Ace Of Spades (Complete Raw First Draft, Unedited)

Nineteen: Prisoner

The park out the front of the Specters' was full of seven or so different bikes, covered in dust and grit from hard riding, and I noticed how Ace was eyeing one in particular; a black chopper, that I was sure would normally shine brighter than the sun.

Ace parked a little way away, and we climbed off, and made our way toward the entrance.  I knew that Ace noticed the nervous glances I was shooting toward the bikes and the way I grew more hesitant as we reached the entrance, reverting back to my old ways.  I just couldn't go in there, knowing that they would be in there, too.

I jumped and stood tensely when I felt Ace put his hand on my waist, and, just outside the entrance, he pulled me aside.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice full of concern.  "Jenna, what's wrong?"

I hesitated, not sure what to tell him, and I stepped a little closer, half hoping that I could somehow hide behind his broad shoulders and his height.  His hand still gripped my waist, while the other brushed my hair back as his hazel eyes searched my face.

"What if they know what I am?"  I asked him, gripping his wrist.  "They've been travelling, and now that they're home, you know they'll be looking for girls like me."

I thought back to the first time I was brought to a biker club for entertainment.  It was just after the men returned from a successful raid, stealing the merchandise from some rivals as they escorted it to it's destination, and bringing it back to Lucas for him to redistribute.

Lucas sent me and two others to the club as a reward.  It was the first time I'd touched any kind of drug, and I'd almost sworn off them when one of the girls injected too much and never woke up.  I'd never forget how the men carelessly threw her body into the back of a van, like a pile of garbage that had to be exposed.

"One less junkie whore," they'd said, then continued with their celebrations, including me and the other girl.

When I looked up again, Ace was still searching my face, confusion written in his expression.

"What do you mean 'girls like you'?" He wondered, leaning down toward me to try and catch my eye, but I couldn't drag mine away from the ground.

He put his hand beneath my chin, and tilted my head up, making me look at him, and, when I finally did, he was looking at me sternly

"Has someone in there hurt you, darlin'?"  He asked, his expression darkening, and I fought the urge to cower from him.  His anger wasn't directed at me, but at what he thought might have happened to me.

Instead, I shook my head, holding his gaze.

"You don't have to be here, if you don't want to be," he assured me. "If you want, I can take you home."

I seriously considered asking him to take me back to his house, or, even to the shop where he worked.  I just didn't want to be in there, surrounded by so many people.  I couldn't explain to him, but the fear was just so prevalent,  that I couldn't convince myself that, this time, it was different.

I knew that none of them in there had ever hurt me, like they did those times when I still belonged to Lucas, but I just couldn't shake the memories of those nights, of those men, and the humiliation and fear and pain and hoplessness I felt, knowing that I would never, ever be free from that life.

Only now, I was.

I was here, of my own free will, with people I'd chosen to become friends with, who wanted to help me.  Not because I had something to offer them, but because they chose to.  I was here, with Ace, who'd continuously gone out of his way to look after me and to protect me.  I'd never been so free in my life.  The only thing trapping me, now, was my own mind.

"What if," Ace said, breaking me away from my thoughts, "I made sure that everyone in there knows you're off limits?"

"But I'm not," I argued, looking away from him again.  "I was with Boomer the other day, and some of the other men.  They gave me money for doing... some things..."

I didn't want to go into detail. I doubted that Ace would want to know, and I didn't want to relive it.  Katy had been right about Boomer being more gentle than he looked.  He hadn't been forceful at all, and he had even let me be in control of myself, which had never happened to me before.

But the fact was, I was still ashamed that I'd had to do it, and, if it wasn't for Ace's kindness, I still would be.  Word would have gotten around, and everyone would know by now that I was fair game.

"Jenna," Ace said firmly, gently gripping my arms in his huge hands.  "No one here is going to force you to do anything you don't want to do.  Even if they intend on giving you money, you can still say no to them.  All the girls that are here are here because they want to be.  You're not a prisoner anymore."

I stared at him as the realization dawned on me, of what he said, and what those words actually meant.

They were the sweetest words I'd ever heard spoken, and my voice caught in my throat, not that I had anything to say, anyhow.  The tears sprang to my eyes, and I half laughed half sobbed as I realised that he was right. 

I was free.  Free from Lucas, free from his clients and the abuse and all the shit that came with it.

Ace smiled one of the most beautiful smiles I'd seen, and I threw my arms around him, surprising him, but he caught me up in the hug, laughing.

I stepped away from him after a moment, embarrassed, but he didn't seem to notice, smiling as he took my hand, tracing his finger tips over the back of it.

"So, what do you want to do?"  he asked me.

"I think I want to watch Bonnie do her tattoo on Kelly," I decided.

Ace's grin broadened, and he lead the way into the clubhouse.

***

"Hey," Bonnie called when she saw us from the couch that her and Kelly were sitting on.  "I was starting to think you two had gotten lost, or something."

 I smiled apologetically and Ace chuckled.

The couch was against the wall opposite the bar, giving a full view of the clubhouse and everyone in it.  There were a few chairs lined up beside the couch, and I dragged one over, settling into it to watch.

The outline of the tattoo on Kelly's thigh was already halfway complete, and Bonnie continued it, listening to Kelly as she chatted away happily, occasionally wincing as the needle glided over any particularly tender places.

I was intrigued by the process, and sat, watching fascinated as the image slowly came to life on Kelly's skin, until I felt a hand drop down onto my shoulder.  I looked up to see Ace as he spotted a group of men emerging from a closed off room at the side of the clubhouse, the same one I remember Katy taking me through to meet the Queen.

"Hey, I've gotta go talk to Beast for a second," he said to me.  "Then, I better head off.  Are you sure you're gonna be okay here?"

I smiled up at him, nodding, and he returned my smile.

"Cool, I'll pick you up later."

"I've got the car today," Bonnie said, looking up from her work.  "I can drop her off when I pick Clyde up."

Bonnie looked to me, raising her eyebrows, and I smiled gratefully.

"Are you cool with that, Jenna?"

I nodded, and Ace quickly brushed a hand over my hair.

"Thanks, Bonnie.  I'll see you later, then."

He waved, then made his way toward the burley man leaning beside the door all the others had just come out of, figuring that must be who Beast was.

He was a little older than I imagined, he looked tired, or, maybe it was the strained look he wore that made him seem that way.  I didn't give it enough time to work it out, because I quickly looked away when I realized, that Beast was staring intensely across the room, right back at me.