The Dogs had a couple of recruits Hatch wanted to train up, but they wouldn’t start until the beginning of next month, so he had a little breathing room.
He walked through one of the roll-up doors and saw legs poking out from under a red Toyota sedan. “Cam?”
“Yeah, brother?” Cameron slid out from under the car.
“Why don’t you have the car lifted?”
“Because this takes less time.” He jumped to his feet with a grin. “It’s done and now I don’t have to bring it down from the lift.”
“Safer on the lift. Use it,” Hatch said as he shook his head, and walked into the front office. Cricket was helping an older female customer with her paperwork, so Hatch slipped through the door into his private office.
A few minutes later, Cricket knocked and pushed open his door. “Hey, everything okay with Maisie?”
“Yeah.” He thumbed through invoices as he powered up his computer. “Her brother showed up, so I need to check in on a few things before I head up to the club and then pick up Poppy.”
“Where does her brother live?”
“London.”
“Wait. He just showed up all the way from England?”
“Yeah.”
“Is she okay with that?”
“You’d have to ask her.”
“Well, did she seem okay with it?” Cricket continued.
“Cricket, what’s with the twenty questions?” he ground out. “Got shit to do.”
“You didn’t ask her any of this?”
“Why would I? It’s her business.”
She threw her arms in the air. “You are such a guy!”
“You’re fired, by the way.”
“What the hell, Connor!”
He gave her a slight smile. “You’re gonna be workin’ for Maisie startin’ tomorrow.”
She grinned and punched his arm. “Ohmigod, you’re such a dick!”
“You’re welcome.”
“You did this?” she said, her face dropping.
“No. She did this. I acquiesced because I need you to watch out for her. Alison’s husband showed up at her place today unannounced and she opened the door, thinkin’ I’d forgotten my key.”
“Holy shit,” Cricket hissed. “Isn’t he a cop?”
“Yeah. And he used that fact to get upstairs without a phone call, which I fuckin’ don’t like. Jax is handlin’ that part of it for the moment, but only because I’m not interested in landin’ my ass in jail while Maisie needs me.”
Cricket scowled. “You’re not interested in landing your ass in jail even if she doesn’t need you.”
Hatch sighed. “Yeah, Cricket, I’m not gonna do anything stupid.”
She relaxed. “Okay, I’ll be there tomorrow at eight.”
“Ten. I’ll tell her you’re not comin’ till then,” he said.
“I’ve got class tomorrow afternoon.”
“Ten will still work.”
“How about I text my new boss and find out what time she wants me to come?” she countered, her sass front and center. “In the meantime, I just checked out our last customer for the morning, so I’m going to get some lunch and then I’m going to go shopping, so I’m not coming back unless you really, really need me.”
“No, Cullen can handle the afternoon.” Hatch grinned. “He smiles more than you anyway.”
“Jackass,” she retorted, albeit with a grin. “Thanks for not being a total douchebag about this. I love you, big brother.” She kissed his cheek before walking out the door.
After looping in with Cullen about the schedule changes, Hatch checked on a couple of parts orders and invoices, then walked back out to the shop floor. “I’m headin’ out, in case anyone cares.”
“No one cares,” Cameron called.
“You gonna be home tonight?” Cullen leaned out from under the hood of an Impala.
“Why?” Hatch asked. “You wanna spoon?”
Cullen laughed. “Can we?”
“Yeah, I should be home tonight. Maisie’s brother’s in town.”
“Okay, got a lead on a place. Wanna show it to you.”
“Sounds good.” Hatch left and headed to the Club.
Pulling up to the front of Big Ernie’s Body Shop, he parked his truck and headed into the compound.
Ace and Knight’s bikes were both in the lot, as was a large black SUV which had all the markings of an FBI vehicle. Shit. That meant Jaxon. So, either he was here to shoot the shit with his brothers or he had news Hatch didn’t want to hear.
He entered the two outer doors, then walked through the small lobby and into the great room, relaxing slightly at the scene. Jaxon sat on one of the bar stools, an acoustic guitar balanced on his knee, playing quietly while Cambry danced around him and did her best to get her cousin Liam to join in. Liam, however, wanted to play pool with his dad, so Ace lifted him up high enough to maneuver the pool cue and helped him aim.
Knight caught Hatch’s eye and gave him a chin lift. “Hey, man.”
Jaxon stopped playing and set the guitar down.
“More unca Jax,” Cambry demanded.
Jaxon lifted her and smiled. “In a bit, sweetness. I gotta have a word with Hatch.”
“Come here, baby,” Knight said, and held his arms out. “Hang out with Dad for a bit.”
Jaxon handed Cambry off to Knight, and Hatch led Jaxon down to the conference room in the back. Jaxon closed the door and leaned against the table. “Took care of the Ryan issue.”
“’Preciate it.”
“Got a bigger one.”
“Shit,” Hatch breathed out, crossed his arms.
“Alison’s out.”
“What the fuck?” Hatch snapped. “I thought psychiatric holds were irreversible? And what happened to the bitch bein’ under arrest?”
“She made bail and convinced her therapist she’d take her meds and stay away from Maisie and Poppy until the trial details are decided.”
