Chapter 22
Seek
The early morning sun shone down on me as I placed a scent container inside a clear plastic set of drawers I’d gotten from Costco. Both Auron and Jecht were waiting, lying on their stomachs with their heads held high in anticipation, watching impatiently.
My body was blocking their view as I set up the game. I practiced scent detection with them often and we had a lot of fun games to help keep them sharp when they weren’t working.
“Jecht, search,” I told him as I moved aside, holding my hand out, asking non-verbally for Auron to wait.
Jecht leapt up with excitement and ran over to the chest of drawers, sniffing frantically.
He double checked his work before sitting, looking over his shoulder, and barking at me.
The bark was his indication to me that he’d found something, since there were many times when he would find a missing person and I could still be a ways away.
“Which one?” I asked. When we played our game, sometimes I needed an additional indicator of where he found the scent filled container.
He raised a paw and bashed it into the second highest drawer, causing the whole chest to sway dangerously. He always did everything at turbo speed. His brown eyes watched me intently over his shoulder. If he could speak he’d be yelling, “There! There! It’s in that one!”
“Good boy!” I tossed his toy from behind my back.
It was his reward for a job well done. Working dogs like mine only ever had one toy, unlike pet dogs.
They compensated by loving that one toy with a singular focus, unlike pets who loved all their toys.
To my dogs, this was a game and the end result was to do whatever was necessary to get that toy.
For me, that meant they had to find whoever I was looking for at the time.
Auron whined from behind me as Jecht ran around with his prize. “You’re next,” I told him, walking over and scratching his ears.
Barking split the air as someone knocked on my front door. I’d left the sliding glass door open to let fresh air into the house before the day heated up, so the knock echoed back into the yard.
Closing the dogs into the backyard, I went to answer the door. My smile slipped off my face as I found a giant biker on the other side. Worse, it wasn’t the biker I’d been secretly wanting to come back. “Hi, Lockout.”
“Hey, Jamie.”
I couldn’t help looking behind him to see if Hush was here. When I saw he was alone, my heart sank, but I focused back on Lockout with a neutral expression. His smile was easy, but knowing. He hadn’t missed the way I’d looked for his friend.
“How can I help you?”
“Can I come in?”
I hesitated, not because I was worried about letting him into my home, but because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to invite more heartache into my life.
If I was smart I’d shut the door in his face and stay far away from these men.
Curiosity overrode good judgment. I certainly wasn’t going to turn away another chance at heartache now was I?
Not when it came with the chance of seeing the man I’d become attached to.
I knew this had to do with Hush. Why else would he be here?
Making up my mind, I held open the door so he could step inside.
“Thanks,” he said, looking around.
I studied him while he looked over my home.
He was handsome, a few years older than me, and had the same aura of danger around him that Hush exuded.
Most of these guys had tattoos and Lockout was no different.
His right arm had them going all the way down over the back of his hand.
His dark hair was long on top, shorter on the sides, and he had friendly hazel eyes.
At least they were friendly when they turned toward me.
I was sure they’d be downright menacing to anyone who wasn’t on his good side.
“I wanted to come by and apologize.”
My eyebrows rose and I had to bite my tongue to keep from blurting out the questions running through my mind. When he fell silent, I let one single question form. “What do you have to be sorry for?”
“Hush just got home not too long ago. When my club and I saw him taking an interest in you… We pushed him to ask you out.”
“So it wasn’t his idea?” I wasn’t sure if I was more confused or embarrassed knowing that he hadn’t wanted to go out with me.
“No. I mean, it was his choice, but… Hush has his reasons for keeping to himself.” He folded his arms over his chest. “They’re not mine to divulge, but I wanted to make sure you knew what happened wasn’t completely his fault.”
“So…you came here to apologize for the part you played in him dumping me?” My tone was sarcastic because there wasn’t a reason for him to be apologizing at all. That was Hush’s job.
Lockout chuckled. “I’m fucking this up. Look. I’m clearly not good at this either, so I’ll just get to the point. I came to ask a favor of you.”
