Legacy - Night Horde SoCal 3

by Sarah Osborn

  “Guess that makes it tricky if the killer's your old lady, huh?”

  “Kinda.” He poked his finger through a hole in one of the socks and dropped it in the floor. “I'd never hurt you, baby girl. You know that.”

  Emma leaned against him. He hurt her all the time. “I know. Does retribution help?”

  “What?”

  “Does it help, knowing that the killer is suffering for their actions?”

  “I guess.”

  She stood and held out her hand. “Come with me.”

  Emma frowned as he hesitated at the studio door. “If you don't want to know, say now.”

  “I'm sorry.”

  ~ oOo ~

  Well, if he just wasn't the world's biggest hypocrite. Samson twisted the throttle and pulled out onto the highway. Fuck, he'd just add that to his list of failings, right alongside 'pussy.'

  Emma's paintings were like a window into her world. Since Lottie had come along, she'd been working in textiles. Bright, colorful pieces that reminded him of those paintings before... Before. She still painted those twisted images, but they no longer freaked him out. They were just copies of how she'd felt – they sold well, so she painted them, but they lacked the impact of those early pieces. Fuck, he still couldn't look at those. And he sure as shit didn't want to see what she painted now. So he'd turned tail and ran.

  He guessed in the past, he'd've headed for Settle and sought solace among his brothers, but his cut weighed heavy now, so instead, he'd pulled on his parka, and headed north, across the border into Canada.

  SEVENTY-TWO

  “Have you heard from Samson?” Bugs unwrapped a candy bar and handed it to Lottie.

  “I got a text last week. He just said that he was okay.” Emma sat down at the kitchen table and sipped her coffee. “He hasn't said where he is, or when he's coming home.” She shrugged. “Maybe he isn't.”

  Bugs kept whatever opinions he had to himself. Instead he ran his fingers across a quilt she was working on and smiled. “This is nice. Is it expensive?”

  “Quite, I guess. If you want to buy one, I have some finished ones and I reckon I could give you a discount.” Emma couldn't imagine why he would; they were hardly his thing, and Yaz hated bright colors. “If Deke contacted you, you would tell me, right?”

  “Sure, but I ain't heard a word, Emma. Neither have the Twins. It's been a while since he's dropped off the grid like this, but it ain't unheard of.” He patted her hand. “He'll be back.”

  “Yeah.” She looked down at Lottie, who was sharing the candy bar with Genghis. “For her, if nothing else.”

  “For you, Emma. He'll come back for you.” He stood and, pulling out his wallet, laid a wad of bills on the table. “For the quilt. Let me know when it's done.” He grabbed the small backpack from the back of the chair. “C'mon Lottie, let's get you to my house. Auntie Yaz will be wondering where we're at, an' your mom needs to work.” He grinned at the dog, who cocked his head. “Yeah, you too, Genghis.”

  “Thanks, Bugs.” Emma picked up the money and frowned. “This is too much. You could have two for that.”

  “So make me two.” He kissed her on the cheek. “We'll see you in a couple of days.”

  Emma watched as Bugs' truck drove away, then returned to the unfinished quilt. Deke had been gone for nearly four weeks, but she'd had plenty of company. The Twins had stayed in the Princess house, because apparently they needed somewhere quiet to lie low for a few days. Bonnie had been baking and had driven for two hours just so Emma could sample her pies. While she was there, she'd noticed one of the gutters was blocked, and the next day, Wolf and a prospect had turned up to fix it.

  Felix had been around, of course, but there was a distance between them now. Her friend had known something wasn't right, but had assumed, wrongly, that it was Deke's fault. Emma hadn't known how to explain, so had started canceling on him, and had even stood him up a couple of times. They'd been hardy speaking before Deke had taken off, and things still weren't great, but he came and took care of Lottie while she worked, and called her at least every other day.

  She wasn't worried, and she wasn't lonely, in fact life was easier without him around. There was no reason for her to be missing him at all. Emma picked up her needle and began to sew. No reason at all.

  ~ oOo ~

  Emma's car was in the driveway, but there was no sign of her as Deke let himself into the house. He'd seen the light shining from the studio, but had no intention of going up there... yet. Emma probably hadn't heard his bike – she usually had headphones on when she painted. He could wait.

