Scratch

 

“Sorry,” Killian said again as we walked toward the front. “I didn’t realize…”

“It’s fine, but whoever is out front isn’t getting down this hallway. Understood?”

Killian nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He was a good kid, and I had no doubt he’d patch in before long. He’d been prospecting for the Devil’s Boneyard nearly two years and proven himself again and again. He and Seamus were the youngest in our crew, but they’d seen more shit than most men their age, both having enlisted in the military when they were young. I’d trust either of them. A lot of clubs patched in after six months or a year, but our Pres, Cinder, wanted to make sure they had staying power and could stomach whatever we threw their way. He didn’t give a shit about length of time and more about what they’d done to earn their name and patch.

Just as Killian had said, there was a man in the front lobby, waving a gun around and screaming at anyone within hearing distance.

“I want it back! You stole it and I want it back,” the man yelled again and again, like he was stuck on repeat.

“Calm the fuck down and tell me what you think we stole,” I said, my hand resting on my gun in case I needed to pull it.

“My pig!” the man screamed. “You stole my pig!”

My eyebrows went up and I looked at Killian who shrugged. Yeah, he’d been right. This man was batshit crazy and had either taken something he shouldn’t have, or he was off his meds. Either way, he was a danger to the woman and child down the hall in my office. I had to be careful getting that gun from him. If it accidentally went off, it could easily penetrate the office door and hit either Clarity or her son.

Neither was going to happen if I had any say in the matter.

There was something about that young girl and her boy, something that pulled at my heart and made me want to take care of them. I hadn’t quite figured out yet what I was going to do with them, but I wasn’t letting them back out onto the streets. That was for damn sure.

“You can either calm down and put your weapon away, or we’ll have to do this the hard way,” I told the crazy man. “There are innocent people in this building. You shoot them, and your pig will be the least of your worries.”

Not that I thought for a single moment the man actually had a pig.

I saw Seamus ease into the front lobby through the front door. The man was so quiet the crazy guy in front of me hadn’t even noticed the ex-SEAL. In a blur of movement, Seamus disarmed the crazy person and had him pinned to the ground, his arms pulled behind his back. Seamus dug his knee into the center of the man’s back and looked up at me.

“How are we handling this one?” Seamus asked.

“Let the cops take care of it. The man’s crazy and clearly in need of treatment of some sort,” I said. “There’s nothing in the shop right now they would consider suspicious.”

Seamus nodded and I saw Killian pull out his phone to make the call.

“I’ll be in the office if you need me. Try not to need me.”

Killian smirked and humor lit his eyes. I knew the moment I was out of earshot he’d be telling Seamus all about the woman and child in my office. And as damn young as Clarity was, she definitely had the curves of a woman. Even as malnourished as she was, the woman still had a body that most men would beg to touch. I wasn’t blind, and despite the availability of club pussy, it had been a while since I’d been with a woman. After finding my daughter, Darian, my life had changed. Seeing her, and watching the way the Dixie Reapers and her old man, Bull, treated her had me realize I was missing something in my life.

Finding a woman around here wasn’t that easy, though. Not the kind of woman you kept, the kind who would be a good mom. Even though my daughter was a grown woman now, I’d missed out on her childhood, and I wanted to experience all those firsts. Hell, at my age, it was probably stupid to even think about having more kids. I was a grandpa for fuck’s sake.

When I entered the office, Clarity had her body wrapped around her son, and she’d made herself as small as possible in the corner of the room. I hated that she’d been scared, but it couldn’t be helped. At least the threat was neutralized and no one had gotten hurt. Regardless, the two of them couldn’t stay here, not long-term. I had to find a spot for them, other than letting them roam the streets again.

I shut the door and twisted the lock. Clarity slowly rose and lifted her son into her arms. I took a moment to study her. While her hair was a cloud of dark corkscrew curls, now that it was clean, her son’s was such a light blond it was nearly white. I rubbed a hand across my beard and wondered what the next move should be.

“I think it’s safe to say that staying here isn’t in your best interest,” I told her.

She nodded. “We’ll just get our things and head out.”

I held up a hand to stop her. “Just wait a minute. I didn’t say I was throwing you out, just that staying at the shop isn’t the best idea. There’s no way I’m letting you go back out on the streets.”

Her back straightened and she pushed her shoulders back. “Let me?”

I had to fight not to smile. Tiny little thing like her acting all big and tough. It was cute as hell.

“Put the claws away, kitten. It’s not safe for you out there and you know it. How many times have you been propositioned just for a hot meal or place to sleep?” I asked.

“Maybe a few,” she said unconvincingly.

“Uh-huh. And what are you going to do when someone doesn’t take no for an answer?” I asked.

