Smokey’s Turmoil by Erin Osborne
Chapter Fourteen
Smokey
YESTERDAY I GOT a call from the guys to meet them at the clubhouse. Apparently, Jasmine and Phoebe were on their way somewhere when she saw her father. Jas called Ink who got a few more men to go with him to pick the fucker up. Now, we’re going to get some damn answers about what he’s doing and who all will be coming after her. I plan on enjoying getting the answers she deserves. And putting the fucker in pain for all the pain he’s caused her over the years. His control of her stopped the second he was picked up. He’s about to lose everything he’s always wanted because he’s a selfish, greedy asshole.
Walking down in the basement, I notice I’m the last to arrive as I take off my cut and hang it up. I plan on getting extremely bloody with this fucker because he’s someone who deserves to have his life shortened in the most painful way possible. Entering the small room, Jasmine’s father is hanging from his wrists with his toes barely touching the floor. His clothes have already been cut off his body as they lay in a pile under his feet and off to the side. The men I call my brothers form a semi-circle around him as he glares at each and every one of us. He still thinks he’s going to get the fuck out of this.
“What do you assholes want?” he demands as if he’s in charge here.
“What I want to know is, who are the men comin’ after your daughter?” Renegade asks him, his voice low and lethal.
The asshole begins to laugh manically at the question. Personally, I don’t find anything funny about the situation. He’s simply a demented fucker who will not be breathing for much longer. His day is about to get really bad.
“That little slut fucking you all now? I always knew she was worthless, but this is low even for her. A bunch of fucking criminals fucking her,” he states as I step forward landing a punch to his jaw.
“Who the fuck did you talk to about the price on her head?” I ask, my teeth grinding together as I try to keep myself calm without snapping.
“There are several people. You won’t know a single one of them,” he states, his voice cold and harsh.
“We’ll find them out. It’s just a matter of time. Especially when they get a message from you renegin’ on the deal you’ve made with them. They won’t get the joy of killin’ you because we’ll make sure that’s taken care of for them,” Hawk says, holding up her father’s phone.
“You can’t do anything on my phone. I’ve got it locked,” he states as if Hawk can’t break into the damn thing.
“I’m already in it, dumbass,” Hawk informs him before laughing at the shocked look on his face. “He’s tried gettin’ Slim to come after her. Grim too. There are a few men I’ve never heard of, but it won’t take me long to find out what I need to about them. For now, let’s just take care of this piece of shit. I’ll handle the rest without him bein’ alive still. With him dead, there is no payday to be had.”
“Y-Y-You can’t kill me,” he stutters out, his face paling and his body beginning to tremble as the chains rattle in the silence of the room.
“We can do anythin’ we fuckin’ want to. There is no reason for you to remain breathin’. Hawk here can take care of the price on Jasmine’s head without you still drawin’ breath into your vile, devious body. Psycho, can I have a knife please?” I ask him, not moving far from the fucker.
“I can pay you. As soon as I get my hands on the money I’m owed, I can pay you any amount you want. Name your price,” he attempts once again to get out of here.
“The money that belongs to Jasmine? You’ll never get your hands on it fuckface. Today is the last day you’ll be alive. Dead men can’t spend a fuckin’ dime. Especially when the money is not rightfully yours,” I state, accepting the rusty blade from Psycho.
“You’re the one fucking my daughter then. You must not have any standards.”
I’ve heard enough. Walking over to grab a dirty, greasy rag we’ve used for countless things over the years. Stuffing it in his mouth, I wrap duct tape around his head to secure the cloth in his mouth. None of us will have to hear another word from this fucker’s mouth until we decide we’ve had enough time playing with the asshole. Using the rusty knife, I begin placing cuts along his body. When I’m done, I make sure to rub salt into the wounds I’ve created on his body. Jasmine’s scars might not be physical, but they’re there, nonetheless. She carries those scars around on a daily basis.
