Leather & Lies

Chapter 51

Bones left for the clubhouse,but not before leaving a pistol for me within reach on the coffee table. He also stated there were prospects standing guard and keeping their eyes and ears open in case there was trouble.

“He left you a pistol,” Charlie commented. “Is that, like, his love language?”

I sniggered. “I think so. He took me to the gun range that’s on club property to make sure I could handle it.”

“Bet that’s not the only thing you handled.”

“Hmm, another dick joke. How quaint. Okay, your turn. Please distract me from all the crazy shit in my life.”

“And the fact that you have a husband?”

“And the fact that I have a husband.”

“It’s like you went to the animal shelter one day and adopted him.” She smiled. “He protects you, and I love that. You know I’m happy for you, right? I mean, aside from the crazy circumstances that kinda forced you to get married so fast, I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah?” I asked. “Because you are my best friend, and I would’ve had you there if I could’ve.”

“I know.”

“So, the shirt?” I asked. “You gonna tell me about the shirt?”

“I stayed at Walker’s last night.”

“That’s all?”

“Well of course that’s not all.” She rolled her eyes. “We did stuff.”

“Dirty stuff?”

“Yes. Of course.” She was thoughtful.

“What?”

“I like him. But I liked Savage too and we saw how that went. I just don’t want Walker to get hurt because I have the emotional bandwidth of a raisin.”

“Did you tell him that?”

“Kinda,” she said. “I mean, I told him I was getting over someone and didn’t want Walker to become wreckage in my quest to move on. He appreciated that. He’s not pressuring me for anything, but he still calls, and he still makes plans, and he still feeds me, so I’ll see where it goes.”

“Hmm.”

She frowned. “What does hmm mean?”

“Not sure you want to hear it,” I said.

“Now you have to tell me.”

“I think Walker is playing the long game.”

“No. No way.” She shook her head. “He can’t be.”

“Why not?”

“Well, because we just met.”

“Uh huh.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just because you married Bones like five minutes after you started dating—and you don’t seem freaked out, by the way—doesn’t mean the rest of us operate on that timeline.”

“Let’s look at the facts,” I said. “I saw you guys lock eyes when you met, so…”

“I don’t believe in insta-love.”

“Okay.” I shrugged. “But you told him you were hung up on someone else and instead of walking away, he decided to stick around and be what you needed.”

“Lots of men would do that. For the promise of easy sex? Please.”

“But you haven’t said you’ve slept with him yet.”

“I implied it.”

“No, you purposefully said you did dirty stuff, but that’s a blanket statement of avoidance, not an of course, or something that confirmed it.”

“That bump to the head has you addled,” she griped. “Speaking of which, it’s not gonna scar is it?”

“Don’t know. I’m not sure who stitched me up, I was unconscious. It could’ve been anyone from a first-year intern to a plastic surgeon. But if it does scar, I’ll look like a pirate and I can enter my swashbuckling fashion era.”

“I’m here for that.”

“Nice try changing the subject.” I grinned. “You care about Walker’s feelings. I can’t remember the last time that happened.”

“It happened with the guy before Walker,” she said. “Savage.”

“No, it didn’t. You and Savage were like two wrecking balls, swinging at each other. You hit a few times before realizing it would end in nothing but destruction for you both.”

“I didn’t tell you much about my time with Savage,” she said.

“You never volunteered,” I pointed out.

“He’s like chasing a high,” she said quietly. “And when you get it, you get it for a few hours and then it all wears off and you feel worse. I had to go cold turkey if I had any chance of surviving him.”

“Maybe he’s not surviving you, you ever think of that?”

“I try not to,” she stated. “He’s not good for me. It doesn’t matter that I was finally able to feel something for someone after years of not wanting that, but Savage is chocolate cake.”

“First he’s a drug, now he’s chocolate cake?”

“Chocolate cake isn’t bad for you in small quantities,” she said. “Every once in a while. But he’s the human equivalent of a chocolate cake that you eat in its entirety in the middle of the night in a single sitting.”

“Oh, I see.” I nodded. “Poor Savage. I feel for him, actually.”

“Poor Savage? You mean poor Charlie…”

“No, I mean poor Savage. Charlie has someone in her life who is sticking around. Savage is still Savage. He’s alone.”

“And that, right there, was why I had to walk away and ghost him. No matter how much I hoped he’d come around and want something real, he didn’t. He can’t, I don’t think.”

