Kimera Chapter 15

Spawn was hard at work on his sea of computer monitors. He’d been at it since early this morning when I woke up to find him working. I had no idea when he started. I’d gone to bed in the guest bedroom and tossed and turned for a long time before I finally fell into a fitful sleep. I knew he wasn’t happy with my decision not to sleep with him, even though he asked and promised he wouldn’t touch me. The reason I didn’t was it would test my control too much.

Even as angry as I still was, the desire to be with him fully tugged at me constantly. I needed a distraction, and shopping would provide it. When I mentioned I was still going to do it, he wanted to come with me. I told him this would waste valuable searching time. I urged him to stay and work, and I’d return as soon as possible. In the end, he wouldn’t agree unless I took someone with me. As it happened, Troian was happy to go along. I knew it would provide us with an opportunity to talk about what happened. I’d hurt her too by leaving like I did.

We’d talked a couple of times since Spawn showed up in Lake Charles, but I didn’t go into a lot of detail. I hadn’t told her about my history, and I wondered if she knew. I figured all the men did, and wouldn’t they tell their old ladies? Would it change how they treated me? I hadn’t seen the rest of the club yet, and I was nervous about it. The brief glimpses of Reaper and Lash last night hadn’t revealed anything. They’d left too quickly. When Troian and I left, she met me at Spawn’s house, so I didn’t get a chance to see or talk to Lash. As we drove into town, the silence was awkward. Tension could be felt. This wouldn’t do.

Instead of going to where the main shopping was, I detoured and took us to the park. I parked at the edge of it, where there were no picnic tables or kids’ playsets. We shouldn’t be disturbed there. Since it was winter, we stayed in the car with the heater on. She turned in her seat and studied me.

“I need to apologize for leaving like I did and making you worry. It was never my intention. I hoped I’d resolve the issue and be back soon. It didn’t happen, as you know. I didn’t tell you or anyone because I didn’t want to involve you. All of you deserve a rest after what you went through with your family.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. This is our business, Kimera. You’re my friend, dare I say, my best friend. I’ve befriended the other old ladies, but it’s you I think of as my bestie. I won’t lie. It hurt when you left without a word, but it also scared me. I was confused, too. Spawn had been so attentive to you. I thought he was into you, and when you left, he was so upset. He went to find you doing his thing. Then suddenly, he refused to talk about you and wouldn’t say what he learned. He walked around, biting off everyone’s heads. Just as abruptly, a couple of weeks later, he up and goes to Louisiana. Now you’re back for a bit, but I heard you’d be returning there after Christmas. What the hell is going on?”

I was surprised Lash hadn’t told her. Maybe the whole club didn’t know, or just the women didn’t. I wondered why they kept it a secret. Knowing I had to tell her, I steeled myself to retell my story. It seemed that was all I had done lately. “What did Lash tell you?”

“Lash said there was something serious happening, and I would have to ask you what it was. He said it wasn’t his place to tell me. I’ve been patient, Kim. Please tell me so I can help you. You helped me. I’m here for you no matter what.”

This brought tears to my eyes, but I didn’t let them get the better of me. Now wasn’t the time for crying. As concisely and as quickly as possible, I told her about my foster care days and what happened with Paden. Suffice it to say she was shocked, angry, and sympathetic to me. She cried when she heard. I then explained how Claudia found me and what happened to her with Paden. I even told her what I overheard yesterday. When I was done, she had a determined expression on her face.

“I wish you’d told me. To think you carried this around all these years and then to have my cousins do that to you. It’s a wonder you didn’t lose your mind.”

“Troi, your cousins scared me, and it did trigger bad memories, but they didn’t rape me. The guys got there in time. It’s been hard. Those months with Paden did shape me. It took years before I would even try to have a relationship with a man, and even then, sex was not great. I could never let go. The couple of guys I let get that far with me couldn’t cope, and they walked. I don’t blame them. Even now, the thought of opening up to Spawn scares the crap outta me. What if I can’t do it? Or what if I can’t give him what he needs and wants? If he walks away, it’ll likely hurt me in a way I’ll never recover from,” I confessed.

“I can tell you one thing. He was an idiot to ever think you’d be a home-wrecker, but I know that man is crazy about you. Nothing you say or do will make him walk away. If you give him a chance, he’ll help you open up and let go. Sex with him will be pretty spectacular, I think. Only don’t tell Lash I said that.” She giggled.

I couldn’t help but giggle, too. “I know, I think so too. God, the man makes me melt, and I can’t think straight. His kisses are lethal, and when he…” I stopped and blushed.

“Oh, ho, do tell. Have you two done the deed?” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

I playfully shoved her. “Not what you’re thinking. There was one make-out session that got pretty hot, but then I found out what he thought. We had an argument and then talked, and we’ve agreed to get to know each other without adding sex to the mix.”

