Chapter 19
Maverick
Scythe figured that Loreena would want to be alone to meet with Dravin and Wizard, likely without even me present, so he didn’t ask any of the old ladies to be here.
He did mention that Lark and her daughter, Penny, were here this morning to bake cookies since she had the day off school, and that Tyrant wasn’t going to be at the club this afternoon so that they could do something together as a family.
I’ve never seen this woman before. She looks so young, but sitting in that chair, smiling brightly at us, she’s clearly not shy, and seems quite at home in the clubhouse.
“I’d love a cookie,” Loreena whispers to me.
I untangle our limbs and help her down off the counter.
I don’t want to have her anywhere other than in my arms, but I know how unrealistic that is.
Probably slightly unhinged too. Her taking the lead in anything and slowly coming back to life is the most beautiful thing.
I’d fight the whole world and the fucking heavens too, just to give Loreena the opportunity to sit across the table from someone else and make small talk, but I don’t have to fight anyone.
She’s free to do that right now. We’re here because she has so much courage and unwavering faith.
She might take a cookie from the plate in the middle of the table, but as I slowly amble across the kitchen and pull out a chair, she might as well be holding my entire heart in her hands.
The woman leans casually in her chair. She looks like she’s a few seconds away from sticking those Chucks up onto the table. “I’m the daughter that most people don’t even know Preacher has,” she says. “Fawnie.” She drops the cookie to the table and sticks out her hand to Loreena.
She shakes it shyly, sneaking a glance at me as she does it. She looks so happy that my chest could bust wide open.
“It’s not because he’s not proud of me or anything,” Fawnie explains.
She takes a cookie in each hand like a little kid would and nibbles on both of them.
On her, somehow, it’s like a double middle finger to the world.
It’s probably just the punk getup, but she also exudes the attitude.
“I guess it’s not really a secret. I’ve just never been allowed to visit him, compliments of my mom having a hardcore hate on for him. ”
“I- I see,” Loreena responds.
“It’s okay that you don’t.” Fawnie laughs good-naturedly.
“It’s probably better that way. No one likes talking about family drama.
Long story short, my dad used to be a real pastor and then my mom said he went crazy, had a midlife crisis, moved across the country, joined a biker club, and took up some hussy who owns a nightclub and accepted her kids like his own, meaning he forgot all about me.
Except none of that’s true. I mean it is, but not the last part.
” She stuffs the rest of the one cookie into her mouth, and chews, waiting until she’s done to finish her story.
“My dad never forgot me. It was my mom who tried to keep him out of our lives, but I’m in college now.
I have my own job, my driver’s license, and some cash.
I can go where I want to go. Anyway, my car’s been making a funny noise and Dad’s not going to let me drive back across the country in that.
He’s taking it to the shop, but needed to stop here first. He forgot something, but I can’t even remember what it is.
” Her smile and easy going air drop away, but she’s not unfriendly and not guarded.
I can see that she doesn’t want to hurt Loreena with her questions.
“How are you going to get the IT guys to help you find the person you’re looking for? Do you have a photo?”
I raise my hand and grasp the back of my neck, suddenly feeling at a loss.
“I don’t,” Loreena admits. “They’ll probably ask me for a description and age, and then they’ll go off the location. It’s not much to work with, and I have no idea how just those few things could come together to actually find someone, but I’m not the one who’s good at that kind of thing.”
Fawnie sets her hand on Loreena’s. She’s still holding the cookie.
She hasn’t taken a single bite. My protective instincts pretty much flip into that batshit crazy level, but no matter how much I want to be Loreena’s shield and carry her through this, I know that’s not fair to her or healthy.
She can swing a sledgehammer and break plates with the best of them.
She’s one of the strongest people I know, and even if she’s just figuring that out, it doesn’t change that it’s true.
“I’m only asking because I have someone that I want to find.” Fawnie drops her eyes, but she doesn’t let go of Loreena’s hand. “Do you think that they’d help me?”