“That’s not fuckin’ good enough,” Hatch roared. “Poppy and Grace go to the same fuckin’ school, Jaxon, there’s no way for them to avoid each other.”
“We’ll put a car on the school. Make sure she complies.”
“I’m done with you fuckin’ doin’ anything, Jax. We’ll take care of it from here. This is bullshit.”
Hatch ripped open the door and stormed out to his truck. He didn’t stop, even when Knight called his name and he heard heavy footsteps following. Hatch felt an urgent need to get to Poppy before Alison could. He didn’t know why, there was no reason to believe Alison would even be there today, but he refused to let that crazy bitch anywhere near her.
“Hatch!” Knight called again, slamming his hand against the hood of his truck. “Hold up, man.”
“Gotta pick up Poppy. We’ll talk later.”
“Brother, just take a beat.”
“She’s fuckin’ out, Knight.”
“Yeah, man, I get it. But Flea’s on the school, so’s Brock. No one’s gettin’ close to Poppy. So don’t go drivin’ off half-cocked,” he said. “Just take a beat.”
“It’s been a beat.” Hatch pulled open the door. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Knight nodded and backed away so Hatch could back out of the parking space. He debated whether or not he should call Maisie, but he figured she would have gotten notice already. Just as he hit the freeway, his phone rang, so he hit the hands free. “Hatch.”
“Honey?”
Fuck, she’d been crying.
“You heard?” he asked.
“Yes,” she sniffed. “How did you hear?”
“Jaxon just told me,” he said. “I’m on my way to the school now.”
“How could they possibly let her out?” Maisie demanded.
Hatch sighed. “I don’t know, baby. But you’re safe, yeah?”
“I am so sick of being stuck in the bloody flat, Connor. I want out.”
“I know, Sunshine, but you—”
“Need to heal. I fucking know that!” s
he snapped.
He was so surprised to hear her drop the f-bomb, he couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Damn, her foul mouth was surprisingly sexy.
“Stop laughing at me.”
“Sorry, baby. It just took me by surprise. Look, I’m pulling up to the school now. Jaxon’s got his guy watching the south entrance and we’ve got guys watchin’ too. Poppy’s covered.”
“I’m not worried, Connor, I’m pissed,” she clarified. “She’s sick! She needs help. What if she hurts someone else? Because her husband’s a cop and she has money, she’s out? It’s unfair.”
“You have money too, baby. Fight it.”
“I fully intend to! But that’s not the point.”
Hatch really had no idea what the point was now, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to ask, but he was curious, so, “Wanna fill me in, beautiful?”
“What about the people who don’t have money?”
Well, that kind of went in a different direction.
“They aren’t currently your problem, baby.”
“Well, maybe they should be!” She burst into tears. “There are people who get stuck with medical bills because someone else has intentionally hurt them and then gotten off because they had money to buy their way through the system. Who’s fighting for the injured people who don’t have money, huh? Who?”
“I don’t know, baby.”
“They’re just hard working people, Connor. Trying to do the right thing,” she continued.
“I get it, Sunshine,” he said. “When did you last take your meds?”
“About an hour ago.”
He frowned. “Just how much Oxy did you take?”
“I’m out of Oxy.”
Shit. “So you took the Vicodin?”
“Yes.”
He found a parking space right out front of the school and parked. “You’re not out of Oxy, remember? I picked up the refill this morning. It’s up next to the spices. You can’t take the Vicodin because it makes you really sad.”
“It doesn’t make me that sad,” she sniffed.
Hatch shook his head. She had enough emotional shit going on without the pills adding to the stress. “Baby, no more Vicodin.”
“But what about the people who can’t pay their medical bills?”
“We’ll find out how you can help them, okay?” He climbed out of the truck. “But let’s give it a day or two.”
“Okay,” she conceded. “Can we help Sarah McLachlan’s puppies too?”
Fuck me. He dropped his head back. “Sure, Sunshine. Whatever you want to do.”
“Thanks, Hatch.”
“You good, baby?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m good.”
“I’m gonna hang up and get your girl now, yeah?”
“Okay, darling.” She sighed. “Thank you.”
Hatch smiled. “You got it.”
He slid his phone into his pocket and headed to the school entrance to wait for Poppy.
Maisie
AFTER HANGING UP with Hatch, I washed my face and rejoined my brother in the family room.
“You okay, sausage?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m okay. I just can’t believe they’ve let Alison out.”
“How does that work exactly?”
I sat in Niall’s chair and sighed. “Money and privilege.”
Beckett raised an eyebrow. “We have money and privilege, Maisie.”
“Well, I suppose if I tried to kill my best friend and her daughter because I went on a bi-polar frenzy, then I’d get out too,” I said a little more ungraciously than I intended. I burst into tears again and Beckett handed me a tissue. “Thanks.” I blew my nose. “I’m warring with these feelings of frustration because she’s my best friend and I love her, but she tried to hurt us—”
“Kill you,” he corrected.
“Becks, she’s not well.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Well, she’s not,” I stressed.
