Page 8 of Bandit’s Bounty (Iron Howlers MC #3)
Chapter Seven
Sloane
I ’m puttering around my store, refilling and replenishing the stock on my shelves while I make note of what I’m going to need to order when the chime over the door rings.
“Hey, Sloane,” Raine says, walking inside.
“Hey, Raine,” I reply, walking over to her so I can give her a hug. She’s Bandit’s sister and we’ve become such good friends once we were formally introduced. While he’s older than her, she still has stories for days about what he was like when he was younger. “What’s going on?”
“Thought I’d see if I could pry you away from my brother long enough to maybe go to lunch?” she asks.
“Sure, why not? I think he’s got something for the club going on right now anyhow,” I tell her. “I was just getting some things together for Harmony and Electra to take back to the clubhouse when I was done working. It’s nothing that won’t keep until I get back from our lunch date.”
“Go grab your purse then, woman,” she instructs while giggling. “We’ve got food to nosh on and maybe some window shopping afterward, who knows? The sky's the limit.”
Shaking my head at her antics, I walk through to the back storeroom and pull my purse from its hidey-hole. Looking around, I make sure the back door is locked up nice and tight then go back out to the front. “I’m ready,” I state. Once she walks out the front door, I turn over the small sign to ‘closed’, shut off the lights, set the alarm, then follow her out. I lock the front door then double check to make sure it’s actually secure before I loop my arm through hers and say, “Lead the way, girlfriend.”
We opt for the diner since the food is plentiful and tastes fantastic. I’ve noticed an increase in my appetite, even though I haven’t gained any weight. I guess I could ask Bandit if it has anything to do with the fact I’m going to be a shifter, since I know they have ridiculously high metabolisms. Shrugging, I push it to the back of my mind as I pick up the menu and start to look it over.
“Everything looks good,” I murmur. “It makes it hard to pick and choose.”
“Right? I think I could eat one of everything,” Raine concurs. “Still, I’ll try to contain myself, although I’m leaning toward a hot and hearty breakfast.”
The thought of bacon and sausage sends curls of nausea to roll through me and I shake my head. “Doesn’t sound appealing to me today for some reason,” I admit. “But that double cheeseburger with fries sounds right up my alley.”
“Don’t forget a milkshake,” she teases, knowing my penchant for the diner’s handmade shakes. The ice cream itself is phenomenal on its own, but then they put the rest together in one of those old-fashioned stirrers which whips it all together into frosty, frothy goodness. My mouth starts watering as I nod.
“Yeah, I think I’ll be adding one of those onto my order too. Oh, and some additional pickles spears on the side.”
“Are you pregnant or something?” Raine suddenly questions, all teasing set to the side. “Because that’s a really wild variation of food.”
Shrugging, I tell her, “No clue, but since it all sounds good to me, that’s what I’ll get. Oh, and a root beer.”
She starts giggling and can’t stop as the waitress approaches to take our orders. Finally, taking pity on her, I place both of our orders as Raine has tears pouring down her face from laughing so hard. “Stop being so ridiculous,” I hiss at her, not wanting to draw further attention to our table. Except, the fact that she’s laughing makes me happy because she’s been a bit withdrawn for quite some time now.
I think that could be another thing that connects us beside Bandit. She had a bad breakup and has taken time to lick her wounds, as anyone should. Since I went through the same damn thing with Dane several years ago, I completely understand.
As the waitress brings our food to us, I briefly wonder… could I be pregnant? And if I am, would that be a bad thing? I’ve always wanted a family.
“So, what’s been going on with you?” I ask Raine once I’ve started eating.
“Nothing much,” she replies, evading my eyes. When she sees my brows are raised, she adds, “I swear, if there was anything going on, I’d tell you.”
I feel like she’s lying to me, but I don’t know her well enough yet to call her out on it. Still, it’s concerning so I make a note to talk to Bandit about it later since she’s his sister.
“I need to have Bandit look at my car,” she suddenly says. “It’s past due for an oil change, but there’s also this ticking noise that keeps getting louder.”
“Raine!” I exclaim. “Really? And you’re just driving around all willy-nilly when your brother is more than capable of figuring out what’s going on?”
