Page 13 of Biker's Collar: Property of Scrap

“Christ, Oske. I wouldn’t be attracted to your manly ass if you were the last chick on earth. You know I mean pork ribs fromthat barbecue place. Just drive them over to my place and drop them in the fridge.”

“My name is Oske, not DoorDash.”

“Really? I thought DoorDash was your Indian name.”

“If you’re going to be racist, you should at least make an effort to be funny.”

“Will you just get the fucking pork ribs before they close and put them in my fridge?”

They argue over the pork ribs for five more minutes. My mind wanders back to Vickie. Back to the dead body. Back to all the shit we have to deal with.

“ENOUGH WITH THE RIBS.”

They both look at me. Stunned. Times like this I remember that I look just like my brothers and I’m only the so-called gentle giant because I choose to be. Because when I let go and give in to my dark urges, I turn into someone I hate. Someone worse than Wyatt and Ethan combined. Someone most people have never seen.

Oske looks at me like I have two heads.

“Damn. Is he into one of the women or something?”

“Shut up, Oske. Just tell me where the truck is so I can get this job done.”

Seven

Vickie

Las Vegas – 5 Years Ago

Scrap’s Rental Home

“Bear”, also known as Ethan, pays Hakeem an additional $500 to let me go with them for the night. Ethan and Owen. They look more like brothers when they’re together than when they’re apart. They don’t look very much alike, but have the same mannerisms and the same chiseled nose.

This Bear character assures Hakeem that he’ll bring me back in the morning, but once we’re near the motorcycles outside, he hits his brother in the chest and says, “I don’t care what you do with her, but don’t bring her anywhere near that sick fuck again.”

Owen glares at him. “I wouldn’t.”

“You have debt. I know you would do anything to get out of it but these people are fucked up.”

“If I need money, I’ll just ask dad or Tylee. Relax.”

“If you think Tylee would waste her money on your stupid ass…” Bear mutters, then he releases tension in his shoulders. “Just enjoy the girl.”

Owen looks over at me with an almost apologetic look on his face. He can’t really look me in the eye. Bear puts his helmet on and straddles his large motorcycle. You would have to be a giant to handle a bike that big like it’s a damn Hot Wheels car. Owen isn’t significantly smaller, if I’m being honest. He just behaves less like a gruff beast, making himseemmore gentle. Once his brother straddles the bike, Owen turns to me.

If this man hadn’t just paid money for me, I would mistake the expression on his face for tenderness.

“I never asked my brother to do this,” he says, looking at me with a slow, steady gaze. His eyes start at my feet, making me suddenly self-conscious about the clownish but comfortable looking Skechers I begged Hakeem to buy so I could be on my feet all night without extreme pain.

Owen observes the way my leggings cling to my thighs. He stares at my stomach, which wouldn’t make me self-conscious, except for the fact that I have no idea what he’s thinking. His brother was the one who paid for this. What if that weird ass giant got the whole situation wrong. The man truly takes his time, like he doesn’t care that I can see him.

He stares at my breasts blatantly and his tongue seems to unconsciously run along his lower lip until he catches himself and tucks the wayward muscle back into his mouth.

“Nice,” he says. “You’ll need a helmet.”

I hope that helmet doesn’t disrupt the baggie of pills I have tucked within my braids. I just have to take my chances when Owen hands me one. I put it on and immediately feel claustrophobic… and that I look like a stupid alien.

“Have you been on a bike before?” Owen asks. I glance around the large, muscular man at the immense machine.I would ride out of here on a three-legged donkey if the opportunity presented itself. Now that I’m outside of the club and Hakeem trusts these white boys enough to send me off with them, my heart can’t stop racing with the prospect of escape. I might not even have to drug this one.

“No.” My voice definitely sounds alien now. “I haven’t.”

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