Page 15
Waverly
I PROMISED GIO I’d pick him up from his place right after work, but I was running a little late. I hated being late. I rushed up the stairs and knocked on his door, but he didn’t respond right away, so I knocked again.
“It’s open!” he bellowed.
I walked inside and stalled.
He was sitting on the edge of his sofa, a bandana pulled up over his mouth and nose, sawing off his cast with a hacksaw.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking this off,” he said, nodding to the cast, an assortment of tools splayed out at his feet .
“Well, stop doing that,” I ordered, closing the door behind me.
“I can’t,” he said. “I need to be able to ride. It’s war.”
“What do you mean it’s war?” I dropped my purse on one of his ratty chairs.
He filled me in on what happened to one of their recruits, and even though I had a feeling he was holding something back, the fact a man had been murdered because of a rival club freaked me the hell out.
I sat in the chair I’d set my purse on and dropped my face in my hands. “So, this Warlock person has decided he wants Hatch to give him the cannabis operation and he’s going to kill people if he doesn’t?”
“Pretty much,” Gio said. “Hatch won’t let that stand.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means war, Fizzy.”
“You said that before. What does war mean, Gio?”
“It means he killed one of ours, so Warlock’s goin’ down.”
“Eye-for-an-eye type shit?”
“Yeah, baby, eye-for-an-eye type shit, although, I have a feelin’ Hatch ain’t gonna give Warlock the quick type of death Grip got.”
I gasped. “Hatch plans on murdering him?”
Gio went very still and met my eyes. “Did I say that?”
“I’m about on the razor’s edge with you right now,” I hissed .
“If someone killed Lennon, would you stand by and do nothing?”
“I wouldn’t seek revenge,” I said. “I’d let the authorities handle it.”
“Yeah, well, the authorities don’t always have the autonomy to do what needs to be done.”
“Then, let karma take care of it.”
He snorted. “Karma?”
“Well, yes. Delbert got his eventually. You live by the sword, die by the sword.”
Gio cocked his head and then he shook it.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re not ready.”
“I’m not ready for what?”
“We’ll talk about it later.” He went back to sawing off his cast.
I sighed. “No, I don’t think we will.”
“What does that mean?”
“I didn’t sign up for this.”
He studied me again. “Are you fuckin’ bailing?”
“Do you expect me to just look the other way?”
“I guess love doesn’t conquer all, huh?” he bit out.
“I can’t be in a relationship with someone who condones murder.”
“Even if it means you don’t get raped again, or another one of my brothers isn’t murdered in return?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “We need to let the authorities handle it.”
He scoffed. “You’re fuckin’ na?ve.”
“At least I can sleep at night. ”
“Liar.”
I bit my lip, standing and snatching my purse off the chair. “Do not have me followed.”
“If you’re on anyone’s radar, Waverly, I will protect you.” He glared at me. “You don’t have a fuckin’ choice in the matter.”
“Stalking’s a crime in this country, Gio.”
“Again, don’t give a fuck.”
I made my way to the door. “Please don’t get yourself killed.”
“If you’re bailin’ on me, on us , you don’t have a say in the matter.”
I took a deep, shaky breath, then walked out the door refusing to let him see the tears streaming down my face.
* * *
The next afternoon, I had just opened a bottle of wine and pulled out a bag of Cheetos when my doorbell rang.
I checked my camera and dropped my head with a curse. I took a quiet breath, hoping if I was really, really still, maybe they’d go away.
Katie leaned in, close to the camera. “We know you’re here, Waverly.”
“Goddammit.”
“Darling,” Maisie piled on. “Please just open the door, love. We only want to talk.”
I engaged the microphone with a sigh. “Now’s not a good time.”
“Open the door,” Katie ordered .
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“I’m um, giving myself an enema. It’s impossible for me to come to the door.”
“Squeeze that anus closed, hold your water, and waddle on over to unlock the door,” Katie hissed. “We’ll give you a minute.”
“I have rabies.”
“I have a shot for that.”
“I’m already foaming at the mouth. Too far gone,” I said, then snarled.
Katie smiled. “I will hold you down while you die.”
“Scabies?”
“Got a cream and a spray for that.”
