"Yeah. Came back clean but she about busted a gut when she found out her sister Teri was doing blow. Heard tell there was a big ol' bitch fight and Teri's high-tailed it back to Idaho. Naomi said to tell you thanks."
Trey knew that of any of the Honeys, Dee, Naomi and Lily were the three to have the best excuse for finding ways to dull the ache of the loss of their men. But all three had been working through their grief without the aid of street drugs and were instead throwing themselves into the different projects Hellion's Honeys had taken on.
Trey heard the door to the clubhouse open and twisted to see Silo and Brand enter followed by Bishop. He grabbed his drink and did a chin lift as he moved to one of the tables where his men soon followed suit. After a round of fist bumps, they broke off to get drinks before coming back to grab a chair.
"What's doing?" he asked and let his eyes go around the table. This was his key group of brothers, only missing Huff to complete the circle, and it had been a while since they'd all been together.
"Huff's on his way in," Bishop explained, plopping down into a chair and almost spilling his beer.
"Greenway confirmed it was Parish and it was five large for fucking with the mains. Says he thinks that the plan was to have the plumbing go wonky in the first year would give Brechot an in with the homeowners since HC couldn't be trusted to do it right the first time." Silo looked around the table. "HC don't do no fucking shoddy work. So it might have played out as planned if Sheridan hadn't caught on to it."
"Did Greenway get the message?"
"Loud and clear, Trey." Brand's voice was almost as deep as Trey's when he spoke especially when he was pissed. "Kids were crying but the mother was already pulling out the luggage when we left. Men who make bad decisions that disrupt their family's lives are on my shit list."
"None of us like it, amigo." Trey agreed with Brand. But some fellows were so short-sighted, always looking for an easy out, that they were susceptible to being used.
"Might need to keep an eye on Sheridan, though," Silo advised, looking around the table. "First words out of fuckin' Greenway's mouth when he saw us on the porch was 'bitch blabbed, huh?'"
"You think they'll go after her?" Trey's stomach suddenly felt as if it dropped to his knees. He got nods from every man seated which, by just their agreement, made his balls pull up tight. "Okay. Her house is within Hellion acreage and we'll have the patrols include her place in their sweeps. What about the…"
And Trey was cut off by three short thumps that sounded as if it came from the driveway of the forecourt.
Shots made with a silencer.
Without a blink, all five men were up and out of their chairs, yanking out whatever handgun they had on them. Trey held up a fist and held up two fingers pointing them towards the kitchen and then used those same two fingers to point to the door that led out the back through the supply closet. The other men nodded and peeled away as Trey slowly eased the main door of the clubhouse open.
Huff was on his back, blood pooling underneath one of his shoulders. Trey could see two members on the HC side of the driveway, hugging the shadows as they inched towards the street, their guns in hand. There were three other brothers holding position around the edge of the equipment building in back, keeping a keen eye open on the action in the driveway. He glanced at the kitchen to see the lights were out and the windows open with two barrels peeking just over the edge of the frames.
Holding position, he saw the shadows of Silo and Dare as they came around the front of the building before stepping out onto the sidewalk. They were tucking their weapons to the back of their jeans as they walked up the driveway. Trey was soon surrounded by his men as he called for an ambulance.
"Da fuck?" Bishop yelled. "Did anyone see anything? Were they on a bike or in a car?"
Carly came running out the door of the clubhouse, already crying before her knees hit the pavement next to Huff. They'd been married about three years and to Trey's knowledge, this was the first time Huff had been damaged since they'd been together.
Trey heard the sirens in the still of the night and advised, "it's about to get legal, brothers."
Two of the three men that had been behind the equipment building peeled away, blending into the deepening shadows. "Brand, have Reese and Dee get to the hospital so Carly has her girls with her. Bish, I need you to review the tapes so we have something to show the cops. Si and Dare? You're with me. The rest of you, into the clubhouse and wait. John Law may have questions. If they do, you answer with what you know. Everyone clear?"
