Beautiful Outlaw(9)

I stop her before she can even start. “There’s no room on the bike for that. You either leave it behind, or you stay here with it.”

Something flashes in her eyes; it’s not quite anger, but I can tell my words aren’t making her happy. When she steps forward, I assume it’s to chew my ass. Instead, she shakes her head and says, “There’s nothing in it. Jeremy gave it to me. He just wanted me to carry a suitcase, so I didn’t look out of place on the bus.”

I laugh at her words. “Darlin’, you couldn’t look more out of place if you tried.”

She looks puzzled as she asks, “What do you mean?”

I lift a hand, motioning toward her. “Those fancy-ass clothes, the hair, all of it; no way you look like you belonged on that bus.”

She looks down at herself, inspecting her body. She stays that way for a long minute, before finally lifting her head to mine. Those tears that had been on the verge of falling are now trickling down her cheeks. “I tried. I wore my casual clothes, the ones I was only allowed to wear at home, and I didn’t fix my hair.”

I would laugh again, if it wasn’t for those damn tears. I stare at her for a second trying to decide what to say, as her words replay through my head. Then it hits me; what the fuck? “What do you mean, you’re only allowed to wear them at home?”

Her face goes pale, and her mouth forms a straight line. The tears instantly dry up, as she raises a hand to wipe the few that had escaped away. The mask that I noticed when she first stepped off the bus is back with a vengeance. “I misspoke; I meant to say they are the clothes I normally wear at home.”

I want to call bullshit, tell her that I know she’s lying. Instead, I climb from my bike and grab the empty suitcase. As I walk towards the dumpster, my thoughts are on the woman waiting by my bike. There is something about her, something that pulls at me, even if she isn’t what I was expecting. Knowing whatever I’m feeling isn’t something that I want, I have only one option; Nina.





Finding Home


Laura/Shay

I nervously climb on the bike and wrap my arms around Bowie’s large frame, as I settle in behind him. He smells of leather and tobacco; something about the combination makes me feel warm inside. I lean closer, bringing my face to his back. His chocolate brown hair tickles my nose, as the wind catches his waves.

“Keep your arms tight,” He says in a voice so gruff that I nearly jump, then he tightens my grasp on his waist.

I peek around, just as he releases my hand. His tattoo covered arms look beautiful next my pale skin. I’m mesmerized by the markings. Some are dark, almost gruesome; skulls, knives, the Grim Reaper. Others are proof of his love for his club, the Savage Outlaws MC. Jeremy told me all about the motorcycle club that Bowie is part of. He also told me to stay the hell away from the other members. He reminded me that no matter how nice they seemed, the men were all outlaws.

I am still staring down at the ink, when he pulls from the parking lot. A moment of fear hits me, but it quickly fades away as his bike weaves in and out of traffic. It is replaced with something so foreign that it took me awhile to place. I feel alive for the first time in years. I close my eyes and lean into his body, letting my new found freedom fill my soul. Joy, pure joy.

I should feel terrified right now; I’m on the back of a bike with a man I’ve never met, but I’m not. Everything about Bowie screams danger, but something about having my arms around him as he rides down the road feels right. It’s like I was made for this, made to be here with him. As odd as it sounds, it is like I have known him my entire life. I’m not sure if it’s my brother’s stories or the fact that he is so different from Marcus, but something about him makes me feel safe.

After what seems like hours of riding, Bowie pulls into a driveway of a small house. It’s covered in old-fashioned wooden shingles, painted country blue. The windows are wrapped in white shutters, with small flower boxes perched on their ledges bursting with yellow and orange mums. This place isn’t just a house; it’s a home.

He cuts the engine off and pats my knee. “Here’s your stop, babe.”

I climb from the bike, having to hold on to Bowie to keep my balance. My legs feel like jelly. “You have a nice house.”

He shakes his head as he climbs from the bike. “This isn’t my place, darlin’. It’s Nina’s house. She’s gonna be taking care of you for me.”

“What?” I ask in shock as I stare into his blue eyes. “Jeremy said I was supposed to stay with you.”

For some unexplainable reason, I feel safe with Bowie and I don’t want him to drop me off with someone else. With all the stories Jeremy has shared about their time in the Army, I feel like I almost know him. Almost. I knew I wouldn’t be with him forever, but I didn’t expect him to leave me right away.