Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37508 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37508 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
In fact, the whole place was pitch black. It seemed odd, but I didn’t think much about it. She unbuckled her seatbelt as she announced, “This is us.”
I nodded and parked in front of her door. She looked tired, but there was still a small spark in her eyes when she said, “Thank you… I just realized I didn’t catch your name.”
“Folks call me Skid.”
“I’m Laken, and this is Baylor.”
“Nice to meet ya both.”
“So, what happens now?”
“I’ll have the guys bring your car over to my place, and once I get her up and running, I’ll give you a call.” I glanced down at her bag and asked, “You got a phone?”
She nodded and pulled it out of her purse. I took it from her hand and sent myself a text before handing it back to her. “Now, you have my number, and I have yours. If you need me, call, and if you can’t reach me, I’ll either be at the Black Crown or the Vault.”
“The Vault?” Her brows furrowed. “The strip club?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. It’s just a few blocks from here. The club owns and runs it.”
“The club?” she asked, with raised brows.
“Yeah, Satan’s Fury. It’s a motorcycle club I belong to it,” I explained.
“Oh, I see.” She thought for a moment, then asked, “So, does this club of yours own the Black Crown, too?”
“No, but we’ve got ties there.”
“And you work at both?”
“What can I say?” He shrugged. “I like to keep busy.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.” She thought for a moment, then asked, “How long do you think it’ll take to fix the car?”
“Can’t say for sure. A couple of days. Maybe less.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“That gonna work for you?”
“Yes. I just have to figure out how I’m going to get to work.”
I could see the concern in her eyes, so I asked, “You work around here?”
“Yes, it’s just a few miles from here. I can either take the bus or walk.”
“With the kid?” nodding toward her daughter.
“It’s fine. We’ll make do,” she assured me. “We always do.”
“I’ll swing by and pick you up. Just let me know when.”
“No, you don’t need to do that,” she replied, eyeing me cautiously.
“I know I don’t. Just offering.”
She opened her mouth like she was about to turn me down again, but then sighed and said, “You’re really saving me here. I don’t know how I’ll pay you back.”
“No need to pay me back. I don’t do things I don’t wanna do.” I gave her a quick nod. “Call or text me in the morning. I’ll be here whenever you need me.”
“Thank you, Skid. I really appreciate this.”
“Glad to help.”
With that, she slipped out of the truck, and with her daughter bundled in her arms, she rushed to her door. I sat there for a second, watching as they made their way inside. I couldn’t help but notice that the place remained dark. She might’ve been trying to keep her daughter from waking up, but I had a feeling it was something else.
I waited for a moment longer, then grabbed my phone and called one of the prospects. Zeke answered with a groggy, “Yeah.”
“Prospect duty.”
“Damn, man. It’s after one.”
“Glad you can tell time.” I didn’t have the patience to deal with whining, so I got straight to it. “Got a silver Corolla that broke down about ten miles out on 67. Need you and Smitty to get the trailer and pick it up. Bring it over to my place and park it close to the garage.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, now. Roads are slick, and I don’t want anyone running over the damn thing. Don’t want anyone fucking with it either.”
The kid grumbled something like you got it, before hanging up the phone. I chuckled and tossed my phone into the console. I remember the long, hard days and nights of prospecting. It was rough. You never knew when one of the brothers would call, and even when you felt like complete ass, you had to not only answer but do whatever they asked. And you did it without complaint.
But once you earn that patch and you’re finally in, you’re part of something bigger than yourself, and you realize all the hard work was worth it. Knowing the car would be taken care of, I backed out of Laken’s parking lot and headed home. The drive was quiet, and I had nothing to distract me from thinking about Laken and her daughter.
I couldn’t help but wonder about the kid’s dad and where he might’ve been. There had to be a reason why they were out there alone in the middle of the night. I just couldn’t imagine what that reason might’ve been. I pulled into my drive and killed the engine.
Normally, I would’ve gone straight in, grabbed a beer, and crashed for the night. Instead, I sat there with my fingers drumming against the steering wheel and thinking about a beautiful woman with tired eyes and no ring on her finger. There was no denying it. They’d gotten under my skin and would remain there until I did something about it.