Twisted Chapter 2

Another day of splitting my time between the Depot and the Watering Hole, but I didn't mind it. The expansion was coming along beautifully, and we'd have it done soon. People were eager to see it. We kept the Hole open during the renovation, but a plywood wall kept customers from seeing what was happening on the other side. We were gonna shut it down, but Joli convinced us to keep it open. Sure, some customers wouldn't come during the day when we were working the loudest, but that wouldn't stop the night customers or those intent on a drink no matter what. We had to close down the kitchen, though, since part of the expansion affected it.

I was back to taking another ride on my bike. As I did, I found myself turning down the same streets I had last time. The reason I knew was the nagging worry that had stuck with me for the past week. No matter what I did, I wasn't able to get the girl and boy I'd seen being harassed out of my head. At odd times, they'd pop into my mind, and I found myself worrying they were in trouble.

When I was in foster care, it was common to see older and stronger kids—the bullies—pick on those who were less able to defend themselves. I'd always made it my mission to stick up for those kids, even if I was smaller or outnumbered. In the beginning, it earned me a lot of ass whippings, but as I gained skill, I began to win more and more fights. When I started to sprout up and gain muscle, I became the winner almost every time unless they ganged up on me. Even then, I was known to win more than I lost. I became the defender of the underdogs. No wonder I gravitated to the Pagans. I was still doing it in one way or another.

It was after school let out again. I knew the odds of me seeing the same kids were slim, but I wanted to check anyway. My gut had been extra knotted today, and I couldn't stop worrying. I slowly passed the spot where I saw them last time. No one was there. I kept going. I was almost through the school zone and about to pick up speed when I spotted a group of kids up ahead. It only took a glance for me to recognize it was the ones I was looking for.

The girl and younger boy were distinctive. In our area, most people were either white like me or had Native American heritage. These two stuck out because they were neither. It wasn't their dark hair as much as their slightly duskier skin tone. I wasn't sure of their heritage, but it was memorable. The girl I would've placed to be maybe fourteen or so. She was beautiful, and the boy was a few years younger and already a really handsome kid.

Anger filled me as I spotted them. The same three guys were with them, only this time, they weren't arguing. Instead, one of them had the girl wrapped in his arms, holding her struggling body as the other two shoved and punched the young boy. I knew she was screaming even if I wasn't able to hear it over the roar of my bike. I sped up and came to a screeching halt next to them.

The three bullies had been so into what they were doing that I guess my bike's engine hadn't registered. It did when I jumped off the bike and charged up to them. The one shoving the boy took off running. I knew I wouldn't be able to snag all three, so I let him go and focused on grabbing the other two. Too bad for them, I was quick. I snatched the puncher by the arm as he tried to run and snagged the one who had held the girl by the back of the neck as he let go of her. I shook them like a dog, shaking a wayward pup. They cried out.

"Hey, let go of me!" Mr. Holder yelled.

"Stop it!" Mr. Puncher whined.

I gave them an extra shake before I said a word. "I'm pretty sure she asked you more than once to let go of her, and, as for you, I know the boy asked you to stop it. It's not so fun when you're on the receiving end, is it? How does it feel to be at someone else's mercy?" I snapped.

"We weren't doin' nothin' wrong. We were just playing around," Puncher protested.

"Oh really? So, if I ask these two if that's true, do you think they'll back you up? I don't think so. Even if they did, it would only be because they're scared of you. I know what I saw, and I saw you bugging them a week ago, too. Now, I don't know who your little buddy is who ran like a coward, but I can promise you, if I find out you've bothered these two again, I'll be paying a visit to your houses and talking to your parents. I can promise you that isn't something you want to happen."

They both hung their heads and appeared cowed, although I wasn't stupid enough to think they would stay this way. I'd have to make sure to get their two victims to tell me if they ever bothered them again. I thought about making the two shitheads tell me their names and addresses, but they'd probably lie.

"Did you hear me? Don't come near them again, or I'll be paying a visit you and your parents won't like," I growled low. I gave them another hard shake to emphasize the point. They were close to eighteen by the looks of them. Why they were picking on kids so much younger than them was classic bully behavior. I bet if I asked what these two did to deserve it, they wouldn't be able to tell me.

