Abandoned Angel (8 page)

“It’s warm, but you’ll get used to it,” he stated without much emotion. “Drink it before we go eat - it will relax you.”

Blaze hoped it would help with the pain as well, although he did not say so.

“Thanks,” replied Angelina while opening the can.

Angelina moved slowly, but did as instructed. Although the warm beer had a foul taste, it did not matter. She was glad to be putting something into her drained body. She chugged as much of the liquid as she could without gagging. A buzz would help take the edge off. There were many people in the park. She knew none of them, and was sure to fear most. Famished, Angelina wanted to get some food into her fatigued body. Blaze grinned as she drank without hesitation.

“Let your hair down,” he ordered.

“Umm, Ok.”

She had fallen asleep with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, but a lot of it had fallen out, and was sticking to the side of her face. Again, she did as instructed. She let her light brown hair fall to her shoulders and then fluffed it with her soft hands. Her hair, which had always been straight, would have bounce after being in a ponytail. Blaze grinned his approval. Even with her bruised face and swollen lip, he noticed the quiet beauty she held. The sparkle and mischief that sprinkled her eyes complimented her fair skin. He liked the hidden spunk – a firecracker under her calm demeanor.

“Ok Angel, show time. Let’s go eat.”

As he grabbed for her arm, Blaze instructed Angelina to make sure that she stayed next to him at all times. After hearing the conversation between Doc and Blaze, she did not intend to leave his side. She was no longer afraid of what Blaze would do to her, she could handle him one on one, but she was suddenly quite aware of what the others might have in store. She was an outsider who had walked into their world, and they played by different rules. Rules she did not want to have forced on her.

Blaze led Angelina around the heat of the bonfire, bypassing the other bikers and their women, and went straight to the grill. Doc was standing next to a heavyset man donned in cut-off jeans and a white wife-beater. The shirt barely covered his belly. His whiskers were yet to gray, but his eyes showed his age. He was cooking bratwurst and hamburgers, and to a hungry Angelina, the smell was heavenly. When they approached, she tried not to stare at the colorfully, graphic tattoos that ran up and down his arms. She had never seen tattoos that were quite so, sexual in nature. Doc handed Blaze a joint, knowing he would be ready for one. Blaze inhaled and handed it back. He did not offer it to Angelina. Not liking the way pot made her feel, she was relieved. Although she had tried it a number of times when she was younger, mostly at the insistence of a man, she was never a big fan of marijuana. She did not want it forced on her now. Doc seemed to be enjoying it though. Angelina stood quietly, intimidated by her surroundings, while Blaze and Doc chuckled with the cook. They simply referred to the easygoing man as Cookie. After eating one himself, Blaze handed Angelina a bratwurst smothered in mustard and sauerkraut. Although she didn’t generally eat brats, she devoured the meat and bun with enthusiasm. She needed the nourishment, and surprised herself when she accepted a second one from Blaze. Her taste buds woke to something new, and like it.

People lounged throughout the lightly wooded area, drinking, laughing, partying, and eating around the campfire. Many of the bikers seemed to have been there for quite some time. Mellow and refreshed, they acted as if they belonged right where they were - no worries, no trouble. Angelina on the other hand, felt very out of place; she was scared, and ready to go home. Since that was not going to happen any time soon, she set her goals on getting something in her stomach and hoped that she could then disappear for the night. As she stood, eating her second brat, Jules, the black haired woman she saw dancing on the table at the clubhouse sauntered up. She was too skinny, too dirty, and too wasted in Angelina’s opinion. She had an instant distaste for the skanky woman.

“Heey baby, are you hungry?” she asked, her words slurring with each syllable. She ran her hand across Doc’s chest and then down dangerously close to his crotch. Her lust spewed out of every cell she moved. Angelina watched with curiosity and disgust. Before Doc could finish his mouth-full of food and respond, the woman turned to Blaze.

“How about you baby you want some of me?”