“God, you’re stronger than me. I fell for Lash, and even when I was mad at him, I desperately wanted him. It didn’t take much for me to give him my virginity. And let me tell you, whew, that man…” She fanned herself.

“Stop it. I don’t want to have images of you two doing it in my head. And you were a virgin? Bet he loved that.”

“Oh yes, he did, but enough about my man. We’re talking about yours and that bastard who hurt you. You’re part of this club, and the guys will do everything in their power to make him pay for you and Claudia and to keep all women and girls safe. He’ll deserve whatever they decide is his fate.”

She’d never told me exactly what they did to her cousins. I knew she’d been present for it, and when she returned from wherever they took them, she’d been quiet for a few days. I wondered if I asked now, would she tell me? It wasn’t that I had doubts the guys could handle Paden. I wondered how they might do it.

“What exactly did they do to them? I hate to ask, but I need to know if they find and kill Paden, will he suffer? Is it wrong of me to want him to? I have this burning desire to inflict pain on him, but I’m a nurse. I should only want to help people. Am I a horrible person?”

She gasped, then leaned over the console to tug me closer. She hugged me. “No, you’re not a horrible person. You’re a very loving person, but we all have our limits. What he did to you and her is unforgivable, and I can guarantee you, he’ll suffer. We don’t talk about what the guys did to protect them. However, you need to know. If it were ever discovered, I’d go down with them. I had my hand in inflicting pain on my cousins, and it was cathartic for me. Do you think you’d like to do the same? You don’t have to. In fact, Lash and the guys didn’t want me to do it, but I had to.”

I thought about what she said. On one hand, I wanted to make him suffer personally. On the other hand, I felt bad that I did. In the end, I gave the only answer I could. “I don’t know, maybe. I guess when the time comes, I’ll decide. I swear I won’t ever say a word to anyone about what any of you did. Your bastard cousins deserved it, and so will Paden. I’d like to think the law would put him away and throw away the key, but there’s no proof other than our word. He might not get convicted, and even if he were, he’d likely get out in the future. It’s rarely a ‘life in prison without parole’ sentence. Spawn explained what he might get.”

“True. Okay, enough of this depressing talk. I forgive you as long as you never do something like that again. If you do, I’ll kick your ass. Oh, and you have to promise to really give Spawn a chance. Has he told you he loves you yet?”

I blushed, but I nodded yes. She smiled. “Good. Believe it. Now, let’s go shopping. I feel like spending some money. You said you wanted to get some things for the kids and a few others. Let’s do the kids first. They’ll be the most fun, I think.”

She was right. We had so much fun and laughed ourselves silly, especially in the toy section. I was lucky I had decent savings even if I wasn’t working at the moment. I’d never lived extravagantly. I not only bought things for the kids, but I got something for each of the old ladies. I made her go for a walk while I got hers. She picked up a few more things. As for the guys, I found some badass skull caps at the Harley dealership. They depicted different images with skulls, flames, and the company logo. They were a thick material that would keep their heads warm since they all seemed to ride in the winter. I had my fingers crossed that they would like them. Troian told me they would. The last one I shopped for was Spawn. I was hoping he’d like what I got.

By the time we were done, we were exhausted and starved. We decided to have a late lunch in town before heading back. As we sat in the restaurant, we laughed more. I noticed we were getting a lot of looks. At first, I didn’t know why, but then I realized it was her property cut. Some were merely curious, but others were curling up their lips. It was those who pissed me off. After catching more than one doing it, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

I turned around in my seat to face the table with the biggest number of culprits. It contained five women who’d been watching us and saying stuff just low enough we couldn’t hear what they said, but it was clear they were talking about us. I stared at them. I saw a couple squirm and look away. The one I tagged as the leader gave me a defiant look. This would be fun.

I was no longer the shy young girl in foster care. After I turned eighteen, I did a lot to become strong and protect myself. The thing with the Gusevs hadn’t shown my skills much, but I had them. And one of the things I didn’t put up with was bitches. Enough of them had made me miserable growing up. I refused to let them do it to me as an adult or to keep my mouth shut.

“Do you have something you’d like to say loud enough for us to hear? I mean, if you’re gonna run your mouth about us, at least have enough guts to say it to our faces. You’ve been staring and mouthing shit for the last twenty minutes. Speak up,” I told them boldly. The other customers got deathly quiet.

The leader, a fake dye-job blond bitch sneered at me. “I don’t talk to trash. Why don’t you and your biker whore friend eat somewhere more your style? Can you even afford it here? I think it’s disgusting she’s wearing something that proclaims her as property. What century are we in?”

