My need for speed pushed me into entering yet another street race. A minor offense, if that were the biggest part of it. In this race, let's add assault and battery, leaving the scene of an accident, and assaulting an officer, if one gets in my way. You see, it's not just any race. It's a motorcycle race, and everyone has a weapon to knock the other competitors senseless.

I was getting a feel for the course, when a tan extended cab Chevy Silverado pulled out in front of me. I laid the bike down to keep from hitting the truck, and slid to a stop just short of the driver's door. The tinted window rolled down, and a head stuck out the window, then looked down at me. "What the hell is your problem!? My light was green," I yelled at the man. "I was trying to turn, until I saw you coming. Got a problem steering your scoot around my truck?" "I had the right-of-way, you prick!" He gave me a cocky grin. "You didn't answer me. I guess this just proves that women belong on the back of a man's bike." "I don't ride on the bitch seat. Never have; never will."

I tilted the bike upwards, and pulled it away from his truck. When I looked back at him, he smiled. His green eyes sparkled with a hidden laughter. "Are you ok, darlin'?" "I'm fine, no thanks to you. And I'm not your darlin'." He let out a deep laugh. "Alright, darlin'. I'll see you tomorrow." He made his turn, and I stared as his truck faded out of sight.

"What the hell did he mean by he'd see me tomorrow?" I asked myself aloud. I shook my head, started the bike, and finished going down the road that would become the race track for tomorrow's event. I made a hard left, and headed for the Der Panzer club. As I walked in I saw some of the other rowdy racers surrounding a tall man with black hair. I only saw the back of his head as I passed him to go to the bar. "Jack and Coke, Mike." "Comin' up, J.D." "Hey, who's the giant?" "Who? Taker?" "That's what I just asked you. I don't know his name." Mike laughed. "His name is Taker. He's kind of a legend when it comes to these races. He graces us with his presence every now and then." "Is he racing tomorrow?" "That's what I've heard," he said as he handed me my drink.

I took a sip of my drink, and turned to look at him. When he turned around, I almost spit my drink out. "What's wrong, J.D.?" "He made me wreck my bike just a little while ago." Mike laughed. "He's cutting out the competition a little early this time around. Which line did he use? Trying to turn?" I finished my drink, then walked over to Taker. I pulled his elbow, until he turned to look at me. "Hey, darlin'! Didn't get enough of me earlier?" "What the hell is the big idea trying to knock me out of the race before it even starts?" "Leave the racing to the men, road rash." I grabbed a chair, and stood on it so I could look him in the eyes. "What the hell did you just call me?" "Road rash. If you keep laying your bike down like that, you'll get a nasty one."

Mike came over, and stood between us. "J.D., Taker, I don't think my bar could handle a fight between you two." Taker laughed. "Come on, Mike. It's not like there would be much to a fight between us." "I know you haven't been around, so you wouldn't know. J.D. is the bar's arm wrestling champ." Taker snorted, as he turned to look back at me. "This little girl?" I held out my arms. "This little woman," I replied. "Well, darlin', I tell you what. Why don't you take me on?" "What's in it for me?" "If you win, I'll take it easy on you in the race tomorrow. But, if I win, you gotta spend the night with me." All around us, the other ladies were voicing their disapproval of the bet. "Sounds like these other ladies would take that bet. Why don't you arm wrestle one of them?" "Because I want to put you in your place; on your back." The guys around us let out a round of "oooo's". He pulled on the chair, making my balance shaky.

"Alright, Taker. Step into my office." I stepped off of the chair, and walked over to the corner table, with him right behind me. I sat in my chair, put my elbow on the table and my right hand in the air. He hooked his thumb with mine, closed his fingers around my hand, then set his elbow on the table. "Watch her, Taker. She cheats." "The hell I do, Crush! I won your bike fair and square." Taker smiled at me, as Crush closed his hands around our's. "You took my buddy's bike?" "He put it on the line, and I won it." Crush let go of our hands, and said, "go!"

I gave it all I had, trying to put him down fast, but only got his hand halfway to the table. I looked up from our hands, and into his eyes. He was smiling again. I wish he would stop smiling at me like that. "Are you ready to give up?" he said. "Hell no." "I hope you packed an overnight bag." "Go to hell." "I've been there." His gaze became intense, as he pushed my hand back up to the center. I looked back at our hands as they slowly went to my right. I looked back up at him. He blew me a kiss, then pushed my hand down to the table. He started laughing. "You guys couldn't beat her? Hell, I didn't even break a sweat."

