Chapter 25
A Dressing-Down
Ryan
No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t help but overhear Bluff’s side of the conversation with Alexandra.
He sounded as pissed as I’d felt when I discovered Ivy wasn’t in my room.
With anyone else, I’d still be pissed, but somehow I’d calmed down after talking to Ivy.
Or maybe it was that I knew how persuasive my sister could be, and I’d have been along for the ride, too.
Maybe.
Then again, I had years of experience in resisting her ideas or even diverting her attention to something completely different.
The notion of Ivy going back to that place set my teeth on edge. I hated her revisiting that trauma – especially since it was a damned fool’s errand. No way Campbell’s body was still where we’d left it, five days later.
Our morning session of church and information Lark shared had cast a new light on the whole situation.
“I can’t believe Lark got us into this fuckin’ mess,” Bluff said.
I sighed. “Yeah, but he isn’t gonna ask a woman if she’s someone’s ol’ lady if it’s a random hook-up and she hasn’t given him reason to suspect that shit.”
Bluff’s eyebrows arched as he shot me a pointed look. “But it wasn’t just random. He said he was with her at a rally and hooked up again back in May. Would Ricochet have a random hook-up with a customer at On a Lark? Something tells me all of you know not to do that shit.”
I wobbled my head as I thought about it. “She wandered in the first day of our soft launch four months ago. He made sure to cut her loose after that. Problem was her nephews didn’t come around until two days later. I’m amazed Lark put it together.”
Bluff shook his head. “Exactly. He never would have if Rusty hadn’t come to y’all and run his mouth.”
“Rusty and his cousins were also at the zoning hearing though, Bluff.”
His head reared back. “Am I hearing you right? You’ve never liked that he’s got a thing for younger women. If he’d kept his dick in his pants, none of this shit would have gone down.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know, man. He couldn’t know that at the time.”
Bluff pointed a finger at me. “Your woman wouldn’t be wound up in this.”
“Perhaps, but if it weren’t for her being cornered at gunpoint, I don’t think she’d even be my woman.”
“Bullshit. I saw the way you acted the first time she came in. You were going to find a way to get in there no matter what.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t see shit.”
He chuckled. “Right. Keep telling yourself that.” Staring off into the distance, he dragged his hand down his beard. “You pissed at Ivy?”
“Not any more.”
He sighed. “How the hell do you do that? Just let that shit go? Lex told me we’re gonna have problems if I don’t calm down, but I still can’t believe she joined in on this bullshit and left me a goddamn note to say so.”
I grinned. “I’m used to my sister and the shit she gets up to. Hell, I should have anticipated this and warned Ivy.”
In the distance, I heard the sound of a motorcycle engine. I turned to look at the main truck stop entrance and caught sight of Tundra following my sister’s Corolla swinging into the parking lot.
“About fucking time they got here,” Bluff muttered.
“Calm your shit, man. It’s not worth it to fight over what’s done,” I said.
“You’re right. I’m locking it down.”
Mickayla pulled into a space next to us. Tundra walked his bike into a space beside her and gave me and Bluff a chin lift.
Alexandra angled out of the car, holding a finger up at Bluff. “I’m hangry and have to pee. We’ll talk after I take care of that because it’s not a good combo.”
Ivy wandered over to me.
“Are you hangry?” I asked.
“No, but I thought I’d hit the restroom, too.”
I held a hand out toward the building. “Hurry up, Trouble.”
Her eyes darted toward Bluff and back to me. “I will, but don’t be mad at your sister. She meant well.”
“I know, and I’m not,” I said with a nod.
“Good. I’ll be right back.”
From behind me came the sound of a car window being rolled down and I looked over to my sister, who hadn’t turned off her car. “I’ll be on my way now because I’m not enduring another dressing-down from either of you.”
“If you got a dressing-down, maybe you deserved it,” Bluff said.
Her eyes narrowed on Bluff. “Or maybe I didn’t. Later, boys.”
She pulled away and Tundra followed her out to the traffic light.
“Why did he get involved in this?” Bluff asked.
I clenched my teeth to get my temper under control. “I’m not sure. I’m just glad he caught them in time.”
