ChapterFour
“You’re dead,” I managed, just above a whisper. Then the anger edged in, lending strength to my voice. “He said you were MIA, presumed dead, and we confirmed it with the mother chapter.” Did they think they could fuck off for years, leaving me alone with their kid, and I’d welcome them back when they let me think they'd died?
“Obviously not,” Loch shot back. “We’re not the ones that changed our number and couldn’t bother to wait like we promised.” He conveniently left out anything to do with my last messages…or, ya know, the fact that there was a baby. Unless they don’t know. I didn’t understand how that could be possible, but I didn’t deserve to be treated like I was the one in the wrong here.
Bewildered, pissed, and hurt, I glanced at Gus to find his face carefully blank. I had no idea what the fuck was going on, but I was starting to believe they had a vastly different understanding of events than I did. To top it off, the other two had removed their helmets and were watching us with avid interest. One of them, I recognized. He’d been the man Gus ran off that night at the bar.
Trying to figure out what they’d be doing at my bar if they weren’t there for me or Opal, I went into protection mode. “Why are you here?” I also couldn’t resist asking, “And why did you let everyone think you were dead?” I needed closure on that, at least, not to mention I had to figure out how to break the news that one of them was a father when all I really wanted to do was kick their asses, friends watching or not.
The guy from the bar spoke up before anyone else did. “We’re retired and doing some traveling. Figured playing courier as we decide where we want to settle would earn some cash on the side and let us get to know our options a bit better. Ther—”
“Coot, you don’t owe her an explanation. Let Boudreaux handle it,” their dangerous-looking fourth barked out. Coot shut up, but he didn’t seem too happy about it. There was sympathy in his eyes when he looked at me, though I didn’t know what he thought he was feeling sorry about, but maybe he knew something I didn’t yet.
The new man didn’t even have helmet head. His blond hair was so sharply faded from the short length on top. It suited his stony countenance, an attractive one at that, but I chose to ignore him, turning to Gus to ask my question again since no one had bothered to answer it.
“Care to explain how you’re here? And whatever you all have to deliver, just go ahead and get it so you can be on your way.” I made the snap decision to talk to them about Opal after they left. They didn’t get to waltz in after playing dead for the entirety of her short life without ever acknowledging she existed. We’d set up a parenting plan that we could agree on, or I’d leave it up to the courts to decide. My earlier decree that we go legit, or mostly anyhow, felt serendipitous now.
If only I could squash my feelings into a manageable compartment like everything else. The attraction was still well and alive, on my side anyway, along with that ache in my heart I’d felt when they had to leave that morning. Though it wasn’t as bad as the day I’d found out about their supposed death. That had been debilitating.
“Loch, why don’t you grab the box while I have a word with our hostess.” It wasn’t a suggestion so much as an order, and Lochlan retraced his steps. A few moments later, the tona cover popped up on the long bed of the truck.
But I’d caught on to the last word from Gus, and I wasn’t too amused. It wasn’t required to offer hospitality for other club members. It was considered a courtesy, one I hadn’t planned on extending due to the situation. “Hostess? Did you call ahead to make sure we had availability? I don’t recall seeing your group on the roster, but there’s a decent enough hotel in town. You just follow the main road in and hang a left at the—”
Laughter cut me off, and I glared at the loudmouth, the one I hadn’t even been introduced to yet. “I’m not sure what you find so amusing, but you can show some respect or get the fuck off my property,” I snapped at him, letting all my frustration out on his rude ass.
“You’re a little spitfire, aren’t you, Prez? I apologize for being a poor…guest.” His brows briefly raised with the ‘guest’ bit. His insincere tone and disdainful expression showed me exactly what he thought of me despite his words.
“Alright, Preppy, that’s enough from the peanut gallery. I don’t know you, nor do I care to. If you all have business, let’s get it done. I’m ready to head home for the night, and you’ll want to check in at the hotel before it gets much later, or you’ll be sleeping in that fancy truck of yours. For the most part, Charity Falls closes down after ten o’clock, and there aren’t too many options for lodging unless you keep on down the highway ‘til you get to the city. Not sure which direction you boys came from, but it’s about the same distance either way to get to a bigger bit of civilization. Just watch for the deer; they’re a bitch to see in the dark.” I ignored that the man had tried to insinuate himself, I wasn’t raising to his bait, but his ears sure turned red when I called him Preppy. It would be the only way I’d refer to the asshole if I ever had the displeasure of running into him again.
“Wait, Sevey, seriously, we’ve been on the road all day, and we were assured each chapter we’re scheduled to stop at has arrangements to put us up at their clubhouse. You know damn well the local hotels are full-up for opening day of hunting season—we already checked. We weren’t going to bring it up because we didn’t want to impose or cause any more bad blood than there already is, but we kept our word to do the delivery. Maybe you can keep yours too…for once.” Gus had started out all reasonable and shit, but of course the discord between us shone through.
He was completely right that the couriers—members coming through from the mother chapter, usually trusted groups of nomads—always stayed when they brought a shipment in. I couldn’t rightly throw them out on their ear and have it get around that my chapter wasn’t hospitable. If they were here on official business, which I wasn’t doubting at that point, I was fucked, and not in the fun way. Not that I’d had any of that since him and his cousin knocked my ass up. I’d debated on breaking that dry spell with the sheriff, but considering our past, that was a sketchy decision to make on another day. The four men hanging out in my parking lot needed to be dealt with and long gone before I made any plans to get up to the horizontal tango.
With a long-suffering sigh, I unlatched the second door and propped both open, gesturing for them to get on with it. “C’mon, grab your shit and my shipment and get in here. I’m ready to lock up and head home. I’ll show you how to use the other entrance and get you some keys.” The mention of the main clubhouse entrance through the back had me yanking my phone out to text my aunt. I needed her to get Opal out of there before I took them up.
Me:I have a group I need to put up for the night, but I want Opal home before I bring them up. I’ll keep them in the chapel until you’re on your way.
Shit, that sounds ominous.
Me:Nothing dangerous, so don’t worry. I’ll explain when I get home.
RagBag:I checked the monitors when I heard them come in, Severine.
I groaned at the full name and knew she had recognized them—it’d be hard not to with the pics I’d kept. Which was why they weren’t going near my office.
Me:I’m not hiding her, but something doesn’t add up, and they’re being more than prickly. I don’t want Opal in the middle of it. We’ll sort it later. Just get her home, please.
RagBag:I’ll take the little miss while you handle those boys. Don’t do anything we’ll have to clean up and bury. I’m not sure that sheriff friend of yours would be able to cover your ass, and Opal needs her mama.
RagBag:Also, let me know if I need to get the shovels out…
Icouldn’t help but smile at Aunt Flo’s message. That woman always had, and always would, have my back, no matter what I got myself into.
“Would you mind waiting to flirt until we’ve handled our business?” Lochlan griped as he lugged a whole-ass footlocker past me and into the chapel, his snide glance at my phone a clue as to what had prompted his uncalled-for comment.
“I believe that the rules of hospitality extend to the guests, Lochlan. Try not to be a dick, yeah? And while you’re at it—mind your own damn business.”
I politely didn’t mention that he was an idiot for not waiting on me to get the handcart from the storeroom so he didn’t have to pack the trunk. Though I couldn’t deny the way the muscles of his arms and back flexed was eye candy or that I was forcing myself not to glance lower to check out his ass.