Chapter Seven

 

Creed

 

I hung up the phone with a sigh, relief that she was okay warring with fury that a club member had threatened her, attacked her, I corrected myself with a low snarl.

“She a’ight?”

I nodded tightly, my fist slamming into the wall as I tried to contain my simmering temper.  Willy was a dead man, I told myself in an attempt to quell the rage so we could finish the job.  “Willy went after her.”

“Fuck,” Clutch cursed, his hands forming fists as his muscles swelled.  “She’s okay?”

“Deacon and Johnny intervened,” I answered, forcing the words though my tight throat.  I kept picturing that fat ass laying a hand on Jailbait’s delicate skin and it was all I could do not to put another hole in the wall.

“That’s good,” Clutch said, relieved.  “Guess we’ll be giving Willy a little lesson in manners when we get back.”

I nodded tightly, pacing the small area as my muscles coiled, ready to spring at the slightest provocation.

“You still want to do this?”  Clutch questioned carefully, keeping a smart distance.

“Have too,” I answered shortly, already regretting the decision to help Monty even though it’d been my idea.  “Let’s get this over with.”

***

 

“I don’t have a problem with breaking and entering but this seems like bad juju,” Clutch said in a hushed voice as he broke the lock on the back door.

“It’s for Jailbait,” I replied, unconcerned as I entered the back door of the crematorium.  “She deserves a little peace of mind.”

“I’m not arguing that, but we’re fucking breaking into a freaking funeral home…you know, where they keep dead people.”

I shot him a disbelieving stare. “Seriously?  You afraid of dead people now?”

“It’s creepy!”

I shook my head and moved further into the room.  We were lucky the place didn’t have cameras, or halfway decent security.  I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything more since the state was paying them cut rates to dispose of their unclaimed bodies.  “Noah said her mom was cremated here.”

Clutch stopped short as he hissed, “What?  They burn bodies here?”

“It’s a crematorium,” I replied.  “Where they cremate people,” I continued when he gave me a blank stare.

“Ugh, man.  Damn.”  Clutch shuddered.  “Let’s hurry up and get the hell out of here. I’d rather face twenty Aces than stay here.”

“You want to wait by the bikes?”  I asked, amused despite myself at the discovery of Clutch’s squeamishness around dead bodies.

“No,” he grunted, puffing up at the implication of weakness.  “Just let’s get her mom and go.”

We found the room where they kept the remains and it only took a second to find Lilah Spencer.  “Box is kind of small,” Clutch observed, eyeing it warily as I lifted it off the shelf.  “You sure there ain’t another one?”

I shrugged, not sure, and double checked the shelf, and shook my head.  “There’s only one.  Must be it.”

We got out without anyone seeing us and as I tucked the sealed box carefully in my bag, I heard Clutch mutter, “Nothing says I love you like a dead loved one’s remains.”

“No one said anything about love,” I said shortly.  “She’s been through some traumatic shit, a’ight?”

“Oh yeah, no doubt.  I wasn’t talking about her though,” Clutch replied with a closed mouth smile.

“I’m not in love with her,” I denied forcefully, my eyes glittering a warning.

“Mmmhmmm,” he hummed in response and my temper snapped.

“What would you know about it anyway?  You’ve spent years following after Ronnie like a puppy dog.”

“Which makes me a goddamn expert,” he retorted without an ounce of heat.  “I watched Cord do the same damn thing with Ashley.  Trust me when I say I recognize the emotion.”  My throat bobbed and I opened my mouth to apologize for my puppy dog comment when he waved his hand.  “Don’t bother.  You didn’t say anything that ain’t true.”  He smiled ruefully.  “Now, let’s get home to your girl.”

 

***

 

When we rolled in to the club it was lit up like the 4th of July and we eyed each other as we parked the bikes.

“They having a party we didn’t know about?”

“Maybe its something to do with Fat Willy,” I suggested, cracking my knuckles as I smiled in anticipation of slamming them into his ugly mug.

“And the whole club came?”  Clutch questioned, scanning the rows of bikes.

“Let’s get inside and see what’s going on.”

I stopped short in the doorway, only moving enough to let Clutch slid in as I stared at the divided room.  Club members were scattered around, their attention focused on the two standing in the center of the room, both of them with their arms crossed stubbornly across their chest.  The women were all clustered in the corner, whispering as they eyed the duo.

“What the hell?”  Clutch murmured under his breath.  I was already striding toward Jailbait and Johnny, passing Crew and Hank with a nod.  Deacon stood to the side with Fat Willy sitting sullenly next to him.  I almost made a detour to crack in his face when I heard Jailbait.

