“It’s parked in the back lot close to the woods, a white Camaro. Willie called her mother and said Roberta had called her and said someone broke into her house. Willie told her mother to go over there since we were going to a party. Willie made us wear those gloves too. I think that is it. Unless Willie had something to add that I forgot.” She looked at Willie who was watching Black Dog turn the tray over.
He noticed some blood smears, and wondered how hard Willie had hit Roberta.
Darko cursed and poured them more shots. He left the office for a moment and came back with a biker neither girl knew.
Willie, can I have the keys please? We don’t want that car here in case it was reported stolen. Is there anything else in the car?” Darko’s voice was kind and Willie looked at him with hope as she handed him the car keys.
“The registration and insurance card are in the glove compartment and the car is new. We didn’t touch the car without the gloves on, I swear.” She still seemed shaky and Black Dog put the tray down and sat beside her on the couch.
“These Filthy Fiends, you know their names? Did they hurt either of you in any way baby?” Black Dog hoped to hell they hadn’t but his gut was wrenching.
“No, they were very nice except for the one named Gimpy. I don’t think they’re too smart, more like a bunch of nitwits. The others didn’t want to leave us with Roberta—seems like they don’t care too much for her either. Creed and Preacher didn’t want to take us did they, Dee?” Willie was speaking very seriously.
Dee looked at Willie as she answered, “No, but they did what Wolf told them to do, Willie. We got very lucky; they could have hurt us or raped us. There was one named JR and another one named Moron. I don’t know what the other ones in the cars were named. If Roberta hadn’t helped us it could have been much worse once Wolf got there. We did lay a beating on her too; I bet she has to go to the hospital.”
Black Dog’s fist crashed into the paneled wall, splintering the wood easily.
Darko spoke up, “The Camaro is going to Newark if it is new, Sleazy and Moose will take the back roads to get up there. We may as well make some money off of it. Dee, your dad will be here in about twenty minutes, I’d rather you didn’t tell him about this.
“I’ll handle Whiskey since we don’t know how drunk he is or his club will be—they’ve all been partying with Bound for Hell for hours. With the funeral earlier, I don’t think we need to go off all drunk after the Filthy Fiends tonight. If you feel you need to tell him or want to go back with him you can leave. Sorry Jack, but if Dee doesn’t feel safe here, I gotta let her go back with her father.”
Mad Jack shot Darko a dirty look. “She isn’t leaving, we’re getting married. Motherfucker! I wanted to give you this in private Dee, but I guess now is as good a time as any.” His hand went into his pocket and came out with a square jewelry box.
“Dee will you wear my ring and get my ink?” He opened the box and handed Dee a huge round diamond ring and slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly and Dee gasped.
“I wasn’t planning to tell my dad anything, and I’m never leaving Mad Jack, ever.” With that she stood, and wrapped her arms around Jack’s neck pulling him down for a kiss. Mad Jack grinned as everyone watched them.
“We’re going to the bar to have some drinks and show off my ol lady’s ring. We’ll pull this off Prez, Whiskey won’t know shit, and he’ll be staring at the ring. Dee, I was voted in as a sergeant at arms.” Mad Jack was very proud of his new position.
Dee and Mad Jack walked out of the room happy as hell and Darko and Sleazy followed them, leaving Willie and Black Dog all alone.
Black Dog pulled Willie into his arms as the door closed. He inhaled her perfume and buried his face in her hair as he felt her body shaking. He tightened his grip on her.
“Baby, I’m so sorry this happened to you. I wanted tonight to be special for you too. Willie, will you be my ol lady, if we work out, we’ll do everything right, and I want you to meet my family. Before you answer me…I gotta tell you something else. I think you need another shot first.”
Willie watched the big man she loved get her a shot and thought she had never drank as much as she did since meeting these bikers. It really didn’t matter to her now that she wasn’t a teacher. Her life was in a tailspin and she doubted whatever else Black Dog had to tell her was going to be any worse than her day had been so far. But she downed the shot and waited for him to tell her what was on his mind.
“Last night, remember you took a shower and asked me to look though that paperwork? Well I found something that shocked the living shit outta me.”
Willie grabbed his hand. “I don’t care what it is, I’ve got you and you’ve got me, right?”
“I hope so baby, I really hope so. I don’t know how you’re going to take this news though. I was shocked and Teddy is livid. Althea used your name when she had a baby girl and somehow she found out my real name because we’re both listed as the parents. We need to go to that doctor’s house and find out what Althea did with that baby. Are you going to be okay Willie?
“If I can find that child, I want her. There is no way I can let a child of my blood live with strangers. I can support us and with you making those art glass fairy wing pendants and all the stuff you make and painting; I think we could live pretty well. Jack said you and Dee could open up a small shop and he’d get his dad to get you a deal on a small store to start. I just need you to tell me you’ll be my ol lady.” He traced his finger over her upper thigh. “Right here is where I want you to have my property of Black Dog tattoo, if you still want me.”
Willie looked deep into his eyes, “Of course I want to be your ol lady. I just can’t believe Althea thought she could use my name. My brain is trying to take all of this in. So I’m my half niece’s mother on the birth certificate? BD, if we find this baby and take her, can Althea ever get her back? I don’t want to love a child and have her taken from us. I’d never want her to even know Althea was her mother!
“Maybe she would forget Althea, since she is so young. She would be about three years old; do you think Althea has taken care of her? Oh my God, I heard Dr. Rayne was caring for a toddler a few months ago. One of the girls I taught was doing some babysitting for her. Now it all makes sense to me. Why would everyone lie about us? There was no reason to Althea to use my name either, unless it was to hurt me. I don’t know why she hates me so much either. It’s so very wrong to mess in our lives like this!”
“Willie, I don’t know, but we’ve got a club lawyer and Jack called some lawyer he knows, Peter Evans who is going to go with us tomorrow. Now I wanna give you something. Because I am now the vice president and you need to wear this.” He got up and took a denim vest off a hook on the back of the door. He handed it to Willie.
“It says property of Black Dog!” Willie slipped her arms into it and twirled around so he could read it as she laughed. “You’re now the vice president of the club? That makes you happy BD? As long you’re happy so am I!”
“Yeah, I’m happy baby. No more saying you’re nobody’s ol lady anymore get me? Now we’ve got to go out to the bar and act happy, Willie. Until we know more, I don’t want Satan’s Attitude knowing anything that could rip Jack and Deidra apart, do you?” Black Dog was dead serious but Willie barely heard noticed.
“I am happy, when do I get the ink? I don’t have to act happy because I’m very happy! We can make this relationship work out together, one day at a time. I can still dance if we need the money, Black Dog.”
Black Dog looked at her in shock, “Fuck no! It was killing me each time you danced, baby. If I heard you yell you were nobody’s ol lady again, I might have started fighting with my brothers. We’re good, right? We’ll figure all of this out tomorrow and we’ll get your ink as soon as we can. Let’s go party.”