Lost (Book 6 of the Forbidden Series)

7

They walked through the gallery downtown hand in hand. Zeke had not even known this place existed until this afternoon. They had been stared at from the moment they walked through the front doors. Kat fit right in with the posh elitist crowd. She looked as if she belonged in a place like this, but Zeke was another story altogether. He stood out like a giant among dwarves.

He could hear the whispering of the other patrons. People were wondering what a guy like him was doing in a place like this. Was he here to steal something? Probably more perplexing was the company he kept. What was a woman like Kat doing with a hoodlum like him?

Kat appeared indifferent to the stares and whispers like she was accustomed to being the center of attention. He supposed looking the way she did she probably was accustomed to being leered at quite often. He, however, had made his life on fitting in, sliding under the radar. He was extremely uncomfortable knowing he stood out.

He tried very hard to focus on Kat and the art, but he had a hard time getting into it. They looked at a few paintings, and Kat discussed the skill and meaning the artist was expressing with another couple. Zeke stared at the large painting and didn’t understand it in the least. It looked like something a five-year-old did in school. The sort of thing their mother pretended to know was an owl or a dog or whatever and hung it up on the fridge until the kid forgot about it. It certainly didn’t strike him as a priceless work of art.

They moved on to the modern art and sculptures, things that looked like garbage or some terrible welding accidents. Zeke certainly didn’t understand the art world. He looked around at all the upper class. All those who were supposedly his betters admiring the work and discussing it at length with a vocabulary he didn’t understand. Was he the only person in the building that thought he had been ripped off paying twenty bucks to get in and being shown nothing but crap he could find in any junkyard or kindergarten class?

Kat laced her arm with his, and they strolled on to the next exhibit. “You’re not enjoying yourself.” She observed quietly.

Zeke offered her a smile. “It’s not my sort of thing, but I enjoy any time with you.” He said as they walked up to a painting of a nude woman stretched out over a settee. “I just don’t understand how this stuff is art.” He admitted.

“Well, this is a very old, very priceless painting.” She said admiring the painting before them.

“Yeah, maybe, but all I see some chick who can’t handle her booze got naked, and passed out before puking all over some poor sap trying to bang her.” He said. Kat laughed at him and squeezed his arm affectionately. “How is this art I see this happen at every single one of our parties. You take this picture and hang it on the wall, and it is suddenly art. If some guy had this picture on his phone, you’d say it was a masturbatory aid. Plain and simple… it’s porn. I don’t see the distinction.” He argued.

Kat smirked. “This is tasteful.”

“Porn can be tasteful.”

“No, it can’t.” She argued.

“Why not?” He asked. “What says that it has to be dirty and nasty?”

“I suppose nothing but…” Kat shook her head. “This is an entirely inappropriate conversation for this place.”

“You brought it up,” Zeke said as they walked on to the next portrait.

“I did not.” She gasped.

Zeke smirked finding her stunning when she was flustered. “I’m sorry I don’t understand art. Maybe I’m too gutter rat to appreciate it.” He said looking around at all the people still pretending not to stare at him. There had been one particular security guard that had casually followed them from room to room as they had wandered through the gallery. Zeke was not sure if Kat had noticed, but his trained eye knew they were being tailed. He wasn’t surprised looking the way he did Zeke was often judged harshly.

That’s what Zeke loved about Kat. She didn’t look at him and see the leather and the chains, but the man he was. She didn’t see a hoodlum or a crook. Didn’t treat him like she knew she was better than him… and she was. She was so much better than him it still blew him away that a woman like this would hold his hand in public, openly and proudly as if her peers were not judging them.

“I suppose it’s not for everyone. Have you ever been to the opera?” She asked drawing his attention back.

Zeke stared at her with wide eyes. “You’re not going to make me do that next are you?” He wasn’t sure how much culture he could take before putting a bullet in his head.

Kat laughed. “I’ll take that as a no. What about the ballet?”