“They have a right,” she stated, glaring mutinously at Johnny.

“It’s club business,” Johnny replied impatiently.  “We’ve been over this.  He’ll be punished.”

“I have no doubt of that,” Jailbait said impatiently.  “Creed will make sure of it, but my point is that the punishment should fit the crime.”

“And your suggestion would be?”

“Let the women he hurt have a say in how he’s punished.”

I slowed when she said that, eyeing Johnny carefully.  He tilted his head up to the ceiling, looking like he was praying for patience.  “It’s not a bad idea,” I interjected, coming up to them.

“And why am I not surprised you agree with her?”  Johnny questioned, not seeming to need an answer but I gave him one anyway.

“Because you agree with her too,” I replied, having recognized his expression.

“Whoa, I must have misunderstood you,” Sloan exclaimed.  “It sounds like Johnny thinks I’m right.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but what you’re suggesting isn’t unreasonable,” Johnny replied, his expression warning her not to make too much of it.

“So, the women can decide his punishment?”

“Partially,” Johnny conceded and her head tilted to the side.  “I’ll consider their suggestions for any punishment, but his club status will be decided by a vote of the entire club.”

I lifted my eyebrows.  That explained why there were so many here tonight, but I hadn’t expected Johnny to bring it to a vote.  He caught my glance and shook his head slightly.  “Don’t even think of arguing with me, Creed.  I’ll let you get your pound of flesh, don’t worry.”

“Oh, I wasn’t worried about that,” I assured him.  “But I do agree with Jailbait that the women should also get their pound since they are the injured parties.”

Johnny nodded stiffly.  “Go and find out what they want, Jailbait,” he ordered, smiling at her surprise.  “Since you’re their new spokesperson.”

She straightened, nodding sharply as she marched over to the women.  I saw Mary in the herd of women and wondered what they considered just desserts.  They whispered for a few minutes and when Jailbait stepped back, more than a few of them had satisfied smiles on their faces.

Jailbait came back slowly, licking her lips nervously as she reached us.

“Well, what do the hens want?”  Johnny asked and Jailbait took a deep breath.

“Fifteen minutes alone with him,” she replied as she cleared her throat.  “With him strapped face down on a table.”

I’m not sure what my expression was but Johnny’s face was downright stunned.

“Fifteen uninterrupted minutes,” Jailbait clarified.  “No questions asked.”

At that, Johnny opened his mouth and then closed it, glancing at me for help. I shrugged, not knowing what to tell him.

“What they’re asking isn’t unreasonable and he’ll still be alive when they’re…done,” Jailbait added with a sickly smile.

“It’s the,” Johnny stopped.  “You know I don’t want to know.”  He glanced at me again.  “I agree with their request. Any objections, Creed?”

I eyed Jailbait, who was looking increasingly uncomfortable.  “Are you going to be participating?”  She shook her head frantically.

“No, no,” she insisted.  “Absolutely not.  He didn’t do anything to me.”

“He threatened you,” I argued immediately.  “He will pay for that.”

“And I’m fine with you punishing him for it,” she assured me with a nod.  “But I don’t need to join the women for what they have in mind.”

Johnny seemed a little less confident in his decision to allow the women their fifteen minutes, but he nodded to Deacon.  “Strap him to a table,” he ordered and Jailbait stepped forward.

“A bed,” she corrected, giving an apologetic smile.  “Can you strap him to a bed?”

I bit my lip as Johnny’s expression changed to horrified dismay.  Deacon paused and Fat Willy stared at Jailbait in a way that made my fists clench.

“Do it,” I snapped, suddenly okay with whatever the women had decided to do to him.  “Do what she wants.”

Deacon nodded and dragged Willy toward the women, who were all smiling eagerly.  They followed Deacon, clapping their hands and I heard one woman cry, “I vote we use King Kong.”  Her words met with a roar of approval.

A few minutes later Deacon returned, nodding to us before making a beeline to Norah.  Jailbait pointed to them. “Is that Norah?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“I’d like to thank her,” Jailbait murmured, excusing herself.

“Jesus Christ what are they going to do to him?”  Johnny muttered, right before a loud squeal pierced the air, causing the room to fall silent.  “Forget I asked,” he answered himself, gazing at me.  “How did it go with Monty?”

“Easy run,” I said, trying to ignore the increasingly high pitched squeals.  “In and out, no sign of the Aces.”

“You took a while to get back,” he mentioned, turning away from the back of the bar where they’d taken Fat Willy.

