Abandoned Angel (7 page)

“I will get you to Iowa when and IF I decide to get you to Iowa,” Blaze stated. His eyes glazed with anger.

The words cut deep into her soul. She did the best she could to hold back the tears as she tried to nod her understanding. She HAD to get to Iowa; she HAD to find her son, and she HAD allowed herself to believe that this rough, edgy man was the one that would help her get there. She was a fool and should have known better. Angelina’s throat burned as Blazes grip tightened.

“You do exactly as I say,” his upper lip curled as he spoke, “when I say it Bitch! Have I made myself clear?”

With that, Blaze released her throat though he held strong to her arm a moment longer. He thought about telling her why, but decided it wasn’t necessary. Having Angelina shaken was good enough for now. She would listen to him, and that was what mattered.

When he was through, Blaze turned his back to Angelina and began unloading his Harley. With no real interest he mumbled, “What the hell is so important in Iowa anyway?”

 “My son,” she answered quietly, ashamed that she was not there to keep Justin safe.

Her words came out dry and defeated, as Angelina felt - very defeated. It always seemed to come back to that. As hard as she tried, there was always someone who made her feel defeated.

The answer Angelina gave took Blaze by surprise. He knew that if the bastard who had beaten and abandoned Angelina had her son, the boy was in trouble. He could not imagine that the man who had abused her would be able to control his temper with a child. The anger would be too strong for him to keep it under control. He was evil, in Blazes mind. The man had wanted Angelina to suffer, not just physically, but emotionally as well. That was why he had her son, and that is what made him dangerous.

Angelina continued to stand in the same spot, her body limp and unmoving, taking in the thought that she might not find her son after all. She felt as if the life went out of her being, and every sore muscle and bruised cell in her body seemed to be throbbing in unison. If she did not have her son, she did not have anyone. She knew this to be the absolute truth. Other than Justin, Angelina was alone in the world.

Blaze warily watched Angelina go from a vibrant woman to a lost child in a matter of seconds. He almost felt guilty for putting her through the humiliation. Wouldn’t he have done anything to save his own child? He stood, fighting with all his strength to keep his memories held in, to keep from feeling his own pain, to keep from caring if this woman makes it to her son. She should not be there with him anyway. Blaze stood, in silence, reminding him to breathe in deeply. One breath at a time, that was all it took, and he would be able to keep the memories that he held at arm’s length, out.

As Blaze reached down to untie his bedding from the bike, he gently sighed, “I’ll get you to Iowa Angel, just be patient.”

The change in his tone unsettled Angelina. Was he toying with her or was he really willing to help? She chose to believe the later of the two scenarios, it was easier to accept. For a moment, the timid woman felt a little less alone and a little less scared.

“Thank you Blaze,” she stated as he turned towards her.

Her words flowed easily, with a calm sincerity. This was the first time she felt gratitude towards the stranger, although she wasn’t positive that she should. Angelina looked into his hazy brown eyes as he stood there, fumbling with the bedding, reading her face. She let the tears fall this time, unashamed and unembarrassed.

“Thank you, for this,” she muttered pointing at the bike. “And for, for not . . .” she paused, unsure of what she wanted to say, and how to put it into words. “Just thank you for everything,” she mustered. “I never thanked you.”

Softness pressed upon Blazes face as she spoke the gentle words. It was obvious that she was genuinely grateful for his help. Angelina believed that he would get her to Iowa, just as he intended her to. Blaze would need this woman, whom he did not know, to trust him so that she would do as told. Telling her that he would take her to her boy did the trick. She was sure to do as he said from now on.

The two of them stood for a moment, watching each other, silently, before Blaze spoke again.

“Let’s get unpacked for the night.” As an afterthought he added, “And remember - nothing in this world is for free.”

The statement caused anxiety to work its way back into Angelina’s gut. She glanced around as Blaze placed a dark blanket under the tree. She took a moment to observe her surroundings a bit more closely. Much of the trees that encompassed the camp either had someone lying under it napping, or had a group gathered beneath it, talking, and laughing as they visited and drank. The shaded area had a light breeze pulling under the leaves. The ages of the bikers varied. There were men that still looked like kids, wild kids albeit, in baggy jeans and tight tee shirts, as well as men who might very well have grandbabies of their own. Blaze, with his confident stance and determined glare, was somewhere in between.

 Angelina noticed a figure standing in front of a tall, thick-trunked tree about forty feet away. He stared intently at Angelina and Blaze. It took a moment before she recognized him as the tattooed, baldheaded man from the bar. Spike stood with his back braced against the bark of the tree, his arms crossed in front of his chest, with a cigarette balanced between his lips. His penetrating stare sent a chill down her body. She was not sure who he was trying to intimidate - her or Blaze. Either way, she was unsettled, yet struggled to turn her attention away from him. He was a character in his own right, intriguing as well as frightening. When she realized that Blaze was watching her watch Spike, she turned away quickly, embarrassed by how long she had stared back at the man. Blaze grinned up at her from the black fleece blanket where he had positioned himself. He noticed that her tears had stopped falling. Although it had appeared that he was not paying attention to the other members of the group, Blaze was very aware of the fact that Spike was watching them. Blaze had crossed the line with Spike. Rightfully, Angelina should have been Spikes property, not his. There had not been new blood in the group for a long time, and Spike had approached the battered woman first. She was easy bait, which was obvious. Blaze would need to watch his back for a while. The growing tension between him and Spike would eventual erupt. For the time being, Blaze would have to remain on guard.

“It’s time to rest Angelina.” He grinned at the timid woman from down on the blanket. “This is the only bedding I have, so you are going to have to lay with me.”

