Scratch (Devil's Boneyard MC 2)

by Harley Wylde

  She reached over and placed her small hand over my larger rough one. “You’re a good man, Scratch. Caleb and I have been homeless for two months. You’re the first one to truly try and help us.”

  “Don’t read too much into it, kitten. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to either of you. There are men in this world who do horrible things, as you’ve already found out the hard way. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You could have landed yourself in a much, much worse situation.”

  “I know.” She glanced down at the table. “It’s not like I asked to lose my apartment. The place I worked closed up, and I was unable to find another job.”

  “The local churches wouldn’t help you?” I asked.

  “They do what they can, but I can’t exactly ask to just move in. We stay there some nights, and they feed us a hot meal once or twice a week. Usually soup and some bread. The nearest women’s shelter is too far for me to walk to, and… well, there just aren’t many options here for homeless people.”

  “Especially ones with small children, I would imagine.”

  She nodded.

  “Well, you’ll have a place to stay for as long as you need one. I keep some odd hours, but I’ll try not to wake you up if I come in really late.”

  “I don’t expect you to change your life for us, Scratch. Don’t worry about waking us up. I haven’t slept the night through in the last two months. Maybe one day I’ll be able to relax enough to do that.”

  I hated that she’d been through so much in her short life. But there was one thing I needed to ask before I took her home. If she had family out there looking for her, the last thing I needed was them showing up on my doorstep, irate that I was corrupting their daughter. Not that I intended to do any such thing, but it was how most of the citizens here saw me. Biker filth. If only they knew…

  “What about your parents? Or Caleb’s dad? Will either of them come looking for you? You said you hadn’t seen Caleb’s dad, but do you think he’s ever tried looking for you?” I asked.

  Her eyebrows rose and she looked like she was trying not to smile. “Why? Are you planning to kill me and want to know how well you should hide the body?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Funny.”

  She shrugged. “I ran away from home when I was sixteen and made my way here. I only lived one town over, but as far as I know, my family never tried to find me. They didn’t want me anyway. But maybe if I’d known how rough things would be on my own, I’d have stuck around long enough to finish high school and moved out the right way and not snuck off without a penny to my name.”

  “And Caleb’s dad?” I asked. “You’re positive he’s out of the picture?”

  She looked at her son, her expression softening. “He doesn’t know I was pregnant, so he’s not looking for his son. Like I said, I haven’t seen him since the day I ran off. For all I know, he isn’t even in town anymore. As small as this place is, I would imagine I’d have seen him by now.”

  “I still want a name, kitten. I can’t protect you if I don’t know who could come knocking on the door.”

  “Why do you call me that?” she asked, tipping her head to the side as she stared at me. “I don’t mind it, but… no one’s ever had a nickname for me before and we just met.”

  “Because you’re tiny but fierce.” I smiled. “And I have no doubt that when you’re angry the claws will come out. I’ve seen a hint of that side of you already, and I’d imagine the more comfortable you are around me, the more you’ll let that side show. I like that you have some fire in you. Without it, the world would swallow you whole.”

  A waitress came over, pad in hand, and harried look on her face. “What can I get y’all?”

  “Menus?” I asked.

  Her cheeks flushed. “Sorry! I’ll be right back with those.”

  She scurried off and returned a moment later with three rolls of silverware and two menus. Then she ran off again while we decided what we wanted to eat.

  “I think she likes you,” Clarity said.

  “What?” I looked at the waitress who was sure enough casting a glance my way. “Huh. I wonder if she’s done that before and I never noticed.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure men like you don’t notice when a woman likes them.” She shook her head. “I have no doubt you have to beat the women off with a stick.”

  I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

  Clarity rolled her eyes, which showed she was getting used to me. Or at least I hoped she was.

  “Kitten, in my world, I can have a woman with the snap of my fingers, but it doesn’t mean I want them. They’re… well, they’re not like you or our waitress. Good girls like the two of you tend to stay clear of me.”

  “That’s kind of sad,” she said. “There’s no reason you can’t go out with a nice woman. Maybe you should ask the waitress out on a date.”

  “Not my type.” I smiled. I wasn’t entirely lying. The woman seemed nice enough, but looking at her I didn’t feel a thing. She didn’t stir even a tiny bit of interest, above or below the belt. “You ready to order?”

  She nodded and I waved the waitress over. Her nametag said Helen, and her eyes were bright as she smiled widely at us. I hoped like hell she didn’t do something awkward like ask me out on a date. It had happened a time or two, just not with a nice woman. Club sluts were more my norm, and I was tired as hell of their shit. Nothing but drama with the whores who spread their legs for the club.

  “Ready to order?” Helen asked.

  Clarity gave her order, and I made sure she got Caleb his own plate of food, then I told Helen what I wanted. We ordered drinks and I got a coffee on the side since I had a feeling I was going to need a good bit of energy to keep up with the two people sitting with me. Especially the smaller of the two. If he was like my grandson, once he had free run of the house, he’d be hell to keep up with.

