So, yeah, I definitely don’t feel like explaining that to Heidi. She has enough to worry about.
While I fix breakfast, she’s at the table with her radiographic positioning book. I swear that thing weighs more than Alexa. Heidi says the modest amount of strength-training I got her into is responsible for her toned arms; I suspect it’s really from lugging that book around all the time.
“Big day?” I ask.
She gives me an exasperated sigh. “I’m at the urgent care clinic today. Never know what I’ll encounter.”
“Right.” I can’t for the life of me keep her damn schedule straight this semester. She’s at three different places during the week for clinicals and only on campus for classes two days a week. I’m in awe of the way she keeps it all together.
“I’m going to Trinity’s after work, so maybe we can have dinner or something together?” Heidi asks.
“Sounds good.” This morning, Alexa’s decided wrapping her arms around my leg and sitting on my foot is the best seat in the house while I make breakfast. I unwrap her from my leg and heft her up in my arms. “I’m dropping her off at your brother’s before I go into work.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Hope says. “She can stay home with me.”
I glance at Alexa. “I think Teller wants some free labor to help with the c-h-i-c-k-e-n-s.”
Alexa whips her head around and stares at me as if she already worked the word out. Wouldn’t surprise me if she did. Kid’s just as smart as her mom.
Hope chuckles. “I don’t think the spelling-it-out method will work for you much longer.”
“No kidding.” I set Alexa down, so I can finish making breakfast, and she runs over to Rock.
“Pop-pop.” She throws her arms in the air making it clear he needs to pick her up.
“This your doing?” Rock says, nodding to Alexa’s red plaid T-shirt, denim overalls and tiny work boots.
“Nope.” I point the spatula at Heidi.
“What? Marcel got her the boots.” She grins. “It’s her little farmer outfit.”
Alexa nods. “Fwar-ma.”
“We’re all set for next week,” I say to Rock.
“Good. Same place we talked about?”
“Yup.”
“Make sure you give Wrath the location, too. Just in case.”
Since I know Rock, Z, and Wrath never conducted club business without letting the others know where they were, I don’t take this as an insult. More a safety precaution.
“Will do.”
All too soon, I’m walking Heidi out to her car. Alexa lets out a few sob-hiccups while she watches Heidi drive away, but she’s mostly used to it and settles down quickly.
“Wanna go see Uncle Sparky?” Our favorite stoner biker usually cheers Alexa up.
This morning, we find him in the kitchen with Willow baking, not getting baked. Miracles happen every day, I guess.
Alexa reaches for a pile of shiny red candies on the table. God only knows what the fuck Sparky put in them. Last time I ate a brownie, he insisted I try, I woke up twelve hours later in the woods barefoot. Still haven’t found the boots I was wearing either.
I pull Alexa’s hand away from the suspicious red treats. “What are you making, bro?”
“Edibles,” he answers over his shoulder. “Welcome to the new future, Murphy.”
Willow hurries over to scoop the pile of candies up and sets everything on a high counter away from Alexa’s grabby hands.
“You can’t be cooking up edibles in the kitchen and leaving ‘em out where the kids can reach.” My tone’s calm even though I’m pissed. Yelling doesn’t work on Sparky.
He turns to me with big, wide eyes. “Shit, brother. I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it. She’s always with one of you. But fuck, she’s getting bigger and will probably be sneaking around on her own and stuff soon. Dude, kids can’t have edibles.” He twirls his hands around his head. “Their brain chemistry can’t handle all the elements. Fuck.”
Alexa cocks her head and stares at me, like Sparky questioning her brain chemistry offends her on a deep level.
“I know,” I whisper to her.
“Chance is up here, too. Grace will be walking eventually,” Sparky keeps muttering. “Chance is a daredevil. Have you seen him on the jungle gym?”
“It’s okay,” Willow soothes.
“No, it’s not okay. Not at all,” Sparky moans.
