Chapter Eighteen:
Leon supressed a loud yawp as Claire made a sharp turn and sped up even faster. How could he have gotten himself into this mess? Him and his big soft heart. The evening had started out so innocently; he had arrived at the Kute Kids studio to pick up Claire for dinner at a little Vietnamese restaurant a couple of blocks away from her work.
All through the meal of crispy fried noodles and wanton soup, Claire had been gazing longingly at the shiny Harley parked outside, the gleam from the street lights reflecting in the polished chrome. With a bonny smile, Leon took her hands in his, turning her attention back to himself.
"You know what?" he asked, intwining her fingers with his.
"What?" she replied sweetly, her long dark lashes brushing the skin beneath her eyes.
Leon looked down and thumbed the baroquish Celtic ring on Claire's finger. "Sometimes..." he took a breath and sighed dramatically. "...sometimes I feel as if you're using me for the bike."
Claire gasped in abhorrence. "No! That's not true...the sex alone is worth it."
"Oh, I feel so used!" Leon exclaimed and then tightened his hold on her hand.
After that, Claire made an effort to pry her eyes from the bike but Leon could tell that it was still on her mind. After he paid the check, he walked out into the cold night and found Claire waiting in her usual seat just behind his spot. Sauntering over with purpose he stood, bearing his weight on one leg and crossing his arms.
"Scoot up." he told her.
"Come again?" she replied, lifting an eyebrow.
"Scoot up." He repeated. "You're driving home tonight."
An unbelieving look took hold of Claire's features and she laughed. "Yeah, right. Just get on."
"I'm serious." Leon said, hiding a smile at her look of consternation. "You want to take control of the reins for awhile--and I want you to be happy."
Claire's mouth hung open for a moment before she let out a wild laugh. "You are insane."
"I know." he said as he slipped behind her. "I'm actually a few steps ahead of that. But insane is adequate for now."
Claire started up the engine and then revved it a little too excitedly. "You just wait." she told him as she prepared to take off. "When we get home tonight you are going to have the greatest sex of your life."
Before Leon could laugh or become aroused, she sped off onto the highway.
Wind whipped through Claire's hair as she went faster and faster. All the sounds around her blended into one dull, loud roar perfumed with the faint scent of baked pretzels, magnolias and exhaust. It wasn't exactly pleasant but it was the most exhiliarating experience she ever had. Unless you counted the last few nights with Leon...
Claire dared to look at Leon in one of the mirrors. He didn't look scared out of his mind but he didn't look calm either. He looked a lot like a little kid who had finally been allowed to go on a rollercoaster for the first time. Terror and ecstasy mixed into one.
The ride took her higher and higher until she just about flew off the seat but the exuberance worn down as she pulled into the stretch of road leading into Chris's home. The drone of the Harley's engine dropped and then finally died as she pulled into the garage and turned it off. Adrenaline was still rushing through her veins, the traffic's strong pulse was still pounding in her ears and her heart was racing from both happiness and gratitude.
Twisting around in her seat, she threw her arms around Leon and kissed him.
"That was wonderful!" she exclaimed.
"I'm glad you liked it." Leon replied, swallowing hard.
Claire turned back to the front and ran her hands along the rough handle bars and rested her touch on the bronze eagle perched just above the headlights.
Taking a breath, she wondered what it would be like if they were to spend the next spring break down at Daytona Beach for bike week. It would be a while, certainly, but idea became more and more appealing. The last time she had went there, Steve had complained about the lack of sleep he got, how noisy it was to have so many motorcycles around, and how absurd the festivities were. He hadn't used that exact language (it had been much more profane) but it had been enough of a hassle that it had made Claire not want to come back.
Just as she was imagining herself sunbathing with Leon covering her feet in the sand and playfully splashing her with water, she felt his hands clamp over her waist.
"When do you think I can take you up on that earlier proposition?" Leon asked with genteel politeness but Claire knew that tone better.
"Right now." She whispered, pressing her back into Leon's chest and tilting her head so he could kiss her neck.
She awoke many hours later, when it was pitch black outside and the wind and rain made a symphony with the thunder and rustling leaves. Clearing her hoarse throat, Claire sat up and rubbed her eyes. She was sitting in her bed, bathed in the faint blue moonlight from outside. Stretching her back out, she stood and headed for the door, thinking that Leon had put her in bed and then went to get a drink of water. Either that or he had fallen asleep watching reruns of his favorite old shows.
Reaching for the doorknob, she made ready to turn but her hand was then slapped away. A shriek escaped her mostly out of shock but then a second scream tangled in her vocal cords and she was forced to make choked, gagging noises. Emerging from the dark shadows, Steve appeared, draped in black; a black trench coat, black pants, black gloves, black boots. No wonder she hadn't noticed him hiding.
