26. Theo
TWENTY-SIX
THEO
Otto
Otto
Guess who asked my Moonflower to meet him at that little holiday boutique downtown to buy Christmas tree ornaments? Ornaments for one Piper Whittman and her little boy Finn…
Kane
Told you the fucker was smitten.
Otto
Smitten as a kitten. Purring and begging for a pet.
River
Girl seemed cool as shit.
Kane
For sure. Told you our Little Piper Poo is a keeper. That is if Theo doesn’t chase her away with his manwhoring ways. Second thought, with that face. We really know what would send the woman running for the hills.
Otto
Thinking our boy might be reformed. That’s what happens when you get struck by lightning.
I read through the bullshit speculation my brothers were spewing this morning as I idled in my truck outside of Ivy Threads.
Sitting there acting like I needed to check messages when really the whole problem was I didn’t know how to haul my ass from where I could just glimpse Piper moving around behind the glinting panes of glass that housed Emery’s store.
Cock hard and definitely begging for a pet .
Never thought a ten-minute car ride could have me more spun up than an hour of foreplay with someone else.
Kane
Question is, did that bolt of lightning fix that face?
I rolled my eyes, unsure if it was annoyance or amusement tugging at the fringes of my consciousness as I tapped out a reply.
Me
Let’s be real, brother. You’re just upset that when you get up and look in the mirror in the morning, it’s not me.
Kane
Knew you were lurking…in more ways than one.
Could sense movement to my right, and I shifted to peer out through the passenger side window to find the clown with his nose pressed to the big pane of glass that fronted the shop, waving his phone at me as another text blipped through.
Kane
Have you even seen me?
Cash
Unfortunately.
I laughed under my breath at Cash piping into the convo.
Kane dipped away, back to typing on his phone.
Kane
There is nothing unfortunate about this face. Ask my Em-Girl. She can’t look away. Now back to the matter at hand…Theo, who is currently sitting outside Ivy Threads like a creeper.
I grunted.
Me
Not creeping. Just making sure Piper got to work safely.
Kane
And by got to work, you mean, made sure you loved her up so right that the girl keeps blushing and biting at her cheek every time Emery mentions your name?
Why did I like the sound of that so much? Like that she was affected? And she wasn’t close to being loved up. My mind spun with all the ways I’d really do her right.
Me
Just keeping her company while she figures some things out, is all.
Cash
You sure about that?
Usually was happy that the recluse decided to join in on conversations, but not in this case. Not when he was far too observant.
Me
Yup. She isn’t looking for permanent. Not even sure she’s going to stay in this town long term.
My guts twisted in rejection at the thought.
Kane
She will be if Emery has anything to say about it.
Otto
Raven, too. And you all know my girl doesn’t stop until she gets her way.
River
Charleigh’s on board.
My spirit screamed that it was on board, too.
But I couldn’t be.
This was temporary.
Me
Let’s all just make sure that she’s happy while she adjusts, yeah? Don’t need you all pressuring her into something she doesn’t want.
I needed that reminder myself.
Kane
Just fuckin’ with you, man. Don’t get your panties in a twist.
He was back at the window, blowing a raspberry on the glass, the idiot.
I shook my head at him before I put my truck into drive and pulled from the curb.
Could feel the dude laughing at me through the window as I drove away.
A second later, my phone dinged again, only it wasn’t on our group thread.
Cash
Don’t want to cause an uproar but wanted you to know Pierce Renfry flew to Los Angeles this morning. Meeting with investors. Can’t see it’s a problem but want you to keep an extra eye.
Apprehension curled through my senses at the thought of Alicia’s husband being so close. I didn’t want that bastard anywhere within three thousand miles of her, let alone in the same damn state.
Not wanting to text back while I was driving, I continued the short trek through town toward the destination of the errand I told Piper I needed to make.
I made a couple turns until I was heading down the road to Torque & Talon Autobody Shop.
I slowed as I made the right through the open gate and came to a stop in front of the shop.
I grabbed my phone and tapped out a reply.
Me
You tracking him?
Cash
You know I am, which was how I got an alert that a ticket was purchased. I dug in and found the schedule for the meetings.
Me
That normal for someone like him to plan important meetings across the country last minute?
It didn’t sit right, and I felt a creeping sense roll over me, the same as it did early this morning when I’d been sure there was someone out in those woods who wasn’t supposed to be. I itched as I waited for Cash to respond, though I didn’t find any relief when he finally did.
Cash
Don’t trust anything this fucker does, but I don’t have any intel that says his movements are anything less than legit.
There wasn’t a single thing legit about the monster. He was so crooked I doubted he could even walk a straight line. Cash had gathered enough proof on his illegal business dealings to put him away for a long, long time.
But that wasn’t our purpose.
Dumping that info would only bring more attention to the case, and that was the last thing we needed right then. Alicia believed they still wouldn’t be safe even if the deviant was behind bars, and we needed shit settled as much as it could be so we could get her and Lucy to their new home.
Stoking the flames was not going to help.
Me
Don’t like it.
Cash
I never like any of it, Theo. But we do it because it’s the only thing we can do. Just be vigilant.
Me
I will.
Blowing out a sigh, I turned off my truck and pushed out into the cold. I ambled over the gravel that was pocketed with iced-over snow to where Silas was working on the restoration of an antique Harley.
The iron and leather was as fucking gorgeous as could be.
Silas stood as I stepped through the open bay, wiping his hands with a dirty towel. “Theo, what order of business brings you here today, brother?”
A low, knowing chuckle rolled out of me. Silas knew me well, but of course, he hadn’t said a word about it when I was here with Piper.
The guy had the inside that I’d been hunting Toga for years. One day, I was going to catch up to that motherfucker and end him the way I’d been dying to do.
It was going to be slow, too.
Torture.
Not that it would change what he’d done, but at least I could give Scarlett that.
I looked around, making sure there weren’t any customers or civilians who could overhear.
The only people loitering about were part of Silas’s crew. Members of the Crimson Crows MC.
“Any word from LA?” Knew Silas would have called if he had, but I couldn’t help asking.
Was desperate for any news on Toga and the resurgence of Iron Owls MC.
He barely shook his head. “Only thing new is I got a text that Clint saw two guys rolling through town with Iron Owls patches on their backs.”
Rage bubbled in my blood, and my hands curled into fists.
Those vests had gone extinct years ago. Still, from the word we’d been getting, we expected it.
“Gonna get your day, man.” Silas’s voice was mollifying. His head tipping to the side with the promise.
I roughed a palm over my mouth. “Been waitin’ on that day for a long, long time.”
“And that day is just around the corner.”
Guilt clotted my throat, and Silas seemed to know I was spiraling because he pushed around it, nudging me toward safer ground.
“Your girl’s car is still a long way out. Still waiting on parts.”
My girl.
Yeah, that subject wasn’t safe at all.
I ignored the chaos that churned in my guts. “Figured as much, which is why I’m here for a different reason. Need something safe and new, and I need it in cash.”
A smirk lifted on one side of his mouth. “Really?”
“Don’t fuckin’ ask questions, yeah?”
He chuckled. “Sure, man. Whatever you need. Think I’ve got something you might be interested in.”
And as he led me to an SUV sitting across the lot, I tried to ignore the shame nipping at my heels, telling me I was nothing but a liar and a traitor.