Although I’m offended, I can’t dwell on it. Heidi hasn’t stopped crying since we all got out of Rock’s SUV. She turned away from Axel, buried her head in my shoulder, and hasn’t left my side since.
We’re seated in the front row. Teller’s on Heidi’s other side. Rock’s next to me. He squeezes my free hand and whispers, “Thank you,” in my ear.
When the service is over, we stand. Axel hands Heidi some flowers, which she places on her grandmother’s casket. Teller ventures to the other side to speak to one of his grandmother’s friends.
“Hope?”
Glancing up, I see Charlotte Clark, the attorney assigned to Heidi during the custody case. “Hi, Charlotte.”
She turns her attention to Heidi, who lifted her head at the mention of Charlotte’s name. A bright smile flashes across her face and she straightens up. “Thank you for coming, Miss Clark,” she says softly.
Charlotte’s mouth curves into a gentle smile. “Of course. I’m so sorry, Heidi.” She glances at me. “If you, ah, need anything, you have my number.”
“Thank you.”
It’s awkward trying to have a conversation here, so I invite her back to the house. As she’s leaving, Teller spots her and catches up, walking her to her car. I glance at Rock, and he shrugs.
When we get to the house, Heidi’s so reluctant to go inside Axel takes her for a walk.
Murphy stares after them until I nudge him with my elbow. “You okay, Murphy?”
He turns and hesitates before answering. “Yeah, just wish I could do more for her.”
I think it’s obvious there’s more to it than that. Taking his arm, I say, “You’re a good guy, Blake.”
His face lights up in a playful smirk and he pats my hand. “Are you sure about that? Don’t get too carried away, first lady.”
Pulling him away from the others, I say what’s been bothering me for a while. “Now that you mention it, Heidi did share something with me that I found a little disturbing.”
To say he’s shocked is an understatement, but he recovers and puts on his disinterested face quick. “Really?”
“Yes.” I lower my voice. “She’s a kid. Leave her alone.”
“I don’t know about that. Sometimes I think she’s older than me.”
“Yeah, she’s a smart kid, but she’s also an emotional teenage girl. Don’t mess with her head.”
Finally, a guilty look crosses his face. “You told me yourself the age of consent is seventeen—”
“That’s not the point,” I hiss at him. “She’s still a kid, and you’re a grown man.”
Murphy glares down at me, but I glare right back. Finally, he says what he’s clearly been thinking over. “That girl’s needed someone to mother her for as long as I’ve known her, and I can’t tell you how much I respect you for steppin’ up and takin’ on that job. It’s the only reason I’m not tellin’ you to fuck off and mind your own business right now.”
I raise an eyebrow at him and turn my head slightly in Rock’s direction.
“Well, that and Rock would fuckin’ kill me.” He glances at Rock. “You haven’t told him, have you?”
Uh-oh. “No. I don’t see any reason to cause trouble. Heidi asked me not to.”
“Go ahead. It’ll earn me a beatdown from Teller or Wrath. I probably deserve it.”
Confused about why Wrath would get involved, I shake my head. “Just leave her alone. She’s with Axel. He treats her well—”
His expression hardens at the mention of Axel’s name. “Axel’s a non-issue once she’s eighteen.”
“Murphy—what about that girl, Serena? She really likes you.”
“She’s a way to pass the time when I’m visiting downstate.” He flashes me a cheeky grin that I want to smack off his face. “I’ll set her up with Axel. Does that make you feel better?”
“Dammit—”
All humor disappears from his face. “Look, I get where you’re coming from. I learned my lesson after her birthday. Whether you think so or not, I want what’s best for her. She needs to concentrate on school, and I know she’s got that college course she’s taking over the summer. I’m not plannin’ to interfere with any of that stuff.”
I think that’s as good as I’m going to get from him at the moment. “Okay. Can I ask you something, though?”
“Shoot.”
“What if she chooses Axel? You have to realize what she felt for you was a girlish crush.”
