Sons of Flame MC - Redemption - Ashley Rhodes

Sons of Flame MC - Redemption By Ashley Rhodes Copyright 2015 Ashley Rhodes All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

2

Ashley Rhodes

To Julian x

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

3

Tess Bailey will never forget the day that Eli Flint burst into her life. He's a hard man, tempered by a life lived on the edge - but Tess sees something in his intense blue eyes; something that grabs her and just won't let go. Eli's an ex-con; he served three years for selling guns as a member of the notorious Sons of Flame MC. Now he's out, and he wants to put his past behind him and move on. But it's not that easy. It's never that easy. Tess is Eli's probation officer. Young and idealistic, she's determined not to become as jaded as her coworkers. She deals with some of the most difficult and dangerous men - men who have always lived a life of crime, men for whom that life is all they know, and ever will know. But Eli's different. Underneath his tough, spiky exterior, Tess senses a man who wants to improve himself, who wants something better from life. However, when Tex, the cruel and bitter leader of the Sons of Flame, blackmails Eli into working for him once more, Eli is forced back into the life he's trying to leave behind. And Tess, the woman Eli is falling for, is unwittingly drawn into this dangerous world with him... Redemption is a standalone romance novel, with a HEA ending, some scenes of violence and swearing, and some steamy scenes too!

4

Ashley Rhodes

If you’d like to be notified of my new releases, along with freebies, giveaways and more, you can sign up for my mailing list at: http://eepurl.com/4epDb I’ll never spam you, and your email address will remain completely confidential.

Prologue The Mojave Desert sun beat down relentlessly, searing any exposed skin. It seemed to radiate from the ground too, in waves of enervating heat. The landscape was flat for miles around sand, cacti, and scrubby grass was all there was as far as the eye could see. The mountains on the horizon shimmered, making them seem almost unreal. The air was hot and dry, and each breath that Eli took seemed to burn his lungs and suck the moisture from his mouth. He was desperate to take a drink from the flask full of water at his hip, but he couldn’t. Not yet. The situation was tense, as these things always seemed to be. He risked a glance either side of him, to see how everyone else was holding up. Tex stood to his right, almost shoulder to shoulder. The gang leader’s eyes were hidden behind his shades, as ever, but he stood straight and inscrutable. If he was feeling the heat as much as Eli was, he was doing a damn good job of hiding it. Shank stood on the other side of Tex. The older man’s thinning, wispy hair blew in the hot gusts of desert air, and his raptor eyes were narrowed in suspicion and distrust. Not that this was anything new with Shank. That was how he always looked, and his natural demeanour was probably a big part of what had let him survive so long in this line of work. Letting your guard down, even for a second, was something that Eli had learned never to do. Eli swallowed, his saliva thick and hot and gritty. This damn sand got everywhere. He’d be washing it out of his hair for days once this was over.

6

Ashley Rhodes

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned his attention back to the reason they were in this godforsaken hellhole in the first place. Four guys, standing opposite them in a line. Their faces were red and they were all sweating profusely. They looked as uncomfortable as Eli felt, in sharp contrast to Tex and Shank who looked as if they were just out for a Sunday stroll. “Can we get this done?” said the guy in the middle, who Eli took to be their leader. “I’m fucking roasting alive out here.” Eli didn’t know any of their names. Safer that way, as Tex always said. “What’s the matter?” Tex wheezed, looking amused (or at least, as amused as Tex ever got) at the other guy’s discomfort. “‘Ain’t you never been out in a little sun before?” The guy’s lips thinned, his eyes narrowed. “Listen, jerkoff. I ain’t here for a fuckin’ picnic, you hear? Let’s make the trade and go our separate ways.” Tex stared the guy down, before spitting loudly onto the ground. Eli felt a rivulet of sweat roll down between his shoulder blades. Why did it always have to be like this? Why was it always so tense, as if violence could explode at any moment? It just seemed to make things more difficult than they needed to be. But Tex and Shank always seemed to revel in these sorts of situations. They lived for shit like this. Eli, on the other hand, would probably rather have been anywhere else than out there in the middle of the goddamn desert. There was just one reason he was here. “You got the money?” Tex drawled. A nod from the other guy. He gestured to one of his crew, who produced a suitcase. “Show me.” Tex’s voice was tight with excitement. This was one of the biggest jobs that the Sons of Flame had ever landed, and Tex

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

7

stood to make a whole lot of cash if things went smoothly. Hell, they all did, even Eli. Enough that he was considering getting out of this game once it was all done with. “Show us the goods first.” Tex glanced sideways at Shank, who, after a moment, nodded once sharply. Tex fixed the other guys with a stare that would have wilted even the cacti that somehow thrived in this place. “OK, we’ll meet in the middle there. Nice and slow, no sudden movements. Hands where I can see ‘em.” A nod from their leader. “Deal. Same for you.” Tex bent down and hefted the bag that was lying at his feet. It was heavy, and Eli could see the wiry muscles of Tex’s arm bunch with the effort of lifting it. “Stay close to me, and keep your eyes peeled young’un.” These words were spoken to Eli from the side of Tex’s mouth. “If they try anything, you better be ready to act. I don’t want you letting me down, you hear?” Eli swallowed, his nerves jangling, and then just nodded once. He didn’t know if Tex saw, but it didn’t matter anyway. The leader of the Sons of Flame took a step forward at the same moment the buyers did, and Eli and Shank kept pace with him. Eli’s heart was pounding and his knees felt shaky and weak. Adrenaline surged through his veins. He just hoped that nobody would notice. Tex and Shank looked calm and inscrutable. They’d done this so many times before, and they’d always come out one way or another, so Eli trusted in their experience. A few more steps and they were face to face with the other guys. Up close, Eli could see the tension written on their faces too. Both sets of men came to a halt and Eli could sense that Tex was sizing them up. “OK, gentlemen. This is how this is gonna go down. One of you steps forward with the money, and I step forward with the

8

Ashley Rhodes

goods. We open each at the same moment. No funny business, no jerking around. Let’s get this done quick and clean. Got it?” Their leader gestured to his man, who handed over the suitcase. Tex nodded, and took a step forward at the same moment the other guy did. They met in the middle. “Ready?” Tex said. “Ready.” Tex set the bag down at his feet and put his hand on the zipper. “On the count of three.” The buyer followed Tex’s lead. “One. Two. Three.” Time seemed to slow for Eli. This was it. This was the most dangerous, the most tense moment. This was where everything could go wrong in an instant. Tex unzipped the bag, revealing the contents to everyone present. Even though Eli knew what was in there, he was still in awe of the sheer amount of hardware contained in that bag. Guns. It was full of guns. Rifles, handguns, even grenades. Some it ex-military, some of it smuggled up from Mexico. But where Tex had opened his bag, the buyer’s suitcase remained closed. Tex’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Don’t play games with me. Open the fucking bag. The hardware is all here.” The buyer swallowed, looking unsure and nervous for the first time since they’d turned up. He looked around at the guys either side of him, as if he didn’t know what to do. Eli’s throat constricted. Something didn’t seem right. The way these guys were acting all of a sudden...it was giving him a bad feeling. “Are you deaf?” Tex snarled. “Show me the goddamn money. Now.” The buyer held up his hand.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

9

“Okay, okay.” He set the suitcase down on the ground and knelt in front of it, before hesitating once more. By now Eli knew something was up. The buyer, painfully slowly, popped open the clasp on the suitcase. Tex leaned forward eagerly, his greed overshadowing his usual natural caution. As he did so, Eli caught a movement in his peripheral vision. One of the buyer’s hands was moving to his waist, slowly, trying not to attract any attention. Despite the heat, Eli’s blood turned to ice in his veins. He could see the gun, tucked into the guy’s waistband. “Tex!” he screamed. “It’s a setup! He’s got a gun!” From that moment on, it was as if everything moved in slow motion - but Eli, even years later, could recall every last little detail. How Tex’s head had snapped up, his eyes narrowing. How he’d lifted the suitcase and flung it with all his strength at the guy going for his gun. How that guy had been struck in the face, blood spraying from his mouth as he crumpled to the floor. Tex and Shank had turned and run immediately, preferring to escape with their hides intact than worry about the guns or the money. Eli had reacted a split second later than the two more experienced men, and ended up eating their dust as the three of them raced back toward their bikes, parked in the shade of a nearby Joshua tree. Then the fateful words that confirmed everything, ringing out from behind them. “Stop! This is the police! Do not try to evade capture. Raise your hands above your head or we WILL fire on you!” Tex and Shank hadn’t even spared a glance backwards, but Eli couldn’t resist. The men who were still standing all had handguns raised, aimed at the three of them. Somehow Eli

10

Ashley Rhodes

wanted to stop, to turn around and explain how it was all just a mix-up, a misunderstanding. But he couldn’t do that. So he kept on running, legs pumping, heart pounding, breath ragged in the searing heat. The three bikes were getting closer and closer - if he could just reach his, he could get away. He could hide, lay low for a while, wait for this all to blow over and then get out of this game, find something less risky to do with his life. Eli could have sworn that he felt the first bullet whizz past his head; he certainly heard the crack of the shot as the undercover police opened fire. A moment afterwards three more shots rang out - *crack* *crack* *crack*. Puffs of sand were thrown up where the bullets just narrowly missed and hit the ground either side of him. All Eli could focus on were the bikes, so close now, so close. Tex and Shank reached theirs first, throwing themselves onto the big machines. Eli was just a few yards away now - he was going to make it, he was going to get away! And then it happened. Eli was running so fast, and so focused on the bikes and his salvation, that he didn’t see the rock that tripped him. Searing pain exploded from his ankle and shot up his leg. It was pure agony. At the same moment, Tex shouted in shock as a bullet hit his bike, tearing a ragged rent in the gleaming metallic body. Fuel began to leak from the hole, pouring down the bike and dripping into the sand. Tex saw what had happened, and looked up to meet Eli’s eyes. The shouts from the police were getting closer and closer as they gave chase. They were gaining fast, and there were only moments to spare now. Tex jumped off his bike and clambered onto Eli’s. Eli was doing his best to struggle to his feet, but he was too slow. The pain was immense.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

11

“Tex!” Eli screamed. “Help me up! There’s still time!” His leader’s eyes narrowed as he judged the distance of the men behind them. He shrugged nonchalantly. “Sorry kid. C’ya around.” He turned the key and Eli’s bike roared to life with a throaty growl. Tex didn’t even spare another glance at his young protégé as he tore off into the desert after Shank, the powerful bike speeding away easily and quickly. Eli was speechless. How could Tex just leave him here like that? He’d always known that the Sons of Flame leader was ruthless and cold, but he always talked about brotherhood and solidarity. About how you never leave a brother behind. That was Eli’s last thought as he slipped into unconsciousness, the pain of his shattered ankle finally overcoming the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Tex and the Sons of Flame had betrayed him, abandoned him.

Chapter One

Tess “New case here for you Tess.” A heavy slap as the manila folder landed on her desk. Tess looked up from the paperwork she was doing, a frown on her face. “A new case? Melody, I’m swamped as it is. Look at all this.” She gestured to the stacks of paper scattered haphazardly on her desk. “I’m already weeks behind on everything, and you want to give me more?” Melody just shrugged. “Hon, we’re all swamped. Welcome to the California justice system.” And with that she left Tess to it. With a deep sigh, Tess lifted the folder and laid it on top of the papers she’d been trying to struggle through. She’d been working for the California Department of Corrections for a couple months now as a parole officer, and it wasn’t going as she’d envisaged. She’d taken the job because she wanted to help people wanted to see them reintegrate into society and change their ways. But, so far, she felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the task in front of her. It seemed like every week she’d take on a new case. Right now, she had 63 parolees in her charge. Almost all men, most of them gang members, drug dealers, thieves. Where she had envisioned working with these guys to help them, they were, on the whole, almost wholly resistant to any

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

13

efforts on her part. They did the absolute bare minimum to meet the terms of their parole, and not a single thing more. Tess knew that most of these guys were simply going to slip back into their old ways, just go back to whatever it was that they’d been incarcerated for in the first place. It was all they knew. And it broke her heart. Tess swigged a mouthful of coffee, grimacing at the cheap bitterness of it, and flipped open the new folder. She spent the next half hour acquainting herself with her newest ‘client’. Eli Flint, twenty-nine years old. Arrested for intent to distribute illegal weapons. Links to The Sons of Flame, a notorious biker gang operating out of Joshuaville in the Mojave. Just released after three years inside, half of his original sentence. His only family was his elderly grandmother, Grace Flint, also of Joshuaville. He’d been offered a job as a motorbike mechanic. Tess ran her fingers through her hair and checked her watch. Flint was due to report in for his first probation meeting with her that same afternoon according to the file. If she was quick she’d have just enough time to grab a sandwich before that appointment. She downed the last of her coffee, grimacing again and noting that she needed to start buying some better stuff from outside. This machine coffee was rancid, but it kept her going at least. With one last despairing glance at the mounds of paperwork, she strode out of the office.

Eli Flint was a half hour late for his appointment, and Tess was about to record him as a no-show when he nonchalantly wandered into the little interview room she used for her appointments with the parolees.

14

Ashley Rhodes

Tess was immediately struck by his good looks - strong jaw, short dark cropped hair, intense blue eyes that sized her up immediately upon seeing her. Tess had often noticed this about the guys she worked with. It wasn’t always a sexual thing (although that did happen), but they would take stock of her the moment they met. She’d asked Melody about it once, shortly after she started the job. “It’s a prison thing, hon,” her boss had said. “To survive in there, you gotta know where you stand. You gotta know who you can mess with, and who you can’t. It becomes an instinct with these guys.” Melody had leaned in and put a friendly hand on Tess’ shoulder. “My advice? Don’t show any weakness, ‘cos these assholes are gonna take advantage of that in whatever way they can. Always remember that you’re in a position of power. You have the power to take away their freedom, so don’t let them forget it.” Tess had taken Melody’s words to heart. She was naturally quite quiet and averse to conflict, but to survive in this job she’d had to toughen up, and fast. “Take a seat, Mr Flint.” He pulled out the chair on the other side of the desk and sat facing her. He hadn’t spoken a word yet, and didn’t look like he was about to start either. In fact, he looked downright unfriendly, but this, too, Tess was used to. She placed his file on the table between them and flipped it open. He glanced at it, and then studiously ignored it, looking around the room, anywhere but at her or the file. “How have you found things since you were released, Mr Flint? Have you had any trouble adjusting?” No response. Just a shrug. Tess took a breath. He was going to be one of these. Great. “If you are, there are some programs I can sign you up -” “No. No programs.”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

15

They were the first words he had spoken, and he practically snarled the word. Tess was a little taken aback, but she pressed on. “Well, that’s your choice for now Mr Flint, but as your probation officer I’ll have to make a call going forward, depending on how well you integrate back into society.” He rolled his eyes and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Look, Miss Bailey, I came here because I have to. I need you to approve my job so I can start work. That’s all I want. I ain’t gonna commit any crimes. Promise.” A hint of a smile playing around his lips. “So can you just sign whatever you gotta sign, or do what you gotta do so I can start working and put all this shit behind me?” Tess smiled at him, taken aback by his candor. “Well, I do have to say that I’m impressed you got a job offer so quickly. Most parolees don’t manage it so fast.” He shrugged. “Yeah, I’m lucky. So, what do I need to do?” Tess flipped open her notebook and grabbed a pen. “Well, I’ll need to pay a visit to your employer and check out the workplace first. If you give me the address and contact details, I’ll head over there in the next couple of days and you can start work once I’m done.” He leaned back and let out a sigh of frustration, running his fingers through his coarse hair. “Really? The place is legit, I guarantee you. Mike, the owner, wants me to start ASAP, and to tell you the truth, I really need the cash.” Tess sympathised with him. Most parolees were completely broke once they got out of prison, but regulations were regulations, and she had to follow them. “You can’t start until I approve the job. I’m sorry, but that’s just how things are. However, I’ll free up a slot in my schedule

16

Ashley Rhodes

tomorrow afternoon so that you can start quickly. Would that be acceptable?” Tess was surprised at herself for making the offer. She was already completely snowed under, and keeping the promise she’d just made would only make things worse, but there was something about Eli Flint that made her want to help him out. He was brusque to the point of being rude, but that smile he’d shot her seemed genuine and he really did seem as if he truly wanted to put his past behind him. He studied her with those intense eyes of his, not saying anything for a short while. Tess started to feel a little bit uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Damn if he wasn’t goodlooking, though. “OK,” he eventually said. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” He reached over and took the notepad, scribbling a name and address in untidy, scrawled handwriting. “It’s called Mike’s, in Joshuaville, around an hour’s drive from here.” He slid the notebook back over to her and leaned back in his chair once more. “So, is there anything else you need from me? I got stuff to do, Miss Bailey.” Tess checked over her notes. This being the preliminary meeting, they were pretty much done for now. “No, that’s everything Mr Flint. I’ll contact you once I’ve paid a visit to your workplace tomorrow and let you know my decision.” “Thanks,” he said gruffly. “And, well, I guess we’ll be seeing a little bit of each other, so why don’t you call me Eli? Mr Flint sounds too weird for me.” Tess smiled at him. “Sure thing, Eli. See you soon.” He stood to leave, and Tess couldn’t help but notice his toned physique, his sun-bronzed skin, his long, muscular legs. He

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

17

looked around and caught her looking, and it was all Tess could do to stop herself from blushing, immediately cursing herself for acting like a little schoolgirl, with one of her parolees no less. He grinned knowingly at her. “See ya around Miss Bailey.” He pulled open the door and strode out purposefully, leaving Tess to sit there and wonder just how he’d managed to have such an effect on her so quickly. She shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. The guy was an ex-con, and he’d been involved in one of the area’s most notorious gangs, but there was just something about him that made him seem a bit different from the rest of her parolees. Something earnest, almost innocent. She stood and gathered her files and documents, and went back to her desk. She did her best to stop thinking about Eli Flint, burying herself in her paperwork, but time and again her mind would turn to him. Eventually she opened his file once more and began to read it. He’d been arrested in the Mojave Desert on the outskirts of Joshuaville in a sting operation. The notes said that the other gang members had made their escape and Eli had been the only one arrested. His story was pretty typical. He’d been recruited by the gang as a teen, lured by the promise of easy money and the biker lifestyle. From all accounts he’d only been a low-level member, just tagging along and learning the trade. David ‘Tex’ Murphy, the leader of the Sons of Flame, was still at large, and the gang continued to operate in and around Joshuaville. Mostly weapons smuggling, some drugs and intimidation. Typical biker gang activities. Tess knew from experience how difficult it could be for young guys like Eli to get out of the lifestyle, even after they’d been in prison. The gang would often approach them after release, promising them work, a way to get back on their feet, and many would quickly slip back into old ways, old habits.

18

Ashley Rhodes

Tess just hoped she could work with Eli to make sure that didn’t happen with him. Unfortunately, as it turned out, things just weren’t going to be that easy. They never were.

Chapter Two

Tess Tess pulled into the little parking lot a little while after 1pm. Checking her GPS to make sure she had the right place, she took a moment to look around while she made sure she had all the paperwork she needed. It was, as usual, a brutally hot day - not a single cloud in the azure sky, the sun beating down mercilessly. For now, here in the car with the air conditioner on full blast, Tess was pretty comfortable, but she knew from experience that as soon as she stepped outside it would be a whole different story. Mike’s place was a beat-up old shop on the outskirts of town the small parking lot was cracked and overgrown, and the little sign above the door was faded and barely readable. Tess couldn’t see anybody around, and she wasn’t even sure that the place was open at all. She decided to walk over and take a closer look, hoping that she hadn’t driven all this way out into the desert for nothing. It wouldn’t be the first time a parolee had flaked out on her. She grabbed her briefcase, and, bracing herself for the heat, stepped out of the car. It immediately hit her in a wave that took her breath away. No matter how long she lived here, she knew that she’d never get used to the heat of the desert in summer. Shading her eyes with one hand, Tess walked quickly over to the building, scanning for any signs of movement or activity. By the time she reached the entrance, her white blouse was stuck to her skin and sweat beaded her brow. She felt sticky and uncomfortable, but there was nothing for it. Tess peered into the cool darkness of the workshop. Once her

20

Ashley Rhodes

eyes had adjusted, she found herself standing in a dirty and messy space. A couple of cars in various states of disassembly were there, along with tools and other detritus scattered around. “Hello? It’s Tess Bailey, from the California Probation Service. Is there anyone here?” Silence. If there was anyone at the shop, it didn’t seem like they were out here. Tess turned to exit and look for another door out the front, when she heard the clanking sound of a tool dropping to the hard concrete floor. She whirled back around, trying to locate the source of the noise. “Is someone in here? I have an appointment to meet with the owner this afternoon.” There was a scraping sound - it seemed to be coming from underneath one of the cars. Tess walked slowly over to it, leaned down and peered under the car. She exclaimed in shock as an oil and grease-smeared face peered back at her. “Eli! Jesus Christ you scared me. Why didn’t you tell me you were in here when I came in?” He rolled himself out from under the car and stood in front of her, stretching. Tess’ eyes were drawn to his flat stomach, peeking out from under the dirty white vest that he wore. He just shrugged, infuriatingly. Where Tess’ first reaction had been shock, her second was accusatory. “Eli, I told you yesterday that you can’t start work until I’ve approved the job. You can get in serious trouble if I report that you started before I did my inspection.” His eyes narrowed and his expression darkened. “I wasn’t working. I was just taking a look.” Tess rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t bullshit me, Eli Flint. You think I was born yesterday?”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

21

He reached over to one side and began wiping his hands with a filthy rag, then just shrugged again, staring directly into Tess’ eyes with that intense look of his. “So write me up. I’ll find something else.” Tess sighed. “Look, Eli. I’m not gonna write you up. But I need you to work with me on this. Rules are rules, and I don’t have a choice but to follow them. You make my life easier, I can make yours easier. Are we on the same page here?” He was silent for a moment, and then nodded brusquely. “Mike’s in the office. Sleeping probably, lazy old bastard. Want me to go get him for you?” Tess shook her head. “No, you wait here. I need to meet with him in private.” She turned to go back out the way she came, leaving Eli standing in the cool darkness of the workshop. Just as she was leaving, his voice called out from behind her. “I promise not to touch these cars while you’re gone, Miss Bailey. Cross my heart.” She looked back and he was standing there, a crooked smile on his face. She opened her mouth to respond, then just shook her head and left him there. He was still smiling.

