Twisted Chapter 8

I was hopeful tonight would take Zahirah's mind off her worries about those ignorant teenage boys, their families, and her kids. For the last few days, she'd been stressed out waiting for something to happen with them. After our unsuccessful visits to all three homes, we didn't know what to expect other than more trouble from the boys.

I could help on the home front by monitoring the security feeds and having a prospect hang outside at night while they slept to keep watch. There had been no new incidents, but it was hard to know if it was because they doubted the wisdom of doing something or if they knew a guard was hiding out.

At school, Aliya reported the three boys had stayed away from her and hadn't said anything. This didn't mean they didn't stare at her with loathing. They had no chance after school to corner them because Zahirah was still picking them up. I knew I'd have to convince her to let them walk home soon. We needed to catch the boys in the act if they were gonna continue with their bullying campaign, which I had no doubt they would. They might be lying low for now, but it wouldn't last forever.

It took some coaxing on my part to finally get her to agree to tonight. It was a big deal. We were going out on our first date. I admit I was anxious. I hadn't been on a date in years, not since my early twenties. In honor of the occasion, I was dressed up. Well, as dressed up as I got unless I was forced to do so for, say, being part of a wedding party. I'd changed out my typical T-shirt for a long-sleeved, button-down, and collared shirt, wore a new pair of jeans, and switched out my broken-in boots for a nicer pair.

Even if we weren't going to a more upscale place, I would've taken the truck. For one thing, I doubted she'd ever been on a bike, and second, it was too cold. I'd work her up to taking a ride with me during the warmth of the day. I prayed she wasn't one who would refuse to ride. I didn't think it would bode well for our future if she did. I couldn't imagine having an old lady who wouldn't ride with me. Did it ever happen? Probably, but not with anyone I knew.

Zahirah had tried to postpone due to not wanting to leave the kids alone. I was prepared. I had Atticus lined up and cleared to go to the house to stay with them. I chose him because he had spent time with them and was versed in babysitting, not that they needed to be watched like babies.

He'd gotten his fill of it when he was punished for letting Ciandra into the compound by having to babysit for one of the three couples once a week for three months. He'd gotten through it without a problem, and the couples were full of praise for him. I had no doubt he'd easily handle them. If there was trouble, he knew what to do. Bodie and Rune didn't have much exposure to kids, although if they planned to patch in, they'd get it.

I saw Atticus's bike, so he was here. Good. We had a reservation, and I didn't want to be late. Knocking on the door, I waited for someone to answer it. When the door opened, there stood our prospect. He nodded and stepped back to let me inside. I didn't want to take off my boots or track in dirt, so I moved just inside the door. The kids came up to greet me.

"Hi, Twisted," Arif said. We exchanged fist bumps.

"Hey, man, good to see you."

"Hi, Twisted. Zahirah wanted me to tell you she'll be out in a minute," Aliya said as her greeting.

"Hello, and thank you for letting me know, sweetheart. I hope you two are ready to keep Atticus out of trouble tonight. If he gives you too much trouble, call the clubhouse. They'll come haul him away," I teased. This got a laugh out of all three of them.

"I think I can keep it tame. You should be worried about me at the mercy of the two of them. That's unfair odds," Atticus joked as he pretended to be worried. His teasing made them laugh harder. I was chuckling and watching them when a throat being cleared from behind us made me turn to say hello to my date. When I did, I forgot how to talk or breathe. Standing there looking like a vision was Zahirah.

Don't get me wrong, she was always beautiful to me. I never saw her and thought otherwise, but she was even more so tonight. Maybe it was the fact she was in a dress for the first time, and I saw her sexy legs. Or it might be the way her hair was down in long waves. Or the fact she had noticeable makeup on, although I didn't think that was it. I couldn't care less if a woman wore makeup.

Her dress was red, and it hugged her body in all the right places. It wasn't overly short or cut extremely low, but it still showed off how hot she was. She wore red heels that matched the dress, a black coat slung over her arm, and a small purse in her hand. She was giving me a tentative smile which told me I'd been standing there like a moron for too long, and it was making her doubt herself.

I walked over to her and leaned close so she was the only one able to hear me. "You look so damn gorgeous. You'll be causing riots. Stay close. Don't get out of my sight, or someone will carry you off."

This earned me a smile. "You're such a boost to a woman's self-esteem. Thank you, but I doubt you'll have to fight anyone unless it's the ladies coming after you." She gave me an appreciative scan. I wasn't dressed up like her. My shirt was black like my boots and jeans.

"Oh no, it'll be all you. Are you ready?"

"I am. Just let me say goodbye."

