Hide and Seek- Ethan Landry x Fem. Reader (Texting Story Part 2- The sequel!)
Part Two listed here!
Warnings- contains smut, knifeplay, teasing, powerplay, fearplay, sadist/masochist relationship, forced breeding, cuts, scratches (mild), spitting, rough p in v, basically hardcore shit, *Consensual but might have mild cnc
I’ve never known fear the way I know it now.
It’s an unusual sort of fear, one so deep and animal my senses feel heightened, my feelings numb.
I am something else entirely, just prey in nature reacting off of primitive instincts. My heart thrums in my chest, each sound in my house spiking the pounding under my ribcage.
Ethan Landry, a boy I met in the beginning of high school.
Ethan Landry, the Econ club president, the one who played cards with me during free periods of school.
Ethan Landry, my stalker.
I kept rereading the message, sent to me only 2 minutes ago.
Time to run, bunny.
This could be a sick, sadistic joke that Ethan is playing on me. Our entire friendship has always been comfortable, a safe space for me to laugh and tell him my secrets. But now…
If what Ethan says is true, about stalking, killing girls, being ghostface, then I’m fucked. Because I can’t wrap my head around my best friend of 4 years being a monster.
My fingers shook over my bright phone, the white light washing over my messed up mascara. I stood up slowly, digging my heels into the ground to support my week knees.
Time to run…
Time to run.
I gripped my cell phone, tentatively making my way to the doorframe of my room. I flipped on the light switch, cringing at the terror in my veins.
Every second, every moment I waste my time, he could hurt me.
But would he? This is Ethan. My Ethan. And it’s not like I haven’t thought of him romantically before, I just never believed I should have.
And now he’s a murderer, the reason for my fear instead of sanctuary.
But he said he loved me.
Doesn’t that mean something?
I gulped down the ball of fear in my throat, and tiptoed outside my room. The floors were carpeted. Soft enough to mask my footsteps,
Light enough to have permanent stains of blood.
I bit down on my lip to stop the trembling, and flipped on each switch as I turned the corners of my house. The area was eerily quiet, so much so that I began to doubt the fact that Ethan could even be here.
But a white light flashed in my face, paired with the familiar, taunting ring of my messaging app. Ethan’s contact.
Ethan: look at you. you aren’t hiding, are you?
My eyes widened in terror, as I flicked the kitchen light on. My hand met the large stainless steel knife on the counter, covered with the remnants of dark pomegranate, coloring the weapon with a blood-like liquid. 
Ethan: it’s like you want me to catch you. like you want the killer to fuck you
Ethan: no fun, bunny.
I clasped a hand over my mouth to cover the choking sobs in my throat. He’s watching me, somehow.
The air conditioning in my house lowered, shutting off, and with that, silencing the entire space.
I could only hear the quiet ticking of an old clock, somewhere, far away….
My eyes scrambled over the house, each dark spot, each empty spot catching my gaze.
Until my eyes met a dark area of the living room.
And my heart dropped
Because in a dark corner, only 6 feet away from where I was standing, Ethan watched me.
Ethan was here. In my house, in all black, with an expression on his face that ruins me, and I don’t know why. He was biting his lip, as if he was holding back a laugh, the white of his teeth shining from a small smile.
His hair was messy, falling over his head so beautifully, he was like a devil, taunting me with his sadism. His eyes were dark, so dark in the night, but so dark with an unfamiliar look- lust, for me.
I couldn’t control my cry of terror as I backed up, and Ethan slowly stepping closer to the counter. In a failed attempt, I tried to hold the knife up, but the shaking of my hands caused it to clatter on the tile under me.
“Where,” he paused, biting his lip and lifting his head, so nonchalantly, I felt like he was teasing me. “Did you think you could go?” He looked around, and pulled his black long sleeves up his body, the veins of his forearms glistening with sweat. “There’s no one here for you.” Ethan stepped closer, his eyes bright with psychotic lust, an anticipation rising in the tension between us. I backed up to the tile wall, the cold meeting a small opening of my crop top on my back. My black lace underwear was too vulnerable, too horribly ironic for the situation.
Black is his favorite color, too.
My voice was a cracked whisper. “What happened to you?”
Ethan was close now- too close for me not to feel the immediate danger of his presence. He let his hands drop on the kitchen counter, trapping me in the fake safety of his shoulder blades and arms. His body was warm, and the way he was breathing over my body was making my stomach flip.
“What happened to me…?” Ethan grabbed my chin with two long fingers, and stared down at me. His fingers were strong, pale veins poking through his slender hands. It was so unfamiliar, having Ethan touch me. “Bunny.” His voice was a throaty groan in my ear, and he pushed his hand on my lower back, his warm palm tickling my skin. “I only confessed what I hid for years. I’ve wanted you for so long,” he hissed and pushed his body further on mine. “So bad, I couldn’t sleep. I would stare at you when you slept. It took everything in me not to touch that pretty body.”
My stomach was somersaulting in my body, and I could feel my muscles loosen, my fists clench by my sides.
“Please…” My head tilted back, and I closed my eyes, letting my mouth quiver with fear. Ethan’s fingers slowly parted my lips, the salty taste of his fingers driving me insane.
Because I didn’t know just how bad I wanted him until now.
Until he had my fingers in my throat, forced me on my kitchen counter, with a knife in his fucking hand.
Ethan whimpered softly, and my body clenched, trying to ignore the sopping in my underwear. The soft sounds he’s trying so hard to cover up just reminds me of the boy he is to me- or the boy he was.
Okay, maybe I do want him to touch me more. Maybe I do want him to take his fingers out of my mouth and put them somewhere else- but that doesn’t mean I should act on it. He’s a killer, he’s a killer, he’s a killer.
I have to keep repeating it when I look at him again, sweat slightly covering his forehead, his lips parted with lust. Butterflies kick at my stomach again, and I force my eyes down.
“I didn’t tell you that you could look away.” His voice was a rough sound in my ear now, hardly more than a whisper. I could feel liquid running down the interior of my thighs. Ethan forced the moist finger out of my mouth and under my chin, bucking my head up. His eyes glinted with cruel humor, and fuck, it was hot.
“So rough.” My voice was meek in comparison to the dark echo of his deep voice. I only faintly processed that I just teased him, like I used to when we were friends.
Ethan’s head tilted dangerously.
My stomach dropped.
“You’re a tease now, huh?” He let a bottom lip slide under his teeth, shamelessly lustful for me, and my face grew hot with embarrassment.
“What if I am?” Fuck, stop talking. Why am I still talking?
Ethan stopped smiling, and looked down at me with some unfamiliar light in his eyes- almost like rage.
“Then I’ll treat you like one.”
Ethan forced his hands over mine, pinning me as he shoved me down, turning my hips too quick for me to process what was happening. My body flipped uncontrollably, slamming into the counter. The top of my head hit the drawer on over the tile wall, sending a blinding ache all over my scalp. I moaned in pain, and crossed my legs, accidentally rubbing against Ethan’s hips. I could feel an erection in his pants, and I clenched my thighs together as far as I could so he wouldn’t feel the wet spot in between them.
“You love acting out, don’t you?” Ethan grabbed my hair, pulling at the hurt in my scalp, and aggressively lurched my head back, so my ear was by his mouth. “I’ll ruin you. I’ve wanted to for so long.” The growl in his voice sent shocks to my nerves, and I uncontrollably rubbed against his body more, now feeling the shape of his dick because of how hard he was.
“No…I don’t-”
Ethan cut me off by slapping a slender hand over my mouth, and repositioning himself over my body. I felt his free hand begin massaging the muscle in my ass, and my toes curled from the sensation.
I can’t think straight anymore. My mind is filled in this spell of desire he’s causing me. And I never knew how bad I needed it, what was happening now. The way he has ultimate control over me.
My body was shaking now, but I wasn’t afraid anymore. No, I was liberated by this. Because there’s a strange freedom in being his whore, knowing you truly guide his lust and thoughts.
I know he’s a bad person, an actual sociopath- but he’s also the boy who shared mechanical pencils with me in 1st period, the boy who would eat the crusts off my sandwiches in 9th grade. It just makes this so much stranger, knowing one of my best friends, who recently became my stalker, is now my temptation.
What is he doing to me?
His fingers slid higher, near the wet portion of my underwear. I whimpered under his hand, moving my hips in any possible way to avoid his touch. Ethan inhaled sharply, and pushed his hips into me, pinning my body between the wall and his thighs.
he was going to touch me
Ethan slowly let his fingers slide on my clothed pussy, and the wet of my arousal squelched under the pressure.
He audibly moaned then, and bucked his hips to reach mine. “So wet for me. You really want this, bunny.”
I couldn’t respond. I was focusing on not stopping this- I needed more. He began working his fingers, up and down to create a warm sensation on the bud of my clit. He breathed heavier, as he slowly let a finger slide under my lace underwear. I felt my eyes roll back as he let his long finger enter me, curling inside of my wet body.
I didn’t know why I was so euphoric already, but I don’t think I could take another finger. As soon as I realized that, as if he knew, Ethan slipped his index finger inside of me, and I heaved a moan through the stuffy area of his hand.
“Be quiet.” His voice was gruff, unrecognizable with lust.
But I couldn’t. This felt so good, and it’s crazy, because Ethan seems like the nerdy virgin you would have to coach in sex. Who did he practice on to be so good at this?
Ethan quickened his pace, and I couldn’t control my erratic moans anymore. My thighs shook, and I rocked my hips on his fingers.
“I said quiet.” Ethan stopped the movement, and I felt weak all of a sudden, like his fingers had sucked out all the life inside of me. “This is a privilege. I’m serving you. You want me to stop, bunny?”
Tears streamed down my eyes, dropping on his fingers. I shook my head quickly, and rocked my hips on his hand.
Ethan paused, and for a second, I thought he would continue. But he pulled his fingers from me, and let go of my body. I heaved for air, and crumbled on the ground, letting freezing tile hit my body, as a sort of reality check.
He dropped his belt, and the cold metal hit my thigh.
I heard the zipper to his pants slowly move down, and I couldn’t take it anymore.
With a breathy gasp, I muttered, “Please keeping touching me.”
I heard the rustles behind me go silent.
“Touch you?”
I nodded my head, closing my eyes tight.
“As you wish, princess.”
A sharp spank hit the cold area of my ass cheek, and I ground my teeth together, feeling the warm red mark forming. Another, and I groaned out loud. He was using his belt to do it, and fuck, it turned me on.
I yelped as he hit me the last time, turning back, and he slapped the belt in his hands, folding it slowly. I hated how cocky his smile was, because it was too attractive and too disgusting at the same time.
“You gonna behave now, bunny?” His stare burned on my eyes as he slowly let his pants fall down, the surprisingly strong muscle of his thighs making my face red. I nodded, unfocused, purely staring at the hard lump in his underwear. I never imagined I would do this, with him. But I am. And the thought that that’s okay scares me even more than the blade in his hand.
Ethan’s eyes dropped down to his crotch, then up at me again. I was sitting on my knees in front of him, my wet body still shivering from the arousal.
“Take them off.” Ethan’s voice was low, each word tingling the bundle of nerves in my stomach. I scooted closer, and slowly brought the boxers down, the built tension visibly making him mad. I let them slide down his legs, staring intently at his body.
I’ll admit I’ve thought about what his cock looked like before, but I didn’t expect this. He’s bigger than I imagined, a bright pink tip in front of me, leaking with precum. His entire body seemed to be veiny, but this perfect addition to my arousal for him drove me wild. Ethan spit in his hand, and began stroking himself in front of me, forming a trembling sigh as he began to go faster on his dick.
Without telling him, I let my tongue slide over his tip, and he let out a shaky moan, grabbing my scalp again, and pushing me mouth down. I licked his entire dick, forcing myself not to gag, and I moved my head up and down until his grip on my hair tightened.
“Slut. Jesus, you’re so fucking good.” Ethan ripped away from me, a strand of saliva falling from his cock. “Hands and knees. Now.” The humor that was once in his voice and faced was replaced with dark desire, and I couldn’t take it anymore- my body was quivering for him.
I let my hands support me as they fell to the floor, as I rocked my hips in his view. His hands clamped my ass, and I didn’t understand what he was doing until he let his mouth near my pussy, and spit, the warm liquid sliding down my lip. I breathed in, and Ethan skillfully slid a hand to my hip, supporting both of us as he forced his hard dick in. The solid shape of it, so warm, so thick, caused me to moan uncontrollably within the first few thrusts.
“God-“ I looked back to see Ethan gritting his teeth, rocking his head back as he thrusted deeper. Every push of his cock inside of me undid my dignity, the pressure points he was hitting so deep inside of me that my eyes crossed. His cock shoved its way through my spongy walls, and the skin of my ass slapped against his muscular thighs.
“More, god, more,” I moaned, dropping my head to the floor. I couldn’t take it.
It all happened so soon, this fear, and sudden desire for my best friend. And now Ethan Landry was fucking me on the floor, and I was okay with it.
He began to use his hands to push my hips onto his cock, and he let out a shaky groan, quickly speeding up the pace. Euphoria was thick in my stomach, threatening to burst every time he hit that point in my stomach.
“So fucking desperate.” He raised his voice as he began pounding me harder, resulting in me yelping with pain. “How about you shut up? Huh?” He hissed, digging his nails into my skin. Shivers of pleasure rolled up my spine, and I whimpered, grasping the tile on the floor. I moaned again, and Ethan paused sharply.
“I told you to shut up.” His voice was terrifyingly calm, and for a second, nothing happened.
Until a blinding pain severed the skin on my back, and I wailed, squeezing the air with my fingers. He was dragging something on my back, and my shoulders suddenly felt warm and sticky, and my eyes were crossing from the horrible feeling. I gasped for air, staring at the ground to see droplets of blood fall to the white tile- and then I realized:
He was using his knife to punish me.
I screamed as the last cut went in. “Stop!”
