Chapter Sixteen #2
Pat folded his arms as Bull came down into the basement. “Dylan’s aware, but he said nothing has come through. No calls have been made.”
This was a relief.
“So, what do we have here?” Bull asked.
“All the markings of the cartel,” Pat said.
“Yeah, but we all know they have different sectors,” Rusty said, taking a step closer. The main marking was on the back of the neck. “This is not part of the Vito Crew. This is someone else.”
“You’re making a big fucking mistake, motherfuckers. You kill me, you’re all going to die.”
Pat, Grant, Rusty, and Bull all burst out laughing. The guy clearly wasn’t expecting this.
“Damn, if I had a dollar for every time someone threatened me, I’d be a wealthy man by now,” Bull said.
“I think we should start charging them by insult. If they did that, I’d have an island by now,” Grant said. “Someone has always got some bad shit to say about me.”
“That is true.”
“Let me the fuck go,” the guy said, swinging in his chains.
They all looked at him and Pat, and waited.
“It’s nice to want things,” Grant said. “You want to be let go, but you know what the problem is with your generation.”
Bull groaned. “You get a wife and a kid, and you start to think you’re of the mature generation?”
“I’m going to be a daddy. I’m going to pass my wiseass wit and knowledge onto the next generation, and that makes me mature.”
This time, even Rusty laughed. Pat couldn’t help but smile. “Mature” and Grant didn’t exactly go hand in hand. It was an odd combination to even think of.
Whoever this man was, he wasn’t leaving here alive, so he had no choice but to listen to Grant’s rant about this generation being lazy asses.
****
“O kay, Ava, you’re starting to freak me out with the way you’re acting. What is up with you?” Violet asked.
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong.”
“You know you’re a bad liar, right?” Violet asked. “You were not even convincing when you got the last cookie.”
This was far beyond taking the last sugar cookie, or sneaking into her sister’s bedroom to play with her makeup.
This was a whole different kind of secret that in all honesty scared the crap out of her.
There was no one she could tell. Nothing she could say.
Nothing she could do, other than serve customers, complete the online orders, stock shelves, and look toward the door, wondering if Pat was going to come back. He had looked so ... angry at the door.
She had no intention of calling the cops. Ava was very much aware of who Pat was, and the club, and she knew there were rules. Over the years she had watched television shows, seen stuff, and heard the rumors around town. It didn’t matter what she had seen or heard.
Pat told her not to go to the cops, and she trusted him.
If he told her the man he dropped on the fucking floor was not there, then he was not freaking there.
She trusted Pat. She believed in him. Some people might think that made her a doormat or delusional, but she didn’t give a fuck.
This is what she wanted to believe, and no one was going to take that away from her.
It didn’t stop her from worrying about Pat.
She wondered if that man had anything to do with the shooting at the garage, or the burning of the animal shelter? She was so nervous. Her hands shook but she could only put that down to adrenaline.
After Pat had left, she had gone to her apartment window that overlooked the parking lot, and she saw him put the man into the trunk of his car. He looked so pissed when he did it.
Ava didn’t need answers. She just needed to know if Pat was okay.
“It’s nothing. Pat said he was going to come over for lunch, and I can’t wait to see him, that’s all this is.”
Violet frowned as she looked at her. “Okay, I get that, but something is up, I can see it.”
Ava clenched her hands at her sides, and the cutting table was between them, so her sister wouldn’t be able to see her do that. How could she get her sister off her case? She knew she was lying about something, so she decided on total honesty.
“I’m in love with him,” Ava said.
She knew she was on the right track as Violet’s eyes went wide. “Ava, I know you said this before, but you sound different. You sound sure, and if that’s the case, that’s ... big.”
“I know, right? I love him, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. What do you think Mom is going to say?” Their mom was currently out back dealing with one of the orders that had gone wrong.
The suppliers from time to time tried to give them fabric that wasn’t selling.
Her mother always refused to take it, which caused an argument with the driver.
This had happened many times before. The first time it happened, she remembered her dad taking care of it, as no one was taking her mother seriously.
It had been a good few months since this happened.
“Mom will be happy. You know she will be. All she wants is the best for you. Dad ... he’s gone, Ava, so it doesn’t matter.”
“But you remember him best. Do you think he would see Pat as a good guy?” Ava asked, hating that she was using her father’s memory to distract her sister. The truth was, she did wonder if her father would be happy with her decision in choosing Pat.
“Dad would have loved the guy,” Violet said, after several seconds of pause.
“How do you know?”
“Because of the smile you get when you see him.” Violet smiled at her. “My little sister, falling in love. I never thought it would happen. I always figured your first love was your sewing machine.”
Ava laughed. “Oh, believe me, it was, I love my sewing machine. Apart from when the bobbin runs out, and especially when I’m near the end of a seam.” Talking about sewing made life easier.
She couldn’t tell her sister what she had seen. She was not going to do that to Pat. A lot of women might consider her a fool, but she trusted Pat.
“I hear you on that one. I think that has to be one of the top five irritations of sewing. The dreaded empty bobbin thread.” Violet gave a sigh. “So, you’re worried about what Dad would have thought?”
“Wouldn’t you be?”
