Harlow"What's that about?" I thought to myself after seeing some blonde getting handsy with Cyrus. After all we'd been through in the past week, I felt like I could trust him. His "friend" on the other hand… Brat, Red, Gunner, and I got the food off the back of our bikes and followed Bonnie to the front steps of an old farmhouse. Cyrus had walked up to the porch and was talking to a pleasant-looking middle-aged blonde woman. She was full-figured with a round face and wore a hippie-style dress under a fringy leather jacket. "Is this the famous Harlow?" she asked when we approached. "Our newest prospect," Bonnie replied. "It's good to see you, Arlene." "You too, sweetie." Arlene gave Bonnie a kiss on the cheek. She turned to me and said, "You've certainly made an impression on both of my boys. I'm Blayze's mom." She extended her hand to me. "And Cyrus's momma number two." "It's n
Harlow"You human b*tch!" Stella screamed as she lurched forward and put her hands on Brat's throat. The girl was small, but she was still a werewolf and had no problem lifting Brat off her feet. She dropped Brat back down, though, when Red and Gunner both pulled her back."Stella, come on!" Gunner exclaimed.Stella began to shift, and sandy blonde hair began to sprout all over her body."Enough!" Blayze's voice roared from across the yard.Suddenly, Stella stopped the shift and came fully back to her human form."Blayze," she said with a pout. "This human—""You're at my mom's house," he said sternly. "You disrespect her; you disrespect me. Get out.""But—" Stella began."Now!" Without another word, Stella left. One of the Howler guys followed her out. I presumed to give her a ride.Red and Gunner both burst out laughing as Bonnie and the other officers approached."Well," Bonnie said to Brat, "that's one way to start a patch-in.""I'm sorry, Bonnie," Bra
Harlow"Do you know how to attach a PDF to an email?" Madoc asked, shattering the ominous moment we'd just shared."Wait—what? Was that your question?" I asked. He turned on his heels and hurried back to his computer. "Yes. I've spent the last hour-and-a-half trying to figure it out." I was taken aback when I realized he was using a boxy computer monitor that was so large it looked like it could launch a nuclear missile. A burst of laughter slipped out before I could stop it. He scowled."Sorry," I said. "I just realized that you're using a computer that came out before I was born." He still wasn't amused. "Why do you want my help anyway? You could have asked anybody else to do this for you.""I like you." Madoc shrugged. "In a purely platonic sort of way, that is. So...is that a 'yes' with the PDF?"I sighed. "Yeah, I can help you." "Amazing." He got up from his swivel chair and pulled it out for me."I just find it…" I paused, trying to be delicate. "Unique that
HarlowThe next morning was a big day for a couple of reasons. One: We would be getting on the road and driving to Mexico to pick up what we could only guess was illegal cargo. Two: We would know sometime that day if Brat made it through her first shift. If she survived, she'd be a Blood Dog for life.Before we got started, I rode my bike to Brat's little house to say goodbye. Goldie's bike was parked out front. She'd kept watch of Brat through the night. Stitch drove up behind me with his medical bag."Mornin', Harlow," he said as he dismounted. "Just here to give some TLC to our girl before we get on the road."The front door was unlocked, so I let us both in."Hello?""In here," Goldie's voice called from the bedroom.The bedroom doorway had a beaded curtain separating it from the living room, and the beads rattled as Stitch and I stepped through.Goldie looked exhausted, but Brat looked awful. She was awake but drenched in sweat. The mark on her wrist from Bonnie was deeply
HarlowI was greeted by six cuts bearing emblems of a flaming sword surrounded by seven rings as I sped toward the Seventh Circle bikers from behind. They'd been following our caravan for several minutes and were quickly gaining on our four bikes. From my vantage point, I could see that these guys were packing, and pretty soon, they would be in firing-range of Cyrus and the others.Thinking fast, I pulled up to within six feet of them. Once I matched the engine speed with the transmission, I pressed down on the clutch and stepped on the gas pedal, which made my GTO roar like a metal beast. Panicked by my sudden appearance, the two men bringing up the rear swerved and almost lost control of their bikes.To drive my point home, I brought my car closer and revved the engine even louder than before. They seemed to take my threat seriously, and all six of them took the nearest highway exit. Crisis averted.I let out a huge breath of relief and gave the steering wheel a hardy love pat. "
Harlow"Those were some good enchiladas," Red said as everyone left the restaurant. "And tamales...and chiles en Nevada.""Nogada." Cyrus corrected him with a smirk.We'd spent the better part of three hours there while the guys gorged themselves on round after round of Mexican food. We'd finally gotten word that the truck had been loaded and was ready to go.As we approached the big rig, the reality of what we were doing settled in. Crossing the border with an empty truck was one thing. But now that it was fully stocked with whatever illegal cargo we were transporting, we had stepped into the dangerous world of smuggling. Everyone in the group seemed on edge.The same Sunshine Corp employee who kept us out of the warehouse approached. "You should get moving. The transportation of these goods is time-sensitive. And I remind you that if the shipments are tampered with before you reach your destination, there will be consequences.""Alright, let's move out," Red called out. On his
Harlow"Get the poor girl outta there!" Stitch instructed.The woman in the crate was shaking and scared. Red lifted her out and gently sat her down to remove the restraints. The rest of us pulled the smaller boxes off of the other crates and began opening them. Each crate held a person bound, gagged, and blindfolded. There were twenty in total. Men, women, and children.It hit me then what the list I'd helped Madoc attach to his email meant. In each row was a town name, an M or an F indicating male or female, and a number. Their age. It was an inventory of human beings. I felt sick.I pulled out my switchblade and helped cut the frightened, weak people free of their restraints. Some were barely conscious as if they'd been drugged. These people weren't immigrants trying to get into the States. They'd been taken against their will."What the hell is this?" I asked."Human trafficking," Stitch said in disgust."Like sex trafficking?""Don't know," Stitch responded. "There are som
Blayze"Bonnie!" I called after her as she drove off to the west.Madoc walked up behind me. "Well, that was rude," he said. "She didn't even answer my question. Do you know if the cargo will arrive tonight?"I turned and punched the f*cker in the jaw hard enough to break it. His feet went flying out from under him, and he landed on his back on the pavement. I ran to my bike and got on."So, just to clarify, we don't know where the cargo is?" he asked.Ignoring the psycho occupying my cellar, I started my bike and followed after Bonnie. It took a few minutes, but I finally spotted her taillights in the distance. I hurried to catch up to her. She looked over her shoulder and caught my eye, her long, black hair whipping in the wind under the moonlight. She was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever known. No matter how many of the sweet butts or other she-wolves in town I took to my bed, it was always Bonnie in the back of my mind. I'd spent the last ten years hating her for that.