Wild Ride Page 11

  How to answer that one… looking to Meredith for help she smiled at him and then turning to Matt she said, “Actually… Chuck’s in school now and he has a big test next week so he can graduate. Maybe we should help him study while we make dinner, what do you think?”

  Chapter Eleven

  The morning of his GED test was sunny and bright but his insides felt like they were twisted in a knot. He had studied hard all week with Meredith and was as ready as he was going to get.

  As he shut off the shower he heard someone pounding on the front door. He quickly threw on some jeans and hurried through his apartment. Opening the door he stopped short at the gun that was pointed right at his head.

  His heart nearly gave out upon seeing the person brandishing the weapon… JC Combs… the guy who had started his involvement in gangs in the first place. The one who was still the leader of the gang that Chuck used to run with… and who helped him get the gun he’d used to save Lilly.

  He’d needed the weapon when he’d lived on the seedier side of town. The gun was confiscated the night Lilly had been held hostage and he ended up being ordered to serve one thousand hours of community service for having it.

  He still needed to pay JC the rest of the money for the weapon though and from the looks of things, it was payment time.

  “Mornin’, bitch, did you forget you still owe me money for the piece I gave you? I heard you got caught with it… and now they got you doing a little community service. That’s all good, but that don’t mean you no longer owe me the money,” JC said, inching his way in the door and closing it behind him.

  “I haven’t forgotten you, man, just working on getting the rest of it together…” he replied.

  “You know I’m always willing to help out a friend where I can… I got a little job you could do for me to work off the debt. It’s a delivery really… I would do it myself but I’m a busy man,” JC said, eyeing him thoughtfully before continuing to case the apartment.

  Yea… those ‘little’ jobs were what had landed him in trouble in the first place.

  “I’m working like a dog myself between my job and the community service thing so I understand busy… can you give me a couple of weeks until I get paid?” he asked.

  “Not interested in helping out your friends anymore?” JC asked.

  “Just so busy I don’t want to take on anything else…” he replied. He wasn’t exactly saying no to JC. Saying no to JC was asking for big trouble but hopefully he would leave him alone about it.

  “I’ve already given you months, man… months! This was never a payment plan deal. I came today to collect but we’re old friends so… I can give you another week. Once you have the cash, or if you decide you’d rather do me that favor and save yourself the money… you know where to find me. Don’t make me have to hunt your ass down again though or I’ll start to think you’re bailing on me,” JC threatened.

  JC couldn’t take him in a fight one on one and the punk knew it. Dickie had shown him some pretty awesome defensive moves and his size took care of the offense portion of a fight. However, four or five on one might be a different story. Damn… just when things were going good… should have expected it.

  If and when JC came back for payment he wouldn’t be alone… his minions would be along to enforce the rules. What he wouldn’t give now to turn back the hands of time and keep from ever getting involved with JC in the first place.

  When he was alone once more he sank down on the couch in frustration. He didn’t have the money and there was no way he could get it in a week. Knowing JC the way he did a week was more like a day. Somehow JC always conveniently forgot how time worked.

  Though he never should have bought the gun, especially from JC… he was glad he’d had it to protect Lilly. He’d do it again if the results were the same, Lilly safe and Bobby happy. It would have killed Bobby if something had happened to her… just like it would kill him if something happened to Meredith.

  Meredith! Shit! He should have left a while ago to pick her up since she was supposed to go with him when he took his test… moral support or some shit. Looking at the time, he’d never make it to pick her up and then get back in time for the test.

  He called the Johnson’s on his cell phone as he threw on a shirt and his shoes. He so didn’t need JC’s surprise visit today of all days… the day of his test. All he could do now was hope that the hours Meredith spent drilling information into his head outweighed his nerves, anxiety and newly added frustration.

  After telling Meredith that he wouldn’t be there to get her and was going to have to go alone, he headed out the door, locking up behind him. As if that would keep JC and his cronies out...

  He made it to the community college and found the testing center with no problem. He mentally prepared himself for the first of two sessions he would spend trying to achieve what he should have years ago.

  He’d opted to take the worst part of the test first… language arts. He finished the exam some hours later, including the essay portion, and headed to the shop to try and make up some time.

  He could bury himself in the one thing, besides Meredith, that gave him any respite from his life… painting. He had so much work coming in he didn’t know how he would possibly ever get caught up. They all had more work than they could handle. The shop was growing non-stop.

  Meredith had helped out Lilly in the office a couple of days the past week and it sounded like they would be hiring not one but two more employees. One guy would assist Bobby with the custom parts and frames he was becoming known for and the other would help him with doing the primer painting.

  They had stopped taking in anything other than motorcycles after the custom bikes they had built hit a nationwide magazine.

  Tommy had been working on frame lighting that was pretty wicked looking and made bikes appear to glow from underneath at night. Dickie was content to do repair work on the bikes and leather working for the seats.