“I had another stop to make,” I replied, not wanting to talk about where I’d went. Johnny nodded and we both winced as a particularly loud cry came from the back.

“It’s time to vote,” Johnny called out loudly, speaking over the pathetic whimpers we could all hear.  “You all know what Fat Willy did.  The women requested fifteen minutes as part of his punishment,” he gestured to the back, “They received them.  Now, we decide if he remains a Rebel.”

“The women have a right to punish him, but so do I,” I announced, catching the eye of every man there.  “He attempted to attack Jailbait and I won’t allow that to stand without my own brand of punishment.”  There were a consensus of nods and I could feel Jailbait’s gaze on me.  “I don’t relish the idea of someone who would abuse a woman being allowed to remain a Rebel.  That’s not what we stand for,” I reminded them, motioning for Jailbait to come stand by my side.  She came to a stop next to me, tilting her head to look up at me.

“What are you going to do if they vote for him to remain a Rebel?” 

“Kill him.”  She blinked at my instantaneous answer but didn’t have a chance to comment as Johnny spoke.

“This is a straight for or against vote,” Johnny stated. “Anyone for allowing Fat Willy to remain a Rebel?”

No hands raised as the men glanced at each other.  Almost all of them had old ladies and kids, and it didn’t sit right with any of them to know what Willy had been doing.

“Against?”

My hand was the first to go up followed by everyone else’s.  “It’s unanimous.  Fat Willy is stripped of club membership.”

Gloria came waltzing from the back, a wide smile on her face.  “We’re done,” she announced.  “You can have him now.”

I ran my knuckle over Jailbait’s jawbone as I stepped away from her, feeling her eyes follow me all the way to the back, Deacon and Clutch joining me.

“Jesus,” I choked as Deacon and Clutch gagged.  I held my breath against the smell as we dragged him from the bed as he whimpered.  Once we’d cleared the room, I took a deep breath and instantly regretted it.   Fat Willy was the source of the smell and I was pretty sure sewers smelled better than him.

“God, remind me never to piss off any of these women,” Clutch muttered, trying to stand down wind of him.  “Especially yours, Creed.”

I nodded, not willing to risk opening my mouth as we shoved Willy down the hall, his stride a little bow legged.  We got him out the door and he stumbled into the circle of guys who’d gathered to watch the beating he had coming.

Johnny stepped forward.  “The club voted. You’re out,” he stated emotionlessly.  Fat Willy spun around, staring at the guys who glared back at him.

“You fucking kidding me?”  He shouted at them.  “You gonna throw me out cause some little piece of ass stuck her nose where it didn’t belong?”  My fist cut off whatever else he was about to say about Jailbait as fury flashed through me.  I’d trusted him and every other guy in the club to protect Jailbait and to realize he would have hurt her…..

My fist pounded into him, blood and teeth flying as he tried to scramble out of my reach but I kept going as rage coursed through me.  I needed someone to pay for the fact that I hadn’t killed Grant yet and at the moment Willy would do.

Sound broke through my haze as arms gripped me, lifting me off Fat Willy and dragging me back.  “Creed, enough,” Clutch roared as I struggled to go back after him.  Deacon had my other side and together they held me as some of the other guys went to Willy, checking him.

“He’s still alive,” one of them announced and I felt Clutch exhale next to me.  “Probably needs to go to the hospital though.”

“Eh, dump him at home.  He lives, he lives, he dies, he dies,” Johnny told them, slipping a cigarette between his lips as he walked up to me.  “Feel better?”

I rolled my shoulders, or at least attempted to, but Clutch and Deacon held me fast.  “I’m not going after him,” I informed them as I pulled against their hold.  “I swear,” I added in exasperation when they still didn’t release me.  They relaxed their hold and I nodded to them.  “Thanks,” I muttered and they dipped their heads.  “But you could have let me kill him.” 

Deacon made a scoffing sound as he shook his head.  “Man, I’m going home to cuddle with my girl, you fuckers do what you want.”

“Good idea,” Clutch nodded to him.  “Can I join you?”

“Hell no,” Deacon replied good-naturedly, clapping him on the chest.  “You stay here and keep an eye on our temperamental friend.”

“That’s a damn full time job,” Clutch replied, shaking his head sadly.  “But I think I’m about to be replaced.” We followed his gaze to the back door where Jailbait stood under the light of the bare bulb, hugging herself as she watched us.  “One, two,” I heard Clutch muttering under his breath as I started toward her.  “And there he goes.”

Crew intercepted me, “Are you alright?”

“Right as rain, brother,” I answered, one corner of my mouth lifting in reassurance.  “Don’t worry about me.”  I winced as I made a fist.  “Do me a favor though?”

