Abandoned Angel (14 page)

After Spike drove away, Blaze got up, grabbed his leather jacket and headed towards his Harley. It was always a cold ride first thing in the morning, regardless of how the weather turned out. He had already pushed his heavily chromed bike away from their bedding in preparation of the morning trip. He had also asked Doc to stay at the campsite with the women. There were usually at least one or two men left behind when they camped. Although Doc enjoyed the action as much as the other members did, he did not mind staying behind. He understood why Blaze felt the need to protect Angelina, and although it wasn’t the way things
were usually done
, he would help him to do just that. Not because he gave a damn about the slender woman, she was an outsider, but because he loved Blaze like a son. Doc had been concerned that the club would catch on to the fact that Blaze did not “own” Angelina per the code. After the display they put on the night before, he was less apprehensive. The club only allowed strong, unwavering men to ride with them. Helping this stranger,
would be construed
as a sign of weakness. They had too many illegal dealings to allow an outsider to intrude, and obeying the members was the only way a woman was trusted and accepted. It was imperative that the other men believed Angelina was doing just that – earning her keep.

Doc did not mind that Blaze asked him to stick around camp. The picturesque morning filled his mind with peace. The veteran club member, who has experienced just about anything one could imagine, has ridden with the club for years. Doc has enough narrow escapes under his belt to last him the rest of his aging life. The man choses to stay behind more often now that he has gotten older; enjoying the one on one time he spends with Marge, his woman. With age, he has learned to value his time alone with the boisterous brunette. He adores her familiar manner, and although she can hold her own against any woman out there, he cherishes her heart of gold. Marge loves Doc and his impishly quirky ways, he knows this to be true. Doc is as close to Marge as he has ever been to another woman. Doc also likes that she is a little heavier than the other women who ride with the club. She carries herself with a confidence that they do not have. Because of her weight and age, most of the younger members allow her to mother them, treating her with the type of respect they would their own mom. Although she has a gentle touch, the woman can be tough as nails when she needs to be. They have a comfortable respect for each other, caring deeply about one another. Women cannot be full club members. If ever one should have been - it is Marge. She has ridden with them, brawled with them, and lived with them for years. She is a good old gal in Doc’s eyes. He has a soft spot for her good heart, as he imagined many of the older members did. Although Doc likes a change of pace every now and again, she is the one Doc generally turns to when he needs a woman’s touch. Marge always comes thru with eagerness and a smile, and for Doc, that makes her just as sexy as the younger, better-shaped women he has experienced.

Blaze slipped away while Angelina slept. The group would be meeting up at a tavern in a small town about thirty miles away from their camp. Because the top members told him to be there, he would go. Because he did not like some of the things the club members did to support their lifestyle, he kept his distance as much as he could. He made sure that whatever involvement he had, he never allowed himself to be put in a position that could implicate him in any criminal activity – he was very careful about that. His old life kept him square on keeping his hands clean, making sure that he
could not be tied
to anything illegal. As far as clubs go, the illegal aspects of this one was not anything he couldn’t live with. Minor things compared to some of the other clubs. Most of the members used drugs, and when they were selling it, Blaze stayed clear of the transactions. He was straightforward about needing to do that from the beginning. He was very helpful with figuring out the money end of things, as well as the legal issues. This allowed him to keep a comfortable distance from the hands-on dealings. THIS was why they kept Blaze around and he knew it, and Spike hated him for that. Spike never accepted Blaze as a member because Blaze chose to keep his hands clean. Spike believed that all members should share in the dirty work, that by staying out of it, Blaze assumed he was better than the rest.

A few of the bikers carried guns, but most preferred switchblades, and he had not seen any of them use one in a long time. The members pretty much kept to themselves. They lived as a group when they rode, and took care of business together when they needed to. For the most part, they left outsiders alone - until an attractive outsider happened to wander into their clubhouse that is. Although the club members chose this life, they did not fault anyone who lived a different way. They did, however expect all members, and anyone who rode with them, to behave by the code.

Blaze was not sure what “business” they were taking care of that early in the morning, but they instructed him to show up, and he would. The club had been good to him. They gave him a family when he needed one, and he owed them. As usual, Blaze would dictate his involvement with the activities, but not showing up at all was not an option. Because of his particular set of skills, they requested he be there, otherwise he would have stayed at the camp. Everyone knew that he was very much a behind the scenes type of member. They only brought him in when they truly needed to.

------

Angelina slept hard the rest of the morning, unaware that Blaze had left the camp. Her sore, battered body needed the rest. She awoke to the faint sound of chattering in the distance, and tried to focus on who it was. It took a few moments before she recognized Doc’s rough, but full laughter mingling in with the others. She sat up expecting to see Blaze nearby, and was disappointed when he wasn’t in sight, though she would not have admitted it. Angelina debated about trying to fall back to sleep, but she already felt refreshed. After a satisfying stretch, she straightened her hair, and headed towards the voices. It was then that she realized that the park was almost empty, and that Blaze’s gleaming bike was gone. She froze in mid step. Panic and fear crept across her body. Why had he left her, she wondered, and what had she done to make him leave? She stood still, uncertain as to what she should do, until in the distance she heard Doc calling her name.

“Angelina, we’re over here.”

Doc was sitting on the same log that she had sat on the night before, as she and Blaze put on a “show” for the other members. She smiled at the memory causing a mixture of excitement and flutters to sweep over her tense body. Angelina stared into the bonfire as she walked towards the small group. Tiffany, Jules, and a heavier woman who looked to be in her early fifties, sat with Doc. Tiffany smiled sweetly at Angelina when she walked up. Jules did her best to disregard her. Doc’s warm grin eased her tension.

“Hey babe, how you feeling this morning?” he asked gruffly, without giving her a chance to respond.

