Chapter 2
2042 Words
Chapter Two
AMANDA
The old lady dragging her shopping cart behind her crossed the road to get to me. She had the look of a stern grandmother who knew I was up to no good, and was about to give me a scolding.
“Who are you?” she said, leveling a shaky finger at me. “And what are you doing?”
I put on my sweetest smile and said, “I’m new here, ma’am. Just looking around.”
“Uh-huh,” she said doubtfully, before leaning into me conspiratorially and saying, “I saw you looking at Hades.”
I glanced at the building with it’s five choppers parked outside. It stood out like a sore thumb in what was otherwise a completely rundown bit of town. In fact, to my eye, Steelbarrow had seen better times, perhaps long ago when they still mined here.
“I’m looking for someone,” I said.
“Well, you won’t find him in there.”
“What makes you say that, ma’am?”
“Stop calling me that,” she snapped.
“What should I call you?”
“Just don’t call me that. Now, this man you’re looking for, doesn’t seem the type to be in there.”
“Oh?”
“Now let me tell you, the kind of man a sweet young thing would be looking for would not be in a place like that.”
“Maybe I’m not that sweet.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “So where’d you come from, anyway?”
“It’s been a long journey,” I said with a sigh. “I’ve traveled far to get here.”
“You keep your secrets then,” she said, flicking her wrist at me repeatedly as though to shoo me away. “I tried to help.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled to herself, walking down the street.
I turned toward Hades. So this was the place to go if I needed information. The cabbie had told me that. Steelbarrow wasn’t a large town, but finding a single person in it would be damn near impossible without help.
“Go to Hades,” he had said. “Information’s their forte. Ask for Cade.”
“What is Hades?”
“Not a place for a little girl.”
“Nothing little girl about me,” I had said, scowling at him.
“I can see that.”
And now here I was, outside Hades, and it was clear that this was the clubhouse of an MC. I went into the building and saw men in denim and leather scattered about. Everybody saw me come in, and I felt scrutinized under their following eyes as I made my way to the bar. The bartender nodded at me, and said, “You in the right place, sweetheart?”
“I’m looking for Cade.”
“Oh?” he asked, flipping a rag over a shoulder. “What for?”
“I need information.”
He considered me for a bit, head titled to the side, lips pressed together. “Who told you to come here?”
I laughed and shook my head at him. “Nuh-uh.”
“Alright, alright,” he said. “Fair enough. What’s your name?”
“Why?”
“Gotta Cade who is asking for him.”
“Amanda,” I said. “Amanda Prince.”
The bartender disappeared into the back for a while, and then came back with another man. So this must be Cade, I thought to myself. He looked the part, that was for sure. Tattoos, leather, a whole lotta mean.
“So,” he said, leaning against the other side of the bar, his eyes looking into mine unflinchingly. I held his gaze and didn’t look away. “What information are you seeking?”
“I’m looking for a man.”
“Plenty around.”
“His name’s Pelton. Ogden Pelton.” My lip twitched when I saw his eyes widen slightly. That got his attention.
“Let me guess, you know him?”
“Nope,” he said. “But I can find him. It’ll cost you.”
“You’re lying.”
He laughed at me. “Little lady, you come into my clubhouse and you accuse me of lying, I’m liable to do something you might not like.”
“I’m not a little lady,” I said. “You can test me on that if you want.”
“She’s got a piece,” the bartender said.
“And I know how to use it,” I said, looking at them both.
Cade, who was now looking more intrigued and impressed, sucked in a deep breath of air. “Alright, what’s your business with this Oscar fellow?”
“Ogden,” I said, grinning at his attempt to play dumb. “And that’s my business.”
“You’re in my town now,” he said. “So that makes it my business.”
“It’s personal,” said stubbornly.
“A woman scorned,” the bartender said, but he shut his mouth when I snapped my eyes to him.
“Well, look,” Cade said with a sigh. “Town’s a bit tense right now. There’s been some going-ons, you understand?”
“Your business is yours, mine is mine.”
“But, you see, can’t have much noise.”
“I won’t make any.”
He tapped the table with two fingers. He seemed to be weighing options in his head. Then he said, “I’ll find your man. But it’ll cost you.”
“Money is no issue.”
“Okay, give me a couple of days.”
“That long?” I asked. “I was led to believe you’d be better.”
He laughed in disbelief. “God, I like her,” he said to the bartender. “Couple of days, Amanda Prince. In the meantime, maybe check out Farley’s. Might be that this Ogden Pelton fella you’re looking for shows up there.”
“I’ll be back,” I said, making to turn around but I felt a hand on my arm.
“Money first,” he said.
Fair enough, I thought. He told me his price, I produced it, and I left Hades as he was counting the bills. It wasn’t cheap, and I hoped he was good for his word.
Farley’s, huh? I looked up and down the street, hand over my eyes against the beating sun.
I knew that I couldn’t lose hope. I couldn’t lose my my determination. I was on a mission, and I would complete it.
But it seemed that I was always looking and never finding.
Maybe I’d find what I was looking for at Farley’s.
And if not, maybe Cade would get me what I wanted.
I could only hope for the best, there was nothing else to do.
However, deep down, I always expected the worst.
MALACHAI
Farley’s…
Rafe and I looked around. His eyes were wide and expectant where as I, evidently, thought differently about the place. It was old… too old. The paint was peeling. The bulbs were dim. And the smell? Well, let’s just say that’s something you could maybe, theoretically, get used to.