Ethan laughed manically, the deep throaty sound puncturing my heart. He moved his dick inside of me again, and the tingling in my womb returned. “I’ve wanted you for so long. And now you’re my toy.” He growled, bucking his hips faster, each movement sending my body forward as he held me, like I could never escape, and to be quite frank, I don’t think I could. “My fucking toy. I’ll use you like one- god-“
Ethan began moaning erratically, his pace of fucking me so fast that I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as my body rippled. The urge for climax was pulsing in my veins, in my stomach, and I squeezed, which Ethan seemed to enjoy by his gasp for breath. He dug his nails in my hipbones, holding me so tight that I could feel the imprints of his hand on my body. “Gonna come,” he whispered. He was fucking me like an animal now, each thrust driving his cock so deep inside of me, I swear I could see my stomach bulging. And knowing Ethan, I don’t think I could beg for protection.
He groaned, shoving his dick in for the last time before my eyes rolled back, pleasure shaking my entire body. At that moment, hot seed penetrated my womb, and Ethan shoved my ass onto his hips, holding me there as we both shook with the aftermath of it all.
We stood like that for a couple seconds, before Ethan roughly pushed me away, taking his dick and shoving it back into his boxers. I forced my weak body to sit forward, and my hand slipped on the blood he carved from me. As I stared up at him changing, he looked down at me, and kneeled to my face.
“Bunny, you did good.” He took my head in his hand, and kissed me so soft, I wasn’t sure it was even him. I guess Ethan fucks hard and kisses gentle. “I’m proud of you.” His eyes flickered to my lips, and he licked his own. “This isn’t the last time I’ll be coming over, you understand?”
I nodded slowly, and he rose, grabbing his ghostface mask and wiping the blood off his knife. I watched him walk away, open the balcony window, and jump away in the darkness.
I don’t think I can even fathom what just happened. I think all I can do now is find some birth control.
As I changed back into my top and underwear, I winced, feeling the blood on my back. I walked to my bathroom mirror, and slowly lifted my tank top, to see the damage.
But Ethan didn’t cut random areas of my skin. There were letters.
A message. Only one word.
In ripe red blood, Ethan drew out one word on my back.
summary: tensions are high as the last few chapters come to a head. Now that Craig has you, and none of the gang knows where you are, panic ensues. Eddie has to deal with an unwanted interaction with an ex, while Steve finds out the truth about Charlene. Astrid gets a bad feeling and thinks Steve might be hurt, meanwhile you decide to take matters into your own hands and deal with Craig in order to escape. wc: 10.7k
masterlist playlist
WARNINGS: 18+ONLY, angst, a gun, typical series violence, gunshots, reader being held against her will, abusive ex, stabbing, hand to hand combat, some violence toward women (which I do not condone under any circumstances), manipulation, dark themes, reader fights back, revenge, hurt and comfort, sex with someone other than reader (not Eddie), premonitions, murder, being chased, aggression. protective!eddie, protective!steve, slightly gigolo!steve. Header photo is not meant to be reader.
author's note: In this chapter, I'm making up for the fact that 90's tow truck driver Eddie and the rest of the MC would've had beepers, but, alas, I failed to mention them before. I've been staring at this for so long now, I need to post it. Really hope you enjoy, and I look forward to hearing what you all think.
"It ought to be easy, ought to be simple enough
Man meets a woman and they fall in love
But this house is haunted and the ride gets rough
you’ve got to learn to live with what you can’t rise above
If you want to ride on down in through this tunnel of love."
Tunnel of Love, Bruce Springsteen
-------
(This chapter starts of exactly where part 14 ended)
Just as Robin was about to reach out and catch Steve’s elbow, the bride, Daphne, jumped in front of her.
“You made it! I’m so happy I could cry!” Daphne hugged her tight and, over her shoulder, Robin watched Steve and Charlene disappear into the crowd, helplessly. The wedding was packed, but she was sure she could find him as soon as she was done with a polite chat.
She figured there wasn’t anything too bad that could happen in five minutes.
A minute or two into acting interested in the conversation Daphne and one of her bridesmaids was having, Robin turned around to gesture at you—to make the introductions—-but you were nowhere to be found. Daphne talked for a bit longer and Robin pretended to listen, but she was distracted, and the bad feeling in her gut was making her fidgety.
Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch ended, quickly to be replaced by What I Am by Edie Brickell, and Robin excused herself to go and look for you, apologizing to the bride profusely. Telling Steve that Charlene was an obsessive psycho didn’t feel as important in that moment—-she knew Steve could handle himself. But you? You were being stalked by a notoriously abusive ex and now Robin had no idea where you were. She should not have run off like that without you, and now she was kicking herself.
As Robin turned on her heel trying to spot you in the crowded lobby, Steve and Charlene were about to bypass the people on the dancefloor and make their way up to the hotel room. Steve didn’t know what was happening, at first, when she made the bold move of grabbing his hand in the crowd and pulling him closer.
“Hey, hey now,” he said in her ear over the twang of the music. “Should we be doing that where people can see us?”
Charlene sent her hand down to massage his cock, and then she leaned in and licked his earlobe. “I don’t care anymore,” she replied, leading him out of the low-lit reception hall and down the hallway.
Steve didn’t really know what that meant, and he hoped she wasn’t getting the wrong idea. If she wanted to flush her marriage down the toilet—-awesome—-but Steve didn’t want to be the reason. He had no intention to continue to see her after that evening, unless she was paying him, and he had every intention of making that clear in the elevator, but then she was on her knees with his cock in her mouth and he forgot what he was going to say.
—----------
Eddie rumbled into the parking lot on his chopper, ignoring the valet as he tried to tell him which way to go. He parked as close as he could to the building, sliding in next to a limousine, even though there was no parking space there, and gave a blank stare to the guys who were about to try and ask him to move it.
He yanked the main door open, eyes darting around the people in the lobby. He had no idea where to start looking for you, and that filled him with a frustration that made a growl escape his chest. The crease in his forehead softened when he felt two arms go around him from behind, but then one glance down at the hands, and he knew it wasn’t you.
“What the—” the relief he felt at the idea of turning around to kiss you was abruptly stifled.
“Hey baby,” Melanie cooed. She reached up to brush his bangs off his forehead like she used to in the old days, but Eddie moved his head away and blocked her hand.
He looked around before leaning forward to whisper curtly, “you just can’t take a hint, can you?”
Melanie settled back, bracketing her hands on either side of her hips. She had on an impossibly short, sequined lime green dress with dark red lipstick and it looked like she should’ve been on a stripper pole, not at a wedding. “Why do you hate me so much, Eddie? I gave you the best years of my life, the least you could do is be civil with me.”
Eddie frowned, moving to walk by her.
“Please, Eddie!” She screamed it, catching his arm.
Eddie hitched his shoulders up to his ears in frustration, cringing at the way so many people turned to stare at him. He moved in a circle, checking the crowd for you as he went, and then came back to face Melanie with weary reluctance.
“What do you want from me, Mel?” He asked, hoping it would be a quick fix so he could continue on with his night.
Melanie slid the tip of her tongue along her top lip. “Listen, I know I hurt you, okay? I know it was bad. But I’m a totally different person now, I’ve changed.”
Eddie cocked his head. “Good for you. What does that have to do with me?”
“Let me prove it to you,” she reached for his arm again and he let her hold it this time, hoping to speed things along. “Have a drink with me and let’s talk. I really miss you, Eddie,” she could tell he was about to interrupt and she put her hand up to stop him. “You told me once that I was the love of your life, that you’d never love anyone more than me, and I know a part of you meant it.”
Eddie cringed at the memory of the young, impressionable boy he was back then, so pussy drunk that he didn’t know which end was up. Did he mean it when he said it back then? Yes, from the bottom of his horny soul. Did a part of him still feel the same way? Not a single drop. What he’d felt for Melanie all those years ago paled in comparison to the level of devotion he had for you. He was a man now, determined not to make the same mistakes that plagued him in his boyhood.
Eddie took a deep breath, eyeballing the crowd again. “Okay, listen to me,” he took hold of Melanie’s bare arm, holding her firmly, and tilted his chin down to look her directly in the eye. “What we had has been long over for years now. I don’t know what I’ve done to possibly lead you on to believe there could ever be anything between us ever again, but I need you to get it through your fucking head that I don’t love you anymore. Things will never be like they were. I wish you well, but I don’t want you in my life, even as a friend. I need you to respect this. Nod if you understand.”
“Do you not want me in your life because your new girlfriend will get jealous?” Her mouth fixed in a mischievous grin, as if she’d completely missed the point of everything he just said.
“Fucking, goddamn it Melanie,” Eddie hissed, and then he ran both of his hands through his hair and gripped his fingers in at the roots, snapping his eyes shut to try and calm his frustration. “I can’t do this right now, I’ve got more important shit going on,” he shook his head and dropped his hands, turning to head in the opposite direction. “We’re done, totally done. Forever. I don’t want to ever see you again, Mel. Don’t call, don’t show up. Just go back to wherever and stay there. Have a nice life.”
He was a few steps away when she shouted to get his attention again. “I know where your girl is, if that’s who you’re looking for,” she had her arms crossed and a bored expression on her face when he turned to regard her again. “She left with some dude, if that means anything to you. They were holding each other pretty close and if you ask me—-”
But the last word got caught in her throat as Eddie barreled down on her, gripping her arms so tight, his rings pinched her flesh. He shook her a few times, making her eyes go wide. “You’re hurting me!” She balked.
“Tell me where they went,” he spoke with so much force, he accidentally spit on her.
—----
Robin caught sight of Eddie and started to make her way to the other side of the lobby, relieved, but then she saw who Eddie was talking to.
She made a face and stopped in her tracks for a beat. “Melanie?” She asked it to herself, under her breath. Robin knew she was the last person on earth Eddie would want to see, let alone be standing in such close proximity to. Eddie started to walk away, but then he turned back around and grabbed Melanie with a force that made Robin gasp. He could be a violent person, sure, but never with women, and it worried her to think of what she might’ve said to him.
Everyone was getting drunker and more oblivious to the people around them, so she worked hard to maneuver her way through the clueless party goers as What is Love by Haddaway jolted from the dance hall.
“Hey, Eddie!” She cupped her hand over one side of her mouth to shout it, but then she watched helplessly from a distance as Eddie and Melanie went down the hall and disappeared from view. What the hell was he doing with her—where the fuck were they going?
—-----
Craig had a room in the hotel, and that is where he took you.
As much as you were afraid of Craig, you also knew how to handle him in situations like this. To fight him, to argue with him, would only make things worse. He wasn’t the type to feel much empathy for any of the pain others felt; his pain and emotional distress were the only things that mattered. If you fought him, or if you tried to run, he wouldn’t hesitate to terrorize your friends. The thought made you shiver—you couldn’t let him get his hands on anyone else. He could take whatever he wanted from you in exchange for their peace.
Craig was also extremely stupid, and as long as you placated and went along with him—you’d have more time to think about your next move instead of struggling and wasting your energy. You didn’t put it past him to drug you and throw you in the back of his SUV, so you put on your Academy Award winning “this is fine” face while your mind raced for a plan.
Once he closed the door to his hotel room and put the deadbolt on, he took you in his arms, pulling you in for an embrace. “Ahh, now–isn’t this nice?”
You nodded against his shoulder as your eyes darted around for something sharp. “It really is. I’m glad you came to find me.”
He pulled away to smile down at you; thin lips stretching to expose perfectly white teeth. “See, now, there’s my girl,” he tipped your chin with the crook of his finger and then planted a kiss on your forehead.
You were sure he brought you up there to have sex with you, and the thought made your stomach churn—-you were prepared to rip his balls off before that happened. Craig was really strong though, and he could kill a man twice your size with his bare hands, so you had to find a way to battle with your wits.
“Have a seat,” he motioned to the bed in front of the TV, and then he grabbed the remote. “You wanna check and see what is on pay per view? We can order room service. Are you hungry?”
Such normal questions for such an abnormal and unfortunate situation.
You sat down cautiously, keeping your back stiff and straight. You noticed a huge black duffel bag sitting on the floor, and it looked like the type of thing he usually carried all of his weapons in.
“This is okay,” you gestured to the episode of Three’s Company that popped on.
He handed you the remote as he bent down to kiss your temple. “I’m going to wash my hands. Stay here, alright?”
You gave him a wink. “Of course I’ll stay here, sugar plum. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
He sighed, offering a dreaming expression. “I’ve missed you so much, it hurts.”
“That’s sweet,” you offered, turning your attention back to the tv as he went around the corner to the bathroom. You got up and walked slowly to the window to see what you could see, talking to him all the while to keep him satiated. “I could definitely eat. Maybe room service wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
You held the rod and slid the curtain open a few inches, realizing you were above the middle section of the parking lot. Could you see your car from there? You didn’t have time to check; it was too dark and you heard the water shut off in the bathroom.
“Tsk, tsk,” he said, stepping back out into the hall so he could see you as he dried his hands off. “Step back from the window, honey, I don’t want you to ruin our fun with one of your clever ideas.”
“Oh I was just curious,” you were casual about it, making a point to leave the curtain open a bit. “If any of my friends were looking for me.”
“Oh they might try,” he undid the buttons on the cuffs of his white dress shirt and rolled up each sleeve, exposing faded military tattoos on his forearms. “But I booked this room under an alias. Plus, no one saw us leave, so your friends will be scrambling around like chickens with their heads cut off.” He emphasized the word “friends” in a sarcastic way, as if they weren’t that at all.
“I’m sure they’ll just think I went home,” you said, which was the furthest from the truth. You thought about Robin going crazy trying to find you. You wouldn’t be surprised if she worked her way up every floor, knocking on every door.
He sat down on the bed next to you with a bounce and took your hand, lifting it up to kiss the back of it. “Have I told you yet how beautiful you are tonight?”
“A few times,” you couldn’t help but lean away when he came in closer. “You told me downstairs and in the elevator.”
He wrapped his arm around the side of your hip and pulled you to him. “C’mon now, give daddy some sugar,” he cooed, diving his lips in for another attempt.
But you dodged him again. You could feel yourself blowing it, and you knew you needed to comply in order to find a way out of this, but the thought of being intimate with him made you want to dig your own eyes out with a spoon.
