One Ride (The Hellions Ride) (8 page)

Roundman calls the sermon to order.  He sits there quietly, his age suddenly apparent to me.  Roundman is tall, built, and covered in ink, full sleeves that go up his neck.  His long graying hair pulled back and his goatee does nothing to hide the serious look crossing his face.  He’s fifty eight, but most days he carries himself with the agility and attitude of a much younger man, with a lifetime ahead of him.  The look he has in this moment is one of worry and one of age.  He’s obviously bothered by something.

“Fellas, Oscar Delatorre has fallen ill.  He has passed his business dealings down to his son Felix Delatorre.  We’ve completed the first half of the transport under Felix’s command.  He does his business much differently than his father.”

I shake my head, this cannot be good.  Sharing the specifics of business dealings with all the active members is definitely out of our normal procedures, big shit is going down.  Roundman takes this time to catch everyone up on the side business we have.

“Bottom line, Felix is a control freak with some bigger issues.  He threatened not only Doll, but every Hellion woman.  He plays dirty boys, and needs to be taught a lesson.  He’s clever.  I underestimated him.  He came on board under a guise of being Oscar and the job was agreed upon long before I knew it wasn’t a job for Oscar, but one for Felix.  Therefore, we’re goin’ on lock down for families.  Pack your wives, girlfriends, moms and children.  Get them settled into the duplexes.  As for each of you, go to work, and be normal.  Set up a schedule so the compound is double or triple guarded now.  We’re going to complete the transport, as that is the business transaction.  Then we’re going to teach the fucker that Hellion women are off limits, even in conversation.  Danza, Tank, Tripp, Frisco, and Rex stay behind.  The rest of you are dismissed to pack your shit.  I want every single one of you and your families accounted for on the compound TONIGHT!  No fucking around!  Dismissed.”  He slams the gavel down.

Once everyone exits the cave, Roundman continues.  “Danza, the girls aren’t safe.  He knows where the condo is.  He confronted Doll on the front porch when she returned from a date.”

A date?  Doll was on a date, hmmm.  I wonder who with.  Is he a Hellion?  A suit?  I’m quickly brought back out of my thoughts.

“He’s made it clear.  He can get to them if he wants to.  Until he’s eliminated the girls aren’t safe.  Typically I would put them on lock down with everyone else.  This time, I’m not comfortable with that.  I don’t want them anywhere near what I’m going to do to that son of a bitch.  Let’s send the girls off on a ride while we take care of the issue.  After we bury the fucker, we can bring them home.  There are club affiliations nationwide that we can send them to that will keep them protected and safe.”

Danza replies, “Damn it.  I don’t like the idea of them being so far away.  He’s already gotten too close, though.  If that piece of shit knows where Savannah and Delilah live, it’s serious trouble for the girls.  Neither of them seem to know how to shut their mouths to stay safe.  I’m in.”

“Alright, let’s head over to the office and let the girls know.”  Roundman states and we leave the cave.

One Request

My dad is on his way over to my office.  Savannah is here, all of a sudden, at the request of her dad.  Given the threat of Felix Delatorre, I have a feeling a lock down is coming.  The door chimes and I look up to see Tank walk in firs
t.  He approaches Sass and I.  Standing, I greet him with a hug.  I move out of the way as he pulls Sass into him.  Reluctantly, she hugs him back.  I can hear him talking to her.

“Sass, be mad at me all you fucking want.  Please, right now, keep that sexy as sin mouth of yours shut.  Don’t fight this okay?  For me, please.  I need to know you’re safe so I can do my job.”

Before either of us can further question what he’s referring to, the door chimes.  In walks the familiar face from my recent fantasies.  His shoulder length dark brown hair is hanging down now, rather than pulled back as it was on our first encounter.  His face set in a stone like frame of seriousness.  The golden hazel of his eyes is sparkling with lust and passion as he stares straight at me.  He’s in jeans, a navy blue t-shirt, black boots, and his cut.  His friend from the barbeque is with him, as well as my dad, Danza, and Frisco.

Frisco reaches me first.  He’s short compared to the others, about five, eight.  He’s trim and handsome.  For a biker, he’s clean cut.  His tattoos aren’t visible unless he removes his shirt.  He has salt and pepper hair and eyes so dark, I could almost swear they were black.  For a man in his late fifties, he’s still handsome.  He’s one of the few Hellions that could play the part of a suit easily.  Although, if you tell him that, he will laugh in your face and say,
“Not even in my casket will I wear a damn suit.”
  Frisco smiles down at me, his dimples lighting up his face as he hugs me.  He hugs Sass, as she’s still staring at Tank.

Frisco moves to the back wall of my office, beside the door to my dad’s private office.  When you walk in the front door, it leads to an open space with four chairs, two on each side of the door and my desk lined to the right wall, but facing the door.  I have file cabinets on the wall behind my desk and then, an office door that leads to a bathroom and my dad’s private office.  Tank moves to sit in a front chair.

Danza hugs me quickly before reaching over to Sass.  He hugs her as he growls, “Stop with your attitude toward Tank.  Shit’s real serious Sass.  You’ve been killin’ him with your eyes since we walked in the door.  I’ve had enough.”  With that, my best friend’s face softens and she moves to sit against my desk.

For once, my dad didn’t enter and greet me, rather, he stares.  An awkward silence encompasses the room.  Tripp and Rex are standing in the doorway by the chair Tank is occupying. 

“Doll, you remember Tripp?”  My dad asks, pointing to the man of my recent dreams.  Damn, I’ve had his name wrong this whole time.  Definitely should’ve paid better attention at the barbeque introductions.  Being the flirt that I am, I step forward and once again extend my hand to Tripp, as he shakes my hand, I step closer so I can pull him to me.

