Ace Of Spades (Complete Raw First Draft, Unedited)

Eleven: Liveable

Jenna stayed in the back office while Clyde and I finished up, rolling down the garage door and locking it.

I was distracted, thinking about Jenna and the men that were looking for her, what they wanted with her and wjat they'd do once they found her, so much so that Clyde pulled me up on it.

"You alright, man?"  He asked me when I stood, staring blankly at a pile of engine parts that I forgot what I was doing with.

"Yeah," I said slowly, tuning back in.  "Sorry, I'm just... spacing out."

I grinned and he laughed.

"You should head off," he said.  "I'll finish up here if you want to take Jenna to the Specters."

"She said she isn't staying there," I told him hesitantly.  He didn't need to know that I told her to stay with me.

I loved the guys in the Specters, and I'm sure Debbie would look after her, the way she looked after all her girls, but a lot of the guys were sleazy, and she was so flighty.  I had no idea what had gone on in her life, but I didn't think it was the best place for her.

Why do I care?  I wondered.  It's nothing to do with me, what she does or what sort of company she keeps.

I shook my head to clear it.

"Where's she staying?"

"At mine."

Clyde grimaced, looking at me sternly, adopting the older brother persona he saved only for when he thought I was doing something stupid that would get me into deep shit.  Most of the time, he was right.

"Is that really a good idea, bro?"  He lowered his voice, studying me.  "You know, considering she isn't exactly above stealing from us."

He glanced toward the door leading into the back office and frowned.

"She's probably already pocketed half of today's profits."

"Shit," I swore.  I didn't even think of that.  Marcus would kill me.

I went out the back to check on her, finding her sitting stiffly in the same spot I'd left her.  Her head shot up when I came in, looking at me as though she'd expected someone else.  She relaxed slightly when she recognised me.

"We're almost done here," I told her.  "Just be another couple of minutes."

She smiled hesitantly, and I was surprised at the way her entire face transformed with it, no longer looking so strained and frightened.  She was pretty, even if she was so timid.  I guess I didn't notice right away because of everything that had happened in the short time we'd known one another.

I half expected her to follow, or linger in the doorway, but she stayed in the chair, staring at her hands, and I went back to help Clyde finish.

Finally, the two of us went into the front of the shop, and I took the till out to lock in the safe in the office.

"Ready to go?"  I asked Jenna, tossing the key to Clyde for safe keeping. 

He snatched the key out of the air and pocketed it, giving me a knowing look.  Neither of us wanted her to know where we hid the key to the safe.  Normally, depending on who was there, either me or Marcus would take it home and bring it back the next morning, but I decided, for tonight, that it would be safer in Clyde's capable hands.

Jenna nodded and stood up while I found the spare helmet I kept in the office in case I ever needed to give someone a ride.  I ignored the way she flinched when I put it on her head, brushing away the lock of blonde hair that tumbled into her eyes.

"Cute," Clyde teased when she pushed the helmet back so that she could see properly.

She glanced at him, then away again, at me.

"You're on a motorbike?"  She asked quietly, her voice shaking slightly.

"Is that a problem?"  I wondered, quirking an eyebrow.

She looked at the ground again, and shook her head.

"I've just never been on one before," she admitted.

"Nothing to it," I told her with a smile.  "You just hang on."

Jenna was even more nervous when she saw the bike, and I was almost convinced that she'd change her mind, but surprised me when she climbed on behind, wrapping her arms around my waist.

I waved to Clyde as I gunned the engine, and Jenna clung to me tightly.

"You ready?"  I called back to her.

"Yes," she answered.  I could barely hear her over the roar of the engine.

She tightened her grip around me even more when I pulled out onto the road, hiding her face against my shoulder, and I couldn't help but laugh. 

I'd never been scared of bikes.  I'd grown up with them, and knew how to ride one for as long as I could remember, even before I was old enough to have my licence. I'd always loved their power and freedom, that exhilarating feeling you got on your very first ride never went away.  I sometimes forgot that not everyone had the kind of confidence that I did.

I just about had to peel Jenna's arms off me when I pulled up in my driveway.  I didn't live far from the shop, so it was only a short trip, but it was long enough for Jenna to turn a ghostly white colour, and stumble on unsteady legs as she climbed off the bike.

"You alright?"  I asked her, grinning, and she quickly nodded, some of her colour returning.

I showed her inside and gave her a tour of the house.  It wasn't immaculately decorated, in fact it was kind of a dump, but it was liveable.  It was all I needed, but, looking at it from someone else's perspective, I felt kind of self conscious.

Jenna didn't seem to mind the mismatched furniture, the small tear in the arm of the couch or the cigarette burns in the carpet left over from the people before me.

In fact, she turned to me, a timid smile playing on her lips.

"It's lovely, here," she said.

"'Lovely' is being kind of generous,"  I chuckled, handing her the remote to the T.V.  "I wouldn't get too excited over it."

She looked at me confused, taking the remote tentatively.

"See if there's anything good on, if you want," I told her.  "I'm going to have a quick shower."

"Aren't you worried?"  She asked and I turned back to her.

"Worried?" I repeated.

"That I'm going to rob you," she went on, eyes turned down again.  "I heard you and Clyde talking."

"No," I said sincerely, feeling a twinge of guilt.  I hadn't meant for her to hear that.  "Because, if you do, I'll set Bonnie on you."

I meant it as a joke, but Jenna suddenly looked terrified, and I felt kind of bad.  I hadn't missed the bruises across her face that Bonnie had given her, which were just slowly starting to fade.

"Seriously though," I told her sternly.  "If you try anything, you're out on your ass.  And I won't bail you out from those guys again, whoever they are."