Page 2 of Wheelie's Challenge
“I’m not cheating on you. Why won’t you believe me? I’ve never cheated on you. Ever since we started dating in high school, you’ve been the only man for me. You have to believe me.”
“You’re a damn whore! I’ve told you over and over that I’ll never let you go.” He pressed his lips on hers hard, grinding into them. The dust that filled her nostrils made it hard for her to breathe, so she shoved him away as she gulped for air. “You push your husband away?” Red blotches mottled Russ’ face.
“I couldn’t breathe. I have all this dust inside my nose from when you opened the door.” Kendra slowly inched her way across the wall.
“Are you blaming me for that?” He grabbed her arm and yanked her back. From the look in his eyes, the way he bared his teeth, and the rigidness of his body, she braced herself for the first punch. It came fast and hard, right in her face, then his fist sank into her belly. The pain from her shattered nose reverberated through her bones as she tried to suck air into her mouth. He came back with some more punches, and she tried to push him away, but he was too strong, too angry, and too vicious.
Every part of her body cried out in pain, but the roaring wind swallowed up her screams as he kept hitting her over and over. Soon she stopped resisting, deciding to let him get out all of his rage so he’d finally leave her alone, but this time Russ didn’t stop—instead, his hands grasped at her throat. Kendra tried to wriggle out of his grip, but it was too tight. Russ’ curled fingers pressed harder.
She clawed at his hands and dug her fingernails into his wrists in an attempt to dislodge the hold he had around her throat, but he just kept squeezing. Looking at him, his eyes burned with emptiness and anger as the pain scorched her lungs.He’s killing me!Panic, regret, and sadness filled Kendra as her hands fell to her sides and all the energy escaped from her body. Russ’ face grew fuzzy, the room spun, and the edge of her vision went dark. In the last seconds of lucidity, shock blitzed through her: Kendra never thought Russ would actually kill her.
Her mind grew hazy, her heart, once quickly beating, began to slow down, and the room grew smaller and smaller until it was gone.
***
The vibrant colorsof late spring brightened even more under the glaring sunlight. In the background, birds chirped, lawn mowerswhirred, and a gentle breeze sang through the lush trees. It was as if every living thing had conspired to show Wheelie that life would go on without Kendra. His sister was dead. Murdered by the sonofabitch he’d hated since Kendra had first brought him home when they were in high school. It shouldn’t be bright and cheery outside. It should be cold and silent and as gray and foggy as his mangled emotions.
As Father Andrew recited prayers in a monotone voice, his mother buried her face in her hands. For Wheelie, it was painful to see her like that, but all he could do was embrace her and let the torrent of her tears soak through his shirt. He looked away from Father and concentrated on the picture of Kendra leaning on an easel to the right of her casket. Her brown eyes shone as a whisper of a smile danced across her lips. Her long dark hair hung loosely around her shoulders. It was her senior picture, and it’d been taken before Wheelie had found out Russ was beating the shit out of her.I fuckin’ let you down.He hissed a breath between clenched teeth.
A few people surrounded the grave in a semi-circle, hanging their heads, dabbing their eyes with tissues. Behind them stood his brothers from the Insurgents MC. They wore black leather jackets, and black bandanas covered the top of their heads to show support for Wheelie. The chrome from twenty Harleys glared under the sun. As the priest continued to recite the appropriate prayers, a chapel’s bells chimed in the distance and echoed across the graveyard, informing the mourners it was four o’clock.
Grief tore at Wheelie’s insides like a tornado as he gazed at Kendra’s brushed pink casket. All shades of pink had always been her favorite color. As he gazed at it, memories of their childhood would be forever tainted by the horror of what had happened to her. Even though the makeup artist at the mortuary had done her best in covering up the bruises, they were still there, and the scarf around her neck to cover the strangulation marks looked out of place: Kendra never wore scarves. When he’d seen what Russ had done to her, the rage that had been burning inside him since he’d found out about Kendra’s murder exploded, and the funeral director had to call the police to control him as he smashed everything he could in the viewing room.
Suddenly it was quiet, and Father Andrew’s approach shadowed over Wheelie’s mother. For a brief moment, the priest hesitated and the lines on his face deepened, and then he reached out his hand and placed the gold crucifix in hers. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, and the sob that tore from her throat broke Wheelie’s heart. Father Andrew placed his hands on her head for a few seconds then shook Wheelie’s hand before walking over to the other mourners. His mother clutched the cross to her bosom, her chest moving up and down with her soft cries.
A woman started singing a hymn, and Wheelie helped his mother to her feet and then wrapped his arm around her slumped shoulders as he led her to the black funeral car. The roar of motorcycles filled the air, and Wheelie nodded at the Insurgents, who held their fists in the air showing solidarity for their brother in pain. He swallowed several times, pushing down the lump in his throat.
The car drove slowly out of the cemetery, passing gravestones as it twisted and turned around the small road. Wheelie’s mother grasped his hand and squeezed it.
“She’s with God now. Kendra’s finally found peace,” she said in a soft voice.
And my hell has just begun. There’s no fuckin’ way I’m letting this rest.
As if sensing his anger, Wheelie’s mother leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Let this go. The courts will put him away. Kendra would want you to move forward and not look for revenge. I know you’re hurting… we both are, but God has taken her to a better place.” Her voice broke, and he wrapped his arm around her.
“It’s okay, Ma.” But it wasn’t. Not at all.
The sonofabitch better pray for a life sentence, because if he ever gets out, I’m coming for him.
Wheelie leaned his head against the glass and stared out the window as the car merged onto the freeway.
Chapter One
Pinewood Springs, CO
Ten years later
Sofia swiped thewand of pink gloss over her lips, fluffed her hair with her fingers, and pulled up her top a bit. Tigger would never go for her wearing anything that showed off her cleavage in public. The fact that he even asked her if she wanted to go to Steeler’s on family night surprised her, but she had a strong feeling that Banger had something to do with that.
The club president had made it clear to Tigger at Cara and Hawk’s Christmas Eve party five months before that he expected her to start attending family club functions since she was Tigger’s old lady, and that suited her just fine. It also helped that the club had a ton of outings, so Tigger couldn’t use her as a punching bag as often as he had the year before.
“Are you ready? I’ve been waiting too fuckin’ long,” her husband said in a voice laced with irritation and hardness.
Panic twisted her nerves as she grabbed her clutch purse and rushed out of the bedroom. “I’m done.” She plastered a smile on her face while her insides tightened and quivered.
Tigger scowled at her. “Your top’s too tight. You trying to attract men?” He took a step toward her.
Knowing that any sort of explanation or protest would result in her staying home nursing a black eye and worse, she turned around and headed back to the bedroom to change her T-shirt. “It must’ve shrunk in the dryer,” she said over her shoulder. Tigger grunted. Sofia tugged the shirt over her head, hung it up, and took out a loose fitting blouse. The last thing she wanted was for Tigger to change his mind and leave her home. For the past two weeks, all she’d done in her spare time was count down the hours, the minutes, and the seconds until she’d see Wheelie again. If Tigger made her stay home, she’d die.Hurry up!She fumbled with the buttons as she walked out of the bedroom.
