Outlaw (Evil Dead MC 1)

Crystal looked into her eyes. “I know Cole couldn’t have done this to you.”

Angel shook her head. “He didn’t. He helped me. He took me away from the man who did this.”

“Now that I believe. Cole would never beat a woman. It just isn’t in him.”

“Have you known him long?” Angel asked.

Crystal shrugged. “I’ve been around for a couple of years.”

Angel nodded, not sure what else to talk about.

“Cole asked me if I could find some more clothes for you. I wasn’t sure what size you wore, but now that I see you’re about the same size as me, I’ll go get some things for you.”

“Thanks. That would be great. I’ve been wearing these same clothes for a few days now.”

“Anything else you need?”

“Some makeup would be nice,” Angel said, touching her bruised face.

“Sure thing, hon. Well, I’ll be back.” Crystal turned to leave.

“Hey, Crystal?” Angel stopped her.

“Yes?” She paused in the doorway.

“Do you know where Cole is?”

“Um, there was some big meeting, and then Cole took off with a couple of the guys. I think he said he’d be back soon.”

Angel nodded. “Thanks.”

About half an hour later, Crystal returned with a couple of pairs of jeans and some shirts. She set them on the bed, and then turned and handed a small makeup bag to Angel. “I grabbed together a little of everything.”

“Thank you. It’s very kind of you. I appreciate it.”

“No problem, hon.” Crystal’s smile faded from her face as she looked at Angel. “You okay? It looks like you’ve been crying.”

Angel smiled. “Does it?”

“Anything wrong?”

“Nothing. I’ll be fine.”

“Cole didn’t make you cry did he?”

“No. No, Cole has been very kind to me,” Angel assured her.

“He’s a good guy, Angel. Really.” Crystal looked down at the unmade bed. “You’re very lucky to be with him. Every girl around wants to be with him.”

“And has every girl around ‘been’ with him?”

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean that. I meant…they all wish.”

Angel nodded.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I’m out of line,” Crystal said, moving toward the door and wondering if Cole would be pissed if he knew she’d been talking about him.

“Crystal? Wait. I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing. It’s just…this biker thing, what I mean to say is, this lifestyle, well…” she broke off and smiled. “I’m a little in over my head here.”

Crystal stopped and looked back. She looked Angel up and down. “You’re sure not like the usual women that Cole… I mean, that hang around here.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Oh, yeah. Big time.” Crystal laughed.

“Thank you.”

She nodded, winked at Angel, and turned to leave. She stopped in the doorway and turned back. “Hey, why don’t you come downstairs with me? There’s fresh coffee and you can’t just sit in this room all day, you’ll go stir crazy. I know I would.”

“All right.” Angel followed Crystal downstairs. The place was deserted, except for a couple guys playing pool.

Crystal led her over to the bar. She picked up a mug and poured Angel a cup of coffee. “You take anything in it, doll?”

“Black is fine. Thanks.”

Crystal picked up a bottle from a glass shelf in front of the mirror on the wall behind the bar. She turned to Angel, holding it up and grinned. “How ‘bout a shot of Bailey’s?”

Angel grinned back and climbed onto a barstool. “Now that sounds good.”

Crystal set the coffee down in front of Angel and tipped the bottle up, pouring a generous shot into her mug turning the black coffee a lovely café au lait color.

Angel took a sip. “God, that’s good.”

Crystal did the same with her own mug. “Breakfast of champions.”

“Oh, no, no, that would be the one, the only, Bloody Mary.” Angel grinned.

Crystal laughed. “I’ll have to take your word for it. I hate to admit it, but I’ve never actually had one.”

Angel about spit her coffee out. “You’ve never had a Bloody Mary? Oh, honey, you’re missin’ out. There’s nothing better than a primo Bloody Mary. And I make a mean one, if I do say so myself.”

“Well, then, you’ll just have to make me one, but I’m pretty sure we don’t have any tomato juice.”

“Oh, we need more than that. Olives, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper, Bloody Mary mix, and of course Celery stalks, gotta have those.” Angel cocked her head to the side. “Got a grocery store near here?”

“Great minds think alike.” Crystal smiled and held her keys up. “I’ll drive.”

They headed outside and Crystal walked up to the driver’s side of an older black Corvette. Although it was older, probably late seventies or early eighties, Angel noticed it appeared to be in mint condition. It looked like it had recently had a wash. There wasn’t a speck of dirt on it and the chrome rims gleamed.

“Wow. Sweet ride,” Angel exclaimed as she sank her butt down in the passenger seat.

“This is my baby. It’s the only good thing that came out of a four year relationship I had with my last ol’ man.” She depressed the clutch and turned the ignition, and it roared to life. She slid the gearshift into first gear and pulled out.

“He bought it for you?”

Crystal pulled off the lot, shifting quickly through second and third gears. “My man had, shall we say, a strong sexual appetite. Two, three times a day, most everyday, with a few blow jobs thrown in between. I kept him happy.” She looked over at Angel and grinned. “So, let’s just say I earned it.”

Angel laughed. “Damn, girl. I won’t argue that.”

Crystal laughed back, and they headed off to the store for Bloody Mary manna.

***