I looked down at the table. I could feel his eyes on me. "Go on, now. Leave us alone," he said to the crowd around us. As the crowd dispersed, he said, "are you going to back out, darlin'?" I looked up at him again. "No. I made a bet, and I have to keep to it." He nodded. He stuck his hand out to me. "I don't think we've been formally introduced. Everybody calls me Taker." I took his hand, and shook it. "Everybody calls me J.D." "Why's that?" "Because I can drink a half gallon, and still walk out the door." "You're a tough little lady. I'll admit that." "Means a lot coming from a legend." He laughed. "You didn't even know me until today. What makes you think I'm a legend?" "Mike told me."

He looked toward the bar. "Hey, Mike, bring us a round," he yelled. We sat in silence until Mike brought our drinks. After he walked back to the bar Taker said, "you don't have to spend the night with me if you don't want to. I got what I wanted." "And what is that?" "I humiliated you." "That depends on how you look at it. The men probably respect me more, because it took a big man like you to beat me, whereas they couldn't. And the women are probably jealous, because even though I lost, I'm supposed to spend the night with the man they wanted." He chuckled. "You have a point there. You seem like a smart woman. Why did you get mixed up in this scene?" "The same reason everyone else did. I need the money from the races." He nodded as if he understood.

We polished off our first drink, then Taker turned to yell at Mike again. "Hey, Mike, bring the Jack, a couple shot glasses and a couple chasers." "Comin' right up." "Are you planning on getting me drunk?" "No. He only has half a bottle up there." I smiled at him. "You oughta do that more often. You look better when you smile than when you're chewing my ass out." The smile turned into a laugh. I looked down into my empty glass. His hand went to my cheek, and his thumb gently carressed my skin. As I looked up at him, Mike sat our order on the table. Taker looked up at him. "Mike, can you have a couple of the guys put her bike in the back of my truck?" "Sure." As Mike turned to go back to the bar, he yelled out, "Crush, Bam Bam, put J.D.'s bike in Taker's truck."

His hand left my cheek, as he reached for the bottle to fill the shot glasses. "A little liquid courage for tonight?" I laughed. "I've got more courage than I can handle, hun." We picked up the shot glasses, and he tapped his to mine. "To crossing the finish line in one piece." "Cheers." We drank the shots, then slammed the glasses back to the table. I grabbed my glass of coke, and drank until the burning stopped, while he refilled the glasses. After a while of going shot-for-shot, I looked up at him. "You doing ok, Taker?" "Just fine. You?" "Same. Getting a little warm." "Why don't we take this bottle back to my place, and finish it off there?" "Alright."

Taker went to the bar to pay the tab, while I grabbed the bottle, and took it to his truck. I made sure my bike was secured in the back, while I waited for him. He unlocked the doors with a button while he walked out of the bar. "Put the bottle behind the back seat. We don't need to get pulled over with that in plain sight." As he started the truck, all thoughts of conversation were lost as a cacauphony of melodies from Black Sabbath filled my ears. I sat back, closed my eyes, and enjoyed the music as we rolled on to his house.

As we pulled up to the house, I had to lean to the side and look up to see where it ended. "Damn!" He laughed. "The races have been nice to me." "How many stories?" "Three, but the top one is my gym." "I'd say they've been very nice." He parked the truck, and killed the motor. "Well, let's go in." I hopped out of the truck, and grabbed the bottle out from behind the back seat. I closed the doors, and opened the bottle as I turned to look at the house again. I turned the bottle up, and took a long swig. Taker pulled the bottle down, and out of my hand. "Not too much, darlin'. I got plans for some of this." He smiled, then took a small swig. "Come on in."

He walked up the steps, unlocked the door, then lead the way inside. While he walked off to a room on the left, I did a 360 to look at the ominous looking interior. "You must have quite a dark side, Taker." "You could say that. Come on in here." I followed his voice to a sort of sitting room that looked like it came straight out of the Adams' Family mansion. The main thing that caught my attention was the goat's head hanging over the stone fireplace. Taker sat in an over-stuffed, black recliner. "Come here, and sit facing me." I walked over to him, and placed my knees on either side of his hips, as I lowered myself onto his lap. He sat the bottle down on the table beside us, then laid his hands on my hips. He slid his hands up, peeling my shirt up as he did. He threw it to the floor, and let out a low whistle as he looked me over.

