2. Wyatt #2
That idea calms me by the slightest margin, considering Maizie works four nights a week at the bar.
“Do you think they’re a viable threat?” Cash asks.
Ozzy considers the question for a few moments.
“I can’t be sure. Like I said, this could be a one-off.
It’s Nolan, and he has ties to the town that don’t involve us.
But if he’s here for his club, then we’re going to make damn sure everyone is safe until we have a clearer understanding of the situation.
The last thing I want is to go to war with them, but like hell I’m going to let us get caught with our pants down. ”
I look around the table at my brothers. Jude and, surprisingly, Cash, are the most on edge, but there's definitely tension rolling off each brother. War is dangerous and deadly. We’ve had a pretty good run of being able to avoid it throughout the years—with the exception of helping the Monaghans eliminate the threats they’ve faced—but it’s been a long-ass time since we were the main player.
I suppose all good things come to an end at some point.
I pull up to Linc and Charlie’s house, and through the front window, a little face is peering out when I park my truck. It’s a beautiful night and perfect for a ride, but then I’d be responsible for disappointing a certain five-year-old by not showing up with his best bud.
Colby comes barreling down the front porch of Linc’s one-story cottage as I open the passenger door of my truck. Without waiting for a command, Pepper jumps down and runs straight to Colby, jumping and running circles around the kid.
“Pepper, down,” I command, and the dog sits next to Colby. I can see the energy vibrating off him, but he listens nonetheless.
“Come on, Wy, he wasn’t being bad,” Colby pleads.
“I know, bud, but if he gets any bigger, he’ll knock you over. Then your mom will be mad at me, and I’ll be in trouble.”
The last thing I want is to get on Maizie’s bad side. She has many sides I’d like to be on, but those aren’t appropriate thoughts to have in front of her son.
Charlie comes outside and smiles. “Oh, come on, Wyatt. Don’t torture the poor kid.”
I look at Colby, who is begging me with his big brown eyes.
“Okay, Pepper,” I say, and the pup and kid immediately start running around the front yard.
“Where’s your old man?” I ask Charlie.
She nods toward the garage. “Staring at his new girlfriend.”
I narrow my eyes in question and head in that direction to find Linc and Jude huddled around a bike that sits in parts over Linc’s work table.
Linc looks up and grins. “Look what I picked up.”
“A bunch of spare parts?” I ask, seeing the mess in front of him.
“Hell no. When all is said and done, this thing is going to be show worthy,” Linc says, looking over the parts as though he can already see it all put together.
“Whatever you say, mate. You definitely have your work cut out for you,” Jude says.
“A little hard work never scared me.”
It’s been a long time since Linc had a project like this laid out in front of him.
He and Knox used to love finding old bikes for cheap and rebuilding them.
I don’t think he’s done anything of the sort since he got out of prison a couple years ago.
Though I enjoy working on my bike and will often lend a helping hand to my brothers when they need it, the way Linc looks at everything in front of him is on another level.
It’s as though he’s a kid in a toy store, staring at a giant puzzle that he can’t wait to solve.
“Who’s at Thorn and Thistle tonight?” I ask. I love that Linc has a new project, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have bigger issues to worry about.
“Braxton,” Jude says, and I nod.
Since Brax is six-five and at least two hundred fifty pounds of pure muscle, it puts me at ease knowing he’s the one hanging out with Maizie tonight.
Naturally, I’d rather it be me, but that’s Ozzy’s call.
Besides, it gives me a chance to let Pepper run around with Colby.
They can have some fun and tire each other out.
It’s not much, but it’s one thing I can do for Maizie.
“What about Lucy and Cece?” I ask.
Jude shakes his head. “I have no fecking clue where Little Bit is. She’s been in the habit of taking off without telling her sister where she's headed. And she doesn't like to answer questions about where she's been when she gets home.”
“Still not going great on that front?” I ask.
“Nope. But I’m staying out of it. If Lucifer wants me to step in, she’ll tell me, but I think she’s at as much of a loss as I am.”
Jude isn’t what I would call warm and fuzzy. Shit, neither is Lucy, for that matter, but when it comes to Cece, both of them have been treading lightly. I just hope like hell it doesn’t blow up in their faces.
