Hook
HOOK
“ J une, dear, are you coming? I have cookies in the oven and need to take them out before they burn,” the older lady next door called from her porch.
“Be right there, Mrs. Griffith,” Nova answered before turning back to . One look into those dark chocolate eyes of hers, and he was half-hard. Fuck if she wasn’t gorgeous. He should’ve known the second he saw the little girl whose kid she was. She was the spitting image of her mom.
He’d be damned if that little girl or her fine-ass mom would spend one more night in a house without electricity. didn’t know how long it had been out and he didn’t give a shit. Once minute was too long.
“Go take care of your cookies, Mrs. Griffith,” called to the lady. “They won’t be staying here for the foreseeable future.” He saw the questioning look on the woman’s face. It warmed his heart to know that they had someone looking out for their safety.
tapped June—nah, he liked Flower better—on the nose. “Go help your mom, sweetheart, while I talk to Mrs. Griffith.”
Nova let her daughter drag her into the house. He’d stunned her silent with his pronouncement. Hell, he’d stunned himself. The last thing he needed was a woman and a kid, but it wouldn’t be like that. He was just helping her out of a bad situation, that was all.
Besides, Croon and Dale couldn’t say enough about her as an employee, so he was helping out his club too. That’s why he had a smile on his face. At least that’s what he told himself as he approached Mrs. Griffith’s.
Mrs. Griffith was no longer alone. A man who looked to have one foot in the grave leaned heavily on the lady.
“Mr. Griffith, I presume?” extended a hand, which the old man took without hesitation. That was rare. The facial tats and the rest of his ink tended to put people off. Usually, he didn’t give a shit, but he didn’t want to cause Nova to lose what he assumed was their only support system. Other than the club now.
“Carl, and this is my ol’ lady, Linda.” When his shirtsleeve rode up, understood why there was zero hesitation on Carl’s part to shake ’s hand. He was an old-school biker. A faded tattoo from a club that had been around since before bell bottoms was partially revealed.
“.” He lifted his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out a card for Outlaw Towing and Salvage. Before passing it to Carl, he jotted down the address to his apartment.
“That’s my contact information, along with the address where they’ll be staying until we can get them into a permanent situation.”
Carl took it, then looked from the card to his rig, then back to him. Unlike The Metal Shop, everyone and their brother knew that Outlaw belonged to the Bastards. Kind of hard to have your clubhouse there and keep that info on the down low.
“Linda, I think your cookies are burning, love.” What happened next blew his fucking mind.
The woman who looked and dressed the part of the perfect television grandma stepped down to the next-to-last step, so she stood just an inch taller than him and cupped his cheeks in her wrinkled hands.
After dropping a kiss on his forehead, she whispered with so much venom, “You find that piece of shit and you make him pay for leaving them like that.” Then she smiled that congenial grandma smile and went to check on her cookies.
Carl turned and waited for his wife to disappear from sight before speaking. “Nova’s not community property, you understand me? And that little girl doesn’t belong in a clubhouse. Hell, neither of them do.” was dumbfounded. It sounded like an order.
“Not my intention. I’m just helping them out of a bad situation. They’ll be protected. She works for us at the bar, that’s it.”
Carl nodded. “Your prez know how they ended up like that?” He indicated the dark house.
shook his head. “Didn’t even know she had a kid ’til today. Came to repo a grocery hauler and recognized her from the Shop. Just started working there recently.”
His answer seemed to satisfy Carl, who shakily sat back into a cheap plastic chair and indicated the other one. “Sit down, son. I’m too far gone to stand around gabbing.” took the three steps onto the small porch and sat.
“Husband was a real piece of work. Had women and men in and out all hours while Nova was working two, sometimes three jobs to make ends meet. Up to no good, and I don’t just mean not keeping his dick out of snatch it didn’t belong in.” damn near choked on his tongue at the old man’s words. Not that he didn’t say worse, but coming out of Moses’s mouth was disturbing at best. However, he tried to keep his reactions to a minimum because he wanted to hear the story.
“Speaking of dicks.” Carl pivoted so quickly that almost got whiplash. “What’s your personal intentions toward her? Besides helping.”
Carl looked every inch a club president, even if he was old as dirt. was almost positive that’s what the old man must’ve been. was under no obligation to answer him, but he wanted to, so he was as honest as he could be.
“If she’s willing to let me take the shot, I’ll shoot it.” When Carl didn’t speak, elaborated. “I don’t plan on hitting it and quitting it if that’s where your head’s at.” The answer seemed to satisfy his inquisitor. “I still don’t understand how they ended up with no power and a car getting hooked. How bad is it?”
“Bad enough that I maxed out my credit cards keeping the power on for as long as I could. She doesn’t know that though, so...” Carl left the, don’t tell her unsaid, but heard it. “I had Linda going over and lifting the bills, so she didn’t see them until they sent a second notice for a more manageable amount. Tried with the rent, but the landlord is a cunt flap and wouldn’t let me.” ’s respect for the man grew.
