by Rachel Cade
“They were just picking up pizzas, Sheriff,” Carl calmly replied behind them.
“Is there an actual rule that we aren’t allowed in town?” Noa kept his voice even.
Durand smiled with a cold look in his eye. Whatever he was going to say he kept to himself.
Noa was irritated at how this guy hid behind a badge. He’d give anything to know what he and his little attack dogs were up to. He had a few guesses, but he needed specifics.
“I’ll just box these up for you, gentleman.”
Durand scoffed, slowly turning to leave. “You’re a good man, Carl.”
“Takes one to know one,” Carl called back.
The Sheriff tipped his hat and left with the other officers.
The town took his side. Noa frowned, remembering Lyndie’s words.
He wanted to see her so bad. He’d wanted to stop her from getting out of the car but he was already taking a chance dropping her off. He didn’t care if the town knew about them, but he knew she did. And now knowing how she was connected to Durand-
Connected.
He could barely see straight.
She married him to try to get money to help raise her kid when his piece of shit father was right there!
He needed to see her.
But he knew deep down, he needed to respect her space.
“Lyndie. How are you?” Lyndie straightened as she picked up aspirin off the pharmacy shelf.
“Hey, little goober. Look how big you’re getting.” Ashley leaned over Max’s carriage and Lyndie crossed the aisle, grabbing the stroller handle.
“I’m fine.”
“You look tired. Are you heading to work?” Ashley glanced down at her diner uniform.
“Yes.”
“I keep meaning to come by and get some pancakes, but I’m trying to keep off the pounds.”
Max began giggling, drawing her attention again, and she waved at him.
That’s when Lyndie saw it: the rock on her hand.
“Oh.” Ashley spread her fingers. “I’m so excited! Will and I are engaged.”
Lyndie wasn’t quite sure what she felt, but disgust was mixed in there somewhere.
Ashley smiled hard in the silence that followed, holding her ring hand like it was her own baby.
Was she waiting around for a congratulations?
Maybe she should have said it. They deserved each other after all. ‘Til death do their dumbasses part. Or cheating whichever came first.
“That’s great that Will and your dad were able to get past the incident at the town hall so he could give you his blessing,” Lyndie said with a smile so genuine she briefly wondered if she was psychotic.
Ashley’s smile lessened.
“Will was so angry about that property being sold. But I know you helped him calm down.” Lyndie moved past her to the front of the store with Max, who giggled again.
“Wait a second, Lyndie.”
Ashley walked up beside her. “You let yourself get used for five years waiting on what I have now. I know you had your heart set on being the town’s first lady. But you’re not.” She fluttered her fingers again. “I just want things to be clear.” Her eyes lowered to her uniform one more time. “Enjoy your shift.”
Ashley made sure to walk straight out of the store.
*
Just to slap Ashley. One time.
Straight across her god damn face!
She hated most that the spoiled bitch was right. She had wasted five years with Will.
And now Max had a sorry excuse for a father that couldn’t provide for his kid but could spend thousands on an engagement ring.
When Lyndie’s shift was over, her feet and back were hurting. All she wanted was to get in a nice warm bath and tuck in to bed.
She hurried getting the place ready to close. Mitch had hired someone new, so she was getting two days off to herself which hadn’t happened in…
She couldn’t pinpoint an exact date.
The weekend was going to be Max and Mommy time. She was going to focus on him and keep everything else off her mind.
It would also give Peggy a break to enjoy some time to herself.
Lyndie walked down into the basement of the diner. She hated being down there, but she wanted to set out extra supplies so she wouldn’t get any phone calls during her time off.
The space was clean, but musty.
She took a few boxes of baking mix out of a delivery box, but thought to grab two more since the place was so crowded for breakfast over the weekend.
After opening another box, she grabbed two more containers.
As she was about to head upstairs, she noticed some crates behind the shipment she didn’t recognize.
“Shit,” she said. She prayed it wasn’t something that belonged in the freezer that had likely gone bad.
Lyndie looked around for a mini crowbar before opening the crate.
It was full of straw.
She moved it aside and almost jumped back.
Her mouth gaped wide and she looked around her before quickly putting the lid back on. As carefully as she could, she hammered the nail back and quickly escaped the basement.
Everything was a blur as she locked up and left.
The small packages she saw definitely weren’t a new brand of baking mix.
She wasn’t crazy.
Drugs. She’d found drugs in the diner.
Mitch was moving drugs through Amber Falls?
Her chest rose and fell hard.
Will was the Sheriff. If anything, she knew he cared about the town. He’d try to do something.
But he was friends with Mitch.
Lyndie was scared. She didn’t what to do.
Then Noa’s face flashed over her mind’s eye.
She hadn’t answered his calls.
All in a matter of minutes, she found herself right in the middle of trouble… again.
Chapter Twenty:
Who Can You Turn To?
On Sunday mornings, the gas station always opened late in the day.
Lyndie drove quickly past it in her hatchback with Max in the back seat.