Tess pushed open the door to the ‘office’. The glass was smeared with decades of dust and dirt, and she couldn’t even see inside. Once she actually went in, that turned out to be somewhat of a blessing. The room was shabby and dilapidated. There was a ratty old couch and a grimy coffee table sitting next to it. The magazines that were scattered across it must have been years out of date, covered in a thin film of dust.

22

Ashley Rhodes

There were faded pictures on the walls, from what must have been the heyday of Mike’s Machine Shop. Gleaming muscle cars and huge powerful bikes, with smiling men standing around them. The air conditioning unit was broken, and the only ventilation was a crappy little fan that gamely blew the hot air from one side of the room to another. Tess pushed her hair back out of her face, fantasising about the shower she was going to have once this day was over. Who’d choose to live in god-damned desert, anyway? “You the woman from the probation department?” Tess jumped in surprise, for the second time since she’d arrived. She whirled around to see a scruffy-looking elderly guy sitting in a battered old leather chair behind the desk next to the door. Don’t either of these guys know it’s rude to surprise people like that? Gathering her wits, Tess approached him, flashing her ID card. “Yes, that’s me. Tess Bailey, from the California Department of Corrections.” He stood and extended a filthy hand, which Tess reluctantly shook. His hands were hard and calloused - the hands of a man who’d spent his life earning his living with them. “Mike Wrentham. Take a seat, Tess. I hope you don’t mind if I call you Tess? I’m too old to bother with misters and misses. You can call me Mike.” Tess looked at the seat he’d offered her. She sat on it gingerly it looked about ready to collapse at any moment, but after an initial creak of protest it seemed steady enough. Mike leaned forward and placed his hands on his desk. “So. What do you need from me?” Tess pulled out some paperwork from her folder and handed him a few sheets.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

23

“I just need you to sign these, and I have a few questions for you too.” Mike pulled a grimy pair of reading glasses from his pocket and pored over the paperwork for a few minutes. After he seemed satisfied, he signed them and handed them back to Tess. She checked them over, and then placed them back into her folder. “Do you have any other employees, aside from Eli?” Mike laughed softly, but it was more like a wheeze than any real amusement. “Does it look like I do, Tess? The place is hardly buzzing with activity now, is it?” Tess frowned, puzzled. “Well, if there’s no work, why are you taking on Eli?” Mike leaned back and fixed her with a look. “I’m taking him on because he’s a good kid who just happened to get dealt a bad hand in life, and made some bad choices. We all make mistakes, Tess, it’s just that his were dumber than most.” Mike sighed, and his eyes took on a faraway look, as if he was recalling some event from his past. “I’ve known Eli his whole life - his grandmother, Grace...we used to have a thing, her and I. Way back. Now, it never came to anything, but we’ve always been friends since then. Eli’s parents died when he was just a little kid - he doesn’t even remember them at all. Grace has raised him ever since, and tried her best, too. But round here, there aren’t many opportunities for a kid like Eli.” He shook his head. “So when it turned out he’d joined Tex and those Sons of Flame bastards, I can’t say I was surprised. Disappointed, sure, but not surprised. They reel in these kids with promises of easy money and a wild lifestyle, but they don’t think twice before dropping them to the kerb, just like they did with Eli.” Mike leaned forward once again and looked Tess earnestly in the eye.

24

Ashley Rhodes

“Eli’s a good man, Tess. Sure, I know that he comes across like a contrarian asshole when you meet him, and God knows he gets on my nerves, but he just wants to take care of his Grandma and put all this shit with the Sons of Flame behind him. If you give him the opportunity, he’ll show you what he can do. I guarantee it.” Tess had sat silently, listening to the old man talk, and she knew he meant what he said. She barely knew Eli, but she also had that sense - that he was a good man just trying to put right the mistakes of his past. “I understand you, Mike. I’m not here to try and get Eli to trip up. I honestly want everyone I work with to become productive, rehabilitated members of society. I can see how much you care for him, and I know how much this job means to him, so I’m going to sign it off and he can start tomorrow morning. I’ll file the paperwork this afternoon when I get back to the office.” Mike smiled at her. “You’re a good lady, Tess. Eli’s lucky he got assigned to you and not some jaded old asshole.” Tess grinned back. “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment Mike.” She gathered all her things together and stood. “I’ll see myself out. Try not to let Eli do any work today - he’s not officially allowed to do anything until tomorrow.” Mike just looked at her - a look that said they both knew how ridiculous the request was, knowing Eli. Before she left, Tess said, “I’ll go and give him the good news.” Mike nodded in response, closed his eyes, and leaned back in chair once more. Tess went back to the workshop, where Eli was waiting. He was studiously trying his best to look unconcerned and unruffled, but she could see the tension in his body as he awaited her decision.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

25

“Well, I’ve spoken to Mike and he’s filled out all the paperwork, so you’re cleared to start work tomorrow, Eli.” He visibly relaxed. “Good. That’s all I want. To start working.” You’re welcome, Tess thought, but she didn’t say anything. “Well, I’ve got a long drive back so I’m gonna get going. If you have any questions, you know how to contact me. Your next appointment with me is next month at the office, but I sometimes drop in on parolees in the workplace, just to make sure everything is going as it should.” Eli nodded brusquely. “You do that, Miss Bailey. You won’t find any problems with me.” And with that, he turned back around and busied himself with some part or another on the workbench. Tess felt more disappointed than she thought she should’ve that he wasn’t more grateful, happier. After all, he was just another case, amongst the dozens that she was currently dealing with. But she thought about Eli Flint all the way back to the office. The enduring image was of him stretching, his taut muscles defined through his tight white shirt. She just couldn’t shake it from her mind. Tess had never fallen for a ‘client’ before, and she told herself that she certainly wasn’t about to start now. But there was just something...something about him...

Chapter Three

Eli Eli watched Tess walk back to her car. She was walking quickly and shading her face with her folder. He chuckled to himself she’d been sweating just from the walk across the parking lot. He guessed she obviously didn’t spend much time out here in the desert. She climbed into her car and pulled away quickly. Eli found himself feeling disappointed that she hadn’t looked back at him once she’d decided to leave, but immediately told himself to quit being so stupid. She worked for the government, and she had the power to send him back to prison if he stepped out of line, so he’d keep her happy. For a little while back there he’d been afraid that she’d report him for working before she’d submitted her stupid paperwork, but he was grateful that she’d let it slide. He had to admit that she was cute. Those pretty green eyes, the swell of her breasts underneath the white blouse she wore, and her wavy blond hair. In another world, in another situation, he might’ve even decided to do something about it. Ask her out for dinner; turn on a little bit of charm. But she was his probation officer. That was dangerous territory. She was the enemy. He sighed and went back into the dim coolness of the workshop. It still felt weird, being able to go where he wanted, do what he felt like, whenever he felt like doing it. The three years in prison had forced him to toughen up, to never show weakness, even for a moment. Those kinds of habits were hard to break. He knew that he was being rude to Tess, even

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

27

as he was doing it. He just couldn’t help it; he couldn’t let those walls down, because bad things happened when you let your guard down. After the events that day with Tex and the undercover police. Eli knew that he’d have a hard time trusting anyone again. Mike and his Grandma - that was it. He knew they’d always have his back, and he’d have theirs. Everyone else was a potential threat. He hadn’t always been this way. When he was younger, before Tex had sweet-talked him into joining the Sons of Flame, Eli had gotten decent grades; he’d worked hard at school. But then he graduated, and there was no plan after that. All the kids knew about the Sons of Flame. Sometimes you’d see them roaring through town on their bikes, chrome bodywork glinting in the scorching sunlight. The guys looked tough, like they didn’t fear anybody. Like they were untouchable. And they had money. Sometimes they’d come over to where the kids hung out, and they’d offer money, just for little things. Take a message to this guy. Keep an eye on that house for the night. It was easy money, and Eli had taken it eagerly. Everyone knew that he was working for the Sons of Flame, and that meant he was untouchable, too. That kind of power is intoxicating to a teenage boy without anything else going on, and, bit by bit, Eli had found himself working for Tex and the Sons of Flame more often. Eli remembered the day that Tex had formally invited him to join the gang. He wouldn’t just be an errand-boy any longer - he’d be a fully-fledged member. And that meant a bike - a welcoming gift, from Tex himself. Eli had always wanted his own bike, so the day that Tex handed him the keys to the powerful machine, squatting there menacingly, had been one of the happiest days of Eli’s life. But that happiness hadn’t lasted long. From the outside, the lifestyle looked like everything a guy could dream of. Money, power, women, freedom.

28

Ashley Rhodes

Of course, it all came at a cost. Eli had always told himself that there were some lines he wouldn’t cross. He wouldn’t hurt someone that he didn’t have a personal grievance with. He wouldn’t rob from those that couldn’t afford to lose it. And he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the safety of his Grandma. Eli lowered himself back down to the ground in Mike’s workshop, lost in his memories as he started working on the car once more. His hands worked of their own accord, because his mind was miles away, years away. He remembered the first time that he’d beaten someone up. He didn’t even know the guy, had never met him before. But the guy had reneged on a deal with Tex, and that just couldn’t be allowed to happen. Eli had tried to get Tex to ask someone else. After Eli’s first few protests, Tex’s demeanour had changed in an instant. His eyes had narrowed, and he’d stepped in close, right in Eli’s face, his hot breath sour and rancid. “You don’t seem to understand me, boy,” he’d spat. “You’re the new kid. You’re fresh meat. I need you to show me how loyal you are. I need to know that you’ll do what needs to be done, when I say it needs to be done. You don’t want to find out what happens to people who don’t follow orders, Eli.” Tex had stepped back a little. “You understand?” Eli had just nodded, aware of how dangerous Tex and the Sons could be. “Y-yeah, Tex, I understand.” The mark had been some overweight middle-aged shop owner. Eli and some of the more senior members had burst into his store, and Eli had beaten him down while the Sons looked on, watching to make sure he did it properly. The guy had cried, had begged, but Eli beat him anyway. It was like he was a bystander, watching himself do it.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

29

Once it was over, Shank had patted Eli on the back as they left. “That’s it, boy. It gets easier with time, trust me.” And he was right. It did get easier, every single time. And that was the most abhorrent thing of all, Eli came to realise. He stopped working for a moment, returning to reality. He was ashamed of himself, ashamed of what he’d done. But that was all in the past now. He had a fresh start, he could move on, put all that shit behind him. Eli tightened one last nut on the car, and checked his watch. It was time to go. He rolled himself back out from under the car, but when he emerged his face was level with a pair of boots. Big, bulky, black leather boots. And not just one pair, either. Three of them. Eli would have recognized those boots anywhere, and his stomach twisted in fear and hatred and disgust. He looked up. Tex stood there, arms crossed, an ugly smile on his scarred, weather-beaten face. “Well, well, well,” the leader of the Sons of Flame drawled. “If it isn’t Eli Flint, out of the slammer early.” He laughed, a dry sound utterly devoid of mirth. “You behave yourself in there, boy? That why they let you out early, huh?” Eli had spent a long time picturing this moment - the moment that he came face to face with Tex again. He’d abandoned him, left him to take the rap for that deal gone wrong. For the first year inside, Eli had told himself that he’d smash Tex’s face in, the first chance he got. But as time went on, he mellowed out a little, got a bit more thoughtful. He had his Grandma to think about, after all. Eli pulled himself to his feet and stood there, meeting Tex’s eyes without wavering. “I don’t have anything to say to you.”

30

Ashley Rhodes

Eli said it simply and matter-of-fact, without any anger or any real emotion at all. Tex looked around at his two companions, Shank and Nomad. His face was a caricature, exaggerated for effect. “Well, boys, looks like we came all this way for nothing! Eli’s got nothin’ to say to us! And to think we bought him a little bouquet of flowers to welcome him home!” He wheezed in laughter at his own crappy joke, and then turned back around to face Eli once more. Eli had had enough - Tex and the Sons of Flame were in the past now, and he wanted nothing more to do with them. “Get the fuck out, Tex. I mean it.” For a second, Tex was actually speechless, his eyebrows raised in shock at Eli’s words. But just as quick, his eyes narrowed and that familiar, dangerous scowl encompassed his features. “The fuck you say to me, boy?” Eli stepped in close. His heart was pounding, sending adrenaline coursing through his veins. “You abandoned me that day, Tex. You and Shank. After all that crap you used to talk about brotherhood, you just fucking left me there to take the fall. You never even looked back.” Tex didn’t back down, and Eli saw that Shank and Nomad were tense, bristling and ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. “It’s just business, Eli,” Tex said. “Sometimes that’s how these things work out.” “Business!” Eli exploded. “I’ve just spent three years in prison, you asshole! I get caught anywhere near you, and I go straight back inside.” Eli turned around, disgust plain to see on his features. “Just go, Tex, I’m asking you nicely. Leave me be. I got a job now, a fresh start. I’m leaving all that other shit behind me, and I ain’t looking back.”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

31

Eli should never have turned his back, should have known exactly what Tex would do. He never saw the blow coming, until he was lying face down in a pool of sticky oil, stars dancing across his vision. “You ain’t leaving nothing behind you, Eli - not until I say you can.” Eli tried to struggle up onto his hands and knees, but a heavy kick to his stomach forced all the wind from his body. “Stay down there while I’m talking to you, you insolent piece of shit!” Tex was breathing heavily. “I ain’t done with you, Eli Flint. The Sons of Flame ain’t done with you, neither. So you just keep that in mind. We’re gonna see each other again real soon.” Through the fog of his pain, Eli heard the scuffs of their boots as the bikers moved away. Before they left, Tex spoke again. “We been keepin’ an eye on that ol’ Grandma of yours Eli, while you were inside. Makin’ sure she’s been safe, you know. If you know what’s good for you and her, you won’t do anything stupid...I’d hate for anything to happen to such a sweet old lady.” Eli staggered to his feet. “If you lay a finger on her, Tex, I swear to God....” Tex just laughed. “Things ain’t gotta be like that, Eli. Just remember what I said. I’ll see you again real soon.” The three bikers left, roaring away on their bikes as Eli slumped back down to the ground. His head was swimming and his stomach ached. He should have known it wouldn’t be as easy as all that. It never was with Tex and the Sons of Flame.

Chapter Four

Eli The sun was just setting on the horizon as Eli arrived home, casting a surreal orange glow over the landscape. He pulled into the parking lot and shut the bike’s engine off. The motorbike he was riding these days was nowhere near as powerful as the one that he used to ride when he was in the Sons of Flame, but it served his purposes for now. He swung one leg over and stepped off the bike, but staggered a little as his feet hit the ground. His head was still pounding from where Tex had hit him from behind, and his vision had been swimming alarmingly from time to time. To top it all off, Eli’s stomach also ached something fierce from the kick that Tex had delivered. After Tex and the others had left, Eli had dragged himself to his feet and cleaned himself up as best he could, before checking in on Mike before he left. The old bastard had slept right through the whole incident, and Eli had decided not to tell him about what had happened. Mike had enough on his plate, and Eli didn’t want to give him one more thing to worry about. He’d probably also tell Eli’s Grandma about the whole thing, and Eli didn’t want to concern her, either. Tex’s veiled threat still rang in Eli’s ears. The Sons of Flame leader was a coward at heart, but Eli knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to follow up on his promise. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to working for Tex again, but Eli didn’t see what choice he had right now. Maybe if he just did whatever it was that Tex wanted, that would be the last of it.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

33

Eli knew that was wishful thinking, but he couldn’t spare the energy to think too much about it right there and then. He wanted to go and take a bath, wash off the grime from the day, and get some sleep. Things would look better in the morning - Eli would work something out, he was sure of it. He walked slowly up to the house, careful not to make too much noise. If his luck was in, Grandma would be napping and he wouldn’t have to face her. Grace Flint was getting on in years now, but she was still as sharp as a tack, and Eli knew that she’d figure something was wrong. He pushed open the screen door and tried to open the inner one as quietly as possible, wincing when it creaked loudly. “Eli, is that you?” Grace called out, and Eli muttered a curse under his breath. “Yup, just me Grandma.” He stepped into the house, closing the door behind him. Grace Flint would be 76 next year, and while she was less active than she used to be, and her eyesight was getting worse, her hearing was better than ever, and she was still as sharp as a tack. Eli had been hoping she was asleep because he knew that nothing got past her. “Come say hello to your old Grandma before you disappear off into your room, Eli.” He made his way into the living room, smiling when he saw her sitting there, swallowed up by her big old armchair. Her hair was grey, and her eyes a little watery, but her smile lit up the room when she saw him. “How was your first day at work?” she asked, watching him intently as he came to sit in front of her. Eli tried not to grimace as he sat, his head swimming once again.

34

Ashley Rhodes

“It was OK Grandma. The parole officer came and signed everything off, so I can officially start tomorrow. I don’t know why Mike hired me though, it’s not like there’s any work to do.” Grace waved away his words. “The work will come, Eli. He just wants to help you out, set you straight.” Eli couldn’t help but bristle with indignation at that. “I don’t need his help, Grandma. I can solve my problems myself.” She frowned at him. “Don’t be stupid, Eli. You know how hard it’ll be to find something else, you having just gotten out of prison. You’re as bad as your father was - let go of your pride for once.” Eli knew that this was an argument he was never going to win, so he remained silent. As hard as it was for him to admit, she was right. There were barely any jobs around here at the best of times, let alone for an ex-con with no qualifications. He stood, wincing involuntarily at a stab of pain in his stomach. “What’s the matter?” Grace said. “It’s nothing Grandma. Just a little headache - I think I need to eat something.” She gave him a look of suspicion. “What have you been up to? Only a few days out of prison and you’re already acting strangely.” Eli felt beads of sweat prickle his brow. If only she knew the truth. She couldn’t though. It was too dangerous. “Grandma, don’t worry so much. I haven’t been doing anything. It was just a hot day, is all, and I haven’t eaten much.” She stared at him for a few more uncomfortable seconds, and then relented. “There are some leftovers in the refrigerator. You just need to warm them in the microwave” she said curtly. Eli leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

35

“Thanks Grandma. Do you need anything?” “No, I’m alright. Can you turn on the TV for me, though?” Eli switched on her old TV set, and the raucous sounds of some talk show or other filled the room. It was doing no good at all for his headache, so he left her there to watch it, and padded out into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and saw the leftovers, but he wasn’t hungry really. Taking a bottle of water, he swallowed two Tylenol and went into his bedroom, sagging down onto the bed with a groan. The headache was only getting worse. Eli replayed the afternoon’s events in his mind. Tex’s leering face loomed up from his imagination. Eli didn’t know what to do. Tex and the Sons of Flame were too powerful for him to stand up to alone, and he knew that they were perfectly capable of following up on their threats. The situation was made worse by the fact that if he was caught talking to any single member of the gang, it was a violation of the terms of his parole, and he’d immediately go back inside. Mike had been looking out for Grace this time, but Eli knew that she had struggled without him, even though she’d never admit it to him. Going back to prison was just not an option. He could go to the police and tell them that Tex was trying to intimidate him, but as soon as the gang got wind of it...well, Eli didn’t even want to think about the consequences. He eventually drifted off into a restless sleep, his dreams dark and foreboding.

