Page 10 of Biker's Collar: Property of Scrap

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t do that.”

“Not even for ten grand?”

He holds up a high roller poker chip. It really is ten thousand dollars. I don’t know if I should feel disgusted by the disrespect or disgusted by how tempting it is just to reach out and snatch it. I’m that desperate. That much money could change my life right now. It could fund my escape and make sure that I never end up in Hakeem’s clutches again.

“I’m not a hooker.”

“Then don’t be a hooker. Be a comforter. Listen, you’re not my type, but my brother likes a thick woman with big legs and afat ass. So take the ten grand… we’re rolling out of town tonight. There won’t be another chance.”

“Wow. I wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“Listen,” he says, clearly frustrated with my resistance as if screwing some dirty ass biker was every woman’s life goal. “What do you want? Your boss over there doesn’t seem to mind me talking to you. Do you need me to talk to him?”

“I don’t need you to talk to anyone.”

“If you say yes,” he says, lowering his voice. “You’ll go to my brother’s place. We live miles away from the club. I can promise your man we’ll bring you back.”

There’s a strange implication in what he’s saying, like he doesn’t care whether I go back or not. But men in this world don’t side with women. They side with each other. I let his insinuation slide without open acknowledgment.

“I’ll take your money,” I tell him. “But I don’t shit on chests or piss in mouths or any of that freaky shit.”

The brother chuckles. “Too bad. You would make a lot more money doing that.”

He hands me the poker chip and then grabs my head from the back, pulling me close to kiss me on the neck. I amfrozen.This white man could unintentionally feel up the pills I have in my hair with his controlling palm, so my heart races like a Corvette down a straight stretch of highway. The neck kiss only makes the tense situation worse.

But he pulls away from me and my secret pills remain a secret. He beams at me, the smile making his face almost look handsome.

“You’re a smart girl.”

I glance down at the patch. It says “Bear”. He looks like a damn bear, but that can’t be his real name.

“It’s an easy ten grand. Don’t flatter yourself, Bear.”

He grunts. “It’s Ethan. Look, I’ll play another game for your troubles. Once we’re done… I’ll tell your boss what I paid for.”

“Tell him you paid me 1/10th of what you did,” I tell the big black-haired bear of a man. “Trust me.”

He winks and walks away. My heart pounds as I watch him go. I can’t bring myself to glance over at his brother – the man I’m going home with tonight. This is going to be my first night doing something like this for money. I tell myself that I’m only doing it to escape, but I can’t help but feel like I’m a terrible person.

I’m definitely going to hell. I promised to walk away from this tortured, damaged man. I promised that I would let go of the idea of him as my “mark” and find another way out. But what type of woman looks at $10,000 of easy money and doesn’t see it as a sign from the universe. I can cash in the poker chip right now…

And if a white man high roller makes an offer for me to Hakeem… He’ll be dumb enough to think these white boys can control me enough to bring me back. I almost can’t believe that my freedom is so close.

Close enough to taste.

I cash in my poker chip in the back room, getting one of Hakeem’s lackeys to give me the money. He makes a joke about me “shitting on a white boy’s chest”, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of a response. I’m trying to get out of here and I don’t care what any of the people in this club think of me.

I don’t belong here… This was all just a horrible mistake and after tonight – I’ll be free forever.

Six

Scrap

Present Day

Iglare down at the best sex of my life as she gives me a wide-eyed, terrified look. I wonder if she thinks I’m affiliated with the bastards who brought her here, or if she just remembers the night we had together – and how she fucked me up completely. Deacon notices the recognition between us. Even Abraham stares at her, even in a room of half-naked women, all our eyes are on hers.

Vickie.

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