"Yes, yes, we heard," Puncher muttered.

Staring at Holder, I waited. He lowered his eyes and nodded. "Yes, we understand."

Letting go of them, I watched as they took off, running in the same direction as their other friend. With them out of the way, I needed to get down to the truth of what was happening and why. The girl and boy were looking at the ground. By the way they held themselves, I knew they were nervous and scared. I hated to see them be either, but especially scared. There was no reason for them to feel it with me.

"Hey, are you two okay? Did they hurt you? Let me see where they punched you," I said to the boy. He was my most immediate concern since he'd been hit. He backed away from me with a panicked look. He glanced uneasily at the girl, then back to me.

"W-we're fine," he stuttered.

"I just want to be sure. They were whaling on you pretty hard. What about you, honey? Did any of them hurt you?" I asked her, smiling in the hope I would put them at ease.

I knew enough not to touch either one of them, although all I wanted to do was give them a hug and promise no one would ever hurt them again. I didn't know why I was reacting so fiercely to them. Sure, I hated to see kids and adults harmed and scared when they had no reason to be. I would've stuck up for anyone in their situation, but there was something about these two that was tugging extra hard at me.

When she said nothing and just shook her head, no, I tried a different tactic. "What are your names? I'm called Twisted."

Their gazes skimmed me, then my cut. I knew I was intimidating. I tried to make myself seem smaller by hunkering down on my haunches. I gave them what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Don't let my tats and cut scare you. Yes, I'm in a motorcycle club, but we're not bad guys. Wanna tell me why those boys won't leave you alone?"

"Thank you for your help, but we've gotta go," the girl said suddenly.

Before I could say anything more, she grabbed the boy's hand, and they took off running. I almost shouted after them, but then I decided not to. Based on the direction they were headed, I knew they were going to the house I spotted them entering last time. Making up my mind, I stood up and went back to my bike. I straddled it to wait. It should only take them about ten minutes to make it home.

I waited, and while I did, I rehearsed what I would say to their parents when I got there. There was no way I was leaving it up to them to tell. It was likely they wouldn't say a word about being harassed. A lot of kids didn't. I wouldn't feel right until I told at least one adult in their lives what was up. I wouldn't always be around, and I hated the thought of them being hurt more.

As soon as I saw that ten minutes had passed, I headed to the neighborhood where I had seen them enter last time. There was no one on the street. When I pulled up in front of the house and parked, I was sure I saw the curtain in the front window twitch. Turning off my bike, I purposefully walked across the small yard and up the two steps to the porch. I raised my hand to knock, but I never got the chance. The door came swinging open, and I was hit by a storm.

A woman came hurtling out the door and stood toe-to-toe with me. She had to look up slightly to meet my eyes. I was used to women having to do it since I was six foot three. She didn't do it as much as most. Fire was snapping in her dark brown, almost black eyes. I swear there was electricity coming off her dark hair as she poked me in the chest with her finger.

"What kind of man goes around scaring kids? How dare you? You have a lot of nerve coming to our house. Don't think for a minute I'm scared of you. You might frighten them, but you don't frighten me," she snarled.

She was obviously in protective mama bear mode. I wasn't sure what the kids told her I did or said, but I hadn't done anything to warrant her attacking me this way. The briefest thought flashed across my mind as she berated me. Too bad she was already taken because she'd make the perfect old lady. Her fierce protective streak showed me this much. Shoving the thought away since it was inappropriate to think about another man's woman this way, I chose to settle the misunderstanding. I needed to speak to her husband.

"Ma'am, I'm not here to scare you or your kids. I'm not sure how the wires got crossed, but that was never my intention. Can I speak to your husband? Or is he still at work?"

Over her shoulder, I saw the two kids peeking out. They appeared horrified, and the girl was tugging on her mom's arm frantically. As I scanned them, I thought her mom had to have been a kid herself when she had her. I was about to ask again for her husband when the girl cried out. " Ima , he wasn't mean and didn't hurt us."