“Sure,” he agreed readily, “Anything.”

“Take care of the dogs for me tonight. I’ll be over in the morning.”

“Done,” he answered instantly and I grasped his arms as I muttered, “Thanks.”

I made my way to Jailbait, her gaze downcast as she made circles on the ground with her foot.  “Hey,” I murmured, keeping my distance as she glanced up at me.

“Hey, yourself,” she replied, eyeing me.  “Safe to assume most of that isn’t your blood?”

I glanced down and saw blood smeared all over my white t-shirt.  I shook my head and reached behind me to yank the shirt off.  I tossed it into the fire someone had started in one of the old drums we had lying around, and then glanced back at her.  “See?  Not mine.”

She nodded, her gaze bouncing between my face and chest nervously.  “Should probably clean those up,” she mentioned, gesturing to my hands.

I squeezed them open and close, causing blood to ooze from the wounds.  “Yeah, no telling what Willy might have.”

A faint smile curved Jailbait’s lips and she tilted her head to the door.  “Come on, I’ll bandage you up.”

A loud groan drew our attention and Jailbait watched as they tossed Willy into the back of a truck to cart him home. I didn’t bother glancing at them, my attention focused on Jailbait and the curious expression she wore. I reached for the handle of the door and she blinked, turning the knob before I could grasp it.  She headed straight for my room and I followed behind her slowly, wondering if this was a mistake.  When I went in, she’d already gone into the bathroom. I hovered inside the door as she opened the medicine cabinet, intentionally avoiding the condoms, as she plucked the first aid kit from the shelf.

She turned and saw me standing there. “Sit,” she ordered as she dug through the kit. A grin tugged at my lips as I shuffled to the toilet, the confined space bringing us in close proximity, and her shoulders tensed as I brushed past her.

She turned to me, her gaze immediately dropping to my chest and she inhaled shakily.  “Do you want…” she motioned to my chest and took a deep breath. “Do you want to put a shirt on?”

I shook my head, bringing my shoulders back, enjoying myself as I said, “Nah, don’t want to get blood on it.”

“Right, of course.” She nodded for a few seconds before seeming to make up her mind.  She grabbed my hand and pulled it under the faucet.  “Let’s get this over with,” she muttered, cranking the hot water on. Her fingers were gentler than I imagined as she manipulated my hand.  After she was satisfied it was clean enough she took my other hand and did the same.  She dabbed them dry with a clean towel and glanced at me. 

I’d had to shift closer as she washed my hands and it suddenly dawned on her that she was positioned between my legs, our faces inches apart, as our breaths mingled.

“Anywhere else?” She asked, her wide green eyes dilated as her breath came a little faster.  My tongue smoothed over suddenly dry lips, drawing her gaze and I let out a groan, pulling my hands from hers as I shifted back, my jeans uncomfortably tight.

“I can finish,” I muttered as I cleared my throat.  Stubbornness flashed across her face and she crossed her arms over her chest.

“No,” she stated succinctly and my eyebrow crept upwards.

“No,” I repeated and she shook her head.

“No,” she said again, drawing out the O, like it was my hearing that was the problem and not her defiance.  She made a grab for my hand, but I tucked them behind my back as I stood up, my larger build immediately crowding the small space.

She sucked in a breath, but kept her expression resolute.  “I want to finish what I started,” she said, her arms at her sides.

“I can do it,” I told her, hands curling behind my back so I didn’t reach for her.

“I know,” she murmured, her eyes fixated somewhere around my chin.

“Then why?”

“Because,” she paused, taking a deep breath and her chest brushed against mine.  “Because its my fault.”  Her eyes met mine for a second before dropping again.  “You beat him up for me.  The least I can do is patch you up.”

I brought my hands back around and her fingers lightly touched the broken and bruised skin.  “It’s not your fault,” I whispered.  “It’s Willy’s,” I licked my lips, “And mine.”

I felt her eyes but didn’t meet her gaze.  “Yours?”

“I brought you here. I left you and he thought he could hurt you.”

“He didn’t.”

“He tried,” I said sharply.  “He tried and that was enough….enough for me to almost beat him to death.”  I swallowed hard, forcing myself to ask the question that had been haunting me since I’d seen her watch them haul Willy away.  “Does it bother you?  What I did to him?  What I would do for you?”

I felt her head move as her fingers left my hands and my heart dropped.

