Seth (15 page)

Before opening the door I take a deep breath to calm my
pinging nerves. Even under different circumstances I’d be pretty damn nervous.
Seth did his best to adjust my expectations but I have a feeling I’m going to
be in for a shock. I take another breath and knock on the door.

“Come in.”

It’s my brother’s voice but it sounds off. I open the
door and walk in. I have a greeting on the tip of my tongue but the second I
see his face all bets are off!

“Oh my fucking…shit Caleb what…I…”

“Relax sis, it looks far worse than it is.”

“I’m finding that very hard to believe right now.”

It looks like the Breaker still did a lot of breaking
even while losing. He’s got giant purple circles around both eyes and a swollen
misshapen nose only barely covered by the bandages. The whole right side of his
face is also swollen making him barely recognizable. Looking at him I just
can’t believe he actually won the bout.

“Are you done staring?” He asks me.

“Oh…sorry. Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?”

He points across the room. There’s a full length mirror
on the back of the door.

“I guess you have then. So this is it right?”

“What do you mean?”

“The cage fighting. You’re not still going to do it
right?”

“Are you kidding me? I just got a huge five fight
contract from Surge. I’m gonna be a star sis!”

“Okay I really think you haven’t looked in the mirror.
You can’t look like you and think you’re going to continue being a cage
fighter. Come on little brother, wake up and smell the coffee. That is if you
can still smell with that nose of your. Come to think of it, you probably can’t
even see can you?”

“I promise it’s all far worse than it looks. This is all
new to me and my body has to adjust. As my body gets used to the punishment it
won’t affect me like this. This really is as bad as it gets.”

“Can you even hear yourself Caleb? As bad as it gets? Is
that what you told the guys family when you killed their son in a fight? Its
okay this is as bad as it gets. Something is really wrong with you.”

“Look Kim, I have to do this and I’m not doing it just
for me. My club can start moving away from some of our illegal enterprises now
with my new contract.”

“Wait a second; you’re giving it all to the club?”

“Yeah…that’s supposed to be a good thing sis. I’m not
doing this to my body for riches and fame it’s for my club. If we can get a few
good fighters under management we’ll be able to be a completely legitimate
club. No more outlaw stuff.”

“Do you actually believe what you’re saying? I don’t know
what you got for the next fights but I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be
enough to replace your drug or gun business.”

“Maybe not completely, at least not right now but my next
contract will make this one look like chump change.”

This conversation is not going like I thought it would.
In fact I wasn’t even planning on talking about fighting but now that’s all
it’s about and what little bond we still have is rapidly evaporating.

“I know what the real problem here is sis, you just can’t
stand it that I’m a Soul Eater.”

A week ago he would have been right in his assumption but
I’m finding that the more involvement I have with Seth the easier it is to look
in the other direction when it comes to their illegal activities.

“Kim?”

“I just don’t understand why you chose the club over your
family.”

“I’m not choosing the club over you am I? I mean we’re
here talking. No one has ever discouraged you from contacting me have they?”

“No…”

“You know why I chose mom over dad right? I mean that’s
what this is all about isn’t it. You can’t stand it that I betrayed our father
and chose to live with our mother. I was four or five when he went away and I
didn’t see him until I was 13 or 14.”

“No way! What about the times you visited him in jail?”

“You did! Man you have a faulty memory sis. At first mom
wouldn’t let me go because she thought it would be too scary for me. Then
later, when I was old enough to handle it she wouldn’t let me because she
turned against him and married that cop. And yet you stand here blaming me
again all these years later. I hate to say it, but we’re both products of our
surroundings. You were raised one way and I was a different way. The age
difference between us was everything. Had I been one or two years older things
would have been different. Or if mom would have let me see him we may have
stayed close and not drifted so far apart. I seriously did not know him when he
came back and you have to admit, he was scary.”

The more that I sit here listening to him the more he is
actually making sense. At first it pisses me off but now…now I don’t know what
to think anymore.

“I’m sorry Caleb. I guess I just sort of assumed you had
the same experience as me when dad went away. I thought you had the same
feelings and loyalties as me and it just didn’t occur to me that you lived a
different life even though we were in the same house. Of course I never thought
to ask you either I guess.”