Loreena stares at me blankly. All I can offer is a small shrug, but that feels disloyal as fuck. “I’m not sure. It might depend on whether you’re asking them to find someone without the permission or knowledge of the club or not.”
I’m not a patched in member and these men aren’t my club brothers, but they are Scythe’s, and they were good enough to make me this offer of family and give me a job.
The last thing I want to do is go behind their back, especially her dad’s.
I’ve met Preacher once and he seems like a solid guy, but even if he was a total douchebag, I’d still have zero right.
“My dad knows that I want to start searching properly. It’s not a secret,” Fawnie says.
“I just never thought that I’d have the money to hire someone to look for him, or that I could find someone who could do something like that based on just my memory.
I thought that I’d have to get a sketch artist or something. ”
Loreena frowns. “I thought that too.”
“This man is a freaking hero. He saved my life. All I’ve wanted to do is find him and thank him.”
Fawnie shoves up suddenly and walks across the kitchen. She rummages in the cupboard and gets a coffee mug, but all she does is pour water into it and chug it back. She sighs, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Do you want some?”
“That would be amazing,” Loreena says.
“It’s dry in here.” Fawnie points to the heat vent. “You’d think for a bunch of burly bikers that they’d have the place running on the cold side, but it’s like Satan’s own asshole in here.”
Loreena’s gaze clashes with mine. We hold it for a second, holding our straight faces, and then we burst out laughing.
Hers is bright and melodical, and mine’s like the braying of a damn donkey, but it feels so good to laugh like this that I don’t even care about embarrassing myself with the rusty sound.
I’ve always had an odd laugh. Loreena notices, startled for a moment, but then she laughs even harder. Fawnie joins in.
She gets us two mugs of water and sets them down, then goes back for hers and stands near the cupboards.
“Will you tell us?” Loreena asks. “Only if you want to, though.”
“I can’t just leave you hanging. I don’t mind.
” Fawnie sighs. She taps her nails against the mug in her hand.
“When I was sixteen, our house caught on fire. My mom’s bedroom was near the front door, so she was able to get out, but she couldn’t get to me in the back.
I woke up to the fire detector blaring, and already smoke was creeping under the door.
I knew Bubby was in my room, because I always kept the door closed and she always slept with me, but I couldn’t find her.
I remembered that you’re supposed to get as low as possible, so I hit the floor and wrapped a t-shirt from the laundry pile around my face.
I finally found her under my bed. I should have looked there first, but I was scared.
I wasn’t exactly thinking properly. I got her and wrapped her up in that t-shirt so she couldn’t scratch me or panic and go anywhere.
I knew I couldn’t open my bedroom door. It was so hot over there, I couldn’t even go near it.
I wanted to go out my window, but there was no screen.
It wasn’t the kind that opened. I was trying to figure out what I could throw through it to get out, but there wasn’t much.
I couldn’t just pick up my desk or my bookcase and other than that, I only had some books and a few little ornaments.
I sunk down to the floor to try and think and to breathe, and suddenly, glass shattered everywhere. ”
She stops and Loreena jerks back. She probably didn’t even realize she was leaning forward.
I catch myself doing the same thing. The way Fawnie told her story, it straight up sucked me right in.
I was there, the smoke and the flames, the heat and the fear.
I can feel it crawling up my skin. The hair on the backs of my arms stands on end.
After a sip of water, Fawnie continues. “It scared Bubby so bad that she burst out of my arms. A man wearing just a t-shirt—he wasn’t a firefighter or anything—jumped through.
The glass cut him up horribly, but I didn’t realize that until he grabbed me.
He shoved me through the window and came out behind me.
I was covered in blood, shell shocked, just standing there watching flames burst into my room.
It was his blood. I remembered Bubby. I begged him to get her. ”
I literally have to lean forward and grasp the table.
Loreena’s breath catches. I know how much she loves her cats.
Fawnie didn’t say, but I think Bubby is a cat.
It could be a dog or a hamster or a rat.
It doesn’t matter. I just hope it made it.
I’m not going to be able to handle seeing Loreena heartbroken if this story doesn’t end well.