Chapter Seven

Cross

Spending time with Moon had been unexpected but nice. I thought I’d just stop by her shop and offer up an apology, which she would give me a hard time about, and then be on my way. But Moon wasn’t just some flighty hippie chick, she was a good woman with a good heart. Even though I’d seen the heat in her eyes more than once in the hour I’d spent with her, she’d never made a move or even flirted with me.

Hell, I was pretty sure a few times she was treating me like her kid and instead of pissing me off, it amused me. Fucking amused me, which I didn’t even think was possible anymore.

I left her place feeling more relaxed than I had in a long damn time. As I rode back to the clubhouse, I thought about how I’d never been more grateful for someone to touch me. The pain in my neck and shoulders was gone. My head felt clear, I was focused.

Her hands were fucking magic. I hadn’t felt this good in years. Well, since Lauren, anyway.

When I pulled up to the clubhouse there was a white fucking station wagon with a Mayhem city logo on the front door.

What the fuck were the fucking paper pushers doing here now?

Since the clubhouse was not a public place I knew exactly where they were. The shooting range. My motorcycle boots were the only sound aside from the blood rushing through my head as I came closer and closer to our pride and joy. We sank a lot of money into RB Gun Range but we’d more than made it back over the years because despite the crazies, Americans loved us some guns.

“What’s going on in here?”

A short round man with curly black hair turned to me, brown eyes flashing fear before he remembered who the fuck he was. “City Inspector,” he said and flashed a badge too fast for me to see. “We have a few issues here, Mr. Wylie.”

“I need to see that ID.”

He stared with a smirk on his face until he realized I wasn’t joking. “You don’t want to make this harder than it needs to be.”

“By asking you to identify yourself? Funny, I thought that was the law.” He handed me the badge and I stared at it for a long time, snapping an image with my phone before handing it back. “What problems have you found, Stuart?”

He swallowed. “There’s no clear indicator where your bullets are being deposited once discharged.”

More fucking bullshit. “Are you with the EPA or the City?”

Stuart swallowed again and removed a kerchief from his pocket. “The City as my identification states.”

“And the City has been authorized to enforce federal regulations? Hang on so I can get my lawyer on the phone.” These guys were full of shit, once again, and I was damned tired of it.

I stared him down as I waited for my call to go through.

“Cross, what can I do for you?” Tanya was a boisterous blonde from Georgia, but she was a damn good lawyer who didn’t take shit and had no problem working for a MC.

I gave her a quick rundown of Stuart’s claims. “What should I do?”

“Whatever you do, don’t kick his sniveling fucking face in or you’ll have trouble. Just take the paperwork and make sure it’s dated and signed. Make sure everything is laid out and easy to understand. When that shithead leaves, send it to me and I’ll take care of it.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks Tanya.”

“It’s why y’all pay me the big bucks.” She laughed and ended the call before I could.

I slid the phone back into my back pocket and stared at Stuart, fighting the urge to ignore Tanya’s warning and pummel his face. That thought just pissed me off because it reminded me of Moon’s words before I drifted off on her sofa. And then you can leave and ruin all of my hard work with your stressful life. “Well?”

“There is another matter. The guns, do you have proof they were purchased legally?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

He shook his head while wiping more sweat from his forehead and his brow. “I assure you I am not.”

“Right. Then show me what law says I have to.”

“Look, there’s no reason to—”

“Show me the goddamn paperwork or get the fuck off my property, Stuart.”

With quick moves, Stuart scribbled on a sheet of paper and handed it to me. “You have fourteen business days to answer our requests or fines will incur.”

“You done?” He opened his mouth to say more but my patience was done. “Get the fuck out.” I didn’t raise my voice because I didn’t need to, Stuart got the message and got out of my sight real fucking fast.

Even with him gone, my anger and frustration hadn’t subsided. Despite all of Moon’s work to calm me down, which had worked dammit, I was all riled up again. My mind raced to connect the dots. I knew all the bullshit the Bastards were going through with the city was connected even if I didn’t know how. Or why they’d targeted the Reckless Bastards. But I knew who would and I called him as I headed back to my bike.

“What’s up, Cross?”

“Jag, can you do a deep dive to see who we pissed off in city government? I can’t figure out all the pieces yet, but a city inspector was just at the gun range.”

