Saving Dallas (8 page)

I wrapped my arms around Luke.  Leaning forward I placed my chin on his shoulder and whispered in his ear
, “Thank-you.” I know there was no possible way he knew what I was talking about.  Perhaps he thought it was the iPod, or the ride, or the wakeup call he gave me when he texted my assistant Lindsey, but he responded when he reached back and ran his hand down my thigh and landed it on my knee, where he held on while I rested my head on his shoulder until we came into town. 

Our first s
top was at 59 Hangout, which was an old run down bar off of highway fifty-nine.  On the left and right side of the white block building were old junk cars that had grass growing up around them.  A wooden fence separated the building from two trailers that were overgrown with vines and brush.  The large green door that led into the building was the only sign of color. We pulled in alongside about fifty other bikes, parking towards the front.  Before Luke had time to even cut the bike off, we were surrounded by people.  I recognized some of the faces of the men that shook Luke’s hand from the bar the other night.  Most of them gave Luke a big hug, slapping him on the back, seeming genuinely glad to see him.  I noticed that none of them made any attempt to speak to me until Luke introduced me. 

“
This is Dallas.  Dallas these are my brothers; Tiny, War and Regg,” he said waving his hand in their direction.  I slid my helmet off, doing my best to smooth my hair and shook each of their hands.  Tiny was a large man, every bit of 6’5 with long stringy hair and kind eyes.  I noticed the patches on his vest were similar to the ones Luke wore.  War was a man of short stature with a no-nonsense look on his face that made me think his bite was just as bad as his bark.  He made me nervous, causing me to quickly dart my eyes to Regg. 

“Hello beautiful!”  Regg said to me smiling,
and then pulling me into a bear hug.  He had a boyish face with big brown eyes.  His hair was a very light blonde and his goatee was the only thing making him look a day older than fifteen.  He was shorter than Luke but not by much and his husky size reminded me of a big ole teddy bear.  I returned his hug and not being able to help it landed a kiss on his red cheek. 

“Damn girl, you gonna make me take you home with me!”  Regg responded laughing.  I liked him immediately.  He seemed so full of love and life.

“Red will beat the hell outta you boy,” Tiny said playfully punching Regg in the arm.

“Ok
, ok, that’s enough,” Luke said breaking us apart and running his arm around my waist claiming his territory.

“
Red inside?” Luke asked, looking at Regg.  “Yeah, that crazy bitch is in there.  She is giving hell to a prospect at the bar.”  He replied shaking his head. 

“
That figures. Come on babe,” Luke led me towards the door, stopping several times to shake hands and hug people, but never introducing me.  I wondered why, but just passing it off as him being in a hurry I just stood there and smiled, although they never acknowledged my presence.

When we walked in, it took a moment for my eyes to adjust.  The bar was so
dark I couldn’t even make out the face of Luke standing beside me.  Never slowing, Luke let me through the entry and to the bar where he ordered two beers.  I looked around, my eyes starting to adjust, and noticed that a line of men all wearing leather vest were lined up to say hello to Luke. 

Once again, they never looked my way and Luke never bothered to introduce me.  I couldn’t help the feeling of unimportance that passed over me.  I was use
d to being the center of attention wherever I went.  In the presence of Luke it seemed as if I didn’t even exist.  I turned my back to Luke and looked around the bar.  There was a stage in the far left corner of the bar that was set up for a band.  The entire floor was a concrete slab, except for the make-shift dance floor that was covered in wood design linoleum.  Floor to ceiling mirrors covered the back wall of the dance floor.  Christmas lights were the main source of lighting and were strung up all around the bar.  Unmatched tables and chairs were scattered throughout the bar and all were occupied. 

“
Hey you!”  I looked across the bar to see Red coming towards me.  She was dressed in tight black jeans and a white t-shirt with an orange bandana wrapped around her head.  A black leather vest full of patches and black boots completed her outfit.  She looked absolutely gorgeous.  Her smile was wide, making her eyes sparkle and I couldn’t help smiling myself.  “I had no idea you were coming!” she said, walking up and wrapping her arms around me.  I returned her hug enthusiastically, feeling better by just seeing her face.