“No,” she whispered, her mouth brushing against my jaw as she spoke and I felt her hands slide along my ribs.  “No, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

Her lips pressed against my lower lip and I groaned deep in my throat at the soft touch. I dipped my head, aligning our mouths, and for a second as her lips parted I allowed myself the kiss.  The chaste press of soft lips against mine as her fingers curled into my sides, as my own hands clenched in an effort not to drag her closer, to take more than she was ready for.

I lifted my head, breathing heavily, turning my face when her mouth sought mine.  “I’m sorry,” I murmured, fighting the need thrumming through me.  “We can’t do this.”

Her hands lowered from my sides and she stepped back.  I chanced a glance at her and the look of humiliation and embarrassment on her face tightened the band around my chest.

“I’m going to go,” she muttered, not glancing up at me.  “I’m sorry. I don’t know why….you don’t need to worry, I won’t do it again.”  Her fingers scrambled for the door as she tried to back out of the room without looking at me.

“Jailbait,” I said and she let out a choked laugh.

“I forgot,” she cried.  “You should have said my name sooner.  Why would you want me?”

“Jailbait, wait,” I barked but she ignored me, pushing through the bathroom door and darting to the door leading out of my room.  I scrambled after her, my hand slamming against the door as she tried to open it, my weight stopping her.  My body surged against her, my front to her back and she froze.  “I’m not done,” I told her, pushing against her a little harder, “Talking,” I stressed when she started to squirm against me. “But if you keep that up, I might forget my noble intentions,” I rasped as I hardened further and she stilled, seeming to notice the bulge pressing into her spine.  “Will you let me explain?”

She nodded slowly and I eased back slightly.  When she didn’t immediately go for the door, I stepped back completely.  She turned, eyeing me, as I gestured for her to take a seat.  She perched on the edge of the only chair in my room, managing not to disturb the pile of clothes balanced on it.

“I want you,” I stated bluntly and her lips parted.  I glanced down, scrubbing my hands over my face.  “Holy hell, I want you, but,” I paused, my teeth tugging on my lower lip as I stared at her.  “That doesn’t mean I should take you and that’s exactly what’ll happen,” I informed her as her translucent skin flushed a delicate pink.  “I don’t want to be that guy.  You’re not that girl,” I attempted to explain, one hand squeezing the back of my neck.  “You’re Jailbait and I gotta respect that.”

“You don’t want to break the law,” she questioned softly.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I corrected and she blinked.  I sighed.  “You’ve been through a lot in the last few days.  I don’t want you to regret this and you will.” I spoke from experience, remembering the years after my Dad’s death and the shit I’d done.  “I can wait.”

She chewed on her lip, her hands rubbing up and down her thighs.  “You would wait for me?”

I exhaled, nodding.  “Yeah,” I mumbled, “Yeah, I would wait.”

“Okay,” she murmured.

“Okay,” I echoed, relief and some other emotion I couldn’t name coursing through me.

“You’re bleeding again,” she mentioned, a soft smile on her face.

“I am,” I stated, lifting my hand up.  “Probably should bandage that.”

She nodded, her teeth tugging on her bottom lip.  “I could bandage it for you.”

“I’d like that,” I replied and she rolled her eyes.

“Stay,” she ordered, pointing at the bed as she got up to go get the bandage.  I nodded, parking my ass on the corner of the bed.  It didn’t take her long to wrap my knuckles, and she laughed when I hissed at the antiseptic she poured over them.

“Remember, there’s no telling what Fat Willy might have had,” she joked and I smiled at her lightheartedness.  “All better,” she said, patting my hands and smiling up at me.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

She gave me a puzzled look.

“I thought a kiss made it all better.”

She stared at me for a second and I wondered if I’d gone too far.  She dipped her head and I felt the soft press of her lips against my rough hands.  She kissed the back of both hands and then flipped them over to press a kiss into my palm.

“How do they feel now?”  She murmured, lifting her head.

“No pain,” I told her truthfully, her hands nestled in mine the only thing I felt.  “You’re an excellent doctor.”

Her lips curved up and I realized I didn’t know if she wanted to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a teacher, or anything really about her dreams.  “Do you want to be a doctor?”  I questioned, suddenly eager to know.  Another thought occurred to me.  “You should probably finish high school first.  You should go to high school.”  My forehead wrinkled as I considered how to make that work and she giggled.  “Are you laughing at me?” I mock threatened and she laughed harder as she nodded.  “And what’s to amusing?”

“You,” she replied.  “And the fact that you even asked.”  She shook her head as a faint smile curved her lips up.  “I’m actually almost done with high school.  Just one class left.”

“Damn, I’m impressed,” I told her admiringly.  “I barely graduated and I only did it because Johnny wouldn’t let me in the club if I didn’t get my diploma.”

