“Ace, call Duke and ask him if he remembers anything from last night,” Crow said.
“I swear I’m telling you guys the truth,” Scott said.
“Maybe you are telling us the truth, but you aren’t telling us the whole truth.”
“What do you mean? I told you everything I can remember.”
“Everything except for what you were running from in Florida, why you fell off the wagon after a ten-year ride, and what triggered a Florida Gator to put on the big red suit.”
“I told you I don’t want to talk about that,” Scott replied.
“And I can’t trust a man if I don’t know his motivations, and if I can’t trust you, I certainly can’t just let you waltz outta here when I don’t know what you’re capable of.”
“Come on, Crow, what’s the guy gonna do, come back in April for our Easter baskets?” Booker asked. “Look at him.”
“I am looking at Mr. Gator here, Booker, and he looks like trouble to me, and troubled people are dangerous. It’s my job to protect this club from dangerous people.”
“I’m not dangerous,” Scott replied.
“What do you call getting loaded and getting behind the wheel of a stolen semi-truck?”
“Regrettable,” Scott answered with zero self-pity in his tone. “Out of everything I’ve done, I regret that more than anything. Please believe me that it won’t happen again.”
“I don’t believe you, because I don’t know you. You won’t even tell us what you’re doing here, or why you’ve been hoboing across the country for a year. It’s time to get the cops involved. If you don’t want to talk to us, maybe you should talk to them,” Crow said matter-of-factly.
Scott swiped a hand over his forehead. “I lost my wife and daughter. They were killed in a car accident exactly one year ago yesterday. I was married for twelve years. My daughter Caitlin was ten-years-old.” He buried his face in his hands before composing himself and continuing, “I’m sorry, I don’t talk about this, ever. I hit the road after the funeral and haven’t been back home since. I left with nothin’ but the clothes on my back and my ten-year coin in my pocket, and now I don’t even have that.”
“Jesus, brother, that’s terrible,” Crow said.
Ace came back into the room. “I just got off the phone with Duke and apparently someone stole the clothes, beard, and hat from the life-size animatronic Santa he puts by the front door every year, along with all the Christmas lights he’d just put up.”
Crow looked up at our guest. “Alright, Gator, let’s figure out what we’re gonna do with you.”
* * *
Maisie
“What do you mean, he’s still there?” I breathed out. “You’re supposed to be keeping him away from the compound, not give him reasons to stick around.”
“Babe, he’s here. We got a situation, but I’m just givin’ you a heads-up,” Hawk said.
“Hawk,” I said, very slowly. “Hatch cannot, under any circumstances, go into the back of that shop.”
“Maisie, we know. If I knew you were gonna bust my fuckin’ balls, I woulda kept you in the dark. We’re handlin’ it.”
I sighed. “Okay, Hawk. I appreciate that.”
“Talk to you later.”
He hung up and I made a plan, letting Poppy know I wouldn’t be long (I hoped), and went to make sure my man didn’t get nosy. As I drove into Cully, I had a moment of guilt, mostly because I had always promised Hatch I wouldn’t drive down here alone, but desperate times and all that. I just hoped he wouldn’t be too angry, especially when he saw what I was hiding.
I pulled into the compound without incident, made it through the first door, then the second, before stepping into the lobby where my arm was grabbed (gently) and I was pulled up against a very familiar body. “What the fuck are you doin’ here, sunshine?” Hatch growled.
Okay, I think I may have made a rash choice.
“Told ya we had it handled, Maisie,” Hawk ground out.
“I know... but...”
Hatch turned on his brother. “Are you tryin’ to tell me you’re the reason my woman drove down here alone?”
“You wanna fill him in, Maisie?” Hawk challenged.
I grimaced.
“Come with me,” Hatch growled and led me into the kids’ playroom, slamming the door behind us. He crossed his arms and stood amongst a plastic kiddie oven, dollhouse, and building blocks, looking like he might kill someone. “Start talkin’.”
I bit my lip. “I don’t actually want to.”
“What the fuck, Maisie?” he snapped.
“If I tell you why I’m here, I’ll have to tell you what my surprise is,” I revealed. “And I really don’t want to do that.”
He scowled. “My surprise is here?”
“Um, no?” I lied.
“What’s the deal, Maisie?”
“I know what the deal is, love. And I’m sorry I drove here alone, at night, but as you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
“Did you tell anyone you were comin’?”
“Well, no, but again, I’m here and I’m okay.”
He stepped closer to me, his arms still crossed, his body still closed to me, and I hated it.
I flattened my palms against his chest, the leather of his cut cold to the touch. “I’m okay, honey.”
He continued to scowl, but he finally uncrossed his arms and wrapped them around me. “Not happy, Maisie.”
“I can see that, love.” I slid my arms under his cut and gave him a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”
“Fuck!” he growled.
I squeezed my eyes shut and held on tight, then let out a sigh of resignation. “Come with me.”
I took his hand and dragged him out of the room, past some very amused looking bikers, and to the back of the compound. As I pushed open the door into the office area of the auto body shop, Hatch flipped on the lights and asked, “Sunshine, what the fuck’s goin’ on?”
“I have been trying to hide this damn thing for weeks, and quite frankly, it’s stressing me out, so you’re getting it tonight.” He raised an eyebrow and I squeezed his hand. “Close your eyes.”
By now, the rest of whoever had been hanging around had followed us into the back.
“Where did you stow it, buddy?” I asked Hawk.
“We put it back here,” he said, sounding a little irked, and walked toward the main shop.
Hatch and I followed (along with the rest of the guys).
“You know, we had this,” Hawk lamented... again. “If you’d left it alone, this coulda waited.”
“It was your job to keep him away from the compound, period,” I pointed out. “Excuse me if I had a little less faith in your ability to keep the secret... you know, since he’s been here almost every day for a week.”
“You really bustin’ my balls right now?” Hawk asked.
I sighed. “No. Not really. I appreciate your help. He’s impossible, so I know what you were up against.”
“Hey now,” Hatch said. “What the fuck did I do?”