Chrome & Leather - The Novel (Adriana Ness ♯1) (Motorcycle Club Romance) (16 page)

Linda’s free hand swung from behind her back and Emily’s eyes grew wide as she say the incoming tip of the needle. As the tip sunk into the flesh of her calf Linda thought to herself “What if it’s the wrong syringe and it’s the antidote?” Linda plunged the needles handle administering a full dose into the crazed and flailing woman.

The effect was nearly instantaneous on Emily. She released the pressure of her boot on Linda’s throat and fell backwards landing with a thud as her leg began to spasm and contract.
 

“You bitch she hissed,” as the drug travelled through her body and the muscle contractions began to take hold. “Darian,” she screamed in a high pitched wail before her teeth clamped shut as the searing pain contorted her body into painful shapes.

Linda looked behind her at the door expecting to see the twisted form of Darian hobbling towards her with an ax in his hand like an unstoppable killer from a horror movie. He was nowhere to be seen. Quickly she freed her other hand from its bounds and untied her feet. She looked down with disgust as she stepped over the depraved and contorted form of Emily. Her eyes burned like hot embers in her pale deep set sockets and she moaned feebly at Linda. As she untied the ropes from her feet she looked around for a syringe containing the antidote. The closest one to her was cracked open and its contents seeped into the dust darkening it. Blackjacks eyes were shut tight as every muscle fiber in his body twitched in painful burning waves. His skin was a deep crimson color and Linda imagined his heart couldn’t take much more of this abuse.
 

The ropes fell away from her feet and she stood up stiffly every joint in her body feeling like ground glass. Linda scrabbled in the dirt around the trolley and found more broken syringes. She could barely take it any more, the sounds of pain coming from Blackjack were scrabbling at the walls of her mind and it felt like they were tearing through the layers of her sanity. A splash of light in the corner of her eye caught her attention. As if illuminated by a higher power a beam of light hit a syringe lying in a pile of waste paper. Linda hobbled over to it as her muscles begin to wake up slowly from the constraints. She picked it up in fingers that felt like they were made of clay and suddenly she felt exhausted as the weight of the trauma pressed down on her. The adrenalin that had surged through her body was now making her feel shaky and spent. Come on she told herself pull it together there is still another psycho hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce.

She knelt beside blackjack and injected the needle into a prominent vein on his arm. Cradling his head in her lap and running her fingers through his hair the contortions slowed down and the intense red pallor of his skin abated. His breathing steadied as the pain leeched away and his limbs stopped twitching. Linda was consumed with relief for both of them. She couldn’t imagine the pain that he had been going through, a weaker man would have surely been killed by what Blackjack had endured.

Without thinking Linda bent down and kissed him. His hand reached up and cradled her neck as they kissed deeply. Linda’s heart beat a staccato rhythm in her chest at the intensity of emotions sweeping through her. Underneath the fear and the relief she also felt something else. She felt an intense connection to Blackjack. They had been through so much together in such a short time, it felt like their bond had been forged in the fiery depths of hell and it was something that would not be broken easily. Her skin prickled with hot intensity under his touch and her skin buzzed under the rough stubble of his chin. Amidst all the chaos and terror they had gone through the kiss felt beautiful and perfect and Linda wanted to hold this moment in her mind. She wished it could go on forever but it was broken by a sound behind her. The warm feeling was quickly replaced by fear as she spun around. Standing in the door of the office was the man with the limp. He stood still for a second appraising the scene and then turned, disappearing into the shadows.

“Don’t let him escape.” Blackjack growled as Linda got up to take chase. Blackjack stood up and swayed on his weakened legs. “I’ll be right behind you”.
 

Linda set off as fast as her stiff limbs could carry her and closed the gap to the office doors in what felt like an eternity. The room was dim and shadows pooled in the corners. She stood in the doorframe for a second breathing hard. A crack of light at the far end of the room leaked out from under a door. Linda stepped into the darkened room expecting the limping man to jump out at her any second like a ghoul from hell. She let her eyes adjust to the gloom as much as possible and headed for the back door. She blindly reached for the door handle and her skin crawled at the thought of the limping man clamping his hand over her wrist and pulling her back down into the waking nightmare. Her hand found the doorknob and the door swung open easily. Light spilled into the room as she stumbled out into a weed strewn courtyard. At the other end the man was mounting a motorbike. It would be impossible for her to cover the distance in time.