“Another point for Johnny,” she murmured.  “The schools aren’t the best in my neighborhood so Mom signed me up for online schooling.” She shrugged.  “I’m pretty good at it so I worked ahead and now I’ve only got one class left.”

“So no truant officers will be after you?” I teased.  “Johnny will be relieved.”

She chuckled.  “Yeah, the only person after me is,” her words faded off as I nodded, my lips pressed together.  “I should probably go,” she stated, gesturing to the door but not getting up.

“Yeah, the last thing I want is Johnny crawling our asses over a sleepover.”  Her lips twitched and I sent her a questioning glance.  She shook her head, lips clamped shut so I dropped it.  “Before you go,” I said and she glanced at me curiously.  “I have something for you,” I finished awkwardly, suddenly unsure how my gift was going to be taken.  “I know you were upset about not knowing what happened to your mom.”  She nodded, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears as I handed her the box Clutch and I had stolen.  “She was cremated by the state.  I thought you might want to know and to have them…..her ashes, I mean.”  I met her gaze, her eyes damp as I fought to find the right words.  “I don’t know what you want to do with them, but I’ll be here….for you.”

She swallowed, some of the tears she’d been fighting spilling down her cheek.  “You brought me my mom,” she managed, her lower lip trembling as she clutched the box to her chest.  “Thank you,” she mumbled as the tears fell faster and her head bobbed, “Thank you.”

I reached for her, dragging her from the chair into my lap and rocked her gently as hot tears spilled against me.  A knock disturbed us and I carefully set her on her feet before going to the door.

Weasel kept his eyes on mine as he stood there, his feet moving restlessly.  “Johnny wants you.”

I nodded, moving aside as Sloan came to stand next to me.  “Escort Jailbait to her room, please.” He nodded and I rubbed my hand over Jailbait’s arm.  “You okay?” I asked and she nodded, swiping at the tears on her face.

“Yeah,” she answered, hugging the box containing her mother’s remains to her chest.  “I really am.”

We went in opposite directions and I glanced over my shoulder only to find her doing the same.  A dumb grin curved my lips as she turned the corner and I lost sight of her.  When I entered the bar area, the grin was wiped from my face when I saw who stood next to Johnny.  He shot me a warning glance which I ignored.

“Chief,” I said flatly, a scowl forming at the sight of his ever present sneer.  Clutch slung his arm around my shoulder before I could say anything more, squeezing tight enough I heard my bones creak. I bit back my next words, taking his hint, as he muttered, “Jailbait,” under his breath.

“Hayes,” the Chief of Police barked.  “Just the man I was looking for.”

“And you found me.”  I smirked at the bastard.  “Excellent detective work, sir.”

“Calvin, would you care for a drink?”  Johnny suggested, waving to Gloria.  “My treat. It’s not often we get to see you at our small bar.”

“Nah, thank you, Johnny, but I’m here on business.”  The Chief glanced back at me.  “Seems like there was a homicide out on 64.  An alleged dog fighter.  Man was killed and several of his dogs.”

“That’s a tragedy,” I replied, pulling a pack of cigarettes from my pocket and shaking one out.  I set it between my lips, flicking the lighter as I added, “About the dogs.”

The Chief’s jaw worked for a second as he gave me a hard stare.  “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, now would you?”

I pursed my lips, shaking my head slightly.  “Can’t say I would.” I smiled faintly.  “Sounds like someone was doing your job for you.”

“A man’s dead, Hayes,” the Chief ground out.  “Someone needs to be held accountable for that.”

“I agree completely, Chief,” I answered, stepping up as I flicked the ashes from my cigarette.  “But you’re looking in the wrong place.”

“Am I?”  He stepped forward, bumping my shoulder as he strode past me, pausing as he reached the door.  “I’ll be back by later.  Make sure you don’t leave town.”

“Aye, aye, Chief,” I mock saluted him, watching as he stomped from the bar.  “May you rot in hell, you two faced bastard,” I grumbled after the door slammed shut behind him.

“Glad you didn’t antagonize the good police chief, Creed. I’d hate to give him a reason to go after you.  Maybe find out that we’re hiding a minor with an APB out on them,” Johnny griped, knocking my arm aside as I lifted my cigarette, and getting in my face.  “I’d hate for him to come back with a warrant and find Jailbait.”

My eyes narrowed as I promised, “That won’t happen.”

