When I'm With You (Little Hollow #2)

by Danielle Dickson

  “I don’t know how long this will take, but I’ll try wrap it up pretty quick. Don’t go anywhere, and if you see any-”

  Keeley interrupts me. “Christ, Hunter! Would you just let me adult. I know, if I see any of the brothers I’ll call you, okay?”

  Sam stifles a laugh and I shake my head. No one but my woman can talk to me like this, I’m officially Steely Whipped.

  I’ve never been the type of girl that holds back, if I’ve got something to say, I say it. The way Hunter looks at me is strange. I’m used to people being taken aback by my abruptness, but not him. He’s used to it. And although I’ve become more closed off in the last three years, he doesn’t bat an eyelid, he just looks content with me in his arms.

  “Just, be safe,” he says, kissing my temple.

  I look into his eyes. “You too.”

  Sam gives Connor a kiss and whispers something in his ear, concern etched on her face.

  “He’s safe with Hunter, Sam.”

  She gives me a small smile. “I’m not worried about him, he can hold his own.”

  I pretend gag at the wink she gives him but a smile follows after, I’ll never get tired of seeing Sam happy.

  “If shit hits the fan, just walk away,” I say to Hunter.

  He assesses my face. “You do realize who you’re talking to? I won’t back down if anyone challenges me.”

  I nod understandingly. “No, I know. But I’d rather you didn’t.”

  He nods once, not wanting to promise anything he can’t keep. “We’ll see you guys real soon.”

  They walk out and I settle into the cushy booth seat trying not to think about what he’s walking into.

  “Now that we’re alone and we actually have time to talk in this whirlwind. What’s the deal with you and Hunter? And why haven’t you ever mentioned him?” Sam asks.

  “Well by now you know enough to piece together that I grew up with an alcoholic mom and an emotionally deficient dad that’s part of an MC.” She nods. “So ta-da that’s me in a nutshell, the unloved biker brat.”

  “Don’t look so unloved to me,” she retorts.

  I wave her off. “That’s different, Hunter has always been a part of my life regardless of the club or our families. Whenever I needed someone to run to, to make me feel safe, he was always there. His mom was like a second mom to me too.”

  It hurts to think about Arlene since Hunter told me she’d passed away.

  “Hunter’s dad is part of the club too?” She asks.

  I nod. “Yeah, and his brother is wanting patched in.” She stares at me blankly. “Oh, it means he wants to be a member. Kind of like when guys pledge a frat, only it’s more serious and not as dumb.” She nods like she understands now and I tell her all about my mom leaving and how much I hated the club and wanted to get away from it. I tell her about Hunter asking me to be his Old Lady and me turning him down. And how my dad reacted when I told him I was leaving the club and wanted to move out permanently.

  “So you want a go at makin’ it on your own?” He asks with narrowed eyes.

  “Yeah, I don’t want anything to do with the club anymore. If I choose to leave it behind, that means I have to move out, right?”

  I’m hoping he says yes and that’s that, but by the look on his face, that isn’t going to happen.

  “Leaving the club is your decision, no more events for you. But you’re not leaving my house, I need help on meeting rent and you owe me for looking after you for eighteen years.”

  We both know he doesn’t need help with rent, the brothers at the club live more than comfortably. He takes a gulp of his beer and I stand up, not quite believing what I’m hearing. “You’re unbelievable. You can’t force me to live with you.”

  He laughs. “Damn well can, you’re my daughter.” I go to protest and he gets an evil glint in his eye. “Would hate for a certain member of the club to get in an accident all because you couldn’t follow one simple rule.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, not quite believing to stoop so low as to threaten a fellow brother. “I knew turning eighteen would be too good to be true. What? You can’t just admit that you’d be lonely in this house by yourself? You have to make up some bullshit reason why and then threaten your best friends son.” I walk away not caring what he says anymore. “You’re going to grow into an old and lonely son of a bitch. You can’t keep me here forever.”

