I smiled and led our convoy out of the gates.
“I wish you’d stay at the cabin, Mama,” I said, for the umpteenth time.
“I know you do, but I need to be in my own space.”
“You’re gonna be guarded.”
She sighed. “I know.”
“No arguments?”
“Did I mention the good stuff Eddie gave me?”
I smiled. “I’m also gonna check in every day. I’d stay with you if you’d let me.”
“You try to move back in, I’ll write you out of my will,” she threatened.
“I’d never do that to you.”
“What happened to my nurse?”
I gripped the steering wheel and fighting the urge to rip it out of the dashboard. “She had other obligations.”
“Crew Dominic Faulkner, what did you do to that poor girl?”
“Why the hell would you think I did anything?”
“Because quality women like her don’t…”
She didn’t finish her sentence and I glanced at her. “Don’t what, Ma?”
“Nothing. Forget I said anything.”
“Jesus,” I hissed.
“I don’t want to fight, Crew.”
“I’m gonna let this go for now, but you sure as hell better be ready for us to revisit this conversation when you’re feelin’ better.”
“Oh, goody,” she retorted just as we pulled up to her home.
Tango, Wrath, and Needles pulled their bikes up next to her car and I handed Tango her keys. He and Wrath went ahead to do a walk-through of her house before we made our way inside. Wrath had installed a state-of-the-art security system two days ago, but until my mother was lucid enough to remember the code, she’d be guarded twenty-four-seven.
By the time I’d made it to the passenger side, Needles already had my mother out of the car, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, as he guided her to the front door.
I froze, feeling like I’d just been shot. If clarity was a bullet, I just got hit right between the eyes.
Fucking hell. Needles was in love with my mother.
Forcing my feet to move, I followed them inside, waiting for Needles to help my mother to the recliner in the living room.
“I’ll just give Scooby a run down on your meds, sweetheart,” he said, and made his way to the kitchen.
I followed. “You gonna fill me in?” I whispered.
“Yeah.” He held up one of Mom’s pill bottles. “That’s what I’m fixin’ to do.”
“Not about the drugs, brother.” I crossed my arms. “About whatever the fuck’s been goin’ on between you and my mother.”