She glanced at Caleb quickly before looking at me again. It wasn’t much, but it was something. The way the color drained from her face and her eyes got a haunted look, I knew that she’d already faced that horror head-on, and if I were a betting man, I’d say that her son was the result of that altercation. It made my blood boil to think of someone hurting her, especially since she had to have been a kid when it happened.

I moved closer, but went slow so I wouldn’t spook her. “I want a name.”

Her eyes went wide and she swallowed hard. “A name?”

“The man who hurt you,” I said, looking from her to the boy and back again.

Her shoulders slumped and her gaze dropped to the floor. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over with, and I haven’t seen him since I walked out.”

“You’re going to tell me that story one day. For now, the two of you will come home with me. And no, I don’t mean for you to sleep in my bed, or offer sexual favors of any kind to me or anyone else.”

“Then what am I going to do?” she asked. “I can’t stay with you free of charge.”

I tipped my chin up and thought about it a moment. “You keep the house clean, do the laundry and crap, then we’ll call it even, and I’ll throw in some extra cash so you can start saving up. It’s the only way you’ll ever get back on your feet.”

“Scratch, I…”

I placed a finger over her lips to silence her. “If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your boy. You’ll each have a room of your own. Plenty to eat. No more finding doorways to sleep in, and you’ll both be safe. You have my word, kitten. No one will hurt you while you’re under my roof. They wouldn’t dare.”

“For how long?” she asked.

“As long as you want,” I said. “I live alone. Don’t have a steady woman in my life to cause trouble. You’ll have free run of the house.”

She looked at her son, then slowly nodded. Her gaze met mine. “We’ll come with you, but we can’t ride on your bike to get there. Is it a far walk?”

“I’m not going to make you walk. Give me a few minutes and I’ll have someone bring my truck.” I paused and looked at Caleb. “And maybe have them stop and pick up a car seat. It’s not safe for him to ride around without one.”

“We don’t want to be any trouble,” she said.

I took her chin between my thumb and forefinger, tipping her head back. “You’re not any trouble. Neither one of you. I promised to keep you safe, and putting your boy in a secure seat in the truck is part of that.”

“All right,” she said.

I released her and pull my phone from my pocket. I shot off a message to one of the prospects with instructions to bring my truck here and pick up a car seat on the way. I’d learned a lot about kids just from spending time with my grandson, Foster. I’d never had the chance to raise my daughter, but she’d turned out to be a strong woman. And thankfully, she had a good man watching out for her. I might not have chosen Bull for her, but I had to admit the guy loved her and treated her like a queen. That’s all any dad could hope for his little girl.

I wished Darian were here now. Maybe she could set Clarity at ease. Foster was close to Caleb’s age, and the two of them could play together. The problem was that while my house was big enough for all of them, I didn’t have all of the bedrooms furnished. Darian had never come here to see me, and I wasn’t sure about uprooting Foster even for a short stay. Bull would likely insist on coming too, and then I’d have to clear it with Cinder, my club President. Asking permission was only a formality, as the Reapers were like family. In the case of Bull and Tank, they were family. With my daughter married to Bull, and Jackal married to Tank’s sister, we were one big happy family.

I watched the little boy clutched in Clarity’s arms and I wondered when he’d last had a normal day-to-day routine. My daughter was always telling me how important it was for my grandson to have a routine. I figured that must apply to all kids. Did Clarity have toys hidden in her backpack for Caleb? They were going to need some things, but I had a feeling I’d have to fight Clarity to get her to accept them. She seemed like a proud young woman, and I didn’t think she trusted easily.

I’d noticed in the early hours this morning that she’d followed me at a distance. It had been a smart thing to do since she didn’t know anything about me. The fact she’d accepted my help at all was a miracle. My phone dinged a little while later. I pulled up the text from Seamus and tried not to laugh. He’d sent a picture of about six different car seats asking what the fuck he was supposed to get.

I was momentarily distracted by the sound of the man in the front lobby screaming and I figured the cops must have arrived. I listened harder and heard him being dragged away, which set me at ease. I hadn’t liked that man being so close to Clarity and Caleb.

“Clarity, which one of these would you like to have for Caleb?” I asked, showing her my phone. I knew two of them weren’t the right size, but the others would be okay.

“Whichever one costs the least amount,” she said, not even looking at them.

I narrowed my eyes a moment, then sent a message back to Seamus with my selection. It was by no means the cheapest, but it looked the safest. I hesitated a moment, then sent another message asking him to pick up a stuffed bear and a few toddler toys for a little boy. I bit my lip to stop from laughing when I saw his response.

What the fuck is a toddler toy?

“How old is Caleb?” I asked Clarity, wanting to make sure we got the right toys.

“He’s two,” she said.

I nodded, then responded to Seamus.

Get toys for a two-year-old little boy. You were a boy once, right?

