“We just finished the remod of the third floor. All of the officers’ bedrooms are up there, each with private bathrooms, and a movie room,” Otter explained. “The second floor now has nine bedrooms and a bunkroom with bathrooms.”
“Amazing,” I whispered.
There was also a basement, apparently, which served as more of a panic room. I couldn’t imagine when or why they would need a panic room, but I really didn’t want to find out.
“Shiloh!” Olivia called. “Come join us.”
“I’ll put Sneezles up in my room,” Otter said.
“He might freak.”
“Do you want to let him out down here?” Otter asked.
“Are there dogs?”
“Not inside. Can’t promise there aren’t predators out on the property if he decides to escape.”
Olivia made her way over to us. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Just trying to figure out what to do with my cat.”
“Will he run?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “He’s only ever lived with me. Inside.”
“It’s up to you,” she said. “I’m all for kitty love.”
“If he runs, baby, I’ll get him back,” Otter promised.
I bit my lip. “Okay, let’s try it.”
Otter set the carrier on the ground and I opened the door, letting Sneezles decide what he wanted to do. He zipped out of the carrier like he was being chased by the devil himself and jumped up on one of the sofas to survey his new territory.
I made my way to him and ran my hand over his back. “Hey, buddy. What do you think?”
“Meow.”
All the women and a couple of the braver kids came over and I held my breath as they crowded Sneezles.
“Can I hold him?” a little boy about ten asked.
“You have to ask his mommy,” a pretty brunette said, then turned to me. “Hi. I’m Brooke. I’m Caspar’s woman, and this is our youngest, Ethan.”
I grinned. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“So, can I hold him?” Ethan asked again.
“Please,” Brooke directed.
“Sorry. Please,” Ethan said.
“Let’s wait and make sure he doesn’t freak,” I said. “Then we can go from there.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s give the kitty some space,” Quin directed, and her kids stepped back a little.
I started to relax, until one of the littler kids reached out and Sneezles hissed. He didn’t swat at the little boy, but it scared him and Otter scooped Sneezles up and held him to his chest. “Okay, buddy, that’s enough. Let’s get you upstairs.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said to the mom, who just waved her hand and held her son close.
Ethan patted the little boy on his shoulder and smiled. “He’s just gettin’ used to everyone, but he’s not a bad kitty. We’ll try again later.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Ethan.”
Otter grabbed my bag and I grabbed the carrier, then followed him upstairs to his room. I couldn’t stop a little gasp as I walked inside. The room had been transformed.
“What did you do?”
There was a cat house in the corner by the window with several places for Sneezles to climb and burrow into, and Otter had put a soft bed inside one of the cubbies which I knew Sneezles would love.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s amazing, honey. Thank you.”
“Want you both to feel comfortable here. He’s got a cat box in the bathroom, so hopefully, he’ll use it.”
I set the carrier on the floor and reached for Sneezles, walking him into the bathroom and showing him where the cat box was, letting him down, then I sat on the bed and let him explore. He sniffed around a little, then jumped up onto the cat tower, finding the soft bed and snuggling into it. “Aw, he loves it.”
Otter chuckled. “Seems like it.”
I stood and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Thanks for doing all of this, Easy. It’s beyond sweet.”
He gave me a gentle squeeze, leaning down to kiss me quickly. “You’re welcome. Ready to get downstairs?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to check on him in an hour if that’s okay.”
“Of course, baby, whatever you want.”
He kissed me again and we made our way downstairs.
“Steele!” a feminine voice squeaked, and I followed Olivia as she made a run for a tall man walking into the room.
He laughed as she propelled herself at him, grabbing her in for a bear hug as he found Otter and gave him a chin lift.
Otter squeezed my hand and tugged me toward him. “Hey, brother.”
Steele grinned, releasing Olivia and pulling his brother in for a hug. “Miss you, asshole.”
Otter laughed. “Missed you too, dickhead.”
“You must be Shiloh,” Steele said, and pulled me in for a hug.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, and hugged him back.
The rest of the guys gathered around to welcome Steele and I stuck close to Otter. He wrapped an arm around me just as I got a 9-1-1 text from my brother, so I excused myself and stepped out onto the porch, calling him immediately.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
“Can I meet you at your place?” he asked.
“Why?”
“Need your medical expertise.”
I frowned. “Are you hurt?”
“Ah, well…”
“What did you do?” I squeaked, just as Otter walked out to join me.
“Can I just meet you there?” he asked.
“Yes. Of course.”
“See you in a few.”
I hung up and started for the door, but Otter took my arm. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think my brother’s hurt. He wants to meet me at my place.”
“You’re not goin’,” Otter growled. “Give me your keys. Doc and I’ll deal with it.”
“Your brother just got into town,” I countered. “You need to spend time with him.”
“He’ll be here for a week. Got plenty of time.”
“Otter—”
“Not up for discussion, Loh. I’m sick and tired of your brother puttin’ you in harm’s way.”
“What if he’s really hurt?”
“Then Doc’ll make sure he tends to him.”
I bit my lip.