  Lilly had the place running like a well-oiled machine and her marketing was paying off in spades. She was prepping Meredith to run the place when the baby came and she would be off work. Once the baby was old enough Dana would babysit and Lilly could come back to work.

  If not for the early morning visit from JC the day of his test, his life would have felt like it was really on track. Now rather than fearing the shop would collapse under the strain of mismanagement and leave him out of work, he would have to worry about when and where JC and his boys would strike.

  Damn! Why couldn’t he have just one moment of what the rest of the world took for granted… peace?

  Pulling into the shop a few days later he noticed Meredith’s car parked out next to Lilly’s. Confusion had him heading to the office rather than straight to the painting booth. Pushing open the door, he stopped in his tracks when she looked up from behind the desk and smiled at him.

  He actually felt weak in his legs and kind of hot and excited. He could only stare. She was gorgeous… no doubt about that… but it was more than that somehow. The fact that she still smiled at him like that nearly brought him to his knees

  “Yes?” Lilly asked with a knowing smile.

  “I saw the car… out front… Meredith’s car…” he started.

  “Yes, actually your most pressing job is to teach our newest part-time employee to drive again,” Lilly replied, smiling at Meredith. “I drove her car here after Bobby dropped me at her house and he fully expects her to be able to drive herself home after work so… you better get moving Mister.”

  “Do I get hazard pay?” he asked with a grin.

  They shared a laugh as Meredith got out of the chair she sat in, made her way around the desk and walked over to him. No cane! She had never looked as good to him as she did now standing in front of him. Pride and triumph were shining in her eyes.

  In the few short weeks he’d known her she’d gone from fighting him for making her participate in her family to walking unaided. She was slower without the cane but… wow! He
was like a bull in a china shop most times… maybe from his size or just plain clumsiness but Meredith… she was like grace personified.

  “You better take that back…” she said smiling at him and poking him in the chest.

  “Take what back?” he said unable to resist smiling back at her.

  “That comment you just made… I’d hate to have to kick your ass,” she said smartly, puffing up at him. “Dickie showed me some wicked moves before you got here and you look like a good candidate to try them out on.”

  “I know you want some of this,” he said gesturing at himself, “But you might want to keep that shit to yourself… at least until we’re alone… then you can hurt me all you want.”

  “Gagging…” Lilly said before answering the phone.

  Punching out at him, the look of determination on her face nearly made him lose focus but instinct brought his arm up to block her ineffective fist. Capturing her hand in his, he brought his other hand up to the side of her face and caressed her cheek.

  She took a step forward into his embrace and, with her body blocking Lilly’s view, she reached down and cupped him.

  “Some of this you mean?” she asked in a whisper, gripping him firmly but not enough to hurt. “I could bring you to your knees right now big boy so don’t patronize me.”

  “You already bring me to my knees… every time you smile at me like you did when I came in here a few minutes ago,” he said before leaning down to capture her mouth with his. God she tasted good… like his Meredith. His?

  Pulling back he said, “When you get done handling my package… with care please… we should go find an empty parking lot and see about training you for the Daytona 500.”

  She released him and stepped back, laughing after hearing the vomiting noises Lilly was making now that her call had ended. He led the way out to the garage bay where Dickie and Tommy made a show as though they were running for cover at the thought of Meredith driving.

  She giggled at their antics and finally said, “Hey! I’m a good driver.” Then looking up at him she laughed harder and said, “I know… slow on the driveway right?”

  The next hour was spent driving around the Wal-Mart parking lot, only for Meredith to quickly grow bored with that and move onto driving on the actual road. Much like everything else, it seemed like when she made up her mind that she wanted to do something… she just did it.

  First tackling walking and, with a little more than a week under her belt, having tossed the cane aside… determined to do it on her own.

  He’d taken her to a follow up appointment midweek and the physical therapist was thrilled with her progress, stating that being young, physically fit, and very determined contributed greatly to her progress.

  Meredith hadn’t liked the idea of having to continue using the cane and felt it was slowing her down but had conceded to continuing to use it. However, he’d failed to ask her how long she would continue to use it.

  “Earth to Charlie,” Meredith said, leaning over and kissing him.

  Snapping out of his sappy thoughts he hadn’t realized she had driven them back to the shop. God he was falling for her… big time! He let himself out of the car as she did.

  It was different not having to help her… he didn’t mind helping her… it was an excuse to touch her. More though he liked the confidence he could see in her smile at her newfound mobility.

  Out of the corner of his eye he watched a car drive by the shop and slow down. The windows were tinted dark and he couldn’t see inside but his brain told him who it was.

  Somehow he made it to where Meredith stood before taking his next breath and put himself between her and the slow moving vehicle. Surprisingly, the car then took off and he shoved his hands in his pockets to hide the fact they were shaking.

  The image of Meredith being shot that had flashed through his mind had hit him in the chest and caused more damage than a bullet would have.