As she reached for his chest Blaze quickly grabbed her bony wrist and stopped her from touching him.

“Get the hell out of here Jules,” he ordered. His expression filled with loathing as he pushed her foul arm down. He did not hide his disdain for the woman. Jules smiled coldly at him, as if they were playing a lovers game. In her tight fitted, dirty jeans, she then turned towards Angelina and placed her hand on Angelina’s full breasts.

“What about you baby, you hungry for me?” Her leer traveled from Angelina’s eyes to her chest, where her hand rested. Angelina could feel her neck and face turn red. She pulled away.

“Get away from me,” she responded as she took a step back, uncertainty in her voice.

“What’s a matter honey, aren’t I your type?” laughed Jules, getting the rise out of Angelina that she was looking for. Angelina noticed the group of men that were watching them - hungrily, greedily, and was openly flustered. She wanted to curl up into a ball and hide. As Jules stepped towards her and reached for her a second time Angelina stood her ground and pushed her hand away. She was not going to let the skinny woman grope her.

“I said get away from me bitch,” she repeated, this time speaking slowly, with more confidence. Nervous sweat gathered under her thick hair.

Jules thought about it for a moment then laughed and turned away. A befuddled group of bikers standing nearby cheered her on.

“Come on baby, show us what you got!” bellowed a short Latino man who was standing downhill from them. His heavily accented slurred words tossed with humor.

“We’ll get together later baby,” Jules smirked as she stepped away from Angelina and headed to the encouraging group of men. She had gotten the attention she wanted.

Angelina had not noticed, until then, how worn Jules looked. She might have been pretty at one time, but now, her long black hair was starting to gray, prematurely, and her face looked ragged and tired. The life-style she had chosen was taking its toll on her body.

Doc broke out into a deep laughter. Blaze, who had taken a protective step toward Angelina reached up and gently squeezed her right breast.

“Can’t blame the whore now can you?” he laughed, raising his eyebrows at Angelina.

“I mean, my God, look at those babies,” he said as he lifted both breasts with his hands. Doc reached over and did the same thing, laughing as he jiggled her large tits. Angelina maintained her anger and embarrassment as she took Blaze’s beer playfully from his hand and chugged it. This made Doc laugh even harder. The cook laughed as well.

Stay calm
, she told herself,
stay calm and smile
.

Angelina thought the weighty man was going to reach for her, but Blaze prevented it by stepping directly in front of Angelina as he took the empty beer can from her hand. No one else touched her.

After finishing their food, Angelina followed Blaze and Doc to the fire pit. The three of them took a seat on an old log next to the blazing fire. Doc told a story about his experience in jail that seemed to amuse Blaze a great deal. Angelina had missed a good part of it and had trouble following the events of the story. She watched the way Doc told his tale, noticing the length of his gray peppered hair, and how tired the crow’s feet along his eyes made him look. Although the calm air was not cold, the heat from the fire was comforting just the same. It gave Angelina something to concentrate on. Across from them on the opposite side of the smoke filled flames a group was whooping so loudly that Angelina looked to see what the fuss was. Behind the log, a couple was going at it like a couple of dogs in heat. Angelina could not see all of what was happening, but she did see that as one man finished a second started in on the girl. The young girl looked pretty well out of it as she kneeled on all fours with her long red hair bobbing back and forth. Disgusted by what was happening, and terrified she
would be treated
in the same way, Angelina stood to go use the restroom. After taking a step away from the fire she realized she wasn’t sure where the bathroom was, and hesitantly turned back to ask. She remembered that she wasn’t supposed to go anywhere alone. Both Blaze and Doc stared up at her, amused by her actions. They seemed very relaxed and at ease with each other and their surroundings.

“Beer go through you already?” laughed Doc good-naturedly. It was then that she decided she liked Doc. His gray hair and easy smile invited her in without worry or confrontation. There was nothing in his expression that indicated that he judged her or that he wished to harm her.

“Yeah, not sure where to pee though,” she giggled, almost flirtatiously with the older man.

