Widow's Undoing

by L. Wilder

  “It was good.” Sean was practically beaming as he announced, “Coach said he was going to start me in this week’s game.”

  “That’s awesome, Sweetie. I’m so proud of you.”

  “I’ll be the only sixth grader starting. It’s kind of a big deal.”

  “It’s a very big deal, and you totally deserve it. You’ve worked hard to get that spot.”

  Unlike his brother, Sean had always been very driven. If he wanted something, he wasn’t afraid to work for it. I’d always hoped that Corry would find something that motivated him the way basketball had done for Sean, but that hadn’t happened. It seemed the divorce had made him even less motivated. It was a thought that had my stomach twisting into knots. As soon as Sean picked up on my change of mood, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking about what to get for dinner.”

  “Hmmm...that’s not it. What’s really going on?” Sean’s brows furrowed as he asked, “Did Corry do something?”

  “What makes you ask that?”

  “Cause Corry is always doing something.” He shrugged as he let out a frustrated sigh. “Just wish things could be like they used to.”

  “How so?”

  “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

  “Of course it matters. Tell me what you meant.”

  Before he could answer, my car started to wobble and shake,, making it difficult to stay on the road. Sounding completely freaked out, Sean shrieked, “What was that?”

  “I think we have a flat?” I eased over onto the shoulder and grumbled, “Good grief. I can’t seem to catch a damn break.”

  Chapter 3

  Widow

  I was in a mood. A bad one. And I didn’t know why. For whatever reason, I was feeling on edge and wanted to be alone, so instead of hanging at the clubhouse and shooting the shit with the brothers, I headed home after work. I was looking forward to kicking back and watching an old western, but unfortunately, I hadn’t gotten far when I noticed a blue sedan on the side of the road. It wasn’t something that was out of the norm. Nashville was a big city. I drove by broken-down cars all the time. I’d help out from time to time, but tonight I just wasn’t feeling it and drove right by.

  As soon as my headlight flashed across them, I was immediately hit with guilt. It wasn’t some guy changing a flat. It was a woman and her kid, and from the looks of it, they weren’t having an easy go of it. I’d barely driven past them when I found myself making a fucking U-turn with my motorcycle in the middle of the damn highway. When I pulled up behind them, I noticed that both the woman and her kid were using all their weight to turn the lug wrench, but the nut wasn’t budging. Thinking it would make it easier to see, I left on my lights and headed over to offer my help. “You guys need a hand?”

  The woman glanced up at me, but only for a second. Hell, I didn’t even get a decent glimpse of her before she’d turned her attention back to the tire. Her long, black hair was down in her face, making it impossible to get a clear view of her as she replied, “No, thanks. I appreciate you asking, but my husband is on his way.”

  “He is?” the kid asked, sounding surprised. “You haven’t even talked to him. How would he know to come?”

  “Sean.”

  “What?” The boy let go of the wrench and stood. “I didn’t hear you call him.”

  “He’s coming, Sean. Now, hush,” the lady fussed as she pushed on that fucking wrench like her life depended on it. She was freaked out, and she had every right to be. It was dark, and she and her son were alone on the side of the highway with the likes of me—a roughneck biker from the wrong side of town. I could only imagine the terrified thoughts that were racing through her head as she whispered to her son, “He’ll be here in a minute.”

  The kid looked about eleven or twelve with dark hair like his mother. I hadn’t been around many kids, but he seemed like a nice enough one. His blue eyes were fixed on me as he stood there considering a way out of the mess he and his mother were in. He was really giving me the once over, like he was trying to decide if I was an okay guy or if I was going to kill them both right then and there. After several moments, he looked back over to his mother, and when he saw that she wasn’t making any progress, he said, “Come on, Mom. Why can’t he just help us?”

  “There’s no sense in putting him out when your father is on his way.”

  The kid turned back to me as he asked, “We aren’t putting you out, are we?”