“Oh, we can more than afford it, and we’re not trash or whores, although from the looks of you, you are with your fake dye job and even more fake tits,” I told her with a smirk. She gasped when I said it, but I kept going. “As for her property cut, that’s not ownership. That’s a declaration from a man who’s so in love with her he’s marked her so anyone who fucks with her knows he’ll protect her in any way he can. And so will every single one of his brothers. It’s a goddamn compliment that she has one. I don’t see a ring on your finger. What’s the matter? Can’t you find some man dumb enough to marry you? That’s a claim of property, too, but I bet you’d kill to have one.” I smirked more as I said it.

“How dare you speak to me like that! You’re nothing but filth. I don’t have to put up with this. Waitress! I want to see the manager. These people are bothering me,” she called out loudly.

I glanced at Troian, hoping she wasn’t too upset with me. What I found was a smiling woman who winked at me. “You’re doing great. If you need a break, let me know, and I’ll take over,” she said quietly. I laughed.

“What did the bitch say?” Blond bitch squawked.

“I don’t know, what did you say?” I countered her.

Her face was getting redder and redder. It was then that a man in a dress shirt, tie, and slacks came hurrying up. He was bald on top, and you could see he was already sweating. He didn’t make eye contact with me or Troian. I knew how this would end, but I was gonna enjoy it as long as I could. He went to Blond Bimbo Boobs Barbie, or B? as I now thought of her.

“Yes, how may I help you, ma’am? Sara said you wanted to speak to me. I’m Jeremy, the manager.”

“Yes, these two women are disturbing our meal and being very confrontational. I’d like them removed, please. I would think an establishment with your reputation would be more selective about the type of people you let in here. If this is what I have to look forward to, I’ll be sure to find a new favorite spot and tell my friends they should, too,” she threatened.

His face went pale. He was sweating even more. He darted a glance at us, then back to her. I wasn’t about to let her have all the say. “She and her friends started it by staring and talking about us for at least twenty minutes. I just told her to say it so we could hear her and shared a few truths when she said stupid stuff. She needed to be educated. As for her boycotting you, if she’s that thin-skinned, you’re better off not having her here. I know plenty of people who would love to eat here. Don’t you, Troian?”

She smiled. “Oh yes, the club and the other women would love it. And we can’t forget all the people you work with, Kimera. I’m sure they’d love it too. Your business will increase, I bet.”

His nervousness was apparent, and he was conflicted. He stared at Troian’s cut. She’d moved, making the back more visible. I smirked at the outraged B?.

She sneered. “And where do you work? The strip club? I hardly think he wants your kind or those disgusting bikers and their other whores in here,” she snipped.

“If you call my friend, me, or the other old ladies whores one more time, I’ll teach you some manners. As for where I work, I’m a nurse at the hospital. What do you do? Sit on your ass and wait for someone to take care of you? You’re not smart enough to do much of anything else. If anyone is a stripper, it’s you, although that’s giving them a bad name by comparing them to you.” I wanted one of her friends to say something, but they all seemed terrified. I guess they were cowards.

“If you touch me, I’ll have you arrested and sue you,” she said outraged, then she turned to Jeremy. “Throw them out or else.”

“I-I, well, can’t we just forget this? All of your meals are on the house.”

“I don’t want to forget it or a free meal. I want them gone. I can’t eat with them here. The smell is awful.”

I’d had enough. I stood up and walked closer to their table. I saw her momentary look of fear, and then she masked it. “The only smell in here is you, your friends, and your nasty skank asses. As for arresting me, did I say I’d touch you? No, I didn’t. I said I’d teach you manners. Don’t worry, we’re leaving. I’ll make sure to let the club know how we were treated here. I think all of them and their various businesses and customers will find this enlightening. Don’t worry. When I get done, you’ll have this whole place to yourself whenever you want. Come on, Troian, it’s time to go home and tell the guys about our day.”

She stood up with a smile on her face. She made sure to turn so everyone in the place could see her cut. I took money out of my purse and laid it on the table. She did the same. Jeremy was standing there open-mouthed as we leisurely strolled out. He tried to apologize and followed us to the door, but we didn’t stop. He was a spineless man, and I didn’t have time for him. When we got to the parking lot and into the car, I told her to hold on. She gave me a puzzled look but didn’t ask why. She saw me staring at the restaurant’s door, so she did, too. It wasn’t long before B? and her friends left. They all parted ways and got in their various cars. When she pulled out of the lot in her car, I followed her. I didn’t think she knew we were doing it.

“What’re you gonna do?” Troian asked, sounding a trifle worried.

“I’m gonna scare the shit out of her. I’d like to punch her in the face, but she’d whine and call the cops, and I can’t be in jail right now. Besides, it could cause me to lose my nursing license. See that light, it’s yellow. We’re gonna pull up beside her and wave. I bet she’ll shit herself.”

