Chapter 36
CILLA
“What do you think of this dining table and chairs, Rory?” I turn to see she is studying another table a little further away from where I’m standing.
“I like this one for our dining room, Cilla. Are you thinking that one for Tracker’s house?”
“Yeah. It’s beautiful wood, and the chairs are high-backed on the ends, and the six in the middle are smaller. Can you imagine Tracker sitting on one end in a high back? He’d look like a king organizing his men.” I giggle at the thought.
Rory laughs as she adds, “Yeah, King Arthur and his Knights. Shame the table isn’t round.” We collapse into laughter at the thought, and the assistant is smirking although he doesn’t know who we are talking about.
“This is the size of the room.” I open my phone and find the dimensions of the dining room, turning the phone to show the male assistant.
The man takes out a tape measure from his pocket, and Rory holds one end while he stretches it along the size of the eight-seater table. Nodding, he walks back to Rory, and she releases her end while he is careful it doesn’t snap back at him as it rolls itself back into the casing.
“It will sit in a room that size leaving more than enough space to walk around it once the seats are being used. You would have space for other furniture if you wanted any in that room,” the man clearly states and points to another dining table and chairs that are similar but with seats covered in black leather.
It is highly polished. “This one would also sit in that room easily.”
“What do you think, Rory?” I ask as I walk around and sit at the end of the table.
Rory gives the table a thorough look before answering my question. “I think Tracker would prefer the other one with the high-back chairs. It’s elegant and solid, and you know it would polish well every time you did it.”
“Yeah, that was my thought too. Okay, we’ll take that one, and let’s look at beds next.
” I walk over to the bed section of the store with Rory.
I notice she has a list of items she’s ready to buy but is obviously waiting until I’ve made the selections for Tracker’s house before handing the list to the salesperson.
“Tracker seems rather complex, and I am a little wary of him,” Rory says, and I give her a smile and a nod before answering.
“He is complex, I agree. He is a sweetheart on one hand, helps lots of people, never tells anyone he’s doing it.
He hates women being hurt, and he cannot abide cheaters, whether it is a man or a woman doing the cheating.
He is also the soldier that you would expect him to be.
Cold and indifferent when he meets with something he needs to overcome.
I see his aura, and he has a good one, there is nothing for any of us to worry about. Now, come on, let’s get this done.”
“Did you hear Truck telling Rides he, Truck that is, was on the night shift next week and he’s going to be bored stupid,” Rory asks, and I shake my head that no I hadn’t heard.
“He says most people are using their credit cards at the gas pumps. They are doing nothing much behind the counter until someone uses the grocery store part of the gas station. I laughed with Cilla, because let’s be honest, it’s better than working your butt off lugging boxes around all day, or something like that. ”
I stop and listen to Bono speaking, and laughing I might add.
*We’ll keep him company, Cilla*
“Don’t cause trouble, Bono,” I reply to Bono, but notice Rory is giving me an odd look. I grab her hand and hang on to her because I don’t want her rushing out of the shop.
*Would I cause trouble, Cilla?*
“Rory, don’t worry, it’s only Bono telling me he’ll keep Truck company on his night shift. I told him not to cause trouble.”
Rory nods, but looks a little uncomfortable with the conversation topic, and I know I’m going to have to get her into the mode of not worrying about them.
“Has Terrence moved on now, Cilla?”
That I was not expecting, and certainly not in the middle of a furniture store.
“Yes, he wanted you to move on and be happy.” I don’t say more because I don’t want a blubbering friend I have to console here.
“Now come on, let’s get this done, and Rory, you’ll get used to the boys, remember they mean no harm. ”
Rory tells me the kitchen table story, and I keep giving smiles that show she has nothing to worry about. The boys, as I always call them, only want Rory to know they are not hostile, and I think she is getting used to the mayhem the clubhouse brings and, in any form, it brings it.
We choose beds, sofas, dining tables and chairs, dressing tables, and much more. “My feet hurt, Cilla. Do you think we can call it a day?”
“Yeah, we have most of the furniture. Let’s do kitchen appliance shopping online,” I reply and giggle because Rory looks like she is more than thankful we are finishing up for the day.
Back at the clubhouse I look for Finger who was watching over Ayla while I shopped. I find them in his club room and both fast asleep. Ayla giving small twitches of her lips as she is dreaming, and Finger with his mouth slightly open and a light snore escaping.
*You know we will watch over everyone, don’t you, Cilla?*
“Yes, I know that Tank. But not everyone is easy talking to ghosts or even recognize that there is such a thing.”
*Was you impressed we put that man back in his body? Was you, Cilla? It was exciting and we did it*
I walk out of the bedroom so Finger and Ayla can continue sleeping and head to the kitchen for a drink and maybe a sandwich. I wonder if Jo has any of the...no, probably not, the men around here don’t leave any leftovers for more than an hour or two at most.
“Stop following me, Tank. I’m tired and hungry,” I snap a little because I am tired and once I’ve eaten something, I may just go to bed and snore alongside Finger.
*You didn’t answer my question, Cilla. Were you impressed?*
I stop walking and look at Tank with a scowl on my face. “Yes, it was impressive. Now, can you go away so I can get on with my day?”
Continuing to walk I’m tripped up and taking a few staggering steps so I don’t fall I whirl around on Tank, who looks sheepish right before he poofs and disappears. “Asshole, you little, stinking, asshole.”