  “Your dad threatened Hunter?”

  I shrug. “Things are different in club life, no one’s afraid of using violence as a weapon.”

  We order some food and my stomach rumbles at the thought of my favorite Mac’n’Cheese, I can almost taste it.

  “Isn’t there some sort of… code or something that stops that from happening?” She asks innocently.

  “No, unless they’re high up like my dad, if someone pisses you off then they’re fair game as long as they’re still breathing.”

  Her eyes widen. “That’s barbaric.”

  I laugh. “No, that’s club life.”

  She shakes her head in disbelief. Sam has gone through a lot in her life, but she has no idea the things I’ve seen and heard because I was brought up a biker brat. And it was going to stay that way.

  “So you and Hunter? What happened after you turned him down?”

  I look out the window of the diner. “We grew a little distant for a while, but he couldn’t resist my girly charm and we snuck around the club’s back for about six months but it just wasn’t worth us getting caught. So we ended the whole ‘friends with benefits’ thing we had going on and tried being ‘just friends’ again.” I sigh. “Things were never the same though. I always caught him staring at me and I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

  I pause to think back to that time and Sam clears her throat. “So what happened?”

  I chuckle. “Alright, eager beaver. Nothing exciting, I tried dating but nothing ever came of it and we stayed friends. Six months before my dad kicked me out things seemed off with him but he insisted everything was fine.”

  “Would you just stop for a minute! You’re practically running away from me,” I shout.

  He doesn’t stop but he does slow down. “Keeley, I’ve got places to be.”

  I screw up my face. “More important than arranging your mom’s birthday gift with me?”

  He tenses but carries on his fast pace. “It’s club business.”

  “The club this, the club that. Hunter, we were in the middle of talking about something, you don’t have to be so rude. Fuck the club and talk to me for a minute.”

  “Don’t talk about the club like that! I don’t disrespect what you chose so don’t do it to me,” he grinds out.

  I’m taken aback by his tone. “What the hell is wrong with you lately? I can never catch you at the right time, you’re always busy.”

  He scoffs. “You mean why won’t I just drop everything and come running anymore? Maybe I’m tired of being friend zoned and used.”

  I stop open mouthed, staring at his back. He notices I’m not following anymore and stops himself. “You know what, Hunter? You can go fuck yourself, I wish we never went there. We were always friends before damn well anything else, you remember that.”

  He apologized for that day and said he was under a lot of pressure from the club for an upcoming run that needed to run smoothly, but I’d told him it was no excuse and I wasn’t going to stick by him if he was going to treat me like an asshole every time he felt a little tense. I wasn’t a doormat. Sure enough he tried harder from then on, but it definitely was never the same all the time we were ever together.

  “So you’ve always been scary then?” She asks and laughs.

  I laugh along with her but stop when I notice a couple of women staring over at me from a booth nearby and my fists clench, ready to give them what for, but I don’t. I uncurl my fists and smile over at them, just before flipping them off.

  What? I’m only human.

  They all gasp and act like I’m the rude one. I give
them a look that says ‘ya’ll were just staring at me, don’t act like the victims’ and turn back to Sam. “Anyway, where were we?”

  She bursts into laughter and we’re saved from any more conversation for now as our food arrives.

  “Thanks, man.” I hang up the phone to Smokey who says he’ll call emergency church.

  “All good?” Connor asks in the truck beside me.

  I nod. “All good, when we get there it’s probably best you stay outside the compound.”

  He nods slowly and follows my directions to the clubhouse. It seems Smokey didn’t have to go to too much trouble, it already looks like the whole club is here. Bikes line the parking lot and I notice Connor staring. “Beautiful isn’t it?”

  He chuckles and nods. “Sure is, I’m thinking I need to get me one.”

  “I can point you in the right direction. Okay, just park over there and I’ll try get this wrapped up sharpish.”

  He waves me off. “Take your time.”