Ink steps up next. He uses a pair of pliers to rip out his nails; all of them. Since I have the gag in his mouth, he doesn’t bother undoing it to remove his teeth. Jasmine’s father’s body is shaking from the pain we’re inflicting. After using a cutter to remove his fingers, Ink sets his tools down before letting Psycho step up to take his anger out on the man. One by one each member of the club steps up to get revenge on a man who was vulgar and violent toward daughter and one of the women in his life. Jasmine may never know what’s happening down here, but we’ll know what’s been done to the pussy.
“Smokey, you got anythin’ else you wanna do?” Renegade asks me as Jasmine’s father hangs limply from the ceiling.
Stepping up in front of him, I remove the gag from his mouth. Slapping his broken jaw to wake him back up, I place the same cloth over his face. Reaching for a bottle of water, I take the top off before beginning to pour the water over his face. I’ve never done this before, but I’m willing to try anything once. Jasmine’s father gags and sucks in more water than air. He thrashes against his restraints until I stop pouring the water over his face covered with a cloth. Stepping back, I nod to Renegade letting him know I’m done with this piece of shit.
Renegade pulls out his gun and aims it straight at his head.
“Rot in hell motherfucker,” I tell him, stepping further away from the bitch.
The shot of Renegade’s gun echoes on the walls of our small torture room. it’s a good thing everything down here is soundproof so no one upstairs can hear it. I strip down right in the room, tossing my clothes into the pile with the fuckers. They’ll all be burned so there’s no evidence. The only thing I do is take out all of my things so I can put it back in the pockets of my fresh clothes after I shower down here. It’s a recent addition to the basement so we don’t have to walk upstairs before undressing. Everyone else does the same as we begin to make our way to the showers so we can get back to work or whatever we’re doing today.
I don’t speak to anyone as I rush through washing myself four times before rinsing my body off. With no traces of blood or anything else on me, I quickly grab a change of clothes and get dressed. I even have a new pair of boots to put on. Without a backward glance, I head out of the clubhouse to get back to the job site I’m working on for the construction company. I’ve still got a long day ahead of me to finish up the job so we can start the new wall surrounding the compound tomorrow.
I’m working with a small crew at the compound. We’re upgrading the fence that surrounds the domestic violence portion to a wall that will be harder to penetrate. We’re also adding a gate that visitors will either have to know a code to or will have to be buzzed in by Cassidy. No one else will be able to let visitors in besides her. It will cut down on the risk of these men talking the women they’ve abused into letting them inside with promises of change and whatever else they have to say to get what they want. There have already been too many things that have happened at the compound for us to take any more chances.
Ink is actually working with me for a little while this morning. He’s been gone from the clubhouse a lot over the last week since I moved in here. Instead of hanging out and having a drink after church, he’s the first out the door. My best friend is gone to be with his wife and son. Part of me envies the life he’s built for himself and the love he has for his son and Phoebe. The rest of me knows I can never have those things. I’m not a good enough man for any woman. Or a child that could result from us having sex. That’s why it boggles my mind so much why I’ve never worn a condom with Jasmine even knowing she is not on birth control.
“I’ll be cuttin’ out early. Got some things to take care of this afternoon. You’ll have the few Prospects already here and a few of the other guys from the construction crew to help you out,” Ink tells me as he takes his shirt off and uses it to wipe the sweat from his body.
“What have you got goin on? Do you need help with it?” I ask him, knowing Ink isn’t one who will ever cut out on anything having to do with the club or compound.
“Um, no, I don’t need help. I’m not gonna be the only guy from the club there. That’s why Renegade and Psycho aren’t here now helpin’ us.”
“What’s goin’ on that I can’t know? I’m not just a member of the club, I’m an officer.”
Ink takes a deep breath and tosses his shirt to the ground. He turns to look at me fully before taking another deep breath and holding it in. Whatever is going on has him torn with whether or not to tell me what’s going on. That can only mean one thing; it has to do with Jasmine. Something is going on with her he doesn’t want to tell me about.
“It’s Jasmine,” I state. “What’s goin’ on with her? Is she okay? The kids?”
