7. Poppy
CHAPTER 7
POPPY
Crank handed me a cup of chamomile tea.
“I added a little honey. Do you want anything else in it?” he asked. His eyes were still full of concern, the same way they’d looked since he picked me up off the porch of the cabin and brought me to the Mustang Mountain Riders’ clubhouse.
“No, thank you. This is perfect.” I took it with a shaky hand. It had been hours since those assholes had dropped me at Ruby’s cabin, but I was still rattled. I’d been trying to work up the nerve to look in a mirror. Torn between wanting to see what they’d done to me and wanting to pretend it hadn’t happened at all, I wasn’t sure I had the courage to face my own reflection.
“Can I get you anything else?” Crank slid onto the chair next to me. He wasn’t a gentle man, yet his moves were slow and careful around me like he was afraid I might break. Maybe I would. It had been a long time since I’d felt so shattered.
Not trusting my voice, I shook my head. Then I lifted the mug to my lips and took a small sip.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Miles’s girl, Kinley, to stop by. She works at the Best Little Hair House, and I figured she’d be the best person to fix your hair.” His hand on my shoulder grounded me. I glanced up and briefly locked eyes.
“Thank you.” It came out as a gruff whisper, full of the emotion I’d been trying to hold back.
He covered my hand with his and gave it a slight squeeze. “I’m sorry, Poppy. I’ll never forgive myself for not being there for you when you needed me most, but I swear those fuckers will never touch you again.”
“It’s not your fault. I don’t know why they came after me, but someone’s got to stop them. They think they’re untouchable. I can’t even imagine what they’re capable of.” My chest heaved as I sucked in a ragged breath.
Crank’s eyes filled with emotion. “I’m going to get them. I promise they’ll never be able to hurt you or anyone else..”
A soft knock sounded at the door. “Crank? You in there?”
“It’s Kinley. Are you okay with me letting her in?”
I nodded.
A wide-eyed brunette stepped into the room. “Hey, Crank. Can you grab the rest of my things? They’re in the hall.”
Crank gave me a lopsided smile and stepped out, returning with a big pink bag.
She turned to me, her big brown eyes soft and full of kindness. “Hi, I’m Kinley. Crank gave me a quick rundown of what happened. I’m so sorry about what they did to you, but it’s going to be okay.”
I didn’t know how she’d fix the fuzzy mess left on my head, but there was no way she could make it worse. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wish we were meeting under different circumstances. Those Savage Bones are getting out of control.” She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a large black cape.
“Will you be okay if I step out to brief the others?” Crank asked. “The sooner they get all of the info on what happened, the sooner we’ll be able to put together a plan.”
My stomach lurched at the thought of him leaving me, but I refused to let irrational fear win. I was safe in the Mustang Mountain Riders’ clubhouse, surrounded by men who’d lay down their lives to protect their loved ones. There was no reason for him to stay, so I nodded.
“I’ll take good care of your girl,” Kinley reassured him.
Heat swept over my cheeks at the suggestion I might ever belong to Crank. I was planning to get out of Mustang Mountain, not sit around and wait for another source of evil and destruction to descend on the town.
Crank tilted his head and gave me a soft smile. “She’s not quite my girl, Kinley. At least not yet.”
My eyes flew open as he disappeared through the doorway and closed the door behind him.
“Sorry about that,” Kinley said. “I just assumed the two of you were together by the way he looked at you. Though, if you ask me, Crank’s a real catch. You could do a hell of a lot worse.”
I didn’t respond, too lost in my thoughts of what being with Crank might look like and what it might mean. I’d sworn off bikers. Though their confidence and swagger were appealing, it wasn’t enough to draw my attention away from all the red flags. As tempted as I was to lean into Crank’s strength and trust him to protect me, I couldn’t let myself rely on a man like him again. I’d made that mistake once, and it had almost cost me everything.
Kinley set up a mirror on the table. It was just big enough for me to see my entire face from the neck up. Dark purple bruises covered one cheek and part of my forehead. My hair looked even worse than I’d imagined. Sparse chunks stuck up all over my scalp, making me look like a partially plucked chicken.
My eyes welled with tears, but I refused to let them fall.
“Are you okay, hon?” Kinley set a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah,” I rasped. It was just hair and a few superficial bruises. I’d been through worse. The hair would grow back, and the bruises would fade.
“They didn’t leave me a whole lot to work with, but I’ve got some ideas. You’re going to be okay.” Her eyes met mine in the reflection of the mirror. “You know that, right? Men think they can make us cower, but they underestimate us. You’ve got a fire inside you they’ll never be about to put out. I can see it in your eyes.”
She held my gaze for a long moment while I wiped the unshed tears away. Nodding, I bit down on my lip.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but it’s also okay to accept help along the way.” She reached for a comb and a pair of scissors. “Especially from the people who care about you.”
Like Crank. She didn’t come right out and say it, but I heard the implication in her tone.
“I’ll think about it.” That was the best I could do for now.
“Well, let’s get started. By the time I get done, you’re going to look like a million bucks.”
I closed my eyes while she snipped at what remained of my hair. Her fingers flew, and I tried not to cringe every time the scissors closed. At least she wasn’t using the clippers. I wasn’t sure my frazzled nerves would be able to handle that.
Several minutes after she started, the scissors clattered onto the table. “All done. I hope you like it.”
Slowly, I opened my eyes. She’d trimmed what little remained of my hair into a somewhat stylish pixie cut. The sides were almost shaved, but she’d left some longer bits on top.
“Wow. I almost look normal.” My pulse pounded as I turned my head to check out every angle. “Thank you.”
“You look gorgeous, and that color is amazing. Your hair feels healthy, so it shouldn’t take any time at all for it to grow out.” Kinley wiped off her scissors and started packing away her things.
“What do I owe you?”
“Don’t be silly. This one’s on the house. Us girls need to look out for each other, don’t we?” Her lips spread into a wide grin. “Just come see me when you need a trim, and we’ll call it even. How’s that sound?”
The walls of my chest squeezed together. I wouldn’t be able to go see her if I was living in Oklahoma. “Are you sure I can’t give you something for your time?”
“Absolutely positive.” She leaned down so our heads were side by side. “Just take care of yourself, Poppy. Okay?”
I’d never gotten used to the kindness of strangers in Mustang Mountain. From Ruby offering me a job and finding me a place to stay to Crank looking out for me to Addy at the library setting books aside that she thought I might like… this town was special. Was I really willing to walk away from it all?
Kinley opened the door, and Crank stood on the other side. I turned in my chair to face him. His eyes softened at the edges and filled with warmth.
“You look beautiful, Poppy.” He took a cautious step toward me. “How are you feeling?”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Much better. Who would have thought a haircut could make such a difference?”
Kinley blew me a kiss. “Promise me we’ll get together soon? When you’re feeling up to it, you can join me and some of the other gals for girls’ night.”
I was too tired to think of an excuse, so I just nodded.
“Thanks, Kinley.” Crank held out his hand to shake hers, but she pulled him into a hug instead. Before I had a chance to catch my breath, she was gone.
Crank and I were left alone.