  I walk across the lot and take a deep breath as I pull open the door to the clubhouse. As soon as I walk inside, everyone goes silent. I guess they heard the news.

  I nod at a few brothers as I walk to church and they all follow behind me. Pres, pop, Smokey, Smiler, Kimbo and Grim are already in there, seems that they’ve already replaced me with Grim as he sits in the sergeant-at-arms chair. I choose to stand up as the brothers file in and take the seats, the last to come in is the prospects. Normally they aren’t allowed to sit in on church as they have no say, but under exceptional circumstances, they can. The last is Jacques and he closes the door behind him and stands along the opposite wall from me, his eyes steeled on Pres, his jaw twitching.

  You could hear a pin drop in the room it’s that silent.

  Pres stands. “There’s a shit load of rumors flying around and I wanted to clear a few things up.” He looks over at me. “My daughter was kidnapped and tortured by the son of a bitch I used to call a brother, she killed him.” Everyone starts murmuring and he slams the gavel down on the table, silencing them. “All I’m going to say on the subject before it’s dropped, is that if anyone see’s my daughter in this area or any other Crow territory, she is to be left alone. That’s an order.” He waits for everyone to quiet down before moving on. “Second part of why we’re here, you’ve also probably all heard that Bear and Jacky Boy found her, and I owe them one.” He eyes me warily. “Take the stand.”

  He sits down and I push off the wall, watching as everyone’s eyes turn to me, everyone but my brother that is. “All of you know the chapter is going up shitcreek. I give it a couple of months before Denlo finally shuts the us down altogether, and I sure as hell don’t want to be here when that happens.”

  “You can’t just leave, you know the rules,” Pop says.

  I look over my brothers, then look at Pres, ignoring my pop. “I wanna go nomad.”

  “You’d leave your family, your brothers, for that bitch?”

  Pop or not, I grab him by the front of his t-shirt. “Call her a bitch again and I’ll beat you down the way you taught me how! Mom loved Keeley as her own and don’t pretend like you don’t too.”

  Two brothers pull my arms, making my shoulder ache and I reluctantly let go and take a step back, turning my focus back on Pres who’s stayed silent during the whole exchange.

  “You can’t just leave,” he states.

  “And I’m not. Like said, I wanna go Nomad. If I wanted to turn against the club I’d incriminate myself and I’d be gone away from her again. You have my word, that isn’t gonna happen.”

  The rest of the brothers have been whispering between themselves but I don’t concentrate on what they’re saying, keeping my eyes trained on Pres’. He sighs and steeples his hands in front of him. “I said I owed you one-”

  “Pres, I-”

  “Let me talk,” he booms across at my pop.

  My pop’s fists clench on the table but he shuts his mouth and stares daggers at me.

  “I said I owed you one, but I think you’re making a really fuckin’ big mistake, Bear. You live and breathe this club, it won’t be easy to walk away from.”

  “Sure it will, he doesn’t fuckin’ care about any of us anymore, as long as he has her,” Jacques states and glares at me.

  “That’s not true, you know I’d do anything for my family.”

  He shakes his head at me and Pres clears his throat. “I don’t think we need to vote on this, if this is what you want then who am I to stop you.” I blow out a breath.

  Pop throws his chair back and points at me. “You’ll be back, you won’t last two minutes without the club. And all for a woman? If she won’t stand by your side as your Old Lady, she ain’t worth it.”

  He walks out the room before I can say anything and I turn to Pres. “Can I have time to get my things?”

  He nods and clears the room out, Jacques starts to walk out after everyone and I call his name. He stops and shakes his head. “You’re not patched in yet, you can come with me.”

  His head snaps up and immediately his eyes seek out mine, looking scared. “No.”

  I sigh. “Come on, Jacques. You could have the chance to go to college.”

  His face changes to a sarcastic expression. “Don’t try pull me into your bullshit, I’m gonna get my cut and be a true brother.”

  I stare after him as he walks out of the room and turn to Pres as he starts to speak.