“You still heartbroken over him?”

“A little,” she admitted. “But it was such a foreign feeling. He slipped through my defenses effortlessly. I’m not even sure how he did it.”

“That’s the kicker, isn’t it?” I asked, thinking about Bones and how he’d done the same thing with me. Only he’d wanted to stick around and build a life with me.

“It’s his loss, you know. Savage’s, I mean.”

She shook her head. “I don’t see it that way. Mostly, I’m just kind of sad for him. Have you ever been with someone who’s sitting right in front of you, but they’re a million miles away? They’re trapped in their own head, their own memories, and they don’t even care to clue you in? No one deserves to be in a partnership like that. I’m not even sure if Savage knows how to be by himself, much less with someone else.”

“Probably why he fills his time with booze and different women.”

She chewed her lip. “And fighting.”

“What?” I frowned. “Fighting who?”

“This has to stay between us,” she said. “Marriage code or not. You can’t tell Bones this.”

“All right, I swear on our history. What are you talking about?”

“Savage came to me one night in the middle of the night. He was busted up. Split lip, black eye. His body was nothing but bruises. I refused to let him cross the threshold of the pool house. I told him I didn’t want trouble brought to my doorstep.”

“Smart,” I said. “So, you turned him away?”

“No.” She sighed. “He said he had nowhere else to go. And that tugged on my stupid heart and I let him in.”

“He couldn’t go to the clubhouse?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I got him inside and doctored him as best I could. I wanted to take him to the hospital, but he said no.”

“So where was he?” I demanded.

“He said he’d been in a fight. Only it wasn’t like, a bar brawl or whatever. He said it was an illegal fight. Underground.”

“Stop it.”

She shook her head. “He swore me to secrecy. And that’s when I ghosted him. I wasn’t going to be a part of whatever he was into.”

“An illegal fight? Why?”

“Hell if I know. But he clearly didn’t want the club to know about it, which means the club wouldn’t approve.” Charlie’s expression became pinched. “The bastard used my feelings against me. He knew I would keep his secret because I was in love with him.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I’m a grown woman. I chose to get on the back of his bike. I chose to continue seeking him out for that damn dopamine hit that only a bad boy can give you.” She sighed. “Anyway, thanks for not telling Bones. I’m sure it wouldn’t be good for Savage.”

“Or maybe it would be,” I said.

She shook her head. “Savage does what Savage wants. No amount of talking to him will change that.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

It weighed on my mind—I knew I could trust Bones. But trust Bones to tell me the entire truth about everything the club was involved in? I knew he wouldn’t.

“I’m surprised Bones left you alone. What with his overprotective nature,” Charlie said.

“He only left because he knows you’ll stay until he gets back. Plus, there is the matter of private security patrolling the streets.”

The doorbell rang and Charlie shot me a confused look as she rose. “You expecting anyone?”

I shook my head.

“I’ll answer it,” she said.

Charlie walked out of the living room into the foyer and began to laugh.

“What?” I asked. “Who is it?”

“The fleet,” she said as she opened the door. “Come on in.”

Willa, Mia, Logan and Doc entered the living room.

“We brought food,” Mia said, lifting a casserole dish in her hands.

“You brought food?” I asked. “Why?”

“Why?” Logan repeated. “Because you’re recovering and this is what we do.”

The other Old Ladies nodded in agreement.

“It’s all vegetarian,” Doc announced.

“And nothing sugary,” Mia added.

“Okay, that’s really sweet, but how did you know I was recovering?” I asked.

“Bones called Smoke,” Logan said. “Smoke told me, and then I group texted the Old Ladies with the news. Everyone wanted to come at once, but I thought it was better to come in shifts. There’s a lot of us.”

“Speaking of which,” Doc said. “It’s time to add you to the Old Ladies’ group chat.”

“Aww man, you guys have a group chat?” Charlie whined. “That sounds fun.”

“It’s mostly for informational purposes,” Mia said.

“And dirty memes,” Logan said. “You don’t know how many I get on any given day.”

“Well, come on in,” I said, about to throw the blanket off me and get up.

“You, stay,” Doc commanded. “Let me get a look at those stitches.”

“Charlie, why don’t you show them to the kitchen and get them something to drink?” I suggested.

“Good idea.” Charlie waved at the Old Ladies to follow her.

