by Amy Cecil
She’d asked a very legitimate question, and I’d do my best to answer her. “Well, from what Hawk has told me, he is going to set up a memorial service for the club, all the Chapters, and all Ice’s friends. Which will probably be a couple of days from now. Obviously, the whole club will attend. I’m sure he will also invite members from other Chapters to make it look as real as possible. Once the service is over, which will be the hardest part, we will then go about our days without Ice. Keep in mind that Hawk, the girls, you, and I are the only ones that know that he is alive. The rest of the club believes he is dead. So when you are around other members, you are going to have to be on your guard.”
“This is not going to be easy,” she said, still sounding worried.
“I know, darl’n, but think about how worried you are about him and how much you miss him. That will keep you in the right frame of mind.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I was trying to think of sad things that would make me cry so that I can shed some tears, too.”
“Good girl. You got this! I’m not worried at all.”
Just then, Honey walked out into the kitchen, looking like death warmed over. I looked at my watch: 7 am. Pointing at my watch, I said, “See? Like clockwork.” Emma and I laughed while Honey looked at us, wondering what in the hell we were laughing at.
“You two are chipper this morning,” she said, sounding disgusted. She was definitely not a morning person.
“Yes, we are. You might want to get yourself some coffee and maybe you could join us,” I said sarcastically.
“Fuck you, Rebel!”
Shit, that’s the second time today that someone said that to me and it’s only 7 am! Was it something I said?
Several hours later, Ari emerged looking as beautiful as ever. I thought, one of these days, real soon, I am going to let her know how I feel about her—but not until the time is right.
We had a late breakfast and then the girls got ready for their day. I was sitting in the family room when my phone rang. I looked down at the caller ID. It was Hawk.
“Yup,” I answered as I stepped outside so that I could talk freely.
“Hey Reb, how are the girls doing?”
“They’re good. Getting ready to start their day. What’s up?”
“I’ve made contact with the presidents of all the Chapters and explained to them what’s going on. They are all on board. I also told them that we are having a service, biker-style, for Ice next Friday. That’s a week away, which gives the Chapters time to travel. I’ve made all the arrangements and will need to have the girls be ready.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“Yeah. The boys cleaned up the mess at Grayson’s house. They torched the house, too, so that will explain why we don’t have a body. The Satans will know soon that Grayson is dead. You need to let Ice know.”
“You think we will get any blowback from the house being torched?” I asked. Torching the place seemed a little drastic to me, but it definitely would give us a reason to not have a body.
“I’ve already taken care of that. I’ve spoken to Briggs. He’s going to take care of everything for us.”
Jack Briggs was our guy on the force. He knew how to make it work with us, and we respected him for it. He wasn’t in our pocket, but he was always willing to help if we needed it, as long as we weren’t breaking the law. Well, I guess burning down someone’s house was breaking the law, but I was sure that Hawk had told him everything about what that animal had done to Emma. Briggs believed in the law, but he also believed that there were always exceptions to it.
“Good. What do you want the girls to do until the service? Want me to keep them here?” I asked. Shit, I hope he says no, but I am sure he is gonna say yes. Fuck. I’m going to go stir-crazy.
“Yeah, I do. They need to lay low until the service. Remember, they are grieving. Our new clubhouse won’t be ready for several weeks and Betty’s will not be able to accommodate all the people and the food they will be bringing once Ice’s death is confirmed. We need a temporary clubhouse in the interim. I don’t want folks bringing stuff to Ice’s house—I don’t want to draw attention there. Got any ideas?”
“What about Kandi’s?” It seemed so obvious, I didn’t know why we hadn’t thought of it sooner. Kandi’s was our club, so we wouldn’t even need to ask anyone.
“Fuck, that’s a great idea. It’s a little farther out than I had wanted, but still a good location. Good job, Reb, I should have thought about that myself.”
“Hey man, you have had enough to think about. You gonna call Callie?” I asked.
