by L. Wilder
“That friend of yours was awfully nice to help me out,” Sam told me. “Don’t reckon I’d still be around if it wasn’t for him finding me like he did.”
“I’m just glad he was able to help,” I told him. “I wanted to come see you, but Clutch told me that you didn’t think it was a good idea for me to come.”
“Didn’t want you to see me like that, doll. I was in pretty rough shape.”
His face was covered in dark blue and green bruises, and the cuts and scrapes on his hands and arms were far from healed. I couldn’t begin to imagine how bad he looked the morning Clutch found him by that dumpster. When Clutch described everything that had happened, I was heartbroken for Sam. He’d been through so much, and I hated the thought of someone hurting him, especially when it was done in such a vicious way. Sam was unarmed and was no real threat to the guys who attacked him, but they didn’t care. They took sport in hurting him, taking turns hitting and kicking him just for fun, which made the whole thing that much worse. I wanted to be there for him, but when I mentioned going to see him at the clubhouse, Clutch told me that he promised Sam that he’d keep me away until he’d gotten better. I wasn’t exactly happy about it, but I understood that they both had good intentions. It meant the world to me that Clutch had been there for Sam, but I wasn’t surprised; Clutch had a way of always being there when you needed him.
“Well, you still need to get some rest and take care of yourself. Please don’t be in a hurry to leave the clubhouse. Stay long enough to get back on your feet,” I pleaded. He still couldn’t stand up straight, much less walk without a limp, and I was worried that he was pushing himself too soon.
“I’ll stick around for a few more days, but I don’t want to outstay my welcome,” he smiled. “Those boys don’t want an old fart like me lying around there.”
“I doubt that. I’m sure they don’t mind you being there. Where will you go when you leave?”
“The shelter on Second Street. Cyrus got it all worked out for me to stay there for a bit,” he answered.
I hated the thought of him being all alone, but I couldn’t think of any other options. I knew there wasn’t much else I could do. “Just please take care of yourself, Sam. I like having you around,” I said. “So, Mr. Stubborn. How about a sandwich or a bowl of soup?”
“Whatever you’ve got will be fine,” he said and smiled.
“Okay. I’ll see what I can scrounge up.”
I went back to the kitchen window and placed an order for him. When I came back out, I found Clutch sitting at the front counter. He was still wearing his work clothes and there was a smudge of grease on his chin, making him look even sexier. I couldn’t figure it out. How did dirt and grime make him look even better? I was losing it. He smiled when he saw me walking over to him and said, “Hey there, Sunshine.”
“Hey there, Shaggy,” I teased as I took a napkin and cleaned the grease from his jaw. “How was your day?”
“Long, but better now. What about you?”
“I had an interesting offer from Louise earlier today,” I started. “I’m not sure where it came from, but I was thinking the kids might enjoy it.”
“What kind of offer?” he asked, sounding intrigued.
“She’s having a get-together for her grandkids and some of their friends. They are going to do a bonfire and campout at her place. The kids all go to school together, so she thought Hadley and Charlie might like to tag along.”
With his eyebrow raised and a sexy smirk spreading quickly across his face, he said, “I’d say that sounds like a very interesting offer.”
“I have to talk to the kids first. It sounds like a lot of fun for them, but you never know … They may not want to go,” I told him.
“Won’t know until you ask.”
“I guess you’re right.” I placed my elbows on the counter and leaned into him. “But you know … if they do go, that means we have a night to ourselves.”
“Can’t think of a better way to spend a night. Talk to them. Let me know what they say.”
“Talk to who?” Charlie asked as he walked up beside Clutch.
“What are you doing down here?” I asked. “I thought you were watching TV with Hadley.”
“She was watching some kid’s show. There’s only so much I can take of that goofy crap, so I thought I’d come down here and see how things were going with you.” He sat down at the counter. He looked back over to me and asked, “So, who do you have to talk to?”
“You, actually. I was talking to Louise earlier. She’s having a get-together for Kyleigh and Logan this weekend. They are going to have some friends over for a bonfire and a campout. They’ll grill out, do some fishing, and play games. She wanted to know if you and Hadley would like to go.”
His eyes lit up with excitement as he said, “That sounds cool. I bet Devin and Jace will be there, too.”
“So you want to go?”
“Yeah, it’ll be awesome. Logan can be a pain in the ass, but his friends are cool. Can we go?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
I was tickled to see him excited about being with some new friends. “Sure. I think it will be fun.”
“Awesome. I’ll go tell Hadley about it. She’s going to be stoked,” he told us as he stood up to leave. Before he left, he leaned over to Clutch and grinned as he said, “Maybe while we’re gone, you can take Hazel out for a good time, too.”
“I’m sure I can come up with something,” Clutch declared.
Once he was gone, I said, “That went better than I thought.”
“It’ll be fun for them and Louise will make sure of it.”
“Order up,” Little Dan called from the kitchen.
“Duty calls,” I told him as I leaned over and planted a big kiss on his lips. “You want me to put in an order for you?”