“Now you want a favor?” My laugh was humorless. These guys really were used to getting everything they wanted. Good looks and a bad boy persona had paved the way for them.
“Give him a chance.”
My eyes narrowed dangerously. “Shouldn’t he be the one asking for that? How do I know he wants another chance?” And did I really want to give him another opportunity to hurt me?
“He does. Trust me.” He handed me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” I asked, opening it. Written down was a barely legible address.
“He’s there, now. Do me a favor and go talk to him. If the two of you decide to go your separate ways, no harm, no foul. But I owe it to him, and to my… Please, just go there. It’s the last time any of us will ask anything from you.”
In that last sentence Lockout's eyes had softened, and just for a second I could see grief buried inside him.
I blinked and his normal stoic mask had returned.
It was so fast I questioned if I had even seen it.
I stared down at the address, an idea forming in my mind.
“You want a favor from me? To go give him a chance to explain?” He nodded. “Then I want a favor from you.”
“What?” Relief laced with suspicion crept into the word.
“I’ll explain that later. When I call you with a question, your answer is yes. Do we have a deal?”
His lips twisted as he tried to hold back a smile. “Fine, so long as you don’t put my men on the cops’ radar. We don’t need that kind of headache.”
“Okay.” If he ended up turning me down I wouldn’t be any worse off than I was now.
Besides, I wanted to go to Hush. I’d been fighting the urge for the entire week.
I didn’t want to be the weak woman who forgave a guy who treated her like shit.
Lockout was handing me exactly what I wanted, a chance to find out what had happened to mess Hush and I up before we began.
It was a minor miracle so long as Hush and I didn’t screw it up.
“Okay,” he echoed and walked back outside, leaving me to wonder what I’d just agreed to.
“Lockout,” I called out. He turned and looked at me, waiting. “Does he know I’m coming?”
“No.” His grin was fast and sharp, then he turned and left.
Shaking my head and wondering how my life had been invaded by a bunch of bikers who liked to keep secrets, I cleaned up and left the dogs outside while I went to change.
I refused to dress up. For all I knew, I was going to show up just for him to explain that he didn’t like me enough to want to date me, effectively dumping me again.
It was stupid, but I couldn’t hold my excitement at bay.
I was looking forward to seeing him again, no matter how bad of an idea it was.
* * *
It only took me about twenty-five minutes to get ready and drive to the address. I squinted at my phone, then leaned forward to stare up through my windshield. “This can’t be right.”
Pulling the paper from my pocket, I double checked it to the address in my GPS.
It was correct. My heart—which had been overjoyed at the thought of seeing Hush again—filled with dread then dropped, like a dog who’d been scolded.
Everything in me was telling me this wasn’t going to be a happy reunion.
I stepped out of my truck and looked up at the sign above the wrought iron gates.
Sunny Oaks Cemetery. I didn’t even want to take a guess as to why Hush would be here.
Shoving my keys in my pocket, I walked through the quiet space.
It was as though even nature didn’t want to intrude on this solitary place.
There were large oaks that provided plenty of shade, but the birds were quiet in their branches.
The grass was springy beneath my shoes as I walked, keeping my steps from disturbing anyone who may be here visiting those who had departed.
My eyes scanned the different areas. I’d just started to think that Lockout had been mistaken when a flash of black caught my eye. Turning right, I headed down between a row of in-ground headstones.
My steps faltered as I saw Hush standing before a large headstone. He was still, head down as he stared at the grave, flowers in his right hand. My breath caught at the look of anguish on his face.
I don’t belong here. The thought broke me out of my trance.
I commanded that my legs turn around and leave, so he wouldn’t see me. Before I could interrupt whatever this was. They didn’t listen to my order. Instead, a breeze picked up and practically carried me to him. I couldn’t stop myself. I arrived at his side and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
He didn’t jump, he wasn’t startled by my touch despite not knowing I was there.
He turned slowly and for the briefest second I could see surprise in his eyes.
Who had he thought touched him if he hadn’t expected to see me?
His eyes darkened into a more solemn look. I squeezed my hand a little tighter.
“Seek, I didn’t expect you… What are you doin’ here?”