"Hey, baby." he greeted, smiling biliously. The stench of alcohol clung heavily to him like glue but twice as acrid.
Claire swallowed once, twice, but to no avail. She couldn't seemed to speak. All she was capable of feeling was fear and the rising hysteria from within her.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Steve asked, placing his hand on her cheek.
Claire swiped angrily at his hand and backed away, covering her nakedness with her arms.
"S...Steve. What are you doing here?" she demanded, fighting back the sobs that were trying to force their way out. Well, they were just going to have to take a number and stand in line. Behind Fear and Hysteria and good ol' Nervous Breakdown.
"Don't you miss me?" He asked, taking her back into his arms and for the life of her, Claire couldn't pull away.
"You shouldn't be here." Claire spat. "Get out."
Steve tutted under his breath and shook his head. "Is that any way to talk to your flame?"
"I mean it, Steve. If you don't get out of here right now--"
"What? What are you going to do, huh? You gonna drag that G.I in here and tell him what a bad boy Stevie's been?" As he spoke, he grabbed at Claire's skin and pinched hard enough to bruise.
"All I have to do is scream." Claire said as Steve held her by the nape of her neck.
A virulent smile played on Steve's lips. "I don't think you'd want to do that." he said, reaching into his trench coat and pulling out a revolver. Noticing the fearful look in Claire's eyes, he held it up, "I just got it today." he bragged. "You like it?"
Claire frowned. "You can kill me if you want, but don't expect me to go anywhere with you. I won't come back."
At that, Steve laughed; a high, terrible laugh that made Claire's blood run cold. "You're so cute when you're determined. But I'm not going to kill you. I would never kill you." He paused for a moment. "But the man out there, your new lover, I have no feelings for him--I could easily just shoot him. Then you would have no choice but to come with me."
Claire's blood became ice then. Leon?
"You wouldn't." she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Oh, I would." he said, cocking the gun and holding it up. "It's up to you Claire, you come with me and nobody gets hurt. Or you can refuse and stay, I shoot Leon, and you are blamed for the whole thing. I know people, Claire, I can make it happen." Lust and desire filled Steve's eyes and he rested his head on her breasts. "You know what they do to beautiful girls like you in the woman's penitentiary? They make them the definitive woman...and they do it in the WORST ways..."
Steve caught hold of Claire and threw her down onto the bed. Before Claire could kick herself back up, he pinned her down, and slapped a pair of handcuffs onto her wrist and to the bedpost. A whimper escaped her as she kicked furiously at him.
"S-STOP IT!" Steve shouted so loud the walls shook. "Do you want it all to end here? Right now? Because so help me Claire, I will go out there, shoot that stupid son of a bitch and then come back in here to finish the job!"
"Steve, just shut up!" Claire exclaimed, the tears now rolling down her eyes. "Don't touch him! Please!"
Steve nodded knowingly. "It's really cute that you love him that much." He bent down and kissed her. The taste of beer entered Claire's mouth and she could barely hold back the disgusted gagging. Her legs closed tightly, but Steve pushed through, pulling down his pants at the same time.
Claire closed her eyes, awaiting penetration but then instead, she heard a loud bang from the side. The door flew off it's hinges as she opened her eyes and a figure as blurry as a football player at the Superbowl dashed in. Steve was wrenched off of her and there was a heavy thud as two bodies hit the carpet. Pulling herself up, Claire saw Leon wrestling with Steve, trying to get the revolver out of his hand.
Looking to her right, Claire saw the small shiny handcuff key, just out of reach on the bedside table. Arching her back to stretch her arm out, she grasped empty air again and again until her hand reached the hard mahogany wood, her nails just brushing against the key. A painful cry came from Leon and Claire lost her concentration just momentarily to see that Steve had slammed his head into the ground and then scrambled for the gun at the base of the double French doors leading to the lanai. Just when it seemed to Claire he would get the gun, Leon locked his ankles together, making Steve fall face-first into the ground himself.
Reaching and struggling against her bonds, she finally caught hold of the keys and sat up, trying to shove the key into the hole. Now Leon and Steve both had their hands on the gun, they wrestled with all their might, trying desperately to make the bullet end face away from them. Claire jammed the key in and turned it, she awaited the sound of the cuffs being unlocked but instead heard the sound of a gun being fired close by. Very close by.
Down on the ground, Leon and Steve both stared at each other, motionless. Each was a dreadful white, as they waited to see who the bullet had hit. Then came the answer. Steve drew back in horror as Leon's head fell to the floor and his blood stained the peach colored carpet a deep sanguine.