“Everyone is fine. Well, other than her bein’ torn the fuck up about you movin’ out of your own apartment because of the kids and her bein’ there. It’s your space and she feels horrible you won’t go home because she took Colby in. None of us understand what the hell is goin’ on in your mind. Jasmine is a fuckin’ amazin’ woman and wants you. She’s only ever wanted you. Now, she’s movin’ out on her own to take care of two children on her own. We’ve made it clear she’ll be invited to cookouts and things, but I don’t see her makin’ an appearance anytime soon,” my best friend tells me, shocking me to my core.
“I never meant for her to move out on her own. I just can’t be around everyone for my own personal reasons.”
“And in the process, you’re killin’ her spirit. That woman has been through hell her entire life. If you can’t tell me or anyone else here at the club what’s goin’ on with you, she’s the one you should confide in. Not to mention, she put her trust in you enough to let you in her life and hear what her father put her through for her entire life. Jasmine trusted you to help watch over her until the threats against her were eliminated. She’s only now openin’ up to the ol’ ladies. If you’re cuttin’ her loose like this, then don’t go near her again. You won’t play games with her. She needs to focus on work and takin’ care of those children,” Ink demands, not taking his eyes off me as I stand and stare at my best friend.
“I’ll leave her alone. No one will ever know my past and how it haunts me,” I state emphatically, shaking my head at everything he’s told me.
“That’s your choice to make. Eventually she’ll forget all about you and move on. You better fuckin’ let her do it too. I don’t give a fuck if it’s a member of this club, someone in a different club, or someone she meets at the diner. You’re makin’ all these choices and takin’ it away from her. Leave her be now, Smokey. Don’t cause any more damage than you already have.”
Without another word, Ink picks up his shirt and leaves me alone. The thought of her with another man guts me. There is no one good enough for Jasmine. She’s building her own little family; one that includes her, Charlotte, and Colby. Other than help from the club, there is nothing else Jasmine will ever need in her life. Especially not a man who will fuck her and give her things I can’t give her. Turning from the wall I’m building; I lose the contents of my stomach at the mere thought of someone else touching her smooth skin or learning what she tastes like. Of a man making her moan and scream out his name in the height of her pleasure.
Wiping my mouth, I get back to work. I push myself until I’m ready to collapse from the lack of food and water as the sun beats down on my back. This is not good. Picking up my things, I head out to the apartment. It’s almost dark now and I’ve heard the rumble of bikes returning to the clubhouse. If they’ve been gone helping Jasmine all day, I don’t have to run into her at the apartment. It’s chilly as hell now and I don’t give a fuck about it with the guilt and shame that’s slowly taken me over throughout the day. I should have left Jasmine alone and never moved her into my apartment. Then she wouldn’t have gotten hurt by me.
Walking into the apartment after the cold ride, I take in the emptiness of the apartment. It’s not the things missing because everything in this room belong to me. No, it’s the empty atmosphere even as her vanilla scent lingers throughout the apartment. The lack of Charlotte waiting for me at the table to help with her homework as Jasmine makes us dinner. What makes it all real is seeing the cell phone I purchased for her sitting on the counter. Making my way over to it, I take a minute to read the note sitting directly under it.
Smokey,
Thank you for opening your apartment to me. I’m sorry that I’ve caused such a disruption of your life. I never once meant for you to move out of a place you call home and pay for. I will let you know if anything comes of our time together. Other than that, I hope you find the love of your life, Smokey. You deserve someone who can make you happy and fall in love with as much as anyone else does.
Thank You,
Jasmine.
Several times I read the words she wrote to me. She’s letting me know there is no chance of me getting back in her life. Even if she didn’t say the words, I can read between the lines. Her small family is all she needs. I can’t be a part of it. Grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard, I head straight for my room. After taking a quick shower, I don’t bother dressing again as I sit in bed. Removing the lid from the bottle, I chug until I can’t drink anymore. The burn lines my throat straight down to my stomach. I take several more deep swallows before replacing the cap and laying back on my bed. Sleep claims me with images of Jasmine filling my mind.
