24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cole
Ilisten to my mom and Carson talk on the phone.
She has her phone on speaker, and her back to me.
I even coughed to let her know Carver and I were behind her, but she didn’t hear us.
“Oh, honey, you did the right thing.”
“I’m hoping one of the women will recognize what she’s going through and maybe talk to her.”
Carver pretends to be interested in the wind chimes Billie Rose makes for the shop. He flicks one with his finger and then looks toward my mom to see if it’s gotten her attention. I think the topic of conversation she’s having with my brother makes him uncomfortable.
She still doesn’t turn around. She’s focused on Carson, but I can’t fault her for that. My mother has a way of making you feel like you’re the only person in the room, especially when you need her.
“Don’t force it, sweetheart. The people who might help her will find her exactly when she needs them. Just stand by her side and let her hold onto you. She needs something solid right now.”
I clear my throat again, shrugging at Carver. He looks like he’s as ready to get the fuck out of here as I am.
He sighs. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am.”
Carson laughs lightly.
“Intimacy will come when she’s ready. Her body remembers, and it may take some time before it feels as safe with you as her mind does.”
Carver spins on his heel to retreat from their conversation, knocking one of the chimes to the floor.
“Oh,” my mother gasps, turning around herself.
All three of us freeze.
“You okay, Mom?” Carson asks.
Mom looks at me, clearly flustered. “Yeah, honey, I just had a customer come in. You’ll message me as soon as the two of you land.”
“Yeah, we board here in a few. I just wanted to call you before we took off.”
“I’m glad you did. I’ll see you both when you return. Love you, sweetie.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
They share a quick goodbye and then she sets the phone down on the counter, her eyes bouncing between Carver and me.
“I’m sorry, boys. I didn’t hear you come in.”
Carver bows his head to her. “No apologies, ma’am. We didn’t mean to eavesdrop. We just came over here to give you a hand.”
There’s no way we could avoid eavesdropping. She had the phone turned up at full volume on speakerphone.
“Oh, gosh, yes. I’ve got a few deliveries to make.” She waves us into the back room. “Jackson and Brody were going to take care of them, but they’re tied up with some club business.”
She mumbles something about Jackson helping out less and less as his duties with the club increase. And his little one takes up a lot of his time.
“I don’t know, maybe I should think about retiring,” she says more to herself than to us. She grows quiet, staring at the dresser in front of her, lost in thought for a moment, but then she snaps back out of it. “Anyway, here’s the address. The buyer said they’d be home all day.”
She hands Carver the piece of paper with the location on it.
He grins wide. “No problem, ma’am, we’ll get this over to them.”
Who the fuck is this guy?
My mom puts her hands on her hips. “Stop calling me ma’am. I’m not old,” she says gruffer than I knew she could be.
“I meant no offense.”
“You don’t call Jesse ma’am,” she accuses.
“Well, again, no offense, but she is the farthest thing from a lady I could imagine.”
Her irritation disappears. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”
He remains steady. “What would you like me to call you?” he asks.
She looks at me and then back at him. “Just … just call me Mom.”
His eyebrows about jump clean off his face and he takes a step back. “Mom?”
“Yes,” she answers firmly. “I’m not old enough to be a ma’am. I’d rather you call me Mom.”
He stutters. “Well, I could call you Lily,” but as the words leave his mouth, he cringes.
She finally relaxes and laughs lightly. “See, you know you want to call me Mom.”
“But …” He looks so uncomfortable. Almost more so than when we heard her private conversation with my brother. “Why?”
She walks over and pats his cheek roughly. “Because you are my sons’ brother now. Carson and Cole need a buffer, and unfortunately that’s you.” She turns away, going back to gathering the items she needs us to deliver to her customers. “But don’t you worry, it will come with a few perks.”
Carver takes a lamp she hands him. “And what is that?”
“Telling you would ruin the joy of finding out for yourself.”