Her heart was beating fast as she pressed on the gas.
With all the windows rolled down, she pulled in front of a large new building.
It was flat and dark. A row of bikes were lined up on the side.
The front door faced away from the main road where she was parked, and she was sure it was done on purpose.
Lyndie parked on the gravel near the front door.
“Okay, munch, I’ll be right back.”
She shut the engine off.
Wiping her hands on her shorts, she got out of the car and walked up to the entrance.
Before she could knock, it was opened swiftly.
“Hello.”
She recognized the older man from the town hall meeting.
He chewed slowly. “Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Noa.”
He cocked a brow. “Are you now?”
“I remember you from town hall.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that was fun.”
Then he turned hard on his boot. “Come on in.”
Lyndie almost winced, looking back at her car.
She only took one step over the threshold before the man walked away, adjusting her eyes to the lack of light. Max was still in view from the car, and she stood so she could keep an eye on him from the doorway.
The place looked like a club, complete with a bar and everything.
A sound startled her.
“Who is that?” A guy with skunk hair walked into the room and collapsed on a leather couch.
“She’s looking for Noa.”
“Who the fuck is Noa?” someone else said. She couldn’t figure out the direction of the voice.
“Settle down, settle down.” The older man raised his hand and lowered it.
The catcalls only subsided a little.
Noa appeared out of a back room, walking throug
h the door laughing as he glanced behind him. His hair was in a bun at the back of his head and he was only wearing a pair of black jeans so faded they appeared gray.
When he spotted her, he stopped.
“Babygirl.”
His eyes quickly dropped over her and he moved in.
Lyndie glanced down at her white shorts and yellow halter top.
“What are you doing here?” he said as he rushed towards her.
The calling got worse.
“Shut up!” Noa whipped around, holding up a finger.
Lyndie was overwhelmed by him. Holding her hips, he walked her backwards out of the club.
“What are you doing here?” he repeated, concern marring his eyes.
She was worried he might not want to see her or that she’d find him with someone else or about a thousand other disasters. Yet something still pulled her here.
Damn, she was still scared. She could just keep her mouth shut and try to stay out of it. But she was worried. Nothing like this had ever gone on in their town.
“I saw something,” she said as Noa stared down at her.
“I think I found drugs at the diner.”
Noa’s teeth bit into his bottom lip before he turned his head to the side. “How?”
“I had to go to the basement for supplies before I closed up. They were in some crates behind some boxes. I thought it was a food shipment, but it wasn’t.” The words tumbled out. Once said she knew, she couldn’t take it back.
“Did anybody see you?” He touched her face.
“No. I was there by myself.”
“I knew it was something,” he murmured.
“What?”
He glanced over her shoulder. “Big man’s here?”
“Big man?” She realized he was talking about Max.
“Come inside.”
He opened her hatchback’s back door. “I’ll get him.”
Lyndie was surprised. She didn’t move as Noa reached into the back seat. She thought he was going to take the car seat, but instead, he lifted his little body out and pressed him against his shoulder.
She was so glad she hadn’t moved, because she would have tripped over her own feet.
The sight of him holding Max froze her world for a minute.
“I got him,” he said again softly. “Go ahead in. You know what? Wait a second.” Holding Max with one arm, Noa reached through the window of the car and grabbed the yellow baby blanket. “Just tie this on your waist.”
Lyndie’s brows lowered before she realized. “Noa, they’re just shorts.”
“Not on you.”
“Ha.” This came from Max as he turned his head.
“See, he agrees with me.”
She stared at her munchkin while he wiggled in Noa’s arm’s, trying to look around.
“Um, just going to grab his baby bag.” She grabbed it out of the passenger seat.
It seemed like the room was fuller when they came back inside. A scattered but attentive group of wild looking bikers were waiting for them to return.
Lyndie stopped not far from the door.
“Hello,” she reluctantly said in the silence.
Noa’s heavy footsteps stopped beside her. “This is my wife, Lyndie. Lyndie this is the crew.”
Surprised reactions sprang up.
“Mrs. C.” Bleed gave her a short wave from his spot leaning against the bar.
“I remember you.” Lyndie waved back. “And you,” she said at the sight of the rainbow haired guy. “You almost blew up Jonas’s.”
“Come again?” the older man asked.
“Is that a baby?” The colorful biker quickly looked from the older man.
“Yeah, this is Max a.k.a Big Man.”
“Awww.”
For the first time in a while, Lyndie laughed. It was crazy to see these huge bikers gush over her son.
“So you think they’re the same crates you saw at the warehouse?” Noa and Lyndie were in Tin’s makeshift office.
“It wouldn’t surprise me.” He was still holding Max, who was pretty chill as they sat on the bench.
“What do you mean?” Lyndie asked.
“There were crates in the warehouse before we bought it. They got moved.”
“Do you know by who?” Lyndie asked.
Noa glanced up at Tin.
“I saw the deputy in the warehouse.”
“Henry? Are you sure?”
