Chapter Six #2
“Aw man, I’m tryin’ to eat,” Pookie complained, dropping his sandwich back onto his plate.
“Sissy, wait up,” Flea called, and I forced myself not to follow.
* * *
Katie
I turned as my brother followed me outside. “What?”
“Where you goin’?” he asked.
“Home.”
He shook his head.
“Nope, we’re not doing that.” I raised my hand and let out a frustrated grunt. “I’m a grown ass woman and if I want to leave, I can leave. I’m well aware of the parameters of what I need to do. Back roads, diversions, etcetera, etcetera.”
Razor walked out just as I said that and flanked my brother. “Katie, you really need to—”
“What? What do I really need to do?” I snapped. “I’m going home, opening a bottle of wine, and then I’m going to take a hot bath.”
“I thought we were staying here and having family time?” Flea countered.
“Well, that plan just got blown to shit,” I pointed out. “I’m pivoting.”
Flea pulled me in for a hug. “I’m sorry this all got blown to shit.”
I hugged him back. “It’s okay. I get it. The club needs him right now. I can deal.”
“How about I drive you home?” Razor offered. “I was gonna head out soon anyway to pick up Waverly.”
“I’ve got my car,” I said.
“I’ll have one of the guys follow,” he offered. “I think Buzz is here.”
“Fine.” I sighed. “Whatever gets me the hell away from here the fastest.”
Razor headed back inside, returning quickly with Buzz, followed closely by Rooster. Flea sighed, closing the distance between them with a shake of his head. “Don’t poke the bear, man.”
Rooster smiled in my direction. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”
I rolled my eyes. “Which part of I don’t want to see you did you misunderstand?”
“Ignore him,” Razor said, opening my car door and waiting for me to get in.
Once I was in, Razor slid into the driver’s seat and we made our way out of the compound, Buzz following close behind.
“Do you need to talk?” Razor asked as he drove.
“I’m all talked out, buddy, but thanks.”
“Whatever you need, sweetheart.”
I nodded, and forced back yet more tears. After several minutes of driving around to make sure we weren’t being followed, we pulled up to my home in Felida.
I let out a quiet cry when I saw my best friend’s car parked in the driveway next to her man’s Harley, and I escaped out of my car almost before it had stopped moving.
I pushed open my front door and called out, “Cricket?”
“Kitchen!” she called back.
“Jesus, Katie, let me get in and check things out first,” Razor ordered, hot on my heels.
I frowned at him. “Cricket’s here.”
Cricket was my best friend in the world, and outside of my brother, the only other person besides me who had a key to my home.
“I want to confirm it’s her.”
“I’m here too, brother,” Minus said, appearing in the doorway of the kitchen. “I checked the house when Cricket let us in. All clear.”
“Go see Waverly, I’m good.” I hugged Razor. “Thank you for everything.”
He handed me my keys, then headed out and I locked up behind him before turning back to my friends. “What are you doing here?”
“Maisie called,” Cricket said, pulling me in for a hug.
“I’m gonna head out,” Minus said. “Call me when you’re ready, baby.”
“Might be a while,” Cricket warned.
He grinned, leaning down to kiss her. “Take your time.”
Minus walked out and I locked up behind him, then Cricket opened her arms again and that was all it took. I melted down, bursting into ugly tears as she held me, walking me into my living room and guiding me onto my sofa. “What the hell happened?”
“Roo…Roo…Rooster.”
“Rooster?” She frowned, handing me a tissue. “What about him?”
“He’s back.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” she hissed. “Who let cock-a-doodle dumb shit out of the barnyard?”
“Right?” I sniffed. “He volunteered apparently.”
“How magnanimous of him.”
“And he’s all, ‘You’re so beautiful, Katie, and I’m so proud of you, Katie, and if I’d come home any sooner, I would have hindered your progress, Katie.’ It’s such bullshit.”
“Wait, did he actually say, ‘hindered your progress’? I’ve never heard Rooster grunt out more than a two-syllable word and one of those words was ‘be-er.’”
I let out a quiet snort. “I might have paraphrased.”
She and I both knew how smart Rooster was, even if he could be a bit monosyllabic in social settings, but it still made me laugh.
“So what’s his play here?” Cricket asked.
“Well, it’s not to take over the club with a few million once it’s done and be the power couple we were meant to be, I’ll tell you that.”
This time, it was Cricket who let out a snort, because her story with Minus was very much that.
Although, Minus hadn’t had a choice when he’d been exiled to Savannah, they’d still been torn apart when they were barely in their twenties by forces against their control, brought back together again by forces out of their control.
In my case, it was all Rooster and his dumbass that made everything happen.
“Okay, so did he say what he wanted?” Cricket asked.
“No,” I breathed out. “I mean, other than help the club with the Spiders’ situation.”
“Yeah, it’s more than that, obviously.”
“Obviously,” I agreed. “He said he’s been keeping tabs on me.”
Cricket wrinkled her nose. “Who would be dumb enough to give him information?”
“It could be anyone,” I breathed out. “You know what he’s like. He’s a snake charmer.”
“Yeah, but you’re you.”
“What does that mean?” I asked before blowing my nose.
“There isn’t a man alive between the Dogs and the Saints who wouldn’t lay their lives down for you. You are beloved. Much like Maisie, Dani, me, all of us. You might not be someone’s old lady, but you are one of us. No one would go against you.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, but you know them. Bros before hos.”
Cricket laughed. “Girl, you are so far from a ho, I’m pretty sure your vagina has shrunk back into itself.”
I gasped. “Rude.”
“Just speakin’ the truth, my love.” She smiled gently. “What can I do to support you?”
“This helps,” I said. “Maybe Minus can break his legs for me once all of the Spiders stuff is settled.”
“I’ll mention it to him. He’s always looking for a good leg breaking session. If not him, definitely Clutch.”
“Oh, yes. Clutch loves a good fight. I’ll ask Clutch.”
Cricket laughed. “Right, I brought wine. Are we ordering in or am I cooking?”
“Ordering. Chinese?”
“Absolutely. I’ll have one of the guys pick it up,” she said.
“Even better.”
With my world no longer ending, at least for the moment, I opened the wine while Cricket ordered our dinner, then we settled in for a night of bestie bonding.