Her mom turned her head to glance back at her. " Tham lamada ho hanal, " she rattled off. I might not have been college-educated, but I was smart enough and had been around enough to recognize what I was almost sure was Arabic. It would explain their darker skin and more exotic features.

Her daughter gave her an uneasy look and then softly began to tell her more in what I was now positive was Arabic. As she talked, I saw the woman's body slowly become less tense. They were talking back and forth, and I chose not to interrupt, although I was dying to know what they were saying. Instead, I studied the mom, although I tried not to. I chided myself to stop it, but I didn't seem able to help myself.

Her eyes were tilted in the outer corners like the girl's, giving them an exotic look along with their long, thick, dark hair and dusky complexions. The mom had a slightly darker skin tone. Thick black lashes surrounded her eyes, and bold dark brows arched above them. Her full pink lips led me to the small dark beauty mark just outside her lips on the left side. I had this insane urge to kiss it, which would not only get me knocked on my ass by her husband but possibly killed. I knew if I had a woman like her and a man came on to her, I'd make sure he never did it again.

As she gestured excitedly and continued to talk to her daughter, I wasn't able to stop my perusal of the rest of her. She was casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, but they showed off her figure. Her jeans molded her hips. They were wider than her waist and, along with her pert full breasts, gave her a curvy shape. She was about five foot eight or so, by my estimate. She was in her bare feet. I saw hot pink toes peeking up at me. There were dainty rings on more than one toe. I'd never been into feet, but seeing hers, I had no trouble imagining myself kissing them.

Her abrupt turn back to face me fully almost got me caught. I made sure my features were schooled into a bland smile. She gave me a small, shy one back, and when she did, I felt knocked for another loop. She had the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen. Her cheeks were pink.

"I apologize. I thought you were here to… well, never mind that. Aliya says you stopped and helped her and Arif with a few boys they were having trouble with. Thank you."

"I did, and it's not the first time I've seen them. I'd like to talk to you and your husband about it. If he's not here, I can come back later, or if it makes you feel safer, we can meet somewhere in public. Although I assure you, you and your family have nothing to fear from me," I promised. I figured her husband was at work otherwise he would've shown himself by now. There was no way a real man would allow his wife and kids to be exposed to a man like me while he stayed hidden.

I wished I hadn't opened my mouth when she took a closer look at me before stepping back. I saw the unease on her face when she took in my tats, hair, size, and cut. I hated when people did that. Just because I was a biker didn't make me an animal or a threat, or at least not to her kind. To try to put her more at ease, I held out my hand slowly.

"I'm Twisted. Don't let the name scare you. It's my motorcycle club name. We all have them. I'm part of the Pagan Souls MC. I run the Pagan Depot if you know where it is."

Hesitantly, she reached out and shook my hand. I swear it was as if a current ran up my arm and straight to my chest when our hands met. She quickly jerked hers back, so I had to wonder if she felt it, too.

"I'm Zahirah and this is Aliya and Arif. Again, thank you for assisting them with their trouble, but I can assure you there's no need to discuss it with anyone other than me. You know how kids can be."

"I do, which is why I came. Most kids do stupid things but these boys seemed intent on hurting Arif and one was holding Aliya. They're a lot older, almost adults. It's not something I was comfortable ignoring. I don't want to alarm you or your family, but this kind of thing can turn ugly if you're not careful."

"Mr. Twisted, again, thank you so much for your concern. We will take it seriously, I assure you. Arif and Aliya's safety is a top priority. I don't mean to be rude, but it's time for them to get to their studies. Have a good afternoon."

As she stepped back into the house, I didn't want to let her go. Scrambling for a reason to linger, I called out, "If you or your husband need to speak to me, you can find me at the Depot, or if I'm not there, my employees can always reach me. I'd like to be sure the kids don't have any more trouble," I said in a rush.

She appeared surprised, then smiled. "Thank you. We'll remember that, but I don't see any more problems. Good day."

As she shut the door, I saw the kids exchanging looks I couldn't quite decipher. It was all I could do to make myself walk back to my bike and not knock again. The whole ride back to the compound, I kept lecturing myself to forget about them, especially her. She wasn't available, and even if she was, I doubted a man like me was the kind she'd go for. It was a disheartening thought.