“Who is an asshole?”
I whirl around and give my best scowl to Books who is standing in his office doorway. “Tank. That’s who. He’s gonna get it, when I decide how to get my own back.” I storm away from Books but ignore the fact that he is chuckling.
After eating a cheese and tomato sandwich, drinking a soda, and stealing a carrot that Jo had peeled for the evening meal I walk into the common room and take a seat.
What I am not prepared for is my Uncle Clay to appear. I have not seen him in twenty years, but although old he is not hard to recognize. “Uncle Clay!” I murmur in shock.
*Hello, Cilla. I’m sorry to appear to you now, but I didn’t want to leave without you knowing I cared deeply about you. We lost touch and I never managed to find where you had gone. Your mother kept you well-hidden*
“She told me you didn’t want anything to do with me. That’s why I never came back, or contacted you,” I reply, and I notice Hot Rod is watching me closely from across the common room.
*I hope your mother meets consequences now she’s on this side. She was slimy enough that she always seemed to wriggle out of trouble, but I’m looking forward to meeting her here. I have to go, Cilla, but I wanted you to know that I always loved you, and so did your dad*
“I hope you find peace on that side, Uncle Clay. I loved you also,” I don’t get the opportunity to say more as I watched him disappear.
“Are you okay, Cilla?” Hot Rod shouts.
I give him a smile as I stand. “I’m good, Hot Rod. I’m going to take a nap.”
“Good idea, Cilla,” Hot Rod replies while still watching me closely. They all watch closely when they know I’ve had what they call an ‘encounter’. It’s heartwarming to know they care and would do anything if needed. Now, I’m going for a nap while I can.
TRACKER
Standing in the shed watching Cap speak to this asshole has been interesting.
It appears he wasn’t the woman’s man after all.
He is your everyday stalker. Yeah, a fucking asshole who thinks he can follow a woman around until she gives in to him.
Well, he’s got another think coming, and I do mean think.
“How long have you been following her?” Cap demands, and the asshole says nothing. He is not helping himself if he pisses Cap off too much. Oh dear, I no sooner thought that before Cap takes out a pair of stainless steel nutcrackers and cracks the knuckle in the asshole's thumb. That’s gotta hurt!
I still watch and listen for a while longer, but it’s not getting us anywhere. He has all his knuckles busted up at this point, and my patience is slowly leaking. “Get what you need and decide if he’s walking out of here, or going in a body bag,” I snarl, and I make sure the asshole hears me.
Rides who had been quietly watching on my right side, steps over to the asshole and whispers something in his ear.
The idiot shakes his head, no, and Rides shrugs his shoulders before taking the nut crackers from Cap.
He then pulls down the asshole's pants and underwear. Now I’m thinking it’s a good thing we have him strapped to the metal chair, but it has made it harder for Rides to get the man's lower half naked.
Walking away, Rides takes a pair of latex gloves and snaps them on. Turning to me Rides winks, “Don’t want anything nasty touching my hands, Pres.”
I watch calmly as Rides steps back to the man, grabs one of his balls and wraps the nutcracker around it. Now the fucker panics, my stomach lurches which is unusual for me, but fuck, I’ve not seen this done before. The scream from the asshole nearly takes the roof off, right before he passes out.
Rides turns to me and grins, “He’s a dead man walking, Pres. Shall we just get rid of the trash and go have a beer instead of being in here?”
“Do as you like, Rides, have fun. I’m not wasting my time with the asshole. Did anyone find the woman?”
“No. Not a sign as yet, but she’s safe now we’ve got the fucker,” Cap responds as he stands watching the asshole start to come around.
“Deal with him,” I say, and leave them to it. They’ll get rid of him in their own good time. I’m not going to get my hands dirty this time.
Walking into the clubhouse, I enter the common room and see Cilla speaking with Hot Rod. She says she’s going for a nap, but I speak to her before she disappears. “Cilla, did you get the furniture?”
“Oh, hi, Tracker. Not all of it, but a lot. I think you’ll like what I’ve chosen, and I’ve kept it non-girly.” Cilla laughs at her own description, and I roll my eyes, which is a habit we all seem to have caught from her.
Rory walks into the common room from the kitchen area and gives me a smile. “Hello, Tracker.”
“Hi, Rory. I wanted to speak to you about your house.”
“What about my house?”
“If you are not selling and want to rent it, how about letting the club rent it? Any brothers who want time away from the clubhouse can then use it,” I suggest and wait for her reply.
“Well, how about the club buys it and then you can do what you like with it?” Rory counter-offers.
“That would work. Let me speak to Coin and he’ll organize it with you,” I turn to walk away when Cilla speaks.
“Oh, you know the man who Cap was with, Tracker?”
Now, that’s worrying because how the fuck did Cilla know Cap had the man? “Yeah!” I say no more because I’m giving nothing away, especially with Rory standing here.
“He just joined Tank, Bono, and Pyro. Oh, they are giving him a really big welcome.”
I look at Cilla and she’s doing her best not to laugh. I know what welcome he’ll be getting, and I chuckle before bending down and kissing Cilla’s cheek. “Thanks for that, Cilla,” I say with amusement.
“You’re welcome, Tracker.”
Walking into my office, I can’t help but think that another asshole is off the streets, and women are a little safer now than they were this morning.