“Serious as shit, baby, you’re not goin’. So if you’re really worried about your brother, you’ll give me your keys.” He slid his hand to my neck. “Let me figure this out, baby.”
I let out a frustrated sigh, then nodded and followed him back inside. I grabbed my keys from my purse, handing them to him, and watched as he talked to Doc for a few tense seconds.
Doc rolled his eyes as he stood and walked away, returning quickly with a backpack, then Otter kissed me and followed his president out of the club. I was left with a room full of strangers and a cat jailed in a bedroom upstairs.
* * *
Otter
I led Doc to Shiloh’s condo, trying my best to keep my rage in check. Jesus Christ, her brother was gonna get the full measure of my displeasure.
Pulling into Shiloh’s parking lot, I backed my bike into a spot and Doc did the same next to me. After removing our helmets, Doc adjusted his medical backpack and we rushed upstairs to find Beau passed out in front of Shiloh’s door.
“What the fuck did this asshole get himself into?” I hissed.
Doc knelt in front of him and checked his pulse, then did a quick body check. “He’s been shot. Let’s get him inside.”
I unlocked the door, then Doc and I hauled Beau inside, settling him gently on the dining room table. As Doc pulled on a pair of gloves and began to feel around the wound in Beau’s shoulder, he came awake with a start, sitting up fighting.
“Jesus,” Doc hissed. “Hold him, Otter.”
“Beau, we got you,” I growled, pushing the big man back down. “Calm the fuck down.”
“Shy’s safe. And this is the last time you call your sister to deal with this shit,” I snapped.
He passed out again and it gave Doc the chance to examine his shoulder. “The bullet was a through-and-through. Lucky bastard. It hit nothing important and it’s already starting to clot, but he still needs stitches.”
“You gonna do that here?”
“Yeah, brother, I don’t really have a choice.” He removed his soiled gloves, then pulled out fresh gloves and other medical supplies, washing his hands before pulling on a new pair and cutting Beau’s shirt off him.
“You gonna give him something to keep him out?”
“I need to check his head. He’s been out too long as it is,” he said, and felt around Beau’s skull, his hand coming away with blood. “Shit.”
“Another bullet?”
“No,” Doc said. “But he got his bell rung in a bad way. He’s probably concussed. I’ll need to watch him.”
Beau shot back up with a bellow and it took both me and Doc to get him back down.
“Beau,” I said. “It’s me. Otter.”
“Where’s my sister?”
“She’s at the club,” I said.
He relaxed. “Is she okay?”
“Why the fuck wouldn’t she be okay?”
“It’s why I’m here.”
“Jesus,” I hissed.
“Settle, brother,” Doc said. “Beau, can you tell me what happened?”
“No.”
“Because you don’t know?” Doc prompted.
“No,” Beau said.
“You allergic to anything?” Doc asked.
“No.”
“Gotta stitch you up, got a problem with that?”
“Don’t put me out, man,” Beau begged. “You got a local?”
“Yeah,” Doc said. “I can give you a local.”
For the next two hours, Doc stitched up Beau’s shoulder and a laceration on his head. My phone had been blowing up for about forty minutes, but I couldn’t respond to Shiloh, mostly because I didn’t know what the fuck was goin’ on.
“What the hell is wrong with my brother?” Shiloh screeched.
“Fuck!” I growled. “What are you doin’ here?”
“Get her out,” Beau snapped.
“I live here!” she squealed.
“Baby, you should not be here. You’re supposed to be at the barn,” I said, closing the distance between us.
“Who was watchin’ her?” Doc asked, not looking up from Beau’s shoulder.
“Mouse.”
“Mouse was distracted,” Shiloh sassed.
I narrowed my eyes. “You got Kennedy involved, didn’t you?”
“I plead the fifth.” She tried to push her way around me, but I blocked her path. “What’s going on?” she demanded.
“Your brother’s got a couple of injuries. Doc’s dealing with it.”
“What kind of injuries?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Baby, can these questions wait?”
“Doc, give me the rundown,” she demanded.
Doc rattled off a litany of medical jargon as Shiloh’s face went from horrified to a little more settled. “How bad was the damage to the scapula?” she asked.
“It’ll heal.”
“Clavicle?” she asked.
“Missed it.”
“Lucky little shit,” she hissed.
“Indeed,” Doc said.
“Otter, you need to move aside so I can see my brother.”
I stared her down, but I was no match for her. She might be petite, but she was a force to be reckoned with. She gently tugged on my beard. Something, I was starting to notice, she did when she felt what I needed to hear was important to her.
“Easy, please.” She stroked my cheek. “I need to see Beau for myself.”
I sighed, nodding and stepping aside. She walked to her brother and leaned over him. “How are you feeling?”
“Good. Doc gave me morphine.”
She slid her hand to his chest and twisted his nipple so hard, he reared off the table with a howl of pain. “Ow! What the fuck, Shy?” he snapped.
“Jesus,” Doc hissed while I tried not to laugh.
“That’s for getting yourself shot,” she snapped. “I’d like to give you another one for getting blood all over my dining room table and wood floors, but I’ll just have to wait until you’re feeling better for that privilege.”