“I don’t know if I’m ready…for that,” you managed. “Too soon, I think. Just give me a little time…to get used to you again.”
Craig grabbed your jaw, squeezing your mouth together so tight, your lips puckered, yanking your head to make you look at him. His eyes were dark now, narrowing on you. His tone was ice cold, “Oh but you’ll kiss him won’t you? That filthy dirty biker? You make me sick.”
You swallowed hard, and in your mind, you considered the ballpoint pen next to the pad of paper on the desk. If you could get a hold of it, you could stab him in the side of the throat.
But, if you made the decision to wound Craig, you had to be willing to go all-in.
You had to be willing to end him.
—-------
Steve waited to cum until he was back in the hotel suite. Charlene got on the bed and sucked him off the rest of the way while she came using the vibrator she carried around in her handbag. It turned Steve on to know that she always had it with her—he’d never been with a woman who was so incredibly sexually charged before.
He came on her face, and then she licked it up and rubbed it down her breasts. They got in the shower together after that, and the thought crossed his mind that he should go down and have a drink with you and Robin, but then his dick took over again and he forgot.
The suite was huge, and while Steve lounged on the sofa in one of their complimentary robes looking over the room service menu, Charlene sat down on the bed to rub lotion on her legs.
She smiled over at him. “The life of leisure looks good on you.”
Steve lifted his arms up and glanced down at himself. “You think? Yeah, I could definitely do with some more of this.” The fridge was fully stocked with booze and sparkling water and other goodies, and Steve had raided it like a little kid at Charlene’s urging. He was on his second fancy beer and third bag of pretzels.
“You should come with me to Greece this winter,” she worked the lotion down around her manicured feet, feeling suddenly too shy to look at him. “My friend has a house there, and we could charter a yacht, play on the beach, eat and fuck until we pass out. And then do it all over again the next day.”
Steve flipped the page on the menu, eyes glancing over the seafood section as he plucked at his bottom lip thoughtfully. “Sounds good. I’ll have my secretary clear my schedule.”
“I’m serious,” she laughed, rolling over onto her stomach to face him, kicking her feet up behind her. “Wouldn’t you like to spend more time with me?”
Steve shut the menu and met her eyes. “Well, sure, I mean, but I can’t just take off for a week to wherever, sweetheart. This man of leisure is living paycheck to paycheck over here.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have to worry about that,” she assured him, resting her chin in her palm. “I’ll pay your rent and whatever else you need. Give you some spending money. You won’t have to pay for anything, unless you want to buy me something pretty.”
“Yeah?” Steve smirked. “What’s the catch, angel? You gonna sell me to the highest bidder for some black-market organ donation once we get there?”
“No catch,” she shook her head. “It’s just hard to find good companionship these days.”
He sucked his bottom lip through his teeth. It all sounded a little too good to be true, but he would be lying if he said the offer wasn’t tempting. Fucking Greece? He’d only been out of the state a few times in his whole life, and it had all been for MC related stuff.
“You could even bring Oliver,” she continued, looking down at the bedspread. “I could pay for a nanny to travel with us, so we could have time alone.”
That made Steve frown, and he searched his mind for how she would know that he had a son, but then the moment passed. He must’ve mentioned him at some point, accidentally.
But Charlene seemed harmless enough. Just a bored housewife with a smoking hot body.
She got off the bed and slinked over to stand next to him. He ran his hand up her leg under her robe until he was able to grab the apple of her ass, and then he spanked it.
“Did you decide what you want from the menu?” She asked, mussing up his hair. “Or we can still go out to dinner if you want.”
Steve tilted his head all the way back to look up at her, letting the menu slip to the ground. “Are you on the menu?” He asked, moving his hand around under the robe until his fingers found where they could sink in.
“For you? Always,” she said, and then she bent down to catch his mouth with hers.
—-------
Eddie had Melanie by the arm, and she tried to jerk out of his grasp, but he was way too strong---way too pissed off.
“And then where did they go?” Eddie was scowling at the numbers on the three different elevators. “Which floor?”
“I SAID I DON’T KNOW,” Melanie hissed, finally wiggling her arm away. “Jesus. I never saw you worry about me like this before.”
“Fuck,” Eddie started to pace. He was losing it, and he didn’t know where to start looking or how to find you. He wanted to rip the whole building down with his bare hands.
Another man’s voice stepped into the equation. “Hey, what the fuck are you doing to her? Leave her alone, you freak.”
Eddie spun around, eyes like daggers. It was some douchebag he didn’t recognize in a tux, even taller than Eddie, with a lime green bow tie and cummerbund, clearly there for the wedding. From the looks the guy was sharing with Melanie, it was probably her date.
“Just stay the fuck out of it, whoever you are,” Eddie warned.
Melanie stepped back with a little smile on her face, enjoying the tension over her that was building.
“I asked you a question, man,” the guy in the tux with the short blonde hair said as he came up behind Eddie to jab his palm into the back of his shoulder.
Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, Eddie turned and swung on the guy.
Robin came into view and screamed, covering her mouth with her hands.
Eddie’s fist was like a brick, and the guy went down hard. The elevator opened and the four people inside yelped as he crashed in, with Eddie in hot pursuit.
Two people rushed out of the elevator, but another couple stood huddled in the back corner, afraid to move. Eddie lurched forward to grab the guy by the front of his coat and yanked him to his feet to pull him out of the compartment just long enough to send a jab to his ribs that made him double over, and then he pushed him down.
The elevator closed again with the frightened passengers still inside. The rest was a blur for Eddie as he got on top of the guy and started wailing on his face.
“Eddie, stop!” Robin tried to grab his arm on the back swing and the force almost knocked her over, but she did not relent. “DINGUS STOP!”
Somehow, the nickname seemed to snap him out of it, and, with a few sharp intakes of breath, Eddie got to his feet, panting, standing over the guy. The dude on the floor was somehow still conscious, but he probably wished he wasn’t one side of his face was mangled where Eddie’s rings broke the skin and there was blood dribbling from his mouth.
There were people gathered at the mouth of the hallway now, watching with slack jaws, and Robin was worried someone had already called the police. “Nothing to see here, people!” She called out, waving her hand, begging them to disperse.
Eddie was about to drop down and punch the guy again—just because—but Robin used all of her strength to forcefully push him back.
Eddie snapped his attention to Melanie and pointed at the guy on the ground. “Is this yours? Both of you get the fuck out of here before I—-”
Robin had only ever seen Steve like this—never Eddie. Normally, he possessed the most patience and composure out of everyone in their friend group.
She slapped him softly on his cheek to get his attention. “Hey, listen to me. I need you to fucking focus right now,” and then she snapped her fingers in the air in front of his face.
Eddie huffed a few heavy breaths out his nose and adjusted his Coffin Kings leather over his white tee. There was a sheen of sweat on his face and a few pieces of his hair clung to his cheek and forehead. Melanie was able to help her date to his feet, and Eddie watched them go with hard eyes and flared nostrils, silently begging the guy to throw him a dirty look or say something stupid. Thankfully, for Robin’s sake, the guy wobbled away with his arm over Melanie’s shoulder without a single glance back.
“Focus,” Robin repeated, snatching his chin. “Your girl is here somewhere, and I can’t find her.”
“Yeah, I know,” Eddie jerked his head to evade her grasp. “She’s with that fucking psycho and I have no idea where to start looking.” He shut his eyes tight and winced. “I fucked up, Rob. I should’ve killed that guy when I had the chance. Now he has her. If he hurts her, Rob….”
“Hold on,” Robin frowned as she took in the information, her body flushing with guilt. “You know she’s with that Craig creep? How do you know?”
Eddie didn’t want to talk—he wanted to move.
Outside, through the glass front of the building, he watched a police cruiser pull up through the crowd. It did have its lights on, and whoever was driving didn’t seem to be in a hurry, but all the same, he hit a button on the panel and took hold of Robin’s arm, ready to pull her in when the doors slid open. She followed his gaze to the two cops that were now heading into the building, and panic seized her.
It was taking too long for the elevator to come, so when the one across the way opened, they darted there instead.
A woman got out of the elevator as they stepped in and quickly hit the button for one of the higher floors. A delivery driver carrying Chinese food was about to get in with them but decided against it at the last moment.
Once they were alone, Eddie answered her question. “Melanie saw them,” he breathed, falling back against the wall. “The description fits, and she said he had his arm around her,” Eddie cringed. The thought of him touching you made him want to punch something.
“Shit,” Robin said under her breath, feeling the thick weight of uncertainty hang in the confined space around them. “You don’t think he’d actually do anything to her, do you?”
Eddie eyes glazed over and shook his head, concentrating, unable to form words.
“Nice dress, by the way,” he said, referring to the strapless blue number that she now regretted ever buying, let alone wearing.
“Shut up.” She returned.
The doors opened at a floor that wasn’t theirs and Eddie told the two people waiting there to take the next one before he slammed the button again with the side of his fist.
Robin started to gnaw at her thumbnail. “Steve’s here somewhere too,” she let him know. “He came with that Charlene woman, the one you used to bone.”
Eddie froze, giving her an incredulous look. “And you let him?”
She held her arms out, raising her voice. “I just realized who she was a little bit ago. What am I, his fucking keeper? Besides, she offered him so much money to take her to this stupid thing, I don’t think he would’ve cared.”
Oh, Steve would care if he knew the whole story, Eddie thought to himself. And he’d really care if Charlene started targeting his family when he tried to end things with her or move on with someone else.
When the elevator finally dinged and opened at the floor they chose, there stood Steve.
In a white bathrobe carrying a bucket of ice.
With his sunglasses on.
—--------
After being scolded by Craig, you disarmed the situation by pressing your lips to the side of his mouth. “Baby, why don’t you get comfortable so we can snuggle? Like we used to.”
He crawled on top so that you were both on the mattress. You needed to build a decent level of trust with him in a small amount of time and letting him have some intimacy was the quickest way to do that.
He got on his back, with his head on the pillow, and pulled you up alongside him so that your cheek was on his shoulder. He lifted your chin to give you another kiss. “Isn’t this nice?” He asked, rubbing his nose on yours.
“It really is,” you lied.
It took a lot not to try and scratch his face and knee him in the groin right then for what he’d done to you, for what he’d done to Jester. For the pain that Eddie would go through when he couldn’t find you.
But you found your center and took a cleansing breath.
You had formulated a part of a plan, but you had to be patient.
Soon.
—---------
When Steve came back into the penthouse with the extra ice, he didn’t have the patience to wait for room service to bring, he was different, and Charlene noticed it right away.
She could see it in his face, the way he refused to make eye contact with her when she dropped her magazine to her lap to greet him and tell him their dinner was on the way.
Without a word, he grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom.
“Stevie?” She called out to him, anxiety tightening in her chest. “What took you so long? Is everything alright?”
Steve shut the bathroom door first, and then he mumbled, “yeah, I’ll be right out. Just need a second.”
He let his robe fall to the floor and braced his hands on the edge of the sink, naked, letting the information Eddie had just shared with him in the hall absorb. He tossed his sunglasses on the counter, so they skid across and landed against a hand towel folded in the shape of a swan.
He ran the sink and splashed some water on his face, letting himself peek in the mirror at his reflection over the tips of his fingers.
As close as he was with Eddie, they weren’t in the habit of swapping partners, and if Steve had known that Charlene was that “rich, older woman he hung out with once in a while” a few months ago, he never would have gone that far with her in the first place.
Water dripped cool down his tattooed chest as he looked down at his cock, lolling out at the triangle base of the muscular indents at his hips. He patted a finger on the shaft so that it bounced. “I hope you’re proud of yourself,” he whispered to his dick.
Not only was Charlene someone that Eddie had fucked, but she’d also tried to make Eddie’s life a living hell when he tried to move on with you. She’d paid a private investigator to stalk Eddie, tried to break the two of you up, and was the reason you got fired. Eddie warned him not to trust her, and to not let her sink her claws in and try to keep him like a pet.
He put his pants on and wet his fingers to run them through his hair, squaring his shoulders at his reflection, wondering how he’d get the rest of his money out of her. She’d paid half up front, but now he needed the rest, and then he wanted to get the fuck out of there. Eddie and Robin were headed to do some investigating, and he said he’d meet them in the stairwell in about 20 minutes.
Charlene was hovering near the bathroom door when he opened it, and she searched his face for a trace of the person he was before he went to get ice—but it was no longer there.
Her Stevie was gone.
“Hey,” he said as he brushed by her to put his shirt on. He left it unbuttoned as he turned, fixing the collar. “It’s late, I need to get going.”
“But,” Charlene looked around, her mind racing with ways to keep him there. “The food will be here soon.”
He’d been trying not to meet her eyes, but when he did, his stare was frigid. “I’m not hungry anymore. I just need you to pay me the rest of my fee, and I’ll get out of your hair.”
He went to the couch to put his shoes on.
“Steve, please tell me what is going on? I thought we were having a good time, I thought—”
“You thought what?” He asked snidely. “That I’d do all this for free? Out of the goodness of my heart?”
He was about to be a real asshole, but then he remembered that he had enjoyed his time with her, and under different circumstances, he would’ve stayed to fuck her all night even if he wasn’t getting paid. But he had to end it—he needed to cut ties before things turned into a shitshow like they had for you and Eddie. He couldn’t afford that level of drama in his life, not with Robin and Oliver at risk.
She rushed up to him and started kissing his chest. “Can you just stay a few more hours? I don’t know what is bothering you, but I know I can take your mind off of it,” she sank lower, kissing his stomach, about to get on her knees.
“I said no,” he repeated, grabbing her arm to pull her back up to face him.
“But, why—”
“Why didn’t you tell me you used to fuck Eddie?” He blurted, scowling at he ground.
A hard swallow clicked in her throat as she searched his eyes. “I-I didn’t think it would matter. Eddie and I aren’t—”
“Is that why you bailed me out of jail? Was it all part of your maniacal plan to get back at him or some shit?”
“Absolutely not. Steve, I really care about y—” she reached out to touch his face, but he moved away, stepping further back. He looked hurt and confused and disgusted all at once.