“How much you in debt?” would settle it right then and there.
“You don’t worry about me, son. By the time they come to collect, I’ll be in the ground. Only got a month left, maybe two if I did anything right in my years.”
What could say to that? The man, a virtual stranger, just told him he was dying. Not a true stranger though, they were kinda brothers in a way.
“I hate the way he left ’em, but I was glad to see him go. Something about the way he looked at people, especially girls, that never sat right with me. If I’d ever seen that look directed at June? Well, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to leave. Had I known he’d leave ’em like that? Well, I would’ve handled it, and they’d been set, but this damn disease had me in the hospital more often than out.”
saw the guilt and the look of regret; it was written in every line on Carl’s face. He felt responsible for not stepping in. wasn’t going to make the same mistake.
Carl interrupted his thoughts of Nova and June.
“You’re a Bastard, and I know you’ll honor your word if you give it, so I would have your word, .”
was getting choked up. He felt an instant connection to Carl.
“If it’s within my power, you’ll have it.”
“It is. Look after her and that little one. They’re mine by default, and I’ll put you in the ground before me if you hurt a hair on either of their heads. And if I’m not around to do so, Linda damn sure will.” The old man chuckled. Even with the heaviness surrounding them, found himself joining in. He was just stepping in as anyone would and helping her out, but Carl read more into it than that. If he were being honest with himself, there probably was more to it than that.
Before he could agree or correct the old man, Carl added another request, rather, what felt like an order. “And end that good-for-nothing son of a whore who left them this way. He doesn’t deserve to keep breathing.”
That was one request wouldn’t argue over semantics.
“Done.”
That was it.
One word.
One word that settled in his troubled heart.
Nova and June came strolling across the lawn before he could think more on it. But he didn’t need to. Even if Nova never gave him the time of day, he’d keep his word. If for no other reason than the little girl holding her mom’s hand who already stole his heart with a goddamned weed, he’d do it.
A cough racked Carl’s body, and Linda appeared to lead him into the house. But not before turning her gaze to . “Whatever he said? It goes double for me.” That grandma was scary as fuck.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll see you two soon,” she called from the door. Before the screen closed, she turned. “Wait a minute, will you? I have cookies for June.”
stepped down from the porch and stood with Nova and June. Linda reemerged without Carl, carrying a plastic container that was fogged up from warm cookies.
“Here.” She handed the cookies to Nova with tears in her eyes. “You call me anytime, day or night, if you need anything, okay? You’re family, and we take care of our own.” The woman composed herself and fled into the house before anyone could say another word.
“Let’s go, ladies. Your chariot awaits.” sketched a bow before grabbing the bag Nova was holding but left the cookies in her other hand. When he tried to grab June’s backpack, she just took his hand in both of hers and leaned her head into it.
Nova stopped by the back of the van. When he helped June into the cab of the truck and deposited the bags, he turned to see Nova still standing there.
“Aren’t you going to drop it so we can follow you?”
He approached and placed his hand on the small of her back to lead her around to the passenger side of the tow truck. It felt good to touch her, even a touch as innocent as a hand on her back with a layer of fabric between them.
“You and Flower are not riding in that piece of shit. We’ll get you a safe option for work.”
She snapped her sinful brown eyes to him. “I’m not going to whore myself out for hot water and a Toyota,” she hissed through her teeth.
It was kind of hot.
“I wouldn’t ask it of you. This is help with no strings attached. Besides…” He opened the door and helped her into the truck. Before he shut the door, he leaned in. “A night in your bed would be worth more than a Corolla.” He smiled at her simmering ire and closed the door.
The drive to his place wasn’t that far. There was little or no conversation from Nova, at least not directed at him, but June was a chatterbox. She asked about every single tattoo she could see.
“But why do you have all those music notes?” She traced one, then another, with her little fingers. jerked the wheel, and the rapid thumping of the tires on reflectors was like a pulse that was beating too fast.
No one. Absolutely no one in his life ever noticed that little detail. Most of the ink he sported had a hidden note. Either in ink or the relief, but they were so small and subtle, kind of like looking for the Playboy Bunny on the cover of the magazines from back in the day.
“Well?” she prompted impatiently. didn’t know what to say. He had the answer, of course, but did he want to share it?
Luckily, he didn’t have to.
“We’re here.” He jumped out like his ass was on fire. Holding out his hand, June hopped down with his assistance. Nova got out on the other side, holding her bag and those damn cookies that filled the cab with the scent of vanilla and had his stomach growling. He grabbed the backpack June left on the seat and led them to his door.
After unlocking the door, he went inside to punch in the alarm code, with June rushing past him and Nova cautiously trailing in.
Nervousness overcame him for some reason. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had people over, even company that slept over, but it was different. He rubbed his palm across the back of his neck. “As you can see, this is the kitchen. It’s pretty well stocked, but if there is something you want that we don’t have, let me know.”
We? There wasn’t a we. Just a him and them. He soldiered on as if he hadn’t just said we.