“Yeah, I will give her a heads-up and tell her we’re taking over the club for a while. We can keep the strippers working and use the back two convention rooms, along with the private rooms. We’ll lose a lot of income from the private rooms, but we’ll save in the long run paying rent somewhere.”
“You got that right. If you need anything, you know where to find me. You know, me, the Knights of Silence Club Sergeant at Arms and babysitter.”
He laughed into the phone. “Don’t knock it, brother. At least you can enjoy the scenery,” he said.
“Yeah, Hawk, that’s the problem. I can look but I can’t touch!”
I could hear Hawk laughing as he hung up the phone. Fucker!
After I’d finished talking to Hawk, I walked back in the house. The girls were sitting in the great room, chatting. Shit, don’t they ever run out of things to say? What’s wrong with just enjoying the silence? I swear I will never figure women out.
I said, “Hey, girls. I just got off the phone with Hawk. Ice’s memorial will be held next Friday.”
Honey said, “Rebel, that’s over a week away. Why are we waiting so long?”
“We got a lot of members coming from all over; they need travel time,” I said. “Hawk has decided to give them that time, and since he’s the new prez in the eyes of the outside world, we do what he tells us to do.”
Honey just smirked and rolled her eyes.
I continued, “So, as I was saying, the memorial will be held next Friday. We are securing a location at Kandi’s to accommodate the members from out of town that will be coming in, as well as using it for a clubhouse until the new one is fitted to meet our needs.” I looked over to Honey. “Honey, you will be in charge of coordinating logistics for our guests. Emma, you and Ari can help with that. Honey has a lot of experience handling this, you both can learn a lot from her.” The girls nodded and looked at me as if there was more. “What?” I asked.
“Well, what do we do between now and next Friday?” Emma asked.
Was I just speaking another language? Did they not hear a word I just said? “Like I said, you and Ari will be helping Honey with logistics.” Emma still looked at me with confusion. I looked over to Honey, pleading with my eyes for some help.
“Emma, dear, what Rebel is saying is that there is going to be a lot of out-of-towners coming in over the next few days. We will work together to ensure that everyone has a place to sleep, that they are fed, and that everyone is comfortable.”
“Oh,” Emma said, as if she understood.
Isn’t that what I just said? I just shook my head. I didn’t know what to do with that.
Then Emma added, “Is everyone staying here?”
“No,” Honey said. “They will be staying at Kandi’s. Which means that we will need to gather up blankets and pillows and get some food. It’s gonna be a week, and we better get started.”
“Isn’t Kandi’s that strip club?” Emma asked.
Oh fuck, I don’t like where this is going. I like Emma, I really do, but she sure has a lot to learn about being an old lady. Thank God for Honey.
“It is, but there are rooms in the back that we can use. I’m surprised Hawk didn’t think of it before, it’s perfect as an interim clubhouse,” Honey replied.
“Ok, just let me know what you need me to do,” Emma said.
“Well, first, why don’t you and I sit down and
figure out food? Then we can send Ari with Rebel to do some grocery shopping and get it all delivered to Kandi’s. Then, you and I can get on the phone with the other old ladies to secure the other items we need. Sound good?”
“Sounds good,” Emma replied.
“Yep, sounds good to me,” Ari chimed in.
I thought, I knew Honey could handle all of this. She’s gonna make a great old lady someday.
The girls sat down at the bar and worked on planning food, and I took advantage of the quiet time, grabbing a beer from the fridge and going to sit outside. I needed some time to myself before all the chaos of the next few days arose. Usually I’d be removed from this type of shit, but as babysitter to the girls, I was stuck right dab in the middle of it this time.
One thing I needed to do was get a cage. I really couldn’t buy groceries and haul them home on my Harley, with Ari on the back. Ari on the back of my bike. What a nice thought. I think I will ponder that for a while. I took a drink of my beer, laid my head back, and just relaxed for whatever time I had at the moment. I’d call Tiny later, after my nap.