“Sparky, chill, brother. Just keep your treats up on the counter.” Obviously that solution won’t work forever for the reasons Sparky stated. But I don’t want to agitate him any further.
“This is why babies don’t belong in MC clubhouses.” Ravage’s voice rumbles from the corner.
I crank my head and find him leaning against the pantry wall. “Why you hiding back there, bro? Come say that to my face.”
He holds up his hands. “Not trying to be a dick. Just pointing out the obvious.” He lifts his chin at Sparky. “Maybe you should wait ‘til the kitchen is set up at the new clubhouse and make that stuff there.”
Sparky stares at the wall. The idea of leaving the property—and his downstairs grow house—never sits well with him. It’s a miracle he’s even out of the basement.
Rock stalks into the kitchen, carrying Grace, and stops to stare at all of us. “Something I need to know about?”
I open my mouth to answer, “No” at the same time Sparky starts explaining and apologizing.
Rock holds up one hand. “Simmer down. What’s the issue?”
“It’s my fault, Rock,” Willow says. “I was trying to help him sort the different—”
“No, it was my idea, boss,” Sparky says, pushing Willow behind him. “I was talking with a couple guys online.” He smacks his forehead a few times. “I realized I’ve been missing a huge piece of the bud puzzle and wanted to experiment. But it’s too dangerous. And we should really be doing extractions now. No one’s gonna be smoking it up in the future. But sometimes those blow up. And I should’ve seen that coming.”
While we’re all used to the crazy-babble that comes out of Sparky’s mouth, that was more difficult than usual to decipher. Maybe he needs to leave the basement on a more regular basis.
From the corner, Ravage lets out a long-suffering sigh. Rock and I both shoot a shut-up glare his way.
Rock lets out a deep breath. “Sparky, chill. The kids are supervised right now. Nothing happened.” Rock raises an eyebrow at me to confirm, and I nod. “It’s great that you’re thinking ahead. No reason to stress, though, brother.”
I glance out the window. “What if we build another house, lab, kitchen or something just for Sparky to do his experiments? We could put it behind the garages. So it’s less visible and interesting to the kids as they get older.”
“Oh!” Sparky jumps up and down. “That would be the tits! I can get real lab equipment, extractors, boilers, dehydrators, like state of the art.”
Rock flicks a gaze toward Willow. While she’s worked as the bartender at Crystal Ball for years, she’s not an official part of the Lost Kings MC in any meaningful way that we know of. Sparky’s bordering on giving out a little too much information about our organization.
“We can discuss it at the table, Sparky.” Rock gives Sparky a pointed look.
Sparky’s mouth snaps shut.
“We’ve got the kids,” Rock says. “Finish your experiments.” He nods at Ravage. “Put a note on the door or something, just in case.”
“On it.”
Rock nods at the supplies. “That the cookware we use here?”
Sparky shrugs sheepishly. “I was feeling inspired.”
“It’s fine. Just clean it up when you’re done and lock up whatever you make. Got it?”
He gives us a solemn nod.
Maybe understanding there’s a good chance Sparky forgets this entire conversation, Willow steps up. “I’ll make sure it all gets cleaned up and secured, Rock.”
“Thank you, Willow.” Rock jerks his head at
me to follow him out of the kitchen.
“What the fuck?” he mutters as soon as we’re out of hearing range. “Jesus Christ, how did I not see that coming?”
“We’re out of touch with our own market, apparently.”
He huffs out a laugh and pats Grace’s back. “I’m okay with that.”
Once we’re out of the dining room, I set Alexa down but keep hold of her hand. “No candies from Uncle Sparky, okay?”
“Okay,” she answers quickly.
Rock glances down at Alexa. “I trust her more than him.”
The door to the champagne room opens, and Hope pops out, Trinity and Swan right behind her.
“Waiting for me?” Hope’s questioning eyes bounce between us as she reaches for Grace.