Her goodbye consisted of her reminding them to behave and to ensure Atticus had her number, just in case. They assured her they would be good, and he told her he had her number. Before heading out the door, I helped her into her coat. When we were seated in the warm truck, I told her, "I can't move this truck until I do this."

I leaned toward her and laid my mouth to hers. I made sure I let her feel the passion she inspired in me. I didn't get carried away, but she felt it based on her dazed look and slightly elevated breathing when I was done. God knew I did, too. My pants were extra tight due to the erection she gave me. Not wanting to be late, I got us on the road.

"Will you tell me where we're going?" she asked.

When she asked me before, all I told her was to dress nicely and what time to be ready. There weren't many fancy places to go in town other than a few at the casino. It wasn't a long drive to our destination.

"Yes, I will. We're headed to Bellini's. Have you been there before?" Before I made the reservation, I asked her if there were any foods she didn't like.

"It's been a long time since I have. The food was great. Is it a favorite place of yours?"

"I don't go there all the time, but I enjoy their food. When I want a good steak, and I don't want to make it myself, it's the place I tend to go. You do like steak and seafood, don't you?" I was suddenly worried she didn't.

"I do. So it sounds like you're a cook, or at least when it comes to steak."

"I don't do badly. Steak is my best since it involves a grill. Don't you know, all men can grill," I boasted.

She laughed. "Then my brother must not have been a man because he couldn't grill, although, in truth, he wasn't able to boil water either. Nova used to tell him she was thankful she didn't marry him for his cooking ability."

Her giggle made me laugh. "I bet he had a comeback for when she said that."

"Oh, he did, and if the kids weren't around, it was about his ability as a lover. She'd blush and tell him to hush. I'd tease him and tell him I was gonna be sick if he didn't stop."

"They sound like a lot of fun. I'm sorry you lost them on top of your dad. I know your mom is gone. How old were you when you lost her? Or is that rude to ask?"

"Twisted, you don't need to worry so much about being rude or offending me. If you do, I promise I'll tell you. Deal?"

"Deal," I replied, then waited.

" Om died when I was three. She got sick and kept saying she didn't need to see a doctor. She developed pneumonia, and by the time Ab made her go, it was too late. He was left with me and eleven-year-old Zafir. I was lucky. Several women offered to take me and raise me. They thought a man wouldn't be able to raise a daughter or want to. Ab refused. He allowed them to help out occasionally but prided himself on raising both of us. He insisted there was no way he could stand having me live with someone else, family or not."

"I'm pretty sure I would've liked your dad. It couldn't have been easy, but he did it. Before Knight met Natalya, he was afraid he'd mess up with Cara but refused to let the old ladies take her, though he asked for advice when he needed it."

"May I ask what happened to Cara's mom?"

Shit, I didn't want to answer her, at least not entirely. "She wasn't a nice woman, and once he found out Cara was his, he made sure to remove her from her care. He regretted not knowing Cara was his until she was two."

"Well, it's obvious he and Natalya adore her. She's such a happy little girl. You can tell kids who are loved, Twisted."

"You can. Well, it looks like we made it. Before we go in, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Sure. What is it?" she asked as I parked. I shut off the truck and partially turned so I could see her.

"Twisted isn't my actual name, as you know."

She nodded. I kept going. "In club life, we go by our road names, which is what Twisted is. It's a matter of pride and even honor for us. Most of us get ours after we're made members, which we call getting patched."

"Alright?" she said with a slightly questioning tone.

"You probably don't know that only a rare few are allowed to use our actual names. And that's only allowed when we're alone. Any time we're around our club, other clubs, or in public, our road names are used, even by the old ladies."

"I noticed Eliana and the others do it. Why're you telling me this?"

"Because I want to ask if you'll use my real name when it's only us. I've never asked someone to use it since I was patched, but I'd like it if you would."

She didn't answer me for several heartbeats. I was about to panic when she finally did. "Are you sure you want me to? I'd feel privileged to do so, but only if you're positive. You said this is something old ladies do, so shouldn't I keep calling you Twisted?"

"It doesn't have to be just old ladies. It's something we ask our girlfriends and old ladies to use. I know we've just recently met, and we're beginning this whole relationship thing, but I want you to if you're okay with it."

She gave me the sweetest smile as she reached out to me. I gave her my hand. "I'd love to do it, but there's a problem."

"What?"

"I don't know what it is."

This made me groan as I smacked my forehead with my other hand. "Yeah, I guess it would help if I told you. It's Brody, Brody Granger."

"Thank you for trusting me with something so important to you, Brody."