His dark brown eyes roll in his head. “Whatev …” he begins to say but stops immediately when she gives him the look. Same one that can stop my dad in his tracks. That’s about the only thing that ever puts him in his place.
That’s what he gets for sassing her.
All I can do is stand by helplessly.
“Now, your brother will be back late tonight. We’re having a family get together at the warehouse tomorrow at six. I expect you both to be there.” She wags a finger between the two of us. “I have an important announcement to make.”
“Can’t you just tell us now?”
“No. I want you all together.”
I’m already planning on being at the warehouse, so that works for me, I guess. I’m not staying at home with my brother and his … whatever she is.
My mind goes to the conversation I overheard between him and my mom. A talk that he should have been having with me. He probably would if I was talking to him.
I know. I know. I’m being childish.
Or am I?
Maybe we just need a clean break. I don’t know if I can watch him slowly pull away from me over time. Like, let’s just get it over with.
“Okay, sure, we’ll be there,” I tell my mom, picking up one end of the dresser as Carver grabs the other.
After we get everything loaded in Carver’s truck, we head out of town. “I’ve never seen you be so nice to a woman before,” I tell him. “It’s weird. Stop.”
He laughs, lighting up a cigarette. “Your mom is sweet.”
“That she is.”
“You missed your turn.” I look over my shoulder, pointing to the road he just passed.
“I thought since we were in the area …” he turns away from me, flicking his ash out the window.
“Fuck,” I whisper under my breath as he gets out to open the fence blocking our way. I really wish Carson was here. He’s the only one who’s ever been able to talk some sense into Carver.
When he gets back in, I do my best. “Hey, man, it sounds like this chick has it covered. We don’t need to interfere.”
He completely ignores me. “So, I need you to distract the sister. She’s a mute, by the way.”
“No. Absolutely not. And that was rude. She has a name, you know.”
He pulls up outside the shack, but no one is here.
“Thank god,” I whisper under my breath.
“I’m just going to check it out,” he says as he’s opening his door.
He gets one foot on the ground and we hear a click. His head pushes forward as a gun comes into my view. Holy shit.
He lifts his hands in the air. A blonde woman peeks into the cab, giving me a quick once-over before pulling Carver out and forcing him to walk to the front of the truck. She removes a pair of handcuffs from the back of her pants and slips them through the cattle guard on his truck.
She secures one of his hands with the cuffs and then looks at me through the windshield. She waves her gun, pointing to the spot beside them with the barrel.
“You want me to get out?” I ask, knowing she can’t hear me.
She nods and points once more.
“Yeah, fuck that,” I say under my breath.
She puts the gun to his temple, her eyes narrowing.
“Jesus Christ, this is just the kind of shit that happens when Carson’s not around.”
I get out of the truck and stupidly let her place one of my wrists into the other cuff.
“Now what are you going to do?” Carver asks her, getting in her face as she snaps me into place.
Her eyes stay on mine. She’s doing an incredibly good job at handling my crazy friend.
She finally looks away and backs up.
“I told you this was a stupid idea.”
“But exciting, yeah?”
I don’t have time to tell him off, because the woman suddenly whistles.
Carver looks at me. “Damn, I didn’t know mutes could whistle.”
“Stop fucking calling her that!” I yell, finally finding the end of my rope. I’m so pissed that Carson fucking left me to deal with Carver alone.
The door to the shack opens and Katie and Nyx walk out, both wiping blood from their hands.
Fuck. Katie’s here.
Carver immediately starts explaining that we came to help.
From the look on Nyx’s face, she doesn’t need it.
Somewhere behind us a Harley fires up.
Katie smiles. “Looks like Nova took the keys with her.”
The two of them walk toward the sound of the bike, disappearing into the trees.
“Very funny,” he yells.
“They’re not coming back,” I tell him, lowering myself to the bumper in an attempt to make myself comfortable.
Carver looks down at me. “They’re really going to leave us out here.”
“Yep.”