Rock gives them a brief rundown of the kitchen chemistry experiment.
“I’ll order new cookware,” Trinity promises. “We can donate the old to Sparky’s edibles project.”
Swan chuckles. “I have a few hours before my classes at Furious, I’ll help him and Willow get everything cleaned up.”
“Thanks.” Rock eyes Hope up and down. “How was class?”
“Transcendent.” She leans up on tiptoes and kisses his cheek.
I clear my throat, so they don’t forget they’re still surrounded by other people.
“I’m going over to Trinity’s.” Hope glances down at Alexa. “We’re going to make a pie with those apples you and mommy brought home. Want to help?”
“Yes!” Alexa drops my hand and reaches for Hope.
“You’re making a pie in Wrath’s kitchen?” I tease Trinity. “Does he know this?”
“It’s my kitchen.” She gives me a crooked smile. “And you’ll keep your mouth shut if you want Hope to bring you home any pie.”
I press my hand over my chest. “I won’t tell a soul.”
“Send him over, Trinny,” Rock says.
“Will do.” She waves and takes Alexa’s hand. Excited to hang out with her aunts and cousin, I don’t even get a wave or kiss goodbye from my daughter.
I follow Rock into the war room. He closes the door behind us and squeezes his eyes shut. “What. The. Fuck?”
“Sorry, Rock. I probably overreacted.”
“Doubt that.” He glances toward the closed door. “Sparky wasn’t in the middle of a meltdown when I walked in, so you must have handled it well.”
“Well, I’ve watched you and Z handle him for years.” I pause because I’m starting to feel a little shitty about the whole thing. “I shouldn’t discourage him from coming out of the basement though.”
“Fuck knows he needs to come up for air once in a while.” He taps the table. “Your idea of building him a separate space was a good one. Very vice-presidential.”
It would be disrespectful to roll my eyes at my president, so I restrain myself. “Rock, do we even need to explore edibles, extracts, or whatever the hell he was yapping about? The club doesn’t need drug money anymore.”
“We wouldn’t have had the money to invest in the first place if it wasn’t for this operation.” He shrugs. “Besides, you really think money motivates Sparky?”
Sparky give up his passion—growing and cultivating marijuana for any reason? “I guess not.”
Rock shakes his head. “Get Teller up here.”
Thirteen
Heidi
I’m exhausted after my shift and so not in the mood for more bullshit from Bryce.
Yet, there he is waiting by the locker room door. He pulls a face that almost looks contrite while he blocks my way.
“Why are you here?” His placement is thirty minutes in the opposite direction. Some clinic a friend of his dad’s owns where he can apparently come and go as he pleases.
“I want to apologize, Heidi. I was a jerk yesterday.”
“Yes, you were. Get any of the work done? That’s the only thing I’m interested in talking to you about.”
Completely ignoring my question, he continues, “I was rude. I should’ve offered to compensate you for your time.” The humble, apologetic act doesn’t work for Bryce. At all.
He jerks his head, indicating he wants me to follow him into the staff lounge next door.
Like an idiot, I do. “I don’t have time for this,” I hiss. One of the nurses sweeps her gaze over us before leaving the room. Great, that’s all I need—a reputation for having guys visit me at work.
Once we’re alone, he pulls out his wallet and flips it open. “What do you say? I’ll give you a hundred now as a deposit. Another thousand when I get my grade?” He holds a crisp hundred-dollar bill in the air, just out of my reach, as if he expects me to tackle him for it at any moment.
“Do we have a deal?” He brings his hand down, waving the money so close to my face, his knuckles brush the tip of my nose.
I slap his hand away. “Listen carefully because I don’t want to have to repeat myself a couple days from now. I don’t want or need your money.” Never mind that even if I agreed to his plan, he’d probably stiff me. “You fucked us over on the project, and you’ll have to suffer the consequences.”
He stands there slack-jawed. Obviously, the idea that I’d turn down the money never occurred to him.
