When Karma Comes To Call (5 page)

“Prison.”

Her eyes widen.

“Here you are,” Gladys says.
Saved by the bell.
I can see the questions in her eyes, but she turns to her food.

***

Karma

It doesn’t surprise me that Arsen’s done time. I wonder what for. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, but it feels too personal, so I hold back. We finish up our meals as the sun sinks on the horizon and head back to his bike. I slip on the helmet, and he does the same before we climb on. I love riding with him. It’s the longest period I’ve spent on a bike, but I could travel this way forever. There’s a freedom feeling the road beneath the tires, and the wind on my face. Even the moon in the sky seems closer. It brings peace. I get why people live to ride. I lean into him as we take a turn. Headlights blind me and an engine revs. I scream. The bumper rams into the back of the bike. Metal clanks, sparks fly, and we’re off road.

The squeal of rubber against the road deafens me. Disoriented, I tumble through the air and land hard. My shoulder protests my weight. Pain racks my body. I glance around wildly. My ribs scream at my movement. I wrap my arm around my middle and force my body into an upright position. A dark SUV sits a few yards back. The headlights illuminate the horror scene before me. Arsen lays on the ground under his bike, dazed and possibly seriously injured. The door opens, and I see two men emerge in suits. I force my limbs to move and scramble to Arsen. His eyes are shut, and I can see him twitch slightly. He probably has a concussion. I’m on my own. Heart in my throat, I reach inside his vest and find what I’m looking for.

I let survival instincts surge up inside me. My dad taught me to shoot the minute I hit ten. I narrow my eyes, aim, and fire. My mind is blank and my aim is sure. I hear my father’s voice in my mind.
Sometimes one shot is all you got, baby girl. Make sure it counts.
His head explodes and I move on to his partner. Blood and brain matter spill onto the quiet country road. My body shakes, and a faint buzz sets in. The loud groan draws my attention to Arsen.

“Arsen?”

He moans. His eyes move rapidly under his lids. His eyelids pop open and I hold my breath. “Fuck. Help me get this off.“ His words are slurred, but he’s lucid. Right now, the man is a super hero in my book. I set the weapon down and help him move the bike. “Shit.” His breathing heavy, and I know he’s hurting. Despite it all, we work together and lift the bike off him.

“Gotta contain this, babe. Do what I tell you to.”

“Okay.” My voice wavers. Everything hurts. My ribs make it murder just to breath, and I’m on the verge of shock or panic.I can’t decide which. “Gotta get the bodies in the car and drive it off road. I’ll call my brothers, but this as it is, will draw attention.“ I’m not a small woman. Out of heels I’m pushing 6’0 and built solidly. This isn’t the first time I appreciated the genetic hand down. Clutching my side I get to my feet and slowly walk over to the men. One is short and lanky, maybe 5’6 with dark features. His hair might have been brown. It’s hard to tell under the mess I’ve made of him. If I’d been normal, my stomach would roll, but I’ve seen my fair share of dead bodies, thanks to Dad’s enterprise. I grab him under the arms and cry out as my body protests. Gritting my teeth I drag his body around to the back of the car, dump him there, and go back for his fat fuck friend. The stocky man is pushing 5’10 and built like a brick house. I need a different approach. I grab his shiny shoed feet and tug, pulling him across the black top one excruciating inch at a time.

Tears form in my eyes as I manuver their limp frames inside the back of the truck. I close the door and take a moment to catch my breath. Something is wrong inside me. This is more than soreness after an accident. I’m lucky I’m alive. I look over at Arsen. We propped his bike up and have him resting againt it. He looks like a biker with a broken down bike, waiting for assitance. His jeans are mangled, but you couldn’t tell it if you drove by. I walk over and kneel beside him to examine his leg. I’m not a doctor, but I know the dark stain is spreading.

“How you doing, Slayer?” I ask, anxious to check on his state of mind.