“Dudes prancing around in tights, not exactly my thing.” He chuckled. “I’m sorry baby, I’m just a mutt, and there’s no changing that,” Zeke said shrugging. “I’m not one of these fashionable, sophisticated uptown guys. I’m a real guy, rough, rowdy, and definitely not thinking what you’re thinking.”

“So, you would rather go fishing or watch a football game is what you are saying?” Kat asked as they moved on to the next painting.

“What’s wrong with football?” Zeke asked. He happened to like football.

“It’s the only game I know of where one man will bend over behind the butt of another man, reach between his legs to grab at balls and still consider himself to be macho.” Zeke tried to repress his smirk. He had never heard football described that way. “And then they chase each other around a field with the express purpose to jump on one another, which is later followed by a group hug and nude towel whipping in the locker room.”

He couldn’t help himself, Zeke laughed out loud drawing everyone’s interest. He shrugged off the attention and walked Kat to the next painting. “First of all, the point is not to jump the other guy. It is to prevent him from getting the ball to the other side of the field by hurting him. And those group hugs are huddles where they are discussing what strategy to take next without being overheard by the opposing team. As for the nude towel whipping, I don’t think that happens outside the movies.” He explained setting her straight.

“How do you know? Have you been in many football locker rooms?” Kat asked.

“No, I’ve never been to the North Pole either, but I am sure it’s cold,” Zeke said with a smile.

“Well, I just don’t understand what the appeal is to watching grown men chase each other around a field and beat each other’s brains in,” Kat said admiring a painting of a French landscape.

“Well I don’t understand this stuff, so I suppose we’re even,” Zeke said looking around the room again. This was the last painting if he was correct. They had wandered through the whole gallery, and his torment was over. Finally, they could leave, much to his and the guard’s relief. “So where would you like to go next?” He asked hoping he would not regret asking.

“Does Bartlett have a theatre?” She asked as they walked toward the exit.

“A movie, yeah doesn’t every place?” He said finding it to be a silly question.

“No silly a thespian theatre. You know, the live arts; Shakespeare, dinner theatre, musical theatre, that sort of thing.” Kat explained.

Well, that was certainly not what he had been thinking. Zeke would have preferred a movie. “I can honestly say I don’t know. I just heard this place existed.” He said walking her out of the building to his bike. “Besides I don’t know if I can do that kind of theatre without being tossed out for heckling.” He smirked. “I can only behave for so long; it’s not in my nature,” Zeke said climbing onto the bike.

Kat climbed on behind him, the hem of her skirt riding up those creamy thighs as they straddled his own. Her arms wrapped around his waist. She felt good wrapped around him. Zeke placed his hand on her knee and caressed her soft skin. “Well, then how about a picnic someplace?” She suggested resting her chin on his shoulder. A picnic was not a bad idea, he could do that, and he knew a perfect spot. They could pick up something along the way.

***

They had picked up a bucket of fried chicken on the way out to the river where the party had been held the night before. Kat was not sure exactly where they would be alone when they arrived, there were still people around. Once they reached the river though, Zeke did not park his bike with the others. He drove up to the tree line before cutting the engine and getting off. He helped Kat down and took the bucket from her.

Holding her hand, Zeke led her through the trees. She wasn’t sure just where he was leading her as they stepped over fallen logs and through thick brush. Zeke held back the branches, so they were out of her way as they made their way through the trees. They must have walked for about five minutes when the trees began to clear. It was just a small secluded clearing where the river met with a sparkling clear creek; she could see the river rocks on the bottom. The grass was long and green, and when she sat down with Zeke, she found it was soft and cool as well.

There was no one else in sight, and the sun was shining. It was surprisingly beautiful where they were. It made her wonder how he knew of this place. Had he taken other women here? How many other women had he had in his short life? Zeke stretched out on his side propped up on one elbow. He reached into the bucket of chicken and retrieved a wing. Kat sat beside him with her legs tucked under her bottom. She brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulder looking out over the clear water. “It is very beautiful here.” She commented.