Noa knew Lyndie would have a hard time getting that their small town police department was corrupt.
“We have to be careful here with this. Lyndie, this isn’t anything anyone else needs to know.” Tin folded his weathered hands on the table. “You’re sure you didn’t tell anyone else besides us?”
She shook her head. “No. I haven’t even been at work since it happened. Thankfully I had the weekend off.”
“Keep it that way,” Noa added. “And stay out of that basement if you can.”
“I don’t like any of this at all,” she admitted.
Noa reached over and took her hand. “It’s going to be okay.”
“This is the real reason they don’t want us here, you know?” Tin spoke to Lyndie. “I don’t know if Langley knows about what they’re up to.” He sat back in the chair. “Hm. Small quiet town indeed.”
“This isn’t us.” Lyndie held her hand up in defense. “We all try to abide the law out here.”
“The Sheriff’s your son’s father.” Tin pointed out. “That puts you in a difficult predicament. Do you think he’s in on it?”
“I don’t…” Lyndie paused and sighed. “One thing I know about Will is that he cares about the town. It means everything to him.”
“As long as he’s controlling it,” Noa added.
“But he’s not in complete control. Langley is. He’s more or less the muscle.” Tin let his head loll back like he did whenever he began thinking hard.
Noa made a face, but had to agree. It seemed like Max had discovered his nipple ring.
“Maybe not for much longer,” Lyndie interjected. “Will just got engaged to Hugh Langley’s daughter Ashley, the realtor.” She glanced at Noa.
Noa distracted Max with his pinky finger, which the little boy grabbed with his whole hand.
“Gross,” Noa pointed out.
“That’s what I said.”
Tin glanced between the two and lowered his head briefly.
“Mrs. Callas, there’s a lot of trust going on between us right now. A lot of information being shared that could hurt both of us if the wrong people know we know.”
“I’m not going to say anything. Most of the people in town… I’m not really high on the town’s list of people to trust.”
“You know what I say about most people?” Tin didn’t wait for an answer. “Fuck ‘em.”
Max blew a bubble.
“Whoops, I forgot. Sorry.”
Lyndie’s mouth folded as she tried to suppress her laugh.
“I better get home,” Lyndie said as they walked away from Tin’s office.
He barely felt the baby’s weight in his arms, but he was curious and constantly moving.
He understood it wasn’t safe for her to be seen on their property, but he didn’t want her to go.
“We need to talk, Lyndie.” They made eye contact with one another. “About a lot of things.”
Lyndie reached for her son, and Noa handed him over.
Max spit out his pacifier which she caught before he started turning his body down.
“Like clockwork. He’s trying to nurse.”
Noa raised his brows slightly. “Smart man.”
Lyndie sighed, but her eyes held humor and behind them a little sadness.
“I only came to tell you that. I was scared to say anything to Will.”
Noa didn’t even like her saying the man’s name. “And don’t. Don’t say anything to him and don’t trust him.”
Lyndie glanced around. “I took a chance coming here, you know. We’re husband and wif
e. Even though it’s not supposed to mean anything, but I hope it counts for something. I know I didn’t tell you the truth about Max.” She looked down. “It’s hard for me to trust men. Will was the only one… and he hurt me. Then he left me.” He could hear the shifts in tone as she struggled to keep her voice even. “My life’s not easy Noa, it’s not.” When she looked up, her eyes shook with her words.
Noa pulled her to him, softly holding the back of her neck. “It’s okay. It’s alright,” he said by her ear. “I’m sorry about how I acted. I got caught up.” He took a deep breath. “I promised you I’d keep you and Max safe and I mean it. Marriage or not, okay? I promise.”
She didn’t pull away, and he felt himself calm in the second just holding her, with Big Man squiggling between them.
Noa heard a bit of commotion and looked up from Lyndie.
A dark bike with a purple visor was rolling onto the property.
Ignacio.
Fuck.
“Lyndie, you should head home.” He pulled back from her.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “Who’s that?”
Noa’s sigh was quick. “If I can, I’ll sneak by your house tonight. But you should get Max out of here, okay?”
He wanted to kiss her, but instead he led her back to her car so she could get off the property before Durand’s gang made a check in.
“Thank you,” he said as she turned on the engine, “for trusting me again.”
Her smile was soft but genuine. “Thanks for believing me.”
Noa ran a finger down the side of her cheek. The compulsion to touch her was too great.
One day, they were going to be together without having to hide or worry.
“Be careful,” she said, glancing at the new bike.
Noa winked before tapping the side of her car. “I’ll try, Mrs. Callas. Bye, Big Man.”
With a sheepish smile, Lyndie turned her car and drove off the property.
Chapter Twenty-One:
Whisper
“Skorpio.” Lyndie had barely gotten out of sight when he heard the deep accented voice.
Whisper was coming toward him, in all black from head to toe, moving soundlessly like he always did.
Noa preferred to call him Ignacio these days.
“This is a small town,” he pointed out, stopping a few feet in front of him.