Page 16 of Bloody Jack's Treat
Wren didn't look convinced, but she knew better than to press."Take care of her, yeah?She's not as tough as she pretends to be."
As I watched Honey's retreating figure, I thought Honey might not be the only one pretending to be tough.When it came to Honey, I wasn’t nearly as hard as I needed to be.
* * *
The wind whipped past us as I pushed my Harley harder, constantly checking my mirrors for tails.Honey clung to me from behind, her arms wrapped around my waist, face pressed against my back.The contact sent heat coursing through me despite the urgency of our situation.Every time we took a turn, her grip tightened, her thighs squeezing mine through our jeans.We'd been riding for nearly thirty minutes, taking a indirect route to throw off anyone who might be watching.If we had a tail, I couldn’t spot it.
I finally slowed as we approached an industrial area on the outskirts of town, pulling into a narrow alley between two abandoned buildings.The warehouse at the end of the alley looked as neglected as its neighbors.Peeling paint, boarded windows, chain link fence topped with barbed wire just like all the others created the perfect camouflage.
I killed the engine and helped Honey off the bike.Her legs wobbled slightly as she found her footing, and I steadied her with a hand on her waist."You good?"I asked, scanning the alley behind us one more time.
"Yeah."She pushed her windblown hair from her face.Normally I’d insist she wear a helmet, but when she’d indicated this was her first bike ride, I knew she had to do it with the wind in her hair.Just this once.And I was careful."Where are we?"
I didn't answer right away, instead taking her hand and leading her to a rusted metal door with three separate locks.Each one opened with a different key from the ring I kept separate from my regular keys.The final lock required a four digit code that I shielded with my body as I punched it in.
"My place," I said finally, pushing the door open and ushering her inside."Real one.Not the clubhouse."
I flipped a switch, and overhead lights flickered to life, revealing a cavernous space that bore no resemblance to the decrepit exterior.Honey gasped softly beside me.
"Jack, this is..."
The warehouse had been converted into a combination garage and living space.The main floor housed six vintage motorcycles in various states of restoration, surrounded by gleaming tool chests and pegboards hung with meticulously organized tools.The far wall was a massive workbench beneath a wall of spare parts.To the right, a spiral staircase led to a lofted living area with a kitchen, a bed, and a small sitting area with a massive TV I never turned on.
But it was the personal touches that seemed to catch Honey's attention.Framed photographs hung on one wall.Old license plates from every state I'd ridden through formed a collage near the stairs.
"It's amazing," she breathed, stepping further into the space."How long have you had it?"
"Bought it ten years ago when I took the president's patch.Needed somewhere that wasn't connected to the club."I locked the door behind us, engaging the deadbolt and security system with practiced movements."Somewhere I could just be Jack."
Honey moved toward the motorcycles, her fingers hovering just above the polished chrome of a '48 Panhead."Can I?"
I nodded, watching her gently trace the curve of the handlebars.There was something captivating about seeing her here, in this space I'd never shared with anyone but Ghost.The way she moved carefully, respectfully, through my sanctuary.
"Built my first bike when I was fourteen," I said, surprising myself with the admission.I rarely talked about my past, especially the early years."Cobbled together from parts I scrounged from junkyards.Ugly as shit, but she ran."
Honey smiled, glancing back at me."Fourteen?That's impressive."
I shrugged, moving to stand beside her."Didn't have much else to do.Dad was gone most of the time.Long haul trucker.Mom worked double shifts at the hospital.Left me with a lot of time to tinker."
Her eyes widened slightly at this glimpse into my childhood.I wasn't sure why I was telling her this shit.Maybe it was being here, in this space that held so many pieces of me.Or maybe it was the way she looked at me, not with fear or the calculated interest of women who wanted to fuck the club president, but with genuine curiosity.
"That one there," I said, pointing to a heavily modified Softail in the corner, "That's what I was riding the night I was accepted to prospect for the club.Twenty-four years old, thinking I was hot shit because I’d been an Army Ranger."
She moved toward the wall of photographs, stopping in front of one showing a much younger version of myself with a tight group of men in leather cuts.I watched her carefully, noting how her eyes lingered on certain images.
"Is that your family?"she asked, pointing to a faded photo I kept half hidden behind a newer one.
I tensed but moved closer, my body automatically positioning itself between her and the door, a habit so ingrained I rarely noticed it anymore."Yeah.Me, my dad, mom.Before things went to shit."In the photo, I couldn't have been more than ten, still skinny and wild-haired, grinning beside my father's rig.My mother looked tired even then, but she was smiling.
"What happened?"Honey asked softly, looking up at me.
I hesitated.I didn't talk about this shit.Not to anyone.But somehow, standing here with Honey in my sanctuary, the words came easier than expected."Dad got hooked on amphetamines.Started running drugs along with his regular hauls to make extra cash.Got himself killed when I was fifteen.Shot over a bad deal."I kept my voice flat, detached."Mom never recovered.Drank herself to death three years later."
Honey's hand found mine, her fingers slipping between my own.The simple contact grounded me, pulling me back from memories I usually kept locked away."I'm so sorry," she said, and I knew she meant it.
I squeezed her hand once before releasing it, moving toward the workbench."Club became my family after that.Ghost got me in.Vouched for me.He was already patched by then since he left the service before I did."
"How did you become president?"She followed me, maintaining a respectful distance but staying close.
