by Vera Quinn
“Do you want to move over here so I can give you the update. It’s not very long because there is nothing to tell.” We move over to the corner. “Zig Zag says there is not much to tell. She was raised by her grandma. Her dad’s mom, Nina Walton. She died two years ago. Probably worked herself to death, but death certificate said stroke. The lady was sixty-nine years old and had both a full time and part time job. She took custody of Katie Bug Walton when she was four years old after her dad was killed in a construction job accident.” Con is smiling. “Yes, Bug is her real middle name. The lady was not only raising Katie, but paying all her son’s debts off. He had no insurance. He was working for cash money and off the books. Son’s name, Thomas Walton. Katie’s mom died in child birth, Katherine Walton. Nina lost the home they had owned for years a year before she died. It was mortgaged to the max and she couldn’t keep up with the payments. They lived in a rent controlled apartment, but when Nina died Katie didn’t qualify, so she had to move.
“Katie has worked since she was legal to. Sometimes more than one job at a time. Katie is in her first semester in college at TJC. She is making good grades with a full schedule and the full time job with Brown. Brown said he gave the job to Katie because he knew her grandma and wanted to help her until she got on her feet. He said she is one of the best workers he has. He said she keeps to herself and always shows up. He also said she works forty plus hours every week and didn’t like it when I told him she wouldn’t be returning because she would be hard to replace. I told him it was a personal favor for the club.
That’s about it. No criminal record, not even a ticket. No credit. Zig Zag said the only thing that brought up a red flag is the time between living in the apartment with her grandma to the time she rented her apartment. There is no record of where she lived.”
“Oh, hell no!” Cap is off and headed back to the room. He doesn’t even knock. My woman better be dressed or I am going to be pissed. We are on his heels, and I see she is sitting in a chair, dressed. “Young lady, where did you live the year after you left your grandma’s apartment and before you got your apartment?” Katie’s eyes hit the floor and she is blushing.
“Answer me, now.” Cap is angry and I push him aside and go to stand beside Katie. I want in between the two before he blows a cork. When Katie looks up she has tears in her eyes and is close to crying. Even with the one eye swollen I can see her beautiful blue eyes are full of tears, but she squares her shoulders and sits up straight, and keeps them in. I can barely hear her reply.
“In my truck.” No, she did not just say that.
“Calm down, Jethro, you’re scaring her.” Lil is trying to comfort Katie, but she isn’t having it.
“I’m not ashamed of it. I had no money, but I was working. I would go to the shelter and shower and then I would sleep in my truck. Went to the laundry mat to wash my clothes. I broke no laws. I had to save money to get a place to live. Grammy had burial insurance, but there were other expenses and I couldn’t stay in the government apartment we had. They gave me a little time, but I could never save enough, so I slept in my truck. It is why it is important for me to work so I won’t be homeless anymore.” That’s all I could take. It’s like every word out of her mouth was a dagger to my heart. I reach down to her and lift her. I took her in my arms and whispered to her.
“You will never be alone again. I promise you, I will be there for you. You are mine from this day forward.” She was stiff at first, but then she relaxed some, although she was wiggling to get down, so I set her down again. I can’t believe the things Katie has been through.
“Darlin’, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just can’t believe you slept in your truck for almost year.” Cap has calmed down.
“I didn’t trust the shelters. I mean, I know there are good people there, but I have heard some bad stories, too. I had rather be in my truck with locked doors. Now, when I have time I volunteer at the shelters to help people like myself who just need a little help. I wasn’t asking for a hand out, just a hand up.” She thinks we are judging her.
“Babe, we’re not judging you. We just hate it for you. Con and I didn’t have a home until Cap and Lil took us in and we aren’t the only ones. We have a motorcycle club full of brothers who didn’t fit anywhere and we came together and we are a family now. Do you know anything about motorcycle clubs?” Katie actually has a genuine smile on her face.
