Break Down Read online

  “No worries, mate. Catch ya later.” About ten seconds after I end the call, my phone buzzes with an incoming message. I open it, and it’s the licence plate number from Zeke. Rushing out of my office, I need to find Wizard and get him on the search for the owner of these plates. I’m sure they are probably fake or stolen, but you never know. Maybe this prick was dumb enough to use his own plates. I can only hope. I reach the kitchen and find all of the brothers feeding their faces except for Saint; we gave him another pill to knock him out again. The poor fucking bloke is having a mental breakdown, as expected. I quickly make my way over to the dining table where Wizard is stuffing his face.

  He looks up from whatever he’s eating and says, “Morning, Boss, what’s up?”

  Handing him my mobile I say, “Finish your breakfast later, Wizard. I need you to search these plates for me now, Brother, it’s important.” Without a word he stands up and nods at me before he turns around, and walks off to do as I’ve asked.

  With a mouth full of food Digger says, “What’s up, Boss? What’s the hurry with plates?”

  Walking over to the coffee machine, I begin to make a cup while I say, “I got a call this morning from Zeke, the VP of Satan’s Scoundrels. He shed some light on Asha and the girl’s situation. He says one of his informants heard about the accident and thought they needed to know, so they could keep an eye out on things for us. Anyway, Zeke said his informant said there was a witness who saw the rider, but couldn’t get a good look at him because he was wearing a bandana and sunglasses over his face, BUT the guy got the number plate of the motorcycle. I don’t know if this dickhead was stupid enough to use his own plates, but I want to find out; that’s why I need Wizards mad computer skills, Brother.”

  “Fuck. You for real, Boss? That’s fucking sweet news,” Dice shouts.

  “Yeah, but don’t get your hopes up, Brother, this prick probably wasn’t that stupid,” Jugs says.

  “Yeah, man, I know but I need to know either way.” Changing the subject I say, “Right, boys, hurry up and finish your breakfast; we gotta get out on the road. We’ll be staying at the same motel the girls stayed at and then leaving first thing in the morning to go check out the crash site. I want to have a look around and see if we can find anything that the cops overlooked. Dice, I need you to stay here with Wizard. You need to call me as soon as he knows anything about those plates. Hammer, Jugs, Aim, and Digger will be with me.”

  Nodding Dice says, “Okay.” He walks up to me, leaning in close, and quietly says, “How long will those pills last on Saint, Brother?”

  Rubbing my jaw, I say, “I gave him more this morning, man. About eight hours from now you’ll need a couple of the boys to help you give him some more. I don’t want to leave while he’s like this, but the site will soon be worthless to us. I will be back tomorrow night, Dice. We will be riding straight through after we’ve looked over the crash site.”

  Nodding he says, “Sure, man, I can do that.”

  Patting him on the back I say, “Thanks, Brother.” Looking around at everyone again, I say, “I want to hear those sweet pipes rumbling in twenty minutes, boys.”

  Chapter 19

  Asha

  Using my hands to fan myself, I say out loud, “Holy Shit that was HOT!!!” I think I need to change my panties. I really, really need to get my hands on the rest of those books. Better the devil you know and I would definitely like to get to know that devil, he’s fucking hot! I have to admit, the whole time I was reading, I was picturing Zeke and I. God, I’m such a dirty harlot. What’s more embarrassing is that I’m still fanning myself as Zeke walks through the door with a massive smile on his face. I instantly picture dirty things I could do with him, and I can feel my face heating up. Oh shit, not now. Why me? Why do I always have to be the blushing girl? C’mon Ash think of an excuse, quickly!

  While I’m desperately trying to think of an excuse as to why my face is probably bright red; Zeke walks over to me, wraps his arms around me, and places a soft kiss on the top of my head. He grabs a soft hold of my hair and moves it to the side of my neck. I can feel his warm breath on my ear and it makes me shiver. I hear him chuckle softly, before he leans down and whispers into my ear, “Hi, Sweetheart. I missed you. I’m so happy to tell you, that when I got here, I ran into Justin. He says I can take you home with me. Fuck, I can’t wait to show you my place, you’re gonna love it.” I tense up a little; he must feel it because he leans back and looks down into my face when he asks, “Are you okay with that, Asha? I don’t want to upset you, Sweetheart; you can always stay here with the doctor until you think you’re ready. I will still be staying here with you, no matter what. Together we are going to book this appointment, and then we can work on finding your family. How’s that sound?”