“They got more girls shaking ass in here then they used to,” Rafe said. He had a finger and thumb upon his chin like an academic deep in contemplation. Only, he had a shaved head, neck tattoos, a lone earring, and a couple of gold teeth to go along with the couple that were missing.
The man was half-biker, half-pirate.
“Yeah?” I said as we both sat at a table. “What do you make of it?”
He pushed his lips together deep in thought, and then after a few moments said, “More p***y makes the place better. Some of them are a little on the busted side.”
“Jesus Christ,” I said, shaking my head. I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that he seemed dead serious.
“Farley’s used to be a real tip,” he said. “Before your time, M, man. Now…” He nodded in approval. “They brought in more girls, so, what, more perfume, more makeup. A definite improvement… at least I think so. What? Don’t look at me like that man, I ain’t being offensive or nothing. How is it offensive to say that having more women in a joint makes it better? If anything, that’s a complement to all women!”
“You did just say some of them were busted.”
“s**t, man, some of them are. I’ll tell you, being honest to a woman is the best way to show them respect. Listen, I’m teaching you here, kid. Who wants to be lied to?”
“I’m not saying lie, Rafe.”
“So, yeah,” he said with a shrug. “We all know who we are! Only fools live their lives pretending. I know I ain’t exactly George Clooney so I don’t go around insulted that nobody thinks I’m James Bond.”
“You sure you got that one right, chief?”
“You’re too young to understand, kid. Listen, not everybody is born good looking, and most who are don’t get to keep their looks, neither. So you need to use that right now while you’re young as much as you can. Get it all, man. The world is your oyster. Come on,” he said, leaning into me with that same dirty smile. “I know you never had trouble getting pussy.”
“You’re reading me wrong. I don’t just give it away.”
He slapped the table in frustration while giving me a stern, disapproving look, almost as though he were ashamed of me. “That’s because your stupid. That’s because you’re thinking with the wrong head. The wrong head, ho-ly f**k, I can’t believe this kid. You don’t give it away? Don’t give it away?”
“You okay, there, Rafe? You seem to be having a meltdown.”
“Don’t talk to me right now,” he said, and he flagged down a waitress. “What beers you got, sweetheart?” He frowned when he heard the lone answer. “Well, piss is better than water. Two!” Then he returned his attention to me. “Now I’m about to educate you.”
I leaned back in my seat. “Hit me, sensei.”
“You’re tall, put together, obviously took to the weightlifting.” He wrinkled his nose dismissively. “Not my thing. Never needed it for the ladies, myself. No, listen kid, listen, some women like a belly. It’s called a ‘dad bod’, ever heard of that? You got a sixpack, sure, you got your thing. I got mine.”
He rubbed his beer belly lovingly. I could barely control my laughter now.
“And this!” He reached across the table and slapped the patch on my kutte. “You got that patch on you. Steel f*****g Infidels, man. s**t’s like an aphrodisiac. Yeah, I know what aphrodisiac means. Surprised? So you got the whole package, the face, the body, the patch, and, what, you don’t roll that way?”
“Nah,” I said.
“You only got one life, and you’re not out there tasting every piece of p***y you can? So what’s stopping you?”
“f**k, Rafe,” I said. “I thought we were coming here for a drink and to see if we can find out anything on Mrs. Salman’s son.”
“What’s stopping you?”
I shook my head at him. He waited impatiently for my answer. The waitress brought our drinks and I sipped from it. Now it was my turn to be deep in contemplation.
“Well?”
“I don’t want them all, man. I just want one.”
“God, you are so stupid! You’re gonna regret it when you’re older. Remember what Doc said? Yup. You’re gonna wish you had done more.”
“We’ll see, Rafe,” I said. We drank silent for a while, and then I said, “Fella by the bar seems out of place. Hawaiian shirt? Probably from out of town.”
Rafe pursed his lips. “I don’t see killer in him. Might not necessarily be somebody from out of town. Could be a local that did Mrs. Salman’s boy. Anyway, remember why we’re here.”
“I know. Just getting a feel. Seeing what’s different.”
“That’s right. Not trying to catch the bastard on day one. What was that word Doc used? We’re sloths now. If somebody stands out, we pay attention. Maybe ask a couple of the girls some questions, see what they got for us. There, what about that girl? At the bar, alone. The blonde.”
My eyes followed Rafe’s, and I saw her then. She had her head turned the other way so I could only see her back, but her hair was beautiful, and the way her slight waves cascaded down her back made me want to grab a fistful of it.
Then she turned, and in profile, she was stunning. She took my breath away. Full lips and big eyes, and sharp jawline.
“Wow,” Rafe said, looking between me and her. “You likey.”
As though she could sense me looking at her, her eyes snapped right to mine. I felt like I’d been thumped in the gut. She looked fierce beyond her years — she might have been only a couple of years younger than me. She was gorgeous, no doubt about it. I felt blood surging into my c**k as thoughts of bending her over, hair in my fist, flooded my mind.
“She’s not from around here,” Rafe said.
I nodded. “At Farley’s? A sore thumb.”
He was grinning at me now, egging me on. “Maybe she knows something.”
“Could be,” I said.
“Only one way to find out. I’ll sit this one out, champ.”
I felt like I was falling into her eyes, and I was finally able to tear my gaze away from hers. I looked at Rafe.
“You sure, Rafe? She might be into the dad bod look.”
- Writer