“You mean the kind like in the romance books?” My baby reads trashy romance books.
“No. You like trashy romance books?” I swear Katie turns three shades of red. “We are real men.”
“They are not trashy. They are sexy and interesting.” She still won’t look at me.
“Well, I am sexy.” I shoot Con a go to hell look.
“We are a brotherhood. Family. We have each other’s backs and we love to ride and we love the freedom of the road.” Cap tells her.
“We are each other’s family.” My girl is smiling big at me and I have to let her know I know my brothers are my family.
“My Grammy always said there are rules in life. Rule one is your family is always related by heart but not necessarily by blood.” I think Katie’s Grammy was smart woman.
“That’s it exactly, babe. I am claiming you and you are mine and I am yours. You will learn what this means. I will give you the time to adjust, but it is a fact. That means we are all family now. You have a family now.” I take her hand and kiss it.
“Shine, I think you are moving a little fast for Katie. Give her some time.” Lil is afraid Katie is going to run. It’s okay, because if she runs, I will catch her.
“Lil, Shine and I have already spoken. Not your business. Katie, you have a family now, so let’s see if we can get this nurse to turn you lose so we can get you home and settled.” Cap gives Lil the look that always shuts her down. Lil has free rein most of the time, but when Cap has that look she shuts her shit down. The nurse comes in and we are out of there.
Chapter 7
Katie
All the way back to Tyler I have been inside my head trying to figure out what I should do. It’s all happening so fast. Lil has tried to draw me into her and Cap’s conversation, but I just need to think. I cannot afford to make mistakes. It seems I have always been one paycheck away from living in my truck again and I don’t want to go back. One of Grammy’s rules in life is keep moving forward and don’t look back. I never quite understood it until I was all alone. If you look back, it’s always right there trying to pull you back.
I never had a mother to miss. I always wanted one. Grammy tried, but I’ve always felt like I missed something everyone else has. I vaguely remember my dad, but I can never be sure if it is actual memories or because Grammy always spoke of things we did. Grammy, bless her heart, was always just tired. I learned early to take care of myself as best I could just to give her a break. She worked so hard. I guess that is where I got my work ethic. First one there and last one to leave.
School was hard for me. Not the studying and learning part, but the part of making friends. I guess I was what you would call a nerd. My nose always in a book so I could soak up any kind of knowledge. I was quiet and didn’t like to break the rules. I had a hard time making even casual friends. I had no time for friends. I went to school and then did odd jobs for people my Grammy knew. Any kind of odd job, from walking their pets to cleaning garages. When I turned sixteen I was finally old enough for a real job.
I was very lucky to have Grammy and I tried my hardest to make sure she knew this and never let her down. She worked hard, so I worked hard. The only thing we ever splurged on was my driver’s license. I took drivers education in school. She said it was because she knew her eyes would give out on her sooner or later and I needed to be able to do the errands. We had only the one vehicle that used to be my dad’s.
Shine said he claimed me. I don’t even know what that means. I’m guessing he wants me to be like a girlfriend. I’ve never had a boyfriend. No time, and I am way too shy aroun
d men. He said I would never be alone again and he wanted to take care of me, but I don’t know how he knows this, because he doesn’t know me. None of them know me. What if I take the chance and they don’t like me? Then what? It’s a big gamble, but I want it so bad. I’ve never felt so lonely.
They said they were part of a motorcycle club. I know nothing about motorcycle clubs, but they have been so kind to me. I just can’t imagine Lil being anything but nice. The men are big and sometimes a little gruff, but they have kind eyes. My gut tells me they are mostly good people, but I think they are intimidating at the least. I want to give it a chance though.
Taking care of rescued animals would be a dream job for me right now. I love animals and helping them after they have been mistreated is something I believe in. I’ve always wanted a dog, but we never could afford one. Grammy always said that adopting any kind of pet is like extending your family. They are completely dependent on you for everything and it’s a life commitment. If I do this, I get to help with their care. My mind is working overtime. My eyes feel heavy and I think I’ll just shut my eyes for a minute.