“Don’t act like you give a shit about me,” he warned. “I don’t think you’re even capable of caring about other people.”
At that, she bristled, and her cheeks burned red. She froze so still that, if not for her blinking, one might have thought she’d turned to stone.
“You know what? Forget the rest of the fucking money,” he walked to the nightstand and put his wallet in his back pocket. “It’s not worth it to me anymore. I’ll chalk it up to a couple orgasms and a free meal.”
Charlene did not respond, she only wet her lips as her eyes stayed fixed on one spot on the carpet.
He went over and paused his hand on his jacket that was hanging over the back of the couch. “Actually, I could probably sell this suit and makeup the difference so yeah—we’re even.”
When Charlene finally spoke up, her voice was different; it had an edge to it. “You’re awfully ungrateful for someone who should be on their knees thanking me.”
Steve chuckled a low laugh. “Listen, baby, the sex was great, I’ll give you that, but it wasn’t that great.”
“I’m not talking about the sex,” she turned and tilted her chin up at him. “I’m talking about how you still have custody of your son and he’s not several states away with Tina right now.”
Now, it was Steve’s time to turn to stone.
When he finally blinked, he made a face like he was staring into the sun. “What the fuck did you just say? How do you know about my son? About Tina?”
Charlene would’ve said anything to make him stay, and she was oddly pleased that this did the trick.
She shrugged. “I know that it didn’t take much money at all to get Tina to come here and cause some trouble. Shame she signed her parental rights away, but there are always ways around that, considering how much blood you have on your hands.”
Steve reeled back, almost knocked off his feet at the weight of the confession. He had to grab onto the back of the chair at the writing desk to steady himself as his head swam. Bile rose in his throat as if we were about to puke.
“You’re the reason I almost lost my son?” He whispered it, overwhelmed with the realization that Charlene was to blame for all of it: Every disaster that had befallen them since the day Eddie met you. All of the pain, all of the worry, all of the sleepless nights.
Charlene folded her arms over her chest. “If you think I can’t prove you have blood on your hands, try me.” Her eyebrows darted up a few times. “Eddie too. He left a bloody fingerprint at the crime scene when he killed a man in my driveway. All I ever do is try to keep the two of you safe, and this is the thanks I get?”
Steve’s mind barely had time to register that his body was moving—-he knocked the chair to the ground and lunged after Charlene.
His hands were around her throat so fast she could barely take a gasp of air at the end of her sentence. He took her to the ground, slamming her into the floor. She coughed and her eyes bulged.
“You tried to take my son away from me?” He was shaking; his eyes bloodshot with rage, but also wet with emotions. His lower lip trembled, and his face was beet red.
She held onto his wrists where he was choking her, sputtering, trying to catch air. She squirmed underneath him, but if her knees made contact with his stomach or groin, he couldn’t feel it.
"Kill me," she gasped, and Steve released his grip a little but did not relent.
“I should kill you,” He hissed, searching her face. He realized then that she had her hands locked on his wrists to keep him there, not to push him away.
“Please,” she wheezed. “Please…kill me.”
With a string of curses, Steve pushed off of her and jumped back, planting his arm on the edge of the coffee table to steady himself as he tried to collect himself.
Charlene sucked in a few gulps of air and stayed on the floor where she was.
Steve wobbled and stumbled a bit as he stood, trying to catch his footing. He looked down at his trembling hands, and then over at Charlene.
“I'm sorry,” he breathed. It took a few sold moment to find his composure. “Listen, stay away from me, stay away from my family. Stay away from my friends. I won't tell you again.”
It had taken all of his strength to not crush her windpipe just then, and he hated that about himself. He hated that, on top of everything else, Charlene was the reason he’d laid hands on a woman in anger for the first time in his life. Wayne and Robin would be very disappointed in him, no matter the circumstances.
His son would be disappointed in him.
“Steve,” Charlene rolled over onto her side. “Please don't go."
He fixed his collar again and left the jacket. He grabbed his smokes, and fumbled the lighter, trying to compose himself. The thought occurred to him that he should go over and help her up and make sure she was okay, but then he remembered…then he remembered all of it.
Without another word, he left. Once he was out, and the door clicked shut behind him, she continued to shout his name and tell him she was sorry. He could hear things being thrown around the room; the sound of glass breaking as it hit the wall. Steve kept a quick pace, only faltering once to shoulder check his balance against the wall, dizzy, but was already in the stairwell as her declarations of remorse echoed down the hall.
—----
Craig ordered Chinese food from the restaurant up the street and had it delivered. For a second you thought you might be able to get word to the delivery driver that you were being kept there against your will, but what would the delivery driver do? Get himself killed, probably, or pretend like he never saw you because who in their right mind would want to get mixed up in that?
It may have taken 20 minutes to eat your meal, but for you it might as well have been hours. He liked to coach you on how big your bites should be and how long you should chew your food. If you chewed too loudly or too fast, it would agitate him, and he’d stop you to make you start over.
It was all you could do to muscle down each bite when you weren’t even hungry, and it took every ounce of your willpower not to scream.
The fortune cookies were interesting because the paper inside yours said “this too shall pass”, while Craig’s was blank.
“I’ve never seen a blank one before,” you said nonchalantly, closing the lid on your take-out container. You could see the inconsistency was bothering him; he kept turning the paper over as if he’d missed it somehow. With his obsessive personality, you expected him to call up the restaurant and ask for another cookie.
But, he decided to let that one go and tossed the blank fortune into the pastick sack that the food came in.
You knew he’d want to clean up the area right away and sanitize the table again, so you took your opportunity.
“Can I use the bathroom?” You stood up, picking a piece of sticky rice off of your dress.
“May I,” he corrected, pushing his chair back exactly where it had been before he sat down. He lifted his eyebrow at you. “May I use the bathroom is the proper way to ask that.”
Your throat was tight as you swallowed, biting back a rage that was surely bubbling in your eyes. You forced a smile that cracked your cheeks. “May I?”
“Of course you may, silly goose,” he walked over to brush his finger along your cheek just before he leaned in, and your nostrils flared at the unwanted touch. “Don’t take too long. I’ll miss you,” he cooed after he pecked you on the lips.
Safely in the privacy of the bathroom, you locked the door quietly and gave a long, silent scream into your palms. Tears jerked at your eyes and mouth, but you sucked them back, squaring your shoulders.
You stared at your reflection in the mirror, wondering if you had the guts to do what needed to be done.
If you didn’t already have the guts, you needed to find them—fast.
You’d asked Craig earlier what the plan was, and he’d made it very clear that he was taking you back to your place the next day so that you could pack your things and then return with him to Michigan. He casually mentioned that he knew where Oliver was spending the night—-just throwing out small details he thought you should know. In case you fought or refused to leave with him.
You realized now that he would never stop coming for you, not while he was alive.
You turned the faucet on so that the noises you were making wouldn’t be so obvious as you went to work unwrapping the soaps and scattering things around the countertop. You flipped all of the towels on the wrack around and unfolded them, making them as messy as possible. You got the bottoms of your shoes wet and made a bunch of dirty footprints around the floor tile. You relieved yourself quickly on the toilet, but then yanked some off the toilet paper down so that it pooled on the floor.
“Hey, pumpkin?” You called out to him over the sound of the toilet flushing. “Do you have some toothpaste I can borrow?”
He came over to the door and tried the handle. “There’s some in that black bag by the sink. Why is this door locked? Please put the cap back on properly when you are finished.”
You waited a few beats before unzipping the small, black bag, quickly eyeing for anything else you could use but, toenails clippers and a toothbrush weren’t great weapons. Unless you had time to widdle the end of the toothbrush into a shank like they do in prison. You put the cap of the toothpaste back on, but you left everything on the counter.
Before you opened the door, you moved the bathmat so it was crooked as it hung over the side of the tub, and you unhooked the shower curtain from two of the rings.
“Ahh,” you said as you exited, looking refreshed. “Much better.”
He was just walking to put the trash outside in the hall when you took the initiative to hug him. “I think I made a bit of a mess in there, baby. Sorry about that.”
When he shut the hallway door again, he came to flick the light on in the bathroom and his shoulders fell, his face pinching tight. “This is unexceptable,” he mumbled.
You took note that he forgot to dead bolt the front door in his haste.
You could hear him cursing you under his breath, but also knew that he wouldn’t be unable to function until he tidied up that room and put everything back exactly the way it was.
“Sorry lover,” you yelled, sweetly, turning the sound on the tv up. It was an episode of Golden Girls this time. “I was going to take a shower but decided not to.”
He had to shut the bathroom door in order to fix the shower curtain, and that was when you hurried to grab the red lipstick out of your purse. With your heart racing so fast you thought it might explode, you eased back the curtain to the window over the parking lot and wrote on the glass with the lipstick, and then you gently pulled the cream colored curtain back in place so that it didn’t make any sound as it skidded along the rod.
Craig opened the bathroom door again, but he would be cleaning and organizing for a while—so you forced a fake laugh over something that happened in the show, to make him believe you were just chilling, and then you grabbed the ball point pen you’d noticed earlier and put it in your back pocket. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. You made a mental note to always carry at least a pocket knife or pepper spray with you at all times.
Wait….
You suddenly remembered the travel-size can of aerosol deodorant you’d put in your clutch for Robin because it wouldn’t fit in hers.
You took that out, and tucked it under the covers.
At the last second, Craig stuck his head out to see where you were, and you just happened to be relaxing on the bed with your head cradled in your hand, face lit up with amusement at the screen.
—------
Alone at her place, on the way from the kitchen to the living room with a mug of tea in her hand, Astrid felt a pain shoot through her heart that was so sudden, she dropped the mug and it shattered to pieces on the laminate floor. She clutched her chest and swallowed back the taste of bile, trying to steady herself, bracing her hand on the stove.
After a few deep breaths, the flash of agony subsided, and a glance up at the clock told her that Steve was probably still at the wedding.
Her head swam, and her ears went blind as if her head was submerged in water.
A gun shot?
The thought occurred to her, but then it passed.
Was she experiencing another one of the symptoms of the strange connection she had with Steve ever since they were kids? Or was she having a panic attack of her own? She’d been thinking about the tarot reading she’d done for him; the warnings she’d been moved to share with him.
And then that charming, goofy grin he’d flashed her as he came in for a kiss, making light of her sudden and deep concern.
Driven by some type of inexplicable instinct, she stepped over the broken ceramic, toed into her shoes, and grabbed the keys to her old truck, hoping the engine didn’t fail her this time.
She also hoped, for some unspecified reason, that she wasn’t too late.
Too late for what, she wasn’t sure.
—-------
“First things first,” Robin paced in the stairwell between the 3 and 4th floors while Eddie gnawed at his lip, his arms crossed stiffly over his chest. “I’ll go down and see if I can find out from the front desk which room Craig is staying in.”
“They’re not just gonna hand that information over to you, Rob,” Eddie bit, trying not to take his frustration out on her. His own mind was racing, not only because of you, but also at the thought that Charlene had crossed yet another line and was trying to fuck with his friend. He couldn’t worry about Steve though—he had to trust that he would take the information he’d given him and do what needed to be done for that situation.
It was then that Eddie’s beeper went off, echoing off the walls.
He unclipped it from his belt to check it and found that it was from Wayne.
Alerts on his beeper from Wayne that were not during business hours always made his heart stop for a second.
“Shit, I gotta find a phone,” he mumbled.
Robin started taking the stairs down, motioning for him to follow. “We can sneak around to the payphones in the lobby. This way.”
Turns out, the cops weren’t there for Eddie, they had just been strolling by to check on the event. Robin batted her eyes at the guy at the front desk and asked for a peppermint while Eddie checked out the scene.
Wayne wanted to let him know that Bones and the rest of the Coffin Kings were on their way.
Eddie leaned against the payphone as Wayne advised him to wait for the rest of the MC before he made a move; it wasn’t safe to go up against a guy like Craig alone.
“Be careful, son,” Wayne told him.
“Take your meds and get some rest,” Eddie returned, which was just another way to say ‘I love you’.
“You need me there?” Wayne asked. “You need me to go and check on the boy?”
Eddie looked across the lobby at Robin who was on her way back with a handful of red and white peppermints wrapped in plastic and her tongue out in a goofy expression.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Eddie murmured. “Check on Oliver just in case. He’s with his friend Paul at Raina’s.”
He also knew that Wayne was much like him, and in a situation like this—he needed something to occupy himself so that he didn’t go mad.
He hung the black phone back onto the receiver and let Robin feed a round candy into his mouth; he started chewing right away instead of sucking on it, crunching down so hard his jaw clicked. He didn’t want to think what Craig was capable of now that he had you all alone, all to himself.
What if he put his hands on you? What if he….what if….
Eddie growled in frustration and punched the cement wall.
He hissed in pain, knuckles zinging, and then flapped his hand in the air.
“I need to go slash that fuckers tires so he can’t go anywhere,” Eddie told Robin, and she nodded; agreeing.
They told Steve to meet them down in the parking lot, and now they’d have more muscle as the rest of the kings rolled in.
But Eddie was losing patience, and—even worse—he worried he was losing you.
—------
Craig was in a bad mood when he was done cleaning the bathroom, and you knew he would be—but it was a price you were willing to pay.
He turned the TV off and stood in front of him, glaring down his nose at you.
“What have you been up to while I’ve been busy cleaning up your mess?”
You sat up and batted your eyelashes a few times. “I’ve just been missing you, that’s all.”
His open hand slap came hard and fast across your face and it stung like hell.
Your eyes were watering as you slowly brought your head back to face him again.
“Are you done being a little pig?”
You sucked in your bottom lip, nodding. “Yes.”
You winced, because you thought he was going to slap you again, but he grabbed your chin like he’d done before and squeezed, making your mouth pucker. “Say you promise.”
“I promise, baby. I promise.”
“Good,” he released you. “Now we can finally enjoy our evening.”
You sank from the bed and got to your knees in front of him, and his hooded eyes followed your every move.
“If I can’t be a pig, can I be a whore?” You purred, moving to unfasten his belt buckle.