Chapter Five

Tess “I ain’t seen ‘em. Not since I got out.” These words were uttered with a smirk that said the speaker knew they were bullshit, but didn’t care who knew it. Tess massaged her temples - she could feel a headache coming on, and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. She lifted her eyes and stared at the man sat opposite her. His name was Frederick Stapleton, and he’d gotten out of jail a couple of months beforehand. He’d been in for drugs, robbery, and intimidation. Nothing unusual there. He had a weaselly face with narrow, shifty eyes that were constantly darting around the room, as if he was expecting a SWAT team to come bursting in through the door at any moment. “Mr Stapleton,” Tess began, but he cut her off. “Call me Moose. Everyone else does.” Tess just blinked at him. She couldn’t have thought of a more unsuitable nickname for this creature if she tried. “I think I’ll stick to your real name, Mr Stapleton, if you don’t mind.” He sniffed. “Suit yourself.” Tess closed her eyes and counted to five, slowly, before opening them and beginning again. “As I was saying. I have some reports here, Mr Stapleton.” Tess picked up a manila folder with his name on it, and showed it to him. He eyed it warily, but didn’t say anything. “It says in here that you’ve been seen with known gang members and engaging in ‘suspicious activities’.”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

37

Tess cocked an eyebrow at him, waiting for a response that didn’t come. He just sat there looking like a kid being scolded by his teacher, and she sighed in frustration. “Look. You keep hanging around with these guys, we both know what’s going to happen. You’ll end up back inside, and I really don’t think you’ll be up for parole again for a long time if that happens, do you?” He was now quite blatantly staring at Tess’ breasts, making no attempt at subtlety. Tess felt anger and frustration and rage bubble up inside her. She leaned forward across the table until she was right in his face, staring into his bloodshot eyes. “You look at my chest again, Moose, and I promise you that you’ll live to regret it. You seem to forget that, as your parole officer, I ultimately have the power to send you back behind bars.” His face went pale. “Y-you can’t do that...I ain’t done nothin’.” Tess didn’t blink, didn’t move an inch. “You wanna take that bet with me, Mr Stapleton?” He opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it and just shook his head. “I’m sorry? I didn’t catch that.” Tess’ voice was ice. “No ma’am,” he muttered. Tess sat back in her chair. “Good. See how things are much easier when you just cooperate and let me help you? Now, I don’t want to see any more reports about you landing on my desk, Mr Stapleton. When you check back in with me next month, I expect to hear that you’ve been a model citizen. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes ma’am.”

38

Ashley Rhodes

He looked cowed and fearful now, eager to please. Tess let him sweat for a few seconds longer than necessary, before plastering a saccharine smile across her lips. “I’m glad we understand each other. See you next month.” He sat for a few seconds longer, unsure of what to do, waiting for a prompt from her. “You can go now.” He looked grateful, bowing his head before ducking out of the room quickly. When he was gone, Tess leaned back with a sigh. As good as that had felt, she was disappointed in herself that she’d let him get to her. The main thing that she always tried to remember with most of these guys was that they could smell weakness, and they’d take advantage of it in whatever way they could. Sometimes she needed to remind them of who was holding all the cards, but Tess didn’t like losing her temper. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. She had a stack of paperwork on her desk that wasn’t going away anytime soon, but she took a few moments to gather herself in the meeting room before she went back out into the office. Tess’ thoughts wandered to Eli Flint, as they so often had been recently. She found herself wondering how he was doing at that decrepit old machine shop, and hoping that he had managed to steer clear of the Sons of Flame. She was worried that there wouldn’t be enough work there and that he’d be tempted to go back to his old life, but she also felt that he was strong enough to resist the temptation. Tess laughed softly to herself as she pondered Eli’s situation. Here was an ex-con that she barely knew, and she was making him out to be some sort of misunderstood guy with a heart of gold. In reality he was probably no different than all the others, but there was just something there that Tess couldn’t deny. Something in his eyes, and about the way he held himself.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

39

Tess sat for a few more minutes, a faraway look in her eyes, before she forced herself to her feet and dragged herself back to her desk, back to the endless paperwork. She’d only just gotten started when she a shadow fell across her desk - Tess looked up and it was Melody, with an apologetic look on her face. Tess didn’t need her to say anything to know what it was that she wanted. “Melody, look...I’m already so far behind on all of this crap. Please, I can’t take on any more cases right now.” Melody spoke quickly, placatingly. “I know, I know, but I’m not asking you to take on the whole case. It’s just a workplace check - Dan’s out sick today and he was supposed to go to Joshuaville this afternoon.” Tess stopped writing at the mention of Joshuaville. That was where Eli lived. She looked up at Melody. “Just the one visit, right? No follow-up, no extra paperwork?” Melody smiled, because she knew she had her now. “I swear. Just a half hour, sign it off and Dan will do all the rest.” Tess deliberated for a few seconds. She felt stupid for accepting more work, but at least it would get her out of the office. That was the reason she was going to give herself, at least. In truth, there was always the slight chance that she might run into Eli...or she could pay a visit to him at work, and call it a ‘surprise inspection’ or something along those lines. It was within her rights as his probation officer... Tess smiled at Melody. “OK, I’ll do it. But just this once, right?” Melody beamed at her, obviously delighted that she wasn’t going to have to drive all the way out to Joshuaville herself. “You’re a real sweetheart, Tess. I’ll remember this. Here, this is the address. The meeting is booked for 3pm.” Tess took the paper. She knew the place; she’d passed it the previous week. She watched Melody walk away, a bounce in her

40

Ashley Rhodes

step, and then checked her watch. Just enough time to grab some lunch before she started the drive. She gathered her things and headed for the door, her thoughts firmly fixed on Eli Flint.

Chapter Six

Tess The workplace inspection was pretty standard, and hadn’t taken long. Tess had signed the necessary paperwork and was done within an hour. She walked out into the sweltering heat, shading her eyes with her hand. Her mouth was dry, and she spotted a small drugstore opposite. The dusty road was quiet and empty, so she crossed over and entered the mercifully cool shade. There was a chiller just at the entrance, and she went to it, picking up an icecold bottle of water and sighing in relief as she held it to her forehead. “You’d better make sure you buy it now, or old man Michaelson won’t be happy with you rubbing his merchandise all over your face.” The voice was deep but soft, gently teasing. Tess turned and felt her heart jump involuntarily as she saw Eli Flint standing there, wearing the same white vest he had been last time they’d met. Tess was absurdly happy to see him, but tried her very hardest not to show it. “Mr Flint,” she said, trying to play it cool. “How is everything going at your job?” He grinned at her. “Is this some sort of secret inspection? Is the probation service tracking my every move, just to make sure I keep my nose clean?” Tess felt her cheeks grow warm in spite of herself. “Actually I’m here dealing with another case. Why, is there something you’d like to tell me, Mr Flint?” Tess had meant it as a joke, but she saw something flit across his face at her words before he caught himself. Uncertainty, or

42

Ashley Rhodes

fear perhaps? Whatever it was, it was gone as fast as it had arrived, replaced by that same easy-going smile. “Nothing to report, ma’am. I’ll be sure to let you know if I get myself into any mischief, though.” Tess studied him for a few moments. “You make sure you do that, Eli.” He nodded at her, before turning away, going back to whatever it had been that he was doing before she’d arrived. Tess stood for a few moments, bottle of water still clutched in her hand, while she considered what she’d seen. Eli had played it off like it was nothing, but she liked to think that she was a good reader of people, and something was definitely bothering him. Was it to do with his job, his family, or something else? Had he gotten himself caught up in something bad already? Still deep in thought, she meandered to the checkout and paid for the water, swallowing a mouthful as she walked out the door. Dazzled by the bright sunlight as she emerged from the store, she didn’t see Eli Flint standing there and bumped into him, exclaiming in shock and spilling most of the water down herself. “Oh God, I’m sorry,” he said, as he ineffectually tried to wipe the water off from Tess’ blouse. Then, as he suddenly realised what he was doing and where his hands were, his face turned a deep shade of red. Tess looked up at him, not knowing whether to be amused or angry. She decided to go with the first. “So first you drench me, then you try and touch me up, Mr Flint? We’ve only known each other a short while, and I’m your probation officer. I think we ought to pump the breaks a little here, huh?” Eli looked mortified, and started to stammer out an apology before Tess smiled at him and waved away his apologies. “Aww, I’m just yankin’ your chain, Eli. It’s only a little water, don’t worry about it.”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

43

She looked down at her sodden blouse, and then it was her turn to grow embarrassed as she realised that white cotton blouses and water weren’t the best combination. She looked up at Eli, who was doing his best to look anywhere except for at her. “Why were you standing in the doorway like that anyway, Eli?” He shuffled a little on the spot, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable. “Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to grab a bite to eat or something, Miss Bailey.” Before she could object, he pressed on. “Not like a date, nothing like that, just so we can talk, y’know?” Tess looked at her watch. She had so much work she needed to get on with, and it was probably a terrible idea to meet with Eli in anything except strictly professional circumstances...but what the hell. She’d come out all this way, and nobody needed to know she hadn’t exactly followed protocol. “Sure, I’d like that, Eli. Do you have somewhere in mind?” He blinked, as if he hadn’t actually expected Tess to agree to his proposal. “Well, uh, sure...there’s a great little diner just down the road. We can walk there, it’ll only take a minute or two.” He’d regained his composure, and a smile played across his lips. “The walk might give your shirt enough time to dry off. Wouldn’t want you to cause a scandal now, would we Miss Bailey?” Tess laughed in spite of herself. “No, we wouldn’t Mr Flint. Well then, lead the way.” The diner wasn’t far, but it felt like it in the oppressive desert heat. Tess’ blouse dried almost immediately in the scorching dry air, but the sticky sheen of sweat that replaced it was even worse. Eli didn’t seem to be bothered by it at all, although his sun-

44

Ashley Rhodes

bronzed skin told of how much time he must have spent out here in the hot desert sun. They finally reached the diner, Eli holding open the door for Tess who sighed in relief as the cool blast of the air conditioner washed over her. She stood for a few seconds at the entrance in bliss, turning shyly as she heard Eli laughing softly behind her. “Let me guess,” he said. “You spend most of your time in your office.” Tess raised an eyebrow at him. “You don’t get skin as pale as mine standing out in the California sun, Eli. Besides, who would want to? I feel like I’ve shrivelled up just from that three minute walk.” A mischievous glint entered Eli’s soft eyes as he looked Tess up and down, but whatever he was going to say he evidently thought better of. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s go find somewhere to sit.” Tess followed him and slid into a worn, comfortable booth that had obviously seen lots of use over the years. She took a moment to glance around the diner. It looked like it hadn’t changed in decades – it was every inch the classic 50’s diner. Even the waitresses were wearing the stereotypical pink checkered dress, white aprons and those little hats. Tess had to smile at the unabashed Americana. One of the waitresses came over, notepad in hand, and beamed a smile at the two of them. “Hey there Eli, not every day you come in here with a pretty lady like this.” She leaned down and whispered conspiratorially into Tess’ ear, loud enough so that Eli could hear. “You watch out for him, Miss. He might seem like a perfect gentleman, but it’s all an act.” Tess laughed. “Is that so, Eli?” He rolled his eyes.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

45

“Well, you needn’t worry Miss, because Eli and I are here in a strictly professional capacity.” Now it was the waitress’ turn to laugh. “Eli, professional? That’ll be the day.” Eli was frowning good-naturedly at the waitress, who flipped open her notebook. “OK, so what can I get you professionals?” Eli didn’t even look at the menu. “Steak and eggs for me, Kath. How about you, Tess?” Tess thought for a moment. “I’ll have the same, actually. Thanks.” “Comin’ right up. I’ll leave you two to it, I’m sure you have lots of business stuff to talk about, right?” The waitress laughed at her own bad joke and hustled off toward the kitchen. When she was gone, Tess smiled at Eli. “Come here often, do you?” “From time to time,” he smirked. “She’s just kidding with you. I’m a sad and lonely man, and I never bring women here. You might just be the first one.” “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.” They made small talk for a while as they waited for their food, but Tess could always sense that there was something that Eli wanted to say but was avoiding. In moments of silence a distant look would cross his face, only to disappear once the two of them began talking again. Eventually, just after their plates of food had been delivered, she decided to press him a little. “So, why did you invite me here today, Eli? Just for the pleasure of my company?” He shrugged. “Sure. Why, do I need a better reason than that? Don’t beat yourself up, you’re not that bad company.” “Gee thanks. But seriously, Eli, are you sure there’s nothing else you want to tell me about?”

46

Ashley Rhodes

His body language changed. He crossed his arms and there was a slight frown creasing his brows. He leaned back in his seat and exhaled. “There’s nothing. I just thought it would be polite to ask you to come to lunch with me. No ulterior motive. Nothing. Can we leave it there?” His tone of voice made it clear that he didn’t want to take the conversation any further. Tess sighed, and cut off a piece of steak. “Sure. I didn’t mean anything by it, just trying to be friendly.” He didn’t respond to this, and the two of them sat in uncomfortable silence for the rest of the meal. Tess was surer than ever that there was something bothering him, but if he wanted to talk about it, it would be in his own time. It wasn’t the first time she’d met a man for whom that was true, and she very much doubted that Eli would be the last. After they had finished their food, Eli insisted on picking up the bill despite Tess’ protestations, and then they went back out into the baking desert heat. They walked together back to where her car was parked, but still in silence. Tess wanted to say something, to apologise for prying, but she didn’t know how Eli would react if she broached the topic again. They came to a stop next to her car, and Eli turned to face her. “Hey, Tess, I’m sorry...for being an asshole back there. I ruined your lunch.” Tess looked up at him, shading her eyes with her hand to stop herself being dazzled by the bright sunlight. “Don’t worry about it, Eli. I didn’t mean to pry. And anyway, lunch was great. The food was good, just like you said.” He smiled wanly. “Well, you drive safe now, Miss Bailey. I’ll see you at my next meeting?” “You sure will, Eli. Take care of yourself.” He nodded and watched her get into the car, and stood watching as she drove away. Tess kept sight of him in her rear-

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

47

view mirror until she was out of sight, and he didn’t move from the spot, an inscrutable expression on his face. As she started the long drive back to the city, Tess wondered just what he’d gotten himself into. As it turned out, it wouldn’t be too long until she was intimately acquainted with Eli Flint’s problems...more intimately than she could ever have wished for.

Chapter Seven

Eli Eli stood and watched Tess drive away, stood until her car had disappeared around the corner, and then he cursed himself under his breath. Goddamn idiot. She just wanted to help, and you treat her like that. He’d wanted to tell her everything. To tell her about Tex and the Sons of Flame, about the threats, about how they wouldn’t let him just move on and put everything behind him. But he couldn’t. She said that she wanted to help, but if she went back to her job and reported what he said, Eli knew that Tex would somehow find out. Would find out, and would make good on his threat to Eli’s grandmother. No, if Eli wanted to deal with this problem, he’d just have to do it on his own. Even so, he could’ve just made up an excuse for Tess, not just been downright rude to her. She was the first decent woman who had treated him with respect in...well, ever. Eli cursed himself again, and trudged towards his bike. He was late back to the workshop, not that Mike would realize. The old bastard was probably still sleeping exactly where he had been when Eli had left. He climbed onto the bike, and was adjusting his helmet straps when he saw a shadow fall at his feet. Heart sinking, Eli looked up. Tex. Alone this time, but no less mean for it. “Eli, old pal. Just finished your lunch, have you?”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

49

“What’s it to you, Tex? What, you gonna beat up my granny because I had lunch without your permission?” The gang leader stepped closer to Eli, a wicked snarl twisting his features. “Don’t get smart with me, idiot. You think I’m fucking stupid? I saw you with that probation officer. Pretty lady, if you ask me. Too pretty for a down-and-outer like you.” Tex paused to leer at Eli. “Wouldn’t it be a shame if something were to happen to such a sweet, innocent lady like that, Eli? You wouldn’t want anything like that on your conscience, would you?” Eli bristled at the threat. “Don’t even waste your breath, Tex. I didn’t say anything to her, and I won’t.” Eli turned the key in his bike and the engine roared to life. He shouted to be heard above the throaty rumble. “Now, is there anything else you wanted to bother me with today, Tex? Or are we done here?” Tex stepped even closer, his breath sour and hot in Eli’s face, enough to make him wince. “Don’t forget, not for a moment, what I said to you, boy. I’ll be back to see you again, soon, so we can discuss what you can do for me. Keep your mouth shut, and we can make this easy.” With that, Tex turned around and sloped away. Eli watched him for a moment, wishing he had the guts to tell the Sons of Flame leader where to stick it, but he didn’t see how he had a choice. First his grandmother, and now Tess, Tex knew how to maintain his control over Eli, and he wouldn’t relinquish that power for anything. A knot of worry churning in his stomach, Eli drove back to the workshop. When he arrived he peeked into the office to find, unsurprisingly, Mike still snoozing peacefully. At least Tex and the Sons hadn’t been by here while he’d been gone.

50

Ashley Rhodes

He spent the rest of the afternoon working slowly on the single job they had in, but Eli’s mind was a million miles away from his work. Tess, his grandmother, Tex, they all swirled around in this thoughts as he struggled to think of a way he could extricate himself from the situation without anyone getting hurt. Try as he might, he just kept drawing a blank. Tex knew everything that happened in this town, and Eli knew his threats weren’t just idle talk. When Tex wanted something, he was willing to do almost anything to make it happen. Mike had already gone home by the time Eli had finished up – the sun was setting, lighting up the sky in a beautiful soft orange glow. Eli drove home slowly, savoring the peace that riding gave him, the freedom – just him and the low rumble of the engine, the wind in his hair and the last of the day’s sun softly bathing his skin. When he arrived home, his heart lurched in his chest. The screen door was thrown open and the front door behind it was slightly ajar. Eli’s blood was pumping through his veins as he rushed into the house. “Grandma? Are you here? Is everything OK?” He could hear the fear in his own voice, high and warbled. No response, just the background babble of the TV. Panicking, Eli rushed into the den where Grace could always be found. There she was in her chair, leaning back with her eyes closed. Eli approached her slowly, his mouth dry and his eyes wide. He knelt next to her and took her tiny frail hand into his. Still warm. “Grandma?” he said softly. Relief washed through him as her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first. She smiled as she realized who it was. “Eli? What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

51

Eli took a moment to compose himself, to let the last remnants of the fear and panic wash away. When he’d seen the door open, then found her lying there like that... “Nothing Grandma,” he eventually said. “Just wanted to say hi.” He stood and began straightening out the room. Magazines were strewn over the floor, along with a plate discarded after Grace had eaten her lunch, presumably. She cackled good-naturedly as she watched him tidy up after her. “Did you think I’d gone and died, here in my chair?” “No, Grandma. Don’t talk like that. I just wanted to say hi, like I said.” She laughed again. “Don’t you worry, Eli. I’m not quite ready to pop off just yet. You’ll be cleaning up after me for a while to come, you can be sure of that.” Eli leaned down to kiss her softly on the cheek. “Good.” He dumped the magazines on the table and quickly rinsed the plate before putting it away. “I’m gonna take a shower, then I’ll make us something to eat.” Just as he was about to enter the bathroom, he remembered the front door. “Oh, and Grandma, you left the door open. Anyone could’ve come in here while I was gone.” “Damn, it must have been that man who did that,” came her reply, and Eli’s blood ran cold. He rushed back into the den. “What man, Grandma? Who was here?” She looked up at him, confused by his concern. “Shank he said his name was. He told me you were expecting him. Scruffy-looking man, if you ask me. Smelt bad too. He was friendly enough though, even if he did have a funny name and forgot to close the door on his way out.”

52

Ashley Rhodes

Eli felt light-headed and breathless. He sat next to his grandmother and tried not to let his concern show. “What did he say to you?” Grace frowned again. “Just that you were working on a job for him, and that he didn’t want you to forget about it. Is his car over at Mike’s place?” Eli was trembling with anger, but he did his best to force a placid look onto his face and calmness into his voice. “Oh yeah, that’s it. I’m running a little late on fixing his truck. I guess he must’ve come by the workshop while I was out to lunch or something, and decided to look for me here.” Grace seemed satisfied with his answer. “Well, when you see him next, tell him not to leave doors open like that, will you Eli?” “Sure thing Grandma.” As Eli stood in the shower and washed away the sweat and grime of another hot desert day, he trembled with impotent anger. Who the fuck did Tex think he was, sending Shank over to threaten a harmless old lady? Thank God Grace hadn’t known what the real meaning of his visit was. She was alone for most of the day, and the last thing Eli wanted was for her to be living in fear. Thankfully she seemed oblivious. Eli toweled himself dry, got dressed, and spent the rest of the evening with Grace. He cooked for the both of them, and then they watched TV together for the rest of the evening. Eli did his best to maintain a conversation with his grandmother, but his mind was elsewhere. When he eventually went to bed, he couldn’t sleep. He ran every possible scenario through his mind, trying to find some way that he could deal with Tex and the Sons without breaking the law again and risking getting sent back to jail, but every line of thought was a dead end.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

53

He was stuck, and he couldn’t think of a way out. Not without everyone he loved and cared about getting hurt, which was no way out at all.