Lucy steps into the garage. “Dinner’s ready,” she informs us.
“What did you make me, Lucifer?”
She rolls her eyes. “Chinese takeout.”
“Ah, my favorite,” Jude says, walking to his woman. “What about dessert?”
She winks at the man and turns to walk back to the house, adding a little sway in her step for him. When he lets out a growl, she takes off in a sprint and he lunges after her, laughing until I hear a door slam.
“Those two have some serious issues,” I say, and Linc nods.
“Try living next door to them,” he replies, and I chuckle.
No fucking thanks.
Three hours later—after the takeout has been demolished, the cupcakes devoured, and Colby and Pepper have passed out on the floor in front of the TV—there’s a quiet knock at the door.
Charlie unravels herself from Linc. “That must be Maizie,” she says quietly, so she doesn’t wake Colby.
Pepper lifts his head, and as soon as Maizie walks through the front door, he settles back down with Colby.
“Looks like it was quite the party,” she says, smiling at her sleeping son.
“Pepper has been bugging me to hang out with Colby, so we stopped by.”
Maizie releases a light laugh. “Pepper, huh?”
I love that I can make her laugh even after a long night of working. The sound brings a smile to my face.
“He’s very talkative once you get to know him,” I tell her.
She shakes her head and walks over to her son, kneeling next to him. “Hey, buddy,” she says in a quiet voice. “Time to wake up.”
Colby opens his sleepy eyes a bit and smiles. “Hi, Mommy. Can Pepper spend the night?”
“Not tonight, son,” she says, lifting him from the floor.
I stand from my chair and hold out my arms. “Let me. It was my dog who tired him out,” I say.
“It’s okay. I got him,” she replies.
Colby is already asleep again in her arms, not that he really woke up in the first place.
“Maizie, you’ve been working all night. Let me, yeah?” I hold out my arms again.
She looks exhausted. I haven’t seen her in over a week, and she has dark circles under her eyes. Still beautiful, but very tired.
“Thank you,” she breathes out. “Careful, he’s heavier than he looks,” she says, handing him over.
Colby doesn’t so much as stir, but Pepper gets up and follows us out to her car.
“Here you go,” Charlie says, handing Colby’s backpack over to Maizie.
Maizie leans in and gives her a hug. “Thank you so much,” she says. “You sure you’re still on for watching him tomorrow night, too?”
Charlie grins. “Of course. I love having the little guy around. Gives me someone to hang out with now that Linc has a new project.”
When I lean in and set Colby in his car seat, he opens his eyes and smiles at me. “Can we play again tomorrow?”
“Sounds like a good plan to me, bud,” I reply and buckle him in.
“Mm-kay.”
I watch as his eyes flutter closed again.
Damn, I wish I could fall asleep that easily.
Even when I was his age, sleep never came as easily as it does for this kid.
My only guess is, when you grow up like Colby—with a mom who loves him and a group of people as close as any blood-related family—it’s easy to feel safe enough to let sleep take over. Not exactly the way I grew up.
I shut the back door, walk around to the driver’s side, and open the door for Maizie.
“Well, thank you, kind sir,” she says, offering me a tired smile as she sits down.
“You okay?” I ask, noting the way her shoulders are slightly slumped forward, as if the weight of the world sits there.
“Didn’t sleep well,” she says, scrunching her adorable nose.
“Are you worried about something?”
Maizie lets out a humorless laugh. “I’m a single mom. I’m always worried about something.”
I wish like hell I could take some of it away for her, give her some sort of reassurance that whatever’s on her mind will work itself out, but what do I know about being a single parent?
Shit, I wish my mom had been single when I was growing up.
It would’ve been better than staying in a shitty marriage with my dad.
At least Colby has a mom who loves him and puts him above everything else.
It sure beats having two parents who yelled at each other night and day.
I smile and resist the urge to run my finger under the circles under her eyes and lean in to give her a soft kiss, promising everything will be okay.
“Night,” she says as I step away from her car.
She shuts the door and takes off down the street back to her house, which is a few minutes away.
When I turn around, Charlie is giving me the look . The one that says she knows something I don’t want her to know.
“What?” I ask.
She stares for a beat then shakes her head. “Nothing,” she says with a smile. “Nothing at all.”