“You are such a fucking whore,” he hissed. “And you know how much I hate whores.”
You undid the button and pulled down the zipper. He groaned a little as he watched you reach inside his boxers to pull his cock out. He tilted his head back, feeling your warm breath on the tip as you stroked him and he pushed his pants further.
“Fuck yeah,” he said to the ceiling. “Suck me dry like the whore that you are.”
You spit on the tip and jerked him a few more times, unwilling to touch him with your mouth, as you reached around for the pen in your back pocket and clicked the point out.
“Yes, baby,” you whispered. “Let me take care of you.”
On the next breath, you jabbed the pen up into his balls as fast and as hard as you could.
In that first second or two, while he was still in shock, wailing, you stabbed him with it a few more times.
Jab jab jab
Blood gushed out and he fell to the ground whimpering screams that could not be fully formed inside the crushing pain.
He clutched his wound and rolled over, giving you enough time to scamper away. He lurched for you as you darted across the bed, thinking you wanted to grab for the deodorant spray, but then you just said fuck it and let out a feral yell as you dropped down with your knee in his face, and then you brought the pen down again....
You were aiming for his eyeball--hopefully his brain---but it stabbed into his cheek instead.
His scream was so piercing, you thought it might break the window
Was he dead or going to die? Probably not, but this was your only chance to get away and you had to take it. You ran as fast as you could, fumbling at the handle of the door as you heard his shrill, gurgled moans behind you.
—------
Steve found his way down the stairwell and stopped to take a breather. He’d been walking awhile, and his adrenaline was through the roof, so he paused to lean against the railing and light a cigarette.
“Son of a bitch,” he said on the exhale as smoke billowed out, and then he wet his lips. The worst part about finding out what Charlene did, was that Steve had honestly started to like her. He felt like he’d been tricked into dubious consent because he never would’ve let himself have any feelings if he’d known even half of the truth. He put two fingers to his throat to check his pulse, certain that he was in the middle of a panic attack. The nicotine did its job to calm him down, it also got him to slow down and breathe, if only to support his habit.
His attention perked up again when he heard a scream and a thump coming from the floor above, and then more screaming, as if some dude was being murdered.
—-----
On the highway, Astrid struggled to catch her breath, and the constriction in her chest made her swerve into the gravel and fishtail before she righted the truck again while the duet Jackson by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash played through static on the radio.
She could see the lights of the hotel up ahead through the trees.
—-----
Eddie found Craig’s SUV in the parking lot and stabbed its tires with his utility knife, thinking he should have one of the guys bring the tow truck around and impound the fucker. Robin tried to open the doors and cupped her hands around her eyes to see what was inside.
Behind them, a car was pulling in off the highway; the headlights behind them cast their shadows over the pavement.
they heard the brakes squeal to a halt and a woman yelped.
Eddie’s attention went to the side of the building and he caught sight of something scrawled in red on one of the windows.
—-----
You turned a corner at the end of the hall and ran like the devil was on your heels, passed several vending machines and a pool, until you broke through into a dark stairwell and made your way down on foot.
You were afraid to look back.
The fear of hearing him enter the stairwell behind you had you in such a hurry that you tripped twice and caught yourself. You were barefoot, and you were pretty sure you’d stepped on a thumbtack or some glass because the pad of your left foot stung like hell, but it did not slow you down.
You wiped something wet out of your eye with your arm, assuming it was blood, and regretted that you didn't stay to make sure you killed him like you knew you should have.
In that moment, as you stumbled down the stairs afraid for your life, you felt like going to prison for such a thing would've been worth it.
You finally shot out into the night air and took a deep breath.
You came out around the backside of the hotel, where there wasn’t much illumination but for three lights up high on a ledge. You only paused for a second, but kept going, passing dumpsters and an employee entrance before you caught sight of the highway and headlights making their way onto the property.
—-------
Charlene darted from the hotel and out into the street, desperate to find Steve to explain, to let him know she regretted all of it, without looking where she was going. Before one of the valets could stop her, she almost got hit by an old truck cruising in at twice the speed it should have.
Only a hair away from the grille, she turned to throw the driver a dirty look.
Astrid was startled as well, but with her foot on the brake, and her eyes locked on Charene, she revved the engine.
—-------
When Craig stumbled into the elevator with a dark stain seeping through the crotch of his denim and a punctured face oozing blood, everyone in the compartment cleared out, muffling their screams as they went.
He heaved and grunted and thumbed the button for the lobby as he scowled down the hall at nothing while the doors slid shut.
He had two loaded guns shoved in the waistband of his jeans and he intended to use them.
—-----
Eddie stepped closer to read what it said on the window with a tilt of his head. It read: “Eddie I love u” and it was written backwards so that it could be legible from out where he was, not inside the room.
“Baby,” he whispered with a catch in his throat.
Forgetting about everything else he was doing, and the chaos that was going on, he took note of which floor that was and started to book it back inside, but then that was when you came into sight, limping around the shadowy corner.
You had blood spatter on your face, and your dress was ripped. It also looked like you hurt your foot somehow and your face broke into a sob the moment you saw him.
—------
Astrid parked her truck right where it was, with the headlights still on as she got out to find out where the boys were. She grabbed a shovel out of the bed in case she needed to use it as a weapon.
She was about to say something to Charlene when they heard the gunshot and both women ducked down, shoulders pressed together behind the side of the truck.
—-----
Craig exited the building on a rampage—not caring who saw him or what it looked like as he shot a bullet into the air.
He stepped out between you and Eddie, and you called out to him.
“I’m right here, Craig,” you said, stepping further into the light from the shadows. “Please just, leave them be. I’ll go with you wherever.”
Craig turned to give you a sneer of a grin, his white teeth now pink from all of the blood in his mouth.
“Oh, honey, it’s too late for that.”
You locked eyes with Eddie across the way and he started towards you, ready to breech the gap, regardless of the consequences as Craig turned the gun on him.
Eddie kept his pace, getting closer. “You better be ready to use that, man, before I get my hands on you.”
With Craigs finger hot on the trigger, there was a sudden yell from somewhere in the bushes as Steve flew out of nowhere and tackled Craig to the ground. Eddie took that split second to get over to you, to hold your face and make sure you were okay.
The gun went off again, but the two were a tangled mess on the ground. Steve beat Craig’s skull into the pavement a few times, and jammed his thumb into the once good eye, but Craig clocked him with the butt of the gun and it stunned him for a second.
It all happened so fast.
Steve was able to crack Craig’s hand against the ground and he lost his grip on the gun, and it skidded away, out of reach.
There were motorcycles thundering near in the distance as Craig yanked the other gun from his waistband and shuffled back to take aim.
Eddie spread his arms out and moved in front of you to act as a shield..
And then there was a gunshot from somewhere else, but the bullet only skimmed Craig’s shoulder. He yowled, but he did not faulter.
Charlene tried to aim at his skull for a second one with trembling hands, but Craig turned the gun on her and Astrid before she could, and he got a shot it, just before Steve reared up to take him to the ground again. The struggle turned them over several times, but then in a blink, Steve was on his back again, but he was able to wrestle the other weapon from Craig.
Craig reared up to bring his fist down into Steve’s face just as Astrid was about to bring the business end of the shovel down on his head---
but then there was a shotgun blast from out of the dark.
Blast…click…Blast…click…Blast
You ran up behind Eddie and put your arms around him.
Craig’s body spasmed in the air where he knelt above Steve as the power of the shots knocked him back.
There were smoking holes blown through his head and his chest.
With one final, open-mouthed pause against the beam of the headlights, and a choked gurgle, Craig’s dead body slumped to the ground.
Panting, Steve unsheathed his knife and got to his knees; ready for more just in case.
Everyone’s eyes followed the line of fire to the source.
And there was Wayne.
He stepped out of the shadows in his Coffin King's denim kutte with “Uncle” on the front pocket, lowering the double barrel. He tipped his chin to both of the boys and squared his shoulders.
A crowd had gathered from inside, including the bride, and the woman who had just caught the bouquet, and Melanie. Even Erika was there as someone’s date. They whispered to each other as Craig’s blood pooled into a little river on the uneven pavement and made its way to the gutter.
From inside Astrid’s truck, the chorus to the song I’m on Fire by Bruce Springsteen was eventually drowned out by the fierce rumble of motorcycles as the entire MC entered the parking lot and flanked the scene.
----
whoa, who knew this would be such a family affair when this fic first started? This world has come to mean so much to me, and I'm so grateful to those of you still riding along.
As always, your comments mean the world, and, if you enjoyed it---reblog it---because it's the only way this fic will ever be seen by anyone but us 🧡
summary: this chapter is sexy and intense! You and Eddie both have obsessive exes on your heels just as the entire Coffin Kings MC is given a reason to take down Craig. You and Eddie are glued at the hip until work and life split you apart and you realize you aren't as safe as you thought. Steve takes his new benefactress to a wedding, but you and Robin show up to warn him--even though it might be too late. wc: 10.3K
Series Masterlist
18+ONLY, mature themes, smut, angst, mention of a consensual bdsm relationship, typical series violence, a stalker, high speed chase, a death, mention of sex with someone other than reader, reader is threatened, everyone is a possible target.
authors note: Only 3 more chapters to go y'all 😭 I want some things to be a surprise, but if you've been following this story---you know the vibe to expect. That being said, this chapter and the next are VERY fast paced, full of angst, tension, and a sense of everyone on edge. If this is not your thing, I totally understand. This story started out as a tow truck driver who just happened to be in a Motorcycle Club, but it has morphed into a full-blown biker drama. A new character is introduced at The Velvet Hammer who will be Steve's love interest in a side fic I'm working on! I love you, enjoy the ride ❤️
"You feed it once, and now it stays
Now, it stays
You tear me open but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me."
-- Until it Sleeps, Metallica
---------
Eddie stayed with you that night, knowing that Craig had broken into your place, and Katie went to be with Robin, so the two of you had the duplex to yourselves. Eddie put the deadbolt on both of the doors and blocked under the doorknob with kitchen chairs, and then the two of you took a shower together. He soaped your back with care, and it wasn’t long before you felt both of his hands at your hips as his hard length rocked back and forth along your slit from behind.
“Again?” You gave him a glance over your shoulder, a bit in disbelief. This would be the fourth time in less than two hours.
“You’re right,” he mumbled, continuing to saw his hips slowly while the water sprayed and the steam rose. “I should stop, huh?” He wrapped an arm around your throat and pulled you back to suck your earlobe into his mouth while his other hand found your clit.
“You’re a maniac,” the last word was a gasp as his tongue twirled in your ear and your hand skidded down the wet tile wall.
You were so stressed about Craig, and letting Eddie fuck you senseless was the only thing that gave you a bit of relief. The orgasms wiped your mind clean, if only for a few moments, and you wondered how many he could give you before the night was over and you could succumb to sleep. Craig was always there, in the back of your mind now, creeping around your place, stalking your house from across the street---god forbid he was stalking your friends.
Just as Eddie had you bent forward to slide his tip in, and you begged for him to go deeper, the phone rang.
“Shit,” Eddie hissed. The shower stream blasted against his neck, dripping down his nose and hair as he watched his cock stretch you out.
Your eyes shot open and you stiffened. “Wait, I need to get that,” you straightened, reluctantly forcing his cock to pop out.
On any other day, under any other circumstances, Eddie would have coaxed you to ignore it, but the current Craig situation had everyone on edge. His nerves were fried with how bad he wanted to hammer the nails into your stalker’s coffin, but he was doing all he could to remain calm for you. He didn’t want you to see him frazzled and amped up and storming through town kicking down doors like he wanted to.
Plus, he also didn’t want to let you out of his sight.
Eddie swatted your bare butt as you stepped out onto the mat and pulled a towel around you.
“Hey,” he yelled as he finished washing your conditioner out of his hair. “That ass is mine.”
“Sure, sure,” you mumbled, snorting at his constant eagerness. Your feet made wet imprints on the carpet as you crossed over to the phone on the nightstand by your bed.
Eddie was just about to ask if he should turn the water off or if you were getting back in when he heard your voice crack. “Baby? It’s for you.”
Eddie jerked the lavender curtain back and wiped his eyes. Your face was pinched with worry, your legs still dripping wet below the towel.
“Who is it? Steve?” But then his stomach dropped as he asked it, knowing it was something bad just by the look on your face.
You shook your head. “I didn’t catch her name, but she’s really upset,” you came in close to whisper to him as he turned the shower off, your eyes searching his.
“She said that someone named Jester was just murdered.”
------
Eddie sat down on the couch with a huff and bent over to tie his boots furiously, hair dripping wet, heart racing with adrenaline.
Goddamn it, Jester, Eddie murmured under his breath. He should’ve called Eddie, he should’ve waited, like Eddie fucking asked him to. Shari said the guy at her motel matched the description of Craig, and Jester went over there to check it out; two hours later, his Coffin King brother was found in the parking lot with a broken neck. Jester was just a kid, barely 23, and he’d just patched over from being a Prospect only a few months ago.
Fuck, Eddie was pissed. The anger pumped so hot in his veins that he had to shake his head a few times so that he could see straight.
You were dressed now, but haphazardly so; your tee shirt was on inside out and the first pair of sweats you pulled out of the drawer had a blue paint stain on the thigh. You were biting your pinky nail down to the quick as you stood back against the kitchen island watching Eddie. You knew Craig had something to do with this---you knew it in the depths of your soul---but Eddie wouldn’t tell you any of the details. He said he needed to go down and check it out for himself.
He said he’d be right back.
He told you to keep everything locked and lodge the chair under the door when he left.
But you didn’t want to let him out of your sight, not with your maniac ex on the loose. You weren’t even worried about yourself, you were more concerned with Eddie riding out there in the dark to the motel all alone.
You’d met Jester once; his real name was Aaron, and he was young but he was big and strong, and one of the guys who ran the fights said he had the skill to be the next War Machine.
“Should you call Hopper?” You watched him lace his other boot while you gnawed another nail off.
Eddie frowned. “What the hell is he going to do about it?” He spat. “Besides, he’s probably already down there, making shit harder for me.”
