by L. Wilder
“Awesome. Can I go wif’ you?” Dusty begged.
“You have to be a good boy… no touching anything,” she warned.
“I pomis’.” His face lit up when he realized that she was going to let him go. I was glad that he still had that part of his dad. The club would always be there for him.
“Can I stay here?” Katie asked. “I want to try the rest of these tricks that Henley gave me.”
“No, Katie. I’m not leaving you alone, at least, not yet,” her mother said as she placed her arm around Katie’s shoulder, pulling her close to her chest.
“We better get going,” I told them, heading towards the door.
Cassidy and I gave them each a hug before we left. As we were pulling out of their driveway, I thought about how ironic today had actually been. We were there to help them out and to raise their spirits, but I left there feeling better than I had in weeks.
Chapter 11
Maverick
‡
“DUSTY! PUT THAT down,” Dallas scolded. “You know you aren’t supposed to touch anything in here.” She took the wrench from his hand and wiped the grease off of his little fingers. I’d gone out back to the garage to see Clutch. I went to ask how things went with Henley, and found him with his head under the hood of Dallas’s car. He was always working on someone’s engine, and I wondered why he didn’t have a garage of his own.
My phone chimed with a text message, but I ignored it, leaving it in my pocket. Dallas had already noticed me walking up, and she looked relieved to see me. She smiled and said, “Look, Dusty! Maverick’s here.”
“Mav-wrick!” he shouted as he raced over in my direction with his arms spread wide. I bent down and tried to brace myself for his impact, but still almost fell backwards when he jumped into my arms.
I lifted him up and said, “Hey there, little brother. Are you giving your mom a hard time?” I noticed Katie sitting in the corner with her face glued to her phone, and I wondered if she even knew I was there.
“No sir,” he said shaking his head. “I’m being good.” I looked over to Dallas, and she shrugged her shoulders and smiled as she turned back to Clutch to see what he was doing with the car.
“You want to go to the kitchen and see if there’s any ice cream?”
“Yes! I want cookie dough ice cream. It’s my fav-rit’,” he explained. His little body began to wiggle with excitement. I lowered him to the ground and started walking towards the back door. “We’ll be right back,” I called out to Dallas.
“Just a little, Dusty. We haven’t had dinner yet,” she ordered.
“Okay,” he said as he reached up and took a hold of my hand.
Just as we were leaving the garage, Dusty shouted, “Hey Henwey!” Lifting his free hand up high, he began waving frantically in her direction. She was helping Cassidy carry some empty boxes to the dumpster.
She stopped with her arms loaded with cardboard boxes and shouted, “Hey Dusty!” Her face beamed with a wide smile, and I knew right then that they’d had a good day together.
“I’m gonna go get some ice kem’ with Mav-wrick,” he told her with the biggest grin I’d ever seen.
Still smiling, she said, “Save some for me!”
“I will. Momma said I can only have a little since I haven’t ate dinner yet.” His little finger clutched tightly around my fingers as I led him into the kitchen. I reached under his arms and lifted him up on to the counter by the refrigerator. He sat there, swinging his feet out and kicking the cabinet with the back of his heels, as I dug in the freezer looking for his cookie dough ice cream. He eagerly watched as I placed several spoonfuls into the bowl.
“Thanks, Mav-wrick’,” Dusty said with his eyes trained on his bowl of ice cream. “Ummm, you have sprinkles?”
“Sorry, buddy. I don’t, but I’ll make sure to get some for next time.”
After handing him the bowl, I lifted him up and carried him over to the table. “Did you have fun today with Henley and Cassidy?”
“Hen-wey is cool. She saved Gotham City for me,” he said eyeing his bowl of ice cream. He grabbed his spoon, and brought a big bite up to his mouth. “Yum! It’s good.”
My phone chimed with another text message, but I continued to ignore it. When it beeped two more times, Dusty said, “Your phone beeps a lot. I think someone wants you.”
“I’ll check it later. Eat up, mister. Your mom is waiting for us.” I already knew that the messages weren’t important. I’d been getting the same ones over and over, and I was about to lose my patience.
I watched as Dusty shoveled bite after bite into his mouth. He made all these funny little humming and grunting noises as he ate. He was obviously enjoying every damn spoonful. As soon as he finished his ice cream, I took him back to Dallas. Clutch was just about done with the car, and they were getting ready to leave.
On my way back inside, my phone beeped again, and I went straight to Big Mike’s room. I was ready to throw the damn thing out the fucking window, and he was the only one I knew who could fix it.
“Something is wrong with this piece of shit phone,” I told him. “I need you to look at it to see if you can fix it.”
“What’s it doing?” Big Mike asked as he took the phone from my hand.
“I keep getting these stupid text messages, and I can’t get them to stop,” I explained. “It must be a virus or something.”
“These phones don’t get viruses, Mav. Let me see what you’re talking about.” I pointed to one of the messages that had been bombarding my phone over the past twenty-four hours.
