Chapter Text
“When you get here, you need to pick up the new chick…uh…Lisa.”
“Who?” Carla asks with a harsh tone. She’s two hours into an intel op of their rival biker gang, The Rovers MC, but has been called back to their base. “No. I don’t know her.” She says as she rips down the road on her bike.
“Well, you’re taking her. She’s down a bike and you’ll have a free seat.” Peter, the man at the top of their gang and Carla’s boyfriend, lectures her from the other end of the line.
She rolls her eyes. “Whatever.” Carla taps the end button on her phone that’s attached to her handlebars. She squints as the sun bounces off the shield on her helmet.
When Carla arrives at their base, she’s greeted by nearly two dozen bikes on the side of their building. She parks then dismounts. She takes her helmet off and sits it on the seat to pull her hair out of her jacket and run her fingers through her sweaty, long, brown hair.
She opens the front door to a bunch of men and only a few women all chatting in various levels of volume. She scans the room for Peter and when they see one another, he stops talking to the man he’s with to go to her.
“Who do you need me with?” Carla asks in her pissed off and annoyed tone.
“Lisa. One of the new recruits. Look,” Peter puts his hand on her shoulder and gets closer to speak to her quietly, “if we’re gonna get payback, we need to expand.”
“That’s unbelievably risky!” Carla does not match his quiet voice. “Anyone new, hell, anyone old too can be a risk! But the new recruits, it’s a way bigger chance! Especially after that botched job.”
“We fucked up there, yeah. Someone was probably tailed or we were set but–”
Carla puts her hands on her hips, “Ricky and Sam got arrested for fucks sake! And you’re trying to find replacements? You can’t! Where’d you even find these new people?”
“I love when you’re like this. All bossy. Bitchy. It’s hot.”
Carla rolls her eyes in a non playful way.
“We found them the normal way!” Peter says. “And we’re vetting them! That’s part of why I need you to take one!”
“You said she doesn’t have a bike? Are you fucking dense? That smells Peter. No.”
“So hot. Victor was with her when it stopped working! Sheila has it in her shop right now but Lisa’s here and we need to vet them!”
“You should have already done that.”
“We have! Just not the full process yet! God! Why are you…so bitchy?”
“You just said you liked it.”
“Not when it keeps going.”
“So not when I’m concerned for us? You? This whole gang?” She gestures around the room.
“It’s fine!” He says in a condescending tone that pisses her right off.
“Oh, fuck you.”
“Fuck you.”
“Where’s Lisa?”
“I’ll take you to her.”
Peter turns his back and smiles as he begins to walk. He loves to make her mad. Carla walks behind him legitimately angry. The last thing she wants to do is test some new recruit; all she wants to do is go home.
“This is Lisa.” Peter’s words make Lisa turn around.
Carla stands beside Peter and watches Lisa’s long, blonde hair swish through the air as she turns from her conversation with Victor.
Carla pulls down her black, leather jacket and looks over Lisa. She doesn’t look like a biker at all, hell, she doesn’t even look weathered. She can’t tell if she’s thirty-two or fifty-two and immediately feels off about her.
Lisa’s eyes meet Carla’s when she sticks out her hand. “Hi! I’m Lisa!”
A massive red flag waves behind Carla’s eyes. “I’m Carla.” She says as plain as possible.
Lisa’s smile slowly drops from her face as she takes her hand back. She smiles again when she looks at Peter.
“So,” Peter begins telling Lisa about how they are going to ride around and intimidate The Rovers MC.
Carla takes the opportunity to keep looking her over. She looks comfortable in her clothes and in their mix, but she’s too… something. Chipper, maybe. And her bike going out on day one is enough to cause the raising of an eyebrow.
“You’ll ride with Carla.” Peter roughly put his arm around Carla’s neck, “My woman.” He smirks. She shoves his arm away then puts her hands in her jacket pockets.
“I have to go check on something.” Carla turns and walks towards Peter’s office in the backroom.
“Sorry about her.” Peter smirks at Lisa. “Quite bitchy from time to time.” He chuckles.
Lisa swallows down her sudden discomfort. “We all have bad days.”
“Every fucking day?” He laughs again then sharply hits her shoulder. “Welcome to Underworld MC.” He hits her again then turns to his office. When he steps inside, he questions, “What the fuck are you doing?”
Carla is sitting on a couch with her feet up on a trashed coffee table. She closes out of her music app. “I don’t know about this Peter. This is weird. Why do you want new people? We have been doing just fine.”
“Christ.” He slams the door behind him.
Unintimidated, Carla rolls her eyes at him and sits up. She puts her phone in her jacket pocket.
Peter stomps up to her, “Are you not getting this?” He gets in her face. “How do you think we’re going to get revenge?”
“Revenge?” Carla mocks him paired with an eye roll. “You said we’d set them up like they did to us. Is that not the ‘revenge?”
“No.” He says simply then smirks. “We’re gonna blow up their shit.” He full smiles.
“P…” Carla can’t finish the sentence she wasn’t prepared to say, let alone his name.
