Ride dirty vegas vipers.., p.31
RIDE DIRTY: Vegas Vipers MC,
p.31
Stunned and caught off guard, Rat didn’t get a chance to say anything before Acer shot him in the back of the head. The biker fell to his knees, red liquid gurgling out of his mouth for a moment before he sprawled down onto the asphalt. Several strands of blue hair were still clutched in his fingers, the ends blowing slightly in the breeze.
Rat had been the motivation behind this war, and the rest of the Dirty Bastards seemed to know it. Those who had already been injured began limping away, barely keeping themselves on their bikes as they tried to increase the distance between themselves and the enemy before they were killed. Meanwhile, Satan Seed continued to fire, eliminating all they could while they still had a chance. The end of the battle came so quickly that to Blue it seemed that someone had hit the “Stop” button on a recording.
“I don’t understand,” Blue breathed, looking back and forth between the dead body at her feet and the man who had killed him. “Why did you save me?”
Acer quirked an eyebrow and pointed at his arm. “You still have work to do, remember?” He laughed. “Besides, Torque and I have had some time to talk. We knew Rat would be most interested in Torque, distracted by him, even. It was the perfect opportunity for me to catch him off-guard before he had a chance to hurt you. Of course, I don’t think any of us were expecting us to do what you just did.” The president smiled at her appreciatively.
“And Torque? Where is he?” Blue turned away from Acer to scan the crowd once again, which had grown much smaller in the last few minutes. The last remaining Bastards were straggling out of the lot, tucking their tails between their legs and headed home. Several of Acer’s men stood near the dumpster, hooting in triumph and bragging of their adventures. Yet another man took a victory lap around the place, his tires bumping against the uneven asphalt. But there was no sign of Torque.
“I don’t know,” Acer admitted.
But a tall figure emerged from the cloud of smoke in the center of the combat zone. His hair had been mussed, and it hung in his eyes over his bloodstained face. He swept it away with one hand, smearing blood and dirt along with it as he squinted against the brilliant sun. His dark tattoos stood out in stark relief against the skin of his arms. The figure limped slightly, but he was otherwise whole.
“Torque!” Blue’s entire body reacted to his presence, every cell, every atom leaping toward him. She threw herself in his arms and sighed her relief as her cheek rubbed against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, scooping her off her feet and bringing her up to his level so that he could kiss her lips even as he finished his walk toward Acer. He was hot and sticky, but she didn’t care. Blue wanted to bury herself inside him and never come out again. “I never thought I would see you again.”
“I told you back at the clubhouse that everything would be all right,” he said calmly as he set her down and turned to Acer. “Thank you. That was the most slipshod battle plan I ever put together, but I’m glad it worked. I only wish I had been the one to kill Rat.”
Acer pointed at the body. “Hey, your girl had a lot to do with it, if it makes you feel any better.”
Torque knelt to yank his knife out of the man’s stomach. An extra fountain of blood streamed out to join the sticky mess that had formed on the asphalt underneath Rat. Wiping his blade on the enemy biker’s vest, he slipped it back in his own pocket. “That’ll need a good cleaning.”
“At least I got it back to you.” Blue felt a small smile playing on her lips despite their circumstances.
He nodded, but he paused when he looked at Blue. “What happened to you? Are you hurt?” Torque reached out and gently touched her temple.
She recoiled at the pain, surprised. “Oh. Rat hit my head against the steering wheel.”
“It’s a good thing he’s already dead.” Torque stood toe-to-toe with her, his hand reached out to gently examine the wound.
“It’s just a bruise. And what about you?” Blue glanced at the thin stream of blood that began just outside the corner of Torque’s left eye and trickled down his cheek to drip off his jaw and onto the collar of his vest. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’ll heal.”
“Is it all over? I mean, really?” Blue asked hopefully as she studied him. It certainly seemed to be, but she didn’t remember anything quite like this happening when her mother had still been with a club. Perhaps it had, but at least Mother had kept her away from it. The fight suddenly seemed distant, as though it had happened last week or last year instead of only a minute ago. Her entire world consisted of Torque and the fact that he was alive.
Torque glanced over his shoulder at the wreckage. Several men had fallen, and many others were wounded. Those who had been celebrating now stopped to help their comrades to their feet, bandage their wounds, or cart off their corpses. A slight breeze picked up, bringing with it the funk of exhaust and bodies. He turned a glaring eye to Blue. “You should have come to the clubhouse like I told you to.”
Acer backed away, heading to his other members. “I’ll just let the two of you talk.”
A wave of horror washed over Blue as she realized how angry Torque was. She had been so focused on getting him back alive that she had forgotten how much of this was her fault. He wasn’t happy to see her; he was pissed. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she buried her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Torque. This is all my fault. I went to Spencer’s house because I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought if I pulled myself away from all of this, then maybe my problems would just go away. I was so wrong. I’ve tried so hard to push myself away from you and everything involving you, but I just become more deeply embroiled in it.”
