“I don’t know where we’re going to put everyone,” James said as two more riders arrived.

 

“Just be thankful some of the old ladies left town. Otherwise we would have to deal with almost ninety people, not just fifty,” Dix said. “This is Brock and Janene,” he said to Daisy, helping her remember everyone’s names and the names of their old ladies, most of whom she’d never met.

 

“Fair enough. But I still don’t know what we’re going to do with everyone.”

 

“This is the only logical place to make our stand.”

 

“I know.”

 

“James,” Brock said as he and Janene dismounted. He shook James’s hand. “Thanks for doing this.”

 

James nodded and smiled. Every man in the Cutthroats had thanked him for opening the recycling yard to them, despite the danger. “I don’t want those assholes in town any more than you do. I’m too old to be mixing it up with them, but I can help herd them into a killing zone.”

 

“Janene, right?” Daisy said. “You’re bunking with Steph, Marla, Jen and me in Dix’s trailer.”

 

“That’s right,” the tall leggy woman said. “You must be Daisy.”

 

“That’s me.”

 

“I’m sorry about your son and what happened to you. And thank you for give us the heads up.” Janene pulled Daisy into a hug and it was all Daisy could do to not hiss in pain as her ribs creaked.

 

“Where am I?” Brock asked as Daisy led Janene away.

 

“We,” Dix said with a sigh, “are sleeping in a semi trailer out in the yard. I pulled it out with the loader this morning. I have Thad and Chuck sweeping it out now. We’re going to bunk the men there and save my trailer and the house for the old ladies. It’s going to be crowded, and not very comfortable, but at least it will be dark so you can sleep.”

 

“Why not in that building?” Brock asked, nodding to the warehouse and shop.

 

“That’s the kitchen and dining room. We have some camp stoves set up in there to cook on, then later I’m going to have the guys help me pull some seats out of some of these wrecks to sit on.”

 

“Shit. I supposed it could be worse. We could be sleeping on the ground.”

 

Dix chuckled. “Yeah, at least the trailer will keep the rain off. Come on, I’ll show you.”

 

***

 

“Okay, everyone listen up!” Cale called later that evening. “First, I want to thank James for his hospitality on such short notice.”

 

Dix started clapping and everyone joined in.

 

“I know this situation sucks, but we’re just going to have to deal with it until this is resolved, one way or the other.” Marla handed him a hubcap full of slips of paper. “Thad, Dix, and I sat down and worked out a plan. Everyone pick a slip of paper. That will be your shift. We’re going to be running three shifts of watches, one on, two off. Ladies, you’ll be on the same shift as your man. While he is on watch, you’re responsible for food prep, okay? Try to make sure there’s always food and coffee available.” He paused for a moment but couldn’t think of anything else. “I think the old ladies need to draw first so we spread them out over the three shifts. Ladies, if you’ll come draw a number.”

 

The twelve women came up and drew numbers. Daisy showed Dix her number as she rejoined him. “That means we’re on three to eleven. You okay with that?”

 

Daisy nodded. “Yeah. I’m glad I didn’t pick the graveyard shift.”

 

After all the numbers were drawn, the brothers engaged in a little horse trading, but soon enough the assignments were settled and the women shifted their sleeping assignments around to make everything work while the women on the second shift scrambled to start food preparation. Dix offered to help, but after ten minutes, Daisy chased him off because he was slowing things down more than he was helping.

 

“Need help?” Marla asked as Daisy stood flipping burgers.

 

“No, thank you…” she grimaced trying to recall the woman’s name.

 

“Marla.”

 

“Sorry. Marla.”

 

“It’s okay. You have a lot of new names to remember, but I only have one. And yours is easy. I just remember the song.”

 

She grinned. “Yeah. Been that way my whole life. If I’ve heard Daisy once, I’ve heard it a million times.”

 

Marla smiled. “I can imagine. How are you holding up?”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Really? I know how I would feel if my little girl were kidnapped. I would be going crazy.”

 

“You have kids?”

 

“Yeah. One. Breanna. She’s ten. She’s staying with Thad’s parents until this is all over.”

 

“Why didn’t you go, too?”

 

“Because I didn’t want to leave Thad. If something were to happen to him and I weren’t here…” Marla shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

 

“Aren’t you worried Breanna could lose both her parents?”

 

“Yeah, but what if me being here could have prevented her from losing either?”

 

Daisy shrugged. “I guess I can see your point.”

 

“What about you? Why’re you here? This isn’t your fight.”

 

“It’s my only connection to Riley. I’m afraid if I don’t get him back now, I never will.”

 

“Riley, that’s your son?”

 

Daisy nodded. “He’s five.”

