by Wilder, L.
“They moved out a few months ago.” They were only seventeen, so technically they were her and her husband’s responsibility. I was about to ask her about it when she continued, “We had a disagreement about them both dropping out of school, and since then, they’ve been staying with my mother.”
“Oh ... So, they both dropped out?”
“I tried to tell them it was a mistake, but they wouldn’t listen.” I wanted to take it as a good sign that she’d tried to talk them out of it, but after reading their case file, it was still hard to tell. “You know how kids can be.”
“Yes, ma’am. I do.”
As I headed up the stairs, I didn’t see any sign of the kids, so I assumed they were at school. I was wrong. When I opened the door to Fiona’s room, I found her lying down on the bed. The walls were painted a deep purple, and over the old wooden plank floor, there was a small round rug. There were a few stuffed animals scattered amongst several piles of clothes, but other than that, there wasn’t much else in the room. I stepped further into the room, and Fiona’s eyes lit up when she saw me walking towards her. “You’re back.”
“I am.” I smiled as I walked over to the edge of the bed. “So, what are you doing home today? I thought you had pre-school.”
“They made me come home.”
“Why’s that?”
“I had a fee-fer.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that. It’s no fun having a fever.” She started coughing, sounding even worse than she had the day before. Once she was done and had caught her breath, I said, “Sounds like you might need to go to the doctor.”
“I’ll be o-tay.”
Getting medical attention wasn’t something she could control, so I decided to change the subject. “I like your room. Purple is my favorite color.”
“Mine, too.” She lifted one of her stuffed animals, a tiny gray elephant with green eyes, as she said, “Bel-wa loves pur-pel, too.”
“Well, Bella has great taste.” Remembering her mother was waiting downstairs, I smiled and said, “I guess I better let you get some rest. I really do hope you get to feeling better soon.”
“I will.”
As much as I hated to leave her, I didn’t have a choice. I needed to check the other rooms upstairs before I spoke with Aniya. I left Fiona’s room and walked to the other bedroom. Inside, I found a set of bunk beds with several matchbox cars on the floor. Like Fiona’s room, there were clothes piled on the floor, and I wasn’t sure if they were dirty or clean, but I’d seen rooms in much worse condition. I wrote down a few more notes, then headed downstairs to speak with Fiona’s mother. When I got to the living room, she was sitting on the sofa with a concerned look in her eyes. “I know what you’re thinking.”
Having no idea what she was talking about, I didn’t respond. Instead, I waited for her to continue. “I know this place isn’t much, but I’m doing the best I can. Things have been really tough lately, and I’ve made some mistakes ... but I want you to know, I love my kids. I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt them.”
I wanted to believe her, I truly did, but I’d read the file. I knew I wasn’t the first DCS agent to visit the Strayhorn home. There had been too many calls made to our office about this family, and it was time to get some answers—some real answers. “If that’s true, I’m going to need you to be open and honest with me. I need to know what’s really going on here. If you can do that, then maybe we can find a way to make things better ... not just for the kids, but for you and your husband as well.”
Her expression softened as she replied, “Okay, I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
As I sat there looking at her, I noticed something hidden behind her pretty hazel eyes. This woman wasn’t just carrying around old memories of heartbreak and disappointment, it was more than that. Something had happened in her life that had broken her, and I wasn’t sure she even knew exactly how broken she really was. With my satchel in hand, I stood up, and as I slipped the strap over my shoulder, I smiled and said, “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
Prospect
My father was always big into life’s little lessons. He’d say there wasn’t any situation, good or bad, in our lives from which we couldn’t learn something. Maybe I was too young or just too damn blind, but I never really got it. Whenever I was pissed off or aggravated, I never saw it as anything more than that. I certainly didn’t think about it being an opportunity for me to learn something about patience or tolerance. It was no different when I felt alone or abandoned. While I would want to wallow in self-pity, my dad would try to tell me it was life’s way of teaching me how to stand on my own two feet. From being flat-ass broke to winning the fucking lottery, he truly believed that there was a lesson in everything, but I thought it was all bullshit until the day my life completely crumbled around me.
At first, I was too wrapped up in my own world to see it, but as I worked to put the pieces of my life back together, I started to feel stronger, more confident in the choices I’d made. I hadn’t done it on my own. The brothers of Satan’s Fury had taught me to push through the hard times and not give up, and eventually, I’d find myself on the other side. With them, I’d found the life I really wanted, one that I was willing to fight for. I just had to prove to them and myself that I had what it took to earn a Satan’s Fury patch. It was one of the reasons why I’d gotten to work early that morning. I wanted to get Riggs’s bike up and running before the rest of the guys came in, so it wouldn’t interfere with all the other jobs I needed to finish. No such luck. I was still draining the fuel lines when T-Bone walked up behind me.
“Looking a little rough around the edges, Prospect. You all right?”
“I’m good. Just had a long night.”
“Mm-hmm.” He slapped me on the back and chuckled. “Get used to it.”