“Have you met these bitches?” He chuckled as he motioned to the women he sat with.

“I think I have met everyone but you,” responded Angelina, smiling at the heavier, woman. Her body looked like she had lived hard and fast, but, unlike Jules, her eyes seemed kind.

“Marge, this is Angelina, Angelina; Marge.”

As Doc made introductions, Marge slid over, inviting Angelina to sit.

“Have a seat honey, and warm yourself up.”

They had a small fire going, and although it wasn’t cold out, the fire felt nice under the shade of the trees.

“How are you today Tiffany?” Angelina asked after she sat down on the rigid log.

“I’m good, thanks,” Tiffany responded with a polite, yet shy smile. She had cleaned herself, and sitting there in the morning light, looked very much like a child rather than a woman who should be running around with bikers. A heavy sadness crept through Angelina.

“So what are you doing riding with these boys?” asked Marge.

Angelina was grateful that she did not ask about the bruising on her face. The warmth and kindness that surfaced through her words surprised Angelina. Her size and rough appearance had intimidated Angelina when she first walked up, but that feeling was gone.

“I hooked up with Blaze in a bar,” she stated, unsure of how to answer.

“Funny, I wouldn’t have taken you for a biker bitch.” Marge’s full body shook as she laughed.

“And?”
Jules questioned, for the first time showing interest. She too looked different in the morning light. Her long dark hair was clean, though not well brushed, her face makeup free, and her eyes clear.

Angelina didn’t like the scraggy woman any better now, than she did the night before. She sat quietly, unsure of what they were asking.

“And, how the hell IS Blaze?” pushed Marge, looking for some grueling details. She liked a good story and couldn’t wait to hear one about Blaze, in all his glory. He was an attractive man but never showed much interest in the women that rode with the bikers.

“Well, what is he like?” snorted Jules, just as eager to hear some good gossip. Her thin body bobbled as she laughed. On more than one occasions Jules had tried to get Blaze to join in on the fun with her, but he had never shown any interest. It would have insulted the lazy woman had she known enough to let it.

“What was he like? Oh, uh,” Angelina blushed; she was not sure how to answer the question. She didn’t want to lie, but didn’t dare allow anyone to think she wasn’t “earning her keep” by doing as Blaze wanted, especially not Jules. She had seen where her loyalty sits. Jules is all about the biker life because she wants to be, not because she has to be. She enjoys living the way she does, and takes it to the extreme.

“Although I don’t usually kiss and tell,” Angelina continued with a mischievous grin, “he’s, well, you already know he is sexy as hell, right?” she asked, waiting for the women to acknowledge their agreement. “Oh, you should see how it carries into  . . . everything he does.”

Feeling playful, Angelina submitted a long pause before continuing, letting them take in the implication. She wasn’t lying anyway, he was sexy, and the way he carried himself was intriguing.

“The way he kisses, damn, he certainly knows how to use his mouth!”

The young woman giggled like a teenager exaggerating a story to her peers. Marge and Jules listened intently, their eyes focused on the newcomer. Doc fiddled with the fire, not needing to hear the details of how well his friend performed in bed.

“Just imagine what it feels like having THAT wrapped around you.”

Angelina was enjoying the attention the women gave her, and told herself that it wasn’t really a lie. She was not a big fan of lies, they always seemed to come back and kick you in the ass. Her first beating from her father was because of a lie she told, albeit a little one. That was something she had never forgotten.

Angelina never came out and said that she and Blaze had slept together; she just implied it - so, not a lie. The women heard what they needed in order to accept her as one of them. Jules, wanting to outdo Angelina, jumped in and took the spotlight off her.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” she laughed. “He sure is good in bed – probably better than all the rest combined!”

“Not better than my Doc here!” chuckled Marge, giving her man his due credit. “No one does me like Doc.”

“Thanks babe, I needed to hear that,” chaffed Doc as he got up to toss another piece of wood in the fire.

He took a good look at Angelina as he headed for the trees and thought about how much he would like to try her out for size. Knowing that Blaze had never slept with Jules, her comment amused him. Unlike the other men in the club, Blaze would never have stooped that low. Hell, it had been a long time since Doc had. He wasn’t sure if Blaze had slept with Angelina or not. He did know though, that if he did, it was because she wanted to, and not because he made her feel like she had too. Doc knew that to be certain. Forcing a woman, that would not be his style.

Doc left the girls as they continued gossiping like youngsters, amused by their behavior.

After a long hour of visiting at the fire pit, Angelina and Tiffany headed down to the bathroom. The atmosphere was light, and Angelina felt refreshed after her swim that morning. She had slept surprisingly well when she lay back down. With most of the bikers gone, she was finally able to relax. Moreover, she did not feel as sore as she had earlier.

“It really is beautiful out here,” Angelina said, mostly to herself, as they headed down the shaded path encircled by brush.

“Yeah, I suppose it is,” Tiffany responded as she took in the view, not really appreciating the splendor of it. They were quiet for a moment.

“Tiffany, do you mind if I ask you something?” Angelina asked, unable to wait any longer.

“Sure,” Tiffany smiled, her dingy white teeth showing through.

“Why do you do this?”

Tiffany looked at her with a blank stare, unsure of what she was asking. Angelina hesitated a moment then continued even though she thought better of it.

“I mean, why are you here with these bikers instead of home with your family?”

Embarrassed, Tiffany stopped walking, and stood, nervously wringing her small hands, with her eyes focused on the ground. She was ashamed of the life she was leading and of the fact that Angelina was questioning it.

“I don't have a family - other than these guys I mean,” she finally responded. “So I do what I am told and they take care of me. It isn’t so bad, really. They care about me.” Tiffany believed what she was saying, that was apparent to Angelina.