A slight alcohol buzz drifted through her body.

Without saying a word, Blaze stood, reached for her arm, and led her away from the fire pit towards some trees. As they stepped onto a thin, dirt path, he tightened his grip.

“Doc seems nice,” she stated, working her way down the trail bordered by greenery.

“Does he?” responded Blaze with a fake rough edge to his tone.

“Yeah,” responded Angelina. “He seems great.”

“He is,” replied Blaze, thinking about the truth in the comment.

Doc is a good man, and had been a true friend to Blaze over the last couple of years. Without Doc, Blaze might not have survived.

“Doc is the only biker you trust other than me - understand?” Blaze dictated. An odd sound filled his tone.

“Ok,” remarked Angelina as she followed close behind him, unconcerned. The beer had helped her to relax. Her tension was gone.

Blaze stopped and turned suddenly, thinking the woman was taking the situation lightly. “No, it's not OK Angelina. I don’t think you get it.” His good temperament had suddenly disappeared as his mood instantly darkened.

Crunch, crunch
, thought Angelina, instantly tensing with the change of his mood.

“You do exactly what I say, when I say it,” he demanded. “Is that understood? No fucking around.”

His new demeanor startled her. Where had it come from?

Don’t crush the eggshells you are treading on,
she thought, as she did her best to control the anxiety threatening to overwhelm her.

“I, yes, I understand,” stuttered Angelina.

“You only turn to Doc if you have to. Do you get it?” A different sound, one of sadness, now consumed his voice.

“Yeah, I get it Blaze. I’ll do what you say, I really will,” she responded, unsure of what had just happened with his temperament. She was not sure what she had done to set him off again. They stood for a moment, in the dark, staring at each other, saying nothing. Although Blaze’s mood had changed, Angelina forced herself to remain at ease. Angelina, who had already downed two beers and was working on her third, did not want to lose the calm demeanor she had worked to achieve. She had finally quit worrying and wanted to keep it that way. She leaned in very closely to Blaze, so that they were almost nose to nose, grinned, and then whispered, “I still have to pee biker man.”

She had tried to be playful, but Blaze said nothing, apparently not amused by her wit. With a quiet sigh, he turned and led her farther down the dark path until they came to a clearing in the trees. Although Angelina could hear the calming sound of water nearby, she saw nothing but an aged bathroom, which stood alone in the shadowy night. A couple of torchlights dimly lit the area.

“There you are,” stated Blaze as he let go of her smooth arm.

She hesitated. As a child, Angelina was afraid of the dark, and sometimes that fear crept back into her form. The darkened bathroom caused goose bumps to rise across her arm.

Blaze, watching her reaction, stated, “Just leave the door open, I’ll be right here.”

Angelina decided she liked Blaze drunk, or stoned, whichever the case may be. He appeared calmer and more easygoing. Surprisingly, Blaze seemed to be a bit of a gentleman - in an odd, mean biker, kind of way. Angelina grinned, amused by her own thoughts. She entered the bathroom, cautiously. There was one toilet with a divider next to it, and a small sink. The filthy structure was very much out of place among the trees. Relieved by the setup, Angelina was grateful that she did not have to pee behind a thorny bush. The bathroom had toilet paper and all. While sitting on the toilet, she eyed three long legged spiders hiding in the corner, which spooked her further. It took a moment before her body released the flow of urine. As she sat, relieving her bladder, she heard footsteps outside of the opened door.

“Are you about done in there?” a gentle voiced woman from outside of the building asked. Angelina thought she sounded a bit shaken.

“Yeah, just finishing up,” she replied from in the bathroom.

Angelina looked up as she wiped herself. The red head from across the fire was coming thru the doorway. Angelina stood and stepped out of the way just in time for the dangly girl to wretch into the toilet. It had not even finished flushing yet. As Angelina took a step out of the bathroom, she hesitated, and then turned back around. Blaze watched as she walked back into the brick building. The door was still open.