  As Clarity watched me talking to Helen, there was something in her eyes I couldn’t quite discern. I had a feeling I’d want to analyze it more later, but right now, I just wanted to get them fed, then get them settled at my house. Shit. Caleb wouldn’t be able to sleep in the big beds I had. I pulled out my phone and sent another message to Seamus, in hopes he was still at the store or close enough to run back inside.

  Get a toddler bed and some sheets and blankets for it too

  What the fucking hell is a toddler bed? Jesus. Kids need to come with an instruction manual. And apparently a money tree. Do you have any idea how much I’ve spent?

  I tried damn hard not to laugh. Seamus was one of the biggest, toughest men I knew. But ask him to get some things for a small kid and he didn’t know what the fuck to do. It was fucking hilarious and I had no doubt the club and I would have a good laugh over it later. As for the cost, I wasn’t worried. It wasn’t like my bank account couldn’t handle it, and he was likely using the club money. I’d just put it back once I had the receipts from today.

  And get anything else he’ll need for a bedroom

  This is fucked-up. I don’t know shit about baby stuff

  Aren’t there any cute sales associates? Just ask one of them… Knowing you, you’ll walk out with her number as well as the shit I need

  Well, there is a blonde up by the register

  I snorted. Yeah, figured he’d already scoped the place out. The man couldn’t go anywhere without landing dick first in some pussy. One of these days, that shit would catch up to him. Either he’d get some woman pregnant, or he’d find himself a sweet girl who turned her nose up when she found out about the countless women in his past. Either way, I wanted a front row seat when that shit went down.

  Chapter Three

  Clarity

  My eyes had to look like they were going to fall out of my head as I looked at Scratch’s home. I had been expecting something small, or at least modest. The house in front of me was a sprawling Victorian in mint green with white gingerbread trim. I’d never seen anything like it before, and it didn’t even remotely look like a
home owned by a biker. I should have known he had some money when he’d helped me into the shiniest, prettiest truck I’d ever seen. It even smelled like new when I climbed inside, and I could tell the car seat he’d bought for Caleb was far from cheap.

  As my son kicked his feet against the leather seats, I winced, hoping Scratch wouldn’t get mad if my son scuffed his truck. The man turned to look at Caleb and just smiled. Then he gave me a wink before getting out of the truck. Before I could offer up a word of protest, he’d pulled Caleb from the car seat and was carrying him toward the house. I scurried to follow him up the front steps of the large home, and came to a halt as I went through the most gorgeous door I’d ever seen.

  “I… Um…” I looked around at the maple-colored hardwood floors and the pristine white woodwork and doorways. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

  He turned to face me, my son still clutched in his arms. I think I swooned a little. Scratch was a big, tough man in jeans and a black leather vest, and my son looked so damn small in his arms. And yet, they looked incredibly right together. I had to swallow hard and look away. He was being nice and helping me out, nothing more. Not once had he touched me inappropriately or made any advances. The man probably just saw me as a kid. He’d even said he had a daughter close to my age.

  “Why are you worried, Clarity?” he asked.

  Was it wrong that I was disappointed he hadn’t called me kitten again? No one had ever given me a pet name before, and every time he’d said it, I’d felt all warm and gooey inside.

  “What if Caleb messes up your floors or walls?”

  Scratch came closer, and his woodsy scent wrapped around me. Now that I wasn’t quite so scared, I was noticing more things. Like the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. Despite the tough overall appearance of the biker, he seemed to have a heart of gold. Or at least, that was the side of him I’d seen.

  He reached out and gently cupped my chin. “Kitten, it’s just a house. If he scratches the floors or draws on the walls, I’m not going to get mad or throw the two of you out. A house is meant to be lived in, not kept as a display.”

  “I just…” I bit my lip. If he wasn’t worried about Caleb messing up his house, then maybe I shouldn’t either.

  He smiled softly, then nodded his head toward the stairs. “Come on. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying. Caleb’s room isn’t put together just yet, but I have two guys coming over to take care of it.”

  “He can just stay with me,” I said. The last thing I wanted to do was make him go to any trouble for us. What if he changed his mind and decided not to let us stay? It had been so long since I’d felt safe, or we’d have a nice place to stay, that I was worried it would all be taken away just as quickly as I stumbled into the situation.

  “Kitten, I already bought stuff for him to have his own room. If I make Seamus take it all back, his head will likely explode.”

  “I can’t pay you back,” I said, worrying at my lower lip.

  Scratch froze at the top of the stairs and turned to look down at me. “Have I asked you to pay for anything?”

  “No.”

  “Then don’t assume I expect payment. Of any kind.”

  “I’m sorry.” My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I’d learned early that you didn’t get something for nothing, and while he’d offered to let me clean his house in exchange for a place to stay, all this seemed like too much.

  With Caleb still on his hip, he reached for me with his other hand and tugged me down the hall. All the doors stood wide open, and the room at the far end of the hall looked like it might be his bedroom. We drew closer to it, and I saw a massive bed with rumpled sheets. Scratch stepped into the room next to his, dragging me in behind him. My breath caught when I saw how pretty the space was. The walls were a pale lemon and what looked like a queen-size bed was pushed against one wall. A white eyelet cover was on the bed, and sheer curtains hung from the windows flanking the headboard.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said.

