CHAPTER 15
JAZMIN
I follow Nadine as she pushes the cart into the checkout line.
It’s the day before the Steel Graces’ poker run, and Storm sent us to pick up donations for the shelter.
The members are buying toys and stuff for the kids, so we’re tasked with the boring stuff.
Meaning the cart is half full of tampons and pads.
I’d bet money Nadine chose the lane with the young male cashier just to fuck with him. She glances over her shoulder and winks at me before she throws the packages onto the belt. She’s twisted like that.
I try finding the humor in it, but it’s been a rough week. Dimples has been acting like I don’t exist. I hear her loud and clear, but I don’t like it.
When she got back from her ride to Lake Placid with Storm, she’d changed.
At first, I feared she told Storm, but I don’t think so.
Storm’s been extra friendly with me ever since our chat on Sunday, while Dimples has all but ignored me.
A few times, I’ve caught her eye, but she’s closed up.
The warmth’s not there, but it’s not cold, either.
It’s blank. Like she’s starin’ right through me.
It knots up my gut, so I’ve stopped looking her way, which was probably her intention.
“Excited about tomorrow?” Nadine asks as we carry our bags across the parking lot.
Am I? After Storm invited us, I was, but now not so much. “Course. How ’bout you?”
“This’ll be my first big run with the group. I’m nervous.”
I’d been too wrapped up in my own shit to pay attention to Nadine, so I’ve been missin’ all the signs that she’s scared. “Nothin’ to be nervous about. It’ll be fun. You’ll do fine.”
Nadine drops her bags into the back of the van, and I throw mine in with hers.
“But Storm seems worried about whether we can handle riding in a pack,” Nadine says.
“I didn’t get that. She said she wanted Dimples…” My stomach churns just saying her name. “Uh, Captain to see how we do.” Saying Captain doesn’t help much since I still see her smile regardless of what I call her.
“Did you notice Dimples didn’t seem thrilled by it?”
Oh, I noticed. “I’m sure she gets sick of teaching prospects.” I climb into the driver’s seat, while Nadine slips into the passenger side.
“That doesn’t make sense. Isn’t that part of her job?”
“I suppose.” The last person I want to discuss is Dimples, so I shut that down. “Hey, ya gonna stop by and see your parents tomorrow after the run?”
“Fuck you.”
Unable to resist egging her on, I say, “Don’t they have a house in Saratoga Springs?”
She glares at me. “They aren’t there every weekend.”
I chuckle. “Hey, maybe you can take me with you to visit. I’m sure they’d love me.” I give her a huge grin.
She finally laughs. “Tempting. Maybe I could have the whole pack ride through their neighborhood.” Then she shrugs. “But I think they’re staying in their apartment in the city this weekend.”
It’s moments like this that remind me that Nadine and I are not the same. She comes from money. My mama never owned anything, while her family owns houses all over the place.
I’m not sure if she notices the change in me, or if she’s just done talking about her parents, but she says, “Why do you think the Graces don’t like the Thorns?”
“I dunno. Probably because the Graces think they’re above it all.”
“Above it all?”
“Yeah, ya know proper. While the Thorns get their hands dirty.”
“You mean like in illegal stuff?”
I’m happy I’m driving, so Nadine doesn’t see my eyes. Nobody brings up the law. While she technically hasn’t, I’ve never heard a patch say the word illegal. I know it’s just us, but talking like this makes me uncomfortable.
“Nah. I just mean they straitlaced.”
Nadine chuckles. “Nothing straitlaced about the Thorns. Does it bother you?”
What the hell? She’s not letting up.
Before I can respond, she says, “You work at the garage. Don’t you worry you could get arrested?”
“Nope.” The less I say, the better.
“Too bad Storm stopped Frost from bringing in more abandoned vehicles.”
Her tone is obvious when she says abandoned. The Thorns don’t bring in the vehicles we chop, but we don’t ask questions about the ones that come in. Halo’s got some legal-sounding bullshit for it. It’s small time, a handful each month.
“We’ve helped plenty of locals with the abandoned cars,” I say, feeling like I need to defend the crew I work with at Black Briar.
Nadine lets out a chuckle. “Maybe we can donate a few of your cars on Saturday. I’m sure the ladies at the shelter could use them.”
Now I know she’s baiting me, but I ain’t biting. We ain’t just running away with the money. We’re helping families, especially single mothers who can’t pay for repairs or old people on fixed incomes. The Graces aren’t the only ones helping the community.
I feel Nadine’s eyes on the side of my face, so I give her my most casual smile and motion over my shoulder with my thumb.
“We’ve got enough donations for tomorrow.
Their periods will be covered for months.
” I laugh, trying to seal that I’m not bothered by her questions.
“They’ll think of the Thorns when they take care of their coochies. ”
“Eww, gross,” Nadine says, but she laughs.
Crisis averted. “Speaking of coochies. What happened to Chad? You haven’t brought him around lately.”
“He’s a dick.”
