Texas (San Francisco Steel, #8)
Page 4
Slammer let out a sigh. “I did get overly rough with her and there’s no excuse for that.”
The men all looked at each other but no one said a word. They all knew their women would say the same thing.
Chapter Five
It was much later when Texas began scanning through reports and newspaper articles. Once he had the proper names to look under, he found plenty of stuff. He was clicking print on everything he could find. He would sort it all out later. Checking under the birth certificates, he used another name and finally found what he was looking for. He hit print one last time and while he waited, he wondered what Slammer would do with the information he found.
He put everything together in a file and got up from his chair. He glanced at the clock and couldn’t believe it was as late as it was. He’d totally missed supper and now, his belly was reminding him it was hungry. He set the file on the desk and went in search of something to eat.
As he passed the door next to his own, he thought he heard a whimper. He stopped and frowned. Usually, this room was vacant but apparently, someone was in there tonight. He listened at the door and heard another sound, this time it was someone crying.
Texas couldn’t stand it. He opened the door and peeked inside. Moonlight flooded the room and he could see someone was curled up in a fetal position on the bed.
It was Poppy and she seemed to be caught up in a nightmare.
Texas slipped inside the door and watched her for a moment.
She suddenly cried out and begged someone not to hurt her mommy. Then she screamed out and grabbed her upper arm. She then pleaded with someone not to hurt her again and slid off the bed. Crawling over to the wall, she inched her way over to the corner of the room and pulled the curtain out and around her to hide herself from the boogey man of her nightmares.
Texas wanted to go to her and offer her comfort but he felt she was so caught up in the nightmare she wouldn’t understand his motives. Instead, he let himself out of the room but couldn’t move away from the door. He slid down the wall and sat there listening to her sobs.
His heart hurt for her and everything he’d learned tonight helped him understand what happened, well part of what happened a long time ago.
A while later, the door behind him opened and she came out quietly. She was completely dressed and looked for a moment like she intended to run.
“Are you going somewhere?” he asked her softly.
Poppy froze. She wanted to scream but the sound wouldn’t escape the frozen lump in her throat. Finally, she swallowed her fear and whispered, “I didn’t think anyone would be awake at this hour.”
“So why are you awake at this hour?” Texas asked.
“I get up at this time every day to make the candy in my shop,” she informed him.
“Did you tell Slammer that?”
“I told him but heaven only knows if he heard it or not. He was too busy being pissy I think.”
Texas smiled faintly. “Yeah, he does that.” He got to his feet. “But I think he expects you to be here in the morning all the same.”
“Well, he can want in one hand and piss in the other and see which one fills up faster. I don’t happen tom care what he does at the moment. I have a business to run and I can’t just take a day off for no reason.” Poppy bristled.
“And he asked me to watch over you.” Texas blocked her way.
Poppy shrugged. “Then watch over me but I’m going home to make my candy. Don’t worry, I don’t have anyone looking for me, and I’ve got no ties to your club, why would anyone hurt me?”
He didn’t address her questions. “Let me change my clothes and I’ll escort you home and watch over you from there. Will you let me do that?”
She bit her lip then nodded.
He stared at her. “Promise me, you won’t bolt while I’m gone.”
She let out a sigh. “Ok, I promise.”
He raised a brow at her. “I will follow you if you do,” he warned.
She nodded again.
He went to the room next door and quickly changed his clothes. Leaving a note for Slammer, he put it on the file and joined Poppy.
They nodded to the man on night guard and left the compound. Walking down the street this early in the morning was refreshing to Texas. The early morning air was cool and somewhat fresher than the midday heat, as he could smell the ocean. It was the one thing he loved about this area, the salty air, and the water.
They got to her shop and Poppy went around back. Using her keys, she led him into an open stairway going up. She looked over at Texas and shrugged. “Sorry, but I need a shower and clean clothes before I can make the candy for the day.”
Texas followed her upstairs and took note of the apartment. It was sparsely decorated with no family pictures or mementoes from other places she might have visited. Her furniture looked to be second hand items and consisted of just the bare necessities.
He rummaged through her fridge for something to eat while she took her shower. He found enough for a sandwich and while he ate, he sent Slammer a text telling him where they were.
A short time later, she appeared in a Poppy’s Shoppe smock and jeans. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a braid and she looked ready to start her day.
When they reached the kitchen, she turned on the lights and went into work mode. She began mixing sugars and milk, adding flavorings and filling tray after tray with sweet delights. She’d get one batch done and immediately, start on the next batch of something sweet.
Around five thirty, she began the chocolates she was famous for. She was so in her zone, she never noticed when Slammer and Shotgun showed up.
Texas had watched her for hours before he got a text from his prez. Telling them to come around back. He then let them in and all three men watched her create.
Finally, around seven, just as the sun came up she was putting up the last tray. She looked around and saw the men waiting for her. “Oh!” She startled. “When did you guys get here?”
“A while ago.” Slammer glared at her. “I thought I told you to stay at the compound.”