"God, I want to kiss you right now, but if I do, we might not make our reservation, so I'm telling you I want one after we're done."

"I think I can do that," she said with a coy smile.

Not giving in to temptation, I got out, put on my cut, and came around to assist her. I saw her quickly check her face in the mirror.

"You're perfect," I told her as she got out.

"Thank you for thinking so. Can I ask why you removed your cut when you got into the truck only to put it on again?"

"We're not allowed to wear it when we're riding in a vehicle or a cage, as we call them. It's a big no-no because it's seen as disrespectful. Another biker seeing me do it would have my ass, and so would my club."

"Oh, wow, I guess there are a lot of rules, and I have no idea about any of them. I hope you don't get tired of explaining things to me."

"Never."

Further conversation was cut off as we stepped inside. It was a Saturday night, so it was busy, and there were a lot of people standing and sitting inside, waiting to be seated. I was glad I'd made a reservation, although you didn't have to have one. We weaved our way to the hostess stand. The woman behind it gave us a slightly harassed-looking smile.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"Yes, we have a seven-thirty reservation under Twisted for two."

"Oh, yes. Just give us a few minutes, and we'll get you seated. You're lucky you made a reservation. The wait is an hour or more right now," the hostess shared.

"I've waited before, so I knew better. Thank you."

I moved us away and to a spot as far out of the way as possible, which wasn't far. If they were this busy, they needed to find a way to have more seating for those waiting. People kept having to shuffle around to get out of the way. There were several disgruntled faces in the crowd. They grew worse in the five minutes it took for my name to be called.

As we made our way to the hostess seating us, I heard a man we passed grumble. "Why're they seating them? We've been here almost an hour."

I glanced over at him. "A reservation is the only way to go, particularly on a weekend."

He scowled at me. I didn't say it like an ass. I was only sharing why, and I spoke nicely. Ignoring him, I kept going. As we made our way to the table, I noticed we were getting a lot of attention. When we were shown which one was ours, I helped Zahirah out of her coat and into her chair, and then I took my seat. We were assured our waiter would be with us soon, and then the hostess rushed off.

"I think the fight to keep away your admirers is about to start," I only half-jested. Men were definitely checking her out, and I wanted to bare my teeth at them.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "If any looks are happening, then it's your admirers. Should I make sure my claws are ready?" She held up her hands. Her long nails were painted red to match her dress. I noticed she always had them painted. She had the prettiest hands, and she often wore a few rings.

"No need. They're all for you. I'll take care of them happily if they get out of hand. Do you drink alcohol?"

"I do, upon occasion."

"Would you like a mixed drink or a glass of wine?"

"I think I'll wait until we get our food, then have a glass of wine, but go ahead if you want one. I don't mind. I'll have water with lemon."

"I can wait. I'm driving anyway, so one drink is the limit for me."

We were kept from saying more when our waiter arrived. He was a man in his late twenties, by my guess. He seemed a little frazzled as he gave us both a smile. "Good evening, I'm Rocky. I'll be your waiter. May I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?"

"Rocky, the lady will have water with lemon. Do you happen to have fresh mint leaves?"

"We do."

"Do you want those in your water, too, beautiful?" I asked because I noticed she put lemon and mint in her water at home.

She gave me a surprised nod. "Yes, I would. Thanks for asking."

"You heard the lady. Add some mint, and I'll have a root beer, please."

"I'll get those for you in a moment. Let me tell you about the specials we have tonight." At our nods, he ran through them quickly. I had to admit there were a couple I was tempted to try. After he left, we chatted about the various items that caught our attention on the menu. When he returned, he had our drinks and brought a basket of bread and butter. I gave him our orders and then let him go. He was running all over our section, so I didn't hold him up.

I waited for her to get her bread. I was surprised when she placed a buttered slice on a plate and handed it to me. She saw it. "Oh, sorry. I assumed you'd want a piece."

"I do, but you don't have to wait on me."

"I don't mind. Take it."

I did, but I held off until after she took a bite of hers before I did. It was warm and tasted so good. We both moaned and then grinned at each other. As we waited, we talked about a variety of things. It was all effortless conversation. Minutes into it, we were both admiring the art on the walls when I noticed the man who'd grumbled when we were seated before him. He and his date were being shown to a table diagonal from us. He didn't bother to pull out the chair for the woman. What a jerk. Once he was in his chair, he said something to the hostess as she hurried off. He was scowling. I guess nothing made him happy.

It was a few minutes later when he got my attention again. I felt we were being stared at. His eyes were narrowed on us. I chose to look away and ignored his rudeness. I wanted tonight to be calm and memorable for Zahirah in a good way. Asking him what he was staring at wouldn't accomplish that.