Leon supressed a loud yawp as Claire made a sharp turn and sped up even faster. How could he have gotten himself into this mess? Him and his big soft heart. The evening had started out so innocently; he had arrived at the Kute Kids studio to pick up Claire for dinner at a little Vietnamese restaurant a couple of blocks away from her work.
All through the meal of crispy fried noodles and wanton soup, Claire had been gazing longingly at the shiny Harley parked outside, the gleam from the street lights reflecting in the polished chrome. With a bonny smile, Leon took her hands in his, turning her attention back to himself.
"You know what?" he asked, intwining her fingers with his.
"What?" she replied sweetly, her long dark lashes brushing the skin beneath her eyes.
Leon looked down and thumbed the baroquish Celtic ring on Claire's finger. "Sometimes..." he took a breath and sighed dramatically. "...sometimes I feel as if you're using me for the bike."
Claire gasped in abhorrence. "No! That's not true...the sex alone is worth it."
"Oh, I feel so used!" Leon exclaimed and then tightened his hold on her hand.
After that, Claire made an effort to pry her eyes from the bike but Leon could tell that it was still on her mind. After he paid the check, he walked out into the cold night and found Claire waiting in her usual seat just behind his spot. Sauntering over with purpose he stood, bearing his weight on one leg and crossing his arms.
"Scoot up." he told her.
"Come again?" she replied, lifting an eyebrow.
"Scoot up." He repeated. "You're driving home tonight."
An unbelieving look took hold of Claire's features and she laughed. "Yeah, right. Just get on."
"I'm serious." Leon said, hiding a smile at her look of consternation. "You want to take control of the reins for awhile--and I want you to be happy."
Claire's mouth hung open for a moment before she let out a wild laugh. "You are insane."
"I know." he said as he slipped behind her. "I'm actually a few steps ahead of that. But insane is adequate for now."
Claire started up the engine and then revved it a little too excitedly. "You just wait." she told him as she prepared to take off. "When we get home tonight you are going to have the greatest sex of your life."
Before Leon could laugh or become aroused, she sped off onto the highway.
Wind whipped through Claire's hair as she went faster and faster. All the sounds around her blended into one dull, loud roar perfumed with the faint scent of baked pretzels, magnolias and exhaust. It wasn't exactly pleasant but it was the most exhiliarating experience she ever had. Unless you counted the last few nights with Leon...
Claire dared to look at Leon in one of the mirrors. He didn't look scared out of his mind but he didn't look calm either. He looked a lot like a little kid who had finally been allowed to go on a rollercoaster for the first time. Terror and ecstasy mixed into one.
The ride took her higher and higher until she just about flew off the seat but the exuberance worn down as she pulled into the stretch of road leading into Chris's home. The drone of the Harley's engine dropped and then finally died as she pulled into the garage and turned it off. Adrenaline was still rushing through her veins, the traffic's strong pulse was still pounding in her ears and her heart was racing from both happiness and gratitude.
Twisting around in her seat, she threw her arms around Leon and kissed him.
"That was wonderful!" she exclaimed.
"I'm glad you liked it." Leon replied, swallowing hard.
Claire turned back to the front and ran her hands along the rough handle bars and rested her touch on the bronze eagle perched just above the headlights.
Taking a breath, she wondered what it would be like if they were to spend the next spring break down at Daytona Beach for bike week. It would be a while, certainly, but idea became more and more appealing. The last time she had went there, Steve had complained about the lack of sleep he got, how noisy it was to have so many motorcycles around, and how absurd the festivities were. He hadn't used that exact language (it had been much more profane) but it had been enough of a hassle that it had made Claire not want to come back.
Just as she was imagining herself sunbathing with Leon covering her feet in the sand and playfully splashing her with water, she felt his hands clamp over her waist.
"When do you think I can take you up on that earlier proposition?" Leon asked with genteel politeness but Claire knew that tone better.
"Right now." She whispered, pressing her back into Leon's chest and tilting her head so he could kiss her neck.
She awoke many hours later, when it was pitch black outside and the wind and rain made a symphony with the thunder and rustling leaves. Clearing her hoarse throat, Claire sat up and rubbed her eyes. She was sitting in her bed, bathed in the faint blue moonlight from outside. Stretching her back out, she stood and headed for the door, thinking that Leon had put her in bed and then went to get a drink of water. Either that or he had fallen asleep watching reruns of his favorite old shows.
Reaching for the doorknob, she made ready to turn but her hand was then slapped away. A shriek escaped her mostly out of shock but then a second scream tangled in her vocal cords and she was forced to make choked, gagging noises. Emerging from the dark shadows, Steve appeared, draped in black; a black trench coat, black pants, black gloves, black boots. No wonder she hadn't noticed him hiding.