I smiled, knowing that he was probably cussing me out, but would never do it to my face. Not until he’d patched in. Now that I’d taken care of that, I figured we had a little time to kill, and there was no way the chicken biscuits I’d brought with me had satisfied two people who hadn’t had a real meal in who knew how long.

“Are you up for a walk?” I asked.

“To your house?”

“No, kitten. We’ll drive to the house, but it might be a little bit before my truck gets here. I thought we’d head over to the diner and get an early lunch.”

She nodded and reached for her backpack, but I stopped her.

“You won’t need that right now. No one will mess with your things. My boys wouldn’t dare come in this office when I’m not here.”

She looked tired, despite the fact I’d left her here for hours to get some rest, and Caleb looked like he was weighing her down. I held out my hands and waited to see what she’d do. I might be offering my help, but I was still a stranger, and she likely had some reservations about me. From what little I’d witnessed, she seemed to be a good mom, and was likely very protective of her son. She stared at my hands, then her son. Reluctantly, she handed him over.

“I’ll protect him with my life,” I told her.

Caleb pulled at my long hair and looked up at me with curiosity in his eyes. I wondered how many men he’d been around during his short life. As skittish as his mother was, I didn’t see her as the type to bring a lot of men home, when she’d had a home anyway. If she’d been raped, there was a chance she’d never trust another man to get that close to her, which broke my heart. She was young enough that someday she’d find a good man, someone who would love her and protect her. If she gave him a chance. There were still good men out there, good role models for Caleb.

I led the way out of the office and down the hall. I could feel the gazes of the boys on the shop floor through the large window as I headed out the front door with Caleb in my arms and Clarity one step behind me. I pushed open the door and waited for her to walk through.

“You know, you can walk beside me,” I said.

Her cheeks flushed and she fell in step with me. The diner was only a few blocks away. We got a few looks from people passing by, but I figured it had more to do with my cut than anything else. Clarity’s clothes might be worn, but they were clean. She looked cute in the shorts and tee she’d put on. Hell, maybe they thought I was out with my daughter and grandkid. Probably feared for the safety of the kid in my arms, what with me being a big, bad biker who did horrible things. It wouldn’t take long for someone to warn Clarity to stay away from me and the Devil’s Boneyard. I wasn’t a saint by any means, but I’d never hurt a woman or kid. Well, not a woman as innocent as the one next to me. Some of the poisonous bitches who hung around the club would be a different story. I wouldn’t hesitate to end their miserable lives if they crossed the club.

When we entered the diner the bell over the door jingled.

“Sit anywhere you want,” said a waitress as she passed by with a tray of drinks.

I picked a table at the back and snagged a highchair from along the wall near the hall to the restrooms. I put Caleb in the chair and buckled him in. Clarity took the seat next to him and I sat on the other side. The little boy slapped his hands on the table, a big smile on his face.

“Thank you,” Clarity said. “It’s been a while since he’s been able to sit at a table like this and have a real meal.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me for things, Clarity. I want to help. I don’t know what happened to put you out on the streets with a small kid, but I won’t let you come to any harm. And staying out there? That way lies trouble.”

She reached over and placed her small hand over my larger rough one. “You’re a good man, Scratch. Caleb and I have been homeless for two months. You’re the first one to truly try and help us.”

“Don’t read too much into it, kitten. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to either of you. There are men in this world who do horrible things, as you’ve already found out the hard way. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You could have landed yourself in a much, much worse situation.”

“I know.” She glanced down at the table. “It’s not like I asked to lose my apartment. The place I worked closed up, and I was unable to find another job.”

“The local churches wouldn’t help you?” I asked.

“They do what they can, but I can’t exactly ask to just move in. We stay there some nights, and they feed us a hot meal once or twice a week. Usually soup and some bread. The nearest women’s shelter is too far for me to walk to, and… well, there just aren’t many options here for homeless people.”

“Especially ones with small children, I would imagine.”

She nodded.

“Well, you’ll have a place to stay for as long as you need one. I keep some odd hours, but I’ll try not to wake you up if I come in really late.”

“I don’t expect you to change your life for us, Scratch. Don’t worry about waking us up. I haven’t slept the night through in the last two months. Maybe one day I’ll be able to relax enough to do that.”

I hated that she’d been through so much in her short life. But there was one thing I needed to ask before I took her home. If she had family out there looking for her, the last thing I needed was them showing up on my doorstep, irate that I was corrupting their daughter. Not that I intended to do any such thing, but it was how most of the citizens here saw me. Biker filth. If only they knew…

“What about your parents? Or Caleb’s dad? Will either of them come looking for you? You said you hadn’t seen Caleb’s dad, but do you think he’s ever tried looking for you?” I asked.