I hear knocking. It seems far away, but it is getting louder. Then I feel like I am falling and being picked up. I open my eyes and Shine is holding me like a baby in his arms. I guess I must have fallen asleep and we arrived at Lil and Captain’s house. How Shine got me out of the SUV is surprising because I usually don’t sleep very sound. “I can walk now. I’m awake. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to have to carry me. If you had shaken me or yelled I would have woken up.”
I thought he would put me down but he just keeps on walking straight into a beautiful farm house. I’m trying to look around and take it all in. It looks like something out of a magazine. It has high ceilings, hard wood floors and there is so much room. Shine sits me on the sofa and I am almost scared to move. This is an expensive home and I do not belong here.
“Ma’am, I can’t stay here. I don’t fit in here. I thought you needed help, but I can see you can afford to hire someone experienced. I don’t want to disappoint you.” Lil is beside me in no time.
“I want you, Katie. This is just possessions. I just take care of my things. Do you know how hard it is taking care of this big house alone? Some of your job will be helping me in here. Plus, I have to keep these three, plus more, fed. Not an easy job. So you see, you’re doing me a favor.” I just don’t know why.
“Okay. I’ll give it a try, but you have to promise if I don’t work out you will give me some time to move.” That’s the only way I can do this.
“Yes, we’ll give you plenty of time and I don’t think that will ever be a problem. I had Con tell Brown you would be changing jobs. As a favor to the club, no notice needed.” I can’t do that.
“I have to give Mr. Brown some kind of notice. He was good to me.” Not a lot of people would take a chance on me.
“He is okay with it. I do business with Brown. We could talk about pay later, but I know it is a concern of yours, so how does five hundred a week sound? I’ll adjust it so that is your take home after taxes. You’ll get a one- bedroom apartment with all utilities paid and insurance. You can adjust your hours with each semester at school. Lil can let you know what she needs done each day. Can you cook?”
I hope that is not a deal breaker because I can cook what Grammy and I were used to eating, but we were on a tight budget. Sometimes grilled cheese and tomato soup was a luxury, but even if we only had noodles, we ate.
“I can cook some things, but I am eager to learn. We never had a lot of fancy food. I can make homemade soup, lasagna, beans, and plenty of mac and cheese.” Captain and Lil both look happy.
“We like mac and cheese. I’m sure you’ll catch on fast. The rest we can iron out later. You need to get settled. We had them put your things in the spare room.” I have to tell him one more thing.
“Sir, the pay is a little more than I expected since I am getting a place to live also. Anytime you need to lower it, it’ll be fine. I want you to get your money’s worth.” Cap looks at his feet and then back to me.
“Darlin’, you’ll earn it and you are worth that and more.” Cap thinks I am worth something. For some reason that brings tears to my eyes.
“Katie, follow me and you can rest until I get us something to eat. With all the excitement we forgot to stop. I’ll get a brunch figured up.” I think I just want a nap. We leave the men behind and go up the stairs to the bedrooms. I never expected a room so big and extravagant. This one room seems bigger than my whole apartment. Over by what I guess is the closet door is three boxes and a trash bag of my things. My clothes are on the bed. I see it has its own bathroom.
“Are you sure you want me to stay in here? It is very nice and so big.” Lil is looking at my clothes on the bed.
“Yes, this room looks out over the back yard and our pond. It’s very pretty early in the morning and late in the afternoon. I’ll ask Con where they put your other clothes.” She taking my clothes and hanging them in the closet.
“It looks like this is all of them, except for the ones I had in drawers.” I go and look in one of the boxes and then another and there they are. “It looks like everything is here.”
