Breaking the Biker

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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I WOKE UP TO THE SOUND of my cell phone ringing and groaned when I saw what time it was. One-forty-five p.m. My shift at the bar had started at one.

“I know,” I mumbled into the phone. “I’m on my way.”

“You’d better be,” said Marie, one of the other bartenders. “I have an appointment at two-thirty that I can’t miss.”

“Sorry. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“You’d better,” she said sharply.

Fuck you, I thought, hanging up the phone.

From experience, I knew that Marie’s afternoon appointments usually involved a tanning shop or a nail salon. Everything about the girl was fake, except for her personality. She was a b***h and didn’t try to pretend otherwise. Not with other women at least. When it came to men, that was an entirely different story. She flirted so badly that it was embarrassing to watch. Especially since she was married. The truth was, I’d lost count of the many times she’d given some guy a ride home, claiming he was too drunk to do it himself. Apparently, none of them were too inebriated to drive her. I’d found out her dirty little secret one night after closing. Her windows had been steamed up and the car rocking. Although I’d never given her s**t about it, she’d seen me walk by. That didn’t stop her from being a t**t toward me. I wasn’t even sure why she disliked me so much.

Sighing, I dragged myself out of bed, wondering why I even bothered anymore. Life seemed so agonizingly pointless, now that Billy was gone. Sleeping was hard and waking up was even harder. To try and get my mind off of things, I’d been putting in extra hours at Sal’s, the bar my uncle owned. It was summer and it seemed we were always busy, which helped. But at night, when I was alone in my apartment, my heart broke every time I saw Billy’s ashes in my living room. I’d had him cremated after Mark’s brother, Phillip, had suggested it. It was strange knowing that all that remained of my baby was what was in that pewter urn. But, it was also somewhat comforting, knowing that part of him was close by.

My cell phone went off again, and this time, I noticed it was Sal.

“I’m on my way,” I said quickly.

“Relax and take your time. She’s scheduled until three anyway.”

So, he knew Marie had balled me out. I grunted. “Really?”

“Yes. I see you’re scheduled at one.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I overslept,” I admitted.

“I’m willing to let it slide. You’ve been putting in a lot of overtime. Just get here before Happy Hour at four.”

“Thanks, Uncle Sal.”

“Anything for you, kid.”

Sal was our mother’s older brother and had been looking out for me and Cole ever since she’d died of a heart attack six years ago, when I was eighteen. He was single and lived alone. We were close, but not close enough for me to tell him about Slammer.

“How’s your brother been?” he asked. “I haven’t seen him around lately.”

“Okay, I guess. He doesn’t say much about himself. He’s been too busy worrying about me.”

“Sounds like him. Always was a quiet kid.”

I didn’t mention that Cole was worried about the fact that I’d committed murder. He was also afraid that Slammer’s successor, some hothead Neanderthal, would find out who I was. Apparently, he was his son and the word out on the streets was that he’d turn over mountains to find his father’s killer. I almost wished him success so that he could put me out of the misery that was now my life.

“He’s still a prospect?” he asked.

“Yes.” I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea but when I’d tried talking him out of it a few months back, he wouldn’t listen. He’d argued that they were like a brotherhood and once you were patched, they’d have your back for life. In other words – they’d own him for life. Body and soul.

As much as I’d tried to convince him that he was setting himself up for a short-lived future, my brother claimed that being around the club made him feel alive, which right now, I almost envied. But, I didn’t trust any motorcycle club that touted they were one-percenters. Even I knew that meant they took the law into their own hands and more than likely had their hands in a lot of illegal s**t. Of course, after killing Slammer, I wasn’t about to start pointing any fingers. I could only hope that Cole would pull his head out of his a*s sooner than later, and come to his senses. I was definitely worried about my twenty-three-year-old brother, I just didn’t have the energy to keep badgering him about it. I had my own issues to deal with.

“Wish one of us could talk some sense into him. He’s going to get himself killed.”

“Don’t say that,” I said softly. As much as I agreed, I couldn’t handle the thought of another death in the family.

“I know you don’t want to hear it, Raina, but those guys are poison.”

“Yeah, I know and I’ve razzed him about it myself. Cole is stubborn, though. He won’t listen to reason.”

“Believe me, I know.”

“If it’s any consolation, he told me that he’d walk away if they made him do anything he didn’t feel comfortable with.”

Sal laughed humorlessly. “Sounds like a crock of s**t to me. It wouldn’t be that simple. You can’t just walk away from a club like that. Especially if they believe that Cole knows too much.”

“In which he probably already does.”

“He’s only a prospect, so he might not know much of the illegal s**t they’re involved with yet. If you ask me, he should get out right now, before they patch him.”

I sighed. “I know. Maybe I’ll try and talk to him again.”

“You should. I know you love him with all of your heart, Raina. You don’t want to lose him.”

No, I didn’t. Besides, Sal, he was all I had left. “Cole said he’s going to try and stop in tonight. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Here? At the bar?”

“Yes,” I replied. “Good thing Marie is getting off. I’d have to punch her in the face if she started hitting on him again.”

“She’d better watch herself,” said Sal. “Marie’s going to go home with the wrong man one of these days. I keep telling her she should get a divorce.”

“You can’t talk sense into a woman who thinks she’s smarter than everyone else.”

“I know. So Cole’s coming down, huh?”

“I think so. He’s out of town, I guess. But he plans on getting back early this evening.”

“I hope he doesn’t bring any of those pricks from the club. They’re always trying to start things with my regulars.”

“No. He wouldn’t,” I replied. Cole knew how Sal felt about the Devil’s Rangers.

“Okay, then. I guess I’d better let you go so you can get your butt down here. Sorry I kept you.”

Leave it to Sal for apologizing, when I was the one who’d overslept. “Obviously, it’s not a problem I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“I know you will.”

Knowing that Marie was in a hurry, I took my time in the shower, and for the first time in weeks, applied some makeup to cover up the dark circles under my tired eyes. Noticing they were also bloodshot, I grabbed the bottle of eye-drops and took care of the problem before adding mascara to my lashes. When I was finished getting ready for work, I was a little startled at my reflection. My cheeks were gaunt, and my dark hair looked dull and lifeless. Plus, I was drowning in my clothes. My voluptuous size twelve body was twenty pounds thinner; the weight I’d been prior to my pregnancy and one I’d struggled to get back to. But now, I couldn’t care less about my figure. I’d gain it all back and then some just to hold my son one more time.