“Shy—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped. “You’re up to something and you’re either going to fill me in or we’re done.”
Beau frowned. “Sissy—”
“No. This has to stop, Beau. You can’t keep dragging me into your convoluted schemes. What the hell are you doing?”
He sighed. “I can’t tell you.”
“Right, then, get out of my home.”
“Shy—”
“Out,” she said, waving her arm toward the door. “Now.”
“Shiloh—”
“Doc? Can he be moved.”
“Yeah, technically, he can be moved,” Doc said.
“Then, I want him out.”
“Sissy, let me explain,” Beau tried again.
“I swear to God, Doc, you need to get his butt out of here, or I’ll do something else to him that’ll require your medical services,” Shiloh threatened.
“You got a car?” Doc asked Beau.
Beau nodded. “Yeah. It’s downstairs.”
“Right, I’ll take you home,” Doc offered.
“I’ll take care of your bike,” I told Doc and waited for them to walk out the front door. After locking up, I texted a couple of guys to come clean up and faced her. “You okay?”
She shook her head and burst into tears. I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her, giving her a gentle squeeze. She flopped against me, sliding her arms up my back and fisting them in my cut. “He was shot.”
“I know, baby.”
“Who would do that?” she rasped.
“Don’t know,” I whispered, stroking her hair. “I will find out, sweetheart, okay? You don’t have to deal with any of this shit anymore.”
“I’m so over it, you know?” she asked on a sob.
“Yeah, baby, I know.”
We stood there for a few precious moments, her arms moving up my back and under my cut, holding me like I was her lifeline. Then, just as quickly as she’d wrapped her arms around me, she stepped back, wiped her tears, and walked out to her balcony where she opened a door off to the side.
“Babe, what are you doin’?” I called.
“That blood’s gonna stain, Otter. I need to get it up,” she said, pulling a bucket and a mop from the small outdoor closet. She walked back inside and glared at the stains. “I swear to god if my brother gets himself killed, I’m going to murder him. The cops will come here, run a blue light over this mess and assume I’m his killer.”
“Okay, baby, I think it’s time you stop watching Snapped.”
“I’ll show you snapped. I’ll snap like a turtle. I’ll snap like a god dammed crocodile.” She threw a sponge into the bucket. “I’ll go Crocodile Rock. In fact, I’ll go full queen, raging bitch, Sir Elton John on his ass.”
“Before you get the feathers of your Donald Duck costume ruffled…”
She snorted on a laugh. “Wow, nice pull.”
“Thank you,” I said, smiling now that the tension had been relieved.
“Sorry, honey,” she said with a sigh. “I tend to rant when I get upset and nobody upsets me more than Beau. My brother just drives me insane.”
“It’s okay. Family’ll tend to do that.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I guess being in a biker club you have a ton of brothers to drive you crazy, huh?”
“You don’t know the half of it,” I admitted. “I swear sometimes being in a club is like having forty sisters.”
“Sisters?”
“Yeah. Twenty old lad
ies and twenty of the bitches they’re married to,” I said. “Those guys are worse than anything you can imagine, especially when their periods sync up.”
Shiloh laughed. “Oh my god, that’s a visual.”
I chuckled.
She smiled, then sighed as she glanced around the room. “Look at this mess.”
She gathered up the mop and bucket again, but I shook my head.
“Stop,” I ordered. “I’ve got Shadow and Stump on their way. They’re gonna take care of it. If they can’t get it cleaned up, Doom’ll make sure it’s replaced.”
“I don’t have the money to replace my floor, Easton,” she said with a huff.
“The club’ll cover it,” I promised.
“I don’t expect—”
“Baby, hush,” I ordered gently, taking the bucket and mop out of her hands. “We are gonna take care of it.”
Before she could argue, her doorbell rang and I headed to the door, opening it to find Shadow and Stump standing outside with a couple of toolboxes. They grinned and gave me a chin lift.
“Come in,” I said. “Shiloh, you remember Shadow? And this is Stump.”
“Hey,” Shadow said. “Heard you got some problems with your floor.”
“Yes,” she said. “Blood.”
“Okay, sweetheart. We’ll take care of it.”
“Just like that?” she asked. “You don’t want to know where the blood came from?”
“None of our business,” Stump said.
I smiled, pulling Shiloh to me. “They’re not paid to ask questions.”
“We’re not paid at all,” Shadow retorted.
“How about we head back to the club and let Shadow and Stump deal with this?” I suggested.
“Give us a minute,” Shiloh said to my brothers, taking my hand and dragging me down the hall to her bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t know these men,” she whispered. “Do you really expect me to leave them alone in my home?”
I crossed my arms and leaned toward her. “What do you think they’ll do if you do?”
She threw her arms in the air. “I don’t know. I’m not familiar with bikers and what they will and won’t do on a daily basis.”
“The answer is nothing. They will clean up, fix, or pull up your floor, then they will report back to me and you’ll be back at the club drinking with your man.”
Calling the Biker's Bluff (Dogs of Fire MC: Savannah Chapter Book 7) Page 8