Chapter Eight

Tess Over two weeks had passed since Tess had had lunch with Eli, and she still found herself thinking about him every day. Professionally, and personally. Meanwhile, her life continued in the pattern that she’d become accustomed to. She worked long hours, filling out paperwork, meeting with parolees, performing workplace inspections, and the myriad other small tasks that came with the job. The hours were long, and it never seemed to get any easier. Every time she thought that she finally had a grasp on everything, that she had finally got on top of it all, a new case would come in, or a complication; everything meant more paperwork, more stress, less time. Most days she didn’t get home until it was dark, and she was so exhausted that she’d given up any pretense of having a normal social life; or, really, any social life at all. And as for dating? Well...the less said about that the better, as far as Tess was concerned. The closest thing she had to a romantic relationship was Eli Flint, an ex-con, one of her parolees, and the closest thing to a date had been when he’d taken her out to lunch probably just out of friendliness. Tess had to laugh at the situation, or she’d probably end up crying. Her weekends were spent catching up on all those little things that she didn’t have time for during the week, and every Monday morning it felt like she’d barely had a rest at all.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

55

But Tess persevered. She knew she was strong enough and capable enough to handle anything that was thrown at her, and this job wasn’t going to be the thing that brought her down. In moments of stress she’d find a quiet place, maybe the bathroom or an unused interview room, lean back, close her eyes, and imagine herself out in the desert. Nothing for as far as the eye could see. No insolent parolees, no cajoling boss, no computers, no paperwork. Just the wind, and the sun and the sand. In those moments she came to understand some of what kept Eli in Joshuaville, despite his past, the lack of opportunities and the crime. There was a sense of freedom and peace out there that you just couldn’t get in the big city, with its traffic, people, chaos and noise. Tess would spend a few minutes daydreaming like this, and every time it would refresh her and recharge her batteries just enough to get her through the day. Not that she needed to do that on this particular day, though. Today she’d get to go out there and see the desert for herself. Eli Flint was scheduled for a random workplace inspection – normally a boring job that Tess hated doing. This time though, she found herself looking forward to it, to the drive through the desert, to seeing Eli again. She was even whistling as she made her way out to her car. If she knew what was going to happen when she got there, though, she never would have left.

Chapter Nine

Tess Tess walked into the workshop with a smile on her face. Despite knowing she should look and act more professionally, she was looking forward to seeing Eli again. The dim, cool space was as quiet as ever - a couple of old rust buckets that had definitely seen better days in various states of deconstruction, tools scattered around, a filthy workbench piled high with old parts and forgotten detritus. The one thing missing, however, was what she had come to find. Eli Flint was nowhere to be found. Tess called his name as she stepped warily into the room, treading gingerly to avoid staining her clothing. "Eli, are you here? It's Tess Bailey." Silence. It didn't look like he was there. Tess frowned and checked her watch. It was before 11am so he shouldn't have gone to lunch yet, and the schedule he'd submitted as part of his parole conditions said that he should have been there at this time of day. While it wasn't a serious offence for him not to be, it didn't look good on his record for him to miss a workplace inspection. After checking the entire workshop, and satisfied that Eli wasn't there, Tess stood and thought for a few moments. The front office had been dark and locked up when she'd walked past it on the way in, so he wouldn't be in there. If she was going by the book, and if this was any of her other cases, Tess would have written the parolee up as a no-show, climbed back into her car, and driven away. For Eli, though, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and wait for a little

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

57

while. It was a long drive back, and it would be a shame to have come all the way out there for nothing. Tess paced around the silent workshop for a while, looking at the tools and rusted vehicles with not much interest. She'd never really had a knack for anything technical when it came to vehicles. Whenever she had a problem she just took it to a place like this and trusted whatever they said. Having said that, she had a great deal of respect for the people who could fix a broken down car, or build something with their hands. It was also a little bit of a turn-on for her, in a weird kinda way. Give her a man who earned his living with his hands over an office worker any day. She'd dated a landscape gardener once, who would come home from work smelling of musky sweat and cut grass, and there was something so raw and manly about his scent that would always drive her wild. Tess checked her watch again. She'd been waiting 15 minutes now, and she reluctantly decided that that was long enough. Eli wasn't going to show, and she was going to be forced to enter that into his record, which wouldn't look good upon his next review. She didn't want to, but he'd left her no choice. Perhaps he'd just had an emergency or an unexpected situation come up, or perhaps he wasn't the man that she'd thought, and hoped, he was. Tess searched in her purse until she found her little notepad. She flicked to a blank page and scribbled a little note for Eli on it. You were due for a surprise inspection today, but you weren't here. I waited longer than I should have, but I'm going to have to write it up. Tess She briefly debated adding 'sorry' to the end of the note, but decided against it. She was just doing her job, after all, and didn't think she needed to apologize for that. Looking around for a suitable place to leave the note, Tess decided on the little workbench holding Eli's tools, where he'd be sure to find it. She

58

Ashley Rhodes

placed it there, looked around one last time, and strode toward the door, back out into the dazzling, scorching sun. Except that she never made it out into the sun, because just as she reached the doorway a loud sound, or rather series of sounds, startled her and stopped her in her tracks. The source of the noise was four huge motorcycles, sputtering and roaring as they squealed into the parking lot in front of her. Tess held a hand over her eyes to shade them, peering out and trying to see who the new arrivals were. They were dressed pretty uniformly, in denim and leather. Bikers. And then Tess saw the face of their leader, the one who rode in front, and her breath caught in her throat. She recognized him immediately, from Eli's case file. That was Tex, the leader of Eli's old gang, the Sons of Flame, she was sure of it. The others looked vaguely familiar, although she couldn't recall their names. And there, bringing up the rear, was Eli Flint. Tess panicked. She had no idea what to do. They hadn’t noticed her yet, but they would as soon as she tried to go out. If she'd been thinking straight Tess would have tried to slip out the back and called the police. She knew that Tex was a wanted man, but she also knew he was a dangerous one too. The adrenaline coursing through her body had put her in a fight or flight state of panic, so Tess just acted on impulse. Before she could be seen, she scurried back into the comforting darkness of the workshop and looked for somewhere to hide. Her panic was mounting as the seconds passed, and she eventually settled on crouching behind a rusted old sedan near the back that didn't look like it had been moved in decades. Tess sat back on her haunches and tried to stay as motionless and quiet as possible, which was easier said than done considering she was damn near hyperventilating. Tess didn't even want to consider what would happen if she was caught. She'd read the reports, she knew what Tex and the Sons were capable of. And Eli...she'd gotten him all wrong. He'd gone

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

59

back to them as soon as he'd gotten out of jail. He wasn't the man she thought he was, hoped he was...he was just like all the others; a liar, a cheat, a criminal. Never again would Tess give anyone the benefit of the doubt. It just got thrown back in her face, time after time. Her train of thought was interrupted by rough voices laughing and joking as the bikers approached the workshop. Tess shrank even further down behind the car, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her heart was thumping so loud that she thought the sound of that alone might give her away. She tried her best to regulate her breathing – instead of gasping in panic, as she felt like doing, she closed her eyes and tried to take slow, soft, deep breaths. In and out, don’t panic, and they won’t find you. They had entered the workshop now in a group, their voices low. From the sounds of it there were five or six of them, all men. Tess couldn’t pick out Eli’s voice now, but she knew he must be with them. The ones talking all had rough, gravelly voices; the sort of voices that she imagined hard men would have, who’d spent their entire lives living out here in the desert. She pressed herself lower to the ground as the voices got closer and the men filled the workshop. She could hear the crunch of their boots as they walked across the discarded trash that littered the workshop floor. Tess decided to take a risk, despite her fear. If the Sons of Flame were here, she knew they were up to no good. If she could get a clear view of what it was they were doing, she could report it to the police later. It was a risk, but it could end up being what finally put an end to them. She felt a twinge of sadness as she realized that Eli would also be incriminated by whatever she saw, but she hardened her heart. He had chosen this, so it wasn’t her fault. He was the one who had decided to go back to them, and he would have to live with the consequences of his actions, for better or worse.

60

Ashley Rhodes

Tess scooted to the edge of the car and, taking one last breath and willing her hands to stop shaking, she peered around the corner. There was Tex, and what she guessed were other members of the Sons huddled around him. One man stood at the entrance, looking out, making sure there were no witnesses to whatever it was they had or were doing. Tex was holding a black leather suitcase, closed for now, and was talking in a low whisper to the henchmen surrounding him. Eli stood awkwardly, like he didn’t know what to do with himself, and Tess was surprised to see a look of utter sadness and....almost helplessness on his face. It was so profound, that, despite everything, she was almost tempted to feel sorry for him. “Eli.” Tex’s voice was suddenly loud and clear; he’d made a decision. Eli look up, his eyes and voice filled with loathing and contempt. “What.” Tex sneered at him. “Where are we going to keep this? It has to sit tight for a few days until we get the deal arranged.” Eli sagged visibly, running a hand over his day-old stubble. He looked around the workshop, resembling for all the world a man condemned. Finally his eyes fixed on a car, and Tess had to stop herself from recoiling in panic. “That one there. It’s been here years, nobody ever touches it.” He pointed over to the car that Tess was crouched behind, and she ducked away out of sight as she heard the men advance toward her hiding place. Tess looked around her in a panic. There was nowhere else for her to go, nowhere to hide. If they came to open the trunk, they’d see her for sure. At the last second, her heart thumping furiously in her throat, Tess took the last option available to her. She rolled under the car, and clamped her hands over her mouth to prevent any sound from escaping.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

61

She watched at the booted feet came closer and closer, and wished, harder than she’d ever wished before, that nobody would look underneath. The feet gathered in a group at the end of the car, and Tess listened as Tex cursed, trying to get the ancient old door open. Eventually he succeeded, the rusted metal squealing in protest as he levered it open. There was a muffled thump as the suitcase was unceremoniously dumped inside, then a crunch as the door was slammed shut once again. The feet stood still for a moment, and there was silence. Tex was the first to speak. “Now, Eli. You’ve done your part now, just like I asked you. Make sure nobody comes near this old heap of junk until I come back next, and you’ll have upheld your end of the bargain.” There was no response from Eli, and Tess saw one pair of boots shuffle impatiently. “You got that, shit for brains? Nobody goes near this car. Nobody.” Silence again, but Eli must have responded in some way, because the boots began moving away until they were at the entrance to the workshop. “You did good, Eli. Just like old days, huh?” Tex laughed, a wheezing rasp devoid of all humor. “See you soon, then.” And with that they were gone, trooping back out into the baking sun, returning to their waiting bikes. Tess watched them go. There was only one pair of legs remaining now, that she assumed must have belonged to Eli. He stood, still and silent, for a long time – long enough for Tess to mourn, once more, what could have been. Why was he throwing everything away like this? His chance for a new life, a fresh start, for some money and respect from the scum of the earth.

62

Ashley Rhodes

Tess willed Eli to leave. The smell of gasoline and oil filled her nostrils, making her feel queasy and slightly faint. Finally, just as she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he stepped out of the workshop. Tess quickly rolled out from under the car and brushed herself off. She was still dressed in her office clothes, only now they were ruined completely, covered in oil and filth and dust. She went to the corner of the car again, peering around the edge. Only, she had forgotten to take one thing into account. She caught one final glimpse of Eli Flint as he reached up and swung closed the big heavy door, until it reached the ground with a screeching crash. The workshop was thrown into utter and complete darkness. Tess swallowed her mounting panic and felt her way forward, cursing quietly as she hit her shin on some discarded piece of machinery. Eventually she found the door, placing her palms flat upon it and trying to heave it upwards with all her might. Nothing. It was locked, and without the key, there was no way she was getting it open. No way at all. Tess was trapped, and she knew it.

Chapter Ten

Eli Eli stood outside the workshop and ran his hands over his face. He had barely slept and he hadn’t shaved, his stubble sharp and his eyes sore and gritty. He took a deep breath and looked around him, his eyes very briefly coming to rest on an abandoned old house that sat across the road from Mike’s Workshop, before flickering away again. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself. Because while the house looked like it hadn’t been lived in for years, Eli knew that it wasn’t completely abandoned, not right now. He remembered from his days in the Sons of Flame that it was a hideout for the gang, sometimes used when they needed to keep someone hidden away, or lay low if they brought too much heat on themselves. And if Eli knew Tex, and he did, he knew that the wily old gang leader wouldn’t leave unguarded as expensive a product as whatever was sitting in the trunk of that old car in the workshop. He’d stake his life that someone was sitting in that old house, watching, making sure that nobody went into the workshop who shouldn’t be there. Which was going to make Eli’s plan that much more difficult to pull off. As soon as Tex and the Sons had turned up with that briefcase the previous day, Eli had known what was inside. Drugs. It wasn’t guns this time – the case was much too small. Heroin, most likely, maybe coke. Whatever it was, there was a lot of it, and it was worth a lot of money. A lot of jail time, too, if someone was caught dealing it.

64

Ashley Rhodes

Tex thought he had Eli caught, trapped. He’d promised that once he returned to collect the product, Eli would be free, his obligation finished. Eli wasn’t stupid though. What was to stop Tex from making him go to do the deal, take all the risk? With the threats to Tess and his Grandma, Eli would have no choice but to obey. Only, this time, Eli was ready to fight back. It was a risk, a huge risk, but one that he felt he had to take. This would never end if Eli kept on giving in to Tex’s demands. They’d keep coming and coming, for as long as Tex had control over Eli. And Eli had had enough. He’d driven home quickly the previous night after locking up the workshop, and Mike had been there waiting for him. Despite the risks involved, to Mike and to Grace, Eli had told him everything. He needed Mike’s help. Eli had packed a case for his grandma that morning, and when he returned he’d bundled it into Mike’s car. Grace seemed puzzled at first – Eli hadn’t told her anything. “I’ve booked you a trip for a few days, Grandma,” he’d said. “I know you get bored sitting around here all day, and my first paycheck came in, so I thought I’d do something for you. Mike’s gonna take you, and I’ll stay and take care of the shop.” Grace had looked from Eli to Mike, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What are you two up to?” Mike had laughed, an easy, practiced laugh. “C’mon Grace,” the grizzled old mechanic had wheezed. “It’ll be just like old times, me and you. What do you say?” Grace had smiled despite herself. “Well...a few days away would be nice.” She’d held up a finger and wagged it at Mike. “But don’t you think you can try anything with me, Michael Wrentham. We’re both too old and too washed up for any of that romance nonsense.”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

65

Eli had given his grandmother a kiss on the cheek as she’d climbed slowly into the car. “Have a nice time, Grandma. I’ll see you in a few days, OK?” Eli had watched them drive away into the fading sunlight, hoping that he’d been quick enough, that Tex hadn’t sent someone to keep watch. He didn’t think so, though. As far as Tex was concerned, he had Eli, hook line and sinker. Eli smiled sadly to himself as he stood there the next morning, thinking about how happy Grace had looked at the surprise. Thank God she didn’t know the truth. He took a deep breath and pulled his hands out of his pockets. It was time to go, time to put the plan into action. Eli unlocked the shutter door and lifted it, wincing as it squealed in protest. If there was someone watching the workshop, they'd definitely know now that Eli was there if they somehow hadn't before. But there was nothing to do about that now. There was no going back - he had to do this, and had to do it fast. It was the only way. Eli stepped into the workshop and made his way over to the old rusty car where the drugs were hidden. He unlocked it and was lifting the trunk when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He whirled, adrenaline flaring, only for his jaw to drop when he saw who it was. "Tess? What the hell? How long have you been in here?" She looked dishevelled and tired as she eyed him up warily, looking from Eli to the entrance, obviously trying to gauge if she could dart past him and make an escape. "Tess," he began, "Listen." He saw something snap in her, then; her face went dark, like a thundercloud just before the heavens opened. She stepped towards him, all thoughts of escape temporarily forgotten. "No, Eli Flint, you listen to me."

66

Ashley Rhodes

Each word was punctuated by a stab of her finger, poking him in the chest. She looked so fierce, so angry, that Eli had to fight the instinct to back away from her. "I trusted you. I thought you were different. I thought you were genuinely trying to turn your life around, actually trying to work with me to put your past behind you and move on." She deflated suddenly, looking sad and forlorn and lost. "But you're just the same as all the others. You lied to me, over and over, and I was stupid enough to believe you. Well, I'm done. I'm fucking done." She turned away from him, shoulders sagged, and began to trudge out of the workshop. "Wait!" Eli hissed. "You've got it all wrong!" He stepped towards her and tried to grab her arm. She whirled, fury in her eyes. "Don't fucking touch me." Eli swallowed. If she walked out of this workshop, everything was ruined. "Look, Tess, I don't know what the hell you're doing in here, or what you saw, but you need to listen to me." She stopped moving, and looked at him, hands on her hips, waiting. "If you walk out of that door, you'll be putting your life in danger. Both of our lives, actually." She frowned in confusion. "But -" Eli cut her off. "Did you think I really just went back to work for Tex and the Sons of Flame like nothing had happened? After everything that man did to me? After he stole the last few years of my life?" Eli laughed bitterly. "If so, you don't know me as well as you think you do. Tex forced me. He threatened my grandmother, hell, he threatened

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

67

you after he saw us together that day we had lunch. I couldn't see a way out, so I had to agree to let him keep this stuff here." He tapped the trunk of the car. "But I've decided. Enough's enough. I'll never be free of Tex if I don't do something about it. Here and now. If you walk out now, Tex will know that you saw everything. Him and his boys will be here in minutes, and we'll be in a whole world of trouble." As she'd been listening to Eli speak, Tess' expression had changed, from one of pure anger to a dubious curiosity. "OK," she said. "Assuming you’re telling the truth, what do we do now? What was your plan?" He looked at her. "I didn't really have one, to be honest. I was going to take the drugs, get on my bike and just drive - then think of something later." The withering look that Tess gave him made Eli want to shy away. "Yeah..." he mumbled, "maybe I didn't really think it through properly...I just had to do something, anything, to stop being pulled back in." Tess brushed her hair away from her eyes and took a breath. "I'm a witness now," she said. "I don't want to be, and I wish I could just drive away from here and forget all about it, but I can't." She narrowed her eyes, deep in thought. "Here's what we'll do," she eventually said. "I'll call the police; tell them that there are drugs hidden in here. Their first assumption will be that they belong to you, but I'll testify to what I saw last night. In court, if I have to." Eli took a step towards her. "Tess, no," he began. "It's too dangerous. At the first sniff of cops Tex and the Sons will be gone. They'll never get caught, and they'll never forget. You'll be in danger for as long as they're out there, and I won't let that happen. I have to do this alone."

68

Ashley Rhodes

At his words, Eli saw a stubborn look cross her face, one that he was already becoming familiar with him. This woman really doesn't like being told what to do. "And what will happen when you just drive out of here with Tex's drugs, Eli? Do you think he'll just shrug his shoulders, write off the loss, and carry on with his life? No! He'll hunt you down and he'll probably kill you." Eli set his jaw and crossed his arms. "Not if I hide. And not if I get him first." Tess gave him a pointed look. "So, what? You're going to hide for the rest of your life, always looking over your shoulder? Or are you going to take on the whole Sons of Flame gang, all by yourself, somehow win, and then somehow avoid jail for murder or manslaughter?" She rolled her eyes. "Great plan, Eli. Really great. It really sounds like you've thought this through." Anger suddenly blossomed inside him, red hot and uncontrollable. "And what would you have me do, Tess? Just go back to working for him, until the next time he decides to throw me under the bus? Run to the police and have him murder my grandmother? I. HAVE. NO. CHOICE. Can't you see that?" He laughed bitterly. "Of course you can't. To you, I'm just another subhuman criminal, another idiot who doesn't know any better. Look how quick you were to assume that I willingly went back to work for Tex. And now you think you have all the answers, when you don't know anything at all." He saw how his words had wounded her, but it was too late now, too late to stop. "Wait in here until I'm gone, Tess. They'll see me, and they'll chase me. Once that happens, make sure nobody is around, go and get in your car, and leave. Leave and don't look back. All I ask

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

69

is that you wait until you get to the city before you tell the police. Give me some time to get away." Tears were running down her face. Eli had the urge to reach out to her, pull her into an embrace, tell her that he didn't mean it, that everything was going to be OK. But he couldn't, because it wasn't. With a supreme effort of will, he wrenched his eyes from hers and took out the briefcase from the trunk. She stood there like a woman lost. "I don't have time for this," Eli said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. It's been a stressful few days, and I'll try and make it up to you when it's all over. I promise." He reached out to her, but she flinched and drew away from him. The first good woman to ever take an interest in you, Eli Flint, and you push her away. Smooth. Real smooth. Eli turned to the task at hand and popped the trunk, lifting the suitcase out. It felt heavy in his hand - heavy with drugs, heavy with consequences, too. Tess was still standing there, staring into the middle distance. When Eli spoke, he tried to make his voice as soft and gentle as possible. "Tess, I'm going to go now. I need you to wait in here out of sight for a little while once I'm gone, like I said. Can you do that for me? Please?" She turned away from him without acknowledging his words. Good enough, I guess. Eli pulled his keys from his pocket, took a deep breath, and made for the door. It was getting bright outside - it was going to be another hot, clear day, like usual. But then, he saw something. Eli swore under his breath. "Shit."