His mouth opens and closes. Then he lifts his shoulders in a careless shrug. “I love her. That won’t change. I ain’t gonna kill Axel if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Before I have a chance to respond to that, Rock breaks away from his conversation with Sway. A slight frown crosses his face as he takes in Murphy and me. I frown right back at him.
Murphy untangles himself from me. “I’m going to see if T needs anything.” He squeezes my hand before bounding up the front steps of the old Victorian.
“What were you two talking about?” Rock asks.
“Nothing. We’re both worried about Heidi, that’s all.” I hate lying to him, but I’m not really sure what to do at the moment.
Rock’s gaze sweeps up and down the quiet street. “Where’d they go?”
“For a walk. I can’t really blame her for not wanting to hang out inside the house.”
He grunts, “Yeah, guess not,” while rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. Obviously, something is bothering him.
“Are you and Z taking off now?”
He glances at Sway. “In a bit. Tawny’s gonna ride back with you.”
“Okay.”
All of a sudden, he yanks me closer. Settling his big hands on my hips, he stares down at me with a serious expression. “Two things, baby doll.”
I raise an eyebrow, curious to find out what he means.
“Thank you for everything you’re doing for Heidi today. It means a lot to me.”
“Of course.”
“Second thing, you look really beautiful.”
My heart jumps. I did end up wearing the black dress I brought from home. It is too big on me, so I cinched it with a belt, and because it’s chilly, I tossed a cardigan over it. Combined with the sensible black shoes I chose because of the uneven ground I expected at the cemetery, I feel like a dowdy nun. That Rock thinks otherwise—enough to stop and tell me—is nice.
“Thank you.”
Inside, the house is organized chaos. Trinity’s hiding out in the kitchen with Wrath standing guard. Not only did our Lost Kings family follow us back, but some of the grandmother’s friends found their way to the house as well. It’s an awkward comingling.
Turns out Wrath is just as unfriendly to the elderly as he is to everyone else.
Especially if he thinks one of them is indirectly insulting Trinity.
This is where I think my people skills might come in handy. “Thank you so much for coming, Mrs. Brown. Can I help you find a seat in the living room?” I ask as I take the old woman’s plate, offer her my arm, and lead her out of the kitchen.
“That girl shouldn’t be in there touching Sue Anne’s things,” she grumbles at me.
“She’s just trying to help out. Sue Anne wouldn’t want guests going hungry in her house, right?” I have no idea if this is true or not. Heidi’s grandmother didn’t strike me as the hostess type, but we didn’t exactly meet under friendly circumstances. The woman was more likely to throw a cup of coffee in my face than offer me one to drink.
“That’s true, I guess. Are you Heidi’s mother?” She leans in and stage-whispers at me, “I thought you were a prostitute?”
Oh dear.
“No. No. I’m a friend of the family.”
“Oh. You look nice. Not like the rest of those barbarians her grandson associates with.”
My mouth twitches, but I manage to keep it together, find the woman a place to sit, someone else to talk to, and escape into the kitchen myself.
Tense voices reach my ears rig
ht outside the kitchen doorway. I can’t make out what Trinity said, but Tawny comes through loud and clear. “Where’s Hope? She should be taking care of this stuff, not you,” she bitches.
Jeez, is it too late to escape out the front door?
But no, I can’t leave Trinity. Not when it seems Wrath has disappeared. “Hi, Tawny.”
She turns and gives me a warm smile. “There you are. The old lady of the upstate charter.”
Good grief.
Trinity rolls her eyes and sticks out her tongue at Tawny’s back, and I do my best not to giggle.
Tawny gives me a tight embrace. “Bet you didn’t think you were going to see me again so soon, did you?” she asks.
“No, but it’s a pleasure, even under the terrible circumstances. I know Teller and Heidi appreciate you guys being here for them.”
She beams at me, and I mentally give myself a pat on the back. Over Tawny’s shoulder, I spot Trinity giving me a thumbs-up.
Squelching down my laughter, I focus on Tawny. “Did the guys take off?” I ask.
