“Thank you.” Moira’s plan made sense, but Andy didn’t have any intention of just standing around watching others do the work for her. She figured she’d humor Moira for one coffee, and then get stuck in.
“It’s my pleasure, cher.”
Moira handed Andy a travel mug, which, it turned out, contained a strong latte. They leaned against the side of Moira’s truck and watched as the men began to wrangle boxes and furniture out of the van. They were all pitching in, old and young alike. It didn’t look like unloading her possessions was going to take long at all with this many people to help. Andy wasn’t worried about the arrangement of the furniture in the apartment; there was plenty of space to move it around. Her new place was actually bigger than her place in Alabama.
Once she’d finished her coffee, Andy tried to help by carrying a few boxes, but the men just took them off her, brushed her aside, and carried on regardless. Moira smiled benevolently when Andy gave up and returned to her side. “They can be cavemen, but that has its uses, cher. Take advantage. That way you won’t mind so much about the other stuff.”
Chiz had explained a very little of what the ‘other stuff’ might entail. She knew he wasn’t telling her everything, he’d said as much, and she’d decided to make her peace with that. The way she saw it, he wouldn’t want a blow-by-blow account of what she’d done at work each day, either.
Andy spent the rest of the morning chatting with Moira as they watched the men fetching and carrying. Moira pointed out who was who again, and by the time they took a break for some food, Andy was fairly confident that she could identify everyone. Andy knew damn well that Moira was fishing for information with some of the questions that she asked. Some, she didn’t mind giving the answers to; some she deflected. It was obvious that Moira was quite a domineering personality, but Andy guessed that that answered her unasked question about how she coped with the permanent macho-chest-thumping that surrounded her.
The men gathered by the side of the van to take five, and drink a beer or two and to eat a sandwich from the coolers that Moira produced from the back of her SUV. Crash, the man with the bright, crazy blue eyes and scars over his scalp, was asking Chiz which box his handcuffs and ball gag were in. Andy knew she would have a lot of those jokes to get used to. She smiled to herself as she made plans to play up to that a little bit. Shark had his back to Andy when he pulled his shirt off to wipe the sweat from his shaved head. She almost dropped her own bottle of beer at the sight of the vicious, circular scar on the big man’s shoulder.
“You okay, doll?” Chiz was by her side, smiling, and just asking generally. She’d hidden her shock well, she thought. Andy turned, and murmured directly into his ear.
“That scar on Shark’s shoulder. Jesus, it looks like someone branded him.”
“Someone did,” he murmured back to her.
That sounded like it came under the heading of ‘other stuff.’ “Don’t tell me. I don’t wanna know.”
“That’s probably best, doll,” Chiz murmured. He took the opportunity to turn their little conversation into a kiss, which earned them some whistles.
“Hey, Mistress Elmo,” Crash called. “Are you gonna tell us which box the kinky shit’s in?”
Andy was shocked into a fit of giggles. That wasn’t the first time she’d heard them using that nickname, but it was the first time someone had called her by it outright, and Crash had added a new twist. If she’d known she was going to end up stuck with it, she would’ve chosen something different, back when she’d introduced herself to Chiz on Christmas Day. She didn’t mind overly much, though, it was simply another aspect of her new life, and it made her feel like she was fitting in with his family.
“Funny fucker, aren’t ya?” Chiz was calling, as he threw his bottle top at Crash’s head.
Elmo smiled brightly, and answered Crash. “Well since it’s a fresh start and all, I thought I’d take him shopping for some brand new toys.”
Chiz, who was maybe blushing, was about to say something to her, when Shark jumped like he’d been stung. He fished about in his jeans pockets until he found his phone, then he walked away a few steps as he answered the call that the handset had vibrated with.
When he turned and came back, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. Considering his olive skin, that was no mean feat.
“Oh shit. Ash is in labor. She’s havin’ contractions. She’s gonna have the baby.”
Moira laughed indulgently. “I’m sure she’s not gonna have it in the next five minutes, cher. How far apart did she say the contractions were?”
Shark looked mightily confused. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
Moira sighed theatrically. “Come on, cher. Samuel, get your presidential butt in motion. We need to help make sure our girl gets to hospital in one piece. You,” she pointed one finger at Shark, “are not drivin’ her.”
Shark nodded dumbly and went to his bike. From the way he seemed to struggle to get it started, Andy didn’t have high hopes for him making it to the hospital without an accident, and she began to be glad for Ashleigh that she was going to have her mother there. Especially as Samuel didn’t look much less dumbstruck than his son in law.
Moira entrusted the coolers of food and drink to Andy before the trio left, including another one that she’d kept hidden in her Chevy. She made it plain to the men remaining, that since it contained food and drink to tide Andy over until she could get to a store, that anyone who touched it would be answerable to her wrath. That seemed to put the big bikers on notice.
The departure of the little group marked an end to snack time. Even two members down, it didn’t take the others long to finish unloading her belongings. She simply didn’t have that much of everything.