“Scurvy.”
“I have a Vitamin C infusion that will clear that right up,” Katie retorted. “It’s also not contagious.”
I let out a frustrated squeak. “If you’re here to try and convince me to get back together with Gio, you’re wasting your breath.”
“We’re not,” Maisie said. “Please open the door, love.”
I groaned, but made my way to the door and pulled it open. The women pushed in, and Katie closed the door behind them.
“Your home is lovely,” Maisie said.
“Thank you. I don’t mean to be rude, but what do you want?”
“We need you to pack a bag. Enough for a week or two, and then follow us to my home,” Maisie said.
“I’m sorry.” I frowned. “What? ”
“We’re locked down,” Katie said.
“What does that mean?”
“As Razor explained, we’ve had some trouble with a rival club,” Maisie said. “So, Hatch has locked the club down. This means, family needs to be in a place that’s safe. Our home is safe, and he’d like you there.”
I threw my hand in the air. “Gio and I are not together.”
“You’re family now, darling,” Maisie said. “Even if you and Razor aren’t together, it’s possible the Spiders know who you are. Our home is fortified, and Hatch would like you there.”
“No.”
Katie shrugged. “It’s not really a request.”
“I just opened a bottle of wine. I have food in my fridge that will go bad if I don’t cook it. I have work!”
“Bring the wine, bring the food. We’ll cook it at my place,” Maisie said. “You can still go to work. One of the boys will take you.”
“No, I will not be party to illegal activities.”
“What illegal activities?” Maisie asked. “We’re simply trying to protect you.”
“Your husband is going to murder someone.”
She gasped. “He is not. Hatch is not a murderer.”
“That’s not what Gio said.”
“Then he spoke out of turn,” Maisie said. “Razor has a tendency to say things when he’s angry that get him into trouble. But rest assured, no one is doing anything illegal on our side of the fence.”
“I really don’t think I need to come with you,” I said. “No one could possibly know who I am. I’m a physical therapist with no ties to anything relating to your club. I’ll be fine right here.”
“You might be right,” Maisie said. “But should we all discover that’s not the case, and you’re harmed in some way, Razor, and Hatch for that matter, will lose their ever-blessed minds, so get your bloody arse in your room and pack a goddamned bag !”
I reared back like she’d hit me, and Katie raised an eyebrow before busting out in laughter. “Holy shit. Go, Maisie.” She then turned to me. “I think you better do what she says. I’ve never seen her like this before.”
“I’ve never had any of my kids push me this far before.” Maisie took a deep breath. “You know, you and Razor are made for each other. You’re a pair of perfectly pig-headed peas in a pod.”
“Oh my god, a quintuple alliteration,” Katie breathed out. “You better start packing before she turns anymore British. You’ve clearly already pushed her into the red.”
Maisie just smiled and blinked.
Slowly.
“Fine. I’ll go pack,” I ground out.
“I’ll get the food out of the fridge,” Katie offered.
“Whatever,” I snapped, and stalked down the hall.
Pulling up to Hatch and Maisie’s home, I parked my car on the street and climbed out.
Katie met me and smiled. “The boys will grab your stuff. ”
I followed her into the house and handed my keys off to someone, I think his name was Buzz, then we headed downstairs to the basement.
I was gob smacked when I hit the last step. This wasn’t a basement. This was another home. First of all, from the outside of the home you wouldn’t know there was a basement, which is probably the intent, and from the inside, the door was hidden behind a hidden panel. So, if you even discovered the panel to begin with, you’d have to enter a code, then get through what I was told was a steel reinforced door.
“All of the windows are bullet proof,” Katie explained as she gave me a tour. “The kitchen’s small, but it has everything we need. I’ve told Buzz to bring your stuff down here, although, we’ll all be eating upstairs unless there’s an actual threat.”
“You’re staying too?”
“Yep. I’m in the room next to yours. There are three bedrooms and four bathrooms down here, along with a theater, a great room, and some hidden exits that will lead to cars if we have to escape without being seen. Hatch’s office and a gym used to be down here, but he moved those upstairs, when Poppy and Flash moved out. Gave the basement a bit of an overhaul, and now there’s more room for the club.”