“I mean, I figured it was okay since my check engine light hasn’t come on yet,” she admits. “I promise, I’ll get him to go over it soon.”
“You better,” I retort. “Don’t think I won’t tell him either,” I warn, grinning at her. When she tosses a napkin at me, I hold my hands up and exclaim, “Hey, now, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t make sure she was safe?”
She shakes her head then changes the subject to something else. “So, I’ve finally got a little bit of alone time,” she states.
“How so?” I ask.
“Mom and Dad took a day trip to the mountains,” she replies. Leaning closer she adds, “They haven’t shifted since I moved back home, but I convinced them I was okay to stay by myself because I know how important it is for them to regularly shift.”
“Make sure you get Bandit to look at your car,” I say to Raine as she prepares to leave. “I think he’s at the clubhouse, but he could also be at the Spiked Raiders’ clubhouse. Just, promise me you’ll call him? All those lights and shit aren’t good indicators, Raine, and you’ll worry him if you’re driving around in something that’s not safe.”
At this point, I feel like a fucking broken record reiterating what we talked about over lunch, but I can’t help myself at this point.
“I will, I will, I promise,” she vows, leaning in to give me a hug. “Call me later?”
“Definitely,” reply. “Now, be careful and stay safe!”
“Okay, Mom ,” she teases.
I watch her pull off then head back into the store so I can get stuff wrapped up since I’m going to meet Bandit at the Spiked Raiders’ clubhouse afterward. I can’t wait to see Karsyn’s little ones again. I know I enjoy how much fun Jazzy is but seeing her and Sage as they wind all the brothers around their little fingers makes me giggle. A bunch of burly, foul-mouthed badass bikers practically fall all over themselves when the two little girls ask for something. Plus, now that I’ve joined the ranks of the old ladies, I’m reveling in the newfound sisterhood. Harmony, Karsyn, and Electra are all witches, while I was a human, but now we’re all shifters. Not having had many girlfriends growing up, it’s a unique experience for me, but I’m thoroughly enjoying all the gossip as they explain how the club works, what the history was before, and the basic expectations when it comes to our roles within the male-oriented hierarchy.
Shaking my head at how silly the guys can be sometimes, I bag up a few items I know that Electra was looking for, then pull a few things together so that Jazzy and Sage can ‘make’ magic with their mothers. Actually, the kits I’m assembling will allow them to make their own natural lip balms and body lotion. I won’t add the essential oils since I don’t know what Jazzy or Sage prefer, but I do have an assortment in small vials for Harmony and Karsyn to help them add.
“You’re loving this, and you know it,” I murmur to myself as I place the stuff for the two little girls into fancy gift bags, while Electra’s is put in a regular store bag with my business logo on it.
A mysterious voice from inside of me startles me and has me nearly dropping to my knees when I hear, It’s just practice for when your daughter arrives.
What on earth? Who was that ? Could I be going crazy? Ugh, I wish Bandit was right here so I could ask him if he knew.
I’m your wolf, Sloane. You’ll meet me soon. Don’t be afraid. This was predestined by the Fates to happen.
This time I do stumble, but thankfully, instead of my ass hitting the floor, I end up in the chair I occasionally use at my workstation. So many questions are now flying through my head, and I have no clue where to start with regard to asking them. Should I ask Bandit? One of the other old ladies? I truly don’t know and for someone who thrives on being organized and understanding every angle of something, I feel ridiculously discombobulated right now. I need Bandit. Yes, that’s exactly who I need.
He’s the calm to the mutinous storms that want to rage within me. Patient and understanding, he has helped reinforce my rebuilt self-confidence and self-esteem. While I will never claim to completely understand how the fated mate bond works, I’m glad he knew I was his, because each and every day, I learn something new about him, as well as myself.
Gathering everything that I planned to take to the clubhouse, I hurriedly shut the store down and rush to my car with all the bags and totes I packed. Tossing them onto the passenger seat, I slide into the driver’s side, buckle up, then start my car, eager to see my mate and the one who’ll always be there for me when I need him.
I know I’ll get the answers I need even if I don’t fully comprehend them at the time. Bandit will help me figure all of it out.