Page 18 of Wheelie's Challenge
Russ Elmore sighed loudly. “No. Let’s just stick to the plan.”
“Okay, baby. Anything you want. Isn’t it beautiful with the ocean. The Pacific is different from the Atlantic. When I was little, my grandma had…”
He tuned her out and turned his head toward the window.Wheelie’s not the type to forget shit. I wonder if he’s still in that biker gang.Pressing his forehead against the cool window, he watched the landscape blur by.I gotta stay a few steps ahead of him… unless I take care of him first.Russ had made a few contacts while incarcerated, and he might just look one or two of them up. He glanced at Mallory as she babbled on.Having a felony conviction means money doesn’t come easily. I’m sure Tucker or Jeremiah can use the cash. Maybe I won’t have to look over my shoulder after all, but I’ll need to get the money to pay them.Again he looked at Mallory, a smile spreading over his face.She’ll do anything for me.
“That’s so interesting, sweetheart,” he said, leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek. “Tell me more about what you used to do in Providence.”
As the Buick sped down the freeway, he feigned interest in Mallory’s stories while his mind concocted a plan ensuring his survival and Wheelie’s demise.
Chapter Six
Sofia watched asTigger sprinkled some of the cologne she’d given him for Christmas into his hands and ran them over his face, neck, and shaved head. The scent of mulberry, spice, and cedar used to lure her in and make her tingle all over, but for the past few years, it made her insides tangle in knots because all of his effort was meant for other women and not her. That night, it didn’t bother her that he wore his new pair of jeans, or took extra care in shaving his face and head, because all she could think about was whether Wheelie was going to pick up one of the women who frequented the club’s parties on Saturday nights. Even though he’d told her he wasn’t with any woman, Wheelie was still a man, and a well-built woman who was more than willing to have some fun would prove to be difficult to pass up—even for the most resolute man.
Sofia chewed on the dry skin around her thumb. She noticed how women stared at Wheelie and tried to get his attention, and she figured there’d be a lot of ladies at the party since members from many of the Insurgents chapters were going to be there. Of course, Tigger hadn’t shared that information with her, she’d heard it from Doris who’d called her earlier that day to ask how she was doing. At first Sofia had thought it was odd Doris had called her since she’d never done it before, but when she slipped Wheelie into the conversation, a ton of alarms went off inside Sofia’s head, and she’d pretended that something was burning in the oven.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Tigger asked as he slipped on his cut.
“Nothing, really. Are you gonna crash at the club tonight?”
Tigger tensed, his brown eyes narrowing. “Why? You got someone coming over?”
Instantly, Sofia was on guard. “No. I just don’t want to worry that you were in an accident or something if you don’t come home, that’s all.”
He stared at her for several seconds as her nerves tangled and twisted in knots, then he went over to the dresser and grabbed a set of keys. “I don’t know. I heard the old ladies are getting together at Banger’s house later tonight.”
Nausea washed over her. “Yeah. I think it’s just for pizza and some wine. Cara said she’d pick me up.”
Tigger sneered. “Did she now? Call her up and tell her you can’t go.”
Lowering her eyes, she focused on his black engineer boots. “Why can’t I go?” she whispered.
“Because I said so, moron. Anyway, Cara, Belle, Kimber, and pretty much all of the old ladies make fun of you behind your back. I don’t want you to get hurt by them. They pretend to be your friend, but they think you’re pathetic and boring.”
She jerked her head up and met his cold gaze. “I never got that vibe from them.”
“But you’re not very smart, remember? I’m the one that has to handle everything.”
Because you want to keep me down.“But Cara’s always texting or calling me to see how I am and just to chat. Why would she do that if she didn’t like me?”
“Because she’s a fuckin’ bitch. After she talks to you, she tells the other old ladies something stupid you said, and they all laugh behind your back. I hear them at the club when they come by or have one of their lame meetings.” Tigger crossed his arms over his chest. “At first I really liked Cara and Belle, but when I heard them turning the other old ladies against you by telling them a bunch of fuckin’ lies, I was so pissed. I went to Hawk and Banger and told them I wasn’t gonna tolerate that shit against my wife. They said they’d talk to them, but when I heard them still spewing shit about you, I knew Hawk and Banger were pussies when it came to their women.” He walked over to her and lifted his hand. She flinched and he chuckled then stroked the side of her face. “I just don’t want you to get hurt by a bunch of vicious bitches who are jealous of you, sweetcakes. You know I love you too much. I just want to protect you. Go ahead and text Cara and tell her you’re not feeling well.”
I can’t believe Cara or Belle or any of the other women would say shit about me behind my back.Tigger had been undermining her relationships with friends and family since they got married. He’d plant seeds of doubt then water them until she began to question her loved ones. When Tigger had gone to prison, her mother had bad-mouthed him and started fights with her, and after Sofia had told him about it when she’d visited him in Canon City, he’d used that to show her he’d been right about her mom, or her friends… or whomever. At the time she’d believed him, but now she knew it was his way of isolating her from anyone close to her, and it’d worked. She’d been estranged from her mother and brothers for years and had cut off all contact with her friends from high school.He’s trying to do it to me again—this time with the old ladies.
Tigger picked up her phone on the bed and handed it to her. “Text Cara now. Tell her you can’t talk because you got laryngitis. You don’t need to talk to someone like that anyway.”
“She’s not going to believe that. I just spoke to her this morning.”
Whack!The sting of his hand across her face brought tears to her eyes. “Stop talking back to me! I told you what to do. Fucking do it!”
“Okay… okay,” she mumbled as she found Cara’s name. The last thing she wanted was to make him madder than he already was.I can’t wait for you to leave in two days.Having six Tigger-free days felt like she’d won the lottery.
Cara:I’m so sorry you’re sick! We’re all going to miss u.
“Bullshit! She’s such a fuckin’ phony,” Tigger said as he read Cara’s response. “Tell her you’ll see her another time.”
Sophia sent the message then put down her phone and went into the bathroom. Turning on the cold water, she looked at her reflection in the mirror: a clear, red imprint of a hand marked the right side of her face. She ran a washcloth under the water then put it on her cheek to soothe the burning.
“Come say goodbye to me, sweetcakes.”