Bluff shook his head. “Yeah, he had to have been doing at least eighty-five to catch up to them like that.”
Something had definitely come over Tundra when a prospect interrupted church to let us know Mickayla had left the clubhouse with Ivy and another woman.
Luckily, we’d already called the meeting to a close, but he’d stormed out to his bike and took off without the first word to anyone.
That kind of drive was more than friendly concern.
“Are you sure you’re not angry? Because you damn sure don’t look happy,” Bluff pointed out.
I exhaled and forced myself to relax. “I’m good. It’s been a long week.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, any week that includes a drive-by is a long fuckin’ week.”
Ivy had her head resting on my shoulder and an arm draped around my stomach while we watched Black Widow.
I loved that she was as big a fan of Marvel movies as I was, but I couldn’t say I was paying much attention.
She’d told me Campbell’s body was gone. Even though I expected that, I had to wonder if Rusty had moved him or not.
Why would he call to ask her about Campbell on Tuesday morning otherwise?
“You aren’t paying any attention,” Ivy said, staring up at me.
I glanced down at her. “Sorry, babe. I’m wondering about the body and other shit.”
She sat up a few inches. “What’s the other shit? Because I’m curious about what happened to the body, too.”
“Don’t worry about it, Ivy.”
Her eyes widened and she sat up fully. “Oh, no. You don’t get to lay there and stew about something, then tell me not to worry about it. Spill, Nickel.”
I dug when she got spunky like that and I grinned. “It still bugs me that Rusty insisted on calling you about Campbell. If he moved him, why fuck with you that way? Tundra said there weren’t any wild animals out there to disturb the body either.”
She shook her head. “That’s not necessarily true. Coyotes are turning up more and more in the suburbs. It’s become a growing concern to prospective buyers. You can bet there’s coyotes in a rural area.”
“I didn’t realize that,” I muttered.
Her cell rang, she looked at it on the nightstand and frowned. “What time is it? Chad doesn’t normally call me this early in the afternoon.”
“Four-forty-five,” I said, shocked at how much time had passed.
“Hey, Chad,” she said.
Her mouth dropped open and her eyes filled with irritation. “You’re kidding me! The bar isn’t even open.”
She paused.
Her head tipped back and I sat up. “What’s wrong, Ivy?”
She leveled a look on me. “Chad is with my mom at the bar so she can meet Lark. I guess they opened up about an hour ago. Why he’d take her there is anyone’s guess.”
She paused, then said, “Yes, I know you’re still there, but Ryan’s right in front of me and concerned.”
My body shook with my silent chuckle.
“Are you laughing?” she asked me.
“Do you want to head over there?” I asked.
Her gaze became unfocused for a moment, then she stared at me like I had superpowers. “Yes.”
I heard the murmur of Chad’s voice, but couldn’t make out what he said.
“Too bad, Chadwick. You should have thought about that and called me before aiding and abetting my mom.”
Her eyes widened. “It was your idea. What were you thinking?”
She stared up at the ceiling. “Yes, I know I said that, but then I chickened out when push came to shove, so maybe I changed my mind.”
Her expression shifted and she looked almost contrite, which I didn’t like. She didn’t need to apologize from what I knew about the situation.
“All right, well, don’t leave before we get there.”
She looked at me with a remorseful expression. “I’m sorry you’re going to have to ride all the way out there again, I can pay you for—”
I put a finger to her lips. “Don’t even think about it, woman. If it were any other week, I’d be making that ride every day. Forget about it.”
She nodded. “Cool. We should hurry. Mom sounded like she wanted to bail before I got there.”
I smirked. “That isn’t an elaborate excuse to ride fast, is it?”
She held up her hands. “Two things can be true, Nickel.”
The crowds at On a Lark had been steadily building over the past five weeks.
The drive-by threatened all of that growth.
To my surprise, when we pulled up I circled the entire lot before deciding to park across the street in the lot of a business that closed at four.
The owner had told us we could use their lot for overflow, for bike parking only.
“Wow, I’ve never seen it so crowded,” Ivy said, freeing her curls from her hair tie.
