Joker by Andi Rhodes
Chapter Thirteen
At this point, I won’t underestimate what he’s capable of.
Riley
Joker paces the Nightmare Room, his mom leaning against the wall with her arms protectively crossed over her chest. She’s staring at him like he’s the crazed one, and right now, he appears to be.
I watch them both on a monitor outside the room. The box rests heavily in my arms, even as I can tell it’s no more than a few pounds. Whatever’s inside is light, but it still weighs me down and drags me to the pits of Hell. I’m pretty sure Joker is there too.
“My boyfriend knows I’m here, Brian.”
Joker stops pacing and his shoulders bunch. I can’t see his face clearly, but I know what it looks like. I’ve seen the way his rage flares around his mother.
“So if you’re planning to kill me—”
Joker lunges toward his mother and slaps his hands on the wall to box her in. He leans in close to her, his shoulders heaving with his deep inhales.
“Do you have any fucking idea what I would do to your goddamn boyfriend, Cheryl? What I would love to do to you?”
“I’m your mother—”
“You’re a parasite! Everything you touch, you ruin. You almost ruined me.”
“I never did anything to you, you ungrateful—”
Joker’s hand wraps around her throat, and she thrashes with her hands clawing at his. “That’s the fucking point, isn’t it? You never did shit for me. You never stopped it. I was a child, you fucking bitch.” He leans in close, and his voice is too low to hear his next words.
“He never touched you!” Cheryl screams when Joker releases her throat. “You were a little liar then and you're a liar now!”
My eyes go wide, and I step away from the computer monitor. I’ve been too worried to leave them, afraid Joker would actually go as far as hurting his sick mother. She’s frail and wiry, clearly suffering from the effects of years’ worth of drug abuse.
Suddenly, I don’t feel so badly for her. Nor do I worry for her safety.
I turn and rush up the steps, trying not to think about what she meant by ‘he never touched you’.
I rush to Joker’s cabin with the package in tow. Charlie leans on the clubhouse deck railing, staring out toward the trees and she waves at me when she spots me. I force a smile but don’t stop walking.
My steps are quick and my heart beats furiously against its cage. I get to Joker’s cabin, throw open the door and hurry to the table. I pry at the box and rip the tape sealing it. As soon as it’s open, a foul odor hits my nose, and I cringe. I cover my mouth and peer down at the dead black bird, wet with blood.
There’s a folded-up piece of paper splotched with red beside it, and I snatch it up and shove the box to the side. My fingers tremble as I unfold the paper and I smooth it out on the table. It’s a handwritten note, which is different for my stalker. Everything so far has been typed.
I close my eyes and take a shaky breath. I tell myself I’m safe, and it doesn’t matter what the note says. My friends are safe. Old and new.
But I don’t believe any of it.
I open my eyes and lower them to the note. The idea of knowing what menacing thing my stalker has to say frightens me, but not knowing is worse.
My brow furrows as I take in the neat handwriting, far more so than I’d imagine someone could write in a manic rage. I scan the first sentence, my breath hitching.
You’re nothing like I thought you would be.
I continue reading.
A motorcycle club? Really? Are you so afraid of me you needed a big grungy man to protect you?
I could have loved you. You could have loved me. After everything we’ve been through, after everything we’ve shared, you betray me as if I mean nothing to you. Well I have news for you, Black Bird. You don’t mean shit to me either. Not anymore.
Enjoy your life with the barbarian now. I’m here. I’m waiting for you. I’m in your dreams and I’m just out of sight. I could have killed you in that motel room, and after seeing you so weak with that man jacking off right in front of you, I wanted to. But you deserve a slow death, and I wouldn’t have been able to control myself. I would’ve made it too quick. I promise, I’ll give it to you when you least expect it.
I’m coming for you Riley. They can’t save you.
Sincerely, Me.
I look up from the letter, my brows creased. It’s a terrifying threat, but not one I didn’t see coming. There’s something else sticking out at me, breaking through the fear.
What the fuck does he mean ‘after everything we’ve been through and shared’?
Do I know him?
Or is he referring to the terror he’s been putting me through?
“What the hell is that?”
I flinch at Joker’s voice and swipe the paper off the table, flattening it against me as if he hasn’t already seen it. I spin around and spot Joker standing in the open door to the cabin. I never shut it.
My walls raise up, and I tense. I immediately go on the defensive, my eyes narrowing and my mouth itching to tell him it’s none of his business. But all at once, tears burst to my eyes, and I cover my mouth to stifle a sob.
I’m scared. I’ve been scared for months. And as much as I want to take back my life, I feel helpless. He fucking saw Joker and I at the motel. He was right there and neither of us knew it. He must have been peeking through the curtain.