“Here I am!” I said smiling.

“Well come on and let me get you a beer,” Red said, grabbing my arm and leading me to the other side of the bar.  From the angle we were now at, I could see Luke looking like a damn celebrity -- shaking hands, hugging necks, and kissing women on the cheek.  I tried not to let it bother me, but I just couldn’t help it.  Why was he acting like I was not even there?

  “Two Millers
, Cas,” Red said to the hot bartender who looked like she belonged in a fashion magazine and not behind this dusty old bar.  I wondered why someone who looked like her would want to work in a place like this.  Then I noticed the overflowing tip jars and I knew.  She probably made more money in a weekend here than she would working a whole month in some clothing store.

“Thanks
,” I said as she handed me my beer. 

“No problem
,” she replied with a wink.

“Sorry Cas, this one is taken
,” Red said, wrapping her arm possessively around my waist.  Cas just gave a slight shrug then turned to help another demanding customer.

“She likes you. 
This means that when the guys start bringing in whiskey and feeding it to her, she is gonna come looking for you.  You can thank me later,” Red said, pulling out a barstool and gesturing for me to have a seat.  We sat down, facing Luke from across the bar.  I lifted my beer as a toast to Red and we clanked bottles.

“So, are ya wondering how he does it?” Red asked.  Never letting her eyes leave Luke. 

“Does what?  Pretends that I don’t exist
?” I blurted out. 

Red
laughed.  “Honey you should feel very special.  You are the envy of every girl in here.  Luke has not brought a woman around for some time.  For your pretty little ass to even have the opportunity to grace the back of his bitch seat is more than most women who have known Luke for years get.” 

“Then why doesn’t he introduce me?”  I asked, sounding much like a petulant child. 

Red turned to face me.  “What the hell do you want exactly, hmm?  For him to give you his un-divided attention at all times?  For him to turn his back on what he has worked so hard for just to make sure you feel appreciated and comfortable?  Do you want to know why he hasn’t introduced you? Because you are nothing.  This is a CDC world you are living in honey and the sooner you figure it out the better off you will be.  Stop being so fucking selfish for once in your life and know your place.” 

I was shocked at the outburst.  She had not said it with any type of
animosity, only matte- of-fact. “CDC?” I asked, another biker reference I had never heard of.

“Cunts
Don’t Count.  It’s not derogatory or demeaning it’s just how it is.  See this is a man’s world.  We are only here for decoration and moral support.  You will always come second.  It’s kinda hard to deal with at first, especially for someone like you who is used to getting everything she wants.  But, it has a way of growing on you,” she said, pulling a cigarette out and lighting it. 

“Why would you want to surround yourself with people who consider you a nobody?” I asked, truly intrigued by what she had just shared with me. 

“You see that man right there?” she asked, pointing to Regg.  “He is the reason I do this.  I love him and this family.  I am appreciated, loved, and respected.  As long as I know my place and stay out of club business, I will always be welcome and have a family here.” 

“Ok, I am confused.  If you don’t matter, why are you here?” 

“I never said I didn’t matter.  Stop trying to look at it as a bad thing.  There is not a man in here that would do anything to disrespect you.  You can have a good time, be protected, and genuinely loved by everyone here.  But, these men are not here to see you.  They are here for Luke, because he asked them to come.  He doesn’t introduce you because you are not of importance right now.  If you had a title it would be hang-around, unless you and Luke have become an item in the last twenty-four hours.  If and when you become official, chances are, even then, he won’t be rolling the red carpet out for you.  When you walked through that door with him, everyone in the room knew who you were and that was property of the Devil’s Renegades President LLC.”