70

Ashley Rhodes

It was one of the Sons of Flame. Eli couldn't make out exactly who, but that leather jacket was unmistakable. Eli knew that he didn't have much time. He had to make a decision, and fast. Everything depended on this moment. He grabbed Tess' arm, who immediately tried to struggle away from him. "Get the fuck off me!" she shouted. "Just go!" Eli grimaced. He'd have time to explain all of this later. Right now, all that mattered was getting out of here, putting as much distance between them and this town as possible. "Tess. I need you to listen to me. You can hit me, punch me, do whatever to me later. Get behind the car again, and stay there until you hear me call your name. When I do, you run to me, and you get on my bike. No questions, no nothing. Just do it, or we're both dead. Understand?" He didn't have time to see if she was going to cooperate. He shoved her roughly behind the car, and then tried to affect as calm an air as possible. The guy was approaching the entrance to the workshop now, casual, not concerned. Yet. Good. That was good. Eli slid the case under the car, hoping beyond hope that the guy hadn't seen anything. He went and stood in the entrance to the workshop, waiting. He could see who it was now. Snake. A guy who'd been with the Sons for years, but was so stupid that he'd never really risen up the ranks. He always got the shitty jobs. Like stakeout duty, for example. Eli nodded to Snake as he got closer. "Snake. What can I do for you? Tex still doesn't trust me, huh? I guess not, if he's got you keepin' an eye on me." Snake's eyes narrowed. "Shut up Eli. What you doin' in here?" Eli looked around himself, gesturing with his hands. "I work here, Snake. I still gotta make a living, right?" Snake gestured to the trunk of the car.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

71

"Why's that open? Where's the case?" Shit. "Oh, uh, it's just over here. Come over, I'll show ya." Snake followed him. As he walked, Eli knew that he'd only get one shot. Snake was dumber than a bag of rocks, but Eli had seen him fight. "Where is it then, Eli? I don't see nothin'." "Just here. I wanna move the car so -" Eli whirled without warning and slammed his fist into Snake's face. The big man dropped to the ground in a crumpled tangle of limbs. Eli shook his hand and winced. No wonder the guy was so dumb; his head must have been made of stone. Eli grabbed the case, and then dashed around to where he'd left Tess. She crouched there, fear written plain upon her face. "Eli, what happened? What have you done?" "We can talk about it later, Tess. For now, we just need to get out of here. C'mon." Without waiting for her answer, he lifted her onto her feet and led her out of the workshop. She glanced over to where the prostrate body of Snake was laying, and she gasped in shock. "He's not....." "He's not dead, Tess, Jesus Christ. He'll just be sleeping for a little while." They emerged into the sunlight and Eli marched them over to where his bike lay waiting, gleaming. Even at times like this, he always made sure his bike was pristine, taken care of. Eli swung a leg over and climbed on with practiced fluidity. "Get on," he commanded. "We're gonna need every second we have. I'll bet you a thousand dollars that Tex and the rest of the Sons are on their way here, right now. And we do NOT want to be here when they arrive, believe me." She climbed onto the bike with the awkward clumsiness of a beginner.

72

Ashley Rhodes

"I've never ridden on a motorcycle before," she said, her voice tremulous. Eli chuckled, in spite of everything. "I never would have guessed," he said drily. Tess wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight. Eli's thoughts were focused on the task at hand, but even through that there was a stir of something inside him at her proximity. Later. Gotta get goin'. Gotta get out of here. He turned the key and the bike roared into life. With a single glance back at the workshop, Eli put it in gear and roared off onto the road. He didn't know where he was going. He just knew he had to get there fast.

Chapter Eleven

Tess She clung onto Eli for dear life as he tore out of Mike's parking lot. The bike was so fast, so powerful, that she was afraid she'd just fall straight off the back of it. All she could hear was the roar of the engine and the wind whipping past her. It had only taken a couple of minutes before they were clear of Joshuaville and out into the open desert. Cacti and sand, sun and sky. That was it. Nothing else. After the initial shock wore off, Tess had started to enjoy the experience, begrudgingly. There was something about the solidity of Eli in front of her, the sound of the engine, and the wind whipping through her hair that was exciting and utterly new to her. Despite being desolate, the desert was beautiful in its own way. It was timeless - it had been here long before she'd ever been born, and would remain so long after she was gone. It just was, no matter what petty little dramas and happenings went on with the people who lived in and around it. Tess took some comfort in that, to try and take her mind off the fact that they were, in all likelihood, being chased at that very moment by ruthless criminals who would stop at nothing to recover what Eli had taken from them. The suitcase was wedged between the two of them, and Tess toyed with the idea of simply picking it up and flinging it off to one side. But that wouldn't solve anything. Tex would find them, and he'd take his revenge. At least this way they had some evidence against him, as long as Tess got the chance to testify to what she'd seen the previous evening.

74

Ashley Rhodes

Eli didn't say a word as he drove, just looked straight ahead into the distance and kept the bike on a straight line. His words still echoed in Tess' head. Maybe she had been too quick to judge and condemn him, but what else was she supposed to have thought? It was probably too late now. The anger in his eyes and in his voice had been intense, and if everything had gone as he'd wanted it to, she wouldn't even be here now. She probably wouldn't ever have seen him again. That morning, Tess would have been totally fine with that. But now...she wasn't as certain. Sure, she'd ended up getting dragged into this whole sorry mess, sure they were on the run from the Sons of Flame, and sure, there was no guarantee that they'd even make it out of this alive...but Eli was only trying to protect her and his family. He'd seen a way out and he'd taken it. It was dangerous and it was reckless, but she respected him for it. But with how angry he'd been, Tess didn't know if it was too late to patch things up between them. She guessed she'd find out whenever they stopped. If they ever stopped. She had no idea how long a tank of gas lasted in a bike like this. She was still wearing her work suit, and even with the wind blowing it was getting desperately hot. And after the initial newness of the experience wore off, Tess realized that she'd spent last night sleeping in the back of that old rust bucket, and she was horribly tired. She knew that she didn't smell good, and her ass was starting to ache. What was more, she was absolutely desperate to pee. She wanted to ask Eli when they could stop - preferably somewhere that she could take a shower and buy some new clothes. A quick glance at the surrounding desert made that hope seem awfully silly. There was nothing, anywhere. Just the desert. But Eli knew this place far better than she did. He'd grown up here, after all, spent all his life here. Even if he was still angry with her, she had to ask.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

75

"Eli!" she shouted into his ear, struggling to make her voice heard. No response. He continued to resolutely stare into the middle distance, his jaw set stubbornly. "Eli! I know you can hear me!" Maybe the hint of a raised eyebrow, though Tess couldn't be sure. This wasn't going to work. She decided to try a new tack. "Eli, I need to use the bathroom! I know that we're in a hurry, so if you say the word I can just go right here, on the bike. It's kinda gross, but, hey, desperate times call for desperate measures, hey?" His shoulders sagged in defeat and Tess felt the bike gradually start to slow as he pulled over to one side. Tess clambered off awkwardly, her ears ringing in the sudden silence. "Make it quick," Eli rumbled. "We've still got a long way to go today." Tess looked around her, one way, then the other. Nothing. Silence. The road was completely empty. She started to trudge off into the sand, gasping in the overbearing heat. "Where do you think you're going?" Eli bellowed from behind her. "I need to pee! I'm not just gonna do it right here at the side of the road! What if someone comes by?" His eyes narrowed. "Tess, we're on the run from Very Bad Men. If they catch us...well, you don't even wanna think about what'll happen to you. There's no traffic for miles around, I swear to you, and I have absolutely no interest in watching you take a piss. You can trust me on that." Tess was tempted to be awkward and stubborn, but he was right. She let out a deep sigh. She must have done something wrong in a past life, she was sure of it. First getting locked in a

76

Ashley Rhodes

smelly old workshop overnight, and now having to squat at the side of the road. Eli let out another sound of frustration, and then made a show of turning his head away. Tess quickly did what needed to be done, and then went back to the bike. She settled back into her position behind Eli, and after checking that she was safely in place, the bike roared back into life again and he tore away with a squeal of burning rubber. What had begun as something exciting soon turned into absolute, utter monotony. Tess' romantic notions of the desert were dashed when they crested each small bump in the road, only to reveal another empty horizon, devoid of life entirely. Where the roar of the bike had at first sent a thrill through her, now there were only cramps in her thighs and sweat on her behind. Those afternoons spent at her desk in her air-conditioned offices got ever more appealing as the miles and the hours passed. Eventually, Tess closed her eyes and rested her head on Eli's shoulders. He could hate her all he wanted, but she needed some sleep. It was difficult, but eventually she somehow managed to drift off into a sort of sleep, uneasy and filled with dark dreams. In one, the Sons caught up with them, overtaking Eli's bike on the road and then surrounding them. They snarled like jackals as they encircled them, their faces blank with black holes where features should have been. These horrific creatures howled and gibbered as they came ever closer, and Tess cowered behind Eli. Closer, closer, it was inevitable, they were on her now and she could smell their stench, could see their sharp, gleaming teeth Tess jerked awake with an involuntary cry of panic that Eli must have heard. He craned his head to check on her, concern in his eyes. "What is it? Are you OK?" Tess wiped the sleep from her eyes, and just nodded. "It's nothing. Bad dream."

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

77

The sun was high in the sky now - they'd left in the early morning, and Tess guessed that it was after midday already. When were they going to stop? As if in answer to her silent question, Eli spoke again. "We're going to have to stop soon. Need gas, and water. There's a little town a couple miles up ahead. You can use the bathroom again if you want. But we'll only have a few minutes Tex and the Sons are gonna know that we'll probably have to stop here." Tess shivered, the horrible imagery from her dream rising back into her thoughts. "OK. I'll be quick." It wasn't long before she could make out a building, shimmering in the heat on the horizon. As they got closer, it formed into a little gas station. As they pulled in, Tess wrinkled her nose. Somehow she'd been expecting a big, bustling rest stop, with an air-conditioned convenience store, well-appointed bathrooms. But this looked like something out of a teen slasher movie. A dilapidated old wooden building squatted behind some rinky dink gas pumps, and the only person present was a toothless old man wearing greasy, stained overalls. Eli stopped the bike in front of the pump and nodded to the old man. "Fill 'er up." The guy slowly eased himself to his feet and ambled over to the pump. "Listen," Eli began. "In a little while, some guys are gonna pull in here. Probably ten to twenty, bikers. Rough guys, rougher than me. They're gonna need fuel just like us, and they're gonna ask you if you've seen us." He fished around in his wallet and withdrew a small handful of bills. "This is yours if you do one thing for me." The old man eyed the money hungrily.

78

Ashley Rhodes

"OK," he drawled. "What do you want me to say? Want me to tell them I never saw you?" "No," Eli said. "They'll know you're lying, and that would be trouble for you." He took a breath, considering. "I want you to tell them that you saw us go that way." Eli pointed off to a T-junction a little further along the road. "That's it?" The guy looked dubious, as if there had to be some catch, some extra condition. "That's it," Eli said. "Just try to make it convincing." The old man shrugged. "Do my best." Eli finished pumping the gas and handed over the bundle of bills, which the old man wasted no time in counting and then stuffing into his overalls. Beckoning to Tess, Eli climbed back onto the bike. She hopped on easily, her fear making her much more nimble than she had been that morning. Eli wasted no time in gunning the bike and pulling away at breakneck speed. Tess glanced behind her - the plume of dust was bigger and closer now, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that no bikes were in view yet. Hopefully Eli's ruse would work. Eli turned left at the junction, back onto yet another endless straight road. Tess leaned forward and spoke into his ear. "Is that it? Can we get away from them now, maybe stop and rest for a little while?" Her heart sank when Eli just laughed wearily. "The road loops back around and rejoins the main one before long. It’ll buy us a little time though, at least.” He was silent for a few moments, before speaking again. "It'll take them a while to get refueled there, with so many of them. That'll buy us some time too. So, when all's said and done, we're in a better spot now than we were before."

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

79

Tess took some small solace in his words, though fear still gripped her. She would have to trust that Eli knew what he was doing. Without him, she would be helpless, and she knew it. It was a feeling that she didn't often have, and she didn't like it one little bit. She grimaced as another bead of sweat crawled its way between her shoulder blades, then hunched down and settled in for the ride.

Chapter Twelve

Eli Eli was bone-tired. He could barely keep his eyes open, and it was a struggle to focus on the road. He'd had only a couple of hours sleep the previous night, and riding all day with a passenger on the back and in the taxing heat had really taken it out of him. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and looked around him. The sun was just starting to set, a brilliant crimson glow that set the sky on fire. Under normal circumstances he'd take the chance to have a rest, to stop and admire the beauty of the view. But here, today, these weren't normal circumstances. Tex didn't care if Eli was tired, if he was hungry. He'd chase him down like a dog no matter what. But still. They couldn't just keep going forever. The two of them were going to have to find a place to rest for the night, and soon. The temperature would start to drop once night fell, and Tess didn't have appropriate clothing. She was still dressed in the same pantsuit that she'd obviously turned up in the previous day. He craned his neck to take a glance at her. She was barely conscious - sunburned, slumped down, eyes glassy. She couldn't keep this pace for much longer. Eli gritted his teeth. If only she hadn't been there, this would all have been so much simpler. He could've spent the night out in the desert, far away from where they could be found. But Tess complicated things. They'd need to find a motel or something for the night. She needed a change of clothes, some food. Eli's stomach rumbled as he suddenly realized that neither of them had eaten all day.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

81

A sign came looming up from the rapidly encroaching darkness. "Little Hope. Population 543. 10 miles." Eli had never heard of the place, certainly never been there. Little towns like these dotted the desert haphazardly. Some were old mining towns, some were completely abandoned. He just hoped Little Hope had somewhere they could spend the night. He turned to speak to Tess, to give her probably the only good news she would have heard all day. "We'll stop up here; find a little motel or something to spend the night. It's a risk, but one we'll just have to take. We'll bank on Tex being forced to stop too. He'll know we won't be able to get too far away." Tess just nodded in resigned silence, seemingly barely even able to summon the energy for that. Shit. She really doesn't look good. Eli sped up, and it was only a couple of minutes before Little Hope came into view. It looked to be exactly as he'd imagined. A sad, worn-out little town, dry and sandblasted. But Eli's heart lifted as he spotted a neon sign glaring. High Desert Motel. 1 Mile They passed boarded up houses and stores - the roads were almost devoid of traffic, and there was little to no human activity. But still, that sign had been lit. The motel had to be open. He spied the turn off and gently eased the bike into the parking lot of the High Desert Motel, a collection of dusty, lowroofed buildings that had definitely seen better days. But, the light in the front office was on, and the parking lot was practically empty. Perfect for their needs. When he stopped the bike, Tess stepped off and stood still, staring into the middle distance. She swayed as if she was drunk, and looked just about ready to pass out from exhaustion and hunger.

82

Ashley Rhodes

"Tess, wait here with the bike for a couple minutes. I'll get us a room, then go and find something to eat." He went to the door to the reception and pushed it open. The decor was about thirty years out of date, and what little furniture was there was tatty and ragged. Last year's calendar was on the wall, its pages yellowing and crumpled, and a little fan desultorily pushed warm air from one side of the room to another. Eli approached the front desk and rang the little bell that sat on it. No response the first time, so he rang it again, harder this time. "All right, all right," came a wheeze from the back room. "I'm comin', jeez." A middle-aged woman appeared after a few moments, eyes heavy with sleep, jowls hanging. She eyed Eli up warily, her eyes lingering on his biker's jacket. "What can I do for ya?" Eli rolled his eyes. "A room. For the night." The woman's eyes drifted over Eli's shoulder to where Tess stood outside, and then back to Eli. A knowing grin crossed her ugly features. "Alright. Twenty-five bucks. No drugs, no animals." Eli fished out the bills and slapped them down on the counter, then snatched the keys out of the woman's hand. As he turned to leave, she wheezed in laughter. "Y'all have a nice night." Eli didn't bother responding as he walked back out into the rapidly-cooling night air. "C'mon," he murmured gently to Tess. "I got us a place, just over here." He lifted the suitcase and then took her arm, leading her over to the room. He unlocked it and flicked on the lights. It was unremarkable in every way, but at least it looked relatively clean. Tess stumbled over to the bed and collapsed on it immediately.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

83

Eli set the suitcase down and looked at her for a few moments. Her face was flushed with sunburn, her hair was a wild, greasy tangle, and she looked as if she'd aged a year since he last saw her. But, for all that, she was still beautiful. Somehow even more beautiful, in a strange way, because she'd endured the day's ordeal with practically no complaints and no fuss. She's stronger than I gave her credit for. Shaking his head, he pulled the door closed behind him and went back to the bike, wheeling it over to the parking spot in front of the room without starting the engine. He debated leaving it there, but if the Sons happened to drive past, they'd spot it immediately. After a couple of minutes of scouting around, he discovered that it was relatively simple to wheel the bike behind the building. It would take longer to get there if they needed to leave in a hurry, but there wasn't much other choice. Once that was done, Eli patted his pockets and pulled out his wallet. After paying off that old gas station owner earlier in the day, and now the room, he wasn't left with much cash. Enough for food tonight, maybe tomorrow too. After that, he was going to be reliant on Tess. His stomach rumbled again. He'd go and get food soon, but he decided to sit down first, just for a little while. There was a battered old armchair next to the bed, and he sank into it with a deep sigh. His thighs ached and his fingers were stiff from gripping the handlebars on the bike the whole day. Just a couple minutes, to rest my eyes. I'll deal with everything else after that.

Eli jerked awake with a sharp intake of breath, looking around himself in befuddlement. It only took a few moments for everything to come flooding back. He silently reproached himself

84

Ashley Rhodes

for falling asleep without even locking the door to the hotel room. Tess was still sleeping exactly where she'd collapsed on the bed, her breathing steady and even. Eli stood, grimacing at the stiffness in his back and neck from the uncomfortable chair, then checked his watch. Almost 3am. He went to the window and pulled the curtains back. It was deadly silent outside, not a living thing in sight. The front office was still lit up, but he couldn't see anyone in there. Eli figured that he'd probably slept for three to four hours, and that would have to be enough. He wanted to be out of here before first light, to give them as much headway on Tex as possible. He didn't know where they would have stopped for the night, be he doubted they were far away. Stretching and yawning, Eli opened the motel room door and stepped out into the chilly night. Even after a whole lifetime spent living in the desert, he was always surprised at how cold it could get in the dead of night. He needed to find a 24 hour convenience store - somewhere he could get something to eat, maybe a change of clothes for Tess. He debated taking the bike, but he didn't want the loudness of the engine to attract any unwanted attention, so he decided to walk. He went to the office and woke the front desk attendant, the same woman from before. Through yawns, she told him that there was an all-night convenience store a few blocks away. Eli set off into the darkness, hands tucked deep into the pockets of his jacket. The cool air perked him up a little, cleared his head. He needed a clearer plan for the next day. They couldn't just keep running forever. At some point he was going to have to deal with the problem, face it head on. In a straight up fight, he had no chance. He needed to find some way of ambushing them, or tricking them, or something. It didn't take too long to find the store, lit up like a beacon in the night. The clerk eyed him warily as he entered, but Eli just

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

85

ignored him. Their clothing selection was...minimal, to say the least, and he had no idea what size Tess normally wore. He picked out some plain jeans, a few white cotton t-shirts, and some basic panties. That would just have to do, and if they didn't fit...well, he'd tried. They didn't have time to go on a shopping trip. The only hot foods in the place were some gross-looking hotdogs, but Eli bought some anyway. They smelled surprisingly good in his ravenous state. He picked up a couple of bags of chips, some coke and water, and paid using the last of his cash. The clerk bagged it all up, giving him a weird look, and Eli was on his way, back out into night. When he pushed the door open to the motel room, his heart lurched when he saw that Tess was no longer sleeping on the bed, before he relaxed when he heard the sound of the shower coming from the bathroom. He set the clothes down on her bed and tore open a bag of chips, stuffing them into his mouth in handfuls between huge bites of hotdog. The bathroom door opened and Tess emerged, raising an eyebrow at him. "Hungry, huh?" Eli's cheeks bulged and he reddened a little as he tried to swallow in order to answer. She didn't seem to care though. She was wrapped in a towel, and her hair hung around her face, wet and smelling of shampoo. She sat on the bed and crossed her legs, and it took all of Eli's willpower not to stare at them; long and shapely, and that towel really didn't leave much to the imagination... She looked infinitely better than she had when they'd arrived, and she started digging around in the grocery bag, fishing out one of the hotdogs and taking a huge bite. "Mmmm," she said with her mouthful. "Usually, I wouldn't go near something like this. But with how hungry I am, I'd eat damn near anything right now."