"What's your weapon of choice?" "A sledgehammer, a steel pipe or a chain." "That explains the physique. I'd hate for you to swing any of those at me." "If you don't share what's left of the Jack I'll start swinging something at you." He grabbed me under my arms, and pulled me so close our noses almost touched. "Fiesty one, huh?" "No, babe. Just in need of another drink." I laid my hands on his shoulders. "Then, I'll do anything you want me to." His hands slid around to go down my spine. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say your enjoying the fact that you lost to me." "That's just it. You don't know. Maybe I let you win." I started unbuttoning his shirt. "Did you?" "No. You honestly beat me. I just have this saying that sticks with me. 'If you have to do something, do it right.' Tonight, I have to do you. Shouldn't I encourage you to do what you want, and get what you want from this?" "I'll get what I want either way."

His hands went under me, then pulled me straight up. He pressed his lips and tongue to the valley of my breasts, and slid them across my skin to my left nipple. He teased the tight bud with his tongue and teeth. As he closed his lips around the bud, he grabbed my left hand, then made me hold my breast. While he repeated this torture on my right nipple, I tunneled my fingers through his long black hair with my free hand. He pulled my hand out of his hair, and made me push my breasts together. As I held them, waiting to see where he was going with this, he grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniels, and unscrewed the lid. He poured the whiskey on my breasts, and caught it in his mouth as it trickled down. He set the bottle back on the table as his tongue went up the trail the whiskey went down.

He made his way up to my neck, while I pushed his shirt off of his shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Oh, Taker..." He stopped nibbling on my collar bone, and stared into my eyes. For an intense moment, I thought he was upset that I had said his name. Then, he crushed my lips with his. His kiss seemed urgent and lust-filled. His hands slid up my back, and he grabbed my shoulders to make me arch my back, as he moved back down to my neck. "J.D.?" "Yeah, Taker?" "Hold on tight." I did as he said, and he stood, picking me up with him. He carried me up a flight of stairs, and down a hall, until we were in his bedroom. He laid me on the bed, then pulled my boots off. I unfastened my jeans, and he pulled them off as well. He stared down at me as he removed his own clothes. He crawled onto the bed, then sat up to take my black silk thong off of me.

As he laid over me, he said, "now I have you right where I want you." "Not 'where I belong'?" "Don't mind what I said earlier. The guys told me you've been giving them a rough time. I had to do something for their sake." I laughed. "I don't really care what was said earlier. I kinda like being right here." I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he came down to kiss me. His hand went between us, and slid over my opening. Taker positioned himself for entry, then slowly sheathed his length within me. His intentions became clear as he started and kept a slow deep pace. He wasn't out for a quick thrill. He wanted to make love to me. "Oh, Taker... You're amazing," I moaned.

An hour later I lay in his arms, listening to him softly breathe as he slept. I slowly escaped his embrace to find the bathroom. I went out into the hall, and opened door after door. I went into one room, turned on the light, and suddenly forgot about my search. As I looked around the room I saw shelves full trophies and a wall covered with plaques. I stood in front of the wall of plaques, and read a few aloud.

"This piece of wood certifies that Mark "Undertaker" Callway is one mean asshole with an engine under his seat." "I haven't heard anyone say my name in ages," he said from behind me. "I'm sorry, Taker. I didn't mean to be nosie." "It's alright, J.D. I normally don't let people in here. Hell, I don't come in here much." "I see you won the brutality award." "Yeah. I've won it a few times. That's just my first one."

I turned around, and looked at him. "Let's go back to bed," he said. "I got up to find a bathroom." He laughed. "There's one in the bedroom. I guess you couldn't see the door in the dark." He lead me back to the bedroom, and showed me the door to the bathroom. Once I was done, I laid back down, and he took me into his arms. "You know my name. What's your's?" "Jazelle." "No last name?" "I lost it a few months ago in a race." "Somebody whacked ya good, huh?" "I wouldn't say good, but I lost my memory. Luckily I told Crush my first name. Otherwise I wouldn't know that." "What about your license?" "Gone." "How'd you find your way home?" "Same as my name. Crush took me home." He started laughing. "What?" "You've been with Crush. That's the only way he'd know where you live." "He said he knew because I told him to pick up his bike." We laid there silently until we fell asleep.

