Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Ayda
Istill wasn’t confident about Tate’s involvement in this plan of Drew’s, but I had been appeased.
Before we fell asleep, he walked me through every detail, completely upfront about anything that could possibly go wrong and the risks to Tate if something should go balls up, which he assured me it wouldn’t.
I’d spent so much time mulling it over, I wasn’t able to get much sleep for the second night in a row.
My good mood was dwindling and my patience was wearing thin.
The tiny fissures in my normally cheerful demeanor became huge cracks when I found all the coffee gone.
Some asshole had taken the last cup and left the burner on to caramelize the dribbles because they were too lazy to make another pot.
It was something that brought about some of my more colorful, less than flattering vocabulary.
“Okay, slugger, you and I need a day trip.”
I turned around to face Deeks. One of his thumbs was hooked through a belt loop on his jeans, and the other hand was holding a beer mug full of orange juice. The small smile that was hidden behind his beard told me he’d heard my slew of expletives.
“Don’t you mess with my emotions now, Deeks.”
“I’m serious, sugar. You need some air, and I know just the place for you to get some. Go get something warmer on and meet me at my bike.”
He didn’t have to ask me twice. As much as I loved living in The Hut, there were days I just needed some extra space to gather my thoughts together, and that wasn’t always possible, not even in the little haven Drew built for me.
There was always noise going on somewhere.
Half of the men in the place were nocturnal, after all.
Pair all of that with lack of sleep and the worry playing at the back of my mind at this business with Tate, and even I could admit I was a mess.
Dressed in layers with a smile on my lips from the goodbye I’d just shared with Drew, I bounced down the steps of the porch and headed to where Deeks was studying his bike, his thumb firmly rubbing the point of his chin before smoothing the hair again.
He didn’t bother looking up when I approached.
He simply picked up a spare helmet and tossed it in my direction before pulling on the facemask to protect himself from the brisk wind.
The printed skeletal jaw was a little creepy, but it was one of those things you got used to.
Swinging his leg over the bike, he fired it up and tipped his head in the direction of the seat behind him.
Out of all the bikes in the pack, Deeks’ was probably my second favorite.
He had a Heritage Softtail, which also came with a backrest for the passenger.
As much as I loved riding on Drew’s brand new blacked out Sportster Iron, it was nice to know I wasn’t about to be flung from the back if I had an itch on my nose.
It also meant I could sit back and not crowd Deeks while he rode.
There was something intimate about being pushed up against someone like that.
The first and only time I’d ridden with Kenny it had been more than apparent that it was no longer an option.
The growl of the bike coming to life was one of those sounds I was always going to love. The vibrations of all that power sitting beneath you gave you a rush of adrenaline and a promise, and it was easy to see why these guys loved their machines as much as they did.
Texas in November was chilly. It got colder the farther north you went.
Deeks and I had only been riding for an hour, but my thighs and cheeks were numb by the time he turned off onto a narrow country lane.
Most of it was dirt, forcing Deeks to navigate the terrain slowly as he avoided potholes and puddles.
When we emerged from the wall of trees and dust, I sucked in a breath of surprise.
We might as well have been in another world.
Sitting in the middle of a plot of land was a beautiful and well-kept double wide that had been well loved and expanded over the years.
There was a wraparound porch with hanging plants draping over the edges like waterfalls, and the yard was mesmerizing.
The fairy garden that ran along the edge of the forest backing onto the property was elaborate and stunning.
I tapped Deeks on the shoulder with numb hands as he pulled up next to a beat-up Jeep. “Where are we?”
Deeks was still in the process of removing his gloves and mask when the sound of the screen door's creaky hinges caught my attention, and I saw Autumn hopping down the porch steps with a bright smile on her lips—one that was now matching mine.
“Well ain’t this a pleasant surprise?” she said, sweeping me into a hug before I could swing my leg over to get off the motorcycle.
“Damn, woman, be careful of the bike,” Deeks huffed, gripping the handlebars to keep it upright.
“Oh, hush, baby. Selene could survive an apocalypse.”
“Selene?” I asked, still caught up in the hug, my body at a weird angle. I turned my head to look at Deeks, who was more amused than pissed off.
“That’s his bike, darlin’. He won’t admit he gave her a name to anyone else, but you’re family so you get all the good gossip.”
“Why Selene?”
“She was a goddess, said to be the embodiment of the moon.”
“Makes sense.”
“That’s what I said.” Autumn looped her arm through mine and swung back to link her other through Deeks’. “Y’all come on inside. I have some fresh brewed iced tea, some coffee, and I’ve made cornbread.”
“Baby, I told you we weren’t gonna be here long,” Deeks said, kissing the top of her head and reaching forward to open the door for us both.
“Are you telling me you can’t escape that clubhouse of yours for the day?”
“The Hut,” Deeks said with emphasis, kissing her temple and heading toward the kitchen, “ain’t the problem. This one’s old man said not too long.”
The moment he was around the corner, I looked to Autumn and raised my eyebrows. Maybe it was one of those things I’d never thought much about, but she’d seemingly hit a nerve calling The Hut something else.
“What was that all about?”
“All what, honey?”
“The Hut stuff.”
“Oh, that. It’s all about traditions, baby girl.
The boys who started up this charter built it from the ground up.
The Hut started out as just that, four walls and a lot of liquor, and a porch to put their feet up.
As their club grew, so did The Hut, but the name became significant, part of the history, and it stuck. ”
“Because that’s what it will always be to those of us who were there in the beginning,” Deeks said, stepping around the corner. “At the end of the day, whether it’s sentimentality or not, The Hut is The Hut, and that’s the end of it. Now feed me, woman.”