  “I wouldn’t have stopped if I wasn’t willing to help.”

  “See? He wants to help.” When she didn’t respond, the kid pushed a little harder. “Come on, Mom. I’m hungry and really want to get home. Just let him do it.”

  She gave the wrench one more hard push, showing just how fucking stubborn she was. When it didn’t budge, she let out a frustrated sigh. “Dammit!”

  I knew she wouldn’t be able to do it on her own, so I tried one last time. “I can have you outta here in ten minutes tops. Just need you two to step aside and let me get the job done.”

  “Okay. Okay.” She stood, quickly brushed the dirt and rock from her jeans, then turned to face me. With my headlight illuminating her face, I was finally able to get a good look at her, and holy shit. The sight of her nearly knocked me on my ass. The chick was a total fucking knockout. She was tall, curvy in all the right places, and had a face that looked like it’d been cut right out of a men’s magazine. There was just one problem. She couldn’t hide her emotions. A look of absolute fear was written all over her beautiful face as she asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  I didn’t immediately respond. I couldn’t. I was still taking her in. Fuck. I was struggling to get a grip, and that shit didn’t happen—ever. I forced myself to shake it off and replied, “Wouldn’t have offered if I did.”

  “Okay...well, I’d really appreciate it.”

  She took an apprehensive step back, then quickly reached for her son, pulling his back protectively to her chest. As strange as it might seem, I liked the fact that she was protective of her son. I knew firsthand there were some mothers who didn’t give a shit about their kids wellbeing, so I tried my best not to be offended by her skittish behavior. I knelt down and took the wrench in my hand, and after a few quick turns, I had the first lug nut off and was onto the next. Behind me, I heard the kid gasp, “Holy shit. You got it off.”

  “Hey,” his mother fussed. “Watch your mouth.”

  “Oh, come on, Mom,” the kid pouted. “Shit isn’t all that bad. Definitely not as bad as some of the ones Corry uses.”

  “So, that doesn’t make it right.”

  “Okay, whatever.” I didn’t interject. I simply kept my thoughts to myself as I finished the last of the lug nuts. I got the car where it needed to be and was getting ready to take the flat tire off when the kid said, “It’s really cool of you to help us. Mom and I would’ve never been able to do this.”

  “No problem, kid.”

  “I’m Sean.” He motioned his hand behind him. “And this is my mom, Frankie.”

  I gave him a quick chin lift, then replied, “Nice to meet ya. My brothers call me Widow.”

  “Widow?” Sean’s tone was riddled with excitement as he asked, “Like a black widow?”

  “Yeah. That’d be it.”

  “Wait...” Bewilderment marked Frankie’s face as she looked down at me and said, “I thought black widows were females. Like aren’t they known for eating their mates, and that’s why they are called black widows?”

  “They are, and yeah, they do.”

  “Then, why would your brothers call you Widow?”

  “Because over the years they’ve learned I’ve got a pretty vicious bite.” I couldn’t help but give her a small smirk as I continued, “And because I’m secure in my manhood.”

  With a light chuckle in her voice, she replied, “Good to know.”

  Her smile nearly knocked me back on my ass. I didn’t know what the hell was going on with me. Irrita
ted with my unexpected reaction, I turned my attention back to the task at hand and removed the flat. I replaced it with the spare and was starting on the lug nuts when I heard Sean ask, “Is that a Harley?”

  “Yep, sure is.”

  “Harleys are badass.”

  “Sean,” Frankie fussed. “What’s with you and all the cussin’ tonight?”

  “What? You cuss.”

  “I do not.”

  “You do, too.” His tone was playful as he told her, “You called me an asshole last night.”

  “What!” Frankie gasped.

  “When I said you burned the pork chops...”

  “Oh, yeah.” Her brows furrowed as she explained, “Well, they were a little browner than usual, but they weren’t burnt.”

  “They looked like charcoal, and tasted like it, too.”

  “They did not!”