Chapter 13
Emma
I spent most of the day helping Honey get things arranged and ready for all the bikers coming into town. Tiny had brought over the black pickup truck that he’d used to take me to my apartment so that Rebel and Ari could go get food. A memory of that truck flashed through my head. That was the day that Mark followed us. I hadn’t known it was Mark at the time, but had found out after we got back to the clubhouse. Suddenly, I became scared and nervous thinking about Mark and had to remind myself that he was dead. Cade had killed him. Brutally.
Will I be able to get past the fact that Caden killed him? It doesn’t bother me so much that Caden killed him, anyone could see it was done in self-defense … well, to an extent. But the way that Caden killed him. I can’t get the image of Mark’s body hanging in the basement. Am I ever going to get over this? Will I ever feel safe when I see something that reminds me of Mark? I shook my head as if to free myself from the thoughts that plagued my head. I couldn’t think about that now. I needed to keep busy.
“Honey, what else do you need me to do?” I asked.
Honey looked at me quizzically. What was wrong? She was giving me the oddest look.
“You’re back with us,” she said.
“What do you mean? I’ve been sitting here the entire time,” I responded, totally confused by her remark.
“Sweetheart, your body may have been here, but your head was a million miles away.” Well, she was right about that. I didn’t realize it was so obvious that I had been lost in thought.
“Oh, that. I just have a lot on my mind. Things that I need to deal with.”
She walked over to me and gave me a hug. “If you need to talk, I’m here, sweetie. You’ve been through a lot the last couple of weeks. Nobody can blame you if you are still dealing with the ramifications of all that.”
“Thanks, Honey. I really appreciate it and in time, I may just take you up on it.” I paused for a moment and then added, “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure, hun.”
“I was so jealous of you when I first got back in touch with Caden. I knew I came between you two. I felt bad to an extent, but was more jealous than anything else. You know the man that he is today, and all I had was the boy I had known 20 years ago.” I waited for her to say something, but she didn’t. Feeling the need to add something, I continued, “And, well, now that I have gotten to know you, I really like you. You’ve become a good friend to me.”
She smiled and said, “Well, that makes us even. I was jealous of you, too. I knew that you and Ice had a history and I guessed that you were the reason he never settled down with anyone. He was never going to make me his old lady. I never realized that until you came.”
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. “I really never meant to hurt anyone by coming back into his life.”
“I know that, really I do. I was hurt at first, but I know that you are the one that has been meant for him all along. I’ve never seen him content, truly content like he is with you. I loved him—hell, I think I still do in a way. But it really makes me happy to see him happy. That’s what’s important,” she said.
“And what about you?”
“Oh, now don’t you go worrying about me. I know there’s someone out there for me. There has to be, right?” she asked with a laugh.
“I know there is!” I said confidently. “What will you do now? Will you stay with the club?”
“Ice has assured me that I will always have a place with the club. He has told me over and over again that this club is my home. So, I plan on sticking around. Besides, I really enjoy taking care of these boys and I do consider you a friend.” She let the silence between us settle and then said, “You know, he took me in when I had nothing. I will never forget what Ice and this club have done for me.”
“What happened to you before you came to the club?” I asked. I had always wondered how she’d gotten involved with the club.
“That, my dear Emma, is a story for another day. Right now, we have work to do.” She was right. I decided not to push the issue. I figured she would tell me when she was ready.
“Can I ask another question?” I added.
“Sure hun,” she replied.
“Is Honey your real name?” She laughed, and in a way it did seem a bit odd to ask, but I was curious and I wanted to know.
“No, It’s Amanda. The boys gave me the name “Honey” and it kinda stuck.” She paused for a moment and then looked at me oddly and said, “Did I really just say that?” And we both started laughing.