He whistled. “Two weeks ago it was Bungalow Three.”

“And I’m sure more will come. Can you do it?”

“Sure. Not like I got shit else to do. I’ll let you know when I have something.” And then the call was over, making me question my leadership skills again.

I couldn’t think of any of that, not right now, when I was so damn desperate to reclaim the calm I felt before I got back to the clubhouse. How could the one place that mattered to me the most, be the biggest source of my stress?

That was another question I couldn’t—or wouldn’t—answer, not now. I needed something else to focus on and as I passed one of the three titty bars in Mayhem, I found the perfect fucking thing. A yellow and black Camaro that someone who didn’t know cars would mistake for a Mustang, and it was sticking out like a sore thumb. “Perfect.”

I wouldn’t do anything tonight. Probably. But I did wander into the club like I owned it. Not that anybody noticed, which was fine with me.

My goal was to follow Vigo, let him know that I had my eye on him. If White Boy Craig was happy to look like a punk ass bitch and let this snitch live, he didn’t deserve the respect of me not killing this fuckwad as soon as I got the chance. Not tonight, I had to remind myself at least a dozen times as I watched him sitting right up front and making lewd comments to the dancers. Cheap fucker tossed out dollar bills and then got angry when the girls found bigger pockets to dance for.

“All that money you got for selling out your club and you’re handing out singles? Pathetic.”

He froze, and his face went pale as I stood beside him. Too close. “Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?”

I smiled. “Right now? Nothing. But soon, Vigo. That’s a fucking promise.” I left a bullet, a hollow point, on the table in front of him and walked away. Let that asshole stew over that. It didn’t take long for him to get spooked. About ten minutes later he slid into that yellow eyesore and hit the road with me right on his ass.

He stopped at a whorehouse—not one of ours—but it took him fifteen minutes before he was walking out again with a satisfied smirk on his face. Because it took a real man to please a woman being paid to fuck you, right? I followed Vigo all night. Everywhere he went I was like his fucking shadow. He stopped at a biker bar and I was there at the other end of the bar watching.

Then a rundown apartment building where he was greeted by a woman with chunky red and blonde highlights. He went inside with the woman and did who knew what, but the lights stayed on for a few hours before all signs indicated they were in for the night.

I wouldn’t be fooled so easily and since I couldn’t sleep and had nothing else going on, I waited. And waited. Finally, four hours later, that smarmy shit heel walked out and I followed him because he was out of places to go. He couldn’t go to Roadkill even if he wanted to, not with them looking to kill his ass and he’d gone everywhere else he could.

“You’re out of options,” I muttered while he idled at a four-way stop sign trying to figure out if he could out-maneuver me. He’d spotted me in his rear view by now.

We both knew he couldn’t get away from my bike and he finally, slowly made a right turn. Then a left before hooking another right into a parking lot that sat in front of a small four-story apartment building that looked like it was built in the sixties. He scanned the parking lot and when his gaze landed on mine, I flipped him off.

“Asshole!”

That only made me grin. I waited until he went inside before I got off my bike and walked the same path Vigo had until I was outside his door. I balled a fist and pounded the door in two sharp knocks. “Time’s running out, Vigo.”

And then I went home and slept for at least one full hour.

It wasn’t much but it was progress.

***

I pulled up to Moon’s house with a big smile on my face. The reason? About fifty pounds of nearsighted, adorable goofiness standing just inside the front porch.

“Hi, Cross, did you come to read with me again?” Beau looked up as he pushed his glasses up his nose, his mouth pulled into a wide grin.

“Hey, little man. Rocky asked me to bring some paintings to your mom.” Why I’d let the little spitfire talk me into it, I didn’t know. Okay, that was a damn lie, I knew why. For some reason I found Moon’s presence more soothing than annoying now that I knew her better.

“I like Rocky.” He flashed another grin that was so damn contagious my lips were already pulling into a matching grin. “We painted Monster Trucks the other day. Hang on, I’ll tell Mom you’re here.”

The sound of his feet shuffling across the floor cut through the quiet house and I wondered where exactly Moon was hiding.

“Come in,” he said when he came back, unlocking the screen door to let me in.

“Is she busy?”

“Just finishing yoga so you have to wait.”