She had done it this time. She had finally figured out that she wanted to be with him, and she had thought the looks they had exchanged in front of the Hagens’ home had confirmed that he wanted the same thing. But now she was responsible for all this carnage, and he would never have anything to do with her again. His touch at her elbow surprised her into looking up at him again.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said softly. He raised his other hand to brush her hair out of her face, and his thumb rubbed away a tear as it fell over her eyelashes. “Blue, this war was a long time coming. Even if I hadn’t been at your shop that day and encountered Rat, he would have found another way to start a conflict. We’ve lost some men, but it was inevitable.”
“Then what did you mean?” Blue’s emotions were changing so rapidly she couldn’t keep track of them. She was thrilled to see Torque, terrified that he seemed mad at her, and hopeful that this would still somehow work out. More than anything, she just wanted to be with him. It didn’t matter where they were, what they talked about, or if they even talked about anything. He could even be angry with her, just as long as he didn’t leave her.
“I was worried about you,” he explained. “When you didn’t return, I thought it was because Rat had already gotten to you. The Bastards had been causing chaos all over town, so it wouldn’t have been a surprise. As it was, Rat had one of his men burn down the tattoo shop as vengeance.”
A whole new ripple of panic washed over her. “Is Spencer okay?”
“He’ll be fine,” Torque assured her. “I got there just in time.”
She hated the fact that she was crying in front of him. Blue wanted to be tough, to handle all of this as calmly as he did, but it was so hard. “Thank you, Torque,” she whispered. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. You’ve saved me, and you’ve saved Spencer. I just …You can’t even know how much that means to me.”
His voice was low and gravelly as he took her fully into his arms. “It’s what you do for someone you love.” Torque’s lips pressed against hers.
Blue kissed him back, parting her lips to let his tongue twirl against hers. She stopped him only long enough to whisper, “I love you, too.”
Chapter Seventeen
Blue
“Mommy’s going to miss you today.” Blue pressed her lips to the baby’s chubby cheeks, holding her close and never wanting to let go. “I would just stay home with you all day if I could, but I’ve got some tattooing to do. Maybe someday I can show you how to draw pictures on people.” Reluctantly, she put Violet in Bri’s arms and sighed. “I just hate leaving her.”
“I know you do,” Bri said sympathetically as she cuddled the chubby little bundle. A shock of dark black hair decorated the top of Violet’s head, and a tiny hand reached out to grab at one of Bri’s earrings. “But it’s good for you to get out and do what you love. Your little one won’t suffer at all for it.”
“That’s easy for you to say, since you get to stay home with Ava all the time. Hi, sweetie.” Ava had just toddled up and wrapped her arms around Blue’s leg. The little girl had grown a lot since that day of impromptu hide-and-seek upstairs.
Bri tipped her head to the side and raised her eyebrows. “I’m sure it seems that way, but it’s not always easy work. Besides, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have to work if you didn’t want to.”
Blue smiled, her face flushing a little. There was a lot of truth to what her friend said. When Violet was born, Torque had made it very clear that Blue didn’t have to return to work anytime soon, if ever. He would take care of everything. As sweet as it was, Blue had been itching to get a tattoo machine in her hands again. She was fortunate that Bri had volunteered to watch the baby anytime Torque wasn’t available, and she was doing her best to find a balance between work and home life.
“Maybe not, but I wouldn’t want to leave Spencer in the lurch. I already took so much time off with my maternity leave.”
“Don’t worry about him.” Bri leaned down to set Violet in a nearby bassinet. She carefully straightened the baby’s onesie and touched her cheek gently. “Spence is a big boy, and he can handle the shop. I think it was good business for him to have a guest artist in there for a little bit.”
It was touching to see how much Bri cared about Violet, but the remark about the guest artist reminded Blue of a whole other concern. “That’s exactly what worries me.”
“No, don’t take it that way. A guest artist is just that, someone to come in and stir things up a little bit. Trust me, Spencer wouldn’t dream of giving your booth to anyone else.” She moved to the kitchen to give Ava her snack.
“I’m sure you’re right. I just really love it, you know? I feel a little guilty when I leave Violet, but when I’ve been working, I feel like I get to let out the part of me that doesn’t stay up all night with a fussy baby or worry about spit-up.” Now that the Dirty Bastards had been chased out of town and Blue felt safe again, she could lose herself in her work like she used to before any of that had started. She could talk with her clients and do her job, but when it was complete she felt as though she had just gone through major meditation session. Her nerves buzzed with the thrill of her accomplishment.