“Um, why would we have to escape without being seen?” I asked.
“We probably won’t have to,” Katie said. “But Hatch wants us all to be safe, so he tends to think of things we don’t.”
“How are you so calm about all of this?” I rasped .
Katie sighed. “Outside of the fact my brother’s been in the club since, I don’t know, forever ? The club’s my family, Waverly. Not just my friends.”
“But they’re going to war.”
“A war they didn’t start,” she reminded me.
“We’re not in high school,” I said.
“Look at it this way,” Maisie said, joining us. “We are getting ready for war, rather than going to war. Hatch is making sure everyone we care about is protected just in case. Does that help?”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. The hope is that all of this is over preparation, and it’ll be resolved soon.”
I bit my lip. “How are you privy to all of this? Aren’t clubs usually super secretive?”
“Sweet girl, something you need to know about my old man is that he always does the right thing. Always.” Maisie raised an eyebrow. “Now, who’s hungry?”
“I’m starving,” Katie said.
“Since you interrupted my wine and Cheetos party, I should probably get some protein in me,” I grumbled.
“Scurvy indeed,” Maisie retorted.
“I’ll just show Waverly her room, then we’ll come up and help.”
“Maisie!” a male voice bellowed from somewhere.
“Coming,” she called back. “Come on up when you’re ready.”
Maisie walked away and Katie led me down the hall. “Maisie put you in here. It has its own bathroom.”
I stepped inside and stifled a gasp. The room was bigger than my home. Maybe an exaggeration, but not by much. It had a king-sized bed, giant cuddle chair by the window, large closet, dresser, and the bathroom even had a giant tub and double sinks. It was stunning.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
“Yeah, their home is what dreams are made of.”
“Where am I puttin’ this shit?” a deep male voice demanded.
“In here, Buzz,” Katie replied.
A large, scary, biker dude walked in with my things and set them on the bed, smiling at me. I couldn’t stop myself from stepping back.
“Hey, I’m Buzz.”
“Hi,” I squeaked.
“This is Waverly,” Katie said for me. “Razor’s girl.”
“I’m not Gio’s anything,” I ground out.
Buzz raised his hands, like he was surrendering, then walked out of the room.
I turned to Katie. “Why would you say that to him?”
“Do you want Buzz coming onto you?”
“What? No. He wouldn’t .”
“He absolutely would,” she countered. “Then Razor would lose his shit, and he’d challenge Buzz to some kind of biker duel, which he is so not in shape to win, which would mean, Buzz would probably pull his punches, which in turn would piss Razor off, and then he’d get all feral, and hurt himself more— ”
“Stop.” I held my hand up. “You’ve made your point.”
Katie grinned. “Plus, now that Buzz has been told this little nugget, he’ll tell everyone because he’s the worst gossip in the club, so no one will bug you going forward. You’re welcome.”
“Great.” I groaned. “Just great.”
“Come on. Let’s go help with dinner.”
“What’s a biker duel?” I asked as we climbed the stairs.
“Usually punching each other, bare knuckled, out the back of Big Ernie’s.”
“What the heck is Big Ernie’s?”
“Auto body shop where they house the compound.”
“Barbaric.”
Katie stopped on the next to the last step and faced me. “You need to quit.”
“Sorry?”
“These men. The Barbarians you’re referring to, are currently keeping you safe. They are my friends, my brothers , and they are the best humans I’ve ever known. I get that you were hurt, and I feel that in my soul for you, honey, I really do. But they are not your enemy. I am not your enemy. Hatch and Maisie are not your enemy.”
“You’re right.” I could no longer hold back my stress, and I burst into tears, sitting on the stair I’d been standing on and dropping my face into my hands. “I can’t cope, Katie. It’s too much.”
She lowered herself and sat beside me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders with a sigh. “Honey, I totally get it. This has got to be a total mind fuck for you. But you have to trust that Razor will keep you safe.”
“I don’t understand why I keep self-sabotaging. I see what everyone’s doing for me, but I can’t seem to get past the ‘thing,’ you know?”
“Yeah, I get it. Our brain makes up narratives. It fucks with us.”
