by L. Wilder
Corry rolled his eyes. “Why do you have to be so dramatic about everything?”
“How about this for dramatic?” I crossed my arms and shouted, “You just added two more weeks to your grounding, and the PlayStation is mine! Unhook it and put it in my bedroom.”
“What?”
“You heard me! I’m done with all this mess. As long as you are living under my roof, you will follow my rules!” I pointed my finger towards his room. “End of discussion!”
“Gah, you’re worse than Dad!” He stormed towards his room, and just before he slammed his door, he shouted, “I hate this place! I can’t wait until I’m eighteen and I can get out of here.”
Even though I knew he was angry and lashing out, his words still hurt. I loved him with every ounce of my being, and I hated to be the one who made him upset, but it was my job to raise him. I had to push back and teach him how to be a good man—a man who was nothing like his father. To do that, I needed to know exactly what happened at the park, but Corry refused to talk to me about it. Over the next couple of days, I tried time and time again, but I always got the same vague response. It was pointless. If I was going to get the answers to my questions, I was going to have to talk to Roman. He was my only hope of putting all the pieces together.
Chapter 11
Widow
There’s nothing worse than seeing a brother wounded. It was a reminder that we weren’t as invincible as we’d like to think. Country was black and blue from head to toe, and even though he still hadn’t fully woken up, Doc assured us that he was strong and would eventually come around. The waiting hadn’t been good for any of us. We were all on edge. We’d spent the last forty-eight hours stewing over who could’ve hurt our brother. The only thing keeping us from completely losing it was the fact Menace was making some headway on finding out who was behind Country’s attack. The guy was a fucking genius when it came to computers. Once he set his mind to it, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do, so none of us were surprised when Viper called us all into church and informed us that Menace had news to share.
It was clear from looking at him Viper was exhausted. He’d been sitting with Country around the clock waiting for some sign that he was going to be okay—a sign we’d all been waiting on. The only reason he’d left his side was to deliver the information Menace had brought him. With a fierce look on his face, Viper started, “Menace believes he’s found the men who attacked Country. I’ve looked over the photographs, but I’ve never seen these boys before. Not part of any revival club or gang I’m aware of, so I’ve got no idea why they’d jump Country.”
He slid several photographs to the center of the table and waited as we all took a look. The second I saw the first guy’s face, I knew I’d seen him before. I reached for the picture, holding it up close, and that’s when it hit me. He was one of the men who’d come to party at Stilettos on the night of the game. I glanced down at the other images and recognized several of the others. When I was certain it was them, I turned to Viper and said, “They were at the strip club a week or so ago.”
“When?”
“The night the Titans played the Colts.” I pointed to one of the photos as I said, “One of them manhandled Izzy.”
“Yeah, and if I remember right, you fucked him up pretty good.”
“Yeah, I did.” I ran my hand over my goatee with a grumble. “But it was Country who ended up kicking them out and banning ‘em. And I gotta tell ya, they were pretty fucking pissed about the whole thing. They were mouthing off about payback, but it wasn’t anything we hadn’t heard before.”
Axel, our VP, shook his head. “Looks like they made good on their threat.”
“I thought they were just a bunch of blowhards. Never thought they’d have the fucking balls to come after any of us, especially not Country and his big ass.”
“You’re not the only one,” Lynch added. “We all saw what went down and thought the same.”
“This was over some drunk who got his ass kicked for manhandling one of the girls?” Hawk leaned forward and looked to me as he said, “I don’t know, guys. I’m not buying it. You have to have some pretty big balls to mess with the Sinners.”
“I have to agree.” Axel shook his head. “There’s gotta be more to it.”
“From the minute they walked through the door, I had a bad feeling about ‘em. No idea why, but something just wasn’t right. I kept an eye on them, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary until the shit went down with Izzy.”
“There has to be something we’re missing here.” Viper glared over at Menace as he asked, “What about that van? Were you ever able to find anything on it?”
“I tried, but I couldn’t get a clear view of the license plate from the street cams. I also went back and checked the parking lot on the night of Country’s attack, but there was no sign of it.”
“Damn. What exactly do you know about these assholes?”
“Honestly, not much. I’ve only been able to identify one of them.” Menace pointed to one of the photos as he said, “Dalton Grant. As far as I can tell, he doesn’t own any property here in town. For that matter, he doesn’t have any property anywhere, but he does have a credit card. He goes to Smokey’s Bar and Grill a couple of times a week. Makes me wonder if he’s got a place nearby. Maybe at one of those dive motels across the street. Thought we could go check it, see if we could bring him in, and have Shotgun have a go at him.”
Shotgun was chosen as the club’s enforcer because of his special talent for getting folks to talk. The man even had his own special rooms designed for extracting information from our adversaries, so I wasn’t surprised when he replied, “You get him here, and I’ll find out what we need to know.”
“Dalton Grant is the key to finding the others. We have to find him and find him now.” Viper turned to Hawk as he stated, “Divide up. I want groups of three monitoring both locations until we get our hands on him.”
