Before long we were back in the car and following Pierre to the next property.
When we headed in the direction of the compound I looked at Leo and she shrugged and pulled a face.
“Where do you think he’s taking us?” I asked. “I know of one or two restaurants and one or two small conference centres out this way but no garden pubs.” We were getting closer and closer to home.
We were both a little confused when we passed the entrance to where we lived and continued on past the road that led to the Iron Dogz compound. We continued driving for about fifteen minutes before he indicated and turned right into a side road. Once on the road he almost immediately indicated left and turned into a short driveway coming to a stop in front of a high steel gate. There wasn’t any signage at the gate and again we shared a confused look. The big steel gate slid open and we drove through and down a drive that was overhung by big plane trees.
The minute we drove out from between the trees and into bright sunshine we knew we had found it. It was a large rundown Tudor house surrounded by mature trees and a horribly neglected and overgrown garden.
“This looks fucking perfect.” Leo whispered as we sat looking at the building.
“It does but it’s going to take a lot of money to convert into a pub.” I leant back to clipped Brutus’s lead onto his harness. “I’m not leaving him in the car this time. I want him with us while we explore.”
“It’s been neglected, maybe we can negotiate. Let’s get out and have a look around. Pierre hasn’t given me a price but he did say both properties were in my ballpark.”
On closer inspection the property was exactly what we had been looking for. A place people like us could hang out, and enjoy something good to eat and a drink or two in total privacy. Everything we saw and the proximity to the club made it even more attractive.
We had been struck silent when we walked through the front door.
It wasn’t a home at all but at one time it had been a pub and most of it was still intact. There were booths around the perimeter of the room but they were battered and torn up and to my eyes unsalvageable. The bar top was scarred with deep gouges, burns and stains and the fittings would definitely need to be replaced. The fridges were gone and the yucky linoleum floor covering was torn and curling at the edges. In my opinion the bar would have to be stripped and redone almost completely. On the other hand, the collection of old bar mirrors bolted to the wall to one side of the bar was a definite find. They were worth a lot of money.
High ceilings with black beams in the main bar area continued the Tudor look of the building. We walked around trying to hide our excitement as we inspected the filthy decrepit kitchen, the rundown offices and the barely functional upstairs rooms.
Leo stood leaning against the bar pretending to be totally relaxed when she asked the most important question.
“How much?”
“The owners want seven but there’s room for negotiation.” Pierre didn’t hesitate answering. “They are selling the property as is because they don’t want the trouble of the repairs or turning it back into a home. When they relocated to the Cape they left their son in charge and apparently it became a party venue for him and his friends. The owners want it off their hands as soon as possible. It’s costing them a mint in security and so on. There have been a few interested parties but no one wants to take on the costs needed to make it a going concern again. I have to be honest with you; it’s going to cost a lot of money to fix it up.”
Leo turned to me and I nodded. She did as well.
“I like the property but I want my man to have a look at it. He’s busy right now but will be free around four. Would it be possible to meet us here at four thirty?”
Pierre, looked at Leo and then at me then shrugged. “Unfortunately I have three back to back appointments between three and six. I trust you ladies so I’m going to do something I’m really not supposed to do. I’m going to give you the keys to the property. As long as you promise to get it back to me by ten tomorrow morning. One of my colleagues has an appointment to show it to a client at two tomorrow afternoon.”
Leo smiled. “You’ll have them back when you open at nine. I promise.”
We stood in front of what we both knew was going to be Leo’s new country pub and grill and watched the fancy SUV disappearing down the drive. Leo grinned wide as she pointed the remote at the huge steel gate and closed it.
She swung around and opened her arms wide and shouted with a wide grin. “Welcome to The Thirsty Dog!”
We jumped around screaming like teenagers while Brutus sat watching us with a confused look on his face.
We decided to hang out at the property and explore while we waited for Wolf. We poked around the garages and outside rooms and found a rundown little cottage hidden at the bottom of the overgrown garden. The pool was a dark murky green sludgy pond and the outside deck planks had been pulled up and used to make a flippen bonfire in the fire pit.
Everything about the property was perfect, absolutely perfect. But it was badly neglected and was going to need a lot of work and money.
There were water stains on the ceilings in the main room and kitchens. We found more stains on the ceilings of the upstairs rooms confirming the fact that the water pipes and the roof would have to be the first things to repair.
When Wolf arrived he wasn’t alone. He brought a few of the brothers along to have a look at the property. Jagger and Spider were two of those brothers and the moment they saw the place they went into a huddle and by the look of them they were planning something.
We soon found out what that was. Jagger and Spider wanted in on the venture and after haggling with Spider for what felt like hours Leo finally gave in. The club would be a silent partner and would put up half the asking price and the renovations would be done by club affiliated businesses which would cut into the costs of repairs.
Leo signed the paperwork the very next morning. The buildings were rundown and needed a lot of repairs, but the land they stood on was worth a whole lot more than what she had paid for it. The owners had been desperate to sell and it worked out well for Leo and the club.