  The heart of their little home had always been the kitchen. It wasn't big – none of the rooms were – but there was enough room for a love seat and high-backed armchair in front of the fire, and they spent nearly all of their time there. She'd been baking, and the aroma of fresh-baked bread still lingered as he headed for the laid, but unlit, fire and pulled his lighter from his pocket.

  He had no idea of the reception he'd get. It had been four weeks since they'd spoken, and there was a very good chance Emma would be pissed. But for now, as the flames licked around the kindling and he eased himself into his chair, all was peaceful.

  He was tired, and he'd struggle to find a part of him that didn't ache, but for the first time since that terrible day, his head was clear. It had taken a lot of soul searching, and he'd covered a lot of miles, but finally he'd made peace with himself.

  “Hey.”

  Deke grunted and, opening his eyes, sat up a little straighter, dislodging the cats from his chest as he did. “Hey.”

  For a thousand years, he waited for her to speak, or move. Or anything. Finally, she blinked. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” He stood and took a step towards her. “Emma...”

  “You stink. Go and take a shower.”

  Ouch. Definitely pissed.

  ~ oOo ~

  Emma wasn't pissed. It had gone way beyond that.

  While Deke cleaned himself up, she hunted through the freezer; he'd be hungry, and she sure as shit wasn't cooking for him. She guessed he'd be showered in record quick time, so threw the – she checked the handwritten label – eggplant lasagna into the microwave, pulled a beer from the fridge and poured herself a very large glass of wine.

  Deke curled his lip as he poked the contents of the plate in front of him. “Eggplant?”

  “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot you hated them.” She cracked open the beer and slammed it in front of him.

  “Don't matter. Where's Lottie?”

  “With Bugs and Yaz.”

  “Emma.” He sniffed his plate and, screwing up his nose shoveled a forkful into his mouth. “If you're pissed, just yell.”

  “I'm not pissed.” She turned and walked back to the counter. “I was, about a week ago. Just after I stopped being worried out of my mind. Of course I swung between the two for a while.” She took a huge gulp of her wine. “Now, I'm... Fuck, I don't even have a word for how I'm feeling right now. You ran, Deke. From me.”

  “Yeah, I did.” He dropped the fork onto the plate.

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. “Don't really have an answer for you, baby girl.”

  “Try.”

  He looked up and his eyes met hers. “Tiny would have killed me, if not here, back in Bay View. The vote would've gone Vince's way, Tiny would have been given the job of executioner, and he would've obeyed his orders.” He took a deep breath. “Tell me what happened that day.”

  “You were there. You know what happened.” Emma relived it every fucking night, she didn't need to go there in daylight.

  “When Tiny grabbed your hand. What did he do?”

  “He...”

  “What did he do, Emma?”

  “He grabbed the gun.” She closed her eyes. “It was really quick, but it felt like he pushed my finger against the trigger. But he couldn't've, and why would he do that?”

  “Because he knew I couldn't do it.”

  “He wanted me to kill h
im? Fuck.” Emma sat down heavily. “I can't believe he'd do that.”

  Deke reached out and took her hand. It was the first physical contact they'd had since he'd gotten home. “I don't think he planned on dying. Reckon the big dumb fuck thought worse he'd get would be having to piss in a bag for a few weeks. He knew I'd been set up, but he couldn't disobey his orders. He was trying to buy me some time.” He smiled. “He would've killed me, but you turned up and gave him an out.”

  Emma ran her fingers through her hair. She could still feel Tiny's thumb pressing against her trigger finger, and could still see the look in his eye. For nearly six months, she'd believed that she'd killed him, but hearing Deke say it out loud shifted her perception. “What made you think that Tiny...” She looked down at his big hand covering hers. “That it wasn't me.”

  He shrugged. “For months, I've been playing it over and over in my head. If you'd have picked up the Luger, I wouldn't have given it a thought, but you took the Beretta – the trigger is stiff on that.” He sighed. “Tiny warned you he was coming. I reckon he'd hoped we'd take off. I dunno, Emma. The more I thought about it, the more wrong it felt. Tiny grabbing your gun like that. He wasn't that stupid. The stuff he said – reassuring you, telling me to find Fox – none of it sat well, but there was so much noise in my head, I pushed it away. Told myself I was clutching at straws.”

  “Tiny would rather have died than kill you? Shit.”

