Chapter 26
Runt
Ivy
“This wasn’t Chad’s idea, so don’t be upset with him,” Mom said as we walked through the restaurant parking lot to her Hyundai Sonata.
“It didn’t sound that way when he called me,” I said.
“He’s a middle child who despises conflict, and he knew this would flip your lid. He cares so much about everyone, that he’d rather you be mad at him than me.”
She was right about that.
“It was your idea then. Why? And why rope Chad into this? You had to know he’d call me.”
Mom unlocked and opened the door to her car.
“It was more of a spur of the moment impulse than an idea. I didn’t think it through, and Chad didn’t try to talk me out of it.
I should have let it go. You were so shaken by the pictures of Jeff around the house, that I wanted to be sure this man, Lark, wasn’t going to leave you troubled in a different way. ”
I shrugged. “Ryan became really protective after I first talked to Lark, like he didn’t care that he was disrespecting him or about to cause a fight, when he thought Lark had hurt me. Considering that, I don’t think Ryan will let that happen.”
“That’s good to know. I recognize you’re going to be around Lark one way or the other if you two work out.”
There wasn’t an ‘if’ about that in my mind. I kept quiet.
Mom continued. “We’re close and I’ll have to learn to accept both of these men in your life.”
I gave her a hug. “That’s sweet of you, Mom. I’m not sure Lark will be around much. It’s hard to say right now because of the outstanding issues.”
Mom’s sharp laugh ripped through the air. “That’s one way to put it, my girl.” She stared past me at the restaurant. “I like that he dropped everything and brought you here against their wishes. It’s what Jeff would have done too.”
There it was.
Certain things Ryan did reminded me of Jeff, but I hadn’t seen it until Mom pointed it out.
Mom yawned. “I’m headed home. You tell Ryan to be careful taking you to his place.”
“I will, Mom.”
I watched her drive away, then hurried back inside.
Chad slid off his barstool when I approached him and Ryan. “I’m gonna head out.”
Ryan seemed very tense from the way he held his body and his silent demeanor. I gave Chad a remorseful smile. “I’m sorry. Mom told me it was all her idea. You know you don’t have to cover for her.”
Chad returned my smile, but his was sheepish. “Can’t help it, sweets. My mom and I used to be close like that, but after I came out—”
I put a hand on his forearm. “I know, honey. Don’t go there right now. I’m just saying, I don’t blame you, and hopefully Ryan doesn’t either.”
I looked at Ryan expectantly.
He shook his head. “I don’t blame him. It’s all good, and it’ll be even better if he gets going because we’re being watched.”
Chad and I both stared at Ryan in disbelief.
He shook his head. “Don’t make a scene. Rusty’s here, and there’s no reason to toss him out. Once Chad splits, you and I are heading out.”
Chad looked around the bar.
“I’m not pointing him out to you,” Ryan said in an exasperated tone.
Chad dug his keys out of his pocket. “Maybe Ivy should go home with me. What’s going to stop him from following you two?”
Ryan’s eyes took on a calculating gleam. “There’s six other brothers here, not wearing their cuts. He makes a move right after us, they’re going to slow him down.”
Chad sighed. “I really hope this gets handled soon.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” I muttered.
Chad gave me a quick hug, cheek kiss, and wandered out of the bar.
“Now that Mom and Chad are gone, do you think Lark will come out?” I asked Ryan
“Why do you ask?”
I shot him a half-hearted scowl. “You have to stop asking questions when I ask them, honey.”
He chuckled. “Are you asking because you want to talk to him again?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “No, I figured he would want to talk to Rusty.”
“Ah,” he said with a slow nod. “He left while you and your mom were out in the parking lot. Beast is managing the rest of the night.”
“Is that unusual?”
“Yeah, and it almost feels like a slap in the face to me, Mick, and Ricochet.”
“They don’t trust one of you to run it tonight.”
“Yeah, but even saying that, we only have a little over three months under our belts, so I can also see it from the club’s perspective. We need more time before we run solo on a Friday night.”
I stared at Ryan. He seemed antsy. “I take it we should get going.”
He sighed. “Yeah. Rusty isn’t focused on us. He’s busy watching Mickayla.”
Ricochet sauntered up behind him. “We know. Tundra’s high-key pissed about it, too.”
Ryan turned to his triplet. “Really?”
“Yeah, but all the brothers are pissed,” Ricochet said, shrugging.
Ryan nodded. “If you need me, call. I’m gonna take her to the clubhouse. I can come back.”
Ricochet shook his head. “No. Seven of us to one of him. It’s all good.”
We cruised through the forecourt of the Riot MC compound at a torturously slow pace. The area in front of the clubhouse had at least two dozen people milling about and the back patio was equally crowded. Ryan eased his Triumph to a stop next to a Kelly-green Harley.
“Shit,” Ryan said.
“Is something wrong?” I asked and climbed off his bike.
Ryan swung off and turned to me. “That’s Block’s bike. I just hope like hell, he left Heidi back in Biloxi.”
“Why?” I asked.
“She’s my mom’s best friend, and probably the biggest influence on Mickayla – though both of them would deny that.”
He stared at me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t be freaked.”
I shook my head. “I’m not freaked about meeting her. The crush of people here is surprising. I guess I didn’t expect it to get so ‘peopley.’”
“Thought you were an extrovert,” he said.
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, but I was looking forward to getting some sleep. They’re loud.”
He dragged his hand down his face. “Yeah. We can head to your place.”
I put my arms around his waist. “No, Ryan. This is part and parcel of your world. I’m gonna have to get used to it. No better time than the present.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead. “Right. It doesn’t look like all the Biloxi brothers are here because there’s too many bikes I don’t recognize, so something else is goin’ on, but it’s all good.”