We awoke early the next morning. He helped me get my bike out of the bed of his truck. As he looked it over I asked, "last night didn't change anything, did it?" What do you mean?" "You're still going to be out for me like the other racers." He walked over to me, and laid his hands on my neck. "We'll see what my little voice says during the race. I won't promise you anything." He leaned down, and kissed me. When it ended, I laid my hands on his chest. "Well, I had fun anyways, Mark." "So did I, Jazelle." "I'll uh... I'll see you at the race." "Bye, darlin'." I got on my bike, started it, then rode off to the house for a shower and change before the race.

At noon sharp I lined up with the other racers on the starting line. I looked around at the others, but didn't see Taker. Then, another motorcycle lined up beside me. "Looking for someone, darlin'?" "You." He leaned over and kissed me. "Good luck, J.D." "You, too." "I don't need it, babe." As I turned back to the flag girl, she dropped the flag. I released the brake, and twisted the gas. The bike shot off the line like a bullet from a gun. A quarter of a mile down the road, I saw Bam Bam behind me with his cattle prod. I hit the brakes, and let him pass me. I caught up to him, then bumped the side of his rear wheel, making his bike tip over.

I continued along, thrashing and crashing the competition. Then, there were only two ahead of me. As I neared DDP, I swung my chain over my head. I swung it at him, and made it wrap around his neck. I pulled him off of his bike, and let go of the chain. I pulled my steal pipe out of its special holster, and got ready to knock out the person in my number one slot. As I got closer, I recognized the rider, and lowered my pipe. I pulled up beside Taker, then turned to look at him. He winked at me, then turned back to the road ahead. I turned back to the road, and noticed we were getting close to the finish line. I couldn't give the bike anymore gas. I already had it at max speed. When we were fifty feet from the finish line, Taker let off the gas, and dropped in behind me.

As soon as we crossed the finish line, I put down the kick stand on the bike, got off, and went over to his. "Why did you do that?" "Do what?" "You let me win." "No I didn't. My hand got tired, so I let go of the gas for a second. You passed me right up." Taker smiled, then winked at me. He leaned closer. "Second place is better than not crossing the finish line, like DDP." "You knew I wasn't going to attack you..." He pulled me into his arms. "You need the winnings more than I do." "Second place would have been fine." "Are you going to keep arguing with me? Now, we're going to take my winnings, and have a night on the town." "But..." He kissed me, cutting off my final attempt at arguing.

When the kiss ended, he said, "by the way, I had a friend of mine do some searching. He found out your last name, and why you don't have a license." He pulled a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket, and handed it to me. I unfolded it, and read it aloud. "Jazelle Miranda Davis. License suspended in 2002 for vehicular assault on an officer." I looked up at him. "You really shouldn't have, Mark." "He owed me a favor, and I wanted to know." "Why?"

I didn't get an answer then, because the other riders came up to us. "Who won?" "She did," Taker replied. "You're kidding me, right?" Adams said. "No. She crossed the line first. Didn't you, babe?" "Yeah, I did." "Who got Page?" "I did. Why?" "He's still laid out." "The sheriff will get him." "Who came in third?" Taker asked. "I did," Adams answered. "Well, let's go get our winnings."

Awhile later, after we sat down with our first drink, I stared across the table at him. "What," he asked. "You never answered me." He took a sip of his beer. "What was the question?" "Why did you want to know about me?" He chuckled. "Because there's something special about you. I can't put my finger on it, but... I like you." "I guessed that much when you screwed me last night." He laughed again. "No offense, but you wouldn't be the first woman I screwed, and didn't like."

He set his beer down, and grabbed my hand. "Look, no matter the reasonI want to keep you around. I don't want to toss you aside like I have so many others." "You're not making it look good for you." He laughed. "This really isn't easy for me to admit, either." He looked me in the eyes. "You know what my little voice is telling me right now?" "No. What?" "I'd be a fool to let you get away." I smiled at him. "Then I guess I'll have to stick with you, because you're no fool." I leaned over the table, and kissed him.