When he headed over to his station, I turned my attention back to Riggs’s bike. I’d already checked the battery, but when I found that it wasn’t the issue, I drained the gas tank, checked all the fuel lines, and changed the oil. Just to be sure, I decided to check the voltage regulator and the alternator. Thankfully, they just needed some minor adjustments, so it didn’t take me long to get them sorted. I was just wrapping it up when Blaze came over and asked, “Whose bike?”
“An old one of Riggs’s.” Blaze was in charge of the garage, and there was no doubt that he took his job seriously. He kept tabs on every project, making sure they were done to suit him, so I wasn’t surprised that he noticed a bike not on his inventory. “Broke down on him last night, so I brought it here. I came in early to get her going again.”
“Having any luck?”
“I was just about to find out.”
I threw my leg over the side of the Harley Sportster, and to my relief, she started up the second I hit the ignition. Blaze leaned towards me and said, “Give her a little gas.”
I nodded. As I revved the engine a couple of times, I remembered what Rider had told me about getting to know all the brothers. With that in mind, I tried to piece together everything I knew about Blaze. He was with Kenadee, a trauma nurse from Memphis Regional, and he had a son named Kevin from a previous marriage. Kevin had once been diagnosed with cancer, but at the moment, he was in remission. Blaze’s parents were still in the picture, and understanding how important it was to him, they were both actually pretty supportive of the club. I revved the engine once more, then killed it. Hoping he thought it sounded as good as I did. “What do you think?”
“She sounds pretty damn good. Proud of you, brother.” He slapped me on the back as he headed back to his office. “Now, get your ass busy on the Ford. Needs an oil change and new wipers, and don’t let me forget ... I’ve got some parts I need you to drop off at Riley’s after work.”
“You got it.”
I was feeling pretty damn good as I got off Riggs’s bike and headed over to the Ford. When I first started working at the garage, I didn’t know much. With my father always on the road, he wasn’t around
to teach me the basics, but the guys didn’t give me a hard time about it. Instead, they put in a lot of hours teaching me everything I needed to know, especially Rider. Without even asking, he took me under his wing and made sure that I knew what I was doing. His efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed by Gus, and it was one of the many reasons he’d chosen him to be my sponsor. Normally, an older veteran brother would’ve taken on the role, but Gus believed he was the best fit and I didn’t disagree. In fact, I couldn’t have chosen better myself. Rider was a good guy, a brother through and through, and I felt better knowing he had my back. I was just finishing up the Ford’s oil change when he came over and asked, “How did things go last night?”
“It went okay.” I closed the hood, then told him, “Went a little longer than I’d planned.”
“Why’s that?”
“On the way to the garage, I came up on a lady who’d hit a dog, and I stopped to help her out. Dog was hurt pretty bad, so we ended up taking it to the vet.”
“Wait.” Rider seemed surprised when he asked, “You went with her to the vet?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “She was pretty shaken up, so I figured she could use the hand.”
“Mm-hmm.” A smirk crossed his face. “Sooo … was this chick hot?”
“She was all right.”
“Yeah, I bet she was.” With a chuckle, he continued, “Nothing like giving a hand to a beautiful woman in distress.”
“Whatever,” I grumbled as I started to remove the windshield wiper blades. “I was just doing what I could to help.”
As Rider started back to his station, he chuckled. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that, brother.”
I’d done good to stay focused on my work, but at just the mention of what’d happened the night before, my mind drifted to Landry and I was done. I couldn’t stop thinking about her blue eyes, her full lips, and those fucking curves. I tried to think of anything else, but as I finished installing the wipers and moved on to the next vehicle in line, I found myself thinking about the way she’d twist one of her curls around the tip of her finger when she spoke. It was clear that Landry Dawson had made an impression on me. I just didn’t know what to do about it. It wasn’t like I was at a place where I could start a new relationship. Between prospecting and managing my job at the garage, I barely had time to take a breath, much less date. Like it or not, I couldn’t get involved with her. I’d make good on my promise to pay the vet bill for Duchess, but after that, I’d have to put Landry behind me.
With a newfound resolve, I pushed all thoughts of her from my head and put all my focus into my work. The next thing I knew, it was after five, and the guys were starting to clear out. I worked a few more minutes, then started cleaning up my station. I was just finishing up when T-Bone came over and asked, “Yo, Prospect! You calling it a day?”
“Yeah. Just wrapping things up.”
“Gauge and I are about to head over to Eight Ball for a burger and a beer. You in?”
“Sure.” Remembering I needed to see about the dog, I told him, “But I’ve got a few things I need to take care of first.”
“No problem. We’ll be there for a while, so just head on over when you can.”
“Will do.”
I finished putting my shit away, then grabbed the parts that Blaze needed me to return and headed out to the truck. After I’d put the boxes in the back, I got inside and started towards Riley’s. Once I’d returned the parts for Blaze, I drove over to the animal clinic to pay the bill. When I pulled up, I was surprised to see Landry’s old Volkswagen parked up front. I’d meant to touch base with her after the clinic called, but with everything that was going on at the garage, I never got the chance—at least that’s what I told myself while I headed towards the front door. As soon as I walked in, I spotted Landry sitting in the waiting room. Unlike the night before, her long, curly hair was down, flowing softly around her shoulders, and she was wearing a navy pantsuit with a pale pink dress shirt. She looked absolutely stunning. As I started towards her, her lips curled into a bright smile. “Hey! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Figured I’d come by and see how Duchess is doing.”