The limping man started up the bike and before he drove off glanced back at Linda. He smiled broadly flashing his teeth at her, then turned and gunned the engine and drove away. It was as if all strength in her body evaporated in that moment. Her muscles felt slack and weak and she fell to her knees with a sob rising in her chest. Her chest hitched as tears that streamed freely down her cheeks wracked her body. The horrors she had gone through flipped through her mind spiralling out of control until she felt the familiar pain in her chest of the onset of a panic attack. She tried to pull out of the spiral but she could feel the acrid talons of the attack begin to tear at her skin. An arm enveloped her and pulled her to her feet. Blackjack pulled her in close to him in a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and held him just as tightly their bodies pressed together each seeking solace from the other. The onslaught of the attack began to fade as she become more aware of Blackjacks strong arms around her, one slung low around her waist and the other crossing her shoulders. She buried her face in his neck and kissed it gently. The furnace like warmth coming off his body calmed her. Her tears stopped and they both ended the intense embrace.

“You saved my life again,” Blackjack said, “I really owe you now.”

As inappropriate as it seemed after all they had been through Linda blurted out, “I’ll figure out a way for you to pay off your debt.” She could feel her cheeks redden as soon as soon as the words were out of her mouth.
 

Blackjack saluted her and said, “Yes sir.”

They both began to laugh and it felt good to have some joy coursing through her after so much misery. The sound echoed around the courtyard and for a moment the weariness and pain Linda felt throughout her body was forgotten. Blackjacks eyes twinkled full of mischief while he laughed and Linda noticed how attractive he looked in that instant. It was such a simple thing but it made her feel alive as if the shared laughter helped them break through the veil of horror and stand tall to declare that they were both alive and could take anything that was thrown at them. The laughter was an act of defiance that helped them feel human again.

When they stopped Blackjack said, “Take a look at these, they were on the floor in the office,” and handed three photographs to Linda. They had been taken with the instant camera and each one showed Linda’s struggle with the crazed Emily. One of the pictures caught the moment as Linda buried the needle in Emily’s leg.

“He was watching us the whole time,” Linda said, “he didn’t even attempt to save her. That’s a pretty strong message he left us.” Linda shivered at the thought of this madman running loose. “Do you have any idea who he is?”

“I’ve never seen that freak before, or his girlfriend. I meet some twisted fuckers in this line of work, him I don’t remember at all. He went to a lot of trouble to grab me. The next time I see him I’ll make sure it’s on my terms,” he said angrily. “Fuck. What time is it?” he said as he searched through his pockets for his phone.

“Judging by the height of the sun I’d say it’s close to midday”

“Fuck. We need to get to the safe house or find a phone fast. The meet at the harbor was meant to go down now. I have to contact Pops, this shit could go sideways if I don’t turn up at the designated time. Fuck that limping freak, if anything happens to one of my guys because of his twisted games I will tear this city apart until I find him. I wont play as nice with him the next time we cross paths, ill make today look like a kids birthday party.”

“What about her inside, she might have a phone,” Linda said walking towards the door.

“She doesn’t,” Blackjack growled.

“Should we give her the antidote?” Linda asked.

“Its too late she was already dead when I came out to you. Her heart probably gave out.”

Linda knew she should have felt some sort of remorse but she felt nothing but cold indifference to that crazed woman’s death. Linda had killed before in the line of duty and each time it had affected her deeply. This time was different, it was either her or that batshit insane woman and Linda knew she would choose herself anytime the choice was given. If she had any self doubt about the decision she had no time to dwell on it as they both made their way out of the industrial area to find a phone.
 