I set the paintings down against the wall underneath a window and took the same seat I’d had on my last visit. I noticed the wheeze in his voice that Moon had talked about but didn’t know if I should mention it, so I just said, “What’s up, Beau?”

“Not much. I got new asthma meds but I don’t like them.”

“No one likes medicine, kid. We endure it because we don’t want to stay sick.”

“It’s not getting better. It’s getting worse and Mom is scared even if she says she’s not.” He pouted which was so strange when he sounded so grownup.

“Parents are always scared, it’s part of their job. You’ll be fifty and she’ll still worry about you like you’re five.” I stood, feeling uncomfortable talking to a kid about such personal things. Beau took in a deep breath and the wheeze intensified, giving me a taste of the anxiety Moon lived with. Shit. No kid should have to fight for air.

And then I was struck dumb. Mute. Paralyzed by the sight of Moon in skintight purple, her body contorted erotically. Just a sliver of a view into the patio as we walked by the living room and me unable to look away. Who knew yoga was so sensual?

“Want some cereal? Mom made it yesterday.” Beau was already headed to the kitchen, leaving me no choice but to follow him.

“She made cereal?”

“Yep. It has less fake sugar but it’s still really good.” He pulled out two brightly colored bowls and poured from a clear plastic container. When he grabbed the milk, I stepped in.

“Maybe I should pour the milk,” I told him and his skin turned bright red.

“Okay but Mom doesn’t care if I spill, she says people spill stuff all the time. That’s why kitchens are full of towels.”

“Hey Cross.” Moon breezed in still wearing her sexy purple getup, skin glistening and slightly pink from the sun. And the yoga. “Did we have a meeting today?”

“Nope.” I stared at her and she stared back, waiting for me to say more.

“Rocky asked him to drop off art,” Beau said, selling me out and pointing to the paintings in the living room.

I shoved a bite of cereal in my mouth and grinned. “Yeah, that.”

She smirked and dipped her head in the fridge, giving me a side view of the curve of her ass. It was as magnificent as I expected. “How do you like the cereal?”

I blinked at her change of subject. “Really good. You made this?”

“With my own hands,” she held them up and then took a long sip of water from a glass she had chilling in the refrigerator. “How are you?” The question was benign enough but the look in those green eyes said she knew all of my secrets, even the ones no one knew.

“Fine. Still tired.”

She sighed and did that sympathetic head tilt thing women were born knowing how to do. “Too bad. If you ever want to do yoga with me, the offer stands.” I opened my mouth to answer and she put up a hand to stop me. “Just think about it and if you decide to do it, just let me know.”

I nodded but her look said she knew I wouldn’t take her up on her offer and for that reason alone, I was seriously considering it.

“And how are you?” I asked to change the subject.

Her gaze slid down to Beau who was already deep in a book that I hadn’t even seen him retrieve. “Working on being okay. Doing a lot of meditation and waiting for the medication to kick in.” Her lips quirked into a smile as she ruffled her son’s hair.

We fell into that seven-second lull thing and I searched for something to say. “Need some help with the paintings?”

Her gaze shot to the paintings leaning against the wall and I saw the fear in her gaze a moment before she banked the look and shook her head. “Nah, I’ll take them when I go over to the shop. Later.”

“You sure?” She nodded and wiped some of the sweat gathering at the base of her throat.

“Want to stay for lunch?”

Beau looked up and smiled. “Yeah! We’re having chickpea burgers!”

That sounded awful but the company was the best offer I’d had in a long damn time. “I love burgers.”

“Me too! And Mom makes the best fries ever!”

Moon blushed prettily. “Ever?”

Beau nodded. “Yep! Even better than Carina’s!”

“It’s an organic restaurant,” she explained and I was in awe of Moon, going above and beyond to make sure her boy had the best life possible even with his limitations.

“It’s our favorite,” he said, smiling at me like we shared a secret. “Mom, we should take Cross, he’d like it. I know it!”

The kid was probably right but Moon gave him the answer hated by kids around the world. “We’ll see, honey.”

Unlike most kids, Beau nodded. “Okay.” Then he looked to me again with mischief in his eyes. “Can I ride on your motorcycle?”

I had no fucking clue what to say to that, but I knew enough from Jana, Rocky and Teddy to know that if I looked to Moon it would mean no so, I kept my gaze glued to his.

Then I shoved a heaping spoon of cereal into my mouth.