Ride or Die - A Biker Romance

Chapter Four: Big Changes

The sunlight peers through the blinds on the open window. I stretch and inhale deep, hoping that if I fill my lungs with as much oxygen as possible, I'll wake up faster. It doesn't work; and I resist the urge to throw the blanket over my head and go back to sleep.

"Ian?" Bells pokes me in the ribs.

"Ugh. Bells?" I groan.

"Who else?" She giggles.

"For me, there has been no one else."

She doesn't answer, so I finally open my eyes. Shes staring at me, amber eyes wide; studying me.

"What?" She finally whispers.

"What so you mean what? There hasn't been anyone else. No one night stands either. Haven't bothered to try. I've been too busy with the club." I confess.

Her eyes are twinkling with silent tears.

"Really?" She whispers, shifting closer.

'Absolutely. I've only ever loved you."

She makes that girly sound and covers her face. I pull her down with me, settling her against me. She curls up against me, forehead resting against one of my bigger club tattoos.

"I love you. I think I always have." She whispers, almost too low for me to hear. I smile and kiss her forehead.

"I've learned my lesson. This time, when I get threats I'll stand and protect you instead of leaving you vulnerable. If I haven't left all those years ago.."

"Ian, things happen for a reason remember? Maybe if you had stayed you would have changed something else about your life. Let's learn from this okay? I'm happy. I'm pretty sure you are too."

"It's all I ever wanted.

Bells shifts, stretching. The mid summer sun has grown hotter as we've laid around. Normally I don't have time to lay around in the morning but today it looks like it's going to be a lazy day until tonight. All I want to do is make up for lost time. I don't want to leave her side. But we can't lay around all day.

"Shall we get a move on, Bells?" I ask.

"Do we have to?" She whines.

"We can just ride around. I don't have any club business until tonight."

"Actually, I did miss being on the back of your bike. It felt like I was flying."

My heart pangs. It definitely makes me happy and fall faster knowing she actually enjoyed being on my bike. Most girls ride just because their old man does. But Bells actually looked forward to it.

Annabell gets up, and starts getting dressed. She slides into a pair of black skinny jeans and then her knee high boots. She slips a red tank top over her perky chest and rips a brush through her hair. I catch myself watching her. Even in basic clothes she looks like a model. After a beat or two, I snap out of my trance and throw clean clothes; and we're ready to go.

Being on a bike feels like you're free. Riding is alot different than driving a car. You don't have a steel box around you, so you feel the wind the wind whipping around you. You actually smell the smells when you drive past a farm or a forest fire. It's part of the reason bikers call cars 'cages'. My favorite is whipping around the countryside with Bells behind me, thighs hugging my hips; slender arms wrapped tightly around my waist. She's been on the bike enough now that we've discussed her learning how to drive the bike instead of ride, but she said it wouldn't be the same.

I'd dug her old helmet out of some boxes in the garage, which surprised her. Apparently when we split up I was supposed to toss everything. Instead I boxed it up and refused to get rid of it. I knew she'd be back for it, either to grab or we'd be back together.

When she mounted up behind me it felt like nothing had changed between us. We went right back in time, and it felt so normal. Like we always rode. Once she shifted and got comfortable, she slung her arms around me; ready.

The bike roars to life and we're off; flying down the road. I had no plan or destination in mind, instead simply enjoying the time together. After a few minutes, she settled her head against my back and shifted closer.

*********************************************

Tap. Tap.

Our signal from ages ago. A two finger tap on my left hip. Sometimes the constant vibration messes with her and she needs a break or the bathroom. I pull in at a women's clothing store. After a few minutes, she comes out with a concerned look on her face.

"We gotta go. Now."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later. Right now we need to go." She hisses, making me even more confused.

"Hey! You! On the bike!"

Two of the clothing store employees have come outside and were calling after us. One of them was on her phone, talking away. They must have seen Annabell's partially healed bruises and followed her. They must have seen her with the 'big scary biker' and just assumed.

"Shit." Annabell sighs.

She leans back to try to get more comfortable. Clearly we aren't going anywhere for awhile.

"It's alright love. We'll explain."

"How?"

"Easy. We wait. Obviously we're going to have to wait. They've called 911 for sure. So we wait. The cops will probably pull us apart and talk to us individually to see if our story changes. Just tell the truth babes."

"That what? That I happened to run into my old boyfriend while fleeing my psycho ex? There's no way.. They're going to think I'm brainwashed or something."

"They will if you stay calm and explain how absurd this is. You got this babe."

Ten minutes later, a patrol car pulls into the parking lot. Two officers step out; a male and a female. Just like I predicted, they separate us. The female leads Bells a short distance while the male stays put.

"How is it going Mr..?"

"Blackthorn. Damian Blackthorn. 10.31.87."

He scribbles down my information in his little notebook, glad I'm smashing the biker schtick.

"So what's going on?"

"My girlfriend and I were riding. She signaled that she needed to break and use the bathroom. So we pulled in here."

"Where did the bruises come from? She looks like she took quite a beating. Did you get mad?"

"Not at all actually. About three or four days ago I was on my way back to my MC after a solo run. I ran into Miss. Bells passing me in her car, and it looked like she was in danger. I tried to get her off the road because I was afraid she was going to get hurt. When I finally got her to stop it was at a crappy motel where we stayed. After we talked, we decided she'd be better off with me."