“Living room.” He pointed to where Nova stood staring at the compilation of pictures that took up almost an entire wall.
“Bedrooms and bathrooms are through there.” He strode over to the pass-through to the rest of his small apartment. “One at each end of the hall, and laundry is just there.” He pointed—with the hand not still holding a purple and black character backpack—to the accordion doors. “It’s just a laundry closet, but it does the job.”
For the first time, he thought of how ordinary his apartment was. Not that he thought either of them would judge him, but somewhere deep in his soul, he wished he had more to offer.
The thought of them possibly ending up homeless made him nauseous. And letting his mind entertain the possible predators that could befall the sweet little girl—hell, both of them, if that happened—had him on the verge of emptying his stomach.
“Where do I sleep, Jeremy?” ’s heart hitched when she said his name.
“Right down there, Flower.” He indicated the smaller room at one end of the hall. As she passed by him, she turned back and gave him a hug before taking her backpack and sprinting down the hall.
Nova still stood, transfixed, staring at his photos. So much so that when he spoke from behind her, she jumped.
“Sorry.”
“Who took these? The subject matter is just…so very human, even though there are very few faces in them.” He liked the breathless quality her voice had taken on. It made his imagination wander to other situations that could make her sound that way.
Wait, what had she asked?
“Um, they’re mine.”
“I know that, they’re on your wall, but…” She turned to him finally, and he was as transfixed by her as she’d been earlier by his pictures. “Wow. You mean you took those?”
“Yeah. All but that one.” He pointed to a small black-and-white photo with a large, battered wooden frame. It was an extreme close-up of a partial male hand holding…something.
“What’s the story behind it? How did it end up here among the ones you took?”
“I don’t know the story behind the picture itself, but it ended up here when I got my own place. My brothers came over to help me move in, and Virus saw mine as I was hanging them. Next time he was over, he added it to my wall and said my collection could use a ray of sun. I didn’t get it then, I mean, there’s no sun in the picture. It’s intriguing, but I still don’t get it. Obviously it means something to him, so…” He trailed off with the implied meaning that it means something to him too.
“Well, they’re amazing.” Shyly and barely above a whisper, she added, “And so are you.”
could do a lot of things, taking compliments well was not one of them. “Um, let me show you my bedroom.” He grabbed her bag and turned.
“I’ll sleep with June.”
“That’s never gonna work. That bed is too small for an adult, much less two people.”
“I appreciate what you’re offering, I really do, but I can’t, I mean I won’t sleep with you for a place to stay. Just take us back, and I’ll figure it out. I always do.”
Before he could put her mind at ease, June came barreling into him. She murmured her apologies before skirting around him to go to her mom. “Thank you, Mommy.” She wrapped herself around Nova, and it did funny things to his stomach.
“For what, June Bug?”
“For saying yes to Jeremy.”
watched tears pool in Nova’s eyes. When she lifted her watery gaze to him, he saw it in the glittering brown—resignation. She was willing to sleep with him to make her daughter happy.
The hell she would.
was without a doubt wildly attracted to her. He damn sure wanted to fuck her, but not for any other reason than mutual desire. If she happened to be totally enamored with him at the time, so much so she begged, all the better.
Like all kids, Flower was oblivious to the tension in the room. “I’m hungry,” she announced.
“Why don’t you check out the fridge and see what you want, and I’ll cook up something for you as soon as I show your mom where she’s sleeping?”
June ran to the kitchen, and Nova followed him to the bedroom. “Okay,” she said once they were in his bedroom.
Depositing her bag on the bed, he turned.
There was no need to ask, okay, what ? He knew. While most of his brain told him to clear up the misunderstanding, one part of his brain—a tiny, but very loud part—said to steal a kiss first.
stepped into her personal space without words, cupped her cheeks, and caressed her lips with a thumb as he turned her face up toward his. He bent ever so slowly before fitting his lips to hers. At first, she seemed too stunned to respond, but when he licked the seam of her lips, her hands latched onto his neck, and she took the kiss to the next level.
Before long, he pulled away when what he really wanted to do was back them up to the bed and fall onto it.
Looking deep into her sensual chocolate eyes, he almost gave in to that desire. “Nova, when you sleep with me, it will not be with gratitude. It’ll be because you want to. Hopefully, need to with an intensity that will curl both our toes.”
“But…” She shifted her eyes to the bed and back to him.
Fuck if she wasn’t beautiful. This close, he could see the warmth in the eyes he’d previously thought were almost black. Her full lips were wet from their kiss. He didn’t fight the urge to lick them but allowed himself nothing more. He’d already exploited one kiss; he would do no worse.
“Buuut…” he said, mimicking her. “I planned to stay at the clubhouse until we’ve got your living and auto situation ironed out or until you invite me to stay with you. ’Til then, the club’ll make sure you get to work, June gets to school, and someone’ll be here to watch her during your shift at the bar. I promise I won’t touch you until you beg me to. Now, let’s go throw together some dinner so we can get you to work.”
left her with her mouth agape to go see what June chose to eat.