We were seated in a partially closed section from the main dining area, so the noise was much lower here. You could hear yourself talk. I'd asked for a table in this section for just this reason. I'd asked Zahirah what she worked on this week when I heard the man talking loudly.

"Why do they have one of the best tables in the place? They shouldn't allow riffraff like them in here, period, let alone in this section."

I looked over to see who he was talking about and discovered he was staring at us with a sneer on his bloated face. His date was trying to silence him, and she appeared embarrassed. I heard Zahirah sigh. I kept my mouth shut and went back to paying attention to my date, but it was difficult.

"Yeah, I was talking about you with the fucked-up hair. First, they seat you ahead of others. Then, they give you a great table. Who did you have to bribe to get the special treatment? Would it have killed you to dress up?"

I clenched my teeth. If it were only me, I'd be blasting his ass. He was lucky Zahirah was with me. I was taken aback when the following remarks weren't from him. They came from Zahirah. She turned to glare at him.

"Why don't you enjoy your night and let us enjoy ours? We made a reservation. You should try it next time. As for how he's dressed, there's nothing wrong with his clothes. I don't see you wearing a suit and tie either." When she was done, she swung her head back to me.

"Hey, you should teach your bitch to keep her mouth shut when a man is speaking. I guess I shouldn't expect much out of a woman like her."

I snapped my head back around to glare at him. "And just what kind of woman would that be? One with a brain and who knows her self-worth and isn't subjected to being with an overbearing asshole?"

His face flushed red. He puffed out his chest, which didn't help to make it stick out past his fat gut. He clenched his fists. "You know what kind I mean. She's obviously not from around here. What's wrong with an American woman? Or can't you get one without paying?"

"She's American, but even if she wasn't, you have no right to talk about her that way. Unlike you, I don't have to pay, and I'd stop while you can still talk," I warned him.

"Or what? I'm not afraid of you."

The room was drastically quieter than it was minutes before. We had people watching the scene avidly. He was ruining our night. Rather than punching him in the face like I longed to do, I chose a different tactic. It so happened Rocky came to the table at that moment. He wore an apprehensive expression. "Sir, I'm so sorry," he whispered to us.

"It's not your fault. Would you move us to a table away from him? I don't want him to ruin our night. He's upsetting my woman."

"Absolutely. If you come with me, I'll show you to a table in our private rooms. It's free right now." He seemed relieved. I stood up, then went around and moved Zahirah's chair out. I placed her coat over my arm and put my other arm behind her back. As we walked off, Mr. Big Mouth smarted off again.

"Good. They're taking out the trash."

"If that were the case, he'd be leaving," Zahirah told me. I couldn't help but chuckle and grin at her.

Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one to hear her. She yelped and was jerked away from me. It was then I noted the obnoxious diner grabbed her other arm. Fury washed through me, seeing his hand on her. Who the fuck did he think he was to dare touch her? I came around her and grabbed his wrist. I squeezed hard, biting into the tendons in his fat arm. I knew it hurt like a bitch. He cried out and let go of her. I flung his arm away from us.

"Keep your goddamn hands to yourself, or I'll break them. You don't touch a woman like that, and you definitely don't touch her. This is your last warning."

I figured out he wasn't only a blowhard but a true moron when he stood up and faced me. "If you touch me again, I'll have you not only thrown out, but I'll have the cops arrest your ass. I'm a lawyer."

"Well, if that's true, you're not a very good one, are you? If you were, you'd know by touching me first, you've assaulted me, and Twisted was only defending me. There are enough witnesses to prove who began this whole distasteful fiasco," Zahirah informed him.

"Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about."

I moved closer to him, and he took a step back. I didn't throw the punch I was dying to throw. Instead, I whispered so he and Zahirah were the only ones to hear me. "Say or do one more thing, and you won't need to figure out what you'll tell the cops because you won't be able to say anything with a fucking broken jaw. And when you get out of the hospital, I'll be waiting for you. You'll never know when I'll return to teach you more much-needed lessons."

This threat seemed to get his attention. He turned a sick shade of whitish-gray. He glanced around nervously. I saw his Adam's apple bob as he gulped. Yeah, fucker, now you're getting the picture .

We walked away. After Rocky seated us and promised to be back, I apologized to her. "I'm so sorry he ruined this. I wanted this to be a good night."

"He didn't ruin it. I learned a long time ago not to let people like him take things I'm enjoying away. Sure, it's hard sometimes, but he's an idiot. Let's forget about him, enjoy the food when it comes, and get to know each other better."

Relief filled me. I set out to do just that.