays on the road, but there’s an uncontrollable need inside me urging me to make sure Jessika is okay.She shouldn’t be alone after what she’s gone through tonight.
I’ve got this desire to protect her.
To know more about her.
“You’re relived of your duty,” I tell Kidd.
He takes off and I enter the dark room.Like Wicked said, Jessika is laying on one of the leather couches on her side in a fetal position, both hands tucked under her cheek that didn’t get punched, but she’s not sleeping.She’s staring blankly out the open balcony doors, listening to the party that’s winding down below.
The sounds of chatter, laughter, and rock ‘n roll drifts in and out of the room.
“How you holding up?”I drop down into the chair closest to her.
She blinks a few times, then moves to sit up.She lifts a shoulder, her wide neck tee, slipping down it.Her blonde hair is tangled up and wild, as is the expression she wears.Her big blue eyes are wide and haunted.
“I’m alive,” her voice comes out rough, but sure.
“Can I get you anything?”
“No.No, thank you.”
“Looks like you’ll be getting that tour of my paradise after all.”
“What do you mean?”