Naturally he doesn't believe me and I don't blame him. He's cocky enough to not be afraid to show it. When the other officer comes over and confirms it syncs with Annabell's side, I do a little victory dance in my head. Pride for my girl washes over me in waves. I knew she could do it.

I love it when people see me; a goateed biker with shoulder length shaggy dirty blonde hair and tattoos. They pass a judgement and then they're surprised when my club volunteers for charity events. Those girls thought I put those bruises on her. Now they're tripping over themselves trying to apologize. I tell them it's okay, that I'm used to it. When they go back inside and the officers take off it's been a whole hour wasted.

"Ready?" Bells chirps from her seat on the bike.

"Babe I've been ready since you came out of the bathroom. But no, a beauty like you just has to draw attention!"

Bells blushes. "It's not my fault those girls were nosey."

" Don't think of it as nosey. Think of it as they saw a stranger covered in bruises and got concerned. That just means there are still good people in the world." I tell her.

"I'll give you that. Fine." She sighs in defeat.

"Is there any where you want to go? Are you hungry?" I ask her.

"And have some 'concerned' waitress do the same thing as those girls? I don't like to repeat things that annoy me."

I chuckle. "What about my house? I'd stay away from yours for a while. I can have Roach grab your stuff. I don't trust that your ex doesn't know where your house is. Are you okay with that?"

"Truthfully?" She sighs. "There's nothing there for me. Everything is in my car."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'd been planning on leaving Joel for a while now. Everything of mine had been removed months ago to a storage unit."

Pride washes over me again. I'm glad the most important lesson she took from my club was to always survive. Plan ahead, have back up plans for your back up plans. Secure the irreplaceable.

"Bells, Are you okay with staying with me?"

"One question."

"Absolutely."

"Has any other -"

"No." I cut her off. "I told you that before. There never has been nor ever will be anyone else. We're bonded for life. That's why I watched over you all those years."

"Damian, I appreciate you more than you realize. I'd rather stay with you. At least then I know for sure I'm safe."

I smile, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Let's get the prospects over to your storage unit. They've laid around long enough, Don't you think?"

After a quick call to Roach I mount my bike and start it up. Bells wraps her arms around my waist so tight I can barely breathe, but I don't mind. I've waited so long for this, to be right here that she can squeeze me as tight as she wants and I won't care. This time, I'm not letting go.

The streets are flying past us so fast I can barely read the signs. It's good that we grew up here, otherwise we'd probably get lost easily. Bells squeezes my waist even more; trying to get closer. Behind her tall prison like walls of self defense she has a soft side. Annabell doesn't let her more tender self out often, only allowing me to see it. To my knowledge I've been the only person she's opened up to.

The prospects are waiting for us at the storage unit, already loading boxes into the box truck owned by the MC; Roach directing them. He already seems like he's been voted in. Once again, he impresses me and definitely earns his place tonight.

"How's it going?" I call over as we walk towards them.

"Pretty good actually. We're almost done." Roach answers.

Roach steps down out of the truck and jogs over to meet us. He joins us, showing the almost empty unit. The only thing left is a glass china cabinet with a mirrored back.

"I was saving that for you. That thing is like 80 percent glass and I dont trust these two idiots. They like to throw things and Dweeb is a shrimp." Roach chuckles.

"No problem. Bells, can you go make sure the boxes are loaded right?"

She nods and steps up into the truck. The cabinet was her grandmother's, and it's been in the family even longer. She had to fight her aunts for it, and since it was left specifically to her in the will they lost. The truck is loaded with boxes along one wall, only leaving room for the cabinet. We're going to have to lay it on its side, on a blanket to protect it from rocking. Bells starts to shift boxes to make more room.

Dweeb pauses in moving the last box out, taking an extra minute to look Bells over. I don't like the sleazy smirk frozen on his face.

"Oy." I bark.

He totally ignores me, still looking her over. He pauses on her chest. His nasty smirk widens.

"Dweeb!" I yell, stepping closer.

He still ignores me, still staring at my girl. Now I'm pissed.

"Hey Fuckface. " I bark stepping directly in front of him.

He tries to move and twist his body so he can look around me and still stare at Annabell. I rap the first two knuckles of my right hand off his forehead, forcing him to finally notice me. I have to stop myself from laughing at the 'Oh s**t' look on his face.

"Yeah, Do you really want to do this shithead? And to make it even better, I said something three times and you totally ignored me. When I stepped in front of you, instead of noticing me you twisted and still kept eyeing her. She's mine." I snarl in his face.

"S-sorry VP." Dweeb stammers.

He sheepishly looks down, lucky I didn't pound him. I still might.

"Go sit in the truck. Wait for Roach. He will drive you to the MC. You better watch your ass or we will be deciding your fate on top of Roach's."

Dweeb obeys without a word, head hung like a dog that's been kicked. He knows he's royally pissed me off. Right now I'm seriously doubting his future in the club. Right now, Itchy is his only saving grace.

Half an hour later, the cabinet is loaded; safe from anything damaging it. Roach is dropping Dweeb off and then meeting us at my house to unload. Bells mounts up behind me and we race off to my house to start our new chapter.