“Nah, because I’m not getting married, nor am I leaving Mom.”
“You’re twenty-nine years old, Violet.”
“So?”
“You can still find someone and get married.”
“Yeah, well, it is going to be impossible to find a guy that doesn’t cheat. No offense, but it would seem you, Maddie, and that other woman, Aria, have found good men. It’s just a shock that they’re part of a motorcycle gang.” Violet sighed. “Don’t worry about me. I’m happy.”
She knew her sister was happy, but she had a feeling her sister wasn’t quite whole.
Growing up, they had a couple of things in common.
The primary one being they both loved to sew.
They both dreamed of having large families.
They both loved it in those Christmas movies where there was a large dining room table, and they had to prepare two turkeys just to feed everyone, and not know a moment’s peace. It sounded amazing to both of them.
Ava didn’t pursue it any further, and instead got back to cleaning the shelves, which didn’t help to take her mind off what was going on.
What was Pat doing? Was he safe? Was the club safe?
She felt a little sick to her stomach. Each time the door opened, she turned to wonder if he was going to come to her. Time slowly ticked on by.
Ava forced herself to stop thinking about it and to just focus on work.
It was around two in the afternoon when she had stopped listening to the door’s every sound, and Pat eventually turned up. She didn’t even realize he had, until Violet threw a ball of fabric at her face as she was securing a customer’s order.
“Hey, what did you do that for?” she asked, feeling like nine years old again.
“Ava,” Pat said.
She turned toward him and behind her she could hear her sister mumbling something like, “You’re welcome.”
“You’re here,” Ava said.
“Have you had lunch?”
“Yes,” she said.
Pat looked disappointed.
“But I didn’t drink any coffee ... did I, Violet?” Ava said, without looking at her sister.
“No, I can imagine she is parched. No drink for the sis, she has been working her ass off. It would probably be best if you take her for a drink.”
Ava looked toward her sister this time, and mouthed the words, thank you .
Their mother was out in the back again, and she didn’t want to leave Violet on the main floor, but she also knew her sister could handle everything.
Stepping out of the shop into the freezing cold, she became aware of two things. First, Pat had brought his car, not his bike. Second, not too far from the fabric shop, there were two bikers. She didn’t recognize who they were, but the leather cut was unmistakable.
“What’s going on?”
“They’re here for your and your family’s protection,” Pat said.
“Oh.”
“Look, I’ve got one of the guys getting us some coffee. It’s cold as fuck. Do you want to get into my car?”
Ava frowned. He was asking her.
“Of course.”
He looked relieved.
“Pat,” she said, reaching for his arm. “What’s going on?”
“In the car.”
Ava nodded and then moved toward his vehicle and climbed inside.
She didn’t bother to reach for the seat belt, instead just sat and waited as Pat climbed inside.
They didn’t have to wait long before a guy came toward them carrying four large Styrofoam mugs of coffee.
What did surprise her was, two were for her and Pat, and the other two went inside the fabric shop.
The guy who carried them had the word Prospect written in bold letters on the back of his jacket.
“That’s Jake. He’s one of the guys earning his patch.”
“Is that what Prospect means?” she asked.
“Are you wanting to learn club politics, or do you want to talk about this morning?”
“Why did you ask if I wanted to step into the car?” Ava asked.
The truth was, she didn’t care about club politics.
Not right now. She did, in a small way, as it was part of Pat’s life, and she wanted to be part of his life.
But she didn’t want him to feel forced into sharing it with her.
When he was ready, she was more than happy to wait.
She watched as Pat ran a hand down his face. “Look, I know this morning couldn’t have been easy for you.”
“The club is under threat, right?” Ava asked.
“That’s why your bike got attacked, and the animal shelter.
Everyone in town knows you took over after the original owner disappeared.
” There were also rumors that the original owner had been using the animal shelter to fund his gambling habit, and sending the dogs to fight.
Ava had never met the man, couldn’t even remember his name, but the fact he was gone was a good thing. After this morning, though, she couldn’t help but wonder if the disappeared owner was in fact a very dead owner.
Pat sighed. “Yes, it is. It’s a dangerous time for the club.”
“You’re not safe?” Ava asked.
“I will never let anything happen to you.”
“I’m not talking about me, Pat. I’m talking about you. Your bike was targeted. Is this personal to you? Even this morning, you were a target. That guy, whoever he was, didn’t go after anyone else, unless one of you are injured that I don’t know about.” She hated this feeling.
“No, all the guys are safe and accounted for.”
Tears filled her eyes. “So, you’re a target.”
“We’re all targets, Babe. I can’t help that. I know I should let you go.”
“No,” Ava said.
“It’s going to get ugly.”
“Do you think I care about that?” Ava asked. “I don’t give a fuck how ugly this thing gets. You’re not going to let me go.”
“What you saw this morning—”
“I trust you,” Ava said. “Look, if you’re trying to break up with me and using this morning as an excuse, then tell me. But I’m not walking away. I’m not running away. I’m not afraid, Pat. I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I’m in this with you.” She was not going to back down.
Ava knew the stakes were high, that she had probably entered into something way above her head, but she didn’t care. All she knew was that she loved this man, and she was not walking away.