86

Ashley Rhodes

"I got you some clothes," Eli said, gesturing to where he'd set them down on the bed. "I didn't know what size you wear, so I just guessed as best I could." She picked up the jeans and took a look at the label. "Close enough," she smiled. "They might be a bit baggy, but I'll deal." She whistled as she saw the cotton panties. “And you bought me underwear too? Wow, normally I’m a few months into a relationship before the guy buys me lingerie.” She took another bite, before fixing him with a look. "Thanks. For everything. Listen, I'm sorry....about what I said, yesterday morning in the workshop. I should've talked to you before jumping to conclusions." Eli waved away her concerns. "It's OK. What else were you supposed to think? I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. It's just been a crazy stressful few days." He held out a hand. "Friends?" She laughed. "Friends." She took his hand and they shook solemnly, Eli trying not to crack a smile. He caught her gaze and their eyes locked for a few moments. Something passed between them, then....here they were, alone in a motel room in the middle of goddamn nowhere, on the run, and Eli was lusting after her. That morning, he’d been so angry with her, so angry that he would have been happy never to see her again. But now, things were different. She’d shown him that she was capable of more than he’d thought. She’d shown him that she was tougher than he’d thought. And she’d shown him that he’d been too quick to judge her. And so, as they sat there facing each other on the bed, Eli wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to reach out to her; he wanted

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

87

to pull her into his arms. And all the while, as these thoughts were going through his mind she was staring at him. Like she was waiting for him, waiting for him to make the first move. But Eli was frozen. He couldn’t. He felt cowardly and ridiculous; he could fix a car, he could steal drugs from the Sons of Flame, but he couldn’t make the first move on Tess. Not right then. In his heart of hearts, he knew that she was waiting. But he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He wasn’t good enough for her. It was his fault that she was even in the situation in the first place. If she’d never met him, she’d be at home in bed right now, not in this dingy old motel on the run from dangerous criminals. The moment had passed and Eli didn’t know if it would ever come back again. But it was too late for that now. They needed to get some more sleep. “I’ll take the floor. You have the bed.” She started protest, but Eli just waved away her words. “I’ve slept in worse places than this, trust me. This is luxury compared to prison.” She looked to him for a few moments, and then just nodded. “Okay then. Wake me when we need to leave, I’m a deep sleeper.” She smiled wryly. “And if I’m in a bad mood you’ll have to forgive me.” It was Eli’s turn to smile. “Alright then, I will. I’m not really a morning person myself.” She gave him one last lingering look, eyes meeting his in a tacit invitation to him. Eli knew that look. He knew what she wanted, and he knew that he wanted it too. But it wasn’t the right time. It just wasn’t. Maybe when they’d got themselves out of this mess, then he could think about it. So, he looked away from her gaze and settled himself on the floor using his jacket as a pillow. He heard Tess let out a sigh of frustration and exhaustion but he didn’t say anything.

88

Ashley Rhodes

He was so tired that he was asleep in seconds.

Chapter Thirteen

Tess Tess awoke with a start; there was a hand clamped across her mouth and another pressed on her shoulder shaking her awake. “You need to wake up,” Eli hissed. “We need to leave. Now.” Tess’ heart was pounding with the panic of the unexpected awakening. She glanced out of the window to see that it was still dark. She could just about see the sun rising on the horizon, signified by a soft golden glow that was just beginning to illuminate the sky. She watched as Eli stalked to the window and lifted the blinds, peering surreptitiously out. He turned to face her and in the gloom Tess could see that he was gripped with panic. She jumped out of bed and quickly pulled on her clothes. Had the Sons caught up with them? Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She went to the window and put her lips close to Eli’s ear. “What’s going on?” Eli put a finger to his lips and indicated that she should crouch out of sight. “I think they found us,” he whispered. “Or if they haven’t yet, they’re going to soon.” “What do we do?” Tess could hear the panic in her voice, but tried her best to push it down and not let it overcome her. She peered around the edge of the blinds and into the empty parking lot beyond. There. Four bikes, parked next to one another near to the entrance to the motel reception. The owners

90

Ashley Rhodes

of the bikes weren’t visible, but Tess could only assume that they were in the reception. She heard an intake of breath from Eli. He looked down at her, his face half shrouded in the gloom. “Here is what we’re going to do. When I open this door, you’re going to run round back where the bike is parked. I’ll be right behind you. Don’t stop, don’t turn around, just run for the bike. It’s our only chance. Understood?” Tess nodded, not trusting her voice. She didn’t want to think what would happen if they caught them. “Right. On three. One. Two.” Eli paused, as if he was waiting for the right moment. “Three.” He threw open the door, and without thinking Tess charged out and did exactly as she had been told. She ran left and then round the back of the motel building. Eli’s bike was parked there, just as he said. She jumped on the back, and a second later Eli was there, clutching the suitcase and the rest of their meagre possessions. He slammed the bike into gear as the engine roared into life. They tore away through the motel parking lot, and as they were leaving Tess glanced behind them and saw four leather – clad bikers come running out from the motel reception area. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the expression on their faces told her everything she needed to know. Anger. Excitement. They’d found their quarry. Three of the bikers jumped onto their vehicles, while the other pulled a cell phone from his pocket and talked into it for a few moments before starting his own bike. That was all Tess could see before they were out of sight. Eli was accelerating dangerously fast, faster than Tess had ever gone before. Luckily, the roads were still empty. Tess leaned forward and shouted into his ear. “What are we going to do? Where can we go?”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

91

Eli didn’t respond. He was focused on the road, his jaw set. Tess held on for dear life as the bike kept on going faster and faster. The engine was singing, a throaty roar that in any other circumstance would have been impressive. However, at this moment all it was doing was signifying to her just how much danger they were in. It only took a couple of minutes for them to reach the edge of town. The road stretched out in front of them once more, endlessly into the desert. The only small blessing was that the sun was still very weak and low in the sky. Before long though, it would start to heat up again. Tess didn’t know if she could take another day underneath that relentless heat. She had been doing her best not to complain, and not to show Eli how much she had suffered the previous day, but she didn’t know how long she could keep this up. The three hours of sleep hadn’t been enough, and it was only the adrenaline that was currently keeping her alert. She chanced another glance behind them, and when she did her worst fears were confirmed. The sons were minutes behind, and while not yet gaining on them she knew it was only a matter of time. Tess was scared; she felt utterly powerless. Her life was in Eli’s hands, and she had no idea how he was going to get them out of this mess. She decided to ask him again. “Eli. Please tell me you have a plan. They are gaining on us, and fast. We can’t stay ahead of them forever. What are we going to do?” He glanced around at her, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly when he saw how close the other bikers had gotten already. “We just need to get to the next town,” he shouted over the roar of the engine. “I made a call, before you woke up. There should be someone waiting for us there.”

92

Ashley Rhodes

Tess felt a surge of hope, a lifeline where before there had been only despair. “How far to the next town? Do you think we can make it?” No response. Eli was focused on the road once more, and Tess knew that she wouldn’t get any more out of him. She felt like they were racing inevitably towards some sort of climax, some sort of conclusion. She just hoped it would go however Eli had planned it. A sign raced towards them. Tess just about caught sight of it as it whizzed by. Hope spring. 12 miles. Twelve miles. Tess began to believe they could make it. She trusted Eli to get there before they were caught. She knew he could do it. He had to do it. She could hear the roar of the bikes behind them now, closer, ever closer. Something kicked up some dust and masonry from the road just to her right. Tess frowned, confused. What was that? It happened again, closer this time. Tess’ blood run cold as she suddenly realized what was happening. They were bullets, hitting the road right next to the bike. “Eli! Are those bullets? They’re shooting at us!” Panic threatened to send Tess over the edge, and she could hear it in her own voice. “I know,” Eli shouted. “Stay calm. They’re just trying to scare us. They won’t risk losing the drugs, and if they shoot us or the bike there’s a risk of that. Just hold on tight and I’ll get us there.” More pinging sounds from all around now, more bullets whizzing through the air. But it seemed like Eli was correct - they were far enough away from the bike that it seemed to be deliberate. No matter what Eli said though, Tess was still terrified. She’d never been shot at before, and it was something

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

93

she would have been happy to have lived her entire life without ever experiencing. The sound that the guns made caused Tess to flinch every time - each was an explosion of sound clearly audible even over the angry whine of the bikes. When it became clear that Eli wasn’t going to be intimidated by the gunfire, the Sons tried a new tactic. At this point they were only a few meters behind, keeping pace with Eli. Tess’ attention was drawn by movements in the corner of her eye. She looked over and to her horror, saw two of the bikes pulling up beside them. “Give it up, Eli,” they shouted. “You ain’t got nowhere to go. Pull over and make this easy on yourselves. Nobody gotta get hurt. You’re just makin’ it...” Whatever the guy had been meaning to say was lost in the wind as Eli wrenched on the throttle and pulled away from the bikes. Tess could just about make out what Eli said next. “Fucking lies. Soon as Tex arrives we’re good as dead if we stop.” The road and the sand were passing in a blur. Tess’ hair was whipping every which way in the wind, and her knuckles were sore from gripping the seat. Her heart was pumping at a hundred miles a minute and she was shaking all over from the massive amounts of adrenaline in her bloodstream. It couldn’t be far now, surely. Everything would be okay. Tess just had to trust Eli. Not far now...

Chapter Fourteen

Eli Eli had never driven this fast this far before. He didn’t know how long the bike would be able to handle it without overheating. The sounds coming from the engine were worrying him, but as long as it got them to the next town he could worry about everything else later. He was trying to maintain a calm demeanor for Tess, but it was getting more and more difficult. If those men behind them caught up, if they decided to make a move, the two of them were finished. At these speeds, it would only take a slight nudge for everything to end in disaster. That morning, just before he’d woken Tess, he’d used her cell phone to call the Hope Springs PD. Eli knew that it would probably mean he would end up back in prison before the end of the day; one stipulation of his parole was that he was to have no contact with any member of a biker gang in any capacity. But he had no choice. If he was alone, maybe he would try to go out fighting. But with Tess here he needed to think about her safety. This was the only way, and it was still dangerous - things could still go wrong, people could still get hurt. But one thing was for certain; Tex and the Sons of Flame would be going down with him. Eli knew how reckless and impulsive Tex got when someone crossed him. Eli was leading him into a trap, and he just hoped that Tex would fall into it without causing any more harm and suffering. Almost there now. If he did go back to prison, he hoped Tess would be able to forgive him and that this entire experience

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

95

wouldn’t scar her too much. She was a good woman, and she didn’t deserve to have been caught up in this whole sorry mess. If anything happened to her, Eli would never be able to forgive himself. Just a mile. One more mile. The engine was whining and the gears were grinding, but they would make it. The first houses were coming into view now, squatting on the horizon. Hope Springs was yet another sad, dying little desert town, and Eli knew that the PD here would be just a few guys, ill-equipped to deal with the entire sons of flame. During his hurried phone call that morning, he’d told them to call for backup. He could only hope that they had listened to him, because if it was just going to be the sheriff and a couple of his deputies, everything was going to be ruined. Tex had over a dozen men, all armed, and if they were cornered they wouldn’t hesitate to use their weapons. Eli prayed that it wouldn’t come to that. He didn’t want to see any more bloodshed. His own freedom was worth sacrificing if it meant an end to the Sons of Flame. Tess was clinging onto him for dear life, her fingers clutching his jacket and her legs gripping his waist tight. Eli could only imagine how scared she was; hell, he was scared himself and he’d been in worse situations than this during his time in the Sons. Less than a mile now. Those little buildings were growing larger and larger, approaching at breakneck speed. Eli shot a glance over his right shoulder and saw that their pursuers were shouting to each other, pointing at the approaching town. Eli knew that he would not be able to maintain his speed once they got into the town proper, and he also knew that the Sons would take this opportunity to make their move. He had to get to the place he had told the police to be waiting before the Sons could stop them. There was a car on the road in front of them, moving slowly. Just a red sedan, and Eli was going to have to swerve around it. He made the manoeuver skillfully and swiftly, but someone

96

Ashley Rhodes

behind him was not so lucky. Eli heard a crashing sound as one of the bikes went flying off the road in a terrible squeal of burning rubber and twisted metal. The biker’s compatriots made no move to stop or even turn to check on his condition, but Eli knew there was little chance that the man had survived, considering the speed at which they were going. He briefly felt a twinge of guilt that a man had probably lost his life, but cast it aside. The blood was on Tex’s hands - the Sons leader was the reason they were all out here anyway. But the fact that not one of the Sons had stopped for their fallen brother demonstrated to Eli exactly how much Tex wanted him. Brotherhood was such an important tenet of the biker code that for the other guys to have abandoned him meant that Eli and the suitcase he was carrying was priority number one, above all else. Tex wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Eli prayed that no more blood would need to be spilled before this day was done. They were inside the town now, and it looked almost exactly like the one they had spent the previous night in. Just another dead or dying desert town; dry, dusty, hot. But today, Eli knew there was to be a reckoning here, in this otherwise meaningless place. He couldn’t help but laugh dryly to himself - this place, where nothing of any importance ever happened was to be the place that would define the rest of his life, and maybe Tess’ too. They were racing down what passed for a main street here, at a lower speed than they had been on the open road, but still dangerously fast. There was more likely to be traffic here, other vehicles just going about their day, and all it would take was one wrong move and they were dead. Eli had been here before, once. He had told the police to be waiting in a strip mall parking lot, and he was nearly there now. Eli turned the corner, expecting to see the blaring lights and wailing sirens of the police.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

97

But there was nothing. The parking lot was empty. They hadn’t showed up, and Eli was now trapped. He pulled into the lot and drove to the far corner in a futile attempt to put as much distance between his bike and the Sons’. The parking lot was enclosed, which was precisely why Eli had chosen it. He had thought it would make it easier for the police to surround the Sons, but now it looked like it was also to be the reason for his downfall. He stopped the bike, turned off the engine and stood to face the incoming bikers. There were four of them now, the arrogance of victory written clearly across their faces. They stepped off their bikes and began to walk slowly towards him.

Chapter Fifteen

Tess When they pulled into the parking lot, Tess breathed a sigh of relief. This was where Eli’s plan, whatever it was, would be put into practice. But after a minute or so, when nobody showed up and the Sons had blocked them in, doubts began to creep into her mind. “Eli,” she hissed. “What’s happening? Is somebody coming?” He turned to her, and the expression on his face told her all that she needed to know. “They were supposed to be,” he said. “But they’re not here. Fuckers lied to me. They told me they would be here, they told me they were ready to deal with this. But they’re not.” He turned back around to face the incoming Sons, placing his body between them and Tess. Tess shivered in fear, but tried not to show it. The suitcase full of drugs sat at her feet, and a vain flash of optimism passed through her; that they would take the drugs and leave them be. But she knew this would never happen. Tex was too cruel, too vindictive to let this pass without punishment. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe the police were on their way. The sons were close now, calling out with threatening jeers to her and Eli. “Thought you could run, huh? Thought you could get away with stealing Tex’s shit? Bobby died back on the road there, and it’s your fault Eli! You’re gonna get what you deserve just as soon as Tex arrives.” Eli didn’t say anything in response, he just stood there stoically.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

99

“You can do whatever you want to me,” he said softly, “but leave the woman alone. She’s got nothing to do with this whole thing. Let her go and I’ll come without a fight.” The foremost biker, an ugly man with a squint and a scarred face just laughed in Eli’s face. “You ain’t in any position to start making demands of us boy. She’s a witness and I don’t think Tex wants witnesses running around out there.” The four of them were just a few feet away now. The one who had been speaking leered at Tess. “Besides, she’s a cute one. Fresh and sweet. Me and the boys are gonna have some fun with this one once we’ve finished with business.” Tess felt fear and revulsion well up inside her at his words and the expressions on the faces of those repulsive men. But there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. She saw Eli’s body tense up, bristling with barely contained anger. “You lay a single finger on her and I’ll fucking kill you, you hear Shank? I’ll kill you.” Eli’s voice was soft and low, but the threat and venom in his words was enough to stop the guy in his tracks. But only for a moment. Then he just laughed. “What’re you gonna kill me with? In case you ain’t noticed, we got all the weapons here. You ain’t got shit. So shut your fucking mouth, boy, before I make you. You’re lucky Tex told us not to hurt you before he arrived or you’d be a fucking bloody puddle on the ground already.” A dozen more bikes came roaring into the parking lot, engines rumbling and tires squealing. It was Tex and the rest of the Sons. Tess felt strangely detached from her body. She didn’t know what was going to happen to her, but she very much doubted it would be anything good. Was this going to be where she died? Here, in this shabby parking lot, in this crumbling old town?

100

Ashley Rhodes

The new arrivals were cheering and hollering, waving their guns around. And there, face smug in triumph, was Tex. His thumbs were hooked through the belt loops of his jeans and a large handgun dangled from a holster at his side. He sauntered toward them, as if savoring the moment, prolonging it. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? I was starting to think we weren’t gonna find you and your lovely lady friend, Eli.” The Sons of Flame leader stepped closer to Eli, until he was right in his face. “It didn’t have to be like this, Eli. All you had to do was keep the product hidden. Was that so fucking difficult? And now you’ve forced my hand. I damn near raised you, Eli Flint. I took you in when nobody else would; I gave you a job, a life. And this is how you repay me?” Eli didn’t back down, and it broke Tess’s heart to see how he blithely stared death in the face. “Once upon a time, I believed that, Tex. I thought we were a brotherhood, true family. But you showed me what you think about your family. You showed me how little I meant to you.” Eli spat on the floor at his feet. Tex just sighed, and made like he was going to turn away. But then, out of nowhere his fist landed on Eli’s nose. Eli grunted in pain as blood splattered down his shirt and onto the ground. But he didn’t fall. He set his shoulders, and spat again. Tex just shook his head. “You always were a stubborn son of a bitch, Eli. Too stubborn for your own good.” He beckoned to a few of his men, who stepped forward menacingly. Tess ran around in front of Eli and put herself between him and the Sons. “Stop! Enough! We have the case. Take it, here.” She lifted it and shoved it toward Tex, who eyed her up. “I like this one, Eli. She’s got some spirit, some fight in her.”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

101

He laughed but then his demeanour changed in an instant. A dark scowl crossed his face and he looked at Tess with lizard eyes. "All I want from you," he said "is for you to stand there and look pretty. I don't want to hear another word out of your fucking mouth. Understood?" Tess stared at him defiantly. "You don't scare me," she said, hoping that nobody would notice her hands shaking. "You are nothing but a coward, an ugly fucking coward. Take your drugs and go, leave us here. No more blood needs to be spilled; nobody else needs to get hurt. End this now." She didn't even see the blow coming, just found herself spitting blood and staring up into the endless blue sky. Above her, she saw Eli grappling with Tex, his arm wrapped around the Sons of Flame leader's neck. He was overpowering him, getting the better of the exchange until one of the other gang members hit him across the back of the head with the butt of his pistol. With a sickening crack Eli crumpled to the ground, blood trickling from an open wound on his scalp. He landed next to Tess, and she saw that while he was dazed, he was still conscious. His eyes met hers, and for the first time she saw fear in them. "Don't," he whispered. "Just keep quiet, or you will only make it worse. Don't make him angry; he'll hurt you." Eli grunted as a steel toe capped boot thudded into his side. "It's almost admirable that you want to protect this mouthy bitch," Tex wheezed. "But stupid. We were already going to beat the shit out of you, Eli Flint, but you're making me even angrier than I already was." Another sickening thump as the boot found its home in Eli's stomach again. Eli still didn’t cry out, but Tess knew he was in serious pain. A few more kicks like that, and he was at risk of serious internal injuries. "Pick this piece of trash up off the floor," Tex said. "And bring his little whore too; we'll have some fun with her later."

102

Ashley Rhodes

Two men dragged Eli to his feet - blood trickled from his nose and mouth, and he looked dazed, but he wasn't broken. His eyes burned with intense hatred, so much so that Tess felt a shiver run through her. "I will kill you, Tex, if you lay a single finger on her. I swear it. Let her go." Tex shook his head. "Did you hit your head on the ground, Eli? Look around you, you've lost. You're done. Now shut the fuck up before I just put a bullet in your head right here and now." Eli was silent then, but his eyes never left Tex. Tess knew that if he was given the chance, he would make good on his promise, and that scared her. Two more Sons lifted her to her feet and dragged her over to their waiting bikes. She allowed herself to be taken, because she didn't know what else to do. She tried to remain positive, to stay strong, but she knew they were in trouble. Real trouble.