Her eyebrows rose and she looked like she was trying not to smile. “Why? Are you planning to kill me and want to know how well you should hide the body?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Funny.”

She shrugged. “I ran away from home when I was sixteen and made my way here. I only lived one town over, but as far as I know, my family never tried to find me. They didn’t want me anyway. But maybe if I’d known how rough things would be on my own, I’d have stuck around long enough to finish high school and moved out the right way and not snuck off without a penny to my name.”

“And Caleb’s dad?” I asked. “You’re positive he’s out of the picture?”

She looked at her son, her expression softening. “He doesn’t know I was pregnant, so he’s not looking for his son. Like I said, I haven’t seen him since the day I ran off. For all I know, he isn’t even in town anymore. As small as this place is, I would imagine I’d have seen him by now.”

“I still want a name, kitten. I can’t protect you if I don’t know who could come knocking on the door.”

“Why do you call me that?” she asked, tipping her head to the side as she stared at me. “I don’t mind it, but… no one’s ever had a nickname for me before and we just met.”

“Because you’re tiny but fierce.” I smiled. “And I have no doubt that when you’re angry the claws will come out. I’ve seen a hint of that side of you already, and I’d imagine the more comfortable you are around me, the more you’ll let that side show. I like that you have some fire in you. Without it, the world would swallow you whole.”

A waitress came over, pad in hand, and harried look on her face. “What can I get y’all?”

“Menus?” I asked.

Her cheeks flushed. “Sorry! I’ll be right back with those.”

She scurried off and returned a moment later with three rolls of silverware and two menus. Then she ran off again while we decided what we wanted to eat.

“I think she likes you,” Clarity said.

“What?” I looked at the waitress who was sure enough casting a glance my way. “Huh. I wonder if she’s done that before and I never noticed.”

“Yeah. I’m sure men like you don’t notice when a woman likes them.” She shook her head. “I have no doubt you have to beat the women off with a stick.”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

Clarity rolled her eyes, which showed she was getting used to me. Or at least I hoped she was.

“Kitten, in my world, I can have a woman with the snap of my fingers, but it doesn’t mean I want them. They’re… well, they’re not like you or our waitress. Good girls like the two of you tend to stay clear of me.”

“That’s kind of sad,” she said. “There’s no reason you can’t go out with a nice woman. Maybe you should ask the waitress out on a date.”

“Not my type.” I smiled. I wasn’t entirely lying. The woman seemed nice enough, but looking at her I didn’t feel a thing. She didn’t stir even a tiny bit of interest, above or below the belt. “You ready to order?”

She nodded and I waved the waitress over. Her nametag said Helen, and her eyes were bright as she smiled widely at us. I hoped like hell she didn’t do something awkward like ask me out on a date. It had happened a time or two, just not with a nice woman. Club sluts were more my norm, and I was tired as hell of their shit. Nothing but drama with the whores who spread their legs for the club.

“Ready to order?” Helen asked.

Clarity gave her order, and I made sure she got Caleb his own plate of food, then I told Helen what I wanted. We ordered drinks and I got a coffee on the side since I had a feeling I was going to need a good bit of energy to keep up with the two people sitting with me. Especially the smaller of the two. If he was like my grandson, once he had free run of the house, he’d be hell to keep up with.

As Clarity watched me talking to Helen, there was something in her eyes I couldn’t quite discern. I had a feeling I’d want to analyze it more later, but right now, I just wanted to get them fed, then get them settled at my house. Shit. Caleb wouldn’t be able to sleep in the big beds I had. I pulled out my phone and sent another message to Seamus, in hopes he was still at the store or close enough to run back inside.

Get a toddler bed and some sheets and blankets for it too

What the fucking hell is a toddler bed? Jesus. Kids need to come with an instruction manual. And apparently a money tree. Do you have any idea how much I’ve spent?

I tried damn hard not to laugh. Seamus was one of the biggest, toughest men I knew. But ask him to get some things for a small kid and he didn’t know what the fuck to do. It was fucking hilarious and I had no doubt the club and I would have a good laugh over it later. As for the cost, I wasn’t worried. It wasn’t like my bank account couldn’t handle it, and he was likely using the club money. I’d just put it back once I had the receipts from today.

And get anything else he’ll need for a bedroom

This is fucked-up. I don’t know shit about baby stuff

Aren’t there any cute sales associates? Just ask one of them… Knowing you, you’ll walk out with her number as well as the shit I need

Well, there is a blonde up by the register

I snorted. Yeah, figured he’d already scoped the place out. The man couldn’t go anywhere without landing dick first in some pussy. One of these days, that shit would catch up to him. Either he’d get some woman pregnant, or he’d find himself a sweet girl who turned her nose up when she found out about the countless women in his past. Either way, I wanted a front row seat when that shit went down.