Just then, Hawk walked through the front door. “Hey, girls. How are things going here?” he asked. He looked at me and then over to Honey. Oh my God, did he just blush? Is Hawk crushing on Honey? I wonder if she knows. This was definitely something to get my mind off of everything. When I was hiding out with Rebel I had made a pact to myself that I was going to find him a nice girl. But after seeing him and Ari together, it looked like he had already found her. So I decided that my new mission was to hook up Honey and Hawk. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I asked myself. Just then I noticed both of them staring at me curiously. “What?” I asked.
“What’s going on in the head of yours, Emma?” Honey asked.
“Not a thing,” I replied smugly. “Don’t you need to tell Hawk about all the arrangements we’ve made today?”
And just like that, it was like I was no longer in the room. Honey and Hawk went over all the details and arrangements and I just sat there watching the two of them. I don’t know why I didn’t see their connection before.
A couple of hours later, not long after Hawk had left, Ari and Rebel returned empty-handed. As if he could read my mind, Rebel said, “We dropped everything off at Kandi’s. Thought it was pointless to carry everything in here, only to pack it up again to take it there. Don’t ya think?”
“Good thinking,” said Honey.
“We did get a few things for here for the next few days. I’ll carry those in now,” he said as he headed out the door.
“I’ll help,” said Ari as she rushed out the door to help him.
After she walked out of the door, I turned to Honey and said, “So what’s up with those two?” It seemed obvious to me that there was some type of connection between them, but I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or if it was real. If it was real, they’d been doing a good job hiding it.
“Oh, those two have had a thing for each other since Ice brought Rebel into the club.” Honey rolled her eyes as if annoyed. “I just wish they would be honest with each other about their feelings and sort their issues out.” She added, “Rebel has been dancing around his feelings for her for as long as I can remember. He’s worried that Ice will beat the shit out of him if he messes with his sister. I can’t say I really blame him, but at least he could ask him. Don’t ya think?”
Now it was making sense. Would Caden
really keep them from being together if they truly loved each other? The Caden I knew 20 years ago wouldn’t, but the Caden today? I don’t know. I thought about it for a minute and decided that yeah, he most definitely would. “He should ask him. What could it hurt?”
“For most people, it couldn’t. But if Ice is totally against the idea, he could get so pissed off that Rebel would even think about dating his kid sister that he’d beat the shit out of him. And Ice would win. That’s why Rebel is scared.”
“Would he really hurt him, just for that?” I asked curiously.
“Hell yeah, he would. That’s almost as bad as one of the guys going after his old lady,” she said. My first thought was that that was crazy, but then I realized that Caden was very protective of what’s his in a rather barbaric way.
Just then, Rebel and Ari came back in carrying a few bags. I thought about what Honey had said. When the time was right, I was going to encourage Rebel to talk to Caden. It was obvious that Caden respected and trusted Rebel, so why wouldn’t he trust him with his sister?
As I started to empty the bags that Rebel placed on the counter, Ari came up behind me, dropped her bags on the counter and went into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. I looked over to Honey and again, she rolled her eyes. She wasn’t kidding. There was a lot of tension between the two of them. I looked over at Rebel, who looked defeated. He didn’t say anything, just went outside. Suddenly, I found myself feeling sorry for him and Ari.
Chapter 14
Rebel
Fuck! That girl gets pissed off faster than any chick I know. I couldn’t stop pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what just happened. I didn’t get it. I was about to tell Ari how I felt about her, but before I could say the words, she said, “Fire, don’t. I can’t hear that right now.” And then she turned and walked back in the house. What had I done? What had I said?
I followed her into the house, hoping that she would clue me in to what the problem was, but no. Instead, she plopped the groceries on the counter, stomped off to her room, and slammed the door. I swear, I can’t win. I need a drink. I need a smoke. Fuck it, I need a drink and a smoke. Damn woman. I hadn’t had a smoke in two weeks. I carried a pack with me to remind me not to have one, and just one confrontation with Ari was making me want one. I had no damn willpower.