"Hey, baby." he greeted, smiling biliously. The stench of alcohol clung heavily to him like glue but twice as acrid.
Claire swallowed once, twice, but to no avail. She couldn't seemed to speak. All she was capable of feeling was fear and the rising hysteria from within her.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Steve asked, placing his hand on her cheek.
Claire swiped angrily at his hand and backed away, covering her nakedness with her arms.
"S...Steve. What are you doing here?" she demanded, fighting back the sobs that were trying to force their way out. Well, they were just going to have to take a number and stand in line. Behind Fear and Hysteria and good ol' Nervous Breakdown.
"Don't you miss me?" He asked, taking her back into his arms and for the life of her, Claire couldn't pull away.
"You shouldn't be here." Claire spat. "Get out."
Steve tutted under his breath and shook his head. "Is that any way to talk to your flame?"
"I mean it, Steve. If you don't get out of here right now--"
"What? What are you going to do, huh? You gonna drag that G.I in here and tell him what a bad boy Stevie's been?" As he spoke, he grabbed at Claire's skin and pinched hard enough to bruise.
"All I have to do is scream." Claire said as Steve held her by the nape of her neck.
A virulent smile played on Steve's lips. "I don't think you'd want to do that." he said, reaching into his trench coat and pulling out a revolver. Noticing the fearful look in Claire's eyes, he held it up, "I just got it today." he bragged. "You like it?"
Claire frowned. "You can kill me if you want, but don't expect me to go anywhere with you. I won't come back."
At that, Steve laughed; a high, terrible laugh that made Claire's blood run cold. "You're so cute when you're determined. But I'm not going to kill you. I would never kill you." He paused for a moment. "But the man out there, your new lover, I have no feelings for him--I could easily just shoot him. Then you would have no choice but to come with me."
Claire's blood became ice then. Leon?
"You wouldn't." she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Oh, I would." he said, cocking the gun and holding it up. "It's up to you Claire, you come with me and nobody gets hurt. Or you can refuse and stay, I shoot Leon, and you are blamed for the whole thing. I know people, Claire, I can make it happen." Lust and desire filled Steve's eyes and he rested his head on her breasts. "You know what they do to beautiful girls like you in the woman's penitentiary? They make them the definitive woman...and they do it in the WORST ways..."
Steve caught hold of Claire and threw her down onto the bed. Before Claire could kick herself back up, he pinned her down, and slapped a pair of handcuffs onto her wrist and to the bedpost. A whimper escaped her as she kicked furiously at him.
"S-STOP IT!" Steve shouted so loud the walls shook. "Do you want it all to end here? Right now? Because so help me Claire, I will go out there, shoot that stupid son of a bitch and then come back in here to finish the job!"
"Steve, just shut up!" Claire exclaimed, the tears now rolling down her eyes. "Don't touch him! Please!"
Steve nodded knowingly. "It's really cute that you love him that much." He bent down and kissed her. The taste of beer entered Claire's mouth and she could barely hold back the disgusted gagging. Her legs closed tightly, but Steve pushed through, pulling down his pants at the same time.
Claire closed her eyes, awaiting penetration but then instead, she heard a loud bang from the side. The door flew off it's hinges as she opened her eyes and a figure as blurry as a football player at the Superbowl dashed in. Steve was wrenched off of her and there was a heavy thud as two bodies hit the carpet. Pulling herself up, Claire saw Leon wrestling with Steve, trying to get the revolver out of his hand.
Looking to her right, Claire saw the small shiny handcuff key, just out of reach on the bedside table. Arching her back to stretch her arm out, she grasped empty air again and again until her hand reached the hard mahogany wood, her nails just brushing against the key. A painful cry came from Leon and Claire lost her concentration just momentarily to see that Steve had slammed his head into the ground and then scrambled for the gun at the base of the double French doors leading to the lanai. Just when it seemed to Claire he would get the gun, Leon locked his ankles together, making Steve fall face-first into the ground himself.
Reaching and struggling against her bonds, she finally caught hold of the keys and sat up, trying to shove the key into the hole. Now Leon and Steve both had their hands on the gun, they wrestled with all their might, trying desperately to make the bullet end face away from them. Claire jammed the key in and turned it, she awaited the sound of the cuffs being unlocked but instead heard the sound of a gun being fired close by. Very close by.
Down on the ground, Leon and Steve both stared at each other, motionless. Each was a dreadful white, as they waited to see who the bullet had hit. Then came the answer. Steve drew back in horror as Leon's head fell to the floor and his blood stained the peach colored carpet a deep sanguine.