Chapter Sixteen

Tess Tess sat in the damp darkness and hugged her knees, trying not to let herself give in to despair. After they had left the parking lot, the Sons had taken them to an old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. It seemed as if they'd set up a temporary camp of sorts out here. She and Eli had been separated as soon as they'd arrived. Eli had been dragged away, struggling and cursing, as she watched in horror. He had managed to twist around and, briefly, their eyes met. Tess saw his strength, his tenacity, in those clear blue eyes of his, and she drew from it, steeling herself and not allowing panic to overtake her. That had been eight hours previously, and since then the only human contact that Tess had had was when a younger member of the Sons had opened the door and given her some water. When she’d tried to get some answers out of him, some idea of what was going on, he’d just told her to shut up and closed the door behind him. Tess had paced back and forth in the small room, over and over, looking for a way out or a weapon of some kind she could possibly use to escape. But there was nothing, just the dripping sound from a broken water pipe somewhere and the damp stink of decay. They had taken her bag away before they had arrived at this place, so any hopes of her using her cell phone to call out for help were hopeless. Tess was beginning to despair that she would ever leave this horrible room, when the door was suddenly thrown open. Tess shaded her eyes from the bright light coming from outside, and withdrew to a corner as somebody was bodily

104

Ashley Rhodes

thrown into the room, landing on the floor with a thump. The door was closed quickly once more, and Tess rushed over to her new companion. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the semidarkness, but when they did and she saw who it was she cried out in shock and fear. Eli appeared to be unconscious, and he was barely recognisable as the same man that Tess had come to develop feelings for over the past couple of weeks. His face was swollen mass of bruising and contusions, with one eye sealed shut and the other not much better. His hair was tangled and matted with his own blood, which had also stained his shirt. He appeared to be unconscious, and Tess reached out to him, caressing his face and whispering gently to him. “Oh my God, Eli, what have they done to you? Can you hear me? Are you awake?” No response. His breathing was at least even and deep. Tess tore a strip from her T-shirt, and soaked it in some of the water she had been given. She began to wipe away the blood on Eli’s face and head, crooning and whispering to him as she did so. It wasn’t going to be much help, and it wouldn’t cure his injuries, but it was all she could do. When she was done, he still looked awful, but better. She took the bottle of water and put it to his lips. Eli groaned, and his one good eye fluttered open. “Where am I?” It took him only a moment or two to remember everything that had happened, and then his expression changed in an instant, going from one of confusion to one of anger. “Did they touch you? Did they hurt you?” Tess shushed him, putting her hand on his chest and laying him back down.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

105

“No, Eli. Nobody has been in here. They’ve left me alone for now. Save your energy - I don’t know if you have any internal injuries, and if you do you don’t want to make them worse.” He reluctantly lay back down, and winced in pain as he did so. For a while the two of them sat there in silence. Tess felt absurdly happy to have him back with her, even in this horrible situation they found themselves in; she just tried not to think about what the near future held for them. She didn’t know why Tex hadn’t just finished the job, but she didn’t want to ask Eli for fear of the answer. She looked down at him - his face was etched with pain, and she didn’t know how much more this punishment he would be able to take before serious, permanent damage was done to his body. “Eli,” she whispered, “I need to get out of here, go to try and find some help. If I don’t, I can’t see either of us getting out of this alive. Am I right?” He nodded weakly, and when he spoke his voice was thin and quiet with none of the righteous anger that he had displayed just moments before. “He’s only keeping me alive to torture me, and taunt me with this moment of victory before he gets rid of me once and for all.” Tess waited for more, waited for him to outline the plan that she was certain he must have. Throughout this whole thing he had always been in control, always known where to go and what to do next. But she waited and waited, and he didn’t say anything else. “What shall I do? We need to think of something before they come back again.” Eli just shook his head, and even that small motion was almost beyond him in his current state. “They have guns, they outnumber us fifteen to one, and I can barely stand by myself right now. How do you expect us to even get out of this room?”

106

Ashley Rhodes

He sagged down and sighed, a sound of complete despair and hopelessness. Tess looked down at him and she was silent for a few moments. But then, she frowned and her brow furrowed. “No. No, I won’t accept that Eli. I don’t want to hear you speak like that, you hear me? Not now, not ever. Understand?” His eyes fluttered open again. There was fear and hopelessness in them, but Tess refused to allow those emotions to take root in her. “Now, listen to me because we don’t have much time. I need you to work with me to think of something to get us out of this mess. We may as well try because if we don’t we’re good as dead anyway, right?” He groaned and turned away from her, curling up into the fetal position. “Save your energy,” he whispered. “They might not kill you. It’s me they really want, and Tex will finish the job soon.” Tess was horrified at his words, and a sudden swell of anger surged through her. She grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him back round, despite his groans of pain. She met his eyes again and held his gaze, even when he tried to look away. “And what do you think they will do with me once they’re finished with you, huh? Do you think they’ll just let me go, send me off with a pat on the back as long as I promise not to tell anybody what happened? No, Eli, that’s not what will happen to me. You know what will happen to me. If you’re just going to roll over and accept that, then you’re not the man I thought you were.” She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving with fury. Something entered Eli’s eyes that wasn’t there before, a glint that told Tess her words had gotten through to him. He dragged himself upwards into a sitting position, and then scooted backwards so that he leant against a wall. From there he looked at her, with something approaching mirth.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

107

“Can you go ask them to get me a new nurse please? Your bedside manner is appalling, and I don’t even think you’ve been trained properly for this job.” He even managed to crack a wan smile, which Tess couldn’t help but return. Her anger melted away as quickly as it had come, and she went to sit next to him. “Hey, I might not have received all the proper training, but I fill out a nurse’s outfit pretty damn well if I don’t say so myself. Maybe I should ask Tex if he has a spare one lying around so I can show you.” Eli chuckled, but then winced and clutched at his ribs. “Don’t make me laugh,” he said, “I think I’ve cracked a few ribs.” He turned his head to look at her, his expression earnest and serious. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me, and I’m lucky I have you here with me. If it was just me, I would still be lying there on the floor feeling sorry for myself and waiting to die.” “Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Tess said. “Now, can you remember anything about the outside of this room? How many men do they have guarding us? I think I can remember the way to the exit, but we need to think about some way to distract the guard so I can sneak out.” Eli’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall. “I think that there’s only one guy out there. The rest of them are in the big warehouse-type room getting drunk and celebrating. It’s a regular old party they got going on out there.” Tess thought for a moment. “Then I bet the guy outside probably isn’t too happy being relegated to guard duty, huh?” Eli shrugged. “I guess not. But that doesn’t mean that he’s gonna just let you out if you ask nicely.”

108

Ashley Rhodes

“Well, how about if I just invite him in? I may stink, and my clothes might be all ragged, but I think I still have a few of my feminine charms about me.” Eli nodded. “Well, I certainly won’t argue with you on that one.” Tess took a breath. “Well then, I think I have an idea.” She leaned over to Eli, and began to whisper in his ear.

Chapter Seventeen

Eli Eli lay there on the ground, curled up in the same fetal position that Tess had so unceremoniously dragged him out of a little while before. His eyes were closed, and he made an effort to keep his breathing deep and slow and steady. Every inch of him ached, and he was certain that at least two or three of his ribs were broken. Nonetheless, if their plan was going to work he would need to muster every last remaining ounce of strength that he had. “Are you ready?” Tess whispered. Eli gave her a thumbs up, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do, and praying that it would work. It was the only chance they were going to get, and he just hoped that his memory of the guard was accurate. He listened as Tess shuffled to the door and wrapped on it loudly with her knuckles. “Hey,” she said, “can you come in here a sec? I need something.” No response. There was silence for a short while, and then she tried again, knocking louder this time. “Open the door! It’s important!” Eli’s heart pounded as he heard the old rusty door squeal in protest as it was suddenly thrown open. “Shut the fuck up!” The guy sounded young, and Eli didn’t recognize his voice. He must have been a new recruit to have landed the shit duty like this. “We need some more water,” Tess said.

110

Ashley Rhodes

The guy laughed dryly. “Oh really? I tell you what, why don’t I bring you some candles and a bottle of wine with that?” Eli heard him shuffle back toward the doorway, and his heart sank. But before he heard the door close again Tess spoke, and this time there was something in her voice that Eli had never heard before, but immediately wanted to hear again. “I’ll make it worth your while. Really worth your while.” Her voice was low and sultry, utterly believable. Eli heard the guy stop in his tracks. “Tex said he wants first go at you, while loverboy over there watches. He’d fucking kill me if he found out I’d gone first.” Eli listened as Tess’ footsteps approached the sound of the man’s voice. “Tex never needs to know, does he? I’m not gonna tell him. Why don’t you just come over here, and we can have a little fun? It can be our little secret.” Silence for a few moments, and when the guy spoke again his voice was thick with lust and desire. It made Eli’s skin crawl, but he didn’t move. Not yet. “Well, they’re all drinking in there, celebratin’ without me. Why shouldn’t I get to have some fun?” “Exactly,” Tess purred. “All you have to do in exchange is bring me some water after.” Shuffling sounds as the guy grabbed at Tess. Eli chanced a glance and saw him pawing at her, pressing her roughly up against the filthy wall. Anger and disgust rose up in him, making him forget his pain for just a moment. It was enough. He surged up off the floor and raced to the guy, cracking him on the back of the head with the broken piece of pipe that Tess had torn off a wall. He went limp immediately and fell to the ground in heap.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

111

Tess spat on him, and then kicked him for good measure. Eli was breathing heavily, bent over leaning on the wall with one hand. He looked up at Tess. “Go. Run away and try to get some help. Leave me here, because I can barely walk and I’ll just slow you down.” She looked angry at the proposition. “Are you out of your mind? I thought we knew each other better than this by now, Eli. There’s no way that I’m going to leave you here, don’t be so stupid. Now come here - can you walk? Here, put your arm around me and I’ll help you.” Eli protested weakly as she took his arm and draped it around her shoulders, but she was determined and he could see that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Before they left, he looked down and noticed their guard’s gun on the ground. It was a revolver. Eli crouched down and picked it up. He’d never much liked guns, especially since the incident in the desert that had led to his arrest, but its weight was pleasing in his hand and at least this way he’d have a way to defend Tess and himself if they were discovered escaping. “Okay, let’s go,” Tess said. “I’ll check that the way is clear first, and then come back for you.” She went to the door and peered out for a few moments. Eli could hear the faint sounds of laughing and revelry, as the Sons celebrated their victory. He just hoped that they were drunk enough by this point, and confident enough in their guard’s capabilities, that they wouldn’t send somebody to check up on them before he and Tess managed to get out. She came back to him, and took his arm once more. “I can’t see anybody, but I can hear them. We need to do this in one straight shot, or there’s a chance that they’ll realize what’s going on - and if they do, I really don’t think we’ll get another chance.” She met Eli’s eyes, her own full of empathy.

112

Ashley Rhodes

“I know you’re hurting, Eli, but I also know that you’re strong enough for this. Are you ready?” Eli gritted his teeth, and then nodded. She was right - he was in real pain, and without her he would have already given up and accepted his fate. But her determination and bravery spurred him on, and he did his best to block everything out and draw from his deepest reserves of willpower. She looked into his eyes for a few more moments, and then leaned in and kissed him softly, lingeringly. Her lips were so soft, and even through his pain Eli was aware of the curves of her body against his as she leaned into him. She broke away reluctantly after a few seconds. “I want you to make me a promise, Eli Flint - promise me that won’t be our last kiss.” Eli replied without hesitation. “I promise you.” She took a breath and nodded, and, taking as much of his weight as she could bear on her shoulders, they shuffled toward the door. Tess checked that the coast was clear, and then they took their first step outside of the room. The rest of this old abandoned building was as rundown and shabby as the small room they had been imprisoned in. It stank of damp and mold and decay, and the entire place was filthy with decades of dust. It hung in the air, kicked up by their footsteps. Every step was agony for Eli, his broken ribs sending daggers through him at the slightest movement. It took all of his willpower not to cry out, to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even despite Tess’ efforts to help him. As they made their way through the narrow corridor, the sounds of the Sons celebrating grew louder and more distinct. They had set up camp in the large warehouse at the front of the building. Tess and Eli were going to have to walk past an open door to get out, and that was when their risk of discovery would be highest.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

113

Eli strained his ears as they got closer, until he could make out words and sentences. Tex’s rough, gravelly voice filtered out to him. “...how that stupid son of a bitch ever thought he was going to get away with stealing my product. Well, I bet he’s regretting that decision now, huh?” Eli’s eyes narrowed and his fists clenched as the Sons of Flame leader laughed smugly. This isn’t over. You’ll pay for everything you’ve done to me, Tex. And the price is going to be even higher now that you’ve brought Tess into it. Eli wanted to charge in there and put a bullet between the eyes of that abhorrent piece of human trash, but he wasn’t quite ready to make a martyr of himself just yet. There would be time later on to settle the score. He’d get out of here, recover, regain his strength and then reckoning would come. The Sons had obviously been drinking, judging by the way that their words were becoming slurred, their raucous shouts ever louder. This played into his and Tess’ hands, but sneaking past that doorway was still going to be a huge risk. They reached the doorway and Tess came to a stop just before they would have revealed themselves. She turned to Eli, her eyes wide and her body shaking with fear and adrenaline. Eli held up a finger and pressed it to his lips. She nodded in understanding. Eli motioned to her, indicating that she should stand behind him. She looked doubtful, but she didn’t protest. His nerves jangling, Eli craned his neck and peered around the corner of the doorway ever so slowly, ready to hide again at the slightest possibility of being seen. The scene gradually came into view, and it wasn’t good news. The bikers were arranged around the room, sitting and standing in a rough circle. There were at least four whose view encompassed the doorway that he and Tess needed to get past.

114

Ashley Rhodes

The only hope they had was to wait for exactly the right moment, and tried to slip by when nobody’s attention was focused on that entrance. Eli could hear Tess’ breathing behind him, coming in rapid and shallow gasps. The last thing that they needed was for her to succumb to panic, so he reached backwards and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. She seemed to instinctively understand what he was trying to tell her, and he heard her take three deep slow breaths to try to calm herself down. Suddenly, the moment that he had been waiting for presented itself. Tex stood, clutching a half-empty bottle of bourbon that he raised above his head in a toast. The rest of the Sons followed his example with their own bottles. “To the Sons of Flame! To the brotherhood!” Eli knew that there wasn’t going to be a better chance than this. He grabbed ahold of Tess’ wrist and tugged on it gently, letting her know that she needed to be ready to bolt. He felt her body tense, heard her take a breath and hold it. Eli waited until the exact moment that each man raised his own bottle to his lips, and then they ran. It was just a few feet, but as he took the first step it may as well have been a yawning chasm. He expected at any moment to hear someone call out, a shout of anger - but it never came. A second later, he and Tess were on the other side of the doorway and the Sons were still cheering their toast, seemingly none the wiser. They had made it. Now all they needed to do was get out, get away. The hard part was done, and they were still alive, still fighting. Tess took Eli’s arm and wrapped it around her shoulders once more. Moving as quickly as they could, and glancing behind them every few seconds to make sure that they definitely weren’t seen, the two of them made their way towards the exit.

Chapter Eighteen

Tess It all seemed so easy. Too easy. They quietly opened the door at the end of the corridor, and found themselves in an overgrown yard, with scrubby weeds growing through the shabby tarmac, and rusted old machinery scattered haphazardly around. It was night, and blessedly cool after the warm,damp stink of the interior they'd escaped from. Tess breathed in a deep lungful of the fresh air; she never thought that she'd be so glad to find herself out in the desert. She didn't give herself long to enjoy it though, because they weren't out of this yet. After their dash past the doorway, Eli had gotten heavier on her shoulders, relying on her more and more to bear his weight. He needed to get to a hospital, and soon. She glanced round at him - he was pale and sickly, his face bathed in a sheen of sweat. He looked terrible, and she was worried about him, but he still managed to flash her a faded smile. "We did it," he gasped. Tess looked around at their surroundings, and her heart immediately sank. The yard was surrounded by an old chain link fence; it was rusted and had obviously seen better days, but it still looked sturdy enough. Their problem was at the entrance - there was a gate there, closed and locked with a brand new padlock. Tex may have been careless enough to let them escape, but his complacency hadn't extended to leaving the entire building unsecured from the outside.

116

Ashley Rhodes

Tess allowed Eli's arm to drop from her shoulders, and he immediately slumped to the ground with a soft groan. She went over to the fence and grabbed at the door, shaking it and trying to force it open. However, it was stronger than it looked, and there was no way that she would be able to get it open without something like a pair of bolt cutters. Tess glanced over her shoulder, back to the doorway into the building. It was possible that there was something in there that she would be able to use, but there was no way she was going back inside. It was too risky. She hurried back to Eli; he was still sprawled on the ground, pale and barely conscious. Tess’ attention was drawn to the handgun he had taken from the guard. An idea crossed her mind, and she leant down and retrieved it. As she did so, Eli’s eyes focused and he looked up at her. “What are you doing?” “I need to get this padlock off the fence, all we aren’t going to get out of here. I thought that I could just shoot it off.” Eli shook his head slowly. “That’s a Colt .45. Have you ever heard one of those things go off? Tex and the rest would be out here in seconds, and I’m in no condition to be running away from them right now.” Tess knew he was right, but she was getting desperate. It was so frustrating to be this close to freedom, yet be unable to take that one last step. She looked over at the fence once more, sizing it up in her mind. The links left enough space between them that she thought she would be able to climb it, and it wasn’t high enough that she couldn’t jump down once she had scaled it. “Okay then,” she said. “We need to climb it. I’ll help you, just...” Eli cut her off. “You know that’s not going to happen, Tess. Look at me; I can barely stand even with your help. I’m gonna tell you what to do, and I need you to listen to me and do as I say. Understand?”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

117

Tess thought about protesting, about trying to force him to climb that fence - but she knew he was right. There was no way he was getting over it, and so now everything was on her. “Okay. I’m listening.” “You can make it over that fence, so I need you to leave me here while you go and get some help. Go to the police station and bring them back with you. I’ll hide here until you come back - I’ll have this gun with me too, so you won’t need to worry about me. I can defend myself.” Tess could tell that he was trying to appear more confident than he actually felt, but she knew he was right. As hard as it was going to be for her to leave him here, it was their only option for getting out of this mess alive. “OK,” she finally said. “Where’s the police station?” “It’s on the main street, maybe half a kilometer away. Just turn left when you get onto the road and you won’t be able to miss it. Now go - the longer we spend talking about this, the more time we give Tex to find out that we’re missing.” Tess nodded, panic and concern tying a knot in her stomach. “Before I go, let me help you find a better hiding spot,” she said, leaning down and hooking her hands under his armpits, grunting with exertion as she lifted him from the ground. He was unsteady on his feet and glassy-eyed, but allowed himself to be led to a nearby pile of tires which he slumped behind, gun clutched loosely in his fingers. He looked barely able to lift the damn thing, and it made it that much harder for Tess to leave him. She took a breath, though, and forced herself to stand again and began to turn away from him. “One last thing, before you go,” he whispered. She turned back around and saw his outstretched hand. She took it, and he pulled her gently down to him. “You promised me at least one more kiss,” he smiled, and pulled her in close. As their lips met, Tess was shocked at how cold his skin felt, but tried not to show it.

118

Ashley Rhodes

“This isn’t goodbye,” she said as she stood. “I promise you that. Hold it together until I get back - I know you can do it.” “Hell yes I can,” he said fiercely, a little more fire entering his eyes and voice. “Now go.” She didn’t look back again as she went to the fence and scrabbled over it, cursing silently as she scratched herself on a loose thread of metal, opening a gash on her forearm. She reached the top and swung her legs over, then dropped to the ground as gracefully as she could manage. The impact momentarily took her breath away, but she wasn’t injured. Tess took a deep breath, steadied herself, and broke into a jog toward the lights of the main road.

The streets were silent and empty, eerily so. As Tess ran, she tried not to think about Eli, sitting there alone, tried not to imagine Tex noticing their absence and descending on the injured man. Eli was strong, and resourceful. He’d survive until she came back with help; he had to. Running was more difficult than she had anticipated. The cool night air burned in her lungs, and her legs felt leaden and heavy. While she’d been spared the physical punishment that Eli had endured, she’d still barely eaten for the past couple of days, and she was running on very little sleep. However, she never slowed, not even a little. She pushed through the pain, focusing all her efforts on reaching the police station, where their salvation lay. After a few minutes her breath was coming in ragged gasps. She was struggling to put one foot in front of the other, and blood was oozing from the fresh wound on her arm. Her clothes were filthy and in tatters, and in any other situation she might

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

119

have found it darkly amusing at the sight she must have presented, shambling down the street. Finally, her goal came into sight, looming up in the distance, a shining beacon of light on the dark desert road. She stumbled up to the entrance, and threw the door open with a shout.

Chapter Nineteen

Tess “Help me! We need help!” The two sleepy-looking law enforcement officers stared at her with wide-eyed amazement, before noticing her wound and general appearance and jumping out of their seats and rushing over to her. “Take a seat, ma’am, and calm yourself down, you’re safe now. What’s happened, are you hurt?” Tess waved away their words and their attempts to lead her to a chair. “No, no, we don’t have time. You need to listen to me, and you need to call in reinforcements. NOW. We were kidnapped, my friend and I, and he’s injured and I left him behind there. We were being kept in an abandoned warehouse a little way down the road, and we need to get back there before they realize we’re gone.” The words tumbled from her in a garbled rush, her tongue tripping over itself as she tried to get her message across in an ever-increasing panic. To their credit, the two men immediately jumped into action, barking on the radio and getting their gear together. One of them brought her a spare shirt, which Tess gratefully pulled over her own, and in less than a minute they were ready to go, with backup on the way. “Now ma’am, you stay here and we’ll go and deal with this and get your friend out of there. You just tell us wh -”

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

121

“No,” Tess interrupted. “I’m coming with you, and don’t try to talk me out of it. Why weren’t you there this afternoon? He called you, he told you to be there.” The older of the two policemen, a grizzled older man with a sun beaten face, frowned. “We thought it was a crank call. Nothing like that ever happens in this little town.” Tess felt fury rise within her. “Well it wasn’t a crank call and now Eli’s in danger, and if anything happens to him, it’s on your head.” The police officer looked suitably cowed. “OK. You climb in the back of the cruiser, but you need to remain inside it when we get there.” Tess nodded silently, knowing that she would disobey that command if it came to it, if Eli was in danger and needed her help. The three of them hurried out to the waiting police cruiser, and Tess scrambled into the back seat as quickly as she could. Her nerves jangled with an overabundance of adrenaline, and she was acutely aware that second wasted was a second that Eli might need. The cruiser tore off the station parking lot with a squeal of rubber, and as they raced down the main drag Tess noted offhand that, on the horizon, the first glow of daylight was just appearing in a soft haze. It took less than two minutes before they arrived at the turnoff to the warehouse, and the older police officer stopped the cruiser there. He turned in his seat to face Tess. “We’re going on foot from here, ma’am. I need you to not leave this car, for your own safety. I know that your friend is in danger, and we’ll do all we can to help him, but it won’t do him any good if you get dragged into what’s probably gonna be a dangerous situation.”

