Page 1 of Madame Mayhem

Chapter One: Sweet Revenge

Fiona

Serenity icy wind whipping over my face doesn’t bother me one bit, especially being on the back of the bike with Slash. I got my hands sunk deep into the caves of his pockets and he’s leaning into the dark corners like a boss.

I can smile now. Used to be a time when my smiling hurt. I remember the last time my mouth really curved into a smile was when I lit my captors up and I watched the flames lick their faces. I’d never heard so much screaming in my life, and watching the fire melt their skin from their bodies gave me great satisfaction. Yeah, that’s the last time truly smiled until now.

I got a sense of where he’s headed. I feel like it’s to the Serenity lookout, where the Dark Angels like to ride to blow off steam.

Curving my body with him through the forest corridor as his hog slides around the tight corner, being with him feels right. The wheels in my brain keep turning. All I can see is the thick barrel of the gun aiming at my father’s temple with Bull at the end. His eyes… they were so cold, devoid of emotion, like the men that took me that day. I close my eyes, letting the wind whistle over my face so I can stop spinning the cogs. Slash starts the climb on the bike to the lookout. There’s nobody out on the road. It’s about dusk and I saw Slash take a couple of beers from the clubhouse, so I know he’s got something set.

We reach our destination and Slash kills the engine, swinging his leg off, and dislodging his helmet. Damn, he’s fine. I’ve never seen a man so cut out to be the president of a club. His broad, angular shoulders, his glossy thick dark hair, that fiery temper of his that matches mine. He’s got what it takes.

Okay, I got a lot more fire than him, but mostly we’re like twin flames bursting together to form a forest fire.

“Hey baby girl. You got that look in your eye,” he chuckles. “I wanted to get you out of the warehouse for a while. Get some quality time with you,” he says gently, sliding a hand down my arm. I can’t help but sink into the safety of his musky, rawness. Slash makes me feel safe, loved, cherished, and he thinks I’m sexy for the right reasons. I can’t ask for much more.

“Yeah,” I pull back out of his warmth, staring at the apricot sky. We got a perfect evening to chill and watch the sky turn over. I smirk as two green beer bottles clink together and he hands me one.

“Here you go bae. You wanna talk about what’s eating you up? I got you. I mean… that’s a stupid question. I know what the problem is, but I still wanna hear how you feel.”

Grinding my teeth together, I unclench my jaw, taking the beer. It’s a bad habit parked in the roots of the deep traumas I’ve gone through and want to forget. I gotta stop doing it, but no therapist could make me stop doing it then, and I don’t think I can stop doing it now.

It’s going to take more than this beer to take the edge off my feelings, but I got this place I got to in my head if I need to. The same place I went to when those men touched me. I reserved the pain, the fire, and the explosive rage for when it needed to be released. That time is here. It’s time for Bull to die. I look around the dusty parking lot to see who else is around. Nobody, it’s just us. Slash walks me over to the patch of grass that looks deep into the cavern that is Serenity.

If I was of sound mind, I could look into the deep bowl and relax. Enjoy the fact that me and Slash are finally together… Enjoy the lights, lean on Slash’s shoulder, and romanticize my fucked-up life. All that mushy shit, but not tonight.

Tonight, I have the blueprint of how many ways I wanna watch Bull burn. Should I start with his toes first? His face? Scorch the fuck out of that scraggly ass beard he’s got? I pull my fingers together, keeping myself from wanting to jump the cliff in front of me. I’ve had that thought in the back of my mind the last time me and Slash came to watch the Serenity lights.

I cross my legs, sipping my beer before I talk. “It was so perfect Slash… the day he got out,” I sneer, chugging down more beer. “Pops looked so clean, too. He smelled like fresh soap. He had a little hobble, and this crooked scar under his eye. Maybe he got into a prison fight, I don’t know. He was all smiles. I’ve never seen him smile up so big.” Slash has his hand on my knee, but I’m cool. At least for the time being. I’ve been weaning off the pills and the drugs, so now I can’t escape myself so much. Slash has helped with that. I stop for a minute, soothed by the empathy in his eyes. He cares. Slash really fucking cares about me. I can feel his heartbeat. He picks up my fingers in his, kissing them.

“Keep going Fi, I’m listening.”

“We went to our favorite spot, right by the water. I ain’t gotta tell you where it was. You were there. I got those cheesy fries,” I hold up my fingers with a sniffle - demonstrating. You know the ones?”

“Yeah, I know the ones, Fi.” He’s quiet, and it helps me keep going. My voice is still monotone, but a tear has escaped.

“He got the double cheeseburger; said he was sick of the prison food. I can’t say I blame him. Who knows if the guards spat in his shit or whatever the fuck those sick pigs do in there.”

Slash sighs. “Yeah, they do shit like that. I ain’t gonna lie, but if you get in good with them, it can sort things out clear. Your pops and I sorted that out real quick. One of the older guys on our block gave him that scar. He wanted to test himself with the fresh meat when he got in, but your Pops is a great fighter. He shut it down and knocked the guy flat on his back, busted the back of his head too.” Slash coughs, laughing at the memory. “That’s what did it for me. We were solid for the whole time in there. The other guys respected him too. We watched one another’s backs. That stupid guy - I don’t even remember his name got a week in solitary. That shit is brutal down there, apparently. It’s like doing ten years. No light, apparently some of the guards have spat in the food too.”

“Fuck.If I could wind back the clock, I would go back...”

“Stop Fi. Don’t do it to yourself. It’s not worth it.”

“My father was - stillismy hero. Except I got a new one in you.” I keep drinking because it makes the flame inside my belly is getting hotter knowing he went inside to save my life.

“I don’t know about being a hero, but I’m here for you all the way.”

“Yeah, I know Slash. I can feel it.” Slash kisses the side of my face as I stop talking. I’m red hot on the inside from pain and pure rage. “If I had a knife, I would take it and stab it right into Bull’s heart. He’s a gigantic piece of shit.”

“Hey, you and me both. With my bare hands, I almost took him out. I’m not far behind you… Don’t stop what you were saying. I wanna know about that day. Talk to me.”

I drain more beer and Slash pulls out a joint. I can’t smoke it. It’s not gonna do shit for me. I got too much fire blazing in the system right now so it’s not gonna calm me down at all.

“We were talking about our hopes and dreams. How we were gonna live together. What we were gonna do. It was beautiful, Slash, so beautiful.” More tears fall, each one for every time I had to look Bull in his face and know he killed my motherfucking father.

“Uh-huh. Sounds good.”