  My stupid eyes begin to water because I’m am super nervous but at the same time happy. I couldn’t imagine going through this situation alone. Zeke is perfect; of course I want to go stay with him. He notices my tears, leans forward, and uses his fingers to wipe them away. It’s so sweet and cements my feelings about staying with him. I know he will look after me. Nodding my head at him I say, “It’s really okay, Zeke, I want to come and stay with you; you make me feel safe. I just…really wish I knew what the hell my life is all about and who my family is, you know? It’s frustrating and upsets me to think about not knowing who they are, and who I am, and…how they must be feeling not hearing from me, that’s all. I am really happy about making an appointment with the neurologist.”

  Nodding he says, “I want to say I understand, but I really don’t, Sweetheart. I’m sorry, and you are most definitely safe with me because I lov…I mean I look forward to…taking care of you.” What the fuck was he just about to say? Holy shit…was he really going to say he loved me? Fuck, I think I read too much into it. He looks freaked out enough I’ll just stay quiet.

  Smiling up at him I say, “I can’t wait, did Dr. Justin say when we could leave, Zeke?”

  Laughing he says, “No, Sweetheart, he didn’t, he said he needs to do one last check on you. Then, if it’s all good; we can go. He did say I’ll need to bring you back every few days for check-ups, but that’s no problem.”

  “Okay that’s sounds alright. So, how was your morning?”

  This time it’s his turn to tense, but I pretend not to notice, as he says, “Not much, a meeting at the garage where I work. They were letting me know this week we aren’t really busy, so I have taken the week off to look after you. Once you’re feeling better, I can take you on the buggy and show you around my property, I’ve got three hundred acres. I have a bunch of dams that we can go swimming in. I also have a few horses, fifty head of cattle, six pigs, twenty chooks and ducks. The ducks drive me absolutely, bat-shit crazy; those fuckers shit everywhere. I’ve got a couple of four wheelers and a buggy we can take out and have a look around the property. You’re gonna love it, it’s so peaceful out there. Do you know how to ride a horse, Asha?”

  Smiling I say, “Ummm, no I don’t. They freak me out, they are bloody huge. But, I would love to watch you ride.” He lets out a snort and then goes into fits of laughter. Knowing he’s taken it the wrong way, I slap his arm and say, “Oh, my God, not that kind of riding. Get your mind outta the gutter, Hot Stuff.”

  Still laughing he says, “I know you didn’t, but shit, that made my fucking day. Sweetheart, now my dick is hard. Fuck. It’s killing me to be around you. You know how beautiful you are, right?” I can’t help it but as soon as he mentioned hard and dick my eyes were drawn straight down to his…ummm…very large erection.

  He clears his throat and I look back up at him with a grin. I wink at him and say, “Down, boy, we aren’t ready to go that far, yet, but I can’t wait to see all the animals. It sounds fantastic!”

  “There’s that fucking wink, again, Beauty, it’s so damn sexy when you do it. My dick twitches every time.”

  This whole time Zeke has been standing up. I say, “Okay. Hot Stuff enough of the dirty talk, for now
. Do you want to lay down with me and cuddle while we wait for the doctor?” With a coy smile he nods his head. He’s about to sit down when he grabs the e-reader to move it. That’s when he stops, looks closer at the screen and then looks at me, and chuckles. “What? What are you chuckling at?” I can’t think of why an e-reader would be making him chuckle, like that. Like he knows something I don’t; then it hits me. Fuck, I didn’t close the damn screen. Idiot. Shit, Crap. Shit. What the hell? I was just flirting madly with him and now he sees a dirty part in the books I was reading. I must admit it’s pretty dirty, but still, I’m blushing again. My traitorous face is turning a bright shade of red. I look down at my feet like they are the most interesting things in the world. God knows, at this point in time, I really wish they were. I am praying to anyone that the floor in my room would hurry up and swallow me whole right now.