“You think it was Craig, don’t you? The one who murdered Jester?”
Eddie took a long breath and sat there bent over for a second, eyes on the carpet. “I don’t know anything right now baby, that’s why I need to---”
You bent down to put your shoes on.
“Hey, I told you to wait here, please,” Eddie stood up, adjusted his belt and wallet chain, and came over to take you by the shoulders. You tried to shrug away, but he found your eyes, grabbing you by the chin so you would look at him. Piece of hair were sticking to his cheeks, still wet from the shower.“I don’t know what I’ll be rolling up on down there. I can’t risk it being a situation where you might get hurt.”
Your eyes were hot with defiant tears. “Well, what if this was just a ploy so you would leave me here alone, did you ever think of that? Hmm? These chairs blocking the doors are cute, but they won’t stop him, I think you know that.”
Fuck, he hadn’t thought of that. Eddie’s blood rage was making him sloppy; he had to get his head on straight.
You could tell that your words had nudged him and the gears in his head were clicking in your favor.
You continued to pull the bill up on your converse to slide your foot in. “Like you said, the cops will be there, and probably a bunch of other people rubbernecking, and he’s not going to do anything out in the open, even if he does see me.” You squatted down to tie them as quickly as you could.
You stood up, breathless, and swallowed hard. “I’m not staying here like live bait. If you leave without me, I’ll get in my car and follow.”
Eddie’s nostrils flared, assessing you from under hooded eyes, but in the end—-he knew you were right. You snatched your helmet from the dresser in your bedroom and went out to straddle your man on the bike like a pro as it yielded to your weight. Eddie smiled a little to himself as you adjusted yourself behind him, remembering how shy you’d been about riding in the beginning. With your arms secure around him and your chin pinned at his shoulder, the bike growled out onto the main road from the street. You glanced around in the bushes on the sidewalk, expecting to see Craig’s face looming in the shadows.
—---------
The police had the area between the motel and the gas station taped off, protecting the crime scene, and Jester’s body was gone, but his bike was still there by the gas station, tipped over onto his side, his helmet was a few feet away. There were 3 patrol cars, the Sheriff’s bronco, and an ambulance, plus a crowd of people from the motel, and one woman was crying while the other one held her. A few of the Coffin Kings including the patch President Bones, and Thumper were already there, hanging back, arms crossed, wondering who would do this, and how they could find him before the police did.
You checked around, squinting into the crowd as you dismounted the bike. Eddie opened his hand for you to pass him your helmet once you took it off.
Hopper waved off one of the other officers and approached Eddie right away, removing his hat to slick back his hair as he strolled over.
“Eddie,” he nodded.
“Hop,” Eddie returned. He called you his “old lady” when he introduced you, which made your smile twitch up in a weird way, having never been referred to as that before. It sounded like an insult, but apparently it meant that you were his pride and joy.
Hopper got Eddie up to speed on what they knew, which was almost nothing. Jester was found face down on the pavement with a broken neck, legs trapped under his bike. His girlfriend Shari who worked at the motel is the one who found him, and she didn’t see or hear anything unusual during the time when it happened. Of course they’d questioned her as if she had something to do with it, which was ridiculous since Shari was maybe 90 pounds soaking wet.
You were doing a spin around in a circle to take everything in when your eyes landed with a screeching halt on the hunter green SUV parked in front of room 11 on the far side of the lot. A squeak escaped your throat and you stumbled back against Eddie. Was he inside the room watching you right now?
Hopper raised his eyebrow at Eddie. “Any issues with retaliation that I should know about? Has Jester had beef with anyone lately?”
Eddie lifted his chin, bracing his hands at his hips. Hopper knew damn well that, even if this had to do with a rival gang, Eddie sure as hell wouldn’t talk about it to the cops. He’d take care of it in his own way, which was exactly what needed to happen in this case.
There was usually some polite banter between the two of them, but the mood that evening was much too somber.
“What about people staying at the motel?” You blurted. “Have they been questioned yet?”
Eddie curled his arm around you and pulled you closer, almost as if to shut you up, but Hopper paused to meet your gaze. The only people staying at the motel that night were a husband and wife with their newborn, an elderly couple on their way to visit grandkids, a business woman representing Mary Kay cosmetics, and a highly decorated war veteran who had been injured in the line of duty. The vet was on his way home from a conference in Pennsylvania—Hopper had yet to confirm this, but nothing about the guy felt concerning.
“You think someone staying at the motel wanted to kill Jester?” His tone had an edge of mocking, but he was also genuinely curious why you would ask that.
Eddie squeezed you tighter, silently reminding you not to share too much with the police.
“Well I—” you stammered, checking over your shoulder at the SUV, and then back up to Eddie. “I was wondering if there were any witnesses, that’s all.”
Hopper nodded. “We’ll be checking with all of them early in the morning, but my guess is they were asleep. Whoever did this was quick and sneaky.”
That description made a shiver run down your spine. Even as you stood there in a crowd, you could feel an imaginary blade slice across your throat.
Hopper was good at his job, but he was letting himself be blinded by the people Jester chose to associate himself with. You run with a ruthless MC, you get hurt, that’s a given.
Hopper questioned Shari, but she also knew not to talk to the police, and kept quiet about the way Jester came there to keep an eye on the creepy guy in room 11. She told Bones, though, and the second Hopper strolled off, you pulled Eddie aside.
“Look,” you motioned with your head to the SUV across the parking lot.
Eddie rolled his bottom lip through his teeth, checking to make sure Hopper was far enough away. “I saw it, baby,” he grabbed the back of your neck and massaged it. He worked his jaw as he stared at the motel room in question, hoping that fucker was peeking through the curtains and could see him holding onto you. If the place wasn’t crawling with pigs, he’d kick the door down right then and there.
Steve rolled into the lot on his chopper and gave a two-finger wave to Bones and the rest before making his way to a halt near you and Eddie. He had clear, utility glasses on to keep the bugs out of his eyes when he rode at night, and he pushed them up into his messy hair as he dismounted. He wasn’t wearing his helmet, which was an illegal and risky thing to do right in front of law enforcement—but Steve was notorious for making up his own rules.
There were also two mean looking hickeys on his neck. Even mixed in with his tattoos, they were hard to miss.
“Looks like you’ve been busy,” Eddie raised an eyebrow at the aggressively bruised mouth bites. One was positioned dead-center on his adam’s apple. Something about them felt familiar to Eddie, but he shrugged it off.
Steve reached into the front pocket of his cut for his lighter and smokes, popping one in his mouth. “What did I miss?”
Eddie filled him in on Jester getting whacked, and Steve blew smoke out of his nose, thoughtfully, his brows knitting together.
“Bones wants to take it to the table,” Eddie told him, meaning their MC would get together at the clubhouse at Munson’s Garage and discuss what they wanted to do. His eyes lingered on room 11 again. “But I want to take care of this guy myself. It’s personal.”
“If it’s personal for you, it’s personal for me,” Steve told him, letting Eddie know he had his back, even though he had no idea about the gravity of the situation and who Craig actually was.
You sniffed the air. “Hold on,” you stepped closer to Steve, taking another long whiff. He exchanged a curious look with Eddie over your shoulder. “Is that Chanel number 5 I smell?”
Steve lifted the collar of his white tee to his nose. “Um, I dunno. Maybe. I guess?”
“Expensive taste,” Eddie mumbled, and another cog clicked in his brain, another piece falling into a puzzle that he didn’t know he needed to solve. He was about to open his mouth, to ask Steve where he had been—but then he remembered that who his friend was fucking was none of his business. There were plenty of wealthy, horny women in the area who wore Chanel number 5 and gave aggressive hickeys. He was sure of it.
You stayed very close to Eddie and Steve as they walked over to get as close as they could to where the body had been, so much so that you tripped over the back of Steve’s heels twice, and he teasingly asked if you were drunk. “No, but I wish,” you admitted, constantly looking over your shoulder at the motel. You kept expecting Craig to appear, to step out of his room with his hands in his pockets and a smug look on his face, enjoying the chaos he caused.
Eddie made a point to ask for Jester’s cut-off leather vest, with the Coffin Kings insignia on the back and his nickname patched on the front. Eddie folded it with great reverence, knowing they would give it to his mother at the funeral. Eddie also wanted to talk with Shari, but now was not the time to interrogate her.
Hopper told everyone to disperse, including the group of Coffin Kings that were lingering, but none of them were going far. As much as they weren’t afraid of the law, they also had to pretend to abide by it from time to time so that they weren’t getting their feathers ruffled constantly and thrown in jail over stupid shit.
They positioned two of the Prospects across the street in the park with a clear view of the motel. After what happened to Jester, they weren’t taking any chances with snoozing on the job, and both were packing serious, illegal heat.
You asked Steve how Oliver was while Bones clapped a hand on Eddie’s shoulder. The man was average height, but all gray, with a bandana on his head, and a thick mustache; he reminded you of Sam Elliott.
“You think this is the guy? The one stalking your old lady?” Bones’ already gruff voice was accentuated by years of smoking.
Eddie’s gaze flicked to one of the patrol cruisers that was leaving the scene, and he nodded. “This one is mine, brother. I need this.”
“We all need it,” Bones agreed, gripping Eddie’s shoulder. He leaned in, “If you want to drag that guy out of there right now, we’re with you.”
“No,” Eddie appreciated the offer but, “I want to catch him on the move, away from all of this protection,” he added, hitching his chin in the direction of the police. “I can’t risk us getting locked up while he roams free.”
Eddie also didn’t trust the Prospects to keep a close enough eye on him, so he planned to take you to Steve’s and come back; there was no way he’d be able to sleep knowing Craig would be up and about in a few hours.
But you weren’t so crazy about that idea. Sure, you’d stay the night at Steve and Robin’s if that made him feel better to know you were all in one place, but Eddie needed to stay with you.
Robin and Oliver were asleep, and Steve was in the shower washing off his Chanel number 5 when Eddie shut the door to Steve’s bedroom so you could talk. Steve’s room was little else than a tv, a dresser, and a futon sofa that folded out into a bed. There was a chair next to the window and an ashtray full of cigarette butts on the sill. He usually slept in the extra twin bed in Oliver’s room down the hall, though, and that is where he would be that night so that you and Eddie could have the futon. You knew that not much talking needed to be involved to get him to stay and you quickly dropped to your knees, working his belt off and unzipping his jeans.
“Wait, baby, I—” Eddie began to protest but by then you’d already pulled the top of his boxers down and were wrapping your soft lips around the head of his cock. “---oh fuck that feels good,” he whispered, dropping the back of his head to the wall.
You kissed down the smooth shaft and felt it grow against your lips, and then swirled your tongue around the head again, knowing by the sounds he was making that you had him right where you wanted him.
“Stay here with me baby,” you coaxed, gripping his cock in your fist, lapping at it with your tongue a few times like it was an ice cream cone, looking up at him. “I need you.”
He put a hand on the back of your head and pushed his hips forward ever so slightly, so the tip made its way to the back of your throat. It was growing to full-size fast, and you made a humming noise, vibrating on it while you caressed his balls through his boxers.
“Shit, oh fuck, I love it when you do that,” he breathed. God, he loved watching how well you took care of him, especially the way a string of saliva would stretch out between your mouth and his tip when you pulled back; your mouth was so wet for him.
“Mhmmm,” you nodded. His tip was already leaking, and you pulled his boxers down further to take one of his balls into your mouth before coming back up to lick the drops clean.
There were a handful of times when Eddie let you give him head from start to finish, but more often than not—he always wanted to finish inside of you. It wasn’t a breeding thing, it was more of a “I need to be as close to you as I possibly can” kind of thing, and his balls ached for it.
After making sure the door was locked, speaking exclusively in hushed whispers, it wasn’t long before you were both naked and Eddie had you on the bed with your legs straight up over his shoulders. He ran his cock along your slippery slit, and then he tapped your hole with the head a few times, like a vow. He braced his hands at your hips and sank in, making you both bite back a cry of pleasure. He pounded you with fierce urgency before slowing it down to long strokes, turning his face to kiss your leg. The open futon had the cushion of a cement block, and so there were no pesky springs or hinges to make curious noises.
“I’m so full baby,” you whined. “You’re so deep.”
“Fuck,” he bottomed out a few more times, clapping his hips against you. You heard the shower across the hall turn off and worried that Steve might catch the wet smacking noises.
There were no lights on in the room, but enough illumination from outside for Eddie to be able to watch himself slide in and out of you, growling low as he did so, loving how the skin of his cock glistened with your arousal.
You were swiping at your clit with the pads of your fingers, and your hand sped up when he started fucking you hard again. You met his eyes, your brows knitting together. “Oh fuck Eddie…just like that.”
Eddie knew that, if you said you liked something, that was not time to switch things up, and he ached to hear you get loud.
“That’s my girl,” he hissed. “Cum on my cock baby, I want you to cum so fucking hard, oh shit—” he could feel his own release mounting as your walls rippled around him. His strong fingers dug into your thigh as his thrusts became erratic, long hair hanging down his strong, tattooed shoulders and chest.
You arched up, mouth opening only to mouth a curse word as you felt Eddie buck and release inside of you, biting his lip so hard it almost bled as he moaned deep in his throat. Your cunt milked his dick as you came, twitching, breathing hard from the adrenaline rush of trying to keep quiet.
The bathroom door opened, there was the sound of footsteps in the hall, and then a knock at your door. You mirrored Eddie’s wide eyes, and then he pulled out of you, reluctantly, semi-hard cock bobbing in the air, and stepped into his jeans while you covered yourself with the Harley Davidson blanket.
Before Eddie could get his jeans zipped, Steve tried the doorknob. “Yo, the bathroom is free,” he let you both know, as any roommate would if there were only one shower and toilet in the house.
“Thanks man,” Eddie paused, waiting, wondering if that was it.
But Steve rapped his knuckles softly on the wood again. “Let me in for a second, dude, I gotta get something out of my closet.”
Eddie shot a look back at you, as if to make sure you were covered up, while simultaneously wondering if he wanted Steve to see that you were obviously naked under his blanket. He adjusted his cock in his denim and reached out to pluck the lock open on the knob.