I could have told her that. The first time I met him, I disliked him. Lots of clubs don’t just segregate by race but who you sleep with. Aces didn’t play that game. She was a lesbian, but she never discriminated against the straight girls. I like that.
Still, I can’t help but give it to Nadine. “Maybe you’ll walk away from the dark side and step into the light.”
I take my eyes off the road and glance at her, wanting to see her expression. Her face goes from surprised to serious. “Are you propositioning me?”
My eyes widen. “Jesus. No!” I don’t need rumors circulating the club or for Dimples to hear. I snap my gaze back to the road as my face heats.
We drive for at least a mile in silence before Nadine bursts out laughing. “You’re too easy. I wondered if you were gonna jump out of the van while it was moving.” She chuckles again. “I might have let you if you weren’t driving.”
“You’re an asshole,” I say, but I laugh, too.
She grins at me. “Never underestimate me.”
“Oh, I won’t.” And I mean it.
After Nadine and I finish bagging up the donations so they’ll fit in the girls’ saddlebags, Nadine calls it a night. I should go home. I live in an apartment over Black Briar Motors. Several of us who work there do. It’s a sweet deal.
When I emerge from the supply room, the bar has thinned out. I’m disappointed that Dimples isn’t around. She’s made herself scarce this week.
I could get a drink. Instead, I head out the back door. After spending the time with Nadine, I’m worn out from pretendin’. I wanna go home, have a beer, and try to sleep, something that’s escaped me this week.
I step outside into the crisp spring air.
Patches of fog lift off the ground, thicker where the snow hasn’t melted.
It took me awhile to get used to the fog in the Adirondacks, especially on my bike, but now I appreciate the beauty.
I pull the zipper of my jacket up as I approach my bike.
When I glance at the garage where the officers keep their bikes, I see a light on.
My chest tightens. Dimples? Could I be lucky enough to find her alone? Would it be lucky? She’s made it clear she doesn’t want nothin’ to do with me. Still, I should shut off the light. Right? I almost believe that’s my reason.
My heart pounds as I walk to the garage. Something tells me she’s there. It’s like I sense her presence. Christ. I’m gonna start writin’ poetry if I get any cornier.
I stop just inside the door. Dimples’ Indian isn’t lined up next to Storm’s, and music comes from the back where she normally works on her bike. I strain to hear. I’m expecting the hard-driving metal she was playing last time, so I’m surprised by the soft strains of what sounds like a piano.
I should let Dimples know I’m here, but something in me wants to catch a glimpse of her before her guard comes up, so I walk quietly toward the back. As I approach, I catch an angelic voice accompanying the piano, but I can’t place the singer.
I don’t regret my decision. Dimples sprays her rear hub with degreaser before she picks up her spoke brush. She’s so intent on the job that she doesn’t notice me. She’s singing softly. I hope to see peace on her face, but there are worry lines etched on her forehead.
Since I don’t want her to catch me staring, I say, “Hey, I was just making sure nobody left a light on.”
She looks up, and light dances in her eyes before the curtain crashes down. Damn it. I’m not sure if it makes it better or worse, seeing her unguarded eyes before she shut down. Right now, I’ll take the three seconds of warmth I got from her.
“I’m just getting ready for tomorrow,” she says.
I take it as a good sign she doesn’t demand I leave. “Looking good.” I let it lie between us, knowing I’m talking about her, not the bike. I point at the speaker lying on the bench. “Who’s that?”
“Sarah McLachlan.”
“Never heard of her. But her voice sounds familiar.”
“Angel.”
My eyes widen. “Say what?”
Dimples’ lips turn up a little but not enough to show her dimples. “The song—Angel. I’m sure you’ve heard it.”
I shake my head.
Dimples sings the lyrics.
“Oh, fuck. I—”
“Hey, I’m not that bad of a singer.” This time, her smile is bigger, and my heart skips a beat.
“Shit, no. It’s not your singing. It’s that damned commercial with the animals. I can’t watch it.”
“Me neither.” Dimples turns her attention back to her bike and runs her brush over the rims.
“Need some help?”
There’s pain in Dimples’ eyes when she looks up. “No, I need you to go.”
The words hurt, and I’m sure she sees it on my face. “Why?”
“Storm’s my best friend.”
Of anything she might’ve said, I’m not expecting this. I tilt my head, not saying anything, but the question is on my face.
“Frost’s not gonna let up, so Storm doesn’t need her best friend causing a scandal.”
Understanding crashes down on me. She’s not rejecting me. In my exhilaration, I blurt out, “I want to get to know you better. Can’t we just be friends?” When she continues to stare without speaking, I add, “I won’t kiss you again. I promise.”
Her eyes soften. “It’s not a good idea, you know?”
I don’t, or maybe I do, but I can’t let this go. “We wouldn’t be breakin’ any club rules.” I kneel so I’m at eye level with her, but I keep an arm’s length away to show I’m serious. “Ain’t no crime in wanting to know you better.”
Dimples stares at me for several beats before she picks up a rag and tosses it to me. “You can do the front tire.”