  Putting a hand under my chin he gently lifts my head up to look at him. I do, but I keep my eyes closed. I realise it wasn’t the cover I scrolled back to, it was a panty dropping scene that I really needed to read through at least three times. Oh my God! He is going to think I’m the easiest piece of arse around now. Dirty Skank. “I knew there was a wicked naughty side to you, come on, Beauty, show me those gorgeous grey eyes of yours. After all it’s just a book,” Zeke says in a seductive voice. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I open my eyes and am surprised by the way he’s looking at me, it’s not what I’d expected at all. His gorgeous brown eyes are hooded and turning a green colour. He also has a look of regret, which I have no idea about, so I let it go. “That’s better. Now move over and share the bed with me, I could use a nap.”

  Laughing, I say, “Really, you’re that tired? A little meeting and you’re all tuckered out? Aww. Well, come on then.” I move over and pat the empty spot beside me. He puts the e-reader down and we both lie down. I move in closer to cuddle Zeke, he holds onto me tighter; both of us letting out a contented sigh. It’s only about three minutes, when I hear Zeke softly snoring; I let out a giggle. Zeke twitches, but doesn’t wake up. Phew that was close. I know if I have any more sleep I won’t sleep tonight, so I just lay quietly in Zeke’s arms.

  Chapter 20

  Zeke

  Vince ends the call between us. I quickly type out a text message with the licence plate number in it, letting him know that if there’s anything he or his club needs, I’ll be here for them. I tell him, I’ll be sure to pass on any other information I may hear. I also tell him that I’m glad we’ve sorted thirty years’ worth of beef our dad’s had between them, in the time span of ten minutes, and I look forward to our sit down. Knowing that Vince now has the licence plate number of that fucker and that Asha’s friends will now be protected has lifted some of this heavy guilt off my shoulders. Don’t get me wrong there’s still a tonne on there, but I’m not willing to let go of Asha just yet. I am looking forward to the sit down with Vince and his club. I have no fucking clue what the future holds, or if the sit down will go ahead, especially, with all the shit involving Asha. For now, I’m going to concentrate on the present.

  On the drive over to the doc’s place I think about how this morning’s meeting went with the brothers. It went pretty good, considering the bomb I dropped on them about not handing Asha over, just yet. That’s when things got heated. Cash opened his big fat gob, spewing out his usual unfiltered thoughts, the dickhead. The idiot never thinks before he speaks, ever. So whenever we go anywhere; business or pleasure, the brothers and I have to point to our heads and then our mouths, looking straight at him, to remind him to think before whatever stupid thoughts are going to pour out of that mouth of his. I can’t even count on both hands, anymore, how many times that mouth has lead us straight into trouble. He’s still a fucking top bloke, but sometimes I just want to smack him. I couldn’t let him get away with his shit this morning, not this time, and most definitely not with all of the brothers around. I reminded him about the carnage we have just been witness to and the shit storm that is fucking brewing all around us, not to mention the fucking maniac still on the lose that’s after Asha and her friends. If the fucker seeks them out; he’s going to lead the Chaos Crusaders straight to our doorstep. There will be nothing, and I mean nothing, to stop that if it happens. After hearing all I had to say, he realised he needed to sit down, and shut the fuck up, I wasn’t taking any more of his shit. After all of that commotion was over, I had Charge bringing up the feelings I have for Asha in front of all the brothers. Fuck me, I tried to deny them, but in the end I couldn’t. So now that they all understand, even though, I still don’t really understand these bloody feelings, we all had a pretty decent chat about it. They all agreed to stand with me in any decision that comes our way. After that pussy moment, the brothers and I all agreed that Vince needed to be called ASAP. Making up a story about an informant was the easiest way to let him know the information we have. Asha and her friends will need protection from now on. The best way they can get that was to let Vince know what we know. We know this crazy fucker will be back. We just don’t know when, but I’m betting none of us will see it coming, just like the explosion.

