Page 60 of Frisco

“I don’t trust you, not one goddamn bit,” I informed her. “But you’re here for your safety, and your sister is here for her safety too. You spent a lot of time around the club before we landed here and got you with Machete, so I don’t have one clue what you heard. You know who we are, what we can do, so I’m in a bad way here. I don’t want you whispering anything to your sister.”

I gave Machete a look. As if he could sense my question, he gave me a nod.

We both turned and focused back on Claudia.

Dammit. I had to do this, so I advanced.

Machete held back.

Claudia was his woman, but this was for the club and for my woman too.

Claudia’s arms fell, and she started to the side, trying to get away from me.

“Don’t! Don’t, Claude. Not him,” Machete called.

She stopped, a deer-in-headlights look coming over her at Machete’s command, and her eyes tracked back to me. She held firm, her face becoming a blank canvas, but I saw a tremble under her chin.

I kept moving, backing her until she was against the wall. I invaded her space, but didn’t touch her. I leaned down, leaned over her, and moved so I was completely blocking her view of her man.

“This is between you and me.” I kept my voice low.

“Back off or I’ll ruin things between you and my sister,” she hissed.

“Yeah. That’s part of this too.”

She raised her chin, but the tremble was still there.

“Normally I would strap you to a chair,” I told her. “I’d hook you up to a lie detector and grill you that way. That’d be the humane way to do it. Or if I was pissed, would maybe take a knife to you. I’d cut away all those little curves and pretty appendages you have, like your eyelashes. Your fingernails. I’d pull a third of your hair out. Little nicks here and there to make you squirm, and if you continued to fight, I’d move to your appendages. We don’t have time for that, so instead I’m going to tell you a few things. First, if you turn snitch on us, you’re dead. Machete will do it. Second, if you say anything to your sister to turn her against me, you’re dead in a slow and agonizing way, and it’ll be me who does that. Third, you fuck over your man right now, hook back up with Roadie or some other biker here, I will gut you and leave you in the desert. These are not threats or ultimatums. These are promises. You’re on my radar. This ain’t high school. This ain’t Friendly, Indiana. You fuck up here, it’s your life. How you go down, depends on you. You got me?”

She stared back at me, not looking away. Not for a second. There was no flinch. There was nothing, but I’d gotten to her.

“You touch my sister, and I’ll destroy you,” she said.

“Too late for that.” I walked out, past Machete. “She’s all yours.”

20

KALI

When I looked up, the room was less dark. It was six a.m. I was in bed, as I’d decided that was the best option. I didn't know what I would’ve walked into if I’d left the room, and I didn't want to get on the phone. Drunk phone time was never good.

But score! I’d switched out the pillowcase for an extra silk one in my bag.

Also, I was still drunk.

I reached up, my wrap was still in place. I hadn’t changed into my usual sleeping clothes because I didn’t know this place. I didn’t know what was going to happen. Anxiety swirled in my gut.

Where is Shane?

A toilet flushed, and then I heard footsteps. Big, heavy ones.

Guess I knew what or who had woken me. When had I actually gone to bed? Maybe four?

I heard the bathroom door open, and I looked for the bedroom door.

After a moment it opened, and everything was still dark beyond. They must’ve had blackout shades. Shane came in.

That’s when it hit me, and I bolted upright. “Oh no, you don’t.”

---