Chapter Six
After all the goodbyes and putting my bags in the backseat, I turn my attention to the most stunning woman I’ve ever met. “C’mere, Chat.” Those blue eyes crash into mine with such sadness mixed with worry, and it breaks my heart knowing I’m the cause. But what could I do? The club needs me. For us to keep our loved ones and ourselves safe, we need to bring down The Four Kings—along with that cunt, Deuce.
In a few short steps, with a quick stride, Chatty’s in my arms, right where she belongs. Her hands lock behind my neck and her eyes rake over my features, like she’s trying to memorize every detail. “Hey, I’m comin’ back. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Her head hangs down as her forehead hits my chest. Running a hand down her long hair, I kiss the back of her head and rest my chin there. My gaze roams over to the clubhouse and, for the first time ever, I wonder if it’s even worth it anymore. Right when I’m finally getting everything I’ve wanted, I have to leave. I’m fallin’ in love with this woman, and now I gotta let her go.
Taking a deep breath, I pull my shit together and cup her cheeks, bringing those beautiful eyes up to meet mine. “You know why I gotta do this. I don’t wanna leave you, but I’d rather get this job done than have you unsafe.”
Narrowing her eyes, she questions harshly, “Keep me safe?” Those daggers she’s shootin’ off could be lethal as she continues. “How can any of this be safe, when people fucking die?” The words spew like venom from her lips.
Rubbing my thumbs across her cheeks, I respond the only way I can. “Chat, c’mon. You’re angry, I get it, but you know why we do what we do. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” Leaning in, I place my lips against her forehead and breathe in her sweet scent. Pulling back a little, I give her a sexy grin, trying to defuse her anger. “I’ll call you. Now fuckin’ kiss me.” My grin makes her lips tilt upwards just a little, but I’ll take it.
Gripping the back of her hair, I hold her in place as my lips descend down on hers. I put everything in the kiss; how much I’ll miss her, my need for her, and my hope that she can stick through the upcoming distance and be here when I return.
Breaking free way too soon, I kiss her forehead once more, then look into her eyes. “I gotta go.” Lacing our fingers together, I kiss both of her hands and reluctantly let her go.
“Be safe, Gunner.” Tears threaten to spill, but she’s a master at holdin’ them back.
“I will, babe. I’ll be callin’ soon.” I slide into the driver’s seat; Tink’s already waitin’ on the passenger side. Chatty closes the door. I give her one last longing glance as I place my hand against the window, splayed out to match hers, and then I start the shitty cage we’re stuck with in who knows how fuckin’ long. We pull out of the gate and head towards the highway.
Turning left inside the city limits of Wichita, I drive a few blocks before taking a right. “Where we goin’?” Tink asks from the passenger seat.
“I gotta see someone before we leave.” I pull into the driveway of the small brown two-bedroom house. Cutting the engine, I turn to Tink. “C’mon, she’ll kick my ass if I don’t invite you in.”
Knocking on the front door, I wait for her to answer, and when she does, her smile is heartwarming and I’m sure mine matches hers. “Caide!” She pulls me in for a tight hug.
“Hey, Mom.” I hug her just as tight. Pulling back slightly, I introduce her to Tink. She pulls him in much like she did me. I love my mom so fuckin’ much. She is a beautiful woman; tall, slender, with long flowing hair the same blonde as mine. Even though she doesn’t come around the club anymore, not since my dad got killed, she still knows how shit is. And because she was his Ol’ Lady, she knows what we do, why we do it, and never questions. She’s the one person who has always been there for me no matter what, and there is nothing I could do that would ever change that. Not even prison.
“Come on in.” We follow her through the space until we come to the kitchen. Tink and I sit while she pulls out a pitcher of her famous sweet tea. Grabbing three glasses out of the cabinet, she pours each of us a glass, then joins us at the table. “So what brings you by?” Her eyes snap to me, no doubt knowing something is up for no other reason than me bringing Tink to see her.
“We got some club business outside of town to take care of, so I wanted to let you know I’ll be gone for a bit.”
“Figured as much.” She fakes a smile, her gaze going to Tink. She says, “I swear, I shoulda had more than one kid. Maybe a girl wouldn’t have me worrying so much. She would have been like me.” My mom points to herself and smiles for real this time, the aging lines appearing in the corners of her eyes.
“Umm.” Tink tries thinking of somethin’ to say, but comes up empty.
“I don’t know, Mom. The stories Dad told me about you…maybe she would’ve been just as wild.” We both laugh.
“You got me there. Just be careful, Caide. I love you—check in when you can.” She takes my hand in hers, giving mine a reassuring squeeze.
“I love you, too. How’s Mark?”
“He’s good. He works so much, too much, at that new firm.” Mom started dating Mark after I got locked up. He’s some kind of business lawyer, which is the complete opposite of my dad, but Mark loves my mom, and she’s happy, so that’s all I can ask for. He wanted her to move in with him, but she told him no because she wouldn’t give up my childhood home and the reminder of the life she had built with my dad. So, Mark moved in with her, though he’s never tried to take my dad’s place. He’s a little uptight for my taste, but a good guy all the same.
“I’m glad you’re happy.”
