Chapter 13
Smokey
It was one of those mornings. The sun was shining bright without a cloud in the sky. Every tree around was blooming, leaving no doubt that spring was just around the corner. The season was turning, and with the temperature rising, it was a perfect morning for a ride. I grabbed my cut and, after a short drive out to the cliffs, headed into town to find Guardrail. I needed to talk to him about the house. Along with being the club’s VP, he also ran the club’s construction company. It’d started as a cover, but he’d quickly turned it into much more than that. He was good at his job, and people from all over were lining up at the door to get him to do their renovations. He was looking over some plans when I walked into his office.
He looked up at me and asked, “What brings you all the way out here?”
“Wanted to talk to you about doing some work on the farmhouse.”
“Whatcha got in mind?”
“A complete overhaul inside and out,” I explained. “Need to bring it up to date.”
He gave me a puzzled look. “You planning on living out there?”
“Yeah. Figured it would make things easier in the long run. Need to be there to keep an eye on things.”
“What about your place? What are you gonna do with it?”
“I’ll hang onto it for now. Thought one of the brothers could use it or something.”
“Sounds good. I’ll come out there this afternoon and have a look around. See what we can come up with.”
“Thanks, brother. I appreciate it,” I told him as I started for the door. Just before I walked out, I turned to him and added, “Big. Think big.”
Laughing, he replied, “You got it, Smoke. See ya in a couple of hours.”
After leaving there, I stopped by the clubhouse. Things were pretty quiet. Most of the guys were off working, and since the prospects were busy cleaning the garage, I headed back out to the farm to check on Wes. When I pulled up to the barn, I could see him standing on a ladder while the younger version of him stood below taking notes on a small notepad. I got off the bike and headed over to them asking, “Is everything looking okay?”
“So far so good. Going through each tree. Gotta check them for signs of disease or beetle infestation, but we haven’t found any yet.”
“That’s good.” I looked over to who I assumed was his son and said, “You must be Crockett.”
He extended his hand. “Yeah, that’d be me. Nice to meet you, Mr. Abrams.” Crockett looked to be around twenty-five or so, but the plaid button-down shirt he was wearing made him look a few years younger. He had light blond hair and a day-old beard, and his smile was crooked like his old man’s.
Hearing him call me by my dad’s name made me cringe, so I told him, “None of that Mr. Abrams crap around here. That was my dad. You can just call me Smokey.”
“You got it, Smokey. You got a great place out here. Thanks for taking me on.”
“Glad to have you. Your dad has done some amazing work around here. I think he might actually pull it off,” I laughed.
Wes’s eyebrows furrowed as he grumbled, “I’ll pull it off. No doubt about that, son.”
I looked around us, seeing the bright green leaves sprouting on all the trees, and I believed him. Just like my dad had said in his letter, I could tell just by looking at the trees that they were going to give off an amazing harvest. Little by little, I was starting to understand why he’d loved the farm the way he had. There was something about seeing one’s hard work pay off, and I was eager to see just how well the crop would do.
I looked up at Wes and asked, “Anything you need me to do?”
“Got a couple of things. Mainly, we need to get someone out here to look at the sizer. It’s got a couple of lags, and once we start running full speed, I’m afraid that damn thing’s going to play out.”
“I’ll take care of it,” I told him just as I noticed Clutch’s truck barreling down the driveway. I got an uneasy feeling as I watched him pull up next to the barn. He got out with Hadley and Charlie following close behind.
“That should get us all lined up. I’ve made some calls. The crew will be ready to start at the end of next month.”
“Sounds good. I’m leaving everything in your hands. Just let me know if you need anything,” I told him as I started walking towards Clutch. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”
As I got closer to the barn, I heard Clutch tell the kids, “I need a minute with Smokey. You guys go check out the barn, but don’t get into anything.”
Hadley smiled and said, “Okay.” Then she looked over to me and waved. “Hey, Smoke! We’re gonna go look around the barn.”
“Hey there, squirt! I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” I told her just before she disappeared inside the barn. Once I made it over to Clutch, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“We might have a problem,” he started. “Big Mike caught someone sniffing around the warehouse.”
“When?”