The cab dropped them off a few blocks from the safe house and they walked the rest of the way. Linda knew Blackjack was being as careful as possible. His gang was under threat from two fronts now and it looked like his world was slowly unraveling before his eyes. The rival gang he could deal with through sheer force. The limping man hiding in the shadows and biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike again was completely out of Blackjacks hands and this is what had seemed to shake him the most. He hadn’t spoken since the call to Pops and had only spoken in short terse sentences. From the fragments that Linda had heard from her side it looked like the gang had been hit by a group of heavily armed men and several member’s had been killed. At one point Blackjack had raised his voice in anger and demanded that a meet be held as soon as possible. When he had gotten off the phone, a cheap burner they picked up in a tiny corner store electronics shop, he was distant and deflated. When Linda asked what was going on all he mumbled was, “Some bad shit.”

Now they were winding their way through the tight streets of a neighborhood she wasn’t familiar with. Blackjack crossed back and forward some side streets taking a circuitous route to the safe house. When he was sure that they weren’t being tailed he stopped outside a house with a high wooden fence. A metal sign was nailed to the gate. A snarling dog with snarling jaws wide open was painted on it. Flecks of spittle flew in all directions and in bright white letters was stencilled, “This beast bites. Enter at your peril”.
 

Blackjack keyed in a code on the pad beside the gate and a bolt slid soundlessly back allowing their entry. “Stay behind me.” Blackjack said as he closed the gate. Linda pressed into him tight as a large dog barrelled towards them from behind the house. It looked like the dog in the warning sign except this one was bigger and meaner looking. The brute was all muscle and looked like a slick torpedo of gnashing teeth as it neared them. Linda pressed in close to Blackjack using him as a shield. “Sit.” Blackjack said in a firm commanding voice. The dog immediately stopped dead on the spot and sat with its large pink tongue lolling out of its mouth. “Roll over.” Blackjack said and the dog obeyed. Blackjack knelt and scratched the dogs belly vigorously and the dog’s tail thwacked in excitement against the ground.

“Come over. Once he knows you are with me you will be ok. I got him as a puppy and he is trained to attack on sight. The only people who can step on this property safely are a guest and me. Anyone else who climbs that fence is taking their life into their own hands. Once he clamps his jaws onto you he wont let go. This place is for me and me alone. We will be safe to hole up here the night.”

Linda knelt and hesitantly stroked the matted fur on the dog’s belly. His tail wagged even faster as he enjoyed the dual attention. The dog spun around and sniffed at Linda’s hand and then gave it a broad lick.

“He’s bonded to you now,” Blackjack said, “if anyone tries to harm you he will protect you with his life.”

Blackjack rolled onto the ground and grabbed the dog in an embrace and the two rolled around on the grass as the dog licked furiously at Blackjacks face. He started to laugh as the dog licked his ear and enthusiastically rolled around with him. Hearing him laugh sounded good to Linda, the joyful guffaws buoyed her spirits. For a moment she forgot about the horrors of the day and just watched Blackjack playfully wrestle with the large Alsatian.
 
The despair and darkness of the day pulled at this moment of joy like an unraveling sweater. Linda could feel a massive weight pressing down on her shoulders as exhaustion took a draining hold of her.

A thick metal door swung open as Blackjack ushered her inside the safe house. The windows all had thick iron bars on them and the door swung behind her with a reassuring clunk. Immediately Linda felt better and realized she had felt exposed in the garden even with the monster of a dog ready to protect her. She had felt that the limping man could pop out in any second with a ghoulish grin and his thin reedy voice declaring “You really think I would have let you go that easily?” She shuddered thinking about him and when Blackjack saw her visibly shaking he approached her and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close against him. The steely tightness of his muscles pressing into her felt good, she felt safe and already she could feel something more spread through her limbs. At first it was nothing more than a tiny glowing match illuminating the walls of a dark cave. The longer their bodies stayed pressed together the brighter the flame grew. Her skin prickled under his touch as if an unseen force was coursing through both their bodies. They were twin lightning rods beginning to crack and fizzle from the intensity of each other’s touch. Linda pulled away breaking the embrace. She feared how strongly she had felt while enveloped in his strong arms. “I am here to do a job,” she thought to herself sternly. It didn’t seem to matter as the rational side of her brain screamed to stay in control, to focus on the task at hand. The flood of emotions running through her body at that time was drowning this call to arms out. She couldn’t deny that she was beginning to have feeling for Blackjack, she was scared to pull back the covers and see how deep these blossoming emotions went.