  “It was more than that. Tiny's faith in the club was absolute.” Deke let go of her hand and leaned back. “The man you knew wasn't the man I met all those years ago. He'd been a cocky punk, with too much attitude and a temper that was off the scale back then. He always believed that the club saved his life. I ain't sure how true that was, but he'd been a little too fond of using smack to calm himself down. I don't think I've ever known anyone as loyal as him. Vince took that loyalty and used it as a means to get rid of me.”

  “He must've known what Vince was doing. Why didn't he...”

  “Walk away? Challenge his President? Disobey an order? This is Tiny we're talking about, Emma.”

  “No. It was an accident. He wouldn't have done that.” She stood and turned for the door. “I'd've known.”

  ~ oOo ~

  In all the time they'd lived there, he'd never joined her on the top rail of the fence at the bottom of the yard. It was her place. That view that she fixed on whenever she needed to clear her head was hers alone. Deke handed her a jacket and leaned on the fence post. “You knew, didn't you?”

  Emma shook her head vehemently. “No. Tiny wouldn't do that.”

  She knew. He leaned over and touched her thigh. “I did a lot of thinking while I was away. For a while I thought about handing back my patch, but I don't think I'm ready to do that. I'll patch back in at Seattle, but not as an officer. I'll put in the miles, but I'm done with politics, and I've got a family to take care of. Someone else can go racing across the country for the Freaks.”

  She'd probably heard that a hundred times before, but to his surprise, she smiled and swung her legs back over the fence. “So you're staying?”

  “Of course. I should never have run in the first place.” He lifted her gently to the ground and, for the first time in forever, kissed her.

  SEVENTY-THREE

  The cemetery was quiet. Beth hated quiet. Quiet meant she was alone. And for as long as she could remember, nothing had terrified her more. All her life, she'd clung to her family. In an ocean of loneliness, it was her island. Her safe place. Even with all its dysfunctionality; the pain, the drama, it was simpler. She knew her role, and played it perfectly. She was the good one, the capable one. As a kid, she'd mopped up puke, and cooked dinners. She knew when to call 911 and when to run to Sophia. While her mom and her sister screamed at one another, Beth would be doing her homework or sitting on the stoop with Joe, wishing that, just once, he'd acknowledge her presence.

  She crouched down in front of the new headstone and ran her finger across his name. “I thought this is where you'd want to be. I think I was expected to have some sort of memorial service or something, but I wanted this to just be the two of us.

  “I don't think I'll be coming here again. I've put both houses on the market and I'm going to take the kids and rent a beach house in LA for the summer. After that? I'm not sure – away, I think. Somewhere new.” She brushed away a stray leaf. “I've been so angry with you, Joe. I guess that's why I waited so long to do this. I'm not sure what I was angry about – everything, I guess – but whatever it was, I'm not angry anymore. Not with you, in any case.” She sighed. “I wasted so many years doubting your love for me, and I've spent my whole life trying to be what I thought you wanted me to be.” She laughed. “Emma called me a people pleaser – she doesn't hold back when she's pissed, does she – she was right, though. It's what I do. It's what I've always done.”

  “I know something happened between you and her. It's okay, I'm not mad. I get it, Emma's everything I'm not. She's funny, brave and completely open with her feelings, which is how I know. Her guilt is written all over her.” Beth shivered as the breeze whipped around the back of her neck. “It doesn't matter now. None of it does. You're gone, and I have to build a future for me and the kids without you. It's not going to be easy, in fact I'm scared half to death, but I know I can do this. The worst has already happened, and I'm still here.” She kissed her fingertips and pressed them against his name. “I will always love you, and I'm not sure whether the pain of losing you will ever go away. I kind of hope it doesn't.” She straightened up and looked over to where Spike was leaning against a tree. “I guess I'd better go, I've left the kids with Yaz. Bye, Joe.” She smiled. “And you, Amy. Take care of him.”

  Spike pushed himself away from the tree. “You done, sweetheart?” Beth nodded and he smiled. “Gimme a minute with your ol' man, I'll see you at the car.”

  ~ oOo ~

  Beth hadn't particularly wanted to leave the kids with Yaz and Bugs, but her options were limited, and Yaz, for all her failings, was great with them.

  Spike pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” She climbed out of the car and made her way slowly to the door. “Please don't tell them where I was.”