Peter tilts his head to the side, still in her face. “Cat got your tongue? Never seen that before. You’re cuter when you’re quieter.” He kisses her folded in lips. “Come on.” He gets out of her face and stands up.
His words repeat over and over again in her mind. This isn’t what they do. Everything is mainly a show or low ball crime. Not this. She questions, “How are you going to ‘blow up their shit’ if they’re always with it or at their base?”
“Make it look like an accident. One of their guys mishandling stuff in the shop.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Not like anyone will grieve them.” He spins and turns towards the door.
Carla dry swallows. This wasn’t what she thought this gang was and this wasn’t who she thought Peter was; an asshole, yes, but a murderous one, no. She watches him open the door and wonders if he’s killed before or if he’s playing to seem tough.
“You coming or not?” His voice is more demanding than normal.
He shuts the door behind himself after Carla walks through.
After Peter gives a little hype up speech about how they’re going to hit them where it hurts later on, all the bikers make their way to the exit for their ride of intimidation.
Lisa sticks out her hand and catches Carla’s jacket cuff as she moves by her. “Hey, I…”
Carla keeps walking. Lisa follows behind her. She watches Carla walk to her bike then grab her helmet. The engines begin to roar and throaty cheers of men fill the air around them.
“You got a…” Carla doesn’t finish her sentence when she sees the helmet in Lisa’s hands. She puts on her own full face helmet.
Lisa speaks loudly but with a smile, “I didn’t know if I needed it or not.” She looks around at the men surrounding them then back to Carla. “You’re one of the only ones that wears one.” Lisa puts her open face helmet on.
“Yeah, well I’m not a fucking idiot.” Carla mounts her black Harley then flicks her tinted face shield down.
A corner of Lisa’s mouth tugs at her tone. She gets on the backseat as Carla’s engine fires. Lisa puts her hands on her own thighs. As the men start pulling onto the road, Carla feels behind her for Lisa’s arms then wraps them around her stomach. Lisa feels a gun holstered on Carla’s hip under her jacket.
“You good?” Carla shouts with a hand on the throttle.
“Yup!”
Carla pulls onto the road.
The ride is smooth. The two women are mixed in with the men throughout the entire ride. When they ride past their rival, all of them rev their engines which draws even more of The Rovers MC outside to see. Underworld MC keeps riding on after they all pass the building. They take a long detour home so the gang can show off their size around town.
Carla does almost nothing except think of Peter’s words over and over again. And his tone. He’s always been rough and literally in her face, but today was different. He seemed more angry. She never once had a suspicion that their gang was capable of anything like that. She imagines everyone locked up. She imagines what court would be like. Murder. He can’t be capable of murder. She watched him get sick after running over a rabbit not too long ago and now he’s in her face seemingly trying to scare her talking about murder. Murder. Maybe that was it, he didn’t see their rivals as people, not even animals. That last job where the cops were lying in wait. Everything that could have gone wrong did. That must be why he changed. Two of his boys got picked up and he probably thinks that happened because he wasn’t tough enough. Murder. The word repeats in her head. Lisa readjusts her hands against Carla’s stomach which makes her jump. She had entirely forgotten Lisa was behind her. She swallows and subtly shakes her head.
Pulling back into their base, the men are cheering and hooting as engines shut off. Carla thinks about how trivial it all seems, like it’s all a self congratulations to make up for the fact they haven’t done anything. She goes to dismount and remembers Lisa again when her arms fall from her body. She dismounts followed by Lisa.
Carla takes her helmet off and sits it on her seat. Lisa copies her and sits her helmet on the backseat. Carla runs her fingers through her sweaty hair then wipes sweat from her face with her shirt.
“Thank you for taking me.” Lisa’s high voice is loud over the engines.
Carla responds with a look instead of anything verbal. She runs her fingers through her hair again.
“I think they said her name was Sheila?” Lisa fills the gap. “The mechanic? She thinks she’ll have mine up and running again soon.”
“Why are you here?” Carla turns to her.
The harsh tone takes Lisa back a little but it was half expected given her other “conversations” with Carla. “Wanted to feel a part of something. Didn’t know you guys had a whole rivalry but…” She shrugs her shoulders with a smile.
Carla crinkles her face and raises an eyebrow. “So you joined a gang? Why not…knitting club or something?”
“Knitting club?!” Lisa laughs. “Why knitting club?”
“Seems more like your vibe than this.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? This is my vibe!”
“You just seem…” Carla looks her up and down as more engines shut off; her voice is still loud but not as shouty, “soft.”
“Soft?!” Lisa takes fake offense.
“You can’t tell me people think you’re a biker when you look like a school teacher.”
Lisa scoffs, unsure of what to say and if she was insulted or not.
Carla scratches her head. She looks towards the building when she hears Peter’s loud voice hyping up the men as they go inside. She rolls her eyes. She feels for her phone in her jacket then she lifts her arm to stretch her back.
Lisa’s eyes are drawn down to Carla’s hips. Specifically, the holster that houses a black handgun. She’s not sure of the model but can see most of the grip. Carla does the same with her other side. The sight of the gun disappears under her jacket so Lisa’s eyes move to Carla’s boots. She hadn’t noticed before in all the chaos, but her boots have a thick sole just like her own. She wonders if Carla wears them to add a few more inches and fit in more.