How many times could he have killed me? How many more chances will he get?
I don’t know. But now he plans to take it.
“What the fuck, Black Bird?” he asks, walking over to me. His voice doesn’t hold the angry edge I’m used to. He almost sounds defeated himself, but there’s concern as well.
He rips the paper away from me and scans it with a furrowed brow.
He sniffs and glances toward the box. He wrenches it toward him and looks inside before turning back to me.
“Tell me what’s going on right the fuck now.”
“What the hell does it look like?” I snap, wiping away tears. “He wants me dead, Joker!” I shove to my feet, the chair crashing to the ground. “And yes, I know that makes me a threat to your club. Yes, I know I have to leave. Don’t bother telling me.”
I turn to walk away, and Joker stands and grabs my arm. He whirls me around to face him and pins me with an intense stare. Surprisingly, not an angry one.
“Your husband is the one who put the boxing gloves on the truck, isn’t he?”
I nod and flinch at his next question.
“And the bomb?”
I purse my lips but nod. “I think so.”
“So who the fuck is he? If he’s as big of a threat as he claims, we need to take care of this. Now.”
“He’s…” I sigh and rub my hands over my face.
“His name, Riley. Give it to me.”
Joker’s hold tightens on my arm, and I try to yank free. He doesn’t let go, but he clenches to the point of pain.
“I don’t know, okay?! I don’t fucking know who he is or what he wants. I don’t know anything!”
Joker’s eyebrow raises and he lifts the note. He shoves it into my chest. “It’s pretty fucking clear what he wants, Black Bird. You.”
The way he says my boxing name has my stomach sinking to the floor.
He knows. My lie is unraveling, and I can’t stop from pulling the string. There’s no point in lying anymore. If I don’t tell him the truth, he’ll kick me to the curb. Even if I do, he’ll kick me to the curb.
Or show me the Nightmare Room… this time, the inside.
Joker takes a steadying breath. “What do you mean you don’t know who he is?”
I pause for several moments and am shocked when Joker doesn’t hurt me for it. At this point, I won’t underestimate what he’s capable of.
“He isn’t my husband… He’s a stalker.”
Joker releases my arm and runs a hand through his hair. His anger begins to show, and he takes slow breaths to control himself. It’s the first time I’ve seen any attempt to calm his beast.
“What does he look like?” he asks, dropping his hand to his side.
“I don’t know.”
He narrows his eyes. “What do you mean you don’t know? You didn’t get a look at him when he was beating you?”
I flinch and when he releases my arm, I pick up the chair and slump into it. Joker remains standing and stares at me like he’s beyond confused.
“He didn’t beat me.”
Joker sits and places his hands on the table. He leans toward me. “If you keep making me ask so many goddamn questions, I swear—”
“I’m a boxer, Joker. I got the bruises in my last fight.” After a pause, I continue. “This guy has been terrorizing me for the past seven months. Breaking into my apartment. Sending me flowers and notes… fucking dead animals. Before I left, he threatened to hurt my friends. And then he followed through on his promise.”
“And so you brought him here? To my family, putting them in danger?” He pushes off the table and stands. He begins pacing back and forth like a pissed off tiger, confined in a zoo.
“I’m sorry,” I say, real regret gushing from my words. “I shouldn’t have come here. It was selfish of me.”
He huffs and snaps his head to me with a glare. He stops pacing. “You’re damn right it was selfish. Stupid, too. Do you have any idea the kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into? I should tie you up to a fucking post and leave you for this asshole.”
“Then why don’t you?” My throat clogs with emotion. “Or kill me yourself.”
“Don’t be so weak.”
“Fuck you!”
Joker slams his hands on the table and leans, gritting his teeth as he snarls at me. “You manipulated my family for protection. You don’t get to say that shit to me.”
“Look.” I take a deep breath. “If I leave now, the stalker won’t hurt your family. He’ll follow me and—”
“Do you fucking think I’m scared of him?” Joker’s eyes widen in irate amazement. “You didn’t put the club in danger because some prick is after you. You put us in danger by lying. We can take down an army of men. One doesn’t stand a chance. But,” his voice raises, “not if we don’t know about the son of a bitch!”
He slams his hand on the table again, and I flinch. He pushes off the table and begins pacing again.
“You’re right,” I whisper. He stops pacing, his back to me. His muscles are tight as he waits. “I’m sorry… truly.”
“Me too.” He squares his shoulders but doesn’t turn to me. “I was really hoping I was wrong about you.”
He was?
He stomps toward the door, but pauses in the entryway. “I guess I don’t need to wonder what your boxing name is.”
He steps outside and slams the door behind him. I sigh and stare at the door, my stomach in knots. I force out two words, my voice hoarse as I speak to no one.
“Black Bird.”