For the first time I see a change come over my brother.
Not in his face but in his eyes. The steely glint that has been there ever
since I encountered him the night of his fight has finally softened. In fact in
this moment I don’t see it at all. I don’t want to hope too much but for the
first time I see a real chance at having a brother again and what’s even more
amazing is I am beginning to actually want that. I have been so angry at what I
felt were his betrayal of dad and our family that I really did not want
anything to do with him and we didn’t speak for about ten years.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” He asks.

“Like what?”

“Something’s different.” He replies. “You’re different.”

“I was just thinking the same thing Caleb. I miss having
a little brother.”

“Even one who is part of an outlaw biker club?” He asks
me.

“
Especially
one who is part of an outlaw biker
club.”

“Serious?” He suddenly sits up, his battered face shining
with a new light in his eyes.”

There’s hope there and once again he’s my little brother;
albeit a badass little brother, but he’s finally back.

“You know…the Soul Eaters…they’re not so bad after all I
think.”

“I knew you’d come around!” He proclaims.

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to up and join any time
soon. Wait, can women become members?” I ask doubtfully.

“Sorry sis, it’s a boys club. The closest you could be
was if you became a member’s old lady. You know… like Blink’s old lady.”

“Who’s Blink?”

“You know…Seth. He’s Blink, and I’m Iron Skull.”

“Yeah after that last fight, I’m not so sure the name
fits you anymore.”

He touches his face gingerly. “Yeah…you may be right. I
feel like… I don’t know what I feel like. It’s pretty fucking unimaginable. But
give me a few days and I’ll be back up and training for the next fight. I’m
part of Surge now so I got a reputation to protect.”

“Yeah… you boys and you’re fighting. Just make sure it
doesn’t get you killed. Now that I feel like I’m getting my brother back I
don’t want to lose him again. You got me?”

“Yeah yeah…I’ll be fine. Hey what’s up with you and
Blink…Seth? Are you two a couple now?”

“You mean am I going to become his old lady?”

“That too.”

“I don’t know Caleb. I don’t even know what it means to
be an old lady. This biker stuff is all new to me and we just started…something
and I don’t know where it’s headed. It’s not like we’ve even talked about it
‘cause we haven’t. A lot of stuff is up in the air right now so I don’t know
what I’m going to be doing the day after tomorrow so there’s no way I can plan
for something as serious as being someone’s old lady.”

“Maybe you better tell him that then because he talks
like you’re already his old lady. Bikers are like that sis. They just take what
they want and ask questions later.”

“Yeah I hear you’re in some kind of hot water about a
video or something.”

“Two video’s actually. Both I kept from the police. One
they have the other they’re looking for but don’t have.”

“So what’s up with that?”

“Really don’t want to talk about that right now. I’m just
glad to have you back in my life so let’s just leave it at that. Now I have to
go talk to Seth so I’ll see you around I guess. Get well. You look like shit
little brother.”

He smiles for the second time. “Thanks sis, I’ll get
right on that.”

On impulse I walk over and give him a brief hug and when
I walk away I swear I can see his eyes shining.

After leaving my brother I return to the apartment that
Seth has moved me to. He insisted I stay here until he figures out what to do
about the video and the cops who will no doubt take me in on sight for
questioning if not to arrest me for obstruction of justice or something like
that.

“I’ll come up with something.” He promised before he left
for club business.

Now all I can do is wait. Fortunately for me I had two
weeks accrued paid days off so I called in and took them all before they could
fire me and take them away. I still have some work to do for the magazine but
my laptop is in my house and I can’t go back there. I pass the day wandering
around the Soul Eaters compound. They seem to do a brisk business in their
repair shop and someone is always coming and going from the clubhouse/bar. The
bikers I do run across treat me with respect and that surprises me. I guess a
few saw me with Seth and have drawn the conclusion that I am now his old lady
and they’d better show respect. I’m not sure how I feel about that. We’ve never
discussed me becoming his old lady or anything about our relationship. I just
know that we both seem to have pretty deep feelings for one another but as far
as a commitment to each other… I’m not sure where we stand on that. I do know
that every time he is gone now I ache for him and that surprises me. I have
never ached for a guy in my entire life. I’ve had a few boyfriends and I have
missed them but I never actually hurt in my heart for them when we were
separated. This is all new to me.

He finally shows up shortly before ten in the evening.
His whole demeanor has changed. His face is locked in a stern expression and I
get the feeling that he has made some sort of significant decision and worried
about it. I decide to call him out on it.

