Free Behind Blue Eyes by Jordan Abbott
Authors: Jordan Abbott
leave.”
“Leaving isn’t an option,” Nuke said as he took out his phone and checked his messages. There was a text from Jasmine asking if he wanted dinner saved. He smiled as a small wave of reassurance washed over him for the moment.
“Nuke was crazy when he met her,” Kevin butted into the conversation.
“True, very true.” Ricky nodded.
“It’s different with me and Jasmine.” Nuke put his phone away after he texted her back. He took a swallow of his whiskey to stop the jittery feeling deep in his bones. Nuke finished off his drink and sat it down on the table.
Ricky shook his head. “That poor woman, she’s never going to get rid of you.” Ricky laughed as he looked long and hard at Nuke. He could tell from the look in his eyes that Nuke meant every word he was saying.
“Psycho. I love you, bro, but you’re a fucking psycho,” Kevin said as he motioned for Ella and ordered more drinks.
***
Kevin, Nuke and Pipe walked out of Club Mirror shortly after 1 a.m. They were heading to their bikes when Pipe told them to wait a moment. They followed him a few feet away toward a parked car. Ella was sitting in the driver seat, crying.
“What’s wrong?” Pipe called out to her as he approached her car.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. It won’t start. I can’t deal with this right now. I just can’t!”
He could tell that she was fighting hard to stop crying but she didn’t know what else to do. “Pop the hood and let me take a look at it.”
Ella did as he told her. Nuke and Kevin stood off to the side. Nuke shot a look at Kevin and rolled his eyes with a small laugh.
Pipe messed around under the hood for a few minutes. Then he yelled for her to try starting it again. Nothing. This brought on a new wave of tears from Ella.
“Hey, it’s alright. I can call a tow truck. Take it to our garage. We’ll check it out for you,” he said to her as he walked back around to the driver’s side window.
“If don’t get home soon, my babysitter charges me five dollars extra every hour that I’m late. I can’t afford a tow. I can’t afford to get this fixed. FUCK!” she scream as she slumped over, defeated.
“Hey,” Pipe said as he opened her door and knelt down. He reached in and gently brushed back her hair. “I’ll call a cab for you and I’ll pay for it. The car can get towed to our garage, like I said. I’ll work on it free of charge. Just relax. It’s going to be alright. I know it’s tough for you, being a single parent.”
“Free? Nothing in life is free. What do you want?” She watched him closely for a lie but saw none.
“Nothing, honest” He smiled at her.
“I’m not doing some weird biker sex thing!” She brushed back the tears from her cheek. “I know what you guys like. I’m not going to be whored out, either.”
“I’m not asking you to. I know I flirt around, but it’s harmless crap. I know our reputation, but I’m sincerely trying to help you out.” Pipe stood up and took out his phone. He called a cab for her and the tow truck from the Vipers garage.
Ella glanced back at Nuke and Kevin. They were leaning up against the trunk of her car smoking. She searched around in her glove compartment for a napkin. Finding one, she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
“The cab will be here in a few minutes. Call the Vipers garage tomorrow afternoon and ask for me. I should know what’s wrong with it by then. Here.” Pipe reached into his pocket and took out two hundred dollars.
“No,” Ella shook her head. “I can’t take money from you because I don’t know when I’d be able to pay you back.”
“You don’t have to. Pay the babysitter and you’ll probably have to take a cab to work in the morning and one to come pick up the car when it’s finished.”
Ella climbed out of her vehicle. Pipe took her hand and placed the money in her palm and closed her fingers over it. She looked down at the money, then she hesitantly reached up and
“Leaving isn’t an option,” Nuke said as he took out his phone and checked his messages. There was a text from Jasmine asking if he wanted dinner saved. He smiled as a small wave of reassurance washed over him for the moment.
“Nuke was crazy when he met her,” Kevin butted into the conversation.
“True, very true.” Ricky nodded.
“It’s different with me and Jasmine.” Nuke put his phone away after he texted her back. He took a swallow of his whiskey to stop the jittery feeling deep in his bones. Nuke finished off his drink and sat it down on the table.
Ricky shook his head. “That poor woman, she’s never going to get rid of you.” Ricky laughed as he looked long and hard at Nuke. He could tell from the look in his eyes that Nuke meant every word he was saying.
“Psycho. I love you, bro, but you’re a fucking psycho,” Kevin said as he motioned for Ella and ordered more drinks.
***
Kevin, Nuke and Pipe walked out of Club Mirror shortly after 1 a.m. They were heading to their bikes when Pipe told them to wait a moment. They followed him a few feet away toward a parked car. Ella was sitting in the driver seat, crying.
“What’s wrong?” Pipe called out to her as he approached her car.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. It won’t start. I can’t deal with this right now. I just can’t!”
He could tell that she was fighting hard to stop crying but she didn’t know what else to do. “Pop the hood and let me take a look at it.”
Ella did as he told her. Nuke and Kevin stood off to the side. Nuke shot a look at Kevin and rolled his eyes with a small laugh.
Pipe messed around under the hood for a few minutes. Then he yelled for her to try starting it again. Nothing. This brought on a new wave of tears from Ella.
“Hey, it’s alright. I can call a tow truck. Take it to our garage. We’ll check it out for you,” he said to her as he walked back around to the driver’s side window.
“If don’t get home soon, my babysitter charges me five dollars extra every hour that I’m late. I can’t afford a tow. I can’t afford to get this fixed. FUCK!” she scream as she slumped over, defeated.
“Hey,” Pipe said as he opened her door and knelt down. He reached in and gently brushed back her hair. “I’ll call a cab for you and I’ll pay for it. The car can get towed to our garage, like I said. I’ll work on it free of charge. Just relax. It’s going to be alright. I know it’s tough for you, being a single parent.”
“Free? Nothing in life is free. What do you want?” She watched him closely for a lie but saw none.
“Nothing, honest” He smiled at her.
“I’m not doing some weird biker sex thing!” She brushed back the tears from her cheek. “I know what you guys like. I’m not going to be whored out, either.”
“I’m not asking you to. I know I flirt around, but it’s harmless crap. I know our reputation, but I’m sincerely trying to help you out.” Pipe stood up and took out his phone. He called a cab for her and the tow truck from the Vipers garage.
Ella glanced back at Nuke and Kevin. They were leaning up against the trunk of her car smoking. She searched around in her glove compartment for a napkin. Finding one, she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
“The cab will be here in a few minutes. Call the Vipers garage tomorrow afternoon and ask for me. I should know what’s wrong with it by then. Here.” Pipe reached into his pocket and took out two hundred dollars.
“No,” Ella shook her head. “I can’t take money from you because I don’t know when I’d be able to pay you back.”
“You don’t have to. Pay the babysitter and you’ll probably have to take a cab to work in the morning and one to come pick up the car when it’s finished.”
Ella climbed out of her vehicle. Pipe took her hand and placed the money in her palm and closed her fingers over it. She looked down at the money, then she hesitantly reached up and