“Sure thing. I’ll figure out a schedule.”
Menace leaned over to him as he explained, “Smokey’s and those dive motels are pretty close together so that shouldn’t be a problem for one group of three to monitor both.”
“That’ll work.” Hawk turned to Axel as he asked, “You good with taking the first shift with Rafe and Shotgun?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good deal.” Hawk turned to me as he said, “You and Bear are with me. We’ll relieve them at eight.”
Bear was one of the older brothers. While he was often quiet, he’d been around longer than most. He was a big guy, six-three and about two-eighty, and he’d gotten his road name for being hairy like a fucking bear. He was strong like one, too, so I wasn’t surprised when Hawk wanted him to tag along. I nodded as I replied, “Understood.”
Once we were dismissed, I followed Rafe down to the infirmary. He wanted to check in on Country before he headed out with Hawk and Lynch. Rafe was completely silent as we walked in and made our way over to Country’s bedside. His eyes were still swollen and bruised, his lips were lined with scabs, and his chest was covered with two bandages hiding his gaping wounds. It was clear from the nicks and gashes on his knuckles Country had done his best to fight back. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t stand a chance. There were just too many of them.
Guilt washed over me as I stood looking down at my broken brother. I was the reason why he was in the condition he was in. If I hadn’t gotten carried away with that asshole who’d put his hands on Izzy, then they wouldn’t have a reason to hold such a fucking grudge. At the very least, I should’ve been the one who kicked the motherfuckers out. Then, I would’ve been their target. They would’ve come after me, and it would be me lying there in that infirmary bed instead of Country.
I was sinking further into my guilt when I heard Rafe ask, “You think he’s gonna be alright?”
“Yeah. He’s too fucking stubborn not to be.”
“Hate seeing him like this.”
“You’re not alone there.”
“I am up, dick-head.” Country never opened his eyes as he mumbled, “I feel like shit, and I’m gonna lie here as long as I fucking want to.”
“Holy fuck,” Rafe gasped. “You’re awake?”
“Yeah, and I’d still be asleep if you two weren’t in here frettin’ over me like two fucking girls.”
“It’s about fucking time. It’s been days of you coming in and out. We were really startin’ to worry about ya, brother.”
“I’ll be fine.” He was still lying perfectly still with his eyes closed as he grumbled, “Just trying to get my beauty sleep.”
“God knows you need it,” I mocked.
“Widow...” Country’s voice was strained as he told me, “It was the guys from the other night...the ones we kicked out for fuckin’ with Izzy.”
“Yeah, I know, brother. We’re working on trackin’ them down.”
“When you do, bring me the big one with the fucking gauges in his ears.” An angry tone crept over his words as he growled, “I want him for myself. That fucking piece of shit shanked me, and I want my chance to return the favor.”
Rafe nodded as he said, “You got it, man.”
I was about to ask him if there was anything we could do for him when my burner started to ring. I quickly pulled it out of my back pocket and was surprised to see it was Frankie calling. I hadn’t heard from her since she picked Corry up from the clubhouse. Concerned something might be wrong, I looked over to Rafe. “I’m gonna step out and take this.”
“Well, lookie there. Widow’s girl’s a callin’,” Country poked.
“You know better than that shit.” Without waiting for his response, I walked out of the room and into the hall, “You got Widow.”
“We need to talk.”
“Oh, well, hello there, Frankie,” I shot back after her abrupt greeting. “Good to hear from ya.”
Without skipping a beat, she replied, “I know you’re probably busy with whatever you have going on there at the clubhouse, but do you have some time later today? I really need to talk to you about some things.”
“What kind of things?”
“Things I’d rather not discuss on the phone. Can you meet?”
“Yeah, I can work something out. What time did you have in mind?”
“After I close the shop for the day. I should be able to get out of here around 4:30? If that works for you, I could get Sydney to hang out with the boys for a couple of hours.”
“Alright.”
“Great. I could come there, or you could just meet me here at the coffee shop.”
“I tell ya what.” With everything that was going on, I’d decided to stay at the clubhouse for the next few days. I wanted to be on hand if any of the brothers needed me. Since I only had the bare minimum in my room, I’d need to get to the house and pack up a few things. I figured Frankie could just stop by while I was there, so I told her, “I have to run out to my place later to grab a few things. You could just meet me there around 4:30 or 5. I’ll text you the address.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
She immediately ended the call, and I was left standing there wondering what in the hell happened. I’d been trying for days to put her and her boys out of my head, but it had proven to be harder than I’d expected. It seemed like every time I stopped for even a moment, just long enough to catch my breath, she would come drifting through my thoughts. I’d see her face, the gorgeous blue eyes, or that incredible smile. It took some effort, but I could redirect my thoughts and force those images out of my head. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the longing feeling that was burning deep in my gut. I’d never felt anything like it. It was almost like I was missing something—something I didn’t even know I had. Whatever it was, I didn’t like it. The whole thing was fucking with my head.
