Wrong Side of the Tracks by Ashley Zakrzewski

ChapterFive

Bubba pulled his truck onto westbound I-12 and set the cruise control before glancing over to where Celia lay curled in the seat. He wasn’t as rested as he let on, but he wasn’t ready to tell her the police were looking for her. Not yet.

He’d gotten a couple hours sleep before his phone had rang and woke him. The call had been Gizmo, bless him, letting him know a missing person’s report had gone out nationwide on Celia. She’d said she hadn’t been seen going in the motel, but she had ordered dinner and the faster they got out of town, the safer she would be.

Bubba clenched his teeth again as he remembered the deep purple and black of the bruises on her face. He’d seen more bruising peeking from beneath the shorts he’d given her last night too. Both made him want to kill the bastard who’d done that to her, but as badly as he wanted to hurt the man, he needed to get Celia to safety more.

* * *

Three hours later, the sun was well up and Celia still lay curled in the seat. She’d moved a few times, but not much. Bubba wasn’t sure if she was still sleeping or feigning sleep so she didn’t have to talk to him. Either way, he wasn’t going to push for answers, not until they were home, and he could be certain of keeping her safe. Now, his priority was getting her to Arizona where he and his brothers could make sure this Troy fucker couldn’t lay his hands on her again.

They’d hit the outskirts of Baton Rouge before Celia opened her eyes. She stretched, winced, and yawned then pushed his coat off into the back seat then gingerly lifted her seat up right.

“Sleep well?”

“Surprisingly, yes.”

Bubba glanced in her direction then back to the road.

“Why is it surprising?”

Sissy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if she were trying to control her emotions.

“I thought I’d have nightmares. I thought every time I closed my eyes, I’d re-live Troy screaming and beating the crap out of me.”

“And you didn’t.” Bubba didn’t ask. From as well as she slept, he knew if she’d dreamed it hadn’t been of that experience.

“No. Well, other than the one you woke me from before we left. It wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.” She turned back and watched him.

He wanted to ask what she was thinking but not here, not when he couldn’t watch her reactions. Better to change the subject.

“You ready for something to eat? Coffee?”

Celia made a face. One he didn’t know how to interpret.

“I need to use the ladies room.” She glanced around. “Where are we?”

“Baton Rouge. How about we find somewhere you can use the bathroom and I can grab some coffee. Maybe some food too.”

“Not a sit-down place.” Celia reached up and gingerly touched the outside of her swollen eye. “Something we can eat in the truck, if you don’t mind.”

“Can do.” He didn’t say he’d already been planning that. He wanted to keep her as much out of sight as he could, so hopefully, no one would recognize her and report they’d seen her. The longer they could stay under the radar, the better chance he had of getting her to Tucson before her asshole ex came after her.

“I have no doubt I look a mess.” She ran her fingers through her hair as if trying to make it behave. Bubba could tell that she was having much success.

“There should be a cap hanging off the back of my seat if you want to just cover it up. I have a brush in my overnight bag it you want to try to do something with it.” He hoped she’d opt for the hat. He didn’t want to take the time to dig in his overnight bag and the cap would disguise her looks, at least a little. “How’s McDonalds? I can get us coffee and something to eat while you use the facilities.”

“Sounds good.”

They made their stop without incident, getting back on the road as quickly as they could. Bubba drove for hours stopping only when they had to for drinks, food, or facilities. They stopped for the night at a motel outside a wide spot in the road called Junction, Texas. Bubba got a room with two beds then showered and stretched out on one bed to get some rest.

* * *

A sound woke Bubba. One so soft he couldn’t identify right away, not until he heard it again.

A muffled whimper.

He froze, not sure where the sound was coming from. He suspected Celia but wanted to be sure before he chanced waking her. When the sound came again, he had no doubt Celia was the source of the sound. He rolled out of the bed and onto his feet. He looked around the near dark room and made sure they were still the only two there, then checked on her.

She was still sound asleep. He found her curled into a tight ball under the blanket, her arms wrapped over her head as she huddled and whimpered.

“Celia?” He kept his voice soft. He didn’t want to startle her, but he had to do something. With a gentle hand on her leg, he shook her and called her name again.

Celia gasped, startling awake. “What? Where?” She sat up and turned on the lamp beside the bed. She took a deep breath and let it out in a shaky sigh.

“You were dreaming.”

“I know. Thanks for waking me.”

A glance at the clock told him it was just past midnight. Still too early to hit the road. He needed more sleep after the short night the day before.

“Think you can get a little more sleep?” He sat on the edge of her bed below where her feet curled beneath the blankets and watched to see how she was handling things.

Celia was pale, but the fine trembling that had shaken her entire body when he first shaken her awake.

“I—I think.” She looked away then back to him. “If you’ll lay with me.”

Bubba hesitated. Why not? If it let them both get a little more sleep, there was no reason he couldn’t lay on this bed instead of the other.

“I think we can do that.” He pulled a blanket off the bed he’d been sleeping on and brought it to the bed where Celia had returned after a trip to the restroom. He stretched out on top of the bedspread she’d been using and pulled his own blanket over himself. Sure, he could have climbed in beside her, but after everything she’d been through, he wanted to make her as comfortable as possible, and still get some rest himself.

When Bubba woke the next morning, he found Celia curled against his side, separated by the layer of blankets he’d slept on top of, but her head resting on his shoulder and an arm thrown across his chest. How had he slept through this? he wondered. Normally he woke if someone touched him. Yet here he was, waking to find her practically plastered against him and he’d not even noticed.