Carla picks up Lisa’s helmet from her bike and gives it to her without looking at her. Lisa takes it then watches Carla walk towards the building. She grins at her back then follows behind.
Carla sits inside on the couch in the backroom. Her feet are up on the coffee table and her arms are crossed over her chest. Her head tipped back on the hard, old back pillows.
She wakes up to a sharp pain on her neck. She grips her throat before her eyes are open. She sees Peter laughing in front of her with his fingers still bunched together.
“Did you flick my throat?” She coughs. “You fucking asshole.”
“Come on! It didn’t hurt that bad!”
“Come here.” She puts her fingers up, ready to flick.
“No.”
“I thought it didn’t hurt?”
“It didn’t!” He crosses his arms. “What do you think of her?”
“Lisa?”
“Who the fuck else?”
“She’s…” Carla shrugs her shoulders. “Why her? She doesn’t seem tough at all. Like she started riding a week ago.”
“Not what Victor said. And she didn’t even ride yours.”
“I mean…her whole… She just doesn’t seem like a biker. That’s a risky recruit. Especially with eyes on us. Why’d you want her?”
“Apart from the obvious?”
“Don’t be fucking gross. What if I said that about Victor?”
“Do it.” His voice drops. “I’ll fucking kill him.” He laughs maniacally.
“But you can talk about women like that?”
“Give it up. She’s a dyke, anyway.” He throws himself down on the couch beside Carla. He takes out a pack of cigarettes and lights one. He sticks one out for Carla but she shakes her head. “You’re so boring.” He says then puts the pack back in his jacket. He takes a long and deep inhale then blows the smoke in her face.
“Why are you being such an asshole? You weren’t like this before. Do you think any of this is attractive?”
“You like it.”
“I really don’t. And ‘dyke?”
“Oh god, don’t be one of those.” He rolls his eyes.
“What does that mean?”
“You know what it means.” He hangs his head. “Jesus.” He says under breath.
Carla tightens her arms around herself.
“What do you think of her?” He asks again.
“She’s fine.”
“And to answer your question,” He blows smoke at her again. “We wanted her because she used to be in The Rovers.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Carla stands up from the couch.
“Years ago. Said she was in it with her ex-girlfriend. That’s how I know she’s a dyke.” He laughs to himself.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Carla repeats. “You are actually fucking dense, aren’t you? You’ve let our enemy in through the fucking front door, Peter!” She shouts.
“She’s not with them anymore! But she’ll still have information on them!”
“That is fucking fishy. She’s probably working for them!”
“Why do you think I put her with you?”
“What?”
“Why do you think I wanted her to ride with you? You have this way of… I don’t know…reading people and seeing them for who they are. Figured you better than anyone could suss out a rat. So… Is she?”
“How. In the fuck. Am I supposed to know?! That is your job!”
“I’m so turned on right now.” He smirks.
She puts her hands up in the air and makes claws out of frustration. She puts them into her hairline and turns around so he can’t see her face.
The door opens and Carla puts her head up when loud music and the boasts of men come into the room. Lisa is standing in the doorway with one hand on the handle.
Lisa looks at Carla then at Peter. “Someone named ‘Ricky’ wants to talk to you. Collect call, I think.” Peter jumps up at Lisa’s words. “Someone told me to come get you. I don’t know his name. The one with the really long beard.” Peter rushes out the door past her.
Carla turns around and puts her hands flat against her face. She hears the door shut behind her and all the loud noise fade into a background hum. She loudly exhales.
“Are you okay?”
Carla jumps and spins around, having thought Lisa left with Peter. She swallows then pulls her jacket down. “Yeah.”
“That seemed pretty intense. Are you sure?” Lisa notes the indents of fingernails on Carla’s hairline even as she stands six feet away.
“Yup.” Carla licks the front of her teeth inside her mouth. She looks over the woman in front of her.
“Just know that you can talk to m–”
“Why didn’t you say anything about being in The Rovers?”
“I…I did. And I’m not with them anymore. I just didn’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t exactly have an opportunity to.” She chuckles.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Lisa doesn’t respond.
Carla grunts then covers her face. She runs her hands through her hair. “Sorry.” She clears her throat. “Sorry. It’s…been a day.”
“I can see that. Do you want to talk about it?”
Carla rolls her eyes; she doesn’t believe this woman is a biker at all. She thinks Lisa’s playing Peter and by extension, everyone in their gang. “Maybe another time.” She clutches her phone inside her jacket pocket. “I’m going home. You’ll have to find another ride.”
Carla walks past her and through the door. She shuts it behind her. She pauses a few steps into her walk to the exit, realizing she left her in Peter’s office. She turns to rush back but watches Lisa open the door mere seconds after she’d shut it. She meets Lisa’s eyes.
Lisa pulls the door shut and furrows her brows at Carla in response to her intense expression.
Carla slides her jaw to one side then turns back around and leaves.