Cricket

I hit the button on my electric kettle, then grabbed a mug and teabag. I had a lot on my mind (for obvious reasons), so even though I wanted wine, tea would keep me clear.

The kettle finished boiling just as my doorbell rang. I poured water into my cup, then walked to the foyer. Since my building had a doorman and a security guard, whoever was ringing could only be one of a dozen people. I looked through the peephole and sighed. Shit!

Pulling open the door, I forced a smile. “Well, hi there, big brother. What do I owe the pleasure?”

“You took a leave of absence,” he said, pushing through the door. “You sick or something?”

“Please, come in. Make yourself at home,” I mumbled under my breath as I closed and locked the door again.

My brother faced me, his eyes soft with concern, as he studied me. “You sick, Cricket?”

I shook my head. “Fit as a fiddle.”

He crossed his arms and cocked his head. “You being purposely obtuse?”

“Yes.”

“You gonna fill me in?”

I shook my head. “Isn’t that the whole point of being obtuse?”

He closed his eyes briefly and dragged a hand over his beard. I chose to wait until he was ready to rip me a new one before throwing him out of my apartment.

“Worried about you, baby sister. I’d really appreciate it if you’d fill me in on what’s goin’ on.”

“While I appreciate your attempt at communication without the normal intimidation tactics, this isn’t something I can talk to you about.”

“You can talk to me about anything.”

I scoffed. “That’s not true, and you know it.”

He shrugged off his leather jacket and slung it over the back of my sofa.

“Oh, so you’re staying,” I deduced as he walked into my kitchen.

“We’re gonna talk, Cricket,” he said grabbing a beer. Flopping onto the sofa, he twisted off the bottle top and took a swig.

I rolled my eyes, but without the spine to kick my brother out (and, admittedly, craving his advice), I grabbed my tea and sat in my oversized cuddle chair, tucking my feet under my butt. He watched me. Waiting. My brother was a pro at the stare down. So much so, I was never good at evading his questions and would always tell him way too much as a kid.

“I took a leave of absence because I’ve been feeling a little restless in my job. I mean, how many times can I come up with a new tagline for a dildo? It’s marketing for a dildo... it’s not rocket science, or pocket-rocket science.” I sipped my tea and Hatch said nothing. Just waited. “So, I was presented with an opportunity to change that. I don’t know if I’m going to take it, but it’s intriguing enough that I’d like to explore it a bit.”

“What kind of opportunity?”

“Nope.”

“Cricket―”

“No. You’ll freak the fuck out, and I’m too tired to deal with that.”

“What the fuck did you do?” he demanded.

“Well, this has been nice,” I said, setting my mug on the side table, and rising to my feet. “Please ride safely back to your beautiful home.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Sit down, sissy.”

“I swear to God, Connor. I don’t want to have this conversation with you.”

He sighed. “You really thinkin’ about takin’ the job with the Saints?”

I gasped. “How the hell do you know about that?”

“Have a seat, Cricket.”

I flopped back into the chair and glared at him. “I don’t want a lecture, Con.”

“Look, I see you’re at a critical pivot point in your life right now. I get that you’ve got some serious shit to figure out, and I think you’re smart enough to make the right decision. You know how I feel about the Saints... and Minus.”

“Don’t,” I snapped.

“Crick―”

“No, Hatch. You’re part of the reason this whole shit show is happening, so I don’t want your platitudes or negative opinions.” I slapped my hand against my chest. “I loved him. With all of my heart. You forced him out of my life and I have suffered because of it.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Fuck you!” I let out a frustrated squeal and jumped to my feet again. “I loved him. I get that I was young, and I also get that our connection was quick, but that doesn’t change the fact that what we had was real. Your heart might be calcified to the point of stone, but mine was broken, Con. Shattered. It’s the reason every man I’ve ever been with has been compared to him.” I jabbed a finger toward him. “You broke my heart, but now I have a chance to see where this takes me and I’m going to do it. With or without your blessing.”

“By getting involved with a one-percenter?”

“He doesn’t want to be a one-percenter, Hatch. He wants to clean up the club and go legit.”

He leaned forward, settling his forearms on his knees. “Do you know how hard that is to do? The danger of trying to pull off something like that without the whole club backin’ you? You didn’t see what we went through in San Diego, Cricket. I shielded you from all of it.”

“And I appreciate that,” I said. “But I was a child. Like, a baby child. It was appropriate that you shielded me from that. But exiling Jase was way beyond your protective authorization.”

“The hell it was. You’re my sister, and I’ll do whatever I have to if it means you’re out of harm’s way.”

Just then my phone rang, and I silently thanked whoever was interrupting this conversation. However, once I looked down and saw who was calling, I wasn’t so sure. The look on my face must have said it all, not to mention Hatch could read me like a book; and not one of those big thick, complicated Russian novels that took forever to get through. My brother could read me like a pop-up book.

“Is that him calling?” he asked in an irritatingly bright tone.

“No,” I lied.

He simply raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, so?” I retorted.

“Well... are you going to answer it?”

“Not with you here!”

“Suit yourself, he’s your business partner,” he replied glibly.

“Hatch, I swear to God, if this wasn’t a brand-new phone I would throw it so hard at your stupid head.”

The phone pealed one more time, and I answered with a flustered, “Hello!”

“Cricket, thank God, I was starting to worry.” Minus’ voice made my insides feel like they were filled with bubbles coated in butter.

I cleared my throat. “Worry? Why? What is there to worry about?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“So, there is something to worry about?”