“Not as beautiful as the company,” Zeke said looking up at her.

“How did you know this place was here?” She asked.

Zeke shrugged and took a bite of his chicken; he swallowed it and answered her question. “A party got raided one night, and we all scattered. Me, Seth, and these two chicks took off blindly into the woods trying not to get spotted. We lay low in the trees for the night and stumbled across this place. It’s pretty quiet out here.” He said without thinking.

So, he had been here with other women. It was a place he came to fool around. Kat frowned a bit annoyed by knowing this. She didn’t understand why it should bother her at all. She had no expectations of him. She desired no future with this man. They were from two very different worlds it could never work between them. Not really, not once she was honest about who she was and returned to her real life. There was just no room for Zeke in her world, and she could never be truly happy in his.

“Do you bring many women here?” She found herself asking regardless. Kat didn’t want to know the answer, and yet she hadn’t been able to stop herself from asking.

“A few,” Zeke answered without thinking.

She suddenly had the desire to throw a piece of chicken at him. Kat controlled her instinctive reaction and took a breath, feigning a smile. “I suppose a guy like you gets a lot of action.” She said sweetly.

He just smirked and nodded. “A fair bit.” He admitted. His arrogance annoyed her, and she slapped Zeke in the back of the head catching him by surprise. “Ouch! Sweet niblets, what was that for?” He asked honestly oblivious to what he had done wrong.

“You’re a whore.” She snipped bitterly.

“I’m a guy.” He argued like that was supposed to excuse his behaviour.

“And I suppose if I said I had tons of lovers you would be cool with it?” Kat challenged.

“Have you?” Zeke snickered far more interested then she had hoped for. The idea honestly looked like it didn’t faze him one bit.

“No!” Kat snapped offended that he would think so. “But that’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

“That if I had and had admitted to it, you would brand me with some stigma. Yet you being a guy it is some accomplishment to be celebrated. It is not fair.” She argued.

“So, you want to be a slut and are upset that society will judge you?” Zeke asked trying to understand what she was upset about.

“No! I don’t care what people think of me.” She snapped. Kat had stopped caring about other people’s opinions long ago.

“So, you are or were… wait I’m confused.” Zeke said shaking his head. “What are we talking about?”

“It’s not fair that a woman gets named while a man gets praised for whoring around.”

“Are we talking about hypocrisy or jealousy?” Zeke asked eyeing her suspiciously.

“Hypocrisy.”

“Oh, because I thought you were jealous about my s****l exploits.” He said. “That’s not the case?”

“No.” Kat laughed at the idea that she was jealous. It was preposterous. “What do I care if you’ve been with ten or twenty different women?”

“Sixty.” He corrected her. Against her own will, her hand flew up and smacked him in the back of the head once more. What was wrong with him? Didn’t he know better than to admit that to the woman he was presently with? Young men were so stupid. “Ouch! You hit me again.”

“What is wrong with you? Sixty women? You’ve got to be like thirty-five.”

“Twenty-seven actually.” He corrected her. Oh, good lord, he was almost the same age as her daughter Layla. Kat slapped him again. “Ouch! Cut that out!” Zeke barked.

“You must be like a bloody dog in heat running around humping everything in a skirt.” She scolded suddenly feeling very old. Then again, she was sure if she knew the true numbers of her son’s record she would be slapping him too, and she didn’t even want to know what her husband’s grand total had been before he had settled down with her. Still, a gentleman did not boldly admit it to a lady.

At least the womanizers in her family did it with class. They knew that when they were with a woman to make her feel like she was the only woman on earth. They would have never been so foolish as to admit to their exploits with others openly. That was another difference between her world and his. Kat sort of missed that smooth, charismatic charm.

“You are jealous.” Zeke laughed sitting up.

“I am not,” Kat growled annoyed he would think so.

“Oh yeah, how many lovers have you had? Honestly.” He asked.

Well, it wasn’t sixty. “Including you?” Kat asked.

“Sure.” He smiled smugly.

