Chapter Nine
Ramona
Bob barely made it through the clubhouse doors before he called Anchor’s name. He stopped his wheelchair and looked over his shoulder.
Anchor was standing near the bar with Skull beside him. Whatever they’d been talking about ended the second they saw Bob’s face.
“What happened?” Anchor asked.
Bob glanced at me before looking back at him. “I remembered something.”
That was all it took.
Anchor straightened. Skull pushed away from the bar.
“What?” Skull asked.
Bob looked around the common room. There were too many people moving around, too many conversations happening, and even I knew whatever Bob had remembered wasn’t something they were going to talk about with everyone listening.
Anchor jerked his chin toward the hallway. “Church.”
Bob started rolling in that direction and I followed him. I had no idea what ‘church’ meant, but I figured I would find out.
He made it about three feet before realizing I was there and looked back at me.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Uh, ‘church?’”
He shook his head. “Church is for the club only, doll.”
I quirked my lips. “Really?”
Skull walked past us. “Club business,” he said, as if I knew at all what that meant.
“Ramona,” Pearl called. “You get to hang out with us. The guys like to think that they have secrets when they head to Church, but you just need to know that we’ll find out the highlights when it’s all over.”
Shay patted the couch next to her. “We are about to start Twister, and then go right into Twisters with Hottie McHot Pants.”
“Who the hell are you talking about?” Prime asked. “I wasn’t in no damn movie.”
“Dear God,” McKayla groaned. She flitted her fingers at him. “Don’t you worry your head about what we are going to be doing out here.”
“Lost,” Anchor called. “You stay out here with the girls.”
Lost was behind the bar polishing a tall beer glass. “You got it.”
“Pop some popcorn,” Pearl called. “You can watch the movie with us, Lost.”
This was another weird time with the club. The guys were all serious, ready to head into some important meeting, and the girls were getting ready to have a movie marathon that I was supposed to join. I looked down at Bob. “I have so many questions right now.”
Bob chuckled. “Save them for tonight. I’ll answer them all.” He looked toward the hallway, then back at me. “Don’t disappear.”
“Go,” I told him. “Tell them what you remembered.”
Bob nodded, then he rolled toward the hallway.
I watched him until he disappeared around the corner with the rest of the guys.
“Come on,” Shay called.
I turned around and she was still patting the spot beside her. It looked like I was watching Twister.
I walked over and dropped onto the couch. “Just so we’re clear, I have no idea what’s happening anymore.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Pearl assured me.
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“It shouldn’t,” McKayla laughed. “I’m just letting you know that we are all pretty new to this, but we promise that you’ll be okay.”
Lost came around the bar and headed toward the kitchen. “I’m making popcorn.”
“Extra butter!” Shay called after him.
He lifted his hand without turning around.
I settled back against the couch and looked around. The clubhouse had emptied out with all of the guys in Church. Five minutes ago, Bob had remembered something from the night a woman was murdered and his throat was slit. Now we were about to watch a tornado movie.
Skull Island was fucking weird.
Pearl grabbed the remote and started searching for the movie while Shay stretched her legs out in front of her.
“So, what is church?” I asked.
Pearl glanced at me. “Club meeting.”
“Why don’t they just call it a club meeting?”
All three women looked at me.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re going to learn there are some things you just don’t question,” McKayla explained.
“Calling a meeting church is one of them?”
“Pretty much.”
I nodded slowly. “Good to know.”
Lost came back carrying a giant bowl of popcorn and another smaller bowl tucked against his side.
Shay sat up. “Why are there two?”
He nodded to the small bowl. “This one’s mine.”
“You made yourself your own bowl?” Pearl asked.
“Yep.” He handed the large bowl to Shay.
Shay grabbed the bowl and popped two pieces into her mouth. “You’re supposed to share.”
“I made you guys a big one, and this is mine. That is sharing,” he insisted.
“You don’t want to eat out of our bowl?” Shay asked.
Lost sat in one of the chairs and shook his head. “No. I’m good with my own.”
“Were you an only child?” McKayla asked him.
He nodded. “Yeah. What about it?”
“That explains so much,” Pearl laughed. “Only an only child would not want to share.”
He flipped us off. “Put the movie on, and quit the yapping.”
I laughed.
Shay looked at me. “Don’t encourage him.”
Lost pointed at me. “I like her.”
“See?” I asked. “I’m fitting in already.”
Pearl finally found the movie and hit play.
For the next hour and a half, I actually managed to stop thinking about most of the shit happening in my life.
Mostly.
Shay knew half the movie by heart and had apparently decided it was her responsibility to say certain lines right before the actors did.