“Two nights ago and again last night.”
“Any idea who?”
“Not yet, but Mike’s working on it. So far, all he’s got is a black four-door with tinted windows, but he’s been going through the camera feed this morning trying to see if he can get a good shot of him. Just hasn’t had any luck so far.” He looked over towards the barn to make sure the kids weren’t around when he said, “Nitro called Cotton this morning. He’s been seeing the same damn car.”
“Fuck. What do you need me to do?”
“Just giving you a heads up. Gonna need you and some of your boys to keep an eye on things.”
“You got it. I’ll start making rounds with them tonight. What about Nitro?” As our main supplier, we were counting on him. The club used him because he was the best, and with the new pipeline we needed him more than ever. Fortunately for us, mistakes weren’t an option with him. He was constantly on the move, shifting from one warehouse to the next, always covering his tracks and leaving no loose ends for anyone to connect him to anything. He also knew everything about the people he worked with. Everything. He left nothing to chance, which made me wonder what the hell he thought about what was going on. “What’s he doing about it?”
“He’s stepping up his security and adding some additional manpower. But I’ve known him long enough to know he won’t let this shit go until he finds the guy behind the wheel.”
“We’ll find him,” I assured him. “We have to.”
“No doubt there. With our next shipment coming in a couple of weeks, we can’t take any risks,” he explained. “Nitro is…”
“Hey, Clutch!” Hadley interrupted. “Can we go out into the orchard for a little while?”
“Can’t today. I’ve gotta get back to the club,” he shouted. He raised his hand and motioned her over to us as he yelled, “Get Charlie and let’s go.”
I heard MJ’s car pull up to the front of the house, and I was about to call for her to come over to us when Clutch asked, “How are things going out here? You got it all sorted?”
“Yeah. It’s good. Wes has been great. He’s got everything under control.”
“Good, cause we’re gonna need ya.” Clutch smiled. “I was thinking you might trade in your bike for a tractor.”
“Not gonna happen, brother. Now that I’ve got things settled, I’m more than happy with leaving everything to Wes.”
Charlie came up to us and asked, “Are you taking us home or back to the clubhouse?”
“The house. Why?” Clutch replied.
“I’m starving. Can we get a burger or something before you drop us off?”
“Dang, boy. You’re like a bottomless pit,” Clutch laughed. “Get in the truck. We’ll stop for something on the way.” As soon as the kids were inside, Clutch got in the driver’s seat and said, “I’ll see you over at the club. Cotton will be calling church as soon as Big Mike gets things wrapped up.”
“I’ll be there,” I told him as I started towards the house. I opened the back door and as I stepped inside, I called, “MJ?”
When she didn’t answer, I went into the kitchen, but found no sign of her. I went into the living room and when I didn’t find her there, I called her name again, “MJ?”
Nothing. I was about to check upstairs when I noticed her car wasn’t in the driveway. I decided that I’d been wrong about hearing her pull up, so I went to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before heading over to the club. I pulled the leftover lasagna out of the fridge and made myself a large plate. Once I’d warmed it up, I sat down on one of the barstools and grabbed my phone out of my back pocket. I dialed MJ’s number, and as I listened to it ring, I got an uneasy feeling that something was wrong. When it went to voicemail, I sent her a short text to check in. I took several bites of my lasagna while I waited for her to answer, but when I got no response, I tried calling again. Still no answer. I knew she was busy at work. I knew about the new cases her boss had given her, but that didn’t help that gnawing feeling in the bottom of my stomach that was telling me something wasn’t right. Unable to shake the feeling, I decided to drive by her office and check on her. Leaving my unfinished lunch on the table, I grabbed my helmet and started for the door. When it slammed behind me, I noticed a piece of paper drifting to the ground. I reached for it and found my name written on the front in MJ’s handwriting. It looked like any other note—one written to say she’d be late or had to run to town. I had no clue what was coming when I read it.
Smokey,
I never expected this. You caught me by surprise. You stole my heart and made me feel things I never thought I could feel. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you. No one. There were days when I would look at you and think it couldn’t be possible for me to love you any more than I already did. Then, you’d say something to make me laugh or look at me with those beautiful, blue eyes and smile, and I just couldn’t help but love you even more. That’s why it’s so hard for me to write this letter. I can actually feel my heart breaking as I write the words, and I know after this I will never be the same again.
