Page 18 of Raven (Sinners Revenge MC- Rapid City, SD #6)
Sydney
I t was Friday again, and I was looking forward to the weekend.
Caleb and the Sinners had a club ride scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I was eager to go.
I’d heard about club rides throughout my life, but I wasn’t an ol’ lady, so I’d never been on one.
He said we’d be gone for three to four hours then we’d go to the Sin Den and have a cookout.
I had to stop by the grocery store on my way home so I could make a dish to contribute to the event, even though he insisted there would be enough without me having to cook after work today. It was my first big club event, and I didn’t want to go empty-handed.
He and Joel were working on an old Indian that was dropped off for body work after a small fender-bender, and I was putting the last of the parts on Nitro’s bike.
The leather-smith was coming this afternoon to pick up the saddle bags so they could be cleaned and repaired if needed, and the bike would be washed and polished while he was working on them.
The part I had ordered for a new headlight mount didn’t want to fit correctly, and with each miss of the screw onto the frame, I felt my frustration growing higher.
Deep down, I knew it wasn’t the bike that had me frustrated, but it was the icing on the cake. For the last week, I’ve wanted to ask Caleb what Warhol had discovered about Rooster, but didn’t want to bring up the negative, when everything else was positive.
For the first time in my life, I was truly happy. Whatever the future held, I knew it was going to be good, and the unknown where Rooster and his boys were concerned was the only thing hanging heavy over my head.
Sighing after another miss of the screw, I stood from my rolling seat and placed the screwdriver onto my cart.
I rolled my neck and tried to exhale the scream that threatened to erupt from my lips, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Joel glance at me.
His brow was furrowed and I shook my head and turned to step away from the bike for a minute.
The radio was blaring music throughout the shop as I approached my worktable and ran my hands over the leather of Nitro’s saddle bags. It was old leather, showing the countless miles he’d spent on the open road, with small scratches and cracks running along the front.
Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, I saw I had about an hour before Bruce, the leather-smith, arrived, so I decided to clean out the inside of the bags before he got here.
Reaching inside, I felt various things rolling under my fingertips, and as I pulled the items out, I started to get a better picture of Nitro.
He had a few gum wrappers, an empty pack of cigarettes, a small toolbox, and what felt like a pair of jeans stuffed inside. I pulled the jeans out and saw it was a full change of clothes, so I placed them onto a clean part of my worktable, thinking Roughstock would want them back.
I didn’t realize anyone had walked up until I felt a hand on my shoulder. Spinning, I found Caleb standing behind me with a smile on his face.
“How’s it going?” he asked, and I shook my head and wiped my hands off on the rag stuffed into the pocket of my coveralls.
“The damn mount won’t attach properly, and I’m thinking I may need to order another one,” I responded, and he glanced at the bike.
“I can help if you want me to.” His shrug and smile were cute, but I hated asking for help. Almost like he knew what I was thinking, he stepped closer and pulled me against his body as he added, “And I’m not trying to step on your toes, but Joel said you seemed frustrated. I just want to help.”
“Maybe you can hold it while I get the screw to bite into the frame, then I should be good to finish,” I answered, and he pecked me on the nose before releasing me.
We walked back to the bike and for the next thirty minutes, he and I managed to maneuver the mount into the right position and get it screwed into place. I smiled when it was done and stood from my seat.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Anytime, darlin’,” Caleb answered and looked at the saddle bags. “What time is Bruce coming?”
Looking at the clock, I replied, “Twenty minutes or so.”
“Then I’ll let you get things ready for him.” Caleb went to walk away but glanced over his shoulder as he said, “Roughstock is going to be grateful for all the hard work you’ve put into Nitro’s bike.”
I smiled and replied, “I’m honored he trusted me to take care of something so personal.”
Caleb winked at me before turning and walking across the shop to the office. I went back to the saddle bags, wanting to get everything out before Bruce walked in. Reaching farther into the leather bags, I felt something small near the bottom.
“I frickin’ hate being short,” I mumbled to myself as I used the toe of my boot to pull a small rolling stepstool closer.
At five-five, I wasn’t exactly short but I definitely wasn’t tall, so I kept a stepstool around for necessity.
Stepping up, I looked inside and saw a spiral coil pushed against the side of the bag.
I pulled it out, placing it with the clothes and other items I’d found.
After inspecting it for anything else, I pulled the tops down and slipped the straps into the buckles.
The items were dusty, and I brushed my hands together as I stepped down from the stool. Looking at the small pile of items, I was about to put them into a bag to take to the Sin Den after work when something caught my eye.
