Free Ashby Holler by Jamie Zakian Page A

something about that.” Soft strands of thick hair swept Sasha’s cheek as Carmen spun, heading for the truck’s open door.
    Sasha’s teeth dug into her bottom lip. She unzipped her jacket, trailing the muscled thighs that moseyed to her truck’s door.
     
    ***
     
    Dez
     
    Dez sat at the bar of the clubhouse, watching his brother walk back and forth. Vinny had turned away three fine women so far who’d practically thrown themselves in his lap to pace on the front porch. If the guy wasn’t dating Sasha, something serious must be up. No man could’ve turned down that last blonde, not without a really good reason. Dez grabbed a bottle of whiskey, walking onto the porch.
    “What’s up, Vince?”
    Vinny flinched then shot a poorly forced grin.
    “You seem tense,” Dez said, sitting on the bench and unscrewing the cap.
    “Nah. I’m just…bored.”
    A long swig sizzled its way down Dez’s throat, burning away a fraction of the stench left by his brother’s bullshit. He lifted the bottle, dangling it between his fingers.
    Vinny sat beside Dez, taking the bottle. “So where’s the green truck go?”
    “You got pretty close with Sasha, huh?”
    “No,” Vinny blurted, looking away then back. “I’m just trying to learn.” He poked the patch on his jacket. “Runner.”
    “You’re so different. Everything’s different.” Dez took the bottle, downing another gulp. “You and Sasha used to sneak into the clubhouse, steal joints, then go beat up the local kids. Now you guys are at the table and I’m…”
    “You’re our sergeant.”
    “Yeah. Go figure.” After another swig, Dez handed over the bottle to keep from finishing the damn thing. “You’ve been passing on some prime tail all night. I hear that Debbie chick can suck the chrome off a bumper.”
    Vinny snorted mid-gulp, coughing a bit while banging on his chest. “It’s true. Mouth like a vacuum, but I ain’t really feelin’ it tonight.”
    “Sasha?”
    “What?”
    “You two,” Dez leaned back, lighting a cigarette, “fight like an old married couple.”
    “It’s starting to feel like that,” Vinny muttered.
    “So you guys are fucking?”
    “No!” Vinny shook his head, waving his hand. “No, no. I’m stuck in the friend zone. Why are you asking about Sasha?”
    Dez stared across the parking lot. Moonlight shimmered off the line of gleaming rigs. The sparkle of light shining off chrome left a warmth in his chest, better than liquor, like home. “I know the whole crew, and you’re my brother. But Sasha…I can’t puzzle her out. She’s either really smart or really stupid. Or maybe even both at the same time, if that’s possible.”
    Vinny smirked, nodding.
    The bench shifted as Dez turned, eyeing the bottle. “I worry she’ll hurt the club.”
    “No way. The club is her life. It’s all she ever talks about, thinks about. You caught her on a bad week, with that bar shit and other stuff. That’s all. She’s calmed down a lot these last few years. Just give her a chance.”
    Dez rose from the bench, took the bottle from Vinny’s hand, and flicked his cigarette over the railing. “Green truck goes to Little Rock,” he said before walking back inside.
     
    ***
     
    Sasha
     
    Sasha grinned at the cute gasps that filled her cab. She kissed Carmen’s thigh, earning a moan. She nibbled on the woman’s flat stomach, scoring her a giggle, and the tip of her tongue, running between soft breasts up to a silky neck, brought shivers to both their bodies.
    “ Ay dios mío, mamacita ,” Carmen cried out. “ Es una lengua mágica .”
    “ Gracias, muñeca .”
    “You speak Spanish?” Carmen sat up in the cramped sleeper cabin, gazing into Sasha’s eyes.
    “ Si. Un poco . I spent some time in Guadalajara last year.”
    “Really! You are an interesting girl, Sasha Ashby. Come here, let me do you now.”
    Sasha grabbed ahold of Carmen’s wandering hands. “Aren’t you worried? Fernando’s gonna tell your father we were in