“Nah. I’m good. I’m just gonna head upstairs for a shower.” He stood to leave. “I’ll grab something later.” He looked over to the back table and smiled as he said, “Tell Sam I said hello.”
“I will,” I answered as he started towards the back door. Once he was gone, I turned to get Sam’s order from the serving window. When I got over to Sam, I noticed that he had a big, contagious smile on his face. I placed his food on the table and asked, “What are you so happy about?”
“Does the old heart good to see you happy,” he answered. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile like that.”
He’d said sweet things to me like that before, but this time was different. It wasn’t what he’d said that had me worried, but the way he was looking at me. From the distant look in his eyes, I could tell that he wasn’t thinking clearly as he spoke. I stepped closer, placing my hand on his shoulder as I replied, “Yeah, I’m pretty happy these days, but I’m a little worried about you. Are you feeling okay, Sam?”
His back straightened as he sat there quietly studying me for a moment, then his face grew pale. His eyes dropped to his lap as he mumbled under his breath. He ran his hands over his face, then finally looked back up at me. “I’m fine. Just a little tired I guess. I … uh … It’s just you and that boy seem to be getting along. Happy to see you doing well. You’re a sweet girl. You deserve to be happy.”
“We’re doing alright. Well, today we are. Who knows what the future holds.” I smiled.
His eyes grew intense as he said, “Hold on to the good, Hazel. Hold on tight.” He looked down at his plate of food and started eating, letting me know that he was done talking for the moment. I left him to eat in peace, but continued to check on him until my shift was over. I couldn’t help but worry about him. Over the past few weeks, he’d become very important to me. He was a good man. I could see it in his eyes and in the way that he talked about things that were important to him, but he’d lost his way. I just had to believe that he’d eventually figure things out and get back on his feet. I was glad to know that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way about him; Cyrus also had a soft spot for him and was doing what he could to help. He
’d made arrangements for Dan to take him back to the clubhouse after he finished his dinner. He’d gotten him a room set up and hoped that being around the guys might actually do him some good. When Sam finished his sandwich, Dan pulled his truck up to the front door to get him. Sam waved goodbye, and once he was gone, I headed upstairs to put the kids to bed.
When I finally got in bed myself, I couldn’t sleep. Like the pea in the princess’s bed, thoughts of Clutch had me tossing and turning all night, and the next few nights weren’t much better. It was agony. Each hour seemed to drag into the next as I waited for my night alone with Clutch. I was a wreck. One minute I was elated by the thought of finally getting to take that next step with him, but then, in a flash, I was slammed with a bottle full of nerves. I did what I could to distract myself with idle jobs around the apartment or taking the kids shopping for things that they’d need for camping, but nothing helped. Clutch was constantly on my mind. It didn’t help matters that since I’d told him about the camping trip, he’d been oddly distant. He’d started working later and later each night, cutting our nightly visits into quick dinners or short chats about our day. His lack of attention was absolute torture.
I was really starting to miss those little stolen moments, so I decided it was time to give him a little push—and I wasn’t exactly subtle about it either. I paraded around the apartment in his favorite cutoff shorts when he came over for dinner, and the minute I saw him walking into the diner, I would unfasten an extra button on my uniform. I’d smile and flirt, but no change. When that didn’t work, I started making excuse after pathetic excuse just to touch him, even if it was just to get a piece of lint off of his t-shirt. Unfortunately for me, he wouldn’t take the bait, and I was left feeling like an idiot and … a tad desperate. Something had to change—and fast.
She was killing me … absolutely, fucking killing me. I couldn’t even be in the same room with her without getting a damn hard-on, and she wasn’t helping one bit. I had known she was doing it on purpose—the sexy little smiles and the nonchalant flips of her hair, wearing those sexy-as-hell cutoff shorts that showed off her long, lean legs, and that extra hint of cleavage she was sporting whenever I was around. Fuck. I wanted her so bad, my teeth hurt, and I knew if I got too close, I’d lose the last of my restraint. So I did the only thing I could: I kept my distance. I spent extra hours in the garage and took a few long rides through the city, whatever I could to get my mind off that hungry look in her eyes.
I finally got the distraction I needed when Big Mike called.
I’d just finished lunch and gotten back to the garage when my burner started ringing. When I saw that it was him calling, I quickly answered, “What did you find?”
“You got yourself an interesting one here, Clutch. A college graduate. Good job. Nice apartment. Pretty little thing, too,” he started.
“I know all that, Mike. What else you got?” I pushed.
“Her dad was one of the top real estate agents in Boston. A few years back, his company bought up several lots downtown. He was working with the mayor and the city council to renovate the area. Some cool new restaurants, a coffee shop, and a couple of those girly stores that sell t-shirts and shit. From what I can tell, it was going good. Really good. People were buying into it, and the area is booming now. It’s doing just what he said it would do, and people are starting to move into some of the older homes and they’re fixin’ them up.”