“Four.” She admitted.

Zeke seemed surprised. He shook his head with disbelief. “Four? Looking the way you do? I don’t buy that for one minute.” He said.

“It’s true. I married my husband very young. There was just two before him and only you since.” She explained.

Zeke looked her in the eyes as if searching for some falsehood and finding none he asked. “You’re serious? So, you mean looking as dynamite as you do you have only had four lovers in your… what… thirty-something years?”

Kat looked away awkwardly. Thirty-something, she hadn’t been thirty-something for almost a decade. She had never been one to be hung up on age since she married a man twice her age, but she had always been the younger one in the relationship until now. She didn’t like being old. She hadn’t even felt old until this conversation. “I am a bit older than I look.” She confessed.

“Really?” Zeke asked with great interest. “How much?” She didn’t want to answer him.

How did she tell him she was old enough to be his mother? Would it stifle his interest in her to know her true age? She had always looked a lot younger than she was. Had always taken great pride and care in the way she looked. In her business it was vital. Looking old could kill a woman’s career. She had always been really lucky. Eating right and exercise had always been enough.

Kat had been lucky enough to age gracefully like her mother had, so she had never needed to indulge in any form of surgery. She took pride in the fact that everything about her was real. Painstaking to maintain but real. Would a young man like Zeke lose interest if the illusion of her youth was dissolved by the truth?

“Older.” She said cryptically.

“Late thirties?” Zeke guessed. When she did not look at him, he guessed again. “Over forty?” She reluctantly nodded. “How much over forty? Mid-forties?”

“Close.” She said with a sigh.

“Wow,” Zeke said raking his eyes over her. “I could tell you were older than me, but I would have never guessed. You look too awesome to be that old.”

Kat groaned. “Can we please not talk about this anymore?” She begged.

“Does it make you uncomfortable?” He asked.

“Yes, I thought you were older. Now I feel like I’ve been fooling around with one of my son’s friends.” She complained.

“You have kids?” Zeke asked surprised.

Kat paused. She had not meant to tell him that, but it was already out there. She supposed she could be elusive about it. “Yes, two.” She admitted.

“Both sons or a girl in there?” He asked honestly interested.

“One of each.”

“How old? You don’t still have any that live at home I assume.”

“No, they are both grown and married. My daughter is about your age. My son was born three years after her.” Kat answered.

“Both married? Do they have any children of their own?” He asked.

“Yes. She has two, a boy and a girl, and my son is expecting his first any day now. He might have even had it. I’m not sure. I left without notice.” Kat confessed. Zeke grinned, a wicked gleam in his blue eyes. “What are you smirking at?” She demanded.

“Oh, nothing.” He said half laughing to himself. “You’re the hottest grandma I’ve ever seen.” Now she felt old, and she gave him a shove. Zeke laughed at her insecurities and crawled over to her. His body pushed hers over, so she lay back against the grass. His mouth hovered over her own. “Mmm, hot grandma… kinky.” Zeke teased.

Kat couldn’t help but laugh. “Now cut that out.”

“Or what?” He challenged. “You’ll spank me and take me to bed?” He said kissing her.

“You are terrible.” She purred against his lips.

“I’m a bad boy.” He teased, reaching down and pulling her skirt up.

“You are incorrigible.” She breathed as his finger slipped inside her.

“And you are addictive, sweet thing,” Zeke whispered against her ear. His fingers manipulated her inner folds. Stroking her, penetrating her deeply. Zeke thrust his fingers in and out of her most sensitive of spots pressing hard against the spot that caused her to tremble with pleasure. It only took him a few minutes to bring her to climax. He then pulled his hand away from her and lowered her skirt. “Well, darling if you feel like you have missed out I am happy to stud for you as long as you like.” He said kissing her softly.

It pleased her to see that her age changed nothing between them. Her fears put to rest Kat reached up and touched his rugged jaw. The few days’ growth under her fingers felt soft. She wondered to herself what he might look like clean shaven, with a haircut and a nice suit. She imagined he wasn’t the type to clean up his image any. She would be foolish to imagine she could change him. Only silly women believed they could change a man like Zeke.