“Same here.” She motioned her hand over to the receptionist as she explained, “I’m just waiting on one of the nurses to take me back.”
“You been waiting long?”
“No, I just got here a few minutes ago.”
I walked over and sat down next to her. Lost in our own thoughts, neither of us spoke, and it wasn’t long before a feeling of awkwardness fell upon us. I wanted to say something, anything to break the uncomfortable silence, but the words didn’t come. Thankfully, the nurse came into the waiting room and announced, “I’ll take you back to see Duchess now.”
“You want to come along?” Landry offered.
“Sure.”
I stood up and followed them both to the back of the clinic. As we started down the hall, I could hear the different dogs barking and howling, and it only got louder as we got closer to the kennels. When we stepped inside, I was surprised to see that Duchess wasn’t barking like the rest of the dogs. Instead, she was sitting quietly in her cage. The second she spotted us walking in her direction, she lifted her head and started wagging her tail. The nurse opened the door to her kennel and said, “She’s still pretty sore, so it’ll be a few days before she’s up and walking like normal.”
“Okay.” Landry knelt down and reached inside the cage, gently petting Duchess on the head. “Hey there, sweetheart. You look so much better than you did last night.”
From what I could see, Duchess seemed to be doing pretty well. In fact, it was hard to tell that she’d even been hit. The thought made me curious about when she might be released, so I turned to the nurse and asked, “Any idea how much longer she’ll need to stay here?”
“I’m not exactly sure.” She started towards the door and said, “Let me go and check with the vet.”
As I stood there waiting for the nurse to return, I watched Landry with Duchess. She was smiling and whispering softly in her ear as she continued to pet her, and it was obvious from the look on her face, Duchess was enjoying the attention. Poor thing hadn’t had anyone to tend to her, and now that she did, she was eating that shit up. I was still watching them both when a tall man with dark hair and thick glasses entered the holding room. If he wasn’t wearing one of those white lab coats, I wouldn’t ever have guessed he was the vet on duty because he simply looked too fucking young. I waited patiently as he came over to us and said, “Hi, I’m Doctor Tanner, the vet on duty for the day. My nurse said you had some questions about Duchess.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Clay.” I extended my hand, and as he shook it, I asked, “We were just wondering, any idea when she’ll be released?”
He lifted her chart and looked it over for a moment, then said, “Looks like she’s doing well—moving slow, but she’s getting there. If you’re ready to take her now, she’s welcome to go.”
“Well, that’s good news.” I glanced down at Landry as I asked, “Are you up for taking her on home tonight?”
“About that …” A grimace crossed her face as she explained, “As much as I want to keep her, I can’t have pets in my apartment. I really don’t know what to do with her.”
That was not the response I was expecting. After the way she’d taken to Duchess, named her and saw that she was cared for, I’d just assumed that Landry was going to keep her. Apparently, that wasn’t an option, so we’d have to figure out something else to do with her. I was trying to think of some options when the vet suggested, “You could always take her over to the pound. She’s an unusual breed. I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for someone to adopt her.”
“An unusual breed?”
“She’s a Weiler Dane—half Great Dane, half Rottweiler.”
“I knew she was a big dog, but I had no idea she was a Dane mix.”
“If you think she’s big now, just wait until she’s full grown,” he scoffed. “Righ
t now, I’d say she’s only eight months old or so. This girl still has plenty of growing to do.”
“Damn.”
“A dog like this is a lot to take on, but trust me, there’s someone out there who will want her,” he told us with confidence. “People pay a lot of money for this particular breed. Heck, I’d take her myself, but my wife would have my ass.”
“I really hate the idea of leaving her at the pound.” Landry thought for a minute, then said, “Maybe I could find someone who’ll be able to take her.”
“You’re welcome to let her stay here for a couple of days,” the vet offered.
“You’d be willing to do that?”
“I don’t mind.” He shrugged. “You’ll have to cover the kenneling costs, though.”
A concerned look washed over Landry’s face. “And how much will that be?”
“I’ve got it covered.” Before she could argue, I pulled one of my cards from the garage out of my pocket and offered it to the vet. “Just plan on the dog staying here for the rest of the week. If something comes up, give me a call.”
“Sounds good to me.” He gave us both a quick wave on his way out the door. “You two have a good night.”
Once he was gone, Landry stood up and took a step towards me. “I don’t know why you’re doing all this, but I really do—” Before she could finish the sentence, her cell phone started to vibrate in her purse. For a second, I thought she was going to ignore it, but when it vibrated a second, and then a third time, she said, “I guess I better see what that’s all about.”
I waited as she reached into her purse and grabbed her phone. When she saw the messages, she let out a defeated sigh. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. It’s just work and ... my mother.”
From the sound of her voice, she was more upset about hearing from her mother than whatever was going on with her work. I knew I shouldn’t start something I couldn’t finish, but it seemed like she was having a rough day all around. Hoping to make it better, I said, “Looks like you could use a break. You wanna go grab a bite to eat and maybe a beer?”