  “You keep her safe. It may not seem like I give a shit at all but I had all the best intentions when it came to her.”

  “You have my word,” I say, wanting to get out of here instead of calling bullshit on him like I really want to.

  He takes one look at me, shakes his head and leaves.

  Well that was anti-climatic.

  I make my way to my room and Smokey is standing outside, ready to help me pack up. He doesn’t say anything but I can see the questions swirling in his eyes.

  Apart from my shoulder burning like fuck every time I pick something up, there’s no problems and we’re done in half an hour.

  “You ever coming back?” Smokey finally asks, sliding my last bag into the truck bed.

  I look back at the clubhouse, I had a look around before I left. My pops and Jacques weren’t there so I guess they’re not ready to talk to me. “Not to this shithole, but to the area? Maybe, I still got family back here.”

  He sighs. “I wish you’d have fuckin’ told me before you announced it to the club.”

  I rub the back of my neck. “Hell, I didn’t even know myself until I saw her again.”

  He shakes his head. “I hope she’s worth it.”

  “You know she is,” I state.

  He huffs but pulls me in to clap me on the back. “Club might not be your home anymore, but you’re still my brother. Don’t forget me while you’re playing house.”

  He waves me off while eyeing Connor, he knows I won’t be back but Smokey has always been a good friend so he’ll make sure I don’t forget his ass.

  We arrive back at the diner and I stand and watch Keeley and Sam from outside. Their friendship looks like an easy one.

  We both walk inside and I slide in the booth next to Keeley, she looks wary. “Everything alright?”

  “No trouble if that’s what you mean,” I say.

  “So, that’s it? They just let you leave?”

  I shake my head. “Nah, you know that was never gonna happen. But I found a loophole.” She raises her brows. “I’ve gone Nomad.”

  She looks at me intently before smiling at me and I scoop up some of her ice cream with my fingers.

  “Get your own, this one’s taken!” She snaps.

  I laugh. “No thanks, I’ve already got my own icy treat.” I wink at her and she screws up her face to say something, but I beat her to it. “You wanna get going? We still have to stop off at the cemetery.”

  She looks down at her hands and nods. “You two not want something to eat first?”

  I look at Connor and h
e shakes his head. “Nah, we’ll eat a little later. Let’s just get this over and done with.”

  I could see she’s apprehensive about going, but the quicker we do this the better. Just like ripping off a band-aid.

  We pull up outside the cemetery and I walk over to the truck to get Keeley.

  “We’ll not be too long,” she says in a small voice to Sam and Connor, not sounding remotely like herself.

  Sam waves her off. “Take all the time you need, Kee. We’ll be here when you’re ready to go.”

  She hesitates, worrying her lip so I take her hand and bend close to her ear. “I’m here every step of the way.”

  She nods resolutely and winds her arms around the back of my neck, ready for me to carry her. I’m glad she doesn’t protest this time and I kick the truck door shut.

  “She’s gonna be really happy you’re here.”

  She tenses. “Don’t do that, Hunter. Don’t pretend like I’m about to see her, it just makes this harder.”

  I nod, apology written on my face. It’s my method of coping but it’s not for everyone.

  We reach the headstone and I set her down on the grass, watching as she sits cross legged in front of it.

  I run my fingers across the top like every time before. “Hey, mom. Look who I’ve brought to see you.” Keeley stares at me like I’ve gone mad. “It helps, I promise. I’ll just be over-”

  “No, stay with me,” she says, grabbing my hand and pulling me down beside her. She threads her fingers through mine and sighs. “Apparently, your son thinks talking to thin air helps? And we thought he was the smart one.” She chuckles, then all the humor drains out of her face. “If I’d have known you were sick, I would’ve come back. You were like a mom to me when I needed you and I never got to thank you for that.” She shakes her head and looks at me. “This is stupid.”

  “It’s only stupid if you think she isn’t listening,” I say.

  “Well she isn’t.”