“I’m alive. Gonna need you to staunch the bleeding. Starting to feel lightheaded.“ I shrug out of my jacket and pull my T-shirt above my head. Then, I roll the cotton up into a make-shift rope.

“You know what you’re doing?” he rasps.

“Hood medic 101,” I say. He chuckles. “Tell me where the wound is.”

“About two inches up from my knee on my thigh—” He swears.

“Found it.” I wrap the rope around it and tie as tight as I dare. He hisses. “Gotta move the car. I’m gonna check on you when I get back. Don’t you fall asleep on me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, K.”

I’m relieved to hear the nickname. It means he’s still cognizant.

“How far out are they?” he rasps. His voice is growing fainter.

“Shouldn’t be long now.”

I’m up again, hobbling over to the SUV. I climb behind the wheel. I pull it off the road, hit the lights, and say a silent prayer to my mother. I like to think she’s looking out for me.
Get me through this, Mom.
I rest my head on the steering wheel and catch my second wind. Arsen protected me. This is my time to return the favor. I slip out of the car, close the door, and limp over to him.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty,” I say.

He blinks. “Just resting my eyes.

“Well stop that.”

“You are giving me something interesting to look at,” he rasps.

I glance down at the bra my tits are all but spilling out of. “Anything for the cause of keeping you alert,” I remark dryly.

He smirks. “You got a nice rack. Must’ve cost a fortune.”

“Fuck you, Slayer, I grew these myself.” He’s looking pale. His head bobs. Alarm bells are ringing. “How about you see for yourself?” I grab his hands and place them on my chest.

His eyes go wide, and I laugh.

“Shit!”

“I thought that would wake you.”

He squeezes, and I moan slightly.

“If I wasn’t so fucked right now, you’d be in trouble, Karma,” he growls.
Nothing like lust to hold a man’s attention.
His fingers were just as wicked as the man himself. He takes advantage of the situation rolling and pinching my hard nipples. Whimpers spill from my lips as my adrenaline is refocused into arousal.

“You trying to make me come, Slayer?”

“Could I?” He tilts his head, and I know he’s with me, even if his brain is hazy from being slammed against the road.

“You keep on like you are you could,” I whisper. His eyes lock on mine, and I know we’re both doing our best to survive this and not think about how much we’re hurting.

“Then I better work fast. I don’t want anyone else but me knowing how you look when you come.”

His words have a direct line to my pussy. My panties are wet, my core is throbbing, and I’m putty in his hands. A bond forms between us. I trust him.

“Move closer.” I do as he asks, crying out as he tugs down my bra and sucks my tit in his mouth.

“Jesus.” I arch my back and focus on the heat of his mouth and the curl of his tongue. The wave builds inside me, and I press my thighs together.

“That’s it, baby, let go for me.”

I hear the roar of motorcycles in the distance. The thrill that comes with being caught and his raspy voice throws me over the edge. I’m a shaking, melted mess beside him. He fixes my bra, kissing my cleavage.

“I owe you one, Slayer.”

“I think our debt is still one-sided, K.” I know he means the way I handled the men and not the sexual gratification. Heat flows to my face, and I glance away. I’ve never killed anyone before. The gravity of the situation slams into me, and I mentally begin to scream I’m a murderer.

The bikes pull up and park in a row, effectively blocking us from the view of the road. An SUV and a truck pull up behind them. To transport Arsen and his bike, I’m sure.

“The road burn your shirt off?”

I peer up at Demon and shake my head. I don’t speak, afraid I’ll start screaming.

“I think the shock is kicking in,” a gruff voice says.

“Thank God it happened after the fact,” Demon mutters. “Go with Reed, he’ll help you get settled.”

“Arsen?”

“Will be fine. Doc will fix him up and we’ll get him back to the clubhouse. Thank you for what you did. We won’t forget that,” Demon says.

I watch the men go to Arsen, and let go. He’s in good hands, and we’re safe. I can melt down now. Tears blur my vision, and I let the middle-aged man with a kind smile and red hair lead me to the truck. He opens the passenger door.