With written permission from the owners to start renovations before the transfer went through Jagger immediately got busy. He hired a large team to start work on the roof and the gutting of the pub and kitchens.
Between us, Jagger, Leo and I, we designed the interior of the new pub and chose the colours for the upholstery of the new booths, benches and bar stools. We decided on red to contrast with the white ceilings and walls and the black beams and black wooden fixtures. The old bar mirrors were carefully removed and stored until they could be rehung as a feature. On another wall I was going to hang photos of our guests and our families. Three flags were going to hang from the beams to start with. The SA flag, the US flag and the Iron Dogz flag. We would add team flags and so on at a later date. There weren’t going to be television screens in the bar, they would only be brought in for major games and special occasions. Leo insisted we weren’t a sports bar, so no televisions.
While the work on the property forged ahead Leo and I saw to the rest. We hired staff, ordered glassware and linens and saw to everything that would be needed to open the pub.
I sank every moment of my day into work trying to forget that Scar was about to become a father. And that he considered me to be a dirty slut.
Flippen hell.
I battled to get over the hurt and to forget about him, but it was difficult when everyone constantly brought up his name as they speculated on whether he was the father of the baby or not.
To avoid being drawn into those discussions I started to withdraw from everyone. Everyone but Leo. She refused to allow it.
She also refused to believe nothing had happened between Scar and I. She was constantly poking at me to talk to her and one day when I felt really low I caved and told her. As my best friend she took my back and supported my decision to keep a very low
profile at the clubhouse. I even told her about my mother’s constant messages and the feeling I had of being watched. Leo thought it might be the prospect we had following us where ever we went. I didn’t tell her I still felt it when she wasn’t with me. She didn’t need something else to worry about.
Then Leo told me the bitch was a week overdue and the doctor was worried about her state of mind. Hah, as if. He had her scheduled for a caesarean section to deliver the baby before she spiralled even further. And Scar had asked Wolf and Leo to be at the hospital with him.
And today was the day it was happening.
My heart ached for that poor unwanted baby. I knew exactly what it felt like to be unwanted. It sucked big hairy balls.
Thank heavens I had other very important things to focus on. For the last week I had been writing my end of semester exams and was writing the last two and very important exams today. The first exam was during the first session from ten until one and the second was during the late session between five and eight. I decided to stay on campus instead of driving home and then back again for the second exam. I would use the time to go over my notes and get something to eat at the cafeteria. I was prepared but I still worried that I hadn’t studied enough. My time had been taken up with stuff for the pub and my head just wasn’t as clear as it should be. Thankfully Jagger was taking care of Brutus while I wrote my exams.
I left home early to park underneath a light and close to the examination hall because it would be dark by the time I finished. One couldn’t be too careful, and especially not when it felt like you were being watched all the time.
Walking into the hall I dropped my bag and phone in a locker at the door because I didn’t want to leave anything in my car. Finding my seat I closed my eyes, drew in a deep breath and pushed all the stuff cluttering up my brain out and focused. The exam wasn’t a killer as I had expected it to be and I finished in enough time to do a quick read through. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the library and cafeteria before sitting for the second exam.
By the time I walked out of the exam I was absolutely wrung out. It had been one hell of a long day. While we had been writing the sun had set and the parking area was now lit up by the orange glow of halogen lights. That damned creepy weird feeling came over me as I stood at the top of the steps. It felt as if someone was watching me and a cold shiver slid down my back. I didn’t move from the steps as I opened my big bag, dug out my phone and turned it back on. I had turned it off before my early exam and had forgotten to turn it back on. There were a lot of messages and I quickly scanned them. As usual I deleted the ones from my mother and a number I didn’t know without opening them.
I did open Leo’s.
Leo: It’s a boy. Weighed in at a healthy 3,6kg…what the hell is that in pounds?
My heart contracted and with my stomach clenched I scrolled to the next message and smiled.
Leo: I googled it. 8 Pounds. Not bad. Dive was 10. My poor mother.
I clicked on the next message.
Leo: Saw and held the baby. Squished angry red face, so sweet. DNA test done.
That poor, poor baby. Who was going to take care of him while the grownups around him fought about his parentage? Was he going to stay at the hospital or would they put him in a place of safety until they had the test results? And why the hell was I worrying about this? It wasn’t my problem. I scrolled to the next message.
DC: Congratulations on finishing your exams! Your place. Pizza and Tequila!
That had me smiling and I shot a quick text to let her know I had just finished my exam and was on my way to my car.
With my bag slung around my body, my keys in one hand and my phone ready in the other I quickly walked over to my car. I felt weird and moved faster as I looked around but only saw students getting in their cars. I quickly unlocked, got in and locked the door. Only then did I feel safer. Shaking my head I drove out of the parking lot and headed home. Constantly glancing in my rear view mirrors but there were so many cars on the road plus it was dark so I didn’t know if I was being followed or not.
I breathed easier once I drove through the gates at home and waved at the guy on duty. Tonight I was celebrating the end of my exams with my friends and forgetting everything else.
