**MARLOWE**
The rumble of bikes woke me, and as the words Satan had said were the last thing on my mind as I’d fallen asleep, I naturally jumped to the conclusion the Proofers had found us. I felt my stomach clutch. *Oh my God what had I done*? Jerking my covers off, I leaned over, then tugging the drawer open in the chest beside the bed, I pulled the pistol Satan had given me out of its depths. Afterward, jumping out of bed, and not caring that I’m wearing nothing more than my panties and a t-shirt, I run to the door. With a quick twist of the knob, I pulled the door open, then without hesitation, I ran into the hall. I can still hear the bikes arriving, and I begin panicking. By the sound of the number, anything we could level against them would be useless: it was going to be a slaughter—Satan’s and mine.
Breath heaving in fear and exertion, I start screaming for Satan as I make my way into the large area that had at one time been the lobby of the motel, but had been renovated into more of a lounge area for the bikers to hang. However, I find myself the object of almost a roomful of eyes as I come to a stumbling stop.
Of course, Jax was the first to say something. “Kickin’ ass sleep wear, Meow-Meow. But keep the gun and ditch the shirt and panties.”
A volley of agreements make their way through the men, and looking down at myself, I flush. *Shit*! Well, obviously we weren’t under attack, but this mother fucker always made me feel dirty. Just his eyes on me made me want to go wash his ogling off. “Sugar, your eyes couldn’t handle the dazzle,” I sarcastically quipped, just as I felt a presence slide up behind me.
“What you think S? Gun and panties, or gun and nothin’?” Jax asks.
Even though the man behind me remained silent, I could hear the others.
“What you bet? Will he say gun and panties or gun and nothin?”
Another man followed on the heels of the first, his voice filled with laughter. “Oh, definitely gun and panties, S likes a little mystery, you know? She got a landing strip or bare muff?”
Laughter filled the room, as another shouted, “I bet she allows them to ride a bare muff.”
Several more obscene guesses run the room before Satan saunters around me, then coming to a stop in front of me, his eyes run up and down the length of me, taking in the white t-shirt and hot-pink panties. A sudden heat flushes through me and a quickening comes to life between my thighs at the look in his eyes. “Draped over the end of my bed, and bare-assed,” Satan finally states. Afterward, just loud enough for me to hear, he growls, “Clothes, now, princess.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. Turning, I quit the room.
Minutes later, I was standing in my room when a knock sounded on my door. “Marlowe, it’s me, Ginger. I have some clothes if you want them. I know you didn’t get to grab anything.”
When hearing Ginger’s voice, a smile spreads across my lips. “Doors, unlocked,” I called out to her.
Opening the door, she walks in, looking me over. Then, with a slight shake of her head and a smile, she says, “Well I’m shocked! I figured Satan would have reduced you to a babbling idiot by now.”
Reaching out, I take the clothes she’s holding out toward me before asking, “What's his deal anyway?”
“You mean besides tall, silent and sexy?” she remarks, then with a shake of her head, she continues, “Honestly? I don’t know. But don’t go there honey, he’ll chew you up and spit you out.”
I had been raised around the female naked body in every form of undress, so I wasn’t bashful about my own, and pulling my t-shirt over my head, I unfolded the one she’d brought and slipped it on as I stated, “Oh, I wasn’t. I just can’t figure out why he hates me.”
Ginger laughed. “Hate you? Honey, you got it all wrong. That man doesn’t hate you, not by a long shot. I think it’s more he hates what you make him feel. He wants you.” Then with a shrug, she begins to meander around the room, picking up small items left in the room from some other occupant. “I think it’s because you make him feel. When I met Satan, he was so closed off, so angry, I once served him a plate of nails for supper. When he ask *what the fuck* I told him if he was going to go around spitting them at everyone, I figured I’d help the cause.”
After sitting the small crystal ball she had picked up back down on the dresser in a strip of sunlight, a prism of rainbow colors spread across the walls. Admiring her handy work, she exclaimed, “Damn, ain’t that pretty.”
I had to agree: it was.
I nodded, as grabbing the jeans, I slide them up my legs and over my hips, noting they were a little snug as I fastened them, but not so tight I couldn’t breathe. “How long you known Satan,” I asked,” then laughed. “And for God’s sake, does he have another name?”
I’d asked him, but he’d just ignored me.
“Almost four years now. He and Bur, served in the Marines together,” she informed me. Ginger was Murdock’s ol’ lady. They complimented one another. Ginger—a red head of course—was small, standing five feet and three inches tall, maybe, and of slight build, with vivid green eyes. Where Burdock, being the typical Marine type, carried a thick chest and broad shoulders on a frame over six foot tall. Tall, muscular, slim-hipped, blue-eyed, with blond-hair and beach-boy looks.
Pushing the strawberry tinted locks out of her face, Ginger, looking pensive, continued, “You know, I don’t know that I’ve ever heard him called by anything other than Satan.” Then with a nod, she states. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
I shook my head. “No, that’s okay. It’s not that big of a deal,” I protested.
Ginger just laughed. “Uh-uh, you got *me* wondering now.”
I gave her a smirk. “Sorry.”
“Well, since we are locked up like fort-knox in this place, how about you help me at the bar. Bur told me I could put you to work if I wanted. You got spunk. I like it. Besides, Rook told me you were working at the bar beneath your apartment before it burned, and I could *really* use your help tonight.”
**Two hours later**
Setting the glasses I had just washed and dried back on the shelf with the other clean ones, I placed my hand on the small of my back, throwing my left arm to the right of my body as I stretched the muscles. *Damn, I was getting soft*. I’d only been on my feet for a few hours, and already my back was screaming at me. As I straightened, I felt a hand begin rubbing the area that hurt as Rook’s voice murmured, “Take a few, babe. I’ll help Ging back here for a while.”
Turning to face him, I grinned. “Well, hello.” Even though most of the MC’s members had been back for a while, this was the first time I’d seen Rook today.
Winking at me, he asked, “Miss me doll-face?”
“Always,” I replied, then stated, “and I’ll take you up on that offer. I could use the break.”
With a nod, Rook reached out, tweaking my nose. “Enjoy. I’ll see ya in a bit.”
With a nod back at him, I placed the bar-towel in my hand onto the counter-top, then slipped out from behind the bar. I already knew where I was going. I was a sun worshiper and I’d had all I could take of being inside.
Minutes later I pushed the door open and stepped out into the sunshine. The heat and humidity that was Florida greeted me, and pulling in a breath, I inhaled the scent of sulfur from the wetlands. Though an unpleasant odor, it was nonetheless a familiar one. A lot of decomposition occurred within the sloughs and the gaseous emittance was natural. Another thing that was natural was the sighting of alligators, so tossing an observant eye out, I began to make my way a little further out from the compound. Much like at the base compound, there were several buildings dotting the place that made up a variety of shops, and I could hear music, laughter and the sound of tools as well the revving of bike motors coming from there direction. Though I had been here for nearly four days now, I hadn’t done any exploring, but with the other bikers' arrival, I now felt safe in doing so.
With no destination in mind, I allowed my feet to take me where they would, and as I rounded the corner of one of the smaller buildings, I heard what sounded to be Burdock say, “Dammit, why don’t you just tell her the fuck already?”