“Watch yourself.”  Johnny thumped my chest.  “If he even suspects Noah is helping us, then our info dries up.”  My jaw snapped shut as I gave a jerky nod.  He was right.  I had to protect Jailbait and I owed it to Noah as well.  “I got a call from Gary at the Crazy Horse.”  His abrupt subject change didn’t faze me.  “Nina’s becoming a problem.”

My breath gusted out of me as I cursed.

“Not showing up, coming in late, making mistakes.”  Johnny arched his eyebrow.  “Figured I’d give you a heads up.  Let you handle it for Crew’s sake.”

“Appreciate it,” I replied, meaning it.  If Nina had gotten to the point that Gary felt the need to call, it was bad.  “I’m gonna go take a drive,” I told Johnny and he nodded in understanding.  I headed for the back door, Clutch on my heels.  “I don’t need a babysitter,” I informed him and he shrugged.

“Feel like taking a ride,” he replied as Hank came lumbering up to us. I cursed under my breath.

“You feel like taking a ride too?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. 

“No, I don’t,” he grumbled.  “Mary sent me after you to make sure you don’t do something stupid.”

“I’m not going to do something stupid,” I said, exasperated.

“Like piss off the police chief?”  He offered and I snapped my mouth shut, straddling my bike as they followed suit.

It was a quick ride to the Crazy Horse and I was happy to see the parking lot was packed.  The strip club was one of the many businesses the club owned and one of the most profitable.  Nina had been working there for years and was a favorite with some of the old timers.  I knew she must be seriously screwing up for Gary to call Johnny.  “I’m going to talk to Gary,” I told them, having spotted his bike in the lot.  They nodded as we split off, they went in the front while I headed for the back entrance.

“Creed,” a low voice cooed as arms snaked around my waist.  “It’s so good to see you.”

I glanced down, unsurprised when I saw who it was.  “Misty,” I grunted.  “I’m here to see Gary.”  I extracted myself from her as she pouted.

“You’ll come see me after?”  She tried again and I shook my head, making a mental note to avoid her.  We’d hooked up once a while back and while she was impressively flexible she was also bat shit crazy. I edged past, ignoring her when she thrust her tasseled nipples at me.

I knocked lightly on the door that read Manager and pushed it open.  Gary glanced up from his desk and motioned me in.  “Thought I’d be seeing you,” he stated, standing to offer me his hand.

“Yeah, Johnny told me you called.”

He nodded, looking uncomfortable as he jerked his head to the door.  “You mind closing it?”

I eyed him for a second before nudging the door shut.  “How bad is it, Gary?”

He puffed out a breath, “Let’s just say I didn’t tell Johnny everything.”

Surprise flickered through me and I spun the chair around, straddling it.  “What’s going on, Gary?”

“Money’s missing.”

I pressed my thumbs into the bridge of my nose as I muttered, “Crap.”

“It’s not a lot,” he rushed to assure me.  “But I’m pretty sure Nina is skimming off the top.”

“You didn’t tell Johnny?”

“No, I knew he’d blow a gasket and she’s your…”  Gary trailed off, not really having a term for what Nina was to me.

“She’s Crew’s mom,” I stated.  “Which makes her family,” I finished with an exhale.  “Thanks, Gary, for not mentioning it to Johnny.  I’ll take care of it.”  I hesitated, but experience made me add, “If it happens again –”

“I’ll call you,” he answered instantly, bobbing his head.  “You know it, Creed.  Everybody knows you handle your shit.”

“Yeah,” I forced a tightlipped smile.  “Hopefully it won’t come to that.”

I pushed myself up and reached for my wallet.  “How much?”

He looked reluctant and I asked again, “How much?”

“Two grand,” he finally answered and my eyebrows shot up.

“Two fucking grand?  How long has this been going on?”

“A couple weeks, maybe.  I wasn’t sure it was Nina at first.”

A sigh gusted out of me as I said, “Shit.”  I put my wallet back and tugged out the roll I’d just been paid from Monty.  I handed him the money, narrowing my eyes warningly.  “Don’t let it go that far again without mentioning it. I don’t give a shit who she is, she don’t steal from the club.” He nodded rapidly, accepting the cash I handed him as he apologized. I shook him off, headed for the door before he even stopped talking.

I made my way to the front, pausing when I spotted Clutch and Hank at a table watching the stage.  “You seen Nina?”

“She just finished,” Hank answered, nodding at the stage.  He exchanged a glance with Clutch.  “Routine was crap.  Doubt she made fifty up there.”

I nodded my thanks and skirted around the stage toward the back.  I clasped hands with the bouncer before pushing the curtain aside and stepping backstage.  I ignored the inviting glances as I scanned the area for Nina. It didn’t take me long to find her and when she spotted me she tried to hide.