“Don’t you have a kid to support?” he finally asks.
Rage colors my vision red. I hate that this jerk knows anything about my private life. “Take your money and fuck off.”
With that, I turn and stalk out of the room.
“You’ll regret this, Heidi,” he calls after me.
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter. “Can’t even come up with something original.”
I slam open the door to the locker room, almost knocking someone over.
“Heidi, are you okay?” The tech I’d been shadowing all day asks.
For a brief moment, I consider confiding in her. She’s been through the same program, so she knows the pressure we’re under. But what if she thinks I’m being sanctimonious about the whole thing and should shut my mouth and do the work for Bryce? That will just piss me off even more.
“No, just a long day. Still have to go to my part-time job.”
“You really shouldn’t have another job while you’re finishing up the semester.”
“I know.” Except, I work for Trinity, and I’m not about to let her down. I don’t volunteer that information because I prefer to keep club family life and my school life completely separate.
“Well,” she smiles brightly, “You’re going to miss all the action here tonight. It’s always lively after hours.”
“So I hear.”
She lowers her voice. “I’ve heard there might be an opening soon.”
My ears perk up. One of the major reasons I chose this program was because the job-placement rate after graduation was so high. Although I had also been considering continuing into a four-year program and specializing in another modality. “Really?”
The urgent care clinic isn’t my first choice. It’s a long drive. As a new hire, I’ll have to pay my dues and work overnights, which I guess would give me more time at home with Alexa during the day, but it still isn’t ideal.
The chat with Carrie only distracts me from the confrontation with Bryce for a few minutes. Once I’m in my car, I can’t get the encounter out of my head.
He’s getting desperate.
Today he offered me money.
What’s next?
Fourteen
Murphy
“Christ, you’re whipped.” Wrath scowls my way.
I flip him off. “That supposed to be news?”
“You’re self-aware, I’ll give you that.”
About an hour ago, Heidi ran over to say hi and blow a kiss in my general direction before disappearing inside Trinity’s photography studio. My gaze keeps drifting toward the window, providing Wrath with an excuse to give me a dose of verbal abuse.
Really, I’m worried she’s going to see me driving back with her car and ask questions.
“About time,” I bitch
as soon as I see Jake.
“Sorry. Got held up at Sully’s place.”
I follow him outside and jump into the passenger side of his Jeep.
“You sure this isn’t a present for you?” he jokes as he jumps the curb in front of us.
“Why can’t you reverse like a normal person? Wrath’s gonna kill you if you fuck up all his dividers.”
He shrugs and takes a right out of the parking lot fast enough that I grip the oh-shit handle. Christ, I hate driving with other people.
“What if she sees it sitting in the parking lot? Isn’t she working with Trinity tonight?”
“She’s not going to know it’s for her.”
“Ten bucks says you can’t keep it a secret for more than five minutes.”
“Fuck off.”
“Still planning to take it out to Zips?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Good. Eraser said he’s had some issues. Maybe you and your big Yeti face can scare them away.”
“What kind of issues?”
He shrugs. “I don’t stick my nose in what goes down there.”
“And yet, here you are running your mouth.”
“Charming, right?”
“Not the word I’d use.”
Jake’s hard to insult; he just laughs and turns into the car dealer’s parking lot. “You need me to stay?”
“Nah. Some paperwork and handing over some cash and I’ll be out of here.”
“Well, if you need me to come back and get you or kick someone’s ass, just call.”
“Thanks, brother.” I slam the door and search the parking lot.
As promised, Heidi’s car is sitting up front waiting for me.
The paperwork is quick, and the money happily accepted.
Half an hour later, I have the keys, and I sneak into the Furious parking lot, tucking the car in the back corner. I stare at it for a few seconds. This really isn’t the best place to store it for the next week. I’ll have to take it over to Rock’s garage and have Bricks give me a lift back.
White Lies Page 9