“Took you long enough,” Steve blew in with a Snoopy towel around his waist, exposing the wash of colorful tattoos covering his torso that you’d never seen before. He had “FTW” inked in big letters in an arc over his stomach, and after consulting with Eddie later, you learned it stood for “fuck the world”. Your eyes also landed on Oliver’s name tattooed over his heart. He usually slicked his hair back, so this was the first time you ever saw it so messy and wild.
Steve slid the closet door open, yanked something off a wire hanger, and was about to walk back out the door when he stopped and turned on his heel to give you both a wiggle of his eyebrows. “Hold up—did I interrupt something?”
Eddie didn’t say anything, he just blinked a few times, and you plastered a tight smile across your face that made your cheeks squeak.
“If you need me to stay, I could—” Steve teased, offering a few exaggerated winks.
“Get the fuck out,” Eddie pushed his shoulder, snorting a muffled laugh as he did so.
—-----------
Earlier that evening, when you and Eddie showed up at the crime scene near the motel—-Craig was not in his room. He hadn’t been there for almost two hours, since he killed Jester. He got out through the window in the bathroom, and that poor kid never saw it coming. After that, he hotwired a car from the grocery store parking lot a few blocks away and waited across the street, in plain sight, watching the whole thing. He gritted his teeth and mumbled under his breath when Eddie put his arm around you, and when you left together—he followed.
He already knew where your friends Steve and Robin lived, and it was not a shocker that your biker boyfriend took you there. You didn’t need protection from Craig, though, you needed protection from the world, and metalhead scum like Eddie Musnon. He knew you would thank him one day, for finding you and bringing you back to your senses.
It took him a while to figure out the exact spot where you would be in the house, but once he did, he found that the window was cracked open, like a gift. He hadn’t expected the sounds of you getting fucked to turn him on, but the way you whimpered…oh god…those noises you made. He put his head against the side of the house, closed his eyes, and pretended it was his cock inside of you. He came into the bushes, mumbling your name with the additional, “you fucking bitch, you fucking whore” before adjusting himself and making his way back to the motel.
—-------
The next morning, Craig’s vehicle was still there, and it didn’t appear like the guy had even moved a muscle or pulled back a curtain.
At around 8:00, the two Prospects stationed on watch across the street got a phone call from the payphone on the corner. It was Bones, letting them know they were both needed down at the abandoned steel mill.
Both were tired of waiting, but Van, the one who’d answered the phone, couldn’t mount his bike fast enough, while Devlin worked through some internal struggle.
“Hold on,” Devlin said, taking a second to absorb what Van just told him. Both had long hair tied back in ponytails, each similarly tall with lanky muscles. Van was sleeved with tattoos, though, while Devlin only had a Celtic design on his bicep. “He needs both of us? What about this guy?” He tossed his chin in the direction of the motel. “Eddie said not to let him out of our sight.”
“Do you want me to call Bones back so you can give him all these questions?” Van offered snidely, knowing that the last thing a Prospect would ever do is question the President of the MC. “Let’s get the fuck out of here, I gotta piss. If Eddie wants this guy so bad, he can come babysit him.”
Devlin pulled his leather gloves on, flexing his fingers as he stared across at Van. There’s no way in hell he’d talk that way to Eddie’s face—he’d get rocked into next week. Devlin noticed that Van was jittery, like an addict jonesing for a hit of something. “It’s your ass,” Devlin assured him as he strapped his helmet on under his chin.
—------
When the boys swung by to talk to the Prospects a bit later, the two were nowhere to be found, and Craig’s SUV was gone.
“Son of a bitch,” Eddie spat, motioning for Steve to follow him to circle around to the motel.
“What the fuck?” Steve barked, looking around as they each dismounted their bikes. He had on a red tee with the armholes cut open wide to expose his tan ribcage and scattered tattoos.“Where the hell are Van and Devlin?”
Eddie didn’t have time to solve that mystery, he was too focused on the way the door to room 11 was cracked ajar, suggesting that the occupant had left in a hurry.
Both boys stood back on either side of the door, each with one hand on the hilt of their holstered knives. Not only was Craig dangerous, but he was a sneaky coward who didn’t have the guts to face Eddie like a man.
Eddie pounded the door the rest of the way open with his boot.
The room appeared to have been vacated—the guy even took out his own trash, as if someone would want to sift through it. The bed had been made, with the sheets tucked so tight, you could bounce a dime on it, and on his way back from checking the bathroom, Eddie saw a matchbook from The Golden Lion Hotel and Resort sitting on the desk.
“Maybe the guy gave up,” Steve looked around the dresser under the tv, pulling the empty drawers open. “Tucked his tail and ran like the scared puppy he is.”
Eddie shook his head a few times before he said anything, turning the matchbook over in his fingers. “Oh,he’s still around,” Eddie concluded. “And I think he left us a breadcrumb.”
Eddie wasn’t stupid, he knew the guy hadn’t left it there by accident. Craig seemed to get off on slipping through their fingers and mocking them around every turn, but he underestimated what Eddie would do when he actually got a hold of him.
—-----------
When Eddie called to tell you what had happened, a cold chill ran down your spine. It was late morning, and you were at your Saturday “bloody mary brunch” shift at the Velvet Hammer while The Drama You’ve Been Craving by Sleater-Kinney played from the jukebox. The b-movie on the tv mounted above the bar was The Killer Shrews. Your shift was 9 to 4, but you planned on asking if you could work a double and stay as late as possible, because it felt safe to be in a crowd; staying busy also kept your anxiety at bay. The only downside would be that Eddie was out of your sight, and you had a feeling that both the boys would be trying to track down Craig for most of the day. You weren’t doubting that Eddie could handle himself against Craig in a fist fight—but that wasn’t the type of combat Craig excelled at. There was always some element of manipulation and psychological fuckery.
And then Steve was off to be a bodyguard for some wealthy, country club wife later that night, leaving Eddie completely alone. You weren’t sure of the details, but you knew he was being forced to go to take whoever it was to some wedding. All you could do was serve alcoholic beverages and hope the world outside figured itself out without anyone you loved getting hurt.
You overheard the new server ask Shanna if Steve was working the door that day.
“He’s only here after 6,” Shanna replied, digging a metal scoop into the ice to make a mint mojito. There was about an inch of platinum stubble growing in on her shaved head. She wore a dark red choker with a cross dangling from it, and a low cut, velvet shirt to expose the roses and thorns tattoo that covered her chest. “But, he asked for the night off,” Shanna wiggled her eyebrows at the girl. “I think he has a hot date.”
To your surprise, you watched the new girl’s face drop. She’d only been there for a week, and it seemed like she and Steve were always in the middle of a lover’s spat. Some of it was playful banter, but also, the more she pushed him away and teased him, the more he sought her out to tease her more, and she wasn’t afraid to give her rejection harsh and swift.
“It’s not a date,” you corrected, walking side by side, carrying drinks to your table. “Some lady is paying him to be her escort slash bodyguard for a wedding tonight.”
A smile twitched on her lips; she looked relieved as the two of you set the drinks down black cocktail napkins coasters. After you finished at that table, Lily tapped your elbow.
“Who would need a bodyguard at a wedding in this town?” She asked, frowning quizzically. “Is she famous or something?”
Her question brought a sudden avalanche of memories down on you. You remembered that day at the gallery when you first caught sight of Charlene, and the second time you ever met Eddie. He was there as her “bodyguard” that night, according to Jeff, and you recalled how ridiculous it sounded.
That night several months ago, you teased Eddie for being on your “turf” on the sidewalk outside of Moon River Gallery, and just the thought of those early days made your heart flutter.
It dawned on you then, like a smack to the forehead, who Steve was escorting to the wedding that night, and you leaned across the bar to ask Shanna to pass you the phone.
—--------
Robin answered as she spun cookie dough in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, her hair in a scrunchy on the top of her head. She’d offered to watch one of her friend's kids for a bit, and both the boys were giggling at cartoons in the living room. The smoke alarm just went off because she burned the first batch and was determined to try again.
You asked if Steve had checked in recently, or if she expected him home any time soon.
Pinning the phone between her shoulder and her ear, Robin opened the window above the sink to try and wave some of the burnt cookie smoke out with her hand. “He was just here to grab something, but then he took off again,” she kicked the oven closed with her foot. “Why, what’s up?”
You figured there was always a chance he’d stop by The Hammer even though he wasn’t working—you hoped so anyway. “You know if he’s still doing that escort thing tonight?”
“Yeah, he’s pretty excited about it,” there was a tiny voice in the background and Robin held her hand over the receiver to tell Ollie she’d be there in a second. “Well, he’s excited about the money. I got invited to the same wedding, but Katie’s visiting her mom and I don’t want to be lame and go by myself, even though Paul’s mom did offer to babysit.”
“Oh, that’s right,” you considered the implication of what she was saying. If you could duck into the wedding long enough to warn Steve and let him know his “date” is the reason Eddie got stabbed, then at least Steve would have fair warning for what he was getting himself into.
Robin stopped stirring and held the phone with her flour covered hand. “Hey, do you want to be my date? I know you’ve got this creepy ex breathing down your throat, but until the Kings grab him, I think it would be fun to take your mind off of it. There’s an open bar at the reception and I’m always a fan of free food.”
You were nodding, but realized there were no words coming out. “I think that might be a really good idea,” you sucked in your top lip, almost wishing Eddie hadn’t ripped the dress John bought you. “I was going to try and pick up another shift, but yeah, I could be your date.”
You already told Eddie you’d be working, so you’d let the new bouncer at the Hammer know where you were in case he came by. Since Eddie was usually impossible to get a hold of during the day, you’d leave a message on his machine, too, just in case.
Meanwhile, as Robin spooned dough onto an aluminum sheet, she remembered the gun that was locked back in the safe. For some strange reason, the hair stood up on the back of her neck and she wondered if she would need it.
—-------
Right before you left your message on Eddie’s machine letting him know where you would be, there was another message that came through:
(machine clicks) “It’s me, Melanie. Wow, I guess you really don’t want to talk to me. (long pause) It’s been five years, I figured we could at least try to be friends or something, but I am reading your silence loud and clear. (heavy sigh) I went over to visit Wayne and he said you have a new girlfriend now, and that you’re happy, so, congratulations, I guess. You deserve all the good things. This is the last time I will try to contact you. Have a nice life, Eddie.”
Later that day, just as the sun was setting, the phone rang again.
(machine clicks) (shuffling, muffled cursing) “You know what? Fuck you, Eddie Mussin.” Melanie slurs. “Fuck you for making me fill like a peas of schit for even trying to be a part of your life. (hiccup) Your new whore is here at this wedding, where are you? I don’t fuckin deserve this. I need you to come down here right now and tell me to my face that you don’t love me anymore before I come to you–” (loud click)
—------
Back at the Munson’s Garage, Eddie did not go up to his apartment, but he did meet with Bones and a few of the other members inside the clubhouse. Eddie told Bones about how Van and Devlin had disappeared, and he was just as confused as anyone.
“I don’t know shit about them leaving,” Bones assured from one of the bar stools, silver hair brushed back off his face, wearing an old school denim cut-off with the club insignia on it, and a thick wallet chain hanging down the thigh of his dark denim. “I told those fuckers to stay put until you got there.”
Eddie put his hands on his hips and worked his jaw. The door that led in from the garage opened then, and the two idiots in question appeared. Eddie didn’t wait to ask questions, he just walked over, took the first one he could catch by the throat, and pinned him up against the wall with a hard thwack that sounded like he almost broke the wood paneling.
Van choked and wheezed against Eddie’s hold. “Where the fuck have you two been?” Eddie spat through gritted teeth.
Devlin started talking fast, waving his hands. “We’ve been over at the abandoned steel mill, waiting where you told us to for the past couple hours,” he said to Bones in a rush.
Bones and Eddie exchanged a frown. Bones shook his head, scowling at Devlin. “What the hell are you talking about? Nothing’s going down at the steel mill today.” There were several abandoned buildings on the outskirts of town where the Kings conducted the shady side of their dealings, but so far, the weekend plans were tame.
Devlin shot a look at Van, whose face was beet red above Eddie’s grip, and then turned back to Bones. “So, if you didn’t call us on the payphone this morning to tell us to go to the steel mill, who did?”
Eddie released Van so that he could talk, waiting for him to catch his breath and cough a few times. “It sounded like you,” Van sputtered so hard that saliva dripped from his lip.
Bones sat back in his seat, smoothing out his mustache, while the other members around him mumbled to themselves. “You really are just as stupid as you look.”
And then Eddie’s fist came in tight, landing flush with his Van’s jaw, and he stumbled back against the wall and slid to the floor, accepting his punishment with a curse.
The door from the garage pushed open abruptly, and there stood Josh, one of Eddie’s mechanics wearing smudged overalls. He threw a thumb over his shoulder. “Yo, Thumper has eyes on that hunter green SUV you’ve been looking for. It’s headed for Highway 22 off of Deer Park.”
Eddie pushed himself off the wall with the side of his fist, pounding it there, on his way outside to jump on his chopper. The rest of the guys followed, including a woozy Van, stumbling as he got to his feet..
Chrome pipes roared to life one right after the other as the eight of them rumbled out of the parking lot.
—------
While Eddie and a handful of the Coffin Kings were blowing down the highway in the hot summer sun in pursuit of Craig, Steve was sipping champagne, getting his sleeves marked to be adjusted last minute by Charlene’s personal tailor. They were in her master bedroom overlooking the pool as beige curtains billowed in along with the soft echo of Joey by Concrete Blonde from the radio down near the jacuzzi. Charlene had a see-through coverup over her zebra print bikini as she watched from her chair. She liked to touch herself whenever the tailor wasn’t looking, and to be fair—Steve liked it too. She plucked at her nipple and ran the tip of her tongue over her teeth, making his cock twitch in his pants as he gnawed vigorously on his Wrigley’s Spearmint gum.