  “Did, too. Could’ve used them as hockey pucks.”

  Frankie gave him a teasing nudge as she replied, “You really are a little asshole.”

  “Yeah, but you still love me.” Sean turned his attention back to my bike as he muttered, “That motorcycle is really badass, Mom. I’m gonna get one just like it when I get older.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because they are dangerous.” I continued to attach the spare as Frankie told him, “And I’d like my son to keep his brains in his head and not all over the highway.”

  “That’s a mom reason, and I’m talking about when I get older...when you won’t have a say.”

  “Oh, you may not listen, but I’ll always have a say. That’s one of the many joys of being a mother. We always have a say.”

  “Yeah. Well, I still want one.” Drawing me back into the conversation, Sean turned back to me and asked, “How old were you when you got your first motorcycle?”

  “I was eighteen or so...right after my ol’ man died. Had always wanted one, so I worked, saved up, and got it.”

  “Your mom let ya get it?”

  “My mom didn’t have a say in the matter. She’d lost that right long before that.” I didn’t bother looking in Frankie’s direction. I knew she wouldn’t approve of my response, especially when I said, “I wanted it, so I worked, saved up, and bought it. Simple as that.”

  “That’s what I’m gonna do, too. I’ll work and buy it on my own.”

  “Well, if you do, you gotta be responsible and respect the power of the machine.” I checked to make sure the spare was secured, then lowered the jack and pulled it out from beneath the car. As I stood and started towards the trunk, I told him, “Otherwise, you might end up hurting yourself or someone else, and we can’t be having that.”

  “No. That wouldn’t be good.”

  “No, it wouldn’t, so put in the effort. Take a couple safety courses and read up on safety measures. Then maybe, just maybe, you can convince your mom that motorcycles aren’t as dangerous as she might think.”

  Before Sean could respond, Frankie stepped up behind him and smiled. “I doubt it, but you can certainly try.”

  “Sounds fair enough.”

  “You don’t know my mom.” Sean looked up at Frankie as he sighed. “She’s even more stubborn than my dad, and that’s saying something.”

  “I’m not stubborn.”

  “Um-hmm.”

  It was clear by the way the two spoke they had a good relationship—certainly better than the one I had with my mother. Frankie seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and was doing a good job raising her kid. It was a thought that had me wondering about her husband. She’d mentioned he was coming, but so far, the guy hadn’t shown. I glanced down at her left hand and saw she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, nor did she have any kind of impression on her finger showing where a ring might’ve been. I knew then she wasn’t married. She’d just said it in hopes of getting rid of me. Not that it mattered. After tonight, I’d never see either of them again.

  “Well, you’re all set.” As I closed her trunk, I looked to them both and said, “Took a little longer than ten minutes, but hopefully, you’ll still have time to go grab dinner.”

  “We definitely will.”

  “Guess that husband of yours is gonna be making a wasted trip.”

  “Oh, about that. I kind of just said that because...”

  “I got it.” I knew why she’d said it, and under the circumstances, I didn’t blame her. I motioned my head towards her tire as I said, “The spare isn’t in the best shape, so you’ll want to get that flat fixed as soon as you can.”

  “Okay.” Frankie’s tone was warm and sincere as she told me, “Thanks for your help, Widow. We both really appreciate it.”

  “No problem. You two be careful getting home.”

  “We will.” As they started to get inside the car, Frankie stopped and looked back in my direction. She studied me for a moment, then gave me a quick wave of her hand. “Thanks again.”

  I gave her a nod, then walked over and got on my bike. I’d just started to put on my helmet when Frankie’s car whipped out onto the highway and headed towards town. I was just about to start the engine when I noticed something on the ground where Frankie had been parked. Curiosity got the best of me, so I got off my bike and went to check it out. As I got closer, I saw that it was a wallet. Concerned it might belong to Frankie, I reached down and picked it up. Sure enough, as soon as I opened it, I saw her driver’s license and several of her credit cards.