“This all your things? Okay. I will hang the rest of these up. You make yourself comfortable and when I finish I will get us some brunch.” Lil finishes and looks back at me. “Well, that’s done. I’ll send one of the men after you when brunch is ready. Rest.” Then she leaves me. So I lay on the bed and give in to my tiredness. All this just has my head on spin and I need sleep.
Chapter 8
Shine
Lil is coming down the stairs with a not so happy look on her face. In fact, it is a pissed look, as in, no one better mess with her look. She comes right up in between Cap and myself and says in a hushed voice. “That girl does not have a pot to piss in. She has less clothes than Sylvia does.” Sylvia is Lil’s Pomeranian. Lil dresses her up for every holiday. “Jethro, we are buying her some clothes and I won’t take no for an answer. Women need clothes. She only has three pair of shoes and one of them is a pair of rubber boots. Christmas is two weeks away and we are spoiling her. She needs it and that’s my last word on it.” Lil is on a mission.
“Lil, you need to calm down. Christmas is the perfect time to buy her things and I figured out a hell of a long time ago women need clothes by our credit card bills.” Lil has always been a little spoiled by Cap, but her shopping sprees are legendary. She bought a diamond dog collar for Sylvia and Cap hit the roof.
“I couldn’t believe when we went to her apartment and that was all she had. I thought we would be there a few hours packing and cleaning, but we were out of there in one hour. Her apartment was small and very clean. She only had a daybed to sit and sleep on. She had three glasses, two plates, and two bowls in her kitchen cabinet. The only food she had was noodles, peanut butter, and cheese and mac. The girl lives with the bare minimum.” Con is concerned, you can see it on his face. “Do you want us to go get her truck from the impound if they have released it?”
“Yes. She probably will want her things out of it. No need to let the wrecking yard have it.” Cap is right on that.
“Lil, I am going to let you have my credit card so you can get Katie whatever she needs. Con is the furniture in the apartment?” He’s nodding his head yes.
“Yeah, but all there was is the daybed, a table she had beside her bed, a dresser, and a microwave. She didn’t even have a chair. You saw what was there.” That is not going to do. My girl deserves more.
“Shine, we have plenty of furniture in storage from when I redid all our guest rooms last spring. I think I even still have a sofa, recliner, and a kitchen nook set.” Lil never throws anything out. This time it will come in handy. “We are going to make sure she has a real family Christmas. We need to get a real tree cut and make sure we do the whole nine yards this year. I don’t want her apartment done too soon. That way she can’t hide away from us. She thinks she can’t fit in here already,
so I don’t want to give her a place to hide. We’ll get all the brothers involved.”
“Lil, you know the boys aren’t going to turn down good food. You also know that means bringing her to the club.” Cap is just warning Lil, but I can tell by the look on her face that is not going over too well.
“Jethro, I am telling you and Shine that I will take care of any bitch that tries to mess with Katie. She is going to be family and they better be warned. I will cut a bitch real fast.” Lil is serious.
“That’s my little hellcat. Calm down, Lil. Shine will take care of it.” Cap likes Lil’s feisty side, but it scares the hell out of me. I know she would cut a bitch or anyone else who goes after her loved ones and Katie is definitely that now.
“I am going to the club tonight and square that away, but I will be back. I want to be here in case Katie needs something.” Cap nods his head yes. Lil smiles and Con is laughing.
“She’s already got you whipped and she’s not even officially yours yet. She’s going to be carrying your balls around in her purse.” Con is just jealous. I know he wants more, just like I do.
“Laugh it up Con, but when I have her sweetness around me every day I will be sure to remember you are still alone.” Con gets a serious look on his face.
“That was okay for you up until yesterday. You get one look at an innocent and you are a goner. I agree she needs help and a family will go a long way in helping, but to give up your freedom for her is taking it a little too far. Now we are standing around talking about it like some little school girls. What the hell?” I see this is going to take a little while for Con to get used to.
“Nothing’s changing Con, we are just adding another person to our family and now you won’t have any competition for the women’s attention at the club.” That put a smile on his face.