“I said forget it,” Minus said, his tone shifting from concern to impatience.

“No. You said don’t worry about it. Which implies there is an ‘it’ and that there is a reason to fear said ‘it.’”

“Goddammit, Cricket, would you please listen to me for a second,” he hissed. “I’m not sure what Viper knows or what kind of surveillance he might have on us.”

“Did things not go as planned?” I asked, and my brother perked up, his interest in my conversation clearly piqued.

“Not so much. Can you meet me at the last place we were together in fifteen minutes?”

“Fifteen minutes? No. I can make it in maybe twenty-five if I leave now,” I said.

“Leave now then,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“I’m kind of in the middle of something,” I said.

“Cricket, unless it’s time with one of your top-drawer toys or hiding a dead body, I need you to meet me there as soon as possible, and be ready to fly out tonight.”

“Very funny, but my brother is here, and I haven’t even finished packing.” In truth, I hadn’t yet started. “Besides, I thought we weren’t leaving until tomorrow,”

Hatch’s face turned red, and he stood up. “Christina, hang up the phone.”

“Plans have changed,” Minus said.

“Excuse me?” I replied to my brother.

“I said hang up the phone now, you’re not going anywhere with him,” Hatch said.

“I said plans have changed,” Minus repeated.

“No, not you baby, I was talking to my brother.”

The word baby slipped out of my mouth so naturally that it startled me. I was mortified. The moment it left my lips, I felt the heat creep up the back of my neck, and my ears start to burn.

“Baby?” Hatch growled.

“What was that, Cricket? Something about your brother? Sorry, I’m in the back of a van.”

At least Minus hadn’t heard me.

“I’ll meet you at the place, ready to go, as soon as possible. Um, over and out,” I said, and hung up.

Ohmigod, I felt like the biggest idiot in the world. Baby? Over and out? What was wrong with me? Why was I letting Minus rattle me like this? And in front of my brother, no less!

“Christina,” my brother continued, in his best chastising tone.

“I don’t want to hear it. Not a word.” I raised my index finger in the air and headed to my bedroom to finish packing.

“This is what you took an unscheduled leave of absence for? To take an out of town trip with your baby?”

“I didn’t mean that. It just came out. Honestly, I don’t know why,” I protested.

“Don’t know why? Don’t know why? Let me clear it up for you. You still have feelings for Minus!”

“I told you I didn’t want to hear it, and you have no idea how I feel,” I said pulling an empty roller bag down from the top shelf of my closet, and throwing it onto the bed.

“You know that’s not true. I just about raised you, and I can—”

“Read me like a pop-up book, yeah, whatever,” I sassed, and frantically began to rummage through drawers, throwing clothes into the bag.

“I was gonna say I can tell when you’re spinning out,” my brother countered. “Christina, stop packing, and look at me, goddammit.”

I turned to face my brother, my arms folded, wearing what I hoped was a badass warrior scowl, but feared I looked more like Bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls.

“I’m worried about you,” he said. “You’ve been a mess since Minus got back to town.”

“A mess?” I protested. “How am I a mess?”

“You’re all over the map! The last time we spoke, you’d just decked Minus and wanted me to make sure you never saw him again. Now you’re ready to run off with him, and you’re pissed at me for chasing him off years ago.”

“I’m not running off with him. It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like, Cricket?” he challenged, leaning against the doorframe. “Tell me, because I’m very confused. I’d honestly love to hear what the hell you’re thinking directly from you, instead of second-hand through my wife.”

“Do you really? Do you want to know all about my life, and how I’m bored out of my mind at work? How the thought of coming up with the next tagline for some porn star’s latex vagina makes me want to scream? I will forever be grateful for Maisie for hooking me up with this job, but I’m seriously over the sex business and all of its so-called glory. I just want a regular life.”

“Running a one-percenter club in the heart of Portland,” he ground out.

“It won’t be one-percenter once we’re done with it.” I grabbed shoes and dropped what I hoped were matching pairs into the bag.

Hatch dragged his hands down his face and took several deep breaths. “I don’t like this.”

“Noted,” I said, then faced him. “Don’t make me choose between you and him, Connor. Please. I love you, but he’s my life.”

“You don’t know him!”

“I know him enough,” I said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an idiot. If he does anything out of line, I’m out. He knows this. Give yourself credit, big brother, you raised me right, but now your job is done.”

“What am I supposed to do if this all goes to shit?”

“You open up your arms and hold me while I cry. Think you can manage that, Con?”

He sighed. “I have no fuckin’ idea.”

I closed the distance between us and laid my hand over one of the patches on his kutte. “I have faith in you and I know the Dogs have both of our backs. I need you to trust me, okay? If I need you, I promise I’ll tell you. I won’t do anything reckless.”

He frowned. “Why doesn’t that make me feel better?”

“Because it’s hardwired in you to protect.” Truth be told, all my brothers had the same disease and I was the baby, so I was number one on their list of who to protect above all else. “Right now, though, I don’t need you to protect me, okay?”

He studied me for a few seconds before giving me a slight nod.

“Hallelujah. Lock up on your way out, please.”

Before I could escape, he pulled me in for a hug... one of his signature bear hugs that made you feel safe and gooey. “Love you, Cricket.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed. “Love you, too, Connor.”

“Text me when you get to wherever you’re going. I want to know you’re safe.”

“I will,” I promised.

Hatch left me to my packing, which I finished in record time. Then I locked up and rushed to meet my man.