“Forgive me, Maisie, if I’m a bit biased and a little less willing to give the woman who tried to murder my sister the benefit of the doubt!” He roared the last bit and I blinked as I watched him try to bring his emotions under control.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“No, I’m sorry,” he said immediately. “I want to be sensitive to what you’re going through, but I can’t forgive her. Not yet, anyway.”
“I understand, Becks.”
Before anymore could be said on the subject, Hatch and Poppy walked into the flat and Poppy flew at her uncle with an excited squeal. Hatch, on the other hand, made his way to me and pulled me up for a gentle kiss.
“You didn’t tell her he was here?” I asked as he wrapped an arm around me.
“Figured she’d like the surprise,” Hatch said. “You doin’ okay?”
I shrugged, snuggling against him. “I really wish you and I could go somewhere, just the two of us. I want to shut out the world for a while.”
“I know, baby.”
I lifted my head and whispered, “I really need you to make that happen. As in now.”
His eyes got soft and he smiled gently. “Yeah?”
“Please.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll make it happen.” He turned to face Poppy and Beckett. “Poppy, say hi to your Mom, I need to talk to her privately for a minute.”
“About…?” Poppy asked.
“Yeah,” Hatch said.
Poppy nodded and hugged me, then Hatch took my hand and led me into my bedroom. “Now tell me what’s going on,” I demanded.
He looked away.
“Hatch, you’re all tense. What happened?”
He let out a breath. “Alison was at the school today. She didn’t go anywhere near Poppy, but Poppy was confused… no surprise there. I filled her in, but she said Grace is scared to be at home, so now Poppy’s also scared for Grace and she wants me to fix it.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“The cryin’, the stompin’ of the foot, that kind of shit.”
“She didn’t!”
“Not sayin’ she isn’t valid in what’s she’s feelin’, Sunshine, but I’ve been there. I raised Cricket. It’s not fun. Poppy’s a little miffed that I’m not rushin’ in to rescue Grace from her “abusive” home.”
“Oh dear,” I breathed out.
“So, this now falls to you.”
“Yes, I suppose it does.”
“Not sayin’ you don’t have my back. Just sayin’ I’m not gonna tell you how to parent your kid.”
“I appreciate that.” I dropped my forehead to his chest. “Let’s just run away together. Beckett can finish raising Poppy. He can take her back to England. Kenna has kids, she can help. My parents would love it.”
Hatch chuckled and wove his fingers into my hair. “You’re obviously feelin’ better.”
“I always feel better when you’re here.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes,” I whispered. Hatch sighed and I leaned back to catch his eye. “What?”
“Gotta head home tonight after Church, Sunshine.”
Church was what his Club called their weekly Wednesday meeting.
“Oh.” I swallowed back tears with a nod, dropping my head back to his chest. “Okay.”
“I fuckin’ hate the Vicodin.”
“It’s not the Vicodin.”
“Really? The thought of me leavin’ you for a night brings you to tears?” he challenged.
“I’m not crying,” I lied.
He tilted my head back and kissed me gently. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
“You’re leaving now?” I sounded far too desperate, even to my own ears. “I mean, if you need to go…”
Hatch chuckled. “I just figured you’d want time with your brother. I’m not on a clock, so I can stay for a while if you want me to.”
“It’s fine, love. I know you have a life outside of me and I can’t expect you to be at my beck and call every minute of the day and night…�
�� I ran my good hand up his chest. “Even if I’ve come to really like it.”
He slid his hand to my neck. “You want me to stay, Sunshine?”
I nodded.
“Then I’ll stay.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“Wanna make out a little?”
“Ohmigod, yes please.”
He grinned and locked my door, taking my hand, leading me to the bed, and pulling me down beside him.
That was as far as we got because my gorgeous, sweet, kind, lovely, generous, pain in the ass child began knocking on my door, jiggling the doorknob, calling through the door, and wondering out loud why the door was locked.
“I’m gonna find a place we can be alone together soon, Sunshine,” Hatch promised.
“That would be really good.” I slid off the bed and pulled open the door. “Poppy, we’re trying to have a private conversation.”
She glanced at me and then Hatch. “You never lock your door.”
“Well, it’s because we didn’t want to be interrupted.”
“So are you going to get Grace?”
“We can’t go and get Grace, Poppy,” I said.
“Why not?” she demanded.
“Because it would be illegal, sweetheart.” I sighed. “We don’t have any cause to take her from her home. Her father has to protect her from Ali, love. I can’t.”
“Hatch can.”
“Baby girl, I can’t,” he said.
“Why not?” she demanded as tears welled up in her eyes. I felt Hatch at my back and leaned against him.
“Baby girl, Grace is not—”
“Club business,” she interrupted. “You said that.”
“What exactly does that mean?” I asked.
“I don’t really know,” Poppy admitted. “But somehow we’re club business but she’s not.”
“I’ll explain another time,” Hatch said.
“Look, we can’t do anything about Grace, love.”
“But she’s scared.”
“Fuck me,” Hatch whispered for my ears only.
I stared at Poppy. “You’re really serious, aren’t you?”
Alison had never threatened her kids and there had never been any indication that she would harm one of them, but Poppy seemed genuinely concerned, so I took notice.
Road to Peace Page 13