I was feeling evil today. I think my “turn the other cheek” meter was broken. We pulled up next to her car. She wasn’t paying attention so I laid on the horn hard and long. When she turned her head and saw us, it was amazing to watch the horror spread across her bitchy face. We smiled and waved at her until the light turned green then we kept pace with her until the next light. When it turned green, we took off and left her behind.

We laughed most of the way home. Were we terrible, yeah, but that woman and her friends were worse. I’d stood up to her, and maybe next time she’d think, or maybe her friends would before talking shit about people. Although, her kind was pretty stupid. If not, at least I got it off my chest. Probably not very mature in some people’s minds, but I didn’t care.

When we got back to the compound, I dropped Troian off at Lash’s house and then headed to Spawn’s. I’d barely parked before he was out the door. He opened my door and helped me out. “I missed you. I’m glad you’re home. Let me get your bags.”

“Okay, but I’m carrying this one,” I told him as he opened the back door, and I grabbed the black shopping bag. He raised his brow but didn’t ask. He was able to carry the rest on one arm. How did guys do that? If it were me, my arm would fall off. Inside the house, I insisted on taking them to my room and putting them away in the closet. After I finished, I joined him in the living room. He had a drink waiting for me. I sat next to him.

“How did your research go today?”

“I don’t know yet. I think it might eventually give us a clue. I have to wait and see. How was your shopping?”

“It was a lot of fun. We found everything we wanted.”

“Did you do anything else besides shop?”

“Like what?”

“Oh, you know, laugh, have fun, or maybe go eat and cause a scene in a restaurant?” He said the last bit with a raised brow.

I looked at him in astonishment. How did he know that? “H-how did you know that?”

He grinned. “Babe, there’s not much we don’t find out in this town, especially if it involves one of ours. One of the regular customers from Punisher’s Mark, Ink’s tattoo shop, was there. He called Ink and told him about it. He thought we should know. He said you handled it, but in case they got too ugly, he was standing by to get involved if you needed him.”

“Really? I can’t believe it. Lord, that woman and her friends were so rude. I stood it for as long as I could, then I had to say something. I’m sorry if it embarrassed you and the club, but I won’t stand for it. They said hateful things to us, especially Troian. I put up with people like that growing up, and I don’t anymore.”

He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a brief kiss. I hated it when he pulled away. I wanted more, but I kept quiet. I didn’t even call him on kissing me. “She-Wolf, you don’t need to apologize. It was great. I don’t want you to ever keep your mouth shut when someone acts like that. I would’ve preferred if you had backup, just in case. Ink said he’ll show us the video.”

“Video? The guy recorded it?” I squeaked.

He laughed again. “Yes, he did. Ink said to tell you, way to go. I think he was disappointed you left and didn’t beat her ass.”

“She would’ve had me arrested, and I could’ve lost my nursing license. Otherwise, I might’ve. I have to confess, though, we did follow her when she left and let her see us. We waved and smiled. I think she might’ve shit or pissed herself. She was a total bitch.”

My confession only made him laugh harder. I snuggled into him and hoped he’d still be laughing when he saw the video. He was getting to know a whole different side of me, and I hoped it wouldn’t scare him off. To be honest, I kind of wanted to see the video myself.

“Is there anything else you need to do while we’re home?” he asked.

“Yeah, I should go see my boss at the hospital and let them know I need to extend my leave. Right now I’ve been using my vacation time, but that’ll run out soon. Hopefully, they’ll grant it and not just fire me. If they do, then when I get back, I’ll have to get hot finding a new job which sucks, but whatever.”

“If they do that, then you’ll find something else, I have no doubt. Nurses are in demand, according to what Alisse and Chey say. I don’t know if you only want to work in a hospital, but if not, the doctor they work for might need a nurse. Alisse has a while to go before she’s done with her nursing school. If not there, they might know of others looking.”

“I’ll ask if or when the time comes. I might not even get to speak to my boss while I’m home since I’d have to go tomorrow, and it’s the day before Christmas. She could be on vacation herself for all I know.”

“Doesn’t she have an assistant or someone who covers when she’s out?”

“She does, but I don’t know if she can grant those kinds of things or not. Don’t worry. I’ll go see whoever tomorrow.”

“I’ll take you. Just tell me what time you want to go.”

“I don’t want to take you away from work. If I can borrow your car, I can go, or I’ll see if Troian can take me.”

He gave me a stern look. “Babe, I want to spend time with you. Yes, it’s important to find Paden, but I don’t have to be at my computer all the time to do it. I have help to search for the bastard. I want to take you.”

“Okay, if you’re sure, then yes, you can take me. Maybe we can go back to that restaurant and see who else I can piss off,” I teased him. He laughed harder and then gave me a passionate kiss. I let him wipe all thoughts from my head.