“All that sounds legit. So how did he end up with a bullet in his head?”
“Still not exactly sure. I do know that a man by the name of Hanson from New York got wind of the new development. He came in with an offer to buy up several of the empty lots, but Turner wasn’t interested. He didn’t like the fact that he wanted to open a Gentleman’s club and a couple of bars. It wasn’t what he was going for, so he didn’t take the offer, even though Hanson was offering above asking price—almost double—and it would’ve made Turner’s company a killing.”
“So the money didn’t matter to him?”
“Apparently not. He kept the offer hidden under a mountain of paperwork. His partner wanted him to push it through. His son even went behind Turner and wrote up a contract. They would’ve made a killing on it.”
“So you think the business partner and Hanson had something to do with the murder?”
“Can’t say for sure. Perry had a guilty conscience for sure. The suicide note had a message for Olivia. After a bunch of mumbo jumbo crap, he said to tell her that he was sorry.”
“Fuck. What about his son?”
“He’d been working with the company for a couple of years. I’d say he’s doing alright. Got a BMW and a penthouse apartment,” he said and chuckled.
“Sounds like he’s doing better than alright.”
“No doubt. I’m still digging. I’ll see what else I can find on him. Also still looking into this Hanson guy. He’s a high roller, and I’m trying to see if I can find any shady connections. He started off small, but he’s made a fortune by buying and selling different businesses around the country. There’s not much on him.”
“Gotta wonder why a high roller would want to set up shop in a suburb of Boston. Why was that spot so important?”
“I don’t know, brother, but I’ll find out.”
“What did you find on Detective Brakeman?”
He let out a sigh. “Brakeman looks clean, man. Not a lot on him. He’s got a place out on the eastside of town with his wife and two kids. Seems like a typical all-American family to me, but those are always the ones with skeletons in the closet. I’ll see what else I can come up with.”
“Thanks, Mike. I appreciate it. How are things going back at home?” I asked.
“It’s going. Cotton and Guardrail have been working on the new pipeline, trying to get everything ready to roll. Waiting on Nitro to get the shipment lined up,” he explained. “When you planning on heading back?”
“Things are moving along in the garage, so it shouldn’t be much longer. But I’ve got some other things to tend to before I can head back.”
“Like this Olivia?” he chuckled.
“None other. Get back to me as soon as you can, Mike. I need to know what the hell is going on.”
“I’ll have more in a day or so. I’ll be in touch,” he replied as he hung up the phone.
I put my phone in my back pocket and tried to focus on work. The garage was buzzing. Several new faces were there doing what they could to help out Blaze. During their last doctor’s visit, Kevin’s bloodwork had been off. The doctors decided to run some more tests, so Blaze had been at the hospital with him most of the day. I’d managed to get the entire engine pulled out of the truck I was working on and had finished most of the disassemble when he finally got to the garage.
He gave me a half smile as he walked over to me and said, “You getting anywhere with that piece of shit?”
“Slowly but surely. This one might do me in,” I groaned. He quickly glanced at the progress I’d made and nodded with satisfaction as he leaned against the hood of the car. I looked over to him and asked, “How did it go at the hospital?”
“I don’t know, Clutch. They want to run more fucking tests, and I’m sick and fucking tired of seeing my son treated like a goddamn pin cushion. I just want some answers. I just don’t see why they can’t just tell me something.”
“Figure they want to be sure before they tell you anything, brother. It’s hard, but when they are done, you’ll know for sure.”
“That’s the hardest part. Not knowing. If I just knew, I could prepare either way. I need to be able to get my head straight,” he grumbled.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and said, “I wish I had the answer, but only time is going to give you that. Just try to keep it together a little longer. You’ll know more soon.”
“Never been good with that whole patience thing,” he admitted. “I appreciate you staying late this week.”
“Don’t mention it,” I told him as I looked at the clo
ck. It was almost time for Louise to pick up the kids. “I’ve gotta head out, but if you need anything, just give me a shout.”
“Will do.” When I walked out the door, he shouted, “Have a good weekend.”
“Planning on it.”
The kids were supposed to leave around seven, and since it was already after dark when I got back to the apartment, I knew I didn’t have much time to get ready. I was about to get into the shower when I heard the kids walk out into the hall. They were talking a mile a minute and I could hear the excitement in their voices as they started down the stairs. Olivia followed behind them reminding them about all of her little rules. When the hallway fell silent, I went to take my shower. I knew Olivia would be waiting, so I didn’t waste any time getting ready. Once I was dressed, I grabbed my phone and keys and started for Olivia’s apartment. When I opened my door, Olivia was standing there. She was stunning. Her long, auburn brown hair fell loose around her shoulders, and she wore one of those little black dresses with a pair of black heels. Fuck. The woman was going to be the death of me. I had no idea how I was going to be able to keep my hands off of her, and the way she was looking at me like I was her next meal wasn’t making it any easier.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“Hey.” I smiled. As she stepped inside my apartment, I asked, “Did the kids make it okay?”