I swung off my Triumph. “Yeah, hopefully that means Lark’s too busy to talk to Debra.”
She chuckled. “I just hope your sister and Killian are as good at keeping them away from Lark as you were with me.”
“I regret doing that to you,” I muttered, putting my arm around her shoulders.
She slung her arm around my waist. “Don’t be. It all worked out in the end.”
Tundra glowered at us while he stood behind the counter at the front door. “They told you not to come in here tonight, Nickel.”
“It’s my fault – or really my best friend’s fault – because he brought my mom here.”
Tundra narrowed his eyes in confusion.
“She doesn’t want Lark forced to meet her mom, and neither of us expected Chad to pull a stunt like this,” I said.
“Keep it short. Got it? We don’t need any more trouble today,” he muttered.
We moved into the main room.
“I can see why Mickayla was so upset with him this morning. He’s good at delivering a reprimand,” Ivy said.
Chad and Debra were sitting along the side of the bar closest to the entry.
Debra spun around on her stool. “Are you riding on his motorcycle without a helmet?”
Ivy ignored Debra’s question and focused on Chad. “Why did you bring her here?”
“For the same reason I told you on the phone. You wanted her to meet him.”
I loved it when I riled Ivy up, but seeing her get riled because of Chad hit me different.
She nodded once. “Has she met him yet?”
Chad’s eyes widened. “No.” He jerked his head toward me. “His triplet refuses to let Lark know we’re here, but seeing as the man hasn’t even come out of his office, I’m guessing he knows we’re here and is actively avoiding us.”
“Or he’s trying to keep her and her mom safe,” I said.
“That’s craziness,” Chad said.
“A man came in here and said the bar’s days were numbered, and the next afternoon there was a drive-by. Another MC has it out for Lark, and if they find out she’s technically his daughter, they won’t hesitate to target her. It’s far from crazy to keep Ivy and Debra out of this,” I said.
Mickayla approached the bar with an empty serving tray tucked under her arm. Her gaze moved from me to Ivy. “Someone would like to talk to you in the office.” She looked at me. “Only her.”
“Does he know this wasn’t her idea?” I asked.
Mickayla nodded. “Yes.”
I tipped my head toward the office. “Don’t keep him waiting.”
Ivy hurried away.
Chad took a sip of his soda. “The gatekeeping is exhausting for everyone. You should let Lark know that.”
I chuckled. “I’ll be sure he gets the message.”
“Do you have a helmet she could have worn?” Debra asked.
“Yes, but I’m not—”
“You can’t control the other drivers,” Debra said.
I’d heard that umpteen times before from my mom (who had no problems with Dad riding), from Grandpa Carlton, and even from Dad. All of a sudden I was glad of the many times I had to endure their lectures.
I nodded. “You’re right, but I have mirrors, and I’m acutely aware of my surroundings. I don’t split lanes, and I offered her my helmet. She opted not to use it. Bottom line, a car crash can be just as deadly.”
Debra nodded. “Right. Her birthday is coming up, I guess I know what she’s getting.”
“When?” I asked, since we hadn’t exchanged birth dates.
Her eyebrows rose. “If you don’t know, I’m not sharing that with you.”
Chad laughed. “Like Ivy would care!”
Debra swung a finger in the air toward him. “No, but he should do the work.”
I nodded. “You’re right. I’ll put in the effort so she shares that with me.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry if I’m coming across as being bitchy. I like you, but I’m worried. On top of this moving rather fast, it seems she’s in danger, and I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I, and it’s a big reason why we’re trying to keep this visit short.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ivy come out of the office and head our way. She went directly to her mom. “If you really want to meet him, you can come with me, but he’s only got about five minutes to talk to you. It’s a little busy tonight.”
Debra opened her wallet and plucked out two twenties while shaking her head. “No, dear. Give him my apologies. Chad and I really shouldn’t have done this, and I’ll come back with you some other time when it’s not so crowded.”
I caught Debra’s attention. “Or, maybe you can come by the clubhouse, save yourself the drive out here. He won’t be distracted by customers or anything else.”
Debra gave a half-nod. “That might work. I’ll let you and Ivy set that up.”