Scar
Looking down at the red faced screaming little boy in his arms Scar didn’t know how he felt. He wished he could say he felt instant love for the little scrap but that would have been a lie. He still found it hard to believe that this little boy might be his. Putting his free hand on the baby’s chest he drew a finger over his soft cheek and the baby stopped screaming, his little lips pursing and the red fading from his face. His gut clenched and he closed his eyes tight and breathed through his nose.
He had kept his word. He had been in the waiting room during the birth and he was now here in the nursery holding the little boy the bitch had said was his.
“Mr Quinn.” A soft voice drew him out of his contemplation of the sleepy faced little boy and he looked up.
“Yes, that’s me.” His voice was rough for some reason.
“I’m Lydia Maseko. I’ll be baby Quinn’s nurse while he’s here with us. I’ve been informed that his mother refuses to see him or feed him. We have orders to keep him in the nursery and that you and those you designate will be the only ones allowed access. I’m aware that a DNA test had been done at his birth.”
Scar shook his head from side to side. “This feels so wrong, you know. This poor little boy isn’t responsible for the storm raging around him right now. He’s just…”
Scar stopped speaking as the baby suddenly curled his little hand around his pinkie and held on, tight so very fucking tight. He had a strange feeling in his chest and had to bite his lip and swallow hard to get words around the lump in his throat.
“How can I leave him when he might be my son? If he’s mine how do I explain to him why I left him? I just don’t know what to do.” Shaking his head he looked down at the scrunched up little face. “I just want to do what’s best for him, you know.”
“I know, and I promise he will be well taken care of.” She gently touched the arm that was curled around the boy holding him to his chest. “You can visit him every day while we wait for the results of the test. He’s going to need to be fed and held and you can do that when you visit. Babies need stability and love, a lot of love.”
Scar blew out a harsh breath. “If he’s mine you can rest assured he will be loved. He will have a large family all waiting to show him how much he’s wanted and loved.”
“That’s good to know.” She smiled softly and touched a finger to the black Iron Dogz beanie covering the baby’s head. “He’s a beautiful boy and will be very lucky to have you as his dad. Baby Quinn would have a happy home with you and your club.”
“Thank you for saying that, I appreciate it.” Scar mumbled as Lydia Maseko reached for the baby when he started crying again. She smiled at him and shook her head. “He’s hungry that’s why he’s crying and trying to suck on your finger. I’m going to give him a bottle to settle him down. When you come see him later I will show you how to take care of him.” All he could do was nod as he watched her until she disappeared back into the nursery.
Scar stood there for a few seconds before he walked out. He had to or he would have done something stupid. Like finding the bitch and beating her to a fucking pulp.
He needed something, anything to get rid of the aggression that has been building over the last few hours.
When he walked out he was surprised to find his fellow Lieutenants waiting for him. Wolf, Boots, Spook, Buzz, Dizzy and Rider were sitting on their bikes outside the entrance to the hospital and all stood when he walked out.
Wolf was the first to step up and pull him into a hug, slapping his back. “I know we don’t have the results yet, but I felt you needed to know that we have your back. No matter what the outcome of the test might be, a boy was born today and his birth needs to be celeb
rated.”
Scar nodded his agreement and accepted the hugs his brothers gave him, even Dizzy’s.
“I have no fucking idea if that kid in there is mine because God knows he looks like a little alien.” Scar shook his head as his brothers burst out laughing.
“No worries, brother.” Rider said. “By tomorrow he’ll look a whole lot better. It’s just the way they look after they’re born. Delene was the same, it shocked the hell out of me when I held her and she was all red and alien looking and shit.”
Everyone burst out laughing, Scar did as well. There were no doubts in anyone’s minds that Delene belonged to Rider, she was a perfect mix of her parents.
“What do you say we take a long ride before going back to the clubhouse for a beer to wet the baby’s head?” Boots asked in a very careful voice.
“Sounds like a good idea, brother.” Scar nodded. “Let’s ride.”
The freedom of the road was exactly what he needed and he felt the tension slowly leave his body as they rode.
Back at the clubhouse the common room was filled with his brothers and they all lifted a beer in celebration at the birth of the baby. Even though none of them knew who the fuck the child’s father was. They were celebrating just in case he was Scar’s son.
For the first time in a very long time he felt the brotherhood he had been missing. These men were his brothers and had his back. He knew it, felt it in his gut.
A week later
Scar woke bleary eyed and lay still for a moment wondering what had woken him. His phone vibrating and jumping around on his bedside table cleared that one up. Grabbing it he froze when he saw it was his prez. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly he answered the phone.
“Scar.”
“Brother, we got the results. Come on up to my office.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good. We’ll be waiting.” His prez didn’t wait before ending the call.
Breath rushing out in a hard gust he shot up in bed and rubbed a hand hard over his aching chest. He knew why the test had come back so quickly, it was Ziggy. He must have pulled some favours in to get it rushed through.
Mark Of A Scarred Warrior (Iron Dogz MC Book 5) Page 19