Angelina hesitated as he patted the hard ground, signaling for her to join him. She cautiously sat next to him on the soft blanket for a moment before she laid herself down on her side with her back to Blaze. The movement caused her ribs to ache tremendously. Angelina left as much space between the two of them as she could without lying directly on the dirt. Blaze, who was on his back with his soft leather jacket curled up under his head smiled. The motion amused him. He rolled onto his side, spread out his jacket to use as a pillow for two, and then wrapped his masculine arm around her small waist. Blaze pulled her tense body next to his.

“Move up against me,” he whispered.

Slowly, she did as told, and slid her behind up against him. With that, he relaxed his hold on Angelina. Blaze fell asleep quickly. It took a long time to get to this point, but finally, he was able to sleep at a drop of a hat, wherever he was.

Angelina remained apprehensive for a while, her body stiff, unsure of how to feel. It was difficult to determine if he had actually fallen to sleep or not. She was nervous, scared, intimidated, and exhausted. Finally, she took a deep breath and allowed herself to relax. She never would have guessed that riding on the back of a motorcycle could be so tiring. Her body felt as if it thundered in pain, especially her ribs, but it was easy to put that aside compared to the distress she felt over not knowing if her beloved son was ok. Angelina rested, trying not to think. She did not want to hurt anymore, or to worry or wonder where Justin was. She just wanted to be able to rest, and feel peace and security, just for a while. Oddly enough laying with Blaze by her side almost made her feel that way. As hard and cold as he could be, at that moment, with his body pressed up against hers, she allowed herself to imagine that he was there to protect her. She let herself believe that he lay so closely behind her not for physical reasons, and not to show possession, but to administer protection. Angelina closed her eyes and listened to the even rhythm of his breathing. The weight of his arm draped over her side was somehow comforting.
For a moment,
she pleaded,
just for a moment, do not let me think.
With this, she eased off to sleep.

“Do you think you are going to keep her Blaze?” asked Doc.

Angelina awoke to the hushed conversation between Doc and Blaze.

“She is not your responsibility - you don’t owe her anything,” said Doc.

“I know what I’m doing,” Blaze replied, not willing to back down. Although he was controlling his tone, Angelina could sense that he was getting angry. She listened to their rough voices as she remained in the same position, fighting the need to stretch. Her body hurt more now than it had before she took the nap.

“I don’t think you do know what you are doing, what if they turn on you?” Doc did not try to hide his anger. He knew that Blaze had pressed his luck by insisting the woman ride with him, and he did not think that it would end well.

“I can handle Spike,” said Blaze.

“I know you can handle him, but you cannot handle everyone.”

Doc paused for a moment to make sure no one else was around to listen to the argument. He had worn the colors for a long time and knew all too well what could happen if the members turned on someone. He did not want that to happen to his friend. As fine as the woman is, she is not worth the danger having her there brought.

“Damn it Blaze, she was his first! You know the code.”

“Fuck the code!” Blaze spat. He no longer worked at hiding his anger.

He stood directly behind Angelina. She remained as still as possible, not wanting them to know that she was listening to their argument. Her long, matted hair draped over her sweaty forehead. The day had gotten hot and muggy. She needed a shower.

“You know what they will do to her if they turn on you,” continued Doc. “It won’t just be Spike, who has her - it will be all of them. You know”

“Yes, I know, I said I will handle it!” Blaze interrupted; he did not need the man to tell him what would happen if Spike got the others to turn on him. Only a few of the members had actually seen how Blaze stepped in and took claim of Angelina, out from under Spike. Spike would be hard-pressed to get anyone to turn on Blaze too easily. They still needed him in the group and Blaze was well aware of that fact.

“And how the hell will you handle it?” grilled Doc, knowing it was not that simple.

There was silence for a while, both men fidgeting with their own thoughts. Finally, Blaze spoke, kindness controlling his tone this time.

“Doc, she isn’t like the others,” he began. “She is just trying to save her little boy. I can’t just let it go. You know I can’t.” His jaw tightened as he continued. “There is something about her. She’s different than the others.”

Standing with his back to Angelina, Doc was also unaware that she was listening to their discussion. He was one of the few people Blaze had talked to about his family, and although he did not agree, Doc understood why Blaze wanted her by his side.

“I know man, just be careful. Spike has one hell of a temper.”

Silence again. Angelina wondered how they had become close. She could see a sincere friendship between them. Doc’s gruff voice disrupted her thoughts.

“Wake the bitch up, let’s eat.” The conversation was over.

Doc gently pushed Angelina’s butt with the heel of his boots, seeming to nudge her awake. Angelina had not noticed the smell of meat cooking until then. Now, the smell was overwhelming. She continued to lay there until Blaze reached down, rolled her over by her shoulder, and told her it was time to get up. Slowly, she raised her sore body. Inside, she screamed with pain. Her muscles had tightened as she slept, causing her to winced from the spasm around her ribs as she tried to stand. Her reaction to the pain did not go unnoticed. Blaze hadn’t concerned himself with whether or not she had been hurt before, but he saw it now. Angelina was worse off than he had initially thought. Blaze saw many bad things in his life, but for whatever reason, it still got to him when a husband beat his wife.

Blaze understood that Doc was right about the woman and that he would have to be very careful with Angelina. The other men would want their turn with the newcomer. Earlier, when Spike watched as Blaze set up his camp, he had been warning him. The calculating man intended to have Angelina, whether Blaze was willing to share or not. He believed she was his for the taking. That’s the club way. Blaze had probably made Angelina’s situation worse by stepping between her and Spike at the clubhouse, but he saw something different in the young woman. Although she was desperate, she was not the same as the bitches that rode with the club. If he planned to keep her to himself, he would have to protect her from becoming club property.

When Angelina stood, Blaze tossed her a can of beer.