“He’s one that’s hard to forget.”  I say as I pull his shoulder down to kiss him on the cheek.  The charge zings through my body at the touch of my lips to his cheek.  I step back and move to shake hands with Rex.  All the greetings now complete, my dad is still eerily silent.

“Is someone going to tell me why the hell y’all are taking up my office space?”  My annoyance is now overtaking my patience. 

The more time I stand in close proximity of Tripp the more I want to inspect every detail of his naked body.  I don’t want to get to know him.  Hell, I’ve had a couple of battery operated initiated orgasms with his face in my mind, while calling out the wrong name.  None of the details matter, what he can do for my body is what I want to know.  If he’s not into me for sex, then, quite frankly, I want him to leave.  He’s a distraction of the lust filled kind.

“Sit down, Delilah.”  My dad commands.  He never uses my given name, I’ve been his doll my entire life.  Shit.

Doing as I am told, I back up and slide my butt up to be sitting on my desk.  Bracing myself for serious news, I grip the edge of the desk and look down.

“Big things are going on.  You and Savannah are going to go on a ride for a few weeks.”

“Huh?”  I mutter.

“Pack a small bag for the bikes, you and Sass are going on a ride with Tripp and Rex.”  My dad states firmly. 

“Tripp and Rex?  You’re sending us away?  With them?  Why exactly?  We’ve never been sent away before.  What the hell, Dad?”  I ask as I hop off my desk and stand with my hands on my hips.

“Roundman, why are they coming with us?  Wouldn’t you rather Danza or Tank take them out of the area?”  Tripp asks with that serious demeanor he always has.

“No, I need Danza and Tank here.  You two will take the girls.”

“And what if we don’t want to go, Dad?  What will you do then?”  I ask with a firmness I’ve never had when addressing my dad before. 

Any other time a trip wouldn’t bother me.  I know my dad is going to take this time to handle Delatorre, that’s not my issue with going away.  This trip means days and nights with merely inches between Tripp and me on his bike. 

“Delilah, I don’t ask any fucking thing of you.  This is my one request.  Go away with Tripp on this ride.  Have fun while you travel if that makes it better, but stay safe.  Put your attitude away and listen to me and to Tripp.  This is for you, my Doll.  To keep you safe.”

“I don’t want to go.  Delatorre is an ass, but he won’t come to my house again, he’s bluffing.”  I say, not really believing myself.

“Damn it, Delilah!  You.  Will.  Fucking.  Go!” with that my dad stomps to his office.

“Not negotiable, Sass, so shut your fucking trap before you even start.”  Danza says, as his way of backing up what we already know.  He follows my dad into the back office.

Tank, Tripp, Frisco, and Rex follow Danza.  Sass and I stand by my desk in disbelief of what just occurred.

“Roundman, you’re sure ‘bout this?”  I ask once we are in the privacy of his office.  Of all the things he could ask of me, this is what I end up with.  No fucking way.  How do I say no?  The office is small; only a desk, a chair, a safe, and two file cabinets are contained in the room.  Having six grown men in the small space is cramped.  Tension coursing through each of us is filling the room and sending everyone’s adrenaline into overdrive. 

“Are you fucking questioning me, Tripp?  Because I know you’re not stupid enough to question me.”  Roundman states, the tension is rolling off him in waves.  The room is suddenly feeling even smaller.

“I’m not questioning sending the girls on a ride.  I thought you’d want me and Rex to work on Delatorre.”

“No, I need our daughters kept safe.  They’ve both got a knack for not only running their mouths, but also sticking their noses where they don’t belong.  The last thing I need to worry about right now is Doll and Sass.  I trust you and Rex to keep them safe.  Tank here, would be too busy fucking Savannah to stay on task.  As for the rest of us, those girls have us all wrapped around their little fingers, and won’t listen like they need to.  They’ve gotta keep their mouths shut and stay out of trouble.  You two are my best options.”  Roundman says firmly, while Danza is giving Tank the death glare.

Tank coughs at the mention of fucking Sass.  Roundman is perceptive.  Does he see the way his daughter winds me up?  Every minute that ticks by, I feel the walls closing in.  Danza has yet to remove his eyes from Tank. 

Pulling an envelope out of the drawer, Roundman walks over to me.  Toe to toe, I stand taller than him, but he’s no less intimidating. 

“Keep them safe.  Don’t fuck around, Tripp. She’s a beautiful girl.  Hellion or not, you fuck over my kid, I will feed you your balls for breakfast.  She’s off limits.  Sass is off limits.   Got it?”

“Got it.”  Taking the envelope, that I know is full of money, I hand it to Rex for safe keeping. 

Roundman is in his safe.  He comes out with a sealed, letter sized envelope. 

“This stays on you Tripp, and only you.  Map out your travels, head to Broadus, Montana.  When you get to the Shifter’s compound, go see Dyson.  You know the Shifter’s Pack.  Keep yourself and those two broads in check.  We’re fuckin’ good with ‘em, and we’re gonna stay fuckin’ good with ‘em.  They’re a strong affiliate, and I don’t want any disrespect whatsoever between our clubs, understood?  This envelope is important for the Blackout transport, and they’re expecting it.”

“Got it.”  I reply, what else is there to say? 

There’s a lot to this ride and it’s going to require every bit of my focus and attention to the details around us.  Roundman sits behind his desk as we work with Tank on the details of our route.  After two hours, everything is ready.  We exit the small office to the front lobby.  Leaving Tank to deal with a very pissed off Danza, a stressed out Roundman, and Frisco, who I have a feeling, may find Tank’s situation funny.

“Alright, let’s go darlin’,” I say to Doll as I stride out the door of the building. 

One ride together.  Go across the country and back.  One ride to get her out of my system for good.  One ride to keep her safe.  Our one ride begins now.