I gripped her arm, stopping her escape as I muttered, “What the fuck are you thinking stealing from the goddamn club?” I hissed, shaking her until her teeth clacked together.  “Johnny’s only going to allow so much before you’re on the fucking street and I won’t protect you.”

“Crew will take care of me,” she blustered and I leaned down until we were eye to eye.

“Not if I don’t let him.”

She shrank back from the threat in my voice and I stared at her grimly.  She was skinnier than usual, her skin drawn tight around her face and the bones in her arm felt brittle.  “What the hell do you need with that kind of money?”  I spun her around, plopping her on one of the stools.  “Hmmm?  You ain’t using it to pay the electric bill.  So tell me where the hell that money is going?”

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air and her eyes slid from mine, glancing to the left, and I grasped her chin, forcing her to look at me.  “Don’t lie to me.”

“Gambling,” she gasped, fear lighting her eyes at my expression. “I made some bad bets. It won’t happen again. I swear.”  She held still in my grip as I glared angrily.

“You owe anymore?”

She tried to shake her head but couldn’t as I continued to force her to look at me, finally gasping, “No.  I swear.  It’ll never happen again.”  Tears pooled in her eyes, but they didn’t have the same effect on me as Jailbait’s tears.  I shoved her away in disgust.

“I won’t protect you next time,” I swore.  “This was solely for Crew’s benefit.”  I pointed at her.  “Next time, I’ll leave you to Johnny and I can guarantee you’ll never see Crew again.”

“It won’t happen again, Creed,” she promised, shaking her head as she dropped to her knees.  “I can make it up to you.”  She leaned forward, her intent obvious as she reached for my crotch and I stepped out of her reach.

“Never gonna happen, Nina,” I said curtly, spinning away, revulsion crawling down my spine as I heard her crying behind me. 

When I passed back by the table, I jerked my head, not stopping and I heard them scramble to follow me.  “What happened?”  I heard Clutch ask and shook my head, waiting till we were at the bikes before facing them.

“She’s been stealing from the club,” I told them bluntly, watching as their expressions froze.  “She said it’s gambling debts.”  I glanced away.  “I don’t know if I believe her.”

“Johnny doesn’t know,” Clutch specified and I shook my head, confirming what he already knew.  “Jesus,” he breathed as Hank stared at me knowingly.

“I need you to help me keep an eye on her,” I stated baldly.  “I won’t let her steal but –”

“Crew,” Hank growled and I nodded.

“He can’t find out,” I added, sending them warning glances as they nodded.  “We have enough going on…if he finds out,” I didn’t finish but I didn’t need to as they exchanged glances.

“He’ll do something stupid,” Hank declared.  “He’s a Hayes.”

 A rueful smile threatened as I gave him a brief nod.  “Pretty much.”  My jacket pulled as I ran my hands through my hair.  “I’d like to keep him alive…at least get him to eighteen.”

“Harder than you’d think,” Hank rumbled sympathetically.  “Seems like all you Hayes have a death wish.”  I couldn’t argue with him, letting out a sigh instead.

“I’m headed back,” I told them, waving my hand to the strip club.  “You’re welcome to stay,” I offered, not surprised when they both shook their heads.

“Mary would have both my heads,” Hank replied, swinging his leg over his bike and sitting down with a groan.  “Never piss a woman off,” he advised to our amusement.  “Especially if you have a houseful of them.”

“What’s your excuse?”  I asked Clutch and he glared at me. I held my hands up. “Never mind.”  He reached into the pocket on my jacket and yanked out the pack of cigarettes I kept there.  He lit one, taking a second to inhale before flipping me the bird.  “I thought you’d welcome the opportunity to get laid,” I mentioned, dodging his fist as Hank laughed.

“Some of us have to get up early,” he finally answered, pointing the cigarette at me.  “And they need their beauty sleep after chasing their best friend all over town.”

“You didn’t have to come,” I reminded him and he flicked his ashes at me.

“Yeah, I did,” he answered, straddling his bike as he ground the cigarette out.  “It’s my job to keep you safe.”

“Just cause Cord don’t give a shit, doesn’t mean you have to step in,” I replied with a click of my tongue.

“And if you think that’s why, then you’re dumber than that pretty boy face of yours would imply,” Clutch barked, starting his bike with a loud rumble.  “You can help me with that engine in the morning to make up for talking shit.”

I nodded mutely as he roared out of the lot.  A glance at Hank revealed him shaking his head, an amused smile lighting his face.  “Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, settling on my own bike as we followed him out of the parking lot.  “I’m an ass.”