Poppy took off her apron and carefully laid it on the counter. Then she turned to look at him. She paused to choose her words carefully before she spoke, “Look, I’ll say this slowly and use small words so you can understand. First off, you can’t tell me what to do. I am nobody and nobody knows I’m here. I have nothing to do with you and your MC. Therefore, I don’t feel I’m in any danger here. You said it yourself, you caught your bad guy yesterday. So whatever is going on in your MC world should be dying down.”
Slammer raised a brow at her and crossed his large arms over his chest.
She took a deep breath and went on, “You helped me yesterday when I was shot but I have no reason to hang around your club. I’m just starting out in this city and I need to earn a living. I have rent to pay and bills to pay so I need to work. I appreciate what you did for me but this is my life.”
“We aren’t done here yet, you and me,” Slammer told her. “I think you know that, don’t you?”
“I don’t know anything of the kind. I never know how long I’ll be in one place, so I never make long range plans.”
“Maybe it’s time for you to stop running,” Slammer told her.
Poppy got a haunted look in her eyes. “I can’t stop. He won’t let me.” Her hand went to her shoulder and she began rubbing her skin. She rubbed so hard it was turning raw. The whole time she kept mumbling, “I can’t stop. I don’t have that luxury.”
Just then, someone came in from the back and stopped in surprise. “Hello.”
Poppy shook her head and seemed to come out of here stupor and turned to face the woman standing there. “Karen, I’m glad you got here early. These gentlemen were just leaving.”
“Are you sure about that?” Karen asked as her gaze went from Poppy to the three men standing there. They did not look like they were even about to leave.
Poppy looked over at Slammer and nodded. “Yeah,
I’m sure.”
“I’m not leaving you here alone. Texas will stay to watch over you,” Slammer stated.
Poppy shook her head slowly. “I don’t need him here. I’m going upstairs and take a nap, as I didn’t get much sleep last night. He might need a nap too as he’s been awake since three this morning. I just want to be left alone. Go back to whatever you do.”
Slammer stared her down his green eyes deepening in color. “I’m not leaving you alone. I’ll send someone else to watch over you but I’m not leaving you alone until we get this straightened out. That just ain’t happening.”
Poppy just stared at him then nodded at Karen and walked to the stairway going upstairs.
Karen disappeared out front and began setting things up for the day.
Slammer growled and ran his hands over his head. He turned to Texas. “How did this happen? You were supposed to keep her at the clubhouse.”
“Prez, you didn’t see her at three this morning.” Texas shook his head. “She was caught up in a nightmare sometime before two, a nightmare so bad you couldn’t imagine it. She kept begging someone not to shoot her. Whatever she witnessed its locked away so deep, it only comes out in night terrors.”
Slammer frowned and looked over at Shotgun. Then he looked at Texas. “What else did you hear?”
Texas shook his head. “Not much, but I found a complete file on what happened twenty years ago. Her real name is Poppy Parker, mom - Angel. I think you know who’s listed as her father.”
“She’s Boss’ kid isn’t she?” Slammer stated.
“Yeah, she is.”
“The real question is did he know about her?” Slammer looked angry. “Angel left us for five years. Did he know when she left that she was carrying his child?” He shook his head. “I can’t believe he did or he never would have let her go.”
“I’m going to stay here with her,” Texas announced. “You can send one of the brothers to watch the place but I want to watch over her.”
“Why?” Slammer raised a brow at him.
“No disrespect but I think she’s hiding something.” He shrugged. “There’s a reason she moves so much and I don’t think it’s because she likes to move. She’s running.”
“Running from what though?” Shotgun wanted to know.
“That the real question isn’t it?” Slammer asked. “I think we have to figure out what happened twenty years ago and we’ll have our answers. I think she witnessed something she was never meant to see.” He began to pace. “I got some friends coming over from Oakland, my dad’s brothers from his MC. Maybe they have some of the answers we need.”
“We need to get back to the clubhouse,” Shotgun reminded him. “Tommy is supposed to be coming over this morning too.”
Slammer turned to Texas. “Don’t you let her go anywhere until I get back. I want answers and I want them soon.”
Texas watched as Slammer and Shotgun walked out the back door then he looked upstairs and mounted the steps slowly. He got to the top of the steps and paused. The apartment hadn’t changed any since he was here earlier. It was still a barebones place to live. It did seem like she hadn’t planted any roots and had no intention of doing so either.
He went over to the bedroom door and pushed it opened silently. There she was laying on top of her bed. Texas could see tear tracks and had to wonder why she had cried herself to sleep.
Then he realized she was so very close to breaking, he didn’t think she could take much more. He walked round the bedroom and looked at her personal things. He knew he had no right to do it but he did it anyway. He needed to solve this puzzle that was Poppy and he found it wasn’t just because of Slammer. It was something he, himself needed to know.
When he got to the dresser, he found a book. Curiously, he picked it up and took it out to the living room to look at. He sat down on the sofa and opened it.