 

Marla grimaced and shook her head. “And the father did that to you?”

 

“Yeah. I should have known better,” Daisy said then shrugged.

 

“May I?” Marla asked reaching for her face. “I’m a nurse.”

 

“I guess.”

 

Marla probed gently, watching for reactions. “You may have a tiny scar on your forehead, but it will hardly be noticeable.”

 

Daisy smiled softly. “This is no worse than what he’s done before. What really hurts are my ribs.”

 

“Your ribs?”

 

“Yeah. He kicked the shit out of me, right in the ribs.”

 

“Let me see,” Marla said, her tone not making it a request.

 

Daisy grimaced as she pulled her shirt up, revealing an ugly bruise at the bottom of her ribcage.

 

Marla hissed. “Any trouble breathing? Take a deep breath for me.” Daisy did as requested, her face crinkling at the pain. “Breathe out.” She didn’t hear any gurgling in Daisy’s breath. “This is going to hurt. I’m sorry.” She probed the area as gently as she could, Daisy gasping and hissing in pain.

 

“I don’t feel anything broken, but you probably should get some x-rays just in case.”

 

“I’ll be okay. Like I said, nothing he hasn’t done before.”

 

Marla grimaced. “If you see Leo again, you point him out to Thad. I think he’ll want to have a word with him.”

 

Daisy smiled. “He’ll have to wait in line behind Dix, I think.”

 

“I don’t understand men that get a thrill from beating up a woman. If Thad tried that he’d wake up dead one morning, and he knows it.”

 

Daisy giggled then grimaced. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”

 

Marla nodded. “Pain’s good. It lets you know you’re still alive.”

 

***

 

“How you holding up?” Dix sighed as he sat down in a chair beside Daisy and stretched out his legs. Toyota always made comfortable seats. His turn on guard duty was over and he was looking forward to a few minutes alone with her.

 

Daisy sighed, listening to the patter of the rain on the roof of the shop. “Okay, I guess. Tired. All the old ladies are really nice. So much different than the old ladies and club girls of the Firechrome. Except for Leeda, I didn’t care much for any of them, especially after Riley was born. All they were interested in was partying, but everyone here seems so…normal. They told me a few stories, like Randel and…” she paused, trying to remember the woman’s name.

 

“Michelle,” he supplied.

 

“Yeah, Michelle. Like Randel and Michelle getting arrested for having sex out in Dunes, or you getting drunk and pissing on the police car, but—”

 

“I didn’t piss on a police car!” he protested. “I pissed in the bushes beside the police car.”

 

“That’s not how it was told to me,” she grinned. “But as I was saying, it sounds like everyone has a good time, but you also have families and friends outside the club who you care about, and people seem to like and respect you. I couldn’t believe we all didn’t get arrested at the diner. If that had been the Firechrome, assuming they didn’t end up shooting everyone, there’s no way they wouldn’t have been arrested. But the people in the diner stood up for you.”

 

He shrugged. “We don’t cause trouble and we help the police with the motorcyclists. Sometimes they’ll listen to us when they won’t listen to the cops. It works for everyone.”

 

“See! That’s what I’m talking about. The Cutthroats care about more than their club.”

 

“Why wouldn’t we?”

 

She shrugged. “You should. But it is so different than my experience with the Firechrome. I thought all clubs where like them, but yours isn’t. I’m glad.”

 

He looked around but nobody was close. “It’s too bad there are so many people around,” he said softly.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because it’s raining outside and it’s been a while.”

 

She flushed. “I know. I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch. I had no right taking out my fear and anger on you and treating you like I did. You’ve been nothing but wonderful, kind and caring.”

 

“Don’t forget studly. Oh, wait, that’s me,” Thad deadpanned as he walked by, picked up a sandwich, and wandered away again.

 

She broke into giggles then held her ribs. “Damn that hurts.” She sighed. “Even if we were the only two people on earth, I couldn’t do anything tonight. I hurt too much.”

 

“I know, and I was just kidding.”

 

She reached out and gave his face a tender caress. “I wish we could,” she said as her lips tugged down. “I hate all those nights I wasted because—”

 

“Shhhh,” he said, touching her lips as lightly as possible. “That’s past.”

 

“I know, but—”

 

“No buts. It’s not important now. If I had to bear up under what you’ve had to deal with, I would be a little bitchy, too.”

 

Her lips tugged down a little more. “Kiss me? But not too hard,” she amended.

 

He leaned over, placed a hand behind her head, and gently brought her lips to his. He kissed her with the barest brush in deference to her sore lips before he let her go.

 

“Hey you two! Get a room!” Thad called loudly, grinning with mischief, causing the other people in the room that had seen them to break into snickers.

 

***