As much as he hated to wake her, they needed to get back on the road. He woke her, then dressed and loaded their things while she dressed.

“I’m going to need to get some clothes soon, or I’m going to start to smell, even with showers,” she said as they left the motel that morning.

“I’ll see what we can do.” Bubba helped her into the truck then went around to his door. She seemed to be moving a little easier. That was good, but he still wanted to get her to Arizona before they were spotted and possibly reported back to her father or the police. He sent a quick message to Gizmo looking for any updates then started the truck.

“You want food or just coffee this early?”

“Coffee. It’s too early for food.”

“No problem.” He crossed the interstate and pulled into the Shell station. “How do you want it? I’ll run in and get it if you’ll take care of the pump.” He still hadn’t told her about the missing person’s report or that there were people looking for them. And he didn’t plan to until they hit Tucson unless he had to.

“Sure.” She let him know how she liked her coffee, then stayed with the truck while he went inside to get their drinks. By the time he came back out, she’d put the nozzle back on the pump and was in the passenger’s seat waiting.

“What’s the plan for today?” She took her coffee and his so he could swing up into the seat, then handed his back so he could take a long pull before he started the truck and maneuvered it out onto the interstate.

“More driving. It’s going to be another long day, but unless we run into trouble, we should make it to Tucson tonight.”

“To your house?”

“Maybe. I’ve got a couple things going, I’m not sure where we’ll end up tonight. That will depend on how things go between now and then.” He didn’t want her worrying about her father or that asshole she’d been dating. Bubba still wanted to rip that cocksucker’s head off for what he’d done to her but hopefully that instinct would fade a little before he came face to face with him.

They spent another day on the road, stopping as little as possible and pushing to get back to the city Bubba called home. And the men he called brothers.

It was after eight when they passed the city limits sign letting them know they’d reached Tucson. A glance at the dashboard told Bubba it was still over ninety outside. The air conditioning was off in his house. Even if they turned it on now, it would be hours before it was cool enough to sleep. No. they’d be better off at the clubhouse, at least tonight.

He'd sent a message to Gizmo about getting a room at his last gas stop a couple hours before but hadn’t heard back yet. He didn’t want to stop again, so he headed straight to the clubhouse. Celia might as well meet the Demented Souls if he was going to use them to protect her, should it come to that.

“We’re not going to my house, not tonight,” he said as they pulled off the interstate. “It’s hot and the AC has been off for a long time. It will take hours to get the place cool enough to sleep. On top of that, I’ve held off telling you because I didn’t want to worry you, but your father’s filed a missing person’s report on you, so people are looking for you.”

She turned to watch him with wide eyes. “What does that mean?”

“A couple things. But it’s not as bad as you might think. You’re an adult. You can come and go as you please, without getting permission from anyone, no matter what your father or that ass you were seeing says. As long as it’s a missing person, the police are looking for you, they’ll question you a little to make sure you’re okay and that you haven’t been kidnapped or something like that, then they’ll let you go.”

“Why do I hear a but in there?”

“Because there is one.” Bubba glanced over at her to gauge her reaction, then back to the road. “There is always the chance they’ve put it out as a missing person so they can find you. Chances are high with your father that once he knows where you are he’ll either show up himself or send one of his goons to get you, maybe even this Troy.” God, he hoped it was Troy. Bubba wanted a chance to rip the man’s balls off for what he’d done to Celia. Fifteen hundred miles and Bubba’s temper still hadn’t cooled, and it probably wouldn’t any time soon.

“What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to take you to the clubhouse. You do realize I’m part of a motorcycle club, right?”

“No? Really? What part was the giveaway? The bike strapped into the back of the truck or gun you carry like it’s part of you?” There was no missing the sarcasm in her voice.

Bubba was glad to hear it. It meant despite what she’d been through, she didn’t fear him.

Bubba let the tone go and focused on what needed to be said. “My club is called the Demented Souls.” There was no reason she would know that. He didn’t have anything with him that could be tied back to the Souls. Hadn’t had for almost two years. Of all the things he’d missed while he’d been in Laredo, his brothers had been what he missed the most. “We’re a little rough and uncivilized, but none of us will hurt you. If your father or Troy shows up, they will do everything they can to protect you.”

Bubba pulled the truck into the fenced yard and parked in a space along the fence across from the entrance to the large warehouse that served as the clubhouse.

“We should be able to get some clean clothes for you here or send someone out for them if you’d prefer.”

She looked down at herself then back toward the building.

“I can’t go in there like this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not presentable.”

“Sweetheart, no one is going to care. These are my brothers, and they will treat you like you’re made of gold because I brought you in.” He glanced toward the building then back at her. “Okay, I’ll admit they don’t always treat every woman like they’ll treat you. And there will probably be a couple whores in there, but they won’t treat you like one of them, I promise.”

Her eyes went wide, and she blinked, then looked at the door then back at him, but didn’t say anything, almost as if she couldn’t figure out what to say. He didn’t tell her he hadn’t stepped foot in this building in two years and while he knew he’d get a friendly reception and they’d protect her because he asked, there would be men he’d never met, probably even patched members he didn’t know. He’d deal with it as it came, but he needed her safe and they needed a place to sleep tonight.

“Come on, they’ll have better food than we’ve eaten in two days, and we could both use a shower and a place to sit that’s not moving.” He opened his door and climbed down before going around to her side and helping Celia out of the truck.