“Why? What you need Grizz for?” snapped Willow.
Monster leaned forward in his chair as if to emphasize his point. “Well, bitch,” he spat, “I want to show Grizz my gratitude for letting me be a member. You know, like with a thank-you gift. And this here is it,” he said, waving his hand in front of my face.
I felt like a prize on some cheesy game show, and Monster was the model showing off the goods. Of course, I couldn’t have been any further away from a soundstage somewhere in California than I was at that moment.
“It being what? Her?” Willow snarled.
My eyes had somewhat adjusted to the dim light, and I finally saw the source of the irritatingly shrill voice. Willow picked this moment to stand up and point at me, the campfire illuminating her. She was small. I couldn’t guess her age, but she was probably younger than she looked. She had mousy blonde hair that hung limply around her face. There was nothing really special about that face, although I thought maybe she’d been really pretty at one time. She had smudged dark makeup under each eye. Her eyebrows were pencil-thin and overly arched, which added to her sinister look. She probably didn’t need expressive eyebrows to achieve that, though. Hard living, probably including some serious drug use, had aged her. Even in the dim light I could see traces of slight acne scars, and her cheekbones were almost too prominent. They stuck out in sharp contrast to the hollowness that had likely been full cheeks at one time. She was wearing a purple tube top and ratty jeans that rested on her bony hips. And she called me scrawny? She had an assortment of dirty macramé and beaded bracelets on both arms. Almost every part of her skin that was showing was covered in tattoos with the exception of her face and hands. I looked down and saw she wasn’t wearing any shoes. Her feet and toenails were filthy.
This was Grizz’s woman? Whoever this Grizz was, I wondered if he was into dirty feet.
“Yeah her, Willow. I saw her sitting at the 7-Eleven and thought she looked like the girl on our jacket. Then I saw the damn choker and knew I had to get her for Grizz. Got a problem with that?”
“Damn right I do. He ain’t gonna want her and you and your stupid ass should know better than to bring her here.”
“Well why don’t we let Grizz decide.”
“Let Grizz decide what?”
I was so busy watching the exchange between Willow and Monster I didn’t notice the large man walk up. Startled, I turned my head to the left and was eye level with the zipper of a pair of blue jeans. I slowly raised my eyes and my breath actually caught in my throat.
I thought Monster and his evil smile were something to fear. The man who stood next to me was not only large and impressive in appearance, but I could feel his raw energy and aggression radiating like a beacon. This was a person of authority. This was a person you didn’t mess with.
This was Grizz.
He was the reason I was abducted, and I feared I now belonged to him.
At that moment my mind went in a million directions. I remember hearing snippets of conversation as to why I was there. Apparently Monster, the newest member of this group or gang or whatever they were, had just finished an initiation ritual. This final part wasn’t required, and from what I later learned rarely, if ever, carried out: Kidnapping someone to be presented to the leader as a thank-you gift to do with whatever they wanted.
That was me. The thank-you gift. Now that I thought about it, Monster’s leather jacket looked brand-spanking new. He couldn’t have been part of this group for very long.
Just then my eyes reached Grizz’s, and he was looking down at me. I couldn’t read his expression. He wasn’t classically handsome, but he wasn’t ugly either. He was rugged, hard. Even in the semidarkness I could see he had compelling eyes. He was wearing a T-shirt that had the sleeves ripped off. He was muscular and covered in tattoos. His hair looked dirty blonde or maybe light brown, a little long and unkempt. I couldn’t guess his age. For someone with such authority, he seemed like he should have been older than he looked. But I couldn’t tell.
The dim light and my own fear caused all reason and clarity to leave my brain. I suddenly couldn’t think or feel. I was numb.
He didn’t smile. He didn’t frown. He just continued to stare down at me with those eyes. Willow’s voice broke the spell.
“Stupid asshole here thinks you’re gonna want this little scrawny piece of shit, Grizz. I told him you wouldn’t like her. Right, baby? You don’t want her, do ya? The guys can have her, huh? If she’s a gift to you, you can do whatever you want with her, like give her away. Right, baby? And he should know better than to bring someone here. Gonna kick his ass, aren’t ya babe?”
He looked up then and stared at Willow without saying anything. I could see her face, and it had a pleading look. She wouldn’t take her eyes off of him. Just stared with that look of someone who knows they’ve just lost.
She then turned her anger on me. She lunged at me with her hands outstretched. She was going for my neck.
Before she reached me, Grizz grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground with one hand. He had her suspended, and she was kicking her feet. She had both her hands wrapped around his one hand and was trying to pry his fingers loose. Gurgling sounds came from her throat. Without saying a word, he tossed her, and she fell onto one of the flimsy lawn chairs, crushing it beneath her.
A figure rose from the group and went to her. I recognized the gravelly voice from earlier.
“It’ll be okay Willow, honey. He’ll play with her a couple of days and be back in your bed before the weekend is over.” The man tried to help her up but she brushed him off.
“Shut the fuck up, Froggy,” Willow barked. “You don’t know nothin’. I’m supposed to feel better knowing my man is sleeping with that white-trash piece of shit? You just leave me alone. Stop touching me! I can get myself up.”
She stood up and brushed herself off. She stuck her nose in the air like a queen and started to walk toward the motel.
“I’ll be in our room, Grizz darlin’, waitin’ for ya, honey. Just come on home when you’re done and I’ll show you how a real woman feels underneath ya.”
I watched her walk to the motel, open one of the doors and walk in. I looked back up and he was staring down at me. Without taking his eyes off mine he said, “Moe, take her to number four. Settle her in. Stay with her.”