I texted Frankie the address to the house, then headed back inside the infirmary with Country and Rafe. As I stepped into the room, I saw Rafe give Country a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Get some rest, brother. We’ll be back soon.”
“No need to rush back.” Sounding utterly pitiful, Country told him, “I’m just gonna be in here tending to my wounds.”
“Yeah, just like I thought. You sorry ass is gonna milk this shit for everything it’s worth.”
“Damn straight.”
It was good to see that after everything he’d been through, Country still had his sense of humor. I could tell Rafe felt the same. As he rushed down the hall, he shouted, “Gotta catch up with Axel before he has my ass.”
I glanced over at the clock on the wall and saw that it wouldn’t be long before Frankie would be heading over to my place. I needed to get some things done before she arrived, so I decided to go on over to the house. It was a good thing I didn’t wait because the place was a mess, and there was a rancid smell coming from the kitchen. I threw the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, took out the trash, and wiped down the counters. I’d just started to toss my dirty clothes in the washing machine when I heard someone knocking. I quickly shoved the rest of the clothes into the washer, then closed the lid. I took a moment to wipe my hands off on my jeans, then went into the kitchen.
When I opened the door, I found Frankie on my doorstep, and as usual, she looked fucking incredible. Her dark hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she was wearing jeans with a fitted black sweater that accentuated the alluring curve of her breasts. While her clothes looked like something out of some fashion magazine, it was her eyes that got me right in the gut, making it damn near impossible to keep my cock in check.
Fuck. I would’ve thrown her over my shoulder and taken her straight to my bed if it hadn’t been for that doleful expression on her face. Before I even had a chance to say hello, she asked, “Why did you stop at the park?”
“What?”
“Why did you stop at the park?” she repeated. “Did you go there looking for Corry, or were you just driving by there?”
“I was driving by.”
“Okay...Did you just stop to say hello, or was there another reason you stopped?” I could almost feel the tension radiating off her as she asked, “Did you see Corry or his friends doing something they shouldn’t have been doing? Was he with people he shouldn’t have been with?”
“That’s something you need to discuss with Corry.”
“I’ve tried, but he’s not really telling me much. That’s why I’m here.” Her voice trembled, making the predicament she was putting me in that much harder. “I hoped you could tell me what happened.”
“This isn’t my story to tell, Frankie.”
“And why not? Corry is my son! If there’s something going on with him, I need to know about it.”
“Go with your instincts, Frankie. If you think something is up, then there’s more than likely a reason why.”
“So, he was up to something.”
“I didn’t say that.” She looked utterly defeated as she stood there on my front steps. I wanted to be able to ease her mind about Corry, but I simply couldn’t do it. I knew he’d had a hard time with his father. I’d heard the hurt in his voice when he talked about the things he’d done. “I know from my own experiences it’s difficult for a kid like him to trust. Hell, I had my own fucking issues with it. Trust is something that has to be earned, and it takes a lot to fucking earn it. If Corry trusted me even the slightest, I’m not about to take that away from him. So, do like I said and follow your instincts.”
“Okay, fine.” She propped her hand on her hip and huffed, “Can you at least tell me why you took him to your clubhouse instead of just dropping him off at home?”
“I was planning on it, but something came up, and I had to get to the clubhouse.”
“Something came up?”
“Yeah, something came up,” I repeated back to her.
“Good grief.” She cross
ed her arms with a huff. “Do you have any idea how frustrating you’re being right now?”
I motioned my head towards the doorway. “Come in before the neighbors start thinking you’re harassing me.”
“Harassing you?” she gasped. “You’re the one who’s being a stubborn ass and won’t tell me anything.”
“Just come inside, Frankie.”
Without another word, she walked past me and into the kitchen. A look of surprise marked her face as she took a quick glance around. It was a work in progress. I’d installed new tile and appliances but hadn’t gotten around to painting yet. Frankie kept that look of surprise as she meandered into the living room. After looking around at the new flooring and fireplace, she glanced back at me and said, “Your house is beautiful.”
“It’s a fucking mess.”
“It’s beautiful.” She turned and studied me for a moment. “Oh, God. I’m such an idiot. I never even thought to ask.”
“Ask what?”
“If you were married.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about our night at the coffee shop. “Little late to be worried about that now, don’t ya think?”
“Answer the question, Roman.”
“No, I’m not married.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Nope. Can’t say that I do. Why the sudden interest?”
“Not exactly sudden.” She turned to look at the picture above the fireplace as she explained, “I just assumed you weren’t in a relationship until I walked in here and saw your place.”
“I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not.”
“It’s definitely a compliment and a big relief.”
“Glad to hear it.” As I started towards the living room, I asked, “Can I grab ya something? A water? Sweet tea?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.” Without waiting for an invitation, she sat down on the sofa and crossed her legs, waiting patiently as I went over and sat down next to her. Once I was settled, she said, “I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have interrogated you like that. I’ve been so worried about Corry it’s making me a little crazy.”
