Page 7 of Lost Soul

Two years passed, and living at the club dragged from one long day to the next. There was always a drama, and soon Mama’s death just became one of them.

For everyone else, but not for me.

In between working for Chop and Skid at the garage, as well as dealing with club stuff, Jessie hung out with me as much as he could. He’d tease me, I’d irritate him, and I loved every moment we spent together.

He dropped out of high school the day he patched in, and didn’t give college a second thought. Meaning that I had to share rides to school with Tommy and Maddox. They were both obviously jealous of Jessie’s club status. Though, I doubted either one of these jack asses would ever make it to prospect, let alone the full cut.

The club became quieter after Mama died, most of the families who lived here chose to transfer to other Charters. Guess they figured if the Prez’s old lady couldn’t be protected, they were safer elsewhere. Only Tommy, Chop’s son, and Maddox, whose Mama worked down the club at night, were any traces left of what had once been a family-based club.

I’ve suffered a long day. Tommy and Maddox have been chatting their usual, delusional shit the whole journey home. So when Tommy pulls in to the yard, I get out of the car and head straight up the track towards Daddy’s lodge.

“Hey baby girl, you wanna study?” Tommy yells after me, leaning over the roof of his car

“I’m good thanks.” I look back over my shoulder. The pair of them make my skin crawl, all they ever talk about is how they want to study their smart ass’s out of the club life. I’ll admit to being the teeniest bit jealous. School’s never been something I’ve excelled at. A part of me can’t wait until I get to drop out like Jessie did. The other part wants to cling on to normal, to do college and live the dream that Tommy and Maddox talk about, not that I’ll ever admit that to them.

I often wondered what Daddy wants for me. He made it clear from the day I was born he didn’t want me involved in his club. Situations forced his hand. I’m here because there was nowhere else for me to go. I don’t belong here, but it’s the only way he can keep me safe. Though he’s never taken the time to speak to me about it, I know me being here is an inconvenience.

“Figured... Prez’s daughter’s too good to hang out with the likes of us,” Tommy taunts, interrupting my thought train. Maddox mumbles something under his breath that seems to amuse them both. I don’t care, my eyes have already fallen behind them, where Jessie is walking towards me.

No, not me. Them. And something is up. I can tell by the pace of his strides and how his arms swing at his sides. Furious eyes focus on Maddox, and the angriest scowl I’ve ever seen on his face tells me Jessie is really pissed about something.

There’s no hesitation as he reaches out and grabs Maddox by the back of his head, smashing him face first into the hood of Tommy’s car. When he drags his face back up, I see blood seeping from his nostrils. Jessie’s fist grips tightly at Maddox’s hair, tugging his head back so far that I see the boy’s Adam’s apple bulging from his throat. I watch it quake as Jessie mouths something that looks a lot like a warning tightly into his ear, something that has Maddox bobbing his head in agreement, like a good little bitch.

If I wasn’t so shocked—and incredibly turned on—I’d laugh.

“Chill man,” Tommy sniggers, holding up his arms, but Jessie ignores him, dropping Maddox in a heap to the floor. He leaves the two of them behind and chooses to walk towards me, dusting his hands together while that cocky grin spreads across his lips.

“Hey pretty girl,” his chin lifts up at me.

Christ, he is perfection. His hands still dirty from working on engines and his overalls stripped down to his waist. He’s wearing his cut over his bare chest and his white T-shirt hanging out his back pocket. I never imagined I’d find a cut and a violent streak attractive in a guy, but Jessie pulls them both off.

He walks me over to his truck and gives me a ride up to Daddy’s lodge. I’ve lived there since the night Mama died. That’s another reason I hate living on the compound, Jessie doesn't live with me anymore. He lives in one of the cabins down by the lake, with the one they all call Troj.

It’s not all bad, Jessie does spend a lot of time at our place. Daddy’s never home, too busy running the club. So, most of my company comes from him. Of course, I always feel a surge of jealousy when he leaves in the evenings, I hate thinking about him down at the club, acting like the other brothers do. The thought of the women down there throwing themselves at him, grates against all my nerves.

“Don’t listen to those asswipes, Hay,” Jessie tells me. As we walk into the kitchen, he pulls a chair out from under the table and twists it round so he can straddle it. I open the fridge and I’m instantly depressed at how empty I find it. A trip to the grocery store is well overdue.

Pouring us both the last of the juice, I take the seat opposite his.

“Guys like them don’t know how to act around the chicks they like, so they become jerks.” He downs his juice in one swallow, then takes a pack of smokes from his cut, lighting one up and tosses his zippo on the table once he’s used it.

“Those guys don’t like me. They hate me,” I correct him, sliding an ashtray across the table, reminding him to use it.

“That’s what you think, pretty girl.” His eyebrows wiggle, and I throw him a glare back that’s stern enough to make him change the subject.

“So, what we got for dinner? I’m starving,” he asks, blowing a steady stream of smoke from between his lips.

“Sorry, fridge is empty, I gotta go shopping.” I roll my eyes, I’m the only one that ever worries about things like groceries around here.

“I’ll take ya,” he offers. “And we can stop at Bernie's on the way back, grab a burger and a shake.”

I beam back at him because nothing beats a Bernie Burger. Quickly finishing up my juice, I rush to my room to change, making sure to pick out something that will show off my curves. I have to be more careful now that I’m around Daddy more often, but the tight vest and skinny jeans I choose seem to flaunt my assets without it being too obvious.

“So, what did Maddox say that got you all riled up?” I question Jessie ten minutes later as I climb into his truck, Jessie never takes the bike when I’m with him. And yes, of course I’ve asked him to.

He pretends he hasn’t heard me, his fingers tapping the steering wheel to the music that comes from the stereo.

“Come on I’m curious,” I reach out to tickle his ribs knowing that it’s his sensitive spot, but he manages to shoo me away. “What warrants getting your face dented into the hood of a car around here?” The sickly-sweet voice I put on is rewarded with a smile from him but he soon turns serious again.

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