“I’m going tonight to retrieve your phone.” He replies.

“You think that’s a good idea? Marc has to be watching my
house.”

“As long as I get my hands on the phone I’ll retrieve the
sim card and hide it on my bike and if I get arrested a brother can come by and
get my bike and retrieve it from its hiding spot.”

“I don’t think that’s going to work Seth.”

“You’re worried about me darling…that’s so sweet.” He
replies.

“You think that’s sweet? Come here you and I’ll really
show you just how sweet I can be.”

“I’d love to but I really have to-“

“What?” I shout, drowning him out.

“Kidding! I’m only kidding. How can I turn down some
sugar from my old lady?”

That last bit actually brings a smile to my face.

“You like that do you? You wanna be a Soul Eater’s old
lady?”

“You talk too much Blink.”

That’s the first time I’ve used his club name and I guess
if I’m going to be his old lady I should get used to it. To be honest I have no
idea what I’m getting myself into but I guess I’ll just learn as I go.

“There are other things I can do with my mouth other than
talking.” He says with a wicked smile.

“You had me at there.” I reply.

Then he just strides up to me and swoops me off my feet
and carries me down the hall to the bedroom. He crosses the small room in three
steps then I find myself momentarily airborne. For a split second I start to
panic when I feel the soft bed beneath me. I bounce off just as Seth falls next
to me and covers my mouth with his before I can lodge a protest about rough
treatment. I’m usually the kind of girl who needs to be wooed in bed. I like
the long slow build- up of passion before I’m good to go so it surprises me
when my body responds to Seth so fast.

He starts to unbutton my blouse but I just can’t wait for
any politeness on his part. I need him and I need him right fucking now! I grab
the collars of my shirt and rip! I hear buttons crackle on the wooden floor and
one actually hits me in my own eye. Seth follows my example and destroys my
bra. The moment my breasts are free my nipples are a captive to his mouth. I
squeal involuntarily as a stiff nipple meets ivory teeth but I’m not about to
complain about the treatment. He’s got one of my nipples between his teeth and
the other between his fingers and both are ecstatic about the situation.

I grab his white tee and attempt to just tear it off his
body but I’m just not that strong so he pauses and removes his cut then the
tee. He starts to set the cut on the bed next to me but I stop his hand.

“No.”

He puts it back on. There’s just something about seeing
his rippling muscles beneath a wicked looking cut that really gets me off. But
it’s not just the looks that does it for me. It’s his smell. A heady
combination of leather, a fine sheen of sweat on his tan skin and a musky very
male body odor that makes my nerves sing.

Now I can’t get my jeans off fast enough. Curse the
unending fad of skinny jeans. We have to put everything on hold so I can get my
boots off and peel my second skin down over my hips and down my ankles. I rip
the tight material off my feet and look back up... Seth has used his time
wisely. He’s standing beside the bed in his cut and a pair of tight red briefs
that only barely succeed covering his substantial package. I sit up, reaching
for his briefs but the grabs my arms and pins me to the mattress.

Tonight our lovemaking is propelled through the
stratosphere by thoughts that this could be our last time together. I don’t
normally like thinking that way but when you’re the old lady of an outlaw biker
that’s wanted by the police…you just gotta think that way and it does nothing
but heighten my nerves sensitivity almost to a painful level. If I don’t
explode in orgasm soon I think I’ll just die of pleasure.

I gasp as he fills me up and I thrust to meet him with as
much force and desire as he is putting into each thrust of his powerful hips.
If this is the last time I ever make love I’m pretty sure the memory of it will
last me for damn near ever!

Eventually all good things must come to an end; even
great sex! As we lie in a strange bed spooning I feel a strange feeling I have
never felt. Well…I haven’t felt it for many years. I take a deep breath and
slowly let it out. Contentment rushes in filling the vacancy in my lungs left
by my exhalation. Out with the old, in with the contentment. Out with the old
and in with the new. I realize now what I have been missing for the last
decade; a family. I can see why Caleb turned to the club. They’re his surrogate
family and now they’re becoming mine with each new breath I take. I’m still not
sure how I can reconcile in my mind giving up a law abiding boyfriend and
lifestyle for that of the outlaw and outlaw boyfriend but one some deep level
it works for me. Those thoughts accompany me as I slowly drift off to sleep and
I don’t even stir when Seth gets up, dresses and leaves to put his life on the
line for the club he loves so much.