  I couldn’t just leave it there on the road, so I carried it back to my bike and tossed it into my saddlebag. Seconds later, I was on my bike and on my way home. I’d like to say that my unexpected encounter with Frankie and her son was quickly forgotten. It wasn’t. Seemed I couldn’t get either of them out of my head, especially Frankie. I think it was those mesmerizing, crystal-blue eyes. Damn. I could’ve swum in them for days, but I had no business even thinking about a woman like her. When it came to women, I didn’t do relationships. I just did sex—quick and dirty.

  I got home, and after a long, therapeutic shower, I climbed into bed and called it a night. Sleep didn’t come easy. I spent most of the night tossing and turning. I couldn’t stop thinking about that damn wallet in my saddlebag. It was almost like the fucking thing was calling to me as it drew me out of bed and out to my bike. I pulled it out of my saddle bag and looked at her license. I wasn’t sure if the address was still valid, so I sent Menace, the club’s computer whiz, a text and asked him to check it out. Without waiting for his response, I went back inside and returned to my bed, hoping I could get at least a couple of hours of sleep before work. It was something I’d need to do if I was going to survive a Friday night. They were always the busiest at the strip club, and busy often meant handsy assholes and unnecessary altercations.

  I’d been asleep for a couple of hours when my burner started to ring. I grabbed it from my nightstand, and without bothering to check to see which brother was calling, I answered, “Yeah. Whatcha need?”

  “Who’s this Frances Sullivan chick?”

  “Nobody.” I wasn’t one to ask about chicks, any chicks, so I couldn’t blame Menace for being curious why I’d asked for his help with Frankie. “I just need to know if the address is correct.”

  “Well, this nobody is fucking hot, brother. Really hot.”

  “Irrelevant, brother. Just need to know about the address.”

  “Um-hmm,” he muttered, sounding more than a little skeptical. “She’s still living on Dogwood Lane, so you’re good to go.”

  “Good deal. Thanks, brother.”

  “Anytime...You’re working tonight, right?”

  “Yeah, I’m off, but I can swing by if I need to.”

  “Nah, we should be good. Rafe and Lynch will be coming in at nine.”

  “Okay.” Before hanging up, I told him, “I’ll see ya in an hour.”

  I tossed the burner back on the table and closed my eyes, relishing in the sound of absolute silence. For the moment, there were no voices, no screa
ms or unexplainable crashes and thuds. No chaos. Chaos was what my dreams were made of, but at that moment, as I lay there in my bed, there was no dreaming. I had too much on my mind for sleep, so I pulled myself out of bed and got dressed. After a cup of coffee, I was on my bike and headed over to the clubhouse. I wanted to check in with Viper, the club’s president, to see if there was anything he needed me to do to help prepare for our next week’s meet with Flint. He was our new supplier, and we had a new shipment to pick up on Sunday when the strip clubs were closed.

  I walked into Viper’s office just as he was telling Axel, “Stark’s been handled. There’s no reason we can’t get back to business as usual.”

  “Don’t disagree. Just saying we need to stay vigilant. I can’t really explain, but I have a bad feeling.”

  “What kind of bad feeling?”

  Axel had strong gut instincts, and just like our president, they were always spot on. Always. Needless to say, I was all ears as I listened to him answer, “Like I said, I can’t say for sure. Just my gut’s telling me we need to keep our eyes on Stilettos.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” Viper turned to me and asked, “You see a problem with that?”

  “No, Prez. I don’t.” I glanced over at Axel as I told him, “If Axel thinks that’s what we need to do, then, that’s what we need to do.”

  “Couldn’t agree more. I’ll call the brothers into church and let them know.”

  “About that. Are we still on for our scheduled pickup with Flint next Sunday?”

  “Absolutely. As a protective measure, we’ll double up on the run. Don’t want to take any chances.” Viper crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrow. “Heard you had quite a run-in with a guy last night.”