Her eyes mist and a small smile forms. Still holding my hand in hers, she tells me, “Thank you! Your dad would be so proud of you. You’re just like him.” Love shines in her eyes. I know she will always hold a place in her heart for him, but she is moving on with her life—I understand it and want her to. My dad would too. Maybe that’s why I understand with Chatty.
Mom wipes her eyes, chuckles a little, then turns her attention to Tink. “Those boys aren’t being too hard on you, are they?”
Tink smiles. “No, Ma’am.”
“Oh, Lord! Do not make me feel older than I am. Call me Josie. Try and keep out of trouble while you’re gone, and please be safe.”
“We will, Mom.” I smile, but I think we are all a little worried about what could happen.
“How’s it going with Chatty?” I’ve talked to my mom about the situation, hoping she could give me some insight on how to handle Chatty.
“Some progress, but she’s difficult. Her head and heart are battling against each other, so I just gotta stay patient until she’s ready.” Fuck, I miss her already.
“Maybe I’ll make a trip over to the club and talk to her. I’ve always liked Chatty; maybe I can help, since I know what she’s going through.”
“No need to do that, Mom.” I chuckle at her eagerness. “Alright, we gotta get goin’ so we can make it before dark.” We stand from the table and I pull her in for another hug. “Love you—I’ll be in touch.”
“I love you too, Caide. Nice meetin’ you, Tink.”
“Nice to meet you too, Josie.”
Mom walks us out. We get back in the Prius and hit the road once again.
Two hours later, we make it to Montera safely, but without much scenery, making the ride long. I’ve realized that Tink is a quiet one; most people think they have to fill the silence with some bullshit small talk, but he hasn’t said a word. All he’s done is bobbed his head to the music and sang along. And the most interesting shit I’ve learned on this trip is that he has a damn good voice.
Right now, we are driving in circles trying to find the address. I notice there ain’t shit here, not even a bar. I guess somewhere we made a wrong turn, and now we’re fuckin’ lost. Whoever made these instructions should have made them a little fuckin’ clearer. This little town is like a big fuckin’ circle we can’t find our way out of.
“Take a right!”
Tink’s burst of excitement as he sits up straighter makes me jump in my seat for a moment, but I recover swiftly. “’Bout fuckin’ time. Feels like we’ve been goin’ in circles for the last hour.”
“We pretty much have.” Tink looks towards the clock and chuckles. “Alright, it should be down here on the left.” He holds the paper with the address up. “Yep, right there. The grey house with the black shutters.” He points to the white-collar home.
Most of the houses are like that around here, I noticed. It’s quiet, definitely not what I’m used to; it’s like a perfectly polished little town. Families would have the 2.5 kids, the dog, and the white picket fence. The neighbors bring each other cups of sugar and the wives get together every Sunday afternoon. Yeah, I already miss home. I miss the loud, the crazy, and I fuckin’ miss Chatty.
Unlocking the front door, I walk into the large living room. A dark blue wraparound sectional takes up two walls by itself and the flat screen hangs along the opposite side of the room. The light grey walls match the exterior color. The house is plain and not my style at all. But I have to remember that I’ll only be here for a short time. Hopefully.
We check out the kitchen that has apparently been updated with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Moving on to the bathroom, it looks to be in good shape. The bedrooms are done the same; walk-in closets, grey carpet, white walls, and the queen-size beds made up with dark bedding. I take one and Tink takes the other, then we start pulling our bags out of the Prius.
Once we’re settled and unpacked, we go out and unhook his bike. We bring it down off the trailer, and then unhook the trailer from the Prius. After everything is finished, we grab a beer from the fridge and sit on the couch. I flip through the channels until some horror flick comes on, then I set the remote beside me.
“So, you ready to do this?” I take a long pull from the beer, then turn towards Tink. I want to know where his head is at in all of this. I need to know he’s doing it for the right reasons instead of trying to prove something or being a Billy Badass.
“Yep.” He gives a nod before taking a drink from his bottle. “I’ll be riding out later tonight.” So far, he shows no fear.
“Be safe. All I ask is that if you aren’t going to come back here at night for whatever reason—and I don’t give a shit what the reason might be—call me. I wanna know you’re alright.”
“I can do that.”
“How’d you get the name Tink?” I’m curious; I don’t think anyone has asked him, and since he doesn’t divulge much about himself, it makes me wonder.
“My mom called me stink ever since I was a baby, it stuck, and as I got older, I took off the ‘s’. Gotta pick up chicks, man—who can do that with a name like stink?” He laughs, and I join in.
“You’re probably right about that.”
Tink looks around the room. “This house is nicer than any I ever grew up in.” Maybe he’s warming up to me some.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I was the trailer park trash kid from the wrong side of the tracks.” My brows pull down; kids can be cruel little shits. That’s one thing Hanger and I never had to worry about—everyone was scared of the Satan’s Sinners.
“Is that why you wanted to prospect for the club?”
“Nah, I wanted to do that to feel like I had a family. People to look out for me, to respect me. I wanted to fit in where I never have before.”
“Damn. Well, we make it through this job and you’ll have family for life.” He smiles and nods because he already knows.
After the movie, I head to bed so I can call Chatty and Bear. Tink heads out and I hear his bike rumble to life before he pulls away. I like this kid, so I hope he can get this job done.