There were nods all around as the first units, with their strafing red lights, entered the Hellion property.
*.*.*.*.*
My phone gave a chirp to signal an incoming text as I sat at the kitchen table, paperwork spread out around me. I could only hope it wasn't my ass-clown of a brother sending me something after what he'd tried that day.
TM: Gonna have 2 put off 2nite pretty. 2morrow ok?
Dasher: Sounds good. Will keep ur part of porch warm.
I had to admit, I liked hearing from Trey even if it was only via text. Especially since I hadn't been able to get him out of my head. Ever since I'd been home, I'd catch myself staring off into space, completely unaware of where I was or what I'd been doing as thoughts of him filled my head. Thoughts I knew I had no business thinking.
You have a crush, my mind advised.
Bite me, my heart replied.
I didn't date much and would've been hard pressed to tell you the last time a guy had shown interest in me. But I got it, I understood why. I wasn't the girliest of girls and I came with a lot of baggage.
So Trey's pursuit was kind of…nice.
Surprising.
And, I was starting to realize, wanted even if he was of the biker variety.
But I couldn't figure it out.
Why was he pursuing me of all people?
I dressed like a boy. True, we were required to wear HC t-shirts on the job, black with gold lettering although in the winter is was a black thermal and a black and gold lined flannel shirt.
I had plentiful T & A, so plentiful I wore a sports bra to smush my girls down in order to keep them out of the way. The fact that it helped eliminate male interest in that particular body part just made it a win-win. I didn't dress to show off my ass (he called it beautiful, my mind reminded me) but it was one of the bubble kind so it was kind of hard to miss.
My curly hair seemed to have a life of its own and it wasn't until Bev at the salon cut some layers in it that I had been able to tame it. Now all I had to do was twist up the longest pieces and shove my hardhat on to keep it up and out of the way.
I owned exactly one skirt and one dress but hadn't wore them in so long I couldn't tell if they still fit. I had a couple of pairs of girly jeans with some flash on their back pockets and a couple of feminine tops but no high heels. None. My closet floor held a pair of black chucks, my sparkly flip flops and my steel-toed work boots.
That was it.
I dragged my eyes back down to the paperwork spread out before me.
So why was Trey so interested in a female who was almost the complete opposite of what I'd seen going in and out of the clubhouse? Of who I saw wrapped around him earlier?
I was like a crow next to a parade of south American parrots who paraded in and out of the clubhouse doors and were beautiful in their bright plumage. They giggled and flirted and quipped easily. I didn't think I'd ever giggled in my life, didn't know how to flirt and kept most of what was on my mind inside me.
I just couldn't figure it out.
Then there was where Trey sat on my internal scorecard. True, he had checks in both the 'dick' and 'bastard' category, but he hadn't acted like either of them from a place of just-because-I-can even as a bad-assed biker. Rather it seemed to be from a deep well of strength as if 'hard-driving alpha' was his natural modus-operandi. There had been glimpses of sweet albeit not the kind of sweet I'd been exposed to before. Not to mention all of him hitting th
e red line on the hotness scale. There was no denying the fact the man was gorgeous. And that he directed that hot interest to me didn't hurt either because it was damn flattering.
"Lally, it's about time for my bath," my mother called from the front room, interrupting my thoughts.
Both of them had taken to spending time after dinner in front of the TV I'd taken from Drake's room. True, dad couldn't see what was going on but between my mother's whispered commentary on the action he couldn't view and the sounds he could hear, they both seemed to enjoy whatever was on. They'd spend an hour or so cuddled together in the middle of the couch after dinner, her hands holding his one while whispering and laughing together. Dad had even said she was taking her noon-time naps on the couch which meant they were trying to vary their routine. Something that was probably more than welcome.
I know it was for me.
And the new closeness between them was a real boon. Instead of coming home to the tension of whatever spat they'd had during the day, I arrived to a house that held smiles and ease. Although the lack of Drake in the house, causing his own brand of upset, probably had a lot to do with it as well.
