Kickstart My Heart (Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence)

Tessa took off running. She didn't want to be in the club anymore. She decided that being a Nomad's daughter left something out of her life that staying in wouldn't allow her. Her father, Duke "Razor" Simmons, headed up the Nomads chapter in Syracuse. All Tessa wanted was to escape. New York City's massiveness gave Tessa a chance to disappear. One night after "Church", Tessa's mother, Clary, came to Tessa's room.

"Baby," Clary said.

"Yeah, Mama?"

"I want you to get out of here. Don't do what I did."

Tessa looked concerned.

"What's going on, Mom?"

Clary sighed heavily.

"Your father.."

"Yeah?"

"He's made a decree."

Tessa rolled her eyes.

"What kind of decree and what's this have to do with me?"

Clary broke down crying.

"He wants you to get married."

"I'm eighteen! I want a life outside of this godforsaken club!"

"TESSA! Not so loud!" Clary hissed.

"My father runs the club. He doesn't run me, not anymore."

Clary handed Tessa a wad of cash and the keys to an old Impala.

"Run. Tonight, your father's going to get drunk as a celebratory thing. I have to get changed for it in a few minutes. In the meantime, run. Run as far as you can and don't stop. Do you hear me? Do NOT stop. He won't stop looking for you."

"I won't, Mama."

"I love you, my sweet girl."

Clary exited Tessa's room. Tessa packed a picture of her mother and her, the money, the keys to the car and some clothing. Also taking with her the stuffed monkey she'd had since her birth.

"Well, Charlie, it's just us now. Let's go."

Tessa heard the front door close before she prepared herself to leave the life she knew. Tessa ran down the stairs and quickly seated herself in the driver's seat. The engine turned over instantly and off she went into the night. Over the course of her drive, Tessa processed what she'd done.

"I'm finally free." she said as she continued driving. Meanwhile at the party, Duke looked at Clary.

"Have you spoken to Tess?" Duke asks.

"I told her goodbye before I left."

Duke raised an eyebrow.

"Goodbye? Why not say good night?"

"I don't know."

"What did you do, Clarice?"

Clary started to shudder.

"I didn't do anything."

"You're lying."

Duke pulled her hair from behind her head.

"Where did she go, Clarice?" Duke asked.

"I don't know."

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth. You're planning on marrying her into this club. I'm not going to let you do it. I sent her off in my old car with whatever money I had saved and told her to leave."

"Where did she go, Clarice?"

"I don't know. She mentioned New York City but I can't be sure that's where she went."

Duke threw Clary to the ground by her hair. With that, he snapped his fingers. Two of his most trusted sergeants Hunter "Diesel" Dixon and Devlin "Satan" Chase appeared. Both men extraordinarily tall and well formed. Hunter possessed a tattoo on his shoulder of his Samoan heritage.

"Yeah, Prez?" Diesel asked.

"Tessa took off. Find her." Duke said.

"You can count on us findin' her. What do we do wit her when we find her?" Satan asks.

"Whatever you want as long as she's in one piece."

"You got it, Prez." Diesel said.

The two men saunter off bound for their mission. As time slid by, Tessa looked at the clock through blurry eyes. It was one in the morning and she realized she needed sleep. The car drifted to a motel parking lot. There, she noticed a striking man with a five o'clock shadow walking to his room, dressed in a tank top, flannel pajamas and a pair of moccasins. She went to the front desk.

"Can I rent a room for the night?"

"We only have an adjoining room to twenty-seven. Is that alright?"

"I just need sleep for the night."

"Okay then."

The clerk handed her a key. she loaded her bag on her shoulder and walked to her room. Nearly falling from losing her balance, a pair of arms catches her.

"You really must be careful nowadays. No one ever fixes the crags in these sidewalks."

Tessa blushed as it was the man she'd seen earlier.

"I didn't intend to.."

"It's quite alright. Are you injured?"

Tessa tried to stand and found herself shaking.

"I don't know."

"Come on then, I'll take you to my room and look at your wounds."

"Th-Thank you." Tessa stuttered.

"It isn't a problem. I'm Dima. Dima Lebedev. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss..."

"Tessa Simmons. Could I ask what you're doing in New York?"

"I work as a trader for the Stock Exchange."

"That's amazing."

"What do you do, Tessa?"

"I just turned eighteen. I'm not doing much of anything. I.."

Dima stopped her.

"Oh to be young and free again. I miss those days."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty. Is this a problem?"

Tessa blushed.

"No."