  I pull into the doc’s driveway and drive around the back. I’m hoping today is the day that I get to take Asha back to my place. I can’t wait to show her around the property, she’s going to fucking love it. Peace and serenity will be just what she needs to heal, even though I’m not too keen on her healing quickly, but the last thing I want is to see her in pain. That’s fucking laughable though, I don’t want to see her in pain, but I am the one holding her prisoner, even though she doesn’t know that, yet. Climbing out of my truck, I make my way into the doc’s house. I’m walking down the hallway towards Asha’s room, when Doc walks up to me, patting me on the back as he says, “Hi, Zeke, you got a minute, mate?”

  Nodding, “Yeah, sure Doc. How’s my girl doing today?”

  Cheeky bastard smirks, “Your girl huh? Well, your girl is doing great. I have some good news for you; you can take Asha home this afternoon. I have a few patients between now and then. I have to stop by and do one last check-up on her, but after that, you will be able to go. I will need her to come back every few days for check-ups. You will need to make sure she is still careful and doesn’t do too much that will knock her around. I know she is having dizzy spells, but she won’t tell me about them, so I need you to keep an eye on her.”

  Sighing I say, “She what? I didn’t know that, how do you know, Doc?”

  “Every time I’ve been in to see her today, I’ve asked her to stand up for me and I can see the struggle on her face. She is trying to hide it, but I see how she eventually grabs ahold of the bed or the bedside table to steady herself. When I ask if she’s okay, she nods and tells me she’s just tired.”

  “Fair enough, Doc, I’ll make sure to take good care of her. Is there anything else I need to know?”

  “I’ll write her a script for some more pain medication, but apart from that, no. You should be right to take her home. I better get back to my patients, otherwise, I’ll be here forever. I’ll see you later on, Zeke.”

  “Yeah, see ya, Doc.” He walks back to his office as I continue to Asha’s room.

  As I get closer to her door, I hear her say, “Holy shit, that was hot.” It doesn’t sound like she’s talking about food either, so I’m curious to see what the hell she’s talking about. I walk in without a knock, trying to catch her out. To my surprise she’s fanning herself with her hand. I want to laugh, but I hold it in. Smiling at her as I walk over to the bed. She looks up at me, eyes hungry; like I’m chocolate, like she wants to fucking devour me. Gladly, Beauty. I’d let you eat me any day. All of a sudden, her face turns a bright shade of red, and I know that’s exactly what she’s thinking about. There’s that naughty side. I knew it was still there. When I reach her, I wrap my arms around her body, bringing her close. I place a kiss on the top of her head. Moving her hair to one side, leaning down, into her ear I say, “Hi, Sweetheart, I missed you.” She shivers, making me chuckle.
“I’ve got great news, Justin told me I can take you home this afternoon. She tenses in my arms, so I lean back, looking into her face, not sure what I’ve done. I ask her if she’s okay with coming home with me. I tell her that we can wait, and she can stay at the doc’s place for as long as she needs. I’m sure as hell not going to let her stay here by herself, though.

  Looking up at me with tears in her eyes, speaking softly, “It’s okay, Zeke, I want to come and stay with you. You make me feel safe. I just…really wish I could remember. I wish I knew what the hell my life is all about, and who my family is, you know? It’s frustrating and makes me upset. Thinking about not knowing who they are, and who I am…how they must be feeling not hearing from me, that’s all.”

  Wiping her tears away, “I want to tell you I understand, but I don’t, Sweetheart. I’m sorry. You got that right; you are most definitely safe with me. I lov…I mean I look forward to…taking care of you.” FUCK. FUCK. HOLY FUCK…I almost told her I love her, fucking idiot. Great, what’s she going to do now? She probably feels like I’m pressuring her to stay with me now. Fucking tosser.

  Asha smiles up at me slightly amused. Lucky for me she didn’t pick up on what I was about to say, or at least I don’t think she did. She doesn’t make a big deal about what almost slipped out my mouth. “I cannot wait! When can we leave, Zeke?”

  Thank fuck for that, she changed the subject. I want to cringe when I think about what almost slipped out of my mouth. I know the feelings are there, but we are not ready for that, yet. Shit, it’s only been a few days, it’s just not possible. Covering with a laugh, “No, Sweetheart he didn’t. He said he needs to do one last check-up before we leave. If it’s all good, we can go. I’ll need to bring you back every few days for further check-ups, but that’s no problem.”