Unknown caller: Dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures, can count up to five, and can perform simple mathematical calculations. The average dog is as intelligent as a two-year-old child.
Thank you for signing up for All About Canines. To Unsubscribe reply “Unsubscribe”
Me: Unsubscribe
Unknown caller: Message unrecognized
Unknown caller: It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is similar to our vision at dusk.
Thank you for signing up for All About Canines. To Unsubscribe reply “Unsubscribe”
Me: Unsubscribe now!
Unknown caller: Unable to retrieve messages at this time
Unknown caller: A dog’s mouth exerts 150-200 pounds of pressure per square inch.
Thank you for signing up for All About Canines. To Unsubscribe reply “Unsubscribe”
Me: Stop fucking texting me!
Unknown caller: Are you sure you want to stop your subscription of All About Canines. You know they are Man’s best friend.
Me: Yes
Unknown caller: Command not recognized.
“See what I mean? I can’t get this shit to stop, and there are at least six different sites sending me these fucking messages,” I shouted with frustration.
“Are you sure you didn’t sign up for something?” he asked laughing. “There must be some reason they are sending them to you.”
“No, I didn’t sign up for shit! Just fix it or get me a new damn phone!”
“Give me a few minutes, and I’ll see what I can figure out,” he told me as he plugged my phone up to his computer. After a few clicks, he turned to me with a knowing smile on his face.
“Looks like someone was messing with you, man,” he chuckled as he handed me back my phone.
“Who the fuck was it?” I demanded to know. “I’ll wring his fucking neck!” I looked down at my phone and was tempted to throw it against the damn wall.
“Maverick, I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it. It was just…” he started.
“She? Ahh… fucking hell. Henley! It was Henley, wasn’t it?” I growled, turning to leave before he responded. He didn’t have to answer. I knew it was her. Just thinking about all those damn messages about dogs and cats made my teeth hurt.
“Henley!” I shouted as I headed down the main hall towards her room. “Hen… ley!”<
br />
I banged on her door and continued to shout until Guardrail came up to me and said, “Hey man, she’s out back with Cassidy. What’s going on?”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I snapped.
“You got a minute? Cotton wants to see us in his office.”
“Yeah,” I answered, just as my phone chimed with another fucking text message.
Unknown Caller: A group of cats is called a clowder, a male cat is called a tom, a female cat is called a molly or queen while young cats are called kittens.
Thank you for subscribing to Funny Facts about Cats. To unsubscribe reply ‘Unsubscribe.’
Me: Henley… knock it off!
Unknown Caller: Response Not Recognized
Me: You are going to pay for this shit
“What’s that all about?” Guardrail asked as he looked down at my phone.
“Don’t ask,” I groaned as I shoved it into my back pocket and followed him into Cotton’s office. Cotton was sitting at his desk, sorting through all the papers that were scattered around him.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“We had some trouble on today’s run,” he grumbled as he dropped the papers on his desk. “The guys were ambushed. Even with the extra manpower, we almost lost the shipment.”
“What the fuck?” I asked. “What happened?”
“Boozer said they were loading the crates into the SUV when one of the prospects saw several men watching from one of the empty warehouses. At first it seemed like they were just watching, taking pictures or some shit like that. But then shots were fired, and everyone scattered. Thankfully, no one was hurt,” Cotton explained.
“Was it the same guys?” I asked.
“Possibly. Boozer said he’d never seen them before. They were wearing all black, no patches or cuts, but several had the same snake tattoo Henley mentioned.” Cotton rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension growing in his shoulders as he continued.
“What’s with the pictures?” I asked.
“I’d say, for whatever reason, they’re gathering intel on us. I’m calling church tonight. We’re going to buckle down and find out who these fuckers are once and for all.”
“I’ll let the guys know,” Guardrail told him. “Are you calling for a lock down?”
“Not yet, but I don’t want anyone taking any unnecessary chances. Until we get a better idea of who is coming at us, we need to be prepared for anything. I have a feeling that these guys are just getting started,” he continued.
After leaving Cotton’s office, I followed Guardrail out to the parking lot. He hadn’t been around much, and I wanted to see what was going on with him.
“How are you making out with Henley?” he asked as he got on his bike.
“She’s a pain in the ass. Nothing like I thought she’d be, but I’m getting a handle on her. What about you? How’s the new addition on the house?” He’d been remodeling one of those historical houses for over a year, and now that he and Allie were getting married, he was even more determined to finish it. He wanted it done before their wedding this fall.
“Slow,” he grumbled. “Just haven’t had the time to work on it like I’ve wanted to. Between this mess with the club and finishing up the youth center project – hell, there’s just not enough time in the day.”
“You’ll get it done. You always do, besides the wedding is still a few months away.”
“You know I want it perfect for her. She’s been through so much, and I want her to be happy.”
“She’s been living with you for months, and she’s crazy about the place. You don’t have to do much to make it a home, and then, she’ll wanna fill it up with a bunch of rug-rats,” I laughed. A year ago, I wouldn’t have imagined Kane having kids of his own, but since he met Allie, he’s changed. Now, he wants nothing more than to fill that house with their children.