"Good. What room is yours? When I'm done looking at your leg, I'll take you back to your room."

"Twenty-eight."

"I won't have to go far."

Tessa laughed. She did notice the room number was 27. A gigantic ball of fur leapt towards Dima.

"Sammy, down girl."

The large dog obeyed. Tessa panicked a moment.

"Are you afraid?" Dima asked.

"No, Just.."

Her father's Rottweilers scared Tessa in her youth.

Dima spoke a command to the dog. The dog obeyed.

"You speak perfect Russian."

"Da. It's what I need for international business."

Tessa smiled as she limped to the bed.

"Now, let's look at your leg."

Dima looked at the torn up jeans and Nike shoe worn on Tessa's right leg. There he saw scars of what appeared to be cigarettes.

His amber eyes glowed like dim firelight.

'Who hurt you?"

Tessa turned her head away, trying to move her leg.

"It's nothing."

"Those are not 'Nothing', Tessa. Those are scars. Who did this?"

Tessa started to tear up but bit back the urge to cry.

"Really, they're nothing."

"There's more to you, I know it." Dima said.

Tessa wanted nothing more than to explain to Dima what happened. It wasn't until she heard the roar of Harley-Davidsons that she froze.

"What is it?" Dima asks.

Shaking off the feeling, she looked into his eyes.

"It's nothing."

Dima looked at her.

"I know it's more than nothing. What's wrong?"

Tessa sat down on Dima's bed.

"My father is a Nomad."

Dima sat calmly.

"He's responsible for the scars on my body. I took off running from him. I was so tired I needed to sleep.. Now that I know bikes are out roaming, I can't sleep."

Dima smiled a demonic smile.

"Don't worry about that tonight. You're safe. Please, rest."

"I.." Tessa started as she yawned.

"I insist, Sunshine." Dima said.

Tessa curled up on the bed and her eyes drifted shut. Dima pulled out his phone. The conversation, primarily in Russian, ended shortly after it started. Around three in the morning, a raucous woke Tessa.

"We know she's here, you dumbass. What room or do we have to storm every room to find her?" Hunter asks.

"It won't be pretty fer ya if we have to do that," Satan added.

Tessa and Dima awoke simultaneously.

"Oh my god, they're here for me."

"Don't worry, my little rabbit. Don't be so quick to flee."

Dima pulled an MP-443 Grach from the side table drawer.

"If they want to come into my home, I'll welcome them with a proper Russian welcome."

Satan and Hunter came knocking at the door. Dima motions to Tessa to stay quiet.

"Who's in here?"

"Privyet," Dima says.

"What the hell did he say, Satan?" Hunter asks.

"I dunno, mate. I dun speak Russian."

Dima continued talking, holding his gun behind his back.

"Look, dude, all we want is our little sister. She ran away and our dad's pissin a blue streak tryin to find her. Have you seen her?'

"Nyet. Dos Vindanya."

Dima goes to close the door. Hunter notices Tessa's shoe.

"Those are her shoes, you lyin ass prick! Where is she?"

Dima pulled the gun from behind him.

"You won't be bothering her again. Go or I'll mail your heads to your father... in pieces."

Hunter and Satan raise their hands in surrender. Walking away, Hunter starts a phone call.

"You.. You're.. What was that?"

Dima smiled.

"What I do for side work, Little Rabbit, is simple. I'm in a Russian Bratva as a Krysha and a Torpedo."

"Bratva, Krysha.. What?" Tessa asks.

"Russian Mafia and a Krysha is someone who's very violent. Now that you're under my protection.."

Tessa snuggled against Dima.

"Thank you."

"Do you not want a further explanation?"

"Not right now. Now, I just want to be able to sleep. We'll figure everything out in the morning."

"I agree."

The next morning, Tessa awoke to Dima shirtless standing next to the bed, coffee in hand.

"Something to drink for the day ahead, little rabbit?"

Tessa smiled,

"Thank you. It smells wonderful."

"I wondered if you'd like to finish your journey with me. We can leave the car here and you can come with me and Sammy to the city. We could always use some sunshine."

Tessa smiled.

"I'd like that. You call me Little Rabbit. What can I call you?"

"Medved. It means Bear in Russian."

Tessa laughs.

"I think I'll stick to calling you Bear. You're definitely cuddly."

Dima kissed Tessa's forehead.

"Spacibo, Little Rabbit. Now, shall we go?"

"Sounds good to me."

Upon checking out, Dima takes Tessa's bag and places it in his car. Then, with a quick kiss on the lips, they set off to the big city.