“Climb in and I’ll get you something to wear. As fantastic as your tits are, I don’t think you want all of us ogling them.” He closes the door, and I rest my head against the cool pane of glass, drifting away inside my mind.

Chapter Four

Arsen

I come to, wondering where I am and what time it is. My throat is scratchy and dry. I smack my lips.

“You’re awake,” a soft voice whispers. I focus my attention and find Karma sitting at my bedside.

“How long?”

“Two days, you been in and out since we let you sleep after the concussion passed. Hold on, I’ll get water and the Doc.” She holds up a glass with a straw and I take a few grateful sips. “You good?”

I grunt, taking stock of my body. The road rash was a given, along with the aches and pains. The pain in my ribs isn’t severe enough to be broken, so I’ll go with bruised. My leg is trussed up like a turkey, but I don’t have a cast, so it can’t be broken.

“You okay?” I croak. She pauses in the doorframe.

“You’re the one laid up and you’re asking about me?” Her face softens. “I’m good, a couple of bruised ribs, one cracked. A bit of road rash. Otherwise, I’m good as new. Thank God you made me change my clothes.”

“My job is to take care of you. What about your performance?” I ask.

“Rescheduled.” Her voice is garbled. “Due to throat issues.”

I smirk. I’m glad she didn’t do it without me. I want to be the one watching her six.

“Let me get the Doc, this is the first time you’ve been up and lucid. He had you on the good stuff to get you to heal the first forty-eight.”

There’s loyalty in the way she stuck by me and cared for me. It’s earning her a spot with me. I’m not even going to try to fight it. She killed for me. Thinking about the shit makes my dick twitch. A woman who can handle a weapon is sexy, but one willing to use it to protect you is priceless.

“Karma.” I pause, thinking of all the things hovering on the tip of my tongue. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, Slayer.” She winks and disappears out of the room. More alert, I glance around and realize I’m in my dorm room. Doc walks in and smiles.

“Glad to have you back in the land of the living.” The retired Navy Core man saunters in with an easy smile. In his mid-forties, the long-haired man has been fixing brothers up as long as I can remember.

“Good to be back. Tell me the damage,” I demand.

“You’re both lucky as shit if you ask me. You got a hairline fracture in your tibia. So you need to stay off your feet for a while. Had to stitch up a twenty-inch gash on your upper thigh. It looked worse than it was, but damn did you bleed. Other than a few cracked ribs and wicked road rash, you’ll be up and about in no time.”

“What do you mean by stay off?” I ask with a frown.

“I mean sit on your ass, use the crutches I got you, and lay low. You need this shit to heal, so it doesn’t come back and bite you in the ass later. You hear me?”

“Yeah, Doc, I hear you,” I mutter.

“Good, let that pretty young thing you got keep running around for you. She rarely left your side the past two days. Regular Florence Nightingale that one is,” Doc says. The words do funny shit to my insides. Bitch went to bat for me and impressed some people, apparently.

“The Pres had church about this. He told me to call him when you were up and about. I’ll let him fill you in on what’s going to be done.”

“I’m ready, Doc. Can I clean up at least?” I ask.

“Whore’s baths until we can get those bandages off and let the wound air out,” Doc instructs, with a stern look that says he means business.

I grit my teeth and nod. If I can’t ride, I’m not worth a damn, so I’ll follow his instructions to the letter. “I hear you Doc.”

“Good, gonna call Demon and send your girl back in.” Doc pats me on the shoulder and heads out.

Karma pokes her head back in. “Are you hungry? You’ve had an IV running, but no actual food. I could make you some soup.”

“You really into this caregiver roll, huh?” I ask.

“Only for you.” There’s something honest and real in her tone.

“I think I’d like that.”

“You should call your sister, too. She’s worried.”

“Fuck. Who told her?”

Karma shrugs. “All I know is she showed up here hot under the collar and worried. She only left because she had a shift. Said she’d stop by after.”

