Page 96 of Sugar and Skulls

Pushing my butt out I rub shamelessly against his crotch. He deepens his growl. His lips lock onto the side of my neck. “We should go in,” I whisper. My libido hitting an all-time crescendo. I cannot get enough of this man.

He flips me around, his hands grabbing my ass, hoisting me off the ground. I wrap my arms around his neck, my legs quickly strangling his waist. He groans into my mouth making me melt against him.

A little squeal pulls our lips apart. Dread seeps into my bones. Shit. Shit!

My feet drop to the ground. Dirk stares into my eyes, a silent apology passes between the two of us. We had been so careful. But, the longer we are together the easier it is to forget we are supposed to be hiding our relationship.

Slowly he backs away from me. I glance over his shoulder, finding Katie jumping up and down, her hand locked in dad’s. His face is red…so red. He tells Katie to run along into the house. She waves to Dirk and I before doing as asked. The minute she disappears inside my dad is on Dirk.

When his fist connects with Dirk’s face I scream. “Dad, stop.” I try to get between the two of them but, he pushes me away, knocking me to the ground.

Dirk takes a few more punches before Dan and Raffe show up, pulling him back. “I’m going to kill him,” he yells as he tries to fight his way free. Dirk stands up and wipes blood from his face with the bottom of his t-shirt.

I sit on the ground dumbfounded by the scene playing out before my eyes.

Dan tightens his head lock on my dad. “What the fuck is this about?”

My dad glares at Dirk. “He was taking advantage of my baby girl.”

Dirk spits a glob of blood on the ground. His eyes sliding to mine.

“He…he wasn’t taking advantage of me.” I hop to my feet, crossing my arms over my chest.

Dan looks at Dirk. “Is what Bill says true?”

Dirk raises his hands shoving them into his hair. “It’s…it’s complicated.”

Raffe bounces in between Dirk and the other two putting his hands out to hold everyone at bay. “Let’s just go in and talk about this like fucking adults. Bill you know Dirk would never hurt Jesse.”

“He had her pinned to the fucking wall,” my dad growls. His face turning a deeper shade of red.

A black car peels into the driveway behind us.

A round of gunfire shatters the afternoon.

I watch in horror as Raffe falls to the ground. Dan and my dad slide back into the entryway of the warehouse as Dirk reaches for me. I pull away dropping to the ground, covering Raffe’s body with my own.

The gunfire continues around us. As chaos breaks out, men from the club come rushing out, firing at the car that opened fire on us. Dirk crawls to Raffe and I, his gun pointed over the top of our heads. He fires as they peel away.

The quiet that follows makes me wonder if my ear drums are blown. Slowly I push myself off Raffe. He doesn’t move. My eyes drop to the blood on his shirt and then to the blood on my own. Someone screams. Maybe it’s me, I don’t know. Everything sounds so far away. “Raffe, Raffe,” I cry, leaning over his face.

Dan pulls me back as I watch Dirk and my Dad cut the shirt off him. Dirk shoves it over an open wound pressing on it to stop the bleeding.

“Go inside, Jesse.” I turn and stare at Dan not understanding what he’s saying.

He pushes me towards the warehouse. I back up towards the door, my eyes stuck on Raffe’s face. He looks so peaceful, like he’s sleeping. How could he be sleeping through all this? Suddenly, sound comes rushing back to me. I hear men yelling and a siren blaring in the distance.

When I get inside the women are crying and hugging on the far side of the room. I keep walking. I walk all the way through the house and out the back door. I circle around the warehouse and make my way to the garage. Sylvia is waiting for me.

I fire her up and pull out of the driveway just as an ambulance pulls in. A glance in the mirror reminds me who I am. I’ve denied her for far too long. I should have taken a stand long ago. Another peek in the mirror shows me that Dirk still has his hands on Raffe’s wound, his eyes follow me out the driveway.

I know they will send someone for me, so I make a turn. It won’t take me where I need to go, but that’s okay. I’ve got nothing but time. Miserable, heart breaking time.

After driving a few hours, I stop in a nearby town to buy a burner phone. My hands shake as I dial. Dirk picks up on the first ring. My throat knots at the sound of his voice.

“Jesse, Jesse is that you?”

I can’t talk. Oh my god I can’t even breathe.

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