  This was exactly why he should have never become involved with her… being around him was dangerous for her. Now he had two choices… take out JC or break it off with Meredith. Both seemed impossible.

  Tomorrow, after he finished the last portion of his test, he would cash his check and go looking for JC. Pay his debt and hope like hell JC would lose interest. It would leave him completely broke until next pay day but the longer he put it off the longer JC would hang around. Would his past never stop dogging his every move… or at least ever stay buried there… in the past?

  For the first time since hooking up with those guys some ten years ago, he no longer wanted to deal with them at all. He’d spent the last ten years putting up with their bullshit… the threats, being robbed, shot at, beaten up by rival gangs and the constant worry that they would come after the guys at the shop. He was out but he wasn’t really out… he never would be.

  He knew too much and JC would never let that alone… no amount of assurance that he’d never rat was good enough. He was nothing more than a target to them and he was done with it! But how could he stop it?

  Meredith stood frowning at him waiting for him to say something… explain his odd behavior. He hated to lie to her… but how could he tell her that some small piece of him was the thug she’d originally thought him to be… not by choice but… it was what it was.

  With members of the gang around every corner… short of JC getting busted and doing hard time or dying… he’d never be free.

  “I’ve got to get painting… I’m in work mode… sorry. I didn’t mean to tune you out,” he said in a halfhearted attempt to explain.

  “Ok, I will be there for the boys so there is no need to rush… stay and finish what you need to,” she said.

  God she was trying to help him while he stood there bleeding from the heart at the knowledge that as much as he cared for her… he’d have to let her go.

  He just couldn’t risk her life like that. His attempt to shield her from non-existent bullets just gave her importance to him away to JC. They would use her to get to him if he didn’t end it with her now.

  He watched until she was safely in the office and then headed for the paint booth. He finished up the detail work on the bike and after exiting the paint booth realized that it was dark outside.

  Pulling out his cell phone he noticed a missed call from Meredith. Rather than calling her cell back he called the house phone in hopes of getting Carla.

  When Carla answered he said, “Hey, it’s Chuck. Sorry I didn’t call… I was painting and completely lost track of time.”

  “It’s ok, Chuck, you are allowed to have one night off a month. You have almost a hundred hours in and it’s not even been a full month yet,” Carla laughed.

  “Thanks… I appreciate that. I’ll be over tomorrow after my test. I’ve got a couple of errands to run but I’ll head over after that and help setup for the cookout… I promise,” he said.

  “It’s fine, Chuck, we’ll see you then,” she said.

  “Ok, tell the boys I said good night,” he said and disconnected the call.

  As much as he wanted to call Meredith… to hear her voice… he couldn’t. It was the coward’s way out but at least if he broke it off with her tomorrow she’d have the weekend without having to see him.

  He was just screwed for the next year because after she stopped hating him and making him wish he didn’t have to be at her house every day, she would move on to some other guy. A wealthy, good family type man who could give her what she deserved. He should have walked away when it would have been easier… before he had fallen in love with her.

  He headed to his apartment and parked the bike out front. After seeing JC’s crew this morning he wondered when the collection committee would be paying him a visit. If he could just make it through breaking up with Meredith and the upcoming week ahead he would be in New York the following week for an undetermined amount of time.

  He, Bobby and Lilly would be testifying about what had happened the night Lilly had been held hostage. Additionally, Lilly wou
ld be testifying in the criminal case that had started the whole mess for her.

  To show support for Lilly, Bobby was closing the shop for a week and they were all going. He hated the thought of having to tell both Lilly and Dana that he and Meredith weren’t together… and never really had been… and that she probably wouldn’t be going.

  He was surprised by how well the three women got along as though they talked often. This was about supporting Lilly though and he didn’t want his issues to cause her even more stress. As he made it through the door to his apartment and set his book bag on the floor, he felt for the light switch only for a pain in his head to bring him to his knees.

  “I shouldn’t have had to hunt you down the first time… you’re thinking of bailing on me without paying. That can’t happen… friend,” JC’s voice filtered through the haze in his head before more pain caused blackness to swallow him whole.

  Something was going on with Chuck and she wasn’t sure what… but after over-hearing her mother on the phone with him and realizing he wouldn’t be coming tonight she made her way up to her room.

  She’d worked steadily on getting enrolled at the local college and had only three classes to complete for her degree. She had signed up to take two of them online and had registered for the final class.

  She had hoped to talk to Chuck a little bit about maybe taking some classes at the local college. With his extraordinary talent for drawing and apparently painting too, he could easily earn a fine arts degree.

  From the minute they had returned from her driving practice he’d been different and it was unlike him not to call her. He called her every night… sometimes it seemed just to hear her breathing or to say something incredibly sexy and then hang up.

  She’d called and left him a message earlier but rather than calling her back, he’d called the house phone knowing that likely her mother would answer. Had she done something wrong?