He’d been with a few batshit crazy chicks in his day, but this one was up there with the battiest. Honestly—he didn’t hate it. The problem was, he’d started to have this crush on one of the new servers at The Velvet Hammer, and two things were wrong with it: one, he didn’t have time or room in his life for romance, and two, she kind of hated his guts.
She acted like she did, anyway. She told him that his reputation preceded him, and that he’d never get in her pants, no matter how hard he tried.
Bet.
Charlene helped him to take his mind off of that, even though she did treat him like some sort of life-sized Ken doll. Her sexual appetite was insatiable, and that afternoon, before the tailor got there, was the second time she’d asked him to choke her while she came until she almost passed out.
Steve was afraid of those torture kinks though; afraid he might not know his own strength one time and take his anger out on his partner. He had a switch inside of him that was either on or off, and he didn’t know how to idle in between.
The tailor walked away to the vanity to grab something, and Charlene sauntered over to pretend she was fixing Steve’s collar. She leaned forward to whisper in his ear: “I want to feel your cum drip out of me all night,” and it gave him a shiver. He would definitely have to fuck her again before they left, and maybe again in the towncar on the way there.
—------
The thing that surprised Charlene the most was not how attracted she was to Steve, but how she was starting to not miss Eddie anymore. This all started as a way to get closer to Eddie, and to get back at him at the same time, but now all she could think about was being naked with Steve—to have him rip her suit off with his teeth.
He’d left marks on her, because she asked him too, and there was some slight bruising around her throat that she loved to admire. John wouldn’t ask about it, he didn’t care what she did. Eddie always refused to indulge her in that way—he would fuck her rough, sure, but he didn’t like the idea of introducing pain, and none of her other lovers had the right touch until now.
She watched Steve’s jaw muscles work as he chewed his gum, and then he winked at her after the tailor asked him a question. She was down bad in a way that made her want to be 15 years younger, to start completely over with someone like Steve. Maybe it would’ve made her a different, softer person, maybe they would’ve had a son together. But then she remembered her situation and how that wasn’t an option, and then the bitterness flooded back in, rising like bile at the back of her throat.
While Steve was just trying to make it through the evening, Charlene was trying to think of ways to keep him with her forever.
—-------
You showed up at Robin’s with the only dress you had that qualified as formal wear—the style was possibly outdated by ten years. You brought your Caboodles makeup case too, because you knew how much Oliver loved to watch you put makeup on. Robin never wore makeup, aside from some lipstick now and then, so she always appreciated it when you or Katie indulged him. You had a polaroid back at the duplex of the makeup Oliver put on Steve once; wide, outlined red lips, bright green lids from lashline to eyebrow, and a dusting of glitter.
“Which color do you think?” You asked, gesturing to your eyelids, in front of the bathroom mirror while Ollie stood on a step stool next to you. He had on a pair of bright yellow swim trunks and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tank top.
“I think this blue for one eye,” he scratched his head, tapping the hard plastic shell over a sparkly turquoise with a tiny finger. He paused his hand as his eyes moved around, and made a serious face, concentrating. “And this color for the other eye,” the other color was a dark red.
He looked up at you with those big, honey brown Steve eyes, waiting for you to start applying them, rubbing his lips together. “Ollie, my love,” you chuckled. “One day, your artistic genius will be appreciated, but I don’t think Hawkins is ready for it quite yet.”
“What if we do these,” you showed him a few things including eyeliner and blush. “And I’ll let you put some of the mascara on me.”
He nodded, eyes widening at all of the options scattered around the sink, wanting to put it all on your face at once.
Suddenly, there was a pounding at the front door that made your heart stop.
You told Oliver to wait in the bathroom and shut the door while you went to check it out.
Relief flooded in when you realized it was only Robin. She’d gone out to close the garage and accidentally locked herself out of the house. Who else had you expected? Craig? Surely, he had no idea where Steve and Robin lived.
Paul’s mom Raina was running an hour late to pick Oliver up with promises of ice cream and Scooby Doo, so you missed the wedding itself, but the two of you decided you’d still make it to the reception; shame to waste all the time you took getting ready. While you had a glass of wine in the kitchen and helped Robin zip up the back of her navy blue, strapless dress, you kept looking at the phone, and glancing out the living room window to the street, waiting to see Eddie, or at least hear from him. On your way out the door, you tried his apartment one more time, but hung up before you could leave another message.
—------
The Coffin Kings zoomed along the highway, weaving in and out of cars, keeping to a tight, intimidating pack as much as possible with Bones out in front and Eddie right behind him, hair flying in the wind. Thumper caught sight of them from a road crossing and joined, spitting up a cloud of dust as he went.
Up ahead, there was a bottleneck in traffic as two lanes converged, and the line of cars were beginning to slow down. Eddie spotted the SUV in the distance and waved the group to the side of the highway to bypass all of the vehicles at a standstill.
Eddie’s arm muscles were tight and flexed, the sleeves of his Pantera tee exposing his tan, inked arms. His face was locked in a permanent frown as he braced against the wind. Four of the other guys went around the opposite side of the highway, ready to box in the target.
The windows of the SUV were tinted, but Eddie could tell that the guy must’ve seen them coming in his rearview mirror because the vehicle lurched, wheels cranking, trying to get out on the lip of the road to escape.
Eddie sped up, twisting the throttle on the right handlebar, weaving in through the cars again to rage down the dotted yellow line.
The SUV bolted out from the line of cars, dove into the ditch, and then corrected itself before swerving onto an unpaved road that led out through the trees.
The gang followed; Eddie and Thumper got up behind it, eating dust from the tires, and once they were away from the traffic cluster, Thumper reached down for his handgun, aimed it at the back tire and shot twice.
The vehicle swerved and kept going but slowed down enough for them to get along each side, and then Bones raised his gun and blew out the back window.
The SUV turned so fast that Thumper lost control and flipped his bike into the dirt, but motioned for the others to keep going.
There was a dead-end curve with metal railing, and that is where the vehicle finally screeched to a halt sideways. A few of the guys stayed on their bikes and aimed their guns at the driver’s side door, while Eddie dismounted and waited to see if Craig would step out, but he didn’t, so Eddie went over and yanked it open for him.
“Please please please don’t kill me!” The woman behind the steering wheel screamed, holding her hands up. She was in her early fifties, highlights of gray hair in her brunette bob, wearing an orange corduroy jumper over a floral shirt.
The woman was in tears, and Eddie stepped back in disbelief. He jerked open the side door only to realize it was the same make of SUV, but it did not belong to Craig.
“You can take my wallet,” the woman stammered. “It’s in my—”
“We’re sorry, ma’am,” Bones told her, motioning for everyone to lower their weapons as a dust cloud settled around them. “There’s been a terrible mistake.”
Eddie started to walk away but then let out a violent curse at the last minute and punched the side of the SUV causing it to dent.
—------
Steve ran the tip of his tongue over his gold incisor and buttoned his jacket as he came around the passenger side of the Jaguar to take Charlene’s hand at the entrance to the Golden Lion Hotel & Resort before he tossed the keys to the valet. The tats on his hands and throat were an interesting pairing with the fancy suit he had on, and it took all of Charlene’s willpower not to kiss him right there. She knew what everyone whispered about—she knew that the infidelities both her and John exercised were well known in town—but it was important to continue the facade.
It was a strange arrangement in more ways than one: Steve escorted her inside to where a group of her friends were, but then was told to wait out front like a guard until the ceremony and dinner were over. Steve took a walk, smoked half a pack of cigarettes, talked to some of the other drivers, and sat in the lobby, bobbing his knee restlessly. Charlene came out to check on him a few times, like someone would a dog, even brought him a plate of food. He planned to wait until the music for the dancing started, and then he’d go and find his benefactress to ask how much longer they needed to stay. He didn’t mind Charlene—he thought she was hot as hell—but the only thing motivating him to stick around was feeling that wad of cash in his pocket once the evening was over.
He saw Eddie’s ex Melanie at the bar taking shots with her friend, and he ducked behind a collection of imported palm trees so that they wouldn’t see him.
______
“Steve!” You called across the parking lot as your heels clapped up the pavement with Robin close behind you. You were relieved to see that he was alone, if only for a moment.
He was afraid to look up at first, his head bent down as he finished the last of his smoke, not sure if it was someone he wanted to ignore. But, when his eyebrows finally lifted the rest of his head up, his face beamed with a mix of relief and confusion.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” His surprised expression landed on Robin; it was only the third time in his life he’d seen her in a dress. He almost didn’t recognize her.
Robin scoffed. “I wanted to go to this wedding in the first place, remember?”
“Oh shit,” Steve balked. “Is this Scott’s wedding you were telling me about?”
Robin shook her head and snorted a laugh out her nose. “You are unreal.”
“Damn, I wasn’t paying any attention,” he jerked the corners of his mouth down in an oblivious frown.
“Hey,” you took Steve by the elbow, leaning in. “The woman you’re here with, is her name Charlene?”
Steve’s ADHD was getting the better of him. “Yes, why? Where’s Eddie? Is he coming? Did they catch that freak who broke into your place?”
You stammered, trying to choose which one to answer. “I’m not sure, but I—”
And that was when Charlene showed up in the entranceway behind you—in the flesh—and beckoned for Steve to come inside. You could almost feel her there, even without looking, and it made all of the hair on your body stand on end.
You turned to face her in all of her Sharon Stone glory, and in that moment, you could’ve sworn you saw a flicker of fear flash over her face as she recognized you.
“Stevie,” she said it louder, clearing her throat. “Come have a drink with me?”
“Be right there,” Steve threw her a lift of his chin and grin, and then he turned back to you, running a hand through his hair. “I have to go do this for a bit longer. See you in there, though, yeah?”
But before you could say anything else, he patted your arm and strode over to greet Charlene, offering his elbow for her to take. You could hear the music start up from the dancefloor: Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
Robin pushed tight to your side. “Is that her?” She asked. “The one who got Eddie stabbed?”
“That’s her,” you said, watching them through the glass as they disappeared around a corner.
“Hell no,” Robin pushed off with a huff. “I don’t care how much money she’s giving him, he needs to know,” and then she charged fullbore into the building, getting stuck in a crowd of people exiting, pushing her way through while trying to be polite.
“Robin, wait!” You blurted, still weary of Charlene’s reach and power. You hustled after her, stopping to hold the door open for an elderly couple as people poured in and out to get some air, music vibrating in your chest.
You broke free into the lobby, scissored your way through the line for the bar, keeping your eye on the back of Robin up ahead.
That was when a strong arm snaked around your waist from behind and a mouth pressed against your ear, hissing at a whisper: “Try to fight me or make a sound and I’ll hurt your friends,” the voice promised.
It was Craig.
You could feel the stubble on his chin and smell the familiar Altoids and whiskey tang of his breath.
“Come with me?” He asked it as a question, but he knew you would nod, swallowing hard and then he grabbed your arm with one hand and rested the other on the small of your back, guiding you back and to the side, into the shadows.
You didn’t say a word, you just kept pace with him, knowing that his threats were never idle.
—-----
Eddie sent two of the guys ahead to bring a tow truck to take the woman’s SUV back to the shop, and he let her know that all of the repairs were on him, apologizing for the “mixup”. But then Bones had to step in and have a serious conversation with her about how she shouldn’t tell anyone about what happened, especially the police—that it would be bad for her “health”.
It was dark by the time Eddie got back to his place. He was angry and frustrated and fucking exhausted, but finding you was now his priority. You told him you’d leave a message on his machine letting him know if you did a double shift at The Hammer, and so he went up to wash his face and see if you’d called. His boots clomped wearily on the steps, tired shoulders rolling, his neck cracking.
With his shirt off, he dried the water and soap from his face, wet bangs brushed off his forehead, and then hung the towel around his neck as he played the messages he had.
The first one was from Melanie, and he deleted it as soon as it was over with a weary sigh.
He snatched the matchbook he found in Craig’s motel room from the nightstand and spun it in his fingers as he sat down on the bed, lips jerking up in a smile at the sound of your voice in the next message.
You’d decided to go to a wedding with Robin. He stopped twirling the matchbook and let that sink in. But, Steve would be there too, you assured him, and you asked him to join you if he was in the mood. You said you’d call when you got back to Robin’s if you didn’t see or hear from him. You told him you loved him, and he whispered, “I love you too,” at the machine.
The only problem was, you forgot to mention where, exactly, the wedding was.
He spun the matchbook again as the next voice clicked on: Melanie. Again.
But, this time her words made an uncomfortable lump form in his throat.
Melanie was at the same wedding? Fuck.
The end of her message sent fireworks through his blood, and he put the matchbook down to go over and search through the pile of papers on his desk for the invitation that he got. It was still sealed in the envelope, and he ripped the corner open with his teeth, spitting out the paper, cringing as confetti fluttered to the ground when he pulled out the buttercream invitation with lace corners.
Golden Lion Hotel and Resort
His mouth went dry as he circled back around the bed to pick up the matchbook again, realizing with a buzzing in his ears that it was from the same place.
And it had been in Craig’s room. The only trace left of him in an otherwise immaculate space.
Eddie squeezed the matchbook so tight in his fist, he crushed it, and then he went to find you.
------
I cherish you all, and please remember that your comments, especially your reblogs, mean the absolute world to me.
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“People’s lives are not commodities…. You cannot ask the question ‘How much will you pay to live?’ Because the answer is everything. The answer is you will pay $10. You will pay $1000. You will go into debt. You will do anything to live.” - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
baby steps. if you’re overwhelmed by something, make tiny achievable goals - do them one at a time. do it at your own pace, don’t look at everyone else. it’s ok to start late. you can do it.
Last time I reblogged this I lost ten followers, someone I liked blocked me, and I got hate mail in my inbox for several days. Let’s see what happens this time.
My ex wouldn’t even accept a ride from my friend who offered to drive us home in the pouring Orlando rain and instead forced us to walk 12 minutes in the rain, soaking my only pair of work shoes and giving me a cold. FUCKING RED FLAGS
This is a serious red flag for abuse. If any person you date, of whatever gender or no gender, tries to separate you from your friends and family, and deny you any life outside of them, run as fast as you can. There is no way to have a healthy relationship with those sorts of rules. Period.
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