Once most of the larger pieces of furniture were in place, they’d let her start to unpack. She’d started in the kitchen, well out of everyone’s way. Andy had marked all the boxes she’d packed with which room they pertained to, and it seemed that most had been distributed correctly, which made unpacking a whole lot easier.
When the van had been emptied and everything had been carried into her new, temporary home, the men headed off to the clubhouse to wait for news of the imminent arrival. Chiz, however, stayed with Andy amidst the chaos.
“You can go, if you want. I can get this lot sorted out by myself.” Andy was in the middle of making her bed. The frame had been taken apart for the transportation, but Kong and Fletch had made sure that it was rebuilt ready for her to sleep on. Kong was another one of the nicknames that she did not want to know the back story for.
“Not a chance, doll.” Chiz called through from the living room, where he was deciding on the best arrangement for the sofa and the television. “I wouldn’t miss the chance to christen your new place.”
Andy smiled, privately thinking that it was more likely that they’d both fall asleep as soon as they stopped moving. She finished shaking the comforter out and plumped the pillows. Having decided that everything else could wait to be unpacked, she walked through to the kitchen to retrieve two of the beers that Moira had packed into the cooler that was not to be touched.
Chiz had finished setting the television up by the time she handed him one of the beers. He’d already found a sports channel to put on. Andy nudged a few of the boxes out of the way, just enough that they could walk through the apartment without tripping over something every time they moved. When she turned back around, Chiz was already settled on the sofa.
Andy joined him. As she sat down, Chiz lifted his arm so that she could curl in against him. Once she was comfortable, he dropped his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Do you think Shark’ll make it through the birth without passing out?” She asked.
Chiz snorted. “Hard to say. I’ve seen that fella… well… he’s not usually the squeamish type, but he loves that girl like oxygen. Seein’ her in pain might well lead him to do somethin’ that lands him in jail. Or he might pass out. If he passes out he ain’t never
gonna live it down.”
Andy was quiet a while, as she considered the dynamics of the new group she’d been thrown into. She liked them all, and their easy way of being with each other. It spoke of friendships formed over years, but they hadn’t made her feel excluded, at all. They’d welcomed her right in with open arms. But it did leave her wondering just how much of that family element that Chiz might be craving.
“Do you want that? To be a father?”
“Huh?” Chiz asked, distracted from the game he’d been watching. Andy had been silent long enough that it must have seemed like her question had come out of nowhere, but she saw him piece the words together, and grasp the meaning. He turned the television off before he answered.
“Doll, I hope this ain’t a deal-breaker for us, but no. I wouldn’t be a good dad. Does that disappoint you?”
Andy shook her head. “No not at all. I don’t think I’d be good with kids, either. I like things neat and tidy, and I like doing things my way too much. Kids mean sticky handprints and mess, permanently.” Andy shivered. “That’s probably my worst nightmare. I don’t mind them, but I like to be able to give them back.”
“We’ll be crazy Aunty Elmo and Uncle Chiz then.” Chiz grinned down at her.
“I’m stuck with that name now, aren’t I?” Andy sighed with exaggerated woe.
“Yeah. You are.”
“Okay. I have one request, though.”
“Which is?”
“Please don’t call me that when we fuck.”
“You got it, doll.”
Chiz put his beer down on the floor. Andy followed suit, and when Chiz turned onto his back she allowed him to pull her up and over him.
“You’re up for some practice, then?”
“Practice makes perfect, doll.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Prior to the last two months, Chiz had lived a simple life. There had only been the club in his world. Conflicts had only occurred when his own nature spiraled out of control. In that previous life, Chiz had enjoyed riding solely for the feel of the road. He would empty his head of everything but the wind rushing past him, the blacktop flowing under his wheels, and the sun shining down on him, and he would become a part of the world.
Since Elmo had come into his life, Chiz had begun to value time on the road as time to think, without interruption. Currently he was heading east on a run for the Rojas family, and he was making full use of the time to clear his mind, and order his thoughts.
He couldn’t wait to get started on looking for a house with Elmo. During the past week, since Elmo had moved to Absolution, he’d spent every night at her apartment. He’d even gone back there after Friday Church, instead of staying to get his drunk on with his brothers, which had raised some eyebrows. He liked the place itself just fine, but it was on the third floor, and he was finding that he actually got a little itchy knowing that his bike was out on the street. It was strange, but no less true.
They had a lot of scouting to do. Not just for homes, but a location for her new club, too. She’d put feelers out in the community for new people to work with her, but Chiz suspected that she was going to be one busy dominatrix until she could build up a reputation for the place. The strip club side of it would be the real earner in the meantime. Ferret’s old lady had been more than happy to help with the project, and had offered to travel over and guest star herself once a month, in addition to helping to recruit talent.
Elmo’s insurance company was taking its sweet time paying out on the old club, but the MC was standing the startup costs of the new club, until the money came through. Apart from her Louboutin habit, which was mostly under control, neither Elmo or Chiz were big spenders, and they’d found they had plenty of capital to work with when it came to finding a home that suited them both. Elmo was already putting together a list of properties that looked interesting. Chiz was happy to leave that to her, and just give his yea or nay when he saw them for real.