"I'm ready if you are," I called back, stacking the paperwork with a vow to come back to it after they were in bed.
But it was in the middle of her bath, when I was rinsing the soap from my mom's shoulders, that I felt my world tilt on its axis.
"I'm going to try sleeping in dad's room tonight," my mother advised, her voice echoing quietly in the tiled room. I was glad I was seated on the tub edge behind her because there was no way I could've kept my shocked expression from her. She'd moved into what we'd called the guest bedroom since her stay in the hospital the first time and had had me move all her clothes and stuff there. I hadn't asked why. Hadn't really wanted to know but now it seemed that things had changed between them.
"Okay," I replied, keeping careful control of my voice. "Is this a one-time thing or should I plan on moving your stuff back in?"
"Oh, your father did it for me this afternoon," she cooed and I could hear the smile in her voice along with a secret something that wasn't meant for a daughter's ears. "Things between us have, uh, changed."
"And I'm getting you like this change," I offered uncertain on exactly how to respond.
"Very much. Oh yes. Very, very much," she breathed.
"Just be careful, Mom," I warned.
"I will be. We put my nitro pills on the nightstand and when we do, uhm, things, I keep aware of what my heart's doing, how it's performing. When I forget, your father asks." She ducked her head as if embarrassed by her admission.
"You've been doing things?"
"Ah, some." Her voice dragged out the 'some' until it was almost two syllables.
"I don't need to know," I said hastily. "I just want you to stay healthy and without pain."
"I'd like to be back in your father's bed, Lally," she breathed with a determined nod.
I couldn't help my smile at the happiness I heard in her voice.
That was until I realized my poor sick mama was probably getting more action than I'd seen in years.
Chapter Eight
It was after eleven by the time Trey made it back to his house which was located about four miles from the Hellion compound. And he was tired to the point of being almost gutted.
Huff's injury hadn't been bad although the hospital was keeping him for a couple of days. It had been a through-and-through on the meaty part of his shoulder which had missed both bone and major arteries. The only concern was infection.
The police had recovered all three slugs and even Chief Taylor had been on-scene to ensure everything was done by the book.
The tapes from the security monitors had shown the drive-by had been done by a late model Toyota emblazoned with distinctive rims and a festooned with all sorts of shiny chrome.
A boy-toy.
Which led everyone to think of the Yang-Ze, the local Asian gang.
The Japanese invasion in Montana had started in the mid-nineties when they'd begun buying up huge parcels of land in order to raise Kobi beef. No one had even blinked an eye since they'd kept to themselves and added to the local economy.
Interest had only flared when they'd taken over most of the mini-marts and gas stations, which Bishop had discovered was a way for them to launder money from whatever nefarious activities they had elsewhere, none of which had been uncovered through searches on the web. If the car was any indication, that meant they'd branched out even further which could've added the rental of pussy and illegal drugs to their endeavors.
Trey was not down with them providing the citizens of Missoula with either, especially not within the holy confines of Hellion's sphere of influence. But as Brand had been quick to point out, anyone could trick out a foreign car spending less than a large in order to use it as cover to create a misunderstanding.
Which meant neither the club or the authorities were close to discovering who'd had the cajones to actually cap a member of the Hellions on property. An act guaran-damn-teed to ensure swift and severe retaliation.
Trey shucked himself quickly out of his clothes and underneath the thick comforter on his acre of bed.
The biggest disappointment though had been having to cancel his time with Dallas. Something he'd been anticipating and he'd felt a gray cloud descend when he'd had to cancel their plans. But he'd liked her response.
I'll keep your side of the porch warm.
It had been such a great comeback, one without artifice or innuendo that he'd almost chuckled out loud in delight when he'd received it. Which wouldn't have been appropriate in the middle of a police investigation of the a shooting of one of his men on the property he was responsible for.