She waves her hand in the air. “You know the men. Club business can’t wait—not even for death. Now where’s Heidi? I haven’t seen her in a few years.” She steers me into the living room and onto the front porch.
We find Heidi and Axel sitting on the front steps together. Tawny fusses over her, which surprisingly seems to cheer her up. Heidi introduces Axel, and Tawny rakes her gaze over him like he’s a prime rib.
“You’re a prospect, Axel?” I guess she’s forgotten that she's already met him.
“Yes, ma’am.” I’ve never seen Axel nervous, but Tawny seems to freak him out. I can’t blame the kid.
Murphy ambles up and observes the scene. For once, he seems to take mercy on Axel. “Prospect, drinks are gettin’ thin. Go grab some sodas,” he says, tossing him a set of keys.
Axel catches them midair and nods. “Nice meetin’ you, Tawny.”
“I’m sure I’ll see you again later,” she coos.
Disturbing.
Murphy sits next to Heidi on the step and slips an arm around her shoulders. I’m trying to keep an eye on them and keep up with Tawny’s chatter. Eventually, I give up. They’re in broad daylight. Murphy promised me he’d behave. So when Tawny pulls me inside, I follow.
“So this guy whose stash we jacked is legit?” Z asks as we drive back to the clubhouse in Sway’s SUV.
Sway chuckles. “Yeah, it’s an embarrassing situation. He and his partners run a shop out in New Hampshire. Don’t need permits or anything out there.”
“So who jacked them?”
“Fucking little gangsters from the city tryin’ to move in on our turf. Gonna get ugly before it gets better, I’m afraid.”
I’m familiar with the dilemma Sway’s facing. “I hear that.”
“You still got that snake problem up here?”
“Yup.”
Sway just grunts in response.
“So I didn’t bring cash to replace what I’m takin’ back, but I think you’ll be pleased.” He gestures for Z to pull one of the bags in the cargo area up front.
A black POF P-415 rests inside. I don’t take it out since, you know, we’re driving around in broad daylight and all.
“There’s two of ‘em,” Sway explains.
“Yeah, all right. Can definitely use those,” I say as I pass the bag back to Z.
“These will be fun to put on paper,” Z says, getting all giddy at the thought of blowing holes through shit. “These are supposed to run cooler and be more accurate.”
“Good deer gun,” Sway comments.
Yeah, I don’t really picture Sway stalking through timber with those.
Z taps my shoulder. “Call Wrath, see if they’re wrapping up soon.”
Wrath answers on the first ring. “What?”
“You with the girls?”
“Not at the moment. All those old biddies were givin’ me a headache. Why?”
“Nothing. Wanted an ETA.”
“Christ, can’t be away from your woman for more than five seconds?” he snarks. Even though he’s giving me a hard time, by the sound of things, he’s on his way to where the girls are.
“Why don’t you have Trin start wrappin’ stuff up” I suggest.
“Gladly.”
I listen while he barks out orders to Murphy.
“See you in a bit, prez,” he says and hangs up.
When we arrive, the clubhouse is empty. Z takes the weapons Sway brought and stashes them in our locker. He brings up the ones we’re handing over, and we help Sway get things packed down in the back of his SUV for the trip home.
After that, there’s not much else to do besides wait for the girls. Z wanders inside while Sway and I sit outside.
“So this woman, she’s it for you?” he asks after a while.
“Yeah.”
“‘Bout time. Need to have a son to leave the club to.”
Well, fuck if that’s not a punch in the balls. “Nah. I ain’t worried about that. Teller or Z would make fine presidents. Murphy, if he quits his bitching.”
Sway chuckles. “Notice you ain’t mentioning Wrath.”
“Fuck, no. He’s got no interest. Need him right where he is anyway.”
His mouth twists into a smirk. “Where? Looked like all he was doin’ was hovering ‘round Trinity back at the wake.”
Yeah, I don’t even think Wrath saw Sway. Not that we were there very long. I don’t feel like gossiping about my brother, though, so I ignore Sway’s comment.