122

Ashley Rhodes

I’m already involved; it’s too late for that now, for better or for worse. Tess didn’t say that though. She just nodded once more, noncommitally. The two officers checked their weapons and climbed out of the car. Tess noted that both of them looked slightly out of their depth by dint of their body language and facial expressions. She couldn’t blame them - the most they probably normally dealt with in this sleepy little town were domestic disputes and rowdy drunks. The two of them set off down the scruffy excuse for a road that led to the warehouse, crouched low, handguns held ready. Tess watched them go, eyes fixed on their every move. She managed to stay in the car for a whole minute, maybe two. Just as the two police officers approached the chain link fence that surrounded the warehouse, Tess jumped in her seat as the crack of a gunshot split the calm early morning peace. Without thinking, she flung open the car door and jumped out, adrenaline pumping once more. There was only one reason there would be gunfire - the Sons had found Eli. There was no way they could have seen and reacted to the police just yet. Discarding thoughts of her own safety, she raced along the road, only slowing once she came closer to the fence. The two officers were crouched behind a metal container, speaking rapidfire into their radios. “We have gunshots; I repeat we have gunshots at the abandoned warehouse in Hope Springs. Request immediate backup, suspects are armed and dangerous.” The older officer then noticed her, and waved her away, frantically but silently. Tess ignored him. Eli was in danger, probably mortal danger, and if she could help him she would, no matter what the risk.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

123

She lowered herself behind an old dumpster and peered around the edge. Most of the warehouse yard was in view, and when she saw the situation she began to panic. She could see Eli from this position, exactly where she had left him behind the tire pile. His face was streaked with dirt, probably from lowering himself to the ground to hide from the gunfire. He clutched the Colt in his hands, and his expression was grim. Past him, arrayed in front of the warehouse and taking cover behind various articles of scattered junk, were the Sons of Flame. Fifteen, maybe twenty of them still standing, and one lying motionless on the ground, his limbs sprawled unnaturally. Eli must have hit him. Tess felt at least some sense of satisfaction that he had managed to hold them off, despite his condition. Everything was silent apart from her own ragged breathing and racing heartbeat in her ears, but that silence was suddenly shattered by a hoarse cry from the direction of the warehouse. “I don’t know how you and your little slut of a girlfriend got out of that room, Eli, but you’re gonna fuckin’ pay for it, mark my words. Two of my men, two of my brothers, lost. Give up now, and I’ll make it quick. A bullet to the fuckin’ head is your best option right now, believe me.” Tess focused on Eli, who grimaced in pain but then swallowed it down before he shouted back. “Fuck you, Tex. You want me, come and get me. I’m waiting.” Tex snarled in fury and gestured to his remaining men, who began to fan out in a semi-circle and then advanced cautiously to Eli’s position. Tess had to do something – he stood no chance. She looked over to the two police officers, still crouching unseen and unannounced. She gestured furiously to them, but they shook their head. The older one mouthed words silently. Too many. Need backup. Tess felt a white-hot fury inside her at what she saw as their cowardice. Eli was going to die unless she did something, and so

124

Ashley Rhodes

she took the last option that she had available to her. She peered out from behind her cover, took a deep breath, and yelled as loudly as she possibly could. “POLICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS, WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!” The Sons froze mid-step, as a dozen pairs of eyes snapped over to where she was hiding. Tess ducked back down behind the container just in time, as the first bullet came whizzing over her head. “I don’t see nobody out there,” Tex shouted. “In fact, if I was a betting man, I’d wager that you’re tryin’ to pull a fast one on me, lady. You think I’m fuckin’ stupid?” He punctuated his words with more bullets, which pinged off the container and kicked up puffs of dirt as they hit the ground near her. Tess cowered down and covered her head. But then, finally, the police officers took action. The older one raised his gun over the top of his cover, and fired a few rounds blindly in the direction of Tex’s voice. “Do as she says!” he shouted. “Drop your guns, and let us take you in. Nobody else needs to die.” “Fuck you, pig!” The next few minutes were a blur for Tess – later on, when she tried to recall it, she could only remember snippets, fragments of memory. There was the sound of gunfire, the shouts of men, the unforgettable smell of cordite and gun smoke. There was the uncertainty that a bullet could hit her at any moment, and there was the fear that Eli had already met that very fate. Tess could do nothing but hide where she crouched, and wait for it all to be over. She didn’t remember exactly when the backup arrived, only that there was suddenly a huge vehicle near her from which poured a stream of heavily-armed and uniformed men. And then, suddenly, there was silence. The gunfire stopped, and a querulous voice sounded from the warehouse yard.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

125

“We surrender!” The metallic thuds of guns hitting the ground as they were dropped one by one, and then shouts from the police officers telling the men to get on the ground. There was one final memory that Tess had, one that would forever be seared into her mind. When the rest of the Sons had surrendered, Tex had howled in impotent rage. “You fucking cowards!” he screamed. “You gutless worms!” And Tess had chosen that moment to peek around one last time, to see the leader of the Sons of Flame vault over an old packing crate and charge screaming toward Eli’s hiding place. Everything seemed to enter slow-motion at that point. “Eli!” Tess screamed, and then she saw him, still conscious, still alive. He twisted his torso and peered around the edge of the tires, raised the gun, and fired one single shot. Tess recoiled in horror as it struck Tex in the chest. The Sons leader had looked surprised, his eyes wide with shock. He looked down at the crimson stain spreading on his shirt, staggered for a few more steps, and then he crumpled lifeless to the floor, unmoving. The police and paramedics had moved onto the scene then, efficiently restraining the remaining surviving members of the Sons of Flame, and tending to those who were injured. Tess rushed over to Eli, who had slumped down after firing that final shot. She reached him and caressed his face, whispering to him. “It’s OK, Eli, we made it, the police and paramedics are here. You’re gonna be OK – we’re gonna be OK.” His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled. He looked feverish and was deathly pale. “You did it,” he breathed. “I knew you would.” Tears of relief ran down Tess’ face as she embraced him, pulling him into her arms and just holding him. A few moments later, she felt hands gently pulling her away, and then the

126

Ashley Rhodes

paramedics were there, swarming around Eli. Tess stepped away and let them do their work. For a few moments she stood there like a woman lost. She didn’t know what to do with herself, couldn’t quite believe that both of them had made it out of this whole thing alive. She heard a cough behind her, and turned to see the weatherbeaten police officer from the station. He was looking at her with a curious expression – admiration mixed with admonishment. “Stupid thing you did back there, ma’am. You could have been killed.” Tess crossed her arms. “I had to do something. They were going to kill him otherwise.” He just laughed wryly, shaking his head. “I guess they were, and you saved his life. Any man would be lucky to call a girl like you his wife.” Now it was Tess’ turn to laugh. She saw the paramedics carrying Eli on a stretcher to the ambulance, and she turned to follow after them. Before she left, she looked back over one shoulder. “I’m not his wife. I’m his probation officer.” She saw his puzzled look, saw him open his mouth to ask another question, but she set off for the ambulance and didn’t look back.

Epilogue

Tess Tess pulled up to the parking lot of Mike’s workshop. It was hot once again, too damn hot. She shaded her eyes with one hand as she peered toward the doorway; it was open, but dark beyond. She was here for her last meeting with Eli, and she felt strangely nervous. The butterflies in her stomach kind of nervous, like she was a schoolgirl again. She took a deep breath, checked her appearance in the mirror, and stepped out of the car. The heat took her by surprise, as it always did out here, and she hurried over to the workshop clutching her manila folder in her hand. She reached the entrance and slowed, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was, at least, blessedly cool inside the gloom. “Eli? Are you here?” Déjà vu. I remember what happened last time I arrived at this damn workshop and he wasn’t here. It had been a couple of weeks since the events in Hope Springs – the craziest couple of weeks of Tess’ life. The endless questions from the police, from her family, from work. Having to come to terms with what had happened, how close she and Eli had come to getting buried in unmarked graves somewhere out there in the sand. Having to go back to work and trying to adjust to normal life, after everything she’d experienced. Her colleagues had been speechless when they’d heard the story, almost unable to believe that Tess, hard-working, boring, reliable Tess, had gotten caught up with the Sons of Flame and a stash of cocaine.

128

Ashley Rhodes

After a while, she had gotten tired of answering all their questions, seeing their stares from the corner of her eyes, and she’d been spending more and more time on her own, away from her colleagues and soul-searching, asking herself if this was what she really wanted to do with her life. When Eli had been admitted to hospital, the doctors were amazed he was still conscious. He had severe internal bruising and several cracked ribs, along with a serious concussion. He slept for almost two days. However, after he’d been discharged, Tess hadn’t had the opportunity to spend much, if any, time with him. She’d been taken off his case, being told that there was now a ‘conflict of interests’, and he’d been assigned a new probation officer. Eli had been called in for questioning by the police when the entire story came out. They’d even been talking about arresting him for violating his parole, but Tess had testified to everything she’d seen and heard, and the case was dropped. He’d even managed to shorten his parole considerably, due to his role in bringing an end to Tex and the Sons of Flame. And so Tess found herself at the workshop, one last time, to tell Eli that he was a free man. It was against protocol really, for her to do it now that she was off his case, but she had insisted. She wanted to see him, wanted to be the one to tell him. She called out again. “Eli? Don’t tell me you’re not here again, Jesus Christ. We had an appointment!” She turned her head as she heard a soft laugh, and then smiled as he wheeled himself out from under a car. He stood and wiped his hands on a rag. “I wouldn’t have thought we needed appointments anymore, Miss Bailey, after everything we’ve been through.” Tess didn’t say anything, just looked into his eyes. He wore the same white tank top that he had been the first time she’d met

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

129

him, and apart from some strapping over his ribs, you would never have known that he’d recently been so badly injured. “It’s been a bit crazy, the last couple of weeks,” he said, apologetically. “Sorry I haven’t had the chance to see you more than I have.” “It’s OK,” she replied. “It’s been the same for me. Have you heard any more about the rest of the gang? Are you going to be called to testify against them?” Eli shrugged, but he looked unconcerned. “I want to. Now that Tex is gone, and they’ve all been arrested, I don’t have to worry about you or Grandma. I think we’ve seen the last of the Sons of Flame. Tex was the one who held it all together – without him, I don’t think it’ll come back. Maybe some new gang will appear, but that don’t bother me, as long as they leave me alone.” He finished wiping his hands, and his attention turned to the folder that Tess was holding. “What’s that? More stuff for me to sign? ‘Cos I can tell ya, I can’t even count how many pieces of paper I’ve signed over the past few days.” Tess handed it to him with a smile. “Actually, I do need you to sign it. But it should be the last one ever, from me at least.” He frowned in puzzlement and took it from her, then tore it open and quickly scanned the letter within. His look of confusion quickly changed to one of delight. “So that’s it? I’m free now, completely free?” Tess nodded, her heart swelling with pride and gladness for him. “Yep. After the role you played in bringing the Sons to justice, it was decided that your probation could be shortened in exchange.” She took a step towards him. “Congratulations, Eli. I’m so happy for you.”

130

Ashley Rhodes

He was smiling broadly, the most emotional that Tess had ever seen him. In a sudden swift movement, he swept her up into his arms and lifted Tess off her feet. She let out a little cry of surprise, but then wrapped her arms and legs around him, tears rolling down her cheeks. Eli was talking now, his voice muffled. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Tess. You believed in me, you saved me. You never gave up, even when I wanted to.” He pulled away and looked deep into her eyes. “Apart from my Grandmother and Mike, you’re the only person who’s ever really given a damn about me. Who’s showed me that I can do better and be more than I am right now. Thank you. For everything.” He hugged her fiercely, and Tess was acutely aware of the proximity of their bodies and the heat that came from him. She felt a twist inside her, deep down, as his strong hands held her and the hard ridges of his muscles pressed against her. She responded to him, shifting her position just subtly, grinding her sex gently against him until she heard him take a gasp of pleasure and felt him stir and come to life between her legs. He turned and carried her over to a workbench, sweeping everything from the surface and planting her down on it, his lips pressed fiercely to hers the whole time. After trying to deny her feelings for him for so long, after everything they had been through together, Tess’ need for Eli was fervent, feverish. His hands, rough with calluses, were everywhere at once, exploring her body; its contours, its shape. His lips were surprisingly soft and his tongue sought hers. Tess gasped softly as his hand snaked under her blouse, caressing the sensitive skin of her belly and her lower back. His touch was like fire, leaving trails of delicious warmth in the wake of his fingertips. Tess wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and ground herself against him, a heat rising within her, a need that could only be quenched by him. She could feel that familiar slick

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

131

wetness now between her legs, that unmistakeable sensation that spoke of her desire, her lust. Eli broke away from the kiss for just a moment, removing his top in one swift motion and casting it to one side. Tess’ eyes widened at the sight of the wicked bruising on his hard body, but he gave no sign he even felt it – his eyes were heavy with lust, his face flushed as his gaze swept over her body. It had been a long time since anyone had looked at her like that, and it made Tess’ pulse race to see such naked, wanton desire. She fumbled with the buttons of her blouse, eventually succeeding and tearing it open. Eli groaned to see her, and then leaned into her once more, his lips seeking and finding the soft skin of her neck. His teeth lightly grazed and nipped, teasing and playing until Tess was shaky and breathless. Each brush of his lips sent quivers all the way through her body, right to the center of her, leaving her completely at his mercy. Tess wound her fingers lightly through his hair, soft moans coming from her lips as she continued to grind against his crotch, big and unmistakeably hard now. His fingers snaked around and deftly unclasped her bra, and then Eli let it fall away. Tess’ breasts spilled free – she should have been feeling self-conscious, like she always was the first time she was with a man, but she didn’t. She was completely at ease with Eli, completely unashamed, completely enraptured. His lips now found their way to her hardening nipples, and Tess sighed deeply with delight as they enveloped first one, then the other. He was still teasing, still making her wait, but it felt so damn good. Tess spread her legs wider and leaned back a little, her hands still wound through Eli’s hair. She closed her eyes and focused completely on the sensation of his lips and his tongue; first teasing and elusive, then insistent and urgent. Tess groaned with desire and need for him.

132

Ashley Rhodes

“Don’t make me wait any longer, Eli,” she gasped. “I want you now, I need you now.” He looked up at her with those sincere blue eyes of his, then grinned and winked at her impishly. “Well...I guess I do owe you one.” She laughed breathlessly and swatted playfully at him, before he began to unbutton her pants, tugging them down along with her panties in one smooth motion. He moaned as he caught sight of how wet she was, how ready for him. Tess ran her fingers down his back as he moved close to her again and pulled her roughly into him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath – she could smell his scent; musky and earthy and masculine. She traced the ridges of musculature on his back with her fingertips, and then brought her hands down and around to find his jeans. She unzipped them and tugged them down impatiently, opening her eyes once more to look as she pulled out his manhood. He groaned in delight as she took him into her hands – he was already rock-hard, his shaft big and hot in her hands. She caressed every inch of him, marvelling at his size and virility, eager to feel him inside her, filling her up. Tess sat back and put her palms flat on the table, and then spread her legs wide for him, inviting him, urging him. He gripped his cock at its base, and then, the moment that Tess had been waiting for; he guided himself inside her, slowly and gently. She was so wet, so ready, that he slid right in. A long, low moan escaped unbidden from Tess’ mouth as their bodies came together for the first time. He filled her up, he completed her, and it felt so good. She whimpered as he began to make love to her, her fingers gripping his flesh tight and spurring him on. He put one hand on her shoulder to steady himself, and the other on her lower back to pull him into her in time with each delicious thrust.

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

133

Tess’ breath was coming in ragged gasps, punctuated with cries and moans of ecstasy as he fucked her. He was gentle at first, cautious almost, but when he saw her reaction to him, her body’s reaction to his, he threw his reservations to the wind. Faster and faster now, their bodies moving in tandem, thrusting, coming together and then apart, lips locked, fingers scrabbling, chests heaving. Each powerful thrust sent shockwaves through Tess entire body, spreading outward from her core all the way to tingles in her fingertips. She felt more alive than she ever had, more in tune with Eli and his body than she’d ever experienced with anyone else. His eyes locked with hers once more, and Tess found absorbed in him, completely and utterly – at that moment, nothing else existed apart from Eli and her and their lovemaking. He lifted her off the bench effortlessly, carried her over to the bare brick wall and then pressed her up against it, covering her body with his. The wall was cool in contrast to the heat of Eli’s body, and then his lips were on her neck again, and his cock buried deep, deep inside. He ground himself against her, his hard flesh rubbing her clitoris as his hand on her ass was guiding her movements, controlling her and the tempo of their sex. Tess’ body was electrified by him; by his lips, by his cock, by his body. Every inch of her burned with passionate desire that was building and building, a white-hot core of pure pleasure, pulsating and throbbing inside her, threatening to overtake her. “Eli!” Tess gasped, “I can’t hold it back, I can’t control myself! It’s too much!” That pulsating throbbing thing, deep down inside Tess’ core exploded, radiating outwards. Her whole body tensed up, and she cried out as her climax ripped through her in unrelenting waves of pure, pure pleasure. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him close, tight, the walls of her pussy undulating around his shaft, gripping him tight. Tess cried and trembled with the force

134

Ashley Rhodes

of her orgasm as it slowly began to end, leaving her weak and trembling and breathless. But Eli hadn’t finished yet. "I want to feel you finish, Eli," Tess whispered, "I want to feel it inside me." She was so sensitive now, and he was gentle with her. Rhythmically he made love to her now, passionately, and it didn't take long. He tensed up, pressed his entire body up against hers, and then he looked deep into her eyes as he finally gave in, his manhood stiffening and pumping rhythmically. Tess sighed and quivered in delight as she felt him spurt into her, deep, deep inside. She savored every last moment until he was done, slumping forward with his head resting on her shoulder, gasping for breath. After a short while, he set her down on the ground once more, and Tess found that her legs were weak and shaky. Eli noticed and laughed, then pulled over a bench so she could sit. He placed himself next to her, then put his arm around her and pulled her into him. Tess rested her head on his chest and let out a satiated sigh. He kissed her lightly on the top of her head, and then they sat for a while in silence. They didn’t need to speak – being together was enough, occupying this place, this moment in time, just the two of them. “I love you, Tess Bailey.” Eli’s voice was soft as he said it, but his words sent a jolt through Tess. She looked up at him, into his eyes, and her response felt like the most natural thing she had ever said. “I love you too.”

A little while later, the two of them sat out the front of the workshop. Tess had been due back at work a long time ago, but she didn’t care. It didn’t seem to matter anymore. Everything had

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

135

changed since she’d met Eli and after what they’d been through together. She’d deal with all that tomorrow, or another day. Right now, this was where she belonged. Right here, with Eli Flint. They each sipped from long-necked bottles of ice-cold beer, looking out into the desert beyond. “You know, Mike’s decided to give up on this place,” Eli said, out of the blue. He laughed good-naturedly. “After he and my grandma spent those few days together, it seems like they suddenly remembered what they liked about each other all those years ago. They’ve been talking about selling up and spending the rest of their days over in Florida, or on a cruise or something.” Tess smiled at the thought. “Good for them. But what about you? What’ll you do?” “Well, I was thinking about taking this place on. Renovating it a little, bringing it up to date. I know I can make it work.” He swallowed a mouthful of beer thoughtfully. “How about you? Shouldn’t you be back at work by now? Won’t you get in trouble?” Tess sighed. “Maybe. But it’s not the same as it used to be. It doesn’t seem so important, all of a sudden. I mean, I still care about my work, still care about the people, even if they’re a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes. I just can’t help but wonder if there’s more to life than sitting in that office and wading through endless reports and paperwork and bureaucracy.” He turned to her, his face sincere. “Well, why don’t you just stay here with me? We can do this thing together, just the two of us. I guarantee it’ll be less paperwork.” He smiled uncertainly. He looked almost vulnerable, and Tess knew he was serious, that he meant every word. And just like that, she knew her answer.

136

Ashley Rhodes

“Why not? Let’s do it. Just the two of us.” Eli laughed in delight and swept her into an embrace, a fierce, loving embrace that Tess knew she would never want to leave. Behind them the sun was setting on the horizon, reds and oranges and golds diffusing through the clouds and up into the last of the day’s light. Tess drank in the beautiful sight, and knew that this was where she belonged.

THE END

SONS OF FLAME MC - REDEMPTION

137

Author’s Note I hope you had as much fun reading this book as I had writing it. If you have any feedback, I would love to hear it! If you’d like to be notified of my new releases, along with freebies, giveaways and more, you can sign up for my mailing list at: http://eepurl.com/4epDb I’ll never spam you, and your email address will remain completely confidential. If you just want to chat, ask me a question about my books, or have requests, comments or suggestions, you can always email me at: [email protected] I love to hear from readers! Ashley