Crash had finished running his checks on Shane, and the news was good. There was nothing that had flagged up any concerns. The table had been enthusiastic about that new Prospect, and Samuel himself had offered to be Shane’s sponsor. Chiz had spoken to the big fella shortly after Samuel had called him with the news that his Prospect status had been approved. Chiz didn’t think Shane ever got to a state of actual giddiness, but the big man had been close when Chiz had called him.
They could have used Shane’s presence today. They were woefully shorthanded. Crash was useless on these runs; he was fairly guaranteed to lay his bike down on long journeys, and no one wanted to risk that happening while they were guarding highly illegal cargo. Neither Kong nor Fletch could handle the distance, and Morse, although riding, struggled with so many hours in the saddle.
Consequently, Shark was courting Ashleigh’s wrath by taking such a long trip away from home, barely a full week after his daughter, Deanna Belle, had been born. Chiz absolutely did not want kids of his own, but that little pink cherub was nothing but a bundle of adorable. Until she filled her diaper, anyway. That green shit was not adorable.
Chiz wasn’t entirely happy with the lineup for the run; Samuel, Terry, Shark, himself and Sinatra. They weren’t using Prospects on the runs now, not since shit had gotten tense with the Rojas family. They needed experienced hands on deck. For the same reason, Chiz’s discomfort stemmed from Samuel and Terry being on the run together. He didn’t like having the two first officers of the club in a vulnerable situation together, but they had little choice.
This run hadn’t involved guarding a truck, and so hadn’t needed the decoy van. The merchandise was in the saddlebags, and in a slight variation of routine, they were making the drop at an industrial compound, rather than a populated area. When the information had been relayed to Samuel, it had been explained that the change was intended to keep the drop secret from the rogue Rojas son and his new friends. Chiz understood the reasoning, but he wasn’t comfortable with it. But it wasn’t their place to argue; they were just the delivery boys. Still, as SAA, Chiz had insisted everyone carry extra weapons. It made the bees in his head just a little less buzzy.
Dusk was falling as they arrived at the destination they’d been given. It looked to be some sort of chemical processing plant. Everything was metal tubes, of all shapes and sizes. It was like a steel maze, with strange shadows thrown by the tall towers and halogen security lights. In Chiz’s opinion, tactically, this place fucking sucked for carrying out an operation of this type. Sure they were well hidden, but there was no clear line of sight around them. Any enemies would be equally well hidden. If anyone suggested this place again, Chiz was going to do his damnedest to shoot that shit down.
Eduardo was waiting with the pick up crew. Chiz didn’t like that either. It was good to know that someone they trusted was around, at least they knew they were handing the goods over to the right people, but such a senior figure was another target in the mix. Chiz’s mind and body switched to DEFCON One.
Sinatra and Terry began the transfer of the goods from the saddlebags to the Cadillac Escalade that was parked and waiting with Eduardo and his men. Eduardo was exchanging pleasantries, and probably information, with Samuel. Chiz and Shark, who was no happier with the setup, were standing guard, side-arms out and pointed at the ground. Eduardo’s men had their own guns out. They had shifted, but otherwise not reacted, when Chiz and Shark had drawn. They’d both done so in a deliberately slow manner, to make it clear they were only intending to add to the ranks of guards.
Terry slammed the door of the Escalade shut behind the last package, and all hell broke loose.
Men, dressed in black and disguised with bandanas and balaclavas over their faces, appeared out of the metal city, shooting as they came. Chiz turned and started to fire back as he was still registering that they were there at all. He saw Samuel drop to the ground with Eduardo. He felt sick, thinking they’d been hit. They were out in the open with no cover, but then both men started to crawl on their bellies toward
s the Escalade, as the men who had been armed and ready closed ranks around them.
The deadly anarchy continued as Chiz found cover, and tried to get an idea of where his brothers were. He spotted Shark, and immediately saw a faceless man behind him raising his gun. No, his brother would not die today, not with that precious little girl waiting for him at home. Heedless of his own situation, Chiz stood to get a better angle, aimed and fired, and the man went down, minus a large portion of his skull.
Shark, having spotted Chiz’s movement, turned, smiling his thanks. Shark’s face fell. Chiz whirled, firing blindly as he did so, using his brother’s expression as a mirror. Chiz wasn’t quite quick enough. The man that had come up on his rear, the one that Shark had seen, managed to get a shot off close enough to graze Chiz’s arm. Chiz felt the burning pain, and almost dropped his gun as the immediate shock numbed his nerves.
He forced himself to keep ahold of his weapon, to take hold of it with his less dominant hand as he hit the ground. His breath slammed out of him as he hit the dirt, full on his back, but by the time the man that was trying to kill him had come to stand over him, he was able to bring his gun up and fire. If the cocky bastard had tried to shoot him from a distance instead of getting up close and personal, Chiz knew he would have been toast, but the arrogant fucker ended up taking a bullet to the eye for his hubris.
Breath on the Wind Page 25