  Spike raised his hand. “My lips are sealed. You do realize they'll find out, though? Emma's not going to miss a new headstone.”

  “Emma? Why would she be there? She never even knew Amy.”

  Spike shrugged. “I dunno, I assumed you knew. It's her who keeps the grave tidy. I guess Tiny must've asked her.”

  Of course he had. “It doesn't matter. It's done now. He's where he should be, and I finally got to say goodbye.” Beth fixed a smile on her face as she opened the door. “Hey.”

  “Mom!” Abi slid off the stool. “We've been making cakes and the sprinkles went everywhere so I'm helping Auntie Yaz clean up while the little kids watch TV.”

  “Wow, they do look great.” Beth grinned at Yaz, “and you're right, the sprinkles do seem to be everywhere.”

  Yaz laughed. “Imi and Alice got a little enthusiastic. Did you get everything done?”

  “Yeah. Thanks for watching them for me.” She'd told Yaz that there was some problem with the house that needed her attention.

  “Hey, I love having them. I'm just sorry you can't stay longer. You're always welcome here, Beth.”

  Beth smiled. “Thanks. Maybe next time.” There wasn't going to be a next time. “Are they in the den?”

  “Yeah, with Bugs. I dread to think what they're watching.” Yaz grinned as Spike wandered off to join them. “Something you want to share?”

  “What? Oh, Spike.” Beth laughed and shook her head. “No, there's nothing going on, there. He comes around and spends time with the kids sometimes, and he decided to muscle in on this trip is all.”

  “You could do worse.”

  Beth shrugged and poured herself a coffee. Joe had been dead for less than a year, and already she was expected to be lookin
g for someone new. Even if she'd wanted to start dating, Spike would be the last man she'd choose. If... When she embarked on a new relationship, it would be with a nice normal guy with a regular job, who'd never even as much as sat on a motorcycle. She'd rather spend the rest of her life alone than to, ever again, give her heart to a man who wasn't prepared to put her first.

  SEVENTY-FOUR

  “So you took him back, just like that?” Felix kissed Lottie and put her down on the sofa next to the dog. “I don't know why you don't just get 'doormat' tattooed on your forehead, just in case anyone else wants to walk all over you.”

  “Not up for discussion, Felix.” Deke had been home for just over two weeks, but Emma had been avoiding talking to her friend for this very reason.

  “Fine. Just don't come running to me next time he takes off, because I'm so done with his bullshit.” He took a cookie from the jar, broke it in half and gave it to her daughter and Genghis. “You deserve better, Emma.”

  Better than Deke? Emma smiled. No she didn't. “I have some canvases to drop off at the gallery, and a couple of other chores. I won't be long.” She bent and kissed Lottie. “Be good for Uncle Felix.”

  “Are you staying tonight?”

  “Are you going to stop bitching about Deke?”

  “I guess.” He sighed. “I just think...” He held up his hands as she frowned. “Fine. Yes, I promise.”

  Emma grinned. “In that case, yeah.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. “I'll be as quick as I can.”

  ~ oOo ~

  For a moment, Emma thought she'd taken a wrong turn, then, with a smile, she crouched down in front of the iron gray headstone that had replaced its small, white predecessor. “Hey, big guy. Fancy seeing you here. I figured you'd end up here, eventually.” She sat back and crossed her legs. “I'm glad. It'll be nice to have you to talk to. I always felt uncomfortable talking to Amy, cuz I didn't know her.” She laughed. “I just realized how dumb that sounds, but you know what I mean.

  “I had no idea you were here, although I'm not surprised. Beth isn't talking to me right now, and she doesn't really talk to Deke, either. It's my fault. She's still convinced you and me were fucking. Apparently I've been acting guilty – actually I have, and we both know why, don't we? Shit, Tiny. I can't believe you'd do something that stupid, but Deke's right isn't he? Do you have any idea how close we came to breaking up? I thought I'd killed you. How the fuck did you think I was going to deal with that? I'm not you, I don't have a murder box.” She laughed again. “Shit, I miss having you to yell at. Anyhow, as I was saying, Beth thinks we were having an affair, and that you were in love with me. I kind of lost my shit with her – I shouldn't have, but she refuses to listen to reason, and she caught me on a bad day. I've had a few of those over the last few months.”