I sat on the stool with my mouth slightly open, trying to take in all that she had just told
me.  Was this the life I want?  Did I really want to play second fiddle to a bunch of greasy bikers?  What the hell was wrong with me?
Life I wanted
. Hell, I just met the guy.  I had so many more questions I wanted to ask but the band was taking the stage and Red’s attention had quickly turned to them.  I suddenly wanted nothing more than to leave from this place.  I didn’t belong here and I knew it.  It was apparent that Luke didn’t much want me here either; if he did he would be here beside me. 
Wouldn’t he?
  I looked across the bar to see him chatting with a pretty blonde.  Judging by his facial expressions and the sexy smile on his face, I knew that he was flirting.  I watched him as he put his arm around her shoulders and whispered something in her ear, causing her to throw her head back in laughter. 

Naturally, being the woman that I am, I assumed that whatever joke that was passed was on my behalf.  My suspicions were confirmed when
our eyes met and she gave me a wink.  Some would probably consider it just a friendly gesture, but I knew that face.  It was the same one I had used when I knew I had one up on someone.  She was letting me know that she was stepping on my territory and was enjoying every minute of it. 

“Hey!”
Red said, eyeing me warily.  “Stop it.”

“Stop what?” I asked, confused at her demand.

“You are looking for a reason to be jealous.  That’s his sister.”  My whole body seemed to sag with relief. 
His sister, it was his fucking sister and I was two seconds from making a scene. 

“Oh
,” was all I could manage to say. I had presumed that Luke was an only child.  Now looking at the two, I don’t know why I had not seen it before.  They did favor each other. 

“Well not technically
,” Red said from beside me.  My head turned in her direction and I managed to pull my eyes away from the siblings to stare at her. 

“What? So they are not brother and sister?”  I asked completely confused.
Just
how many beers had Red drank since she had been here?

“Ok, that’s Creek
’s Ol’ Lady.  Creek is Luke’s riding brother so that makes BeBe Luke’s sister,” Red said, looking like she was trying to choose her words carefully so she didn’t get them confused. 

“Dammit
Red, just say what the hell you mean.  I don’t know motorcycle slang.  Is that his fucking sister or not?”  I said a bit too harshly.

“Hey, chill out man.  It’s been a while since I have had a conversation with someone outside this life.” 
I just stared at her expectantly.  I could tell that the drinks had obviously caught up with her.  She seemed somewhat spaced out.  “They are not blood kin if that’s what you are asking,” she said smiling, obviously enjoying my aggravation.

“Fuck it
,” I said, grabbing my beer.  “I’m going outside.”  I went to stand up when someone touched my shoulder. 

“Dallas?”
said a voice from beside me.  I turned to see my very first love staring back at me. 

“
Sam?”  Sam Ervin.  The All-American quarterback turned surfer boy was smiling at me.  His big green eyes were creased at the corners from his full megawatt smile.  I had loved Sam since the tenth grade, although the feeling was never mutual.  Partly because he never knew I had a crush on him. When I moved to Collins from Atlanta, he was the first person to speak to me in class.  Through our junior and senior year of high school, I managed to keep the secret hidden.  My fear of rejection was greater than the opportunity of truth.  Looking at him now, I felt nothing.  I had stopped feeling for him a long time ago, but it sure was nice to see a familiar face, and his was a nice one to look at. 

“What are you doing here?”
he asked me.  Letting his eyes travel over my body.  I had matured a lot since the twelfth grade, and he was taking notice.  Sam had matured a lot also.  His blonde curly hair was still wild and untamed, but his skin was sun kissed, and his shirt bulged from his muscles.  I noticed we seemed to be the only two in the building who looked as if they didn’t belong. 

“Maybe I should ask you the same question
,” I responded.

“My little brother is playing in the band.  Skill-Saw is what they are calling themselves.  I guess joints like this are there only takers
,” he said laughing.  His laugh was contagious as I joined in with him.  I happened to look across the bar and saw Luke glaring at me.  His face was that of stone, but his eyes were full of fire.  He shook his head from side to side as if telling me “no” about something.  I quickly averted my eyes, looking at anything but him.