“We will. I’ll make sure of it. Things are heating up around here. Make sure Henley understands that,” he warned. Just as the words came out of his mouth, my phone chimed with another text message. I pulled it out of my pocket and read the message.
Unknown caller: Did you know that for its weight, spider web silk is actually stronger and tougher than steel.
Thank you for subscribing to Crazy Facts about Spiders. To unsubscribe, reply ‘unsubscribe.’
Me: Henley – you’ve been warned
Unknown caller: Message failed to be recognized
“For fucks sake,” I groaned as I returned my phone to my back pocket.
“Henley?”
“None other.”
“She giving you a hard time? Can’t handle sweet, little Henley?” he laughed out loud.
“Oh…I’ll handle her. You can count on that,” I huffed as I went in search of my little trouble maker.
Chapter 12
Henley
‡
“DUSTY LOOKED SO happy with Maverick,” I told Cassidy as she tossed another bag into the large garbage bin.
“Yeah, all the guys seem to have a soft spot for him. I can’t really blame them. He’s an awesome kid.”
“It makes me feel a little bad for messing with Maverick so much over the last couple of days,” I confessed. A part of me wondered if I was going too far, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.
“You need to lay off before you really piss him off,” Cassidy warned as I closed the lid on the dumpster.
“You’re no fun, sis. It’s just a few text messages,” I smirked, following her back into the bar. It was pretty quiet except for a few of the guys sitting at the back table drinking a beer. They were having an intense conversation and didn’t even look up when we walked in.
“Henley, I think something bad happened with the club today. Everyone is on edge. You better lay off for a little while.”
“Maybe, but,” I told her smiling as I sat down at the bar, watching her start to take inventory.
“Henley… what did you do?” she probed.
“Well… let’s just say that the little stop we made on the way home from Dallas’s house wasn’t for me.”
“You mean the drugstore? You said you needed tampons,” she said, placing her hands on her hips.
“I did, but I may have bought a few other things while I was in there,” I told her shrugging my shoulders.
She let out a deep disapproving sigh and said, “Oh god, Henley. He’s going to blow a gasket.”
“Probably. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he goes into that bathroom. It’s going to be savage,” I told her as I laughed so loud several of the guys turned to look at me.
“Well, don’t come crying to me when he …”
“Henley,” Maverick roared behind my back.
My heart started to race at the sound of my name rolling off of his tongue. I didn’t have to turn around to know that he was furious with me. I could hear it in his voice.
The subtle hint of cologne and leather whirled around me, as I turned to face him. Smiling at him with my most innocent smile, I said, “Hey there, Maverick. How’s it going?” The closeness of his body next to mine made my knees begin to tremble, but I did my best to ignore my traitorous body.
He stepped closer, his face inches from mine and said, “No more of your bullshit, Henley. No more fucking text messages and no more of that shit you put in my bathroom.” I was right. He was pissed.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, trying to hold back my laughter.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. There’s going to be hell to pay if you don’t stop this shit right now!” he growled, glaring at me with rage in his eyes. Even though his reaction wasn’t exactly what I was going for, at least I’d distracted him from his world of gloom and doom for a little while.
“Well… just so you know, Preparation H isn’t just for hemorrhoids anymore. Lots of people use it for wrinkle cream. You might try it on those little crow’s feet you’re getting in the corner of your eyes from all that scowling you’
ve been doing,” I told him as I grazed my teeth over my bottom lip, still trying my best not to laugh in his face. He slowly drug both his hands down his face, trying to contain his frustration, which made it even more challenging for me not to continue. I just couldn’t help myself.
“And you know fiber is really good for your digestive system. It might help regulate your…”
“You think your pretty slick, don’t you?” he said. The expression on his face was slowly beginning to change, softening just a bit. A wave of satisfaction washed over me when I realized I was getting to him. As he stepped closer to me, he lifted his hand up to my face and tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. “You should know something, Henley.”
“What’s that?” I whispered, feeling my knees weaken by the slight touch of his hand.
“Pay back’s a bitch,” he told me with a panty-melting wink. A little shiver of anticipation crept down my spine while I stood there looking at him with that sexy smirk on his face. That smile could bring a girl to her knees, and I would do just about anything to keep it right there on his handsome face.
“Bring it on,” I told him as I put on my brave front and walked out of the room. I couldn’t help but wonder if he really had it in him to get me back and just how far he’d be willing to go, but I looked forward to finding out.
I managed to talk Cassidy into letting me use her laptop. Over the past few days, I’d been obsessed with searching for practical jokes. I tried a few on Maverick. Vaseline on his door knob, a sexy male model poster hanging over his bed, and changing all his radio stations to Rap. I kept waiting for him to call me out or get me back, and I was a little disappointed when he had no reaction whatsoever to any of it. I was busy searching for my next big stunt when there was a knock on my door. When I opened it, I was surprised to see Guardrail standing there.