  “Once I found out my daughter was still alive, I set up this room in case she ever came to visit. So far, I’ve always gone to see her, which is fine. It’s nice to get out of town now and then.”

  “Still alive?” I asked.

  “Her mother lied and said my daughter was dead. I’d had no reason not to believe her. My daughter ended up getting claimed by a man in another MC and that’s how I found out she was still alive. I’d missed out on her entire life, but I see her as frequently as I can, and I mentioned my grandson earlier. He’s about the same age as Caleb.”

  “I still can’t believe you’re a grandpa.” I knew he was older, but he didn’t seem old enough to have grandkids.

  He nodded. “I’m hoping they’ll have another one sometime. I like kids, and since I never got to spend any time with Darian when she was growing up, I feel like I missed out on a lot. At my age, it’s not likely I’ll have more kids.”

  “You make it sound like you’re ancient,” I said.

  “I’m fifty-one, kitten. A hell of a lot older than you.”

  Right. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t made a move on me? Then again, some of the guys who had propositioned me were even older than Scratch. It wasn’t that I wanted him to hit on me, but a man like Scratch falling for me wouldn’t exactly be a hardship. I’d never met anyone like him before.

  He tipped his head toward the hall. “I’ll show you where Caleb will sleep, once his things are brought in and set up.”

  We passed the door next to mine, but I peered inside. The walls were blue and the furniture was darker and heavier than in my room, but I could see why he didn’t want to put Caleb in there. It wasn’t a room for a little boy for certain.

  The room on the other side was empty and the walls were a soft gray. Darker gray curtains hung from the window, and Scratch gave them a tug.

  “I’ll have the guys take these down. Don’t want Caleb pulling on them and getting hurt if the curtain rod comes down,” he said.

  “The members of your… what’s it called?” I asked. I’d seen them around town before, but their name escaped me.

  “Devil’s Boneyard MC, but you can just refer to it as the Club if you want. And the men coming are prospects. They want to be members, but they have to put in the time to prove themselves first. We don’t take just anyone,” he said.

  “And they’ll be wearing a vest like yours?” I asked, remembering seeing some around town before. I’d never paid the men much attention, though, other than staying out of their way.

  “It’s called a cut, kitten. And yeah, they’ll be wearing one, but theirs will say Prospect on it under the Devil emblem on the back.”

  He turned and showed me the back of his, with a horned skull over a set of bones. There were wings coming out from either side, but they were leathery like a demon’s wings and not angelic by any means. It was a rather sinister image, but the man wearing it was the kindest, gentlest person I’d ever met. I didn’t think he’d appreciate me saying that to his face, though.

  The doorbell rang downstairs, and I tensed for a moment. It was silly because Scratch had protected us when trouble had come to his shop earlier. After that, I didn’t see him letting someone come to his house and hurt us. He still held Caleb as we went back downstairs. When he swung the door open, there were two men on the other side. They both looked like they were maybe around thirty, and they wore equally shocked expressions when they saw Caleb, and then their gazes landed on me.

  “Holy hell, VP. Seamus said he’d been out buying baby shit, but I’d thought he was just yanking my chain,” one of them said. “When I saw them in the office this morning, I didn’t realize you were bringing them home with you.”

  “Knock it off, Killian,” Scratch said. “The stuff in the bed of my truck needs to be hauled upstairs and put into the gray room. You’ll have to put the furniture together. Toolbox is in the workshop out back.”

  “Told you there was a kid here, smartass,” the seco
nd one said. “Need us to do anything else while we’re here, VP?”

  “Not right now, Seamus. The room will need to be set up, but make sure Cinder doesn’t need you for anything first.”

  Both men eyed me with curiosity blazing in their eyes, but Scratch didn’t introduce us. He shut the door and I followed him into the kitchen. The double ovens and counter space nearly made me sigh with pleasure. Back before I’d run away, I’d enjoyed cooking. When I’d gotten my own place, the kitchen had been so small that making anything in it had been difficult at best. But in here? The possibilities were endless. He even had one of those fancy stainless-steel refrigerators with the bottom drawer for a freezer and some sort of screen on the door. I’d seen an advertisement for them on TV once.

  “I know we just had lunch not that long ago, but I thought Caleb might like a cookie. They’re just store bought, but I keep a package on hand,” Scratch said.

  “You don’t strike me as the type to have a sweet tooth.”

  He smiled and winked. “I like all kinds of sweet things.”

  My cheeks warmed, but I figured it was just a little harmless flirting that he likely did with all women. Not once had he given me the impression he was attracted to me. I sat down at the kitchen table and Scratch placed Caleb in my lap. Then he disappeared into a small room off the kitchen, which I figured must be the pantry. I’d never been in a house with a pantry before. It made me feel completely out of my depth. My family had been far from rich, and I’d certainly not achieved anywhere near the amount of wealth Scratch must have.

  He came back and set a package of chocolate chip cookies on the table, then got some milk from the fridge. He started to reach for a cupboard and then stopped.

  “I don’t have any of those sippy cup things like my grandson uses. I noticed Caleb drank from a straw at the diner, but I don’t have any of those either,” he said.