They lay in each other’s arms wasting away the afternoon by the creek, kissing and touching and talking about nothing. It was so easy with Zeke. It was paradise in his arms, but as the sun began to set they decided it was time to head back. Zeke helped Kat up, and they began the trek back through the trees. After a few minutes, they came out the other side to find a party had begun. Zeke suggested they stay and since she had enjoyed herself the last time Kat thought why not. So, they staked out a spot by the bonfire, and Zeke found them some drinks.

The evening had started on a high note, and they were having fun. Kat was even becoming accustomed to the vile taste of the beer they drank. When she had finished hers, Zeke rose from his seat on the log and offered to get her another. Kat had only been left alone for maybe a minute when a female arm came around her throat from the back. The grip choked her and Kat clawed at the woman’s jacket. “He was mine first, bitch.” She heard Lisa hiss. “If you don’t make yourself scarce I promise I will slit your throat.” She warned.

Kat couldn’t breathe, and she was sure she would black out if she didn’t do something. Kat slammed her head back as hard as she could, hitting Lisa in the nose and making the woman scream out in pain. Lisa released Kat to tend to her injured face as she stomped her foot and swore. Kat fell forward coughing and gasping for air. The back of her head ached from the impact. She staggered to her feet and tried to put some distance between her and Lisa, but she was still dizzy from the pain in her head and the lack of air.

Lisa screamed and lunged at Kat with a switchblade she took from her pocket. Kat barely dodged a lethal swing and swung herself without thinking. She struck Lisa in the head and then struck her again before shoving her. She thought she had the upper hand until Lisa picked up a rock and cracked Kat in the head with it. Kat was dazed and confused as she looked around. A crowd had gathered, and she could hear them chanting… “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Zeke dropped the beers in his hands and rushed to Kat’s side reaching out to catch Kat before she lost her balance. “Oh my god, are you ok?” He asked holding her upright and checking the cut at her temple where she had been struck with the rock.

“She attacked me.” Kat managed to get out as she rubbed her hand to her throat. She still could not believe she had just been assaulted over a man.

Zeke’s eyes narrowed with rage as he set his sights on Lisa. Her nose was bleeding from the strike Kat had given her only moments earlier. She looked up and saw Zeke’s rage and fear gripped the woman’s face. “I was only messing with her,” Lisa said in a shaky voice as he advanced on her. Lisa backed up dropping her knife as Zeke came at her like the spectre of death. “Zeke please…” Lisa begged, throwing her hands up defensively.

Kat watched in fear for the woman. Would he assault her? The men around them had started chanting for Zeke to teach Lisa a lesson. The women were screaming profanity at Lisa and Kat was stunned by the barbarity. In a matter of seconds, the party had turned in to a boxing match, and the crowd wanted blood. Lisa tripped over the log they had been sitting on and hit her head on the ground. She tried to get up, but Zeke reached her first. He grabbed her by her jacket and yanked her to her feet giving Lisa a violent shake. “I told you to take a hike; we’re through. If you ever touch her again, I will beat you to within an inch of your pathetic worthless life.” He growled.

The crowd screamed, “Beat her!” Kat was appalled. He wouldn’t strike her, would he? Zeke dropped Lisa, and she staggered a few feet before falling to the ground. The crowd groaned with disappointment. Kat was relieved it had not ended in violence. Zeke walked away from Lisa turning his back on the frightened woman. His expression had softened once more as he approached Kat and reached out for her. “Are you ok? Did she hurt you badly?” He asked inspecting her wound. “Are you dizzy?”

Appalled Kat pulled away from Zeke glaring at him. She could not believe his brutish behaviour just now. She gave him her back and quickly walked away from him. Zeke was not the man she thought he was. Kat walked quickly trying to get away from him. She did not want to spend one more minute with a man that could attack a woman.