I glance down at myself and cringe. I don’t want her seeing me like this. I can still see some of the blood caked on my skin. I need to be doused in scalding water, but I’d settle for a pat down.

“I know you’re not allowed to shower yet, but I-I can help, if you’d like,” Karma says. She keeps her eyes on the floor, and I clench my jaw. I hate this helpless shit. Asking for help isn’t easy. She’s offering. I want to be bullheaded, but it’s been so long since someone did something for me without expecting something. Right now I could use a little TLC.

“Yeah, okay.”

“I want to help, Arsen.” She steps inside and closes the door behind her. “When we went down, I knew it was my fault. We almost lost our lives because of me. They stepped out, and it wasn’t even a question of what to do. I hit them in the head and watched their brains splatter on the road, and you know what? I didn’t feel a moment of remorse. Does that make me a monster?” She looks up at me with watery eyes.

“No, babe. That makes you a survivor. They were going to put us in the ground. Don’t you waste one tear or feeling of sorrow on those fucks.” I can’t shut myself off from this women. Not when she’s looking to me for guidance.

“You ever think we’re just born to destinies we can’t change?” she whispers.

“Don’t know about that. I make my way. Why?” I ask, narrowing my gaze.

“Because I said I wouldn’t do a lot of things, but here I am a murdering junkie. A regular chip off the old block after all.” The self-deprecating tone slices me open.

“Come here.” She glances up at me and I stare her down, silently daring her to argue. She walks over and perches on the edge of my bed like a bird ready to take flight at a moment’s notice. “The first kill is the hardest, no matter how necessary it is. It fucks with you. That’s okay as long as you don’t let it take you over completely. In the end, the world boils down to kill or be killed, girl. Never feel bad for being the one who walks away.”

She sniffs and nods. “Come on, help me get presentable,” I say, ready to take her mind off the men she put down.

“What do you want me to do?” she asks.

“As much as I’d like to get out of the bed, I know there’s some shit that needs to happen first. Just bring me a bowl of hot, soapy water and a washcloth.” I think she needs this as much as I do. I hate that I was laid out in front of her like this. I’m supposed to be her protector. I close my eyes and relax, breathing deeply. I’m weak. The accident and my injuries are sapping my strength. I listen to her leave the room, return, and head to the bathroom.

“Are you ready?”

I open my eyes and see her hovering beside the bed with two large red bowls and a soapy black rag.

“Yeah. I want to be presentable when I meet with P.” I swallow. Survivors, we had a link that formed an understanding. She saw me at my weakest, and there’s nothing to hide now.

“I’ll make sure it happens. Without you, I’d be dead. I’m on your team always.”

I want to believe her, but I know how sweet lies can be on a woman’s tongue. I grunt. She gingerly begins to make small circles on my chest. The motion is soothing, and her touch is light enough not to aggravate my battered ribs. I lean my head back against the wall and enjoy a woman’s touch. It’s been a long time since a woman touched me to give comfort and because she wanted to. There were no ulterior motives. She doesn’t give a fuck about my cut, or want to be my old lady. There will be no bragging rights for this.

“You doing okay?” she asks.

“Mmm hmm.”

She washes off the soap with hot water, and my dick gets hard. It’s an intimate action, and her hands are feather soft. She pushes the sheets up and moves to wash my legs and thighs, keeping my dignity intact. A tent has formed from my hard-on. She looks up at me and her eyes darken. “If I remember correctly, I owe you one.”

The sex-kitten purr in her voice has me leaking. Nothing takes your mind off pain like pleasure.

“I vaguely remember you saying that. You going to pay your debt now, girl?” I ask.

“Hmm, I need to see what you’re working with first.” She moves the sheet away from my cock. I shiver as the cool air hits my tip. She cleanses me slowly, and the warmth makes me moan. I rock my hip, thrusting into her stroke. I’m not hung like a horse, but I’m a good eight inches, and thick. “Oh, we’ll have to take care of this. You need to be able to concentrate. Can’t do that with all this … tension.”