I’m leaving, Smokey. By the time you read this letter I will already be packed up and gone. We are from different worlds, traveling on two completely different paths, and in time, it would tear us apart. As much as I love you, I can’t keep lying to myself. I know in my heart that leaving now is the only way to prevent that from happening. I love you. More than you will ever know. But this is how it has to be. If you ever cared about me at all, please don’t try to find me. Just let me go. It’s the best thing for both of us.
Love always,
MJ
Fuck this. I stared at the writing on the page and I knew it was bullshit. Something had happened. Things were going good, really good, and there was no way she’d just walk away without something spooking her. I had no idea what it could be, but I’d be damned if I was just going to let her go. I didn’t give a fuck what she said in the letter. I would find her and figure out what the hell was going on—the sooner the better. I folded the letter and shoved it in my pocket as I headed to my bike. I revved the engine and pushed back the throttle hoping that if I got there fast enough, I could catch her before she left her house.
Twenty minutes later, I pulled up in her driveway, and I’d barely parked when her brother, Brandon, opened the front door and started down the steps. I killed the engine and waited for him to walk over to me. I could see the concern on his face when he said, “She isn’t here.”
“You gonna tell me where I can find her?” I asked.
“It’s better for you both if I don’t.”
“That’s bullshit, Brandon. I know something’s going on, and I’m not leaving here until I find out what it is,” I demanded.
His eyebrows furrowed as he took a step forward. “You just need to know she had her reasons for leaving. Leave it at that.”
“What the fuck? What kind of reasons? Everything was fine last night! Now suddenly she’s just gone? What the hell happened?”
“Not my place to tell, but you have to trust that she knows what she’s doing.”
“Fuck that! You know I’m not going to just let this go.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. Just give it some time,” he replied, clearly struggling to keep calm.
“How much time? A few days? Weeks?” I growled.
“I can’t answer that. But for her sake, just give her time to get herself sorted,” he said as he turned back towards the house.
I grabbed his shoulder, spinning him back around. “Damn it! Just tell me where she is, Brandon!” I took a breath and tried to rein in my anger before I said, “I need to know where she is.”
“I’ve told you all I can tell you. If you really care about her, give her some space.”
We were going in circles. It was clear he wasn’t going to budge, which pissed me the fuck off. If he were anyone else, anybody but MJ’s only brother, I’d take him to the club and let Stitch work him over to get him to talk. But hurting him wasn’t an option. I looked at him, noting the sincerity in his eyes, and all at once, his words hit me: she needed distance from me. But I couldn’t give her that until I knew that she was really okay, so I asked, “Is she safe?”
“Absolutely.”
“So, this is what she wanted?”
A flash of uncertainty crossed his face as he said, “Yeah… it is.”
“Brandon,” I warned.
“Just leave her alone… at least for a little while. She’ll be alright. Back the fuck off and give her that.”
I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one fucking bit, but before I could respond, my burner started vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that I had a message from Cotton.
Cotton:
Need you at the warehouse now.
Me:
Headed that way.
I looked over to Brandon and said, “I’ll give her some space… for now.” I started up the engine and before I pulled out of the driveway, I told him, “But you should know. I will find her, with or without your help. And when I do, you better pray that she’s really okay, or there will be hell to pay.”
With that, I left and headed towards the warehouse. An uneasy feeling crashed over me as I sped down the old, deserted highway. I got it. I knew she was gone, but I still couldn’t wrap my mind around what the hell had happened. Maybe it was the club. Maybe we had moved too fast. Between us, the club, and the farm, maybe it had just been too much too soon. I’d started this new life and wanted her in it, but maybe she wasn’t ready. It was a lot to take on.
I tried to shake it off. I refused to give in to my doubts. I knew what MJ and I had was the real deal, and nothing could change that. The full truth about why she’d bolted was still a mystery, but in time, I’d uncover the reason why she’d gone. I just had to be patient. If she wanted time, I’d give it to her. I wouldn’t push her, at least not yet.