For a while, we reminisce about old times. Sway’s impressed with our setup. We talk about some of the other changes we want to make so we’re more self-sufficient.
“You got some green I can take back?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Man, we’re tapped. Sparky’s got a sick crop he’s tending to. I got this gangster asshole breathin’ down my neck for larger shipments.”
“That sucks.”
“Yes, it does, my friend.”
“You need help with the gangster?”
I snort out a humorless laugh. “Not yet. His crew is our largest customer, and they still pay cash.”
“Cash is king,” he jokes. I roll my eyes skyward, and Sway gives me a friendly punch in the arm. “No, seriously, I might be able to hook you up with a crew down my way, if you’re interested.”
“Maybe.” While I appreciate the offer—and I do—I also know Sway will want a percentage of our sales. I also don’t like the idea of needing his help to take care of my club. Might as well just hand him my president patch now if I can’t figure this out on my own.
We’re interrupted by the return of both cars, and I walk over to meet Hope. Murphy’s the first one out and rushes around the car to open the door for Tawny, who pats him on the cheek like he’s a kid. She barely throws a glance her husband’s way.
Hope flings the back door open, and my breath catches when I see her smiling up at me. She grasps my hand and hops down from the SUV. For a moment, everyone else in the yard disappears. As she wraps her arms around my middle, all the unease from the day evaporates.
“Hey, you,” she whispers up at me.
After I press a kiss against her forehead, I ask, “Everything go okay?”
“I think so.” She loosens her grip and turns toward Wrath. “Well, except for Wrath scaring all the old ladies out of the house,” she explains with a chuckle.
Wrath shrugs. “What? They didn’t take any of your hints. Had to do somethin’,” he explains without a trace of remorse. His gaze falls on Sway, and he lifts his chin. “What up, brother? Long time.”
“Yeah.” Sway marches over so they can catch up.
“Heidi stay out there?” I ask.
Murphy joins us. “Yeah, she’s got school tomorrow. Teller helped her pack up some stuff to bring to his place.”
“Good.”
Seeing how irritated Tawny is, Hope kisses my cheek and joins her. What they still have to talk about after spending the day
together I have no idea, but I appreciate Hope making the effort. I admire my girl for stepping up yet again. It means a lot to me that she tries so hard to make sense of the club’s culture—something so foreign to her—and help where she can. She’s always so sensitive to other’s feelings—something a lot of us around here lack.
Wrath’s still catching up with Sway. Trinity looks a little lost as she watches everyone.
“Need help, sweetheart?” I ask as I wander in her direction.
A nervous smile flickers over her face. “Nah, I got it, prez. Thanks.”
“Murph,” I call out.
“Yeah, prez.”
“Help Trin unload, please.”
“Yup.” He turns and snags the keys out of her pocket, making her laugh.
Satisfied that’s taken care of, I’m antsy to be alone with Hope. Seems like we’re all outside yapping forever when Sway finally declares it’s time to get on the road.
“You sure you don’t want to stay?” I ask out of respect.
“Nah, got a meetin’ later.”
After we send them off, everyone’s still standing around bullshittin’. I’ve been as patient as I can be. Wrapping my hand around Hope’s elbow, I tug her away from Trinity. “Need to have a word with my first lady.”
At first, she startles, like she’s afraid I’m mad at her. With a tilt of my head and a raised eyebrow, she gets the picture quick.
Her lips curve into a flirty smile. “Yes, Mr. President.”
I’m exhausted when we finally get back to the clubhouse. Entertaining Tawny used up all my reserves. I struggled not to show my joy when they headed home.
Rock is clearly agitated about something. When he finally gets me alone, he wastes no time leading me upstairs. Once we’re in our room, he sits on the side of the bed to take off his boots while I wander into my closet to deposit my shoes and sweater.
“Hope?” His voice pulls me out of the closet, to his side.
As I’m standing in front of him, he tugs me between his legs and drops his head against my stomach. “Thank you for all you did today,” he mumbles against me.