Autumn rolled her eyes, but her affectionate smile was as genuine as they came.
She loved Deeks, all his strange little habits and all.
It was something I was beginning to understand.
Knowing Drew and where he came from gave me a deeper comprehension and a higher tolerance for the things I didn’t understand.
As it turned out, Autumn made some amazing cornbread, but that wasn’t the reason Deeks had driven me out there.
Nor was it to get more stories from his woman.
It turned out that they owned a large parcel of land, as well as horses, cows, dirt bikes, and some four wheelers.
It was like a playground of grown-up toys, all hidden in a barn in the forest behind their house.
Deeks didn’t like leaving Autumn alone with things people would find useful, not that he had much to worry about.
The moment I walked into the house, my eyes were drawn to the rack of guns in the corner of the dining room.
Deeks saddled us a couple of horses and led me out of the barn and into the forest. He looked as comfortable on them as he did his bike.
The only difference seemed to be that he traded in his helmet for a Stetson, which suited him almost as much.
He pointed out boundaries and routes and let me lead, trailing behind to give the impression I was alone.
Deeks was as intuitive as he was smart, and I didn’t put up a fight.
Whether I’d known it or not, it was exactly what I needed.
It was a different kind of breeze in my face and power between my thighs.
The palomino with dark feet and ears seemed at ease as she led the way into the trees.
Her head was bobbing up and down as she stepped surely on a path she’d probably taken a hundred times in her life.
I felt every breath she took, her ribs pushing against my thighs as her ears swiveled and flicked.
I don’t know when all the tension left me, or when I was deemed approachable, but Deeks trotted up beside me on his horse, aptly named Harley, and slowed down to keep pace.
“Feeling better?”
“Much, thanks, Deeks.” I smiled at him and looked out over a large pasture that emerged beyond the trees. “How often do you come up here?”
“More than you think, sugar. I have two homes—one with Autumn, one with my brothers. It’s okay to step away sometimes, sweetheart.
It don’t mean you’re not loyal or that you ain’t happy.
It just shows you’re human. I wanted to bring you here because you need that escape, too, and Autumn and I always have a room for you up here if you need it. ”
“I couldn’t impose like that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You think I would invite you if I didn’t mean it? This is my best kept secret.”
“I can see why,” I said, grinning over at him. “Thank you.”
“It’s not an easy life, Ayda. Ask Autumn about that. But if you love Drew, you’re in it for the long haul. You’re gonna need to clear your head sometimes, and this always works for me. If you see my bike out front when you pull up, though…”
I raised my hand and shook my head. “You don’t even have to say it.”
“Thank fuck for that. It was getting awkward.”
We rode together in silence for a while.
The horses were familiar with each other, and it was obvious in the way they veered into one another and instigated little nips and bumps of shoulders.
I thought a lot about what he’d said, about the club, the life I was choosing for myself, and some of the history that he’d mentioned in the kitchen with Autumn.
There were certain topics that Drew didn’t hit on.
I don’t even think he was aware that he avoided them most of the time.
I was just steered away and left reeling like I’d been derailed without much effort.
That didn’t mean I didn’t have questions, and poor Deeks was about to be my cornucopia of knowledge.
“Deeks?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s the deal with The Hut?”
“Oh, not you as well,” he groaned with a smile playing on his lips.
“No, I just mean why not call it the cabin or the shack?”
“Blame Eric, kid. His mother was British and fell in love with a ranch hand. Eric spent so much time with her, he had names for shit we’d never use, words that stuck with all of us.
The Hut was one of those words. He was the man in charge of the build so we all fell under his wing.
I didn't think much of it really. I left after we finished building the place. I was still a bit of a nomad in those days. Settling wasn’t something that spiked my curiosity. Not until I met Autumn.”
“By Eric, you mean…?”
Deeks shifted in his saddle, the leather creaking under him as he rubbed Harley’s neck with the flat of his palm. He was uncomfortable going on, that was obvious, but I could see the resolution in his eyes. He wasn’t going to leave me hanging.
“Tucker. Eric Tucker.”
“Drew’s father?”
Deeks nodded, but I knew that was all I was going to get. His loyalty was solid as a rock, and any questions I had would have to be directed elsewhere. I knew he felt as though he’d said too much already, and I wanted to let him off the hook.
“Well, that explains a lot.”
Deeks looked over at me, but my only response was a wink, which earned me an indignant huff of disgust.
I started laughing as I gathered the reins in my hand. My body leaned forward to run my hand over the horse's shoulder as it looked longingly out over the grass. The need to run was twitching under her muscles and had her rocking from one foot to the other.
“Deeks?”
“Yeah?”
“Race you!”
With a tap of my heel, all the air left the horse’s lungs and the jerk of her taking off shifted me in the saddle, forcing a yip of excitement from me.
Deeks gave a verbal command, and the huff of his horse was the only indication he was game as the thunder of hoofs drowned out the thoughts I wasn't able to escape.
Clarity was a beautiful thing. With the small piece of freedom I’d managed to find thanks to Deeks, everything else fell into perspective.
Did I trust Tate not to fuck this up? No.
I didn't. He was fifteen, cocky, and full of attitude.
The one thing I did know was that I trusted Drew to watch out for him.
I trusted the pack to stop the mess from going too far, and I believed him when he said they would let nothing happen to Tate.
As the peace began to settle, the nagging receded, but it wouldn't leave completely. Maybe it never would.