I stepped out of his hold, and he grabbed my hand. We wandered through the back lot to the patio. Most of the men wore Riot MC cuts, but there were a number of men wearing cuts that had a different club name on them. “Devil Lancers”, and the bottom patch indicated they were from Augusta, Georgia.
“Hmph,” Ryan said under his breath. Then he leaned toward me. “Members of another rival MC are here, but Volt’s daughter is married to their president. I’m guessing they must have issues with Corrupt Chrome.”
A Riot MC Biloxi member twisted on a picnic bench and grinned. “Nickel! Heard you got yourself a woman.”
We came closer to the table and the man stood up. He wore a bandana around his bald head and the skin surrounding his blue eyes crinkled with his wide smile.
“Uncle Block,” Nickel said, grabbing his hand and doing the man-style hug with a resounding back slap.
“Good to see ya, brother,” Block said.
“Ivy, this is Block, he’s the treasurer of the Biloxi chapter.”
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” I said, shaking his hand.
“Did you bring Heidi with you?” Nickel asked.
Block shook his head. “Nah. All the Biloxi ol’ ladies stayed home.”
“Good,” Nickel murmured.
“You looked freaked,” Block said.
I shrugged. “It’s more people than I expected so late on a Friday.”
Block chuckled. “No such thing as late on the weekends, but everyone’s hitting the sack soon.”
“They are?” Nickel said, taking the words out of my mouth.
Block’s eyes came to me for a loaded moment before sliding to Nickel. “No telling what’s happening tomorrow.”
“Got it,” Nickel said with a slow nod. “Who else came out from Biloxi? They’ll be pissed if they hear I talked to you, but not them.”
Block chuckled. “Since your dad just made the trip, he isn’t here and he’s taking care of Har’s body shop. Speaking of Har, you just missed him, Brute, Cynic, and Roman.” He tipped his head to the clubhouse. “Tiny and Mensa should be in the common room.”
We made our way through the throng of people on the patio and into the common room.
A tall, burly man with a silver beard and dark blue eyes stood across the room. His head twisted to a man leaned over a pool table. “Are you seeing this shit, Mensa?”
“No, and stop trying to distract me, Tiny,” Mensa, the man at the pool table, said.
The cue ball glided across the felt and clacked against the two-ball, knocking it into the corner pocket.
Mensa stood, looked at Tiny, then turned to us. “About fuckin’ time you showed up, runt.”
My eyes went wide hearing him call my man a runt because there was nothing runt-like about him.
Nickel smiled, let go of my hand and slapped Mensa on the shoulder. “Didn’t know all of you were headed out.”
“That’s by design,” Tiny said. His voice was deep, but held a sharpness to it that was both appealing and frightening.
Tiny edged closer to me. “You must be Ivy. I’m Tiny.” He tipped his head toward Nickel. “Don’t take any shit from him. You keep him in line.”
I laughed. “I’ll do what I can.”
Tiny nodded and wandered away.
Volt came in through the front door and gave me a chin lift. “Ivy.” His gaze skated to Nickel. “You need to rest up. We have a meet with Corrupt Chrome tomorrow.”
It surprised me that they would meet with another MC after everything that had happened.
“Is that why Lark left the bar earlier tonight?” Nickel asked.
“Yeah. You, me, and Lark are meeting at Platinum’s with Sig, the brother who’s got the beef with Lark, and Bridge, the Corrupt Chrome president.” Volt paused and stared at Nickel expectantly. “You look like you want to ask me something.”
Nickel dug into his pocket, and handed me his keys. “How about you go up to my room.”
Volt shook his head. “Whatever you have to ask me, she doesn’t need to leave.”
Nickel put his keys back in his pocket. “All right. Do you expect just them to be at the bar tomorrow?”
Volt stroked his fingers along his goatee.
“That’s the plan, but in case they pull something we’re gonna have extra brothers at Platinum’s.
” He glanced at me and back to Nickel. “Even though we have extra brothers here, it’d be good if you had her spend the morning with Alexandra.
She’s free tomorrow, and Corrupt Chrome isn’t likely to know anything about her. ”
Nickel nodded. “Done.”
I couldn’t help but shake my head. “Do you actually think they’ll come here? This place is so far off the beaten path, and it seems very secure.”
Volt leveled his brown eyes on me. “If my woman, Jackie, were involved in this, there’s not a chance in hell I’d have her here.
Not if there was somewhere else she could be instead.
The clubhouse isn’t easy to find, but it’s not that hard either.
And, if they don’t pull something at Platinum’s, this makes for the next logical target.
” He tilted his head back and forth once.
“Or Hock’s, but I’m not certain they know we own and operate that pawn shop. ”
Nickel swung a finger toward Volt. “You heard that Rusty was at On a Lark tonight, right?”
Volt scoffed. “Yeah. Pretty fuckin’ bold of him, but he probably did that to get a rise out of us.”
“The Devil Lancers…are they really here to help us?” Nickel asked.
Ever so slowly, Volt dipped his chin. “They are. It isn’t a favor to me, either. Steel and his vice president, Torque, don’t like what Corrupt Chrome did to them last year. Even though that was dealt with, they’re feeling froggy and want to send a stronger message.”
Nickel slung an arm around me. “Good. We’re gonna head upstairs then. Meet you down here in the morning?”
Volt nodded. “Yeah, the meet is at eight, but I’ll be here at seven. The three of us will ride over to Platinum’s together.” He tipped his head toward me. “Coordinate with Bluff so she gets out of here before seven.”