THIRTY-TWO

Mel

“Heya.” I knock softly on King’s door, letting myself in.

“Hey, sweetheart.” King motions for Hooch to vacate the seat in front of his desk. “Take a load off.”

“What you two doin’?” There are papers spread from one end of his desk to the other, a jumbo cup of coffee perched dangerously on the corner.

King slumps back in his chair, regarding me with a smile as he laces his fingers over his stomach. “Tryin’ to get you lot out of the shit. All of us, really.”

“Impossible task, isn’t it?”

“Feels like it some days,” Hooch says on a sigh as he settles a shoulder against the wall.

I saw Daddy try and fail to steer the club away from the illegal side of things, to sway the balance toward the positive, rather than the negative.

It’s a pipedream at best. A madman’s vision.

“It’s all matter of perspective.” King winks, nabbing a scrap of paper and scribbling the word IMPOSSIBLE across it in large lettering. He spins it to face us, then draws a line down between the M and P, adding an apostrophe between the I and M.

I’M/POSSIBLE.

“I have no idea how you keep so positive all the time.” I smile, taking the sheet of paper from him and staring at the newly formed words.

“I do my best,” he says, his face falling as he stares off at nothing in particular. “Helps to remind myself what the alternate is.”

“Yeah.” I forget he had a breakdown a couple of years ago. The weight of the job got to him, the pressure he put on himself to be perfect immense. He cracked, waved the white flag in spectacular fashion by holing up for days on end without seeing anyone except his old lady, Elena.

Is that what’ll become of me if I admit the unease that still swirls in the pit of my gut, even as I sit here now? Will I shut the world out, search for my answers in the comforting dark of a room closed off from everyone and everything?

Is it bad that I like how that sounds?

“Talk to us,” King says quietly. “You’ve got a funny look.”

“What look?” I frown.

“Not one that belongs to a person who’s happy to be home,” Hooch says.

“You look angry,” King adds. “Like a woman scorned.”

“Know it well, do you?” I tease.

He raises an eyebrow. “You’ve met Elena.”

True. She’s one of the most complex, high-maintenance women I’ve ever met, and yet, he loves her. He danced with the devil for a chance with her—wears the scars to prove it. If that’s not true love, then what is?

Both men watch me as I fidget in the seat, unsure now that I’m in his presence how to broach the subject of Dog with my overly protective little brother.

“What’s up, sis?” Hooch asks, dipping his chin with a frown. “What did you need us for?”

“You,” I answer. “I wanted to see you.” I glance to King for courage, and then spit the words out before I get a chance to choke on them. “I’m not riding back with you today.”

Hooch slowly rolls his head back, regarding me down the length of his nose as his frown deepens. “Why?”

“Dog’s offered to take me hunting,” I say, cringing in preparation for the lecture I’m no doubt about to receive.

“Has he now?” King leans back, elbow still propped on the arm of his chair as looks to Hooch and strokes his beard with a cocky smirk.

“Dog,” Hooch repeats, pursing his lips. “Where is he?”

“Just leave him alone,” I plead. “He suggested it, and you know what, I’d like the break away. I mean, there’s nothing to rush back to Fort Worth for. I’m sort of in limbo.”

“Nothing to rush home for,” he says, “except for some long overdue time to catch up with your brother.”

“He’s preoccupied,” I mumble, staring Hooch down.

The tension thickens the air to the point of choking me. I lift a hand to my throat and absently rub while I watch Hooch for his next move. He knows better than to outright ban me from socializing with a member; he saw what happened when Daddy did that.

“He’s been pretty good lately, man,” King tells Hooch, giving me gentle back up. “I’ll have a word to him before they go if you want.”

“Seriously,” I drone. “That’s not necessary. I’m old enough to look out for myself when it comes to men, guys. I’m not a teenager anymore.”

“I’m not happy with it …” Hooch says.

“But?”

“But.” He sighs, scratching his head. “’ll let you go with him.”

King nods knowingly. “Maybe a couple of days will do you both some good. Bit of fresh air and all that.”

Hooch points a thick finger my way, his eyebrows raised. “If he tries any funny business though …” His face morphs into one of shock. “You ain’t fuckin’ him already, are you?”

“Jesus,” I cry out. “No!” Can’t say what will happen by the end of the week, though.

“Good.” Hooch scowls. “I’m not saying Dad was right with all his jacked up relationship shit he did , but hell, you gotta be able to do better than Dog.”

I tamp down my rising hackles and glare at my brother. “He’s a good guy, you know.”

“Fuckin’ man whore, too.”

“Aren’t you all?” I snap, crossing my arms.

King raises both hands a he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Guys, please.”

Hooch huffs and faces King, turning his shoulder to me. I do the same, feeling suitably told off.

King plants both hands on his thighs and a deep frown furrows his brow. “The mess in the woods might have been squared away, Mel, but the two deaths: your fed, and the one the boys down south had, have left a few loose threads.” He taps his fingers twice. “Mighty is pullin’ strings with the people he knows, but it’ll be a while yet before we get clarification that it’s completely buried and forgotten. Until then, it’s best to play it safe and not draw any attention if we can help it.”

“We’re going hunting, King. How much more off the grid can we get?”

“I know.” He tips his head in acknowledgment. “But we also know that a federal department with unexplained absences is like a dog with a bone.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Keep doin’ what you’ve been doin’. Keep your head down, and stay out of stores where they might have cameras if you can help it.” Whoops. “Let Dog do everything.”

“Sure.” No need to blow my chances at a free pass by mentioning the fact I’m probably already on record as being at Wal-Mart, hood or no hood.

I glance over at Hooch as he hangs his head, staring down at the floor. He feels it as much as I do, I can see it in the downturned corners of his mouth. We’ve lost too much time to throw away more over a fickle argument. He lifts his chin as I approach and slip my arms around his solid middle. He may be my little brother, but he’s definitely the larger of the two of us—especially when I can barely link my ands on the far side of him.

“I’ll be home right after, okay?”

He places an arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head. “I’m sorry for bein’ such a hard-ass, Mel.”

“You only do it because you care.”

“I worry.” He sighs. “He better not hurt you, is all. You’ve had enough shit for a lifetime without him addin’ to it, don’t you think?”

“I’ll be fine,” I reassure as I pull away. “I need this.”

He nods, a small smile on his lips. “Go. Have fun.”

“Thanks, King,” I give him a nod as I head for the door. “For everything.”

He smiles. “Do it all again, sweetheart. Now go, have a break away.”

“And tell that fuckin’ womanizer if he so much as blinks at you inappropriately I’ll snap his goddamn dick off,” Hooch shouts after me as I cross into the common room

I laugh as I leave, throwing back over my shoulder, “Sure. Okay.” Bit late for that warning.