I can’t take my eyes off her right now. She’s a temptress. Her long locks tickle my flesh. She flicks her tongue over my head, and I moan. Her eyes lock on mine, and she replaces the cloth with her mouth. I bury my fingers in the dark coils of her hair. It’s softer than I thought it would be and thick. She increases her pace, and I try to match her. Pain shoots through my body. She pauses.

“Just relax, let me take care of you now,” she says. She flicks my slit with her tongue, drawing circles around my head as she grips me tight.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous with my cock in your mouth.” Her eyes glitter, and I can tell she’s one of those rare kinds that enjoys the hell out of sucking dick. If I touch her pussy right now, I bet it’d be soaked. The image makes me moan. She trails her tongue down and back up, teasing the throbbing veins that run my length.

“Put it in your mouth, baby.” She wraps her lips around me, takes me deep, and I’m lost in the wet heat and suction. I hold on to her hair as she bobs up and down, sending streaks of pleasure straight down my cock to my balls.

“Like that, baby. Shit.” She hums and my balls draw up. I focus on the sweet scent of her, and the softness. My thighs shake.

“Ugh, I-I’m going to—” I grit my teeth as I explode, and she takes me down like a thirsty woman. Spent and satiated, I drop my head back against the wall. I watch her through veiled lids. She licks me clean and rinses me off once more.

“You feeling relaxed now, Slayer?” The mirth in her eyes makes me chuckle.

“Anymore, and I’d be asleep.”

The door opens and Demon steps in.

“That’s my cue,” she says, smoothing the sheets back down my leg. I reach out and grab her wrist. She pauses.

“You got a little.” I push the drops of whiteness into her mouth. She takes my entire finger between her lips and sucks.

“Did you both hit your heads harder than we thought?” Demon asks with a voice full of amusement.

“No,” Karma replies, bending to pick up the bowls. She walks out with a wink, her full hips swaying as she passes Demon on the way out.

“Damn, brother, want to tell me what changed?” Demon asks.

“Just returning a favor.” I say.

“I knew there was more to her being shirtless,” Demon mutters. “We got a bead on the people who came for her. Small time boss who wants to be a king pin. Patrick O’shay. Loaned the owner fifty-thousand six months ago, and he hasn’t seen shit yet. Apparently, old Carl Benson stopped taking his calls and showing up at the studio. Patrick got sick of being dodged, and decided to show him how bad it was for his health, and ruin his business. No one wants to record somewhere they might lose their life.

“The status now? I told him he could make it right, and we can have peace or I can take his empire apart one piece a time. Told him he had a day to think about it and what he could do to make good. Then I hung up.” Demon shrugs.

I snicker. “Got a real way with words, P.”

“The fucker will agree. He has no choice. They have no real power, and he has no connections to speak of. Everyone wants to try and come up, but the ones who make it are those who understand their limitations.”

I dig his words. Demon’s a smart dude. That gets lost behind the bad boy persona and cold stare. It takes more than mere muscle to rule and stay on top. It’s why I like coming back down to Newson to help out. If I ever patched, it would be to them.

“Doc says you’re going to be down for a few weeks, man,” Demon says.

“Yeah, I don’t want to dick with healing properly.”

“What do you want to do with the girl in the meantime?” Demon questions.

“You asking me?”

“I think it’s safe to say the two of you bonded. It makes sense to keep you together. You’re going to need someone to look out for you, and I know how you feel about sweet butts all up in your shit.”

“Can’t trust them, man,” I say.

“Why is she different?” Demon asks.

“’Cause she spilled blood for me and kept my ass alive. That shit earns my respect and trust until she does something that makes me feel different.”

“You willing to take responsibility for her?”

“Yeah,” I reply, surprising us both.

“All right, man, you want me to move her in here with you?” 

“Yeah, get her whatever she needs to be comfortable.”

Demon stares at me for a moment. “You sure you’re not thinking with the dick you just got wet?” 

“We’ll be cool,” I say.