I should have left it alone, but it was a pristine white envelope in an otherwise dusty pile of belongings, making it stand out from everything else. I cut my eyes to the side and reached out, pulling the envelope from between the items of clothing.
Warhol’s name was scrawled on the front, and I flipped it over to see it was sealed.
Shrugging, I walked across the shop with the letter in my hand and entered the office.
Caleb was talking to a customer and turned his head to glance at me before he returned to the conversation.
I sat down at the desk, brought the computer to life, and logged into the local box store’s website so I could start my grocery pick-up order.
Clicking through a few items, I was about to place the order when I heard the bell on the front door ring. Lifting my gaze, I saw the customer was gone and Caleb was sauntering toward me with a smirk on his face.
“Miss me, darlin’?” he joked as he approached me.
“Every second of every day,” I admitted, and he smiled bigger before leaning over and giving me a kiss on the lips. He stood up and was about to walk back into the shop when I stopped him. “Caleb, I don’t know what to do with this, but I thought you might have an idea.”
Handing him the envelope, he looked at it and then at me with confusion on his face. “What’s this?”
Spinning the chair to face him, I crossed my arms over my chest and explained, “I found it inside Nitro’s saddle bag, tucked between come clothes. I . . . I didn’t know what I should do with it.”
He looked at it again, turning it over and looking at the seal before handing it back to me. “Give it to Warhol tomorrow, and if it’s not something still relevant, he can give it to Roughstock.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, not wanting to cause any trouble.
The Sinners Revenge had taken me in, just like Uncle Billy said they would, and I didn’t want to be the reason the club experienced any pain.
He leaned over and kissed me again. “I’m positive.”
Winking, he turned and walked out of the office as I looked at the envelope.
It wasn’t unusual for people to leave important items in saddle bags, but something about this felt different.
Maybe it was the fact that Nitro was killed by a former brother, which I found out a few nights ago, or the fact that it was so clean, where everything else was so dusty.
Whatever the reason, I felt like this was something bigger than me, but I trusted Caleb and his opinion.
After finishing the online order, I turned the computer off and walked back into the shop.
The temperature was nice outside, and a cool breeze blew through the open doors as I walked back to my workbench and began to put the items I retrieved from the saddle bag into a bag for Roughstock.
I tucked the envelope into my toolbox so I could give it to Warhol the next time I saw him.
Bruce arrived a few minutes later and took the saddle bags for restoration. He promised he’d have them back within a week, saying there was only so much he could do with old leather. For the rest of the afternoon, I didn’t think about much besides the ride tomorrow.
When we finished working, I left immediately instead of staying behind with Caleb.
I wanted to get the groceries picked up and make my dish before it got too late.
He and I were still driving separately, but he hinted that once he parked his bike for the winter months, he’d like for us to ride together, and the thought of that sounded appealing.
When I pulled up to the house and parked my truck alongside my unused trailer, I turned the engine off and stared at the tiny trailer I’d survived in for months.
It was barely big enough to turn around in, but I’d resolved that it would be where I lived until Rooster’s debt was paid.
Looking at the brick home I’d been living in for almost two weeks, I realized how unexpected life could be.
The attraction to Caleb was instant, but I’d fought my desires, refusing to let my plan be derailed.
When I got sick, Caleb rushed in, kicking down all the walls I’d built around my heart.
I loved him and for the last day or two, it’s all I wanted to say to him, but I worried it was too much, too soon.
Even if he called me his ol’ lady, and the brothers treated me as such, we still hadn’t said the words to each other.
Shaking my head, I questioned what I was waiting for as I got out of the truck and grabbed the bags from the front seat.
Using the key he’d given me, I let myself in the side door to the kitchen and placed the bags onto the island.
I wasn’t much of a cook, so I was making a cold dessert that didn’t require much skill to pull together.
It was the only thing I remembered my mother making for me.
Walking to the bedroom, I quickly changed clothes and washed my hands before walking back into the kitchen.
I heard Caleb’s bike pulling up as I began to put the dessert together, making sure to triple it since there were so many people coming tomorrow.
Caleb walked inside, and I heard the garage door closing behind him as I looked at him. He smiled and moved straight to me, placing his hands on my hips and kissing me until I was breathless.
“Damn, I love seeing you in our house,” he commented and started to walk out of the room.
I couldn’t help but ask, “Our house?”
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at me as he remarked, “Yep. Our house, where we’ll live until we outgrow it with kids.”
Walking away, he left me speechless in the kitchen. I never thought about having a family, and immediately, fear overtook me, but the longer I let the words settle into my soul, the more I knew that a family with Caleb was exactly what I wanted.
I just had to get Rooster and his bullshit dealt with, then I could turn toward our future and whatever it would hold.