When he read what was written, he looked up at the bedroom door in shock. Then he gazed back down at the pages again, and got caught up in the story written there. Two hours later, he closed the book and looked at the bedroom again.
He couldn’t believe what he’d learned from her mother’s words. The entries only went for four years but that was how long she’d lived after she began writing it. According to the dates in the diary, her mother had died the day she introduced her daughter to her daughter’s father. That was the last entry. She was taking Poppy to meet her dad for the very first time. Angel wrote of her happiness and hope that they could finally be a family. Then Texas could easily figure out that once they met at that wayside someone took away their chance to be a real family.
The kicker was Poppy had seen it all. She had been there. That’s what the nightmares were about. She knew the face of her parent’s killer. He knew that not because of the diary words but from her own words during the nightmares, she’d had the night before. That... and her obvious fear of the gunplay yesterday morning.
He knew Slammer needed to read Angel’s words. It might go a long way to understanding what happened all those years ago. Well, that and the fact that he never got to meet Poppy before. They also needed to find out who shot Angel and Boss.
Then the silence in the apartment was shattered when Poppy screamed. Texas stumbled to the bedroom only to find her caught up in the same nightmare she had last night. He went over to the bed and gathered her into his arms. She fought him at first until she somehow figured out he wasn’t going to hurt her. Then she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.
For the longest time, he just held her then he realized she was awake. “Are you okay?” he asked her gently.
“Yes, I’m all right. Just a little embarrassed, that’s all,” she whispered.
He kissed the top of her head. “How long have you had these nightmares?” he asked.
Poppy seemed surprised by the light kiss and tried to move away from his hold but Texas wasn’t letting her go. She finally stopped struggling and just let him hold her. Then after several more minutes she began to talk, “I don’t remember much about when I was really young but I think something bad happened when I was about four. I do remember being hurt about that time and having to go live with my grandparents.” She hung her head and tears dripped from her face as she continued, “They hated me. They blamed me for my mother’s death. How I caused her death, they never told me but they told me every day I was the reason she was dead. I got to where I actually hated waking up every morning. Then on the day I turned eighteen, I got a package. It was from a friend of my mom’s. She told me it was a gift from my mother. It was her diary. It was the first four years of my life put into my mom’s own words. It was the best birthday present I could ever have gotten. It also gave me the strength to leave my grandparents farm.”
Texas held her tight as he listened. He then took her hand and held it. “I found the dairy and read it. I just want you to know that. I know I didn’t have any right to do it but I wanted to know you better. This morning when I heard you cry out in your nightmare, it broke my heart to hear your pain.”
Poppy sighed. “It’s okay. I guess now you know then, don’t you?”
Texas nodded. “I knew some of it already. I looked into your history. It wasn’t easy to find but it is what I do.”
She looked curious. “So, you’re a biker and you’re good with computers?”
He nodded as he smoothed her silky hair with his hand. “Yep. I love my Harley and I love my Apple and man... I hope I never have to choose between them.”
For the first time, Poppy laughed.
Texas stilled at this. “That is the sweetest sound in the whole fucking world.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “God dammit, you are beautiful. The first time I saw you...” His voice fell away.
“What?” she asked curiously.
He shook his head.
“Hey, you got me to talk, now it’s your turn,” she urged. “It’s only fair.”
He smirked “You may not be ready for what I think.”
Texas sucked in his breath and then let it out as he stared at her lips. “You are so dammed tempting.”
She looked stunned. “No way! Look at you, all lean and muscled. Like so sexy...” Her voice fell away as she blushed.
He reached out and tugged her forward. “I thought you were just the right size and shape. The perfect woman for me.”
Her eyes widened at this statement as if she’d never expected to hear him say it.
He swooped down and crushed her mouth with his.
Seeming to be shocked for a few seconds, she paused, then she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back.
The kiss went on for a couple of minutes, as they both couldn’t seem to stop.
Suddenly, he pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. “I think you should tell Slammer about it. He suspects anyway. But you should tell him.”
“I can’t. I can’t tell him!”
“Why not?” Texas argued. “Don’t you think he deserves to know?”
“It’s not that. That’s not the reason.”
“Then what is it?” he demanded to know.
“The man that killed my mom is hunting me,” Poppy explained. “He knows I saw his face that day and even if I can’t remember it, he knows I saw him. I was safe on my grandparents’ farm but when I ran off, he began to follow me. He’s almost caught me now, four different times. I might not be so lucky a fifth time. I don’t want to drag Slammer into that hot mess. And that’s what it would be, a hot fucking mess.”
“Don’t you think I should be the one to make that call?” Slammer’s voice growled from the doorway.
Chapter Six
Poppy gasped and turned to look toward the door.
Slammer, Shotgun and Mammoth were all standing there with frowns and glares on their faces.
“Well hells bells, you weren’t supposed to hear that,” Poppy murmured. She struggled to get free of Texas’s embrace and the sleeve of her shirt went up to expose her upper arm.