He glanced at the clock again wondering if she was asleep. 11.12 pm, the clock read. Probably. He knew her shift started at 5.30 which meant her days started early. And if her folks went to bed around nine that meant she probably wasn't far behind.
But, it couldn't hurt. If she was asleep, a text message could be ignored and she'd just see it tomorrow morning.
He reached for his phone, typing quickly and hitting 'send' without double thinking it.
His cellphone chirped back almost immediately, which had him smiling into the thick covering at his chin.
TM: Just wanted 2 say, missed be'g w/u 2nite. I look 4ward 2 2morrow.
Dasher: Noted & reciproc8d.
TM: Can't sleep?
Dasher: Natives r restless. Mom sleepg n dad's rm. 2 much noise 2 sleep.
At Dallas's text, he couldn't help his chuckle.
Yeah, he'd noticed the connection between the older married couple during the movie and had wondered if the horniness of the older couple had contributed to his own sexual tension.
TM: Is it yuck or…
Dasher: Or?
TM: Jealousy?
He hoped she'd taken his words as he'd intended. In that, she needed to get some of her own. When she didn't respond straight away, he figured he'd offended her in the worst possible way.
Dasher: Yearng, more like. Wishg 4 what they have.
Trey's cock, which had been at half-mast, shot to full iron strength at her words. But even better than his crotch's reaction was what his heart heard. That she wasn't looking to just get laid but wanted a connection with a man.
And he wanted to be just the man she connected with.
TM: Gotcha. The still wantg after so long.
Dasher: & after so much.
TM: I want 2 kiss you.
There was another delay and he wondered if she'd fallen asleep or if he'd crossed one of her lines.
Dasher: Definite possibility.
TM: Love possibilities. Am poster child 4 possibilities. Look 4ward 2 see'g u 2morrow.
Dasher: Gnight, Trey.
TM: Gnight, Dallas.
It wasn't until the next morning that Trey realized he'd slept with his cellphone in his hand.
*.*.*.*.*
I sat in the cab of my truck, sippi
ng my thick dark morning brew and realized I was being wooed.
I'd kept our text messages and had re-read them about a hundred times between last night and this morning. Yep, it was official. I was on Trey's radar just as much as he was on mine. And whatever was building between us was a definite possibility of a guy and a girl acting on their initial attraction. In spite of what said girl had previously thought about said man's lifestyle choice.
Wooed.
It was such a quaint, old-fashioned sort of word but seemed to fit our circumstance completely. We'd met due to the capricious wind of fate, had been attracted to one another from the get-go and had shared more than a few conversations that had absolutely shit-all to do with things of either the heart or body. Even though my heart and body had become engaged by just us innocently talking together. As well as the not so innocent things that had come out of Trey's mouth.
We'd been building trust too, which couldn't be discounted. I trusted him as both my boss's boss and as well as the caretaker of my brother. I'd trusted him to treat my parents well in the times he'd been around them and in both endeavors he'd come through with flying colors. Even though he did wear the Hellion's vest and carried the tag of 'president' over his heart.
I was beginning to trust Trey with the pieces of me that I was handing him, one small shard at a time.
I wasn't one of the ones that'd had her insides blown to smithereens because of some dumb-fuck she'd decided to love who had done some asshole thing. But I had watched and learned from other women's mistakes. And had done all I could do to protect myself from having it happen to me.
By handing Trey pieces of myself and then watching to see what he did with them, I was, I told myself, being careful.
And a girl could never be too careful.
I wanted more, though. I wanted to woo right back but I didn't know how. I only knew how to be me. Just some tom-boy who was more comfortable threading pipe together than flipping talking flirty with the guy she liked.
God.
Damn.
Maybe I could canvas my crew and figure out what a girl did to let a guy know she liked him. Couched in just the right way, they wouldn't have a clue since most of them viewed me as sexless. Plus, I might learn all sorts of good stuff which might not be my choice of action at the moment but could be used further on down the road.
The Possibility of Trey (A Hellion MC Novel) Page 7