“I can’t sleep, I don’t eat... well, anyway.” I pressed my palms to my temples. “I miss him like I’m missing a limb, and yet, I can’t stop myself from pushing him away. It’s totally irrational.”
“It’s not irrational. It’s called trauma.”
“I’m sorry I’ve said unkind things about your friends.”
“I forgive you.” She smiled. “Come on, let’s go see what Maisie’s cooking. I’m starving and she’s the best cook I’ve ever met.”
I nodded. “Let me just get myself together and I’ll be right there.”
Katie gave me a squeeze. “Okay, honey. I’ll pour you some wine and have it waiting.”
“Thanks.”
Katie headed back up the stairs and I gave myself an internal lecture.
* * *
Razor
I limped into Hatch and Maisie’s home, my leg on fire, which, let’s be honest, wasn’t a surprise because I probably shouldn’t have taken my fuckin’ cast off so soon, but the feeling of having my bike back under me? Fuckin’ worth it.
I closed and locked the door behind me and the familiar scent of jasmine hit my nose and I frowned. But that was crazy. There was no way.
I headed back to the great room and stalled.
Apparently, there was a way.
“What the fuck?” I hissed.
Five heads turned my way. Hatch, Maisie, Katie, Buzz... and Waverly.
“Hey, buddy,” Katie said, a shit-eating grin on her face.
“Why is Waverly here?” I demanded.
Maisie stood and made her way to me, kissing my cheek. “Be nice. Do you want dinner?”
I nodded, and she walked into the kitchen, pulling containers out of the fridge.
“Hatch,” I continued as Waverly stared at me like a deer caught in the beam of headlights.
“Think of it like those—” Hatch turned toward the kitchen and asked, “Babe, what are those fuck books Darien writes called?”
“She writes all kinds.”
“Like, the ones where they’re stuck together and shit.”
“Forced proximity?”
He turned back to me. “Think of it like a forced proximity romance novel.”
“This ain’t no fuckin’ romance novel.”
Waverly’s chin quivered as she dropped her eyes to her wine glass and took a giant swig. Katie glared at me and shook her head. I had no idea what I’d missed, but I was currently in too much fuckin’ pain to care.
“I’m going to turn in,” Waverly said, and took her wine glass to the kitchen. “Thanks so much for dinner.”
Without so much as a backward glance, she skittered away and Katie rose to her feet, making her way to me where she flicked me on the forehead.
“Ow, what the hell was that for?” I demanded, rubbing my palm over the place her fingernail had gouged.
“You’re the dumbest fucking dummy on the goddammed planet.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That girl’s in love with you, and you, dumbass, are in love with her and you come in here acting all oily bo-hunk bullshit, asshole, man-bitch, and make her cry. Again?” She sneered. “If I didn’t love you so much, I’d kick you in the nuts.” She glanced down. “Wait. Where the hell is your cast?”
“Uh, I got it off early,” I lied. “Did you say Waverly was crying?”
“Did you cut your cast off yourself?” Katie hissed. “Oh my god, you really are the dumbest of all the asses, aren’t you? We,” she said, motioning to everyone in the room, “have been working our asses off playing nursemaid to you and you’re going to set you progress off six months for what?”
“You know for what,” I said. “If the Spiders are coming for us, I need to be ready.”
“But you’re not ready!” she snapped. “Cutting your cast off early sure as hell isn’t going to make you ready!”
“We’ll never know, will we? ‘Cuz I can ride again now, which means I can be there if the club needs me.”
“Um, never mind, I hope Waverly never gets back with your dumb ass. You’re a pigheaded man child who only sees things his way. Waverly deserves someone who can think long term and put her needs before his own.”
“And you’re saying I can’t?”
“Buddy, you’re proving you can’t,” she said, pointing to my un-casted leg. “Anyway, I’m done. Come talk to me after you’ve had the doctor put a new cast on your leg and while you’re there, ask if there’s a procedure they can do to remove your head out of your ass.”
Katie turned with a huff and walked away.
I squeezed my eyes shut. I wanted to argue, but I knew she was right. My pride was getting the better of me.
Again.
If I wasn’t careful, I was gonna end up putting Waverly in more danger than she already was.