Zeke chased after her; she could hear his heavy booted footsteps on the gravel behind her. Kat moved faster unwilling to stop for him. “Kat stop, where are you going?” He demanded.

“Away from you.” She snapped.

“Me? Why?” He asked, catching up to her and grabbed her arm to stop her.

“You attacked that woman!” She barked pulling her arm away.

“She attacked you,” Zeke argued.

“That does not give you the right to attack her. We could have called the cops.” She argued. Zeke broke out laughing so hard she was taken back. “What the hell is so funny?”

“Call the cops.” He laughed holding his side. He then paused and stared at her. “Oh god, you’re serious.” He said a little surprised. “Kat you can’t call the cops with these guys.”

“Why not?” She demanded.

“We’re Fiends; we handle everything internally with our own set of rules and justice. Calling the cops only starts a whole other kind of trouble.”

“That’s ridiculous.” She snapped.

Zeke grabbed her arm and dragged her over to his bike. “Do you know what happens to people who call the cops?” She stared at him blankly. “They tend to go missing… if you get my drift.”

She felt her stomach knot. “Are you threatening me?”

“No, it’s just a warning,” Zeke said pinning her against his bike. Kat searched his face, and oddly she found herself believing him. She should be frightened of this man, and yet she didn’t see the menace there that she would have expected in a man making threats. Zeke stared at her for a long moment. “Dear god you are naïve. You have no idea what you’re involved in?”

“Why don’t you fill me in?” She insisted. It was time for some answers.

“This is a motorcycle gang, Kat. We live by gang rule.” He told her.

She looked around at all the bikes, all the rowdy men and their women. She supposed she should have suspected as much, but there had been no serious signs of criminal activity or any violent behaviour that couldn’t be contributed to rednecks having fun. Of course, she had only spent four nights around them, and most of that time she had been pretty focused on Zeke.

Perhaps she had known all along, and she had just been kidding herself, trying not to see the truth. Kat looked at Zeke wondering what else she had been kidding herself about. She so desperately wanted to believe the best of Zeke, but she couldn’t deny the obvious questions now in her mind. “You’re a criminal, aren’t you?” She asked trying to keep the emotion out of her voice. He cast his gaze to the ground unable to look her in the eye. “You are, aren’t you? Violent crimes?” She asked. He still would not look her in the eye. “Have you ever assaulted a woman?”

His eyes locked with hers. “No.” He said firmly. “I have never hurt any woman. In fact, until tonight I have never even threatened one.” Zeke said casting a furious look back over his shoulder. “Not that she doesn’t deserve it.”

“But you have been violent?” She asked.

“With men, but they all deserved it.” He promised, crossing his heart. “Come on don’t go away mad.”

Kat looked back over at the party. “Zeke, I don’t know if I can be with a man whose friends with people like this. They wanted you to beat that woman.”

“But I didn’t, doesn’t that count for something?” He asked.

She looked at him and then them. There was something about him. Something about Zeke that was different from those men. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she could see something in his eyes that she trusted. Something that told her he would not hurt her. Maybe she was wrong, maybe she was naïve, but she chose to trust him. “Don’t ever do that again,” Kat warned him. “Or next time I will leave.” She promised.

Zeke shook his head. “Deal. Why don’t I take you back to the motel and get you fixed up? I think we have had enough of this place.”

Kat couldn’t have agreed more. She wasn’t feeling up to partying now. Her head throbbed, and she could feel the blood slowly dripping down her face. Zeke removed his bandana and very gently dabbed at her wound soaking up the blood and doing his best to clean her up. “I think it might bruise, but your hair will probably cover it up.” He said inspecting Lisa’s handiwork.

“I’m sure I will be fine. Can we leave?” Kat insisted wanting to put some distance between them and this place. Zeke tucked his bandana into the back pocket of his shredded jeans and climbed onto the bike. Kat climbed onto the back and wrapped her arms around his waist resting her head against the cool leather of his jacket as Zeke ripped out onto the road.