Pearl threw popcorn at her every time she did it.
Lost pretended he wasn’t interested, but twenty minutes in, he was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees watching the television.
McKayla was the quietest of all of us. Her phone was never far from her hand, and every once in a while, she’d check the screen.
I figured she was waiting for updates about Erin. I was learning there were a lot of things happening around here that weren’t my business.
At least not yet.
The door to the hallway opened before the movie ended.
I looked over automatically, and Bob rolled out first. His eyes found mine almost immediately. I lifted my eyebrows, and he gave me a small nod.
Whatever had happened in Church, he looked okay. Tired, but okay.
Anchor came out behind him, followed by Skull and the rest of the guys. The common room filled back up almost instantly.
Prime stopped when he saw the television. “That the guy you’re into?”
Shay looked over the back of the couch. “Bill Paxton? No. I’m waiting for the guy in Twisters, which is what we are watching next.”
Prime stared at her. McKayla laughed.
Bob rolled over and stopped beside the couch. His eyes moved over my face. “You didn’t disappear.”
I stared at him. “You were gone an hour and a half. And I wouldn’t have gotten very far seeing as my RV is dead, and I’m pretty sure I would just tip over if I tried to ride one of the motorcycles out of here.”
His mouth twitched. “You’re not giving yourself enough credit, doll. I’m sure you would have made it at least to the bridge.”
I rolled my eyes. “You need to rest,” I told him.
“There she is.”
“What?”
“My physical therapist.”
“I told you I’m not qualified.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
I looked at his face. He really did look tired. “I’m serious.”
“I know.”
That surprised me. I narrowed my eyes. “Did you just agree with me?”
“Don’t make it weird.”
“Too late.”
A laugh came from behind him. Skull walked past us toward the bar. Bob lifted his middle finger without looking.
“I didn’t say shit,” Skull called. “Why you flipping me off?”
“Didn’t have to.”
Skull glanced at me. “You’re gonna learn he gets cranky when he’s tired.”
“I’ve already learned that.”
“Fuck both of you.”
I laughed.
Bob shook his head and rolled toward the hallway.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
He looked back. “Apparently, I’m taking a nap.”
“Good,” I called.
“Maybe you need one, too,” his voice echoed down the hallway.
I stared after him. Had Bob just invited me to take a nap with him?
“Was that—” Shay started.
“Nope.” I held up my hand before Shay could finish.
“I didn’t even finish my sentence.”
“You were going to,” I grumbled.
Shay leveled her gaze on me. “I was going to ask if that was an invitation.” She paused. “An invitation I think you should take.”
Pearl laughed.
I grabbed a handful of popcorn and turned back toward the television. “We’re watching a movie.”
“We are,” McKayla agreed.
“Thank you.”
“Although I’m pretty sure he invited you to bed,” McKayla muttered.
I slowly turned my head toward her.
She smiled. “I call it like I see it.”
“We are watching a movie,” I insisted.
Shay snorted.
I ignored her and focused on the television. Or tried to.
The problem was I’d already seen Twister enough times to know what was going to happen, and now that Bob wasn’t in Church, my brain apparently had nothing better to do than think about him.
Taking a nap. In the bed we’d shared last night. The bed I’d woken up in this morning with my hand resting on his arm and his leg pressed against mine.
I shifted on the couch.
Nope. I wasn’t going down that road.
I grabbed more popcorn.
Ten minutes later, I realized I hadn’t paid attention to a single thing happening on the television.
I glanced toward the hallway, then immediately looked back at the movie.
I was not going to Bob’s room. He needed to sleep.
That was why I’d told him to go take a nap in the first place. He’d done too much already today. He’d walked farther than he had yesterday, remembered something horrible from the night he’d almost died, then sat through an hour and a half of whatever happened in Church.
The man needed rest. What he didn’t need was me crawling into bed beside him and keeping him awake.
Another couple of minutes passed.
I looked toward the hallway again.
Shay caught me. I knew she caught me because the corner of her mouth lifted.
“Don’t,” I whispered.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Keep it that way.”
She mimed locking her lips.
I rolled my eyes and looked back at the television.
I lasted another three minutes, then I stood.
Nobody said anything. That was almost worse.
“I need to use the bathroom.”
Pearl pointed toward the bathroom near the bar. “There is one there, but I like the one in Bob’s room better.”
Shay made a choking noise, and I glared at her.
She buried her face in the popcorn bowl, and Pearl waved to me. “Toodle-loo.”
“I’ll be back.”
“Take your time,” McKayla called.
Traitors. Every single one of them.