Bri laughed as she diced up an apple and put it on a tiny plastic plate. “I completely get it! As much as I love being here with the girls, there are days when I really miss tattooing.”
“So why don’t you?” Blue made mental notes as she stood in Bri’s kitchen, paying attention to the kinds of sippy cups she used and the chair Ava sat in. Having an older baby in the “family” meant she always had someone to ask when it came to parenting questions, and Blue had found that much more helpful than all the books in the world.
“Oh, I couldn’t.” Bri waved off the idea as she reached in the fridge for a jug of milk. “I knew as soon as I had Ava that my commitments were elsewhere. I’ve gotten in a few tats here and there when my mom is off work and wants to watch her, but other than that there just isn’t time.”
Blue didn’t like to hear that. She really did feel bad when she left Violet, but she came back to her child with a renewed energy when she had spent a little time at the shop. The late nights and the numerous loads of laundry were a pleasant duty instead of an annoyance. “Why don’t you start going in a couple times a week? I can watch the girls.”
“Really?” Bri paused in her task of fastening a lid on a sippy cup, her face tipped up toward the ceiling as she thought about it. “No, I couldn’t. I don’t want to shortchange you on your time at the shop.”
“You wouldn’t be. Not at all. We can just swap back and forth on days, or even on solid weeks if you’d like. I’m sure we can find a schedule that works well for both of us.” It was so simple, but it seemed like the perfect solution.
“Well … maybe. But I don’t really have a following anymore, you know? I’ve been off work for so long that people don’t know me as an artist. If they know me at all, I’m just Spencer’s wife.” She turned away to give Ava her drink.
“That’s not true,” Blue argued. “I had someone come in just last week who wanted to know if you were still working there, and she didn’t even know that you and Spencer were married. She loved the piece you had done on her a few years ago and wanted to get more. As a matter of fact, she’s coming in for her next piece in a couple weeks, and I’m giving the appointment to you.”
Bri shoved her hands in her pockets, as though she didn’t know what to do with them anymore. “No, Blue, really. You need your time to work. And it’s been so long since I did any tattooing. What if I’m not good anymore?”
Blue shook her head. “It’s not fair if you’re always at home with the kids instead of spending any time in the shop. I insist. I think it’ll make the client happy.” She knew she wasn’t going to get Bri to agree for her own sake, but she might for the sake of the shop and the customers.
Bri nodded slowly. “Well, okay. If you really think so.”
“I do. I’d better get going, or I’ll be late for my appointment.”
Bri followed her to the door and stopped her before she opened it, wrapping her in a big hug. “Thanks for everything, Blue.”
She hugged her back. “What did I do?”
“What haven’t you done? You’re helping me get back to work. You’re an amazing worker for Spencer, and your art pulls people in from all over the county. You even sacrificed yourself to make sure those nasty bikers didn’t get me or my precious Ava. I don’t think I ever really thanked you properly for that. I felt so bad to know that you were out there with them, but I admit I was so relieved to come back in and find Ava hiding under the bed, giggling away.”
“Hey, it’s what you do for the people you love,” Blue replied. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
* * *
As much as she had been enjoying her work after the baby, Blue found that she couldn’t quite concentrate today. The brilliant colors blurred together a little as she loaded them onto her needles. Her breath came in staggered gasps or she forgot to breathe at all. She blinked and leaned back, rolling her shoulders and trying to get her head wrapped around her work.
“You doing all right?” her client asked. “We can take a break if you need to.”
She smiled down at him. His handsome eyes watched her, making her feel even more self-conscious. Blue knew she shouldn’t. She was a professional, and there was no reason she shouldn’t be able to do this. She had done so many tattoos along these lines in her career, and she would do many more. The shop had been rebuilt since the fire, and it was now better than ever. “No, that’s okay. I’m fine.”
“If you’re sure. I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”
“Trust me,” Blue replied, “I’ve done plenty of things I’m not comfortable with. I like to think it just makes you grow.”
His dark eyes sparkled. “That’s a nice way of thinking about it.”
Spencer stepped in and smiled. “Doing all right?”
Blue wiped the extra ink off with a damp paper towel and scowled at him. “I’d like to know why everyone keeps asking me that.”
“Just making sure,” Spencer said with a shrug. “I know how you get nervous around these biker types.”
“Hey, now,” Torque replied from his position on the table. “I’m pretty sure you’ve met worse ones than me.”
The shop owner bobbled his head as though he was thinking about it. “I’m not sure. You’re pretty scary. And you did leave me lying in the parking lot.” It was a point Spencer enjoyed bringing up.
Both Blue and Torque knew that was only because it was his way of thanking Torque for what he had done and reminding the biker that he owed him a lot.
“I did,” Torque replied, “but I’m pretty sure you deserved it.”