There was a murmur of conversation as they trailed after her like little ducklings.

Doc sat down on the couch and inched closer to me. “You mind?”

I shook my head.

She leaned forward and examined the stitches on my forehead. “Must’ve been deep if they had to sew it. We use skin glue for most things these days. Ah, yep. Looks like you lost a bit of flesh during the fall. It’s not bad, but stitches were the only way this was going to hold back together. They did a good job. Really good, actually. You’ll scar, but it won’t be bad.”

She paused for a minute, but when I didn’t say anything, she asked, “So, what happened?”

I frowned. “I thought you all knew?”

“We know the watered-down version. I want to hear it from you.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because I’m a doctor. And your friend.”

“I don’t want to have to tell the story again,” I said. “Shouldn’t we wait until they come back?”

Doc’s grin spread across her face.

“What?” I asked.

“If Charlie knows the whole story, I’m sure she’s telling them what happened as we speak.”

“Before you interrogate me,” I said with a laugh, “can I ask how you’re doing?”

“Barely any morning sickness so far, but I don’t expect that to last. Boxer is over-the-moon excited. The timing of this pregnancy, though, with Darcy…” She shook her head. “Not that I can really be surprised. I mean, I got my IUD out a few months ago. I just didn’t think it would happen this fast, you know?”

“How are Lily and Cam?”

“Pretty listless. Shut down. Cam…he just doesn’t care about anything. Not that I fault him, but because he’s in a cast, he has nowhere for his emotions to go. He’s just…angry. All the time.”

“Question for you,” I said. “You have a dog, right?”

“Yes.” Doc nodded.

“Would you be willing to get a second one? For Cam?”

“I don’t know. Life is already crazy.”

“What’s one more?” I asked. “I think Cam needs an animal to just be there for him. Keep him company. Something for him to focus on instead of his own situation. You know?”

“It’s a great idea. I wish I’d thought of it,” she said. “I’ll take him to the shelter so he can pick the dog of his choice.”

I shook my head.

“No? Is that a bad idea?”

“Not bad at all,” I assured her. “But I’m guessing you haven’t heard that I’m something of a savant when it comes to animals.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I have this way of matching people with their animals. It’s a gift, or something.”

“What’s a gift or something?” Charlie asked as she came back into the living room. She was holding a plate with several servings of each of the dishes the Old Ladies had brought. “For you.”

“I’m not hungry,” I said. “Bones just fed me.”

She grinned. “Perfect. Then I’ll eat this.” She sat down on the floor and set the plate onto the coffee table. “So, what’s a gift or something?”

“My animal-people match making skill,” I said.

“How does it work?” Doc asked.

“I don’t know how it works, it’s just something I can do. I spend time at Rose Hill Retirement Community as well as the animal shelter and I just know. I’ll meet a dog and immediately know who it’s for—but only if I’ve already met its owner.”

“It’s kinda spooky,” Charlie said. “But it’s really true. We’ve been talking about starting a non-profit around the idea. Though, Hayden probably won’t have time now that she’s Chair of the Board of Spencer Pharmaceuticals.”

“Spencer Pharmaceuticals,” Doc repeated. “Wait, you’re what?”

“I’m Hayden Spencer,” I said. “It was my father’s company, and as of yesterday, I’m now in control of the company.”

“Holy fuck,” Doc said. “Sorry, I just…holy fuck.”

The Old Ladies returned with dining room chairs and began to take seats near us.

I smiled. “I guess this wasn’t a drop and run.”

Willa shook her head. “We pitched in and got you a little something. We didn’t get to throw you bachelorette party, so this’ll have to do.” She handed me a brown paper bag with Leather and Ink’s logo on it.

I peeked into the bag and pulled out a delicate, crotchless lace body suit in jet black. I hastily shoved it back into the bag, my face flaming with heat.

The Old Ladies cackled.

“Sorry, darlin’,” Mia said with a huge smile. “Guess we should’ve warned you.”

“Yes, you should’ve,” I agreed. “Warning: will cause supreme embarrassment.”

“Warning: will make your biker get on his knees and worship you,” Logan said.

The Old Ladies nodded in agreement.

“I want one of those,” Charlie said.

“A biker, or the lingerie?” Willa asked.

“The lingerie.” She looked at me. “Walker’s been such a good boy. I think it’s time for a reward.”